Monday, September 30, 2019

Organizational Behaviour Essay

Part A consists of three questions. Be sure to include both the questions and the responses in the document you submit. Your total combined responses for these three questions should not exceed 1000 to 1500 words. 1. Marketing specialists at Napanee Beer Co. developed a new advertising campaign for summer sales. The ads were particularly aimed at sports events where Napanee Beer sold kegs of beer on tap. The marketing group worked for months with a top advertising firm on the campaign. Their effort was successful in terms of significantly higher demand for Napanee Beer’s keg beer at sports stadiums. However, the production department had not been notified of the marketing campaign and was not prepared for the increased demand. The company was forced to buy empty kegs at a premium price. It also had to brew some of the lower priced keg beer in vats that would have been used for higher priced specialty beer. The result was that Napanee Beer sold more of the lower priced keg beer and less of the higher priced products that summer. Moreover, the company could not initially fill consumer demand for the keg beer, resulting in customer dissatisfaction. Use open systems theory to explain what occurred at Napanee Beer Co. Begin with a brief description of open systems theory. Use your own words (paraphrase) and remember to cite all sources using APA style. The open systems theory states that organizations are entities that continually exchange resources with its external environment. The organization is dependent on the external environment for resources such as raw materials, employees, financial resources, and information and equipment which are the organizations inputs. Those inputs are used by the organizations internal subsystems, such as production and marketing, and are subsequently turned into outputs such as products, services, employee behaviours, profits/ losses, and waste/ pollution (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 4). According to the open systems theory (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 4), the organization Napanee Beer Company’s internal subsystems were not operating efficiently. Due to the lack of communication between the marketing group and the production team, production was unaware of the increase in demand for the product and did not order enough inputs to meet this larger demand. Consequently, the materials used were much more expensive than they would have been had they been ordered earlier. This oversight cost the company sales on higher priced specialty beer and caused customer dissatisfaction. Had the production team been aware of the success of the marketing campaign, which was geared towards sporting events where Napanee Beer sold kegs of beer on tap, they would have been able to order the appropriate amount of kegs, saving the company a lot of money. This is not an issue between the external and internal environment but an issue with Napanee’s internal subsystems effectiveness (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 4.). The lack of communication between departments weakened the company’s ability to maximize its input to output capability; therefore, the company was not functioning at a high level of efficiency (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 5.). 2. The sales office of a large industrial products wholesale company has an increasing problem: salespeople are arriving late at the office each morning. Some sales reps go directly to visit clients rather than showing up at the office as required by company policy. Others arrive several minutes after their appointed start time. The vice-president of sales doesn’t want to introduce time clocks, but this may be necessary if the lateness problem isn’t corrected. Using the MARS model of individual behaviour, diagnose the possible reasons salespeople may be engaging in this â€Å"lateness† behaviour. Begin with a brief description of the MARS model. Use your own words (paraphrase) and remember to cite all sources using APA style. The MARS model represents the four factors that influence people’s behaviour and performance. These factors are motivation, ability, role perceptions, and situational factors (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 26). Motivation is what drives a person in a particular direction and the passion and persistence in which they pursue something (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 26). The ability of an employee refers to their natural aptitudes as well as their acquired capabilities (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 27). An employee’s competencies refer to his or her skills, knowledge and other characteristics that may be beneficial to the organization (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 27). Role perception is the third factor in the MARS model. This refers to how closely the employee’s perception of their job duties aligns with the employer’s (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 27). The final factor in the MARS model is situational factors. Situational factors involve conditions that are not part of the employee’s skill set or personality and are often out of their control (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 28). According to the MARS model of individual behaviour, the possible reasons salespeople may be engaging in this â€Å"lateness† behaviour is first the lack of motivation they are feeling to show up to the office at their scheduled start time (McShane & Steen, 2009, pp. 26-28). This could be due in part to the lack of incentive they receive for showing up on time. Furthermore, the absence of negative consequences for showing up late has not shown the sales reps that the company is serious about this policy. In order for the sales reps to be motivated to show up to the office in the morning instead of seeing clients first, there needs to be some kind of reinforcement from the company that demonstrates that showing up on time is a behaviour that they expect and value. The sales reps were most likely hired because of their ability to gain new customers and sell products; therefore, they see this aspect of their job as being priority and do not see the value in showing up at the office first. The biggest factor effecting this situation is role perception (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 27). The sales reps do not have a clear understanding that arriving at the office on time is an essential part of their job duties. It is clear from the sales reps behaviour that they are not aware of the importance of being at the office in the morning before they head out to see clients. While this may be a company policy in writing, it is not well practiced in the office, so it is perceived by employees as a recommendation rather than a rule. Situational factors may also contribute to the â€Å"lateness† problem (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 28). This could be because face time at the office does not support their task goals which are to go out and see clients and s ell products. The sales reps might find the commute to the office an inconvenience whereas they could instead cut that commute out of their day and drive straight to a client’s office. 3. Big Box Construction Company has received warnings from government safety inspectors that employees at some of its construction sites are not wearing the required safety helmets and noise-protection equipment. The company could lose these contracts if safety practices are not maintained. The company has warned employees that they could be fired if they don’t wear the safety gear, but this has had little effect. Describe an A-B-C analysis for this situation and provide two types of behaviour modification interventions that might change employee behaviour in this situation. In an A-B-C analysis of this situation the antecedent would be the warning the employees received from the company informing them that they must wear safety gear on the job site. The behaviour is that some of the employees are not wearing safety equipment on the construction sites. And the Consequences are that the employees face termination if they continue to disregard this policy (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 66). Two types of behaviour modification interventions that might change employee behaviour in this situation are: 1) Positive reinforcement, the supervisor can offer praise to the employees who are adhering to the safety guidelines (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 66). In addition, there could be a reward in place such as a bonus for employees who are wearing their safety equipment on the site every day. 2) Punishment, although punishment might generate negative feelings toward the company and supervisor, it is necessary because of the severity of the breach (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 67). The type of punishment will depend on the frequency of the offence. For example, the first offence could result in a write-up, the second offence in a suspension without pa y, and the third dismissal. Part B Read Case Study 4.1: Conestoga-Rovers and Associates on pages 97 and 98 of the textbook and answer the three discussion questions that follow it. Your answer for this case study should not exceed 600 to 800 words in length and should incorporate, where appropriate, content from Lessons 1, 2, 3, and 4. Questions 1) Why does Conestoga-Rovers and Associates and other companies try to create a positive work environment? The text explains that according to the dual cognitive-emotional attitude process, the positive emotional experiences employees encounter on a daily basis at Conestoga-Rovers contributes to their job satisfaction (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 80). When employees are satisfied with their job they are more likely to be accommodating to the organization’s clients, helpful to their co-workers, and can experience increased overall productivity (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 87). Therefore, it is beneficial for the company to foster a positive work environment where its employees are frequently feeling positive emotional experiences, so that their outlook on their jobs and the company will be much more favourable (McShane & Steen, 2009, p.80). According to the model of emotions, attitudes, and behaviour (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 79), our emotions will have a direct impact on our behavioural intentions which in turn will most likely affect our behaviour. If the employees at Conestoga-Rovers are bombarded with positive emotions in their work environment, than they are more likely to behave in a way that is agreeable to the company. Conestoga-Rovers acknowledges and appreciates its human capital and realizes that its employees knowledge provide a competitive advantage to the company (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 7). They realize that in order for the company to retain its valued employees and attract new ones they need to foster a positive work environment. By â€Å"adapting employment practices† to suit the needs of their employees the company is striving to retain its valued intellectual capital (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 6). 2) How does this company manage to provide events and perks that employees value? At Conestoga-Rovers and Associates having fun and maintaining a work-life balance are fundamental to the company and its employees. This is evident in the many perks this company offers its employees that vary from its extremely active social committee to the onsite daycare facility. As stated in the case study, an employee of Conestoga-Rovers suggested that the company build an onsite daycare facility, never really expecting that they would take her request so seriously. However, much to the employee’s delighted shock the company complied. This demonstrates the company’s dedication to its employees wants and needs. In addition the company has assembled a social committee to listen to what it is that employee’s value and have evidently been able to deliver to the Conestoga-Rovers employees what they want. By doing this for their employees the organization is building organizational commitment and loyalty to the company (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 89). By involving employees in company decisions that affect them and listening to their needs they are strengthening their employee’s social identity within the organization. This shows employees that their opinions are not only heard but are valued and trusted by the organization (McShane & Steen, 2009, p.89). The company has a â€Å"work hard-play hard mantra†, and their â€Å"social events and activities play an integral role in the company’s culture (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 97). This is evidently closely aligned with its employee’s values; therefore, the employee’s feel comfort in their shared values with the company prompting them to remain loyal to the company (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 89). 3) Is it possible that employees can have too much fun at work? From personal experience, I think that it is possible to have too much fun at work. When there are too many social events at work it takes away from an employee’s personal time and time at home with their family. An employee can feel forced to participate in social events that they do not want to partake in, and this can end up having a contrary effect to what the company is striving for. This added pressure to attend social events can add stress for the employee and take away from time needed to complete his/her work. Conversely, having fun at work can help build camaraderie amongst the employees and reduce the consequences of stress such as job burnout. Attending social functions can give employees a break from the monotonous routine of their job tasks; therefore, reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion and indifference towards their jobs (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 91). Fun events with co-workers can also help to build on an employee’s social awareness. For instance, when employees are interacting with each other and building personal relationships as well as professional relationships they are better equipped to â€Å"perceive and understand the emotions† of their co-workers (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 84). Because they are getting to know their peers personal situations a little better, the interaction allows them to be able to experience some empathy for their co-workers.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Stock and Debt

