Putnam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Putnam - Essay Example I do believe that people still talk of divorce "in an almost pious reverence", but this I believe is bound to change since divorce is continuously becoming so common. The time will come when divorce will be talked about openly and sadly will be seen as a normal day-to-day happening in society. Putnam based his claims on the fact that he feels he still can depend on his parents although he gets to spend time with them separately. He has found resolution in his family's situation of which he has quaintly expressed when he wrote that "The safest environment for me was to be with one happy parent at a time, instead of two miserable ones all the time." I find the discussions in his essay convincing and supportive on his claim on what the divorce of his parents has done for him. He was able to present negative implications of the divorce and at the same time presented a clear understanding and acceptance of his living situation "with two houses to call home." 4.) Putnam has several warrants, some of them stated explicitly and some implied.

The Future of Books Essay Example for Free

The Future of Books Essay The past decade has seen the unparalleled development of electronic devices. And the subversive popularity of e-books plays a crucial role in this process. Nowadays, it’s quite common to see a portable iPad instead of piles of heavy books in a teenager’s backpack. An increasing number of people prefer to tap on screens rather than turn paper pages. Because of this mounting craze, some people anticipate that with the looming momentum e-books will ultimately take the place of traditional print books and dominate the market, which has stirred up a heated debate. From my point of view, I really doubt such a pessimistic judgment of the outlook of paper books. People have been using paper books for thousands of years. In gratitude to paper books for initiating us into the world of knowledge, we have formed a deep-rooted attachment to them, which stays on inwardly all the while. So it’s hardly feasible to abandon this habit radically. Actually, paper books have already become a part of reading itself. How can you let those ardent readers who will go through fire and water for paper books give up the smell of ink and the touch of papers? Nevertheless, those manufacturers salivating over prospects for e-books keep telling us there are a sizable number of advantages in order to plunge customers into the craze and boost sales. But if you consider their recommendations carefully, you can uncover that e-books are not completely ideal choices. Firstly, they say that e-books are much cheaper. Apparently, they make no mention of the fact that e-readers are expensive. What’s more, let’s take iPad as an example. Apple Inc has already shipped three generations of iPad. So a lot of consumers keep trading up almost annually regardless of the high price, which amounts to a waste of money to some extent. Secondly, some people say that e-books own better portability. In most cases, however, we only need to carry one or two books with us, which is not that inconvenient. On the contrary, e-readers can be targets of theft and batteries are readily dead, which will afflict users a lot. But traditional books are devoid of these problems. Last but not least, there are really too many distractions on e-readers, which may make us sink into other entertainments and use e-readers secondarily for reading, not to mention its harm to our eyesight. All in all, I believe with the craze simmering down, people will smell the coffee and find that e-books cannot hold a candle to paper books in many ways and make their sensible decisions by choice. E-books won’t emulate traditional books and take charge of the whole market. We won’t pine for the passing golden age of traditional books in that they will be always there waiting for us.

The Old South and John Crowe Ransom :: John Crowe Ransom Writers Poems Essays

The Old South and John Crowe Ransom Most remember it as a time of dashing young heroes on horseback, fair damsels in distress, and majestic castles hidden from the vulgarity of daily life by the cool shade of fragrant magnolia and honeysuckle. It was a time and place so far removed from today’s fast moving, billboard covered world that one could easily imagine that this lost civilization existed on some far off continent, or perhaps not at all. However, the fact remains that once upon a time the old South did exist, and there are many people still who feel that the loss of this culture and its ideals is nothing short of a tragedy. One such individual was John Crowe Ransom, a man whose life was tempered with his intense yearning for the tradition and stability that the old South embodied, and that has been lost forever amid the skyscrapers and factories that have replaced the cotton fields and plantation homes of long ago. The power that the old South held for Ransom drove his works, as can be evidenced in his poem, â€Å"Old Mansion,† which describes his ultimately futile attempts to return to the old traditions. The common thread unifying Ransom’s work is that of longing for the stability and tradition that the old South embodies. As in his essays, this poem explores the possibilities of what unlocking the secrets of this lost era might entail, and what benefits could be reaped in today’s society from such an undertaking. In this poem, Ransom fails; however, the poem remains an important step in his journey to seek out the old traditions and integrate them into a modern framework. To begin this journey, Ransom introduces the â€Å"old mansion† as a concrete concept to represent the traditional values and lifestyles sought. Every bit of the structure, from its ivied columns, crumbling graveyard, and ultimately, its inhabitants themselves, serve as parables for Ransom’s search. The language in the opening stanzas clearly demonstrates the reverence and personal affinity Ransom feels for the plantation home, i.e. the old South. Yet despite the fact that he wants nothing more than to return to this way of life, he still refers to himself as an â€Å"intruder† (ln 1) into this world that he cherishes so highly. Clearly, despite Ransom’s desire for a return to these simpler times, he maintains a feeling of respect for the past itself, and is not attempting to relive it. He is an intruder in this past, yet he wants desperately to understand its meaning, rather than just appreciate its beauty.

Giambattista Vico and the Pedagogy of Heroic Mind in the Liberal Arts

Giambattista Vico and the Pedagogy of 'Heroic Mind' in the Liberal Arts ABSTRACT: Vico's concept of the Heroic Mind forms the pedagogical basis for his view of the liberal arts in university education. It is also the key to understanding his humanist critique of Cartesian epistemology. This essay studies Vico's Heroic Mind concept as revealed in his 1732 De mente heroica Oration, discusses the nature of Vico's challenge to Descartes' view of the human person and of knowledge, and points out the development of Vico's ideas on mind, education, and knowledge from his earlier works. Vico's writings not only offer a portrait of eighteenth century European intellectual and cultural thought, but also prophesy the change, disruption, and dehumanization that result from the exaggerated emphases on rationality as the end of all knowledge divorced from other physical, emotional, natural, or historical contingencies and from a neglect of the de mente heroica concept at the foundation of the humanistic world view. His understanding of the state of learning, wisdom, a nd culture in his own age as well as his exposure to the aversion of the Cartesian mathematical paradigm which discounted the Heroic Mind issues forth in an understanding of the forces driving modern technological society and the problems plaguing contemporary consciousness and life. He has influenced and inspired much modern thinking in sociology, politics, anthropology, language, pedagogy, literature, psychology, and even science. It is the concept of the historical and cultural evolution of the Heroic Mind which Vico passionately pursued in his monumentally creative The New Science. On October 20, 1732 a distinguished Neapolitan Professor of Rhetoric and Eloquence, who ha... ... Jacques. The Technological Society. Trs. John Wilkinson. New York: Knopf, 1964. Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. New York: Bantam Books, 1995. Verene, Donald Phillip. Vico's Science of Imagination. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1981. Vico, Giambattista. On Humanistic Education (Six Inaugural Orations. 1699-1707). Trs. Giorgio A. Pinton and Arthur W. Shippee. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1993. __________. "On the Heroic Mind." in Vico and Contemporary Thought, ed. Tagliacozzo, Mooney, and Verene. Atlantic Heights, N.J.: Humanities Press, 1979, vol. 2: 228-45. __________. On the Study Methods of Our Time. Trs. Elio Gianturco. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990. __________. The New Science of Giambattista Vico. Trs. Thomas Goddard Bergin and Max Harold Fisch. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1948.

ABC company’s Risk Profile Essay

ABC Company Risk Profile The ABC company is a manufacturing firm that specializes in making cedar roofing and siding shingles, with recent sales at $1.2 million, the company wants to reach the $3 million mark over the next 3 years. As a newly hired Corporate Controller for this company, I have been assigned the task of developing and overlooking a new plan made by the CEO that will use some of the shingle scrap materials to build cedar houses. The newly develop plan will certainly bring new challenges for the company on the form of increased cost and labor; However it will also provide additional revenue and gross profit to help reach the growth targets. On this paper I would go over the details of the report made for the CEO that includes information on the overall risk profile based on actual market conditions, a current company cash flow, the product cost and any potential investments that might accelerate profits. See more:  The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis Essay The Risk profile for this company includes several different factors that are mostly due to current market conditions, and the level of risk the company will face by adding extra inventory and expenses. Unfortunately risk is a reality of doing business, whether the company is large or small, public or private, risk will always be present since nothing on the business world warrants a guarantee. Some of the key risk points are: Inventory represents a big portion of the cash flow, therefore having extra inventory on hand will have an impact on the company’s future cash flow; payroll is also directly related to the cash flow since it takes a big portion of the monthly budget, therefore increasing the manufacturing capabilities of the factory as well as adding a new line of production will increase the payroll thus having an impact on cash flow reports; Economic downturn, that might affect prices of inventory to be purchased, therefore affecting the potential growth as well as hav ing an impact on reaching  forecasted company goals.

Top 5 Women of the Twentieth essays

Top 5 Women of the Twentieth essays In a male dominated society, women have previously taken a back seat to men. But in the 20th century women have shown what they are capable of accomplishing. I have created a list of the top five most influential women of the 20th century whose accolades put them in a league of their own. 5. Babe Didrikson- Babe gave sports in the 20th century a complete face lift. As a young girl Babe excelled in many sports: baseball, swimming, track, and basketball. At the modest age of 21 she won four events and placed in two others in the national AAU championships. This accomplishment was only the beginning; as Babe went on to win two events in the Olympics at Los Angeles. Having far surpassed any expectations for women in sports Babe went on to superstardom in golf. She won 17 tournaments as an amateur then went on to win 33 as a professional. She dominated in a way no women had before. Babe Didrikson rewrote the book on women in sports and opened the floodgates for future women athletes. This is the reason she makes my list. 4. Margaret Thatcher- Margaret Thatcher changed the face of women in politics, and showed that a woman could run a major country as well as a man. Thatcher was born in a small town in England and made her way up to Oxford University where she earned two degrees in chemistry and law. She made her way into politics at the age of 34 and never looked back. She challenged for the head seat in Tory and won, leading to her to be the first female prime minister of England. She took control over the major issues of the day and proceeded to put England back where it belonged. Thatcher ruled with fairness and honesty and set the standard for excellence for women in politics. She comes in at number four for her contributions to women in politics. 3. Marie Curie- Curie was a Polish born scientist who changed ...

