Manegerial Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Manegerial Leadership - Essay Example Managerial and leadership development is becoming an increasingly recognized tenet of sustainable performance improvement in organizations both in the public and private sectors. Managerial leadership development can be discerned as a complicated function of training, evaluation, feedback and strategy that requires meta frameworks to be effective and traceable. Dubai Municipality is a public sector organization in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Its job descriptions involve planning and regulating permissions for business, construction and development activities. The Municipality is facing a massive demand for its services and is under pressure to deliver a high standard of services at a volume that satisfies the rising demand. This report will endeavor to discuss a process of implementing a managerial leadership development program for this organization, in order for it to stay in tune with the rising expectations. It is a widely recognized fact that effective managerial leadership programs can help employees become more effective in managing the scarce resources available and aligning them with company objectives, in environments that are becoming tricky to negotiate due to a confluence of factors such as globalization, heightened competition and increased levels of customer demands. Yet it is equally widely recognized, e.g. by Cook (2004) that most leadership development programs operate bereft of tracking and evaluation mechanisms. Nevertheless, evaluating the success of managerial leadership development programs is a very important step in understanding the effectiveness of these programs. Only by introducing an evaluation, monitoring, evaluation and feedback loop will it be possible for us to isolate the positive impact (if any) of specific managerial leadership development programs and to explore ways of improving their effectiveness in meeting the stakeholders' objectives . In the sections below, this paper will dwell on the concepts of strategic planning, evaluating, controlling and improving managerial leadership development interventions at the Dubai Municipality, and how these factors will help the organization to make its services more efficient. Models of management and leadership development: Leadership development is defined as "every form of growth or stage of development in the life cycle that promotes, encourages, and assists the expansion of knowledge and expertise required to optimize one's leadership potential and performance" ( Brungardt, 1996). The literature on management theories is extensive. As organizations realize that their employees may be ill equipped to become leaders in a fast evolving global scenario, organizations by and large are investing in programs to enhance employee managerial and leadership development skills (Collins and Holton, 2004). Moreover, there is evidence that managerial and le

Business Ethics Week 2 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Ethics Week 2 - Term Paper Example â€Å"Eminent Domain shall not be exercised unless it substantially furthers an important Government interest, and with respect to housing unless it specially fulfills an overriding Government purpose† (Ryskamp, 2007, p. 31). One can accept Eminent Domain as a positive activity if done to take over a decayed or unused area, for constructing institutions like hospitals, schools and other inevitable human requirements, for real economic development of the land, which is in public interest. It will also open up employment avenues and increase revenue of the community. Thus, the final result will be the revitalization of the community around that vicinity. Eminent Domain right will negatively affect individual who are living in that area for a long time, or have been locating their business centre in that area over a considerable period of time. Obviously, their fear that it will affect their business negatively is justified. Therefore, they may not be willing to part with their properly. The confiscation of one’s property without his full will despite for being a ‘just compensation† relates to a person’s feelings and emotions. A person apart from the money worth has feelings and memories attached to a place because it might be his or her roots. Therefore, it hampers the individual’s sentiments when the property or place is confiscated without the full permission of the individual. Quality and professional standard will have distinguished improvement and professional entry will be restricted which will help both government and public to avoid malpractices and encourage healthy competition. Renuemaration and wages of the professionals will have positive changes. Demerits includes factors like consumer cost will be relatively higher and it will force the consumer pay more for specialized work. Besides, it will also restrain the mobility of practitioners.

