Research Analysis Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis - Research Paper Example Jones also participates in television commercials where he speaks basic Mandarin-language phrases. It’s noted that in large part this constitutes Li Ning’s attempts to keep pace with Nike, as Nike plans to unveil a shoe that is exclusive to China and is endorsed by basketball star Lebron James. In addition, Adidas AG’s Reebok has a long-term endorsement deal with basketball star Yao Ming. The main strategic understanding is that Li Ning isn’t attempting to take over the American market, but to take back the Chinese market from Western competition. The Chinese market is regarded as very interested in basketball and in gaining a competitive foothold in athletic products it’s necessary to do so through basketball marketing. The reason Jones was chosen was because more prominent National Basketball Association stars already had shoe deals, so the Chinese research ultimately led them to Jones. The slogan for the company is ‘anything is possible’. This slogan is said to be in line with Damon Jones history as he claims to have had an uphill climb in his career. The deal agrees to pay Jones approximately $300,000 a year and includes bonuses tied to team performance. One of the prominent considerations in these regards is China’s growing basketball market. Research demonstrates that there are nearly 400 million people aged 20 and younger, many of whom have a growing interest in basketball because of the increasing showing of NBA games in the country. Research also contests that this market will potentially grow 20% to 40% a year for the upcoming decade. While it’s argued that the quality of the shoes are generally the same, it’s necessary for advertising and marketing to be successful to gain increasing market shares. Further Nielson research attests that Li Ning increased advertising spending twenty-fold between 2001 and 2005. In terms of researching specific advertising spokesmen, the company is noted to have traveled to Denver,

In What Ways Did Dengs Leadership Bring Change to China in the Late 1970s and 1980s Essay Example for Free

In What Ways Did Dengs Leadership Bring Change to China in the Late 1970s and 1980s Essay After Mao’s death in 1976, Deng abandoned the Maoist economic model and decided to open China up to free market economic reforms and Western style capitalism all carefully controlled by the state still. He also introduced the One Child policy. The domestic social, political, and most notably, economic systems would undergo significant changes during Dengs time as leader. The goals of Dengs reforms were summarized by the Four Modernizations, those of agriculture, industry, science and technology and the military. The strategy for achieving these aims of becoming a modern, industrial nation was the socialist market economy. For agriculture, it changed for the better. Deng first took steps to repair the damage done to farm production during the Great Leap Forward. In place of the communes he established the contract responsibility system. Under this arrangement, the government rented land to individual farm families, who then decided for themselves what to produce. The families contracted with the government simply to provide a certain amount of crops at a set price. Once the contract was fulfilled, the families were free to sell any extra crops at markets for whatever prices they could get. This chance to make more money by growing more crops greatly increased China’s farm production. Since the introduction of the contract responsibility system, Chinese farmers produced about 8 percent more each year than they did in the previous year. And many farmers have benefited greatly from the new plan. Under the contract responsibility system, families still did not own the land. The long-term leases awar ded by the government, however, helped to develop an â€Å"owner† attitude among the farmers. As a result, many families have made improvements to the land. As for the economy, Deng attracted foreign companies to a series of Special Economic Zones, where foreign investment and market liberalization were encouraged. Which meant that China needed Western technology and investment, and that it could open the door to foreign businesses who wanted to set up in China. The reforms centered on improving labor productivity as well. New material incentives and bonus systems were introduced. Rural markets selling peasants homegrown products and the surplus products of communes were revived. Not only did rural markets increase agricultural output, they stimulated industrial development as well. With peasants able to sell surplus agricultural yields on the open market, domestic consumption stimulated industrialization as well and also created political support for more difficult economic reforms. Another change for China was it’s industry, the four modernizations affected the industry positively. It provided electricity in the rural areas, industrial automation, a new economic outlook, and greatly enhanced defense strength. His program for industry had two goals. First, he wanted people to spend more money on consumer goods. Therefore, he changed the focus from heavy industry to light industry, the production of small consumer goods such as clothing, appliances, and bicycles. He also wanted factories to step up production. So he gave more decision-making power to individual factory managers. And he started a system of rewards for managers and workers who found ways to make factories produce more. All in all, these changes brought good results, and changed China for the better and is the China that is here today. Deng’s leadership really helped modernize China.

Before and After Cloud Computing in DPG Group of Companies

Before and After Cloud Computing in DPG Group of Companies About the company DPR Group, Inc., a full-service public relations, marketing and communications agency, was stuck in a technology rut that stymied productivity and limited their growth. DPG group broke free of the break-fix model of managed services and leaped ahead with cloud computing. DPR Group with a vision to open small satellite offices in technology hubs throughout the eastern United States. At the time of my technology challenge, DPG had expanded to two offices for nearly 15 employees with their headquarters in Germantown, Maryland, and a second office in Cary, North Carolina. However, providing expert public relations and marketing services to high-tech companies requires a strong technology infrastructure to effectively communicate with   clients. Without an on-site IT resource, one of their obstacles to growth was finding a way to keep all   in-house technology running smoothly. For four years worked with a managed services provider to help maintain their PCs, a Dell PowerEdge Server, and internal networks in both of DPG offices. Although the CEO of   managed services provider spoke eloquently about their companys preventative approach to computer maintenance, they actually spent far more time trying to fix things after they broke. What were the problems before moving to cloud Before moving   cloud number   of issues that challenged their ability to maintain the high-level client service that they offer. Downtime, latency, reliability, and accessibility were just a few reoccurring issues. For example,   managed services provider would frequently run software updates on Sunday nights and, due to compatibility issues with the updates and a lack of testing, the server would often crash on Monday mornings. This left   staff scrambling to work from back-up files, while the managed services provider attempted to fix the problem. Also, when working remotely, their staff used Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) with severe latency and connectivity issues that caused delays and required additional time to complete basic tasks such as reconnection, file uploads, or even simply writing an email. Their managed services provider also experienced a lot of personnel turnover. Every time someone new started working on DPG account, they have to re-explain everything about not only the issue they were having, but also how our entire system was set up because the new expert staff was not familiar with their system. Not unexpectedly, DPG received daily complaints from my staff about how technology issues were making it difficult for everyone to do their job effectively. After discussing specific challenges with each of thier staff members, DPG calculated that every employee was losing from seven to nine days of productivity per year due to time spent waiting for a tech to fix the problems. What were the benefits of moving to cloud First they started   search for a new vendor by talking with a number of managed services providers that all promised to do a much better job of maintaining   computers and networks. More importantly, they started hearing the term cloud computing, and learned that it could streamline a lot of processes and significantly improve DPG productivity. Although cloud might be a better model for them, DPG also would need a local IT resource to maintain the basic hardware in our two different offices. After reviewing proposals from a number of providers within the Washington, D.C., metro area, DPG selected Virgina-based Cetrom Information Technology to take them to the cloud. This cloud computing service provider stood out from the rest for a few primary reasons. First, Cetrom offered a truly hosted cloud model. Other cloud providers would host data on the cloud, but install applications locally. It was either that, or they would have to use limited-functionality, software-as-a-service (SaaS) versions of their standard software. Cetrom, however, hosted the full, traditional versions of our software in the cloud and seamlessly mirrored a local environment. The Cetrom Hybrid places a small server on site in DPG headquarters that replicates the data to and from the cloud in real time. previously   they used to having all   IT within the office. Also, Cetroms senior-level engineers really took the time to understand DPG business goals and processes during roll out. From there, they designed   cloud solution for DPG-with strong business continuity and disaster recovery plans, and easy access to key applications-around all business, instead of making them adapt to a rigid, out-of-the-box solution. To avoid lost productivity hours, Cetroms engineers migrated DPG applications and data over the weekend .Working in the cloud provides numerous benefits. The primary benefit is the anytime, anywhere access to all the files and applications, with only an Internet connection. The ability to set permissions by users is also extremely beneficial as it ensures only authorized personnel have access to files, such as financials. Cetrom not only maintains its equipment and ensures the security of all its clients data, the company also constantly reviews the applications and services it provides clients to ensure they are the best available. Since moving to the Cetrom cloud, the company has changed spam filters for the email a few times, and each time they seen an improvement. The current version now catches about 99.5 percent of all incoming spam emails-an immense improvement over our previous provider. Perhaps the most important benefit of all is system reliability. Cetrom has a track record of zero downtime since its founding nearly 15 years ago. This one aspect returned nearly 10 hours of productivity back to DPG staff-equal to $50,000 annually-so they can focus on serving DPG clients. The cost savings from operational expenses in North Carolina-more than $70,000 annually-allowed them to move from   Germantown, Maryland, location to a larger, nicer office in Frederick, Maryland, with double the capacity for staff. Migrating to the cloud with Cetrom was one of the best business decisions DPG ever made. They have not had any downtime since DPG started with Cetrom, DPG data is available anytime, and they dont receive complaints from the staff about technology issues anymore.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