How to Document the Marketing Process in Six Steps - CoSchedule

How to Document the Marketing Process in Six Steps Documenting your marketing processes gives you the steps you need to complete every project you take on.  Its a vital part of executing any strategy. Perhaps you’re looking to revamp an outdated workflow or  maybe youre looking to make your team more efficient and collaborate better. This post will walk you through how to build a marketing process from start to finish. Once your process is developed, it will help you maximize your time and get things done as efficiently as possible. DID YOU KNOW: You can manage and execute your entire marketing strategy using the Marketing Suite? From social media planning and publishing to marketing project management and task organization to content marketing strategy and execution,  the Marketing Suite is the most complete marketing platform to get better results. Download Your Marketing Process  Template Marketers who document their process  are 538% more successful. Be like them. Document your own process with this easy-to-use template.Document the entire marketing process with this free template.What is a Marketing Process? A marketing process is: â€Å"A series of steps that allow organizations to identify customer problems, analyze market opportunities, and create marketing materials to reach the desired audience.† So ... how exactly does the marketing process work? And how does documenting one help you achieve...Step One: What Does Your Company Do? The first step in creating your marketing process is to highlight the mission statement of your company. All of your marketing efforts will revolve around fulfilling that statement for your customers. Take a look at some of the mission statements of these brands: Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. Discovery Benefits: Discovery Benefits is transforming the complexity of employee benefits administration with innovative solutions and extraordinary customer service delivered by empowered and knowledgeable employees. : A family of Agile marketing products that will help you stay focused, deliver projects on time, and make your team  happy. Patagonia: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. Tesla: To accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy. Each one of these companies creates materials, campaigns, and more to help foster those mission statements. Take   for example. Every feature we build helps marketing teams get organized and save time. All of your marketing efforts should relate back to fulfilling this mission or the goals that have been set. Define the goal behind your marketing process. Follow this template to get started: {My company} exists to {provide benefit} through {product or service}. Documenting your #marketing process? Start with your mission statement.Step Two: Conduct a SWOT, 5C’s or PEST Analysis The next step in creating your marketing process is running an analysis for your marketers. You have three options to choose from: A SWOT analysis.  These analyses  run through the internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that your organization faces. The 5C’s analysis.  The 5C’s analyses focus on the company, collaborators, customers, competitors, and climate of your marketing. A PEST Analysis.  The PEST analysis focuses on more environmental factors like politics, the environment, social climate, and technology. Here are three types of competitive analyses to consider when documenting the #marketing process.Conducting a SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis  a relatively straightforward process. As a team, you will need to identify the internal strengths and weaknesses of your organization. To find your strengths  answer questions like: What does our organization do well? What processes do we have in place that help us stay efficient? What do we currently do that is a unique strength of our organization? To find your weaknesses  answer questions like: What could we improve in our organization? What is causing a constant roadblock to our progress? What are we currently doing in our marketing process that could use improvement? Each of these questions should address the internal factors that are helping or hindering the success of your marketing. The second part of the SWOT analysis is going to focus on the opportunities and threats that affect your marketing outside of your organization. To analyze the opportunities  outside your organization answer the following: What are we currently doing in our marketing that is fulfilling our mission statement or goals that have been set for our team? What is going on in the current market that we can use as an opportunity? What is changing in our industry that we could take advantage of right now? Once you’ve found opportunities to expand your marketing, analysis the threats  that may impede your success. Answer the following questions: What are our competitors doing better than us? Are there changes in our industry that could threaten our efforts? Is there anything going on politically, economically, or socially that could hinder our marketing efforts? If running a SWOT analysis is something your marketing team wants, use the analysis template that you downloaded earlier in your marketing process strategy bundle. This is how to run a SWOT analysis.How To Run A 5C’s Analysis Another analysis that your marketing team  can choose to run is a 5C’s analysis that focuses on your: Company. Collaborators. Competitors. Climate. Customers. For this analysis, answer the following questions and record them in the 5C analysis template. Company Question Examples: What marketing strategies are we employing that are making a positive impact? What strategies are we using that aren’t making an impact on our audience? What roadblocks are continually recurring that hinder our marketing process? Collaborator Question Examples: Who are we working with that is having a positive impact on our marketing efforts? Who is up and coming in our industry that we could partner with? What relationships aren’t having the same effect that they used to? Competitors Question Examples: Who are our most significant competitors? What are they doing that we currently aren’t? What tactics seems to resonant with their audience? Climate Question Examples: Is there anything happening in our industry that would affect our marketing tactics? Are their new best practices in our industry? Is our industry growing or shrinking? Customer Question Examples: What tactics are resonating with our audience? What have they come to expect from us? Is there anything we can be doing to increase the loyalty to our brand? Fill in your analysis in the marketing process template. This is how to run a 5 C's analysis.Running a PEST Analysis No, this isn’t about potential bugs in the office. A PEST analysis involves  looking at the political, economic, social, and technological factors that may affect your organization. To run a PEST analysis, record answers to the following questions. Political Climate Questions: Are there any upcoming elections that could affect the way our product is used or made? Could any upcoming legislation affect the way our organization conducts its business? If there is an upcoming legislation change that affects your organization, how quickly will that take effect? Economic Climate Questions: What is the current outlook for the economy? If you do business with foreign countries, what does the current exchange rate look like? How much are our target audience members spending on products or services we sell? Social Climate Questions: Are there any social movements that our company should be addressing? How does the upcoming generation of buyers feel about our product? Is there any social faux-pas arising that could affect how people view our business? Technological Climate Questions: Are there any new tech tools that could help us do our jobs better? Are there any new tech advancements in our industry that we could bring to our customers? If new technology is coming to our industry, how quickly will it make an appearance? Record your answers in the PEST analysis template you downloaded earlier. Here's how to run a PEST analysis.Step Three: Creating Your Marketing Strategy Now that you have a full analysis of your organization  and your industry, you can begin to shape your marketing strategy. Define Your Target Audience To start creating your strategy, you need to define who your target audience is.   Your target audience is: â€Å"The ideal customer you want to attract to your product or service through your marketing efforts.† To start finding your target audience ask your marketers the following: Who is already a part of our existing audience? Who responds best to our efforts? Why do people use our product or service? What type of problem do they experience? As you begin to format the answers to those questions, you’ll create a target audience statement which could look something like: â€Å"[Target Demographic] experiences [problem] which is leading them to interact with our organization and use our services.† Read more  about how to develop your target audience  and marketing persona. Documenting your marketing strategy? Don't forget your target audience.Creating Marketing Goals The next step in formatting your marketing strategy is to develop a series of marketing goals that connect back to the business goals that were mentioned earlier. Your marketing goals should be S.M.A.R.T. This means they should be: Specific.  You should know exactly what you'd like to accomplish. Measureable.  If you can't measure it, it's not useful. Attainable.  Stretch yourself, but avoid setting yourself up for failure. Relevant.  Your marketing goals should be connected to clear business outcomes. Time-based.  Give yourself a deadline by which you'll achieve your goal. For example, if we were to go back to the overarching goal for the mattress company which was to sell mattress your marketing goals would want to help contribute to that goal. A possible marketing goal for this example would be: â€Å"Increase the website referral traffic coming from social media channels by 25% in the next quarter.† You can set as many goals as you need to complete each marketing project. Learn how to set your goals. Every documented #marketing strategy should include clear goals.Remember, the most important thing with your marketing goals is that they are tied to wider business objectives. Ensuring Your Marketing Goals Contribute to the Bottomline Let's say your overarching business goal is to have 20 million in revenue by 2020. In order to increase revenue, you have to increase sales. In order to increase sales, you've got to increase leads coming into the marketing funnel. This is where you come in. You've identified that you need to bring in 1,000 leads per month. Working back from there helps you identify the one lead metric to focus on. Your website is the largest lead generator, so to increase the number of leads, you've got to increase traffic. Say you get 5,000 website visitors each month; is it possible to convert 20 percent of them? Likely not. In reality, a 2-5 percent conversion rate is more accurate. To hit your goal of 1,000 leads, you need between 20,000 and 50,000 website visitors. Now you've found the one metric to focus on. Every activity you do should focus on increasing the volume of website visitors from 5,000 to 20,000 (to hit a 5 percent conversion rate). Set A Budget The last step in your marketing strategy is setting a budget up. Your budget will determine what resources and strategies you use throughout the year. There are four ways you can set a budget for the year: Percent of Revenue.  This is where the revenue that your organization brings in determines what your budget will be. Top-Down.  This is where your CMO or boss decides what your marketing team will spend. Competition Matching.  This type of budget is based on trying to reverse engineer what your competitors are doing. Goal Driven.  This type of budget is based on the goals that you have set for the year. The amount you spend on each project will depend on the kind of goal you need to reach. Learn more about creating a marketing budget, with our  marketing strategy guide. Have questions about working budget into your marketing strategy? We have answers.Step Four: Building Your Marketing Mix The next step in your marketing process is going to be building  your marketing mix. According to The Economic Times: â€Å"The marketing mix refers to the set of actions, or tactics, that a company uses to promote its brand or product in the market.† This is usually broken down into the four P’s: Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. Product.  The product of your marketing mix is going to refer to how the thing that your company is selling is produced. It includes things like branding, packaging, quality of the product, features and more. Price.  Price in a marketing mix refers to how much your product or service costs. It also includes things like the discounts your company may offer, and it’s perceived value. Promotion.  Promotion is how your organization sells the product to your target audience. This includes things like advertising channels, public relations, sales and publicity efforts that sell your product. Place. Place refers to where your product or service is produced. This could involve distribution channels, outlet locations, how your product is transported and stored. Check out this SlideShare on how to build a marketing mix: As you continue to develop your mix, record it in the 4P’s spreadsheet that was in your downloaded strategy kit. What does your #marketing mix look like?Step Five: Execution The next part of your marketing process is determining how to use it when you execute your projects. Here is how each part of your marketing execution can be used. Target Marketing Process Target marketing involves breaking down your target audience into smaller segments and sending those segments messages to move them further down the marketing funnel. Here are some ways you can segment your audience: By demographic. By location. By lifestyle or income level. By behavior (hobbies, interests, shopping habits, etc). After you have your segments drawn up your marketing process should look something like this:

