What’s Stifling Creativity at Coolburst

Everyday the world is changing around us. It is an essential part of growth, maturity and effectiveness. Everything from the change in weather, an age, government, or religion affect the way people view, think and perform in certain situations and as a whole in society. History has proven that creative minds can ultimately change an outcome for the better or even the worst. From telegraphs to cellular phones, McIntosh computers to IPODs and IPADs, it was the organizations of these products that took a major risk in investing into someone’s creative idea that affect our society as a whole. These companies have seen their fair share of profits lows and highs through the toughest economy eras, but they continued to persevere and prosper through such times by thinking out the realm of possibility and making their possibilities into reality. However, what happens when an organization suppresses the thought of reinventing themselves to adapt to changes in society and even the world? Coolburst is experiencing a major organizational struggle between what worked for them to get them where they are today and what it takes to continue to strive in the future. Coolburst is located in Miami, Florida. The drink products that they serve are sold in schools and restaurants. The traditional views of during business have forwarded them much success from their beginnings. They have experience great growth through the years, but recently, they profit margin has remained steadily with no boosting sales. Director of Marketing Sam Jenkins has challenged Coolburst’s view and management on changing their way of thinking and opening their mind to new ideas under former CEO Garth LaRoue. Jenkins’s new ideas of productivity and innovation were considered unorthodox within the organization. Ultimately, Jenkins left the Coolburst to go with a company that was very more innovated and creativity. Witnessing these differences of opinions between Coolburst and Jenkins is new CEO Luisa Roberado. Now, Roberado is facing one of biggest challenges yet for Coolburst, what changes can be made to make Coolburst more profitable and more creativity to keep up or even surpassed the demand of an ever changing society. Was Jenkins’s new idea that far fetched with the organization or was he on to something that can change the way Coolburst does business to compete with potential competitor? This case study will explore why Coolburst had a hard time accepting Jenkins’s idea on making Coolburst better in the future, what the organization can do to keep with social changes, and how Roberado can implement and even changed the current ideology of Coolburst and help the company tapped into their resources and flourish the company to the top in innovation, creativity, and in profit margins.

Four Key Barriers to Communication Essay

There are four key barriers to communication. These barriers are Process barriers, personal barriers, physical barriers and semantic barriers. As a manager I plan to overcome all of these barriers using guidelines, tools, processes and procedures. Process barriers are a big barrier to communication. The process of communication involves sending and receiving a message between two people. Sometimes things go wrong during the transmission of information. To overcome these barriers I would work on my communication skills. I would make sure I am speaking slowly and clearly in easy to understand terms. I would ask the other person to repeat back to me what I said and make sure I use my listening skills to fully understand what they comprehended. I will also not use text messages or email to communication. I will rely on phone and face to face. Another barrier to communication is personal barriers. Personal barriers are related to trust and ego. If two people don’t trust each other the communication process will be distorted. I will use honesty and integrity to earn the trust of my employees. I will not let my ego get in the way of how I run my business. We will have a strict policy for honesty, respect and fair treatment of employees. Physical barriers are pertaining to distance time and work office noise. Sometimes because of distance and time companies use email to communicate. I feel that this is not as good as face to face communication because communication is often misunderstood through email. I will enforce a strict policy of actually talking to each other rather than emailing. Phone calls and Skype will be our primary form of communication at our company. Everyone will have their own office to cut down on background noises. Flex time schedules will be used to compensate for the time difference on the west coast. Sematic barriers are encoding and decoding errors because of phrases and jargon. Cultural diversity is a key contributor to sematic barriers. As a manager I will not allow any company jargon or phrases to be used. We will only speak in terms that the average person could understand. Also when hiring new employees they will be interviewed by 3 different managers with  different foreign accents. If they have trouble understanding different accents then they will not be hired. We will also encourage hiring a very diverse workforce from every culture.

“Twelfth Night” Review

Shakespeare’s twelfth night is inevitably marked with deep social insight. The differences in power, the paltry of gender and social identity are all equally put into question in this seemingly light hearted comedy. The start of the play introduces us to the motive of our main character, Olivia and casts light unto the main problem that has to be resolved through the course of this play; the separation of twin brother and sister, who if not for their infallible discriminator â€Å"sex† would just as easily be put in each other’s shoes without triggering any significant event to throw the balance of our characters into confusion. Indeed from the get-go the fact that Viola’s ‘gender-switch’ and Sebastian’s ‘character-switch’ did not shock anyone out of their sealed matrimonial bliss or the attainment of such a prospect seems rather foolhardy to miss and in considering the Bard’s infamous dramatic puppetry, they are such issues as we have to get to the bottom of, scraping a glimpse, if not an epiphany that would resurrect the act’s glamour from it’s ancient casket. Assuredly, Sebastian, on receiving the news of his sister’s disappearance falls into the supposition that she is dead, and with little remorse kicks off with his pal Antonio to the arms of freedom, where no embrace shall feel the smother of bondage, where it between the closest relatives even. His sister, though, rises to the occasion and with undying hope declares her brother’s survival, and her quest to bring his authority into this expectation. Here, we see where the pall of gender lies. Though Sebastian and Viola are not of any distinguishing feature that might divide the cast’s opinions about their identity, Sebastian for one, thinks his sister is dead. This reflects the attitude of society towards the weaker sex, who cannot be expected to bring fortune to their aid much less entertain the notion of keeping life. Men, however, are the most capable of doing such and so, and in following this principle Viola disguises herself in manly attire and takes such a w orthy title in hand or in name†¦ The fact is, she turned man to suit a position she could not fill as a woman. Early on, we can thus put our hands on which of the twins was the reliable one in this sibling relationship. Not to be hard on Sebastian, the reason for his inaversion to Viola’s advances towards him might just be his need for someone to replace what he has lost in his sister. More so, he doesn’t protest to Olivia even when he finds out she was bearing feelings for his sister; doesn’t shrink from a quarrel even when it rams him face-on. A man: through and through†¦ But when talking about Olivia, it is difficult to sympathize with what she has been through. She bore feeling for a poorer man and rejected Duke for all he was just to conform to the society’s value of male dominance over women. To neglect all what she has been blessed with, taking for granted the responsibility and ingrature, that comes along it and divert in affection to a random male who’s quality, in her flawless judgment, was much the same as her brother’s. Again, none of the characters seem to protest to the predicament they were forced into in this play which seriously makes me question: what were ye looking to get from all yer blunders? Ay, the proposition is nigh. But all our characters just seem to get pulled into their quarters much as the position they put themselves into dictate in term and sequence. A good example to take would be Duke, who seems the only wise guy around. He doesn’t put himself into situations where he is forced to act out of necessity. Everything he takes is as half-hearted as he, and only at the provocation of one Viola does he get up from his seat and seek to prove himself to the world. Only he gets proofed himself: when confronted with the possibility that his loyal messenger was doing dibs behind his back with one Olivia, he issues the order of execution as per the noble must stake themselves. All is well, though. Sebastian arrives. The conflict is resolved. Everything seems to make sense again. And Duke is inevitably forced by the situation that he invoked; or that which invoked itself unto him, to marry Viola. Indeed the characters in this play are balanced by their relationships. The first and foremost cause was to gain stability while obliging the rules of higher society, which the playwright so successfully threads. The only thing that seemed to spark a glint of intelligence to the characters’ identity was the presence of one Fool, who is the only reason this whole play didn’t mentally incapacitate the audience. Nevertheless, the play culminates with the return of reason (logic); though the governing dynamics are still the same threaded by higher powers, to an understanding of which I hope to bring the reader of my essay.

Encouragement and Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Encouragement and Motivation - Essay Example The types of workers in these organizations may range from highly skilled staff to relatively unskilled staff workers. In order to be successful, the managers need to motivate and encourage their wide array of employees. This paper describes the methods I would use, as a manager, to encourage and motivate the workers. Motivating Staff Motivating staff in order for them to perform at optimum ability is integral to running the workforce. Most people need work in order to make money but, although this proves to be a strong incentive, there are other ways. Employees will gain satisfaction and enjoy their jobs if they are aware that they are achieving results (Williams, 2012). First, a manager will need to recruit suitable employees, and then define their responsibilities and roles clearly before finally enabling them to do their job well. The first way to motivate employees is to celebrate results. The manager should focus on activities that are rewarding on an immediate basis (Williams, 2012). Afterwards, the manager should ensure that even those who were not directly involved in experiencing a project’s success get to hear or witness it. Another way to motivate employees is via the creation of a good work environment, which, in turn aids in getting the work done. Comfortable conditions with common amenities and a few luxuries encourage and motivate employees. Additionally, there should be suitable equipments for the job, which will require regular maintenance maintained to avoid interference and frustrating breakdowns with the job schedule. The manager should also attempt to establish a clear goal, as well as ownership. The staff needs to comprehend and focus their energy towards achieving the goal. All the workers must comprehend the organization’s mission and vision with ideas being encouraged from all staff levels (Williams, 2012). This helps since the staff will care more for the implementation of plans that originated from them. Finally, the ma nager can motivate his workforce by fostering communication, teamwork, and feedback (Williams, 2012). People want to be told that their work as a team member is commendable. The best way for a manager to handle this is by treating all staff as valued team members. To create and maintain teamwork, good communication, should be effected, as well as a clear understanding of the other member’s role, as well as fostering close involvement. Meetings need to be conducted with clear outcomes at the end, with employees motivated by seeing and getting things done (Williams, 2012). Equally, if something is agreed on then not put into action, the employees could be disheartened. Therefore, difficulties or delays need to be fed back to the workforce. Without this feedback, the employees become puzzled and frustrated when promised changes do not come to fruition. Encouraging Staff Appraisals act as the starting blocks for managing a worker’s motivation and performance (Williams, 201 2). Appraisals are of huge importance since they help the staff in understanding their role in the organization, as well as the enhancement of communication between themselves and the manager. The appraisals are aimed at getting an employee’s suggestions or wishes and encouraging them in a suitable direction, while maintaining focus on what is required by the organization. The appraisal needs to come up

