Wellness programs try to Be welcoming

AH, July: an ideal time of year for morning runs, long swims, family bike rides and picnic tables laden with seasonal produce. In short, it’s healthy time.  Unfortunately, it’s also health care time — when managers must contend with rising health insurance premiums as they plan next year’s budget.  What is a cost-conscious manager to do? The answer of the moment is to provide a wellness program, promoting healthy behavior year-round.According to a survey by the Hay Group, a consulting firm, more than half of all large companies offer some combination of services like nutrition education, weight management assistance, health risk assessments, and help with quitting smoking; more than a quarter offer things like fitness coaching and discounts on health club memberships.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I was basically out of the business for the better part of the decade,† said Michael Carter, a vice president at Hay responsible for employee health management consulting. â€Å"Now everybody’s my new best friend.†On the surface, it is hard to see anything wrong with urging employees to tone up and trim down. A fitter work force is a happier work force, and less costly, too.  But wellness programs can be minefields. Some employees may resent the programs, viewing them as examples of father-knows-best intrusiveness. At least one program has even formed the background for a lawsuit.The biggest challenge of wellness programs is to reach the employees who would get the most out of them. Gym rats will always take advantage of benefits like discounted health club memberships — but they would probably work out anyway, and discounts may not be enough for those who are seriously overweight or out of shape.  Personalized incentives like fitness coaching and nutrition counseling are often a better way to reach employees in the middle group who just need a little encouragement. It is also crucial to make accommodations for disabled emplo yees.And the tone taken is crucial: who wants the boss telling you to eat your spinach? A program that feels coercive will probably never be as popular as one with positive incentives, like cheaper health insurance.  Employees respond best to wellness programs that are presented as a form of organizational change, rather than as a top-down imposition of new requirements, according to a study of 243 employees by Ellen Ernst Kossek, a professor of human resource management and organizational behavior at Michigan State University, and two colleagues.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It shouldn’t be, ‘Here’s this program,’ † she said. â€Å"It should be linked to ‘How do we make a workplace that’s healthy for everyone.’ †Ã‚  Scotts Miracle-Gro has one of the most extensive wellness programs on offer. Services include personalized fitness coaching and a $5 million wellness center at its headquarters in Marysville, Ohio, with a gym and medical facili ties. The company also has a policy against hiring workers who smoke, where state law permits.Participation in Scotts’ wellness programs is high — but the company has also seen an unexpected side effect from its efforts.  Last year, Scott Rodrigues filed suit against the company in Massachusetts, saying that Scotts fired him after a drug test found nicotine in his system and that the company’s antismoking policy violated his civil rights.  Harvey Schwartz, Mr. Rodrigues’s lawyer, said the case was also an example of benefits discrimination, where a company dismisses an employee to avoid high benefits costs.  In a motion to dismiss the case, which is pending, Scotts said that Mr. Rodrigues had not actually been hired but had been offered a job on the condition that he pass a drug screen, including a test for nicotine.â€Å"When you look at controlling costs,† said Su Lok, a Scotts spokeswoman, smoking â€Å"is something that employers are rea lly taking a stand on.† The company had no comment on the specific case because it is ongoing.  Union Pacific Railroad has had a smoother ride with its longstanding wellness program. The proportion of health insurance claims related to lifestyle has dropped by 11 percentage points over 11 years, said Marcy Zauha, the company’s director for health and safety.Union Pacific, based in Omaha, offers some companywide wellness benefits, including health risk assessments and stop-smoking plans. But much of the program, including regional walking contests and group weight-loss efforts, is administered locally. Managers’ health promotion initiatives are included in their annual reviews.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We’ve tried to build health into our existing culture,† Ms. Zauha said.Fiserv, a financial services technology company based in Brookfield Wis., created a wellness program in 2005 to better recruit and retain employees.  Fiserv employees who fill out a health risk assessment receive a sizable discount on their monthly health insurance premium. There are also companywide fitness challenges: in a recent eight-week walking contest, participants were issued pedometers, and anyone who walked 7,000 steps a day received a prize.Teams have to been known to question whether their rivals really log the number of steps claimed. But that was fine with Linda Schuessler, manager of wellness promotion.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"As long as they’re engaged,† Ms. Schuessler said, â€Å"we don’t really mind those concerns.†(this is the copyofth article from NY Times,http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/business/yourmoney/22mgmt.html?ex=1186113600&en=ded5f6bb661041b0&ei=5070#)Journal AssignmentThe concept at hand is about how managers and company heads would make the most out of their companies by introducing a healthy lifestyle to their employees. It is evident that today, health care costs are so high that rising health insurance premiums would surely be in the way of budgeting for the company (Holland). Obviously, these company heads and managers should not jeopardize the health of their employees, that they should provide the necessary things for their wellness. But surely, this would cost them that it wouldn’t be that easy to pull out strings and fix the budget. That is why these managers should resort to a way that would be more cost effective and keep them from harms way of these health care costs.The article discusses how managers and company heads employ human resource management in order to do away with the costly expenses of health care and health insurances that they provide to the employees. But this doesn’t mean that they neglect the health of these working people. It is true that these people are very important to the company, that these companies need them in order to be productive, which is why it is important that their every need will be given to them or will be addressed.What these company leaders and managers do is that they make sure that these employees are healthy so that they can avert the spending that they’ll have to give when any of these gets sick or has health problems. In order not to shoulder the burden of health care and health insurance premiums, they offered to keep them fit in their own ways.In order to do so, these companies offer basically every health guidance and services that they can offer to the employees. These includes educating them regarding nutrition and proper diet, weight management assistance, health risk assessments and checkups, fitness coaching and giving out memberships for fitness groups and health clubs. Through this, the company themselves are able to ensure that their employees are fit and are far from harms way, thus saving them the costs of health care for these people. Thus, the companies’ budgets will not be greatly affected.If you would relate this approach in human resource management, you could see that this is more on the incentive aspect, wherein you provide your employees something that would keep them going to work. For those who are concerned with their health and well-being, they would surely grab the opportunity of free health club memberships and nutrition education. This is positive for the company, since the employees themselves are the ones who initiate in keeping themselves healthy. Remember, the main concern of the company in this issue is how they can do away with the extra costs of health care and health insurance premiums for their employees.Regarding the effectiveness of this approach, the article states that there are already several large-scale companies who adopted this system. They have their own health clubs and offer free membership to their employees. They say that these greatly helps them in cutting costs, thus the allotted budget for healthcare would be saved. There are still some who are not that much into health stuffs, people who think that nutrition education is l ike intruding with their lives. These people are those who would most likely have health risks and should be given enough consideration in order to engage them in these health programs.Human resource management surely entails various levels of dealing with the people you are handling. This includes how you handle them, and the ways on how you are able to manage them, making them do what they’re suppose to do. This is where healthcare comes in, wherein their safety and well being is not only their concern, but should also be the company’s priority. When their wellness goes down, the company goes down as well, in terms of both manpower and monetary aspects.Reference:Holland, K. (2007). Wellness Programs Try to Be Welcoming, Too. The New York Times. Published July 22, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/business/yourmoney/22mgmt.html?ex=1186113600&en=ded5f6bb661041b0&ei=5070# Wellness Programs Try to Be Welcoming AH, July: an ideal time of year for morning runs, long swims, family bike rides and picnic tables laden with seasonal produce. In short, it’s healthy time.Unfortunately, it’s also health care time — when managers must contend with rising health insurance premiums as they plan next year’s budget.What is a cost-conscious manager to do? The answer of the moment is to provide a wellness program, promoting healthy behavior year-round.According to a survey by the Hay Group, a consulting firm, more than half of all large companies offer some combination of services like nutrition education, weight management assistance, health risk assessments, and help with quitting smoking; more than a quarter offer things like fitness coaching and discounts on health club memberships.â€Å"I was basically out of the business for the better part of the decade,† said Michael Carter, a vice president at Hay responsible for employee health management consulting. â€Å"Now everybody’s my new best friend.†On the surface, it is hard to see anything wrong with urging employees to tone up and trim down. A fitter work force is a happier work force, and less costly, too.But wellness programs can be minefields. Some employees may resent the programs, viewing them as examples of father-knows-best intrusiveness. At least one program has even formed the background for a lawsuit.The biggest challenge of wellness programs is to reach the employees who would get the most out of them. Gym rats will always take advantage of benefits like discounted health club memberships — but they would probably work out anyway, and discounts may not be enough for those who are seriously overweight or out of shape.Personalized incentives like fitness coaching and nutrition counseling are often a better way to reach employees in the middle group who just need a little encouragement. It is also crucial to make accommodations for disabled employees.And the tone ta ken is crucial: who wants the boss telling you to eat your spinach? A program that feels coercive will probably never be as popular as one with positive incentives, like cheaper health insurance.Employees respond best to wellness programs that are presented as a form of organizational change, rather than as a top-down imposition of new requirements, according to a study of 243 employees by Ellen Ernst Kossek, a professor of human resource management and organizational behavior at Michigan State University, and two colleagues.â€Å"It shouldn’t be, ‘Here’s this program,’ † she said. â€Å"It should be linked to ‘How do we make a workplace that’s healthy for everyone.’ †Scotts Miracle-Gro has one of the most extensive wellness programs on offer. Services include personalized fitness coaching and a $5 million wellness center at its headquarters in Marysville, Ohio, with a gym and medical facilities. The company also has a pol icy against hiring workers who smoke, where state law permits.Participation in Scotts’ wellness programs is high — but the company has also seen an unexpected side effect from its efforts.Last year, Scott Rodrigues filed suit against the company in Massachusetts, saying that Scotts fired him after a drug test found nicotine in his system and that the company’s antismoking policy violated his civil rights.Harvey Schwartz, Mr. Rodrigues’s lawyer, said the case was also an example of benefits discrimination, where a company dismisses an employee to avoid high benefits costs.In a motion to dismiss the case, which is pending, Scotts said that Mr. Rodrigues had not actually been hired but had been offered a job on the condition that he pass a drug screen, including a test for nicotine.â€Å"When you look at controlling costs,† said Su Lok, a Scotts spokeswoman, smoking â€Å"is something that employers are really taking a stand on.† The company ha d no comment on the specific case because it is ongoing.Union Pacific Railroad has had a smoother ride with its longstanding wellness program. The proportion of health insurance claims related to lifestyle has dropped by 11 percentage points over 11 years, said Marcy Zauha, the company’s director for health and safety.Union Pacific, based in Omaha, offers some companywide wellness benefits, including health risk assessments and stop-smoking plans. But much of the program, including regional walking contests and group weight-loss efforts, is administered locally. Managers’ health promotion initiatives are included in their annual reviews.â€Å"We’ve tried to build health into our existing culture,† Ms. Zauha said.Fiserv, a financial services technology company based in Brookfield Wis., created a wellness program in 2005 to better recruit and retain employees.Fiserv employees who fill out a health risk assessment receive a sizable discount on their monthly health insurance premium. There are also companywide fitness challenges: in a recent eight-week walking contest, participants were issued pedometers, and anyone who walked 7,000 steps a day received a prize.Teams have to been known to question whether their rivals really log the number of steps claimed. But that was fine with Linda Schuessler, manager of wellness promotion.â€Å"As long as they’re engaged,† Ms. Schuessler said, â€Å"we don’t really mind those concerns.†(this is the copy of the article from NY Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/business/yourmoney/22mgmt.html?ex=1186113600&en=ded5f6bb661041b0&ei=5070#)Journal AssignmentThe concept at hand is about how managers and company heads would make the most out of their companies by introducing a healthy lifestyle to their employees. It is evident that today, health care costs are so high that rising health insurance premiums would surely be in the way of budgeting for the company (Holland). O bviously, these company heads and managers should not jeopardize the health of their employees, that they should provide the necessary things for their wellness. But surely, this would cost them that it wouldn’t be that easy to pull out strings and fix the budget. That is why these managers should resort to a way that would be more cost effective and keep them from harms way of these health care costs.The article discusses how managers and company heads employ human resource management in order to do away with the costly expenses of health care and health insurances that they provide to the employees. But this doesn’t mean that they neglect the health of these working people. It is true that these people are very important to the company, that these companies need them in order to be productive, which is why it is important that their every need will be given to them or will be addressed. What these company leaders and managers do is that they make sure that these empl oyees are healthy so that they can avert the spending that they’ll have to give when any of these gets sick or has health problems. In order not to shoulder the burden of health care and health insurance premiums, they offered to keep them fit in their own ways.In order to do so, these companies offer basically every health guidance and services that they can offer to the employees. These includes educating them regarding nutrition and proper diet, weight management assistance, health risk assessments and checkups, fitness coaching and giving out memberships for fitness groups and health clubs. Through this, the company themselves are able to ensure that their employees are fit and are far from harms way, thus saving them the costs of health care for these people. Thus, the companies’ budgets will not be greatly affected.If you would relate this approach in human resource management, you could see that this is more on the incentive aspect, wherein you provide your empl oyees something that would keep them going to work. For those who are concerned with their health and well-being, they would surely grab the opportunity of free health club memberships and nutrition education. This is positive for the company, since the employees themselves are the ones who initiate in keeping themselves healthy. Remember, the main concern of the company in this issue is how they can do away with the extra costs of health care and health insurance premiums for their employees.  Regarding the effectiveness of this approach, the article states that there are already several large-scale companies who adopted this system. They have their own health clubs and offer free membership to their employees. They say that these greatly helps them in cutting costs, thus the allotted budget for healthcare would be saved. There are still some who are not that much into health stuffs, people who think that nutrition education is like intruding with their lives. These people are th ose who would most likely have health risks and should be given enough consideration in order to engage them in these health programs.Human resource management surely entails various levels of dealing with the people you are handling. This includes how you handle them, and the ways on how you are able to manage them, making them do what they’re suppose to do. This is where healthcare comes in, wherein their safety and well being is not only their concern, but should also be the company’s priority. When their wellness goes down, the company goes down as well, in terms of both manpower and monetary aspects.Reference:Holland, K. (2007). Wellness Programs Try to Be Welcoming, Too. The New York Times. Published July 22, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/business/yourmoney/22mgmt.html?ex=1186113600&en=ded5f6bb661041b0&ei=5070#

