Financing Polynomials Essay

The assignment that I will be discussing is financial polynomials. The use of financial polynomials is used in the real world all the time. Financial polynomials are really important because it is an easy way for you to figure out how much you need to be able to plan a trip, retirement, or a college fund. Using the formula p (1+r/2) ^ (2) we could compound the interest semiannually. In this assignment I’m going to solve and demonstrate my knowledge of each problem, how and why it is applicable to my everyday life, state if there is another way division could be carried and worked out and incorporate each of the five vocabulary words into my discussion. Before I start my problem using the formula p (1+r/2) ^ (2) I’m going to have to rewrite the formula without the parenthesis. P (1+r/2) ^ (2) Formula (1+ r/2) (1+r/2) Since it is squared you have to write it 2 times 1+r/2+r/2+r^ (2) /4 Using the foil process (1+2r/2 +r2/4)Combining like terms P (1+2r/2+r2/4) Bring the p down it is still in parenthesis P +2/2 pr + r2p/4 Next I’m going to multiply p by each term P+2/2Pr +r2P/4 is rewritten without parenthesis is not in descending order P=200 and r=10%/100 =. 1 200+2(. 1) (200)/2 + (. 1) ^ (2) (200)/4 I plugged in 200 for P and . 1 for r. I solved the equation and got = $220. 50 Dividend Next I’m going to do the same thing for P=5670 and r=3. 5% 5670+2 (. 035) (5670)/2 + (. 035) ^ (2) (5670)/4 I plugged in 5670 for P and . 035 for r and I solved the equation. = $5870. 18 Dividend Using this formula could be very important in my everyday life If I wanted to put money to the side to plan a trip or a college fund. I would know exactly how much money I would need to put to the side to do so. (-9x^3 +3x^2-15x) / (-3x) Next I’m going to divide -3x by each term -9x^3/-3x 3x^2/-3x -15x/-3x -3 is the Divisor -9x^3/-3x =3x^2 3x^2/-3x = cancels out and becomes a –1 or –x -15x/-3x=5x 3x^2-x+5x I do not know of another way that division could be approached and worked out. In conclusion, I stated why financial polynomials are very important in my everyday life. I demonstrated my knowledge and solved each problem. I stated that I did not know of another way that division could be approached and worked out. I incorporated each of the five vocabulary words into the discussion.

A sense of self-direction Essay

There may be personal information that you want considered as part of your admissions application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Discipline is one of the issues being faced by most teenagers anywhere in the world. A lot of these people find it hard to inculcate in themselves the self-control and self-responsibility they ought to have. A sense of self-direction is one of the many ways that teenagers can employ to have that bite of discipline in their systems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am a seventeen year old and a non-religious middle class man. Unlike many other men of my age, I am proud to say that I am well-disciplined. And I owe much of this to sports. Sports actually helped me and still continue to help me become a disciplined man, especially when I stepped into high school. A lot of my wonderful memories and lessons in life are attributable to my experiences as a person inclined in many sports. For four years now, I am part of the tennis varsity team of my school, of which I was given the honor to rank third in state in my small league. That was one of the best days I ever had in my sports life. Days of training and practice were all paid off after receiving such recognition. This award does not stop me from training and practicing more as days pass by. Instead, this achievement inspires me to do a lot better than I did so I can be the best tennis player I can be. It inspires me to do more so that I can be able to become more of a tennis player†¦more of a person. With my inclination in sports, I learn to be focused on things that really matter. I do not waste my time to non-productive activities, thus I become productive as a person. With sports, I learn how to be a team player, which would really help me a lot by the time I have my own career in whatever field I choose. I know and I believe that learning how to be in a team, may it be as a leader or just an ordinary member, will surely get things done with ease and victory. Tennis games and practices are training grounds for me not just to become the best tennis player but more to become the best person that I can be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aside from tennis, I also am interested to other sports like basketball and soccer. I play for these sports during my sophomore and junior years. I enjoyed every single day I spent for practices. I find a different sense of fulfillment whenever I play sports. It makes me happy to be with my teammates and play not just the games on court but also the game of life. Sports have become special parts of me because through them, I feel and believe that I became a much better person than I ever was before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Surely sports leave a big impact to my life. I would not have learned become a disciplined, mature, responsible, and productive person if not for it. I would never have developed my interpersonal and social skills if I was not part of a team. I would never have been the person I am now if I become attached to other activities aside from sports.

