Of Mice and Men. The question is how does John Steinbeck...

Of Mice and Men In the novel, Of Mice and Men, the author, John Steinbeck, takes a strong stance against many social issues. Steinbeck voices his opinions on controversial rights such as women s rights and the treatment of migrant workers. One of the main points that Steinbeck addresses is his dislike for the treatment of African-Americans. He expresses his views through the hardship and turmoil of Crooks, the only African-American character in the novel. Crooks is looked down upon by his peers and is considered inferior by most due to the color of his skin. He is constantly harassed and beaten up by his boss and those he works with. Furthermore, Crooks is not even allowed to socialize or go into the living quarters of the other men. In†¦show more content†¦The constant degradation of Crooks has destroyed hid hope and self-esteem. Crooks tells Lennie that at least he has someone like George. Crooks is jealous that he has never had a true friend and through years or hardships, thinks it impo ssible to make one. He goes on to tell Lennie that most people have a dream but no one is able to achieve. This further demonstrates the lack of faith and hope in Crooks due to the difficulties he has faced in his

unit 7 - 3688 Words

Running head: THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH PLANS Three Abbreviated Research Plans Patricia Bolivar Walden University Research Theory, Design, and Methods RSCH- 8100H-6 Dr. Rodney Bowden November 18, 2012 1 THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH PLANS 2 Three Abbreviated Research Plans Introduction This paper illustrates how a public health practitioner when presented with a problem, issue, or situation in the community can use a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods approach strategy of inquiry to investigate not only possible solutions, but to explore direction to determine a specific treatment or intervention and influence an outcome. Three abbreviated research plans are proposed in this paper as possible solutions to†¦show more content†¦HEALTH DISPARITIES IN THE U.S. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS 4 Abbreviated Quantitative Plan Introduction The disparities in the U.S. healthcare go beyond the widespread believe that health disparities are exclusive to certain groups of racial and ethnic populations in the nation. Health disparities include differences in health status due to age, gender, sexual identity, religion, mental health, cognitive, sensory, or physical disability (Health People 2020, U.S. HHS, 2010), risk factors for disease and injury, socioeconomic status, access to health care use due to transportation or geography, and difference in the quality of health care delivered and received by all segments of the population (Frist, 2005). In order for an individual to achieve and maintain good health all the aforementioned factors must be addressed to achieve health equality. Therefore, comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and broad- thinking approaches to resolving disparities in conjunction with policy development, ethics, information technology, patient advocates, and research may be the solution to narrow the gap of health care among population groups. According to Healthy People 2020 (U.S. HHS, 2010) health disparity is defined as ―a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantageâ€â€" and it also defines health equality as ―theShow MoreRelatedUnit 7626 Words   |  3 PagesUnit 7 Assignment: Federal Regulations amp; Letter Stephanie Royer PA 201-02 Introduction to Legal Research Professor Cynthia Middleton July 2, 2013 Stephanie Royer 9104 Doane Ave Las Vegas NV, 89143 702-472-3193 Stephaniedawn76@hotmail.com July 2, 2013 Mike Jones Town Manager 2250 Las Vegas Boulevard North North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030 Dear Mike Jones: I am a long-time resident of our city, and I am writing to express my concern about the recent discussion with othersRead MorePtlls Unit 71446 Words   |  6 PagesUNIT 007 Principles of assessment in lifelong learning Craig Pearson (1400 words) 1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 Explain the types of assessment used in lifelong learning. Explain the use of methods of assessment in lifelong learning. Compare the strengths and limitations of assessment methods to meet individual learner needs. Explain ways to involve the learner in the assessment process. Explain the role of peer and self-assessment in the assessment process. Assessments are the process of evaluating anRead MoreAccounting Unit 73696 Words   |  15 PagesFran Mackenzie | Management Accounting | Unit 7 | | Zahra Ali | 10/30/2014 | | Assessors comments | Qualification | BTEC Level  3 Extended Diploma in Business | Assessor name | Fran Mackenzie | Unit number and title | Unit 7 Management Accounting ( J/502/5419) | Learner name | Zahra Ali | Assignment title | Tasks 1, 2 and 3 Regional Business Support Agency. Costs and Break Even | | Grading criteria | Achieved? | Comments | P1 | | | P2 | | | M1 | | | D1Read MoreP1 Unit 71069 Words   |  5 PagesP1: Explain the principle sociological perspectives. In this assignment I will be explaining some of the different sociological perspectives in today’s society. The sociological perspectives which I will be explaining will be Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, and interactionism, Collectivism, Postmodernism and The New Right. The first perspective which I will be explaining will be Functionalism. Functionalism is the view that our society is based onagreed norms and values. A norm is social rulesRead MoreAnswers for Unit 77050 Words   |  29 Pagesprivate sale website RueLaLa.com, acquired by  GSI Commerce  for $180 million, plus up to $170 million in earn-out payments based on performance through 2012. ââ€" ª 2010:US eCommerce and Online Retail sales projected to reach $173 billion, an increase of 7 percent over 2009. Some common applications of related to electronic commerce are as follows, ââ€" ª Email ââ€" ª Enterprise content management ââ€" ª Instant messaging ââ€" ª Newsgroups ââ€" ª Online shopping  and order tracking ââ€" ª Online banking ââ€" ª Online office suitesRead MoreEssay on unit 73343 Words   |  14 Pagesï » ¿Sociology is the study of society and the different social structures within it. Sociology examines the role of the individual within society; it is viewed as the scientific study of society P1: An introduction to sociological perspectives. Functionalism: According to the functionalist perspective of sociology, each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to societys stability and functioning as a whole. For example, the government provides education for the children of the family,Read MoreUnit 7 Lab 1768 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Baldeo Persaud NT1310 Unit 7 Lab 1: New Building – Safety Plan Safety is very important and should not be overlooked because ignoring it can cost you in the long run. It is vital to plan and test the safety procedures that are to be used in a new structure. Safety should always be a priority in the work area. You should always have a plan in place in case something was to happen unexpectedly. The Safety Plan should follow the rules that are set down by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)Read MoreUnit 7 Assignment Essay1076 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Unit 7 Assignment Nicole Cisco Kaplan University CS204: Professional Presence Dr. McCoy July 2, 2014 Introduction Special Educators are greatly needed in our school systems all over the United States. It takes a special person to be a Special Educator. In most jobs you are in need of patience, but with this career a requirement is patience. Some people are cut out for this career and some are not. Emotionally and physically this job can take a toll onRead MoreEssay on Unit 7 Assignment625 Words   |  3 PagesUnit 7 Assignment CJ230-02: Criminal Law for Criminal Justice Instructor: Prof Castiglione Lorraine Lopez May 5th, 2013 In this essay, I will be exploring the differences between state and federal jurisdiction in criminal prosecutions of murder with respect to crimes against persons. In the United States, both the states and the federal government have authority to prosecute criminal offenses.   The federal government and each state have its own, court system, criminal statutes, prosecutorsRead MoreEssay on Unit 7 Ps3301380 Words   |  6 PagesUnit 7 Project PS330: Personality Development Prof: Benjamin Anderson 1. What is the relationship between cognition and personality development? Put simply, developmental theories of personality follow quite closely the same developmental timetable as cognitive development. The Oral stage of Freud occurs during the Sensor motor period of Piaget; the anal stage, Pre-conceptual stage; the phallic stage, Concrete Operational Stage;

