Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Ally Bireley. Mr. Cone. Apush - 1St. 24 February 2017.

Ally Bireley Mr. Cone APUSH - 1st 24 February 2017 A Soldier’s Tale Amongst almost 3 million Civil War soldiers, over 600,000 lost their lives defending their notions of freedom and liberty in America. Approximately two-thirds of these soldiers, nonetheless, died from disease rather than wounds received on the battlefield. Lack of efficient medicine and health care caused much more impacting damage, as well as scarce, not up-to-date resources, and social divisions between the soldiers. Typically, an average Civil War soldier could expect to face extreme hardships and difficulties in their wartime lifestyles, including bad weather, unprepared, inappropriate clothing, spreading infections, and tensions regarding race and gender. Across†¦show more content†¦According to Schroeder-Lein, of the two amputation methods, Confederate doctors preferred and further developed the circular operation which was more efficient and less painful, while the Union doctors leaned toward the faster flap operation. Combined, soldiers on both sides received over 50 ,000 amputations, with a 27% mortality rate. Over time, the doctors transitioned towards performing more excisions of bone fragments and application of splints once realized that they could avoid amputations (Schroeder-Lein, 520). Also with the onset of the Civil War came the conversion of popular anesthesia from ether to chloroform, the safer substance that led to the administration of anesthesia in areas will good air circulation, like the procedure would be performed today if chloroform were the last resort (Schroeder-Lein, 613-633). Innately, soldiers feared the endless possibilities of blood loss, gangrene, et cetera, and experienced historic levels of discomfort and death. Rather it be experiencing extreme passion to discover the world, patriotism and determinism to fight for their beliefs, or simply a desire to help, many women joined the Civil War. As an amazing step of progress in history, these heroes effectively challenged traditional values

Monday, December 16, 2019

Sports Psychology Essay - 602 Words

It has been identified that through sports psychology one can improve their physical ability and performance. Sports psychology is the study of how the mind, mental states and behaviour effect sporting performance. There are several sport psychology techniques, which have helped me become a better volleyball player. These techniques include planning for performance, controlling arousal levels, mental rehearsal and concentration. The first technique of planning for performance is all about goal setting and rating your performance. Goal setting can be broken down into three distinct categories, outcome, performance and process. An outcome goal is when a goal is set purely about the outcome of an event/game. In volleyball my outcome goal†¦show more content†¦Personally I find being calm and collected works best for my performance, in order to get into this state of mind I find it better not to think about the stakes of the game. To combat pre match nerves the techniques of mental rehearsal and concentration are best used. Mental rehearsal is when an athlete plays a certain situation or technique over and over in their head to better capitalise on the situation in the future. An example of this may be mentally viewing the best technique to serve the volleyball. By using mental rehearsal and athlete will be able to adapt to situations with a greater ease. The second technique to combat nerves is centering. Centering is when an athlete blocks out all the unimportant details of a situation and just focuses at the task at hand. Centering can be achieved my controlled breathing and not thinking about past mistakes. Personally I use the technique centering to help combat my pre match nerves. By using this technique I am able to block out all the unimportant factors and think about one thing at a time. 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Sunday, December 8, 2019