CHAPTER 12 QUESTIONS 12-1Operating leverage affects EBIT and, through EBIT, EPS. Financial leverage generally has no effect on EBIT—it only affects EPS, given EBIT. 12-2Because Firm A has a higher fixed operating costs, its operating income will change by a greater percentage than Firm B’s operating income if sales change. Firm A has a higher degree of operating leverage than Firm B. 12-3If sales tend to fluctuate widely, then cash flows and the ability to service fixed charges also will vary. Consequently, there is a relatively large risk that the firm will be unable to meet its fixed charges.As a result, firms in unstable industries tend to use less debt than those whose sales are subject to only moderate fluctuations. 12-4The tax benefits from debt increase linearly, which causes a continuous increase in the firm’s value and stock price. However, bankruptcy-related costs begin to be felt after some amount of debt has been employed, and these costs offset the benefits of debt. See Figure 12-5 in the textbook. 12-5Carson does have leverage because its EPS increases by a greater multiple than its sales when sales change. According to the information that is given, Carson’s DTL is 4 = 20/5.Because we have no information about either the firm’s operating fixed costs or its fixed financing costs, we cannot state whether the firm has operating leverage, financial leverage, or both. 12-6EBIT depends on sales and operating costs that generally are not affected by the firm’s use of financial leverage, because interest is deducted from EBIT. At high debt levels, however, firms lose business, employees worry, and operations are not continuous because of financing difficulties. Thus, financial leverage can influence sales and cost, hence EBIT, if excessive leverage causes investors, customers, and employees to be oncerned about the firm’s future. 12-7Expected EPS generally is measured as EPS for the coming years, and we typically do not reflec t in this calculation any bankruptcy-related costs. Also, EPS does not reflect (in a major way) the increase in risk and ks that accompanies an increase in the debt ratio, whereas P0 does reflect these factors. Thus, the stock price will be maximized at a debt level that is lower than the EPS-maximizing debt level. 12-8A firm can change the proportion of debt it uses in its capital structure. If the firm has too much (little) debt, it can reduce (increase) the proportion of debt in its capital structure.Such as change should decrease the firm’s WACC, and thus increase its value. 12-9Absolute’s optimal capital structure is 40 percent debt (= $20,000,000/$50,000,000), because the market price of the company’s stock ($130. 75) is maximized at this point. 12-10With increased competition after the breakup of AT&T, the new AT&T and the seven Bell operating companies’ business risk increased. With this component of total company risk increasing, the new companie s probably decided to reduce their financial risk, and use less debt, to compensate.With increased competition the chance of bankruptcy increases and lowering debt usage makes this less of a possibility. If we consider the tax issue alone, interest on debt is tax deductible; thus, the higher the firm’s tax rate the more beneficial the deductibility of interest is. However, competition and business risk have tended to outweigh the tax aspect as we saw from the actual debt ratios of the Bell companies. The Bell companies and the new AT&T lowered their debt ratios, for reasons along these lines. 2-11Several possibilities exist for the firm, but trying to match the length of the project with the maturity of the financing plan seems to be the best approach. The firm might want to finance the R&D with short-term debt and then, if the project’s results are successful, to raise the needed capital for production through long-term debt or equity. Another possibility would be to issue convertible bonds, which can be converted to common stock—a lower interest rate would be paid now, and in the future (presumably the stock price will increase with the new process) investors would trade in the bonds for stock.One also should keep in mind that this project, and R&D in general, is extremely risky and debt financing might not be available except at extremely high rates. For this reason, many R&D companies have low debt ratios, instead paying low dividends and using retained earnings for financing projects. Under Debt financing the expected EPS is $5. 78, the standard deviation is $1. 05, the CV is 0. 18, and the debt ratio increases to 75. 5%. (The debt ratio had been 70. 6 percent. Under Equity financing the expected EPS is $5. 51, the standard deviation is $0. 85, the CV is 0. 15, and the debt ratio decreases to 58. 8 percent. At this interest rate, debt financing provides a higher expected EPS than equity financing; however, the debt ratio is significan tly higher under the debt financing situation as compared with the equity financing situation. Because EPS is not significantly greater under debt financing, but the risk is noticeably greater, equity financing should be recommended.INTEGRATIVE PROBLEMANSWER: Business risk is the uncertainty associated with a firm’s projection of its future operating income.It also is defined as the risk faced by a firm’s stockholders if the company uses no debt. A firm’s business risk is affected by many factors, including: (1) variability in the demand for its output, (2) variability in the price at which its output can be sold, (3) variability in the prices of its inputs, (4) the firm’s ability to adjust output prices as input prices change, (5) the amount of operating leverage used by the firm, and (6) special risk factors (such as potential product liability for a drug company or the potential cost of a nuclear accident for a utility with nuclear plants).ANSWER: Oper ating leverage is the extent to which fixed operating costs are used in a firm’s operations. If a high percentage of the firm's total operating costs are fixed, and hence do not decline when demand falls, then the firm is said to have high operating leverage. Other things held constant, the greater a firm’s operating leverage, the greater its business risk. [pic] ANSWER: Financial leverage refers to the firm’s decision to finance with fixed-charge securities, such as debt and preferred stock. Financial risk is the additional risk, over and above the company's inherent business risk, orne by the stockholders as a result of the firm's decision to finance with debt. [pic] ANSWER: As we discussed above, business risk depends on a number of factors such as sales and cost variability, and operating leverage. Financial risk, on the other hand, depends on only one factor—the amount of fixed-charge capital (financing) the company uses. [pic] ANSWER: Here are the f ully completed statements: The expected TIE would be larger than 2. 5x if less debt were used, but smaller if leverage were increased. [pic] ANSWER: The optimal capital structure is the capital structure at which the tax-related benefits of leverage are exactly offset by debt’s risk-related costs.At the optimal capital structure, (1) the total value of the firm is maximized, (2) the WACC is minimized, and the price per share is maximized. [pic] ANSWER: Here is the sequence of events: 1. CDSS must first announce its recapitalization plans. 2. The company’s stock would have some market price before the announcement, in this case, $20 per share. The company would have to estimate (a) the price it would have to pay for the repurchased shares and (b) the method to be used for the repurchase (open market purchases, or a tender offer). 3.For simplicity, we assume that the firm could repurchase stock at its current price, $20, which also happens to be its book value per share. In actuality, investors would probably reassess their views about the firm’s profitability and risk under the new capital structure, and the stock price probably would rise. No current shareholder would be willing to sell at a price very far below the expected new price, although some would be afraid the recap plan might not go through, and those stockholders would sell out at a lower-than-expected price.Therefore, the stock price would adjust quickly to a new equilibrium that reflects the recapitalization. 4. CDSS would purchase stock, then issue debt and use the proceeds to pay for the repurchased stock. After the recapitalization, the company would have more debt but fewer common shares outstanding. A new EPS could be calculated, and the price would settle into its new level. [pic]4. ANSWER: The analysis for the debt levels being considered (in thousands of dollars and shares) is shown below: At Debt = $0: [pic] At Debt = $250,000: Shares repurchased = $250,000/$20 = 12,5 00.Remaining shares outstanding = 100,000 – 12,500 = 87,500. Note: EPS and TIE calculations are in thousands of dollars. ) [pic] At Debt = $500,000: Shares repurchased = $500,000/$20 = 25,000. Remaining shares outstanding = 100,000 – 25,000 = 75,000. (Note: EPS and TIE calculations are in thousands of dollars. ) [pic] At Debt = $750,000: Shares repurchased = $750,000/$20 = 37,500. Remaining shares outstanding = 100,000 – 37,500 = 62,500. (Note: EPS and TIE calculations are in thousands of dollars. ) [pic] At Debt = $1,000,000: Shares repurchased = $1,000,000/$20 = 50,000. Remaining shares outstanding = 100,000 – 50,000 = 50,000. (Note: EPS and TIE calculations are in thousands of dollars. [pic] [pic] ANSWER: We can calculate the price of a constant growth stock as DPS divided by rs minus g, where g is the expected growth rate in dividends: [pic] Because in this case all earnings are paid out to the stockholders, DPS = EPS. Further, because no earnings are plowed back, the firm’s EBIT is not expected to grow, so g = 0.Here are the results: Debt Level DPS rs Stock Price $ 0 $3. 00 15. 0% $20. 00 250,000 3. 26 15. 5 21. 03 500,000 3. 56 16. 5 21. 58* 750,000 3. 86 18. 0 21. 44 1,000,000 4. 8 20. 0 20. 40 * maximum ANSWER: A capital structure with $500,000 of debt produces the highest stock price, $21. 58, hence it is the best of those considered. ANSWER: We have seen that EPS continues to increase beyond the $500,000 optimal level of debt. Therefore, focusing on EPS when making capital structure decisions is not correct—while the EPS does take account of the differential cost of debt, it does not account for the increasing risk that must be borne by the equity holders. ANSWER: Currently, Debt/Total assets = 0%, so total assets = initial equity = $20 x 100,000 shares = $2,000,000.WACC = ($500,000/$2,000,000)[(11%)(0. 60)] + ($1,500,000/$2,000,000)(16. 5%) = 1. 65% + 12. 38% = 14. 03%. NOTE: If we had (1) used the equilibri um price for repurchasing shares and (2) used market value weights to calculate WACC, then we could be sure that the WACC at the price-maximizing capital structure would be the minimum. Using a constant $20 purchase price, and book value weights, inconsistencies might creep in. [pic] ANSWER: If the firm had higher business risk, then, at any debt level, its probability of financial distress would be higher.Investors would recognize this, and both rd and rs would be higher than originally estimated. It is not shown in this analysis, but the end result would be an optimal capital structure with less debt. Conversely, lower business risk would lead to an optimal capital structure that included more debt. ANSWER: The three degrees of leverage are calculated below: S = $1,350,000 New debt = $500,000 @ 11% VC = 0. 6S F = $40,000 (Note: Calculations are in thousands of dollars. ) [pic] [pic] DTL = DOL x DFL = 1. 08 x 1. 12 = 1. 21. The degree of operating leverage is defined as the percent age change in perating income (EBIT) associated with a given percentage change in sales. Because our company’s degree of operating leverage is 1. 08, this means that a given percentage increase in sales will lead to an 8 percent greater increase in EBIT. For example, if sales increased by 100 percent, then EBIT would increase by 108 percent. The degree of financial leverage is defined as the percentage change in EPS associated with a given percentage change in EBIT. Because CDSS’s degree of financial leverage is 1. 12, this means that if EBIT increased by 100 percent, then EPS would increase by 112 percent.The degree of total leverage shows the combined effects of operating and financial leverage on the firm’s earnings per share. It is defined as the percentage change in EPS brought about by a given percentage change in sales, and it is calculated as DOL x DFL. Because CDSS’s DTL is 1. 21, a 100 percent increase in sales would produce a 121 percent increa se in EPS. The degree of leverage concept is useful for planning purposes, as it gives an idea of what will happen to earnings as sales vary. Investors can use the concept to consider firms with different leverages if they expect sales to rise or fall. [pic]ANSWER: Because it is difficult to quantify the capital structure decision, managers consider the following judgmental factors when making capital structure decisions: (1)The average debt ratio for firms in their industry. (2)Pro forma tie ratios at different capital structures under different scenarios. (3)Lender/rating agency attitudes. (4)Reserve borrowing capacity. (5)Effects of financing on control. (6)Asset structure. (7)Expected tax rate. ANSWER: The following figure presents a graph of the situation: [pic] The use of debt permits a firm to obtain tax savings from the deductibility of interest.So the use of some debt is good; however, the possibility of bankruptcy increases the cost of using debt. At higher and higher leve ls of debt, the risk of bankruptcy increases, bringing with it costs associated with potential financial distress. Customers reduce purchases, key employees leave, and so on. There is some point, generally well below a debt ratio of 100 percent, at which problems associated with potential bankruptcy more than offset the tax savings from debt. Theoretically, the optimal capital structure is found at the point where the marginal tax savings just equal the marginal bankruptcy-related costs.However, analysts cannot identify this point with precision for any given firm, or for firms in general. Analysts can help managers determine an optimal range for their firm’s debt ratios, but the capital structure decision still is more judgmental than based on precise calculations. ANSWER: The asymmetric information concept is based on the premise that management’s choice of financing gives signals to investors. Firms with good investment opportunities will not want to share the benef its with new stockholders, so they will tend to finance with debt. Firms with poor prospects, on the other hand, will want to finance with stock.Investors know this, so when a large, mature firm announces a stock offering, investors take this as a signal of bad news, and the stock price declines. Firms know this, so they try to avoid having to sell new common stock. This means maintaining a reserve of borrowing capacity so that when good investments come along, they can be financed with debt. 12-17Computer-Related Problem a. If the outstanding debt has to be refunded at the new higher interest rate, expected EPS would decline under either financing plan. However, EPS would decline more if debt financing were used. Therefore, ebt financing has become relatively less attractive than stock financing. The output generated by the model is given below:ETHICAL DILEMMA A BOND IS A BOND †¦ IS A STOCK †¦ IS A BONDOCK?Ethical dilemma: Wally is evaluating whether to use a new (to the United States) financial instrument to raise funds to finance Ohio Rubber & Tire’s (ORT) expansion plans. The new instrument, which is called a bondock, has some characteristics of traditional debt and some characteristics that are similar to common equity. The cost of capital associated with bondocks is slightly higher than traditional debt, but significantly lower than common equity.If ORT’s expansion plans are successful, both its bondholders and its stockholders will receive handsome returns. However, if the expansion plans are not successful, then it appears that stockholders can still benefit but at the expense of bondholders. ORT’s executives are some of the company’s major stockholders, so it appears that they would be in favor of issuing bondocks. Discussion questions: ?Is there an ethical problem? If so, what is it? The question here is whether it is appropriate to use a new financial instrument called a bondock to raise funds needed for expansi on.Because the cost of capital associated with a bondock is slightly higher than the cost of debt but significantly lower than the cost of equity, management thinks that it might be appropriate to use this medium to raise funds to invest in risky ventures. If the expansion investment is successful, both the bondholders and the stockholders will benefit. Of course, the benefit to stockholders will be greater than the benefit to bondholders. On the other hand, if the expansion investment is unsuccessful, both bondholders and stockholders will suffer financial losses.But, because the market values of the bondocks will decline significantly, the firm could benefit by repurchasing these financing instruments in the capital markets. In this case, stockholders would benefit at the expense of bondholders. As a result, the ethical question is whether ORT should raise funds using bondocks knowing that there is a possibility that its stockholders will gain at the expense of its bondholders. ?I s it appropriate for ORT to use bondocks to raise funds that are needed for expansion? Is there an ethical dilemma here? Maybe not. Remember that investors take risks when purchasing the stocks and bonds of firms.In this case, ORT would be wise to use bondocks if the purpose is to raise funds for expansion while trying to lower the cost of capital associated with â€Å"going to† the financial markets. It might be argued that it is unethical for ORT to use bondocks if the intent is to benefit executives who receive bonuses and incentives in the form of the company’s stock. It also might be argued that it is unethical if the intent is to harm the position of bondholders.However, if the primary objective is to increase the value of the firm, then it is difficult to argue that issuing this new financial instrument is unethical. What would you do if you were Wally? It seems that the best solution is for Wally to try to get more information about the new financial instrument called a bondock. Because little is known about bondocks and they appear to be rather complex financial instruments, Wally should gather more information about the risks as well as the benefits to ORT associated with using this medium to raise funds for expansion. Once he has performed his due diligence, Wally should determine whether using bondocks will benefit the firm and its investors in general.If the answer is â€Å"no,† then bondocks should not be used. References: The following articles might be assigned for background material: Emily Thornton, â€Å"Gluttons at the Gate,† BusinessWeek, October 30, 2006, pp. 58-66. David Henry, â€Å"Cross-Dressing Securities,† BusinessWeek, March 13, 2006, pp. 58-59

