The Man To Send Rain clouds Symbolism and Obscurity Essay

In  her short story â€Å"The Man to Send Rainclouds† Leslie Silko writes about the burial of a dead native elder, stating that â€Å"he sat down to rest in the shade and never got up again† (Silko 1). Silko uses obscurity and symbolism to display her attitude towards culture. She was very open to different religions and ways of life because she was of a mixed descent.Obscurity is a recurring motif in the story. Silko uses it to show how blurred the lines of culture can really become. â€Å"The curtains were heavy, and the light from within faintly penetrated†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Silko 2) is an example of a quote that features the motif. It showcases that because there wasn’t sufficient lighting it was hard to see, which is a metaphorical way of saying that a clear decision couldn’t be made. It was unclear whether giving the natives the holy water was right or wrong in the priest mind and this quote highlighted that fact. Another quote is â€Å"They were nea rly hidden by the red blanket,† (Silko 2). It is an example of obscurity because the blanket is blocking the view of Teofilo and his moccasins which can be interpreted as the culture itself being hidden. Examples of the motif of obscurity can be found in many parts of the short story.Symbolism is a very prevalent literary element in Silko’s work. One example is in the quote, â€Å"Leon’s green arm jacket that was too big for her,† (Silko 2) where the jacket represented the western culture. It was something that Louise was not used to and it didn’t suit her. It seemed as though it was placed into her life unwillingly but she began to embrace the different way  of life. Another example of symbolism is Teofilo; it could be argued that he represented the native culture. With his death came the breakdown of his culture. His people began to incorporate the western ways of living into their own. Symbolism is a very important part of this story because Si lko uses it to communicate with the reader.All in all, â€Å"The Man to Send Rainclouds† is a piece of literature that is written with a motif of obscurity and a lot of symbolism. Both keeps the reader entertained and betters the work. Silko maintained openness to the cultures of both the western world and the natives while showing that one was beginning to overtake the other.

