Perspectives on Volunteering to Help Others Essay

Throughout history, volunteering has evolved into a cultural connection; a common characteristic of humans on a local, national, and global level is the desire to help one another. Although this statement is not necessarily true for every individual, most people feel an urgency to assist friends, family members, coworkers, and/or strangers in need or in crisis. Why should we volunteer? Many people donate their time for varying reasons whether it’s fundraising for disaster relief or collecting, preparing, and serving food for a food bank (Moore). Maybe it’s the warm sensation in your heart after you play a game of chess with a bedridden cancer patient, or the contagious smiles shared between servers and recipients at a soup kitchen that†¦show more content†¦As an active member of the community, I did not want to see my church and library flood into a watery mess. A call for help was made to locals, like myself, who were willing and able to combine efforts in pre paration for the â€Å"great† flood of Iowa City. My dad, mom, sister, and I participated in the sandbagging event, a whole three hours of shoveling orange, dusty sand into two-feet-deep bags and placing them into wooden crates. This process was monotonous and demanding, but with the help of thousands of local citizens, thousands of sandbags were filled in a matter of a couple days. Community members helped protect precious historic buildings and houses that may have resulted in a damaged downtown. The sandbagging event was, like I said, repetitious and grueling; therefore, I can understand the displeasure in partaking in an event like this, but the â€Å"satisfaction of saving someone’s home is priceless,† (What Volunteering). Where do you spend your money? Is it put towards purchasing the latest iPhone or attending the anticipated Miley Cyrus concert (even though you don’t like her music)? Many people feel content and satisfied sticking with the â€Å"in† crowd. What if a trend wasn’t materialistic; rather, what if it was contributing to improve the world? Don’t you think you would receive an equally as gratifying feeling regardless of whether you buyShow MoreRelatedBenefits of Volunteering1075 Words   |  5 PagesBenefits of volunteering 19 October 2005 Volunteering has a meaningful, positive impact on your community. But did you know that it can have many benefits for you too? Here are some reasons to volunteer: Learn or develop a new skill   Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. As Mahatma Gandhi said, â€Å"Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Ã‚  Learn as if you were to live forever.† It is never too late to learn new skills and no reasonRead MoreBenefits Of Volunteer And Incentives959 Words   |  4 Pagestrends show that volunteering has become increasingly popular over the past few decades, (Anheier and Salamon, 1999). Volunteering can be seen as a combination of unpaid work, activism and serious leisure. The definition of voluntary ethos includes three principles. First, volunteering should not be primarily involved financial gain for individual. Furthermore, the activity should be undertaken voluntarily, according to an individual’s own free-will. And last, it should be benefit to other individualsRead MoreThe Importance Of Volunteering In Community Service764 Words   |  4 PagesVolunteering in my community services programs for various activities has been the most important and influential thing that I can offer to my community. It has allowed me to show honestly, integrity, and hard work. Volunteering far supersedes financial gain since time has the ability to expand one’s perception of availability. Activities such as volunteering at the local food bank, trash pick-up, or mentoring at elementary schools are considered meaningful volunteering activities, which I have beenRead MoreCommunity Service Persuasive Essay1261 Words   |  6 Pagesyou or does it make you cringe? One important question we should be asking in today’s society is whether community service is an opportunity to unite and help others or is it something we avoid for our selfish means? Society today illuminates the self and is primarily centered only on oneself. Thus, volunteering for the sake of helping others does is rare, unless it has personal benefits. People were once united and helped one another, but today the c entral focus has shifted from the community toRead MoreHrpyc81953 Words   |  4 Pageswho volunteer has long been a recurring theme preoccupying much of literature on volunteering. According to research by Esmond and Dunlop (2004), what actually motivates a person to volunteer is a complex and vexing question, yet understanding these motivations can be of great assistance to organisation. Every year millions of people around the world give of their time and energy to make a difference through volunteering (Esmond, 2004). The types of volunteer activities engaged in by people areRead MoreThe Volunteer Stages And Transition Models : Organizational Socialization Of Volunteers1355 Words   |  6 Pagesan organization and proposes learning and interaction models within the context of volunteering. The abstract of the article provides a strong context of the research question and by reading the abstract, I was able to understand the crux of the paper and the need for this research at an abstract level. The introduction provides a detailed background on what the authors perceived as areas of concern in volunteering. The authors connect all fragments of the research area and describe the need for aRead MoreCommunity Service: The Benefits Volunteering: The great experience no one can afford to lose.900 Words   |  4 PagesCommunity Service: The Benefits Volunteering: The great experience no one can afford to lose. Opposers say, mandatory community service can have several negative effects on students. â€Å"Community service hours are impressive additions to college applications and can provide a student with a great sense of accomplishment; however, the mandatory hours will have many negative consequences† (Cydney Hayes, 2012). Many students are barely even passing the regular school curriculum, and opposers believeRead MoreThe Qualities Of A Speech Pathologist Essay1271 Words   |  6 Pagespathologist. Success as a speech-language pathologist is not only contingent upon being able to communicate with patients. Indeed, the purpose of our job revolves around rehabilitating or habilitating patients who may have had a stroke, dysphagia, and other speech and language disorders. Social skills concerning a patient necessitate positivity and motivation, we have to empower However, one has to consider familial involvement and the medical team, conversing with a parent or a teacher can greatly differRead MorePersuasive Speech On Volunteering At The United States1349 Words   |  6 PagesMe to We† Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that volunteering in service to others will make them (the audience) happier and healthier people. Central Idea: We are part of the Millennial Generation, known as the â€Å"Me Generation†, and I want to encourage you to recognize our tendency to be self-focused, to step out to help others through volunteerism, and to recognize the benefits of volunteering in your life. Introduction â€Å"Millennials† is a term referring to people born in the UnitedRead MoreVolunteering At The Boys Girls Club923 Words   |  4 Pages Volunteer project For the volunteer project, I decided to volunteer at the Boys Girls Club. Volunteering at the Boys Girls Club has been a great experience. Interacting with the children’s and trying to get to know them little by little has been real nice. Each child is unique in their own way. During my experience volunteering I noticed a couple things that related to what we learned in sociology. Its really hard not to relate anything to sociology anymore; everything seems to be connected

Cbt for Eating Disorder - 1998 Words

n the case of anorexia, this means, in addition, teaching about the physical consequences of the disorder and of abnormal eating behaviours and of any attempt to make changes. It also means teaching the principles of normal eating behaviour and nutrition. The use of a cognitive therapy approach makes it feasible to directly explore and question common assumptions about the importance of weight and shape. Having aired these assumptions, clients can decide whether they wish to continue to espouse them, modify them, or replace them with alternative ones. At a deeper level too, the approach makes it feasible to address more personal issues regarding self-worth. So, while the therapy takes on board the task of tackling individual assumptions†¦show more content†¦The number of people attending usually ranges from four to eight plus two staff. The topics covered in groups include medical management, nutrition, cognitive behavioural techniques, creative expression, stress management, adolescent issues and school issues. If you are admitted to hospital after you have commenced group therapy as an outpatient, you can attend group if you are medically stable. Group programs are also available for inpatients - see Admission to Hospital. http://www.pmh.health.wa.gov.au/services/eating_disorders/services/group.htm#parents w. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and behavior therapy (BT) have been used for many years as first-line treatment, and they are the most-used types of psychotherapy for bulimia. CBT involves three overlapping phases. The first phase focuses on helping people to resist the urge to engage in the cycle of behavior by educating them about the dangers. The second phase introduces procedures to reduce dietary restraint and increase eating regularity. The last phase involves teaching people relapse-prevention strategies to help prepare them for possible setbacks In general, CBT proceeds in three phases after the introductory sessions. The first phase promotes normalization of eating and weight rehabilitation, usually with behavioral and psychoeducational techniques. The second phase focuses on cognitive restructuring to target maladaptive cognitionsShow MoreRelatedNutrition Counseling Practices And Psychological Counseling1294 Words   |  6 Pagespaired with the personal qualities of a non-judgmental attitude, objective open-mindedness, and flexibility. Many human development theories influence the way that nutrition counseling is conducted. Behavior modification, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), rational-emotive therapy (RET), social learning theory, standard behavioral therapy, transtheoretical model, person-centered therapy, Gestalt therapy, family therapy, self-management approach, the health belief model, and developing skills trainingRead MoreEating Disorders : Anorexia Nervosa1477 Words   |  6 Pagesare three main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. They all involve serious disturbances in weight regulation and eating habits, accompanied by adverse effects on social, psychological and physical aspects of one’s life (‘Eating disorders: About more than food’, n.d.). This essay will specifically be focusing on bulimia nervosa, as research shows a higher level of stigma associated with it, compared to other eating disorders (Roehrig McLean, 2009)Read MoreEffectiveness Of Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy On Treating Nssi, Eating Disorders And Substance Abuse Disorder1264 Words   |  6 PagesEffectiveness of Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy in Treating NSSI, Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse Disorder Overview of intervention/Introduction Emma is a 15-year-old teenager diagnosed with bulimia nervosa. Partaking in episodes of binge eating, fasting and self- induced vomiting; Emma has a distorted perception regarding her weight and body image. Similarly, Ethan is a 16-year-old teenager diagnosed with Non- suicidal- self-injury (NSSI), who through repetitive cuts and burns to the bodyRead More Psychotherapy for Anorexia Nervosa Essay1432 Words   |  6 PagesPsychotherapy for Anorexia Nervosa What is anorexia? Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that consists of self-regulated food restriction in which the person strives for thinness and also involves distortion of the way the person sees his or her own body. An anorexic person weighs less than 85% of their ideal body weight. The prevalence of eating disorders is between .5-1% of women aged 15-40 and about 1/20 of this number occurs in men. Anorexia affects all aspects of an affected personsRead MoreIs Cognitive Behavior Therapy? Essay1593 Words   |  7 PagesIs Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) effective in reducing negative body image for adolescent females? The approach that was used to answer the practice question had been to use three different search engines: Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and ProQuest. The search terms used to find sources included body image, cognitive behavior therapy, adolescent female, effective, and treatment. Other search terms included eating disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and intervention. The criteria used to determineRead MoreCognitive Behavioral Therapy ( Cbt ) And A Family Systems Approach1242 Words   |  5 PagesMental health professionals recognize that Family Systems Therapy (FT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have had successes as a treatment methodology for individuals who develop eating disorders (Jones, Volker, Lock, Taylor, and Jacobi, 2012; Park, Waller, and Gannon, 2013). In this paper, I compare and contrast an individual approach involving cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and a family systems approach. Definitions and descriptions of studies involving both approaches will be providedRead MoreCognitive Behavioral Therapy And Mental Health Disorders Essay1545 Words   |  7 Pagesadolescence stage constantly wondered me what clinical approach can treat depression. Rather than relying on medications, clinical therapies are more effective to cure a variety of mental disorders. Although there are numerous psychological and physiological treatments to cure depression, ‘Cognitive Behavioral Therapy’ [CBT] will effectively treat depression as well as other mental health problems. Commonly used by most mental health experts, cognitive behavioral therapy is â€Å"a short-term, problem-focusedRead MoreEffectiveness Of Highly Sequenced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Other Specified Feeding Or Eating Disorders And Anxiety1332 Words   |  6 Pages2005, Swedish researchers, Nevonen and Broberg, investigated the effectiveness of highly sequenced cognitive-behavioral therapy for Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders and anxiety. They releas ed a study examining thirty five EDNOS participants with a mean age of 20.5, matched and randomized to twenty three sessions of sequenced CBT, followed by either individual or group therapy. Intention-to-treat analysis was used and participants were measured pre, post-treatment, and at one and 2.5 yearsRead MorePositive Body Image Group Essay1234 Words   |  5 Pagesan eating disorder. Research has shown that there is a strong connection between eating pathology and BID. Furthermore, BID is issued as a diagnostic criterion for both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (Bhatnagar et al., 2013). There is a critical role of poor body image on both the onset and maintenance of eating disorders. Researchers have also found that elevated levels of BID are related to poorer responses to treatment and higher rates of relapse in individuals diagnosed with eating disordersRead MoreRita Has A Rough Childhood Growing Up Essay1342 Words   |  6 Pagesthe calories. Rita would constantly weigh herself several times a day to make sure she did not pass her limit of one hundred and fifteen pounds. After Rita turned twenty six years old her eating habits grew worse. She began to consume excessive amounts of food, at least two to three times a day. After binge eating, she would starve herself for two to three days in order to avoid weight gain. When she finally reached one hundred and twenty two pounds, Rita began to purge more than once a week. At first