Control cycles-a general model Essay

A general model of organizational control includes four components that can operate in a continuous cycle and can be represented as a wheel. These elements are: 1. Setting a goal. Project goal setting goes beyond overall scope development to include setting the project baseline plan. The project baseline is predicated on an accurate. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) process. Remember that WBS establishes all the deliverables and work packages associated with the project, assigns the personnel responsible for them, and creates a visual chart of the project from highest level down through the basic task and subtask levels. The project baseline is created as each task is laid out on a network diagram and resources and time durations are assigned to it. 2. Measuring progress. Effective control systems require accurate project measurement mechanisms. Project managers must have a system in place that will allow them to measure the ongoing status of various project activities in real time. We need a measurement system that can provide information as quickly as possible. What to measure also needs to be clearly defined. Any number of devices allow us to measure one aspect of the project or another; however, the larger question is whether or not we are getting the type of information we can really use. 3. Comparing actual with planned performance. When we have some sense of the original baseline (plan) and a method for accurately measuring progress, the next step is to compare the two pieces of information. A gap analysis can be used as a basis for testing the project’s status. Gap analysis refers to any measurement process that first determines the goals and then the degree to which the actual performance lives up to those goals. The smaller the gaps between planned and actual performance, the better the outcome. In cases whe re we see obvious differences between what was planned an what was realized, we have a clear-cut warning signal. 4. Taking action. Once we detect significant deviations from the project plan, it becomes necessary to engage in some form of corrective action to minimize or remove the deviation. The process of taking corrective action is generally straightforward. Corrective action can either be relatively minor or may involve significant remedial steps. At its most extreme, corrective action may even involve scuttling a nonperforming project. After corrective action, the monitoring and control cycle begins again. The control cycle is continuous. As we create a plan, we begin measurement efforts to chart progress and compare stages against the baseline plan. Any indications of significant deviations from the plan should immediately trigger an appropriate response, leading to a reconfiguration of the plan, reassessment of progress, and so on. Project monitoring is continuous, full-time cycle of target setting, measuring, correcting, improving, and remeasuring. MONITORING PROJECT PERFORMANCE As we discovered in the chapters on project budgeting and resource management, once we have established a project baseline budget, one of the most important methods for indicating the ongoing status of the project is to evaluate it against the original budget projections. For project monitoring and control, both individual task budgets and the cumulative project budget are relevant. The cumulative budget can be broken down by time over the project’s projected duration. The Project S-Curve: A Basic Tool As a basis for evaluating project control techniques, let us consider a simple example. Assume a project (Project Sierra) with four work packages (Design, Engineering, Installation, and Testing), a budget to complete of $80,000, and an anticipated duration of 45 weeks. To determine project performance and status, a straightforward time/cost analysis is often our first choice. Here the project’s status is evaluated as a function of the accumulated costs and labor hours or quantities plotted against time for both budgeted and actual amounts. We can see that time (shown on the x, or horizontal, axis) is compared with money expended (shown on the y, or vertical, axis). The classic project S-curve represents the typical form of such a relationship. Budget expenditures are initially low and ramp up rapidly during the major project execution stage, before starting to level off again as the project gets nearer to its completion. Cumulative budget projections for Project Sierra have been plotted against the project’s schedule. The S-curve figure represents the project budget baseline against which budget expenditures are evaluated. Monitoring the status of a project using S-curves becomes a simple tracking problem. At the conclusion of each given time period (week, month, or quarter), we simply total the cumulative project budget expenditures to date and compare them with the anticipated spending patterns. Any significant deviations between actual and planned budget spent reveal a potential problem area. Simplicity is the key benefit of S-curve analysis. Because the projected project baseline is established in advance, the only additional data shown are the actual project budget expenditures. The S-curve also provides real-time tracking information in that budget expenditures can be constantly updated and the new values plotted on the graph. Project information can be visualized immediately and updated continuously, so S-curves offer an easy-to-read evaluation of the project’s status in a timely manner. (The information is not necessarily easily interpreted, however, as we shall see later.) Our Project Sierra example can also be used to illustrate how S-curve analysis is employed. Suppose that by week 21 in the project, the original budget projected expenditures of $50,000. However, our actual project expenditures totaled only $40,000. In effect, there is a $10,000 budget shortfall, or negative variance between the cumulative budgeted cost of the project and its cumulative actual cost. In the table it shows the track of budgeted expenditures with actual project costs, including identifying the negative variance shown at week 21. In this illustration, we see the value of S-curve analysis as a good visual method for linking project costs (both budgeted and actual) over the project’s schedule. S-CURVE DRAWBACKS When project teams consider using S-curves, they need to take the curve’s significant drawbacks into consideration as well as their strengths. S-curves can identify positive and negative variance (budget expenditures above or below projections), but they do not allow us to make reasonable interpretations as to the cause of variance. Consider the S-curve shown. The actual budget expenditures have been plotted to suggest that the project team has not spent the total planned budget money to date (there is negative   variance). However, the question is how to interpret this finding. The link between accumulated project costs and time is not always easily resolved. Is the project team behind schedule (given that they have not spent sufficient budget to date) or might there be alternative reasons for the negative variance? Assume that your organization tracks project costs employing an S-curve approach and uses that information to assess the status of an ongoing project. Also assume that the project is to be completed in 12 months and has a budget of $150,000. At the six-month checkup, you discover that the project S-curve shows significant shortfall; you have spent far less on the project to date than was originally budgeted. Is this good or bad news? On the surface, we might suppose that this is a sign of poor performance; we are lagging far behind in bringing the project along and the smaller the amount we have spent to date is evidence that our project is behind schedule. On the other hand, there are any number of reasons why this circumstance actually might be positive. For example, suppose that in running the project, you found a cost-effective method for doing some component of the work or came across a new technology that significantly cut down on expenses. In that case, the time/cost metric may not only be misused, but might lead to dramatically inaccurate conclusions. Likewise, positive variance is not always a sign of project progress. In fact, a team may have a serious problem with overexpenditures that could be interpreted as strong progress on the project when in reality it signals nothing more than their inefficient use of project capital resources. The bottom line is this: Simply evaluating a project’s status according to its performance on time versus budget expenditures may easily lead us into making inaccurate assumptions about project performance. Milestone Analysis Another method for monitoring project progress is milestone analysis. A milestone is an event or stage of the project that represents a significant accomplishment on the road to the project’s completion. Completion of a deliverable (a combination of multiple project tasks), an important activity on the project’s critical path, or even a calendar date can all be milestones. In effect, milestones are road markers that we observe on our travels along the project’s life cycle. There are several benefits to using milestones as a form of project control. 1. Milestones signal the completion of important project steps. A project’s milestones are an important indicator of the current status of the project under development. They give the project team a common language to use in discussing the ongoing status of the project. 2. Milestones can motivate the project team. In large projects lasting several years, motivation can flag as team members begin to have difficul ty seeing how the project is proceeding overall, what their specific contribution has been and continues to be, and how much longer the project is likely to take. Focusing attention on milestones helps team members become more aware of the project’s successes as well as its status, and they can begin to develop greater task identity regarding their work on the project. 3. Milestones offer points at which to reevaluate client needs and any potential change requests. A common problem with many types of projects is the nature of repetitive and constant change requests from clients. Using project review milestones as formal â€Å"stop points,† both the project team and the clients are clear on when they will take midcourse reviews of the project and how change requests will be handled. When clients are aware of these formal project review points, they are better able to present reasonable and well-considered feedback (and specification change requests) to the team. 4. Milestones help coordinate schedules with vendors and suppliers. Creating delivery dates that do not delay project activities is a common challenge in scheduling delivery of key project components. From a resource perspective, the project team needs to receive supplies before they are needed but not so far in advance that space limitations, holding and inventory costs, and in some cases spoilage are problems. Hence, to balance delays of late shipments against the costs associated with holding early deliveries, a well-considered system of milestones creates a scheduling and coordinating mechanism that identifies the key dates when supplies will be needed. 5. Milestones identify key project review gates. For many complex projects, a series of midterm project reviews are mandatory. For example, many proj ects that are developed for the U.S. government require periodic evaluation as a precondition to the project firm receiving some percentage of the contract award. Milestones allow for appropriate points for these review. Sometimes the logic behind when to hold such reviews is based on nothing more than the passage of time (â€Å"It is time for July 1 review†). For other projects, the review gates are determined based on completion of a series of key project steps (such as the evaluation of software results from the beta sites). 6. Milestones signal other team members when their participation is expected to begin. Many times projects require contributions from personnel who are not part of the project team. For example, a quality assurance individual may be needed to conduct systems tests or quality inspection and evaluations of work done to date. The quality supervisor needs to know when to assign a person to our project, or we may find when we reach that milestone that no on e’s available to help us. Because the QA person is not part of the project team, we need to coordinate his or her involvement in order to minimize disruption to the project schedule. 7. Milestones can delineate the various deliverables developed in the work breakdown structure and therefore enable the project team to develop a better overall view of the project. You then are able to refocus efforts and function-specific resources toward the deliverables that show signs of trouble, rather than simply allocating resources in a general manner. For example, indications that the initial project software programming milestone has been missed allows the project manager to specifically request additional programmers downstream, in order to make up time later in the project’s development. Problems with Milestones Milestones, in one form or another, are probably the simplest and most widely used of all project control devices. Their benefits lie in their clarity; it is usually easy for all project team members to relate to the idea of milestones as a project performance metric. The problem with them is that they are a reactive control system. You must first engage in project activities and then evaluate them relative to your goal. If you significantly underperform your work to that point, you are faced with having to correct what has already transpired. Imagine, for example, that a project team misses a milestone by a large margin. Not having received any progress reports up until the point that the bad news becomes public, the project manager is probably not in a position to craft an immediate remedy for the shortfall. Now, the problems compound. Due to delays in receiving the bad news, remedial steps are themselves delayed, pushing the project farther behind. EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT An increasingly popular method used in project monitoring and control consists of a mechanism that has become known as Earned Value Management (EVM). The origins of EVM date to the late 1960s when U.S. government contracting agencies began to question the ability of contractors to accurately track their costs across the like of various projects. As a result, after 1967, the Department of Defense imposed 35 Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria that suggested, in effect, that any future projects procured by the U.S. government in which the risk of cost growth was to be retained by the government must satisfy these 35 criteria. In the more than 30 years since its origin, EVM has been practiced in multiple settings, by agencies from governments as diverse as Australia, Canada, and Sweden, as well as a host of project-based firms in numerous industries. Unlike previous project tracking approaches, EVM recognize that it is necessary to jointly consider the impact of time, cost, and project performance on any analysis of current project status. Put another way: Any monitoring system that only compares actual against budgeted cost numbers ignores the fact that the client is spending that money to accomplish something-create a project. Therefore, EVM reintroduces and stresses the importance of analyzing the time element in project status updates. Time is important because it becomes the basis for determining how much work should be accomplished at certain milestone points. EVM also allows the project team to make future projections of project status based on its current state. At any point in the project’s development we are able to calculate both schedule and budget efficiency factors (the efficiency with which budget is being used relative to the value that is being created) and use those values to make future projections about the estimated cost and schedule to project completion. We can illustrate the advance in the project control process that Earned Value represents by comparing it to the other project tracking mechanisms. If we consider the key metrics of project performance as those success criteria discussed in Chapter 1 (scheduling, budget, and performance), most project evaluation approaches tend to isolate some subset of the overall success measure. For example, project S-curve analysis directly links budget expenditures with the project schedule. Again, the obvious disadvantage to this approach is that it ignores the project performance linkage. Project control charts such as tracking Gantt charts link project performance with schedule but may give budget expenditures short shrift. The essence of a tracking approach to project status us to emphasize project performance over time. While the argument could be made that budget is implicitly assumed to be spent in some preconceived fashion, this metric does not directly apply a link between the use of time and performance factors with project cost. Earned value, on the other hand, directly links all three primary project success metrics (cost, schedule, and performance). This methodology is extremely valuable because it allows for regular updating of a time-phased budget to determine schedule and cost variances, as identified by the regular measurement of project performance. Terminology for Earned Value Following are some key concepts that allow us to calculate Earned Value and use its figures to make future project performance projections. PVPlanned value. A cost estimate of the budgeted resources scheduled across the project’s life cycle (cumulative baseline). EVEarned value. This is the real budgeted cost, or â€Å"value,† of the work that has actually been performed to date. ACActual cost of work performed. The cumulative total costs incurred in accomplishing the various project work packages. SPISchedule Performance Index. The earned value to date divided by the planned value of work scheduled to be performed (EV/PV). This value allows us to calculate the projected schedule of the project to completion. CPICost Performance Index. The earned value divided by the actual, cumulative cost of the work performed to date (EV/AC). This value allows us to calculate the projected budget to completion. BACBudgeted cost at completion. This represents the total budget for a project. Creating Project Baselines The first step in developing an accurate control process is to create the project baselines against which progress can be measured. Baseline information is critical regardless of the control process we employ, but baselines are elemental when performing EVM. The first piece of information necessary for performing earned value is the planned value; that is, the project baseline. The PV should comprise all relevant project costs, the most important of which are personnel costs, equipment and materials, and project overhead, sometimes referred to as level of effort. Overhead costs (level of effort) can include a variety of fixed costs that must be included in the project budget, including administrative or technical support, computer work, and other staff expertise use (such as legal advice or marketing). The actual steps in establishing the project baseline are fairly straightforward and require two pieces of data: the Work Breakdown Structure and a time-phased project budget. 1. The W ork Breakdown Structure identified the individual work packages and tasks necessary to accomplish the project. As such, the WBS allowed us to first identify the individual tasks that would need to be performed. It also gave us some understanding of the hierarchy of tasks needed to set up work packages and identify personnel needs (human resources) in order to match the task requirements to the correct individuals capable of performing them. 2. The time-phased budget takes the WBS one step further: It allows us to identify the correct sequencing of tasks, but more importantly, it enables the project team to determine the points in the project when budget money is likely to be spent in pursuit of those tasks. Say, for example, that our project team determines that one project activity, Data Entry, will require a budget of $20,000 to be completed, and further, that the task is estimated to require 2 months to completion, with the majority of the work being done in the first month. A ti me-phased budget for this activity might resemble the following: Activity| Jan| Feb| †¦| Dec| Total| Data Entry| $14,000| $6,000| | -0-| $20,000| Once we have collected the WBS and applied a time-phased budget breakdown, we can create the project baseline. The result is an important component of earned value because it represents the standard against which we are going to compare all project performance, cost, and schedule data as we attempt to assess the viability of an ongoing project. This baseline, then, represents our best understanding of how the project should progress. How the project is actually doing, however, is, of course, another matter. Why Use Earned Value? Assume that it is now week 30 of the project and we are attempting to assess the project’s status. Also assume that there is no difference between the projected project costs and actual expenditures; that is, the project budget is being spent within the correct time frame. However, upon examination, suppose we were to discover that Installation was only half-completed and Project Testing had not yet begun. This example illustrates both a problem with S-curve analysis and the strength of EVM. Project status assessment is only relevant when some measure of performance is considered in addition to budget and elapsed schedule. Consider the revised data for Project Sierra. Note that as of week 30, work packages related to Design and Engineering have been totally completed, whereas the Installation is only 50% done, and Testing has not yet begun. These percentage values are given based on the project team or key individual’s assessment of the current status of work package completion. The question now is: What is the earned value of the project work done to date? As of week 30, what is the status of this project in terms of budget, schedule, and performance? Calculating the earned value for these work packages is a relatively straightforward process. We can modify the previous table to focus exclusively on the relevant information for determining earned value. The planned budget for each work package is multiplied by the percentage completed in order to determine the earned value to date for the work packages, as well as for the overall project. In this case, the earned value at the 30-week point is $51,000. We can compare the planned budget against the actual earned value using the original project budget baseline. This process allows us to assess a more realistic determination of the status of the project when the earned value is plotted against the budget baseline. Compare this figure with the alternative method, in which negative variance is calculated, with no supporting explanation as to the cause or any indication about whether this figure is meaningful or not. Recall that by the end of week 30, our original budget projections suggested that $68,000 should have been spent. Instead, we are projecting a shortfall of $17,000. In other words, we are not only showing a negative variance in terms of money spent on the project, but also in terms of value created (performance) of the project to date. Unlike the standard S-curve evaluation, EVM variance is meaningful because it is based not simply on budget spent, but value earned. A negative variance of $10,000 in budget expenditures may or may not signal cause for concern; however, a $17,000 shortfall in value earned on the project to date represents a variance of serious consequences. Steps in Earned Value Management There are five steps in Earned Value Management (EVM): 1. Clearly define each activity or task that will be performed on the project, including its resource needs as well as a detailed budget.As we demonstrated earlier, the Work Breakdown Structure allows project teams to identify all necessary project tasks. It further allows for each task to be assigned its own project resources, including equipment and materials costs, as well as personnel assignments. Finally, coupled with the task breakdown and resource assignments, it is possible to create the budget figure or cost estimate for each project task. 2. Create the activity and resource usage schedules. These will identify the proportion of the total budget allocated to each task across a project calendar. Determine how much of an activity’s budget is to be spent each month (or other appropriate time period) across the project’s projected development cycle. Coupled with the development of a project budget should be its direct linkage to the project schedule. The determination of how much budget money is to be allocated to project tasks is important. Equally important is the understanding of when the resources are to be employed across the project’s development cycle. 3. Develop a â€Å"time-phased† budget that shows expenditures across the projects life.The total (cumulative) amount of the budget becomes the project baseline and is referred to as the planned value (PV). In real terms, PV just means that we can identify the cumulative budget expenditures planned at any stage in the project’s life. The PV, as a cumulative value, is derived from addin g the planned budget expenditures for each preceding time period. 4. Total the actual costs of doing each task to arrive at the actual cost of work performed (AC).We can also compute the budgeted values for the tasks on which work is being performed. This is referred to as the earned value (EV) and is the origin of the term for this control process. 5. Calculate both a project’s budget variance and schedule variance while it is still in process.Once we have collected the three key pieces of data (PV, EV, and AC), it is possible to make these calculations. The schedule variance is calculated by the simple equation: SV = EV – PV, or the difference between the earned value to date minus the planned value of the work scheduled to be performed to date. The budget, or cost, variance is calculated as: CV = EV – AC, or the earned value minus the actual cost of work performed. USING EARNED VALUE TO MANAGE A PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS Earned Value Management can work at the portfolio level as well as with individual projects. The process simply involves the aggregation of all earned value measures across the firm’s entire project portfolio in order to give an indication as to the efficiency with which a company is managing its projects. Other useful information contained in the Portfolio Earned Value Management table includes the total positive variances for both budget and schedule, as well as determination of the relative schedule and cost variances as a percentage of the total project portfolio. The use of Earned Value Management for portfolio tracking and control offers top management an excellent window into the firm’s ability to efficiently run projects, allows for comparisons across all projects currently in development, and isolates both the positive and negative variances as they occur. All of this is useful information for top-level management of multiple projects.

