Principles of Assessment in Lifelong Learning

Principles of assessment in lifelong learning Task A part a The assessment process is a vital part to teaching in the lifelong learning sector. All assessment requires the collection and recording of evidence of student learning. There are many aspects to assessment which will begin from the point of the leaner completing their initial application form. The principles of assessment come under three different headings, Initial assessment, formative assessment and summative assessment. Each of the assessment criteria come with specific outcomes for the learner this will assure the learner is getting the best possible outcome to their learning.Looking at figure 6. 1 Gravells, A (pg112) assessment cycle as shown below The initial assessment will be the crucial part of the learning journey. This will provide the relevant information needed to decide the leaner’s starting point. It is the level from which the learner’s progress and also achievement can be calculated. As state d by Green, M. (2003) â€Å"Initial assessment needs to be done with learners rather than to them. It should be of benefit to learners and help them feel positive about themselves and their potential to learn. Initial assessment may start with establishing the learners, interests, aspirations; experience and motivation or it may be part of a â€Å"getting to know you† activity in induction. It allows you to look at the learning styles which are relevant to each learner. Whatever method you choose it needs to be flexible and should reflect the nature of the learner. From using a range of assessment methods it will enable you to summarize the learners starting point. Whichever method is chosen, it is important that initial assessment contains some form of skill/knowledge assessment which can be validated by the tutor.The initial assessment will allow the planning for any other services which may be required to assist the learner. It is essential that all interaction which take s place with the learner on the initial interview is recorded, this is done for the protection of the learner also the tutor can refer back to any conversation which has taken place. The recording of information will make sure the learner is on the correct course at the correct level, the learner actually wants to access the course. Planning for the assessment is basically you and your learner agreeing on which type and which methods of assessment are suitable.This will vary from learner to learner as they all have different needs and also very often different learning styles. Also included in the planning assessment is setting appropriate target dates setting with both the learner this could also involve other members of staff. Assessment activity is all about how to assess the activity and what methods could be used. For example if it is a student led assessment they could be completing the requested assignment or even gathering some form competent evidence. If tutor/assessor led this could be observation, questioning or even photographic evidence.After the three initial assessments have been completed it is then time to look at the assessment decision and feedback, this enables the tutor to make the decision on whether the learner has been successful or otherwise. This is the point in which the tutor/assessor is able to give constructive feedback to the learner stating if any further actions are required. Reviewing the progress means that any assessment plan can be review and altered at any one time to meet the learners required needs at the time, or upon completion of either the programme or the course.The review process enables you as the tutor to sit with your learner and give the opportunity you both time to discuss any relevant issues you may feel will aid in their learning. By reviewing the assessment activities which you use this will give you an opportunity to amend any if necessary. The formative assessment is the second strand of the assessment pr ocess. â€Å"formative assessments are ongoing practices that help both the teacher and student evaluate and reflect on how they are both doing, and what changes either or both might need to make to become a more effective teacher and learner. Larry Ferlazzo (no date) Assessment for learning is also known as formative assessment. Assessment for learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence in use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there. Since the goal of formative assessment is to gain an understanding of what students know (and don't know) in order to make responsive changes in teaching and learning. Techniques such as teacher observation and classroom discussion have an important place alongside analysis of tests and homework.Much of what tutors and learners do in the classroom can be described as assessment for learning. (Black and Wiliam, 1998) says â€Å"Assessment for l earning can be defined as ‘all those activities undertaken by teachers and/or by their students, which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged’ Formative assessment should occur regularly throughout the instructional process and, According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing (NCFOT) (1999), Careful documentation can allow formative assessments to be used for summative purposes.The manner in which summative assessments are reported helps determine whether they can be easily translated for formative purposes–especially by the student, teacher, and parent. (Ainsworth & Viegut, 2006) state â€Å"By varying the type of assessment you use over the course of the week, you can get a more accurate picture of what students know and understand, obtaining a â€Å"multiple-measure assessment ‘window' into student understanding† Some examples of a formative assessment could b e: * Asking questions * observations * self assessments * quizzes (sometimes) * learner record keepingThomas R. Guskey suggests â€Å"that for assessments to become an integral part of the instructional process, teachers need to change their approach in three important ways. They must â€Å"1) use assessments as sources of information for both students and teachers, 2) follow assessments with high-quality corrective instruction, and 3) give students second chances to demonstrate success† (2007). Assessment of learning is also known as summative assessment, assessments used to sum up a learners achievement. Summative assessment can be carried out as particular stages of the course or learning rogramme are completed, or at the end, whichever seems appropriate. Where achievement is recorded on an on-going basis, summative assessment may mean bringing all the evidence together, rather than carrying out an additional set of assessment activities. This means that all the requireme nts stipulated by the examining body are all collated and correct. Assignments to be marked and graded appropriately, making sure the work is that of the learners and no one else’s. . Examples of summative assessment can be a written examination. Reliability is essential as they are used numerically to classify learners and compare them to each other.Traditional unit tests (multiple choice, true/false and sort answer questions) are poor summative assessments as they rarely require the application of skills and concepts or the demonstration of understandings rather than a mere reporting of information. The best summative assessments often incorporate the essential question(s) that have focused the unit, requiring students to answer one or more of the essential questions drawing upon ideas from personal experience, from the texts studied, and from new text(s) encountered as a part of the assessment. Assessment methodsWithin my area of childcare/sexual health I use many varied t ypes of assessment. The assessment criteria I use are based on the level of the learner and the suitability to the specific unit within the assignment. By using various methods of assessment I get a clearer picture of what went well with both tutor and learner and what was not so good so improvements can be made. Use accurate assessment to effectively plan to ensure all groups of students are suitably challenged and supported. Use a variety of strategies (ASL) to ensure students know where they are and what they need to do to improve in relation to their target grades.These must include: * Skilful Questioning and other forms of oral feedback (relating to lesson objectives) which gauge and probe student understanding, as well as re-shaping of explanations and tasks. * Frequent written feedback (Marking), which follows Strengths, Attitude to learning, Level and Target (SALT) and where targets set are detailed enough that students can make progress. * Peer and/or self-assessment Photog raphic assessment Photographic assessments are used usually with another form of assessment, observation or verbal.Photographic assessment allows the learner to do practical activities and have a photographic record of their achievements these can then be placed either into a book or a file and annotated by the learner which will explain the type of activity which had taken place. If this is done on a regular basis with activities at different levels the learner can see the progress which has been made. If and when using photographic evidence it should always be signed and authenticated by both the learner and the tutor. Is it valid? Yes as the photographic evidence will show as long as the photograph is annotated, dated and signed by a tutor/teacher.If the evidence is not current i. e. the picture taken six months before the criteria may have changed so photographic evidence may not be required or be insufficient for the amount of work needing to be produced. As with positives ther e are also some negative points with this kind of assessment. * Some learners may not give permission to be photographed * It may mean learners are absent purposely to avoid taking part in the lesson. * You need to make sure all the equipment works and you have all your resources to hand. Verbal QuestioningThis is an excellent way to find out if the learner has understood the task which has been set for them. You can use the lesson objective in this case to keep referring back to. The questioning can be either informal or formal. You could state you are going to recap the lesson, stating you will be asking each learner a question at the end. This method is used quite a lot as it continually assess the learner knowledge. Giving the students positive feedback throughout telling them no answer is wrong getting them to expand on the answer they have just given.Demonstrations can be done with this method as you could demonstrate the subject at hand, asking questions continually and the s tudents responding accordingly. * The down side is often learners are worried they will give the wrong answer. * They may feel embarrassed taking in front of others Observation Observational assessment is the perfect way to observe the students as they work on a specific project. This promotes independent learning; gaining more than one view point also the learning is timed and controlled. This enables the teacher to roam around the classroom, occasionally offering guidance and encouragement as the students work.Whist walking around the classroom the teacher is able to take notes on how students are performing and also whether or not modifications need to be made to the assignment. The observation works well when the teacher wishes to monitor how students work together in groups or individually. The observational process is also a useful to monitor behavior within the session. This is turn enables the teacher to move the learner(s) if necessary. * Students may not participate in the session as they feel they don’t have the relevant information to give. May not get a true reflection of the outcome as some learners may come out with untruths. Portfolios Many aspects of the portfolio and the portfolio process provided assessment opportunities that contributed to improved work through feedback, conversations about content and quality, and other assessment relevant discussions. The collection also served to demonstrate progress and inform and support summative evaluations. The relationship between assessment and instruction requires re-examination so that information gathered from learner discussions can be used for instructional purposes.The disadvantages of this could be * Time consuming for staff marking them * Difficult to ensure reliability between staff * Can encourage cheating re ownership of work It is important that all learners being assessed by this means must have a shared understanding of the level expected of their work. It is good practice to show learners relevant examples and suggest a proposed format, including suggesting a physical size, as this will help your back! If the nature of the evidence needed from students is transparent, this can aid the marking and go towards reliability between staff.Also preparing a marking proforma for all staff should help. As portfolio building is usually time consuming, offer interim assessment opportunities so that learners can receive advice on whether the evidence they are assembling is appropriate. Consider assessing the portfolios as a team, with each giving comments on a feedback sheet which could also have positives on the portfolio as this aids feedback for learners. Self-Assessment/Peer Assessment Learners can only achieve a learning goal if they understand that goal, and can assess what they need to do to reach it.The ability to assess one’s own work is essential in acquiring that understanding. Peer assessment is also valuable because the interchange will be in a l anguage that learners themselves would use, also because learning is enhanced when leaners themselves tak on the roles of teachers and examiners of others. Self-assessment and peer assessment is used to log the progress. This can be done by mind mapping in different colours. First colour what they know, second colour some of the information you have imparted, third colour all the information and what their peers know.This could be done on several different occasions to assess the progress which has been made, also to identify any areas of improvement, show the strengths of the learner. Below is a chart which I use and can be altered to allow for differentiation and levelling. The peer assessment could be a quiz which they complete they exchange papers to mark each other’s. This can give a sense of ownership to the student. In conclusion I feel that assessment is a necessary part of the learning process for both learner and tutors alike. It enables tutors and educational estab lishments to keep up to date records of the progress of each learner.Ofsted or any other government expectorate will able to see regular progress, marking from the members of staff and also positive comments with identifiable areas of any improvement required. Task B The assessment process is an on-going process to which all learners should be involved in. One of the main objectives to assessment is to enable all learners to take part at their own level. The need for inclusivity is paramount when doing assessment to enable each learner to be assessed at their own level. If necessary other services may need to be involved i. English as an additional Language (EAL) this will need liaison with each subject leader and the co-ordinator for EAL. This will then look at the specific needs of the learner, ensure that assessment practice conforms with equality of opportunity, and monitor the performance of EAL and ethnic minority students, setting them relevant challenging targets, and finall y analyse and interpret the performance of EAL and ethnic minority students at the end of key stages. Whichever assessment method I have chosen it needs to address the intended curriculum outcomes and also the continuum of learning that is required to reach the outcomes.As I am assessing the learners they need to understand clearly what they are trying to learn, and what is expected of them. In turn they are given feedback I give them around the quality of their work and what in turn they can do to improve it. The advice they are given from me the tutor will go to making the necessary improvements. During this time they learners are fully involved in deciding what needs to be done next, and the relevant people who can give them help if required.