Financial Analysis of JB HI-FI Limited - Free Sample

Question: Describe about the Financial Analysis of JB HI-FI Limited. Answer: The above analysis has explored that increase in sales is an indication of strong foundations. According to the financial statement of the company, JB Hi-fi Limited, it can be concluded that the revenue and the net profit after tax is gradually increased. This shows that there has been an increase in the efficiency and profitability position. Again, the working capital position of the company also shows that the company can meet its current liability obligations. This also indicates that the firm will make debt payment on time. The asset position of the company demonstrated that it has enough liquid cash to meet short-term liability obligations. In addition, the total dividend that would be paid by the corporation also holds positive. The earnings per share are also increased over the period. The board has decided to pay significant proportion of the profit in the form of dividend and hold on the rest to may be because the board might want to invest in a new project of the company. I t means, the shareholders of the company is getting return from the investment on regular interval as well as the wealth is enhancing each year. Recommendation The above analysis has shown that the performance of the organization is improving and at present the company is in above average risk tolerance zone. Therefore, the investor can buy this stock at this moment. In other words, it can be said that the recommendation is strong buy. At the same time, it has also apparent that the current growth of the company is positive enough in compare to the industry benchmark. However, there is a question in investors mind that whether the company will able to maintain its growth in near future or not. In this context, it can be recommended that the organization is to review its financial performance on frequent interval and has to ensure the investors while announcing the dividend. Bibliography Jbhifi.com.au. (2016). JB Hi-Fi | Australias Largest Home Entertainment Retailer. [online] Available at: https://www.jbhifi.com.au [Accessed 21 Sep. 2016]. Price, J., 2012. Return on equity traps and how to avoid them. Equity, 26(3), p.4.

Langston Hughes As Social Person Essays - Harlem Renaissance

Langston Hughes As Social Person Langston Hughes is considered by many readers to be the most significant black poet of the twentieth century. He is described as ...the beloved author of poems steeped in the richness of African American culture, poems that exude Hughess affection for black Americans across all divisions of region, class, and gender. (Rampersad 3) His writing was both depressing and uplifting at times. His poetry, spanning five decades from 1926 to 1967, reflected the changing black experience in America, from the Harlem Renaissance to the turbulent sixties. At the beginning of his career, he was surrounded by the Harlem Renaissance. New York City in the 1920s was a place of immense growth and richness in African-American culture and art. For Hughes, this was the perfect opportunity to establish his poems. His early work reflects the happy times of the era. However, as time progressed he became increasingly bitter and upset over race relations. Except for a few examples, all his poems from this later period spoke about social injustice in America. The somber tone of his writing often reflected his mood. Race relations was the shadow of his career, following him from his first poem to his last. The tone and subject matter of Hughess poetry can be linked to certain points in history, and his life. The youth of Hughes is brought out by his poem Harlem Night Club, a piece which describes living in the moment. Often children do not consider the consequences of their actions; they act on instinct and desire. Hughes might have been 27 when he wrote this poem, but the feisty, upbeat tempo of a school boy is present in his style. Harlem Night Club is unique in that it describes the integration of blacks and whites in an optimistic tone. The vigor and spirit of his youth is reflected in the energy of the writing, Jazz-band, jazz-band,? / Play, plAY, PLAY! / Tomorrow....who knows? / Dance today! The repetition of the words, and the increasing emphasis on the word play bring out the excitement to the reader. More evidence of Hughess youth comes from the very focus of the poem: the interracial couples. The entire poem can be summed up as ...a single-glance tableau of interracial flirtation against a background of heady jazz. (Emanuel 120) This festive relationship between the two sexes can rarely be seen in any of Hughess later poems. At this point in his life, Hughes was enjoying the culture and excitement of the Harlem renaissance. It was an amazing period in New York for African Americans, the first real large scale expression of their culture. Jazz was a flourishing art form that Hughes often liked to write about. It is easy to see why most of his poems of this period (1921-1930) would be festive and cheerful. Unfortunately, the party didnt last into the next decade and the country fell into a deep depression. The period between 1931 and 1940 was a dark period for Hughes, and for African-Americans in general. On top of the financial difficulties the depression brought, widespread racism re-surfaced in the North. The celebration in Harlem was replaced by angry whites who were anxious to put blame on someone for their troubles. White Man is a direct attack on the white mans violations against the African-Americans. Like the earlier poem Harlem Night Club, it is a fast-paced, dynamic piece. However, its tone reflects pure anger and frustration. White Man! White Man! / Let Louis Armstrong play it? / And you copyright it / And make the money. / Youre the smart guy, White Man! / You got everything! Its intensity makes the reader frantic just from reading it. The line about Louis Armstrong refers to the great jazz trumpet player, the first black man to be recognized as a successful jazz artist by a white audience. Only now, ten years later, we see that it is the whites who profit from his talent. Hughes is desperate not to forget the accomplishments of the 20s, and not to let those accomplishments get taken away by greedy white businessmen. Another attack on the white world comes in his piece Ballad of Roosevelt. Roosevelt is thought of as one of the countrys greatest leaders, a wonderful humanitarian. But in this poem Hughes reminds us that he did not always come through with his promises. The poem is written in rhyme and has a flowing, nursery-rhyme feel. There is a chorus of three lines that repeats after every stanza. In each verse, Hughes states a problem

Slavery and the southern econemy essays

Slavery and the southern econemy essays Slaves heavily supported the economy of the south due to the fact that so much money was invested into them and they produced a sizable chunk of cotton that was exported to the North and Europe. Since the economy was based on cotton, the more that you produced the more money you could make. Since almost everyone wanted to get richer they spent the money that they made on land and more slaves. Thus the south was heavily in debit at the time of the civil war. The cost of slaves was increased by the amount of money that the government and people had to spend on maintaining slavery. The government had to enforce the fugitive slave law and provide money and arms for the militias an troops stationed in the south to suppress any attempt at an uprising by slaves. Also the southern economy was heading toward a collapse due to rise in costs and a reduction in profits. As mentioned before the cost of maintaining slavery was increasing due cost to recapture slaves and the protection of whites. T he profit reduction is because of an over saturation of the cotton on to the global market. Another major factor was international pressures. By the 1830s slavery was being outlawed around the world. Importation was illegal and most countries abolished it all together. These nations began to sign treaties to enforce these laws that enabled the boycott of countries that imported or had slavery. The countries that would boycott slave areas were also some of the main consumers of cotton produced in the south. Due to these reasons slavery was a burden on the south. These however did not cause the civil war. The civil war was caused over states rights. However slavery still would of caused the downfall of the southern cash crop economy that was being practiced at the time leading up to the civil war. ...