Auditing and Assurance Methodological Issues

Question: Discuss about the Auditing and Assurance for Methodological Issues. Answer: Listing and discussing several factors that contributes to increased inherent risk at financial report level In this particular question, it is required to identify inherent risk from the financial report of One Tel Phone Company. Misstated figures are mentioned in the financial reports and there occur some of the potential risks revealing financial as well as non-financial aspects of One Tel Phone Company (Soh Martinov-Bennie, 2015). It is essential to conduct proper audit process as it will help One Tel Phone Company in minimizing the risk factors. It will further enable or exhibit true as well as fair financial position for viewing at the performance of One Tel Phone Company. Therefore, it has been noted that some factors cannot be controlled even by conducting audit function by the auditors. In this particular case, risks of any error or omission presented in the financial statement of One Tel Phone Company caused by some of the uncontrollable factors such as inherent risk. These risks rise because of high level of complexity mentioned in the financial statement of One Tel Phone Company as well as financial estimation on some assumptions (Simnett et al., 2016). One Tel Phone Company was collapsed in the year 2001 and performed poor from couple of financial years. Even though, One Tel Phone Company has performed poor it has not affected financial position of the current case study company. Balance sheet of One Tel Phone Company indicates the financial position for the year 2000 considered better from previous years. It involves financial disparity of actions viewed from the financial statements of One Tel Phone Company. It is further suggested that there are some of the potential inherent risks revealed in the financial statement of One Tel Phone Company (Simnett et al., 2016). From the financial statement of One Tel Phone Company, it has been noticed that final outcome of business activities provides financial transactions for a particular organization. It showcases various errors or any omissions that are caused from inherent risks in association with potential course of action (Redmayne, 2013). It can be suggested that there are various factors that is responsible for viewing at the increased risk level in the most appropriate way. One of major factor involves marketing plan effectiveness that contributes to inherent risk. Income statement and cash flow statement of One Tel Phone Company reflects upon fact regarding the company as it fails in generating income amount from required operating activities. This occurs because of the inefficient marketing plan by One Tel Phone Company in the given financial years. Proper marketing plan helps in attracting customers and leads to increased incomes or profits for One Tel Phone Company (Moroney et al., 2014). It widely depends upon the accuracy of behavioural pattern as well as market prediction for One Tel Phone Company. Management need to conduct proper research plan for understanding the needs as well as expectations of customers in proper way. Predicting market condition is very difficult as well as complex in nature involving external environment aspects such as political, social and economic attributes. It is impossible in covering all the mentioned aspects. At th e same time, ideal marketing plan requires to covers all the aspects in relation with nature of business as well as products (Messier, 2016). Missing any of the above-mentioned aspects will lead to inefficiency of marketing plan that needs urgent attention. Auditors finds it difficult in controlling the effectiveness of marketing plan as there are various factors leading to increased inherent risk as mentioned in the financial statement of One Tel Phone Company. Another factor involves frequent change in consumers tastes as well as preference considered as one of the inherent risks. It widely affects the financial statement of One Tel Phone Company. In case of telecom industry, customers are habituated in changing the service providers frequently as they get any of the lucrative schemes and offers. Proper marketing as well as advertising campaigns will help telecom companies in attracting many customers in offering innovative plan that proves beneficial to them (Junior et al., 2014). With the rapid change in consumer preferences, telecom industry find it difficult in facing the challenges and it affects the sale of the company for given financial period. Identifying factors during the strategic risk assessment In this particular case study on One Tel Phone Company, it has been identified various risk factors leading towards strategic business risk assessment. It helps in using risk assessment process as well as sensitivity analysis that can easily cause risk levels in association with factors. Operational and business planning- One of the important factors includes operational as well as business planning actions for future analysis. Management are required or identify various risks in association with new business plans in case of alternative circumstances (Hardidge et al., 2013). Market Condition- Other factor affecting the financial reporting of One Tel Phone Company is the market condition. One Tel Phone Company can easily access various risks in association with future changes in present market by conducting proper research analysis. Economic condition of the nation- Other factors that increases risk levels is the economic condition of the nation. Associated risks along with national and global economy emphasizes on observing changes in the economic factors as well as economic data on periodic basis (Gramling et al., 2012). Excessive government policies- One of the major factors faced by One Tel Phone Company is the change in government policies on frequent manner. It helps in analysing the changes from the government structure as well as declarations from future course of action. Discussing inherent risk factors contributing to increased inherent risk assessment This particular question requires discussion on the inherent risks depending upon the business entities, nature of account as well as environment and operations at the same time. There are number of history errors as well as management characteristics as perceived from the major factors of inherent risks as far as possible. Many errors have been identified that affects the financial statements of One Tel Phone Company that possess high risk in association with accounting balance and deducted inherent risk facts. Identification of these risk factors helps auditors in making decisions as well as contributing towards increased risk assessment in the most appropriate way (Bdard et al., 2015). There are several identifiable factors that need proper attention from the account balance for high volume transactions in financial activities of One Tel Phone Company. It requires making some adjustments for several account balances that do not actually exist in the ordinary course of business process. There is wide-variety of complex transactions used for account balances. It is the responsibility of the auditor in assessing the risks involved in auditing of various account balances by including the inherent risk factors. Several inherent risk factors have to be identified based upon the financial reporting depicting the true projection of One Tel Phone Company. There occur several financial transactions that require treatment for making the complex calculations as misstated in the financial statement of One Tel Phone Company. One Tel Phone Company is not in a stable financial position and intends in meeting required covenants that has greater incentives for viewing at the misstated financial information in an inherent terms. In case any company has wrong presented any financial data or information, there occur discrepancies in accounts from the previous years in similar form. There are various factors that need consideration by the auditors for inherent risk assessment. It is important to understand the fact that inherent risks are shown in the financial statement of One Tel Phone Company. This aspect widely affects potential outcomes as well as operational attributes of business. At the time of assessing risk by auditor, it requires to take into consideration on the factor regarding judgment as well as subjectivity of potential course of action. There are various factors that need consideration depending upon integrity as well as competence of management. Auditors make the assessment based on business transactions for significant party or any outsiders. It requires understanding of company in regard with estimates of by the financial analysts for growth earnings. CFO of any business organization is liable in engaging in fraudulent concerned securities. He was found engaged in scheme and intends in backdating with stock option grants. Fraudulent activities are mainly found from the management integrity action. It involves inaccuracy from the financi al reporting as portrayed for failure of the accountant for maintaining accurate accounting record from the given financial information. Identification of factors based upon areas of going concern This particular question requires in identifying factors affecting areas of going concern issues. Going concern is connected to business organization those are expected in continuing with business operations for given period. It will not liquidate in the upcoming financial years. Listed business organization is considered as going concern as per the statutory guidelines. Most of the companies even discontinue in the business operations for specified period. Users of financial statements help in analysing the various aspects of financial statements for measuring the capacity of an organization for smooth functioning of business organization. It involves three vital aspects of the business organization that needs to be analysed for viewing at the continuity of operational aspects (Marques et al., 2013). Graph: Current Ratio of One Tel Phone Company (Source: Created by Author) The above graph depicts the current ratio of One Tel Phone company for the financial year 1999 to 2000. As far as liquidity aspects of One Tel Phone Company are concerned, it describes the liquidity asset position. It aims at ascertainment of situation whereby One Tel Phone Company can cover its current liabilities with available current assets. This mainly depicts that company needs sufficient working capital for operating in the normal course of action. In case the company does not adequate liquid assets, it mainly leads towards liquidity insolvency as well as discontinue in the basic operational aspects. Current ratio is one of the most important liquidity ratios in understanding the liquidity position of any business organization (Hardy, 2014). Graph: Solvency ratio of One Tel Phone Company (Source: Created by Author) The above graph indicates the solvency ratio calculation for One Tel Phone Company for the year 1999 to 2000. This particular aspect helps in measuring the financial strength of One Tel Phone Company. It aims at describing the fact whether company has the ability in owning enough assets in paying off its liabilities on timely manner. It helps in having clear understanding on the capital structure of One Tel Phone Company (Marques et al., 2013). There are three types of solvency ratios such as debt ratio, equity ratio and debt to equity ratio. Graph: Profitability Ratios of One Tel Phone Company Source: Created by Author The above graph depicts the profitability ratios of One Tel Phone Company for the year 1999 to 2000. It helps in narrating the financial performance of the selected company based upon profit or loss. Every business organization aims at generating profits in their business operations. This particular ratio helps in describing the fact whether a particular company can work effectively as well as has ability in generating adequate profits in the upcoming financial years (Soh Martinov-Bennie, 2015). There are three major types of profitability ratios such as return on capital employed, return on equity as well as return on assets. From the financial statement of One Tel Phone Company, it has been noticed that current ratio had reduced from previous years. Current ratio is more than 1.5 that reveals that One Tel Phone Company has enough current assets in covering its current liabilities. In case of solvency ratio, One Tel Phone Company have improved for specified time because of the reduced total liabilities as well as increased total assets to total equity at the same time. In case of profitability ratio, it is a major concern noticed in the given year under study. In the year 2000, One Tel Phone Company incurs huge loss and this leads to returns as negative figures. From the case flow statement, it has been noticed that One Tel Phone Company failed in generating enough cash revenues for meeting required operational expenses (Soh Martinov-Bennie, 2015). It leads to shortage of cash funds as well as continues in operating from retained earnings. It relates with additional capital funding by issue of new shares. At the end, it is concluded that One Tel Phone Company suffering from net loss as well as shortage of funds. One Tel Phone Company can be treated as medium going concern. Reference List Bdard, J., Coram, P., Espahbodi, R., Mock, T. J. (2015). Does Academic Research Provide Sufficient Evidence in Support of Changes to the Audit Reporting Model?.Available at SSRN 2631676. Gramling, A., Johnstone, K. M., Jubb, C., Rittenberg, L. E. (2012).Auditing and Assurance: A Business Risk Approach. Cengage Learning Australia. Hardidge, D., Abeysekera, I., Chew, T. G., De Santi, R., Egan, T., Ghandar, A., ... Shying, M. (2013). A guide to understanding auditing and assurance: listed companies. Hardy, C. A. (2014). The messy matters of continuous assurance: Findings from exploratory research in Australia.Journal of Information Systems,28(2), 357-377. Junior, R. M., Best, P. J., Cotter, J. (2014). Sustainability reporting and assurance: a historical analysis on a world-wide phenomenon.Journal of Business Ethics,120(1), 1-11. Messier Jr, W. (2016).Auditing assurance services: A systematic approach. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Moroney, R., Campbell, F., Hamilton, J., Warren, V. (2014).Auditing: A Practical Approach. Wiley Global Education. Redmayne, N. B. (2013). Auditing and Assurance Services and Ethics in Australia: An Integrated Approach.Journal of Accounting Organizational Change. Simnett, R., Carson, E., Vanstraelen, A. (2016). International Archival Auditing and Assurance Research: Trends, Methodological Issues and Opportunities.Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory. Soh, D. S., Martinov-Bennie, N. (2015). Internal auditors perceptions of their role in environmental, social and governance assurance and consulting.Managerial Auditing Journal,30(1), 80-111.

English spoke Essay Example For Students

English spoke Essay I questioned the informant to find out about her English language background. I asked questions about her background, including the social and political focus that led to her acquisition of the English language, in order to discover how proficient her English speaking skills are now.  With reference to the motivation for learning English I discovered that this was compulsory in Bengal. For women the ability to speak English is a matter of status which has little practical value due to families maintaining Bengali as the first language at home and in friendships with other Bengalis when making their homes in England. The informant told me that she had never spoken English in Bangladesh; therefore, had she stayed there her English skills would never have been used. Indeed the emphasis was on reading and writing English without the opportunity to develop speaking skills. This non utilization of English continues in England. In addition, since first generation Bengalis have not interacted socially with English speakers, they may lack, for example, understanding of the pragmatics of English. By not engaging in face to face conversation the subtleties of language inflexion, tone, facial gestures are not learned.  My findings on her background were as follows:-  The first generation informant was born in the city of Sylhet in Bangladesh. She does not recall clearly how many lessons she took but she thinks it was 5 lessons per week, over a period of 10 years, since English was compulsory. Her teachers first language was Bengali. She did written comprehension work and writing. Her class was large and consisted of a 100 people and divided into 2 groups of 50. She achieved the equivalent of GCSE English but she never spoke English in Bangladesh, though she did watch English language television. Since moving to Britain in 1982 she has occasionally been required to speak English, for instance whilst attending a doctors appointment or shopping. She relied on her husband speaking for her mainly in consultations with doctors. By asking the questions I hoped to demonstrate that a real grasp of English is wider than the ability simply to say words in English, but involved knowledge of sentence construction, pronunciation, flow of language and body cues.  I decided to question the informant on her favourite food to eat and cook since this would be a familiar topic to a first generation Bengali female. I began with a simple closed question, What is your favourite food? The answer was general, not using precise vocabulary I like meat curry. In order to have a sample of language to study I continued with an open question, How do you cook it?  I hoped the structure of the explanation, the use or misuse of appropriate vocabulary and the pace of sentences, including hesitations and repetitions would demonstrate that lack of use of the spoken word, even by an educated Bengali has an effect on how English is communicated. By comparing this with the explanation in Bengali I hoped to prove that the same patterns of Bengali speech are utilized by first generation Bengalis in their English. Using an audio recorder I recorded the conversations which I then wrote as questions and the answers in the form of a transcript. To test the hypothesis I finally requested the informant to produce a written recipe (Data C). I will analyse this and compare the lexis and grammar to that of Data A, the spoken language. Data B was used as a measure against which spoken and written (Data C) language could be compared. DESCRIPTION OF DATA Three minutes and twenty six seconds of audio-recorded first generation spoken language have been transcribed to examine for lexis, grammar, syntax and phonology. From this I aimed to discover whether there was evidence of basic differences in word selection including knowledge of correct nouns, construction of sentences, and understanding of syntax and complexity of explanations. By comparing the English speech in giving a recipe with the recipe given in Bengali I could determine whether speech patterns were actually based on Bengali. .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf , .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf .postImageUrl , .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf , .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf:hover , .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf:visited , .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf:active { border:0!important; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf:active , .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf70580ceea67a3e27fbc3c80254ccacf:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Romeo Juliet EssayANALYSIS  DATA A Answers to oral questions in English were recorded then transcribed to provide a sample of spoken Bengali.  1. Grammar  When reading the answers to the first two questions there are obvious variations from accepted English sentence order. The lexis is limited and specific or precise language choices are sacrificed for more general or vague terms e.g. curry and rice, piece, piece. Lack of use of proper nouns or verbs has resulted in losing the ability to recall the word. However, along with this is the adaptation of Bengali syntax into English. Since my informant seems to think in Bengali rather than in English (she appears to be translating word by word without reference to English sentence construction. Further peculiarities are seen in lines 21 and 22. Here the syntactic order has impeded the sense of the instruction. Line 24 has the verb chop at the end of the sentence, resulting from translating directly from Bengali word order. The wrong word order adds the uncertainty to the explanation, yet the interviewee is a recognized competent cook who could demonstrate the making of the dish easily. Confusion between the usage of Bengali word order and English is noticeable in line 7 and this along with inconsistent word choices blurs the sense of meaning of this step of the recipe. 2. Lexis  This lack of precision is evident in the description of yellow powder instead of e.g. egg food colour. Using the verb make to replace becomes reflects her inability to recall principal verbs through her lack of speaking practice. Line 24 (danya), is an example of replacing an unknown English term with a Bengali substitute.  3. Phonology  There are many hesitations and repairs to be noted in this data. Line 3 which demonstrate lack of confidence in using the superlative word form. Her obvious embarrassment leads her to simplify the statement to I like chicken balti. See line 14. The repairs demonstrate her awareness of choosing the wrong word and her struggle to find the more precise paste. Confusion with the order of words in lines 21 and 22 leads to another repair. In data A there are a total of 76 hesitations and pauses which make the content difficult to follow. In line 3 the informant hesitates because of apparently having difficulty in expressing her thought in English. The hesitations and pauses in lines 6 8 appear to be caused by a difficulty in explaining a process she understands well. The use of err gives her mental thinking time as she tries to think of the description of the action or correct name. This lack of fluency prompts me to believe that formal language training does not lead to fluency in the spoken aspect of language.

