Analysis of International Business Law Research Paper

Analysis of International Business Law - Research Paper Example Keep in the brain as the situations might alternatively be dissimilar depending on the corporation and the conditions. Join us in our voyage of detection and learn by means of us! Group Law Organization Law container is defined as ordinary law or container law based on accumulated judgment from courtyard cases. Moreover, as there are accountabilities for an agent to main, there are moreover accountabilities for the principal to the manager. In agency law, there are more than a few duties that a manager owes the main. The liabilities of that chief to the agent are; the responsibility of recompense, the duty to repay and cover, and the responsibility of custody financial records (Barnes, 2003, pg. 325). No doubt, the so-called dialogue between civil law and common law was the essential feature of post-World War II proportional law. It was such a novel approach that each of the two participants to the conversation stressed the unifying rudiments inside its own group and the dissimilarity by means of the additional group. Civil law scholars and common law scholars come out as two monoliths (Moens, G & Gillies, P 1997). Various Industry Entities and E-Business Once the kind of industry has been recognized, the proprietor will decide how the commerce will be prearranged, and beneath what kind of arrangement. The kind of structure determined allows the proprietor(s) to decide the penalty that might be faced. For instance, there are just concerning four arrangements to decide from, advantage an extra two that will be considered, and are scheduled underneath: Sole Proprietorship Company Corporation Limited Liability Company (LLC) Franchise E-Commerce. This segment of the document will explain these types of commercial arrangements and the probable legal matters/consequences that the commerce may countenance (Willes, JH & Willes JA 2005). Distinguish Between Civil Law And Common Law Common Law (Judge-made Law) This pecking order does not subsist only in statute laws (Acts of Parliament) but also in common law. The Australian legal system is secret as a common law system. Gibson (2005, p. 7) states that common law is where the judges create a choice on disputes brought before them in the courts. The judges' role is to make decisions to decide disputes. Legal rules are formed from this choice. Common law is unrecorded laws made by judges. The legal reasoning upon which the choice in the case was based is recognized as the Ratio Decidendi. Similar legal reasoning may be used by judges in prospect cases when faced by means of similar facts. It is only the relation decides that can make a compulsory instance. It turns out to be the law. Anything else said concerning the case in the course of a ruling that does not form part of the matters at the subject is called obiter saying. The High Court holds the uppermost position in the courts' system in Australia. as a result, all decisions made in the High Court are compulsory on courts lower than it (Mo, J 2003). Â  

Effect of Marriages on Crime Rates Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effect of Marriages on Crime Rates - Article Example In this paper the authors through evidence are illustrating that marriage can reduce the crimes committed by an individual as it can involve the individual in social bonds. According to the authors the research done by them is however not accurate as all the figures in an individual's life cannot be kept constant and this restrains the authors to conclude authentically that marriage reduces the crime rates. However the evidence given by the authors supports the notion that rate of crime does get affected because of the bond of marriage. The authors hypothesize that getting involved in social bonds and activities may help one to avoid committing crime. According to the authors marriage is a social bond which inflicts social responsibility and compulsions on one individual which further diverts the individual from committing a crime. The change in routine is also marked as important by the authors as it helps to change the mood and passion of an individual. It makes one individual spend more time with his family rather than friends (Warr 1998: 183). Furthermore the monitoring activity done by the spouses is supposed to be helpful to divert one from criminal activities. The supervision done by spouses can help men to avoid committing any crime (Waite and Gallagher 2000: 24).

The Modigliani-Miller Proposition I Theory (MM I)

The Modigliani-Miller Proposition I Theory (MM I) 1. Introduction According to many research of corporation finance, the capital structure decision is one of the most fundamental issues facing to the executives and management level. The corporate finance is a specific area of finance dealing with the financial decisions corporations make and the tools as well as analysis used to make these decisions. The discipline as a whole may be divided among long-term and short-term decisions and techniques with the primary goal being maximizing corporate value while managing the firms financial risks. Capital investment decisions are long-term choices that investment with equity or debt, and the short-term decisions deals with the balance of current assets and current liabilities which is managing cash, inventories, and short-term borrowing and lending. Corporate finance can be defined as the theory, process and techniques that corporations use to make the investing, financing and dividend decisions that ultimately contribute to maximizing corporate value.Thu s, a corporation will first decide in which projects to invest, then it will figure out how to finance them, and finally, it will decide how much money, if any, to give back to the owners. All these three dimensions which are investing, financing and distributing dividends are interrelated and mutually dependent. The capital structure of a company refers to a combination of debt, preferred stock, and common stock of finance that it uses to fund its long-term financing. Equity and debt capital are the two major sources of long-term funds for a firm. The theory of capital structure is closely related to the firms cost of capital. As the enterprises to obtain funds need to pay some costs, the cost of capital in the investment activities is also the main consideration of rate of return. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the expected rate of return on the market value of all of the firms securities. WACC depends on the mix of different securities in the capital structure; a change in the mix of different securities in the capital structure will cause a change in the WACC. Thus, there will be a mix of different securities in the capital structure at which WACC will be the least. The decision regarding the capital structure is based on the objective of achieving the maximization of shar eholders wealth. With regard to the capital structure of the theoretical basis, most well-known theory is Modigliani-Miller theorem of Franco Modigliani and Merton H.Miller (1958 and 1963). Yet the seeming simple question as to how firms should best finance their fixed assets remains a contentious issue. 2. Modigliani-Miller Proposition I The Modigliani-Miller Proposition I Theory (MM I) states that under a certain market price process, in the absence of taxes, no transaction costs, no asymmetric information and in an perfect market, the cost of capital and the value of the firm are not affected by the changed in capital structure. The firms value is determined by its real assets, not by the securities it issues. In other words, capital structure decisions are irrelevant as long as the firms investment decisions are taken as given. The Modigliani and Miller (1958) explained the theorem was originally proven under the assumption of no taxes. It is made up of two propositions that are (i) the overall cost of capital and the value of the firm are independent of the capital structure. The total market value of the firm is given by capitalizing the expected net operating income by the rate appropriate for that risk class. (ii) The financial risk increase with more debt content in the capital structure. As a result, cost of equity increases in a manner to offset exactly the low cost advantage of debt. Hence, overall cost of capital remains the same. The assumptions of the MM theory are: 1. There is a perfect capital market. Capital markets are perfect when investors are free to buy and sell securities investors can trade without restrictions and can borrow or lend funds on the same terms as the firms do investors behave rationally investors have an equal access to all relevant information capital markets are efficient no costs of financial distress and liquidation there are no taxes 2. Firms can be classified into homogeneous business risk classes. All the firms in the same risk class will have the same degree of financial risk. 3. All investors have the same view for the investment, profits and dividends in the future; they have the same expectation of a firms net operating income. 4. The dividend payout ration is 100%, which means there are no retained earnings. In the absence of tax world, base on MM Proposition I, the value of the firm is unaffected by its capital structure. In other words, regardless of whether a company has liabilities, the total risk of its securities holders will not change even the capital structure is changed. As the weighted average cost of capital unchanged, so must the same as the total value of the company. That is VL = VU = EBIT/ requity where VL is the value of a levered firm = price of buying a firm that is composed of some mix of debt and equity, VU is the value of an unlevered firm = price of buying a firm composed only of equity and EBIT is earnings before interest and tax. Whether or not the company has loans or the loans for high or low, investors are all accessible through the following two kinds of investment on their own to create the desired type of earning. 1. direct invested in the companys stock borrowing 2. if shares of levered firms are priced too high, investors will try to take advantage of borrowing on their own and use the money to buy shares in unlevered firms. The use of debt by the investors is known as homemade leverage. The investors of homemade leverage can obtain the same return as the levered firms, therefore, for investors; the value of the firm is not affected by debt-equity mix. The MM Proposition I assumptions are quite unrealistic, there have some implications, (i) Capital structure is irrelevant to shareholder wealth maximization. (ii) The value of the firm is determined by the firms capital budgeting decisions. (iii) Increasing the extent to which a firm relies on debt increases both the risk and the expected return to equity but not the price per share. (iv) Milton Harris and Artur Raviv (1991) illustrated the asymmetric information that firm managers or insiders are assumed to possess private information about the characteristics of the firms return stream or investment opportunities. They will know more about their companies prospects, risks and values than do outside investors. Then it cannot fulfill the assumption of perfect market. Based on the inadequate of MM Proposition I, Franco Modigliani and Merton H.Miller revised their theory in 1963, which is MM Proposition II. 3. Modigliani-Miller Proposition II The Modigliani-Miller Proposition II Theory (MM II) defines cost of equity is a linear function of the firms debt/equity-ratio. According to them, for any firm in a given risk class, the cost of equity is equal to the constant average cost of capital plus a premium for the financial risk, which is equal to debt/equity ratio times the spread between average cost and cost of debt. Also Modigliani and Miller (1963) recognized the importance of the existence of corporate taxes. Accordingly, they agreed that the value of the firm will increase or the cost of capital will decrease with the use of debt due to tax deductibility of interest charges. Thus, the value of corporation can be achieved by maximizing debt component in the capital structure. This theory of capital structure for the study provided an important and analytical framework. According to this approach, value of a firm is VL = VU = EBIT (1-T) / requity + TD where TD is tax savings. MM Proposition II is assuming that the tax s hield effect of each is the same, and continued in sight. Leverage firms are increased in interest expense due to reduced tax liability, has also increased the allocation to the shareholders and creditors of the cash flow. The above formula can be deduced from the company debt the more the greater the tax saving benefits, the greater the value of the company. The revised capital structure of the MM Proposition II, pointed out that the existence of tax shield in a perfect capital market conditions cannot be reached, in an imperfect financial market, the capital structure changes will affect the companys value. Therefore, the value and cost of capital of corporation with the capital structure changes in different leverage, the value of the levered firm will exceed the value of the unlevered firm. MM Proposition theory suggests that the higher the debt ratio is more favorable to corporate, but though borrowing adds an interest tax shield it may lead to costs of financial distress. Financial distress occurs when promises to creditors are broken or honored with difficulty. Financial distress may lead to bankruptcy. The trade-off theory of capital structure theory in MM based on the added risk of bankruptcy and further improves the capital structure theory, to make it more practical significance. 3.1 Trade-off Theory of capital structure According to Myers (1984), a firm that follows the trade-off theory sets a target debt to value ratio and then gradually moves towards the target. The target is determined by balancing the tax benefits of using debt against costs of financial distress that rise at an increasing rate with the use of leverage. It so predicts moderate amount of debt as optimal. But there is evidence that the most profitable firm in an industry tend to borrow the least, while their probability of entering in financial distress seems to be very low. This fact contradicts the theory because if the distress risk is low, an increase of debt has a favorable tax effect. Under the trade-off theory, high profits should mean more debt-servicing capacity and more taxable income to shield and therefore should result in a higher debt ratio. 3.2 Pecking Order Theory of capital structure The pecking order theory stems from Myers (1984) argues that adverse selection implies that retained earnings are better than debt and debt is better than equity. Firms prefer internal finance and if external finance is required, firms issue debt first and issue equity only as a last resort. The pecking order explains why the most profitable firms generally borrow less because they have low target debt ratios but they dont need outside money. As in Baskin (1989), asymmetric information affects capital structure by limiting access to outside finance. Managers know more than outside investors about the profitability and prospects of the firm. Information problems are particularly acute with common stock, announcement of stock issue can drive down the stock price. 4. Conclusion The capital structure decision is one of the most fundamental issues in corporate finance. Regardless of which kind of capital structure, to achieve one of the most optimal capital structures, the company should be mixture of equity and debt and it cannot only focus on equity or debt. Equity is a cushion and debt is a sword, debt is always cheaper than equity, partly because lenders bear less risk and partly because of the tax advantage associated with debt. In general, there are differences in the capital structures of different industries; they are having their own characteristic. The most important thing is the companys liquidity is sufficient or not. In making the decision of how to allocate the fund in which type of assets, the company has to consider and compare the different factors such as NPV, IRR and payback period. In evaluating the NPV, IRR and payback period, cash inflow is fund of the vital element. Therefore the company should know how to obtain the financing and how t o invest it. They should carefully to allocate their resources to maximize the firm value. References: Baskin, J. (1989) An empirical investigation of the pecking order hypothesis, Financial Management, Vol. 18, pp.26-35 Harris, M. and Raviv, A. (1991) The theory of Optimal capital structure, Journal of Finance, Vol. 48, pp.297-356 Merton H. Miller. (1977) Debt and Taxes, Journal of Finance, Vol. 2, pp.261-275 Modigliani, F and Miller, M.H. (1958) The cost of capital, corporation finance and the theory of investment, The American Economic Review, Vol. 48, pp.261-97 Modigliani, F. and Miller, M.H. (1963) Corporate income taxes and the cost of capital: A correction, The American Economic Review, Vol. 53, pp.433-443 Myers, S.C. (1977) Determinants of corporate borrowing, Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 5, pp.146-75 Myers, S.C. (1984) The capital structure puzzle, Journal of Finance, Vol. 39, pp.575-592