Coldest Capital Cities of the World

Coldest Capital Cities of the World The coldest capital city in the world is not in Canada or in Northern Europe but in Mongolia; its Ulaanbaatar, with an average annual chilly temperature of 29.7 °F and -1.3 °C. How to Determine the Coldest Cities Southern capital cities just dont reach far enough south to get very cold. For instance, if you think about the southernmost capital in the world Wellington, New Zealand - images of ice and snow are probably far from your mind. Thus, the answer had to lie in the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Searching WorldClimate.com for the annual mean of the daily (24-hour) temperature for each capital city in that area, one can find which cities are, in general, the coldest. A List of the Coldest Cities Interestingly, Ottawa, considered an extremely cold city in North America, had an average of only 41.9 °F/5.5 °C- meaning it wasnt even in the top five! Its number seven. Also interesting is that the northernmost capital city in the world- Reykjavik, Iceland- is not number one; it falls in the list at number five. Good data for the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, just doesnt exist, but it would appear from nearby climate data and other sources of information that Astana falls between number one (Ulaanbaatar) and number three (Moscow). Heres the list, starting with the coldest. Ulaan-Baatar (Mongolia) 29.7 °F/-1.3 °C Ulaanbaatar  is  the largest city of Mongolia as well as its capital and is a destination for both business and pleasure trips. It is below zero for five months of the year. January and February are the coldest months with the temperature ranging  between -15 °C and -40 °C. The average annual temperature is -1.3 °C. Astana (Kazakhstan) (Data Unavailable) Astana is one of the strangest cities that exists, with tall futuristic-looking buildings made of shiny metal and glass rising abruptly out of the flat steppe landscape on the banks of Ishim River. It is the second largest city in Kazakhstan. Astana means the capital city in Kazakh. It was designated the capital city in 1997 and the previous name was changed to Astana in 1998. The climate is extreme. Summers can be very warm, with temperatures occasionally reaching 35 °C (95 °F) while winter temperatures can fall to -35 °C (-22 to-31 °F) between mid-December and early March. Moscow (Russia) 39.4 °F/4.1 °C Moscow is the capital of Russia and the largest city on the European continent.  It is situated on the  Moskva River. It has  the largest forest area within its borders of any other major city and is  well-known for its many parks and distinctive architecture. The winters in Moscow are long and cold, lasting from the middle of November until the end of March, with winter temperatures varying widely from -25 °C (-13 °F) in the city, and even colder in the suburbs, to above 5 °C (41 °F). In the summer the temperature ranges from 10 to 35 °C (50 to 95 °F). Helsinki (Finland) 40.1 °F/4.5 °C Helsinki is both the capital and largest city of Finland, situated on the shore of the Gulf of Finland on the tip of a peninsula and on 315 islands. The average winter temperature in January and February is -5 °C (23 °F). Given Helsinkis northern latitude one would normally expect colder winter temperatures, but the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic Current have a mitigating effect on the temperatures, keeping them somewhat warmer in the winter, and cooler during the day in the summer. Reykjavik (Iceland) 40.3 °F/4.6 °C Reykjavik is Icelands capital and largest city. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the shore of Faxa Bay and is the worlds northernmost capital of a sovereign state. Like Helsinki, temperatures in Reykjavik are affected by the North Atlantic Current, an extension of the Gulf Stream. The temperatures are warmer in the winter than would be expected by the latitude, rarely falling below -15 °C (5 °F), and the summers are cooler, with temperatures generally ranging between 10 and 15 °C (50 and 59 °F). Tallinn  (Estonia) 40.6 °F/4.8 °C Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It is located at the northernmost part of Estonia on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. It was first established in medieval times but is now a mix of ancient and modern. It has the distinction of being dubbed the Silicon Valley of Europe and has the highest number of startups per person in Europe. Skype, for example, got its start there. Due to its location on the coast and mitigating effect of the sea, the winters are cold but warmer than one would expect for the latitude. February is the coldest month, with the average temperature being -4.3 °C (24.3 °F). Throughout the winter, temperatures are close to freezing. Summers are comfortable with temperatures during the day between 19 and 21 °C (66 to 70 °F). Ottawa (Canada) 41.9 °F/5.5 °C In addition to being its capital, Ottawa is the fourth largest city in Canada, most educated, and has the highest standard of living in Canada. It is in southern Ontario on the Ottawa River.  Winters are snowy and cold, with an average January minimum temperature of -14.4 °C (6.1 °F), while summers are warm and humid, with an average July maximum temperature of 26.6 °C (80 °F).

Business structures and competitiveness of Canada Analysis using Essay

Business structures and competitiveness of Canada Analysis using Michael Porters Diamond Model of International Competitiveness - Essay Example Factor conditions 7 4.2 Demand conditions 8 4.3 Supplier industries in Canada 8 4.4 Business establishment, management and rivalry in the domestic market 9 5. Conclusions - Recommendations 10 6. References 12 7. Appendix 13 Executive Summary A series of criteria tends to be used for evaluating the performance of economies in the global market. Usually, the ability of countries to cover their debts and to respond to the needs of local population is considered as indication of economic strength. In practice, it has been proved that the competitiveness of countries refers to a variety of requirements; these requirements need to be met in order for a country to be characterized as highly competitive. The particular issue has been explored in the literature, due to its critical importance. The most common framework for evaluating the competitiveness of countries is the Diamond model of national competitiveness. This model promotes the view that national competitiveness can be related most ly to four elements (Figure 1, Appendix). The Porter’s Diamond model has been used in this paper in order to evaluate the competitiveness of Canada. Using the model for developing the above task a contradiction has been revealed: Canada seems to perform high in two of the model’s elements while its performance in the rest two elements is low (Figure 5, Appendix). This contradiction could be explained as follows: Canadian economy is quite strong and the development of business activity is highly promoted by the government. However, the measures taken are not adequate and gaps are unavoidable. Therefore, the competitiveness of the country seems to be high or low depending on the elements of the economy on which each part of the Diamond model is based. 1.0 Introduction The competitiveness of countries in the context of the international market is difficult to be measured, especially due to the instability in economies and the strong social conflicts worldwide. Porter has introduced a model that can be used as the basis for measuring and evaluating the national competitiveness; this is the Diamond model. The value of this model is high since no similar theoretical frameworks are available in the literature. At the same time, the effectiveness of the specific model has been already tested in practice leading to credible findings in regard to national competitiveness. A key advantage of Porter’s Diamond model is the following one: the model can be used for evaluating the competitiveness of countries with various cultural and social characteristics. Porter’s Diamond model has been used in this paper for measuring the national competitiveness of Canada, a country with a quite strong economy, at least as compared with other western countries. Porter’s Diamond model has verified the strength and the prospects of the Canadian economy; however, there are certain practices of the country’s government that should be alternated, a ne ed that has been revealed through Porter’s Diamond model. 2.0 National competitiveness – characteristics When referring to the competitiveness of a nation it is difficult to choose the criteria that would be most appropriate for taking a relevant decision (Porter 1990). Most commonly, national competitiveness is related to issues such as ‘exchange rates, interest rates and government deficits’ (Porter 1990, p.76), being related to macro-economy. The view that national competitiveness can be related mostly to the natural resources of a country has not been widely accepted (Porter 1990) as it could not respond to the following question: how countries such as Germany and Italy that

Denial of the Right to Rescind a Contract Based on he Finding of Essay - 1

Denial of the Right to Rescind a Contract Based on he Finding of Misrepresented Facts - Essay Example A misled party is normally allowed to rescind for justifiable reasons, for example, a misrepresentation. Misrepresentation here refers to a false statement of fact made by one of the contract partners to the other and in effect, it induced the second party to enter into the contact. It, therefore, stands that the representee was cheated into it (Collins, 2004). The remedy to misrepresentations normally comes in terms of payment for damages or refund of money offered by the represented, the person who has been cheated. However, under some circumstances, a court cannot allow a party to rescind on the realization of misrepresented facts which induced them to enter into the contract. An example of business-law matter which can lead to denial of rescission is the realization of misrepresentation involving the sale of goods, after the lapse of reasonable time. Atiyah (1994) states that in business, a buyer accepts and receives goods in the performance of a contract. According to the contract law, a represented cannot be given a chance to rescind from a contract if they discover a misrepresentation yet they do not take the necessary steps to avoid such a contract within a reasonable time (Cartwright, 2007). The time limit is given to represent to make such steps normally varies from one type of misrepresentation to another. For example, if it is a fraudulent misrepresentation, the representee has until when the misrepresentation should have been discovered. International galleries also claimed that the item (a painting) was truly a Constable (Leaf v International Galleries [1950] 2 KB 86). In this case, the term of the contract was the painter’s name, that is, John Constable and a breach of this allowed the rejection of the painting.   Leaf paid  £85 for the item and after five years he wanted to auction it. To his surprise, he was told the item was not a constable as earlier stated by International Galleries. Leaf claimed a rescission of the contract so as to get a refund of his money but was denied.

