Importance of institutional investors for financial markets Essay

Importance of institutional investors for financial markets - Essay Example Such funds are prepared to get reinvested so as to attain the benefit out from investments. There are different types of institutions that manage and organize investments (Davis, 2001). Such include pension institutions, insurance companies, savings institutions and foundations respectively. All institutions are important with respect to the area of finance they manage and deal with. It is their specialized skill which recovers the benefit from the investment, as they are more aware of the market trends and regulations than the ordinary man - â€Å"a common investor† (Davis, 2001). Institutional investments like pension funds have a great role in developing economies. Pension funds mount up the amount and number of investments attained by company employers in respect of their employees. The amount gets doubled and tripled after some time, depending on the rates on which it has been fixed, and adds a consistent share in the financial stock market until the policy gets expired. This is how regulations, policies and instrumentations of pension funds (institutional investment) retrieve the best outcome (liquid assets) for both investors and managers of the fund. The importance of pension institution funds vary with respect to the changing norms of countries’ markets. According to International Financial Services London (IFSL) 2004, UK projects an amount of $1,400 billion in the pension funds prospect, adding a major share in the UK’s financial stock market (BGL, 2010).... Such institutions are caretakers of others’ equities and private holding investments. The role of institutions is deliberate as they set a system of organizing, developing and managing respective funds. Such funds are prepared to get reinvested so as to attain the benefit out from investments. There are different types of institutions that manage and organize investments (Davis, 2001). Such include pension institutions, insurance companies, savings institutions and foundations respectively. All institutions are important with respect to the area of finance they manage and deal with. It is their specialized skill which recovers the benefit from the investment, as they are more aware of the market trends and regulations than the ordinary man - â€Å"a common investor† (Davis, 2001). Institutional investments like pension funds have a great role in developing economies. Pension funds mount up the amount and number of investments attained by company employers in respect of their employees. The amount gets doubled and tripled after some time, depending on the rates on which it has been fixed, and adds a consistent share in the financial stock market until the policy gets expired. This is how regulations, policies and instrumentations of pension funds (institutional investment) retrieve the best outcome (liquid assets) for both investors and managers of the fund. The importance of pension institution funds vary with respect to the changing norms of countries’ markets. According to International Financial Services London (IFSL) 2004, UK projects an amount of $1,400 billion in the pension funds prospect, adding a major share in the UK’s financial stock market (BGL, 2010). The contribution of pension funds is there for Germany and France

Rights of Children Essay Example for Free

Rights of Children Essay Childrens rights are defined in numerous ways, including a wide spectrum of civil, cultural, economic, social and political rights. Rights tend to be of two general types: those advocating for children as autonomous persons under the law and those placing a claim on society for protection from harms perpetrated on children because of their dependency. These have been labeled as the right of empowerment and as the right to protection. One Canadian organization categorizes childrens rights into three categories: Provision: Children have the right to an adequate standard of living, health care, education and services, and to play and recreation. These include a balanced diet, a warm bed to sleep in, and access to schooling. Protection: Children have the right to protection from abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination. This includes the right to safe places for children to play; constructive child rearing behavior, and acknowledgment of the evolving capacities of children. Participation: Children have the right to participate in communities and have programs and services for themselves. This includes childrens involvement in libraries and community programs, youth voice activities, and involving children as decision-makers. [15][16] In a similar fashion, the Child Rights Information Network, or CRIN for short, categorizes rights into two groups:[17][18] Economic, social and cultural rights, related to the conditions necessary to meet basic human needs such as food, shelter, education, health care, and gainful employment. Included are rights to education, adequate housing, food, water, the highest attainable standard of health, the right to work and rights at work, as well as the cultural rights of minorities and indigenous peoples. Environmental, cultural and developmental rights, which are sometimes called third generation rights, and including the right to live in safe and healthy environments and that groups of people have the right to cultural, political, and economic development. Amnesty International openly advocates four particular childrens rights, including the end to juvenile incarceration without parole, an end to the recruitment of military use of children, ending the death penalty for people under 21, and raising awareness of human rights in the classroom. [1] Human Rights Watch, an international advocacy organization, includes child labor, juvenile justice, orphans and abandoned children, refugees, street children and corporal punishment. [19] Scholarly study generally focuses childrens rights by identifying individual rights.

Essay on the Epic Poem, Beowulf - Beowulf is Certainly an Epic :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

Beowulf is an Epic The early English epic Beowulf is filled with a marvelous hero, ghastly villains , far off lands , and deeds of great valor. These are some of the reasons why Beowulf is a great example of an early English epic. Beowulf is an epic because it has action that consists of deeds of great valor , the setting of Beowulf is in vast scope covering great lands and far off places , and the hero of the story , Beowulf , is of imposing stature of international and international importance. One reason that Beowulf is an epic is because the action consists of deeds of great valor. Beowulf told a story of when he killed nine sea-beasts with his sword. He also said," I returned from a fight when I destroyed five a family of giants ," which proves the great strength that Beowulf had. When Beowulf talked about going to fight Grendel , he denied himself the use of a sword because he wanted a fair hand-to-hand fight with Grendel. When one of Hroathgars' coast guards set eyes upon Beowulf he said ,"I have never set eyes on a more noble man , you are no mere retainer." Although the action in Beowulf consists of great deeds , the setting of the story is vast scope covering great lands and far off places. Beowulf said that his father was favored far and wide because he was a very noble lord. "The swift current , the surging water carried me to the far off Land of the Lapps ," said Beowulf as he told a story to one of Hroathgars' retainers. When Beowulf talked of where Grendel lived he said ,"These two live in a little known country with wolf-slopes , windswept headlands where a mountain stream plunges." The protagonist of Beowulf , Beowulf , is a figure of national and international importance with great historical and legendary significance. "Then he who feared no man , the proud leader of the Geats," said the author about Beowulf before he went to seek Grendel. Another example the narrator uses to show the importance of Beowulf is ,"Truly , the leader of the Geats fervently

Growing Years Essay

People come and people go, moments are gone through and experiences are created. What only remains are memories ,and for that reason these growing years are considered to be golden. Growing up is the most important aspect of an individual’s life as it determines on their state of mind and how they look at life when they are old enough. Some go through a hard time whereas some may just cruise through a good life. Life is definitely a long journey but how we go about it is up to us, we see a lot of what life has to offer us at the time of childhood and teenage years. A lot of attractions and distractions, basically the good things and the bad and how these influence us. I have gone through different situations in my life, have had to make pretty tough choices ,but one of the best things I’ve learnt from these growing years is that your life is never at a stand still even when you think it is. The modern world has loads to offer teenagers like me. But at the same time I would like to include myself to agree on the fact that growing up as a person from within isn’t an easy task. I’ve found myself in different instances at a stage where I don’t seem to be agreeing with my parents. Well obviously my mind is developing and I have opinions of my own. This did lead into quarrels at times, its not that I may necessarily be wrong but I don’t think anyone’s parents would like their child to not agree with them on any aspect. The solution that I found to this problem was to be more understanding to thoughts and opinions that people shared with me. I could consider myself lucky to go on that path because I’ve come across quite a few people who have thought in another sense and are perhaps now leading messed up lives at home and away. But then again that’s all part of growing up, it could be scary at times but life has much more to offer than just a scare. My growing up like anyone else’s has its own ups and downs, but lucky for me I’ve learnt from my older brother’s experiences and have been cautious into not making the same mistakes as he has made. We come across many friends in this period of life, many come, couple of them remain in our present time but only some or none remain as you move on all the way. Yes when we’re young we’re all joyful and think that nothing can ever affect our friendship and lifestyle. But what we forget is that those who are surrounding us are growing up too, and they begin to think differently and that’s what fade’s them away from us. No doubt that I’ve learnt quite a lot from my friends but one regret would be there that some of them aren’t present in the bonds of friendship around me. Due to all the distractions that growing up has had on me, I’ve had a conflict with education and living reality itself. I guess I was just taking it too easy and was playing around with the responsibilities that were put upon me. Each year that you grow certain tasks are handed to you, be it from your parents or life itself. Whereas at the same time certain things are expected from you. I am quite sure that I personally never was in favour of this. Probably that could’ve been one of the reasons I quarreled with my folks. I guess I just couldn’t live up to the expectations. For instance, when I was out with my friends I had to be home by a certain time. I thought of this as reasonable to an extent but sometimes I went over my curfew. Obviously this wasn’t acceptable from my parents as it was heading me towards indiscipline. I always thought that a couple of years back I was invincible and nothing but good things could come out of what I was doing, basically I was happy in satisfying myself. Therefore I guess I was looking for some space of my own which my parents weren’t willing to give me at that point of time which would be my early teenage years. But now I realize that all I was doing was just neglecting my tasks and duties. Life cannot be lived with one owns satisfaction and happiness, its also about sacrifice, sacrifice that my parents have made in order to help me live a good life, as they think of my future and happiness before their own and perhaps I have to carry out these values to a family of my own. But yea I was too young then and still am now but I can certainly say that I’m in a better sense of mind to understand these things now. For this reason now I understand why my parents decided to give me this space now as I could use it more rightly. I’ve been infatuated with material things and have gotten lost in the unreal world of dreams and fantasies. More importantly my teenage years brought about certain feelings and emotions in me that made me interact with the opposite sex. Definitely this is a normal feeling and there’s nothing wrong with it. Going on dates and having serious relationships with girls was another aspect of my growing up. This perhaps made me well versed with the word â€Å"love† but what I’ve experienced with most girls was just infatuation and a phase that eventually had to fade away. This all is a part of growing up, but when it begins to interfere with your personal life or becomes a part of your personal life then I guess things just seem to be all messed up. Your moods and attitudes can easily alter at any given moment. In my case I could see this coming and still couldn’t take control of it. A really funny situation I guess for many but for me it was just a result of getting too involved in something that never was. I devoted a large amount of my time on telephones and going out which in the end added up to nothing. While making hasty decisions I never really thought twice or overlooked at what I was doing after a while. The mess began to add up and soon I found myself lagging behind in stuff that really mattered for me as a person as I didn’t give much attention to it previously. I still do mostly all these things but within boundaries and don’t make it control my lifestyle as now I perhaps am in control of things and myself. Opening myself up as a person was never a problem but opening up to the wrong people was a mistake that I constantly committed and trusting the wrong people too was involved in this. In a way I remain happy at the fact that I’ve gone through experiences such as these at a young age, as it keeps me prepared for the future. Neglecting my duties as a growing child ,I constantly came across a lot of troubles ,this included studies ,social life etc. There came times when my parents were really unhappy with me and my future remained a question mark in their minds as it built a lot of tension within them. But what I’m grateful about is that they never lost faith in me and they constantly always explained to me about what was right and always heard my side of the story too. Perhaps because of their love and affection it was a quick process for me to realize my mistakes and undo my way of thinking. I’ve at times tried to make my brother as my idle and live the way he did, in a quite reserved but jovial way. There have been instances where I just wanted to be in my brother’s shoes as I felt that he handled himself quite well while he was growing up. According to me he did everything at the right time and that’s why he enjoyed quite a bit. But I can’t escape the fact that him n me are two different personalities and we just have to be our own people. I hear from a lot of people who are elder to me, that my age is the best as I don’t have to worry about a lot of stuff. It brings upon confusion to me as I think the responsibilities that are on me ar en’t too easy to fulfill though they’re necessary. But as a growing child, I explored a lot that perhaps people my age wouldn’t. Main reason for this being that I was quite curious and being the youngest in my family always accustomed me to what elders usually do and how they behave. It was serious conflict as one hand I was neglecting my given duties and on the other hand I intended on doing things that I wasn’t capable of. Eventually I realize that being older than I already am isn’t an easy task either and probably when I do come to that age I would wish to be where I am right now. Keeping that in mind, I’ve experienced times that I’ve wished and wanted to act older than I already am. But what I was leaving behind only I know. That of being a kid and enjoying the best of what it has to offer. Being a kid or a teenager, I always hated to lose and I still do, be it anything perhaps at studies or at sport, or losing friends. But while growing up you’ve to accept to lose at times and you’ve to be open to that fact. Understanding that I guess has helped me into not being stuck up and has helped me in growing further as a person. In my years of growing up I have come across many instances that I’ve witnessed people breaking up their relationships with each other just over meaningless arguments. Having fights is normal but it goes over limit when it starts effecting the way two people think about each other. There has to be space for understanding certain things as every person has his/her own opinions over matters. But many yet remain oblivious to this. That’s why perhaps it is easy to ruin things but hard to keep it together. I sometimes sit to think about most of those teenagers who have slit their wrists and committed suicide in depression, well in their case they never liked losing either and resorted into ending their life. I can probably relate to some teenager problems considering I’m in the same age group and perhaps have gone through the same at some stage, but my upbringing has excluded the thought of suicide from me. Everything has to come to an end at one point in time and that refers to our lives as well, so we should wait until then. That’s why we teenagers are always told that there’s a time for everything. In my times of growing up, I’ve had a lot of fun even through all the hardships that have come along my way. Going to gigs and parties with friends was no more of an exciting thing to me as before. Since I’ve cut down on that there’s more value to it now then there was before. One of the most important tasks that I’ve learnt in my journey of growing up is setting priorities. Something I wasn’t good at doing so sometime back. There are loads of distractions available to get you off your way but if you have your priorities set out I don’t think you could go off track. Part of becoming an adult brings a lot of confusion in our minds. There come times when people have asked me what I’ve wanted to be when I grow up, and I’m left with no answer. I realize I can’t be young all my life but it just seems with all the competition around I’m growing up much faster than I should be. But that’s how this modernized world works, and I could probably deny the fact but cant hide from it. Accepting this I’ve got an ambition, something that I hope to become and achieve. But I realize that this task isn’t easy for some people and this has helped me into understanding the problems that some teenagers go through. They cant deal with the pressure and therefore breakdown into depression. Understanding aspects like these and looking into my own life, it has been quite easy to give way to other people’s opinions and sometimes accept what someone else says on top of your own word. Being unselfish is a part of growing up too. These values instilled in me thankfully is to my advantage and would perhaps benefit me in my future. There sure have been times when I just have been fed up of happenings around me and wished that everything should just stop. At the end of things I still would have to get on with my life and deal with my problems as that’s part of growing up. I do wish that sometimes things should be quite different from what they are, but then if life had to be so predictable there wouldn’t be any fun left in life itself. Believing in something of this sort has made me want to enjoy life as it comes even through its good times and bad. Understanding that behind every face there’s a story, and that’s why some people act in the manner that they do, we have to be open to whatever this life has to offer us. Growing up isn’t an easy task but how would we ever know where our silver lining lies if we don’t want to grow up. These growing years are considered golden as they’re times once lived they can never come back. We have the ability at times like these to make the most of our lives and should definitely use it. We never stop learning and that’s why everyday we look at our life through a different light. Every year that I grow it brings me closer to my adult age and cuts off a year from my life. There surely is a time for everything and in life there are no short cuts to that. From now on I would like to take things as they come and enjoy myself under those means. Therefore I would like to live my life to the maximum level and in the right manner. I’m still growing and s o far the journey has been incredible.

Advertising and Mass Production Essay

Advertising and mass production both helped shaped American national culture in the 1920’s, this era began an entirely new outlook amongst the citizens of the county, and brought a new and more fast-paced style of life, in which has only grown faster. The 1920’s in itself birthed the nation with brand new culture by shifting small local economics to the large scale mass production by mega corporations and the influence of their advertising campaigns. The 1920’s saw a shift in culture no other era had experienced thus far due to the growth and dominance of advertising. Technological inventions of this century, such as the radio, the billboard, and the magazine, brought ideas and information to people in new ways, impacting the entire social lifestyle of the time. Peoples live were suddenly filled with voices and signs telling them exactly what to buy and what they should. The happy-go-lucky and ‘nothing to lose’ persona encompassing the citizens of the time only fueled their decisions to go ahead and buy these offered products. Items were being offered that had never been on the market before such as refrigerators, telephone sets, cookers, the Model T by Henry Ford, and an endless amount of domestic hardware and commodities. An increase in jobs and a flourishing economic boom allowed people to feel comfortable in buying products at a much higher rate. However, many people did not actually possess the money they thought themselves to enjoy. Margin buying and installment buying became widely used practices and in effect concentrated the focus of American life around consumerism and materialism. The creation of the magazine, such as Time by Henry Luce, encourage people continue in their direction of booming buying, and the people listened. This new American dream caused citizens to want, want, want! The term mass production was defined in a 1926, meaning the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines. Advertising was used to make people want to buy, and mass production was used so everyone could buy what they wanted or what they thought they needed. With the high demand of products, business progressed into large corporations, and more investment opportunities. Standardized Mass production led to more efficient machines, and higher production and wages, hich led to increase demand of consumer goods, which perpetuated more standardized mass production; this cycle created a business boom in the 1920’s. After the war we looked forward to a brighter future for America‘s economy, we established this future by using advertising and mass production which are still used today. America has faced many up’s and down’s, whether we like to admit it or not, everything serves a purpose in this world, advertising a nd mass production has its pros and cons, but whichever we choose to look at, it will always be apart of our national culture.