Proud to Be a Woman Essay

â€Å"First Bone of a Woman† by Patricia Wellingham-Jones and â€Å"Afternoon in the Garden† are two poems that present the creation of the first woman and explore the nature of womanhood through the behavior, speech and descriptions of her. The authors addressed the story of creation differently through the use of alliteration, figurative language and symbol. â€Å"First Bone of a Woman,† describes in full detail the configuration of the female body as it is being constructed and focuses on the beauty and strength of her figure while â€Å"Afternoon in the Garden,† involves a complete and detailed version of the first woman’s day in the Garden of Eden and the meaningful discoveries she encounters that are not explored in other versions: â€Å"Then God created the woman: But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the lord  God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: â€Å"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh† (NIV Gen 2:18-24). We begin reading â€Å"First Bone of a Woman† with a specific understanding that Wellingham-Jones is referring to the extraction of Adams rib to create his counterpart, Eve. â€Å"Flesh pads the jointed structure, soft skin covers the curves† is a specific example of Walders’ use of alliteration and figurative language to describe the smooth contour of a woman’s body as she is coming together piece by piece (Patricia Wellingham-Jones 6). The author’s repetition of sounds points the reader to importance of the actual physical structure that may otherwise be overlooked without the employment of such poetic device. In many ways this is reminiscent of Davi Walders’ poem when she is referring to the apricot and describes the â€Å"sun on its flesh† (Walders 44-45). The repeated â€Å"s† and â€Å"c† sounds helps to communicate that  the female body is feminine and light and should be thought of in a beautiful and fruitful fashion. As the sounds roll off of your tongue and as you read the works aloud you will find that they flow softly as the authors intend to describe the female figure. In some ways the author’s use of figurative language and symbol seem to be the strongest literary devices used in their poems to create unique portrayals of the early creation of woman and their role in womanhood. â€Å"Afternoon in the Garden† Walders describes the moment that the first woman shows her independence and uniqueness. Rather than seeing her choice to taste the fruit as a naà ¯ve and irresponsible choice that could lead to trouble, Walders presents the firs t woman’s decisions as thoughtful and experimental. Walders describes the first woman as she wonders through the garden on her exploration: There’s that other fruit. He calls it â€Å"apple†. I think It’s not. It needs another name. (Davi Walders 41-43). Walders begins to present the first woman as an individual capable of thought and decision and not merely made to be Adam’s entertainment. Although she is merely describing the picking and naming of fruit, this alludes to the idea that the first woman has a mind and ability to make judgments of her own to help satisfy her man. The fruits in this poem, apple and apricot symbolize a woman’s independence and her need for variation and excitement. This helps to support Walders’ exploration of womanhood as good and essential. The main character goes on to say: I’ll pluck one with the sun On its flesh. It will not squash Or stain, has no thorns. I’ll call It â€Å"apricot†, bring an apple as well. Then he will tell the difference. A treat to share when he awakes. Then I shall sing of the joy†¦ Of learning to be a good wife. (Walders 44-54) Not only is Walders using this type of language of describing the fruits to show that she has conscious thoughts, but she also has the ability to use them to entice and pleasure her husband. The words, â€Å"I think: and â€Å"I’ll  pluck one with the sun†¦ on its flesh† clearly emphasizes the connection between the woman’s smooth body and alluring features as she explains she will bring the fruit to her husband to share as a treat together (Walders43-45). Walders is making a clear statement that a woman has the ability to make decisions, choose to go where she wants, when she wants and return in time to still make her husband happy after he has had his time to nap for the afternoon. They both work together in the garden but they each have their own roles. She is not there to serve Adam as we have read in the Bible but more as her own person able to express independent thought and virtue. While he does the majority of the physical labor, she will go out and fill her need for change and difference and excitement while she explores her own identity and goes off to define their world as they are learning and growing each day both together and separately. If Walders did not state these words, â€Å"I think† and â€Å"on its flesh† we may not be able to conclude that she is so adamantly stating a woman has independent thoughts and deserves to be viewed as an asset to the future of our lives as we know them. In contrast to â€Å"Afternoon in the Garden† the poem â€Å"First Bone of a Woman† in its literal description of the creation of the body, â€Å"The first bone of a woman shines with a spectral glow, knits itself to another until the framework brackets its form† (Wellingham-Jones 2-3). Wellingham-Jones is describing the formation of the body and the ability for each piece to easily connect from one to the next. This poems comes across as the strong, foundation of a female structure that not only has shape, but attractiveness necessary for a woman, while â€Å"Afternoon in the Garden† concentrates primarily on the discoveries that the first woman has during her explorations in the garden. â€Å"Soft skin covers the curves† is most certainly the author’s way of reminding the reader of a woman’s beauty and sexual attractiveness (Wellingham-Jones 6). Without these lines the poem would read more like a blueprint to build a stick figure while the addition of these lines guides the audience to the sensual curves of a woman’s body. In many ways we forget that women are not only physical beings, both hard working and nurturing, but we are also loving and sensual being capable and requiring attention and affection. Patricia Wellington-Jones and Davi Walders approach their stories with unique and distinct voices. While Wellington Jones’ poem, â€Å"First Bone of a Woman† explores the creation of the  female body as first understood by the biblical story presented to us in the story of Adam and Eve, she adds her own exciting idea that once the female body begun to take on its own shape it became an individual with a womanly nature and no longer would be reliant upon a man for her definition. The man and the woman would complement each other. Davi Walders poem, â€Å"Afternoon in the Garden† explores the diversity of a woman and her abilities to make decisions and entertain herself as well as contribute to the growth and prosperity of the world. Walders depicts womanhood being expressed through exploration and contribution. Both poems present the creation of the first woman in a manner that the topic of womanhood can be viewed in a more substantial and important role than in other works available.