French Existentialism Philosophers Essay Example for Free

French Existentialism Philosophers Essay Part A: Gabriel Marcel’s Philosophy on Problem and Mystery Part B: Simone De Beauvoirs Philosophy on why there is a moral obligation to overcome oppression (our own and that of others) and why is an existentialist ethics an ethics of freedom Part A: Gabriel Marcel is known to be one of the more religious philosophers who was a French Existentialist. He was a committed Catholic Philosopher and he believed that by being connected to others he will be connected to god. He believed that philosophy should be about hope and wanted to portray the more positive aspects of human characteristics through his writings and thoughts. Marcel has a belief that problems and mysteries were two separate ideas where problems exist outside and apart from ourselves and mysteries were unsolved queries that were more internal to one’s self. For example determining what a body is, is a problem and determining what my body is, is a mystery. He believes that we can use primary and secondary reflections in order to seek a solution to the problem or mystery being faced with. Primary reflections use analytical skills to separate the thinker from the problematic object in order to find a resolution. Separating the thinker from the problem is important in order to effectively reflect and create intellectual and moral means to a solution. Primary reflections use means of abstracting data and using it in order to manipulate the world and deal with the problem that is not always black and white or a right or wrong answer. Primary reflection approaches problems from an objective standpoint where the thinker is separate from the problem while the secondary reflection begins with the experience of existence within the problem and is used with reflection of a mystery. The secondary reflection is open to contemplation by looking at it as a unique presence. The existence within the world is not a problem that needs to be solved because humans and their bodies are intrinsically related to the world and they are in relation to each other, not objects or problems that can be manipulated. Marcel believed that Philosophy is a part of reflecting on a mystery and the mystery requires participation of the person reflecting because it is an experience of presence itself. A mystery involves you as an intrinsical part of the question wh ich is a question of yourself and requires a solution by secondary reflection. A question becomes a mystery when it takes itself into the subject. Marcel believes that humans are increasingly becoming defined by their problems which cause alienation of themselves from themselves and also causing separation from others. The questions of â€Å"being† and humans are mysteries within the Marcel philosophies. When something is recognized as â€Å"not being† it cannot be a mystery. As humans we have a need for â€Å"being† with â€Å"ontological exigence† which consumes â€Å"being† upsurges of joy, happiness, hopefulness, expectations and desires. â€Å"Being† as a human means existing and experiencing the world and the subjects within it. Having something means exercising power over that thing by possession and rights to those possessions. By having rights over a possession can also enables that person to have the ability of disposal of that subject as well. Having something is different from experiencing that thing, for example having a body is different form experiencing your body because you cannot rid yourself of your body without ceasing to be. Life is not identical to a person’s â€Å"being† because â€Å"being† is the whole self which is more than life and it is what a person aspires to be. Humans can only evoke the fullness of â€Å"being† by engaging with others and coming together as a community. Marcel promotes the idea of living I-Thou which opens up and enhances a person’s â€Å"being† which God being the ultimate Thou. The I-Thou idea requires a person to be open to the â€Å"being† of others within their lives and not living only for themselves. Marcel has an interesting stance on the subject of love and how it should be defined. He believes that love has to do with inner subjectivity and it is about seeking and experiencing the â€Å"being† of the other. Love is not about possession or having another person which is commonly thought to be the main definition of what love means. Marcel believes that a self does not love, but it is the self that is constituted by love. When we attach predicates to a thou we limit our love for another and it’s trust and faith which constitutes love in the â€Å"being† of the other. I always thought that love had to do with possessing and labeling a person or subject as yours. However, Marcel’s philosophy on love has changed my point of view into believing that love is about fully accepting a person as who they are instead of trying to possess them and changing them into being an object of your desire and control. Part B: In Simone Beauvoir’s writing of The Ethics of Ambiguity she begins to elaborate on ethics and the importance of a moral obligation to overcome oppression. Moral acts and willing one’s self free is an obligation of a person in order to become a moral person. With moral freedom a person is not free unless they can deal with free individuals. We all should strive for our freedom as well as the freedom of others and the freedom of all. The freedom to choose is shaped by social and political freedom of people. Beauvoir believes that in order to free all we must take a stand for justice especially in the political sense. We ought to respect freedom when it serves freedom, but not when freedom distances itself from itself. For example when freedom is used in the oppression and the abuse of others, we ought not to respect it in cases such as a dictatorship oppressing the freedom of its people. Oppressing an oppressor is justified even when it requires violence and in cases of people rising up and rebelling the person or the system that has been oppressing them it is justifiable. In such cases casualties of war with sacrifices is justified when fighting for freedom because it makes it a just war. Simone Beauvoir states â€Å"the truth is that if division and violence define war, the world has always been at war and will always be; if man is waiting for universal peace in order to establish his existence validly, he will wait indefinitely: there will never be any other future.† (Beauvoir ) With this she means that if the only reasons for war are for violence to annihilate the other opponent because of division then war will never end and people will never reach complete liberation. However, oppressing and oppressor should never be driven by blind faith. The actions must be considered fully well and deliberate over choice. Each circumstance should be considered on a case by case basis and analyzed by practical problems. Ethics emphasize physical and social interaction in relation to other human beings because of freedom. Authentic morality involves engagement with the world that is not abstract intellectualism. People who sit by and talk about the problems and the circumstances that accustom the world are not engaging with the world directly. Beauvoir stresses that in order to achieve authentic morality people must do something to engage with the world not intellectualize the problems within it. Humans have a moral commitment to liberate the oppressed individuals because it causes limited liberation of their own freedom. Oppressed individuals may not even know that they are being oppressed and this why it is important for others to enlighten them and help them become liberated from their situation. With an oppressed individual, their own judgment that they are oppressed is what counts and this is why it’s an obligation of others who recognize the oppression to give them knowledge of their situation. Oppressed people are cut off from the future without the power of liberation to decide what is next for them in their lives. With liberation a person must be able to question values and oppressed individuals are not able to do this. Being oppressed does not gain moral character because character is not built by suffering. A person cannot say that they are a strong person because they have been accepting oppression and the suffering that comes with it. A person is strong when they take a stand for their liberation and fight for their own values as well as the liberation of others. However, power is limited within liberation, Beauvoir enforces this by stating that â€Å"to be free is not to have the power to do anything you like; it is to be able to surpass the given toward an open future; the existence of others as a freedom defines my situation and is even the condition of my own freedom.† (Beauvoir ) Power is a foundation of moral freedom and in order to engage the world a person must have power, but it is a limited power. Not only individuals of the world, but state also has an obligation to ensure that it’s people have a minimum level of well-being because this is necessary to freely act within the world. External help is needed in order to alleviate oppression and once an oppressed individual is placed within the presence of freedom they must pursue freedom for themselves and one cannot force freedom upon them or it would not be recognized as freedom at all. Works cited Beauvoir, S. D. The Works of Simone de Beauvoir. Zuubooks.com, 2010. Print. Marcel, Gabriel. A Gabriel Marcel Reader. 1st edition. St. Augustines Press, 2011. Print.

Technology :: Technology Research

Technology is a broad concept that deals with a species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment. In human society, it is a consequence of science and engineering, although several technological advances predate the two concepts. Technology is a term with origins in the Greek "technologia", "Ï„Î µÃâ€¡ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±" — "techne", "Ï„Î ­Ãâ€¡ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ·" ("craft") and "logia", "ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±" ("saying").[1] However, a strict definition is elusive; "technology" can refer to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines, hardware or utensils, but can also encompass broader themes, including systems, methods of organization, and techniques. The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include "construction technology", "medical technology", or "state-of-the-art technology". The human race's use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. The prehistorical discovery of the ability to control fire increased the available sources of food and the invention of the wheel helped humans in travelling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful purposes; the development of weapons of ever-increasing destructive power has progressed throughout history, from clubs to nuclear weapons. Technology has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has helped develop more advanced economies (including today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products, known as pollution, and deplete natural resources, to the detriment of the Earth and its environment. Various implementations of technology influence the values of a society and new technology often raises new ethical questions. Examples include the rise of the notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity, a term originally applied only to machines, and the challenge of traditional norms. Philosophical debates have arisen over the present and future use of technology in society, with disagreements over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it. Neo-Luddism, anarcho-primitivism, and similar movements criticise the pervasiveness of technology in the modern world, claiming that it harms the environment and alienates people; proponents of ideologies such as transhumanism and techno-progressivism view continued technological progress as beneficial to society and the human condition. Indeed, until recently, it was believed that the development of technology was restricted only to human beings, but recent scientific studies indicate that other primates and certain dolphin communities have developed simple tools and learned to pass their knowledge to other generations.