Photon Definition

Photon Definition Photon Definition: A photon is a discrete packet of energy associated with electromagnetic radiation (light). A photon has energy E which is proportional to the frequency ÃŽ ½ of the radiation: E hÃŽ ½, where h is Plancks constant. Also Known As: quantum, quanta (plural) Characteristics Photons are unique in that they have characteristics of both particles and waves at the same time. For students, it remains unclear as to whether a photon is a particle that travels in a wave pattern or a wave broken up into particles. Most scientists simply accept the photon as a unique packet of energy that has characteristics of both waves and particles. Properties of a Photon Behaves like a particle and a wave, simultaneouslyMoves at a constant  velocity,  c   2.9979 x 108  m/s (i.e. the speed of light), in empty spaceHas zero mass and rest energyCarries energy and momentum, which are also related to the frequency (nu)  and wavelength  (lamdba)  of the electromagnetic wave, as expressed by the equation  E  Ã‚  h nu  and  p  Ã‚  h  /  lambda.Can be destroyed/created when radiation is absorbed/emitted.Can have particle-like interactions (i.e. collisions) with electrons and other particles, such as in the  Compton effect  in which particles of light collide with atoms, causing the release of electrons.

beer essays

beer essays Beer. What man doesn't like to see, touch, smell, taste, or write about beer. I personally feel it is what this country is based on(pilgrims came here to escape beer persecution but, that is a whole other topic of discussion.) There are so many different flavors and brands of beer on the market. Nonetheless, it was not hard for me to choose a couple for this present debate: what do individuals value in a beer? The two I have chosen just happen to be my favorites: Bass and Guiness. Personally, in a beer, I look for a couple of things. First, of course, is taste. This may sound self-defeating to some that have not acquired the taste for beer but, take it from a bartender, beer sells because people like the way it taste! What it all comes down to is what flavor or brand you are accustomed to. Although, I do see many people that stick to one particular brand, and are too reluctant to try something new. The second property I look for in a beer is build. Many beers on the market, I feel, are too flat. Especially light beers. They often seem watered down. A beer needs to have a little build. That is you need to feel it going down. I call it beer personality. When one thinks of a typical beer, most likely a picture of Bass would be the end result. A beer with a nice flavor and build, amber colored, that is very smooth going down. I have yet to sell a coustomer a glass of Bass that did not like it. It forms a nice rich head (bartender talk for the foam on top), and compliments any meal. Best of all it taste Guiness, on the other hand, would be just the opposite of what most people expect in a beer. It resembles thick coffee more than it would beer. Although, it is one of the most flavorsome beer on the market. One special feature of Guiness is its build. It is very thick. It is so thick that after it is ...

The Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act Prior to the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 1966, any person seeking non-public information from a U.S. federal  government agency had to first prove they had a legal need to know in order to view related government records. James Madison would not have liked that. A popular Government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. James Madison Under the FOIA, the American people are assumed to have a right to know about their government and the government is required to prove a compelling reason in order to keep information secret. In other words, the FOIA establishes the presumption that records of the U.S. Government must be made accessible to the people. Also note that most state and local governments have adopted laws similar in intent and function to the FOIA.As soon as he took office in January 2009, President Obama issued an executive order directing the government agencies to approach FOIA requests with a presumption in favor of disclosure.The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure  because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears, wrote Obama, stating that his administration would be dedicated to an unprecedented level of openness in Government.This guide is a simple explanation of how to use the FOIA to request information from the U.S. government agencies. But, please be aware that the FOIA and litigation involved with it can become extremely complex. Thousands of court decisions have been made regarding the FOIA and anyone requiring more detailed information about the FOIA should contact an attorney with experience in governmental affairs. Before Requesting Information Under the FOIA Look for it on the Internet. An incredible amount of information is now available on thousands of government websites, with volumes more being added every day. So before going to all the trouble of writing and sending an FOIA request, just log on visit the agencys website or run some searches. What Agencies are Covered by the FOIA? The FOIA applies to documents in the possession of executive branch agencies including: Cabinet agenciesMilitary branchesGovernment corporationsIndependent regulatory agenciesOther executive branch offices commissions The FOIA does NOT apply to: Any elected official of the US GovernmentOfficers of the federal Judicial Branch Private citizensPrivate companies or associationsGovernment contractors Government grant holdersState or local governments (most state and local governments have laws similar to the FOIA) While elected officials are exempt all daily actions of the United States Congress are published in the Congressional Record. In addition most state and many local governments have adopted laws similar to the FOIA What May and May Not be Requested Under the FOIA? You may, by mail, request and receive copies of any records in the possession of an agency except those covered by the following nine exemptions: Classified defense and foreign policy informationInformation prohibited from disclosure under other lawsInternal agency rules and practicesTrade secrets and confidential business practicesInter or intra-agency communications protected under lawInformation involving matters of personal privacyCertain information regarding law enforcementInformation on supervision of financial institutionsGeological information on wells In addition, especially sensitive information concerning law enforcement and national security issues may occasionally be withheld.Agencies are free to (and sometimes do) disclose information even though the records are exempted under the provisions above.Agencies may also disclose only parts of information while withholding exempted sections. Withheld sections will be blacked out and are referred to as redacted sections. How to Request FOIA Information FOIA requests must be sent by mail directly to the agency that has the records you want. There is no single government office or agency assigned to handle or route FOIA requests.While a few individual agencies currently provide for online FOIA request submittal, requests to most agencies must still be submitted via standard mail or email. Online FOIA requests to the agencies that currently accept them can be submitted on the FOIAonline.gov website. Addresses for submitting FOIA requests to all federal agencies can be found on the FOIA.gov website.Each agency has one or more official FOIA contact offices to which requests should be addressed. Larger agencies have separate FOIA offices for each bureau and some have FOIA offices in each region of the country.Contact information for the FOIA offices of just about all agencies can now be found on their website.The U.S. Government Manual is also useful for determining which agency has the records you want. It is available at most public an d university libraries and can also be searched online. What Your FOIA Request Letter Should Say FOIA information requests should be made in a letter mailed to the FOIA Officer of the agency. If you cant determine exactly which agency has what you want, send a request to each potential agency.You should also mark both the letter and the outside of the envelope, Freedom of Information Act Request to speed its handling by the agency.It is vital that you identify in the letter the information or records you want as clearly and specifically as possible. Include any facts, names, authors, dates, times, events, locations etc. you think might help the agency find your records. If you know the exact title or name of the records you want, be sure to include it.While it is not required, you can state why you want the records.Even if you think the records you want may be exempted from the FOIA or otherwise classified, you can and should still make the request. Agencies have the authority to disclose any exempted material at their discretion and are encouraged to do so. Sample FOIA Request Letter DateFreedom of Information Act RequestAgency FOIA OfficerAgency or Component NameStreet AddressDear ________:Under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552, I am requesting access to [identify the records you want in complete detail].If there are any fees for searching or copying these records, please inform me before filling my request. [Or, Please send me the records without informing me of the cost unless the fees exceed $______, which I agree to pay.]If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of appeal procedures available to me under the law.[Optionally: If you have any questions about this request, you may contact me by telephone at ______ (home phone) or _______ (office phone).]Sincerely,NameAddress What Does the FOIA Process Cost? There is no initial fee required to submit an FOIA request, but the law does provide for the charging of certain types of fees in some instances. For a typical requester the agency can charge for the time it takes to search for records and for duplication of those records. There is usually no charge for the first two hours of search time or for the first 100 pages of duplication. You may always include in your request letter a specific statement limiting the amount that you are willing to pay in fees. If an agency estimates that the total fees for processing your request will exceed $25, it will notify you in writing of the estimate and offer you an opportunity to narrow your request in order to reduce the fees. If you agree to pay fees for a records search, you may be required to pay such fees even if the search does not locate any releasable records. You May Request that Fees Be Waived You may request a waiver of fees. Under the FOIA, fee waivers are limited to situations in which a requester can show that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. Requests for fee waivers from individuals who are seeking records on themselves usually do not meet this standard. In addition, a requesters inability to pay fees is not a legal basis for granting a fee waiver. How Long Does the FOIA Process Take? By law, agencies must respond to FOIA requests within 10 working days of receipt. Agencies may extend this time if necessary, but they must send written notice of the extension to the requester. What if Your FOIA Request is Denied? Sometimes, the agency simply does not have or cannot locate the requested records. But if the records are found, only the information or parts of information exempted from disclosure can be withheld. If the agency finds and withholds any or all of the information, the agency must notify the requester of the reason and inform them of the appeals process. Appeals should be sent to the agency in writing within 45 days.The websites of most federal agencies include pages fully explaining the agencys specific FOIA process instructions including contact information, records available, fees, and appeals process.