Starting a Historical Fiction Series †A Reedsy Success Story

Starting a Historical Fiction Series – A Reedsy Success Story Starting a Historical Fiction Series – A Reedsy Success Story Author R.P. Wollbaum is another example of the tremendous opportunity that indie-publishing represents for writers. He self-published his first book in 2015 and is now working on book 5 of his Bears and Eagles series. He has found his editor and cover designer through Reedsy and has been working with them ever since. His story is quite nice, so we thought we'd let him share it on our blog.I have always been interested in history. As a young lad, I used to listen to the old-timers talk about the old country. There were still a few around that had been born in what they called Russia, now called Ukraine, and they talked about life there. They also talked about life in their new home, Canada and how there had been literally nothing but open sky and prairie when they had arrived. They even told stories they had heard from  their grandfather about life in the ‘Old Country’, and the struggles they faced to make a life for themselves.I had always had an interest in writing. B ut writing things in longhand - my handwriting is terrible- then transcribing them by typewriter was a pain and any hope of finding someone to publish your work was almost impossible. So it was just an infrequent hobby for me.Then life in Canada changed and our young men and women were once again losing their lives in war. This time in Afghanistan and a young man serving as a member of the King’s Own Calgary Regiment lost his life. Most of us in Canada know of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) Battalion. Albertans know about the Lord Strathcona Horse (an armored brigade), and Calgarians know about the Calgary Highlanders. They are all famous Canadian regiments. But the King’s Own Calgary Regiment? Who were they?So I researched this little-known cavalry brigade and thought to myself, what led this young man from a country not known for its military history, to join a reserve reconnaissance battalion? A plotline developed and I worked backwa rd in time to come to a starting point in the late nineteenth century when things were much like they are today, but I definitely still needed to do some worldbuilding. Huge Imperial Empires were dueling over land and prestige. Islamic fundamentalists were fighting to expand their territories and Christians were fighting them.I placed a young educated man, Russian born to German emigrants and his younger brother in a Cossack battalion along with other younger sons of other German families and progressed from there. Each book of the Bears and Eagles series follows the next generation of this family and I place them in times and events that did occur, but perhaps not exactly how or when.The explosion of indie-produced writers made the decision to publish easy, and I made a choice early on to obtain professional help for editing and book cover design. I had enough budget to edit two novels and one book cover. So I published Bears and Eagles, the first book in the series. It was well re ceived for a first effort by an unknown author.My original cover was eye-catching, but its retro art was not particularly suited to my theme. That is when I discovered Reedsy and the services they provided. I chose Dane Low to be my cover artist. Not only was he easy to work with, but I thought his addition of a battle scene into the background of the design was masterful. He is my choice as cover artist for the rest of the series.The original editor I had hired did a good job, but there were mistakes. So I again looked to Reedsy for help. I am a guy. I write for guys, but I have many powerful female characters in my novels, and I made the decision to find a female editor to work with. Kate O’Donnell and I came to an agreement for an editorial assessment of Eagles Claw and right away we had a connection. I take most of what she wants me to do to heart. Although we speak the same language, we have different cultures and usages of language that have to be ironed out at times. S he is Australian, I’m not, and my target market is North American males; but we are able to compromise, both of us being a little quirky and offbeat in our own ways.She was my sole choice for Eagles Talon, the third release of the series. She performed the whole editing process for me and did fantastic work. My work is now being noticed, even though I only first published last June. Kobo has recently asked me to participate in a pilot project they are putting together that may see my hard copies distributed with the Indigo chain. Kate is about to do an editorial assessment of the fifth novel in the series, and I am about to begin rewrites on book four, for which she did everything - from an editorial assessment to a full and substantial copy edit.I have expanded my distribution beyond Amazon and Kobo and have found that other sales channels, for me, sell as well or better than Amazon.  My Reedsy experience has been fantastic. Soon I will be searching for a marketing profess ional to join my team and will be looking to Reedsy once again.My journey continues.You can check out R.P. Wollbaum's Bears and Eagles series on Amazon here.  As always, feel free to leave any questions for R.P. Wollbaum in the comments below. And if you're ready to follow his example and looking for an editor, designer, or marketer, take a look at Reedsy here!

Chewing and Sound Localization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Chewing and Sound Localization - Research Paper Example Sound localization is the ability of a listener to identify the source or origin of a sound, in this paper we focus on the factors affecting sound localization, this study is performed to establishing whether chewing has an effect on sound localization. Chewing leads to head movements that may affect sound localization, according to previous studies undertaken head movements affect sound localization. This paper analysis response from ten participants whose sound localization errors were recorded while and while not chewing, data collected helped test the hypothesis whether chewing affected localization. The following is an analysis of research undertaken by scholars in the past and the results of the study. Many studies have been undertaken in the past regarding sound localization, however majority of this studies have been undertaken with immobilized heads and very few have been undertaken while respondents were chewing. A study by Wallach (1939) showed that head movements affected sound localization, in his study participants were allowed to rotate their head, tip their head and even pivoting. Results show that head movements affected sound localization by participants. However it was also evident that the sound moved with the head. Mangles and Runge (1967) sound localization study results showed that Monaural is as good as binaural when movements were allowed, participants were a... Hypothesis and prediction The hypothesis that was tested is whether chewing have any effect on ability to detect the direction of sound, the null hypothesis is that chewing has no effect on sound localization and the alternative hypothesis is that chewing increased the mean error score for localization. We test this hypothesis by performing a T test that will compare the two means from the two tests, we expect that we will reject the null hypothesis that the two means are equal and accept the alternative hypothesis that states that the two means are not equal. Null hypothesis: a = b where a is the mean error score for localization for test one and two are equal and alternative hypothesis a b or a Methods: In order to test our hypothesis a sample of ten individuals was randomly selected. The sample was further subdivided into two groups which included those would first chew and data collected and then data recorded with the absence of chewing. For the other group data was to be collected without chewing and then data would be collected while chewing. The experiment was carried out using MAT LB computer software, participants sat in front of a computer and given headphones, they were then asked to locate the source of sound 180 degrees in front. The condition was that the participants would chew and then stop chewing and then they were allowed five minutes where they would continue with the second condition which is no chewing and then chew. For each of these two conditions

Astronomy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Astronomy - Assignment Example The material separation of the earth according to their density has played a vital role in this process. It has a very dense metallic core, comparatively less dense rocky mantle and low density crust. It might have happened two ways; the heat raised by radio active combination that caused the interior melting, and the energy created by its formation process. The answer for how the earth’s external crust became less dense is clear. It happened as the densest materials submerged in to the melted interior of the planet. As mentioned earlier, the heat created by the radioactive decay or the internal melting naturally have the tendency to flow out. Subsequently other natural phenomena such as convection currents, magnetic field, plate motion, faults, volcanoes, and many more occur. As the outer crusts are comparatively cooler, the outward flow of heat through them makes the earth always geologically active. The moon or other small planets are cool and inactive because they are small in size and have little heat flow from interior (Seeds, Backman,

Please choose the relevant title for my report Essay

Please choose the relevant title for my report - Essay Example Total quality management refers to designing an organizational environment where there is continuous improvement and delivery of high quality products to customers. Total quality management methods are strongly associated with techniques utilized during quality control. Quality is all about achieving superior degree of excellence. It is dependent on wide range of factors such as grade of service or product, safety, reliability, customer’s perception and consistency. There are various definitions of quality like conformance to specifications, fitness for usage, value for price, psychological criteria and supporting services. Dimensions of quality usually vary across service and manufacturing organizations (Tamimi and Sebastianelli, 2008). Service organizations exhibit higher quality level through consistency, atmosphere, friendliness, responsiveness, tangible factors and promptness. On the other hand, manufacturing firms possesses quality dimensions in the form of specification conformance, durability, performance, features, serviceability and reliability. The quality term has sustained since many years but there are changes incorporated within its definition. In business organizations, the quality concept was drastically altered during 1970s. The time frame between 1970 and 1980 resulted into US industries losing their market share due to intense foreign competition. Honda and Toyota supposedly became the largest players in automobile industry. Manufacturing firms during time period of 1970.

Leadership Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership - Coursework Example What I would want from my leader is his understanding. I believe that my manager should try to understand me whenever I give my opinion. They should listen to what everyone in the group they are leading since everyone needs to be given a chance to talk. My leader should not just see me just as a physical being, but should realize that I have my needs. Whenever one performs well should be motivated by being given rewards. It means that my leader will be appreciative of the work done by his group. My manager needs to be open-minded, consistent, whereby he or she is reliable and responsive, friendly, encouraging and just (Hogan & Kaisern 172). Not all managers can be transformational leaders because transformation theory tends to focus on the kind of relationship exists between the leader and his followers. Therefore, meaning that the leadership will include the use of charisma and interpersonal skills to assist the workers in achieving their objectives (Hogan & Kaisern 175). If a manager needs to be a transformational leader, he or she needs to possess transformational leadership qualities that will help them to make their followers and those around them feel that they are necessary. That is, valuing them, satisfying their needs and assessing associates’ motives. In relation to transformational leadership theory, women are argued to have more leadership potential as opposed to men. According to the theory, women tend to lead their followers more effectively than that of men (Northouse 17). It is because transformational leadership being that it needs leaders who are inspirational, empowering, concerned of their followers, positive role models and are capable of pushing their members in becoming creative. Research has depicted that women leaders have high transformational qualities and attributes than men (Yulk 28). In my opinion, I believe that

Ethics Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics Case Analysis - Essay Example Question 2. The physician also should never have spoken to Annie about the seriousness of her illness. This is because withholding the truth about the seriousness of Annie’s condition by the physician did more good to Annie and her family, more than revealing the whole truth to her. This is because, had Ann known that she was about to die, she would become distressed and make her family also distressed. The main ethical dilemma in this case is to make the choice of either or not to reveal to Annie the seriousness of her illness. Revealing the truth to Annie would have meant that the physicians and the Annie’s husband have acted in the honest way by telling Annie the truth; the main disadvantage of telling Annie the truth, however, was that Annie would become emotionally and psychologically disturbed, thus becoming distressed and making her family also distressed. Withholding the truth, on the other hand, would have meant that the physicians and Annie’s husband have acted in the best interests of Annie and her family because Annie would remain hopeful throughout the short period remaining in her life; withholding the truth from Annie, however, would mean that the physicians and Annie’s husband lied to Annie, thus acting in a dishonest way towards Annie. Making a choice between these two options is a real dilemma because each of the options has both positive and negative consequences. The main reason why I am of the view that the Physicians should never have revealed the truth to Annie about the seriousness of her illness is that the physicians are not under any obligation to reveal the whole truth to their patients. This view is supported by Sokol when he argues that, physicians have no moral obligation to tell their patients the whole truth about their condition (2002). For that reason, therefore, the physician acted in the morally right way by not disclosing to Annie about the seriousness of her illness. Secondly,