Group Characteristics and Development Essay

I was one of the founders of World Movers Research Firm (WMRF). The aim of forming this group was to create employment, earn better incomes and offer consultancy services to those organizations and business entities that could not afford these services at lesser charges than the normal market price in order to help them to grow and achieve their goals. The group comprised of people from diverse areas of study and we thought that this was an advantage since we would inject professionalism into the intended research firm. During forming stage, great care was taken to ensure all diverse disciplines were accorded the respect they deserved. It was also expected that some of us would do lesser job than the rest but this was handled with great care to ensure that no discipline was underrated because this would create intra group conflicts. We therefore discussed the objectives in detail and the job expected of every group member. There was need to have interim leaders who would coordinate the operations of the firm and we gave a chance for members to volunteer as we prepare for group elections. Even though two of our members wanted to head the organization, we managed to solve the conflict by encouraging dialogue amongst them. They were informed that the elections were to be conducted soon and there was no point of arguing. (Marilyn B. Cole, 2005, Pp. 20 – 32; Robins, S. , & Judge, T. , 2009) The most challenging part was perhaps the norming stage. There was a great need of constitution and there was a very hot debate. We managed to come up with a constitution and we agreed unanimously to stick to it and amend it when necessary incase we felt that there was a deficiency. We defined the roles of each member. We also agreed on the groups rewarding system and sharing of profits as well as the losses. All this was made possible by conforming to the agreed upon rules (Marilyn B. Cole, 2005, Pp. 28 – 32) After acquiring an office and making the necessary procurements, it was time to start the work. We managed to get a tender to review the operations of the joint loans boards in the country and make recommendations to improve them. The job was so well done that we were given the opportunity to implement the report. We found out that some of the roles needed modifications, and some of the members were not comfortable with the tasks in which they were supposed to carry out. We amended the constitution and everything came back to normal. (Marilyn B. Cole, 2005, Pp. 21 – 32) We all had high expectations and same objectives. Everyone worked very hard to achieve his part. The constitution was also very clear and conflicts were kept as minimal as possible. The group had minimal cohesion. This was just one of the ways of avoiding the negative symptoms of groupthink. In addition, through voting, we managed to set up a good directive leadership. The group was very independent from outside influences and the groups homogeneity nature in terms of ideologies and social background also suppressed negative groupthink effects. (Marilyn B. Cole, 2005, Pp. 28 – 38; Robins, S. , & Judge, T. , 2009) I can say that the group has been successful since it is still operating. Everyone is contented with his role in the group and we have even gone a step further to venture in investments from the income we have been able References Marilyn B. Cole, (2005). GROUP DYNAMICS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: THE THEORETICAL BASIS AND PRACTICE APPLICATION OF GROUP INTERVENTION, Slack Robins, S. , & Judge, T. (2009). ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, (13th Ed). Upper Saddle River, N. J: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Economics light Essay

