Summarization essay on The Monkey's Paw by Edgar Allen Poe

Summarization on The Monkey's Paw by Edgar Allen Poe - Essay Example Men, women and families gather together waiting for the lottery to start. Mr. .Summers and Mr. Graves, the postmaster arrives in the square carrying a black box. Mr. Summer is responsible for administering the lottery as he is always willing to do a lot for the village and has ample time to carry this out. This black box he carries is not the original one used by their ancestors as it was lost even before the birth of old Warner. Although this one is worn out and Mr. Summers recommend that it should be changed, nobody has the courage to deceive around the tradition. Nevertheless he is able to use paper instead of the traditional wood chips. These slips of paper are made by Mr. Summer and Mr. Grave last night and for safety locked in a coal factory owned by Mr. Summers. A list of all the people in the village is prepared and Mr. Summers is taken under an oath. Some villagers recall that in the old times, there used to be a song and salutation but these customs have been missing now. Before starting the lottery it is assured that everybody is present. Tessie Hutchinson forgets that today was the day of the lottery and joins her family in haste; she is laughed upon by the crowd. Old Warner’s presence is assured too. The regulations of the lottery are repeated to the crowd. Mr. Summers will read the names of the head of the family and that person will come forward to draw the slip. As the individuals starts to do so he meets everyone and exchange greetings. Nobody is allowed to see the paper until everyone has had his turn. When Old Warner is told by Mr. Adam that villagers of the north town might stop the lottery, he becomes agitated and says that this could guide them to primitives and would bring them trouble. Everyone look at their slips of paper as soon as Mr. Summers stop calling names. In a couple of minutes it is known that Bill Hutchinson has gotten it. Tessie

Oedipal Complex in the Tragedy of Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Oedipal Complex in the Tragedy of Hamlet Essay How might the Oedipal complex factor into the tragedy of Hamlet? Oedipal complex Freud’s theory of stages of development for boys To describe a boy’s feelings of desire for his mother and jealously and anger towards his father Also thought boys felt they were in a completion with their father for possession of his mother His father is looked at as a rival They boy is observing his father in hopes of being like him or even better Those that carry on these feelings into adulthood are considered to have an Oedipus Complex During the Gibson movie Hamlet hates his uncle/step father; Claudius which Freud says is alright. Claudius is now the new king of Denmark We guess Hamlet would have taken the throne eventually if Queen Gertrude had not remarried. It seems like Claudius and Hamlet have built a rivalry and are in a competition for Gertrude. Because Hamlet feels like Claudius has taken his place next to Gertrude. One of the most controversial scenes in the Gibson movie is when Hamlet goes into Gertrude’s bedroom and confronts her about Claudius. He tells her not to have sex with Claudius (jealousy) He’s obsessed with the thought of his mother in bed During this confrontation there is a lot of sexual tension between the two The movie shows them passionately kissing What other comparisons can we draw between Hamlet and Oedipus? Similarities Differences Oedipus earned the trust of his people Oedipus acts on his actions How could one make the argument that the mother figure is the root of all problems in the play? What is the role of King Hamlet’s ghost in the play? How do you know that it is not a figment of Hamlet’s imagination? Why can’t Gertrude see it? Does Hamlet love Ophelia? How does one obtain power in Hamlet? Explain the importance or lack of importance of thinking and action. How do the Id, Ego, and Superego emerge in the play? At what point in the movie do you believe Hamlet crossed â€Å"a line of madness†? Does he come back? When? How is Hamlet being portrayed in the Gibson movie, the other movie, and the play? What other dramatic differences can you identity among the play’s text, the Gibson version, and the third version that you viewed? The biggest difference between the play and the Gibson version is that Fortinbus isn’t mentioned.

Thomas Hardys Views on Marriage Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Thomas Hardy's Views on Marriage Thomas Hardy lived in a time when marriage was the expected practice for young men and women. He had a very distinct view of the institution and the implications that came along with it. He himself was married twice in his long life, both times not very happily, and had progressive views about the union of the sexes, most particularly regarding divorce. His ideas and opinions are not too carefully concealed in his literary works, though he contested that he kept his own views out of his fiction. In order to understand Hardy and his views on marriage, we must first understand the time in which he lived. The Victorian society held rigid views on marriage and the role of women in life. Most women regarded marriage as a fixed fact of nature. It was a fundamental part of their life plan, as was childbearing. In the mid-19th century, reproduction was considered a woman's only correct occupation. On average, women of all classes married between the ages of 23 and 26, men between 25 and 30. Marriage and divorce legislation regulated the relations between men and women. During the 19th century there were great changes made to matrimonial law; however, marriage laws still continued to grant more rights to men than to women. Under the common-law doctrine of couverture, when a woman married she lost her independent legal personality as a femme sole (single woman) and became a femme couvert (covered woman). Men could divorce their wives solely on the grounds of adultery, but women were forced to show proof of cruelty, bigamy, incest, or bestiality along with infidelity. Husbands could beat to death their wives and get only a minimal prison sentence, but wives were considered reprehensible for kill... ... should rule marriage. If two people have similar interests and work well together, they should be united by marriage in order to enjoy the physical pleasures of a relationship in a socially acceptable way. However, if two people should grow apart and be utterly miserable with one another, Hardy believes that the practical course is separation and divorce. Bibliography Christ, Carol T., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Victorian Age. V. 2b, 7th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000. Millgate, Michael. Thomas Hardy: A Biography. New York: Random House, 1982. Mitchell, Sally, ed. Victorian Britain: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1988. Page, Norman, ed. Oxford Reader's Companion to Hardy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Perkin, Joan. Victorian Women. New York: New York University Press, 1993.

Fasb Asc Project

FASB ASC Project 1. The inventory at your company consists of computer software that the company has developed and is selling. You capitalized (rather than expensed) the cost of duplicating the software, the instruction manuals, and training material that are sold with the software. FASB ASC CITATION: Product Masters 985-330-25-1 The costs incurred for duplicating the computer software, documentation, and training materials from the  product masters  and for physically packaging the product for distribution shall be capitalized as inventory on a unit-specific basis. Answer 1:According to the FASB Codification, a completed version, ready for copying, of the computer software product, the documentation, and the training materials that are to be sold, are the property of the company. Also, the Codification states that all the costs incurred for copying the software should be capitalized rather than expensed. 2. Your company paid $2,000,000 for a 30-second commercial to be aired duri ng the SuperBowl 5 months from today. The ad has already been produced at a cost of $1,000,000. You capitalized the $2,000,000 cost of showing the ad on television rather than expensing it.FASB ASC CITATION: Communicating Advertising 720-35-25-5 Costs of communicating advertising are not incurred until the item or service has been received and shall not be reported as expenses before the item or service has been received, except as discussed in paragraph  340-20-25-2. For example: * a. The costs of television airtime shall not be reported as advertising expense before the airtime is used. Once it is used, the costs shall be expensed, unless the airtime was used for direct-response advertising activities that meet the criteria for capitalization under paragraph  340-20-25-4.Answer 2: The FASB Interpretation states that the costs of showing the ad on television should expensed, rather than capitalized unless it is direct-response advertizing. According to the FASB Interpretation 3 40-20-25-6, Criteria to Capitalize Direct-Response Advertising Costs, our example does not meet the criteria of direct-response advertising activities. For example, there are no means of getting files, coupons, response cards, or coded order forms, which would indicate the customer names and the related direct-response advertisement.Therefore, we cannot capitalize any costs relating to the communicating advertising. Furthermore, Codification guides that the advertising cost should not be reported until the service is received and used. Thus, recording the expenses five months in advance we are breaking matching principle of accounting. 3. Your company sells a product in which the â€Å"right of return† exists. The amount of future returns cannot be reasonably estimated, therefore, you do not record the sale or cost of goods sold until the return privilege has expired.FASB ASC CITATION: Sales of Product when Right of Return Exists 605-15-25-1 If an entity sells its product but gives the buyer the right to return the product, revenue from the sales transaction shall be recognized at time of sale only if all of the following conditions are met: * a. The seller's price to the buyer is substantially fixed or determinable at the date of sale. * b. The buyer has paid the seller, or the buyer is obligated to pay the seller and the obligation is not contingent on resale of the product.If the buyer does not pay at time of sale and the buyer's obligation to pay is contractually or implicitly excused until the buyer resells the product, then this condition is not met. * c. The buyer's obligation to the seller would not be changed in the event of theft or physical destruction or damage of the product. * d. The buyer acquiring the product for resale has economic substance apart from that provided by the seller. This condition relates primarily to buyers that exist on paper, that is, buyers that have little or no physical facilities or employees.It prevents entities f rom recognizing sales revenue on transactions with parties that the sellers have established primarily for the purpose of recognizing such sales revenue. * e. The seller does not have significant obligations for future performance to directly bring about resale of the product by the buyer. f. The amount of future returns can be reasonably estimated (see paragraphs  605-15-25-3 through 25-4). Because detailed record keeping for returns for each product line might be costly in some cases, this Subtopic permits reasonable aggregations and approximations of product returns.As explained in paragraph  605-15-15-2, exchanges by ultimate customers of one item for another of the same kind, quality, and price (for example, one color or size for another) are not considered returns for purposes of this Subtopic. Answer 3: According to the FASB Codification, revenue from the sale should not be recognized at the time of sale, unless all of the six following conditions are met: (1) The sellerà ¢â‚¬â„¢s price to the buyer is substantially fixed or determinable at the date of sale. (2)The buyer has paid the seller, or the buyer is obligated to pay the seller, and the obligation is not contingent on resale of the product. 3)The buyer’s obligation to the seller would not be changed in the event of theft or physical destruction or damage of the product. (4)The buyer acquiring the product for resale has economic substance apart from that provided by the seller. (5)The seller does not have significant obligations for future performance to directly bring about resale of the product by the buyer. (6)The seller can reasonably estimate the amount of future returns. Since we cannot estimate the amount of future returns in our example, condition #6 is not met.Therefore, sales revenue and cost of sales should be recognized either when the return privilege has substantially expired or if those conditions subsequently are met, whichever occurs first. 4. Your company has goods prim arily held for resale. You have been asked whether or not they are considered nonmonetary assets. FASB ASC CITATION: Monetary and Nonmonetary  Items 255-10-55-1 Paragraphs 255-10-55-1 through 55-13 of this Section provide guidance on the interpretation of paragraphs  255-10-50-50 through 50-55  for the classification of certain asset and liability items as monetary or nonmonetary.The following table illustrates the application of the definitions to common cases under typical circumstances. In other circumstances the classification should be resolved by reference to the definitions. Answer 4: The FASB Codification provides guidance on how to classify monetary and nonmonetary assets and liabilities. For typical circumstances it suggests using a classification table, and for non-typical circumstances Codification guides to refer to the definitions. To begin with, let us appeal to the definition of â€Å"inventory†.The term inventory embraces goods awaiting sale (the mercha ndise of a trading concern and the finished goods of a manufacturer), goods in the course of production (work in process), and goods to be consumed directly or indirectly in production (raw materials and supplies). Thus, we assume that â€Å"goods held primarily for resale† can be treated as inventory. According to the classification table, inventories and commodity inventories should be treated as nonmonetary assets. 5. Your company has an unconditional legal obligation to perform an asset retirement activity (asset retirement obligation) in the future.The only uncertainty is whether the obligation will be enforced. Should you record the asset retirement obligation? FASB ASC CITATION: Asset Retirement Obligation 410-20-25-4 An entity shall recognize the fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation  in the period in which it is incurred if a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. If a reasonable estimate of fair value cannot be made in the period the asset retirement obligation is incurred, the liability shall be recognized when a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made.If a tangible long-lived  asset with an existing  asset retirement obligation is acquired, a liability for that obligation  shall be recognized at the asset’s acquisition date as if that obligation  were incurred on that date. Answer 5: This Interpretation clarifies that the term conditional asset retirement obligation refers to a legal obligation to perform the asset retirement activity in which the timing and (or) method of settlement are conditional on a future event that may or may not be within the control of the entity.The obligation to perform the asset retirement activity is unconditional even though uncertainty exists about the timing and (or) method of settlement. Thus, an we are required to recognize a liability for the fair value of a conditional asset retirement obligation when incurred if the liability’s fair value can b e reasonably estimated. 6. You use accounting accruals to record probable loss contingencies. Does the recording of the accruals provide financial protection, for example, is it the same as setting aside specific assets to cover the probable claims?FASB ASC CITATION: Loss Contingencies Recognition 450-20-25-2 An estimated loss from a loss contingency shall be accrued by a charge to income if both of the following conditions are met: * a. Information available before the financial statements are issued or are available to be issued (as discussed in Section  855-10-25) indicates that it is probable that an asset had been impaired or a liability had been incurred at the date of the financial statements.Date of the financial statements means the end of the most recent accounting period for which financial statements are being presented. It is implicit in this condition that it must be probable that one or more future events will occur confirming the fact of the loss. * b. The amount o f loss can be reasonably estimated. The purpose of those conditions is to require accrual of losses when they are reasonably estimable and relate to the current or a prior period.Paragraphs  450-20-55-1 through 55-17  and Examples 1–2 (see paragraphs  450-20-55-18 through 55-35) illustrate the application of the conditions. As discussed in paragraph  450-20-50-5, disclosure is preferable to accrual when a reasonable estimate of loss cannot be made. Further, even losses that are reasonably estimable shall not be accrued if it is not probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred at the date of an entity's financial statements because those losses relate to a future period rather than the current or a prior period.Attribution of a loss to events or activities of the current or prior periods is an element of asset impairment or liability incurrence. Answer 6: According to GAAP, using accounting accruals is required if two conditions are met: â €“ If the asset has been impaired or liability has been incurred prior to the date of financial statement, and, thus, relate to the current or prior period; – If the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated; Let us assume that both of the conditions are met in our example, and using of accounting accruals is justified.Thinking of financial protection we can say that accruals certainly help companies to avoid unexpected losses on financial statements. Since it is necessary to be able to make a reasonable estimate of loss in the right period, accruing a liability technically looks like setting aside money to cover those needs. However, setting aside specific assets to satisfy future needs seems to be safer since restricting an asset we assume that it exists physically whereas accruing a liability does not guarantee the company will be able to pay.

