Friday, November 29, 2019

Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Essay Example

Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Paper 1. Describe how Robin Hood developed his initial strategy for competing with the sheriff of Nottingham and discuss how he implemented it. Critique this approach. The original problem definition of high taxation that faced the people gave way for a new market which was stormed by Robin Hood. Seemingly an unlawful act, his mission was to â€Å"steal from the rich, and give to the poor†. As he entered the market, he was faced with rivalry of the prince and the sheriff. Robin Hood and his band of Merry men stole from the rich and gave to the poor which is in actuality is entirely opposite to the actions of his rivals. As Robin Hood entered the existing niche market he gained popularity and support amongst the common folk as he was supplying a unique good/service. He provides a free service to the poor after his operating expenses are accounted for. Also, the people had a preference for his product and tactics were not easily matched or copied by the competition. By obtaining this support, this strategy was to his advantage against Prince John and the sheriff. The opinion of numerous common folk would have persuaded Prince John to change the law of unfair taxation. Robin quickly realized that there was little he could do himself; which led to development of the organization by stimulating human resources. He sought close allies who would follow his vision of vengeance for the sheriff and the prince. These men would act as direct subordinates, however as time progress, admittance was allowed with less scrutiny whereby the only determining factor was loyalty. He believed strength lay in numbers. Robin implemented his strategy of ‘strength in numbers’ by seeking discipline from his band of men which ensured unity in the organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Robin Hood Case Study Discussion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Robin Hood Case Study Discussion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Robin Hood Case Study Discussion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This was achieved through a specific department within the organizational hierarchy. As a result they became more powerful in their battle against the sheriff. This forced the Merry Men to live outside the law which was also desired to gain sufficient discipline in the group. This organization was fairly simple. Critique By acquiring a large extent of subordinates, Robin obtained a work force that is not necessarily trained as he allowed any to join who asked few questions. In doing so, extra man-hours would have to be spent in training. Also if prescreening of the new entrants existed, the idea of using the entrants with existing skills can give way for a more efficient organization. I. e. farmers would have been used not for war but for food. As the largest internal dilemma faced the band was an increased group size infrastructure, supplies and other physical resources would quickly diminish. Thus cutting cost should be priority, thus tradeoffs can be made by employing skilled workers for defined job. E. g. famers and hunters With the ideal of improper interview, his organization could be easily infiltrated by his competitors thus relieving their plan and strategies. 2. Identify organizational characteristics and environment characteristics that would lead you to think robin hood is wise to considering a change in strategy as he enters his campaign second year? Robin’s organization could be seen as one of a hierarchy, he is the highest person in the organization which can put him in roles such as C. E. O. or chairman. His responsibility is to delegate specific task to his lieutenants, each has their own functions which contributes to the success of the merry men as a unit. For example Will Scarlett was assigned the important task of shadowing the sheriff and notifying the merry men of the sheriff next move. Figure 1: Robins Organizational Hierarchy The motivation of the band was vital to keeping them interested in the purpose of the vendetta. Motivation theory seeks to explain all kinds of motivated behavior in different situations, including behavior in the organizations. Since the majority of behavior is sense motivated, individuals are greatly influenced by their environment. Maslow’s theory of human motivation, all people have a need or desire for self respect, self esteem, and respect from others. This directly applies to the Merry Men, for they sought respect and were proud of their famous motto â€Å"Rob from the rich and give to the poor†. The resourced based model was important in the success of the group; five factors were looked at which the band demonstrated resources, capability, competitive advantage, attractive industry, strategy formulation and implementation. The resource of the group came from the merchants that travel through the forest, initially the resource was always available but t was quickly becoming sparse as merchants was choosing a different route. The men were properly trained to plan their robbery and skillful in their archery, however, the influxes of new recruits were beginning to strain the reserves of the group as training and food was costly. Robin and the merry men had the support from their customers which were the peasants and farmers but now as income was low and the maintenance cost was high they would have to tax the very people which they helped meaning that the peasants and farmers could turn on them and add to their troubles. Understanding the resource base of the group I could see why a change in strategy was wise. Figure 2: Resourced Based Model Robin and his organization were in crisis due to lack of a proper corporate strategy. The merry men were growing, with large number of new recruits but the organic structure is not cohesive. Communication and discipline is being broken down, table 3 below shows some options robin could use and their SWOT analysis. | Opportunities | Threats | Strengths| SO Strategies: Kill the Sheriff * Wipe him out, no more problems * Has the men to do it When the sheriff is gone, disband. ST Strategies: Join the barons * Has the fighting force * Get access to capital markets * Maybe ends the conflict quicker| Weakness | WO Strategies: Limit size of band * Turn the fighting band into a group of elites * Maintains discipline * Solves food issues * Basically, curtail growth| WT Strategies: Disband * Give up the cause, return to normal life * Robin flees to another country to escap e punishment| Figure 3: SWOT Matrix Problems Robin and his organization faced: * Lack of discipline Maintenance cost * Shelter/space shortage * Food shortage * training * security and vigilance (whoever wanted to join was taken in and there could be traitors and spies) These problems need to be address if the band is to have any chance against the sheriff and prince John. 3. Assume that Robin Hood has asked you to help him devise a new strategy. Identify a set of factors for him to consider in revising strategy. It was evident from the story that Robin Hood needed to change his approach owing to both internal and external factors. An uncontrolled workforce along with unsuitable supplier location led to the brink of economic viability. Changing the overall goal of his organization to fixed transit taxation would decrease his competitive advantage over the Sheriff. As a result the cost of amenities which Mr. Hood provided to the common folk would increase. If he chooses this path he would lose his loyal supporters which kept him in control of the monopolized market. The farmers and townspeople would then favor Prince John’s governance and rely on his pity for commodities. In the event of this situation Robin Hood’s main foe, The Sheriff would become stronger in light of his political connection with the prince. Although his work force was constantly growing, its productivity was diminutive. He claimed that he was not familiar with a large population of his organization. It would be in Robin’s best interest to restructure his work force. He would gain an advantage by decentralizing the team into several self sustaining units; each unit consisting of team manager, lieutenants and miscellaneous subordinates. Akin to a franchised organization, each team unit would be operating under the Robin Hood brand name, have the same goal as Robin, and operate within the limits of Robin. This structure would be less demanding to co-ordinate and allow him to devise alternate strategies. Since Robin also had a problem with a definitive Sherwood Forest location, this structure would also aid his disguise from his suppliers, the rich merchant travelers and the Sheriff. It is an imprudent choice for Robin to divert from his core competency and profound skill of banditry. The change in profession may lead to a lack of enthusiasm which would reflect poorly through the eyes of his followers and his brand name. References: Analyzing Strategic Management Cases Date Accessed: 02nd February 2011 The Business Operations of Robin Hood and the Merry men Author: Sumeet Malhotra Date updated: 2010 Date Accessed: 05th February 2011 ROBIN HOOD a Case Study Author: Misti Walker   Date updated: 05th September 2009 Date Accessed: 05th February 2011 Case Study 24 Robin Hood Book Winning In The Market Place Second Edition   Date update: 2011 Date Accessed: 07th February 2011 Robin Hood Case Analysis Author: Aaron labin, Curt Matthews, Rich Miller http://www. scribd. com/doc/37469551/Robin-Hood-Final Date updated: 14th April 2009 Date Accessed: 07th February 2011