Hand Guns and Conceal Ability :: Guns Weapons Violence Essays

Hand Guns and Conceal Ability The debate of hand guns is highly argued among American citizens. The article "Handgun Bands" from GunCite.com, and the article "Concealed Carry and its Effect on Crime" from CCNCrime.com, advocate the legal possession of a concealed handgun. They attempt to show that legal handguns actually deter crime and violence. The first article "Handgun Bands" takes an emotional approach followed by statistical information to prove the point that handgun bands, or limitations on the ability to purchase and carry a hand gun, do not effectively counter violence. The author begins by giving the statistic from the F.B.I. Uniform Crime Report that over 55% of all murders are committed with handguns. This leads you to believe that the author is an advocate of handgun bands. This idea is quickly thrown out in the next paragraph where it is stated that handguns are more often used in self defense than in crime. The claim is also made that most instances of self defense involving a handgun result in no shots fired. The question is then brought up, if handguns are banned will violent crime decrease? The author claims that not only will crime not decrease but, will grow resulting in more violence than ever. A survey from the National Institute of Justice shows that 72% of felons that use handguns would simply switch over to other weapons, such as shotguns in order to commit their violent acts. The author then gets information from an article by R. Taylor called "Gunshot Wounds of the Abdomen." This article proves that shotguns and rifles cause much more damage to the abdomen than handguns. The author is also able to show that studies taken by Don B. Jr. in his article ‘Guns, Murders, and the Constitution," show that 54% to 80% of homicides committed with handguns could have just as easily been committed with a long gun. The author effectively defends his idea that banning handguns will have no effect on the reduction of violent crime, but may actually increase instances of gun crimes. This is due to the fact that civilians would no longer be able to defend themselves effectively. The second article, " Concealed Carry and its Effect on Crime" tries to persuade the reader that the right to carry concealed weapons will deter criminals. Most of the information in this article is taken from a July 26, 1996-article called "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns," written by John R. Hand Guns and Conceal Ability :: Guns Weapons Violence Essays Hand Guns and Conceal Ability The debate of hand guns is highly argued among American citizens. The article "Handgun Bands" from GunCite.com, and the article "Concealed Carry and its Effect on Crime" from CCNCrime.com, advocate the legal possession of a concealed handgun. They attempt to show that legal handguns actually deter crime and violence. The first article "Handgun Bands" takes an emotional approach followed by statistical information to prove the point that handgun bands, or limitations on the ability to purchase and carry a hand gun, do not effectively counter violence. The author begins by giving the statistic from the F.B.I. Uniform Crime Report that over 55% of all murders are committed with handguns. This leads you to believe that the author is an advocate of handgun bands. This idea is quickly thrown out in the next paragraph where it is stated that handguns are more often used in self defense than in crime. The claim is also made that most instances of self defense involving a handgun result in no shots fired. The question is then brought up, if handguns are banned will violent crime decrease? The author claims that not only will crime not decrease but, will grow resulting in more violence than ever. A survey from the National Institute of Justice shows that 72% of felons that use handguns would simply switch over to other weapons, such as shotguns in order to commit their violent acts. The author then gets information from an article by R. Taylor called "Gunshot Wounds of the Abdomen." This article proves that shotguns and rifles cause much more damage to the abdomen than handguns. The author is also able to show that studies taken by Don B. Jr. in his article ‘Guns, Murders, and the Constitution," show that 54% to 80% of homicides committed with handguns could have just as easily been committed with a long gun. The author effectively defends his idea that banning handguns will have no effect on the reduction of violent crime, but may actually increase instances of gun crimes. This is due to the fact that civilians would no longer be able to defend themselves effectively. The second article, " Concealed Carry and its Effect on Crime" tries to persuade the reader that the right to carry concealed weapons will deter criminals. Most of the information in this article is taken from a July 26, 1996-article called "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns," written by John R.

The Great Gatsby Argument Essay

Viren Kumar Mrs. Parato AP Language and Composition March 2, 2013 Society’s Shadow Goals, objectives, targets, and ambitions are incentives that drive one to emerge from their comfort zone. Each individual, rich or poor, isolated or active, normal or abnormal, has a way to communicate with others and act in society based on personality. Most people want to be accepted by others to fit into society and be â€Å"normal†. There is always one person who has a different perspective than everyone else's and is uniquely considered an â€Å"outcast†.In the novel, The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Jay Gatsby as an isolationist that is compelled to play ambiguous roles in society to obtain the green light across the channel, which in effect causes Gatsby to be placed in a nerve-racking situation. Society is a big influence on Gatsby and his actions. He is first introduced by Miss Baker. â€Å"[Nick] decided to call to him. Miss Baker had mentioned him at dinner, and that would do for an introduction† (Fitzgerald 20).Nick Caraway is a parallel with society because he is influenced by the thoughts and ideas of others that structure society. Since Miss Baker mentions Gatsby over dinner, Gatsby is seen as an interesting topic that needs to be explored. Jay, being an isolationist that he is, tries to hide himself from society by displaying motions hinting to people like Nick: â€Å"But [Nick] didn’t call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone† (20).Gatsby makes a â€Å"sudden intimation†, and it seems that Gatsby knows there is someone watching him and observing his every action, and in attempts to isolate himself and avoid being â€Å"[called] out to†, he makes a subtle allusion to the fact he wants to be left to himself (20). Thus society forces Gatsby to make the movement he makes by gossip and communication. Society’s observations in this passage will show t o define many of Gatsby’s actions as the novel progresses. People have secrets in their life that can determine who they truly are; Gatsby has his own that are the power that compels him to act the way he does.Gatsby is carefully observed, and as he involuntarily â€Å"glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock†(Fitzgerald 21). Gatsby stares at a distant green light, which implies a special connection between the two. Considering â€Å"he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way† and that Gatsby â€Å"was trembling† his secret relation with the green light must be special because one does not tremble for any reason (Fitzgerald 21).There is an emotional bonding that may date back a long time. His yearning for the light—†stretched out his arms†Ã¢â‚¬â€is foreshadowing for the rest of the story where he struggles to obtain t his light (21). An obvious tension between the relationship of Gatsby and the mysterious light is visible from the â€Å"trembling†, and this tension creates the ambiguousness in Gatsby’s role in the novel (21). Fitzgerald uses figurative language to introduce the protagonist, which exemplifies Gatsby’s mysterious appearance to emphasize his perplexing personality.As Nick is outside his home after a night with the Buchanan’s, a strange yet familiar silhouette appears just on the other side of his yard, in his neighbor’s yard. â€Å"The silhouette of a moving cat wavered across the moonlight† (Fitzgerald 20). This cat, in turn, is actually Jay Gatsby. Although, the comparison that Fitzgerald makes with Gatsby and the cat does serve as a tool to analyze his characteristics. Felines tend to walk in a stealthy manner at night, and they are very cautious about being watched. The comparison indicates that Gatsby was trying to be wary of his surrou ndings.Gatsby may be the figure, but noticing that there is no adjective on the noun, â€Å"figure†, whereas throughout the rest of the passage there are many adjectives to describe his surroundings, this anomaly provides Gatsby as a figure the appearance of an inexplicable figure (20). With his â€Å"hands in his pockets†, this signifies a sign of secrecy to illustrate his complex personality (20). Gatsby may have wanted to protect some secrets about the green light. Gatsby’s method of an introduction is an explanation of the ambiguous role he is going to play and the uncomfortable nature of his future situation.The Great Gatsby is a novel that depicts the role of Gatsby as one of an isolationist that is forced into an ambiguous role in society. Through misinterpretations of his actions, he is thought to have a misleading identity. As society observes the fascinating movements of Gatsby in his yard, the motions that Gatsby performs communicate thoughts of isola tion to society, but later on in the passage, motions such as the stretching out of the trembling arms, represent predictions of society pulling Gatsby into societal problems and issues.