The Organizations Own Evaluation Of Change Process Information Technology Essay

The Organizations Own Evaluation Of Change Process Information Technology Essay The main objective of this paper is to present the management change and business process change in PLIVA pharmaceutical industry, Incorporated (PLIVA pharmaceuticals, Inc). In this research, the advantages and the benefits (tangible and intangible), as well as the problems, of the BPR and the ERP implementation projects were analyzed, discussed and compared to the similar research. The impacts of information technology (IT) were also discussed. This study presents the results of research conducted on reengineering business processes. It also discussed about the selected aspects of the business processes and information modelling in PLIVA, together with the results of analysis of the status and characteristics of ERP systems in PLIVA. Introduction Type of Change: The type of the change in PLIVA is transitional change and development change i.e., ERP implementation and BPR projects. Transitional change is more intrusive than developmental change as it replaces existing processes or procedures with something that is completely new to the company. The future of the organization is unknown when the transformation begins which can add a level or discomfort to employees. The outcome of transitional change is unknown so employees feel that their job is unstable and their own personal insecurities may increase. They provided education on the new procedures should be commenced at each stage of the new process. This allowed employees to feel that they are actively involved and engaged in the change. As an employees level of engagement in the new procedure increases, their resistance to change decreased. One of its main problems in business management was the availability of information. Until now the available information often failed to give an accurate picture of the current business situation. Today companies need up-to-date information in order to make the right business decisions. Impact of Change: Management is cognizant of the impact and stress of these changes will have on their employees. The company continued to inform the employees of their status offer support in helping them deal with the personal adjustments they will be forced to make (Vuksic Spremic, 2005). The impact of development change caused little stress to current employees as long as the rationale for the new process is clearly conveyed and the employees are educated on the new techniques. ERP implementation significantly impacts company culture, organizational structure, business processes, procedures and rules. Furthermore, ERP applications integrate many best business practices and much knowledge that could be worthwhile if included as a part of BPR projects. By taking the best practices inherent in ERP applications, PLIVA can change their processes simultaneously with technological change (Vuksic Spremic, 2005). As a result, PLIVA has to change their business processes to fit the ERP system requirements, and the possibilities of ERP systems have been used to underpin BPR. Background Information PLIVA is the largest pharmaceutical company by turnover in Central and Eastern Europe and continues to expand its operations with recent acquisitions of Pharmaceutical and RD companies in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, United Kingdom and USA. With increasing efforts concentrating on the global Pharmaceuticals market, PLIVA has divested its cosmetics, food and agrochemicals production units as standalone companies (Al-Mashari Zairi, 1999). Since its 1996 listing on the London and Zagreb Stock Exchanges, PLIVA has made notable advancements in internationalizing its business and implementing global and innovative strategies. PLIVA is a rather unique company with investments in both research and development. With over 400 patents in its possession, PLIVA has proven the high calibre of its RD capabilities, most notably through the discovery of its blockbuster azithromycin. This macrolide antibiotic, globally known as Zithromax (under license to Pfizer) or Sumamed (PLIVAs brand), is the top selling antibiotic in its class (Al-Mashari Zairi, 1999). PLIVA consists of 44 legal entities, has 5 major business divisions (research, fine chemicals, pharmaceutical, OTC, DDI) and 9 strategic/corporate divisions (development, regulatory affairs, finance, human resources, IT, quality assurance, legal affairs, corporate communications and engineering). PLIVA employs almost 7500 people in 33 countries (including 120 IT professionals not including out-of-house consultants), has 5 main production locations (Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and USA) and 43 subsidiaries in 23 countries (Vuksic Spremic, 2005). Research Methodology We gathered information about PLIVA from different case studies, white papers, and websites. We have read those cases and understood how did they done their research before implementing ERP and BPR projects. As the cases said that they had sent some questionnaires to managers of 14 different companies in Croatia and got the feedback from those companies. We have discussed about the change process in the evaluation section and how much time they have take for the research. Description of Change Process Pliva needed to standardise their business processes to help enhance their productivity and flexibility and maximise the efficiency of the business processes across the entire enterprise. They also wanted to implement new business and growth strategies to grow their business worldwide. Updating and integrating their business processes with an enterprise system would enable Pliva to take on more business and grow in new directions. Pliva found that implementing SAP will help them standardize their business and prepare for acquiring other companies, thus enabling them to expand their business. Increase productivity Improve business process efficiency Increase revenues scale for growth and economic recovery prepare for mergers and acquisitions PLIVA decided to solve this problem using the experience of other companies from all over the world. The management team was well aware that there was no point in trying to find their own solution: It was better to purchase a packaged business solution from an internationally renowned and experienced software vendor. PLIVA wanted user-friendly software that would integrate all areas and levels of their business, and research on the worlds software market indicated that the most suitable solution would be SAP R/3. SAP R/3 would improve the efficiency of their business by giving them the functionality to enter the information only once and have it available everywhere (Vuksic Spremic, 2005). This gives PLIVA: A unique database More efficient management The ability to make business decisions in real-time An integrated solution that connects all business areas. Once the decision to implement SAP R/3 had been made, PLIVA appointed a team to manage the SAPLI project (short for SAP and PLIVA). The team included experts from PLIVA, Intelligroup Inc. USA, SAP AG and SAP Hrvatska, HP Hermes Plus (Al-Mashari Zairi, 1999). Since SAP R/3 includes many different modules, we decided to implement FI and CO first, said PLIVA.s IT Manager, Ms. Jasna Turkovic. FI is a crucial module that integrates all business information; the whole business cycle begins and ends in FI. Once we have implemented SD, PM, PP, QM and HR, all our business processes will be managed by information technology and any information entered into the system will be available everywhere in real-time. The implementation of the SAP solution took place in individual phases, with two modules in the area of cost centre accounting and profit centre accounting implemented in 1997. This enabled the better control of financial resources, forecasts and a new type of analysis. During the process of implementation, one of the major problems faced by Pliva was resistance to the change process mainly by the warehouse employees. The reasons for the resistance, Vuksic Sprenic (2005): the employees feel they dont require complicated system and the change is unnecessary they feel threatened and insecure about losing their jobs and lack of skill to use the new system In addition to resistance to change, the most significant problems in the system implementation were in the weak experience and quality of consultants who bid in the public tender, the lack of time and the specificity of the pharmaceutical industry. During the implementation of the IS, the consulting company Price Waterhouse Coopers conducted a reengineering project, or the reorganization of business operations aimed at determining the key sectors of future operations: the core business. Though these were two fully independent projects, they were harmonized at the level of the steering committee. The project team consisted of 25 members, all of whom were experts in their fields, said Mr. Damir Martinovic the SAPLI Project Manager. They were responsible for making all operational and strategic decisions during software implementation. Experts from our consulting agencies helped us get the best results from particular modules and consultants from SAP Hrvatska (Al-Mashari Zairi, 1999) provided support with technical issues and the software itself, particularly regarding Croatian legal requirements. The process of preparations and employees training and education lasted 4 months in 2 shifts, which included 700 employees (average training period of 7 days per employee). The transfer of operations to the new system (in the second phase of implementation) lasted 12 days, as the problem of shifting from the old coded system (taking over old data) needed to be resolved. During the transfer to the new system, operations were halted for 10 days, while inventory and a detailed financial harmonization were conducted. During the implementation of the new information system, and in running information systems in general, project organization with the usual participants stands out: the project sponsor, steering committee, project teams, team leader, functional teams and team members. An interesting organizational solution used in PLIVA are the validation teams, which are separated from the project teams, having the task of control the teams work, measuring harmonization with business plans and goals and coordinating the cross-functionality of teams. The validation team is led by a person from Quality Assurance (QA), responsible for validating the information system. The members of the validation team are also team leaders for the remaining teams in the project. It must be also pointed out that the IT Department in PLIVA has a strategic position in the company. It is directly responsible to the top management and is organized as a profit centre, meaning that daughter companies are billed for the transfer, implementation and use of the existing IS in the daughter companies (roll-out in 2003 in Czech Republic and 2004 in Germany). Considering that PLIVA has over 1500 SAP licenses, a help desk, ABAP programmers, highly educated employees (18 employees are SAP consultants) and an organizational management for user support, all the conditions have been set for PLIVA to become a SAP Customer Competence Centre, which would then reduce the costs of license maintenance on 20%. SAP modules were implemented through 4 phases: (Vuksic Spremic, 2005) 1) 1996-1997. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ SAP 3.0 modules: FI-Financials, CO-Controlling, BC-Basis components, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ UPGRADE SAP 3.0-3.1 H 2) 1998-2000. Modules: MM- Materials Management, PP Production Planning, QM-Quality Management, SD-Sales Distribution, WM- Warehouse Management, HR-Human Resources, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ UPGRADE SAP 3.1H-4.0B-2000 (JAN) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ UPGRADE SAP 4.0B-4.6 C 2000 (JULY) 3) 2001. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Modules: SAP PP-PI-Production Planning- Process industries-extension of PP module à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ QM module-advanced functionality of Quality control à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ PM-Plant Maintenance 4) 2002. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ International roll-out A thorough review of the information system according to SAP specifications and standards was also conducted, and the implementation of the following modules was planned in 2003: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ SCM- Supply Chain Management, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ BIW- Business Information Warehouse, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Project Systems, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Treasury The Organizations Own Evaluation of Change Process A research titled comparative analysis of program support information systems in Croatia was conducted in the month of November, 2000 to aid the companies implementing ERP by providing information regarding market status and allocation of expenses regarding training, development and other intangible and tangible aspects of implementation of ERP. The ministry of Science and technology assisted in compiling data for this research. The data was collected from fourteen companies who were in the process of implemented or had already implemented ERP. Ten other companies who were ERP users also participated in the study. For the evaluation phase, only 25% of the companies participated and Pliva pharmaceuticals fell in this group. For thorough evaluation each component was studied individually and was graded with a range of possible scores. The relevance and criticality of the component could be assessed by its expressed weighted factor. With respect to the change concerning the business process reengineering, a research was conducted by IT researchers from the Department of Information Science and Business Computing of the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb (Croatia) in 2002.The main purpose being, examining all the possible issues and problems which arose while adapting BPR practices (Al-Mashari Zairi, 1999). A questionnaire was prepared and survey was considered the most appropriate research methodology for this study since it involved a large sample space of 400 of the largest Croatian companies. To determine the largest companies their annual revenues were considered. Another case study was conducted by Pliva on their own business processes. They implemented the ERP systems in phases by implementing the main key modules first and later upgrading their system and adding other modules (Al-Mashari Zairi, 1999). The results of the case study conducted by Pliva were compared with the results of the research that were done on ERP and BPR and the following results were concluded: Pliva had a proactive approach to the change process. The example of PLIVA shows that successful implementation of the ERP system must be accompanied by an appropriate BRP project. From this example, it is possible to conclude that the final results are positive, even when these are completely separate and independent projects. This shows that much attention was given to employee training with the goal of achieving maximal flexibility and readiness for constant organizational changes. This long standing cooperation has resulted in an internal training program which PLIVA employees carry out according to the methodologies of the Management Centre Europe. According to the research, the best supported components are Finance and Sales. From the results of the case study, Pliva disagreed with the research, for even though product planning and management were implemented in the beginning, there were no significant problems and very good results ensued. This indicates that good project management and coordination with the BPR project gives a good final outcome. The time taken to implement the ERP project was 3-4 years. The project was implemented in 4 phases. Although it was too long, the phase-by-phase approach used in the case of Pliva could be assumed as the critical factor of successful implementation. Pliva faced problems with finding a good quality consultant, consultants with experience in implementing the SAP system in pharmaceutical industries. High initial consulting costs. However, Pliva realised that initial consulting cost can be reduced by choosing employees to act as consultants. Although the project of implementing the ERP system and BRP project were independent, they were coordinated at the level of the project steering committee, which permitted proper execution of wide-reaching organization changes and contributed to the overall success of the ERP implementation. The results achieved by ERP and BPR projects in PLIVA improved the process performance in terms of time and costs and can be summarized as follows (Vuksic Spremic, 2005): Reduction of overall inventory by at least 30%, thus increasing the coefficient of Turnover, Reduction of product delivery time to the buyer from 4 days to 24 hours, Reduction of the number of employees by 20-30% in functions where the new system was implemented (redistribution of work meant savings), Reduction in the number of complaints due to mistakes in delivery (complaints reduced to a minimum) Reduction of time of payment by 30% with the implementation of the buyers credit Limit. Analysis of Change Process Lewins model has dominated change management theories for many years. In recent years it has been criticized for: being top-down driven; assuming a stable organizational setting; being suitable only for small organizations; and ignoring organizational politics. Lewin is still relevant to the modern world, the argument goes rather than being outmoded (Litzell, 2005). From diverse and seemingly unrelated disciplines models describing the change process has been gathered and analysed. In tracing their origin it was found that a majority of the models were following Lewins three-stage model (Litzell, 2005). In order to bring about a successful change of a groups performance the change must go through three stages as follows: unfreezing of the present level of performance should it be necessary; moving the group to a new level of performance; freezing the group on the new level of performance (Lewin, 1952). Unfreezing Destabilize old patterns. The key is to create dissatisfaction with the existing situation, which in turn creates anxiety and a need for change. The response to this need is to choose improvements in line with the vision of the new organization. This kind of mobilizing is necessary throughout the change process; a less intense force is needed though to keep the change moving than the initial substantial force needed to get the change in motion (Litzell, 2005). In the case of Pliva the management adds forces working for the change. To support it they tried to Develop a shared vision of how to organize and manage for competitiveness. (Litzell, 2005). The general manager employed towards the vision once there was a core group like the validation team committed to the ERP and BPE change. The vision defined new roles and responsibilities, coordinated information and work throughout the organization. An arrangement working through the formal structure and systems will create less resistance (Litzell, 2005).There are only a few people in any situation that are absolutely essential in making the change happen and the successful manager target these people at the beginning and try to win their commitment and involvement (Litzell, 2005). Moving Analyze, handle and steer When one attempts to change a social force field in equilibrium one has to consider all of the forces working to maintain this equilibrium. These forces may be groups, subgroups and members with different personalities, relations, barriers, communication and value systems etc. making up a social field. This social field has to be studied as a whole and reorganized in such a way that social events flow in a different way. One also has to take into consideration the economic resources available and the cultural values governing the group (Lewin, 1952). As mentioned earlier, Pliva faced to resistance to change from their warehouse employees. But Pliva was proactive to the change process. According to Brown Harvey (2003), resistance to change can be managed by: Move from reactive to proactive management Build a launching platform Diagnose the nature of the change Build a supportive climate Behavioral management of the process alongside strategy projects, start projects aimed at transforming culture and power structures Monitor and control the parallel development of new strategy and new capabilities. Pliva continuously monitored and were on the lookout for arising resistance sources. They developed techniques and effectively used power and communication to overcome resistance. They involved employees to participate and gave them the necessary skills and training. They also implemented a BRP project alongside the ERP project to facilitate change process. PILIVA generated support by displaying the behaviour of leaders. The management made sure that every action taken was in line with the change efforts. They developed structures to manage the transition by developing a step-by-step transition plan and set up an organization to manage and stimulate change. If employee competences are to be exploited the organization was able to structure and channel that competence which they required by allocating key people, use of consultants. Pliva followed the principal of third party consulting by creating validation teams, which consisted of various personnel from different departments. Through this they aimed at having open and effective communications and a standard level of power in order to handle confrontations which could arise between groups. They were established to help understand different perspectives and ideas and respect it. The team would use confrontation as a tool to sort tense situations. According to Brown Harvey (2003), Third-party Consultation uses a third party to help open communications, level power, and confronts problems between groups; Provides diagnostic insight, is non-evaluative, and is a source of emotional support and skills. aim to understand each others views/issues situations are often tense and emotional Confrontation is a basic feature of this Pliva also adapted BPR in order to facilitate the required changes to their operations to make it more efficient. The fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service, and speed Quantum leaps in performance (Hammer and Champy, 1993). Business process reengineering allows rethinking and making radical changes across the organisation. The changes would begin by redesigning the basic processes of the organisation. By doing so they could make their processes more efficient and add value to their enterprise. It could involve combining or removing certain activities. The most effective method could be using top down programme which is neutral, assuming that neither upward flow of involvement or consensus style of decision would help implementing the changes. According to Brown Harvey (2003), Business process reengineering, Seeks to make processes more efficient by combining, eliminating or restructuring activities; Top-down program that assumes neither an upward flow of involvement nor that consensus decision making will work to accomplish dramatic changes. Pliva used survey feedbacks as a method to evaluate their implementation process. Two surveys were done, one for ERP implementation other for BPR. This method would help them grade how successful they were and honest feedbacks would allow them to see places where they require to put in more effort and improve .It also helps them understand if they are heading in the right direction. Using this method they tried to bridge the gap between the current status and the desired status. This method also allows a participative approach through which all employees are engaged. Such approaches help them get a better understanding of the rationales and methods behind the change and they can come up with better strategies and mitigation plans in case of any problems. It also enables positive resistance which can benefit the company. According to CMOE (2000), Survey feedback is a tool that can provide a feedback to help leaders guide and direct their teams. Obstacles and gaps between the current status quo and the desired situations may or may not be directly apparent. In either case, it is vital to have a clear understanding of strategies for diagnosis and prevention of important organization problems. SURVEY PROCESS STEPS: Identify project plan and objectives Brief team leaders and employees about the process Administer survey Conduct interviews and focus groups Train leaders on facilitating team discussions Analyse the data and construct a report Provide feedback to leaders Team leaders conduct feedback action planning and meetings Leaders present reports on progress and results to Senior Management Follow-up by senior leadership to ensure progress and accountability Since the employers have been participating in the planning and implementation they got a feeling of accomplishment from seeing the change through. People develop a sense of ownership through participation (Litzell, 2005). Participation enabled PILIVA to make use of the employees full diversity of competence in the change process. By involving employees in the change work resistance is overcome and the lasting of the change is ensured (Litzell, 2005). Refreezing Continuous perspective. A change of a groups performance is frequently short lived. The change will soon return to the previous level of performance as attention shifts from achieving the change to coping with everyday problems. This indicates the necessity of including freezing of the new level of performance as an objective in the planning of change; it is merely not enough having to reach the new level of performance (Lewin, 1952). Each department in PILIVA elaborated the change and find its own application. This elaboration process helped create commitment to learn and adapt to the new organization (Beer et al., 1990a).When the new organization was in place and running properly, and the right people were in position, and the new approach was settled, then general managers considered how to institutionalize change. PILIVA carried out pilot testing and used the result as learning experiences which can be applied to the change in general. They set up systems ensuring that the change will last (Litzell, 2005). They monitored the revitalization process and adjust strategies according to emerging problems. The basic intangible benefits from the implementation of the new ERP system in PLIVA are (Vuksic Spremic, 2005): Better visibility of the workflow systems and their coordination, Secured forecasts of money flows and planning of available financial resources for a more rapid execution of all business processes, Centralized supply (6-7 employees for the entire company) as a result of the BPR project. Better (monthly) production planning (based on market needs and standing inventory) Better flexibility of the system with regard to business decisions, Automated warehouse (implementation of real warehouse with optimized selection and delivery of products) Well-informed decision making, new quality in planning and forecasting. Recommendation / Conclusion The implementation of a new ERP system will not bring the expected benefits if it is not accompanied by a change in human behaviour and in organizational regulations. There is no point in implementing a new ERP system if a business will then simply continue with its old, inefficient ways. Therefore, the implementation of ERP systems must be accompanied by a thorough change of business processes, procedures and rules. The top management support. Better planning before implementation of ERP. Vision should be communicated to each and every employee. Training for the employees. They can follow some OD interventions or action research theories which we have discussed in this case study. After the research we have done on Pliva there are some recommendations for them As when they are implementing they can follow some action research theories or some OD interventions to motivate the employees and make them to involve in the change. Yes but they got successful with the change but we say that it will be much better if so they had followed some organizational development interventions. Employees will naturally resist change but are more likely to accept the change if they view top management as keeping them informed and supporting them throughout the process. Employees will look for a rationale for the implementation of this major change. Top management should be prepared to involve employees in all phases of the transition. The results presented have outlined the problems of PLIVA in the implementation of reengineering projects, including a lack of preparation for large organizational changes, resistance to change, inadequate information, education of employees, lack of strategic planning and vision and a reactive role of the management. The problems associated with ERP solution implementation were also analysed, such as large initial investments, people need to adapt to software solutions and the long implementation period. This case study shows that with the right management decisions and actions, through simultaneous and coordinated projects of business process reengineering and the development of an integral information system. The poor effects of the listed problems can be minimized or eliminated, which is clear from the tangible and intangible benefits outlined in this case study.

