Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans Essay - 1

Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans - Essay Example ntiation generic strategy with the market development grand strategy that would be instrumental in increasing the market share and financial income by as much as 20% per annum for the 3rd year and too increase further to 30% from the 4th to 5th years. Implementation of Differentiation Generic Strategy: (1) Caribou should enhance visibility with the positive attributes at the core of their mission and vision statements (Bockstedt & Goh, 2012, p. 237) by increasing advertisements and promotional efforts; (2) Caribou should build customer loyalty through differentiating the Caribou brand from other specialty coffee brands in terms of focusing on the quality advantage; (3) Caribou should not only focus on satisfying customers; but more so, on delighting them and providing them with exemplary personalized experience as they purchase the company’s products. approximately 7 new stores per annum for the 3rd to 4th years and to increase to 10 stores per annum starting on the 5th year; (2) Caribou is renovating the current store within the Chicago market; (3) it will reintroduce a unique brand to the residents that has a customized Chicago-centric look and taste; (4) Caribou should expand beyond United States and would start operation in the Middle East, Colombia, and some parts of Europe starting from the 3rd year to the 5th year time period. From among the noted activities for the strategies identified, the following are emphasized: (1) development of a franchising pipeline in the non-traditional locations like airports, offices, and hospitals within United States; (2) opening of new stores within strategic locations in the U.S.; (3) renovation of the Chicago store; (4) expansion to international markets. The milestones include: (1) the expansion which would mark the company first-owned store for the past five years; (2) expanding into international markets; and (3) renovating the current store in the Chicago market. Current and future resources would be primarily

Monday, October 28, 2019

Board of Directors, Linear Technologies Essay Example for Free

Board of Directors, Linear Technologies Essay Based on the financials to date and the forward looking capital investments required Linear should increase their dividend payout by $0.01 per share. Entering the fourth quarter of 2003 the market seems to show continued signs of improvement. The company has shown steady growth and revenues are forecasted to exceed 2002’s by 19%. The forecast shows net income coming in at $222.7m; a robust 12% increase over last year. Linear has however increased its cash holdings to be in excess of $1.5b through various management initiatives. However this $1.5b has only shown investors a 4.25% growth which translates to $0.10 earnings per share pre-tax. This is in line with the company’s history of conservatism. Looking ahead the company does seem to have requirements to build a new fabrication facility as their facility is aging and is nearing its effective use in its life cycle and will cost around $200m. Linear seems to have enough cash on hand to be able to invest their cash without leveraging the company too much in the future. They have also not spent much on capital expenditures as a percentage of sales (2.2% in FY2002) this last year and should look to increase that in the future. By looking at the information above in the table we see that Linear has had a long history of paying a dividend and has ample resources to pay out dividends; Thus making them one of the highest in their industry as noted in the table below. The other options show extremes in the industry and prove to be too â€Å"far out there† in terms of this industry. Technology companies are known for investing their cash in RD as well and Linear needs to be aggressive in using its cash reserves in a higher and better use that will in turn show investors more returns as well as provide a health dividend amongst their peers. This is in line with what their investors have come to expect over the last 3 years and any significant adjustment now would not signal well in the markets. This increase would raise their dividend payouts to over $66m (a 22% increase from FY2002). History/Analysis of the Dividend Policy at Linear Linear management started issuing dividends when they were sure of the sustainable profitability and cash flow and understood that if they started a dividend that they would have to maintain this in the long run. They understood that investors don’t react well when a company stops paying a dividend. Hence starting small at and gradually increasing the dividends over time as seen in the chart below while the dividend yield took a large hit in 2000 and rebounded in 2002. (Starting at $0.00625 dividend per share in 1992 after they went public in 1986 to a high of $.05 per share today) The Primary reasons to start issuing the dividend highlighted by the management were – Company is financially well positioned with the sustained cash flow since IPO Show investors that Linear is a less risky investment (compared to other tech firms) Tap in the investors interested in income goals along with growth goals (more attractive than the low bank interest instruments) Management feels that increasing the dividend every year even during a tough economic time was good signaling. One thing to note is that Linear did not just limit itself to dividends but also leveraged the share buyback (based on the market conditions), as a vehicle to give cash back to the investors. In 2003, company has recovered ($198m net income) from the 2001 recessionary slump but still more than 50% below the peak in 2001 ($427m net income.) Moreover, sales and profit grew at 3% and 7% respectively are still far below 2001 levels. Dividend payouts make the stocks less volatile too. On the other hand, when a technology growth company start paying dividend it can be concluded that company believes that shareholders can make higher return by investing somewhere else. Porter’s 5 Forces to date: Dividend and buyback policies at Linear Overall Market: Big market scandals, Enron and World-Com were cooking the accounting books to show growth. Every year an investor can get the real money from the dividend (a bird in hand,) but stock growth is just on paper (two birds in the bush, considering the recent big accounting scandals). Even the Fortune article in 2002 suggested that going forward a growing share of investment returns will be from the dividend income. Simple Proposal: Raise by $0.01 The goal of payout policy is to ensure that funds are allocated optimally across firms and their investors. Having said that, several facts speak in favor of raising Linear’s dividend by one cent and not swinging the pendulum in one direction or the other. Excess cash-to-operations approach for 2003 (first three quarters): Dividends paid: $47 million Operating Cash Flow: $180.1 million with the majority of cash going towards stock repurchases. ($165.7 million) while $13.2 million ended up on the firm’s balance sheet. With 312.4million shares outstanding, Linear’s additional expenditures with a $0.06 dividend would be $3.1million per quarter or $12.5million annually. Given the corporation’s financial situation, this is perfectly feasible as seen in the chart below. This would slightly change the dividend yield as seen in the charts below. The company has a very strong cash balance of over $1.5 billion in which to strategically invest In view of the upcoming changes in tax law, raising dividends enjoys support from major shareholders It could potentially help attract additional investors, such as mutual funds and European investment firms It would be consistent with the firm’s dividend payout history; the dividends have been increasing by one cent every year since 1999 The company is not planning any major acquisition for which cash would be required Middle-ground proposal: Send 1/3 FCF to Dividends, 1/3 FCF to buybacks An option to balance the historical and the path forward for dividend pay would be to adopt the idea of paying one third of their earnings per Blaine Rollins, leader portfolio manager of Janus Fund. â€Å"For companies with strong excess cash flow such as Linear, I would suggest saving a third of the cash for a ‘rainy day’ and sharing the other two-thirds with investors, split equally between dividends and buybacks.† Here’s the historical data of the actual paid and the percentage of their excess cash flow: If we follow the advice from Rollins, here’s the middle ground proposal allocating 1/3 of excess cash flow towards dividends. Assuming the Q4 will be similar to the first 3 quarters in 2003, we can estimate that the net income to be $227.5M and FCFE to be $240M. By taking 1/3, we can recommend dividend for 2003E (estimate) would be $80M. The dividend yield would increase slightly from .4% to .6% a well in the charts above. Economy Due to the recession in 2001, the overall economy is not growing strong but there’s no clear sign of a major decline. SP500 has remained steady over the past few years and with a favorable tax plan, it a signal to the investors that Linear remains a great investment opportunity when people are generally trying to hold on to their cash. Industry Although this is still higher than the industry standard, Linear has maintained a strong cash balance and by rewarding the investors, with a high dividend, it would signal strong growth and attract future investors looking for steady income revenue. This would also be a point of differentiation amongst its competitors and allow Linear to stand out amongst the crowd. However, a concern is a potential message that there is no future growth RD/projects in the pipeline. Linear’s current circumstance: Linear is in a strong financial position to pay aggressive dividends and there’s no apparent risk in increasing dividends to the company. However, some factors to consider are potentially missing out on capital growth investments and executive pay restrictions. Radical Proposal: Distribute All Cash A radical proposal for Linear Technology would be to distribute all of their cash. Taking this to the extreme, it would include the $1.5 billion cash balance they currently have as well as paying all of their cash flow for each of the subsequent years. The $1.5 billion they have on hand would provide a dividend of approximately $5.00 per share. This would represent a dividend yield of 16.2%. If they chose to continue this policy on a going forward basis it would provide a very volatile dividend. Looking at the past ten years of data, this strategy would give investors a dividend between $0.13 and $1.34 per share. Economy The economy still hasn’t rebounded from the recession of 2001. Although Linear Technologies had never had a year with negative cash flow, there was significant uncertainty in the market and by distributing all of their cash they would be in a position where they could not make a mistake if it fell further. Industry This would imply to investors that they do not have growth opportunities that would provide investors attractive returns. Investors prefer to have a predictable dividend, by doing this they would create uncertainty in their dividend policy in the future. Even if they decided not to payout all of their cash every year, by doing it one year they risk setting a precedent that if cash gets to $1.5 billion it will be used for a dividend. This would provide a dividend yield to investors of 16.2%. This is significantly higher than the 0.3% average for the Information Technology sector as a whole. Moreover, if they continued this policy moving forward they would continue to distinguish themselves from the other tech firms by having a much higher dividend yield. Linear’s current circumstance: They run the risk of missing out on opportunities for acquisitions or investment in their existing business. Even if they didn’t see opportunities at the current time, starting the year with a zero cash balance would greatly diminish their ability to finance any expansions or acquisitions. They would be forced to finance those opportunities through debt or raising new equity.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Hamlet: Admirable or Weak? Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Hamle