Capsim Report

I. Executive Summary Erie Corporation has been founded in 2011 with the mission is to provide both reliable products for low-technology customers including Traditional and Low End segments; and premium- technology oriented customers including High End, Performance and Size segments. This business plan is written so as to provide the board of directors a detailed picture about the company’s strategies as well as the direction how we can implement these strategies. The plan consists of three parts. The first part is about the corporate objectives and strategy. In detail, at the end of year three, Erie aims to be one of the two leading companies in the market with a net profit of $10,000,000 and 25% of market shares of the whole industry. In addition, the company’s management expects to gain at least 30% of contribution margin for each product, to reduce 60% to 70% of total labor costs and 11. 8% of total material costs. Erie’s strategies are niche cost leadership and niche differentiation. In particular, while products in Traditional and Low End are oriented to operate under the niche cost leader, products in three remaining segments including High End, Performance and Size are aimed to follow the niche differentiator strategy. This is because while price is the most considerable criterion of customers in Traditional and Low End segments, this does not matter to the other three segments’ consumers as long as the products offered are premium-technology. To implement this strategy effectively, Erie should operate under the direction like this, besides revising products to meet customers’ expectation; the company set up a relatively low price for products in Traditional and Low End segments and vice versa for products in the three remaining segments. Simultaneously, the company will invest on capacity and automation gradually for all segments. This will bring to Erie a competitive advantage over other competitors in terms of long-term cost savings. In addition, maximum second shift capacity may be run as much as possible and a significant amount of money will also be spent on promotion and sales budgets so as to capture the highest possible percentage of market shares. Furthermore, Erie is willing to make losses at least in the first two years because in the remaining years of the simulation, when higher capacity and automation are ready as well as Human Resources and Total Quality Management functions are applied, Erie will become more competitive in the market and hence can make profit as the production costs will be minimized. Secondly, specific objectives, key performance indicators and strategy which are followed strictly the corporate objectives of all departments including R&D, Marketing, Production, Human Resources and Total Quality Management will be also set out. Finally, a back-up plan which might be utilized when there is trouble in the operation of the company’s products is also prepared. Under this plan, the failed product will be remained for two years instead of stopping its operation immediately so as to sell its remaining inventory and wait for the new product to be finished and could be sold to the market. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 4 Corporation Objectives & Strategies 4 1. Corporation Objectives 4 2. Corporation Strategies. 4 R&D Department 5 1. Objectives 5 2. KPIs. 5 3. Strategies. 5 Marketing Department 6 1. Objectives 6 2. KPIs. 6 3. Strategies. 7 Production Department 8 1. Objectives 8 2. KPIs & Strategies. 8 3. Strategies. 9 Human Resource Department 10 1. Objectives 10 2. KPIs & Strategies. 10 TQM Department 11 1. Objectives 11 2. KPIs & Strategies. 11 Finance Department 12 1. Objectives 12 2. KPIs & Strategies. 2 3. Strategies. 12 Back-up Plan 13 Conclusion 14 Reference 14 Appendix 15 II. Introduction Sensor industry is more likely an oligopoly because the products are high technological including cameras, biometric devices and labs-on-a-chip. In addition, there are only six firms dominating the market and the total demand for the whole industry remains stable which means that new firms cannot enter into the market. Furthermore, year after year, while customers’ expectations are becoming higher and higher, the products are getting older and price ranges are stricter. This indicates such a challenge for all companies in the market. A critical successful factor which can assist all companies to overcome this difficulty is that each company should choose an appropriate strategy to follow so as to succeed and become more competitive in the market. Recognizing this fact, Erie has chosen two strategies including niche cost leadership and niche differentiation that are appropriate for each types of segments. In this business plan, these strategies will be examined in depth and detailed actions of all Erie’s departments which are followed these strategies are also sketched out. III. Corporation Objectives and Strategies 1. Corporation Objectives By the end of year 3, Erie will: * Be one of the two leading companies in the sensor industry * Achieve net profit of $10,000,000 * Obtain at least 25% of market shares of the whole industry * Gain at least 30% of Contribution Margin for each product * Reduce at least 70% of the total labor costs and 11. 8% of total material costs 2. Corporation Strategies According to customers’ buying criteria of Traditional and Low End segments, prices are deemed to be the most considerable factor. In fact, respectively, the price ranges of Traditional and Low End take up approximately 23% and 53% over other criteria such as position and reliability. In other words, customers are willing to purchase low-tech products as long as their prices are relatively low. As a result, Niche Cost Leadership seems to be the most appropriate strategy for these two segments. On the other hand, prices are the most insignificant buying criterion in High End, Performance and Size segments. No matter how high the prices are, customers in these segments are more preferable to high-tech product. In particular, for the High End and Size segments, ideal position occupies 43% and products’ ideal age is 29%. Furthermore, reliability is the most important consideration to customers in Performance segment. Hence, Niche Differentiation is a proper alternative for these three segments. IV. R&D Department 1. Objectives * Meet customers’ expectations in all segments * Control R&D budgets for products in Traditional and Low End segments as low as possible * Continuously update products’ positions for High End, Performance and Size segments every year . KPIs * Keep R&D costs for in Traditional and Low End segments maximum at $1,000,000 * Invest minimum $1,500,000 for revising products in High End, Performance and Size segments 3. Strategies a. Traditional and Low End segments For these two segments, Erie decides to invest slightly and annually in performance and size while decrease the mean time before failure (MTBF) of products in year 1. After that, MTBF will be r emained stable during the first three years. | EAT| EBB| | Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Performance| 5. 7| 6. 4| 7. 1| 3| 3| 3. 2| Size| 14. 3| 13. 6| 12. 9| 17| 17| 16. 8| MTBF| 16000| 16000| 16000| 14000| 14000| 14000| Table 1: R&D investment for Traditional & Low End segment for the first three years b. High End, Performance and Size segments So as for customers to perceive the differentiation of our products in these three segments, performance, size and MTBF should exactly meet the customers’ expectations. Therefore, Erie decides not to launch the products in the first year. Since second year, when the products appear in the market, they will be revised annually in order to appeal to be younger in customers’ perception | Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| | ECHO| Performance| 8| 9. 8| 10. 7| Size| 12| 10. 2| 9. 3| MTBF| 23000| 24000| 24000| | EDGE| Performance| 9. 4| 11. 4| 12. 4| Size| 15. 5| 14. 6| 13. 9| MTBF| 25000| 27000| 27000| | EGG| Performance| 4| 5| 6. 1| Size| 11| 8. 6| 7. 6| MTBF| 19000| 20000| 20000| Table 2: R&D investment for High End, Performance and Size segment for the first three years V. Marketing Department 1. Objectives * Increase sales of 5 segments by 10% each year Increase demand over 10% each year * Reach above 25% of market shares for Traditional and Low End segments, and above 20% for High End, Performance and Size segments at the end of year 3 * Keep the sales forecast error of 5 segments fluctuate between 5% – 10% during three years 2. KPIs * Keep the price of products of Traditional and Low End segments lower than the av erage price of their price ranges; the ones of High End, Performance and Size higher than the average price * Remain the same prices of all products for the first three years, then slightly decrease all prices from $0. to $1 after year 3 * Maintain customer awareness and accessibility of 5 segments from 95% to 100% * Keep the forecast errors for 5 segments not higher than 200,000 units for Traditional and Low End segments; 50,000 units for High End, Performance and Size segments every year 3. Strategies a. Pricing Strategies * Traditional & Low End In a product life cycle, the introduction stage starts when development is complete and ends when sales indicate that target customers widely accept the products. The marketing strategies are ‘fully implemented during the introduction and should be tightly integrated with the company’s competitive advantages and strategic focus’ (Ferrell & Hartline, p210, 2008). Therefore, during the first three years, in light of cost leadership strategy, Traditional and Low End segments will be followed the penetration pricing approach, which is setting relatively low initial prices, so as to maximize sales, gain widespread market acceptance, and capture large market shares quickly. It means that, in order to comply with the low cost strategy, the prices of the segments are set below the average of their price ranges. In particular, the price of Eat, which dominates Traditional segment, is established at $21. 5 per unit compared to $25 of the average price, whereas the one of Ebb, which takes up majority of sales of Low End segment, is set at $18 compared to $20. (Refer to appendix 1b: Pricing Forecast for further details) This approach is suitable for these two segments because of two main reasons. The first reason is that the segments’ customers are price sensitive since prices outweigh such other elements as ideal position and reliability. The other one is due to the fact that R&D expenses are relatively low as customers do not pay much attention on the segments’ characteristics. * High End, Performance & Size Unlike to Traditional and Low End segments, High End, Performance and Size segments are pursued differentiation strategy; hence, price skimming approach seems to be an appropriate alternative. The rationale behind price skimming is to intentionally set high prices relative to competitors, thereby skimming the profits of the top of the market, recovering the high R&D and marketing expenses associated with developing new products. In other words, the prices of these three segments will be set above the average of price ranges and should be, at least, obtain the contribution margins of 30%. In detail, the prices of Echo, Edge and Egg is respectively set at $39, $34. 5 and $34. 5 for High End, Performance and Size segments compared to the average prices of $35, $30 and $30 of each price ranges. Refer to appendix 1b: Pricing Forecast for further details) b. Promotion and Sales Strategies Percentage of products’ awareness and accessibility, which reflect the number of customers who know the existence of a company’s products, and who can easily interact with the company, are determined respectively by each product’s promotion and sales budgets. In order to in crease demand up to 10%, our company, therefore, initially invests $3,000,000 in promotion budgets during the first two year, and $2,200,000 in sales budget of Eat and Ebb during three years because customer accessibility requires long time investment to achieve 100%. Since year 3, when customer awareness achieves over 100%, the investment in the promotion budgets will be scaled back to $1,500,000. For Echo, Edge and Egg, since they will be launched in the second year, there are only $1,500,000 invested in promotion budgets, and around $1,100,000 to $1,500,000 spent in sales budgets in the first year. However, when they are ready for sales, their promotion budgets will be increased up to $3,000,000, whereas their sales budgets will be invested up to $2,200,000 in the second year so as to encourage customers’ demand. (Refer to appendix 1d: Promotion and Sales Budgets for further details) VI. Production Department 1. Objectives: * Achieve a proper plant utilization * Control production costs effectively 2. KPIs By the end of year three, Production manager aims to: * Keep plant utilization ratio from 90% to 130% to minimize machine downtime cost and expensive 2nd shift charge * Decrease labor costs for all segments by 60% to 70% * Maintain overtime ratio at 0% * Minimize inventory carrying costs at maximum 25% of total production per year 3. Strategies a. Automation Due to the fact that each rate of automation will decrease labor costs by 10%, Erie will increase automation in all segments. Even though the costs of automation are high, this is such a short-term aspect. In long-term, the improvement in automation will bring a greater benefit because costs spent on automation just incurred once while the reduction in labor costs is annual. Therefore, Erie plans to raise automation rating for all segments so as to achieve rate at 7 for Ebb and 6 for all other segments in year 3 as set out in table below: | Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Eat| +1| -| +1| Ebb| +2| -| -| Echo| +1| -| +2| Edge| +2| -| +1| Egg| +2| -| +1| Table 3: Production investment in automation level for 5segments the first three years b. Capacity Using an efficient amount of capacity can help the company to achieve economic of scale as well as to be consistent with the pricing strategy as set out by Marketing department. Furthermore, in order to satisfy higher demands as well as to follow sales forecasts of Marketing department, production manager plans to buy 600 units for Ebb; 300 units for each of Edge and Egg in year two. After that, in year three, 500 units of capacity will be purchased for Eat and Ebb. This will also help Erie achieve plant utilization ratio objective as mentioned above. | Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Eat| -| -| 500| Ebb| -| 600| 500| Echo| -| -| -| Edge| -| 300| -| Egg| -| 300| -| Table 4: Production investment in capacity for 5segments the first three years Additionally, in case that there is a restriction for purchasing capacity like limitation in the maximum investment or unexpected increase in sales, second shift of capacity will be utilized as much as possible to maximize sales. At the same time, using second shift workers will also be chosen instead of first shift workers with overtime. The main reason is that while second shift workers are paid the same wage rate of addition 50% as first shift workers work on overtime, second shift ones are more efficient as they are not as tired. Moreover, the employee turnover rate is lower which can help Erie to keep talent workers and reduces future recruiting costs. Relying on second shift workers, Erie will also achieve its goal which is to keep overtime ratio at 0%. VII. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT 1. Objectives The department intends to: * Increase Productivity Index by 5% * Lower Turnover Rate to 7. 5% in year 3 2. KPIs and Strategies: Erie plans to invest $4 million for Recruiting Spend and 40 training hours in both year 2 and 3 in order to support Production department reducing labor cost. However, 5% turnover rate is unavoidable annually because of retirement, relocation and weeding out poor workers. | Year 2| Year 3| Recruiting Spend ($000)| $ 4,000| $4,000| Training Hours| 40| 40| Table 4: HR investment in recruiting and training for workers the first three years VIII. TQM DEPARTMENT 1. Objectives By the end of year 3, Erie proposes to: * Reduce material costs by 11. 8%, labor costs by 14% and administrative costs by 60% * Shorten the length of time required for R&D projects to complete by 40% * Increase demand by 14. 4% for the product line 2. KPIs and Strategies For each initiative, Erie is planning to invest $1,500,000 in a 3 year cycle. In particular, in year 3, 4, 6 and 7, $1,500,000 will be invested in each initiative; while in year 5 and 8, there is only $1,000,000 budgeted for each initiative. The firm chooses an investment of $1,500,000 because expenditures beyond $ 4 million over 2 or 3 years in each initiative will lead to the diminishing returns. | Year 3| Year 4| Year 5| | Year 6| Year 7| Year 8| Process Management Budgets| | CPI Systems| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| Vendor/JIT| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| Quality Initiative Training| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| Channel Support Systems| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| Concurrent Engineering| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| UNEP Green Programs| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| | TQM Budgets | | Benchmarking| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| Quality Function Deployment Effort| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| CCE/6 Sigma Training| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| GEMI TQEM Sustainability Initiatives| $1,500,000| $1,500,000| $1,000,000| Table 5: TQM investment in each initiative during 8 years IX. Finance Department 1. Objective By the end of year three: Avoid emergency loan * Achieve the cumulative profit between $15,000,000 to $20,000,000 * Utilize debt in investment effectively 2. KPIS * Maintain the leverage between 1. 8 to 2. 8 * Achieve the ROE ratios between 15% to 25% * Maintain closing cash position at around $12,000,000 to $15,000,000 each year * Maintain working capital day from 30 to 90 days 3. Stra tegies a. Emergency loan: In order to finance the maximum investment in the capacity and automation of the first three years, the highest amount of stocks and bonds will be issued in year 1 and continue to be considered issuing since year 2 in case of cash shortage. In addition, to sustain the loss in the first two years for capturing the market shares, a maximum amount of current debt will be borrowed in the first year. This in turn could avoid a 7. 5% of penalty for the emergency loan. After that, our company will continue to borrow a sufficient amount of current debt with the purpose to maintain our cash position at around 12,000,000 to $15,000,000. Besides, the credit for account receivable is set at 30 days so as to have a sufficient amount of cash to avoid emergency loan. b. Leverage The purpose of maintaining the leverage ratio is not to use too much retain earnings for funding the growth and avoiding a high amount of debt which can lead our company to a financial risk because of a significant amount of interest expense. In order to keep an appropriate leverage ratio, the total amount of debt will only be considered in the worst case. However, if the leverage is too high, the production investment needs to be scaled back. c. Cumulative profit So as to achieve the above expected cumulative profit, firstly, the day of working capital needs concerning and maintaining from 30 to 90 days. This in turn can protect our company from a risky position if problems occur as well as help us achieve a higher productive rate. Secondly, the expenditure for HR and TQM will be carefully calculated. Finally, the account payable policy is set at 30 days which will minimize significantly suppliers’ material withholding. Hence, our company’s profit can be improved in case of stock out because of lacking materials. X. Back-up plan Most companies have to confront with several unexpected and difficult situations during operating period. One of these difficulties could be that some companies might collapse as losing their ability to continue to compete with other competitors in some products. The reason for this would be that they no longer make enough sales to cover costs which lead to a decrease in market shares and an extreme financial loss as well. Therefore, in order to avoid this situation, Erie has developed a back-up plan in case that one of our products suffers serious loss. According to the BCG matrix, it is believed that Traditional and Low End segments might be in the ‘harvest’ stage since year 5. This is because these two segments have dominated a large proportion of market shares. Moreover, their growth rates start to decrease significantly for a long time of being operated in the sensor market. As a result, our company intends to adopt the exiting strategies when these segments begin to make relatively small profits or suffer serious loss. Instead, our company decides to develop and launch a new product which will be followed the differentiation strategy like High End and Performance segment since these segments are just in the ‘hold’ stage at that time, hence can catch up with other competitors’ products. XI. Conclusion In conclusion, relying on the application of such strategy, Erie’s products will be high-recognized in the market as they are revised regularly and efficiently. In addition, through the advantage of an initially significant investment, the company could become more competitive in the market as its production costs are minimized. Furthermore, by accepting a little bit of risky at about the first two years, Erie will gain a competitive advantage over other competitors in terms of long-term cost savings and hence could provide cheaper products and increase sales in later years. XII. Reference * Ferrel. O. C. & Hartline. D. M. 2008, Marketing Strategy 4e, South- Western Cengage Learning, the USA. XIII. Appendix 1. Marketing Forecast a. Sales Forecast | Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Eat| 2,000,000| 2,200,000| 2,420,000| Ebb| 2,200,000| 2,420,000| 2,665,000| Echo| 430,000| 475,000| 525,000| Edge| 350,000| 385,000| 425,000| Egg| 400,000| 440,000| 485,000| b. Price Forecast | Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Eat| $ 21. 5| $ 21. 5| $ 21. 5| Ebb| $ 18| $ 18| $ 18| Echo| $ 39| $ 39| $ 39| Edge| $ 34. 5| $ 34. 5| $ 34. 5| Egg| $ 34. 5| $ 34. 5| $ 34. 5| c. Sales Revenue Forecast | Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Eat| $43,000,000| $47,300,000| $53,030,000| Ebb| $39,600,000| $43,560,000| $47,970,000| Echo| $16,770,000| $18,525,000| $20,475,000| Edge| $12,075,000| $13,282,500| $14,662,500| Egg| $13,800,000| $15,180,000| $16,732,500| d. Promotion & Sales Budgets | Promotion Budget (000)| Sales Budget (000)| | Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Year 1| Year 2| Year 3| Eat| $3,000| $3,000| $1,500| $2,200| $2,200| $2,200| Ebb| $3,000| $3,000| $1,500| $2,200| $2,200| $2,200| Echo| $1,500| $3,000| $3,000| $1,500| $2,200| $2,200| Edge| $1,500| $3,000| $3,000| $1,100| $2,200| $2,200| Egg| $1,500| $3,000| $3,000| $1,100| $2,200| $2,200| . Production Plan PROUCTION PLAN Year 1 – 2011| | Eat| Ebb| Echo| Edge| Egg| NA| NA| NA| Total| Units sales forecast| 2000| 2200| 430| 350| 400| Â  | Â  | Â  | 5380| Inventory on hand| 189| 39| 40| 78| 62| Â  | Â  | Â  | 408| Production schedule| 1800| 2200| 400| 300| 340| Â  | Â  | Â  | 5040| Production after Adj. | 1782| 2178| 396| 297| 337| Â  | Â  | Â  | 4990 | Margins| Â  | 2nd shift production %| 0%| 57. 10%| 0%| 0%| 0%| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Labour cost/unit| $8. 22 | $8. 26 | $9. 39 | $9. 39 | $9. 39 | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Material cost/unit| $10. 96 | $7. 63 | $15. 53 | $15. 45 | $13. 3 | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Total unit cost| $19. 18 | $15. 89 | $24. 92 | $24. 84 | $22. 62 | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | CM| 10. 8%| 11. 7%| 36. 1%| 28. 0%| 34. 4%| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Physical plant| Â  | Total| 1st shift capacity| 1800| 1400| 900| 600| 600| Â  | Â  | Â  | 5300| Buy/sell capacity| –| –| –| –| –| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Automation rating| 4| 5| 3| 3| 3| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | New automation rating| 5| 7| 4| 5| 5| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Investment| $7,200 | $11,200 | $3,600 | $4,800 | $4,800 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $31,600 | Workforce| Last year| Needed| This Year| 1st shift| 2nd shift| Overtime| Â  | Max Invest| 32,694 | Completement| 700| 820| 820| 705| 115| 0%| A/P Lags| 30| (days)| 3. Profo rma Financial Statements a. Balance Sheet PROFORMA BALANCE SHEET| ASSETS| | Cash| 28034| Accounts Receivable| 10240| Inventory| 1055| Total Current Assets| 39328| Plant & Equipment| 145400| Accumulated Depreciation| (47626)| Total Fixed Assets| 97774| | Total Assets| 137102| | LIABILITIES & OWNER'S EQUITY| Accounts Payable| 7699| Current Debt| 20341| Long Term Debt| 60694| Total Liabilities| 88734| | Common Stock| 32060| Retained Earnings| 16308| Total Equity| 48368| Total Liabilities and Owner's Equity| 137102| b. Cash Flow Statement PROFORMA CASH FLOW STATEMENT| Cash Flows from Operating Activities| | Net Income (Loss)| (13274)| Adjustment for non-cash items| | | Depreciation & Writeoff| 9693| Change in Current Assets and Liabilities| | | Accounts Payable| 1116| | Inventory| 7562| | Accounts Receivable| (1933)| Net cash from operations| 3165| | Cash Flows From Investing Activities| | Plant Improvements| (31600)| | Cash Flows from Financing Activities| | Dividends Paid| | Sales of Common Stock| 13,700| Purchase of Common Stock| | Cash from long term debt | 18994| Retirement of long term debt| | Change in current debt (net)| 20341| | Net change in cash position| 24600| | Starting cash position| 3,434| Closing cash position| 28034| c. Income Statement PROFORMA INCOME STATEMENT| Product Name| EAT| EBB| ECHO| EDGE| EGG| Total| Sales| 42385| 39600| 16770| 12075| 13757| 124587| | Variable Costs| | Direct Labor| 16227| 18156| 4043| 3284| 3748| 45458| Direct Material| 21632| 16771| 6682| 5403| 5279| 55768| Inventory Carry| 0| 33| 18| 75| 0| 127| Total Variable Costs| 37859| 34960| 10743| 8761| 9028| 101352| | Contribution Margin| 4520| 4640| 6027| 3314| 4729| 23235| | Period Costs| | Depreciation| 3120| 3173| 1320| 1040| 1040| 9693| SG&A: R&D| 269| 0| 1000| 1000| 1000| 3269| Promotions| 3000| 3000| 1500| 1500| 1500| 10500| Sales| 2200| 2200| 1500| 1100| 1100| 8100| Admin| 365| 341| 145| 104| 119| 1074| Total Period Costs| 8955| 8715| 5465| 4744| 4759| 32637| | Net Margin| (4429)| (4075)| 562| (1431)| (29)| (9402)| | Other| 1635| EBIT| (11037)| Interest| 9384| Taxes| (7147)| Profit Sharing| 0| | Net Profit| (13274)| d. Cash Budget CASH BUDGET| | Total| Beginning cash balance| 3,434| Cash from operations| 3,165| Total Available Cash| 6,599| Less:| | Capital expenditures| (31,600)| Interest| (9,384)| Dividends| 0| Debt retirement| 0| Other| (1,635)| Total Disbursements| (42,619)| Cash Balance (Deficit)| (36,020)| Add:| | Short-term loans| 20,341| Long-term loans| 18,994| Capital stock issues| 13,700| Total Additions| 52,035| Ending Cash Balance| 16,015|

