Genetic Testing and Counseling in Pregnancy Essay

For many women, pregnancy is met with excitement. However, for a few couples, the pregnancy can take a completely different turn when the fetus is determined to be afflicted with Tay-Sachs disease. This is a genetic condition, usually found in Caucasians, and primarily those of Jewish descent, and develops in 25% of cases when both parents carry the recessive gene (National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases [NTSAD], n. d. ). Genetic counseling is a relatively new concept in healthcare and â€Å"is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease† (National Society of Genetic Counselors [NSGC], 2005, para. 2). For the men and women facing a pregnancy involving Tay-Sachs, genetic counseling is a viable and important option to consider. However, to ensure quality care and education, genetic counseling needs to involve a team of healthcare professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Interdisciplinary Team Members and Their Roles in Genetic Counseling Appropriate members of a multi-disciplinary team for the Trosacks include a genetic counselor, a nutritionist or dietician, the high-risk OB-GYN physician, a registered nurse specializing in high-risk perinatal care, and a therapist specializing in marriage and family therapy needs. Each member of this team will add a unique perspective to the Trosack’s case. The genetic counselor has graduate-level education and experience in both medical genetics and counseling (NSGC, 2005, para. 1). Using her expertise and skills, she will review the medical history for Mr. nd Mrs. Trosack, and their families, identify other genetic risks that may exist and explain inheritance patterns. She will provide information and resources for further education on genetic disorders, so that they can continue to learn about Tay-Sachs and connect with other families facing the disease. In addition to this expert information, the Trosacks will benefit from a nutritionist or dietician. The nutritionist not only has special training in the area of nutrition, but also in educating patients about their options and making nutritious choices. In general, a nutritionist can â€Å"advise individuals†¦on the nutritional practices that will promote good health, [and] structure and recommend diet plans for whole families†¦including guides to the correct preparation of meals and shopping for the right foods (Princeton Review, n. d. ). He will perform a nutrition assessment, provide education on additional nutritional needs due to pregnancy, and even assist with meal planning to ensure a health pregnancy. He will continue to assess and make recommendations on Mrs. Trosack’s nutritional needs based on lab work throughout the pregnancy. The patient’s overall care is the responsibility of her OB-GYN, who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. A high-risk OB-GYN has a lengthy education, residency and fellowship history to gain knowledge in caring for older patients, patients with specific medical conditions and patients carrying a pregnancy that has been determined to need specialized care. The perinatologist is not only capable of making diagnoses other obstetricians may miss, but can also perform specialized procedures and administer medications across the placenta (â€Å"Perinatologists,† n. d. ). She will assess the medical needs of Mrs.  Trosack and the fetus throughout the pregnancy, monitor fetal growth and development, order diagnostic tests as needed, and provide referrals to other specialists as needed. Working with the physician will be a nurse specializing in prenatal clients. This nurse has chosen to expand on her nursing education, taking additional classes and obtaining certifications specific to perinatal care. He will assess the couple’s understanding of pregnancy and prenatal care at the first visit and make a plan to educate them on each stage of pregnancy and fetal development as well as options available during labor and delivery. Additionally, he will ensure the couple understanding for each test or referral suggested by the physician. Due to the nature of the diagnosis, the couple will also benefit from a marriage and family therapist on their team. The couple has already expressed exasperation over the diagnosis, and volley between denial and acceptance of the diagnosis. Additionally, Mrs. Trosack has already expressed guilt over her workload and its â€Å"affect† on the baby. Mr. Trosack has expressed anger, which can lead to resentment. The strong emotions felt by both parties need to be expressed in a healthy way to preserve their marriage, and a therapist specializing in family matters is an appropriate facilitator. She will meet with the couple together, as well as individually to assess their feelings about the pregnancy, the Tay-Sachs diagnosis and the feelings they have toward each other. The therapy sessions will continue after the birth of their baby, due to the nature of the disease and the stress the baby’s health will add to their lives. Teaching Plan for the Initial Visit  The teaching plan for the Trosacks’ initial visit at the high-risk pregnancy center will include the following:  ·Genetic diagnosis—The Trosacks need to understand the diagnosis of Tay-Sachs: how it is transmitted, the probability of other pregnancies testing positive, and what symptoms their child is likely to develop. This will help them to understand they have done nothing wrong and prepare for the special needs their child will have.  ·Treatment—No treatment exists for the disease itself, but the Trosacks will benefit from learning about the symptoms their child may develop and how those symptoms are treated. They will be informed of ways to keep their child safe and comfortable during the illness.  ·Prognosis as it applies to Tay-Sachs—The prognosis for infantile Tay-Sachs is poor, with most children becoming progressively worse until their death by age 4 or 5. The Trosacks need to be informed of this so that they can make preparations—for themselves and other family members. Because most children develop normally until around six months of age, the Trosacks need to know that an absence of symptoms does not mean an absence of the disease (NTSAD, n. d. ). They need to know that their time with this child will be limited and filled with doctor visits and difficult medical decisions. With this education and advanced notice, they can begin to discuss which treatments they may consider (medications) and those treatments they may not want to consider (feeding tube).  ·Support groups and appropriate referrals—With the Internet, the community of support for families with Tay-Sachs has greatly expanded. The Trosacks will be given information on local support groups as well as the internet communities available to them. They will be directed to the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Disease, March of Dimes and National Organization for Rare Disorders websites to connect with other families who are living with Tay-Sachs. This support will help the Trosacks connect with the only other people who know what they are going through, share their concerns without fear of judgment, and learn from those have gone through it all personally.  ·Pregnancy information—Information on pregnancy is necessary for any pregnant woman, especially during her first pregnancy. Over the length of the pregnancy, the Trosacks will learn about how pregnancy and fetal development progresses during each trimester, what changes Mrs. Trosack can expect—physically and emotionally, and ways in which Mr. Trosack can be of assistance to her. The first visit will specifically cover the development to date and through the end of the first trimester. They will view pictures of the developing fetus and the ways in which Mrs. Trosack’s body is changing to accommodate the pregnancy. Ethical Implications of Having Genetic Information Available While genetic testing is a wonderful addition to the vast array of diagnostics medicine now offers, it can bring about new ethical implications. In reference to autonomy, genetic testing can sometimes reveal information about one’s family that was not known. For example, a Caucasian family may be surprised to find they are carriers for Sickle Cell disease, a disease found primarily in African-Americans and can bring about questions regarding the family history. These discussions may lead to the ethical issue of perceived invasions of privacy for other family members. Another example would be the dilemmas that occur when there is a difference in societal believes and one’s personal beliefs. First, â€Å"persons with a genetic condition may prefer not to learn that their offspring is at risk for the condition, or they may prefer to have offspring with the same condition present in other family members† (Halsey Lea, Williams, & Donahue, 2005, para. 15). Secondly, some people may feel it is unjust to bring a baby with anomalies into the world. The results of genetic testing in these instances may necessitate decisions about continuing pregnancy, selective termination and adoption. A third example of ethical dilemmas in regards to genetic information being available is in relation to beneficence and nonmalificence. For example, clinicians caring for a pregnant patient find the baby she is carrying has spina bifida. The patient states her sister had spina bifida and that she wants to deliver her baby in the community hospital with a midwife. The clinician now must balance her respect for her patient’s wishes with the concern she feels in allowing a baby with special needs to be born in an environment that cannot provide services that may improve the birth’s outcome (Halsey Lea et al. 2005). A fourth ethical issue is that of justice. For, some genetic disorders can be found with testing while others still cannot. For example, â€Å"the ability to identify carrier status for a mutation in the gene for cystic fibrosis is lower among Asian American and African American persons† than it is in Caucasians (Halsey Lea et al. , 2005). Thus, the results of testing performed on an Asian American or African American patient may not be a reliable indicator of their carrier status. Personal Thoughts, Feelings and Advocacy As a woman, this writer cannot begin to imagine the feelings felt by the Trosacks. After years of trying to conceive, they learn that they are finally pregnant only to find out their baby is likely to die by age five from a horrible, progressive disease. If in Mrs. Trosack’s shoes, would this writer be brave enough to continue the pregnancy, knowing the prognosis? I do not know. I am sure, however, that the Trosacks have a difficult road ahead of them. If I were Mrs. Trosack, I would expect to feel a constant state of grief—over the diagnosis and the life my child will not have, the loss of those milestones parents look forward to (first day of school, first dance, etc), the impending months or years of illness. I would hope that I could treasure the better moments I do have with my child—from birth to death, holding her as much as possible, trying to focus on the symptom-free moments, taking as many pictures as I can to record her short life. I question how angry a woman would feel in this situation. Surely, even those women with strong religious beliefs question the â€Å"why† of the diagnosis and circumstance. â€Å"Why, after all this time allow me to conceive if you’re going to give me a child so sick? What is the point of bringing a child into life if they are to suffer throughout? Why us? † Would a woman facing this diagnosis feel as if everyone pities her? While reading the case study, I found myself feeling pity for her, knowing that she would lose her child in such a horrible way after wanting a child so badly. Despite these feelings, the Trosacks’ choice to continue their pregnancy is just that†¦their choice. Many people think that being pro-choice means advocating for abortion. However, it is my belief that being pro-choice means advocating for people to make the best choice for themselves in particular situations. For, only those going through a particular situation know best how well or poorly they can handle a decision and circumstance. Their decision to continue a pregnancy after the diagnosis was made is a brave one and speaks volumes to their character and beliefs. The Trosacks’ case manager will work with each member of the interdisciplinary team to ensure they respect the wishes of the couple. The couple needs to know that they are supported and are being treated without judgment from the team members. She will meet with the team members to ensure they are able to continue treating with couple appropriately. If any of the team members express an inability to refrain from sharing their personal feelings with the couple, she will find suitable replacements. While the team members are entitled to their feelings, they are expected to keep those feelings to themselves when caring for patients. And, when patients are facing emotional and controversial decisions, the separation is even more important. Ethical and Legal Considerations When the Trosacks made the decision to continue the pregnancy after learning their baby has Tay-Sachs, they became bound, legally and ethically, to care for the child after the birth. Ethical considerations include the decision to bring a child into a life of poor health and early death after a progressive decline. Many people in society will judge them for this, and the child will be perceived in certain ways by others. Further, they will be faced with the decision to allow researchers to follow their child in an effort to gain more information about the disease in search for a cure. The child has no autonomy as a minor, and has no right to privacy when her parents are making the decisions. Another ethical question is who owns the genetic information? The genetic information is on the child’s DNA, but the parents are the ones making all the decisions. Legally, there are several areas of concern for the couple. First, they are now bound to provide healthcare to this child, despite the poor prognosis. They must provide food, clothing and shelter, and keep the child safe and comfortable as she declines. The child will eventually develop problems with swallowing, and at that time, will require further interventions to maintain life. Secondly, they are required to provide medical care for the child; and, with the poor prognosis, this is likely to involve many appointments, testing and medications or treatments. Third, they may have problems with insurance coverage, as some insurance policies may consider the child’s diagnosis to be pre-existing, denying coverage for any treatments associated with the disease. Though this is certainly not ethical, it is legal in this country, and may lead to financial problems and difficulty in continuing to obtain quality medical care.