Q1. Mention the problem? The problem of that case study is the organizational conflict i.e. every functional manager is trying to get his own interest; therefore, the working climate became disturbed. In other words, it is possible to say that it is a communication issue. Q2.What did sales managers do? The problem of the sales manager lies in focusing on getting more customers more than thinking of getting more profitable orders. Q3. What did manufacturing managers do?  The problem with the manufacturing managers consists in disordering of work steps, light color orders and dark color orders, which in turn wastes time and money. Q4. State your opinion to solve the problem? SOLUTION 1. Sales manager: He should modify the pricing policy for â€Å"rush orders† in a way that enables the company to exceed its breakeven point and get at least its profitable processing .i.e. to make a special price for rush orders. 2. Manufacturing manager: He should review the cleaning process and try to implement a more cost reducing efficient method. 3. General manager: * He should consider introducing a new machine, one for light color and the other for dark color, hence, reducing the cost of getting a new machine will be covered by eliminating the cost of cleaning and cost of time wasted. * He should ensure that the 250 workforce are aware of that every workers effort and role is step in many pre and post steps. Hence the notion of teamwork will prevail. * Every worker should be aware of not only his own task but also the tasks of all his coworkers to get the value of his own role and appreciate it so self esteem will prevail. * As for , the functional managers, especially, the manufacturing and sales managers should be aware of their critical position and try to be farsighted to the long run  objectives not only the short run. They should get rid of their personal interests and vision. They should cooperate and try to implement an overall objective. Done by Abdulla Talal Alsada BH05501669 SBI((FF))

Englosh Literature lesson 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Englosh Literature lesson 3 - Essay Example he disorder of anorexia, which contributes to the overall theme of disease and shows the tangible manifestation of this invasion into the serene culture of the sisters and their people. While the opening pages set the tone and movement of the story, we find after reading the book that much more is involved. Dangarembga’s description of the ills present in her home country are striking, even enraging; but she always brings us back to the beauty inherent in the culture and the underlying strength of the women in her story. Thus the reader is provided with a keen sense of the inner struggle of all the characters, torn between two countries and two cultures, forced to reconcile the invading influence of outsiders with the terms of their own identity as beautiful and strong African women. In the opening paragraph of Nervous Conditions, Tambu tells us that she is preparing to tell the story of the people she knows â€Å"my own story, the story of four women I loved, and our men† (Dangaremgba 1989). She introduces the book as a tale she seeks to weave about herself and the women and men in her life. She also talks about how she doesn’t like her brother and that when he dies it offers her a new opportunity. In addition, she mentions that something strange or difficult will happen to the main character. Her intention is obvious here—she wishes to extend to us the story of her upbringing, the experiences she and her sister witnessed, and how she reached what she sought. In the way a child or young girl might, she wants to entice the reader with a sense of drama, but we can tell that despite her young wisdom, her story is much more than even she can comprehend. Despite her intention, the book takes its readers far beyond just the limited scope of herself and her loved ones, but about the travesty of one culture being invaded and colonized by the other and, specifically, the effect this culture clash has on the women who must fight or succumb to

LEGAL FORMALITIES Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LEGAL FORMALITIES - Research Paper Example ent rules and policies, laws, licensing process, business structure, required documents, taxation, accounting system, intellectual property rights and labor laws. Given below is the brief account of all legal formalities which will be fulfilled by HealthPoint in UAE. Although most of the sections of Company law are similar for all companies operating in UAE however, Government of Abu Dhabi and other regions of UAE has established their own support forums to guide new investors. As we are planning to launch our company in Abu Dhabi therefore, information on all legal activities has been collected for Abu Dhabi. The companies which are involved in viable business activities in Abu Dhabi are required to follow trade licenses Law No. (5) Of 1998. This law deals with the issuance of licenses for the business planning to operate in Abu Dhabi. In addition, as the partners of HealthPoint will be foreign therefore, they also have to consider Law No. (7) Of 1998 (Abu Dhabi Government, 2010). According to this law, HealthPoint will have to get registered with Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and after obtaining the membership the perquisite to obtain the license will be fulfilled. The Government of Abu Dhabi has defined the competent authorities which are involved in issuing licenses to various kinds of businesses in Abu Dhabi. For HealthPoint the license will be issued by Commercial Licenses Authority. HealthPoint will also follow all the rules and regulations defined for the companies operating in Food Industry such as Food safety laws etc. In addition, the other legal requirements for o pening a business have been discussed in the coming sections. HealthPoint will be a General Partnership Contract between the three partners. According to Federal Law No (8) and Article (23), a general partnership can be established by two or more partners and the partners are liable to all debts of the company (Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2010). The complete

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 51

History - Essay Example This alliance was renewed in subsequent year’s i.e. 1887, 1907 and 1912. On the other hand, the triple Entente comprised of Great Britain, France and Russia, who were opposed to the nations in the triple alliance. France was the first to express its fear of the threats posed by this alliance. Britain also expressed its concern over the developments in the German Navy and in 1904 the two nations entered the entente Cordiale or simply put a friendly understanding. The main objective of this alliance was to promote co-operation against an apparent threat by Germany. Three years following the formation of this alliance Russia fearing the growth of Germany army Joined France and Britain to establish the Triple Entente. As opposed to the triple alliance, triple entente did not provide that each nation goes to war on behalf of the others; however it maintained that all members uphold a ‘moral obligation† to support each other. The First World War which began in the month of August 1914 had both direct and indirect causes. The direct cause was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the archduke of Austria, together with his wife at Sarajevo on 28th June 1914. This event that was linked to Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian revolutionary, only served as a trigger that set off declarations of the war. However, there are other Arguable causes that include: The existence of alliances that had been signed by concerned nations between 1879 and 1914. These alliances carried a significant implication on the later developments since some countries had no otherwise but to declare war in case any of the members ally declared war first. Such is the case that alliances reflected agreement between two or more nations to support each other whenever a need arises. Imperialism was the other cause and was evidenced by the concerned countries taking over new lands and making them subject to their control. Here, the rival nations

Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cancer - Essay Example Thyroid hormones are essential for the regulation of blood pressure, heart rate, metabolism and temperature of body, influences nervous system, muscular system and other systems as well. Regulation of the hormone produced by this gland may result in hyperthyroidism (Graves' Disease) or hypothyroidism. Thyroid cancer is considered as an uncommon type of cancer. Thyroid cancer is categorized into four groups encompassing papillary, medullary, follicular and anaplastic thyroid cancers. Lumps or masses grow in thyroid which are benign in ninety-five percent of cases. There is always a propensity that they may spread to other body parts if remain untreated (Web. "Thyroid Cancer", n.d.). Epidemiology The American Cancer Society reveals that around 17,200 cases of thyroid cancer appear each year, this number contributes to 1 percent of all the cancer cases prevalent in United States. Women are considered to be three times more prone to display the symptoms of thyroid cancer as compared to m en. Problems related to thyroid hormone is common in teenagers, adolescents and younger individuals, but thyroid cancer is known to develop at the age of over 50 years (Web. "Thyroid Cancer", n.d.). Worldwide estimations reveal that more than 862,000 individuals diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2003 were alive in 2008 (Web."Thyroid cancer incidence statistics", n.d.). Genetic-associated risk factors: chromosome(s)/gene(s) involved Genes are responsible for the metabolism of the organism, they control the functions of the cells. Cancers initially progress from the normal cells and gradually gain the potential to multiply unusually and ultimately become malignant. These malignant cells proliferate clonally and form tumors which in due course impend to turn metastatic. Cancer, also known as malignant neoplasm, the hallmark characteristic involves uncontrolled proliferation of cells. Under normal conditions cell grow, divide and die, but in cancer cells the defect takes place at the gen e level leading to the formation of an abnormal DNA. As genes are the basic control machine of the cell, alteration of any kind may bring devastating consequences, or malignancy. Autosomal dominance inheritance of mutated gene (only single cope) could lead to thyroid cancer, although its prevalence is only 1 percent. The inheritance of defective gene could be estimated with genetic testing. Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) contributes to 5 percent of thyroid cancers. Genetic conditions playing role in inheritance of MTC are multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) 2A, 2B as well as familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC). On the other hand, papillary and follicular thyroid cancers contribute to 90 percent of all thyroid cancers (Web. "The Genetics of Thyroid Cancer", 2011). Risk factors other than genetics Risk factors enhances the chance of developing cancer. In most of the cases, thyroid cancers are sporadic. About 10 percent of the thyroid cancers are inherited (5 percent papillary, and follicular, while 25 percent MTC). Other risk factors involve gender (women are more prone), age (2/3 of the cases are reported between 20 and 55 years), while anaplastic thyroid cancer is reported after 60 years of age. Radiation exposure (X-ray treatment to treat tonsillitis), exposure to radioactive iodine in childhood days enhance the chances of papillary and follicular thyroid cancers. Low iodine in diet may also cause thyroid cancer (Web. "Thyroid Cancer- Risk Factors", 2013). Symptoms Typical

OSHA Legal Aspects of Safety and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