Why has the South Beach Diet been successful?

It is said that the success of dieters in weight loss supported by the South Beach Diet, is totally caused by the science behind the plan. If you interest in South Beach Diet, you can realize that it is a logical, and also healthy method which help you lose weight effectively. Certainly, you want to know how it works. Simply, let talk about what the basics of metabolism is. It is indicated by a series of processes when food is turned into fuel for the body. If these processes are optimzed, you are able to lose weight easily. Moreover, metabolism is affected negatively when the blood glucose levels are high.The only way to stabilize high blood glucose levels is to increase the production of insulin. If not, you are able to catch diabetes. There are three phases in The South Beach Diet. It takes two weeks for the first phase. The main task is to remove carbohydrates, level blood glucose, as well as fire up your metabolism. Time for weighting loss is down when you reduce your high sugar levels. By removing an entire food group, you’ll do this easily. However, if you use this method for long periods, you’ll probably feel unhealthy. It’s useful for short periods ( two weeks only ).The phase 2 is began with the improvement of your metabolic function evidently. At that time, you can enjoy progressively foods from all of the basic food groups came from South Beach Diet. Unless your goal weight is over, the progress will still be continued. Certainly, you need these kind of food groups to have a good health too. You also learn how to choose foods better to optimize metabolism positively ( without having high glucose levels ) . About South Beach Diet, you’ll easily recognize the the difference between †bad carbohydrates† and â€Å"good carbohydrates†.Apart from, the concepts of â€Å"good fats† and â€Å"bad fats† are also discovered by the dieter. Obviously, the foodstuffs which have lower numbers on the Glyce mic Index are good. In short, The South Beach Diet give you a chance to lose weight quicly as well as effectively. Moreover, it still helps you to maintain this for the long term. Beginning with the metabolism in Phase One and increasing foods from all of the basic food groups progressively in Phase Two, you’ll be able to recoginze the different clearly. That’s all what The South Beach Diet works for us.

Company Analysis and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Company Analysis and Management - Essay Example Apple is best known for its smart phones which are said to be among the most intelligent in the world today. However, Apple deals with many other products which are equally valuable, (Apple 2012). These products include personal computers and software, (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). Apple is best known for the Mac line of computers that use the Macintosh operating system. The company also designs and sells iPads, iPod and iPhone. Its software products include iOS and OSX, (Hamilton & Webster, 2012). Other creativity suits are iWork and iLife, (Apple 2012). Apple is the most admired mobile phone company in the United States. It was formed in 1st April, 1976, (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). Its name was apple computers, Inc. but was later changed to Apple in 2007(Apple 2012). Apple is the most valuable company on the planet, (Hamilton & Webster, 2012). The success of the Apple Inc. depends on the political environment, just like any other organization. Apple Inc. is subject to legislation and laws of the country it operates in, (Hamilton & Webster, 2012). The economic policies of the country do affect Apple’s ability to conduct business and satisfy her shareholders. Unfavorable political environments and extreme laws can affect the performance of this American multinational company, (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). ... This should be done in a way that protects the company’s interests and the share holders, (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). To be able to achieve this, Apple has got a vibrant government and expenditure group that engages the government directly with the approval of the vice president of the company. This happens annually, (Apple 2012). The organization complies with all the applicable laws and regulations that impact on the productivity of the company, (Thompson & Martin, 2005). Under some of these laws, this American multinational cannot sponsor people political offices. Indeed, Apple is non partisan, (Apple 2012). Besides, the company exposes all its contributions to the political process for scrutiny, (Apple 2012). Apple- government engagement group engages the state officials on all issues that can affect the running of the company, (Hamilton & Webster, 2012). Apple is also committed to the cleanliness of the environment, (Ireland & Hoskisson, 2008). This involves reducing some of toxins in the air. Apple’s executive team is active in the implementation of environmental policies. Apple reports the impact of its products to the environment. Apple’s environmental team is advised by experts and is build upon wide consultations, (Apple 2012). For instance, in the year 2009, Apple became the first company in the field of electronics to report its environmental impact through its product, (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). This includes providing the necessary information and details that help empower the customers, (Ireland & Hoskisson, 2008). Apple has a climatic change strategy which is entrenched in its development and production processes. Apple has an entire ecosystem of new and emerging technologies. Apple is known for its technological innovations and cutting

Ford Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ford Company - Essay Example During the early stages according to Weiss (2003; pp.104) the Company produced few cars from its factory located in Detroit. Most of the employees were contractors, and each car was under two men. During the great depression, Ford Company fought all odds and emerged as the only Company which survived the harsh economic times. In 1908, there was the introduction of the first engine with a cylinder head which was removable. This invention accelerated the assembling of a Model A which was the first car which had a safety glass. The first low priced V8 engine began its operations in 1932, leading to the offering of the Lifeguard safety package. In the same year, the company introduced the child-roof locks for the doors and the standard deep-dish steering wheel. In the 1980’s in regard to the study work of Tiffany & Peterson, (2005; pp.89) there was the acquisition of the Jaguar Cars and Aston Martin by Ford Company so as to increase its level of competition. At the onset of the 21st century, the Companys operations were low on corporate bonds resulting from high U.S health care costs for the work force which was aging, eroding market share, soaring gasoline prices and much dependence on the SUV sales which were declining. After coming up with a way forward, there was the introduction of the Crossover SUV’s and developed the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV for the hybrid electric power train technologies. In 2001 according to Smith and Carl, (2007; pp.101) the company appointed Bill Ford as the chief executive officer and later appointed Alan Mulally as the president. In 2006, the company was able to raise its level of borrowing to 25 billion dollars and thus securing the credit line through the corporate assets. Currently, the Ford Company upgraded its bonds from junk to investment grade leading to lasting improvements and citing sustainable as seen in the research work of Shurtleff & Aoyagi (2011; pp.65). At the inception of the Ford

