GiDa Ltd Analysis of financial performance - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1368 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? GiDa Ltd Analysis of financial performance Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "GiDa Ltd: Analysis of financial performance" essay for you Create order Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2Financial Statements and ratios 2.1Income statement 3.2Balance Sheet 3Limitations 4Overdraft reduction plan 5Conclusion Bibliography Appendix 1 GiDa Ltd Income statement Appendix 2 GiDa Ltd Balance Sheet Appendix 3KPIà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s The following report has been produced by Drake Consultancy on behalf of GiDa Ltd, a corporation that is involved in the design and manufacture of casual and leisure clothing aimed specifically at the higher-income young persons market. GiDa has been requested by their bankers to reduce their current borrowing requirements within the next six months. The intention of this report is to analyse the financial performance of the business using the key performance indicators and ratios as indicated by Atrill and McLaney (2006) and present a plan for the business that will enable it to comply with the banks requirements. Copies of the financial statements of GiDa Ltd covering the two years to 31 December 2007 are attached within appendices 1 and 2. It should be noted at this stage that these have been prepared and presented in accordance with the current reporting standards as set by the IASB[1]. One consequence of these standards is that when measuring performance, the majority of ratios used are concentrated upon the balance sheet, although as will be seen in this case these do relate to the profitability of the business (Ryan 2004, p.145). In common with standard practice, to enable a comprehensive analysis of GiDaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s financial performance, we have used six key performance indicators (Lee 2006), the details of which are included in appendix 3. Two of these relate to income statement activity and the remainder concentrate upon balance sheet performance. 2.1Income statement With regard to the income statement, two KPIà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s can be seen to have contributed to the increase of the business overdraft during 2007. These are the inventory turnover period and the trade receivables. The results show that inventory has reduced from being turned over 3.14 times per year to 2.46 times. Similarly, the trade receivables in 2007 represent 16.71%, an increase of over 5% in the year. As is apparent from the income statement (appendix 1), there are no exception items in the accounts, therefore both of these events have directly put pressure on the business cash flow, increasing funding requirements (Atrill and McLaney 2006, p.204). 3.2Balance Sheet An analysis of the GiDa Ltd balance sheets for the two years (appendix 2) also reveals several areas of concern (Riahi-Belkaoui 2004), which might have precipitated the banks request. These concerns appear in four major areas. Return on investment The percentage return on investment has reduced to 22.09% in 2007 (25.27% 2006). Although this might be of minor concern, as GiDa is a private company, if investors are needed in the future its importance will increase. Current Ratio The current ratio tests the ability of the business to cover its short term or current liabilities. In this case 2006 showed a comfortable position where current assets were nearly twice the size of current liabilities, although this position has weakened considerably in 2007. Acid Test ratio However, of more importance in terms of performance is the acid test ratio. Here it is recognised that the business inventory does not have the same liquidity strength as other current assets, particularly in a forced sale environment (Atrill and McLaney 2006). Financial institutions are only comfortable when this ratio exceeds 1(Ryan 2004) and, as is apparent from the GiDa balance sheet in neither year has this been achieved. Even more concerning is the fact that in 2007 this ratio reduced to less than half. From the bankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s viewpoint this would raise issues relating to the security of their lending (Lee 2006). Debt/equity ratio A similar result to the acid test ratio would be required from the debt/equity ration, which is designed to indicated the solvency of the business when comparing liabilities against the equity available (Schroeder et al 2005). The review of the GiDa performance shows that in 2007 this ratio, as with the previous one, has also reduced to less than half. Despite the increased and improved performance reflected in the corporationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s income statements, there is little doubt that the performances in the areas indicated above have been the cause of the bankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s disquiet as to the future stability of the business and resulted in their requesting a reduction in current borrowings (Jones 2006 and Lee 2006). Prior to making recommendations (section 4) it should be noted that this performance analysis would have contained a more detailed appraisal had Drake Consultancy been able to access two further areas of information. The first of these is the cash flow statement, which provides future indication of continuing liquidity (Ryan 2004, p.1). In the second instance, a more detailed analysis of revenue segments might have proved useful in assessing whether performance was an issue within the male or female clothing ranges. In addition, from the information provided it has been assumed that all the profits earned by the business in 2006 have been withdrawn by the shareholders as dividends in 2007 as this amount has not been carried forward to the 2007 balance sheet (see appendix 2). The balance sheet for GiDa Ltd shows that the overdraft has increase to  £5.5 million in 2007 (2006  £600,000). To comply with the bankers request for a reduction in the overdraft levels within six months the reports authors would make recommendations for improvements in two main areas of the business performance, these being related to the inventory and trade receivables. Inventory If the inventory turnover level had been maintained in 2007 at the same ratio as 2006 it would have stood at  £4.588million instead of the balance sheet amount of  £5.820 million. This would have reduced the business borrowing levels in the full year by  £1,261 million Trade receivables In terms of trade receivables the extent of credit extended to customers has increased by 5% in 2997. Had this credit control been maintained at 2006 levels additional cash available to the business would have been  £1,161.55 million. It is therefore recommended that additional controls and monitoring be conducted upon these two areas to reduce the ratios back to 2006 levels as a matter of urgency. The cash flow benefit of taking this action will have the following positive cash inflow to the business over the course of one year:  £1,261 +  £1,161 =  £2,422 million Achieving this level of improvement would enable the business to provide the bank with a borrowing reduction of  £1,211 million with the six month period requested. Furthermore, these measures would also serve to improve the business key performance indicators, especially in relation to the current and acid test ratios. It is concluded from the review of the financial performance of GiDA that whilst the income performance has improved, the two areas of financial controls mentioned in section 4 have been allowed to become lax, which has caused the bank to become concerned about their lending. However, providing the corporationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s management implement the recommendations of this report it is considered that the business will be able to achieve a position that will enable it to comply with the banks request to reduce borrowing levels and, in addition, strengthen its balance sheet value at the same time. Atrill, P and McLaney E (2006). Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall Jones, M (2006). Financial Accounting. Chichester: John Wiley Sons Lee, T (2006). Financial Reporting and Corporate Governance. Chichester: John Wiley Sons Riahi-Belkaoui (2004). Accounting Theory. London: Thomson Learning Schroeder, R.G., Clark, M.W and Cathey, J.M (2005). Financial Accounting Theory and Analysis: Text, Readings and Cases. New York: John Wiley Sons Inc Ryan R (2004). Finance and Accounting for Business. London: Thomson Learning Income statementforGiDa Ltd. for theyearended31December 2006 2007  £000  £000  £000  £000 Revenue 14,006 22,410 Costofsales Opening inventory 2,330 3,140 Purchases 7,584 14,298 Closing inventory (2,418) (5,820) (7,496) (11,618) Grossprofit 6,510 10,792 Operatingexpenses (2,384) (3,700) Operatingprofit(beforeinterestandtaxation) 4,126 7,092 Interestpayable (432) (912) Profitbeforetaxation 3,694 6,180 Taxation (420) (780) Profitfor the year 3,274 5,400 Balance sheetforGiDa Ltd. as at 31December 2006 2007  £000  £000  £000  £000 Non-current assets 8,600 14,470 Current assets Inventory 2,418 5,820 Trade receivables 1,614 3,744 Other receivables 268 402 Cash 56 8 4,356 9,974 Current liabilities Trade payables 1,214 2,612 Other payables 248 402 Taxation 420 780 Bank overdraft 600 5,050 2,482 8,844 Net current assets 1,874 1,130 10,474 15,600 Non-current liabilities Long-term loan 3,600 6,600 Net assets 6,874 9,000 Equity Ordinary shares of  £0.50 each 3,600 3,600 Retained profit 3,274 5,400 6,874 9,000 Figure 1 Financial Ratios GiDa Ltd Financial Ratios Comparisons  £  £  £ 000s Dec-31 Dec-31 2006 2007 Inventory period Annual cost of goods sold 7,584 14,298 Inventory 2,418 5,820 Ratio 3.14 2.46 Trade receivables Revenue 14,006 22,410 Trade receivables 1,614 3,744 Percentage 11.52% 16.71% Return on Investment Total Assets 12,956 24,444 Net Profit after Taxes 3,274 5,400 Percentage 25.27% 22.09% Current Ratio Current Liabilities 2,482 8,844 Current Assets 4,356 9,974 Ratio 1.76 1.13 Acid Test Ratios Current Liabilities 2,482 8,844 Current Assets (Less inventory) 1,938 4,154 Ratio 0.78 0.47 Debt equity ratio Total Liabilities 2,482 8,844 Equity 3,600 3,600 Ratio 1.45 0.41 1 Footnotes [1] International Accounting Standards Board (2008)

