USS New Mexico (BB-40) during World War II

Exploring Racial Conflict Of America Essay - 1452 Words

Exploring Racial Conflict in America The United States of America is comprised of citizens who have rights given to them that are explicitly written in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. All of these people exhibit diversity. Some came by choice, others by slavery. They have different religious and political beliefs, different sexual orientations, and different nationalities. Each man or woman has these freedoms given to them by the Constitution. However, public sentiment does not always follow the freedoms outlined in the Constitution. Racial conflict is an example of sentiment reflected in society that has existed for decades upon decades and has always been in the undertones of American society. Racial conflict is the most important and prominent recurring theme in the latter half of American history encompassing negative and positive trends shaping America into the society it embodies today. Racial conflict has always been a very pressing problem throughout the political arena and government branches. It was one of the main causes of the Civil War and led to Confederate sympathizers assassinating a sitting President. After the Civil War ended, Reconstruction cultivated tough times and daunting experiences that newly freed slaves had to endure. For example, â€Å"As one North Carolina freedman testified, the Yankees, â€Å"tol’ us we were free,† but once the army left, the planters â€Å"would get cruel to the slaves if they acted like they were free.† It isShow MoreRelatedExploring Racial Conflict Of America Essay1535 Words   |  7 PagesExploring Racial Conflict in America The United States of America is comprised of citizens who have rights afforded to them that are explicitly written in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. All of these individuals exhibit diversity. Some came by choice, others by slavery. They have different religious and political beliefs, different sexual orientations, and different nationalities. Each man or woman has these freedoms afforded to them by the Constitution. However, public sentimentRead MoreThe Division Of Our Society : Exploring Mass Imprisonment1737 Words   |  7 Pages Mass Incarceration The Division of Our Society: Exploring Mass Imprisonment Pamela D. Jackson WRIT 130: Research Paper Professor Jane Campanizzi-Mook September 11th 2015 ABSTRACT Prison is unfortunately big business in the United States and our society is paying the ultimate cost and there is only one system being rewarded. More than often we do not put much emphasis on the prison system in its entirety. 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In the statement, â€Å"at least you know what you want life to give youRead More Setting in William Faulkners Barn Burning Essay1584 Words   |  7 Pageseffected the entire outcome of the story from start to finish. In â€Å"Barn Burning†, a young boy must face his father and face the realit y of a harsh world. He must also discover for himself that his father is wrong and learn to grow up the right way in a racial environment. Faulkner’s setting is one of the most important literary elements that help the audience understand the story. When an author puts a simple-minded group of people in a complex plot, one would get a confusing story line. William FaulknerRead More Spike Lee Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesTisch School of the Arts, the aspiring filmmaker’s first year at New York University was a particularly difficult one. Lee’s experiences, race, and upbringing have all led him to create controversial films to provide audiences with an insight into racial issues. Spike Lee’s first student production, The Answer, was a short ten minute film which told of a young black screenwriter who rewrote D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation. The film was not well accepted among the faculty at New York UniversityRead MoreThe American Dream By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie And Mohsin Hamid1708 Words   |  7 Pagesfundamental principle on which the United States of America is based upon. America is romanticized as a place where ideals of individuality, democracy, freedom and equality are encouraged. This is how America presents itself to the world and in turn, this is how much of the world views the United States - a country brimming with opportunity and those willing to work hard will no doubt achieve prosperity, success and happiness. It s no surprise then that America has the largest immigrant population in theRead MoreThe Marginalized American Dream By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie And Mohsin Hamid1707 Words   |  7 Pagesfundamental principle o n which the United States of America is based upon. America is romanticized as a place where ideals of individuality, democracy, freedom and equality are encouraged. This is how America presents itself to the world and in turn, this is how much of the world views the United States - a country brimming with opportunity and those willing to work hard will no doubt achieve prosperity, success and happiness. It s no surprise then that America has the largest immigrant population in theRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1447 Words   |  6 PagesAbout â€Å"Everyday Use† The conflict in the story is centered around the clash between the two worlds with which Walker s character Dee is endued. Dee increasingly accuses her heritage of the ideas and rhetoric of the new Black Pride movement. Walker weaves the theme of African cultural nationalism with a descriptive conflict immersed in family issues. On another level, Alice Walker offers a unique look at the struggling African-American woman to find both a personality and voice from the shadows of

Legalizing Recreational Drugs Free Essays

A recreational drug is categorized as any substance with pharmacologic effects that is either taken voluntarily for personal pleasure, or for satisfaction rather than for medicinal purposes such as cocaine, marijuana, or ecstasy. These types of drugs are easily found and are used by more than 22 million Americans ages 12 and older; nearly nine percent of the U. S. We will write a custom essay sample on Legalizing Recreational Drugs or any similar topic only for you Order Now population. If these types of drugs were to be made legal, a positive change in the economy would be the ultimate outcome. In 1961, the United Nations implemented an international treaty that limited drug roduction and trafficking. The â€Å"war on drugs†, a term that was created by Richard Nixon a decade later, in reference to said treaty, has been going on for over fifty years now. The original objective of the â€Å"war on drugs† was to expel all recreational drugs from the country; making all of them illegal. However Just like prohibition in 1920, the establishment of these laws were to save the nation from the problems the substance(s) created. However, also like the prohibition of 1920, the laws only served o create and support organized crime and has done little to effect the public’s usage of the substance(s). The U. S. currently has the highest incarceration rate in the world. The bulk of those imprisoned are due to drug-related crimes. The illegal drug trade has been introducing children and teens toa life of crime. They notice that the minimum wages they would legally receive from their unskilled labor at the local Burger King, is far from what they could earn buying and selling illegal drugs. By the time children nd teenagers leave high school, most of these students have committed a criminal act by using recreational drugs. These drugs are used every day and widely available, people see â€Å"breaking the law’ as nothing more than playful mischief; therefore, undermining our laws authority. In contrast to the spiraling ineffectiveness of the U. S. government’s original approach to controlling the issue of recreational drugs, other countries like New Zealand and Ireland have taken on a new outlook on the matter. Instead of outlawing he use of recreational drugs, they have decided to do extensive research on these drugs, in effect making sure that they are safe for the public’s consumption. They are conducting clinical tests to prove that their products are safe; Just like new medicine would be tested in the market. If our government would go along with this new radical movement and legalized recreational drugs, like these other countries, they would no longer have a â€Å"war on drugs†. The money spent on inmates in Jails would be greatly reduced since we are not arresting people for drug use. Police can use the time currently monopolized on getting drugs off the street for other, more pressing crimes. Schools could teach their students about wise drug usage instead of implementing scare tactics. Tactics such as videos and statistics about drug abuse and its consequences that will only tell you to never purchase or use them are simply in effective; that Just leads to ignorant abuse in the future. All legalized drugs can be sold by trust worthy companies instead of fellow schoolmates or sketchy street dealers. These drugs can be bought legally, by someone of government consented age, in proper packages witn appropriate warning labels; similar to the way that cigarettes and alcohol are. In conclusion, legalizing recreational drugs goes far beyond â€Å"right and wrong† if you look at the issue in a practical manner. The problem of illegal recreational drugs has only been increasing with time. The current policies in place are Just not working. A new, radical approach could be the ultimate solution to the U. S. government’s uphill battle. After all, the legalizing has already begun, hasn’t it? How to cite Legalizing Recreational Drugs, Papers

