Cricks view of politics Essay

This article will clarify Cricks sees on governmental issues, as sketched out in his book ‘In resistance of Politics’ (1962). That governmental issues is an approach to unite contrasting conclusions to settle issues and debates in a serene way to serve the lion's share and to benefit the masses. Kinks conviction of what governmental issues involves includes an equitable belief system and as we are considered to have a popularity based society in which we live approving with cites from cramps book. Additionally Crick features the significance of the distinction of supposition individuals have, and such conclusions being perceived, and having the option to have the right to speak freely of discourse, being unhindered in how different nations are limited by fascism. Cramp recognizes that legislative issues is never a direct business, in Cricks words, he portrays governmental issues as a â€Å"messy business†, being erratic, for instance universal and residential occasions. This article will utilize contemporary guides to show how this so. In the 2010 political decision, there wasn’t any gathering that had a general lion's share (no gathering had the greater part of individuals from parliament in the House of Commons), which implied that the Conservatives would be not able to have most of votes, to pass laws and so forth, without the help of different gatherings. For this situation, the help came as a proper alliance, with the Liberal Democrats. This being the first run through Britain has had an alliance government in seventy years. This circumstance could said to be as per what Crick declared, that legislative issues, ‘ideally brings every one of these gatherings into one another, with the goal that each separately, and together, can make a positive commitment towards the matter of government, the keeping up of order’ (Crick 1962: 18). Kink (1962: 16) expressed that for some ‘politics is jumbled, conflicting, foolishly recurant, unevolved, unpatriotic, inneficiant insignificant trade off, or even a hoax or conspiracy’ . In contemporary society, many would contend this is the situation, and the motivation behind why we are seeing gatherings, for example, UKIP turning out to be more populer. Governmental issues can likewise be on a miniaturized scale level,involving issues for a littler scope, for example, in the family home, for instance, refering to Crick Jones expresses that ‘People or gatherings of individuals who need various things-be it influence, cash, freedom, ect-face the potential or truth of contention when such things are in short supply’. For example, a circumstance may emerge where a spouse being given a work opportunity,involving movement toâ another city,compromise would have needed to play a major part,for monetary benefit for everyone's benefit of the family,as the acquiring capability of the husband is more noteworthy than that of the wife. In this circumstance issues of influence additionally being available, the spouse having the advantage,having the predominant position,simple because of winning more cash. Taking everything into account, in spite of the fact that Crick composed his book in 1962, his thoughts in regards to governmental issues , and the positive job, he trusts it plays,is still pertinent in contemporay society today. On account of the current day alliance ,ideological groups of varying ideologies,have needed to consolidate for the smooth running of the nation, for more prominent great of the individuals. In any case, Crick additionally perceived that governmental issues is still particularly an untidy, entangled process,and not every person would feel that lawmakers were working to their greatest advantage. Likewise that bargain has an indispensable influence on both a miniaturized scale and full scale level to lessen strife.

Case Synopsis

The administration at Atlantic Computer had the issue of planning an evaluating system for item packaging. This must be a remarkable valuing technique since they were splitting endlessly from the business practice which was to offer programming devices for free.However for this situation, the administration had ruled against this system as the utilization of the product instrument would prompt significant investment funds with respect to the client. In this manner the administration accepted that if new item advertising and deals carried out their responsibility right, clients could be convinced to pay an extra rate for the PESA programming tool.Therefore the focal point of the issue was unmistakably to build up the correct estimating procedure which would mull over the product’s benefits and the current serious weights in the market. This was the errand given to Jason Jowers, the most youthful item chief at Atlantic Computer. The system that Jason created would be tried at th e SME public exhibition. Contingent upon the test outcomes, the estimating structure could be placed into practice.Company overviewAtlantic Computer has a long record of working in the very good quality exhibition servers advertise. It had been offering Radia to huge undertaking customer servers throughout the previous thirty years. Anyway the administration had moved the vital concentration to essential servers as a result of the notoriety of the Internet technology.This was the explanation that Atlantic Computer was presenting Tronn. The leader of the server division accepted that clients would no longer think about superior servers and essential servers as substitutes. Along these lines, the market had extensive development potential regarding fundamental servers. Atlantic Computer previously had an impressive brand notoriety in the market from selling elite servers and the organization would have the option to underwrite upon this notoriety by selling fundamental servers.The org anization likewise had gained notoriety for responsive post-deals help. This depended on client relationship the board and item separation. Subsequently, the organization had a generous existing client list which could be promoted upon to enter the market for fundamental servers. In this regard the technique of item separation was being actualized through packaging equipment with software.Product overviewAtlantic Computer had been selling elite servers throughout the previous 30 years. Presently it was entering another market with essential servers the functionalities of which were extended by packaging the equipment with the PESA programming apparatus. The business practice was that product devices were parted with for free.However the administration at Atlantic Computer had ruled against this methodology in light of the fact that the clients would have the option to diminish their working costs significantly by utilizing the PESA programming device. Fundamental servers are utilize d to perform straightforward, repeatable capacities while programming devices are utilized to screen the soundness of a server or to improve the exhibition of the server. Clients in the web-server and record sharing applications fragment would profit most from the recommended item packaging

A to Z List of Phobias, From the Strange to the Common

A to Z List of Phobias, From the Strange to the Common November 19, 2019 More in Phobias Types Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Treatment Phobias are one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. The National Institute of Mental Health suggests that eight percent of U.S. adults have some type of phobia.  Women are more likely to experience phobias than men. Typical symptoms of phobias can include nausea, trembling, rapid heartbeat, feelings of unreality, and being preoccupied with the fear object. The American Psychiatric Association identifies three different categories of phobias: social phobias, agoraphobia, and specific phobias.?? When people talk about having a phobia of a specific object such as snakes, spiders or needles, they are referring to a specific phobia. Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell A-Z List of Some of the More Common Phobias While not comprehensive, this phobia list offers a glimpse of the many phobias that can have a serious impact on an individuals life. As you may notice while you browse through this list, most specific phobias fall into one of four major categories: fears of the natural environment, fears related to animals, fear related to medical treatments or issues, and fears related to specific situations. One important thing to remember is that virtually any object can become a fear object. The names of specific phobias are often formed as nonce words, or words coined for a single occasion only. These names themselves are often formed by taking a Greek prefix that represents the fear object and adding the -phobia suffix. Because of this, any attempt at a completely exhaustive list of phobias would simply be an exercise in futility. Any list of phobias could grow with the addition of newly coined terms for previously unnamed specific phobias. While listing all of the phobias that may exist is not possible, it can be helpful to look through a list of some of the more commonly described phobias. As you can see by looking at this list, almost any object or situation can become the source of fear. A Achluophobia -  Fear of darknessAcrophobia - Fear of heightsAerophobia - Fear of flyingAlgophobia - Fear of painAgoraphobia - Fear of open spaces or crowdsAichmophobia - Fear of needles or pointed objectsAmaxophobia - Fear of riding in a carAndrophobia - Fear of menAnginophobia - Fear of angina or chokingAnthrophobia - Fear of flowersAnthropophobia - Fear of people or societyAphenphosmphobia - Fear of being touchedArachibutyrophobia - Fear of peanut butterArachnophobia - Fear of spidersArithmophobia - Fear of numbersAstraphobia - Fear of thunder and lightningAtaxophobia - Fear of disorder or untidinessAtelophobia - Fear of imperfectionAtychiphobia - Fear of failureAutomatonophobia - Fear of Human-Like FiguresAutophobia - Fear of being alone B Bacteriophobia - Fear of bacteriaBarophobia - Fear of gravityBathmophobia - Fear of stairs or steep slopesBatrachophobia - Fear of amphibiansBelonephobia - Fear of pins and needlesBibliophobia - Fear of booksBotanophobia - Fear of plants C Cacophobia - Fear of uglinessCatagelophobia - Fear of being ridiculedCatoptrophobia - Fear of mirrorsChionophobia - Fear of snowChromophobia - Fear of colorsChronomentrophobia - Fear of clocksChronophobia - Fear of TimeClaustrophobia - Fear of confined spacesCoulrophobia - Fear of clownsCyberphobia - Fear of computersCynophobia - Fear of dogs D Dendrophobia - Fear of treesDentophobia - Fear of dentistsDomatophobia - Fear of housesDystychiphobia - Fear of accidents E Ecophobia - Fear of the homeElurophobia - Fear of catsEntomophobia - Fear of insectsEphebiphobia - Fear of teenagersEquinophobia - Fear of horses G Gamophobia - Fear of marriageGenuphobia - Fear of kneesGlossophobia - Fear of speaking in publicGynophobia - Fear of women H Haphephobia - Fear of touchHeliophobia - Fear of the sunHemophobia - Fear of bloodHerpetophobia - Fear of reptilesHippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia - Fear of Long WordsHydrophobia - Fear of waterHypochondria - Fear of illness I Iatrophobia - Fear of doctorsInsectophobia - Fear of insects K Koinoniphobia - Fear of roomsKoumpounophobia - Fear of buttons L Leukophobia - Fear of the color whiteLilapsophobia - Fear of tornadoes and hurricanesLockiophobia - Fear of childbirth M Mageirocophobia - Fear of cookingMegalophobia - Fear of large thingsMelanophobia - Fear of the color blackMicrophobia - Fear of small thingsMysophobia - Fear of dirt and germs N Necrophobia - Fear of death or dead thingsNoctiphobia - Fear of the nightNosocomephobia - Fear of hospitalsNyctophobia - Fear of the dark O Obesophobia - Fear of gaining weightOctophobia - Fear of the figure 8Ombrophobia - Fear of rainOphidiophobia - Fear of snakesOrnithophobia - Fear of birds P Papyrophobia - Fear of paperPathophobia - Fear of diseasePedophobia - Fear of childrenPhilematophobia - Fear of KissingPhilophobia - Fear of lovePhobophobia - Fear of phobiasPodophobia - Fear of feetPorphyrophobia - Fear of the color purplePteridophobia - Fear of fernsPteromerhanophobia - Fear of flyingPyrophobia - Fear of fire S Samhainophobia - Fear of HalloweenScolionophobia - Fear of schoolScoptophobia - Fear of being stared atSelenophobia - Fear of the moonSociophobia - Fear of social evaluationSomniphobia - Fear of sleep T Tachophobia - Fear of speedTechnophobia - Fear of technologyTonitrophobia - Fear of thunderTrypanophobia - Fear of needles/injectionsTrypophobia - Fear of Holes V-Z Venustraphobia - Fear of beautiful womenVerminophobia - Fear of germsWiccaphobia - Fear of witches and witchcraftXenophobia - Fear of strangers or foreignersZoophobia  -  Fear of animals A Word From Verywell Phobias can have a serious impact on well-being, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. Phobias are common, but also treatable.?? If you believe that you have the symptoms of some type of phobia, consult your doctor for further evaluation and treatment advice.