Leadership Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership - Coursework Example What I would want from my leader is his understanding. I believe that my manager should try to understand me whenever I give my opinion. They should listen to what everyone in the group they are leading since everyone needs to be given a chance to talk. My leader should not just see me just as a physical being, but should realize that I have my needs. Whenever one performs well should be motivated by being given rewards. It means that my leader will be appreciative of the work done by his group. My manager needs to be open-minded, consistent, whereby he or she is reliable and responsive, friendly, encouraging and just (Hogan & Kaisern 172). Not all managers can be transformational leaders because transformation theory tends to focus on the kind of relationship exists between the leader and his followers. Therefore, meaning that the leadership will include the use of charisma and interpersonal skills to assist the workers in achieving their objectives (Hogan & Kaisern 175). If a manager needs to be a transformational leader, he or she needs to possess transformational leadership qualities that will help them to make their followers and those around them feel that they are necessary. That is, valuing them, satisfying their needs and assessing associates’ motives. In relation to transformational leadership theory, women are argued to have more leadership potential as opposed to men. According to the theory, women tend to lead their followers more effectively than that of men (Northouse 17). It is because transformational leadership being that it needs leaders who are inspirational, empowering, concerned of their followers, positive role models and are capable of pushing their members in becoming creative. Research has depicted that women leaders have high transformational qualities and attributes than men (Yulk 28). In my opinion, I believe that

Writing Assignment on Dopamine Transporter Research Paper

Writing Assignment on Dopamine Transporter - Research Paper Example Due to these sufferings, the veterans find it hard to adjust and gain acceptability in society. Their mental condition hampers their chances of finding jobs within US and due to this, their emotional status becomes worse. They fail to provide for their family and due to ample amount of stress and feeling of alienation from society, they end up taking steps that have dire consequences such as suicide. The government and the private sector need to join hands together to solve this problematic issue. Government has plans and budget to deal with the issues experienced by veterans, but these plans and budgets are not making much of a difference (Woodhead et al., 2011). The private and public sectors need to treat these patients of war through several treatment options available. This writing will focus upon how counseling can assist in solving the problem of anxiety disorder among war veterans and how well this method performed in the past. Cocker conducted a study on the war veterans of the Gulf War in which he studied over 1,000 veterans. The outcome of his study proved that around 59% of the veterans were diagnosed with some kind of mental and physical disorder; around 387 members of the study had some kind of illness and diagnosis of whether these illnesses were mental or physical could not be concluded; and only 90 or 9% of the veterans were not diagnosed with a health condition. A total of 195 were suffering from some kind of cognitive disorder which was caused just because of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and 16% and 18% of the members suffered from some kind of respiratory issue and muscular disorder respectively (Coker, Bhatt, Blatchley, & Graham, 1999). According to Dobson’s research, when the Australian government started its community counseling services for the Australian veterans of the Vietnam War during the period of 1987, more than 5,000 veterans signed up for the program (Dobson, Grays on,

Children Act 1989 Essay Example for Free

Children Act 1989 Essay Task 1 links to learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.1. Produce an information sheet which outlines the following:  · the current legislation for home based childcare †¢ the role of regulatory bodies. The two most important pieces of legislation covering home-based childcare are the Children Act (2004) and the Childcare Act (2006(. Children Act (2004) This influential piece of legislation which arose from ‘Every Child Matters’ and identifies five outcomes for all children: * Be healthy * Stay safe * Enjoy and achieve * Make a positive contribution * Achieve economic well-being These outcomes should underpin all practice of a childminder. Childcare Act (2006) This Act introduced the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum into England and Wales, and place a statutory duty on the local authority to work towards ensuring the five outcomes set out in the Children Act (2004) are being met. Other relevant legislation of importance is: Equality Act (2010) The intention of this Act is to combine the fragmented discrimination legislation, bringing together the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), Race Relations Act (1976), and DDA (1995). Promotion of equal opportunities in all settings is essential, and relevant policies and procedures should be developed, monitored and assessed. Education Act (1997) This Act incorporates all previous Acts since 1944. It recognise the rights of parents regarding their children’s education and set a time frame on the legal process for identifying and assessing a child’s needs as set out in the Code of Practice. Public Health (Control of Disease) Act (1984), RIDDOR (1995) and Health Protection Agency Act (2004) All these legislations are focused on protecting people’s health, covering notification and exclusion periods for certain infectious diseases and reporting of certain accidents and incidents. OFSTED is the regulating body for England Wales. Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They report directly to Parliament and are independent and impartial. They inspect and regulate services which care for children and young people, and those providing education and skills for learners of all ages. Their aim is to promote improvement and value for money in the childcare services they inspect and regulate, so that all children and young people, parents and carers, adult learners and employers benefit. OFSTEDs job is to check places where children and young peopleare looked after the people who look after children and young people schools and colleges adult learning and training how teachers are trained

Concepts and Determinants of Health

Concepts and Determinants of Health Ronald M. Verano Introduction Health is very important in every human being. In every nation, private and non-private sectors put extensive efforts to maintain the welfare of the community. They have critically planned strategies to address a health issue or problem. Strategies can be health interventions or policies. Policies takes a longer period of time to be formulated and adapted to the society. There are heaps of factors that can make an impact, directly or indirectly, to the policy-making procedures. New Zealand has prioritize health over the past several years. They have been formulating policies to maintain and promote health among New Zealanders and policies to address the health issue the country is still facing. There are several factors that go all together to affect the health of the community. Such factors include, the places where they live, their environment they are used to, it could also be their genetics, income, employment and even their relationship with their families and friends. These factors that affect the individual’s health are called determinants. Demographic Distribution of Population A country consists of urban and rural areas. These areas differ from each other in terms of the community, environment and certain situations about health. In urban areas, most people are modernized than that of the rural. Urban is also considered the cities where lots of buildings and facilities are being established. People in terms of availability of healthcare facilities such as clinics and hospitals are most likely to access and are privileged to obtain medical help. On one hand, rural areas which are known to be in the countryside or provincial areas, where buildings and facilities are less likely to be seen, have poor access to health. Sometimes they even seek medical help if their condition is already worst and fatal. Hospitals are not accessible that could resort people to choose not to seek medical help. There is disparity between the urban and rural when it comes to healthcare access and distribution. Aside from the facilities, there is lack of resources in rural areas, su ch resources include medicines, diagnostics, and even health care providers. Political Values Political values make how people think and react to information. These people are encouraged to see the credibility of the message of such information according to the beliefs and values instilled to them. Some messages can convey a threat to these people that is why they become resistant to the policies and advocacy being presented to them. This can make them not interested with the policy and thus participation is not possible. Health communication messages, such as advocacies and policies, may trigger a person to react positively and negatively to it. Policies that are against one’s belief can lead to resistance of the individual, especially to those people who value their beliefs in a higher state. This can influence the process of policy in the making. Government agencies should also partake in addressing this problem. Government officials are representatives of the people and people chose them to lead them. These officials should be fair and honest, they should focused o n issues affecting the people, health being one of the priorities of the nation. Religious beliefs Similar with political values, religions instill beliefs that make a person’s being. Religious beliefs guide people of what is right and wrong, of what to do and not to do. For instance in some countries, there is an issue of overpopulation. Other problems can occur such as abortion. In order for the government to solve this problem they resort to a policy which highly favors contraception. As some religions are pro-life, they believe the policy will be against to their belief, chances are they would oppose to the policy making it possible to happen. Human Values Human values include compassion, respect for others, commitment, etc. These human values shape the person’s perception towards health. If people are being committed to stay and become healthy, then policies pertaining to health are of their interest. But some people, although they are concern about their health, lacks the discipline to stay healthy. And still believe that health is being free from any illness. Ethnicity and traditions Ethnicity is the person’s identity. It also involves beliefs and traditions that one belongs to. Same way with the religious beliefs and human values of an individual. If an individual has his own set of values to guide them. If a policy is believed to be against their practices and traditions, they will oppose eventually. The concept of public to health Health as perceived by many people is the absence of a disease. Many people think that they are healthy because they don’t feel any pain or discomfort or simply physical symptoms. But health is not just the absence of any pain or discomfort or disease, it is more than that. This is the common misconception of mostly people. Health is the complete condition of physical, emotional, intellectual and mental being of a person. This attitudes could affect the process of policy in the making. In the planning phase, for instance, obtaining information would be very difficult to accomplish if people will not engage or participate. Same thing with the implementation phase, there is a need for people to participate. If their perception of themselves are healthy even though they are not, they won’t be participating in those activities because they think the policies are not for them. The concept of public to illness Illness is viewed in different ways. It is the own feeling perceive by a person. It is the judgement of the person to its body if he feels healthy or unhealthy. Some people think they are healthy being free from a physical illness. For example, a person who is deemed fit, has no illness at all but is suffering from depression. He can deny that he is not ill but the fact that he is suffering mentally or emotionally cannot be taken for granted. People need to understand that illness is not just a symptom of a physical discomfort or pain felt in some parts of the body. Illness is associated with mental, emotional and intellectual being. Importance the public on health It is very important for people to value their health. Health reflects the condition of the nation. It is similar to a family is considered healthy if all of its members are healthy. A country is considered healthy if the larger proportion of its society are healthy. If majority of the society neglects the importance of health to them, then active participation in promoting health and preventing diseases from spreading will not be accomplish. People need to have awareness, creating awareness will help people engage to activities and eventually in the policies. It is important to know that they have an idea of what health and illness is about. That these two will affect their well-being. Public Attitudes towards health and medical professionals Attitudes reflects the way people behave. It would depend on their beliefs being instilled to them. It is similar to children learn how to read in a different way while they were in school. Attitudes make a person who he is. When it comes to health, they view it in a different manner. For example, issues on obesity. Some obese people are aware the complications they might have of being obese, others believe it is beauty because they were used to their customs that being overweight is attractive, without knowing the complications they might acquire due to being obese. On a lighter side, there are people who values their health and has the discipline of maintaining a healthy state. Meanwhile, people have also different views and perception about health and medical professionals. Some may fear them thinking that seeking medical help will only worsen their condition. Some may have the impression that these professionals aren’t competent enough that they would choose not to ask for help. Culture, norms and beliefs has also something to do with their attitudes towards these health care providers. There are many factors that may influence, directly or indirectly, the process of policy-making, particularly in New Zealand context. New Zealand has focused their policies in maintaining the healthy state of its members of the society and has made efforts in acquiring such improvements over the years. But still, there are factors to consider that could influence the policy-making procedures in either positive or negative manner. Such factors are identified as social, economic and personal. What is important is that the government and non-government sectors takes part on recognizing these factors and tries to address and resolve the issue. Most New Zealanders have originated from different cultures. Cultures have distinct beliefs and practices, this make a person belong to a certain culture. A lot of times, policies are intended for most people but not all of them will have the chance to benefit on the policy. There are policies that are not culturally intended which makes other cultures to adapt easily, or others to totally adapt at all. There is also racial discrimination among these cultures therefore fair access to health is not feasible. In addition, people with higher status in life are most likely to access health services and facilities than that of the poorer ones. Thus policies should be customized with every individual regardless of his status in the society. Poverty has also a greater impact on health policy-making. Poverty can be associated with many things such as lack of participation of people, lack of awareness when an epidemic is present in the community. People don’t have the enough resources to afford their needs, not enough money to purchase medicines in case they get sick. For example, a policy involving contraception will not be effective on people living in poorer areas, because they can’t afford to purchase pills that can be a bit expensive or that their health centres don’t have enough supplies to give to these people. Awareness to people is important. It can make the person acquire knowledge on his environment. A clear example of this is when an outbreak strikes, people can help in preventing this if they are aware of the disease that has infected them, its cause and the measures needed to confine and reduce the spread of this disease. In contrast, people who are not keen on the disease may even help to spread the disease. Although efforts have been made, with people who are not knowledgeable enough would worsen the situation. In conclusion, all of these factors are not to be taken for granted. This can influence the effectiveness of the whole process of making such policies in a positive or negative way. The goal here is to acknowledge these factors, find solutions to address them in order for policies to become adaptive to the society. Each country must have a government sector and its society that will work hand in hand to maintain the optimum level of each individual’s well-being. They should both aim for the good of its people. Policies are made to guide the people, to give them a sense of a unified direction. Policies are also made to address an existing problem. Its effectiveness will depend on the belief that is instilled in him. People usually make a reaction message the way he perceives it. It is the values that makes the person to accept or resist the policy that is to be implemented. Bibliography World Health Organization (2014). Determinants of Health. Health Impact Assessment. Retrieved December 3, 2014 from http://www.who.int/hia/evidence/doh/en/ J. Capella et.al. (2014). Political Values Influence People’s Response to Health Disparity Message. Press Releases. Retrieved December 3, 2014 from https://www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/press-releases/political-values-influence-peoples-response-health-disparities-messages Egton Medical Information System Limited (2014). Ethnic Matters. Professional References. Retrieved December 2, 2014 from http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/ethnic-matters Oxford University Press (2014). Definition: Attitude. British and World English. Retrieved December 3, 2014 from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/attitude