The Darkened Tunnel :: Personal Narrative Writing

The Darkened Tunnel En route of my journey from home to my destination I came across something that caught my attention. A hole intruding into the side of a hill beckoned me to investigate. Curiosity drew me to the mouth of the tunnel where I was overcome by a dank odor. It wasn’t the most inviting of places, concrete walkway leading into the dark unknown and a large gutter extruding rainwater from somewhere within it. I stepped to the threshold to see what lay within. An old shopping cart sat in the gutter on its side shrouded by an old tarp. The scrawling on the wall revealed to me that I was not the first one here. Looking into the tunnel I could see it extend into darkness. Like looking into infinity, there was no end in sight. Who is to say what could be inside: maybe a friend, maybe an enemy, maybe knowledge, maybe love, maybe death, maybe nothing. The only light shown from the world outside, the world I knew. There I stood, on the threshold between light and dark, one world and the next, the familiar and the unknown. My curiosity was almost unbearable†¦ Confronted by the decision of whether or not to explore this tunnel, I couldn’t help but to ponder the importance of choice itself. What difference does this choice make? Life is choice, a long series of decisions made exclusively by the individual. We all have the power to determine the course of our own lives through the choices we make, every instant of every waking day. Think about the people you know, the clothes you wear or the food you eat, it’s all a matter of your individual choice. Every decision we make is linked to another moment in the course of life, be it significant or not, we may never know how important our individual choices really are. Examples of these life changing decisions can be seen everywhere, in any choice we make. The choice that my parents made to attend the same formal, in Middle America, where they met that one night in 1968, allowed for my existence today. So if it weren’t for that choice I wouldn’t even be cho osing my words. The Darkened Tunnel :: Personal Narrative Writing The Darkened Tunnel En route of my journey from home to my destination I came across something that caught my attention. A hole intruding into the side of a hill beckoned me to investigate. Curiosity drew me to the mouth of the tunnel where I was overcome by a dank odor. It wasn’t the most inviting of places, concrete walkway leading into the dark unknown and a large gutter extruding rainwater from somewhere within it. I stepped to the threshold to see what lay within. An old shopping cart sat in the gutter on its side shrouded by an old tarp. The scrawling on the wall revealed to me that I was not the first one here. Looking into the tunnel I could see it extend into darkness. Like looking into infinity, there was no end in sight. Who is to say what could be inside: maybe a friend, maybe an enemy, maybe knowledge, maybe love, maybe death, maybe nothing. The only light shown from the world outside, the world I knew. There I stood, on the threshold between light and dark, one world and the next, the familiar and the unknown. My curiosity was almost unbearable†¦ Confronted by the decision of whether or not to explore this tunnel, I couldn’t help but to ponder the importance of choice itself. What difference does this choice make? Life is choice, a long series of decisions made exclusively by the individual. We all have the power to determine the course of our own lives through the choices we make, every instant of every waking day. Think about the people you know, the clothes you wear or the food you eat, it’s all a matter of your individual choice. Every decision we make is linked to another moment in the course of life, be it significant or not, we may never know how important our individual choices really are. Examples of these life changing decisions can be seen everywhere, in any choice we make. The choice that my parents made to attend the same formal, in Middle America, where they met that one night in 1968, allowed for my existence today. So if it weren’t for that choice I wouldn’t even be cho osing my words.

Erikson’s psychosocial development theory Essay

Introduction As a young child, he was learning everything an independent, curious, and analytical toddler would be learning. At one and a half years of age, in his second stage of child development, he was mastering his walking skills and beginning to work on control and management. By the time he turned four he was in his next stage of development, beginning to copy what he was learning from adults, and exploring new and interesting activities. He was given the opportunity of free play and improved his sense of self-esteem. This sense of imagination and creativity would help him transition to the next stage. Finally, in the fourth stage of child development, around age seven, he was beginning to question who he really was and what his purpose and role was. He was put into social situations and was given the opportunity to interact with other children. He was Erik Erikson, and little did he know may have once lived through his own stages of psychosocial development. In this paper, I will discuss Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. His credentials and research are important to support his theory, and it is interesting to know the facts about famous theorists. I will be concentrating on stages two, three, and four as they pertain to primarily early childhood students. I will also discuss what I observed in an actual classroom and compare and contrast what I found out related to the different stages. Finally, I will mention the controversy over Erik Erikson’s theory and the evidence to support and argue the facts. Erikson developed an important theory that has helped explain human development. Erik Erikson Erik Erikson was born in 1902 in Germany. He did not start his career as a psychologist; â€Å"†¦in fact, Erikson never graduated from high school† (Woolfolk, 2007, p. 67). Erikson’s heavy interest and influences for identity were developed through his own experiences during school (Van Wagner, 2007). â€Å"Erikson spent his childhood in Germany, his adolescence wandering through Italy, and his young adulthood in Austria† (Berger, 2005, p. 35). A meeting with Sigmund Freud in Vienna led Erikson to an  interest for studying psychoanalysis (Woolfolk, 2007). According to Van Wagner (2007), Erikson earned a certificate from the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society.  Along with psychologists such as Freud, Erikson believed that crises of adult life reflect unresolved conflicts of childhood. However, his stages differed â€Å"significantly from Freud’s in that they emphasized people’s relationships to their family and culture, not only to their sexual urges† (Berger, 2005, p. 36). Through his stages, Woolfolk (2007) suggests that â€Å"Erikson offered a framework for understanding the needs of young people in relation to the society in which they grow, learn and later make their contributions† (p. 67). Each of the developmental stages confronts a person with a new task or ability that must be mastered for the best possible and most successful development (Coon, 2006). Because of this mastery, Erikson firmly believed in a psychosocial dilemma that causes problems through each stage. â€Å"A psychosocial dilemma is a conflict between personal impulses and the social world† (Coon, 2006, p. 113). The process in which the individual resolves each developmental conflict will have an impact on their self-image and view of the world (Woolfolk, 2007). Erikson identified eight different stages in the life cycle for human development (Gerrig and Zimbardo, 2005). â€Å"Erikson’s psychosocial theory emphasized the emergence of self, the search for identity, the individual’s relationships with others, and the role of culture through life† (Woolfolk, 2007, p. 67). Erikson furthered his career by moving to the United States in 1933 and accepting a teaching position at t he Harvard Medical School. As well as his new teaching position, he also developed his own private practice in child psychoanalysis (Van Wagner, 2007). After arriving in the United States, according to Berger (2005), Erikson â€Å"studied Harvard students, children at play, and Native American cultures† (p. 35). All of these different experiences helped Erikson to understand the importance of cultural diversity and significant changes that occur throughout the life cycle (Berger, 2005). According to the Erik Erikson Biography, â€Å"he utilized the knowledge he gained of cultural, environmental, and social influences to further develop his psychoanalytic theory.† Through his research, Erikson gathered  all of his information and results and published numerous books on his findings, including Childhood and Society and The Life Cycle Completed. Erikson’s book, Ghandi’s Truth, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and received a national Book Award. In addition to Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, he also added an understanding of the development of personality and how it changes throughout the l ife cycle (Van Wagner, 2007). Psychosocial Development Stages â€Å"Erikson proposed eight developmental stages covering the entire life span, each characterized by a particular challenge, or developmental crisis† (Berger, 2005, p. 36). Throughout stage one, trust versus mistrust, the main challenge of a child is the significant dependence on other people, mainly the parents. Erikson suggested that this stage was known as trust or mistrust because certain attitudes are developed at this time (Coon, 2006). After attaining the goal of stage one, the ability to trust, the child is ready to move onto stage two of development. Stage Two- Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt â€Å"Erikson’s second stage, autonomy versus shame and doubt, marks the beginning of self-control and self-confidence† (Woolfolk, 2007, p. 68). This stage occurs between the ages of eighteen months and three years. Children are either sufficient in activities including toilet training, or begin to doubt their own abilities if they are unsuccessful (Berger, 2005). The children that can complete this stage with success develop a sense of confidence and security, but those who do not succeed are left with a feeling of self-doubt (Van Wagner, 2007). â€Å"If parents do not maintain a reassuring, confident attitude and do not reinforce the child’s efforts to master basic motor and cognitive skills, children may begin to feel shame; they may learn to doubt their abilities to manage the world on their own terms† (Woolfolk, 2007, p. 68). Toddlers want to develop autonomy (also known as self-rule) over themselves and be able to control their actions. According to Erikson, the most efficient way of getting past this crisis and developing autonomy is a sense of guidance and security from parents (Berger, 2005). Overall, in stage  two, Erikson believes that if children experience too much doubt they will lack self-esteem in their abilities throughout their life. As long as the child can maintain their self-esteem and develop their sense of autonomy, they can move on to the third stage (Woolfolk, 2007). Stage Three- Initiative versus Guilt â€Å"During the third developmental stage described by Erikson, called initiative versus guilt, selfesteem emerges from the skills and competencies that demonstrate independence and initiative† (Berger, 2005, p. 237). This stage generally happens between the ages of three and six. During this stage, children move from simple activities to more complex such as developing self-control and beginning to take initiative (Coon, 2006). Woolfolk states â€Å"the challenge of this period is to maintain a zest for activity and at the same time understand that not every impulse can be acted on† (2007, p. 68). During the first years of school, children take the initiative and control their world through organizing social interactions (Van Wagner, 2007). Children want to participate in adult like activities, but are afraid of the guilt they may experience (Berger, 2005). â€Å"If children are not allowed to do things on their own, a sense of guilt may develop; they may come to bel ieve that what they want to do is always wrong† (Woolfolk, 2007, p. 68). When children play, they learn how to make plans and follow through with them. Parents should give children the freedom and opportunity to do things on their own, such as ask questions, play, and choose their own activities (Coon, 2006). Toward the end of the preschool years, children who develop that sense of trust can initiate activities both intellectual and motor, to help them learn that they can do things on their own (Gerrig and Zimbardo, 2005). According to the article entitled, Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development, â€Å"Children who are successful at this stage feel capable and able to lead others. Those who fail to acquire these skills are left with a sense of guilt, self-doubt, and lack of initiative† (Van Wagner, 2007). Many psychologists, such as Erikson, believe that guilt is a more mature and natural emotion than shame, but both shame and guilt derive from social standards. On the other hand, guilt indicates that the child has  become self-motivated (Berger, 2005). The ways that parents react to their child’s activities either encourages their sense of freedom and confidence or produces the feelings of guilt, which makes the child feel that they are doing wrong and canno t overcome this challenge to move to the next stage (Gerrig and Zimbardo, 2005). After overcoming and mastering the skill to take initiative, the child is ready to move to the fourth stage of development. Stage Four- Industry versus Inferiority The challenge for the child during their school years is what Erikson named industry versus inferiority (Woolfolk, 2007). This is the fourth stage of psychosocial development, and occurs during the early school years from approximately age five to eleven. â€Å"During the elementary school years, the child who has successfully resolved the crises of the earlier stages is ready to go beyond random exploring and testing to the systematic development of competencies† (Gerrig and Zimbardo, 2005, p. 338). During these years, children learn and develop skills that are valued by society, and their success or failure affects their feeling of competence (Coon, 2006). During this psychosocial crisis of industry versus inferiority, children work on mastering the abilities that are valued by their culture (Berger, 2005). The children can see the relationship between determination and the pleasure that comes when a job is completed (Woolfolk, 2007). Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development suggests that social interactions allow children to develop pride in their accomplishments and abilities (Van Wagner, 2007). Children learn the sense of industry if they win praise for their productive activities, and the sense of inferiority if their efforts are inadequate or unsuccessful (Coon, 2006). â€Å"Children must master new skills and work toward new goals, at the same time they are being compared to others and risking failure† (Woolfolk, 2007, p. 69). Each child judges themselves in their own way as either industrious or inferior; they look at it as either being a winner or a loser (Berger, 2005). The way that each individual child copes with their own crisis in this stage, affects the  outcomes of the rest of their school years (Woolfolk, 2007). Once again parental guidance is important. The  children that are praised by their parents develop a feeling of confidence and belief in their own abilities, but those who receive little recognition from their parents revert back to the feeling of doubt from the previous stages (Van Wagner, 2007). As children move to the adolescence stage, their cognitive processes develop more effectively and they can think theoretically and can understand the ideas of others more clearly (Woolfolk, 2007). The severity and degree to the challenges varies widely from each child, and they must learn how to cope with their challenges individually to overcome them, and move onto the next stage of development. Most of the techniques to transition to the next stage come naturally, but each child may develop them at different rates. It is important to help the child successfully overcome their challenges to help them move onto the next stage (Berger, 2005). There are four more developmental stages that help in describing the development of the psychosocial theory, and Van Wagner (2007) states that during each stage people experience a conflict or crisis that helps as a transition in the developmental process. This challenge or crisis must be met and overcome before the child can move onto the next stage. While figuring out how to conquer their own personal challenge, the child will learn skills and abilities that will help them in their development throughout the life cycle (Woolfolk, 2007). Observations When children start school, around the age of five, their cognitive abilities are developing rapidly (Woolfolk, 2007). â€Å"The elementary-school years are a child’s ‘entrance into life’† (Coon, 2006, p. 114). Children begin to process more information faster; they are moving from preoperational to concrete operational thinking. â€Å"As these internal changes progress, the children are spending hours every weekday in the new physical and social world of school† (Woolfolk, 2007, p. 69). On March 3, 2008, I visited Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School. I was in a second grade classroom and  was able to observe and analyze the children. I wanted to look for the specific actions and transitions Erik Erikson discusses in his second, third, and fourth stages of psychosocial development. Since I was in a second grade classroom I knew that I would probably see children transitioning from stage three to four, and also children already in stage four. I was first looking for the physical development of the children. By the age of six or seven most children should have the ability of grasping and controlling, which is one of the main abilities learned in stage two. I observed that most children had good control over their actions and knew what they were doing. Next, I wanted to look for the independence in each student. As Woolfolk (2007) states â€Å"the child continues to become more assertive and to take more initiative but may be too forceful, which can lead to guilty feelings† (p. 67). I looked for a student that seemed to be very talkative or participated often. I wanted to try and find patterns in their behavior. I watched one specific student for awhile, and noticed a few interesting things. First, he always wanted to participate, which signified that he w asn’t afraid to talk in front of the class. This shows that he is able to be independent and shows that he has successfully reached the goal of stage three, which is self-esteem and â€Å"self-concept, or understanding of the self† (Berger, 2005, p. 237). Lastly, I wanted to see if any student was in stage four of industry versus inferiority. Erikson suggests that social relationships and interaction become very important in this stage. Students face the challenge of learning new tasks and when accomplishing each assignment they either feel a sense of success (industry) or failure (inferiority). I noticed that if a student received a wrong answer they would cover their head in their desk or look down. On the other hand, if a student was correct, they would hold their head high and were quite proud. These observations made it easier to picture what each child goes through during each stage. Observing students in the classroom gives sufficient first-hand experience in what children act like in each stage, and being able to analyze their actions made it easier to understand. I was able to directly apply the characteristics common to each stage to specific  children, and see how each child was different from the others. It is important to remember that all children develop at different rates and some students may not be in the same stage as others. I looked for common characteristics and  behaviors to compare, and found it very helpful in my research to link the qualities with the specific stages. Controversy Erikson’s research and development of his psychosocial theory has sparked controversy over the years. There have been specific questions about his theory regarding the issues of the identity and intimacy, and how they intertwine in the development of a person. â€Å"Erikson’s work helped start the lifespan development approach, and his theories have been especially useful in understanding adolescence. But feminists have criticized this notion that identity precedes intimacy, because their research indicates that for women, identity achievement is fused with achieving intimacy† (Woolfolk, 2007, p. 72). Erikson did not believe in the intimacy part of development in young children, unlike other psychologists such as Sigmund Freud. Erikson believed that the main part of each stage was a developmental crisis, while Freud on the other hand believed in the sexual impulses each person experienced. There are different opinions and perspectives on human development, and ea ch theorist has a different approach in figuring out the best way to describe the human life cycle. There are more positive observations on Erikson’s theory than there are negative. Most of the negative responses can be outweighed by positive remarks. One of the main concerns with people that disagree with Erikson is the developmental crisis aspect. According to the article entitled Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory (2007), the challenges and conflicts in each stage are not clearly defined. This article also suggests that the challenges in each stage may overlap and that could cause confusion in determining which stage a child may be in. On the other hand, Erikson suggests that these challenges must be achieved progressively and cannot be  overcome in one day. There are disagreements with every theory and each theorist has their own way of proving its truth. Erikson believed that the crises were not determined by age, rather the achievement of the abilities that must be mastered in each stage (Chapman, 2007). Conclusion All in all, the psychosocial development theory created by psychologist Erik Erikson, has been helpful in trying to figure out the process of the human life cycle. Erikson’s background was important in that his own personal experiences influenced him, and sparked the interest of human development and identity. Being influenced by Freud, he was able to compare and contrast his own theory to Freud’s, and give reasons why he thought his stages of development were more accurate. In Erikson’s eight stages, primarily stages two, three, and four, concentrate on the years of early childhood. These stages are crucial for the development of a child while going through many changes, such as beginning school and becoming more independent. The second stage of autonomy versus shame/doubt, from the age of eighteen months to three years, is when the child develops self-esteem and confidence. After mastering these skills the child progresses to stage three, (age three to six year s) initiative versus guilt, and begins to develop a sense of independence. Finally between the age of five and eleven and in stage four, industry versus inferiority, the child is met with social interactions and learns the abilities valued by society. These three stages are important in a child during their early years of life. By observing an actual classroom setting, I was able to apply the abilities described in each stage and analyze how the children acted. I noticed common patterns and behaviors that were described in each of the three stages, and thought it was very helpful to see the children in an actual classroom setting at work. There were some differences from Erikson’s theory to the way the children acted. As with any theory, there are controversies that need to be researched. Erikson’s theory has been questioned on why there isn’t a place for intimacy in the stages, but his stages are set up to evolve the identity. There is also the question of the clearly defined transition from each crisis. Erikson concludes that  one c annot transition from one crisis to the next in one day. The change of stages must be gradual with the mastering of specific abilities. Erik Erikson believed that his stages of psychosocial development would help people understand the changes each child goes through. He labeled each phase according to the characteristics and behaviors the child exhibits around a certain age. With his theory, people can begin to understand what children go through during their first few years of development. I believe that Erikson created an efficient theory for people to analyze and observe in children to determine how they develop. I think that this theory, along with any other theory, gives an alternate view on the development of a human, and how they develop and master the abilities learned throughout life. References Berger, K. S., (2005). The developing person through the life span. New York, NY: Catherine Woods. Chapman, A. (2006-7). Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. Retrieved March 16, 2008, from http://www.businessballs.com/erik_erikson_psychosocial_theory.htm#freud’s_psychose xual_stages. Coon, D. (2006). Psychology: A journey. Mason, OH: Thomson Wadsworth. Gerrig, R. J., & Zimbardo, P. G. (2005). Psychology and life. Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Van Wagner, K. (2007). Erik Erikson biography. Retrieved February 18, 2008, from http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/bio_erikson.htm. Van Wagner, K. (2007). Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/psychosocial.htm. Woolfolk, A. (2007). Educational psychology. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Article on Statue of Liberty Awaits and Analysis

Statue of Liberty Impatiently Awaits Repairs On November 30 2012, New York’s, Statue of Liberty, was brutally disturbed by Mother Nature powerful waves, Sandy. Hurricane Sandy has made an impact on the grounds of The Statue of liberty worth about $56 Million. About 75% of the island flooded, damaging the island, but the statue itself emerged unscathed. Up till today, the New York Harbor landmark still remains closed as workers repair the damage wreaked on Liberty Island.With money being tight for the repairs there will be little amounts left for the repairing damages of the retail stores and other commercials on the island. Not only did the president of the Statue lose a great deal of money, but so did the market, retail and concession owners as their business literally goes down the drain. With furious tourist along with this disaster concludes to the question of, when will New York’s Statue of Liberty reopen? Analysis The main focus of the article is the reopening con cern of, The Statue of Liberty.This article clearly demonstrates a global interaction among tourism. Many tourists are furious and extremely disappointed that they will have to further wait till the release date for the reopening of Liberty Island. However, this occurrence does affect many Canadians -Canada, being a French/English country acquires many tourists that love visiting the beautiful gift from the French to the Americans, Ms. Liberty. Though, this does not only affect Canadian tourists; but all tourists who wish to see the beautiful Statue of Liberty, presently. ?

SAT Score Percentiles (High-Precision Version)

SAT Score Percentiles (High-Precision Version) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you looking for ultra high-precision SAT percentiles?Official SAT percentiles released by the College Board only go as far as the ones place- this means you'll see only whole numbers such as 2, 56, and 93, without any decimals. But this isn't accurate enough for some test takers. For this article, I've calculated SAT percentiles to sixdigits of precision (and, yes, every digit can help, especially if you're scoring at the high end!). Refresher: What Are SAT Score Percentiles? If you need a detailed refresher on what an SAT percentile is, I highly recommend this excellent article on how to use SAT percentiles to your advantage. In short, your SAT percentile ranking tells you how you did compared with everyone else.So if you got a 65th percentile score (sometimes spelled %ile), this means you scored better than 65% of all other test takers. Note that your percentile score is not at all like a test score out of 100.While a test score refers to the fraction of questions you got right, a percentile represents the fraction of test takers you beat. What Are the Percentile Ranges for the SAT? Most charts, including those from the College Board itself, only give SAT percentiles to two digits of precision. This leads to a lot of silly tables. For example, on the official percentiles table, a ton of SAT scores map to the 99th percentile. In fact, on the composite scores chart, 13 scores (from 1480 to 1600) correspond to the 99th percentile. This just isn't enough precision for many reasons. For example, even though a score of 1490 is in the same percentile as a perfect 1600is, you can rest assured that far fewer test takers actually get a full 1600 than they do a 1490.If you're scoring near the top of the score range, knowing high-precision SAT percentiles can be very helpful. Even for students scoring less than near-perfect SAT scores, high-precision percentiles can help. If you're competitiveand want to get into a good college, every percent matters (just take a look at sports, wherein races are often won by mere hundredths of a second!). Suppose you find out you improved from the 50th to the 51st percentile. This could be just a small jump from 50.4 to 50.5, or it could be a massive leap from 49.5 to 51.4. One is 19 times larger than the other!In other words, high-precision SAT percentiles help you understand more about your own SAT scoring abilities and improvements. High-Precision, 6-Digit SAT Percentiles Chart Without further ado, here is our high-precision SAT percentiles table. Note: To make this table, I used official SAT score data from 2015. So why not 2017 data? 2015 was thelast time the College Board released charts detailing the exact number of test takers that got every possible score on the SAT. (Nowadays, they only release ranges.) But since percentiles don't change much from year to year, these high-precision percentiles should still hold true today. Old SAT Score New SAT Score Percentile 2400 1600 99.9826 2390 1593 99.9581 2380 1587 99.9411 2370 1580 99.9157 2360 1573 99.8801 2350 1567 99.8413 2340 1560 99.7950 2330 1553 99.7354 2320 1547 99.6664 2310 1540 99.5923 2300 1533 99.5141 2290 1527 99.4276 2280 1520 99.3395 2270 1513 99.2459 2260 1507 99.1397 2250 1500 99.0273 2240 1493 98.9104 2230 1487 98.7855 2220 1480 98.6515 2210 1473 98.5063 2200 1467 98.3528 2190 1460 98.1924 2180 1453 98.0238 2170 1447 97.8469 2160 1440 97.6597 2150 1433 97.4642 2140 1427 97.2555 2130 1420 97.0358 2120 1413 96.8045 2110 1407 96.5559 2100 1400 96.2958 2090 1393 96.0276 2080 1387 95.7529 2070 1380 95.4650 2060 1373 95.1588 2050 1367 94.8398 2040 1360 94.5099 2030 1353 94.1634 2020 1347 93.7955 2010 1340 93.4120 2000 1333 93.0201 1990 1327 92.6195 1980 1320 92.2101 1970 1313 91.7854 1960 1307 91.3402 1950 1300 90.8779 1940 1293 90.3975 1930 1287 89.9012 1920 1280 89.3846 1910 1273 88.8429 1900 1267 88.2867 1890 1260 87.7155 1880 1253 87.1305 1870 1247 86.5287 1860 1240 85.9086 1850 1233 85.2697 1840 1227 84.6085 1830 1220 83.9373 1820 1213 83.2498 1810 1207 82.5362 1800 1200 81.7995 1790 1193 81.0451 1780 1187 80.2791 1770 1180 79.4952 1760 1173 78.6945 1750 1167 77.8770 1740 1160 77.0333 1730 1153 76.1735 1720 1147 75.3036 1710 1140 74.4108 1700 1133 73.4994 1690 1127 72.5711 1680 1120 71.6280 1670 1113 70.6719 1660 1107 69.7021 1650 1100 68.7169 1640 1093 67.7098 1630 1087 66.6887 1620 1080 65.6533 1610 1073 64.5884 1600 1067 63.5074 1590 1060 62.4244 1580 1053 61.3263 1570 1047 60.2113 1560 1040 59.0780 1550 1033 57.9348 1540 1027 56.7944 1530 1020 55.6413 1520 1013 54.4725 1510 1007 53.2926 1500 1000 52.1009 1490 993 50.9224 1480 987 49.7397 1470 980 48.5449 1460 973 47.3556 1450 967 46.1566 1440 960 44.9528 1430 953 43.7531 1420 947 42.5425 1410 940 41.3276 1400 933 40.1243 1390 927 38.9328 1380 920 37.7371 1370 913 36.5401 1360 907 35.3573 1350 900 34.1848 1340 893 33.0214 1330 887 31.8637 1320 880 30.7209 1310 873 29.5865 1300 867 28.4646 1290 860 27.3632 1280 853 26.2750 1270 847 25.1993 1260 840 24.1399 1250 833 23.1032 1240 827 22.0875 1230 820 21.0863 1220 813 20.1109 1210 807 19.1715 1200 800 18.2462 1190 793 17.3384 1180 787 16.4691 1170 780 15.6303 1160 773 14.8145 1150 767 14.0277 1140 760 13.2678 1130 753 12.5365 1120 747 11.8273 1110 740 11.1387 1100 733 10.4869 1090 727 9.8699 1080 720 9.2785 1070 713 8.7117 1060 707 8.1716 1050 700 7.6531 1040 693 7.1558 1030 687 6.6918 1020 680 6.2537 1010 673 5.8385 1000 667 5.4509 990 660 5.0868 980 653 4.7419 970 647 4.4099 960 640 4.1003 950 633 3.8120 940 627 3.5352 930 620 3.2731 920 613 3.0288 910 607 2.7996 900 600 2.5786 890 593 2.3712 880 587 2.1790 870 580 1.9942 860 573 1.8196 850 567 1.6576 840 560 1.5043 830 553 1.3616 820 547 1.2274 810 540 1.1014 800 533 0.9862 790 527 0.8816 780 520 0.7862 770 513 0.6972 760 507 0.6150 750 500 0.5381 740 493 0.4663 730 487 0.4022 720 480 0.3430 710 473 0.2897 700 467 0.2430 690 460 0.2014 680 453 0.1642 670 447 0.1312 660 440 0.1047 650 433 0.0831 640 427 0.0651 630 420 0.0484 620 413 0.0365 610 407 0.0278 600 400 0.0112 Methodology: How Did We Calculate These High-Precision SAT Percentiles? To calculate the SAT score percentiles above, weusedreal data released by the College Boardon the exact number of students whoearneda certain score.Then, we summed the exact number of students (not a survey, not an estimate- the precise number of students to the single individual) to get the percentile. Within a score group (e.g., those scoring exactly 2110), we presume exactly half are above and half are below so that 600 does not correspond to 0.0000 percentile, nor does a perfect 2400 correspond to 100.0000 percentile exactly. A note about the current SATvs the old SAT:The table above is from the old SAT, with imputed new SAT scores. This means that current SAT scores arenotdirectly from the current SAT; they are calculated from how we would mathematically, or linearly, think about current SAT scores from old SAT scores.This is good enough if you want a rough mapping between the two. Unfortunately, the College Board no longer releases exact numbers of test takers for each score, so we can't update this table for 2017 (though the percentiles shouldn't have changed much anyway!). Did you know boosting your SAT score by 160 points can dramatically change your chances of getting into your dream school?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Do SAT Percentiles Change From Year to Year? As I mentioned above, SAT score percentiles don't change much from year to year, so you canuse any of the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 scores for each other.However, you shouldn't use very early years (e.g., 2005) since the test does suffer from some long-term drift. It's also important to note thatthe SAT underwent a massive redesign in March 2016, shifting from a 2400-point scale to a 1600-point scale. Despite this change, SAT percentiles- even those based on the old SAT (e.g., 2015 and 2016)- haven't changed much, so you can stilluse the chart above to estimate high-precision percentiles for the current SAT. What’s Next? Now that you know the ins and outs of national SAT percentiles, check out what the average SAT scores are, or take a look at the average SAT scores in your state. Trying to figure out your SAT target score? Maybe you’ve taken the SAT but aren't sure whether your score makes you competitive. If so, check out our guide to SAT scores to help you develop your personal target score using the colleges you want to apply to. Reaching for the stars? Check out what a good SAT score for the Ivy League looks like. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free SAT prep livestreams. 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The Year of the Sheep - Hitsuji doshi

The Year of the Sheep - Hitsuji doshi 2015 is the year of the sheep. The Japanese word for sheep is hitsuji. The kanji character for sheep came from the shape of a sheeps head with two horns, four legs and a tail. Click here to learn the kanji character for sheep. Lamb is kohitsuji, shepherd is hitsujikai, wool is youmou. Sheep are rare in Japan since the climate of Japan, which is very humid, is not appropriate to raise sheep. Most wool and mutton are imported from Australia, New Zealand or Taiwan. The sheeps bleat is mee mee. Click this link to learn more about animal sounds. The Japanese have a custom of sending New Year Cards, called Nengajou. Most people use nengajou as sold by the Japan Postal Service. Each nengajou has a lottery number printed on the bottom of the card, and people who receive the cards can win prizes. The winning numbers are usually published in mid January. Although the prizes are rather small, people enjoy it as a part of New Years celebrations. Click this link to read my article, Writing New Years Cards. The Nengajou also come with a pre-printed postage stamp. There are 8 varieties of pre-printed stamps that one can choose from this year. The designs include New Years decorations, an eto animal (sheep in 2015), Disney characters, and so on. One of the stamp designs, which is a picture of a sheep, is becoming the talk of the Internet. Eto refers to the Chinese zodiac symbols. Unlike the Western Zodiac, which is divided into 12 months, the Asian Zodiac is divided into 12 years. Therefore, the last time a sheep appeared as an eto was in 2003. The stamp of 2003s negajou was a picture of a sheep, which is knitting. The picture of the sheep on 2015s stamp is wearing a scarf. There is an explanation on the Japanese Postal Service site that says, ç · ¨Ã£  ¿Ã£ â€¹Ã£ â€˜Ã£   Ã£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã£Æ'žãÆ'•ãÆ' ©Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£ Å'Ã¥ ®Å'æˆ Ã£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â€"㠁Ÿã€‚ Amikake datta mafuraa ga kansei shimashita. (The scarf, which was in the middle of being made twelve years ago, is now finished.) This is the first time that the Japanese Postal Service made a design linked with a previous eto animal. They are hoping that people have fun with this year’s nengajou, and also fondly look back on the time that has passed. Like the astrological zodiac there are all sorts of things which influence individual people. The Japanese believe that people who are born in the same animal year share similar personality and character. People born in the year of the sheep are elegant, highly accomplished in the arts, passionate about nature. Check what year you were born in and what kind of personality your animal sign has. Twelve zodiac animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar. Compared to the other zodiac animals such as the snake (hebi) or horse (uma), there are not many expressions including the word sheep. Hitsuji no you (like sheep) means docile, sheepish. Hitsuji-gumo (sheep cloud) is a fluffy cloud, floccus. ç ¾Å Ã©   ­Ã§â€¹â€"肉 Youtou-Kuniku (sheeps head, dogs meat) is one of the Yoji-jukugo which means using a better name to sell inferior goods, crying wine and selling vinegar.