Criminal Activities of the Roaring Twenties - 1119 Words

Criminal activities of the Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties were aptly named: they were indeed roaring with music and dance, but also with gangsters and criminals. The Great Depression having affected everybody, all were in need of money and ready to do whatever it took to get some. This is why the Roaring Twenties were a decade of bootlegging, bank robbing, and corruption. The first important criminal industry of the 1920s was bootlegging. Bootlegging consisted in illegally supplying or producing liquor. When the prohibition was enforced during the winter of 1920, its original goal was to lower crime and corruption, reduce social problems, lower taxes needed to support prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in†¦show more content†¦No club played better in 1919, but few were paid so poorly. Many knowledgeable observers believe that it was [White Sox president Charles] Comiskeys stinginess that is largely to blame for the Black Sox scandal: if Comiskey ha d not grossly underpaid his players and treated them so unfairly, they would never have agreed to throw the Series (www.chicagohs.org). Another scandal that took place in those years was the Teapot Dome scandal in 1922, which was when the Secretary of Interior, Albert B. Fall, leased federal oil reserves to business associates that were bribing him. After President Harding had transferred supervision of the naval oil reserve lands from the navy to the Department of the Interior in 1921, Fall secretly granted to Henry F. Sinclair of the Mammoth Oil Company exclusive rights to the Teapot Dome reserves. He granted similar rights to Edward L. Doheny. [†¦] In return for the leases, Fall received large cash gifts and no-interest loans (www.britannica.com). 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Fundamentals of Operation Management-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Explain the Fundamentals of OM and the seamless Integration between logistics, Operations, and the Customer. Answer: Literature Review or Critique Explain the fundamentals of OM and the seamless integration between logistics, operations, and the customer - K. W.Green, R. A. Inman, L. M. Birou D. Whitten, D (2014), Total JIT (T-JIT) and its impact on supply chain competency and organizational performance.In International Journal of Production Economics,volume 147, pages 125 to 135(Green, 2014). Main Purpose of the Article Operations Management includes various administrative processes within businesses aimed at creating highest levels of efficiency within an organisation(Petrovic, 2014). The scope of the domain concerns with converting raw materials and labour into services and goods, for maximizing profits of the organisation. In an attempt to balance costs with revenue for achieving highest net operating profit, various functionalities of Operations Management integrates seamlessly with logistics, operations and customers(Alfalla-Luque R. M.-L., 2013). OM utilizes resources, employees, equipment, technology for catering to their customers. For examining integration of various concepts and key functionalities of OM, the article by K. W.Green, R. A. Inman, L. M. Birou D. Whitten, D (2014), Total JIT (T-JIT) and its impact on supply chain competency and organizational performance.In International Journal of Production Economics,volume 147, pages 125 to 135(Green, 2014). Operations, logistics and custo mers are the key drivers of OM. Thus, the scope of the current article examines such integration in accordance to the fundamental concepts of OM. Key Questions of the article The article aims to understand several diversified areas related to OM. Some key research questions that are identified in the article are; Research Question 1: What are the key domains that are encompassed by the field of Operations Management? Research Question 2: How does Operations Management deliver key functionalities and services? Research Question 3: What is the connection between OM and logistics? Research Question 4: What is the connection between OM and operations? Research Question 5: What is the connection between OM and customers? Research Question 6: How does the field of OM integrates operations, logistics and customers? Research Question 7: What ways does the field of OM impacts organisational effectiveness? Most Important Information (secondary and Primary Data) of the Article The article makes use of various primary and secondary data for the purpose of analysis. The key source of data or information is secondary data that has been collected from newspaper, journals, books, websites, company magazines and other relevant sources(Wu, 2013). Limited primary data has been collected for the purpose of analysis and for arriving at results for the article. The journal has collected data from several organisations by means of interviews, surveys and questionnaire methods in order that impact of Operations Management can be understood. Post collection of such data, seamless integration of Operations Management with operation, logistics and customers has been established(Huo, 2014). Main Interferences of the Article The article has been successful in establishing the various aspects that are related to Operations Management. It is a field of integrated functions, where each function is dependent on the other for achieving overall organisational functional effectiveness. This article explains the fundamental concepts behind OM, which includes breaking down of several responsibilities for delivering in accordance with organisational goals(Abidi, 2015). Specific areas of OM incorporates handling of strategic issues that can help assess size of manufacturing capabilities, project management structures, information technology networks and so on. Other aspects of OM includes assessing work-in-process levels, acquiring of raw materials, inventory control techniques, quality control mechanisms, material handling and so on. All processes in OM is focused on increasing efficiency and effectiveness by reducing considerable amounts of wastes. Hence, operations, logistics and customers drive the entire focus of OM techniques(Danese, 2013). Logistics is a key functionality that relates to Operations Management through inventory systems. Handling logistics in a suitable manner can provide immense competitiveness to the business as they can arrange their warehouse accordingly. As the scope of Operations Management involves understanding trends and processes in global customer demands, they arrange their logistics in a manner such that requisition of raw materials with supply of finished goods. Such logistics arrangements in turn enable to meet customer demands and expectation levels(Zhang, 2015). While logistics are arranged in manner to meet targeted inventory levels and to keep warehouse at appropriate stock levels, operations needs to be conducted in manner that allows meeting of organisational profitability. OM involves key functionalities and operations which are organized to cater to customer demands and needs. OM involves delivery of goods as well to customers, such that goods reach customers within agreed time frame. OM involves operations that ensure feedback from customers such that appropriate desired quality levels are met(Leuschner, 2014). Operations form an integral part of OM which takes in feedback from varied customers and encompasses the same for quality control mechanisms. Feedback acquired from varied customers is provided to relevant departments, who then incorporate the same for process improvements. Operations integrate seamlessly across various functions present across multiple departments such that logistics and customers can be catered to effectively. Such integration of functions results in effectiveness and efficiency of processes leading to success in overall OM(Xue, 2013). Key Concepts of the Article The article aims to cover various pertinent concepts of OM. As the field of OM concerns itself with various aspects of operations that are utilized to deliver final product or services to customers. It starts from raw materials and concerns itself with the entire process of transforming of products into finished products or services and then distribution to end customers. The article explains all pertinent functions that are connected across with the domain of OM that is used to deliver products to customers(Alfalla-Luque R. M.-G.-L., 2015). It integrates procurement, inventory, logistics, transformation processes, quality management, customers and so on. Thus, the focus of the article is to explain and integrate all facts that goes into making of a quality product or service that can satisfy customer demands. Main Assumptions of the Article Primary assumptions in the article include the following; An organisation will strive to increase its quality. Primary focus of every organisation should be on quality, quality creates customer satisfaction and thereafter repeated customer purchases for same products and services to drive operations processes(Wong, 2013). An organisation will aim to integrate its supply chain management processes with those of Operations Management to enhance efficiency. Logistics provide products or services to ultimate customers, hence it becomes integral that operations are integrated with logistics and supply chain processes. Operations needs to be aware when raw material will be required, when finished products needs to be deliver to customers. This the key underlying assumption of this journal. Customer satisfaction is the primary focus for any organisation be it service drive or product driven(Kache, 2014). Hence, all key functionalities and features of Operations Management needs to be integrated seamlessly with its customers. Systems and functionalities consisting in Operations management processes needs to be integrated such as to derive maximum amounts of effectiveness. While Operations Management conducts a variety of processes, it becomes necessary to integrate all of them such that effectiveness and efficiency can drive such processes(Stevens, 2016). Implications The journal provides a detailed insight and review of Operations Management processes and functionalities. All fundamental Operations Management processes and functionalities are directed at production of service of good that an organisation focuses on. In order to arrive at finished products there is a multitude of factors that underlie, as procuring raw materials, arranging necessary human resources, conducting processes, finishing products in factory, delivering products or services to customers. This entire range of processes requires tremendous commitments from various departments and resources. Hence, effectiveness and efficiency in Operations processes can only be entailed in case various departments are well integrated and coordinated with each other. Logistics has emerged to a key function that can drive processes concerned with operations. It can help redundancy by reduction in overall lag time, wastages by arranging for materials prior to time of production, delivering to customers as and when required(S. Tsanos, 2014). Such integrated functionalities can only take place in case there is presence of a platform where each department coordinates with the other to form integrated operations systems. All such processes in Operations Management are driven in turn by customers. Production processes and logistics can only be triggered in case customers demands so. Customer will demand products and services from the organisation only if they conform to certain quality standards. Thus, the key to all Operations processes is to attain effectiveness and efficiency in turn achieve Total Quality Management. TQM is the key process of Operations Management that is focused on quality as a means for attaining customer satisfaction levels. With rise of systematic performances it becomes integral to measure each specific standards of performance to produce high quality goods. Operations Management involves various decisions including those made for operations strategy, product design, process design, facility planning, quality management, inventory control and production planning. Each of these aspects of Operations Management are required to analyse current situations prevailing in the organisation and for improving effectiveness and efficiency of manufacturing or service related operations. There are multifarious benefits arising from integration of Operations Management processes especially those of logistics, operations and customers. These factors has been considered the key to drive revenue and innovation strategies across the organisation. A well-functioning logistics and operations processes is a key to drive sustainability within the industry(Baihaqi, 2013). Such integration allows to stay ahead of demands by positioning appropriately in the market. Globalisation has impended high demands to accommodate shorter product life cycles with fluctuating economies and emerging markets. This requires the logistics systems to be greatly responsiv e to allow for flexibility. This will benefit overall operations systems by responding to customer demands. Integrated processes allows for elimination of wastes to maintain sustainability within the industry. Waste is known to considerably increase costs associated with in production and also increasing inefficiency within systems. Eliminating wastes will also allow for higher profit margins. Conclusion From the above analysis of the journal and criticism, it can be established that OM is an integral domain of study. Organisations for attaining sustainability needs to aim at integrating key processes of Operations Management such as to drive its profitability. Any efforts at integrating such processes will allow the organisation establish core competency in the market and attain quality in its overall processes. The scope of this journal provides various relevant insights regarding similar processes of Operations Management. However, while integrating such functionalities organisations needs to take that there is no overemphasis in the same leading to further increasing in costs. Costs management endeavors should be primary focus within organisations aiming to attain sustainability and reducing redundancies. While an organisation strives to attain excellence in its overall processes, key to attaining success within its industry lies in having adequate control over its operations and processes. As field of Operations Management is extremely diverse it can be managed only through an integrated approach to overcome challenges in regards to the same. Reference Lists Abidi, H. d. (2015). The value of fourth-party logistics services in the humanitarian supply chain. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 35-60. Alfalla-Luque, R. M.-G.-L. (2015). An analysis of the direct and mediated effects of employee commitment and supply chain integration on organisational performance. International Journal of Production Economics, 242-257. Alfalla-Luque, R. M.-L. (2013). Supply chain integration framework using literature review. Production Planning Control, 800-817. Baihaqi, I. . (2013). The impact of information sharing in supply chains on organisational performance: an empirical study. . Production Planning Control, 743-758. Danese, P. R. (2013). The impact of supply chain integration on responsiveness: The moderating effect of using an international supplier network. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 125-140. Green, K. W. (2014). Total JIT (T-JIT) and its impact on supply chain competency and organizational performance. . International Journal of Production Economics, 125-135. Huo, B. Q. (2014). The impact of supply chain integration on firm performance: The moderating role of competitive strategy. . Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 369-384. Kache, F. . (2014). Linking collaboration and integration to risk and performance in supply chains via a review of literature reviews. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 664-682. Leuschner, R. C. (2014). Leuschner, R., Carter, C. R., Goldsby, T. J., Rogers, Z. S. . Journal of Supply Chain Management, Journal of Supply Chain Management. Petrovic, O. H. (2014). Research on mobile communication systems in last-mile logistics to create an end-to-end information flow. International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 172-190. Tsanos, C. G. (2014). Developing a conceptual model for examining the supply chain relationships between behavioural antecedents of collaboration, integration and performance. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 418-462. Stevens, G. C. (2016). Integrating the supply chain 25 years on. . International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, 19-42. Wong, C. W. (2013). Leveraging environmental information integration to enable environmental management capability and performance. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 114-136. Wu, G. C. (2013). The influence of green supply chain integration and environmental uncertainty on green innovation in Taiwan's IT industry. . Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 539-552. Xue, L. R. (2013). The impact of supply-side electronic integration on customer service performance. . Journal of Operations Management, 363-375. Zhang, C. G. (2015). A comprehensive model for supply chain integration. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 1141-1157.

