Future of Modernization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Future of Modernization - Essay Example Even though every society has a specific logic, some of the viewpoint matches; the outcomes of good and bad deeds, a constant change in the technological world with an ever increasing rate and even for the fact about society’s evolution. Two kinds of societies emerge in the post-industrial revolution era; those who put a heavy burden to find ways to match steps with the currently affluent counter parts or be lost in the race of whole mankind, like a forgotten equation. The development of modernization is different in different scenarios mainly due to a vast difference in the ways of governance, environment, enlightenment and other institutions. This paper discusses the modernization process in the United States society. Furthermore, the idea of an evolved modernization, aftermath of modernization and my ideas about the modernization in this country will be argued. Many people in U.S.A argue that the industrial revolution had a fresh effect on the society, which in turn dented many communities, economic manifest and institutional changes all across America. Modernization has injected itself in the American society from various angles which has proven to be an electric chair for small and traditional ways of living. It has also brought a massive expansion in personal opinions, social disparity, future planning and knowledge of passing time. The small rural communities were known for their coherent living for thousands of years, before modernization brought a steep decline to this fragrance of the American society. This close set-up was mainly due to the close inter-relationship between friends, families and neighbors. These were times when people relied on each other without any fear of misjudgment, just because they shared the same wall. These communities played a vital role in giving the people a sense of identity, security, identity and purpose (Neitz, 2009). Saying all of the above, one should not get carried away with what used to be because these soc ieties for all the closeness, had their fair share of issues; like minimum choices and conveniences, as compared to the modern society people. The old system of living is outdated now in this present age, with villages and small towns being tourist attractions for those who want to see a glimpse of the foregone lifestyle, its simplicity and non-complexity. An acute volume of attention is on agriculture, which has always been a heavy burden on the rural American areas. Therefore a lot of country men had to travel to the cities in the hunt of jobs, since more financial benefits have been based on the corporate economy, unlike the economy of the past, which heavily relied on agriculture in the past. The modification, as a result of the changing economic tilt, has brought a huge difference in the lives of the American citizens. The difference is such that, the people have forcefully adopted non-rural ways to live for survival. A strong observation can be made, one which defines that the post-industrial revolution society has killed the traditional ways and cultures of the past. Although a strong argument is presented to rebut this fact that the modern society has brought more options, life control to individuals as compared to the people in the pre-modern society, who had fewer choices in the areas of personal thinking. Development in the field of individual preference is another plus point of the modernization in U.S.A. The new order of modern society advertises an

Things Fall Apart | Okonkwo

Things Fall Apart | Okonkwo Chapter 1 â€Å"He was a man of action, a man of warOn great occasions such as the funeral of a village celebrity he drank his palm-wine from his first human head.† (Page 10) This quote introduces us of to Okonkwos tradition to drink his palm-wine from a human skull. This shows us the difference between Okonkwo and Ibo. This also shows that Okonkwo admires men who are tough fighters as well. He rejected his father, a man who was afraid of the sight of blood, partially because he never became a fighter. Chapter 2 â€Å"Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness.†(Page 13) The quote emphasizes that Okonkwo felt that his father was a failure. According to Okonkwo, his father possessed unsuitable feminine qualities. This is one of the fundamental causes which cause him to commit some silly acts. His actions also results in his eldest son in becoming a â€Å"failure† (in Okonkwos opinion) as well. His son possesses none of the qualities that Okonkwo admires. Chapter 3 â€Å"An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb. Okonkwo remembered his own father.†(Page 21) This Ibo proverb shows how much Okonkwo hates his father. He felt that he was a failure and he basically rejects everything that his father stood for. He is ashamed of his father, primarily because of his coward-like qualities, his failure to rise up in society, and his failure to become a warrior. Chapter 4 But he was not the man to go about telling his neighbors that he was in error. And so people said he had no respect for the gods of the clan. His enemies said that his good fortune had gone to his head. (Page 33) In this quote, Achebe portrays Okonkwos character. Okonkwo clearly shows a lack of thought topped by his pretentiousness. He was not a very likable person. Thus, people hated him and his achievements and was respected by very few. Later on in the novel, we also see another characteristic develop in Okonkwo hypocrisy. In those later chapters, he will reject everything he and his tribesman stand for. Chapter 5 â€Å"The Feast of the New Yam was held every year before the harvest began, to honor the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the clan. New yams could not be eaten until some had first been offered to these powers. Men and women, young and old, looked forward to the New Yam Festival because it began the season of plentythe new year.† (Page 36) When we were reading Great Expectations, we were asked to carefully analyze the food present in the novel. The food present in Things Fall Apart is as significant. Yams was the main source of food. In fact, the yams were so highly regarded in the society that they were often called the the king of the crops. Further, people utilized the yams for all traditional celebrations. This food can be linked with the religious and ancestral societal spirits. Certain celebrations such as the New Yam Festival took place to honor certain foods. Chinua Achebe used agriculture to express certain characteristics of each festival and celebration of the Igbo society. Chapter 6 â€Å"The wrestlers were now almost stillin each others grip. The muscles on their arms and their thighs and on their backs stood out and twitched It looked like an equal match.† (Page 50) Although this chapter may seem significant it actually has a very significant common idea the wrestling match. Although wrestling may seem like a brutal sport, it was an integral part of the local culture and society. Tribal customs outline what every member is supposed to do. Without customs, a culture does not exist. Moreover, wrestling matches for the Ibo village signified a boy becoming a man. The only way to prove himself worthy to be a man is to wrestle. This shows the importance of physical strength in the tribe. Chapter 7 No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man. (Page 53) Okonkwo, the protagonist of the novel, is a very gender-role oriented man. When women gained the power to trade, we are made aware that their status in society is progressing upwards. Trade changed basic family relations and the ideas upon which Igbo culture was established. It seems the idea that a man should â€Å"rule his women and children† does not perhaps come from Okonkwo himself, but rather from the Igbo culture itself. Overall, however, this quote symbolizes that women were looked upon as being inferior to men at the time. Chapter 8 â€Å"When did you become a shivering old woman, Okonkwo asked himself, you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed.† (Page 65) The Ibo culture is very different from modern culture as shown by the novel. One clear difference between most modern societies and the Ibo society was that warfare between different clans or tribes does not occur. The Ibo culture praises manliness and parades fighters. Today, society teaches us to honor warriors who fight against other countries, rather than with regional clans. This quote shows that vast difference between the two time periods. Chapter 9 â€Å"For the first time in three nights,Okonkwo slept.He woke up oncein the middle of thenightand his mind went back to the pastthreedays without making him feel uneasy. He began to wonder why he had felt uneasy at all.† (Page 75) In this quote, we see that Okonkwo is noticing something wrong. He feels that something is simply not right, yet he cannot figure what it quite is. Later on in the novel, we will learn that â€Å"things fall apart.† This quote is an indication that something wrong will happen. This shows Achebe using foreshadowing to provide insight into what might happen next. Chapter 10 â€Å"Okonkwos wives, and perhaps other women as well, might have noticed that the secondegwugwuhad the springy walk of Okonkwo. And they might also have noticed that Okonkwo was not among the titled men and elders who sat behind the row ofegwugwu. But if they thought these things they kept them to themselves.† (Pages 89-90) This quote portrays a scene in much detail while also using humor. The thoughtful silence of the women is extremely ironic. The quote reveals the attitude of women on the topic of power. Here, the women also reveal that they posses more knowledge of reality as compared to what they wish to reveal. Therefore, Achebe seems to recognize the importance and equality of women, something which was not usually regarded in a male dominant society. Chapter 11 â€Å"Go home and sleep, said Okonkwo. ‘I shall wait here.' (Page 108) Okonkwo seems to genuinely love his family. He also seems to have genuine concern over the welfare and wellbeing of his children. In this quote, Okonkwo demonstrates his concern over the safety of his family. Although some would argue that Okonkwos â€Å"iron fisted† rule clearly shows no love for his family, I would differ. Perhaps, these beatings, instead, represented the way people acted in the society at that time. Physical punishment was very common in the era. Therefore, it is possible that Okonkwo was only using the beatings as a method to teach his children discipline. Basically, Okonwo loves his family, however, he is afraid to show this quality since her fears that it might portray him as being feminine. Chapter 12 â€Å"Okonkwo was also feeling tired, and sleepy, for although nobody else knew it, he had not slept at all last night.† (Page 112) Chapter 12 marks the first time that Okonkwo seems to be tired. This was a quality that he detested. Achebe shows Okonkwos tiredness to conflict with his earlier beliefs. This shows Okonkwos hypocritical nature. The fact that Okonkwo broke his vow is crucial since they were the foundation of his life. This will cause problems for him further on in the novel. Chapter 13 â€Å"The only course open to Okonkwo was to flee from the clan.† (Page 124) In the second part of the novel, Achebe uses several incidents that hold back Okonkwo from the commendation of his tribesman, establishing asimilarity towards his own father. This was surprising considering his own hatred for his father. In this quote Okonkwo accidently kills the tribesmans son and then escapes from the village to hide from any punishment. This shows his cowardness, a characteristic possessed by his father. This also shows Okonkwos hypocrisy. After all, he, himself, looked down upon cowards. Chapter 14 It was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm of youth, like learning to become left-handed in old age.(Page 131) Okonkwo, after noticing change in his society, felt difficult to go on with his life. He had to start a news chapter in his life. This quote illustrates Okonkwo as a person who seems to have lost his will to live life. Okonkwos qualitys and his goal in becoming a fighter, unlike his father, fade away and he becomes a different man. Chapter 15 Those were good days when a man had friends in distant clans. Your generation does not know that. You stay at home, afraid of your next-door neighbor. Even a mans motherland is strange to him nowadays. (Page 137) In this quote, Unchendu is telling Okwondo about the past. Although, the quote refers to men interacting within their classes, on a deeper level, it shows the change that has occurred within the society. People are changing and tradations are changing as well. The traditions that the people of the society want to stay the same are changing as well. This will eventually be the â€Å"things† that fall apart. Yet, all of this was expected. After all, the title of the novel is â€Å"Things Fall Apart.† Since everything was going so perfectly, something was bound to happen. Chapter 16 â€Å"The missionaries had come to Umuofia. They had built their church there, won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding areas and villages.† (Page 143) The invasion of the Europeans of Africa was expected. Achebe mentions that the missionaries were moving there. Although, I do not endorse the Europeans coming into Africa, the Europeans coming into the village illustrated a very interesting idea the clashing of cultures. Their invasion of the villages illustrated how the traditional values of the Umuofia society could be so easily changed by this modern theology. This gives everyone a chance to think for themselves, rather than simply following what was traditionally thought of to be right. It gave the people a choice. This choice was taken by Nwoye who made his own path in life. Chapter 17 Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.(Page 153) This quote is metaphor for a very important idea. This comes after Nwoyesrejection of traditional Igbo values and conversion to Christianity. Nwoye, the oldest son of Okonkwo, is lazy and weak (according to Okonkwo). This quote emphasizes the realization of Okonkwo that his behavior leaves powerlessness in others, especially his son. Okonkwo believes the Nwoye and his father posses the same weakness. Chapter 18 In the land of his fathers where men were bold and warlike. In these seven years he would have climbed to the utmost heights. And so regretted everyday of his exile (p.163). This excerpt also emphasizes Okonkwos desire for power and status. During his exile, Okonkwo got in touch with the feminine side inside him. Okonkwo is a man who loves courage and Umuofia was full of men who fit that description. It seems that Okonkwo will go back to Umuodia and everything will have changed. After all, the title of the novel is â€Å"Things Fall Apart.† Nothing has â€Å"fallen apart,† yet so something is bound to happen. This idea shows that Achebe, like Charles Dickens, too, uses the idea of foreshadowing. Chapter 19 I fear for you young people because you do not understand how strong is the bond of kinship. You do not know what it is to speak with one voice. (Page 167) This quote is told by an elder to Okwondo. Kinship and connections, which have been crucial parts of the Ibo culture, seem to â€Å"fall apart† as the novel progresses. This quote sparks questions in my mind. Was there any fragmentation amongst the Ibo people from colonization? The Ibo people gathered for wrestling matches and other festivities. Okonkwo clashes with his culture very often. Chapter 20 â€Å"The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.† (Page 176) Obierika mourns over the white man coming to Africa. However, at the same time, he believes that it is the Africans fault for letting the white man come. Mr. Brown, the first white missionary, believes that it is necessary to act peacefully in order to convert people. When Reverend Smith replaces him, he goes against the indigenous tribes and treats them badly. Chapter 21 He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women† (Page 183) Okonkwo wanted that the ideology of his clan should survive. The society to have several violent attributes. By giving into the Christians, Umuofia broke up and fell apart and turned as â€Å"soft as women.† I believed that Okonkwo did not pay the consequences because he killed the messenger. Okonkwo had killed others before. Okonkwo died because he did it for himself and the beliefs of the clan.The quote above not only shows Okonkwos dismay at the fall of the clan, but also his hatred of feminine qualities, a controversial topic in the novel. Chapter 22 He saw things as black and white.And black was evil.He saw the world as a battlefield in whichthe children of light were locked in mortal conflict with the sons of darkness. (Page 184) Mr. Smith speaks against the god Baal. Many struggles against Baal have been mentioned in the Bible. This shows Achebes criticism of racism. Achebe criticizes the â€Å"black and white† idea. Most racism is based on stories rather than any practical events. Therefore, this view has modified reality, something which Achebe seems to be very against. Chapter 23 â€Å"For the first time in many years Okonkwohad a feeling that was akin to happiness. The times which had altered so unaccountably during his exile seemed to be coming round again. The clan which had turned false on him appeared to be making amends.† (Page 192) This quote symbolizes a change, something which has happened very rarely in the novel. The status of the clan remains somewhat the same in various portions of the novel. However, at this time, the tribe is prosperous which is unlike the norm. However, this happiness will not last for long. After all, the novel has to live up to its expectations which are clearly revealed in the novel something must fall apart. This indicates that perhaps the tribe will disintegrate in the last few chapters. This might lead to a drastic turn in the novel. Chapter 24 â€Å"He knew that that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape† (Page 205). Okonkwos suicide meant more than his own tragedy. It symbolized the finish of his society and all the values that prevailed. I think he killed himself because he felt there was no more hope in believing that his tribe would survive and defend itself. Okonkwo tried to represent that everything his tribe wanted. If the tribe wasnt going to survive with the way people were growing up, then he wanted to die too. If the societys life was going to be taken, his was going to be taken too. Chapter 25 â€Å"He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought:The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.† (Page 209) This quote indicates the racist attitude that the District Commissioner has towards the local tribes. He is a pompous man who thinks he understands the indigenous culture and tribes, while he clearly does not. While he feels that he is bringing peace to the region, he is clearly doing nothing of the sort. He also seems to be very shallow. He makes remarks on â€Å"love of superfluous words† of the villagers. In this, he mocks the language of the villagers.