Ethical Considerations on the Muslim World

In the post-9/11 climate, the American people are bombarded with emotive images and language in the media to the point of reaching simply untrue conclusions about members of the Muslim world creating questions of an ethical bias in the United States media mainstream. This ethical assault on the emotions of the American people and the ensuing indoctrination of hatred toward people in the Middle East and Muslims living in the United States is an achievement that benefits politicians by instilling the emotions of fear and hate.The images that are depicted selectively, although in no way thoroughly, as they relate to the so-called War on Terror show events that create fear that a trend may be occurring, when in fact, the images depict isolated incidents that cannot be tied into one specific trend. As well, the wording that is used in various media outlets, namely the word â€Å"terror† and â€Å"terrorist† instills fear and brings about emotions to American viewers that are vulnerable to what they see and hear.As well, much of what is missing from the media in terms of the lives of average Muslim people only serves to further the bias that all Muslims must be terrorists, because when Muslims are depicted in the news, it is for violent acts. This, of course, is an emotive fallacy. This type of emotional appeal to fear has been studied by numerous academics and point to a propaganda model of what is presented to the people. â€Å"Propaganda does try to sway a mass audience to accept a conclusion based on premises that are popularly and widely accepted, and it does typically work by exciting the emotions and enthusiasms of the crowd† (Walton, 102).Certainly then, when emotions and enthusiasms are utilized by the media in portraying countries and peoples in a negative light and as enemies of the United States, this enthusiasm of an America united against a common enemy seems to serve just as well as demonizing these declared enemies. However, when the term â€Å"War on Terror† is used this is so unspecific that it also hinders reasoning by connecting people that belong to the Muslim religion in one group, instead of accurately portraying the members of the Muslim community as mostly peaceful with only a fringe element in question.The intended effect of this by unscrupulous politicians is to instill so much fear and hate as to replace compassion for the majority of Muslims in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Another part of the propaganda model is to make sure that a country or a group of people are depicted as immoral and for this idea to be widely accepted. â€Å"Constant reference to a ‘war on terror’ did accomplish one major objective: It stimulated the emergence of a culture of fear. Fear obscures reason, intensifies emotions and makes it easier for demagogic politicians to mobilize the public† (Glassner, xii).So it seems that the reaction of the majority of people on America was to be initiall y immobilized by fear after 9/11 and they then were easily manipulated into mobilizing for politicians with an agenda. It becomes apparent that real and present dangers and social problems are deemed not interesting enough to make it to mainstream media, so instead the heroic stories of soldiers along with the horrific and largely isolated attacks by Muslim extremists are shown.It has also been argued that the presence of political analysts and other experts in a field are used to inform the people of the real dangers in the world, when in fact, it appears that these experts are chosen selectively and politically in order to boost television ratings. It also appears that television is a much more dangerous mode for the American citizen due to the very few sources of ownership in the media. This media monopoly, therefore, virtually suppresses the balanced voices of Americans who realize that the media serves as a weapon of propaganda.Again television news is the most troublesome. â⠂¬Å"Studies conducted†¦ have shown that people who are heavy television viewers, including viewers of television news shows, believe their communities are much more dangerous than do light television viewers† (Postman& Powers, 23). Certainly then, the media does instill fear as research has shown and it is the most dangerous of people that are portrayed, because this is more entertaining than showing Muslims living in peace or wanting peace.The news then, does not educate people by using logical means, what is used is an appeal to emotion. This appeal to emotion equals viewers resulting to the emotive fallacy of coming to the conclusion that Muslims and countries with the majority of it’s peoples as Muslims are inherently dangerous. Of course, there is nothing ethical about this presentation not on the part of media conglomerates or the politicians, who use propaganda as a tool to serve themselves politically.The fear now is that this â€Å"War on Terror† wi ll never cease due to the media spin on the dangers of terrorism and the ensuing jump to the illogical conclusions that this group and these peoples are dangerous. In conclusion, the emotive fallacy of coming to a popularly held belief that is held by the American people that Muslims and Muslim countries are dangerous is perpetuated by the media. Research has indicated that this is nothing less than propaganda and an unethical disinformation campaign. As well, other research has pointed out that television viewers are more likely to fall into this illogical thinking.Then if it is not fear that creates tensions and hatred toward this group it is the mobilization of citizens under a common goal, to defeat a declared enemy in a most-confusing war. References Glassner, Barry. (1999). The Culture of Fear: Why Americans are Scared of the Wrong Things. New York, NY: Basic Books. Postman, Neil & Powers, Steve. (1992). How to Watch TV News. New York, NY: Penguin Books Walton, Douglas. (2007) . Media Argumentation: Dialectic, Persuasion, and Rhetoric. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University P

Business Enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Enterprise - Essay Example â€Å"A business model describes the rational of how an organization creates, delivers and captures value† (Osterwalder & Pignuer, 2009). A business model canvas is a visual chart. The elements in the chart will describe the firm’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers and finances. It describes its elements through the building blocks. Key partners as well as key suppliers have to be included in this part of the model. For the success of the site Spotify needs a good deal with the related parties like the recording company. Another key partner is Facebook. All the account holders of Facebook have an opportunity to deal with Spotify. Key resources are required to offer the value proposition to the customers; or deliver what the customers want. Key resources can be â€Å"physical, intellectual, human and financial resources† (Osterwalder & Pignuer, 2010). The key resource for this company is music. Since, it has to make available all music to the entire world, so the music license has to be obtained. A server is also required to reach the customer. Value proposition is something which the company is giving to its customers. In other words, the factors which are forcing the customer to buy the products of the company are termed as the value proposition of the company. Here, the value proposition is between the listeners and the advertisers. The value proposition for the listeners is that, it offers a large amount of music for least cost. And the site is legally registered. The songs can be listened through a smartphone and can be listened offline too. Another offer is that we can share songs. For the advertisers, the site is making a platform to advertise their products and services. In the current context, customer is considered as a king. Companies are required to give what the customers want. In service industries also, the company have to keep in

The making of the modern Oman since 1970 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The making of the modern Oman since 1970 - Essay Example the fact that Oman did not have sufficient infrastructure like cemented roads, bridges, sea and airports, telecommunications and broadcasting systems, health care and educational facilities made Oman’s economic progress impossible to achieve. (Omanet.om, 2008a) For this study, the researcher will examine the major key factors that have lead to the rapid transformation and modernisation of the Sultanate of Oman. To provide the readers with a brief introduction, the researcher will discuss about Oman’s geographic information and history. Eventually, the differences on the economic outlook between Sultan Qaboos and the past sultans with regards to the economic and social development progress in the country will be highlighted. With regards to this matter, the researcher will examine the past and current economic development on oil, trade, and agriculture and fishes industry; the education and health system; as well as the communication and transportation development. In line with globalization, the researcher will discuss related economic issues in Oman’s foreign affairs. Prior to the conclusion, potential developmental perspectives and other significant strategies that will keep Oman competitive in the global market will be exa mined. The Sultanate of Oman, having a total land area of 309,500 sq. km., is situation on the north side of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), east side of the Arabian Peninsula, the northwest area of Saudi Arabia, and the southwest of the Republic of Yemen. (U.S. Department of State, 2008) Basically, the main part of Oman is separated from the northern part of the state by the Sharjah and Fujairah (UAE). (Omanet.om, 2008a) (See Appendix I – Oman’s Geographical Map on page 20) As of 2006, Oman’s estimated population has reached a total of 3.2 million including the 577,000 immigrants. The country has a wide variety of ethnic groups including: Arabs, Baluchi, East African (Zanzabari) as well as South Asian’s Indians,

What is The Cash Flows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

What is The Cash Flows - Essay Example The investment must be done in those opportunities where the NPV value is highest and in this situation spending money on project Alpha will result in highest NPV. The four main investment appraisal technique methods are Payback Period (PP), Accounting Rate of Return (ARR), Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The four main investment appraisal methods used are segmented into two techniques. Non-discounted cash flow technique includes PP and ARR and discounted cash flow technique includes NPV and IRR. Payback Period (PP) is the time acquired to equal the cash inflows and outflows. In the book ‘Financial Accounting for Decision Makers’ and ‘Accounting: An Introduction’ it is discussed that PBP method is important for future context and it is totally cash based. It is also mentioned that it ignores sunk cost and committed cost when applied (Atrill & McLaney, 2013). Payback period is simple to calculate and useful in the short-term and consider the cash flows of the projects which makes it easier to evaluate the liquidity position of the company and decisions about the investment proposals. It explains the management about the time during which investment will be recovered and how quick it could be utilized for another project. On the other hand, this method completely ignores the qualitative aspects of decision making. It is also not possible to analyze the useful life of the asset and does not consider how much cash flow will be generated after payback period is achieved. Payback period ignores the profitability of the company and decision taken on the basis of this method may cause the management to undertake a project which is not profitable. ARR is also known as return on investment and is used to make an analysis of a project, which may take at least a year long time.

Nurse Community Building Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nurse Community Building - Research Paper Example In this paper, I will describe the following traits of an effective nursing community; cultural awareness, able and noteworthy leadership skills, sense of community, cultural aptitude, partnership and practice integration. In order to develop a successful nursing organization, it is necessary to apply these principles. A great sense of cultural awareness Any organization needs to have a sense of cultural awareness. A nurse needs to demonstrate cultural understanding that aids them to practice better healthcare and develop a stable public health policy. Awareness will help nurses in the community acknowledge that external factors like language barriers and inaccessibility of services and resources will often attract a negative history. By understanding a community’s culture and the barriers to service delivery, public nurses understand how to face these challenges and strive to better their cultural competence with the community (Caroline p 65). Able Leadership Able and notewor thy leadership is a characteristic of a strong nursing community. Able leadership enables nurses take up responsibilities and enables them to guide the community effectively. They are the proponents of health equitability and the social justice in the community. ... This strength ensures that the resources within a community are involved in helping the community strive towards humanizing the eminence of the health care conditions. For this reason, there should be an aspect of community in a nursing organization. Nursing in the community ensures that the community has the capacity to resolve problems, and properly utilizes its resources to enhance proper health management and health safety. Community health actions motivate community members by their actions of self-determination, and their understanding of the local needs and cultural aspects that link individuals with the business community. The nurses, thus, play a crucial role in guaranteeing that communal health is available in individuals in the community and in empowering the community to erect a burly affiliation in the society that will cater for the needs of the health care system. The health nurses primarily improve the health of the families and outfit for the needs of the public by r esponding to outbreaks of illness and the emergence of health risks. Nurses recognize that strong partnerships determine better health and collaboration of both the public and the private sector is important in ensuring that noteworthy healthcare is provided to all. In order to improve these partnerships, the nursing community involves using systematic approaches that strengthen the bond between them and the community (Donna et al p 50). This approach significantly reduces the cost of social and personal health program and strengthens the community. The systematic approaches that the nursing community adapts are: Assessing and monitoring the health care requirement of all members of the community who are likely to benefit from