Automobile Brake-by-Wire Essay

This paper was prepared for Braking Systems, taught by Professor Kelley Automobiles have changed considerably since Henry Ford first produced economical vehicles rapidly. He was the one to start the Ford Motor Company. Ford vehicles, as many other vehicle companies have allowed people to think in a different way as to how we travel from point A to point B in a resourceful manner. Today’s vehicle owners feel having new features and advanced technology in our vehicles are considered a luxury. When a driver is behind the wheel, they feel in control of where they are going and when they want to stop. But when it comes to having new equipment in our vehicles, we want to know how it all works. We know when we want to stop either for stop signs or preventing an accident with a person or an object. The driver is always thinking of when they may need to brake and how to react when the braking happens. America’s popular cars are continuously evolving. Many engineers who are currently working on producing and designing vehicle models are bringing new features that will appear sooner than later. Since the person at the wheel will not have the authority to brake when they feel necessary, placement of these new digital technologies is a dramatic change for drivers. Drivers will need to understand functions of the new digital technologies that are being installed in their vehicles. They also must be aware of the changes that will affect them. Engineers who are working in the auto industry have liked the new brake-by-wire technology idea and some vehicles such as Ford, GMAC, and BMW have introduced this digital feature in their most recent models. A vehicle defined by wire is referred to when one or more of the primary vehicle systems operate with electronic controls instead of a traditional mechanical linkage. Companies are experimenting with this feature and studying the benefits from changing our current brake system to digital brakes for our future vehicles. As this is being done I really hope these engineers and companies are researching this new technology so that accidents can be prevented and eliminated. I personally am excited about the digital technology that vehicles are equipped with. The pressure of driving will be taken off the driver tremendously. This new system will allow the driver to be more engaged in the entertainment process with the passengers. Looking at the scenery or messing with the radio are luxuries that the driver really doesn’t have. With this new technology the driver will not have to worry about when to brake or how to stop the vehicle. I assume that the tiny digital chip that is installed to operate this system will do its job accurate and correctly. I assume that the driver will only have the responsibility to maneuver and adjust the speed of the vehicle. On the other hand, this theory is very concerning to me, we as drivers feel comfortable when we have control over when and how we stop. Too many questions rise in my mind, when technology is responsible for doing the work. Again, when I press on the brakes I do not like the idea of a chip having all the control of stopping my vehicle. Although we are not fully aware of this new system yet, I feel that in the long run this new system will only create problems. I imagine that there will be more accidents occurring due to the idea of a chip stopping the vehicle will wear out or possibly just simply fail. I also feel that with this new technology, society will have a different outlook on driving. My question is, will more accidents occur due to the possible wear and failure of the chip responsible for stopping. Not only will this system create problems for our future but I’m sure it will only get more expensive. I as well as many other drivers can barely afford to buy a simple vehicle, let alone an expensive high tech vehicle. Any technological advancement that appears in our lives will change our way of living and thinking. This will have a big impact on consumers. The by wire systems will benefit drivers to have the brake by wire installed in our vehicles in the next 10 years. It may not be far off from now when vehicles will have the brake by wire, but in the meantime we will depend on the development and accuracy for the brake by wire to work effectively. Of course we must save money for these high tech vehicles because I’m sure future vehicles involving these elaborate systems will only continue to be more costly. References Fantanelle, Anthony. â€Å"Brake-By-Wire Promises to be the Brake System of the Future. † ArticleBase. http://www. articlesbase. com/automotive-articles/brakebywire-promises-to-be-the-brake-system-of-the-future-113122. html. , March 06, 2007. August 29, 2013.

In a democratic society

In a democratic society, we the people elect representatives to carry out our needs and trust in them that they will carry out that representation in an efficient and responsible manner for the best interest of the public they are representing. That United States government as a legislature, executive branch, and a judiciary branch carries out that responsibility usually with much success and fairness. When the government becomes almost controlled by bureaucracy, that is when our republic becomes undermined and the democratic government that we entrust is, falls apart. The bureaucracy is permanent or ongoing structure that will always exist and will never be replaced. It is comprised of individual groups of government working to finish a common task. It is made up of supervisors upon supervisors who all have a specific job so that the end task is completed with preciseness and in an expeditious manner. The thing that ends up happening is that while the legislature may make the law and the executive branch may have to administer them as supervisors, but what ends up happening is that it is the supervised who do the work and often they exceed their authority. When they do, the entire system is undermined. The executive and legislative branches have created laws and regulations to control bureaucracy as a whole. The bureaucrats often times tend to step on the shoes if you will of the two branches and take matters into their own hands and completely disregard the law. In drafting and enforcing the regulations they issue under the laws passed by the legislators, they often act in excess of their legal authority. Such things they do are unconstitutional. A recent example of this is an issue that came up with the FDA. The FDA attempted to create rules and regulations concerning smoking and tobacco. The almost passed the laws until the government said that is was against regulations and they couldnt do it. The ...

Bruce campbell

Bruce campbell Bruce Campbell is an accomplished actor. His career started at the age of fourteen. Over the years he has appeared in a variety of acting roles, which have made him very well known.Bruce Campbell is forty-one years old and was born on June 22nd, 1958.(http:www.imdb.com) He is the youngest of three brothers, was born in Royal Oak, Michigan and has two children. He considers himself to have had a normal childhood in that he watched "Lost in Space" on television, dug tunnels in his back yard and ran around dressed up as Zorro. (http:www.bruce-campbell.com) Bruce started taking interest in acting at the age of eight when he saw how much fun his dad had while performing in local community theater. His first official acting job occurred at age fourteen when an actor who was to play the young prince in the "King and I" became ill and he stepped into the role.American Actor Bruce Campbell at the 2007 Scream A...