HP Case Study †Strategy Essay

Hewlett-Packard’s personal computer (PC) division operates in a hyper-competitive, highly-commoditized industry subject to dynamic shifts. The PC industry is driven by technological advancements requiring continuing commitment to research and development to capture the ever-changing PC market. For most of the past five years, Hewlett-Packard led the PC industry in terms of market share. However, Hewlett-Packard’s market share is currently declining and recent industry reports indicate that a Chinese low cost PC manufacturer, Lenovo, is now the market share leader. Over four primary sections, we performed an analysis of Hewlett-Packard’s strategy in the PC industry. First, we performed an external industry examination to obtain information on the current conditions of the market, including industry trends, buyer and supplier marketplace power, and emerging market concerns, such as the threat of PC substitutes. Second, we conducted an internal analysis to determine Hewlett-Packard’s top resources, assets and liabilities, and potential capabilities from its value chain. Third, we documented Hewlett-Packard’s current strategic position within the PC industry. Fourth, we examined and scrutinize Hewlett-Packard’s current industry strategy of returning to its core competencies while consolidating aspects of its PC manufacturing and sales. From the information in these sections, we conclude that if Hewlett-Packard is to sustain (or regain) its place as the market leader in the PC industry, it must leverage its brand recognition, economies of scale advantages, and product integration features to capture market value while producing technologically competitive products. Introduction This analysis is focused on the personal computer (PC) segment of Hewlett-Packard (HP). For clarification, HP’s PCs segment includes desktop, laptop, and notebook / netbook computers. Hardware devices falling outside of the PC category are mobile personal computing devices, such as tablets and cellular phones. HP’s PC sales for fiscal year 2012 were $41. 5 billion, which represents 26. 5% of HP’s $120 billion total revenue from all products and services. HP’s PC sales captured a 16% share of the total PC market (Trefis, 2012). From an analytical standpoint, HP has made many significant moves over the past three to four years, including numerous changes in company leadership and distinct shifts in business strategy. As a result, the ultimate effectiveness and success of HP’s strategies discussed has yet to be seen. Therefore, some of the conclusions we draw regarding HP’s forward strategy will be measured by whether HP’s strategic decisions align with its competitive advantages and obligations to stakeholders. External Analysis The global PC industry is led by a small number of large scale manufacturers who are homogenizing products and looking to capitalize on low cost labor resources. Industry demand is driven by technological developments, disposable consumer spending, and corporate spending cycles (First Research, 2012). Although global demand for PCs has increased, profit margins are decreasing, creating an industry focused on price rivalry and little differentiation (MarketLine, 2012). In addition, PC substitutes are a major threat to the PC industry (Indigo, 2012). The traditional PC industry, with its focus on desktops and laptops, is in the mature or declining stage of its life cycle. Our external analysis examines the significant factors influencing the current PC environment, including potential market threats and opportunities during the next five years, and how HP is performing relative to its industry competitors. Exhibit One illustrates the forces currently affecting the PC industry. Threat of New Entrants Overall, the threat of new entrants is low because any new entrants face numerous competitive obstacles in order to obtain industry relevance. The PC industry has significant fixed entry costs and the challenges to compete with the economies of scale of major companies would be exceedingly difficult for potential entrants to overcome. Brand recognition creates another distinct entry barrier because PC consumers have high brand awareness (MarketLine, 2012). With that mentioned, Microsoft and Intel are powerful industry suppliers so the threat for forward integration is reasonable. In addition, the oversaturation of basic PC component suppliers in Southeast Asia poses an additional concern for potential entrants to the industry. New firms could originate in Southeast Asia by leveraging the low cost labor force and avoiding expensive supply chain expenditures. Buyer Power Differentiation: The industry trend is to move manufacturing abroad in order to capture low cost labor efficiencies. There also has been a trend to homogenize products across the industry (Krabeepetcharat, 2012). In order to drive manufacturing costs down, most basic components used in the PC industry are standardized and lack significant differentiation (MarketLine, 2012). The exception differentiators are memory size, processor speed, and product form features (Bradley, 2012). Overall the industry has moved toward commoditization, which strengthens buyer power. Network Effect / Brand Recognition: Regardless of particular PC brand, consumer brand awareness is high in this focal industry. Apple has carved out a unique and loyal customer following largely because its users have higher switching costs than other PC users due to Apple’s specific computer operating system. If Apple consumers were to change to a non-Apple computer, they would be required to learn a new operating system. Apart from Apple computers, the majority of the other PCs run on Microsoft Windows-based operating systems. Consumers of PCs operating on Windows have lower switching costs overall, allowing more independence in switching brands. Despite this, brand awareness is still high among consumers of Windows-based PCs, thus contributing to an overall moderate buyer power rating. Supplier Power Microsoft and Intel are two powerful suppliers to the PC industry. Intel is the leading manufacturer of the processors inside all PCs. Intel’s brand name carries significant brand recognition to end-level consumers providing Intel with a powerful industry position. Similarly, Microsoft’s widely-used Windows operating system provides Microsoft a powerful industry position as well. As mentioned earlier, the manufacture of most basic component PC parts is being outsourced to Southeast Asia to capitalize on low cost labor. Since Southeast Asia is replete with component suppliers competing with one another, major PC manufacturers face low switching costs when deciding on basic component suppliers. Therefore, supplier power in the PC industry is divided between powerful suppliers, such as Microsoft and Intel, and basic component suppliers with relatively little power. However, any examination of supplier power must acknowledge a growing socio-cultural concern regarding working conditions in low-cost labor regions that may factor into business decisions. Substitutes The PC industry has been significantly impacted by the threat of substitutes in recent years. Emerging mobile technologies, such as smart phones and tablets, now account for 61% of total PC market volume (MarketLine, 2012). While smart phones and tablets are strong substitutes for consumer PC purchasers, up to this point mobile devices have not had the same impact on business-end users, who generally chose the robust functionality of traditional PCs over less powerful smart phones and tablets. It is important for PC manufacturers to leverage these capabilities to diminish the functionality gap between PCs and PC substitutes. Degree of Rivalry Market Value Forecast: Future PC sales are projected to generate slimmer profit margins than the current 3. 8% industry average (Krabeepetcharat, 2012). As major manufacturers leverage manufacturing efficiencies abroad, product costs are lowering, creating a degree of rivalry and a focus on end-level costs. Manufacturers are essentially looking to cut costs and offer cheaper products to gain market share (First Research, 2012). Since products within the industry lack differentiation, price competition becomes the default battleground, resulting in ever-shrinking profit margins (Porter, 2007). This is very apparent in the PC industry market forecast (exhibit two), which projects a 10% decrease between 2011 and 2016 (MarketLine, 2012). Apple’s position in this analysis is noteworthy. Apple is the only pure hardware/software integrator, which has allowed Apple to create an incredibly strong position that is unique to the PC industry. Apple’s five-year rolling profit margin average is approximately 23%, significantly higher than the PC industry (exhibit two) at large (YCharts, 2012). Large Scale Manufacturers: Computer manufacturing is labor intensive. Major industry participants have moved manufacturing abroad to take advantage of low cost labor and geographic proximity to electronic component manufacturers (ECMs) in Southeast Asia. This close proximity to ECMs contributes to low switching costs for PC manufacturers (Krabeepetcharat, 2012). Shifting production of PC manufacturing to low cost labor regions and having access to numerous component suppliers creates economies of scale advantages for these large PC manufacturers. HP’s Performance Relative to PC Manufacturing Competitors Since 2007, Hewlett-Packard held the market share leader position (MarketLine, 2012). However, in the fourth quarter 2012, Lenovo, Chinese PC manufacturing firm (formerly IBM’s PC division), overtook the market share leader position (Gaudin, 2012). HP’s brand still carries superior brand integrity in the PC industry. The integration of multiple HP products, such as laptops seamlessly linking to HP printers, help differentiate an HP consumer’s experience. Additionally, HP’s ancillary products and services are still a strong differentiator (Bradley, 2012), and HP was able to capture a 5. 6% profit margin in 2011 (Hughes, 2011), a margin higher than the industry average of 3. 8% (MarketLine, 2012). Exhibit two captures HP’s competitive advantage over top rivals in regards to profit margins. In the United States, HP remains the largest domestic PC manufacturer (MarketLine, 2012). With the high degree of rivalry in the industry, the maturing/declining PC industry is shifting manufacturing to low cost regions abroad. Since the United States is the second-largest PC consuming country in the world, HP must continue to delicately balance its outsourcing activities (Krabeepetcharat, 2012). Once considered a technological leader in the PC industry, HP now struggles with competition from PC substitutes such as tablets and phones. Looking forward, it is critical that HP retains market share and re-establishes profitable growth in the PC industry by being first-to-market with new technologies or higher performing capabilities (First Research, 2012). Internal Analysis As a whole, the PC industry is currently in the mature or declining stage of its life cycle. During the six-year period spanning 2005 to 2011, HP’s unfavorable strategic decisions caused a refocusing and restructuring of its PC division. Listed below are HP’s top resources from its VRIST and top capabilities from its value chain. Comparing these resources and capabilities against HP’s past and current weaknesses allows an analysis of whether HP is propitiously positioned to regain its former status as the world’s leading PC manufacturer. HP’s PC Resources and Capabilities R&D / Intellectual Property Trusted Brand / Profit Margin Interoperability Market Share HP’s PC Weaknesses Acquisitions Substitutions Market Share Trends PC Revenue Trend Value Chain In the Technology section of HP’s Value Chain, HP is returning to one of its long standing core competencies by increasing investments in its Research & Development department (R&D). According to exhibit three, prior to 2004, HP’s R&D budget was more than $3. 7 billion. But after Mark Hurd became CEO in 2005, the R&D budget was reduced to as little as $2. 8 billion in 2009 (Y-charts, 2012). As shown in the lag metrics for new products over the past two years, this significant decrease in R&D correlates directly to the middling success of HP’s recent product launches. HP’s initial launch into the smart phone and tablet market offers tangible evidence of mediocre product development as both the Palm webOS and touchpad were subsequently discontinued. In 2010, HP started to increase its R&D budget again and the reporting for calendar year 2012 shows the R&D budget is over $3. 