Artist vs. Artisan

Artist vs. Artisan Artist vs. Artisan Artist vs. Artisan By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between an artist and an artisan? This unnecessarily sensitive question is equivalent to the issue of what constitutes art and what is designated as craft. In both cases, the former word essentially refers to the making of tangible or intangible products as an expression of creativity and imagination for purely aesthetic reasons. An artisan, meanwhile, though spurred by the same impulses, produces crafts, which, though they may be acquired only for decoration, are designed to be practical. Therefore, though some tension between artist and artisan between producers of art and designers of crafts may exist because of a perceived differential in their relative cultural status, the technical definitions are just that: precise distinctions not in quality or artistic achievement but in function. The word for the creator of art is the gender-neutral term artist. (The French form of the word, artiste, came to apply more broadly to creative professionals, especially performers, though it also has a pejorative sense of â€Å"pretentious artist.†) By extension, one talented in any endeavor even a con artist may earn the term. By contrast, makers of crafts have gender-specific labels craftsman and craftswoman but though craftsperson is the natural neutral term, many such practitioners prefer to be called artisans. (The Latin ancestor of this term is artire, which means â€Å"to instruct in the arts.†) Other words that ultimately derive from the Latin word ars (â€Å"art†) include artifact, which comes from the Italian word artifatto and ultimately from the Latin terms arte and factum (meaning â€Å"thing made†), originally having primarily an archaeological sense but now referring to anything left behind or remaining, and artifice, which originally meant workmanship but, from a secondary sense of â€Å"cunning,† came to refer to deceit or trickery. (However, artificer remains a synonym for artisan, although it can also refer to one who contrives or makes things or ideas.) Artificial, the adjectival form of artifice, broadly refers to anything not produced in nature. Artful once referred exclusively to artistic skill but later primarily came to mean â€Å"dexterous, wily†; in that sense, the term is best known in the moniker of the Artful Dodger, an adroit young pickpocket in Charles Dickens’s novel Oliver Twist. The antonym, artless, likewise was originally a reference to a lack of talent but now usually refers to clumsiness in word or deed. Arty and artsy both describe artists, but the terms have developed a pejorative sense of pretension, and artsy is hyphenated in combination with craftsy and, worse, fartsy, to refer to someone with such airs, or a creation of theirs. Art is used in combination with other terms to denote subgenres with serious artistic ambitions (â€Å"art film,† â€Å"art rock†) as well as artistic movements, as in â€Å"art deco,† a truncation of the French phrase art dà ©coratif (â€Å"decorative art†), and art nouveau (â€Å"new art†); the first letter of each word in these phrases is often capitalized, especially when associated with other initial-capped designations. Another movement, named arts and crafts, is usually initial-capped to distinguish it from generic references. The liberal arts are the academic subjects also known as the humanities. The term liberal stems from the idea that knowledge of these subjects and the attendant skills are necessary for free people to know in order to be productive members of society. From the phrase â€Å"liberal arts† comes the designations for mastery of coursework known as the bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees (truncated, alternatively as â€Å"bachelor’s degree,† or bachelor’s, and â€Å"master’s degree,† or master’s). These terms have no specific relation to art itself, though study and/or practice of art may be a component of the coursework. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should KnowRunning Amok or Running Amuck?10 Humorous, Derisive, or Slang Synonyms for â€Å"Leader† or â€Å"Official†

De dagen van de bluegrass liefde essays

De dagen van de bluegrass liefde essays Titel: De dagen van de bluegrassliefde. B. Uitleg titel Tycho is een tiener die na zijn eindexamen niet weet wat hij moet doen. Hij besluit om een jaar lang op vakantie te gaan en daarna een jaar niet aan school te denken, lekker pauze nemen. Voor het eerst gaat hij alleen op vakantie, hij gaat naar Little World, een kamp voor kinderen die op vakantie gaan. Daar gaat hij naar toe als kamp leider. Op het vliegveld komt hij Oliver tegen een aardige Zweedse jongen, ook Oliver maakt straks deel uit van de kamp leiding. Vanaf het begin zijn ze eigenlijk al vrienden en ze maken veel plezier op het kamp. Tot dat Tycho's gevoel voor Oliver een andere draai krijgt. Tycho wordt verliefd op Oliver. Hij is bang dat Oliver hem voor gek verklaard en mijd de jongen. Donna, ook een leider, komt erachter en zegt dat Tycho ervoor moet gaan. Eigenlijk wil Tycho dat niet, maar op een nacht in hun kamertje, gaan ze ervoor. Sindsdien zijn ze verliefd. Mensen maken er problemen van en Oliver heeft geen zin om langer te blijven, hij verzint een plan om samen m et Tycho weg te kunnen. Ze besluiten samen naar Zweden te gaan. De moeder van Oliver is de komende weken toch weg. Tycho mag van Oliver niet naar buiten en het wordt al snel duidelijk dat hij niet wil dat zijn vrienden het weten. Langzaam groeien de jongens uit elkaar, tot ze uiteindelijk helemaal uit elkaar gaan en Tycho terug naar Nederland gaat. Ik kan de titel van het boek niet echt goed verklaren, want ik vind het een beetje een vage titel. Op een gegeven moment gaan alle leiders een weekend naar een dorpje, 's avonds is er een feest en dan komt er een band spelen, de bluegrass band. Bluegrass komt dus daar vandaan en de liefde heeft natuurlijk met de liefde tussen Oliver en ...

What is the current macroeconomic situation in the United States What Essay

What is the current macroeconomic situation in the United States What fiscal policies and monetary policies would be appropriate at this time - Essay Example This also applies for the U.S. economy, especially in regards to its current macroeconomic situation. In view of the unemployment trends in the U.S., the trends have shown a sharp decline since 2008. The employment rates have steadily risen, with present data from the Labor Department showing that over 140,000 jobs have been created in the economy. This has led to the rate of unemployment dropping to slightly over 7.5%. Furthermore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics places the current inflation rates of the U.S. at below 2.5%. This has been occasioned by the constantly improving economy, with the most significant categories for maintaining the inflation rates low being consumer price index based factors such as shelter and consumer products (Vietor & Weinzieri, 2012). The reduced inflation rates coupled with the low unemployment levels in the U.S. have resulted in an overall increase in the GDP of the country. Furthermore, this is aided further by the diversity of the American economy as shown by the technology, finance and the other sectors that collectively result in the average incr ease in the rate of GDP increasing gradually. Moreover, such industries such as mining, industrial, farming and construction industry are the chief drivers that are involved in the creation of jobs, hence elimination of poverty and reduction in inflation consequently leading to economic growth occasioned by the GDP levels. However, in order to constantly maintain a worthy economic environment and hold all factors at economically feasible levels, varieties of factors are considered by the Federal Reserve authority responsible with formulating fiscal and monetary policies for the economy. As such, the Federal Open Market Committee can consider structuring their policies to ensure further economic prosperity. In consideration of the present macroeconomic situation in the U.S., the committee could consider reducing cuts on public goods, as this could eventually

Impact of foreign exchange rate on stock returns Dissertation

Impact of foreign exchange rate on stock returns - Dissertation Example Table 1 reports the results of Augmented Dickey Fuller test of unit root for the stock indices and exchange rates of both the UK and Pakistan. The test has further been applied at different levels as well as in the first difference form. The findings will be reported in terms of each country starting with the UK first then Pakistan. Both the ADF and regression results will be presented for the country indices and then for each of the companies. This chapter is divided into several parts with the main parts comprising study findings for the UK (both ADF test and regression), study findings from Pakistan (ADF and regression), and finally the analysis section where these findings are discussed and analyzed. 5.2 Findings (UK) Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) Test Table 1 below presents ADF results for UK companies and GBP/USD rate. As is evident in the table, the results include the FTSE 100 index and ten major companies operating in the UK. Table 2 provides the findings of the ADF test for the national exchange rate (EX) of the GBP against the GBP. Table 1: Augmented Dickey Fuller test (UK companies and FTSE 100 Index) Augmented Dickey fuller (ADF) test (UK companies and FTSE 100 Index) Index + companies S= Index value/ stock price Critical values of 1%, 5%, 10% at Level ?S= 1st difference Critical values at 1%, 5%, 10% for ?S FTSE 100 -2.250374 -3.486064 -2.885863 -2.579818 -10.25769 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 Antofagasta -3.066955 -4.036983 -3.448021 -3.149135 -12.97182 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 Babdock -1.747700 -4.036983 -3.448021 -3.149135 -10.71888 -3.486551 -2.886074 -2.579931 HSBC Holdings -2.867695 -3.486064 -2.885863 -2.579818 -10.42942 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 Imperial tobacco -2.160689 -4.036983 -3.448021 -3.149135 -11.17921 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 Johnson matthey -2.543982 -4.036983 -3.448021 -3.149135 -10.41562 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 Meggit 0.828451 -2.584539 -1.943540 -1.614941 -11.56089 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 Morrison - 2.901854 -4.036983 -3.448021 -3.149135 -11.50647 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 Pearson plc -1.841245 -4.036983 -3.448021 -3.149135 -12.55195 -3.486551 -2.886074 -2.579931 Standard chartered bank -1.868623 -3.486064 -2.885863 -2.579818 -10.62130 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 Weir group -1.782673 -4.036983 -3.448021 -3.149135 -9.851895 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 Table 2: Augmented Dickey fuller (ADF) test (GBP/USD) Augmented Dickey fuller (ADF) test (GBP/USD) Currency X= Exchange rate Critical values of 1%, 5%, 10% at Level ?X= 1st difference Critical values at 1%, 5%, 10% for ?X GBP/USD -2.046301 -4.036983 -3.448021 -3.149135 -9.755815 -2.584707 -1.943563 -1.614927 According to the findings of the study, the ADF test results for the FTSE 100 index show that FTSE statistic value does not exceed the critical values at the 1%, 5%, and 10% critical levels. Therefore, the null hypothesis of the unit root for the index

Using relevant theories and examples, explain what the Hawthore Essay

Using relevant theories and examples, explain what the Hawthore Experiments demonstrated in relation to Group Norms, Motivations and Leadership - Essay Example Mayo found a general increase in production and in productivity per worker as well as of the group in general, completely independent of any of the changes he made in the experiments. His findings were not in accordance with the then prevalent theory of the worker as being motivated solely by self-interest. It did not make sense that productivity would continue to rise even when he cut out breaks and returned the workers to longer working hours. The segment of the Hawthorne experiments that emphasised the positive effects of benign supervision and concern for workers that made them feel like part of a team became known as the ‘Hawthorne Effect’. The studies were instrumental for the emergence of the human relations school of management and motivational and related theories of worker-behaviour, of participatory management, team building, etc. However, in a true sense the Hawthorne Effect is not just about "positive outcomes†, it is about the absence of any definite correlation (positive or negative) between productivity and the independent variables used in the experiments such as monetary incentive, rest pauses, etc While analyzing the â€Å"amazing† findings of his experiments, Mayo realised that the workers had exercised a freedom they did not have on the factory floor and which had created a social ambience that included the ‘supervisor’ also who tracked their productivity. ‘The talked, they joked, they began to meet socially outside of work’ It is as if Mayo had discovered a fundamental ‘fact’ that seems obvious today, that workplaces are ‘social environments’ and people there are motivated by much more than mere economic self-interest. He concluded that all features of that work environment had social value. This may be characterised as the ‘group dynamics’ of the experiment. When some workers were singled out from the rest of the factory workers, it raised their self-esteem; when they had a friendly