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Case Writeup Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case Writeup - Essay Example Kiva’s existing business model does not allow lenders to receive interest against the funds they loan however; Kiva’s field partners charge the interest from the entrepreneurs. Though this rate is lower however, it is considered as enough to meet the requirements of the Kiva’s field partners. One group which obviously be affected by this will be the poor entrepreneurs because if start paying the interest to its lenders, this cost will certainly be passed on to the actual borrowers. Secondly, by not paying the interest, Kiva’s lenders are being affected though most of its lenders lend the money to gain the emotional returns rather than the financial returns. The situation described above therefore indicate towards the adaptation of a business model which can effectively combine both the elements together in order to create value for each of the stakeholders in terms of financial rewards. A closer analysis of the facts would suggest that Kiva is facing two important problems i.e. strategic as well as of operational nature. It is Strategic in the sense that paying interest rates to the lenders may dilute its overall appeal and can significantly reduce its overall public image. Further, it also need to maintain its operational viability therefore in order to attract more funds, it may require paying interest to the lenders. Apart from this, a change in the business model of the firm would also force it to change its very character therefore may further require it to complete important legal requirements in order to comply with the existing legal requirements for the commercial organizations. Apart from this since the lenders of Kiva may not be directly into the business of lending therefore they may also be subject to the different regulatory requirements which can effectively discourage them to lend to Kiva owing to

Friday, September 27, 2019

How is the Enlightenment connected to the Scientific Revolution Essay

How is the Enlightenment connected to the Scientific Revolution - Essay Example People thought the globe was the midpoint of the cosmos (Bacon 1960). That meant that the moon, planets, and the sun revolved around the earth. Europeans used ideas based on the physical world while Romans and Greeks believed in the Bible. However, attitudes changed in the mid 1500. A spirit of curiosity gave rise to a scientific revolution (Burns 2003). Scholars were willing to question old ideas and the level of focus was improved with much observation. Europeans were leading in the exploration leading to discovery of new lands and the establishment of universities. Francis Bacon, an English writer, assisted in fostering this approach. He urged scientists to base their opinions on what they could see in the world (Bacon 1960). R. Descartes used mathematics and logic to exert his immense influence. In the mid 1600, Isaac Newton established the law of gravity. He used mathematics to show the law of gravity controlled the motion of the planets and objects on earth (Burns 2003). Paris became the European cultural center in 1700 (Oslar 2000) where people from the entire Europe gathered to new ideas about enlightenment. Marie Therese became popular for hosting and funding ideas on enlightenment. According to the letters by Isaac Newton, religion and uniqueness were necessary for innovation. In the letters, Newton said that the discovery came as a result of patient thought. The letters contained significant propositions but were imperfect in some parts. According to Isaac Newton, no matter how matter was scattered, it would be infinitely attracted towards the center (Hankins 1985). This meant that at the center there would have a particle that is attracted to all other particles at equal measure (Goodman 1973). This became known as a state of perfect equilibrium. According to the observations of the great instauration by Francis Bacon, human intellect is responsible for its own challenges and difficulties (Oslar 2000). Therefore, man should use the help at his dispo sal to address the difficulties that he faces. This exposed the levels of ignorance and the damage it causes to the quality of life. He argued that through human efforts and determination life can be restored to the perfect condition or reduced to better condition that it is now (Burns 2003). Mathematics and philosophy grew so rapidly that the two had to be separated (Sax 2001). The impact is still being felt today. Scientist came to know that observing and explaining would help them in discovering the natural laws. The scientific method became increasingly prominent (Portar 2001). The discovering had an impact on education in all levels. As more people trained in science and physics, technology advanced and new technologies were discovered. Enlightenment had unprecedented impact in the quality of life (Goodman 1973). Complicated farm machinery and textile industry were discovered causing scientific and the industrial revolution (Sax 2001). Scientific revolution sought a break from a religious and theological approach to life (Hankins 1985). In medieval times, society was largely governed by church views and traditions which discouraged open-mindedness (Oslar 2000). Enlightenment was a movement that challenged people to think and make independent decisions. Newton, Descartes and Priestly played a significant role in the discovery of sextants slide rule and