OSHA Legal Aspects of Safety and Health - Essay Example OSHA is also allowed to issue multiple penalties incase the consideration is on per instance basis (Ehlke, 2005). In this case, the standard violated needs to have clearly stipulated that compliance is per individual employee. In this instance, record keeping and lead protection standards stipulate that all recordable injuries should be entered on the log and an employee should be removed from work after being exposed. Also in case an employer has persistent high rates of injuries and/or fatalities, long history of violations, intentional ignorance to standards and lastly, bad faith multiple citations can be issued (Ehlke, 2005). These are good examples where multiple violations can be cited by OSHA under the egregious violations policy. It is important to note here that OSHA has the discretion to group violations and use this as a basis to propose penalties with multiple violations attracting single or multiplied penalties. References Ehlke, B. M. (2005). OSHA targets for 2005. Retr ieved 25 Jan. 2011 from, http://library.findlaw.com/2004/Aug/1/231145.html

Failure of the Mercantilism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Failure of the Mercantilism - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the mercantilists believed that the presence of more gold and silver bullions in a country translated to a better economy than any country with minimal gold and silver reserves. The theorists believed and encouraged countries not to use their gold deposits for trade even when the people desperately needed these products. The mercantilists had the idea that any successful trade meant the gain of one party and the loss of the other party. They never viewed the trade between two countries as being mutually beneficial. They encouraged their countries to influence the international trade and ensure that the citizens did not compromise their gold and silver deposits.This essay stresses that  the mercantilists developed ideas that were meant to promote the interests of the merchants since they were believed to be a significant source of a country’s gold and silver reserves. The government placed the role of attracting more gold and silver to the country to the merchants and also entrusted them with implementing relevant measures that would seek to regulate the economy. Malynes, for example, states that the merchants more specifically the bankers would develop appropriate measures that would see the increase in the supply of specie into the country. Malynes rejected any effects of the exchange rate in influencing external trade and trusted the â€Å"tricks of the bankers† to solve the economic problem experienced in the country.

Air legislation - mantenance, planning and organisation Essay

Air legislation - mantenance, planning and organisation - Essay Example The aircraft is capable of rotation along the three axes namely; Pitch ,Roll and Yaw, in addition to a linear motion along the specific air route when in- flight. For any type of movement shown by the aircraft ,the weight of the aircraft must be balanced out to maintain the position of the center of gravity for stability. An air craft can have Lateral center of gravity, Longitudinal center of gravity and even Vertical center of gravity. The most important if these being the Lateral cg, which has a critical role in stabilizing the pitch of the aircraft. Lateral cg is further partitioned into Forward and Aft cg. There are limits to the Fore and Aft cg positioning. If the Fore and Aft cg is out of range the aircraft may pitch uncontrollably up or down during take-off ,flight or landing. For example if the cg is too far forward , the plane is likely to tilt forward or crash The Lateral cg position is to be maintained in order to control and stabilize any unwanted roll movement during any stage of flight. The position of Lateral cg can shift if there is an uneven distribution of fuel in the tanks,or in case of an uneven seating arrangement of passengers in a small aircraft. The Vertical cg position is associated with the stability of the flight along the yaw axis. A shift in the vertical cg can result in yawing motion if not compensated for by the pilot during take-off, flight and landing. The center of gravity is a major factor in the stability of an aircraft in all the phases of flight ; take-off ,cruise / flight and landing. A disturbance in the longitudinal, lateral or vertical cg can upset the movement of the aircraft along either of the three axes ;pitch , roll or

Strategic capabilities darden Essay Example for Free

Strategic capabilities darden Essay Strategic Capabilities In this part of the report the different capabilities of Darden will be explained and which of these capabilities lead to competitive rivalry. But first the different resources and competences will be discussed which will lead to the capabilities. 1) Resource; A physical resource of Darden is; There different restaurants, with this is meant the different buildings that Darden owns with the different kind of restaurants. 1) Competence; The competence that Darden has is; To make different kind of dishes. 1) Capability When the above mentioned resource ad competence are linked then the following capability emerges; Flexible to make different dishes for different markets. Darden has 8 different brands. Each brand standing for its own kind of food like; Italian of seafood. This means that Darden offers all kinds of food to the consumers. After applying the VRIN model to this capability the conclusion is; V- This capability is a value for the consumers due to the fact that Darden gives them the opportunity to choice between different restaurants. This capability allows Darden to be profitable in the market. R- Different brands plus products are included in one chain. Unfortunately for Darden is capability is not Rare, different competitors have the same kind of capability. ( for example Laundry’s, DineEquity) I- This capability is possible to imitate, but this will take some time and the right amount of financial resources. N- This capability is possible to substitute by another company. For example Yum Restaurants, they have also different dishes for different markets with their Taco bell, KFC and Pizza Hut. Conclusion Capability 1); The above mentioned capability is not one that is unique and that is not difficult to imitate, but however it is still a strength for Darden due to the fact it gives Darden a great brand image, and it gives it an advantage compared to their smaller competitors who do not have this capability as strong as Darden. 2) Resource; A Human resource that Darden has is: Well trained and guided staff. 2) Competence; A competence that Darden has is; Skill to buy the best products (for example Darden sources top quality seafood from more than 100 varieties. 2) Capability; When the above mentioned Resources and competence are combined then the following capability emerges; Capable of making high-quality food. High quality is always something under discussion, what is high quality? In this case is meant food that has a very good quality versus cost proportion. And speaks to a lot of people. After applying the VRIN model to this capability the conclusion is; V- This capability has a great value for the consumers because a good quality versus cost proportion is something that quest will remember and will tell to their friends and families. R- This capability is not rare, there are a lot of restaurants that can make high quality food against a good price for the consumers. I- Is this capability Imitational, yes when looking at the above mentioned point ( R) there it shows other restaurants are already doing this. N- This capability can be substitute, what has been explained earlier is that restaurants are already having the same kind of capability. Conclusion Capability 2) The capability of making high-quality food is very important for Darden because consumers expect a level of quality when they go to one of Dardens restaurants. For this case it is a strength of Darden. However it is not a very strong capability due to the fact that multiple competitors are doing the same and that it is very easy to imitate or substitute. 3) Resource; A resource that Darden has is; There strong marketing. 3) Competence; A competence that Darden has is; Using all kinds of advertising. 3) Capability; When the above mentioned resource and competence are combined then the following capability emerges; Dardens ability to market its restaurants. Darden is a leading advertiser in the full size dining segment of the hospitality industry. Darden uses different kind of methods to advertise their brands, like local and cable television, digital advertising, billboards, search engine marketing, radio and newspapers. After applying the VRIN model to this capability the following conclusion can be made; V-; This capability will generate more consumers which will bring more revenue, if the cost are low enough to be profitable in this part then this can be a huge Value to the company. For the consumers this will also be a Value because they stay up to date with new actions, menu changes and promotions. R-; This capability is not rare at all, almost every company has a marketing department and advertises itself. I-; Marketing is very imitational due to the fact that everybody sees them so other companies can easily use the same kind of method, However due to the fact that Darden has multiple brands is can target and advertise to all these markets at the same time which gives them an advantage. N-; This capability can be substituted by a different company, because there are already companies with multiple brands that target and advertise to different markets. (Laundry’s) Conclusion Capability 3) Of the 3 capabilities mentioned in this part of the report, capability 3 is the weakest. It is still an important part of the company, but it is very difficult to stand out on marketing now a day compared to competitors. It is more a capability that is at least required to be successful. Conclusion Capabilities When looking at the 3 different capabilities explained in this part the capabilities concerning the different dishes and the high quality of food are two strong and important capabilities that Darden has. The marketing capability is not as strong but it is still a plus point of the company. Without the marketing Darden would not be as successful as it is today.

