A Hope in the Unseen Essay - 2413 Words

A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind is an amazingly touching story for any future teacher. It gives hope to every student who is trying to make it in life. It enforces the importance of teacher expectations, human capital, and cultural capital. It touches on funding issues and the irrelevance of standardized testing. Cedric Jennings life was everything but easy. He never had the opportunity to take the short, easy path, instead always being forced onto the long, winding road; in Cedrics case it gradually led to a world of success. Everyone, future teachers and others alike, should take the lessons in this story to heart, both as an example and as inspiration. Set high goals... achieve high goals. This should be the theme in every†¦show more content†¦The other students lacked the drive to achieve. The teachers would make a poor attempt to teach to them, and often passing grades are granted just for showing up (Suskind pg. 46). Some teachers may have even made the lessons easier to accommodate the perception they had of the students. The lack of support for these children did just as the Pygmalion Effect predicts; poor expectations equal poor results. The school was lacking on resources so the standard teaching tool was a worksheet (Suskind pg. 17). Attendance is too irregular and books too scarce, even in the advanced sections, to actually teach many lessons during class. Often worksheets are just the previous days homework, and Cedric can finish them quickly (Suskind pg. 17). There were many teachers fighting against Cedric, in a discussion two teachers said, That Cedric...nothing but trouble. Quick tongue and too much pride (S uskind pg. 17). Cedric had a 4.02 GPA and was nearly first in his class, though his teachers rarely offered encouragement. What motivated Cedric was the drive to prove them all wrong. Suskind called this something to push against. Later as he progressed and made his way out of Ballou, he went on to MIT where the professors and administrators did not believe in him either. They saw him as a poor black male that would never make it on his own. In their eyes he was not keeping up with the rest of the children andShow MoreRelatedA Hope in the Unseen: Analisys1539 Words   |  7 PagesA Hope in the Unseen follows Cedric Jennings through various obstacles on his path to success as a young African American male in the mid 1990s. Ron Suskind does a stellar job creating the intricate background for the events of the novel. Residing in the inner city of Washington D.C., Cedric must overcome a culture of malaise where an intelligent black male is often ridiculed with terms such as cracker and white. The teachers have no faith in the future of their students, and most parents areRead MoreCedric Jennings in A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind785 Words   |  4 PagesCedric Jennings in A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind Throughout the novel, A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind, Cedric Jennings is a minority student in a poor, inner city school, trying to fight his way up to the top. He has a greater hope for himself than the overwhelming majority of the other students at Ballou High. Cedric faces many challenges to eventually make his way to Brown University. According to Labaree, Cedric is exercising the goal of social mobility, meaning that he worksRead MoreHuman Experience of Illness842 Words   |  4 PagesThe goal of the healing environment is to remove the patient from all the toxic and hazards to give them time to heal. Three concepts that help creating a stable environment will be explain in this paper. These concepts are the seen environment, the unseen environment, and the storied environment. Three concept of the Healing Environment The seen environment is the physical environment that pertains to all the objects that can be touched, seen, smelled, measured, etc. Painting the rooms with neutralRead MoreHurt People Hurt People1138 Words   |  5 PagesPeople A Critique Dr. Wilson opens her book by stating, â€Å"It’s true, isn’t it? Hurt people hurt people.† (2001 pg.9) It is Dr. Wilson’s belief that by shedding light on Hurt People Hurt People she shows a cycle that can be broken. Wilson explores unseen wounds, how they are created through childhood, and caretakers within our lifetime. Dr.Wilson exhaustively demonstrates the help there is for the different wounds and how to heal them. She provides information for healing self inflected wounds, worshipersRead MoreTitle : Go Fish Text : John 4: 1-42 The Woman at the Well. Main Idea: Sharing the good news700 Words   |  3 Pagesall the way here in MD? Share how you where before you came to Jesus. How did you come to Jesus? – Life verse and what did you hear? What is your life like now that you came to Jesus? See the unseen. – How my mother saw the unseen and gave hope to Mary the bag lady story. More about that later. 4. Hope (vv.25-26) IV. Witnessing is a major aspect of Christian living - I Corinthians 10:31-33 See also Mt 10:32–33; 2 Co 4:13; 1 Jn 2:23; 1 Jn 4:15 How does your life exemplify Jesus? Show them thatRead MoreAn Analysis Of Ros Suskind s A Hope1690 Words   |  7 PagesRos Suskind: A hope in the Unseen A typical high school student like Cedric Jennings in the novel ‘A hope in the Unseen’ would never prefer to write on the style and voice of a novel over a mathematical derivation of two pages. Style is very difficult to determine in a novel, but what is more difficult is to find the thin and blurred line between style and voice. Theoretically, while style is the way by which an author chooses words, makes decisions on sentence structures; whether long or short,Read MoreAnalysis Of Spredemanns Whirligig By Paul Fleischman971 Words   |  4 PagesAlexandra and Steph. The author says â€Å"But just in case unseen forces do exist, I pay my respects to them by keeping the whirligig painted and repaired. I check it after every winter. Sometimes Alexandra helps† (Fleischman 32). The whirligig Steph finds is one of a girl with the face of Lea, with shells and other chimes hanging from her neck. It is a big whirligig in Maine, very colorful. Steph thinks of the whirligig as a kind of hope, an â€Å"unseen force† that can do anything at anytime. It is kind ofRead MoreDifference Between Spirituality And Religion Essay1707 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing part of the greater whole. They tell a story of universalism and becoming self- transcendence. †¢ What are the different names given to ultimate reality? (pg.8, para. 6) The different names for ultimate reality is immanent and transcendent. †¢ Unseen Reality. What is this all about? (pgs.8-10) It is about seeing the other side of the world like enlightenment, realization, illumination, satori, awakening, self-knowledge, gnosis, ecstatic communion. †¢ †¢ Note the difference between sacred and profaneRead MoreVerses774 Words   |  4 Pagesgracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.   Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.   You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not beRead MoreEssay about Elements of Journalism1032 Words   |  5 Pages it must keep the news comprehensive and proportional, and its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience. These elements are to be used in relation to any piece of journalism. Therefore, as I look at Suskinds A Hope in the Unseen I will evaluate his use or lack of use of these nine elements. Journalisms first obligation is to the truth. This is a simple concept, however, there is said to be much conflict over the fact that one persons interpretation of what

The Importance Of Becoming An Independent Consulting

Scenario Summary For the past ten years I have been offering advice to local churches and businesses assisting them with growth strategies as it pertains to visual communications voluntarily. This has been very rewarding to watch these local organizations expand and grow with my expertise in visual communications with little to no budget for marketing and operations, however, I am starting to realize how much money I have forfeited not charging consulting fees for my service. An old business proverb goes like this: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you lose a customer or a potential business opportunity. Considering the idea of becoming an independent consulting is rewarding for me in many ways. First†¦show more content†¦PORTER’S GENERIC STRATEGIES Michael Porter has proposed three generic strategies that provide a good starting point for strategic thinking: overall cost leadership, differentiation, and focus (Keller and Kotler, pg. 51). These strategies are guides to start researching how to market a particular product or service. Overall Cost consist of developing strategies to give advantage over competitors. Differentiation is creating uniqueness for a brand giving the brand its own identity. Focus will Identifying a niche market that a firm can dominate by better meeting market needs than its competitors. I would use the strategies of overall cost and focus to build my service because these two areas will help me reach my target consumers. Being able to service small to mid-size organizations with visual communications at an affordable cost with mainstream service in media and operational affairs are instrumental for organizational growth. Target Market My target market would be consulting for small churches and businesses. I believe there is a niche for visual communications in these types of organizations right now because of budgeting issues and because lack of people within their organization who can provide what I am offering. These organizations don’t