inferno :: essays research papers

Is there still time...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alakhai, at the young age of 27, is a very respected and very wealthy stock broker. He has a loving wife and 2 kids which he truly adores. He met his wife five years ago when he was in his last year of college. She fell completely head over heals for him the minute she met him. At first she was a little hesitant to marry him when he asked because he really did not believe in God, and she was a devout Christian. She told him that before he married her, he had to go to church and Sunday school for two month. Well after about five weeks he had a â€Å"spiritual breakthrough.† He, realizing she would never marry him if he was not a Christian, accepted Christ when the invitation is given at the end of the Sunday school course. She was thrilled, and they were married four months later. He now lives each day saying that he is a Christian and pretending to be, but if you were able to look into his soul, you would find a heart completely cold to the Word. Then one d ay he awakes in a dark forest surrounded by nothing but trees. After a few hours, he hears a voice coming from the what seems to be every direction....   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Hello Alakhai. My name is Surealla. I am here to take you on a journey in the hope that you will see the Truth. Please do not ask questions, for we do not have much time. We must go before it is too late.† As I look before me, a young girl appears, dressed in a white robe and caring a book. Upon further observation I see that the book is actually the Bible. â€Å"Please take my hand and follow me. I want to show you something.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As we walked, it seemed like the woods were growing thicker and darker. I could smell a very faint odor that resembled that of a wet dog. As I looked ahead of me, I saw a very large door. It looked very heavy to open. It was clearly black, but it seemed to have some red tint to it. As we moved closer to it, I could see that the door was covered in...in blood? At that point I turned to run away, and behind me was a sight so frightening that I almost fainted.

Financial Analysis of Macy’s Inc. and Nordstrom

Financial Analysis of Macy’s Inc. and Nordstrom Macy’s Inc. has established itself as a strong player in the retail industry, with over 850 Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores in 45 states. Macy’s competes against retail giants like Nordstrom, Kohl’s, JC penny and Saks Fifth Avenue for market share in the increasingly competitive department store industry. This financial report will choose Nordstrom as the major competitor, and serves as the comparison company. The annual report and 10-K filings were obtained from Yahoo! Finance.The financial statements for both companies used in this report are Consolidated Statement of Income, Consolidated Balance Sheets, and Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow from 2010 to 2012. All tables are included in appendix. 1. Company background & Overview Macy's Department Stores, Inc. is a U. S. chain of mid-range department stores. In addition to its internationally renowned flagship Herald Square location in Midto wn Manhattan, New York City, the company operates over 850 other stores in the United States as of September 12, 2012. Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale fashion specialty retailer chain in the United States.Originally it is a shoe retailer, nowadays the company also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances and home furnishings in some locations. There are now 231 stores operating in 31 states across the U. S. Beginning in 2008, department stores faced financial challenges partially attributed to the global economic crisis. The downturn negatively impacted department store liquidity, consumer spending and credit market conditions. Companies were able to cut operations and supply chain costs, and most have utilized the savings to improve their liquidity and the strength of their balance sheet.Also, developments in mobile phone technology are drawing more consumers away from brick-and-mortar stores toward online retail platforms. As a result, over the five year s to 2012, the number of companies is expected to decrease at an annualized rate of 31. 8% to an estimated 65 operators. 2. Financial analysis 2. 1 Horizontal analysis 2. 1. 1 Horizontal analysis of Balance Sheet In this section, we will look at the comparative statements of balance sheet of Macy’s Inc. for a three-year period. Macy’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to January 31.Fiscal years 2011, 2010 and 2009 ended on January 28, 2012, January 29, 2011 and January 30, 2010, respectively. Fiscal 2009 is chosen as the base year for computing the percentage change in each account in 2010, and fiscal 2010 is the base year for computing the change in 2011. From table 1, two accounts stand out: 2010 cash and cash equivalent decreased by 13% over 2009, while in 2011 it increased by 93% over 2010. Short/Current Long Term Debt increased by 87. 6% in 2010, and kept on increased by 143% in 2011. This huge increased short term debt mainly came from 616 million 5. 35% S enior notes due 2012, 298 million 5. 75% Senior notes due 2013, and 173 million 8. 0% Senior debentures due 2012. The huge increase in short term debt in FY 2011 maybe part of the reason of the big increase in the cash and cash equivalent account. 2. 1. 2 Horizontal analysis of Income Statement From table 2, we can see that net sales for 2011 totaled $26,405 million, compared to net sales of $25,003 million for 2010, an increase of $1,402 million or 5. 6%. Part of this increase is due to an increase on the comparable store basis, and part of it is due to the 39. 6% increases from the company's Internet businesses in 2011.The successive increase in the net sales in the three year trends shows that Macy’s continues to benefit from the successful execution of the My Macy's localization strategy. In 2011, the Gain on sale of properties, impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs account increased 200% over 2010. This is because Macy’s had a $54 milli on gain from the sale of store leases related to the 2006 divestiture of Lord ; Taylor in 2011; while the company only announced 25 million Impairments and store closing costs for 2010. In 2011, Macy’s had the 5. 6% increase in sales.Because the management was able to control its cost of goods sold (6. 17% increase) and SG;A expenses (0. 25% increase), plus the big gain from sales of property, the company resulted a 27. 3% increase in operating income. In 2010, Macy’s net sales increased 6. 45% over 2009, part of it is due to the huge decrease in the impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs account. The interest expense increased in 2010 over 2009, while the same account decreased 22. 8% in 2011 over 2010. This decreases benefited from lower levels of borrowings during fiscal 2010 and the repayment of debt at maturity. . 2 Vertical analysis 2. 2. 1 Vertical analysis of Balance Sheet From table 3, we can see that accounts receivables, inventory and other current assets accounts, their percentage of total assets didn’t have big difference over the three years trend. The increase of cash and cash equivalent from 7. 1% of total assets in 2010 to 13% in 2011 is the main reason that total current asset in terms of the percentage of total assets had significant increase (from 33% to 40%). Macy’s total current liabilities represent a slightly higher percentage of total liabilities and stockholders’ equity at FY 2011 than FY 2010 and 2009.This increase is balanced by a slight decrease in the relative percentages of long-term debt. 2. 2. 2 Vertical analysis of Income Statement In table 4, the base on which all other items in the income statement are compared is net sales. Macy’s gross profit ratio was very stable and consistent over the three year trends, less than 0. 5% difference among three years. Macy’s profit margin ratio kept growing over three years: from 1. 4% in 2009 to 3. 4% in 2010, and this ratio increased to 4. 8% in 2011. The increasing profit margin indicated that Macy’s management has strong ability to control its expenses. 2. 3 Cash flow analysisTable 5 is the most recent cash flow statement for Macy’s. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2011 was $2,093 million, compared to $1,506 million provided in 2010, reflecting higher net income and a lower pension contribution in 2011. In 2011, Macy’s pension funding contributions was $375 million, which was much lower than $825 million in 2010. The capital expenditure for property and equipment and capitalized software during 2011 was $764 million, the dividends paid was $148 million. Macy’s generated sufficient amounts of cash from operations in 2011 to cover its capital expenditures and dividends.Net cash used by investing activities and financing activities was $617 and $113million respectively for 2011. Investing activities for 2011 include purchases of property and equipment totaling $555 million and capitalized software of $209 million. Cash flows from investing activities included $114 million from the disposition of property and equipment for 2011. For financing activities, Macy’s issued $800 million of debt in 2011, but it is partially offset by the acquisition of company’s common stock at cost of $500 million and the repayment of $454 million debt, and the payment of $148 million of cash dividends.With the excess amounts of cash from operations Macy’s generated in 2011, management budgeted $850 million capital expenditures for 2012, primarily related to new stores, store remodels, maintenance, the renovation of Macy's Herald Square, technology and omnichannel investments, and distribution network improvements, including construction of a new fulfillment center. 2. 4 Ratio analysis 2. 4. 1 Liquidity Analysis Table 6 is the liquidity ratios for both Macy’s and Nordstrom over a three year period. At the beginning of 2012, Macy’s had $1. 4 of current assets for every $1 current liabilities.Compared to Nordstrom, both companies have more than enough assets to cover short-term debts, but Nordstrom is more liquid than Macy’s. Macy’s cash flow from operations to current liabilities ratio has increased from 2010 to 2011, from 31. 90% to 37. 20%. It is mainly because cash generated from operations during 2011 was 40% more than it was during 2010. Both companies’ cash flow from operations to current liabilities ratio is less than one, it means that both companies have generated less cash over the year than it needs to pay off short term liabilities as at the year end. This may signal a need to raise money to meet liabilities.But Nordstrom still has higher ratio than Macy’s, which suggests that it is more liquid than Macy’s in the short term. In 2011, Macy’s only needs 4. 8 days for an account to be outstanding. And the number of days’ sale in receivable for the past three years were all less than a week. Macy’s accounts receivable turnover ratio in the three year period is much higher than Nordstrom, which implies  Macy’s extension of credit and collection of accounts receivable is more efficient. From 2009 to 2011, Macy’s kept on decreasing the days took to sell inventory, from 133 days in 2009 to 124 and 120 days in 2010 and 2011, respectively.Macy’s efficiency in managing inventory improved over years. But Nordstrom was much more efficient in selling its inventory than Macy’s. In the past three years, each year Nordstrom used half of the days that took Macy’s to sell its inventory. 2. 4. 2 Solvency Analysis The solvency of a company is the ability to repay long term debts when due. The more solvent a company is the more protected the owners and partners are from bankruptcy. Table 7 is the debt to equity ratios; debt service coverage ratios and cash flow from operations to capital expe nditure ratios for both Macy’s and Nordstrom from 2009 to 2011.Macy’s debt to equity ratio was under 1 for FY 2009 and 2010, which suggested for these two years Macy’s assets are primarily financed through equity. This ratio was 1. 06 in 2011. When the debt to equity ratio was over 1, implied the majority of assets are financed through debt, which was a red flag for Macy’s. Compared to Macy’s, Nordstrom had a much higher debt to equity ratio which was above 2 for all three years. A high ratio of 2 or more exposes a company to risk such as interest rate increases and causing creditors' uneasiness.Macy’s management is more effective custodians of their shareholder's investments than Nordstrom. A company's debt service coverage ratio refers to its ability to meet periodic obligations on outstanding liabilities with respect to its net operating revenue. Higher this figure better is the debt serving capacity. Macy’s DSCR increased from 1. 42 times in 2010 to 3. 91 times in 2011, which showed the improvement of its debt serving capacity. Nordstrom’s DSCR was higher than Macy’s in the three year period, suggested stronger debt serving capacity than Macy’s.Although the cash flow from operations to capital expenditures ratios for two companies decreased over time in three years, both companies generated enough cash from operations to finance their capital expenditures and covered dividend payments. Nordstrom’s capital expenditure was very close to Macy’s, although it generated less cash from operations than Macy’s, it paid more dividends than Macy’s every year. This is the reason that Nordstrom’s ratio was lower than Macy’s. 2. 4. 3 Profitability Analysis Profitability ratios are used to determine the company's bottom line and its return to its investors.Table 8 is the profit margin ratio, rate of return on assets and return on sales ratio for both Macyâ€⠄¢s and Nordstrom from 2009 to 2011. The profit margin is an overall indicator of management’s ability to control expenses, reflects the amount of income for each dollar of sales. Note the increase in Macy’s profit margin: from 1. 40% in 2009 to 3. 39% in 2010 and 4. 76% in 2011. Nordstrom has higher profit margin ratio than Macy’s in the three years. A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that  has better control over  its costs compared to  its competitors.Macy’s effective tax rate from 2009 to 2011 was 30. 9%, 35. 8% and 36. 2%. Its return on assets rations increased from 2. 31% in 2009 to 4. 82% in 2010, and 6. 