The Irish Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Irish Economy - Essay Example Our paper is divided into five sections. The first one is the discussion of the current economic state of Ireland particularly using the 2008 and 2009 data plus the recent 2010 figures for an update, then we discuss the contributing factors to such a state in the next section. To get into the details, we examine and analyze the fiscal and monetary policies done recently. This will compose of the third and the fourth sections respectively, wherein analyses using economic theories will be in-depth. The last section discusses the question of how successful has the Irish government and the Central Bank been in managing the economy. Here we will be able to directly answer the question. Ireland has been a success story, until the recent global economic recession. From an agricultural country at the start of 1900, Ireland experienced an unprecedented economic growth with its GDP doubling in size in a little more than a decade (ESRI). It entered the European Union in 1973, as one of the pioneering countries. Fuelled by its EU membership and several investment promotion policies, the Irish economy became the fastest growing economy among the EU members (iExplore). "In recent decades the Irish economy has been transformed from being agrarian and traditional manufacturing based to one increasingly based on the hi-tech and internationally traded services sectors. In 2007, the services sector accounted for 64 per cent of Irish GDP, while industry accounted for 33 per cent and agriculture just 3 per cent" (ESRI). Ireland's economic transformation was achieved through the promotion of export-led and advanced technology business thorough an open economy. It has attractive packages to investors with its banking and finance growing significantly, together with tourism (iExplore).Mr. John Hurley, Governor of the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland noted that the current Irish economy is not comparable to what it has been 20 to 25 years ago, particularly in the area of standard of living, transforming from a relatively low standard of living to one with an average per capital income being above the entire EU Average (Hurley). Over-all, it is the EU membership that can be safely assumed to have brought forth the change in Irish economy, transforming it from a mainly agricultural society into the "modern, technologically advanced Celtic Tiger economy" (European Union). The remarkable economic growth that the country has achieved face an uphill at the start of 2007. "The pace of economic growth decelerated in the second half of 2007, largely due to a contraction in housing construction. In 2008 it is estimated that output fell for the first time since 1983, and the recession deepened in 2009" (ESRI). The graph below shows the GDP growth from 1997 to 2009. After 11 years of positive growth, with the highest posted in 1999 at near 12%, Ireland suffered a recession in 2008 and 2009. It posted a real GDP growth of around -2.5% in 2008 and around -7.1% in 2009. Source: (ESRI) The decline in GDP has been manifested in various economic aspects such as prices, production and employment. Volatile Money Supply: Irish Inflation Inflationary pressures has

Children Language Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Children Language Development - Essay Example Traditionally, before a child could turn eighteen months after birth, there are manifestations that the child is already introduced with naming insights. Although children usually pass this at various times, parents, most of the times, hardly notice it since they assume that it is just normal since things have really their names. I would like to agree that naming insight, indeed, sets the stage for vocabulary explosion. For most of the youngster, this naming discovery could be really shocking as proven by those kids to arrive at this stage at a later phase. One famous example would be Helen Keller. She was blind and deaf since she was two years of age, thus, naming insight as a stage of her development was really a tough challenge to pass through. When she was six years old, her pre school teacher asked her to put her hand under flowing water. And she was also asked to spell out w-a-t-e-r. She realized since then that "the mystery of language was revealed to her." For the past decades, researchers have already language as a natural part of evolutionary processes. And language, with no doubt plays a vital role in our own development; and we know that naming insight is actually the start of such. Naming insight can be the beginning of vocabulary explosion since a child already has the idea of naming things, thus, there is already a concept of words or vocabulary, at that sense. If a child is exposed to a lot of things, along with their respective names, there is of course a high tendency of a vocabulary explosion on the part of the child. Even a single or an indirect exposure to a novel word, for instance, already gives information that we could use in mapping the word going to its referent. Naming sigh has been proven by a number of studies to be a factor in the explosion of a child's vocabulary. A child can learn a word only after hearing it once from the people around him or her. There are actually researches claiming that children can gain new insights into language and words when they reach their eighteenth month, on the average. Most of the researches of this field things that children actually realize two things. First, words are used to name for objects; and second, every object has its own name (Gopnik & Meltzoff, 1997). This is called naming insight. The process of naming insight actually happens before a child can utter a word that represents an object. The child, in this specific stage, is just starting to learn the things that are around him or her and later on realizes that everything in the environment is given a name. The names, later on are learned by a child as he or she hears them from the people around. The beginning of vocabulary explosion is an important event for a child. It is with no doubt that naming insight preludes the vocabulary explosion since this is the stage before the child can finally utter his or her words. After the naming sight stage, particular names come popping out of children like stars as a result of fireworks. Some of common words are mommy, daddy, milk, and so on. Also, if under the vocabulary explosion, the child can also acquire more words that he or she often hears from the environment. The more frequent a word is uttered, the higher the

Gene One - Not Going Public but Seeking Alternative Investors Essay

Gene One - Not Going Public but Seeking Alternative Investors - Essay Example However, going public includes a series of challenges, such as: high costs for developing the relevant process, meaning especially ‘the legal fees’ (Marcus and Wallace 1997, p.275), the ‘high costs for maintaining the public company status’ (Lipman 2005, p.179) and the continuous monitoring of all the firm’s important transactions (Marks et al. 2009, p.308). For the above reason, before going public, a firm should try to identify alternative sources of funding. Gene One should also use this practice. The firm’s performance up to now has been significant, if taking into consideration its rather short presence in the market. It would be preferable for the organization to avoid the exposure to the risks and challenges of going public and seek for additional funds through an alternative source of funding. As noted in the case study, the firm needs to secure its source of funding within a particular deadline, i.e. within the next three years (case s tudy, p.1). Three are the key organizational sectors that would have increased funding needs within this period: new development, advertisement and marketing. Three will be the criteria used for deciding the alternative source of funding available to the organization for covering its financing needs: the firm’s current financial status, the level of annual growth that the organization has to achieve within the next 3 years, and the potentials of the alternative source of funding to support the growth of the firm in the long term. The funding by a Peer-to-Peer network is considered as an appropriate solution, following the following advantages: a) the firm can borrow a high amount of money without using its assets for backing the loan given; b) the firm can choose the lender that offers the best terms in regard to the particular transaction; in other words, the firm can choose a loan the terms of which are more favorable for the organization, compared to the terms of loans off ered by other lenders; in this way, the firm could secure the level of funds necessary for improving its new development, marketing and advertising sectors so that an annual growth of 40% is achieved; c) the particular process can be managed and monitored by an intermediate, i.e. a firm specializing in this field, such as the firm Prosper. In this way, the risks involved are minimized; d) the firm would not have to meet the strict requirements, such as the requirements that a firm would have to meet if it decides to go public; Gene One is not prepared to meet such requirements, as noted by Michelle in Slide 8 of the case study; e) the completion of the process does not require the legal binding of the members of the organization; in case that any mistake takes place in applying for the loan, the members of the organization cannot be held responsible, an issue that has caused the concerns of the executives in Gene One (Slide 8 of the case study); f) the firm could use the same proces s for gathering additional funds, if necessary, without following complex processes; in this way, the firm could be able to meet not only its current funding needs but also any emergent future funding needs, and g) the above process could be completed quite quickly. In 2005 the firm announced the development of a new research project that would highly enhanced the firm’

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Case study - Essay Example She spent two months in a coma, then her diagnosis was elevated to a vegetative state. Though the doctors spent years trying to help Terri to become aware, it was to no avail. She was physically alive, but her brain was giving up. She had succumbed to being little more than a body only managing to live due to the machines and technology offered by the hospital. It was in 1998 that Terri’s husband, Michael, petitioned to have the feeding tube removed from Terri, which would cause her to die. Terri’s parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, argued against this decision, claiming that Terri was still alive. In 2001, the court determined that Terri would not want to wish to continue these measures that kept her alive and ordered to have her feeding tube removed. Even though it was replaced several days later, after a lengthy court process that went as far as Federal legislation, the tube was permanently removed in 2005. One side of the argument was that regardless of her condition, Terri Schiavo was still alive. This side favored keeping the feeding tube in unless Terri’s condition deteriorated. The other side argued over the morality of keeping her in a state that caused her to be unaware and unresponsive. Each side felt that they would be acting morally, and that the opposing side of the argument were being very immoral in their actions. In regard to whether or not the actions to remove Terri from her feeding tube were moral or immoral, all that needs to be considered is that Terri Schiavo had been unable to make the decision for herself whether or not she wanted to continue to live. Therefore, the court had no right to determine that she would not have wanted to continue the use of the feeding tube. While they may have made a valid point, there was no way of knowing for sure what was truly in the best interest of Terri. As such, as long as something was

Event Game Management Critique Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Event Game Management Critique - Term Paper Example The parking lots are colored as red, yellow, green, blue and each of them include VIP spaces as well. The traffic was well managed as the parking lots are well spaced. I parked at the green lot 3 by the Great America parkway. Each parking lot is well connected to the stadium with several routes so as to avoid rush and ease of movement of pedestrians. The stadium was built like an architectural marvel, but there are a few safely and security hazards that should have been considered. The height of the railings in front of the seating rows is too low. Several accidents have occurred where fans had fallen down over the railing on the audiences below, causing severe injuries, even death, like at Rangers Ballpark or at the Georgia Dome (Benning & Nielsen, 2011). The railings are made of sleek glass sheets with metal capping, which does not provide good grip at hand, and moreover its height is barely around thirty inches so as a result it may cause the audiences to slip over easily. However, there are good fire hazard precautions maintained within the stadium. The fire exits are well placed at frequent intervals, to avoid casualties. Hazards due to alcohol consumption are managed by the Alcohol Management Teams, who ensure the enforcement of stadium policies. However, the signs and symbols to guide the audiences should be given at freq uent intervals. The entire stadium is overseen by an array of security surveillance systems. The game tickets are available online for purchase, which reduces the hassle of standing in a row for buying tickets from the box office which is at the north-east corner of the stadium at Tasman Avenue. The ticket checking personnel were adequate enough to allow faster movement of the queue (Ticketmaster, 2014). The stadium is designed in such a way that the audience traffic flow on a big game day is eased out by proper channeling into the respective destinations. Several routes leading entrances and exits in such a

Is democracy an antidote to revolution for Tocqueville Discuss with Essay

Is democracy an antidote to revolution for Tocqueville Discuss with reference to De la democratie Amerique - Essay Example The difference between the revolution in France and the American Revolution marks its way in the book â€Å"Democracy in America† that Alexis De Tocqueville has written has written as a commentary about the young nation of migrants with its hodgepodge of races and people but was still able to harmonize and assimilate democracy through its definite leadership and concrete adherence to the ideals unlike the monarchical affinities that was still common in Europe. Though he did not hold a mastery of politics, De Tocqueville embarked on an elaboration of his conceived notions of America in his study during his sojourn in the country. A comparison of the continent of Europe in the early 17th century manifests where supreme monarchy is omnipresent and victorious over the oligarch and feudal freedom during the Middle Ages. The concept of right was blemished in the grandeur of Europe, there were few activities of political nature, no idea of liberty expressed openly, in which time these principles were already proclaimed in the land known as the New World where it is openly accepted and viewed as the future of the nation. These intrepid theories of human nature and of intellectual reason were then practiced by a community modest in its application by the statesmen in charged of its proliferation (De Tocqueville, p.60). The principles which have become the basis of today’s constitutions that used to be unknown in Europe and were unsuccessful in Great Britain during this time were already recognized in America. Among these are; the capability of the citizens to intervene in matters concerning the public, the autonomy in the election of taxes, the innate responsibility of those delegated with power, personal liberty, jury trials, etc. that were already in discussion in the New World. These principles which are seen vastly today are the positive consequences resulting from the applications from

Commentary on the eco friendly shoes Essay Example for Free

Commentary on the eco friendly shoes Essay Blackspot Sneaker and Nike considered. The best way to have the biggest share of the market is not really by advertisements or sweet talks; it can only be done by the use of economic friendly products. The product that every Tom, Dick and Harry would be able to afford without going for a loan. Commenting on the economic friendly shoes of Blackspot and Nike, apart from producing a user friendly shoes, they also put other factors into consideration and it is in view of this that made them dominate the shoe industry. Why will a buyer purchase a pair of shoe for the same price he/she can purchase 3 pairs? Since those two companies put the end users into thought by producing shoes that would be durable, cheap and firm, they have been able to control the target market and every advertisement rolled out to the audience is accepted as a contract or agreement to purchase a pair or more of the advertised shoes and this has really increased their sales not for a particular manufactured shoes but all shoes on which Kalle Lasn or Nike is written on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In an excerpts from Blackspot website,   Kalle Lasn, CEO, Blackspot, said â€Å"all shoes manufactured by Blackspot are earth friendly, anti sweatshop, cruelty free and prograssroots   and he ended it by saying that Blackspots are the only rough and ready shoes that has the ability to beat NIKE†. When a shoe company comes out with a good product, and at the same time a relatively cheap product, it is very certain that the demand will be higher than the supply because everybody will like to be seen with the product on his feet. As this increases, the shoe company will continue to make name and refrain other competitors from coming to the market scene.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusively, it could be seen that the society has really impacted in the advertisement and sales of eco friendly shoe producers because without the society there would be no turnover.