Avenues to Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Avenues to Justice - Essay Example The term Victimisation derived from the notion of responsibility of a victim for the cause of crime. For example there is a school of thought that, in quite a lot of cases the victims are also partly responsible, like in case of theft from car where the driver keeps the door unlocked or in case of rape where the victim gives opportunity to the offender by visiting him alone etc. The public learns about crime from various sources, press being one of the very important one. One can learn about crimes from police records, crime survey and official statistics released by the Govt. They also release 'supplementary Statistics' where more detailed information on specific offences is given. Home office also releases 'Criminal Justice Digest', which gives summaries of the above statistics. They also release selected statistics in their website for Internet access. Home office also maintains 'Offender Index', which holds data on individuals convicted of serious crime. The compilation of data for the statistics to be made available is a very cumbersome process. It involves interaction of various agencies of the criminal justice systems including various police forces. ... The compilation of data for the statistics to be made available is a very cumbersome process. It involves interaction of various agencies of the criminal justice systems including various police forces. The department politics also can effect the compilation of data. Hence statistics can never be wholly accurate. Many offences like those recorded by agencies outside the home office are not recorded. As mentioned earlier, some offences gets diluted as they are perceived as lesser offences, and they are also not included. Offences like domestic violence, sexual offences, drug offences get omitted, as they are not readily detectable by the public or police. Offences like illegal gambling, drug abuse, pornography, prostitution etc. where there is no discernable victims, also gets omitted. It will be safe to assume that the official statistics reveals which crime public chose to report and the perception of the police of the seriousness of the crimes. (Word count 505) Pages 59-61, 75-79 (2) What are the aims of sentencing Is one more effective than any of the other The key element of a criminal justice process is sentencing. Hence first we need to find out the justification for sentencing: The sentencing will ensure that the offender is made to pay for his crime, it will give a sense of satisfaction to the victims, it will create faith in other possible victims and society in general on the law of the land, and create fear in the other possible offenders, which will in effect reduce crime and prevent private vengeance. Now what are the aims of sentencing As we see Sentencing has to address three sets of people: 1) Offender 2) Victim 3) General Public. Six Aims of sentencing is propagated in most

'New' or 'Compositionally Altered' grocery store products Essay

'New' or 'Compositionally Altered' grocery store products - Essay Example The researcher of this essay aims to pay special attention on some kinds of compositionally altered foods. Consider as an example, low calorie yoghurt. The manufacturer of this product uses a special process to produce this food item. Low calorie yoghurt is essentially low in sugar (achieved by substituting a low calorie sweetener like aspartame or saccharin instead of sugar), and it is almost lactose free. By reducing lactose to less than 1% through ultra-filtration and enzymatic hydrolysis, the manufacturer is able to reduce 60 to 70 calories from the product. The target consumer includes dieters and because of almost nil lactose in the finished product, lactose intolerant people as well. When stored under recommended temperatures and under conventional refrigeration, the product has a shelf life of about 30 days which is about the same as regular yoghurt. Low calorie yoghurts can be manufactured in the traditional style, the Swiss style or even with fruit mixed in. Artificial crea m is another compositionally altered food. It is merely imitation cream and is made entirely from non-dairy fats like vegetable oil and not butter fat although it contains emulsifiers like glycerides and phosphatides, and thickening agents like gum and starch. It contains no butyric acid but sweeteners or sugar could be added to sweeten the whip. This kind of cream has generally been accepted well by the average consumer because it is cheaper than real cream, has no dairy fat and most importantly has a longer shelf life as compared to real cream. Dieters love it. It appeases my conscience to use this versus full fat cream, although I am uncomfortable with the vegetable oil. Also, artificial cream is not a good replacement for real cream in all cases; it can become runny and quite unfit as a topping. A low fat cheese product, another example of altered food, is made by mixing milk with non-fat dry milk solids, a stabilizer like carrageenan and a lactic acid provider. This creates a cheese formulation solution to which a clotting enzyme like rennet is added. The solution is then coagulated to form a curd in a whey solution. The curd is then separated from the whey and ripened to form a low fat cheese product. The product is suitable for dieters and in some cases even for convalescing patients. It has a long shelf life - longer than standard cheese and to me tastes rather nice. Decaffeinated coffee is a favorite of a large segment of the population, especially those that drink multiple cups of coffee a day and believe that caffeine is harmful to their health. People with hypertension who have been advised to avoid caffeine also typically opt for this kind of coffee versus the regular one. Coffee can be decaffeinated in many ways but the steps are the same in all of them. The beans are first soaked in water to dissolve the caffeine. Next, the caffeine is extracted using a solvent or activated carbon like methylene chloride or ethyl acetate both of which have low boiling points.Finally the beans are re-soaked in the decaffeinated water so that they can reabsorb the flavor that was lost in the initial extraction.I am not fond of decaffeinated coffee at all and prefer to sip the regular one. The flavor of decaf coffee tastes poor to me and it is a fact that the decaffeination process alters both the flavor and aroma of the coffee beans. The shelf life of vacuum -packed roasted and ground coffee is

Carbon Tax Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Carbon Tax - Essay Example That is to say firms have decided to go green in the sense that they have had to make some changes in their industries to avoid the heavy tax imposed on them due to the carbon dioxide emissions (Yamin, 2005, p.244) Firstly, the firms have decided to switch to the use of windmills and solar panels for the generation of electricity, which are energy saving equipment and facilities and are less polluting sources of energy. Also, due to the introduction of the carbon tax, firms have decided to dispose of hydroflouralcarbon (HFC) refrigerators that are well known to produce more greenhouse gases than any other fridge. They have decided to replace them with natural refrigeration systems that are commercially available. In addition, due to these taxes, extremely expensive firms have decided to give their employees at least one day in a week to reduce carbon emissions from cars; hence, reducing global warming (Piersall, 2007, p.65) Firms have also made a decision of moving to a paperless technology, which requires keeping electronic records and this makes work easier, and it is perfect for the forests. The firms have also resorted to planting of trees around their companies, which will help suck in the Carbon dioxide, in the air. There is the introduction of virtual meeting in most firms and these is done through online conferencing that is free and easy to use, it saves on time and reduces the use of cars to arrive at the meeting. Also, most firms are now using the electronic mails instead of the traditional mail by posters and this has also reduced the use of papers; hence, being friendly to the environment (Piersall, 2007, p.65). Carbon tax will make the Australian companies find difficulty in competing with other nations in the region. It means the companies are locked in because they do have the option of taking their business offshore. There will also be a significant impact on small and medium

Enterprise Development, Culture and Management Assignment

Enterprise Development, Culture and Management - Assignment Example An entrepreneur is a risk taker. He is a unique person in the society with skills that are crucial for championing change. On the other hand, any individual who works as his own boss is considered as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is a term that is often used interchangeably with innovation. Innovation can be referred to as an intentional process of change aimed at creating value by targeting opportunity and in quest of advantage. Entrepreneurship emphasizes on the creation of new products and services, new production processes, new organisational structures and the invention of new markets. New entrepreneurial ideas are those that can be commercialized and should be able to contribute greatly to the development process of the entire society. Entrepreneurship plays a very crucial part in economic development process. Economic development is usually influenced to a great extent by entrepreneurial activities. Innovation propels the economic growth and development of any country. The level of economic performance relies hugely on the level of technology used by firms. Research and development, which is characteristic of entrepreneurship, provides a great thrust to technological advancements in companies and hence production efficiency. Neo-classical economics acknowledges that economic growth is as a result of enhancements to the basic factors of production such as labour and capital, which is the main objective of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is characterised by competitive actions that spur market processes to success. The introduction of new activities in the market is essential for the development process of trade. Established firms as well as new entrants in the market develop new products that respond to the varyin g needs of consumers and thus contribute enormously to the development of the economy and betterment of the society (Wong et al 2005). Entrepreneurship and innovation are thus universal primary determinants of

Michigan history-Oldsmobile Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Michigan history-Oldsmobile - Research Paper Example In 1901, Oldsmobile got recognition in the United States as first car builder of the country that had sourced the components from external suppliers. Consequently, Ransom E. Old was began to be dubbed as the father of auto industry of America which Ransom had denied himself as he was out of country at that particular time (Mccleland). Later it was revealed that John De Lorean was the real father of auto industry of America who was executive engineer of General Motors and founder of John De Lorean Motors Company. Especially the matter related to assembly lines that were claimed to be made by General Motors. The trip taken in the Oldsmobile to attract buyers was also failed badly and the car was severely damaged (Michael). Ransom E. Olds died in 1950 and his last words also settle in the controversy as he said, â€Å"If Oldsmobile croak today, then Buicks a goner a week from Monday or "Pursue utes† (Phillips). As a consequence it can be inferred that Ransom E. Olds was not obviously the father of auto industry of the United States. In fact there were many other contributors of the industry including John De

Contributing factors to student achievement Essay Example for Free

Contributing factors to student achievement Essay In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act placed even stronger responsibility on states to raise student performance. As a result of these accountability standards, states must now administer standardized tests to â€Å"measure adequate yearly progress† of all students (2001). They face costly federal mandates and must submit comprehensive plans. The federal law also focuses on narrowing the achievement gap between races. It requires that states monitor the performance of racial and economic subgroups and undertake corrective action in failing schools (Wong, 2004). †¦states are implementing policies that provide incentives to attract and retain teachers and increase student performance. Incentives are helping states recruit new teachers into the work force, attract persons from outside education, retain teachers in the classroom and support accountability programs that focus on school-by-school efforts to boost student achievement (Cornett and Gaines, 2002). Researchers examining student performance consistently find that one of the most important influences on student achievement is socioeconomic status (SES) of students. These findings give little comfort to educators in economically disadvantaged schools who are facing heavy pressure to improve performance and close the gap between minority and white students. Yet Verstegen and King (1998) claim that a growing body of research is using better databases and more sophisticated methodological strategies to provide evidence that school policies can make a positive difference in student outcomes. They also emphasize that resource patterns that optimize performance in one setting do not necessary work in others. Encouraged by this line of thinking, the researcher will investigate factors that may explain the differences in performances in schools that share a common socioeconomic context. Are there choices made by policymakers and administrators in economically disadvantaged schools that spark significant improvements in performance in these schools? In this study, the researcher will assume the significance of SES or â€Å"input† factors in explaining achievement, and the researcher considers the impact of other factors over which schools have some control. Impact of Process Variables Although the statistical models will include measures for SES (percent of economically disadvantaged students and percent white students), the focus will be on process variables. The latter include those variables that school systems more or less control. The researcher categorizes these variables into three general areas: 1) school class size 2) school policies and 3) proven effective programs to increase student reading proficiency. One of the most controversial characteristics of schools is the amount of students per teacher (FTE). Production function research on the effects of school size has been inconclusive, and both sides have their advocates. Supporters of small schools contend that students get more attention, school governance is simpler, and teachers and administrators are more accessible to parents. Noguera (2002) states that in high schools where the majority of low-income students of color are achieving at high levels the one common characteristic is the small size of the schools. Lee and Burkam found that students are less likely to drop out of schools with fewer than 1,500 students (2003). However, others argue that large schools are able to offer students a wider range of educational offerings and services (â€Å"Still Stumped,† 2002). Recent research indicates that the effects of school size may depend on the SES of students. Findings show consistently that the relationship between achievement and socioeconomic status was substantially weaker in smaller schools than larger schools, that is, students from impoverished communities are much more likely to benefit from smaller schools. On the other hand, a positive relationship exists between larger schools and the output measures of affluent students (Lee and Smith, 1996; Howley and Bickel, 1999). Because this study will examine the performance of economically disadvantaged students, the researcher expects to find a negative relationship between school size and achievement scores. That is, the larger the school, the less likely students are to achieve on standardized tests. The relationship between class size and positive student achievement is another relationship that has been closely studied. In 2000, Congress allocated $1. 3 billion for class size reduction as a provision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (Johnson, 2002). Most of the studies that examine the effect of class size on student performance have focused on primary schools. One of the largest and most scientifically rigorous experiments was the 1985, Tennessee’s Student Achievement Ratio (STAR) study. The STAR project provides compelling evidence that smaller classes can improve student achievement, especially in primary schools, which could have lasting effects (1985). The four year longitudinal study focused on classes in Tennessee and consisted of grades kindergarten through third. Classes of thirteen to seventeen students were compared to classes of twenty-two to twenty-six students; of the total classes, some had just one teacher and some had a teacher and aid. Phase one included over three hundred classes and a total of 6500 students (1985). The result after four years was positive support for the reduction of classroom sizes which proved to have positive effects on student achievement. Some critics have pointed out the limitations of project STAR (Vinson, 2002). A couple of limitations listed in a report by Tony Vinson in 2002 were: 1) limiting sample of certain cultural groups 2) schools volunteered to participate in the study, suggesting they had motivation to use innovative teaching practices. In 1996, Mostellar, a statistician, reported; â€Å"the Tennessee Class Size study demonstrates convincingly that student achievement is better in small K-3 classes and the effect continues later in regular-sized classes (1996). In a follow-up study, Nye, Hedges and Kontantopoulos (1999) found that students of smaller class size continued showing significant advantages over students of regular-sized classes, throughout school, to graduation. These students demonstrated higher grades, took more challenging classes, had better graduation rates and were more likely to go on to college (Vinson, 2002). Wisconsin’s Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (Vinson, 2002), began in the 1996-1997 school year and was expanded in 1998-1999 and again in 2000-2001 (Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction). The objective of the program is to improve student achievement through the implementation of four school improvement strategies: class sizes no more than 15:1 in grades K-3; increased collaboration between schools and their communities; implementation of a rigorous curriculum focusing on academic achievement; and improving professional development and staff evaluation practices. Schools in SAGE have renewable 5-year contracts with the state and get state aid equal to $2,000 for each low-income child in the grades served by the program. During 2005-06 495 schools participated in SAGE (up from 30 when the program began). Just over 93,000 K-3 pupils were served. State funding, which was $4. 5 M in 96-97 will be $98. 6 M in 2006-07. A few districts are also benefiting from a state categorical aid program created in 1999 to help schools pay debt service on the cost of new classrooms built to accommodate SAGE (DPI).

Internet and television Essay Example for Free

Internet and television Essay Internet and television are changing the face of political discourse. In his book, Amusing Ourselves To Death Neil Postman gives candid details of how television has shaped political conversation in the last 20 years but this has been overcome by the advent of internet technology. Television has changed much since 1987 in addition to advancements such as HDTV, DVR. News can be watched 24 hours across many networks. For example cable subscribers are able to watch over 1000 channels with the click of a button. Advertising has grown tremendously as ads jam programs in the form of product endorsements and normal commercials. The internet is not excluded from this change because it offers the users a simple way of accessing news and communication with many people all over the world. Each of these mediums represents a new era in which people try to become politically enlightened while at the same time minimizing the quantity of information they are able to consume (Postman, 13) Political discourse and the media have been changing over the years. Hume observes that, â€Å"the television commercial is a primary instrument of political discourse† (Hume, 27). This is true in the current media although some other instruments like The Daily Show are gaining political importance. Political programs should be placed on the same platform as political commercials instead of using them as the main source of political discourse. Although the commercials have a good impact this is reduced by the video recorders that give user the ability to navigate commercials to view programs that they like most. Internet has become a threat to the television since it is easy to get information easier using the internet. â€Å"Young people don’t buy newspapers or watch the evening news-even or perhaps especially, with cute Katie Couric reading it to them. Blogs are more fun to read and sometimes more reliable† (Leonard, 10). Bloggers have the ability to put emphasis on political candidates, policies and actions that have taken place. As such blogging offers the citizens a chance to comment on stories in a manner that permits freedom of expression. The media has continued to change political discourse significantly though television, internet and advertising. Currently advertisements, blogs and the 24 hour news and internet have a big impact on political discourse. According to a survey done by Pew Internet it was observed that â€Å"15% of all American adults say the internet was the primary source for campaign news during the election, up from 7% in the mid-term election of 2002? (Leonard, 2). Therefore, the Internet is a strong force in the changing shape of political discourse. The information that people find and share over the internet shapes their opinions and can assist them in becoming better citizens. Political information can be shared in a way that ties the emotions of the participants but the internet helps the people to form their own opinions. Hume posits, â€Å"new technology may facilitate a new type of citizenship commitment that combines exchange of information and evaluation, in which emotion and experience are not discounted but an accepted part of the processes of opinion formation† (2006, p. 305). In summary, political dialogue in the media has been transformed significantly by the new media. The availability of internet has helped people write blogs, surf for information that could not be easily found through conventional means. Television commercial as well as comedy programs are still abundant in the political discourse. Ellen Hume give a good summary of political discourse and its relationship with the media by saying, â€Å"The old media deliver the old politics† (1998, p. 207). From this observation one can conclude that the new media will give rise to new politics and continue to change everything as we know it now. Works cited Hume How novel technologies are changing the news. In C. Harper (Ed. ), What’s Next in mass communication. Original York: St. Martin’s Press. 1998 Leonard, M. ‘Fake’ news is as good as the real thing . Herald Times, p. B2. , E. 2007. Postman, N. Amusing ourselves to death. New York: Penguin books. 1985