64% in 2011. It suggests Macy’s generated more profits for each $1 asset. The lower the profit per dollar of assets, the more asset-intensive a business is. Macy’s ROA suggested it is very asset-heavy. Nordstrom used a statutory Federal income tax rate 35%, and its ROA was 8. 01%, 9. 37% and 9. 14% for 20 09, 1010 and 2011 respectively, which were all higher than Macy’s. The higher the return, the more efficient management is in utilizing its asset base.Nordstrom’s management does a better job than Macy’s in this case. Macy’s return on sales ratio also kept on growing over three years, from 2. 16% in 2009 to 4. 12% and 5. 35% in 2010 and 2011 respectively. It implies the company makes more profit for every $1 sales over time. But this ratio for Macy’s still lower than Nordstrom over three years period, suggested Nordstrom’s business operations are more satisfactory than Macy’s. From the profitability analysis, we can see that Macy’s kept on having a healthy development over time, its profitability ability kept on improving.Compared to Nordstrom, the ratios suggest that Macy’s still a less profitable company than Nordstrom. 2. 4. 4 DuPont Analysis DuPont equation provides a broader picture of the return the company is earn ing on its equity. It tells where a company's strength lies and where there is a room for improvement. DuPont analysis  tells us that ROE is affected by  three things: Operating efficiency, which is  measured by profit margin; Asset use efficiency, which is measured by total asset turnover; and Financial leverage, which is  measured by the equity multiplier.So the formula will be: ROE = (Net Income/Revenue)*(Revenue/Assets)*(Assets/Equity) Table 9 is the DuPont analysis for both Macy’s and Nordstrom from 2009 to 2011. Looking at the components of ROE for both companies helps explain the changes in ROE over time. Since Nordstrom had higher profit margin ratio, asset turnover rate and leverage factors, its overall ROE was much higher than Macy’s in the three year trend. It shows Nordstrom is more effective at generating profits, managing assets and finding an optimal amount of leverage, this is why it can boost its ROE.Although Macy’s ROE were lower than N ordstrom’s, its own ROE still kept on growing over years, from 7. 05% in 2009 to 15. 05% and 21. 25% in 2010 and 2011 respectively. It is result of improving its operating efficiency and asset use efficiency, which suggests Macy’s management kept on improving its performance and the company developed in a healthy and growing direction. 3. Conclusions From above analysis, Macy's, Inc. may have more financial risk than other companies in the Multiline Retail industry.It has smaller current ratio and cash from operations to current liabilities ratio than its competitors, implies less liquid in the industry. However, an examination of near-term assets and liabilities shows that, even though there are not enough liquid assets to satisfy current obligations, operating profits are more than adequate to service the debt. Accounts Receivable is typical for the industry, with 4. 8 days worth of sales outstanding. Also, Macy's, Inc. is among the most efficient companies in its in dustry at managing inventories, and it is getting better.The company only has 120 days of its Cost of Goods Sold tied up in inventory. Year over year, Macy's, Inc. has been able to grow revenues. Most impressively, the company has been able to reduce the percentage of sales devoted to selling, general and administrative costs. This was a driver that led to a net income growth from $847. 0M in 2010 to $1. 3B in 2011. Compared to its main competitor, Nordstrom, Macy’s is in a weaker financial position. In short run, as mentioned earlier, the liquidity ratios suggest that Macy’s is less liquid in the short term.In the long run, although Macy’s management is more effective custodians of their shareholder's investments than Nordstrom, Nordstrom still has stronger debt serving capacity than Macy’s and affording to pay more dividends to its shareholders. From the profitability analysis, Macy’s has smaller profit margin ratio, rate of return on assets and rate of return on sales ratio than Nordstrom, indicates that Nordstrom’s management is better at generating more profit and operating assets efficiency than Macy’s. And this result is consistent with the DuPont analysis.Appendix Table 1 Horizontal Analysis of Balance Sheet Macy's Inc. Comparative Balance SheetsPeroid Ending: End of Jan 2010-2012(all amount in thousands of dollars)| | 2012| 2011| 2010| Cash And Cash Equivalents| 2827000| 93%| 1464000| -13. 17%| 1686000| —| Accounts Receivables| 368000| 9%| 338000| -5. 59%| 358000| —| Inventory| 5117000| 8%| 4758000| 3. 10%| 4615000| —| Other Current Assets| 465000| 37%| 339000| 52. 02%| 223000| —| TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS| 8777000| 27%| 6899000| 0. 25%| 6882000| —| Property Plant and Equipment| 8420000| -4%| 8813000| -7. 0%| 9507000| —| Goodwill| 3743000| 0%| 3743000| 0. 00%| 3743000| —| Intangible Assets| 598000| -6%| 637000| -6. 05%| 678000| —| Other Assets| 557000| 3%| 539000| 10. 00%| 490000| —| TOTAL ASSETS| 22095000| 7%| 20631000| -3. 14%| 21300000| —| Accounts Payable| 5160000| 14%| 4537000| 7. 51%| 4220000| —| Short/Current Long Term Debt| 1103000| 143%| 454000| 87. 60%| 242000| —| TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES| 6263000| 25%| 4991000| 11. 86%| 4462000| —| Long Term Debt| 6655000| -5%| 6971000| -17. 56%| 8456000| —| Other Liabilities| 2103000| 8%| 1939000| -25. 4%| 2597000| —| Deferred Long Term Liability Charges| 1141000| -5%| 1200000| 6. 01%| 1132000| —| TOTAL LIABILITIES| 16162000| 7%| 15101000| -9. 29%| 16647000| —| Common Stock| 5000| 0%| 5000| 0. 00%| 5000| —| Retained Earnings| 4015000| 34%| 2990000| 34. 26%| 2227000| —| Treasury Stock| -2434000| 0%| -2431000| -3. 34%| -2515000| —| Capital Surplus| 5408000| -5%| 5696000| 0. 12%| 5689000| —| Other Stockholder Equity| -1061000| 45%| -730000| -3. 05%| -753000| —| TOTAL STOCKHOLDER EQUITY | 593 3000| 7%| 5530000| 18. 85%| 4653000| —| Table 2 Horizontal analysis of Income StatementMacy's Inc. Comparative Income StatementPeroid Ending: End of Jan 2010-2012(millions, except per share data)| | 2012| 2011| 2010| Net Sales| 26405| 5. 61%| 25003| 6. 45%| 23489| —| Cost of sales| 15738| 6. 17%| 14824| 6. 09%| 13973| —| Gross margin| 10667| 4. 79%| 10179| 6. 97%| 9516| —| Selling, general and administrative expenses| 8281| 0. 25%| 8260| 2. 46%| 8062| —| Gain on sale of properties, impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs| 25| -200. 00%| -25| -93. 61%| -391| —| Operating income| 2411| 27. 30%| 1894| 78. 17%| 1063| —| Interest expense| 447| -22. 0%| 579| 3. 02%| 562| —| Interest income| 4| -20. 00%| 5| -16. 67%| 6| —| Income before tax| 1968| 49. 09%| 1320| 160. 36%| 507| —| Federal, state and local income tax benefit (expense)| 712| 50. 53%| 473| 165. 73%| 178| —| Net income| 1256| 48. 29%| 847| 157. 45%| 329| —| Table 3 Vertical analysis of Balance Sheet Macy's Inc. Common-Size Comparative Balance SheetsPeroid Ending: End of Jan 2010-2012(all amount in thousands of dollars)| | 2012| 2011| 2010| | Dollars| Percent| Dollars| Percent| Dollars| Percent| Cash And Cash Equivalents| 2827000| 13%| 1464000| 7. 0%| 1686000| 7. 92%| Accounts Receivables| 368000| 2%| 338000| 1. 64%| 358000| 1. 68%| Inventory| 5117000| 23%| 4758000| 23. 06%| 4615000| 21. 67%| Other Current Assets| 465000| 2%| 339000| 1. 64%| 223000| 1. 05%| TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS| 8777000| 40%| 6899000| 33. 44%| 6882000| 32. 31%| Property Plant and Equipment| 8420000| 38%| 8813000| 42. 72%| 9507000| 44. 63%| Goodwill| 3743000| 17%| 3743000| 18. 14%| 3743000| 17. 57%| Intangible Assets| 598000| 3%| 637000| 3%| 678000| 3. 18%| Other Assets| 557000| 3%| 539000| 2. 61%| 490000| 2. 0%| TOTAL ASSETS| 22095000| 100%| 20631000| 100. 00%| 21300000| 100. 00%| Accounts Payable| 5160000| 23%| 4537000| 22%| 42200 00| 20%| Short/Current Long Term Debt| 1103000| 5%| 454000| 2%| 242000| 1%| TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES| 6263000| 28%| 4991000| 24%| 4462000| 21%| Long Term Debt| 6655000| 30%| 6971000| 34%| 8456000| 40%| Other Liabilities| 2103000| 10%| 1939000| 9%| 2597000| 12%| Deferred Long Term Liability Charges| 1141000| 5%| 1200000| 6%| 1132000| 5%| TOTAL LIABILITIES| 16162000| 73%| 15101000| 73%| 16647000| 78%| Common Stock| 5000| 0%| 5000| 0%| 5000| 0%|Retained Earnings| 4015000| 18%| 2990000| 14%| 2227000| 10%| Treasury Stock| -2434000| -11%| -2431000| -12%| -2515000| -12%| Capital Surplus| 5408000| 24%| 5696000| 28%| 5689000| 27%| Other Stockholder Equity| -1061000| -5%| -730000| -4%| -753000| -4%| TOTAL STOCKHOLDER EQUITY | 5933000| 27%| 5530000| 27%| 4653000| 22%| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | 22095000| 100%| 20631000| 100%| 21300000| 100%| Table 4 Vertical analysis of Income Statement Macy's Inc. Common-Size Comparative Income StatementPeroid Ending: End of Jan 2010-2012(m illions, except per share data)| | 2012| 2011| 2010| dollars| percent| dollars| percent| Dollars| Percent| Net Sales| 26405| 100. 00%| 25003| 100. 00%| 23489| 100. 00%| Cost of sales| 15738| 59. 60%| 14824| 59. 29%| 13973| 59. 49%| Gross margin| 10667| 40. 40%| 10179| 40. 71%| 9516| 40. 51%| Selling, general and administrative expenses| 8281| 31. 36%| 8260| 33. 04%| 8062| 34. 32%| Gain on sale of properties, impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs| 25| 0. 09%| -25| -0. 10%| -391| -1. 66%| Operating income| 2411| 9. 13%| 1894| 7. 58%| 1063| 4. 53%| Interest expense| 447| 1. 9%| 579| 2. 32%| 562| 2. 39%| Interest income| 4| 0. 02%| 5| 0. 02%| 6| 0. 03%| Income before tax| 1968| 7. 45%| 1320| 5. 28%| 507| 2. 16%| Federal, state and local income tax benefit (expense)| 712| 2. 70%| 473| 1. 89%| 178| 0. 76%| Net income| 1256| 4. 76%| 847| 3. 39%| 329| 1. 40%| Table 5 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Dollars in millions)| 2011| 2010| Cash flows from operatin g activities:| Net income| 1256. 00 | 847. 00 | Depreciation and amortization| 1085. 00 | 1150. 00 | Gain on sale of properties, impairments and store closing costs| (25. 0)| 25. 00 | Decrease in working capital and other, net| (223. 00)| (516. 00)| Net cash provided by operating activities| 2093. 00 | 1506. 00 | Cash flows from investing activities:| Capital expenditures for property and equipment and capitalized software| (764. 00)| (505. 00)| Disposition of property and equipment| 114. 00 | 74. 00 | Other, net| 33. 00 | (34. 00)| Net cash used by investing activities| (617. 00)| (465. 00)| Cash flows from financing activities:| Debt issued| 800. 00 | -| Debt repaid| (454. 00)| (1245. 00)| Dividends paid| (148. 0)| (84. 00)| Acquisition of treasury stock| (502. 00)| (1. 00)| Issuance of common stock| 162. 00 | 43. 00 | Other, net| 29. 00 | 24. 00 | Net cash used by financing activities| (113. 00)| (1263. 00)| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents| 1363. 00 | (222. 0 0)| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period| 1464. 00 | 1686. 00 | Cash and cash equivalents at end of period| 2827. 00 | 1464. 00 | Table6 Liquidity Ratios | Macy's| Nordstrom| | 2011| 2010| 2009| 2011| 2010| 2009| current ratio| 1. 4| 1. 38| 1. 54| 2. 2| 2. 6| 2| ash flow from operations to current liabilities| 37. 20%| 31. 90%| 36. 50%| 52. 90%| 60. 50%| 69. 20%| number of days' sale in receivables| 4. 8| 5| 6. 1| 65. 5| 72| 80| number of days' sale in inventory| 120| 124| 133| 58| 57| 61| Table7 Solvency Ratios | Macy's| Nordstorm| | 2011| 2010| 2009| 2011| 2010| 2009| debt to equity| 1. 06| 0. 9| 0. 96| 3. 34| 2. 69| 3. 19| debt service coverage ratio| 3. 91| 1. 42| 1. 6| 10. 4| 3. 48| 3. 73| cash flow from operations to capital expenditure| 350%| 390%| 469%| 192%| 253%| 309%| Table 8 Profitability Ratios | Macy's| Nordstrom| 2011| 2010| 2009| 2011| 2010| 2009| profit margin ratio| 4. 76%| 3. 39%| 1. 40%| 6. 28%| 6. 32%| 5. 11%| return on assets| 6. 64%| 4. 92%| 2. 31% | 9. 14%| 9. 37%| 8. 01%| return on sales| 5. 35%| 4. 12%| 2. 16%| 6. 70%| 6. 78%| 5. 68%| Table 9 DuPont Analysis | Macy's| Nordstrom| DuPont analysis factors| 2011| 2010| 2009| 2011| 2010| 2009| profit margin| 4. 76%| 3. 39%| 1. 40%| 6. 28%| 6. 32%| 5. 11%| asset turnover| 1. 2| 1. 21| 1. 1| 1. 28| 1. 3| 1. 31| leverage| 3. 72| 3. 73| 4. 58| 4. 34| 3. 69| 4. 19| ROE| 21. 25%| 15. 30%| 7. 05%| 34. 89%| 30. 32%| 28. 04%|