4 billion through November. This increased financing and refocus into technology development is a promising indicator, but any resulting intellectual property will take time to build back up. VRIST Analysis HP continues to be a trusted PC brand name (FTSE, 2012). Next to its intellectual property, HP’s brand name is its most valuable extraordinary resource. HP manages to earn higher profit margins than the rest of the leading hardware PC manufacturers based in part on this brand awareness (MarketLine, 2012). HP’s trusted brand image is a competitive advantage that it must sustain. Through brand recognition and interoperability with other products across its platform, HP is able to charge consumers a slightly higher premium over other leading PC manufacturers. Interoperability HP expects the interoperability of its Ultrabooks, ElitePad, and smart phones with other HP products and solutions, such as ePrint Cloud Services, to be its distinguishing competitive advantage (video link). HP’s next generation Ultrabooks boast stylish form features, low power consumption, world-class security features, and preserve mainstream price points. HP and its partners anticipate that these features will differentiate its PCs from its competitors (Bradley, 2012) and could one day be an extraordinary resource much like it is for the Apple brand. Since the PC market is facing continued encroachment from tablets and other PC substitutes, HP is marketing its enterprise tablet (ElitePad 900) in early 2013. Additionally, HP’s managers feel its enterprise tablet has the opportunity to differentiate with other products HP offers by providing interplay between the physical and digital worlds (Bradley, 2012). Overall, the size, scale, and connection that HP products have will enable customers to create, store, consume, and share information safer than before (Bradley, 2012). Market Share Since 2007, HP was the leading global PC manufacturer (MarketLine, 2007). But in the fourth quarter of 2012, Lenovo, a Chinese PC manufacturing firm overtook HP and now leads all manufacturers in global PC sales (Gaudin, 2012). Furthermore, China is now the largest global PC consumer market (Dauod, 12). HP faces substantial difficulty regaining its prior spot as market leader because Lenovo’s is a Chinese company with greater access to the China’s PC market; the largest and quickest growing PC market in the world. HP currently manufactures 16% of all PCs shipped worldwide, however that market share has declined since 2010 (MarketLine, 2012). Once a technological leader, HP is now an industry laggard and must develop new marketable technology to maintain its market share position in this hyper-competitive market. Acquisitions HP recently made some costly acquisitions with the goal of reaching product segments with higher profit margins (Krabeepetcharat 2012). Autonomy, a British software firm which specializes in â€Å"unstructured data† or human information, was purchased for nearly $11 billion dollars. HP is now accusing Autonomy of overvaluing its financial records and has taken an $8. 8 billion write-off against its balance sheet for this acquisition (Rushe, 2012). HP also purchased Palm in 2010 for $1. 2 billion with the hope of capitalizing on the emerging tablet market. But consumer sales of HP’s new tablet, the TouchPad, failed to support the product line, and the TouchPad was discontinued less than a year after product launch (Panzarino, 2012). Beyond these noted questionable acquisitions, HP made numerous other eyebrow-raising acquisitions under past CEOs that were not in line with HP’s core competencies. Internal Analysis Conclusion In August 2011, HP’s last CEO announced that HP planned to divest of its PC division (Krabeepetcharat, 2012). However, HP’s current CEO, Meg Whitman, has stated a renewed commitment to the PC segment. Part of HP’s internal strategy is to rebuild the balance sheet through the newly formed Printer and Personal Services (PPS) division in order to accommodate acquisition-related charges (Thacker, 2012). This is part of the CEO’s five-year plan to rebuild HP (Whitman, 2012). While multi-billion dollar write-offs are staggering hurdles for any company to survive, if HP can return to its core competencies and re-brand itself as the company of innovation (as it was once known), then HP can remain a dominant participant in the PC industry. Current HP Strategic Position Our strategy diamond analysis, shown in Exhibit five, determines that HP plans on implementing the following five strategies in the PC industry: (1) Focus on R&D (vehicles) (2) Pursue emerging markets (staging) (3) Reduce SKU’s offered (arenas) (4) Integrated products & services (differentiators) (5) Economies of scale & Consolidation (Economic Logic) Vehicles HP’s primary strategy vehicle is a commitment to R&D in order to re-establish HP as a technologically focused hardware company (Times, 2012). Exhibit 2 illustrates HP’s changing strategy regarding R&D investment. Starting in 2005, HP’s investments in R&D steadily decreased. After reaching its lowest figure in 2010, the R&D budget was increased. In 2011, HP invested $3. 25 billion on R&D, a significant improvement from 2009, when HP invested just $2. 77 billion in R&D (Yarrow, 2012). Interestingly, the bottom chart on Exhibit 2 shows that Apple spent less on R&D than HP but delivered technologically superior products. This exemplifies how R&D spending does not always equate cleanly with results. R&D is critical to generating a pipeline of intellectual property. Intellectual property is critical to HP’s growth because it is one of HP’s extraordinary resources. Strong R&D investments are often a good leading indicator of well-received future products. On the other hand, the lag metrics arising from HP’s previous R&D slashing indicate numerous problems. Of most concern is the failed WebOS that affected both HP’s initial smart phone and tablet touch pad releases (Davis, 2011). After the poor reception of HP’s WebOS, it became open-source software available to the general public to freely use and modify. HP is currently working on developing its own WebOS but is opening the system to the free market to encourage outside development of mobile applications. Staging Pursuing emerging markets such as China will enable HP to produce and distribute PCs more cost effectively. In fact, China is the future hub of both HP’s manufacturing and distribution plan (Bradley, China, 2012). HP’s executive team is aware of China’s increasingly vital role in consumer PC sales. China currently accounts for 20% of the market and is expected to double the United States’ PC consumption by 2016 (Bradley, Shanghi summit, 2012). HP is acting early by building PC manufacturing facilities in China, both to act as a distribution hub for other Asian suppliers and to distribute PCs directly to the Chinese market. Since HP began this strategy two years ago, HP seems to have been correctly following leading indicators and should see a beneficial pay-off over the coming years as China’s market surpasses the United States’ PC market. Arenas HP intends to reduce the number of its PC and printer stock-keeping units (SKUs) by 25% and 30% respectively by 2015 (Bradley, Newsroom, 2012). The maintenance cost of servicing over 2,100 types of laser printers is neither sustainable nor conducive to continued growth and profitability. Instead of divesting the PC division, as considered in 2011, HP now intends to re-invent its existing product line by focusing on quality innovation over quantity of product offerings. Geographically, HP will also be building a Chinese-based manufacturing facility which will help them operate more cost effectively in that emerging market. Differentiators HP expects to differentiate itself from other PC manufacturers by integrating products with services solutions, a process HP has already begun. In March 2012, HP combined its Personal Systems Group (PSG) with its Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) to form a new segment named Printing & Personal Systems (PPS) (Bradley, 2012). According to a HP director, merging the two groups into PPS â€Å"was a key strategy to provide consumers and business customers with better products and solutions that are seamlessly integrated with each other. † For example, upon purchasing a HP laptop, a consumer can expect his or her new laptop to wirelessly find and automatically connect with any of the consumer’s HP printers or other products. In addition, by integrating internal supply chain processes between the old PSG and IPG, and having a single HP sales person selling both PCs and printers, HP can keep the prices of its products and services competitive. It is business strategies such as these that show HP is still forward-thinking and seeking innovative or cost effective technologies. Refer to Exhibit 3 to view one of HP’s marketing videos (HP marketing, 2012). Another example of how the newly-formed PPS group integrates products can be seen in their â€Å"Exstream† product, which has been put to use by Humana and saved millions Humana millions by integrating static and dynamic content for easier communication with clients (HP marketing, Humana, 2012). Economic Logic Economies of Scale: As HP seeks to differentiate its PPS group to drive product innovation, there will be significant cost-saving effects due to increased economies of scale. Essentially, HP will save money by manufacturing more products directly in emerging markets like China. With China’s consumer PC market expected to double that of the United States, HP is ideally situated to take advantageous benefit of China’s emerging market through manufacturing plants and distribution channels located within China. Consolidation: By consolidating its PC and Printing groups, HP strengthened its position in many ways, including lowering costs in the supply chain. In addition to consolidating its supply chain functions, HP is also streamlining its sales teams and reducing its functional support organizations (Bradley, 2012). HP’s current PC strategy of consolidation is a direct byproduct of both a planned decrease in SKUs and the PC manufacturing and consumer sales reaching the ending stage of their lifecycles. If HP can successfully set new standards for PC and printing synergies through consolidation, then HP can create a viable path to maintaining its history of premium pricing via product features. HP Strategic Implementation Based on our analysis, the facets of HP’s strategy diamond are internally consistent. HP’s analyzed strategies are both interconnected and overlapping. For example, being focused on China provides HP with a strong arena given China’s anticipated growth in the consumer PC market. But a presence in China also validates HP’s economic logic by producing lowered costs. Overall, HP’s PC strategy is sound because HP is returning to its core competencies, such as hardware innovation. On a larger scale, HP’s renewed focus on R&D coupled with the creation of the PSG division supports HP’s current desire to grow organically rather than through mergers and acquisitions. One weakness that continues to hamper HP is operating with over $20 billion in debt derived almost entirely from acquisition costs related to fruitless assets. Looking back, HP could have benefited from smarter business plans, including a balanced scorecard, prior to some of these acquisitions. With such information, HP would have had a more realistic chance to make each acquisition profitable, or perhaps it would have had enough qualitative metrics to realize that the acquisition may not integrate with its core processes. Since change in the PC industry is highly iterative, HP must continually adjust the implementation of its forward strategy. Fortunately, HP appears to be taking the necessary steps to address its past failures and to capitalize on future opportunities. Since HP still has industry-wide brand name recognition, its return to market dominance is entirely feasible. But as technology progresses and markets shift, HP’s ability to maintain sustainable growth will depend largely on whether HP’s new PC business strategy can capture value while simultaneously producing competitive, cutting edge products.