The good shepherd

The good shepherd Our lesson this morning from Johns gospel concerns this idea of integrity. The butcher in our story probably turned many different shades of red when the lady asked him for both of the chickens since he had only one. He wasnt being too honest with her, he wasnt being too nice, and now he was caught in his lack of honesty. Jesus is not talking about butchers this morning, but he is telling the people a parable about a good shepherd, a shepherd who was honest, caring, compassionate, and will to die to take care of his sheep. Jesus is telling us something about himself, as he is the good shepherd for our lives. He is telling us through this parable three things about himself as the good shepherd. Jesus uses this parable about shepherds because the people in his day knew the kind of life that a shepherd lived; it was a difficult life, a hard life. A shepherd felt he had a calling from a young age to tend sheep, so he spent his whole young life learning how to care for the sheep, then the rest of his adult life tending the sheep, fighting off the animals who would eat the sheep, and sometimes fighting off robbers who would steal the sheep. It was a lonely life, a difficult life, but if a shepherd did his job well everyone would know that he was a good shepherd. Jesus uses what the people would understand, a parable about shepherds to tell us something about himself, that he is the good shepherd of our lives. But before we see what is good about the good shepherd, we need to look at this word good In the Greek language, which was the language the New Testament was written. There are two words that can be translated into our English word good, the first agathose which implies a moral and efficient quality about a person. A person is good because they can perform their signed task well. But there is another word that also means good and. it is kalos, it not only means what the other did, but it adds the quality of loveliness, or attractiveness to it. It is the kind of goodness that makes us feel wanted and secure. Jesus as the good shepherd or as one translation puts it the model shepherd brings to the job the strength and courage of an earthly shepherd, but also the qualities of beauty and kindness which helps us to call him friend. Now that we have laid the foundation for Jesus being the Good shepherd of our lives, the model shepherd, we can see what is so good about him why he is the model shepherd. First Jesus says that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A shepherd in Jesus day if he truly did his job with all of his being, and not just for the money would be willing and able to lay down his life for the sheep he was protecting. Jesus is telling us, he was willing to lay down his life for us, his sheep. He wasnt in it for the money or the glory, but Jesus would not flee when trouble came, he was willing to lay down his life, to sacrifice his life for us so that we night gain favour with the Father in heaven. There was a pastor who once visited a sheep ranch and saw a very strange lamb. It looked as though it had 2 heads and 8 feet. He asked the rancher about it. The rancher explained that one of their sheep had a baby but the mother died. They tried to give the orphan sheep to another mother-sheep but when she smelled it, she rejected it. Then they skinned the dead sheep and put the skin on the live lamb. Now the mother-sheep accepted the lamb as her own and cared for it, In a like manner, Jesus as the good shepherd died for us as the Lamb of God, and God accepts us because we are clothed with the Lambs robe of righteousness. Jesus was willing to lay down his life for us, so that we might have life, life with the Father and life for eternity. The good shepherd, who Jesus is, is willing to die for the sheep, so that the sheep can live. Jesus died for us freely so that we might life. Notice Jesus says that he laid down his life freely, no one takes his life, but he was willing to give his life for us. Jesus loves us enough, cares about us enough to die for us. He could have used his power to get out of dying for us, but he chose to struggle, to die, so that we might live. This is a powerful statement of the love, the mercy, the compassion, and the caring that Jesus our saviour has for each of us.Next Jesus says that the good shepherd knows his sheep. Knows his sheep by name. A young lady came to her pastors office trouble about this statement, How does Jesus know and is interest, in her personally. She asked, How can I believe that God is interested in what happens to me? The pastor replied, Look at your fingers. There are billions of finger tips in the world, but no others are like yours. Even your finger tips have had special attention from God. Yes, we are special; God does care for each of us. This morning when you come to the table to eat and to drink, you are receiving a special invitation from God to partake in this meal, in a personal and individual way we come in physical contact with Jesus through his body and blood. God knows that we need this special time, this physical relationship with him to reassure us, to convince us, that he does love us, that he does care for us, and that he is interested in us as individual people. We are collectively Gods children, we collectively are the sheep of Jesus fold, hut individually we are also Gods children, and individually the sheep of Jesus fold. And as individuals, he is concerned about us, he cares about us, he reaches his hand of grace individually into each of our lives. Each of us, all of us are unique people, who are special to God. We are special not because we are good, or righteous, or have somehow pleased God, but because God loves us as we are or in some ways in spite of what we are God still loves us. He showed us that by the sacrifice he had his son make on the cross for us. God is concerned about us from the hairs on our heads to the blisters on our toes. God through his good shepherd, Jesus Christ, loves us, cares about us, and wants his gracious will of love to be done in each of our lives. Finally as the good shepherd, Jesus tells us he gathers together his sheep into a fold. Jesus is telling us through his spirit he gathers us who belong to him. It is the work of the spirit to gather us together as the members of the body of Christ. It is the work of the spirit, to gather the body once a week to worship and praise God. Jesus knows this time we spend together once a week is very important for our spiritual lives. It is during this time that we hear again the promises that God has made for us, it is here that we relive the life that Jesus lived on this earth. It is here that we encounter again and again the great love that God has for us. It is important that we come here often to be refreshed, to be renewed, to hear again about our God and the great love he has for us. As the good shepherd, Jesus says that it is important for him to gather the sheep together into a fold, but notice he doesnt stop with just the sheep that are immediately at hand, no he says that other sheep must be brought into this fold. The fold of sheep, the church, is always changing, growing, adding and loosing members. The fold is not a constant place, but it is an alive place, a place where things happen, where changes are made, where people grow in faith, where people meet new people of faith, who help us to understand Gods love. The fold, or the church, is an ever changing, alive, growing place. It is the place where Jesus, through his spirit is alive. It is the place where we can encounter God through his spirit because he promises to be here with us as we gather in his name. God is here with us this morning, his spirit is here leading us in our worship of him. And as we leave to go back out to world Gods spirit will go with us, helping us with life, giving us direction giving us courage, giving us his peace to cope with all the brokenness of life. Yes, the good shepherd gathers his sheep together in a fold, in the church, ch, because here, we are cared for, here te are feed, here we can learn from each other about faith, here we can help one another as we face all the difficulties-of life. Being in the fold, the church is important for the members. NOTICE ONE OTHER THING Jesus says about being in the fold. He says that as he calls sheep to the fold they will heed his voice. They will listen to him. When we come to the fold, we come to listen to the voice of Jesus. We come to hear him, we come to encounter him. And notice Jesus says those of the fold will heed his voice. They will listen to him. Jesus is saying something here about responsibility, about our job as members of the fold, as members of the church. We are to listen to him. To obey what he says. Yes, Jesus is the good shepherd of our lives. He laid down his live freely for us, he knows each of us personally because we are important to him, and he gathers us together in his fold, the church, so that we might listen to him. Yes, Jesus is the good shepherd, the one who leads us down the pathway of life. He is our guide, he is our companion, he is the one who will take care of us. Jesus is our good shepherd; he is the one who loves us.

Reaching Understanding through Non-Verbal Communication in Timothy Find

Reaching Understanding through Non-Verbal Communication in Timothy Findley’s â€Å"War† and â€Å"About Effie† The two stories â€Å"War† and â€Å"About Effie† from Timothy Findley’s Dinner Along the Amazon are both told by the same child narrator, Neil. In each of the stories Neil attempts to make sense of a mystery of the adult world. In â€Å"War† Neil tries to understand the adult world of war, and explain why it seems that his father has betrayed him, and in â€Å"About Effie† Neil tries to understand the mystery of Effie’s strange need to wait for a man in a thunderstorm. Neil reaches an understanding of each of these mysteries in a similar way: through observation of non-verbal clues from adults. However, Neil’s own attempts to communicate non-verbally through his behaviour are unsuccessful. Taken as a whole, these two stories show how very important non-verbal communication is in child-adult relationships. In â€Å"About Effie† Neil’s most significant impression of Effie is created when she looks at him. Neil tells how when he first meets the new maid, she looks at him with such meaning that it scares him: â€Å". . .the way you’ll know her is this: she’ll look at you as if she thought you were someone she was waiting for, and it will probably scare you. It did me† (82). Neil describes the first time he meets Effie in terms of the way they look at each other, saying â€Å"The first time I saw her, she saw me first† (82). Neil is shocked by this new maid, not only because she gives him such a profound look, but also because she bursts into tears upon seeing him. Neil tries to make sense of why Effie would become so emotional upon seeing him, and tries to discover more about this mysterious person for whom she is waiting... ...her captures both Neil’s naivete at the time and the sadness of his father’s war obligation. Through looking at this photograph Neil realizes and accepts that the incident was truly not his father’s fault. The non-verbal image contained in the photograph provides the key to Neil’s understanding. In â€Å"War† Neil’s attempts to communicate non-verbally through his behaviour are ineffective. However, in both stories Neil reaches understanding through powers of observation, even when the adults are unable to communicate through words. In reaching understanding, Neil takes a step towards adulthood himself. Through the process of looking at Effie’s smiles and looking at his father’s wounded face in the photograph, Neil is able to decode the mystery of their actions. Works Cited Findley, Timothy. Dinner Along the Amazon. Toronto: Penguin Books, 1996.