The Annapolis Convention of 1786

The Annapolis Convention of 1786 The Annapolis Convention was an early American national political convention held at Manns Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland, on September 11- 14, 1786. Attended by twelve delegates from the five states of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia, the convention was called to address and remove the self-serving protectionist trade barriers each state had independently established. With the United States government still operating under the state power-heavy Articles of Confederation, each state was largely autonomous, with the central government lacking any authority to regulate trade between and among the various states. While the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Carolina had appointed delegates to the Annapolis Convention, the failed to arrive in time to participate. The other four of the 13 original states, Connecticut, Maryland, South Carolina, and Georgia, refused or chose not to take part. Though it was comparatively small and failed to accomplish its intended purpose, the Annapolis Convention was a major step leading to the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the current federal government system. The Reason for the Annapolis Convention After the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, the leaders of the new American nation took on the daunting job of creating a government capable of fairly and efficiently meeting what they knew would be an ever-growing list of public needs and demands. America’s first attempt at a constitution, the Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781, created a rather weak central government, leaving most powers to the states. This resulted in a series of localized tax rebellions, economic depressions, and problems with trade and commerce that the central government was unable to resolve, such as: In 1786, a dispute over alleged economic injustices and suspension of civil rights by the state of Massachusetts resulted in Shays Rebellion, an often violent dispute in which protestors were eventually subdued by a privately raised and funded militia.  In 1785, Maryland and Virginia engaged in a particularly nasty dispute over which state should be allowed to profit from the commercial use of the rivers that crossed both states. Under the Articles of Confederation, each state was free to enact and enforce its own laws regarding trade, leaving the federal government powerless to deal with trade disputes between different states or to regulate interstate commerce. Realizing that a more comprehensive approach to the powers of the central government was needed, the Virginia legislature, at the suggestion of future fourth President of the United States James Madison, called for a meeting of delegates from all of the existing thirteen states in September 1786, in Annapolis, Maryland. The Annapolis Convention Setting Officially called as a Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government, the Annapolis Convention was held September 1114, 1786 at Manns Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland. A total of only 12 delegates from just five states- New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia – actually attended the convention. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Carolina had appointed commissioners who failed to arrive in Annapolis in time to attend, while Connecticut, Maryland, South Carolina, and Georgia chose not to participate at all. Delegates who attended the Annapolis Convention included: From New York: Egbert Benson and Alexander HamiltonFrom New Jersey: Abraham Clark, William Houston, and James SchuremanFrom Pennsylvania: Tench CoxeFrom Delaware: George Read, John Dickinson, and Richard BassettFrom Virginia: Edmund Randolph, James Madison, and St. George Tucker The Results of the Annapolis Convention On September 14, 1786, the 12 delegates attending the Annapolis Convention unanimously approved a resolution recommending that Congress convene a broader constitutional convention to be held the following May in Philadelphia for the purpose of amending the weak Articles of Confederation to rectify a number of serious defects. The resolution expressed the delegates’ hope that the constitutional convention would be attended by representatives of more states and that the delegates would be authorized to examine areas of concern broader than simply laws regulating of commercial trade between the states. The resolution, which was submitted to Congress and the state legislatures, expressed the delegates’ deep concern regarding â€Å"important defects in the system of the Federal Government,† which they warned, â€Å"may be found greater and more numerous than even these acts imply.† With only five of the thirteen states represented, the authority of the Annapolis Convention was limited. As a result, other than recommending the calling of a full constitutional convention, the delegates attending the delegates took no action on the issues that had brought them together. â€Å"That the express terms of the powers of your Commissioners supposing a deputation from all the States, and having for object the Trade and Commerce of the United States, Your Commissioners did not conceive it advisable to proceed on the business of their mission, under the Circumstances of so partial and defective a representation,† stated the convention’s resolution. The events of the Annapolis Convention also prompted eventual first President of the United States George Washington to add his plea for a stronger federal government. In a letter to fellow Founding Father James Madison dated November 5, 1786, Washington memorably wrote, â€Å"The consequences of a lax, or inefficient government, are too obvious to be dwelt on. Thirteen Sovereignties pulling against each other and all tugging the federal head, will soon bring ruin on the whole.† While the Annapolis Convention failed to accomplish its purpose, the delegates’ recommendations were adopted by the U.S. Congress. Eight months later, on May 25, 1787, the Philadelphia Convention convened and succeeded in creating the present U.S. Constitution.

Listening Barriers in Communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Listening Barriers in Communication - Assignment Example The mentor that was to orient the course stood before us to elaborate the course content and what one may do in order to ensure success in the course (Zhang, 2012). There were many people attending the orientation program and different ideas were brought on board with regard to the course. The course was a simple one and anyone could predict the requirement that would be needed in order to handle the course contents. This situation was among the relevant areas that I have found significant listening barriers due to some self-concept factors (Zhang, 2012). There are two central factors that I regard were of essentiality to promoting the listening barriers in the situation. The fact that I was able to predict or know the answer to what the speaker had to say next is a major barrier to the situation I had during the mentorship program. This barrier involves the self-thinking that one has already known with certainty what the speaker wants to say or elaborate (Zhang, 2012). This element in communication implies a judgment in the ways one relays ideas in verbal form. This factor is a barrier because it makes the listener eager to complete the sentences that the speaker intends to make. This fact of impatience can make an individual to cut short the message that the speaker intends to relay to the audience (Zhang, 2012). The listeners can also disagree with the speaker even before he or she completes the intended message that was to be transmitted. This is against the receptive mind that is expected of a good listener in everyday situations . Another listening barrier that was in connection with the situation involved in course mentorship relates to desire to impress or influence the speaker. As aforementioned, the course was a simple one and anybody could predict the inherent activities. This fact made me has an attitude of intending to impress or influence the actions of the speaker (Zhang, 2012).  

SHORT LISTENING ASSIGNMENT FORMAT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

SHORT LISTENING ASSIGNMENT FORMAT - Essay Example The soloists follow the order of the piano first, then the saxophone which is interrupted by the trombone and drums and then continued till trumpeter takes over. The chorus sequence at the end is beautiful not just melodiously but also visually since the musicians move their heads to match the music and add to the amusement and joy of the listeners. The soloist I most preferred is the saxophone since it was a long piece. It started at a low range of tone with beautiful riffing technique and paved the pitch for the other soloists to showcase their pieces. The slightly low range of tones in the second set of repeats is offset by the high pitched trumpets after it. It was a very successful solo. All in all the entire song evoked happiness in me. The quick paced rhythm almost resembles swing music and I felt like dancing to the tune. The melody of the chorus was pleasing as was the solo performances of the musicians. This is definitely one of those songs one can’t easily

Leadership and Management Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and Management Issues - Assignment Example Some famous quotations are even written about the meaning of leadership like Warren Bennis saying that â€Å"leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality,† (Corocran 2008, p. 3). The image is very important in leadership as it guides the core values of the leader and the activities and strategies to turn the vision or goal into reality (Anthonissen 2008, p. 48). Another way of defining leadership is according to Gardner that President Harry Truman defines leadership as to â€Å"get other people do what they don’t want to do and like it,†. It means that a good leader should be able to understand his members in the team or organization and he knows how to deal with them. If problems arise, he can think quickly of ways on hot to solve them. He really understands human motivation. It is defined by Hoy and Miskel as cited in Chelladurai (2006, p. 100) as the â€Å"activating forces [†¦] within individuals† which consist of â€Å"memory, aff ective responses, and pleasure-seeking tendencies† as they affect human behaviors and actions with â€Å"a goal orientation.† It can be said that together with leadership and motivation comes management. Management is an old concept. It originated from the Latin word manus which means by hand or power. Management may also come from the Italian word managers are pertaining to officers in charge of a certain production facility. It evolved then into the French manager and later on, it became the English term management.... In the concept of English people, management pertains to business organizations with people working as guides and to supervise the performance of others (Witzel 2004, pp. 1-2). American Management Association in 1980 defined the concept of management and according to the group, â€Å"management is getting things done through other people,† (Montana and Charnov 2008, p. 2). It means the efforts of other people are involved and the management is just the supervision and guidance on the efficiency of the whole group. Currently management can be defined as â€Å"working with and through other people to accomplish the objectives of both the organization and its members† (Montana and Charnov 2008, p. 2). According to Montana and Charnov (2008, p.2), there are three key differences between the two definitions: the employees play the great part in the organization, the focus is the result to be obtained and personal goals are aligned with the organizational goals. The practice of managing people in the organization is called the management process. The management process has six fundamental functions: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating and controlling. Planning is the most basic function of management. It is concerned with what, how and when the activities or performance be carried out by an organization. The course of actions is created in the process of planning. It involves the identification of long-term and short-term objectives, creation of strategies and formation of policies and rules to be followed by the members of the organization. Usually the top management creates the initial planning and identification of long-range objectives but the planning function is being done by all managers from all

Macro4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macro4 - Essay Example By removing inflation, real GDP allows economists to make more accurate comparisons between countries and across multiple years. For example, let us consider a scenario where Nominal GDP in year N-1 was 500 and 525 in year N. The nominal GDP has grown by 5%. Now we look at three scenarios, one where inflation is 5% (country like UK), second where inflation is 1% (country like US) and the third where inflation is 10% (developing countries like India or China). If the economic policy makers were to consider only nominal GDP, all the three policy makers might consider similar fiscal policies. However, by looking at the real GDP, we are able to see that even though nominal growth of developing countries is higher, it is still lower than the inflation rate and the real GDP would actually have dropped. The goal of economic policy makers is to have low unemployment, stable prices and to stimulate growth. They have two sets of tools for this objective: 1) Fiscal policy – Government sp ending and Taxation 2) Monetary policy – Discount rate, Bank reserve ratio, and Open market operations So, the assumption made about what policy makers want to know when considering Real GDP more meaningful is the following: a) Are economic policies creating a real increase in the output? b) How much real demand is being created by government spending and taxation policy? c) Is the monetary policy able to drive growth at constant prices? 2. Why is GDP inadequate as a measure of social welfare? Can you think of any ways to make GDP a better measure of social welfare? GDP simply adds up all the products and services that are bought and sold. It makes no distinction between transactions that ass to the social welfare and those that diminish it. GDP assumes that all monetary transactions add to well-being without separating cost from benefit. For example, as a result of the recent earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, GDP would not take into account the loss caused by it but would act ually add up the cost spent in bringing things back to normal. Also, activities that actually are negative for the social welfare are added up in GDP – like lawyer fees in divorces or property damage and medical expenses due to crime. Further, GDP does not take into account some of the most important social welfare work that happens in our everyday lives – childcare, DIY home repairs, or even voluntary work. As an example of the ambiguity of GDP, if we hire someone to do the home repairs, GDP adds the income but if we do it ourselves, the DIY repair goes â€Å"unnoticed† in the GDP. In order to make GDP a better measure of social welfare, we could represent GDP like the balance sheet of a company showing separately the assets (monetary transactions that lead to social welfare and development) and the liabilities (monetary transactions that cause negative impact on social welfare or those that have been made in order to be back to normal after a disaster). The ne t of these assets and liabilities would then be a good indicator of how much actual social welfare has occurred in the country or over time. 4. a. Compute real GDP for each year. 1987 is the base year. Show your work. Year Nominal GDP GDP deflator Real GDP 1989 5 244 1,08 4 856 1990 5 514 1,13 4 880 1991 5 672 1,17 4 848 Real GDP in Year n = Nominal GDP in Year n GDP Deflator for that year Real GDP in 1989 = 5 244 / 1.08 = 4