Predictive Policing free essay sample

Predictive Policing Dr. Janet Durgin Information Systems for Decision Making October 20, 2013 Introduction Predictive policing refers to any policing strategy or tactic that develops and uses and advanced analysis to inform forward-thinking crime prevention. predictive policing is done through software called PredPol. It takes crime data, runs it through an algorithm, and then generates these maps. The maps tell police where crimes might happen † before they take place. Police can spend extra time in the areas at risk for crime, the thinking goes, and prevent those crimes from ever occurring. This paper will Compare and contrast the application of information technology (IT) to optimize police departments performance to reduce crime versus random patrols of the streets. Describe how COMPSTAT, as an information system (IS), implements the four (4) basic IS functions: Input, Processing. Output, and Feedback. Also, it will determine how information systems have allowed police departments that implement tools such as COMPSTAT to respond to crime faster. Law enforcement is now capable of anticipating crimes and therefore, they can issue additional manpower in those identified areas to deter criminal activity before it starts.This reduces randomly selected patrol areas and provides substantial patrols in areas where needed. Patrolling Is a great way of displaying police presence In the community. It makes citizens feel a sense of security. Unfortunately patrolling Is not always effective If little to no crime occurs In heavily patrolled areas but occurs In less patrolled areas. This is a misuse of man power and promotes crime due to the lack of police presence. Enforcement it is critical to plan and prepare for crime in order to prevent it. The use of information technology such as COMPOSTS in law enforcement provides a way for law enforcement officials to build a strategy for crime fighting and prevention. Technology has provided a business approach to crime fighting with the use of data that can be analyzed to develop strategies and plans of action. Planning has now become increasingly important in crime fighting and prevention. Although the data is not perfect it provides a window into the unknown and allows us to predict and forecast criminal activity. The debate between the use of COMPOSTS technology and traditional patrolling is one that continues.COMPOSTS enforces that command staff hold the responsibility of crime prevention and reduction with little regard for trolling officers in the decision making process. While traditional policing or patrolling entrusts decision making based on the street activity. This type of policing is a partnership between law enforcement and citizens. The crossroads is evident as the two different approaches clash. The technology approach favors the command officers decisions, while traditional patrolling favors the leadership and decision making of officers on their individual patrols. (Willis, Mastiffs, ; Westward 2003, p. ) While both patrolling and the use of technology are important elements to efficiently and effectively execute safety measures I believe that traditional patrolling is less effective singularly. Patrolling is most useful when executed in tandem with technological data to identify high priority areas. I view this as an essential element to succeeding in crime prevention. COMPOSTS Information System Information systems collect, process, store and analyze data. These systems are often used to create efficiency and effectiveness in daily operations. Information systems have four basic functions: input, processing, output, and feedback.Input is captured or collected data for analysis. Data can be captured from multiple sources and compiled for statistical analysis. Compacts data is derived from areas such as police reports, crime data, and citizen input. This input of data is important to formulate an accurate analysis of crime trends, patterns, and possible preventative measures. In the processing phase the inputted data is converted and analyzed for later use. This data can be stored, or transferred and used on demand. The accessibility of this type of data is essential in understanding crime activity and creating crime fighting strategies.The analyzed data and reports are then rendered for review. The next step is for the data to be reviewed by command officers. The command officers are generally the decision makers and they utilize the data to formulate effective crime fighting strategies, allocate resources, and workflow. This enables commanding officers to comply with the COMPOSTS cycle of reviewing, straightening, and rapid deployment. Accountability is the platform by which COMPOSTS is based and as such it provides restructuring of the Departments crime fighting abilities with increased effectiveness in response times.Feedback is the process of organizing and assessing final results. COMPOSTS feedback provides commanding officers an opportunity to assess the results of an executed strategy. The COMPOSTS feedback provides commanding officers with analysis to determine if there is a need for revisions of a given strategy or follow up planning when necessary. Turban, ; Volition (2011) states A feedback Crime and Information Systems The use of Information systems such as COMPOSTS within law enforcement have significantly changed the way policing is executed.Law enforcement is more strategic and based on statistical data which helps in crime fighting and crime prevention efforts. Commanding officers now use this data to assess high crime areas and strategically deploy officers to high crime areas based on trends and r ecent activity. The increase in patrolling officers assigned to high crime areas provide the ability for rapid response to calls, thus positively impacting response times. Predictive Policing SOOT Analysts Predictive policing is the wave of the future in creating effective and efficient policing. Strategy and planning are now essential to creating positive law enforcement outcomes.With the proper data and analysis, commanding officers are owe able to create movement toward a safer environment for citizens. Strengths Predictive policing provides a vast array of strengths to any Law enforcement agency considering the use of this tool. Strategy, planning and execution are at the core of such predictive policing tools like COMPOSTS. Implementing this tool will enable law enforcement to effectively utilize its resources and time by providing security and policing efforts in the right places at the right time. This will improve response times and move officers to rapid response levels.The use of COMPOSTS will also help to identify staffing needs as officers must be deployed to various high crime areas, additional officers may be needed for maximum effectiveness. Weaknesses While predictive policing is effective it also has weaknesses. Predictive policing excludes the role of the patrolling officer in the decision making process. Decisions are made by the commanding officer and should be carried out by the patrol officer. Decisions are no longer at the discretion of the patrolling officer. Giving this level of power to a commanding officer may also lead to a potential abuse of power. Strong ethical leaders should only be placed in the commanding officer role. Opportunity Areas of opportunity in predictive policing are found in the communication between officers and commanding officers. Open communication and exchange of ideas in the decision making process would benefit the effectiveness of the overall strategic planning. Enforcing a partnership between patrolling officers who work the streets daily and commanding officers who manage daily will build a stronger unit that is likely to achieve more. Interdepartmental relations are critical elements to the overall success of the executed plan.Threats Potential threats to predictive policing are the potential threat of computer hacking to determine or anticipate police strategy. As with any system the threat of hacking or piracy is always evident along with computer outages or loss of data. Measures to safe guard data must be implemented and enforced along with back up data planning. This will ensure that data can be retrieved and is accessible at all times. Conclusion In conclusion, predictive policing with the use of COMPOSTS will make for a more rates and better strategic planning along with rapid response.