Philosopher Joseph Campbell Essay

Joseph Campbell is considered one of the most influential and controversial mythologists, anthropologists, literary scholars and philosophers of the modern era. His contemporaries assert that Campbell surely was far above mentioned characteristics. In the global philosophical scope he was the last survivor of the modernist era. Campbell’s philosophical system genuinely combined both art and science. In his obituary Campbell’s colleges admit that he was â€Å"a hero of our time; not coincidentally, much of his work was about the heroes of history and prehistory† (Obituary, 1987). Indeed, Campbell devoted the biggest part of his scientific activity to the study of myth and a hero, however despite the majority of scholars conducting similar studies before him, Campbell’s implications were highly practical and easily projected on the existing reality. Joseph Campbell was born in 1904 in a relatively wealthy family in New York. Being a child, Campbell visited the American Museum of Natural History and was significantly impressed with Native American customs, traditions and myths. He soon began studying numerous aspects of Native American society, primarily its mythology. From the critical standpoint, it was the start point for Campbell’s lifelong passion to the myth and human culture. Unfortunately in 1919 fire destroyed Campbell’s family house along with his exceptional collection of Indian books and relics. Although at Dartmouth College he was primarily involved in studying mathematics and biology, later at Columbia University Campbell specialized in literature and art. In 1927 Campbell wrote his master thesis on the Arthurian legends. Critics consider Campbell to be one of the most famous autodidacts, self-educating experts, and practically this peculiarity has been reflected in his methodology. Interestingly, upon the completion of his master program at the university, Campbell decided not to pursue the path of the doctor. He isolated himself in New York woods and educated himself during five years.   According to some evidence, during that period Campbell developed a systematic program of reading, which in the end constituted the core of his real education. The isolation itself helped Campbell to develop his unique scientific methods and view on the nature of life. Later on Joseph Campbell continued his studying in Old French and Sanskrit at the Universities of Paris and Munich. His literary career began with editing and translation of Heinrich Zimmer’s posthumous papers. During the same period, Campbell started studying the ideas of famous psychologists and psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. From the critical point of view, Campbell’s work in mythology to the some degree bridged controversial and disparate stances of Jung and Freud and their central debate over the collective unconscious.   In addition to the substantial influence of Freud and Jung, Campbell was impacted by Wilhelm Steckel, psychologist who was the first to apply Freud’s conceptions of fantasies, dreams and the unconscious to the fields of literature and anthropology. Campbell’s philosophical system, beliefs and methodology were always sharply criticized during his lifetime. Even after his death, his contemporary Brendan Gill accused Campbell in â€Å"The Faces of Joseph Campbell† in reactionary political beliefs. Other critics in further exchange about the articles claimed that Campbell hold strong anti-Semite beliefs. Campbell based his theoretical assumptions on the texts of Jung as an explanation of psychological phenomena, as experienced through archetypes. However, Campbell did not comply with Carl Jung’s philosophical system on every issue, and surely had a very original voice of his own. Campbell questioned the application and truth of Astrology and synchronicity as Jung firmly believed. Campbell’s true study and interpretation lay in the declaration of accepted ideas and symbolism. His iconoclastic approach was both original and radical. His conclusions about the religion, its mission and foundations have been compared to Einstein’s idea of science in his last days. From the practical standpoint, Joseph Campbell considered all the religions of the world, all the rituals and deities, to be â€Å"masks† of the same transcendent truth which is â€Å"unknowable.† It is due to Campbell’s philosophical system both relativistic and agnostic. He argued that Christianity and Buddhism, whether the object is â€Å"Buddha-consciousness† or â€Å"Christ-consciousness,† to be an elevated awareness above â€Å"pairs of opposites,† such as right and wrong. For these beliefs, claims and â€Å"heresy† he was significantly disliked by many dogmatists. As Campbell quoted from the Vedas, â€Å"truth is one, the sages speak of it by many names† (Dale, 96). Joseph Campbell was taken with what he viewed as universal sentiments and truths, which have disseminated through cultures, featuring different manifestations. Campbell wanted to reveal his idea that Eastern and Western religions are similar even identical on a very basic level, therefore nobody is right but individuals are searching for the same unknown. He started evaluating and criticizing moral systems as both incorrect and necessary. Similarly to the postmodern relativists, Campbell believed in the idea that â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† are just intricate ideas. However, he understood to the very degree the necessity of a moral system. From this critical standpoint, Joseph Campbell united the concepts of modernism and postmodernism, however some interpretations characterize him as a postmodernist thinker. In his famous series â€Å"Masks of God† Campbell attempted to give the summary – such an ambitious objective – of the spiritual wealth of humanity, and simultaneously to provide a decent well-grounded support to his ideas on the â€Å"unity of the race of man† and monomyth.   The latter became the philosophical idea that all Myths spring from a common origin: â€Å"the communal past of the human race, starting off on the fertile grasslands of Europe and moving to the Levant and the â€Å"Fertile Creasant† of Mesopotamia and back to Europe (and the Far East) where it will be mixed with the newly emerging Indo-European (Aryan) culture† (Campbell, 51). Campbell affirmed that the spirituality is searching for the same unknown transcendent force from which everything originated and into which everything will return. He referred to this transcendent force as the connotation, his philosophical interpretation of various deities and other spiritual objects of the world. According to Campbell, religion constitutes a defense mechanism which attempts to explain religious experience. However, many scholars notified that Campbell’s â€Å"religious experience† can be a mere functioning of brain chemistry, and not transcendent force. Joseph Campbell affirmed that all the myths, spiritual systems and organized religions represented homogeneous substances, therefore he believed one day all people would unite under one. His major concerns always were global instability, deterioration of morality and ideals. From the critical point of view, study of myth and hero became the real apogee of Campbell’s scholar work. In 1949 Campbell wrote â€Å"The Hero with a Thousand Faces,† where he developed and explained the idea of monomyth, a concise idea for Campbell’s archetypal patterns.   The majority of myths include only a few of these patterns, though Star Wars and the Matrix stories embody all of Campbell’s archetypal patterns in the order he developed them. The idea of hero was important to Campbell because the hero represents the unique value and importance for societies and usually the image and idea of the hero blends with the mythology of a society. As Campbell pointed out: â€Å"Throughout the inhabited world, in all times and under every circumstance, the myths of mankind have flourished; and they have been the living inspiration of whatever else may have appeared out of the activities of the human body and mind. It would not be too much to say that myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human cultural manifestation. Religions, philosophy, arts, the social forms of primitive and historical humankind, prime discoveries in science and technology, the very dreams that blister sleep, boil up from the basic magic ring of myth† (Campbell, 73).Campbell asserted that societies must have heroes to exemplify the society’s â€Å"values.† In addition, Joseph Campbell affirmed that â€Å"†¦the characteristic efficacy to touch and inspire deep creative centers dwells in the smallest nursery fairy tale – as the flavor of the ocean is contained in the droplet of the ocean, the whole mystery of life within the egg of a flea, the symbols of mythology are not manufactured. They cannot be ordered, invented, or permanently suppressed. They are spontaneous productions of the psyche. And each bears within it undamaged the germ power of its source. What is the secret of this timeless vision? From what profundity of the mind does it derive? Why is mythology everywhere the same, beneath it s varieties of costume? And what does it teach?† In the conclusion of his argument Campbell asserted that, â€Å"most remarkable of all, however, are the revelations that have emerged from the mental clinic. The bold and truly epic-making writings of psychoanalysis are indispensable to the student of mythology, for whatever may be thought of the detailed and sometimes contradictory interpretations of specific cases and problems, Jung and their followers have demonstrated irrefutably that the logic, the heroes, and the deeds of myth survive into modern times.† Campbell asserted that societies must have heroes to exemplify the society’s â€Å"values.† Critically, this idea contrasts with another Campbell’s notion that there are no universal values, however, simultaneously the fact that a society requires accepted â€Å"values† does not make them universal, or objectively true. After publishing his â€Å"The Hero with a Thousand Faces,† Joseph Campbell logically continued his theoretical and methodological explorations of the concept of myth. He successfully attempted to theoretically construct it in famous the Masks of God series, particularly in â€Å"Occidental Mythology† published in 1964. In this work Campbell developed the four functions of the myth: 1) Metaphysical function. Executing this function myth arouses and supports a sense of awe before the mystery of being. Myth adjusts consciousness to the preconditions of its own existence. It impels a realization of a transcendent mystery source, and through this process of realization the universe becomes a holy picture. 2) Cosmological function. It deals with the image of the world that is the focus of science. This function of myth reveals the shape of the universe, but in such a peculiar way that the mystery still comes through. According to this assumption, the cosmology should agree to the actual experience, knowledge, and mentality of the culture. The function presents a map or picture of the order of the cosmos and our relationship to it. 3) Sociological function. Myth encourages and maintains the specific moral order of the society out of which it originates. Particular traditions, customs, rituals, laws and social roles evolve significantly. This function of myth establishes in members of cultural group a system of sentiments that may lead them spontaneously to its ends. 4) Psychological function. The myths indicate the path according to which society lives under certain circumstances. According to Campbell it constitutes the pedagogical function of mythology that leads a human through different stages of life. During the early childhood, an individual is dependant on parents, however when maturity comes he/she bears responsibilities, and so on. This function of myth brings integrity, enrichment and realization into changing lives of humans. Practically, Joseph Campbell was primarily interested in the psychological function of myth. He greatly emphasized the process by which literature reflected psychological dynamics (Osbon, 124). However, interestingly this emphasis on psychology brought a considerable wave of criticism towards Campbell’s ideas. Specialists in sociology and history affirmed that the primary purposes of myths were of sociological nature. In 1972 retired from Sarah Lawrence College, Joseph Campbell concentrated on writing. His philosophical interest ranged beyond the texts to other dimensions of the mythic imagination. Campbell affirmed that timeless wisdom can be approached from three perspectives. The mythic story would provide a necessary access to the mysteries beyond conscious knowing (Noel, 217). The ritual could be considered as another direction towards wisdom, since various ceremonial practices characterize major myths and give participants an opportunity to experience the whole story through dramatic re-enactment of part of the text. The image represents the third means of entry. The idea of image can be different, varying from a sacred image such as a statue or painting to a dream or the imagination. For instance, pondering mythic stories communicate images to mind (Noel, 219). Simultaneously, the content of the image can be interpreted through consideration of the metaphor that image implies. During 1980s, Joseph Campbell published extensive Historical Atlas of World Mythology aimed to investigate the major mythological periods. In the atlas, Campbell suggested a stage model of cultural development. According to this model, the earliest era of shamanistic hunter-gatherers was characterized with the beginning of symbolic thinking. The next stage of planters was marked with rituals of birth, death, and rebirth. Goddesses, heroes, and priests symbolized the third stage of cultural development. The third stage involves high civilizations of Goddesses, heroes, and priestly orders. In the stage of modern period, individuals comprehend illumination as internal state. According to Campbell, societies do not practically experience those stages simultaneously, thus there are some societies which exhibit the characteristics of every stage.