Management and Organization Global Management Functions

Question: Describe about the Management and Organization for Global Management Functions. Answer: Introduction Planning is a management function that is concerned with defining goals and objectives of the organization to be achieved for its future growth and development. Planning aims at providing direction to the overall functions of the organization and is done according to the vision and mission of the organization. Planning is the preparatory step, and chalks down future course of action for a business. It determines what activities are to be performed, what resources would be required to successfully undertake the planned objectives, who will be responsible for completing planned activities and how it will add value to the overall organizational efficiencies (Reiss 2013). Todays business operates in a highly dynamic and unpredictable environment, therefore, it is important to plan future course of action that an organization should adopt in order to be in the market in the long run and to achieve its objectives. Planning involves analysis of firms internal and external environment and understanding their implication on the organizations functioning. Planning enables managers to select most appropriate course of action for the business from different available alternatives. Planning helps the business to effectively allocate organizational resources and achieve organizational efficiency in meeting its short term as well as long-term objectives (Burke 2013). In this context, managers (decision makers) have variety of tools at their disposal that assists in undertaking planning activities. These planning tools help in environmental scanning, forecasting and benchmarking. Planning helps businesses in taking well considered course of action to achieve its objectives, scheduling of various activities, provides control and monitoring of the overall activities and also, assists in taking appropriate measures in case of deviation from the planned objectives (Kerzner 2013). There are multiple planning tools and techniques that are employed for different purposes. For instance, budgeting and forecasting are used for allocation of resources, Gantt Charts are used for production planning and scheduling, PERT networks are used for project planning, sensitivity and scenario planning are used for understanding possible future conditions and enhancing managerial decision making, and so on (McNeil et al. 2015). The purpose of this assignment is to discuss planning tools and techniques that assist in making strategic decisions and to take the organization to right direction in the unpredictable business environment. The report, therefore discusses various planning tools such as budgeting and planning, PERT networks, Gantt charts, and sensitivity and scenario analysis. The essay discusses in detail about the concepts, application, advantages as well as limitations of these planning tools or techniques and helps to understand how these tools assist in developing effective plans for business organizations in order to achieve their final goals or objectives. Budgets and forecasts Forecasting and budgeting is one of the most important and commonly used planning techniques used by managers. It is used to determine and to detail an organizations long term as well as short-term financial goals. Budgeting and forecasting are financial planning techniques that assist managers in the decision making process. Budgeting technique uses estimation to quantify or to monetize the expectation of revenues a business aims to achieve for a future period, forecasting on the other hand, is used to predict the volume of revenues that will be achieved (Verzuh 2015). Budgeting aims at outlining a plan for an organization concerning where it wants to go; while, forecasting indicates where the organization is actually headed. In addition, budgets provide detailed list of incomes and expenses and provides a realistic guide for planning activities. While, forecast simply presents list of possible income and expenses scenarios. Moreover, budgets are generally based on past performance and include some forecasting; however, a budget that takes into consideration multiple forecasting is more effective as it allows the business to opportunities and downturns more quickly (Bozarth and Handfield 2016). Budget: A budget is the estimation of revenues and expenses an organization that a firm has to incur over a future period (particular accounting period). It is a detailed financial outline of what business thinks will happen over a period of time financially. Budgets are written documents that include information about business revenue, expenses, cash flows and it represents business financial position (Leach 2014). Budgets can be understood as a quantified expectation of resources that a business would require in order to achieve some predetermined goals and objectives. Budgets are prepared for future period considering various goals and objectives of the firm such as vision, mission, business strategies, and goals and objectives. It provides necessary direction to the business activities as well as serves the purpose of business control tool to achieve predetermined business objectives (Hope and Fraser 2013). In order to develop budget that would guide spending, both fixed and variable expenses are considered. Fixed expenses are those expenses that do not change each budgeting cycle such as rents, interest payments and insurance premiums. Variable expenses changes each month and include electricity bills, utilities, commissions, and phone bills. It involves documenting how the organizations overall plan would be executed over a specified period, outlining expenditures. Budget is a control tool that is frequently employed by managers to compare actual outcomes with expected results to determine variances and to develop strategies to minimize those variances (Kerzner 2013). In order to use budget as useful tool to manage business operations, managers have to consider some important things such as the budgets should be based on realistic cash flows. The budget should be able to differentiate between essential expenses and discretionary expenses. In addition, incorporating cash reserves into the budget can be good strategy as it acts as cushion future downturns in business (Kendrick 2013). Forecast: Forecast is an estimate of what the organization wants to achieve. Forecasting is used to predict companys income and is undertaken using accumulated sales and revenue historical data of the organization and the industry (trend analysis)s to predict financial outcomes for some predetermined period. Forecasting helps to estimate possible fixed and variable expenses based on different sales and revenue scenarios. Forecasting is used to determine how a company should allocate their budget for a future period. Unlike budgets, financial forecasting is updated more frequently if there is change in business market outlook or change in business plan. It is an important tool that assists managers to make necessary adjustments in expenses and align business functions with changing market conditions within the budgeting period (Acebes et al. 2014). Further, it is crucial for managers to consider some points while doing forecasts for the company. The most important point that managers have to consider is to develop more than one forecast for the company, preferably three forecasts; one that presents positive outlook, one for pessimistic scenario, and one most likely. This helps managers to plan for growth, but also helps to prepared for unexpected markets conditions that are not originally thought of. Next important point is to keep updated about market conditions and updating forecasts on regular basis. Moreover, it is also important to involve key people from the organization while developing forecast document as they have better understanding of the business goals and market condition, which will improve the accuracy of forecasting document (Goodman et al. 2013). Advantages of budgeting and forecasting There are many advantages of budgeting and forecasting in the organizational context, that can be given as Budgeting and forecasting are frequently in business organizations as they provide an effective way of allocating and utilizing resources within the organization. It improves managers understanding of future business environment and contingencies. It also acts a motivational tool as it presents overall vision of the organization, helps in identifying roles and responsibilities of employed in achieving organizational objectives and improves inter organizational communication (Reiss 2013). Drawbacks Though, there are many advantages of budgeting and forecasting in planning, these tools are not full prove and have following disadvantages such as Developing organizational budgets and forecasts requires considerations for a lot activities and factors, which carries real opportunity cost. Moreover, due to changing market conditions, business plans or any other factors, forecasts are required to be frequently updated that makes the previous budgeting and forecasting exercise futile. The frequency of errors and inaccuracies in the budgets and forecast are very high as compared to other planning tool and techniques. In addition, budgeting and forecasting may lead to inter department conflicts as organizational resources are limited and each department wants to get hold of maximum resources (Acebes et al. 2014). PERT Pert is an abbreviation for Program Evaluation Review Technique. It is a statistical tool that is widely used by business for planning and coordinating business operations or projects. It is developed to analyze and represent various tasks involve in completing a given project. PERT was designed by United States Navy in 1950s and is generally used in conjunction with Critical Path Method (CPM). It is a network based tool for planning and scheduling multiple inter related tasks in large and complex projects. It helps to answer the shortest possible time for completing the project and what activities must be undertaken first and in what order to minimize project completion time (Wyatt 2012). PERT employs statistical techniques to measure to measure and forecast development in business projects. The technique is widely used in manufacturing organizations. It provides a framework for decision making that helps managers to take effective decisions in order to achieve end objectives, and also saves time in taking business decisions. Moreover, the PERT is an effective decision making tool that helps managers to save time in decision making functions for those projects where time is a vital factor. It takes into consideration all the three crucial factors that influence the successful achievement of end objectives. These factors are time, resources and technical performance specifications (Hajdu 2013). PERT uses time as a variable factor that presents planned resource applications and performance specifications. PERT helps to quantify uncertainties that may arise in the course of achieving business objectives about which little information is available, thereby allowing management to develop greater understanding of the business environment (market) and formulate appropriate strategies to minimize such risks (Wang 2013). PERT technique is used to processes the data concerning the major events or finite milestones that are necessary to accomplish end objectives, establishes inter dependencies between those events and predicts the time (or range of time) that are necessary to execute activities between two successive events. The time estimates in PERT includes optimistic time, most likely time, and pessimistic time for individual activity between two successive events (Hajdu and Bokor 2014). PERT is management control technique that helps the in helps in achieving the objectives of the business in the specified time, highlighting the risks in the market that requires management intervention. It helps in identifying and defining both the methodicaness and slack in the network of sequential activities that has be undertaken to achieve business objectives. It compares the current expected time with planned completion time; and calculates the probability of meeting objectives on time and simulates effects of various decision options that are available to meet the business objectives. Thus, PERT helps the decision makers (managers) to identify and implement best available decision alternative to meet the business goals and objectives (Heagney 2012). PERT technique helps simplifying the planning and scheduling of large and complex projects in uncertain business conditions, when details and durations of various activities in meeting the final objective is not known. It is used for one time projects where historical data are not available. Further, it is used for those non-routine business decisions or projects where time is the critical factor rather than cost (Hajdu 2013). Pert planning process It consist of following six steps Identifying the individual tasks to be performed Identifying the dependencies between the tasks to determine the sequence of tasks to be undertaken Drawing a network diagram representing these tasks Obtaining estimates of time for completing each activities Identifying critical path Keeping the network diagram and critical path throughout the project Example In order to, better understand the application of PERT technique, following example can be considered: Task Predecessors a (Optimistic time estimate) m (Realistic time estimate) b (Pessimistic time estimate) A 2 5 8 B A 1 2 9 C A 0.25 0.5 3.75 D B 1 1 7 E B, C 1 2 9 F D, E 1 3 11 (Source: As created by author) Activity duration estimates: PERT technique employs three time estimates (a, m and b), to minimize the error in estimating activity duration. These time estimates are a = shortest possible time to complete an activity assuming everything goes perfect. m = most likely time to complete an activity under normal circumstances. b = longest possible time to complete an activity for worst case scenarios. Based on these time estimates, a weighted average and variance is calculated for individual activity duration as a measure of average duration and corresponding variability. Nodes represent events and activities are represented by arrows Weighted average = (Shortest time + 4 x Most likely time + Longest time) / 6 Standard deviation = (b a) / 6 Average critical path The estimated duration for the critical path is sum of expected durations of the critical activities i.e. (5 + 3 + 3 + 4 = 15) and expected variance of the critical path is equal to sum of variances of the critical activities i.e. (12 + {8/6}2 + {8/6}2 + {10/6}2 = 7.33. Moreover, it is important to note that activities on average critical path are considered for calculation of variance. The network diagram for the above activities are given as Fig: Network diagram and average critical path (Source: As created by author) Advantages: PERT provides the project manager with expected period within which the project can be executed and provides direction to the project functions. PERT chart helps in explicitly defining and making visible dependencies between work breakdown structure (WBS) elements. PERT helps in identifying the critical path of an activity. It helps in reducing overall project duration by providing a better understanding of dependencies between various activities by reducing overlapping of activities and tasks where viable. PERT presents large amount of project data in the form of diagrams that assists in effective decision making (HazÄ ±r 2015). Disadvantages For a large project, there can be hundreds or thousands of activities and individual dependency relationships, which cannot be represented in a single sheet and therefore, cannot be used for practical reasons. Another limitation is that all the estimates are subjective and depends on the abilities of the managers. PERT focuses on the time aspects of the project in achieving and does not account for the overall costs. In addition, PERT network charts becomes complicated and unmanageable for large projects that constitutes hundreds or even thousands of activates and dependency relationships. Further, for large and complex projects, PERT charts become expensive to develop, update and maintain (HazÄ ±r 2015). Gantt chart A Gantt chart is kind of bar chart that was developed by Henry Gantt in the 1910s which depicts project schedules. It is essentially a timeline view of the entire project tasks and helps to visualize data. Gantt chart consists of series of horizontal lines that represents the amount of work done or some activities completed in certain periods of time in relation to the amount of time planned for completing those planned activities. Gantt charts are useful planning and monitoring tool that are commonly used in project management. It is one of the most helpful ways of representing activities (tasks or events) against time. In Gantt chart, the left side represents a list of activities that has to be undertaken and at the top is represented a suitable time scale that is deemed correct for completing the mentioned activities. In Gantt charts individual activities are represented by a bar; the position and length of bar indicates start date, duration and end date of the activity (Sharon et al. 2014). Gantt charts are the graphical representation of various activities that are to be undertaken to successfully complete the project. It helps to understand what activities are to undertaken, when each activity begins and ends, how long each activity is expected or scheduled to last, where activities overlap and by what magnitude, and the starting and end date of the entire project. In other words, Gantt chart helps to represent what activities have to perform the schedule for completing those activities. It in the modern business organizations Gantt charts are frequently used tracking project schedules. It provides crucial information about the various tasks or phases of the a project i.e. how various activities of the project are related to each other, how far the each activity of the project has performed, resources employed for individual activities and other project related information (Ong et al. 2016). In order to complete the project successfully, it is important to manage and control a large number of activities so that the project can be completed on time. Time is an important factor for achieving the desired objectives. Even if a part of a project is delayed, it can have serious implications on the entire project and overall cost of the project will increase manifold. Gantt chart, in this context, helps managers to have complete control on project tasks and effectively eliminate deviations, if