Time Management and Refreshing Classes Tools for Educational Retention Essay

Time Management and Refreshing Classes Tools for Educational Retention - Essay Example To get the most from everything we do, we must be in control of time (Convey, 1994). Or else, decisions that affect how well we play the game, when we play the game and the position we play will be decided for us by others. On the side of a student, which is what this paper will emphasis on, time management, skills and discipline are very essential in life. The biggest problem they have is time management (Laikein, 1973). Failure to manage their time well has led to poor performance, indiscipline cases, and lack of respect for others. Some students have gone to a point of dropping from schools when they realize that it is too late to accomplish what they are supposed to do. What they normally forget is that school represents a period in their lives that will change their future. They should keep this perspective in their minds so that the daily decisions they make turn out to be wise (Mante & O'Brien, 2002). All students including high school, colleges, and university students should have one goal; to help themselves become aware of how they use their time as a resource in organizing, prioritizing, and succeeding in their studies in the context of activities of people living together with them (Boje, 1991). Analyzing the problem of time management will create avenues for teachers and lecturers to understand the reasons why their students do not do their assignments as expected and in the right time. It will also help the students to comprehend the importance of adhering to teacher’s rules, regulations, and advices. This problem will be solved when schools, colleges and universities amalgamate time management programs in their classes to help students handle time management problems. This can be done by fixing time management classes or doing orientation to new arrivals. Poor performance is a major problem that is brought by poor time management (Morgenstern, 2004). The largest per centages of students fail in classes or drop from schools due to poor performance after they are unable to manage their time properly. To curb these problems, there are many methods that can be adapted especially in universities. Mental tools that teach them to incorporate new tactics in their time management skills can be useful. The simple and practical techniques will benefit the students in their classes and their entire lives. They should put the most essential things first. After accomplishing them, they should reward themselves (Berge & Oliver, 2003). This will greatly boosts their morale and make them inspired to do better than that. Every student should find his or her right time to do things. They should figure out the most efficient time to do their best. If one is more comfortable in reading at the middle of the night, then he or she must know that the brain works well at that time. They should not wait for any other time to do it. They should also determine their priori ties and set realistic goals that can be attained. We cannot do everything at the same time and these calls for us to set up the importance of each item. Application of Appreciative Inquiry principles can help solve these problems and bring a significance impact to lives of students. This is the learning of what brings existence to human beings operation when they are at their most excellent. It is a methodology of organization development based on the assumption that dialogue on strengths, achievements, wishes, importance, and dreams are transformational. It is used for strategic planning within organizations, boards in schools, and school districts (Barrett, 1998). It is also very useful in intensification of ties among administrators, staffs, and

English annotation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English annotation - Essay Example e a human being and used to walk on two’s as he is told by those who knew him, â€Å"the people who survive the horrible chemical fog and poisoning of the water suffer from terrible diseases† (Sinha 1). People’s livers begin to rote as a result of the incidence of the ingestion of the chemicals in the industry. Khaufpur is a small poor town, it does not have doctors who can treat the disease that the people are suffering from. An American doctor, Elli Barber, is sent to Khaufpur to run a clinic without payment. The author describes that Elli Barber encounters a lot of problems than her earlier believe the activity will go on smoothly. The people of Khaufpur are very suspicious of the behavior of Elli and they believe that Elli is contacted to the thing they hate most, the Kampani. There is evidence that people do not have hope for the change. The narrator says that many people had written about the town, but it had not brought justice to the town (3). The subsequent paragraphs give the summary of what happens. A man named Zafar is a professional activist who champions for the rights of the people of Khaufpur. Zafar has a group of individuals that helps him to carry out his work of activism. The group consists of many people, who include; Farouq, Zafars right-hand man, Someraji, who was once a professional singer that has been an activist for about a decade, and Nisha, Zafars girlfriend, Somerajis daughter and the hope and girlfriend of Animals life. Animal is also ingested in Zafars group. He is used as a spy. Animal is sent into the clinic to watch over and inform on Elli and ends up befriending her. Zafar is seen as their god, respected for his kindness, respect and whatever he says no one can object. When Zafar suspects that Elli Barber is in league with the man they hate most Kampani, he cautions and convinces all the people to boycott and avoid the free medication (303). Animal believes that Elli will help him to achieve his dream. More than anything

Identiy a resaon(s) for failures of the Ralph Lauren Rugby and propose Essay

Identiy a resaon(s) for failures of the Ralph Lauren Rugby and propose a marketing strategy for re-launching the brand - Essay Example Other than this, the brand of Ralph Lauren Rugby might increase its customer base and loyalty in the market as compared to its rival contenders. Only then, the brand of Ralph Lauren Rugby might regain its competitiveness and position in American market. Ralph Lauren Rugby is recognised as one of the popular clothing brand that offers trendy and modern designs of apparels and dresses, as per the style of the citizens of America. Since, 2004, the brand of Ralph Lauren Rugby is trying to satisfy the demands and requirements of the Americans with the help of its wide range of Preppy/Rugby designed clothes. Other than this, the brand of Ralph Lauren Rugby positions itself as a company with distinctive image by offering a wide range of Preppy/Rugby inspired lifestyle apparel for male and female individual of age groups of 16 to 25. Due to the presence of these fashionable clothes, the net income and total sales increased by a significant extent as compared to many other rival brands. However, in spite of wide range of trendy products, the brand of Ralph Lauren Rugby failed to retain its brand value and portfolio in the market. This essay mainly tries to highlight the reasons for the failure of the position of the brand of Ralph Lauren Rugby. Along with this, a re-launching marketing strategy for the brand is also proposed so as to enhance its sustainability in the market. In spite of comprising of a legendary position in the segment of fashion industry, the brand of Ralph Lauren Rugby failed to retain its image and reputation for a long time. The prime reasons that lead to the decline of the market share and equity of the brand of Ralph Lauren Rugby are presented below: Niche market, which is too narrow: the company of Ralph Lauren Rugby positions itself a premium brand and so its targeted customer range is quite small, i.e. 15-25 years of age as compared to many other successful brands like A&F, Jack Wills and Same Style. Moreover, the style of

Economics and Economic Change Macroeconomics Essay

Economics and Economic Change Macroeconomics - Essay Example Although globalization is hard to define, when one considers the lives of more than one-fifth of the population of the world, earning less than $1 per day, at stake, it is necessary to address the impacts of globalization. Globalization has increased the income gap in countries such as Pakistan where the government has been unable to keep updated with the latest technological advancements and financial integration (Danacica, 2005). Where globalization implies greater opportunities for economical advancement and progress, it cannot assuage the chances of growing inequalities and cultural uniformity. Moreover it fails to deliver equal advantages to all countries. Markets give reward to those who are well-equipped with appropriate capital, labor and entrepreneurial skills (South Center, 2006). In countries not equipped sufficiently, including those â€Å"under transition†, are harmed by globalization. The impact of globalization on these countries renders environmental issues, so cial disputes and immigration tendencies in them (Danacica, 2005). The integration of markets and the easy flow of capital along with the rapid popularity surge of the internet have contributed to an increase in the demand for skills than as compared to their supply (South Center, 2006). In countries where demand and returns for skills are high, people from other countries will be encouraged to immigrate there. Immigration from the skilled individuals from poorest countries also increases the resultant inequality, since the correct asset for today’s individual is higher education. Another argument presented by critics is that markets are not perfect and there are chances of their failure. One such failure of the market system is pollution, where the polluter can get away with pollution without being accountable for the complete costs of pollution. For instance, the environmental costs of greenhouse gas emissions of the US are levied on poorer countries.

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Ethics - Essay Example Wrongful and unethical behavior in the business environment is not a new phenomenon; wrongful acts can be traced back at least two centuries ago. Since the 1970s, public opinion polls have communicated a steady decline in the public's confidence in America's business community, which has shown an infinity for breaking the rules (Gautschi & Jones 205). It is apparent that both the accounting profession and the corporate business world need to regain the trust that stockholders and other constituent groups should have in their ability to manage corporate affairs and conduct business in an independent and moral manner, while still successfully running their businesses. The numerous calls for more and/or improved ethics education illustrates that business students are seen as part of the problem and perhaps eventually as part of the solution (Rich 11-17). Whether ethics can be taught and how it could be taught has been the subject of much research. Many different modules and approaches have been identified in the research and scholarly literature. For example, Armstrong (77-92) exemplifies the code of ethics approach; Langenderfer and Rockness (58-69) focus on ethical decision making through an eight step model to evaluate ethical dilemmas; Rest (1-10), Kohlberg (15-25) and Gilligan (10-21) are relied upon for research focusing on the psychological or moral development issues, an approach that Hiltebeitel and Jones (37-46) and Poneman (185-209) have continued to focus on. Mintz (247-267) claimed that all of these models are useful tools of ethical analysis; however, they ignore the ethical considerations of the actor, focusing only on the act. He noted that it is the actor who is faced with the ethical dilemma and, therefore, it is the actor as agent who will

Learning theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Learning theories - Essay Example Behaviourism theory as mentioned are mostly two the classical and operant. Operant conditioning is associated with B. F Skinner while classical conditioning is associated with Pavlov. Cognitivism is associated with Chomsky while constructivism is associated with John Dewey among others (Taylor and MacKenney, 2008). The reflection will be based on the behaviourist theory by Ivan Pavlov. This theory examines learning through conditioning of children in the way of pairing the undesired with the desired. This would be very effective especially for a teacher who has a new class and would like them to follow a specific pattern of behaviour in learning. The new learning pattern of behaviour would be used in conjunction with the old behaviour of learning which did not seem to be yielding any positive results in the long run. Since there was the behaviour the students were used to and the results were negative and the new behaviour which the teacher wants them to learn which elicits no response, the two learning behaviours should be paired together over a period of time in order to yield positive results. With time, the new behaviour being used alone will elicit positive results and at this juncture the old and non-productive behaviour will completely be