Legal and Regulatory Framework Essay

There are many acts that exist to prevent discrimination, laws that protect age, sex, race, and religion. These acts are there to stop direct discrimination; when someone is treated less favourably than another. The company John Lewis is mostly affected by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975/97; to help stop judgement because of sex. They are affected by this act because of stereotypes; such as technological jobs that are expected to be done by a male, so when the company searches for an applicant they would mainly focus on males, making females have a lower chance of getting the job. This can also be related to an ethical issue, which is to never put the same gender in an interview panel, which is never done so that a person cannot be picked because of their sex. The company deals with this by looking carefully at each candidate, and may also consider leaving out the gender section, to not be stereotypical when choosing the right candidate. The Equal Pay Act 1970 would also affect this company just as it affects any other companies; it would force the company to pay its employees equally, ignoring gender. The company handles this by properly giving each employee their pay without considering gender to be an issue. The National Minimum Wage makes the company pay the minimum amount set by the government to their employees, this act would make the company suffer when it is in a difficult situation and they need money by decreasing the amount needed to pay to employees who are needed in the business. The company would deal to this law by making sure that the budget is enough and to see if they can get rid of an employee if the potential candidate seems better. The Race Relations Act 1992 stops discrimination on race, nationality, ethnic origin or national origin. One example that could happen is not involving a race when advertising the position, which would harm the candidates, and which will lead to harm to the business. The company would deal with this by making sure that no one is missed, and that not a particular race is picked for a job and given more of an advantage than another. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 & 2005 helps make a disable person get treated fairly when being interviewed; this act would affect the business because it they would have to pay equipment for the disabled, such as a wheelchair to help make the employee feel comfortable and not judged. Employment Acts 2002 and 2008, and the Work and Families Act 2006, covers maternity and paternity leave and pay, flexible working hours for carers of adults, as well as improved communication between employers and employees during maternity and paternity leave. This would affect the business because they would need new employees to cover the leave, as well as an extra pay for the new employee and the one leaving. The European Working Time Directive introduces the maximum working week of 48 hours over a certain number of weeks, as well as restriction on the length of nightshifts, rest periods and annual leave. This would affect the business because they won’t be able to employ someone longer to complete the job, which would lead to time loss. The company would deal with this by spreading the time between different employees equally. Ethics is what is expected to be done, and there are many ethics that are expected to be followed by a business when recruiting, one of them is to always ask the same questions in an interview, one simple reason to do this is to be fair to all of the candidates, but the main reason is compare them equally, as well as knowing what is needed to be known from all of them, which would help the business know the right candidate that would help the business. Another thing that a business is expected to do is to not make the interviewees related to the candidates, and the main reason to do that is to never make the results bias, an example of that is a candidate being chosen because he/she is related to the owner of the business. This would increase the chance of other candidates to be chosen who might have potential in the business. One other thing that the business is expected to do is to always make a promotion available, to help increase the motivation of the employees so that the job can be done, and to also helps make all the employees have the same opportunities, which would in return make the number of candidates  increase, making the chance of them having the right employee higher. Firing someone when it needs to be done is also something that the business is expected to do, as it will make the candidates aware that the business deals with a problem when they report them, and it would also be beneficial to the business at it would stop people from causing trouble or stealing form the business.

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

Projects - Essay Example This is to ensure that they maximize the benefits accrued from the resources and are able to deliver the best results within the shortest time possible. Proper project management also ensures that the costs of a project are kept at a minimal (KOSTER, 2009: 321). This paper looks at two different project one by the Nokia company and another one by Microsoft Company. This information is the used to give recommendation to the CEO of Branby Solutions PLC as the company plans to expand its projects to the international market arena. Microsoft Windows project that became successful Microsoft company windows project that was launched in the year 1984, was very successful. It was not successful because it as one of its kind, but because it was well managed. Moreover, the company licensed different companies around the world to sell its product. The company therefore benefited from the company existing distribution network without making extra investment. Since the introduction of the first w indow 1.0 in 1985, Microsoft continue to the sole operating window provider having monopolized the industry and continue to produce modified operating systems with the latest one being windows eight. Nokia International Smart-Phone Project Although Nokia has been a leading player in the mobile phone industry, it has failed terribly in the introduction of its Smartphone in the international markets. ... Nokia failed in recognizing the needs of the users as it has always done. Moreover, since it introduced it product after Apple’s Smartphone had become popular in the market; it took a second place (DINSMORE & CABANIS-BREWIN, 2011: 239). Nokia Lumia is also of a lower quality than other Nokia handsets. This is because the camera, which is one of the most admired features in Nokia product quality, is lower than that of its previous models. Discussions Findings Reasons Why Microsoft project succeeded Focus on development of one product. While Microsoft competitors were focusing on a wide range of products and would not renew them until the production of the next product. Microsoft focused on efficiency. Wide distribution network: Microsoft got its global presence by licensing different companies around the globe to sell her products. Innovativeness: Microsoft windows are innovative and focused on meeting the changing needs of the people. Why Nokia Smartphone Project failed Nokia has also invested a lot in advertising the Nokia Lumia instead of investing in the prompting the quality and uniqueness of the product. Its lack of innovativeness and not being on the forefront in satisfying the changing needs of the people failed. There is poor communication between Nokia and its customers and vice versa. It is not able to meet the needs of the client. It should be able to get the feedback from the client to learn their needs and use this information to create products that meet this need. Strategies of Project Management From the examples of Nokia projects that failed and succeeded above, five strategies that can be used to make an international project successful have been

Hagar Currie Shipley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hagar Currie Shipley - Essay Example She does manage, however, to marry the exciting, thrilling and rebellious part of the human spirit to the hard-working, achieving and socially acceptable side finally, in her grandchildren. Through all of this, Laurence makes Hagar an unforgettable character because we learn through the book she is a real person with wants and needs and dreams. As the reader learns, Hagar Shipley's dreams were so simple, she didn't even know what they were until it was almost too late. At three crucial points in the book, Hagar speaks about the things she wants. The first time is a bluff. When Hagar returns from two years at school "down East," she confronts her father about what she plans to do. "I want to teach. I can get the South Wachakwa school," she defiantly tells him (p. 43). But it is as though she expects a conflict, and is even looking forward to one. She knew that her father was just like her -- very stubborn and blunt -- and she goes in to the confrontation with full knowledge of his response. What it appears that Hagar wants is not to teach, but some affection from her father, or even just some sign that he is capable of affection. The only time Hagar ever saw him express anything resembling an emotion was when she hid in the chokecherry bush at the cemetery as he and No-Name Lottie Drieser's mother apparently terminate an affair (or attempted affair) after the death of her husband. During the confrontation with her father, he reaches an even higher level of rage, which he takes out on the newel post, the knobby carving at the top of the wooden stair railing. He wrings the neck beneath the head-like newel post like the neck of a person. When he expresses, however briefly, that he needs her around, he grips her hand so tightly, it hurts. Instead of recognizing their need for each other, and for the simple expression of affection that is natural for a father and daughter, the encounter ends badly. Hagar pulls away as though she had just touched a hot stove. She has gotten what she wanted: a sign that she is important to him, but in all her pride, cannot go after him when he goes outside. In this she is just like him; they are both proud in destructive ways. This first simple dream, to be loved by one's parent, remains out of her reach because Hagar lets it remain there. At this point in the book, three years pass quickly. Hagar has done what her father wanted, ex cept she rejects all his suitors. In short order, she meets Brampton Shipley and embarks on an ill-advised marriage that flouts everything she was raised to believe. The next time Hagar speaks of a dream, it is many years later when she has returned to the Shipley home while her estranged husband Bram is dying. She insists that what she wants is for her younger son John to be happy. By this point, Hagar has identified John as the true heir of her father, rejecting her hard-working but plain older son Marvin. She has refused, all these years, to see that John is like Bram, and John is the one who must tell her. She had a clue many years before when she gave John her father's clan pin and he just sticks it in his pocket. John later trades the pin for a worthless knife, which ultimately is worth only a pack of cigarettes. The sightless stone angel cannot be expected to see clearly, but the relentlessly prideful Hagar just refuses to. " 'You always bet on the wrong horse,' John said gently. 'Marv was your