any. It provides a quick overview of the entire project, its associated tasks and the order in which it needs to be completed (Baker and Trietsch 2013). Gantt chart preparation In order to develop an accurate Gantt chart, following steps are required to be taken Identify essential tasks Linking various tasks Adding constraints Including resources Enhancing Gantt charts Reviewing the project In the todays world, there are many software applications that enable manager to develop accurate and holistic Gantt chart. Some of the popular software for developing Gantt cart is Microsoft Project, MindView Business Edition, and Primavera Project Planner. In order to develop Gantt chart, it is important to first completely understand the complete project plan and various aspects associated with it. The best way to understand project plan is to use work breakdown structure that splits the tasks into sub tasks and presents them in hierarchical order. In this regard, mind mapping of the entire project can be undertaken to ensure that all the activities of the project is included. Once the project plan is completed, data is feed into the application to get the relevant Gantt chart (Dayani and Gelbard 2015). Example In order to better understand the importance and application of Gantt chart, following example for a shop floor planning can be used Task Length Type (sequential or parallel) A - Brainstorming and high level analysis 1 week S B - Preliminary market research 3 week P C - Preliminary manufacturing study 1 weeks P D - Evaluation and selection of best product design 1 week S E -Developing detailed marketing plan 1 week P F - Designing manufacturing process 3 week P G - Developing detailed product design 3 week P H - Building and testing prototype 1 week S I - Finalizing product design 2 week S J - Ordering product components 1 week S K - Ordering production equipments 3 week P L - Installing production elements 2 week S (Source: As created by Author) Based on the activities identified for the above project, the Gantt chart can be generated as given below: Time in weeks 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 A - Brainstorming and high level analysis B - Preliminary market research C - Preliminary manufacturing study D - Evaluation and selection of best product design E -Developing detailed marketing plan F - Designing manufacturing process G - Developing detailed product design H - Building and testing prototype I - Finalizing product design J - Ordering product components K - Ordering production equipments L - Installing production elements (Source: As created by author) Advantages During the process of setting up Gantt chart, all the tasks related to the project are well thought of in advance, this helps managers to avoid any instances of forgetting any crucial aspect related to the project. Moreover, during this process, people responsible to execute various activities, time required to execute various activities and problems that may arise in the process of project completion are considered and remedial measures are planned in advanced. Thus it can be said that developing a Gantt chart ensures that the project plan is workable, right people are assigned for each task and management have workarounds for potential problems even before the project starts. In addition, Gantt chart helps to determine minimum time required to deliver the project and the critical path to be followed in executing various tasks related to the project. This also helps the interested stakeholders to keep informed about the projects progress (Browning 2014). Limitations One of the greatest limitation of Gantt chart is that it works effectively only for smaller projects. As the project becomes larger and complex, it becomes practically difficult to rely on Gantt charts for the purpose of scheduling and controlling the project objectives. Moreover, Gantt charts do not represents various sub tasks that are important to achieve a milestone (Riol and Thuillier 2015). Sensitivity and scenario analysis Sensitivity analysis Sensitivity analysis is a mathematical tool that helps decision makers to determine how different values of an independent variable can influence a particular dependent variable under some particular set of assumption and circumstances. It is data driven analysis that of how some variable variables impacts a single variable. This method is widely use in decision making and is sometimes referred to as what if analysis as it provides managers a simulation analysis to predict the outcome of a decision within a particular set of decision variables. In sensitivity analysis, key quantitative assumptions and computations related to a decision are changed systematically in order to determine their effect on the final outcome (Weglarz 2012). Example: In order to better understand the concept, following example can be considered Sensitivity analysis can be used to determine the influence of customer traffic on total sales. The sales are dependent on price and transaction volume. Assuming, that the price of merchandise is $1000 and the company sole a total of 100 items last year, for an overall sales revenue of $100,000. Further, it is established that 10 % rise in customer traffic increases transaction volume by 5%. This knowledge can be used to develop a financial model and sensitivity analysis around this equation based on what if statements. The model can be used to explain what would happen if the customer traffic increases by 10%, 20%, 50% and so on. Based on the current data, the 10%, 20% and 50% increase in customer traffic would lead to increase in transaction by 5, 10 and 50 respectively. This analysis also indicates that sales are highly sensitive to change in customer traffic (Fang and Marle 2012). Sensitivity analysis is one of the important business decision tools. In order to make an effective decision managers have to identify cost drivers as well as other quantities that influence the quality of decision making. On the other hand, some quantities do not have any influence on overall quality of decision taken by the managers and the collection of information about these quantities can be relaxed. This helps the business to save some valuable resources without any loss in the accuracy of decision (Young 2013). Advantages Sensitivity analysis helps business managers to identify critical assumptions and compare alternative model structures. It helps the mangers in collecting relevant data for future use and also helps in resource allocation. It helps in testing the robustness of an optimal solution and highlights about the riskiness of the strategy developed by the organization (Gal and Greenberg 2012). Limitations In most of the business decision scenarios, variables are interconnected or correlated with each other and thus, it becomes practically difficult to examine each variable individually. Moreover, sensitivity analysis is based on assumptions that employs past data, which may not hold true in future. In addition, the maximum and minimum values used for the analysis is open to subjective interpretation. This can have adverse effect on the overall accuracy of the analysis (Deif 2012) Scenario analysis Scenario analysis can be defined as a process of analyzing future course of events by considering alternative possible outcomes. Thus, it helps to predict future scenarios and enables managers to develop greater understanding of the future market conditions to that they can take effective decisions (kmen and ztaÃ…Å ¸ 2015). Moreover, scenario analysis does not rely on past or historical data to make projections about the future; instead it tries to possible developments and turning points. It is helpful to develop optimistic, pessimistic and most like scenarios, so that the managers or decision makers can formulate appropriate strategies to deal with future market conditions. Further, the purpose of undertaking scenario analysis is to improve managerial decision making by allowing consideration of outcome and its implications (Chow 2014). In order to undertake scenario analysis following steps can be undertaken Defining the problem: having a clear understanding of the problem enables the managers to understand final outcome that the business wants to achieve. For example, if the business wants to launch a new product that cater to corporate clients in managing their financial data. In this context, it is important to access where the business would be headed in the next five years and what future conditions might affect the success of the business. Collecting data: Once the problem has been identified, the decision makers are required to identify key factors, trends and uncertainties that would influence the business plan. This can be achieved through running a situational analysis comprising of both external and internal business environments. Based on the analysis, key assumptions are required to be identified on which the plan depends (Hassani 2016). In this case, the key assumptions can be the state of economy i.e. clients have suspended their business development plans due to recession in the economy, perceived importance of the business plan for the clients in enhancing organizational productivity. Separating certainties from uncertainties: Based on the assumptions identified, it is important to determine the validity of those by thoroughly challenging them and selection of validated assumptions as certainties. Other assumptions that are not so significant or crucial for successful implementation of business plans can group as uncertainties (Lee et al. 2016). For the above business plan, certainties are identified as large organizations face problems financial management for diverse group of products and services they deal in and the new product provide by the organization would help corporate clients in enhancing their organizational capabilities. However, there are other competitors in the proposed business plan category that may significantly hamper the business plan in the long run. Developing scenarios: Now depending on the uncertainties, different scenarios are developed starting from the top uncertainty. Based on all the uncertainties, optimistic, most likely and pessimistic scenarios are developed (Amer et al. 2013). The three scenarios for the above example can be First, the new product would be a success as the economy is growing steadily. Second, the product would be able to pull through the market slowly as the economy is in declining stage and lastly, the product would require time and organizational resources to establish in the market and the intensifying competition and recession in the economy would ultimately lead to product failure. Using scenarios for planning: Based on the scenarios, the managers can plan accordingly. Advantages of scenario analysis Advantages of scenario analysis include Scenario analysis helps management in making most appropriate decisions considering all the available alternatives available. It helps the organization to avoid poor investment decisions. Scenario analysis presents best and worst outcomes that an organization might face in the future, therefore, it allows the organization to be prepared for possible future opportunities and threats. This helps organizations to be proactive instead of being reactive (kmen and ztaÃ…Å ¸ 2015). Drawbacks of scenario analysis One of the major disadvantages of scenario analysis is that it is subjective in nature and its accuracy depends on the capabilities and experience of the planner. Other disadvantage of scenario analysis lies in the fact that it is not possible to accurately predict future scenarios for long-term projects, especially if the project is expected to exceed two or more financial years. Moreover, it is impossible to implement scenario analysis in those conditions where trends change frequently, or some natural disaster or some unprecedented financial events (Chow 2014). Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that planning tools and techniques plays an important role in formulating and implementing organizations plan. Planning tools helps in scheduling and coordinating various organizational plans and assists managers to ensure that the organizational objectives are effectively accomplished. There are different planning tools that assist managers in the planning process. Some of the most commonly employed planning tool include budgeting and forecasting, PERT network diagrams, Gantt charts, and sensitivity and scenario analysis. Although, all these tools and techniques helps managers in planning, they all serve different purposes and are employed according to the type of project, complexity and organizational needs. Budgeting and forecasting helps in determining future expenses that the organization has to incur to reach its objectives whereas forecasting helps in determining the how these objectives would be achieved. PERT network diagrams he lp managers to identify various activities that have to be undertaken to accomplish a project. It also helps the managers to identify the shortest possible time within which a project can be completed. Moreover, it also helps to establish dependencies between various tasks necessary to successfully complete the project. Gantt charts on the other presents the project milestone in the form of horizontal bar charts. Gantt charts helps in scheduling the project tasks and provides a overall idea about projects progress. Lastly, sensitivity and scenario analysis helps in determining future conditions related to the project and presents various situations that might occur at some point in the future, thereby enabling managers to prepare for such contingencies and select most appropriate course of action. References Acebes, F., Pajares, J., Galn, J.M. and Lpez-Paredes, A., 2014. A new approach for project control under uncertainty. Going back to the basics. International Journal of Project Management, 32(3), pp.423-434. Amer, M., Daim, T.U. and Jetter, A., 2013. A review of scenario planning. Futures, 46, pp.23-40. Baker, K.R. and Trietsch, D., 2013. Principles of sequencing and scheduling. John Wiley Sons. Bozarth, C.B. and Handfield, R.B., 2016. Introduction to operations and supply chain management. Pearson Higher Ed. Browning, T.R., 2014. Managing complex project process models with a process architecture framework. International Journal of Project Management, 32(2), pp.229-241. Burke, R., 2013. Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA. Chow, J.Y., 2014. Activityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Based Travel Scenario Analysis with Routing Problem Reoptimization. Computerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, 29(2), pp.91-106. Dayani, M. and Gelbard, R., 2015. Automatic Conversion of Software Specification into a Gantt-chart subject to Organization's Constraints. Procedia Computer Science, 64, pp.73-78. Deif, A., 2012. Sensitivity analysis in linear systems. Springer Science Business Media. Fang, C. and Marle, F., 2012. A simulation-based risk network model for decision support in project risk management. Decision Support Systems, 52(3), pp.635-644. Gal, T. and Greenberg, H.J. eds., 2012. Advances in sensitivity analysis and parametric programming (Vol. 6). Springer Science Business Media. Goodman, T.H., Neamtiu, M., Shroff, N. and White, H.D., 2013. Management forecast quality and capital investment decisions. The Accounting Review, 89(1), pp.331-365. Hajdu, M. and Bokor, O., 2014. The effects of different activity distributions on project duration in pert networks. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 119, pp.766-775. Hajdu, M., 2013. Effects of the application of activity calendars on the distribution of project duration in PERT networks. Automation in Construction, 35, pp.397-404. Hajdu, M., 2013. Network scheduling techniques for construction project management (Vol. 16). Springer Science Business Media. Hassani, B., 2016. Scenario Analysis in Risk Management: Theory and Practice in Finance. Springer. HazÄ ±r, ., 2015. A review of analytical models, approaches and decision support tools in project monitoring and control. International Journal of Project Management, 33(4), pp.808-815. Heagney, J., 2012. Fundamentals of project management. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Hope, J. and Fraser, R., 2013. Beyond budgeting: how managers can break free from the annual performance trap. Harvard Business Press. Kendrick, T., 2013. The project management tool kit: 100 tips and techniques for getting the job done right. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Kendrick, T., 2015. Identifying and managing project risk: essential tools for failure-proofing your project. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Kerzner, H.R., 2013. Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Leach, L.P., 2014. Critical chain project management. Artech House. Lee, S., Cho, C., Hong, E.K. and Yoon, B., 2016. Forecasting mobile broadband traffic: Application of scenario analysis and Delphi method. Expert Systems with Applications, 44, pp.126-137. McNeil, A.J., Frey, R. and Embrechts, P., 2015. Quantitative risk management: Concepts, techniques and tools. Princeton university press. kmen, . and ztaÃ…Å ¸, A., 2015. Scenario based evaluation of a cost risk model through sensitivity analysis. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 22(4), pp.403-423. Ong, H.Y., Wang, C. and Zainon, N., 2016. Integrated Earned Value Gantt Chart (EV-Gantt) Tool for Project Portfolio Planning and Monitoring Optimization. Engineering Management Journal, 28(1), pp.39-53. Reiss, G., 2013. Project management demystified: Today's tools and techniques. Routledge. Riol, H. and Thuillier, D., 2015. Project management for academic research projects: balancing structure and flexibility. International Journal of Project Organisation and Management, 7(3), pp.251-269. Sharon, A., de Weck, O. and Dori, D., 2014. Teaching and Assessing Project-Product Lifecycle Management and Gantt Chart Models to Systems Engineers: A Comparative Study. Submitted for publication. Verzuh, E., 2015. The fast forward MBA in project management. John Wiley Sons. Wang, P., 2013. Optimization algorithms of PERT network diagram in software project management system. In Applied Mechanics and Materials (Vol. 321, pp. 2056-2059). Trans Tech Publications. Weglarz, J. ed., 2012. Project scheduling: recent models, algorithms and applications (Vol. 14). Springer Science Business Media. Wyatt, N., 2012. The Financial Times Essential Guide to Budgeting and Forecasting: How to Deliver Accurate Numbers. Pearson. Young, T.L., 2013. Successful project management (Vol. 52). Kogan Page Publishers.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Movie “Serpico” and Police Corruption Research Paper Example