Children Care for Department of Education-myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theChildren Care for Department of Education and Training. Answer: The Stolen Generation or what is generally called as the aboriginal children is that unprivileged section of Diaspora children that are not native to the country they reside in. the theory of discrimination has been ever prevalent in the global history. However, it must be noted that discrimination makes the innocent suffer the most. The challenges and the disadvantages faced by aboriginal children are uncountable in numbers. The population of indigenous children is large in number with a high growth rate. Perhaps the major issue faced by indigenous children is lack of education. Reports have shown that the enrolment rate in education sector of the indigenous children least signs of inflation from 2011. 46% aboriginal children were enrolled in preschool in 2011. 2013 has witnessed a 55% of enrolment in schools (Munns Walker, 2015). The issue that remains prevalent is the under education of the aboriginal section of the society. Aboriginal children are the victim of discrimination on the grounds of their race, color, language spoken and tradition (Simpson et al., 2016). Cultural difference is the prime factor that segregates the aboriginal and the other natives from the nation. Difference is hardly accepted by the majority and thus, the aboriginal children remain under privileged and the pushed section of society. The lack of education and cultural differences created no doubt leaves an acute impression in the mind of a child. The deep-rooted impact has long-term negative influences in shaping a childs psychological order (Isaacs et al., 2017). Quite naturally, the impact marks the differences in their approach towards the world. These particular sections of children remain segregated from rest of the nation and thus, remain backward. As grown up adult, these children face issues of job and earning livelihood and the process repeats. However, it must be noted that steps are taken to eradicate these problems. According to ACECQA, children have a strong sense of self identity and any hindrance with it causes deep rooted emotional imbalance. Education is imperative to a childs well being and parents have an equal role to play to ensure that a child does not feel lost or neglected. Children are the most effective communicators of happiness as well as problems. The learning development of a child should be particularly focused upon ("ACECQA", 2018). In order to achieve this, the most brilliant way would be focusing on reflective learning. Apart from that some factors like healthy life style, physical activity, supervision of the child and practice of healthy habits must also be taken care of by guardians. Department of Education and Training in Australia lays down some key points regarding the principles of learning outcome in the infant state, that is, between one to five years that may help to uproot the sense of feeling neglected among children. It critically analyses the emotional issues faced by children and suggests ways these issues can be dealt with. Australian government towards the proper treatment of aboriginal children has taken more steps. Particularly, Australian government has a specific website for the very cause named as mychild.gov.au that counsels the necessary requirements of the children. An online portal dedicated towards children not only counsels the children in need but also provides development and counseling programs for the parents ("Home | MyChild.gov.au", 2018). Mychild.gov.au also has tie-up with a number of childcare home in different localities in Australia so that not a single child is left without attention for a longer period. In the concluding part it can be asserted that though there are a number of challenges faced by aboriginal children and youth all over the world particularly in Australia, yet it can be suggested that following the recommendations and guidelines as stated by the Australian government would help to curb the issue. Education if given the prime importance, most of the differences can be solved. Whole language approach and phonics is a part of literacy method that quintessentially deals with language teaching particularly to children of different cultural backgrounds. Whole language approach is the method of teaching where language is taken to be a part of a system that produces meaning when interlinked (Richards Rodgers, 2014). The concept of study though is deeply imbibed, still is not presented before the students. Phonics is the interrelation of sounds with their respective symbols. There are certain advantages of whole language learning. The understanding is better in the reading process and a complete picturesque thought is made to derive while reading (Gay et al., 2014). There is no hard and fast practice of rules. Thus, learning is easy and fun. Learning is achieved through imitating in comfortable situation and environment. It helps the children to come across factual reading behaviors. Children are made to play with excellent sources of literature specially designed for children since the initial stage of their learning experience. The language is simple, placid and easily understandable. More focus is put on pictures and images that emotionally connect with the children. The tutors tries to make effective approach so that learning from reading becomes easier for the students There are also certain disadvantages of the same. Lacks strength of vocabulary since learning is based on seeing. Children do not develop any analytical approach as the process from the initial period is very placid and easy. This particular approach makes the student dependent on sight-reading as such, difficulty is faced while constructing meaningful sentence (Lundin Persson, 2015). The children lack decoding skills once grown up. The later learning process in secondary schools becomes hard and tiresome. The Main advantage f phonic language is that it builds up confidence. Phonetics helps children to learn the breakup of words and phrases. As such, children can spell and write unknown words on hearing, since they learn the splitting of alphabets according to its sounds (Goouch Lambirth, 2016). The spellings are also simplifies in this process. Words are broken into parts while reading it in phonics approach. Students while writing can use the same method. Thus, spellings are simplified while reading or writing out. The disadvantage of using phonetic approach to all words can lead students into trouble since not all words can be decoded phonetically. Phonetically, the word laid is pronounced as layed. Using phonetics a student will fail pronouncing the words such as Wednesday or ocean. The total dependence on phonetic approach will lead a student fall in trouble while going through a comprehensive reading. It also fails to promote a comprehensive learning pattern among the students. Phonetics focuses on the learning process of pronouncing and selling of works. It lays its main emphasis on correct utterance of words (Harper, 2016). However, depending only on phonetics will lead a student to fail to understand the meaning of a complex sentence, since, the meaning of words is not emphasized upon. In the concluding statement, it can be said that leaning made through phonetics approach without any iota of doubt is beneficial for students. Yet, there are some drawbacks that cannot be overlooked. Phonetics is particularly helpful in the study of language and communication but basing an entire study only on phonetic will limit a student only to its use. Reference list ACECQA. (2018).Acecqa.gov.au. Retrieved 23 March 2018, from https://www.acecqa.gov.au/ Gay, D., Levis, P., Von Behren, R., Welsh, M., Brewer, E., Culler, D. (2014). The nesC language: A holistic approach to networked embedded systems.Acm Sigplan Notices,49(4), 41-51. Goouch, K., Lambirth, A. (2016).Teaching early reading and phonics: Creative approaches to early literacy. Sage. Harper, T. (2016). The Impact of Instructional Approaches, Systematic Phonics Instruction and Word Study, on Second Grade Students Spelling Development. Home MyChild.gov.au. (2018).Mychild.gov.au. Retrieved 23 March 2018 Lundin, C., Persson, L. (2015). Advantages and Challenges with CLIL-a study examining teachers' thoughts on learner engagement and confidence within content and language integrated learning. Munns, A., Walker, R. (2015). The Halls Creek Community Families Program: Elements of the role of the child health nurse in development of a remote Aboriginal home visiting peer support program for families in the early years.Australian Journal of Rural Health,23(6), 322-326. Richards, J. C., Rodgers, T. S. (2014).Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge university press. saacs, A. N., Sutton, K., Hearn, S., Wanganeen, G., Dudgeon, P. (2017). Health workers views of help seeking and suicide among Aboriginal people in rural Victoria.Australian journal of rural health,25(3), 169-174. Simpson, S., DAprano, A., Tayler, C., Khoo, S. T., Highfold, R. (2016). Validation of a culturally adapted developmental screening tool for Australian Aboriginal children: Early findings and next steps.Early human development,103, 91-95.

Amazon Publishing What is it Like to Get Signed By Them

Amazon Publishing What is it Like to Get Signed By Them Amazon Publishing: What is it Like to Get Signed By Them? Most book sales happen on Amazon these days, so there’s something incredibly appealing about having the same company publish your book. Luckily, while Amazon’s algorithms can seem mysterious, the workings of Amazon Publishing (one of the biggest publishers today) are less vague - thanks to feedback from authors who have worked with them.This post will dive into the workings of Amazon Publishing (or APub), giving you a sneak peek of what it’s like to work with them from Natalie Barelli (whose crime novel Until I Met Her was picked up by APub’s thriller imprint), and Eliot Peper, (whose Analog series was signed by their sci-fi and fantasy imprint).And on that note, let’s learn a little more about APub and it's various imprints. Get a sneak peak into what it's like to score an #AmazonPublishing book deal. What is Amazon Publishing?Amazon Publishing is Amazon’s book publishing unit. Established in 2009, it comprises 16 imprints that publish trade fiction, non-fiction, and children’s fiction around the world.Learn more about how Reedsy can help you craft a beautiful book.Amazon Publishing seems to be highly regarded by the authors who are signed by their imprints. Scoring a contract with them will not guarantee sales of your book, and some authors do report a flatline in purchases of their titles.Eliot Peper puts it very well when he says: â€Å"No matter what publication path you choose or who you publish with, you are in charge of your career. Always put your readers' interests before anyone else's. Start from first principles and never accept ‘this is just how things are done’ when something doesn't make sense. Build your own audience on your own terms. Be kind. Be generous. Be patient. Every artist is an entrepreneur, so embrace, understand, and grow the business of your creativity.†Have you been published by an Amazon Publishing imprint? Share your experiences with us! Or feel free to leave any questions, thoughts, or remarks in the comments below.

Kathrine Mansfeild essays

Kathrine Mansfeild essays In the story "The Doll's House" by Katrine Mansfeild she shows some of her unique writing techniques,ie how she endows objects with emotion, shows men as preditors and things been seen from a childs point of veiw. Some of the more commen techniques she uses are writing the story in a "slice of life" style and not developing the charaters or explaining them. In the doll's house little is told about the characters, only as much as we need to be told for the story to flow. For example we do not know anything of Kazia as a person or age or apperance of any of the characters. Age and other things are hinted at through-out the stroy. This is due to the story needing to be kept as short as posible and the unessersary information is Her sotries outline a single event such as the explination of the doll's house when it arrives. The doll's house is looked at in great depth we are told much more about the doll's house than Kathrine has a unique way of endowing objects with emotion. This is shown through the way she describes the lamp "The lamp was perfect,it seemed to smile at Kezia". She tells her story's from a childs point of veiw. The story's are autobiagraphical as the are the memories from her childhood. The doll's houseis seen from the perspective of Kezia in the way that everthing is noticed. Men are seen as preditors in all of Katrines story's. THe boys that are rude and unkind represent this. Also she does not name her men characters just used "he" and "him" Katrine Mansfeild is an esteemed author who had years of experiance which she wrote about in her own unique way. ...

Cigarette smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cigarette smoking - Essay Example Further, it showed that 17% of youth in university and colleges used tobacco products in 2011. It is significant to understand that cigarette smoking causes various illnesses. Therefore, unless Americans change the habit of smoking cigarette, they will eventually die because of the illnesses associated with the use of tobacco. Cigarette kills more American citizens than suicide, AIDS, illegal drugs, car accidents, and alcohol combined. For instance, cigarette smoking accounts for more than 80% of lung cancer mortalities. Cancer of the lungs is the main cause of deaths related to cancer in both women and men and is one of the difficult cancers to cure or treat. Apart from lung cancer, other health problems that cigarette smoking brings include stroke, bronchitis, and heart diseases. In addition, cigarette smoking can destroy a woman’s reproductive organs or even lead to infertility since the use of tobacco is associated with greater risk of miscarriage and decreased fertility. Cigarette smoking implies that the smoker will die young than those who do not smoke. For instance, the CDC found out that cigarette smoking shortened women smoker’s life by 14.5 years and male smokers by 13.2 years. Summarily, the effects of smoking are many in that they pose many health problems to the smoker by damaging all important body organs, which eventually leads to death. In order to curb the increasing rate of cigarette smoking, people should be educated to understand the risks of tobacco products.