Social identity theory of intergroup conflict Essay

Social identity theory of intergroup conflict - Essay Example Based on the findings in accordance to the mentioned aspects, further explanation has been provided in respect of the behavioural implications of Social Identity Theory. Definition of Identity As explained in the Identity Theory in Walumbwa & et. al. (2011), the term ‘Identity’ is quite challenging to be defined with the use of a momentary and acceptable statement that can succinctly hold the range of its meaning. Conceptually, ‘identity’, as a term, refers to the social categories and sources of an individual’s self-respect or dignity at the same time, which often becomes a major driver of intergroup disputes. To put it in simple words, identity is the combination of what features a person or a thing beholds, i.e. the uniformity of a person or a thing at all the time. According to the study of Gao & Riley (2010), the identity features in a person commonly involves certain attributes that may be termed as â€Å"internal stickiness†, which at a broader context can be examined to hinder psychological knowledge ownership of a person and raise issues in terms of ‘possessiveness’. ... characteristic attributes or social behaviour or (b) may refer to socially distinctive features those are identifiable when a person deciphers a degree of pride in his/her attitude in a manner that is somewhat unchangeable but socially consequential, or (a) and (b) at once. The social identity theory expands the meaning of ‘Identity’ to a broader realm, which is completely different from the captured definition of the term in dictionary (Walumbwa & et. al., 2011). Notably, these two major attributes (a) and (b) differ from one group to another, reflecting through the individual role performances and hence, are likely to become a major reason of intergroup conflict (Walumbwa & et. al., 2011). Correspondingly, it can be argued that studying identity shall contribute towards the mitigation of intergroup conflicts and therefore contribute to a healthier relationship amid the group members. Significance of studying Identity in understanding intergroup conflicts The social ide ntity theory differentiates personal identity and social identity explaining that personal identity is an explanation and estimation of oneself in terms of idiosyncratic personal attributes or one’s specific relationship with other people. On the contrary, social identity is a description and valuation of oneself in relation to shared attributes that expresses the specific group’s membership one belongs to (Schwartz, 2011). As explained by Kraus (2011), social identity works as a member of group, and not as an individual. In self-identity, therefore, there is no outside influence to control an individual’s perspective one way or the other, whereas in social identity, a person’s self-identity is combined with the group’s identity, to which one belongs and becomes more aware of what they

Critical bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Critical bibliography - Essay Example Scholars are capable to get concrete evidence when they study the above named book; further will be fed with vital information concerning history and terrorism (Kaldor 200). According to the book, it is evident that there were some difference in the war that took place during post-war II and the previous wars; this is because there are certain multiples issues that have changed. For instance, the following aspects have greatly changed, players, rules and methods and also have greatly changed the initial aspects of war. It is pertinent to note that in the case of the old wars, the main target is the uniformed armies who combat each other. The war according to the book, has several influence on a nation for instance, the act can heighten the nationalism on integrity and enabling the state to further tax. On other hand, the new wars involves is witnessed by the impact of the globalization on warfare’s. Several features heighten and indicate the phenomenon of â€Å"new war†. Currently, new wars are staged on the claiming identity, and not necessarily the territory. Terror tactics and guerrilla, and the international crime impacts and division of the ethnic perpetual just to mention but a few. The article here argues that more emphasis are necessary to strengthen revolution of French with the aim of war gestation in the nineteenth century. Further, the article acknowledges the fact that the Russian wars act in nineteenth century is exaggeration since there were many terrorist movements that had little connections to Russia. Finally, the article articulates that connections between political nihilism and terrorism are in exaggeration and that nihilist drives very few war movements. It is pertinent to note the new and new war is a recent phenomenon even though the term has been long in the mind of the individuals. Analysts had preference in focusing on violence or terror in politics no matter of the sub-state or state deploys

The Lehman Brothers Collapse. Who, Why, How and Its Long-term Effects Term Paper

The Lehman Brothers Collapse. Who, Why, How and Its Long- Effects on Securities Markets - Term Paper Example There are a few terms which need to be defined before proceeding further. Security markets are the markets where securities of different types are bought and sold with reference to demand and supply. Mortgage markets involve dealings of loans on housing, business and industrial real estates. The markets in which corporations raise new capital by issuing common stock are referred to as primary markets. Secondary markets on the other hand are the ones where formerly issued securities are bought and sold among the investors, with no direct involvement of the corporations. Leverage is usually referred to borrowing. Stockholders are those who buy shares of a company, thereby gaining the rights of votes, earning dividends and profits. In a dramatic manner, Lehman Brothers underwent the largest bankruptcy in the history of United States, with its stocks plummeting drastically, customers opting their way out and assets being heavily undervalued by the official credit rating groups of that time. Lehman Brothers was mutually established by the three brothers, Henry Lehman, Emanuel Lehman and Mayer Lehman. Since its foundation, it was considered to be a very reputable institution in which people used to place immense amount of trust. With the passage of time, the popularity of the firm increased tremendously and it became one of the most reliable financial service companies in the United States, with the launch of its various subsidiaries such as Aurora Loan Services, Crossroad Groups, etc. Since 1993, the company was being led by Richard S. Fuld, Jr, who can be construed as a typical traditional leader with a top down command and control approach. He used to be very daunting in his demeanour and often commanded respect and devotion from his employees on the basis of power. He had a large management team along with him comprising of senior managers and board of directors who always aided him in forming corporate level policies, core business strategies and decision making. Up till 2007, the firm did reasonably well as far as the monetary records are concerned. The company even reported a staggering $4.2 billion profit in the year 2007. However, the consequences of following a superficial policy based on narrow sc ope and risky business were soon revealed when the company suffered the biggest financial turmoil of USA’s history which also triggered the late 2000’s recession. The responsibility of this crisis which resulted in the destruction of one of the most established names in the world of international finance lies directly on the management team of Lehman Brothers which consisted of several heavyweights, led by a very impolite and fiery Chairman and CEO, Richard S. Fuld, Jr. Article Summaries Onaran and Scinta (2008) state that the fourth biggest investment bank of the United States surrendered to the subprime mortgage catastrophe it had initially facilitated to develop in the midst of the largest bankruptcy in history. The old and respectable firm, Lehman Brothers Holding Inc, which had even survived the Great Depression, reported a bankruptcy petition in the US Bankruptcy Court. It had to lose 94 percent of its market worth during this tumultuous year. The filing of the b iggest bankruptcy case ever was led by bankruptcy legal representative Harvey Miller. Within hours, the shares of the

Conducting a Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Conducting a Market - Essay Example iPhone is the pioneer smartphone that enhanced the mobile phone users’ experiences with its touchpad feature. iPhone has significantly impacted the market share of all leading mobile phones worldwide and has been successful in developing a loyal customer base (Keller, 120). Hence, the paper will analyse the success of iPhone in the smartphone industry and the customer perception about iPhone to gain a deeper understanding about the strategy followed by Apple to exceed the expectations of its customers and make them loyal to the brand. Research objectives Since the foremost goal of the research is to determine the customer perception about Apple’s iPhone, the main research objectives that are addressed in this paper are as follows: 1. To determine the best features of iPhone 2. To identify the customer loyalty level with iPhone 3. To analyse the factors that created a distinctive image of iPhone in the market Importance of the study With the help of the study, an underst anding about the elements that form the customer perception about a brand will be identified. This research will allow the evaluation of various factors that have been the source of Apple’s success. When the marketing strategies of top-ranked brands are studied, it assists in analysing the key constituents that are taken into account to create the desired brand image and the steps taken to retain the customer’s attention. By studying the customer perception about iPhone, the research provided details about interesting facts that the company focuses on exceeding the satisfaction level of its prestigious customers. Limitations of the study As there were time and resource... This report stresses that iPhone is considered to be the best brand in the smartphone industry as it has been providing an exceptional experience to the users. With each new breakthrough invention, Apple continues to enhance the customer expectation level; it has definitely an excellent perceived quality which is evident from the growth in number of customers every year. The phone developers have done a marvellous job by creating the smartphones in a simple and easy to use form. However, the company should try to attract the people of old generation by offering them attractive packages. Apple should try to grab their attention by informing them the positive sides of using the smartphone. This paper makes a conclusion that the customer perception about iPhone is strong and positive and they have trust in the brand that they will be offered only genuine and fine quality products which will ensure that they get value for their money for a long period. As the quality of iPhone is durable, there are fewer chances that the customers face any problem when using it; in case of any issue, they can easily contact the company’s representative who will resolve the matter as soon as possible. Providing customers the after sales services also impacts the brand image of the product in a positive way. Such value added features increases the chances of customers for making repeat purchases when they plan to buy a similar product in future.