Homework on trade policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Homework on trade policy - Assignment Example The imports from India will have very low prices in relation to the price of rice in France. The reduction in price will tend to shut off the market for local rice thus the infant industry in France. The France economy will tend to be dependent on the rice from India. The producers are worse of while the consumers initially are enough off but are subject to risks of food insecurity and lower quality of rice. The imposition of subsidies in the production of rice in India particularly when it has a low population will tend to raise the amount of rice. The scenario will change if the population is more in that the supply of rice will tend to exceed the demand. Therefore, the surplus will tend to reduce the price of rice significantly. The issuances of lump sum amounts of cash to the farmers will not necessary imply that the funds will be in use in the production of rice. Therefore, the change in supply will not be significantly different from the amount before the issuance of the funds. The term is unlike the imposition of

Qualitative Methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Qualitative Methods - Assignment Example In this method of qualitative research, the theory developed should be flexible enough to be able to cover a broad variety of varying instances more understandable, in such a way that it makes sense of the whole picture, and not just an aspect of it (Charmaz, 2007). This specific method may have a great impact on the mini-project. One of the capacities of the grounded theory method is that it can analyze and understand current social situations, such as spirituality in nursing, and then predict the changes in the said situations (Schreiber & Stern, 2001). Indeed, the basic steps of grounded theory shaped the steps utilized in the thematic analysis of the mini-project. For example, after the interview, although the questions were not really improved or refined, the coded transcriptions were compared with the results of others, in order to allow the relevant themes to emerge. After the said themes materialized, they were again re-evaluated through their comparison to other literature. By doing so, the mini-project was able to achieve an aim of grounded theory, which involves extracting the common meanings of experiences from individuals undergoing common experiences (Jannetti, 2005). More importantly, at the end of the mini-project, it was also a ble to provide a meaningful course for action (in promoting spirituality in workplace), which is something Birks and Mills (2011) stated that is achieved by grounded theory. Jannetti, A. J. (2005, February 24). Case and Grounded Theory As Qualitative Research Methods. Retrieved from Red Orbit:

Homework on trade policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Homework on trade policy - Assignment Example The imports from India will have very low prices in relation to the price of rice in France. The reduction in price will tend to shut off the market for local rice thus the infant industry in France. The France economy will tend to be dependent on the rice from India. The producers are worse of while the consumers initially are enough off but are subject to risks of food insecurity and lower quality of rice. The imposition of subsidies in the production of rice in India particularly when it has a low population will tend to raise the amount of rice. The scenario will change if the population is more in that the supply of rice will tend to exceed the demand. Therefore, the surplus will tend to reduce the price of rice significantly. The issuances of lump sum amounts of cash to the farmers will not necessary imply that the funds will be in use in the production of rice. Therefore, the change in supply will not be significantly different from the amount before the issuance of the funds. The term is unlike the imposition of

American politics and government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American politics and government - Essay Example Obviously, the remarkable life story of Roosevelt is hard to fit into just one biographical volume due to the breadth of its importance and his impact on United States history. Friedal’s hard task was harder when Roosevelt s complex personality is taken into account, making it even more difficult. However Frank Freidel makes an almost masterful job of such an onerous task in " Franklin D. Roosevelt - A rendezvous with Destiny." The book starts with a brief look at Roosevelt s privileged if somewhat lonely youth in the opening chapters, and obviously ends the book with Roosevelt’s death just after the Yalta conference in April 1945. He died shortly before the final defeat of Nazi Germany and left Harry Truman with the task of ending the war. The vast majority of this book covers his political career from its modest start during Woodrow Wilson’s administration as a junior naval official, all the way to his death during his record forth term in the presidential office. Freidels account of Roosevelt trying to manipulate global gold prices was an enlightening part of his book. Friedal manages to provide a good in depth behind the scene look of the Roosevelt administration trying to implement the New Deal programs to counter the Great Depression during the early 1930s. The majority of the New Deal legislation was pushed through a Republican controlled Congress during the first hundred days of Roosevelt’s first term in the White House. Some of the most controversial parts of the New Deal were not passed through the Republican controlled Congress and a conservatively minded Supreme Court. Those parts of the New Deal programs that were enacted helped to restore national confidence, improve infrastructures such as the development of dams and the production of hydroelectric power. Freidel argues that in terms of foreign affairs that Roosevelt was fairly quick to catch on to the danger that Hitler and his Nazi regime represented to global peace and

Women are portrayed as powerful Essay Example for Free

Women are portrayed as powerful Essay William Shakespeares play Macbeth is set Scotland in the eleventh century. The play is about the protagonist Macbeths, bloody rise to power, through the murder of the Scottish king, Duncan. Macbeths ambition is to become king. In the play there are both powerful, manipulative and unnatural women portrayed by the likes of Lady Macbeth and the witches and the not so powerful and more traditional portrayal of females such as we see in Lady McDuff. The witches are portrayed as having ultimate power over Macbeth and the way in which they make potions, mixtures and use magic which makes them quite unnatural as this is not something an ordinary human would do. Lady Macbeth is shown as the more dominant figure with lots of power and is manipulative and a unnatural character. However after the murder of King Duncan she is overwhelmed by the guilt and begins to lose power, and is less manipulative over Macbeth. Lady Macduff on the other hand is the complete opposite of Lady Macbeth and the witches and is portrayed as being a stereotypical women from the eleventh century. She has very little power and perceived as being a normal female of the time. At the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth is a strong, powerful and manipulative person and she is more controlling than her husband Macbeth. Generally in the eleventh century, males are more domineering and powerful over females but that was not the case in Macbeth. Lady Macbeth seems to have more power than Macbeth as she successfully changes Macbeths mind to kill king Duncan through her manipulation Look like th innocent flower but be the serpent under it. Lady Macbeth is very unnatural as she want to be filled with cruelty to go through with the deed. Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty. Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth where he states he is having thoughts of killing Duncan but he does not say that he will. Lady Macbeth decides to take the matter into her own hands because she wants a better title for herself. She is stronger minded than Macbeth as she knows that although Macbeth is an ambitious person he is too noble to be able to go through with the deed himself. She manipulates his self-esteem by playing with his manliness and his bravery. However towards the end of the play and after the killing of King Duncan she is overwhelmed by guilt and losses all her power and Macbeth appears to be the more dominant character. She becomes more natural and less manipulative after her guilt catches up with her. Throughout the play the 3 witches are portrayed as having ultimate power and are very unnatural in the way they use magic and prophecy to control and manipulate characters such as Macbeth whom they control through addicting him through prediction of his future which he completely believes they have the power to do. At the beginning of the play the witches greet Macbeth as Thane of Glams, Thane of Cawdor and as King of Scotland. This prophecy leads Macbeth to genuinely think about being in control and having power. After Macbeth received the news that he was Thane of Cawdor he built a trust with the Witches as he now believes they were right about everything. Macbeth continued seeing the witches to see what his future will hold, speak, I charge you. The witches are portrayed as being unnatural and unhuman like as they make all different kinds of potions and eat unusual mixture. in the cauldron boil and bake; eye of newt and toe of frog. The Witches therefor are very powerful, in the way they control Macbeth and manipulate him in his desperation for power. They are also very unnatural and demonstrate unhuman like behaviours in the way they eat unnatural things. Lady Macduff is the complete opposite to Lady Macbeth and the witches and is portrayed as being a stereotypical women from the eleventh century. Lady Macduff has no power, is submissive and is portrayed as a natural female. Lady Macduff cares about her son and has maternal instinct, to leave his wife to leave his babies from whence himself does fly? She is protective of her son and is a traditional mother figure. Lady Macduff is loyal to Duncan and Scotland and cares about the welfare of the country. In a conversation with Ross Lady Macbeth says, His fight with madness. When our actions do not, out fears do make us traitors. She is so loyal to Scotland that she considers her own husband a traitor for leaving the country and believes that every traitor should be hanged. Everyone that does so is a traitor and must be hanged. Lady Macduff is the opposite to being powerful, manipulative and unnatural as she lets her husband take the lead and essentially needs him for living.

Sewage Treatment Essays -- essays research papers

Sewage Treatment Where does the wastewater go? When water goes down your sink or toilet, it travels through small pipes to much larger trunk sewers. The sewer systems are built to the slope of the ground around the Elbow and Bow Rivers. This slope allows most of the waste to go down by gravity, rather than expensive pumps, to one of four plants. To handle low areas, which do not have enough slope, pumping stations have been made. How is wastewater treated? Wastewater treatment in Calgary involves the following processes: Preliminary treatment: The water flow is slowed down to get the sand, gravel and other materials to settle out into grit tanks. The waste is then strained by bar screens, which remove large solid objects like sticks. All material collected by grit tanks and bar screens is washed and then taken to a landfill. Primary treatment: The screened water flows into settling tanks, allowing more solids to settle to the bottom of the tanks. Also at this stage, "scum" (oils and greases) are scraped off the top of the water. This is pumped to large tanks, for disposal. Secondary treatment: The half treated water then goes by gravity to covered aeration tanks where it is mixed with "activated sludge" which contains aerobic bacteria. The bacteria eat the organic things remaining in the water. In order to provide a good environment for the bacteria to multiply, air is pumped and spread into the water by blowers. The water, air and ...

Women In Corporate America :: essays research papers

The once male dominated, corporate, "white collar" America has seen a phenomenal influx of women within the last thirty years. Although a female lawyer, physician, or CEO is no longer considered a rarity in our times, women still face quite a deal of oppression in comparison to their male counterparts. In retrospect, some professions have always been controlled by women, and men have not made a noticeable advance in these fields. In 1970, finding a female lawyer to represent you would be a difficult task, since less than five percent of the profession were women. Today, that number has risen to almost thirty percent. The percentage of female doctors has almost tripled in the course of thirty years. African Americans have not made such a conspicuous progression within the last fifty years, while women have made a tremendous impact on the corporate world. One may wonder, how did women make these extraordinary advances? For the most part, it is due to the education they receiv e. At the present time young girls are encouraged to enroll in classes dealing with math and science, rather than home economics and typing. As pointed out by Nanette Asimov, in her essay "Fewer Teen Girls Enrolling in Technology Classes", school officials are advocating the necessity of advanced placement, and honor classes for teenage girls, in both the arts and sciences. This support and reassurance than carries over onto college, and finds a permanent fixture in a woman’s life. While women are continuing their success in once exclusively male oriented professions, they are still lacking the respect and equality from their peers, coworkers, and society. The average male lawyer, and doctor make twenty-five percent more money than their female equivalent. Women have always lived with the reputation of being intellectually inferior to, and physically submissive to men. This medieval, ignorant notion is far fetched from the truth. In 1999, high school men and women p osted similar SAT scores, being separated by a only a few points. In addition to posting similar scores on the SAT, the average males score was a mere two-tenths of a point higher than an average females score on the ACT. Even though a woman maybe as qualified as a male for a certain occupation , women receive unwanted harassment, and are under strict scrutiny. A good illustration of this would be the women represented in "Two Women Cadets Leave the Citadel.