Hamlet:   Admirable or Weak?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the character of Hamlet is often portrayed as a weak-minded individual, whose lack of purpose leads to seven unnecessary deaths. This is a valid interpretation, but not a very interesting one.    Hamlet is considered a tragedy, but it is also quite similar to a modern-day murder mystery. As such the most crucial plot element is Claudius' guilt, or, rather, the extent of Hamlet's knowledge of this guilt. One does not know if the ghost is the doomed spirit of Hamlet's father or a vision sent from Hell. It is impossible to determine how much Hamlet is aware of, how much can he guess, and how much is he deluding himself.    Hamlet is almost always performed as a tragedy, and Hamlet's "indecision" is universally accepted as the flaw. "If he had only made up his mind", people argue, "eight deaths could have been avoided." This, of course, is a very easy position for one to take, because we already know that Claudius is guilty. It would be a much more interesting piece if one could be left uncertain of the true facts. Due to the popularity of Hamlet, the fact that Claudius is guilty is taken for granted, and so it seems unfortunate that Hamlet cannot act sooner, but without this knowledge acting too quickly would be a mistake.    In the text, however, there is no clear evidence of wrongdoing until Claudius confesses his sins to God, his nephew, and the theater at large. Up until that point Hamlet is weighing the Ghost's story against the king's. The ghost accuses in Act I, but Hamlet is perceptive enough not to accept the being at its word. One thing that he realizes is that the Ghost is playing directly to his own emotions.    It ... ...mbines the best qualities as his two foils: the nobility of Laertes' cause, and the execution of Fortinbras' coup. Fortinbras attacks without justice - his father died honorably in a fair fight, on the battlefield. Laertes has a larger grievance than Hamlet, but must stoop to treachery to complete his vengeance. Hamlet, however, remains true throughout, resisting his impulses until he cannot only perform Vengeance, but Justice as well.    Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations Of Hamlet. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Charney, Maurice. All of Shakespeare. New York, NY. Columbia University Press. 1993. Magill, Frank N. Masterplots. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1995. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Riverside Shakespeare. ED. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Haughton Mifflin Company, 1974.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Qualitative Data Essay

VOCABULARY – I consider vocabulary as the easiest because with the use of context clues, I can easily understand the meaning of the word. – 7 respondents have the same reason. – I consider vocabulary as the easiest because you only have to be familiar with words. – 2 respondents have the same reason. – I consider vocabulary as the easiest because I’m a wide reader at a young age. – 2 respondents have the same reason SENTENCE/SYNTAX – I consider Sentence/Syntax as the easiest because you just have to familiarize grammatical rules. – 2 respondents have the same reason GETTING THE MAIN IDEA – I consider Getting the Main Idea as the easiest because by understanding the passage, you can get the whole idea. – 9 respondents have the same reason – I consider Getting the Main Idea as the easiest because there are no rules on understanding the passage – I consider Getting the Main Idea as the easiest because it is mainly asking what the text is all about. – 2 respondents have the same reason – I consider Getting the Main Idea as the easiest because it is mostly found at the beginning of the paragraph. COMPREHENSION – I consider Comprehension as the easiest because by simply reading. I can comprehend what the paragraph is all about. DIFFICULT: VOCABULARY – I consider vocabulary as the hardest because I have limited words stocks. – 4 respondents have the same reason. – I consider vocabulary as the hardest because I still need to consult the dictionary to know the meaning of the. – 2 respondents have the same reason. – I consider vocabulary as the hardest because I have a poor memory to retain word meanings. – I consider vocabulary as the hardest because I’m not a wide reader. SENTENCE/SYNTAX – I consider Sentence/Syntax as the hardest because it’s hard to analyze sentence structures and grammatical rules. – 2 respondents have the same reason GETTING THE MAIN IDEA – I consider Getting the Main Idea as the hardest because it’s hard to deal with the writing styles of the author and confused if I have to dwell with my own understanding. – 2 respondents have the same reason – I consider Getting the Main Idea as the hardest because words are confusing. – I consider Getting the Main Idea as the hardest because it is requires comprehension and focus. – 2 respondents have the same reason – I consider Getting the Main Idea as the hardest you have to identify the specific details of the story. COMPREHENSION – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because there are articles that are difficult to understand. – 3 respondents have the same reason – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because you have to check the deeper meaning of the text. – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because you have to consider everything (sentence structure, grammatical rules, vocabulary etc.) to get the meaning. – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because it’s difficult to retain everything I’ve read. – 2 respondents have the same reason – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because of the unfamiliar words. – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because it requires prior knowledge. – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because of the author’s ambiguous ideas. – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because it needs fast digestion of the contexts. 3. What possible intervention could have been done to help you develop your reading skills at the point of your education? The following are recommended reading interventions: to become a wide reader – 19 respondents have the same suggestion study more vocabulary words – 6 respondents have the same suggestion involve in more reading activities – 12 respondents have the same suggestion watch more films – 2 respondents have the same suggestion teachers should stimulate motivation – 3 respondents have the same suggestion teachers should conduct more tutorial – 3 respondents have the same suggestion teachers should unlock difficulties before starting the lesson proper practice reflective reading COMPREHENSION – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because I’m having a hard time to understand texts heard. – 2 respondents have the same reason – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because I consider myself as a visual learner. – I consider Comprehension as the hardest because I easily lose focus 3. What possible intervention could have been done to help you develop your listening skills at the point of your education? The following are recommended reading interventions: get acquainted with correct pronunciation through practice – 3 respondents have the same suggestion learn different kinds of accents watch more films 3R’s- Read, Read or Read stay focused and listen keenly – 6 respondents have the same suggestion engage in more listening activities– 14 respondents have the same suggestion tele-conferencing with someone who has a different accent educators should encourage developing listening skills