Information Together Forms Base Of Data †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Questions: When and how Elm should be used for business applications? When Elm should be selected or not selected for software projects? How to program business applications in Elm? Answers: Introduction This project is focused on gaining an in-depth knowledge in Elm which is a functional programming language. This study will further dive into determining when Elm should be used or not used for software projects. In this project, the discussions will be carried out to become professionals in in using Elm for business applications. Further, this project will help to design and build an application by using Elm. This project will investigate upon the features of functional programming especially Elm and how viable it is context to production (Chakravorty and Hales 2017). The architecture of Elm is simple and easy to use for designing web applications also there is modularity and scope of reusing codes as well as testing. The Elm architecture is easy however it is useful for front-end projects only and has poor integration with the existing applications. The programming industry have to be aware of the context in which Elm can be used or not used for business applications. Hence, this p roject aims to deliver a guide for businesses to determine the when m should and should not be used for business applications. Finally, the research project will help to design and simple business application with the help of Elm. Research Question/s and intended outcomes The aim of this project is determining the use of Elm for business applications and hence the major research question is presented as below: The major aim of the research questions is to investigate Elm as a functional programming language and role played by it for designing business applications. The questions have been prepared for gaining in-depth knowledge in Elm and how it can be associated with software projects. The intended outcome of this project is a simple business application that will be designed by using Elm. This project will help to assess when and how Elm should be used for business applications (Bettinazzi and Zollo 2016). This project will also help the professionals in their future research on utilizing Elm for designing of business applications. Methodology The primary and secondary sources of information together forms the base of data collection tools in almost any research project. The primary sources of information for this project will be collected from online survey questionnaires and direct face to face interviews with professionals in the field of business application programming (Zhang et al. 2016). Favorable position of using primary data is that experts are gathering information for the specific inspirations driving their examination. Surveys routinely contain diverse choice inquiries, manner scales, close request and open-completed request. The online questionnaires will help to gather accurate information. The secondary source of information will comprise of meetings that are generally conducted very close however it can be controlled by telephone or using more innovative technology, for instance, Skype (Mayer 2014). At times they are held in the interviewee's home, as a rule at a more objective place. The secondary data will also be collected from various case studies that relate to the subject topic. Feasibility and Scope of the Study This project is feasible in context to the scope of the study as it involves investigation of functional programming and that has a significant role to play designing of business applications. This project will help to achieve in-depth knowledge of Elm and how it can be used for business applications. The research project will also eventually help to design a simple business application with the help of Elm and produce a guide for businesses on when Elm should and should not be used for business applications (Komi et al. 2017). The professionals in programming industry will find this research project to be beneficial as it will open doors for them to gain in-depth knowledge of Elm. Report Structure (proposed) The report structure being proposed for completion of the research project is presented as below: Activities for the research 1st Week 2nd Week 3rd Week 4th Week 5th Week 6th Week 7th Week Completion dates Gathering information from secondary sources 25/08/2017 Preparing layout for the project 30/08/2017 Literature review on available journals 12/09/2017 Planning for the project 15/09/2017 Collection of information from primary sources 20/09/2017 Findings and Analysis 30/09/2017 Discussion and interpretation 05/10/2017 Drawing conclusion to the study 15/10/2017 Completing the final paper 20/10/2017 References Akusok, A., Veganzones, D., Bjrk, K.M., Sverin, E., du Jardin, P., Lendasse, A. and Miche, Y., 2014. ELM ClusteringApplication to Bankruptcy Prediction. In International work conference on TIme SEries (pp. 711-723). Bettinazzi, E.L.M. and Zollo, M., 2016, January. Stakeholders and Organizational Learning: Theory and Evidence from Corporate Acquisitions. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2016, No. 1, p. 13573). Academy of Management. Bgel, P.M., 2015. Processing of CSR communication: insights from the ELM. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 20(2), pp.128-143. Bowen, P.G., 2014. The Strategy Wagon Wheel and Its Application For Teaching Strategy. Business Education Innovation Journal, 6(2). Chakravorty, S.S. and Hales, D.N., 2017. Sustainability of process improvements: an application of the experiential learning model (ELM).International Journal of Production Research, pp.1-17. della Porta, G., Principi, E., Ferroni, G., Squartini, S., Hussain, A. and Piazza, F., 2016. ELM based algorithms for acoustic template matching in home automation scenarios: advancements and performance analysis. In Recent Advances in Nonlinear Speech Processing (pp. 159-168). Springer International Publishing. Ding, S., Zhao, H., Zhang, Y., Xu, X. and Nie, R., 2015. Extreme learning machine: algorithm, theory and applications. Artificial Intelligence Review, 44(1), pp.103-115. Elm, C., Knight, T., Martin, M.M., Michel, K.J., Boctor, M. and Loberg, S.J., Disney Enterprises, Inc., 2016. Content orchestration for assembly of customized content streams. U.S. Patent 9,503,770. Elm, J.P. and Goldenson, D., 2014. The Business Case for Systems Engineering: Comparison of Defense-Domain and Non-Defense Projects. Ismaeel, S., Miri, A., Sadeghian, A. and Chourishi, D., 2015, November. An Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) Predictor for Electric Arc Furnaces' vi Characteristics. In Cyber Security and Cloud Computing (CSCloud), 2015 IEEE 2nd International Conference on (pp. 329-334). IEEE. Khalid, H.M., Liew, W.S., Helander, M.G. and Loo, C.K., 2016, December. Prediction of trust in scripted dialogs using neuro-fuzzy method. In Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM), 2016 IEEE International Conference on (pp. 1558-1562). IEEE. Komi, M., Li, J., Zhai, Y. and Zhang, X., 2017, June. Application of data mining methods in diabetes prediction. In Image, Vision and Computing (ICIVC), 2017 2nd International Conference on (pp. 1006-1010). IEEE. Mayer, B., 2014. Designing the Business Strategy Game to Promote Strategic Thinking and Student Engagement: An Application of the Four Disciplines of Execution. Business Education Innovation Journal VOLUME 6 NUMBER 2 December 2014, p.86. Mila?i?, L., Jovi?, S., Vujovi?, T. and Miljkovi?, J., 2017. Application of artificial neural network with extreme learning machine for economic growth estimation. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 465, pp.285-288. Razzaghi, T., Otero, A. and Xanthopoulos, P., 2017. Imbalanced classification for business analytics. In Artificial Intelligence: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 660-670). IGI Global. Teng, S., Khong, K.W. and Goh, W.W., 2014. Conceptualizing persuasive messages using ELM in social media. Journal of Internet Commerce, 13(1), pp.65-87. Wang, X.Z. and Wang, H., 2014. Guest editorial: learning from uncertainty and its application to intelligent systems of web information. World Wide Web, 17(5), p.1027 Zhang, N., Chen, H., Chen, X. and Chen, J., 2016. ELM meets urban computing: ensemble urban data for smart city application. In Proceedings of ELM-2015 Volume 1 (pp. 51-63). Springer, Cham. Zhang, N., Chen, H., Chen, X. and Chen, J., 2016. ELM Meets Urban Big Data Analysis: Case Studies. Computational intelligence and neuroscience, 2016. ZHANG, Y. and LI, M., 2016. A Novel Evaluation Model of Water Quality Based on PSO-ELM Method. Environmental Science Technology, 5, p.026. ZHENG, H.C., QI, Z.H., WU, J., WANG, T. and WAN, N., 2015. Antecedents of Award-Based Crowdfunding Performance: From the ELM Perspective. Journal of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (Social Sciences Edition), 1, p.009.