Evaluating The Breeze As Educational Tool In E-Learning

In the best-seller books, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert T. Kiyosaki and his co-author Susan L. Lechter highlights the needs for growing assets instead of liabilities. In other words, they suggest that we, anyone who wants to be rich, should not spend our money in any way that is no relation with assets creation. In this manner, they regard knowledge, obtained through formal or non-formal education, as the most important element of success in today’s fast changing world.Regarding the idea, we witness that educators continue finding the right proportion of syllabus that fit the needs of current and future workplaces.This is essential to meet current workplace demands that require employees that are knowledgeable, capable of handling and distribute information, and have expertise in technology (Goldstein, 2003). The situation highlights that employees need to be skillful in operating high technology equipments and also other tools that help them to communicate effectively with their colleagues. Concerning the issue, this paper will discuss about the evaluation of Macromedia Breeze as education tools in E-Learning. 2. Aims and Objectives a.This paper intends to discuss about the importance of using of technology as education tools b. By employing non-participant observation method, collecting data and analyzing qualitative information from a wide range of sources including journals, books, magazines and online materials, this paper aims at discussing the benefits of using Macromedia Breeze as education tools that support the implementation of e-learning. c. In addition, the paper also intends to describe about factors that encourage technology integration for education systems3. Problem Statement Education becomes key success factors that help a person to master the required knowledge in order to enable him performing their jobs effectively. The education itself can be learned when he is at school or during his duty in a company through several internal or exter nal training sessions. Concerning the education system and the use of technology, therefore the research statement or question is â€Å"Does Macromedia Breeze provide greater benefits for people in carrying out rapid e-learning (REL) in a company? †I choose this research question since it might be completely different from others that may focus only on general use of technology in a company. Therefore, instead of elaborating partial discussion on the issue, I decide to discuss the comprehensive discussion on branding in order to favor readers in understanding the technical benefits that Macromedia Breeze offers to users in performing rapid e-learning (REL) method. For this reason, in the literature review, I employ several sources ranging from academic journals, magazines, online news and books that relate to the use of technology as education tools.4. Literature Review Information Technology as Educational Tools The above condition strengthens the importance of current educa tion system to understand the needs of current and future workplaces in order to customize their syllabus so that they meet the needs of employers. Moreover, the authors also stress the importance of workforces to master information and communication technologies so that they can employ appropriate and hence effective methods in completing any tasks.We must remember that our society has experienced many changes. People or firms who succeed are those who can meet the demands required by each workplace. Once we were in agricultural society then moved into industrial society through industrial revolution in 19th century and now we live in information society marked by the advancement in telecommunications and computer technology that enable the transfer of information at the speed of light.Concerning the situation, Carly Fiorina, former CEO of HP, says only people and firms having pile of information can take benefits of the future market. Therefore, Fiorina implies the urge of becomin g learning organization in which information exchange exists in a company and the benefits of using information technology can be encouraged in the education institutions. Given the importance of information processing in the commerce, it is not surprising that business of any types was among the earliest adopters of automated information processing technology.For this reason, they need labor that have expertise in using and operating computers in commerce or trade so that they can handle sophisticated tasks like storing and retrieving large amounts of information and at making calculations and designs at highest accuracy. Historically, the convergence of digital technologies including television, telephony, and computers has stimulated the reach of the innovations of the Internet that grew from inter-university computer networks in United States.Under such circumstance, it is common to hope that current education systems should address in their syllabus about current and future emp loyment needs. Macromedia Breeze and E-Learning The use of technology especially software has influenced the way employees performing their jobs. There are many applications or software that sold in the market with various variant or version. For example, in word processing tool, customers are already accustomed to using famous application such as Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, and Open Office (for open source platform).Meanwhile, for creating slides for presentations, they are used to using Microsoft PowerPoint. In addition to the famous Microsoft PowerPoint, currently, there are many other software applications that show the powerful of presentation especially ones that support the electronic learning or e-learning. Historically, the emerging rapid e-learning has become a hot issue in workplace since it provides many benefits for employees. The situation encourages 85% of Fortune 500 companies to adopt e-learning immediately.Moreover, 80% of the respondents in the survey reveal tha t the adoption of rapid e-learning concept can give the significant contribution to their companies (Archibald, 2005). The key benefits of using Macromedia Breeze is it reduces the costs for traditional e-learning solutions that usually costs customers about US$10,000 and $50,000 per hour. According to Philip Kotler (2000), the marketing mix consisting of four important factors; they are Product, Promotion, Price and Place is a crucial aspect of forming a marketing program.In addition, by using rapid e-learning method, customers enable to have training material that has critical development timelines and alters or content updated frequently, to name a few (Archibald, 2005). Currently, in the market, there are many tools that help customers to perform rapid e-learning (REL) schemes; they include Lersus, Articulate, SNAP! Studio, Webex, and mindflash. Macromedia Breeze, Content Point, and Macromedia Breeze. Technically, Macromedia Breeze uses PowerPoint as its main development tool.Ho wever, Macromedia Breeze adds several features including the easiness of adding an audio track to the training material. Other features of Macromedia Breeze are the capability of conducting assessment and tracking tools and they are AICC- and SCORM-compliant (Archibald, 2005). Encouraging Technology Integration at Education Systems Considering the importance of technology integration at education systems, some scholars reveal three factors that characterize the tendencies to integrate technology within education systems as following:a) First, the society realized the importance of introducing computers and other technology in formal education (schools). The trend of considering computers and their allied components as a necessity in school programs is considerable stronger, starting from the 1980’s (Milton, 2005). b) Second, there is a strong rationale within the education institution to replace the traditional programs with modern technology education. A National survey by C hinies, Oaks and Boutique (2002) indicated that school based technological literacy was one of the greatest factors that empowered any advancing economy in the world.c) Third, there is a strong support from teachers and school administrators, who became loyal contributors of efforts in designing technology programs and supporting the use of computers in all aspects of schooling (Hache, 1996) 5. Methodological and Ethical Issues The paper will employ qualitative approach, which is a research that is carried out through observations. The benefit of employing qualitative approach is it enables a researcher to investigate in little more detail on the individual perceptions of a phenomenon. However, since the research deals with the personal, therefore, such an investigation is limited in its scope.Moreover, observation becomes an important technique for collecting data concerning what occurs in a real-life situation. This method also helps us to reach an understanding about the percepti ons of those who are being studied, in that situation. To be specific, we employ non-participant observation method especially by analyzing qualitative information from journals, books, magazines and many more. The most interesting part of conducting observation is it provides researchers with an understanding about the perceptions about things or people we observe.However, since observation deals with someone’s perception, we plan to avoid preconceptions since it would provide this research with some bias. In order to comprehensive explanation, this paper will describe the use of information technology especially software applications for education purposes. In this situation, I will employ various sources including websites that discuss the use of software applications for education purposes. 6. Time Schedule In preparing the research proposal, below is the detail schedule of finalization for my research.

