The Global Pharmaceutical Industry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Global Pharmaceutical Industry - Case Study Example The global pharmaceutical industry is quite unusual and in various geographic markets there happens to only one powerful buyer, i.e. the government. During the 80s and 90s the governments round the globe started to concentrate on the pharmaceuticals as some kind of an easy target in order to control the expenditures related to healthcare and get greater value for money. These typed of activities by the governments is just a reflection of the cultural differences. The industry in true sense has got global and hence the employment and ownership has become concentrated in very few countries. Regulators have quite often been challenged to reduce the overburdening of the growing areas related to the area of biotechnology research.   There are also increasing pressure from inter country pricing inequality as well as parallel trade. One such example would the difference between USA and Canada (Henry, 2008, p. 89).Economic ForcesPatients usually have had very little influence on the choice of price and products, because the doctors make the prescription. Again the medical practitioners tend to favor branded products. On the other hand the incentives to buy products got decreased as the costs were reimbursed or assumed by the insurers or the heath care authorities. The supply of the pharmaceutical market is still quite fragmented as very few companies are holding a share of more than 11%-20%. The industry has the presence of some strong international player’s bases in France, Japan and India in the form of Ranbaxy.... One such example would the difference between USA and Canada (Henry, 2008, p. 89). Economic Forces Patients usually have had very little influence on the choice of price and products, because the doctors make the prescription. Again the medical practitioners tend to favor branded products. On the other hand the incentives to buy products got decreased as the costs were reimbursed or assumed by the insurers or the heath care authorities. The supply of the pharmaceutical market is still quite fragmented as very few companies are holding a share of more than 11%-20%. The industry has the presence of some strong international player’s bases in France, Japan and India in the form of Ranbaxy. However, the recent economic down turn has meant that the companies had to reduce the spending on R&D and as a result number of new products that were supposed to reach the market has fallen (Churchill, 2009, p.211). Social Forces The baby boom generation is approaching retirement and there hav e been new efforts on the part of the companies to serve the purpose of treatment of the elderly. The end users are now a lot better informed about the products. The rise of the internet has helped the customers to get valuable info about pharmacy based products quite easily. Consumers have become a lot educated and as a result a lot more demanding (Brown, 2009, p. 209). Technological Forces Technological factors can actually lower the market entry barriers and reduce the efficient production levels and influence the outsourcing decisions. Some of the factors include the R&D activities, rate of technology change and technology incentives. One of the major implications of the technological development has been the development of drugs that can help

The Islamic Hegemony Essay Example for Free

The Islamic Hegemony Essay The course of world history could have been altered if a single detail in the events in the 1200’s was changed or did not happen, or a decision was roughly executed at the wrong time, place and situation. Other races or nations may have been the world’s superpower today if the right opportunities were present at that time, and it only means that what could be happening today may be reversed in an instant as not a single nation holds the monopoly of societal change. The world we know today could have been much different if Genghis Khan’s attempt to destroy the Persian Empire was defeated. In the next sections we will present a historical alteration of events and hypothesize on the consequences of Genghis Khan’s defeat with its repercussions on the political, cultural and economic environment of the present. Islamic armies have conquered much of the Central Asian region and converted the population to Islam before the Mongolian invasion of Persia in the 1200’s which halted the Muslim expansion. Whenever these Muslim warriors went, torture, massacre and abuse on the different nomadic tribes, Turkish, Mongolian and other non-Muslim people were perpetuated. The affair on the Silk Road was the only event which altered the course of history. If Genghis Khan was not able to defeat the Persians, it would have been possible that the Islamic Empire expanded East ward without facing any formidable resistance. China in 1279 during the Sung Dynasty has suffered from Mongolian attacks hence any organized resistance would be impossible and the disoriented armies formed to oppose the Muslims would be severely annihilated en masse. The possibility was great that the combined forces of Khwarazmian Empire’s of Shah Muhammad II of Eastern Iran and the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad could take hold of the territories that the Mongolian hordes have reached; India, China, Central Asia and farther up in Poland. Without the emergence of Pax Mongolica (Phillips 32), Muslim influence could have reached a vast expanse in Asia, Eurasia and the Caucasus for it was evident that the Muslim armies converted to Islam every nation or kingdom that they had conquered under the scimitar and the green flag. Thus, we would be having two of the world’s most populous nations (China and India) under Muhammad’s doctrines and such could greatly alter the balance of power in the contemporary history. With Islam as the world’s leading religion in terms of the number of believers. The factor that could have attributed to the Islamic success in dispersing its culture and belief is that unlike the Mongolians, who subscribed to the cultures of the conquered lands, they brought along with tem an organized religion and culture paired with iron will to impose their belief and culture by the sword. Later in Kublai Khan’s rule, he had planned to conquer Japan from the Korean Peninsula but was halted when the Mongolian fleet was destroyed by a typhoon. The Mongol leader attacked in 1274 but was unsuccessful due to a hurricane, known to the Japanese as the winds of the Kamikaze. Eight years later, Kublai struck again launching the largest naval brigade prior to the 1700s. However, the Mongol fleet was sunk by another massive hurricane. After these two disastrous failures, Kublai deserted his plans for the conquest of Japan. (Hooker 2) Imagine when the Islamic conquerors have annexed China into the Islamic sphere of influence with the Arabian dynasty on its helm, we would have a Muslim Japan, which is another world superpower today. With the occupation of China and Japan, it would have been easier for the Arab converters to take hold of South East Asian countries like Philippines, Indonesia and the Indochina and monopolize the political and religious power in the region, blocking the European colonial powers from acquiring their colonies (Dutch East Indies, Indochina and Philippines) in the early part of the 14th century. On the other side of the picture, Muslim armies were also waging a war in the Iberian Peninsula, taking Portugal and Spain from their bases in Egypt and North Africa. This could have spelled total disaster for the Christian armies that were also engaged in the Crusades aimed at retaking the Holy Land from the combined armies of different caliphates and kingdoms in the Middle East. This would be greatly altered in the event that the Islamic armies would be concentrated on the expansion in the European kingdoms. Europe at that time was facing constant disputes on its closely knitted states and principalities hence the political atmosphere was not conducive to economic activities. Without trade from the East (mainly referred to the Silk Road) the mercantile economy was paralyzed. The Mongol hordes rampaged Europe with: †¦A massive raid rather than a complete occupation; nevertheless, the picture she paints is chilling. Driving across the North German plain, the same route Cold War planners pictured for a Soviet invasion, the Mongols would have made use of expert reconnaissance to target plunder and grazing land. They would have sacked Belgium and Holland, destroying the embryonic financial centers of Europe. They would have turned south into France, destroying Paris and with it the revival of ancient philosophy that it would have hosted a few decades later. Perhaps they would have crossed the Alps and ravaged Italy, destroying the other birthplaces of the Renaissance†¦The Dark Ages were pure light compared to what could have happened (Dutch) With such factors, the European nations would not be able to reach a stage of economic growth. The Anglo Saxon and European kingdoms were limited to self-preservation and busied with internal conflicts, so if ever the Arabian Empire would pose a threat to the continent, the nations would not be able to respond accordingly. Though these nations were not totally annexed by the Arabian Empire, the age of explorations will not be like what it was in real history. The colonial powers of Europe may have not conquered parts of Africa because of a strong Islamic influence on the continent brought about by the healthy trade relations with the caliphates and emirates in the Islamic world. The Asian continents were already fortified with Islamic sultanates that had ensued from China, which was already an Islamic territory. The discovery of the New World may have not been possible because of the diverted attention of the European nations from exploration to warfare and territorial defense. The effects of these events could have paralyzed the entire European economy as they were scuttling for raw materials for their industries and caused a crisis in the production system making wars of aggression and annexation more often. It should be noted that the Crusades were, hypothetically, defeated by the Muslim armies thus, the Holy Land was in the sole custody of an Islamic state in the Palestine. If that was what had happened, there is a strong probability that the Zionist Israel will not exist therefore a more peaceful Middle East. It was also likely that the strong Islamic states have maintained the sovereignty of their oil resources and subsequently created a more prosperous oil industry free of European influences. Hence, the events that could have transpired in the 1200’s would have created a new world order wherein the Islamic culture is dominant. The majority of the world’s population could have been Muslims and with such superiority in number religious discrimination would be inexistent. It could have been possible that a nation in Middle East is today’s superpower not the United States. Such was the gravity of the alterations in world affairs that even as we speak, we would be subscribing to Arabic-speaking television networks. The dynamism of history is truly fragile. There are many possibilities in the historical development of human societies and each would yield another result. Works Cited Dutch, Steven. The Mongols. (1998). May 23, 2008 http://www. uwgb. edu/dutchs/WestTech/xmongol. htm. Hooker, Richard. The Establishment of the Bakufu. Japan, Korea and the Mongols. May 23, 2008 http://www. wsu. edu/~dee/FEUJAPAN/KAMAKURA. HTM. Phillips, E. D. The Mongols. Vol. 2. New York: Frederick A. Prager, 1969.

Natural Language Processing :: Computer Technology

Natural Language Processing To digest natural language implies understanding, a function that is uniquely human. To understand something implies to have senses that interpret the world such as emotions and awareness of our own physical experiences. When someone tells a story, we rely upon previous experience for interpretation. We form a reaction, our heart rate may change, we may start sweating, we may relax or tense, and feel certain emotions such as fear. Upon getting new information, a persons attitude may change or the way they think may change. A computer made of metal simply does not have the faculties to experience the world as we do. It can be programmed to respond in such a way that mimics a human response, but can not be considered to be really understanding what it is doing. Recall the story of Helen Keller, how she finally began to learn a language when she was given immediate experiential feedback. The teacher would pour water on her and then do the sign language for the word in her hand. The foun der of Toastmaster's organization started it on the premise that people learn in moments of pleasure, and structured the organization so it would provide just that. A computer would not have the senses to make such understanding of these words and experiences possible. In addition to its lack of cognitive ability, a computer can not form expectations based upon a situation. A political speech can be very serious, but when seen on Saturday Night Live, it will be interpreted as funny. A similar problem is the extra meaning conveyed by the tone of voice or body language. We could always program an exhaustive data bank with all the different possibilities of input, but the system as we know it could not search all of these within a reasonable period of time, nor could it adapt to future changes. One of the problems with natural language processing systems is that humans themselves are often not very good natural language generators or processors. We often apply our own bias and expectations to what we hear. Two people can make eye contact and set up a whole series of background such that they now what each other are talking about. That very fact may be a bonus for computer natural language processing because we can predict with certainty how the system will interpret the information and therefore have greater clarity than people.