Economic Worth Of The Tourism Industry

Adjectives vs Adverbs for ACT English Grammar Rule

Adjectives vs Adverbs for ACT English Grammar Rule SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You may recall the good ol’ days of elementary school when you learned about adjectives and adverbs. If you had realized that you would have to know about these parts of speech for the ACT, perhaps you would have paid better attention instead of daydreaming about Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel. Don’t worry. If you’ve forgotten or never learned about these parts of speech, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about them for the ACT English section. In this post, I'll do the following: Define an adjective. Define an adverb. Review the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives. Explain how adjectives and adverbs are tested in ACT English. Provide practice questions to test you on what you've learned. What Is an Adjective? Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. Here's an example: The movie was boring. The word "boring" is the adjective because it modifies the noun "movie." Check out one more example sentence with an adjective: The diligent student was admitted to the college of his dreams. The word "diligent" modifies the noun "student." Adjectives describe or provide more information about a noun. Now, let's define an adverb. What is an Adverb? In elementary school, you may have learned that adverbs modify verbs, but that's not all. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. This is an example of an adverb modifying a verb: The dancer moved gracefully. The word "gracefully" modifies the verb "moved." Check out this sentence with an adverb modifying an adjective: The reading comprehension passage was incredibly boring. The word "incredibly" modifies the adjective "boring" that modifies the noun "passage." And, finally, this is a sentence with an adverb modifying another adverb: When I'm not in a hurry, I walk extremely slowly. The word "extremely" modifies the adverb "slowly." The word "slowly" modifies the verb "walk." You may have noticed the adverb form is typically created the same way. Adverb Construction Adverbs are usually formed by adding "ly" to the adjective. For adverbs that end in "y," the adverb is formed by adding "ily." Here are some examples: "quick" becomes "quickly," "soft" becomes "softly," "close" becomes "closely," and "hasty" becomes "hastily." So if you say that somebody"talks slow" or "drives careful," you're making a grammar error. You should say, "talks slowly" or "drives carefully." How are adjectives and adverbs tested on the ACT? Adjectives vs. Adverbs on the ACT On the ACT, adverbs and adjectives will be switched with one another. Often, you will be given a pair of underlined words and the first should be an adverb (modifying the adjective) and the second should be an adjective. Here is an example: Unfortunately, the lead performer in the musical is an amazingly poorly singer. A. NO CHANGE B. amazing poorly C. amazingly poor D. amazing poor In the sentence, "amazingly" modifies "poorly." The word "poorly" modifies the singer. Because "singer" is a noun, "poorly" should be in the adjective form. Only adjectives can modify nouns. Because "amazingly" modifies an adjective, it should remain in the adverb verb. The answer is C. Some sentences will use an adjective in the place of an adverb or vice versa: The powerfully summer sun beat down on them. It was the sun that was powerful, not "summer." Because only an adjective can modify a noun, "powerfully" should be in the adjective form. This is the correct version of the sentence: The powerful summer sun beat down on them. How should you go about figuring out adjective vs. adverb questions on the ACT? Strategy Determine what word an adjective or adverb is modifying. Then, determine the part of speech of the word that is being modified to check to see if the adjective or adverb is being used correctly. Adjectives can only modify nouns and adverbs can only modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Make sure that adjectives are in the adjective form and adverbs are in the adverb form. Apply these tips to an adjective vs. adverb question from an actual ACT. Actual ACT Examples Try to correctly answer this adjective vs. adverb question. On each wing, all flighted birds have ten primary flight feathers, each one shaped slight different. F. NO CHANGE G. slight differently. H. slightly differently J. slightly more different Explanation: First, we see that both underlined words are in the adjective form. Next, we have to determine the function of each word in the sentence. Is each word being properly used as an adjective? Let’s start with â€Å"different." What is â€Å"different† modifying? How the feathers were shaped. â€Å"Shaped† is a verb. Therefore, â€Å"different† should be in the adverb form, â€Å"differently." What is â€Å"slight† modifying? The adverb â€Å"differently." Therefore, â€Å"slight† should also be in the adverb form. The answer is H, â€Å"slightly differently." Now, let's take a look at another issue tested on the ACT that involves adjectives and adverbs. Comparatives Vs. Superlatives Comparatives The comparative form of an adjective is formed by adding "er" to the word or "MORE" + the adjective. Examples of comparatives include "stronger," "lighter," and "more interesting." Never use "more" with the "er" form. You can't write "more stronger" or "more lighter." The comparative form is only used when you are comparing two things. Typically, you use the "er" form for words with one syllable and "more" + adjective for words with two or more syllables. One exception is that two syllable words that end in "y" tend to use the "er" form. Examples: "funny" becomes "funnier" and "busy" becomes "busier." Here's an example of a comparative being used correctly: Macs are easier to use than PCs. The comparative "easier" is being used to compare two things: Macs and PCs. So what form do you use to compare three or more things? Superlatives The superlative form of an adjective is formed by adding "est" to the word or "MOST" + the adjective. Examples of superlatives include "strongest," "lightest," and "most fascinating." You can never use "most" with the "est" form. It's incorrect to write "most funniest" or "most strongest." The superlative form is only used when comparing three or more things. Typically, words with one syllable use the "est" form and words with two or more syllables use "most" + adjective. This is an example of a correctly used superlative: Of all the computer brands, Macs are the easiest to use. When using "all" and not specifying a number, it's implied that you're talking about more than two so you should use the superlative form. Check out this example of a superlative being used incorrectly: Between John and Suzy, Suzy is the quietest. Remember that the superlative can only be used when comparing three or more things. There are only two in this sentence: John and Suzy. To fix the error, "quietest" should be changed to the comparative form, "quieter." How does the ACT test your knowledge of comparatives and superlatives? Comparatives and Superlatives on the ACT The ACT tests proper construction of comparatives and superlatives. You must know that comparatives are only used for comparing two things and superlatives are used for comparing three or more. Here are some tips to help you solve comparative and superlative questions on the ACT. Strategy Comparative and superlative rules are relatively basic. Remember this information and you should be able to correctly answer any ACT English question about them. If a comparative is underlined, make sure only two things are being compared. Never use "more" with the "er" form. Use the "er" form for one syllable words. If a superlative is underlined, make sure three or more things are being compared. Never use "most" with the "est" form. Use the "est" form for one syllable words. Use your knowledge of comparatives and superlatives to answer this real ACT English question. Actual ACT Example Here is a comparative/superlative question taken from a real ACT. The two principal types of kayaks are the easily maneuverable white-water kayak and the largest sea kayak. F. NO CHANGE G. very biggest H. more large J. larger Explanation: Because the word underlined is in the superlative form, we need to check to see if the superlative form is being used correctly. What is being compared in the sentence? The white-water kayak and the sea kayak. Only two things are being compared, so you have to use the comparative form. The sentence even says, â€Å"The TWO principal types of kayaks." Also, â€Å"large† is a one syllable word so you should use the â€Å"er† form instead of â€Å"more large." The answer is J. Here are some tips to help you answer all questions relating to adjectives and adverbs on the ACT. General Strategies for Adjectives and Adverbs on ACT English #1: If an Adjective or Adverb is Underlined, Make Sure the Word is Being Used Correctly On the ACT, adjectives and adverbs will often be placed next to each other and both words will be underlined. Make sure that adjectives are in adjective form and adverbs are in adverb form. #2: Determine the Part of Speech of the Word that the Adjective or Adverb Is Modifying Determine if a word is an adjective or an adverb by identifying the part of speech of the word it modifies. Adjectives modify nouns and adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. #3: If a Comparative or Superlative Is Underlined, Make Sure the Word Is Being Used Correctly Comparatives Comparatives only compare two things. Proper comparative structure is the "er" form or "MORE" + adjective. Never use "MORE" with the "er" form. Use the "er" form for one syllable words. Superlatives Superlatives compare three or more things. Proper superlative construction is the "est" form or "MOST" + adjective. Never use "MOST" with the "est" form. Use "est" for one syllable words. Additional Practice I created these realistic practice problems to test your knowledge of adjectives and adverbs on the ACT. Enjoy! 1. The young student was disillusioned with school; he found his classes boring, and he thought economics was his most boringly class. A. NO CHANGE B. most boring C. more boring D. more boringly 2. Because my friend is better at math than I am, he can more easily solve complex trigonometry questions. A. NO CHANGE B. more easier C. most easy D. easily 3. Chris Farley was a very gifted entertainer who left an extremely profound impact on Saturday Night Live. A. NO CHANGE B. extremely profoundly C. extreme profound D. extreme profoundly 4. Joe decided to attend Stanford because it was the more prestigious school that accepted him. A. NO CHANGE B. more prestigiously C. most prestigious D. most prestigiously Answers: 1. B, 2. A, 3. A, 4. C What's Next Keep improving the skills that will help you master the ACT English section. Read this article about the best way to approach ACT English. For those of you focusing on learning ACT grammar, I highly you recommend you check out these posts on faulty modifiers and punctuation. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Love Blood and oil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Love Blood and oil - Essay Example This meeting took place between the Saudi Arabia’s King Ibn Saudi and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This agreement progressed at various foreign policy doctrines with the subsequent United States presidents to George W. Bush. The 2008 Klare’s documentary film; Blood and Oil featured much of what was presented in the Klare’s book; that is, the conflict of oil. The oil reserves in the Middle East have long been regarded â€Å"a stupendous source of strategic power† by America. This claim is evidenced by a memo to the state department that is dated August 1945. According to Michael Klare, a progressive energy analyst, in his documentary, Blood and Oil, the Middle East oil resources contributes to the United States’ weakness (Morris&Young 6). Based on the same documentary, Blood and Oil, Klare examines the relationship between United States foreign policy and Oil. Plying the part of a film commentator, Klare hints on the importance of accessing and controlling oil within the presidential doctrines right from FDR through the administration of George W. Bush. On this point, Klare argues that controlling of the world’s energy resources is foundational to the United States of America foreign policy as from the World War II. Notably, the notion of Blood and Oil administrations demonstrates how the United States’ energy policy and foreign policy to be very essential intertwined (Morris&Young 9). Since the year 1860, the United States of American is known to be the leading petroleum consumer. Despite its worldwide low population of approximately five percent of the entire world population, the United States’ oil based economy consumes approximately twenty five percent of oil that is produced globally; this can be approximated to twenty million barrels per day. In the 1960s, the United States became intensively self sufficient and was producing over eighty percent of its own oil. Nonetheless, the

Women throughout American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Women throughout American History - Essay Example Perhaps the most essential, women fought for and to a large extent realized a reassessment of conventional notions of their duties in society. In addition, women in America were perceived to be second class citizens and in a number of occasions to be used and owned by members of the male population. Even though these views still persist in several regions in the world, women have accomplished tremendous progress with regard to equal rights. These civil rights were most notably established in the 19th and 20th centuries with noteworthy laws, for example, the Married Women’s Property Laws enacted during the 19th century and the 19th Amendment. The most significant accomplishment was realized in the 1920 elections when a large number of American women were allowed to exercise their rights to vote for the initial time. It took tremendous efforts of activists and reformers and approximately a century to win this right. Even though the consequences were astounding, the campaign was extremely demanding. Nevertheless, in the final part of 1920, the 19th Amendment of the constitution was formally approved, incorporating American women and for the first time asserting that like men, women, ought to have all rights and responsibilities that is associated with being an American citizen (Hemming and Savage 48). This paper will look at how women have suffered for numerous years, but the efforts they have put in have shown throughout history. From the early periods women have been specifically perceived as an innovative source of human existence. However, historically, women in America have been regarded both as a major source of evil and temptation, and mentally mediocre to their male counterparts. In contrast, the attitude towards members of the female population in the Eastern part of the world was initially extra approving. For instance, in ancient India, women were not denied of individual freedoms or property rights by marriage. Nevertheless, in America, children of the male gender were considered to be of significance than female children. On the other hand, when women were allowed intellectual and individual freedom, they made tremendous realizations. In the middle periods nuns played a significant part in Europe’s religious life. In America, women made significant contributions towards the fight for education for American women (Rosenbloom 37). Emma Willard established the Troy Female Seminary in 1821. This was the foremost American educational institution to give females a college education identical to that offered to men. Also, in 1841, Oberlin College was the institution that gave the bachelor’s degree to the first three women, Mary Caroline Rudd, Elizabeth Smith Prall, Mary Hosford, in America, and in 1862 it gave a degree to Mary Jane Patterson, an African America woman. Women in America were for a long time perceived as biologically inferior to men, delicate, and not able to engage in activities needing intellectual or muscular development. In preindustrial America, domestic activities were left for women and females, leaving what were considered as significant activities, for example, plowing and hunting to men. This did not take notice of activities, for example, taking care of children, washing clothes, and milking cows which needed sustained, burdensome labor. Also, the American community regarded the natural biological responsibility of women as their foremost social responsibility as well. This made middle-class children to learn from their mother’s example that caring for children, cleaning, and cooking was the responsibilities required of her when she became an adult

Essay 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

1 - Essay Example Some people fear altercation and disobeying authority would require confrontation. Very many people want to appear rational and people with high integrity, and compliance to the authority means they are upholding their dignity. These people want to paint unadulterated picture of them to the authority and by complying with what the authority requires they are able to achieve this. Giving a phony or unjustly account of what took place will make a person obey authority in order to reverse his or her previous sentiments. When ones conscious is not at peace is it even possible for the person to have a peaceful life, knowing that one’s own version will make a person lose his or her life. How can someone live with a false accusation? Unless this person is retarded, because knowing ones version of what happened would be a reason someone innocent is likely to lose his or her life is intolerable. People have so much trust in the authority and not complying with what the authority requires would be so disrespectful on their part. From the age of childhood, people grow to believe an older person should always be respected, so obedience to authority comes naturally. When one fails to respect, authority there is the possibility of the person feeling incompetent and unreliable and it is so palpable that no one wants to be associated with such attributes. Some people comply with the authority for the wrong reasons; they find it hard to say no to the authority because of bribery. Some of them are bribed to give false accounts of what really happened. Such offers are unfeasible for some selfish individuals to turn down. They take up the offers and change their previous versions. There is the issue of threat since it is not likely that authority will be soft and understanding. Sometimes the authority uses threat on witnesses for them to do what the authority requires of