The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption Paper The movie, â€Å"Serpico†, (Maas, 1973) was based on a true story about Frank Serpico, a New York police officer who wanted to expose the corruption in law enforcement and went undercover in order to reveal their criminal activity. He is offered a share of the money in which the corrupt officers share and when he refuses to take part in their activity, he is shunned by his fellow officers and they don’t want to work with him and he remains in danger because he chooses to be honest. Serpico understands that the other officers in his force, are likely to place him in a position that is ultimately, life threatening. Al Pacino plays the role of Frank Serpico, in this movie, who was a real life NYPD detective, (Cannan, 1997) who almost died because of his loyalty to his belief that good cops really do exist. Even when Serpico talks to his superiors in his department, he gets nowhere. Police Commissioner, White acted as if he didn’t care about Serpico’s concerns and ignored his plea for help. We will write a custom essay sample on The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Serpico was sure that there were as many crooked cops working in New York City, as there were criminals. He remains loyal, throughout the movie, to his strong belief that police officers should be trustworthy, even though it places his own life in imminent danger. When Commissioner White doesn’t help, Serpico took his plea to a New York Times editor. With the scandal being talked about causes the mayor of New York City to conduct an intense investigation; The Knapp Commission, into Frank Serpico’s bold claims. Frank Serpico became a police officer in 1960 when he had faith in law enforcement and thought that criminals were arrested with traditional methods without using excessive force while arresting them. Seeing all the corruption, Serpico wanted to refrain from joining in one the corruption and asks another officer, by the name of Bob Blair, whom he trusts, to help him in his battle against criminal activity within the New York City police force. Eventually, Serpico went to court, in order to expose the corrupt officers who had tried for so long to bring him down. He testified to the fact that he had witnessed the corruption with his own eyes. The definition of corruption is described as â€Å"forbidden acts involving misuse of office for gain.† (Trautman, 1997) Author, Jack Gattanella tells us about the movie, â€Å"Serpico. â€Å" He says, â€Å"The real powerhouse performance by Pacino, thirty years down the line, still one of his finest.† Al Pacino was perfect for the role of Frank Serpico. Pacino depicted Serpico as an honest and good natured cop who only wanted to do the right thing while exposing those officers who weren’t. Global standards to combat corruption in police forces and services, (Interpol, 2007) have a duty to ensure honesty and ethical behavior and should use force in normal boundaries, in police departments. Frank Serpico (U.S. News, 2007) states that, â€Å"Frank Serpico, the former New York City cop who became a symbol for police honesty, lashed out at society’s leaders.† Serpico continues to hold strong to his faith that society can be led by honest individuals who hold police positions. From the very beginning of the story, where Al Pacino is slumped over in his car seat and dripping blood on his car seat, on his way to the hospital to get treatment for his injuries from being shot, the movie is shown as flashbacks in Serpico’s mind as he thinks about his days of being an honest cop, until the end of the story where he is testifying against the corrupt officers who tried to kill him. Police corruption still remains in our society as we read in Daniel J. Shanahan’s book, â€Å"Badges, Bullets and Bars†. (Shanahan, 2006) We learn a firsthand account of police disloyalty on the force as Shanahan tells us about some of his own experiences while being a cop. Frank Serpico was very courageous in his fight to show human decency and honesty in this movie. He left behind guidelines for all officers who work in law enforcement and will always be remembered as an early display of the way cops are supposed to perform in their duties. In today’s society, there still remains corruption in law enforcement but we still do have loyal officers just like Frank Serpico who are truly dedicated to their careers and work toward upholding the proper standards of the law and not getting involved in pocketing money that doesn’t belong to them, while performing acts that are of criminal nature. â€Å"Serpico† proved to be both educational and enlightening about the corruption in New York City police forces.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