Cultural Issues in National Problems Essay

* Based on your study on this module of cultural theories, international business ethics and the practice of managing across cultures, and assuming the role of a business consultant specialising in cross-cultural issues, write a cultural briefing for the Human Resources department of a real international business. Your briefing should cover a range of cultural issues, including the creation of cross-cultural teams, training employees for expatriate assignments, national negotiating styles and training employees for the challenges of cross-cultural management. This assignment may take the format of a report or a more creatively designed briefing document. Creation of cross-cultural teams Train employees for challenges of cross-cultural management National negotiating style The Chinese Negotiation http://www.globalnegotiationbook.com/John-Graham-research/negotiation-v1.pdf Negotiating in China: 10 rules for success http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2011/03/28/negotiating-in-china-10-rules-for-success/ pp. 163 note However, china is also a difficult and risky market for western business communities to operate in. the surprises, disappointment, and frustration on the part of western business people are not strange. China is a special challenge: it is the world’s largest emerging market, largest communist bureaucracy and oldest culture. These unique features make china a unique case in international business that calls for special academic and managerial attention. Now that china has reached and agreement with the European union and United States of America about its membership in the world trade organization (WTO), the importance of china as a trade partner is going to increase further. Question: * What are the meaningful stages of the Sino-western business negotiation process? * What are the main contentious issues in the formal negotiation sessions? * How can we understand chinese negotiating style observed in various stages from the chinese culture point of view? Ping-Pong model 1, pre-negotiation (lobbing, presentation, informal discussion, and trust building) 2, formal negotiation (task-related exchange of information, persuasion, concession and agreement) 3, post-negotiation (implementation and new rounds of negotiations) The Chinese show keen interests in getting to know the other party during these initial contacts. They try to ascertain whether or not the foreign firm has (1) the most advanced technology required for the project; (2) the willingness to sell or transfer it to the Chinese side by way of, for example, joint venture; and (3) the capacity of delivering the products on time. As one chinese negotiators explained: â€Å"our intention is to import the most advanced technology and to cooperate with large, world-famous foreign companies, because the life cycle of a technology is short. We pay even more attention to the supplier’s houjing(reserve strength) for continuous technological development lobbying: lobbing before the chinese government authorities is one of the most important marketing activities facing foreign firms that want to sell large industrial projects in chinese key industries like telecommunications. Foreign firms must convince the chinese that they have cutting-edge technologies that suit chinese government’s priorities, that they have long-term commitment to the chinese market, and that they are financially strong. They must present a highly reliable image before the chinese, making them feel safe to do business with them. The chinese said that they liked to do business with â€Å"big mountain† like Ericesson that they could trust and rely on in the long term. Presentation: giving attractive and reliable presentations to let potential chinese partners know the company, products and negotiating team members, is an important step toward formal negotiation sessions. Presentations aim to convince the chinese of the sincerity of the company in doing business ith china and show the chinese that the company’s products are and advanced technology with high quality and reasonable price. Foreign firms need to present themselves and their technologies to number of authorities. Very often one has to endlessly repeat the same things to different negotiators who may suddenly, without explanation, be replaced by another team. From chinese point of view, it is done to check the reliability and firmness of the supplier. Informal discussion: initial and informal discussions with chinese organizations often occur directly after the presentations Trust building: the chinese attach great importance to trust building in business negotiations. Formal negotiation * Equity share * Contribution of each party * Management control * Technology * Price * Persuasion * Concessions and agreement Post-negotiation * Managerial implications * Priority * Patience * People the PRC condition (guoqing) is a contemporary social and institutional factor influencing the PRC Introduction Hotel Chocolat is a famous luxury chocolate producer in the UK. It has 55 stores in the UK and 5 stores in the USA and the Europe. (Hotel Chocolat, 2012) The mainly product series are Giant Slabs, Selectors, Sleekster Selections, Liquid Chocolat, The Purist and Coco Juvenate Beauty Range. (Hotel Chocolat, 2012) Hotel Chocolat insists a high quality strategy so that their products are in luxury level, which attracting consumers come back again and again. Now Hotel Chocolat plan to expand the business and brand perception, managers think about enter Chinese market. In China, middle class improving their purchasing power in recent years, within urban residents has more disposable income (Farrell D, 2006). If manager decide to enter China market, human resource management (HRM) department needs to prepare three points, firstly is create cross-cultural team with Chinese employees, secondly is train the British employees for challenge of cross-cultural management, thirdly is negotiating st yle with Chinese. Creation of cross-cultural team and the challenges of cross-cultural management Cross-cultural team is necessary. Nowadays, the globe business activities are an important part of the worldwide economy. Many of different nationality works in one company or even in one group. In this case, Hotel Chocolat will be suggested to build a cross-cultural team within Chinese employees. This program can avoid some potential risk in Chinese market. Here will point out three directions. 1. Language In business group need to keep will communication to reduce the cost of information. Hotel Chocolat is British company so that the English is mainly language. But Chinese employee’s native language is mandarin and Cantonese, which make conversation maybe difficult. Fortunately, Chinese education department push English language teaching from primary school to college. Nowadays, the world’s most populous nation will become the world’s largest English-speaking country, account about two billion people are learning or have learned English (Clifford. C, 2009). Firstly, English level is an important testing standard when manager selects Chinese employees. Secondly, English employ which will work in China suggest to learn basic daily Mandarin. Of course, if possible, Hotel Chocolat should better choose the people who interested in China. 2. Build Virtual Team In the beginning, Hotel Chocolat should build a quickly communication tunnel between the UK and China department. For a high efficiency, Hotel Chocolat has to build Virtual Team. Virtual Team is basic on advanced information technology to link the geographical dispersion essential employees. It also downsizes the department in China and improves productivity.(Townsend, A, M., and Demarie, M, S and Hendrickson R, A., 2003) Why build a Virtual Team? Here point five factors: (Bettis, R and Hitt, M., 1995) * The flat organizational structure is becoming a good solution to increasing speed to communicate. * The competition and cooperation will be easy in globe economy environment. * Changes in workers expectation of organizational participation. * Adjustment the production of knowledge work environments. * Make trade and corporate activity easily. First of all, to build virtual team needs to pay attention to define the team’s function and organizational roles, build the technical systems to exchange the information. Define the team’s function and organizational roles are the most important thing. The UK and China have seven (DST.) or eight (GMT.) times difference, it make the working time harder. The manager in China who leads the virtual team should clear expectations about team’s performance and criteria. Because of the virtual team’s geographical dispersion, the manager can define the detail of daily report, working schedules and emergency solution. As a new market competitor, Hotel Chocolat will face many difficult, so the virtual team members in both side, the UK and China, have responds to meet online in a short time. In the same time, the virtual team in China needs to have individual ability to control and solve problems. A well communication system in virtual team is a strong support. The technical system should be designed basic on efficiency. One of the reasons is the virtual team members are in different place so that they cannot face to face. If people cannot face to face meeting, some serious and complicated issues will not solve well. In tradition way, the tools have online meeting (Skype), file upload and download (email). If possible, the technical system can use wide-angle camera to build a multiplayer video session, in the meantime, virtual team members can use â€Å"cloud system† to modify the same file in different place together. Within modern technical system, the virtual team becomes more reality and efficient. National negotiating styles When a company enters new market, an excellent negotiating skill will make their process more successfully. In business activities, communication is the key of make a good deal. Within a group of well training negotiating employees, the new market risks, not only China market, will be reduced. As the human resource department, they should make a plan to lead the negotiators’ mind set. Therefore, the â€Å" Ping-Pong† Model (Fang, 1999) is a good choice. (Fang, 1999) The â€Å"Ping-Pong† model is based on the international business negotiating style and Chinese business negotiating style (Fang, 1999; Frankenstein, 1986; Ghauri and Usunier, 1996; Graham and Lin 1987), fang tries to build a bridge between China and the world. In the â€Å"Ping-Pong† Model, there are two major parts. One is the stage of the Sino-Western business Negotiation process and the other one is the dimension of Chinese business culture. In 1996, Ghauri make a structure of the international negotiating style process. He divides the total negotiation into three parts: 1, Pre-Negotiation 2, Formal-Negotiation 3, Post-Negotiation And also Fang realized that in Chinese cultural situation, he also define three main thing: 1, The PRC Condition 2, Confucianism 3, Chinese stratagems Combine these two things, international negotiating style process and Chinese cultural situation, the â€Å"Ping-Pong† Model produced. Next part, it will analyze six factors of â€Å"Ping-Pong† Model. Pre-Negotiation It includes four processes, lobbing, presentation, informal discussion and trust building. In the beginning is lobbing, in China market the government is a powerful force to the market. So it is necessary to have a good conversation with government. Presentation and informal discussion is the base of trust building. In public ways, presentation can show company’s abilities to the company, in other ways, Informal discussion enhance mutual understanding between company and its potential partners. Formal Negotiation In formal negotiation stage, five major contentious issues needs to serious consideration: equity share, contribution of each party, management control, technology and price. For Hotel Chocolat, technology is the top secret so that the human resource department should focus on this part. Post-Negotiation After formal negotiation, the team should be prepared for Chinese trick. One Swedish negotiator recall that (Ghauri P. and Fang T. 2001) Chinese negotiator always take the old issue whatever and whenever, but these situation would not happened in European, Middle Eastern and African countries. Hotel Chocolat website, (2012), Store http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/Chocolate-Store-Locations-Achocolatestore/ (accessed: 8th Oct 2012). Hotel Chocolat website, (2012), Products http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/chocolates-CHC_PRODUCT/ (accessed: 8th Oct 2012). Farrell, D., Gersch, U. and Stephenson, E. (2006), The value of China’s emerging middle class, McKinsey Quarterly, pp69-69. Clifford Coonan, (2009) The largest English-speaking country? China, of course, The Irish Times, 6 June, available at: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2009/0620/1224249169396.html (accessed at 9th Oct 2012). Townsend, A.M., DeMarie, S.M., Hendrickson, A.R. (2003) ‘Virtual teams’ In Thomas, D.C. (ed) Reading and Cases in International Management: A Cross-cultural Perspective. London: SAGE, pp.269-281. Bettis, R. and Hitt, M. (1995) â€Å"The new competitive landscape†, Strategic management journal 16(S1), pp,7-19. Fang, T. (1999) â€Å"Chinese business negotiating style. Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA. Frankenstein, J. (1986). Trend in Chinese business practice: Change in the Beijing wind. California Management Review, 29(1): 148-160. Ghauri, P. N. and Usunier J. –C. (1996) International Business Negotiations. Oxford: Pergamon. Graham, J. L. and Lin, C. –Y. (1987) A comparison of marketing negotiations in the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the United States. In Cavusgil, T. (ed. Advanced in international marketing (Vol. 2, pp. 23-46). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Ghauri P. and Fang T. (2001), Negotiating With the Chinese, Journal of World Business Vol. 36, pp. 303-325.

The Prodigal Son Essays

The Prodigal Son Essays The Prodigal Son Essay The Prodigal Son Essay In only a couple of weeks we come to Great Lent, the period of fasting, prayer, and preparation before Christ rises from the dead. In order to prepare for this great event, there are a few skills that we as Orthodox Christians must keep in mind. One of these is forgiveness. Jesus’ message about forgiveness is clearly given to us in the bible through the parable of the Prodigal Son. In this story, two brothers are promised large inheritances from their father. However, while the older brother patiently waits for his inheritance, the younger brother asks for his share right away. He ends up wasting all of his money on material items, and not saving any for food or shelter. The younger son returns to his father’s house, not expecting a warms welcome. However, the father is thrilled to see him, and even prepares a banquet for him. The older brother is upset that the father welcomed the younger brother back, but the father tells him that he should be happy, because â€Å"his brother who was once lost had been found†. We as Orthodox Christians can learn a lot about forgiveness from the parable of the Prodigal Son. A lot of times many of us feel like the older brother in the story. When somebody hurts our feelings, or does something bad to us, we don’t really want to forgive them for what they did. However, God’s message is very clear. Even though the younger son hurt his father by taking all of his money and wasting it, the father forgave him. We need to follow this example as well. If we can’t forgive other people for what they have done to us, then how can we expect God to forgive us for all of the things that we have done against him? If we all keep this idea in mind, and remember God’s message to forgive others, we will be able to come into Great Lent with a clean spirit, and will be much more prepared for Christ’s resurrection.

Why you should share your opinions out loudâ€not over email

Why you should share your opinions out loud- not over email Who among us hasn’t been in this situation: You receive an email or text from someone you know and wonder, â€Å"What did they mean by that?† â€Å"Are they mad at me- or maybe they were just in a rush† The truth is, although email has made it easier than ever before to send and receive messages with all of the people in our lives- from friends and family members to professional contacts and more- it can be argued that the ease and convenience we’ve gained from modern forms of conversing have been offset by an unfortunate increase in a more impersonal approach to communication, and more opportunities for the mistranslation of a message’s meaning and intent. For humans- and for all animals, really- things like context, body language, and emotion factor heavily into how messages are delivered and received, and when these things are taken out of the equation, which happens when communicating over email, trouble can ensue.According to a recent Psycholog y Today article, â€Å"Research by UCLA psychology professor emeritus Albert Mehrabian found that 7 percent of a message was derived from the words, 38 percent from the intonation, and 55 percent from the facial expression or  body language. In other words, the vast majority of communication is not carried by our words alone†¦Not surprisingly, research shows we communicate most effectively in real-life, real-time conversation.†Just think about it- if only 7% of our messages are derived from the actual words we use, that’s a whopping 93% that’s left to speculation, guesswork, and possible misinterpretation when we communicate over email without the helpful cues that face-to-face communication provides!This gets especially important when you’re talking with someone about a potentially controversial subject or have opposing views on a topic. According to a recent article on Ladders, when we’re facing someone with a point of view that’s i n opposition to our own, we respond more favorably and humanely when the conversations includes voice vs. words, which helps to keep discourse civil.The Ladders article suggests that vocal communication may be a better vehicle for controversial conversations because â€Å"those vocal tics of inflection, intonation, and normal pauses humanize us in ways that get lost over a text message where emotion is implied in emoji and punctuation, and tone is easy to miscommunicate†¦If you want your controversial take to be seen as more than mindless drivel, get off your keyboard and give the person a call.†This information can have a profound effect on how we operate at work. These days, so much of our work lives are spent alone at our desks, silently typing away a volley of email missives on our computers and phones all day. With the volume of email we send out, it would be quite a challenge to stop and think about how each and every message we send will be construed by every rece iver- that would be exhausting!Therefore, some general rules of thumb might be helpful here: use email when sending simple and straightforward messages that are free from emotion, critical evaluation, and potentially controversial opinions. If your messages do contain these items, consider stepping away from your keyboard and engaging in a face-to-face conversation- old-fashioned perhaps, but it just might save you from an uncomfortable, awkward, or embarrassing situation.