Business and Society for Journal of World Business

In the business world, it is seen that outsourcing is the major problem, mainly when it includes cheap labor that is offered in many developing countries.   It is analyzed that there are many businesses that have embarked on this exercise with the motive of earning profits, that enhances the overall satisfaction level of the shareholders and give assurance of the success in the future. There are many individuals who are claiming that it is ethical practice and also others are claiming that the practice is not considered as moral. This argument does not take into consideration the method of outsourcing but consider the ethical issues that are surrounded by the process of outsourcing. Outsourcing of cheap overseas labor has b e a corporate process but the practice has raised many questions related whether the practice is immoral or not (Gerbl, McIvor, Loane & Humphreys, 2015).  Ã‚   In this paper, the analysis will be made by taking into consideration both the positive and negative facets of the practice. By taking into consideration ethical opinion, there are many advices opposing the use of overseas cheap labor. One of the argument states that the panies make profits from the use of cheap labor and the profits are reserved by the rich class people, while the people belong from middle class lose their purchasing power and also high taxes are paid by them. There are various individuals who notice government's distribution of economic wealth with negative opinions. The corporate practices considered by the organizations are related to contributing to the economic difference will be taken in a negative way by the public. It is analyzed that overseas employees are not able to make any contribution to the security which is socially related and tax rate of any country. According to Kline (2010), the high tax rate achieved from the business profits cannot justified for the overall amount that the government lose just because of the i e taxes.   Negativity is created in the residents due to the loss of various opportunities related with the jobs.   If the cheap overseas labor is used then it disregards the munity and the workers who assisted the organization to achieve success in the market (Poutanen & Kovalainen, 2017).  Ã‚   So, it is evaluated that success of the organization is related to profits and also concerned to develop the munity.   If cheap overseas labor is taken into consideration than it affects the job opportunities for the individuals that are available and also weaken the economy of the developing nations (Bevan, Brinkley, Cooper & Bajorek, 2018).   For instance: If working criteria of the individual increases than extra cash is available that can be spent on products, which suggests that extra jobs can be formed to consid er the overall demand of the products in the market.   Therefore, by taking into consideration overseas cheap labor by American organizations can affect the economy cycle of the country. It is analyzed that those who are stating that use of overseas cheap labor is right, for them it is important to consider that, at the time of manufacturing of goods by using overseas cheap labor it is important to import more products than manufacturing it on a domestic platform.   This argument states that product should be in the country where there is cheap labor as this is one of the best strategies that the pany should consider so that profits can be enhanced and also the satisfaction level of the stakeholders can be maximized. Advocates of outsourcing cheap labor by the organizations maintain the petitive advantage by focusing on products that can help to enhance the overall profitability.   The argument is that organizations have the goal of earning cash by producing goods and selling them to the customers at a low cost (Wuyts, Rindfleisch & Citrin, 2015).     In this way, if overseas labor is used then there can be a difference in the overall cost. This cost difference that takes place helps the organizations to achieve overall goals and objectives and also the cheap labor that is used can be justified (Oshri, Kotlarsky & Willcocks, 2015).   For instance:   US organizations should give petition in a global economy which states that the organizations are permitted to recruit worldwide. petitive advantage is important and one of the best strategies that US organizations should adopt is cheap overseas labor. The next argument that is in support of the panies considering cheap labor overseas is due of the enhancing want of corporate social responsibility which states that many organizations are offering service to individuals in developing nations. Use of cheap labor plays a great role in offering job opportunities for the individuals in developing countries (Beam, 2016).   It is also seen that with the use of overseas labor supports American organizations to shape the middle class in the developing nations. Outsourcing cheap labor will help the Americans to grow into a country including of consultants and entrepreneurs.   Outsourcing overseas labor is related to partnership and not with theft.   Corporations who take into consideration the usage of cheap overseas labors acts in the interest of the customers (Lester, 2018). For example: To pay more to the US workers as linked to the foreign labors is not beneficial to the local economy. Workers always want that the earnings should b e high. It is ethical to provide employment to the people who are existing in developing nations rather than individuals existing in First world nation where jobs are availed. So, from the argument, it is analyzed that the use of cheap labor by the panies can give an advantage to the customers and shareholders at the expense of the employees.   An Argument is made in which support point is that use of cheap labor is not ethical from the point that outsourcing cheap overseas labor can give more expense to the foreign economies.   The argument is elevated to assist the point that using cheap overseas labor is ethical by taking into consideration corporate social responsibility.   Therefore, ethical problems arise related to how organizations should consider the cheap labor like inadequate working conditions and poor wages to the employees. Beam, E. A. (2016). Do job fairs matter? experimental evidence on the impact of job-fair attendance.  Journal of Development Economics,  120, 32-40. Bevan, S., Brinkley, I., Cooper, C., & Bajorek, Z. (2018).  21st Century Workforces and Workplaces: The Challenges and Opportunities for Future Work Practices and Labour Markets. Bloomsbury Publishing. Gerbl, M., McIvor, R., Loane, S., & Humphreys, P. (2015). A multi-theory approach to understanding the business process outsourcing decision.  Journal of World Business,  50(3), 505-518. Kline, J. (2010).  Ethics for International Business: Decision-Making in a Global Political Economy.  New York: Routledge. Lester, M. (2018). The Creation and Disruption of Innovation? Key Developments in Innovation as Concept, Theory, Research and Practice. In  Innovation in the Asia Pacific  (pp. 271-328). Springer, Singapore. Oshri, I., Kotlarsky, J., & Willcocks, L. P. (2015).  The Handbook of Global Outsourcing and Offshoring 3rd Edition. Springer. Poutanen, S., & Kovalainen, A. (2017). New Economy, Platform Economy and Gender. In  Gender and Innovation in the New Economy  (pp. 47-96). Palgrave Macmillan, New York. Wuyts, S., Rindfleisch, A., & Citrin, A. (2015). Outsourcing customer support: The role of provider customer focus.  Journal of Operations Management ,  35, 40-55. Looking for an answer 'who will do my essay for cheap',

Essay #4 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

#4 - Essay Example It was a chilly morning and mom had woken me up early as usual to get ready for school. Just like any other ordinary day, I dreaded school and literally dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. I was no special kid, I disliked the early mornings and the thought of seeing my class teacher for the umpteenth time did not make my mornings any better. I came from an ordinary family with both my parents working the usual 9 AM to 5 PM jobs. We were not well off and neither of my parents owned a car. I got used to walking to school every morning on the long lonely stretch from our house. On certain lucky mornings, I would bump into other children going to school and I would have someone to keep me company. On this particular morning, the turn of events was pretty much the usual and after a hearty breakfast, I bid my parents goodbye and embarked on my long walk to school. As usual I was alone on that lonely stretch that passed through a series of abandoned buildings that were yet to be demolished. This morning turned out to be somewhat different when I heard loud voices shouting from one of the buildings. Curiosity got the better of me and I went to see what was happening despite several warnings from my mother to keep off those abandoned buildings. I got there just in time to witness a man being gunned down by two me who were in suits. I was petrified and as I turned to run, one of the men saw me and came after me. I was scared and I hid in one of the old kitchen lockers where I used to play before my mother restricted me from playing in the abandoned houses. I shook with fear and when I could hear no more voices, I crept out and ran all the way to school shaken to the core. As a child, I knew I had seen someone being shot and he fell to the ground but I did not actually feel the weight of the matter. I had only seen such incidences in the movies I watched. As much as I was scared it did not occur to

IS globalization a new stage in the development of capitalism Essay

IS globalization a new stage in the development of capitalism - Essay Example The premise of capitalism banks on the philosophy of holding wealth on the part of the privately owned entities. This is a drastic philosophy – and one that can have lasting effects on the long run contextual meaning of the globalization regimes. Since globalization looks to provide benefits to both the developed nations as well as the comity of nations that can only be remarked as the underdeveloped, what in essence it does is to instigate the capitalist entities in a very aggressive manner. The political ramifications that come attached with such globalization undertakings under the capitalist modules need serious thinking and proper action, before one could deduce the overall success or failure of such regimes in entirety. As a matter of fact, capitalism is generally not a very favored phenomenon within any region of the world. If the globalization regimes are taken as a new stage or a new sub-cultural norm within the capitalist settings, then one can only think of havoc coming in within the respective economic and political undertakings of the state. Politically speaking, globalization aims to bring wealth and prosperity for any country and thus the proponents of globalization generally favor the tide which is coming their way. The publics seem to understand that with the wave of globalization within their folds, success will actually creep in, though in a slow fashion. However one can comprehend that success is indeed significant from the long term scheme of things and if globalization provides the boost within the interaction mechanisms of people with their respective governments, then the latter usually allow the globalization regimes to come in within the countries and flourish to the optimum pos sible levels (Maitra 1996). This means a win-win scenario for the people as their government understands how to bring prosperity and growth basis within the country. It helps the political groups in winning the electorates and thus sweeps the elections as and

Santex Limited Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Santex Limited - Research Paper Example Furthermore, Sanitex is occasionally affected by seasonal fluctuation in the pest control business. That is why it needs to expand its product portfolio including carpet cleaning and distribution of sanitary products. However, Sanitex failed to attract potential new clients outside West London area due to its being a non-branded business. Clearly, Sanitex is faced with the issue of improving its entire business operation by augmenting its marketing activity in the pest control business. As marketing manager of Sanitex, the goal of the proponent is to steer the company forward, and be responsible for understanding how its decision making process and decision making unit have been impacted by the recession. Marketing research and competitor analysis Under the goal of Sanitex for product expansion is to actually create significant sales for the company even in tough economic conditions. However, there are two important issues concerning in this area. The first concern is to understand c ustomer behaviour and next to it would be the prevailing value of the company created for its customers compared to its competitors. In other words, the company should create a remarkable strong company brand while taking into account the prevailing customer behaviour in the pest control business and the competitive advantage that its competitors are holding. In order to do this, marketing research and competitor analysis are necessary. Under marketing research, there is a need to gain information about customer behaviour, potential market population, estimated market demand, market growth and trends in pest control business. On the other hand, competitor analysis is necessary to evaluate Sanitex’s both internal and external capacity in the pest control business. The following are potential tools that could be used in the competitor analysis. Internal value chain analysis Activities are found in a firm or organisation. These could be separate when they have to work together b ut they should be linked so as to effectively transform inputs into outputs, and each step to be undertaken should add value to the process that will eventually put in customer value (Ward and Daniel, 2006). Internal value chain analysis is proven effective especially in trying to come up with competitive advantage which has to be focused on differentiation and price strategy. The 7 Ps of marketing It is common to find 4 Ps in marketing textbooks which primarily include Product, Price, Place (distribution) and Promotion (advertising, public relations) (Boone and Kurtz, 2006). However, to complete the seven Ps, People, Partnership and Purpose should be added. It is important to find the intersection of these 7 Ps in order to effectively determine the target market, and making the target customers use or purchase the firm’s product or service offerings (Ivanko and Kivirist, 2008). Resource appraisal Unlike the SWOT analysis which at some point is broad enough because it conside rs both external and internal environment, the good thing about resource appraisal is its ability to focus entirely the on internal environment into the following categories of resources: equine, physical, human, financial, and intangible (Eastwood et al., 2006). This ensures a much more focused or detailed analysis of a firm’s internal environment. Physical asset Any tangible assets such as modification of products, special plant and equipment or location are

Management Skills in Adult Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Management Skills in Adult Nursing - Essay Example According to the discussion more specific themes on discharge planning, communication, and handover shall be incorporated into the text. The critical and analytical aspects of this discussion shall flow from the reflective process, with an evaluation of the specific actions based on standards of the practice. Description of incident The scenario under evaluation involves the discharge of Patient X, a 65 year old male patient who recently underwent hip hemiarthroplasty surgery. During the discharge planning process, there were several orders which the uathor was not sure how to implement. One of the discharge orders indicated that he needed to refer the patient to the rehabilitation ward for physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and that he needed to refer the patient to a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist, and arrange future schedules for therapy. Discharge orders also indicated that he needed to recommend an appropriate health and diet plan for the patient. Health and diet plans for elderly patients, especially those who have recently suffered hip fractures must be established because these elderly patients are prone to possible re-injury. Sometimes, where no appropriate safety measures are put in place, falls may happen again. The goal of nurses would be to prevent any re-injuries and to ensure that the patients are equipped with the right tools to manage their condition. There were two major challenges I had to overcome carrying out the discharge orders.

Superior's balance sheet Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Superior's balance sheet Report - Essay Example The working capitals for Superior Living for the three years are computed as follows: The above calculations clearly highlights that Superior Living has had a steady working capital which is adequately higher than the current liabilities of the company. However, if the company aims at entering into newer projects and investments, the company would require to have a higher working capital. The ration of the current assets and current liabilities is referred to current ratio. The current ratio highlights the liquidity position of the firm and this also highlights the ability of the firm to cover the current liabilities with the help of the current assets. The ratio between the ready cash assets and the current liabilities is referred to as the quick ratio. This is calculated as current assets – inventories – prepaid expenses. The liquidity ratios for Superior Living are computed as follows: Superior Living’s ratio has been at a steady around 2 for the three years. This is a strong indication of good liquidity within the company. It is interesting to note that the inventories form a large portion of the current assets and they cannot be readily liquefied. The ideal quick ration is 1:1 however the company has a much lower ratio and accounts to 0.55. This highlights the fact that the short term cash needs and solvency of the company can be hard to meet (Burks and Wilks, 2007). Hence the company needs to improve the cash assets. Superior living’s short term debts and long term debts are as in the table below. Short term debts refers to the ones which are due within a year which the long term debts refers to the ones due in more than one year (Samuels et al, 2000). Superior highlights a very low gearing ratio and is as low as 2% - 3% for the three years. It is essential to note that despite the increase in the long term debt, there is no evident change in the debt equity ratio. The company is not utilizing its borrowing abilities as an optimum gearing

In sociology, why do we think of the work of Karl Marx as 'conflict Essay

In sociology, why do we think of the work of Karl Marx as 'conflict theory' - Essay Example However, this was first presented as an official theory by Karl Marx—who laid the groundwork for a number of social movements that would redefine history. From a sociological standpoint, what is meant when Karl Marx’s theory is referred to as a â€Å"conflict theory†? Usually, when one thinks of Karl Marx, he automatically conjures up thoughts of conflict theory. Why is this so? The reason is that—in some circles—Marx is thought to be â€Å"†¦the founder of conflict theory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Henslin, 2007, pp. 28). Social conflict theory, is, in a nutshell, that in society, there are the rich and the poor—and that the rich are the powerful who usurp many of the resources and exploit the poor in order to gain more wealth. Marx’s theory was a wake-up call to the masses. For Marx, capitalism did not mean progress; rather, it was a scourge on the conscience of modern man, a man who was detached from the community and the communal struggl es surrounding him. Marx â€Å"†¦often saw social conflict as rooted in private ownership†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bartos and Wehr, 2002, pp. 40). The difference between the haves and the have-nots has always been a pressing social issue, becoming even more so when capitalism was the governing system. This is the kind of dominance that social theory rails against. Marx’s main idea was that the community should struggle together. The community should suffer together. ... Communist ideology gained popularity throughout the Cold War. Vladimir Lenin adopted the ideology as his own strategy to not only have the people contribute to the estate communally, but also to empower the economy of the Russian state. â€Å"Leninism was presented as the correct theory and practice of Marxism and as the theory of scientific communism, incorporating the dictatorship of the proletariat†¦Marx’s critique[s] were also reformulated as societal laws of development that fed into the study of class relations [and] production†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lowes, 2006, pp. 158). The notion that the working class was the one in control was the main staple of Communism. The people were the ones in control. â€Å"The working class had to ‘conquer’ its freedom under the flag of the Communist party† (Weitz, 1997, pp. 250). People did not own any possessions. No religious expression was allowed, and very strict laws of ethics were followed. Communism was an experim ent that failed—badly. Mann (2002) states, â€Å"Communist governments — many of them led by men trained in Moscow — are in command of nations ruling almost 800 million people† (pp. 115). There are still Communist countries existing today. â€Å"There remain at least some common features among the five remaining Communist states—China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam—although the differences between, for example, China and North Korea are enormous† (Brown, 2009, pp. 3). Many of the people in these countries subsist in squalor and have little economic or collective bargaining power. This is where socialism becomes an alternative option. Even though people may not like the idea of a Communist government, socialism

Superior's balance sheet Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Superior's balance sheet Report - Essay Example The working capitals for Superior Living for the three years are computed as follows: The above calculations clearly highlights that Superior Living has had a steady working capital which is adequately higher than the current liabilities of the company. However, if the company aims at entering into newer projects and investments, the company would require to have a higher working capital. The ration of the current assets and current liabilities is referred to current ratio. The current ratio highlights the liquidity position of the firm and this also highlights the ability of the firm to cover the current liabilities with the help of the current assets. The ratio between the ready cash assets and the current liabilities is referred to as the quick ratio. This is calculated as current assets – inventories – prepaid expenses. The liquidity ratios for Superior Living are computed as follows: Superior Living’s ratio has been at a steady around 2 for the three years. This is a strong indication of good liquidity within the company. It is interesting to note that the inventories form a large portion of the current assets and they cannot be readily liquefied. The ideal quick ration is 1:1 however the company has a much lower ratio and accounts to 0.55. This highlights the fact that the short term cash needs and solvency of the company can be hard to meet (Burks and Wilks, 2007). Hence the company needs to improve the cash assets. Superior living’s short term debts and long term debts are as in the table below. Short term debts refers to the ones which are due within a year which the long term debts refers to the ones due in more than one year (Samuels et al, 2000). Superior highlights a very low gearing ratio and is as low as 2% - 3% for the three years. It is essential to note that despite the increase in the long term debt, there is no evident change in the debt equity ratio. The company is not utilizing its borrowing abilities as an optimum gearing