Traditional Banking Versus Online Banking Information Technology Essay

Traditional Banking Versus Online Banking Information Technology Essay Internet banking is a fact of life for many individuals today with a busy lifestyle. Some individuals will have a brick and mortar bank that offers Internet banking in addition to going to the brick and mortar location. Other banks exist only on the Internet that do not have a physical location. Benefits Internet bankings major benefit to account holders is convenience. It allows an account holder to monitor usage of his account and perform basic transactions online for his banking account. Considerations If an individual opens an account at an online-only bank such as ING Direct, access is limited to their account. If the bank account owner can not find a location with Internet access, she will be unable to perform transactions on her banking account. Disadvantages When using an Internet banking account, the account owner may have no face to face interaction with a bank employee if the bank does not have a brick and mortar location. This can make resolving disputes more difficult as the account holder will have to make a phone call and possibly wait on hold, or be forced to send an email. Bonuses There are some Internet banking companies such as ING Direct that will allow a customer to receive a monetary bonus for opening an account with them. The bonus varies based on the promotion the Internet banking company is running at the time. Warning  · Conducting your banking over the Internet can be you at a significant risk of scams and fraud. Make sure when using your internet banking account you are accessing it through a secured network, and never provide your account password to anyone. Online banking versus brick and  mortar Posted on April 9, 2008. Filed under: Banking,Investing and Saving | Online banking is something that no one could have predicted. Now you are able to access your accounts at any time, make payments and see your statements from home without going to the local banking branch. Online-only banks have also sprung up with no actual branches, just a virtual account that promises higher savings rates and a slew of conveniences. For the average person, it would be perfectly acceptable to have both an online banking account and a brick and mortar bank. Online banks generally have the best rates as they strive to cut costs by hiring a limited amount of workers (no tellers needed) and avoiding the costs of buildings, atms etc. The downside is a limited access to money and the inability to go to the bank and talk to a person if you need to. Most online banks will allow you to pay bills online, however, they do not offer easy withdrawals like the thousands of offline brick and mortar banks. Brick and mortar banks are best for people who demand customer service. From the availability of many banking options, fee-free ATMs open 24/7 and the candy at the corner of the banking desk; brick and mortars have it all. They also have many costs that cut into savings rates, and make their lines of credit and loans more expensive. Brick and mortars offer a high level of comfort to customers, ensuring them that their money is right around the corner when they need it, rather than just a digital number on a computer screen. For long term savings, an online bank is the winner hands down. Savings rates at online banks are much higher and the fees are much lower. An online bank is perfect for an emergency fund, or other savings that you do not need on a day to day basis. A brick and mortar savings account will never become obsolete, it is far too convenient, even though the rates are traditionally much lower. Keep just enough in a brick and mortar account to utilize it conveniently, and keep the substantial savings at an online bank to earn more in interest. For most people, two accounts is now the necessity. Traditional Banking Vs Online  Banking Internet banking works in a similar manner to traditional banking, the major difference being the way one is making payments, accessing his account and personal details, and reconciling statements. Rather than visiting the local branch of his bank, the customer uses his computer to complete transactions. Internet and traditional banking have their pros and cons to consider. The choice of online vs. brick-and-mortar banking is often based on ones lifestyle and priorities. As a major advantage of internet banking, the customer can accomplish multiple tasks in the comfort of his home. Efficiency is what makes online banking attractive to customers: they can pay bills, move money between different accounts, check multiple accounts, and much more. Banking is fast and saves customers valuable time. Transactions are completed in seconds and one can print out the receipts for his personal records. The customer may access his account at any given part of the day, even during weekends and holidays. Moreover, the online account may be accessed from any place around the world, provided that internet connection is available. Online bank accounts make banking expedient, convenient, and inexpensive. Many banks charge fewer fees for the online banking services they offer. Furthermore, banks have higher interest rates on savings accounts and certificates of deposit, and offer more financial services and products. Customers dont need to buy envelopes and stamps, run to the post office at the last minute, and risk being late on their payments. Monthly bank statements and bills can be accessed electronically. Finally, online banking employs sophisticated tools that help manage ones money and accounts with ease. Despite increased security measures and the availability of anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, identity theft is still a concern. Other threats associated with online banking include phishing and hacking of online accounts. Time is among the precious commodities, especially for multi-taskers. On the other hand, some people prefer to visit their local bank and interact with the teller in person. Customers can turn to the banks special account representative or even to the bank manager. Clients are physically present when cash is handed over to them and when they place valuable items in their safety deposit boxes. When customers hold their money in banks, they expect to have them available when required. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation offers coverage of up to $100.000 if banks cannot cover their clients accounts. Most banks have increased the level of security by installing more surveillance cameras and hiring a larger number of security guards. With traditional banking, customers are better protected against identity theft. However, security is still a concern with traditional banking. While criminals cannot hold a gun to ones personal computer, they can rob a bank the traditional way. Inconvenient locations, fixed schedules, and more limited financial services are some of the disadvantages associated with traditional banking. In contrast to internet banking, customers opting for traditional banking services need to draw money before using it. The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) pays up to $100,000 of coverage, in case that a bank cannot cover its accounts (both online and traditional). However, protection from identity theft is an aspect of banking that traditional banks take better care of. Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional and/or financial advice. The information found in this article is provided AS IS, and all warranties, express or implied, are disclaimed by the author. Top 5 Reasons to Use Online  Banking In recent years online banking has become increasingly popular, and many consumers have benefited from being able to conduct all of their banking transactions online without having to resort to queuing in the local bank or spending time trying to get through automated switchboard in order to speak to someone on the phone. Online banking allows you to run your day to day finances, and manage your bank account, with ease and convenience, and with this method of banking you are always in control. With online banking you get to enjoy convenience, ease, speed, and increased control, which is why so many people now decide to conduct their banking transactions online rather than at a branch. The main reasons many people opt to use online banking are: 1. The ultimate in convenience: When you use online banking you can conduct your transactions from the comfort and privacy of your own home, so you wont have to worry about going out to your local branch, spending time queuing up, and trying to fit your banking commitments into your busy day, which can be particularly difficult for those that work full time. 2. No time constraints: With regular banking you are restricted in terms of when you can contact or call in to the bank in order to conduct transactions, and this can prove difficult for those with busy lifestyles and full time jobs. However, when you opt for online banking you can conduct transactions at any time of the day or night, which means that you can effectively manage your account around the clock. 3. Do everything you need to online: You will find that you are able to conduct pretty much any banking transaction that you can perform by phone or visit to your branch by going online, other than withdrawing and depositing cash. This means that you can effectively control your finances from the privacy of your own home. 4. Increased security: Banks now use very secure software to ensure the safety and security of customers, making it safer than ever to bank online. Just remember never to link to your bank account from an email link, as this could be a false link, and do not save your banking passwords and security details on a shared computer that could give others access. 5. 24 hour access to your account: With online banking you can access your account 24 hours a day, conducting transactions such as making bill payments, checking your balance and statements, setting up or cancelling direct debits and standing orders, and more. Gone are the days when you could only gain access to you bank between the hours of 9.30am and 3.30pm. How brick Mortar Banking Model will become a thing of past- Robin Trehan The reason is that maintaining bank locations is extremely expensive and hurts the bottom line. Each physical branch generates a laundry list of expenses, including rent, insurance, real estate taxes, utilities and employees. ; Attachment FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRLog (Press Release) Sep 01, 2009 How brick    Mortar Banking Model will become a thing of past- Robin Trehan A penny saved is a penny earned. That is why the banking industry needs to continue to shift to an online model for business banking. There is no longer any need for a bank to have several brick and mortar locations in every city. The reason is that maintaining bank locations is extremely expensive and hurts the bottom line. Each physical branch generates a laundry list of expenses, including rent, insurance, real estate taxes, utilities and employees. If the branch is located in a major metropolitan area such as New York, Chicago or Paris, operating it is even more costly. It makes much more sense for the bank to provide only ATMs in metropolitan area and locate its main center of operations in a suburb. Customers can easily and quickly handle their banking business online, at an ATM or even over a mobile phone at any time of the day or night. The technology keeps getting more sophisticated even checks can now be deposited using a picture taken by a cell phone. Even if they are out of the country, customers who bank online can access their accounts at any time with ease. The savings realized by eliminating unnecessary branch locations can be passed on to the banks customers in the form of a higher interest rate. However, there can be some challenges when it comes to moving business banking out of the building and into cyberspace. Like many new ideas and ways of doing business, it will take some time for people to get used to. Banks need to make sure that all their business customers understand how online banking works and why it is a safe option. It can be helpful to point out that online banking is actually in many ways more secure than the traditional model. For example, customers can be quickly notified via email or text if there is unusual account activity or if an account is close to being overdrawn. They can then take appropriate action (a balance transfer, for instance) immediately rather than having to wait to visit a branch. Online banking is truly an idea whose time has come. The internet has come a long way since Tim Berners Lee discovered it under two decades ago. There have been remarkable progress to create value added services from the internet, among them online banking. The capacity to use internet to deliver online banking services is yet to attract due attention from scholars on the impact of online banking on the efficient delivery of services by the bank (Harnando, Nietoa, 2006). The most obvious contribution online banking has brought to the banking industry is the reduction of overheads that would have otherwise been incurred particularly in relation to the staff and advertising and others services like information technology as no special software is needed (wikipedia 2007[online]). The reductions in costs in those areas have undoubtedly added positively to a bank bottom-line. The emerging consensus on the future role of online banking is that it can be used to add value to overall banking services as appertaining service delivery, but onlin e banking has failed to marshal potent force to dislodge physical banks branches. The reason why online banking is yet to dislodge the brick and mortar traditional branches is because risk management on online banking applications have not walked with tandem with other advances in information technology. The imperfections of technology sometimes mean that online banking may not be a perfect substitution for a bank branch, and some functions (such as depositing cash) might still require the need to have physical branches for some foreseeable future.   There are three major ways in which financial institutions exploit the internet (Ramakhrishnan, 2001), or basically online banking means these three things. They can do it for information purposes whereby the bank can disseminate information about its products over the internet. Secondly, online banking can be about communication with a certain identifiable set of people (in this case a customer) about matters of interest to them such as account information. Thirdly and at the highest level, online banking can be transactional, whereby a customer may give the bank a certain mandate to operate the account in a certain way, like to make payments to a third party. This would happen without the customer stepping into the banks hall. Numerous risks abound in online banking, and it is impossible to discuss here them all (Comptroller, 1999). But the main ones are, Credit risk Interest rate risks Foreign exchange risks, Transaction risks, Compliance risks, Reputation risks. Risks arise from events, foreseen and unforeseen, that may have an unfavourable effect on the banks earnings or capital. The risks are not particularly peculiar to online banking, but they become more potentially threatening in online banking. Bank management for online banking system may be ill advised to leave these risks to the IT department to handle. Many of them require the management careful considered exercise of discretion. This may involve the establishment of effective management controls over the online banking risks, for instance accountability and appropriate policy directives for containment of these risks. New online banking projects that have a risk factor should be reviewed by the management and they should ensure that adequate technical expertise is available at all times. For securities risk management strategy, the banks should have in place adequate identification (authentication) of online banking customers before a transaction is carried out. Measures should also be in place to ensure that such customer cannot deny he transacted over the internet. Measures should also be in place before embarking on an online banking project to protect customers privacy and Know Your Customer rules for online banking customers should be stricter than usual (Basel, 2001).

Christopher Skase - The Sick Tycoon :: essays research papers

In the early 1980's a young confident man named Christopher Charles Skase became world famous by amassing a list of assets including a multi-million dollar company called Quintex, the channel 7 network, Mirage resorts and a number of extravagant houses across the world. Christopher Skase was born on the 18th of September 1948 in Melbourne, Australia. He grew up in a rich family going to Malvern and Caulfield Grammar Schools. He first started making money as a stockbroker and then as a finance journalist. In 1975 he bought a small Tasmanian based company called Quintex. Borrowing heavily the Company expanded into resort developments including 5 Mirage resorts and the media company, channel 7 network. Buoyed by his success Skase began to represent Australia's entrepreneurs of the 80's. Brash, extravagant and fearless. Who could forget his Christmas parties in Brisbane last decade? The Quintex group of companies collapsed in 1989. By 1991 Skase a seasoned overseas traveller failed to return to Australia. Bankrupt and aloof he stayed far from home and fought attempts to force him to return for trial on the charges brought by the Australian Securities Commission. Whilst a resident of Majorca Skase has developed his business ventures by creating an international company pursuing interests in resorts. It appears that this strategy has been adopted to carry favour with the Spanish Government in relation to investment attraction. Since 1994 in Spanish Courts he has fought extradition proceedings to Australia, claiming that a life threatening lung condition prevented him from travelling. This was challenged in the courts by witnesses to his lifestyle in Majorca where he and his wife Pixie are living together with step-daughter Amanda and her husband Tony Larkin. The Spanish had until recently upheld Skase's testimony. In May 1998, with Senator Amanda Vanstone leading the charge, the Australian Government cancelled Skase's passport. The Spanish courts moved quickly sending notice to Skase to leave Majorca by the 23rd July 1998 due to his lack of citizenship. Of course, there was and continues to be an appeal. Realising that he could be extradited to Australia since being stateless, Skase moved quickly to obtain a passport. In August, 1998 he became a citizen of Dominica and now has a valid Dominican passport.