Race, culture and identity ( social policy and criminology) Essay

Race, culture and identity ( social policy and criminology) - Essay Example As Song (2001, p.58) suggests, this kind of grouping not only designates racial groups to a specific role in the society, but it also puts the minor groups into the shadow and subordination to the so-called â€Å"major† ethnic groups. Relatively, this racial and ethnic positioning also puts the â€Å"other† race into confusion as they become burdened by the nature of their identity. Racism, as a social problem, needs to be remedied to help the marginalised race overcome the barriers of color (A. Smedely and B. Smedley, 2005, p.16). In this way, people will be able to understand ethnic and racial identities as well as appreciate the significance of cultural diversity today (Frable, 1997, pp.142-143). Considering these ideas, this paper draws on scholarly articles to discuss the intertwining concepts of race, ethnicity, and identity. Specifically, this paper aims to discuss those concepts in relation to the â€Å"Black† subject. The Black subject stems from issues related to race, ethnicity, and identity. As Blacks and those who are considered non-white continue to suffer from racial and ethnic tensions worldwide, issues on race, ethnicity, and identity will continue to prevail in the society. Considering this situation, it can be said that studying these concepts would enable people to understand the nature of the Black subject, and the reason why it came into being. Before discussing the origin of the Black subject, it is essential to understand the concepts of race, ethnicity, and identity. These three concepts interrelate in a way that people use those to identify and differentiate themselves. The concept of identity, in the words of Brubaker and Cooper (2000, p.7), refers to three things: 1) product of socio-political action, 2) self-hood, and 3) group category. All these three aspects apply in the context of the Black subject. Black, as a group category,

COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS - Essay Example Negotiation is an important business function both in domestic and international business arena. Most of the business functions are driven by negotiations. In international business, negotiation plays a vital role in developing mutual agreements between two entirely different parties of different cultures. International business negotiation process may face lot of problems or barriers with respect to cultural differences between the negotiating parties. The success and failures depends on how well the negotiating parties conduct the business negotiation process. According Hofstede, cultural differences with respect to Power Distance Index (PDI), Individualism (IDV), Masculinity (MAS), Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), and Long-Term Orientation (LTO) etc can affect international business negotiation process between two or more parties. America and Japan are two entirely different countries as far as culture is concerned. Language, environment, politics, social setups, contexting or level of knowledge possessed by the people, verbal and nonverbal communication means etc are entirely different both in America and Japan. Japan and America are extremely different countries as far as culture, politics, custom, traits, economy, social organizations, language etc are concerned. Even though both the countries are democratic countries, the functioning of democracy in these two countries are slightly different. America is a secular democratic country with Judiciary, Parliament and Executive as the three pillars on which democracy is cemented. Politics of Japan is established in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, where Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government even though the King holds the supreme power on paper. In other words, Japan is a constitutional monarchy. Like in America, in Japan also, multiparty system is prevailing. In America, legislative power is vested in congress whereas in Japan, it is vested in Diet. English is the language

CW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CW - Essay Example The management has adopted the digital marketing system in which customers can quickly and conveniently look at all goods available and decide on which ones to buy. The online service launched facilitates this by enabling customers make their orders online and the goods delivered at their door step. This has boosted their sales specifically during the winter seasons in which people cannot move to the shopping center. This, in as much as it boosts the sales, has had its challenge in the expenses incurred during the delivery of small purchases to remote areas. In a bid to control this, the management encourages large purchases by offering promotions such as price cuts on large purchases made. Westfield has further increased its retailers to 140 and having over 300,000 products as a means of providing a variety of products to their customers so as not to allow them seek for other products from their competitors. This has enabled customers to compare a variety of products with those of their competitors in terms of price. The free shipping and returns offers have encouraged customers to shop without fear of having to use undesired goods after their delivery. This has increased their market share in the highly competitive business world. This, however, has called for employment of more staff members and training the existing employees on digital marketing. Westfield has also established a means of getting consumer feedback and desires by coming up with a social site of you-tube and face-book. From a list of 1,450 applicants, they chose an insider whose job is mainly to promote talks about shopping, smart buys, modern trends in fashion and the available offers and lifestyle (Dick & Merrett 2007, 308-318). He also responds to the customer queries and gives them direction on where to find relevant goods. This has enabled Westfield reach even a larger population

United States History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

United States History - Assignment Example For fear of persecution, they first fled towards Holland but later travelled towards a remote area. Finally they settled into a place which began to be known as the Plymouth Colony, During that time, there were many Protestants who defied the authority of the Anglican Church. These men and women fled from England and boarded the ship name Mayflower and travelled to America in the hope of settling there. They finally settled in Cape Cod, which would later come to be known as Massachusetts. There they settled and created a charter with the name of Mayflower compact. This document holds immense importance since it played a vital role in the formation of the US constitution. Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends were a religious group prevalent in England. They believed in equality, justice and pacifism and that is why they never took part in any of the England’s wars. They also refused to bow down to any nobles or pay taxes if they believed that the revenues would be used for the purpose of war. As a result of their persecution, many of the Quakers travelled to America and stayed in Pennsylvania where they played a very important role in its development. The colonial charters held a very important position in the colonial society since they were the most basic charters of law or constitution of the colonies at that time. Charters were given to different states and they defined the relationship between the parent country and the colony without any direct involvement. The whole governance, with the exception of a few things was based on these colonial charters. These charters were also responsible for great historical developments. These include the revolutionary era in which some of the terms of the charter actually increased fuel to the fire. Also during the latter part of the seventeenth century, these charters were considered as an unnecessary hindrance and were put to an end

Information Use Essay Example for Free

Information Use Essay Information can be used in an assortment of ways in today’s business world. Companies can use it to track profits and losses while others use it to forecast future industry trends so they can make informed decisions about what markets they should focus on. According to Opara (2003) â€Å"Information is the life blood of modern organizations. † Without this information, organizations would be making uninformed decisions. Information flows in a circular motion in today’s organizations. An example would be how a car dealership uses the information it gathers. A customer that is in the market for a new vehicle enters a car dealership unsure of what kind of vehicle he or she is interested in. An associate greets the potential customer and asks a few questions to ascertain what the customer is looking for. This information would be what the associate would enter into an information system (IS). From this system the associate can give the customer a listing of vehicles to choose from. The selection of vehicles is presented to the customer and after looking at all the information the customer chooses the vehicle he or she potentially wants to purchase. The associate inputs the customer’s personal information into an IS to qualify them for financing for the vehicle. The personal information is then used by the finance department to set up the financial terms that the customer will have to abide by. Once the financial terms are determined, the information is cycled back to the customer for his or her input. After the sale of the vehicle, the customer information is stored into a database so that the customer can be contacted their experience and also used for future sales. When the vehicle is sold it will need to be removed from the dealerships inventory using another IS program. This program will generate a report for inventory control and future ordering. The data that was collected through the sales process is extremely important to the sale of new vehicles. Not having this data would make it impossible to forecast future sales and inventory requirements. Larger businesses need to keep this type of information on hand for future data mining where â€Å"customer databases are unnecessary for small business. Most small businesses keep track on order-by-order basis† (Types of Information Systems in a Business Organization, 2012). An IS that enables the dealership to maintain correct inventory counts for its customers is a vital part in a profitable business. Maintaining an unobstructed flow of information is crucial to the life of a company. Without this flow of information companies could not maintain profits, and without profits there would be no business. If this data is not controlled a business could find itself in a crisis. If the IS fails in the finance department, the business would not be able to complete a transaction. The same holds true for the inventory control systems. If any of the systems in the cycle were to fail it would put every other system in the cycle in danger. Decision making processes are dependent on the systems working and communicating properly and the information flowing correctly throughout the system. With the collecting of information, organizations have to be aware of the sensitive nature of certain customer information that is inputted. Personal information (PII) has to be protected and stored in a manner that it cannot be accessed by individuals who do not have the authority to view it. Keeping this information secure can be a huge undertaking for any IT department when establishments are faced with situations like car dealerships. There are many individuals who need access to the information in the system at different times. Some information need only be viewable by one department while other departments will need full access to the entire file. This makes creating a secure environment challenging. Securing PII is probably one of the most vital tasks when dealing with data storage. If data is corrupted it is useless to the establishment, and if it is ever misused or stolen it then becomes a potential legal hazard. I am self employed and don’t see the correlation to my work, but I am familiar with Bi-Lo. Customers who sign up for the Bi-Lo Bonus Card fill out the application with their personal information. This includes their name, address, email, and phone numbers. This information is stored in Bi-Lo’s database system. Bi-Lo uses this data to track customer purchases. The store’s system also uses the card data to issue discounts on sale items and email coupons to customer emails. Bi-Lo keeps track of customer orders, types of items ordered, customer spending, and use this information to issue coupons after transactions. Observing the different ways information flows through an enterprise will give incite to how to control and protect it. Every organization has a unique circumstance nd with those circumstances come different ways of controlling the flow of information and its security. No matter which method is chosen, there are a few things that do not change and those things are system reliability and security. If companies do not have a reliable IS, their data becomes useless and if those ISs are not secured from unauthorized access or use, organizations are opening the door to potential lawsuits and stiff fines. Either situations could be costly and end their businesses.

