A Not Only . . . But Also Quiz

A Not Only . . . But Also Quiz A â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Quiz A â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Quiz By Mark Nichol The following ten sentences, in one way or another, violate the basic rules about â€Å"not only . . . but also† constructions or similar usage. Skillful writers have gotten away with casual deviations from strictly correct usage, but each of the sentences below can and, in my opinion, should be improved. Read this post for a refresher course before correcting these examples, all drawn from raw copy intended for publication, or take a look after you complete the exercise and then scroll down to compare your solutions with mine, located at the bottom of this page. 1. â€Å"These incidents are serious because they damage the credibility not only of the journalists directly involved, but all journalists.† 2. â€Å"But then there is Giacomo Junia, a contender from Chicago who is said not just to have used anchovies but Worcestershire sauce.† 3. â€Å"I saw the ruling as a broad promise, one that not only would open up public schools, but all avenues in America to blacks and to all people of color in the United States.† 4. â€Å"That’s why long-term city planning, not just piecemeal permitting, is not only helpful for the community but for the developers as well.† 5. â€Å"Alcoholism is seen as not only a physical and psychological disease but also a spiritual one.† 6. â€Å"They may not regard these locales as holiday sites, but rather as trustworthy countries in which to obtain the services they need.† 7. â€Å"Chemotherapy affects the ovarian tissues not only through inducing apoptosis of follicles themselves but also damages the adjacent tissue.† 8. â€Å"Not only would this count against the ethical propriety, it would also seem to render even more unlikely the result that the clone child would produce great achievements of benefit to society.† 9. â€Å"This solution could not only save the life of a sibling but also other family members.† 10. â€Å"They feel very empowered not just about learning the history but how they can apply what they learned.† Answers 1. â€Å"These incidents are serious because they damage the credibility not only of the journalists directly involved but also of all journalists.† 2. â€Å"But then there is Giacomo Junia, a contender from Chicago who is said to have used not just anchovies but also Worcestershire sauce.† 3. â€Å"I saw the ruling as a broad promise, one that would open up not only public schools but also all avenues in America to blacks and to all people of color in the United States.† 4. â€Å"That’s why long-term city planning, not just piecemeal permitting, is helpful not only for the community but for the developers as well.† 5. â€Å"Alcoholism is seen not only as a physical and psychological disease but also as a spiritual one.† 6. â€Å"They may regard these locales not as holiday sites but rather as trustworthy countries in which to obtain the services they need.† 7. â€Å"Chemotherapy affects the ovarian tissues not only through inducing apoptosis of follicles themselves but also by damaging the adjacent tissue.† 8. â€Å"This would not only count against the ethical propriety but would also seem to render even more unlikely the result that the clone child would produce great achievements of benefit to society.† 9. â€Å"This solution could save the lives not only of a sibling but also of other family members.† 10. â€Å"They feel very empowered not just about learning the history but also about how they can apply what they learned.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Redundant Phrases to Avoid50 Synonyms for â€Å"Idea†Quiet or Quite?

Stress and Emphasize

Stress and Emphasize Stress and Emphasize Stress and Emphasize By Maeve Maddox A reader says, Your thoughts re â€Å"stress† and â€Å"emphasize† would be appreciated. As transitive verbs, stress and emphasize are used interchangeably with the meaning â€Å"to accentuate or draw attention to.† For example: Employers  stress the need  for communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. Speakers Stress Need to Consult More Closely with Contributors of Peacekeeping Personnel Avian Influenza Findings  Emphasize  the  Need  for Good Biosecurity. Council members  emphasize the need  to take action to develop the Former Bennett Freeze Area. The substitution of emphasize for stress in the context of language study would not be incorrect, but stress is the more common choice: The word present is a two-syllable word. If we stress the first syllable, it is a noun or an adjective. But if we  stress the second syllable, it becomes a verb. [In poetry scansion] a foot is an iamb if it consists of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, so the word remark is an iamb. The verb stress has a third meaning unrelated to emphasize: â€Å"to subject [sub-JEKT] to hardship, affliction, or oppression.† Here are examples of this use: Teachers stressed by escalating demands Everyday Problems  Stress Teachers  the Most If youre a mom  of a child with autism, what most  stresses  you? Although the verb stress is sufficient, many speakers add the particle out: What Stresses Americans Out the Most? Tell us whats stressing  you  out, and  you  could win a $100 Taichi Wellness gift certificate. Stress and emphasize are interchangeable when the meaning is â€Å"to draw attention to† or â€Å"to accentuate,† but not when the meaning is â€Å"to make tense and anxious.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†20 Rules About Subject-Verb AgreementA "Diploma" is not a "Degree"

Changes in Legal Defence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Changes in Legal Defence - Essay Example This is the bedrock of the Canadian legal system and the concept of defense is crucial in the determination of culpability. In the worst case scenario they must be given the opportunity to justify their actions through defenses. Recent events have shown unique and new cases that demonstrate the evolving nature of the legal system. These reflected in the way the law is ever changing in order to maintain a valid standpoint. An important aspect to this characteristic is how new legal defenses become legitimate and necessary addition to the legal system. There are several land mark cases in which seemingly absurd ideas such as automatism, battery and duress become legitimate defenses and excuses from criminal guilt and culpability.   Automatism Automatism attracted attention recently with several high profile criminal cases that led to acquittal. The decisions for these cases constitute entirely new elements to Canadian jurisprudence. For example, there was the case of Kenneth Parks wh o killed his mother in-law and attempted to do the same to her husband. This happened in 1987 and was a controversial event that riveted the whole country until a verdict was reached in 1988. Ramsland (2010) provided the grisly and enlightening details: He rose from bed and got into his car. Despite, as he said later, not being awake, he drove about 14 miles to the home of his wife's parents in Scarborough. Accounts say he then removed a tire iron from the car and entered the house, where he proceeded to beat his mother-in-law to death and choke his father-in-law into unconsciousness. He also used a knife from his in-laws' kitchen to stab them. (Ramsland, 2011) The defense for Park was automatism. His lawyer argued that this defense is supported by several important evidences. First, the perpetrator had a history of sleepwalking. Secondly, he had a good relationship with his wife’s parents and, hence, had no motive for murder. Park’s defense team assembled an army of e xperts – psychiatrists, psychologist, neurologist, and a sleep disorder specialist - explaining what automatism is. (Ramsland) The â€Å"disorder was new to the jury and, certainly, to the legal system. There is no explicit reference to this in the Canadian jurisprudence that is why the defense settled on homicidal somnambulism. The collective arguments presented by the experts, who demonstrated how sleepwalking is a neurotic disorder and could result in an individual having less control of his or her actions, finally convinced the court that Parks was innocent. It was declared that his acts were unmediated and unconsciously committed, hence, free from criminal liability. The cases of murder and attempted murder lodged against him were promptly dismissed. As a defense, automatism is considered to be a category separate from insanity plea. A case of a woman charged with murdering her husband had the jury reject the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity but acquitted her of murder on the basis of automatism because she was proven to be subject to narcolepsy, a rare sleeping disorder. (McCord, McCord & Bailyer, 2011, p. 254) Another case, however, show a different facet to this type of defense. This was the case of William Wade who was charged with murder when he repeatedly stabbed his wife, banging her head on the

Identify essential qualities the Personal security Detail Essay

Identify essential qualities the Personal security Detail professional, past and present, must possess to better achieve his mi - Essay Example In the past, the training took longer periods and more strategies were used to instill the best qualities in aspirant security personnel. The individuals are trained to be obedient, uphold dignity and have the beauty of gentleness. They are trained in knightly exercise, at that age women were weak and submissive and their men were supposed to protect and fight for them. After 5 years of faithfulness in duties and faced anger, they received knighthood sonority and a solemn ceremony conducted. The knight aspirant received a formal that was of baptism sort to symbolized washing away of sins. Clad in white and a red robe that symbolized the blood that he would shed to protect his community or his master. The mailed fist of the emperor is the military’s force threat. The emperor’s mailed fist and shining armor were built in the spirit of self defense and precaution security personnel in the past did not have a vast of activities they would engage in as compared to the presen t personnel. Theirs was mainly protection of their family, community and country. In the present time, there is a diversity of security needs. The security personnel of the present age go through training for a shorter period compared to the past. The training is rigorous just like the past but technological advances have helped in the training process. The best of the security personnel must be in excellent health as this ensures their efficiency. Good health allows them execute their duties with no hitches at all. Good interpersonal skills are relevant to ensure ease of communication between them and any other party. They must have personal integrity with the highest ethical standards as required in the military force. They must have personal ability based on developed self skills and high intellectual capacity. Personal structure is also important as it enables them portray positive self image and self worth. Honesty, sincerity, industrious and cooperation are also very important . They must have a strong will and abiding self confidence because it is essential for them to create and maintain desire and motivation to be security personnel. They should have sound general knowledge or specialized education which gives them an edge in the security field. Imaginatively, creativity and a high foresight in order to develop new angles of approach to security problems are one of the best qualities that they should possess. Good manners reveal a sense of refinement and impulsive mannerisms must be avoided. In recent times security personnel have been known to be rather aggressive, harsh and cruel to members of the public. Even though aggressiveness is partly necessary, being cruel only worsens matters and an innocent public member may fear to mention their security issues for fear of being misunderstood or reprimanded by the security people. They must be loyal, risk takers, well rounded in knowledge, open minded, confident and have eloquence in the language they use depending on the region they are serving as security personnel. They must have tact, i.e. know the right thing to do, at the right time and in the right way. Broad knowledge of the military force is also of essence because without understanding the field one is, it would be difficult to serve as required. They must be aware of the security needs where they are, any risks or uncertainties in providing their services and measures they can take to handle