5 Tips for Teachers to Help Disorganized Students

5 Tips for Teachers to Help Disorganized Students A students poor organizational skills can easily be improved by providing a routine and by clearly stating directions and expectations. Disorganized students often forget homework, have messy desks, cannot keep track of their materials and have poor time management skills. Teachers can help these students by providing a structured routine along with strategies to keep them organized. Use the following tips to help your disorganized student manage their responsibilities. 1. Set up a Routine By providing structure in the classroom the disorganized student will have no choice but to stay organized. Establishing a classroom schedule will allow students to be less frustrated and confused, and will provide them with a sense of where they are going and what materials they will need. To lessen their confusion, place a schedule in their folder or tape one to their desk. This way, the student can use it as a reference throughout the day. 2. Use a Checklist A checklist is a great tool for a disorganized student because it shows them the expectations that they need to accomplish for the day in a visual format. For younger students, have the list already prepared for them and go over it with the student each morning. For older students, provide strategies for prioritizing their own checklists.   3. Monitor Homework Encourage parenteral support by writing a letter to parents describing your homework policy. Require that each night after the homework is completed, it is signed by a parent and returned to school the following day. This process will ensure the student stays on task and encourages parents to be involved. 4. Organize Classroom Desks A disorganized student will not take the time to clean out their desk. Each week set aside time in your class schedule so students can complete this task. Brainstorm organizational ideas with the students on specific ways they can keep their desks tidy. Make the list visible in the classroom so each week they can have access to it. Suggest that they label materials for easy access and throw away items they no longer use. 5. Use Memory Aids Memory aids are a helpful way to remember tasks and materials. Have the student use tangible items such as  sticky notes, rubber bands, index cards, alarm clocks, and timers to remind them to complete their tasks for the day. Encourage them to use memory aids like this acronym: CATS. (CCarry, AAssignment, TTo, SSchool) Teaching these new strategies will help students complete their tasks efficiently and effectively. These tips give students the tools they need to manage their obligations and to be successful in school. With a little help and ​encouragement, disorganized children can easily get on a new path.   Additional Tips to Keep Students Organized Use the buddy system and assign a classmate to assist the student with their organizational skills.Use different color paper for different subjects so it is easier to locate papers.Require papers be put into binders.Have the student put important materials in their take-home folder or backpack as soon as they receive them.Use different color folders for different subjects so the students can locate them easily.Provide containers for small items so they will not be lost.Provide a monthly calendar and label when assignments are due.Have the student show you their completed checklist each day before they go home.

Friday, November 22, 2019

How Many Questions Can You Skip for a Good ACT Score

How Many Questions Can You Skip for a Good ACT Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT is a time crunch, and most students have trouble finishing the whole test in the allotted time. So how many questions can you skip for a good score? In this article, I'll let you know how many questions you can skip or answer incorrectly and to get a composite score of 26. I classify a 26 as a good score since it is in the 83rd percentile for all ACT test-takers. However, a good score for youisdependent on what college you hope to attend. Click here for guidance onwhat your target ACT score should be. First, How Is the ACT Scored? Toanswer the questions of how many can you skip for a 26 composite score on the ACT, you must know how the test is scored. In short, the ACT has 4 sections: Math (60 questions), Reading (40 questions), Science (40 questions) and English (75 questions) plus Writing (1 Essay).For further explanation, read How is the ACT Scored? The ACT Essay score is not counted towards your composite score, so I will not be mentioning it in this article. If you want more information on the ACT Essay, read How to Write an ACT Essay: Step by Step Example. On the ACT, you do NOT get points deducted for wrong answers, so it is to your advantage to bubble in any questions you can’t answer.Try to save 30 seconds to a minute at the end of each section to simply pick a letter to bubble in for the questions you skip. Each section is graded separately. First, you get a raw score for each which is simply the number of questions you answered correctly and then that raw score is converted into a scaled score.The raw to scale score conversion changes each test date, but the ACT shared the below table in the Preparing for the ACT guide as an example: After calculating the scale score for the sections, your 4 section scores are added together and divided by 4 (i.e. averaged), and the final number is your composite score.If your score ends up as a decimal, it is rounded, e.g.if it is a 25.4, it is rounded to 25, and if it is 25.5, it is rounded to 26. Having explained that I will now answer the original question: How Many Questions Can You Get Wrong or Skip and Get a Good Score? The answer is a little more complex than one simple number (I will explain this further).The reason the answer is more complex is that the scoring for each section of the test is different, and the scoring for each section varies by test date (as you can see in the chart above and as I will explain further below). Since you are not penalized for wrong answers, incorrect answers and skips will result in the same score.There are a large number of combinations of individual section scores that would result in a 26 composite score. Here are some of the breakdowns: (26+26+26+26) / 4 = 26 (26+26+26+25) / 4 = 25.75 (rounds up to 26) (26+26+25+25) / 4 = 25.5 (rounds up to 26) (26+26+26+24) / 4 = 25.5 (rounds up to 26) NOTE: you cannot get a 23 on any individual section if you want to get a composite score of 26 unless you get a section score of higher than 26. As I said, the scoring of each section varies by test date. So to give you a better idea of the typical number of questions you can get wrong/skip for a 26 in each section, I have analyzed 5 different ACT score charts: Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Test 5 English 13-14 14-15 14-15 14-15 14-15 Mathematics 16-17 18-19 16-18 16-17 18-20 Reading 10 12 9 Science 7 7-8 9-10 10 9-10 Total 46-48 51-54 50-54 49-51 52-56 Overall, you can skip/get wrong around 50 questions per ACT test to get a composite score of 26. For English, you can skip/miss 14 questions on average to get a 26. For Math, you can skip/miss 17 questions on average to get a 26. For Reading, you can skip/miss questions on average to get a 26. For Science, you can skip/miss 9 questions on average to get a 26. What Should Your Skipping Strategy Be? Knowing this information and hoping to get a 26 composite score, you should plan to skip up to: about 1 full passagein English (14 out of 15 questions in the last passage) 17 in Math 1 full passage in Reading (10 questions) 1 full passage in Science (5-7 questions)* *For Science, I would recommend skipping the Conflicting Viewpoints passage since it is the longest with 7 questions and, therefore, the most time consuming. Plan your exact skipping strategy based on your strengths and weaknesses. Try to maximize the number you skip in your weakest section. Minimize the number you skip in your strongest section. For example, if you struggle in Reading, plan to skip at least one entire passage. If your strength is Math, try just skipping the last 10 questions. This way you can hopefully maximize your score in Math to balance out your lower score in Reading. You need to be using the skipping strategy during your ACT preparation! Do not just try to implement this strategy the day of the test. This skipping strategy requires practice since you will need to learn a new test pace.If you had been attempting to complete all questions, you were likely going at a much faster pace. You will need to slow it down and give yourself more time per question. Also, you will need to figure out exactly what number of skipped questions will give you your target score. For example, while you can skip about one full passage in English (14 out of 15 questions) and get a 26, you may answer 10 questions incorrectly in the 4 passages you do complete, bringing your score below 26. If this happens, try to skip only half a passage (7 questions) on your next English practice test.Try to skip the maximum allowed during your first practice test then change the amount based on whether your score goes up or down. STRATEGIZE! Plan to spend the entire time allocated except for the last minute on those questions. That way, you get more time per question and do not rush to answer more questions and make more mistakes. If you do have extra time, I would recommend reviewing the answers you were unsure of and NOT attempting any new questions. However, if you felt confident about your answers and have extra time, you should attempt a few more. During the last minute on each section before time is called, simply bubble in A, B, C, D, E F, G, H, J or K for all of the answers you could not get to. (Note: there is no E or K on English, Reading, or Science.) You should choose two corresponding letters, for example, A and F, to bubble in. As I said, there is no penalty for guessing on the ACT.By bubbling the same letter for all of the ones you couldn’t get to, you give yourself a 25% chance in English, Reading and Science (1 out of 4 answer choices) or a 20% in Math (1 out of 5 answer choices) of getting each guessed question correct.If you got all of the questions you attempted correct, you would most likely score higher than a 26 by also bubbling insince you will likely randomly get a few of those â€Å"correct.† Could you theoretically skip more questions? While it would be possible to skip more, bubble in, and get a composite score of 26, I would not risk it. Occasionally, the letter you choose to bubble in may result in 0 extra points if it wasn’t the answer to a single question you guessed on, and then your score would end up lower than 26.Don’t risk it. Stick to the outlined plan. What’s Next? Need help preparing for the ACT? Check out guides to the ACT Reading, Math, English, and Science sections.Taking the ACT very soon? Read our guide to cramming for the test. Not sure where you want to go to college? Check out our guide to finding your target school.Also, figure out yourtarget ACT score. Thinking about getting a job while in high school? Check out our guide to the 8 best jobs for teensand learn how to find yours! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. 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Thursday, November 21, 2019

Revlictive report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Revlictive report - Assignment Example I got the skills through tutoring and self-train, which have played a significant role in the developing them. My personality and behavior has pleased great number of workmates, since we socialize and interact well. Some good characteristics that my fellow staffs members have recognized and appreciated are; honesty, self-motivated, courageous, risk taking, innovative, and creative. We managed to escalate the business organization to another level through good interaction with my staff members, I have made sure that I handle myself well and avoid misbehaving at the work place (Caruth D, & Caruth, G. & Pane, 242). Even though I have excelled in most of the fields, there are areas where I have faced challenges, and need to work on. I have failed to work overtime because of the responsibilities I have to work on outside the job area. Working extra time is a big challenge to me although I respect the normal working time and take it seriously. Therefore, I will working on the weak point and trying to settle down and concentrated more on my job in the coming phase. My strong areas discussed in my first phase are exceptional job skill, great personality, and good behavior, though I have failed to sacrifice my time and work extra time. Appraisal report generally assists in evaluating staff members and by letting, they realize their own strengths and weak

