Video game industry in North America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Video game industry in North America - Essay Example Interactive game industry is the other term used in reference to the video game industry as it comprises of thousands of disciplines. The industry developed in the 1970s because of curiosity in which their development shifted from a focused market to a mainstreamed one (Huntemann & Aslinger, 2013). Presently, the video game industry is the most profitable component of the North American economy as it the profits generated from the sale of video game merchandise translates to billions of dollars. Ideally, the advancement in the computer or technology industry draws influence from the video gaming sector as the sector has facilitated significant improvements. For instance, the video game industry influenced the development of sound cards as video game players sought to develop the quality of sound produced but video games. Presently, modern games are a demanding lot as they require advanced applications on personal computers hence influencing the purchase of high quality equipment. The refore, this essay will delve on the video game industry in North America while focusing on the benefits and disadvantages of the same on the economy and the population. History of the Video game industry in North America Video games developed in North America contribute at least thirty percent of the games in the video game market. With this attribute, the industry that started almost forty decades ago has attracted the interest of many researchers in terms of their impact on the reality of the game players. Many researches have had their focus on the contents of the video games or the production aspects of the same. Ideally, the video game industry has a correlation with the development of the software industry in the North American continent, but the two industries took divergent paths as time progressed. However, the establishment of the video game industry is a subject that has dotted lines as it is not clear whether it started with Russell Steven with his colleagues or Baer Ra lph as they developed Magnavox Odyssey and Space wars respectively (Yost, 2005). These two individuals are just among the few that the video game industry cites as the developers of video game consoles in North America. In essence, the game console is the most significant aspect of video games as the device is needful in the running of video games. In definitive terms, the game console is a gaming device that can host numerous games that have different contents and display the contents on a television screen. For instance, the Nintendo 64 was the greatest game console to have hit the video game industry with its release in 1997. On the other hand, video game companies emerged in a period between the 1980s and the 1990s, but the game console sector remained as the principal force in the North American continent. Appendices 1: Comparison between the sales of video game consoles and PC game sales Year Console games Net sales Personal computer Game Sales 2006 231.8 Million pieces 1.2 Mi llion pieces 2007 388.4 Million pieces 5.2 Million pieces 2008 628.5 Million pieces 9.3 Million pieces 2009 602.3 Million pieces 8.8 Million pieces 2010 636 Million pieces 17.6 Million pieces The table asserts that sales in video game console are higher as compared to the sales of PC games making this aspect the object of focus for video game publishers and developers (Tremblay, 2007). Essentially, video game consoles are vital in the maintenance of the existing structures of the North American video game industry. Video game structures in North America As part of the regulations governing this industry, the acquisition of a license from the manufacturer is vital before a game development studio creates a game console. The license is an agreement

Developmental Delays and Trauma Essay Example for Free

Developmental Delays and Trauma Essay Developmental delays is when your child does not reach their developmental milestones at the projected times. It is an ongoing major or minor delay in the course of development. Developmental delays can have many different causes. There are many types of Developmental delays in children; they include problems with language or speech, vision, movement (motor skills), social, emotional and cognitive skills (van der Kolk, 1995). Developmental delays are easily distinguished if you pay close attention to the development and milestone periods contained by children; for example if you notice a child having a low attention span, they can’t stay still, they’re highly active and energetic all the time, that’s perhaps due to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD. There are so many different things that can cause developmental delays and children aren’t always born with developmental delays. Although, developmental delays can be genetic or born with, there are times when trauma at different ages can cause developmental delays such as a child being abused and suffering brain trauma, concussion, which could cause memory lost. Or there could be an accident and a child or adult undergo serious injuries to the spine, eyes, etc. Spinal injuries can be of damage to you motor skills. Spinal injuries or brain injuries if serious can lead to you basically having to start over as if you were a baby learning to walk, read, jump, or talk. The Shaken baby syndrome also can be a trauma that can cause brain injuries. There are numerous of things that have major components to play in developmental delays. Trauma definitely plays a one of those major parts in developmental delays. There are a number of Trauma’s that can cause development delays. It doesn’t always have to be abuse or accidents. Trauma can be caused by divorce, neglect, bullying, sports injuries, or even bad relationship breaks up. These types of trauma are called psychological trauma. Psychological  traumas effects are mostly emotional and it isn’t always permanent. Psychological trauma causes anger, irritability; mood swings, guilt, hopeless, anxiety, withdrawing, and disconnected to name a few. For divorce, Feldman says (2011) ch ildren and adults may experience depression, and disturbances and phobias and these things last from 6 months up until 2 years. Feldman states children whose parents are divorcing blames themselves for the breakup. He also states, evidence shows that twice as many children of divorced parents enter psychological counseling (Feldman, 2011). Children under the age 18 suffer 40% more anxiety as a result of divorce (van der Kolk, 1995). About 10-15 percent of students are bullied one time or the other (Feldman, 2011) and almost 85% of girls and 80% of boys are being bullied (Feldman, 2011). Those who are bullied lack social skills, cry easy (Feldman, 2011), and they experience depression, stress, anger, etc. Prayer and meditation help brain activity. Mediation to the mind is like an aerobic exercise to the body. Studies have also shown that meditation promotes mindfulness, decreased stress, insomnia, illnesses, depression, anxiety and panic. Spiritual connection brings comfort and healing to trauma. Researchers are learning the parts of the brain that are responsible for the spiritual thoughts, prayer and meditation. In one of our presentations his week, Dr. Jeanne Brooks stated that we have a spir itual part in our brain (2014). There are good and bad parts to everyone, I believe the good part is the spiritual part in everyone. For example, we’ve all seen cartoons in which there was a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. The shoulder with the angel is the part of us, the part of our brain or conscious that’s spiritual. References Brooks, Jeanne Dr. â€Å"Divorce and Stress† video presentation. LUO (2014) Feldman, R.S. (2014). Development across the Life Span (7th edition) Namka,, L. (2001). Children who are traumatized by bullying. alk, Trust and Feel Therapeutics., p. 18. Van Der Kolk, an der Kolk, B. (1995). developmental trauma disorder : Towards a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories.

Hume on Revolution :: Government Politics Papers

Hume on Revolution David Hume offers a well conceived plan for the formation of government and its political workings. Furthermore, he grants that in special circumstances the citizens of a particular government may revolt. However, with respect to obedience and disloyalty, Hume gives no formal rules for revolution. We would like something more from Hume regarding revolution and, more specifically, what he considers justified revolution. Some authors, such as Richard H. Dees, find the basis for Hume’s account of justified revolution in his historical works. By connecting Hume’s historical writings with his political theory, we find a fuller account of revolution. Such an account, however, does not require him to give a rule or maxim prescribing revolution since such a rule or maxim would obviously go against his political theory as stated in the Treatise and his political essays. In sum, justified revolution for Hume centers around the established political practices and the principled ca uses held by factions. Unjustified revolutions, however, are denoted by lack of adherence to established practices and want of a genuine cause. They are, rather, motivated by speculative factions subject to fanaticism and enthusiasm which are the foundations of Hume’s political worries. These central tenets of Hume’s view of revolution are delineated within this paper. Introductory Remarks In "Of Passive Obedience," Hume chastises those who endorse at length the maxims of resistance. Disloyal acts are considered to be immoral because they strike us as being contrary to preserving order in society. The desire to preserve peace and order in society, for self-interest, motivates people to obey authority. We are, thus, to regard disobedience towards authority as something to be avoided. Hume writes, Besides; we must consider, that, as obedience is our duty in the common course of things, it ought chiefly to be inculcated; nor can any thing be more preposterous than an anxious care and solicitude in stating all the cases, in which resistance may be allowed.(1) For Hume, it is of major importance and consequence that obedience is taught and demonstrated for its benefits. First of all, liberty and commerce depend on obligation to promises. Secondly, submission to government is necessary for the performance of promises. Disobedience and revolution put both of these advantageous in jeopardy. Hume, however, in his explanation of the formation of government claims that government can be overthrown in times of egregious tyranny. To be sure, Hume had admittedly agreed with the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and sympathized with the American colonial situation but he finds too much liberty of resistance pernicious.

Nature and Materialism in Walden

Henry David Thoreau, an American author, lived alone in a small cabin which he himself built on the banks of Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts   for two years and two months starting in July 4, 1845. He gave an interesting account of this experience and experiment in living alone in a place close to nature and away from civilization in his book entitled Walden published in 1854. I especially liked Thoreau’s philosophical ideas and reflections that he learned while living in Walden. His experiences in living in Walden Pond encourages people to slow down and reflect on the kind of life that they are living whether they are supposedly living the kind of life that was meant to be. According to Miller, â€Å"He [Thoreau] endeavored to find the foundation for a more simple, honest, and pure life which he contrasted to the lives of â€Å"quiet desperation† led by most of his contemporaries† (Miller 1995). In relating his experiences, Thoreau also used wit and humor so that he made life away from civilization an interesting idea. What I do not like is that Thoreau can be extreme in his advocacy for simplicity. For example, he believed that â€Å"water is the only drink for a wise man; wine is not a noble liquor; and think of dashing the hopes of a morning with a cup of warm coffee, or of an evening with a dish of tea!† (Thoreau 182).   I do not agree that moderate drinking of tea and coffee is harmful to man. Throughout the book, Thoreau praised the life living in simplicity close to nature. For him life with nature is like living life in innocence. Every morning with nature, he felt renewed as he was far from noise and disturbance. In the cabin, he felt remote from the life that he had left behind with civilization and in so doing, he had the time to think about life in its purer form, to have an effective intellectual exertion. I do agree with Thoreau that nature had its positive effect of renewing the inner spirit of man for in their presence one felt relaxed and calm. Life away from nature can be very stressful and demanding and with time, one no longer knew what was important about living. Modern civilization in particular can be very stressful as more emphasis is put on the acquisition of material wealth. One is caught in the never-ending web of earning money as much as he can to live a supposed comfortable life so that he had no time to stop and smell the flowers. Yet the truth in most cases is that oftentimes modern man would not be able to enjoy what he worked so hard for either because he had no   time to do so or that he got sick for working too hard so that his money was spend in medical expenses ( Medical Science News 2005). According to Thoreau â€Å"Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind (Thoreau 10)†. I totally agree in this judgment because I have noticed that some of the inventions of modern man only deprived him of the exercise that he needs for healthy living. For example in cleaning the house he had floor polisher that replaced manual floor scrubbing so that in return he sweats less than he used to. Also, man had used the luxury of cars at his disadvantage for even in a short distance he will not take a walk. No wonder Thoreau had concluded, â€Å"the nation itself †¦ its so-called internal improvements, which, by the way, are all external and superficial†¦ is cluttered by furniture and tripped by its own traps †¦ (Thoreau 75)†. In my life, these ideas had largely opened my eyes to the reality that I do not have to compete for the acquisition of wealth for in so doing I may fail to really live. I believe now that many people who only spend their whole lifetime gaining possessions never actually lived after all. Their bodies and minds are like machines that are employed to acquire many of the supposed luxuries of life. For me, to avoid such a mistake, I must see to it that I spend sometime with nature in order to reflect and to be renewed. Thoreau’s Walden therefore revealed to man the need for simple living and to be close to nature and avoid the extreme need to acquire life’s luxuries. In order to really live and enjoy life man needs time to relax, to be calm, to reflect and be renewed by nature. Works Cited Medical Science News. Garvan scientists explain stress and sickness. Canadian Online Pharmacy. December 2005. Accessed April 7, 2008 < http://www.news-medical.net/?id=14885> Miller, Jakob. Two Truths in Thoreau's Inconclusive â€Å"Conclusion.   Hanover College Department of History. 1995. Accessed April 7, 2008 from Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1966.               

Production Management

1. A nation's ability to compete with other nations impacts a business' strategy in the area of: A) Marketing B) Finance C) Operations D) Distribution E) All of the above 2. Competitiveness doesn’t include: A) Productivity B) Effectiveness C) Profitability D) Operations Strategy E) Operations Management 3. Cost cutting in international operations can take place because of A) lower taxes and tariffs B) lower wage scales C) lower indirect costs D) less stringent regulations E) all of the above 4. Operations management involves continuous decision-making; hopefully most decisions made will be: A) redundant B) minor in nature C) smart D) quantitative E) none of the above5. A ‘product package' consists of: A) the exterior wrapping B) the shipping container C) a combination of goods and services D) goods if a manufacturing organization E) customer relations if a service organization6. Multinational organizations can shop from country to country and cut costs through A) lower wage scales B) lower indirect costs C) less stringent regulations D) lower taxes and tariffs E) all of the above7. Product design and choice of location are examples of _______ decisions. A) strategic B) tactical C) operational D) customer focused E) design8. Scheduling personnel is an example of an operations management: A) mission implementation B) operational decision C) organizational strategy D) functional strategy E) tactical decision9. Productivity is expressed as: A) output plus input B) outp ut minus input C) output times input D) output divided by input E) input divided by output10. Which of the following is true about business strategies? A) An organization should stick with its strategy for the life of the business. B) All firms within an industry will adopt the same strategy. C) Well defined missions make strategy development much easier. D) Strategies are formulated independently of SWOT analysis. E) Organizational strategies depend on operations strategies.11. Which of the following activities takes place most immediately once the mission has been developed? A) The firm develops alternative or back-up missions in case the original mission fails. B) The functional areas develop their functional area strategies. C) The functional areas develop their supporting missions. D) The ten OM decision areas are prioritized. E) Operational tactics are developed.12. What term describes how an organization expects to achieve its missions and goals? A) conditional expectation B) tactic C) SWOT D) strategy E) competitive advantage13. Which of the following is not a key step toward improving productivity? A) developing productivity measures for all operations B) improving the bottleneck operations C) establishing reasonable goals for improvement D) considering incentives to reward workers E) converting bond debt to stock ownership14. The fundamental purpose of an organization's mission statement is to A) create a good human relations climate in the organization B) define the organization's purpose in society C) define the operational structure of the organization D) generate good public relations for the organization E) define the functional areas required by the organization15. The ratio of good output to quantity of raw material input is called A) non-defective productivity B) process yield C) worker quality measurement D) total quality productivity E) quantity/quality ratio16. Time-based approaches of business organizations focus on reducing the time to a ccomplish certain necessary activities. Time reductions seldom apply to: A) product/service design time B) processing time C) delivery time D) response time for complaints E) internal audits17. Business organizations consist of three major functions which: A) overlap B) are mutually exclusive C) exist independently of each other D) function independently of each other E) do not interface with each other18. The external elements of SWOT analysis are: A) strengths and weaknesses B) strengths and threats C) opportunities and threats D) weaknesses and opportunities E) strengths and opportunities19. Which of the following is not one of the Ten Critical Decisions of Operations Management? A) location strategy B) human resources and job design C) managing quality D) design of goods and services E) determining the financial leverage position20. Which of the following is true? A) Corporate mission is shaped by functional strategies. B) Corporate strategy is shaped by functional strategies. C ) Functional strategies are shaped by corporate strategy. D) External conditions are shaped by corporate mission. E) Functional area missions are merged to become the organizational mission.21. Operations management is applicable A) mostly to the service sector B) to services exclusively C) mostly to the manufacturing sector D) to all firms, whether manufacturing or service E) to the manufacturing sector exclusively22. Which of the international operations strategies involves a focus on high cost reductions and low local responsiveness? A) international strategy B) global strategy C) transnational strategy D) multidomestic strategy E) none of the above23. Which of the following is not a key factor of competitiveness? A) price B) product differentiation C) flexibility D) after-sale service E) size of organization24. Gourmet Pretzels bakes soft pretzels on an assembly line. It currently bakes 800 pretzels each 8-hour shift. If the production is increased to 1,200 pretzels each shift, the productivity increases by: A) 50% B) 33% C) 25% D) 67%25. An operation that processes less than a previous operation is called a: A) bottleneck B) multi-factor constraint C) parallel operation D) turnabout process E) tactical operation26. Which of the following is not a type of operations? A) goods production B) storage/transportation C) entertainment D) communication E) all the above involve operations27. Which one of the following would not generally be classified under the heading of transformation? A) assembling B) teaching C) staffing D) farming E) consulting28. Which of the following is least likely to be a Cost Leadership competitive advantage? A) low overhead B) effective capacity use C) inventory management D) broad product line E) mass production29. The ability of an organization to produce goods or services that have some uniqueness in their characteristics is A) mass production B) time-based competition C) competing on productivity D) competing on flexibility E) comp eting on differentiation30. Which of the international operations strategies involves a focus on low cost reductions and high local responsiveness? A) international strategy B) global strategy C) transnational strategy D) multidomestic strategy E) none of the above31. Which of the following statements best characterizes delivery reliability? A) a company that always delivers on the same day of the week B) a company that always delivers at the promised time C) a company that delivers more frequently than its competitors D) a company that delivers faster than its competitors E) a company that has a computerized delivery scheduling system32. Which of the following best describes â€Å"experience differentiation†? A) immerses consumers in the delivery of a service B) uses people's five senses to enhance the service C) complements physical elements with visual and sound elements D) consumers may become active participants in the product or service E) All of the above are elements of experience differentiation.33. Product design and process selection are examples of decisions that are: A) financial B) tactical C) system design D) system operation E) forecasting34. The responsibilities of the operations manager are: A) planning, organizing, staffing, procuring, and reviewing B) planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling C) forecasting, designing, planning, organizing, and controlling D) forecasting, designing, operating, procuring, and reviewing E) designing and operating35. Which of the following is not true about systems approach? A) A systems viewpoint is almost always beneficial in decision making. B) A systems approach emphasizes interrelationships among subsystems. C) A systems approach concentrates on efficiency within subsystems. D) A systems approach is essential whenever something is being redesigned or improved. E) All of the above are true.36. Which of the following is not a characteristic of service operations? A) intangible output B) high customer contact C) high labor content D) easy measurement of productivity E) low uniformity of output37. Which of the following does not relate to system design? A) altering the system capacity B) location of facilities C) inventory management D) selection and acquisition of equipment E) physical arrangement of departments38. Which of the following is not a benefit of using models in decision making? A) They provide a standardized format for analyzing a problem. B) They serve as a consistent tool for evaluation. C) They are easy to use and less expensive than dealing with the actual situation. D) All of the above are benefits. E) None of the above is a benefit.39. Which of the following is the best example of competing on low-cost leadership? A) A firm produces its product with less raw material waste than its competitors. B) A firm offers more reliable products than its competitors. C) A firm's products are introduced into the market faster than its competitors' products. D) A firm's research and development department generates many ideas for new products. E) A firm advertises more than its competitors.40. