Essay on The Wife of Bath - 1031 Words

The Wife of Bath Historical Background One of the most memorable pilgrims of The Canterbury Tales, as well as one of the most memorable women in literature, is the Wife of Bath. She is a lusty and domineering woman who is proud of and outspoken about her sexuality and believes that a woman should have sovereignty in a marriage (Norton 80). She is also extremely blunt and outspoken about her ideas and beliefs. Despite being a woman of the fourteenth century, her ideas, beliefs, and behavior are more like those of the twentieth century. For these reasons, she seems true to life even today. However, her ideas, beliefs, and behavior are not at all representative of the women of her time. Women in the Middle Ages had more freedom†¦show more content†¦In the Middle Ages there was a little improvement in womens rights compared to the Anglo-Saxon period, but things were still far from perfect. Before marriage a woman was totally dependent on her father, who was the head of the house. She, therefore, did not have the choice to make her own decisions; her father made all decisions for her. All her possessions were her fathers property. Most women in this period did not get a formal education. However, girls could go to convent schools, but not to a university. Only wealthy men of high status were able to get a university education. However, women had a good understanding of literature and would often read to their children. Although the Wife of Bath has not had any formal education, she seems to have good knowledge of the Bible (though she misquotes more often than not). Before marriage, the girl was supposed to help with the family business and help her mother with the housework. If the father died, the eldest son became the head of the house. It was his responsibility to take care of and protect the family. Therefore, in the house, boys were favored and given preference over girls. In the Middle Ages marriages were often arranged according to wealth and social status. Girls were often married at a young age and to much older men. In the King Arthur legends, King ArthurShow MoreRelatedThe Wife of Bath1145 Words   |  5 Pagesone of them is the story of the Wife of Bath, whose real name is Alisoun. From her appearance and behavior, to her political and religious views, there is much to tell about the Wife of Bath, for her prologue and tale are quite long. The Wife of Bath is a very interesting character. In addition to Alisoun as a person, her story is fascinating as well, with a surprising and compelling end to the story. (SparkNotes Editors) According to the story, the Wife of Bath has a very distinct appearanceRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath1531 Words   |  7 PagesHeaven knows whenever he wanted it- my belle chose-, thought he had beaten me in every bone†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (272) Even though her final husband had beaten her, because he was good in bed with her she felt she loved him the best of them all (272). Clearly, The Wife of Bath valued three things in her marriages, sex, power, and money. In her tale we find that power is an important role to women in marriage. A knight, after raping a women is spared by a queen (282) but in order to save his life, he has one year (283)Read MoreThe Wife of Bath1326 Words   |  6 Pagestheir journey. One of the travellers, the Wife of Bath shares her views on social relationships between men and women. The fourteenth century is viewed as having a patriarchal dominated society. However, the Wife of Bath, Alisoun, is a strong believer in female maistrie, control in the marriage. She b elieves in female supremacy over husbands in marriage, and does not feel they can be equal partners in the relationship. Through her prologue and tale the wife justifies the actions she and other womenRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath, By Chaucer Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesto explore the Wife of Bath, her character, appearance, and tale. For the purpose of establishing a correlation between; the perceptions of the other pilgrims, the Wife’s apparent nature, and the tone of her tale. Slade suggest that Chaucer intended the Wife as an ironic character (247). A perspective that is supported by Chaucer’s treatment of the Wife in her description and prologue. The Wife, unlike the other pilgrims who are identified by their occupations, is identified as a wife. Regardless ofRead MoreThe Wife of Bath, The Wife of Bath Prologue, and The General Prologue981 Words   |  4 PagesThe Wife of Bath, The Wife of Bath Prologue, and The General Prologue These selections from The Canterbury Tales best exemplify the ideals and traits of women (as portrayed by Chaucer). In, The Wife of Bath Prologue, the narrator brags of her sexual exploits as well as her prowess of controlling men. The narrator is quite forthright in her enjoyment of this manipulation; she comments on her technique of lying and predomination of men. The General Prologue further servesRead MoreThe Wife of Bath Essay947 Words   |  4 PagesThe Wife of Bath The Wife of Bath, one of the many characters in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales, is a feminist of the fourteenth century. Chaucer, in the General Prologue, describes her as promiscuous. The Wyf confirms this claim in the prologue to her tale, the longest in the book. An analysis of the General Prologue and the Wyfs Prologue reveals a direct relationship between the Wyf of Bathe and the characters in her tale, such as the knight, queen, and ugly woman. There is a directRead MoreAnalysis Of The Wife Of Bath 1660 Words   |  7 PagesThe Canterbury Fails: An Analysis of Misogyny in the Wife of Bath’s Tale At first glance, you wouldn’t think that the Wife of Bath’s tale is anything other than feminist. She is, undeniably, the only non-religious female character in The Canterbury Tales and therefore is the only character who is approached from a point of view that was generally uncommon. We don’t have many— or even any, as far as I’m aware— pieces of medieval literature written by or for women or with a main female protagonistRead MoreThe Wife of Bath Essay715 Words   |  3 PagesWife of Bath vs. Lady Gaga Geoffrey Chaucers, Wife of Bath, character in Canterbury Tales can be compared with todays modern pop icon Lady Gaga. Both woman share many similar qualities regarding their personality types and behavior. From the Fifteenth century to the Twenty- First, these women symbolize feminism and contradiction of societal norms. This essay will discuss the similarities and differences between Chaucers fictional character, the Wife of Bath, and Lady Gaga, one of this century’sRead MoreThe Wife of Bath Essay940 Words   |  4 Pagescorrupt and flat out crazy characters. However, The Wife of Bath is one character that stands out the most. She is a strong, sexual being who does not care about obeying the rules. The Wife of Bath speaks highly of herself when it comes to pleasing her man sexually and does not believe that when one marriage ends that is it; she believes that more opportunities open. She marries five men, four of them for money and one for love. The Wife of Bath is not perf ect in her tale but she keeps her audienceRead MoreThe Moral Of Wife Of Bath990 Words   |  4 Pagesequal rights to men, but have yet to establish a non-submissive relationship with their male partners. The moral of Wife of Bath is the desire women have to have power over their husband and how this dominance is beneficial for them and through the course of the tale, the speaker makes an effort to express her views of control in a happy marriage. The moral of Wife of Bath is that happiness in a relationship is when a woman is able to have control over her husband against a backdrop of

Academic Decisions Are Made During Post Secondary Academic...

Every single day, individuals are required to make choices. Many decisions that an individual makes could be seen as very mundane (which brand of cereal to eat, whether or not to style their hair, what to get for lunch, etc.). However, there are times when critical decisions appear and these major decisions may determine an individual’s careers and future. In the cases of many students, many of these important decisions are made during their post-secondary academic careers. Various essential decisions must be decided upon, but how are these important decisions made? Is there some driving factor motivating these students in making certain choices? There are various academic decisions that are made throughout every post-secondary student’s careers: which institution to attend, which courses to take, whether or not to join any clubs. Many decisions could greatly affect someone’s future as it could have a potential of snowballing into another decision that has inevit able consequences. Take for example, enrolling in courses in university; this decision could have three main outcomes: a positive experience, a neutral experience, or a negative experience. This decision could result in a positive experience, in which the individual genuinely enjoys the course enough to consider taking more courses within that particular faculty or even change their majors due to their new found interest in a topic. Their decision could result in a neutral experience, in which an individual takesShow MoreRelatedLearning Disability Transitions Essay943 Words   |  4 Pagesrequirement is the achievement of passing scores on an exit exam, otherwise known as high stakes testing. Huge decisions have to be made by students graduating high school and they are even rougher for students with Learning disabilities. According to the No Child Left Behind Act, signed in by George W. Bush, schools are required to give these high stakes tests in order to document their academ ic progress. Also according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states must includeRead MoreAction Research On Act Best Practices Essay1194 Words   |  5 Pagesfor improvement within its’ academic learning communities. Change oftentimes occurs in deliberate fashion, yet offers insight into the meticulous attention that must be given to achieve change. NPHS has traditionally struggled academically until recently. As recently as the 2009-2010 (SY), the school was on the state’s radar and labeled as â€Å"At Risk of Failing†. The graduation rate was 49.1% during this same time. In addition, students were enrolling in post-secondary institutions at a rate aroundRead MoreSample Statement of Purpose1009 Words   |  5 Pagesuse this opportunity to elucidate my career  objectives and give in quintessence of my educational background. My Educational Background and academic achievements: Since my school days, I have been interested in Mathematics and physical sciences. My scholastic record has been meritorious right through school and higher  secondary education. With my propensity towards Mathematics and physics, I chose Mathematics-Physics-Chemistry as my group for post-secondary education. I was placed in the top 3%Read MoreThe Discipline Of School Counseling2213 Words   |  9 PagesDefining Career Readiness The discipline of school counseling has evolved and grown from focusing on supporting student’s academic and personal/social needs to a well-rounded profession. Professional school counselors are looked at as advocates and conduits that are responsible for ensuring that students successfully transition through each educational stage from primary to their post-secondary opportunities. One reason for the change in direction was an increased focus on career counseling as anRead MoreAction Research On Act Best Practices Essay1385 Words   |  6 Pagesfor improvement within its? academic learning communities. Change oftentimes occurs in deliberate fashion, yet offer?s insight into the meticulous attention that must be given to achieve change?. NPHS has traditionally struggled academically until recently. As recent?ly as the 2009-2010? (SY), the school was on the state?s radar and labeled as ?At Risk of Failing?.? The graduation rate was 49.1% during this same time?. In addition, students were enrolling in post-secondary institutions at a rate aroundRead MoreA Collective Effort Should Be Made From The Educative Staff1289 Words   |  6 Pagescollective effort should be made from the educative staff in order to make the class easier to relate to from the student s perspective. This could be done by both making courses more interactive, and addressing real life problems instead of purely theoretical ones. It is very important for students to feel not only identified with the other members of the school, but to be able to participate and be part of an experience that will give them a better emotional and academic life. Students tend to beRead MoreCounselor Reflection Essay809 Words   |  4 PagesSchool counselors are integral team members for any school staff. They help students make responsible decisions; mediate problems; deal with traumatic losses; develop a sense of respect for themselves and others; and plan for college, work, post-secondary training, a nd lifelong learning. As a school counselor, Nikki Williams has a desire to provide Miller Elementary school with an effective counseling program. This model has allowed her to be more accountable and given her the tools by which toRead MoreCurrent Unemployment And Lack Of Career Planning Essay2121 Words   |  9 Pagesthen she lost motivation and interest in her goals. (Participant F1C) Another participant shared how his friend influenced him to start using marijuana, which eventually resulted in daily use, and was a factor in his current unemployment and lack of career planning. Then my best friend at the time was like try some weed. And I was like – man, what’s weed? He’s like – oh man, you’ll love it. And I was like – no man, I don’t like drugs. Drugs are bad, man. And he was like – oh man, just try it onceRead MoreTechniques For Enhancing Self Efficacy1485 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluential during early adolescence, as occupational aspirations become established and perceptions of aptitude may increasingly influence students’ sense of which career options are attractive and viable (Brown, 2002). Self-efficacy beliefs and goal attainment are central to the development of academic-career interests and to the collection of occupational opportunities that students view as possible careers for themselves. School counselors can optimize the development of students’ academic and careerRead MorePersuasive Essay1334 Words   |  6 Pagessuccessful and experienced in the real world? Today, a s tuition costs increase students are questioning whether college is fit for them or not. For one, college can be really expensive, for example at the University of Minnesota for an undergraduate during the academic year of 2011-2012, the cost for one credit was $448.08 and $5,825 for a total of thirteen or more credits (â€Å"Undergraduate tuition†). A high school graduate that does not have a job may not necessarily have money so the only way to pay would

Bossa Nova, the Misunderstood free essay sample

World Music Proof. Charles Boss Nova: The Misunderstood Tall and tan and young and lovely, The girl from Panned goes walking and, When she passes each one she passes goes, Ah. These are the flirts lyrics of, probably, one of the most famous boss nova songs sung by Frank Sinatra. The melody of the song is as smooth as the singer, the rhythm is laid back, and the lyrics are simple. Unfortunately, Frank Sinatra portrayal of this dossal Nova classic Is detrimental to the musics Image. The Boss Nova should not lust be considered lounge music, for It is much more than that.The Bobs Nova Is a style of Latin music that has subtle complexities and deserves much more credit than is given; once people have been exposed to what these complexities are, it is plain to see that there is quite a bit to the Boss Nova. When listening to the boss nova, most people In America think that the music resembles Jazz (In a laid back way) more so than it does samba. This might have to do with the fact that we, in America, listen to Jazz much more often than we listen to samba rhythms causing our ears to be prone to noticing the Jazz aspects of the music and somewhat disregarding the mamba aspects. And on top it all, because the boss nova resembles Jazz but In a laid back way, the tendency Is to believe that It Is laid back because the music Is not as complicated. The fact is however, that boss nova is a lot like jazz in the sense of its complicated harmonies, syncopation, swing and improvisation, but the structure Itself, the melody, off-key sound, Is very much Like the samba. So in order to understand how complex this music actually Is, we must understand the roots of the boss nova. The primary genre that Boss Nova takes after is the Latin music entitled SambaThe Samba was first developed in RL De Jeanine, at the time the capitol of Brazil, during the beginning of the 20th century. To understand this area a little more, It Is important to note that there are three major ethnic influences to this musical genre. First, there is the music that was brought to Brazil by the slaves that were coming in from Africa. Second, there is influence from the people of Europe, more specifica lly, the people of Portugal. Finally we have the music from the native Indigenous people of Brazil.These three ethnic groups are responsible for what samba music is today which is prevalent when we listen to the music itself. The African influence is very noticeable in samba. As we know, call and response and polymath played by multiple Instruments simultaneously are common characteristics in traditional African music. Another common characteristic that Is shared between the Samba and African music is the tonal quality of the singers 1 OFF main goal of the singers. Instead what is important in both traditions is involving the public, getting everyone to sing and dance (which is especially important in samba for samba is music for dance).As many of us know, Brazil (especially ROI De Jeanine) s the home of the well known celebration of Carnival. It is at this special occasion where the Samba is really featured and shown off for the entire world to see. Many Scales De Sambas compete in a parade-like event where they use this music along with dance to tell stories about history, mythology, and present day situations that are part of Brazil. Recently, the Boss Nova was actually included in part of an scales De sambas routine for Boss Nova is part of Braziers music history.It is in these scales De sambas where it is prevalent to see exactly what their music is about. The music has a fast-paced beat with a heavy emphasis on percussion. The melodic aspect comes mostly from singing and not so much the instruments that are being played. In these parades, the battery includes the people who actually play the instruments while the rest of the congregation dances and sings. Through the parades duration, the dance and costumes tell a story. The Batavia has three primary instruments, the surds, agog, and tambourine.The surds is a membranous that acts as a bass drum and normally comes in three different sizes that vary in pitch. These instruments are the heart of the entire ensemble. The tambourine is also a membranous that is normally played with one stick while the hand that holds the drum is used to mute which helps accentuate some beats and muffle others. The agog acts as the melodic instrument even though there are only two notes that can be played. The agog is an dopamine that resembles two different sized cow bells attached together. Samba is normally played at a fast tempo and contains many overlapping complicated rhythms accentuate the first note while playing in duple meter. Also, a lot of the time you will hear an emphasis on threes while playing in duple (you will either hear this through accents or triplets). When listening, we can hear the syncopation between the different rhythms due to the polymath of the music. One might ask how samba then relates to the Boss Nova if the music itself is fast, loud, and has an emphasis on percussion and not so much melody or lyrics.The structure of the Boss Nova is pretty much identical to that of samba except much more laid back; it is samba broken down to its bare essentials (The Brazilian Sound, 55). However, the structure is not the only aspect of mamba that relates to the boss nova, the melody is similar as well. The boss nova has quite a distinct Latin feel to the melody, which can only be attributed to samba. The way in which the music sounds has a lot to do with the instruments that are played. Samba does have an enormous influence to the genre itself but the instrumentation used in boss nova, is much more similar to that of Jazz music.Though there may be the occasional tambourine, the most common instruments heard in the boss nova are the acoustic/classical guitar which is played without a pick, piano, horns, Jazz flute, etc. I believe this is a main reason why people believe that the boss nova is more related to Jazz, because the Jazz instruments create a jazzy sound where as the sound of the samba is much more raw. However, Jazz did not solely influence the instrumentation used in boss nova but also influenced the music itself. Though the structure and melody of the boss nova does primarily come really derive from Jazz.Jazz itself, is one of the first world renowned original art forms that derived from North America. It is a genre that descended from the blues and has many features that are associated with the blues including syncopation, winging, call and response, polymath, and of course, improvisation. As most of us know, the base of this music comes from African descent which is why syncopation, polymath, call and response, and improvisation are such major components of the music. All of these characteristics are features of traditional African music. The boss nova uses quite a few of these Jazz characteristics.First, we have the complicated harmonies that are heard in the chord structure, which is usually played by the guitar or the piano. Both in Jazz and the boss nova, there is the use of the seventh and extended chords. Boss nova is similar in rhythmic aspects as well. One of which is the syncopation between instruments and the swinging feel of the music. However, when I listen to boss nova, I hear more of a swaying feel instead of a swinging feel (where the rhythm goes side to side rather than front to back), which I attribute more to samba rather than Jazz.Nonetheless, there is definitely a Jazz influence in the way in which the instruments are played mostly because it is Jazz instruments making the music. With the comprehension of how the music is structured and played, the next important feature to understand of boss nova are the lyrics. The beginning of this paper began with three lines of the famous song Girl from Panned sung by the late Frank Sinatra. What people must understand however, is that boss nova was never meant to be sung vibrato with lyrics that have no real substance.Instead, this music is meant to have deep meaningful lyrics that usually express sadness and a longing for something or someone. For example, the lyrics of Girl of Panned translated from the original Portuguese version, is about a girl with this golden body from Panned that is the most beautiful thing on earth and how alone and sad the singer is because the beauty is not his. This meaning is quite different then that of Sinatra version which is of a girl who everyone is an ah when she walks by.And though some can argue that Sinatra version does portray somewhat of a longing, the way in which the lyrics are expressed are far less poetic and deep than that of the original Portuguese version. The lyrics are also meant to be sung differently then in typical songs. I mentioned the simplistic complexity of boss nova, the way in which the lyrics are sung is one of the major aspects of this idea. Instead of singing word long with vibrato and perfect pitch, true boss nova engineers sing their songs a little off-key in a style called desalinate.This isnt to say that they are worse singers because of it; the off key giv es the lyrics a texture that allows the melody to somewhat float over the instrumentals. To add to this, lyrics, though they are poetic, the words themselves are not only used for their meaning but also for the way in which they sound. The words actually add to the rhythm by creating this syncopation between the guitar and percussion. This is done by accenting certain syllables in the words, making words short, and lengthening the sounds of others. Boss nova in essence is very laid back and easy listening.However, that does not mean that this great genre is at all simple. To the contrary, it is very complex which could be held accountable by the complex musical genres that influenced the boss nova. The complicated rhythms from samba and harmonies rhythm, and on top of it all having these poetic meaningful verses. The boss nova is not Just lounge music but is much more than that. It is a mixed breed that was made through the blending of genres and adding its own unique touch. It deserves a lot more credit than it is given. Bibliography Morale, Deed.

Race, Gender and Sexuality

Social construction is a common term used by sociologists to analyse the interactions between different social categories. Examples of social categories analyzed through social construction include sexuality, gender, and race. By social construction, we mean that some of the major notions mainly natural or biological are as a result of societal creation. For example, sexuality is influenced by society and not influenced by genetic disposition. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Race, Gender and Sexuality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sexuality, gender, and race are socially constructed because they are influenced by society. The reason is that in our social daily lives, multiple social categories interact thereby affecting our lives, behaviours, and beliefs. The objective of this essay is to analyse the article â€Å"Gender, sexuality, and ethnicity as the factors of club drug use among Asian Americans† o n the basis of social construction. The article written by Fazio, Joe-Laidler, Maloney and Hunt (2010) â€Å"examines the relationship between substance use and gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and nativity among 250 Asian American youths involved in the dance club/rave scene† (2). Asian Americans are one of the minority groups in the U.S that are growing fast in spite of the institutional discrimination they receive because of their different ethnic backgrounds. This observation has been supported by the article where the authors note that their population is expected to increase to 9.2% by 2050 (Fazio, Joe-Laidler, Maloney and Hunt 2). The issue of drug use among Asian Americans is rarely discussed and there exists little literature on the same. This is due to the fact that prevalence of drug use among the Asian Americans varies among the subgroups that tend to be more isolated. The issue of ethnicity as a social construct emerges in this case because of the multiple Asian s ubgroups which result in variations among individuals of Asian origin (Hunt, Moloney Evans 239). Based on the study, drug use is more prevalent among male Asian Americans compared to female Asian Americans (Fazio et al. 10). This finding is similar to other studies carried in the past where the issue of ethnicity does not arise. Gender differences influence the level of drug prevalence among different sexes. Gender in this case affirms masculinity and dominance which are creations of the society. For instance, society expects males to be more dominant than females and as a result, most males tend to engage in drug use compared to female counterparts. Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By giving sex differences a greater meaning, the differences are passed on from one generation to another. Therefore, different social behaviors such as drug use among the Asian Americans are expec ted to be influenced by society’s creation. Socially, it is acceptable for a male sex to engage into drug use and as a result, male Asian Americans tend to engage in higher levels of drug use thus fulfilling the societal expectation. Therefore, since gender is not so inherent, people tend to blur the boundaries that co-exist. Moreover, gender roles are prescribed by the society where male’s privilege is reinforced by patriarchy thus prescribing certain roles to women. In this content, we don’t expect more Asian Americans women to be engaged in drug use than male Asian Americans. Sexuality influences the prevalence of drug use among Asian Americans (Hunt et al. 223). According to the research, bisexual males and gay Asian Americans reported a high drug use, although they tend to use drugs at a much older age compared to heterosexual Asian American males (Fazio et al. 2010). In addition, Asian Americans lesbians and bisexuals tend to engage in variety of drugs a nd have a â€Å"higher lifetime use rates than heterosexual females for almost all drug† (Fazio et al. 8). The results reflect the outcomes of a study carried on Asian American and Pacific Islander on drug use among the adolescents. The research findings indicated that adolescent Asians Americans engaged in a drug use in a later age (Makimoto 273). Different sexual orientations as gay, bisexual, or lesbian, engage in drug use as a way of escaping from societal rejection of being different sexually. Although sexual preference may not be sexually constructed, the society and media perceive gays and lesbians as different from heterosexuals. Due to this kind of social predisposition, Asian Americans gays and bisexuals tend to engage more in specific drug use because they conceive themselves as different from the rest of the society. In conclusion, social construction is prevalent in modern society and it influences different social behaviours. Based on the article analysis, dru g use is more prevalent among Asian American males compared to women. In addition, it is common among the homosexuals but rare among heterosexuals. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Race, Gender and Sexuality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dominance and power rooted in patriarchy are a creation of the society and influence drug use among Asian Americans. When the society gives gender differences a greater meaning, the same differences are passed on and different social behaviours such as drug use tend to vary. Therefore, social predispositions tend to influence different behaviours among Asian Americans. Homosexuals, for instance, are portrayed by the media and society as different from heterosexuals and that is why they tend to engage in higher levels of drug use. The same is applied to sexuality and gender which are examples of social construction. Works Cited Fazio, Adam, Joe-Laidler, Karen, Maloney, Molly and Hunt, Geoffrey. â€Å"Gender, Sexuality, and Ethnicity as Factors of Club Drug Use among Asian Americans.† J Drug Issues, 40.2 (2010): 405–432. Print. Hunt, Geoffrey, Molly Moloney, and Kristin, Evans. Youth, Drugs, and Night Life. New York: Taylor Francis,  2010. Print Makimoto, Kiyoko. â€Å"Drinking Patterns and Drinking Problems among Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.† Alcohol Health Research World, 22.4, (1998): 271-275. Print. This essay on Race, Gender and Sexuality was written and submitted by user V1nd1cat0r to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Chapter 4 Study Terms Essays

Chapter 4 Study Terms Essays Chapter 4 Study Terms Essays Chapter 4 Study Terms George Washington’s presidency: Development of political parties Federalists: Hamilton Favored strong nat’l gov’t Democracy dangerous b/c ppl’s judgement constantly changing Manufacture/trade :) Supported by artisans, merchants, manufacturers, bankers, urban workers, E. farmers NE support federalists Democratic-Republicans: TJ Agrarianism: strength of US was independent farmers Owning land allowed ppl to be independent, as long as had land, would fight to preserve Republic Feared emphasis on commerce would divided society between rich&poor Feared wealthy corrupt gov’t, threat right of ordinary ppl S&W support republicans Bill of Rights Hamilton’s Economic Plan â€Å"Necessary and proper† clause: elastic clause, make laws if needed to make gov’t stronger/efficient Judiciary Act of 1789: established 13 district courts, 3 courts of appeal, and the Supreme Court Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation: Neutrality of US during war of Br./Fr. Tariff of 1789: required importers to pay a percentage of the value of their cargo when landed in US, shippers also paid tonnage (tax based on how much ships carried) Bank of the United States Hamilton asks Congress to create national bank Argued gov’t need bank to manage debts/interest payments, would also issue paper money/bank notes to provide national currency to help economy S ppl opposed b/c N ppl own most of bank’s stock, Madison, TJ, Randolph opp. b/c creating bank not in enumerated powers Ham. Disagreed, using elastic clause (ability to make laws which r necessary/proper) Congress passed bill,Wash. Signed, Bank created 1791 Whiskey Rebellion: 1791 Congress imposed tax on whiskeyïÆ'   enraged farmers who distilled grains in whiskey before shippingïÆ'   Whiskey rebellion in W. Penn. 1794, farmers terrorized tax collectors, robbed mail, stopped court proceedingsïÆ'   Wash. Sent troops to stop, rebels disperse, ppl worried willingness to use troops against civilians Jay’s Treaty: Br. need US trade, vice versa, signed treaty, but Br. had right to seize cargo bound for Fr ports, didn’t get compensation for goods seized Br. agreed to internat’l arbitration (hearing by neut. 3rd countries), give up forts on amer terr., granted US most-favored nation status (amer no longer discriminated when trade w/ br., allowed limited trade w/ Br. colonies in Caribbean) When treaty sent to senate, terms shock senate, tried to keep secret, ratified, terms leaked to public, repub attack treaty, accuse fed of pro-br., GW approved treaty Pinckney’s Treaty: Jay treaty help concessions from Sp., 1795 sp. Join fr. Against br., sp. Fear treaty would make amer & br. join to seize Sp. N amer holdings, sp offered to negotiate issues w/ US GW sends Thomas Pinckney 1795: Sp. Sign Pinckney’s treaty (Treaty of San Lorenzo) Grant us right to navigate Miss., deposit goods at new orl. Port, accepted broadly, esp. W. farmers, wanted Miss. to get crops to market Treaty of Greenville: Ppl go to NW territoryïÆ'  Miami chief Little Turtle unites other Indians to defend against whitesïÆ'  defeated Josiah Harmar & Arthur St. ClairïÆ'  GW sends Anthony Wayne to stopïÆ'   1794 wayne against Blue Jacket at Battle of Fallen Timbers, wayne winsïÆ'   natives sign treaty of Greenville (1795):give up part of S. Ohio & Indiana for yearly payment of $10 th. From gov’t, also gave up other landïÆ'   settlers increase John Adams’s presidency Impressment Br. take US sailors to sail on Br. ships Quasi-War: After XYZ affair, US :(, call for war w/ Fr.ïÆ'   June 1798, Congress suspend trade w/ Fr., direct navy to capture Fr. shipsïÆ'   undeclared sea war/Quasi-WarïÆ'   Fr. propose new negotiationsïÆ'   both signed Convention of 1800ïÆ'  US gave up claims against Fr. for US ship damage, Fr. release US from Treaty of 1778 Alien and Sedition Acts: Feds pushed for 4 lawsïÆ'   1st 3 aimed at aliens, recent immigrants often anti-Br., tended to vote for republicans 1st law: changed yrs to wait to become citizen 5ïÆ'  14 2nd

Great Beginnings in Pre-School Math

Great Beginnings in Pre-School Math Early development of number concepts is critical in developing positive attitudes about mathematics at an early age. Special methods and activities will assist children to develop early numeracy skills. These methods will need to include the use of motivating and engaging concrete materials that children can manipulate. Young children need to experience a lot of doing and saying before written numerals will make sense to them. As early as two years of age, many children will parrot the words one, two, three, four, five, etc. However, rarely do they understand that the number refers to an item or a set of items. At this stage, children do not have number conservation or number correspondence. How You Can Help Your Child Engaging children with a variety of measurement concepts is a great start. For instance, children enjoy telling us that they are bigger than their sister or brother or taller than the lamp or that they are higher than the dishwasher. Young children will also think that they have more in their cup simply because their cup is taller. This type of language needs to be promoted and children need parental guidance to help with the misconceptions of these concepts through experimentation. Having these conversations at bath time is a great option. Try introducing and using a variety of plastic cylinders, cups, and containers in the bathtub with your child. At this age, perception is the childs guide, they do not have any other strategies to guide them in determining which has more or less, is heavier or lighter, is bigger or smaller, etc. A parent or daycare provider can provide great learning experiences to assist young childrens misconceptions through play. Classification is a pre-number concept that children need lots of experimentation and communication with. We classify on a regular basis without even considering what were actually doing. We look in indexes that are alphabetized or numerically arranged, we purchase groceries in areas of food groups, we classify to sort laundry, we sort our silverware before putting it away. Children can benefit from a variety of classification activities which will also support early numeracy concepts. Classification Activities Use blocks to engage young children to repeat the patterns... blue, green, orange, etc.Ask young children to sort the silverware or the laundry based on color.Use shapes to encourage children to determine what comes next... triangle, square, circle, triangle, etc.Ask children to think of everything they can write with, ride on, that swims, that flies, etc.Ask children how many items in the living room are square or round or heavy, etc.Ask them to tell you how many things are made of wood, plastic, metal, etc.Extend classification activities to include more than one attribute (heavy and small, or square and smooth etc.) Before Children Count Children need to match sets before they will understand number conservation and that counting is actually referring to sets of items. Children are guided by their perceptions. As a result, a child may think that there are more grapefruits than lemons in a pile due to the actual size of the piles and fruit. You will need to do one to one matching activities with young children to help them develop conservation of number. The child will move one lemon and you can move the grapefruit. Repeat the process so that the child can see the number of fruits is the same. These experiences will need to be repeated often in a concrete manner which enables the child to manipulate the items and become engaged in the process. More Pre-Number Activities Draw a number of circles (faces) and put down a number of buttons for eyes. Ask the child if there are enough eyes for the faces and how they can find out. Repeat this activity for mouths, noses etc. Speak in terms of more than and less than or as many as and how can we find out. Use stickers to make patterns on a page or classify them by attributes. Arrange a row of a set number of stickers, arrange a second row with more spaces between the stickers, ask the child if there are the same number of stickers or more or less. Ask how they can find out, but dont count. Match the stickers one to one. Arrange items on a tray (toothbrush, comb, spoon, etc.) ask the child to look away, rearrange the items to see if they realize the number of items is still the same or if they think its different. The Bottom Line You will have given young children a great start to mathematics if you perform the above activity suggestions before introducing your child to numbers. Its often difficult to find commercial activities to support classification, one-to-one matching, number conservation, conservation or as many as/more than/the same as concepts and you will probably need to rely on typical toys and household items. These concepts underlie the important mathematical concepts that children will eventually become involved in when they begin school.