Mckinsey Mind Paper

| The McKinsey Mind| Personal Paper 1| ENTR 668| Philip Thoms| 4/13/2012| Executive Overview The summary of The McKinsey Mind: Understanding and Implementing the Problem Solving Tools and Management Techniques of the World’s Top Strategic Consulting Firm by Rasiel and Friga does exactly what the title indicates. As stated in the summary it will show one how to: 1. Follow McKinsey’s MECE line of attack 2. Frame business problems to make them susceptible to rigorous, fact-based analysis 3. Use that same fact-based analysis, along with gut instinct, to make strategic decisions. 4. Conduct meaningful interviews. . Analyze the data to find the â€Å"So what. † 6. Clearly communicate fact-based solutions to decision-makers Key Insights and Implications 1. Insight: MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) is separating problems into distinct, non-overlapping issues while making sure that no relevant issues have been overlooked. Implication: Recently, there wer e failures with the Code Blue team arriving to one of our clinics, I believe currently the team I am working with to strengthen up the process is not dividing up the issues distinctively enough and that some relevant issues are being overlooked. . Insight: Issue tree which is a type of logic tree in which each branch is an issue or question. Implication: While working with our client, I believe we would have been in a better place if we would have written down all the issues and formed them into an issue tree in order to better attack and solve the issues that arose instead of going rouge on each issue. 3. Insight: Develop a rapid response culture in that all employees must quickly respond to data request from fellow employees and all phone calls are returned within 24 hours (unwritten rule). Implication:Our consulting engagement has (had) a very tight timeline in that certain aspects needed to be completed in a very short time period. Also, with work if my institution had this cult ure, questions would be able to be answered sooner allowing for more productivity. Recently, I had a simple question that when through 3 departments which took a little under 2 months. Personal Strengths 1. Personable: Being personable is a valuable resource which would directly benefit in managing a team and client. People like to work and do business with people they like. . Altruistic: A consultant cannot be wholly concerned with their own personal welfare, but it is important that they are looking out for others on their team, their project, and the company as a whole (both their firm and the company they are consulting with). 3. Not a Cowboy: I do not enjoy reinventing the wheel. My opinion is if someone else has an answer for a problem, I do not have to come up with the solution myself. I will search the web or whatever database is available for information on a particular problem.Developmental Opportunities 1. Presenting Your Ideas: I need to become more articulate at present ing my ideas. Practice and preparation are the two primary ways that will help me to be better in this aspect. I naturally wait till the last minute to complete tasks that I know must be completed by a certain deadline which inhibits me from practicing the actual presentation part of the task/project. In order to do better, I need to create schedules of when certain aspects of a task need to be completed by and hold myself accountable.I typically have always been able to â€Å"swing it†, but due to this mindset the work that I presented/completed has not been up to the level that I could deliver on. Improving in this area would help me with as an individual with personal projects that I want to complete and it would benefit my organization(work) in my deliverables would be of a higher quality. 2. Forget about absolute precision: I am a finance guy a number guy therefore when I think about business I think about the bottom line and typically I am fixated on worse case scenario ’s based upon numbers only and not the x factor.I need to remember that business is not math or physics and remember sometimes there is more than just the numbers and if Instagram can sell for a billion dollars, anything can happen. 3. Team Selection: I feel that I am not the greatest at team selection. Perhaps, I typically am but I feel that this time during this class our team did not ever quite mesh. We did good work but I don’t feel that we ever great work. Though, it is different in the business world.I definitely think it is something I need to improve on. Final Comments The McKinsey Mind makes it look like if you follow the systems outlined the consulting will go smoothly and it the project will be successful. But from talking to my good friend who is a consultant for Accenture more often than not the customer is very hard to work with. It seems that the bulk of the issue is the customer not listening to the consulting firm which is odd since it was the customer who brought in the consultant firm in to begin.

Free Essays on Agent Orange

Agent Orange Just saying the name Agent Orange gets the attention of every Vietnam veteran, and I dare say most of the Australian and American public, not to mention the Vietnamese. Agent Orange was the code name for a herbicide developed for the military, primarily for use in tropical climates. Although the genesis of the product goes back to the 1940s, serious testing for military applications did not begin until the early 1960s. The purpose of the product was to deny an enemy cover and concealment in dense terrain by defoliating trees and shrubbery where the enemy could hide. The product â€Å"Agent Orange† (a code name for the orange band that was used to mark the drums it was stored in) was principally effective against broad-leaf foliage, such as the dense jungle-like terrain found in Southeast Asia. The product was tested in Vietnam in the early 1960s, and was brought into ever widening use during the height of the war in 1967-68, though it’s use was diminishing and eventually discontinued in 1971. Agent Orange was a 50-50 mix of two chemicals, known conventionally as 2,4,D and 2,4,5,T. The combined product was mixed with kerosene or diesel fuel and dispersed by aircraft, vehicle, and hand spraying. An estimated 19 million gallons of Agent Orange were used in South Vietnam during the war. The earliest health concerns about Agent Orange were about the product’s contamination with TCDD, or dioxin. TCDD is one of a family of dioxins, some found in nature, and are cousins of dibenzofurans and PCB’s. Dioxin is formed by burning achlorine-based chemical compounds with hydrocarbons. The major source of dioxin in the environment (95%) comes from incinerators burning chlorinated wastes. Dioxin pollution is also affiliated with paper mills, which use chlorine bleaching in their process and with the production of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastics. The TCDD that can be found in Agent Orange is thought to be harmful to man. In l... Free Essays on Agent Orange Free Essays on Agent Orange Agent Orange Just saying the name Agent Orange gets the attention of every Vietnam veteran, and I dare say most of the Australian and American public, not to mention the Vietnamese. It has been argued about, written about, researched and debated, published in magazines and newspapers, talked about on radio and television. It was the subject of documentaries, legal battles, and in Australia a Royal Commission that lasted some two years and cost 3.8 million dollars. Agent Orange was the code name for a herbicide developed for the military, primarily for use in tropical climates. Although the genesis of the product goes back to the 1940’s, serious testing for military applications did not begin until the early 1960’s. The purpose of the product was to deny an enemy cover and concealment in dense terrain by defoliating trees and shrubbery where the enemy could hide. The product "Agent Orange" (a code name for the orange band that was used to mark the drums it was stored in) was principally effective against broad-leaf foliage, such as the dense jungle-like terrain found in Southeast Asia. The product was tested in Vietnam in the early 1960’s, and was brought into ever widening use during the height of the war in 1967-68, though it’s use was diminished and eventually discontinued in 1971. Agent Orange was a 50-50 mix of two chemicals, known conventionally as 2,4,D and 2,4,5,T. the combined product was mixed with kerosene or diesel fuel and dispersed by aircraft, vehicle, and hand spraying. An estimated 19 million gallons of Agent Orange were used in South Vietnam during the war. The earliest health concerns about Agent Orange were about the product’s contamination with TCDD, or dioxin. TCDD is one of a family of dioxins, some found in nature, and are cousins of dibenzofurans and PCB’s. Dioxin is formed by burning chlorine-based chemical compounds with hydrocarbons. The major source of dioxin in the environm... Free Essays on Agent Orange Agent Orange Just saying the name Agent Orange gets the attention of every Vietnam veteran, and I dare say most of the Australian and American public, not to mention the Vietnamese. Agent Orange was the code name for a herbicide developed for the military, primarily for use in tropical climates. Although the genesis of the product goes back to the 1940s, serious testing for military applications did not begin until the early 1960s. The purpose of the product was to deny an enemy cover and concealment in dense terrain by defoliating trees and shrubbery where the enemy could hide. The product â€Å"Agent Orange† (a code name for the orange band that was used to mark the drums it was stored in) was principally effective against broad-leaf foliage, such as the dense jungle-like terrain found in Southeast Asia. The product was tested in Vietnam in the early 1960s, and was brought into ever widening use during the height of the war in 1967-68, though it’s use was diminishing and eventually discontinued in 1971. Agent Orange was a 50-50 mix of two chemicals, known conventionally as 2,4,D and 2,4,5,T. The combined product was mixed with kerosene or diesel fuel and dispersed by aircraft, vehicle, and hand spraying. An estimated 19 million gallons of Agent Orange were used in South Vietnam during the war. The earliest health concerns about Agent Orange were about the product’s contamination with TCDD, or dioxin. TCDD is one of a family of dioxins, some found in nature, and are cousins of dibenzofurans and PCB’s. Dioxin is formed by burning achlorine-based chemical compounds with hydrocarbons. The major source of dioxin in the environment (95%) comes from incinerators burning chlorinated wastes. Dioxin pollution is also affiliated with paper mills, which use chlorine bleaching in their process and with the production of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastics. The TCDD that can be found in Agent Orange is thought to be harmful to man. In l...