Situational Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Situational Leadership - Essay Example Leadership, management, power and authority are all closely related terms and sometimes are difficult to separate and understand individually. A leader is someone who exercises influence over others. In a group, it is the performances of those acts which help the group achieve its preferred outcomes. (Cartwright & Zander, 1968)A view holds that leaders are people oriented and their main task is to inspire people. Their primary functional output is a change (Veal, 2004) and their capabilities are assessed in terms of controlling the process of this change. That is to mould and control change to suit project's objectives. Bryman (1986) offers somewhat similar views when he opines that leadership is," the creation of a vision about a desired future state which seeks to enmesh all members of an organisation in its net".Whereas managers are task and process oriented and their main task is to organize such tasks and processes. Management's main output is task done in target time at target cost. In plain language Management is assigned the task of producing and maintaining a degree of predictability & order (Veal, 2004). Leadership on the other hand assumes the function of producing change under a constantly updated schemata of direction and vision. Leadership is the process of motivating others to work to meet specific goals and objectives. Leadership is deliberately causing people-driven actions in a planned fashion for the purpose of accomplishing the leader's agenda. Qualities of a Good Leader Subsequent to identification of role of leadership in project management it is clear that leadership physically comprises of an individual or set of individuals acting on common concert and vision. A set of qualities are generally stated in support of good leadership. Such qualities helps in execution of the agenda of leadership as defined above. These qualities are stated below corresponding to their importance in an information system project: (a) A project leader must have the capability to nurture and develop a vision and a concrete sense of direction in which to lead the team on. He must make the entire team convinced of his stance of an inspired shared vision. At least he should be able to convey his vision to critical members of the project team. "Visionary leaders enable people to feel they have a real stake in the project. They empower people to experience the vision on their own (Barry, Top). Bennis explains about the leaders that "They offer people opportunities to create their own vision, to explore what the vision will mean to their jobs and lives, and to envision their future as part of the vision for the organization," (Bennis, 1997). (b) A project leader is expected to have high level of problem solving skills (Barry, Top). He may share problem-solving responsibilities with the team .As Kouzes says that a leader must have a "fresh, creative response to here-and-now opportunities," and not much concern with how others have performed them. (Kouzes, 1987).Thus he would be capable of giving new solutions to complicated problems and lead in dead

Applying for a master degree Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Applying for a master degree - Personal Statement Example My ambition developed rapidly leading me to streamline my studies towards Business and Management, particularly human resource studies. Thus, I believe further studies for a masters degree in the University will enhance my competitiveness and set me apart in my professionalism. I have experienced challenges and had opportunities during studies. However, I put extra determination to maintain and improve my scores with the aim of obtaining a chance to further my education. The efforts yield fruits with an average rating of 2.1 in core subjects. Apart from academics, I exhibit potential skills in leadership and excellent interpersonal attributes. In addition, I understand the program and curriculum details and sure that it matches with my research areas. I also acknowledge the competitiveness of the program. Nonetheless, I express pleasure that my professional aptitude and decent University record offer me a reliable certification for admission. Hence, I will appreciate your approval for admission. Finally, I give my assurance that I will optimize my chance to advance my talents. Likewise, I will be a noble ambassador and endeavor to transform people’s lives through appropriate management approaches. Kindly consider my