Conceptual Framework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conceptual Framework - Assignment Example The IASB want to ensure that equity has first priority to common stock insolvency or liquidation. This is because in business, liability is the duty of an entity that emerge from past or previous events or transactions, the settlement that may lead to the use or transfer of assets, service provision or any other yielding profits or benefits in the future. It is also significant to note that liability differs from equity in the sense that any kind of borrowing from banks or individuals for enhancing a personal income or business, which is payable during both the long and short-term period (Klemstine 2009, 41-43). IASB understands that liability entails a responsibility or use to others that involve settlement by future use or transfer of assets, service provision and any transaction connected with producing economic profits or benefits at a determined time or specified time on either demand or occurrence of a certain event. While on the other hand, it recognizes that equity is the rem aining interest or claim of the junior investors in a company’s assets following the pay out of all liabilities. However, IASB wants it to be clear that in case a liability is more than an asset, it results to a negative equity. In addition, owners’ equity comprises of the total assets of the entire entity. This makes the equity to appear on the balance sheet because net assets would be attained via division of the total assets and all liabilities (Walther 2011, 97). Conceptual framework identifies a notable difference between the quantity of liabilities and assets (equity) exist in terms of interest rates reorganized in a given range of time. The international finance books wants a bank with a similar amount of liabilities as the assets in a given period means that the changes in its interest rates will not change the net interest margin. Such a bank thus has a balanced gap position. On the other hand, if the amount in assets re-price is higher than the liability re-p rice, then such a bank is an asset sensitive one. In contrast, a bank with less amount of asset re-pricing that liability re-price, then it is liability sensitive (Walter & Janich 2011, 78). In the current conceptual framework, uncertain may seem to play a significant role in the definition of liabilities and assets. The conceptual framework holds that the current definitions of liabilities and assets incorporate the idea that the future or forthcoming economic benefits must be anticipated. In addition, the current recognition criteria give details that a liability or an asset is identified if it is possible that any forthcoming economic benefit connected with the product will flow to or from the unit or entity. Additionally, the conceptual framework recognizes that in some rare situations, it is not clear whether a unit or an entity has a liability or an asset exists. The common example applied to determine the existence of uncertainty in the economy is litigation which shows wheth er an entity committed certain act and if it did so, obliges the entity or body to pay fines or damages. Liabilities involves various sorts of debts such as car loans, mortgages, or credit card debts and packaging them as bonds, collateralized mortgage obligations, or as pass-through securities.

Proposing a Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Proposing a Solution - Essay Example This paper examines the problem known as depression widely encountered by the adult person. Further, it explores the causes of such problem and, eventually, proposes a solution to it. On Identification Depression is a disorder characterized by sadness or sheer unhappiness (Rey and Birhamer 4). The depressed mood is felt and experienced widely from adolescent years. But what is more depressing here is the fact that depression is difficult to be clearly identified especially to the adolescent people. In life, I believed, sadness is not uncommon. Being unhappy, at one point of one’s life, is perfectly human. Young ones as well those who are feeling young significantly encounter a certain feeling of unhappiness. Adolescent people, however, are more prone to depressed mood rather than the old folks. In fact, roughly 5 to 15 percent of adolescents experienced symptoms associated to clinical depression (Kaplan, Aguirre, and Rater 48). Kaplan, Aguirre, and Rater present a fascinating list of symptoms marked in adolescent depression. Now, I may not be a teenager but I am categorically a young adult. To my mind, real or imagine, I am still in my adolescent period. Borrowing from the list made by Kaplan, Aguirre, and Rater, below are two signs -- they call it warning signs, and that’s disturbing -- that I have encountered from the past few days: 1. Noticeable changes in eating and sleeping habits. 2. Difficulty concentrating or making decisions. Considering this sort of reality, I am wondering if whether or not I have a clinical depression. (Except for the term depression, I like the word clinical.) Sounds interesting. Thinking it more deeply, though, I doubt it if I have one. On Causes By nature, depressions either in adolescents or in non-adolescents are hereditary (Gullotta and Adams 206). Why young people have symptoms characterized in clinical depression is because such disorder, whether one likes it or not, is inherited from generation to generation. I n fact, roughly 50 percent of people possessing depressed mood are largely attributed to â€Å"genetic predispositions† (qtd. in Gullotta and Adams 206). Meaning to say, depression is unavoidable especially when one’s parents have this mood disorder. Like the inevitability of death, unfortunately, mood disorder is part of the human life. But there is a good news here. According to certain studies, there is ample evidence supporting the theory that depressive symptoms are, in fact, â€Å"less strong [in terms of] genetic association† (qtd. in Gullotta and Adams 206). That is to say, depression is affected by the social environment in which the person having a mood disorder is immersed into. Today, there are two major views concerning the cause of mood disorder: genetics and environment. On Solutions There are solutions to the problem inherent in the disorder called depression. In relation to hereditary as the cause of depressed mood, solution is barely available. It reminds me of one famous Darwinian biologist who proposes, although in jest, an extensive operation of persons who have genetic problems; for instance, a criminal convict can be a law-abiding citizen if his â€Å"bad† genes are replaced with â€Å"good† ones. That is not a bad ideal, is it? Well, what I am going to propose for a solution to the problem associated to depression in young people is greatly social in orientation. Depression can be lessened, if not prevented, especially when

Discuss the Relationship between form and function in the Seagram Essay

Discuss the Relationship between form and function in the Seagram Building, the Guggenheim Museum and the George Pompidou Center - Essay Example It was designed as the headquarters for the Canadian distillers Joseph E. Seagram's & Sons" (2007). The International Style in which this building was constructed was extremely influential on American architecture, one of its chief traits being to externally articulate the structure of the building. Mies wanted the structural elements of the building to be visible. This was not practical because of the American fire codes that required structural steel to be coated with fireproof material, "so Mies used non-structural bronze-toned I-beams to suggest structure instead. These are visible from the outside of the building, and run vertically, like mullions, surrounding the large glass windows. Now, observers look up and see a "fake and tinted-bronze" structure covering a real steel structure. This method of construction using an interior reinforced concrete shell to support a larger non-structural edifice has since become commonplace. The interior was designed to assure cohesion with the external features, repeated in the glass and bronze furnishings and decorative scheme." (Wikipedia 2007). Two of the most interesting design features of the Seagram building involve the window blinds in the building itself and the Plaza just outside. Mies disliked the disorderly position of window blinds at various heights, so he designed the blinds in the building to operate fully open, fully closed, or halfway. This allowed the building to keep its orderly form without losing too much function. Mies never intended the area in front of the building to become a gathering place for people, but it did nonetheless. The Plaza is another function of the Seagram Building, as is the Four Seasons Restaurant (Wikipedia 2007). Guggenheim Museum One of the best-known museums in New York City is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, or as it is most commonly known by the locals, The Guggenheim. It was founded in 1937 and serves as a location to house and display modern artwork. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the new and current building in the year 1959 (Wikipedia 2007). "The distinctive building, Wright's last major work, instantly polarized architecture critics, though today it is widely revered. From the street, the building looks approximately like a white ribbon curled into a cylindrical stack, slightly wider at the top than the bottom. Its appearance is in sharp contrast to the more typically boxy Manhattan buildings that surround it, a fact relished by Wright who claimed that his museum would make the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art "look like a Protestant barn" (Wikipedia 2007). As far as form is concerned, the viewing gallery within is comprised of a spiral. The downside to its beauty is that the design takes away from the artwork that is displayed. Also, the exhibit areas are difficult to hang paintings in. "Although the rotunda is generously lit by a large skylight, the niches are heavily shadowed by the walkway itself, leaving the art to be lit largely by artificial light. The walls of the niches are neither vertical nor flat (most are gently concave) meaning canvasses must be mounted proud of the wall's surface. The limited space within the niches means that sculptures are generally relegated to plinths amid the main spiral walkway itself. Prior to its opening,

The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas Essay Example for Free

The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas Essay The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is about this boy that is called Bruno that’s 8 years old and his dad is a Nazi officer. Bruno has an older sister, a maid, 3 best friends that are called Daniel, Karl, Martin, and of course a mom and a dad. Bruno and his family have to move to Berlin to a new house because his dad got promoted because he had a chance to meet the â€Å"The Fury† (Adolf Hitler) to be control of a concentration camp. Bruno had to leave to a new house and his three friends. When he gets to his new home he doesn’t like it and feels homesick because there was nothing fun to do or had any friends to play with. One day when Bruno sneaked out of his house and was wondering in the wood and saw a camp that he thought that was a farm but it was actually a concentration camp. When he got closer and closer then he saw this kid that was the same age as him and was called Shmuel and a fence where separating them. Then they started talking and became friends. Then each day Bruno started bringing him food. Then Shmuel told Bruno the truth that he was imprisoned because he was a Jew and Bruno didn’t care. One day Shmuel got caught eating a cake by a Nazi officer and Bruno with him. Then Shmuel explained that Bruno gave it to him and Bruno denied what Shmuel said. Several days passed and Bruno didn’t go visit Shmuel. Until one day he went to see Shmuel and he had a black eye and Bruno apologizes for it and they become friends again. Days passed and they both planned that Bruno would be in the other side of the fence with Shmuel so they can play all day. When Bruno got to the other side of the fence some Nazi officers appeared to take the Jews to the gas chamber. Then his mom told his dad that Bruno is missing and they went to look for them. When they got to the concentration camp Bruno’s dad told him to not turn on the gas chamber. It was all too late and when they got there they found out that Bruno was already dead. The movie was based during World War II and its located in Germany Berlin most of the time. This was where some of the concentration camps where located at and that’s where the main character of the lives. The Nazi party blamed and made propagandas about the Jews that they were the fault why Germany is in the ruined. The reaction of many countries for Germany’s action was going to war with them. The Allied powers were the Americans, France, United Kingdom, and Poland. The Axis powers were the Germans, Japan, and Italy. Many of the Germans where supporting Hitler because they thought that he could make Hitler a strong country again. The War lasted between the years 1939-1945. The camp that Bruno’s dad was in charged (Auschwitz) was an actual camp during World War II. This was accurate to because the holocaust really happened. The fact that people was actually beaten up and putted in gas chamber really happened to. Somewhere inaccurate to because the Nazis would have killed people that weren’t able to work. Shmuel wasn’t old enough to work so he should have been one of the first persons to die. The concentration camps fences had electricity. So Bruno wouldn’t be able to crawl under the fence because he would have been electrocuted. I thought that the movie was really sad and really good. The sad part was that Bruno and Shmuel died at the end because they were innocent. It was really good to because it was a very well built movie with some accurate facts and at the same time inaccurate facts. This made me learn not that much about WWII because I still remembered all this stuff from 8th grade but it still refreshed my mind on how WWII was. Citation Page 1. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/history.html 2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II 3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis powers 4. www.worldwar-2.net/

Electricity Generation Essay -- Energy Fossils Electical Environment P

Electricity is a secondary form of energy, the primary being fossil fuels, which are used to generate it. The world’s production of electricity was twelve trillion kilowatt hours in 1997, and is expected to be close to twenty-one trillion kilowatt hours by 2020. (Fay and Golomb, 2002, 16) This is a cause of concern because based on the United States Department of Energy’s International Energy Outlook 1997 the world’s electricity generation is primarily (63%) from fossil fuels, which release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when burned. The unnatural amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is already beginning to make some changes in our weather patterns, and predictions for the future look grim. Therefore, alternatives in electricity generation must be explored. In order to be able to take alternative electricity generation techniques into consideration, one must know the basics about how electricity is generated. The generation of electricity is usually done in a power plant of sorts and then sent out over the power grid to homes. The employment of step up transformers that convert the twelve kilovolts normally outputted by the power plant, into four hundred kilovolts for long range transmission over high voltage transmission lines are critical to insure minimal power loss during transport. (Urone, 2001, 573) A step down transformer is then used to bring the voltage down to levels that are safe for home use, thirteen kilovolts over normal power lines, and two hundred forty volts or one hundred twenty volts (Europe and United States respectively) to the actual home. The actual driving force behind electric powered appliances is electric current. Electricity is merely electric current used as a ... ...logy, could take off in the future. Of course, as with any type of technology, each method does have it’s own list of pros and cons. However, one thing is for sure, the current trend calls for fossil fuels to continue their domination of the energy market, which poses severe environmental risks for the future. Advancements in research and technology are making people more aware of the dangers that lie ahead. The time is now to demand a responsible energy policy from the government, in hopes of a brighter tomorrow. List of Sources: Fay A., James and Golomb S., Dan. 2002. Energy and the Environment. Oxford University Press, New York. Ristinen A., Robert and Kraushar J., Jack. 1999.Energy and the Environment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. Urone Peter, Paul. 2001. College Physics, 2nd ed. Wadsworth Group. Brooks/Cole. Thomson Learning, Inc., New York.