Fashion Marketing -Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fashion Marketing -Marks and Spencer - Essay Example The essay "Fashion Marketing - Marks and Spencer" concerns the fashion marketing. The company started by Amancio Ortega at the Northern part of Spain continually enjoyed growth in the Spanish market through strategic prepositions. Initially, the chain served the needs of the local consumer in the young feminine segment. Within the last ten years, the company grew proportionately to increased revenues and consumer loyalty through the modernized approaches that it employed. The company preserves the strengths of analyzing the customer targets in the market as serving the entire fashion market poses more threats than opportunities. The company defines that the youthful female consumer depicts a standardized behavior throughout the geographical segments. Zara depicts that the consumer buying decision model affects all businesses alike. The company analyzes fashion needs through the online research surveys and establishes on the fashion trends that depict a favorable rate of return on inv estment. Through a communicative channel that tends to link the company to the consumer, Zara advertises on the release of the garments that target to suit perceived consumer needs. The company runs a solely owned ultramodern factory that designs and makes garments in accordance to the anticipated consumer needs. Zara communicates actual date of releasing the new makes to the customer, and through an effective delivery chain, the company avails the garments to the more than 1500 outlets in 70 countries of the world economy. ... The Limited Collection brand was introduced in the late 2004; it was not being considered that it could significantly remain helpful to create such a unique differentiation. But it remained pretty successful and customers showed a very high adoptability towards the brand. However it has its same placement and the concept oriented approach which keenly values the notion of cost and brand consciousness. Serving segment is cost conscious group, target population is high class and upper middle class whereas positioning of the products is as a high quality and distinguished fashioned products. The Limited Collection brand offers a wide range of women’s, men’s and kid’s wear. The best feature of the brand is that the offerings are replaced each week from the outlet. In this way, it has a vast choice and unique variety because of rapid replacement of display items from the stores. The section of Limited Collection is not offered at every outlet which is a step towards a specification orientation (Marketingweek.co.uk, 2004). Competitors’ Analysis for Marks and Spencer Competitors’ analysis is really worth when designing a lucrative marketing strategy. The competitors of Marks and Spencer in fashion industry include a wide range of potential competitors. The competitors may include elite class fashion designers to middle class fashion wears. It is important to study the characteristics of the competitors. The realistic competitors of M&S are those who present their products to the population of upper middle class and higher classes of the society. Specifically the competitors of M&S may include Alde, Centra, Levi’s and ASDA. Although some of these companies

Why I choose my major Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why I choose my major - Essay Example The mission is inspired by the catholic principles of human dignity, solidarity, manifestation of the human freedom, and the common good. The vision of the organization is also based on the human dignity. The curriculum of the institution, which most motivated the choosing, requires students taking marketing to complete sixteen courses in addition to their business and economic courses (The Catholic university of America, pp. 1-4). The course prepares students on how to research consumer needs and be able to develop products and services which satisfy those needs. The students are also prepared on means on how they can communicate the advantages of services and products via effective promotions that influence demand positively. Majoring in marketing will help boost the management course I did in Bahrain. In addition to this, it will enable acquiring of the best skills that are much needed in any successful organization. Having done management as the first degree, marketing as an additional course will help understand how the whole organization works from management to the juniors through marketing. In order to complete the course, one is required to take philosophy, theology, humanities, literature, writing, and composition. The other courses will very much contribute to the expansion of my career and field. Due to the additional courses offered by the organization as core units, they will assist in flexibilit y in the job market and management of the organization (The Catholic university of America, pp. 1-2). Another point of consideration was the foundation of the university. As the institution is founded on catholic values, it will add upon the understanding of the religious values and teachings as well as diversification of the religious field. The culture of the institution and that of Americans will also help in understanding of the different ways of living by different people.