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Using a range of company examples from global retailing, critically Essay

Using a range of company examples from global retailing, critically review the extent to which you think competitive advantage is due to the possession of unique resources - Essay Example Gaining competitive advantage by using the resources of the firm can include access to natural as well as other resources which can help organizations to stay ahead of the competition. This paper will discuss about four firms from retail industries and will discuss as to whether the competitive advantage possessed by each of the firm is based upon the unique resources possessed by them. By using different strategic frameworks and theories, this paper will focus upon how firms like Tesco, Carrefour, Wal-Mart and Aeon use their unique resources to gain competitive advantage and remain at the top of their industry. Frameworks and theories which will be used for analyzing the above thesis will range from Porter’s five forces model, Value Chain analysis, VRIO as well as Core Competences. By using these frameworks, this paper will analyze and explore as to how leading firms in retail industry has been able to use their unique resources to remain at the top of industry in which they are operating. Competitive Advantage is considered as the strategic advantage firms have over their competitors in the industry they operate. Achievement of a competitive advantage actually strengthens the position of a firm in the industry and business environment they operate. Competitive advantage theory suggests that businesses should produce and sell high end products and sell them at higher prices in the market. Michael Porter who outlined this theory suggested that organizations need to possess attributes or group of attributes which can actually distinguish them from others in the market. Competitive advantage is based upon the notion of resource based view which outlines that organizations can have certain resources which can actually distinguish from others in the industry. (Stalk, 1992) The resource based view suggests that firms possessing competitive advantage are primarily based upon the application of resources which are at the disposal of the firms. This

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Leadin organizational design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadin organizational design - Essay Example There is no single right approach. From the experience we got from the exercise, it is clear that solid arranging practice is basic to change administration victory. There are numerous change situations that call for some diverse reactions. Maybe expanding rivalry requests another concentrate on holding existing clients? Then again perhaps extraordinary business victory is bringing about developing aches? It is safe to say that you are ceaselessly filtering the natures turf (markets and rivalry)? Be vigilant in administering attention to the outer environment so the need for change could be promptly recognized. Additionally, it is important to note that a participative arranging procedure is basic to change administration victory. Despite the fact that change may be started by a singular, key stakeholders should additionally thoroughly consider and comprehend need for change. Furthermore, stakeholders must experience the improvement of vision and method. A thorough and normally prolonged methodology of data imparting and dialog is important to make arrangement of the center gathering. Time and vitality went through in intense gatherings with the right individuals will transform stronger systems and solid authority all around the association. On the off chance that these tests are succeed, the change activity will profit from a solid vision and system upheld by a solid, profoundly adj usted center change management as it is the case with Global Tech. William Bridges work is concentrated on the mental process that people experience when adjusting to change. Associations that utilize the Transitions model highlight the exact individual and in some cases excruciating excursion that happens when we relinquish the past and end up in the unbiased zone, on our route to a fresh start. Once more, EC tests pioneers to think about scaling the singular brain science

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Lnk between Literacy and Unemployment Research Paper

Lnk between Literacy and Unemployment - Research Paper Example A five step hypothesis test of data pertaining to the selection will be carried out and a description of the results will be carried out to answer the research question. Research question To what extent does the literacy level in a country impact on its unemployment rate? The sample is obtained from global demographics data about different countries and this information is provided. Since the crux of the report is to establish the link between literacy and unemployment rates in different nations, two countries namely Switzerland and Algeria have been chosen for this study to test the hypothesis. For instance, Switzerland has the lowest unemployment rate while Algeria has the highest rate of unemployment. Therefore, a critical analysis of this raw data will be carried out to test these statistics obtaining on the ground in view of the literacy rates of the respective countries. Formulation of the hypothesis As aptly stated by Struig & Stead (2001), a hypothesis depicts the relationshi p between two or more variables. In some instances, there is no relationship between the variables in a particular research. In this case, the null hypothesis is: There is no link between the literacy level and unemployment rate in a country. ... Hypothesis testing Step 1: The null hypothesis suggests that there is no link between literacy and unemployment rates in a given country and this is represented by H0: ?a= ?b. On the other hand, the alternative hypothesis is of the view that there is a correlation between literacy and unemployment rates in a given country and this is represented by H1: ?a ? ?b . Step 2: It is assumed that the probability of unemployment rate is higher when the literacy level of that particular country is lower. As going to be shown numerically below, the raw data presented is going to be calculated in order to establish if this assertion is true with regards to the stated question in the research problem above. Step 3: Test static value from the sample data provided from the two population proportions namely Switzerland and Algeria is going to be obtained through calculating the mean variance of the data. The table below shows the mean variance of the data between the two countries. Name of country L iteracy rate percentage Switzerland 99% Nigeria 57.1% Mean 78.05 From the statistics obtained from the table above, it can be seen that the mean static value is 78.05% and this is going to be used to evaluate the static. Step 4: The evaluation of the static is based on the mean obtained from the data provided about these two countries. The mean average static is 78.05 and it can be observed that from the raw data about the unemployment rates in the population proportions given, Switzerland has 1.9 % unemployment rate while Nigeria has 28 %. In terms of literacy rate, Nigeria has 57.1 % and is below the mean static of 78.05 % while Switzerland is above the mean static with 99 %. Step 5: from the results obtained above, it can be noted that the null

Monday, September 23, 2019

PHP information technology essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PHP information technology - Essay Example Several important features of PHP will ensure that PHP remains the central instrument of application development in the nearest future. First, PHP is an open source language of programming that enables both the beginners and professional programmers to develop and deploy new open source applications. As a result, open source software is not only cheaper but much more competitive than the applications developed by commercial organizations. â€Å"It has a cheap, fast, reliable, and widely supported environment to run in, therefore it is mainly used in standard web deployment, not only large enterprises† (Anonymous). For the reasons stated above, large and small businesses can use PHP in the development of their own non-commercial applications. For example, small businesses that have just entered the market can apply to PHP and develop their own programs and applications without any major costs. Second, PHP is perfect for beginners (Anonymous). It is easy to use, and it will cont inue to dominate open source systems and applications created by non-experienced programmers and users. PHP is both flexible and diverse in the sense that it can be used in a variety of ways. PHP is portable and functional, and its promising future is predetermined. However, the issue of protecting property rights has the potential to reduce the usability and applicability of PHP in open source software. Actually, the rapid expansion of the copyright and intellectual property movements can destroy the very phenomenon of open source software, including PHP. As of today, open source software developers cannot be secured from the risks of violations and patent lawsuits from copyright and patent owners (Thomas 2). Thus, future programmers and legal professionals will have to work together, in order to find the most appropriate legal and software balance, while also letting PHP flourish in the open source landscape. DQ 2 Data warehousing provides numerous benefits but can become a major source of problems for organizations. Inherent in the use of data warehousing techniques within organizations are the issues of security in data management, security in data exploration, and the risks of abusing data encryption used to enhance data privacy (Agosta). It should be noted, that the data warehousing concept has already become one of the central innovations in the field of organizational data management (Ramamurthy, Sen & Sihna 976). Data warehousing is being widely used to support organizational decision making (Ramamurthy, Sen & Sihna 976). Data warehousing can be conceptualized as a unique and extremely effective way to store large volumes of information, which makes it particularly useful in organizations. Data warehousing holds a promise to enhance businesses’ information processing capacity and ability to access, collect, allocate, and share information with the goal of improving the quality of management and consumer relations (Ramamurthy, Sen & Sihna 976). Unfortunately, data warehousing is not without problems. Security and safety of business data remains a matter of continued professional concern. Business data can be extremely sensitive and require additional protection from the risks of misuse and abuse, but data warehousing systems may simply lack capacities and functions required to guarantee security and full protection of sensitive data (Agosta). Another problem is directly related

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Penquins Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Penquins - Research Paper Example Penguins are of the Spheniscinae and have about 20 different types. These types all share the same features but vary by small changes in traits. When you see a bird fly in the air the look is similar to the way a penguin is able to swim in the water. The penguins are great swimmers and are graceful in the water. Their specific traits such as the look of their wings make it easy for them to swim. The wings of the penguins have a shape that looks similar to the fin of a dolphin or seal. Penguins have very distinctive mating habits. Unlike other species, the penguins have a switched role when it comes to carrying for offspring. The female and male penguins are very selective when choosing a mate and typically mate for life. Once a female penguin lays an egg, the male cares for the egg and keeps it warm. While the male is carrying for the egg the female goes out in search of food for when the egg hatches. Penguins are very unique birds and are amazing to study. Their habits and ways of life are interesting and explain a lot about their characteristic. Studying penguins shows how determined and caring there species can