Robert McNamara Essay Example for Free

Robert McNamara Essay As Defense Secretary of two administrations, the Johnson and Kennedy administrations, respectively, Robert McNamara played a great role in shaping US policies that led to the decision to intervene in the Vietnam War. Prior to his role in the Vietnam War, he was already involved in various roles in some of the most major decisions concerning nuclear weapons and delivery system. Such experience would have been useful for him to determine that going to war in Vietnam was a huge mistake and would end up catastrophically for the Americans. However, he certainly mistook Ho Chi Minh’s nationalist drive to unite Vietnam as the challenge of a monolithic Communist work and this proved to be fatal not only to the United States but to Vietnam as well as both camps suffered heavy losses not only in terms of lives but in terms of financial sources as well. But to his credit, he was the only with that kind of status who accepted responsibility for the Vietnam debacle which cost the United States thousands of military servicemen and millions of Vietnamese lives. Despite his belief that the war should have been ended even in the middle of it, McNamara remained â€Å"loyal† to the President. Hence, even if his views were altogether different from the other key players in the Vietnam war, he did not act responsibly toward the American people as he instead kept his silence rather than challenging Johnson and his cabinet and quitting mid-war. His excessive faith in high-tech weapons and later expectations that massive bombing and frontal battles could wear down the Vietnamese enemy certainly added to his accountability. Moreover, even with the increasing withdrawal of support and criticism of the Vietnam War, McNamara fastidiously held on to his silence and this might have resulted in creating the tone of ideological bitterness that now pervades U. S. politics, Bill Schneider, a contributing editor to Opinion, CNN, Los Angeles Times (p. 134). This can be seen by the evident gap or estrangement between the governing class and the people which is symbolized by the draft issue employed by the military. The number of Americans who believe the Vietnam War was a mistake has steadily risen in the years since. Its in the range of 80% now, said John Mueller of the University of Rochester in New York, an expert on public opinion on foreign policy and war. [Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times opinion (p. 118). ] McNamara should not have kept his silence. As Vann puts it, â€Å"he saw much that was wrong about the war in Vietnam, but he could never bring himself to conclude that the war itself was wrong and unwinnable (p. 8). In fairness to McNamara however, he strongly opposed further bombing of North Vietnam and major deployment of a major ABM system which upset the military chiefs at that time. However, his resignation came in too late, when Johnson was already gunning for a re-election. He could have voiced out his objection when the odds are still with him and as Frank Rich succinctly puts it, â€Å"the real wisdom he might finally have attained a recognition that he was wrong not to announce his mid-war about-face and quit the Johnson Cabinet when lives might still have been saved eludes him†. Frank Rich, New York Times opinion (p. 126).

The Power And The Glory Analysis

The Power And The Glory Analysis Even though the world is filled with impoverished as well as disease struck places, Mother Theresa tries to make a difference. While living a basic life in India, she fights to help the poor, cure the sick, and disregarding her owe health for others. Some might say that she is going to be a saint and others might say she is already one. Her unselfish actions have made her a symbol of love and total devotion to the people. A saint is considered to be a man or woman chosen by God to lead and one almost free of human weaknesses. The priest in The Power and the Glory can definitely not be classified as a saint and he is the total opposite of Mother Theresa. Since the whiskey priest is the best representation of human weakness, thus he can be called a sinner. The novel is clearly trying to alienate the readers by indicating to readers the wrongs of the human beings and exposing the wrong doings to readers. By revealing those acts, the readers are not inspired by their own human weaknesses and thus are repulsed by them. Through the use of the actions by the whiskey priest, Graham Greenes book, The Power and the Glory has failed to draw readers to God and instead has distanced readers from God. In their communities, priests are considered to be a role model or an example of what a Christian should be. They are representations of Jesus Christ in the world to teach the Word of God to others. In the novel, Chiapas, Mexico is under an anti-religion removal and it reasonable that priest is scared to do his duties as a priest. The whiskey priest must cheat, steal, as well as lie to survive and avoid being caught by the authority. He would get money for the people he baptized and two pesos is the usual charge (167). Even though the woman said that her family was poor, the priest still insisted on getting some money. The priest can be defined as an ordinary crook who steals from families who can barely put food on their own tables. The money that he gets from the baptisms is for his brandy. He wants three bottles. For eleven pesos (170). As a priest who is called to serve the people, he only serves himself. When the old man asked the priest, the priest replies, Cant you let me slee p for five minutes?(44).The whiskey priest does not want to hear the confessions, but it is his duty. That duty is not for himself but for God and His followers. After the old mans confession, the priest begins to weep for himself, because he now has to hear the confessions of the villagers instead of getting his sleep. He cries in sympathy for himself, not for the villagers sins. These examples outline the priests selfishness and are contrary to what Jesus has taught his people. The duties and services of a religious man are not only for the people but for creatures, humans and animals alike. When the priest returns to the land owned by Captain Fellows, the protagonist finds the house abandoned and the injured dog. He thinks to himself, her (the dog) life has no importance beside that of a human being (144). The priest does not care about the dogs life and only cares about his own. The priest thinks that a mans need was greater than a dogs (145). His mercy and concern for the dog is slim to none. He is only worried about himself and his hunger and not of the dogs hunger. God created man to care for the animals but the priest completely ignores it. The whiskey priest also commits one of the worst sins: fornication and on top of that he is a priest. He created a child than he cannot care for. When he saw her, the priest thought that it was making light of his mortal sin (65), meaning that he wishes that his sin was not so bad. It is and never will change. This sin makes the priest less than that of the betrayal of the half-caste. The whiskey priest knew that he was in the presence of Our Lords betrayer (91), another Judas so to speak. The mestizo betrays the whiskey priest for money, just like Judas did to Jesus, and the priest betrays God for lust and fornication. These examples summarize the priests inability to control his own self. He does not have to self-discipline to stop his lust and to think of others before himself. The whiskey priest gives in to the knowledge that God forgives people right before the person dies. If you are truly sorry for what you did in this world, then God will forgive you. The whiskey priest knows about this and thus in the prison, the priest prays to God and asks for forgiveness. He is a priest for the wrong reasons and also forgets that it was pride that made Lucifer fall. When he realizes that he is going to die the next day, he starts to repent saying, I have committed fornication (207). Even though he says this, it has no meaning because he does not really repent for doing it. It was like a sentence in a newspaper: you couldnt feel repentance over a thing like that (207). His repentance was not true and he kept drinking brandy, making him drunk while he was trying to repent. In the morning before he gets shot, he realizes that if he had used a little self-restraint and a little courage (210), then maybe he would not be the person he is today. He would then know what it felt like to be a saint (210). It was the use desperation that led the priest to pray that night and it was the use of pride that made him believe that he can be saved by repenting. The whiskey priest is human and has weaknesses just like ordinary people. He has forgotten what it means to be a priest and has disgraced the vocation. The whiskey priest best exemplifies the weaknesses of man and can only be saved by God. To the villagers in the novel, the whiskey priest could be called a martyr. The priest refuses to renounce his faith, unlike Padre Jose who married after hearing about the purge, and living the life of a fugitive, performing confessions and masses when his services are wanted. However, the villagers only see the tip of the iceberg so to speak. They do not see what the whiskey priests true intentions are. As the readers, they can sense the true reality of things. The people think that the priest cares for the people and that the priest is risking his own life for what he believes in. But in actuality, the priest is selfish and only cares for himself. Graham Greene exposes the true actions of the priest to the readers and thus telling them what our human weaknesses are. The human weaknesses are selfishness, lust, and only turning to God in desperate times. Greene is telling readers what we cannot control and this makes the readers distance from God because we do not have power to stop it. Graham Greene has failed to draw readers closer to Gods holiness and actually made people separate themselves from God. This book has failed to inspire people to know more about the faith because of what the priest did so that he can obtain forgiveness for God. Greene as sent the wrong message to the readers about Gods mercy and love. Hsu 5 Work Cited Greene, Graham. The Power and the Glory. New York: Penguin Classics/Penguin Group, 1940. Print. Book.

A Comparison of My Last Duchess and Ulysses :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing My Last Duchess and Ulysses  Ã‚   Both of the poems, ‘My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning and ‘Ulysses’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson, are examples of dramatic monologues, in that they solely consist of the speech of the protagonist. As a result, they have few or, in the case of ‘My Last Duchess’, only one stanza. Many enjambed lines and many irregularities in the basic form of iambic pentameter also hide the rhyming couplets in this poem. ‘My Last Duchess’ is set in Renaissance Italy and is the Duke of Ferrara talking to a servant of his prospective father-in-law, about a painting of his former wife. The narrator of ‘Ulysses’ is the man in the title, an Ancient Greek hero, talking about his loathing of his regal position and his wish to travel again before his impending death. Although they are both powerful men talking about their pasts, there are noticeable differences between the two poems, both in the protagonists themselves and the poetic devices used t o present them. One of the clearest differences between Ferrara and Ulysses is the source of their power, and the kind of power that they wield. Ferrara’s power comes from his ‘nine-hundred-years-old-name’, that is, his position as the ruler of one of the many city states that make up the present-day nation of Italy. This was a position he was born into-not one which he earned. He obviously puts great value on his inherited status, as he refers to it as a ‘gift’ and objected when his wife did not consider it more precious than the gifts that other people gave to her. He considers himself to have been very generous by making her his Duchess, and he thinks that his wife should have ranked this generosity than that of others. He gives examples of other gifts which she thought of as equal in worth, such as: ‘The white mule She rode with round the terrace’ ‘The dropping of daylight in the west.' The Duke does not think that such things, which are trivial to him, should bring her the same amount of joy as the presents he bestows on her. He is also mildly jealous of the way that other things can make his wife happy. He thinks that she should love him and him alone. This is particularly shown when he refers to someone else. ‘The bough of cherries some officious fool

Aristotle and John Wesley: On Being Truly Human :: Essays Papers

Aristotle and John Wesley: On Being Truly Human Many ideas presented by John Wesley are similar to those presented by Aristotle. These similarities become apparent in various areas, especially in the idea that each person has potential that can be actualized. Because these similarities are apparent, the thoughts of Aristotle can easily be employed to assist in understanding many of Wesley's thoughts. Specifically, the discussion of virtue presented in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics can assist one in understanding Wesley's ideas of affections and tempers, the process of Christian perfection, means of grace, and the importance of community. Aristotle Before moving on to discuss the similarities between the thought of John Wesley and of Aristotle, it is essential to understand many basic Aristotelian concepts. Prevalent in many of his works, Aristotle discusses how objects can change. In the Metaphysics and On the Soul, Aristotle presents his idea of the four causes, including material cause, formal cause, efficient cause, and final cause (Robinson: 15-22). Employing the illustration of a potter molding a clay mug, the material cause is the clay, the basic matter that is the subject of the change. As the clay undergoes the process of being molded, it is being made into a specific shape that has specific functions. This shape and function is called the form or formal cause of the object. In this case, the clay is changing into the form of a mug that is purposed to hold liquids. It should be noted that material is never without form. Before the clay was changed into the form of a mug, it was in the form of a lump of clay tha t has its own specified function. Each time matter undergoes change there is an agent responsible for the process. The agent is the efficient cause. In this case, the potter is responsible for transforming the clay matter into the mug form. The final cause, or the end, occurs when the matter is made into a particular form. Although every object has many intermediate ends, all these ends lead to a single ultimate end. The mug, for instance, can be used as a paperweight or as a decoration, but the ultimate end that is suitable for the mug form is to be an object that holds liquid. The process of an object functioning appropriately to its form, which is the actualization of its potential, is aimed at attaining this ultimate end. Aristotle and John Wesley: On Being Truly Human :: Essays Papers Aristotle and John Wesley: On Being Truly Human Many ideas presented by John Wesley are similar to those presented by Aristotle. These similarities become apparent in various areas, especially in the idea that each person has potential that can be actualized. Because these similarities are apparent, the thoughts of Aristotle can easily be employed to assist in understanding many of Wesley's thoughts. Specifically, the discussion of virtue presented in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics can assist one in understanding Wesley's ideas of affections and tempers, the process of Christian perfection, means of grace, and the importance of community. Aristotle Before moving on to discuss the similarities between the thought of John Wesley and of Aristotle, it is essential to understand many basic Aristotelian concepts. Prevalent in many of his works, Aristotle discusses how objects can change. In the Metaphysics and On the Soul, Aristotle presents his idea of the four causes, including material cause, formal cause, efficient cause, and final cause (Robinson: 15-22). Employing the illustration of a potter molding a clay mug, the material cause is the clay, the basic matter that is the subject of the change. As the clay undergoes the process of being molded, it is being made into a specific shape that has specific functions. This shape and function is called the form or formal cause of the object. In this case, the clay is changing into the form of a mug that is purposed to hold liquids. It should be noted that material is never without form. Before the clay was changed into the form of a mug, it was in the form of a lump of clay tha t has its own specified function. Each time matter undergoes change there is an agent responsible for the process. The agent is the efficient cause. In this case, the potter is responsible for transforming the clay matter into the mug form. The final cause, or the end, occurs when the matter is made into a particular form. Although every object has many intermediate ends, all these ends lead to a single ultimate end. The mug, for instance, can be used as a paperweight or as a decoration, but the ultimate end that is suitable for the mug form is to be an object that holds liquid. The process of an object functioning appropriately to its form, which is the actualization of its potential, is aimed at attaining this ultimate end.

education reform Essay -- essays research papers fc

Education Reform  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education reform means to make education better by removing faults and defects. True educators are always thinking of more effective ways to enhance and democratize the way children learn. With the continuous change of growing population, economics, culture, family, and global communication, there has to be continuous educational reforms to keep the society abreast with these changes. One of education’s early reformers is John Dewey. Dewey operated and experimental school where he wanted â€Å"to discover in administration, selection of subject matter, methods of learning teaching, and discipline, how a school could become a cooperative community while developing in individuals their own capacities and identifying their own needs.† (Dewey’s Laboratory School page XII) another education, Harold Howe II in his book â€Å"Thinking about Our Kids,† reiterates that families and communities are as important as schools in the education of our children. He also ta lks about the need for new approaches to financing schools, more attention to changing classroom routine in particular, and for better understanding of, and respect for the many races and cultures that make up our society. Regardless of the era in which education reform is thought of, the number one priority is the children. Although Dewey’s’ experiment was done over a century ago, the lessons learned then can apply in today’s world. Children are the same, they go through the same stages of development and must learn how to solve some kind of problems if they are to live in the world of today. The country is bursting at its seams with the population growth. With the growth comes a very diverse group of people. People migrate with their culture. Language has become one of the many barriers in the prevention of literacy. When our mentors wrote or planned school reform, the rate of population growth was not as rapid it is now. Migrants then tried to learn the languages spoken in their new land. Today we have programs to foster children who do not have English as their first language, but are these programs successful?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of the students are taught in their first language (usually Spanish) but then have to sit the standardized state examination in the English langua ge. This situation could be termed as â€Å"unexpected difficulties an... ...pport Act of 1988† but this too is plague by limited finding. If education reform is to be successful, these programs must be viable. If is of paramount importance that education reform is need especially in this era. We are in a changing world and we must improve our educational standards to compete on the world market. The United States of America is a wealthy nation therefore it must spend more on educating its young. Politics and politician should be removed from planning and governing the education system. This should be in the hands of educators. It is unforgivable that our leaders has allowed United States of America to have one third of its population illiterate and spends less on education than other nations that are not as wealthy. Classroom teachers should be able to be more flexible in adjusting the standards to fulfill the needs of the students, instead of teaching (drilling) the children to past standardized examinations. Bibliography Howe Harold II 1993 Thinking About Ours Kids. An Agenda for American Education. Kozol Jonathan 1985 Illiterate America Tanner Laurel N. 1997 Dewey’s Laboratory School Lessons for Today