Report- Dimensions of Diversity Essay

Dimension of Diversity Race and/or gender are not the definition of diversity. Diversity is all of us and how we are so different. To better understand diversity it can be broken down into four different dimensions and classifications. These points will help you begin to pick apart the complex topic of diversity. Dimensions 1. Dimension may be hidden/ visible a. Race, gender and possible age or wealth index may be a visible dimension that / would classify people into one group. b. Intelligent, non-religious, and vegetarian are term that would identify a person to one group that would be hidden, until of course the person shared the information. b.i. Example- Sarah is a Caucasian, female in 40’s that is athletically built, truthful and caring. The first 4 descriptive words are physical traits that people can see. The last two characteristics are something that are not seen, but after time spent with Sarah it would be known. 2. Dimensions of diversity are found within groups as well as individuals a. Each person is different, so even when there is a group of like people there are going to be difference within the group. a.i. Example- In a small diversity class of students there are 20 or so students that are all working towards passing the class taught by Madison. All thought the group of people all are working towards the same goal; they are all very different in their approach to passing the class. They are all students, but they are graduating at different times, they have different working styles, communication styles and are different ages. 3. Dimensions of diversity are in a constant state of flux a. Individuals are constantly changing as well as the environment around them a.i. Example- When Danielle B. is at school she sees herself and acts as a student, but when she is at home or with family she sees herself and acts like a mother. 4. Dimensions of diversity are not always clear cut or easily defined a. Diversity is not the same to everyone a.i. Some people believe that diversity is simple race and/ or gender. Diversity is multidimensional and has various classifications from different scholars. Breaking down diversity helps us to become more aware of differences among individuals. Classifications of diversity 1. Personal Characteristic (hidden/visible) a. Appearance, health, educational background, family/marital status, faith, religion and recreation 2. Location Characteristics a. Housing, neighborhood, city, state, country 3. Work Characteristics a. Income, seniority, department, company, work status, field of work, paid/ unpaid employee, location 4. Population Characteristics a. Ability, age, sexual orientation, gender, ethnic orgin How you perceive the listed characteristics also can classify a person because it makes them different from the next person. Diversity is an extremely complex and broad topic that many people just ignore. Gaining an understanding, and indulging in others that are different than you will build awareness in your knowledge box. Diversity Skills Now that there is a better way of wrapping our minds around diversity; skills can be addressed. Diversity skills are really just people skills. They are techniques that we use to better understand and work with people who are different than us. The key phrase to understand is â€Å"different than us†. Communication Communication is one of the most important skills that encompass the way people process and share information. It requires: 1. Active Listening a. Really understanding and hearing what the person is saying and finding interest in their topic. 2. Various ways/ styles to communicate effectively with people a. Aggressive, passive aggressive, and passive b. Communicate differently among groups c. Body language d. Add some humor or light to the context d.3.a.a. â€Å"results suggest that relational factors, such as one’s humor, may be important to the enactment of organizational citizenship behaviors among subordinates† 3. Tools of communications a. Emails, phones, text, visual aids, letters, blogs, social media network sites, virtual network sites People are all different. Take the time to listen to them and understand what they are trying to convey and then respond in a way that they will understand. Body language, electronic tools, and spoken language are all modes of communication that can be used to communicate more effectively. An amazing leader knows that communication is a skill that is built upon and continually developing. Conflict Management Conflict is defined as â€Å"one party perceives it’s interest are being opposed or set back by another party† (Kreitner and Kinicki). Conflict can be classified as functional or dysfunctional. 1. Functional a. More of a positive conflict that applies to â€Å"constructive or cooperative† conflict. (Kreitner and Kinicki) 2. Dysfunctional a. â€Å"Threaten the organizational interest† (Kreitner and Kinicki) â€Å"Dealing effectively with conflict requires fundamental skills in interpersonal relationships.†(Diversity Counciouceness, 169) According to an executive assistant that has had years of experience in social management dealing with conflict. She and her colleague believe there are nine skills that help manage conflict (Hagman and Stroope). 1. problem solving a. being able to work through a problem 2. asking for help a. If you don’t know how to do something, ask for help so that a bigger problem is prevented. 3. engaging people to talk and work together a. Get everyone input and work together 4. communicating with sources of opposition in order to reach a compromise a. Talk to the person that does not agree, and compromise. 5. practicing avoidance techniques a. Spotting signals of frustration and letting the person calm down before you try to diffuse the situation 6. letting chance decide the outcome in moments of disagreement a. Let time solve the issue 7. accepting responsibility a. Take responsibility of your actions in the issue 8. apologizing when appropriate a. Remember to say you’re sorry when appropriate 9. using humor to alleviate awkward situations. a. Never hurts to add light to a dark situation Although many people will try to avoid conflict, it still does occur because people are different. Conflict is not always necessarily negative either. It can be functional or dysfunctional. Conflict will be a constant challenge in the workplace and there are steps to take to resolve the issue. A strong leader will not let conflict destroy the ultimate goal, but will find ways to turn the conflict into a positive outcome. Empathy â€Å"Empathy is the capacity to recognize or understand another’s state of mind or emotion. It is often characterized as the ability to â€Å"put oneself into another’s shoes†, or to in some way experience the outlook or emotions of another being within oneself† There are so many fascinating explanations of empathy on the internet. What it really comes down to is putting â€Å"yourself in another their shoes† and viewing the world in the way that they would. Six habits according to, Dr. Roman Krznaric, that some empathetic people have are: 1. Curiosity about different people a. â€Å"Curiosity expands our empathy when we talk to people outside our usual social circle, encountering lives and worldviews very different from our own.† 2. Challenging prejudices and seeing the commonalities a. We all of prejudices but if we could see beyond the them, there would be some common interest or characteristics that we shared with the other person. 3. Try another person’s life a. Experiment in different lifestyles, social groups, ethnic groups, activities, etcetera. 4. Listen hard and open up a. Falls under diversity skill of communication 5. Inspire mass action and social change a. Begin with our youngest population and educate and influence them to be empathetic 6. Develop an ambitious imagination a. Don’t just empathize with those that you believe are suffering. Empathize with all whose thoughts are different. These habits will help one to attain strong diversity skills and interpersonal skills for life. A stand-out leader will want to develop their sense of empathy to better understand desires of their team members. Self-Evaluation Self-evaluation is being able to look back at how you handled a situation and assess and improve yourself. Steps to self-evaluation are: 1. Think about the situation you were just in or the task that you just completed 2. Ask yourself questions a. How did I handle it? b. How were my emotions? c. Was I comfortable? d. What could I do better? e. How did I handle the conflict? 3. Assess yourself and compare the improvement or lack of improvement 4. Know your short-comings and strengths and build on them 5. Learn from mistake and always improve yourself Self-evaluation is self awareness of one’s self. A mindful leader will know their strengths and weakness and be eager to improve. Leadership â€Å"Leadership refers to the ability to influence group members and enable them to work together and achieve their goals† (Diversity Consciousness, 170) There are some traits that make a great leader. The most important are in no specific order: Honesty Communication Positive Attitude Creativity Intuition, gut feeling Ability to Inspire Ability to delegate the job to the right person Ability to make a group a team Creativity Confident Leadership can involve many other traits or qualities but what it really comes down to is inspiring individuals. There are many different styles or approaches of leaderships that can be use to motivate people. A great leader will have strong people skills and exude confidence. Bibliography Hagemann, Bonnie, Stroope, Saundra. â€Å"CONFLICT MANAGMENT.† T+D 66, no. 7 (July 2012): 58. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 20, 2013). Kreitner, Rober and Kinicki Angelo. Organizational Behavior 10th Edition. McGraw Hill, 2012. Textbook. Krznaric, Roman. â€Å"Six Habits of Highly Empathic People.† 27 November 2012. Greater Good the Science of a Meaningful Life. 20 July 2013. Martin, Diane M. and Craig O Rich and Barbra Mae Gayle. â€Å"Humor Works: Communication Styles and Humor Functions in Manager/Subordinate Relationships.† Southern Commnicationm Journal 69 (n.d.): 206-222. Reference.com. 20 July 2013.