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Business ethic reflective essay Essay Example for Free

Business ethic reflective essay Essay It was probably in 2010, I was an agent in an assurance company. My duties was managing and servicing our organization’s existing corporate client portfolio that has been assigned to me. One of our company product called Saving Plan what pay an amount of money monthly or yearly up to 6 years, the annual will received 6% interest and consumer can take their money back after they complete the 6 years payment. As we know, every product might have some weaknesses while it benefits us. It is commonly that company or sales man will try to minimize the weakness of product while they promote it. But what I did wrong was that I did never mention the product weakness to customer that they will only get the best return (interest) after 25 years when they completed payment for 6 years saving plan, what I thought the saving plan as a force to consumer get use to save money and whoever buy the saving plan they will always get their money back at the end if they complete the payment. My concern was close cases at that time. In fact, It was kind of ethic problem when I promoted products but did not let customers understand all about it. Once I heard complain from customer I felt so guilty of myself that I had hidden from my customers. I felt shame to face my customer. I felt that was unfair to my customers and I used customer’s belief to gain my own profit. I thought it will not have any lose for my customers even I did not tell the limitation of the product cause after customer complete the saving plan, they could take their money back at anytime, but customers will only get their return of this investment after 25 years when policy mature. As it tend to depend on the economy, the saving plan may not make profit for customers. This lesson has taught me how to be an ethic person. We could put ourselves as consumers that we will always wish to know the truth and we have the right. I will never do this again in my life, trust is very important and to build a trust will always get back our customers. I would like to explain and analysis all to my customer. I wish I can be a ethic person wherever I am and whatever I do.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Yakult Marketing Plan

Yakult Marketing Plan INTRODUCTION: History of Yakult Yakult Honsha Ltd. was founded in 1930 by Dr. Shirota. For over the past 75 years, the company has expertise in the field of beneficial bacteria. The main activity of Yakult is to introduce a wide range of healthy foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. In 1930, Dr. Minoru Shirota, who was conducting his research in a microbiology lab at the Medical Faculty of Kyoto University in Japan, became the first person in the world to create a strain of lactic acid bacteria beneficial to human health. This bacterium was named after Dr.Shirota Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain (Our History, 2010). In Malaysia, Yakult is still a young and growing company. Yakult Ace was only launched in Malaysia in 2004. Yakult (Malaysia) Sdn.Bhd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yakult Honsha, Japan (Yakult-Malaysia, 2010). Vision Yakult’s vision is to push forward with the quest for new possibilities for probiotics in the academic and medical fields. Mission Yakult’s mission is to contribute to the health and happiness of every person throughout the world through the pursuit of excellence in life sciences and the excellence in life sciences and the study of microorganisms. Philosophy SHIROTA-ISM Preventive medicine A healthy intestine leads to a long life A healthy life for all We contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world through the pursuit of excellence in life science in general and our research and experience in microorganisms in particular (Philosophy, 2010). Issues and challenges In the recent years, several major issues and challenges were faced by Yakult. Yakult is facing a shortage of stock to meet the demand of the people around the world. It is reported that there is high stock turnaround (Cruz, 2013). SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths Dynamic Research Development power Retrieved from the annual report of (â€Å"Global Yakult†Ã¢â‚¬â€ Entering a New Growth Stage, 2013), one of the strengths portrayed by Yakult is its dynamic research and development power. With its 252 medical doctors and scientists, they actively pursue research aimed at applying bacteria effectively in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. The RD Division tails basic research in life science meant at applying and developing basic materials in pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics and other fields. Besides that, Yakult does their research and development at the Yakult Central Institute for Microbiological Research, which is situated in Tokyo, Japan. The aim of this central is to the study is to the use of beneficial bacteria in the promotion of health. Therefore, there are continuous improvements inYakult’s products that can improve consumers’ health for today and in the future. Good distribution channel Another essential strength of Yakult is the unique distribution channel byYakult Ladies. It is a type of delivery service that delivers Yakult cultured milk drinks directly to the consumers’ home through a network of Yakult Ladies. According to managing director Kouichi Nakayama (abhishek_g, 2012), door-to-door sales through the Yakult Lady System are more profitable than supermarkets sales.In Japan, more than 60% of Yakult products are distributed by Yakult Ladies. They deliver door-to-door every day, from rural areas to high-rise buildings in the city. However, in Malaysia, Yakult Ladies is also available in delivering of goods. However, it is only available in certain place such as Klang Valley, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Penang, Kuantan, Ipoh and few other areas. The best thing is there is no minimum order or delivery charge for the products (Fong, 2007). Weaknesses Less product choice for customers in terms of flavours The first weakness of Yakult is lack choice of flavours. There are only two flavours available which are Yakult Ace and Yakult Ace Light. Unlike its competitors, such as Vitagen and Nutrigen, these two brands come out with products with variety of flavours which will attract more people to buy their products. As Malaysia is a multiracial country, different races of people have different tastes. Thus, Malaysians usually prefer to choose their drinks from a variety of flavours. Storage difficulty Second is storage difficulty. The products are fermented milk drinks which contains active bacteria under low temperature. However, if the temperature increases, the bacteria will eventually become inactive that will turn the taste sour. This is because the bacteria will begin to make lactic acid when the temperature drops (FAQs, 2010). Therefore, refrigerators are necessary. However, consumers who do not own a refrigerator will find it a problem. By the way, it will also lead to a storage difficulty for retailer outlets with little storage capacity as they still have other products brand they need to keep. This will cause an imbalance of stock availability during different time of the outlets. This problem also influences consumers’ purchase intention that does not have a refrigerator. Smaller packaging and higher price compared to competitors Another weakness of Yakult is that the packaging of Yakult is small compared to its competitors. One bottle of Yakult contains 80ml cultured milk drink while competitors such as Vitagen and Nutrigen serve in 125ml per bottle (TK-eShop, 2010). Besides that, according to Yakult, it is fine for consumers to drink more than 80ml of Yakult cultured milk. Therefore, consumers who drink more than one bottle may go for other competitors’ product who sells in larger packaging (FAQs, 2010). Yakult products are sold in a bundle of 5 bottles, which is the same with its strong competitors such as Vitagen and Nutrigen. However, the Yakult cultured milk drink’s price is higher than the competitors, who offer their drinks in bigger bottles too. Opportunities Trends in health concerns Few studies shows that more and more people are concerned about their health problem and health awareness is becoming increasingly important nowadays (Rollins, 2008); (Senterfitt, Long, Shih, Teutsch, 2013). This is an opportunity for Yakult since Yakult has already scientifically proven that their products are good for health. Consumers are turning to dairy products, yogurts and so forth to start their day. In Yakult’s advertisements, the company informs consumers that their products are probiotic drinks which are good for people’s health. This increases health awareness of the people. Besides that, Yakult’s brand recognition also increases among consumers during this process. The creative thinking of Yakult’s advertisement helps in promoting health by emphasizing beneficial bacteria for intestinal balance of consumers which ultimately leads to good health. Increase in number of convenience stores and hypermarkets According to (Wong, 2007), the number of convenience stores and hypermarkets are increasing. It means that Yakult’s distribution channel will also increase. Yakult’s product can be sold in more and different places. Consumers will also find it easier and more convenient to buy Yakult’s product from the hypermarket or convenience stores nearest to them. Threats Intense competition Yakult faces a tough competitive environment in the market. There are similar healthy foods and also probiotic drinks in the market. Yakult’s main competitors are Vitagen and Nutrigen that has strong brand recognition in the Malaysian market. Vitagen is the first cultured milk to be introduced in Malaysia which is also known as the number one cultured milk in Malaysia. As for Nutrigen, it also provides cultured milk which is similar to Yakult and also Vitagen. These competitors have their own competitive advantages compared to Yakult in terms of the flavours they offered which can suit different consumers’ taste with their different flavours available. Low switching cost Besides that, consumers in Malaysia do not incur high switching cost if they choose to switch to other category of healthy foods. Yakult’s price offering is also a threat as they offer in higher prices and also smaller packaging compared to competitors. Consumers who are price sensitive may choose competitors’ product instead of Yakult’s. Thus, Malaysians can switch to another drinks or brands whenever they want if there are substitute products available with lower prices. They can also shop favourably and also choose selectively without sticking to one supplier. Competitors use aggressive marketing technique Yakult’s competitors uses aggressive marketing plan to promote their products such as advertising in traditional media like television advertisement, radio, social network sites and forth, especially Vitagen. With this, competitors are more recognizable to consumers than Yakult. As Yakult does not usually do aggressive advertisements to promote their brand, consumers are more likely to be aware of competitors’ brand than Yakult. Besides that, the marketing plans that are not heavily invested are usually advertisements that are easily duplicated. Decrease in consumer’s purchasing power Millions of middle-class Malaysians are suffering from low consumer spending growth while increasing in state controlled electricity and gasoline costs since 2008 (Koon, 2014). As a result, mid to higher end choices of beverage suffered a decrease on the sales (Consumer spending to slow down in 2014, 2014); (Koon, 2014). The economic downturn has contributed greatly to the slow growth of the purchasing power as Yakult is not a necessity in consumers’ daily life. Yakult is a probiotic drink, where consumers who desire for a better health can consume it continuously and not a necessity for consumers to drink them as a must in order to survive. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS BY USING PORTAL FIVE FORCES a) Threat of new entrance Yakult probiotic beverage falls into a broad and safe market, especially the awareness and concern of people on health are increasing. Probiotic drinks are favourable and popular for consumers and bring a considerable return to the company. This has made the cultured milk market seems attractive to the market, where it attracts many outsiders that tries to enter this industry. However, the capital cost to enter this industry is relative high compared to other beverage industry. As probiotic beverage requires friendly bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus that are hard to produce and refine it to produce a drinkable beverage. Potential entrants who wish to enter this industry need to invest heavily on Research and Development as well as pharmaceutical department in order to produce a probiotic beverage. As Yakult has been proven by many professors such as Dr Ko Okumura (Juntendo University, Japan), Dr. Haruji Sawada and others, the credibility of Yakult beverage is high, which result to a high entry barrier for new entrants as well. Furthermore, potential entrants need to make sure they are able to differentiate their product from Yakult in term of higher nutrition or lower price or both. If firms are not able to come out with a better beverage than the existing beverage in market, then there is no point they enter the market as this will deficit the company. In a nutshell, the entry barrier for new entrants to enter this industry is high. Yakult is facing low threat of new entrants. b) Threat of substitute Porter’s threat of substitute definition is the availability of a product that the consumer can purchase instead of the industry’s product with similar benefits. Eventhough Yakult is the pioneer of probictic, substitutes products are still able to replace them. Customers can easily replace Yakult by purchase bottle of probiotic capsule, probiotic powder or probiotic drink. Example of probiotic supplements is Kordel’s Protect probiotic powder, which cost around RM70 for 30 sachs. Yogurt drink and yogurt powder are also substitutesthat can replace Yakult products. The more substitute the products are, the more competitive the industry is. In the long run, Yakult may suffer less profit. In this case, there are few substitute products in market that can replace Yakult products, so they are facing high threat of substitute products. c) Bargaining power of supplier Bargaining power of supplier occurs when buyers are too many but only few suppliers in the market. When it is too costly to change suppliers, the bargaining power of suppliers is relative high. The Yakult Plant in Calamba city, Laguna, is able to produce 1.6 million bottles of Yakult a day. In order for them to produce a bottle of 100ml Yakult Probiotic beverage, they will need few raw materials such as skimmed milk powder, sugar, and dextrose is blend with sterilized water to create a sweet, milky solution. While all these raw materials are not unique or highly differentiated product. Which means Yakult can get them from few suppliers, as there are not only one supplier in the market that supplies sugar, skimmed milk powder and dextrose. The suppliers industry is not dominated by small number of firm, thus the bargaining power of supplier is not harmful for Yakult. Furthermore, Yakult uses backward integration, where they have their own manufacturing factory to produce their probiotic beverage. The main ingredient in the probiotic dairy beverage, liveLactobacillus caseistrain Shirota is carefully cultured and tested in Yakult own laboratory. In other words, Yakult does not rely on outsider to get their main raw material, but they produced it themselves in their own laboratory and factory. In a nut shell, Yakult is immune with the power of supplier, as they having few suppliers instead of rely on one supplier. d) Bargaining Power of Buyers Buyer power is one of the forces that shape the competitive structure of an industry. When the power of buyer is strong, they can pressure the sellers to lower down the prices, improve product quality or better service. In contra, weak bargaining power of buyer will often makes an industry less competitive and increases the profit potential for seller. In this case, Yakult are facing high bargaining power from their buyers. Firstly this is because there are available substitute and large range of probiotic drink in the market that offered similar benefit to the customers, for example Vitagen, Nestle Yogurt drink, and probiotic supplement beverage. Yakult is not the only firm that produce probiotic daily beverage. Customers can easily switch to other product that available in the market, customers switching cost is low. Secondly, customers are price sensitive towards the beverage. If Vitagen probiotic drink is having promotion and the prices are much cheaper than Yakult Ace drink, customer will simply switch to purchasing Nestle yogurt drink. Thirdly, Yakult probiotic daily drink is not highly differentiated and standard. It become a daily basis for some consumer, thus consumer can switch to other brand that provide the same function as Yakult. In a nutshell, the bargaining power for Yakult buyer is relatively high. e) Threat of rivalry The intensity of rivalry among competitors in an industry refers to the extent to which firms within an industry put pressure on one another and limit each other’s profit potential. High intensity of rivalry means competitors are aggressively targeting each other’s markets and aggressively pricing products. While low intensity of competitive rivalry makes an industry less competitive and increases profit potential for the existing firms. The rivalry in probiotic beverage is minimal. Firstly this is because few competing firms are roughly doing the same size and serving the same amount of customers. Yakult, Vitagen, Nestle are sharing the almost similar market share. Secondly, there are lack of product differentiation for the existing brand in the market, Yakult, Vitagen, Nestle are offer the almost similar probiotic daily beverage in the market. This three probiotic beverage different in some ways but they do share the similar characteristic as well, which are help strengthen immune system and smoother the digestive system. Thirdly, customer brandloyalty is not significant, customer who consume Vitagen beverage might switch to consume Yakult on some day, and same goes to consumer for Yakult. In a nutshell, the threat of rivalry is minimal for Yakult Company. REFERENCES abhishek_g. (12 June, 2012). Yakult. Retrieved 17 June, 2014, from Slide Share: http://www.slideshare.net/abhishek_g/yakult-13298536 Consumer spending to slow down in 2014. (9 January, 2014). Retrieved 26 June, 2014, from The Sun Daily: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/925542 Cruz, H. (13 January, 2013). Vision, Mission, Objectives, Goals, Prob. its Background. Retrieved 30 June, 2014, from Prezi: http://prezi.com/mvkfvph4nkz0/vision-mission-objectives-goals-prob-its-background/ FAQs. (2010). Retrieved 15 June, 2014, from Yakult: http://www.yakult.com.my/html/faqs.html Honsha, Y. (2013). â€Å"Global Yakult†Ã¢â‚¬â€ Entering a New Growth Stage. Japan. Koon, C. P. (7 January, 2014). Malaysians Seen Curbing Spending as Living Costs Surge: Economy. Retrieved 26 June, 2014, from Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-07/malaysians-seen-curbing-spending-as-living-costs-surge-economy.html Philosophy. (2010). Out Philosophy. Retrieved 10 June, 2014, from Yakult: http://www.yakult.com.my/html/our_philosophy.html Rollins, C. (16 December, 2008). RAISING HEALTH CONSCIOUSNESS UTILIZING â€Å"UNNATURAL CAUSES† SERIES AS STIMULUS . Retrieved 30 June, 2014, from https://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-121808-155128/unrestricted/Chris_Rollins_Health_IQP_Final_v3.pdf Senterfitt, J. W., Long, A., Shih, M., Teutsch, S. M. (January, 2013). How Social and Economic factors affect health. Retrieved 26 June, 2014, from Social Determinants of Health: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/epi/docs/SocialD_Final_Web.pdf TK-eShop. (2010). Cultured Milk Drink. Retrieved 30 June, 2014, from tk-eshop: http://www.tk-eshop.com/about-us/articles/articles/vitagen-nutrigen-yakult Wong, L. C. (2007). Development of Malaysia’s Agricultural Sector: Agriculture as an Engine of Growth? Retrieved 28 June, 2014, from ISIS.org.my: http://isis.org.my/attachments/386_Territorial_Disputes_in_East Asia.pdf Yakult. (2014). Profile. Retrieved 13 June, 2014, from Yakult: http://www.yakult.co.jp/english/ir/management/profile.html Yakult-Malaysia. (2010). Yakult Malaysia General. Retrieved 23 June, 2014, from Yakult: http://www.yakult.com.my/html/yakult_my_general.html