Monday, November 25, 2019

Sierra Leone essays

Sierra Leone essays The British established a colony at Freetown in 1787 for slaves returning to Africa from Great Britain and the United States and for slaves rescued from shipwrecks. The land of original settlement, where the city later developed, was purchased from local chiefs. The Sierra Leone Company, formed in 1791, administered the settlement until 1808, when it became a crown colony. Britain set up a protectorate over the hinterland of Freetown in 1896. The British were relatively nice towards the people of Sierra Leone. While they provided what they could for the colony, they also illegally smuggled the nations diamonds to other countries. The first elections for the legislative council were held under the constitution of 1924. In 1950 the National Council of Sierra Leone was formed by the Creole (Krio) elite with the purpose of preserving and continuing the elevated status that the Krios enjoyed in the country. One year later Milton Margai helped form the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (Harris pg. 247). The ministerial system was introduced in 1953, and Sir Milton Margai, a former physician and leader of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), was appointed chief minister in 1954 and prime minister in 1960 Sierra Leone gained independence on April 27, 1961. Their independence did not have to be fought for, it was simply given to them by the British. Following the elections of 1962, Margai remained Prime Minister. Margai died in 1964 and was succeeded by his half-brother, Albert Margai (Cutter pg. 60). In 1967, as a result of fake elections, in which Siaka Stevens, leader of the All Peoples Congress (APC), was elected prime minister, the army staged a coup dtat and organized a National Reformation Council (NRC). After another army revolt in 1968, civilian government was restored, and Stevens returned to power. Sierra Leone was declared a republic on April 19, 1971, and ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ration Analysis in Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ration Analysis in Decision Making - Assignment Example The healthcare company that is going to be evaluated in this report is Cameron Memorial Community Hospital. The financial statements of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital are illustrated in Appendix A and B. The tool that is going to be used to analyze the financial statements of the company is ratio analysis. The Cameron Memorial Hospital was founded in 1926 by Don F. Cameron. The hospital is a 25 bed Critical Access Community Hospital. â€Å"CMCH is a comprehensive healthcare system that services the Tri-State Area of Northeast Indiana, South Central Michigan and Northwest Ohio† (Cameronmch). Some of the services offered at Cameron Memorial Community Hospital include radiology, sleep center, surgical services, occupational health, and hospice care. There are over 100 doctors working at Cameron Memorial Community Hospital. In order to comply with its civic duties and social responsibility the hospital created the Cameron Hospital Foundation. The 2010 fiscal year of Cameron M emorial Community Hospital started September 30, 2009 and ended September 30, 2010. In 2010 Cameron Memorial Community Hospital generated total revenues of $41.94 million (In). The company’s revenues increase by 4.98% in comparison with fiscal year 2009. The total expenses of the hospital in 2010 were $41.10 million. The net margin of the company in 2010 was 4.51%. The net margin is an absolute measure of profitability. It is calculated by dividing net income by total revenues. In order to determine whether the net margin of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital is good or not we must compare it to the industry standard. A good database that has information regarding the industry standards across different industries is the Dun & Bradstreet database. The health care industry net margin industry standard is 4.2% (Dun & Bradstreet). The net margin of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital was above the industry standard by 0.31%. The table below illustrated a ratio analysis of Camer on Memorial Community Hospital in 2010. Cameron Memorial Community Hospital 2010 Net Margin 4.52% Return on Equity 7.30% Return on Assets 4.12% Debt Ratio 2.29 Current Ratio 1.97 Working Capital $4380419 Debt to 'Equity 0.77 The return on equity of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital in 2010 was 7.30%. The return on equity metric measures how effective a company was at generating profits from its total equity. The formula to calculate return on equity is dividing net income by total equity. The industry standard return on equity is 9.2% (Dun & Bradstreet). The return on equity of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital in 2010 was 1.90% below the industry standard. The return on assets of the company in 2010 was 4.12%. The return on assets metric can be calculated by dividing net income by total assets. The industry standard return on assets is 4.30% (Dun & Bradstreet). The return on assets ratio measures how effective a company was at generating profits from its total assets. The retur n on assets of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital was 0.18% below the industry standard. The debt ratio measures a company’s ability to pay off its long term debt. The debt ratio is calculated dividing total assets by total liabilities. The debt ratio of Cameron Memorial Community Hospital in 2010 was 2.29. The general rule for a debt ratio is that a debt