African American vs. Caucasian Americans Essay Example for Free

African American vs. Caucasian Americans Essay At first glance some people might consider this paper to be on the racial side, however it was all written by observations made. There are many differences between African Americans and Caucasians, some people dont see the differences because of ignorance . You must read the paper with an open mind and take none of this to heart. African American and Caucasians function differently in public surroundings. When you see a young African American you usually see them in groups of four of more. However, when one of them gets into a disagreement five to ten more show up in their defense. They are a very close knit group of individuals. I have also noticed that when you see a young African American walking around they are usually singing, talking very loud or running around. Also when they are in groups they are very loud and take over the area that they occupy. On the other hand when you see Caucasians they are rarely in groups of three or more. To top it off when someone in one of their groups gets in trouble the rest of the group is nowhere to be found. Most times when you see young Caucasian people in a group they are for the most part within a normal speaking level. These two groups tend to act differently in the public due to their cultural differences. There are a number of differences between the churches of African Americans and Caucasians. At most typical African American churches there are no true sermons. The African American churches tend to do more entertaining rather than teaching. They also do a great deal of singing and dancing involved in there praising of God. They emphasize fellowship in their churches especially after church when they all gather and close the celebration with a meal together. However at a typical Caucasian church there are a few differences. To start it off when you first walk in you get a program detailing what will be happening through the service. They tend to structure the whole service around a sermon or story. The service every week is very predictable as to what will happen. The Caucasian churches are more there to teach the ways of the lord as they have interpreted it. Although not all the African American and Caucasian churches are along this line a majority of the main stream ones are.

Overview of Famous Mathematicians

Overview of Famous Mathematicians Mathematicians’ Manifesto A young man who died at the age of 32 in a foreign land he had travelled to, to pursue his craft. A clumsy eccentric who could visualize his complete work in his head before he put it to canvas. A Russian who shuns the limelight and refuses recognition for his work. A traveller who went from country to country on a whim in order to collaborate with others. A man whose scribblings inspired the life work of hundreds. A woman, who escaped the prejudices against her gender to make a name for herself. A recluse who spent close to ten years working on one piece. A revolutionary child prodigy who died in a gun duel before his twenty-first birthday. What do you picture when you read the above? Artists? Musicians? Writers? Surely not mathematicians? Srinivas Ramanujan (1887-1920) was a self-taught nobody who, in his short life-span, discovered nearly 3900 results, many of which were completely unexpected, and influenced and made entire careers for future mathematicians. In fact there is an entire journal devoted to areas of study inspired by Ramanujan’s work. Even trying to give an overview of his life’s work would require an entire book. Henri Poincare (1854-1912) was short-sighted and hence had to learn how to visualise all the lectures he sat through. In doing so, he developed the skill to visualise entire proofs before writing them down. Poincare is considered one of the founders of the field of Topology, a field concerned with what remains when objects are transformed. An oft-told joke about Topologists is that they can’t tell their donut from their coffee cup. A conjecture of Poincare’s, regarding the equivalent of a sphere in 4-dimensional space, was unsolved till this century when Grigori Perelman (1966- ) became the first mathematician to crack a millenium prize problem, with prize money of $1million. Perelman turned it down. He is also the only mathematician to have turned down the Fields Medal, mathematics’ equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Have you heard of the Kevin Bacon number? Well mathematicians give themselves an Erdos number after Paul Erdos (1913-96) who, like Kevin Bacon, collaborated with everybody important in the field in various parts of the world. If he heard you were doing some interesting research, he would pack his bags and turn up at your doorstep. Pierre de Fermat (1601-65) was a lawyer and ‘amateur’ mathematician, whose work in Number Theory has provided some of the greatest tools mathematicians have today, and are integral to very modern areas such as cryptography. He made an enigmatic comment in a margin of his copy of Diaphantus’ ‘Arithmetica’ saying: ‘It is impossible to separate a cube into two cubes, or a fourth power into two fourth powers, or in general, any power higher than the second, into two like powers. I have discovered a truly marvellous proof of this, which this margin is too narrow to contain.’ Whether he actually had a proof is debatable, but this one comment inspired work for the next 300 years. In these intervening 300 years, one name has to be mentioned Sophie Germain (1776-1831). Germain remains one of the few women who have broken the glass ceiling and made significant contributions to mathematics. She was responsible for proving Fermat’s scribblings for a large amount of numbers. I apologise to Andrew Wiles (1953- ) for calling him a recluse, but he did spend close to 10 years on the proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem, during most of which he did not reveal his progress to anybody. Saving the best for last, Evariste Galois (1811-32), a radical republican in pre-revolutionary France, died in a duel over a woman at the age of 20. Only the night before, he had finished a manuscript with some of the most innovative and impactful results in mathematics. There is speculation that the resulting lack of sleep caused him to lose the duel. Galois developed what became a whole branch of mathematics to itself Galois Theory, a sub-discipline which connect two other subdisciplines of abstract algebra. It is the only branch of mathematics I can think of which is named after its creator (apart from Mr. Algebra and Ms. Probability). This might appear to be anecdotal evidence of the creative spirit of mathematics and mathematicians. However, the same can be said about the evidence given for Artistic genius. In fact there is research which shows that the archetype of a mad artistic genius doesn’t stand on firm ground. So, lets move away from exploring creative mathematicians, to the creativity of the discipline. Mathematics is a highly creative discipline, by any useful sense of the word ‘creative.’ The study of mathematics involves speculation, risk in the sense of the willingness to follow one’s chain of thought to wherever it leads, innovative arguments, exhilaration at achieving a result and many a time beauty in the result. Unlike scientists, mathematicians do not have our universe as a crutch. Elementary mathematics might be able to get inspiration from the universe, but quickly things change. Mathematicians have to invent conjectures from their imagination. Therefore, these conjectures are very tenuous. Most of them will fail to bear any fruit, but if mathematicians are unwilling to take that risk, they will lose any hope of discovery. Once mathematicians are convinced of the certainty of an argument, they have to present a rigorous proof, which nobody can poke any holes in. Once again, they are not as luck as scientists, who are happy with a statistically signific ant result or at most a result within five standard deviations. As a result of this, once you prove a mathematical theorem, your name will be associated with it for eternity. Aristotle might have been superseded by Newton and Newton by Einstein, but Euclid’s proof of infinite primes will always be true. As Hardy said, â€Å"A mathematician, like a painter or poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas.† The beauty of mathematical results and proofs is a fraught terrain, but there are certain results, great masters such as Euler’s identity and Euclid’s proof, which are almost universally accepted as aesthetically pleasing. So, why are people so afraid of mathematics? Why do they consider it to be boring and staid? Well, the easy answer is that they are taught shopkeeper mathematics. In school, you are taught to follow rules in order to arrive at an answer. In the better schools, you are encouraged to do so using blocks and toys. However, basically the only skills you are getting are those which help you in commercial transactions. At the most, you get the skills to help you in other disciplines like Economics and the Sciences. There has been a huge push in the recent past for the Arts to be taught in school ‘for art’s sake.’ There would be uproar tomorrow amongst artists and the liberal elite if art class turned into replicating posters (not even creating them). There would even be a furore if the only art students did was to draw the solar system for Science class and the Taj Mahal for Social Studies. What good art classes involve is teachers introducing concepts such as particular shapes and then encouraging students to experiment and create based on those concepts. What about ‘maths for maths’ sake?’ Students should be encouraged to come up with their own conjectures based on concepts introduced by the teacher. This class would have to be closely guided by a teacher who is conceptually very strong, so that they can give examples in order to get students to come up with conjectures. They would also be required to provide students with counterexamples to any conjecture they have come up with. I am not suggesting completely doing away with the current model of mathematics education involving repeated practice of questions. Just as replication probably helps in the arts and the arts can serve as great starting points for concepts in other disciplines, repetition is important in mathematics as it helps you intuit concepts and certain mathematical concepts are important for the conceptual understanding of other disciplines and for life. So, there needs to be a blend of mathematics classes (those which teach mathematics) and shopkeeper classes (those which teach mathematical concepts for other disciplines and for life). These would not work as separate entities and might even be taught at the same time. This requires a complete overhaul of the mathematics curriculum with a much lighter load of topics so that teachers can explore concepts in depth with their students. It also requires a larger emphasis on concepts such as symmetry, graph theory and pixel geometry which are easi er to inquire into and form conjectures in than topics like calculus. Now we come to the logistics. How many teachers are there in the country who have a strong enough conceptual understanding required to engage with mathematics in this manner? I would be pleasantly surprised if that were a long list, but I suspect it isn’t. In order to build up this capability, the emphasis at teacher colleges and in teacher professional development has to move from dull and pointless concepts like classroom management and teaching strategies, to developing conceptual understanding, at least in Mathematics. The amount of knowledge required to teach school mathematics is not all that much. All that is required is a strong conceptual base in a few concepts along with an understanding of mathematics as an endeavor, and a disposition for the eccentricities of the discipline. Even so, this will not be easy to accomplish and will take time. In the meanwhile, wherever possible, professional mathematicians could come in to schools and work with teachers on their lesson plans. In other cases, these mathematicians could partner with educationalists and come up with material, which can more or less be put to use in any class (this is not ideal as lesson plans should be created by the teachers and evolved based on their understanding of their class, but this will have to do in the interim). Not only will this help in developing a disposition for mathematics and hopefully churn out mathematicians, but it will also help in the understanding of shopkeeper mathematics. Pedagogy and conceptual understanding are not separate entities. In fact a strong conceptual understanding is a prerequisite for effective pedagogy. Mathematics is unfortunate in its usefulness to other disciplines and the utility it provides for life. In the meanwhile, the real creative essence of the discipline is lost. I don’t blame students for hating mathematics in school. In fact it is completely justified. Mathematics is missing out. Who knows, one of these students would have proved the Riemann Hypothesis in an alternate reality. Artists have been very successful in campaigning for the creativity of their discipline to be an integral part of schools. Mathematicians, on the other hand, really need to pull up their socks and join the fight for the future of mathematics. In the spirit of Galois, Mathematicians of the World Unite! You have nothing to lose but the chains of countless students!