The Violence Of Public Schools - 871 Words

In recent times, several mass shootings have occurred in several places. Sadly, public schools in America have been venues for these mass shootings. How do we reduce these shootings? How do we ensure that the lives of our kids are safe? These are the questions parents all over America are asking. A lot of suggestions have been made to the government concerning the issue of mass shootings. Some say government have to ban the purchase of guns, others say there should be background checks, while others say teachers and staff should be armed. It is currently being argued if the government should arm public school officials and faculty. Can we trust armed public school staff with our kids? Can the school authorities regulate their actions? These are new questions parents ask those who are in support of arming public school officials and faculty. Allowing teachers carry concealed weapons to those who support means better protection of the children in time on trouble. To the people who oppose, it is simply bringing the trouble closer to the kids. According to an article in the New York times, superintendent David Hopkins selected small handguns for his staff to bring to school every day. He found a way around the state law prohibiting guns on campus. He created a plan that relies on patchwork of conceals weapon laws and local school board polices to arm teachers. This seemed like a reasonable economical way to protect the kids in the small town of Ozark foothills (Severson). It isShow MoreRelatedViolence in Public Schools4835 Words   |  20 PagesTopic: Violence in Public Schools Introduction The recent violence on school grounds (including elementary, middle school and high school violence) has created a climate of fear in American public schools, and the literature presented in this review relates to that fear and to the difficulty schools face in determining what students might be capable of mass killings on campus. Television coverage of school shootings leave the impression that there is more violence on school campusesRead More Violence in Public Schools Essay2763 Words   |  12 PagesThe word violence is defined as, â€Å"an intense, turbulent or furious and often destructive action, force or exertion of physical strength so as to injure or abuse† (Webster 1316). Associating that term with the safety of our children within a public school setting will bring about an immediate reaction to discover what is root of the problem and what, as a society, can we do to prevent this behavior in the future. Violence in public schools is a growing concern for parents, teachers, faculty andRead MoreEssay on Juvenile Violence in Public Schools1368 Words   |  6 PagesThe starting point of violence takes place in communities and at home--not at school. Youth take what they hear and see at home and in their communities to school. The environment in some communities and households are positive and the presences of protective factors outweigh the high risk factors. However, there are communities and households where there is a lack of informal social control and high risk factors exist more than protective factors--, which affect youth in a negative manner. Read MoreEssay on Bullying and Violence in Public Schools1365 Words   |  6 PagesBullying and Violence in Public Schools Although bullying has always been a problem in schools, it has more recently become a bigger crisis with vicious consequences. â€Å"However it is defined, bullying is not just child’s play, but a terrifying experience many schoolchildren face everyday. It can be as direct as teasing, hitting or threatening, or as indirect as exclusions, rumors or manipulation† (Garrett 2). Most kids do not think certain actions are classified as bullying, yet theyRead MoreLife1071 Words   |  5 Pages Why Chicago Public Schools need more Protective Measures Against School Violence Paul Cotton Baker College Online Why Chicago Schools need more Protective Measures Against School Violence Gun violence and the right to carry weapons have been two topics of heated debate over the last decade. From the violent burglaries to school shootings, the need for protection increases. The solution to end or reduce violence is not an easy task. Should societyRead MoreThe Effects Of Violence On Public Health Policy Essay1747 Words   |  7 PagesViolence compromises physical health and threatens the safety of our communities (Public health policy paper). In our nation violence continues to cause premature death, disability and injury yet there are insufficient efforts to prevent it (Public health policy paper). Currently, our interventions to prevent violence occur after a violent crime has occurred. The focus is to incarcerate individuals who have committed a violent crime (public health policy paper). We are failing to fix the infrastructureRead MoreA Research Proposal On Preventing School Violence1089 Words   |  5 PagesTitle: Preventing School Violence Aim: The primary goal for this proposal is to provide the staff with recommendations to design a research proposal studying the violence in our public schools. Methods of prevention should be discussed on how to prevent reoccurring violence or how we can lessen the opportunities of school violence. These recommendations are ones that create a positive and safe environment for both students and staff. My recommendations will cover the following aspects: †¢ EducationRead MoreViolence and Education; School Safety937 Words   |  4 PagesViolence and Education: School Safety The most recent shooting at the elementary school located in Newtown, Connecticut have shifted our focus on the question of whether or not we are doing enough to protect our students in our schools across the nation. Every morning, parents send their children to school every morning trusting that they will be returning home the same day, but as we all know that isnt always the case for some. The tragedies that have taken place show that we need to pay moreRead MoreEssay on Arguments for School Dress Codes820 Words   |  4 PagesEnsuing President Bill Clintons State of the Union address in January of 1996, more and more public schools are implementing dress codes and uniform policies in their schools. As a result, there has been an increase in legal controversies dealing with the issue. The reason that dress codes are not conclusively enforced is due to the application of the First Amendment to juveniles in the public school setting. The First Amendment states that Congress shall ma ke no law respecting an establishmentRead MoreThe Correlation Between School Uniforms and Violence Essay1243 Words   |  5 PagesIs the absence of school uniforms leading to an up rise of violence between children in public schools? According to the National School Safety Center’s Report on School Associated Violent Deaths, â€Å"Since the 1992-1993 school year, two-hundred seven were shooting victims† (Kelly n pag). According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), â€Å"10% of all public schools had one or more serious violent crimes (murder, rape, sexual battery, suicide, physical attack

A Mind At Death s Door A Martyr s Mind - 1747 Words

The courage to stand up for what you believe is not as rare as many think; it simply requires an infallible hope to produce faith, that will supersede and dispel all fear. Likewise, the decision to die for religious beliefs takes courage, and this practice did not start with the 9/11 attack, but martyrs can be found in some of the oldest history book telling their stories through each line. These are people who voluntarily suffer death as the penalty of witnessing to and/or refusing to renounce their religion, and both the song, â€Å"The Hymn† by Jermaine Edwards and the poem, â€Å"A Mind at Death s Door: A Martyr s Mind† by Veneisia Tomlinson amplify what it takes to stand. The perspective and peace associated with martyrdom brings â€Å"The Hymn†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Like the song, he is hopeful and associates this with victory. The persona is portrayed as nervous and worried about being martyred, but after self-affirming through acknowledging that h is life is hidden with Christ, that he is bound to God by love; which he metaphorizes to be a strong cord, and that no pain or struggle in this life is worthy to be compared to the reward prepared for him; as shown through the biblical allusion used, he experiences a calm. The victory effectuated by martyrdom was constituted by the incentives he would receive for dying as a martyr: he would acquire a starry crown, his own mansion, an opportunity to walk on golden streets, through gates of pearl and ultimately, the opportunity to meet his Lord, Jesus Christ. The persona gets excited at the thought of these rewards and mentally annunciates â€Å"Victory over defeat! Life and death!† and after repeating â€Å"Victory over death!†, he verbally exclaims, â€Å"Jesus and I have almost met!†, placing the tragic and heart-rending idea of martyrdom in a positive and even desirable light. Simply, the first persona verbally declares that his physical death will only result in his freedom to be with God, (stanza 5 line 5) thereby characterizing not only hope and victory in death but also freedom. Martyrdom, though often considered a murderous and gruesome experience, is considered to be a joyful experience inspired byShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem The Lord Is At Hand 1622 Words   |  7 PagesAll of us are in different moods this morning. Some of you are happy some of you are stressed of you are just flat out tired. The words are Rejoice and be gentle maybe the farthest things from your mind right now but today I m going to show you through the word of God by these two words need to be closer to our heart they never let us pray. Prayer. In Philippians chapter 4 verses four and five, Paul writes to the church at Philippi and says rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice!Read MoreIs It A Hero Or Hero?954 Words   |  4 PagesMost martyrs unfortunately didn’t decide to become a hero or heroine because of an ability or skills set as a public speaker, leader / negotiator or activist, solely to encounter injustice, inequality or racism. Most martyrs probably contemplated and agonize long and hard over their role and involvement in movements, protest and rallies, struggled with the weight of understanding and finally submitting to their destiny. The anguish of destiny: realizing the target they might become, agonizing overRead MoreOedipus Rex Vs. Antigone1417 Words   |  6 Pagesflaw often leads to a major downfall by its owner. In both Oedipus Rex and Antigone, there are three reoccurring hamartias: hubris, irrationality, and unyielding stubbornness. When speaking of hubris, the characters Oedipus an d Antigone come to mind. Hubris is pride or an extreme sense of self-admiration. Oedipus is quoted saying such things as, I, Oedipus, who all men call great. His hubris clouds his vision and prevents him from seeing things as they are. Oedipus takes on the act of findingRead MoreSexual Racial Discrimination Essay840 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica. These deviants to society made efforts to bring about positive cultural changes in times of strong sexual or racial discrimination. Great improvements have been made as a result of the contributions these citizens made to our country. In 1930’s America, the public view on gays and lesbians were not as liberal as they are today. It wasn’t until influential figures like Katharine Hepburn and Harvey Milk caused up a stir in social politics that changes were made. Katharine Hepburn was a successfulRead MoreUncovering the Truth About John Brown865 Words   |  4 Pagesa man; he was a legend. (Chowder, 1) During, and after his life Brown was described as a martyr. â€Å"He stayed and he stayed, and it seems to me a deliberate act of martyrdom.† (Chowder, 4). He fought long and hard for what â€Å"he believed with certitude was a sin against God.† (Bordewich, 3). Of the many words used to describe Brown, one that would come up occasionally was hero. But â€Å"it wasnt until the 1970’s that John Brown the hero re-emerged.† (Chowder, 6). Two studies done by Stephen B. Oates andRead MoreThe Technological Advances Of The Great Gatsby3475 Words   |  14 Pagesthe subject matter coupled with the perceived impact of this doctrine on ministry. This topic makes you think of questions such as; is there hope for someone who doesn’t know God? And what happens to those whom have not yet experience God prior to death? Wi th that said, will everyone have a chance to experience God? How could a God who is so loving and caring allow the unlearned to succumb to the excruciating heat of hell? The God who tells me that He would, uphold you with my righteous right handRead More Two Pieces showing Photography as Art Essay1376 Words   |  6 Pagesin high school. It was the 70’s or 80’s, and it was a case of the rape and murder of a young woman. This case was significant because she could have been saved in many instances, but she wasn’t due to the nature of humanity. Basically, her death was witnessed by her neighbors and nearby residents, all the way from her initial capture and escape and shouts, to her recapture and death. Residents reported watching out of their windows, and looking out of their doors, but not calling the police becauseRead MoreThe, Death And Blind Sheep3005 Words   |  13 Pagesgathered, no theologian could negotiate their way out of our deserving judgment. We were indebted with total sin, unable to choose good from bad running around since birth with no clue as to who are or what was in us. It could be described as lost, death and blind sheep aimlessly moving about. But is that the case? Are we helpless to flesh and depraved as normal human beings? Depraved seems like such a grave condition for such an advanced race of people who have achieved so many great things. ConsiderRead MoreThe Denial Of Health Care1775 Words   |  8 Pageswho are like Sharon Slaton Howell, a Christian Scientist, strongly believe in the freedom of religion that is embedded in the Constitution. She argues for the freedom to practice her religions because â€Å". . . [she] feel[s] [that] as Americans, we live in a country where freedom of one s religious beliefs is law† (Howell). This statement has lead many to the idea of denying offered health care for religious reasons. In Howell’s experience, her mother was sick a extensive amount of time. No doctor wasRead MorePoetry Is An Art Of Representation Or Imitation2631 Words   |  11 Pagesrepresentation or imitation† (Hamilton 1829). One of the many poets who have poured their heart and mind into their poetry was Emily Dickinson. Dickinson has been noted as the girl who hid from soci ety with the fear of being unaccepted, â€Å"Frightened by the world and disappointed in her hopes, Dickinson, it is said, retreated into a privacy that shielded her... There,... she is established as a martyr† (Wolosky 17). Despite this reputation, it has been acknowledged that though humble her life was, she