The author of my book is George Orwell. The book I am reading is entitled Animal Farm. My book is a fiction book with talking animals. The animals rebel against Jones and his farm and how their food was low and they had to work to much to just make food for Jones and his family. The animals were victorious in gaining control of the farm. Then the pigs slowly take over the farm and slowly turn it back into just what it had been when Jones had been there. The story takes place on a farm in the country side. Old Major is the first pig and the ruler who gives all the other animals hope of a rebellion. Snowball is the pig who actually put the rebellion into affect and started the whole rules and laws to start their own farm. Then there’s Napoleon who kicks Snowball out of the farm and takes over the farm and slowly he turns the farm back into what it had been with Jones with him and his partner pigs getting lots of food for no work and the workers getting little food for a lot of work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story starts with Old Major calling for a meeting of the animals where he tells them of the way animals should live and that he only has a few years left to live, but that the animals must carry out a rebellion one day in the future. So Old Major passes away and one day when the animals had been starved for a few days straight the animals broke into the food room and started eating the food. Jones and his men came out to fight them off, but the animals were to strong for them. The animals drove them out of the farm and declared what used to be called â€Å"The Manor Farm† into what they called â€Å"Animal Farm.† Snowball took over as their new leader and served them good especially when Jones came back with some men and guns and tried to take back his farm and Snowball took control and stopped Jones from winning the fight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then Snowball gets an idea that they should build a windmill that symbolizes their farm and could be used for hay storage. Napoleon, another pig who wanted to take rule, said that was a stupid idea and Napoleon went on to plant fake evidence that Snowball

Incident Response Essay

The emergency services (Police, Fire and Ambulance) have to respond to all emergency situations, but they have different roles and responsibilities and they have graded response policies. All emergencies are graded by the call handler according to the information from the caller and not by the way the incident is reported. If a caller dials 999 believing an incident is an emergency the call handler will assess the information and then decide whether it is top priority or if the incident does actually require an emergency response. Call handlers work under the supervision of team managers and incident managers. The standards of fire cover all fire services in the United Kingdom and were set originally in the 1930’s but were established in 1958 by the Home Office. They were more clearly defined and revised in 1974 and again in 1985. Fire risk assessment, until the current year, has been based upon this guidance, which consists of a prose description of the risk categories and a formula designed to determine a points rating or fire grading of premises. When the risk category of an area had been determined, the criteria set by the Home Office demanded that the fire service response to emergency calls, met minimum requirements in terms of speed and weight of attack. Grading of incidents by the Fire service is split into 5 categories: Category ‘A’ Built up areas in large cities containing large commercial and industrial premises or high rise property where there is a strong chance of fire spread. The recommended minimum first attendance was three pumps, two to attend within five minutes and one within eight minutes, to be achieved on at least 75% of occasions. Category ‘B’ Refers to large cities and towns with multi-storey buildings, including large areas of residential housing as well as industrial estates with high-risk occupants. The recommended minimum first attendance was two pumps, one to arrive within five minutes and the other within eight minutes, to be achieved on at least 75% of occasions. Category ‘C’ Refers to the outskirts of larger towns and the built-up areas of smaller towns and extensive areas of residential dwellings such as terraced houses  and semi-detached houses, blocks of flats as well as light industry/commercial properties. The recommended minimum first attendance was one pump within eight to ten minutes, to be achieved on at least 75% of occasions. Category ‘D’ Consisting of rural property, villages and farms and all areas that do not come under categories A-C. The recommended minimum first attendance was one pump within 20 minutes, to be achieved on 75% of occasions. Rural and remote is a separate category and has no pre-determined response time. The majority of Merseyside (91%) is classed as C or D risk. http://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/foi/Information%20Classes/Policies/item11547.pdf Grading of incidents by the police in England and wales are graded as ‘emergency ‘or ‘non-emergency’ in four grades. Grade 1 is the emergency response. An emergency contact will result in immediate police response. It involves circumstances where an incident is reported to the police which is currently taking place and there is a risk of danger to life, the use or immediate threat or use of violence or serious injury to a person or property. Criminal conduct will be dealt with as an emergency if the crime is going to be serious and is in progress, an offender has just been disturbed at the scene or the offender has been detained and there is a high risk that he is a threat to the general public. When the incident involves traffic collision it will be classed as an emergency if it involves or is likely to involve serious personal injury and also if the road is blocked due to the collision and if there is a dangerous or excessive build up of traffic. Also if the call handler who takes the call feels strongly that the incident should be classed as an emergency. The urban response time for this Grade is 10 minutes and the rural response time is 17 minutes. Grade 2 is classed as a Priority response. The call handler feels that the incident is important or urgent but does not need an emergency response. This could include incidents such as a concern for someone’s welfare, an offender has been detained but is not a threat to anyone, a road traffic accident that has injuries or has caused a serious obstruction, a witness may be lost or a person is suffering distress and is believed to be vulnerable. Resourses for a Grade 2 incident should be sent as soon as is safely possible and  within 15 minutes. Grade 3 is classed as a scheduled response. This is when the needs of the caller can be best achieved by scheduling a response. This could be when the response time is not critical when apprehending offenders or a better quality of policing can be given if it is dealt with by a scheduled response by a police officer or even by that person attending the police station. Incidents should be resolved to satisfaction level of caller as soon as possible and must be within 48 hours of first call. Grade 4 is classed as Resolution without deployment. This is used when an incident can be re solved through telephone advice, help desk, frequently asked questions or other appropriate agencies or services. The caller is advised of an agreed call-back time and to be as soon as possible and within 24 hours. Grading of incidents by the Ambulance Service are placed in three categories, this grading also applies to urgent calls from GPs and other health professionals, as well as calls from the general public. Category A is Priority. This is when an incident is considered to be immediately life-threatening examples are when a person is suffering with chest pains/cardiac arrest, unconscious/fainting or has breathing problems. The response time for a category A is within 8 minutes or less. Category B is where an incident is serious but not immediately life-threatening, examples are when someone has fallen or has serious bleeding, a sick person with no priority symptoms or overdose/poisoning. The response time for category B is within 14 minutes in urban areas and within 19 minutes in rural areas. Category C is when an incident is not serious or life-threatening, examples when someone has fallen over and assistance is required, and a sick person with a range of non-serious conditions such as d iarrhoea or someone with abdominal/back pains. In 2000 the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) became responsible for assessing the training and standards of all drivers who drive emergency response vehicles which are fitted with blue lights and sirens. When talking to other agencies the DSA drew up the Blue Light Users Working Party Expectations Document. This document contained a list of the expectations that drivers of emergency response vehicles should meet before being allowed  to drive these vehicles. This document was accepted by the three main emergency services (police, fire and ambulance). This document includes performance criteria and knowledge and consists of these three elements. All emergency drivers need to be over the age of 18 and in good health also must not have any motoring convictions against their name and this is checked every three years. Element one is the ability to assess the need for an emergency response. Element two is the ability to drive the vehicle safely to emergencies and element three is the ability to show the correct attitude when responding to emergencies. Police Service Drivers have to meet the standards set by the DSA but the police service also have their own driving centres. At the driving centres police are trained and graded according to National Training Standards, which is then approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). The type of driver training depends on the job role of that police officer. Police drivers can be graded as Standard response drivers, advanced drivers or pursuit drivers. Advanced drivers and pursuit drivers have intense training and they use high powered vehicles and advanced techniques for responding quickly and safely to emergencies. Fire Service Drivers The fire service also has its own driver training centres where drivers are trained to the standards met by their Fire Authority. To drive an Emergency Fire Appliance drivers must hold a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Licence and have received the necessary training and assessments. Only then can they be allowed to drive when responding to emergency situations provided the vehicle is fitted with audible/visual warning devices. Ambulance Service Drivers need to hold C1 (medium sized vehicle) and D1 (minibus) licences and receive the appropriate training by the DSA. Although some Ambulance Services especially in London state that ambulance drivers must hold a LGV licence. Ambulance driver training and assessments are usually carried out by independent driver training centres and not the Ambulance Service. Drivers of emergency vehicles also have to understand that bad driving can cause accidents. Drivers of emergency vehicles are not above the law even when attending emergencies they have to show that whilst going to an emergency they drove with care and attention and did not drive in a dangerous way, if they were foun d to have driven dangerously then they can be prosecuted in the same way as a member of the general public can. Also if the driver is convicted of a  serious traffic offence they may be disqualified from driving both emergency and privately owned vehicles. To reduce the danger to themselves and the general public the drivers of emergency vehicles must use their sirens and blue flashing lights to warn other road users as well as pedestrians and cyclists that their vehicle is responding to an emergency. Flashing blue lights and sirens should only be used when attending emergencies although police drivers can use flashing blue lights and sirens when attempting to stop another driver. Drivers of emergency vehicles have to follow the same traffic laws as everyone else, but when using flashing blue lights and sirens they are exempt from a number of motoring rules which means they can go through a red traffic light, pass to the right of a keep left sign, drive on a motorway hard shoulder even against the direction of the traffic and not follow the speed limit. The Highway Code is a book of rules which all drivers have to abide by the Highway Code makes no special rules for the emergency services other than for members of the general public to listen for the sirens and look for the blue flashing lights and to let them pass safely but still taking notice of all traffic signs. During unsociable hours consideration is given to the use of sirens especially around residential areas, unless conditions are bad and they need to use their siren. Blue lights would only be used as they are visible to road users at night. When there is an advantage to a silent approach then driving is altered and speed reduced. Members of the Public service are often judged harshly from the public, when it comes down to the pursuing of stolen vehicles. Although the public services do a good job when they pursuing stolen vehicles or on their way to an emergency incident there have been cases where their have been incidents where it has affected the public services. Example At 11.20 on the 19th of May 2008, Haley Adamson a 16 year old school girl was struck by a police car going 70mph whilst she was crossing a road in a residential area in Newcastle which had a 30mph speed limit. Hayley died immediately from the impact of the police car. The police car was being driven in pursuit of a vehicle that had just been registered on the police number plate recognition system. At the time of the incident the driver Pc

Service Quality Gap Oman Insurance Company

Service Quality Gap Oman Insurance Company Executive Summary The assessment of the quality of service delivery in an organisation is important as it allows consumers to make informed decisions. It also helps the organisation to respond appropriately to improve its services.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Service Quality Gap: Oman Insurance Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the past, service quality has been defined as â€Å"the extent to which a service meets customers’ needs or expectations† (Asubonteng et al., 65). A common definition is, â€Å"Service quality is the difference between customers’ expectations of service and perceived service† (Fitzsimmons and Mona 25). In order for this to be achieved, an analysis of the organisation using the SERVQUAL methodology is necessary. SERVQUAL methodology evaluates five dimensions of quality service delivery. They include reliability, assurance, empathy, tangibles, and res ponsiveness (Fitzsimmons and Mona 26). A gap analysis in service delivery is also important as it allows the identification of â€Å"causes of service quality shortfalls in each or all of the dimensions† (Fitzsimmons and Mona 28). A service quality gap analysis for Oman Insurance Company was carried out with the aim of establishing the quality of services offered by the company. An analysis of the five gaps identified followed with calculation of the weighted and un-weighted values of SERVIQUAL scores for each using the recommended formulae (Fitzsimmons and Mona 26). The data used in the calculations was obtained from the analysis of the responses from questionnaires issued to both the customers of the insurance company as well as the employees. The results showed a small but significant gap in service delivery for which recommendations were made on how to reduce it. This essay therefore discusses the procedure of analysing the gaps in service delivery in the company, the res ults of the analysis, and the recommendations towards improving quality service delivery at Oman Insurance Company.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Service Quality Gaps The service quality concept constitutes about seven major gaps with three (Gap 1, Gap 5, and Gap 6) being important â€Å"since they have a direct relationship with customers† (Luk and Layton 113). Gap 1, which deals with customers’ expectations against management perception (Luk and Layton 114), was partially evaluated in the study. Gap 2 deals with management perceptions versus service specifications while Gap 3 comprises service specifications against the delivery of those services (Luk and Layton 115). The fourth gap is the difference in service delivery and external communication (Luk and Layton 114). Gap 5 highlights the difference between the perception of the customers of th e services delivered against their expectations of the services (Luk and Layton 114). This gap formed the main approach in the survey. Gap 6 focuses on the discrepancy between the expectations of the customers and the perceptions of the employees while Gap 7 highlights the discrepancy between the management and employees’ perceptions (Luk and Layton 114). These were evaluated using the questionnaire issued to the respondents for the study. Methodology The analysis of the service delivery quality was made using data obtained using a questionnaire. The questionnaire prepared constituted two parts, which evaluated customers’ expectations and opinions about insurance companies against their perceptions of service delivery at Oman Insurance Company. Confidentiality was guaranteed in the questionnaire by ensuring that there was no place for the respondents to fill in their personal details. Thus, their answers were anonymous. A score of 1 to 7 was assigned to the responses w ith 1 representing those who strongly disagreed with the quality and 7 representing those who strongly agreed with it. The five dimensions of SERVQUAL methodology, which evaluated the quality of service delivery, were assessed. These included reliability, assurance, empathy, tangibles, and responsiveness. The questionnaire was pretested before the start of the analysis that involved the use of 20 individuals with knowledge of the insurance company.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Service Quality Gap: Oman Insurance Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The recommendations from the pre-test were then incorporated into the questionnaire with printing of the final drafts being made for issuing to the respondents. The questionnaire was issued to clients who received services from the major branches of the Insurance Company. Selection was randomly made. This means that the sample of people selected was representati ve of the actual number of people receiving services from the insurance company. The number of respondents was 200 clients. The survey was carried out over a period of five days. The results were then analysed with presentations being made from them. Appropriate conclusions were also made. The making of recommendations on how to improve service delivery at the firm followed. The recommendations were mainly addressed to the management of the company. Results Out of the 200 questionnaires prepared, three were not answered. The respondents did not fill two of them appropriately. As for the demographics, 146 respondents were male while the rest (54 respondents) were of the opposite sex. The ages of the respondents were varied with the most common age being above 40 years, which constituted 59% of the respondents. Most of the respondents also had a level of education above college level with most being undergraduates. The results of the five dimensions of SERVQUAL methodology are as foll ows: Tangibles The assessment of this factor of the company involved the assessment of customers’ perception of equipment, personnel appearance, and physical facilities in the company. The customers strongly agreed with the idea that an excellent insurance company should have modern looking equipment.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The average score was higher than the perception of the same in Oman Insurance Company. They agreed, though not strongly, that Oman Insurance Company had modern looking equipment though this was below their expectations. As for the physical facilities, the customers also strongly agreed that these should be visually appealing, but their perceptions of the same at Oman Insurance Company fell below their expectations. The appearance of employees in Oman Insurance Company was as per the customer expectations. They therefore agreed strongly that they were neat. The average scores were, however, negative for the above factors. For an excellent insurance company, the customers agreed strongly that their materials such as pamphlets or statements should be visually appealing. Their perception of this in the Oman Insurance company fell below their expectation. Thus, the average score was negative for the company. In general, the average score for the tangibles in the Oman Insurance Company w as negative. The score was at -1.40. This represented the best score of all the five factors assessed on service delivery in the company. Reliability On reliability, the questionnaire assessed the ability of the company to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Wisniewski, and Donnelly 359). In the first question on reliability in the questionnaire, the expectations of the customers on an excellent insurance company was high, as they strongly agreed that it should fulfil promises by the scheduled time. A number of respondents held the same sentiment about Oman Insurance Company with most of them strongly agreeing that the company fulfilled most of its promises to them on time. However, the average score was lower compared to their expectations. The quality of problem solving for an excellent insurance company also featured on reliability with most of the respondents claiming and agreeing strongly that such a company should show strong interest in solving its problem s. Against this expectation, the Oman Insurance Company scored lower in the degree to which this characteristic was true for the company. The company was scored as being good at listening and solving problems in the services it offered though this was inadequate time for most of the respondents. The performance of services for the first time by the company was also below the expectations of the customers, and so was record keeping in the company. The overall expectations of the customers on reliability received a strong agreement with a score of 6.06 with the company scoring 4.26 on perceptions on the same by their clients. This means that a gap of -1.70 existed in the company in the area of responsibility. This was the largest of all the areas. Responsiveness The assessment of responsibility was done by using questions, which focused on the â€Å"willingness to help customers and or provide prompt service† (Dick 28). In the first one, customers strongly agreed that adequate information should be given to them in the case of an excellent insurance company regarding when the services would be performed. This was against a poor perception of the same in the Oman Insurance Company, which though above average, customers perceived that the services were not as good as their expectations of an excellent insurance company. The employees were also a little less willing to help them as compared to their expectations of an ideal insurance company. This situation elicited a negative score. The employees of the company also received a lower rating in their ability to attend to their clients compared to an ideal insurance company. Employees of an excellent insurance company were expected never to be too busy to respond to customers’ requests. The respondents agreed strongly to this opinion. Oman Insurance Company, on the other hand, received lower scores in this aspect of service delivery making the overall score negative. The responsiveness gap score for the company was at -1.69. Assurance The perception of assurance for the Oman Insurance company was weighed against the expectations for an excellent company in the same field. This involved evaluation of â€Å"Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence† (Valarie, Parasuraman, and Leonard 39). It included factors such as competence, credibility, security, and courtesy (Dick 28). In the evaluation of employee behaviour, customers strongly agreed that, for an excellent insurance company, this should instil confidence in customers. In comparison to this case, the company received lower scores on the same with a negative score being obtained. The customers also strongly agreed that employees of an excellent insurance company should be consistently courteous with customers. They felt that this was slightly poor in the Oman Insurance Company with a negative score being obtained. The knowledge of employees in the insurance company was assessed in this section of the questionnaire with customers being asked if it was adequate to answer their questions. They strongly agreed that, for an excellent insurance company, employees should have knowledge to answer their questions. Their perception of this in the Oman Insurance Company was lower thus earning it a negative gap score. The overall gap score in this category was -1.55. Empathy Empathy is the last dimension assessed in the SERVEQUAL instrument. It involves assessing the â€Å"Care and individualised attention that the firm provides to its customers† (Wisniewski and Donnelly 363). Constituents include communication, accessibility, and understanding of the customer (Wisniewski, and Donnelly 363). Oman Insurance company customers strongly agreed that the organisation offers them individualised attention. However, this perception of customers was not as good as what they expected from an excellent insurance company. They strongly agreed that an excellent company shoul d offer individualised attention to the clients’ needs. The resulting gap score was negative for the company. The operating hours for an excellent insurance company should be convenient to all customers. They strongly agreed with this opinion. The company also received a negative score in this suggestion since most of the customers perceived the company as not offering convenient hours compared to an ideal company. The employees were also described as giving special attention to each customer. Again, this was below their expectations of an ideal company. Upon evaluation, they had customers’ interest at heart since the score was the same both for the Oman Insurance Company and for an excellent insurance company. Customers responded that employees of Oman Insurance Company understood their specific needs though their score was below that of an excellent insurance company with the overall score being negative. This dimension of the SERVEQUAL instrument received a negative score, which was at -1.52. Discussion The results of the survey found an existing gap in service delivery at Oman Insurance Company. The Gap scores were -1.40 for tangibles, -1.70 for reliability, -1.69 for responsiveness, -1.55 for Assurance, and -1.52 for Empathy. The un-weighted and weighted averages for all the dimensions were later calculated and presented in the table below. Dimension Expectations Perceptions Gap scores Weightings Weighted average Tangibles 5.66 4.26 -1.40 19.8 -0.28 Reliability 6.06 4.36 -1.70 29.6 -0.5 Responsiveness 5.74 4.05 -1.69 19.9 -0.34 Assurance 6.13 4.58 -1.55 15.2 -0.24 Empathy 5.97 4.45 -1.52 15.7 -0.24 From the table, the average of the Weighted SERVQUAL score was -1.6 Conclusion Therefore, based on the above expositions, it suffices to declare the evaluation of service delivery in a company a crucial exercise that comes in handy to direct any changes that should be instituted in the company. The paper has used Oman Insurance Com pany as a case example to demonstrate the role of assessment of the quality of service delivery in the company. In the analysis of service delivery for Oman Insurance Company, various aspects of the company were compared against an ideal insurance company. A questionnaire was the tool of choice for this task with respondents being the clients of the company. The results highlighted an existent service delivery gap in the company. The company should use the results of this survey to alter its services in a bid to ensure that the gap is closed and the services delivered are up to the expectations of the customers. This outcome will go a long way in improving the performance of the company. Asubonteng, Patrick, Karl McCleary, and John Swan. SERVQUAL revisited: a critical review of service quality.Journal of Services Marketing 10. 6(2000): 62-81. Print. Dick, Schaaf. Keeping the Edge: Giving Customers the Service they demand. New York: Plume Penguin, 2006. Print. Fitzsimmons, James, an d Mona Fitzsimmons. Service management: operations, strategy, and information technology. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print. Luk, Sherriff, and Roger Layton. Perception Gaps in customer expectations: Managers versus service providers and customers. The Service Industries Journal 22.2(2002): 109-128. Print. Valarie, Zeithaml, Autor Parasuraman, and Berry Leonard. Delivering Quality Service: Balancing Customer Perceptions and Expectations. New York: Free Press, 2004. Print. Wisniewski, Michael, and Moris Donnelly. Measuring service quality in the public sector: the potential for SERVQUAL. Total Quality Management 7.4(2000): 357-365. Print.