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is more than a story about a mans love for a women, but rather a mans will to achieve greatness as he perceived. Jay Gatsby was a man driven by money and power. He was a man with a vision, a vision to succeed in life. As a child, Jay Gatsby grew up on a farm. He saw his parents as nothing but lethargic farmers. Gatsby knew exactly what he didn’t want to be and that was like his parents. They were people who were content with who they were. Gatsby, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He wanted to move on. Jay Gatsby wanted to be someone special, someone with prestige and someone definitely with money. Gatsby developed a self improvement plan to help him flourish as a young man. His plan detailed dumbbell exercises, studying electricity, practicing elocution and studying needed inventions. Even his parents knew he was driven. His father said: "Jimmy was bound to get ahead.. He always had some resolve like this or something. Do you notice what he’s got about improving his mind? He was always great for that" (182). The structured drive let Gatsby prevail in his endeavors. However, there are some things people just can’t get away from. James Gatsby desperately wanted to achieve success in life. However, it is difficult to flourish with a background like Gatsby’s. So to escape his past, he changed his name at the age of 17 from James Gats to Jay Gatsby. Nonetheless, changing his name only did so much for him. Gatsby ended up living a life of lies because of his hidden identity. Nobody really knew Gatsby. So in the absence of peoples knowledge, they conjured up rumors. "One time he killed a man who found out he was a nephew of von Hindenburg and second to the devil"(65). These were just some of the rumors about Gatsby. Some believed he was a German spy, while others thought he was a war hero. These were things he had to go through to reach his ultimate goal in life, which was to succeed. After he left the farm, Gatsby went to work for a man named Dan Cody. Cody was a stable father figure for Gatsby. He looked up to Dan and saw what he really wanted to be. "That’s Dan Cody, old sport.

Gender And Relationship Of Children :: essays research papers

Gender and Relationship of Children Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The topic of sex differences in the play preschoolers has been explored by many researchers in the past. Studies have been conducted on basic sex differences such as what toys and gender of playmates do young boys and girls prefer. The size of children's play networks, as well as if these networks change in the size during the preschool years have been explored. Also, differences in styles of play and the occurrence of positive and negative interactions have been examined. The effect that parents have on their sons and daughters, as well as preschool classrooms and teachers have been examined as possible causes of sex differences during play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The aim of this paper is to critically review the recent literature in this field and determine whether or not sex differences occur in play. If sex differences occur, the possible reasons for this occurrence will also be examined. Review of the Research Section   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maccoby (1990) summarized a number of studies to support her hypothesis that suggests different social situations may either heighten or suppress sex differences in behaviour.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One study was that of social interaction between pairs of young children (Jacklin & Maccoby, 1978). Pairs of 33-month old children were brought together in the same-sex or mixed-sex in a laboratory playroom, and the amount and kind of social behaviour directed more social behaviour, both positive and negative, to same sex playmates that opposite sex ones. Girls paired with boys were more likely to stand watching their partners, or withdraw towards an adult, than boys in any pairing or girls playing with girls. The point brought up in this study is that interactive behaviour is not just situationly specific, it also depends on the gender of participants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the reasons given by Maccoby (1990) for attraction to same sex partners and avoidance of other sex partners in childhood are the rough play style of boys and their orientation towards competition and dominance. Another reason is that girls find it difficult to influence boys. An example of such reasoning is supported by a study done by Poulishta (1987). Preschool aged boy- girl pairs were observed competing for an object. The children were given a chance to use a movie-viewer that could only be used by one child at a time. It seemed while pairs were alone in the playroom the boys dominated the movie- viewer. When an adult was present, however, this did not occur, The adult's presence seemed to inhibit the boy's more power assertive techniques resulting in equal access. This supports the reason why the attraction to same sex

Fin515 Wk 4

7-2 – Boehm Incorporated is expected to pay a $1. 50 per share dividend at the end of this year (i. e. , D1 = $1. 50). The dividend is expected to grow at a constant rate of 7% a year. The required  rate of return  on the stock, rs, is 15%. What is the value per share of Boehm’s stock? D1= $1. 50 per share g = 7% rs= 15% What is the value of a share of Boehm Stock? P^0 =    D1 /(rs – g) P^0 =    1. 50/(0. 15-0. 07) P^0 =    $18. 75 7-4 – Nick’s Enchiladas Incorporated has preferred stock outstanding that pays a dividend of $5 at the end of each year. The preferred sells for $50 a share.What is the stock’s required rate of return? Dividend = $5 Preferred    = $50 What is the stock’s required rate of return ^P 0 = D/rs rs = D/^P 0 rs = 5/50 rs = 0. 10 or 10% 7-5 – A company currently pays a dividend of $2 per share (D0 = $2). It is estimated that the company’s dividend will grow at a rate of 20% per year for the next 2 years, then at a constant rate of 7% thereafter. The company’s stock has a beta of 1. 2, the risk- free rate is 7. 5%, and the market risk premium is 4%. What is your estimate of the stock’s current price? D0 = $2. 00 g = 20% for 2 years g = 7% there after Bi = 1. 2 Rf = 7. 5%RPm = 4% Rs = Rf +(bi* RPm) Rs = 7. 5 +(1. 2*4) Rs = 12. 3 What is your estimate of the stock’s current price? D0 $2. 00 g0 to 1 20. 0% g1 to 2 20. 0% gn 7. 0% rs 12. 3% Year 1 2 D1 D2 Expected dividends $2. 40 $2. 88 Expected P2 $58. 14 PV of expected dividends $4. 42 PV of expected P2 $46. 10 Expected P0 $50. 53 Problems (p. 371) 9-2 After-Tax Cost of Debt LL Incorporated’s currently outstanding 11% coupon bonds have a yield to maturity of 8%. LL believes it could issue new bonds at par that would provide a similar yield to maturity. If its marginal tax rate is 35%, what is LL’s after-tax cost of debt?After Tax cost of debt = rd * (1- tx rate) 0. 08 * (1 – 0. 35) = 0. 08 * (0. 65) = 0. 052 Answer: 5. 2% 9-4 Cost of Preferred Stock with Flottion Costs Burnwood Tech plans to issue some $60 par preferred stock with a 6% dividend. A similar stock is selling on the market for $70. Burnwood must pay flotation costs of 5% of the issue price. What is the cost of the preferred stock? E= Dividend/ (Market price-Flotation Costs)=(60/6)/(70-(70X0. 05)=0. 0541=5. 41 Answer: 5. 41% 9-5 Cost of Equity – DCF Summerdahl Resorts' common stock is currently trading at $36 a share. The stock is expected to pay a dividend of $3. 0 a share at the end of the year (D1 _ $3. 00), and the dividend is expected to grow at a constant rate of 5% a year. What is the   cost of common equity? P0 = $36; D1 = $3. 00; g = 5%; rs = ? rs = D1/P0+g=(3/36)+0. 05=0. 01333 Answer: 13. 33% 9-6 Cost of Equity – CAPM Booher Book Stores has a beta of 0. 8. The yield on a 3-month T-bill is 4% and the yield on a 10-year T-bond is 6%. The market risk premium is 5. 5%, an d the return on an average stock in the market last year was 15%. What is the estimated cost of common equity using the CAPM? rs = rRF + bi(RPM) = 0. 06 + 0. 8(0. 55) = 0. 14 Answer: 10. 4% 9-7 WACC Shi Importers' balance sheet shows $300 million in debt, $50 million in preferred stock, and $250 million in total common equity. Shi faces a 40% tax rate and the following data: rd _ 6%, rps _ 5. 8%, and rs _ 12%. If Shi has a target capital structure of 30% debt, 5% preferred stock, and 65% common stock, what is Shi's WACC? 30% Debt; 5% Preferred Stock; 65% Equity; rd = 6%; T = 40%; rps = 5. 8%; rs = 12%. WACC = (wd)(rd)(1 – T) + (wps)(rps) + (wce)(rs) WACC = 0. 30(0. 06)(1-0. 40) + 0. 05(0. 058) + 0. 65(0. 12) = 0. 0917 Answer: 9. 17%

Moda Textile Factory: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Essay

1. How have Sergei and Olga’s lives change in Soviet days? Are their lives better? After the collapse of Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan’s economics was slowdown since they was moving to market-based economy. Sergei and his wife lost their job and moved to capital. They borrowed money from family and friends starting business outside of the capital. After long period of time doing business over China, India, and Turkey, they did a better job and had enough capital for a largest department store in town. Their business was getting better and they built their own sewing factory of high quality apparel. The clients are wholesale traders who sold their goods to retailers in Kazakhstan and Russia. They had many difficulties in raising capital, exporting to new market, and many small local competitors. Even still having many challenges, their lives were much better than the period of Soviet Union. 2. What is Moda Textile Factory’s competitive advantage? How can it be used to expand the business? Firstly, Moda Textile Factory had a good relationship with their customers. Sergei had worked with most of his customers for many years, some of them were old friends of family, and also friends he knew during buying trips to Turkey. These loyal customers could bring him a lot of orders. Secondly, Moda Textile provided customer high quality products. They also had planned to make fashionable Italian imported cashmere coats. Different with other sewing workshops, Moda Textile want to develop their market not only in Kyrgyzstan but also in USA, Russia, and Europe. With a bigger target market, they will have more opportunities to expand their business. 3. What kind of people should Sergei and Olga look for as business partner to help them to expand their market outside Kyrgyzstan? How should they find a partner they can trust? What can they do to build trust with person? The best way to enter an outside market is looking for someone who has experience in working in that local market. For instant, the local business partners are good choice since they know the language, culture, and behavior of their area. Multinational companies, who is currently working in the local market because they might have experience of a foreigner entering that market. Finding partners they can just is not easy and takes a lot of time. Therefore, they should take business trip to that area, do some market research about it, and start a small contract with some partners. They need time to adapt to new environment and know what their partners benefits from their business. And they can expand their business gradually when they know the partner and the market better. 4. How can Sergei and Olga begin producing fashionable women’s cashmere coats in their factory? Is this feasible or should they give up the dream? Propose an action plan to move their business in this direction. Sergei and Olga could produce the fashionable women’s cashmere coats as their dream. First of all, they should find out target market for the women’s cashmere coats since the market in Kyrgyzstan is too small to develop. The countries like USA, Russian, or Europe are good choice since they have stable politics and provide more information to foreign traders. Secondly, they may want to find some partners, who understand the local markets to help them start with small contracts. They should get familiar to transportation, tax system, special policies, and culture of these markets. After 1 or 2 years working in different markets, they would realize advantages or difficulties of each market. Based on these experience, they could start doing bigger contracts w ith foreign customers.

Integration - Causal Chains and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Integration - Causal Chains and Strategy - Essay Example Therefore the financial business units for which causal chains and strategy are designed have to be identified. Causal chains and strategy therefore is not a strategy formulation tool but a system that serves to translate and describe the present strategy constantly in order to facilitate successful strategy execution (Atkinson, 2000). The development of causal chains and strategy in financial institution is not an independent process but a component of an extensive framework of strategy formulation and competitive positioning. For financial institutions like banks to ensure tailored causal chains and strategy, identification of specific needs affecting the strategic business units should be made (Atkinson, 2000). Secondly, financial result profile and exposure with an aim of identifying pertinent financial factors that facilitates acquisition of comprehensive listing all probable strategically relevant financial aspects should be made, financial internal business processes such as financial operational procedure. Banks innovation procedure and processes related to postsale services, customer service measures such as customer satisfaction, customer acquisition, customer retention, which results to larger market share. Thus, higher customer profitability and finally financial measures such as loan balances, deposit balances, none interest income, asset utilization, productivity growth and revenue growth (Atkinson, 2000). Financial performance will always depend on several measures; this involves learning and growth measures such as work force retention, workforce satisfaction and the productivity of the workforce (Atkinson, 2000). The balance scorecard concept is as a new approach of measuring performance as a result of past orientation and short-termism problems in management accounting. The balance scorecard assumes the fact that

Improving Transactional Processing in AIS Research Paper

Improving Transactional Processing in AIS - Research Paper Example Purposes of Compliance Checks/Checking Systems a) Enforcement: to enforce company administrative policies, criminal statutes or both. b) Educational: to warn, educate and identify processes, departments or employees that are not meeting required standards. Implementing Compliance Checks/Checking Systems Employees, departments and various are made aware that compliance checks will be conducted at different times annually. They are also informed about potential penalties for lagging behind in the uplifting and maintenance of accounting regulations, standards and requirements (Williams & Spaul, 2011). If employees and personnel keep flaunting or falling short of accounting standards, the company can issue citations either to departments or specific people. These citations stipulate actions that may be taken to address such matters and how they will be addressed so that normal operations are maintained. Importance of Compliance Checking Systems In many companies, maintaining relevant acc ounting standards is a huge challenge. Employees and company officials may find it easier to come up with compliance checks than to maintain them. Compliance checking systems ensure that all relevant and appropriate standards are maintained as is necessary. Compliance checking systems may be the most effective and efficient method for enforcing rules, regulations and other stipulations concerning or relating to accounting standards. Recent studies have shown that compliance checking systems are effective. Two studies found that following the implementation of compliance checking systems, operations became more efficient and effective and employees found it so much easier to meet set targets without having to struggle (Bagranoff, 2008). In one company, for example, operational efficiency increased from 10% to 28% from 28% to 10% following the introduction and implementation of compliance checking systems. In another company, there was an immediate increase in the levels of compliance (12% to 29%). In addition to this, a national survey revealed that 66% of companies approve of compliance checking systems and policies (Williams & Spaul, 2011). Compliance checking systems provide a way through which employees and companies can "police" themselves. This is in addition to providing a source of motivation, participation and support that can greatly enhance overall accounting operations. Considerations for Implementation If compliance checks are not implemented well, they may be legally challenged by employees, suppliers and vendors who can claim unlawful entrapment. Successful compliance checking systems steer clear of tactics that may be viewed as "entrapment." (Gelinas, 2010). Apart from this, compliance checks and checking systems should be carried out, implemented and reviewed regularly in order to prevent laxity and a drop in standards. Companies that carry out checks at least twice a year report an average efficiency and compliance rate of 60%, which is good f or business and efficiency. b) Cash Disbursements Systems Objectives of Compliance Checking Systems include the following: a) Maintaining security of all cash held and received on a company’s premises. b) Banking all cash that are received intact every day c)

Classroom Grading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Classroom Grading - Essay Example Teachers struggle to balance achievement, effort, talent, student background, and context, and seem hesitant to make their criteria explicit and public for fear of losing the ability to individualize their grading practices. However, in their struggles to be fair to individual students and to use grades for motivational purposes, teachers may not realize that they are not holding all students to the same standards. Blanke (1999) admits "The ethics of grading begins with a determination of the educator's goals" (136). According to Marzano (2000), grades are needed for: (a) administrative purposes to control students' performance; (b) for instructional planning, (c) feedback for students; (d) "guidance to students about future course work" (e) motivational purposes (45). Concerns about consistency of grading have received the most empirical attention in large scale programs rather than in classroom assessments. Marzano (2000) explains that: "there is no right way or wrong way to design grades, there are ways that fit best with a given set of assumptions or beliefs" (47). The grades should include academic achievements of the students and their efforts during the course. The grades should evaluate thinking and reasoning skills, work completion and participation (Marzano 35).

The who, the what, the where research paper on Good to Great by Jim Essay

The who, the what, the where research paper on Good to Great by Jim Collins - Essay Example Involved in the conducted research were the 11 companies from the list of Fortune 500. These companies are Kimberly-Clark, Kroger, Nucor, Philip Morris, Piney Bowes, Walgreen, Wells Fargo, Abbott Laboratories, Circuit City, Fannie Mae and Gillette. To simplify the criteria of the companies' belongingness for such was through the survival of its stock prices in the past 15 years. It relies on the growth and their ability to cope of the changes of economic events. In the book, Collins cited various approaches based on different principles he, along with his team, gathered through their study for the dynamic retort of the business industry. Thus the given principles can answer further the queries that come alongside the main thesis. One is to answer the who and the what of the approach for acquisition of greatness of a company. Quoting Collins, he stated "the main point is to first get the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) before you figure out where to drive it. The second key point is the degree of sheer rigor needed in people decisions in order to take a company from good to great." It is suggestive that good companies absorb the right people to work for them. In critical conditions that a company is facing, Collins implies not to sell the best people but to sell the biggest problem. These best people he regarded should be the adaptive ones to be able to cope

Analyze the Keystone XL pipeline project(what are the main facts of Essay

Analyze the Keystone XL pipeline project(what are the main facts of the story, key issues, theoretical relationships, alternatives, cost and benefits.) - Essay Example It was mainly to ensure that the project implementation would be in the best interest of the nation. In 2012, the Department of State denied TransCanada a permit to begin the project. It stated that a span of sixty days was not sufficient to collect the information on the benefits of the project to the nation. Subsequently, the company collaborated with Nebraska department of environment quality and conducted an impact assessment. It was done to determine the best location the pipeline would pass with minimal environmental impacts. In May 2012, TransCanada made an application for the presidential permit. The US department of state was obligated to either accept or deny the company the permit taking into consideration whether the project is beneficial to the people. Many factors were being considered such as security, culture, foreign policy and environmental impacts (Yuan, 2011). In 2014, the Department of State invited members of the public to comment on the factors that would be considered of national interest. Moreover, it is also consulting with different agencies such as department of Justice, Defense, Commerce and Energy to ensure that the correct decision is made on the permit application. TransCanada is facing much opposition from community-based groups and the environmental organizations. It is mainly because of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the usage of oil sands crude. Furthermore, this will lead to the prolonged dependence on fossil fuel by the United States. Emissions of greenhouse gases accelerate the effects of global warming as it results to the destruction of the ozone layer. Community groups are strongly opposing the project because it is being constructed on their lands thus affecting their ability to produce food through farming. Furthermore, there will be no land to graze their cattle. Keystone XL pipeline project poses a high risk to the neighboring community because the potential of spillage is huge. Eighty-eight