Research papper about photographer Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Papper about photographer - Research Paper Example They cumulative effects of Araki’s images are great. Araki establishes the notion that everything strictly Japanese, by design, prohibits outsiders from participation. Japan has been, in the western perception, the very replica of the other even though it remains vague to what level this repeal is true (Sharp 23). Araki’s art should, in reality, fall in this group of the other for people now that the photographer hardly ever leaves Japan, that he did not go to a western university and that he strictly speaks Japanese (Searle 1). However, his works attain exactly the opposite effect. Westerners gain the adamant feeling that these images are addressed to them - not in the logic that they are reflections of western traditions or images - like the travesties of western cinema and art found in the parodies of the Japanese picture taker Morimura - but because they function in line with the rules established in western â€Å"modernist† discourse. This paper will dwell o n this photographer and give a brief biography of his life, as well as his works. Biography Nobuyoshi Araki was born on 25th May, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan. He studied cinematography in his college days and, after graduating, went to work at Dentsu, a Tokyo-based advertising company, where he met essayist Yoko Araki, who become his future wife. Araki was only 32 years when he quit his job at the advertising agency and, after that, his works remained nearly unrecognized in the Western world (Design Autopsy 1). Of the over 70 brochures and books that published his images, produced in Japan those days, none of them were available in America and even Europe. His initial solo show outside Japan was in 1992, in Graz, and then subsequently started appearing in Germany, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, Scandinavia and Scotland. This was from 1992 to 199 (Design Autopsy 1). The years were considered a success story for the photographer who was barely known outside his nation. However, he was not t he normal artist, who is introverted, painstaking or regional, unfairly neglected by the chaotic exhibition scene (Design Autopsy 1). Araki had long before become a star in Japan’s media and a person always bounded by an entourage just like the king of pop, Michael Jackson. Araki was a tough person, a classy maverick and an artist acknowledged for particular eroticisms albeit for extremely different images. Having transformed through the countless rumors and the astounding tales connected to his name, an observer is attracted to such comparisons(Searle 1)As hard as it is to imagine Araki the artist and the photographer, the objective of tracing the genesis of his ads and deciding the actual objective is not less elusive (Design Autopsy 1). Araki’s images are full of explicit sexual characters and also heavy sexual metaphors. However, the explicitness in Araki’s photos is not â€Å"hot† as the way as it is exhibited in the sex industry (Sharp 45). His meta phors also forge connections to many other, likewise corporeal images - interiors and cityscapes, which are normally devoid of individuals and have a figurative passion of their own (Searle 1). Araki draws from a vast store of pictures, which are extended endlessly – images that have neither titles nor dates – and eventually circles around a diminutive core of normally recurring

Germany and the Germans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Germany and the Germans - Essay Example What initiated the project were the bad incidents that happened in the history of Germany before 1988 and thus some Germans, under the supervision of Lea Rosh the journalist, wanted a public visualization of the history in the form of a sculpture. Eisenman was nominated by the Chancellor Halmet Kohl after much hunt, and the project continued even after Kohl lost the elections. The project was funded by the Parliament. The theme behind the creation of this memorial was to officially acknowledge the fact that the German government in the past had committed genocide against the Europian Jews; that the Jews were made to go through hard times through victimization; and, that the coming generations may be able to remember the violence that was seen during the Hitler’s era. The center of Berlin was also chosen with the same objective that it should be remembered as the Nazis had planned to commit genocide against the Jews at that place. Serra had left in the middle of the sculptureâ €™s creation due to some conflicts about the development of the project. Eisenman successfully completed the project and very efficiently dealt with the conflicts and controversies that arose during the project.

Why society needs laws Essay Example for Free

Why society needs laws Essay There are many reasons that the society needs laws. Some people don’t understand the meaning of laws. Well guess what you don’t. Why do people waste time to write laws? People should be able to tell between right and wrong. It also depends on what kind of a parson you are. A good law would not be good if it wasn’t clear enough to the people or it was impossible to follow. And also which would not have any thing, which would go against. A bad law would be that people would not understand it and which would be really hard to follow. Other way of seeing if the law is good or bad is to see what the consequences are. Some are severely bad or the consequences are really good. People, which come from other societies, have to respect their laws that are in the society. Laws are put in the society to keep it stable and not have chaos around the world. People need to respect the cultural gaffs of that society. Cultural gaffs are that if you nod your head horizontally that means yes and when you nod your nod your head vertically it means no. In this matter people’s opinion does not matter they have to take care of where they are. In some cultures people would let go of your mistakes but that parson has to realize no to do it again. To make a country a better place is to have laws so people can be better than whom they are now. When society is solving any problem, they have to first set up priority. First the society is not supposed to put emotions in that problem. Meaning that if it’s your brother you will let him go. Emotions make things allot difficult for some laws to be implied to the society. Good laws are no made by emotion instead there made on what’s right. Without laws society would have allot of chaos. People would not have something to make them stable. That’s why A good law would not be good if it wasn’t clear enough to the people or it was impossible to follow. And In this matter people’s opinion does not matter they have to take care of where they are. If you want a good law for the society you need to overcome your emotions and let faith decide what’s going to happen. Works Cited What makes a bad law. 15 September 2011. 28 october 2013 http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2013/05/the-most-effective-politics-lacks-emotion.html .

Product Success Is Not A Reliable Indicator Business Essay

Product Success Is Not A Reliable Indicator Business Essay The report highlights the importance of different factors that contribute to the success of a company and strengthens its foundation. It draws insight on product success that is given an important consideration in terms of companys future growth and revenue generation. It is an essential pre-requisite for a companys strength. It contribution is vital towards the success of a company but it is not considered as a reliable indicator as various other factors play a greater and crucial role in determining companys strength. The strength of a company lies in those indicators which have the power to govern change and sustain its competitive advantage in the long run. There are various indicators which have been changing with the course of time and changing needs of business environment. These indicators are viewed different by various scholars. Thus, enriching there interaction in a company. The term reliability is the measure of consistency of different indicators that are devised in a company structure to overcome competitive threats and have a grab on opportunities. It can be correlated to business acumen and its knowledge. A great deal of business success depends on generating new knowledge and on having the capabilities to react quickly and intelligently to this new knowledge . . . (Richard Rumelt, 1996). The products of a company play a significant role in generation of revenue but the essential indicators are the factors leading to the creation of the product in accordance with the market demand and consumer needs. The firm specific knowledge plays a crucial role in exploiting the available resources to have a competitive advantage and contribute to companys strength. An essential feature of strategy or more specifically innovation strategy should be directed towards accumulation of such firm specific knowledge. Ives et al. (1998), for instance, trace the history of knowledge management back to the ancient Sumerian civilization where cuneiform archives served to record knowledge for future generations. Modern management tends to focus on controlling, centralising and standardising knowledge which reduces the marginal cost of knowledge by economies of scale. It is argued whether knowledge management represents an extension or departure from these tendencies. The conversion of tacit into explicit knowledge and storing it is lined up with such tendencies. The new technology integrates knowledge in the organisation. It opens up new opportunities for knowledge creation and transfer beyond the more traditional means of face-to-face interaction, mentoring, job rotation and staff development (Alavi and Leidner, 1997). IBMs Larry Prusak says, knowledge is both an asset and a process of acting knowledgeable. Knowledge management is the process of continually managing knowledge of all kinds to meet existing and emerging needs, to identify and exploit existing and acquired knowledge assets and to develop new opportunities (Quintas et al., 1997). The knowledge management programmes have coheren ce across a number of dimensions, including organisational structure and culture, people aspects, process and technology (Quintas et al., 1997 p387). Harry Scarbrough (1998) points that managing knowledge is not easy as it are often sticky and tacit. It cant be extracted from its context. He raises human relation issues such as staff will resist being treated as a moveable asset. It is further argued that knowledge itself appears in a number of different guises according to context: intellectual capital (e.g. Bontis, 1998; Roos et al, 1998); knowledge assets (Boisot, 1998; Teece, 1998); workplace and organisational capital (Adler and Cole, 1993; Argyris, 1992). The formulation of an innovation strategy having the ability to cope up with an external environment that is considered to be complex and ever changing, with consequent uncertainty about present and future advancements in technology, competition challenges and market demands may prove to strengthen companys business tactics in the long run. It is argued that the distinction between approaches i.e. choice and implementation breaks down when firms decision are made in complex and fast changing environments. The rational approach to innovative strategies dominance is believed to be less effective than the incremental approach which lays emphasis on changing needs in the light of new information, learning and understanding that is consciously obtained. The nature of the competitive threats and opportunities that emerge from advances in technology rightly stress the importance of developing and protecting firm-specific technology in order to enable firms to enable themselves against the c ompetition (Porter, 1980). It is argued that Porters approach underestimates the power of technology to change the course of the competion by transforming industrial structures and overestimates the organisational competencies to exploit them. It is very difficult (but not impossible e.g. the case of Nokia) for a manufacturing traditional textiles to have an innovation strategy to develop and make computers (Patel, P. and Pavitt, K., 1998). The product success is not a reliable indicator because when the product enters the market its reliability and validity depends on the market forces and competition and both of them are based on uncertainties. A firms technological innovation requires complementary assets to produce and deliver new products and services. Prior commercialisation activities require and enable firms to build such complementarities (Teece, 1986b). New products and processes can either enhance or destroy the value of such assets (Tushman et al., 1986). For example: IBMs direct sales increased with the development of computers, while disk brakes were rendered useless as auto industries invested in drum brakes. Further ample evidences are available for a given type of competence (e.g. quality) which can be supported or manufactured by different routines and combination of skills. Garvin (1998) and Clark and Fujimoto (1991) studies both indicate that there was no one formula for achieving either high quality or high product development process. There is a firm competition between firms on the basis of product design, quality, process efficiency and other attributes. It is pointed that firms are constantly seeking to create new combination, and rivals are continuously attempting to improve their competencies or to imitate the competence of their most qualified competitors (Schumpeter, 1934). Such processes drive the destruction of product creativity. The focus is on the dynamic capabilities of firms which provides a coherent framework to integrate existing and empirical knowledge, and facilitate prescription (Teece, D. and Pisano,G., 1994). What depicts the strength of a company in global market is not its products success but demonstration of firms timely responsiveness and rapid and flexible product innovation, integration of management capabilities to effectively coordinate and redeploy internal and external competences. It is offered as an emerging paradigm of a business firm. It tries to facilitate a prescription by integration of existing conceptual and empirical knowledge. It is an indicator which provides competitive advantage to firm rooted in their high performance routines, processes and continued by history. They are built as they cant be brought from a market place. The very essence of capabilities/competencies is that they cant be readily assembled through markets (Teece, 1982, 1986a; Kogut and Zander, 1992). Resear chers (Doz and Shuen, 1989; Mody, 1990) have pointed that collaboration and partnership can be vehicles for new organisational learning, helping firms to recognize dysfunctional routines, and preventing strategic blind spots. This concept of dynamic capabilities opens the door to inter-organisational learning. Leonard Barton (1992) finds that the organisational core capabilities can easily create core rigidities. That is, opportunity for learning will be close in to previous activities and thus will be transaction and production specific (Teece, 1988). Porter (1980) describes two market strategies: innovation leadership and innovation followership. The initial one is concerned with those firms which attempt to introduce a new product to gain a technological lead and temporary monopoly profits whereas the latter tries to initiate the market pioneer by reverse engineering. It is argued that the survival and growth in the firms succeed or fail in their innovations, whether offensive or defensive. For a firm to survive and grow in competition, it must be capable of adapting its technologically based strategy to this competition. The introduction of a new product in any industry poses a threat to older products and processes by turning them obsolete or uneconomic. It has been inferred that core competencies play a vital role in companys strength. Managers will be judged on their ability to identify, cultivate and exploit the core competencies that make growth possible (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994).In the long run competitiveness derives from an ability to build at lower cost and more speedily than competitors, the core competencies that spawn unanticipated products. The real sources of competitive advantage are to be found in managements ability to consolidate corporate wide technologies and production skills into competencies that empower individual businesses to adapt quickly to changing opportunities(Hamel and Prahalad, 1994). The validity of this statement still holds its firm position in the mainstay thinking of todays firms. Core competence leads to the harmonisation of a number of related skills which starts building up an intelligent organisation. The competence base should be strong and should be managed properly. It should not be overlo oked. The core product of a company is the crux of an end product.For example: Cannon has 84% share in laser printer engines but miniscule laser printer share.It has built its core competence in engines rather than printers through continuous feedback from customers. It has been able to manage low risk, low cost and reduction in lead time by focusing on its competencies. In conclusion, a well-crafted strategy can lead a company to be a pioneer firm in the market if it possesses the ability to convert intellectual leadership into market leadership and be ahead of their rivals. The foresight of the rising opportunities plays a vital role in gaining a competitive advantage. Core competence and dynamic capabilities holds the key to exploit opportunities and are intriguing assets which are built with time. By getting hold of such opportunities a company can capture royalties, market reputation, customer lock-in, vast distribution network and set or define rules for other companies to compete, as Sony did in portable audio products and Intel has done in microprocessors. The key to innovation is stability.The focus of a company should be on organisational stewardship and stability rather than short-term profit fixation which can be gained from the success of one product.