Health and Safety of Disposable Chopsticks | Experiment

Health and Safety of Disposable Chopsticks | Experiment Abstract I heard some stories about disposable chopsticks being dangerous and poisonous. And I wanted to find out myself whether it was true or not. I found out that certain types of disposable chopsticks have greater risks to be acidic and non-disposable chopsticks are much safer. My results were important because I could help raise the awareness of the risk of using disposable chopsticks. This awareness not only saves us from cancer or damage to body, but also helps make the world a greener place to live. Background Research This experiment is about Are disposable chopsticks safe to use? My hypothesis is that some disposable chopsticks may not be processed appropriately to be safe to use. I choose this project because many restaurants use disposable chopsticks and to test whether disposable chopsticks are safe or non-disposable chopsticks are safe. I really want to prove if my hypothesis is correct about various of chopsticks. For the safety of many people in the world who use disposable chopsticks, it might be better to use non-disposable chopsticks or the other way around depending on the results. The normal pH level water is 6.5 to 8.5 and below 6.5 the water is acidic, soft, and corrosive. The pH water level 8.5 and above is hard, but it can cause aesthetic problems. Chopsticks can be made of bamboo, wood, plastic, and stainless steel. Sulfur dioxide and hydrogen peroxide are used to bleach the wooden disposable chopsticks. Many people use disposable chopsticks all over the world for lunch, dinner, and sometimes breakfast. I hope my experiment will help raise the awareness of using the right kind of the chopsticks and improve the safety for many. Non-disposable chopsticks may be safer than disposable chopsticks, but it will depend on research and test data to prove. I dont want to get sick or get illness by using disposable chopsticks. So there is an importance of this experiment. Experiment Details Experiment Question What is the effect of production processes on disposable chopsticks? How does the improperly processed chopsticks affect our safety? What types of chopsticks are better to use? Experiment Hypothesis Are disposable chopsticks safe to use? My hypothesis is that some disposable chopsticks may not be processed appropriately to be safe to use. Ive heard that disposable chopsticks are put into bleach and this was brought to my concern. Experiment Variables Independent Variable The different types of chopsticks, different temperatures of water (hot and cold) and different soaking durations will be changing. Dependent Variable I am measuring the pH level of the water after soaking the chopsticks for certain duration for time. Controlled Variables The chopsticks will stay in the same glasses and the amount of water will stay the same as well. Materials and Procedures Materials Used pH Meter Disposable chopsticks- 4 kinds Stainless steel chopsticks Plastic chopsticks Hot water boiler Tap water Bottle drinking water Glasses Timer Computer Camera Scotch tape Procedures STEP 1: First, characterize the pH level of the tap water and bottle drinking water. Record the readings on paper. STEP2: Next, put hot water into glasses. Then soak four kinds of disposable chopsticks and two kinds of non-disposable chopsticks (stainless steel and plastic) into each designated cups for 30 minutes. STEP 3: Use the pH meter to measure the pH level of each designated water in the glasses. If below pH6.5, it could be acidic, soft and corrosive. STEP 4: Then repeat the above steps with additional designated period of times. STEP 5: Repeat the same procedures by using cold water in the glasses and record the results. STEP 6: In the end, we will compare the results of each design of experiments to find out whether the pH level for disposable chopsticks are different from the non-disposable chopsticks with various soaking times and water temperature. We can then conclude if it is safe to use disposable chopsticks or not. Also this will confirm if my hypothesis was correct. Challenges and Technical Issues The challenges I had during my experiment are as follows. 1. The electrode tip of the pH meter need to be in the water about 3 cm deep. Dipping too deep or too shallow will affect the readings somewhat. However, with some practices and getting familiar with the depth of the tip, it is not difficult to adjust. 2. The pH meter will take some time to stabilize the reading. Need to make sure the reading does not fluctuate for a few seconds. Then take the reading. The tip is to practice several measurements and take readings patiently. Experiment Results A. Baseline Comparison of Different Waters: 1. House tap water is on the hard side, pH level 8.30. 2. The difference of pH level between home tap water and drinking water is 1.21. 3. My experiment is using home tap water. So if using nominal pH level water or lower pH level water, the resulted pH levels would be proportionally lower. Water Type (pH) Home Tap Water 8.30 Bottled Drinking Water 7.09 Difference -1.21 B. Tested with Hot Water: 1. This experiment is more closely simulating the actual usage of the chopsticks (hot meals hot soup). 2. Both stainless steel and plastic chopsticks are very stable when soaked in hot water for an hour. So they are safe to use. 3. Plastic chopsticks are performing the best, with least changes in pH level. 4. All four kinds of the disposable chopsticks had pH levels lower by 1.53 to 2.15. Bamboo type 3 (PB)) of the chopsticks is the worst, pH level lower by 2.15. So these chopsticks could pose safety risks by using them with hot meals/ soup. 5. If the baseline water were not pH 8.30, instead of pH 7.09, then the pH levels of all four kinds of the chopsticks would be lowered to the even more dangerous acidic levels. So disposable chopsticks are relatively unsafe to use. 6. Bamboo 3 (PB) had the worst yellowish discoloration of water. Bamboo 1 (FL) and Bamoo 2 (GL) also had some yellowish discoloration. MATERIAL TYPE BASELINE 30 Min. Changes from 1 Hour Changes from (pH) (pH) Baseline (pH) (pH) Baseline (pH) Stainless Steel 8.30 8.95 0.65 8.89 0.59 Plastic 8.30 8.92 0.62 8.64 0.34 Bamboo 1 (FL) 8.30 6.45 -1.85 6.77 -1.53 Bamboo 2 (GL) 8.30 6.78 -1.52 6.47 -1.83 Wood 8.30 7.35 -0.95 6.77 -1.53 Bamboo 3 (PB) 8.30 6.09 -2.21 6.15 -2.15 C. Tested with Cold Water: Both plastic and stainless steel chopsticks were very stable within one hour, while all other 4 kinds of disposable chopsticks were starting to turn acidic in an hour. When chopsticks were soaked in water longer than 1 hr, they all turned more acidic, with disposable chopsticks worse. Soaking in water longer than 1 day, both 2 days and 4 days, the pH levels for most of the chopsticks were stabilized. Most of the changes happened within the first day. Bamboo 3 (PB) had the worst yellowish discoloration of water. Bamboo 1 (FL) and Bamboo 2 (GL) also had some yellowish discoloration. Data Analysis and Discussion It was predicted and confirmed that the disposable chopsticks would have lower pH levels, which could be acidic, than the plastic and stainless steel chopsticks after soaking in both hot and tap waters. One possible explanation for low pH readings is that some disposable chopsticks used sulfur dioxide and hydro-peroxide to bleach the chopsticks without appropriate cleaning during the production processes. In the hot water experiment, the results were more prominent, after 30 minutes to an hour we saw dramatic pH level changes on the disposable chopsticks. At the same time, both plastic and stainless steel chopsticks, the pH levels were very stable after one hour. The two worst Ph level changes were the third bamboo disposable chopsticks (-2.21 pH level, with the plastic bag wrapping) and the first bamboo disposable chopsticks (-1.85 pH level, with the Fu-Lu characters). The worst pH level reduction occurred at 30 minutes in hot water, not 1 hour. For cold water experiment, the pH level changes were at a slower rate than the hot water experiment as expected. Still the worst pH level changes with cold water are still the third bamboo chopsticks (-0.84 pH at 30 minutes -2.17 pH at 1 day) and the first bamboo disposable chopsticks (-0.71 pH -2.25 pH at 1 day). The pH level changes were stabilized after 1 day. Plastic and stainless steel chopsticks were also more stable on pH readings. The worst kind of the disposable bamboo chopsticks- type 3 (PB) also showed the worst kind of discoloration (yellowish) in both hot and cold water experiment. I further noticed both bamboo type 3 (PB) and bamboo type 1 (FL), the worst two disposable chopsticks have less density in the structure. This could confirm that if they are not cleaned well in the production processes, they could contain most unwanted chemicals (bad stuff) and easier to dissolved into hot (especially) and cold waters. My original question was that Are disposable chopsticks safe to use? My hypothesis was taken in the right direction because after figuring out both the observations of the hot and cold water experiments everything started to fit quite well. This is supporting my hypothesis that disposable chopsticks are not as safe. Moreover, if the baseline water were not pH 8.30 (tap water), instead of pH 7.09 (drinking water, difference of Ph1.21), then the pH levels of all four kinds of the disposable chopsticks after soaking in hot water would be even lower and in the more dangerous acidic levels. I will certainly recommend using either the plastic chopsticks or stainless steel chopsticks for hot meals and hot soups and avoiding using disposable chopsticks. Conclusion From my hot and cold waters experiment with both reusable and disposable chopsticks, I can conclude that its better to use the plastic or stainless steel chopsticks (reusable). The disposable chopsticks are relatively unsafe to use. We should avoid using both Type 3 (PB) and Type 1 (FL) bamboo chopsticks. Also refraining from using the disposable chopsticks will also save the bamboos, trees, forest and earth. Its not only healthy, but also environmental friendly. Recommendations This project was done with limited time and resources. The sample size of chopsticks and time interval may not be big enough, the calibration of the pH meter was not done with the sample of pH 7.01 buffer (lack of test sample sheet) and use home tap water (pH 8.30). I will recommend to future project leader to use bigger samples size of chopsticks, take more readings in shorter time interval, calibrate the pH meter with the right sample buffer and use bottle drinking water (pH 7.09, in the middle of the safe drinking water pH range) to perform the experiment. Work Cited PH Levels.Freedrinkingwater.com. 29 Sept. 2010 . Scary Disposable chopsticks. eats-time.blogspot.com. 29 Sept. 2010 . Experiment Notes: In a packet.