Biography of Alvin C. York, Hero of World War I

Biography of Alvin C. York, Hero of World War I Alvin C. York (born Alvin Cullum York; December 13, 1887–September 2, 1964) was one of the U.S. Armys most notable heroes during World War I. York received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 8, 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In the course of an attack, he led a small group that captured more than 130 prisoners and he single-handedly eliminated multiple German machine guns and their crews. After the war, his life was brought to the big screen by Gary Cooper in the award-winning film Sergeant York. Fast Facts: Alvin C. York Known for: Pacifist hero in World War I, movie about his life in 1940.Birth: December 13, 1887 in Pall Mall, TennesseeParents: William and Mary YorkDeath: September 2, 1964 in Pall Mall, TennesseeSpouse: Gracie WilliamsChildren: 10, eight of whom survived infancy Early Life Alvin Cullum York was born December 13, 1887, to William and Mary York of rural Pall Mall, Tennessee. The third of 11 children, York grew up in a small two-room cabin and received minimal schooling as a child due to a need to aid his father in running the family farm and hunting for food. Though his formal education was lacking, he learned to be a crack shot and an adept woodsman. In the wake of his fathers death in 1911, York, as the eldest still living in the area, was forced to aid his mother in raising his younger siblings. To support the family, he began working in railroad construction and as a logger in Harriman, Tennessee. A hard worker, York showed a devotion to promoting the welfare of his family. Trouble and Spiritual Conversion During this period, York became a heavy drinker and was frequently involved in bar fights. Despite pleas from his mother to improve his behavior, York persisted in drinking. This continued until the winter of 1914, when his friend Everett Delk was beaten to death during a brawl in nearby Static, Kentucky. Shaken by this incident, York attended a revival meeting led by H.H. Russell during which he concluded that he needed to change his ways or risk suffering a fate similar to Delk. Altering his behavior, he became a member of the Church of Christ in Christian Union. A strict fundamentalist sect, the church forbade violence and preached a strict moral code that forbade drinking, dancing, and many forms of popular culture. An active member of the congregation, York met his future wife, Gracie Williams, through the church while also teaching Sunday school and singing in the choir. World War I and Moral Confusion With the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, York became concerned that he would be required to serve. These worries became reality when he received his draft registration notice. Consulting with his pastor, he was advised to seek conscientious objector status. On June 5, York registered for the draft as required by law, but wrote on his draft card, Dont want to fight. When his case was reviewed by local and state draft authorities, his request was denied as his church was not a recognized Christian sect. In addition, during this period conscientious objectors were still drafted and typically assigned non-combat roles. In November, York was drafted into the U.S. Army, and though his conscientious objector status was considered, he was sent to basic training. A Change of Heart Now 30 years old, York was assigned to Company G, 328th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Infantry Division and posted to Camp Gordon in Georgia. Arriving, he proved a crack shot but was seen as an oddity because he did not wish to fight. During this time, he had extensive conversations with his company commander, Captain Edward C.B. Danforth, and his battalion commander, Major G. Edward Buxton, relating to the Biblical justification for war. A devout Christian, Buxton cited a variety of Biblical sources to counter his subordinates concerns. Challenging Yorks pacifist stance, the two officers were able to convince the reluctant soldier that war could be justified.  Following a 10-day leave to visit home, York returned with a firm belief that God meant for him to fight. In France Traveling to Boston, Yorks unit sailed for Le Havre, France in May 1918 and arrived later that month after a stop in Britain. Reaching the Continent, Yorks division spent time along the Somme as well as at Toul, Lagney, and Marbache, where they underwent a variety of training to prepare them for combat operations along the Western Front. Promoted to corporal, York took part in the St. Mihiel offensive that September as the 82nd sought to protect the US First Armys right flank. With the successful conclusion of fighting in that sector, the 82nd shifted northward to take part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Entering the fighting on October 7 to relieve units of the 28th Infantry Division, Yorks unit received orders that night to advance the next morning to take Hill 223 and press on to sever the Decauville Railroad north of Chatel-Chehery. Advancing around 6 a.m. the next morning, the Americans succeeded in taking the hill. A Tough Assignment Moving forward from the hill, Yorks unit was forced to attack through a triangular valley and quickly came under German machine-gun fire on several sides from the adjacent hills. This stalled the attack as the Americans began taking heavy casualties. In an effort to eliminate the machine guns, 17 men led by Sergeant Bernard Early, including York, were ordered to work around into the German rear. Taking advantage of the brush and hilly nature of the terrain, these troops succeeded in slipping behind the German lines and advanced up one of the hills opposite the American advance. In doing so, they overran and captured a German headquarters area and secured a large number of prisoners including a major. While Earlys men began securing the prisoners, the German machine gunners up the slope turned several of their guns and opened fire on the Americans. This killed six and wounded three, including Early. This left York in command of the remaining seven men. With his men behind cover guarding the prisoners, York moved to deal with the machine guns. A Stunning Achievement Beginning in a prone position, he utilized the shooting skills he had honed as a boy. Picking off the German gunners, York was able to move to a standing position as he evaded enemy fire. During the course of the fight, six German soldiers emerged from their trenches and charged at York with bayonets. Running low on rifle ammunition, he drew his pistol and dropped all six before they reached him. Switching back to his rifle, he returned to sniping at the German machine guns. Believing he had killed around 20 Germans, and not wishing to kill more than necessary, he began calling for them to surrender. Sergeant Alvin York during the action of October 8, 1918 by Frank Schoonover. Public Domain In this, he was aided by the captured major who ordered his men to cease fighting. Rounding up the prisoners in the immediate area, York and his men had captured around 100 Germans. With the majors assistance, York began moving the men back toward the American lines. In the process, another 30 Germans were captured. Advancing through artillery fire, York and the surviving men delivered 132 prisoners to his battalion headquarters. This done, he and his men rejoined their unit and fought through to the Decauville Railroad. In the course of the fight, 28 Germans were killed and 35 machine guns captured. Yorks actions clearing the machine guns reinvigorated the 328ths assault and the regiment advanced to secure a position on the Decauville Railroad. Medal of Honor For his achievements, York was promoted to sergeant and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Remaining with his unit for the final weeks of the war, his decoration was upgraded to the Medal of Honor which he received on April 18, 1919. The award was presented to York by American Expeditionary Forces commander General John J. Pershing. In addition to the Medal of Honor, York received the French Croix de Guerre and Legion of Honor, as well as the Italian Croce al Merito di Guerra. When given his French decorations by Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the supreme allied commander commented, What you did was the greatest thing ever accomplished by any soldier by any of the armies of Europe. Arriving back in the United States in late May, York was hailed as a hero and was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City. Later Life Though wooed by filmmakers and advertisers, York was eager to return home to Tennessee. Doing so, he married Gracie Williams that June. Over the next several years, the couple had 10 children, eight of whom survived infancy. A celebrity, York took part in several speaking tours and eagerly sought to improve educational opportunities for area children. This culminated with the opening of the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute in 1926, which was taken over by the State of Tennessee in 1937. Though York possessed some political ambitions, these largely proved fruitless. In 1941, York relented and allowed a film to be made of his life. As the conflict in Europe increased in intensity, what had first been planned as a movie about his work to educate children in Tennessee became an overt statement for intervention in World War II. Starring Gary Cooper, who would win his only Academy Award for his portrayal, Sergeant York proved a box office hit. Though he opposed the U.S. entry into World War II prior to Pearl Harbor, York worked to found the Tennessee State Guard in 1941, serving as colonel of the 7th Regiment and became a spokesperson for the Fight for Freedom Committee, counter to Charles Lindberghs isolationist American First committee. With the beginning of the war, he attempted to re-enlist but was turned away due to his age and weight. Unable to serve in combat, he instead played a role in war bond and inspection tours. In the years after the war, York was plagued by financial problems and was left incapacitated by a stroke in 1954. He died on September 2, 1964, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. Sources Birdwell, Michael E. Alvin Cullum York: The Myth, the Man, and the Legacy. Tennessee Historical Quarterly 71.4 (2012): 318–39. Print.Hoobler, James A. Sergeant York Historic Area. Tennessee Historical Quarterly 38.1 (1979): 3–8. Print.Lee, David D. Appalachia on Film: The Making of Sergeant York. Southern Quarterly 19.3 (1981): 207–15.Maestriano, Douglas V. Alvin York: A New Biography of the Hero of the Argonne. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2014.

Crush your Next Job Interview with These 12 Questions

Crush your Next Job Interview with These 12 Questions The end of an interview can be a tricky moment. I’m never quite sure when â€Å"Do you have any questions† is actually soliciting questions, and if it’s  a polite â€Å"Time to wrap up† cue. Regardless, having these questions from Levo League for TheSavvyIntern in your back pocket will help you turn that moment into an opportunity to stand out- in a good way. â€Å"What do you most like about working here?†or â€Å"What’s a day in the life of this role like?†Both of these questions are designed to move your interviewer away from lofty statements of company mission or corporate values and into the nitty gritty of what your job actually would be if you were hired. It also helps you remember that you’re trying them out as much as they are contemplating hiring you.â€Å"What are the most important things (or key goals) that this role should focus on in the first 30 days to one year of employment?†What I like about this ques tion is the shifting focus from the immediate, which tells you priorities, to the long-term, which tells you what kind of variety you might have a chance to work with. And again, clarity is always helpful.â€Å"What are the one-year and/or five-year goals for the organization? And how do you see someone in this role supporting those goals?†This one is helpful if you’re curious about the bigger-picture plans for the company and how you’d fit into it. Knowing that you will serve as crucial coordinator for the company’s flagship conference in a few months takes the sting out of getting cut from meetings or spending 20 minutes de-clogging the copier.â€Å"What are the qualities of the person who excels in this role?† or â€Å"What are the qualities of the person you’re looking to hire that will be successful in this role?†Pro-tip, don’t do this if they’ve already talked about the demands/requirements/optimal traits for succe ss in this role. Then it just sounds like you can’t listen. Know the job description really well too- you don’t want to sound like you didn’t bother to read up on the job you applied for.What are the success metrics for this job?Take notes now in case these come up again in your annual review after you’re hired- seriously! I live in fear of jobs where I’m charged with recruitment (you have no control over it!) or cold-calling; I need to know before I leave that office if I should withdraw graciously or if I can spend a few days nerving myself up for a big challenge.â€Å"What are some of the challenges that this role will face?†Speaking of challenges, you might as well hear the downsides too- it’s helpful to know ahead of time that you’ll be grappling with tightfisted resource departments or an out-of-touch marketing staff, so you can start brainstorming strategies (Or, even better, casually mention how you’ve worked wit h just such a situation before and resolved it gracefully to everyone’s satisfaction).  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Can you give me an example of a ‘stretch project’ within the organization?†This is actually a chance for you to showcase your independent thinking and problem solving skills- I know a guy who asked for an example of the kind of work he’d be able to challenge himself with, and when they described a modem/server problem they’d been working on for months, spontaneously tossed off an answer that solved their problem and boosted him from intern to permanent hire in a matter of months.â€Å"What’s the career path for this role within the company?†This question shows that you’re thinking long term and helps you manage expectations for advancement and review. At my first office job, they were quick to assure me that I wouldn’t advance as fast as my predecessor had (she had a master’s degree and was awesome), but that ther e was a an eventual path from editorial assistant to editor. I held on to that after I got the job, whenever I was feeling frustrated by the â€Å"assistant† in my title.â€Å"What’s the organization’s management style?†This is a really important question, especially if you’re interviewing with a less senior member of the team than the person you’d finally report to. They can tell you (sometimes via body language and word choice) how their boss is to work for.â€Å"What’s the team culture like?†I really like this one because depending on the rapport you’ve established and how senior the person interviewing you is, this is a good chance for coworker intel. On my first job out of school, when I asked about the coworker vibe, my future best friend dropped the Assistant Hiring Manager mask and sighed dramatically while rolling her eyes at the guy who’d just asked us to keep it down a little, then resumed her professio nalism and told me everyone was great.â€Å"Do you have any reservations about my fit for this role?†This one takes moxie. I’m not sure if I’ll ever quite be brassy enough to ask this one! What if they tell you?! On the other, bolder hand, you might catch them off guard enough to actually give you some examples, plus it gives you a chance to respond to them right then and there.Final tip- write these Qs on the second sheet of a legal pad or notebook that you take into the interview with you! Take notes so it doesn’t seem weird you’re glancing at it, and you’ll impress the interviewer with your diligence and clearly highly evolved attention to detail.