The Resource Based View Of Wal Mart Management Essay

The Resource Based View Of Wal Mart Management Essay The broad marketing environment of an organisation consists of the intra-organisational interactions amongst its internal factors, as also the external, diverse and inter-related environmental factors that are referred to as the external macro-environment (Lancaster Reynolds, 2001). Michael Porters diamond model states that whilst criteria like location, land, labour and magnitude of local population are conventionally considered to be influential in shaping competitive advantage, the real competitive national advantages are obtained by factors like strategy, organisational structure, business rivalries and competition, and related ancillary industries (Proctor, 2002). Hofstede, in his study of international cultures found that cultures comprise of rituals, values, symbols and heroes and that the bedrock of cultural differences between organisational culture flowed from five dimensions of national culture, (Hofstede, 2001), namely (a) power distance, (b) Uncertainty avoidance, (c) individualism, (d) long-term orientation and (e) masculinity (Vinken, Soeters, Ester, 2004). The larger macro environment, widely referred to as the PESTEL analytical framework, concerns political, economic, societal, technological, environmental and legal factors, whose analysis helps in scrutinising and pinpointing the influence of such environmental forces on organisations (Gray, 1999, P 12). Ritzer (1996) concludes that whilst remonstrating and opposing McDonaldisation is potentially worthwhile, the future of added McDonaldisation appears inevitable (Alfino, Caputo, Wynyard, 1998). The resource-based view (RBV) centres into intra-industry heterogenic organisations and contends that firms are distinctive packets of resources and capabilities providing the foundation for gaining competitive advantages; it conveys that organisations should leverage these self-owned resources even in unstructured international markets (Fahy, 1996). The RBV states that competitive advantage from resources can be achieved only if such resources are precious and enable the exploitation of an external opportunity or the counteracting of a threat (Fahy, 1996). Another critical characteristic of resource is rarity, which is inherently the key to heterogeneity, i.e. competitors should not have or be able to access similar resources rendering competitive advantages (Fahy, 1996). The critical condition of imperfect or limited mobility of resource must be further satisfied; imperfect resources that render competitive advantages must not be tradable amongst competitors (Fahy, 1996). Finally, the resource should be imperfectly imitable (Barney, 1991) or as per Peteraf (1993), render several ex-post restrictions to the opposition (Fahy, 1996). Stalk, Evans and Schulman (1992) aver that Wal-Marts growth, leading to its market supremacy, vests in its unique logistics competencies, which underline the magnitude of capabilities as latent causes of competitive advantage; their cross-docking coordination system makes certain that merchandise between two loading docks is transported in not more than forty eight hours (Fahy, 1996). This has benefited Wal-Mart not only in cutting cost of sales, and thereby improving margins, by 2 to 3 percent, but also in minimising the inventory levels (Fahy, 1996), working capital cycle and interest costs. The above system is therefore, seen to be immensely beneficial in value generation through cost reduction and thereby in being a source of competitive advantage; since it satisfies all requisite criteria (Fahy, 1996). The cross-docking system is rare. As it is resource based in terms of the joint utilisation of personnel, delivery vehicles and transportation and communication systems, it satisfies the condition of imperfect mobility (Fahy, 1996). It is also enormously complicated and thus difficult for competitors to reproduce, vis-a-vis the requisite coordination and communication between vendors, distribution centres, sales depots and outlets; it is this intrinsic ability to raise high barriers to imitation that bestows Wal-Mart with competitive advantage (Fahy, 1996). The advanced management methodologies underlined by the current advances in technology now permit the availability of customised merchandise on mass scales; such mass customisation arises from the juxtaposition of dual Japanese systems of flexible manufacturing, or lean production system, and adaptable marketing systems (Yasumuro, 1993),  (Alfino, Caputo, Wynyard, 1998). Wal-Mart is being able to successfully utilise its resources and competencies in establishing sustained competitive advantage, with appropriate and combined application of Porters Diamond model with PESTEL methodologies and RBV theory, in order to cater to variable, disparate and localised merchandise preferences, desires and needs of their customers. Question 2: In May, 2006, Wal-Mart announced the sale of all its 16 South Korean stores, and shortly thereafter, in July of the same year, the sale of its German operations to Metro A.G.; after eight years of effort to try to make the businesses profitable (Depamphilis, 2009). Unlike its remarkable success in getting it right on its home turf, Wal-Mart could not adapt to the regulatory and cultural differences, as well as the strong labour unions, in Germany (Depamphilis, 2009). The intensity of the German competitors in offering very low price points across product categories and the consumers thrift and prudence was also largely underestimated by the company (Depamphilis, 2009). Various factors like (a) the German shoppers adverse perceptions regarding clerks bagging groceries, (instead of themselves, as per their habitual practice), (b) legal tussles with employees over Wal-Marts policies against employee-supervisor liaisons, (c) the companys inability to proffer extended shopping hours or to sell below cost, (because of German regulations), and (d) its inability to implement cost reductions because of strong unionism, contributed in making the companys German venture a big mistake (Depamphilis, 2009). Wal-Mart forayed into Korea with the acquisition of 4 units, in 1999, from the Metro owned Dutch chain named Macro (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). Korea is a comparatively established market with the local Emart being the leader in the retail marketplace (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). Emart was made an acquisition offer by Wal-Mart, which it rejected (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). The company was also cautioned by Emart that with Korea being a localised market with very specific customer needs and wants, Wal-Marts size and its status as the largest global retailer would not be very relevant in achieving competitive advantage in the Korean marketplace (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). Wal-Mart entered the market with a bang but could never gain prominence; after seven years it sold its stores (ironically) to Emart and exited the market (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). In China, on the other hand, the company progressed well. Avoiding major blunders, it has been able to achieve the right mix of localisation of store formats and merchandise mix (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). Chinas high heterogeneity, with regard to its peoples habits and wants are similar to that of any other developing economy (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). It has laboured hard to become an esteemed retailer in China, even as it is still too early in the country to realise its full potential (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). This is important because China and India are at the centre of Wal-Marts global ambitions for Asia (Depamphilis, 2009). Wal-Mart reckons China as a solitary large market, whereas its more successful French competitor Carrefour considers China as a cluster of regional or local markets; Wal-Mart has a centralised sourcing and distribution centre unlike Carrefour (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). The Chinese prefer to purchase fresh poultry and meat; hence the need for local sourcing to be faster and smarter rather than being centrally sourced (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). Wal-Mart in China assists local retailer businesses to improve their functioning and service standards in order to integrate better with the local economies (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Its perseverance in localisation of procurement creates more job opportunities, reposes trust in local producers, and helps in sustaining local economies (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Wal-Mart treats its Chinese vendors as partners in development. Practically 95% of the goods sold by the company are locally produced by almost 20,000 suppliers (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Wal-Marts journey in China has been fraught with many challenges, primarily due to the American retailing methodologies followed by the organisation (Gopalkrishnan, 2009). The singular differentiator between Wal-Marts strategies and Carrefours more entrenched adjustment to the Chinese environment lies in it appreciation of and response to local culture and consumer behaviour (Gopalkrishnan, 2009). In China the company possibly needs to understand that heterogeneous Chinese shoppers would possibly be better served by decentralised operations, combined with simultaneous leveraging of its competitive advantages of low prices, quality, and technologically superior logistics (Gopalkrishnan, 2009). Working together with local partners within the regulatory framework and cultural landscape is a critical lesson that appears to have been absorbed and espoused in advancing its Chinese retail footprint (Gopalkrishnan, 2009). Wal-Mart, by exiting the German market, (post the $ 1 billion pre-tax bottom-line hit), and retreating from the Korean marketplace, conveyed to its stakeholders the lessons it learnt on (a) the importance of appreciating cultural and environmental differences in new markets and (b) the need to focus sharply on profitability and returns in its global investment and growth strategy (Workman, D., 2006). Question 3: The widely used PESTEL framework represents an analytical methodology for evaluating the milieu in which individual organisations or industries operate, work and are managed; such an analysis aids in methodically focusing upon and assessing the impact of various environmental forces, namely those that are political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental and legal in nature, upon business organisations or particular industrial segments (Gray, 1999, P 12). The Wal-Mart group scrupulously operates within the political and legal frameworks in all the countries in which it operates; such a strategy can often lead to the emergence of serious challenges, as in Germany where local regulations did not permit the company to extend the weekend hours or to sell below cost (Depamphilis, 2009). The companys expansion into different nations are also dependent on local political conditions and governmental and local regulations, as illustrated by Wal-Marts unsuccessful foray in Indonesia, where it needed the support of Suhartos network to ensure continuance of operations (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). Apart from such factors organisations have to deal with copious local laws regarding labour and welfare; other trading regulations also affect business operations and need to be complied with, by organisations, their employees and their participating associates. Ecological challenges with regard to environmental protection and use of green production methodologies also need to be diligently targeted above minimum statutory requirements and achieved; Wal-Mart projects itself as a sustainability leader and incorporates participation of all internal and external associates and partners in setting targets for fulfilment of their energy needs (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Its environmental and green objectives are targeted to be achieved through greater use of renewable sources, encouraging use of environmentally friendly products and working towards zero waste (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Catastrophic events and fluctuating weather patterns can also challenge operational efficiencies (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Most global retail players have at one time or another felt the need to factor in challenges relating to country specific general economic conditions, disposable incomes of shoppers, buying patterns and preferences, cost of goods and labour, interest and currency exchange rates, customer debt levels, credit availability and history, fuel and energy prices, insurance costs, et al. (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Economic challenges, especially in forays into matured markets, include top-line protection, sustained profitability and cash flows; these challenges assume critical proportions, not only due to the intense rivalry and competition in the retail turf, but also due to wafer thin margins and the fairly long gestation period involved in setting up just-in-time inventory and logistics, and best in class infrastructure. The socio-cultural norms of no two nations are alike. This poses immense challenges in conforming to local practices and customs and therefore requires diligent and sustained efforts in satisfying cultural needs; inadequate attention to cultural needs has led to numerous retail failures across the globe; Germany and Korea represent two cases of different cultures that Wal-Mart failed to tackle appropriately (Depamphilis, 2009). Another case in point is the heterogeneous nature of the Chinese population, which mandates local rather than centralised sourcing (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). Diverse cultural environments prevail even within small countries, on the lines of geographical or other divisions, demanding adherence by business to disparate social and cultural norms. Retail forays into new international marketplaces need implementation of contemporary technology for combating the inherently competitive nature of the industry. Wal-Mart and other major retail players are using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology for product tagging and coding to combat the logistics challenges for procuring, moving, stacking and selling ever increasing volumes and varieties of merchandise across geographies and continents (Stoler, 2006). Additional risks that Wal-Mart could be exposed to in its global businesses could emerge from fiscal and monetary policies and inflation rates of its host countries, political, social and economic instability, adverse tax consequences, and, inter alia, difficulties in enforcing IPRs (Intellectual Property Rights) in non-US countries (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). The mitigation of these challenges and risks essentially lie in diligently adapting to local country-specific and region-specific norms and regulations and in synergising them with proprietary best-in-class expertise in technology and logistics. Such stratagems are required for the progression of glocalisation or transnational objectives and attainment of economic and sustainable growth. Question 4: The management of the Wal-Mart conglomerate employs numerous measures for evaluation of corporate performance, the chief among them being (a) total sales, (b) operating income, (c) comparable store sales, (d) diluted income per share from continuing operations, (e) return on investment and (f) free cash-flow (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). The total sales for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010, clocked in at $ 401.2 million compared to $ 374.3 million for the previous year, registering a 7.2% growth, following a 8.6% growth in the previous 2008 fiscal (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Such enhancement in net sales resulted from diverse acquisitions, store sales additions, and the worldwide expansion of business (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). The efficacious management and leveraging of expenses of the company can be measured by operating income, which rose by 3.95 % in fiscal 2009, against an increase of 7.1% in the previous year; this occurrence occurred primarily because of Internationals adverse impact from foreign currency conversion