The Magic LinkedIn® Formula

The Magic LinkedIn ® Formula My e-book, How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn ® Profile, enumerates 18 â€Å"Mistakes to Avoid† as well as 7 â€Å"Bonus Tips.† That’s a total of 25 items that I think are important for every LinkedIn ® user to understand and implement (actually more than 25, since many of the chapters have subpoints as well). Nevertheless, on Wednesday I will be giving a presentation at American Family Insurance’s DreamBank on â€Å"Top Five LinkedIn ® Mistakes.† Not 25, but 5. It’s not easy to choose the top five, but I managed to do it. Not only that, but I even narrowed it down to three general categories. I call this my â€Å"Magic LinkedIn ® Formula† and even if you’re unable to attend my presentation live on Wednesday, you can benefit from the formula. Success on LinkedIn ® comes down to what I have dubbed the â€Å"3 Ls† (not to be confused with the class of students in their third year of law school): Locatability Likeability ALiveness 1. Locatability If no one finds you on LinkedIn ®, there’s not much point in having a profile. Unless you are in a rare situation where you prefer not to appear in LinkedIn ® searches, easy locatability means you will get in front of the people searching for someone like you. For job seekers and business owners, being found by a target audience is one big key to success. Increasing your locatability entails two main actions: 1) putting the right keywords in the right places, and 2) growing your network aggressively and appropriately to at least 500 connections. A combination of well-placed keywords and a robust network is a winning LinkedIn ® strategy. 2. Likeability Just because someone finds you on LinkedIn ® doesn’t mean that person will contact you. If your profile is sloppy, incomplete, unfocused, or off target, you will probably be skipped over for someone with a better presentation. If, however, people like what they see, they will be more likely to request a connection or conversation. Likeability means sounding like a human being and not a robot; listing accomplishments without bragging; having an attractive photo and format; and putting your personality onto the page. The more you distinguish yourself as unique, the more you will encourage valuable interaction. 3. ALiveness I like to say that having a LinkedIn ® profile is like having a gym membership. You only get value from it if you do the work! Sitting on your butt will not get you 6-pack abs †¦ or a new client or job through LinkedIn ®. Aliveness on LinkedIn ® includes but is not limited to updating your profile, participating in groups, sharing valuable information, engaging in discussions, and taking relationships off line to the phone or even a coffee shop! That’s my Magic LinkedIn ® Formula: Locatability, Likeability and ALiveness! Are you using it? If you already are doing everything listed above, great- you are a power LinkedIn ® user. In that case, I recommend that you dive more deeply into How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn ® Profile for the fine points that will bring your LinkedIn ® success up even another level. I’ll have time for QA at my DreamBank presentation on Wednesday, and you get to participate too. What burning questions can I answer about my Magic LinkedIn ® Formula and your LinkedIn ® profile challenges?

The monotonous education system Essays

The monotonous education system Essays The monotonous education system Essay The monotonous education system Essay A contrasting character to Sissy is Bitzer who is dull, pale and drained of any life or individuality. the boy who was so light-eyed and light-haired that he looked as though, if he were cut, he would bleed white. The fact her could have ‘bled white’ shows a contrast that he still has the individuality but it is made white, colourless like his personality that is filled with repetition of facts. This description of Bitzer contrasts enormously with Sissy’s the girl was so dark-eyed and dark-haired she seemed to receive a deeper more lustrous colour from the sun. Bitzer is seen as a lifeless zombie and represents the Victorian education system in the novel which contrasts with sissy representing freedom and individuality. Bitzer is seen to have become a slave to Gradgrind’s facts and the education system. One of the ways Dickens represents the way facts have become heavenly and a way of life is by his use of biblical language. â€Å"facts forbid† Gradgrind says this instead of heaven forbid, this shows that facts have become his god and he worships them and is obsessed. This is a clever technique to use because it highlights how obsessed some of the people in the Victorian period had become with just getting the facts and not being creative or fun. Further more in a world of hard facts and figures, Pegasus, the winged horse from Greek mythology, is a symbol of fancy and wonder. In Hard Times, Pegasus is associated with the circus people, who embody values that are quite different from those of Gradgrind and Bounderby. Slearys circus people live at an Inn called the Pegasuss Arms. The Inn has a picture of Pegasus on its sign-board, and inside there is a portrait of one of the circus horses, which is described as another Pegasus. This Pegasus has real gauze let in for his wings, golden stars stuck on all over him, and his ethereal harness made of red silk. The circus horses, in conjunction with the skill and daring of their riders, create a sense of wonder in the audience, allowing them to escape the drudgery of the hard facts world served up to them by people like Gradgrind and Bounderby. Seen in this light, the existence of the circus horses is a direct reproach to Gradgrind, who in Book I, chapter 2 asks the children in class to define a horse. Bitzer gives a factual definition: Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four-eye teeth, and twelve incisive. This pleases Gradgrind, but it comes nowhere near to suggesting the capacities of the horse as symbolized by Pegasus. The book hard times is split up into two sections ‘reaping’ and ‘sowing’. These two titles have a significance to the story because at the beginning of the novel Gradgrind is force feeding the students facts and little did he know this would come back to haunt him later on in the novel. He is sowing the seeds which is a metaphor for him force feeding children facts and reaping the crops is a metaphor for when Bitzer ironically turns his back on Gradgrind. Lastly, it is clear that one of Dickens’ aims in writing this novel is to comment on his thoughts about the monotonous education system at the time. It was written in an attempt to challenge the view of this society at a time when practicality and facts were of greater importance and value than feelings and persons.  Names- Dickens also uses characters from the novels names to represent his anger at the point he was trying to get across such as ‘Mr. M’Choakumchild’ chokes his pupils with facts and Thomas Gradgrind grinds down the children. He shows his hatred for Victorian schools clearly in Hard Times and especially in his description of Gradgrind.