How to Ace Your AP Chemistry Labs

How to Ace Your AP Chemistry Labs SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Labs play a significant role in AP Chemistry, and knowledge of experimental procedures is critical for the final exam. If you're an AP Chemistry student (or are considering becoming one), this guide will help you understand what to expect from the lab components of the course. I'll provide an overview of the types of AP Chemistry labs you'll see, the amount of time you'll spend on them, and what a real lab procedure looks like. You'll also learn how lab reports are structured and what you can do during the lab to ensure that you're getting the most out of your experience! What Are the Lab Requirements for AP Chemistry? Twenty-five percent of class time in AP Chemistry is devoted to labs, so they’re a big part of the course.The College Board even says in the course description that increased lab time is correlated with higher AP scores!You will be expected to conduct at least sixteen hands-on lab experiments throughout the year, and at least six of those sixteen must be "guided inquiry" labs. The College Board emphasizes an inquiry-based approach in the most up to date curriculum guidelines for AP Chemistry.This means that you’ll be asked to work independently at times. The teacher will provide a prompt or question, but you'll design the rest of the lab.This gives you the opportunity to conduct valid experiments that test your hypotheses without a teacher holding your hand the whole way. This approach is geared towards helping students develop scientific skill sets that they will use later in life when there isn't a teacher around to give them the answers. In guided inquiry labs, you will be expected to: Come up with a scientific question Decide which variables you will investigate Design and conduct experimental procedures Collect, analyze, interpret, and display data Present conclusions appropriately The other (up to) ten labs in the course may be traditional teacher-directed labs, but they will still support the learning objectives of the course. A full list of AP Chemistry learning objectives divided by the main themes or â€Å"Big Ideas†can be found on page 107 of the course guidelines.The goal for each lab is to incorporate as many of these objectives as possible so that students get the most out of their time. Each lab will serve a purpose in helping you grasp essential concepts in AP Chemistry. Which AP Chemistry Labs Will You Actually Have to Do? The AP Chemistry lab curriculum offers a fair amount of flexibility.The College Board provides a lab manual to teachers that includes 16 guided inquiry labs. Teachers can then choose at least six of those labs to conduct in class.The other ten or more labs in the course may be teacher-directed (traditional, step-by-step labs where all students follow one exact procedure). Examples of lab topics you might explore in AP Chemistry include: Spectroscopy Determine the concentration of a solute in solution based on the color of the solution Gravimetric Analysis of a Precipitate Find the identity of an unknown compound using mass data Stoichiometry Determine the amount of dissolved particles present in solution Solubility Determine the amount of dissolved ions in solution Redox Titration Measure the amount of acid contained in a solution Reaction Rate Manipulating variables to see how they affect chemical reaction rates Energy Determine change in energy in various chemical reactions Equilibrium Maximizing yield in chemical reactions Weak Acid Titration Drawing conclusions about acid properties from a pH titration curve for a weak acid Buffers Explore how buffers are made and what determines their capacity to resist changes in pH Electrochemistry Using electrolysis to induce non-spontaneous chemical reactions Get ready to explore the fascinating and terrifying landscape of microscopic particles that make up our world. AP Chemistry Lab Example Here’s a more specific example of an AP Chemistry Lab.In this case, it was derived from the AP Chemistry Lab Manual, so it’s an inquiry-based lab. Lab Title: The Preparation and Testing of an Effective Buffer: How Do Components Influence a Buffer's pH and Capacity?† Experiment Overview: In this experiment, the pH of water and a number of other solutions will be measured, and then acids and bases will be added to see how the pH is affected. Several buffer solutions of different pH values will be prepared and tested for their ability to resist change in pH. This covers the following AP Chemistry learning objective (LO 6.18):The student can design a buffer solution with a target pH and buffer capacity by selecting an appropriate conjugate acid-base pair and estimating the concentration needed to achieve the desired capacity. Materials Needed: Hardware: Balance with 0.01-gram precision Four 100 mL beakers Three pipets Buret, ring stand, buret clamp Two 250 mL Erlenmeyer flasks Two graduated cylinders, 25 mL and 100 mL pH meter Stirring rod Wash bottle and distilled water Chemical Solutions: 20 mL Acetic acid, 0.10 M 20 mL ammonia, 0.10 M 20 mL ammonium chloride, 0.10 M 5 mL HCl, 0.10 M 1 mL of 1 percent Phenolphthalein 20 mL sodium acetate, 0.10 M 40 mL sodium chloride, 0.10 M 5 mL sodium hydroxide, 0.10 M Unknown solid acid sample, 2.0 g Safety Precautions (an extremely important part of each lab, especially when you’re dealing with strong acids!): Wear chemical splash goggles, chemical resistant gloves, and a chemical resistant apron. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before leaving the laboratory. Procedure: Part 1: pH Changes in Non-buffered Solutions 1. Place 20 mL of distilled or deionized water in a 100 mL beaker. Test the pH using a pH meter. Record the pH.2. Using a pipet, add one drop of 0.10 M HCl, stir the solution and again test and record the pH.3. Repeat step 2 with a second and third drop of 0.10 M HCl.4. Repeat steps 1-3 with 20 mL of 0.10 M NaCl solution.5. Place 20 mL of distilled or deionized water in a 100 mL beaker. Test the pH using a pH meter. Record the pH.6. Using a pipet, add one drop of 0.10 M NaOH, stir the solution and again test the pH and record.7. Repeat step 6 with a second and third drop of 0.10 M NaOH.8. Repeat steps 5-7 with 20 mL of 0.10 M NaCl solution. Part 2: pH Changes in Buffered Solutions 9. To prepare a buffer, use 25 mL graduated cylinder to add 10 mL of 0.10 M HC2H3O2 and 10.0 mL of 0.10 M NaC2H3O2 to a 100 mL beaker.10. Measure the pH of the buffer solution and record.. Add 1 drop of 0.10 M HCl, stir, measure and record the pH.12. Repeat step for two additional drops of 0.10 M HCl.13. Prepare a fresh sample of the HC2H3O2 - C2H3O2- buffer as in step 9.14. Repeat steps and 12 by adding 0.10 M NaOH.15. Prepare a basic buffer by combining 10.0 mL of 0.10 M NH3 and 10.0 mL of 0.10 M NH4Cl in a 100 mL beaker.16. Repeat steps and 12 for this basic buffer solution.17. Repeat step 14 by preparing a fresh sample of the basic buffer and testing it with a dropwise addition of three drops of 0.10 M NaOH. Part 3: Preparation of Buffer of a Given pH 18. Weigh out 1.8 to 2.0 g of a solid acid assigned to you.19. Dissolve the acid in 150 mL of distilled water in a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask (flask 1).20. Pour 75 mL of this solution into a second 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask (flask 2), add 2 drops of phenolphthalein solution, and titrate to the phenolphthalein color change with 0.20 M NaOH. Record the volume of titrant. You now have a solution of a weak acid in flask 1, and a solution of the sodium salt of the weak acid (its conjugate base) in the second flask 2. Make the concentrations of the two solutions the same by adding the same volume of distilled water to the acid flask 1 as the volume of NaOH you used to titrate the solution in flask 2.21. Combine 10.0 mL of your weak acid solution in flask 1 with 10.0 mL of the conjugate base solution in flask 2, mix, and measure the pH and record. This is the pKa of the acid.22. Your teacher will assign you the pH of a buffer to prepare. Calculate the volume of weak acid and conjugate base that you will need to prepare 50 mL of a buffer of the assigned pH. 23. Measure out the volumes of acid and conjugate base, mix then measure and record the pH.24.Test your buffer solution to see if it resists changes in pH by measuring 20.0 mL of the and adding 3 drops of 0.10 M HCl, and repeating with 20.0 mL of buffer and 3 drops of NaOH. Record the pH values after each addition. Conclusion Questions: 1. Discuss how the addition of acid and base to distilled water affected its pH.2. Discuss how the addition of acid and base to 0.10 M NaCl solution affected its pH.3. Discuss how the addition of acid and base to the acetic acid-acetate ion buffer affected the pH.4. Discuss how the addition of acid and base to the ammonia-ammonium ion buffer affected the pH.5. Did your prepared buffer match your assigned pH value? Explain.6. Comment on the ability of your prepared buffer to resist the change of pH when acid and base were added in the last step of the investigation. Notice that this lab ultimately requires independent problem-solving skills on the part of the student.You must create your own buffer solution of a certain pH and then test it to see if it’s effective.While the procedure is clearly laid out, it won’t be exactly the same for each person.You could come up with more than one way to make the final buffer solution for any given pH, so the lab is flexible depending on how you think about the problem.This type of lab encourages you to use knowledge of chemistry to solve a problem creatively. All the pieces of the puzzle are there for guided inquiry labs, but you're responsible for putting them together! You'd better hope it's not one of those puzzles with a million blue sky pieces that all look the same. How Are Lab Reports Structured? Ah, lab reports, the not-so-fun part of playing with chemicals.Lab reports might seem daunting, but if you conduct the experiment properly and prepare some parts of your report beforehand, you should be fine. I took the lab guidelines below from a sample syllabus provided by the College Board.It lists ten essential components of an AP Chemistry lab report and shows when each should be completed (before, during, or after the lab is conducted). Your teacher may have slightly different expectations (sometimes you have to list the materials needed for the lab before the procedure, for example), and even those will change slightly depending on the nature of the lab.These are just the components of a standard chemistry lab report to give you an idea of what to expect! To Set Up Your Lab Report, You Will: 1. Write an accurate descriptive title for the lab (i.e. pH Titration Lab)2. Write the date of the lab3. Provide a purpose statement explaining the point of the lab4. Write an outline of the lab procedure (often this is in bullet-point form)5. Answer any pre-lab questions 6. Create data tables that you’ll fill in during the lab During the Lab You Will: 7. Record data from the experiment in a neat, well-organized fashion After the Lab You Will: 8. Show calculations and draw out any corresponding graphs (be sure to label everything correctly!)9. Write a conclusion about your findings (format may vary depending on the lab)10. Answer post-lab error analysis questions Note that you should always write these reports in the 3rd person (i.e. "the solution was titrated" rather than "I titrated the solution"). Lab reports are intended to be objective statements of the facts, so â€Å"I† or â€Å"We† statements will just make them seem less credible! Always use the third person in scientific writing. I mean, look at that dude. He clearly knows way more about chemistry than those other two schmucks. Tips for AP Chemistry Labs Here are some essential tips you should keep in mind during AP Chemistry labs. They'll save you from wasting your time in class and turning in a crappy lab report! Tip #1: Don’t Get Careless If you’re tired or just not feelin’ chemistry one day, the last thing you want to hear is that you’re expected to get out of your chair and do a lab.On those occasions, try to summon your remaining strength to get through the class.If you don’t do a lab correctly the first time, you’ll be in for a lot of trouble when you try to write your report. You know a movie is going to be bad if the director has to say â€Å"we’ll fix it in post-production.† Similarly, if you mess up during the actual experiment, don’t think â€Å"eh - I’ll just fix it in the lab report.† You should do things correctly so that you don’t get the wrong impression of how the lab was conducted and end up struggling on your next test (or handing in data that makes no sense).Redo everything the right way before moving forward! Tip #2: Record Everything Clearly (and Don’t Fudge the Data Later) The most critical part of each lab is data collection.It would be tough to forget to write down all of your data, but sometimes you can end up writing illegibly or organizing results in a way that won’t make sense to you later. Carefully lay out your data tables before starting the experiment so that you have a designated place to record results.Try to write clearly and neatly so there’s no chance of misunderstandings. If your data doesn’t fit with your hypothesis of how the lab was supposed to go, write it down anyways (as long as you don’t think you made any big mistakes in following the procedure).You’ll be able to discuss why your data was wonky in the conclusion section of the report.Don’t get in the habit of faking results - it makes the experiment pointless. Tip #3: Ask for Clarification if Necessary Your teacher is there to help you, so don’t be afraid to use him or her as a resource!If, at any point during the lab, you’re not sure whether you’re conducting the procedure correctly, you should check in with your teacher to verify.This will prevent the nightmare scenario of sitting down to write a lab report and realizing you essentially did a completely different lab and have no usable data. Everyone has the same nightmare when they follow the wrong lab procedure: You're walking through a gloomy forest when suddenly you sense that you're being watched. You hear a haunting whisper, "I tooooold you to use 20 ml of HClllll." You wake up in a cold sweat as you're about to be sacrificed over a Bunsen burner by a coven of AP Chemistry teachers. Conclusion AP Chemistry is a fairly lab-centric course, so you should be prepared to spend a lot of time doing hands-on experiments (at least 25 percent of the class!). The lab requirements are open to some interpretation, but, per the curriculum guidelines, courses must include at least 16 labs total, at least six of which are special "guided inquiry" labs. These are independently-conducted labs where students have greater agency over the procedure and outcome. When conducting labs, you should keep the following tips in mind: 1. Don't Get Careless2. Record Everything Clearly, and Don't Fudge the Data Later3. Ask Your Teacher for Clarification if Necessary Adhering to these tips will make the process of writing a lab report relatively painless later. If you conduct the experiment correctly and have solid data, the only part of the report that you'll need to worry about is the conclusion. The goal of all this lab work is to teach you to apply sound scientific practices across a variety of circumstances. Many questions on the final exam will ask you to analyze experimental scenarios based on your knowledge of lab procedure and chemical properties. In some cases, you might even recognize experiments from class! What's Next? If you're kind of nervous about taking AP Chemistry, take a look at my article analyzing the difficulty level of the course across five different metrics. Are you looking for a good review book? Check out my list of the best AP Chemistry review books available for students this year! Still working on planning out your schedule? Learn more about which science classes you should take in high school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Superbowl ad strategy placement for Coke Zero Assignment