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

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

Gangs - Essay Example There are accounts to prove these claims and with this, they tend to resort on things, which worsen their personalities-Drugs, theft, robbery, sexual assaults and even murder are some of the crimes that they commit. There are measures that are continuously done by the authorities to prevent or at least lessen this kind of activities. Most of the people have put the blame on their parents while some attributed this kind of occurrence to the leniency of laws particularly in correcting the children, which deals in sparing the rod. Most of the critics agree that this kind of method spoils the children and they likewise feel that they are free to do whatever they want to do. These things do occur and parents are the pointed culprits on these. They (parents) suffer such a fate since it is their responsibilities to raise their children. However, is it enough to put the blame on the parents alone How about when these children are out of their homes It is an established fact that most of the boys and girls in their puberty age shows untoward behavior and such occurrences do have different reasons, which the science cannot explain to date. When juveniles commit illegal activities, they were arrested and tried as most of the states here claim that it cannot tolerate such untoward behavior. In this case, psychologists and sociologists agree that in order to correct these individuals, the method of correcting them must be different from the method that the justice system applies in reprimanding individuals in legal ages. Juvenile courts are tailored for the correction of minors in order for them to be corrected and become more matured in order to ensure that they would not commit the same mistakes again. Basically, it is divided into three parts "separated into three types: independent and separate courts, part of a family court and unit within a trial court" (Miriam Van Waters, p. 299). This court can either examine or determine the process of correcting a convicted juvenile. Of course, the kind of correction is much lighter than the convicted criminal on the basis that they are on their "tender" or "innocent years." The court also focuses on the development of these individuals, rather than punishment. To add to that, the web also has the definition on juvenile court: legal-explanations.com (2006) stressed that "The court that takes up the cases where there is an involvement of children below eighteen years of age and who are dependant, abused, or out of control. But the cases which has been charged on the under age child as adult cannot be tried in this court. Juvenile Courts 3 A critic claimed, "It is impossible to eradicate juvenile delinquencies if we don't delve on the roots why these things happen." True enough, like most of the crimes and problems, their roots must be eradicated to prevent further harm. In recent studies, most children are involved in gangs and similar organizations solely on the basis of peer pressure in which most of them tend to believe that they should be involved in such organizations for them to cope-up with the society as most of them presume. In this kind of situation, a certain method should be done. In avoiding this kind of scenario to happen, one must know that proper education among the juveniles should be done. This responsibility should not be on the shoulders of

Monday, November 18, 2019

How ratio analysis provides a meaningful comparison of a company to Essay

How ratio analysis provides a meaningful comparison of a company to its industry, chief competitors, or to any other well run firm - Essay Example These techniques help to compare a company’s performance with its chief competitors in same industry as well as monitor the company’s progress over time. Accounting ratios is an important tool for financial statement analysis. A ratio is defined as relation between two numbers expressed as fraction or as percentage. When such relationships are derived from the financial statements, they are called accounting ratios (Kim & Ayoun, 2005, p.2). Accounting ratios have immense application in interpretation of financial statements by helping perform both intra-firm and inter-firm comparison. Intra-firm comparison helps to measure the performance of the company on Y-O-Y basis while inter-firm comparison helps to evaluate Company’s performance with its competitors. Ratios can be broadly classified into income statement ratios (derived from income statement), balance sheet ratios (derived from balance sheet) and composite ratios (one item from balance sheet and another from income statement). They help to evaluate the firm’s ability to honor its short term or current obligations. It is an indicator for the measure of working capital management. The firms’ short term obligations include carrying out day to day operations, payments to creditors for purchase of raw materials, payment of daily wages of laborers, outstanding expenses and bills payables, etc. These current liabilities are financed by current assets (Bragg, 2012, p.73). It is the ratio of total long-term debt to total asset. While a low ratio provides security to creditors a high ratio helps the management to trade on equity. Hence it is also called the leverage ratio (Drake, 2008, p.9). It is the ratio of long term debt to shareholders’ fund (Equity shares, retained earnings, preference shares, and fictitious assets). Form the investors’ point of view a