A Report On Cadbury Management Essay

A Report On Cadbury Management Essay The successful development of new product is the way in which companies can achieve competitive advantage. In NPD process there is a great. More than 40% of all new product introductions fail at launch. For effective NPD has to innovative corporate culture so that everyone in organization is confident to be innovative in their work. Cadbury takes innovation very seriously and it is a major part of Cadbury strategy for success. There are many ideas and some of them generated by chance. But, only few of the products make it through to the end of process. Further a product goes through this process, the more expensive it becomes. As products progress, the company is making an increasing commitment in terms of resources. Once a product is developed, the launch marketing costs are significant so a company must carry out extensive market research ensure a product has the best chance of appealing to the market. The following research reports suggest that Cadburys should launch a breakfast Bread aimed at the children and adult indulgence sectors of the market. Cadbury are used two types of research method. This known as Secondary Research and Primary Research Methods for customer research. 1. Secondary Research Method Secondary research is a method of research carried out by another company or organization. Secondary research is research done by a third party company. The information gained is then analyses and made available for companies such as Cadburys. The company may have to purchase this data from the third party source. More often than not though the government publishes papers with all the data and these are free for companies to view. Secondary research is often used because it saves time. It saves time because you do not have to go out and collect the data and then analyses it. It also saves money; fewer people are required to carry out the research. Cadbury using secondary data because it will save time and can prove to be better than collecting the data first hand. Cadbury intend to use the Out sources of data because they contain relevant information that require on the breakfast Bread market. Market Research Source 1 In the market overview of breakfast Bread. The report clearly shows that the market has grown. The most growth in the market in between 2001-2003 where the market grew by 6.0%. The 6.0% growth was well above the compound annual growth rate in between 2004-2006. The compound annual growth rate this period was 3.7%. This research is significant to Cadburys because it shows the breakfast Bread market has been growing for the past 5 years. The figures also give reason to believe that the market will keep growing for years to come but at a slower rate. The research report supports the argument that Cadburys should launch a new breakfast Bread. The figures show an increase in growth. Market Research Source 2 In Second market research executive summary of the breakfast Bread market, the market is referred to as being a well established grocery sector. This means it is going to have to be something big to stop growth and induce a steep decline in the breakfast Bread market. The research also shows that breakfast Bread sales account for an estimated 63% this is almost two thirds of the sector. The research says that the breakfast Bread market has become static it gives reasons for this. The main reason being because of intensive price cutting initiatives. The breakfast Bread manufactures have also diversified into other areas of the market, mainly aiming new products at people who skip breakfast or eat their breakfast at their desk in the office. This report shows that In this sector Cadburys want to launch their breakfast Bread, the main growth has come from niche products. The main breakfast Bread growth has come from organic Bread and adult indulgence products. The report states that breakfast Bread have shown a volume growth but have shown a decline in value growth. This means people are buying more Bread but due to lower prices the value has declined. This report estimates there will be a decline in volume growth over the next few years as well. This report however does show that there is still a lot of life left in the breakfast Bread market in some sectors with the childrens varieties and adult indulgence favoring very well. The UK retail sales of these two areas of the market show a growth over the past few years and it is estimated by this report. This growth will continue. This Report shows that Bread Partner lead the way in two areas of market, the share of the manufacturers market and share of the retail market. This means that Bread Partner is the top dog in the breakfast Bread market. Bread Partner has however seen a decline in their share of the market over the last two years. The Bread Partner range leads the way in the breakfast Bread market with the main Bread Partner label Brad taking 9.0% of the market. This is not the best selling breakfast Bread though. The best selling breakfast Bread is the Bread Partners Shredded Wheat range. The range takes in 11.1% of the total retail sales. The report supports the argument of Cadburys launching a breakfast Bread as long as it is aimed at the correct segment of the market. That of course is being the childrens varieties and adult indulgent. Due to the competition in this area of the market Cadburys may not enter the market. 2. Primary Research Method Primary research is data retrieve by doing some fieldwork. Primary research can often prove more relevant than secondary research because the primary research can be co-ordinate to the facts and data you want to retrieve. Cadbury using primary research to get data because often secondary sources are used by other companies as well, for Cadburys this could mean that Nestle and Mars are using the same research. These are not good because they could find a niche market before Cadbury has and take the custom. Primary research means all the data that is collected is kept confidential within Cadburys and the competitors do not know what has been collected. Primary research is often better because the questions and data collected can be different from that of the competitors and therefore can prove to be more rewarding in finding a gap in the market and to launch a new product. The main findings from this primary research are as follows: Cadburys need to work on the promotional aspects of his products. There are not enough competitions for the consumers. Cadburys also need to be more competitive with the pricing of their products. Overall though the taste of the products, Packaging on the products and the current advertising is very good. Cadburys should really aim to provide a Bread, which tastes as good as the current range of products, but also be healthy and have good nutritional content. The price to begin with should be very low and competitive to attract new customers and then as the product becomes much better established the product price should increase. In this part produce a SWOT and PEST analysis to analyse the factors that may prevent Cadburys launching a product into the breakfast Bread market. A SWOT analysis is a general and quick examination of a company so they can get accurate information on their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It analyses the internal strengths and weaknesses, and the external opportunities and threats Cadburys has a world known brand name that is associated with quality. Cadburys also have a large distribution and its bars can be found all over the world. Cadburys has a very good customer service centre and has a large variety of chocolate bars to suit everyones taste. Cadburys is the biggest name in the chocolate market and is the market leader. Cadburys has very effective promotions on their products. Cadburys has a very good research and development department leading to new products. Cadburys has built its name around a high quality almost faultless product quality. Cadburys has its products priced higher than most of its other competitors. A large range of the Cadburys products has reached the maturity stage of its life cycle. The costs of the company are too high. Cadburys are making a low profit per bar due to the high costs. Cadburys has still got a lot large room for expansion into South Africa, Asia and South American regions. Cadburys could look to develop new products in new markets. Due to the growing product range Cadburys could launch new products. Cadburys could diversify into new markets e.g. Breakfast Bread Market. Cadburys have got a lot of competitors in the market and must be wary of their position as market leader. The pricing on their products is too high Cadburys could lose sales if a competitor was to launch a new product to rival Cadburys best sellers. Legislation on ingredients could cause huge problems. Healthier options could cause problems to Cadburys with trends tending to favour the new healthier options. New products from competitors could cause problems to Cadburys as they could begin to lose their market share. A PEST analysis shows the external factors outside a company that could affect the business. PEST stands for Political, Economical, Social and Technological. This part of the PEST analysis deals with the government influences. These are the laws and the recent changes in the laws: The main laws that will affect Cadburys are the consumer protection law. These influence changes in food labelling. The food labelling shouldnt be too influential as expect Cadburys to label all their goods properly to begin with. Changes in manufacturing laws will also greatly influence Cadburys as they may have to change the way they produce their Bread. This could lead to the introduction of new mechanical equipment being required or more thorough checks on the current equipment. If new equipment is required it could prove to be very expensive. The Weights and Measures Act: This act should not affect Cadburys a great deal as all the equipment and scales used should already be at that of the highest standard. The Trade Description Act- This again should not affect Cadburys, as all the labelling on the products should be correct and thorough giving all the ingredients.The Sale of Goods Act:- These state that Cadburys should not mislead the consumer. There are currently 3 conditions. If the government was to introduce a few more it could prove to affect Cadburys. On the whole though the main act Cadburys should be aware of is the Weights and Measures Act, and the Food Safety Act. I have mentioned these two as being the most important because Cadburys are a straight forward, honest company. They dont want to jeopardise their reputation by doing some dodgy business. Thats why changes in the weights and measures act and food safety act are all they should be aware of. They should check their equipment regularly and check the food safety regulations. This part of the PEST analysis deals with a range of external factors in the economy. The state of the economy is the main factor. If the country were to go into recession the consumer spending would also drop due to the unemployment. The recession would bring down the sales of a lot of goods mainly the expensive things, which are not a necessity. (E.g. the food manufacture industry would have a major decline in sales, as would the tourism industry and the clothes industry.) The current economy is well in favour of Cadburys launching a breakfast Bread. The interest rates are low and consumer spending is very high. Other economic factors that could affect Cadburys launching a product would be a rise in inflation. This is a rise in price over time. There is a variety of different social influences, which could affect the consumer, and in turn Cadburys. A good example of this is the change in eating habits. The primary and secondary research both show that consumers are moving towards healthier eating habits. The research shows people want a healthy breakfast Bread. The increase in computers and the Internet could influence sales. The number of transactions taking place over the Internet is high and people can now buy their shopping over the Internet. The use of automation in factories could influence Cadburys as they could produce more Bread with a smaller work force. The main factors, which could stop Cadburys launching a breakfast Bread, are the strength of its competitors. As per primary research and some secondary research show that the top 3 in the breakfast Bread market are Kelloggs, Weetabix and Bread Partner. Cadbury spending money on research and development for remove some potential problems later in to the process of creating a new product. Cadbury make sure about ingredients and machinery that available and product reach to customer in good condition. Legal Compliance advise on the product is safe and legal. The product name is unique and international use. The product lives up to the claims being made about it. Involving this department Cadbury safe his self and away from trouble. Cadbury fell more confident about launching product. Cadburys used all latest technology. Development teams up to date with all the latest developments in technology. So it can make it possible to create innovative products or packaging. New materials and finishes present new design opportunities and possibilities. Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools are used to produce designs. It can be used to create an image of how a product might look on the shop shelf to see how well it will stand out. Before the introduction of computer control, manufacture involved a series of operations individually supervised at separate control points. Now, many processes on the production line can be undertaken by machinery, supervised by one person from a control room full of computer screens. The use of computers to perform fast, accurate, repeatable production processes reduces the possibility of human error and helps make sure that the product is always exactly the same. The training production department have expense on sources and buy ingredients row material. They sets up and monitors the machines and perform quality control test Like Product weight, Temperature and sampling the final product. Sales team works for contacting potential suppliers to encourage them to stock the product. They negotiate contracts and sales agreements and maintain relatationships with distributors. Cadbury uses choose Cadbury to highlight the positive emotional value of their brand however Cadbury has various product range that meets the needs of every consumer from adult down to the children, they also produce different range of products during different seasons/ festive period, for example: Christmas, Easter, and other calendar landmark to motivate their customers. The choose Cadbury strategy is used to build a link between chocolate and different events to ensure theres a Cadbury chocolate product suitable and available for every occasion. This is the distribution channel used to get goods to customers. It must be in place before a product is launched. Cadburys already had an wide network of wholesaler and retailers. These provided a distribution system for breakfast Bread. The breakfast Bread should be marketed strongly in supermarkets and convenience stores as these are the places where Bread tend to be bought. With all elements in place breakfast Bread was launched in March 2010. New product development is both a lengthy and expensive process. It always contains an element of risk. However if carried out correctly product development leads to increased sales and profits. For Cadbury the process has resulted in a unique new product being successfully developed and integrated into the product portfolio. Snowflake has made a successful launch in the marketplace and will undoubtedly contribute to Cadburys future success. Cadbury continuing to develop the chocolate bar in order to increase the marker share of the confectionary market sector. Cadburys is a well known quality product and has used this as its unique selling point. However, competitors are now also being associated with quality and brand names. For instance, Mars has developed Galaxy a milk chocolate bar similar to Dairy Milk which is also a milk chocolate bar, this product is also associated with quality and developed a brand name for itself. Cadbury Schweppes reorganizing its business by separating in to two brands to make its self more efficient and add more value to the company. Cadbury could be worth around  £7bn and Schweppes could be valued at  £9bn so by doing that Cadbury can get better results in sweet business and Schweppes can be more profitable in beverage business. As a result of breaker in to two company shareholders will have two different shares, if everything goes well shareholders rise their profit much more than past Cadbury Schweppes one of the most important long term strategy is expanding its market share and make its brand more global, because of that Cadbury Schweppes bought Turkish gum giant which has nearly 50 per cent Turkish gum market. Also it aim to control and reach Middle East, Eastern Europe and Russia markets. In addition, Cadbury wants to get valuable cutting-cost techniques from Turkish company by adopting its business. Cadbury is very successful at this as it just about always satisfies their customers needs. Like for the Flake it mostly appeals to women so on occasions such as Christmas, Easter and Valentines Day the Flake is far more popular in all of the confectionery shops. This shows that Cadbury is successfully selling their products at the right time, of which this also the time periods of their peak sales. Cadbury are also very well known for their very competitive prices which are reasonable and in some cases far cheaper and healthier than other leading brands such as Nestle and Mars For instance, consumers now demand foods that are low in fat or calories and salt. The role of managerial judgement in making due allowance for intangibles is clearly important, and could materially be affected if the Cadbury recommendations were followed. The majority of firms felt that existing methods of appraising AMT investments did allow a fair comparison with conventional alternatives, 87 per cent taking this view with only one in eight finding their methods at fault. While respondents might not be expected to condemn practice in their own companies, the size of the affirmative response may reflect the view that sufficient informal flexibility is used. If so, judgement may simply override financial appraisals rather than being incorporated in a more sophisticated manner.(1993, Pike, p.141) The survey confirmed trends in the use of appraisal methods and showed the distinct perceptions of influencing factors held by firms. A slow pace of adjustment was revealed within companies and the financial environment to capital investment decision making and the financi al requirements on such investments.(1991, Primrose, p.45) The effects of interest rate changes on investment decision making are muted and, with exceptions, more indirect than direct. This at best damped adjustment is not necessarily illogical for individual firms, but the effects are more widespread. With manufacturing investment at lower than desirable levels, economic recovery is jeopardized by capacity constraints and macroeconomic responses to consequent inflationary and balance of trade pressures.