1920s Fashion – Research Paper

The 1920’s fashion was a period of liberation, change, and even more importantly a movement towards the modern era. Fashion in the 1920’s varied throughout the decade but one could see the noticeable change from the previous fashion statements and eras. At the start of the decade, women began emancipating themselves from the constricting fashions by wearing more comfortable apparel.As women gained more rights and World War I forced them to become more independent, flappers came to be, mass-produced garments became available, and artistic movements increased in popularity, one can see how the fashions from the roaring twenties characterized the time and redefined womanhood. (1920s clothing 1) In the early 1920s, change advanced gradually as many women were reluctant to adopt the new styles and changes coming with the new era. From 1925 on however, the styles associated with the roaring twenties were excitedly accepted by the public and continued to characterize fashion i nto the late 1930s.Numerous years had passed since the end of World War I. After the burden of the war, and the female liberation movement, women now felt free-spirited and just simply wanted to have a little fun again. (1920’s Fashion 1) Having won the right to vote in the 1920s, women were able to break free of the traditional feminine image and behaviors previously associated with them. (The American Vision 378) Specifically, women were experiencing a greater sense of individuality and even more importantly a greater sense of independence.As new opportunities arose, women began to shed the confining clothing of the previous centuries. Corsets were forgotten and replaced with looser fitting camisoles. (1920’s Fashion 1) Designers had much more freedom of expression with the new dresses and tops of the twenties. Colorful, loud fabrics showed the joy the women felt about the end of the war and their new freedom and independence. (1920’s women fashions 1) As the 1920s came to a close, one can see how the clothes became more comfortable for women and much less constricting resulting in a slimmer silhouette for women.Thanks to Coco Chanel, the iconic flapper image most closely associated with the roaring twenties came about. The flapper and flapper image didn’t actually come to be until around 1926 and even then was only in style for about three years. Typical flappers were women who appeared to have a bold attitude and were independent women who didn’t adhere to the previously innocent housewife image. A flapper usually had a bob haircut, a shorter than average dress, a flat chest, wore tons of make-up, drank illegal alcohol, smoked with a long cigarette holder, exposed her limbs and danced the Charleston.This was a drastic change from the typical American housewife to the reckless rebel. The flapper dresses stressed above the knee hemlines and construed straight, sleek shapes. This was the first time in centuries women’ s legs were being seen in a garment. (1920s Fashion 1) Flappers loved to jazz up their costume and even their image. Many flappers’ dresses were adorned with jewels and intricate beading. The main object of the flapper image was to appear almost boyish rather than looking feminine. 1920s clothing 1) The nineteen twenties became the first century where mass produced goods really became available and made a significant impact in everyone’s lives. High fashion before the 1920s had really only been for the richer women of society who could afford such luxuries. Mass produced garments became available to more women who could afford them. Mary Pickens Brook of the Woman’s Institute transformed the fashion industry when she invented the one-hour dress. Thanks to Brook, women could now make their own dresses by following a simple sewing pattern.As it was easier for women to make dresses at home it was also easier for factories to manufacture the simple garments. This ba sic style, coupled with the increase in mass production, made fashion easily attainable to women of all income levels. The average person’s fashion sense became more sophisticated than previous eras. Recorded fashion images show after the twenties the fashions of ordinary women and what they typically wore in contrast to just the clothing of the rich. Styles at all levels now were being heavily influenced by the newly portrayed movie stars.Regular people could now see the movie star’s fashion and make their own renditions of it to create an ever changing style. (1920s Fashion 1) Art had a particularly remarkable influence over the 1920’s clothing. Crazy and bright fabrics were becoming more and more prominent throughout the decade as opposed to the blacks, grays, and neutrals of the past years. Designers also started playing around with geometric patterns and shapes. (1920’s clothing 1) Lighter, brighter, and shorter became the new expectations of clothin g in the 1920’s, especially the dresses.Fashion designers started to become more daring and use numerous fabric colors, textures, and patterns in their line of clothing. Ravishing coordinated and accessorized outfits were a must have for the ladies of nineteen twenties. Hats, shoes, stockings, handbags, dresses, and jewelry all came together in perfect harmony to create a unique an elegant style not previously seen in earlier decades. (1920’s women fashions 1) Influences from the 1920s fashions decade can still be found in many of today’s present trends. For starters, women could now find the same looks in high-priced boutiques as they could in discount retailers.Cardigan jackets and sweaters, first worn in the 1920s have become staple items in today’s fashion industry. Even the style of the bob hair cut has become a classic style nowadays. The fashion of the nineteen twenties was the beginning of change and the love of fashion that numerous people share today. As a result of liberation and artistic movements, mass-production, and flappers one can see how the nineteen twenties fashion era began shaping the fashion industry into one of the biggest industries known today.

An Analysis of Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd and the Effect of the Credit Crunch on Its Performance

|Dissertation Proposal | |An analysis of Sainsbury’s supermarkets Ltd and the effect of the credit crunch on its performance | |Year: 1 | |Course code:MN5251 | |Assignment No: 1 | |Programme Title: MSc International Management | |Candidate No: 0901143 | | | TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 AIMS OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 LITERATURE REVEIW†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 METHODOLOGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 PROPOSED CHAPTER HEADINGS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 REFERECES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 APPENDIX†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 1. Introduction This dissertation seeks to examine Sainsbury’s supermarkets plc (Sainsbury’s) as a company and how they can use their established brand to branch out and gain potential growth in the industry, and to explore how they are coping with the recent credit crunch. Sainsbury’s has come a long way from being the market leader to dropping to the third position which it is struggling to maintain. This can be attributed to a series of wrong decisions and lack of foresight leading to their current struggles. They suffered from poor management in the past and this has reflected on their effort to catch up with the industry leaders. In addition, because of the recent credit crunch, banks have cut back on lending to both individuals and firms thereby swaying consumers to demand cheaper products and curb their expenditures. A question springs to mind: prior to the crisis, supermarkets have passed on rising food prices to consumers but now more than ever prices are low, so why the sudden change in tactics? Small businesses are going under due to lack of finance which hinders them from competing and offering low prices but this loss to society becomes a gain to the big supermarkets. Does this mean that the supermarket industry has less risk than other industries or has the supermarket industry adjusted strategically to cope with the global downturn? 2. Background of the study Sainsbury’s supermarket, a subsidiary of J Sainsbury plc was first opened in 1869 and is one of UK’s most reputable stores. They own 509 supermarkets and 276 convenience stores around the UK according to their website and are best known for their quality products that are priced fairly. It operates as an oligopoly where only few firms in the industry have majority of the market shares. Historically they have had the advantage of been in the industry a lot longer than its competitors who have now taken over in both performance and market share. Over a consecutive three month period ending in June 2008, Sainsbury’s reported 3. 4% increase in like-for-like sales which exclude fuel. They have recently boosted their ‘basics’ range in order to meet the growing demand and attract new customers. They have promoted their brand with the help of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver In the current economic climate, the supermarket industry seems not to be affected financially by the lack of global credit but they have had to change their operations strategically to meet the demand of customers in the recent economic downturn. The food industry runs a low risk trade because majority of its products are necessities unlike other industries such as the banking sector who have suffered greatly from the credit crunch e. g. Lehman brothers. Across the continent and the UK, supermarkets have not been adversely affected by the economic crisis. Contrary to the recent events, the supermarket industry has in general employed more staff globally than any other sector. E. g. Asda has pledged to employ 7000 new workers in 2009 (BBC), Tesco also plans to take up 10,000 new workers (Sky News). Some of the supermarkets are making plans to expand and open new stores in the current economic climate impaired with lack of credit. Companies have had to improve efficiency in order to minimise their cost and to increase profitability. 3. The Aims of the research project are to: †¢ Provide an assessment and summary of Sainsbury’s supermarkets plc: -using financial, operational and business performance analysis to compare them against their competitors. †¢ Analyse its position in the industry before and during the credit crunch: – they are currently experiencing increased sales during a recession. †¢ Investigate the reasons why Sainsbury’s is not the market leader: – they were the pioneers of the industry and now they are struggling to maintain third position ranking. Put together recommendations for Sainsbury’s on opportunities available to them that could lead to potential growth and increase customer loyalty: – suggest poss ible solutions and strategies that could help rebrand and reposition them in the industry. Personal aims include: †¢ Gaining more knowledge and skills in performing research through various techniques. †¢ Complete a compulsory component to secure an MSc degree in International Management. The objectives of the research project are to: †¢ Evaluate the supermarket industry. †¢ Examine the role of Sainsbury’s in the industry. †¢ Establish if there are still market growth opportunities. †¢ Accessing the impact of the credit crunch on the industry. Reason behind the recent increase in sales during the credit crunch. †¢ The effectiveness of their marketing strategy and its impact on their sales. †¢ The role and contributions of operations to Sainsbury’s. 4. Literature Review and limitations of the study Sainsbury’s has recently been losing customers to discount stores like Aldi and Lidl who offer lower value products at cheap pr ices and since then the company has rebranded and improved on its financial and operational performance but has still not caught up with the market leader. Their own brand ‘basics’ is a core strength to the business but they seen to be losing the battle of drawing consumers to purchase upscale and premium products from them. Sainsbury’s grew rapidly after its first store was opened but suffered great losses after the Second World War when turnover fell drastically but the company evolved and grew once again till they experienced a change in management style in 1992. David Sainsbury and his successors made great decision mistakes under their administration including the rejection of branching into non-food retailing amongst others. During this downturn, their competitors grew rapidly. An opportunity that needs s to be explored is the increase in demand for organic products while striving to minimise the threat of their lack of international market exposure. It is important to point out that porters 5 forces has some weakness of been static, lacks guidance on how to define an industry and not forward looking. With these flaws, it is also considered to be a useful tool in identifying threats to profitability, strategic planning to outperform rivals and helps to identify less competitive segments. A limitation to the report will be the sample size used which will be small compared to the total population and maybe income, age and taste sensitive. The result from the survey will be biased because it will be focused in the south west region of the UK and only few stores will be used. 5. Methodology and methods The research aims will be achieved with a combination of primary and secondary research 5. 1 Literature review The research method will be reviewing the literature on the supermarket industry with its focus being on Sainsbury’s. This will be achieved from the use of secondary data collected from textbooks and journals through Royal Holloway university library and other relevant resources including the use of commercial databases and internet search engines. The dissertation will adopt a case study method. 5. 2 Data collection and sample This report will use qualitative and quantitative data as sources of primary research. An analysis of original documents will be utilised including carrying out a small sample survey of 30 individuals each for Sainsbury’s and its competitors. This will entail the use of questionnaires with closed questions imputed into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Telephone and face-to-face interviewing techniques will also be used based on having good and reliable contacts within the companies. Data will also be gathered from electronic sources, books, journal articles; news achieves and interviews to. 5. 3 Data analysis A categorisation approach will be adopted where all data collected are grouped according the topic area best suited for its analysis. This report will examine the financial and operational performance of Sainsbury’s in comparison with its competitors. The use of financial information gathered from secondary research, Sainsbury’s and its competitors (such as audited reports) which are less biased will be used to measure the performance of the business. The financial performance will be evaluated using the following: Ratio analysis, Competitor analysis and Financial statements. The operational performance will be analysed by studying the following: Distribution networks, Product quality, Pricing strategies, Promotion strategies and Store location. The report will use the 4-stage model theory to rate the position of Sainsbury’s operation. This will determine where they fit into the model and how to further develop other aspects of their processes which could act as a support to gaining competitive advantage. Strategic analysis theory will be used to evaluate the strategic position of Sainsbury’s in the supermarket industry. These theories will include: Swot analysis, Pest analysis, Porter’s five forces and Risk analysis. The Sources Sainsbury’s website, Tesco, Asda and Morrison’s website, Textbooks, Journals, The World Wide Web, Databases, Royal Holloway University, News achieves and MINTEL. 6. Proposed chapter headings Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Background Chapter 3: Literature review Chapter 4: Methodology Chapter 5: Research results and analysis Chapter 6: Conclusion and recommendations References and appendices References Collin Fisher 2007. Researching and Writing a Dissertation: A Guidebook for Business Students. Prentice Hall BBC online Asda creating 7,000 new UK jobs http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/7855482. stm Accessed 28/01/2009 Datamonitor, August 2008. Company Spotlight: Sainsbury’s http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/pdf? id=22&hid=16&sid=fc656bea-c31c-4043-bbc3-82640ca0cf52%40sessionmgr7 www. sainsburys. co. uk Wheelwright, S. and Hayes, R. (1985) Competing through manufacturing in Harvard Business Review, (Jan-Feb), pp. 99-109. Sky News Tesco to create 10,000 new j obs http://news. sky. com/skynews/Home/Business/Tesco-To-Create-10000-Jobs-But-Posts-Poor-Christmas-Sales-Figures/Article/200901215202210. Accessed 20/01/2009 Appendix Timetable of dissertation 30th of January, 2009: proposal deadline February 2009: – week 1-2: collect literature papers – week 3-4: review research methods literature and research strategy March 2009: – week 1-2: design questionnaires forms – week 3-4: examine literature review April 2009: week 1-4: contact company to make appointment schedules – week 3-4: revise the questions of questionnaires May 2009: – week 2-3: formal proceeding with questionnaires – week 4: final collection of questionnaire and analyse of primary data from the case company June 2009: – week 1-4: start writing dissertation – week 1-4: keep refining dissertation writing and start to finalise dissertation write up July 2009: – week 4: start proofreading, finalise dissertation wri te up – week 4: buffer for contingency and start up the plan of dissertation binding August 2009: – week 1: finalise dissertation binding – week 2: preparation for submission deadline