Activity Based Costing (ABC) Case Study: Exxonmobil

Activity Based Costing (ABC) Case Study: Exxonmobil STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT This paper presents an assessment of the set up of an activity-based costing (ABC) for Exxon Mobil, a global oil company. The discussion in the paper is structured as follows: Setting up an activity-based costing for Exxon Mobil – This first section presents an overview of activity-based costing and focuses on how such a system could be set up for Exxon Mobil. Stages involved in designing ABC systems – The second section of the paper presents the stages involved in the set up of an activity-based costing system. Selection of cost drivers – An important factor in the set up of an activity-based costing system is the selection of the cost drivers. The third section of the paper discusses this. Calculation and Examples– The fourth section presents an example calculation for the activity-based costing for Exxon Mobil. Limitations of information from ABC systems – The fifth section of the paper presents the limitations and issues in the use of activity-based costing. Conclusion – Finally, the last section summarises the arguments presented in the paper and highlights the key points to conclude the paper. A.  SETTING UP AN ACTIVITY-BASED COSTING FOR EXXON MOBIL Activity-based costing is utilised to improve business processes through behavioural, business and accounting practices, and â€Å"focuses on costs associated with activities, but also evaluates whether those activities add value, thus providing a means of understanding how to most effectively reduce costs† (Maiga Jacobs, 2003). This paper discusses specific areas that will help ExxonMobil in setting up an activity-based costing system. It is possible to set this up for ExxonMobil to drive its performance but this will require two key principles in pursuing this approach: Commitment from senior management – Setting up the ABC system will require strong commitment from senior management as there may be challenges and questions raised by different stakeholders as this approach is pursued. Transparency in measures – In addition to commitment, setting up an ABC system will also require that the organisation be transparent in its financial and operating figures in order to achieve the most benefit from implementing such a system. B.  STAGES INVOLVED IN DESIGNING ABC SYSTEMS There are several key stages that organisations need to follow in designing ABC systems in organisations. The key stages in designing ABC systems are as follows (Allott, 2004): Determine scope and key activities performed – This stage involves the development of key objectives and activities for departments and the organisation. The challenge in this stage is to ensure that there aren’t too many activities that then render the analysis as inaccurate given the detail required. Apportion direct staff time and assess the organisations’ resources required –The management within the businesses then need to assess the resources required to work on the key activities defined in the first stage. This stage requires the evaluation of where employees spent their time, as this will be apportioned as part of the ABC system. Add other direct costs – Aside from the costs related to the staff and their time, other direct costs will also need to be included as part of the analysis and measurement. Allocate department and corporate overheads and identify the key outputs produced – The outputs for the activities determined in stage one should be defined. These outputs should be largely measurable though there could be some activities that won’t have directly measurable outputs. From this, departmental and corporate overheads can then be allocated. Split into value-adding and non-value adding activities and also assess activity-level drivers and cost-input drivers – The fourth stage is to assess the value-adding and non-value-adding activities, and also the factors that cause the activity to occur which includes both activity-level drivers and cost-input drivers. The activity-level drivers are related to the frequency of the occurrence of the activities while the cost-input drivers are related to the cost of performing the activities for the organisation. Cost drivers are particularly important in designing ABC systems and the next section discusses this concept further. Calculate unit cost – Once all the measurements and factors have been defined, it is then possible to calculate the unit cost for various output measures. This will then drive the next stage. Use findings to determine improvement opportunities – In designing and implementing an ABC system, there should be well define improvement opportunities that the organisations will target. This will be based on the findings that result from the analysis and are important, as this will drive the actions of the employees and the organisation. Thus, these improvement opportunities should be initiatives that are achievable and, at the same time, could impact the performance of the organisation significantly, if achieved. The stages defined above are the high-level key stages in designing and implementing an ABC system for organisations. C.  SELECTION OF COST DRIVERS As mentioned in the previous section on the stages of designing an ABC system, the identification of cost-input drivers is important in the proper implementation of the ABC system. This section discusses the selection of cost drivers in greater detail in the context of an ABC system. Cost drivers play an important role as the objective in identifying the cost drivers is to be able to determine how the organisations can manage and control the costs effectively and make beneficial changes to how these costs drive the organisation. The end goal then is to have lower costs for the firm and better operational and financial performance which could lead to strong competitive advantages for organisations versus the competitors in a sector. There are some principles that are important in the identification of the cost drivers for an ABC system. The selection of cost drivers is important for the following reasons: Drive performance of organisation – The ABC system can be used through the cost drivers to drive the performance of the organisation. Improve internal understanding – Having the right cost drivers selected for the ABC system will enhance the understanding of the employees of the value-adding activities and be able to focus on the activities that merit the most time. Address external concerns – Finally, some external stakeholders will need to be catered to in the selection of cost drivers. The next few paragraphs show how this is important. Aside from an internal assessment of the key cost drivers for an organisation, there are also factors that could come into play. For example, one of the factors driving the selection of cost drivers is external pressure on these cost drivers. Given the increasing focus on the environment in recent years, the pressure to control and manage the environmental costs especially in industries such as the oil sector has increased with investors concerned about potential liabilities that could impact the firm and the general public, including the government, concerned about the health consequences that may result from toxic emissions and materials (Lee, 2005). These environmental costs can be significant as seen from the following examples (Lee, 2005): W. R. Grace had charges totalling US$50 million in 1998 for environmental remediation Koch Petroleum Group spent significant amounts over the course of a few years for environmental impact and refinery pollution: circa US$7 million in 1998, circa US$$8 million in 1999, and circa US$2 million in 2000 NCH Corporation charged earnings in the amount of circa US$16 million in 2000 for environmental remediation Unocal provided provisions amounting to US$22 million in 2002 for environmental remediation and lowering earnings Overall for industries such as utilities, steel and metals, oil, paper, and chemicals, which deal with environmentally-sensitive areas, estimates place â€Å"environmental expenditures to be annual spending of over 1% of revenues† Thus, with the pressure externally to manage environmental costs, this has become a cost driver that firms such as Exxon Mobil need to include in an activity-based costing system. The key reasons for including this cost driver are as follows (Lee, 2005): Environmental issues continue to be increasingly focused on by the public and environmental groups globally Environmental decision-making is thus critical and information to be able to manage and control this factor needs to be collected by the relevant firms A proactive stance in managing environmental costs can be very beneficial for firms in these environmentally-sensitive areas particularly â€Å"in terms of risk reduction, prevention of liabilities, and the preservation of firm reputation† D.  CALCULATION AND EXAMPLE In implementing an ABC system in ExxonMobil, it is important to have an initial review of what the cost drivers for Exxon Mobil could be in terms of the design of an ABC system. Before continuing on this path, a number of assumptions have to be stated: (1) this is a high level example of a calculation for ExxonMobil as an in-depth review has not been conducted to properly do an ABC system for the organisation, (2) only quick estimates are presented given that these are based on an outside-in perspective utilising existing financial reports, (3) no specific details have been provided yet by the organisation. The focus of this analysis is only on the Upstream (Oil Gas Exploration and Production) division. A review of their summary annual report indicates that the following could be the key cost drivers that Exxon Mobil would focus on for their ABC system: 2007 Canada Outside Revenue US So. America America Worldwide Production Costs 2,275 2,206 5,852 10,333 Depn and depletion 1,493 1,256 6,159 8,908 Exploration Expenses 282 273 947 1,502 Taxes 1,347 126 8,258 9,731 Income tax 2,429 1,190 23,924 27,543 Total Costs 7,826 5,051 45,140 58,017 Number of units (mn) 232 167 1,126 1,526 Unit Costs 33.70 30.16 40.09 38.03 With re-allocation Production Costs 2,048 1,985 6,300 10,333 Depn and depletion 1,493 1,256 6,159 8,908 Exploration Expenses 254 246 1,003 1,502 Taxes 1,262 118 8,351 9,731 Income tax 2,276 1,111 24,156 27,543 Total Costs 7,332 4,716 45,969 58,017 Number of units (mn) 232 167 1,126 1,526 Unit Costs 31.57 28.16 40.83 38.03 + other central costs 8.00 8.00 12.00 10.95 (per unit) Total unit costs 39.57 36.16 52.83 48.98 Revenue per unit 52.42 49.40 55.55 54.40 Profit per unit 12.85 13.24 2.72 5.42 The above calculations are based on a number of assumptions made for the purpose of showing how using an ABC system could alter the results of the performance of the regions and allow the organisation to then make better decisions. The assumptions were made up in this scenario and it could be the other way around in that the greater costs end up in the US and Canada / South America regions. The objective in showing these calculations were to highlight the impact that activity-based costing could have in generating a deeper understanding of the costs that are incorporated in the financials of organisations. The way the costs are then broken up and allocated to different cost divisions will have an impact on these divisions and the decisions made. The important aspect to consider is that the ABC system should identify the right allocation of the costs through an understanding of the time spent by the staff including other factors that the organisation may deem important in the ABC system. E.  LIMITATIONS OF INFORMATION FROM ABC SYSTEMS The limitations of information from ABC systems can be looked at in two ways: (1) limitations in establishing and implementing the ABC systems, and (2) limitations in the use of the information resulting from the ABC systems implemented in an organisation. This section looks at both of these limitations. E.1.  Limitations in establishing and implementing the ABC systems One of the key challenges in implementing an activity-based costing system is the ability to collect the correct information for the proper use of the system. Throughout the years of the use of the ABC system, a number of limitations have come to the fore. The key limitations most often cited have been the following: Subjectivity in distribution of time. A key concern of users of the ABC system was the proper distribution of time among the key activities that employees worked on, and the subjectivity in allotting the time raised some concerns and issues in the potential reliability of the system (Journal of Accountancy, 2008). In recent years, there have been improved processes which were designed to minimise the subjectivity in the distribution of time by employees, particularly with the approach used in time-driven activity-based costing with a key benefit in simplifying the process (Lambino, 2007). However, this has not been well communicated and there is still a general concern about this issue for the ABC system. Complexity of retrieving information for the ABC system. Another factor that had hampered the use of the ABC system has been the general feeling that the retrieval of information was too complex and that the input required in order to complete the process for the ABC system was too demanding (Max, 2008). Similar to the point above, there have been further developments which have tended to minimise the complexity surrounding the retrieval of the information needed for the ABC system but this has not been accepted widely though the trend is changing. The two limitations highlighted above are the key reasons that implementation of the ABC system has been limited. In organisations where the ABC system has been implemented, the two limitations identified have affected the use of information churned out by the ABC system. This is discussed further in the next part. E.2.  Limitations in the use of information resulting from ABC systems For the organisations which have made the decision to implement the ABC system, there are still limitations in the information that need to be considered as the information is utilised in the organisations’ decision-making. The key limitations are the following: Costing not an exact science. The output from the ABC system remain as estimates and are impacted by the subjectivity of some of the inputs as described in the previous part of the this section. The use of cost averages and estimates lessens the transparency of the cost and profitability information and thus results in a key limitation in the use of the ABC system (Max, 2007). Potential misuse of information. This argument is not be construed as to be done intentionally. But where the information is not properly linked between activities and processes, the potential exists to have inaccurate results which then impact on how the information is utilised (Crance, Castellano Roehm, 2001). F.  CONCLUSION It is possible to implement an ABC system for ExxonMobil. A number of conclusions and follow up steps can be highlighted: High level draft of implementing was shown to be possible. Next step is to have a proper review to follow the complete stages if the organisation were keen to go ahead. Detailed process is needed to complete an ABC system implementation – ExxonMobil will need to commit to this and assign resources in order to push the effort to have the ABC system implemented. Commitment and transparency important for the implementation – It is critical to get the buy-in and support of top management and the key managers of the organisation. Through these next steps, it is possible to move into the next stage of having the ABC approach designed for ExxonMobil and implemented in the organisation. REFERENCES Allott, A. (2004), ‘Activity-based management’, New Straits Times, 3 July 2004, [online], accessed on 11 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Crance, J., Castellano, J., Roehm, H. A. (2001), ‘SPC enhances ABC’, Industrial Management, 43(6), [online], accessed on 11 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com ExxonMobil (2007), ‘ExxonMobil: Taking on the world’s toughest challenge’, 2007 Summary Annual Report Journal of Accountancy (2008), ‘Linking Strategy to Operations’, 206 (44), [online], accessed on 11 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Lambino, C. (2008), ‘Time-Driven activity-based costing’, Government Finance Review, 23(4), [online], accessed on 9 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Lee, T. (2005), ‘Environmental issues and managerial accounting: The IFAC exposure draft’, Petroleum Accounting Financial Management Journal, 24(1), [online], accessed on 10 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Maiga, A. S., Jacobs, F. A. (2003), ‘Balanced scorecard, activity-based costing and company performance: An empirical analysis’, Journal of Managerial Issues, 15(3), [online], accessed on 10 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Max, M. (2008), ‘ABC Trends in the Banking Sector: A Practitioners Perspective’, Journal of Bank Cost Management Accounting, 21(1), [online], accessed on 10 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Max, M. (2007), ‘Leveraging Process Documentation for Time-Driven Activity Based Costing’, Journal of Bank Cost Management Accounting, 20(3), [online], accessed on 11 November from Global Factiva Database, http://factiva.com Chronic Stress: Causes, Effects and Treatments Chronic Stress: Causes, Effects and Treatments Report on Chronic Stress Introduction Stress is an unavoidable part of life. Be it at home or the workplace, different challenges arise which ultimately lead to stress. There are various types of stress related issues, one of which is chronic stress (American Psychological Association, 2015). Chronic stress is that branch of stress when there is an overwhelming response emotionally to any situation which an individual deems to be out of his or her control. This type of stress is characterized by the release of corticosteroids in the human body, especially the endocrine system which triggers the increase of stress. Though these hormones might be beneficial for a short period of time, continuous stress inducing activities can lead to a constant release of hormones which can cause fatal side effects (Bruno, 2012). Detection of chronic stress There are various methods through which chronic stress can be detected early to ensure immediate correction. Our body begins to give us various warning signals during our daily life which can be a symptom of increased stress. It affects all the functioning of our body and makes us feel unbalanced and hypersensitive (Chandola, Brunner Marmot, 2006). If a person is suffering from chronic stress, then he or she will be easily irritated or overwhelmed by any situation (Sanders, 2014). These people will be unable to concentrate on anything for long and will constantly worry about the tasks ahead of them. Also, they will feel extremely isolated and suffer from physical strain and nausea. These symptoms can also be related to other physical or psychological problems and therefore requires a full diagnosis by a doctor to be sure (Scott, 2014). Differences and similarities with other diseases Although the physical and chemical reactions to various mental disorders can be similar, there is a vast difference between them. For example, stress is similar yet different from anxiety in many ways (The Stress Management Society, 2015). Stanford University’s associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences David Spiegel says that â€Å"while the line between stress and anxiety often gets blurred, there are distinct things to be aware of-including how these emotions affect the body and the root causes of each† (Holmes, 2014). The chemical reactions that occur in our body are very similar during chronic stress and anxiety. The physical reactions that occur in our body during both stress inducing and anxiety inducing causes include an increase of heartbeats, quick breathing and tightening of muscles. Yet anxiety and stress are different in various ways. He says that while we feel chronic stress we are very much aware of the causes behind it while in anxiety we usua lly do not know what exactly we are anxious about (Holmes, 2014). Another important psychological term which is often confused with chronic stress is depression. Laura J. Martin, MD and MPH, states that the causes behind both chronic stress and depression are often the same (McEwen Lasley, 2002) Any traumatic incident in our lives, such as loss of a job or the death of a loved one, can lead to both chronic stress as well as depression. In fact, it is more likely that while chronic stress is the first response to any such life-changing situation, prolonged exposure to stress can also lead to depression. â€Å"Stress, or being stressed out, leads to behaviours and patterns that in turn can lead to chronic stress burden and increase the risk of major depression,† states Bruce McEwen, PhD (McEwen Lasley, 2002). But it has also been noted that depression and chronic stress can be caused by different reasons. Most people who are resilient towards stressful activities are quite able to carry on with their lives without becoming depressed (Segerst rom Miller, 2004). Also, people tend to become depressed even though there are little or no stressful incidents in their lives. While any one incident can cause chronic stress, it requires a combination of a few stressors to become clinically depressed (McEwen Lasley, 2002). Effects of chronic stress Effect on health: Stressful activities are always around us, yet people almost always find a way to deal with the stress. If you are stressed over a huge pile of work, deadlines to meet, a conflict with your spouse or any other incident, your body always reacts in the same way (Psychiatry, 2009). The release of stress hormones in our body helps us to respond to the chronic stress until it is resolved (Sincero, 2012). But a prolonged exposure to chronic stress can lead to a continuous flow of hormones in our body which can be harmful. It disturbs all the other systems of our body and causes a rise of blood pressure levels, increased risk of heart attacks or strokes, decrease in fertility and accelerated aging (Miller, Chen Zhou, 2007). The usual physical effects of chronic stress are pain, insomnia, loss of weight and skin conditions like eczema (Sanders, 2014). Also, Dr. Richard Weinstein, a private chiropractor and a member of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Nutrition and the National Institute of Chiropractic Research, says that â€Å"the adrenal glands have a nasty tendency to rebound†, which means that the physical effects of chronic stress can return â€Å"if the cause of the cortisol imbalance is not addressed.† (Weinstein, 2004) Effect on behavior: Chronic stress can lead to certain changes in our behavior pattern as well. Since chronic stress is a result of a prolonged exposure to stressors, many changes can be detected in the behavior of these people (Carthage, 2013). The patients who are suffering from chronic stress reveal particular habits and behavior, such as moodiness, irritability, agitated behavior or isolation from friends and family (Helpguide.org, 2015). These people are prone to angry outbursts and impulsive decisions and are generally unhappy about everything around them. Their eating and sleep patterns also change and they develop certain unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol, biting nails or pacing. This in turn affects their social and personal lives (Weinstein, 2004). Effect on brain: According to the recent findings of the University of California, Berkeley, it has been found that due to the excess release of hormones due to chronic stress, certain permanent changes occur in the brain which results in people becoming prone to other mental diseases (Lupien et al., 2009). After conducting a series of experiments, Daniela Kaufer, UC Berkeley associate professor of integrative biology, and her colleagues, have come to the conclusion that chronic stress causes the generation of more myelin-producing cells and fewer neurons than acceptable (Weinstein, 2004). This often leads to an increase of myelin or white matter in certain parts of the brain, which can cause a disruption in the critical functions of the brain like the neuronal system (Bergland, 2014) Treatment of chronic stress At one point in our lives, everybody experiences stress due to one factor or another. Since avoiding stress is completely impossible, there are certain steps that can be taken to cope with it (Breazeale, 2012). Some of them include: Consult a proper psychologist or psychiatrist and ask him to do a full evaluation if you are experiencing overwhelming situations, suicidal thoughts, etc. Seek help from a doctor and redress any new or existing health issues. Contact your friends, family, community or organization to share emotional issues and ask for help in dealing with stressful situations. Identify any symptoms that you might be going through, such as eating or sleeping disorder, anger, depression or loneliness, and try to solve these problems. Prioritise your tasks and decide what must be completed now and what you can do later. Refuse to take up any new tasks if you feel overburdened. Make a list of what you accomplished at the end of the day. Avoid spending too much time thinking about certain issues. Indulge in regular exercises daily and plan your exercising and eating activities to make sure they are balanced. Take up certain stress reducing activities like yoga, meditation etc. (Thaker et al., 2006) Conclusion Being â€Å"stressed out†, as many people would call it, and being actually stressed, both physically and mentally, is a significant issue, as highlighted in this article by the number of intricacies involved in chronic stress (Medical News Today, 2014). Whether the symptoms of stress are recent or have been continuing for a long period of time, it is important to immediately look into the problem and discover new forms and therapies to address and solve the issue (Holmes, 2014). To seek relief from the stressors, it would be better to consult a proficient therapist and examine the causes behind the stress and how to decrease it. References American Psychological Association. (2015). Understanding chronic stress. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/understanding-chronic-stress.aspx Bergland, C. (2014). Chronic Stress Can Damage Brain Structure and Connectivity. Psychology Today. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201402/chronic-stress-can-damage-brain-structure-and-connectivity Breazeale, R. (2012). Ways To Manage Chronic Stress. Psychology Today. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-the-face-adversity/201202/ways-manage-chronic-stress Bruno, K. (2012). The Stress-Depression Connection | Can Stress Cause Depression?. Webmd.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/stress-depression Carthage,. (2013). 11 Behavioural symptoms of stress. Are you experiencing stress?. Coaching Positive Performance. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.coachingpositiveperformance.com/11-behavioural-symptoms-of-stress/ Chandola, T., Brunner, E., Marmot, M. (2006). Chronic stress at work and the metabolic syndrome: prospective study.Bmj,332(7540), 521-525. Helpguide.org,. (2015). Stress Symptoms, Signs, Causes: The Effects of Stress Overload and What You Can Do About It. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-causes-and-effects.htm Holmes, L. (2014). The Difference Between Stress And Anxiety. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/stress-anxiety-difference_n_4833172.html?ir=India Lupien, S. J., McEwen, B. S., Gunnar, M. R., Heim, C. (2009). Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition.Nature Reviews Neuroscience,10(6), 434-445. McEwen, B., Lasley, E. (2002). The end of stress as we know it. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press. Medical News Today,. (2014). What is stress? How to deal with stress. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145855.php Miller, G. E., Chen, E., Zhou, E. S. (2007). If it goes up, must it come down? Chronic stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in humans.Psychological bulletin,133(1), 25. Psychiatry, M. (2009). Stress Management Strategies Marks Psychiatry. Marks Psychiatry. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://markspsychiatry.com/stress-management-strategies/ Sanders, R. (2014). New evidence that chronic stress predisposes brain to mental illness. Newscenter.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2014/02/11/chronic-stress-predisposes-brain-to-mental-illness/ Scott, E. (2014). What Are Your Stress Symptoms?. About.com Health. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://stress.about.com/od/understandingstress/a/stress_symptoms.htm Segerstrom, S. C., Miller, G. E. (2004). Psychological stress and the human immune system: a meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry.Psychological bulletin,130(4), 601. Sincero, S. (2012). Three Different Kinds of Stress Acute, Episodic and Chronic. Explorable.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from https://explorable.com/three-different-kinds-of-stress Thaker, P. H., Han, L. Y., Kamat, A. A., Arevalo, J. M., Takahashi, R., Lu, C., Sood, A. K. (2006). Chronic stress promotes tumor growth and angiogenesis in a mouse model of ovarian carcinoma.Nature medicine,12(8), 939-944. The Stress Management Society. (2015). Common Stressors that You can Encounter Every Day. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.stress.org.uk/stress-solutions/common-stressors.aspx Weinstein, R. (2004). The stress effect. New York: Avery.