The Country of Egypt - Geographic Information

The Country of Egypt - Geographic Information Population: 80,471,869 (July 2010 estimate)Capital: CairoArea: 386,662 square miles (1,001,450 sq km)Coastline: 1,522 miles (2,450 km)Highest Point: Mount Catherine at 8,625 feet (2,629 m)Lowest Point: Qattara Depression at -436 feet (-133 m)Egypt is a country located in northern Africa along the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Egypt is known for its ancient history, desert landscapes and large pyramids. Most recently however, the country has been in the news due to severe civil unrest that began in late January 2011. Protests began occurring in Cairo and other major cities on January 25. The protest is against poverty, unemployment and the government of President Hosni Mubarak. The protests continued for weeks and eventually led to Mubaraks stepping down from office. History of Egypt Egypt is known for its long and ancient history. According to the U.S. Department of State, Egypt has been a unified region for over 5,000 years and there is evidence of settlement prior to that. By 3100 B.C.E., Egypt was controlled by a ruler named Mena and he began the cycle of rule by Egypts various pharaohs. Egypts Pyramids of Giza were built during the 4th dynasty and ancient Egypt was height from 1567-1085 B.C.E.The last of Egypts pharaohs was dethroned during a Persian invasion of the country in 525 B.C.E. but in 322 B.C.E. it was conquered by Alexander the Great. In 642 C.E., Arab forces invaded and took control of the area and began to introduce the Arabic language which still exists in Egypt today.In 1517, the Ottoman Turks entered and took control of Egypt which lasted until 1882 except for a short time when Napoleons forces took control of it. Beginning in 1863, Cairo began to grow into a modern city and Ismail took control of the country in that year and remained in powe r until 1879. In 1869, the Suez Canal was built.Ottoman rule in Egypt ended in 1882 after the British stepped in to end a revolt against the Ottomans. They then occupied the area until 1922, when the United Kingdom declared Egypt independent. During World War II, the U.K. used Egypt as an operations base. Social instability began in 1952 when three different political forces began to clash over control of the region as well as the Suez Canal. In July 1952, the Egyptian government was overthrown. On June 19, 1953, Egypt was declared a republic with Lt. Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser as its leader.Nasser controlled Egypt until his death in 1970, at which time President Anwar el-Sadat was elected. In 1973, Egypt entered a war with Israel and in 1978 the two countries signed the Camp David Accords which later led to a peace treaty between them. In 1981, Sadat was assassinated and Hosni Mubarak was elected as president shortly thereafter.Throughout the rest of the 1980s and into the 1990s, Egypts political p rogress slowed and there were a number of economic reforms aimed at expanding the private sector, while reducing the public. In January 2011 protests against Mubaraks government began and Egypt remains socially unstable.Government of EgyptEgypt is considered a republic with an executive branch of government made up of a chief of state and a prime minister. It also has a legislative branch with a bicameral system made up of the Advisory Council and the Peoples Assembly. Egypts judicial branch is made up of its Supreme Constitutional Court. It is divided into 29 governorates for local administration.Economics and Land Use in EgyptEgypts economy is highly developed but it is mostly based on the agriculture that takes place in the Nile River valley. Its main agricultural products include cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables cattle, water buffalo, sheep and goats. Other industries in Egypt are textiles, food processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, cement, metals and light manufacturing. Tourism is also a major industry in Egypt.Geography and Climate of EgyptEgypt is located in nor thern Africa and shares borders with Gaza Strip, Israel, Libya and Sudan. Egypts boundaries also include the Sinai Peninsula. Its topography consists mainly of desert plateau but the eastern part is cut by the Nile River valley. The highest point in Egypt is Mount Catherine at 8,625 feet (2,629 m), while its lowest point is the Qattara Depression at -436 feet (-133 m). Egypts total area of 386,662 square miles (1,001,450 sq km) makes it the 30th largest country in the world.The climate of Egypt is desert and as such it has very hot, dry summers and mild winters. Cairo, Egypts capital which is located in the Nile valley, has an average July high temperature of 94.5ËšF (35ËšC) and an average January low of 48ËšF (9ËšC).To learn more about Egypt, visit the Geography and Maps page on Egypt on this website.ReferencesCentral Intelligence Agency. (13 January 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Egypt. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.htmlInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Egypt: History, Geography, Government, and Cul ture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107484.htmlParks, Cara. (1 February 2011). Whats Going on in Egypt? The Huffington Post. Retrieved from: huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/28/whats-going-on-in-egypt_n_815734.htmlUnited States Department of State. (10 November 2010). Egypt. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5309.htmWikipedia.com. (2 February 2011). Egypt - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt

Literary Essays and School Essays

Literary Essays and School Essays Literary Essays and School Essays Literary Essays and School Essays By Maeve Maddox As a literary term, essay is defined as â€Å"a short non-fiction composition.† What many people mean by â€Å"essay† these days, however, is quite different from what it means as a literary genre. The Literary Essay The word essay comes from the French word essayer â€Å"to try, to attempt† and still has this meaning in English, both as a noun and as a verb: Thats his first essay into the cattle business. We shall essay to remedy the situation. The first writer to apply the term to the type of reflective and entertaining pieces he liked to write was the Frenchman Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). The writer who popularized the essay form in English was Francis Bacon (1561-1626). For the professional writer, the essay is the ideal genre with which to practice the writing craft. It offers the opportunity to focus on a topic and discover what one thinks about it. In a much quoted passage from his Collected Essays, Aldous Huxley describes the essay as a literary device for saying almost everything about almost anything.† Huxley says that essays can be studied â€Å"most effectively within a three-poled frame of reference† and goes on to identify the â€Å"three poles† as: the pole of the personal and the autobiographical the pole of the objective, the factual, the concrete-particular the pole of the abstract-universal Huxley’s opinion is that most essayists are at home in one, or at most, two, of the three types of essay. The writer comfortable with all three writes â€Å"the most richly satisfying essays.† Montaigne remains a model for modern essayists because he was able to combine the three poles. George Orwell is another useful model. For more recent examples of the literary essay, browse the pages of such publications as The Village Voice and Slate. How Long is an Essay? Although an essay is defined as â€Å"a short non-fiction composition,† in the hands of a professional writer with plenty to say, it can be pretty long. The essays of Montaigne and Bacon, for example, can run to 4,000 words. The famous essay â€Å"Self-Reliance† by American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) exceeds 10,000 words. For the non-professional writer, the high school student applying for college, for example, the â€Å"essay† is quite short. College entrance essays fall in the 500-700 word range. It’s rare that a high school student or college freshman is asked to write an essay any longer than 1.000 words. The greatest difference between the literary essay and the school essay is that the literary essay springs from the interests of the writer and can be a joy to write. The essay written as a school assignment is often regarded by the writer as drudgery. The Essay as Chore Two main reasons that essay writing is perceived as a chore by students are 1) they don’t want to do it 2) they’ve had insufficient reading experience. We learn our first language by hearing it spoken. We absorb the forms of written language by reading it. Students with limited reading experience will find essay writing more difficult than those who are avid readers. They have not internalized the patterns of written English. As a result, sentences written by ill-read students seldom vary from simple or compound. The most common coordinating conjunction found in this type of essay is and. The most common subordinating conjunctions are because, then, and before. The reading level of this type of â€Å"assignment essay† rarely rises above sixth grade. That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing within the framework of communication. Much popular material is written at this level. The vocabulary in student essays tends to fluctuate between the elementary and the exotic. Many, if not most, high school students acquire advanced vocabulary by studying word lists, not by encountering them in the context of books. As a result they often misuse words because of insufficient understanding of their meanings. Nevertheless, even without a strong reading background students can master the skill of producing a five-paragraph essay that is acceptable for most school assignments. The Five-Paragraph Essay The five-paragraph essay is often criticized for being too restricted; too cut-and-dried. It is said to inhibit creativity. Perhaps. But not all the young people being asked to write essays are gifted with creativity. And even the creative ones need to learn the basics of composition before soaring off to their creative heights. The five-paragraph essay remains a useful workhorse. Parts of the Essay Every essay has three main parts. In the five-paragraph essay they are arranged this way: Introduction (first paragraph): states the topic and theme; Briefly states three points to be made about the theme. Body (paragraphs 2-4): each paragraph expands and supports one of the points mentioned in the introduction. Conclusion (paragraph 5): restates the theme and sums up the argument in a satisfying way. The Hardest Part of Writing an Essay Essay writing guides can help, but the most important aspect of any writing assignment lies with the writer. Only the writer can answer this most important question: What do you want to say? Time spent in pinning down the topic and theme of your essay is never wasted. Don’t begin writing before you know 1. what you are writing about 2. what you want to say about it 3. to whom you are saying it With school assignments, the essay topic is often part of the assignment, but the student is usually given a choice of more than one. If at all possible, choose a topic in which you feel some interest. Have a destination. It’s not enough to say you’re writing about â€Å"war† or â€Å"civic responsibility† or â€Å"gun control.† What do you want to say about the topic? What do you want your reader to feel about it after having read your essay? One of the most frequent faults of freshman essays is that they leave the reader wondering â€Å"so what?† Who’s your reader? Picturing your reader in your mind as you write will influence your writing style. If a teacher is your target audience, nonstandard vocabulary and grammar are not an option. Supporting Statements A common fault among student writers is the failure to distinguish between a general statement and a supporting statement. Inexperienced writers often attempt to support one general statement with another general statement: My sister is annoying. She really bothers me. I can’t stand some of the things she does. All three of these statements are generalizations. Specific, concrete examples are needed to support general statements. General statement: My sister is annoying. Supporting statement: She eats my favorite cereal on the sly and then puts the empty box back into the cabinet. Some helpful links A good starting place for the insecure writer is Ali Hale’s article on the writing process. A good guide to and discussion of the five-paragraph essay can be found here. A detailed step-by-step guide to writing the student essay can be found here. The steps include pre-writing, outlining, drafting and revising, Finally, here’s an example of a five-paragraph essay Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'ts60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip†Educational vs. Educative