rates, (amounting to $ 2.3 billion) and the Sam Clubs marginal percent decrease, due to increases in operating and overhead expenses (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Introducing new stores leads necessarily to reduction in sales of existing stores in the vicinity; as per revised capital efficiency computation methodology, the adverse approximate impact on current store sales was 1.1% and 1.5% in fiscals 2009 and 2008 respectively; this impact will abate in future due to intended reduction in opening of new stores (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). The diluted income from continuing businesses increased from $ 3.16 in fiscal 2008 to $ 3.35 per share in fiscal 2009, consequent to income enhancements, combined with repurchase of outstanding quantum of weighted average shares. The corresponding figure for fiscal 2007 was $ 2.92 diluted income per share (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). The Return on Investment (ROI), a critical measurement tool for assessment of efficiency of deployment of assets by the organisation, stood at 19.3% for fiscal 2009 and 19.6% for fiscal 2008. Some of this decrease occurred because of the investment in Chile and the settlement of workers class action lawsuits (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). Free cash flows are net cash flows made available by continuing operations for a period, less the outflows made for purchase of equipment and property during such period, and reflect the capability of organisations to engender additional cash flows from various business segments ; Wal-Marts free cash flows increased from $ 5.7 to 11.6 billion through fiscals 2008 and 2009 respectively (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). A scrutiny of the 5 year financial data reveals that organisational sales increased from $ 281.5 million in fiscal 2005 to $ 401.2 million in fiscal 2009, representing a 42.5% absolute increase (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). A further analysis of the financials reveals that overall net sales realisation per square footage increased by 1.7% from $ 428.2 to $ 435.7 between fiscals 2007 and 2009 respectively (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). It is also important to note that for the Wal-Mart US segment, (which contributed 63.7% of the overall net sales for fiscal 2009), the net sales realisation increased by 3.6% from $ 418.8 to $ 434.0 per square foot between fiscal 2007 and 2009. The average realisation per store in the US increased from $ 65.73 to $ 69.95 million, representing an increase of 6.4% over the same period (Wal-Mart Group, 2010). The above performance analysis of Wal-Marts business segments, vis-à  -vis its strategies, reveals that the group should be able to continue to successfully overcome or sidestep the challenges it must inevitably face in future, considering its worldwide span of operations in 15 diverse global territories. The companys financials reveal that the strength of its balance sheet will continue, barring major risks, to supplement its resources every year in achieving its strategic objectives for the benefit of its stakeholders. Question 5: Wal-Mart forayed into the global marketplace, with the opening of the Sams Club in Mexico, in the 1990s, to revitalise its constrained domestic sales growth; this diversification yielded immense results in terms of growth, in both revenues and earnings, especially after appropriate changes in the companys international strategy were effected in 1999 (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). The company thereafter entered, (in quick succession), Puerto Rico in 1991, Canada in 1994, Brazil and Argentina in 1995, and China in 1996 (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). The subsequent ingress into the UK through the purchase of ASDA, as well as into Japan through Seiyu, furthered its global operations (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). The first part of the companys three-pronged strategy, to unlock the value in their global business, addressed portfolio optimisation in making of correct investments, dissociating from unsuccessful investments, and growing both organically and inorganically (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). The second leg of this international strategy, according to Mitch Slape, Wal-Marts (International Business Development) Vice President, is to leverage global markets to add value through use of all of Wal-Marts resources, competencies, and associations, (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). The year 2007 saw the addition of the third dimension of their strategy, namely, to be triumphant in each of the geographical areas of operation and to have a unique position for eventual generation of value for shareholders. The company, to achieve this, continues to be fixated on the local consumer, relocate know-how, and grow the best international and local talent to enable leveraging the global scale (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). The competition amongst retail companies on the basis of local market power and local scale establishes the branding, cost composition and recall presence for the customer, in all countries; Wal-Mart hurt itself sorely whenever it did not adhere to this principle (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). With most of the customers, to the first Mexican Wal-Mart store, commuting by buses instead of cars, the companys large Americanised parking-lot was piled up with shopping carts at the end that was closer to the bus stop (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). The product categories and inventories stacked were attuned to American needs, e.g. golf balls for the lower income level customers (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). Wal-Mart learnt quickly from these initial and relatively minor errors and bounced back to achieve remarkable success (Mahajan-Bansal, 2010). Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) aver that the organisation must manage itself to realise the synergies of global assimilation and national receptiveness and learn to thrive in the global arena (Fahy, 1996). In terms of wherewithal, such a theory connotes that the organisation should depend not only on the parent organisations resources (global assimilation) or on the resources of the local company (national receptiveness) but must equally highlight both; it must also effectively ensure two-way transfer of learning between both the companies (Fahy, 1996). Although numerous authors assert the pursuit of a global strategy on the foundation of the industrys internationalisation prospects (Porter 1986; Yip, 1989), there is a divergent view that companies need to merge both the local and global dimensions; this combination is occasionally known as localisation (Main, 1989) (Fahy, 1996). Translated, the transnational solution advocates that global business players assimilate the organisational resources and competencies of both the host and the home country (Fahy, 1996). The primary and widely accepted reason for Wal-Marts success in China, as also in the other countries it has forayed into concerns its ability to, over time, acclimatise its operational, merchandising and marketing stratagems to enable their juxtaposition with the host countrys culture. The pursuit of such a transnational, or glocalisation strategy, has led to the company becoming an entrenched transnational retail player. Wal-Mart has successfully implemented its intended stratagems in growing from one international retail store in 1991 to over 3000 stores in 2007 in 13 non-US markets under 50 diverse banners; with almost 600,000 associates or employees offering goods and services to 49 million consumers every week, it has been growing at a compound rate of 24.7% per annum for the last seven years (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). Question 6: Globalisation has ensured enormous wealth creation worldwide over the last two decades. The unprotected and saturated domestic markets of business organisations have forced them to cross their national borders (Stoler, 2006); this global competition has wrought considerable internal and external benefits to businesses and societies across the world. The direct benefit of quantitative growth has profited Wal-Mart in two critical areas, the first being the considerable economies of scale that Wal-Mart has been able to garner from its worldwide buying clout and second, the benefits that have accrued to it from the exchange of ideas across its global operations (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). Wal-Marts volumes have helped it in extracting deeper discounts from all the local businesses of its multinational vendors, like Proctor Gamble, GE and Unilever; who have their own worldwide operations (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). The flow of ideas across geographies also help in the best practices of one country being imbibed in another; a case in point being the layouts of the wine departments in stores in Argentina being replicated into layouts globally (Wal-Mart Group, 2007). Technology has propelled the use of bleeding edge innovations in ensuring efficient inventory and logistics controls. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) product coding and tagging , as an alternative to bar codes, for inventory and security purposes, is already in use by large manufacturers and retailers like Wal-Mart and their worldwide vendors (Stoler, 2006). This translates into immense benefits in terms of supremely efficient global tracking, securing and movement of large volumes of merchandise containers by road, sea and air (Stoler, 2006). Wal-Marts use of its competitively advantageous cross-docking logistics system, by ensuring the movement of these tracked goods between two docking stations within forty eight hours, results in nominal inventories and substantial saving of 2 to 3 percent (Fahy, 1996). In a business where low costs and stretched margins are crucial, this system has generated substantial business values and market dominance (Fahy, 1996). The inimitable local and global synergies of bringing together people, communication systems and modes of transportation give Wal-Mart exceptional competitive advantages (Fahy, 1996). The larger implication of the use of these technologies is in facilitating and promoting, rather than in retarding, international trade through addressing of crucial anti-terrorism and security apprehensions (Stoler, 2006). The extensive use of such technologies also implies that customers will soon be able to verify radio-tagged products, know where, when and by whom they were manufactured, the physical components and chemical procedures used in manufacture, the shipment logistics, the dietetic content and , inter alia, their adherence to sustainable development manufacturing methodologies (Stoler, 2006). Such well informed shoppers should further the cause of superior retail management by buying more merchandise than they are content with (Stoler, 2006). The global commodity chain (GCC) approach of Gereffi and Korzeniewicz (1994) looks at the worldwide unification, along value and / or commodity chains, concerning consumption, distribution and production of goods (Dolan, 2004). This diagnostic tool is especially valuable in identifying the vital role that conglomerates like Wal-Mart, GAP and Nike play in managing activities in value chains (Dolan, 2004). Gereffi (1994, 1999) underlined the criticality of the so-called buyer-driven commodity chains, and argued that, in certain business sectors, the large marketers, brand-name companies, and retailers, play a central role in instituting and prodding geographically disseminated manufacturing and supplying systems, without their ownership of such systems (Dolan, 2004). The horticultural value chain pertaining to UK-Africa demonstrates numerous properties of a buyer driven commodity chain (Dolan, 2004). The supermarkets oversee the supply arrangements that cover numerous African nations and not only identify the goods but also the manners of production of such merchandise (Dolan and Humphrey, 2004) (Dolan, 2004). Such supermarkets progressively establish the manufacturing imperatives of the upstream horticultural entities and obliquely impact their assumed employment stratagems (Dolan, 2004). This enables significant and direct benefits to Wal-Mart in terms of display of disparate and locally preferred merchandise on its shelves worldwide, thereby helping it to service its customers better. Assignment 2: Individual Reflective Statement Moon (2004) avers that the stages of the reflective cycle, in the widely used Kolb cycle, (Gibbs. 1988), have been variously described by theorists as (a) the experience, (b) identification of the necessity for a resolution of an issue, (c) explanation of the issue, (d) reassessing and remembering, (e) re-evaluating affections / expressive stage, (f) processing of information and thoughts, (g) the ultimate resolution, likely transformation and action and (h) probable action. The Business Synoptic attempts to analyse, with the global retailer Wal-Mart, as the case study, the main issues of the frameworks used to garner competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The exercise helps in comparing the successful, or otherwise, entries into different foreign markets and in assessing the learning thus achieved, understanding the challenges and risks associated with such ventures, identifying the appropriate performance indicators for enabling the analysis of performance of last five years, assessing the results of such analysis vis-à  -vis the adopted strategies, examining the strategies adopted by the company, and finally deciding whether and why such strategies were and are appropriate, and how globalisation has benefited Wal-Mart. This reflective statement study draws greatly on the available literatures that cover the disparate fields of marketing management, strategic management, retail management, international business, and industrial organisation economics, as also the information available on Wal-Mart in the public domain, both on and off line. The analysis involves the use of primary and secondary information available from sources like the Wal-Mart groups website and from books, magazines, journals, the media and newspapers. Whilst the period of reference for this reflective statement commences in the 1960s, when Wal-Mart was founded, the major part of the analytical period spans from the early 1990s when Wal-Mart established its first overseas venture to the five years from 2004 to 2009, for assessment of financial performance indicators. It is also pertinent to note that adequate care has been taken in making sure that the subject matter under examination is pertinent to the issues under this analysis. During the course of this study, I have found that my reflective skills have developed, though I have sometimes skipped certain stages of the reflective cycle and have revisited them later, whilst, in other cases, I have digressed tangentially and have veered away from the current topic of study. This has, over the course of the study, enabled me to delve into the multi-faceted aspects of the diverse factors, as well as the underlying processes and policies that are involved in the management of huge conglomerates. This has also enabled me to better appreciate the humungous logistics behind the everyday retail experiences of millions of shoppers, including the author, who throng the ubiquitous worldwide superstores. During the course of one such digression, I was disheartened to learn that a multinational can also be susceptible for liabilities that can arise out of the non- compliance of its contracted associates with corporate policies on contract labour. The case study revealed the complex relationships that exist between the business environment and the tactical and strategic policies implemented in business segments, as well as the impact and relevance of such policies in staying competitive in the international marketplace. The study also presented the author with the diverse economic, environmental and social criteria that mandated the present and prospective course of action of an organisation for maintenance of its global supremacy in the retail industry. The study of the literature further clarified the importance of social and cultural influences on inter related business decisions and the resultant prosperity, market penetration and growth. The use of both quantitative and qualitative infor

