Descartes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Descartes - Essay Example There must be a proper procedure of metaphysical verification through which the mind can get certain of what it thinks and there must be strong emphasizing proofs for his. But later on refuting has own arguments to some extent, Rene argues that since he is certain about the fact that he is thinking about something, so he can conclude on this tautology that man is something which has the ability to think. Existence of God is one of the most important and centric circle of attention for the mediator. He builds the proofs for the existence of God by building an argument based in the human mind processes. He says that the human mind of packed with the idea of existence of God and if by any means this idea is created then it must be created by God himself. Humans are weak and don’t have powers to illusion the minds so impeccably so this lead to the fact that this idea of God’s existence is injected in the human minds by the God himself which depicts the existence of God. ... He argues to get rid of all the dogmas and really believe. In this paper, one out of six meditations will be summarized and discussed. Explanation In the sixth meditation, concerning the Existence of material things, and the real Distinction between Mind and Body, Rene tries to explore the hidden phenomena in the clear distinction of one’s self with external events and object along with the strong emphasis to prove that things outside self and God exists. While discussing the credibility of mind-body dualism, meditator argues that the human behind always feel the internal needs for something that are triggered by the external factor but this cannot be felt outside the body for example he says that he can feel heat, pressure, tickling and hunger within his body but he cannot feel these physical characteristics and happening outside his body. He asks a series of question and says why is human body self centric and why we cannot feel the physical variants of other people (Descart es and Stanley, 193). The main argument which is built by the meditator is that human body and body yare not interdependent and they can exists without each other for example he says that human body has a certain characteristic of extension which is inherent in it. The human body gets extended with the passage of time but the human mind is not extendable and remains of the same size this means that this basic characteristic of extension does not co-exist in the human mind and body so human mind and exist without body and work on its own. The meditator then argues that the human mind and body are dependent upon the physical objects and substances which do not only cause the triggering of internal demands of the human mind and body, they also play a colossal role to satisfy

Residential Housing Essay Example for Free

Residential Housing Essay KB Home, one of the major housing companies in the market made a statement telling the public that they do not see housing sector to stabilize by this year. Number of housing companies has been acquiring great losses by the end of 2005 as disposable income of consumers’ declines as the consequence of lowering down of per capita income in the economy. According to the President and Chief Executive Officer of KB Home, Jeffrey Mezger, they have suffered to a staggering loss of nearly $10 per share during the first quarter of 2007 (Steverman 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Deutsche Bank’s economists, Peter Hopper, said that the housing correction works sluggishly just like a ‘slow-motion train wreck’ which made worse the housing sector of the economy. Moreover, the said loss of KB Home worse than what they have expected. Analysts expects around $7 loss per share which is very far from the $10 per share loss accounted last quarter. Therefore, with the further worsening of the stock prices in the stock market, this only means that there will be no improvement in the coming first quarter of 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To make the situation worse, there has been a rumor in the market regarding the bankruptcy of Countrywide which supplies loans and mortgages worth 2 million and 9 million respectively. Countrywide suffered from 25 percent losses as of January 8 of this year. Meaning, there would be a shortage on the supply of loan and mortgages in the financial market just in case Countrywide is really approaching to bankruptcy. Moreover, the shortage of supply of loans and mortgages in the economy will only worsen the purchasing power of the consumers, giving way for a further deterioration of demand to housing industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One possible reason behind the turmoil in the housing industry would be the oversupply of homes in the market creating a pressure for its prices to decline. By the time price level of housing units starts to decline, profitability of housing companies begins to deteriorate giving way for experiencing a low return on investment in the next quarter. Driven by speculation, investors will start to pull out their stocks in the housing sector causing stock prices to turn down. In this regard, the connection between the oversupply of housing unit in the market with the deterioration of stock prices is already established. Moreover, it is not only the oversupply of housing units in the market that caused the instability of the housing sector. The growing competition also adds up to the growth of the problem. At the end of the day, market analysts still believes that housing sector will not recover this year based from the current degree of losses that housing companies and financial institutions had experienced on the last quarter of 2007. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is true that the turmoil in the housing sector started during the last quarter of 2005 when consumers have high disposable income. During then, consumers spent more in the housing market attracting the housing companies to produce more house units next quarter. By the start of the first quarter of 2006, per capita income of consumers starts to decline giving them a limited disposable income for housing sector. At this point, the housing industry experienced oversupply of housing units since companies did not anticipate the deterioration of consumer’s disposable income. The said oversupply caused the price level of the housing companies to decline causing the return on investment to depreciate which later on forced stock holder to withdraw their stocks in the market. The increasing competition in the housing sector also add up to the lowering down of housing unit prices since companies in this industry starts to compete each other through price competition. Meaning, housing companies tries to lower down the prices of their home units in order to attract more customers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The negative effects of eh oversupply of housing units will not be that severe if there is only adequate number of financial institutions that will provide loans and mortgages to uplift the purchasing power of the consumers, therefore, improving the demand on the housing industry. But the problem now would be, even financial lenders is also having a hard time providing loans and mortgages due to the low income level of consumers in the market which imposes the threat of bankruptcy   to the financial lenders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It would be best if the government would start making action by offering low interest rate on credit. The federal bank must structuralize a special credit scheme for housing sector customers, e.g. low interest rate on borrowing or longer payment period, in order to solve the problem of over supply on the said industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way by which the government could solve this instability of housing sector would be to provide financial aids to Countrywide which, as what have already pointed out during the first part of the paper, plays a major role in uplifting the purchasing power of consumers though provision of loans and mortgages that can be used in purchasing housing units. The said government aid may be in the form of monetary of fiscal Moreover, the government could also increase the wage rate of the workers in the economy in order to improve the current level of disposable incomes of consumers in the market. By the time the disposable income of consumers increase, they will now have enough money to purchase housing units which will solve the problem regarding the oversupply of home units. Works Cited Steverman, Ben â€Å"Housing: A Fresh Jolt of Bad News.† 8 January 2008. Business Week. 11 February 2008 http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/jan2008/pi2008018_503594.htm?chan=search.

The Effects of Education Mandates in Schools :: Teaching Education Essays

The Effects of Education Mandates in Schools There has been a recent "surge" of education mandates being passed. These new mandates have had a major effect on the productivity of public schools and have forced some schools to change their methods in terms of how and what they teach. The "surge" of education mandates began with the implementation of Title I. in 1965. Almost every piece of education legislation since then has been to improve or update Title I. "Title I, Part A provides funds to state departments of education and in turn to local school districts to provide quality learning opportunities for students in low-income schools to meet challenging academic standards."(No Subject 8). It also funds programs to strengthen all core subjects including the arts (8). In order for educational agencies to receive these grants, they must "meet the requirements of four separate funding formulas: Basic Grants, Concentration Grants, Targeted Grants, and Education Finance Incentive Grants."(8). The most recent mandate dealing with Title I is the No Child Left Behind Act enacted in 2001. This act deals with student achievement standards by holding schools accountable for the achievement of their students. The NCLBA uses standardized tests to chart the success of students. If students are not meeting standards, the school is required to offer tutoring, which is funded by the state with Title I grant money. From the national government’s view, the No Child Left Behind Act helps schools use available resources more efficiently, thus giving the students a better education. â€Å"President Bush knows students can succeed if they are using the best materials, proven lesson plans and textbooks aligned with state standards.† (Investing 1). The common view is that â€Å"solid research equals solid results.† (1). They also believe that there are some key characteristics to reliable research. The characteristics are as follows: * Scientific Method- A hypothesis is formulated then tested. * Replicated- Several studies are done and have similar results. * Generalized- The study findings can be applied to a broad range of students. * Meets Rigorous Standards- â€Å"The studies design, measures, and interpretation of results meet rigorous standards of peer review.† (1) . * Convergent Findings- Results found by using different approaches are the same.

A Brief Evaluation of A Law Enforcement Stress Website

Research method has come a long way as technology zooms forward to the cyber-space era.   From the pulp pages of the hard-bound books in the library, comes the digitally encrypted data compressed into what we call cyberspace.With just the click of the mouse button, one can access information readily available through the internet.   Search engines like yahoo and Google made researching faster since it presents  hundreds of related topics of the subject being researched online.There is no need to go to the library just to borrow three books at a time.   The listings searched in the search engine tool are websites developed by programmers and the content can be reliable or not.   The important point of researching online is convenience and wide array of resources will always be made available.A Brief Evaluation of A Law Enforcement Stress WebsiteThere are a lot of websites that can aid researchers about law enforcement stress, but only a few can actually give full details on the subject based from the US government.   Upon searching the topic about law enforcement stress using the Google search engine, one can come across a title from the National Institute of Justice that when you click on it, it opens an Adobe Acrobat file  and shows the full text of a published book written by Peter Finn and Julie Esselman Tomz.It contains fourteen chapters tackling the subject starting from its definition and how was the program formulated, until aiding the researchers  to other resources related to this subject.This book is not only about law enforcement stress for officers, but it is about the program development of stress programs for officers and their families too.   This is a very handy compilation of the program by the US government that is easily accessed through the internet and compiled into a readable .PDF file so the book can be  downloaded  and printed for reference.   It provides illustrations and forms needed for this program in its appe ndices.This is government material that's why  everybody  can access it without the need to go to the local library and saves researchers time and money.   For those who are researching about this topic, this is a one-stop shop where all related information is available, because endnotes are provided aside from the appendices.For those looking for newer updates, they cannot rely on this however, because this provides the 1996 sources and research data.   One has to go to other websites to look for the latest research and evaluation done about this program though.The leads and contact information included in this book can still provide details that can guide the researchers for the latest updates about this program.   This website is a highly recommended legal source of information about the law enforcement stress program.ReferencesFinn, P., Tomz, J. E.   December 1996.   Developing a Law Enforcement Stress ProgramFor Officers and Their Families.   Department of Justi ce.   August 21, 2008. [http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/163175.pdf].  