Blending learning and ICT systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Blending learning and ICT systems - Essay Example It is has been applied to help meet the needs of the large number of students and teachers, and has been a vital component of the most successful integration of the uses of ICT. This kind of learning offers a real opportunity for the creation of learning experiences. These opportunities can ensure that right learning objectives are achieved and the right place for each and every person involved. This is not just at their places of work, but also in schools and by extension even at their homes (Willems, 2013, p.29). The most important question about this system of learning is on how to mix the two approaches in order to be able to obtain an effective course and training. The fundamental points that would guide this process include: the definition of the content of the curriculum to be covered; definition of the parts of the content to be performed in the traditional way and that which should be covered using the ICT systems, and the definition and extent of the ICT tools and techniques to be implored (Dias, Diniz & Hadjileontiadis, 2013, p.59). Having worked out these aspects, blended learning would allow for the maximization of the course effectiveness and this would be through matching the best methodology for each of the verified and defined course parts. Face-to-face classes, a typical traditional methodology, and technique, would be suited for classroom activities such as coaching, feedback on activities, exercises and paper-based tests. These often require the physical and social interact ion between the students and their teachers for them to be effective (Dias, Diniz & Hadjileontiadis, 2013, p.63). E-learning, on the other hand, works better for such activities that include application exercises, interaction between the students themselves, online coaching, chats and instant messaging and online feedback and assessment. The use of these techniques requires some computer based training and the application of such systems as iPods for the

Intro to third sector, non-profit organization, look at the assignemnt Essay

Intro to third sector, non-profit organization, look at the assignemnt and you will understand - Essay Example er to ensure that their performance is in complete alignment with the needs of the society, there is a need for an effective and transparent governance framework in organizations. This need for effective governance in NPOs gave rise to a new and rigid concept termed as ‘social governance’ which caters to not only ensure the legitimacy of the organization but also takes into consideration the expectations of shareholders as well as emphasizes on reducing he conflict between the stakeholders in order to enhance the decision making process thereby forming a good management – board relationship. Several definitions of governance have been explained by modern day researchers. Some define it as the characteristic of the board, the management and the relationship between them. Whereas others explained that, it is a system by means of which organizations are controlled and directed (Anheier, 2005). According to Cornforth (2010), governance can be defined as the framework which ensures a definite direction towards objective, proper control and accountability of an organization. It influences the performance of an organization which is very closely interlinked with the idea of stewardship. In light of these definitions, a NPOs governance framework can be explained in a way, where the locus of the governance is the board, and that of the management is the chief executive officer (Anheier, 2005). In a NPO, the board holds the key responsibility for governing the fact that the organization performs staying true to the mission thereby ensuring overall welfare of the organization itself. It is responsible for generating important sources of support in terms of finance thereby playing a boundary spanning role in the open system aligning the nonprofit to its community and... Personal Reflection Having explored well researched sources like Verschuere & Beddeleem (2013), Anheier (2005), Cornforth (2010), Worth (2013) and Barros & Nunes (2007), covering the topic of discussion, it can be concluded that my personal reflection is in complete alignment with the issues covered in the literature. As has been explained by Barros and Nunnes (2007), effective governance is an essential factor which contributes significantly to the performance of the nonprofit sector. Several variables attribute to the performance of a CEO of a nonprofit organization such as the organization performance variables, individual variables as well as the board composition variables. The presence of a robust governance framework will ensure that the organization is not being dominated by a single personality thereby preventing any issues of conflict of interests between the stakeholders. The author also concluded that a CEO pay and incentives also affect the performance of the organization. Having worked for a nonprofit organization (educational sector) for 2 years, I can say that robust governance framework is of utmost importance to the performance of the organization. The governing board and the management should have a clear understanding of the intricacies outlined under the governance framework in an NPO in order to ensure a smooth performance thereby satisfying the needs of both the organization and stakeholders. The governing board should cater to reduce any probability of conflict of interest between its stakeholders as it might prove to be an obstruction in the path of the organization’s progress. In addition to that, institutional governance being a traditional form of governance role in an NPO is a key factor ensuring proper decisions on polices and strategies, proper performance evaluation, management and accountability (Campbell & Hushagen, 2002).

Hospitality Management Essay Example for Free

Hospitality Management Essay In general, there are two approaches to research: Qualitative and Quantitative. Qualitative approaches are research that is carried out through interviews and observations. This kind of research enables a researcher to investigate in little more detail on the individual perceptions of a phenomenon. Since the research deals with the personal, therefore, such an investigation is limited in its scope. To be specific, in this paper, we would employ qualitative approaches to research. There are two approaches in qualitative research, interviews and observations, but in this paper we merely consider observations methods. By using this method, we enable a researcher to investigate and find out a phenomenon in much from individual perceptions. Moreover, observation becomes an important technique for collecting data concerning what occurs in a real-life situation. This method also helps us to reach an understanding about the perceptions of those who are being studied, in that situation. To be specific, we employ non-participant observation method especially by analyzing qualitative information from journals, books, magazines and many more. The reason we choose observation method is because it is an important research tool in which it allows us to observe other people in a natural setting or in a more artificial experimental situation. Moreover, by using observation method we can collect and gather data in natural settings concerning what is really going on in a real-life situation. The most important of conducting observation is it provides researchers with an understanding about the perceptions about things or people we observe. However, since observation deals with someone’s perception, we plan to avoid preconceptions since it would provide this research with some bias. Observation method we employ in this paper is non-participant observation. The reason we choose non-participant observation method is because this method allows us to observe people or organization in a natural setting or in a more artificial experimental situation. The method does not involve direct interviews which will slightly reduce objectivity and the accuracy of information. We are retrieving more reliable data from experts’ analysis, journals and various publications from available media. Using the data resources above, we are hoping to present an independent and objective analysis toward the contemporary issue. Furthermore, based on the non-participative observation method, we analyze three elements of hospitality industry especially related to accommodation: Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR), Rooms Supply, and Rooms Demand. The data used in the figure are composing 11 year span consisting the five years before and after the events. Conducting research about the impact of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games on the economy of Vancouver, first of all, it should follow the aims and objectives of topic as provided in the section above. This investigation will evaluate three key implications of conducting the 2010 Winter Olympics Games by mixing the economics and potential benefits that hospitality industry might obtain during the Games. All of them, however, will impact toward the long term economy growth in the study. The result of non-participant observation is not only the benefits that hospitality industry in Vancouver obtain but also perils of the shifting budget allocation from public services to the development of facilities to support the Games. The three implications that we conduct and explore in this paper are as following: 1. Attractiveness. We provide the findings whether the Olympic Games are attractive from a financial point of view like the euphoria of the sport supporters might be. In this manner, we will assess a substantial net cost to the public treasury that the British Columbia’s government should spending 2. Estimated economic impact. We provide justification on whether the British Columbia’s Government should decide to become the host in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games based in the estimated economic impacts. In this manner, like common evaluation of economy growth, we will provide assessment of the Games’ impact on the province where unemployment is high and see whether it is true that the Games will provide long-term additional employment opportunities. Or else the Games only provide temporary solution for high unemployment rate in the British Columbia and thus the effective subsidy per job would be very high 3. Supporting Justification. While the first two assessments are likely to provide the negative feedback for the British Columbia government in becoming the host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, this third evaluation is likely to provide potential justification, i. e. several benefits, for Columbians to become the hosts and spectators of the Games and users of the facilities they provide. However, this evaluation will answer whether the value of those benefits outweighs the cost and risks the Olympic Games provide. In other words, it means that government of British Columbia should decide and consider whether these Games’ benefits are higher priority than the government services or investment that would be displaced, or disposable income that would have to be taxed to pay the net cost of the Games. The method does not involve direct interviews which will slightly reduce objectivity and the accuracy of information. We are retrieving more reliable data from experts’ analysis, journals and various publications from available media. Using the data resources above, we are hoping to present an independent and objective analysis toward the contemporary issue. Therefore, only quantitative approach is not enough to provide comprehensive solution on the impact of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games on the economy of Vancouver. This is because this observation is limited in its scope. This is due to like other observation-type research paper; people would argue that the findings and claims we made on the relation between security and e-commerce cannot be generalized to other contexts. Bibliography â€Å"International Hospitality Management† 2005.University of Brighton. Retrieved May 24, 2005 from http://www. bton. ac. uk/ssm/Courses/Undergraduate/N221info. shtml Case, Karl E. , and Ray C. Fair. Principles of Economics. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999 â€Å"Olympic Costs and Benefits. † Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives BC Office. Retrieved May 24, 2005 from http://www. greenclub. bc. ca/English/Green_Club_Web/Participation_Record/Vancouver_Olympic/Costs_and_Benefits/costs_and_benefits. htm â€Å"Vancouver’s Lodging Industry: 2010 Olympic Impact. † Retrieved June 17, 2005 from http://www. hotel-online. com/News/PR2005_1st/Feb05_VancouverHost. html

The Perception of Change :: Transportation, Driving, Change Blindness

You can miss obvious signs while driving because your mind was wandering, listening to the radio, talking on your cell phone, or even talking to the passenger in your car. Change blindness is the difficulty noticing large changes in your visual senses that are normally easy to be seen (Simon, 2005 ). A main factor in change blindness is attention which is needed to see change (Simon, 2005). The perception of a change occurs when the attention is on the object being changed (Rensink, 1997). Changes to items in a central location are easier to detect than objects elsewhere and the objects that are in the same physical distance (Simon, 2005). Your attention can be distributed to 4-5 items at a time but only detect one change at that moment which is called change simultagnosia (Simon, 2005). Inattentional blindness was first studied by Ulric Neisser and his colleagues in the 1970s. Their study involved subjects viewing an attention-demanding task video where groups of players passing a ball. Subjects were asked to watch one group pass the ball back and forth while ignoring the other group who passed the ball. While this was taking place a woman carrying an umbrella walked through the scene which many subjected failed to notice (Simon, 2010). Simons and Chabris replicated this experiment by using a woman dressed in a gorilla suit that stopped in the middle of the video and thumped its chest for 9 seconds and only 50% of viewers noticed. The gorilla video is a well-known video on visual awareness with about 90% of people say they would notice the gorilla. A new video was later made in front of a green screen so that they could change the color of the curtain behind the event taking place. They had the gorilla walk through the scene stopped and faced the camera while he thumped his chest then left the scene. The curtain colored changed along with a player of the black team left the scene (Simons, 2010). (Beck, 2001) Detecting visual change in the environment is important and it is reported that people are poor when detecting the change during a screen flicker which causes the blindness to occur. When you divide your attention between two tasks you pay less attention to the second one than the primary task (Beck, 2001).

Marketing Strategy Essay

From the table above it is evident that the decline of the economy segment has had little impact on Hein and Mann because their main target market entails exclusive and export markets. The score of 18 shows that there has been a huge impact of the competitor marketing campaigns to increase awareness on middle section segment of Hein and Mann, hence there have limited target market and are not able to reach a wider potential target market. The weight of 18 has a negative impact on Hein and Mann as there are losing their main target customers who purchase exclusive furniture, such as executives and professionals who are being retrenched and leaving South Africa. The score of 32% shows that Hein and Mann have shown growth in export business and expansion of their product range in the UK would competitive advantage in the market. Slow service delivery score 32 which means that Hein and Mann has faced low turnover of customers as most of them are considering using other suppliers who deliver on time promised and offer discounts. The score of 28 shows, that customer relationship with customers is important. However Hein and Mann do not show empathy towards customers. This in turn results in low turnover of customers. 2. Industry analysis of Hein and Mann Threat of new entrants There are many barriers that include high entry costs, in this case new entries in the furniture business would not succeed because heavy investment is required in marketing and purchasing equipment. This is an advantage for Hein and Mann as there have a guaranteed higher position in the industry. This is so because there have been operating in the industry for a long time and have vast experience, equipment, loyal customers and clients are aware of them in the market place. Hence the extent to which barriers to entry exist, the more difficult it is for other furniture firms to enter the market, therefore, Hein and Mann can make relatively high profits. Bargaining power of suppliers Hein and Mann as suppliers produce exclusive and quality pine furniture, this in turn makes them acquire a distinctive image in the industry. It could be difficult for dealers to switch to other suppliers in the industry because of the loyalty of customers to Hein and Mann furniture, therefore Hein and Mann would make profit because there are few alternatives of furniture firms that dealers would switch to. Competitive Intensity or rivalry Hein and Mann is faced with rivalry as there is increase of competition between existing firms, this proves to be a challenge to generate high profit because companies such as Furniture City and Beares are opting to switch to other suppliers that provide discounts and value customer relationships. Threats from substitute of buyers Hein and Mann customers, such as beares and Furniture City have shown the ease with which they can switch to another supplies of furniture. This is so because customers perceive other alternatives to be similar to Hein and Mann furniture. The furniture industry for Hein and Mann is attractive, as there have experience in the industry and understand the market in which there are operating in. 3. Market Orientation Market orientation is defined as is an organisational culture dedicated to delivering superior customer value, that is concentrating on designing and selling products that satisfy customer needs in order to be profitable, (Gronroos, 2010). In relation to the case study on Hein and Mann, it is evident that there do not value customers as there show no empathy and provide slow services and do not consider to implement new strategies such as offering discounts such as their competitors. However the products that they design are of high quality which shows that they sell products that satisfy their target markets. Advantages of market orientation * According to Wang & Ahmed (2009) an organisation that is market oriented has improved market-sensing capabilities and thus improved market responsiveness, particularly in more hostile and unpredictable environments. * An organisation through market research will have a strong understanding of the needs of the customer and this would reduce product failure as new products have a greater chance of gaining success in the market, (Modi & Mishra, 2010). An organisation that is market oriented is flexible to changes in the environment as it enables to adapt and adjust successfully, (Wang &Ahmed, 2009). Disadvantages of market orientation * For an organisation to be market oriented it is highly expensive. As extensive market research, to understand the market need to be conducted, (Gronroos, 2010). * An organisation has to constantly change internally as needs of the market are met. * Risk of underestimating the market and the consumer can be a result of market orientation, which might led to product failure.

Granite Apparel- Source of Funding

Presented to: Mr. Kurt Sullivan Subject: Source of funding From: JMSB consultants; Despina Papadopoulos Angela Christopoulos Mathieu Apuzzo AJ Kenth Date: March 2007 Main Issues * Choosing the appropriate source of financing, between Initial public offering, long term debt or preferred shares, to raise funds for the expansion of Granite Apparel. Recommendations * Granite Apparel should use an Initial Public Offering as a source for raising funds. Analysis Quantitative Initial Public Offering The cost of issuing common shares for your company was found by adding the following expenses (APPENDIX ONE):Bridge Financing Rate (Annual)| 10. 25%| Amount of Bridge Financing| 50,000,000| Period| 6 months| Yearly Interest Cost| 2,562,500| Lump Sum Issuance Fee| 4,000,000| Total Issuance Costs| 6,562,500| To issue common shares is very expensive to underwrite and there are also other related costs for a company going public. These costs can be: * More experienced accountants for financial statem ents issuance and high internal compliance * Auditing fees * Dividends Much of the factors are above are very difficult to quantify, but using assumptions we could have an idea of the cost over a 5 year basis to compare with preferred shares.First, let’s find a dividend cost, hoping the company does well and we pay out a 20% dividend rate with a growth of 25% in sales from 2007 – 2012. We get a total dividend amount to be 18. 82 million (APPENDIX ONE). Since dividends are not an obligation but they are a benefit for shareholder satisfaction, we have a range over a 5 year period of costs between 11. 5 million and 30. 4 million. These values take into consideration many assumptions (g= 8%, b = 0. 80 and ROE= 10. 55%) Total 5 year dividend| 18. 82 million| Audit fee (1M per year assumption)| 5 million| Fees/ Bridge Financing| 6. 56 million| Total| 30. 80 million| Range| 11. 5 – 30. 4 million | Another factor to consider for an IPO is the decrease in control for Tay lor and the current shareholders. | Before IPO| After IPO| Total Shares| 20,000,000| 26,000,000| Taylor Ownership| 12,000,000| 12,000,000| Percentage Ownership| 60%| 46. 15%| If Mr. Taylor is comfortable losing total control of his company with 46. 15% ownership (where control is 50%), the IPO can be a very attractive solution. If Mr. Taylor decides to keep full control of his company, he can either purchase himself more shares or the company could issue two types of common shares; Non-voting and voting.Taylor Ownership| 12,000,000| Percentage Ownership| 50%| Total Voting Shares| 24,000,000| Total Non Voting Shares| 2,000,000| Preferred Shares As seen in APPENDIX THREE, the total cost of issuing preferred shares would be $30,200,000 over 5 years. Raised Capital| 50,000,000| Dividend Yield| 9%| Annual Dividend (9% * 50,000,000)| 4,500,000| Repurchase Premium| 10%| Face Value| 55,000,000| Issuance Fees| 2,700,000| 5 year Dividends (4. 5M x 5)| 22,500,000| Repurchase Premium| 5,000,000 | Total Cost| 30,200,000| Long-Term Debt Long-term debt is the second source of financing the company has the option of adopting.Metropolitan life approached Granite Apparel and was prepared to lend them 50 Million dollars at a fixed rate 2% higher than the long-term U. S treasury yield. The term of the loan was 10 years. Exhibit 6 illustrates the U. S treasury yields. Since the loan has a 10 year term, we decided to select the 10 year Risk Free rate, which is 4. 56%. In total the interest rate of the loan would amount to 6. 56%. In order to decide, which alternative is best suitable for the company, we must find the cost associated with borrowing. In addition, we must also add the upfront fee of 1,800,000.The upfront fee is calculated by multiplying 200,000 common shares and the stock price of 9$. We assumed that the value of the firm was equal to 180,000,000 in order to use the 9$ stock price. We also assumed that the loan payments would be done monthly, which gave us a monthly pa yment of 569,267. 46$. Appendix 2 is a loan amortization schedule and indicates the amount of interest and capital is included in each payment. The sum of all interest payments is equal to 18,312,099. If we take the total interest cost and the upfront fee the total cost of the loan would equal to: 20,112,099.However it is also important to note that interest is tax deductible. The loan amortization schedule enabled us to find the PV of the tax shield of 79,712. 24$. In conclusion, the total cost of the debt option is equal to: 20,032,386. 75$ We also wanted to note that paying 10% principal per year for 10 years on the loan is impossible. According to loan amortization schedule, the 10% yearly principal payment would start from year 6. For the first 5 years, most of the payment is attributed to interest, which decreases the principal portion of the payment.Performance and Ratios An important factor in deciding on which way to finance growth is how it affects your financial statement s. Since these tools will be the primary source for investors it is important have them appear strong (APPENDIX FOUR). If the company chooses an IPO, the following ratios would occur in the 2007 financial statements of Granite Apparel. Ratio| Industry| Granite Apparel | Debt/Capital| 15. 1%| 31. 0%| TIE| 41. 2| 57. 75| PE| 22| 12| ROE| 18. 4%| 14. 16%| With an IPO the company’s financial statements would look very strong.Its debt is already higher than the industry average and therefore issuing common shares would decrease the risk of the company. Both the Debt/Capital and TIE ratios express that strength. If the company chooses to issue debt, the following ratios would occur in the 2007 financial statements of Granite Apparel. Ratio| Industry| Granite| Debt/Capital| 15. 1| 61. 52| TIE| 41. 2| 6. 47| ROE| 18. 4| 21. 94| The risk of the company by issuing more debt would be extremely high and way above the industry averages. By demonstrating both Debt/Capital and TIE, we could see a large increase in the company’s risk which is not in the company's favor.They might be reevaluated as a riskier company and therefore would no longer be able to purchase at low interest. The ROE plays in favor, however, because the total Equity is divided among fewer shareholders. It looks good for investors but not for creditors. If the company chooses to issue preferred shares, the financial statements would look very similar to issuing an IPO. This occurs because the preferred shares would be booked in the Equity section of the financial statements due to their â€Å"ownership† qualities. QualitativeGranite Apparel is faced with three financing mediums; initial public offering, long term debt or preferred shares. In the decision process, it is important to weigh the benefits and shortcomings of each financing option. Initial Public Offering (IPO) Benefits * Increase in Shareholder Capital * Increased wealth without dividing authority amongst partners * No div idend obligation on common shares. * Inexpensive method of financing. * Able to maintain control of the company as long as shareholders have less than 20% ownership Drawbacks Granite would need to undergo a thorough assessment of its operations, financial records and legal situation by both Continental Securities and the securities commission. * Three to six month due diligence process. * Minimum requirements in accordance to US GAAP system is very expensive to implement * Decisions based on stock price The public trading of the shares establishes a value for the company and sets a benchmark. This works in favor of the company as it is helpful in case the company is looking for an acquisition or merger. It also provides the share holders of the company with the present value of the shares.Furthermore, once the shares are traded, they carry a market value that is different from the book value depending on demand (volume traded); this can provide Granite with the incentive of offering stock options to employees as an added compensation. Additionally, the investors that are in the company have liquidity on their share of the company, however, if an investor should decide to redeem his portion the company is not entirely affected because the sale is completed on the market. When a company issues common shares, there is no obligation to pay dividends.This can be an immense advantage for Granite as the company is in a growth phase and dividends can be limited in order to compete in an industry with larger players. In turn, this also allows Granite to keep the cost low for the future. In addition, the firm will not go bankrupt if is not able to pay out dividends. More than frequently, management’s decisions may be effected by the market price of the shares and the feeling that they must get market recognition for the company's stock. Often, this can lead to bad decisions and consequently a decline in stock price.As the share price of Granite falls, may lose ma rket confidence, decreased valuation of the company may affect lines of credits, secondary offering pricing, the company's ability to maintain employees, and the personal wealth of insiders and investors. Not to mention if Granite decides to issue most of its shares to the public it may be a target for a hostile takeover, evidently a loss of insider control. Long term Debt Using long term debt will allow granite apparel to immediately acquire the funds, however it will place both financial and operational standard covenants in effect. Operational Prohibited to surpass annual capital budget * Not allowed to acquire without authorization * Cannot change current executive compensation or dividends Financial * Limited to a borrowing to equity ratio of 1. 20 * No possibility to raise short or long term debt without authorization Using long term debt for Granite is very risky if the economy suffers and sales are down. Granite will still have to pay the interest on the principle loan witho ut having the flexibility of acquiring another loan. When the interest payments are not distributed to debt holders, the firm may go bankrupt.As stated, If earnings decrease it might be very risky to carry over 3. 57 million dollars in interest expense as an annual obligation. Moreover, in the event that Granite is presented with the opportunity to merge or outright acquire a competitor, the decision will have to pass through Metropolitan. This can lead to further complications and loss of decision making control for the management of Granite. Preferred Shares Although this method is cost effective, it can also confiscate the ability for management to take important decisions without approval from shareholders. Granite can redeem the shares at a ten percent premium only after five years * Shareholders have no voting right, but receive priority over dividends * Can be given voting rights if Granite does not pay for two consecutive years Similar to long term debt, preferred shares pre sent the drawback for potential loss of control. For instance if there is an economic downturn and Granite is unable to issue payments for two consecutive years to its preferred shareholders, they are granted full voting rights and can potentially control the entire company.Preferred shares can either be placed in the equity or liability section of the balance sheet. In this particular scenario, the preferred shares would be in the equity section because they show evidence of â€Å"ownership†. For instance, if dividends are not paid for two years consecutive, they can exercise their voting rights and consequently allow them to decide on major business developments. Given the three financing methods, Granite would receive the necessary capital in time to fulfill their marketing needs.Given the economic state preferred shares are risky when considering the potential loss of control to the shareholders. Similarly, long term debt caries the interest risk burden without possibilit y of acquiring a new loan. Conversely, initial public offering allows the flexibility to gain capital at any point with the exchange of ownership and still allows the decisions to be made by the board of directors. Although the net income on the expansion is not quantifiable, by the issuance of IPO, Granite remains protected from third party influence and control, interest burden and loss of decision control. Plan of Action Announce the plan to the board of directors and wait for quorum approval or issuing an IPO * If Mr. Taylor and other board members are expressing worries about dilution of ownership, consider issuing two classes of shares; non-voting and voting. * Contact the investment firm to find out potential differences for issuing two classes of shares * Hire and find experienced accountants to prepare the financial statements in accordance to US GAAP for public companies since the company will go public * Select an investment bank with a good reputation and expertise to ad vice and perform underwriting functions. Organize internally for high compliance in accordance to the securities commission Contact and find a reputable auditing firm (KPM, Deloitte, Price Waterhouse or Ernst ; Young) * File with the Securities and Exchange Commission. * Once the request has been processed Granite Apparel should request its IPO on the stock exchange with firm commitment. * Once capital is certain (under firm commitment) and as quickly as possible, search for store locations.These locations should be prime, and in an area where Granite * Apparel can compete strongly with the major players. Time is important, since competitors are catching up to Granite’s innovative products. The company must enter quickly and efficiently into the market. * Prepare for manufacturing increase to supply new stores. * The company should find new innovative products to keep it a step ahead from the competition and become first movers to gain customer loyalty.