Minority Report: The Book vs the Movie Essay example -- compare/contr

It is a fool-proof system born to ensure absolute safety†¦but when it crumbles, would you go against everything it stands for just to save it? This is the platform that Philip K. Dick, author of the sci-fi short story "The Minority Report" (MR), has given us. Set in a futuristic New York City, we see Police Commissioner John A. Anderton as the founder of a promising new branch of policing: Precrime, a system that uses "Precogs" (mutated and retarded oracles) to predict all future crimes. However, the system appears to backfire when Anderton himself is accused to kill a man he's never even heard of. The movie adaptation by the same name also centers on a younger Chief Anderton, a respected employee of Precrime, predicted to murder a complete stranger who he was unaware existed. Amidst scandal, betrayal, and distrust, both Andertons must run from the justice system they've worked so hard to put in place, and admit to themselves, as well as to society, that a perfect system cannot be born of imperfect humans. Though the basis of the film's plot and major conflict stayed true to the story's, many changes were made to the personalities and roles of the characters, as well as the nature and detail of the main conflict and the sub-conflicts. Dick presents our main character, Commissioner John Anderton, as the balding, pot-bellied founder of a revolutionary new crime detection system who's been showing his years for longer than he'd care to remember. In the short story, he has just acquired a new assistant, Ed Witwer, and fears being replaced by the younger man. In the beginning, Anderton is portrayed as slightly insecure about his job (to the point of near paranoia of being set-up), as well as his importance to society, though by the e... ...d. While in MR, Anderton is trying to accept the inevitability of retiring and what may be his less useful future, in the movie, much of his struggle is with his past, and the guilt he feels. His conflicts still revolve around evading Witwer and Lamar, whether to murder to prevent murder, and his own inner turmoil. Though the similarities in the most obvious conflicts, those between Anderton and Kaplan, the protagonist and antagonist, and fate remain intact, it is obvious that Philip Dick's story has been expanded upon and the main characters made to fit the "big screen". Both stories, however, address the contradictions and repercussions of trying to encourage free will and safety in an ultimately predetermined setting, the basic moral conflict of destroying what is meant to represent a utopian security, as well as the issue of trading freedom for protection.

Albert Pujols Bio

Jose Alberto Pujols Alcantara was born on January 16 1980. He was born in the Dominican Republic and was raised there also. He was raised by his grandmother. At a young age he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a great baseball player like his father, he had a dream to play in the majors. In 1996 his family immigrated to New York City. Pujols attended Fort Osage High School as a sophomore. In his first year at Fort Osage his batting average was over . 500 and he hit 11 homeruns. He received All-State Honors. In his junior year of High School with only playing one season of high school baseball he started to attract the attention of pro scouts. In his junior year other teams avoided pitching to him as much as they could. With 55 walks in 88 at bats he still hit 8 homeruns. Now the pro scouts advised him to leave High School and find a collage that could get him better exposure. Pujols played in the All-Star game for high schoolers there he drew the attention of Maple Woods Community Collage coach Marty Kilgore. He recruited the 18-year-old star. His main priority was to increase his stock in the upcoming draft of 2000. In his first collage debut he did amazing things. He stared at short stop and batted . 461. He hit a grand slam in the regular season of future all-star Mark Buehrle. He also turned an unassisted triple play. The unassisted triple play is the rarest thing that can happen in baseball. The player turns a triple play by himself without the help of the other players. For his freshman year of collage he hit 22 homeruns and 80 RBI’s. During the Junior College World Series the scouting report on Albert Pujols said it was better to put him on base than to pitch to him. Even though they did not pitch to him anymore the Major league teams had seen enough. Among the teams watching him was the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals had been watching the hard hitting infielder the closest out of all the teams. The Cardinals selected Pujols in the 13th Round of the draft. They offered him a 10,000 dollar bonus for signing but he turned it down and decided to play in the Jayhawks League. There he joined the Hay Larks. It was 4 hours away from where he was living so he moved in with his manager and his wife. In 55 games he topped the Larks in homeruns and in batting average. At the end of the summer the Cardinals finally started to appreciate Pujols and offered him 60,000. He accepted. During the fall ball season he started to learn a new position, Third base. In the winter he returned to his home and married his wife Diadre. She already had a child named Isabella. After that moment they were never separated. In 2000 he was assigned to the Peoria Chiefs a Class A League, his new wife and Isabella followed him. At the Chief he played as their Third baseman. He was named the circuit’s top defensive man at the hot corner, with the best infield arm. During that season there was seven no hitters thrown. Still even with that Pujols finished second in the league with a . 324 batting average, and added 32 doubles, 17 home runs and 84 RBI’s. He only struck out 37 times it under just 400 at bats. The Peoria Chiefs finished under . 500 but Pujols was named League MVP. After that he made his way through the Cardinals farm league teams. He earned a promotion to the Potomac Cannons, then an affiliate of the Cardinals in the Carolina League. After a strong month by Pujols at the Double-A level the St. Louis brass wanted to see him against Triple-A talent. He was promoted again to the Memphis Redbirds, who were preparing for the Pacific Coast League playoffs. In seven games, Albert hit . 367 with two homeruns, as Memphis nipped the Albuquerque Dukes to advance to the PCL championship series. The Redbirds faced the Salt Lake Buzz, a Minnesota Twins farm team and defeated them for the PCL crown. Albert was named the league’s postseason MVP. With injuries on the Cardinals they were able to keep Pujols. To his surprise he found himself on the line-up against the Colorado Rockies playing left field. At three at bats he managed to get one hit. The next game they were on the road. The Cards traveled to Arizona, where Pujols destroyed the Diamondbacks with a homerun, three doubles and eight RBI’s in three games. Included in his offensive barrage was a ringing two-run double off Randy Johnson. In 2003 he injured his elbow, which enabled him to make long throws. He ended the season batting . 359 with 51 doubles, 43 homeruns and 124 RBI’s. He struck out just 65 times in close to 700 plate appearances. In 2005 he was put on the disabled list and missed 15 games. He started playing first base in the all-star game and has been playing first base for the Cards since then. His batting average is . 269 for this year and has hit 7 homeruns.

Lesson Before Dying Theme essays

Lesson Before Dying Theme essays Throughout many novels authors use themes to reveal the plot. Relationships, love, and loyalty are a few themes that Ernest J. Gaines used in A Lesson Before Dying. However, the most apparent theme is racism. Jefferson is sentenced to death by a white judge and jury for a crime that he did not commit. The judge did not contemplate his decision on Jeffersons fate for long. He was quick to make a decision that would affect the lives of many in Jeffersons community. Grant Wiggens was a very well educated black male who was treated unfairly in many situations because of his skin color. Grant waited on several occasions to talk to Henri Pichot. Though Pichot asked that Grant come to his house, Pichot still made him wait hours just so that he could continue talking to his white friends. When Grant went to the store to buy a radio for Jefferson he was not attended to. When he was finally helped by the sales clerk, he was quickly denied service when a white customer entered the store. Another white woman came into the store...The clerk went to see what the white woman wanted. The other woman was not buying anything; she only wanted to talk. So they stood there about ten minutes before the clerk came back to wait on me[Jefferson] (176). Though whites and blacks lived in the same town, the whites possessed the schools, churches, and movie theaters in the upskirts of town. The blacks were separated by being forced the use the services in the b ack of town. The whites had bathrooms in easily accessible places; while the blacks used the restrooms in the basement. Racism still exists today, in society. However, It is not in the extreme as it was in the early 1900s. By reading this novel and learning about the issues that the colored faced, we can help modify and change the future. ...

In Baltimore Essays

In Baltimore Essays In Baltimore Essay In Baltimore Essay Question: 1. How does Southwest Airlines compete? What are its advantages relative to other airlines? 2. The plane turnaround process requires coordination among twelve functional groups at SWA to service, in a brief period of time, an incoming plane and match it up with its new passengers and baggage for a prompt departure. Please evaluate the plane turnaround process at Baltimore resource utilization, capacity, bottlenecks, information flows, etc. How is the process working? 3. Why is the opearational performance at Baltimore eroding? What issues do you identify that require action? . What would you recommend Matt Hafner do? Answer please see attachment: 1 The competitive advantages of Southwest Airlines are as follow: A. Unique operation system Unlike its industrial rivals who used the â€Å"hub and spoke† system, Southwest Airlines established its own point-to-point system instead. Even though economic theories tell Southwest’s system should be unworkable – the shorter the flight is, the higher the setup cost per seat mile, thanks to the well-known quick and efficient turnaround process, Southwest succeeded in creating a miracle. The point-to-point system not only enables Southwest to lower its costs and make frequent flights, but also to capture a niche market and compete with other transportation like trains and buses. This is because Southwest is able to provide passengers with short-hauling flights which can be substitutes to trains and buses. Consequently, it earns a considerable profit from the expanded market size. B. Low costs Southwest is operating at a lower cost when comparing with its competitors. It minimizes its cost in four main ways: . The quick turnaround process: Southwest focuses on turning aircraft around quickly at the gate to minimize an airplane’s time on the ground. They do so by the relational coordination of their operation agents, which would be further discussed in Q2. 2. The use of a single aircraft type: Southwest uses only Boeing 737 and standardizes the cockpit configuration. These minimize additional training requirements for pilots and routinize ramp operations, which helps to save training costs and speed turnarounds at the ate. 3. The use of less-congested airports: Southwest uses such airports to avoid disrupting flight operations in those busy and high-traffic airports. 4. Cheap oil price: Southwest constantly monitors fuel prices at different airports and load fuels from places with attractive price. 5. Other practices like offering beverages and snacks instead of in-flight meals, transferring no baggage to other airlines, and open and single class seating can also help lower the operating costs. C. A productive and loyal workforce Southwest places great emphasis on hiring team players willing to go beyond their primary responsibilities. They invest substantial amounts of time selecting employees for attitude, teamwork, and service orientation, resulting in a strong corporate culture of valuing excellent customer service. Meanwhile, Southwest also strives to build a loyal workforce. It treats its employees as family members and creates an enjoyable working environment. Employees’ opinions and suggestions are listened to and respected. 2. The plane turnaround process at Baltimore is quick and efficient due to (1) Process simplification and (2) Relational coordination powered by its operation agents. The process is said to be simplified relative to other airline companies because Southwest Airlines provides no-frill services – no in-flight meals and no transfer of baggage to other airlines. These lead to time reduction in the restock of provisions, cleaning of cabin area and handling of baggage. Moreover, Southwest also adopts the open seating system to encourage early gate arrival. The two practices thus speed up the turnaround process. In addition, Southwest has increased its staffing of operations agents to a higher level than the industrial average, allowing the operations agent to play a greater role than only managing the flow of information across functional boundaries. Each individual flight is assigned to a dedicated on-site operations agent, who engages in face-to-face contact with each functional team. In so doing, the operations agents are actually engaged in relationship building, developing relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect among fellow employees to facilitate the oordination of work. This relational coordination results in greater staffing productivity. As noted in the text, the whole process took 20 minutes for flight 110 but it already took 17 minutes to deplane and board passengers, which is considered as the major bottleneck. Yet, the Baltimore Airport would find it difficult to further speed up the process since it is not considered as good customer service to hur ry passengers, especially for the Southwest culture. However, what worth noticing is the overall service level. According to the case, the scheduled turnaround times had lengthened over the past eight years and misplacement of baggage could happen during a quick turnaround. These implicitly reflect that the low staffing level in Baltimore could not catch up with its current service expansion and limited its capability to shorten turnaround time. Therefore, we would attribute the major bottleneck to the size and average tenure of its workforce. 3 The reasons for Baltimore’s deteriorating operational performance are as follow: a. Limited facility: The gates in Baltimore were reaching capacity limits and its bag sorting area had already reached its full capacity. While the former implies longer boarding time, the latter leads to longer bag handling time, with both slowing down the whole turnaround process. b. Labour shortage: Efficient turnaround process relies heavily on its employees. The tight labour market, however, forced Baltimore to have a serious labour shortage at least in short term and lead to many mandatory over-times. As a result, it led to declining productivity and slowed down the turnaround process. Moreover, the experience of employees is also crucial. With high labour turnover rate and frequent hiring, Baltimore was having a comparably inexperienced workforce. This would affect the operational performance. c. Uncontrollable passenger connections: Southwest’s connecting flights were unevenly distributed and Baltimore was one of the stations that had the greatest amount of connecting flights. The numerous connecting flights made operations become more complicated and satisfying all customers become even more difficult. As a result, flights were frequently held up for connecting passengers. Two issues should deserve much attention. They include: a. Unsatisfactory customer services: Mishandled bags and passenger complaints in Baltimore were higher than the system-wide average and its number of passenger complaints was even the highest among all stations. Limited facilities and frequent flight holdings brought inconvenience and dissatisfaction to passengers. All these were definitely undesirable especially for Southwest which built its success on passenger’s trust. These problems should be tackled as soon as possible so as to re-gain passenger’s confidence and loyalty. b. Prolonged working hours: Labour is always the most valuable asset. The lower the productivity is, the longer time the whole turnaround process takes. Prolonged working hours adversely affected the morale of employees. It ended up not only worsening operational performance but also causing discontent among workers. If the problem remained unsolved, the operational performance would further deteriorate. 4. On seeing the service deterioration at Baltimore, Matt Hafner is actually making a trade-off decision between its service expansion and service quality. There are two alternatives: 1. As Baltimore is served as a mega-station in the East Coast, rapid expansion of flights is desired to capture strong demands. Matt should exert its bargaining power to urge for facility expansion of the Baltimore Airport to cater for future expansion needs and relieve the pressures for gates and bag sorting areas. Moreover, he should shorten the hiring process or lower the hiring requirements to recruit more staff to support the addition of flights. 2. Since the staffing level at Baltimore does not support its expected service level, Matt should slow its expansion pace down so as to maintain a high service quality and hence, protect Southwest Airlines from damaging its own reputation. However, it is advised that the first option could pose these substantial risks: A. Since it requires persistent over-time on its staff, the staff morale would definitely be affected, leading to a high staff turnover rate and also deteriorated service. B. Southwest has long been surviving without laying off any of its staff. Nevertheless, given the shorten hiring process, they may fail to screen out all undesired candidates. As a result, service quality would suffer. C. The rapid expansion also poses itself to high uncertainty. For example, the 911 incident, which happened just three months afterwards, could obviously tumble the flight demands. Therefore, any large-scale investment could adversely affect quarter earnings. Therefore, it is recommended that Matt should choose the second option – striving for a stable but progressive growth. By saying so, he could suggest lengthening the connecting time for the reservation system so that it relieves the staff pressure to rush for a quick turnaround and at the same time reduces the frequency of holding flights. In return, a higher service quality could be guaranteed. Meanwhile, it is also high time to promote its services through marketing efforts and public relations to re-build public confidence towards the Southwest Airlines.