Essays --

Expansionism overseas in the 1800’s became a very indispensable factor to the United States we know today. The issue of acquiring overseas territories in the 1800’s was very controversial because many citizens felt it was â€Å"un-American† because the U.S itself went through that with the colonization of Britain. However, the government did not consider that when taking into account the interest that came with taking these lands. Economically the Philippines gave the United States potential access to Chinese markets and they also saw advantage of the cheap raw materials in Latin America. Militarily, because the merchant ships were unarmed and carried all their products therefore its required military presence for protection. Also the United States found they competing against France, Germany and Britain, which had the largest navies in the world. The U.S also felt that their presence in the pacific would give them power of the port of Hawaii which was used a re fueling stop for ships headed to Asia. Another very important factor with the expansion overseas was the culture that being taken to them. Many Americans felt superior to other people in the work because the Christian religion made them morally better than everyone else. Due to that fact, missionaries were sent o these countries so they can covert and adapt to the culture and become more â€Å"American and white† and this led to the boxer rebellion in china. Economically the United States was trying to override the rest of the world. Back then and even today people around the world see the United States as a country with money and a land of opportunities. Industrialization in the late 1800s increased the need to trade with other countries. Nothing was dependent on man but instead... ...t to the climax, which later on they did. Even though most of those territories were lost the U.S still managed to keep the relationship it has with other countries. The United States and the issue of acquiring land overseas was not at all something easy to do. From being a weak nation to becoming more economic, militarily and morally superior whom they did accomplished. Even though this concept of expansionism overseas was displayed as a good thing it was truly a hard task to accomplish. Many other countries were willing to go to war with the United States for the territories but even then the U.S still came out reigning successful. Trade was really the main reason for this, to try and find a new way to have open markets and develop allies with other countries, which ultimately and even still is imperative to have in order to have a lot of income for the country.

The American Culture Essay example -- republicans, kennedy, clinton

Have you ever noticed the different policies and influences that have affected you and the generations before you? The American culture and influences have changed greatly over time. I believe that the policies and influences of American culture have changed since John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton John F. Kennedy or as many people called him â€Å"Jack† was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts in a large and wealthy family with 9 other brothers and sisters. Growing up John was very sick and was in the the hospital for a long period of time. According to Kaplan, Howard S â€Å"600 kids in the Boston area were suffering from scarlet fever†. (1) Many kids were suffering from scarlet fever along with John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy was also suffering from a few other diseases including a stomach disorder and Addison’s disease. Despite having all of these illnesses it did not stop him from playing the one true thing he loved, sports. John and all of his other brothers were all very competitive when it came to sports. According to ED. Kelle S, John was very good at sports but unfortunately he â€Å"hurt his back playing football at harvard†.(6) John eventually joined the Navy during WW2, while on a mission a Japanese Destroyer shot at the cruise boat he was on. while his boat was sinking he saved one of his other soldiers and had to swim with him 2 miles to a near by island. Unfortunately his time in the service hurt his back even more and when he returned home he had to have back surgery. William Jefferson Blythe 3 was born August 19, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas. Bills father died 3 months before he was born in a car accident. Bills’ mother left him with his grandparents because she left to go to college to become a nurse. Bills’ g... ...Raffaelle. Detroit: Gale Group, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 13 Feb. 2014 7. O'Brien, Steven G. "Bill Clinton." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. 8. "John F. Kennedy." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2014 9. William Jefferson Clinton (1946 - )." N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. 10. "The John F. Kennedy Administration." Presidential Administration Profiles for Students. Ed. Kelle S. Sisung and Gerda-Ann Raffaelle. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. Student Resources in Context. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. 11. "John F. Kennedy." Image. John F. Kennedy Library. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. 12. Greenberg, David. "Impeachment Trial of Bill Clinton." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 238-241. Student Resources in Context. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

Okalahoma critical analysis Essay -- Drama

Okalahoma critical analysis The original production of Oklahoma opened at the St. James Theatre, New York, on Wednesday March 31, 1943. The top ticket price was $4.80. It ran on Broadway for over five years, besting the previous record holder Hellzapoppin by more than two years. For fifteen years, from 1946 until 1961, Oklahoma held the record as the longest running show in Broadway history. When Okalahoma closed on Broadway May 29, 1948 after 2,212 performances, more than four and a half million people had seen it there. In our expressive arts lesson we watched a section of Okalahoma. As our topic is dreams and nightmares, we watched the section where Laurey has her dream. In a swirl of dream images, Laurey sees herself marrying Curly when Jud invades the wedding; he carries her off, thwarts Curly's attempts to rescue her, and, after a horrific struggle, kills Curly. Laurey awakes from her nightmare with a start...and finds Jud ready to escort her to the Dance. In the beginning of this section we can see Laurey falling to sleep. Then the lights suddenly dim, this shows the audience that we have travelled from reality to her dream. The lighting plays an important part in this musical, as it communicates to the audience Laurey’s mood and feelings. When Laurey is dreaming the light dims to a blue. Then hands appear from the cornfields; they are being lighted up with gold spotlights. She then follows them to a large stage, which is filled up with blur light. In her dream they lighting is calm and cool, and the mood is happy but when it changes into a nightmare the lights suddenly switch red, and makes the atmosphere alarming and unsettling. A spot light is also used on Curley when he enters to dance with Laurey. This can symbolise that he is the one for her, and that he stands out from everyone else. By using a white spotlight shows the audience that he is pure and good. But the spotlights also build a feeling of confusion and distress. This is in her nightmare where the lighting is red and the white spotlights are darting around the stage. This shows the audience Laurey’s feelings towards her nightmare. Music is crucial in her dream as there is no speaking involved, so they music is the only thing that can be heard. In her dream they are playing the song â€Å"oh, what a beautiful morning†. This is played in maj... ...girls they dance in unison, to show they are together and under control. They use lots of turns, and leaps. They also use a lot of ballet movements. This shows the audience a calm, flowing and graceful dream. In the dance with the showgirls, they are all dancing separately with separate movements. They use lots of flexible movements, and balances. This can show the audience that they are separated and unorganised. When she dances the waltz with curly they use lots of lifts, turns and graceful movements, on the other hand when dancing with Judd she is being thrown around and manipulated like a rag doll. This also shows another contrast, which may relate to the contrasts in dreams and nightmares. The musical communicated to the audience her feeling and emotions through other means than verbal communication. They show it mainly through lighting, movement, and music. It relates to dreams and nightmares as is seems rather peculiar. The music seems out of tune and distraught. And strange things and people appear throughout to make the dream seem realistic. This critical analysis will help me to relate to dreams and nightmares throughout my performance without talking.

L.A. Candy Summarization

L. A. Candy is one of a trilogy series written by Lauren Conrad. The author was inspired to write this book due to the fact that she participated in two reality television series, Laguna Beach and The Hills. The genre of this novel is young-adult literature. Jane Roberts and Scarlett Harp just graduated from high school and move to L. A. to begin an active new life style. Jane works for an event planner, Fiona Chen while Scarlett studies at the University of Southern California. A producer of an upcoming reality series came across the girls at Les Deux Nightclub and presented the idea of being apart of his new series know as L.A. Candy. The girls were thrilled with the idea but little did they know the malicious plots the Hollywood lifestyle had to offer. The series created a somewhat artificial friendship with Madison Parker, a charming but vicious celebutante and Gaby Garcia, a typical â€Å"dumb blonde. † Jane meets Jesse Edwards, a notorious playboy and falls madly in love , but when Jesse flirts with two blonde bimbos at his twenty first birthday, Jane is hurt beyond repair. Madison, craving attention, makes a malevolent deal with the Gossip magazine publisher, Veronica Bliss.This deal entitled Madison leaking pictures of Jane hooking up with Jesse's best friend Braden after his twenty first birthday when she was feeling desperate and vulnerable. Madison knew this would destroy Jane's career but she yearend for a cover in the magazine and this was the only way she could accomplish her goal. In the end, the news got around Hollywood faster than the bubonic plague and Jane was devastated. I recommend this novel to anyone who watched Lauren Conrad's reality television series The Hills and enjoyed the non-stop gossiping and ludicrous fights.The novel gives a superb insight into the behind-the-scenes look of a reality television show such as, the scripted scenes and the constant annoyance of cameras and paparazzi. Any teenage girl who is interested in the Hollywood scene would be infatuated with this novel as it has an unexpected story line and dramatic events. The characters are relatable and it is extremely simple to immerse yourself into the world in which the girls live in. Lastly, this book was number one in the New York Times Bestseller and I would highly encourage anyone who appreciated this novel to read the whole series.

SAP APPEAL

My attention and time were constantly strained by all of the extensive materials required by the courts in this case. Moreover the date of my trial was changed several times dragging through this past summer and all of this is behind me now. Am looking forward to starting college again and experiencing some positive growth in my life and career, ND to also set a good example for my daughter as I am a single parent trying to make a difference.My desired outcome of my financial aid appeal is to be approved which means to have another chance at finishing college because if don't get this chance again I know for a fact that I will never finish college, as work a minimum wage job and have a child to take care of, and I want to better our life. I understand will be put on financial aid probation. I feel very nonevent that I am able to continue my coursework and improve my academic progress.I intend to register and repeat the coursework in the classes that failed. I will also use the assign ment planner to help me stay on track. Am enclosing a part of my divorce decree showing when we got separated and when moved out DCE 201 2 but we were having problems way before that, and my daughters surgery follow up appointment date. Appreciate you time, understanding, and consideration of this request. Thank you in advance.