The Bombing of Hiroshima essays

The Bombing of Hiroshima essays There are many events in history that have affected many different people. To me, the Bombing of Hiroshima is most significant. This event has changed the lives of many people, the thoughts of people, and many feelings of people as well as countries. The atomic bomb and its destruction of Hiroshima changed the world. I will explain what occurred in World War II that led up to Hiroshima, the aftermath of Japan, and how the world changed after the bombing. We were involved in a war called, World War II. This war began in 1939, yet Japan and the United States were not at war with each other yet. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. This unacceptable act allowed the United States to declare war on Japan a day later. Three years later, on Feb. 19, 1945, we invaded the island of Iwo Gima. Later we also captured the island Okinawa, which was a crucial advantage for the United States. On, August 6th 1945, we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. On the 14th of August, Japan accepted the unconditional surrender. I believe we utilized the atomic bomb because we lost over 1.5 million soldiers, while Japan had over 9 million soldiers. That means that if we were to invade Japan we would have to basically fight every soldier we had defeated before four times over! The enormous cost of Marines lives from Okinawa, was the deciding factor in plummeting the bomb. Which is why we reduced our losses by dropping the bombs. Losing was not an option. The effects on Japan were horrible. Once the bomb was dropped, instantly 70,000 died. During the bombing an equal amount was also injured. The blast itself was not the only thing that caused deaths. Radiation from the mushroom cloud was emitted causing thousand more to die during that year. Some, who survived, died from leukemia years later. Those who survived the radiation were scarred for life, for their family, friends, and objects we...

Chapters 23

Chapters 23 While focusing on Part IV â€Å"The Doctrine of the Word of God† and Part V â€Å"The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God† from John Frame’s Systematic Theology, it is possible to note that these parts are helpful to understand how people perceive God’s Word and how they form their knowledge of God. This reflection paper provides the proper discussion of key points learnt from Chapters 23-32 of Frame’s book.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Chapters 23-32 in John Frame’s â€Å"Systematic Theology† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Part IV of the book is titled as â€Å"The Doctrine of the Word of God†, and the ways to receive, perceive, and understand God’s words are discussed in Chapters 23-28. I have learnt from Chapter 23 â€Å"God and His Word† that the divine word is not only in the written or verbal form, but it is in the acts. Thus, th e Word is the attribute of God, and this idea is closely associated with such important phenomena as creation and providence1. Those people who have learnt the Word of God are not the same anymore. Chapter 24 â€Å"God Speaks to Us in Events and Words† provides more details to understand the fact. Thus, I have learnt that there are many ways in which the Word comes to people, and they are human words or historic events, and natural events. These ways are the media for revelation2. It is stated in Chapter 25 â€Å"God’s Written Words† that the prophets who heard the divine voice represented their knowledge in the written word. From this point, it is also the direct Word from God. Referring to Chapter 26 â€Å"The Nature of Scripture†, I can state that God’s Word is truth in its nature because the principles of infallibility and inerrancy are followed in Scripture3. Now, I understand that I can discuss Scripture as the reflection of God’s dire ct words. Chapter 27 â€Å"From God’s Lips to Our Ears† and Chapter 28 â€Å"From the Text to Our Hearts† are very interesting and important for me because they present the information on the ways of receiving and understanding God’s Word. I received the opportunity to understand that God’s Word comes directly to prophets who write it, and these copies are extremely important for believers. Although many autographs are lost, God uses many media to come to the person’s heart4. I can guess that the reason is in the fact that Scripture includes the message that comes directly to the believer’s heart and mind. I have learnt from Part V â€Å"The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God† how God and person can know each other. In Chapter 29 â€Å"God and Our Knowledge†, it is stated that God knows everyone in spite of the personality’s aspects. Thus, there are many perspectives from which God can see the person.Advertising Looking for critical writing on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More That is why, there are no ideas or acts which can be unnoticed. Our knowledge of God is more limited, but we need to know more about God in order to learn more about us. In Chapters 30-32, there are ideas on how people can learn more about God5. I have learnt that the human heart, mind, intuition, and imagination are the strong sources to learn more about God and to understand the revelation principle. There are many important facts presented in Chapters 23-32 of John Frame’s Systematic Theology which provide the important framework to conclude about God’s Word and the roots of the knowledge. The chapters provided me with the opportunity to understand how the persons can learn more about their nature and the nature of God. Furthermore, I have realized that the knowledge of God and the knowledge of a man are interconnected, and the most important information associated with the divine word can come with the help of the human words, written words, and natural and historic events. Bibliography Frame, John. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief. USA: PR Publishing, 2013. Footnotes 1 John Frame, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief (USA: PR Publishing, 2013), 520. 2 Frame, Systematic Theology, 536. 3 Ibid., 596.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Chapters 23-32 in John Frame’s â€Å"Systematic Theology† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More 4 Frame, Systematic Theology, 638. 5 Ibid., 739.