MacmidIK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MacmidIK - Essay Example B – More will be demanded at lower prices 14. A – Income 15. B – A decrease in the price of a substitute product. 16. B – A technological change in the production of the good 17. C – An increase in the taxes paid by telephone companies 18. B – Inelastic 19. A – Generally results in substantial negative externalities 20. D – A surplus of 600 units 21. C – $20 And 600 units 22. D – using private bargaining when property rights 23. A – eliminate all pollution rights 24. B – changes only when there is change in out put 25. A – real GDP doubles 26. C – Nominal GDP and real GDP both decreases 27. A – Family will need to spend more in order to maintain its standard of living 28. C – Nominal GDP divided by real GDP 29. B – 110 30. C – Couples remodelling their own homes 31. A – 1 and 2 32. D – Stable political system 33. B – Movement from a point inside to a point outside the production possibility curve 34. B – 6 percent 35. B – Cyclical 36. C – Frictional 37. C – Is equal to the total frictional and structural employment 38. D – Actual GDP is greater than potential GDP 39. B – Actual GDP is less than potential GDP 40. A – Every 1 percent that the actual employment exceeds the natural employment rate, a 2 percent GDP gap is created 41. A – 4.0 Percent 42. C – Demand-pull inflation 43. C – Cost push inflation 44. A – Increases by 3% 45. ... B – Real GDP will increase 55. C – 280 billion 56. D – An increase in real interest rates. 57. A – Productivity 58. D – 4 59. C – 3 60. A – Supply increase Short Answers 1. a) Making necessary computation to complete the table below Year 1 Year2 Labour force 95,450 108,250 Employed 90,325 100,830 Unemployed 5,125 7,420 Unemployment rate (10%) 94% 94% Unemployed= Labour force-employed Year 1=95450-90325= 5,125 Persons Year 2= 108,250-100,830=7,420 persons Unemployment rate = number of employed people ? Labour force?100 Year 1 = 90,325?95,450?100 =94% Year 2 = 100,830 ? 108,250?100 =93% b) Possibility of increase in employment and unemployment between year 1 and 2 Based on the above computation, it can be scrutinized that there was an increase in number of employed and unemployed people between the two periods. This is because there is a possibility of having both favourable and unfavourable economic conditions leading to an increase in number of employed and unemployed people (Taylor, 2007). The above assertions may be substantiated by Keynesian theory of economics that holds that a trade off exists between unemployment and inflation, this trade off may be presented using Philips curve (Tucker, 2011), whereby, during favourable economic conditions, inflation decreases while employment increases (Tucker, 2011). On the contrary, during unfavourable economic conditions, inflation rates decrease while unemployment increases (Tucker, 2011).Therefore, based on the above discussion, it is possible to have both increase in employments and unemployment between the two periods. In above connection, an increase in unemployment may be attributed to technological advancement. This is so because most people get laid off as less human labour is needed (Layard,

Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Law - Assignment Example Traditional dating was when a man asked a woman out several days prior to the day they were supposed to go dating if she was interested. The innovations made dating more casual that it was before. However, the question that bugs many people is; are hookups good or bad for women’s rights? According to England and Thomas, hook ups are when two people go out dancing, for movies and later on retire to a more private place for sexual encounters. Such encounters are aided with a lot of drinking. From the research that was carried out, more men enjoyed hookups than women did. The rates of satisfaction in women were low and many were not happy with their en counters. Many of the men hooked up with women that they had never seen before and in the morning, they could not remember their partners. Taking to perspective the fragile nature of the women emotions, it is then appropriate to say that hook ups are not in the best interests of the women. Many of the women leave the encounters emotionally bruised and the fact that they have not achieved the intended felling’s makes it more frustrating for women. As much as there is dating, hooking up or any other form of interaction people need to live together. This is what is called cohabitation; a living arrangement that is facilitated by agreement between two parties. Mostly this happens in members of the opposite sex. According to England and Thomas, the increase in heterosexual cohabitation has led to delayed marriages and an increase in divorce and caused one of the most significant changes in family life, as we have known it. It is believed that cohabitation had decreased the committed that is associated with marriage. Marriage used to be the foundation of sexual relations, living together among many other family related matters. Today people are joining up to live together without even being married. They are having children and even giving themselves names husbands and wives without

Mega-cities Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mega-cities - Research Paper Example The population growth rate of Shanghai has been tremendous with increases in population over the years threatening the city’s ability to handle its vast citizenry. The city has a growth rate estimated at 23%, being much higher than the Chinese national population growth rate (Shen, and Kee 78). However, the natural growth rate has been decreasing, implying that immigrations have led to the increased population growth rates. The projected population size of its mega city is 20.02million, meaning it has already surpassed the mark before the year 2025. This is a serious situation, because analysts estimate that the population may reach 50 million by the year 2050. The social and economic spheres of this city have greatly been affected by the high population growth rates. From the high congestion and wastage of land in the city, it is palpable that many prospective economic activities are slowly chocked and the ability of the city to grow greatly reduced. On the other hand, the city’s current situation has given great disparities in income and led to social evils like theft and imbalance of resources. On the social perspective, the city has a high population of ageing population as well as imbalances in the gender where the ratio of boys is higher than that of girls at an alarming rate (Shen, and Kee 103). Further, the levels of fertility are very low as well as the burdening on the social facilities that has over the years affected the city’s ability to contain its population. The aging population of Shanghai city is a problem to the authorities and has been a key contributor to the increased dependence ratio in the city. The rates of dependence determine the city’s ability to grow, and also covers the decreasing work force form retirement and aging. Dealing with the aged and provision of basic services to them has been a key challenge to the authorities over time. The government

Early medieval history of Ireland Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Early medieval history of Ireland - Term Paper Example Due to the relative isolation of Ireland by water, this magical land has been able to keep many of its medieval treasures intact, unlike most parts of Western Europe. With the fall of the Roman Empire, much of Western Europe lost its scholarship as Christianity tended to withdraw into its own sanctuaries. The medieval church in Ireland was powerful and brilliant. Splendid reminders of early Irish Christianity can be found in the stone, high crosses that melded the country's pagan roots with the newly imported faith. Unfortunately, not much can be said about pre-Christian era in Ireland. What little is known of this period comes from a few references in Roman writings, Irish poetry and myth, and archaeology (Raftery, 2005:134).However, traditions have it that the earliest inhabitants of Ireland, people of a mid-Stone Age, or Mesolithic culture, arrived sometime after 8000 BC, when the climate had become more hospitable following the retreat of the polar icecaps. At this time, settleme nts of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers have been found at about half a dozen sites scattered throughout the country: Mount Sandel in County Londonderry (Coleraine); Woodpark in County Sligo; the Shannon estuary; Lough Boora in County Offaly; the Curran in County Antrim; and a number of locations in Munster. It is thought that these settlers first colonised the northeast of the country from Scotland. Although sea levels were still lower than they are today, Ireland was probably already an island by the time the first settlers arrived by boat

Banking Regulation and Risk Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Banking Regulation and Risk - Coursework Example The debit and credit cards are also offered to the customers depending on the kind of services they need from the institutions. Finance is a crucial sector in the field of financing which is the funding to the customers in order for them to be successful in life. It is also logic that the customers need techniques for them to manage their financial activities. When I say about banking, it is the financial institutions that are working on different kinds of business. For one to understand the challenges and risks of banking, it is good to understand the types of business involved in the banking system. This depends on the type of banks running the business whereby some banks carry out different functions depending on the size of the bank. Some banks are large and offer a large number of services to the customers which have complex functions that are more specialized. It is not all the banks that have same financial activities and functions but they vary depending on the kind of services the customers need. Banking is usually divided in the following types; It is a bank that deals with the maintenance of the country’s economy. Without the central bank the country can not have a stable economy. The banks normally deal with the circulation of the buying and selling currencies in the country and it controls the interest rates of the amounts. The bank also acts as the last resort lender to other banks when they face trouble. It is a bank that is separate from other banks in the country. Retail banks are the banks at the streets where many people in the country access the banks. The banks collect deposits from the customers and give saving facilities to them and they pay interests on the accounts. The banks also lend the customers with money and charge them a certain amount of interest depending on the rates. the banks also provide other services to the customers. This are banks that have

Value Creation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Value Creation - Essay Example Upon complaining, the attendant would have provided me with another bag of chips or refund me. Evenson (2011) is of the assumption that good customer service is a great determinant of a business success. The author further asserts that good customer service creates an attractive business image in the market (Evenson, 2011). The customer preference is influenced by the human nature requirement of positive interaction. Organizations that spend heavily on creating an effective customer service strategy tend to succeed more that business that ignore the factor. In an argument by Evenson (2011) investing in the creation of an exceptional customer service system improves the market position of an organization. This is based on that good customer service also acts as a marketing strategy. From the arguments presented, it is an accurate assumption that good customer service is a basic business operational requirement. Businesses risk losing market relevance and preference if they ignore the significance and role of good customer

Banking Regulation and Risk Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Banking Regulation and Risk - Coursework Example The debit and credit cards are also offered to the customers depending on the kind of services they need from the institutions. Finance is a crucial sector in the field of financing which is the funding to the customers in order for them to be successful in life. It is also logic that the customers need techniques for them to manage their financial activities. When I say about banking, it is the financial institutions that are working on different kinds of business. For one to understand the challenges and risks of banking, it is good to understand the types of business involved in the banking system. This depends on the type of banks running the business whereby some banks carry out different functions depending on the size of the bank. Some banks are large and offer a large number of services to the customers which have complex functions that are more specialized. It is not all the banks that have same financial activities and functions but they vary depending on the kind of services the customers need. Banking is usually divided in the following types; It is a bank that deals with the maintenance of the country’s economy. Without the central bank the country can not have a stable economy. The banks normally deal with the circulation of the buying and selling currencies in the country and it controls the interest rates of the amounts. The bank also acts as the last resort lender to other banks when they face trouble. It is a bank that is separate from other banks in the country. Retail banks are the banks at the streets where many people in the country access the banks. The banks collect deposits from the customers and give saving facilities to them and they pay interests on the accounts. The banks also lend the customers with money and charge them a certain amount of interest depending on the rates. the banks also provide other services to the customers. This are banks that have