Normalisation Problem Essay

The adult education class needs a new database as running the courses with books proves a problem. There is a selection of books with each set of data in. This data can become damaged and the staff can forget to update each book. Also as there are a few books, staff has to update each one with the new data, this can become tenuous and annoying. Another point is that there are many different subjects, rooms and tutors that need to be linked together. This can be a problem as some classes can be in different rooms each day of the week. With a book this can be a problem, as the design may not have a feature for this. The new database will put all the data into separate tables and link them all together. This will enable all the tables to function together allowing the user to change the data in one and it will be changed in them all. The user will also be able to run queries asking the database questions. This will enable the user to gather information without having to search through all the data. This can save a lot of time and improve accuracy as human error may be nearly deleted. The database is going to have to incorporate the student’s personnel data, the class times and the tutors. The database will be assessable to all the teachers and admin staff so, with little training everyone will be able to finds out important information. With a book system only the admin staff would know how to use it and if the teachers tried then they may not do it correctly. This could be a problem as the information could get confused and then people are sent to the wrong lesson, room or the teachers may not turn up. Another good point of the database is that it I more professional to use a computer then a book. This may rub of on the company’s image especially if running an ICT course. If a prospective customer/student sees that they are running it with a book system then they may not be impressed and choose not to do the course. Normalisation Normalisation is a process used to come up with the best possible design for a related database. Tables should be organised in such a way that; * No data is unnecessarily duplicated * Data is consistent throughout the database * The structure of each table is flexible enough to allow you to enter as many or as few times * The structure should enable a user to make all kinds of different queries relating from different tables. Unormalised First name, surname, title, street, town, county, country, postcode, telephone no., D.O.B, occupation, date of first class, fee payable, type of payment, classes taken (subjects), tutors, date of classes, time of classes, room no. First normalised form This would not work as each student can take more then one class. To get it to work you would have to use a second normalised form, which would include a selection table in the middle like this; Second normalised form This selection table would enable students to do more then one course on the database. Third normalised form. You then have to link the tutors in with the courses. To do this you will create a totally different table but link the primary key in with the course table. Original Table Design > Student number – I will require this so I can link the tables together, as this will be my primary key. This will be of the Auto Number format so each student has a unique number they can be identified by. > Title – The title field will be of the text format and will be up to 5 characters long. This will have a validation rule of â€Å"Mr, Mrs, Miss, Dr, Mastr, Other† > Surname – This will be of the text format and be up to 25 characters long. > Forenames – This will also be of the text format and will be up to 20 characters long. > House number/name – This will be of the memo format as it can include numbers and letters. Also as the house names can be long it gives plenty of space. > Street – This is a text field, there is a maximum of 15 characters in this field. > Town – This is also a text field as most are. This has got a maximum of 20 characters as some towns can have long names. > County – Again this is a text field, there is a maximum of 20 characters as again some counties have a long name sometimes up to 20 characters. > Country – Another text field, and again 20 characters. I decided to add country as people may be learning English in this class and may still live abroad. > Postcode – This is a memo field as there are both letters and numbers in the postcodes. > Telephone Number – This field is surprisingly a text field as the phone number has a space between the area code and the number. > Mobile Number – This again will be a text field as there is a space after the first 5 numbers. > Date of birth (DOB) – This is a Date/Time field as you can set a date such as 10/02/77. This looks good and is also easy to read and easy to input. This will have an input mask of dd/mm/yy. 1st Amended Table Design > Student number – No Amendments > Title – No Amendments > Surname – No Amendments > Forenames – No Amendments > House number/name – No Amendments > Street – No Amendments > Town – No Amendments > County – No Amendments > Country – The Default value of this field is set as â€Å"England†. This is because if a student is of a different nationality trying to gain English qualifications, then to be contacted they will have to have an English address. > Postcode – I was going to add an input mask into this field, but realised that different parts of the country have different postcodes with different amounts of letters/numbers. > Telephone Number – I have added an input mask into this field to aid the accuracy of phone numbers. If a number is wrongly inputted then the student cannot be contacted in short notice. The input mask looks like this : !00000-000000. For example 01603-7456474. No more numbers can be added or none lost. > Mobile Number – This also has an input mask so no mistakes are made. This one will look like !00000-000000. For example 07763-369961 > Date of birth (DOB) – No Amendments. This will also have an input mask, which I have already stated. The system I will be using The system at school My system at home Pentium 2 350MHz AMD Athlon 600MHz 64 MB 128 MB 6.4 Gig Memory 27 Gig Memory 14†³ SVGA Monitor 17†³ SVGA Monitor Microsoft office 97 Microsoft office 97 + Microsoft word 2000 Microsoft Windows 98 Microsoft Windows 98 8MB HND Graphics Card TNT 2 Graphics card Constraints and limitations As I will be doing work at home and at 6th form I may experience a few constraints. For example at home I have Microsoft word 2000 whereas at 6th form they have the 97 edition. This can prove to be a problem, as I cannot take work to and from 6th form to complete at home. This means that I will have to complete all word documents either at home or at 6th form. This is only a minor problem which I can overcome by selecting work to take home as I have access 97 the same as the 6th form. If I know I have to do a word document and I may have to take it home I will do it at 6th form rather than other work which I can take home. I will have to manage my time. My second slight limitation is that other classes in the school often book the computer rooms at 6th form. This can mean that I am not able to work on a computer at certain times. This can be a problem but I can over come this by writing it up on paper in a study room and then type it up at a later date. This can be frustrating by something that you cannot do anything about so you have to live with it. Also if a student is away in another class then there may be the odd spare computer I can work on. Apart from these there are not many other problems that I think I will encounter. Also these can be overcome with ease. My ICT skills I have studied ICT at GCSE level and gained a level ‘B’ at the subject. This helps as I have done pervious work with the programs at a high level. I also work on my home computer regularly and pick up skills. Screenshots of my database Screenshot 1: Bookings Table Screenshot 2: Courses Table Screenshot 3: Members table Screenshot 4: Tutors table Screenshot 5: Front page Screenshot 6: Student link from front page Screenshot 7: Tutors link from front page Screenshot 8: Bookings link from front page Screenshot 9: Application from for new members Screenshot 11: Add new tutor form linked from tutor’s page Screenshot 12: Change tutor details linked from tutor’s main page Screenshot 13: New bookings linked from bookings main page Screenshot 14: Delete booking linked from bookings main page Screenshot 15: Check bookings query, linked from ‘check bookings for course’ button Screenshot 16: Result of running query shown above Screenshot 17: Macro needed for ‘add new member’ Screenshot 18: Macro needed for ‘add new tutor’ Screenshot 19: Macro needed for ‘new bookings’ Screenshot 20: Design of query for course query Screenshot 21: Main relationship Evaluation * Data can be viewed, recalled and saved easily. I have met this requirement as I can view and recall data through queries and forms and save data through my forms using macros. If I had a criticism it would be that more queries are needed to access all data easier than now. All records can be viewed using forms based off information tables. This means that I have all the information there is and that it is in a format which is easy to use and view. Also I can use my action and navigation buttons to move around easily. * Data can be easily updated or changed, changing all data in database. For example a booking change in a members records would change a booking in the tutors records, with only putting the data in once. I have fulfilled this requirement as I can do this. This is because I have my relationships between all tables, linking them so if I change a piece of information in one form then it will automatically changed in all other concerning the matter. * Mistakes will be easily to spot, with database flagging up any un-normal inputted data. I have tried to reduce the possibility of human error when imputing data or changing data. I have done this with input masks. I have added input masks to most date, time and telephone number fields in my forms so if it dopes not meet a certain criteria then it will flag it up and not accept it. An example of a input mask when ‘wrong’ data has been inputted. * Must be able to print out which course tutors teach and when they are. My query will help with this once you have searched for a course, it takes you to a screen which allows you to print out the data. I did add a query and from combo in which once the data is searched for it automatically prints the data. Once I had this in place realised that it may be a nuisance to the end user, as they may not want a print out all the time so I thought that I would leave it up to the. If it printed out automatically it may waste paper and ink therefore cost the business money. User guide Introduction The database will open on the front page. When you want to do something the first place you need to go is the main page. This has access to all you will need to do. As you will see there are three buttons, ‘Students’, ‘Tutors’ and ‘Bookings’. Each will link you to the part of the database you need. For example if you wanted to make a booking then you will need to click on the bookings button. Once you have clicked on anyone of these you will then get a specialised menu for each section. For example if I clicked on bookings I would get a list of options for bookings like this: You then have a list for what you may want to do. When you click on these you will be linked to a form which will allow you to input or browse information easily. For example if I clicked on ‘New Booking’ in the bookings section I would get a form which allows you to input new information for a new booking. This is what it would look like; That’s the basics I will now show you how to do some of the most common tasks. 1) Adding a new student or tutor: Open the database, as members are under the student section click on students, if you want to add a new tutor then just click on tutors. Both are the same, below are instructions for adding a new student but adding a new tutor is exactly the same so just follow the same instructions but just with ‘tutors’. You will then need to click on the ‘New Student button’ this will link you to a form which will allow you to put in information so a new member is added. The from has a macro linked to it so you will always get a blank form when you click this button. If you want to browse other details then click on the 2 buttons, ‘Previous record’ or ‘Next record’. The page you get will look like this; Once you have inputted all the information you want just click on ‘Save record’ and the information will be saved. Then click on close form and you will go back to the students menu, if you do not want to be here either then click on ‘Back to the main screen’ which is on every selection screen. This links you back to the main menu so you can choose what you want to do next. 2) To change details of students or tutors: Again changing students or tutors details are done is the same way. Below are a list of instructions for changing tutors details but again, if you want students then you will have to follow the same instructions but just with ‘Students’. Click on the ‘Tutors’ button on the main page, this will link you to a tutors menu just like the ‘students’ one. Here you can add a new tutor or change a existing tutors details. To change details just click on the ‘Change Tutor Details’ button as shown below.

Cable Based Television †Retaining Customers

Cable Based Television – Retaining Customers The industry of communications has grown exponentially during the past years allowing cable and satellite television companies to capture a large piece of the market. According to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association cable television was introduced since the late 1940’s in the USA while satellite TV was introduced in the early 90’s. According to the Television Bureau of Advertising (tvb.org) Cable television has lost significantly part of its market share to the newly introduced Satellite TV providers. According to research by Nielsen Company reported by tvb.org in February of 1999 the percentage of TV per household receiving cable television was at 70% while 9.1% came from any form of Satellite receivers while in July of 2009 only 62.2 % belonged to cable transmission while 28.6% to satellite receivers. This data is somehow alarming to cable companies all around. Even though they still remain as a top provider they have lost a significantly share of the market over a rather short period of time. This calls for action from the cable companies to analyze and evaluate new strategies to retain customers and eventually gain back the customers lost. This situation might change depending on the providers of the services, also affecting other things such as quality of the service, installation processes, prices and even customer services. While Satellite providers started appealing to a higher income percentage of the population now they are working their way down the income latter to appeal with better prices and bundles. The present marketing plan aims to draw a clear strategy that will start locally in the area of Tampa and surrounding cities. If the implementation is effective then it shall be replicated to all the other states and cities were the company in question, Bright house Networks, works as a Cable provider. Having in mind that cable is something that people can definitely live without, it is a harder task to preserve the nee d especially during rough times as perceived by the public in general. With the introduction of technology the addition of internet service provider to the cable companies has been a very smart way to create an increased need for the services and the effect of this shall be explored within the marketing plan, including the differences between the different services offered by the satellite TV and Cable TV providers which are often a deal breaker when deciding to stay or change companies. Company Overview Bright house Networks is a cable provider company established in 1994, it was merged with Warner Cable and other local cable providers to form the new company with new goals in mind and definitely different managerial styles. According to Bright House Networks, LLC Company Profile on Yahoo Finance it has over 2 million subscribers in the areas of Alabama, California, Florida, Indiana, and Michigan. Recently, Bright House Networks ranked highest in customer satisfaction for the fourt h year in a row by J.D. Power and Associates for Home Phone and for the delivery of High Speed Internet in the South Region. (Brighthouse.com/company overview) The company has a very important presence in Tampa and surrounding cities. It is the main cable provider in the area offering also other services such as high speed internet and telephone services which they cater to both households and business alike.