Answers to Questions About Commas #5

Answers to Questions About Commas #5 Answers to Questions About Commas #5 Answers to Questions About Commas #5 By Maeve Maddox Several readers have sent in questions regarding comma use. I’ll take them in turn. 1. Does a comma always go before the word too? No. Whether or not a writer places a comma before the word too depends upon the desired emphasis. Too is an adverb meaning in addition, furthermore, moreover, besides, also.† The only reason to place a comma before the too is to slow the pace of the sentence or change the emphasis: My dog can fetch the paper too. My dog can fetch the paper, too. The same option applies when the too comes within the sentence: I too can recite the Gettysburg Address. I, too, can recite the Gettysburg Address. A note in the CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style) recommends that we use commas with too only when we want to emphasize an abrupt change of thought. The editor gives this memorable example: He didn’t know at first what hit him, but then, too, he hadn’t ever walked in a field strewn with garden rakes. In most cases, commas with too are unnecessary. 2. Is it correct to place a semicolon before however and a comma after it? Yes. The building was completely remodeled on the inside; however, the 18th century faà §ade was left unaltered. 3. Is it necessary to place a comma before â€Å"as well as†? You don’t need a comma before â€Å"as well as† when it introduces words that are essential to the meaning of the entire sentence: I like mysteries as well as historical novels. The no-smoking policy applies to teachers as well as to students. The â€Å"as well as† phrase is enclosed with commas iflike a non-restrictive clauseit can be left out without affecting the meaning of the main clause: Mysteries, as well as historical novels, rank high on my list of favorites. The teachers, as well as the students, must respect the no-smoking policy. 4. Can you replace a semicolon with a comma? No, with certain exceptions. The semicolon is stronger than a comma, but not as strong a stop as a period. Its usual job is to separate independent clauses that are closely related in thought. Grandpa patiently fed the kitten with an eye-dropper; he’d always had a soft spot for baby animals. Sometimes, if the clauses are very short, commas can replace semicolons or coordinating conjunctions to achieve literary effect, as in the usual translation of Julius Caesar’s famous â€Å"Veni, vidi, vici†: â€Å"I came, I saw, I conquered.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:One Fell Swoop5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

Chicago Bulls and DNA Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chicago Bulls and DNA Testing - Essay Example As the discussion outlines, a DNA test would have detected any anomalies in their systems and would have given the club’s medical team a head`s up and thus prevented these situations. It is crucial for professional athletes especially the ones whose families have a history of these diseases and complications to undergo a DNA test. Examples of such diseases include heart diseases, blood pressure complications, asthma and hypertension. If the symptoms are detected, the medical team can determine if the athlete should be allowed to play or not, it all depends on how the level of the threat posed by the discovered signs is handled. There are no clear laws that prohibit or disallow DNA testing although some players feel that the club asking for a DNA test is abusing its powers. The club and the affected individuals to decide on whether the test should be conducted. Clubs and professional sports associations conduct DNA tests for different reasons. Some clubs especially in Major Lea gue Baseball conduct these tests to insulate themselves from lawsuits and spending of millions of dollars on players` medical bills and lawsuits. In the recent past, sports prospects from the Dominican Republic often lie about their age to gain access in the United States where they are offered millions of dollars only to find out that the player lied about his age and name. Clubs also perform the tests to prevent any future situation that may arise from earlier detected complications and spare the fans from witnessing terrifying spectacles as players collapse while playing on the field. Some countries such as Australia have made strides that ensure predictive genetic information cannot be used to make decisions affecting employment and this law extends to professional sports.

Calculate a puzzle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Calculate a puzzle - Essay Example Hence, dynamic search function and control optimization are major primitives to construct search utilities for stochastic system processes to ensure converged resource accesses. This research focuses on optimization of general search solution methods and proposes a formal search utility framework, algorithms rooted from Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Dynamic Programming (DP) techniques. To reduce space complexity within large dimension search spaces, a memoryless2 Q learning is augmented with self-organized index structure and algorithms for exact state-action value function mapping to optimize search procedures for optimal policies. Data parallelization is ensured with this paged based index value mapping function. Hence, time complexity is reduced with threaded search parallelism. Convergence analysis and error estimation are presented for numeric and information evaluation. Finally, simulation and learning results are presented and discussed. For search strategies in the settings of problem solving and reasoning, search problem formulation represents many combinatorial optimization problems of search approximation with action control optimization. All aspects of search task environment represent various classes of applications, such as routing, scheduling, speech recognition, scene analysis and intrusion detection pattern matching. By given a directional graph G with distinguished starting state Sstart and a set of goal

Unmanned aerial vehicles future use from conventional airports Research Paper

Unmanned aerial vehicles future use from conventional airports - Research Paper Example The army is already surveying sites for these field tests of the system and also looking at the new means of certifying the new aviation standards that are required to ensure the safety of the system not only for other aircraft sharing the airspace as well as populations living near or around the airfields (InsideDefense.com, 2012). Social Implications When we look at the social implications of the use of drones, there has been a great deal of debate about the use of these aircraft for peacetime activities. While initially when the use of these crafts was limited to military strikes in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, the huge possibilities for their use in non-military situations – such as in crop and wildlife stock monitoring, search and rescue in dangerous weather and other conditions, fighting forest fires – has resulted in a great deal of debate about how their use would be regulated and monitored, particularly for reasons of safety. The UAV business is now valued at more than $14 billion and projections are that it will go up to $82 million and support over 70,000 jobs by 2015 (Jank & Armentrout, 2013). Another reason that has come up in the regulation of the use of UAVs has been the issue of privacy (Sengupta, 2013). UAVs can be used in monitoring border security from altitudes that would otherwise be dangerous for manned aircraft and this brings about many issues about the invasion of privacy as these UAVs are equipped with sophisticated imaging equipment that can carry out detailed surveillance and some even have capability of intercepting electronic communications (Electronic Privacy Information Centre, n.d.) These social and privacy concerns have to be dealt with before widespread use of drone technology is licensed and...The use of UAVs not only in civilian applications but also at conventional commercial airfields is now not a question of â€Å"if† but â€Å"when† as the technological, commercial and other barriers that hinder the expanded use of UAVs continue to be surmounted and overtaken. Technological Aspects One of the key technological barriers to the use of UAVs in more conventional flights has been the safety of these operations. The major difficulty has been that with conventional manned air transportation the presence of a pilot who can look outside his window and see any other aircraft that is near in the same area as them and take corrective action. This drawback has not only made it difficult for the UAVs to be used in the same airspace with other craft but it has also meant that the test and training flights of these UAVs have had to have a trailing manned aircraft making it expensive to conduct such training and in a way, defeating the whole purpose of unmanned aircraft. There are quite a slew of things that do need to be implemented before the UAVs can be incorporated into operation in the airspace currently occupied by manned aircraft, in particular the adaptation of air traffic management and air traffic control processes to cater for the new unmanned aircraft.

Marketing across culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing across culture - Essay Example Therefore, marketers need to have different marketing strategies for each and every market where it is being sold and marketed. This is the reason why Denon sells its surround sound receivers with different model numbers, features (silver, black, gold tone) as well as warranties in order to cater to the unique needs of these markets. In order to combat the problem of different needs of the markets, a lot of marketers make a specific marketing plan for a particular product and then they adjust this plan depending on the market where it is being sold in order to fulfill the needs of the customers of this market. For example, many organizations sell their products in hundreds of markets all over the world. It is impossible to make specific marketing plans and strategies for each and every market. Therefore, these marketers make a common international marketing plan and then, they make adjustments to these plans and strategies according to the specific and unique needs of the market. 2. What are the problems you are likely to encounter with the distribution of your products in: China, Japan, and India? Which country poses the biggest problem? Explain your answer. With rapid globalization, companies are now selling their products in different countries worldwide. All of these countries have different markets with unique needs and characteristics. ... Due to the communication, transport as well as regional difficulties, companies need to hire, train as well as constantly keep in contact with these agents (Selling and Distributing in China without a Legal Presence, n.p.). As far as Japan is concerned, one of the major problems is the difficulty of penetrating its cultural barriers and complex bureaucratic relationships and structures. The multi-layered distribution network in India is the biggest problems faced by marketers all over the world. It is difficult for marketers to reach a large number of customers and develop a high market share. Therefore, India is said to be the country which poses the most difficult problem for marketers as it is twice as hard to distribute products in India as it is else where. 3. Many products fulfill both a functional need as well as a social need. When deciding how much to adapt an existing product for a new foreign market, which type of need should a marketer focus on? Explain your answer. When entering a new foreign market, marketers should focus more on functional needs rather than on social needs. This is because the main reason for entering a market is to fulfill the functional needs of the customers. Functional needs are those needs which are fulfilled by the various functions of the product. After the fulfillment of the functional needs, the consumer gets socially attached with the product or service and that is when the marketer should start emphasizing on social needs. Therefore, during the initial stage the marketer should place more emphasis and focus on the functional needs. After that product’s functional needs turn into social needs, the marketer should switch his focus on it. Marketers need to determine the stage of the product lifecycle and

Animal modeling in drug discovery and development Essay

Animal modeling in drug discovery and development - Essay Example The target is described as the molecule or certain biological entities upon which the drug shall act and produce biological reactions that can be measured either in vivo or in vitro. It is after the identification of the target that the it has to be validated. It is in the authentication that animal models, described as in vitro tools are integrated into the drug discovery and development process (Hughes, et al., 2011). The animal models are used to check for the efficacy of the identified molecule in the target. Most importantly, Mei and Czarnik (2002) indicate that the whole animal model data has to be obtained in order to ascertain the biological linkage of the target to a disease along with how the target can be utilised in the drug discovery and development process. The activity observed in the animal models does not imply decisiveness for the same in human beings, nevertheless, if there lacks any activity, then reconsideration has to be undertaken on the efficacy of the target (Mei & Czarnik, 2002). The validity of the animal model data is vital in predicting the result for a particular drug during basic research (Denayer, Stohr, & Van Roy, 2014). Furthermore, the validity of the animal model permits for the evaluation of the functional outcomes. It has be recalled that this is in the preclinical trial of the research. The validity of the animal model data is essential for availing vital information regarding the selectivity and potency of the drug for the human target. The two are vital components in determining if the drug works beyond the preclinical stage of the research. It is so for the in vitro data obtained from the animal models used. At the same time, the in vivo data avails a pharmacodynamics and a pharmacokinetic profile of the drug to be. The pharmacokinetic and the pharmacodynamics of the novel drug under research determines the drug affinity to the identified target and the how well it is distributed to the target. The