Personal Ethics Development Paper Free Essays

What comes to mind when one thinks of ethics? Most people will say that ethics is a system of moral values. Ethics can be instilled or taught by one’s parents. Ethics is a topic that is considered to be complicated and not easily defined. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Ethics Development Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Per the dictionary, ethics is defined as a system of moral principles; the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc; moral principles, as of an individual. Some may say that your ethical system may change as one grow older and come into contact with different people of various cultures. While growing up, we have been taught what to do and what not do. We are taught on beliefs, ethics, morals, values, and to respect others. Different countries have different cultures, ethics, religions, and beliefs. Everyone believes that his or her ethic, belief, religion, and value are the only one that existed and others should follow. Most of the people still do not know who is right, who is wrong, and who to follow. Throughout this essay, I will discuss â€Å"the developmental aspect of my ethics. † Define â€Å"my underlying ethical system, its primary principles, and the sources that helped shape my ethics. † Additionally I will also discuss the ethical key terms found on University of Phoenix located on the student web site. I will also discuss on my ethics used in the workplace and how ethics plays the key role of an organization. My ethic beliefs were influenced mainly by Christianity. The primary principle of Christianity is the Ten Commandments. According to Religious Ethical Beliefs, â€Å"The 10 Commandments are Divine Command ethics. In other words they derive from laws set down by God. They are also meant to be objective and universal. Ethics from Jesus’ teachings are similar to the 10 Commandments in that they teach obedience to God but they also stress virtues as well as the famous ethical principle known as the Golden Rule† (Fairchild, 2011. ) Having two children myself I want to pass on my ethical values to them as well. Ethics, morals, and values are something that is taught. The church that I currently attend sets a great example of how to live by the bible. Most of the people that are members of my church lead by example. You can see them in the community and church with no difference in character. It is evident that they do believe in the 10 Commandments and its principles. It is very important for me to see that an individual word mirrors his or her actions. It is also essential for me to see that others with the same ethical system leading not only in my church but in the community around us. Knowing all of this helps develops me more with my ethical system. It allows me to grow as a person and focus on areas that need some assistance in. The ethical system that I have chosen to live every day of my life by is not an easy decision sometimes. As person having been faced with difficult situations while in the workplace, that caused issues of compliance with my management and coworkers. There was a time when I worked for a company before college that took care of mentally handicapped individuals on a twenty-four hour basis. I really enjoyed working with the mentally handicapped individuals and my coworkers knew it. My coworkers relied on my joy of working with the mentally handicapped and took full advantage of it. Each employee was paired up with clients to take care of according to skill level. My coworkers would knowingly know that one of our clients had an accident in their clothes. They would make the client wait until I came to work so I could change the client. There was no way that I could allow any client even if not my assigned client to sit around in soiled clothing. At first I didn’t complain to anyone but then it started happening more and more often. Even management started recommending to other employees to talk with me to assist with their undone assigned duties. My ethical system played over and over in my decision making process. I knew that the clients couldn’t help themselves and needed me. I would not want to be treated this way so there wasn’t a possibility that I could dare treat them unfairly. Since my coworkers performed so poorly on their job, I made sure that I worked hard for the upkeep of the clients. Treat them the way I wanted to be treated if in a similar situation. Ethics are definitely needed in an organization in order to succeed. It is imperative to outline your organization’s values to your employees in order to reach your company’s goals. Without outlining your company’s ethical system, your various employees will bring their own personal ethics to the table which could lead your organization in the direction that you didn’t want it to go in. When ethics are introduced to your employees, it sets a concrete standard for them to follow. It provides an explanation for how the organization operates on many of their policies and procedures. Hopefully, the company’s ethics are in accordance with one’s personal ethics. If the ethics of the organization that you work for are line with your personal life, many of your workplace decision making needs will be easier to achieve. With this being said, an employee should also research the company’s ethical system before involving oneself with their organization. How to cite Personal Ethics Development Paper, Papers Personal Ethics Development Paper Free Essays Trevino and Nelson (2007), define ethics as â€Å"the principles, norms, and standards of conduct governing an individual or organization. † I was influenced the way I determine different actions or behavior in a particular situation since I was a child. Growing up with a single Catholic mother made me value different things and behave in a particular way. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Ethics Development Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now In addition, this made me a have a particular ethical system that influences the way I work and act as an individual. At the corporation level, ethics is important because they set the rules and regulations. In this paper, I will explain the developmental aspects of my ethics as well as my ethical system, the effects of my ethics at my workplace, and importance of ethics in an organization to achieve its goals. My ethical system was shaped since I was a child. Growing up with a catholic single mother, definitely influence the way I value the family. Also, some of my decisions are influenced by this catholic background, which I do not genuinely practice but follow to some extent. Other factors that shaped my ethics were my family, school, and personal events. My family always corrected me whenever I did something that they consider wrong, which could be something simple as taking a flower from my neighbor’s garden. My family saw this little example as stealing, but as I child I saw this as taking the flower for my mother. School taught me what was legally wrong or right. I learn that some people simply don’t care too much about the actions and consequences of their actions and act impulsively. When making decisions, my ethical system influences they way I act because tend to be bias by what my mom, my family, school, or personal events taught me. Time has taught me to value the importance of learning form other mistakes and advices. This had leaded me to draw conclusions from specific examples. For example, when considering any issue, I usually use inductive reasoning and go from the very specific problem to the general conclusion. At the workplace, my ethical system influences the way I behave and perform in a positive and negative way. Based on the nature of the work, my ethical system at the workplace tends to be a combination of duty-based and goal-based. Duty-based is an â€Å"a moral obligation or commitment to act in a certain manner. For example, I work for the United States Postal Service and I am commitment to my work, which includes several tasks determined by the Postal Service rules and regulations. If I fail with one of this laws or rules I could be on probation or lose my job. Therefore, it is important that I obey those rules. In addition, all this tends to be influenced by the actual goal of the company and my personal goal. The company goal is to complete my assigned tasks in a timely manner, which is to deliver the mail. My personal goal is to produce money to sustain my family and pay my expenses. This personal goal drives me to be ethical and the do the right thing at my workplace because I do not want to put in jeopardy my job. This puts into play my personal family values. Therefore, my ethical system could be considered individualistic and very very competitive, which could impact my workplace in a negative way. On the other hand, this could turn out to be very positive because I am very reliable and undependable at work. Business ethics (2009) is defined as â€Å"moral principles defining how businesses and business professionals should act towards each other, employees, and the public. In other words, ethics are needed in an organization because they determine the company norms and principles for its employees and customers. To determine the company ethics its important because based on this, the company will be perceived nationally or internationally. Business ethics play such as important role today that the government forces companies to pay attention to corporate re sponsibility and business ethics. This norms, rules, and regulations also play an important role to achieve the company goals and direction. The effects of the application of these ethics influence consumers, employers, other businesses, and the society in a positive way. In order words, not only this company teaches other companies what is the right thing to do, but it also acts as an example for individuals who work there or purchase their items or services. In conclusion, ethics are rules, norms or regulations that influence the way people or corporation act. These influences could be either positive or negative and there is shape early in our lives or at the early stages of a corporation. In this paper, I explained that my personal ethics were shaped since I was a child. My ethics and values have changed based on personal events, religion, and family values. My ethical system influences the way I perform my job to achieve my personal goals. Based on these factors, ethics play an important role in corporations because companies are run by individuals who have their own ethical systems. In addition, ethics determine who the company is and how it is perceived in the society. How to cite Personal Ethics Development Paper, Papers