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Ethics - Essay Example Wrongful and unethical behavior in the business environment is not a new phenomenon; wrongful acts can be traced back at least two centuries ago. Since the 1970s, public opinion polls have communicated a steady decline in the public's confidence in America's business community, which has shown an infinity for breaking the rules (Gautschi & Jones 205). It is apparent that both the accounting profession and the corporate business world need to regain the trust that stockholders and other constituent groups should have in their ability to manage corporate affairs and conduct business in an independent and moral manner, while still successfully running their businesses. The numerous calls for more and/or improved ethics education illustrates that business students are seen as part of the problem and perhaps eventually as part of the solution (Rich 11-17). Whether ethics can be taught and how it could be taught has been the subject of much research. Many different modules and approaches have been identified in the research and scholarly literature. For example, Armstrong (77-92) exemplifies the code of ethics approach; Langenderfer and Rockness (58-69) focus on ethical decision making through an eight step model to evaluate ethical dilemmas; Rest (1-10), Kohlberg (15-25) and Gilligan (10-21) are relied upon for research focusing on the psychological or moral development issues, an approach that Hiltebeitel and Jones (37-46) and Poneman (185-209) have continued to focus on. Mintz (247-267) claimed that all of these models are useful tools of ethical analysis; however, they ignore the ethical considerations of the actor, focusing only on the act. He noted that it is the actor who is faced with the ethical dilemma and, therefore, it is the actor as agent who will

Elevational Gradients in Species Richness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Elevational Gradients in Species Richness - Essay Example Decreasing richness, low plateau, low plateau with mid elevational peak, and mid elevational peak were found to describe patterns of species richness with elevation. Each pattern defines the ecology of each classified group. However, very little analysis on microbe diversity is included in the patterns evaluation. This could have been affected by various methodologies used in the study scale and data sampling. While local scale covers one elevational gradient and regional scale covers fields from the whole region, the sample site should not focus on one portion of gradient truncation of the mountain. Collecting a large number of samples would make prediction of species richness more relevant. The hypotheses on elevation species richness are based on, space, climate, biotic processes, and evolutionary history. According to SAR description of space, increase in area leads to relative increase in the number of species. This shows that diversity and elevation area have a very close relationship. Climate wise, productivity is controlled by climatic conditions. The condition affects population by controlling individual numbers hence showing that species richness and diversity have a positive relationship too. The relationship between diversity and biotic processes such as habitat heterogeneity, complexity, and diversity in this case has been estimated. Therefore, the hypotheses predict that areas with low extinction and high speciation are diverse. In my opinion, the article and the topic are perfectly related since knowing about elevational patterns in species richness is essential in the study of diversity. The topic indicates elevation gradients clearly also discusses the effect of latitude as well. I particularly like the methodological discussion part because it compares different methods used. It also points out the benefits and the drawbacks for each.

Research Plan Essay Example for Free

Research Plan Essay Background of the Study Solid waste management is increasingly seen as a major issue in the country due to high rates of urbanization and increasing per capita solid waste generation with greater affluence (Petnamsin, et al., 2000). A major component of solid waste is resin based plastic. Plastics posses many properties such as water resistance and long life, that makes them perfect candidates for packaging. Unfortunately, the properties that make this product suitable for packaging also are the major cause of the environmental problems related to packaging. Given the wide use of plastics, the magnitude of the environmental problem is large and long terms. The choices for dealing with this waste are limited as incineration of plastic polymers invariably results in the generation of toxic emissions (Srorith, et al., 2000). The only visible solution is to bury the material in landfills. However, this approach is also limited because of the resistant nature of plastic to biological degradation. Jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. is a popular fruit-crop that is widely grown in tropical areas. Often, its seeds are discarded because of the preferred well-flavored yellow sweet bulb for consumption. The seeds have high carbohydrate and protein content, hence, an abundant source of starch (Kurian, 2010). Starch is identified as a key natural product for the production of biodegradable plastic (Pranamuda, et al., 2006). Based on the above information, the researchers decided to do research work on starch-based biodegradable plastic from jackfruit seeds. Henceforth, there is a need to establish the additive property of starch from jackfruit seeds as scientific basis for its use in the production of biodegradable plastic. Objectives of the Study The study will aim to find out if jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.  seeds can be a main component in the production of biodegradable plastic. Specifically, the study will 1. determine the efficacy of starch from jackfruit A.heterophyllus Lam. seeds at varying concentrations as additives in the production of biodegradable plastic. 2. compare the mechanical properties between the produced biodegradable plastic from starch of jackfruit A.heterophyllus Lam. seeds, and commercially prepared plastic, polyethylene in terms of tensile strength, flammability, soil biodegradability and air test. 3. compare the effects of acids and bases and organic solvents between produced biodegradable plastic from starch of jackfruit seeds and commercially prepared plastic, polyethylene. Hypotheses of the Study The following hypotheses will be put forward: 1. There is no significant difference in the efficacy of starch from jackfruit seeds at varying concentrations in the production of biodegradable plastic. 2. There is no significant difference on the mechanical properties between the produced biodegradable plastic from starch ofjackfruit seeds and commercially prepared plastic, polyethylene in terms of tensile strength, flammability, soil biodegradability and air test. 3. There is no significant difference on the effects of acids and bases and organic solvents between produced biodegradable plastic from starch of jackfruit seeds and commercially prepared plastic polyethylene. Significance of the Study The results of the study would be beneficial and helpful to the manufacturing plastic industries because it would relieve negative effects of overproducing plastics. By changing its raw materials and components, commercial plastic may be improved so that it would become biodegradable while retaining its good quality. Moreover,this component from starch of jackfruit seeds would help in the natural decomposition of plastic raw materials. Thus, a convenient way of minimizing waste management problem in the country, more so, the high demand for plastics would give the world the hazard of garbage problem, therefore, utilizing starch from jackfruit seeds as component in the production of biodegradable plastics would be the relative answer. Scope and Limitations of the Study The study will focus only on the starch-based biodegradable plastic from jackfruitA.heterophyllus Lam. seeds. It will be conducted at the Physics/Chemistry Laboratory of Antique National School, San Jose de Buenavista, Antique from July 15, 2011 to September 30, 2011. The variables to be evaluated will be the effect of starch from jackfruit seeds at varying concentrations for the production of biodegradable plastic; the mechanical properties between the produced biodegradable plastic from starch of jackfruit seeds and commercially prepared plastic, polyethylene in terms of tensile strength, flammability, soil biodegradability and air test;the effects of acids and bases and organic solvents between the produced biodegradable plastic from the starch of jackfruit seeds and commercially prepared plastic, polyethylene. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) will be used as statistical tools to identify the significant differences among treatment means and their interactions at 0.01 and 0.05 levels of significance, respectively. Definition of Terms Biodegradable.A substance or property of the produce plastic in the study that can be broken down into simpler substances by the activities of living organisms for decomposition.  Plastic. An end product obtained mainly as a result of the study using starch from jackfruit seeds as main component mixing with other components for biodegradable formation. Starch. A complex carbohydrate extracted from jackfruit seeds and used in the study for the production of biodegradable plastic. Polyvinyl Alcohol. An odorless, colorless, tasteless, thermoplastic synthetic resin used in the study that is soluble in water and insoluble in common organic solvents.  Glycerol. A simplest trihydric and commonly called glycerin in commercial  form that is used in the study for the production of biodegradable plastic. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE After cutting talahib pulps into very small pieces, they were combined with different chemicals such as polyvinyl alcohol, sodium hydroxide in aqueous solution, glue, and glycerol to produce biodegradable plastics with different amounts of talahib pulp. (Valdez, 2009). A study determined the effectiveness of cassava starch as component of biodegradable plastic. Results confirmed that cassava starch is ideal as tests proved its worth (Romero, 2007).  It was known that starch-based packaging materials are produced from extrusion or compression technology and have been developed as a substitute for polystyrene in producing loose-filters and other expanded items. The type of starch and synthetic polymer as well as their relative proportions in the blends may influence the properties of the resulting plastics (Sriroth and Sangseethong, 2003). Some physicochemical and rheological properties of jackfruit seed flour and starch, isolated from the flour were investigated. The flour had good capacities for water absorption and oil absorption. Flour from jackfruit seed was prepared by dry milling. It is high in protein and carbohydrate contents. The flour has good water and oil absorption abilities (Tulyathan, 2002). The range of possible applications for starch plastics is restricted by their sensitivity tomoisture and water contact and high water vapour permeability. The biodegradability of starch plastics largely depends on the biodegradability of the copolymer. High copolymer content can adversely affect biodegradability due to the complex interaction of starch and polyester at the molecular level (DegliInnocentiBastioli, 2002). Starch is unique among carbohydrates because it occurs naturally as discrete granules. This is because the short branched amylopectin chains are able to form helical structures whichcrystallize. Starch granules exhibit  hydrophilic properties and strong inter-molecular association via hydrogen bonding due to the hydroxyl groups on the granule surface (Daniel et al., 2000). Jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. is a popular fruit-crop that is widely grown in the Philippines and other tropical areas. The ripe fruit contains well-flavored yellow sweet bulbs which are consumed fresh or processed into canned products and seeds embedded in the bulb. Seeds make up around 10-15% of the total fruit weight and have high carbohydrate and protein content and are normally discarded or steamed and eaten as a snack or used in some local dishes. As fresh seeds cannot be kept for a long time, using them as source of starch is advisable (Bobbio et al 1978). Based on the above review of related literature, there is a need to conduct a study on starch-based biodegradable plastic from jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. seeds and because in all studies, nothing has been mentioned about jackfruit seeds as component of biodegradable plastics. CHAPTER 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS The flow of processes on starch-based biodegradable plastic from jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. seeds is shown in Figure 1. Collection and Preparation of Research Materials, Tools and Equipment The researchers will collect three (3) kilograms of jackfruit seeds from the source for two (2) days before the conduct of the study. These will be brought to the Physics/Chemistry Laboratory of Antique National School, San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. Technically grade ethanol, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid and sodium hydroxide, ammonia, distilled water, chlorine, polyvinyl alcohol, epoxydized soy bean oil, and glycerol will be obtained from chemworks, Inc.Jaro, Iloilo City prior to the conduct of the study. The other materials and equipment needed will be mortar and pestle, grinder, beakers, alcohol lamp, rolling pin, aluminum foil, stirring rod, molders, spring balance, double beam balance, tray, plastic cups, graduated cylinder, stopwatch, and hot plate. Research Procedure/ Experimental Design Three (3) kilograms of jackfruit seeds will be rinsed and washed in running water and will be air-dried for twenty-four (24) hours at room temperature. After air-drying, the seeds will be peeled manually. Then the seeds will be cut into smaller pieces and ground using an electric grinder. The ground jackfruit seeds will be added with water following the ratio 1:2, one (1) liter of distilled water to two (2) kilograms of ground jackfruit seeds. The mixtures will be placed inside the beaker for decantation for three (3) hours. After decantation, the supernatant will be discarded and the settling material will be collected and placed in an evaporating dish for the starch sediments to settle. This will be sun-dried for five (5) hours to let the water evaporate completely. After the evaporation process, the collected starch sediments will be ground using mortar and pestle until it will turn into powdered form. The produced starch will be weighed and placed in a sterilized container ready for experimentation. Measured amount of the water and jackfruit starch based on different treatments will be mixed and boiled using a hot plate at eighty (80(C) degrees Celsius until it will form into a sticky paste. After removing the starch-water mixture from the hot plate, the rest of the materials will be added such as polyvinyl alcohol, epoxydized soya bean oil, and glycerol. After mixing all the materials, the mixture will be heated again using a hot plate at a temperature of one hundred eighteen to one hundred twenty (118-120(C) degrees Celsius for seven (7) minutes. Then it will pass through a rolling pin and transferred to containers for sun-drying process until the plastic will be formed. The plastic will be cut into strips (3 cm wide by 5 cm long) for mechanical property, effects of acid and base, and organic solvents tests, respectively. The experiment will use five (5) treatments with three (3) replicates each. The duration of the experimental activities will be seventy-eight (78) days that will begin on July 15, 2011 and will end on September 30, 2011. The five (5) treatments that will be used in the study are as follows. Treatment A = 100 grams starch + 100 grams water + 100 grams polyvinyl alcohol + 2.5 grams epoxydized soya bean oil +10 grams glycerin Treatment B = 75 grams starch + 100 grams water + 100 grams polyvinyl alcohol + 2.5 grams epoxydized soya bean oil +10 grams glycerin Treatment C = 50 grams starch + 100 grams water + 100 grams polyvinyl alcohol + 2.5 grams epoxydized soya bean oil +10 grams glycerin Treatment D = 25 grams starch + 100 grams water + 100 grams polyvinyl alcohol + 2.5 grams epoxydized soya bean oil +10 grams glycerin Treatment E – Control – Commercial plastic (polyethylene) Gathering of Data The cut samples of the produced biodegradable plastic will be subjected to the following tests: Flammability Test. The strips of the produced biodegradable plastic and commercial plastic with the same dimensions will be completely burned using alcohol lamp and the burning time will be noted. Soil Biodegradability Test. The plastic strips will be stapled to a piece of cardboard and will be buried in a can of soil. The strips will be unearthed after a week and the final dimension will be recorded. Tensile Strength Test. The plastic strips will be hooked to a spring balance and will be pulled until they will tear apart. The reading of the balance when the plastic strips will break will be recorded. Effects of Strong and Weak Acids and Strong and Weak Bases.The plastic strips will be immersed in concentrated strong/weak acids and strong/weak bases for thirty (30) minutes. Changes in length, width, and appearance will be noted. Organic Solvent Tests. The plastic strips will be immersed in a bottle of  chlorinated water/ethanol. The bottle will be sealed so as to isolate its contents from the external environment. After a week, their final dimensions will be noted.