Marketing across culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing across culture - Essay Example Therefore, marketers need to have different marketing strategies for each and every market where it is being sold and marketed. This is the reason why Denon sells its surround sound receivers with different model numbers, features (silver, black, gold tone) as well as warranties in order to cater to the unique needs of these markets. In order to combat the problem of different needs of the markets, a lot of marketers make a specific marketing plan for a particular product and then they adjust this plan depending on the market where it is being sold in order to fulfill the needs of the customers of this market. For example, many organizations sell their products in hundreds of markets all over the world. It is impossible to make specific marketing plans and strategies for each and every market. Therefore, these marketers make a common international marketing plan and then, they make adjustments to these plans and strategies according to the specific and unique needs of the market. 2. What are the problems you are likely to encounter with the distribution of your products in: China, Japan, and India? Which country poses the biggest problem? Explain your answer. With rapid globalization, companies are now selling their products in different countries worldwide. All of these countries have different markets with unique needs and characteristics. ... Due to the communication, transport as well as regional difficulties, companies need to hire, train as well as constantly keep in contact with these agents (Selling and Distributing in China without a Legal Presence, n.p.). As far as Japan is concerned, one of the major problems is the difficulty of penetrating its cultural barriers and complex bureaucratic relationships and structures. The multi-layered distribution network in India is the biggest problems faced by marketers all over the world. It is difficult for marketers to reach a large number of customers and develop a high market share. Therefore, India is said to be the country which poses the most difficult problem for marketers as it is twice as hard to distribute products in India as it is else where. 3. Many products fulfill both a functional need as well as a social need. When deciding how much to adapt an existing product for a new foreign market, which type of need should a marketer focus on? Explain your answer. When entering a new foreign market, marketers should focus more on functional needs rather than on social needs. This is because the main reason for entering a market is to fulfill the functional needs of the customers. Functional needs are those needs which are fulfilled by the various functions of the product. After the fulfillment of the functional needs, the consumer gets socially attached with the product or service and that is when the marketer should start emphasizing on social needs. Therefore, during the initial stage the marketer should place more emphasis and focus on the functional needs. After that product’s functional needs turn into social needs, the marketer should switch his focus on it. Marketers need to determine the stage of the product lifecycle and

Advantages and disadvantages of owning VS renting a home Essay

Advantages and disadvantages of owning VS renting a home - Essay Example The advantages and disadvantages discussed in this article will enable one come up with viable decision as whether to purchase a house or rent. Let us begin with the advantages of owning a home. When one owns a home, that person is building equity. One must understand that the value of a house does not increase with time. On the contrary, its value decreases with time. However, when one owns a home they can contribute to their investment portfolio. As one clear a mortgage, he, or she builds up equity while the home value remains constant (Williams, 23). Authorities that are responsible with collecting tax have established tax relief to those who have taken mortgage. The purpose of this reduction is to aid in offsetting ones loan. In addition to that as one chooses to pay fixed-mortgage, payment in interest and the initial principal remains constant as long as the loan is outstanding. Even though payment of taxes and insurance may vary with time, one may be able to use the house as an investment. Moreover, when one purchases a house and leaves it, it is not wasted since the same house can be rented to generate income. This is also one of the best alternatives one can use to repay mortgage. It is therefore advisable to choose a house that is attractable and that is rentable, that is if one might think of renting it in the near future. Another important benefit of owning a home is that it enables one settle and lives with the community. Purchasing a home is a long-term investment. Once one has a home, he or she is committed to live with the surrounding people for a long time. As a result, one gets to understand the neighbors well and may get the opportunity to be involved in communal economical activities or even become a volunteer in a program that benefit the community for instance assisting in building of a school or public latrines among others. When one owns a home, he or

Vietnam War - Paper Essay Example for Free

Vietnam War Paper Essay The Vietnam War was a conflict between the communist, North Vietnam and South Vietnam. In the wake of the Second World War western fears of a communist expansion throughout Asia were running high. The United States was concerned that if North Vietnam succeed and turned Vietnam into a communist state, neighboring countries were also likely to follow. As an ally of the United States and Australia’s involvement in South-East Asia Treaty Organization and the Australia New Zealand United States Security Treaty and the belief in forward defence Australia was an enthusiastic supporter of the American policy in Vietnam. The majority of Australians supported the countrys involvement in the Vietnam War in its early years mainly because of the threat of communism. Australia felt that if communism dominated South Vietnam it would be an even bigger risk to Australia because of the domino effect. If Vietnam fell into communism so will its neighboring countries including Australia. Australia did not want to fall into communism and agreeing to the request for help by South Vietnam, Australia supported the war and troops were immediately sent to Vietnam. The decision to send the army to Vietman was also made by the Older Australians which were part of the group called the Returned Servicemens League. These people believed in the idea of the Anzac Spirit and expected the younger generation to do their bit as they had during World War II. The Australian People and Liberal Party rallied behind the leadership of Menzies. Therefore, the Liberal Party was also in agreement with Australias involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1966, Australia warmly welcomed the visit of the American president, Lyndon Baines Johnson. The new prime minister of Australia enthusiastically declared that when it came to Vietnam, Australia was all the way with LBJ, which meant that Australia was willing to support the US in supporting the Vietnam War. The Democratic Labor Party at that time who split from the Labor Party had a very large Catholic membership and was also very anti-communist. It was also determined to oppose any ALP policies so it automatically supported the war. After the first announcement of sending troops there was a general support from the news outlets for the governments policy. This wasn’t the kind of support shown in Australia’s involvement in previous wars. There was little mention of words like heroic and more mention of words like grave  decision’. Many of the papers simply said Australia had no alternative, given its geographical position and its treaty commitments. The support was there, but it was muted and it tended to question the political situation in South Vietnam. Australian Catholics had been encouraged to see South Vietnam as not only the last democracy in South East Asia, but as a Catholic democracy. There was widespread support for the government of the Republic of Vietnam, even after the assassination of the Catholic leader Ngo Dinh Diem. At the same time as the Australian government made the announcement that it was sending troops, the Pope called for negotiations to take place in Vietnam for a peaceful resolution. Many Australian Catholics did not see the Popes announcement as any reason not to support the commitment of troops to South Vietnam and so they were in support. There was even a large section of the community who seemed to take no interest in what was going on in South East Asia. Many people believed Vietnam to be too far away for the average person to care about. They were quite unconcerned about the war and firmly believed it should be left up to the government and the army to sort out. Sending troops off to fight in wars was seen by many ordinary Australians as not only the right thing to do but as a good way of increasing Australias prestige in the world. This caused a lot of people to automatically support the government without really questioning if it was a good idea or not. On the contrary, there were many people and organisations that were against this war. Anti-war protests had been taking place in Australia since 1962 when the first military advisors had been sent in to Vietnam. Since then, protests had taken place for various reasons at various times, but it was not until the P.M.’s announcement in April 1965 to provide an infantry battalion for service in Vietnam for ‘further military assistance’ when protests really began to take shape. This opposition was a result of extensive media coverage, a unequal system of conscription and growing political consciousness. A lot of violent and gruesome footage of the war was broadcasted right into peoples homes every evening. Many protests were the result of this. Conscription introduced in November 1964 had forced young men to fight away from their home country. Many people saw this as unfair and wrong. This too caused a lot of controversy and many arguments were made against the government for  introducing this. The ALP was against the commitment of troops to Vietnam. The Labor leader Arthur Calwell had the unenviable job of responding to the government in parliament. Labor saw the war as essentially a civil one in which Australia should not get involved. Calwell did say that they would back the Australian troops and not deny them the support they would need. Many of the trade unions called the government support of Americas foreign policy in Vietnam diggers for dollars. They believed the Australian government was sacrificing the lives of Australian troops to ensure that America would boost the economy by spending more money in Australia. In response to this belief and the announcement of more troops being sent to Vietnam, unions wanted to hold work stoppages in protest. The Australian Council of Trade Unions followed the Labor Party policy of not supporting the war but not denying the soldiers support. In later years, no other group would be more associated with anti-war activities, but reaction in the universities immediately after the announcement. Educated university students didnt see the point in continuing a futile war. They thought that young men being forced to go to war was unnecessary, it disturbed their lives and the potential to live to their dreams. They also thought that the enormous amount of money used on the war should be spent on helping their own count. The fact that it was an overseas war and that it had nothing to do with us was another reason for opposition. The reason why they were opposing the war is because they considered that Australia is following USA blindly, it is not our war and they also didnt like the idea of young men being forced into war and innocent woman, elders and children being killed due to the war. There was also a large and angry anti-war movement growing. There were public draft-card burnings, student sit ins and large noisy group demonstrations when the American President, Johnson visited Australia. By the late 1960s a much stronger and more violent form of protest appeared. Protesters raided officers and campaigns were launched to persuade young men not to register for conscription. The Labor Party was against the conscription method, calling it unfair, and they had much support from the Australian public. We should stop following US policy blindly The women of SOS â€Å"put on their hats and gloves and carried their blue and white banners high to the army barracks, to court, to Parliament House, to the City Sq uare, and even, in 1969, to Vietnam itself. Most of the SOS members were  ordinary middle-class and working-class women, wives and mothers, who had no connections to the radical youth counter-culture, but they educated themselves and others on the situation in Vietnam and on the laws associated with conscription and conscientious objection. In the process, their politics became increasingly radical. Later, Following the success of the November 1969 Moratorium in the United States, a series of Australian’s groups opposed to the war in Vietnam decided to band together to put on a Moratorium in Australia. The demonstration in Melbourne, led by Member of Parliament Jim Cairns, had over 100,000 people taking to the streets in Melbourne alone. Across Australia, it was estimated that 200,000 people were involved. The second Vietnam Moratorium in September 1970 was smaller after more violence occurred. 50 000 people participated and there were violent incidents between police. Two hundred people were arrested in Sydney. The third moratorium in June 1971 were of nearly 100 000 people. By this time public opinion was beginning to turn assertively against conscription and Australian‘s involvement in the war. The intensity of the conflict in Australia over our involvement in Vietnam, and the issue of conscription, contributed to the election of a Labor government in December 1972. Twenty-three years of conservative Liberal government had ended. The new Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, immediately abolished National Service and recalled the Australian army. As we see due to the fear of communism in Australia most Australian’s were ready to send troops to fight in Vietnam. However, as the war progressed and the society were starting to see all the pictures on TV and hearing so much soldiers are dying and sent overseas and that this war can’t be won, Australian’s started to do something about this. They went out on streets to protest, fig ht, and hold moratoriums and as a result of these conflicts the troops were called back after 10 years and 60,000 soldiers fighting in the longest war Australia had been part of.