Economic Growth and Workers Essay Example for Free

Economic Growth and Workers Essay What basically the article of Mehring would want to states into the public would be the adverse effect of the economic growth on the labour market [workers]. It was states on his paper entitled â€Å"Vital Signs: A Not-So-Great ‘08† that market analysts predicts, as 2008 comes, the economy to be more dependent on the consumption level of the consumers. In this light, Mehring stressed that this would be impossible considering the current condition of one of the primary sector in the economy- housing. For the past years, housing sectors has been performing so badly after the end of 2005 as the demand of consumers for housing units declined dramatically giving the housing firm a hard hit on their financial capabilities. In this regard, members of the housing sectors were forced to lay-off some of their workers. Furthermore, the financial sector of the economy has not been performing well making the recovery of the housing sector to slow down. At the end of the day, it is the consumers, workers at the same time, which receives the entire burden since there is a big possibility for them to be fired from their jobs and/or to receive lower wages as the economy continuous to perform badly. From November last year up to the present, the number of jobless people continuously keeps on rising. Even though there are a lot of jobs that has been created at the start of this year, around 70,000 jobs, those are still not enough to compensate the job losses that occur in the labor market. Due to the fact that there workers receives lower incomes, logically, they can only consume less thus making the profit of the businesses to decline. It was identified that retail stores experienced significant drop on their sales even during the holiday season. Due to this, their profitability and outlook in the economy started to become dependent on the performance of the consumption level of the consumer group. Since the profit of the producers are negatively affected by the lower consumption of the consumers, as well as due to the fact that there is a large pool of unemployed people available in the labor market, there is a leeway for businesses to offer lower wages to their employees, and the cycle of burden goes on. Although, export market keeps on lowering down the bad performance of the economy through convincing the investors that there is still hope for our economy for avert the negative effects of recession to the entire economy. Because of the alarming effects of the bad economic performance of the country, the government has been identifying ways on how to increase the growth of the labor sector to improve the consumption levels of the consumers and thus improving the profitability of the business firms operating in the market especially those coming from the construction and housing sector. There are already around 350,000 job losses that occurred by the end of December 22 and the current level that we have is higher than with the average level of 2007. Meanwhile, most of the job growth falls under the service sector and they are accounted for around 150,000 of the 192,000 jobs that are added in October last year (Mehring 4). Inside the service sector, it is the professional services, health care, leisure and entertainment that contributes for the improvement of the service sector. In order for the government to fully address the problem regarding unemployment, they must focus their policies and programs for the betterment of the financial sector, private as well as the providing measures on how to increase the growth rate of the labor market. In short, finds ways on moving the economy away from the midst of recession and secure the concerned sectors of the economy for a sustainable economic growth. Critique and Insight Based from the article of Mehring, there is a clear relationship of economic growth and the labor sector which is comprises by the working class. Actually, Mehring presented in his paper how the cycle of recession and unemployment exists in our economy nowadays. Actually, it is a good thing that he mentioned it in his paper since it provides us of the reasons why the government is actually bound of which party they would protect the most, is it the private or the consumer group which could also be classified as workers. The not-so-good- performance of our economy for the past two years has been imposing serious threats to major industries and one of this is the housing industry. Here is the logic, by the time the demand housing units declined by the end of 2005, members of the housing industry starts to experience lower profitability. Due to this scenario, this housing industry starts to become incapable of sustaining the current level wage rate and what they will do is to either lay-off some workers and/or lowers down the wage rate that they pay for their workers in order to secure their profitability which eventually further decaying the income and purchasing power of the consumers [workers] and the cycle continuous. There have been studies saying that in order for the economy to progress impressively, the government must find ways to maintain a lower unemployment rate. But what is happening in our case would be a different one considering the response of the consumer group and the market condition of major business sectors. Here, the government must not only focus on the unemployment rate but also considering the welfare of the business firms in making actions to address the problem. There are times wherein the government is too much engross in solving the unemployment rate but sacrificing the welfare of the businesses and at the end of the day the problem still remain and become worse. I think, it would be better for our government to find solutions to increase the rate of job growth that will not affect negatively the businesses in the economy like lowering down the restrictions of FDI into the country in order for the foreign investors to be encourage establishing their businesses here, thus, making creating more jobs. Moreover, the government could lower down the taxes of the taxes of the domestic companies in exchange of not laying-off of workers. Another possible solution that the government could implement would be to lessen the trade barriers of the government to give way for the multinational companies to set up their branches here in the country and thus creating more jobs to the economy. The reason why I have been to much in particular of solving the problem regarding unemployment because when a person has a job he could earn an income and used it to his needs or simply as consumption. By the time consumption improves, then, businesses starts to perform better and so with the entire economy. In this scenario, we could see that economic growth and workers are really related to one another. Moreover, it is good that Mehring identified in his paper the connection of the financial sector in revitalizing not only the growth of the business firms but also its importance on upgrading the financial capabilities of the consumers. Growth of businesses firms [economic growth] as well as upgrading of financial capabilities of consumers [workers] is made possible by the financial sector if they would lower down their interest rate from borrowing in order for the businesses and consumers to borrow money from them and used this money to increase their purchasing power and their budget for operation. Since in this scenario consumer will be having more money [through borrowing], then, their consumption level will improved and so with the profitability of the business firms especially the housing and construction sectors which are currently in bad shape in terms of demand and profitability. In this regard, it would be necessary to say that economic growth and workers are interrelated to one another, and the performance of one could affect the other through various economic factors such as consumption pattern and supply level.