Accounting for Business Decisions SME Rating

Question: Describe about the Accounting for Business Decisions for SME Rating . Answer: Introduction The current piece of research is conducted with the purpose of understanding and analyzing the financial structure of the company in order to undertake better business decisions. For the following purpose the analysis of the financial structure of AGL ENERGY Ltd. The stated Ltd Company is one of the leading operational company based in the country of Australia. This company is one of the publicly listed firms engaged in the business of providing services and products associated with energy in the economy of Australia. The researcher has conducted the analysis of the following company with the view of developing suitable recommendation for the areas in which the company lacks behind. Statement of Financial Position BALANCE SHEET of AGL ENERGY LTD (AGLNF) Fiscal year ends in June 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Cash and cash equivalents 1813 281 456 259 252 Short-term investments 179 187 114 156 267 Total cash 1992 468 570 415 519 Receivables 1621 1844 1743 1894 1975 Inventories 185 133 191 396 414 Prepaid expenses 39 45 32 40 39 Other current assets 294 346 716 714 640 Total current assets 4132 2836 3252 3459 3587 Gross property, plant and equipment 7166 7295 7541 9289 9157 Accumulated Depreciation -842 -1120 -1305 -1657 -2628 Net property, plant and equipment 6324 6176 6236 7632 6529 Equity and other investments 462 372 390 614 217 Goodwill 2640 2640 2758 2792 2791 Intangible assets 532 510 490 474 441 Deferred income taxes 611 729 631 682 953 Other long-term assets 38 104 218 180 86 Total non-current assets 10606 10530 10723 12374 11017 Total assets 14738 13366 13975 15833 14604 Short-term debt 614 44 45 442 22 Capital leases 2 1 1 Accounts payable 1153 1280 1106 669 903 Deferred income taxes 11 155 49 86 102 Deferred revenues 250 Other current liabilities 579 712 807 1175 1526 Total current liabilities 2610 2192 2007 2373 2553 Non-current liabilities Long-term debt 3682 3048 3653 3422 3067 Capital leases 14 15 16 17 19 Deferred taxes liabilities 349 99 50 Other long-term liabilities 951 672 661 1206 1039 Total non-current liabilities 4996 3835 4380 4645 4125 Total liabilities 7606 6027 6387 7018 6678 stockholders' equity Common stock 5227 5354 5437 6696 6696 Retained earnings 1884 1987 2249 2175 1243 Accumulated other comprehensive income 22 -2 -98 -56 -13 Total stockholders' equity 7133 7339 7588 8815 7926 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity 14738 13366 13975 15833 14604 In the above statement of balance sheet of AGL ENERGY Ltd, it can be observed that the total assets have fallen drastically from the year 2012 to 2014. In the view of Armstrong et al. (2016), at the end of 2014, the balance of the total current assets improved. On the other hand, the above statement shows that the total noncurrent assets of the company were the highest in the year 2015 and the lowest in 2013 on comparison between the stated five years. On the contrary, the total current liabilities had decreased consecutively through the last three years and then it started increasing in the year 2015 and 2016. According to Barsky and Catanach (2013), the total noncurrent liabilities have been in a state of alternative increase and decrease through all these given years. Percentage change in the BALANACE SHEET of AGL ENERGY Ltd Fiscal year ends in June 2015 Changed Percentage 2016 Assets Current assets Cash Cash and cash equivalents 259 -2.7 252 Short-term investments 156 71.2 267 Total cash 415 25.1 519 Receivables 1894 4.3 1975 Inventories 396 4.5 414 Prepaid expenses 40 -2.5 39 Other current assets 714 -10.4 640 Total current assets 3459 3.7 3587 Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment Gross property, plant and equipment 9289 -1.4 9157 Accumulated Depreciation -1657 58.6 -2628 Net property, plant and equipment 7632 -14.5 6529 Equity and other investments 614 -64.7 217 Goodwill 2792 0.0 2791 Intangible assets 474 -7.0 441 Deferred income taxes 682 39.7 953 Other long-term assets 180 -52.2 86 Total non-current assets 12374 -11.0 11017 Total assets 15833 -7.8 14604 Liabilities and stockholders' equity Liabilities Current liabilities Short-term debt 442 -95.0 22 Capital leases 1 -100.0 Accounts payable 669 35.0 903 Deferred income taxes 86 18.6 102 Deferred revenues Other current liabilities 1175 29.9 1526 Total current liabilities 2373 7.6 2553 Non-current liabilities Long-term debt 3422 -10.4 3067 Capital leases 17 11.8 19 Deferred taxes liabilities Other long-term liabilities 1206 -13.8 1039 Total non-current liabilities 4645 -11.2 4125 Total liabilities 7018 -4.8 6678 stockholders' equity Common stock 6696 0.0 6696 Retained earnings 2175 -42.9 1243 Accumulated other comprehensive income -56 -76.8 -13 Total stockholders' equity 8815 -10.1 7926 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity 15833 -7.8 14604 The researcher has calculated the percentage difference of the items in the balance sheet of AGL ENERGY LTD for the year 2015 and 2016. The total current assets of the company have increased by a percentage of 3.7. As opinioned by Biao (2013), this increase in the quantity of assets of the company has occurred due to purchase of new assets by the company. It may also result from the accommodation of the stock of goods for sale. The total non currents assets of the company have decreased by 11 per cent in 2016 in comparison to the previous year. As stated by Habib and Hossain (2013), the reason for this decrease in the total assets may have occurred due to sale of the assets for funding the business or to extract the scrap value of the same. In addition to this, the current liabilities have also increased in the year 2016 by a percentage of 7.6. On the other hand the total noncurrent liabilities of the company have decreased by 11.2 per cent. As stated, the increase in the total current assets of the company is less than the increase in the current liability of the same. In the opinion of Beck et al. (2013), this explains the inability of the company in meeting its current contingencies. On the contrary, the total noncurrent assets of the company have decreased while the total current assets have increased. In the words of Cour-Thimann and Winkler (2012), the decrease in the total noncurrent assets of the company highlights the impotency of the company to write off the future contingencies and liabilities. As opinioned by Cull et al. (2013), an increase in the current liabilities is not in favor of the company given the current assets are not sufficient to meet the liabilities, the company will require to make its purchases on credit so as to retain the limited assets. In the words of Rensburg and Botha (2014), this in turn will generate more liability for the company. Here, the noncurrent liabilities of the company have decreased indicating that the company has nit indulged in long term borrowings. It should also be noted that the noncurrent assets of the company has also decreased. According to Joshi et al. (2013), there is a subsequent possibility that the company might have sold its total noncurrent assets to write off the total noncurrent assets leading to a decrease in both. In this context Stubbs et al. (2013), stated that the short term financial condition of the company is not in favor of the company, its shareholders as well as investors. As it has been seen that the assets do not compensate the liabilities due to which it has to borrow from the creditors. In the words of Biddle (2015), this further creates imbalance in the current ratio of the company as a result of which the creditors along with the investors may refrain from providing goods on credit and making further investments that may have an adverse effect on the work proceedings of the company. Stockholders Equity As stated by Crawford and Power (2015), the net value of any particular company is demonstrated by the shareholders equity of the same. This is one of the measures that help the analysts to understand the financial condition of the company. In this context, the shareholders equity of AGL ENERGY Ltd has been stated in the above mentioned balance sheet of the company. Here, the common stock of the company remained unchanged in the year 2016 in comparison to the previous year. On the contrary the retained earnings of AGL ENERGY Ltd have decreased to a percentage of 42.9 in the current year on drawing a comparison with the preceding year. In addition to that, the retained earnings of the company have also decreased justifying the decrease in the total noncurrent liabilities as it is evident that the company used its retained earnings to pay off the liabilities. It may also be witnessed from the above given balanced sheet of the company that the total shareholders equity of AGL ENERGY Ltd has decreased by 10.1 per cent. As it has been analyzed that the current liabilities of the company is more than its current assets along with that the total assets not increasing in proportion to the increase in total liabilities. In the words of Altman et al. (2013), this influences the shareholders equity of the firm as the shareholders fund of a particular company is computed by deducting the total assets of the company from the total liabilities of the same. Hence, the shareholders equity of the company displays a weak financial condition of the company. As stated by Bonner et al. (2013), the outstanding shares of a company can be computed by dividing the net profit earned by the company after taxation with the earnings per share of the company. In accordance to the income statement of the company, the net income for the year 2015 is 218 whereas the earnings per share is 0.33. Hence, the outstanding share of AGL ENERGY Ltd for the year is approx 606. Similarly, the outstanding share of the company shows a negative balance of approx 678. Statement of Profit and Loss INCOME STATEMENT of AGL ENERGY LTD (AGLNF) Fiscal year ends in June 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Revenue 7454 9715 9543 10678 11150 Cost of revenue 5918 7451 7227 7856 8110 Gross profit 1536 2264 2316 2822 3040 Operating expenses Other operating expenses 1339 1597 1337 2255 3321 Total operating expenses 1339 1597 1337 2255 3321 Operating income 197 666 979 567 -281 Interest Expense 84 245 243 250 236 Other income (expense) 50 42 24 20 43 Income before income taxes 163 464 760 337 -474 Provision for income taxes 48 75 190 119 -67 Net income from continuing operations 115 389 570 218 -407 Other -1 Net income 115 389 570 218 -408 Net income available to common shareholders 115 389 570 218 -408 Earnings per share Basic 0.23 0.7 1.02 0.33 -0.6 Diluted 0.23 0.7 1.02 0.33 -0.6 Weighted average shares outstanding Basic 482 550 558 654 675 Diluted 482 551 558 654 675 Percentage change in the INCOME STATEMENT of AGL ENERGY Ltd Fiscal year ends in June 2015 Changed Percentage 2016 Revenue 10678 4.420303428 11150 Cost of revenue 7856 3.233197556 8110 Gross profit 2822 7.725017718 3040 Operating expenses Other operating expenses 