Film Proposal Essay

Film Proposal Essay FILM PROPOSAL CAMINO Camino is a documentary about the life-changing journey to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. It is a 500-miles walk   and it usually takes between 30 and 40 days. Thousands of people are doing this trip because they are searching for the answers about themselves:   about their loves, jobs or   the meaning of their existence. The main character is a young man who choose to travel alone from   France to Santiago, which is the most popular and busiest Camino route, in searching of the purpose of his life. The film will provide the audience a knowledge about the pilgrim route and why it is also called The Spiritual Walk. The screenplay is organized into 3-act structure. The first one is The Set Up where we will see the main character who is engaged to his lovely girlfriend but he just received an offer for a better paid job in the big city. He needs to stay alone for a while, somewhere out of the reality,   to rearrange   his priorities because the life he lived by now makes him feel miserable. One day he sees a group of tourists waiting next to the bus stop. They look very interesting to him and somehow very familiar to something he have already seen. After a short conversation with them he decides to fallow the group without telling any of his relatives and not even his fiancà ©e   about this. Then we see the main character on the airport waiting on the check-in desk for the flight to France. The second act , called The Conflict, starts with the plain which is landing in France. There he continue the journey alone. He will meet a lot of people from different cultures with different stories and all of their personal stories and advices will help him to find his answers. The first thing he sees in France is a homeless dog. The dog will follow him to Santiago where is the end of the Camino walk.   The main character knows everything he needs to know about Camino ( from the tourists ) and the only rule he has to fallow is to keep walking. He is very interested to see what kind of people are travelling through these routes and how they spend their holidays. He will be in danger and the dog will help him. The dog will meet a female dog but it will stay with the main character. Some of the remarkable icons on the Camino route will appear on the background so this will be the part of the documentary which will make the story more reliable. At   third and the final act , The Resolution, the main character still do not know the answer of his question and he feels disappointed of himself but just before he get into the airport he sees the dog. The only creature that stayed with him during the whole   journey. Then he realises that the answer was in front of him during all this time. He leaves the dog in Santiago but when he goes back at home , he stays with his girl because the meaning of the life is to find the other half and if you do not like the life we live , just change it. Make it the way you want it to be. As I already said the main character is a young man who is engaged to the love of his life. He lives in a small town where the time stopped ages ago and the life there doesnt suit his personality. He is courageous, a bit egotistical, a risk-taker, energetic,   gregarious, very intelligent and also a very good listener but now he is on that period of his life when he is very stressed and confused with his thoughts and feelings. He combines all of the characteristics needed to be on this trip. He represents the people there. They are not crazy or idiots, they are just confused and they do something to reach the happiness. The documentary will be black and white 2D animation. It is suitable for group of two or three. When it comes to the sound, the whole group will take the decision who will work on it : we as a filmmakers or we will meet students from the Music Department. Ive made the character design and a rough version of the story board but I would like to discuss every aspect of the project with the group as they will be part of the project as well. I have made some backgrounds so the other part of the group will have a clear idea of how the visual design looks like. For this project I was inspired by a web site, which   I incidentally found on Internet. It is about peoples experience in Spain during their Camino walk. My documentary is about a personal story and how a man is struggling with his emotions and feelings.   My film is will be combination of different stories and in purpose   to attract the audience   so that they will see what could happen on this trip and why   its worth it. Internet is full of stories and tips good to know if you decide to go on this trip. I read a lot of articles and I watched films and personal video clips related to the matter of the documentary.   They perfectly represents the idea of the walk. As the film is target to a selected audience ( adults) the film will contains dynamic actions, personal stories, a love story, friendship. The story itself represents the meaning of the Camino de Santiago route. Bibliography: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2159915/Walk-lifetime-Why-epic-Camino-trail-Spain-route-true-happiness.htmlhttp://hostelgeeks.com/3-travel-stories-from-the-famous-camino-de-santiago/ Camino de Santiago Camino de Santiago http://www.theroadtosantiago.com/camino-stories.html Filmography: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441912/

Korean War Essay -- History

Throughout history the United States has fought in many wars. Whether the fighting took place in Europe such as WWI or in our own land like the civil war. The one war many people seem to forget is the Korean War. The Korean War also known as the â€Å"forgotten war† was a war between North Korea, South Korea and the US together with the South Koreans to help. The Korean War was fought on sea, land, and in the air over and near the Korean peninsula (Brown, p.2). On June 25, 1950, the North Koreans rumbled across the thirty-eighth parallel. The invasion was successful because the south was not expecting or even prepare for a war. The invasion was so successful that they pushed the south to a tiny defensive area around Pusan. That’s when President Truman steps in real quick to halt the invasion of the North Koreans. Truman ordered American armed forces under General Douglas MacArthur to support South Korea. The Korean War was a clash between Communist forces and Free World (Brown, p.2). On June 25th, 1950 at 4 a.m. the North Korean People’s Army (KPA) attacked across the 38th parallel, implementing a well-developed invasion plan (Lewis p.1). The KPA had a huge number of military men compare to the South Koreans. It had about 135,000 soldiers in 10 divisions, five separate infantry brigades, and one armor brigade with 120 soviet-made-T-34 tanks (Lewis p.1). The Republic of Korea (ROK) was taken by surprise and was not fully equipped with weapons like the KPA (Lewis p.1). So for that matter the ROK could not halt the invasion. But if the South Koreans would have had heavy artillery like the KPA then maybe the KPA’s invasion plan would had been a failure. The United Nations Security Council approved a US sponsored resolution that called fo... ...t (Brown, p.17). On October 7 the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for unification of Korea and authorized MacArthur to send his forces into North Korea. The North Korean capital of Pyongyang fell on October 19, and the allied UN troops flooded north effectively unopposed. They pushed the North Korean forces to the Yalu River, which formed the North Korean border with the region of China. The war left marks on the Korean peninsula and the world around it. Even though the Korean War was fairly short, no one knows the exact numbers of deaths. According to the history channel website, â€Å"nearly 5 million people died and almost 40,000 Americans died in action along with more than 100,000 wounded.† (Korean War, p.1) Every war is going to have its cost. The total approximation fot the United States involvement in Korea was about 67 billion (Calore, p.2).

Annual School Day

List of Indian Classical Music Book Book Title| Author| Publisher| Description| Abhinav Geet Manusha (3 volumes)| Pt. S N Ratanjankar| | | Abhinav Geetanjali| Pt. Ramashreya Jha| | | Acharya Tanarang Ki Bandishen| Acharya V. G. Ringe (Tanarang)| | | Anup Rag Vilas| Pt. Kumar Gandharva| | Bandishes composed and sung by the author, most available on cassettes. | Bandish/Upaja| Mahammad Husen Khan| | Collection of bandishes composed by the author. | Bhartiya Sangeet Mala| Mirasha Bua| | Collection of traditional bandishes from Gwalior gharana. Bhavrang Lahari| Pt. Balwantrai Bhatt| | Collecton of Bandishes composed by Balwantrai Bhatt. | Dhrupad Dhamar Gayan| Rajabhayya Punchhawale| | Collection of traditional Dhrupad Dhamar bandishs. | Dinarang| Pt. Dinkar Kaikini| | | Geet Manjiri| Pt. Vinaychandra Moudgalya| | | Hindustani Khayal Gayaki| Mirashi Bua| | Collection of Khayals with notations of full improvisation. | Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati| Pt. Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande| | | Jivi Ji vai (Golden Voice Golden Years)| Pt. Jasraj| | Bandishes with notations composed by the author. Mai Jaisa Bhi Hun| Balasaheb Punchhawale| | Collecton of bandishes composed by the author. | Mukkam Vashi| Pt. Kumar Gandharva| | | Pranav Bharati| Pt. Omkarnath Thakur| | | Raag Bodh| Prof. B. R. Deodhar| | Collection of traditional compositions. | Raag Darshan| Pt. Manikbuwa Thakurdas| | Collection of Bandishes| Raag Rachananjali| Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande| | Bandishes composed and sung by the author. | Raag Sangraha| Lt. Master Krishnarao| | Collection of traditional compositions taught by Bhaskarbuwa Bakhle. | Raag Sarita| Pt.C R Vyas| | | Raag Vigyan| Pt. V R Patwardhan| | | Rajabhayya Punchhawale Swaranga Darshan| Balasaheb Punchhawale| | Collection of bandishs from repertoire of Pt. Rajabhayya. | Rasa Gunjan| Pt. Birju Maharaj| | | Rasaraaj| Pt. P N Barve| | | Sangeet Kala Prakash| Pt. Ramkrishna Vaze| | Collection of bandishs from repertoire of Pt. Vaze buwa| Swarangini| Dr. Prabha Atre| | Collecton of bandishes composed by the author. | Thumri Parichay| Leela Karwal| | | Thumri Tarangini| Rajabhayya Punchhawale| | Collection of traditional thumris. * A Discography of Hindustani and Karnatic Music. by Michael S. Kinnear / Hardcover / Published 1985 Price: $79. 50 * The Life of Music in North India : The Organization of an Artistic Tradition  by Daniel M. Neuman / Paperback / Published 1990 Price: $25. 00 * Bismillah Khan and Benaras, the Seat of Shehnai  by Rita Ganguly / Hardcover / Published 1994 Price: $30. 00  (Special Order) * Broadcasting : New Patron of Hindustani Music  by B. N. Goswami / Hardcover / Published 1996 Price: $30. 0  (Special Order) * The Classical Music of North India : The Music of the Baba Allauddin Gharana As Taught Byali Akbar Khan/Volume One : The First Years' Study  by Ruckert / Paperback / Published 1991 Price: $59. 95   * An Introduction To Hindustani Music  by Arati Chakravarty / Hardcover / Published 1999 Price: $24. 00  (Special Order) * Keywords and Concepts : Hindustani Classical Music  by Ashok Da. Ranade / Hardcover / Published 1990 Price: $26. 00  (Special Order) * Penguin Dictionary of Indian Classical Music  by Raghava R. Menon / Paperback / Published 1995 Price: $9. 0  (Special Order) * Between two tanpuras  by Vaamana Harai Deasapaaonode   * Hindustani sangeet paddhati : Bhatkhande kramik pustak  by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande * Indian music in performance : a practical introduction  by Neil Sorrell * Indian musical traditions : an aesthetic study of the gharanas in Hindustani music  by Vaamana Harai Deasapaaonode * Islamic Contributions to South Asia's Classical Music  by Mobarak Hossain Khan * Musicians of India : past and present gharanas of Hindustani music and genealogies  by Amala Daaasaasarmaa * Pillars of Hindusthani Music  by B.R. Deodhar, Ram Deshmukh (Translator) * The Ragas of North India  by Walter Kaufmann * The Rags of North Indian Music : Their Structure and Evolution  by Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy * Some immortals of Hindustani music  by Susheela Misra