Nursing and Mrs. Newman

Mrs. Newman has been experiencing hoarseness and a change in her voice, but she did not seek medical help until she began to have difficulty swallowing. After being seen by her healthcare provider, she is scheduled for outpatient surgery for a direct laryngoscope to obtain a culture and take a biopsy. Mrs. Newman arrives at the outpatient surgical department at 6:30 am and is escorted to her room. The admitting nurse begins her assessment; 1. Which question is most important for the nurse to ask Mrs. Newman? A) Have you had anything to eat or drink since midnight?B) Are you taking any medications? C) Have you smoked any cigarettes in the last 24 hours? D) When was the last time you drank any alcohol? The admission nurse completes the admission assessment and starts an IV. Mrs. Newman is taken to the operating room for the biopsy. Sifter the procedure, Mrs. Newman is admitted into the PACU. 2. Which intervention will the PACU nurse implant first? A) Check the healthcare providerâ€⠄¢s prescriptions B) Monitors Mrs. Newman’s pulse OX C) Contain Mrs. Newman’s vital signs D) Assess Mrs. Newman’s gag reflex After 2 days Mrs.Newman calls the oncologist and reluctantly agrees to a total laryngectomy. Mrs. Newman comes to the oncology office to meet with the oncology nurse specializations to discuss the preoperative and postoperative care. Mrs. Newman tells them that she is very scared about having this surgery. She says that she has no questions about the medical aspects of the procedure, but states she is concerned about how her life will change. She tells the nurse she realizes she need to have the surgery but is ambivalent and doesn’t know is she will be able to go through with it after all. . Which nursing intervention is most helpful to mars Newman? A) Refer mars Newman to a psychologist to discuss her fears about having this surgery B) Give Mrs. Newman literature provided by the American cancer society C) Ask Mrs. Newman if she wou ld like to talk to someone who has had this surgery D) Tell Mrs. Newman iota is OK to be scared and hold her hands Mrs. Newman is concerned about singing in the country and western club and asks the ONS â€Å"how long do you think it will be before I can sing with my band again† 4. How should the ONS RESPOND?A) Request that the oncologist visit with Mrs. Newman and explain the procedure to her again B) Explain that her vocal cords will be removed, and that she will not be able to sing C) Reassure her that she will be able to sing with the band, but her voice may be different D) Ask Mrs. Newman if she understands what a total laryngectomy is The ONS has given verbal and written information to Mrs Newman answered any questions and is completing the physical assessment 5. Which question is important for the nurse to ask Mrs. Newman?A) When did you first notice any hoarseness in your voice? B) How long did you say have you been singing w/the band? C) How much alcohol do u drink a week? D) What foods are difficult for you to wallow? Mrs. Newman reports that she drinks occasionally, mainly on the weekends with friends. The nurse is more concerned that Ms Newman smokes one pack of cigarettes a day. She discusses this issue with mars Newman, who says â€Å"Don’t worry about my smoking. I will never smoke another cigarette again† 6. How should the nurse respond to help Mrs.Newman in her attempt to stop smoking? A) I know it will be hard and I am very proud of u B) You will kit be able to smoke after urn surgery C) anyone else in urn household smoke D) What steps is u going to take to stop smoking? Mrs. Newman discusses the surgery with her family and a woman from a laryngectomy support group. Mrs. Newman decides to go ahead and he a total larygectomy. 7. A referral to which member of the indiciplinary team will be most important for mars Newman prior to surgery: A) Case mangerB) Social worker C) Physical therapist D) Speech therapist The speech the rapist discusses with mars Newman alternative tech inquest for restoring her speech after surgery. Selection of the best techniques varies from person to person depending on their age and personal preferences. Esophageal speech is popular among laryngectomies because it costs less and can provide a more normal sounding voice than some of the other options. 8. Which statement describes esophageal speech?A) Generator held to the neck creates vibrations those form words when the client speaks B) Swallowed air used to create around and words in a controlled belch C) Vibration and sound are used to form words by occluding a valve over the stoma D) A handheld device delivers tone via a plastic tube that is inserted into the mouth After discussing her options with a speech therapist mars Newman demonstrates her ability to use esophageal speech she comments† I used to hear my son and his friends rack like this. Won’t he be surprised? Two days later, mars Newman is admitted to t he hospital accompanied by her husband and her two grown children.She is in the preoperative holding area. 9. Which interventions will the nurse implement? A) ask mars Newman if she has any concerns about the upcoming surgery B) Notify the surgeon that mars Newman has been admitted to the hospital C) Reassure mars Newman that her family can stay with her until surgery D) Retrained if mars Newman has any problems hearing or writing Mrs. Newman shares with the nurse that she is scared that no one will help her if she needs help and that she will not be able to talk anymore. 10. Which intervention should the nurse implement? A) Assure Mrs.Newman that someone will be with her at all times B) Provide a bell that she can ring as another means of communication C) Show her how to work the nurses call light and have her perform a return demonstration D) Tell her that whiles her fears are justified; she should not try to worry. Following a seven –hour surgery mars Newman was first plac ed in the PACU, before being transferred to the intensive care unit. 11. Which nursing intervention should the ICU nurse implement? A) Discourage coughing for the first 24 hrs B) Notify the healthcare provider during roundsC) Determine when mars Newman received her last antibiotic D) Assist mars Newman to gargle w/warm salty water The nurse is completing the shift assessment and notes that Mrs. Newman has white and dark brown patchy areas on her tongue and oral mucosa. 12. Which action should the nurse implement? A) Document this finding and take no action B) Notify the health care provider during rounds C) Determine when Mrs. Newman received her last antibiotic D) Assist Mrs. Newman to gargle with warm water, salty water Because of the cancer mars Newman is at risk for potential complications, such as neck would fistula and carotid arty blowout 13.When anticipating these possible complications, the nurse should place which equipment at miss newness bedside? A) Several packages of s terile 4Ãâ€"4 gauze B) Two non sterile hemostats C) A syringe filled w/calcium glaciate D) The intensive care unit crash cart While assessing mars Newman, the nurse notices that Mrs. Newman’s blood pressure is 92/60 and her pulse is 112. Mrs. Newman reports feeling very tired. 14 What action should the nurse implement first? A) Check mars Newman’s pervious vital signs B) Suction mars Newman tracheotomy C) Administer oxygen via nasal cannula D) Slip a gloved hand under the client’s neckThe nurse also calls the nurses’ station and requests a CBC stat 15 which laboratory result consistent w/blood loss through hemorrhaging A) A hematocrit 40 % B) Erythrocyte sedimentation rate 8 mm/hr C) Red blood cell count 5. 2 million/mm^3 D) Hemoglobin 11. 3g/dl. Mrs. Newman’s gag reflex has returned and she is preparing to eat her first meal. 16 which action should the nurse implement A) Place cold packs around the clients neck prior to eating B) Remind her to pl ace the food on the front of the tongue and flex her head backward to swallow C) Ensure the client has a variety of thin liquids to drink D) Provide Mrs.Newman with soft foods when eating for the first time after surgery 17. What action should the nurse take regarding Mrs. Newman’s concern? A) Explain to the client that this is normal following this type of surgery B) He the client smell a variety of aromas to ensure that the client cannot smell C) Reassure he client that these senses will return after post-operative edema subsides D) Notify the healthcare provider about these findings when making rounds Mrs.Newman has a tracheotomy that has an inner canola. The nurse is performing routine tracheotomy care 18 Which action should the nurse implement first? A) wash the flange of the outer cannula with normal saline B) Pour hydrogen peroxide and normal saline into separate containers C) Cleanse the inner cannula using a small pipe brush D) Remove the tracheotomy dressing with cl ean disposable gloves What should the nurse do before inserting the inner canola? A) Tap or shake inner cannula to remove excess moistureB) Dry the outside of the inner cannula with non sterile gauze C) Remove the outer cannula, reinsert the inner cannula, then place back into stoma D) Clean it w/hydrogen peroxide An unlicensed assistive personnel UAP is assisting the surgical floor nurse w/morning care for mars Newman 20. Which task should the nurse delegate to the UAP? A) Empty the Foley and record the output B) Clean Mrs. Newman’s bathroom C) Change the intravenous bag on the pump D) Perform the routine tracheotomy careThe charge nurse notices that the primary nurse caring for mars Newman is cutting 4Ãâ€"4 gauze to use as a tracheotomy dressing 21. What action should the charge nurse implant? A) Praise the primary nurse for using a cost saving technique B) Instruct the primary nurse not to cut gauze for the tracheotomy dressing C) Take no action since Mrs. Newman is the p rimary nurse’s responsibility D) Determine why commercially prepared dressings aren’t being used The night nurse is preparing to administer the 12:00 midnight dose of gentamicin, an intravenous amino glycoside antibiotic that was started when Mrs.Newman was in the PACU. The nurse notices the empty IV antibiotic bag that was administered during the day shift is labeled ampicilllin. The nurse checks the medication administration record and realizes client does not have a prescription for ampicillin. 22. Which action should the night nurse implement? A) Notify the pharmacist about the medication error B) Complete a medication error report c) Call the day nurse to determine what occurred D) Asses Mrs. Newman’s white blood cell count WBC The next time the nurse enters Mrs. Newman room Mrs.Newman writes on the communication inboard is there something wrong? I heard someone in the hall say something about me receiving the wrong medication? 23. How should the nurse resp ond? A) Please don’t worry about anything. I am sorry you overheard that conversation B) No Mrs. Newman you did not receive the wrong medication C) C) You are concerned that you might have received the wrong medication D) you were supposed to receive gentamcin but you received ampicillin 24. Which intervention should the nurse provide to Mrs. Newman?A) Insert a suction tube into the stoma while applying suction, the remove while twisting the tube B) Take a deep breath, occlude the tracheotomy with urn finger cough and remove your finger C) Insert a small amount of sterile normal saline into the stoma and cough in a normal manner D) Take a deep broth in through the nose, cough and expel the secretions through the tracheostomy The nurse is discussing activities of daily living with Mrs. Newman. Which instruction should the nurse include? A) Caution Mrs. Newman to take only tub baths B) Encourage Mrs.Newman to use aerosol deodorants C) Advise Mrs. Newman not to wear any types of perfumes D) Explain the need to wear a plastic bib when showing 26. Which intervention has highest priority to discharge? A) encourage the client to wear attractive coverings over stoma B) Ensure that Mrs. Newman carries a special identification card C) Stress the importance of returning to as normal a lifestyle as possible D) Discuss the importance of attending support group meetings Mrs. Newman is being discharged home today after five days in the hospital.Mr. Newman stops the nurse in the hallway and says that he is really scared about taking his wife home 27 what is the best response by the nurse? A) Have you discussed your fears w/ur wife B) It sounds like you can’t take care of her C) I know this must be very scary but u and ur wife are strong D) Let’s sit down and discuss what u are worried about Mr. Newman hesitantly shares with the nurse that he is afraid to touch his wife How should the nurse respond? A) Would u like to talk to your wife’s doctor, I c an call him for u?B) You can touch ur wife all u want, u will not hurt her C) You are worried about touching ur wife but she needs ur support right now D) Tell me more about what you mean by touching ur wife A home healthcare nurse has been assigned to care for Mrs. Newman and is making the initial visit. After completing the admission assessment the home healthcare nurse develops a nursing care plan for Mrs. Newman 29 of the nursing diagnosis included in Mrs. Newman’s careplan, which one has the highest priority? A) Deficient of knowledge B) Anticipatory grievingC) Ineffective airway clearance D) Impaired verbal communication Then home healthcare nurse is discussing the plan of care with Mrs. Newman and her husband, she instructs them to keep the rooms humidified at all times. Mr. Newman asks why this is important. 30. Which explanation should the nurse provide? A) It will decrease the amt of foreign material that enters the stoma B) Humidified air decreases the need for ora l fluids C) Humidified air will keep mucous membranes and secretions moist D) The lower airway responsible for humidification was removed during surgery