Definitions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Definitions - Assignment Example Syllabus typically, is a document that contains the entire plans of the course. It includes the rationale for the course, topics to be covered, and resources to be used. In addition, a syllabus encompasses the assignments to be handed out, the strategies recommended for teaching, and the goals to be achieved at the end of the course. A content outline is almost similar to a curriculum. Given that teaching consists of content coverage, which is clearly sketched out in the curriculum, then they a content outline and a curriculum are synonymous in the definition and execution. Standards are often used to describe what the students should be able to do by the time they are done with a particular course. In some cases, the standards also describe the processes aimed towards attaining the present learning outcomes. They prioritize all the ideas that are elemental to the discipline. These are the instructional materials used as a guide for classroom materials. They normally comprise of the instructional materials that are relevant to that particular level of the learning process. It is essential that instructional materials are standardized (Pinar, 2013). Official curriculum is the curriculum that has been officially approved by the school. In the curriculum area; all the goals, targets, strategies and instructional materials. It is always advisable to follow the curriculum to the letter, and slight deviations attract hefty punishments. A good example is that of a teacher who was arrested in Houston, Texas for teaching his students things that were not in the syllabus. He was placed on a three-year probationary period. Consists of what is essentially taught by the tutor and how its significance is communicated to the student. In other words, it involves how the students know that what they are being taught â€Å"counts†. It has two aspects, first is the content the teacher teaches and the standards or outcomes for which the students are held

Jane Addams and the Hull House Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Jane Addams and the Hull House - Term Paper Example As a small child, Jane wanted to be a doctor but there were only two fields that were acceptable at the time for women: getting married and having children or becoming a schoolteacher. When Jane was eight, her father re-married. Her stepmother had a big influence on the Addam's girls in the area of arts. Jane received a lot of attention from her father and because of this she realized that her potential as a woman was not as limited as she thought. She entered into the Rockville Female Seminary in 1877. She was very popular among her classmates because of her ability to write and speak.1 Soon after she graduated, she became ill and depressed, but wasn't sure how to deal with it. In 1881, her father suddenly became ill and died. She enrolled in medical school, but after the first semester, she became ill again and was put in the hospital for an extended period of time. Her brother also took a turn for the worse and had a mental breakdown, which in turn was an emotional setback for her . After Jane and her friend, Ellen Gates Starr opened the Hull House; they started to realize how bad conditions were in Chicago. They would take care of children so mothers could work; children were made to work long hours, and many other things that opened their eyes. Because of how many people they helped, Addams went around to many different women's clubs, church groups, and college students to talk about settlement houses, social reform and the ways that these people could help Chicago and the nation.2 Addams gave up a lot, considering her background; to live in the slums of Chicago and to help people the way she did was amazing. During the 1890's, settlement houses became more and more popular.3 She was a leader in this movement because of her writings and her lectures. Addams became more involved in national concerns. The US was declaring war on Spain and because of that, violent crime rates went up in Chicago. Because of her works, her protests eventually reached Charles R. Crane, a close friend of President Woodrow Wilson. These are meant to try to help people get back on their feet. These houses provide a way for parents to get jobs and not have to worry bout their kids. Once they get a steady job and keep it, then they can try to work and take care of their kids. One example of this concept would be a foster home. A foster home takes kids into the home for as long as is needed. Sometimes the kids go to another home and sometimes they stay and are adopted. After Jane and her friend, Ellen Gates Starr opened the Hull House, they started to realize how bad conditions were in Chicago. They would take care of children so mothers could work; children were made to work long hours, and many other things that opened their eyes. Because of how many people they helped, Addams went around to many different women's clubs, church groups, and college students to talk about settlement houses, social reform and the ways that these people could help Chicago and the n ation.4 Addams gave up a lot, considering her background; to live in the slums of Chicago and to help people the way she did was amazing. During the 1890's, settlement houses became more and more popular. She was a leader in this movement because of her writings and her lectures. 5 Addams became mor

Collapse of the Traditional Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Collapse of the Traditional Family - Essay Example The first thing that immediately occurs to mind, the number one culprit, is of course the exploding divroce rates, in the Western societies as well as in many developing nations. Divorce rates have been on the rise for decades now, but they seem to be shoooting up to epidemic proportions with each passing day. The very institution of marriage which lies at the root of family and home is under assault. Out-of-wedlock births too are drastically rising. Unmarried cohabitation is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon in contemoporary society. The sporadic spread of same-gender marriages are another aspect of the problem. So, one way or other, it is the fact that more and more people are losing their faith in the sanctity of marriage between man and woman which is ultimately threatening the very viability of our society. In a more immediate sense, though, this is adversely affecting the lives of millions of innocent children, causing grave irreparable damage to their delicate sensibi lities at a very tender age. No wonder then that so many of our national leaders are seriously concerned about the need for fortifying the edifice of family, in their bid to build a more coherent and sensible society. A resurgence of early and almost universal marriage, as it happened in the postwar periods of 1950s and 1960s, is bound to revitalize our society. But what is so different between our own times and just a couple of decades ago Why cannot such a thing cannot happen today One most conspicuous difference is the tremendously greater proportion of full-time working women in today's world as compared to the 50's. This is of coure a very positive change. But could not the absence of the mother from the household for the better part of the day be taking its toll on the upbringing and well-being of the children Not necessarily, since it has its own advantages. A confident and independent mother can serve as a better role model for children of both sexes, and not just the girls. Obviously, with both dad and mom working, there would be two incomes instead of one, and this translates to better financial security for children. Also, in a way, with relatively less time available to spend with children, the parents would tend to treasure this time even more than if time weren't such a constraint. It is a universal truth in any relationship, whether between lovers or between parents and children, that distance brings people closer, making them grow fonder of each other. But only to a certain extent though, a little more distance and it can alienate people, to which point we will come shortly. Now though there may be several practical advantages to argue in favor of working women, in relation to their families, the cohesive presence of a full-time mother acting as the central force in holding together the home, with her love and mystique - is simply irreplaceable. It is becoming an increasingly rare sight these days, and evokes a kind of idyllic nostalgia in many of us. But still, if certain things have to be gained, certain other things have to be

Woodside Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Woodside Company - Essay Example According to the policy of national interests, leaders of all countries are assumed to act in a rational way with the aim of safeguarding and pursuing their state objectives. This means that countries emulate the policies that are considered by the leaders to be of importance in developing and improving the well-being of their societies1. In their efforts to attain an economic growth and ensure transparency in the oil industries among other sectors, governments have adopted the policy of national interest. For instance, to safeguard the interest of local and foreign investors in the Australian oil sector, the government has put in place various measures to regulate the oil industry. For example, the government prohibited Royal Dutch Shell and BHP from undertaking the acquisition of Woodside Petroleum. The acquisition was valued at $35bn. One of the major strategies that Shell Company adopted was to take over Woodside incorporation with an objective of expanding its market share. Acco rding to Peter Voser, the company chief executive officer, this strategy was emulated in order to enhance innovativeness and competitiveness thus expanding the capital base leading to expanded investment and high dividends. Additionally, the company was focused at maintaining a sustainable cash flow that would make it to effectively meet its short-term liabilities and improve the company liquidity. However, based on the concept of the national interest, Peter Costello, The Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act (FATA) treasurer rejected the move by Shell Investment Limited to purchase a majority interest in Woodside Petroleum Limited. Woodside Company is responsible for managing natural gas consortium that is based at the North West Shelf. According to Costello, Woodside Petroleum Limited had a national interest to maximize the production of natural gas from North West Shelf in order to increase the country sales and compete with other countries in the world natural market2. Additio nally, the Australian government was focused at protecting Woodside performance in the stock exchange market. Even though Shell aimed at controlling Woodside Company under the leadership of Don Voelte, Woodside management and the politician in Australia were against the Shell decision making it to be frustrated. One of the major aspects that were targeted by Shell is the Woodside-operated Pluto project that was generating large volume of oil resulting to increased profitability for Woodside3. Additionally, Shell argued that if given authority to control the $43bn Gorgon gas project among others that are located in Western Australia, it would increase the total revenue and initiate a sustainable growth as compared to Woodside. The sale offer was valued at $10 billion4. In 2010, Shell energy Holdings Australia Limited (SEHAL) agreed to sell 78 million shares that it has in Woodside to UBS AG. The sale resulted to the reduction of Shell interest in Woodside by 29%. In addition, the sel ling of the shares resulted to reduction of Shell capital in Woodside by 10%. In this regard, major issues that affected Woodside were mostly determined by the Woodside management team5. In the same way, SEHAL was focused to retain the remaining shares for at least one year. According to Peter Voser the CEO, Shell is determined to expand its investment portfolio in Australia. It is worth to note that even though Shell was prevented from acquiring majority interests in Woodside, the company purchased Australia LNG thus increasing its production capacity to 2.7 mtpa in 2010. The company is focused at increasing this capacity to 6.5 mtpa in the next 3 years. Having sold its shares at