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Corning Electronic Products Division :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Corning Electronic Products Division The By 1968 Coring realized market conditions were changing, technology was shifting to a commodity based market. Corning did not know if they wanted to be in this market. Some of the internal technical leaders were willing to turn away from this market claiming Corning developed high margin and highly technical products. Mean while sales and marketing were pushing hard to win new work in these fields disregarding the fact that Corning was not designed to compete in a fast moving commodity market. So, although sales were down Corning still relied on making their profits with out competition pressures. They relied on patents, technical know how and substantial capital investment joint. Corning started to see problems when its sales force started to focus on volume of sales without a concern for gross margins. The Sales group booked as many orders as they could to meet sales goals. Sales were giving away the store, claimed manufacturing. Marketing was just as bad. They projected a market for a product, had manufacturing make samples and spend on capital investment, only to come back later and say the market is not ten million, but, one million. Marketing claimed manufacturing was to slow to react to market conditions. Marketing clamed Product Development wasted time, up to seventy percent of product roll out was spent on process development. What happened was the trust that is necessary for departments to be able to work closely together went away. Through all of this lack of leadership, the company still held monthly meetings. Represented at these meetings in many cases were managers how did not know what was going on.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Individual Presentation: Kevin Mitnick :: Computers Technology Kevin Matnick Essays