Johnson and Johnson Global Business

Johnson and Johnson Global Business In this report, we are using Johnson Johnson as the company for our strategic global business solutions project report. Introduction is formed as the brief background of Johnson Johnson. The focus of this report will be placed on JJs subsidiary Johnson Johnson, Group of Consumer Companies, Inc. Johnson Johnson. We will be focusing and relating this report on the baby product line of Johnson Johnson. The strategic initiatives of Johnson Johnsons skills, strategy, staff, structure, system and shared values will be discussed and examined in this report. We looked into their company functions so as to better understand them to enable effective decision makings. A political economic analysis is conducted to provide global risk insights for Johnson Johnson that is beneficial to JJ manage those risks as potential and risk. In relation to Johnson Johnson `s baby care products, Porter`s forces model is used to analyze the competitive advantage of the firm. One of the key understandings is that the middle-high rivalry is present with less number of competitors on Baby Care product line from competitor like California Baby, Simple. SWOT analysis show that Johnson Johnson holds strong competitive advantages after comparing its pros and cons despite of a few disadvantages of global standardization strategy. The growth strategy of Johnson Johnson will be selected based on both internal a nd external environment factor for the three years plan. These diagnoses are in reference to the SWOT analysis based on the company resources assets, intellectual property, and people. Lastly, the modes of entry will be affected by the several internal factors in this report. It comprises of internal requirement, technology know-how, management know-how as well as pressure for cost reduction. The recommendation part would provide several suggestions for the improvement of Johnson Johnson through the organization structure and Human Resource Management. Introduction We have chosen to work on Johnson and Johnson (JJ) for our strategic global business solutions project report for it is a global American pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. With more than 250 subsidiary companies located in 57 countries around the world and having its products sold in over 175 countries, JJ is a listed company evident with its listing among Fortune 500 and registering its stock with NASDAQ (NYSE: JNJ). With a diverse range of products sold in global markets, JJ adopted the business strategy of global standardization whereby there is limited customization needed for its products for focus is placed on having customers recognise and identify JJ as a household brand. Focus of this report will be placed on JJs subsidiary Johnson Johnson, Group of Consumer Companies, Inc. Strategic Initiative of Johnson Johnson Skills As Johnson Johnson is a global manufacturer with many subsidiaries on a global scale, JJ would hire its employees through a stringent process of selection and focus on ones performance. This implies that JJ recruits people of experience and ability with a global mindset hires third-country national (TCN), indicating that recruitment of people is mainly dependent on being consistent with JJs organizational structure. Strategy With the objective of market growth and maximizing profits in order to be responsible to their stockholders, JJ adopted the business strategy of global standardization. Choice of global standardization strategy is because JJs focus is placed on lowering costs and that there is limited need for customization of products for it generally the same other than slight changes in the products packaging. Staff The employees of JJ can be said to be well motivated to work for JJ has provided their staff with many incentives ranging from personal to performance benefits (i.e. annual incentive bonus, long-term incentive awards, and severance benefits). As JJ have high expectations on their employees, JJ sends their staff on regular employee training that clocks an average of 8 hours or more yearly (i.e. leadership development and management education in fields like finance and marketing). JJ also makes sure that their employees are motivated by giving them the right to voice ones opinion on company issues through JJs Credo survey. Structure JJs organizational structure is dictated by its corporate strategy. JJ initially adopted a decentralized approach to management but in the early 1900s, changed it to a more standardized approach for JJs top executives noticed that their subsidiaries are not well-positioned on a global platform to serve customers directly. The change in corporate management allowed JJ to mitigate limitations posed by the decentralization approach. One instance would be JJ having categorized all subsidiaries into three categories namely, consumer, pharmaceutical and professional. The chairman of each category is given the responsibility of identifying opportunities for leveraging services and expertise across companies in every market and the franchise managers assigned the responsibility of coordinating cross-company sales of a family of products (e.g. baby care products in US, France, Australia). The centralized management approach benefits JJ for it gives JJs top management a better view of its glob al operations and are able to effectively manage and integrate its global operations. This led to the success of JJ in being globally effective in terms of operations for cost of production is lowered in terms of reducing redundancies and duplications during the processing and manufacturing process. Systems In the business of health care, Johnson Johnson is inspired and united by a common purpose: to care for the health and well-being of the people they serve around the world. Caring drives the people of Johnson Johnson in their aim to make the world a better and healthier place through everything that they do. It is core to their business strategy and initiatives, the programs and partnerships which they build, the positions that they take on public policy issues, and their care for the environment. As the company moves forward, it continues to push the innovation envelope as coordinated activities under the centralized control, infusing superior technology and ingenuity into every product they make and every project which the company undertakes. The procedure of the JJ functions as a system in which build from within organization, as 95% of their people start at entry level and then progress and prosper throughout the organization. This not only creates many wonderful opportunities to grow and advance, it creates a special camaraderie among fellow JJers, many of whom came up through the ranks together. Johnson Johnson came up with this credo which speaks about their mission statements, views and their pledges to the customers and society. Robert Wood Johnson, former chairman from 1932 to 1963 and a member of the Companys founding family, crafted Our Credo himself in 1943, just before Johnson Johnson became a publicly traded company. This was long before anyone ever heard the term corporate social responsibility. WILLIAMC.WELDON is the chairman, Board of Directors, and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson Johnson. He takes pride in the organization work procedures and describe their operation of their day-to-day work is about their response to the unmet needs of their patients and customers and also their response to the needs of their colleagues; their response to supporting the global communities in which they live and work; finally, their response to the call for research and innovation in health care. Style The parent company of Johnson Johnson which is Procter Gamble (PG) has been pioneering products in nearly 50 different categories and their baby product line will be the function in which this report will be focusing on. As the company moves forward, it continues to push the innovation envelope every day, infusing superior technology and ingenuity into every product they make and every project which the company undertakes. The procedure of the JJ functions as a system in which build from within organization, as 95% of their people start at entry level and then progress and prosper throughout the organization. This not only creates many wonderful opportunities to grow and advance, it creates a special camaraderie among fellow JJers, many of whom came up through the ranks together. This also explains why their hiring process is so rigorous. JJ `s system is as such that they are not just offering a job, they expect you to grow into one of their future leaders. From day one youll help develop or support exciting brands you know while working on projects that have a direct impact on their global, $61.9 billion sales in 2009. Shared Values Johnson Johnson`s management style of helping to shape and define what health and well-being means in everyday lives. Their products, services, ideas and giving now touch the lives of at least one billion people every day. They credit their strength and endurance to a consistent approach to managing their business, and to the character of their people. They are guided in everything they do by their Credo, a management document authored more than 60 years ago by Robert Wood Johnson, former chairman from 1932 to 1963, and by four strategic principles. Their company style is deeply rooted in their Credo and deeply in filtered into their employees and leaders. Johnson Johnson `s system is such that their overarching philosophy which guides their business is their Credo, a deeply held set of values that have served as the strategic and moral compass for generations of Johnson Johnson leaders and employees. Above all, their Credo challenges them to put the needs and well-being of the people they serve first. It also speaks to the responsibilities they have to their employees, to the communities in which we live and work and the world community, and to our shareholders. They believe their Credo is a blueprint for long-term growth and sustainability thats as relevant today as when it was written. The company behavioral style is that their values embodied in their Credo guide the actions of the people of the Johnson Johnson Family of Companies at all levels and in all parts of the world. They have done so for more than 60 years. These Credo values extend to their accounting and financial reporting responsibilities. Their management is responsible for timely, accurate, reliable and objective financial statements and related information. As such: They maintain a well-designed system of internal accounting controls. They encourage strong and effective corporate governance from their Board of Directors. They continuously review their business results and strategic choices. They focus on financial stewardship. Synergistic teams All of the above of Johnson Johnson `s skills, strategy, staff, structure, system, staff and shared value formed together and worked in cohesively to form a synergistic team of workforce that oversee the entire operation from sourcing materials ,production lines ,manufacturing to research and development (RD). It is seen as that a synergy is the energy or force created by the working together of various parts or processes. In Johnson Johnson, the baby care products are the result of synergy and quality reassurance as promise by the company. External Environment Environment cannot be controlled; therefore we should analyze the environment first then indicate the strategy that also reflects the organization structure subsequently. Political Economy Analysis The political economy of a nation defines the forms of interdependence amongst the political, economic, and legal systems, and also reflects they interact and influence each other. Political systems The system of government in a nation defined as political system which divided the 200 plus world entities into 2 dimensions that include the degree of collectivism versus individualism and the degree of democracy versus totalitarianism. More practically, individuals would be tied together to achieve the common or collective goals in the high context country, like South Korea, Japan, those people focus on the benefits of society and long-term relationship; individualism means democratic political systems and free market economies like Americans have free rights to vote in election. Myanmar, North Korea act as the totalitarianism that government absolutely controlled by one person or political party. Whereas, China exist the grey area that it has been a move toward greater individual free market economies, but the government is still a totalitarian dictatorship. If the political systems are high stable, the company would be decentralized; otherwise, the company would concentrate in the low stable situation. Although the political systems in say Japan (i.e. change in 3 prime ministers since 2007) is relatively unstable as compared to that of other Asian countries like Singapore, the Japanese government is more open in terms of local market entrance of multinational companies. Economic systems In market economy, production is determined by the interaction of demand and supply; besides, the government encourages free and fair competition between private producers, the representatives of governments like the Great Britain, US and France. The objective of command economy is the good of society; all businesses are state owned in command economy, such as Thailand, South Korea, and Indonesia. India is the typical example of mixed economy in which certain sectors of the economy are left to private ownership and free market mechanisms while other sectors have state significant ownership and government planning. The company would decentralize in the consistent economy system or concentrate in the inconsistent economy system. Legal systems For a business that operates globally, understanding the different legal systems play an important role of the process. Legal aspects help to facilitate business operations so therefore it is very crucial and a necessity for international business operators to have an understanding of the different legal systems around the world. Companies must take into consideration the legal structures of the country in which they operate in. Globalization breaks down barriers between nations and bring nation together in a global platform. But increasing investment among nations also makes it more difficult for those in different cultures to understand the rules of other countries. It is important to follow the legal system of the country in which business is conducted or the government has the right to have legal actions taken should laws be not comply. International Business Laws Businesses operate in a world in which the laws of different governments and judicial systems might conflict as they originated from different cultures. It is therefore necessary to have a basic knowledge of the legal system and also understand how does business law impacts commerce in the companys own country and overseas. The impacts of international business on business law facilitate the inclusion of standards in their company regulations or operations that address these tricky and complex issues. Social cultural environment According to Geert Hofstede Cultural Theory, the global social culture roughly classify as 4 dimensions which considered as