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Toys and Games industry

Toys R Us is one of UK’s leading toy and game retailer. This report conducts an academic research focus on Toys R Us (UK) in toys and games retailing sector. In the first part of this report, we will discuss the toys and games industry background and the overview of Toys R Us. Then, the research will focus on Poster’s Five Force Model and Porter’s Generic Strategies. In the next parts, this report will concentrated on the potential strategies which Toys R Us might pursue in the future. Conclusion and recommendation will be mention in the final part of this report and the recommendation will be covered the best strategy for Toys R Us which can be used for the future competitiveness.1.1 Industry Background After the decline in 2008 and 2009, the toys and games market has grown about 5% just under  £2.2 billion. The market has opportunities to increase the sale revenue from 2010 to 2015 (MINTEL 2010). The Figure 1 shows UK retail value sales of toys and games betw een 2005 and 2015. (Figure 1, Source from: MINTEL Report 2010)According to MINTEL 2010, the main players in the toys and games industry in UK is Argos, Toys R Us, Disney and some internet specialists such as Amazon and Ebay. The Figure 2 shows the retail market share for those main players. (Figure 2, Source from: MINTEL Report 2010)1.2 Company overview Toys R Us is UK’s leading traditional toys and games retailer with over 1500 stores and 71,000 employees (including part-time employees) in 33 countries and the company’s headquartered in Wayne (DATAMONITOR 2011). Toys R Us offer Toys, Baby care, Video games, Multimedia PCs, Bikes and outdoor fun products (Toys R Us 2013).2.0 Poster’s Five Force Model2.1 The threat of new entrants According to Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner 2010, the threat of new entrants is depends on the level of entry barriers. In the UK toys and games industry, there are strong competitions for the pricing. According to MINTEL 2010, since 2008, co nsumer prices for the games and toys have fallen, so most retail cut down the price therefore strong competition in the toys and games industry. Moreover, Economies of Scale can be also related to the entry barriers. Finally, the government policy is major source of entry barriers. For example, national land policy can be effect the manufactory and location of stores, the entry barrier is also influence by high VAT rates for the company which standard rate is 20% and reduced rate is 5% in 2013 (GOV.UK 2013).2.2 The bargaining power of suppliers Toys R Us has increase the number of suppliers over 3000 manufacturers. Mattel, Hasbro and Namco Bandai are the main suppliers for Toys R Us. Those 3 manufacturers are top 20 suppliers in toys industry and Best-selling Toys of the year are always given to those 3 suppliers (GIMD 2011). Nintendo and Sony are also the main suppliers for Toys R Us. Those 2 companies are famous video games suppliers. Nintendo has produce NINTENDO 3 DS and Sony ha s produce PlayStation 3 and PSP, those 3 product all have good sale revenue in the games market (Toys R Us 2013).2.3 The bargaining power of buyers As this report has mention before, Toys R Us is one of UK’s leading toys and game retailer, therefore the company has strong brand image, when consumer planning to purchase toys or games, Toys R Us is always become a first choice for purchase toys and games because the strong brand image. Moreover, there are limited numbers of global retailer in the traditional toys and games industry therefore Toys R Us has strong buying power (GMID 2011). The Figure 3 shows the child/youth population by age and gender between 2005 and 2015 in UK. From this table, we can see the populations between ages 0-14 are increase from 2005. The target market for Toys R Us are children, if the populations of child is increase, the buying power will also increase. (Figure 3, Source from: MINTEL Report 2010)2.4 The threat of substitute products Toys R Us is mainly focus on traditional toys and games sector. However, since the new technology is coming to the market, such as Ipad, X-box 2 and some new online games, the consumers’ needs are changing. More young children prefer the game in Ipad video game and online game rather than traditional toys; therefore Toys R Us is facing on high threat of substitution.2.5 The intensity of rivalry among competitors in an industry Woolworths was the biggest toys and games retail in UK, after the collapse of Woolworths in 2008, Toys R Us, Argos, Disney and other online retail such as Ebay and Amazon became the major players in toys and games industry. In 2009, Argos has 24% market share which are top one in UK toys and games market. Toys R Us has 17% market share and Disney only has 3% market share (MINTEL 2010). Figure 4 shows the outlet, sales, positioning and evaluation of those major players in toys and games industry in 2010. (Figure 4, Source from: MINTEL Report 2010)3.0 Porter’s Generic StrategiesIn this part, this report focuses on Porter’s Generic Strategies to analysis the strategic positioning of the major play in toys and games industry. According to Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner 2010, Porter’s Generic Strategies include three strategies which are Differentiation, Focus and Cost leadership which a company can use for achieve competitive advantage and overcome five force. Figure 5 is made by the Porter’s Generic Strategies; this graph shows the main competitors for Toys R Us in toys and games industry. From this graph, we can find out Toys R Us is using differentiation strategy, the strategy for Disney Company is Focus strategy, Argos and amazon concentrated on Cost Leadership strategy. (Figure 5)Differentiation can be defined as a strategy based on creating differences in the company’s product and service (Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner 2010). As this report has mentioned, Toys R Us is using Differentiation strategy. The Company is pro viding different customer service as other competitors in the toys and games industry. According to Toys R Us 2013, every store of Toys R Us has an extensive Babies R Us department, inside of the Babies R Us included furniture, car seats, bedding, strollers, safety products, nappies and baby food for all parents and babies.Moreover, the company can be achieved the Differentiation strategy by strong brand image and wide range of products. As this report mention at the induction, Toys R Us is one of UK’s leading toy and game retailer therefore the company has strong brand image to achieve the differentiation strategy. According to MINTEL 2010, Toys R Us provides large range of toys and other children-related products. There are some advantages of Toys R Us using the Differentiation strategy. Firstly, this strategy can improve consumers’ loyalty. Differentiation strategy can also help company to decrease the threat of substitute products. On other hand, there are few disa dvantages for differentiation, consumer may prefer to purchase product from the company who using the cost leadership strategy.Disney Company is using focus strategy. The products from Disney shop are related to the Disney film (Disney store 2013). The company is focus on the customers who like the Disney brand images, most consumers will decide to purchase from Disney store if they like watch the Disney films especially young children. Argos and Amazon are focus on cost leadership strategy. Both companies are offering wide range of toys and games with low prices.4.0 Potential strategies might pursue in the futureIn this part, this report will mainly focus on the strategies which the Toys R Us may pursue in the future.4.1 Vertical Integration Vertical Integration is an expansion or extension of the company by becomes its own supplier or distributor (Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner 2010). According to GIMD 2011, the key strategic objective and challenges for Toys R Us is extending private l abel ranges. Vertical integration is one of best strategy to achieve this objective. If Toys R Us becomes its own supplier, the company will much easier to extending private label ranges. Moreover, the  company’s transaction costs are much higher than administrative costs, so vertical Integration becomes an attractive strategy for Toys R Us.There are few benefits for Vertical Integration. Firstly, the strategy has benefits on access to new business opportunities, this will be helpful for Toys R Us achieve the objective of extend private label ranges. Secondary, this strategy can help Toys R Us to make sure the quality of the product, therefore this will help to increase the consumers’ satisfaction. Finally, Vertical Integration can help company to reduce the transaction costs.4.2 Strategic Alliances Strategic Alliances can be defined as two or more companies have a cooperative relationship (Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner 2010). As this report mention in the second part, mo st young children are prefer video games rather than traditional toys, so Toys R Us might concentrate on video games sector in the future, to development a new video game, the company will need a strong technology, the company might think about the Strategic Alliances. As this report mention before, Nintendo is a famous video game manufactures, the company has sold about 2.4 billion video game since 1983 (Nintendo 2013).If Nintendo become an alliance partner with Toys R Us and development a new product with strong brand image from technology and high level of technology skill Nintendo, both companies will easy to increase the market share in the toys and games industry. The advantages for Strategic Alliances will be reducing manufacturing costs in the value chain. Moreover, this strategy will also help on developing and diffusing new technologies.4.3 Internal DevelopmentInternal development is focus on new products and new technology. According to GMID 2011, a key objective and chal lenge for Toys R Us is development of exclusive products, this strategy may help Toys R Us to achieve this objective. Moreover, the company is not having to using the Strategic Alliances to development a new video games, this strategy can help company to development own innovative product without having to share the wealth with alliance partners.5.0 Conclusion and RecommendationIn conclusion, this report has concentrated strategic analysis on Toys R Us in toys and games industry. In the first part, the report has discussed the industry background and company overview. Then, the analysis of Poster’s five force model takes the second place. In the third part, this report analysis the Poster’s Generic strategies which show Toys R Us are concentrated on Differentiation strategy. Finally, the report mentions the several strategies which Toys R Us might pursue in the future.After the report analysis those strategies for Toys R Us, we can give the recommendation on the best s trategy for the future competitiveness. Figure 6 shows the benefit and risk of the three strategies for Toys R Us, compare those three strategies, all of strategies have both benefit and risk for Toys R Us, but we recommend that Strategic Alliances is the best strategy for Toys R Us in the future.New product development is the main objective of Toys R Us, if the company can develop own video games product, it will easy to increase the market share in toys and games industry, Strategic Alliances is the only strategy which can help Toys R Us to achieve the goal in the fastest time. Internal Development may also help company to develop new product, but the company will need spend high cost on new product development and Toys R Us may not have enough technology skill on video game as the company such as Sony and Nintendo. (Figure 6)

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Air Travel Safety and Probable Causes of Human Error

Air Travel Safety and Probable Causes of Human Error Should airlines have a specific criterion in hiring new applicants in order to ensure consistent quality service? Hashtag: #CertificatesOfDoom Air Travel Safety and Probable Causes of Human Error Commercial aircraft’s hull-loss accident rate is 1.5 per one million departures making it the safest form of mass transportation in the world. However, despite tremendous improvements in commercial jets technology, the safety of air travel constantly depends on human efficiency and reliability or in the qualifications of aircraft’s pilot and crew. UK statistics of transport accidents in 2003 suggest that there are 20 times more people being killed in car accidents than passengers of commercial airlines each year. Traveling  by air is also 4 times safer than rail travel. In fact, the average fatality for every 12.5 million passengers carried by UK airlines is one. Moreover, airline passenger’s overall survivability rate in the year 2000 was already 95.7% and probably much higher today due to continuous improvement in aircraft’s design, operation, maintenance, and air traffic control. Except for human error, this makes commercial airlines the fastest, reliable, and safest type of mass transportation in the world. Human error is the main contributor to aircraft accidents. In fact, despite the presence of automated flight management systems and adaptive cruise control in cockpits, the common cause of aircraft accidents is human errors. Specifically, these are pilot’s intentional violation of operating procedures, incorrect reasoning, slips or mistakes caused by fatigue, and wrong response to a critical situation. Slips caused by fatigue are easy to accept, but breaking the rules and making faulty responses and reasoning is a quite strange for a well-educated, highly trained, and adequately experienced aviation pilot. Are these pilots really skilled and competent or holders of #CertificatesOfDoom from an aviation college in Nairobi? Critical Essay Airlines Criterion and Academically Incompetent Pilots Airlines have a  specific criterion in hiring new applicants in order to ensure consistent quality service. On the other side of the coin, it is also a precautionary measure to prevent entry of â€Å"half-baked† pilots or those with poor quality aviation training, less piloting experience, and insufficient formal education. It is quite evident that an ideal airline pilot is one with adequate formal education, well trained and with long hours of flight experience. A pilot holding a deceitfully acquired academic certificate or #CertificatesOfDoom, therefore, has no business whatsoever in the aviation industry. The recent Twitter expose about some aviation graduates that bought their degrees and certificates in various fields of Aeronautics, is a sad indication that some pilots of commercial airlines are academically incompetent. Another is the shocking reality that these certificates were sold by the institution that we all hoped to teach good values and promote learning in young people. Free Sample Essay about Travelling Academically incompetent pilots must not be allowed to fly or work in the aviation industry. In particular, those who acquired their degrees without attending the class are dangerous people with no respect for human life. The aviation industry should keep them out or terminate those who are already in the industry. In time, their lack of academic knowledge will take its toll on their ability to reason, make right decisions, and correctly respond to life-threatening situations. Remember, human error is not only responsible for significant financial losses but to the thousands of people who were killed by one man’s incompetence.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Programming Languaguages essays

Programming Languaguages essays A programming language is a set of English-like instructions that includes a set of rules for putting the instructions together to create commands. A translator changes the English-like commands into numeric code that the computer can understand. The most common type of translator is a compiler. The compiler is program that reads English-like commands in a file and than creates another file containing computer readable numeric code or commands. I will be talking about some of the major functions and uses six high-level programming languages. Java was developed by Sun MicroSystems and released in 1995. Java is based on C and C++ and incorporates many features object-oriented languages. It is a compiled language, but its code output is interpreted. This makes Java ideal for cross-development. The downside to its interpreted code is speed. Javas object-oriented is fundamental, and all code and data in a Java program exist within the object-oriented class. Javas exception handiling with try, catch, and throw statements provide the solution for writing reliable code that responds to all possible error conditions. Another advantage of Java is a String class that does away with null-terminated, length byte and other types of strings. It is also multithreaded which a class can easily provide code that runs concurrently with other programing. Another advantage is the lack of a pointer-type data and memory management which tends to be a very bug-prone area. Memory is organized by Javas virtual machine garbage collector. Java provides a rich class library in beavery bug-prone area. Memory is organized by Javas virtual machine garbage collector. Java provides a rich class library in the forms of packages imported into modules. Since Java is interpreted locally on the users system, a security manager can completely control disk access, window creation, and memory management. C was developed by Dennis Ri...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