George Mason Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

George Mason - Essay Example judge and statesman, a leader in the cause of American rights in opposition to British tyranny, author â€Å"Fairfax Resolves,† (1774), active in work leading up to 1787 Convention which framed U.S. Constitution. He has also been remarkable as he â€Å"did not sign Constitution and opposed ratification due to fear of inadequate limits on Federal power to prevent its becoming tyrannical; urged addition of â€Å"Bill of Rights;† was one of principal slave-owners (including Washington and Jefferson) who deplored existence of slavery and favored abolition, with compensation by government to owners of freed slaves.† (Mason). All these aspects of this great leader were, it seems, not enough to earn him a more respectable position in the pages of American history. A profound analysis of the life and works of Mason makes one recognize the impact of a true social and political leader upon the future of a great nation and this will also indicate the need for reserving a prime position to this influential leader in the unoccupied areas of American history. In this paper, an overview of this great American leader who, all through his life was steered by his belief in the rule of reason as well as in the essentiality of the natural rights of every man is undertaken. This has been significant an attempt in appreciating the natural leadership of Mason in the political and social aspects and recommends for a greater position for him in the American history. It is essential to have a basic awareness about the biography of Mason in order to appreciate the true leadership traits in his character. Thus, it can be seen that George Mason was born at the Mason family plantation at Fairfax Country in Virginia, to George and Ann Thomson Mason in the year 1725. After the death of his father when he was only 10 he was brought up by his uncle, John Mercer and soon he established himself as one of the important figures in his community. Mason married Anne Eilbeck in 1750 and had five children

Mental Health Nursing (Essay base on a Case Scenario) Essay

Mental Health Nursing ( base on a Case Scenario) - Essay Example I will achieve this by identifying health problems and give interventions for the same. Confidentiality is important and therefore I will not expose the identity of my patient, I will identify her as Janet (not her real name). This is because the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) code of conduct stipulates that people’s rights to confidentiality must be respected by professional nurses while giving health care. For that reason a nurses should explain to the client how and why information concerning their health is shared by healthcare professionals involved in the particular client’s health. As a result, good communication amongst healthcare professional facilitates understanding and working relation between them (Goldsmith, 2011). Janet has a problem of increasing low mood. I will implement nursing interventions such as cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy behavior therapy, mindful based cognitive therapy, medical intervention and support. In addition, I will define care planning and discuss its significance. Moreover, biopsychosocial model together with recovery framework are incorporated in the delivery of the clients health care. This paper will be informed by the use of relevant references from books and journals. 2. Care Planning 2.1. Needs The case regards Janet who is about to complete her studies in engineering. She is twenty two years and originates from Britain. Her free time is spent in the gym and cycling. She does not get along with her three roommates. The recent past shows that her mood is low; concentration is low, has no appetite and lacks sleep. Besides being unable to follow routine activities, her performance in class is dwindling after losing interest in learning. The physician prescribed antidepressants after diagnosing her with depression. The mental health nurse can use nursing intervention to assist the client recover from depression. The depression has caused the problem of low mood. A number of interventi ons that are useful for recovery have been identified and will be implemented in a care plan. Therefore Janet’s needs and problems are: low mood low appetite poor relationships low concentration lack of sleep no interest in studies unable to follow routine Depression is a mood disorder which manifests in different ways for different people. Depressed individuals complain of emptiness and feel sad. They become pessimistic and engage in negative thinking. A feeling of hopelessness sets in and they isolate themselves. They become restless and keep away from usual activities. Depression may cause individuals to become irritable and lead to poor relationships with others. They may end up losing interest in activities they have enjoyed doing and even abandon their hobbies. Because of many changes and engagement in thinking, individuals with depression lack concentration capabilities, forget important details and become indecisive when making choices. Their sleep patterns changes wi th either long episodes of sleep or lack of sleep. Lack of appetite or augmented appetite is common in depressed individuals. Consequently, depressed individuals complain of headaches, digestive problems, pain, aches and cramps. The client has symptoms such as loss of concentration, loss of appetite, lack interest at school and normal functioning is affected. According to Barrett et al (2008) a care plan is significant in providing quality care to patient. It assists the nurse treat the patient according to needs. The purpose

Applying to university Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Applying to university - Essay Example Though I do not profess to be a hardcore feminist, still, through personal experience I have come to know that the women are made to behave and act in a particular way through continual training and regimentation, right from the time of their birth. Right when a baby girl is born, she is made to learn that she is required to wear particular kind of clothes, she is to behave and act in a particular way, and she is to learn to do specific types of household chores. Even the innocent games played by female children are full of such societal imprints and expectations. So no wonder, when a baby girl grows out to be an adult woman, she is already convinced in her mind that she has to abide by the norms of a male dominated society. Such expectations imprinted in the minds of women wreck havoc with their innate aptitude and their potential for personal growth and development. In the professional sphere, the consequences of male dominance tend to be very obvious. Time and again one comes to hear about the ‘glass ceiling’. Even the women who dare to transcend these constraints have to compromise to a large extent. To excel in their careers, they are not allowed to harness the abilities like networking, empathy, bonding, consensus making that the innately possess because of being a women. Rather they are expected to imitate the male competitive role models, a thing that resultantly jeopardizes their personal and professional lives. The result is a deep seated sense of dissatisfaction and frustration. So, I believe that one of the essential goals of my education is to be able to get over such societal barriers and the consequent macho trends and expectations. I believe that the essential goal of education is to enable a person to build professional and personal relationship with others on the terms of equality and respect. Anything contrary to this is

Corporate Communications Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Corporate Communications - Case Study Example The UK-based international grocery chain Tesco is a world leading retail chain and its general merchandising retail chain activities stretch far beyond the European Union. By sales and profits, it is not only the largest British retail chain but also the best-known grocery store in the neighborhood. Right now according to statistics its global sales along with domestic market sales, exceed  £3 billion. Going by revenue figures it is the third biggest global retail chain based on revenue, behind Wal-Mart in the first place and Carrefour of France in the second place. However, Tesco is ahead of Carrefour in profits. Though the organization started off as a seller of food and drink, now sells almost every imaginable item required by the household, including clothes, banking and financial services, telecommunication, healthcare, insurance, electronics and electrical and much more. Corporate Communication can be defined as â€Å"The activities undertaken by an organization to communicate both internally with employees and externally with existing and prospective customers and the wider public. Corporate communication is sometimes used to refer principally to external communication and sometimes to internal communication, but strictly speaking covers both, the term implies an emphasis on promoting a sense of corporate identity and presenting a consistent and coherent corporate image† (www.dictionary.bnet.com). Thus Tesco has been using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in its retail operations. The use of ICT at Tesco is effectively practiced in its public and customer relations strategy such as with individuals and organizations, including its employees, customers, competitors and suppliers. An effective communication strategy is an essential element at

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

MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Students are multi-dimensional and understand all facets of what the program entails. Additionally, this programs offers interactive learning. One of the best methods for learning is interactive learning that is reached via collaboration. Conducive research shows that interactive learning is one of the best methods to engage students in a simulative learning. As a matter of fact, this new type of learning of application has allowed students to truly be more engaging. It breaks away from the traditional scope of learning in a conventional classroom that extends beyond writing boring notes, engaging in useless writing drills and discussion. The interactive learning has harnessed learning because it allows students to engage in a learning environment. For instance, the application has a feature of an ACT test flashcards. If the student gets a question wrong, the APP will prompt the student to justify why they picked that certain answer. A weakness in the program is that Miami Dade College does not have a vast network of corporations that seek the potential candidates out of universities. This can be problematic because students, who may not have the adequate resources to seek other resources to find One of the major opportunities is the program is the fact that online program can be embedded to attract longer distance students. Technology and media has drastically facilitated this cause. One of the greatest benefits of E-learning that it provides dynamic technology it provides to learning. Undoubtedly, E-learning has been the pinnacle and focal point of learning. Conventional school learning relies on endless drills, homework and lecture notes. Online or virtual learning also has been gained a lot of the importance due to the technological revolution. Some teachers in many times complain that the steady use of technology is hampering the real growth of the students with many side effects. In my paper will tries to discuss the cause

Ground Response and Seismic Slope Stability Coursework

Ground Response and Seismic Slope Stability - Coursework Example In this report, two parts are considered. In the first part, a ground response analysis for two sites is run while the second part proposes possible design accelerations on basis of the analysis in designing of an embankment structure that will support the proposed roadway. Both of the proposed sites are located in Jamaica. With regard to ground response analysis, edushake analysis program is made use and the results obtained are as displayed in the various tables displayed throughout this report. The input data used are as provided in the coursework materials while the thickness is obtained through calculation of the difference between the depths. A table from the web forms the basis of assumptions made with regard to respective soil’s unit weight. Each soil type has its respective stress (), pore pressure (u) as well as effective stress (’) associated with it (Bhandari and Sharma, 2001). Two equations, one for sand and the second one for clay are used in in calculatio n of maximum shear stress based on the literature from the book of Steven Kramer’s. ... Width of crest: 15m Height of embankment: 11m Traffic loading surcharge: 15kPa Design PHA (horizontal acceleration): 0.3500g from the ground response analysis 0.3500g from the ground response analysis 0 The embankment is designed using a 1.56 safety factor to facilitate long term and short term stability. With the help of STB2010, the embankment’s parameters were generated using the ordinary method of slices also referred to as Fellenius method for static and seismic stability analysis. The necessary soil characteristics are provided in the table below: Drained strength with strength parameters: c’=0kPa and Ã'„=25? Unit weight of water: ?w = 9.81kN/m2 Undrained strength: c’=85kPa Unit weight of placed material: ? = 20kN/m2 It should be noted that the water table is located at the toe of the embankment. All the assumptions and calculations for the design of the embankment are shown from the Figure 3.1 to the next page. The data as provided in the spreadsheet is as shown below: Basing the divisions on four slices, the ordinary method of slices for design of embankments for drained as well as undrained soil is used. The initial embankment was generated based on the six slices. Consequently, an angle (?) was established in the middle of each slice at the horizontal’s base after which sin (?) and cos (?) were obtained. The equation given below was used in evaluation of the length of each individual slice: The height was measured from the middle of each slice. Additionally, the height (hw) was measured from the middle base of each slice to the point of the water table after which the pore pressure at the base of the slice base was calculated based

Marketing Plan on LIFESAVERS(CANDY) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Plan on LIFESAVERS(CANDY) - Essay Example mize the unique talents of its associates so that they can feel valued and remain associated to each other and to Wrigley by inculcating those values. The company’s strategy comprises of four-pronged approach-focusing on the workforce, work place and market place. The company is also committed to certain factors like to create consumer friendly sustainable packaging, reducing packaging weights by 10% from 2015 onwards. They are committed to use sustainable materials and partnering with sustainable suppliers, increasing recycled contents in case of packaging and designing the materials which will be effective from 2015 (Wrigley, n.d.). The company is now publicly traded in NYSE (New York Stock Exchange).The analysis of the company shows it is based on Michael Porter’s five forces model. The model is used to find out the three important aspects of the industry, competition, profitability, and attractiveness of the industry. Three forces, rivalry among existing firms, threats of new entrants and threats of substitute products is used to analyze the competitiveness of the firm (Inman & Et. Al., 2007). Marketers divide the target market into various segments on the basis of homogeneous needs. The customers are segmented on the basis of broad similarity with regards to certain attributes such as tastes, preferences. Lifesavers candy is targeted for all age group of people. Being a non-chocolate product it is free from melting in hot summers. These candies are made from fruit carp. The new innovated product serves the purpose of its customers well in the hot summer which provides a boost to the summer sales of this candy. Keeping in mind about the customers taste and preferences the candy comes in different flavors and colors. Pep O Mint, Wint O Green, sweet and sour strings, Hawaiian fruits, strawberry apple, cherry lemonade, butter Rum, wild cherry are some of its varieties. The product is available in all sizes, from small to big packs. These are mainly a