Biography of Frederick Douglass Essay examples -- Informative Essay, B

Frederick Douglass was a combative African American slave born the year of 1818 in Tuckahoe, Maryland who fought his slave breaker during an unfair dispute and beat him. He demonstrated how a man was turned into a slave since birth then how a slave was turned into a man. As a rebellious runaway slave that later became known as the greatest abolitionists in history believed in his liberty more than his own life. Not only was he one of the most scholarly and effective orators but he also became revolutionary. As one of the best-known black leaders in the nineteenth-century he was asked to deliver a speech, â€Å"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July† to celebrate America’s independence from Britain. As an American slave he delivered this speech with an emotional content against America. His speech was seen as hypocrisy by not keeping up with the Declaration of Independence. However, as a former slave he was deprived from liberty for many years, which, makes America hypo critical by asking him to speak about liberty to the United States. Douglass rhetorically tells America, â€Å"Who so stolid and selfish that would not give his voice to swell the hallelujahs of a nation’s jubilee, when the chains of servitude had been torn from his limbs? I am not that man† (Douglass, 255) to make them see his point of view as a former slave talking about liberty. On July 5, 1852 Frederick Douglass was orating to America where he proclaimed â€Å"July fourth to be the bitterest reminder of America’s failed promise† (Douglass, 247). During this time the 1850 compromise was passed through congress where the Mason and Dixon line was established because of the controversy between the North and South. Some important parts were the 3/5th compromise in which a ... ...y,† demonstrates that they do not follow what they worship to the fullest. He is using the religious aspect of African Diaspora to demonstrate his point that liberty should be extended to all citizens including African American. Another part of African Diaspora is the study of back to Africa, which was mentioned by Martin Robinson Delany. Delany and Douglass had two opposing view of Africans living in the U.S. Frederick Douglass believed in mainstream ideas and that America can one day end slavery and welcome them as citizens. On the other hand, Delany believed that was not possible because they needed a county of their own. Both views were part of African Diaspora as well as religion which all unite to make one movement for people of African Descent dispersed all over the world. Works Cited "what to the slave, is the fourth of July" (1852), pp. 246-268

Penn State Crew :: Rowing Regattas Sports Athletics Essays

Penn State Crew Penn State Crew is a completely student run organization dedicated towards preparing its members towards rowing competitions, called regattas. Since its inception in 1994, the team has seen periods of immense growth. No longer is the day when Penn State Crew is struggling to compete for dead last. Instead, we are bringing home the hardware as evidenced by our very successful fall and winter seasons (for complete results, please visit the team's homepage.) The team just recently purchased two eight-man Vespoli shells and a new boathouse is currently in the design phase and is planned on being constructed at the team's home lake, Bald Eagle Lake, located about thirty plus minutes from the University Park campus. Penn State Crew is very fortunate because it is one of a few club sports here at Penn State that has actual, paid, highly qualified coaches who bring an immense rowing knowledge base to the team. We are looking forward to this Spring 2003 season as one filled with much pr omise, lofty expectations and phenomenal competition with some of the nation's premier rowing squads. Please follow our progress all season at the team's homepage, http://www.clubs.psu.edu/psucrew/. The Reason We Do This... A fierce shriek pierces the serene darkness of night. Snoring is still heard from the football players who live next door as a figure stirs in the lofted bed. Groggily, without glasses or contacts, a calloused hand reaches out towards the annoying sound that all non-morning people have come to hate. Suddenly complete, utter silence is restored as the alarm is shut off. A yawn and swing of the legs soon lands bare feet on the cold floor of a dorm room in Hartranft Hall at Penn State. Eyes are rubbed and open and shut five or six times rather rapidly as they try and focus on the iridescent green digits that stare back. â€Å"4:37† reads the alarm clock and radio contraption designed with an alarm loud enough to wake Satan from deep slumber in the bowels of hell. Without any warning, a whirlwind of action commences and within fifteen minutes, the rower emerges from the shadows and is on his way to another Penn State Crew practice. Craziness. Sheer craziness is how the athletes on the crew team are most commonly described by anyone at all who resides on this campus.