HRM and Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HRM and Marketing - Assignment Example Viewed as a key component in corporate survival and growth, marketing is becoming more of a planned and goal-oriented management activity. The market information sharing has been equated closely to what Kohli, Jaworski and Kumar termed intelligence dissemination' (1993, p. 476). It is also significant to know that, Kohli and Jaworski (1990, p. 3) ascertained from research that inter-functional co-ordination should be limited to co-ordination related to market intelligence'. The competitor orientation can assist company performance. The organisation should consider how well its products suit customer but should also assess that how well they perform in comparison to competitor s (e.g. Ohmae 1982, pp. 91-98). Moreover the competitors can affect the organisation and a focus on trying to understand their strengths, weaknesses can help to prepare for competitor activity and so minimise its adverse effects (e.g. Dickson 1997, p. 209). The company that monitor the activities of competitors benefit by learning about the strategies of the competitors. Such knowledge can be helpful for sustainable growth. Marketing is regarded as more than another functional area of business, although it must operate in conjunction with other equally important functions. It is viewed as a fundamental method of managing the resources and activities of business and of making the consumers and customers the focal point for management action. Successful marketing requires recognition and authority at the top decision-making level. Marketing programs must be carefully planned and based not merely on knowledge of internal corporate affairs, but also on knowledge of external environments. A homeostatic point of equilibrium between customer wants and needs, is called for on the one hand, and corporate goals and resources on the other. Relationship between Marketing Concepts and Banagas Strategies In the beginning company was dependent on other external international companies for all marketing and sales activities. But being a progressive company such arrangement has been left behind with passage of time. Now company has its own vision and corporate objectives, these objectives are being looked after and pursued by company's own management. Local people are hired and company is confident that they will certainly meet the demands of the business. As discussed in theoretical part of this paper company is vigorously pursuing the policy of expansion and growth. Company has entered into agreement with many companies like Bapco (The Interim Agreement) for new business ventures. It will give company management confidence to management the matters independently. (Case Study) Company is also acting according to recognized corporate norms of transparency and openness. All the products are transparently tendered. Company is also using the modern technology including information technology. All these policies have helped company in achieving all the planed strategic objectives. (Case Study) References Dickson,

Next PESTLE Analysis | Next Plc

Next PESTLE Analysis | Next Plc Tags:  PESTLE Analysis, PESTEL Analysis, PEST Analysis Introduction A PESTLE analysis provides and analysis of six of the key macro level factors which affect a business and the decision which it makes (Grant, 2008). This assignment will apply the relevant factors within the PESTLE framework to the international clothing retailer Next and its subsidiaries. Data upon which the assignment is based comes from a variety of sources including the companys annual report (Next, 2012) and released and well as information from the academic and business press. In order to give the assignment a greater level of focus, the report will be limited to an analysis of the external environment in the UK. Political There are a wide range of political factors which affect Next at present but also factors which may have an impact upon the company in the future. One key political decision which affects Next in the UK is the rate of tax levied by the government. This has the ability to affect both the bottom line of the company in the form of corporation tax but also the ability of customers to spend with next, linked to income tax. At present, levels of corporation tax in the UK have been lowered in order to attempt to stimulate economic activity (Telegraph, 2012). However, given the continuing deficit, there is no guarantee that governments in the future will maintain the rate of corporation tax at its current level. Other key political decisions consider interest rates. At present, UK interest rates stand at an all-time low of 0.5% (BoE, 2010). This may be seen as a positive factor for firms such as Next who are effectively able to borrow large amounts of money for the purposes of capital expansion at much lower rates than have been previously seen. Such borrowing may take place in the form of long term borrowings from banks and financial institutions, alternatively the company may choose to issue corporate bonds (Arnold, 2008). Other political issues relate to the governments relatively arms length approach to Europe and remaining outside of the single currency area (FT, 2012). For a UK based business such as Next that has international operations in the Euro Zone, this could be seen as negative with the prospect of foreign exchange rate risks being felt and the introduction of additional transaction costs which would be eliminated if the government decided to join the Euro Zone. From a more general perspective, the UK political system based upon parliamentary democracy may be seen as providing Next with a relatively low risk political environment in which to operate within (CIA, 2013). This may be seen as an advantage in comparison some of Nexts ventures into potentially less stable political nations such as Russia and those of the Middle East. As such, this makes the UK a relatively safe market for Next to make further long term capital investments in where the company may think twice in the case of less stable political environments. Economic A critical factor which may have an impact upon Next in the UK is the current state of the economic environment. As a business which makes use of a premium based differentiated strategy, as opposed to being a cost leader, it may be seen that swings within the economic environment have the ability to impact the fortunes of the company to a greater degree than those operating in the necessity and budget sector of the market (Johnson et al, 2008). From a purely statistical perspective, the years since 2007 have been an economic rollercoaster for the UK. Following the onset of the global financial crisis in 2007, the subsequent year saw GDP growth revert to negative figures with -1% contraction in the economy. This was followed by even worse performance in 2009 with a -4% contraction. Low levels of growth have been seen since in 2010 and 2011 with GDP growth of 1.8% and 0.8% respectively (World Bank, 2013). However, while the statistics show a slight recovery in 2010 and 2011, others within the business press (BBC News, 2012) indicate that the UK economy could continue to flat line or worse result in a double dip recession. These headline figures may seem to paint quite a negative picture for retailers such as Next which are highly reliant on the UK economy as a source of revenue. However, an analysis of more detailed economic data may highlight a different perspective. Tutt (2012) presents data which looks at the level of unemployment and household disposable incomes in the UK. In this case an alarming pattern is seen. On the one hand, levels of unemployment have been increasing in recent years with a rise from 0.86m in 2007 to 1.53m in 2011. However, conversely, the levels of disposable income of individual households during the period has consistently risen from  £14,308 per household in 2007 to  £16,042 per household in 2011 (Tutt, 2012). For Next and other premium end retailers this may have a key impact upon strategy. While there may be few customers able to by the products and services of Next due to rising unemployment, those who have remained in employment have generally become wealthier. As a result it is likely that such economic patterns may help Next to improve its average spend per customer, even if the total number of customers falls. Social-Cultural There are many social and cultural changes taking place in the UK at present which may have a high level of impact upon the performance of fashion retailers such as Next. In many cases, as representatives of an essentially socio-cultural industry, the fashion industry itself may be seen as an industry which is affected by such trends to a greater degree than other industries (Curtis et al, 2007). One of the key issues in the UK market, but also seen across Nexts wider European markets is the general aging of the population (Parliament UK, 2012). This may be seen as both problematic but also an opportunity for Next. One the one hand, an ageing population may see Next having to adapt its product portfolio in an attempt to ensure that the products supplied by company appeal to this aging demographic of the population. In addition, the prospect of an aging population may also see that competition for the increasingly smaller younger demographics of the market becomes more intense for Next as time progresses. Despite these drawbacks, there are also advantages linked to the issue. On consideration is that ageing populations tend to be less mobile than younger demographics, this may be a key advantage for Next given that its home delivery and online business model offer a convenient solution to the problem. Other socio-cultural factors include the consideration that the UK has since World War Two become an increasingly culturally diverse nation with an influx of diverse cultures, races and ethnicities all contributing towards the socio-cultural backdrop of the UK social system (Shepherd, 2010). For Next, this has not only external implications such as those linked to aligning product ranges to specific cultural segments, in attrition, the company musty also ensure that it deals with issues such as managing diversity in the context of its own organisation. In this case, increased cultural diversity can be seen as both a source of a competitive advantage yet also a potential source of conflict (Liff, 1997, Ivancevich et al, 2010). As EU expansion takes place and the new member states become further integrated into the EU, there is a distinct possibility that the trends for increased diversity in the UKs labour and consumer markets will increase rather than decrease. Technological There is little doubt that new technological developments have transformed the UK business environment, especially those operating in the retail sector. Key developments may be seen as those technologies which are internet or communications based in nature, such as the wide spread diffusion of broad band (Jobber, 2007). Key technological developments such as the internet have allowed firms such as Next to develop online business models which complement traditional bricks and mortar retail establishments. Empirical evidence from the ONS (2009) on the subject shows that the growth has been almost exponential with a rapid acceptance on the behalf of customers of online shopping in both retail and other markets. Yet communications technologies have not only been used by the sector to facilitate online sales and shift away from the traditional high street place. Other aspects of new technological development have seen a range of new marketing options opened up to retailers such as Next. Most important amongst these are developments which have allowed retailers to interact with customers using online social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. These are now seen as key ingredients in the development of a successful marketing strategy (Zarrella, 2010), largely the product of technological changes in the sector. Other technologies have simply allowed businesses to develop better relationships with their consumers and communicate in a more effective way. Take for instance the technological developments of smartphones and apps. Such technology has allowed companies to develop apps which allow consumers to find their nearest branch or check the facilities and product availability at a branch before making a visit. This allows an effective bridge to be built between the purely online business model such as those operated by a company like Amazon and those falling into the bricks and clicks category (McGoldrick, 2002) such as Next who must seek to leverage the benefits of both arms of the business. While technology in this section has largely been presented as an opportunity, there is of course a risk factor. Many have expressed concerns over the abandoning of the high street as consumers flock to online business models. The case is illustrated only too recently with the example of Jessops going into administration, a business which may be seen as falling victim to technological developments (Goodley, 2013). Legal Like all businesses, Next must conform to the legal minimum standards which are enforceable in a jurisdiction. The case of Nexts UK operations legal elements may be seen as more complex given that the company must comply with both UK law and EU law. Some of the key legal regulations which affect Next in the UK are considered below: Minimum wage legislation A key piece of legislation in the UK which affects organisations such as Next with a large number of low paid workers is that of various minimum wage regulations. In this case, the legislation requires UK employers to pay their employees a minimum of  £6.19 per hour for those aged over 21 (Gov UK). Given the large number of employees of firms such as Next which are affected by the National Minimum Wage, temporary shifts in legislative policy can have a high impact upon the sector. Other key legislative issues include equal opportunities legislation and various other acts of parliament designed to ensure equality both in the work place and in the recruitment and selection process (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). In this case, such legislation has a direct impact upon the processes and practises of an organisation such as Next who are required not only to design corporate polices which facilitate equality but also to record activities related to recruitment and selection should an employee call foul at a later date. The issue here for businesses such as Next is that the legislative environment often places the burden of proof on the defendant rather than the claimant in such cases. As such, the development of detailed HR processes and practises is critical (Bratton and Gold, 2007). Further issues relate to potential moves on the behalf of legislators to become tougher in relation to issues of tax avoidance. While Next has to date not been implicated in any of the tax avoidance scandals, there is a consideration that the actions of other retailers such as Starbucks and Amazon (Syal, 2012) may have provoked the onset of a tougher legislative environment in the future which may have an impact upon innocent parties such as Next. Environmental The physical environment is also a key issue for firms operating in any given national market and consideration should be considered two how firms treat the physical environment and the impact this has on the business, but also the impact the physical environment generally has upon a business. In general terms, the physical environment which Next operates within in the UK may be seen as relatively benign in comparison to other parts of the world which suffer from high intensity natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and forest fires. Despite such an environment there have been a number of environmental issues recently in the UK which have affected the retail sector. These have included increasing more frequent floods (Retail Bulletin, 2013) and poor sales due to snow storms and the failure of local authorities to prepare for periods of inclement weather (Hall, 2011). Other aspects of the environmental analysis require firms to consider their own impact upon the environment. In general terms, the literature (Parsons and MacLaran, 2009) considers that consumers are becoming increasing aware of the impact of businesses upon their environment. As such, if businesses are to maintain customer loyalty and avoid negative backlashes, then they must seek to minimise their impact upon the environment. In the retail sector, this may include reducing waste, running more efficient transport operations and implementing ethical sourcing policies. While failure to comply with such consumer demands may result in a negative consumer backlash, with the adoption of the right approach, high environmental credentials can be used to add value to a product or service. Such an example is seen in the Marks and Spencer (2013) and Body Shop business models in the retail sector. Conclusion Having reviewed the key factors within the macro level environment as presented in the PESTLE framework, it is possible to come to a number of conclusions in relating the model to Next and its UK operations. On the one hand, it would appear that the external environment is a significantly challenging one for Next with the prospect of further poor economic performance and a requirement to comply with what may be seen as a relatively tough legislative environment. However, the PESTLE factors would also seem to indicate that there are some large opportunities for Next in the UK. Such opportunities include the ability to borrow at low interest rates to fund capital expansion and increased opportunities to link technological developments to changes in the social fabric of society in order to drive more sales through web based platforms. Other factors such as changing technologies and increases in diversity may be seen as neither positive or negative intrinsically but still require some ch ange on the behalf of Next. Having reached these conclusions, the final opinion of the writer is that the external environment is essentially neutral for Next at the moment and that the success of the business will be largely dependent upon whether managers of the business capitalise upon the stated opportunities or allow the challenges to see Next becoming another casualty of the death of the high street. Bibliography Arnold, G. (2008). Corporate financial management. 4th ed. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. BBC News. (2012). UK economy in double dip recession. Available online at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17836624 [Accessed on 18/01/13]. BoE. (2010). Bank of England maintains bank rate at 0.5% and the size of the asset purchase program at  £200 billion. Available online at:  http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2010/084.htm  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Bratton, J, Gold, J. (2007). Human resource management theory and practise. 4th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. CIA. (2013). World fact book UK. Available online at:  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Pilbeam, S, Corbridge, M. (2010). People resourcing and talent planning. 4th ed. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. Curtis, E, Watson, H, Sephton, L. (2007). Fashion retail. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons. FT. (2012). UKs Euro trade supremacy under attack. Available online at:  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/736bd72a-3c9a-11e2-a6b2-00144feabdc0.html  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Goodley, S. (2013). Jessops goes into administration, putting 2,000 jobs at risk. Available online at:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jan/09/jessops-verge-administration-jobs-risk  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Gov UK. (2013). National minimum wage rates. Available online at:  https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Grant, R, M. (2008). Contemporary strategy analysis. 6th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Hall, J. (2011). Snow costs Next and HMV  £42m in lost Christmas sales. Available online at:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8240799/Snow-costs-Next-and-HMV-42m-in-lost-Christmas-sales.html  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Ivancevich, J, M, Konopaske, R, Matteson, M, T. (2010). Organisational behaviour and management. 9th ed. New York: McGraw Hill Irwin. Liff, S. (1997). Two routes to managing diversity: individual differences or social group characteristics. Employee relations. Vol. 19. No. 1. pp11-26. Marks and Spencer. (2013). Plan A Doing the right thing. Available online at: http://plana.marksandspencer.com/we-are-doing/sustainable-raw-materials/stories/6/ [Accessed on 14/01/12]. Next. (2012). Annual report 2012. Available online at:  http://ir2.flife.de/data/next/igb_html/index.php?bericht_id=1000007index=lang=ENG  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Parliament UK. (2012). Aging population. Available online at:  http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/key-issues-for-the-new-parliament/value-for-money-in-public-services/the-ageing-population/  [Accessed in 13/01/13]. Retail Bulletin. (2013). Its time for retailers to prepare for the worst and adapt to climate extremes. Available online at: http://www.theretailbulletin.com/news/its_time_for_retailers_to_prepare_for_the_worst_and_adapt_to_climate_extremes_07-01-13/ [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Shepherd, J. (2010). Englands schools are becoming more diverse. Available online at:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jan/20/schools-more-diverse  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Syal, R. (2012). Amazon, Google and Starbucks accused of diverting UK profits. The Guardian Newspaper. Available online at:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/nov/12/amazon-google-starbucks-diverting-uk-profits  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Telegraph. (2012). Budget 2012: Corporation tax cut will boost UK but not enough. Available online at:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/budget/9158950/Budget-2012-Corporation-tax-cut-will-boost-UK-but-not-enough.html  [Accessed on 24/11/12]. Tutt, L. (2012). Market report 2012 Gambling and betting. Key Note. Oct 2012. World Bank. (2012). GDP annual growth %. Available online at: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG [Accessed on 12/01/13]. Zarrella, D. (2010). The social media marketing book. California: OReilly Media. Automobile Sector Analysis: Five Forces and SWOT Automobile Sector Analysis: Five Forces and SWOT 1. Overview of the automobile sector Five forces analysis Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players: High Competition between existing automobile companies is high. Although the automobile market was dominated by the three big auto manufacturers in US, Toyota and Honda in Japan, the situation is changed. With the growing demand in emerging market, the emerging competitors in China and India may drive an intensified price competition. However, the competition could also focus on the safety, warranty and financial services etc. Threat of New Entrants: Medium Although the entrant barrier is high for the automobile industry because the requirement of capital and technology, an increasing number of automobile manufacturers are emerging in China and Asia due to the economic expansion and growing demand. However, these automakers are in the development status and may not catch up the leading technology in Japan and US, so the threat from new entrants is medium. Threats of Substitutes: Low Customers could choose to switch to transportation means other than automobile such as bicycles, buses and subways. However, the automobile is still the favourite despite the relevant high cost than other mentioned transportation means because its flexibility, comfort and convenience. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Low In automobile industry, the component supplier has little bargaining power because the manufacturer could switch to other suppliers easily. On the other hand, the components are generally low value and the suppliers find it difficult to bargain with automakers. Bargaining Power of Customers: High The competition in the automobile industry is intense as mentioned above. So the customers have many choices on the brands and models. Customers care about the quality, price, safety, comfort, appearance of the car. Recently, customers are also more and more concerned about the environmental effect of the automobile and the energy efficiency. So the customers get more and more bargaining power in automobile industry. 2. Toyota Motor Company 2.1 Overview of the company Company profile Toyota Motor Corp. is one of the largest and leading automobiles manufacturers in the globe. It operates in three main business segments; the two biggest are automobile and financial services whereas the third one is comprised by many smaller other divisions. It is spread worldwide as it has 50 manufacturing facilities in 27 countries and regions Toyota designs, manufactures and sales passenger cars of several types and utilities, trucks, tractors and material handling equipment, minivans and other car accessories. Its products can be divided into 2 main categories, conventional and hybrid vehicles. The company sells its products under Toyota, Lexus, Hino and Daihatsu brands The company is also engaged in the financial industry as it provides financing to its customers and dealers. It is also involved in housing, marine, e-commercial, ITS and biotechnological activities. Toyota sells its vehicles in more than 170 countries and regions worldwide. Toyotas primary markets are Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. It is headquartered in Toyota City, Japan and employed around 316,121 people as on March 31, 2008 Strategy Analysis Toyotas strategy can be summarised under three key principles; growth, efficiency and stability. These are the three priorities the companys management will pursue to achieve future sustainable growth and increase the economic value. Growth will be achieved through continuous investment mainly in hybrid vehicle segment to meat the increasing demand. Efficiency is mainly focused on cost management and further reduction in order for the company to be able to provide high quality products in affordable prices and maintain its competitive advantages. Stability will be ensured by maintaining a solid financial base. Within the economic downturn it is important for Toyota to maintain sufficient liquidity in order to continue to finance its investments in research and development of new technologies, which is an integral and essential part of the companys advantages. Peer Group As Toyota operates in the global market its competitors come from all around the world. Its major competitors are BMW AG, DaimlerChrysler AG, Fiat S.p.A., Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Honda Motor Co. Ltd., PSA Peugeot, Renault S.A., Volkswagen AG and many others SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong overall financial performance Strong reputation and quality Strong position is Asian market Research and development Production pipeline system and cost management Diversified product portfolio Financial services are still undeveloped Huge expenses on pensions and post-retirement benefits Opportunities Threats Increasing demand for hybrid and environmental-friendly cars Expansion in emerging Asian markets Financial and other non-auto division development New car models Global economic crisis Strong competition in automotive industry Yen and US dollar exchange rates Tight environmental regulations on carbon emissions Problems with specific components of sold cars. (Recent brake problem) 2.1. Key Financials Analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Sales 207,852.40 264,120.58 202,821.01 178,294.05 173,443.60 Operating Income -4,667.52 22,809.82 18,959.84 15,919.51 15,192.39 Net Income Available to Common -4,423.79 17,259.05 13,923.62 11,629.63 10,950.45 Total Assets 292,725.95 324,979.61 275,051.76 242,604.35 227,515.08 Total Liabilities 185,398.39 199,132.47 169,488.89 148,104.55 138,230.49 Common Equity 101,865.07 119,249.79 100,242.15 89,502.94 84,563.86 Net Cash Flow Operating Activities 14,724.7 26,357.6 27,783.5 22,136.2 22,144.6 * IMPORTANT First year to report losses * Stable increase in sales Decline in 2009 greatly affects income * Severe decrease in cash flow from operating activities, nearly 50% * Very big difference between sales and operating income points out severe cost expenses for the company. As this differences is constantly increasing it is not far from the truth to say that Toyota is gradually loosing its competitive advantages in cost efficiency against its competitors. * General trend in key financial s shows a steady and permanent increase until 2008 and a sharp decline in 2009, due to severe problems of economic recession and its great impact on automobiles industry. This trend applies for almost all financial s, pointing out that the companys performance as a whole followed a movement like this. 2.3. Multiples analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Price To Earnings -22.43 9.19 14.74 15.25 11.23 Price To Book 0.97 1.32 2.04 1.97 1.44 Price To Cash Flow 7.41 4.83 7.83 7.80 5.87 Price To Sales 0.5 0.7 0.8 1.0 0.7 * Multiples follow companys general trend, namely increase until 2007 and then decreasing sharply * Consistent with overall picture of company, multiple analysis show the economic downturn of the entity from 2007 onwards * Point to mention: negative P/E ratio. Markets expectation about company looks really slim. The economic crisis, alongside with its severe problems generating income and its recently damaged reputation, create really unfortunate future prospects for Toyota. The negative P/E ratio and specifically its magnitude (-22) implies that nobody is neither willing to pay to buy the companys share nor expecting any profit generation. * Very sharp decline as well; 31.62 units is something extremely noticeable. If we focus on decline itself, it shows an extremely quick unfavorable turn of the market towards the company. 2.4. Companys performance 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Profitability Return on Equity -3.98 14.49 14.68 14.00 13.60 Operating Profit Margin -2.25 8.64 9.35 8.93 8.76 Asset Utilization Total Assets Turnover 0.71 0.81 0.74 0.73 0.76 Net Sales % Working Capital 28.93 180.70 1412.62 29.78 15.30 Gearing EBITDA / Interest Expense 20.94 86.19 77.33 153.70 146.20 Long Term Debt/ Common Equit 62.63 50.40 52.92 53.41 55.44 Valuation Investment Earnings Per Share -1.41 5.43 4.34 3.57 3.32 Dividend Yield Close 3.21 2.82 1.59 1.40 1.63 Liquidity Quick Ratio 0.81 0.77 0.76 0.81 0.87 Current Ratio 1.07 1.01 1.00 1.07 1.15 * Negative profitability in 2009 * Fluctuating sales/working capital as a result of fluctuation if investments (working capital) * Gearing increase in 2009 at the same time with high decrease of interest cover * Stable and quite low liquidity 2.5. Cash Flow analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Cash Flow Operating Activities 14,724.7 26,357.6 27,783.5 22,136.2 22,144.6 Cash Flow Investing Activities (12,265.3) (34,254.0) (32,727.4) (29,704.4) (28,591.6) Cash Flow Financing Activities 6,967.4 6,242.7 7,565.6 7,716.8 3,917.0 Effect of exchange rates -1,294.04 -749.27 218.18 604.94 232.09 Net Cash Flow 8,132.86 -2,402.99 2,839.91 753.58 -2,297.85 * Severe decrease in cash flow from operating activities, nearly 50% which vividly affects its operating income * Extreme decrease in investing activities around 70%, probably caused by cash shortage and policy change. The company issued a new project with main goal to improve profits and cover operating expenses and as a result we see a large negative impact in new investments. * Financing activities exhibit a stationary trend over the past few years indicating the stable financial policy of the entity. * Adverse effects of exchange rates during the last two years indicating the risk the company runs because of the Yens depreciation to the U.S dollar and the Euro. 2.6. Stock Performance The companys share performance seems to move according to the index, with the trend to over perform it constantly. We can see the decline of the shares price, which started right before the end of 2008, following the global economic recession. At the turning point, which is in the beginning of 2009, we observe a relatively high trading volume, probably indicating the forthcoming upward movement. It is also really significant to point out the extreme high trading volume observed during the first months of 2010, followed by a new decline of the shares price. This reflects the problems that Toyota is facing nowadays. There is a considerable lack of trust from the market towards the company which is mainly caused by its severely damaged reputation and loss of quality. 3. Ford Motor Company 3.1 Overview of the company A . Company profile The group operates in two segments: Automotive and Financial Services. For the automotive segment which consists of Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo has a main operating activity in manufacturing, sale and service of component for cars and trucks. The Financial services segment is included of financing, insurance and leasing regarding to cars, trucks, industrial equipment, construction equipment and other activities. The company has operation in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia- Pacific. B. Strategy Analysis  · One Ford The Company has initiated the new strategy called â€Å"One Ford† which has detail as follow: o ONE TEAM focuses the significant of team work in order to reach the automotive leadership. The measurement is satisfactory of business partners, employees, investors, and related companies. o ONE PLAN: The four-step plan has been established which composed of: balance between cost structure and revenue; develop new product follow customer preference; develop balance sheet status and finance the plan; and cooperation around the world to leverage companys resources. o ONE GOAL: That is â€Å"to create an exciting and viable company with profitable growth for all†. Ford has started the restructuring business process before the economic crisis which the Company has reduced the excess capacity, closed some unprofitable plants and lower excess workforce. In addition, Ford has improved the product line in term of higher quality, more safety, use less energy and more economic. * Affordable Fuel Economy: Focusing on deliver fuel efficiency engine to the market. For example, the 2010 Ford Fusion is now Americas most fuel efficient midsize sedan for both the hybrid and conventional gasoline models. * Electrification strategy: plan to bring pure batteryelectric vehicles, next-generation hybrids and a plug-in hybrid to market quickly and more affordably over the next four years. * Safety leadership: Ford got totaling 16 models picked from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety which more than other brands. * EcoBoostâ„ ¢ Engine: delivers significant gains in fuel economy along with a great performance drive feel. C. Peer Group Fords peer group is Daimler AG, Fiat Spa ¸ Honda Motor Company Limited, Motors Liquidation Company, Nissan Motor Company Limited, Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen AG. D. Fords SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses l Wide geographic Operate throughout the world and has a strong market in North America, Europe and Asia. Sales of each region of 2008 are 49%, 39% and 12% respectively. The well diversified market of ford reduces the risk of economic problem in specific area. l Brand royalty Ford has renowned reputation about quality and also owns other renowned brands such as Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. l Quality car Ford owns totaling 16 models of car that rated as safety car by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety l Product Recall Experienced many recalled products due to the quality of defective cruise control switch which may cause fire. Even though there is no fire cases reported but the Companys reputation is negative affected. l Negative operating result l Low gross margin GSKs long-term debt increased by 115.5% in 2008, which may lead to problems such as heavy interest payment, risk of having too little working capital and even increasing possibilities of bankruptcy. l Too much long-term debt This may lead to problems such as heavy interest payment, risk of having too little working capital and even increasing possibilities of bankruptcy. Opportunities Threats l Expanding market in emerging market Ford has a plan to expand its sale in the emerging market which has great buying power in the future. l Eco-friendly engine Ford has high reputation in the eco-friendly engine such as hybrid engine which has very promising market. l Fuel efficiency Ford found another opportunity in the market for fuel-efficient in small and middle car. l High competition Due to new competitor, lower demand and excess capacity. l Economic crisis Economic crisis and regression in USA where is the main market of Ford caused severe effect to the Company. 3.2. Key Financial Analysis Source: ThomsonFinancial Scaling Factor : 1,000,000 USD Currency: USD 12/31/08 12/31/07 12/31/06 12/31/05 12/31/04 Net Sales or Revenues 146,277.00 172,455.00 160,123.00 177,089.00 171,652.00 Operating Income 3,518.00 8,031.00 -8,167.00 7,010.00 10,681.00 Earnings Before Interest And Taxes (EBIT) -4,885.00 6,792.00 -6,689.00 9,354.00 11,669.00 Interest Expense On Debt 9,682.00 10,927.00 8,783.00 7,643.00 7,071.00 Net Income Available to Common -14,681.00 -2,764.00 -12,615.00 2,441.00 3,634.00 Total Assets 215,773.00 276,459.00 275,337.00 264,891.00 294,447.00 ST Debt Current Portion of LT Debt 63,972.00 61,052.00 62,456.00 59,904.00 66,433.00 Long Term Debt 90,716.00 107,478.00 109,593.00 94,428.00 106,540.00 Total Liabilities 231,889.00 269,410.00 277,643.00 250,812.00 277,525.00 Common Equity -17,311.00 5,628.00 -3,465.00 12,957.00 16,045.00  · Net sales decreased from 2007 about 15% as the economic crisis in the State which is the main market of Ford. The Company has had substantial losses from operation since 2006.  · Ford has high outstanding of long-term loan which may causes liquidity deficiency or bankruptcy if the Company still has continuously loss in the future.  · As a result of net losses from operation since 2006, Ford has had negative shareholders equity since then. 3.3. Multiples Analysis MONTHLY HISTORICAL MARKET PRICES Y2008 Y2007 Y2006 Y2005 Y2004 January 6.64 8.13 8.58 13.17 14.54 February 6.53 7.91 7.97 12.65 13.75 March 5.72 7.89 7.96 11.33 13.57 April 8.26 8.04 6.95 9.11 15.36 May 6.80 8.34 7.16 9.98 14.85 June 4.81 9.42 6.93 10.24 15.65 July 4.80 8.51 6.67 10.74 14.72 August 4.46 7.81 8.37 9.97 14.11 September 5.20 8.49 8.09 9.86 14.05 October 2.19 8.87 8.28 8.32 13.03 November 2.69 7.51 8.13 8.13 14.18 December 2.29 6.73 7.51 7.72 14.64 . 5 Year 5 Year VALUATION Y2008 Y2007 Y2006 Y2005 Y2004 Y2003 Growth Rate Average P/E Ratio (High) -1.36 -6.93 -1.41 12.94 9.63 34.66 -1.04 2.57 P/E Ratio (Low) -0.16 -4.75 -0.90 6.64 7.01 13.16 -1.01 P/E Ratio (Close) -0.35 -4.81 -1.12 6.77 8.13 32.00 -1.01 1.73 Price/Sales 0.04 0.08 0.09 0.09 0.18 0.18 -0.80 0.10 Price/Book Value -0.32 2.62 -4.14 1.14 1.74 2.62 -3.94 0.21 Price/Cash Flow 0.44 1.24 1.76 0.70 1.11 1.35 -0.67 1.05 Price/Working Capital 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.16 7.78 TARenderChart.png * P/E ratio turned to be negative since net losses from operation since 2006 and also the market price has continuously decreased from 8.58 in the beginning of 2006 to 2.29 at the end of 2008. * P/B ratio had negative value in 2008 from the negative book value of Ford. 3.4. Companys performance Worldscope Currency: USD PROFITABILITY RATIOS 12/31/08 12/31/07 12/31/06 12/31/05 12/31/04 Return On Invested Capital 0.25 1.92 1.95 2.95 3.32 Operating Profit Margin 2.43 2.94 3.12 5.02 6.54 ASSETS UTILIZATION RATIOS Asset Turnover 0.63 0.60 0.59 0.59 0.58 Net Sales Pct Working Capital 10.62 6.21 5.68 11.06 41.64 LEVERAGE RATIOS EBITDA / Interest Expense -0.50 0.62 -0.76 1.22 1.65 LT Debt Pct Common Equity -76.88 233.49 316.38 1,268.12 1,229.66 LIQUIDITY RATIOS Quick Ratio 1.05 1.08 1.12 1.08 1.03 Current Ratio 1.21 1.25 1.30 1.25 1.19  · Profitability ratios do not show the good performance as Ford has had net loss from operation since 2006.  · Leverage ratios also go in the same trends as a result of negative equity and high outstanding balance of long-term loan.  · Liquidity ratios present that Ford still can generate cash to supply its working capital but if consider to the long-term debts Ford may cannot provide enough cash to support its debt payment since these ratios are still in the low range compared with its debt outstanding amount. 3.5. Cash flow analysis Source: ThomsonFinancial Scaling Factor : 1,000,000 USD Currency: USD 12/31/08 12/31/07 12/31/06 12/31/05 12/31/04 Net Cash Flow From Operating Activities -179.00 17,074.00 9,609.00 21,674.00 22,591.00 Net Cash Flow From Investing Activities 3,143.00 6,457.00 24,862.00 -7,462.00 8,567.00 Long Term Borrowings 42,163.00 33,113.00 58,258.00 24,559.00 22,223.00 Inc(Dec) In ST Borrowings -5,120.00 919.00 -5,825.00 -8,591.00 4,937.00 Reduction In Long Term Debt 46,299.00 39,431.00 36,601.00 36,080.00 36,021.00 Net Cash Flow From Financing Activities -9,104.00 -5,242.00 15,273.00 -20,651.00 -14,226.00  · The Company cannot generated sufficient cash from operation and had negative net cash flow from operation. Moreover the Company had to pay interest expenses for loans and had high net cash paid for financing activity. 3.6. Stock market performance  · Ford shares have been traded lower than SP500 since 2001 until 2010. Especially since 2006 that the operating results had continuous substantial losses. 4. Honda Motor Company Limited 4.1. Introduction Honda Motor is one of leading automobile manufacturers in the world. The company develops, manufactures and markets automobiles, motorcycles and power products. The company also provides financing services to the dealer and customer for the sale of products. Honda has global operations in areas including North, South and Central America, Asia, Middle East, and Europe with its headquarter at Tokyo in Japan. Strategy analysis Honda Motor has three strategies. They are â€Å"Staying Close to Customers†, â€Å"glocalization† and â€Å"five region strategy†. Staying close to customers mean the maintenance of the qualities of a small company, Provide value product with flexibility and efficiency as a small company does and maintain global reach and technology advantage as a large company does is the drive to the future growth of Honda. Glocalization means the effort to launch subsidiaries in regions that could best meet the demand of local customers and expand the subsidiaries as the local demand increases. Five region strategy requires the operations focus on five areas the world. They are North America, South America, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia/Oceania and Japan. The management decisions are served to suit the situation in different areas. The advanced RD capacity equips the Honda to provide flexible products to adjust the need of these regions. Business activities The company operates through four business segments: the automobile business, motorcycle business, financial services, and power products. The automobiles business division manufactures passenger cars, multi-wagons, minivans, port utility vehicle, sports coupe and mini vehicles. Hondas automobiles use gasoline engines of three, four or six-cylinder, diesel engines and gasoline-electric hybrid systems. Honda also offers alternative fuel-powered vehicles such as natural gas, ethanol, and fuel cell vehicles. In 2008, the company sold 3,925,000 units of automobiles. The motorcycle business produces a range of motorcycles, including scooters, electric-motor-assisted bicycles, sports bikes and large touring cycles. Hondas motorcycles use gasoline engines developed by Honda that are air or water cooled, two or four cycled, and single, two, four or six cylinder. In 2008, the company sold a total of 9,320,000 units of motorcycles. Honda offers a variety of financial services to its customers and dealers through its widespread finance subsidiaries. Hondas power products manufactures a variety of power products including power tillers, portable generators, general purpose engines, grass cutters, outboard engines, water pumps, snow throwers, power carriers, power sprayers, lawn mowers and lawn tractors (riding lawn mowers). Honda also manufactures the major components and parts used in its products, including engines, frames and transmissions. Peer Group The globalization of the Honda motor makes it face the global intense competition. The competitors include Ford Motor, Nissan Motor, Toyota Motor, Volkswagen etc.(in the automobile sector) and Yamaha Motor, Harley-Davidson etc.(in the motor vehicle industry). SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses l Global diversification The company operates a total of 397 subsidiaries, and 104 affiliates all over the world. l Leading market position and good brand image Honda is one of the largest vehicle and motorcycle manufacturers over the world with strong brand strength. l Strong Research and Development capacity The large investment in RD could equip Honda the capability to differentiate itself in the intense competitive market. l Declining Market Share in Sector Evident of decline in unit sales and lost of market shares in the automobile industry. l Low employee productivity Honda has a weak proportion on the number of employees and the revenues. Opportunities Threats l Growing demand in Asian market Honda has taken measures to occupy the huge potential Asian market. l Growing demand in hybrid electric vehicles The companys emphasis on hybrid technology innovation will capture market trends as an opportunity to enhance its market share. l Global competition The competition would result in price pressure and thus reduce the profitability. l Tightening emission regulations The emission standards will cause Honda to occur more costs in product development, testing and manufacturing process design. 4.2. Key Financials Analysis Source: ThomsonFinancial Currency: JPY Scaling Factor : 1000000 JPY 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Sales 10,011,241.00 12,002,834.00 11,087,140.00 9,907,996.00 8,650,105.00 Operating Income 189,643.00 953,109.00 851,879.00 730,889.00 630,920.00 Net Income Available to Common 137,005.00 600,039.00 592,322.00 597,033.00 486,197.00 Total Assets 11,579,494.00 12,439,610.00 11,964,917.00 10,533,995.00 9,187,808.00 Total Liabilities 7,449,150.00 7,753,539.00 7,359,399.00 6,320,785.00 5,828,513.00 Common Equity 4,007,288.00 4,544,265.00 4,482,611.00 4,125,750.00 3,289,294.00 Net Cash Flow Operating Activities 383641 1126918 904525 576557 746624 l The operating income reduces dramatically, approximately 80% from the previous years result. This result is caused by the severe decline in the sales and the consequently increase in inventory cost. l Before 2009, all the s are in a healthy and steady upward trend. But in the fiscal year ended at 31st march 2009, the volumes all experienced a dramatic decline. They are caused by the sales plunge. l The declines trends are due to the economic recession caused by the financial crisis because the demand in Japan, US and Europe shrank. The automobile industry faces a severe challenge and most companies in the sector reported unsatisfactory results. 4.3. Multiple analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Price To Earnings 30.7 8.6 10.3 Price To Book 1.0 1.1 1.6 1.5 Price To Cash Flow 4.6 4.2 6.8 Price To Sales 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.6 l Although the P/E ratio increases significantly, its not a good sign. The increase in P/E ratio is not due to the high expectation of the investors and the fundamentals such as growth opportunities. Instead, the soaring P/E is the result of the plummeting earnings to common shareholders. l The price to book ratio and price to sales declined in 2008 and 2009, indicating the declining