Sleep Journal

Jennifer Nguyen Professor Perry Daughtry Intro to Psychology 09-28-2012 Sleep Journal Essay College students like myself often put off sleep for other activities like studying, doing homework or even just staying up all night with a friend. Our body follows the twenty-four hour cycle of each day and night through a biological clock called the Circadian rhythm. On the weekdays, staying up all night and skipping meals makes it difficult to focus in class. After lunchtime, I become sleepy and have difficulty focusing on my other classes.In the afternoon, this affects my body because it does not give me energy, but instead it makes me crash earlier in the day. David Myers, the author of Exploring Psychology the eighth edition, says, â€Å"Everyone needs to get eight hours of sleep† (Myers, 75). This quote I think is so underrated, because some people in our world today only get six to nine hours of sleep, on a daily basis. If you think about it, going to sleep is not that easy. Th ere are five unique stages to sleeping. In stage one, this cycle is considered to be between being awake and slightly dozing off.When you are in this cycle, you wake up, but you do not feel like you fell asleep. The brain produces theta waves, which makes the brain waves decrease when you go into other sleep stages. In stage two, the brain begins to relax more. The sleep spindles, which are rapid, rhythmic brain waves, are present in this cycle. Your body temperature starts to decrease and your heart rate starts to slow down. In stage three, this cycle is forwarded to deep sleep. In stage four, you are in a deep sleep, but not enough to dream.Also in this cycle, â€Å"some children might wet the bed or even sleep walk† according to David Myers. In stage five, also known as the rapid eye movement (REM), the heart rate increases and eyes begin to move under the eyelids. Most dreams occur here because the brain activity was increased. The importance of sleep is a big deal, that if you did not sleep, you would die from sleep deprivation. You need sleep so that your body can restore all its needs for the next day. Not enough sleep can produce a lot of problems like car accidents, memory problems, and sleep disorders.Two most known sleep disorders are insomnia and sleep apnea. Insomnia is a sleep disorder where you cannot fall asleep. Insomnia can happen to anyone and can be either a short term or a long-term process. Another sleep disorder is called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is caused by irregular pauses in breathing, during sleeping. Both of these disorders, if not treated, can cause heart problems and even death in most cases. There are many reasons why we dream at night. An Austrian Neurologist named Sigmund Freud considered dreams the key to understanding our inner conflicts.Some researchers believe that the dreams can help sort experiences on a daily basis, while other researchers believe that dreams may also serve a physiological function. Other theorie s suggest that dreams flow from neural activity moving upward to the brainstem. The first three nights of sleeping in my sleeping journal, my dreams were nightmares. The first night I had a dream that my grandmother passed away and nobody was there to help me through the tragedy. From the feelings of abandonment, I just went psycho. Unfortunately almost two years ago, my grandmother in fact passed away.It is unclear to me why I dreamt of this memory. My second dream was that my psychology class had visited a local jail and our teacher created an experiment where every other student was a prisoner, and everybody else was a guard. I was one of the prisoners and the guards tortured me to a point where I could no longer think. My psychology professor Mr. Daughtry, told our class about this experiment on actual prisoners, which influenced to dream of this particular subject. My third dream was that I had rented a cabin with my friend.The owner was a psycho killer with the intention of ki lling us. We made it out alive. These dreams caused me to wake up with sweat all over my body and my head would spin a little bit. The next four nights of sleeping were fairly decent. The dreams consisted of dreaming about being in a fairytale and going back to high school because in that dream it was mandatory to go back to the high school. The last seven nights of my sleeping journal, I only had one nightmare, because I went camping with my church group and we were in the woods and we had told scary stories.My sleep patterns on the weekend are very different to my sleep patterns on the weekday because I usually go to bed really late and not wake up until late in the afternoon. During this journal, it was hard for me to get used to waking up on specific times, since I would stay up late to do homework or study for a test coming up. This is one of the reasons why my sleeping habits have not been normal. I have learned that my sleeping habits do have an affect on my daily life. I sho uld try and get enough sleep, so that my body can actually rest and not be so stressed out.I wish that I would not skip dinner for homework, because when I do wake up, my stomach hurts a lot from not eating. This problem also makes me crash during the day since I do not have enough time to eat, and so my production level decreases. Sleep Journal Entries Jennifer Nguyen Mr. Daughtry Intro to Psychology 09-09-2012 Day 1: I went to sleep at 1:00 am and woke up at 6:11 am. The dream was that my grandmother passed away and that I had nobody to confide in. It got to a point where I just went psycho and was led to a mental house. 09-10-2012 Day 2: I went to sleep at 12:00 am and woke up at 7:30 am.The dream was that my psychology class went to visit the local jail. My psychology teacher decided to do this experiment, where every other student was a prisoner and the rest were guards. I was unfortunately a prisoner, and the guards tortured me so bad that it broke my spirit. 09-11-2012 Day 3: I went to sleep at 10:00 pm and woke up at 7:00 am. My dream was that I went to go on a vacation on a remote island. I went with a friend and the person who owned the cabin was a strange man. We discovered that the strange man was a killer and he went after us. We called for help and we never saw that guy ever again. 9-12-2012 Day 4: I went to bed at 3:14 am and woke up ate 8:00 am. I could not remember this dream. 09-13-2012 Day 5: I went to bed at 1:20 am and woke up 6:52 am. I could not fall asleep. After twenty minutes had gone by, I dreamt that I was with my boyfriend and we had gotten into this big argument and he dumped me. The next day, he decided to show up to my house with a girl, and I cried. He said that he was just joking and that it was his friend. He wanted to g back out with me and we did. 09-16-2012 Day 6: I went to bed at 9:00 pm and woke up at 6:00 am. My dream was that I was getting married to a famous prince.Before this all happened, he proposed to me and he ha d this big secret. He did not tell that he was a prince and I inherited everything. This dream was a total fairytale! 09-17-2012 Day 7: I went to bed at 12:12 am and woke up at 6:32 am. My dream was that I was back in high school and that I had to go back to my high school because it was mandatory for all 2012 graduates. 09-18-2012 Day 8: I went to bed at 9:20 pm and woke up at 5:52 am. My dream was that I was in a theatre play and I was the main lead. I did so well that I was booked in Hollywood as a professional.I was basically a celebrity. 09-19-2012 Day 9: I went to bed at 1:18 am and woke up at 6:30 am. My dream was that I went to school and our school had won this lottery where we got to see Kate Middleton in person. She was really nice and sweet. 09-20-2012 Day 10: I went to bed at 11:20 pm and woke up at 6:25 am. My dream was that I had grown up and that I had my life all settled. I was a nurse and that I lived comfortably in a house with my husband and two kids. 09-21-12 Da y 11: I went to bed at 3:00 am and woke up at 8:00 am. My dream was that I was at camp and I happened to be all alone.Then all of a sudden, the killer came out and tried to kill me, but I managed to get to safety. 09-22-12 Day 12: I went to bed at 1:00 am and woke up at 7:45 am. I could not remember this dream. 09-23-2012 Day 13: I went to bed at 9:00 pm and woke up at 6:31 am. I could not remember this dream. 09-24-2012 Day 14: I went to bed at 9:00 pm and woke up at 6:15 am. My dream was that I was in a relationship with Ian Heccox and we have been dating for a long time. He got down on one knee after we have a very romantic boat ride in Paris. Of course I said yes. We got married in Paris and it was very magical.

Beximco Textile’s Working Capital Management

Executive Summary This report is presenting the overall working capital management of BeximcoTextiles Limited. In this report all of the information is collected from secondary data. As, Primary data was too much confidential, the company didn’t disclose it to us. In this report the terms and conditions that we have learned in FIN 406 has implemented. In this report financial analysis and recommendations are given. Introduction part Company overview The Beximco Textiles Ltd. was incorporated in Bangladesh as a Public Ltd. Company with limited liability on 1994 & commenced commercial operation in 1995. The project was set up as a state of the art fabric weaving, dyeing & finishing facilities for production of high quality shirting fabric, unique wrinkle free fabric (Cortex-2000, cotra DP 3. 5 +) & other fabrics. BTL has an installed capacity of 288 high-speed air-jet looms in its weaving section & a high-tech dyeing & finishing section with a capacity of 100,000 yards of finished fabric per day. It is a member enterprise of the Beximco conglomerate. During the year the company produced and sold high quality shirting and other fabric and bringing forth all the latest in hard and soft technologies in weaving and finishing of fabric. It is the most modern composite mill in the region. They have leveraged Bangladesh's labor cost advantage ; export competitiveness to the maximum. Beximco Textiles Limited engages in manufacturing and marketing yarn, woven, knit, and denim fabrics in Bangladesh. The company offers yarn products, such as count, fiber, CVC, and TC yarn products; fabric products comprising solid dyed, yarn dyed, finishing, dobby designs, and yarn count products; and denim products. It also provides special yarn products consisting of plied yarn, fancy yarn, slub yarn, core spun, multi count, and multi twist products, as well as wrinkle-free products. The company was formerly known as Padma Textile Mills Limited and changed its name to Beximco Textiles Limited in 2006. Mission Each of our activities must benefit and add value to the common wealth of our society. We firmly believe that, in the final analysis we are accountable to each of the constituents with whom we interact; namely: our employees, our customers, our business associates, our fellow citizens and our shareholders. Purpose of this Study: This study has been designed in such a way that students are going to learn the in-depth knowledge about a company’s financial condition. The main purpose of this report is to reinforce the concept of financial policy of Beximco Textiles ltd. along with its all working capital ratios, short-term financing and long-term financing. etc. Overall, this study will help a finance student to familiar with the practical scenario. Limitation: The report is limited to the data that are available in the annual reports and in the website related to Beximco textiles. Primary data was not available as they didn’t disclose. Finally, we have used our own judgments in many ways from our Business Finance courses in order to simplify the research, evaluate, calculation and advising. Financial Analysis Working Capital of Beximco Textiles ltd. : Working capital is defined as current (expected to be consumed or converted into cash within one year) assets minus current liabilities. Working capital turnover indicates how efficiently the company generates revenue with its working capital. Year| Current Assets| Current Liabilities| Working Capital of particular year| 2006| 7572906611| 5961381357| 1605525254| 2007| 7881489387| 8058498925| -177009538| 2008| 7230982538| 7906937639| -675955101| 2009| 8677166758| 4834823994| 3842342764| 2010| 9031547621| 6944110703| 2087436918| Inventory: Inventories are carried at the lower of cost and net realizable value as prescribed by IAS 2:Inventories, cost is determined on weighted average cost basis. The cost of inventories comprises of expenditure incurred in the normal course of business in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition. Net realizable value is based on estimated selling price less any further costs expected to be incurred to make the sale. Beximco textile ltd. Holds 5 types of inventory: * Raw material inventory (Fibre, yarn, gray fabric, dyes ; chemicals) * Work in process inventory * Finished goods inventory * Packing materials * Stores and Spares Amount of inventory in five years: Year| Amount of inventory| 006| 3414768025| 2007| 3688016341| 2008| 2733063864| 2009| 2742675600| 2010| 2994596746| Accounts Receivable: Their accounts receivable are recognized at cost which is fair value of the consideration given for them. 5 years accounts receivable of Beximco Textile: Year| Amount of Accounts receivable| 2006| 3407687731| 2007| 3451582241| 2008| 3765912622| 2009| 4986086053| 2010| 5040220480| Current ratio: Year| Ratio| 2006| 1. 27| 2007| . 97| 2008| . 91| 2009| 1. 79| 2010| 1. 3| Illustration: Quick Ratio: Year| Ratio| 2006| . 69| 2007| . 52| 2008| . 56| 009| 1. 22| 2010| . 86| Illustration: Activity ratios: Working capital turnover: Year| ratio| 2006| 3. 23| 2007| -24. 11| 2008| -7. 04| 2009| 2. 04| 2010| 6. 98| Illustration: Working Capital Turnover Inventory Turnover: year| ratio| 2006| . 92| 2007| . 81| 2008| 1. 13| 2009| 1. 79| 2010| 3. 15| Illustration: Days of inventory on hand (DOH): Assuming that, Beximco Textile’s number of days in period is 360. Then the DOH would be: Year| DOH| 2006| 391. 30| 2007| 444. 44| 2008| 318. 58| 2009| 201. 11| 2010| 114. 29| | | | | Illustration: Receivable turnover: Year| ratio| 2006| 1. 52| 2007| 1. 23| 2008| 1. 26| 2009| 1. 57| 2010| 2. 89| Illustration: Days sales outstanding(DSO): Year| Ratio| 2006| 235. 85| 2007| 291. 20| 2008| 284. 80| 2009| 228. 19| 2010| 124. 51| | | Illustration: Cash conversion cycle: (Inventory conversion period+ Receivables conversion period)-Payables conversion period Year| CCC| 2006| 523. 12| 2007| 594. 16| 2008| 417. 5| 2009| 387. 17| 2010| 143. 36| | | Collection ; Disbursement Cash Inflow and Cash Outflow by Operating Activities (in tk. ): | 2010| 2009| 2008| 2007| 2006| Cash received from customers ; others| 145187023| 664608431| 3190602600| 4223133089| 4887688455| Cash paid to suppliers ; Employees| 898661193| 535932698| 3043303205| 3788738872| 3703613507| Cash Generated from Operations| 5532091050| 1286757473| 147299395| 434394217| 1184074948| Interest Paid| 1445098454| 2006166127| 1261679027| 766830156| 906788267| Income Tax Paid| 43025787| 56338512| 20396366| 74934103| 8084912| Net Cash Generated from Operating Activitie| 4043966809| 775747166| 1134775998| 407370042| 269201769| Daily Cash Generated from Operating Activities| 11233241. 4| 2154853. 24| 3152155. 55| 1131583. 45| 747782. 6917| Cash Flows from Investing Activities (in tk. ): | 2010| 2009| 2008| 2007| 2006| Acquisition of Property, Plant ; Equipment| 3231593528| 2381789851| 986841760| 39250045| 205811905| Long-term security deposit| -| -| -| -| 46064| Net Cash Used in Investing Activities| 3231593528| 2381789851| 986841760| 39250045| 205857969| Daily Cash Used in Investing Activities| 8976648. 69| 6616082. 92| 2741227. 1| 1090279028| 571827. 917| Cash Flows from Financing Activities (in tk. ): 2010| 2009| 2008| 2007| 2006| Allotment of shares| -| 6351789302| -| -| 1050000000| (Decrease)/Increase in Long Term Borrowings| 594878760| 1605294361| 1945272911| 74392816| 1273417109| (Decrease)/Increase in Short Term Borrowings| 201830690| 1578840462| 181255969| 511187488| 118194147| Dividend Paid| -| -| -| -| 30405375| Net cash Generated from Financing Activities| 796709450| 3167654479| 2126528880| 436794672| 135628337| Daily Net cash Generated from Financing Activities| 2213081. 81| 8799040. 22| 5907024. 67| 1213318. 3| 376745. 3806| Increase or decrease in cash and cash equivalents| 15663831| 10117462| 4911122| 9825415| 72284537| Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year| 27249672| 1713221o| 12221088| 22046503| 94331040| Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year| 42913503| 27249672| 17132210| 12221088| 22046503| Interpretations: 1. Working capital: In 2007 and 20 08 working capital of Bextex ltd. was negative. That means; current assets have been lower than the current liabilities. So, the company was in a risky position in terms of liquidity. But from 2009, it started to be positive and the company is in a stable position. 2. Current ratio: This ratio expresses current assets in relation to current liabilities. Current Ratio of bextex ltd. is highest in 2009 which indicates that the company has higher level of liquidity and it can meet short term obligations. But during 2007 and 2008 the ratio had a smaller value than one, indicating that Bextex ltd. had lower liquidity to meet its short term obligations. However, over the following years; Beximco Textiles managed to solve this issue. 3. Quick ratio: The quick ratio is more conservative than current ratio, because it only includes the more liquid current assets in relation to current liabilities. Beximco Textiles Ltd. reached its peak in 2009 in terms of quick ratio but yet again it dropped in 2010. Apart from that, there has been a steady improvement in this aspect. 4. Activity Ratios: a. Working capital Turnover: working capital turnover indicates how efficiently the company generates revenue with its working capital. Bextex ltd. was in the worst situation in 2007, that the ratio was -24. 11; this ratio was negative in 2008 as well. The main reason behind it was that the current asset remained lower than the current liabilities. The negativity in this aspect simply depicts that the company took a very high amount of loans during those years. Yet, the operations were efficient enough to improve that risky position over the years. b. Inventory Turnover Ratio: Inventory turnover ratio shows the times  a company's  inventory is sold and replaced over a financial period. A low turnover implies poor sales and, therefore, excess inventory. A high ratio implies either strong sales or ineffective buying. During 2006 and 2007; the annual inventory on hand was way higher than the following years. Consequently, the turnover was high as well. During the following years; the management took new measures and managed to reduce the excess the inventory. However, the total amount of inventory in 2010 was higher than that of 2009. Yet, the inventory turnover almost doubled during 2010; which is a strong indication that the sales is increasing in number. c. Days Sales Outstanding Ratio: It indicates the elapsed time between a sale and cash collection. Bextex ltd. ad the lowest DSO in 2010, which indicates a better situation than that of the previous years. In 2007, the ratio was the highest indicating the efficiency lapse in cash collection during that period. 5. Cash Conversion cycle: This metric indicates the amount of time that elapses from the point when a company invests in working capital until the point at which the company collects cash. Bextex ltd. had 523. 12 CCC in 2006 which indicat es poor position and in 2010; they have decreased it from 523. 12 to 143. 36. So, it is a good indication for the company. Basic reason behind this positive trend is that; Beximco Textiles has improved the Inventory conversion and receivables Collection operations dramatically. Both the Inventory conversion period and the Receivable conversion period has been halved from the year 2006 to 2010. 6. Cash-Flow: Cash flow activities show that both the income from operational activities and the return from investments have been increasing over the years. The Payables are being paid out and the retained earnings are being reinvested heavily to increase the efficiency to a higher level. This can be a reason why Beximco Textiles have refrained from giving out dividends since 2007. References 1. BEXIMCO TEXTILES Ltd. (2007). Auditors’ Report 2. BEXIMCO TEXTILES Ltd. (2009). Auditors’ Report 3. BEXIMCO TEXTILES Ltd. (2010). Auditors’ Report 4. Fredric C. Scherr, Modern Working Capital Management, Prentice Hall International Editions. 5. Ross, S. A, Westerfield, R. W & Jaffe, J. (2005). Corporate Finance 7th Edition. New Delhi: McGraw Hill Publishing Company Limited. 6. Financial Reporting and Analysis CFA (level-1) 2011