Continual support for returning veterans. Determine program success in Research Paper

Continual support for returning veterans. Determine program success in helping veterans enter the job market - Research Paper Example Together with the different health problems (PTSD, TBI, and disabilities among others) that they experience, some ultimately seek ways to reduce or hide their suffering by suicide or becoming alcoholics. There are government developed programs that offer rehabilitation, education and training programs, and in support to this, the government provides financial support to the programs and veterans after service. This document also gives the statistics of veterans’ issues on health and fatality in some states. Keywords: Veterans, Soldiers, Programs, PTSD, Homeless Veterans, Alcohol and Drugs Abuse, Troops, Treatment, Rehabilitation, Training, Military Service, Employment, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, Veterans’ Affairs, Health Care After the long and loyal service to their nations, military veterans deserve proper care and treatment back home. However short the period they served in military services battling for their countries, they all risked their lives, leaving behind their families and home places, just hoping that they will come back. Many of them lost their lives and can only be commemorated, while those who survived may have shortcomings in their lives that require to be addressed. Some do not have arms, though they can think straight and perform much better in other fields. Wars will never be over, since colonization, World War I and II, some nations are still at war with one another, and the world will need such patriotic military men and women to safeguard mankind. Terrorism is the norm of the day in this modern society, but it has been there and the soldiers have been active to combat the act that risks nations and world economies. Once the soldiers or military men retire or are kept offline the d uty due to physical or health issues, it should not mark the end of their productivity in life. Just like other people, they have an alternative of venturing into other

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Autobiographical Statement - Essay Example ects of these on families at close quarters in my native land, I was determined to get a good education and get a slice of the good things in life for myself and my family. I was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa, one of the poorest countries of the world, but blessed to have a mother endowed with the grit and determination to make a better life for herself and her family. My mother brought the family over to the US in 1990 on a Certified Nursing Assistant paycheck. I was brought up by parents who are not educated, but who worked very hard and over time set up a small grocery store and restaurant. My mother’s life reminds me of a story she told me as a child about an ant who kept trying to carry a sugar cube to its den, and failed so many times but never gave up trying till it finally succeeded. I think the story is an inspiration to me even today and I go back to remembering my mother telling me the story and how it probably gave her strength in her periods of crisis. I am a single parent to two daughters. After the birth of my first daughter in 1999, I enrolled at St. Paul Community College in St. Paul, Minnesota. However, I was forced to drop out because I got no support or cooperation from my husband. I have had the misfortune of going through a traumatic relationship with an abusive and domineering husband, who would not allow me to finish college. After five years of physical, emotional and mental abuse, I decided to move to California to get away from him. In 2004, I put myself through Beauty College, completing the 1600 hours required by the state of California. In the same year, I passed my State Board Exam and became a licensed Cosmetologist. I got a job with Fantastic Sam for a couple of years while attending El Camino College in Torrance, California. In the year 2006, I plunged headlong into business. I opened my own hair salon in Gardena, CA. At first it was a wonderful feeling being my own boss and setting my own hours, working hard and studying

Assignment 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assignment 8 - Essay Example Through, personal experience, interviewing and observation, a possible solution to the current state of affairs in the university’s system can be improved for the benefit of the students and the university Previous studies have shown that the quality of education or work in an institution can be improved if a variety of activities and courses exist. The morale of the students and the quality of education is also determined by the existing structures in an institution. Trent University has limited its ability of providing quality education in certain fields because of its inconsistent programs. Consistency provides value addition because of the maintenance of standards. This paper aims at providing some clear benefits that a review in the current system will achieve for Trent University. This consultation report will therefore provide a guideline on how to pursue the changes that can be applied to the university. The scope of this project aims at providing the students with a chance of pursuing their desired courses without being forced to pursue courses that they did not have in mind. This system will be flexible so that changing courses for a student will be their own prerogative and not because they lack other options. Availability of options for the students to change courses ensures that the university offers enough courses hence the intake of students will also increase. The current system is as depicted in Diagram 3 (Appendix C). The decision support system will therefore provide guidance to students into picking the courses that are in their G.P.A range and their qualifications. The system will also be instrumental in ensuring that courses are scheduled in a balanced manner giving major courses and short courses including electives different scheduling. The short courses will be placed in appropriate times like during summer and holidays or fixed in appropriate times like weekends. The implementation of this

Conclusion and recommendation Essay Example for Free

Conclusion and recommendation Essay Based on the results of the focus group discussion and the interview, Web 2. 0 applications being utilized for educational purposes are seen to have a very good potential in being integrated into educational processes for teaching and learning. Reflective of the first objective, it has been seen that there is a positive outlook with regards to Web 2. 0 applications from students and how the communicate. In addition, it is seen that educational processes would from time to time inculcate particular. Web 2. 0 applications and replacing conventional educational tools with newer and more technologically adept Web 2. 0 applications in order for educators to be more effective in communicating with students. With respect to the sixth objective of this study, educators are keen to note that Web 2. 0 applications have the potential for being used as a tool for educational purposes. Educators on one hand furthered this conclusion because of their openness to the concept of including Web 2. 0 applications in their curriculum, utilizing its capabilities in effectively transferring knowledge to their students and more importantly communicating with them. In answering objectives two and three, educators themselves indicated that they are able to already utilize Web 2. 0 applications for providing administrative information to their students and they have indicated that Web 2. 0 applications being used as educational tools already exists and is being utilized by other educators. They are able to go with the flow of innovation as students are getting more and more adept with the use of such internet tools that they are able to identify with this and use this to the teacher’s advantage. The educators have identified that Web 2. 0 applications such as Blogs, Wikis, and other social networking tools have the potential to be used as teaching tools. Being able to use such a tool would not only make their teaching efforts easier but more importantly more effective in bringing information to their students. Coming from the aim of the study particularly to identify how Web 2. 0 technologies can be applied to Higher education, it is apparent that due to the inputs coming from both the student body and educators and because of extant literature there is an apparent improvement in the use of Information Technology in higher education. With the current use of Web 2. 0 technologies such as that of Flickr, Wikis and Myspace by both students and educators in communicating and teaching learning, Web 2. 0 technologies in the future will most certainly be integrated into higher education. This is due to the cultural changes that are observed within educators and students as how they perceive Web 2. 0 technologies and their effect on higher education. This is already evident as students currently utilize such Web 2. 0 applications in communicating with their peers for educational purposes. The next phase would be to utilize such tools more effectively and efficiently by the educators themselves in communicating with their students. On the other hand, because of such an increase in utilization, it would be constructive for this area of educational research if there are additional in-depth studies pertaining to Web 2. 0 technologies and how they affect higher education. In order to further explain and expound on this body of knowledge, it is recommended that a considerable number of focus groups be added into the study. This would yield a more accurate and diverse collation of answers. This would then be used in acquiring more information and validating the results of this study. In addition to the methodology, there should be an inclusion of several interviews to be conducted on other areas particularly other educational classes and universities so as to identify the relationship of geography with Web learning. In addition to this, it would be useful to identify if there is a relationship between racial background and web learning, is there a trait that controls the preferences of various races utilize web 2. 0 applications and if there is a relationship with race. Lastly, In addition to what was mentioned above, it would prove crucial if there is further study with regards to other countries and how they are able to utilize Web 2. 0 applications in their pursuit for better education. This would be able to provide the research with a better comparison particular to the effects of countries with respect to Web 2. 0 applications and Web learning.