Mononucleosis Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mononucleosis is a viral disease that affects those usually between the age of ten and thirty-five, although a person at any age can get the disease. This disease found in mainly adolescents and adults seems to only occur in those who escaped the Epstein-Barr virus infection in childhood. It is also known as Glandular Fever, because it affects the lymph nodes in the neck, arm pits and groin. It can last anywhere from one to two weeks to six to eight weeks, some people suffer from mononucleosis for months at a time, but as an individual it depends on your personal recuperation time. Recuperation is a very slow process, which demands a lot of sleep and rest. Being sick for a length of time such as two weeks drains you of strength and energy and as well you lose a lot of your muscles. Balance can also become lost with such an illness, which requires time to develop. Causes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mononucleosis is known to be caused by the Epstein_Barr virus (EBV), which can be passed by coughing, sneezing or saliva transfer, where it gets it’s popular name, the “kissing disease';. Much like chicken pox, most people don’t receive mononucleosis a second time in their life, but it can happen. Relapses can occur, but are fairly uncommon. Although you can receive the disease very easily, mononucleosis is not highly contagious, according to the majority of sources. Symptoms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many symptoms associated with infectious mononucleosis, but the symptoms all depend on the individual. The more common symptoms are fatigue, sore throat, swelling of the lymph nodes and malaise. There is usually a change in the white cells and serum of the blood, but it can only be detected by a special test, known as the Mono Spot or the heterophile test. It is possible that the results of the test remain negative until a few weeks have passed after seeing some symptoms. It is very rare that the test results remain negative through out the duration of the disease. There are some more serious symptoms that may not be visible, such as the enlargement of the spleen and the inflammation of the liver. The enlargement of the spleen (see appendix) may not be detected by the doctor, but it is possible. It may cause a pain in the upper left abdominal located under the chest. If the ... ...ation period is between thirty and forty days, but it can vary depending on when the diagnosis occurs. It is possible to have the disease for several weeks and not even be aware that you have it. You can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to control pain and fatigue, but avoid Aspirin, as it has been proven responsible for Rye’s Syndrome in children. Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is one way to prevent many diseases and infections, but Mono can occur in anyone who has come in contact with the virus. Appendix Spleen The spleen is a fist-sized, spongy organ located behind the stomach (removed in this illustration), just under the diaphragm. Part of the lymphatic system, the spleen is composed of two types of tissue. White pulp produces lymphocytes, which release antibodies into the bloodstream to combat infection. More prominent is the red pulp, in which macrophages filter broken cells, parasites, bile pigments, and other useless substances from the blood. Iron from broken red blood cells is stored in the spleen for later use. Despite this variety of functions, an injured or diseased spleen can be removed in adults without great consequence. Microsoft Illustration

Barabas’ Role in the Jew of Malta Essay

Christopher Marlow was born in 1564, as William Shakespeare. This play was probably written in 1589; however, it was not actually published until 1633, after Marlowe’s death in 1593 when he was just 29 years old. This play was performed for many years and had a great influence on Shakespeare’s The Venice Merchant. †¢1. Summary of the play The play is set on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. Calymath (the Turkish prince) arrives to exact Malta’s tribute which has been accumulated to a considerable sum. Ferneze (Maltese governor) cannot pay the tribute immediately, but he promises to pay within a month. After the Turks leave, Ferneze decides to collect the needed money from the Jews of Malta: each Jew must give up half of his fortune. Barabas complains strongly, so his full fortune is confiscated. The Jew tries to keep part of his fortune which was hided in his mansion. Having confessed falsely, Abigail was admitted in the nunnery (formerly Barabas’ mansion) and recovered her father’s hidden fortune. Meanwhile, the Spanish Martin Del Bosco convinces Ferneze to break Malta’s agreement with Turkey, promising to write the Spanish king for military help. Del Bosco also sells Ferneze his slaves, and Barabas ends up buying the Turkish slave Ithamore at the marketplace. At the marketplace, Barabas also runs into Mathias and Lodowick. Each young man desires to see Abigail, and Barabas promises his favours to each, but at the same time, Barabas is planning their death helped by Ithamore. Broken by his father’s selfishness and the death of her lover Mathias, Abigail on her own decides to enter the nunnery once again. Barabas, afraid that Abigail will betray him, poisons all the nuns included her own daughter Abigail who is the last to die. Before this, she manages to give friar Barnardino a written confession of her father’s crimes. Barnardino in companion with the friar Jacomo get to face Barabas and insinuate they know about the Jew’s crimes. In response, Barabas says that he would like to repent and become a Christian. Naturally, he will donate his huge fortune to whichever monastery he enters. The two friars, being from different monasteries, fight to win Barabas’ favour, each hoping to benefit from the Jew’s considerable fortune. Barabas once again has set a trap; he will kill both of the friars without arousing suspicion. Ithamore knows plenty of incriminating information. Once he is seduced by the courtesan Bellamira, Ithamore begins to blackmail Barabas with threats to confess if the Jew does not send him gold. In the last scene of the fourth act, Barabas arrives at Bellamira’s house in the disguise of a French musician and poisons his blackmailers. Meanwhile, the Turkish Bashaws have arrived. In response to Ferneze’s refusal to pay, they declare war on Malta. In the final act, Ferneze prepares to defend Malta against the Turks. Ithamore, Bellamira, and her attendant Pilia Borza enter and all play their parts in revealing Barabas’ crimes, but the Jew’s poison takes effect and they all fall dead. Barabas meanwhile has been captured, but he pretends he is dead through the effect of a drug. He finds himself left outside the city walls. The Jew betrays Malta and leads the Turks into the city. He takes position as governor but he decides to return Malta to help Ferneze to massacre the Turkish forces. The Turkish troops also believed the Jew’s trick. But Ferneze turns the tables on Barabas at the last moment, and Barabas dies. Ferneze takes Calymath as a prisoner in order to ensure Malta’s future safety. †¢2. About Barabas Barabas in the Jew of Malta is an extremely revengeful and ambitious character. He challenges the power with a great cunning. The accumulated tributes, Malta has to pay to the Turks, are more than this country can afford, that is why the governor of Malta is determined to ally to the Catholic Spain if this huge European power keep at bay to the Turks. Spain would take advantage of the sales of Turkish slaves in Malta and many other advantages in business. Malta wouldn’t have to pay the tribute to Turkey and could keep the money collected among its Jew population. This selfishness characterizes all the agreements between the Mediterranean governments. The word that designates these actions is â€Å"politics† and the Jew, Barabas, perceives this selfishness is the ruler’s main principle: â€Å"I, policie? That’s their profession, /and not simplicity as their suggest. † Besides, the rulers speak frankly about this, as we can see when Del Bosco is asked â€Å"what wind drives you in thus into Malta Rhode? And one of his Bashaws answered: â€Å"the wind that bloweth all the world besides, /desires of gold. † In this world in which each nation an d each man take care only of their own self-interest, the Jew of Malta appears at the beginning of the play as victim. Ferneze states Malta as the unique priority and states this:† to save the ruine of a multitude: /and better one want for a common good, then many perish for a private man†. But actually, their taxes on the Jews are hugely unfair. Moreover, Farneze, expect to keep the confiscated fortunes, once the alliance with Spain lets Malta to avoid the tributes that owes to the Turks. These unfair circumstances give Barabas the opportunity to create eloquent speeches against intolerance. He reproaches the Christians for using the scriptures to confirm the measures which go against the Jews: â€Å"What? Bring your scripture to confirm your wrongs? / Preach me not out of my possessions. /some Iewes are wicked, as all Christians are: / but say the tribe I descended of were all in general cast away for sinne, / shall I be tried by their transgression? / the man that dealeth righteously shall lieu: /and which of your can charge me otherwise? † The references to the bible in this extract emphasize how piteous he shows himself in this moment. Barabas is right when he calls â€Å"theft† and not â€Å"taxes† to the requisition of his wealth, and we cannot avoid feeling affected by his sad situation. The funny thing is that, as a Marlowe’s dramatic and moral strategy, in the prologue Barabas has been presented as the same Machiavelli and the Devil’s son, and Machiavelli in the prologue states this: †I count religion but a childish toy, /And hold there is no sinne but Ignorance†. At the very beginning, Barabas is shown as a unbelievable wealthy man and extremely shrewd and interested just in his own contentment. He is determined to let the Turks to invade Malta and slaughter everyone, he confesses in a soliloquy, if he would have the opportunity to get away with the situation. † I’le helpe to slay their children and their wiues, /to fire the churches, pull their houses downe. /take my goods too, and seize upon my lands. † He is completely decided to cheat on the others Jews; he also turns his back on his daughter when she abandons her loyalty to him. Later on we realize that his former speech about the sad situation of the Jews is just a theatrical trick created for the situation and refused in his soliloquies, he is a Jew because he was brought up as a Jew, but he is mainly a Maquiavelli and an immoral figure of vice. This vicious identity is clearer and clearer along the play, thus the Jew of Malta is developed more by disclosure of character than by change of personality. Barabas does not change but we progressively discover how he really is. Maybe the persecution ordered by Ferneze wakes in Barabas a desire of revenge, but he has always hated everyone and has always looked for his own benefit and survival using any means. His plan for kidnapping to her daughter and recovering his money hidden in his house, at that moment turned into a nunnery, results comprehensible and in fact Abigail shows herself decided to help him. However, when Barabas ignores Abigail happiness conspiring against her Christian lover Ludowick, just because he is the governor’s son and against Mathias, uses several strategies as the usury, extortion and persuasion which makes him an evil person even before the unfair tax of Farneze. Barabas boasts of his acts as we can read in the following line â€Å"Slew friend and enemy with my stratagems. † He considers Ithamore as one of his friends because: â€Å"why this is something: make account of me/ as of thy fellow; we are villainies both: Both circumcised, we hate Christian both† Here the dichotomy of motivation and unmotivated evil (a Samuel Tylor Coleridge’s expression) is evident in this combination of Judaism and pure evilness. Barabas’ vicious evilness is more and more present in his behaviour. Instead of sad laments, we can hear the satisfied laughter of Barabas who wants to solve skilfully all his plans. Abigail, who finds herself forgotten and rejected by her father; embraces Christian faith as she states â€Å"but I perceive there is no love on earth/ pitty in Iews, nor piety in Turkes. † As a punishment Barabas poisons every nun in the nunnery included her daughter. Barabas also cheats on the friar community taking advantage of their corruptness Barabas is a hypocrisy and disguise master, and he is surrounded by a group of thugs and courtesans that turn against him as the same time that he turns against them. His achievements in conspiracy and politics drives him to rule Malta, making agreements firstly with the Turks and then with Farneze. Brabas’ evilness is more persistent than even his own life as he lets us know: â€Å"Stand close, for here they come: why, is not this/ a kingly kinde of trade of purchase Townes/ by treachery, and sell ‘em by deceit? /Now tell me, worldlings, underneath the sunne, / If greater falsehood ever has bin doneâ€Å". Even in the moment of his death, when he is finally betrayed by Ferneze, he yearns for longing his wealth and domination and contemplating his Empire once more as we also saw in Faustus. †and had I but scap’d this stratagem, /I would have brought confusion on you all, / Damn Christians, dogges, and Turkish Infidels. † It is interesting how Marlowe gets Brabas’ huge ambition wakes in the readers a great admiration. There is no doubt that Barabas received a severe punishment when, at the end, he falls inside a caldron made by himself; he fell in his own trap and died shouting boastings and challenges. Anyway, this is an appropriate punishment for a life full of crimes. However, it is difficult to contemplate his end from an instructive and moral point of view because, Ferneze, his nemesis, is neither seen as virtuous character. Although he wants to look pious, (â€Å"No, Barabas, to staine our hands with blood / is farre from us and our profession†) he believes in his own policy, which has overcome Barabas evilness. He defeats Barabas by betraying him and then attributes his victory to God. This is an act typical of Maquiavelli’s disciple, who assigns the highest value to the State survival and uses religion as a mean for shaping the public opinion. If Farneze is an important figure in this play, is not because of his Christian virtue but because of his Maquiavellic virtue Maybe, Marlowe is inviting us to admire this shrewd governor whose policy ensures Malta’s survival and Barabas’ destruction. Marlowe destroys Barabas just for showing the strength of a really Maquiavellic strategist. Marlowe presents to his Elizabethan audiences a proposal which completely disagrees with any religious doctrine.