2255 47.27272727 3321 Total operating expenses 2255 47.27272727 3321 Operating income 567 -149.5590829 -281 Interest Expense 250 -5.6 236 Other income (expense) 20 115 43 Income before income taxes 337 -240.652819 -474 Provision for income taxes 119 -156.302521 -67 Net income from continuing operations 218 -286.6972477 -407 Other -1 Net income 218 -287.1559633 -408 Net income available to common shareholders 218 -287.1559633 -408 Earnings per share Basic 0.33 -281.8181818 -0.6 Diluted 0.33 -281.8181818 -0.6 Weighted average shares outstanding Basic 654 3.211009174 675 Diluted 654 3.211009174 675 EBITDA 966 -76.5010352 227 In the words of Freeman et al. (2014), the income statement of the company refers to the financial statement of a particular company that displays the financial condition of the same over a particular period of time. The following income statement of AGL ENERGY LTD shows the various aspects of income and expense of the company during the year 2015 and 2016. For the better understanding of the differences of the income statement between these two years, the researcher has computed a percentage difference between the two. The revenue or income generated in the income statement shows an increase of approx 4 per cent in the year 2016 in comparison to the preceding year. Besides that, the total expense of the company has also increased considerably to a percentage of approx 47 per cent. According to Wang (2014), this demonstrates that the company has made more investments in its operations with the purpose of generating more revenue. However, the percentage increase in revenue is less than the percentage increase in the operating costs incurred by the company. In addition to this, the company has not mentioned any non operating income or loss incurred by the company in its income statement. In addition to the above, the earnings per share of the company have decreased by around 281 per cent. As opinioned by Kraft (2014), the basic fall in the earnings of the common share may be assumed to be the inefficiency of the company in managing its operating and other expenses that have resulted in a negative balance of the net income due to which the revenue generated by the company has gone down. In the view of Christensen and Nikolaev (2013), due to negative net balance of the company, the earnings on each share have also had a negative impact on account of which the shareholders of the company suffered a loss. Thus, it may be concluded that the operations of the company in accordance to the income statement have been inefficient for the company as it led to a reduction in the generation of revenue and earnings per share of AGL ENERGY Ltd. Statement of Cash Flow CASH FLOW of AGL ENERGY LTD (AGLNF) Fiscal year ends in June 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Cash Flows From Operating Activities Other non-cash items 466 602 699 1044 1186 Net cash provided by operating activities 466 602 699 1044 1186 Cash Flows From Investing Activities Investments in property, plant, and equipment -722 -530 -670 -772 -539 Property, plant, and equipment reductions 138 1 2 6 8 Acquisitions, net 218 -33 -112 -1380 640 Purchases of investments -89 -72 -126 -83 -30 Sales/Maturities of investments 0 165 56 Purchases of intangibles -43 -44 -25 Sales of intangibles 5 Other investing activities -38 -38 162 -2 2 Net cash used for investing activities -531 -550 -769 -2175 81 Cash Flows From Financing Activities Debt issued 1730 285 2075 2647 550 Debt repayment -1299 -1544 -1547 -2580 -1371 Common stock issued 884 2 1218 1 Repurchases of treasury stock -4 -6 -6 -7 -8 Cash dividends paid -186 -214 -269 -344 -446 Other financing activities -105 -10 Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities 1125 -1584 255 924 -1274 Net change in cash 1060 -1532 185 -207 -7 Cash at beginning of period 753 1813 281 466 259 Cash at end of period 1813 281 466 259 252 Free Cash Flow Operating cash flow 466 602 699 1044 1186 Capital expenditure -803 -611 -723 -806 -545 Free cash flow -337 -9 -24 238 641 Supplemental schedule of cash flow data Cash paid for income taxes -181 -71 -191 -147 -166 Cash paid for interest -122 -257 -217 -216 -186 In the following cash flow of AGL ENERGY Ltd, the company displays an increase in expense of operating activities of the company to be the highest in 2015. On the other hand, the net investing activities of the company are showing the highest negative balance in 2015 compared to the given five years. In addition to that the net financing activities of the company have also been the highest in 2015 than the rest of the stated years. On comparing the cash flow statement of the last two years that is 2015 and 2016, it can be analyzed that the cash flow from in 2015 is comparatively lower than the cash flow of 2016. According to Blankespoor et al. (2013), the reason for this may be the increase in the flow of operating and financing activities of AGL ENERGY Ltd. In addition to this, the difference in cash in the beginning and end of the financial year id more in 2015 than in 2016. In the words of Kothari and Lester (2012), this shows that the company used more of its liquid assets in 2015 to pay for its liabilities and expenses. Conclusion The analysis of the financial structure of AGL ENERGY Ltd has helped the researcher in developing a better understanding of the internal workings of the company and the impact of the same on the overall financial structure of the company. In addition to this, the research done may also help the managers and shareholders of the company to analyze the areas that require their attention and a major development. This in turn may benefit the shareholders, investors and the company as whole. Besides, on analyzing the researcher has also developed the skill of providing suitable recommendations for the problem areas. Recommendation In context of the analysis of the balance sheet, income statement and the cash flow statement of AGL ENERGY LTD the researcher has made a number of recommendations for the benefit of the company. Here, the company may lay its focus on the integrated marketing and communication programe that involves the use of different media platforms for the purpose of advertisement. An increased amount of advertisement may influence the sales positively and help the company to generate more revenue. Further, the company can also implement the cost optimization strategy that helps in reducing and controlling the operational and manufacturing costs of the business proceedings. Besides, it may also help the company in getting rid of the non value adding costs that increase the expenditure of the company and do not generate any benefit to the company. In addition to this, AGL ENERGY Ltd may also initiate the early repayment of debt that may save the money of the company in later years to spend on other productive departments of the company that may help it to increase the revenue and lure the investors. Another possible way of increasing the income and regulating the expenses of the company can be targeting the sales and cost of the company for a given period in the duration of the financial year per say a month. The company may then analyze each month the costs incurred and the sales generated and the revenue earned thereon. This in turn may facilitate the company in a better understanding of the areas that are in need of development and the areas that are functioning with full potentiality. All these strategies combined may help AGL ENERGY Ltd to overcome the major drawbacks of the company and achieve the organizational goals. Reference List: Altman, E.I., Giannozzi, A., Roggi, O. and Sabato, G., 2013. Building Sme rating: is it necessary for lenders to monitor financial statements of the borrowers?.BANCARIA,10, pp.54-71. Armstrong, C., Guay, W.R., Mehran, H. and Weber, J., 2016. The role of financial reporting and transparency in corporate governance.Economic Policy Review, Issue Aug, pp.107-128. Barsky, N.P. and Catanach Jr, A.H., 2013. What makes a CFO" the best"?.Strategic Finance,94(10), pp.29-35. Beck, T., Demirg-Kunt, A. and Singer, D., 2013. Is small beautiful? Financial structure, size and access to finance.World Development,52, pp.19-33. Biao, L.Q.Z., 2013. Ownership Properties, Investor Sentiment and Corporate Inefficient Investment [J].Finance and Trade Research,4, p.020. Biddle, G.C., 2015. The Role of Financial Statements in Reporting Financial Performance. InAccounting Finance/IASB Research Forum. Blankespoor, E., Linsmeier, T.J., Petroni, K.R. and Shakespeare, C., 2013. Fair value accounting for financial instruments: Does it improve the association between bank leverage and credit risk?.The Accounting Review,88(4), pp.1143-1177. Bonner, S., Clor-Proell, S., Koonce, L. and Wang, T., 2013.Mental accounting and disaggregation on the income statement. Working Paper, University of Southern California, Texas Christian University, The University of Texas, Queen's University. Christensen, H.B. and Nikolaev, V.V., 2013. Does fair value accounting for non-financial assets pass the market test?.Review of Accounting Studies,18(3), pp.734-775. Cour-Thimann, P. and Winkler, B., 2012. The ECBs non-standard monetary policy measures: the role of institutional factors and financial structure.Oxford Review of Economic Policy,28(4), pp.765-803. Crawford, L. and Power, D.M., 2015. Perceptions of external auditors, preparers and users of financial statements about the adoption of IFRS 8.Journal of Applied Accounting Research,16(1), pp.2-27. Cull, R., Demirg-Kunt, A. and Lin, J.Y., 2013. Financial structure and economic development: A reassessment.The World Bank Economic Review,27(3), pp.470-475. Freeman, R.J., Shoulders, C.D., Allison, G.S., Smith Jr, G.R. and Becker, C.J., 2014. Governmental and nonprofit accounting: theory and practice.JPAEJOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDUCATION VOLUME 20 NUMBER 3, p.441. Habib, A. and Hossain, M., 2013. CEO/CFO characteristics and financial reporting quality: A review.Research in Accounting Regulation,25(1), pp.88-100. Joshi, M., Cahill, D., Sidhu, J. and Kansal, M., 2013. Intellectual capital and financial performance: an evaluation of the Australian financial sector.Journal of intellectual capital,14(2), pp.264-285. Kothari, S.P. and Lester, R., 2012. The role of accounting in the financial crisis: Lessons for the future.Accounting Horizons,26(2), pp.335-351. Kraft, P., 2014. Rating agency adjustments to GAAP financial statements and their effect on ratings and credit spreads.The Accounting Review,90(2), pp.641-674. Rensburg, R. and Botha, E., 2014. Is Integrated Reporting the silver bullet of financial communication? A stakeholder perspective from South Africa.Public Relations Review,40(2), pp.144-152. Stubbs, W., Higgins, C. and Milne, M., 2013. Why do companies not produce sustainability reports?.Business strategy and the environment,22(7), pp.456-470. Wang, C., 2014. Accounting standards harmonization and financial statement comparability: Evidence from transnational information transfer.Journal of Accounting Research,52(4), pp.955-992.