Changing the Culture at British Airways

Changing the Culture at British Airways 1. Problems you identified from the case Macro: The first problem changing the culture at British Airways was the merger of the BOAC and BEA. In 1971, the Civil Aviation Act became law and the board was to control policy over British Airways but both BOAC and BEA remained autonomous, each with its own chairman, board, and chief executive. This caused a split within British Airways throughout the 1970s and in the mid-1980. The second problem BA faced was the threat of privatization. In 1984 the government passed legislation that made BA a public limited company.The third was productivity was bad compared to other leading foreign airlines. The fourth was poor service. Poor customer service to the employees and customers led to reduced passenger numbers and high fuel costs. This created a reduction in profit (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, pp. 25-29). Micro: The first problem BA had that is not obvious was the change in the organization and culture. There need to be a more institutionalize change. New culture fosters a strong commitment to service. Also, the lack of unity and loyalty caused the airline to not be focused. There was a lack of recognition.This caused a lack of unifying corporate culture. Also, training needs for managers were needed. Organizations need to change to adapt to the changes inside and outside the organizations (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, pp. 28-35) 2. Causes BA will have these problems because they merge two companies with very different style of management, government regulations. They lost millions because of the mindset the management had which questioned why the need for change if we’re making a profit. The lost was great also because people were operating effectively and not efficiently.They believe that if you’re providing service at no cost to taxpayers then you’re doing well and the cost of paying a high price for advance technologies. There was not enough management time devoted to m anaging the changing environment because it was all focused inwardly on resolving industrial relations problems, on resolving organizational conflicts. Both companies had done its share of pioneering. BA needs to be reorganized to have shared desires. This resulted in a financial crises and downsizing of employees (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 35). 3.Organizational Systems Affected Structural: The Leadership indicated that BEA was concerned with building an airline infrastructure than it did in profit. This was reflection a de-centralized leadership style and BOAC was concerned with the jet airliner which was focusing on the task. The merger caused BA to be very controlled with a lot of rules and regulations. Privatization by the British government made BA a public limited company. (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, pp. 26, 34). Psychosocial: Employees expressed their pleasure on being treated with respect.When the merger took place, both BEA and BOAC will have to be loyal to each other and unite. A greater challenge is to change the mindset of employees at all levels. The mindset is a shared way of thinking and behavior within in an organization. They are reflected in accepted behaviors and attitudes. The mindset becomes very powerful in gaining unity and focus within the organization. It provides a common focus and increases the intensity of the work being done (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 39). Technical: BA will have to cut cost and drive customer service.The technological innovation plays and important role. If everyone works together there would be a more cohesive environment and the ability to manage change. When other airlines were not considered and competition was not a factor, BA was successful economically but there were no satisfaction with customer service (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 26). BA need to encourage workshops was great within the organization, having done this customer assessment of the competitors allowed the employees from thinking more about the internal company policies and practices and more time interacting with the customers.Customer may become involved in product design. The more interaction between the customer and employees, the more a customer views is reflected on the organization (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, pp. 40-41). Managerial: BA Managers would have to be very proactive and have a need for change. They made Lord King the Chairman in 1981 and he recognized that a major cooperate change was needed. The leaders at BA must manage through principles. A change was needed in the culture. The leader must articulate and communicate the principles to be successful (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 9). Goals and Values: The BA would have to have contribute to its customers, investors encourage a shared vision and values, enable employees to act by encouraging greater cutomer and cost consciousness, adaptability initiative, accountability, and teamwork. To accomplish these goals, managers will have to model the way (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 50 ). 4. Alternative Solutions One alternative solution to changing the culture at BA is to not resist the change and take an untraditional approach.The greatest effort would be overcoming the mindset of employees at all levels of an organization. Another alternative is managers don’t have to micro-manage. It creates a negative environment. BA focus was primarily on cutting cost and driving customer service. This is a difficult challenge. BA would have been more successful if they would have put the people before the task (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 39). 5. Recommendations and Implementation Plans BA needs to change to adapt to the changing internal and external environment through a restructuring of their organization.They should start out there merger with a vision statement and uniting as one complete team. They need to move with the times, out with the old and in with the new. With the globalizations and technology, organizations have moved from mechanical to a gradual approac h. The mindset of the employees at all levels of the organization need to be changed. BA also needs to analyze their organization through the eyes of the customer perspective. The more interaction between customers and employees the more a customer perspective is instilled within the organization.There need to be work-groups such as self-manage work teams. BA needs to be reflexive and learn from their past (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 42). Training needs to be implemented. There must me a willingness to change for all employees and managers. BA will have the ability to become re-energized and meet the needs of the customers through innovation and being resourceful (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 50). References Jick, T. D. , & Peiperl, M. A. (2011). Managing Change: Cases and Concepts, Third Edition . New york: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc..

Transition Words

Transition Words Transition Words Transition Words By Maeve Maddox A frequent fault of inexperienced writers is a tendency to present thoughts and ideas without showing connections between them, or without making their significance clear to the reader. Transition words and phrases keep the reader on track by showing relationships between ideas and information. Consider the following paragraph: People who adopt a dog need to teach it basic commands.  Basic obedience keeps the animal safe and prevents it from becoming a danger. Many pet owners fail to teach their dogs to obey. They should always consider the need to train their puppies to obey. The writer of this paragraph sees value in training a dog in basic obedience, but a reader might wonder what connection there is between basic obedience and the dog’s safety or dangerous behavior. Transitions are needed to show these connections. The paragraph revised: People who adopt a dog need to teach it basic commands in order to keep it safe and prevent it from harming others. For example, a dog that won’t come when called might run into the street and be hit by a car. A dog not trained to keep from jumping on people could cause injury by knocking someone down. Unfortunately, many pet owners fail to teach their dogs to obey, and, as a result, the animal becomes a nuisance or danger to family and strangers alike. To avoid undesirable behavior in their pets, dog owners should always consider the need to train puppies in basic obedience. Here is a list of transition words grouped according to the types of transition they can be used for: To add information: and, not onlybut also, also, moreover, furthermore, in addition, again, besides, equally important, what’s more, too To give examples: for example, for instance, specifically, in particular To show contrast: but, however, on the other hand, otherwise, instead, in contrast To show concession: yet, nevertheless, however, although, even though, despite the fact that, despite To show similarity: likewise, similarly, in the same way To show result: so, as a result, therefore, thus, as a consequence, consequently To indicate time or sequence: first, second, finally, meanwhile, immediately, thereafter, soon, finally, previously, formerly, next, following this, after, soon, therefore To offer conditional thoughts: or, whetheror, ifthen To explain or emphasize: in fact, actually, in other words, namely, obviously, in any case, naturally, certainly, unquestionably To offer alternatives: or, eitheror, neithernor To compare: on the other hand, on the contrary, by comparison, compared to, balanced against, visvis, although, in contrast To prove: because, for, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, in fact, in any case To conclude: in conclusion, in brief, on the whole, to conclude, as I have shown Some transition words, like also, and, or, like, as for, and further are unobtrusive, directing the reader without distracting. Others, like albeit, jump out at the reader and must be used sparingly. Still other transitions cast doubt on the credibility of the writer. Here are some transitions often seen in freshman compositions. They are perhaps best avoided: in all honesty, to tell the truth, to put it briefly, be that as it may, last but not least, to get back to the point, to make a long story short. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?30 Baseball Idioms5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

Analysis of Raymond Carvers What we talk about when we talk about love

Analysis of Raymond Carvers What we talk about when we talk about love Introduction What we talk about when we talk about love by Carver explores the subject of love. Love is a word that one hears in everyday life. People talk about loving their parents, cars, pets, movies, books, ice scream, children, spouses and so forth. However, the love is different in each instance and the concept of love puzzles many people. In the contemporary pop culture, the word love has been over used and it is not easy to tell what the word actually means. Love means different things to different people.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of Raymond Carvers What we talk about when we talk about love specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Types of love Physical love Nick and Laura is a couple who got married recently. They met in the course of their professional duties and have been married for eighteen months. The kind of love they exhibit is physical. It is the kind newly married couples express to each ot her and it seems that this is a remarkable period in their love life. They behave very affectionately towards each other â€Å"I touched the back of Lauras hand. She gave me a quick smile. I picked up Lauras hand. It was warm, the nails polished, perfectly manicured. I encircled the broad wrist with my fingers, and I held her (Carver 390). In return, Laura bumps her husband’s knee with hers to urge him to speak. On the contrary, they seem to have a hollow relationship, which Mel describes as virtual perfection. For instance, Nick says that they enjoy each other’s company and Laura is an easy woman to be with. Obviously, the couple are friends and lovers and this would be an ideal situation for any couple. However, there is a bad ring to it because every thing that comes easy goes easy. The physical attraction is bound to end at some point in their relation then what? Spiritual love Conversely, the old couple Mel describes has a kind of spiritual love. The old man is v ery disappointed because he is unable to see his wife due to the bandages on his face. The couple contrasts the couples in the kitchen who do not seem to have such kind of love that goes way beyond the physical. The kind of love the old couple has seems like it will last until death unlike for the couples sipping their gin who view it as something that can be disposed when no longer convenient. Transitory love There is the myth of eternal love. In many romance movies and novels couples fall in love and live happily forever. However, the reality of the contemporary love is far from the concept of eternal love. People keep moving from one marriage to another. Each time they marry someone they claim they are in love. The Couples in the story are in their second marriages after the failure of their first ones. Each person claims to have loved his or her former spouse. For example, Mel says he once loved his first wife Marjorie maybe even more than his own life but now hates her and wish es if she would die. He also says that if one of them was to die he was sure the other would remarry after mourning for a while. One then wonders what love is if today, you love somebody and tomorrow you loath them.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Brutal love Terri was married to Ed, a barterer. He abused her physically and threatened to kill her for staying with Mel. Yet she claims that he loved her. According to her, the abuse Ed unleashed on her was a sign of love but her current husband disagrees and says that kind of love does not exist because love does not try to kill. Ed seems to be dependent on Terri and feels very vulnerable when she is away hence his attempted suicide. The kind of love they had was unhealthy. When a person becomes too dependent on another and very possessive, the results can be disastrous and today, many homicides have been committed in the name of love. So what can we call the love that kills? Conclusion The two couples attempt to talk about love ends up in circles because they do not come to a consensus on what real love is. Each person has a different definition of love and this applies today. For instance, some people endure domestic violence because they believe the bartering occurs due to love. In addition, many couples are in search of real love but it remains elusive as that of the couples who take gin that gives them a false sense of love. At the end, they are left hungering for something deeper than they have as they realize that the gin only gives them an illusion of love. Work Cited Carver, Raymond. What we talk about when we talk about love. New York: Harvill Press, 1996.