International Business – Midterm Review

AFM 333 Midterm Review Module 1: – Fall of Berlin Wall 1989 – Two Trends altering global market: globalization of markets and technological advances – Globalization: interconnectedness of national economies, growing interdependence of buyers, producers and suppliers in different countries G6 economies: US, UK, Japan, Germany, France, Italy – Account for half of global consumption with only 1/10 of population –B6 economies: China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea – China is the biggest market for phones, TVs, and cars in 2007 – China and India have more middle class households than all of the households in the United States – Growth in B6 more than 3x the growth in G6 economies 62 Multinationals in Fortune Global 500 20 of these multinationals are in China 12 from South Korea 6 from India 5 from Mexico and 5 from Russia B6 have three times the labour force of G6 countries 33 million university-educated young professiona ls in developing world compared to 14 million in the developed world 00 000 IT Engineers in India vs. 50 K in US In the decade to 2020, the working-age population of emerging economies is expected to increase by more than 500 million, compared with an increase of only 3. 7 million in developed economies. Drivers of Market Globalization – 1. Reduction of trade and investment barriers – 2. Market Liberalization: move to market based economies + adopt free trade in China + Soviet Union etc. – 3. Industrialization + Modernization + developing economies creating higher value adding products – 4.Integration of World Financial Markets: international banks, globalization of finance – 5. Advances in Technology: reduces cost and time, improves coordination and communication, facilitates development, helps share information/marketing, virtual space removes distance Dimensions of Market Globalization – integration/interdependence of global economies â⠂¬â€œ increase regional economic integration bloc – growth of global investment – convergence of buyer lifestyles/preferences – globalization of production activities Social Concequences – loss of national soverignity offshoring/outsourcing jobs – effects on the poor, the natural environment and national culture Firm-level consequences – new business opportunities – new risks and rivalries – more demanding buyers (less bargaining power to supplier) – international value chains Phases of Globalization 1. 1830-1880: Introduction of railway and ocean transport (trains and ships) + phone and telegraph invented 2. 1900-1930: increased steel and electricity production + Western Europe most industrialized country so established first multinational subs through colonization (Nestle, Shell, BP) 3. 948-1970: Form general agreement on tariff and trade + high demand for consumer products and input goods to rebuild after the war 4. 1 980- now: radical advances in IT, communication, manufacturing, consultation, and privatization. Caused by: †¢Commercialization of the personal computer. †¢Arrival of the Internet and the web browser. †¢Advances in communication and manufacturing technologies. †¢Collapse of the Soviet Union and ensuing market liberalization in central and Eastern Europe. †¢Substantial industrialization and modernization efforts of the East Asian economies including China.GDP growth rates highest in developing economies who emphasize global integration Information travels faster now than ever before (ships/carraiges, steamships/cars, motor vehicles/aircraft, internet (speed of light)). Firm Level Consequences of Globalization – international value chain – demanding buyers – increased rivalry and competition – increased opportunity for business – Management must change focus – Must partner and outsource better – look for product ivity and operational efficiency gains – find and measure key global strategic assets of org. International Business trade and investment activities of firms across borders Globalization – economic integration and growing interdependency worldwide Theories of Trade – mercantilism – national prosperity = positive balance of trade (trade surplus) – absolute advantage principle – produce only products for which your country/region has an absolute advantage – comparative advantage principle – both countries produce even if one has absolute advantage in all products, relative efficiency matters, specialize in what you produce best and trade for the rest you can use scarce resources more efficientlyNational Comparative Advantages – China low cost labour – India – IT workers in Bangalore – Ireland – service economy – Dubai – knowledge based economy Comparative Advantage = superior featu res with unique benefits in global market either naturally endowed or put in place through national policy – NATIONAL Competitive Advantage = distinctive competencies of a firm from cost, size, innovation that are difficult for competitors to replicate – FIRM Factor Proportions/Endowments Theory = produce and export products that use abundant factors of production and import goods that use scarce resourcesLimitations of Early Trade Theories – they don’t account for cost of international transportation – tariffs and import restrictions distort trade flows – economies of scale bring about additional efficiencies – low cost capital now available on global markets How do Nations Enhance Competitive Advantage – governments can proactively implement policies to subsidize and stimulate the economy outside of natural endowments – create national economic advantage through: innovation stimulus, target industries for development, provide incentives and low cost capitalNational Industrial Policy – economic development plan by public sector to nurture and support promising industries through: tax incentives, monetary/fiscal policy, rigorous educational systems, investment in national infrastructure, strong legal and regulatory systems – Example Ireland: fiscal, monetary and tax consolidation, partnership of gov with unions, emphasis on high value add industry like pharma, biotech and IT, membership in EU, investment in education – improved GDP, Unemployment and National Debt 3x by 2003 from 1987 Porter’s Diamond Model: Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry – strong competitors in country serves as national competitive advantage – clusters ? Factor Conditions – labour, natural resources, capital, technology, knowledge and entrepreneurship ? Demand Conditions – strengths and sophistication of consumer demand ? Related and Supporting Industries – avail ability of clusters and complementary firms in the value chain Industrial Clusters: – concentration of suppliers and supporting firms in the same regional area – ex. silicon valley, Switzerland pharma, fashion in italy/paris, IT in Bangalore – export platform for the nationClassical Theories – International Product Cycle Theory: introduction, growth and maturity of each product and its associated manufacturing – INTRO: inventor country enjoys a monopoly in manufacturing and exports – GROWTH: other countries enter the global market place with more standard manufacturing – MATURITY: original innovator becomes net importer of product – Now – hard for innovator to maintain a lead because there is a short product life cycle – New Trade Theory: economies of scale important for international performance in some industries.Ex. high fixed costs = high volume sales to breakeven Reasons to Invest Abroad: – market seek ing – efficiency/cost seeking – resource seeking – knowledge seeking Why Internationalize? 1. opp for growth through diversification of market 2. higher profit margins 3. new P&S ideas and business methods 4. serve customers who have relocated abroad (increase/maintain market) 5. closer to supply sources, use global sourcing advantages, flexibility in sourcing products 6. access to lower cost/better value factors of production 7. evelop economies of scale in sourcing, production, marketing, economies of scale 8. confront international competitors 9. invest in relationship with a foreign partner Nature of International Business – value adding activities can be done internationally (source, manufacture, market) – cross border trade not limited to raw materials, include capital, tech, knowledge, products, services etc. – Internationalize through: Export, FDI, Licence, Franchise and JV FDI – longterm acquisition of productive assets like capital, tech, labour P&E etc – large commitment used to manufacture products in low labour cost countries MNE – big company with lots of resources, subs and affiliates in many countries (US, Japan, Germany, France, Britain) SME – small to medium size enterprise, 500 or fewer employees Born Global Firm – young company that initiates business on the global market Risks in International Business: 1. Commercial Risk – weak partnerships, bad timing of entry, high competition, poor execution of strategy, operational problems 2.Currency Risk – tax, inflation, asset valuation, transfer pricing, currency exposure 3. Country Risk – protectionism/gov intervention, bureaucracy, lack of legal safeguards/poor leagal system, social/political unrest 4. Cross-Cultural Risk – cultural differences, negotiation, different decision making styles, different ethical practices MNE Avenues for Involvement: ? Import/Export ? Licencing/Franchising ? Joi ng Venture ? FDI – get progressively more risky, higher investment, higher potential benefit, higher commitmentIntermediaries Include: – Distributor – extension of firm, takes goods under their name to sell – Manufacturer Rep – under contract of exporter to rep and sell merch – Retailer – bypass wholesaler/distributer and sell to retailer to sell to customers – IKEA, WALMART – Trading Company – based in home country, high volume, low margin resellers. – Export Management Company – US, export agent who secures contracts to export goods – usually specialize in industries and areas – Agent – works on commission Licensor – Focal firm grants the right to the foreign partner to use certain intellectual property in exchange for royalties – Franchisor – grant right to use a business system for fees and royalties – ICV – share cost and risk fo new ventur e with another company – JV – create a jointly owned new entitiy with foreign partners – Project Based Venture – collaboration with a timeline without creating a new entity, common with R&D intensive ventures Facilitator – provide services for cross border transactions: Bank, Lawyers, Freight, Consultants, ad agency, custom brokers, insurance companies, tax accountants,Turnkey Contractor: Provide engineering, design, and architectural services in the construction of airports, hospitals, oil refineries, and other types of infrastructure. †¢These projects are typically awarded on the basis of open bidding by the sponsor. †¢Examples- European Channel Tunnel, the Three Gorges Dam in China, Delhi Metro Rail Ltd. and the Hong Kong Airport. †¢Build-own-transfer venture- an increasingly popular type of turnkey contract in the developing economies where contractors acquire an ownership in the facility for a period of time until it is turned o ver to the client.MODULE 3 [pic] Advanced economies are post-industrial countries characterized by high per capita income, highly competitive industries, and well-developed commercial infrastructure. †¢Examples- world’s richest countries and include Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and Western European countries. Developing economies are low-income countries characterized by limited industrialization and stagnant economies. †¢Examples- low-income countries, with limited industrialization and stagnant economies- e. g. Bangladesh, Nicaragua and Zaire.Emerging market economies are a subset of former developing economies that have achieved substantial industrialization, modernization, improved living standards and remarkable economic growth. †¢Examples- some 27 countries in East and South Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Eastern Europe- including Brazil, Russia, India, China (so called BRIC countries). [pic] Advanced Economies – 2 – 4% growth rates – mature industrial development – moved from manufacturing to service based economies – typically democratic political systems and capital economic systems – host worlds biggest MNEs – Emerging Economies – 7 – 10% growth rates 40% of world GDP – 30% of exports – 20% of FDI – low cost labour and capital, knowledgeable workers, gov support – fastest growth rate – attractive: growing middle class, manufacturing bases, sourcing destinations – market potential: percapita income, size of middle class, GNI, use adjusted GDP for PPP – middle class has some economic independence and discretionary income Hong Kong, Isreal, Saudi Arabia The EMPI combines factors that provide firms with a realistic measure of export market potential: †¢Market Size: the country’s population, especially urban population †¢Market Growth Rate: the country’s real GDP gr owth rate Market Intensity: private consumption and GNI represent discretionary expenditures of citizens †¢Market Consumption Capacity: The percentage share of income held by the country’s middle class †¢Commercial Infrastructure: characteristics such as number of mobile phone subscribers, density of telephone lines, number of PCs, density of paved roads, and population per retail outlet †¢Economic Freedom: the degree of government intervention †¢Market Receptivity: the particular country’s inclination to trade with the exporter’s country as estimated by the volume of imports †¢Country Risk: the degree of political riskChallenges of doing business with Ems – political stability – hard to forecast in uncertain conditions – beauraucracy/lack of transparency – weak IP rights – availability of good partners – presence of family conglomerates †¢Regional economic integration, refers to the growing economic interdependence that results when countries within a geographic region form an alliance aimed at reducing barriers to trade and investment. †¢40% of world trade today is under some bloc preferential trade agreement. Premise- mutual advantages for cooperating nations within a common geography, history, culture, language, economics, and/or politics †¢Free trade that results from economic integration helps nations attain higher living standards by encouraging specialization, lower prices, greater choices, increased productivity, and more efficient use of resources. 