Why Swinging Puts You to Sleep (And Benefits of Sleep)

Why Swinging Puts You to Sleep (And Benefits of Sleep) Sleep  is characterized by periods of non-rapid eye movement that are periodically interrupted by intervals of rapid eye movement (REM). It is in the non-rapid eye movement stage, that neuron activity slows and ceases in areas of the brain such as the brainstem and cerebral cortex. The part of the brain that helps us get a good nights sleep is the thalamus. The thalamus is a limbic system structure that connects areas of the cerebral cortex that are involved in sensory perception and movement with other parts of the brain and spinal cord that also have a role in sensation and movement. The thalamus regulates sensory information and controls sleep and awake states of consciousness. The thalamus reduces the perception of and response to sensory information such as sound during sleep. Benefits of Sleep Getting a good nights sleep is not only important for a healthy brain, but for a healthy body as well. Getting at least seven hours of sleep helps our immune system  fight off infection from viruses and bacteria. Other health benefits of sleep include: Sleep Clears the Brain of Toxins Harmful toxins and molecules are cleansed from the brain during sleep. A system called the glymphatic system opens pathways to allow toxin containing fluid to flow through and from the brain during sleep. When awake, the spaces between brain cells decrease. This greatly reduces fluid flow. When we sleep, the cellular structure of the brain changes. The flow of fluid during sleep is controlled by brain cells called glial cells. These cells also help to insulate nerve cells in the central nervous system. Glial cells are thought to control fluid flow by shrinking when we sleep and swelling when we are awake. Glial cell shrinkage during sleep allows toxins to flow from the brain. Sleep Enhances Learning in Newborns Theres not a sight that is more peaceful than that of a sleeping infant. Newborns sleep anywhere from 16 to 18 hours a day and studies suggest that they actually learn while they sleep. Researchers from the University of Florida have demonstrated that an infants brain processes environmental information and produces appropriate responses while in the sleep state. In the study, sleeping infants were induced to squeeze their eyelids together when a tone was sounded and a puff of air was directed at their eyelids. Soon the babies learned to squeeze their eyelids together when a tone was sounded and no puff of air was administered. The learned eye movement reflex indicates that a portion of the brain, the cerebellum, is functioning normally. The cerebellum is responsible for the coordination of movement by processing and coordinating sensory input. Similar to the cerebrum, the cerebellum contains several folded bulges which add to its surface area and increase the quantity of information that can be processed. Sleep May Prevent Diabetes A study from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute indicates that getting more sleep can lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in men. The bodys ability to process glucose in the blood improved in men who had three nights of adequate sleep after limited hours of sleep during the week. The study indicates that adequate sleep improves insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Over time, high levels of glucose in the blood can damage the heart, kidneys, nerves, and other tissues. Maintaining insulin sensitivity reduces the chances of developing diabetes. Why Swinging Makes You Fall Asleep Faster By measuring  brain  wave activity in sleeping adults, researchers have determined what many of us suspected: that gently swinging makes us fall asleep faster and promotes a deeper sleep. They have discovered that rocking increases the length of time spent in a stage of non-rapid eye movement sleep called N2 sleep. During this stage, bursts of brain activity called sleep spindles occur as the brain attempts to stop processing and brain waves become slower and more synchronized. Enhancing the amount of time spent in N2 sleep is not only conducive to a deeper sleep but is also thought to help improve memory and brain repair mechanisms. Sources: Cell Press. Need a nap? Find yourself a hammock. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 June 2011. (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110620122030.htm).University of Florida. Newborn infants learn while asleep; Study may lead to later disability tests. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 May 2010. (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100517172254.htm).NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Brain may flush out toxins during sleep; Sleep clears brain of molecules associated with neurodegeneration: Study. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 October 2013. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131017144636.htm).Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed). Getting enough sleep could help prevent type 2 diabetes. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 June 2013. (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130618131848.htmm).

GUERRERO Surname Meaning and Origin

GUERRERO Surname Meaning and Origin The  Guerrero surname is thought to have originated as a nickname which described either a soldier who had returned home from the war or an aggressive individual. Derived from the word guerre, meaning war. Guerrero is the 54th most common Hispanic surname. Surname Origin:  Spanish, Portuguese, Italian Alternate Surname Spellings:  GUERERRO, GUERRE, GUIERRE, LAGUERRE, GUERRA, GUERRERO, GUERREIRO, GUERRI and GUERRIERO. See also, the English WARR or WARRE. Famous People with the Surname GUERRERO Eddie Guerrero - famous American wrestler, part of the famed Guerrero wrestling family.Vladimir Guerrero - Major League Baseball player from the Dominican Republic.Vicente Guerrero – Second president of Mexico Where do People with the GUERRERO Surname Live? According to World Names PublicProfiler,  the majority of individuals with the Guerrero surname live in Spain, followed by concentrations in Argentina, the United States, France, and Switzerland. Public Profiler doesnt include information from all countries, however, including Mexico and Venezuela. Forebears marks Guerrero as the 456th most common surname in the world found most prevalently in Mexico. Based on the percentage of the population with the surname, Guerrero is most common in Guam (ranked 16th), followed by Ecuador (23rd), Mexico (43rd), Spain (47th), the Dominican Republic (49th) and Colombia (52nd). Genealogy Resources for the Surname GUERRERO 100 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names? The Guererro DNA ProjectThis ancestral y-DNA testing project is open to any male with any spelling of the Guerrero surname interested in combining DNA testing with traditional family history research to sort out Guerrero ancestral lines. GeneaNet - Guerrero RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Guerrero surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries. GUERRERO Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Guerrero surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Guerrero query. FamilySearch - GUERRERO GenealogyAccess over 2 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Guerrero surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. GUERRERO Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Guerrero surname. DistantCousin.com - GUERRERO Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Guerrero. The Guerrero Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Guerrero from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: ï » ¿Surname Meanings OriginsCottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

How Wild Was the West Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How Wild Was the West - Essay Example The land that these people lived upon also caused a dilemma as they mainly thrived upon agriculture, and these harsh soil conditions, in actual fact, didn’t quite suit their crops. Throughout these times, the state government was still beginning to establish solid grounds upon the hierarchy of its systematic beliefs. During the early periods, these inhabitants resided in unorganized sections of homelands situated in any way in which they wanted. This is considerably factual in the aspect that when white men began to settle in America during these early times, there were no towns at all. These towns in the early settlings of the west obtained a very meager reputation. This is essentially due to the fact that they engrossed many variables of society. These types of citizens included criminals, robbers, thieves and gunslingers. Taking this into consideration, families were tempted away from these areas, making them seem even more desolate. These however, weren’t the only problems facing the new settlers. Others included tribulations such as facilities and education. The towns were rushed, unplanned and lacked many of the essential requirements that a newly established town must have in order to prosper and to suit the needs of its people. Education is these areas were also poor as the need for teachers increased as the amount of children requiring education did too. Health and hospitalization was also a grave difficulty when sometimes it seemed that the populations became sick, or caught the wrong diseases, and no apparent reason could be found. All of the problems facing these people were mainly due to the fact that they simply had to start from the very core of their society. When they established their grounds upon which they lived, they merely had nothing but hard, dusty earth which of course took them time to develop the necessary means in which to prosper. Other problems included the lack of resources such as banks, buildings and stores. This is particularly factual when combined with other troubles such as cattle rustling, horse stealing (for which the punishment was hanging), and claim jumping. All of these problems and many more, meant that towns had to simply fend for themselves in times of trouble. Conditions during this era also caused problems when they meant that other means were needed to support their livelihood. This is where the unnecessary problems such as crime and hostility took place. Combined with this, gender imbalance meaning the lack of women in the area, meant a lack of community respect and ordered women into violence, caused racism problems and most notably, economic intolerance upon its entire people. Poverty was also another beneficiary of these troubles as it seemed to be inclined upon producing other troubles such as lack of supplies, bad people and depressive social tensions. Why were these towns so violent and lawless Difficulties and negative circumstances seemed to make the towns in the west become intolerable to live in. Some of the main causes of these problems included drunkenness, in which men would become bored, frustrated and fight upon each other. Together with these people included minorities, who found it hard to live in these distrustful conditions and were often the victims of racism and violence because of their religious practices and beliefs. For example, the Mormons practiced polygamy, and had more than one wife which disconcerted the rest of the majority of the population, which eventually led to this group leaving their community. The legal system incorporated in this time upon these areas also shaped an uncompromised