Emily Dickinson's poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emily Dickinson's poetry - Essay Example Poetry of Emily Dickinson, one of the most illustrious American poets, is marked by the unaffected and sensible way of communicating of thoughts and ideas. Her poems – sometimes rather short and succinct – are abundant with poetic vehicles and rather recognizable owing to the original style and brilliant poetic genius. And, moreover, I would say, that Dickinson’s poetry is alive. The poet herself inquired about liveliness of her verses in one of her letters: â€Å"Are you too deeply occupied to say if my verse is alive? The mind is so near itself it cannot see distinctly, and I have none to ask† (Dickinson, 1862). To my thinking, the answer is ‘yes’ and it could be proved by several arguments. Firstly, it is the peculiar style enlivening the verses: in her poems, Dickinson uses her own recognizable style of punctuation and rhyming – and these â€Å"instruments† grant dynamic and lively shape to her thoughts. For instance, her recurrent use of dashes and capital letters in certain words create the effect of intensity and emphasis. Her verse â€Å"Hope† is the thing with feathers† reflects the major features of her writing style. Here, she muses upon the essence of hope, comparing it to a bird. In the second stanza, she writes: â€Å"And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard- » (Dickinson, 312). By using a capital letter, she emphasizes the word and makes the verse more dynamic, virtually pulsating. It is clearly seen that the poet was â€Å"enamoured in language† (Melani) and played with it in the most exquisite ways, making the short lines of grammatically wrenched and compressed text speak for her and sound melodically and touchingly. Here, coming out of the previous, is the second ground to consider Dickinson’s poetry alive. Once, she herself defined poetry in the following way: â€Å"If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire ever can warm me I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know

Values and Ethics in Professional Business Term Paper

Values and Ethics in Professional Business - Term Paper Example This makes the smooth functioning and sustained endurance of the business organizations quite certain. Fresh inclinations and concerns which occur on a regular basis are capable enough of giving rise to a significant trouble for the organizations and even for the end-customers. The environment of business has been undergoing a constant alteration which is giving birth to various complexities with regard to the business organizations (International Trade Administration, 2004). In the recent times, owing to the intricacies involved with businesses it has become necessary and vital for the organizations to indulge in appropriate ethical behavior and to maintain certain values for the reason of staying away from probable lawsuits. The public disgraces of the corporate unethical and malpractices have created an adverse influence on the viewpoint of the general people towards numerous organizations like Arthur Andersen, Enron, Union Carbide and WorldCom (Mahdavi, 2005). The Need for Values & Ethics in Professional Business Compromising with the values and indulging in unethical behavior have led to the collapse of quite a few organizations. In the present day’s context, the business organizations are anticipated to comply with the standards regarding carrying out of the business in a responsible way. The expected standards surpass the ones that were followed traditionally. Although, the concept of business is frequently referred to on the basis of profits, productions and jobs but at the same time, it is comprehended and acknowledged worldwide that a particular business enterprise continues to be an associate of the community it is operating in. The hunt for profit followed by economic development is not being considered to be a permit for disregarding the standards of the community norms, respect, quality, integrity along with the values with regard to the business organizations (Weiss, 2008). Profit is measured to be the most important factor for the busines s enterprises. Enhanced business performance, economic development and profits have been found to be attained by those who efficiently and competently promote and meet up to the rational beliefs of their respective primary stakeholders. The stakeholders entail employees, investors, customers, environment and suppliers along with managers as well as owners. The factor of success with regard to any kind of a business is in due course gauged and ascertained in terms of profits as well as losses. The socially dependable businesses have been learnt to create the proceeds and the capitals that is supposed to be necessary to continue the business functions and to ensure existence in the long-term with the help of taking into concern the beliefs of the stakeholders. The businesses that are conducted in a socially responsible manner have been identified to be successful in creating and making sufficient income for meeting up to the actual ‘cost of capital’, the doubts as well as risks related to the economic procedures that are predicted to arise in the coming days along with the necessity of the employees and the pensioners. However, the businesses that are considered to be socially irresponsible remain unsuccessful in meeting up to the mentioned expenses as the reasonable requirements of the stakeholders are not met by such businesses. For instance, a proficient, effectual and dependable business organization would earn income or profit by fulfilling the necessities of its customers. It would lure capital with the help of meeting up to the prospects of the different investors. It further augments its effectiveness with the help of luring employees with superior competencies. It trims down the expenses by bringing

Arms and International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Arms and International Relations - Essay Example There had been considerable unrest and tension between the countries of Eastern and Western Europe. As such, the West European Arms Industry suffered a serious setback due to European integration. There have been rapid developments to address the disruption of the relations between the military and the industry. These changes in the production of arms resulted in several issues, relating to employment, technology, national security and foreign policy. It was perceived that the European nations would find a solution for these challenging tasks. The decisions taken by these countries will invariably affect the employment of a large number of workers in the arms production industry. Furthermore, these decisions could also affect national and international policies, in the areas of technology, economics, arms procurement and international integration (Brzoska & Lock, 1992. Page 4 – 5). The annual toll in human life, exacted by small arms, all over the world comes to nearly half a million. Furthermore, the number of people who succumb to small arms is more than the number of people who are slain by missiles or weapons of mass destruction. The international arms control agreements are deeply concerned about this extremely distressing situation; and almost a hundred companies are lobbying to suitably change arms regulations, so as to address this alarming phenomenon. These companies want to form a new treaty that will be aimed at regulating the trade in small arms. The United Kingdom, Japan and several other nations are forging ahead to create such a new treaty. This new treaty would prohibit the sale and purchase of small but lethal weapons, like hand guns and grenade launchers (Falby, October 15, 2007). In the earlier stages this prohibition will be implemented on the rogue states that have a dismal record, regarding human rights. It would also be applied to countries, which employ these

Cows research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cows - Research Paper Example However, the degree at which people value and keep this animal significantly depends on their culture, religion and background. In Latin America cows are predominantly used in bullfighting, in Africa, they are a sign of wealth and prestige while in India; the cow is a holy being that is to be revered. In the media, cows are often portrayed as big, domesticated and fertile animals. More and more farmers are slowly abandoning cattle keeping because the cost of feeding them, veterinary cost is quite high as opposed to cultivating other cash crops. There are many different breeds of cows depending on their use. Ranchers mainly keep beef cattle while there are those who keep dairy cows. This also depends on the conduciveness of an area’s climate. The importance of cows to the economy cannot be under-rated since the Cattle industry is a multibillion dollar enterprise that significantly boosts the economy of many countries. Cows provide milk, beef, hides used in making leather and shoes. The value of cows is profoundly undermined and therefore, it is for this reason that I decided to base my research on the importance of cows and the connection that exists between man and cows. Cows are easy animals to see, unlike other animals like tigers and leopards. Though easy to see they are the most unseen animals and the least appreciated of creatures; nevertheless, they have among the biggest benefits to mankind. I wanted to find out peoples attitude and beliefs about cows. To conduct my research, I deliberately chose to carry out interviews with different people in order to learn about their views and attitudes about cows. Interviews are an effective way of getting in depth information, and it is also quite helpful in discovering how individuals feel and think about a particular subject matter. Therefore, with this in mind I conducted four interview sessions with people of different cultures and who had lived in different parts of the world (Dr.

Dispersed Team Dynamics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dispersed Team Dynamics - Assignment Example The success of an organization depends upon the quality of its functions based on its original principles while respecting the truth of innovations necessary for meeting the challenges that are inevitable part of the management process. The run for excellence demonstrated by various managements exposes every organization to a rather demanding field of competition where the leadership is forced to focus on creating opportunities among multiple choices. Any such innovation which can bring positive result in the business process involves risk-taking. More often, the risks appear to hit the functional areas such as goal-setting, communication and organizational changes which can together act as the blue-print for innovations. According to Stasi (2013), the most essential player that drives the virtual team in every organization is the communication system. A technically sound and mechanism of communication eliminates substantial amount of risk lying in the process of connecting people fr om different geographical and cultural regions of the world who form part of the working staff. There are a number of key players that structure the virtual team and enable the managers to continue with the successful chase of long-term and short-term organizational goals. A close association of important elements like the organizational purpose, human stakeholders and the tools meant for their coordination can ensure the accomplishment of success of every organization with thoughtful and dedicated application of management skills by their leaders. Among all the inputs given to the business, communication plays the most important role. As a result, there is a rapid change in the organizations across the world with regards to their information processing and communication systems. Today’s economic world doubtlessly requires the managers to give first priority to making such virtual teams which