1. Market access. Tariffs and most non-tariff barriers have been eliminated for trade in products and services, and rules of origin favor manufacturing that uses parts and other inputs produced in the EU. . Common market. The EU removed barriers to the cross-national movement of production factors—labor, capital, and technology. 3. Trade rules. The member countries have largely eliminated customs p rocedures and regulations, which streamlines transportation and logistics within Europe. 4. Standards harmonization. The EU is harmonizing technical standards, regulations, and enforcement procedures that relate to products, services, and commercial activities. 5. Common fiscal, monetary, taxation, and social welfare policies in the long run.The euro (common currency since 2002): †¢Simplified the process of cross-border trade and enhanced Europe’s international competitiveness. †¢Eliminated exchange rate risk in much of the bloc and forced member countries to improve their fiscal and monetary policies. †¢Unified consumers and businesses to think of Europe as a single market †¢Forced national governments to relinquish monetary power to the European Central Bank, in Luxembourg, which oversees EU monetary functions. †¢NAFTA passage (1994) was facilitated by the maquiladora program – U. S. firms locate manufacturing facilities just south of the U. S. order and access low-cost labor without having to pay significant tariffs. NAFTA has: †¢Eliminated tariffs and most nontariff barriers for products/services. †¢Initiated bidding for government contracts by member country firms †¢Established trade rules and uniform customs procedures. †¢Prohibited standards/technical regulations to be used as trade barriers. †¢Instituted rules for investment and intellectual property rights. †¢Provided for dispute settlement for investment, unfair pricing, labor issues, and the environment. †¢Trade among the members has more than tripled and now exceeds $1 trillion per year. In the early 1980s, Mexico’s tariffs averaged 100% and gradually disappeared under NAFTA. †¢Member countries now trade more with each other than with former trading partners outside the NAFTA zone. †¢Both Canada and Mexico now have some 80% of their trade with, and 60% of their FDI stocks in the United States. †¢Mexican exports to the U. S. grew from $50 billion to over $160 billion per year. †¢Access to Canada and the U. S. helped launch numerous Mexican firms in industries such as electronics, automobiles, textiles, medical products, and services. †¢Annual U. S. nd Canadian investment in Mexico rose from $4 billion in 1993 to nearly $20 billion by 2006. †¢Mexico’s per capita income rose to about $11,000 in 2007, making Mexico the wealthiest country in Latin America. †¢By increasing Mexico’s attractiveness as a manufacturing location, firms like Gap Inc. and Liz Claiborne moved their factories from Asia to Mexico during the 1990s. †¢IBM shifted much of its production of computer parts from Singapore to Mexico. ASEAN – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia APEC – Asia Pacific Economic Coop – Australia, Canada, Chile, US, China, Japan, Mexico CER – Aussie and New Zealand – removed 80% of tarriffsWhy Nations Expand? 1. Ex pand market size  §Regional integration greatly increases the scale of the marketplace for firms inside the economic bloc.  §Example- Belgium has a population of just 10 million; the EU gives Belgian firms easier access to a total market of roughly 490 million. 2. Achieve scale economies and enhanced productivity  §Expansion of market size within an economic bloc gives member country firms the opportunity to gain economies of scale in production and marketing.  §Internationalization inside the bloc helps firms learn to compete more effectively outside the bloc as well. Labor and other inputs are allocated more efficiently among the member countries- leading to lower prices for consumers. 3. Attract direct investment from outside the bloc  §Compared to investing in stand-alone countries, foreign firms prefer to invest in countries that are part of an economic bloc as they receive preferential treatment for exports to other member countries.  §Examples- General Mills, Sams ung, and Tata- have invested heavily in the EU to take advantage of Europe's economic integration.  §By establishing operations in a single EU country, these firms gain free trade access to the entire EU market. 4.Acquire stronger defensive and political posture  §Provide member countries with a stronger defensive posture relative to other nations and world regions- this was one of the motives for the initial creation of the European Community (precursor to the EU). †¢The value chain can be thought of as the complete business system of the focal firm. It comprises all of the activities that the focal firm performs. †¢The focal firm may retain core activities such as production and marketing, and outsource distribution and customer service responsibilities to foreign-market based distributors, thus the global reconfiguration of the value chain. Dell makes a variety of products, each with its own value chain. The total supply chain for a notebook computer, including mult iple tiers of suppliers, involves about 400 companies, primarily in Asia, but also in Europe and the Americas. †¢On a typical day, Dell processes orders for 150,000 computers, which are distributed to customers around the world, with non-U. S. sales accounting for 40 percent. †¢Shipping is handled via air transport, e. g. from the Dell Malaysia factory to the U. S. Dell charters a China Airlines 747 hat flies to Nashville, Tennessee six days a week, with each jet carries 25,000 Dell notebooks that weigh a total of 110,000 kilograms, or 242,500 pounds. †¢One of the hallmarks of Dell’s value chain is collaboration. CEO Michael Dell and his team constantly work with their suppliers to make process improvements in Dell’s value chain. [pic] Automotive Industry †¢Manufacturing of the Chevrolet Malibu illustrates national and geographic diversity of suppliers that provide content for an automobile, a truly global value chain. †¢Suppliers are headquart ered in Germany, Japan, France, Korea, and United Kingdom, and the U.S. , and the components they sell to General Motors are manufactured in typically low-cost countries and then shipped to the General Motors plant in Fairfax, Kansas. †¢The German automaker BMW employs 70,000 factory personnel at 23 sites in 13 countries to manufacture its vehicles. †¢Workers at the Munich plant build the BMW 3 Series and supply engines and key body components to other BMW factories abroad. †¢In the U. S. , BMW has a plant in South Carolina, which makes over 500 vehicles daily for the world market. †¢In Northeast China, BMW makes cars in a joint venture with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. In India, BMW has a manufacturing presence to serve the needs of the rapidly growing South Asia market. †¢BMW must configure sourcing at the best locations worldwide, in order to minimize costs (e. g. , by producing in China), access skilled personnel (by producing in Germany), r emain close to key markets (by producing in China, India and the U. S. ). †¢Global sourcing is the procurement of products or services from suppliers or company-owned subsidiaries located abroad for consumption in the home country or a third country. Technological advances, including instant Internet connectivity and broadband availability TECHNOLOGY †¢Declining communication and transportation costs †¢Widespread access to vast information including growing connectivity between suppliers and the customers that they serve; and SUPPLY CHAIN †¢Entrepreneurship and rapid economic transformation in emerging markets. GLOBALIZATION †¢Managers must decide between internalization and externalization — whether each value-adding activity should be conducted in-house or by an independent supplier. This is known as the ‘make or buy’ decision: â€Å"Should we make a product or conduct a particular value-chain activity ourselves, or should we source it from an outside contractor? † †¢Firms usually internalize those value-chain activities they consider a part of their core competence, or which involve the use of proprietary knowledge and trade secrets that they want to control. †¢Configuration of value-adding activity: The pattern or geographic arrangement of locations where the firm carries out value-chain activities. Instead of concentrating value-adding activities in the home country, many firms configure these activities across the world to save money, reduce delivery time, access factors of production, and extract maximal advantages relative to competitors. †¢This helps explain the migration of traditional industries from Europe, Japan, and the U. S. to emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. [pic] †¢Outsourcing refers to the procurement of selected value-adding activities, including production of intermediate goods or finished products, from independent suppliers. This practice of externalizing a particular value-adding activity to outside contractors is known as outsourcing. †¢Firms outsource because they generally are not superior at performing all primary and support activities. Most value-adding activities — from manufacturing to marketing to after-sales service — are candidates for outsourcing. †¢Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). The outsourcing of business functions to independent suppliers such as accounting, payroll, and human resource functions, IT services, customer service, and technical support. BPO includes:  §Back-office activities, which includes internal, upstream business functions such as payroll and billing, and  §Front-office activities, which includes downstream, customer-related services such as marketing or technical support. †¢Offshoring is a natural extension of global sourcing. It refers to the relocation of a business process or entire manufacturing facility to a foreign country. †¢MNEs are particularly active in shifting production facilities or business processes to foreign countries to enhance their competitive advantages. Offshoring is especially common in the service sector, including banking, software code writing, legal services, and customer-service activities. †¢E. g. , large legal hubs have emerged in India that provide services such as drafting contracts and patent applications, conducting research and negotiations, as well as performing paralegal work on behalf of Western clients. With lawyers in N. America and Europe costing $300 an hour or more, Indian firms can cut legal bills by 75 percent. Best Jobs for Offshoring: Large-scale manufacturing industries whose primary competitive advantage is efficiency and low cost; †¢Industries such as automobiles that have uniform customer needs and highly standardized processes in production and other value-chain activities; †¢Service industries that are highly labor intensive, e. g. , call centers and legal transcription; †¢Information-based industries whose functions and activities can be easily transmitted via the Internet, e. g. , accounting, billing, and payroll; and †¢Industries such as software preparation whose outputs are easy to codify and transmit over the Internet or by telephone, e. g. routine technical support and customer service activities. [pic] †¢Cost efficiency is the traditional rationale for sourcing abroad. The firm takes advantage of ‘labor arbitrage’ – the large wage gap between advanced economies and emerging markets. †¢One study found that firms expect to save an average of more than 40% off baseline costs as a result of offshoring. These savings tend to occur particularly in R&D, product design activities, and back-office operations such as accounting and data processing. Benefits of Outsourcing: †¢Faster corporate growth. †¢Access to qualified personnel abroad. †¢Improved productivity and service. Business process redesign. †¢Increased speed to market. †¢Access to new markets. †¢Technological flexibility. Improved agility by shedding unnecessary overhead. Disadvantages to Outsourcing: †¢Vulnerability to exchange rate fluctuations †¢Partner selection, qualification, and monitoring costs †¢Increased complexity of managing a worldwide network of production locations and partners †¢Complexity of managing global supply chain †¢Limited influence over the manufacturing processes of the supplier †¢Potential vulnerability to opportunistic behavior or actions in bad faith by suppliers †¢Constrained ability to safeguard intellectual assetsRisks in Global Sourcing: 1. Less-than-expected cost savings. Conflicts and misunderstandings arise because of differences in the national and organizational cultures between the focal firm and foreign supplier. Such factors give rise to cost-savings that are less than originally anticipated. 2. Environ mental factors. Numerous environmental challenges confront focal firms including: exchange rate fluctuations, labor strikes, adverse macro-economic events, high tariffs and other trade barriers, and high energy and transportation costs. 3. Weak legal environment.Many popular locations for global outsourcing have weak laws and enforcement regarding intellectual property, which can lead to erosion of key strategic assets. 4. Risk of creating competitors. As the focal firm shares its intellectual property and business-process knowledge with foreign suppliers, it also runs the risk of creating future rivals (e. g. , Schwinn). 5. Inadequate or low-skilled workers. Some foreign suppliers may be staffed by employees who lack appropriate knowledge about the tasks with which they are charged. Other suppliers suffer rapid turnover of skilled employees. 6. Over-reliance on suppliers.Unreliable suppliers may put earlier work aside when they gain a more important client. Suppliers occasionally e ncounter financial difficulties or are acquired by other firms with different priorities and procedures. Over-reliance can shift control of key activities too much in favor of the supplier. 7. Erosion of morale and commitment among home-country employees. Global sourcing can create a situation in which employees are caught in the middle between their employer and their employer’s clients. At the extreme, workers find themselves in a psychological limbo, unclear about who their employer really is.