Russian Mafia. Russian organised crime. Is the Russian Mafia is dead Essay

Russian Mafia. Russian organised crime. Is the Russian Mafia is dead or not - Essay Example The Russian Mafia can be linked with the imperial period of Russia, which started in the 1700s. Most of the Russian populations at that time were very poor people. During that time, the criminals who stole from the government resources and shared the profits with the poor were regarded as heroes and were seen as protectors of the community (Gleason, 2009). The term Russia Mafia is a phrase used by most people to refer to a collection of various criminals that are organized and are originate in the previous Soviet Union. Most of these groups share a similar organization structure and goals that identify them as part of the association. They have also been given names like Bratva, Organizatsiya, or the Red Mafia. In the world of today, more than 6,000 different groups that are existing, and more than 200 of these groups are operating globally (Niklaus, 2014). For an organized crime syndicate that is powerful, there was the integration of two USSR characteristic. There was present of a bureaucratic power that was excessive and an illegal market that was present. The bureaucratic excessive power encouraged organized crime by availing an environment for bribery, corruption, extortion and shakedown. According to the Soviet Ministry of Interior All- Union Research Institution in 1991 (Ruth, n.d), bribes were part of the salary of almost half the population of the entire government employees. However, the existence of a market that was illegal was the basis of the presence of the Mafia in the Soviet Union. Most people know that a market that is illegal, like alcohol during the period of prohibition or elicit organized crime of drugs today, yet this connection was distinctive in the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union, any business form that was not approved by the government was associated with a market that was illegal. This strengthened the cr iminal growth in the USSR. Also, the government was not able to provide the basic products to the citizens hence making a

Hard and Soft System Methodology

Hard and Soft System Methodology Introduction There are two systems thinking namely hard and soft which are used to solve the problems. Peter Checkland (1981) suggested that Hard system thinking which is identified in system engineering and system analysis has the starting point in structured problems and assumes that the objectives of the system are clear and stable. This system thinking has a formulated way to solve the real world problems. On the other hand, Soft system thinking which attempts to structure a debate about actions in problem solving has the start point in unstructured problems within social activity systems.      Ã‚   Fixitup Toys limited is a manufacturer of toys which produces outdoor and indoor games, self-assembly models and toy soldiers. There has been some concern about their rising cost of manufacture and consideration has been given to the outsourcing of some or part of the production. The vision of the Fixitup senior management team is to optimize manufacture processing to produce the highest quality and most advanced products by using E-business conforming to the lean manufacturing principles and integrating into their established QAD Application. In order to achieve these goals, we need to apply the principles of lean manufacturing. There are several key lean manufacturing principles including: Understand value in the eyes of the customer. Achieve perfect first-time quality. Continue improvement. Respect for humanity. Create pull. (Asefeso, 2011) After Gathering information from all aspects of the company the following steps will be taken: As can be seen, the Rich Picture is an unstructured way of capturing information flows, communication and human activity to represent complex problems and identify possible routes through to their solution (Berg, 2013). Avison and Fitzgerald (2003) stated that the Rich Picture is helpful since: 1. Lack of space on the paper forces decisions on what is really important. 2. It helps people to visualize and discuss their own role in the organization. 3. It helps defining the aspects of the organization which are intended to be covered by the information system. 4. It helps showing up the worries of individuals, potential conflicts, and political issues. (Avison Fitzgerald, 2003) With reference to the Rich Picture, there are following problems in Fixitup. Since about 74% of customers saw the service and quality as moderate or worse, the issue of quality of products must be considered. Further, a powerful information system helps different level managements for planning, decision making, target setting and their implementations (Stephanou, 1982).Therefore, quality control system and information management system are important and they will be discussed. Resource Resource Investment Requirement: Comments: VOC was not heard because there was no effective communication between the company and its customers. Remarks: By establishing a design department and integrating this department with the marketing department the customer feedback can be incorporated into the design. Comments: Lack of checklists caused the absence of the systematic process of QC hence, the chances of defects being ignored is considerably high. Actions: The design department and the quality team will be integrated to prepare checklists according to the quality required. Comments: Since there was no analysis of the defective products, the defects were being ignored therefore they were persistent. Actions: Train a quality control team who will be responsible for doing analysis, recording data and providing feedback. Comments: There was no coherence between the departments to respond to the quality issues. Actions: Develop communication channels between the supervisors and the technical, procurement and design departments in order to create coherence towards quality improvement. Comments: There was no system for controlling and monitoring the Quality Control Process. Actions: Train the factory manager on the QC process and how he should intervene in terms of analysing quality data and controlling the system. He will seek technical advice from technical, procurement and design department for a better monitoring of the system. Comments: Monitoring and evaluation of the information system are missing. Actions: Helen who is responsible for Internal Affairs and George can be trained for the information system and perform monitoring the system. Conclusion There are different problems in Fixitup which resulted in dissatisfaction of the customers. Due to having permanently relevance and also being expected to map on to an organizational boundary, the transformation from inefficient manufacturing to efficient manufacturing which has marketable products is assumed as the primary task process (Wilson and Van Haperen, 2015). Although discrimination between primary task- based and issue-based is often debatable, it seems quality control and information management systems are issue-based which help the primary task to be carried out (Waring, 1996). The current strategy of Fixitup is to optimize manufacture processing to produce the highest quality and most advanced products by using E-business conforming to the lean manufacturing principles and integrating into their established QAD Application. After drawing the rich picture the main problems of the organization were revealed. The strategic construct which was used was classification schemes of issues which helped to identify the differentiating characteristics necessary to improve quality control and information management systems (Verma and Boyer, 2000). Further, the system construct used for quality control was input and output; modelling of such system involves modelling of each process separately considering the connection between them (Apolloni, Howlett and Jain, 2007). In addition, the system construct used for information management system was integrated elements; in which different elements including communication, information and resources were integrated for the suc cess of the system (Khan and Burn, 2013). Otley and Berry (1980) argued that four conditions must be satisfied before any process can be said to be controlled. In the existing situation there was no one responsible for monitoring the systems and consequently, there was no capacity to take corrective actions (Emmanuel, Otley and Merchant, 2013).However, in the proposed systems, George and Helen were nominated to monitor the systems. To sum up, the details of the two systems will be discussed in the following tables. System name and type Quality Control Process; The input and output system construct. Role of information Due to lack of information about the requirements of customers and standard criteria set by the management, the products were just inspected for the appearance by the operators. Therefore, the application of information which was vital to improve the quality of products was missing and consequently the reputation of the factory was being worsening. Information needed to develop In order to use the information to improve the quality of products we need to know: Quality Criteria: After hearing the voice of customers and considering the strategy of the company the criteria for quality of products such as weight, shape and material should be prepared in a simple format. Training of Workers: There was no information about the training of operators and even management in terms of quality control. Historic quality data: The historic quality data including survey reports, the number of different products produced, the number of return items should be available for better assessment of the quality of products. Coherence between QC and departments: There was no information as any department is dealing with quality matters. Further, there was no information about communication between operators and departments, if any, in terms of quality of products. More information is needed to evaluate the possibility of automating the QC department. Intervention In order to solve the problem of quality of products the following actions are suggested: Develop a design department and integrate this department with the marketing department so that the customer feedback can be incorporated into the design. The design department and the quality team should be integrated to prepare a checklist according to the quality required. The quality control team will be responsible for doing analysis, record data and providing feedback. Develop a communication channel between the supervisor and the relevant technical departments in order to create coherence towards quality improvement. Factory manager should intervene in terms of analysing quality data and control the system. Risks Even after the intervention, the following risk associated with quality of products exist: Even after the successful QC audit, there is a chance that the toys will break while transferring/ packing. The Technical and procurement departments might not react to the QC feedback. There might be a friction between the Factory manager and the design team in terms of accepting innovative designs. There might be dissatisfaction of factory workers due to job enrichment without a pay increase. Cost Benefit Analysis In order to assign a monetary value to the benefits, we need more information to predict the revenue accurately as well as intangible benefits (Mindtools.com, 2016). Having good quality products will result in increasing the loyalty of existing customers and acquisition of new customers and consequently, it will increase the revenue. In contrast, the firm may incur some costs to apply the changes. In this case, we do not have enough information about the existing departments and the expertise of employees. Assuming that none of the employees

Comparison of the Chartres towers :: essays papers

Comparison of the Chartres towers The cathedral of Notre-Dame at Chartres must be one of the most beautiful and famous architectural specimens in the world today. The cathedral owns an exquisite silhouette against the sky of La Beauce. Two towers rise uncontested, to take watch over miles and miles of French countryside. Up close, the two towers, along with their spires, seem mismatched or unrelated. Yet, the two together provide for one of the most interesting juxtapositions in architecture. â‚ ¬Chartres cathedral has had a tumultuous history with both tragedies and triumphs. Charpentier notes that the site of the cathedral has also served various other purposes. The Romans had used the higher ground for a military camp, part of which still exists on the eastern side of the cathedral by the transition of apse to choir. In addition to the camp site, there was also the existance of a Gallo-Roman temple on the same site as Chartres cathedral. This temple is believed to have the same orientation as the cathedral and the cathedral's round apse uses the foundation of a Gallo-Roman defensive tower. This use of the Gallo-Roman defensive tower is also present at Bourges cathedral. The lower parts of the defensive tower formed a crypt which was incorporated into the ninth century Church of Gislebert, also known as Saint Lubin's chapel. On the night of September seventh 1020, the Church was completely razed by fire. â‚ ¬After the destruction of the church in Chartres, the bishop of Chartres, Saint Fulbert, spearheaded the campaign to build a church in Chartres. Only the crypt remained from the earlier Caroligian church and Fulbert built his Romanesque church around the enduring crypt. Fulbert's church lasted 200 years, but in 1134 the front faÅ“ade was damaged by another fire. It was at this time that a effort to update and restore the church was put into motion. The religious powers, along with the Crusaders longed for a greater monument. Thus, Chartres decided to beg in a separate tower.â‚ ¬This adding on to Romanesque churches was not unusual for the day. The abbey-church at Cluny, outside Italy, was given a new magnificent five-bay narthex and two bell-towers. A similar renovation was attempted at La CharitÅ’, but funds ran short and the upgrades could not be completed. â‚ ¬Hence, in 1134 the tower forming the north-west corner of the present-day cathedral, (the left tower of the west faÅ“ade elevation), underwent construction.