Be Different. 9 Easy Tips to Standout from Others

Be Different. 9 Easy Tips to Standout from Others Be Different. 9 Easy Tips to Standout from Others A great number of articles and psychological investigations are dedicated to the issue of personality traits. However, life’s circumstances as well as typical problems somehow make people all look very much the same. Individuals tend to lose confidence, get easily bewildered and misled. At times, it may even seem that many lose their identity. However, the ability to stand out and achieve personal and professional success greatly depends on the power of one’s spirit coupled with certain personality traits. So, how do you demonstrate your originality without showing off and looking stupid or arrogant? First, self-awareness is important. Know what you want and how you are going to get it. You should be able to set goals and plan how to achieve those goals. Here are some tips on how to be different from others while highlighting your gifts and natural abilities that lead to success. Tip 1. Maintain confidence that you can be successful. First, think in positive terms about your ability to succeed. Avoiding self-doubt and thinking positively increases your chances of becoming successful. Every time you think about good things, like success and prosperity, you will attract them into your life as if you were a magnet. Try this. It works! Tip 2. Stay positive and optimistic. Staying positive and optimistic in ordinary everyday situations is very important as the power of positive thinking can help remove obstacles, making hardships much easier to deal with! Having a positive attitude helps with your level of energy. In addition, you are less likely to accept the situation as it is and more likely to problem-solve if you think something can be done about it. Tip 3. Be well-organized. Your emotional disposition is truly essential. So, pay special attention to the way you arrange your time, address everyday concerns, and plan meetings. Make sure you use your time effectively so that every moment of your life is used in the best possible way. Keep in mind there are no unimportant periods of time or insignificant breaks in terms of ones determination to experience true success! Tip 4. Complete each step in the best possible way. Famous actors often say that There are no minor roles, only minor actors. To apply this idea to everyday life could be interpreted as the need to do any job you have in the best possible way, no matter how unimportant this job may seem, whether delivering the mail, babysitting, or walking someones dog. All actions are important, and a job well-done will continue to pay you in the future through your reputation and recommendations from others. A capable and diligent attitude toward even the smallest and insignificant tasks will develop a professional approach to everything that may come your way in the future. Tip 5. Master communication skills. The ability to communicate effectively with other people can lead to fruitful collaborations. Its impossible to achieve your goals without help from others. Moreover, people eagerly socialize and work with those who have good communicative skills, a willingness to compromise, and respect for other’s opinions (Vail, 2013). Tip 6. Practice the idea of continuing education and strong emotional stamina. Getting involved in the process of self-improvement will keep you on the cutting edge. It will provide you with a fundamental advantage over your competitors with relevant knowledge, experience, and skills. Increasing your emotional stamina is vital. You must be able to reject the emotional pressure from those whose main intention is to discourage you. Often, these individuals are insecure in their own abilities and so they seek to pull you down in an attempt to appear superior to you. Tip 7. Pay attention to your manners and project a positive self-image. The statement that People are likely to treat you the way you treat them works equally well both in business and in personal relationships. Try to be polite on every occasion. Respond in a timely fashion and professional manner to e-mail messages and phone calls. Make your friends, relatives and colleagues feel that you respect them and their points of view. Stress their importance in your life (Vail, 2013). Tip 8. Dont get discouraged by mishaps. No one is perfect. Mishaps occur for everyone, with no exceptions! Learn to take your failures as a significant part of practical experience. Wise people say that Experience is the best teacher. Regardless of whether the experience is positive or negative, you can benefit from the experience. Make good use of it! Tip 9. Stay focused on your goals. Always keep your goals in mind. Choose no more than 3 long-term goals at a time. This number is enough for major projects. Avoid suddenly changing your goals. The ability to concentrate on your aim is likely to sharpen your spirit and build a persistent, strongly-motivated and, thus, successful personality. All these tips are good for helping you to stand out from others and moving toward your aims, making your dreams come true. Be yourself by cultivating the best traits you have. In addition, remain calm and goal-oriented, friendly, and easy-going. Also, demonstrate enthusiasm and let the success and prosperity you deserve enter your life!