One of a Kind by G-Dragon free essay sample

G-Dragon- One of a Kind If you’re tired of not hype music that don’t fit you, you should try the solo effort of the international artist G-Dragon. â€Å"One of a kind† is a hip-hop and rap kind of music. It’s a kind of music that will hype you up to make you dance with the song. The song is interesting even you don’t know the language of the song. I love the part in the lyric he said (â€Å"Yes sir, I’m one of a kind†) it will make you feel upbeat and do what you do. G-Dragon, who wrote and produce this song, this song length was organize by Choice37. With this song, G-Dragon also has express who he is as an artist and he shows making music you have to be you. The first single, â€Å"Heartbreaker,† release in 2009. Produced by G-Dragon and Jimmy Thornfelt, it was the amazing debut of G-Dragon as a solo. We will write a custom essay sample on One of a Kind by G-Dragon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This song wasn’t as good as â€Å"One of a kind† because G-Dragon put more of who he is in the song than â€Å"Heartbreaker† and it is more upbeat song for people who like loud and exciting. G-Dragon is an amazing artist, who writes his on music and produce it to. I can’t wait to see what’s next in his journey of becoming a sensation throughout the world.

Remembering the Murder of Shanda Sharer

Remembering the Murder of Shanda Sharer Few crimes in modern times caused more public horror than the grisly torture and murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer at the hands of four teenage girls on Jan. 11, 1992 in Madison, Indiana. The callousness and brutality exhibited by the four teenage girls, ages 15 to 17, shocked the public then, and it continues to be a source of fascination and revulsion as the subject of dozens of books, magazine articles, television programs, and psychiatric papers.   The Events Leading to the Murder At the time of her murder, Shanda Renee Sharer was the 12-year old daughter of divorced parents, attending school at  Our  Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic school in New Albany, Indiana, after transferring the previous year from Hazelwood Middle School. While at Hazelwood, Shanda had met Amanda Heavrin. Initially the two girls fought, but eventually became friends and then became entered into a youthful romance.   In October of 1991, Amanda and Shanda were attending a school dance together when they were angrily confronted by Melinda Loveless, an older girl that Amanda Heavrin had also been dating since 1990. As Shanda Sharer and Amanda Heavrin continued to socialize through October, the jealous Melinda Loveless began to discuss killing Shanda and was observed threatening her in public. It was at this point, concerned about their daughters safety, that Shandas parents transferred her to a Catholic school and away from Amanda. The Abduction, Torture, and Murder Despite the fact that Shanda Sharer was no longer in the same school as Amanda Heavrin, Melinda Loveless jealousy continued to fester over the next few months, and on the night of Jan. 10, 1992, Melinda, along with three friends- Toni Lawrence (age 15), Hope Rippey (age 15), and Laurie Tackett (age 17)- drove to where Shanda was spending the weekend with her father. Just after midnight, the older girls convinced Shanda that her friend Amanda Heavrin was waiting for her at a teenage hangout spot known as the Witchs Castle, a ruined stone home in a remote area overlooking the Ohio River. Once in the car, Melinda Loveless began to threaten Shanda with a knife, and once they arrived at Witchs Castle, the threats escalated into an hours-long torture session. It was the details of the savagery that followed, all of which came out later in testimony from one of the girls, that so horrified the public. Over a period of more than six hours, Shanda Sharer was subject to beatings with fists, strangling with a rope, repeated stabbings, and battery and sodomy with a tire iron. Finally, the still living girl was doused with gasoline and set ablaze in the early morning hours of Jan. 11, 1992, in a field alongside a gravel county road.   Immediately after the murder, the four girls had breakfast at McDonalds, where it is reported that they laughingly compared the look of the sausage to that of the corpse they had just abandoned.   The Investigation Uncovering the truth of this crime thankfully did not take long. Shanda Sharers body was discovered later that same morning by hunters driving along the road. When Shandas parents reported her missing in early afternoon, the connection to the discovered body was quickly suspected. That evening, a distraught Toni Lawrence accompanied by her parents arrived at the  Jefferson County Sheriffs office  and began to confess the details of the crime. Dental records quickly confirmed that the remains discovered by the hunters were those of Shanda Sharer. By the next day, all the involved girls had been arrested.   The Criminal Proceedings With compelling evidence provided by Toni Lawrences testimony, the four girls involved were all charged as adults. With a strong likelihood of death penalty sentences, they all accepted guilty pleas in order to avoid such an outcome.   In preparation for sentencing, defense attorneys spent considerable effort assembling arguments of mitigating circumstances for some of the girls, arguing that these facts reduced their culpability. These facts were presented to the judge during the sentencing hearing. Melinda Loveless, the ringleader, had by far the most extensive history of abuse. At the legal hearing, two of her sisters and two cousins testified that her father, Larry Loveless, had forced them to have sex with him, although they could not testify that Melinda, too, had been so abused. His history of physical abuse to his wife and children was well documented, as well as a pattern of sexual misconduct. (Later, Larry Loveless would be charged with 11 counts of child sex abuse.) Laurie Tackett was raised in a strictly religious household where rock music, movies and most other trappings of normal teenage life were strictly forbidden. In rebellion, she shaved her head and engaged in occult practices. It was not entirely surprising to others that she could have participated in such a crime.   Toni Lawrence and Hope Rippey had no such troubled reputations, and experts and public onlookers were somewhat baffled at how relatively normal girls could have participated in such a crime. In the end, it was chalked up to simple peer pressure and a thirst for acceptance, but the case continues to be a source of analysis and discussion to this day.   The Sentences In exchange for her extensive testimony, Toni Lawrence received the lightest sentence- she pleaded guilty to one count of Criminal Confinement and was sentenced to a maximum of 20 years. She was released on December 14, 2000, after serving nine years. She remained on parole until December, 2002. Hope Rippey was sentenced to 60 years, with ten years suspended for mitigating circumstances. Upon later appeal, her sentence was reduced to 35 years. She was released early on April 28, 2002 from Indiana Womens Prison after serving 14 years of her original sentence.   Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett were sentenced to 60 years in the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. Tacket was released on Jan. 11, 2018, exactly 26 years to the day after the murder.   Melinda Loveless, the ringleader of one of the most brutal murders in recent time, is due to be released in 2019.