5 Basic Rules for Having Roommate Guests

5 Basic Rules for Having Roommate Guests Its a rare college roommate situation where neither person brings over a guest at any time during the entire academic year. More likely, one or both roommates have someone over - for the night, for the weekend, for a day or two. Having a few basic rules in place in advance, however, can help everyone avoid awkward situations, hurt feelings, and overall frustration. What to Know Before You Have Guests Rule 1: Notify as far in advance as possible. If your parents are coming to visit for Family Weekend, let your roommate(s) know as soon as you can. That way, the room can be clean, things can be picked up, and embarrassing items can be put away if necessary. If your guest shows up as a surprise - e.g., your boyfriend drives up to surprise you for the weekend - let your roommate know before they come home. A simple phone call or text message can at least give them a heads up that youll be having company for a little while. Rule 2: Know whats okay to share - and not. Most roommates dont mind if you borrow something from time to time. A squeeze of toothpaste here or some hand soap there wont bother most folks. A used towel, eaten breakfast food, and laptop surfing can easily send the calmest roommate into orbit, however. Know what your roommate is willing to share and let your guest know as soon as possible. Even if youre in class while your guest eats the last of your roommates cereal, its your responsibility to fix the problem. Rule 3: Have a limit on how long people can stay. Its reasonable to expect a roommate to accommodate the unique factors of your personal life. Your mom might call too often, for example, or you might have an annoying habit of hitting the snooze button one too many times in the morning. Having a guest stay for too long, however, is not something you can reasonably expect your roommate to adapt to. Its their place too, after all, and they need their regular time and space to focus on school. Respect your shared environment and make sure your guests leave before they overstay their welcome. Rule 4: Make sure your guest leaves things exactly how he or she found them. If your guest wants to be a good house guest, they should be respectful of everything in your shared living environment. That means cleaning up after themselves, whether in the bathroom or the kitchen. The last thing you need is for your guest to be disrespectful and leave a mess behind. Ask your guest to make sure to clean up after him- or herself, and if they dont, make sure you do as soon as possible. Rule 5: Be clear on how frequently guests can visit. Okay, so all of your guests are dreamy. They dont stay too long, they tell you theyre coming in advance, they clean up after themselves, and they respect your roommates stuff and space. That can all be true, and yet ... you can simply have guests over too often. If people are over every weekend, for example, that could easily become wearisome for your roommate(s), who might simply start craving the ability to wake up on a Saturday morning and not have to deal with the company. Talk to your roommate not only about guest specifics but also about patterns. How much is too much? How many are too many? Being clear from the beginning and checking in throughout the year can make sure that you and your roommate continue to have a good roommate relationship - guests and all.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Management - Conflict Resolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management - Conflict Resolution - Assignment Example More employees were hired in the weeks and months that followed. The basic salary that all floor employees earned was $7 hour. At the time the federal minimum was $5.85 an hour. The company offered the employees through a verbal offering a $5 production bonus per hour if the employees’ production exceeded a specified quota. The production incentive the company offered led to a major conflict between the administration of the company and the employees due to the fact that the company failed to pay the production incentive it promised. The conflict escalated as time passed on. The employees of the company became extremely agitated at the company because they felt the firm lied and stole from them. They were offered a financial incentive that increased the productivity of the company, but the company did not honor the verbal agreement. The morale of the employees became completely deteriorated as a direct consequence of the conflict. Other negative aspects of the conflict include d a breakdown of communications between the employees and the administration, demise in the productivity of the company, and a lack of trust in the managerial staff of the firm. Things started to worst at this firm instead of better as the conflict continued. The company began to implement other abusive labor practices such as missing hours worked from the employee checks, late payment of payroll, and bounced checks. Sometimes the employees had to wait two to three weeks after the payroll was due to get paid. As things got worse the employees began to rely on each more for financial and emotional support. On many instances the workers helped each other out by giving rides to work to employees that ran out of gasoline money due to the delays in payment. The employees also united their efforts to find a resolution to the problem. The labor movement led to the formation of an employee union. I was right in the middle of things when the union was formed. I joined the union because I tho ught that this was the best way to take a collective stand against the oppressor. My employer was wrong because its actions violated U.S. labor laws. People that work are entitled to a monetary compensation to be paid on time every payment cycle. After the union was formed the president of the union requested a meeting with the general manager in order to find a peaceful resolution to the labor conflict. The manager denied the meeting and the employees decided to go on strike. The history of U.S. labor strikes dates back to the 19th century (Washington, 2012). In search of greater protection the unionization of employees increased after the Great Depression. The strike led to a labor stoppage that lasted three weeks. The administration finally gave in and decided to have a meeting with the union leaders to resolve the conflict. After this meeting the company decided to honor the previously negotiated incentive of $5 an hour for employees that exceed a specified production quota. Iro nically this negotiation did not lead to the greatest result in the long run since the company lost the faith of its top corporate clients. The firm lost some of its biggest clients and was forced to close down operation less than three months after the labor strike ended. Upon reflection of the conflict I faced at my former employer I would have handled the situation much differently. I was part of the founding team of this company. The labor conflict

Friday, October 18, 2019

Discussion Board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion Board - Assignment Example Even more, the issue of slavery was something that caused agitation, a stir and impasse within the corridors politics and the dynamic American society. Calhoun in his speech stresses that the palatable shakeup of the subject of slavery would, if not vetoed by some judicious and effectual measure, end in disagreement amongst the parties involved. Calhoun in his plausible speech believes that the anguish had reached certain levels that were potentially harmful to the survival of the Union. At this point, the kind of threat that faces the Union prompts Calhoun to opine the urgent need to preserve the Union. In contrast, Webster in his speech is in favor of compromising. In his speech, Webster believes strongly so that the Constitution should recognize property in slavery. Similarly, Seward like Calhoun in his pristine speech acknowledges that the Union was steeped in danger, and that the only way to save it was through compromise. In contrast, however, Seward in his speech appears to be objected towards the inclusion of slavery into the Constitution. He opines that the constitutional recognition of slavery is in contravention to the law of nature. Considerably, he goes further to express the fact we rely upon the laws of God, which outlaw slavery. And that all human enactments are re-enactments of God’s law. Despite it being florid and overwrought, I find Seward’s argument a lot more compelling as it puts the human interests first before anything. His argument is primed on the bicentenary of the elimination of

The Effects of Change on an Organization, in Particular the Learners Essay

The Effects of Change on an Organization, in Particular the Learners Services Department and Sustainability of the Changes - Essay Example So once change is made in the Learners Services Department, it must be maintained for effective functioning. This change, together with it, brings pain and insecurities that force human beings or persons to come out of their comfort regions to regions of uncomfortable discussions, and this guides to resistance to change. Central Bedfordshire College ability to improve is acceptable. The new executive and principal teams of the college must have an apparent strategic vision to make changes. They involve every personnel in planning how this is executed so that proceedings impact positively on learners. How efficiently and competently the top leadership and management inside the organization address these matters or issues, and how well they get ready in handling the resistance will decide the confidence of the organization, and its achievement in executing change. The significance of good communication scheme and the role it plays in creating change processes soft and less painful, or sore by cannot be undermined. The appointment of the latest principal, managers, every governors and workers are completely involved in building up a mission which situates learning and learners at the centre of every the college work. Managers position and frequently examine realistic targets for development for every course. Managers work intimately with local companies to guarantee that the set of courses and modes and times of proviso meet local requirements. Management and Leadership are satisfactory in the college. Course groups work healthy collectively to support their learners with clear and shared focus on rising rate of success. Every course has their own challenging targets, but employees do not always completely own or recognize these... This essay stresses that the interview was conducted on April 2nd at 1.30 pm. The interviewee was Eamonn Egan, interim vice principal, curriculum and standards, and previously he was the head of learner services. The interview was done by Farrah Riaz. The duration of this interview was 17 mins 44 seconds. Many important questions were asked by the interviewer. Eamonn Egan answered the entire question clearly and appropriately. This paper makes a conclusion that the advantages are that they give the people in the department a sense of identity, and it brings together closer woring relationships. He said the new structure that is planned is to take responsibility of the development of the curriculum away from a small group of HODs and devolve it down to sixteen Learning Area Managers, so that those managers can be specialists in the curriculum areas because they are much smaller than the departments, and can take responsibility for the development of the curriculum. Emmons said there are some potential disadvantages also. For example, while the lines of responsibility are devolved to give curriculum responsibility to people nearer the ground as it were and to be specialists in fewer numbers of things and they develop themselves appropriately. It can potentially lead to a situation where nobody is in charge of something. A mission statement is just a platitude and what makes a good mission statement for me is one that contains words that express the values and feelings one wants the institute to have, and so ours is a poor mission statement in my mind.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

POP Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

POP Education - Assignment Example He gives me the way forward in each and every problem that I encounter. Problem Amongst the ten children, there is an eight year old boy who has a hearing problem. At first I had not known about his condition but continued assessment on him made me realize it. The boy struggles to talk; he cannot pronounce most words in the right way. When spoken to, he does not respond and seems not to notice that someone is talking to him. He always asks me to repeat the things that I say to him, and when I call his name away from him, he searches around trying to figure out where the voice came from. He rarely participates in the class and is always dull and withdrawn to himself. I asked his parents about his condition, and they said they were aware of it, and they wanted me to assist them in helping the little boy. Data According to health researchers, hearing loss in children can be caused a condition called otitis media. This is the inflammation of the child’s middle ear normally due to building up of fluid. This disease is diagnosed frequently in conjunction with children with hearing impairments (Hockfield 68). It is not permanent, and the hearing losses caused by it are mild, though if it occurs repeatedly, it can cause severe damage to the eardrum and the hearing nerves and hence leading to permanent hearing loss. Congenital causes are also a factor to hearing loss. Here, the child suffers from the problem from birth. It can be hereditary or be caused by a condition during child birth. Genetic factors are said to contribute to more than 50% of hearing problems caused by congenital factors. A parent carrying the dominant gene for loss of hearing passes it to the child. The probability of the child getting the condition from the parents is higher if the dominant gene is present in both parents. Some genetic syndromes have hearing loss as one of their characteristics (Canalis and Lambert 108). These syndromes include Down, Usher, Treacher Collins, Crouzon and Alpo rt syndrome. Some congenital causes in which the child does not inherit from parents include harmful chemicals taken by the mother during pregnancy, illnesses and prenatal infections. There are also acquired factors which lead to hearing loss of a child. These occur in a child’s life after birth due to ailment, injury or other conditions. The conditions causing hearing loss through acquired causes include injury of the head, measles, meningitis, ear infections, chicken pox, influenza and mumps among others. In August 2008, a research carried out by the Better Hearing Institute found out that, children with hearing problems are not the given adequate attention and help they ought to have. This is due to parents being so busy doing other things while viewing the problem as a less serious one. The study blamed the government on dwelling so much on elections and politics, paying less attention to these children who need help. It argued that children need to hear both in and outsi de the classroom so that they may develop in their language, their social and their emotional well-being (Jack Snowman 93). According to the research, many educators and health observers usually underestimate the effects of hearing impairment. Parents, on the other hand, do not detect the problem in their children early enough, and when they do, they do not take immediate action so as to minimize it. Others are given the wrong information on how to deal with the problem of hearing

Steve Jobs, a Modern Hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Steve Jobs, a Modern Hero - Essay Example He was among the most influential persons in the globe for the last four decades. So influential he was, but not without authority. He assembled a team that was accordingly competent and conformed to his commands with total fealty. Not just his death, his resignation as Apple’s Chief Executive Officer was a total anguish to the world. The public response to the tremendous death was that only seen in cases involving tales about epic heroes. Like a modern hero, he accepted assistance from his fellows as well as subordinates. In addition, he inspired those he worked with to be better. Fearless to dream, he invented technologies that extremely fulfilled the lives of countless people. This paper focuses on the life of Steve Jobs as a modern hero, triumphing via initiative, technology, and will power, who looks at things from a global perspective. Born on February 24, 1955 to an unmarried Joanne Simpson and Abdufattah Jandari in San Francisco , Steven was given up to adoption and adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs of California who brought him up . His adoptive parents cherished and nurtured his curiosity in electronics. He dropped out of college in 1972 when he felt his parents were struggling too much to educate him and he was still not sure of what he wanted. He foremost saw a computer terminal at NASA’s Ames Research Center. ... His engineers at Apple tailored the idea to come up with two great computers, the pricier Lisa and Macintosh (Iwatani & Fowler Web). After this, one invention came after another, from the ‘graphical’ PC of 1984 to Pixer, Apple completely changed the world of computers. It kept building new and better innovations under the guidance of the competent Jobs. He was once pushed out of Apple for eleven years due to discrepancy with Sculley. Even when out of Apple his dream remained sentient, and he opened another company ‘NEXT’. He later rejoined Apples, to find it struggling to remain in the picture but he invigorated the company (Robertson Web). Most fancied of his inventions is the launch of iPod in 2001, a pocket garget that could lug up to 1000 songs. Next came the touch screen iPhone in 2007 coupled by Apple’s App Store in the subsequent year. In 2010, arrived the iPad. These and other innovations ranked Apples as the second biggest company by 2011 in United States. Though most felt that creation of iPad was unimportant, Steve wizardly convinced the world to accept and buy the tablet sized all touch computer. Jobs ideas resulted not only in Apple’s success but also fashioned everything, from Hollywood to music industry. They changed PC as well as digital media industries (Robertson Web). Jobs unreservedly transformed the field of technology, completely revolutionizing the word. He had an entirely diverse way of envisaging things, always believed in himself and brilliant enough to implement what he contemplated. No hero lacks rivals, and Steve did have some, Bill Gates a computer intellect like Jobs was one of them. The difficult path full of the setbacks and disappointments he had to follow to be triumphant as well as the challenges he came across but

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

POP Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

POP Education - Assignment Example He gives me the way forward in each and every problem that I encounter. Problem Amongst the ten children, there is an eight year old boy who has a hearing problem. At first I had not known about his condition but continued assessment on him made me realize it. The boy struggles to talk; he cannot pronounce most words in the right way. When spoken to, he does not respond and seems not to notice that someone is talking to him. He always asks me to repeat the things that I say to him, and when I call his name away from him, he searches around trying to figure out where the voice came from. He rarely participates in the class and is always dull and withdrawn to himself. I asked his parents about his condition, and they said they were aware of it, and they wanted me to assist them in helping the little boy. Data According to health researchers, hearing loss in children can be caused a condition called otitis media. This is the inflammation of the child’s middle ear normally due to building up of fluid. This disease is diagnosed frequently in conjunction with children with hearing impairments (Hockfield 68). It is not permanent, and the hearing losses caused by it are mild, though if it occurs repeatedly, it can cause severe damage to the eardrum and the hearing nerves and hence leading to permanent hearing loss. Congenital causes are also a factor to hearing loss. Here, the child suffers from the problem from birth. It can be hereditary or be caused by a condition during child birth. Genetic factors are said to contribute to more than 50% of hearing problems caused by congenital factors. A parent carrying the dominant gene for loss of hearing passes it to the child. The probability of the child getting the condition from the parents is higher if the dominant gene is present in both parents. Some genetic syndromes have hearing loss as one of their characteristics (Canalis and Lambert 108). These syndromes include Down, Usher, Treacher Collins, Crouzon and Alpo rt syndrome. Some congenital causes in which the child does not inherit from parents include harmful chemicals taken by the mother during pregnancy, illnesses and prenatal infections. There are also acquired factors which lead to hearing loss of a child. These occur in a child’s life after birth due to ailment, injury or other conditions. The conditions causing hearing loss through acquired causes include injury of the head, measles, meningitis, ear infections, chicken pox, influenza and mumps among others. In August 2008, a research carried out by the Better Hearing Institute found out that, children with hearing problems are not the given adequate attention and help they ought to have. This is due to parents being so busy doing other things while viewing the problem as a less serious one. The study blamed the government on dwelling so much on elections and politics, paying less attention to these children who need help. It argued that children need to hear both in and outsi de the classroom so that they may develop in their language, their social and their emotional well-being (Jack Snowman 93). According to the research, many educators and health observers usually underestimate the effects of hearing impairment. Parents, on the other hand, do not detect the problem in their children early enough, and when they do, they do not take immediate action so as to minimize it. Others are given the wrong information on how to deal with the problem of hearing

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

An Intelligence View of Music Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

An Intelligence View of Music Education - Essay Example This certainly puts a whole new perspective on music education. Parents and teachers can now understand the great potential that resides un-explored in the mind of a child and know that music holds the key to unlock that potential. The narrative style is very simple and easy to follow. That is another achievement by Dr Harvey as he has spared us the high-sounding, difficult to pronounce technical jargon associated with brain studies. Sequential details make it easy to follow the chronology of development in this field. The under-tone of the article is that after knowing the unique qualities of music education, it does not have to remain an "extra-curricular" activity. As Ives said, "Music expands my mind and challenges me to be a true individual". That is good enough reason to make music education a part of education curriculum. Research Proposal Music Education - Just Arts or Smarts "Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying music in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective". These words of former President Bill Clinton sum up the point of view of music education proponents. The advocates of music education consider music education essential for development of both intellectual and aesthetic faculties. Several studies have confirmed that music directly enhances learning through increased spatial development. Math and reading are improved by learning rhythms and decoding notes and symbols. So there appears to be cross disciplinary learning in music.[1]. On the internet, www.childrenmusicworkshop.com is a strong advocate of music education. They say that, "it is...â€Å"Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying music in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective†. These words of former President Bill Clinton sum up the point of view of music education proponents. The advocates of music education consider music education essential for development of both intellectual and aesthetic faculties. Several studies have confirmed that music directly enhances learning through increased spatial development. Math and reading are improved by learning rhythms and decoding notes and symbols. So there appears to be cross disciplinary learning in music.[1]. On the internet, www.childrenmusicworkshop.com is a strong advocate of music education. They say that, â€Å"it is an anomaly that while music is undermined in our public schools as a legitimate subject for serious study, there is a rise in the body of research demonstrating that music is a valuable tool for educators. Those who consider music to be an extra-curricular activity unworthy of inclusion as a core subject are overlooking the unique qualities that music instruction provides to all children†. [2]. In the words of Dr Arthur Harvey of the University of Hawaii (Manoa) :- â€Å"Three major developments in recent years have strengthened our position in promoting music as a significant and research supported discipline that ought to be the core of the curriculum.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Generational Differences in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Generational Differences in the Workplace Essay PURPOSE This article attempts to describe the different age groups composing each of the categories of generations in the current U.S. workforce and their distinguishing characteristics. The piece also seeks to analyze how each group’s differing traits may impact an organization. The main purpose of the paper is to teach management how recognizing these differing views may help them to better motivate and satisfy the members of each group. QUESTIONS So who are these different generational groups? The author has broken today’s workforce down into three identifiable groups by birth year. These groups are Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. They will be described in more detail in the following paragraphs. The first, and oldest group, are the Baby Boomers. This category includes those born between the years of 1946 to 1964. The Baby Boomers are the largest group and many of them can be found throughout the managerial ranks. They are reputed to be self-absorbed and have a feeling of entitlement. This group is said to value success, teamwork, inclusion, and rule-challenging. They are open to change and loyal to their employer. Generation X is comprised of those born between 1965 and 1979. This group is concerned with career options and a balance of work and home life. They seek fulfilling work but are cynical of corporations and government. This cynicism leads themnto being less loyal than their predecessors (the Baby Boomers). Generation Xers are computer literate and demand fulfilling work while still craving a fun work environment. The third group is Generation Y. This includes those born from 1980 to present (per reports made in 2005 and 2006). According to the author this group is optimistic but realistic, globally aware, and inclusive. They are very technologically inclined and diverse in their attitude. They yearn for a work/family balance and independence though they need feedback from their employer. They are also curious and results oriented. This generation can become disenchanted with presented with entry level jobs for they seek challenges. INFORMATION The author used a number of other studies to reach his conclusions. The Rokeach Value Survey (RVS) seems to have been the main instrument in gathering information. This study allows participants to rank the measures they find most valuable. INFERENCES/CONCLUSIONS In the â€Å"Implications for Managers† section of the paper, the author makes suggestions for how a manager should treat each class. He has used the research to draw his conclusions. His suggestions seem based on the traits and behaviors each group tends to exhibit. For the Baby Boomers he states that they can be motivated with money, overtime, praise, and position. He enforces the idea that this generation is loyal. For Generation X he suggests making work fun and meaningful. He also thinks lending an understanding ear to this group could be helpful. Generation Y needs exciting and relevant work, says the author. Make sure they have opportunity for career advancement. Also a manger should be mindful of their need for feedback. CONCEPTS The main idea of this article is that the difference in values and beliefs of each generation can have an impact on the job. Understanding these differences and how to make the most of them is key to satisfying and motivating each group. The paper seeks to explain these differences, why they tend to occur, and how to use those differences to the employer’s advantage. ASSUMPTIONS One main drawback to the ideas set forth in this article is assuming everyone in each generation holds the same values and beliefs. In this vain, managers may be able to cater to a large majority of employees but can miss satisfying the wants and needs of certain individuals. Although the research may encapsulate certain behaviors and traits of most of the people, there will be variables that it does not take into account. IMPLICATIONS/CONSEQUENCES The author’s conclusions may serve managers well. His conclusions based on the research and following suggestions seem to be based in logic and geared toward getting the most out of and retaining employees. It probably does help to understand how best to motivate others if you understand why they feel the way they do. Although generation and age may not be the only mitigating factor in an employee’s attitude, it seems to be a good starting point. POINTS OF VIEW As stated previously, age (date of birth) can not account solely for a person’s values and beliefs. As in anything else, there are always variables that can skew data. Some variables that are not reflected in the data are financial status, marital status, locale, and a wide variety of other things. However, if it is possible to meet the needs of many while only having to concentrate on a few â€Å"one-offs† then these recommendations can only serve to ease a manager’s position. PERSONAL NOTE I am probably one of the â€Å"one-offs† but I’ve always marched to the beat of a different drummer. I have, however, been witness to many of these stereotypes. I have worked plenty of jobs where the generational differences were quite apparent. Sometimes the â€Å"old-timers† actually relish that name and take pride in it. The difference in attitudes and values can be glaring. I defintiely think it is good that there is information out there to help managers understand these differences and help to deal with them. BIBLIOGRAPHY Generational Differences In The Workplace: Personal Values, Behaviors, And Popular Beliefs. The Clute Institute, 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. .

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Overview Of Wilmar International Limited Company Marketing Essay

Overview Of Wilmar International Limited Company Marketing Essay Wilmar International Type Public (SGX: F34, ASX:à ¿SGT) Industry Agribusiness Headquarters Singapore Key people Kuok Khoon Hong, Chairman Products Palm Oil Revenue $23.89 billion USD (March 2010) Operating income $1.88 billion USD (March 2010) Total assets 23.36 USD (March 2010) Total equity 30.31 USD (March 2010) Employees >80,000 Website Wilmar International Homepage Wilmar International Limited[1] founded in 1991, is today Asias leading agribusiness group. It ranks amongst the largest listed companies by market capitalisation on the Singapore Exchange (second largest as of Sep 2010)[2]. It is a Singapore-based investment holding company that provides management services to its 400+ subsidiary companies[3]. Wilmar International business activities include oil palm cultivation, edible oils refining, oilseeds crushing, consumer pack edible oils processing and merchandising, specialty fats, oleochemicals and biodiesel manufacturing, and grains processing and merchandising. Wilmars merchandising and processing segment encompass (1) merchandising of palm oil and laurics-related products; (2) operations of palm oil processing and refinery plants; (3) crushing, further processing and refining of a range of edible oils, oilseeds, grains and soyabean. Its consumer products segment has oil bottling business in Peoples Republic of China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Its plantation and palm oil mills segment engages in oil palm cultivation and milling. Other segment includes manufacturing and distribution of fertiliser and ship-chartering services. Another success of the company are become a largest global processor and merchandiser of palm and lauric oils; it has a largest plantation companies in Malaysia and Indonesia; one of the largest palm biodiesel manufacturer in the world; a leading consumer pack edible oils producer, oilseeds crusher, edible oils refiner, specialty fats and oleochemicals manufacturer in China, in India, one of the leading importers of edible oils into East Africa. These are news about its successes: Primarily in the core agricultural business, Wilmar has chalked up US$21.3 billion in revenue following increased sales volume in oilseeds and grains and consumer products as well as higher selling price of agricultural commodities. Under the deal, Wilmar is buying Malaysia-listed PPB OIl Palms Bhd, Kuok Oils Grains Pte Ltd and PGEO Group Sdn Bhd for 4.1 bln sgd in an all-share deal. Wilmar will issue to the Kuok Group 2.4 bln new shares at 1.71 sgd each as payment for the acquisitions, giving the Kuok Group a 31 pct stake in the merged entity. The stake of Wilmar Holdings Pte Ltd in Wilmar International will be diluted to 48.5 pct from 81.90 pct after the merger is completed. Separately, Wilmar International said it is buying the edible oil and grains businesses of Wilmar Holdings , including the interest of Archer Daniels Midland Asia Pacific in the said businesses, for 2.5 bln sgd. (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2006/12/14/afx3254056.html 12.14.06, 5:28 AM ET) 2. CSR : Corporate Social Responsibilitties of the Company Like all the big and famous companies, they always focus on the responsibilities to the increasing demands of society for greater Corporate Responsibility, They are interesting in protect the environment, they participated into the Sustainable sourcing activities, and Community and Social Benefit, News from Businessweek.com/news / 2010, Wilmar International bought a CSR Ltd sugar unit: By Wendy Pugh and Luzi Ann Javier July 5 (Bloomberg) Wilmar International Ltd., the worlds largest palm oil trader, agreed to buy CSR Ltd.s sugar unit for A$1.75 billion ($1.5 billion), beating Chinas Bright Food Group Co.s bid for Australias biggest refiner. The offer includes A$1.35 billion in cash and A$403 million in assumed net debt, Singapore-based Wilmar said today in a statement. Sydney-based CSR is the worlds second-largest exporter of raw sugar and Australias No.1 producer of sugar- based ethanol and renewable energy generator from biomass. (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-05/wilmar-to-pay-a-1-75-billion-for-csr-s-sugar-business.html ) In official website of the company, they wrote these as undertaking to the society : Our business activities have a direct impact on livelihoods and quality of living, both on our employees and our neighbouring communities. The nature of our business means that we sometimes operate in the most remote parts of developing countries. We have benefited much from these countries and we wish to do our bit for these countries too. We recognise our ability, and our responsibility to better the quality of living conditions of our neighbours, especially for the rural poor. Our approach is to ensure we bring meaningful and lasting benefits to the communities in areas where we operate, while we maintain the continual viability of our business. We reckon one of the best means to achieving this is to build open, honest and mutually beneficial relationships that promote harmony with them. To this end, we are committed to progressive socio-economic policies and programmes in the local communities and economies we operate in In a nutshell, we firmly believe that environmental conservation and economic prosperity through sustainable agriculture can work in practice. (http://www.wilmar-international.com/sustainability/community.htm on March 04, 2011) And how do they face to Climate changes? They said : Human pressure on the global climatic system is largely the result of economic and industrial activities that have increased the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, associated with the greenhouse effect and subsequent global warming, are caused by the accumulation of mostly carbon dioxide and other gases such as methane and nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere. We monitor our GHG emissions and are constantly looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint in our plantation and industrial operations.à ¿ For example, our mills make use of biomass to generate electricity, including agricultural wastes such as empty fruit bunches, tree fronds from the plantations, by-products from mills like shells and mill fibre. à ¿This helps to cut down our consumption of fossil fuels, by reducing our dependence on electricity from the national and local grids, as well as diesel-fired plant generators. These biomass energy plants generate carbon-neutral electricity, and some are registered as Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects. Under the Kyoto Protocol, aà ¿protocolà ¿to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), industrialised countries (countries listed in Annex B) can fulfil their commitments to GHG reduction, by participating in project activities in developing countries, which are certified to reduce GHG emissions. (http://www.wilmar-international.com/sustainability/stewardship_climate.htm on March 6, 2011) The concept of High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF) is defined by the Forest Stewardship Council as having outstanding and critical importance due to its high environmental, socio-economic, biodiversity, or landscape values. For example, the forested areas may contain rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems, or the areas may provide basic services of nature in critical situations such as erosion control. The concept is conceived as a way of reconciling socio-economic progress with environmental protection. (http://www.wilmar-international.com/sustainability/stewardship_land.htm on March 6, 2011) Subtainability But while fulfilling these obligations, businesses are often caught in a trade-off between the desire for economic growth and the imperative to protect the natural environment and safeguard the interests of the population; from climate change and environmental degradation, to the imbalance between rising population and depleting resources, as well as the widening rich-poor divide. In our endeavour towards achieving business excellence, we have learned from others as well as from our own experience that sustainable development is the way forward. With this appreciation, striving for the right balance between growth and sustainability becomes our principal goal. Amidst the impoverished regions of the developing economies in which we operate, our presence has brought relief and stability to many who live on the poverty line. In our farming practices, we have also adopted a responsible plantation management approach that enables us to enhance natures biodiversity without compromising yields or plantation profitability. In a nutshell, we firmly believe that environmental conservation and economic prosperity through sustainable agriculture can work in practice. At the same time, we also recognise we can do much more to benefit the world with help and support from other stakeholders. This refers to engaging stakeholders through listening and addressing their concerns into our business decisions and actions, as well as forming strategic collaborations with them, where relevant. Indeed, palm oil production can enjoy longevity if operators subscribe to the same set of principles and adopt the same set of responsible best practices They take care the Employee Welfare also as : Training and development have always been an integral aspect of continual investment in our human capital, to enhance individual and organisation effectiveness. We work to ensure that every employee has an equal opportunity at career development. We also encourage our employees to take up overseas assignments or postings to further their learning. Health and safety are Wilmars top considerations concerning the employees. Wilmar pays careful consideration to the safety of our employees at the workplace, for our plantation operations all over the world. We conduct regular trainings and implement programmes to foster awareness of occupational health and safety risks. Additionally, we inculcate stringent health and safety policies, as well as practices amongst our staff in all our operations. With a significant portion of our employees based in the plantations, we take an extra interest in their welfare. This is reflected in a series of undertakings to support their work and livelihoods. We provide rice at subsidised rates for our employees. In areas where oil palm cultivation is not suitable, we have converted the flood-prone lands to paddy fields for rice cultivation. The produce is then sold to employees at subsidised rates ( http://www.wilmar-international.com/sustainability/community_welfare.htm on March 6, 2011) Just look at the company website, we might have not a overall view of all, from another source we find out more about this : SYDNEY/SINGAPORE (Reuters) Singapores Wilmar International Ltd (WLIL.SI) on Monday struck a surprise deal to buy Australian conglomerate CSR Ltds sugar business for A$1.75 billion ($1.47 billion), trumping Chinas Bright Food Group. By Michael Smith and Charmian Kokin SYDNEY/SINGAPORE | Mon Jul 5, 2010 3:17am BST (http://uk.reuters.com/article/2010/07/05/us-csr-idUKTRE66328B20100705) While other companies either struggled or sank during the economic downturn last year, Singapore-headquartered agribusiness group Wilmar International had a busy 2009, continuing its growth strategy of previous years and making two large oleochemical investments. (http://www.icis.com/Articles/2010/09/30/9397836/wilmar-boosts-growth-in-oleochemicals.html on 30 September 2010 18:49) Will Wilmar Hit The Property Jackpot? Despite this, a challenging operating environment, lower margins and a hike in various expenses have brought about a 30% fall in Wilmars bottomline. Nevertheless, Wilmar generated 4.9 times increase in cash flow from operating activities. Notably, Wilmar was able to maintain its proforma net gearing at a healthy level of 0.7 times as at 30 September 2010, despite a 46.7% jump in net loans and borrowings. These speak volumes about the strong financial position Wilmar is in. (http://www.sharesinv.com/articles/2011/01/17/will-wilmar-hit-the-property-jackpot/ 17 January 2011) Why could they face with the world crisis? They were undertaking to protect environment, protect human work right, they had good policies to expand to another countries like China, and India which is along with the globalization large champagne, so the company could be faced to world crisis in recent years. Another way, in the company website, they said : Our business strategy involves building an integrated business model which captures the entire value chain of the agricultural commodity processing business, from origination, processing and transportation to the branding, merchandising and distribution of a wide range of agricultural products. Our business model enjoys lower cost due to economies of scale, integration, logistical and distribution advantages, and superior market intelligence. (http://www.wilmar-international.com/business_index.htm on March 7,2011) I think this is the main key of the company which it makes them overcome the crisis, while the world is faced the big inflation. Due to lower cost, supply for big customers with large volume of quality goods, they keep on the success way to maintain the reputation and revenue of the company. This is its strategy over past few years, Significance: Wilmars latest investment is in line with its long-term processing strategy and may see the company reap benefits in the future from rising commodity prices as palm oil is one of Indonesias main export commodities. (Singapore Daily Bulletin 08/02/11) The Markets it has focused are China, India Market to exploit the potential factors of these land while these countries are on the way to develop: that is the large market, great number of labours, and good source of materials etc for its improvement. The Globalization Strategy of the company is that process. And they have success on this strategy rather quickly, from 2006 until now. 5. Vision, Mission, goals: As the above evidence, we found out that the vision of Wilmar OUR VISION To become the best, reliable, honorable oil palm plantation and put on the international level. OUR MISSION To manage healthy and innovative oil palm plantation and processing industry and to put priorities on quality and environmental sustainability through the implementation of Good Corporate Principles in ensuring the goals of all companies stakeholders. (http://recruitment-wip.com/ on March 7, 2011) And what are goals: that is bring the value things to life for stakeholders, customers, environment, society and so on. REFERENCE: WILMAR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED (Company Registration Number: 199904785Z) (Incorporated in the Republic of Singapore) Page 1 of 3 NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 704(11) OF SGX-ST LISTING MANUAL List of persons, occupying managerial positions in the Issuer or any of its principal subsidiaries, who are related to a Director, CEO or Substantial Shareholder of the Issuer.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