Business Law - the law of contract Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Law - the law of contract - Case Study Example The prospective buyer, by offering that price is himself the offeror and his offer, if accepted, create a binding contract. 1 For this case, James just noticed a gold watch with a price tag of 25 hence it neither does nor compels the store person to sell the gold watch at that particular price. The price tag with the gold watch was just inviting others to make an offer of their own on how much they are to buy the watch. A binding contract would have been created when the store person (Elizabeth) would have accepted the offer made by James since the price with the gold watch was just inviting customers to make their offer. Normally, invitation to a treat is used to request expression of interest from the customers. For this case, any product with a price tag does not compel the store person to sell his product at that price but requests, an expression of interest from the customer to make their offer and binding contract of sale would occur when he agrees to sell at that price. 2 Invitation to treat must be distinguished from an offer. This is because, invitation to a treat invites for people with to make on an offer whereas, in a offer, the offeror make in an offer and just wait for people to accept that offer. In order for a coIn order for a contract to be enforceable, it must fulfill certain basic requirements. There must be an agreement based upon genuine consent of the parties, supported by a consideration and made for a lawful object between competent parties. A relevant case studied in the issue of invitation to treat is that of: Pharmaceutical Society of Britain v. Boots Chemists of 1953 Goods were sold in Boots Chemist shop under the self-service system. Customers selected their purchases from the shelves, put them into baskets supplied by Boots Chemists and took them to the cash desk where they paid the price. It was held that the customer made the offer when he presented them at the cash desk, and not when he removed them from the shelves.3 The price tag with the gold watch was merely inviting James to make his offer on the price he would like to buy the gold watch at and does not compel him to sell at that price. For this case, a contract would have been made when James collects the watch from the shelves and place it on the counter if Elizabeth agrees to sell it at that price. But since the 25 price with the gold watch was merely inviting customers to make an offer but not sell it at that price. By taking the money from James, it would mean that Elizabeth had agreed to sell the gold watch at that price. For this case, it would be immaterial for James to state that he has a right to purchase a gold watch at 25 as indicated on the price tag. He would not succeed in any court of law for him to be sold the gold watch at 25. Another case studied on invitation to treat was that of:- Fisher v. Bell of 1961 On this case, Bell a shopkeeper, displayed a flick knife priced at four shilling in his shop window. He was charged with offering for sale an offensive weapon contrary to the restriction of offensive weapon act. It was held that a mere display of the goods in a shop window is not by itself an offer for sale. Bell was not bound to sell the knife to any one entering his shop and offering to him four shillings. 4 A mere display of a gold watch at 25

HUM1000 - Introduction to the Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HUM1000 - Introduction to the Humanities - Essay Example I married, climbed the ladder of success and then wham; just when I thought it was all coming together nicely, there was my epiphany moment. How sad to have spent my entire life merely existing when my soul was dying to live! Such is life; full of surprises and lessons to learn. It’s amazing to see how fragile and unpredictable life is, full of twists and turns in the unexpected. We think we are living our lives in the utmost way, yet we’ve not begun to live at all. Existence carries a heavy price for everyone. There is the life we didn’t live, and all the joy missed along the way, as well as the life we endured, with all the misery and suffering like â€Å"a stone falling downward with increasing velocity.† I really didn’t know much about bringing my family close to me; most people were respectful and polite in families when I grew up. Honestly, I thought that’s how it was done. I was a good man, a good provider; I always tried to do the right thing at the right time, a proper life I lived. Isn’t that what good men do? Yet, I see â€Å"my life was not real at all but a terrible and huge deception which had hidden both life and death.† To live a lie is not to have lived at all. I would give anything to be able to go back and embrace my family; to be close to them, to really know them and have them know me. If only I could hold my children one more time, I would bring them close and tell them to love with all your heart, make each day the best day of your life, and most of all, choose people over things. Don’t worry so much about the things that don’t matter, the petty things that don’t really add quality to your life; those silly, small things will take care of themselves. The real world is the world of right now, today is all there is. Live your life on purpose, making each day a real part of your dream. Don’t wait until tomorrow

Woodside Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Woodside Company - Essay Example According to the policy of national interests, leaders of all countries are assumed to act in a rational way with the aim of safeguarding and pursuing their state objectives. This means that countries emulate the policies that are considered by the leaders to be of importance in developing and improving the well-being of their societies1. In their efforts to attain an economic growth and ensure transparency in the oil industries among other sectors, governments have adopted the policy of national interest. For instance, to safeguard the interest of local and foreign investors in the Australian oil sector, the government has put in place various measures to regulate the oil industry. For example, the government prohibited Royal Dutch Shell and BHP from undertaking the acquisition of Woodside Petroleum. The acquisition was valued at $35bn. One of the major strategies that Shell Company adopted was to take over Woodside incorporation with an objective of expanding its market share. Acco rding to Peter Voser, the company chief executive officer, this strategy was emulated in order to enhance innovativeness and competitiveness thus expanding the capital base leading to expanded investment and high dividends. Additionally, the company was focused at maintaining a sustainable cash flow that would make it to effectively meet its short-term liabilities and improve the company liquidity. However, based on the concept of the national interest, Peter Costello, The Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act (FATA) treasurer rejected the move by Shell Investment Limited to purchase a majority interest in Woodside Petroleum Limited. Woodside Company is responsible for managing natural gas consortium that is based at the North West Shelf. According to Costello, Woodside Petroleum Limited had a national interest to maximize the production of natural gas from North West Shelf in order to increase the country sales and compete with other countries in the world natural market2. Additio nally, the Australian government was focused at protecting Woodside performance in the stock exchange market. Even though Shell aimed at controlling Woodside Company under the leadership of Don Voelte, Woodside management and the politician in Australia were against the Shell decision making it to be frustrated. One of the major aspects that were targeted by Shell is the Woodside-operated Pluto project that was generating large volume of oil resulting to increased profitability for Woodside3. Additionally, Shell argued that if given authority to control the $43bn Gorgon gas project among others that are located in Western Australia, it would increase the total revenue and initiate a sustainable growth as compared to Woodside. The sale offer was valued at $10 billion4. In 2010, Shell energy Holdings Australia Limited (SEHAL) agreed to sell 78 million shares that it has in Woodside to UBS AG. The sale resulted to the reduction of Shell interest in Woodside by 29%. In addition, the sel ling of the shares resulted to reduction of Shell capital in Woodside by 10%. In this regard, major issues that affected Woodside were mostly determined by the Woodside management team5. In the same way, SEHAL was focused to retain the remaining shares for at least one year. According to Peter Voser the CEO, Shell is determined to expand its investment portfolio in Australia. It is worth to note that even though Shell was prevented from acquiring majority interests in Woodside, the company purchased Australia LNG thus increasing its production capacity to 2.7 mtpa in 2010. The company is focused at increasing this capacity to 6.5 mtpa in the next 3 years. Having sold its shares at

HUM1000 - Introduction to the Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HUM1000 - Introduction to the Humanities - Essay Example I married, climbed the ladder of success and then wham; just when I thought it was all coming together nicely, there was my epiphany moment. How sad to have spent my entire life merely existing when my soul was dying to live! Such is life; full of surprises and lessons to learn. It’s amazing to see how fragile and unpredictable life is, full of twists and turns in the unexpected. We think we are living our lives in the utmost way, yet we’ve not begun to live at all. Existence carries a heavy price for everyone. There is the life we didn’t live, and all the joy missed along the way, as well as the life we endured, with all the misery and suffering like â€Å"a stone falling downward with increasing velocity.† I really didn’t know much about bringing my family close to me; most people were respectful and polite in families when I grew up. Honestly, I thought that’s how it was done. I was a good man, a good provider; I always tried to do the right thing at the right time, a proper life I lived. Isn’t that what good men do? Yet, I see â€Å"my life was not real at all but a terrible and huge deception which had hidden both life and death.† To live a lie is not to have lived at all. I would give anything to be able to go back and embrace my family; to be close to them, to really know them and have them know me. If only I could hold my children one more time, I would bring them close and tell them to love with all your heart, make each day the best day of your life, and most of all, choose people over things. Don’t worry so much about the things that don’t matter, the petty things that don’t really add quality to your life; those silly, small things will take care of themselves. The real world is the world of right now, today is all there is. Live your life on purpose, making each day a real part of your dream. Don’t wait until tomorrow