From the decade of 1990s Nike Inc is facing criticisms from different Essay

From the decade of 1990s Nike Inc is facing criticisms from different human rights organizations and government bodies - Essay Example Nike management is using the sweatshops for manufacturing of the products where the labor law is violated. The manufacturing units of Nike are mainly in the Asian countries like China, Vietnam, Indonesia etc where they can get labor in a relatively lower cost, also they are getting free trade zones there. The minimum wages law is violated there as well as the working conditions are poor there. Some media have also proved that the working conditions are not standard in Nike factories. Also there were claims that Nike is using child labors. Nike is using forced labor as reported by different media. Recently in July, 2011 an article claimed that Nike the employees of Nike factory abused by the supervisors constantly. So the main problem is that Nike management has failed to ensure a standard human resource policy in the company. Problem Symptoms The problem symptoms are as follows: Certain reports are claiming that Nike is not sticking to a standard human resource policy from the 1990s. Some customers are avoiding Nike on morale ground as they are violating the labor law continuously. Problem Statement As in the manufacturing Factories Nike Inc is violated the labor laws, the human resource organizations and the government bodies are protesting this in different countries as well as some customer started to avoid the products in a morale ground. Part B The Problem Nike Inc, a major manufacturer of apparel and sports equipment is violating the labor laws in its manufacturing factories which are situated mainly in the Asian countries. As the labors are not treated well in the factories so the international media is continuously focusing on this matter. They have collected some proves which made clear the fact that Nike is violating the labor laws really. Several issues are against the company, because of which some consumers also avoid using the products of Nike on the moral ground. Fishbone Diagram Key Findings From the fishbone diagram it has been found that sever al factors are there and because of all these Nike was able to violate the labor laws from the 1990s. The main factor is the management. The human resource policy of the management is below standard, which causes the problem mainly. Moreover the long term strategy of the company is not good at all. If the company continues this type of labor policy then the company can’t make profit in the long term. The government of the respective countries is also responsible for this situation. Nike is continuing this practice from the 1990s, but the respective governments have not taken such hard step so that the company will think about the matter seriously. The government has made the trade free zones for the foreign companies, and it is attractable for the companies as they can do business in low cost. They can also get low cost

Sustainable Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Sustainable Supply Chain Management - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that effective and efficient association puts a business in a better position to maximize on its profits; a business needs to put in place effective methods of managing its chains so that it reduces any wastage that may result and at the same time, being friendly to the environment. Currently, the concept of environmental management has become a thorny issue across the globe, this has translated to heavy fines and penalties to those businesses and other entities found violating environmental management practices. For this reason, a business ought to rely on effective use and management of its vehicles so that they do not release most of them to places where effective planning can see the use of only few of them. This is the idea that has led t the establishment of ideas into sustainable chain management. At the same time, it is important to realize the critical need for suppliers in the business and the importance of esta blishing more links. The work of the production and sales department should be to look for better opportunities for cheaper inputs while trying to sustain those suppliers that the business already has. In doing this, the business is able to remain in operation just in case there is a change in the supply environment, prompting the exit of some important suppliers in the business. the need to ensure sustainability and consistency in terms of product delivery into the market has been the ultimate aim of most businesses.