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Problems of Syntax

Problems of Syntax If generative grammar focuses on establishing rules: The underlying thesis of generative grammar is that sentencesare generated by a subconscious set of procedures (like computer programs).These procedures are part of our minds (or of our cognitive abilitiesif you prefer). The goal of syntactic theory is to model these procedures.In other words, we are trying to figure out what we subconsciously knowabout the syntax of our language.In generative grammar, the means for modeling these procedures isthrough a set of formal grammatical rules (Carnie, 2012) Cognitive linguistics combines its theory of syntax with itstheory of motivation. The theory of motivation transpires useful for the cognitiveapproach, since its account of radial categories leads to the conclusion that moreperipheral subcategories are neither computable or derivational (in the Chomskyansense) from the central category nor completely arbitrary (in the de Saussurian sense).Lakoff (1987) offers a syntactic analysis with a view to demonstrating that radialcategories are also to be found in the domain of syntax and that they, similarly to theones in lexicon, motivate correspondences between form and meaning. Thus, in the thirdcase study of his monumental Women, Fire and Dangerous Things,Lakoff endeavors to show that the generative view of grammar is unsatisfactory, as itfails to observe that the meaning of many grammatical constructions motivates theirlinguistic form so that syntactic structures are very often motivated by the structure ofcognitive models. As there is no point in relating Lakoffs meticulous analyses, suffice itto say that he offers a theory of syntax in which syntactic categories are semanticallymotivated and grammatical constructions possess meanings. His conclusion is that thecentral syntactic categories can be predicted from the semantic conditions, while thenoncentral syntactic subcategories are motivated extensions of central categories. Whatis crucial is that in neither way can syntactic categories be viewed as autonomous in thegenerative sense. When protesting against the exaggerated arbitrariness of every linguistic sign andagainst the generative view of grammar, cognitive linguistics postulates also theprinciple of iconic sequencing. If, after Sweetser (1990),we compare sentences such as Iread books and newspapers versus I read a book and went to bed, we can observe thatthe usage of and in both sentences is quite different. In the former sentence, the usage ofand is symmetric, since we can freely change the conjuncts and the meaning does notchange with the reversal of conjuncts, whereas the latter sentence exhibits an asymmetricuse of and, since a change in the order does change our interpretation of the events.Sweetser (1990) explains that such an asymmetricality is due to the iconicconventions of narrative word-order. While the sequence of the two clauses reflects thesequence of the events in this sense that the first clause is interpreted as temporally priorto the second, it is important to notice that the conjunction and does not convey anyinformation about the order of events: the sequence of events is simply reflected by thelinearity of the clauses. If we now compare sentences such as He opened the door andentered the house and *He entered the house and opened the door, we can conclude thatthe former sentence is acceptable, since the sequence of the clauses reflects thechronological order of events, whereas the latter sentence is hardly acceptable preciselyfor this reason that the chronological order of events has been violated. As Ungerer andSchmid observe such sentences are unacceptable because the order in which theclauses are arranged violates the principle of iconic sequencing (1996:251). From thepoint of view of cognitive critique of generative grammar, the following issues should bepointed out. Firstly, it is crucial to notice that the unacceptability of the latter sentencecannot be explained by reference to the clause patterns and the rules of syntax alone.Secondly, the phenomenon of i conicity confirms our earlier suggestion thatextensionality should be seen as rather untypical of natural languages. Finally, cognitiveanalyses of iconicity corroborate the thesis that meaning and grammar interface, asgrammar transpires to be an image. Inasmuch as syntax rules, within generative linguistics, are independent of semanticsand pragmatics, generative grammar runs counter to natural intuitions with itsimplications that natural language consists of uninterpreted symbols and, consequently,its primary function must be production of sequences of uninterpreted sounds rather thancommunication. This is clear already in Syntactic structures were Chomsky declares we were studying language as an instrument or tool, attempting to describe itsstructure with no explicit reference to the way in which this instrument is put touse (1957:103). Generative grammar makes two important divisions: firstly, it differentiates betweenacceptability and grammaticality and, secondly, it differentiates between semantics andpragmatics (cf. e.g. Chomsky 1965:11 sqq.). With regard to the first division, it has to besaid that when differentiating between acceptability and grammaticality of sentences,generative grammar relegates the former to the sphere of performance, while the latter isgenerated by the syntax. This differentiation results in the opposition between sentencesand utterances: sentences are identified with competence and belong to grammar whichis viewed as an algorithm generating a set of sentences, whereas utterances are relegatedto performance, as they are seen as particular and contingent instances of sentences.With regard to the second division, it has to be said that when differentiating betweensemantics and pragmatics, generative grammar deems semantics to be far important, as itdeals with the meaning of sentence that i s to be objective, i.e. independent of speakersintensions and capable of correctly corresponding to the external world. Pragmatics,which deals with how speakers use sentences, is clearly separated from semantics andrelegated to a role of secondary importance. Needless to say, the primacy of semanticsover pragmatics stems from the assumption that it is semantics that concerns itself withthe objective relations between language and the external world. On discovering that syntactic categories and grammatical relations are notautonomous, but dependent of meaning and use, cognitive grammar repudiates the ideaof an autonomous syntax and maintains that many a syntactic analysis is incompleteunless supplied with semantic and pragmatic analyses. Inasmuch as it is not onlyacceptability but also grammaticality that is determined by the context, meaning and use,cognitive linguistics departs from the generative enterprise in its assumption that theorder in which component structures are integrated into composite structure (i.e. theconstituency in Langackers terminology) is flexible and variable, while in generativegrammar it is always fixed and invariable. Langacker demonstrates that special (e.g.communicative) circumstances can exert profound impact on the constituency and,consequently, change it in a way that cognitive linguistics can explain much better thangenerative grammar. As an example Langacker gives the sentence: This target / thea rrow hit / (but not that one), explaining that  the canonical NP + VP organization is readily suspended when communicativefactors favor isolating the direct object as a separate major constituent(1987:319). Accordingly, Langacker demonstrates that semantics must not be seen asautonomous not only at the level of the internal structure of the word meaning but also atthe level of sentence semantics. Similarly, Lakoff offers a thorough analysis which shows that the rules forcombining clauses must be accounted for on semantic and pragmatic grounds. Thescholars analyses lead to conclusion that syntax cannot be viewed as autonomous andtransformations cannot explain all relationships among grammatical constructions, sinceone can make better predictions with regard to the syntactic behavior of a construction, ifone does not disregard its semantic and pragmatic constraints. Thus, Lakoff shows(1987:475) that the transformational approach cannot explain why rhetorical questionssuch as Who would like to live here? can be combined with because-clauses (I amselling my apartment, because who would like to live here) and why a true question suchas Which apartment would you like to buy? cannot (*I am selling my apartment,because which apartment would you like to buy). Lakoff offers an interestingexplanation: rhetorical questions are in fact statements (I am selling my apartment,because no one would like to live here), whereas true questions are requests forinformation (cf. also Lakoff Johnson 1999:485)9. His generalization is based onconditions that are not only syntactic but also semantic (the clauses offer justification)and pragmatic (the syntactic constructions function as statements). In view of this,Lakoff shows that, contrary to the autonomous syntax hypothesis, many a syntacticphenomenon must be understood with reference to its semantics and pragmatics.Moreover, as the example demonstrates there is no clear-cut syntactic rule whichprecludes the possibility of a question being combined with a because-clause, it becomesevident that one must take into consideration the so called performative functions ofspeech acts. As a result, Lakoff arrives at the conclusion that if a question is in fact astatement, then it can be combined with because-clauses and if it is not, then it cannot.Consequently, semantics proves to be hardly autonomous at the level of syntax, sinceever y analysis conducted at the level of sentence semantics must also includepragmatics. In the final analysis, Lakoff shows that when it comes to the study of syntaxeven the absolutely fundamental distinction between subordinate and coordinate clausescan under certain circumstances be suspended, since  clauses expressing a reason allow speech act constructions that conveystatements, and the content of the statement equals the reason expressed(1987:480). Inasmuch as Lakoffs bases his analysis on the illocutionary forces of grammaticalconstructions, he incorporates semantic and pragmatic conditions into the study ofsyntax and, thereby, formulates a generalization about syntax in semantic and pragmaticterms which generative grammar, being founded on the dogma of the autonomy ofsyntax, can by no means formulate. Having concisely (and needles to say -superficially) dealt with the cognitive account of such linguistic phenomena asmetaphors, constructions, motivation, iconicity and performative functions of speechacts, we can attempt succinctly to present the most important consequences of thecognitive approach.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Essay --