We Must Stop Legislation to Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Cell phones began with only a select few could afford a cell phone. Today with most Americans owning cell phones we must look at the benefits and downfalls of cellular technology. The issue of driving while dialing brings up the most controversy. The legislation in place to govern the use of cellular phones in certain cities is justified, but the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. The cell phone has been around since the fifties when they first had the idea from using CB radio frequencies. AT&T was the first to bring about the technology back in the late forties and early fifties. The FCC regulated all radio frequencies broadcast and limited AT&T to twenty-three phone calls simultaneously in the same service area. In the seventies the FCC later allowed more use of the radio waves. In the late seventies the first trials were made in Chicago with 2000 initial customers (Bellis 1). In the 1987 cellular customers hit one million. Today one half of the people living in the United States own a cell phone. It is true that drivers can be clearly distracted from the road from cellular phones. Drivers will have them in a purse in the backseat or in an inaccessible pocket that they will be startled to get to when someone calls. Drivers will struggle to get to the phone in a timely manner and that becomes their priority instead of the road in front of them. Drivers may swerve or cut off another driver in while trying to answer a cell phone or trying dialing a ten digit telephone number. An Ohio insurance company took a poll of eight hundred drivers. The results of the poll are as follows: 43% said they had accelerated on at least one occasion while using their mobile phone; 23% said they had tailgated; 18% said they had cut someone off; 10% ran a red light; and 41% said they had accelerated to get away from someone else in another vehicle on a mobile phone (Ropeik 16). It is obvious that cell phones are a distraction but are the distractions caused by cell phones outweighed by the security and added convenience of a cell phone? There are hundreds of benefits from cellular phones. The convenience more than anything is what appeals to most users. Cell phones can be used for work or for personal use. Businessmen and women will use them to call clients and parents will use them to check on the babysitter.

Friday, October 11, 2019

King Lear/Inferno

Paper Assignment #2 (Inferno / King Lear) Both Shakespeare’s King Lear and Dante’s Inferno explore the reasons for and results of human suffering. Both works postulate that human suffering comes as a result of choices that are made. That statement is not only applicable to the characters in each of the works, but also to the readers. The Inferno and King Lear speak universal truths about the human condition: that suffering is inevitable and unavoidable.While both King Lear and the Inferno concentrate on the admonitions and lamentations of human suffering, there is one key difference between the works: the Inferno has an aspect of hope that is not present in King Lear. The unavoidable aspect of human suffering is depicted brilliantly by Shakespeare in King Lear. Seemingly insignificant choices that King Lear makes throughout the play end up completely changing his life for the worse. Not only does Lear lose his kingdom, but he also loses his family and his home.His situa tion is only made worse by him not recognizing his fault in his own actions. Lear’s lack of responsibility when it comes to his own problems is best described by Kent: â€Å"It is the stars, the stars above us govern our conditions† (Shakespeare 101). Kent and Lear blame all of their suffering on the will of a higher being, neglecting that their own actions brought them to a place where they have to suffer. By not recognizing his responsibility in the events that are happening to him, Lear causes more strife for himself and those around him.He continues to make the same mistakes like falling victim to Regan and Goneril’s flattery and ignoring Cordelia’s wise words. In addition, Lear was constantly advised by the Fool and Kent not to make such poor choices. Lear’s own stubbornness prevented him from seeing the wisdom in the Fool’s words. Similarly, in the Inferno, Capaneus is a man whose punishment comes as a result of his own defiance. Capan eus was told that his fate would be to almost conquer a city, but fail. Capaneus fought against his fate and defied it, but he ended up in Hell all the same.Capaneus became his own punishment: â€Å"no torment other than your rage itself could punish your gnawing pride more perfectly† (Dante 198). Both Lear and Capaneus show excessive pride and stubbornness throughout their respective works, and fail to see their own faults. They were forewarned about their punishments, yet they continued down the path that would bring them the most suffering. Even though suffering is an inevitable part of living and there is no path in life that does not include some sort of suffering, these two men chose the ones that would bring them the most pain.The Inferno is a tale of cautionary advice. In each circle, Dante the pilgrim speaks to one of the shades that reside there and the readers learn how and why the damned have become the damned. As Dante learns from the mistakes of the damned, so d o the readers. And as Dante feels the impacts of human suffering, so do the readers. Virgil constantly encourages Dante the pilgrim to learn why the shades are in Hell and what were their transgressions while on Earth. This work’s purpose is to educate the reader.The work’s assertions on the nature of human suffering are mostly admonition, with each shade teaching Dante the pilgrim and by extension the reader not to make the same mistakes. Dante views his journey through hell as a learning experience and that is why he made it out alive. King Lear shows an extreme of human suffering. While there is some foreshadowing to the tragic end of the play and some reproof is given, the play mostly focuses on the lamentations of the characters. Edmund laments being born a â€Å"bastard† and the circumstances surrounding his birth.He believes that it is in his â€Å"nature† to be subversive, evil, and manipulative. Yet, unlike Lear, Edmund does not place the blame o f his unfortunate life on the stars: â€Å"I should have been that I am, had the maidenliest star in the firmament twinkled on my bastardizing† (Shakespeare 20). Edmund does, however, blame society for his actions, which is just as harmful as Lear blaming the stars. If anything, this play illustrates that as humans we are completely responsible for our actions and that our own suffering is a consequence of poor judgments.Both the Inferno and King Lear depict the horrific aspects of human suffering, but there is one key difference. There is a complete absence of hope in King Lear and it shows in the tragic ending of the play. Not only do most of the characters die, but also none of them achieve redemption or are able to achieve forgiveness for their actions (with the exception of Edmund). King Lear makes a discouraging statement about humanity and the extent of human suffering: that suffering is a perpetual aspect of human life and it cannot be overcome: â€Å"We that are you ng shall never see so much, nor live so long† (Shakespeare 142).This statement made by Edgar shows the hopelessness of the circumstances Edgar, Albany, and Kent have found themselves in at the end of King Lear. In the Inferno, Dante walks through Hell, literally, and comes out on the other side alive, something that no one else has been able to achieve. Dante the pilgrim and Dante the poet saw the worst of humanity and have been able to come out of the experience with hope: â€Å"I saw the lovely things the heavens hold, and we came out to see once more the stars† (Dante 383).This observation at the end of the Inferno by Dante shows that he still believes that there is good in the world and that human suffering is not all there is to life and death. Dante the poet also maintains the reader’s hope throughout the work by showing that Dante the pilgrim made it through hell: â€Å"But I remained†¦ to tell about without more evidence† (Dante 328). The Infe rno makes a powerful statement about humanity and human suffering by adding an aspect of hope to the work: even though human suffering is inevitable and unavoidable, there is hope and suffering can be overcome.Both the Inferno and King Lear have aspects of desperation, but the final tone of the works illustrates their differences. King Lear and the Inferno are both tales of human suffering that explore the depth and width of suffering. However, even though they both state that human suffering is inevitable and unavoidable, there is levity in the Inferno that is completely absent in King Lear. The final message of King Lear is the pervasiveness of human suffering and that one’s choices not only cause one’s own suffering, but can cause the suffering of others. King Lear ends on a note of eternal sadness.Inferno’s final message is a much more hopeful one: one can be touched by human suffering and one can experience human suffering, but that does not mean that all h ope is lost. In the Inferno, suffering is just one aspect of the human experience, not the only aspect, and it does not have to define one’s life. Overall these works tell us about the unpleasant, yet necessary, parts of the human experience that will affect everyone at some point in their lives, but it is how we handle human suffering that matters most. Works Cited Dante. Inferno. New York: Penguin, 2003. Print. Shakespeare, William. King Lear. New York: Penguin, 1999. Print.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Merchant Of Venice Answers