How to Perform the Dancing Gummi Bear Demonstration

How to Perform the Dancing Gummi Bear Demonstration Place a Gummi Bear candy into a test tube containing potassium chlorate and watch it dance amidst purple flames. This stunning demonstration is an example of a strongly product-favored reaction, plus its a lot of fun. Its easy and takes no time at all. What You Need Gummi bear candyPotassium chlorateLarge test tubeRing standBunsen burner or other heat sourceTongs Here's How Set up a large test tube over a heat source, such as a bunsen burner. Add a small amount of potassium chlorate to the test tube and heat it until it melts. The exact amount isnt important... aim for a small scoop.Using long-handled tongs, drop a Gummi Bear candy into the test tube.Its just that simple! The reaction between the sucrose in the Gummi Bears, potassium chlorate, and oxygen produces carbon dioxide, water, and potassium chloride. Tips Use proper safety precautions, including safety goggles and a lab coat. Be advised, the reaction is vigorous enough that the test tube may shatter. Adult supervision is required.The Instant Fire demonstration is very similar to the Dancing Gummi Bear demo.Another way to do this demonstration is to set the Gummi Bear on top of cold potassium chlorate. When you are ready to start the reaction, it can be initiated by adding a couple of drops of sulfuric acid to the contents of the test tube.

Problems at Perrier Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problems at Perrier - Case Study Example Identify three drivers of change in organizations today and its impact on the organization’s need for an effective change management process. Drivers of change in organizations today can be internal or external. As a rule a company holds more sway over internal drivers than it does external, although employee turnover such as retirement, termination or death often disrupts organizations, especially at the senior levels. Three driving forces of change in organizations today include technological capacity, the economy and competition. Technological capacity is an example of an internal driver, which includes the forced outmoding of equipment such as an operating system upgrade or a technological invention that renders current equipment obsolete. The economy and competition are two examples of external drivers of change. Companies have very little control over the economy and their competitors. In both examples, a downturn or an aggressive move by a competitor can generate consid erable loss of revenue which can necessitate restructuring. 2. Discuss the typical reactions of employees to change and the related effects on the change management process. ... 3. Identify three key elements of the resistance to change described at Perrier. In the Perrier example, the employees resisted change on three key fronts: threat to loss of livelihood and revenue, â€Å"attachment to the current organizational structure and perceived breach of the psychological contract† (Palmer, Dunford & Akin 2009). The Perrier employees, most of whom belonged to the CGT union, viewed the Nestle takeover negatively and felt that the multinational company had no understanding or sensitivity to the importance of Perrier to the region it supported (Palmer, Dunford & Akin 2009). Despite the fact that productivity remained low and competition for Perrier’s niche became fierce after Danone launched Badoit Rouge, workers and management maintained a confrontational relationship that undermined change attempts (Palmer, Dunford & Akin 2009). â€Å"Perrier’s management put bottles of Badoit Rouge in the cafeteria. This had been done to emphasize the poi nt to Perrier employees that they were involved in a head-to-head battle for that niche in the market† (Palmer, Dunford & Akin 2009). The Perrier employees â€Å"took the bottles and dumped them in front of the factory director’s door, so he couldn’t get into his office† (Palmer, Dunford & Akin 2009). 4. Construct a change management strategy for dealing with this situation. In doing so, identify three approaches to managing resistance you recommend and provide clear justification for your choice. A change management strategy involves a resistance profile that centers on the â€Å"likely resistors† (Palmer, Dunford & Akin 2009). In the Perrier case, the CGT union

PPE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PPE - Essay Example It was observed that manual management of chart analysis slows down the physician and health information team’s productivity, negatively affecting the billing process, which in turn affects the revenue cycle of the institution. Chart deficiencies may be in form of incomplete chart components, missing signatures, and in some cases, entire charts may be missing. Physicians can deal with chart deficiencies from any location of the Health Information System (Garber, Gross, & Slonim, 2010). The clinic achieved this using Chart Deficiency Tracker, which made it easy for the physicians to identify any chart deficiencies and monitor these (Garber, Gross, & Slonim, 2010). This tracker also enabled the supervisors to assign tasks related to chart deficiencies to specific physicians. Through this tracking system information was easily disseminated to physicians and the clinic’s staff. Patient charts were also completed more efficiently and in compliance with the recommended timeli nes and standards. The clinic had discovered that relying on documentation in paper form to code charts delayed the receipt of and sending of information to and from coders causing delays in the billing of patients and further limiting the staff’s productivity (Garber, Gross, & Slonim, 2010). Garber, Gross, & Slonim (2010) explained that when it comes to the disposal of health information, it is important that clinics and health providers apply caution to safeguard the privacy of health information. The clinic applied measures to avoid disclosure of patient information in disposal of charts and medical documents. For example, charts were shredded and later burnt in the clinic’s incinerator. Data on electronic media was cleared using software that overwrites it with data that was not sensitive. The health and information management personnel are in charge of ensuring that medical charts are completed in timely manner to protect the clinic from legal suits and to improve the process and

Informative speech Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Informative speech - Assignment Example Among the Chinese festivals is the annual Chinese traditional New Year’s party. The Chinese New Year is an important festival for the Chinese people all over the world. The Spring Festival is also used to refer to Chinese New Year. There is no set date when the Chinese New year specifically happens, and the festivals fall on a diverse date each particular year. However, the festival normally falls either in January or February. The Chinese New Year festival is celebrated for a period of up to 15 days (Jango-Cohen 8). During the night New Year festivities, a family reunion dinner is usually held. All family members are required to attend the reunion dinner. On the day of the festival, children wish good luck to their parents and in return they are given red packets that contain money. In addition, any unmarried member of the family is required to receive a red packet from every married member in the family. When the ninth day of the ceremony sets in, a traditional offering is offered to the Jade Emperor believed to be in heaven. A typical Chinese New Year is marked with firecrackers (Chey 149, 150). In any Chinese New Year festivities, firecrackers are a vital ingredient. During the festivities everywhere in China and the rest of the world where the celebrations are taking place fireworks explode. Fireworks mark an important cultural belief among the Chinese people. The significant of the fireworks in the Chinese New Year celebration is to scare any bad luck away from the New Year (Gleason 4). Food serves as a central component of most of the Chinese festivals and rituals of a social interaction. Visiting friends and family during the festival are required to bring gifts of food to the host’s family home. This serve as a reaffirmation of the good relationship of the families’ involved. Fundraising can be held during the Chinese New year to support a course that benefits the community. The Chinese Buddhist Universal church was

Business Strategy College Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Strategy College - Case Study Example The OAG official airline guide data taken from the website www.oag.com shows a startling low cast data. Its study of low cost budget airline data released its report dated September 19, 2007 shows startling facts. The data indicates that that budget airline capacity has doubled in the last four years. The low cost growth of the same industry has increased by twenty percent. The study also shows that Europe, which includes the United Kingdom, is leading the world in the low cost /network balance scheme. Clearly, the OAG data shows a startling low cast data. The same OAG study covers a wide airline passenger seat sector. The study covers eleven million extra seats in over sixty six thousand more flights operated by the low cost sector. The industry shows a year on year increase of twenty four percent and twenty percent respectively. The financial data shows that the 2007 low cost flights comprise a higher sixteen percent of the total available airline seats in Europe for the prior accounting period. The prior period only generated a fourteen percent low cost comparative figure. In addition, the 2007 financial data also shows that twenty percent of the total worldwide airline covers is given to low cost flights. This is higher than the seventeen percent financial data of the prior year, 2006. Evidently, the OAG study covers a wide airline passenger seat sector. ... Three of the major forces in the European, Low -cost, budget airline sector are rivalry among competing sellers in the air travel industry, market attempts of companies in other industries to win customers and the potential entry of new air travel competitors.Rivalry among competing sellers in the air travel industry. There is s strong rivalry among the competing sellers in the low cost budget airline sectors. The air transportation industry is changing fundamentally. Low cost air passenger carriers are now slowly killing the competition. This long term trend has undermined the industry's prior structure, procedures, business models and these changes have consequences for airport access. Airlines and airports now have neither the money nor the appetite for grandiose projects. While massive airport buildings around the world planned many years ago are still being inaugurated. These inaugurated airports include Heathrow airport in London, Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Barajas airpor t in Madrid, a Singapore airport and a Toronto airport. The current trend in the airline industry is to focus on low -cost airport buildings and facilities. Boston had built a $ 400 million passenger building to Delta air's specifications. It was opened shortly before the airline went bankrupt. As Delta air buckles under the pressure of shrinking its network and services, another competitor must be entertained to take over the leased airport spaces vacated by Delta Air. Low cost airline companies easily fit this description. Undoubtedly, there is strong rivalry among the competing sellers in the low cost budget airline sectors (De Neufville 2006).Market attempts of companies in other