Nestle Australia Is Food And Drink Products Supplier Marketing Essay

Nestle Australia Is Food And Drink Products Supplier Marketing Essay 1- Introduction Launched in 1867, Nestle Australia Ltd is a supplier of food and drink products. It also provides a wide range of dairy milk products, noodles in many flavors, chocolate, frozen meals and coffees. Besides, it provides a variety of cold and hot drinks, light ice-creams and a variety of confectionery and bakery items. Nowadays, Nestle Australia offers catering services to cafes, restaurants, hotels and clubs. Other products that we will put a spot-on in this report are yogurts, fruit yogurts, and flavored milk and yogurts. Nestlà ©s brands include Kit Kat, Nescafe, Nestea, Ortega and Crunch. Nestle provides also pets foods such as Purina. The company launched a joint venture with General Mills in more than 80 countries. (One Source, 2009) History At the beginning Henri Nestle has developed milk for babies who are unable to drink and to feed from their mothers, after five years this product was sold around the world as a food for babies and old people. In 1906, Australian market became the second largest market for Nestle and was served by many of retailers and sales agents. The best achievement in Australian market was in 1934 by the invention of new product MILO. (Nestle, 2009) Nowadays, this product is sold in more than 30 countries with sales of more than half Billion Australian dollar. In 1999, Nestlà ©s head office in Sydney became the headquarter for Oceania region which includes Australia, New Zealand and Pacific islands. Principles and Values In the whole life of Nestle (135 years), Nestlà ©s basic approach to business was the foundation and the maintenance of long term values for consumers, shareholders, employees, society and community as a whole. Nestlà ©s major principal is to maintain a long term business improvement and development. (Nestle, 2009). Nestles major values are the following: Long term development Long term relationships Integration and reacting with different cultures The identification that customers earn information about the company besides the product that they bought Ethical values are basic requirements for our employees and senior line managers These values and principles have been translated into more than forty languages around the world, and it is must that all Nestles mangers should recognize and apply these values in their career lives, and these values are given by training to the new employees. Nestle Australia Nestle also is participating in the Oceanias community which is identified by its mixture and diversity of economic conditions, cultures, believes and tastes. We became a vital part in the community in which we activate as an employer and as a supplier to the local area. Besides, we were the leaders in many issues such as people health and environmental protection. As the largest food and beverage company in the world, we believe that we have a responsibility to customers and we are taking this responsibility seriously. We believe that people should live in a healthy style by doing sports, we are sponsoring many sports events and we are always encouraging people to get active. In addition, through our agreement with the Australian Institute of Sport, we are improving children to get their knowledge and to understand nutrition. Mission Statement When you read Nestles mission statement the following words jump to your mind: Research, good food, health and wellness. Our products bring to consumers the best tastes and pleasures. Research is the masterpiece of Nestles heritage and an important element for our companys future. We still know that there is some mysterious information about health and wellness had not been discovered yet, that is the reason that we are still searching for answers to bring Good Food for Good life. (Research. Nestle, 2009). Nestle Worldwide Today, with more than 480 factories and 265,000 employees in 87 countries in all over the world: Americas, Africa, Middle East, Europe and Australasia, Nestle is considered as the largest food and Beverage Company all over the world. Nestle Oceania in Australia, New Zealand and the pacific island is hiring more than 5,500 employees, with more than 20 factories and four distribution centers owned and managed by the company. Due to Nestlà ©s multinational reputation, and despite the tough market conditions not only in Australia but worldwide, and due to Nestlà ©s convenient place in Sydney and due to the high qualified employees and the brilliant companys strategy, Nestle dad been ranked number one among all food suppliers in Australian market in 2008 (Nielsen Report, 2008). In 2008, for Ice-cream, yoghurt and coffees categories, Nestlà ©s sales volume was more than AU$200m for each category. 5% Employees Turnover Rate More than 6,000 Brands and 10,000 Products More than 480 Factories in 87 Countries Over than 265,000 Employees Annual Sales more than 103 A$ billion World Leading Food and Beverage Company Nestle Figure1, Nestle Worldwide. Source: Nestle, Australia, 2009. 2- Situation Analysis 2.1- Internal Analysis Nestle Australia is considering the market leader in food and beverage sector in Australian market with overall sales more than , involved in more than 20 industries such as: Chocolates, yoghurts, ice cream, milk, dairy deserts coffee , confectionery and frozen meals. Nestle Australia has launched more than one hundred brands; Coffee Mate, Nescafe, Uncle Tobys, Nesquik, Maggi, Drumstick, Quality Street and Peters are only examples of Nestlà ©s brands in Australian market. Referring to Nielsons 2008 report, Nestle was ranking high among its competitors in ice cream, milk and yogurt fields which could be a very good indicator for launching our new product that we will discuss later in our marketing plan. Referring to the Retail Australias 2009 grocery magazine we will find the following: For Chilled Diary category, Nestle value share was about 14.2% in 2008 comparing by 16.8% for the previous year. For Dairy Desserts Category, Nestle value share was 25.2% comparing by 25.3% for the previous year For Chilled Diary category, Nestle value share was about 14.2% in 2008 comparing by 16.8% for the previous year. For Yoghurt category, Nestle value share was 11.8% in 2008 comparing by 15.8% for the year above. For Drinking Yoghurt, Nestle is not involved in this market yet, only the following companies are in this market : Yakult, Jalna , Bulla and some other small companies. As an overall trend, we could realize some declination for Nestlà ©s volume trend in some industries and categories. This decrease was a natural impact of the huge affect of the global financial crisis as we will describe in the next chapter .Due to this crisis, customers might buy some products instead of Nestlà ©s ones or they might even reducing their purchases for some items. 2.2- Macro Environmental Analysis (PEST Analysis) Economic After several years of flourish and high economic growth, The Australian economy suffered a lot in 2008, due to the huge effects of the economic global financial crisis. Australians GDP is declined; a reduction in job vacancies and a high rate of inflation, all these indicators could lead to an increasing in food and beverages prices See figures 2 3 for Australias GDP and Unemployment Rate in 2007, 2008 and Jun 2009. (GDP growth reached 2.7% in Jun 2008 comparing by 4.3% in Jun 2007) Figure2 Australias Unemployment Rate- Source: ABS, 2009 Figure3: Australias GDP Growth rate- Source: ABS, 2009 Social Despite the lack of confidence for Australian consumers, Australia becomes one of the most optimistic countries, as in 2008, Australia was ranking as one of the most confident countries all over the world with an index score 104, 20 points higher than the world average.. (Nielsen, 2008). Generally Retail growth in 2008, 2009 stays slow, and consumers became more carefully with their money, they spend more money for dining at- home like buying foods and drinks from supermarkets and they spend less money for out of home activities like cafes, restaurant and take-away shops. Despite the fact that supermarkets gained a good share with this new customers philosophy, total grocery sales have been declined in 2008. (Nielsen, 2008). The total retail sales growth reached 5.9% in august 2008 comparing by 7.5% for the same month in 2007. Comparing by 2007, the businesses such as cafes restaurants and takeaway Foods, had recorded the largest drop in turnover of 6.4%. One expectation of these supermarkets is Aldi. Customers preferred to go to Aldi due to the good prices in addition to the good quality there. Aldi, with share reaching more than 22% , had took many dollars away from huge chain supermarkets. Politics This part indicates legal and political situation in Australia. It includes: Taxation for raw materials bought overseas, employment laws, environmental regulations, political stability and competition regulations. . In my opinion, no other politics issues would affect the launching of our new product due to the currently stable politic situation that Australia is facing now, i.e. there is no war, no revolution or even no elections are affecting Australia at this moment Technological Besides the innovation and application of new technology such as the RFID (The Radio Frequency Identification) , the increase in price of raw materials and other supply chain costs could affect the launching of our new product. 2.3 Micro Analysis The Market If we take an overall view on grocery market last year. Referring to the 2008 Nielsen report we will realize these important following items: -An overall declining trend in grocery market, with sales growth 5.9% comparing by 7.5% as we mentioned before, which is a normal consequences due to the new situation; consumers tightening their belts -.Drinks and confectionery are only the two sectors that have achieved an increase in growth for 2008, with 3.3% and 7.5% respectively. -The largest growth achieved was in dairy sector by increasing more than 7.6%. The most important sector in this report is the Chilled Diary , since our new product( which we will discuss it in this chapter) is a sub category for the Chilled Diary part. In 2008, and despite the financial crisis, this sector achieved an AU$996.5m grocery value with an increase of 3.5% comparing by 2007. This indicator could be a high motivation for Nestle to increase its market share in this category (See Figure 4 5) Figures 4 5 : Australias Chilled Diary Market Corporate % Shares for 2008 2007 . Source: Australias grocery magazine, 2009. Referring to the above data, we could recognize that there is a large advantage for Nestle to increase the profit by investing in confectionery or drinks sectors, especially in dairies products. The Product Our new product would be categorized under the Drinking Yoghurts category. (We will discuss the product briefly in the next two chapters). The Drinking Yoghurts value market in 2008 reached a A$52.3m with an increase of 5.5% comparing by 2007. This market contains only 3 major companies; Yakult with 67.7% value share (The market leader in this category) Jalna with 10.6% value share Bulla with 4% value share And Private Label with 16.8% value share. Figure 7, Australias Drinking Yoghurt Market Corporate % Shares 2008 Source: Australias grocery magazine, 2009 After all the above reasons, we could conclude that there is a big opportunity for Nestle to enter this market and it would obtain a very competitive position among the other competitors. Target Market and Market Size In this market plan we will focus on: children, youths and adults which are the majority of Australian population. We will concentrate on both genders male and female and our market will be in the whole Australia and not in a specific city. Australias population at the beginning of 2009 was 21,644,000 persons. The children aged population (0-14 years) was about 19.8% of the total population and the working age population was about 67.4% (15-64 years) of the total population. (OECD Fact book, 2008). However, in our market plan, we will exclude the: 0-4 and 40-65 years population which means that we will try to attract from 50-60% of Australias population. Undoubtedly, some of the 40-65 years population would use our product. However, they will not be potential customers as the mentioned ones. 2.4. S.W.O.T. Analysis -Strengths Market Leader in the industry Good quality image and high brand awareness A high growth rate in the desired market A huge product lines Parent Support An international team working behind the plans achievement A very-well trained employees in all companys department A supply chain management to serve the whole country Weakness New market forNestle Unstable economic conditions: Decline in GDP growth rate and high inflation and unemployment rate. Customers are tightening their belts Exciting competitors Opportunities A huge market size An identified target market No large multinational size competitors Increase in sales and profits Increase in total Australias market share Increase in product line An opportunity to export the product to many countries around the world Threats Segments are shared by competitors Uncertain circumstances could affect our sales Misunderstanding of the product Poor advertising campaign due to the market conditions An unexpected drop in the confectionery and drinks markets. 3-Product Launch The product launch is the most important part of this market plan. As we discussed in the previous chapter, we are going to launch a drinking yoghurt product. So why did we choose this product specifically? If we take a quick view on Nestle share value in yoghurt and chilled diary industry we would realize the following: In Chilled Diary category, Nestle value share was about 14.2% in 2008 comparing by 16.8% for the previous year. In Yoghurt category, Nestle value share was 11.8% in 2008 comparing by 15.8% for the year above. It is very easy to recognize that Nestle is facing a problem in these above sectors for the last year. We all know that all companies now are facing financial problems and markets are unstable and nowadays many customers are tightening their belts. However, these two markets had an increase in their value rate for the last year with 3.5% value increase for Chilled Diaries and 5.9% increase for yoghurt products comparing by 2007. (Australias Grocery Magazine, 2009) Also, referring to the Australias Grocery Magazine, some of Nestlà ©s competitors such as Diary framers had achieved an increase in value share According to the above, Nestle is facing a small problem in this market, so how to solve this problem? The answer is including many possibilities. We could reduce our prices, we could increase our market share by an increase in production, and we could modify our advertising and promotion activities. In addition, there is another plan. We could enlarge our share in Chilled Diary category by launching a new product in a subcategory which is the Drinking Yoghurts. If we achieve this plan we could gain a higher market share, increase our sales and profits, enter a new market segment and finally we will gain new customers. The Drinking Yoghurt market is facing a good condition these days; by an increasing 5.5% in value share in 2008 with a grocery value reached more than AU$50m , which means that this market is gaining new customers day by day and despite the unstable market situation, the drinking yoghurt market is in a developing trend. Nestle is already producing chilled diaries, yoghurts and fruit yoghurts so many product lines are ready for the launching of the new product. Also, Nestle is already gaining a high-ranking in the grocery market, therefore all shipping, transportation, supply chain, deliver products to supermarkets could be handled easily. Yoogo would be the brand name of our new product. We will launch the product at the beginning with three flavors; Yoogo Mango, Yoogo Strawberry and Yoogo Apricot. After three years of market and sales observation, we will launch a new Light Yoogo, which will be Fat Free drinking yoghurt for people who care more about their health and lifestyle. Yoogos ingredients could contain the following: Milk, Skim Milk, Fruit Preparation; mango or strawberry or apricot, and approved flavors and colors. Undoubtedly, Yoogo would face a high competition when it enters the market. ( We will discuss this later in the next two chapters). However , the main competitive brands would be yakult with 67.7% and Jalna with only 10.6% value shares in 2008. (Australias Grocery magazine, 2008). However, Nestle could produce the product and gain a high position among these brands. (We will discuss this later in the next two chapters). 4-Market Strategy Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning To gain a desirable position among all competitors in customers minds, we will segment our market on two bases: -Demographic Segmentation Geographic Segmentation Demographic Segmentation We are targeting customers depending on their ages. As we mentioned before, we will focus on: children, youths and adults which are the majority of Australian population, we will exclude the: 0-4 and 40-65 years population which means that we will try to attract from 50-60% of Australias population. This is a very huge segment as we are focusing on more than half of the countrys population. Furthermore, we believe that any of these segmented people, with any sex, income, occupation would use our product as it is not a luxury product using by specific customers. Undoubtedly, we will vary our advertising campaign for each generation, i.e. the advertising campaign for children will be different than the youths one. Otherwise, we will make a small bottle for children (150 ml) and a large one for adults (300ml). Geographic Segmentation We will divide Australia as geographically basis to zones and each distributor would be responsible for each zone. E.g. We will divide Australia to five zones: Vic, NSW, WA, SA and Queensland Each company when launching a new product desires a high profit margin, large sales volume, high growth rate. However, we will concentrate more in achieving a long-run high profit and sales instead of the short-run ones. We believe that there are some requirements for effective segmentation: Measurability, Accessibility, Substantiality and Actionability. (Kotler et al, 2007) Our team will work hard to meet all of these requirements We consider that we will face a huge competition and we will face also the threat of substitute products. However, we will do our best to cover our market targeting by maximum three years and to be the market leader for this category in maximum five years. Our plan is to gain more than 55% of supermarket shelves in five years. We realize that this is a very hard mission, but we will try to achieve it by three main steps: Understanding our marketing segments- Maintaining an advertising and promotion plans- -Launching Yoogo with a reasonable price according to the company and according to our consumers.(we will discuss the price part later in Marketing Mix Strategy) Also, we will try to gain a competitive position in customers minds based on the following two concepts: Nestle Family Brand The Nestle family brand is showing care and safety to consumers and this is a very good reason to attract the customer. Communication Due to Nestlà ©s brand name, it is very easy to be in touch.with our customers 5-Marketing Mix strategy: Product Our product is a Fruit drinking Yoghurt with three flavors; Mango, Strawberry and Apricot. We will make two sizes, 150 and 300 ml. The gradients would be described as following: Milk, Skim Milk, Fruit Preparation; mango or strawberry or apricot, and approved flavors and colors (We had discussed the product more briefly in chapter 3) Price In launching this product we could use one of these two pricing methods: Cost- based pricing: Calculating the price by adding a mark-up to the cost of the product. (Kotler et al, 2007) Going-rate pricing: Calculating the price basis on competitors prices, with less attention to our cost or to the market demand. (Kotler et al, 2007) Value-based pricing: Calculating the price basis on buyers perception of value, with less attention to the sellers cost. (Kotler et al, 2007). In Nestle, we use the cost-based pricing method: Unit cost = variable cost + (unit fixed cost à · unit sales) Unit price= unit cost à · (1- desired return on sales) We determine our prices basis of the following objectives: Profit: For any company the most important issue is the profit earning, however, as we are launching a new product, we do believe that we will not gain a high profit margin at least for the first three years Consumer Satisfaction: The most essential factor when determining the price is our customers satisfaction towards our products and prices. Place We will divide Australia to 5 zones; Victoria, NSW, SA, WA, and Queensland. However, we will try to promote Yoogo everywhere, in every small and large city in Australia. Customers will find Yoogo in hypermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, in medium size supermarkets such as IGA and even in small supermarkets such as Seven Eleven. Customers would find Yoogo in cafes, restaurants, hotels cinemas and beaches. In addition, Yoogo is a healthy fruity drink, so you can find it also at hospitals. This plan is a little bit hard to be achieved. However, with the well-established supply chain management in Nestle and with the very good relationships with suppliers, retailers and resellers, we could achieve this plan within maximum three years. Promotion Promotion is the activities that represent the value of the product and encourage customers to buy it. In our marketing campaign and promotion we will tray to reach every body every where. We will do advertising campaigns in newspapers, radio, streets and television. Seeing that the survey research is the most widely method for collecting primary data, before launching the product we will perform a marketing survey research; we will go to clubs, streets and schools. Also, we will implement an online marketing research to collect primary data through online focus groups, using the integration of animation such as; audio, video and virtual environment would help us to overcome any limitations. We will try to select a sample of the population that has been selected, ask those questions about the product and the company and depending on the results of this research, we will implement our advertising campaign. We will support our promotion campaign basis on these four methods: A-Individual Selling: In this campaign, we will implement a direct selling activity especially during the summer months of November, December, January and February. Our team will go to club and beaches to meet our target segments there, they will wear t-shirts and caps with Nestle and Yoogos logos, and they will sell our Yoogos 150 ml bottle. By applying this innovative idea, we hope that our brand will get a great vision in terms of image, sales and brand awareness. B-Sales Promotion: Besides personnel selling, we will implement some sales promotion plans. At the beginning of the product launching, we will go to streets and malls, we will offer free 150ml trial bottles to customers, we will encourage them to try our product and to give us their feedback by email or even by phone. In addition, we will offer a 150ml bottle free with the purchasing of three 300ml bottles. Adding to this trade promotion, we will give the retailer an addition discount 5% during our sales promotion. Our marketing team will implement a major healthy and education campaign about the importance of the product, our team will focus on the concept that our product is a healthy one. Invitations would be sent to parents of school children to attend these seminars. This could help us to improve our brands image in consumers minds. C-Public Relations: Public relation is one of the most important factors in all multinational companies promotions. Every year, Nestle is launching its annual report containing information for shareholders and stockholders. In addition, a large amount of information regarding our product and our promotion would be found in newsletters and magazines issued by Nestle Australia. This promotion would obviously lend a hand in formation of the awareness of our brand.