HRM function Essay Example for Free

HRM function Essay Flexible working patterns have advantages and disadvantages that impact not only on individuals but also on the business and the economy as a whole. Although flexible working practices and part-time working provide opportunities for people may otherwise be excluded from the workplace, individuals can feel insecure in such employment, particularly if they are constantly working on short-term contracts. There is also evidence that part-time or flexible workers receive less training than their full-time counterparts. In these circumstances individuals can feel their contribution is undervalued. In turn, insecurities and frustrations experienced by part-time staff may affect their job satisfaction and, ultimately, their performance. This then impacts on the organisation, as it has to manage higher staff turnover rates. One solution that may overcome this is that if we think of our lives as inside-out doughnuts, with a core in the middle (the essentials of life) and the bounded space on the outside as our opportunities, workers can achieve satisfaction in other areas of our lives, even if the workers jobs are unfulfilling. APPENDICE 3 HRM plays a part in enabling Asda to improve its overall competitiveness in the market place. In the last decade of the twentieth century, we saw a transformation in the way companies like Asda started dealing with the people who were their employees. Instead of seeking to get the best out of people just for the sake of the business- i. e. to help it achieve its objectives- the new emphasis termed Human Resource Management (HRM) was that people would only work their best for the company if the company gave priority to identifying and seeking to meet the personal needs and objectives of its employees. This distinction is very subtle- but it is an important distinction to understand. A second important change in people management was a recognition that people work was not just the responsibility of the HR department. It is the responsibility of all managers in Asda- supported by HRM specialists. Increasingly, responsibility for recruitment, selection, appraisal and training is carried out by managers who work on an ongoing basis with employees rather than by a specialist in a centralised HRM function. A third key change in people management was that HRM was given a great deal more status in Asda. Instead of being something carried on at lower levels of the business, HRM is now recognised as a key strategic area of the business (i. e. one that needs to be given priority in organisational planning involving senior managers). Overall, HRM plays a vital part in Asda and many other businesses alike. If it recruits the right people with the skills and experience needed for the job, the business will run smoothly but if it doesnt then they will need to recruit some other people costing a lot of money for advertising, training, etc costing the business a high labour turnover rate. If it is to strive in the market place, not only does it need to meet the needs of the customers, but also of employees. If staff are motivated and incredibly fluent in their line of work, they would produce a quality service and production meaning that more people would want to shop at Asda.

Sammuri Argumentative Essay Essay Example for Free

Sammuri Argumentative Essay Essay Whether it is through the martial arts, the peaceful arts, or their beliefs, the samurai continue to influence life to this day. The Samurai’s ethics are major in Japanese society as well as business; the idea of Bushido exists in society today as the Japanese business ethics illustrate honor and duty to Japan. To be a Samurai was a huge honor and it took an abundance of training and extensive hours of practice. Samurais had to be completely dedicated to their lifestyle; they repeated their schedule day after day: wake up in the Samurai village, meditation, hours of training, dinner, and sleep. Their routine was very rigorous however; it was compensated when they went into battle. Samurais were an elite group of warriors who were very skilled in battle and killing. Many may say that the Samurais were very violent and provocative group, however, the Samurais were always on the defensive. Though the entire movie, the Samurais never picked the fight, it was always the Americans- or in any case, it was never the Samurais who were picking the fights. The Samurais’ code of honor, Bushido, was much like a knights’ code of honor, chivalry; the only difference was â€Å"seppuku†. Seppuku was the traditional suicide after a battle was lost. The leader of the losing team was to commit suicide by carving a figure 8 into his abdomen because he shouldn’t live with the shame of losing a battle. If the man could not complete the figure 8, the leader of the opposing side would cut off the loser’s head. This was all part of honor; however, many people saw it as barbaric and couldn’t understand this ritual. The Samurai were trained warriors and their job was to kill predators so any way they are viewed; they were still violent peoples so in a way it was a good thing that the tradition was discontinued. The weapons the Samurais used were swords, bow and arrows, and a spear; no fire arms. In the movie, The Last Samurai, it was said that the â€Å"sword is part of the soul†. The Japanese took this very seriously; training took up most of a warriors’ day. The samurai rose to power out of the constant fight for land in feudal Japan. They became experts at fighting from horseback and on the ground. They trained in armed and unarmed combat. They wore many layers of armor and used only the sword passed down from previous generations. As mentioned previously, the Samurai were trained warriors and their job was to kill predators so in a way it was a good thing that the tradition was discontinued. However, much like the Samurai, soldiers fighting the war today are much more aggressive than the Samurai and they are armed with much more lethal weapons than a sword. Others may view this as hypocritical that the centuries long tradition was put to an end yet we continue to fight and kill to get what we need; we aren’t even fighting to protect our people like the Samurais were, we are fighting for something that we want.