Red Light Camera Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Red Light Camera - Speech or Presentation Example They can give you humble time on the roads, or they make your journey appear long. People affected by road accident can be your friends, relatives, acquaintances and even you. Road safety is paramount to each society in regards to the high number of road carnage that results from violation of traffic rules (Phantom 96). To reduce the number of road accidents in our roads and to ensure that the traffic law breakers are identified and prosecuted, a device that gives evidence over the law breakers has been devised Do you know what they are? They are traffic gadgets that at one point or another you have to encounter them while you are driving- the Red Light Cameras. II. Orientation Phase: A. Point: Today, I want to give you some guidelines on the importance of the red light cameras and discuss the advantages of the red light camera in the traffic system. B. Adaptation: A good number of us drive or will drive over our roads at some point in time. Understanding the red light camera and its advantages in the traffic system is not only important for the those driving over the roads but also for the safety of all other road users and a smooth traffic and order in our roads (Cobra 143). The red light camera can be an important component of traffic enhancement that would serve to guide us in observing the traffic. This is possible only if we get the right motive of the red light cameras and understanding how they work. C. Credibility: the red light camera can be a traffic device you come to love and enjoy their functionality as you drive over the roads or they can become your worst traffic devices as they can land you into several traffic offenses if you fail to understand them. The red light cameras are completely computerized devices that avail the necessary evidence to the concerned authorities for justice to be done on the traffic law violators (Phantom 96). When a road user for instance a motorist, speeds through the intersection of the red light,

Business Strategy College Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Strategy College - Case Study Example The OAG official airline guide data taken from the website www.oag.com shows a startling low cast data. Its study of low cost budget airline data released its report dated September 19, 2007 shows startling facts. The data indicates that that budget airline capacity has doubled in the last four years. The low cost growth of the same industry has increased by twenty percent. The study also shows that Europe, which includes the United Kingdom, is leading the world in the low cost /network balance scheme. Clearly, the OAG data shows a startling low cast data. The same OAG study covers a wide airline passenger seat sector. The study covers eleven million extra seats in over sixty six thousand more flights operated by the low cost sector. The industry shows a year on year increase of twenty four percent and twenty percent respectively. The financial data shows that the 2007 low cost flights comprise a higher sixteen percent of the total available airline seats in Europe for the prior accounting period. The prior period only generated a fourteen percent low cost comparative figure. In addition, the 2007 financial data also shows that twenty percent of the total worldwide airline covers is given to low cost flights. This is higher than the seventeen percent financial data of the prior year, 2006. Evidently, the OAG study covers a wide airline passenger seat sector. ... Three of the major forces in the European, Low -cost, budget airline sector are rivalry among competing sellers in the air travel industry, market attempts of companies in other industries to win customers and the potential entry of new air travel competitors.Rivalry among competing sellers in the air travel industry. There is s strong rivalry among the competing sellers in the low cost budget airline sectors. The air transportation industry is changing fundamentally. Low cost air passenger carriers are now slowly killing the competition. This long term trend has undermined the industry's prior structure, procedures, business models and these changes have consequences for airport access. Airlines and airports now have neither the money nor the appetite for grandiose projects. While massive airport buildings around the world planned many years ago are still being inaugurated. These inaugurated airports include Heathrow airport in London, Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Barajas airpor t in Madrid, a Singapore airport and a Toronto airport. The current trend in the airline industry is to focus on low -cost airport buildings and facilities. Boston had built a $ 400 million passenger building to Delta air's specifications. It was opened shortly before the airline went bankrupt. As Delta air buckles under the pressure of shrinking its network and services, another competitor must be entertained to take over the leased airport spaces vacated by Delta Air. Low cost airline companies easily fit this description. Undoubtedly, there is strong rivalry among the competing sellers in the low cost budget airline sectors (De Neufville 2006).Market attempts of companies in other

Ending the Employment Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ending the Employment Relationship - Essay Example iticizing organizations and more importantly this results in the increased turnover rate as employees get demoralized and they get some idea about the up coming in almost every organization they work, retirement is an honorable work, the worker respectfully gets retirement from work and it is also a good sign as if the retirement would not have taken place than the employment cycle would have been disturbed and there would be no new blood in old organization that would have appeared. "Currently Nepal Bank employs 6,600 people, more than one-third of all those working in the Nepalese financial sector. In 1990 the bank reduced its workforce by 800 people. This was achieved by a combination of voluntary redundancy and early retirement fostered by a generous incentive" (Budhwar, 98: 2001). In the present casIn the present case it is very clear that the main cause for redundancy and retirement is the willingness of the organization to get compressed so that all the operations can be handled easily, but can organization work more effectively this way Can organization retain the same value or can increase it The above mentioned are few questions that bring in relation both the employers and employees, these are few serious matters that we have to discuss, it is really unfair with the country to control it this way, on second thought it is also very difficult for the organization to adjust with out people who were previously working for the betterment of the organization. In the current world women are working more in the society than men, there are good reasons though for eliminating the women from the employment but yet it is unethical, there are being eliminated due to the facts such as they are unable to work with full concentration after marriage and at times they are retired prematurely, in order to get the work done by some new fresh graduate, which is having both positive points to be discussed and negative as well, positive in terms of giving youth a chance to prove itself and negative because of an unfair decision of firing someone if not directly than indirectly through retirement. Few causes of Redundancy Martin has defined redundancy in 2000 as "the work for which the employee was employed has ceased or diminished. Here the selection of a particular individual has to be shown to be fair". It shows that the entire process starts from the time the employee is recruited, though it is a long procedure and the organization tries to be as fair as they can in selecting employees, but there is no guarantee that the employee would keep the job, so from this view the redundancy threat starts taking place in the mind of the employee, only a strong bond with the organization can keep

About Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

About Shakespeare Essay Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest and most tragic play. It was first published in 1603, from a draft published several years earlier. The play begins two months after the death of King Hamlet of Denmark. The country is in a state of unrest. Young Fortinbras of Norway is preparing for war. After the King’s death, his brother Claudius takes over the throne, and marries the widowed Queen Gertrude. Young Hamlet, the late king’s son is incensed. He is told by the ghost of his father, that Claudius had poisoned him, to become the King of Denmark. Hamlet starts acting like a madman rousing concern. Polonius, an advisor to King Claudius is also worried by Hamlet’s strange â€Å"transformation. † The two, along with Queen Gertrude instruct Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s childhood friends to spy on him. Hamlet is also increasingly hostile towards his love, Ophelia, Polonius’ daughter. Out of fear, the King orders Hamlet to be sent to England. King Claudius and Polonius both feel that Hamlet is dangerous. To ensure who the culprit was, Hamlet cleverly changes the lines in a play which is performed before the king and the queen. See more: Is the Importance of being earnest a satirical play essay The King’s reaction convinces Hamlet that it was indeed he who poisoned his father. Alone, King Claudius reveals his crime, and confesses that he cannot escape divine judgment. After the play, Queen Gertrude scolds her son, but he instead scolds his mother for her wrong actions. Polonius is spying on the two, from behind a curtain. Hamlet hears Polonius, and kills him thinking he is Claudius. Anxious and scared, the king orders Hamlet to be sent to England, along with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The King wants Hamlet killed as soon as he arrives in England. Hamlet had the spies Rosencrantz and Guildenstern put to death instead. Meanwhile, Young Fortinbras has brought his army to Denmark. Hamlet admires Young Fortinbras, for his courage to fight for honor. The death of Polonius has a profound impact on Ophelia, who in her depression and apathy kills herself by drowning. Laertes, Polonius’ son is enraged. The king tells him that it was Hamlet who murdered Polonius. The two decide to get rid of Hamlet, their common enemy. Claudius and Laertes arrange a duel, in which Laertes will fight Hamlet. To ensure Hamlet’s death, Laertes poisons the tip of his sword. In the course of the duel, Laertes, Hamlet and the King are poisoned by the same sword. Queen Gertrude drinks a poisoned drink meant for Hamlet, and is killed. Dying, Hamlet tells Horatio to tell the world of his story and recommends Young Fortinbras the next king of Denmark. Hamlet – Prince of Denmark is a play that deals with the main subjects of honor, revenge and suicide. Hamlet is not our typical hero. Born in a royal family, he is a refined young man with noble attributes, but he has his weaknesses. After his father’s murder, he is driven mad by anger when his mother marries Claudius. His love for Ophelia too turned into a strange confusion and mix of emotions. He distrusts all those around him, and starts dwelling in a melancholy state of mind. Even those he thought were his friends turn out to be spies sent by the king and queen. This also explain Hamlets â€Å"insanity† to a great extent. But even so, Hamlet is a disturbed individual. The way he treats Ophelia is obvious evidence. He is cruel to her, in spite of her efforts to try and understand him. He is also impulsive – he kills Polonius without thinking twice. Justice and revenge form major themes of the play, with Claudius, at the Head of a country, having killed his own brother, and Hamlet, avenging his father’s death. Suicide also forms an essential theme in the play. Ophelia kills herself by drowning. Hamlet too is prompted to kill himself. † But should he, or not; â€Å"To be or not to be, that is the question. † Shakespeare portrays all the characters with great ingenuity. He analyses human psyche, and how eventually, everyone’s destiny is controlled by fate. References: About Shakespeare, Hamlet Study Guide, http://absoluteshakespeare. com/guides/hamlet/hamlet. htm