Granting says it is time for them to laugh again and that Antonio should not SE his depressed state of mind to show people he is full of wisdom. He says it is better to behave like a fool than to be serious and pretend to be wise. 5. He compares the world with a Stage where everyone has a purpose or part to play. 6. He is trying to win the lady Portrait's heart by being on an equal standing with her other suitors. He's lifestyle is expensive and he tries to impress everyone with his wealth. 7. From Antonio. 8. He assures him that his money and all he has is available to Bastion.He will help him any way he can – as long as the cause is honest. 9. He wants to end more money from Antonio so that he can win the Lady Portrait's heart (and money) to pay off his debts. 10. He needs the money to compete with Portrait's other suitors and to travel to Belmont, Portrait's home. He thus needs it to buy presents for Portia to impress her. 1 1 . And she is also beautiful and good 12. By bor rowing money, he pretends to be rich, and we know he is not, in fact he is in great debt. He pretends to be interested in Portia – but we can assume he is after her money. 3. No, he is still depressed. He makes true on his promises. He does not pretend to be happy – and he does not hide his linings towards Shylock. 14. From Shylock, a Jewish moneylender who lends money with interest. 5 February The Merchant Of Venice: Act 1, Scene 2 1. Inertias. 2. Inertias says that if you have a lot of money, it makes you quicker than when you have just enough to live on. Portia has never worked and thus not know what it is like to suffer. 3. Portia believes it is good to follow proper advice for the heart is sometimes ruled by emotions. 4.Portrait's father said in his will that the man who wants to marry her must choose one of three caskets. The right one shall have a picture of Portia in it. 5. She refused them cause of her father's will and the fact that she did not like them. 6. Yes, she does. 7. The caskets that is made out of lead, because her father wants a husband for her who doesn't want her for her money, but who really loves her for who she is. 9 February The Merchant Of Venice: Act 1, Scene 3 1 . Shylock means that Antonio is a good man because he is wealthy and it is safe risk to take to give him the money.He always pays his debts. 2. It is shown in Schlock's declaration that he will not eat or dine with them because they might give him pork to eat. 3. Antonio lends money to people without interest, which shows he is a giving, generous, caring and honest man. 4. Own answer -? must be well motivated. (Remember, during the Elizabethan times, it was acceptable. ) 5. Shylock hates Antonio because, 6. He is a Christian, 7. Antonio has openly criticized Schlock's usury because Antonio does not ask it, 8. He has spit on Shylock and treated him like a mongrel's dog. 9.He repeats the terms and conditions of the loan several times. He pretends to have no mon ey (he would borrow it from Tuba) and he greets him too politely. 10. Appearance vs.. Reality, Money lending vs.. Friendship, Mercy vs.. Justice. Love vs.. Friendship, Comedy vs.. Tragedy, Materialism vs.. Spiritualism. 11. He will lend three thousand ducats to Antonio for three months, and if he cannot repay it, Shylock will take a piece of flesh from Notation's body any. Veer he wants to. 12. Bastion does not like the terms at all. It reveals that he truthfully cares more about his friend than the money. 13.Antonio is sure his merchant ships will be in Venice a full month before the end of the contract and it will be worth 9 times the value of the loan. 14. No, he feels a fair bargain from a sly person is worse than an unfair deal from an honest person. He feels Shylock is a villain and not able to be â€Å"fair†. May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 1 1 . They are living under the same sun thus they are both used to a life of luxury. 2. She cannot say that she likes or dislikes it – she is not influenced by her eyes prejudice. 3. She tells us that she places the Prince of Morocco on an equal footing with her other suitors.From the previous act, we know she does not think very highly of them either. This supports the theme of Prejudice. 4. It could make him a man blessed (with a beautiful wife and money) or ill fated. Thus, he dislikes the idea of having fate decide his future. 5. He makes him swear never to marry. May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 2 1. He compares him to the devil himself. 2. Bastion is a kind master and a Christian but Shylock ill-treats him. Bassoon's servants wear beautiful uniforms. 3. Old Gobo treats his son with respect and dignity (â€Å"young master') but Shylock mistreats him.Gobo wants to help his son to a better work, and he forgives his son for playing tricks on him. 4. Lancelot says that Bastion is full of mercy and kindness -? unlike Shylock. Bastion is not there for the money. 5. No, it is very unlik e him. We can forgive him for his rude behavior because that is what makes him unique and his friends do not mind his faults. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 3 1 . Lancelot was the comic relief to her miserable life. 2. With Lorenz. 3. It is surprising because Lorenz is a Christian and Jessica is a Jew – usually these two religions do not agree.Lorenz is a friend of Notation's and Shylock will thus never approve of their love. It was totally unheard of. 4. She loves him – he is her father – but she does not like his behavior or methods. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 4 1. She will disguise herself as a boy. 2. She will bring some money – in this case, some of her fathers gold and eels. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 5 1 . He thinks they want to flatter him because of his wealthy and to thank him for the three thousand ducats. 2. He wants to use the opportunity to secretly scorn and mock the Christians' manners.He wants t o watch in hatred as Bastion wastes the money. 3. We know now that he is only interested in himself, that his daughter is nothing more than a commodity and he is fine with treating his servants badly. He is stingy, materialistic, mean, dull, too serious and filled with hate. 4. Shakespeare wants to show that, if both parties agree, Christians and Jews can get long quite nicely. He tried to bridge the racial prejudice by making a Jew and a Christian fall in love – love can overcome hatred and religious differences. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 6 1 .He loves her too much and she is wise, fair and trustworthy. 2. Bastion and is on his way to Belmont with a ship and the wind is now favorable for him to set sail immediately. 3. He wants to see Inertias, his love interest. 4. His first concern is the money – he might be infatuated with Portia, but it is not clear yet. 3 May The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 7 1. 1)†Who choosiest me, shall gain what man y men desire†. )†Who choosiest me, shall get as much as he deserves†. 3) â€Å"Who choosiest me, must give and hazard all he hath†. 2. A picture of Portia. . 1) He does not want to take a risk with lead – it is worthless and it will be foolish. He does not want to risk everything without gaining something in the process. 2) It says the one who chooses it, will get what he deserves – and he knows he deserves Portrait's hand in marriage because he has a beautiful complexion, good manners and he is a good lover. He does not choose it, because he feels its worth will not be enough include Portia. 3) He feels hat he deserve more than just a casket – wants the casket that is worthy of Portia herself.Gold is more worthy than silver and Portia is worth more than any other woman. 4. He did not choose the right one and he was leaving immediately. 22 July The Merchant Of Venice: Act 2, Scene 8 2. 3. 4. He is angry because she went with a Christian and she took some of his jewels and money. He is also upset because he has lost a daughter. Own answer – it is difficult to say, maybe it was a double blow to him? Shylock might change the terms of their agreement – and if Antonio cannot repay the money, Shylock might not show him any mercy. He might just now claim â€Å"the pound of flesh† immediately.