Superbowl ad strategy placement for Coke Zero - Assignment Example Coca Cola could connect themselves with one of the teams playing, and have some of its fans wearing jerseys with sponsorship that does not refer directly to the event (Scaria 23). Coke Zero will take advantage of the fact that most Americans do not show up to their workplaces the day after the Super Bowl, while some arrive late. Thus, Coke Zero should launch a campaign on twitter called #Zero Monday, which would be emblazoned on the fans’ jerseys. The viewers would then be directed to the Coke Zero website on searching the term. Coke Zero should launch a campaign to get the day after Super Bowl declared a Federal holiday using fans of a specific team. Some fans could be placed in the crowd with placards inviting citizens to give ideas through twitter on how to turn #Zero Monday into reality using this hash tag. Coke Zero will then seek to tie the campaign to an effort aimed at giving fans of the chosen team a day off, in which they will either mourn, or celebrate the defeat or success of their team. Low Nielsen ratings are bad news for any TV station that makes money out of advertising (Sissors 56). Therefore, for the Tulsa NBS affiliate with low ratings, it is crucial to spike their ratings in order for them to get ad placements from the Ford automobile dealership. One such way is to run special promotions and contests during the week in which Nielsen is due to conduct its sweeps. This will be aimed at spiking the ratings, which will convince the ford dealer that there are just as many people watching the station as other competitors. For example, the TV station can urge its viewers to note the programs being watched in their households, which will encourage households that have Nielsen diaries to watch shows on their channel. The station could also mark the four months during which ratings are held on their

New York Times Article Review SEE below instructiuon Essay

New York Times Article Review SEE below instructiuon - Essay Example In case the price tag is approved by Washington, the carbon content of fuel will become as important as the fuel cost and may even define the fuel cost. The result of this policy will be the competitive capacity of alternative energies, such as wind, sunlight, uranium, corn stalks and trash or natural gas. It would also be possible to start using the so called â€Å"carbon-negative† fuels, taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The Congress should introduce a special tax or a cap-of-trade system for industries producing fuels. The estimations show that at $50 per metric ton the cost of a kilowatt-hour produced by coal will go from about 5.7 cents to 10 cents. When carbon dioxide costs $25 a ton, wind power will become competitive. Solar power is very expensive now, but the cap-of-trade system making coal fuel equal or even higher in price, solar power gets â€Å"a much larger chance to be relevant†. The carbon calculus concerns not only electricity but also ethanol, called â€Å"closet carbon†. There are possibilities to reduce greenhouse-emissions producing ethanol from trash through a newly-elaborated thermochemical method, proposed by Range Fuels of Denver. Nowadays we use corn ethanol, made using natural gas and coals, containing carbon, and sugar-cane ethanol, resulting in 10% as much CO2. Another approach, being tested in Arizona, is to fertilize algae with carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere. Scientists even propose carbon-negative products, such as synthesis gas made from biomass, with resulting carbon dioxide being captured chemically. New approaches are sought for in architecture. Today building sites are evaluated for solar orientation and prevailing winds, the possibility to use the existing mass of hillsides and the ambient temperature of the dirt, etc. Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced in the process of produce of various goods for mass consum ption. The problem is that the new technologies

Definition of Disability In Relation To Using Website or Computers Dissertation

Definition of Disability In Relation To Using Website or Computers - Dissertation Example They may not be able to see, hear, move, or may not be able to process some types of information easily or at all. They may have difficulty reading or comprehending text. They may not have or be able to use a keyboard or mouse. They may have a text-only screen, a small screen, or a slow Internet connection. They may not speak or understand fluently the language in which the document is written. They may be in a situation where their eyes, ears, or hands are busy or interfered with (e.g., driving to work, working in a loud environment, etc.). They may have an early version of a browser, a different browser entirely, a voice browser, or a different operating system. Content developers must consider these different situations during page design. While there are several situations to consider, each accessible design choice generally benefits several disability groups at once and the Web community as a whole. For example, by using style sheets to control font styles and eliminating the FONT element, HTML authors will have more control over their pages, make those pages more accessible to people with low vision, and by sharing the style sheets, will often shorten page download times for all users. Content developers should make content understandable and navigable. This includes not only making the language clear and simple, but also providing understandable mechanisms for navigating within and between pages. Providing navigation tools and orientation information in pages will maximize accessibility and usability. Not all users can make use of visual clues such as image maps, proportional scroll bars, side-by-side frames, or graphics that guide sighted users of graphical desktop browsers. Users also lose contextual information when... Content developers must consider these different situations during page design. While there are several situations to consider, each accessible design choice generally benefits several disability groups at once and the Web community as a whole. For example, by using style sheets to control font styles and eliminating the FONT element, HTML authors will have more control over their pages, make those pages more accessible to people with low vision, and by sharing the style sheets, will often shorten page download times for all users. Content developers should make content understandable and navigable. This includes not only making the language clear and simple but also providing understandable mechanisms for navigating within and between pages. Providing navigation tools and orientation information in pages will maximize accessibility and usability. Not all users can make use of visual clues such as image maps, proportional scroll bars, side-by-side frames, or graphics that guide sighted users of graphical desktop browsers. Users also lose contextual information when they can only view a portion of a page, either because they are accessing the page one word at a time, or one section at a time (small display, or a magnified display). Without orientation information, users may not be able to understand very large tables, lists, menus, etc. An accessible Internet (web) site is one that has been designed and built in such a way that anybody can get into it and make use of all its facilities, even if they live with a disability.

How does the courts interpretation of due process affect police Essay

How does the courts interpretation of due process affect police practices related to search, arrest and interrogation - Essay Example Court plays an integral role in criminal trials and paving way for the course of justice, however, a court’s interpretation is not only restricted till punishing the perpetrator of the delinquent act but also pays an important in other facets of the trial.These facets involve police practices such as issuing search and arrest warrants, and even the process interrogation is contingent upon the interpretations made during the proceedings. (Scheb, 2008, P.p 10-15) It should be further noted that by initiating the process of prosecution the court has undertaken their responsibility to punish the criminal on behalf of the entire society. There are basic procedural steps that follow respective searches, seizures, interrogation and arrests. Law enforcement agencies are directly under court orders. It vastly depends on the circumstance under which complaint is filed and the defendant is being tried. (Scheb, 2008, P.p 10-15) It is the truth-finding process; a search warrant may be issu ed in order to gather evidence and if the evidences produced in the court may cause the legal professionals to assume that a further search can help search out more incriminating evidences or something that can prove the defendant’s innocence then in such a circumstance a search warrant may be issued. Seizures are the result of â€Å"Reasonable suspicion† that is the high probability that the property in question, may be altered that can distort or destroy a significant piece of evidence. Analogous to the facets of the US criminal justice system discussed above, arrests are made following a â€Å"Grand Jury Indictment† and is only performed when evidence point towards the fact that a crime has been committed and there is ample reason to believe that a crime has been committed. Basically, it is because of the jurisdiction that is produced during the trial which is responsible for the law enforcement activities and it is their interpretation that affects these the most. It is fundamental step in determining guilt or innocence of the defendant. (Scheb, 2008, P.p 10-15) 2. Why do state courts have to follow the same due process rights as the federal courts regarding search and seizure rights?   Courtroom proceedings are initiated by the law being broken and then it is followed by the process of trying the accused, analyzing the evidences and then eventually handing out the sentence accordingly. The criminal justice system in the United States of America is characterized by an absence of a single criminal or civil court. Instead the American judicial system is fragmented into the federal or national judicial system and then each American state or territory is governed by their set of rules and regulations. (Emmanuel, 2009, P.p 5-6) Courts that function on a state and federal level may operate as separate entities but they have countless similarities. The constitutional doctrines that is used to govern the entire nation is also used as the fou ndation of drafting out a state constitution hence, there is immense amount of correspondence in the way they function. As a matter of fact the framework, upon which both of these entities function, is largely the same and when it comes to issuing search, arrest and seizure warrants both courts follow the same due process. (Weiss, 2003) The only difference is in the types of crimes that are tried by each of the legal entities and the way they are tried; for instance federal courts hears cases pertaining to offences that affect the country as a whole whereas, state courts hear offences that are slightly lower in gravity than the ones being handled in federal levels. Therefore, for the most part of the trial process the same procedure is followed. That is relevant interpretation of the trial by the court causes magistrates to issue search and seizure

Conflict and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conflict and Change - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the themes that the author uses is controlling the mind. He says the government changes news and books contents. It does this to change the history that blackmails it as bad. The government monitors its citizens in all their daily activities. It banned the citizens from indulging in any forms of rebellious thinking, speaking, or activities. What results is a society of stooges and zombies who have no rights over themselves (Orwell & Fromm 2010). People are forced to control and suppress their sexual desires. The government makes children spies to seek for those who violate the orders. The act is unethical as the children will grow with conflicting thoughts and feelings to their families. The society marks the children as betrayers (Orwell & Fromm 2010). The author further develops his work with the theme of oppression. The government uses unethical and immoral tactics to quell the activities of Winston Smith the Protagonist. It takes his girlfriend away and forces him to give her up. Winston finally gives up and joins the government. It also forces its citizens to engage in strenuous jobs in the morning. They had to love what it was doing for them to be free (Orwell & Fromm 2010). Forcing anyone to love and adopt indecent activities is inhumane. The author uses the novel and its themes to show and warn the consequences of a totalitarianism government. The society and people become ethically and morally

The more advances that are made in Medicine, the more things stay the Scholarship Essay - 1