Grande Bretagne Hotel; External business environment

Grande Bretagne Hotel; External business environment Strategic concepts in tourism, hospitality and events Individual assignment: Grande Bretagne Hotel Athens; External business environment INTRODUCTION No company in the world is working standalone and in isolation. That’s even more emphasised in the tourism industry where the location of the tourism companies follows the location of the tourism product, the tourism destination. A hotel can not be located standalone in a no attractive tourism destination and expect success, it should be as close to the epicentre of the tourism happening and movement. The problem is, every tourism company wants that, and they all have to compete in the saturated, consistent market with each other and with the environment like a whole. In this assignment we will discuss the challenges and implications of the external environment applied to our hospitality organisation of a choice based on the selected theoretical model. Further evaluate the competitive environment using the Porter’s Five Forces Model with closing recommendation for the future of the business. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CHOSEN SUPPLIER For the purpose of this assignment we had chosen the New Hotel Athens. New Hotel Athens (formerly Olympic Palace Hotel), along with 4 other hotels, is a part of Yes Hotels chain, and they are part of the worldwide Design Hotel company with more than 250 independent hotels in over 50 countries worldwide. (http://corporate.designhotels.com/about_design_hotels) Situated in Plaka area in central Athens, New Hotel is a 79 room establishment designed by the Brazilian award winning design duo Fernando and Humberto Campana. The hotel also sports exquisite all-day bar-restaurant, New taste, and Workshop Floor, meeting space with teleconference facilities. IDENTIFICATION OF FACTORS ISSUES IN THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT (MACRO ANALYSIS) Business environment refers to those factors of the surrounding of business enterprise which have influence on the functioning of a business. The business cannot control these aspects but can respond to change if needed. This is also call macro environemnt. (http://books.google.gr/books?id=nfADHVmJkTUCpg=PA3dq=external+business+environmenthl=ensa=Xei=jiJvVNnjHJP5asqEgvgLredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=external%20business%20environmentf=true) External business environment Economic conditions Economic conditions are global as well as national, and when there is a global financial crisis as in 2007, and the recent one, changes in the external environment can be dramatic. Positive economic condition of the nation have also positive effect on their spending habits. And opposite, when the nation is suffering financial hardship, the money that will be spent for recreation and holidays will be less. Indirectly, the negative economic condition increase the unemployment rate and the interest rate and taxations. New Hotel Athens, operates within the EU and Greek economic environment. Considering the not so positive economic condition of the country and the Euro zone generally, we can say irrefutable that it reflects negatively on the business. After a calamitous recession in which the economy shrank by 30%, government debt now stands at 174% of GDP and the budget deficit last year was almost 13% of GDP (The Economist 2014). This leaded to aggressive rise of the taxes, increased interest rate for bank loans and credits and overall increase cost of the raw materials and imports. In the table below we can see the country’s economic freedom index and few other economy related facts and figures like, the the freedom of corruption, fiscal freedom, business, labour and trade freedom etc. (The Heritage Foundation 2014) Greece, Economic Freedom index 2014 Source The Heritage Foundation Regardless of the present adverse condition in the country, there is a positive forecast for the future economy of the country from international and domestic experts. High government official also promised a new taxation roadmap that would be unveiled in the future, with the maximum income tax cut to 32 per cent from 42 per cent and the corporate tax rate reduced to 15 per cent from 26 per cent. (ABC News 2014) Market (competition) The market/competition is a constantly amending factor in the external environment of the business. Not only that new competitors arise and other disappear, but also the existing ones are changing and adapting their marketing strategies, product lines and prices. Often those changes are not evident so the businesses must be alerted to what their competitors are doing. Our hotel is one of the 23, exclusive 5 star hotels in the central area of Athens, excluding Piraeus and Glyfada (Greekhotels.com 2014), and one of the 176, 5 star hotels in the country. (Hellenic Chamber of Hotels 2006). In that saturated market are included as well the big international players like Starwood, Intercontinental, Hilton and other hotel chains with great influence on the market and provide fierce competitiveness. But New Hotel Athens diversificate in many ways from the competition, and their business model follows the fresh market trends providing a product for a niche tourism clients. Technology In the last half a century, one of the rapid change factors in the external environment and the constant pusher on the businesses and organisations has been the technological change. If the don’t react sufficiently quick to this change, they can face with the risk of losing market shares. The technological change don’t affects only on the design of the products, but as well on the delivery of service. In the example with our hotel, we must say that this external factor is taken into consideration seriously, and even used for competitive advantage. The property is recently renovated according to the latest standards and trends, with implemented computer controlled in house systems, offering free WiFi to the customers (unlike most of the 5 star hotels), and having great interactive web page and social networks presence. Climate change Climate change is an insidious threat because the pace of change may be recognisable only if considered on a decade-by-decade basis. The effect of climate change will not fall equally on all nations and all businesses. Businesses that depend directly on a good supply of water e.g. agriculture, field sports will be adversely effected if climate change results in reduced rainfall. However the flow on affect of drought will eventually work their way through to all businesses in the affected community. Legal The most common law changes that affect business include Workplace Health and Safety, Consumer Protection, Industrial Relation and Environmental Law. But most obvious change in law through legislation is the taxation. Sometimes the taxation changes occur fast and with little warning and there is not much time for the business to prepare. The New Hotel Athens guests are protected by the general Greek consumer protection law for all transactions you make while travelling in the country. As enterprise, the hotel is obliged to issue written receipts, that safeguards the consumer in the event of any claim or dispute with the enterprises. (VisitGreece 2014) Media The significant changes in the technology and the rise of the internet, reflected on the media as well and changed it from ground up. That affected deeper on the external business environment. The old channel for communication where suffocated, altered and brand new ones appeared. The businesses had to embrace this change and adapt to it as fast as possible. New Hotel Athens following the modern media trends, had build extensive online presence all over the internet (as a medium). And had gained significant positive feedback. For example Trip Advisor, according to the votes by the customers, had awarded this hotel with the â€Å"Travelers Choice Award† for 2014 and had ranked it as number 7 out of 324 hotels in Athens. Except the booking sites, New Hotel Athens heavily uses the social media for promotion and communication with the customers and the public. Political Just like law, changes in the general government policy can be well notified and discussed or changes without notice. Many organisations depends on the government financial assistance and if there is a change in the government policy, those funding can be reduced or to completely disappear. Also any political instability in the country, leads to destabilisation of the society and have repellent effect on the tourism. For example the recent political crisis in Greece and the rise of the radicalism had negative impact on the tourism as a whole. Some of the media even scared out the tourists with warnings of racist attacks (Hamilton Spectator 2012). Or the few cases when the strict immigrants policy mistreated few tourists by the police in Athens (BBC 2013). Demographic The population changes include increasing or decreasing of the population, change in the age group proportion, change in the ethnic diversity, change in the number of two-income families, number of marriages and geographic population distribution. All those changes affects the external environment of a business. Human resources, security and mentality wise. New Hotel Athens operates in quite diversive demographic environment that just adds to the colourfulness of the business. USING THEORETICAL MODELS TO SUPPORT THE DISCUSSION PORTERS 5 FORCES (MICRO ANALYSIS) Porter five forces analysis is a framework to analyze level of competition within an industry and business strategy development. It includes three forces from horizontal competition and two forces from vertical competition. Porter referred to these forces as the micro environment, to contrast it with the more general term macro environment (Porter 1980). The Porter’s Five Forces is a powerful and simple tool for understanding where the power lies in a business situation. Conventionally, the tool is used to identify whether new products, services or businesses have the potential to be profitable. However it can be very illuminating when used to understand the balance of power in other situations. Porter’s 5 Forces (Source Wikimedia) Supplier Power: The bargaining power of suppliers is also described as the market of inputs. Suppliers of components, raw materials, labor, and services to the firm can provide power over the firm when there are few or no substitutes. Suppliers may refuse to provide those supplies to the firm or charge high prices for the unique resources. Potential factors are: Supplier switching costs, supplier concentration, degree of differentiation, substitute, labor unions, supplier competition etc. New Hotel Athens, being part of the YES Hotels chat and part of Design Hotel chain, can maintain wide supply chain due to the dispersed suppliers connection of the sister companies and the mother company. If there is leak of supplies from one source, they can easily switch to other supplier connected to some of the other properties or globally with the mother company, Design Hotel Chain. From FB materials to technology. Though, thats not applicable to the suppliers who provide unique supplies to the hotels. Buyer Power: The bargaining power of customers, is described also as the market of outputs. It is the ability of customers to make a pressure over business, therefore to affects the customers sensitivity to price changes. The companies can take measures to reduce buyer power, such as introducing a loyalty program and promotions. If the buyer have many alternatives then his power is high and opposite. Potential factors for this are: buyer concentration, buyers switching costs, buyer information, substitute products, barganing leverage, buyers price sensitivity etc. Competitive Rivalry: For most of industries the intensity, competitive rivalry is the biggest determinant of the competitiveness of the industry. Potential factors includes: Innovation, advertising, competitive strategies, company concentration, degree of transparency etc. Threat of Substitution: The existence of different products that can satisfy the same need, can make the customers switch to alternatives. Potential factors here includes: the propensity to substitute, price performance of substitute, buyer switching costs, product differentiation, number of substitute products available, ease of substitution, quality depreciation etc. Threat of New Entry: Power is also influence by the ability of companies to enter the market. If it does not cost much time or money to enter the market and compete effectively, if there are few economies of scale in place, or if there is little protection of the key technologies, new competitors can quickly enter the market and weaken the existing business position.The following few factors can affect on how much new entrants can be a threat: existence of barriers to entry, government policy, capital requirements, absolute cost, economies of scale, product differentiation, brand equity, expected retaliation, access to distribution, customer loyalty, industry profitability etc. BASED ON THE ANALYSIS, FEW REALISTIC RECOMMENDATION FOR CHANGE Conducting macro and micro environmental analysis we can come up with some conclusion †¦

Purtian Men and Women in Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet Essay

Purtian Men and Women in Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet Crossing the Atlantic, Puritans faced not only the physical hardships of an uncultivated land, but also difficulties within the structure of their religion. In "The Puritan Dilemma," Edmund Morgan details the contradicting tenets of Puritanism. Puritans were to seek salvation even though they were â€Å"helpless to do anything but evil†; they were to rely entirely on Christ for salvation even though salvation was only possible if preordained by God (7). Additionally, in the Puritan paradigm, the relationship between Christ and the church was analogous to that of husband and wife. Husbands took pre-eminence over wives, just as Christ reigned supreme over His flock. This layered system of servants and masters caused men and women to experience Puritanism very differently. The poetry of Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet demonstrates that while Puritan men focused on pleasing their Heavenly Father, Puritan women sought the approval of earthly men. Studying female authorship in colonial America, William Scheick notes that Puritans supported this attitude of subordination with Biblical passages. In the Old Testament, Adam declares Eve the bone of his bones and the flesh of his flesh. Because â€Å"she was taken out of man,† Adam resolves on calling her â€Å"woman.† Similarly, in the New Testament, Paul describes Christians as â€Å"members of [the Lord’s] body, of his flesh, and of his bones.† Whereas the Genesis passage refers to earthly matrimony, Paul addresses the spiritual marriage between Christians and the Bridegroom Christ. Scheick observes how these passages imply â€Å"the silent subordination of the second sex to men, [and] the reverence wives owe to their husbands† (62).... ...ism in early New England. Works Cited Bradstreet, Anne. â€Å"The Prologue [To Her Book].† The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lautier. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004: 188-190. Hambrick-Stowe, Charles E., ed. Early New England Meditative Poetry. New York: Paulist Press, 1988. Morgan, Edmund S. The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1958. Stanford, Ann. â€Å"Anne Bradstreet: Dogmatist and Rebel.† The New England Quarterly 39 (1966): 373-389. JSTOR. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. 3 Oct. 2005 . Taylor, Edward. â€Å"Prologue.† The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lautier. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004: 239-240. ---, â€Å"Huswifery.† The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lautier. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004: 236-237.