Marketing Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example This discussion will also involve market objective setting, target market analysis, such as segmentation, targeting and positioning, marketing strategies and illustration of marketing mix elements. Finally, the study will properly evaluate the process of marketing plan implementation, budgeting and controlling. Apple Inc. is one of the leading global technology companies which is specialized in developing, designing and marketing of consumer electronics. Their product line includes iPhone, iPod, iPad, Macbook etc. Apart from the hardware the organization is also specialized in developing and designing various software products and online services. The business was established in 1976. Headquarter of the organization is situated in Cupertino, California (Apple Inc. 2015a). The organization has secured the second largest position across the world as an Information Technology company in terms of their revenue while the top position is secured by Samsung Electronics. Alternatively, Apple Inc. has been entitled as the third largest company as a Smartphone maker. The value of the organization is approximately $500 billion. By the end of 2014, the organization has recorded annual revenue of $182 billion (Kraemer, et al., 2011). The analysis of the current situation of the organization will illustrate the micro environment as well as macro environment of the business. The analysis of 5 C’s of marketing such as company, collaborators, customers, competitors and climate, provides detailed understanding regarding the micro as well as macro environment of the business (Wilson and Gilligan, 2012). Product ranges: The organization provides a wide range of technology products that includes hardware software and online services. The products and services of the organization mainly include iPhone, iPad, iPod, Macbook, iTune, Mac App Store, iCloud and application software (Marketline, 2014). This is the Smartphone range of Apple Inc. which includes the

Non-Uniform Essay Example for Free

Non-Uniform Essay I believe wearing a school uniform is an obstacle of children’s right to individuality and self-expression. Everyone is unique, and so making children wear a school uniform takes away their individuality and personality. Maybe this discourages them from performing to their fullest potential, and exceeding to higher levels in their subjects? I think most school uniforms are hideous and unappealing, and being forced to wear something that is not comfortable to a child is not good for their mental image. What happens if someone doesn’t like the colour green, red, yellow, grey or any other colour? If children were allowed to wear their own clothes at least they would be comfortable in it. In the case of younger children, if they got their only school jumper muddy, they wouldn’t have another one to wear the next day, which would mean they got told off at school. Uniforms make parents spend more money unnecessarily. They are expensive, and parents already have to spend money on clothes for children to wear outside school. If children didn’t have to wear a uniform, parents would definitely have more money to save up to spend on bills, rent, tax and VAT. People think that if children wore their own clothes, alliances and gangs would form according to social interests, fashion groups etc. I think these gangs or groups will still form even if everyone is wearing uniform; children would be bullied for other things except their clothes, maybe even encouraging racism. Because students are easily recognisable in school uniform, this may also encourage bullying and rivalry between pupils and schools.

An Analysis Of Internet Businesses

An Analysis Of Internet Businesses The reason for writing this essay is to discuss The Advantages and Disadvantages of conducting business on the Internet in the Twenty First Century. In the Twenty First century the advantages and the disadvantages of the use of the Internet is tremendous worldwide. There is enormous benefit to achieve when conducting a business on the Internet. You may ask why I should invest on the Internet. It is to your advantage to invest wisely. It allows access 24/7 and 365 days a year, therefore, no need to hire office helpers for shift or normal working hours, people will visitors your website since there are computers with Internet access, which they can use to gain access the website at anytime anywhere. On the other while there are advantages on the Internet for business to do well, there can also be some inauspicious situation or circumstances. No physical contact, such as no eye contact, no face to face communication, products sometime, ordered might be damaged or loss, during delivered, no way of knowing until it is received, as a result loss of time and productivity. Chaotic Most people who organize, operate, and assume a business venture on the Internet know it can be chaotic and disappointing sometime. Nonetheless, with sufficient communication most businesses can gain much benefit from advertising on the Internet and minimize the disadvantage risk that comes along with it. On the other hand, it may prove to have the buying or selling power that produces a relatively constructive position. Services Many services are now provided on the internet such as banking online, I have not gone into the bank for a while, Ive done all my banking online such as paying my college fees. When I am travelling I purchased all my tickets online that usually cost less than if I purchased it off-line. I am using the internet for just about everything it is a great tool. Nevertheless as Buchannan writes one of the advantages it is easy to set up and lead users from one place to the next in a logical manner. The disadvantage is that data is relatively easy to tap into and possible changed.  [1]   Low Cost Internet communication provides the advantage of lower estimate and storing costs, comparing to printing posters, making a radio or television broadcasting or, supporting a media center. It allows good deal consideration for entering new buying or selling. Internet information is ageless the advertisement also make available the advantage of being lasting.  [2]   It allows volunteered playing an important part to examine carefully the goods and the services and leave notes for others to use. It is cost effective; compare the costs of sending out physical mailing to 25,000 addresses, with the costs of an e-mailing to 250.000 e-mail addresses. Reproduction at zero cost Whether 1,000 visitors come to your site or 25,000, the increased cost is marginal.  [3]   Blogging In all likelihood, we have heard about, blogging one might want to know what is it? What helpful or useful benefits will my business derive from it? A blog is an abbreviation for web log and they are web notes containing up-to-date information on hot issues among the Internet community what. It is also an important Search Engine Marketing tool as it is increasingly used to promote online businesses. Having a blog helps your website get better rankings in the search engines.  [4]   When you want to design a blog it is important to set a clear goal with a reasonable purpose in mind. Select a theme that will be beneficial to your website in the long run, and to the people who visit your website. Provide current, relevant and essential topics. Ask for the reason, cause, or purpose? Ask yourself why blogging would be of help to my business on the Internet. Because it offers excellent search engine tools that can make the search engines, perform at a greater speed, and make the website communicate to your all customers and other business. In fact other bloggers will transmit customers to your sit without cost; it gives your site a good chance for success. June 2005, eBay It is known that the Internet attract more shoppers for goods and services, June 2005, eBay, the Worlds online marketplace, occupied the 5th position in the USA top 10 parent companies with a unique audience of 39,468.000 (Nielsen/Net Ratings) The e-learning sector will grow from $10.3 billion in 2002 to $83.1 billion in 2006, and eventually swelling to over $212 billion by 2011 (Consultant Brandon-Hall) E-commerce transactions in 2005 will reach $168 billion and $316 billion in 2010. These estimates include travel, which is typically the biggest e-commerce sales driver. Excluding travel, e-commerce is expected to grow 14 percent in 2005 (Forrester Research) The online travel industry will double its revenues in the next three years, from $38 billion in 2004 to more than $80 billion in 2007 eMarketer.  [5]   The Internet is now known as low cost and most adequate sales tool around, because of link to the Internet, compare to other business. You have a chance to grow your business successful on the Internet with the right type of Internet promoting fundamentals symbol of principles promotion and decent activities According to Real Time Statistics for Measuring Success of Promotion Campaign the most important advantages of Internet advertisement is that its successful and can be seen.  [6]  Buyers, and sellers use program that give immediate results. Some promotion, give visitors the ability to determine the significant of an advertise product. Which allow the customer to evaluate what is good for them and, also allow time for them to make changes of what they buy and how they it. Steve Here is a man by the name of Steve proclaiming in his own words that working from home via the Internet he received unexpected benefit Steve is a 47-year-old father with two boys, Thomas 16 Jack 12. Ive always been the main breadwinner in our household and a little while ago, received notice that the factory for which I managed Health Safety was to close. As our children were both at critical stages of their education we decided to stay in the area and look for work locally. Id always wanted to work for myself and luckily came across the Community Times business. After attending a seminar at their HQ. I quickly realized that the business would not only suit me but would also have benefits to the whole family. I get to work from home, spend more time with my family, watch my boys play football and earn more than ever whilst being in full control of my familys destiny.  [7]   It has being proven there are disadvantages of managing a business on the Internet. Challenge in verifying authenticity records, advertising on the web, challenge for the business and costumers to perform a complete analysis to determine the genuineness of a transactions. As a result most small businesses are open to attack by larceny, with stolen credit cards and stolen information to do online transaction. With Internet credit card and identity fraud on the rise, small businesses are forced to finance costly security measures to reduce their vulnerability to fraudulent transactions.  [8]   Other unfavorable condition isolation no physical contact with buyers therefore more sales opportunity is lost. Enterprise is forced to choose advertising method in order to lure back customers to the website. Nevertheless, the advantages surpass the disadvantages. With sufficient understanding, enterprise can gain to profit from Internet advertisement, particularly those owners small business. Conclusion The Internet is a very effective. It has many advantages; on the other hand, it also has its disadvantages too.

Study On Reflection And Use Of Radiography Nursing Essay

Study On Reflection And Use Of Radiography Nursing Essay Reflection is an important and powerful strategy for the use of development in professional skills; as it enables the link between the practice and theoretical aspect of learning to help moving from a beginner to a skilled practitioner. Reflection should enhance self-awareness, identifying personal strengths and weakness as well as help in the improvement. In the world of definitions and explanations, there are different professors, author, and editors e.t.c and their different knowledge of understanding. Dewey defined reflective thought as active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends (Dewey 1933: 118). He set out five phases or aspects. 1. Suggestions, in which the mind leaps forward to a possible solution. 2. An intellectualization of the difficulty or perplexity that has been felt (directly experienced) into a problem to be solved. 3. The use of one suggestion after another as a leading idea, or hypothesis, to initiate and guide observation and other operations in collection of factual material. 4. The mental elaboration of the idea, or supposition as an idea or supposition (reasoning, in the sense in which reasoning is a part, not the whole, of inference). 5. Testing the hypothesis by overt, or imaginative action In every case of reflective activity, a person finds himself confronted with a given, present situation from which he has to arrive at, or conclude to, something that is not present. This process of arriving at an idea of what is absent on the basis of what is at hand is inference. What is present carries or bears the mind over to the idea and ultimately the acceptance of something else. (Dewey 1933 Donald Schà ¶n (1983) suggested that the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning was one of the defining characteristics of professional practice. He argued that the model of professional training which he termed Technical Rationality-of charging students up with knowledge  in training schools so that they could discharge when they entered the world of practice, perhaps more aptly termed a battery model-has never been a particularly good description of how professionals think in action, and is quite inappropriate to practice in a fast-changing world. Goodman (1984, cited by jasper 2003 p9) suggests that there are three levels of reflection which you are likely to move through during your education. However it is not helpful to think that you are at level 1 in year 1, level 2 in year 2 e.t.c. which level you achieve will depend on your skill and ability and should not be restricted to the level which has the same number as your year of study. Doing a general investigation on a word, a methodology, hypothesis, summary and conclusion on a laboratory practical would have being easier as I would have being confident enough to do a write up on what I did, should have done, and reasons why a certain error happened and how it could have being avoided. This is something that could be done as it has been done previously with my course at college. Writing a reflection on a work experience is different but similar to writing or doing an investigation on a laboratory practical, so the techniques of writing a laboratory practical can be used to write a reflection as well as the guidance notes posted on the blackboard. The medical field had ran in my family right from my oldest sister to my older sister as Nurses and now to me as a Radiography (student)I didnt choose to be a radiographer in order not to break the medical chain or because my sisters being nurses, but ever since I visited my oldest sister while she was on a work placement I saw other radiographers, how they operated the radiography machine in taking various x-rays; was breathe taken and wondered how the radiography machine makes use of its infrared without harming the human skin to get the image of the endo-skeleton. Since then I have being interested in the machines and in other get closer to it and find out how it works was to become its operator (radiographer). Queen Mary Hospital, Sidcup was a marvellous place to work/experience what it is like to be a radiographer, as well as being much more hygienic and patience than I was; as there were lots of precautions done before and after taking an x-ray such as the use of disinfectants before and after dealing with a patient and the accurate use of the radiography machine which requires lots of concentration and patience because a slight mistake could cause a life or make the situation of the patient worse. It was really nice meeting other radiography students but known and unknown, we were taken on a tour around the hospital by other senior radiography students then we were introduced to our various supervisors, my supervisor was a lovely lady who seem to be very experienced, she knew what she was doing and also what she was talking about, patient and confident. The first week of the experience was very nerve racking and it was knackering, we were technically a full time working class radiographers (9am 5pm) every day. I got used to the fatigue on the second week but was still nervous that I was going to make a mistake at some point while with a patient either theory wise or practical wise. With the help of the supervisor and the senior colleague I gained a little bit of confidence, was corrected before making and after making a mistake and was checked upon on a regular basis in order to be up to standard and produce distinctive results. Before allowed use of the radiography machine we had to get use to the environments such as being like receptionists, calling out the patients names, checking their information and details making sure that its the right person; this was practically interesting because I got to meet different people with different characters. Then I was given the opportunity to work in the CT (computerised tomography) scan briefly, was thought the basics of the machine, what it scans the body for, how it detects the diseases and how it is maintained. This was time consuming and required a lot of patience. It was quite boring at this point. But came to realise that I was no longer interested in radiography because of the machines, but interested in it because I like to be of help in anyways I can to the people and community. In the medical world mainly the National Health Services, UK there are various sections in each hospital, some hospitals specialised in something specific and some are specialised in everything, but a thorough medical check-up is not complete without some sort of scan which is where the radiographers and radiography comes in. Radiography is the use of X-rays to view a non-uniformly composed material such as the human body. By utilizing the physical properties of the ray an image can be developed displaying clearly, areas of different density and composition. A heterogeneous beam of X-rays is produced by an X-ray generator and is projected toward an object. According to the density and composition of the different areas of the object a proportion of X-rays are absorbed by the object. The X-rays that pass through are then captured behind the object by a detector (film sensitive to X-rays or a digital detector) which gives a 2D representation of all the structures superimposed on each other. In tomography, the X-ray source and detector move to blur out structures not in the focal plane. Computed tomography (CT scanning) is different to plain film tomography in that computer assisted reconstruction is used to generate a 3D representation of the scanned object/patient. Radiography was not only used on living being (medical reasons) also industrial purposes such as fitting shoes. X-ray photons used for medical purposes are formed by an event involving an electron, while gamma ray photons are formed from an interaction with the nucleus of an atom. In general, medical radiography is done using X-rays formed in an X-ray tube. Nuclear medicine typically involves gamma rays. The types of electromagnetic radiation of most interest to radiography are X-ray and gamma radiation. This radiation is much more energetic than the more familiar types such as radio waves and visible light. It is this relatively high energy which makes gamma rays useful in radiography but potentially hazardous to living organisms. Gamma rays are indirectly ionizing radiation. A gamma ray passes through matter until it undergoes an interaction with an atomic particle, usually an electron. During this interaction, energy is transferred from the gamma ray to the electron, which is a directly ionizing particle. As a result of this energy transfer, the electron is liberated from the atom and proceeds to ionize matter by colliding with other electrons along its path. Other times, the passing gamma ray interferes with the orbit of the electron, and slows it, releasing energy but not becoming dislodged. The energy released is usually heat or another, weaker proton, and causes serious biological harm to the body such as skin cancer and other form of endo cancer. Radiography is a very important technique in the medical world but also dangerous if not used correctly on a patient. Before using one of the machines we had to disinfect ourselves, tie up loose hair, cover the ones that couldnt be tied up and wear protective clothes such as coveralls eye goggles and gloves. I was introduced to all the patients by my supervisor as a radiography student; some of them I took their x-ray with supervision and some I watched as theirs were taken and some were done with both my supervisor and I. the ones I did by myself with supervision I had to ask for their consent before doing anything on them some of them werent sure and some had no problem, for those who werent sure were the ones that was done with the supervisor and I; and for those who had no problem, I asked for their consent personally and was still feeling that in case the patient decide to take action against me I may be in danger of laws such as the right to self-determination in which adults h ave the right to determine what is done to their bodies and touching a person without consent is basically unlawful and can amount to trespass to them or, more rarely, a criminal assault Griffith, R., Tegnah, C. (2008) this made me really nervous and coming up with different thoughts of thing going wrong and might do something slightly wrong and end up becoming really disastrous. The analysis of the reflective process, the need to attend to feelings and attitudes (making use of positive feeling and then dealing with negative feeling) was apparent throughout and required self-awareness. The relieving aspect of the experience was the fact that all the patients I dealt with, with or without supervision fully co-operated without any difficulty and technicality, as they didnt have much choice to decline task I was going to do for them but to consent to the treatment because it was in their best interest; but they still had to be respected as patients and clients autonomy and their rights to decide whether or not to undergo any health care with use of medical equipments/machine intervention-even where a refusal may result in harm or death to themselves, unless a court of law orders to the contrary. The other option I had was not to personally asked patients that were dealt with by me for their consents and carry on with my task at the risk actions taken against me. Imposition of treatment upon a competent patient against their wishes may constitute inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Such option might have been counterproductive and detrimental to my career in the invent that any of the patients decide to take legal action against me (Tingle .J. and Cribb .A. 2007). I was classified as a very good and hardworking student, who was always willing to work at all times but needed to adjust on certain aspects such as hygiene skills and patience i.e. doing things properly without rushing them through, which I did improve on eventually; didnt get a few task done in the theoretical aspect but when it came to the practical aspect I was always willing to learn something new. Even in the practical I was still a bit shaking; but if I was to come back for another work placement and was told to do some if not most of the things I had done in my previous placement I believe there would be more care as I have gained more experience and knowledge of how to go about it. Reflection helps the practitioner to gain insight into self, be empowered to respond more effectively in similar situation in the future and realise your vision as a lived reality. In addition to that, reflection leads to learning certain skills and knowledge and development of attitudes and attri butes effective to make positive difference to the client To conclude, it has now become clear that reflection is a way to learn through experience and this helps the practitioner to gain insight or change his perception of himself or his practice. It is a good tool to describe, analyse and evaluate practice experience for future learning. Its major role in professional programme is learning but is also good for professional development and identifying learning needs. This essay has also made me to be aware of the factors that inhibit observation such as attention or its deficit, know-how, working condition and the need to know. It has made me to be aware of the fact that professional issues are normally composed of various important and co-relating issues. Issues There were lots issues faced while working at the hospital, mainly with the patients; most of the issues were to do with the reaction of people when it comes to the pronouncing of the names/surnames, some were just naturally mischievous and the rest were to do with unnecessary questions being asked and their slow rate of understand when explaining something to them. These issues were dealt with by just adapting to the environment as well as the different type of people that came; this has helped massively outside of the hospital. Another issue was between me and my supervisor we did have a few misunderstanding when it came to getting work done properly and in time, been told off several times, embarrassed in front of other colleagues e.t.c but the only way out was to do what the supervisor wanted which was getting work done and up to standard as well as punctuality. Issue between other colleagues and I; I made new friends tried to be social with everybody in class, never had any grudge against anybody but some did. Which I ignored and tried as much as possible to stay away from them because didnt want anything hindering or standing between me and my degree in order to ruin my career. Whenever we needed to work in pair on a task I made sure I worked with the one that I social with the most and not the ones that had the grudge; the last thing needed while working in a hospital was conflict and being hypocritical. The major issue of all was doing course work while doing the work experience; during the 2 months work experience we were at some point required to get some course work / power point presentations created more pressure on us. We worked from 9am 5pm, knackered for the rest of the night so had to rest but not in this situation on some nights had to get some the coursework / presentation done. It was all down to time-management more work and less socialising, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, work an hour off each night was for investigations and the type up of the coursework, weekends most of the works were done including the rehearsal of the presentation as well as revision for upcoming examinations Dewey (1933) Donald Schà ¶n (1983) Goodman (1984, cited by jasper 2003) Griffith, R., Tegnah, C. (2008) Tingle .J. and Cribb .A. ( 2007). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiology http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/reflecti.htm http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-reflect.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiography

Essay --

What Is a â€Å"Real† Woman? Criticism of Existing Body Positive Advertising Thinner and thinner models are being used in combination with Photoshop, creating an impossible beauty ideal that is affecting the physical and emotional health of women in our society. The typical fashion model presented in advertisements has protruding hip bones and an androgynous body shape due to dangerously low body fat. They are slimmed and smoothed further in images by the use of Photoshop. The documentary MissRepresentation points out, â€Å"you never see a photograph in the media of a woman considered beautiful that hasn’t been digitally altered to make her absolutely inhumanely perfect†. Since the 1980’s, the quest to be thin has shifted from eliminating excess weight to eliminating bulges, or flesh that wiggles (â€Å"Slender Body† 191). It is no longer enough to be thin. The ideal body is also toned, bolted down, and maintains â€Å"firm bodily margins† (â€Å"Slender Body† 191). This nearly impossible beauty standard is reflected and enforced by advertisements showing emaciated models selling products to smooth out bumps, reduce wrinkles, or tone the body. The media’s depiction of female bodies has a detrimental influence on women’s perception of themselves and has come under fire in recent years. Girls growing up in our media soaked culture internalize society’s ever-thinning standard of beauty, believing that they can never be slender enough. The negative effect of the media has been linked to the spread of eating disorders (â€Å"Never Just Pictures†, Thompson). This has led to a public outcry against impossibly thin, airbrushed models and a demand for more honest advertising. The movement toward â€Å"body positive† advertising is a response to the damaging eff... ...ove, it still rejects older and disabled women as beautiful. It also renders women with imperfect skin or tattoos as unacceptable. Although Skinnygirl claims to show the average woman in their advertisement, they still only represent a limited demographic. Although presented as body positive, Dove, M&S and Skinnygirl’s advertising campaigns using â€Å"real women† still subscribe to existing beauty standards to maintain firm body margins and reject certain body types as beautiful. Even if well intentioned, advertising for beauty products is inherently not a good place to start the body positive movement because it relies on the consumer feeling like they need to improve themselves to buy the product. Instead of focusing on how to make â€Å"ordinary† women feel beautiful, the focus should shift away from the body. Women should not feel as if their beauty is their self worth.

The Impact of Lenin on Russia and the Russian People Essay -- Papers

The Impact of Lenin on Russia and the Russian People Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (a.k.a Lenin) was born in 1870, into a middle class family. In the year 1887 when Lenin was 17 his elder brother Alexandra was executed for conspiring to assassinate the tsar. Lenin who was already well educated and fond of reading and writing was encouraged to enter politics to make changes and to somehow avenge his brothers' death. The long term effects of this were that Lenin would later become one of the great revolutionary leaders of all time. Lenin begins to study law and the works of Karl Marx. He is then exiled to Siberia by the authorities as he becomes more politically involved. Whilst he is there he marries another revolutionary in 1898. After this he spends some time travelling abroad with his wife Krupskaya but, he continues to write political material laying down the foundations for revolution and communism in Russia. Lenin is in Britain in 1903 and it is there that he forms the Bolshevik party to help the working class Russians who he has been brought up to have compassion for. The immediate effects of this are the formation of the Bolshevik party. The Long term effects of this are that the Bolshevik party stays in power and Russia becomes a communist country. Between 1903 and 1917 Lenin spends his time moving around Europe. Also at the time he writes pieces for political newspapers and builds the foundations for the Bolshevik party. Lenin spends a great deal of time raising money for the party to enable them to print their revolutionary literature and newspapers such as 'Zvezda'. Lenin uses this time to create the fundamentals neede... ...ere were great improvements in Russia. The results of the N.E.P brought about Trotskys criticism of Lenin. He accused Lenin of being capitalist. Lenin realised that in order to take a giant leap sometimes one must take a couple of paces back first. The creation of the N.E.P brought about the rise of the Russian economy. Lenin and the communist party brought many changes to Russia. Russia had been governed by the tsar and his family for three hundred years. When Lenin gained power he brought about a lot of reforms and in effect modernised Russia to some extent. He also brought Russia through the civil war. The major effects of Lenin on Russia and the Russian people are the introduction to communism in Russia and that he will be remembered as a great leader and had the respect and admiration of a lot of Russian people.