How suspense is created in the ghost story The Signalman by Charles Dickens Essay Example

How suspense is created in the ghost story The Signalman by Charles Dickens Paper In this essay I am going to examine how Charles Dickens creates suspense. Written during Victorian times, Dickens wrote the piece after being personally involved in a train crash. The Signalman is themed over the gothic supernatural and The Industrial Revolution. The Signalman is about a signalman who foretells different accidents and events on his line. Later he foretells something far more sinister. The piece was at the time when Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley. The Signalman opens in the first person. This immediately creates suspense not just through the person its wrote by the words used these being: Halloa Below there The person who shouts this is the narrator. With the reader not knowing whats going on it causes natural apprehension. At this early stage we do not know which of the men, if any are ghosts, as they have not verbally interacted with each other. When the narrator does call to the Signalman he only reacts physically not verbally: He looked up without replying This creates a mood of great tension for the reader, as they dont know what is about to happen. The story is set at the mouth of a tunnel along a railroad. The tunnel is dark inside and unwelcoming. We will write a custom essay sample on How suspense is created in the ghost story The Signalman by Charles Dickens specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How suspense is created in the ghost story The Signalman by Charles Dickens specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How suspense is created in the ghost story The Signalman by Charles Dickens specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This helps to create mystery. As readers we are intrigued by this opening, as we dont know what is going on in this tunnel. This suspense is made even tenser through the way the story is written. Dickens uses many devices such as first person narrative, the detailed description and the swapping between first and third person views. Suddenly a steam train, often an emblem of the Industrial Revolution, exits the mouth of the tunnel. Dickens describes it as: Vague vibration in the earth and the air, quickly changing into a violent pulsation and a oncoming rush. Vapour as to rose to my height this rapid train had passed me This phrase reflects the fear of the steam trains during the Industrial Revolution era. As the narrator approaches the signalman he describes the setting and journey through detailed description. I particularly like this: A clammy stone that became oozier and wetter as I went down These descriptive adjectives bring interest and even more immediate suspense to the story and sentence. This technique is used to great affect to create huge amounts of suspense to describe the location of the signalmans box on the line: On either side, a dripping wet wall of jagged stone excluding all view but a strip of sky. the gloomier entrance to a black tunnel, in whose massive architecture there was a barbarous, depressing a forbidding air This again demonstrates the technique Dickens uses to create the suspense required for this story which was set in the Gothic supernatural period. Dickens also uses detailed description of the senses: Earthy, deadly, damp smell This description of his sense of smell creates a vivid picture of rottenness for the reader. Dickens also describes how dark it is in the setting: So little sunlight ever found its way to this spot This detailed description like the one before uses very interesting adjectives to create a picture of horror, rottenness and really a sinister setting for the reader which is typical of the storys genre. These descriptions make the narrator feel uncomfortable with the way the situation is going for him. The time period for which The Signalman is set is over a 3-day period of time the story never really leaves this setting; the characters always meet at the mouth of the tunnel the only safe way to get there being: . rough zigzag descending path notched out, This creates suspense though the word zigzag in particular as it gives the impression of a Z-shape path which I think adds to the impression of being sinister. The story of The Signalman this title is also the name of the main character. He has a very important but boring job. He has to maintain safety on the line the signalman and takes his job very seriously: In the discharge of his duties I observed him to be remarkably exact and vigilant, breaking off his discourse at a syllable and remaining silent until what he had to do was done So the signalman took pride in his job and cared about his job and the safety of the passengers on the line. At the first meeting of the characters the signalman does not respond verbally to the narrator. Perhaps the signalman is slightly sacred and this adds anxiety to the story as many people might think a visitor would be a rarity. The narrator first describes the signalman as: Dark sallow man, with a beard Which gives a very sinister impression, which causes great suspense for the reader. Dickens doesnt stop there with his description of the signalman: . Saturnine Face. This gives us the impression of evil and of gloom these descriptive adjectives add great suspense to the story. The narrator, as the story progress realises that the signalman is very intelligent. So intelligent that he attended university but had gone wild and had got kicked out probably. . Had attended lectures. But he had run wild. Gone wild gone down and never risen again. This shows the signalman wasted his life and opportunities. So he was stuck in his job as a signalman. The Signalman takes his job very seriously he has to. The travellers lives are in his hands so he would do all his jobs then carry on talking with the narrator: Remaining silent until what he had to do was done This shows the signalman really does care when he is doing his job. The signalmans manner is one of caring, fear and intelligence. This fear is his evident fear of the bell: Turned his head to the bell when it did not ring This shows the first bit of sinister activity from the signalman. This creates tension for the reader. This bit of madness is also picked up by the narrator. The fear of the bell plays a significant role within the story. The signalman has numerous conversations with the narrator. The first being the one where the signalman tells the narrator he use to be contented but is now a man of trouble: . But I am troubled sir, I am troubled. This immediately shows hes distressed and creates suspense for the reader, as they want to know what is troubling the signalman. The Signalman tells the narrator he will tell of his troubles if he ever returns so they agree to meet the next day at 11:00 PM. The signalman tells the narrator not to yell down when he arrives at the top path the next day. We as readers wonder why? This natural wonder creates great uncertainty. When the narrator does return the signalman tells of his troubles with the spectres and of his past experiences with them on the line. He also tells of the memorable accident on the line. As he talks he is adamant he saw a figure on the spot where the dead and wounded where carried. . Within ten hours the dead and wounded were brought along the tunnel over the spot where the figure had stood. These few lines create immediate suspense for the reader as this will have been a remarkable coincidence and the reader will be keen to know more. The signalman also tells us about his second spectre appearance months after the first. Only this time the signalmans spectre appeared at the mouth of the tunnel in an impression of mourning. Later that day as a train passes his box the signalman sees panic in one of the carriages and stops the train and a: A beautiful young lady had died instantly in one of the compartments. This would cause much more tension and suspense for the reader, as this will be yet another coincidence. In this second visit by the narrator we learn why the signalman is so scared. As only a week ago he started to see the spectre and he keeps seeing it at the mouth of the tunnel: The spectre came back a week ago. Ever since then it has been there by fits and starts This causes even more apprehension for the reader, as they, like the signalman want to know what the spectre is doing here. What both the Signalman and the reader dont know is that the Signalman is seeing his own tragic and sinister death. The Signalman also believes he is the only one who can see the spectre. As after the recent appearances the narrator can not see it. Which suggests the signalman has gone mad. The Signalmans state of mind by this time is one of aggressive madness, which the narrator describes as most pitiable: His pain of mind is most pitiable to see After reading this the reader I think will be saddened and feel pity for the signalman in his madness. I think Dickens uses the character of the signalman to put across suspense in the story. We now move on to analyse the character of the man who tells the story the narrator. In my opinion at the time he would have been a Victorian man interested in the stream trains who wanted to take his interest further. He goes to a signal box to find out more. The narrators account of The Signalman changes from first to third person and back again frequently. This creates increasing suspense and tension for the reader. The narrator holds many different feelings and thoughts as his friendship with the signalman blossoms. For example when he hears of the signalmans evident fear: His pain of mind was most pitiable This shows that the narrator feels sorry for the signalman as he may be going mad. He also feels an urge to help the signalman. After hearing both accounts of the signalmans spectres the narrator, an intelligent, formal man wants to help the signalman overcome his madness. He reacts similarly as he did after he heard the first account: . Across his temples in extremity of feverish distress. This again shows the narrator is at his wit end with what to do to help the signalman. The narrator in my opinion is a kind intelligent man. From the signalman we are able to work out what class of person the narrator is as the signalman refers to the narrator as: Sir From this we know the narrator is middle class and is a man of common sense and intelligence. So after there second meeting they decide to meet again. This itself shows two things one that he cares and two hes curious. We as readers now feel he is the mysterious wise old man. Men of common sense did not allow for coincidence in making the ordinary calculations of life This shows the narrator is an intelligent man of logic who thinks with common sense. After hearing of the recent ghost he is evidently scared and disturbed. So after much deliberation the signalman agrees to accompany him to a physicist. So the narrator leaves and the signalman, in his absence dies after being mowed down by a train. In my opinion the narrator becomes wiser. There is a certain twist in the tale that the signalmans prediction was actually a premonition of his own death as he told the narrator the exact words the train driver said after he had mowed the signalman down: Below there! Look out! Look out! For gods sake clear the way We can therefore see how Dickens created suspense and tension in The Signalman These devices ranged from suspense through the characters actions to the swapping of the views (First and Third) I think The Signalman is a bit dull compared to todays literature for example Philip Pullmans Dark Materials. It was written 100 years ago and the language and expectations of todays readers have obviously changed.

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Three Google Searches That Will Help You Get Paid to Write Now I confess, I am a Google junkie. I have built a solid reputation for knowing a lot of obscure, but helpful, information about a lot of random topics. Much of this I can attribute to an unhealthy amount of time spent searching Google to satisfy my curiosity, so I may have an unfair advantage. Yet, while reading several of the articles saturating the web right now about How To Get Your First Writing Client, I can’t help but wonder, â€Å"Why are they overlooking the obvious?† Skip sites like Freelancer.com and oDesk.com, which advertise low paying freelance writing jobs that you have to spend valuable time bidding for (and where you run the risk of being scammed). Opt out of writing on demand sites like Scripted.com that require you to go through a lengthy application process, where you must submit writing samples for approval despite having a portfolio, to compete for jobs averaging under $30. Spend less time perusing job boards and cut through the middleman Locate client websites directly, using Google to gain an opportunity to address your application to a specific contact and have a fair chance of your response actually being read. Do so ‘Write For Us’ How many times have you followed the links from an aggregated job board, to a Craigslist ad, to an actual website link leading the advertisement on the clients website which reads: ‘Write For Us’? Exactly. ‘Be A Contributor’ In my experience, this search term is often helpful for leading you directly to client sites that you will not find on a job board because they have such a large following that they do not need to advertise anywhere else. ‘Submission Guidelines’ Whether it is a large or small publication, you are likely to end up on this page of the clients website as a potential hire or a hired writer. Cut to the chase Do your own Google search using these exact search terms and see how many results you come up with. Narrow your search results

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QIM NOTES ON DESIGNATED LECTURE - Assignment Example During the talk, Dishman shows the audience his film of own kidney transplant, which according to doctors the he was not in a position have a transplant. With latest technological knowhow, it is a vital sign monitor, which can be of use for observations by employing smart phones to give ultrasound images. Through the aid of an online agent who can guide someone through a safe self-care with real time image processing. With the help of network devices, doing care anywhere will just need a team for interactions. He relays an instance when he was sick at a young age and admitted at a hospital. The longer he stayed in the hospital, the sicker he got like allergy (Dishman). Dishman experienced the team sport at Legacy Sam, 6 months ago. The model works by training how to do care at home and offloading clinics. Currently, he has a team in China who track and train seniors caring for themselves and community volunteers. Most of the medical problems emerge because of communication and coordination inadequacies among medical practitioners. Dishman gave an example of poor care coordination, when he was in graduate school undergoing kidney treatment whereby at some point doctors thought he had a heart problem. This was until one nurse noticed his appointment paper that had three prescriptions from different doctors having varying conditions but same drug as a remedy. He had overdose problem but not a heart problem as earlier diagnosed by varying medics cited (Dishman). This happens to millions of people elsewhere but according to Dishman, technology in health care through coordinated team sport presents an effective solution to these incidences. In 1948 during trials to invent TB drugs, healthcare conduct tests averagely but not individually whereby they generalize without knowing that a patient and his or her own population are different, hence ending up to guesswork. However, with the help of high performance

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Political influence of different racial politicians - Essay Example This method will be efficient in narrowing the vast area of study to few hypotheses that can be used to substantiate the main hypothesis. This method involves study and research but omits interviews that may give misleading information. Also the method does not take a lot of time and it can be carried out in fewer phases. This makes it very easy to allocate time to analysis and elimination of non essential materials. This will help in making an accurate assessment on the main hypothesis. This method will also allow for sampling of many materials that may lead to the accurate conclusion of views and reasons in accordance to the hypothesis. The statistical approach in this will involve quantitative research which will be emended with two approaches; the process and principlesThe process; the examination will have one or more speculations. These are the inquiries that they need to address which incorporate forecasts about conceivable connections between the things they need to research (variables). Keeping in mind the end goal to discover replies to these inquiries, the exploration will additionally have different instruments and materials and a plainly characterized arrangement of movement. The principles; Objectivity is exceptionally vital in quantitative exploration. Subsequently, specialists take incredible forethought to dodge their vicinity, conduct or demeanor influencing the results. They likewise basically inspect their strategies and conclusions for any conceivable predisposition.

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The Modern Theory Of Business Strategy Business Essay Strategizing is much more than just visioning, forecasting, planning and reviewing. In the new rapidly changing economy, all important tasks of strategy have been redefined as issues of implementation. These days strategizing is concerned with the match between the internal capabilities of the company and its external environment. The modern subject of business strategy is a set of analytic tools techniques for understanding better, and so influencing, a companys position in its actual and potential marketplace. As strategy today is a subject of application; the obvious key disciplines for strategy are economics and organizational culture. One needs to employ them to define a structure in which the process of strategy formulation and its implementation are bound together. Putting it simply, strategy refers to the technique or direction one would adopt in achieving a certain objective. For business purposes, objectives are usually more precisely defined using numerical values 10% increase in sales in the next year could be an example of a business objective (sales). Objectives differ depending upon the conditions one may find himself in and therefore would result in the adoption of varied strategies. Business strategy refers to the combined strategies of single business firm or a strategic business unit (SBU) in a diversified corporation. A firm must devise a business strategy that incorporates either cost leadership, differentiation or focus and the like in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and long-term success in its areas or industries. 1b) How strategy can be constructed and carried out effectively, even by small businesses? There could be political strategies, business strategies, social strategies and so on. It is nothing but natural for strategies to differ in matter but they all share some common issues that get addressed in the process. So, in order to work on strategic substance it is imperative to understand the issues that need to be answered in our strategic choices. Firstly, strategies are to be thought of in long term basis. Strategies are formed keeping in mind the vision of an organization that helps further decide the direction to be taken. Vision is basically the broad reason for an organizations existence. This being the first structural block. Secondly, strategies are formulated under the characteristics of an organizations strengths and weaknesses. The resources and competencies of a firm help define and shape the variety of strategic choices available to the management to choose from. This forms the second major structural block and alongside the first lays the basic foundation for strategy formation. The rest is basically a web where we need to analyse the current domain of the organizations activities and possible future expansion, the culture of the organization, the values and expectations of stakeholders, the operational and business environment and the competition. Once this analysis is done, strategies can be derived that help to provide a competitive advantage in the current environment after considering its expected future outcome. This aspect is very important as strategies cannot be altered time and again. They should keep room for a little change as they have to stand the test of time and therefore need to be aligned correspondingly to dynamic business environments. To sum it up, strategies are essentially long term choices of an organization that define the manner in which competitive advantage shall be obtained, alongside the fulfillment of stakeholders expectations, within the boundaries of the organizations strengths and weaknesses. Evidently, the process of developing strategies is a tedious one and requires concrete analysis of many inter-related factors. It is extremely complex and has an inherent uncertainty about its conception. However, a careful analysis of the business environment including that of competitors can greatly reduce this complexity. As a strategy developer one has to be in harmony with the vagueness of the opportunity costs for a particular strategic choice and once decided, should focus entirely on the chosen strategic direction. All actions are linked to the strategy of the organization and hence a thorough analysis of various direct and indirect factors is critical to its success. The most important strategic choice a small organization can make is prepare to do battle with the future, which includes five steps. Step 1: Anticipate both threats and windows of opportunities for the vision and mission of the organization. Step 2: Decide how to react to these emerging threats and opportunities. Step 3: Identify the source from which those risks and opportunities will come from. Step 4: Identify when the risks will hit or if the opportunity is really valuable. Step 5: Execute necessary actions to mitigate the threats or take advantage of the opportunities. Strategic planning for a small business doesnt have to be as formal, or as detailed as with a large company. The most important step to take is to strike up a discussion with your customers, employees, vendors, investors, and do your homework about your competitors. It helps to talk about your strategy with a partner, advisor, or trusted consultant to reduce ambiguity and bring some focus to your mind around the strategic issues that could impact your business in the future. The biggest mistake a small business owner can do for his organization is, be unprepared or surprised by unfolding future events. Even if he simply thinks things through in his mind and then briefly share his strategic choices or decisions with his employees, he will be ahead of the curve and enabling people to understand how they can connect with his strategy. For a small business working toward a strategic plan the one thing that can make a lot of difference is to commit all the strategic decision to paper. This is one move ahead of many of its competitors. Inviting the strongest employees to respond to the strategic issues, concerns and getting them involved so they feel some ownership in this simple process brings a clear and thorough insight into the strategic planning. Arranging a strategy adaptation meeting with all hands twice a year for a couple of hours to clarify the direction, make adjustments and respond to questions is yet another time-proven way of facing the changing business demographics. The strategic analysis should look at six aspects of the business. The customers: Figure out who your customers are now, who they will be in the future, how they are changing, and what they will want in the future. The people and talent: What skills and capabilities will be needed to address the threats and opportunities? How many people, what kind of new roles will be needed, how will peoples roles change in the future to handle the threats and grab the opportunities? Will the organization grow and are we developing the leadership to manage the changes coming? The Suppliers and Vendor: Can they give you what will be required to meet future challenges? Are there new offerings that can help you resolve your particular business issues? The Competitors: Who are the players in your market? What are the strengths they possess? How can you take advantage of their vulnerabilities with your unique capabilities? The Products and Services: Are you preparing something new and value added for your customers or users which enable them to be more productive? The Organizational infrastructure technology: What will the organization need to do differently in the future to keep up with new and emerging customers? Are you using technology to improve productivity? Strategy really isnt rocket science; rather it is a common sense and a willingness to ask some challenging questions and bringing the workable answers. Be willing to think it through, communicate with others, and solicit additional perspectives. Writing down the conclusions and sharing them with the rest of the organization. Lastly, issuing a call to work on strategic action each day to compliment the routine tactical work that has to be done to pay the bills and meet current obligations. All of the above help the small business stay ahead of the curve. 1c) The value of using key analytical tools to help in the strategy-making process Strategic Analysis This is all about analysing the strength of position of business and understanding the important external factors that may influence that position. The process of Strategic Analysis can be helped by a number of tools, including: PEST Analysis a technique for understanding the environmentin which a business operates [See Appendix A for details] Porters Five Forces Analysis a technique for identifying the forces which affect the level of competition within an industry [See Appendix A for details] Competitor Analysis a broad range of techniques and analysis that seeks to summarise a businessesoverall competitive position Critical Success Factor Analysis a technique to identify those key areas in which a business must outperform the competition in order to succeed SWOT Analysis a useful summary technique for summarising the key issues arising from an assessment of a businesses internalposition and externalenvironmental influences. Analytical methods and tools are key to ensuring that consistency and an appropriate level of rigour is applied to the analysis. The aim of the analytical tool is to intensify the focus of the analysis and to ensure a methodical and a balanced approach. All analytical tools rely on historical and statistical data to extrapolate future assumptions. It is important to exercise caution when interpreting strategic analysis results. Otherwise the analysis may be influenced by preconceived notions within the organisation which seek to validate a particular strategic assumption. One of the key skills of a strategic analyst is in understanding which analytical tools or techniques are most appropriate to the objectives of the analysis. One of the most common analytical tool used in devising a business strategy is SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis is a simple but widely used tool that helps in understanding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in a project or business activity. It starts by defining the objective of the business activity and identifies the internal and external factors that are important to achieving that objective. strengths and weaknesses are usually internal to the organisation, while opportunities and threats are usually external. Often these are plotted on a simple 22 matrix. Strengths à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What does your organisation do better than others? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are your unique selling points? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do your competitors and customers in your market perceive as your strengths? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What is your organisations competitive edge? Opportunities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What political, economic, social-cultural, or technology (PEST) changes are taking place that could be favourable to you? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Where are there currently gaps in the market or unfulfilled demand? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What new innovation could your organisation bring to the market? Weakness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do other organisations do better than you? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What elements of your business add little or no value? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do competitors and customers in your market perceive as your weakness? Threats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What political, economic, social-cultural, or technology (PEST) changes are taking place that could be unfavourable to you? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What restraints to you face? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What is your competition doing that could negatively impact you? 2) Based on the case study, carry out an analysis of Making It Bigs: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ strengths and weaknesses, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ opportunities and threats Strengths Making It Big has had wonderful years over the past couple of years. For the last 10 years MIB enjoyed steady average sales increase of 12%. This was made possible due to the fact that Cynthia, the owner of the business, contributed significant amount of her time and effort to keep the cash flow running. Cynthia learned the whole trade of a business at an early age and rode on the surge of the feminism movements. She was already mentally prepared and economically challenged to take on the risky path of setting up her own venture. Her earlier stint with Cheap Frills also enabled her to learn the tricks of trade and get really close to the suppliers, manufacturers, whole-sellers and customers. This proved to be a foundational platform that let her project her thoughts and evaluate an opportunity that can be filled. Hence, the birth of Making It Big took place. This opportunity was plus-size clothing manufacturing selling business. It was only possible for her to evaluate and pick such an opportunity because she was able to put herself in the shoes of the her potential customers. She, being a female and a fat one at that, helped her empathize her customers and bring to them a product that can truly add value to their lives. Besides, she had personal beliefs of strengthening fat women. For that she had to attend various seminars, feminism conferences, fashion shows and other such social events to market her clothing collection of the season as well as learning more about the reservations of her customers. She had to use these platforms to raise awareness and to strengthen the fat category of female population to lead a normal life. This step of approaching a new customer bracket is always risky and frought with FUD phenomena among customers. FUD phenomena also known as Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt, leaves a whole set of problems of manufacturin g, marketing and selling for the niche to be addressed. It also turned out in the very beginning that no manufacturer is willing to accept orders to custom make plus-sized ladies garments for a new venture. To overcome these challenges, Cynthia needed a partner, an expert in the area of ladies garments manufacturing, a dedicated sales person, a manufacturing facility, long list of suppliers, transporters, sewing staff and other office personnel. Moreover, she was also supposed to raise awareness and market her products to the category of fat women who usually stay indoor. One of her strengths played in the initial stages of her setup was a brilliant discovery of an expert seamstress as a contractor who helped MIB hire/train more such experts. This solved a major issue of getting the staff ready to take on the challenges that may lay ahead. It has been observed over years that staffing alone can take running businesses down if care is not taken and successful businesses have always invested largely on human resources functions. Therefore Cynthia focused on selecting and grooming a culture among employees who were hard-working and committed individuals. This strengthened the confidence of MIBs management on employees performance especially during times of tight money supply. This enables management to take sound decisions and face competition without fear of being wiped out. Another factor that improved the success rate of MIB tremendously was that Cynthia had two parallel businesses Cheap Frills and MIB running in parallel; with one complementing the other. In such circumstances, its easy to loose sight of the direction due to the division of owners attention. However, Cynthia