The key question of the survey was to answer if the public of the United States of America believe that obesity is a serious problem or not. The population of interest was the whole U.S citizens. The survey was done by a telephone interview, conducted on October 30-November 6, 2013, among a national sample of 2003 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The respondents were interviewed on a landline telephone, as well as on a cell phone. The combination of landline and cell phone random digit dial samples were used; both samples were provided by Survey Sampling International. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. Respondents in the landline sample were selected by randomly asking for the youngest adult male or female who is now at home. Interviews in the cell sample were conducted with person who answered the phone, if that person was an adult 19 years of age or older. The combined landline and cell phone sample are wei ghted using an interactive technique that matches gender, age, education, race, Hispanic origin, and nativity and region to parameters from the 2011 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and population density to parameters from the Decennial Census. The sample also weighted to match current patterns of telephone status and relative usage of landline and cell phones. The weighting procedure also accounts for the fact that respondents with both landline and cell phones have a greater probability of being included in the combined sample and adjusts for household size among respondents with a landline phone. The sampling frame only includes those who are United States citizens and have registered their contact number into the directory. The sampling... ...response between male and female: women are slightly more likely than men to say that obesity is a serious public health problem (72% vs. 66%). In addition, those who describe themselves as overweight are as likely as others to say that obesity is a very serious public health problem (70% vs. 69%). The conclusions stated by The Pew Research Center are somewhat agreeable for the statistics clearly supports the argument. Just looking at the statistics provided, it is simple to conclude that no matter what situation a person is in, the citizens of America believe that obesity is a serious medical issue. However, I believe the survey cannot be generalized to the population of interest due to the fact that the number of individuals interviewed are to small compared to the whole population of the United States, thus, enabling wide variety of opinions across the country. Essay -- The key question of the survey was to answer if the public of the United States of America believe that obesity is a serious problem or not. The population of interest was the whole U.S citizens. The survey was done by a telephone interview, conducted on October 30-November 6, 2013, among a national sample of 2003 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The respondents were interviewed on a landline telephone, as well as on a cell phone. The combination of landline and cell phone random digit dial samples were used; both samples were provided by Survey Sampling International. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. Respondents in the landline sample were selected by randomly asking for the youngest adult male or female who is now at home. Interviews in the cell sample were conducted with person who answered the phone, if that person was an adult 19 years of age or older. The combined landline and cell phone sample are wei ghted using an interactive technique that matches gender, age, education, race, Hispanic origin, and nativity and region to parameters from the 2011 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and population density to parameters from the Decennial Census. The sample also weighted to match current patterns of telephone status and relative usage of landline and cell phones. The weighting procedure also accounts for the fact that respondents with both landline and cell phones have a greater probability of being included in the combined sample and adjusts for household size among respondents with a landline phone. The sampling frame only includes those who are United States citizens and have registered their contact number into the directory. The sampling... ...response between male and female: women are slightly more likely than men to say that obesity is a serious public health problem (72% vs. 66%). In addition, those who describe themselves as overweight are as likely as others to say that obesity is a very serious public health problem (70% vs. 69%). The conclusions stated by The Pew Research Center are somewhat agreeable for the statistics clearly supports the argument. Just looking at the statistics provided, it is simple to conclude that no matter what situation a person is in, the citizens of America believe that obesity is a serious medical issue. However, I believe the survey cannot be generalized to the population of interest due to the fact that the number of individuals interviewed are to small compared to the whole population of the United States, thus, enabling wide variety of opinions across the country.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Different Types of Documents Produced in a Business Environment Essay