Teachers of Today †Who They Are and What They Need to Know

Assignment 2 – Paper – Teachers of Today – who they are and what they need to know Word count (2,382): Final Word count (2,264): INTRODUCTION Exciting, and rewarding are just some characteristics that explain teaching. Overcoming anxiety and nerves in the first year is our greatest challenge. Moving into the classroom for the first time can be a daunting and challenging experience for everyone. You are required to immediately equip four years of knowledge into your teaching and classroom management. While this may seem to be a difficult time, it will only get easier. There are many rewards with being a teacher, however it is important to note that it is not a role to be taken lightly – it is a difficult role to fill. As teachers, we need to understand that every child will learn differently. No matter their culture, gender or socioeconomic status, so as teachers you have to encourage and have a level field in your classrooms. You have to know how to reach each student. As teachers you need to let the students know that they don’t have to follow the stereotyped roles of society. The teachers of 2010 and beyond will face many challenges that we are currently unaware of. What we can do to prepare for those challenges is look at where things may be headed in terms of technology and population and cultural diversity. PROFESSIONALISM & TECHNOLOGY â€Å"A professional doesn’t view his or her profession as a just a job, but rather sees it as a calling that is all about caring for children† – Kramer, 2003, p. 23 As an independent Australian Comics publisher (and short film producer), professionalism is what helps us stand out from the crowd. Look and presentation is vital,  we have to stick to various guidelines depending on your audience and where we are showcasing,  all this requires some serious  decision making and – when dealing with multiple artists – juggling some serious egos! Developing and maintaining relationships with other artists is imperative for us to continue to grow, and is just  as important to the relationship of student and teacher. We need to keep up to date with market, media  and consumer trends  just as both students and teachers must with  syllabus and curriculum†¦ nd indeed those same market, media and consumer trends. Change and adaption is incredibly  important as well, because without  it  you can't  move forward or stay fresh. To be a professional teacher you can't be a dictator,  but  more of great  artist  whose success is  drawn from the love of the craft,  nurturing the medium and understanding what the final masterpiece is meant to c onvey. In 2010 and beyond, our classrooms will transform into more of a technological teaching and learning environment. There are many new ways students can research information they need through resources such as the Internet. Teaching has also been altered, with the use of interactive whiteboards. To fulfil a professional role as a teacher, there are many different aspects to consider and behaviours to demonstrate. As role-models, these will pave the way for the students to become more professional themselves. It is important for a teacher to relate to each student in a professional manner. There are many ways to tutor students through advancements in technology such as the Internet, thus expanding the opportunities to be passed on to a new generation. Teachers should always teach with passion and a burning desire to touch hearts and change lives. Remember: it’s not just a job – it’s an honour. MOTIVATION and TEACHING STRATEGIES The description of motivation and the descriptions of the many various differing theoretical explanations for them are as follows†¦ The process of motivation itself is – simply put – starting towards a goal and keeping on the path until you achieve the goal. (Eggen and Kauchak 2010). An individual may well have different ideas in mind when achieving heir goals – whether they are moved by an extrinsic motivation (ie: the need to get there simply as a means to an end) or intrinsic motivation (doing it for the love of the subject) – the results are the same and both methods are valid. Admittedly, if you enjoy a subject it will give you more value as it will your teacher/s, but striving for that end result regardless will be an achievement. There are various theories of motivation, which shall be dealt with below. Through various cognitive theories, we know people really need to understand the world and their experiences to make sense of them and their place in that world. They can be as follows: Need for Self-Determination: this is where an individual feels the need to act on and control their environment to understand it – to have choices and to decide what they want to do. Praise, offers of help and other emotional factors can also be a part of self-determination. Need for Autonomy: here the individual feels the need to not only act on their environment, but to alter it to their way of thinking so that they can relate to it and learn more effectively. Need for Relatedness: this is where an individual feels the need for social connection and approval to facilitate their learning. Indeed, this factor is quite important as it fulfils the desire for approval and positive judging. Need to Preserve Self-Worth: simply put – this is the need to feel important – whether this is in a family group, friends, employment or any other social aspect – if we feel intelligent and important then our ability to learn likewise grows. Belief about future outcomes: This is a very personal part of learning and unique to each individual. The ability to guesstimate what the outcome of a project will be based upon your own knowledge of your capabilities will greatly influence your learning skills – the more you think you can, you will (Little Engine That Could – Watty Piper – 1930) Beliefs about Intelligence: the belief that you can or can NOT do a task will have a huge psychological impact upon your learning abilities. This can also be influenced by outside positive and negative feedback from others. Unless you are rock-solid positive you can do something despite negative criticism, that very criticism can undermine your belief in your own intelligence. The challenge is to find motivators for each and every student and use these to engage them in their education and learning. In terms of teaching and learning, motivation is the engagement that students have in their studies, and the efforts that they make to achieve their goals. Motivation can be split into two types, refer to Table 1. 1. Understanding student motivation is vital to the development of effective teaching strategies and necessary to discover different approaches to motivation and how these impact classroom decisions. pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Table 1. 1 – Types of Motivation The behaviourist approach suggests that a student will gain a reward, either extrinsic or intrinsic, then the individual will be motivated to complete the task so as to receive it. From this we can determine that reward systems within the classroom can be used to increase student motivation, however Eggen and Kauchak (2010) stress that extrinsic rewards should be used to increase intri nsic motivation so as to promote learner independence. As teaching moves forward into 2010 and beyond, behaviourism is amongst the many learning theories in practice that is essential to good teaching. With diverse backgrounds and environmental factors, watching for the appropriate and inappropriate key behaviours in students is a complicated process in assuring desired behaviour is maintained. The cognitive approach suggests teachers should model how to claim responsibility for their success and failures, and should acknowledge that with additional effort past failures can be used as a learning tool. The Individuals’ Memory Stores play an important role, which contains the sensory memory to capture stimuli, working memory, phonological loop for words and sounds, and our visual-spatial sketch pad for our visual and spatial surroundings. All these various processes are active when we learn, and are fascinating examples of how the human mind operates. The humanist approach to motivation is dominated by the belief that all individuals have a number of needs that must be fulfilled (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010). These needs are categorised in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs outlined in figure 2. . The hierarchy suggests that if any of the lower level needs are not met then it is not possible for higher order ones to be fulfilled. Teachers must understand that these needs will not always be fulfilled within the home environment and various programs can be established to aid students when the home environment fails. [pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Figure 2. 2 – Maslowsâ€⠄¢s Hierarch of Needs We must also remember that an integral aspect of motivation lies in aiming towards a particular achievement, or goal. A goal is an outcome that an individual is striving to achieve. Goals can be divided into four different types, see table 3. 3. [pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Table 3. 3 – Types of Goals Classical conditioning is yet another form of learning that occurs when an individual produces an involuntary emotional or physiological response, similar to instinct or reflex (Pavlov, 1927). Figure 4. 4 (below) outlines the concepts in greater detail. [pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Figure 4. 4 – Classical Conditioning Operant conditioning is where a response changes in frequency or duration as a result of a consequence (Skinner, 1953). This can be presented through either positive or negative reinforcement or through the presentation or removal of a punishment and shaping (Premack, 1965). Operant Conditioning can have a negative impact if used incorrectly, which can result in students not feeling safe, stressed and anxious about their environment. Constructivist Learning Theory is a theory that seems like common sense when you think about it, stating that learners create their own knowledge of topics they study as opposed to simply recording that information. Piaget 1952/ Vygotsky 1978). There are two primary perspectives for Constructivism: Cognitive Constructivism – focuses on internal construction of knowledge. Social Constructivism – focuses on constructing knowledge socially before internalising. Cognitive Apprenticeships is a process designed to places less able learners with more able ones to assist in developing their abilities. Peer-to-peer assistance provides many characteristics that assist learners through a new teaching experience. Some of these are modelling (watching demonstrations), scaffolding (being asked questions to prompt their learning), verbalisation (expressing their beliefs), increasing complexity (which does what the name implies) and exploration (finding new ways to use knowledge). This tool allows teachers to monitor other less able students, knowing that appropriate peer-to-peer learning is being undertaken with other less able students. The learning process of students will be influenced by many factors as you can see above. As they do, we need to keep a watchful eye on how they unfold. The challenge of teachers in 2010 and beyond is to find these motivators for each and every student and use them to engage them in education and learning. In the end, when teachers effectively motivate students their interest will increase along with their ability to learn. COMMITMENT and CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT When committing to creating a productive learning environment, the developmental stage of students should be considered. High-school students have different capabilities of primary-school students, so their classroom activities need to be more challenging (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010). Younger students are more responsive to concrete examples, while older students are capable of understanding theories and complex situations. If computer software is to be used in the classroom, it should be tailored to those stages of development. Younger students would require simple interfaces, less challenging problems, frequent feedback and recognition of achievement. Classroom management will also determine how effective the teaching is. Part of effective management is setting rules and procedures, and following them throughout the entire study period. The selection of topics attracts several issues. For the most part, teachers will be following a curriculum, but will prefer to place emphasis on particular sections of this framework. Their own personal knowledge and commitment, as well as the information that they deem important and useful, contributes to the various topics. There is also a need to plan how these topics will be delivered. Traditional instruction using lectures provides little interaction and feedback, so other strategies need to be looked at and implemented. The author Tony Newton intends to try and maintain a level of control using humour in much the same way his own third grade teachers did when he was young. Keeping in mind all the various technologies and ground rules that have to be in place, as well as students’ abilities and social interaction, (Maximizing the Time and Opportunity for Learning – Eggen and Kauchak, 2010 – pg 355) a classroom MUST be organised, arranged appropriately and personal. For Mr. Newton’s own class, he also firmly believe if kids have fun, they will learn more. Then we have Ability Grouping, being the practice of sorting students into groups of similar intelligence/ learning capabilities. We need to remember that if we begin segregating students early on, then those who are quicker cannot scaffold or mentor the slower ones up to speed. Social ramifications here are also dangerous where those smarter think they may be â€Å"better† than their less able peers†¦ and friendships can then also suffer. Tolerance and assistance must be cultivated to prevent these prejudices from booming out of proportion in later life. CONCLUSION The theories of learning and teaching covered above provide useful background information for new teachers entering the workforce. Situations that we encounter will be unique, though it is always beneficial to be prepared and plan for the journey ahead. Reviewing literature and applying some of these techniques can assist with understanding how people learn, different teaching methods, and the factors to consider when building a classroom. Moving forward into 2010, teachers are advised to consider these theories and incorporate many different levels of educational tools, through appropriate modes, that assist in developing the students’ learning construction. Although we do not know what classrooms will be like in the future, this is something that we actually determine ourselves. When we are first starting out, we will need to create our own style and approach, making up our own rules. Although teachers are expected to give instruction, it is still a learning experience. Thankfully there are a lot of resources at our disposal. Remember to keep improving our teaching craft, and we will be able to adapt to the demands of classrooms in 2010 and beyond. Reference List Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations on Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman. Borko, H. , and Putnam R. (1996). Handbook of educational psychology. Macmillan; United States of America. Eggen, P. , and Kauchak, D. (2010). Educational Psychology: Windows On Classrooms (8th ed. ). In H. Gardner, and S. Moran, The Science of Multiple Intelligences Theory. United States of America: Pearson International. Mayer, R. , (2002). Teaching of subject matter. Annual review of psychology,55, 715-744. Pavlov,  I. P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes translated by G V Anrep. Oxford University Press, London, England. Piaget, J. (1977). Problems in quilibration. In M. Appel, and L. Goldberg, Topics in cognitive development: Vol. 1. Equilibration: Theory, research, and application. New York: Plenum Press. Premack, D. 1965). Reinforcement theory. In D. Levine (Ed. ), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation (Vol. 13, pp. 3-41). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. New York. Macmillan. Woolfolk, A. , and Margetts,K. (2007). Educational psychology. Sydney, Australia: Pearson Education Australia. Vinesh Chandra and Darrell L. Fisher (2009). Students' Perceptions of a Blended Web-Ba sed Learning. Environment. Learning Environ Res. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Thought and Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. The Little Engine That Could – Watty Piper – 1930