The Chemistry Behind How Febreze Works

The Chemistry Behind How Febreze Works Does Febreze remove odors or merely mask them? Heres the chemistry behind how Febreze works, including information about its active ingredient, cyclodextrin, and how the product interacts with odors. Febreze was invented by Procter Gamble and introduced in 1996. The active ingredient in Febreze is beta-cyclodextrin, a carbohydrate. Beta-cyclodextrin is an 8-sugar ringed molecule that is formed via an enzymatic conversion of starch, usually from corn. How Febreze Works The cyclodextrin molecule resembles a doughnut. When you spray Febreze, the water in the product partially dissolves the odor, allowing it to form a complex inside the hole of the cyclodextrin doughnut shape. The stink molecule is still there, but it cant bind to your odor receptors, so you cant smell it. Depending on the type of Febreze youre using, the odor might simply be deactivated or it might be replaced with something nice-smelling, such as a fruity or floral fragrance. As Febreze dries, more and more of the odor molecules bind to the cyclodextrin, lowering the concentration of the molecules in the air and eliminating the odor. If water is added once again, the odor molecules are released, allowing them to be washed away and truly removed. Some sources say that Febreze also contains zinc chloride, which would help to neutralize sulfur-containing odors (e.g., onions, rotten eggs) and might dull nasal receptor sensitivity to smell, but this compound is not listed in the ingredients, at least in the spray-on products.

Sociology involves the systematic study of human society Essay

Sociology involves the systematic study of human society - Essay Example A lot of people become engaged in different social activities and participate in different movements, events or festivities which bring people together. Globalization is a social reality of the 21st century which changed the world. Sociology is helping people accept the movement and it is encouraging greater tolerance towards diversity. Social sciences make contributions towards helping society validate a lot of commonly help assumptions. The importance of commonly held lies in that without them we would not have any knowledge, in fact questioning or proving wrong commonly help assumptions can make entire knowledge system fall apart (Uncg). The view the University of North Carolina – Greensburg depicts refers to more abstract concepts such as the universe is empirical; the universe works according to law-like principles and these laws like principles may be discovered by humans through investigative efforts. Sociology is part of the overall body of sciences and assumptions within this field also influence the body of knowledge. People tend to be curious about knowledge and many times want proof about the validity of an assumption. In the social science field whenever someone requires proof of something, there are ways to prove any assumption of theory to be true or false. Researchers can design experiments t o validate knowledge. These experiments can be performed utilizing different techniques such as observation, control groups, experimental groups, surveys and correlation (NesSmith, 21). Humans are subjected to different social interactions which provide sources of opportunities for them, but depending on the circumstance can become a constraint variable which limits access to certain experience in different people. For example an American worker which suddenly becomes unemployed may face tough times ahead. If this person lives in a city with lots of job

Building Information Modelling Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 13750 words

Building Information Modelling - Dissertation Example The potentiality of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the construction companies operating in the West Midland region is undertaken in this research. The study is undertaken to assess the ability of the construction companies towards the emerging technological options in the construction sector. Though most of the companies have heavily invested in the basic software tools necessary for their operations, the impact of high-end solutions that would ensure enhanced flexibility and a significant reduction in the rework needs to be investigated. Most of the industries in the West Midlands region are small scale with very limited expansion potential and hence such a study alone could help to obtain deeper insight into the reasons of acceptability of BIM in the construction sector. The data collection exercises adopted included survey process using a detailed questionnaire and also personal interview based on a prepared set of questions. The results obtained from the study showed int eresting results on the BIM implementation. The small construction companies understand the significant operational advantages that could be attained from using BIM software. Most of the industries prefer the collaborative use of the technology due to the inability to invest such large amounts and hence prefer to have shared use of the technology. Also, it is interesting to note that they all have realized the limitations of conventional software and understand that significant client advantage is being offered in comparison the conventional practices of project delivery. ... The potentiality of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the construction companies operating in the West Midland region is undertaken in this research. The study is undertaken to assess the ability of the construction companies towards the emerging technological options in the construction sector. Though most of the companies have heavily invested in the basic software tools necessary for their operations, the impact of high-end solutions that would ensure enhanced flexibility and significant reduction in the rework need to be investigated. Most of the industries in the West Midlands region are small scale with very limited expansion potential and hence such a study alone could help to obtain deeper insight into the reasons of acceptability of BIM in the construction sector. The data collection exercises adopted included survey process using a detailed questionnaire and also personal interview based on a prepared set of questions. The results obtained from the study showed intere sting results on the BIM implementation in small construction companies. The small construction companies understand the significant operational advantages that could be attained from using BIM software. Most of the industries prefer collaborative use of the technology due to the inability to invest such large amounts and hence prefer to have shared use of the technology. Also, it is interesting to note that they all have realized the limitations of conventional software and understand that significant client advantage is being offered in comparison the conventional practices of project delivery. They have also realize the limits of the present software solutions. The architects and designers are of the opinion that most of the conventional CAD software