College Entrepreneurs Do Good and Make Money

â€Å"College Entrepreneurs Do Good and Make Money,† (Nickels, McHugh, & McHugh, 2010, p. 26). They are really business and success story. True college entrepreneurs will do anything possible to reach their goals by being original and innovative. They pick an idea based on the customer needs and use it to develop the plan. We have heard about several young millionaires entrepreneurs that started their business while they were still attending college, such as Mark Zuckerberg who launched Facebook while still attending Harvard. Now he is one of the youngest billionaires in the world. Ryan Allis and Aaron Houghton were also college students with the determination of success, and they have taken their dreams into a blossoming entrepreneur. We find their case as a really good lesson to learn about being a successful entrepreneur, these two young college students were able to take risk and find a need to fill in the community. Another thing that was imperative for their success was the preparation of their idea about the role of each other into the business. They were able to take something they both enjoyed; computers, and create a business using their mutual talents. Aaron had strong product development skills, and Ryan was bright in marketing skills; they complemented each other very well, this helped with the growing of the corporation. Once you have your business scheme you must make certain that you have a well-defined plan. It must offer a clear direction for the enterprise and describe the market you wish to target, also the potential risks and rewards, the people that will help you get there, and how you are going to get there. We think that having a dream is great but it will not move you to start anything; you need to have willpower to be able to execute the first step. Aaron and Ryan only had a couple of hundred dollars to start their business, but they were able to run their business and start with a small amount of capital. They basically started with the little resources they already had; the internet, technology, and a love to access to computers. We do not need to start gigantic to create a successful business. We also think that the fact that Ryan and Aaron were young and seem that they did not have a family to support, pay mortgages or children to rise. They were not depending on a profit from their initial investment, in contrast, with a person with a family and responsibilities to face. Determining the accurate level of planning to do can be not easy. But we agree, that waiting too long will not get you going, it is important to start and you will find new resources, meet new people, and get new opportunities to make your dream come true.

Odysseus V Telemachus

Jon Dunlap3/8/12 Odysseus v TelemachusPeriod 2 â€Å"Maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated. † – Anonymous (Thinkexist. com). Maturity is a key theme during the journeys of Telemachus and Odysseus. In Homer’s Odyssey the journeys of Telemachus and Odysseus have many similarities and differences such as their common goal and the lessons they learn; and only by overcoming these obstacles are they able to become emotionally stronger and find success in Ithaca.Odysseus and Telemachus’ respective journeys have many similarities such as the common enemy the share and the goal they are fighting towards. First, due to Odysseus’ long absence after the war, he was thought to be dead, which led to a large influx of suitors wishing to marry Penelope. During The Odyssey the suitors represent a common enemy between Telemachus and Odysseus. †Å"The sons †¦ are pestering my mother to marry them against her will. They are afraid to go to her father †¦ hanging about my father's house †¦ never giving as much as a thought to the quantity of wine they drink.No estate can stand such recklessness; we have now no [Odysseus] to ward off harm from our doors, and I cannot hold my own against them† (Butler BK 2). The suitors not only threaten Telemachus’ right as King of Ithaca, but they also threaten Odysseus’ home and marriage to Penelope. Next, in addition to sharing a common enemy, Telemachus and Odysseus both have a common goal in mind throughout their journeys; to reunite their family. Telemachus sets out to Pylos and Sparta hoping to find his father and drive off the suitors, while Odysseus is also trying to return to Ithaca to see his wife and son after his 20 year absence.He uses his powers of persuasion to gain Calypso’s favor shortly before leaving her island; â€Å"Goddess,† replied [Odysseus], â€Å"do not be angry †¦ Penelope is nothing like so tall or so beautiful as yourself †¦ Nevertheless, I want to get home, and can think of nothing else† (Butler BK 5). It is this drive and determination that Odysseus and Telemachus eventually share that eventually able aids them in reuniting at the end of The Odyssey. Odysseus and Telemachus have one final thing in common on their journeys; they are both aided by Athena.Athena had been an ally of Odysseus since the Trojan War, mainly because she reminded him of herself. Throughout The Odyssey Athena aides both heroes on several occasions; Athena begs her father Zeus to allow her to aid Odysseus, so he can go home to his family, â€Å"Father, son of [Kronos], King of kings, it served Aegisthus right †¦ it is for [Odysseus] that my heart bleeds, when I think of his sufferings in that lonely sea-girt island, far away, poor man, from all his friends† (Butler BK 1).Athena helps Telemach us by getting him his ship and crew before the journey to search for word of Odysseus, and develops a bond with both of them throughout the story. Despite the many similarities, Odysseus and Telemachus are very different; as evidenced by the way they behave, their respective upbringings, and the lessons they learn. The first main difference between Odysseus and Telemachus is the way they behave under pressure. Odysseus, having had many years of experience and the gift of persuasive speaking, tends to handle problems with patience and careful planning.This can be seen as he charms Nausicaa into aiding him on Scheria, â€Å"O queen,† he said, â€Å"I implore your aid- but tell me, are you a goddess or are you a mortal woman? If you are a goddess †¦ you are [Zeus’] daughter Diana, for your face and figure resemble none but hers; if on the other hand you are a mortal and live on earth, †¦ how proud and delighted they must feel when they see so fair a scion as yo urself going out to a dance †¦ I never yet saw any one so beautiful, neither man nor woman, and am lost in admiration as I behold you† (Butler BK 6).Telemachus, however, lacks this maturity and seems to act more on impulse. This can be seen when he has an emotional outburst in the Ithacan assembly, â€Å"Moreover, if I am to be eaten out of house and home at all, I had rather you did the eating yourselves, for I could then take action against you to some purpose, and serve you with notices from house to house till I got paid in full, whereas now I have no remedy. ’ With this Telemachus dashed his staff to the ground and burst into tears. Everyone was very sorry for him, but they all sat still and no one ventured to make him an angry answer† (Butler BK 2).One can see that by using his persuasion Odysseus is able to prevail, while Telemachus’ angry outbursts do nothing but hurt his reputation This absence of maturity ties into the next key difference be tween Odysseus and Telemachus; which is the way that they were raised. Odysseus lived a rich and fulfilling childhood as a prince on Ithaca under his father Laertes and his mother Anticlea. He was given all the guidance and enrichment needed for him to grow into the hero he would eventually become. Telemachus on the other hand, was raised without a father.Odysseus left for the Trojan War when he was only an infant and did not return for 20 years, which meant that Telemachus grew up without the guidance he needed to become a man. Athena was eventually forced to step in and help boost his confidence during Telemachus’ journey, â€Å"[Athena] led the way and Telemachus followed her. Presently she said, â€Å"Telemachus, you must not be in the least shy or nervous; you have taken this voyage to try and find out where your father is buried and how he came by his end; so go straight up to Nestor that we may see what he has got to tell us.Beg of him to speak the truth, and he will tell no lies, for he is an excellent person† (Butler BK 3). If it weren’t for this lack of a father, he may have had the courage to stand up to the suitors himself. The final key difference between Odysseus and Telemachus is the lessons that they learn throughout The Odyssey. Odysseus and Telemachus both go through a great deal of change during their journeys and each benefit from it. Odysseus learns to set his pride aside.This can be seen as Odysseus is found crying on the beach of Calypso’s island, a far different Odysseus than the cunning, arrogant hero pictured in The Iliad, â€Å"Ulysses was not within; he was on the sea-shore as usual, looking out upon the barren ocean with tears in his eyes, groaning and breaking his heart for sorrow† (Butler BK 5). This represents his ritual death, because not only is he believed to be dead by Ithaca, but he is at one of his life’s lowest points. It is only after overcoming this that he will be able to retu rn home. Telemachus learns a lesson almost opposite to Odysseus.Telemachus learns to be a man and gains self-confidence. This process of maturation is set in motion by the Goddess Athena in book two where she says to Telemachus, â€Å"You’ll lack neither courage nor sense from this day on, not if your father's spirit courses through your veins- now there was a man, I'd say, in words and actions both! †¦ Few sons are equals of their fathers; most fall short, all too few surpass them. But you brave and adept from this day on- Odysseus' cunning has hardly given out in you- there's every hope that you will reach your goal† (Butler BK 2).Here Athena is telling Telemachus that he will be great and will succeed in his ventures because he is his father's son. From this moment on we begin to see a very sudden transformation or â€Å"Rebirth† in terms of Telemachus’ hero’s journey. He starts from a young defenseless boy, and ends his journey a man. Tele machus and Odysseus’ respective journeys have many similarities and differences ranging from their common enemy, to the lessons they learn, although the purpose of these journeys is clear; to find success in Ithaca.Many factors, be it luck, cunning, or supernatural aid all aid both men in these journeys. Telemachus and Odysseus may not be the most similar heroes, but through the challenges they face, they become emotionally stronger and reunite their family once more. As an anonymous intellectual once said, â€Å"Anyone can give up; it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength† (boardofwisdom. com)