Fair Value Accounting Essay Example for Free

Fair Value Accounting Essay Topic: To what extent is â€Å"Fair Value Accounting† an effective method in measuring the values of financial instruments in financial statement? In recent years, the breakout of global financial crisis has raised controversial debates about whether or not fair value accounting (FVA) is an effective method in measuring the values of financial instruments (Laux Leuz, 2009). As two main accounting standards around the world, both International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and US Financial Accounting Standards (FAS) have adopted FVA as an accounting method to judge the values of some financial instruments (Mala and Chand, 2011). This essay will argue that although FVA can provide timely and transparent price information to the users of accounting information in some cases, there are potential problems of FVA in measuring the values of financial instruments on account of unreliable evaluation models, biased prices in inefficient markets and a negative price contagion effect. There are three main parts in this essay. Firstly, it will give the definition of FVA and then it will analyze why the effectiveness of FVA may be limited from three aspects, namely unreliable evaluation models, biased prices in inefficient markets and a negative price contagion effect. At last, it will consider the pros of FVA regarding the timely and transparent information it provides in some cases and analyze the pros. According to Financial Accounting Standards 157, fair value accounting can be defined as â€Å"an accounting method to measure the values of assets and liabilities based on the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date†. That is to say, FVA relies on the actual market prices of the financial instruments and records the exact market prices on the financial statements. In fact, FVA replaces historical cost accounting (HCA) with the development of accounting standards (Boyer, 2007). Compared with FVA, historical cost accounting can be described as an accounting measurement of values based on the original or historical cost when the company got the assets or liabilities. For example, a company bought a stock for 50 pounds last year. In this year, the price of the stock increases to 100 pounds. Under FVA, the company should record the value of  the stock at 100 pounds this year while 50 pounds will be recognized under HCA. As the replaced FVA has been regarding as accelerating the global financial crisis, it draws a lot of attention in respect of its potential weaknesses in the accounting field. Firstly, the model to estimate fair values of financial instruments in illiquid markets seems to have insufficient reliability (Laux Leuz 2009 and Mala Chand 2011). If the markets for the identical or similar financial instruments whose values need to be evaluated are active, the available prices can be used to evaluate the fair values of them (Laux Leuz 2009). However, if the markets do not exist, which means the the markets are inactive or illiquid, the fair evaluation model is needed to estimate the fair value of the financial instruments (Ball 2006). Specifically speaking, the model to evaluate fair values of financial instruments rely on the future cash flow of the financial instruments and borrowing rate of the company. The future cash flow can be described as the future cash inflow (income) and outflow (expense) brought by the financial instruments whilst the borrowing rate of a company can be considered as the cost of capital which can be invested in other investments rather than the financial instruments. The users of the evaluation model should firstly predict the future cash flow of the financial instruments and then use the borrowing rate of the company to calculate the present fair values. Ljiri (2005) states that using model to estimate the values of financial instruments provides significant discretionary power to the users and gives uncertainty, which may influence the objectivity of the valuation of financial instruments. Indeed, the same financial instrument could be evaluated differently on account of different estimation of future cash flows and distinct borrowing rate. Because the users of the evaluation model have the power to forecast the future cash flow, different users may have distinct estimations of the same financial instrument based on their perspectives of its future profitability. In addition, different companies may have different borrowing rates due to distinct industries involved. Thus, the above two uncertain factors affects the objectivity of the fair evaluation of the financial instruments, which limits the reliability of the evaluation model. Secondly, the inefficient markets could distort prices, which has a negative effect on the basis of FVA (Laux Leuz 2009). An inefficient market can be defined as a market in which the prices of financial instruments can not be measured accurately due to the inefficient information it provides (Aboody et. al 2002). Additionally, Lim and Brooks (2010) review the empirical literature about the evolution of market efficiency over time and find that the market cannot be always efficient and market inefficiency can be easily caused by investor irrationality and liquidity problems. That is to say, the market prices of financial instruments could be distorted by biased behaviors of investors, such as overconfidence or overreaction to a stock, and liquidity problems, such as illiquid market for a long-term bond. What’s more, the distorted prices can not reflect the real values of financial instruments, which makes FVA lose the reliable basis to measure the fair value of financial instruments. Therefore, the biased prices in the inefficient markets tend to the appropriateness of fair evaluation of financial instruments. Thirdly, Laux and Leuz (2009) argues that FVA could enforce negative price contagion in the financial markets, which has been considered as the main cause of rapid spread of global financial crisis. It is argued that FVA has stimulated the financial crisis in a vicious spiral and leading to the spread and depth of the financial crisis (Begtsoon 2011, Allen and Carletti 2007, Appelbaum 2009 and Jones 2009). To be specific, after financial crisis broke out, the liquidity of financial instruments’ markets dried up, which means very few trades of the financial instruments existed in the markets (Begtsoon 2011). As a result, the market pricing mechanism became dysfunctional because the prices should be evaluated from very few trades, which resulted in low prices of financial instruments (ibid). In turn, the low prices put pressure on the financial statements of some financial institutions in terms of assets depreciation under FVA (Allen Carletti 2008). In order to keep capital requirements, the financial institutions had no choice but to sell assets at low prices, which led to lower prices of financial instruments in the markets and stimulated further assets depreciation on other financial instruments’ financial statements under FVA  (Plantin et al. 2008a). To sum up, the prices in the market could negatively influence the evaluation of financial instruments under FVA and at the same time, the evaluation of financial instruments under FVA could have a further negative effect on the market prices, which forms a vicious circle that can speed up the price contagion and fluctuations. Nevertheless, supporters of FVA believe that FVA can provide transparent and timely information for the users of accounting information (Brown 2008). As Hughes (2009) says, the function of FVA is â€Å"like that of the thermometer-it mirrors reality, it does not create it†. Since FVA can reflect what is happening in the market on the financial statements immediately, it allows the information users to get easy access to the most timely and transparent market information. In addition, Hinks (2009) argues that the useful information provided by FVA allows the investors and regulators to approach to the up-to-date position of financial institutions and encourage them to make corrective decisions. Indeed, it cannot be denied that FVA can provide prompt and transparent price information in some cases. However, it is not always the case which contributes FVA to an effective measurement to value financial instruments. First of all, in an illiquid or inefficient market for some financial instruments, even if FVA could provide timely price information of the financial instruments, the timely information provided is unreliable, which leads to the uselessness of the timely and transparent information provided by FVA. Secondly, even though the financial instruments have an active or efficient market, FVA cannot result in increased transparency of information in financial statements as expected (Krumwiede 2008). Thirdly, under FVA, timely price information would lead to volatility of financial statements (Barth 2004). The continuous volatility of financial statements causes confusion for the users of accounting information and raises the company’s cost to keep accounts. Hence, although FVA could offer some timely and transparent information to the users, these information limits to some extent because of unreliable information, limited transparency and volatility of financial statements. In conclusion, this essay has discussed three aspects limiting the effectiveness of FVA to measure the values of financial instruments, including evaluation model, inefficient markets and price contagion effect. In addition, it also considers the pros of FVA in terms of timely and transparent information provided in some cases. It can be concluded that even though up-to-date and transparent information could be provided by FVA occasionally, the effectiveness of FVA to measure the values of financial instruments has been limited due to the unreliable evaluation model, distorted prices in inefficient markets and a negative price contagion effect. Because of word limit, this essay cannot cover the detailed application of FVA to specific kind of financial instrument. However, the above discussion can clearly show that FVA has some general problems in measuring the values of financial instruments. Based on above analysis, it can be suggested that the problematic aspects of FVA could be improved or revised by providing more clear explanation and more specific regulations by the constitutors of accounting standards and for some specific financial instruments with illiquid or inefficient markets, it is better to use some other methods to measure their values.