Sleep Deprivation Essay Example

Sleep Deprivation Essay Example Sleep Deprivation Essay Sleep Deprivation Essay Our 24-hour society that wants to meet the demands of industrialization and development has caused the generation of sleep deprived people. Comparing to 1910, when the average citizen slept 9.0 and 7.5 hours a night accordingly in 1975, the data of 2002 shows that these figures have shifted to 6.9 hours a night (2002 â€Å"Sleep in America† Poll, p.4); while night shift workers suffer more than others, because they average only five hours a night. Adults from 18 to 65 years old need six to nine hours; therefore, sleep deprivation exhausts and disorders shift workers, leads to fatigue and lack of energy. Drastic increase of sleep deprived workers affects the spheres and environment they are working in, relationships, economy, and social pattern of America, along with other countries. Each one of us has an internal clock that is set for sleep at night, the period between midnight and dawn is essential for the whole body. In order to function effectively, the frontal cortex of brain relies on rest. The lack of sleep cripples the frontal cortex and makes it ineffective in speech control, memory access and problem solving. Circadian rhythm is a 24-hour biological clock of human body and the adaptation to shift work may lead to chronic illnesses (cardiovascular or gastrointestinal diseases) and poor concentration. Both Paul Roman and Walter Gove agree that anxiety and sleep deprivation are interrelated and lead to psychotic disorganization that is close to mental illness. (Roman, 1972; Gove, 1970). One third of Americans have chronic deprivation that causes sleepiness during the daytime and disorder of everyday life. These adults are likely to have sleep deprivation and its symptoms affect their performance and social life. Insomnia, exhaustion, irritability, lack of physical energy, fatigue, nightmares, sleep-schedules’ disruption, memory deficit, poor social and occupational performance, impediment in mental ability, emotions and memory are some symptoms of sleeping disorder. In their studies, Shaw et al., stressed on â€Å"molecular connection between sleep, plasticity and memory formation [and demonstrated that] the intensity and/or complexity of prior social experience stably modifies sleep need and architecture† (1775). Sleep deprived people are found to use greater amount of sleeping pills than needed. These attempts to control levels of energy and anxiety and to alleviate distress are the reaction of personality from social perspective. According to 2002 â€Å"Sleep in America† Poll, inadequate sleep affects:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Impaired performance at workplace (93%);   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Risk of injuries (91%);   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Health problems (90%);   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interpersonal problems (85%);   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mid-afternoon sleepiness (48%). (p.14) Shift night workers – airline pilots, doctors, nurses, commercial and truck drivers, police officers, builders, customer services representatives – fall under this risk group of inadequate sleep. Keeping up with the global economy, two jobs to meet ends, better career and child care became the prerequisites for shift work; yet, social status is a core concern that runs all through these issues. The United States, affected by globalization, drastically increased the number of shift workers in the past 20 years. The market competition resulted in new ways out to survive – production increase and 24-hour customer service became available due to millions of American citizens, as shift workers. However, potential productivity has a number of pitfalls that can hardly be compared to a good performance at a workplace. Shift workers are prone to poor concentration (68 percent in reading and 62 percent in listening), errors (wrong decision-making – 62%), and poor quality of work done (61%). (2002 Poll, p.15). Thus, potential productivity advantages turn out to be losses, except for physical and mental damages. Billion-dollar investments and costs on research and development are absurd as compared with crashes (Exxon Valdez, Space Shuttle Columbia) aroused by reckless and negligent attitude of shift workers. It should be also noticed that shift workers are employed in emergencies and the safety under acute or chronic sleep deprivation is doubtful. Yet, governmental agencies do not provide data on fatalities (transportation industry) and injuries (emergencies) in work places that were caused by fatigue and sleepiness. Nevertheless, the data only emphasized problems that occur because of shift workers’ sleep deprivation; still, proposals, concerning night shift work improvement, are few. Basing on the qualitative method, I will focus my research on personal experiences and observation, interviewing and analysis. My core goal is to find out the effects of sleep deprivation on night shift workers from a sociological point of view. Managers ignore the interdependence of workers’ sleep and their productivity; otherwise, they would address their sleep schedules’ policies, invest in training and improve productivity. The studied group will be night shift workers from the South region that are usually employed from midnight till 8 a.m. According to 2004 BLS data, night shift workers, who compose 3.2 percent of employed Americans, are involved in food preparation (40.4%), transportation, production (26.2%) and emergencies (50.6%). (BLC, 2005). I think the South suites the research, for it is overabundant of night shift workers. My research will be based on focus groups of 200-300 people (the more people we interview, the more precise data we will get). Previous studies have shown that sleep deprived workers regularly disrupt their sleep-wake cycles. I will make research in the sphere of unstable sleeping patterns and their effects on humans as a part of social world. It was already stated that the number of shift workers’ hours slept averages 5 hours. Therefore, focus groups will be summoned to respond how the lack of sleep affects their: alertness, attention, reaction, concentration, awareness, decision-making and problem-solving skills, memory, and mood. The results of this research will be as follows: if the focus group fails to perform the tasks properly, makes errors and mistakes, shows disorder, sleepiness or drowsiness, the outcome is clear – at a workplace, shift workers will not be able to follow and take tasks, make right decisions, remember properly, work carefully, pay attention to every part of the process and perform work of a high quality. This part of the research will show that neither socially, not occupationally these shift workers will bring success, profit, or significant impact. Sleepy night shift workers are irritable, intractable, unsociable, tired, stressed, isolated, and unfocused – they are anti-social units at a workplace. The second part of the research will be based on interviewing. Here are some health issues to be answered: what is the probability of injury, tiredness, insomnia, disorders in breathing and digestive system (obesity), high blood pressure, road accidents, and emotional problems? Dr. Van Cauter has stressed that â€Å"accumulated sleep debt is potentially as detrimental to health as poor nutrition or a sedentary lifestyle† (NYT, 1999). People will be also interviewed on medicine they take to stay awake or vice versa and its amount. The drug usage has been waved into American society, but the attempts to control the body should not lead to addiction. The history of sleep deprivation remembers a case of DJ, who stayed up for 201 hours. During this period, doctors were observing him and â€Å"soon he couldn’t recall the alphabet and [†¦] he thought spiders were spinning webs on his shoes† (Whalen, 2000). This incident claims to show that sleep disorders lead to mental problems and that we will not cheat on sleep. No one should state that the lost sleep will be caught up – sooner or later, night shift workers will have to pay the price. In this case, nap time is essential for effective work; nap break may reduce injuries and accidents at workplace that are caused by fatigue. nbsp; And, finally, I will research pros and cons of the ‘family’ element. Family, as a tiny part of the society and country as a whole, is, nevertheless, the most essential from a long-term perspective. As long as the family stands, the country will stay alive. Here I will need participant’s observations and notices. I would like to know the time night shift workers spend with their family members, relatives, and, finally, neighbors; whether they are present at family parties, weekends, holidays, along with national ones; whether they are aware of what is going on in the house they live in; what are the family needs, latest news and events. If shift worker can hardly reply to these questions – which part of society he/she belongs to in particular? Sleep deprivation embodies dangers that are aimed at us and others. As was noted by Simon Williams, â€Å"the growing problematization or politics of sleep in a 24/7 risk society where sleep is now becoming a matter of ‘public concern’† (Williams, 2007). Our society should not turn the blind eye towards labor force that provides 24-hour services and production. The United States depend on night shift workers; thus, public and policy makers must be alarmed of extended hours and find the ways to ease the night shifts. Who will replace this generation of night shift workers, if kids look at their exhausted moms and dads after night shifts and see ‘the other side of the Moon’? The media avoids discussions on sleep deprivation, but scholarly articles and researches provide enough data to see the last of shift workers. They divide, rather than unite the society, because they do not share their ideas with colleagues and are passive during breaks – their destroy the social environment; because their immunity, mental and health disorders make them prone to viral infections and risky for public; because their poor performance decreases productivity, quality and quantity, therefore, the potential labor force of night shift workers is a potential damage for the U.S. economy in long-term targeted perspectives, it is an indirect-action environment, which contains unforeseeable consequences.

ENERGY WEDGES Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENERGY WEDGES - Lab Report Example Our group resorted to cutting carbon emission by half hence built an energy wedge that shows how the significant reduction is likely to take place if endorsed by the whole world. Our energy wedge begins with efficiency in transport as the basic of reducing carbon emission by 50%. The group believes that the current consumption of fuel by vehicles is likely to double from 30 mpg to 60mpg in the next 50 years. In order for saving to be achieved, there is need for the economy to shift from carbon energy sources to hybrid diesel engine technologies. Building efficiency comes second in the wedge. If technology is well utilized, buildings are supposed reduce emissions of carbon by 25% (Levy, 2010). This can be done through using solar heaters and using good insulators in construction of houses to reduce the demand of heat by electricity and other carbon sources. The next energy conservation strategy involves use of conservative measure in transport. Reducing face-to-face communication and using more electronic sources of communication will reduce the rate at which people travel (Neuhoff). This will lead to conservation of energy. The next wedge of conservation is efficiently producing electricity. Use of coal as a source of energy leads to production of about a fifth of worlds carbon. Reducing this b half in the next 50 years helps in solving this problem. Use of green sources as energy conservation form the next four level of our wedge. We realized that production is only likely to reduce by half so we opted for other means through which the remaining half of carbon emitted could be stored or reduced. This could be achieved by use of forest storage. Conserving forests ensures that trees absorb carbon emitted and use it as a source of food production. Soil is also another form in which carbon products can be stored. This can be supported by planting cover crops and preventing soil erosion. Use of

Country Analysis Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Country Analysis Report - Research Paper Example Wikipedia notes that China is probably the fourth largest country in the world by total area and defiantly the second largest in the world by land area after Russia. Over the years Beijing has been the most popular tourist destination in China, this is according to an article on top tourist destinations in China by Kelly. Other major interesting places in China are The Terracotta Army in the province of Xi`an, panda breeding in the province of Chengdu, the scenic Zhangjiajie, the plateau of Tibet, the yellow mountains of Huangshan, the idyllic limestone scenery of Guilin, the cities of Hong Kong ,Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou which one can all visit by use of the bullet train. Since my business is that of Tourism and travel Management which involves the detailed organizing and booking of tour trips for my customers I choose China due to its diverse culture. The diverse culture in China will be very profitable to my business in that, my customers will have a varied number of choices to make from the tour packages that my business will be able to provide. These tour packages will include all the festival events in China, the beautiful geographical scenes in china and the opportunity to have the time to travel and shop in China. China has a decentralized political system, a system that provides the provincial and sub-provincial leaders with a significant amount of autonomy. The Marxism ideology followed in China provides a rather conducive political environment for the growth of foreign direct investment (FDI) entities in China.