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Primitivism and the development of novel artistic expression Assignment

Primitivism and the development of novel artistic expression - Assignment Example The essay "Primitivism and the development of novel artistic expression" discusses the art of Primitivism. Primitive here has reference too to an idea during the time of primitivism’s first flowering of a more pristine, less corrupted and closer to paradise kind of sensibility that was supposed to be reflected in the art of less advanced societies. There is an element too in a return to the primitive to the artist’s rebellion against the loss of a more carefree, less repressed sexuality, among other things, with the effect too that in the works of some of the artists, such as Gauguin, there was an intentional focus on female sexuality and nudity among the artists’ subjects. Other attributions to primitivism made in more contemporary definitions of the movement especially paint the movement in a positive light, more so during the 19th century, when the movement was identified with such attributions as regeneration, ancestors, and fertility. This, even as the movem ent itself came to refine its focus of interest to art from the Islands of the Pacific as well as Africa. Moreover, a more generalized emphasis on primitive societies among other social science disciplines in the 20th century generally gave the West more immediate access to those societies, sans the filtering mechanisms that the primitivism art movement first introduced. This latter more direct access by general Western society through the sciences to those primitive societies generally weakened the interest of the west on primitivism.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Luxury consumer behavior in Mainland China Essay Example for Free

Luxury consumer behavior in Mainland China Essay China recently became the world’s second largest market for luxury goods with an annual increase of more than 30% in 2010, even surpassing Japan. Further estimates predict that China will become the largest upscale product and consumer goods market in the world. How does a country with an average GDP per capita of $3,800 USD, and classified behind 105 in the world ranking possess such a strong propensity for consuming luxury goods and products? Specifically, how does one make sense of Mainland Chinese luxury buyers and their respective consumer behavior? This article answers these strategic questions for foreign companies and marketers who are interested in the luxury industry in China, and for those who want to develop a greater understanding of one of the world’s largest market and its 1. 3 billion consumers. â€Å"At the core of this paper is an explanation of Mainland China’s 21st century value system that can only have been shaped from the country’s rich history. † At the core of this paper is an explanation of Mainland China’s 21st century value system that can only have been shaped from the country’s rich history. Answering how China has become the buoyant socialist state economy it is today, is to shed light onto the country’s various economic, social, cultural and psychological histories. The history of luxury consumption in China is one of the country’s oldest. It remains deeply rooted into China’s cultural and sociological landscape and has subsequently influenced other Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The contemporary Chinese antique market and auction houses offer a telling explanation of how luxury is consumed in China. During the economic downtown, collections of Chinese antiquities were sold at Christie’s auction house for far more than their estimated value. In 2009, a 12th-century B. C. bronze vessel from the Western Zhou Dynasty sold for over 14 times its estimated value. These antique collectors are, in large part, Chinese or Asian. Collecting an expensive, storied antique is viewed in a similar vein to purchasing a luxury good. To own an artifact at home was tantamount in grandeur to that displayed by museums around the world that also housed ancient Chinese art collections. In sharp contrast, during China’s Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, tradition and Chinese cultural heritage was viewed negatively as something boring, worthless, and divisive. History and heritage were destroyed in favor of new equalizing ideology. The Cultural Revolution created a cultural void, and those affected would go on to be known as the ‘lost generation’. Currently in their 50s, some members of the ‘lost generation’ have attained new wealth. They partake in the purchasing of luxury goods, and often lack subtlety. They are ostentatious and inherently possess a skewed view of what is traditional or socially accepted, subsequently explaining for very extravagant behavior. A few examples include the rebuilding of the Chateau de Maison Laffitte of Paris in a suburb of Beijing, or one wealthy man’s endeavors to build an exact replica of the U. S. President’s White House in a rural area of Anhui province. The underlying theme is the Mainland Chinese desire to mimic emblems of power from Western culture. â€Å"Today, the Mainland Chinese consumer’s 21st century value system is comprised of three salient parts: the traditional Chinese value system persists, the socialist Chinese value system (dominant), and the Western value system which is often regarded like a trend. † As the West represents advanced technology, super powers and modern values, the majority of Mainland Chinese seek to pursue these values the best they can. Therefore the pursuit of Western values can be said to have a strong influence on the Chinese consumer value system. Today, the Mainland Chinese consumer’s 21st century value system is comprised of three salient parts: the traditional Chinese value system persists, the socialist Chinese value system (dominant), and the Western value system which is often regarded like a trend. The updated Chinese socialist value system of Deng’s reform and opening policy brings modernity, wealth, achievement and success, while the Western values bring personal liberty, post-modernism, also modernity, achievement and success. Together, the Chinese consumer’s 21st century value system is a veritable melting pot; strong values of modernity, wealth and success are dominant. Thus, the pursuit of modernity, wealth and success remains the key in explaining luxury consumer behavior in Mainland China. From this explanation of the dominant set of values within Chinese society, it is hardly surprising to discover that Mainland China’s car sales in 2009 averaged 13 million, even exceeding car sales in the U. S.. Additionally, sales for German car manufacturer Mercedes Benz went up 77%. Deng’s Open reform policy in 1978 allowed for individuals to pursue wealth through various means. Economic development transformed the social structure from a model that was horizontally equal to that of vertical extension and growth. Now, after three decades of inexistence from 1950 to 1980, social classes have reemerged. During the following three decades from 1980s to 2010, social wealth increased by an average 10% of growth each year. The Mainland Chinese consumer saw better financial opportunity and became increasingly wealthy. Financial and career success and achievements naturally became a way for people to distinguish themselves from others. It became de rigueur to openly display a person’s individual success, and luxury goods and designer brands effectively communicated status and wealth. However, at the core of this newfound wealth and status was the honest pursuit of better living conditions. Better living conditions meant for higher quality products and upscale brands. Therefore, international luxury brands perfectly fulfilled the needs of Mainland Chinese consumers from all angles – cultural, social, and economic – attributing for a more modern, powerful, and self-confident approach to life. â€Å"At the core of this newfound wealth and status was the honest pursuit of better living conditions. Better living conditions meant for higher quality products and upscale brands. † In Mainland China, one may see a person carrying an authentic Louis Vuitton bag while riding a crowded, public bus somewhere in the rural countryside. Luxury goods are consumed on a mass level, and are not confined to a select few. The central cause for an increased consumption of luxury products results from the country’s socialist value system. During the transitional period from a pure planned system to a market-driven economy, consumers inherently retained the idea of equality. Government authorities also try to maintain and communicate that equality in Mainland China is crucial to national identity. Based on steady economic development and a newfound consumer confidence towards the future’s potential, Mainland Chinese consumers believe that they are, in essence, the same as each other. Even if they cannot afford a luxury brand item today, they will save up several months of savings to eventually have it. It is important to note that all Chinese luxury consumers do not aim to show off. There is a homogenous identity and behavioral patterns that come with new wealth. However, only focusing on this collective homogenous identity, and not pay attention on the differences would cause a marketing plan to fail. The Mainland Chinese market is large and sophisticated enough to use multi-criteria methods to understanding its various crossed aspects, such as psychographic, geographic and demographic aspects. Psychographically, consumers are different from socio-psychological and cultural attitudes towards luxury point of views. These psychographic variables segment in the market into four groups known as luxury lovers, luxury followers, luxury intellectuals and luxury laggards with three dimensions according to the different psychographic aspects: collectivism-individualism, analytical-impulsive thinking, conspicuousness-functionality for luxury goods. Geographically, the regional differences in China (in terms of climates, cultural customs and languages) are varied; they are the equivalent to the collective differences found throughout Europe. China can also be divided into four large regions: North, South, East and West. Cities within a given region can be further classified into tiered cities according to city’s level of economic development. Demographically, the factors classify naturally consumers into traditional groups. For the purposes of this paper, the research sample used is meaningful for study as the income levels are controlled at ten times the national average income. This ensures luxury consumption because of the sample’s disposable income level and the easy affordability of luxury goods. Age is also controlled in the range of 25 to 45 years of age in order to be sure that the sample belongs to members of Mainland China’s new generation, avoiding the inclusion of members from the ‘lost generation’ entirely. All sample participants were educated at the university level and possessed an undergraduate degree. The psychographic segmentation of Chinese luxury consumers as luxury lovers, luxury followers, luxury intellectuals and luxury laggards cross with geographic factors to show the regional distribution difference of the four groups in various parts of the Mainland Chinese market. The results can be found in Table I and Table II. Table I: Psychographic Segmentation of Chinese Luxury Consumers Table II: Chinese Luxury Consumer Segmentation Geographical Distribution in China The segmentation proves the heterogeneity of Chinese luxury consumers although conspicuousness is dominant for luxury lovers and followers, representing 31. 2% of the total market in first tier cities. Still, conspicuousness is very visible and serves as motivation especially among ‘first movers’ for purchasing new products. First movers are often portrayed by the media as opinion leaders, and are they are tactfully used to influence the market. However, intellectuals and laggards focusing on functionality and individualism are still the main dominant groups for luxury consumers in China even in first tier cities. Why are luxury’s main consumers still quiet and conservative about their attitude towards luxury goods? â€Å"After the initial introduction of international luxury brands in China, the curiosity of Mainland Chinese consumers wore off as they began to seriously confront the psychological discomfort associated with the absence of a Chinese luxury brand. † The conservative conspicuousness is coming from the cultural and psychological contradiction: 1) the admiration of ancient China’s luxury lifestyle influences the luxury pursuit today. Currently, luxury brands are widely available from many foreign countries, such as France, Italy, and Switzerland. After the initial introduction of international luxury brands in China, the curiosity of Mainland Chinese consumers wore off as they began to seriously confront the psychological discomfort associated with the absence of a Chinese luxury brand. Why was there no Chinese brand capable of carrying out the essence of luxury found in ancient Chinese culture? 2) Chinese tradition encourages people to be benign and to not have an extravagant life. Exercising frugality and discreetness are seen as the proper way for a person to behave in society. This virtue of frugality and discreetness is also the socially accepted norm by the Chinese socialist value system. Therefore, frugality and discreetness received two confirmations from two value systems (tradition and socialist) in comparison to modernity, wealth and achievement values, which were confirmed twice by socialist and western value systems. As a result, the internal psychological values within the 21st century value system of Mainland China are conflicted. This conflict is reflected in the attitudes and behaviors of its consumers, especially in regard to the luxury market, and accounts for the following: an ambivalent attitude towards luxury consumption and psychological dissonance after purchasing. An exception is gift giving or special product categories. â€Å"The conflict of having a centralized power structure versus liberty and an openness of the market creates individual wealth while limiting the expression of wealth and status. † Conservative conspicuousness can also be understood by the unique socialist system within Mainland China’s market-drive economy. The conflict of having a centralized power structure versus liberty and an openness of the market creates individual wealth while limiting the expression of wealth and status. Those consumers who are typically found in politics or a government related environment are said to be luxury intellectuals. In this setting, wealth should not be overtly expressed or shown off to others. Products that are discreetly designed, such as ties, scarves, business suits, or handbags without logos are most popular. Alternatively, if an individual outside of politics consumes luxury products, it is most likely that he or she is a luxury lover or follower. (Please see Table III) Table III: The Conservative Conspicuousness of Chinese Luxury Consumers The potential for luxury industries to thrive in the Mainland Chinese market is high. With steady economic development, more information on luxury goods readily available online and offline, the increasing relevance of e-commerce, and a greater awareness for a higher quality of life, consumerism will propel to the center of this dynamic market. As consumers get more savvy and sophisticated, the Mainland Chinese market will, in due time, be much more difficult and complicated to operate. About the author Pierre Xiao LU is Assistant Professor of Marketing at School of Management of Fudan University in Shanghai. He specializes in luxury consumer behavior study, luxury brand management and selective retailing. His theories about Chinese consumer formed the fundamental understanding for international brands towards this market and largely adopted by successful upscale brands. Before he joins Fudan University, he received his PhD in marketing from ESSEC Paris where he is visiting professor of LVMH Chair and of its Asian campus in Singapore. Lu is author of â€Å"Elite China, Luxury Consumer Behavior in China† and co-author of â€Å"Luxury China, Market Opportunities and Potentials†. He can be reached at [emailprotected] edu. cn. References †¢ Michel Chevalier and Pierre Xiao Lu, Luxury China, Market Opportunities and Potentials, Wiley and sons, 2010 †¢ Jacques Gernet, Le Monde Chinois, Paris: Armand Colin, 1999 †¢ Alexandra Peers, What’s Still Recession-Proof, The Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2009 †¢ Pierre Xiao Lu, Elite China, Luxury Consumer Behavior in China, Wiley and Sons, 2008 †¢ China car sales top U. S. by Gilles Guillaume, Reuters, January 11, 2010 †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE60A1BQ20100111 †¢ Mercedes-Benz says 2009 China sales up 77 percent, Reuters, January 11, 2010 †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE60B0EY20100112 †¢ Pierre Bordieux, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste, London: Routledge, 1984 †¢ Pierre Xiao Lu, Elite China, Luxury Consumer Behavior in China, Wiley and Sons, 2008 †¢ Michel Chevalier and Pierre Xiao Lu, Luxury China, Market Opportunities and Potentials, Wiley and sons, 2010 †¢ Pierre Xiao Lu and Benard Pras, Profiling Mass Affluent Luxury Goods Consumers in China: a Psychographic Approach, Thunderbird International Business Review, forthcoming.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Aldous Huxley :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1931, nobody imagined that his fairytale story would someday be a reality. It is almost scary to see how accurate Huxley’s far-fetched fantasies came to be. When Huxley wrote about the conformity, drug use and sex and technology of the society, he was almost pinpoint exact to predicting today’s societies. Unfortunately, all of these things haven’t exactly changed our society today for the better.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is amazing to see how accurately Aldous Huxley was in his predictions to human conformity today. The novel’s classes of Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons each have assigned roles. In the novel, each caste is brainwashed into believing that it is crucial and important for the well being of the society as a whole. Since everyone is brainwashed at such an early age, nobody really questions the order or rules. However, there are always those few who refuse to conform. The novel’s John, Helmholtz Watson, and Bernard Marx were all exiled from their society by the World Controller Mustapha Mond. Their actions involving the soma in the hospital were considered far too disruptive to society and they were no longer allowed to co-exist in the preset world of Ford. Our own world is very similar to the world of Ford as we ‘exile’ all who are different. One example of a group whom our society’s majority refuses to accept is the gay population. They could, of course, chose to go against their ways and date the opposite sex just so that they would be accepted, but because they do not, most people refuse to accept that and therefore exile them. The conformity struggle starts as young as elementary school. Popularity is based upon those who conform the best and follow everyone else and unfortunately, those who are different and stand out are usually harassed for their differences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drugs are one of the most copious problems that exist today, as we are beginning to see more and more of them in today’s society. Drugs have even become commonly used by today’s youth starting as low as elementary school. The need to feel that ‘high’ has become more and more common. Unfortunately, the drugs used in today’s society aren’t as safe as those used in Huxley’s world. â€Å"Soma† is the drug of choice in Huxley’s world which gave similar ‘highs’ as does ecstasy, but did not have the harmful side effects.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Constitutional Reform of 1997 in United Kingdom