The different formats in which text may be presented are font typefaces, headings, font size, effects (bold, italics, underlined), colours and text boxes. We can format text in paragraphs, tables and columns. We can add bullet points, headers and footers. We can also add tables, graphs, diagrams and flowcharts as a clear way to represent data and processes. 1. 3 Explain the purpose and benefits of producing high quality and attractive documents The documents you produce for your organisation are an image of representation of your organisation. So it creates an impression on the reader about the standards of the organisation. A good quality document that looks good to the audience can gain more customers and increase the company’s reputation. The quality of your documents is a reflection on you. 2. 3 Describe different types of technology available for inputting, formatting, and editing text and their main features A keyboard and mouse would be the main technology to insert text into a computer. When using a keyboard you press the specific key for each character that needs inputting, and this is transferred on to the computer screen, in a word processing program. A mouse helps you navigate on the computer screen to select the programs to select the programs to open and view and type the text. Another form of inputting could be copying and pasting information from the internet or another document. You could even use a scanner to input text and transfer documents into the computer. Within the Microsoft Word package, you have the following tools to format the text to make it look high quality: -WordArt: this includes effects such as shadows, outlines, colours, gradients, and 3D effects that can be added to a word or phrase. WordArt can also bend, stretch, rotate, or modify the shape of the text. -Page layout: the arrangement of text, images and other objects on a page. -Columns: this is a vertical division of text on a page, usually found in the layout of booklets, newspapers, magazines and leaflets. -Paragraphs: usually a distinct, short section on a document/ piece of writing, usually with a single theme. -Headers and footers: A header or footer is text or graphics that is usually printed at the top or bottom of every page in a document. A header is printed in the top margin; a footer is printed in the bottom margin. The types of technology that are available to edit text are: -Spell check: a computer program that identifies possible misspellings in a block of text by comparing the text with a database of the correct spellings. -Grammar check: this is a tool on Microsoft programs that gives you helpful hints to improve your sentence structure. -Find and replace: this is a function that allows you to search for a particular word in a document and replace it if you need to rename more than one word. 3. Explain the benefits of agreeing the purpose, content, style and deadlines for producing documents. The audience of a document is the group of people for who it is written for. Therefore, documents should be designed to meet the needs of the expected audience. You need to know the purpose of the document so you know what and how to produce it, for example, if it is advertising for young people you would want it to be eye catching and in a style that will appeal to them. It is important to agree the content so you can obtain the information, plan and organise the layout. Deadlines are important so you can plan other work around it and complete the document on time. 3. 2 Outline different ways of organising content for documents. To organise the content you require for a document, you first need to find out how the document is to be presented and the information that is to be included. But ways you could organise content could be: -Bullet points -Alphabetical ordering -Chronological order -Headings -Text -Graphs -Text boxes You should then store all the information needed safely and with clear file names. 3. Outline ways of integrating and laying out text and non-text. Text and non – text can be integrated easily with Microsoft Word or Publisher. There are many ways of laying out a document, using columns, graphics, and blocks of text, headings, background colours, images and white space and wrap text around; which helps you to work around with its different features to get a consistent format. Also there are other office applications that help with integrating and laying out text and non-text, for example, Excel and PowerPoint, help with integrating text and non-text in spread sheets and slides. Many organisations use a logo on all their printed materials and their documents often have a very specific style. This will be achieved by always using the same fonts, font sizes, text and page colours and page layout. 3. 4 Describe ways of checking finished documents for accuracy – including spelling, grammar and punctuation – and correctness, and the purpose of doing so. When you have finished creating a document, you should review and check it thoroughly before sending or printing the document. Word documents have a spell check function, however even using spell check might not be completely accurate, therefore using a grammar check on the document as well, will be more beneficial. After doing the spell and grammar checks, you could ask another colleague to proof read your work – having a proof reader can help highlight problems as they are a fresh set of eyes that have not read the document. Re-reading the documents several days after completing, may refresh your mind to notice any corrections and adjustments. It is beneficial to compare the final version with original notes and rough drafts. All of these checks are to ensure that your document that you want to make is fit for purpose and correct before showing to a senior member of staff or production of the document. 3. 5 Explain the purpose of storing documents safely and securely, and ways of doing so. Any document with any sensitive information should always be stored safely; electronically or physically. For example, -A filing cabinet which can be locked, as it may be required for future use/reference. Storing confidential documents electronically should always be stored with password protection, on a safe and secure operating system. -Locking your computer if you’re leaving your desk, even if it is for just a few minutes. -Being aware who is around you or your desk when dealing with documents with confidential information on. 3. 6 Explain the purpose of confidentiality and data protection when preparing documents. Any form of personal information held about a person within a company is protected under the Data Protection Act; this means all data should be kept confidential. This is significant to ensure nobody will be able to get the data and pass the information on. Confidentiality is very important when preparing documents, because Oxfordshire County Council is involved with a lot of personal data: †¢Full names †¢Contact details (addresses and phone numbers) †¢Records When preparing documents we need to be aware of what we are including in the document, for example if you are adding a photograph, do you have the right permission to use it? As a company, in order to protect the users and the owner, confidentiality must be observed. 3. Explain the purpose and benefits of meeting deadlines. If deadlines are valued and meeting those deadlines is enforced, expectations are consistent. It is important that you produce your work to the best possible standard in order to meet the requirements of the person setting the task. This will show you are responsible and trustworthy and you can be relied upon to get things completed. You may not know who else might be waiting for your work; it could have to be passed on to someone else. This may cause problems and delays in the workplace and could affect team relationships.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Most Powerful CoSchedule Calendar For Solopreneurs