What Problems Face Historians History Essay

What Problems Face Historians History Essay History may be the past but the reflections on that past and the different mediums that inform and shape us about the past must be examined for their veracity and usefulness. These documents and sources present the historian with many problems as they are often used as a cumulative examination of a period under study. Yet what are the difficulties that are inherent in these sources and testimonies. Both primary and secondary sources contain pitfalls that can trap and blind the historian in his pursuit of historical accuracy. The veracity of the particular source, the motives behind the source and the origins of the evidence are all concerns for the historian. In conjunction with these problems can be the temptation to subsume personal and contemporary reports and evidence for the purposes of a grander and more wide-ranging historical narrative. Hew Strachan believes that hindsight can disfigure and reduce the essence of history. Hindsight refers to the ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened  [i]  1and Strachan believes that this can imbue the historian with an arrogant view of those who did not see the bigger picture or understand the deeper motives behind historical events. Does this have some truth and if so can it distort history to such a degree that it almost erases the individual struggle or achievement? Or does this problem exist merely within a wider spectrum of historical concerns? History must be about balance so is a merging of both the personal and the panoramic possible? Strachan writes that hindsight distorts history through fostering arrogance. In his book The First World War he talks of the fact that just because other ideas and ideologies seem foreign to us, this does not deny their charge for those who went to war in 1914  [ii]  so therefore this muting of the past does not push us to understand it merely obfuscates the truth. Yet what is history, but an attempt to see the grander picture and how ideas fit into individual histories and testimonies. The primary sources that are around for historical examination bring with them not just their face value but an attempt to recreate the conceits and facets behind them. In 1946 Ellen Hammer wrote in an article on Americas relations with the Vichy government that throughout the war information filtered into neutral capitals but only on the spot sources could report with any authority  [iii]  , but just how problematic are these on the spot accounts? It is certainly true that primary sources retain an immediacy and relevance that is difficult to ignore. It is through letters, diaries and newspapers that we have built up much of our knowledge of the First World War. Without these sources we would be dependent on fractious second-hand testimony or oral traditions resplendent with hyperbole. For the historian it is necessary to look at the facts behind the facts. The researcher must certainly avail himself of hindsight and retrospection but must not allow themselves to become victims of them. Isaac Deutscher wrote that the historian deals with fixed and irreversible patterns of events; all weapons have already been fired  [iv]  and as the historical inquiry gathers pace the historian is aware that he is surveying a spent battlefield but how accurate are the bullets he has examined? There is perhaps nothing more alive in the consciousness of Europe than the concerted attempt to exterminate European Jewry by the Nazis during the Second World War. According to Gilbert in his study of the subject merely to give witness by ones own testimony was, in the end, to contribute to a moral victory. Simply to survive was a victory  [v]  and it is a testament to the human condition that so many survived. These terrible events have continued to be explored in witness accounts and literature and another event that has been extensively written about has been the Great or First World War. The last remaining survivor of that conflagration recently passed away so now that the survivors have died out and can no longer contribute to their own victories, will future generations have their knowledge shaped by hindsight and retrospection when it comes to those times? It is important to note that both hindsight and retrospection can give us many valuable lessons on historical experience. Dr Johnson wrote that when a design has ended in marriage or success, when every eye and every ear is witness to general discontent or general satisfaction, it is then a proper time to disentangle confusion and illustrate obscurity  [vi]  2and it is within this statement that a major part of the rationale behind history can be identified. Although the canvas of history is vast, the minutiae helps build up the overall picture and hence hindsight aids that process as well as retrospection. There are certain elements in any event that are not known and cannot possibly be known at the time of the event. At the end of the Great War who could have known that the aftermath would provide the bedrock for the Soviet Union and force a reluctant United States onto the world stage  [vii]  but these were the consequences of that conflict, although not recognized in thei r scope at the time. The problem that the historian faces is that this knowledge can give special onus to events that had none and rob other events of their posterity. However, how can we disentangle and illustrate without letting individual values and beliefs, perhaps vastly removed from those we are studying, intrude on the historians research? This is what Strachan talks of when he mentions the disadvantages of hindsight. Kenneth Baker writes that memory plays tricks with the past, events are sometimes remembered only in part  [viii]  3and in todays contemporary media saturated society, it may seem strange to consider just how diverse and varied accounts of the past were. Yet this removal from the events that unfolded can give us, real and imagined distance, between the understanding and interpretation. The two biggest conflagrations of the twentieth century, both World Wars, are probably two of the most written about subjects in history. Their respective arcs spanned the globe and brought devastation and change to many aspects of peoples lives. However, their documenting and recording throw up countless testimonies and accounts of those times which are not always possible to examine with straight forward simplicity. One of the first problems that the historian is presented with is the sheer dearth of material that is available. Fest writes that once in a while it is necessary for the chronicler to put aside his magnifying glass. For the way things fit together has a significance of its own and can give us information that no mere examination of details can  [ix]  but this chronicle involves thousands upon thousands of minute details that are its integral parts. The motivations and recollections of those at the time as well as their possessions and other sources can easily be brushed aside as hindsight condemns them to the undergrowth of history. After Austria-Hungarys declaration of war on Serbia, accounts have been written of the jubilation that greeted the announcement. The joy and euphoria may have been real but despite the later disillusionment with the war, this does not mean we can learn nothing from that day. These testimonies are still valid and tell us more about attitudes to war th an about the war itself. The temptation for the historian is to conclude that the destruction of WW1 shows how the enthusiasm evaporated but up until the very end, there were those who embraced the war. Adolf Hitler, then an obscure corporal speaks of the war years as the greatest and most unforgettable time of my earthly existence  [x]  but despite what we know about Hitlers later life and his absent moral compass, this testimony is still relevant because of its immediacy. The combination of personal and professional in the recollections and remembrances of participants can add interesting texture and nuance to historical investigation. Strachan writes in his book on the Great War about Conrad Von Hotzendorff, the Austrian Chief of the General Staff and of how Hotzendorff was in love with a married woman. Hotzendorff saw a triumphant return from the battlefield as an integral part of gaining acceptability for this relationship and Strachan writes that Conrads response to Franz Ferdinands assassination was more visceral than rational  [xi]  . This highlights an important problem when dealing with sources. The actions and motivations of participants can seem indicative of one course of action but this motivation can contain a number of individual facets and aims. As well as the difficulty of gleaning motive, testimonies and documents of the period can fall victim to retrospective thinking. The particular feelings and emotions of a person can undergo transformation as time flows and if that particular person is not around at that moment, then the historians interpretation could be colored by emotions that only resurfaced at a present time. The human condition is so multi-faceted that it constantly fluctuates and seeks to change into a particular set of perceptions that are prevalent at the time. The actions and thoughts of individuals also present problems when constructing historical timelines as they are often belied by diplomatic effort and political reflection. Strachan again writes of the events leading up to the Great War that the experience of earlier crises had conditioned statesman to put events in the broader context of European international relations  [xii]  and this goes in tandem with subjective testimonies related by individuals or groups. Richard J Evans argues that the historians questions should be formulated not by some present theory but from the historical sources themselves  [xiii]  which leads to the observation that whose history is being recorded? The emphasis on high politics and political history has a tendency to negate the other factors that can determine events. In the case of primary sources, the testimonies of survivors can be brushed off as subjective ruminations that incorporate too much personal experience. It is the major players in the games of politics and power, the elite, which therefore can and must be relied on because they are the ones who were in the driving seat. This rationale takes on the very characteristics of the people it reveres as it reduces history to an elite club of statesmen and hierarchies whose actions were the engine in world history. Yet a solitary emphasis on the actions of the people or social history can be just as exclusivist. Much of the writing on the First World War concerns the massive loss of life during the military campaigns of The Somme and Ypres and in this sense it can give a picture of an event being merely the sum of its battles and military maneuvers. Yet Strachan writes of the Home Front that at the end of 1917, the British people were desperately tired  [xiv]  and Gilbert observes all over Europe, and in every country that had sent men to fight in Europe, the memorials to those who had been killed were being designed and put in place  [xv]  so any reliance on one type of source of history can in Johnsons words obfuscate and hide the greater picture. The reason for statements and articulations also have to be taken into account when considering historical evidence and never more so than when considered in a war situation. The Great War threw up some such examples of this practice. It is natural in wartime to seek to demonstrate how much of a threat the enemy is. Strachan uses this example in his book citing the Governor of Bosnia in 1914 as saying of the Serbs that towards such a population all humanity and all kindness are out of place  [xvi]  and this can be contrasted with Hitlers utterances to his Generals during the Second World War regarding the Russians and Jews. Propaganda and the uses that particular pieces of testimony were created for can create an obstacle in tackling historical sources. Stanley Weintraub writes in his book Silent Night, which deals with the Christmas truce of 1914 that for rival governments, for which war was politics conducted by persuasive force, it was imperative to make even temporary peace unappealing and workable  [xvii]  which for todays Western governments seems even more callous than war itself. Politicians of all persuasions unite to cite how this episode was a call to arms for us all and how in the madness of war, sanity was temporarily regained. This is in itself an example of both hindsight and retrospection. The ideals that were being fought for during that war were those of liberalism against force, freedom versus tyranny and since those ideas have been won for a majority of the world, it is seen as an episode of hope amidst war. This may be true but it was these exact governments that frowned upon this truce at the time and now in retrospect see its benefits. Thus, in some measure history can be distorted. Weintraub goes on to write that this impromptu truce seemed dangerously akin to the populist politics of the streets, the spontaneous movements that topple tyrants and autocrats  [xviii]  and one does not need to go far to see just how Strachan might be right in writing of hindsight as arrogance. The not too distant past saw a sitting government ignore the protests and cries of its people during the recent Iraq debacle. Once again it seems that the lessons of history are that those in power know best. It is important to remember that much of the sources that we have from the end of World War One were from captured documents but most importantly from the views of the Allies themselves, the victors. In such an environment it is possible for particular viewpoints to emerge that reinforce such origins. Wohlsetter writes that after the crisis, memories fade and recriminations take their place  [xix]  and this underscores much of what we know of our own history. The aftermath of both wars saw the division of Europe into different spheres of interest and thus once again the victors to an extent dictated the course of history. This use of sources could take place within the sphere of Eurocentrism. Nordenbo describes this as an historical point of view which perceives modernity, first and foremost as a unique modern European invention  [xx]  , a construct which sees the West as the leader in civilization and invention and the rest of the world as a kind of other. This Europe appears to non-Europeans as a land of milk and honey, a promised land and certainly contains the seeds of a European hegemonic system. Edward Said writes in his thesis Orientalism about the construction of this other. It is contained in Marxs maxim that they cannot represent themselves, so they must be represented and Said argues that to the West, the Orient is an other-worldly realm peopled by exotic, hedonistic infidels  [xxi]  and though dealing with the Orient this can be transposed to the examination of sources. It is possible because of the difficulty of obtaining documents in many places to merely stereotype and generalize using Western maxims and rationales. The problems of translation from other languages can also impede investigation and again ties in with this idea of Eurocentrism, that English lexicons and idioms are the natural record of history. To maintain this thought system is to deliver an irrevocable blow to the historical mindset. Hindsight also relies on the process of causation. This links a series of causes and sketches a rough timeline between events. This can blur the line between reality and impression. It is sometimes asserted that the Treaty of Versailles and its perceived harshness was instrumental in causing the Second World War. This was not the only factor and its overall impact can be negated. Several other factors must be considered, such as Hitlers own personal bent and drive, the expansionist drive of the German military and political elite and the notion of a Messianic savior, a Strong Man, destined to lead Germany to greatness. It is possible to agree with Strachan that hindsight does breed arrogance. The ideas and realities of contemporary life are quite removed from the realities of yesteryear. It is the job of the historian to make sense of these past times and draw conclusions and lessons from them. This can be problematic as the sources are as rich and varied as the events that shaped them. There is arrogance in history, people find it hard to laud and identify people who gave themselves for ideals and causes, and hence label them with contemporary judgments However just as hindsight does not give us the complete picture, so not all historical investigation is tainted by this thinking. The problems and difficulties of looking at sources are myriad and sometimes frustrating but only through careful sifting and collaboration of method can we attain that knowledge of the past that so informs the historians rumination on the present.