The more advances that are made in Medicine, the more things stay the same. Discuss - Scholarship Essay Example This paper argues out this concept by giving the several impacts of the advancement of medicine on patients in the society. This will create the basis of the argument to verify its credibility. The paper will analyze both the positive and negative effects of advancement of medicine in the society today by looking at various situational cases where advanced medical services are used. The results of the use of advanced medical services lay the foundation of this argument considering its positivity and negativities. Because of the availability of medical equipment for research and treatment, researchers in the field of medicine have come up with different kinds of medicines which cure various diseases (Alyson, 2014). They have also been able to study complicated diseases in the recent years and have found the cure for some chronic diseases. Biotechnology is a great advancement in the field of medicine making it easy for people to live with chronic diseases. It prolongs the life of people suffering from serious and chronic illnesses by controlling of diseases or the virus in the body of patients. An example is dealing with patients suffering from cancer. Biotechnology has given hope to such patients by controlling the disease through chemotherapy hence prolonging their life span. The use of plastic body parts has also helped individuals to live a normal life (Catalunya, 2014). An example is patients suffering from breast cancer and has lost a part of her breast. Plastic breasts can be used to al low her live a normal life like any other woman. The advancement of medicine in the world today is due to the evolvement of technology as it improves to make solving problems today an easy task. There are various advancements in medicine today and a majority of them are influenced by the availability of advanced technology in the health sector. Medical advancements are aimed at

Conflict and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conflict and Change - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the themes that the author uses is controlling the mind. He says the government changes news and books contents. It does this to change the history that blackmails it as bad. The government monitors its citizens in all their daily activities. It banned the citizens from indulging in any forms of rebellious thinking, speaking, or activities. What results is a society of stooges and zombies who have no rights over themselves (Orwell & Fromm 2010). People are forced to control and suppress their sexual desires. The government makes children spies to seek for those who violate the orders. The act is unethical as the children will grow with conflicting thoughts and feelings to their families. The society marks the children as betrayers (Orwell & Fromm 2010). The author further develops his work with the theme of oppression. The government uses unethical and immoral tactics to quell the activities of Winston Smith the Protagonist. It takes his girlfriend away and forces him to give her up. Winston finally gives up and joins the government. It also forces its citizens to engage in strenuous jobs in the morning. They had to love what it was doing for them to be free (Orwell & Fromm 2010). Forcing anyone to love and adopt indecent activities is inhumane. The author uses the novel and its themes to show and warn the consequences of a totalitarianism government. The society and people become ethically and morally

T-test results Essay Example for Free

T-test results Essay Factors in which Body Shop Exceeded Patrons’ Expectations. The following t-test of means of paired groups were significant at the . 01 level: Quality of the products, the customer service of the store personnel; the variety of product offerings in the store; the convenience of going to the store location; attractiveness of the packaging; the degree to which the product espouses â€Å"natural† rather than artificial; the values espoused by the company who sells the product. In all these items, Body Shop has exceeded the degree of importance attached by the respondent on the factor. Body Shop has to maintain its exemplary customer service in its stores, especially since the customer experience in the store forms part of the branding of Body Shop products. An often forgotten facet is the convenience of the store location, which also figured as a factor which exceeded the expectations of patrons. This may again be leveraged on for brand building. Consistent with the assertions of Kotler (2003), brand building involves a gamut of interdependent factors, which says everything about what Body Shop represents. This evidently includes the customer service received by the client when inside a Body Shop branch. He further asserts that customer service is perhaps the most important device for brand building. As this is a factor which has exceeded expectations of Body Shop patrons, it simply needs to maintain this asset to remain competitive. Exemplary customer service can breed loyalty among its clientele (Kotler 2003). Yet another factor which exceeded the expectations of patrons was the variety of cosmetic offerings by Body Shop. This is especially critical in the UK setting since women in Britain are the highest users of make-up in the whole Europe, about 93% of the population (Ending the Cosmetics 2008). In fact, the sales of cosmetics, toiletries and perfumes rose to 4. 1% from 3. 5%, giving the market a value of â‚ ¬64. 6bn (Montague-Jones 2008). Big names in the cosmetics industry dominate the market with L’Oreal leading the way. Variety is also a concern of the company. Since L’Oreal took over The Body Shop, the company is expected to stand out as it expands its product range to natural products (Euromonitor International 2008). This is again a facet which they can further leverage on for continued competitive advantage. Packaging is also a strength of Body Shop. It has successfully built a â€Å"green† brand and this is strongly reflective of its ‘natural’ packaging. The natural packaging of Body Shop logically tells patrons that the product has been made from natural or oganix ingredients. There is some anxiety over the accuracy of ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ labelling, although the results of the current research show that Body Shop is not in question. For instance, Paul Lieber, cosmetic chemist, expressed that physically possible for more 30-40% of the ingredients to be organic, unless its organic oil, for the simple reason that conventionally 60-70% of a product is water which cannot be certified organically grown. (Farlow 2006). Because there are no such ‘accusations’ of Body Shop products, there packaging and label information are perceived to be authentic and accurate. Moreover, Body Shop is also wary about indicating whether product may cause allerfic reactions. While other competitor brands struggle to promote an image of natural and being environmentally friendly, Body Shop has been at the forefront of the race. They always ensure that there is information on the front of the label about the health and safety of the ingredients inside the package (Farlow 2006). The foremost feature of Body Shop as a busines entity is the appeal of its noble thrusts or cause. This is attested to by the results of the survey, which suggest that it has exceeded expectations of clients in terms of the quality of their products and its natural appeal. These indicate that it has effectively used cause branding, an approach in branding where a company supports a cause to be able to increase profits or to set it apart from competitors (Ivy Cohen Corporate Communications 2007). It has gone into the league of such programmes as Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, ConAgra Foods’ Feeding Children Better Program, Reebok’s Human Rights Awards and Rockport’s Fitness Walking Program. While promotional activities are there only for the short term, cause marketing forms part of the brand, as a long-term initiative. They have been successful at making the Body Shop brand tantamount to caring for the environment and for promoting authentically natural products (Evergreen Partners 2005). Moreover, Body Shop has effectively promoted corporate social responsibility through its various community activities and environmental programmes. These various causes have helped spell its solid brand (Evergreen Partners 2005). The values of Body Shop have been instrumental in creating its successful brand, and the results of the current research have supported this. Not only has it been successful at creating a corporate brand, it has also been effective at creating a successful employer brand. VersantWorks (2008) asserts tht with the uptend in new resources such as technology, the core asset of any enterprise remains to be its manpower. Thus, as Body Shop competes with increasingly effective competitors, its must attract competent key people through its appeal as an employer. It must thus maintain its credible standing among its stakeholders current employees, potential hires, and previous staff about the company as place of work (Harris 2002), as Body Shop being a â€Å"great place to work†. This shall continually instill in them pride in being part of the company, engagement, and belongingness (VersantWorks 2008). This trend of advocating exemplary corporate values for creating an employer brand is expected to continue for Body Shop, with its acquisition by L’Oreal. The latter has in fact been nominated as among the Fast Moving Consumer Goods – FMCG Employer of Choice (Employer Profile 2008). It has also been espousing employee development explicitly through its website; they likewise offer a secure workplace, performance is given credit, a diverse culture, and where privacy and private life are valued (As An Employer 2008). What makes this strategy work for the company is because L’Oreal knows who it wanted to hire and focus the HR endeavor to accomplish the task (Klein 2008), something that they are likely to infuse further in Body Shop. Factors which Matched Patrons’ Expectations. There are no significant differences on the following items: brand; the degree to which the product is environment friendly; and positive feedback garnered from significant others. These suggest that Body Shop has met expectations of the respondents based on the degree of importance they have attached to each factor. Body Shop has matched its patrons expectations in terms of being a well known, globally acknowledged brand. Overall, they have not only raised awareness about their products, but have also been able to address the personal needs of their clientele (Lake 2003). They have been able to espouse a character to which the clients have related and associated themselves to (Klein 2008). In total, the opinions and interface of their customers with the Body Shop brand have been positive, and have allowed them to remain competitive (Lake 2003). Still among the reasons for their success if their effectiveness in building a corporate band. Body Shop has created brand loyalty where customers look for products under that company or under the Body Shop brand name (Crystal 2003). To this point, Body Shop continues to leverage on being an environmentally friendly enterprise, which is also one of the factors which matched the expectations of its patrons. Inf act, in collaboration with Adi Maimalaga Tafuna’i , executive director of Samoa’s NGO Women in Business Inc. , the Body Shop was instrumental with the launching of Samoa’s coconut oil to the world last year. September 2008, through the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, will be the launching of the organic standards for the agricultural produce in the Pacific regions, a cooperative work the NGO and New Zealand and Pacific expertise. Tafuna’i expresses complying with organic standards is always a major issue especially for agricultural exports and this undertaking will add value to the small quantities of agricultural produce for export (Radio New Zealand International 2008). Moreover, Body Shop promotes other advocacies apart from environmentalist. For example, it has commemorated International Friendship Day last August 3 by launching their For Me, For You shea butter lip care two-packs—a special edition launched late last month on July 28th —preservative-free balm retails for $15. All profits from each sale are donated to entities like Alice Housing through the Canadian Womens Foundation in support of its endeavor to help women and children who are victims of domestic violence (Webb-Campbell 2008). The women respondents in the present study have also expressed receiving positive feedback about the Body Shop brand from significant others. These results suggest that women are strongly influenced by reference groups, family, and role and status within the society. Moreover, a reference group could be a single person or a group of people that an individual consults when developing personal standards (Consumer Behavior 2008). These further indicate that their significant others’ expectations about Body Shop products have been met as well, and they were strongly influenced to adopt the same set of standards (Consumer Behavior – Social 2008). For instance officemates or friends show or introduce the latest trend, convincing their significant others that this good; consequently, purchase is impacted on by this feedback. In addition, Heath and Bryant (2000) suggested that when consumers buy things like cosmetics, they ask friends and family first prior to buying. The information and views expressed by these close relations have as much influence on whether the purchase will be made as the consumers’ own needs, inclinations and knowledge. Such is more applicable when a consumer is uncertan about what to buy; in such cases, they are likely to heed what they perceive as socially acceptable, especially by those who are significant to them (Heath Bryant 2000). Factors which Did not Match Patrons’ Expectations. In contrast, the following factors are those in which Body Shop did not quite meet client expectations based on the degree of importance they have assigned to each: competitive price of the product; trendiness or fashion sense represented by the product; and the sales promotions used for the product. Price, trendiness and sales promotions have to be beefed up further by Body Shop to be able to entice more clients and to maintain the loyalty of its patrons. While clients are willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly products, clients are growing increasingly price-conscious. Moreover, while its popularity cannot be denied, it has still managed to elect a marketing entity to manage its affiliate marketing programmes in the UK. This suggests that it is still conscious about the need to further promote the products even if it has already gained a niche in the market. It has thus elected TradeDoubler, the pan-European digital marketing company, to exclusively oversee its trade marketing programme in the UK (e-Consultancy 2008).