The Most Powerful Calendar For Solopreneurs Attention solopreneurs, freelancers, and bloggers! I’d like to introduce you to the brand NEW Essential + ReQueue Plan†¦ the last editorial calendar you’ll ever need ðŸ™Å' get the deets We’ve added some great new features + slashed prices on some of our most powerful features. We’re calling it the Essential + ReQueue Plan, and it’s the most powerful plan we’ve ever offered  and it costs less than ever before.The Most Powerful Calendar For SolopreneursWith our NEW Essential + ReQueue plan, you get: ReQueue (for FREE).  No need for add-on expenses. With our new Essential + ReQueue plan, you instantly get ReQueue! That means you’re gettin’ a $150 social automation toolfor FREE. Our best integrations package (yup, literally all of them). Every  pricing plans now includes our best integrations: Google Docs, Evernote, Google Analytics, Bit.ly, every social networketc. All your WordPress sites on ONE calendar (w/ one price).  No more jumping from calendar to calendar to keep track of every WordPress site. Quickly access all your sites  (and every associated task, piece of content, and deadline) in the same calendar. 😎 Built-in social message analytics.  Our built-in social message analytics are included with the Essential plan, plus (coming soon) a new series of Social Network Reports. AND saved calendar views (by default). With the new Essential plan, you can create multiple calendar views, save em, and quickly access your content whenever you need it. Why it’s the BEST plan for Solopreneurs, Bloggers Freelancers: You get WAY more for less.  Before our Essential plan, it took $79/month to gain access to ReQueue feature. We’ve cut the price by $30. Now, you can get ReQueue plus a ton of other features for only $49/month. You can add users + social profiles whenever you want. You will never need to pay for users or profiles that you don’t need. Now you can add additional users for only $9/month or social profiles in packs of 5 for only $2 per profile. You have ONE bill (for everything).  With our old plan, many users were required to pay for multiple calendars with multiple bills. This was hassle and could get expensive quickly. We’ve fixed that. Now you’ll have one subscription and one bill to manage. Huzzah! And there’s MORE! Of course, we’ve updated all our pricing plans. Creating custom plans focused on flexibility (and giving your the features that MATTER MOST to you!). This update has simplified our pricing tiersfrom 10to 4 easy-to-understand  pricing options. We also have a lot of NEW features on the roadmapincluding  Social Network Reports (scheduled to release late Fall 2017). These reports will be accessible at every plan level  and will give you a glimpse into your social activity on a per network basis. In addition, we’ve got some exciting improvements to a few of your favorite features! NEW + improved mobile app  for social scheduling Updates to your favorite content curation tool: Chrome Extension NEW ReQueue 2.0:  the only social automation tool with  built-in intelligence is getting an update! Stay tuned! We’ve got a lot on the docket AND its all focused on making you the best kick-a$$ blogger, solopreneur, and freelancer out there! Check out the Essential + ReQueue plan today.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Biological Components of Mental Illness Essay Example