Ceo Cant Afford to Panic Essay Example for Free

Ceo Cant Afford to Panic Essay Joan Kaczmarek suggest that is important to help, he starts by coordinating a census of the people missing within the organization in order to find out whether some of the employees can be in danger. †¢Mr. Smarten is told by the security chief Mr. Paul Schlesinger that the police department are going to call soon to ask if they can use their lobby facilities as a triage centre and temporary morgue. †¢The market has fallen due to the news, the chief investment officer Ms. Dana Rosi advises Smarten to move as much activity to the New York and Chicago offices due to the fact that the investments need to be followed up and she is also worried that lending the facilities might bring negative impact on the company and shareholder’s value. †¢The Marketing VP Mr. Sal Persano is worried about the negative implications that the image and logo of the company appearing in pictures where the victims of the bombing are being kept might bring. †¢The general council mentions that lending the facilities might bring liability issues for the company. The opinions of the different members of the board differ. Some are concerned that lending the facilities in order to aid the police could generate bad association for the firm in the future, other are concerned that the company would fail to act ethically just in order to maintain its image, and others are concerned that the trading operations might be affected and that the firm will be unable to fulfil its obligations towards the clients and maintain shareholder’s value. Problem Identification 1. With little time and limited information, Mr. Smarten faces the dilemma of making a decision that could affect the image of the company for better or for worse. The decision that has to be made needs to take into consideration both the business’s shareholders’ interests while at the same time being an ethical and humane decision that looks for the employee’s, bombing victims and community wellbeing. 2. The team’s point of views regarding what needs to be done differ, as they all look after the interests of the particular area they work for. Issue Analysis Mr. Smarten needs to choose an option that portrays his personal values as well as business professionalism. Should he lend the facilities for morgue use or shouldn’t he? Can he come up with another solution for the request? Should he make the decision by himself, or would a consensus decision making be appropriate? This situation calls for a leader that has self-confidence, trustworthiness and courage as personality traits. Du Brin (2013) describes a self-confident leader as one that can maintain composure and calm when dealing when a crisis, Mr. Smarten firstly needs to communicate this self-confidence to the rest of his team even if he isn’t quite feeling this way. Whatever decision Mr. Smarten take will reflect on how trustworthy he is, his colleagues will conclude based on his actions weather he is a trustworthy leader, especially when they put themselves in the situation where one of them could be present at the bombings. Courage is the leadership attribute that Mr. Smarten will need the most in this type of situation, Du Brin (2013) describes courage as the attribute of a person that takes responsibility for his actions. Organization now a days have complex environments with everyday ethical challenges that must be faced (Hunter, 2003), and therefore require that managers with the appropriate character to deal with them. Du Brin (2013) also mentions the importance of cognitive intelligence as an attribute of effective leadership. Mr. Smarten need to have good problem solving skills that arise from being cognitively intelligent, as in this scenario the time to make a decision is limited; he must also act with creativity. Mr. Smarten needs to have farsightedness in order to understand the long term consequence his decision might bring for his coworkers, the firm and the community itself. In a short term, he needs to have as much insight into the situation as possible, Du Brin (2013) notes that effective problem solving also requires intuition and common sense. The problem Mr. Smarten faces is that he needs to make the most ethically decision possible trying to protect the interests of different groups of people, and most probably some of the decision taken will negatively affect one or the other parties. Mr. Smarten need to act with moral courage, which has been described by Kidder (2005) as â€Å"a commitment to moral principles, an awareness of the danger involved in supporting those principles and a willing endurance of that danger. In a short period of time, and with the team’s members opinion’s differing from one another, Mr. Smarten could try to apply the six questions to evaluate the ethics of a specific decision (Bentley College, 2013): 1. Is the decision right? 2. Is it fair? 3. Who gets hurt? 4. Would Mr. Smarten be comfortable if the details of his decision were made public in the media? 5. What would Mr. Smarten tell his child or relative to do? 6. How does the decision feel? Hannah et all (2011) introduce the concept of pro-social behavior which describe behavior in leaders that go beyond his specific role requirements, a behavior in which the leader takes action to protect both the organization, coworkers and community. In this particular situation which was triggered by an external event (bombings) protecting everyone’s interest might not be possible by taking one single decision. Potential solutions (Analysis, Advantages, Disadvantages) The following lines explore the potential solutions and why to approve the potential request from the city †¢Inspiring a positive atmosphere in order outbreak the panic if any, with in the group members. Mr. Smarten should have self-confidence, trustworthiness and courage personality traits in order to be able to transfer his commitment to the group and the organization. He should be a charismatic leader, and have a relationship between the group members and the Stakeholders, in order to guide his personality traits to demonstrate self-sacrifice and the high performance, by expressing positive emotions and thoughts to enhance their positive affect. For instance he may mention the positives for his group members and the company; as it is good that no one from the group members is on sight, and fortunately the company is a few blocks away and did not have any damages (DuBrin, P107, 2013). He can also articulate a high emotional message for instance saying; â€Å"that we are encountering a serious situation and if we well behaved, we may save someone’s’ life† (DuBrin, P109, 2013). He can also bring some other successful examples, from another firm’s behaviours as metaphors and analogies to motivate the group and inspire his positive message (DuBrin, P117, 2013). By being enthusiastic, optimistic and energetic, he can create a Vision for others in order to change the room’s total environment from a turmoil horror to a productive positive atmosphere suitable to take decisive decisions. †¢Taking ethical and moral decisions In this part, it is recommended that Mr. Gerald Smarten to emphasize on mentioning the probability of him scarifying his career, if his decisions did not meet with the stockholder’s expectations, in order to help the city. It was already demonstrated that Mr. Smarten was honest and trustworthy in putting out his concerns about the stakeholder’s reactions, in front of everybody, as Mr. Kaczmarek said. Ethically, Mr. smarten should not pay any attention for the Italian marble in these kinds of events, especially when they have 23 employees on absence, while from the other side, he should not ignore the proposition from Mr. Kaczmarek on the same time, as leaders should respect the individual’s opinions. The advantages from this point of view, beside self-satisfaction of taking moral and ethical decision, the benefits that may occur from the media publishing this behavior, in which will have a positive impact on the company’s goodwill and reputation. †¢Turn the crises upside-down into an opportunity. Now, after the recommended decision, which is to accept the city demand, Mr Smarten should lead the group and coach it, trying to make the most benefit out of it. Inspirited from the case of the tragic accident in Chile when 33 mine workers were trapped in a gold mine, the leader Andre Sougarett was able to turn it into an opportunity, when he succeeded with his team, pulling out all the 33 workers alive after 69 days (DuBrin, P2, 2013). This could be implemented when group members start to have the positive mood, high valences as well as instrumentalities. After putting all fears a part and removing horror from all of the team, Mr Smarten should start to motivate all members in explaining his vision and motivate them to have the appeal to perform and produce immediately. As long as he have No alternatives decisions, it is either â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†, leaders should get out of the box and be creative to bring alternatives to approach decisions (Hmamond, Keeney Raiffa, 1999). These kind of reactions, like saving lives, can turn the catastrophic events in to a successful story like the one happened with Sougarett (Illiano Wade, 2010). Nerveless, it can be a lesson for other firms and other industries; an airplane crash can be a lesson in another side of the world for anther industry (Fortune Peters, 1995, P02). This will conclude that Mr. Smarten should be more autocratic than democratic to take fast decisive decisions in the meeting and send everyone to work to help using the company’s lobby facilities as a triage centre and temporary morgue. †¢Leading by example: Mr Smarten being in such a fix, with everything on the line and with the clock ticking, needs to make a decision quickly. And as the title of the case ready â€Å"The CEO Can’t afford to panic† is true in itself as it is in times like these that people need to step up, keep calm, and make sure that panic does not seep through the entire organization. This is exactly the time where-in CEO Gerald Smarten needs to lead by example. He should have reason and judgement while making decisions. Gerald Smarten should answer the call of the community and provide Kaspa’s lobby as a triage center. The only negative would be the short-term liability issues, but on the other hand this ethical decision would help create and root seed of morale within the organizations, and it will set a good example, and would be good press for the company. This decision is not only the ethical and right thing to do but it will also create goodwill and greater loyalty towards the organization over the long run. Coming towards this decision Mr Smarten has to answer only one question. Would I be able to look at myself into the mirror, knowing that I could have aided and saved innocent people? missing staff ? Best solution Since limited of time and information were provided, Mr. Smarten should make a quick and precise decision whether he should allow lending the company facilities for a triage center and temporary morgue as requested or not. According to this scenario, Mr. Smarten should respond to the request as soon as possible by gathering information inside Kaspa and balancing the benefit of the company, employee and community’s wellbeing. There was no any alternative decisions be provided, he could say either â€Å"Yes† or â€Å"No† so that answering with â€Å"Yes, and†¦. † could be the best solution that balance the benefit for every single side. A good leader should be able convey precise answer while he could raise up any concerns regarding to the issue by adding up the conjunction like â€Å"and†, not â€Å"but† after concrete response, in order to create goodwill and make the respondents open minded to what the leader are concerning. The best solution Mr. Smarten should decide is to say â€Å"Yes, we will help community saving injured victims, but we have to clarify the truth and build trustworthiness toward the firm on media. † The first thing Mr. Smarten could do is to keep clam, not express panic or frustration in order to build self-assured among team member. By doing this, Mr. Smarten could respond to the request by convey such a message to encourage staff to support his decision such as â€Å"We understand that using our company’s facilities to be served as a triage center may reflect negative images to the company and shareholder’s value, but I know we can rebuild trust back to the company. Using positive wording to back up self-confidence of the leader may result to leadership effectiveness Du Brin (2013). In addition, being self-confident could help Mr. Smarten maintain calmness when dealing with a crisis. After keeping himself and others calm during turmoil, he could ask for consensus decision by gather ing all departments to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each decision that would be made. Ultimately, saying â€Å"yes† to allow lending the company facilities for a triage center and temporary morgue would be the best solution which reflect ethical and humane character of leader as well as create company’s reputation. Mr. Smarten should be aware that there is no decision that would not affect one another so that choosing to help community may result to liability issue afterward which is a short-term effect. However, using the company’s facility to serve injured victims during the crisis can reflect ethical and humane reputation toward Kaspa which is considered as long-term result. This reflects farsightedness traits of leadership; to concern more on long-term result rather than immediate result Du Blin (2013). Meanwhile, Mr. Smarten should show up his leadership skill to get through the crisis by bring out his leadership traits. He could assign one responsible person to be present at the bombing site to enhance trustworthiness and responsibility of himself as well as the company which benefit the whole image of Kaspa and employees (Kalshoven K. , Hartog D. N. , 2009). Whatever the result would be, he should have courage to take responsibility for the decision he made. Even the media spread the news of using the company serving bomb victims; Mr. Smarten could turn crisis to the opportunity build up company’s goodwill and reputation. To be effective leadership, Mr. Smarten should sacrifices the immediate interest of the firm but not an amount of unselfish concern (Ciulla J. B. , 2003) Conclusion Thus as mentioned in the case the troubles caused due to the bombing has impacted the neighbouring community and has put CEO of Kaspa Mr Smarten in a difficult spot. However with certain traits such as farsightedness, reason judgement, ethical and moral approach and courage are among a few traits that helps him make the tough decisions and be able to successfully lead his team through this tough time.

Paavo Nurmi :: essays research papers

Paavo Nurmi is considered by some to be the greatest runner of all time. He was known as "The King of Runners" or the "Flying Finn". Famous all over the world, Nurmi became an unending source of national pride for the newly independent Finland. Paavo Nurmi was driven by love of running. He had a burning will to succeed in life, and racing was his way to gain recognition from his fellow men and to fulfil the high standards he had set for himself. Martti Jukola, a famous Finnish sports journalist, wrote in 1935: "There was something inhumanly stern and cruel about him, but he conquered the world by pure means: with a will that had supernatural power." At three Olympic Games from 1920 to 1928 Nurmi won a total of nine gold and three silver medals. Paavo Nurmi was born on the 13th of July, 1897, at Turku, a port town on the southwestern coast of Finland. In 1912, at the Olympic Games at Stockholm, Hannes Kolehmainen "ran Finland onto the map of the world", winning three gold medals in long-distance events. His races made an indelible impression on the 15-year-old Paavo Nurmi, who decided to do the same. Soon enough, Paavo got his first pair of running shoes and began serious training. 174 centimeters tall and weighing 65 kilograms at his prime, Paavo Nurmi was ideally built for a long-distance runner. In terms of basic training knowledge, Nurmi was self-educated. He was one of the first top athletes who had a systematic approach in training. Walking, running and calisthenics were the main elements of his harsh training regimen. He learned to measure his pace and its effects with a stop watch, and never raced without one in his hand. In 1914 Paavo Nurmi joined Turun Urheiluliitto, a local sports club that he was to represent all through his career. On May 29th, 1920, at Turku, he set his first Finnish national record. The distance was 3000 meters and the time 8.36,2. The Olympic Games at Antwerp in 1920 made Paavo Nurmi a star in Finland, a worthy successor of Hannes Kolehmainen. His first Olympic race, the 5000 meters, ended in bitter defeat to Joseph Guillemot of France. This was to be the only time that Nurmi lost in an Olympic final to a foreign runner, however. In the following days he won gold medals in 10 000 meters and the cross-country race, adding a third one in the team event of the latter.

Personal Reflection Paper

Personal Reflection Paper Julius Moses HUM/111 10/07/2012 Sylvia Knust Critical thinking is the act of breaking down a given concept or idea in order to examine its individual parts. It is a somewhat exhaustive approach where the person aims to see an issue from all sides in order to develop an informed opinion. The three things that I learned in this course about critical thinking are to use your critical reading, listener, and viewing skills.The element of the critical thinking that I have learned throughout this course is to use my critical thinking skills to make discussion on things in life or when you have a problem that you will have to make a major discussion on and it will take critical reading, critical listening, and critical viewing to determine the outcome of the issue. When I first started this course my critical thinking skills weren’t as keen to the facts of thinking more on what discussion I was about to make or even to the point of even thinking that critical on things.Now going through this course it made me see that being able to thinking critically on the discussion that I am about to make or even if I am looking into a different situation that takes critical thinking to solve the problem. When I think of the my critical thinking and the way I was thinking from week until now that it is the end of the course I think that I had to reevaluate my thinking, because before my critical thinking skills was shortened and I wasn’t take my thinking to a level that I would even thinking that critical about.Through the course of this class I find it to be important to use your critical thinking skills to evaluate how you learn and to determine your discussion on the situation at hand. I think that my rating changed because when I learned throughout the course how to use your critical thinking skills to evaluate problem to determine the discussion that I have to make in different situation.To move from my current stage of critical thinking to a master stage of critical thinking I would have to make a good critical thinking plan that I can improve on and reach my goal to master my critical thinking to take it to that next level. Mastering critical thinking is a task that is not going to be easy but when the stage is reached it would make different situation easier when having to determine how solve the situation.

Miller, Kant, and Aristotle on fostering relationship between Great grandpa and his grandson Essay

Making moral decisions can be difficult sometimes and it is not easy to reach a certain conclusion. Philosophical decisions are much more complex and take time to evlaute decisions in life. Rather, the reasoning behind a moral decision is much more intricate, requiring a medley of sources to arrive at a decision. Take, for example, a situation in which a father has to decide whether or not to foster a relationship between his three year old son and his son’s dying great grandfather. Is the son having a relationship with his great grandfather worth risking the pain his son would have to endure due to his great grandfather’s death? Or, would the pain be too scarring and ruin the life of such a young mind? To help resolve his dilemma, the father might turn to the philosophical giants: Mill, Kant, and Aristotle. Mill would agree to foster the relationship. However, to arrive at this decision, certain assumptions were made. Mill would advise to foster the relationship if the great grandfather would live a couple more years. Mill’s basis for moral decision making rests on whether the sum of all pleasures outweighs the sum of all pains. Thus, in order for Mill to agree to foster the relationship, it must be stated that the relationship between the great grandfather and the son is a good healthy relationship and that the death does not cause any permanent or enduring psychological damage on neither the son, nor the father, nor the great grandfather. After all, Mill’s theory demands that one take into account the sum of all the pleasures and all the pains. Also, the son might also gain the power to deal with death with this relationship. Mill would then consider good results from this relationship. Therefore, if everyone receives more pleasure from the relationship between the great grandfather and the son than pain (even after death) then Mill would advise to foster the relationship. Kant, on the other hand, discards the notion of consequences. Kant’s advice in this situation is harder to decipher because his theory is based on internalization and motivation. Kant would agree to foster the relationship if the father’s motivation for the relationship is purely the relationship in itself. In other words, it requires that the father be treating the great grandfather as an end rather than as a means. If the father wants to foster the relationship merely because he feels it might result in a larger endowment for his son, then Kant would no longer advice fostering the relationship. Furthermore, Kant might support fostering a relationship if the father’s decision to not foster a relationship was to avoid the pain of death. The inverse is also true. Kant might advice asking the great grandfather (not the three year old son, for he is too young to reason) whether he would like a relationship with his great grandson. Then, the father would be treating him as an end, not as a means. It is also important to take into consideration whether it is a father’s duty to foster a relationship between a great grandfather and his son. Kant’s advice only holds assuming that both the great grandfather and son are generally good and the relationship that would form between them is also good. In summation, Kant’s theory bases itself on internal motivation. As he himself stated, oftentimes, the layers are too difficult to peel to arrive at the true motivation. Aristotle would advise fostering some relationship with the father (this would be the virtuous mean). Aristotle would argue that not fostering a relationship and fostering too much of a relationship would be two extremes. Aristotle advises that one must find a mean in between the two extremes and that is the right relationship. Moreover, Aristotle believes that morality can be learned through observation. Therefore, a three year old child would have much to gain from the experience of an 84 year-old great grandfather. This relationship might help the son reach his human purpose, or excellence. Once again, Aristotle would only advise any relationship if the relationship is good and both the great grandfather and the son enjoy it. Perhaps a better approach to arriving at a decision requires a combination of both Kant’s and Aristotle’s philosophy. The decision continues to run on the assumption, of course, that both the great grandfather and the son are good people and that a good and healthy relationship would thus form. The decision to foster a relationship must first be decided based on the motivation. In other words, a relationship should only be fostered if the father wants a relationship only because of the relationship and not as a means of achieving a greater good. However, fostering too much of a relationship might force unnecessary pains. Thus, a mean of some relationship should be followed. For example, a relationship of one hour on the weekends might be beneficial. For, once a relationship would form, it would not be strong enough to completely devastate any party involved.

The Pit

The Pit Taylor Anderson10/6/2014The Pit. By day 'Boggies' is a biker bar. No bigger than a class room, all brick, with blacked out windows, and a rather unusual bunch of people outside. When night falls the real fun begins; music spills from every inch of the building, a line wraps around the block, and a different group of unusual people are bursting with energy excited to see the headliner. Max stands in front of the tiny opening, taking tickets, and marking under aged hands with X's. The door looks smaller next to the large bouncer.Once inside "run down" is an understatement. Mirrors run along the wall, with old couches and merch tables in front. The smell of sweat, smoke, and beer fill the dark room. Vibrations from the bass begin and the music follows. This is when the pit begins to form. Once the circle opens the energy increases, and you can feel the excitement; everyone knows this is the beginning.A man and a woman performing a modern dance.This is what we came for.When everyone is t ogether thrashing around, the moshing begins. The energy from everyone bouncing off of each other is the ultimate adrenaline rush, and at the edge of the pit I feel unstoppable. The ground vibrating my feet pushes me forward into the large crowd, I put in my mouth guard, and there is no better outlet. This is my favorite place to be.Moshing is defined as "dancing to rock music in a violent manner involving jumping up and down and deliberately colliding with other dancers." To outsiders it is just that, but to the group of kids who look at the pit as an outlet, it's the most peaceful place in the world. A small group of people, swinging limbs in every direction, sweat pouring down the face of the...

Are You Free or Enslaved Maybe Its All in Your Head.

Are You Free or Enslaved Maybe Its All in Your Head. Freedom vs. Bondage It’s Passover and the theme of freedom is on my mind. This holiday celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery and their successful crossing of the Red Sea- a story we are commanded to tell every year at this season. Why is this tale so important that the Bible commands we retell it again and again? While there are many answers to this question, the one that struck me most this year was that we have choices every day between freedom and bondage. Passover is our opportunity to look at our lives and see where we are stuck, in a rut, giving up, or otherwise enslaved, both in our circumstances and in our own minds. Once we identify these â€Å"narrow places,† (the word for Egypt, Mitzrayim, means â€Å"narrow places†), we can do something about them. A Unique Seder Experience My family’s Passover seder was itself an expression of freedom. Some context: Passover is a food-focused holiday. In the order of the service, there are multiple instructions to eat certain foods at certain times; and the conclusion of the first part of the service is a big meal. A BIG meal. It’s like Thanksgiving in the extent to which people indulge themselves on food. The seder also includes four cups of wine (though in my family it was grape juice all the way). Since my nephew Daniel has Crohn’s Disease and is currently ingesting nothing but Pediasure peptide drinks, my brother-in-law Michael created- drumroll please- a food-free seder. This feat, you can imagine, required a huge amount of creativity. Michael designed a board game, complete with a deck of cards that held debate questions and other contests to see who could answer a â€Å"Passover Pursuit† question first. He dressed up as Moses, which was way out of the box for him. And he led an evening of learning, singing and debate. Even without a meal, we managed to spend three hours on our seder talking, laughing, and debating. Breaking Out of the Box One of the debate questions that came up in the Passover Pursuit card deck was what freedom means in the modern age. I was pitted against 16-year-old Daniel for the battle. He pulled out a djembe (an African drum) and made up a rap song. I don’t remember his words; what struck me was his approach to the debate. In my world, debate means talking and arguing. Daniel broke out of that cage with his drumming and rapping. Inspired, I countered with an interpretive dance of freedom vs. bondage. I stood for a few seconds with my arms crossed, strait-jacket-like over my chest, head down. Then I took a step to the side and danced my heart out. I did this about three times. Then I talked about how two people, or even the same person, can be in the same circumstances and choose to feel free or imprisoned. Enslaved by Circumstances? I’ll admit I got some help from a video by Chabad.org that I had watched in preparation for Passover, where a person in a picture was labeled â€Å"Free† and then the same person in the same picture was labeled â€Å"Burdened.† Other identical pictures were labeled â€Å"Liberated† and â€Å"Enslaved,† and â€Å"Pain† and â€Å"Pleasure.† As humans, I argued, we can have illnesses and consider them burdens or find our own liberation within them. We can work a job and feel trapped by it or find our liberation in it. We can win the lottery and gain joy or misery. I won the debate. Part of it was that I made a good argument. But more than that, I think the group was impressed that I didn’t let myself fall into a typical debate mindset and took the risk of dancing my argument. An Octopus’s Story: Existential Anxiety vs. Existential Guilt Perhaps this is a coincidence, but just last week an octopus named Inky escaped from a national aquarium in New Zealand, squeezing through a 50-meter drainpipe into the sea. What might be more remarkable, given that octopuses are famous escape artists, is that Inky’s tankmate, Blotchy, did not budge. Was Blotchy content to remain in captivity? Was he unaware of his free will and the freedom available just down the drainpipe? Had he given up on the chance of an unfettered life? Of course the answers to these questions are more for us to ponder for ourselves. When we are feeling shackled, do we choose to take extreme action, like Inky, or to submit to our lot? Fundamentally, we have a choice between existential anxiety and existential guilt. Taking action, especially action that scares us because it is so unfamiliar and takes us into unknown, potentially risky territory, produces existential anxiety. We rarely regret making a conscious, risky choice regardless of the outcome. In contrast, existential guilt arises when we take the safe path. Submitting to our existential guilt produces existential regret: â€Å"a profound desire to go back and change a past experience in which one has failed to choose consciously or has made a choice that did not follow one’s beliefs, values, or growth needs.† That’s the kind of choice Blotchy made. It’s not the kind of choice I like to make. The Choice is Yours We human beings have clear freedom of choice in every moment, at least over our own mindset about our circumstances. In the end, the ability to think what we think and believe what we believe is the ultimate freedom. The choices we make to break out of the box and into unchartered territory are the ones that move us forward, out of our personal narrow places, and toward a life unbound.

"engaging" your employees on the implementation of a Essay

"engaging" your employees on the implementation of a strategic plan - Essay Example Strategic Planning, as it is known, is not an event but a process. A key feature of the process is the employees ’engagement at all levels of. Employee’s engagement creates additional input and assists in build their active commitment to the end plan. Thus, strategic planning processes can be considered successful in any organization when a bottom up and top down communication technique is taken to communicate strategic plans from initiation stage. By following this, the organization is in a position to define to the employees what winning clearly looks like. It starts off with informing all levels of employees that a particular strategic planning process will be undertaken. These should be clear processes that are achievable, and all employees can give their feedback. Strategic planning process provides organizations with a clear direction and purpose. A good strategy will balance gains and productivity initiatives, and this is achievable through actively involving employees in strategic planning. Organizations that dont involve employees in planning have exponentially higher probability of

Relationship between natural environment, social development, and Essay

Relationship between natural environment, social development, and economic progress - Essay Example He argues that the modern world’s inequalities trace its origin to many centuries ago. He notes that archaeological discoveries and histories show that different continents were experiencing different rates of development from 11, 000 B.C. to A.D. 1500, thus resulting to inequalities that were experienced in A.D. 1500, and to a greater extent in modern times (Diamond 1). He observes that while many Native American peoples and Aboriginal Australians remained Stone Age hunter and gatherers, many Eurasian peoples and most peoples of the sub- Saharan Africa and Americas gradually developed metallurgy, complex political organization, and agriculture (Diamond 2). Environmental/ external conditions are critical for development; this assertion is greatly evident in Diamond’s discussion on Papua and its inhabitants. The inhabitants of Papua were mostly hunters and gatherers and had the simplest technology compared to most people of that time. They did not have shields, specialized stone tools, and could not start fire among other characteristics of â€Å"underdevelopment†. The environment that they lived in seemed to be the main reason leading to their situation at that time. They did not have contact with the rest of the world since the bridge that was initially linking them to the land had been severed. Prior to the coming of Europeans in the mid- seventeenth century, they were completely isolated from other humans. To make the matter worse, Papua inhabitants were not just isolated but they were also the smallest of the human population in the world (Diamond 9). As such, accumulation of innovations could not happen thus inhibit their development. Furthermore, Diamond is of the opinion that man inspired the collapse of civilizations as evidenced by Easter Island. His opinion is informed by the argument that the Europeans invaded Easter Island for slaves, in addition to spreading

Cost Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Cost Management - Assignment Example In profitability analysis, the foreign exchange rates play a determinant role and the article clearly highlights the role of FX banks in fixing the problem. The article not only highlights the current trends and challenges of e-commerce in the United States, but is also points out the ways in which on-line merchants can manage their FX risks. Essentially, the merchants demonstrate greed because they do not want to accept foreign policy and subsequently, deal with foreign currencies. They are attempting to manage their cost through avoidance of foreign levies that their products and services may attract. In this regard, the on-line merchants engage their FX banks in their attempts to produce a balanced scorecard. The major reason for this is that the third party providers are the ones who outsource FX risks for the on-line merchants. Managing foreign exchange is a complex affair in cost accounting and the merchants in the article have to do so with the help of their FX banks. These accounting issues require in-depth financial analysis and the article brings a relevant perspective to the course content. Indeed, e-commerce requires some balancing act in order to sail though the turbulent market, especially for merchants with a global market. In finance and Accounting, foreign exchange plays an important role in determining the extent to which the on-line markets will operate. Besides, the course content compliments the article in the sense that FX banks are key stakeholders in cost Accounting as well as e-commerce. It is because different countries have different business policies that in most cases affect the on-line merchants. â€Å"E-Commerce Balancing Act: The Fine Art of Managing FX Risk.† HSBC Global Connections, 12 June 2014. Web. 21 June 2014. < https://globalconnections.hsbc.com/us/en/articles/ecommerce-balancing-act-fine-art-managing-fx-risk