Xsu Spring Concert

Case 2 – XSU Spring Concert. Risk Identification Firstly, we can state that, as with most projects, there are several risks that occur when it comes to the execution of this spring concert. To make the risks more easily viewable, it is preferable to divide the risks into different sections and via that use the Risk Breakdown Structure, (RBS). (p. 214) There are four general categories that the risks are divided into: Technical, External, Organizational and Project Management. These risks are divided into more specific subcategories, which all of them can make or break the project.First of all the XSU entertainment committee has to get permissions and approvals from the city and XSU to be able to go through with the concert. There will be requirements that needs following during the concert as well. Regarding the technical category, some main risks are that the electricity and the sound system will be functioning, the constructing of the stage will go as planned and that there will be enough space for restroom facilities for 10 000 visitors and parking lots for 1000 cars. The stage-building depends on capable work force with required skills.There might be security issues by the stage or in the secluded beer-garden, which might arise if it gets too crowded and that would be disastrous as Hasta Weekend has a history of fatalities. When it comes to the external risk category there are some factors that the committee really can’t affect, for example the weather can make this outdoor concert a hit or a disaster. There are a lot of sub-contractors involved, as well as vendors and artist. This demands many contracts, which can turn out wrong, and communication issues can emerge.If the committee can’t sign a big artist to this eight-hour concert, there might be a huge loss of money, as there won’t be enough visitors, and result in a bad reputation. That might also be a reaction to the event of not finding sufficient sponsors or suppliers. The risk of shortage of funds will impede the startup of the whole project, therefore the gathering of funds and signing of sponsors has high priority. The project team needs to organize and dispense necessary workforce to find vendors, artist, sponsors etcetera and by that minimize the risk.The project has an upper-limit regarding the expenses, which is $ 50,000. Exceeding this limit is a risk per se and would definitely hurt the project. Furthermore, the risks of not being finished with certain milestones by the appointed deadlines can cause rescheduling and excess costs. To keep the deadlines good communication and coordination is essential in this project management. Mistakes in the planning can easily be solved by good communication and coordination throughout the whole organization. Consequently, the risk of bad communication, bad control and bad coordination can affect the project negatively.To conclude, the main risks that we have identified and have highlighted in our analysis are city permissions, technical necessities, funding, coordination, communication and the weather. 3. Risk Response Development – to develop actions to reduce the risks’ damages by developing a strategy and emergency plan. Risk Response Development The risk response developments purpose is to reduce risks’ damage through the development of action strategies and an emergency plan. Different responses to the risks are identified and assessed.This can take the form of a risk response matrix and a project communication plan. With the risks identified the committee can transfer the technical risk for example via outsourcing of the stage construction. Furthermore, the technical risks can be reduced by testing the materials before the concert. By adding more artists to a back up list, the risk of lack of artists will be eased and the impact of the risk decreased. The risk of shortage of funds can be mitigated by having better forward planning and more detailed contrac ts with the sponsors.The sponsors might be keener on the project if they are given more freedom with the choice of spots at the concert and so forth. By being in time with the applying of approvals from the city the risk can be mitigated. Regarding the weather, it can’t be affected, but precautions can be taken by covering the stage, beer garden and some certain areas. To keep deadlines, the committee can use time buffers and to keep the budget, a management reserve can be set up.

Financial Analysis for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Analysis for Managers - Essay Example Thus, companies often pay dividends in order to attract potential investors, retain current ones who are more sensitive to cash inflows from investment and indicate their strong financial muscle. In various studies, it has been apparent that declaration and payment of dividends bid up the price of the company's stock making the payment. Payment of dividends which is coupled by capital gains truly maximize the wealth of stockholders. Even if Microsoft is recognized because of its financial strength, the company can opt not to issue dividends. It should be noted that most investors are very much interested in acquiring ownership of this company because of its financial viability and brand equity. The continuous appreciation of its share in the market can suffice and dividends are not really necessary to complement this. It should also be noted that the business organization will only be shedding out million dollar funds which it can use to finance its R&D and provide more value to its stockholders. However, one of the detrimental effects of not issuing dividends will be the reaction of stockholders who feel more secure with steady cash inflow from their investments. It should be noted that the company can also undergo lawsuits for not paying its owners amidst its strong financial position. The tax treatment for dividends and capital gains often becomes a consideration of a business organization in its choice of dividend policy. In the United States, there has been a heated debate on the taxation of dividends. As both business organizations and investors receiving the dividend are taxed, double taxation together with the high tax rates has discouraged issuance of dividends. For example business organizations which report a pre-tax profit of $100 will be required to pay corporate tax of $35. The remaining $65 will also be taxed if the company will declare all of this as cash dividends.  Ã‚  

Manager Profile Short Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Manager Profile Short Report - Essay Example I grew up with the company and help set it up from where it is now. Me and my friends just saw this trend a decade ago when companies are breaking up their operations to save on cost. You know, the effect of globalization and stuff. We knew then that with the liberalization of business and the heightened competition brough about by this free trade, it will be inevitable that companies will be looking for somebody who could some of its work better. That is how we came in the business and that is how i came into this position. Question 2: How long have you been in that position? I held this position since this company started, give or take around 12 years. We started around 12 years ago and the company took off 2 years later. Question 3: How is your typical day in the office like? It actually depends. To properly answer that, you have to look first what my role in the company and what my objectives are. First, I am responsible for the continuity of the business and the direction of whe re it is going. I no longer do the overseeing of the day to day operation of the business, I have my managers to do it. To fulfill that function, my day typically begins with a quick browse of my emails and any other communication and documents from our clients, vendors and partners. You see, our clients, vendors and partners operate on different time zones so I have to constantly check any updates from them. That will give me a clearer picture of how the company stands for the day. Then a meeting usually ensues with my manager. Then I make my rounds with employees if time will allow. Again, I go back to the office and do creative things on how we can be more competitive as a business How does that fit in the usual Managerial concepts and functions? You know what is taught in school and stuff. Ah, you mean the planning, organizing, staffing, and controlling stuff. That is pretty much how things are done here and elsewhere only that we don’t call it strictly with such names an ymore. My role involves more on the planning organizing and leading and some creativity. In addition, a portion of my time is also dedicated on assessing the direction of the industry. You see, in IT industry, everything happens so fast and trends changes in a dizzying manner that I have to keep myself updated otherwise our company will become obsolete. When it becomes obsolete, you pretty much know what will happen next. In addition, I also have to keep in touch with our clients, vendors and partners just to have a constant pulse on them. Sort of a liaising thing but more than that because I can make decisions in behalf of the company. It’s a sort of PR thing that you want to give your client a â€Å"feel† that they are being taken cared of. I think your interaction falls on that part. When I already have the bigger picture of the industry, company and clients, that is where planning comes. But I have to know my objectives first, or what would I like to happen. Say fo r example, my objective is to have a zero percent error free, then my planning would involve how am I going to achieve that. Then I call on my managers to organize its implementation. It does not happen immediately. You see, the system and structure of the company has to allow that to happen. It will not happen by balking to everybody that you want your processing error free or telling everybody that is what you want. So I

Health and Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Health and Safety - Assignment Example Management is an authoritative field that is meant to cater for the needs of the workers in an organization. Health and safety policy Health and safety management system is made of several elements. Among them are the health and safety policies. Health and safety policies are structured to monitor the operations of the organization regarding the welfare of workers. Some of the major specifications of the health policy specify the role of individuals while others outline the roles of an organization. Health policy gives specific individuals the mandate to assign responsibility for the identification of applicable regulations and acts. The document elaborates on the use of health procedures. Under this section, the organization is subjected to monitor health and safety legislations, building codes as well as health and safety legislations. The document also deals with the recording of data and keeping of health and safety information. It provides the employee with the rights to view he alth document as it gives employees the accessibility to legal health documents. Health policies specify on the updating of legal health records. The document outlines the procedures that have been put in place to track legislation as well as other health and safety requirements. It provides a clause that employees have a right to training after a legal procedure of recruitment in their area of specialization. Legislation Health and safety management system standard program has a legislative system whose function is to access and identify new proposed as well as existing health and safety legislations. Management responsibilities are outlined and allocated responsibilities are outlined and allocated. The applicable legal acts include: health and safety legislations, environmental legislation and building codes. A procedure shall also be put in place to track developments and key alterations to the health and safety requirements. The system implies that employees affected by the heal th and safety management alterations shall receive training concerning the legislations which are applicable to their jobs. Internal responsibility system The program advocates for an establishment of an internal responsibility system which will monitor the health and safety policies and enforce their implementations. Responsibilities of all levels of management are specified to ensure systematic performance and efficiency of the system. All responsibilities in the program are designed to make room for the institution of a Joint Health and safety committee. The system also provides a format for the selection of the Joint Health and Safety committee. Worker rights Another element is the worker’s rights. The health and safety act states that procedure for ensuring that workers rights are guaranteed by the occupational health and safety act. The occupation health and safety act provides the employees with the right to information and awareness. The main objective of the occupati onal health and safety act is to ensure that the working environment is suitable for the performance of work. This includes the elimination of all form of risks around the working environment. The right to information at work is the basic human right according to the occupational

Financial Accounting Analysis term projuct Paper

Financial Accounting Analysis projuct - Term Paper Example The findings are presented in a tabular format supported by comprehensive discussion of results. The horizontal analysis of Balance Sheet does not show any worrying trends or majorly fluctuating balances from 2011 to 2012. Inventories remain at the same level and while there is 12.84% increase in Property and Equipment it is offset by the 16.78% decrease in the Cash and Cash equivalents. Other large changes include an increase in Goodwill, decrease in Long term loan which is offset by an increase in the current portion of the Long term loan. The horizontal analysis of the balance sheet is set out below: The horizontal analysis of the Income Statement also does not show any worrying trends from 2011 to 2012. The Sales have increased by 1.8% but that is due to a corresponding increase in the Cost of Sales which has increased by 2.14%. The net earnings have increased by 3.3%, this is due to the fact that other income has increased and the financial costs have decreased during the period. The horizontal analysis of the income statement is set out below: The vertical analysis of the income statement for the years 2011 and 2012 set out below shows all balances as a percentage of sales. As illustrated the cost of sales and other expenses have both increased as a percentage of sales, even though minutely. This is worrying because ordinarily the cost of sale should be kept in line with sales. Conversely the net income is 2.09% of sales in 2012 and 2.03% in 2011. There is a slight increase, which all in all is a positive sign for the entity (Rajasekaran, 2011). Looking at the trends in the past five years’ financial statements of the company, it can be seen that the net sales have been increasing steadily for the past four years. The increase in sales for this year has been less than those compared to previous years, 1.6% from over 3%. The cost of