Individual Presentation: Kevin Mitnick Introduction Originally, I had planned on researching George Lucas as my creative genius. I am in love with the Star Wars saga, but I really could not get interested in George Lucas. Then, late one night, I saw a movie called Takedown. It was based on a true story that dealt with the pursuit and capture of Kevin Mitnick, one of the most infamous computer hackers of all time. I was instantly amazed. As soon as the movie was over, I began scouring the internet looking for information concerning him. I am quite interested in computers, and Mitnick’s mastery of them drew me towards him. I knew then that he was who I wanted to research. His creativity encompasses a wide range of skills. Obviously, his mastery of computer and telephone systems deals with the Mathematical/Logical domain. Also, he is talented at acquiring information from people, which is an intrapersonal skill. Plus, he is strongly self-motivated and that deals with the interpersonal domain. This combination of skills elevated him to be one of the best hackers the world has ever seen. I have a great deal of respect for Kevin Mitnick because he is able to use a computer creatively to acquire whatever he wants to know. In a way, I wish I could be like him. A computer is such a valuable asset, but many times it is not close to being used to its full potential. Kevin Mitnick realized this, and put his computer to maximum usage. However, it is unfortunate that what he did was against the law. Due to this, I really cannot consider him a role model. I have no desire to risk going to jail over a computer-related crime. Even so, there is still a great amount of potential within Mitnick. Since he knows so much about breaking into computers, he could use that knowledge when he gets out of jail to design security systems that would be almost impenetrable. He knows all the tricks of the trade on how to tap into someone’s system. It is this insight that could enable him to design a nearly full-proof security system. Only time will tell what happens with Mi tnick in the future.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Our Grandmothers By Maya Angel Essay -- essays research papers

Imagery In The Poem “Our Grandmothers'; by Maya Angelou Image (Imagery) – Descriptive poetry flourished. One basic meaning for ‘image’ is provided by that context, but other, looser and more treacherous, meanings have accreted: any sensuous effect provoked by literary language; any striking language; metaphor; symbol; any figure. Maya Angelou’s poem, “Our Grandmother’s,'; vividly exemplifies a sense of imagery that is brought to life. The most effective way that, Maya Angelou presents imagery to the readers is through the setting. Firstly, at the beginning of the poem the narrator describes the current state of the main character and gives a brief description of the setting through imagery. “She lay, skin down on the moist dirt, / … the whispers of leaves…/ the longing of hounds…'; (“Our Grandmothers';, 1-4). These lines are very effective to the readers because the imagery behind these lines allows the readers to feel the cool breeze blowing, hear the leaves rustling and even sense the smell of fear; everything that one could think of to enhance the setting of a plantation. Reading this poem is an escape from modern day life. As readers, we observe everything that the narrator and the main character experience. To fulfill the imagination of the readers, Maya An gelou concentrates primarily as to how the readers are going to interpret certain events. S...

Monday, September 16, 2019

Pension reform in Europe

Task 6 Are future pensions secured? Bruno Miguel Silva Abrantes Current Issues in Economic Policy Academic year 2012-2013 Contents Are pensions secured? Understanding pensions Pensions aim to handle the transition of a person as worker to retired. So that he enjoy an income provided by the state or another organization and maintain a similar standard of living to what he had while employed and thus have a comfortable life economically, until the end of his life.The second objective of a pension is related to the fght against poverty which is done through a redistribution of income that romotes equity, within the elderly class. 1 There is a growing concern on the part of the European Commission on the sustainability of pension systems in the various countries of the European Union. The recent financial and economic crisis has revealed weaknesses that several countries have and bring into question the sustainability of the pension system. Economic growth slowed, unemployment has risen and the public accounts are in poor condition.One of the more serious implications on future pensions is related to the fact that a large part of the population remains unemployed or is forced to accept Jobs where they get lower ncomes, or work less time, which will result in a lower pension. 2 Further compounding the situation is a major demographic trend towards an aging population. The increase in life expectancy over the past decades, combined with low fertility rates is creating a change in the composition of the population. The number of active workers will decrease while the number of people who are retired will increase.Moreover, the numbers of years that a person remains employed is dwindling, partly because people start to work later, due to the many years spent in education. On the other hand there is a great tendency in obtaining early retirement ue to existing policies and management ot age in What are the main systems of pension funding? the labor market. In several co untries of the EIJ-27 the public sector is largely responsible for pensions, early retirement, disability and survivors. However there are some differences between the various members of the European Union at the level of pensions related to occupational or private pensions.In a generalized way pensions can be classified into three pillars: The public social security system, mandatory or voluntary occupational schemes and voluntary private schemes. The first, public social security system is undoubtedly largely responsible for the allocation of pensions to the population in most member states of the EIJ-27. This pillar can be characterized mainly by the Pay-as-you-go system (PAYG). In this system pensions are financed directly from taxes and social contributions that workers are paying in the present.The taxes are used to pay pensions in the short-term instead of being used to create funds that may grow in the long-term and benefit future generations. 3 Schemes within the second pil lar can be mandatory or voluntary occupational schemes. Participation in these funds is usually mandated by law and aims to provide an adequate pension to retired people according to what they saved during their working life. These funds are created by a company or organization in order to provide proper pensions to their employees, which should correspond to the effort and contribution the workers exercised.Both the employee and the employer contribute to the fund, which grows with the return rates that vary with the state of the market and the economy. The amount of the pension depends on the number of years of service and final salary of the employee. These funds are important to relieve the responsibility of the state to secure pensions in the whole population, but also because it is believed that these organizations are able to grow a fund more effectively than the state would. 4 The third and final pillar is characterized by private schemes. These are schemes that help people to accumulate savings for their retirement.The people who wish to do so can choose from a wide range of schemes who best match their needs. There are funds that are riskier; however the contribution that person does is less than the benefit you will receive if all goes well. On the other hand there are safer funds in which the benefit will match the contribution made. Typically these funds are voluntary and are complementary to government reforms that people receive from the state. 5 Looking at table 7(in appendix) we can divide public pensions, which are part of the first pillar of pensions in various sub-groups.Among which we can find Minimum pension / social allowance, Old age, early retirement, disability and survivors' pensions. Early- retirement, old-age pensions, disability and survivors' pension exist in almost all 27 member states. Early retirement does not exist in the Netherlands, Malta, United Kingdom and Norway. These schemes operate mostly in the form of earnings-relat ed, which means that pensions are assigned according to what people earned and contributed during their working life. However not all countries have adopted this scheme in the same way.In Denmark, survival and disability pensions are awarded according toa flat rate, offering a pension with a fixed value over time. This way of organizing pensions can promote greater social equity it the people who are the target of these flat-rate pensions have not worked or contributed enough to receive a ension that is sufficient to have a good quality of life in old age. However the state has to make an extra effort to fund this pension scheme, an effort that ultimately fall on taxpayers, since the people who will receive these pension contributed less than the amount of pension they will receive. Minimum pension or social allowance schemes exist in all EIJ member-state. These pensions are usually means-tested, in the sense that people are tested to understand whether they are , that is according to what the person has earned and contributed as an employee, or if they did not ork and had no and any gain if they have worked and which contributed received is not enough to access a normal pension. This type of pension is normally financed by taxes on citizens rather than individual contributions of individuals to pension funds. In the 2nd pillar we find Mandatory / voluntary schemes occupation.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Swot Analysis Of A Manager Of A Fast Food Shop

Strengths –Years of experience working, managing and owning a fast food restaurant Good communication skills with customers Friendly attitude with customers and staff Being able to mentor staff as I have years of experience in this fieldWeaknesses –Health problems Fatigue I have to look after my family which includes young children personally sometimes causing me to work lessOpportunities –To franchise and own more fast food shops I’m close to staff which I think my competitors might lackThreats –My staff might not be motivated enough if I work less Less time working means that I will get less customer feedback and less time to communicate with them(B) Skills AuditMy key skills are communicating with customers and satisfying them. I also have leadership skills, which enable me to guide and motivate the staff to perform better and be nicer to customers. Years of experience also help me decide how to deal with different members of staff and how to mot ivate them.There are gaps in my skills such as my stress levels. I get stressed pretty  easily and fatigue catches up too in a few hours of work. I can sometimes tend to be short tempered which might affect my mood at times and cause others to misunderstand me. Also, expressing my emotions correctly can also be seen as a vital gap.(C) Evaluation of my Strengths and Weaknesses –Years of managing and owning a fast food restaurant certainly has its benefits. I know what customers like and what they might not like and the kind of service they like to be provided with. I tend to have good communication skills with both the customers and staff, which tend to be imperative too. Being friendly with the customers encourages them to come to my shop more often. I make sure me and my staff act friendly with them and provide them with the best possible service. I understand how to motivate my staff; each and everyone get motivated in different ways. I use my skills and experience to mot ivate staff and push them to work harder and provide better service. My staff may look up to me as a mentor and respect my years of hard work to be successful in this business.My weaknesses might make me work less. Working less at my shop will cease me from having opportunities to bond with customers and creating a good relationship with them. It will also affect how I would like to personally ensure that the food being served is of the best quality and the service provided is admirable. My low fatigue level might get me tired, inefficient and might cause me to be downcast at times. These might stand as problems and if I cant work more, it’ll be tough for me to expand my business. These weakness in the long run stand in my way to achieve my goals in the future.I would try to quickly try and address these problems so that they don’t affect my goals. I would try to work on my health. I would try and workout in the gym, jog and eat healthy so that my health becomes better over time and fatigue doesn’t come easily. Working out or jogging would also help me reduce my stress levels. This could also somehow make me more stressed out and tired in the short run but hopefully it should eventually make my health better overall in the long run.I could also appoint a dedicated and efficient manager for the time being to play my role in the shop till I recovered and returned to my full ability. Although the manager might not live up to fulfilling my specific tasks and might just be a letdown because I have to pay an extra employee, appointing one would certainly be worth a try for the short run.