Arthur Conan Doyle Essay

A critical account of ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Engineer’s Thumb’ by Arthur Conan Doyle  In the story of The Speckled Band a woman called Helen Stoner arrives at Holmes’ rooms in a state of terror. She is the stepdaughter of Dr Grimesby Roylott, a violent man who spent five years in India and associates only with gipsies, and has such exotic pets as a baboon and a cheetah. Helen’s mother is now dead, and two years previously her sister died in mysterious circumstances: a strange whistling disturbed her in her sleep for some nights, and on the night of her death she appeared transfixed, able only to shriek, ‘the speckled band!’ she had been about to marry and now Helen is planning to do the same; her stepfather has moved her to her sisters bedroom next to his and the whistling has recurred. Despite a warning from the maniacal Dr Roylott, Holmes and Watson head for Stoke Moran, examine the house and wait the night in Helen’s bedroom. Holmes’ deduction proves correct: Dr Roylott sends a swamp adder (the speckled band) through a ventilator to kill Helen, Holmes’ cane drives it back and the murderer is poisoned. The main characters in the story consist of: Helen stoner who is the main client. She arrives at Sherlock Holmes’ rooms in Baker Street to ask him for help. The character of Helen Stoner sets the tone of the story: shivering with fear, ‘her face all drawn and grey, with restless frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal.’ She is obviously a sensible and levelheaded woman: therefore there must be a reason for her terror. The character of Sherlock Holmes in the story appears to be that of an appealing eccentric. In this story he uses his powers of deduction to identify minute details with which to solve the final mystery, for instance he knew ‘you must have started early, and yet you had a good drive in a dog cart, along heavy roads before you reached the station.’ Through the story he displays elements of humour, after doctor Roylott threatened with a poker he replies, ‘he seems a very amiable person’. Subtly alluring to his own physical power by, ‘he picked up the steel poker and with a sudden effort straightened it out again. Whilst examining the premises of Stoke Moran, ‘he threw himself down upon his face with his lens in his hand, and crawled swiftly backwards and forwards, examining minutely the crack between the boards.’ This illustrates Holmes’ minute attention to detail. Dr Watson is the ideal narrator of this story. His ability to perceive and describe details is as important as his inability to deduce from them what Holmes can. He says, ‘Holmes, I seem to see dimly what you are hitting at’, after Holmes had described the position of the ventilator and the rope. The relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson is one of an ‘intimate friend and associate. In contrast to Holmes, Dr Watson makes the sensible deductions and assumption of the of the ordinary intelligent man. He is portrayed as an amiable man as well as the devoted recorder of Holmes’ achievements. A vivid description is built up of Dr Roylott by the description of Helen stoner. We know that he came from an aristocratic background. However successive heirs had squandered the money. After taking a medical degree he went to India, where he spent some time in prison from murdering a native servant. She describes his ‘violence of temper approaching to mania’.  We are also told that he likes to associate with gypsies and also keeps exotic animals, for example, a cheetah and a baboon. In another passage Dr Roylott enters Holmes’ room and is described as a ‘huge man’ with a face ‘marked with every evil passion’. He is said to resemble ‘a fierce old bird of pray’. We are led also to believe that Dr Roylott is violent towards his Stepdaughter when Homes sees burses on her wrists. The story is set during the Victorian era with the backdrop of the decaying grandeur of Stoke Moran this help this links closely to the character of Dr Roylott as a fallen aristocrat and also helps to create a mysterious atmosphere. ‘The building was of grey, lichen-blotched stone with a high central portion, and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, thrown out on each side. In one of these wings the windows were broken, and blocked with wooden boards, while the roof was partly caved in, a picture of ruin.’

The Lord of the Rings the epos and the epic movie picture essays

The Lord of the Rings the epos and the epic movie picture essays After the publication of J.R.R. Tolkiens life work, the trilogy of Middle-earth, Sunday Times noticed: The world is divided into those who have read The Lord of the Rings and those who are going to read it. Today, as P. Jacksons epic picture The Fellowship of the Ring rules on the big screens all over the planet, it would be more true to say that the world is divided into those who have already seen the film and those who are still standing in queues to buy the ticket. When comparing Tokiens masterpiece and its screen adaptation you do not have to be a fantasy freak to notice that the two works share most characteristic features but there are also points at which they differ considerably. Speaking of similarities, it should be stressed how fortunate it is that Tolkiens grand story has not been trivialized and reduced to a fairy tale. Luckily, in Jacksons adaptation the majestic atmosphere of the trilogy is carefully preserved. The script has not been childishly oversimplified, the characters often speak in a dignified language of the warriors of old and, what is equally important, monumental, sublime music adds necessary gravity to the mission of saving the world from the greedy and merciless hands of the Dark Lord, Sauron the Great. In addition, the immense fidelity of description brings the movie picture even closer to the unique atmosphere of Tolkiens masterpiece. If the Author himself could take a seat in the cinema and watch the idyllic landscape of the Shire, snow-clad peaks of the Misty Mountains and horrifying abysses of the Mines of Moria, he would undoubtedly smile warmly and puff his favorite pipe with unconcealed pleasure. Nevertheless, there are also some aspects of Jacksons vision of Middle-earth that would certainly either sadden or even utterly displease Master Tolkien. To name but a few, he would definitely miss careless hopping and sin...

Biography of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Philosopher and Mathematician