Report on the Strategic Approaches of BNP Paribas

Report on the Strategic Approaches of BNP Paribas The objective of this report is to critically evaluate and analyze the strategic approaches in the operation of a financial institution of our choice. The chosen institution of study is BNP Paribas. This report will include a PESTEL analysis, an evaluation of the Singapore environment examining the political, economical, social-cultural, technological, environmental and legislative aspects of the environment and an application of the theory to BNP Paribas. In addition, we will look at the organizations products, target market, strategies and critical changes, the application of Porters five forces model, and conduct a SWOT analysis looking at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats presented to the organization. This will be followed by a STP analysis, looking at the segmentation, targeting and positioning of the organization, as well as a financial statements analysis and recommendations for future development strategies for the organization. Introduction of the Company BNP Paribas has been at the forefront of the banking sector with a 10 year history and deep-rooted traditions in innovation banking which has led them to the success they are today. They have earned the title of being Frances premier bank and are known for their strong market positions and robust risk management. They have risen to become a global leader in the provision of financial services and its brand is the companys major asset, ranking 6th most valuable banking brand according to Brand Finances 2010 rankings (Brand Finance, 2010  [i]  ). This ranking is largely due to the Groups financial strength and part due to its success brought about by Michel Pà ©bereau former CEO who led BNP to merger opportunities that transitioned the company (SP, 2010  [ii]  ). With such noted growth and success, the company truly lives up to its motto the bank for a changing world, incessantly evolving and adapting successfully to the ever-changing environment, seizing opportunities that come along with a strong focus on achieving its goals, carefully planning and managing its business activities and ensuring effective cost-cutting measures. Nature of the business BNP Paribas is a universal bank providing a diverse range of banking services predominantly offering and specialising in three core business areas: corporate and investment banking services, investment solutions services and retail banking which includes services for personal finances and equipment solutions. Its financial services are offered to a variety of customers both individuals, corporate businesses and other financial institutions (BNP Paribas, 2010  [iii]  ). Present situation On 23rd July 2010, Fortune Magazine had presented its annual global rankings of Americas largest corporations. Achieving a modest improvement from 2009, BNP Paribas placed 18th in this years rankings and 7th largest Banking Corporation in the banking sector based on revenues and sales (CNN, 2010  [iv]  ). Such positive results achieved by the Group can be attributed to its strong Board of Directors who possesses the skills, leadership, performance and experience required to lead the way into the future. BNP Paribas success also stems from the effectiveness of their diversified and integrated business model and their committed focus on investment strategy and innovation. Mission BNP Paribass mission is to achieve its goal to become the bank for a changing world. In order to achieve this, they plan to provide diversity, creativity and efficiency that generate performance gains and to value differences among people in various countries.  Respecting and promoting differences among employees are major assets when it comes to the bank for a changing world (BNP Paribas, 2010  [v]  ). See Appendix 1 for its core values. Vision BNP Paribas is determined to be a benchmark banking group with focus placed on customer satisfaction and the active pursuit for improvements in its earning capacity. BNP has adopted the motto of bank of the changing world from its core values and it is their core values which motivate and direct them towards their vision (BNP Paribas, 2010). Goals Technological development, globalisation, environmental issues are challenges that face both businesses and individuals today. BNP Paribas is committed to assisting its customers to confront these rapid changing issues. Therefore, the Groups goal is to constantly seek out new sources of progress by developing innovative ideas and initiatives (BNP Paribas, 2010). An Application of PESTEL to Singapores environment BNP Paribas Singapore A PESTEL analysis is essential in every organization as certain factors within the macro-environment will have significant impact on the organization and the decisions it makes. There are various political, economical, social and cultural, technological, environmental and legislative factors that need to be taken into consideration (Kotler, P Armstrong, G, 1999  [vi]  ). Each will be discussed further below in context of Singapore and its impact on BNP Paribas. P- Political The Peoples Action Party (PAP) dominated the political scene since 1959 (Janus Corporate Solutions, 2010  [vii]  ). The partys choices of action, ideas, policy-making and planning proposals are well supported by the community and the integrity and effective leadership demonstrated by the PAP secured economic growth and political stability. With the adoption of a collective leadership style with its corrupt free-government image, Singapores government has maintained a strong sturdy political framework. It is Singapores political stability and corrupt-free environment that banks like BNP Paribas see Singapore as an opportunity to venture into the Asian markets. Their success in Singapore was led by Singapores aim to liberalize the banking sector which they followed in 1999. This move was rewarded as they became one of the pioneering foreign banks. E- Economical  [viii]   The hustle and bustle economic scene of Singapore is part due to its geographical location. Its strategic location which houses an industrious population though it lacks physical resources and has a relatively small domestic market has given the country an economic importance in Southeast Asia. Singapore carried out an economic strategy to overcome its problems and achieved an average of 7.8% growth from 1965 to 2009 (US Bureau of Public Affairs, 2010  [ix]  ). Though its economy has suffered setbacks due to pandemic outbreaks, the economy bounced back each time. See in Appendix 2 on GDP and Government Debts. BNP Paribas must firstly identify the relevant economic factors that would influence their company. Singapores tourism scene is an opportunity to target those tourists needs financially. In addition, economic growth is tied with profits made as such it is another motivating factor to operate in Singapore. S-Social Cultural Social factors are the demographic and cultural aspects of the environment such as age and gender distribution, religion and employability rates, which can impact the demand for a firms products and the availability and motivation/willingness to work. See Appendix 4 on analysis of GDP and employment rates. BNP Paribas has contributed much to the employability in Asia. According to an article in Forbes Magazine titled; BNP Paribas Wealth plans Singapore hiring spree (2010), BNP plans to increase its employees count in Singapore from 300 as of 2008 to 500 employees, while other banks like DBS and Deutsche Bank plans job cuts. This increase in employees is a result of BNPs involvement in the wealth management business and their aim to be the largest most profitable and attractive for its clients and their assets as explained by Serge Forti (BNP Chief Executive for Asia Pacific Wealth Management) (Forbes, 2010  [x]  ). T-Technological Singapore has sophisticated state-of-the-art Telecommunications and Internet facilities which cater to the needs of its users, providing them with high quality communications accessible worldwide. Innovation is a strong differentiating factor in the banking sector. It is a core tenet of the BNP Groups strategy. Innovation will enable them to adapt quickly to the ever-changing environment and to deliver the best quality products and services to its clients. An example of innovation demonstrated by BNP Paribas is in its photovoltaic loan  [1]  (BNP Fortis Bank, 2010  [xi]  ). E- Environment The leading researcher on Global Warming, an American government scientist Hansen (2007) believes that the speed of the natural changes is dwarfed by the changes that humans make to the atmosphere and surface (Hansen 2007)  [xii]  . This scientific evidence has created greater environmental awareness among individuals and businesses. Since then, there has been a growing desire to protect the environment. Singapores Government environment commitment extends to the ecological footprint of business organizations and could accelerate the potential environmental leadership role that transnational corporations can play. The greatest challenge in the climate change action is to make people aware of the consequences of our actions. As such, BNP Paribas has launched programs to raise their awareness of the impacts of Climate Change. L-Legislative According to Singapore Academy of Law (2006)  [xiii]  , there are specific laws that banks are required to abide to. As such BNP Paribas must follow the common laws and principles as stated in relevant Acts passed by Parliament  [xiv]  . The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) who publishes and administers Acts and Subsidiary legislation governs legislation in the financial industry. Changes in legislation can affect a firms cost for adaptation and demand of goods and services. Singapores economic policy is to promote wealth through sustained and stable economic growth, guided by the free market economic system which allows market forces to determine the pattern of trade (ADB, 2010  [xv]  ). In addition, Singapore does not have any sector-specific policies; this freedom within the policies could provide BNP Paribas with an advantageous opportunity to manipulate this area. Financial Analysis A financial analysis uses financial performance indicators to judge the performance of the company. It looks at 5 categories of ratios which are; Profitability, Liquidity, Efficiency, Investor and Financing. The tables below are the summarized results for BNP Paribas from Year 2005 to 2009 (5-year performance analysis); Profitability Ratios Ratios Year 2005 Year 2006 Year 2007 Year 2008 Year 2009 Gross Profit 100% 100% 100% 100% Gross Profit à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬27,648miilion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬29,823miilion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬22,105 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬31,909 million Revenue/Sales à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬27,648miilion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬29,823miilion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬22,105 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬31,909 million Net Profit 26% 26% 14% 18% Net Profit à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7308 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7822million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3021million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5832million Revenue/Sales à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬27,648 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬29,823miilion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬22,105 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬31,909 million Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) 15.8% 5.7% 9.5% Profit before Interest Tax à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7308 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7822million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3021million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5832million Average Capital Employed à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬45,065+53,799/2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬53,228+53,799/2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬53,228+69,501/2 million Return on Assets (ROA) 0.51% 0.46% 0.15% 0.28% Net Income à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7308 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7822million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3021million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5832million Total Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1,440,343 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1,694,454 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2,075,551 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2,057,698 million (Source: Created for the purpose of this assignment) The table above shows that for every sales dollar, the same amount will be available to cover its expenses and profits. This is relatively bad for the company if there were any fixed expenses that require payment after the gross profit has been calculated. The return on assets (ROA) tells the efficiency of the company in using its assets to generate profits. The table above shows that ROA has a decreasing trend reaching as low as 0.28%. The net profit is a result of deducting all expenses from gross revenue. In this case, the net profit over the 4 year period has decreased to 18%. Therefore this suggests that the companys widely known success does not match with its actual financial performance. Liquidity Ratios Ratios Year 2005 Year 2006 Year 2007 Year 2008 Year 2009 Current Ratio 87c 73c 81c 53c (Source: Created for the purpose of this assignment) Current ratio gives an indication of the companys ability to pay its short term liabilities and debts with its short term assets. A low ratio below 1 suggests that the company will have trouble paying its debts and liabilities. This shows the companys efficiency in its operating cycle in turning its product into cash is weak. As such, the company is financially unhealthy and they would need to develop strategies to go about providing more financing for the company or they may run into liquidity issues. Efficiency Ratios (Source: Created for the purpose of this assignment) Ratios Year 2005 Year 2006 Year 2007 Year 2008 Year 2009 Debtors Collection Period 276 days 282 days 431 days 313 days Trade Receivables à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬20,919 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬23,008 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬26,079 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬27,379 Revenue/Sales à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬27,648 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬29,823miilion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬22,105 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬31,909 million The debtors collection period ratio is an indicator of the period of time taken for money to be collected from debtors. The figures above suggest that the debtors collection is relatively slow, especially in 2008. This could have been caused by the Global Financial Crisis which caused worldwide panic and market fluctuations. By 2009, BNP Paribas was able to reduce its debtors collection period by 313 days. Although this figure is an improvement to 2008, it is still considered to be slow for debt collection. This will have an impact on the liquidity issues faced by the company. If the company can reduce its debtors collection time, it will have the necessary funds to resolve its liquidity issues and raise its current ratio above à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 or even à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 which suggests the company has more than enough assets to cover its liabilities. Investor Ratios Ratios Year 2005 Year 2006 Year 2007 Year 2008 Year 2009 Earnings per Share (EPS) 6.77 7.81 8.25 5.20 2.99 Dividend Cover 2.68 2.59 2.53 5.36 2 EPS à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6.77 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7.81 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8.25 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5.20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2.99 Dividend per Ordinary Share 2.53 3.01 3.26 0.97 1.50 Price/Earning Ratio (P/E Ratio) 8.50 9.24 8.12 5.52 18.13 Current Share Price per share à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬57.56 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬72.13 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬66.97 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬28.71 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬54.20 EPS à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6.77 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7.81 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8.25 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5.20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2.99 (Source: Created for the purpose of this assignment) The EPS is the core tenet in determining a shares price. It shows the companys ability to generate income which is allocated to each outstanding share of common stock. A positive increase in EPS suggests that the company is finding more ways to earn profits. However, it does not seem to be the case in 2008 and 2009 where EPS fell sharply. There is no stability in the EPS pattern. BNP Paribass dividend cover fell sharply in 2009. However, a low dividend cover may be acceptable if a companys profits are at a stable level, while a company with fluctuating profits indicates dividends are at risk. The difference in the market price and earnings movement will cause the price earning ratio to fluctuate. BNP Paribass P/E ratio in 2009 shows that there is a disconnection between the market price and the profits as such, it has caused the P/E ratio to rise. A low P/E ratio is potentially good for investors as there is a chance for making profits. Financing Ratios Ratios Year 2005 Year 2006 Year 2007 Year 2008 Year 2009 Debt to Equity Ratio 7.83 8.80 11.98 8.29 Total Debt à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬352,918 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬473,504 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬637,592 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬568,130 million Total Equity à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬45,065 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬53,799 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬53,228 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬69,501 million Debt Ratio 0.31 0.28 0.26 0.28 Total Debt à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬352,918 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬473,504 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬637,592 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬568,130 million Total Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1,440,343 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1,694,454 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2,075,551 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2,057,698 million (Source: Created for the purpose of this assignment) A high debt equity ratio is a result of high debt usage in financing operations. This is particularly true for Year 2008 with a debt/equity ratio of 11.98. However, each year from 2006 show a high debt/equity ratio. This shows BNP could potentially generate more profit without outside financing. If this were to increase earnings by a greater amount than debt cost, then the shareholders of BNP Paribas would benefit from receiving more earnings. However, there are greater costs involved which may outweigh the return the company generates on debt through investment and its operations. BNP Paribass debt ratio from Year 2006 to 2009 is below 1 as such, this indicates that the financial institution has more assets than debt as evident in the Statement of Financial Position. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) BNP Paribass corporate social responsibility plays a major role in its environment and forms an integral part of its business ethics and embedded in its core values. They have taken charge of leading companies in implementing environmental friendly practices by signing up to the United Nations Global Compact in 2003 and in its financial sector initiatives, BNP has encouraged companies to include climate change issues in their investment decisions and have brought together companies to promote responsible behaviour by companies within the community. BNP has also signed up for Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) which provides assistance to companies in incorporating environmental, social, and corporate governance concerns into their mainstream investment decision making practices (BNP Paribas Annual Report, 2009, p.118  [xvi]  ). See Appendix 5 on CSR as a management duty. Porters Five Forces Model Analysis Diagram 3: Porters Five Forces Model Source: Porter, M 2008 Threats of New Entrants (Strong) Singapore is relatively lenient when it comes to foreign businesses operations set up in Singapore since the country has a pro-business environment with rich cultural diversity and stable politics. We can also suggest the threats of new entrants may be strong because financial institutions are becoming universal, providing a diverse range of financial services and not just restricted to banking services. The new entrants are exploring innovative banking as such BNP Paribas adopts innovation as a key driver to outshine its competitors. Bargaining Power of Suppliers (Weak) The power of suppliers in influencing BNP Paribas is considered to be weak. The customers being the depositors do not have control of the interest rates set by the bank or on any internal operations, whereas for corporate clients, the bank still holds a greater power in the offering of services and package deals to its larger clients. The Credit Market provides the source of raw materials and liquid assets which is unmeasurable. Lastly, the Central Bank being MAS is responsible for the issuance of currency, supervision of financial services and stability surveillance and who is of last resort and provider of liquidity in the markets. Therefore, the Central Bank who controls the liquidity in the markets has some power in its influence on BNP Paribas as a whole than in day to day operations (Ackerman, J 2008  [xvii]  ). Bargaining Power of Buyers (Medium) The buyers of BNP Paribass products are the customers themselves; the depositors whom have some power in deciding which bank they would settle for. However, for the corporate clients, it is difficult to determine the differences in the services provided/offered by each bank as there is no specific service offer to each bank. Threats of substitute products or services (Strong) There are a variety of financial services being offered from various banks in Singapore who specialises in different business lines and have various experiences and successes. BNP Paribas Singapore faces greater threats towards its Corporate Investment Banking as well as Asset Management services. However, though various banks offer similar services to them, like its threats from new entrants, innovation is their key to compete with substitute products, to set themselves apart from its competitors (Bernet Partner, 2008  [xviii]  ). Rivalry among existing firms (Strong) There is intense rivalry among the financial industry. BNP Paribas competes with money centre banks, super regional banks and institutional asset management providers and financial planners. In Singapore, there are 113 competitive commercial banks, 49 merchant banks and 3 finance companies and three local banks; DBS, UOB and OCBC , the three largest banks in Southeast Asia (MAS, 2009  [xix]  ). BNP Paribas faces strong competition from in the area of asset management as Singapore is the premier asset management locations in Asia (MICA, 2009). A central location for the provision of risk management, insurance broking and offshore insurance services in which BNP is engaged in. It is BNPs innovative strategic plans and its prime financial attention to serving customers needs which sets them apart from its competitors.