Keystone Foundation A Organisation Located At Kotagiri History Essay

Keystone Foundation A Organisation Located At Kotagiri History Essay Keystone Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation located at Kotagiri, Tamil Nadu. Keystone started their operations with the indigenous communities of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) in the year 1996. The idea for a livelihood intervention in the Nilgiris came up with a survey of the apiculture which the founders of Keystone took in the year 1994. This survey brought then in touch with the local communities living in the area and provided them an insight into the conditions of the tribal communities living in the NBR. The various issues faced by the local communities were as follows: Exploitation of tribal people by the middlemen/traders A lot of unfair practices with respect to weights and measures were being used by the middlemen The tribes had a poor bargaining power with the traders and had to sell their produce within days/weeks Most of the NTFP that the communities dealt with were directly linked to the problem of conservation of forests. The visit also provided them with more information about socio-cultural aspects of the communities. The larger issues of changes in land use, reduction in forest cover, overuse of fertilizers and pesticides came to the fore The Keystone foundation thus started its work in 1996 with the mission to enhance the Quality of life and the Environment with indigenous communities using eco-developmental approaches and sought to intervene in the NTFP space. Today, it has completed more than a decade in the Nilgiris and works with the communities on a whole lot of issues like apiculture, NTFP, water and land management, development of micro-enterprises and a whole lot of other issues that concern the people of this region. The communities impacted The NBR is home to a many indigenous communities. Hunting and food gathering are the prime occupation to many of these communities. The reserve contains various communities like Paniyas, Irulas, Kurumbas, Kuruchiyans, and Mullukurumbas etc. Each of these communities differs from the rest in some particular characteristic. Keystone works with the Kurumba and the Irula communities. Both the communities are pre-agricultural communities. Shifting agriculture was practised among the Irulas until some time ago. Today, most of these communities have settled down in a permanent place in the Nilgiris and have demarcated their land for agriculture. A mixed cropping system comprising of millets, maize, vegetable and fruits etc. is followed by the communities. Both Kurumbas and Irulas are primarily into honey hunting. While the former specialises in rock honey hunting the later community is involved in tree honey hunting. Both the communities are known for their methods of collection of plants ( for food and medicine) from the surrounding forests. The need for Intervention The intervention by Keystone Foundation was initiated to solve some of the following issues faced by the communities: The womenfolk of both the communities suffered from low blood count and anaemia. They often fell ill. Lack of nutritious food was one of the prime reasons for the low immunity which increased the susceptibility to diseases. Traditional practices which these tribes followed were on the decline. There was also a shift in the agriculture from food to plantation crops. Exploitation by middlemen and traders in the process of getting their produce to the market Degradation of forests at a rapid pace The Intervention Keystone planned its intervention in the following manner: Conduct a survey of flora and fauna available in the regions and document them. In addition to this, the various methods to harvest NTFP were also documented. Design a plan to obtain NTFPs from local sources at regular intervals Add value to the NTFP product through various means Set up a system of fair weights and measures together with a payments system that is transparent Generate employment opportunities for the tribal community in the process of value addition Help in setting up micro enterprises which will add value to the community through skill development Common Property Resources: The adivasi communities were dependent on common property resources like pasturelands for the purpose of agriculture. The manner in which these commons were use played an important part in the development of the community. The success of any institution built on these commons depended on the tenure rights the community had on the commons. There has been large scale encroachment on the commons and keystone had to work in clearing these hurdles before it could proceed further. The interests of other villagers in claiming forests as common property reduce if forests are encroached by a private owner. Old animosity also surface in collective actions in villages which can lead to a breakdown of the institution. Normally, lands are registered with a common title for the whole community in the case of adivasis. The very fact that the boundaries of these lands are not very clearly marked makes it difficult for the adivasi communities to claim them and easier for the private owners to encroach upon them. To help the villagers take up farming, Keystone first set out to help them demarcate their land. Staff from Keystone used GPS systems to identify the boundaries and marked them with plant species like Agave, Sapindus which were planted on these boundaries by the communities themselves. The identification of boundaries required many rounds of negotiations with the estate owners in area and also the help of forest guards. This helped many villages in recovering land for their common use. Around 27 acres that were taken away under a social forestry scheme was recovered by the villagers of Nedugalcombei. Vellericombei and Pudurcombei recovered 90 and 65 acres respectively. These plots were again demarcated by planting trees at the boundaries. In fact, Keystone with the support of villagers succeeded in recovering 80 acres of village land from Sajbhas Estate by getting into litigation for the same. This land has now been put to good use by cultivating millets, vegetables, coffee and spice s on it. The lands belonging to the adivasis in the Kotagiri and Coonoor regions have low biomass content. Most of these lands lie in the rain shadow region and are prone to landslips and erosions. Keystone supported the communities further by helping with the preparation of the lands that have been marked. This involved the process of building bunds and gully plugs of stone, helping to grow vegetative bunds on steep slopes and making contour trenches. The steps to improve the conditions of soil like mulching and increasing biomass were also undertaken. In addition to the above steps, Keystone also played the facilitators role in creating a nursery, a seed bank, improving the methods of irrigation used and helping then to use tanks made out of polyline from storing water. The villagers went through training courses in organic farming techniques which helped them to shift to the organic method. Additional capacity building measures in the form credit facilities and revolving fund was created for every group of farmers formed. These groups were formed in order to contribute labour to the land preparation activities. Each of the revolving funds was handled by the members of the co mmunity. Prior to the tasks of land preparation, Keystone engaged in a dialogue with the community to revive the traditional farming practices used by the community. An interaction between the elders and the youngster of the community help in bringing out many traditional practices and food recipes to the notice of the younger generation. Setting up of NTFP based micro enterprises Keystone Foundation set up micro enterprises to work on the processing of the non timber forest produce gathered by the villagers. These enterprises were set up with the following objectives in mind: To increase the income and employment in the village To help in improving infrastructure and knowledge skills of the tribals To help them understand the importance of adding value to the NTFPs so that they can obtain better returns for the same. The infrastructure for the enterprises was established by Keystone with the help of the donor funds it received for the purpose. The member of the community who were interested in getting involved with the functioning of the micro enterprises was grouped together. These groups governed the functioning of the community centres. The staff members from Keystone were involved in the day to day functioning of these centres and in the process the community members were also trained to do the same. These production centres were started with the aim of converting them into community managed institutions which were managed by the local community. The production centres were set up with the following factors in mind: Location: Each centre was located at a place that was easily accessible to the member of the various communities Processing: There was a restriction placed on the kind of NTFPs a centre could produce. Only the forest products that were available in plenty in the region were processed by that centre. Infrastructure: The provision for infrastructure was taken care by the foundation Management: The members of the community managed the functioning of the production centres. Protecting the commons One of the most used raw materials by the communities under the intervention of Keystone was the NTFPs. The usage of these had to be monitored regularly to prevent misuse and extinction of the resource. Keystone has come up with a good monitoring system in order to ensure that the stock of NTFPs is not used completely. The system works on the basis of trust within the community. As the tribal communities have a strong bond with each other, any action by any of the member will be known to the other members of the community. Keystone built a system of monitoring by the villagers that worked on this trust. The main features of the system were: Monitoring the farms of the group members by a villager. The people of the community took turns to perform the monitoring Frequent visits by Keystone staff to inspect the local farms. These visits also helped the staff to provide any suggestion to the member on how to improve on their farming methods This method of ecological monitoring that is followed by Keystone helps in maintains the livelihood of the members. A couple of examples of monitoring of the resource extraction are cited below: For NTFPs: The various characteristics of a new batch of honey that is brought in by the tribal are documented by Keystone. The documentation contains following data: Name of the honey hunters who extracted it The composition of the honey in terms of its water content The location of the hives i.e. the area where it is found and the height of the combs Details of the colonies of bees harvested etc Maps depicting the honey zones in the locality have been plotted. In order to maintain the gene pools, Keystone has labelled some of the locations as god cliffs. Any honey brought in by a new person is checked for its properties through various means before it can be accepted by the foundation. For cultivated produce: Keystone captures the various data of the farmers and verified any produce that is brought in using these records. This helps in keeping a check on over use of mismanagement of the resources. Leadership: At different stages in the intervention, Keystone foundation sought the help of leaders of the tribal communities for the mobilisation. As most of the tribal communities have closely knit society, the presence of the local leaders has played a very important role in the intervention by the foundation. With the setting up of seed banks and production centre, many of the locals were encouraged to take up leadership roles in the community. This ensured the continuous development of leaders with the villagers. Collective Entrepreneurship: Each of the production centres that processed the NTFPs gathered by the community members were managed by 4-6 members of the community. These centres were operated by these members on a rotational basis. The participants were all skilled in processing of NTFP that were gathered from the forests. These products produced were marketed at the Green Shop that were established by the foundation at selected locations. Conclusion The intervention by Keystone foundation in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve is an example of collective action on behalf of the tribal communities that inhabit this region. The initial phase of the intervention started off by getting the community members together to believe in collective action. Slowly over a period of time, with the support of the communities, Keystone was able to identify the commons and come up with a system of monitoring operated by the community members themselves. The controlled usage of the common resources led to an improvement in the status of the member of the communities. Keystone also succeeded in bringing about collective entrepreneurship among the tribes in order to market the products made by their people.