Factores affecting drivers behaviour at major and minor junctios ( Essay

Factores affecting drivers behaviour at major and minor junctios ( literature review , collection and analysis of datas ) - Essay Example Crossroads are then discussed within the same design and control framework, with indications of the methods used for controlling traffic though the major/minor priority areas. The next topic to be considered is the matter of multilevel road junctions – intersections: over- and underpasses – and the influence of the additional factors such as road works, the road surface, the weather and darkness. There are many government surveys which address a wide variety of geometric and other factors which can affect the speed and ease of passage through the junctions, all of which will affect the vehicle capacity. Junction design in two specific cases, in the UK – T- junctions and crossroads are considered and, where appropriate, the reasons for the design choice are discussed as well as the effect on traffic throughput and capacity. The third component of the narrative to be considered in this exercise is the driver and his/her response to the different stimuli which may contribute to his/her ability to drive safely. There are essentially three main categories (1) those which are permanent or semi-permanent; such as state of health, tiredness, influence of drugs or alcohol, age and gender (2) distractions, generally intermittent, which arise from activities within the car caused either by the driver or passengers (3) distractions which are external to the car; such as weather, other drivers and signs – whether relative to the road and junctions or advertisements. Drugs have the capacity to impair the driver’s judgement and give rise to a false degree of self-confidence. Alcohol also impairs the driver’s ability to make coherent and capable decisions, affects reaction speeds, and results in overconfidence. Distractions – both in-car and external - can cause severe lack of concentratio n. External distractions – which are quoted by insurance companies as contributing to a majority of accidents – are a frequent cause of driver lack

Oversea Study Agent in China Essay Example for Free

Oversea Study Agent in China Essay 1.0 Introduction As China’s refrom and opening up, foreign exchange increasing day by day. Studying abroad craze after another. More and more people chose to accept foreign advanced education. This report is small scale survey on experiences with the services of oversea study agencies, which in order to inform readers some informations about oversea study agencies, let them have a more comprehensive understanding of these agents. First, some basic overviews of oversea study agent such as what is the oversea study agent, the history and development of these agencies, the role and characteristics of oversea study agencies, will be described in this report. Then it also show some main problems of oversea study agencies, which include some illegal phoenomenons, professionalism of employee is low and regulatory mechanism is not perfect. Legal system is not perfect and the lack of high-quality personnel as the causes of problems followed by. At last the recommendation and conclusion will be illustrated. 2.0 Procedures This paper is after a group discussion and arrangements. Five education agents are investigated through telephone consultation, internet search, etc. They are Golden Oriental, Jin Gillette, Mei Grabrel, CIEC World Famous Studio to study vertical and horizontal, Zhong Rui in Shanghai. There are also some views reference by authority report. 3.0 Findings 3.1 Some basic overview of oversea study agent 3.1.1 What is oversea studying agencies Oversea study agent is a intermediary for students to studying abroad to other countries that provide school students application and visa application assistance and services. Everywhere in the world exist this industry. In China the first countries to ratify the legal service agencies to study abroad is very high, the first practitioners of the business background needed to be engaged in education institutions, so the first batch of approved institutions most comprehensive university with some formal or large state government departments, only two company are private institutions, Jin Gillette in Beijing and Zhong Rui in Shanghai . And the choice of this two institutions are engaged in their education both at the same time quite strong behind the enterprise groups as the background. Second and subsequent access to qualified institutional conditions in the application than the first batch of great relaxation, an increase of more institutions, but are required to be registered within the legal institutions. 3.1.2 The role of oversea study agent First, providing professional guidance to reduce the personal trouble. This is the most important role of education agents. The current situation is that most people and institutions of education abroad do not quite understand the situation, the role of intermediaries is to use the relationship with foreign educational institutions, combined with national policies to individuals and schools to study the national situation, to apply for admission, handle Visa and other relevant information and advice. Procedures for many students, if they apply the words of ordinary people, not only spend more time, and error-prone, with the help of an intermediary, you can greatly reduce such problems. Second, providing legally qualified schools. It is understood that there are two types of foreign registered schools, one is teaching institutions, although another category called the school, but in fact is the company, and such registration requirements of the companys relatively loose, the more difficult for teachers and teaching quality assurance. Chinese government prohibited foreign institutions and educational service agencies engaged in recruiting activities on their own in, requiring direct intermediary service organizations and educational institutions with foreign universities signed a cooperation agreement and submit the location of the relevant provincial education administrative departments for the record, but also requires foreign school to provide the Embassy of China in the internationally renowned certification other than the institutions. The goal is to prevent a number of international universities and the poor quality of some multinational companies fraud in China. Therefore, the study intermediary agreements with foreign institutions of higher learning in schools is actually a constraint, so as to ensure the quality of teaching in schools and individual rights. Then, to help design individual study plans. Study abroad is a new way of learning in China, so most Chinese people find it difficult to design their own study plan. There arise a phenomenon that many people have chosen wrong counties, wrong school or wrong professional. The losses are difficult to be measured by money. Study intermediary with resources, according to consumer expertise, interests and financial ability to provide consumers with a most appropriate and most effective way to study. In addition, there is a balance the function of oversea study agencies for market supply and demand. As with other products in the market, study abroad market also has a supply and demand balance. The difference is that, as the case involves foreign students, consumers are poorly understood, the role of intermediaries is that the students grasp the situation told the consumer market, and guide consumers in different countries and schools to filter, so that the education market and a balanced supply and demand. 3.2 Problems of oversea study agencies It is report that â€Å"Golden Oriental† has the trap of going abroad, 15 students trapped in Germany. A parents said the Golden Oriental is a German training center in Qingdao, the main business is to recruit students to learn German. Enrollment in the center, forward to introduce registration of students and parents to learn the language here, must we go through the exit of the relevant procedures. This fully demonstrates the agency of studying abroad at this stage still exit some problems. 1. Some illegal phenomenon First, unauthorized business in the studying intermediary. Without the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Security issued a permit to study intermediary services, without the approval of the administrative department for industry and commerce registration, engaging in business activities of education agents. In Beijing there are still some people who employ by the three no company (no license, no office, no charge certificate) to the embassy in front of students engaged in activities of intermediary services around by some foreign embassies. These illegal intermediary agencies in profits, driven by the illicit in intermediary services. Second, there is a linked management phenomenon. Linked management is some of the illegal gain qualification in legal education agents affiliated companies access to the following qualification to the legitimate operations of those features. There are some study intermediaries authorized by the parent company of illegally engaging in a branch or branches of intermediary business, the umbrella agency to act as illegal. Finally, some foreign companies do illegally business in China. State expressly that foreign investment institutions in the country engaged in the study can not be mediated. But there are still some companies as the representative of the foreign school or under the banner of the Office of foreign schools in China to enroll students. 3.2.2 Professionalism of employee is low It is understood that practitioners who have the correlated educational background in the study abroad agency are less than 50ï ¼â€¦. Management has not issued specific standards for employees in certificates, but no appraisal system. Most of the intermediarys employees are recruited from the community, by the agency after a simple training to induction, a considerable number of other employees in the state organs or institutions of workers retire, there officers aging. Therefore, the variation in levels of professional and reduce the agencys service quality and effectiveness of the service extensively restricted. 3.2.3 Regulatory mechanism is not perfect At current situation, it has not specifical laws and regulations on the study abroad agency to regulate behaviours they have. At the same time, the management of policies from different departments, regulatory agencies is not clear. It is a more complex work to supervision and management the intermediary services for studying abroad. Too few managers, industry and commerce, are also responsible for public security, there is busy. Three units of the joint action, they often stay in the rectification movement style, and they can not do more frequent, thorough and meticulous work, so that the management is difficult to place. 3.3Causes of the problems 3.3.1Legal system is not perfect Currently, the state has not the development of social intermediary organizations and the general considerations of unified planning, there is no national authority in charge of social intermediary organizations and coordination of departments, to study abroad agency management and macro-control weaknesses still exist. Government lack of studying abroad Pan strictly regulate intermediary management, law degree is not high. Market economy is the legal economy, study abroad agency to rely on laws and regulations to locate and act. However the legal management of oversea study agencies has a far way from the establishment of socialist market economy. 3.3.2The lack of high-quality personnel Oversea study agency is a strong professional service, foreign language level requirements high. Thus, requiring that their employees must have a high quality of cultural knowledge, good professional service and knowledge of international practice. However, there are talents in this area obviously can not keep up the situation and development needs: the quality of personnel is not high, the shortage of professionals. 4.0 Recommendation At present, more and more people choose to go abroad, the oversea study agent play an important role in China. However, there are still exit the problems which mentioned above. So some measures must be taken such as effectively strengthen the supervision and management of education agents’waste, further improve the advertising review and investigation, to increase the intensity modulation of employees’ education and training, improve relevant laws and regulations to standardize and restrain intermediary acts. 5.0 Conclusion Whit the boom of study abroad set off, oversea study agency has become an indispensable institution to student. It provide professional guidance, provide legally qualified schools, help design individual study plans and so on. However, there are still some problems that can damages the interests of consumers. When people choosing the oversea study agencies, both advantages and disadvantages should be considered. Whit the sound of legal system and the development of market economy in China, problems in the intermediary agencies of study abroad will be solved. Their business will be more and more standardized. 6. Reference Gousheng Li, 2006-10-29, Study abroad at one’s own expenses intermediaraes’problems and countermeasures. Junrong Yan, 2001-12-4, Education agents, you play what role http://baike.baidu.com/view/864680.htm http://www.runsky.com/homepage/study/abroad/news/userobject1ai413028.html