The Issues Facing Mercedes Benz Cyprus Developing Conceptual Framework Business Essay

The Issues Facing Mercedes Benz Cyprus Developing Conceptual Framework Business Essay The project concentrates on the issues facing Mercedes Benz Cyprus developing and implementing an efficient and cost-effective conceptual framework for measuring and managing sales performance. As a concrete outcome of this research, a roadmap and a website for non technical business users will be developed, giving them the capability to apply the conceptual framework to measurable and manageable business activities. The project provides evidence that indicates successful application of measuring and managing sales performance techniques through the use of reports, trainings, communication capabilities and presentation skills. It creates a new political and organisational challenge for the staff of the organisation which in its turn must learn to interact fast and effectively in order to achieve their targets. The main topics that emerged from the research are defined in derived conceptual framework based on the comprehensive review and analysis of the different models and frameworks that can be found in performance measurement literature. Substance considers the external and internal influences impacting on a sales organisation and how management team and staff can offer an actively sought process to monitor business performance on an on-going basis and to generate recommendations for changes. The research indicates that there is no single model or process for developing performance objectives and measures, nor is there a process that will guarantee good results. It has been essential to synthesise and extend the existing models and frameworks with the aim to produce the most suitable conceptual framework based on the size, kind, and available resources. Additional it is difficult to become a successful implementation of a sales performance measurement management system without connecting with a blended training activities based on the culture of continuous improvement with apply of personal professional development of the stakeholders supporting them to identify their weakness for improvement. Preface Award My target award is Doctorate in Professional Studies Development and Implementation Issues for Managing Sales Performance. Sales Performance is the basic term under which this project focuses. I propose to outline a general focus on performance with particular reference to automotive industry. The project report will provide a dynamic, systematic and permanent conceptual framework on management and measurement of sales performance from the view of the business user for the Mercedes- Benz Cyprus. The final product will be a practical user-friendly document and a website, based on sound research, for non technical business users supporting them to measure and manage sales performance. It will provide practical and useful information with real business examples and arguments for measuring and managing sales performance. Furthermore, it will serve as a standard and quick reference for business users, monitoring and evaluating tools and methodologies that are critical in measuring and managing sales performance. The website will be an online learning support area for where you can find online material to support the subject of sales performance together with discussion areas. It is also anticipated to use this programme as an opportunity to my continuous learning and development in the area of sales performance. My favourite motto from the Greek, Athenian statesman, lawgiver and poet Solon is the motivation for my continuous learning and development, I grow in learning as I grow in years (Plutarch Langhorne, 1857). As Kolb (1984) has documented, we seek to grow and develop because we must do so to survive as individuals and as a world community. Coherence of the Programme The bellow topics provide a rationale for the combination of modules and Recognitions and Accreditation of Learning (RAL) claims on the programme and how are argue for the coherence and viability of this proposed programme. DPS 4520: Review of Learning The module of the Review of Learning provided me with a summary and evaluation of my experiences and education to date, and an analysis of their relevance to my future learning and development. My education and work experiences have impacted my personal development, as I have gained a mixture of both academic teaching and hands, on business experience. Most of my experience comes from progressive roles that I have held with Mercedes Benz. With Mercedes Benz, I have been fortunate to have a career that has spanned multiple disciplines including Information Technology, Quality, Sales and Marketing. I present my learning in a chronological and thematic approach, with the following diagram Figure 1:0 to reflect on my learning, which shows my lifelong learning stages. Starting from school and during my first university degree I have had special focus in Mathematics which helped me to develop my analytical and logical thinking for my doctorate project. My first-degree in Mechanical Engineering, as an Engineer, helped me understand how to bring together knowledge of previously solved problems and understand the current need to combine new solutions. Following my first degree as a Mechanical Engineer I chose, and successfully applied, for a Master degree covering a range of subjects related to Business and Operational Research. The subjects of this Master Degree provided an excellent learning opportunity, and greatly broadened my knowledge and understanding of Business issues. It has had an important impact on my professional and academic development. As Neely (2002) states researchers with functional backgrounds as diverse as accounting, operations management, marketing, finance, economics, psychology, and sociology are all actively working in the field of performance measurement. The research project that I have undertaken for my Master dissertation studies was a Statistical Analysis of Labour Accident in Greece. Statistical Analysis can integrate with the business performance management. It helped me develop my Statistical Thinking. Statistical Thinking is the philosophy of learning and the action that builds the foundation for successful decision making in any process (Britz et.al, 2000). Additionally, my Master Dissertation gave me my first opportunity to develop an appropriate research strategy. It has provided me with the basic framework for my research approach to identify the research methods and data collection techniques which are required for my research project. I have worked in engineering as Plant Manager for a year with one of the most important construction companies in Saudi Arabia and Cyprus. Living in Saudi Arabia strengthened my motivation to work in a hard environment and made me challenge my perception of the importance of simple things in our everyday life and work. Furthermore, working in the desert alone with my team represented a new type of knowledge and a different way of learning for me. I learnt about personal influence and negotiation. Leading a team was an excellent learning opportunity for me, and one that was very different from my past ways of learning. I also gained specific skills including project management and managing contractors, as I was responsible for installing equipments at our sites. Having decided to change my direction, I successfully applied to Mercedes Benz Cyprus for the position of the After-sales Analyst. My education and training from DAIMLER A.G, a highly innovative company with a global presence, has enabled me to understand the practical application of theories, especially at the management level. With the need to improve the stock levels and control the transport cost of spare parts, I developed several information systems. Increasingly I became involved in data analysis and interpretation of data, which strengthened my skills in these areas and helped me to develop my thinking about how information is used. In particular, I began to think about how the end-users of information could influence the way in which that data is produced, interpreted and presented, and the way this can change the meaning of information. The Board of Director of Mercedes Benz Cyprus offered me the challenge of the combined position of Assistant Sales Marketing Director and Quality and Business Manager. My duties have three main directions. Firstly, the developing and managing of the passenger car Sales Marketing business at both the importer and retailer levels; secondly the designing, the developing and implementing of new Information System for supporting the Sales Marketing Business and thirdly the developing, carrying out and maintaining of the Quality systems of the organisation. My current role has provided me with valuable experience and opportunities for learning. This has allowed me to develop a deep understanding of various functions including Finance, Sales Marketing, Quality, Service and Human Resources. Finally, the module Review of Learning helped me realise my strengths and weaknesses and identify the areas in which I need to develop skills. Recognition and Accreditation of Learning (RAL 4): Professional Learning The Master Degree in Business Management and Operational Research has had an important impact on my professional and academic development. It equipped me with skills and experiences such as leading me to the research process starting from clarification of the problem until the presentation of the findings to stakeholders which are necessary for my project. An important subject undertaken was Total Quality Management (TQM) and Operational Research. It was my first experience with tools to control and develop business. Another important subject in my Master was Economics and Law which was directed at understanding the basic notions of modern economic science, with emphasis on microeconomic concepts and macroeconomic analysis. The style of teaching in my Master involved a large element of discussion of issues, and involved a major piece of group project work, which greatly contributed to my understanding of group dynamics. I had actively engaged the discipline in a way not possible simply by listening to lectures and reading textbooks, but through the reflection from the process of research. Writing and peer review helped me to understand my own behaviour within a group situation. Another main subject was Management Information System (MIS) . It helped me understand how to develop, analyse and design computer applications for organisation s and offered me the opportunity to see solutions with the help of technology to some of the most important company problems. Recognition and Accreditation of Learning (RAL 4): Research and Development Project Capability This claim is based on the dissertation topic submitted as part of my Master Degree. The study was broad and high-level, focusing on data mining and data statistical analysis with special information systems. Also it was important in the conclusion to forecast the trends of labour accidents in Greece. In planning and designing my research I found tools and methods which gave me the opportunity to forecast the future and helped me understand the past. My ability to analyse and combine information was developed, and my thinking was expanded in terms of working with very different types of information to those that I had been previously used. The experiences with high-level information systems as main tools in my method for my study represented a new type of knowledge. Moreover in the research project I had an extend focus in data preparation, as most real-life data sets contained missing data. This gave me the challenge of understanding data mining, which is one of the most important rules for efficient and effective strategy. RAL 5: Advanced developments in professional practice I have submitted a claim based upon two projects, the design and development of Information Technology and Business Management Systems. They have been supported by theoretical background, literature review in the area of business and management information systems, areas which constitute integral and essential parts of business performance. Project 1: Design, developing, performing and maintaining the Management Quality System ISO 9001:2000 for the Mercedes Benz Cyprus. Since 2003, with the decision of the Board of Directors of our company, I have been leading the project of designing, developing, implementing and maintaining the Management Quality System ISO 9001:2000 for Mercedes Benz Cyprus. I realised that for this significant project it was essential to improve my knowledge in the subject of the Quality Management. I did an extensive literature review on the subject of quality systems, which brought me up to date with what is current in the field. Based on this literature, I have established a system of monitoring, measuring, analyzing and improving business performance so that service conformity was demonstrated, conformity to the Quality Management. An important part of the implementation was the collection and analysis of appropriate data. I have established statistical methods to determine its overall performance and level of customer satisfaction. These analyses were useful in the conversion of market data into market studies, of quality data into quality reports and of customer satisfaction data into information on customer loyalty. As the company developed, there was a greater urgency to focus around the customers, thus allowing management to invest well and wisely to meet their needs. The only way to achieve such a goal was to analyse the data for business and process monitoring. This information was reviewed at management meetings. Data on service problems were collected throughout the process. This data was analysed and prioritised for investigation. Management identified root causes and proposed long-term solutions and preventive actions with mandates for improvement teams. The data analysed included the following: Customer surveys and complaints Audit findings and nonconformity reports Outputs from data analysis Staff suggestions, complaints, training and competence. The procedure for preventive action included the methodology adopted for instituting such action on processes and work operations, which affect process quality. The flowchart presented in Figure 0:2 below outlines the approach taken by the Company to resolve potential nonconformities. Project 2: Design and developing of the live information system for the Sales Department in Mercedes-Benz Cyprus Main targets to achieve for this project were to design an intelligent information system that can quickly give access to the auto customer details, easily keep contact notes, track and manage car sales opportunities, create summaries and reports, and be intuitive and simple for managing new car sales. An important aim to achieve was the time spent by the Salesman in front of the computer screen would be no more of 15% of the total time. In this way, more time remains available for the salesman to establish contact in an active and purposeful manner. For the design and development of the information system project, it was necessary to have a deep knowledge of literature reviews on the theories and approach on how to build an enterprise data warehouse. The interface of the information system, as shown Figure 0:3, came about from the observation of the way in which waiters take orders through a touch screen monitor. Only one screen in front of the users, without menus, only big clickab le icons which are different from user to user and from level to level.