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The Theme in The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara The theme in "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara appears to be a lesson on Social Class and having a choice which society you choose to live in. Miss. Moore who takes on this responsibility to educate the young ones has more then a lesson to teach, but a challenging group of city kids to come by. Sylvia and Sugar which seems to be the leader of the group of neighborhood kids gives Miss. Moore that challenge and not give her the satisfaction. Sylvia's stubborn and stern attitude is sear towards Miss. Moore perhaps Sylvia got a bad impression of Miss. Moore from all that was said about her by the grown-ups. The narrator speaks as a second person and to me Sylvia is the narrator in the story. When the narrator speaks it is she would always say "I" and when Miss. Moore asked Sylvia she states "I'm mad, but I won't give her that satisfaction". The story takes place in what some people might call the projects, or the gutto but in this case it's called the slums by Miss, Moore. Miss. Moore star...

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How To Write A Definition Essay Outline, with Example

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Religion is guided by a set of rules that a person finds worthwhile and their willingness to abide by them. This paper aims to look at religion as means of worship to a superior being. Thesis statement Religion defines an individual in different circumstances. Despite it being a guideline on life, it has made people to be self-righteous in following the rules of nature. It has made people lose themselves and let their goals and character be defined by religion. People have made religion their scapegoat for anything they do. Whether right or wrong, it is likely that they will claim to be following the good book. Religion has made people to be blind followers. Most people who hung up on religion do not necessarily believe in their Bible or Islam but follow the rules to show others how lighthouse they are. Conclusion We should be taught the fundamentals of spirituality. There is a big difference between being religious and being spiritual. Our guiding anchor should be building our faith in God or Allah. The fear of knowing him is what should push us into wanting to follow the book of life. It’s important to note that religion cannot lead us to the heavenly kingdom but rather the way we live our religious life. From the above definition essay outlines, a reader can see the difference. Tips on writing the introduction Before embarking on writing a great essay, cross check the thesis statement. The thesis statement should be strong and reflect the view of the writer. You need to do a lot of research on scholarly definitions of the subject. You are required to quote a few definitions before coming up with your meaning. The definition you come up with should sound intellectual. To do this, try to relate your definition with that of different authors while remaining creative. For a good definition, if possible, avoid the use of when and where. Have a draft beforehand. 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Ben Carson true story Essay Example for Free

Ben Carson true story Essay Ben Carson lived with his mother and elder brother when he was 5th grade student. His performance in education was poor at school, and usually he got none mark. One time a student from his class teased him during break, so Ben beat him and principle called his mother to his office, Ben told that it was an accident. After that when his mother saw his poor grades she was shocked and Ben told that this school is more difficult than the previous one and he cannot do better, but his mother cheered him that he is smart and can achieve everything. One thing is that he needed glasses, because he couldn’t see what is written on blackboard. Sometimes when he asked his mother how to read a particular word, she just told that she needs glasses. Then his mother came to psychological hospital to talk about her difficulties in life that she can’t read, doesn’t have a husband, so she was upset. In order to improve her children’ education and imagination her strategy was that they had to read two books a week and watch television as less as possible. Then Ben and his brother started to go to the library and watch intellectual programs on TV. Moreover she told them to learn times tables in one week. Eventually his grades at school were much better, Ben was so happy and his mother was proud of him. However everybody didn’t like him at school, even one teacher humiliated him when he got certificate. His mother moved him to other school where people appreciate him. At last he entered to the university, where he studied to be a brain surgeon, then he again had difficulties on studying at university, so his girlfriend advised him some tips, and his mother that he doesn’t need a book, because he has everything in his brain. After hard working he got an A mark from the exam of chemistry. He became the best brain surgeon in the world. He had a lot of difficult operations and about five surgeries to separate two heads that are stuck together from birth. Part 2 From this movie I have learned some good skills that are useful in a life. People should be confident, and they should know that can achieve everything. Reading is a key word for a success, the more reading you do then you can achieve your goal.