Biography of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Philosopher and Mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a prominent German philosopher and mathematician. Though Leibniz was a polymath who contributed many works to many different fields, he is best known for his contributions to math, in which he invented differential and integral calculus independently of Sir Isaac Newton. In philosophy, Leibniz is known for his contributions on a wide range of subjects, including â€Å"optimism†- the idea that the current world is the best of all possible worlds, and was created by a freely thinking God who chose this for a good reason. Fast Facts: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Known For: Philosopher and mathematician known for a number of important contributions to mathematics and philosophy, such as the modern binary system, a widely used calculus notation, and the idea that everything exists for a reason.Born: July 1, 1646 in Leipzig, GermanyDied: November 14, 1716 in Hanover, GermanyParents: Friedrich Leibniz and Catharina SchmuckEducation: Leipzig University, University of Altdorf, University of Jena Early Life and Career Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was born in Leipzig, Germany on July 1, 1646 to Friedrich Leibniz, a professor of moral philosophy, and Catharina Schmuck, whose father was a law professor. Though Leibniz attended elementary school, he was mostly self-taught from the books in his father’s library (who had died in 1652 when Leibniz was six). While young, Leibniz immersed himself in history, poetry, math, and other subjects, gaining knowledge in many different fields. In 1661, Leibniz, who was 14, began studying law at the University of Leipzig and was exposed to the works of thinkers such as Renà © Descartes, Galileo, and Francis Bacon. While there, Leibniz also attended summer school at the University of Jena, where he studied mathematics. In 1666, he finished his law studies and applied to become a doctorate student in law at Leipzig. Because of his young age, however, he was refused the degree. This caused Leibniz to leave the University of Leipzig and earn the degree the following year at the University of Altdorf, whose faculty were so impressed with Leibniz that they invited him to become a professor despite his youth. Leibniz, however, declined and opted instead to pursue a career in public service. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. United States public domain Leibniz’s Tenure in Frankfurt and Mainz, 1667-1672 In 1667, Leibniz entered the service of the Elector of Mainz, who tasked him to help revise the Corpus Juris- or body of laws- of the electorate. During this time, Leibniz also worked to reconcile Catholic and Protestant parties and encouraged Christian European countries to work together to conquer non-Christian lands, instead of waging war on each other. For example, if France left Germany alone, then Germany could help France in conquering Egypt. Leibniz’s action was inspired by France’s king Louis XIV, who seized some German towns in Alsace-Lorraine in 1670. (This â€Å"Egyptian Plan† would be ultimately passed on, although Napoleon unwittingly used a similar plan over a century later.) Paris, 1672-1676 In 1672, Leibniz went to Paris to discuss these ideas more, staying there until 1676. While at Paris, he met a number of mathematicians like Christiaan Huygens, who made many discoveries in physics, mathematics, astronomy, and horology. Leibniz’s interest in mathematics has been credited to this period of travel. He quickly advanced in the subject, figuring out the core of some of his ideas on calculus, physics, and philosophy. Indeed, in 1675 Leibniz figured out the foundations of integral and differential calculus independently from Sir Isaac Newton. In 1673, Leibniz also made a diplomatic trip to London, where he showed a calculating machine that he had developed called the Stepped Reckoner, which could add, subtract, multiply, and divide. In London, he also became a fellow of the Royal Society, an honor awarded to individuals who have made substantial contributions to science or math. Hanover, 1676-1716 In 1676, upon the death of the Elector of Mainz, Leibniz moved to Hanover, Germany, and was placed in charge of the library of the Elector of Hanover. It Hanover- the place that would serve as his residence for the rest of his life- Leibniz wore many hats. For instance, he served as a mining engineer, an advisor, and a diplomat. As a diplomat, he continued to push for the reconciliation of the Catholic and Lutheran churches in Germany by writing papers that would resolve the views of both Protestants and Catholics. The last part of Leibniz’s life was plagued by controversy- with the most notable being in 1708, when Leibniz was accused of plagiarizing Newton’s calculus despite having developed the math independently. Leibniz died in Hanover on November 14, 1716. He was 70 years old. Leibniz never married, and his funeral was only attended by his personal secretary. Legacy Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany. Moment Editorial / Getty Images Leibniz was considered a great polymath and he made many important contributions to philosophy, physics, law, politics, theology, math, psychology, and other fields. He may be most well known, however, for some of his contributions to math and philosophy. When Leibniz died, he had written between 200,000 to 300,000 pages and more than 15,000 letters of correspondence to other intellectuals and important politicians- including many notable scientists and philosophers, two German emperors, and Tsar Peter the Great. Contributions to Math Modern Binary System Leibniz invented the modern binary system, which uses the symbols 0 and 1 to represent numbers and logical statements. The modern binary system is integral to the functioning and operation of computers, even though Leibniz discovered this system a few centuries prior to the invention of the first modern computer. It should be noted, however, that Leibniz did not discover binary numbers themselves. Binary numbers were already used, for example, by the ancient Chinese, whose use of binary numbers was acknowledged in Leibniz’s paper that introduced his binary system (â€Å"Explanation of Binary Arithmetic,† which was published in 1703). Calculus Leibniz developed a complete theory of integral and differential calculus independently of Newton, and was the first one to publish on the subject (1684 as opposed to Newton’s 1693), though both thinkers seem to have developed their ideas at the same time. When the Royal Society of London, whose president at the time was Newton, decided who developed calculus first, they gave credit for the discovery of calculus to Newton, while credit for the publication on calculus went to Leibniz. Leibniz was also accused of plagiarizing Newton’s calculus, which left a permanent negative mark on his career. Leibniz’s calculus differed from Newton’s mainly in notation. Interestingly, many students of calculus today have come to prefer Leibniz’s notation. For example, many students today use â€Å"dy/dx† to indicate a derivative of y with respect to x, and an â€Å"S†-like symbol to indicate an integral. Newton, on the other hand, placed a dot over a variable, like á º , to indicate a derivative of y with respect to s, and did not have a consistent notation for integration. Matrices Leibniz also rediscovered a method of arranging linear equations into arrays or matrices, which makes manipulating those equations much easier. A similar method had first been discovered by Chinese mathematicians years earlier, but had fallen into abandonment. A statue of Leibniz at Leipzig University. claudiodivizia / Getty Images. Contributions to Philosophy Monads and Philosophy of Mind In the 17th century, Renà © Descartes put forward the notion of dualism, in which the non-physical mind was separate from the physical body. This sparked the question of how exactly the mind and body are related to one another. In response, some philosophers said that the mind could only be explained in terms of physical matter. Leibniz, on the other hand, believed that the world is made of â€Å"monads,† which are not made of matter. Each monad, in turn, has its own individual identity, as well as its own properties that determine how they are perceived. The monads, furthermore, are arranged by God- who is also a monad- to be together in perfect harmony. This laid down Leibniz’s views on optimism. Optimism Leibniz’s most famous contribution to philosophy may be â€Å"optimism,† the idea that the world we live in- which encompasses everything that exists and has existed- is the â€Å"best of all possible worlds.† The idea is based on the assumption that God is a good and rational being, and has considered many other worlds in addition to this one before choosing this one to come into existence. Leibniz explained evil by stating that it may result in a greater good, even if an individual experiences negative consequences. He further believed that everything existed for a reason. And humans, with their limited viewpoint, cannot see the greater good from their restricted vantage point. Leibniz’s ideas were popularized by the French writer Voltaire, who did not agree with Leibniz that humans are living in the â€Å"best of all possible worlds.† Voltaire’s satirical book Candide ridicules this notion by introducing the character Pangloss, who believes that everything is for the best despite all of the negative things going on in the world. Sources Garber, Daniel. â€Å"Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm (1646–1716).† Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Routledge, www.rep.routledge.com/articles/biographical/leibniz-gottfried-wilhelm-1646-1716/v-1.Jolley, Nicholas, editor. The Cambridge Companion to Leibniz. Cambridge University Press, 1995.Mastin, Luke. â€Å"17th Century Mathematics - Leibniz.† The Story of Mathematics, Storyofmathematics.com, 2010, www.storyofmathematics.com/17th_leibniz.html.Tietz, Sarah. â€Å"Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm.† ELS, Oct. 2013.

Is political analysis a science, an art or some kind of hybrid Essay

Is political analysis a science, an art or some kind of hybrid - Essay Example With the passage of time, the concept of political philosophy was introduced, which supported the view of political sciences being the master of all sciences as forwarded by Aristotle (Stanford University, 2011). Hence, from understanding people’s behavior from a specific point of view of politics and governance, it was expanded to understanding the cultural, ethical and religious needs and behavior of people, which directly affects their outlook and code of life. Thus, political science was evolved, amalgamating some core areas of humanities, religious, cultural psychology, sociology, philosophy, leadership and public administration (Britannica, 2013). This expanded the application of political analysis, and it made a place in the sectors of law, communism and humanities. There are numerous researches and studies on each field mentioned above, and this depicts the richness political sciences carries in itself. Furthermore, with the increasing awareness of leadership roles and responsibilities, a considerable emphasis is been put on how people are governed and by whom (Britannica, 2013). The fact that, the end motive is the same today also, to find ways and methods to attract more people, but the government system now, can not entirely rely on theories and scientific methods for determining human behavior. As the cause and effect theory in science tells that there is a particular effect directed by a particular action, does not solely apply in political sciences. Stating the above facts, the role of science cannot be negated completely (UCLA, 1996). The empirical analysis helping political sciences to understand the emerging trend of globalization and international relations management are all the scientific tools for efficient governance. This makes it difficult to categorize political sciences as a subject of hard- science or simple arts. It can therefore, be taken as a hybrid of these two fields, where some issues are predefined while some still exist s in the grey areas (Singh, Marquette, Alolo, 2007). Understanding Political Analysis Background The implication and use of political analysis in governance and public administration has its roots from the ancient civilization, in the time of Plato and Aristotle (Nederman, 1991). The ideology behind its evolution was related in the determination of features and responsibilities for those desiring power and authority. With the Roman fall nearly thousand years back, the Greek philosophy of social and political behaviors emerges, with which the world entered in a new era of political laws and governing states. The definition of power and the rule was changed, from something that is bestowed upon to something that has to be earned (Adcock & Bevir, 2005). At that point in time, scientific observations and empirical approaches were the only tools involve in forming a government and finding people’s interest in the state government. This was the normative knowledge approach, which d etermines the definite reaction of people upon certain government policy or process. Later, a non-normative approach, based on the grounds of psychology was introduced. It takes into account hypothesis and several assumptions, whose empirical evaluation leads towards a particular finding (Adcock & Bevir, 2005). In the contemporary government system, a Model Based Approach is used, which has fragments of several models combined to make

The ethical issues I may encounter while working as a professional in Essay

The ethical issues I may encounter while working as a professional in commercial real estate - Essay Example he country and it is very difficult for anyone who is not associated with the real estate industry to understand the degree of what happens behind the scenes. Numerous consumers are conned and in the current times that are characterised by increased consumer protection, it is astonishing that the ethical issues that exist in the real estate industry are rarely mentioned. In this regard, it is vital for them to clearly understand the ethics governing the field and thus be in a position to handle themselves professionally and realize the best results. There are three main reasons why the protection of consumers is poor particularly in the real estate industry. One of the main reasons is that the real estate industry involves a lot of money, efforts to straighten the industry would be beneficial to consumers while having negative effects on the interests of the agents, and others associated with this industry (Dewatripont et al., 2010, p. 47). The agents control the real estate industry and they are consulted in the event that the government wants to streamline the industry. In such a case, the real estate sector misleads the government as well as the customers. Most of the consumers who buy and sell real estates do it once or twice in their lives. This means that they have to seek guidance from agents to conduct this business making it hard for them to realize how much they might lose in a transaction. In the commercial real estate industry, dubious behaviour still goes unnoticed. Previously, cash commissions were used in some instances to circumvent taxes but currently, there are different ethical infractions that have been developed as more money continues to be associated with the industry. The brokers, lawyers as well as analysts have stated that circumventing and cutting corners is on the increase in this industry especially because of the rising property values. The lifeblood of the real estate business lies in comparable deals but the rules that govern the

Financial Case Study Analysis and Excel Work Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Analysis and Excel Work - Case Study Example There are some factors that should be considered with regards to the profitability, the future inflation rates and the competitors in the market. The company should ensure that before it sells out, the profitability issue will be included in the part of goodwill which will add on the valuation price. The workers of the company are underpaid so as to cut on costs of the company. That may not be the trend in the future because the workers may form a labor union that will fight for their rights. That means that the profits will reduce in the future if the workers demand for a pay rise. The person or persons who are interested in the purchase of the company should therefore consider that fact because it will affect the future profitability of the company. The sales volume has increased as a result of as number of factors. The sales volume has increased because of the great advertising skills that have lead to brand loyal for the company. The brand loyal usually makes repeat purchase and that adds on the sales volume and profitability of the company. The sales volume has also increased as a result of the diversification of the company. Therefore, in the valuation of the company, the investment that has been made in the advertising and diversification of the operations should be considered. The company should ensure that such money ploughed in such ventures is recovered. The costs of the company are increasing at a reducing rate over the years. That shows that the efficiency of the company has been increasing over the years. The efficiency may be as a result of improved processes, improved equipment and motivated employees. All the above factors happen at a cost and that cost should be considered in the valuation of the business. The valuation should ensure that the company does not result at a loss. The brand loyal adds on the profitability of the company. That shows that the company has a good reputation among the customers. The