‘the Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson

‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson is a short story that uses plot. characterisation and suspense to develop several themes. In doing so Jackson deepens our understanding of people and the nature of society. The story begins in a growing village which holds an annual lottery, but instead of being rewarded the person who receives the marked paper gets stoned to death. This itself demonstrates one of the main themes of man’s inhumanity to man. Jackson also shows this by telling the reader that it is a small community that murders one of its own members which shows the shocking and cruel nature achieved by humans. We can see this by looking at the start of the story when a group of boys play at the lake: â€Å"Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example† This shows inhumanity in an unclear way because the reader doesn’t know why they are doing collecting stones but soon realise at the end that it was so they could throw them at the person who was about to get stoned. Another aspect which shows that the civilisation is inhumane is that the village barely conceal the savagery of killing a member of its own community. Jackson shows this by telling us that the killings are done by ‘decent’ people who are show themselves to be kind generous people, but a family realises that it is no their family they proceed with an unsympathetic disinterest for the family that does receive the marked paper. Also, the village does not attempt to hide their actions from other villages, which tells us that they think that their actions are the right actions to take. This story also makes the reader question: â€Å"Is life expandable? It may make us think of this because good innocent people still suffer, and that it was all down to chance that decides what happens to whom. Characterisation adds something to our understanding of nature and society because the author does not focus on one character alone or tell anything about them; instead Jackson focuses on a group of people united by a common objective, which is to avoid receiving the marked paper which will conclude in the person being stoned to death . When looking at the characterisation of the characters, it is important to know that Jackson does not give any detail about any of the characters. We can see this when Tessie Hutchison first arrives at the lottery ceremony: â€Å"Mrs Hutchison came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place. † This proves that Jackson doesn’t go into any detail when it comes to the characters, because when we first see Mrs Hutchison, it tells us that she has a jumper over her shoulders, yet does not tell us what she looks like or what else she is wearing. This does not happen to just one character but all characters throughout the story. `Although all the characters aren’t given in any detail, there are a few characters that stand out through the story. The main person who stands out is the character who gets stoned to death, which happens to be Tessie Hutchison who was also late for the lottery ceremony. When it was Mrs Hutchison who received the marked paper and was chosen to be stoned to death she exclaims: â€Å"â€Å"It isn’t fair, it isn’t right! † Mrs Hutchison screamed, and then they were upon her. This shows Tessie’s selfish nature because she hasn’t objected to any of the stoning’s before, even though it is wrong and cruel. In this context ‘fair’ and ‘right’ mean the same thing to Tessie because it was her who received the marked paper and not someone else, and if it was someone else she would’ve took part in the stoning. This also reflects th e cruel nature of the whole community because they are happy to murder one of their own members as long as it is not themselves that gets stoned. Another character which stands out is Mr Summers, the organiser of the lottery. Mr Summers is perceived as a cold hearted person near the end of the story even though at the start he is saw as a person who â€Å"had time and energy to devote to civic activities† which tells us that he is saw as a nice kind person. We can see that he is actually a cold hearted person after Tessie receives the marked paper. â€Å"â€Å"That was done pretty fast, now we’ve got to be hurrying a little more to get done I time. †Ã¢â‚¬  This shows that he is cold hearted because he says that sentence as if he has better things to do. It also tells us that he is a very organised person because he talks like he is sticking to a specific timetable. Another important group of characters are at the very beginning of the story. They are the children. The children are important because they create suspense in the beginning of the story and also show how the savagery of the parents is transferred onto the children and they will then grow up believing in the same things as their parents. It also shows that the nature of people and society are cruel because they are only children and no one thinks that children playing by a lake are evil. We can see that the children are related to the savagery of man towards man when we look at the children by the lake. â€Å"Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example† This shows the barbaric nature of the village because it is only the start of the story and already children are preparing for the stoning of a person in their village. The Lottery’ is quite different from other short stories, because short stories are usually made up of three main things: * A normal beginning * Some sort of adventure occurs and the main character gets dragged into the plot * And some sort of twist at the end. ‘The Lottery’ is not like most short stories because it has the same story line all the way throughout, and doesn’t involve any action or adventure. However there is a twist at the end because the reader doesn’t suspect that the person is going to be stoned to death, and it is only until we re-read the story that we realise that everything was connected to each other in some way. For example the boys picking up the stones at the beginning and then throwing them at Tessie at the end. Jackson also creates suspense to add something to our understanding of people and the nature of society. Jackson creates suspense by giving full details of the preparation of the lottery to stall for a while before actually talking about the lottery. She also creates suspense by creating lots of conversations among the villagers, which also shows the barbarity of the village because they all talk to each other like normal neighbours would, and makes the reader unaware of what is about to happen. In conclusion, Shirley Jackson has made me aware that people may think that they are civilised, but we also have the potential to be barbaric savages who all follow one leader. It has also made me aware that society can turn against you if people think it is for the right reasons. ‘the Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson is a short story that uses plot. characterisation and suspense to develop several themes. In doing so Jackson deepens our understanding of people and the nature of society. The story begins in a growing village which holds an annual lottery, but instead of being rewarded the person who receives the marked paper gets stoned to death. This itself demonstrates one of the main themes of man’s inhumanity to man. Jackson also shows this by telling the reader that it is a small community that murders one of its own members which shows the shocking and cruel nature achieved by humans. We can see this by looking at the start of the story when a group of boys play at the lake: â€Å"Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example† This shows inhumanity in an unclear way because the reader doesn’t know why they are doing collecting stones but soon realise at the end that it was so they could throw them at the person who was about to get stoned. Another aspect which shows that the civilisation is inhumane is that the village barely conceal the savagery of killing a member of its own community. Jackson shows this by telling us that the killings are done by ‘decent’ people who are show themselves to be kind generous people, but a family realises that it is no their family they proceed with an unsympathetic disinterest for the family that does receive the marked paper. Also, the village does not attempt to hide their actions from other villages, which tells us that they think that their actions are the right actions to take. This story also makes the reader question: â€Å"Is life expandable? It may make us think of this because good innocent people still suffer, and that it was all down to chance that decides what happens to whom. Characterisation adds something to our understanding of nature and society because the author does not focus on one character alone or tell anything about them; instead Jackson focuses on a group of people united by a common objective, which is to avoid receiving the marked paper which will conclude in the person being stoned to death . When looking at the characterisation of the characters, it is important to know that Jackson does not give any detail about any of the characters. We can see this when Tessie Hutchison first arrives at the lottery ceremony: â€Å"Mrs Hutchison came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place. † This proves that Jackson doesn’t go into any detail when it comes to the characters, because when we first see Mrs Hutchison, it tells us that she has a jumper over her shoulders, yet does not tell us what she looks like or what else she is wearing. This does not happen to just one character but all characters throughout the story. `Although all the characters aren’t given in any detail, there are a few characters that stand out through the story. The main person who stands out is the character who gets stoned to death, which happens to be Tessie Hutchison who was also late for the lottery ceremony. When it was Mrs Hutchison who received the marked paper and was chosen to be stoned to death she exclaims: â€Å"â€Å"It isn’t fair, it isn’t right! † Mrs Hutchison screamed, and then they were upon her. This shows Tessie’s selfish nature because she hasn’t objected to any of the stoning’s before, even though it is wrong and cruel. In this context ‘fair’ and ‘right’ mean the same thing to Tessie because it was her who received the marked paper and not someone else, and if it was someone else she would’ve took part in the stoning. This also reflects th e cruel nature of the whole community because they are happy to murder one of their own members as long as it is not themselves that gets stoned. Another character which stands out is Mr Summers, the organiser of the lottery. Mr Summers is perceived as a cold hearted person near the end of the story even though at the start he is saw as a person who â€Å"had time and energy to devote to civic activities† which tells us that he is saw as a nice kind person. We can see that he is actually a cold hearted person after Tessie receives the marked paper. â€Å"â€Å"That was done pretty fast, now we’ve got to be hurrying a little more to get done I time. †Ã¢â‚¬  This shows that he is cold hearted because he says that sentence as if he has better things to do. It also tells us that he is a very organised person because he talks like he is sticking to a specific timetable. Another important group of characters are at the very beginning of the story. They are the children. The children are important because they create suspense in the beginning of the story and also show how the savagery of the parents is transferred onto the children and they will then grow up believing in the same things as their parents. It also shows that the nature of people and society are cruel because they are only children and no one thinks that children playing by a lake are evil. We can see that the children are related to the savagery of man towards man when we look at the children by the lake. â€Å"Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example† This shows the barbaric nature of the village because it is only the start of the story and already children are preparing for the stoning of a person in their village. The Lottery’ is quite different from other short stories, because short stories are usually made up of three main things: * A normal beginning * Some sort of adventure occurs and the main character gets dragged into the plot * And some sort of twist at the end. ‘The Lottery’ is not like most short stories because it has the same story line all the way throughout, and doesn’t involve any action or adventure. However there is a twist at the end because the reader doesn’t suspect that the person is going to be stoned to death, and it is only until we re-read the story that we realise that everything was connected to each other in some way. For example the boys picking up the stones at the beginning and then throwing them at Tessie at the end. Jackson also creates suspense to add something to our understanding of people and the nature of society. Jackson creates suspense by giving full details of the preparation of the lottery to stall for a while before actually talking about the lottery. She also creates suspense by creating lots of conversations among the villagers, which also shows the barbarity of the village because they all talk to each other like normal neighbours would, and makes the reader unaware of what is about to happen. In conclusion, Shirley Jackson has made me aware that people may think that they are civilised, but we also have the potential to be barbaric savages who all follow one leader. It has also made me aware that society can turn against you if people think it is for the right reasons.

Education and Students Essay

With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better. With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose. Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better.

Critical Thinking Reflection Essay

Select one of the following questions and answer it in 200 to 300 words using the principles of critical thinking you learned in this course. How can we reduce poverty in the United States?  Will receiving a college degree improve your career opportunities? Has the United States peaked as a world power? Will receiving a college degree improve your career opportunities? Once I choice this question immediately my enculturation barrier surfaced, because as soon as I read the question I said to myself well yes it does, and I believe I said that to myself because that what we have all been taught by our parents, teachers, and media, so that’s what I know to be true. After realizing that I allowed my barrier to surface I stopped and started to ask myself questions that might help me figure out what the answer really is on my own. I asked myself things like, where is there proof of this? Are there facts that will support what I currently believe? After going through the series of question in my head I started doing some research. After I completed my research I found information that did support my original thought, but there was also information that I found to be informative but didn’t really go with my thought process. I found things like, â€Å"College grads also tend to make more, which many view as a benefit. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, over a lifetime of work, the typical college graduate earns $650,000 more than the typical high school graduate. (The study also found that college graduates have more stable employment.† (â€Å"Finding the Value in a College Degree,† 2014, para.). Which shows that having a college degree can benefit you. The other information I found that was informative was that â€Å"A college degree doesn’t guarantee high earnings. This benefit will depend on your intended major and school.† (â€Å"Finding the Value in a College Degree,† 2014, para.). This tells me that just because someone has a degree it doesn’t mean that they will make more money, they have to have a degree that applies to that job. After asking myself questions and doing some research I am going to say that having a college degree will improve career opportunities. Citation Finding the Value in a College Degree. (2014, September). The Student Loan  Ranger, (), . Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/student-loan-ranger/2012/09/12/finding-the-value-in-a-college-degree Write, once you have answered the above question, a reflection of the process of critical thinking you used in forming your response. Include the following in your reflection: How does the process of critical thinking you used relate to or differ from the process you used to find content for your answer? How can you use critical thinking in other areas? What steps can you take to ensure that you continue to use critical thinking in the future? Reflection The process of critical thinking that I used to answer my question relates because in critical thinking you have to be willing to think differently and not just go with what you think you already know. You also have to ask yourself question and be able to understand the answers. I believe that I can use critical thinking in other areas by making sure that I am always open minded and be willing to listen and learn form others. The steps that I can take to ensure that I continue to use critical thinking in the future are to be able to acknowledge when I’m letting barriers get in the way, and make sure that I try to avoid them in the future. Other steps that I can take are to make sure that I question almost everything, don’t always go with what someone wants me to believe. I will always ask questions and try my hardest to make sure that I understand the answer. I will also continue practicing and learning about critical thinking as much as a can so I can strive to become an advanced critical thinker.