The UK constitution has a modaretely successful history, it is highly tradition and has stood the test of time and, based on the fact that Britain has never suffered a violent revolution unlike France, we can therefore assume that the UK constitution has many beneficial and enduring strengths. Our constitution ensures that Parliament, and therefore Government, can act quickly and decisively as they are unrestricted by excessive constitutional constraints. It is flexible and adaptable which clearly shows thorugh after the 2010 general elections. However, the lack of restraints on the powers of Government and Parliament may be dangerous especially to minority and invidual rights. There have also been many doubts about this traditional constitution and many questions have been raised to do with the Monarchy and outdated institutions such as the FPTP system. The lack of separation of powers between Government and Parliament means that Government tends to dominate which in many eyes is seen as undemocratic. The first constitutional reform was to do with devolution; Scotland Act of 1998, Wales Act of 199 and the Belfast Agreement of 1998. The original nature of this reform was so that considerable powers were transferred to the devolved representative bodies and executives. Labour wanted to bring about this change due to the fact that they were hugely popular in Wales and Scotland and so the Acts were a means of thanking them for their support. This reform has been believed to be long overdue and has been very beneficial and have given each body the right to have more control over their region however it has caused a bigger rift of the UK and therefore has separated Britain even more. The second reform was the Human Rights Act of 1998. This reform has been extremely beneficial for minority and invididual rights, which has been reflected most recently in the Abu Qatada case where a man who had made terrorist plans has been saved from deportation to Jordan, where he would have most likely been prosecuted for his actions. The European Convention on Human Rights made this Act binding on all public bodies but the UK Parliament due to Parliament being sovereign. Although this act has been beneficial, it would have had more impact should it have been binding on Parliament. Another reform was the House of Lords ; the House Of Lords Act of 1999. Most of the hereditary peers lost their voting rights and there was a major cut down in the number of hereditary peers as it was lowered down to just 92. There was also a decision to separate the Judges from the Lords ( Constitutional Reform Act of 2005) and move them into a seperate building across the road. It is believed to be a moderate decision which has limited the powers of the Lords as many believed there should not be any hereditary peers. In fact a proposal has been put forward for a whole new house to be created. There were 3 other major changes introduced : Greater London Authority Act 1999, Local Government Act 1999 and Freedom Of Information Act 2000. The first established an elected mayor in London with an elected assembly to which s/he is accountable for, the second allowed for local communities to elect a mayor if approved by a local referendum and the third gave the citizens the right to view documents and records of public bodies. Each of these has helped to reinforce democracy within the UK and helped to protect the rights of each citizen by ensuring they are more politically involved and have the right to appoint and elect candidates for powerful positions.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Ethical Behaviour Social Responsibility