Role and Purpose of Human Resource Management

Role and Purpose of Human Resource Management Analyze the role and purpose of human resource management in a selected service industry Human Resource Management plays a very vital role in all industries, especially that of hospitality. Due to the constant transformation and growth within the industry, the need to obtain an effective Human Resource Management team cannot be ignored. Hotels such as Marriott International has come to the realization that its employees are its largest assets and having a good, skilled and hardworking workforce can be the difference between the companys success or failure (Icmrindia.org, 2004). Human Resource Management can be defined as the process of employing and developing employees in order to efficiently and effectively utilize them in the achievement of company goals and objectives (Parrilla, 2015). Below are the findings related to the role, purpose, and functions of Human Resource Management in service organizations. 1. According to Amos et al., (2008) staffing, employee compensation and benefits, and defining and designing work are three major responsibilities of HRM in the service industry. 2. Maximizing productivity within service industries by optimizing the effectiveness and potential of the organizations staff members is the purpose for which the HRM was created (Nickson, 2013). 3. Bolden-Barrett (n.d.) outlines in her article that recruiting, retention, compensation, liability and labor are the major roles in which the HRM manages. 4. Businesscasestudies.co.uk (n.d.) through its research elaborated that HRM function not only manages existing staff, it also plans for changes that will affect its future staffing needs. 5. HRM is often pressured into finding a level ground between the implementation of Hard or Soft HRM (Riley, n.d.). The service industry is greatly dependent on human resource rather than the resource needed to perform tasks within the organization. As a result of this, the service industry has invested a lot in ensuring that their HRM department is effective and have the necessary resources in order to carry out their functions. Bolden-Barrett (n.d.) outlines in her article that recruiting, retention, compensation, liability and labor are the major roles in which the HRM manages. She believes that by delegating a specific department to handle such roles it will relieve some pressure off management and also eradicate the deterrents that plague the service industry. Nickson (2013) reinforced the views outlined in Bolden-Barretts article by explaining that the purpose of HRM is to maximize productivity within service industries by optimizing the effectiveness and potential of the organizations staff members. With this purpose in mind, the HRM would assess the company and determine what is lacking an d also what it needs in order to succeed and reach its full potential. According to Amos et al., (2008) staffing, employee compensation and benefits, and defining and designing work are three major responsibilities of HRM in the service industry. When broken down further the department would be in charge of managing existing staff, recruiting selecting new staff, laying off workers, providing training and assessment, mentoring motivating, handling evaluation compensations, building strategies, providing legal guidance for both employees and the company and most importantly implementing steps to retain current staff. In fact, Businesscasestudies.co.uk (n.d.) through its research elaborated that HRM function not only manages existing staff, it also plans for changes that will affect its future staffing needs. This kind of plan requires HRM to find a level ground between the implementation of a hard or soft management system (Riley, n.d.). They need consider the risks of implementin g soft HRM and leaving the company at a competitive disadvantage by treating employees as the most important assets or implementing a hard HRM where they end up gaining a more cost effective workforce. Conclusion Achievement within the service industry depends on the individual and collective efforts put in by its workforce. HRM as a practice notably offers support and advice to the senior management within an organization. With that being said, the department plays a role in recruiting, retention, compensation, liability and labor. They meet the expectation of these roles by ensuring that the staff in which they recruit possess the needed skills, mindset and experience in which the company needs. They also ensure that employee recognition programs and various incentives are implemented in order to retain current workers. The HRM department also handles the legality within the organization when it comes to the rights of the workers, the enforcing of labor laws and the exercising of company policies. It can be concluded that in regards to the roles of the HRM within the service industry, they are in fact fulfilling and exceeding expectations. AC. 1.2 Justify a human resources plan based on an analysis of supply and demand for Marriot International Introduction Human resource planning is a process through which an organization identifies its current, immediate and future human resource needs to enable the achievement of set goals and objectives (Buller and McEvoy, 2012). A human resource plan attempts to estimate labor, demand and evaluate the nature, sources, and size of the supply that will be needed to offset that demand (Bratton and Gold, 2010). Hotels like Marriott International have recognized the vital role that a human resource plan plays in the constantly changing environment in the hospitality industry. A human resources plan links with the organizations business plan to ensure the goals of the business are met. An effective human resources plan is, therefore, essential to ensure the employees have the competencies and skills required for the business to succeed. Findings Following are the findings on the labor supply and demand in the hotel industry: 1. According to Boxall and Purcell (2016) developing a human resource plan involves the forecasting of hiring needs and employment arrangements. It involves a series of steps that include the identification of business strategy and needs; conducting a job analysis; writing a job description, and determining the feasibility of hiring. 2. The demand and supply of human resources planning in the services sector are influenced by the specific skills, experience and knowledge level and qualities that the organization requires from employees (Werner and DeSimone, 2012). 3. The internal factors that influence human resource planning include organizations size, organizations culture; organizations structure; business strategy; power and politics; and top management and line managers (Harzing and Pinnington, 2015). 4. The external factors that influence human resource planning include economic condition; government regulations; technological change and advancements; industry characteristics; workforce demographics; competitor actions; and union actions (Choi and Ruona, 2010). 5. Human resource planning is affected by changes in the economic and technological environment. The influx or decrease in economy and technology causes a subsequent change in human resource plans (Bratton and Gold, 2010). Discussion A human resources plan is important in any services industry. According to Bratton and Gold (2010) plans helps organizations to adjust to the rapidly changing environment as the demand for human resources increases. Changes in the technological and economic environment affect the human resources plan. The development of technology may lead to a subsequent reduction of workers while the reduction in the economy may also decrease human resources intake in the services sector. However, organizations need to manage and institute a working human resources plan. Developing a human resources plan involves the forecasting of hiring needs and employment arrangements. This means the business needs to identify its strategy and needs; conduct a job analysis; write a job description; and determine the feasibility of hiring (Boxall and Purcell, 2016). Human resources specific skills, experience and knowledge level and qualities that ensure growth influence their demand and supply (Werner and DeSim one, 2012). Internal and external factors in an organization have an influence in the planning of the human resources. The internal factors include organizations size, organizations culture; organizations structure; business strategy; power and politics; and top management and line managers (Harzing and Pinnington, 2015). The external factors include economic condition; government regulations; technological change and advancements; industry characteristics; workforce demographics; competitor actions; and union actions (Choi and Ruona, 2010). The factors enhance how organizations plan and organize their human resources. Conclusions and Recommendations The organizations in the services sector operate in a constantly changing environment in the world.   Many factors exist that may discourage or hinder these organizations to plan for their human resources at present and in the future. However, instituting a human resources plan ensures that an organization is prepared for any change that may occur in the business environment. A human resources plan assists an organization to fulfill its mandate when managed appropriately. The recommendation is that Marriott International needs to develop a human resources plan with its business plan. The argument is that as external and internal factors influence, affect and change the supply and demand of human resources, the business will adapt to this changes with a plan in place. Assess the current state of employment relations in Marriot International Introduction Employment relations refer to the total interaction or relationship between an employee and the employer (Nickson, 2013). This relationship is in regards to the establishment of employment conditions. The topic of employee relations in Marriot International is crucial because of the realization that a good employment relations program in an organization leads to the success of the organization. As an approach to effective employee treatment, an employment relation incorporates all issues in the workplace employer-employee relationship including equal opportunity, recruitment, organizational structure and, training and development (Lee and Way, 2010). This forms a basis through which the employees remain loyal to the organization and stay committed to fulfilling the objectives of the organization as required in the specific jobs (Lee and Way, 2010). Findings Below are the findings on the current state of employment relations in the service industry 1. There is a significant growth in the number of workers and employers in the service industry. This growth has precipitated a selective approach by both workers and employers in finding their employers and workers respectively (Goetsch and Davis, 2013). 2. Employment relations is revitalized in the service industries as a result of consistent boycotts and strikes by workers in the service sector thus effecting talks on issues affecting the employees (Vidal, 2011). 3. Employment relations are currently being handled by unions representing the employers and the employees while the government stands as the mediator (Davidson et al., 2011). 4. As a response to boycotts and strikes, unions and management in the services sector are cooperating through corporate campaigns and neutrality agreements to ensure employment relations are improved (Nickson, 2013). They institute harmonization measures through arbitration and negotiation teams to settle grievances and disciplinary procedures in employment relations. 5. Low wages, sexual harassment and poor working conditions in the services sector have precipitated the increase in unions organizing strikes and calling for better employment relations agreements (Kusluvan et al., 2010). Discussion Employment relations in the hotel sector are important because it influences job satisfaction, customer retention and the success of the business. The fight to achieve better working conditions has been taken to the employers by employees. According to Kusluvan et al., (2010) low wages, sexual harassment and poor working conditions in the services sector have precipitated the increase in unions organizing strikes and calling for better employment relations agreements. Employee relations have affected how employers and employees select workers and employers respectively (Goetsch and Davis, 2013). Employers and employees look for organizations in the services industry where their needs and requirements will be met. Davidson et al., (2011) researched how HRM handled employment relations in the past and the present. The findings showed employment relations are currently being handled by unions, negotiating teams, and collaborative institutions. They handle employment issues and in extrem e circumstances lead boycotts and strikes to revitalize the issues in the services sector (Vidal, 2011). As a response to boycotts and strikes, unions and management in the services sector are cooperating through corporate campaigns and neutrality agreements to ensure employment relations are improved (Nickson, 2013). They institute harmonization measures through arbitration and negotiation teams to settle grievances in the services industry. Conclusions and Recommendations As an approach to effective employee treatment, employment relations incorporate all issues in the workplace, employer-employee relationship including equal opportunity, recruitment, organizational structure and, training and development. Employment relations contribute to the success or the failure of a given business. Poor relations lead to poor or inadequate services which lead to the business being affected. The recommendation is that Marriott International should institute an effective working relationship between the employers and the employees in the hotel. This is done by ensuring all employees are treated equally and professionally. They should also support their unions by entering into continuous talks on how to improve their conditions thus enhancing employment relations. Discuss how employment law affects the management of human resources in a selected service industry business Government regulations have increased within the hospitality industry over the years especially due to the industrys rapid growth and diversity. According to Simpson (n.d.), employment laws moderate the relationship between the employer and the employee. The laws delegate areas such as wages, benefits, workplace discrimination, safety on the job and immigration, just to name a few. Employment laws within Jamaica are based on common law concept of the contract of employment, legislations and court opinions (Jamaica Trade Union Labour Laws, n.d.). The laws are enacted as a means of protecting workers from unfair treatment within their workplace as well as protecting employers. Findings Below are the findings related to the different employment laws within my country, Jamaica: 1. According to Employment (Termination, etc.) Act (2008) employers should give prior notice to employees who are dismissed for the reason of redundancy. 2. The Holiday with Pay Act of 1974 outlines that pay, gratuities or benefits should be given to workers who are on sick or vacation leave (Under The Holidays With Pay Act, 2000). 3. The Jamaica observer (2016) advised that the National Minimum Wage increase takes effect today, March 1st, 2016. Such recommendations are made by the Minimum Wage Advisory Commission with guidance from the Minimum Wage Act of 1938. 4. Under the Trade Union Act of 1919, Trade Unions were able to become established, get registered and function. The Act also stipulates ways in which membership is acquired and also how disputes should be settled (Trade Union Act, n.d.). 5. The Employment (Equal pay for men and women) Act of 1975 is in place to eliminate discrimination between sexes as it relates to wages for completing the same work (Jamaica: The Employment (Equal Pay for Men and Women) Act, n.d.). Employment laws greatly impact how the human resource within the hospitality industry functions and operates. The various laws are utilized as guidelines to ensure that employees are treated fairly and that management operates within the laws. According to Employment (Termination, etc.) Act (2008) employers should give prior notice to employees who are dismissed for the reason of redundancy. It further explains that the period of the notice depends on how long the employee has been working with the organization and also how they should be paid for their service. The Holiday with Pay Act of 1974 outlines that pay, gratuities or benefits should be given to workers who are on sick or vacation leave (Under The Holidays With Pay Act, 2000). HR will now have to take into consideration the requirements for paying employees who are on sick leave, going on vacation and even workers who work overtime. Employers who do not comply are at risk of being fined upwards of $250,000 and/or prison time .   The Jamaica observer (2016) advised that the National Minimum Wage increase takes effect today, March 1st, 2016. Such recommendations are made by the Minimum Wage Advisory Commission with guidance from the Minimum Wage Act of 1938. This law is mostly geared at protecting workers without a voice or representation from a Union to bargain on their behalf. With that being said, it is still as important as it sets the bar for the minimum pay in which a certain group of workers should receive. Under the Trade Union Act of 1919, Trade Unions were able to become established, get registered and function. The Act also stipulates ways in which membership is acquired and also how disputes should be settled (Trade Union Act, n.d.). Hotel workers are now able to gain Union representatives under this law. Workers no longer have to strike when their contracts have been breached, as now they have legal representatives who are able to negotiate, deliberate and argue on their behalf. Human Resource Management within the hotel industry will need to sit with Union representatives and negotiate proper wages for workers, decent working conditions and also fair schedules. The Employment (Equal pay for men and women) Act of 1975 is in place to eliminate discrimination between sexes as it relates to wages for completing the same work (Jamaica: The Employment (Equal Pay for Men and Women) Act, n.d.). HR management under this act is obligated in paying workers of both sexes equally to do the same amount of work. Therefore, if the hotel has a male and female chef that does the same amount of work then one shouldnt be getting more pay than the other just because they are a different gender. In addition, both workers should be treated equally and fairly.   Ã‚   Recommendation/Conclusion The hotel industry succeeds when there are full corporation and understanding between employees and employers. As an HR manager, it is my duty to ensure that in creating corporation between management and workers I am also able to do so within the employment laws that governs the country. When these laws are understood, followed and implemented by myself, management and workers then it saves the hotel money- by preventing fines, time- by avoiding lawsuits and lengthy court hearings, and also bad publicity. When the various employment laws are enforced the hotel will experience fewer turnovers, as workers will appreciate the measures taken to ensure that they are fairly treated and therefore will not want to resign. In addition, productivity will increase as workers will be certain that they will receive proper compensation for their labor. Subsequently, with increased productivity, there will be better service and product quality as well; workers will have greater commitment and be c ompelled to put in more work. Last but not least, with the representation of Unions, workers are more trusting and comfortable in their working environment; this is because they know the Union will act in their best interest.