Employer Associations & Modern Awards Essay

There have been substantial changes to modern awards over the years that employer associations have historically and are currently advocating. In this regard, issues such as penalty rates and flexibility stemming from employer association submissions have been researched and examined by (Sheldon & Thornthwaite 2013) portraying evidence that employer associations relatively prefer cost cutting and enhanced managerial prerogative as oppose to productivity. Entailed within this essay the key concepts such as penalty rates, managerial prerogative, flexibility and productivity will be discussed with particular focus the modern award reviews combined with an overview of Sheldon and Thornthwaite’s argument in summary and concurrence. According to (Boxall & Purcell, 2011) management goals are predominantly associated with cost efficiency, controllable flexibility, legitimacy and managerial power. It is these goals that evidently become the concern of relevant employer associations, as such they take on the role of combining, allocating and utilising resources in order to achieve organisational objectives. There have however been significant changes over the years regarding employer association involvement particularly seen over the course of the 1980’s. Employer associations aim to influence and negotiate with the Government of the day as well as tribunals in an effort to ensure that the mutual concerns of organisations are being met. (Sheldon & Thornthwaite, 2013) discuss key system issues with regard to employer associations mainly focusing on restricting union’s right of entry, penalty rates and other provisions incorporating aspects of substantive and procedural rules. Modern Award reviews primarily began in 2012, it is during this time that leading associations took the opportunity to not only push for more workable provisions but also to campaign for more substantial changes within various awards. Employer associations accounted for a large number of submissions to the tribunal on a broad range of issued in particular penalty rates, public holidays and flexibility. In the technical sense, penalty rates are a form of tangible benefit within the financial context which generally refers to those payments made to workers outside normal working hours. Regulator motivations for including penalty rates in modern awards as stated by (Sloane, 2014) are twofold: firstly, to compensate workers for work performed during what was historically known as ‘unsociable hours’ and secondly, to dissuade employers from operating within those hours. However,  as advocated by (Sheldon & Thornthwaite, 2013) the modern award reviews have ‘provided a forum for employers and their associations to escalate their campaign to the significance of penalty rates in industries operating during the traditionally ‘unsociable hours’, which is evidence that employer associations prefer to enhance managerial prerogative over productivity which is predominantly concerned with the cost of resources. The push for the examination of provisions regarding penalty rates has mostly been seen to affect the tourism and retail industries. Flexibility is made up of numerous components however, within in the context of the workplace involves thinking creatively about how working lives can be better structured to match individual and business needs (Job Access, 2012). Following the review of penalty rate provisions, amendments to the flexibility clause were sought after with particular attention paid to the manufacturing industry. Greater flexibility was requested in the taking and cashing out of annual leave in a further attempt to enhance cost cutting initiatives through control measures which ultimately leads to the underlying concept of elevated managerial prerogative. Managerial prerogative may be defined as management’s unqualified authority to exercise its discretion in certain areas under the belief that they have exclusive rights to make decisions and therefore resist any interference with that control (Storey, 1983). Sheldon & Thornthwaite make reference to managerial prerogative in the defensive context through aggressive industrial action which has historically been used as a means of strengthening managerial prerogative. The 2011 Qantas lockout serves as one of the most significant demonstrations of managerial prerogative through the organisations decision to engage in a lockout. As part of a wider push to entrench managerial prerogative employers were also seen to be engaging in aggressive bargaining strategies in order to escalate disputes with the intention of gaining access to arbitration which has an adverse affect on productivity. (Stewart, 2005) promotes the fact that there needs to be greater emphasis on productivity which forges greater efficiency and high trust work systems founded on flexible and fair employment. Productivity is the economic factor stemming from the adequate use of resources; productivity is essentially the measure of achievement through the amount of output that is achieved as result of the input predominantly referring to land, labour and capital as the key resources. Between penalty rates and productivity there is no association they are separated by the contexts of which they are defined. (AI Group, 2012) identify key problem areas within the Fair Work Act Review and state that it is ‘hampering productivity growth, workplace flexibility and competitiveness’ thus meaning that penalty rates do not influence productivity levels. (Sheldon & Thornthwaite, 2013) do make it apparent that employer association’s main concerns do in fact favour cost cutting and managerial prerogative rather than focusing on the importance of productivity enhancement. (Sheldon & Thornthwaite, 2013) further explored critiques from employer associations whose predominant concern was based on the fact that managerial prerogative was reduced through the increasing weakness of employer’ freedom to contract. (DEEWR, 2012) Released a report referring to more productive and equitable workplaces which disappointed employer associations thus further confirming productivity enhancement to be of no concern. It is clearly demonstrated that employer associations’ main concerns were that of cost cutting and managerial prerogative it is however, the amalgamation of all the relevant key concepts discussed that essentially equip organisations with a competitive advantage. The core concepts behind the submissions made by employer associations clearly obscure the importance of larger issues which further represents that employer associations prioritise the ease of managements working lives over that of the worker. Bibliography Australian Industry (AI) Group (2012), Applications to Vary a Modern Award – 2012 Review, Stephen Smith, Director – National Workplace Relations. Boxall, P and Purcell, J (2011), The Goals of Human Resource Management, Strategy and Human Resource Management, 3rd Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 1-36. Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) (2012), Towards More Productive and Equitable Workplaces: An Evaluation of the Fair Work Legislation, Australian Government. Job Access, Flexibility in the Workplace, Australian Government, Accessed 1st May 2014 Sheldon, P and Thornthwaite, L. (2013), Employer and Employer Association Matters in 2012, Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 55: No. 3, pp. 386-402. Sloane, J (2014), Pay Penalty Rates, but not Through Awards System, The Australian. Stewart, A (2005), A Simple Plan for Workplace Regulation, Industrial Law News, Issue 7. Storey, J (1983). Managerial Prerogative and the Question of Control, Routledge & Kegan Paul Publishing, London.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Film and Tragic Love Story

Last January 10, 2013, I, together with my English 211 classmates watched the Lantaw 2012 Short-film festival. It’s my first time to watch a short-film here in USM since Lantaw is a yearly activity here in our school. I was really excited to watch those 5 short-films, especially the film â€Å"Salamin† from Ateneo de Davao University, who got first place in a certain event. I also enjoyed the 4 films, namely; Surat, Kulta, Ayuda, and Incognito. In the film â€Å"Surat†, produced and directed by the 2 BSECE-A, I was really surprised because my friend, April Mae Tulang, is the lady protagonist in the film.It was a tragic love story between a teacher and a rebel. It was a nice film and story, but for me the ending is a bit predictable one, the guy died and the teacher became an old maid. Let’s go to the film â€Å"Kulta†, from 2 ABPolSci. This film is a tragic-family story. The story was based from the reality today. In the film, they were orphans, but still a happy family. Not until when the youngest of them got sick, and she really needed to get in the hospital. Because of being penniless, the oldest son took the risk of being a bomb carrier in exchange of money.It was a reality-based film. It’s just, I can’t understand what were they’re saying because there’s no subtitle in the movie. While in â€Å"Ayuda†, from 3ABEnglish, is one of the short-films that I’ve been enjoyed watching. I enjoyed this film simply because we can related based from the story! It’s a college love story. The cast of the film played each of their roles nice and easy. But we were wondering about the ending of the film. It was totally fuzzy why the guy holds a mini-knife. Will he take suicide? Or will he kill the antagonist?It’s very confusing. And the film which I mostly liked, the â€Å"Incognito†, which is from DevChem (students from Development Communications and Chemistry department) real ly amazed me. The main cast were so amazing in performing their different roles. And the ending was really unpredictable! I did not imagine that pretty lady was †¦ gay. Haha. I am very happy for the people who made this short-film. They made it really great! I was really excited in the â€Å"Salamin† by the AdDU filmmakers because Sir Lloyd said that Salamin is a must-see short-film.And I really watching the film. At first, I never imagined that it/s going to be a horror movie. Their setting was nice, the actors especially the main characters delivered well. I was having fun even though some parts of the movie surprised me, it has a good sound effects and a loud and clear voice which I understand easily. Over-all, the Lantaw short-film Festival was a success. The audiences enjoyed those 5 films being watched. Thanks for the loud Sound System that we all heard the sounds loud and clear. Ellyn Mae L. Arias

Friday, September 13, 2019

Critically Analyse the extent to which the militarisation of Essay

Critically Analyse the extent to which the militarisation of humanitarian assistance has affected the way in which humanitarian agencies carry out their role in conflict affected countries - Essay Example Military activities are usually politically driven, and they follow the strategies laid out by their governments. On the other hand, aid organizations operate under impartiality and neutrality, but they rely on the military for security and provisions such as transportation. This affects their impartiality and neutrality since they might engage in some politically oriented missions. In the past, NGO workers have been used to gather intelligence for the military, which affects their functionality (Weiss, 1999). The government utilizes humanitarian relief aid to woo the local residents to provide information about the militants. In Iraq and Afghanistan, this strategy has been used to gather information regarding the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants (Aidan, 2010). Humanitarian aid can be defined as logical assistance, medical assistance, and food supplies to people caught up in a humanitarian crisis such as war or natural disaster. Several countries in the third world such as Congo, Sierra Leone, Syria, and Libya have experienced internal war due to political instability. The affected population in these regions requires protection and assistance, which is mostly provided by NGOs along military organizations such as NATO, United Nations, and African Union. Today’s conflicts disregard human life as well as the values of tolerance and human dignity, and the general population is usually targeted by warlords. The main aim of humanitarian aid is to assist every person without discrimination, respect human dignity, and pursue no other interest. In areas where the military is involved, some affected groups may be locked out due to political reasons. The military may also influence the process of aid provision depending on the cooperation by the locals. This cooperation gauged in terms of information the military receives from local residents regarding militant groups in the region. The involvement of the military in aid activities