Guests decide which local charities they would like to support and the store then selects up to eight of these to be part of the program. luncheon athletic is also committed to the Centre for Integrated Healing, an organization dedicated to holistic treatment and prevention of cancer, and Silken Lawman's community-oriented Active Kids Movement. 8 Growth and Community Commitment The company has plans to open nearly 200 new stores worldwide. In preparation, luncheon athletic has hired an experienced CEO, Robert Myers, who was at the helm of Rebook for 1 5 years.In 2005, the company implemented a five-year vision called the Community Legacies program which is based on the belief that â€Å"every person we hire, garment we create, store we pen, customer we educate, and yoga class we attend contributes to building a legacy in our communities. † 9 This goal and action plan, along with the deep-rooted commitment to ethical business practices and maintaining a health and fun-filled en vironment in communities it operates in, will guide lulu lemon athletic towards success as a global retailer.Questions 1. Discuss leadership beliefs that guide the socially responsible practices at lulu lemon athletic. (10) 2. Evaluate luncheon athletics social performance with respect to its economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities. 8) 3. What social responsibility strategy is luncheon athletic pursuing? Explain The Case Study due date: The Case Study should be typewritten and doubled- spaced using a 12 font setting. Suggested Answers lulu lemon athletic.People-?the belief that people do their best in healthy work environments with a balance of work and family life. The company mission is that they will provide components for people to live a longer, healthier and more fun life. Educators participate in in-store yoga sessions. The core values specifically address the fact that there is no separation teen health, family, and work. The product is purchased by peop le who have integrated health and wellness into their daily lives.Communities-?a belief that organizations perform best when located in healthy communities. The focus of the company is to develop healthier communities in each of the areas of the world that it does business. Natural environment-?a belief that organizations gain by treating the natural environment with respect. The company recently introduced a natural, organic-fiber clothing line. Long term-?a belief that organizations must be managed and led for long- ERM success. The company is being managed by an experienced CEO, Robert Myers.It has created the five-year vision. Reputation-?the belief that one's reputation must be protected to ensure consumer and stakeholder support. This is a multi-million dollar company with plans to become a global retailer. It invests money in keeping its educators, guests, and ambassadors knowledgeable about products and well- informed about athletic opportunities in the community. It has cre ated a brand and a culture that relies in the product. Management acts on by its educators and guests. Economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities.Is the organization's economic responsibility met? The company is valued at over $220 million. Strong financial results have been achieved in less than 10 years. The company has plans to open 200 new stores. The company provides products and services that are desired by its guests. Is the organization's legal responsibility met? The company's Community Legacies program publicly addresses the belief that â€Å"every person we hire, garment we create, store we open, customer we educate and yoga class we attend contributes to building a legacy in our immunities†.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Juvinile Detention Program Essays

The Juvinile Detention Program Essays The Juvinile Detention Program Paper The Juvinile Detention Program Paper Detention of Juveniles in general is the temporary care of children in physically restricting facilities (Ward 7-5). The primary basis of detention is usually the seriousness of the offense (Ward 7-5). Whether the juvenile is held for a period of time in detention depends on the outcome of a detention hearing, where the appropriateness of the detention is determined (Champion 500). Juveniles are guaranteed a detention hearing within 24-48 hours, this hearing is before a judge (Ward 7-5). The judge then decides whether to release the juvenile or to continue the detainment. The judge often looks to the probation department to help make the decision of continuing detainment, because the probation department has more background on the juvenile to help with the decision (Ward 7-5). If a the judge decides to detain the juvenile for a period of time after their hearing there are two types of detention centers that they can be sent to. There are non-secure facilities and sec! Non-secure custodial facilities according to Champion â€Å"are those that permit youths freedom of movement within the community. Youths are generally free to leave the premises of their facilities, although they are compelled to observe obvious rules, such as curfew, avoidance of alcoholic beverages and drugs and participation in specific programs that are tailored to their particular needs† (Champion 485). Examples of these non-secure facilities are foster homes, group homes, camps and ranches, and wilderness programs, family group homes and rural programs (Ward 7-13). The first example of non-secure detention is the Hope Center Wilderness Camp. This is an apparently successful camp located in Houston, Texas. â€Å"This camp has an organized network of four interdependent living groups of 12 teenagers each. The camp’s goals are to provide quality care and treatment in a nonpunitive environment, with specific emphasis on health, safety, education, and therapy. Emotionally disturbed youths whose offenses range from truancy to murder are selected for program participation† (Champion 493). â€Å"Participants are involved in various special events and learn to cook meals outdoors, camp, and other survival skills. Follow-ups by camp officials show that camp participants exhibit recidivism rates of only about 15 percent† (Champion 493). The next non-secure facility is The Department of J! uvenile Justice’s Non-Secure Detention (NSD) program. This program offers an alternative to secure detention for some of the young people remanded to the Department’s custody (DJJ 1). Through a network of group homes, NSD provides structured residential care for alleged juvenile delinquents who are believed to require a less restrictive setting while awaiting disposition of their cases in Family Court (DJJ 1). In accordance with statutory requirements, NSD facilities are characterized by the absence of physically restrictive hardware, construction and procedures. They offer juveniles a supportive family like environment and close supervision during their time in detention (DJJ 1). Juveniles are ordered into the custody of Department of Juvenile Justice by a Family Court judge may be assigned to NSD in one of two ways: The judge may order the juvenile specifically into NSD or, the judge may order the child into custody and allow DJJ to decide whether secure or non-secure ! detention is appropriate (DJJ 2). In the latter case, Department of Juvenile Justice staff makes the determination based on an initial assessment (DJJ 2). NSD accepts both boys and girls into the program. They range in age from 7 to 16 years; the average age being 15 years. The average length of stay in 1999 was 23 days in the NSD facility (DJJ 2). The Department of Juvenile Justice oversees a network of 13 group homes in New York City (DJJ 2). The juveniles that are in NSD attend school and participate in recreation, group counseling and tutoring (DJJ 2). Secure custodial facilities according to Champion â€Å"are the juvenile counterpart to adult prisons or penitentiaries† (Champion 486). Secure juvenile detention is the temporary placement of kids in locked facilities pending disposition of delinquency charges. They should serve two purposes, to assure that children appear in court at the proper time and protect the community by minimizing delinquent acts while their cases are being processed. An example of a secure detention facility set up by the Department of Juvenile Justice is the Horizon Juvenile Center and Bridges Juvenile Center. However, many youths that enter secure detention leave very quickly, 37 percent are released within three days, 58 percent within ten days (2DJJ 4). All youth spend their first week-and-a-half on Intake Orientation living units at Bridges Juvenile Center (2DJJ 4). Medical, educational and social service assessments are conducted during this period. Residents participate in a formal orientat! ion program where they receive information about services in secure detention and general health issues (2DJJ 4). After approximately 10 days in Intake, the youth is transferred to a residential unit at Horizon (or Crosroads) Juvenile Center. Case conferences, involving medical, educational, recreational and social service staff as well as a family member, are held periodically for each resident (2DJJ 4). Follow-up medical and dental care and a full daily schedule of school, recreation and counseling provide the youth with comprehensive services and activities that correspond to his or her needs, interests and abilities (2DJJ 4). This program is designed to teach residents that they are responsible for their own behavior, to encourage them to respect the rights and feelings of others and to adhere to institutional rules, DJJ’s behavior management system is an important part of each residents day (2DJJ 4). This incentive system promotes good behavior with rewards such as e! xtra phone calls, a radio, later bedtimes and access to the Department of Juvenile Justice’s commissary and resident lounge (2DJJ 4). The program discourages negative behavior with penalties that restrict privileges and choice of recreational and leisure time activities (2DJJ 4). All of the following figures are according to the Department of Juvenile Justice which provides secure and non-secure detention for juveniles in New York City pending adjudication of their court cases or transfer to New York State Office of Children and Family Services Institutions after disposition or sentence. In Fiscal year 1999, the Department of Juvenile Justice had 6,844 admissions to detention: out of this 5,301 were sent to secure detention while 1,543 were sent to non-secure detention (3DJJ 1). Of the youths admitted to secure detention during the 1999 school year, 90 percent read below the seventh grade level, and although their average age is fifteen; 83 percent had math skills below that level, 25 percent read below the fourth grade level, and approximately 60 percent of the students received special educational services (3DJJ 1). There are many different types of detention facilities that juveniles can be sent to. The facility that a juvenile is sentenced to must meet their specific needs and circumstances surrounding their offense.