HNES Native Species Gardens Misrepresentation and Dismissal of Exotic

Public green spaces are complementary areas in urban centers, designed to create recreational space for public use and cultivate-natural scenery. There are many public green spaces on York University's Keele campus such as the woodlots, the green roof near Ross building, Passy garden, Maloca community garden, and HNES Native Species Garden. The Native Species Garden is a naturalization project founded in 2005, in front of the Health, Nursing and Environmental Studies building. The project led by Dr. Gerda Wekerle and various members of the Environmental Studies Faculty, and grounds management staff to propagate native species as there are many exotic species on campus. Although, the objective is pure and beneficial to the ecology of the campus, the ramifications are lacklustre. The garden invites xenophobic principles, formulates stereotypes and cultivates misinformation about exotic species. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the different images of exotic species and the integ ration of these species into public green spaces on campus. Exotic species -sometimes invasive- are organisms either moved via human disturbances or geological and meteorological events, often displacing species from their habitat. Yet, the word "invasive" is attached to exotics as a negative construct without considering advantages or disadvantages of the plants to humans and the environment. The story of exotic species is learned as a militaristic metaphor and Larson (2008) confers, "We have made an enemy of invasive species to justify controlling and subjugating them"(p 16). One example is Garlic Mustard, a herb species native to Europe and some parts of Asia; mainly used as spice. According to Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (2012), Garlic M... ...raphical Review 94.2 (2004): 178-198. EBSCO Host. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Larson, Brendan. "Friend, Foe, Wonder, Peril." Alternative Journals. 34.1 (2008): 14-17. EBSCO Host. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Schetter, Timothy A., Timothy L. Walters, and Karen V. Root. "A Multi-scale Spatial Analysis of Native and Exotic Plant Species Richness Within a Mixed-Disturbance Oak Savanna Landscape."Environmental Management 52.3 (2013): 581-584. EBSCO Host. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. Stinson, Kristina, Sylvan Kaufman, Luke Durbin, and Frank Lowenstein. "Impacts Of Garlic Mustard Invasion On A Forest Understory Community." Northeastern Naturalist 14.1 (2007): 73-88. EBSCO Host. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. "Terrestrial Invasive Species."Biodiversity. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 4 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. .

Personal Narrative I am a daydreamer Essay -- Narrative Essay

I am Just Another Daydreamer I am a dreamer, and am always in deep thought. Everything that goes on in my life and all that goes on around me is played and replayed repeatedly in my head. I think about why things happen, and imagine what might happen in the future. I think about how things could have been and about how things can be. When I was asked where I see myself in three years, immediately an entire scenario played in my head. I imagined myself going to school, living on my own, preparing to own my own boutique, and just being that typical college student. The entire setting changes constantly but my goals tend to stay the same. The incessant buzzing makes me roll over and slap the alarm clock: 12:00, time to go to class. I drag myself out from under my bright orange 300 count sheets. I slip on my slippers and drag myself into the bathroom, only to see a big curly knot at the top of my head, with scattered tendrils sticking out, like they have a mind of their own. I jump into the shower and tame this crazy hair of mine. I walk out of the bathroom, to see my roommate...

The Paris Basin: Tertiary Activities

Paris Basin: – Tertiary Activities Account for the development of tertiary activities in one non-Irish region of your choice. Tourism * Capital city – naturally draws tourists ranging from sight-seers to historical enthusiasts. * Home to monuments and buildings and areas of interest. Eiffel tower – daily tours to the top with a restaurant at the top – iconic monument designed by Gustave Eiffel overlooks the city + Rvr Seine on which are numerous daily cruises * Sacre Coeur Cathedral – on top of Montmartre hill – opens every day to public – originally – relatively inaccessible as it is atop the highest point in city – glass cable car link was built in 1990s – further increased amount of visitors to this attraction. * Nearby – Artist’s quarter + the Salvador Dali museum. Other attractions drawing millions of visitors each year – Louvre – holds famous pieces (Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci) * S. lies the palace of Versailles * E. (in Marne de la Valley) is the world famous Euro Disney. * Arc De Triomphe, Champs d’Elysees and the Notre Dame Cathedral. * 2008 – These sites drew in over 25 million visitors. * Over 60% of visitors – from outside of France – generate over â‚ ¬20 billion each year. * Tourism industry – 20% of Frances total GNP – indicates importance of this business is to economy. Result of tourism – hotels, restaurants and other spin-off industries have developed due to the demand for additional services. * Towns Reims and Epernay – grown in size due to the viticulture industry – draws in wine tasters, home to the famous Champagne houses. Transport * Transport industry – highlights development of tertiary activities * Agriculture, industry and tourism continue to grow – need for highly developed transport network – in high demand. Development of Euro Disney in east broug ht the RER train line – meet needs of the ms of visitors (Part of the SNCF train network in France) * Home to the Metro system – seven routes linking all areas of capital and further * Three international airports: Charles De Gaulle, Orly and Beavais. * The port of Le Harve – mouth of the river Seine (further example of level of development of the transport network in this core region) * France’s second busiest port (after Marseilles) and is the entry + exit point of raw materials and finished products of the region.

Piracy Protections in Entertainment Venues

At issue in the twenty-first century is the trade-off between the necessity of writers, musicians, artists, and movie studios to profit from their work and the free flow of ideas for the public benefit. Movie (and music) industry participants claim that encryption programs are necessary to prevent piracy. Others, however, including the defendants in cases such as Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Corley, 273 F. 3d 429 (2d Cir. 2001), argue that the law should at least allow purchasers of movies, music, and books in digital form to make limited copies for fair use.Piracy is a long debated issue, expressly in the entertainment industry. It is argued that encryption programs are necessary to prevent piracy, protecting the rights of artists as well as production agents. Yet, an important query on this matter still remains; the question of public benefit and free flowing ideas for purchasers wanting limited copies in digital form. Yet the rights of the artists and producers still remains le aving the question of copyright violation, the idea behind encryption is valid but only to a certain aspect.Piracy will not be able to be brought to an end so hastily as long as the motivation to do so still remains, that is the real problem behind this debate. The purchasers should be allowed to make a limited number of copies as a fair use policy. If a purchaser fairly buys rights to a product they should be allowed to make copies for themselves via modes of laptop and other digital other issues relating to the consumer as well, which may result in this idea to be more counterproductive instead of beneficial.Instead of using encryption it may be more productive in the long run to educate purchasers of a product about piracy. The costs of products such as DVD’s and BLU-RAY copies has steadily increased causing a lot of consumers to make do with cheaper and pirated versions of products. As a user of these products this is something that resonates deeply. Many companies are be ginning to include Digital HD with the purchase of a product; meaning that a user receives a redemption code that in turn allows them to download digital copies for personal use.Therefore if someone were to purchase a copy of a product it would be beneficial to all parties involved to come to a certain agreement maintaining the balance of rights for both groups. Allowing rights of digital copies to paying users helps maintain balance and benefits all parties involved; solving the issue of copyright violation for producers and artists and fair use to the consumers who purchase the product.