Social Interaction and Technology Essay example -- Sociology

Cellphones, television, and computers are just three of the most popular ways that we communicate in today. They have made a substantial impact on the United States simply by being readily available and easy to use. People are often discussing how technology has impacted us. Many believe that technology is actually hindering society rather than helping it. Then there are those who doubt technology has made our social interactions better. Certainly, this is true; without the advances in technology, our level of social interaction in education, businesses, and relationships would diminish. Education is important, so it would only make sense that technology would have a huge part in it. When children are born, they are placed into a world that is driven by technology. Parents are now using iPads and cellphones to allow their children to get a head start on learning. Now, by the time children are of age to attend school, they are exceedingly prepared to incorporate technology in their education. With this being said, educational institutions must help students get ready to work in a society that encompasses an extensive amount of technology. According to Sean McCollum, â€Å"a handful of school districts†¦are adapting their use to serve the curriculum.† Many schools are now using whiteboards, laptops, tablets, Smartphones and other devices in almost every classroom. Technology enhances learning, boosts confidence, and eliminates geographical limitations. Technology enriches learning by being able to come in different forms and do different things. "For lessons traditionally done with a paper and pencil, we now were able to do them in color, with animation, and with more depth and complexity"(McCollum). Teachers are now able to help stu... ...al interactions with each other. Works Cited Carr, Nicholas G. "IT Doesn't Matter." Harvard Business Review 81.5 (2003): 41-49. Business Source Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. Levin, Barbara. "On-Demand Workforce-Communications Technologies Help Organizations Meet Critical Business Goals." Employment Relations Today (Wiley) 35.2 (2008): 43-50. Business Source Complete. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. McCollum, Sean. "Getting Past the 'Digital Divide'." Education Digest 77.2 (2011): 52. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. Social Interaction and Technology. n.d. Intelecom. Video. Web. 11 March 2012. Vanden Abeele, Mariek and Keith Roe "New Life, Old Friends: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Communication Technology Use in Freshmen's Social Life." Conference Papers International Communication Association (2009): 1-36. Communication & Mass Media. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.

Product Lines of Metlife Alico

Abstract Products can be tangible or intangible, physical or logical. Insurance services are logical and considered as intangible product in marketing. Presently it is a familiar term in our day to day life. Many different insurance companies provide different types of insurance services. In western countries adopting insurance services are mandatory. In Bangladesh Insurance services are also getting popular day by day. MetLife Alico is one of the leading insurance companies in Bangladesh. It is well organized and has a wide range of product line.Here the details of the product lines of MetLife Alico will be presented in brief. Firstly, the product concept of marketing will be described. Secondly, insurance services will be introduced as a product. Thirdly, MetLife Alico and its history in Bangladesh will be discussed in brief. Fourthly, the product lines of MetLife Alico will be presented and their features will be discussed. Next, different value added service of the organization t owards its customers will be described. Finally, the report will be critically analyzed and some recommendations to increase acceptability of the report will be proposed.At last a, brief discussion on the product lines of MetLife Alico will be presented. Introduction Product is a good, service, or idea consisting of a bundle of tangible and intangible attributes that satisfies consumers and is received in exchange of money or some other unit of value. The organizations that are production-oriented look at a product basically as a manifestation of resources used to produce it and the organizations that are marketing oriented view a product from the target consumer’s perspective as a bundle of benefits by benefits i. e. functional as well as  emotional benefits.Accordingly they will have to see how their consumers view their products. There is no need to prepare a marketing mix for a product that offers few consumers benefits, because that product will not sell. If we conside r the product from the target customer’s perspective, like the cosmetic companies are combining chemicals to make lipsticks, vitamin manufacturers produce little pills; watch makers produce mechanical devices that keep time. -What marketers are doing is they are basically enhancing their products for their target markets-as lipstick has becomes beauty and hope, vitamins become hope or a healthier life and watches become status symbols. So we can say that, a product therefore is a bundle of physical or logical, tangible or intangible attributes that have the potential to satisfy present and potential customer wants. In addition to the physical goods themselves, other elements include the warranty, installation, after sales service accessories and package. For example a product with warranty and the same product without warranty are not same. Products that are intangible are exchanged directly from producer to user, they cannot be transported or stored, and are almost instantly perishable.These products are called services. Service products are often difficult to identify, because they come into existence at the same time they are bought and consumed. The American Marketing Association defines services as – â€Å"Activities, benefits and satisfactions which are offered for sale or are provided in connection with the sale of goods. † Some common examples of service that are considered as product are services of a lawyer, Service of a beautician, banking services etc. Insurance services can also be considered as an intangible product.Insurance service as a product Insurance is the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another in exchange of payment. It is a form of risk-management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. An insurer, or insurance carrier, is a company selling the insurance; the insured, or policyholder, is the person or entity buying the insurance policy. The amount of mon ey to be charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage is called the premium.The transaction involves the insured assuming a guaranteed and known relatively small loss in the form of payment to the insurer in exchange for the insurer's promise to compensate (indemnify) the insured in the case of a financial loss. The insured receives a contract, called the insurance policy, which details the conditions and circumstances under which the insured will be financially compensated. An Insurance service is also an intangible product because nothing is actually produced and there is no tangible item being exchanged.The policy, policy booklet, etc. is a contract and terms of the contract, however that is not bought. However with an insurance contract no tangible good is exchanged for the consideration (i. e. premium). What is being exchanged for the consideration is an agreement that the insurance company will indemnify you in accordance with the terms of the contract. Moreover insuranc e services are demandable and have market values. So, it is a product. There are wide ranges of insurance services, they are offered at different conditions and in different packages.A single insurance provider often offers different types packages and also different types of services. For example, MetLife Alico offers total four types of packages in insurance schemes with different types of products in each scheme. Terms and conditions vary from packages to packages and products to products. These services are designed targeting different types of customers. Overview of MetLife Alico MetLife Alico is an affiliate of MetLife, Inc. , a leading global provider of insurance and employee benefit programs. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife serves more than 90 million customers around the world.It provides a full range of Life, Accident and Health insurance products for customers ranging from individuals to large local and multinational corporations. Individual, group, and credit protection products help its customers recover from financial loss due to death, disability, accident, sickness, and loss of employment. Also, individual savings and group pension products help its customers save for education, retirement, or other financial goals. Its products are available through agents, brokers, financial institutions and direct to customer. In addition to, being the largest life insurer in the U.S. and Mexico, MetLife is now a leading competitor in Japan holding advantageous positions in Europe, and is in top-five position in many high-growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. MetLife Alico has been helping people and businesses in Bangladesh with their insurance needs since 1952. It have tailored extensive product offering to the unique needs of individuals, families and businesses of all sizes. Presently, it is one of the leading insurance companies in the country, with close to 1,000,000 insured members and over 12,000 agents.The main products of MetLife Alico in Bangladesh are life insurance, saving and retirement plans and accidents and health insurance for individuals and employee benefits, credit life insurance and insurance for non-employees for corporations. In these six categories MetLife supports many services of different terms and durations. Product lines of MetLife Alico Figure 1 : Different services of MetLife Alico. From the figure it is clear that MetLife Alico supports total six types of Insurance services in Bangladesh. It supports three types of solution in each of the individual and corporate solution category.The services offered by the company are Life insurance, Savings ; Retirement insurance plan, Accident ; Health Insurance, Employee Benefits, Credit Life Insurance, and Insurance for Non-Employees. For convenience only individual solutions will be discussed. A brief overview of the Individual services is provided in the next topic. Different schemes and their features The services of MetLife Alico will be discussed in two major categories, Individual solutions and corporate solutions. Individual solutions are services that are designed to meet individual needs.The individual services are designed to meet different types of insurance needs of individuals. Individual plans consists life insurance plan, savings ; retirement plans popularly known as DPS schemes and accident ; health insurance plans. Life insurance Life insurance can take care of family and help them maintain their standard of living if something odd happen to the insured. Apart from taking care of outstanding loans or mortgages, it can also protect children's education or provide monetary benefits to family members. There are two types of life insurance Education Protection Plan (EPP) Plus and Three Payment Plan (3PP) Plus.Education Protection Plan (EPP) Plus The cost of a good education is rising high, and has risen at an alarming rate in recent years. To secure the best possible e ducation for children’s, individuals need to plan ahead. Education Protection Plan is specifically designed to help and can give the reassurance right preparations for children’s future. If some awkward situations occur, insured family members suffers from financial crisis, this plan protects them from financial problems also. The main features of Education Protection Plan (EPP) Plus are: * A flexible plan with terms ranging from 10 to 25 years On maturity, insured persons child will receive the full face amount along with the bonus * In case of insured’s sudden death, the plan protects his child's financial future by paying out a monthly sum of 1% of the face amount every month for child’s education till the maturity of the policy. The policy also provides for a waiver of all future premiums in order to keep the policy active and in-force. * Insured can choose to add a disability protection rider to this plan which will protect in the event of a disabili ty due to sickness or accident. Like in all other life policies, the paid premiums are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules). * This EPP Plus plan also provides a personal accident coverage that ensures the financial future of insured loved ones in case of his death, disability or injury due to an accident. Three Payment Plan (3PP) Plus The Three Payment Plan is an innovative policy that provides the ultimate solution in financial planning giving both the protection insured need and the regular payouts he want to meet his financial needs. It has all the security of a life insurance plan and the flexibility of a savings policy.The main features of Three Payment Plan (3PP) Plus are: * This Plan is available for varying terms. * 25% of the face amount is paid at the end of 1/3rd of the term and another 25% at the end of 2/3rd of the term. * The remaining 50% of the face amount is paid along with a bonus at maturity. * In the unfortunate event of the death of th e policy holder, at any time during the term of the policy, their loved ones will receive the entire face amount along with the bonuses – NO DEDUCTION is made for the partial maturity amounts already paid. Loans up to a maximum of 85% of cash value are available, if required. * Like in all other life policies, the paid premiums are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules). * The 3PP Plus also provides Personal Accident Coverage in case of insured’s death, disability or injury due to accident. Savings ; Retirement Savings and retirement plans are for saving for future and creating a source of income to be available in future. There are three different plans in this category. Income growth Plan, DPS super and lifeline pension plan.The details of the plans are described below: Income Growth Plan The main features of Income Growth Plan are: * A unique plan that combines protection and savings * Offers a maximum premium payment term of up to 30 years t hereby giving the flexibility of choosing small payments to suit your budgetary needs * The plan is split into 2 phases. The first phase is for a period of 7 years and then the second phase starts (from the 8th year) and includes the rest of the term. * During the first 7 years savings is accumulated and grown and at the end of the 7th year a dividend is declared.This dividend could be up to 40% of the cash value of the plan. * In the second phase, the cash value and dividend are transferred to the Investment ; Protection Account (IPA) * From the 8th year onwards, the policy offers a range of flexible options such as changes to the amount of premium, insurance coverage, etc, subject to the policy terms and conditions. * Maturity Benefits: On maturity, the policy owner can either withdraw the account (IPA) value; or convert it into a life time pension. Like in all other life policies, the paid premiums are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules) * Income Growth also provides Personal Accident Coverage in case of your death, disability or injury DPS Super As a sensible and responsible individual, one must be looking for the best possible avenues to grow his hard-earned money. An ideal financial plan for him may be the one that accumulates his money with reasonable returns as well as provides protection to him ; his family against uncertainties. One such a plan is MetLife Alico’s DPS Super offer.MetLife Alico’s DPS Super is a savings and protection plan that provides an attractive Maturity Value and a substantial Accidental Benefit. There are total three types of services in this category. They are: Plan| Features| DPS Super – Gold| Maturity Value + Life Coverage + Accident Coverage + Critical Illness ; Waiver of Premium Benefits| DPS Super – Silver| Maturity Value + Life Coverage + Accident Coverage| DPS Super – Bronze| Maturity Value + Accident Coverage| Table 1: MetLife Alico DPS plans. The terms and co nditions of the plans are given below: DPS Super – Gold Plan Attractive Maturity Value to meet financial planning needs. * Life Insurance coverage equivalent to policy Face Amount. * Double Benefit due to Accidental Death (AD) and Accidental Permanent ; Total Disability (PTD); consequently a total coverage of 3 times the Face Amount in case of AD. In case of Accidental Dismemberment the additional Accidental Benefit may reach up to 2 times the Face Amount depending on the type and extent of Loss * Lump Sum payment equal to 100% or 50% of the Face Amount in case of diagnosis of 8 Critical Illnesses * Waiver of Premium in case of Permanent Total Disability due to Accident or Sickness.DPS Super – Silver Plan * Attractive Maturity Value to meet ones financial planning needs. * Life Insurance coverage equivalent to policy Face Amount. * Double Benefit due to Accidental Death (AD) and Accidental Permanent ; Total Disability (PTD); consequently a total coverage of 3 times the Face Amount in case of AD. In case of Accidental Dismemberment the additional Accidental Benefit may reach up to 2 times the Face Amount depending on the type and extent of loss. DPS Super – Bronze Plan * Attractive Maturity Value to meet ones financial planning needs. Death Benefit equal to account value or premiums paid for the basic policy whichever is higher. * Accidental benefit under which 2 times the Face Amount (Face Amount is defined as the DPS Super annual premium times the policy term) will be paid in the event of accidental death, or accidental permanent ; total disability (PTD). In case of accidental dismemberment the additional accidental benefits may reach up to 2 times the face amount depending on the type and extent of loss. Lifeline Pension PlanLifeline Pension Plan is an opportunity to earn in the post job life after retirement. In life line pension scheme one saves during employment and earns after retirements. The main features of the product are: * It o ffers you a combination of savings and protection. * One can choose a plan that has a payment term ranging between 10 and 20 years. * It have the facility to withdraw the face amount along with any accumulated bonuses any time after the end of the premium payment period. * One can start receiving the pension payment, 1 year after the completion of the premium payment period. One can choose to postpone this pension payment and leave the annual income with MetLife Alico to accumulate further. * This annual pension payment will continue up to the age of 100. * It offer a minimum guaranteed return of 4% with the option to receive an excess form the year of investment performed. * In the unfortunate event of insured’s death, his loved ones will receive the full face amount plus accrued bonuses. * Like in all other life policies, the paid premiums are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules). This plan also provides a personal accident coverage that ensures th e financial future of loved ones in case of insured’s death, disability or injury due to accident. Accident ; Health Insurance Solutions MetLife’s accident and health insurance products secure its clients in case of unusual health hazards and accidental cases. There are total eight types of Accidental and Health Insurance solutions available in this category. The features and details of the services are given below. Critical Care No one likes to thinks about serious illness, but it is always a possibility.For example estimation shows that 1 in 8 people aged 30 today will contract cancer before age 65. The Critical Care is the convenient and affordable critical illness protection plan that is specially designed to protect insured and his family in the event of any health crisis that may strike any of us, any time, anywhere. Critical Care can make sure getting the medical help one need. What’s more, the policy can help replace insured income if he is unable to wor k, so the bills are still paid and insured’s loved ones are looked after. The terms and conditions of the plan are given below: Critical Care will provide insured with lump sum payment of up to BDT 500,000 which is payable upon diagnosis and receipt of proof for one critical illness only. * Critical Care supplements ones life insurance protection. * MetLife offer several plans and anyone can select the plan of his choice for him. * The critical illness lump sum payment will be made only after diagnostics and proved with any of the 25 illnesses listed. * There is no deductible amount. Hospital Care Being admitted in a hospital is stressful enough without the added worry of the expenses.Traditional insurance products may not cover all the additional expenses that one will incur or the loss of income may be suffered if one is hospitalized. Hospital Care supplementary policy can give the added finances to cover whatever one feel is important so that he can concentrate on getting well. It pays the cash amount that insured have selected when he or his insured family members are hospitalized, even in a free hospital. The cash income starts from the very first day of hospitalization and continues for up to 52 weeks for each confinement. The product terms and conditions are given below: The Hospital Care supplements insured life insurance protection * These benefits are payable in addition to any other insurance plan that one may have. * One can select the plan that best suits his needs and the needs of his family from the range offered. * The Daily Cash income continues for up to 52 weeks from the very first day of hospitalization. * The Cash Income is paid directly to insured, to use any way he wishes. * The Cash income is payable regardless of expenses, even if treatment is confined in a free hospital. * There is no deductible amount or waiting period.Lifetime Income Policy If anybody wants absolute security in case he is no longer capable or able to handle t he daily responsibilities of his family due to a sudden accident, Lifetime Income policy is for him. It is a protection plan that provides a cheque-a-month for lifetime of his spouse, his children or even himself, with a guaranteed minimum of 240 monthly benefit cheques. Lifetime Income Policy is a unique plan that provides cheques month after month, year after year to meet insured family expenses. With the same reliability one provide to his family.The details terms and conditions of the product are given below: * This is a dedicated accident insurance product specially tailored for the Bangladesh market where the rate of road traffic accident is one of the highest in the world. * It offers coverage for accidental loss of life, permanent partial disability due to accident, and permanent total disability due to accident * Several units are available under this policy and one can pick the number of units that suits him the best. * No health questionnaire or medical examination requir ed. * This plan provides you with 24 hour, 365 days a year worldwide coverage. The premiums that are paid are income tax deductible (subject to prevailing tax laws ; rules). * 20% of the Premium paid will be refunded as a ‘No Claim Bonus' after 3 years, provided that no claim has been made. Circles of Protection With Circles of Protection one can build the ideal protection for him from a range of options; he just choose the ones that are appeared right to him.. The details of the terms and conditions are given below: * Circle 1 offers protection against accidental death, permanent total and partial disability, Double indemnity-common carrier ; flying with guaranteed cash payments to himself or his loved ones. Circle 2 offers a weekly accident indemnity income for up to two years, replacing lost income due to disability as a result of an accident. This option is only available if you take out Circle 1. * Circle 3 offers accident medical expense reimbursement – total prot ection for reasonable accident medical expenses in and out of hospital. Only available if one takes out Circle 1. * Circle 4 offers Hospital Health Care which provides income for insured and his family if he stay in hospital due to accident or sickness. Circle 5 offers a monthly income for Lifetime with a guaranteed minimum of 240 monthly benefits for covering expenses like food ; clothing, rent, school ; university fee, medical ; health, mortgage ; taxes etc. Minimum monthly income: BDT 3,000 Maximum monthly income: BDT 20,000 My Child Special, Good Health Special, Executive 5 Special and Medi-Guard these four services are still unavailable in Bangladesh and will be made available soon. Other features of MetLife Alico Apart from the above mentioned individual insurance offers MetLife Alico provides some value added services also.In this offers MetLife offers a free health card that offers 15% off on physical diagnostics of the insured and his family members at permitted hospitals a nd diagnostics centers. In addition to the health card the company provides a dedicated customer care officer for each client who deals will all insurance related problems and query of the clients. The monthly payment can be made by auto debit system to reduce effort from clients end. Moreover the websites of the company provides a satisfactory description to its services and provides easier contact with its scustomer care officers.Limitations of the Report The report is prepared extensively based on information provided at the company websites and at other web resources. Customer’s opinions are not taken into account during preparation of the report. If customer’s opinions and their feedbacks are added to the report it will be more reliable and authentic. Some customer relation officers can also be interviewed to enhance the report. If some case study and more present statistics are added to the report it will be more accurate. ConclusionsInsurance services are gettin g popular all over the world day by day. It is a logical service related to risk-management. The main policy is saving user’s money for future to resolve accidental crisis. However people in our country are not aware about the policies of the available companies. Necessary campaigns are necessary to make the insurance services popular. Moreover most of the peoples in our country live below the poverty lines, so insurance companies should make easier terms and policies suitable to the poor peoples of the country.But it is ironically true that most of the insurance companies are targeting only the corporate peoples. The insurance companies should change their values to make their services more users friendly rather then treating it as a profitable product only. It is desired that MetLife will design their new services considering these facts. Appendix Appendix A: Personal Accident Coverage If one is qualified for accident coverage, this plan also provides the following addition al benefits in case of his death, disability or injury due to accident within the premium paying period.The Personal Accident Coverage provides a maximum cover of Tk. 20,00,000 and the proportionate amounts are mentioned below: A. ACCIDENTAL DEATH BENEFIT| : 100% of FA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  | B. PERMANENT TOTAL DISABILITY BENEFIT| : 100% of FA| C. PERMANENT PARTIAL DISABILITY for the following losses:|   | †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both Hands or Feet or Sights of eyes| : 100% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One Hand   and One Foot| : 100% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Either Hand / Foot and Sight of One Eye| : 100% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hearing of Both Ears| : 100% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Speech  | : 100% of FA|   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Either Hand or Foot| :   50% of FA  | †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sight of one Eye| :   50% of FA| †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thumb and Index fingers| :   25% of FA| D. MEDICAL EXPENSES REIMBURSEMENT| Max of :   15% of FA| Appendix B: Critical Care Insurance packages and benefits Appendix C: Diseases covered under critical care 1. Stroke 2. Cancer (Except Skin Cancer) 3. First Heart Attack 4. Coronary Artery Surgery 5. Other Serious Coronary Artery Diseases 6. Heart Valve Replacement 7. Major Burns 8. Blindness 9. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (Primary) 10.End-stage Lung Disease 11. Kidney Failure 12. Surgery To Aorta 13. Aplastic Anemia 14. Major Organ Transplant 15. Loss Of Hearing 16. Loss Of Speech 17. Muscular Dystrophy 18. Alzheimer’s Disease / Irreversible Organic Degenerative Brain Disorders 19. Motor Neuron Disease 20. Parkinson’s Disease 21. Coma 22. Benign Brain Tumor 23. Major Head Trauma 24. Bacterial Meningitis 25. Paralysis| Appendix D: Hospital Care packages and benefits Appendix E: Diseases covered under Hospital care packageThe 9 dreadful diseases covered under hospital care packages are:    * Heart Attack   Ã‚   * Cancer (Except Skin Cancer) * Coronary Artery Disease * Stroke * Renal Failure * Blindness due to Sickness * Paralysis * Major Burns * Major Organ Transplantation| References Information and different data are collected from the following sources: * http://www. metlifealico. com. bd/en/Individual/index. html * Principles of Marketing by Philip J. Kotler ; Gary Armstrong * http://www. adv-ins. com/ * http://www. marketing91. com/product-concept/