Canada and Chemical Weapons :: Canadian Canada History

Canada and Chemical Weapons Chemical weapons date back the Peloponnesian war of 428-424 BC when they were used against the Spartans; the chemicals used were incendiary devices and sulfur-based gases that were blown by the wind onto besieged cities. The chemical weapons used then aren't nearly as deadly as those used in more recent times such as mustard gas, they were more to cause there enemies to retreat. There have been many incidents in history in which chemical weapons have been used as I have found in two articles on the history of chemical weapons. The articles I found are "A Short History of Chemical Weapons", and "Creating the Faith: The Canadian Gas Services in the First World War". Chemical weapons have been used in many occasions in war, including Ancient Times, The Middle Ages, World War I, and World War II and so on throughout time. Many kinds of chemical weapons have been used but modern chemical weapons started on April 22, 1915, with the Germans use of Chlorine gas on the Allie troops in WWI. In this incident 6,000 cylinders of the gas were released by 2 battalions along a 6 kilometer of the front, and the wind dispersed the clouds of gas killing 5,000 soldiers and putting 1,500 more out of the war. This caused great panic because nothing like this had happened before and wasn't expected by the allies. Previous to this event in the Middle Ages they used such things as arsenic and more natural things as chemicals which were as powerful as the chlorine gas ended up being in WWI. Chemical weapons were used many times after the Germans used chlorine gas in WWI, chlorine, phosgene, benzyl bromide, hydrogen cyanide, and then mustard gas in 1917. Mustard gas bec ame the worst and most popular chemical weapon used when it came out because of how harmful it was to the enemies; in addition it was figured that 1,300,000 soldiers were killed by the chemical weapons by the end of WWI. This essay stated that: "If the first World War had continued for yet another year it would indeed have been called the first Chemical War" (A Short History of Chemical Weapons) In WWII the use of chemical weapons decreased a lot and was only used in the Far East. Since WWI has really been called the birthplace of chemical weapons Tim Cook starts his article there with the Germans use of chlorine gas and how chemical weapon use escalated from that point.

Raps Controversy :: essays research papers

Rap’s Controversy The most popular new music to emerge from the ‘80’s was rap music. It first developed in the mid ‘70’s in New York City, and soon in other urban areas, primarily amongst African-American teen-agers. It became very popular with the urban public that it soon began to spread throughout the United States and much of the world. It replaced rock music as the creative force in music of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. However, as popular as it was then and it is now, the lyrics of many rap songs have caused controversy. Many believe and have charged that these lyrics promote racism and violence and show contempt for women. Those in the mainstream have long considered rap music controversial. However its controversy escalated to a whole new level when the world was introduced to â€Å"Gangsta Rap,† where violent acts and suggestions are graphically portrayed (yale). The notorious rap group responsible for the introduction of gangsta rap was NWA (bomp). Gangsta rap has been criticized and debated over for its graphic sexual content, and violent imagery (yale). The lyrics in many songs contain violent and explicit lyrics that usually talk about killing someone along with sounds of gunshots in the background. Gangsta rap also talks about drug use and portrays negative attitudes toward women, especially black women. The artists refer to women as, â€Å"bitches,† â€Å"whores† and sex dispensing â€Å"hoes.† On the contrary there is a nice sideffect to controversy; you can use it to get a message across and most importantly it sales records, just like NWA, Ice-T, Public Enemy, and the 2 live crew soon discovered early on in their time. Today most young people think that if a person is rich and famous, they can get away with anything. They see rappers get charged with felonies and then they see that the charges get dropped. They’ve heard of celebrities running over children while drunk and get away with it without doing any time. However, not all rappers have run-ins with the law, but the ones that do are very well known. Tupac Shakur (RIP), for example, had many run-ins with the law. He was arrested for aggravated assault, and charged with shooting two off duty police officers in Atlanta in 1993, but the charges were later dropped (bomp). He was also accused of beating a limousine driver in Los Angeles and found guilty of threatening a fellow rapper with a baseball bat in Michigan (bomp).

Project Management is an Art Form NOT a Science Essay -- Business, Case

Project Management: Art to the Rescue! "Is project management more of a science or more of an art form?" Introduction Today’s business executives are asking their managers and employees â€Å"to do more†¦ with less†. Fewer Project Managers are leading more projects with poor results, the latest Standish Group – Chaos Report shows that only 28% of IT projects succeed. Many believe that the key to Project success in not applying technical management principles, but rather, more artful soft skills such as communication and creativity. (Belzer, 2004). This case study will present and discuss why the application of soft skills will help today’s stressed-out Project Managers implement successful projects. Not only must projects be deployed on time and within budget, they must ultimately bring value to the stakeholder. Often times relating this information to the project sponsor requires creativity rather than a montage of colorful Gantt charts and graphs. The truly gifted Project Managers are those that can apply the systematic hard skills in an artful manner by using soft skills. To that end, some systematic or science related management skills will be discussed, along with the soft skills and how they are used together to successfully manage projects. Scientific Approach Systematic or â€Å"hard† skills such as Gantt Charting or diagramming are just some of the tools Project Managers use to track project activities. While they are important to project success they are not the end all. Successful Project Leaders know the winning formula for combining hard skills with soft skills. A thorough understanding of the technical system to be deployed allows project leaders to break the project down into many smaller tasks. Assign... ...also qualities of successful managers. Good leaders apply artistic traits to scientific tools in order to effectively manage complex projects. Bibliography: Kate Belzer (2004) Project Management: Still More Art than Science Andrew D. Brown, Matthew R. Jones (1998) Doomed to failure: narratives of inevitability and conspiracy in a failed IS project. Organization Studies, Winter. Michael Greer (1999) 14 Key Principles for PM Success. Chapter 6: Planning and Managing Human Performance Technology Projects, "Handbook of Human Performance Technology, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Craig Schiff (January, 2004) Maximize Business Performance: Getting Started: The BPM Project Life Cycle Paul Worthington (2001) Case Study – Developing Project Management Skills in Managing Death March Projects. Working paper, School of Business, Curtin University, Perth, AU

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 17

He stared at her for an instant, his golden eyeswide. â€Å"Don't you believe me?† â€Å"I wouldn't put it past Sylvia to try,† he said. â€Å"ButI don't think she's strong enough.† â€Å"She said she got special ingredients. And shesaid that nobody else could take the spell off.†When he still looked doubtful, although a bit more grim, Maggie added, â€Å"Why don't youtry it?† He reached down with long, strong fingers to pullat the fastenings of his brace. It came off easily,and Maggie's eyebrows went up. She blinked. He extended his arm, pointing it at the wall, anddrew a dagger from his belt. Maggie had forgotten about the blood part. Shebit the inside of her cheek and didn't say anythingashe opened a small cut on his wrist. Blood welled up red, then flowed in a trickle. â€Å"Just a little blast,† Delos said, and looked calmlyat the wall. Nothing happened. He frowned, his golden eyes flaring dangerously. Maggie could see the concentration in his face. Hespread his fingers. Still nothing happened. Maggie let out her breath. I guess spells are invisible, she thought. The brace was just for show.Delos was looking at his armasif it didn't belong to him. â€Å"We're in trouble,† Maggie said, trying not tomake it sound like I told you so. â€Å"While they thought they were alone in here, they were talkingabout all kinds of things. All Hunter cares about is getting you to help him destroy the humans. Butthere's been some big split in the Night World, and the witches have seceded from it.† Delos went very still, and his eyes were distant.†That means war. Open war between witches and vampires.† â€Å"Probably,† Maggie said, waving a hand vaguely.†But, listen, Delos, the witches sent somebody here,an ambassador, to talk to you. To try to get you on their side. Hunter said they've got one of the Wild Powers on their side already-the witches, I mean.Are you getting this?† â€Å"Of course,† Delos said. But now his voice wasoddly distant, too. He was looking at something Maggie couldn't see. â€Å"But one out of four doesn'tmatter. Two out of four, three out of four-it's notgood enough.† â€Å"What are you talkingabout?† Maggie didn't waitfor him to answer. â€Å"But, look. I know the girl whocame to talk to you. It's the girl I was with on therocks, the other one you saved from Bern. She'sAradia, and she's Maiden of all the witches. And,Delos, they're looking for her right now. They wantto kill her to stop her from getting to you. And she's my friend.† â€Å"That's too bad.† â€Å"We've got to stopthem,† Maggie said, exasperated. â€Å"Wecan't.† That brought Maggie up short. She stared at him.†What are you talking about?† â€Å"I'm saying we can't stop them. They're toostrong. Maggie, listen to me,† he said calmly and clearly, when she began an incoherent protest. That's the first time he's said my name out loud, she thought dizzily, and then she focused on hiswords. â€Å"It's not just the spell they've put on me. And it'snot just that they control the castle. Oh, yes, theydo,† he said with a bitter laugh, cutting her off again. â€Å"You haven't been here very long; you don'tunderstand. The nobles here are centuries old,most of them. They don't like being ruled by a precocious child with uncanny powers. As soon asHunter showed up, they transferred their loyalty to him.† ‘BUt-â€Å"‘ â€Å"He's everything they admire. The perfect vampire, the ultimate predator. He's ruthless andbloodthirsty and he wants to give them the wholeworldas their hunting grounds. Do you really thinkany of them can resist that? After years of huntingmindless, bewildered animals that have to be rationed out one at a time? With maybe the oddcreaky slave for a special treat? Do you think any of them won't follow him willingly?† Maggie was silent. There was nothing she couldsay. He was right, and it was scary. â€Å"And that isn't all,† he continued remorselessly.†Do you want to hear a prophecy?† â€Å"Not really,† Maggie said. She'd heard more thanenough of those for one lifetime. He ignored her. â€Å"My old teacher used to tell methis,† he said. â€Å"‘Four to stand between the light and theshadow, Four of blue fire, power in their blood. Born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision;Four less one and darkness triumphs.'† â€Å"Uh huh,† Maggie said. To her it sounded likejust more of the same thing. The only interestingthing about it was that it mentioned the blindMaiden. That had to be Aradia, didn't it? She wasone famous witch. â€Å"What's `born in the year of the blind Maiden'svision?†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ she asked. â€Å"It means all the Wild Powers are the same age,born seventeen years ago,† Delos said impatiently. `But that's not the point. The point is the last line,`Four less one and darkness triumphs.' That meansthat the darkness is going to win, Maggie.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"It's inevitable. There's no way that the humansand the witches can get all four Wild Powers ontheir side. And if there's even one less than four,the darkness is going to win. All the vampires need to do is kill one of the Wild Powers, and it's allover. Don't you see?† Maggie stared at him. She did see what he wassaying, and it was even scarier than what he'd saidbefore. â€Å"But that doesn't mean we can just give up,†she said, trying to puzzle out his expression. â€Å"If we do that, it will be all over. We can't just surrender and letthem win.† â€Å"Of course not,† he said harshly. â€Å"We have tojoin them.† There was a long silence. Maggie realized that her mouth had fallen open. â€Å"†¦ what?† â€Å"We have to be on the winning side, and that'sthe vampire side.† He looked at her with yelloweyes that seemed as remote and deathly calm as apanther's. â€Å"I'm sorry about your friends, but there's no chance for them. And the only chance for youis to become a vampire.† Maggie's brain suddenly surged into overdrive. All at once, she saw exactly what he was saying.And furygave her energy. He was lightning-fast, but she jumped up and out of the way before he could close his hands on her. â€Å"Are you out of your mind?† â€Å"No â€Å"You're going to killme?† â€Å"I'm going to save your life, the only way I can.†He stood up, following her with that same eerie calm. I can't believe this. I †¦really †¦can't †¦ believe this, Maggie thought. She circled around the bed, then stopped. It was pointless; he was going to get her eventually. She looked into his face one more time, and saw that he was completely serious. She dropped herarms and relaxed her shoulders, trying to slow herbreathing, meeting his eyes directly. â€Å"Delos, this isn't just about me, and it's not justabout my friends. It's about all the slaves here, andall the humans on the Outside. Turning me into a vampire isn't going to help them.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said again. â€Å"But you're all that really matters.† â€Å"No, I'm not,†Maggie said, and this time the hottears didn't stop at her eyes, but overflowed and rolled down her cheeks. She shook them off angrily, and took one last deep breath. â€Å"I won't let you,† she said. â€Å"You can't stop me.† â€Å"I can fight. I can make you kill me before youturn me into a vampire. If you want to try it thatway, come and take your best shot.† Delos's yellow eyes bored into hers-and thensuddenly shifted and dropped. He stepped back, hisface cold. â€Å"Fine,† he said. â€Å"If you won't cooperate, I'll putyou in the dungeon until you see what's best foryou. Maggie felt her mouth drop open again.†You wouldn't,† she said. â€Å"Watch me.† The dungeon, like everything else in the castle,was heart-stoppingly authentic. It had something that Maggie had read about in books but hadn't seen in the rooms above: rushesand straw on the floor. It also had a stone benchcarved directly into the stone wall and a narrow,barred window-slit about fifteen feet above Mag gie's head. And that was all it had. Once Maggie had poked into the straw enoughto discover that she didn't really wantto know whatwas down there and shaken the iron bars that made up the door and examined the stone slabs in the wall and stood on the bench to try to climb to the window, therewas nothing else to do. She sat on the bench and felt the true enormity of the situation trickle in on her. She was really stuck here. Delos was really serious. And the world, the actual, real world out there, could be affected as a consequence. It wasn't that she didn't understand his motivation. She had been in his mind; she'd felt thestrength of his protectiveness for her. And she wanted to protect him, too. But it wasn't possible to forget about everyoneelse. Her parents, her friends, her teachers, thepaper girl. If she let Delos give up, what happenedto them? Even the people in the Dark Kingdom. Laundressand Old Mender and Soaker and Chamber-pot Emptier and all the other slaves. She caredabout them. She admired their gritty determination to goon living, whatever the circumstances-and theircourage in risking their lives to help her. That's what Delosdoesn't understand, shethought. He doesn't see them as people, so he can'tcare about them. All his life he's only cared abouthimself, and now about me. He can't look beyondthat. If only she could think of a way to makehimsee-but she couldn't. As the hours passed and thesilence began to wear on her, she kept trying. No inspiration came. And finally the light outsideher cell began to fade and the cold started to settle in. She was half asleep, huddled on her chilly bench,when she heard the rattle of a key in a door. She jumped up and went to peer through the bars, hoping to see Delos. The door at the end of the narrow stone corridoropened and someone came in with a flare. But itwasn't Delos. It was a guard, and behind him wasanother guard, and this one had a prisoner. â€Å"Jeanne!† Maggie said in dismay. And then her heart plummeted further. A third guard was half marching, half supporting Aradia. Maggie looked at them wordlessly. It wasn't like Jeanne not to fight, she thought, asthe guards opened the cell door and shoved theother girls in. The door clanged shut again, and the guardsmarched back out without speaking. Almost as an afterthought, one of them stuck a flare in an ironring to give the prisoners some light. And then they were gone. Jeanne picked herself up off the floor, and thenhelped Aradia get up. â€Å"They've got P.J. upstairs,†she said to Maggie, who was still staring. â€Å"Theysaid they wouldn't hurt her if we went quietly.† Maggie opened her mouth, shut it again, andtried to swallow her heart, which was in her throat.At last she managed to speak. â€Å"Delos said that?† â€Å"Delos and Hunter Redfern and that witch.They're all very chummy.† Maggie sat down on the cold bench.†I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"Why? Because you're too stupidly trusting?†Jeanne said. â€Å"You're not responsible for him.† â€Å"I think she means because she's his soulmate,†Aradia said softly. Jeanne stared at her as if she'd started speaking a foreign language. Maggie stared, too, feeling hereyes getting wider, trying to study the beautiful features in the semidarkness. She felt oddly shy of this girl whom she'd calledCady and who had turned out to be something shecould never have imagined. â€Å"How did you know that?† she asked, trying notto sound tongue-tied. â€Å"Can you justtell?† Asmile curved the perfect lips in the shadows.†I could tell before,† Aradia said gently, backing upquite accurately to sit on the bench. â€Å"When youcame back from seeing him the first time, but Iwas too foggy to really focus on anything then. I'veseen a lot of it in the last few years, though. Peoplefinding their soulmates, I mean.† â€Å"You're better, aren't you?† Maggie said. â€Å"Yousound lots moreawake.† It wasn't just that. Aradia had always had a quiet dignity, but now therewas an authority and confidence about her thatwas new. â€Å"The healing women helped me. I'm still weak,though,† Aradia said softly, looking around the cell. â€Å"I can't use any of my powers-not that breakingthrough walls is among them, anyway.† Maggie let her breath out. â€Å"Oh, well. I'm gladyou're awake, anyway.† She added, feeling shy again, â€Å"Um, I know your real name, now. Sorry about the misunderstanding before.† Aradia put a hand-again perfectly accuratelyon Maggie's. â€Å"Listen, my dear friend,† she said,startling Maggie with both the word and the intensity of her voice, â€Å"nobody has ever helped me more than you did, or with less reason. If you'd been oneof my people, and you'd known who I was, it wouldhave been amazing enough. But from a human, who didn't know anything about me †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Shestopped and shook her head. â€Å"I don't know if we'll even live through tonight,† she said. `But if we do,and if there's ever anything the witches can do foryou, all you have to do is ask.† Maggie blinked hard. â€Å"Thanks,† she whispered. â€Å"I meanyou know. I couldn't just leave you.† â€Å"I do know,† Aradia said. â€Å"And that's the amazingthing.† She squeezed Maggie's hand. â€Å"Whatever happens, I'll never forget you. And neither will theother witches, if I have anything to say about it.† Maggie gulped. She didn't want to get startedcrying. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop. Fortunately Jeanne was looking back and forthbetween them like someone at a tennis match.†What's all this sappy stuff?† she demanded. â€Å"Whatare you guys talking about?† Maggie told her. Not just about Aradia being Maiden of the witches, but about everything she'dlearned from listening to Hunter Redfern andSylvia. â€Å"So the witches have left the Night World,† Aradia said quietly, when she was finished. â€Å"They wereabout ready to when I left.† â€Å"You were coming here to talk to Delos,† Maggie said. Aradia nodded. â€Å"We heard that Hunter had gotten some lead about the next Wild Power. And weknew he wasn't goingto take any chances on letting Circle Daybreak get hold of this one.† Jeanne was rubbing her forehead. â€Å"What's Circle Daybreak? ‘It's the last circle of witches-but it isn't justwitches. It's for humans, too, and for shapeshiftersand vampires who want to live in peace with humans. And now it's for everybody who opposes the darkness.† She thought a moment and added, â€Å"I used to belong to Circle Twilight, the †¦not-so wicked witches.† She smiled, then it faded. â€Å"Butnow there are really only two sides to choose from.It's the Daylightorthe Darkness, and that's all.† â€Å"Delos really isn't on the side of the Darkness,†Maggie said, feeling the ache in her chest tighten.†He's just-confused. He'd join you if he didn'tthink it meant me getting killed.† Aradia squeezed her hand again. â€Å"I believe you,†she said gently. â€Å"So, you're some kind of bigwig of the witches,huh?† Jeanne said. Aradia turned toward her and laughed. â€Å"I'm theirMaiden, the representative of the young witches. If I live long enough, I'll be their Mother one day, and then their Crone.† â€Å"What fun. But with all that, you still can't thinkof any way to get us out of here?† Aradia sobered. â€Å"I can't. I'm sorry. If-this isn'tmuch use, but if I can do anything, it's only to givea prophecy.† Maggie made an involuntary noise in her throat. â€Å"It came while I was asleep in the healers hut,†Aradia said apologetically. â€Å"And it was just athought, a concept. That if there was to be any helpin this valley, it was through appealing to people's true hearts.† Jeanne made a much louder and ruder noisethan Maggie's. â€Å"There is one more thing,† Aradia said, turningher wide unfocused eyes toward Maggie and speaking as gently asever. â€Å"I should have mentioned thisearlier. I can tell you about your brother.†

Fin 370 Final Exam Study Guide

Week One unveiling to Finance and Analysis accusing place basic financial terminology. 1. Which of the following reasons is virtually responsible for corpo balancens being the most distinguished form of disdain organization in the United States? 1. Corporations hurl limited life. 2. Stockholders have unlimited liability. 3. Corporations atomic number 18 subject to little government regulation than the other forms of business organization. 4. Corporations have the ability to raise larger sums of metropolis of the United States than the other forms of business organization. bearing Explain how financial markets work in the United States. . Which of the following is NOT an favour of a private placement (as comp ard to a existence offering)? 1. Greater backing tractability 2. turn away flotation costs 3. Lower interest costs 4. Quicker handiness of funds intention Assess the character of ethics and compliance in the pay environment. 3. Which of the following is a ch aracteristic of an competent market? 1. Small number of individuals. 2. Opportunities survive for investors to profit from publicly available information. 3. certificate prices reflect fair abide by of the sign of the zodiac. 4. quick response occurs for new public information. heading prize financial performance using financial ratios. 4. Which of the following is taked in the denominator of the times-interest-earned ratio? 1. Lease payments 2. Principal payments 3. Interest write down 4. Gross profit Week devil pecuniary Planning Objective pull out the relationship between st countgic provision and financial planning. 5. Which of the following statements is true? 1. The future day value of an annuity would be great if funds ar invested at the set-back of severally achievement alternatively of at the end of each period. 2.An annuity is a series of equal payments that atomic number 18 made, or received, forever. 3. The effective yearbook rate (APR) of a loan is h igher the less overmuch payments are made. 4. The future value of an annuity would be greater if funds are invested at the end of each period rather than at the beginning of each period. Objective Prepare a coin budget. 6. A company collects 60% of its sales during the month of the sale, 30% one month afterward the sale, and 10% two months after the sale. The company expects sales of $10,000 in August, $20,000 in September, $30,000 in October, and $40,000 in November.How much property is expected to be collected in October? 1. $25,000 2. $15,000 3. $35,000 4. None of the above Objective put to death a break-even analysis. 7. Potential applications of the break-even model include 1. replacement for time- ad excepted bang-up budgeting techniques. 2. pricing policy. 3. optimizing the cash-marketable securities stick of a trusty. 4. none of these Objective weigh present value and future value of cash flows. 8. If you invest $750 every hexad months at 8% compounded semi-annu ally, how much would you accumulate at the end of 10 years? 1. $10,065 . $10,193 3. $22,334 4. $21,731 Week Three working(a) Capital Management and Capital Budgeting Objective Evaluate effective working capital management techniques. 9. According to the hedging principle, unending assets should be financed with _______ liabilities. 1. permanent 2. spontaneous 3. on-going 4. fixed Objective Evaluate alternative capital construes. 10. Consider a assure with the following cash flows After-Tax After-Tax Accounting cash in Flow Year Profits from merchandise operations 1 $799 $ 750 $cl $1,000 3 $cc $1,200 Initial outlay = $1,500 Terminal cash flow = 0 Compute the profitableness index if the companys subtraction rate is 10%. 1. 15. 8 2. 1. 61 3. 1. 81 4. 0. 62 Objective contemplate risks associated with capital labors. 11. Aroma Candles, Inc. is evaluating a project with the following cash flows. encipher the IRR of the project. (Round to the hot whole percentage. ) Year Cas h Flows 0 ($120,000) 1 $ 30,000 2 $ 70,000 3 $ 90,000 . 18% 2. 23% 3. 28% 4. 33% Objective Identify the decision-making factors in lease versus buy. 12. A machine costs $1,000, has a three-year life, and has an estimated excuse value of $100. It will generate after-tax annual cash flows (ACF) of $600 a year, starting side by side(p) year. If your essential rate of return for the project is 10%, what is the NPV of this investment? (Round your answerwer to the nearest $10. ) 1. $490 2. $570 3. $900 4. -$150 Week Four Long-Term financial support Objective Identify the impact of financing strategies on cost of capital. 13.When calculating the intermediate cost of capital, which of the following has to be adjusted for taxes? 1. Common stock 2. Retained gain 3. Debt 4. Preferred stock Objective Calculate the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of a firm. 14. Armadillo Mfg. Co. has a target capital structure of 50% debt and 50% equity. They are planning to invest in a project whic h will necessitate aggrandisement new capital. New debt will be issued at a before-tax yield of 12%, with a coupon rate of 10%. The equity will be provided by internally generated funds. No new impertinent equity will be issued.If the required rate of return on the firms stock is 15% and its borderline tax rate is 40%, reason the firms cost of capital. 1. 13. 5% 2. 12. 5% 3. 7. 2% 4. 11. 1% Objective Compare and contrast initial public offering (IPO) and mergers & acquisitions growth strategies. 15. Lever Brothers has a debt ratio (debt to assets) of 60%. Management is question if its current capital structure is in addition aggressive. Lever Brotherss present EBIT is $3 million, and profits available to common shareholders are $1,440,000, with 228,571 shares of common stock outstanding.If the firm were to instead have a debt ratio of 20%, reduced interest expense would ap conjure movement profits available to stockholders to increase to $1,680,000, nevertheless 457,143 comm on shares would be outstanding. What is the difference in EPS at a debt ratio of 20% versus 60%? 1. $-1. 76 2. $-2. 63 3. $-3. 14 4. $-4. 37 Week Five world- abundant Finance Objective Describe the factors that direct to foreign stand in risk. 17. I. T. Canwait, Inc. , a U. S. -based multinational, has just sold cans to a Japanese company, I. C. descry, Inc. Spots will pay for the order in 60 days. I. T. Canwait is now exposed to which diverseness of risk? 1.Transaction 2. Translation 3. Operating 4. Financial Objective Compare and contrast methods to excuse foreign exchange rate risk. 18. The rate that a subsidiary or parent of the multinational corporation charges other divisions of the firm for its products is called a(n) 1. forward price. 2. transaction price. 3. transfer price. 4. exchange price. Objective Analyze the impact of globalization on financial decisions. 19. A wide bid/ask spread could demo which of the following? 1. The presence of arbitrageurs 2. Large-volum e transactions are taking place 3. Frequent trade of a currency 4. Infrequent trading of a currency