managed it well and had highly motivated staff to take care of both of her businesses. This helped Cynthia maintain a healthy level of cash flow and also to acquire short-term credit from financial institution. Since, the two businesses were identical therefore there was also some overlap in their customers. Later on, when Cynthia dissolved one of her business, Cheap Frills, she was not only able to generate cash on liquidating its assets but she also converted it to MIBs warehouse. In short, running two businesses had a symbiotic relationship not parasitic and when she sold one of them it benefited the other even more. When it comes to manufacturing, MIB also met with a good luck in that it developed a product line that could carry over the season and still look new item because of different colors. This helped MIB manage SKUs and inventory at the very early stages of manufacturing. This also streamlined MIBs manufacturing processes so that the owner-manager could divert her attention on the more pressing tasks of sales and marketing. Another strength that MIB was successfully able to capitalize on was the idea of using various marketing channels; retail store ads, catalog for mail-in orders and a comprehensive website. Especially, when it comes to mail-in orders, Cynthia used a very unconventional approach of reaching out to the customer segment of fat women. This approach let MIB reach true potential customers, read fat women, rather than shot-gunning all the housholds in the area for search of potential customers. This caused MIB to develop strong relationship with new customers and repeat sales were possible apart from saving tremendous amounts of marketing budgets for a yet growing MIB. Weaknesses One of the biggest weaknesses that was figured out for MIB is the improvisational style of business that cannot cope with change. This style, although good for executing short-term goals while maintaining a tight grip on cash flow, is difficult to adapt to changing external factors. Cynthia, being the owner-manager, did not have a business degree to start with. She was working on her business purely through determination and intuition. This can bring short-term success but to really succeed in the global scale and expand the business beyond the territorial boundaries, one has to endeavour into the realm of experimentation and critical analysis of the various medium-term strategies and its market acceptance. Secondly, Cynthias partner Janet wasnt contributing much in the early days of MIB as a business startup. Although, she provided the much needed cash other financial help but she lacked dedication. This naturally led Cynthia to take on the role of both the partners and hence the role of strategist in MIB was lost forever. Had Janet been taking care of some of the daily sales and marketing matters then Cynthia would be in a better shape to use the above mentioned analytical tools to provide regular insight into business and the way to look forward to. This lack of strategic planning skills among the top management of MIB caused sales growth to come to stall. Another weakness cited in the case study was that MIB was serving a niche market. Niche markets are always a headache for sales and marketing professional. Customers, fat women staying indoors, were hard to find and their buying patterns, no prior experience or passion of shopping, caused MIB to look for alternate channels of marketing. The case study also points to a claim by industry experts that most retailers dont know how to sell to larger or fat customers. The reason for that was the buying behaviour of those customers in that those women were not working due to their hesitation of the social gathering in general. Thus those women were confined to the indoors and therefore they have to approached within the boundaries of their household. Even though MIB tried various marketing channels but they were still not their. The financial figures show that most of their sales were within their base state, California, and thus there was a huge market outside their base state that still needs to be accessed. Lastly, the case study reveals that MIB employees are over-worked so there is a chance of them leaving MIB despite of their loyalty. This problem is not limited to the leaving of managers only but also to all of the staff members within the organisation. Every year, industry experts quote a huge replacement cost associated with an employee. Therefore its in the best interest of firms to provide enough benefits and compliant human resource policies to retain existing employees. It has also been observed that small firms often make the mistake of not hiring enough employees matching the increase in their business activity. This ultimately leads to employees being overworked and eventually leaving the firm for one of their competitor with better work ethics. The weakness has also been found in MIBs case. Opportunities There are a lot of opportunities that MIB can exploit to project its sales and come out as a successful firm in the long run. In the very early days of MIB setting up its business, Cynthia developed a small line of credit with a bank to improve growth and opportunity. This is very important to enable a startup fulfill the orders that are beyond the financial capacity of the firm. This immediate or sometimes seasonal surge in sales can only be managed by taking short-term loans. MIB easily managed this opportunity and was able to keep sales growing at a steady rate of 12% over 10 years. Another opportunity that knocked on the MIBs door was the fact that Cynthia had no familiarity with mail-order business rules. Those rules were in fact good for marketing of only general household products but MIB was serving a niche market. Had Cynthia invested heavily in a certain mail-order marketing firm, it would have caused severe budgeting problems with no tangible impact on actual sales growth. That niche of a customer segment only stayed indoors and was not very easily approachable. Thus an unconventional approach helped MIB reach its true customers and enable it to cause recurring sales to existing customers. To reach those difficult to find customer, Cynthia regularly attended trade shows to keep up with the trends and new potential customers. This helped her stay in touch with few of her existing customers as well as attract new ones. Since, MIB needed brand awareness and brand recognition all throughout its lifespan apart from saving finances from huge marketing budgets therefore it was prudent to specifically target the potential customers in such events. Cashing on this opportunity caused MIB to stick in this niche marketplace. Another bright opportunity that was unveiled was that women plus-size market is growing in 2000s to $47 billion in 2005. MIB being an established player in this market only has to increase its capacity and reach out to customers. This rather unique opportunity that even the statistics agree is hard to miss for MIB. Moreover, careful strategic planning and evaluation of the outcome can result in tremendous growth of MIB in the years to come. Another NPD groups survey revealed 35% adult Americans as overweight and 26% as obese, 60% women wear 12 plus size and 16% teenage girls are overweight. This revelation is proof enough for Cynthia to invest in finding the right mix of short-term and long-term strategies to boost its sales and in the process increase market share. Thus there are ample growth opportunities that MIB needs to cash in and raise its business value. Threats There are numerous threats that were mentioned in the case study. However, how many of these MIB has been able to identify and take necessary steps is what we have yet to see. One of its competitor Charming Shoppes has a huge market share in plus size apparel industry. Charming Shoppes is acquiring its competitors and growing its business annually with billions of sales and thousands of retail outlets. Taking this competitor head on is difficult and unmanageable. However, the more troublesome situation is if Charming Shoppes shows interest in taking over MIB. Not only will this result in doubts among its customers, suppliers and other stakeholders but it will also create an environment of uncertainty among its employees. This will cause reduction in the productivity of its employees internally and loosing its sales instantly externally. This hostile bid may eventually result in Cynthia succumbing to pressure and even agreeing on weaker terms to sales her business to the giant competitor. Another threat that this niche market is facing is that famous brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Old Navy, have also started releasing plus-size women apparel. With big brands entering this market, there is little room for breathing left for smaller players like MIB. IT currently does not carry any brand recognition. Therefore big brands pose a significant threat to the existing sales of MIB. The market leader, Charming Shoppes, is investing heavily on sophisticated MIS to keep detailed profiles of customers and thus refine direct sales. MIB currently does not possess the financial backbone to undertake such a huge task. The best it can do is to hire more effective sales and marketing personnel to increase market reach beyond its base city and state in order to beat the onslaught of the competition. Lastly, as can be seen from its balance sheet that MIB has more business coming from mail-orders and internet. However, it has been observed over the past year by the top management of MIB that mail-orders are decreasing over the past few quarters. Therefore, it needs to immediately look for alternatives to mail-orders in order to keep running a positive cash flow. 3) From your analysis above, write a considered assessment of what needs to be done to develop and strengthen Making It Bigs competencies and capabilities, to the point where the company has a competitive advantage. The SWOT analysis conducted above presents a picture for MIB that if proper steps are not taken immediately, it could risk loosing its business to the competition. The owner-manager, Cynthia, needs to take helm of affairs and be able to come up with a business strategy and a plan to implement it that not only neutralizes all the threats but also drastically contribute to the growth of MIB as an enterprise. One important part of the overall strategy that MIB needs to develop must include augmenting the strength of already hard-working and committed employees in the form of better marketing sales professionals. Care must be taken that the hired marketing personnel are able to launch effective campaigns that can drive sales even in hard economic times. Cynthia herself has not been able to fulfill this role properly and there are currently no one in this position within the organisation. Small business generally do not have the resources ot plan and purchase external advice and support; they are very susceptible to small environmental changes; owner-managers may not have the necessary experience for managing all aspects of a small business; and owner-managers cannot devote a lot of time to consciously working through plans because of day-to-day work pressures. A consequence of this is that owner-managers tend to have a shorter and more functional emphasis on planning. (S. Carter D. Jones-Evans, 2006) Therefore this emphasis on marketing can cause positive change for MIB at large. Another strategic planning that MIB needs to conduct is to look for sales outside the confines of its base city and state of California. Even though MIB is not geared for globalization just yet but it is in a position to dramatically increase its market share as well as its brand recognition by effectively marketing its products in the rest of the states of Americas. MIB has a very strong manufacturing arm and an able manufacturing manager, which can handle increasing the production capacity as well as increase in order processing. Going beyond the psychological boundaries of its base city and state isnt easy. MIB may have to forge new partnerships with garments retailers in other parts of America. This can eventually result in reduction of financial pressure due to marketing and also raise its brand recognition among the new set of customers across the country. It has also been observed that the mail-in orders are decreasing over the last few quarters. This may be because of the increase in the usage of internet based business. MIB needs to invest heavily on generating more business electronically by investing heavily on its e-commerce infrastructure. This will not only prove to be a viable alternative but if executed correctly can give significant boost to the existing sales. Another aspect that Cynthia as an owner of MIB can improve upon is by hiring experienced managers with relevant educational background. It seems that the new hired managers have matching skills and relevant past experience yet they fail to build a sound strategy that can help Cynthia steer the business towards increasing sales. A couple of vocational training courses may not be adequate to make these managers think outside the box. Therefore, MIB needs to invest in hiring seriously strong candidates with relevant qualifications and education. Cynthia needs to take some vocational training as well as management courses to improve her perspective of her business and the market in general. Another aspect clearly missing from the case study as well as Cynthias perspective is that there is no mention of any SWOT analysis done for the MIBs competitors. Without a competitors analysis there can be no strategic planning that can yield significant positive change. 4) How well do you think the tools and techniques for crafting and executing business strategy work for small businesses run by owner-managers with limited resources (including key staff members)? Overtime strategic planning has been evolved into a concept that is commonly considered as the most effective solution to all the business issues. Some businesses follow strategic planning so religiously and focus so much of their energies on their strategic plan that it seems like their primary product. Even though, appropriately executed strategic plans are wonderful. However, they must be taken as a tool of a corporation to achieve its goals, not to make them a goal unto themselves. Most importantly the strategic plans must not take most of the valuable time of employer or employees. Several business ventures also carry a misguided belief that strategic planning is reserved only for large businesses that can afford the effort, time and resources to develop a sound plan. However, a small business intends to compete against the industrial big guns in the marketplace then it is imperative to guess some of their tactics and game plans and strategic planning is a primary component of any successful and large venture. It also does not suggests that a small venture needs all the bells and whistles and the complexity of larger corporations strategic plans. For a working entrepreneur it is possible to devise a good working draft in a matter of hours that is sound enough for the small business to keep on the course to becoming a solid competitor. The original idea of strategic planning is to set up a strategy that a small business is going to follow over a short to medium term of time period. It can be for a specific business unit, like strategizing a production planning strategy, or it can for the whole of a business. Usually its the job of board of directors to set an overall strategy for the whole of business and to execute that high-level strategy each area of the company plans their strategy which is compliant with the overall strategy. Various businesses use various periods of time for the planning of their strategies. Basically, this time period depends on rate of change the industry is going through. In a fast-changing environment for example the internet, devising a 5-year plan is worthless. For slowly changing industries th