Biological Components of Mental Illness Essay Example Biological Components of Mental Illness Paper Biological Components of Mental Illness Paper Mental illness is a term used to describe many different disorders of the mind. Of all the factors that may cause or contribute to mental illness, the biological components are among the most accepted. It is the basis of much of the treatments used to combat and treat mental illness. This does not mean all mental illness can be explained by biological means but a vast majority can be traced to some type of biological component. Contrary to what many people believe, alcohol and drugs do not cause someone to be biologically vulnerable to mental illness. Drugs and alcohol can, however, trigger or exacerbate the symptoms in someone who already is biologically predisposed. There are many different biological components to mental illness: Genetics-susceptibility to mental illness is passed though the genes. Infections or Toxins- syphilis and lead have both been proven to damage the brain. Brain defects or injury- These can be at birth or through accident and are on certain parts of the brain. Prenatal damage-such as lack of oxygen or distruption of brain development while in the womb. Poor nutrition and neglect during the formative years can also have an effect on the brain’s development or manner of processing information. Outside events can sometimes cause changes in the brain to cause someone to be biologically vulnerable to mental illness. Trauma such as abuse or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), can cause changes in the brain, as well. It may be in the way the brain develops or the way it processes information, but these changes can lead to mental illness in many people. In the nineteenth century, as progress was made in understanding medical disorders in terms of physical pathology, abnormal behaviour was viewed as reflecting brain pathology. A key discovery was the identification in 1913 of the microorganism Treponema pallidum as the cause of syphilis (and thus general paresis of the insane), supporting the theory of biological causes of mental illness.   (Freeman, 1999, p. 173) Certain infections have been linked to brain damage and the development of mental illness or the worsening of its symptoms. For example, a condition known as pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder (PANDA) associated with the Streptococcus bacteria has been linked to the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental illnesses in children. Genetic factor studies have indicated trophic factors are proteins that stimulate growth, activity, and survival. Neurotrophic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), were first noted for their ability to promote growth and survival in neurons during early development. However, neurotrophic factors are now known to play an active role in the adult brain, and to have an effect on a variety of more subtle cellular functions aside from cell survival. BDNF itself is now assumed to be involved in a variety of brain functions, including memory formation and affective state. (Fisher Greenberg, 1989, p. 45)

Monday, November 4, 2019

HUMANITIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HUMANITIES - Essay Example There was no discernable beginning, middle or end. I never knew if the piece was building towards a climax or if the end was seconds away. I think the lack of structure was a real factor in my lack of enthusiasm for this first piece. The second piece, with its repetitive rhythms was more enjoyable to listen to. It felt as though the music was going somewhere. While it did not follow a classical design, it was driven onward they the rhythm. I can see that a clear connection between ancient music and the music I enjoy today is the element of rhythm. I like music that makes me want to move or music that evokes a positive feeling. A driving rhythm is exciting because it evokes feelings of excitement and action. I guess I am a rhythm junkie whether I’m listening to modern or ancient music. The thing that strikes me first as I compare the sculptures of different periods of time is the weight and the heaviness of the figures. The earliest examples are heavily muscled and very bulky appearing (Classical Greek Sculpture, 1998). They have pleasing proportions, but they somehow look rigid and mechanical. There is little or no suggestion of movement. Even when movement is suggested, it appears as though the figure is awkwardly posed. As the ages advance, it is clear that the forms become more lifelike. They are less bulky and less muscular. There is also a feeling of movement about them. They appear to be real people caught in a moment in time. You can almost visualize the next motion they will make were they to somehow be brought to life. All of these figures are idealized versions of the human form. Muscles are emphasized and proportions are exacted to godlike specifications. The fact that some people actually do look like these sculptures (perhaps after a great workout at the gymnasium) just confirms the fact that most of us do not and cannot ever look this way. That

Saturday, November 2, 2019

LAW OF BUSINESS LEASES Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

LAW OF BUSINESS LEASES - Term Paper Example The landlords often have to deal with the tenants who default on the lease or sub lease agreements. It is important that Mr. Ash takes early actions to collect the rent it always follows a very predictable pattern that starts with a series of late payments, that proceeds to paying only part of the rent and finally leading to complete default of the payment of the rent. When the tenants delay in making rent payment just like in the case of XYZ Ltd, Miss Beech and Mr. Cherry, the first option is the person that guaranteed Mr. Cherry payment to be approached Law of (Property Act 1925). This is the best strategy to be used if Mr. Ash needs to preserve the lease and the tenant has sufficient goods in premises that can cover the cost of the rent arrears. The right to rent distress is only available to the owner of the immediate reversion of the lease agreement that will end immediately he or she assign sells or transfer the reversionary interest to another party. The rest distraint involves the landlord seizing the goods that was pledge against the unpaid rent. This is basically a self help remedy that enables the landlord to take the goods of the tenants that are found on the leased premises as some form of security so that the rent arrears can be paid in full. Distress is a right of the landlord that was created under the common law defining the relationship of the tenant and the landlord (commercial credit Corp Ltd v. Harry D. Shields Ltd. (1980), 122 D.L.R. (3rd). It is important to note that the right to distress is the only right under which a landlord is allow ed to hold the goods of his tenants and can be applied upon nonpayment of any amount. The landlord has a right to use the rent distress instruments in case of nonpayment of any amount. According to Wallace v. Fraser (1878), 2 S.C.R. 522, the right of distress can be taken way or limited by the courts in lease if the landlord has forfeited the lease. This is because