Analyze The Avon Product Inc

Analyze The Avon Product Inc The report has been designed to analyse the Avon Product Inc that has been undergone by major strategic change. Furthermore this report has been divided into two parts, first part of the report will explain the organisation back ground and the strategic change that has been adopted, further second part of the report will discuss the influence of external environmental forces, how they affect on the organisation performance. Avon Vision Statement : To be the company that best understands and satisfies the product service and self-fulfillment needs of women globally Organisation Background Avon is the largest seller, marketer and manufacturer of beauty related products around the world. Avon generates 98% of its revenue from cosmetics products. The company markets to women in more than 110 countries through more than Five millions independent sale representatives. Products categories are for instance skincare, fragrances, cosmetics, toiletries and also jewellery, watches, home products candles and toys. Moreover, 98% of the company sales are generated via direct sales. This sales approach had also been successful in the Asian and Latin America market. However, could not be for the American market. Strategic change According to Lynch (2006), define Strategic change is the pro-active management of change in organisations to achieve clearly identified strategic objectives. It may be undertaken using either prescriptive or emergent strategic approaches. Avons strategic change According to Johnson (2008) define in orders to diagnose the strategic change within organisation, it is important to consider the type of change that is required and also identify the type of change that has been adopted For over the last 124 years, being a global manufacturer and marketer of beauty related products, Avon has been adopted several changes and devoted to empower women by helping them to look beautiful. Avon major strategic changes are: Avon has invested the millions on research development to bring the innovative products and also focused on the increases advertisement for the sustainability of brand competitiveness. Avon eliminated the layers of Hierarchal management and redesigned the organisational structure to take the full advantage of Global sale Avon helped million of women across the world to build a better future for instance, provide the opportunities to become, entrepreneurs, representative or their own business owner. www.avon.com Organisational structure According to Carnall, (2007) ideal organisational structure is based on the right balance of information, resources and power to support the organisation objective. On geographically Avon operates business in six regions and has sales operation in 63 countries also products are distributed more than 52 countries in the world. Primarily Avon conducts business through direct selling and marketing by millions of Avon independent representative. Generally distributor purchased products directly from Avon on discounted price also Avon provide an opportunity to their representative to manage their business online including two way communication with Avon. Moreover in some countries for instance in USA, representatives can build their own web page for the sales of Avon Products. ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE According to Cameron, (2004), if current organisational culture does not support to achieve the organisation objectives or goals then organisation should involves themselves to change organisational cultural in order to achieve the organisational goals. However, since 1866 Avon organisational cultural is the most recognisable and considered the pioneered to sell the cosmetics products via using direct selling model and continue to maintain the same sales model since its foundation. Furthermore, 98% of revenue of the cosmetics product which is 6 billion dollar is come from direct selling model which impressed the other cosmetic companies to follow the direct sale model. Appendix 3 illustrates Avons organizational culture by using the cultural web model from Johnson and Scholes (2005). Stakeholder analysis According to Spicker (2008) state the stakeholder analysis will explain, how external and internal stakeholder influence on the organisation, and whats there needs and expectations, also what organisation need from each of them. Stakeholder analysis for Avon Stakeholder Interest Power Attitude Expectations/Needs Government Worldwide High High Mixed The acceptation to meet the all local, national and environmental laws of the country where they operate. Shareholders High High Positive Always take interest on maximization of shares value and dividend. Customers High Low Positive Take active interest in products and appearance. Communities Low Low Mixed Take interest in the respect of using natural resources, environmental issues and minimization of recycling and reuse practices. Suppliers Low Low Neutral Surety of contracts and payment. Take interest to add value to produce the products. Media Medium Medium Negative Always take interest to publish negative factors regarding harmful ingredients of cosmetics products. Executive team High High Positive Need to appreciate the whole organisation effort and give reward and reorganize the effort of representatives and employees worldwide. Employees High Low Positive Expect to achieve financial need and economical independence and support their happiness. The key environmental influences The PEST framework categories environmental influences into four main types: political, economic, social, technological. Political factors Avons products Inc business ranges cover many countries and it offers approaches to women who work in those countries to attained financial independence and good performance. In some countries, this move is regard as a way to advance the economic growth and create personal wealth. However, owing to the political differences among countries, it causes different influences on Avons corporate strategy. For instance, there is a Data Protection Act within the European Union which is aimed at protecting the privacy and safety of personal information. Different implementation dynamics of this policy in Europe countries will have different effects on Avons representatives calling door to door. Economic factors The key dominant factors that influence on customers for buying Avon products are their economical condition, inflation and interest rates. Simultaneously, Avon is also affected by currency fluctuations rates. Avon has employed about 5.3 million representatives and this leads to the free and actively cosmetics market to sell and buy Avons products. Social factors Consumers preferences and buying powers has changed by time to time and they are related to the local culture and personal working conditions. Countries in different climates and environmental circumstances would commend different cosmetic products for their citizens and this is a big concern for Avon to reach the goal that not only value and contain the similarities among different customers but also respect and create the differences of their needs. The top objective of Avon is to serve women all over the world with its products to reach their identical aspiration look their best at all places at all time. Technological factors The revolution and innovation of technology can influence the behavior of peoples. In the process of researching and product developing, cosmetic industry always put new products into a position of consequence. Avons strategy is to enhance the brand competitiveness through investing millions on the research and development of its products and increasing the advertisement of its products on media. . Managing change According to Mullins (2010) External environment can affect the organisational performance and organisation effective performance will depends on the interaction of its external environment. SWOT analysis Strength Avon products are sold in 110 countries around the world by five millions representatives. The products are sold in comparatively moderate prices. Additionally, features of personalization in customer service, creation in products design and satisfaction guarantee are the key factors which provide Avon a competitive advantage among the cosmetic industry. Furthermore Avon uses variety of electronic order systems to help representatives to increase the accuracy of business process and efficient business operations. The cost-effective sales strategies and the diversity of business model give Avon the ability to be the superior in cosmetic market. -Revenue growth stable From the companys record, it shows there was a stable and forceful growth in recent years which successful outstripped its key competitors. Avons revenue grew at a compounded annual growth rate (GAGR) of 10% during FY2006-2008 and this result a stable operation of the company. Dominant position provides more opportunities to attract new consumers Avon is one of four top brand leaders in cosmetic industry with brand value about $5,264 million in the top 100 global customer companies. The pioneered anti-aging skincare and perfume category induced Avon with wide business presence and leading position to attract new Opportunities Weakness Declining North American operation The declining trend of Avons North America business has slowed down in FY2008, but compared with FY2007, the total revenue of North America has still decreased 4.9 %, and Avons North America operation has contributed 23.3% to the total revenue of the company at last. Obviously, the top line was affected by the weak performance of this geographic segment. Opportunity Emerging markets The importance of emerging market such as Brazil with an annual growth of 20%, china which has valued approx $10,200 million with the enormous increase of population in future and the sudden growth of economy will offer a huge potential market for cosmetic industry .Furthermore The increasingly fierce competitions among cosmetic market, in order to capture the Brazilian market Avon has announced its plan to build the new distribution centre in brazil. Threats, In order to achieve the global recommendation in cosmetics business and gain the market share from emerging market, Avon has faced strong competition from its competitors for instance, LOreal, Unilever and Estee Lauder, Revlon and Procter Gamble. Conclusion This report offers an attempt to understand the major strategic change undergone by Avon Cosmetics Limited. Furthermore, report evaluated the effectiveness of the change in relation to Avons structure, culture. Being a global manufacturer and marketer of beauty and related products and a direct selling organisation, Avon was faced with several challenges in the external environment. The factors were: fierce competitions from multinational companies, consumer behaviour worldwide, government rules and regulations, technological and social background. It was found that the major strategic change does relate to the objectives of the organization and matches the organisations capability, including its structure, culture and politics. . References Cameron, Esther (2004) Making Sense of Change Management, London (UK), Kogan Page Limited Carnall, C A. (2007) Managing Change in Organisations. Harlow (UK), Financial Times Prentice Hall Johnson, G., Scholes, K., and Whittington, R. (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy. ion. Harlow (UK): Financial Times Prentice Hall Johnson, Gerry (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy, Harlow (UK), Financial Times Prentice Hall Lynch, Richard L (2006), corporate strategy, Harlow, England, FT/Prentice Hall Mullins, Laurie J (2010), Management and Organisational Behaviour, Harlow (UK), Financial Times Prentice Hall Spicker, Paul (2008) Social policy: themes and approaches, Bristol (UK), Financial Times Prentice Hall (2009).Avon Products, Inc. SWOT Analysis, Avon Products, Inc. SWOT Analysis,1. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database Title: Change Management: A Critical Perspective Author(s): Simon Shurville Journal: International Journal of Managing Projects in Business Year: 2008 Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Start Page: 447