costs. Individualism versus Collectivism The individualism and individual achievement is common in the Western Countries, both positive and negative implementation in individualism. The positive side is showed in competition between individuals rather than collective groups and the person get pay-for-performance motivation to compete within organization especially in the dynamism of US economy that encouraged person to take chances and tried new things with unique ideas (i.e. Steve Jobs). However, the individualists just focus task-based, they cannot develop a strong and long-term relationship with others which is the advantage of collectivism. US, Canada Australia is the classical individualist representatives that are different from Asia (i.e. South Korea, China) act as collectivists. Power Distance The degree of acceptance of hierarchy or inequality exists among the organization, the higher power distance (i.e. Japan, Vietnam) reflect in the decision making by the seniorities and reward as the status, position and experiences; in contrast, the decision making and authority took by the task representative and pay-for-performance reward represented in low power distance culture like Denmark and UK. Uncertainty Avoidance The degree of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguous situation, the low uncertainty avoidance reflects the high risk taker and adaptability of new things (i.e. Australia, Singapore); the high uncertainty displayed the low tolerance for uncertainty issues like France and Italy, those countries need the structured organization or rules to obey so that French and Italians are difficult to overcome the culture shock when they sent as expatriate managers. Masculinity versus Femininity Whether the differences of work in gender roles accepted in society, Japan and China should be masculine society; the jobs of gender are distinct and form a male dominant society and person more focus on financial and material possessions. On the other hand, gender roles are overlapping in the femininity country, such as Thailand and Finland, people in those countries focus more on quality of life. Therefore, in the femininity countries, the purchasing power of lifestyle is relatively high which point out an appealing way to Johnson Johnson develop. Overall analysis Those external environments provide global risk insights for Johnson Johnson that is beneficial to JJ manage those risks as potential and risk to take advantage of the relative international business strategy to form and adapt organization structure in the long-term. Competitive Advantages Posters Five Forces Degree of Rivalry The middle-high rivalry is present with less number of competitors on Baby Care product line, like California Baby, Simple; but Johnson Johnson is dominant in the Baby Care industry and the economies of scale so that the firm reflects less intense competition. The cost of competitive advantage and promotions are relatively high, like the advertising and discounts; additionally, JJ has over hundreds history and good image of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) result them remain competitive rather than leave the industry. Next, the high rate of growth display the middle-high competitive situation overall in the industry. Threat of new entrants The threats of new entrants should be low despite of low barriers of entry in the lights of low costs of set-up. The brand equity of JJ is relatively high and it has great impacts in the industry so that a large number of suppliers prefer to sign contracts with it rather than the new entrants that benefit for enhancing suppliers brand and engaging more profits, Lafes Body Care is an example of new entrant who launch a new baby care product line in recent years. In addition to the switching costs for customers, customers are keen on the brand with quality guarantee using for baby or not the less discrepancy of prices. Threat of substitutes Some baby care products from say Pigeon Corporation and Drapolene are suggested by doctors (i.e. responsible to babies), but lack in brand awareness recognized by customers as renowned brands and those products are not easier to buy or package of those products are not portable for customers to bring; compared with them, Johnson Johnson baby care products differ from they could be bought in almost of all supermarkets under the world-wide distribution channels and be convenient to carry about. Hence, threats of substitutes should be low. Power of Buyers There are a lot of alternatives for customers contribute to the high bargaining power of customers, especially for the price-sensitive customers, who are prefer to the high-quality products with the lower costs in the traditional theory research. However, JJs Baby Care products are considered as the essential healthy pharmacy products for baby by an amount of loyal customers. All in all, the bargaining power of customers should be low-to-middle as its healthy baby brand image formed in customers mind around the world, even the adult females prefer to but baby products to care their skins. Power of Suppliers There are thousands of suppliers to provide the materials, goods and services that allow JJ Family of Companies to manufacture products, supply offices and other facilities to service customers around the world. JJ committed to working with small and diverse suppliers in terms of their abilities to support its long-run growth objectives and add value to its business through providing the innovative solutions to their marketing, manufacturing and RD efforts. Even though the various inputs from the suppliers, the competitive situations also exist among suppliers and large amount of substitute inputs contribute to the low power of suppliers. Financial environment Analysis on JJs operation results is essential for it allows its stakeholders to gain an insight on how JJ is performing on the global platform and whether the management strategy employed needs to be consistent or changed according to future market projections. Looking at JJs net sales figures in the last 5 years (Appendix 1), gathered from JJs 2009 annual report, we see a generally consistent growth in its net sales. Though there is a dip in worldwide sales figure of 2.9% ($61.9 billion) from 2008, this can be accounted with JJs spending on research and development ($7 billion) as well as acquisitions and collaborations. Although this will cause a reduction in JJs sales margin, it will benefit the organization in the long-run whereby profits will be reaped upon returns on investment. Currently, JJ is expanding its operations in the BRIC countries (i.e. Brazil, Russia, India, and China) as well as other fast-developing markets. This should be a continued project of JJ for at least the next 3 years to maximize its profits and increase its global market share. This is inline with JJs organizational vision drive superior business results and sustainable competitive advantage. Internal Environment Value Chain JJs corporate vision, to maximise the global power of diversity and inclusion to drive superior business results and sustainable competitive advantage is in line with its corporate objective of profit and growth. Both JJs vision and focus has direct implication on its corporate structure. This is reflected upon the process within JJs value-chain. In terms of JJs organizational structure, Human resource management (HRM) plays a vital role in the direct success of JJ as an organization for it is the people, most valued asset, that contribute to achieving the goals and objectives of JJ. At present, JJ hires experienced and capable leaders to bring the organization to greater heights and JJ does not stop there. JJ provides all top executives in training which include leadership development and management education in fields like finance and marketing. JJ prioritizes on the professional development of every employee for JJ believe that they are capable in developing leaders within the organization by exposing them to diverse fields and giving employees heavier responsibilities to assess their ability. As mentioned above where staff motivation is important, we as consultants believe that JJ should continue to train their employees and appraise the performance of employees in the next three years. This is so that JJ would be able to make better use of their employees capabilities and talents and this will benefit the organization in the long-run when employees are loyal to JJ. Focusing on JJs consumer goods of baby products, the in-bound logistics ties in with operations before linking with outbound logistics, sales marketing and finally, providing businesses and consumers with service. JJs in-bound logistics would include the purchasing of raw materials needed for the manufacturing of baby products and storing the raw materials in various designated warehouses. Operations will then occur whereby factory employees would have to work along a production belt with the help of machines and maintain quality checks as well as bottling of baby products. JJ would then distribute the ready products into containers for shipment, in allocated warehouses or directly to retailers and distributors. To aid JJs employees in convenient dispersal of information to sales staff, they have made use of MultiAid to resolve all marketing resource management needs. This increases JJs operational efficiency and gives the organization a head start on asset management for product ima ge, captured data and distribution to retail trade communities is readily accessible to employees with one click on the computer system. With regards to sales and marketing, JJ advertises by relating consumers with real-life scenario whereby a mother bathes her baby with JJs baby products and having the statement of products for the ones you love. There are two types of service provided by JJ business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C). JJ provides its business partners and suppliers with business opportunities. This means that the degree of success experienced by JJ has direct impact and will benefit companies that do business with JJ. Consumers of JJ are exposed to gathering useful and relevant information when having purchased JJ baby products for JJ has formed a website (i.e.BabyCentre.com) and a online Baby Care Library to increase the closeness in customer interaction. SWOT Analysis Strengths (Internal) Weaknesses (Internal) Abundant financial resources Strong brand name Proprietary technology Respected brand image Wide product lines Economies of scale Committed employees Superior product quality Better marketing skills Good distribution skills Low customization Lack of flexibility Opportunities (External) Threats (External) Opening of foreign markets Rapid market growth Brand switching Demographic shifts Low barriers to entry Economic downturn Introduction of new substitutes products Rival firms adopting new strategies Strengths Johnson Johnson is a well-known healthcare brand which ranks No. 1 within the industry under one decade of its historical development with a wide variety of skincare products and superior product quality. Abundant financial resources are exploited by the RD department to employ the committed staff for creating and even innovating the hygiene products through proprietary technology and build up the respected brand image. Besides, it focus on product leadership excel at product development and professional skills so that it can offer customers the best products in the industry. As the facts show that, JJ expanded internationally around the world, like Asia (Singapore, China) that triggered by the better marketing skills. Additionally, the good world-wide distribution skills due to its global standardization strategy that allow JJ to generate great market shares by cost reduction that come from economies of scale and fast product development what based on stable relationship with local distribution agents and its respected brand image as well as superior product like baby care mainly. Weaknesses Global standardization is the main international business strategy to control cost but this also is its drawback that results in the low customization. In addition to the world-wide product structure, the managers lack of flexibility to face the challenge of changes in local markets. Opportunities In order to bring along the development of local economy, most of countries welcomes the international companies introduce their products to diversify the local economy. The increasing attentions of baby nurturance and its brand image prompt customers to purchase its products and grow rapidly in the global new markets. There is an opportunity to generate more market shares and enhance its brand image in the long-term in the lights of the rise in global demographic population reach to 7 billion that data collected from statistics of 2011, China and India act as the representatives; moreover, the superior product quality of JJ is the critical to attract customers switching from other brands. Threats JJ faces the threats of the low barriers to entry due to the low cost of set-up, and the proprietary product differences will be difficult to protect when the barriers are reduced so that the customers would switch to other brands more possibly. Another threat reflected by the economic downturn, JJ is difficult to manage the exchange rate risk under the global standardization strategy. Most important, JJ would be forced to stay at the passive threat that the customers would be attracted by its competitors and sales would be declined if rivalries adopting the new strategies. Outcome of SWOT Matrix Generally, Johnson Johnson holds strong competitive advantages after compare its pros and cons despite of few disadvantages of global standardization strategy. In another angle, JJ is able to switch the threats to opportunities in the lights of its calculus-based capability and resources. Growth Strategies adopted by Johnson Johnson There are both internal and external environments to be carefully evaluated when planning for a three years growth strategy plan for Johnson Johnson as what happen externally and internally will affect the company. These diagnoses are in reference to the SWOT analysis based on the company resources assets, intellectual property, and people. With careful consideration and by selecting market penetration growth strategy for a three year period, it will help them to gain more market shares through promotion and advertising from their strong marketing teams. Before planned the growth strategies, the firm should generate a lot of information about if the company is selling new, existing or emerging products in a new or existing market. From the diagnosis of the Porter`s model, understanding that the threats of new entrants are low and also credited to the high brand equity of Johnson Johnson, market penetration growth strategy defined by Ansoff is selected in the lights of situation that involves neither new markets nor new products, are forced to grow through this growth strategy. It is a strategy that is designed to give the business a greater percentage of market shares. Market penetration occurs when a company enters/penetrates a market with current products. This type of strategy usually seeks to gain a compet

Explication of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay -- Poems Poet

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