Alias Olympia

Olympia is the painting made by artist Edouard Manet, which is a nude painting which portrayed a style much like early studio photographs, but it was based more on the Venus of Urbino by Titan. Despite the fact that Olympia was painted by Manet alone, his model, Victorine Meurent also played a great part in the creation of this painting. Through the collaboration of both the artist and the subject, Edouard Manet’s and Victorine Meurent’s Olympia became one of the first modern works of art during the time of the Renaissance.Edouard Manet’s contribution to the painting was that he was the one who created it, giving life to a two-dimensional image making it into something more. He conceptualized what the painting would look like, when he was challenged to give the Salon a nude painting to display during that time. His painting became very controversial, as it showed a nude model is wearing several small items of clothing. Because of this, her nude body is given more emphasis, as it was decorated with an orchid in her hair, a bracelet, a small ribbon worn around her neck, and a pair of mule slippers.Because of this, Manet’s Olympia was attracted greater attention as her nakedness was more accentuated, as well as the comfortable courtesan lifestyle and sexuality which is being depicted by the painting. The elements of the painting were Manet’s contribution to the piece as well. The orchid flower, the unruly hair, the black cat and the flower bouquet all recognized female sexuality during that time. Another element which Manet gave emphasis on was her body, as she symbolized the modern Venus.She was thin as compared to the prevailing standards, and it was regarded as lacking of idealism, which has successful enough to catch the attention of viewers, despite being placed high on the wall of Salon. Another element was the contrast being set by the black female servant in the background. The servant was fully dressed, as compared to he r master who was fully undressed. This shows the irony of the understanding before, where black women were regarded more sexually active, something which is not evident in this scene. On the other hand, the model of Olympia, Victorine Meurent, is also an author of this work of art.This is because Meurent effectively played the part of a modern day Venus in the painting, attracting and arousing the interest not only of critics but also of other artists to follow this line of work. Manet’s work was considered a modern work of art because of Victorine Meurent’s effective portrayal. She was viewed as a radical subject of the painting, wherein she showed a different flatness, tonalism, foreshortened shadows, and a peculiar perspective in her which characterized Olympia as modern work of art during that time (Levine).It is said that Victorine Meurent’s portrayal of Venus has produced a woman which is not voluptuous in a traditional sense, and that she is not being ser ved up to the viewers – instead she was aloof, self contained and mostly disdainful. Any visitor, or in this case anyone who views the piece would be dared by Meurent’s portrayal, as if staring him down. Victorine Meurent’s portrayal of Venus in Olympia is said to give the lie to every Venus. This has undermined tradition, as well as stared out at history, and this is all because of a self-contained model in the person of Victorine Meurent posed as a classical nude.This has raised the outrage of the spectators, giving the painting, the model and the artist enough publicity to live by. After all the criticisms that Meurent received because of her portrayal of the Olympia, critics recognized that she was indeed a real woman of the nineteenth century. There is however, an issue of ambiguity of the life of Victorine Meurent as only a little is known about her. In Olympia, she stared down every man who looked at her, with her gaze fixed, and her facial expressions un moving, she was indeed a symbol of power for the woman of the nineteenth century.Meurent did not posses much record that would tell anything about her. Because of this, the masses were left to interpret things for themselves, including how Victorine Meurent lived her life. Edouard Manet’s Olympia was found to be a modern work of art during that time, and this is partially because of the depiction of Venus in the form of Victorine Meurent. According to Eunice Lipton, Olympia is truly a modern work of art because it depicts a prostitute in 1865, and that the artist has dealt with modernity in one of the most emotional and familiar way, though it was also filled with difficulty.One manifestation of this modernity is that the piece has its own materiality, and this is seen in how the prostitute stared, which is full of professional and standardized attentiveness. Olympia both has a naked body and a naked stare, as well as a reserved self which can be accounted to none other than the model, Victorine Meurent. Another perspective given by Charles Boudelaire regarding Olympia’s modernity is that it depicts heroism of modern life, as his bold manner of presenting Olympia has inspired future impressionists.Olympia is a modern work of art as it was able to depict life as it is now, and not as something ideal or something imagined. He urged other artists to follow the footsteps of Edouard Manet and try to develop contemporary situations where the nude can be depicted. Another critic, Clement Greenberg referred to Manet’s style in Olympia as his â€Å"inconsistency,† not in a negative way but in a modernist way. This is what made him stand out from other artists who came before him, and this significantly affected his status as a one-of-a-kind modern artist. Another proof of modernism in this work was that it is radical in its acute realism.This peculiar image of a woman confronts the common ways which women are being depicted. Manet was suppos ed to be portraying Venus, but what he showed in his piece of work was someone very different from Venus. This person portrayed is able to say words with just her stare, arousing the interest of many. Looking at the present situation, we can compare Victorine Meurent to a famous Hollywood star, Paris Hilton. These two posses’ great similarities in their position in the society as empowered women. One of the similarities that these two have is the popularity among the opposite sex.Victorine Meurent started posing for painters at a young age of 16, and has continued to do so for several years that followed. Some of the works which featured her showed her nude body. Because of this, she became an object of desire for men, and the society regarded her as a prominent nude figure, despite having posed in other decent works of art made. On the other hand, Paris Hilton’s popularity came to rise when various sex videos about her have spread through the internet. As a daughter o f a very prominent businessman, she easily made it to the news, and the press was all over her.They regarded Paris Hilton as an object of sexual desire and for quite a long time, this impression on her was not changed. Another similarity between the two is that both of them were able to capitalize from the negative impression that people had towards them. Victorine Meurent posed for other works which showed her nude body. After some time, she was accepted by the society and regarded her as the image of a modern woman. She gained a lot of followings in both the principle or in practice. Despite being negatively judged by others before, she was finally able to realize her importance and her potentials.On the other hand, Paris Hilton was able to capitalize from this popularity which she made as a stepping stone in her road to stardom. Nobody cared about the sex scandals and videos spreading all over the internet nowadays because many other stars have released their own, as it further i ncreases their own popularity. These videos and scandals became a means of advertising one’s self, and this has been started by none other than Paris Hilton. Analyzing their characters, we can also say that there is a difference in how they respond to various questions.Victorine Meurent lived a quiet life maybe while Paris Hilton lived a very colorful and controversial life. Paris Hilton chose to stay under the limelight while Victorine Meurent after some years, decided not to show up anymore. Victorine Meurent’s life during that time was not hard, as compared to other people. She grew up in a family of artisans, exposing her to the world of art back in her early years. Meurent started posing when she was just 16 years old and continued to do so until the early 1870s. Meurent grew up in a privileged family, so there is really not much problem encountered while she was growing.Victorine was a very talented person, as she’s able to play instruments like the guitar and violin. This could be a manifestation of her inclination towards the world of art. Her love for art was further extended when she also studied academic type of painting. Her modeling for various artists was indeed a great contribution in her part for the world of art, as she was successful to depict the modern woman during that time. During the time of the Renaissance, there were a lot of artists emerged, and the only way to stay and be recognized by many is for the work of art to leave a lasting impression in the minds of the people.Because of the collaboration between an artist and the subject, Both Meurent and Manet were able to forged a lasting impression in the minds of the audience, even though they are not able pull though because of various reasons. Works Cited: Levine, Steven Z. â€Å"Alias Olympia: A Woman's Search for Manet's Notorious Model and Her Own Desire – Book Reviews†. 1993. Art Journal. April 8 2008. .

Nutritious Food Essay

For good health, we need a balanced diet that gives us diametric solid food for thoughts in the amount our trunk needs. We moldiness eat a strain of nutrition be try different forages have different combinations of nutrients. Therefore, nutrient food is needed in our food pyramid. Nutritious food is defined as food ingestion with the purpose of obtaining of them the nutrients that the body needs to preserve the health. Examples of nutrient foods ar vegetables and fruits. They are rich in vitamins. feeding nutritious food is important from the daytime we are born. Foods all contain nutrients that deliver us non only with null, only if also with the substances that build our bones and muscles. non getting overflowing of one nutrient may cause a variety of problems, including stunning our growth. Next, maintaining function is also non important without consume nutritious food. In our daily lives, we use energy to think, walk, go on and perform any other action. The e nergy comes from two places fat reserves in the body or our daily food intake. If we dont eat nutritious food, we will find that we are storing more unnecessary fat and we will wing sluggish or weak.We will not stay healthy if we do not eat nutritious food. Diets that dont include enough vitamins and minerals can cause people to have severe supposition swings. People may become untiring and easily excitable when they have to a fault frequently caffeine and sugar, and crash later(prenominal) after their body quickly metabolises the unreserved carbohydrates. Furthermore, diets that are too dependent on preservative-laden food, sweets or fast food commonly dont include enough fiber. This can lead to constipation and stand out pain. Unbalanced diets that include too much acidic food can outgrowth in ulcers, which cause severe hold up pain. In conclusion, nutritious food is important to us. We must practise healthy eating habits, for instance, eating nutritious food in the ri ght amount to ensure a healthy body.