Aviation Technology

Although the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) runs one of the safest air transportation systems in the whole world, it is foreseeing an aviation problem caused by increasing passenger numbers and consequently, more crowded skies (U.S. Government Accountability Office [GAO], 2007).   The number of passengers is expected to reach 1 billion per year 8 years from now.FAA (2007) shows concern that if it does not take action, there will be far greater delays than what is being experienced right now, leading to economic losses which could amount to $22 billion.   That is why the agency is starting to institute transformations in its system to address this key issue.One of these is the transition from the currently-used system to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) – a step that promises to prevent gridlock in the skies.One of the critical components of NextGen is ADS-B, short for Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, which is considere d to be the â€Å"backbone of the NextGen system† and utilizes GPS satellite signals to provide both pilots and air traffic control stations with more precise information to enable a more efficient and safer use of the skies (FAA, 2007).How Does ADS-B Work?Unlike radar which involves transmitting electromagnetic pulses and bouncing them off airborne targets and then interpreting reflected signals, ADS-B works by relying on satellite-based GPS system in order to determine the aircraft’s exact position as well as a host of other parameters such as the aircraft’s speed, route, heading, altitude and flight number (â€Å"ADS-B†, 2007; â€Å"ADS-B Creates a New Standard for Aviation Safety†, 2007).These information are broadcasted via a radio transmitter and can be received by other aircrafts, ground stations and ground vehicles that are also equipped with ADS-B (Caisso, 2001).   Aircrafts and ground control stations within 150-200 miles of the broadca sting aircraft (orADS-B   ground station) receive the information and display it in an easily understandable format in a computer screen.   Pilots can view this information on a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) while air traffic controllers on the ground can see the ADS-B aircrafts on their regular traffic display screen (â€Å"ADS-B Creates a New Standard for Aviation Safety†, 2007).Users of ADS-B are assured of receiving air traffic information in real-time which means that both the pilot and the controller on the ground can both view the same information at the same time.Benefits of ADS-BOne of the major benefits of ADS-B, as stated earlier, is the ability of both the pilot and the ground station, when both equipped with ADS-B, to view reliable and accurate air traffic information in real time.   There will also be less need for aircrafts to continually send and receive signals from ground-based controllers (FAA, 2007).   This will lighten the load of air traffic controllers, enabling them to accommodate and serve more aircrafts at a more efficient rate.The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) also supports the government’s move to pursue ADS-B in lieu of radar and other surveillance technologies, stating that their members can benefit from ADS-B as it is able to provide graphic weather updates and textual flight advisories (AOPA, 2006).These information were considered to be an expensive add-on to existing aviation technology resulting to its unpopular use in aircrafts (â€Å"ADS-B Creates a New Standard for Aviation Safety†, 2007).   Furthermore, AOPA believes that FAA can have enormous savings because ground-based transmitters cost at most $200,000 as opposed to radar systems that cost the government millions of dollars.ADS-BAnother reason why ADS-B is preferable to radar systems is that aside from it being less expensive than radars, ADS-B updates at least once a second compared to radars which can so metimes take as long as 12 seconds (AOPA, 2006; FAA, 2007). ADS-B also has wider coverage and ADS-B ground station can be put in place more easily than radars.   In fact, FAA’s Capstone Program involved equipping airlines and air taxis in Southwest Alaska with the new technology.The region was particularly chosen because most of the ground is frozen for the whole year making a lot of places inaccessible by land (FAA, 2001).   Furthermore, remote areas cannot be reached by radars making the place a perfect testing ground for ADS-B technology.   Starting in 1999, the program has continued until at present and has even expanded to include two more phases.The use of ADS-B has reduced accidents in the Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta –a place not reached by conventional radar – by 43 percent in 2003-2006 (Stapleton, 2006).   The results of the Capstone program proves that ADS-B technology can be used to increase efficiency and safety in aircrafts.The drop in the n umber of accidents in Southwest Alaska can probably be attributed to ADS-B’s ability to enhance aviation safety by providing pilots with features such as automatic traffic call-outs and warnings of impending arrivals or take-offs in the runway (â€Å"ADS-B Creates a New Standard for Aviation Safety†, 2007).ADS-B, having a range of more than 100 miles, provides the aircraft with a wider margin in which to detect conflict (e.g. an imminent collision).   Compared to existing systems, resolution of conflicts can be enacted within a shorter span of time.Disadvantages of ADS-BBenenson (2005) noted a certain disadvantage of ADS-B while flying his Cessna Cardinal, which he equipped with ADS-B UAT (Universal Access Transceiver).   It was notADS-B  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   5really a disadvantage of the technology itself but rather to the lack of ground-based transceivers (GBTs) at present.   In order for non-ADS-B aircrafts to be displayed in a CDTI, the ADS-B equipped plane must be within the line of sight of a GBT.   The GBT sends traffic information coming from air traffic surveillance sensors, most probably radar.The radar   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  information however is not as accurate as the one received through ADS-B, so the non-ADS-B plane appears in the CDTI distorted.   Related to this, pilots who are equipped with the new technology may be over-confident, thinking that he perfectly understands the surrounding traffic, forgetting that only equipped aircraft are able to transmit their position quite clearly (Caisso, 2001).Evans (2006) tackles more serious issues such as the risk of â€Å"spoofing† by individuals whose sole intent is to produce as many false ASD-B targets on an air traffic controller’s screen.   Dick Smith, the former head of Australia’s Civil Aviation Authority, was the first to make public the reality of such a risk.   He claimed that spoofing can be done using a laptop, an ADS-B transceiver and a $5 antenna.ADS-B experts in the United States, after performing their own tests, agreed with Smith that spoofing is indeed possible with the new technology.   FAA, being aware of such a possibility, are putting the pressure on the bidders for ground stations, which should be able to show their system’s anti-spoofing ability.Although ADS-B is seen to be less expensive than radar, airline and aviation companies still think that the new technology is not worth the amount they’re going to spend to replace existing systems and are holding off buying until the prices drop (Evans, 2006).However, the prices are not likely to go down until there is a greater demand for the technology.   ADS-B Program Manager Vincent Capezzuto said that if consumers are not willing to make any investment risks, it will be difficult to follow airspace mandates and delays in the benefits offered by the program could be delayed.ADS-B  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   6Evans (2006) also tackled the danger of completely relyin g on GPS for aircraft navigation and surveillance.   FAA acknowledges that GPS may be prone to interference and of course, failure.   When such a situation arises, an ADS-B – equipped aircraft will have no means by which to obtain air traffic information.   It is therefore critical to come up with a backup system.The Implication of ADS-B in the Aviation IndustryADS-B can be considered a milestone in the aviation industry.   Never before has there been a technology that can provide so much air traffic information and a lot of other features with just a single equipment.   With the large volume of passengers and greater air traffic expected by FAA in the coming years, ADS-B seems to be a viable (if not the most) answer to this issue.

Executive Summary Social Networking Essay

Introduction We are at a time when customer satisfaction is at an all time low, yet it is becoming a more and more difficult to talk to a human for customer service. Many businesses have lost the personal and trust-filled relationship that is so desired by their clients. In order to maintain and grow a loyal customer base, a company can now achieve those real human connections by means of social networking. Individuals from all areas of the company are readily available to meet the diverse needs of its customers, future employees and each other. Social Networking is at the top of today’s technology and is being utilized by many companies. Our business purpose is to share business ideas and opportunities. This has become an effective tool to meet prospective leads, clients, efficient employees and business partners. [i] Social networking is an easy and cost effective way to make profitable business connections with people that you never knew existed. Recommendation ââ€" ª An advantage of Social Networking is to create new ways to communicate and share information about our company. Communication is a key to success in any business, and social networking is the best way to facilitate these successful interactions. ââ€" ª Social Networking ensures that our company is making new and successful connections. We are able to promote our company’s services on a more personal level.[ii] Both our customers and own employees can build a more trusting relationship through the ease of communication of a social network. Analysis Social Networking has always been an effective source of communication. It has become necessary to change they way we pursue our clients and employees. We want to manage more efficiently, hire the most qualified employees and locate potential clients. Our business has to be aware of not only what we communicate, but how we communicate. Society has changed they way we interact with one another. It use to be highly encouraged, by employers, to meet a potential client or future employee while playing golf, having lunch or maybe even dinner. You would provide your sales pitch, hand them a business card and follow back within the next few days to see if they were interested in your business or if you were interested in theirs. This was an approach to maintain a personal relationship and show your future client or future employee how available and interested you are. Social Networking has grown and we need to be aware of the way we connect and communicate. Communication is no longer just reaching a client or future employee. It is reaching millions of business connections that you never knew existed, through technology. Technology has allowed us to create social sites that can be used for networking your business, via the internet. I use to think social sites such as Myspace.com, Facebook.com, and LinkedIn.com were sites for younger people to socialize with their friends. After researching these sites, I found that these sites support much more than socializing amongst friends. It has become one of the most effective ways for businesses to communicate and build relationships with other business people and potential employees. Social networking has provided businesses with the following: business development or sales, raising business capital, professional development, getting job assistance with others in your company, recruiting board members, management of employees and social or personal reasons.[iii] Social Networking can add value to a company externally as well as internally. It can be a very powerful tool and when utilized properly we can learn from others as well as ourselves. There are many companies that have taken the idea of these social sites and utilized them internally. They are using social networking as marketing tool for growing their business. Social Networking is now essential professional competency for employees at all levels. Professionals need to know how to gain visibility and credibility in their target markets and how to build and maintain relationships for long-term growth. They need to develop strategic networking skills and practices to excel. It is the most important tool for intelligence gathering. In a business setting, such as conferences, meetings, and outings, people need to find the latest information on resources, trends and best practices. It is a critical strategy for business development. Employees can create a network of profiles and connect with one another. Enabling connections among employees, the company could easily establish virtual teams, bring new employees up to speed, improve collaboration and increase retention among people who hadn’t felt a strong sense of belonging.[iv] Social Networking is a method for personal retention because it creates feelings of inclusion and helps people from diverse backgrounds feel listened to and valued. Building up a network of diverse people is very helpful for any business. Contacts with different clusters or groups would help your possibility of greater opportunities. A closed group of contacts will not allow you this kind of exposure. Networking can help you with your contact list. This would then help you to expand your sales and social base. [v] It remains the primary technique that people use to find jobs, change careers or land on their feet after a layoff, merger, or reorganization.[vi] Through the company’s social network you can create a word-of-mouth marketing stream that reaches people you would never be able to reach on your own or other means. Experts can provide feedback or validation regarding your current ideas or help to create new ones. You can create an advisory board of business people that are regularly available to you and committed to the growth and success of your business. People are given the opportunity to brainstorm which allows you to get outside of the normal way of thinking and create new and innovative ways to grow your business. People in your social network can connect you with potential employees.[vii] Companies are communicating and connecting using external sites as a tool to check up on employees who are working for them or are a potential candidate. We want to make sure we are ahead of the game, the who’s who if you will. Potential employees seem to be younger and younger. They are not all exploiting the typical Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com to post their resumes or look for jobs anymore. They are developing personal sites with LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com, which are allowing a more personal view of a potential employee or client. More than one in five employers searches social networking sites to screen candidates. There are many areas of concern that can be researched on networking sites including: information about drug and alcohol use, inappropriate photos, poor communication skills, bad-mouthing of former employers or fellow employees, inaccurate qualifications, unprofessional screen names, notes showing links to criminal behavior, and confidential information about past employers. This is a very effective way to help determine whether a candidate should be hired. You want an employee that can show a professional image, solid references and are a well-rounded candidate in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit for the company.[viii] Closing Social Networking is a smart and strategic way to keep our company connected and communicating both internally and externally. Remember the old saying, â€Å"It is not always what you know, but who you know† and social networking has been an effective tool that has allowed us to broaden our personal relationships with our customers, future employees and each other. Social Networking through technology will allow us to grow with endless possibilities. ———————– [i] Raj, N. A. (2008). For Entrepreneurs: Social Marketing Optimization. Retrieved November 1,2008, for Gaebler Ventures Website:http://www.gaebler.com/Importance-of-Business-Networking-for-Entrepreneurs.htm [ii] Raj, N. A. (2008). For Entrepreneurs: Social Marketing Optimization. Retrieved November 1,2008, for Gaebler Ventures Website:http://www.gaebler.com/Importance-of-Business-Networking-for-Entrepreneurs.htm [iii] Darling, D. (2003). The Networking Survival Guide Get the Success You Want by Tapping into the People You Know. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill. [iv] Brandel, Mary (2008). The new employee connection: Social networking behind the firewall. Retrieved October 25, 2008, for Computerworld Networking & Internet Website:http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=knowledge_center&articleId=9114560&taxonomyId=1&intsrc=kc_top [v] Sridhar, B.N (2008). The Importance of Networking in Business. Retrieved October 25, 2008, for Ezine@rticles Website: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Networking-in-Business&id=1525118 [vi] Baber, A. & Waymon, L. (2007). Make Your Contacts Count Networking Know-How for Business and Career Success. New York, New York: Amacom. [vii] Fisher, D. (2001). Professional Networking for Dummies. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc. [viii]Havenstein, H. (2008). One in five employers uses social networks in hiring process. Retrieved October 26, 2008, for Computerworld Networking & Internet Website:http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=knowledge_center&articleId=9114560&taxonomyId=1&intsrc=kc_top