Assignment Internal Cash Control Essay

The weaknesses in the internal control over cash disbursements are, there should be only one person in charge of writing the checks for each task, and there should be numbered checks for both people so that the funds spend can be tracked easier, the cabinets were the checks are stored should be two locked cabinets, one for each person who writes the checks. Memo: I would recommend that to have a better control over money paid and items purchased, that you start having numbered checks in two separate accounts, one account for the treasurer and one account for the purchasing agent. This method will make it easier for moth parties to avoid mistakes, and it will also be easier to verify money spent and received. P4-1A The internal control principles implemented by the Guard Dog Company are, numbered checks so that the company has a number trail to monitor cash dispersment. Each check must have approval from Jane Bell, and Dennis Kurt before a check can be issued, this is an establishment of responsibility to ensure that not just anyone ion the company can write checks. Checks must be signed by either Tom Kimball, the treasurer, or Karen Thews, the assistant treasurer. Before signing a check, the signer is expected to compare the amounts of the check with the amounts on the invoice, this is also a form of establishment of responsibility and both of these procedures are a use of documentation procedures. After signing a check, the signer stamps the invoice â€Å"paid† and inserts within the stamp, the date, check number, and amount of the check. The â€Å"paid† invoice is then sent to the accounting department for recording. By doing this it is a way of verifying company cash dispersment and documentation control. Blank checks are stored in a safe in the treasurer’s office. The combination to the safe is known by only the treasurer and assistant treasurer. By locking the checks in a safe it establishes responsibility for the checks, and uses a Physical, mechanical, and electronic controls to narrow down any check problems to one source. Each month the bank statement is reconciled with the bank balance per books by the assistant chief accountant. By doing this it establishes document control, this way any discrepancies in the amount paid can be verified. Indicate the weaknesses in internal accounting control in the handling of collections. The weaknesses in the handling of collections are the way the money is deposited, the way the checks are made out and the way the money is verified and deposited. P4-2A List the improvements in internal control procedures that you plan to make at the next meeting of the audit team for (1) the ushers, (2) the head usher, (3) the financial secretary, and (4) the finance committee. The improvements the ushers need to make is that after each offering they should individually count their own collected baskets and log there amount in an offering log book, so that there is less room for error in the next step. By handing all the baskets to the head usher without counting the money themselves, the head usher can offer any amount on his final deposit. The improvements the head usher needs to make is to make sure that each usher counts their baskets, and that the head usher counts all the baskets and checks for discrepancies to make sure that no one is pocketing any money. The head usher should also check the amount given to him/her against what is written in the offering log. Have a book to log the amount of money that is put into the safe so that it is logged in a way that can be verified by the committee, a note is not a safe method because it can be thrown out, by logging in a book it is easier to find were the discrepancies came from. The improvements the financial secretary should make is that he/she should have a list of what needs to be paid and make a log of the amounts that need paid and to make sure the receipts are logged along with whatever bills or services that needed to be paid that week. The financial secretary should also verify the amount of money in the safe against the log that is kept by the ushers. The financial committee should show a more detailed list of what expenditures are needed each month so that the financial secretary knows what is needed for payment that month. They should also be involved in verifying the churches income. To improve internal control the church should have a log for money received during offerings, they should tell the congregation to make the checks payable to the church or to the account holder that the checks are deposited into, because anyone can cash a check made out to â€Å"cash†. The church should also verify that any money not deposited from the offering was spent properly and not used for personal things. Include how a company could use the five basic principles of cash management to increase accuracy for a business. A company can increase the collection of receivables by offering incentives for quick payment from their customers. A company can delay the payment of liabilities and bills to close to the due date of the liability or bill, so that if any expenditure is needed before the due date they will not have spent the money too early. A company can keep inventory low on the merchandise that does not sell quickly, so that the company has money for the merchandise that is popular and selling fast. A company that wish to expand should wait until they have excess money in a slow season so that they can expand their business and have new locations open in time for their busy season. A company should invest money that is sitting idle into low risk companies’, the most common form of liquid investments is interest-paying U. S. government securities.

Mercury Athletic Footwear Essay

1. Active Gear is a relatively small athletic and casual footwear company $470.3 million of revenue and $60.4 million of EBIT compared to typical competitors that sold well over a $1.0 billion annually Company executives felt its small size was becoming more of a disadvantage due to consolidation among Chinese contract manufacturers. Specialty athletic footwear that evolved from high performance to athletic fashion wear with a â€Å"classic† appeal. Casual/recreational footwear for walking, hiking, boating, etc.. Affluent urban & suburbanites in the 25-45 age range (i.e. â€Å"Yuppies†). Brands are associated with upwardly mobile lifestyle. Department & specialty stores – no big box retailers. 2. Company strengths: By focusing on a portfolio of classic brands, Active Gear has been able to lengthen its product lifecycle. In turn, this has led to less operating volatility and better supply chain management as well as lower DSI 3. Company weaknesses: By avoiding the chase for the latest fashion trend and avoiding big box retailers, the company has had very low growth 4. Mercury was a subsidiary of a large apparel company As a result of a strategic realignment, the division was considered to be non-core. 2006 revenue and EBITDA were $431.1 million and $51.8 million respectively Under the egis of WCF, Mercury’s performance was mixed. WCF was able to expand sales of footwear, but was never able to establish the hoped for apparel line 5. Products, Customers and Distribution: Men’s and women’s athletic and casual footwear. Most products were priced in the mid-range. More contemporary fashion orientation Typical customers were in the 15-25 age range. Primarily associated with X-games enthusiasts and youth culture Products were sold primarily through a wide range of retail, department, and specialty stores – including discount retailers 6. Company strengths: Established brand and identity within a well-defined niche market that seems to be growing. Strong top-line growth resulting from inroads with major  retailers. Products were less complex; and therefore, cheaper to produce 7. Company weaknesses: Increased sales came as a result of pricing concessions to large retailers. Proliferation of brands led to decreased operating efficiency and a longer DSI. Women’s casual footwear was a disaster Central Question: What Are the Likely Rationales for a Combination of Active Gear and Mercury? How do the acquirer and target fit together? What are the potential sources of value? How would any potential sources of value be realized? Potential sources of value creation: Operating synergies coming from economies of scale with respect to contract manufacturers Perhaps some economies of scope with respect to distribution – extending the distribution network Possible combination of the women’s casual lines Counter arguments to value creation: Poor strategic fit – Mercury’s focus is on a totally different market demographic Likewise, Mercury’s niche maybe significantly more prone to fashion fads Continued growth of extreme sports category may make Mercury’s business vulnerable to the large athletic shoe companies Firm Value & Cash Flows: 1. As a starting point, let’s start with a basic valuation paradigm Note that the sole determinant of value is the generation of cash flow Further the only relevant factors are the amounts, timing and risks of the cash flows FCF is assumed to be the mean of an a random distribution Determination of FCF To begin, the preceding equation led to a value of the entire enterprise, meaning V = D + E Thus, we are interested in what the total business is worth irrespective of who gets the cash or how it’s financed In turn, this means we are interested in the un-levered FCF Un-Levered FCF = EBIT(1-t) + Depr’ – ∆WC – Cap-x Determination of FCF In case Exhibit 6, Liedtke provides a set of projections for each of the operating segments – Thus, Multiplying EBIT by (1-t) yields the first term in the FCF equation Question: Are taxes being overstated? It is true that interest expense creates a tax shield However, the value of the tax shield is acknowledged in the WACC or in a separate calculation when using APV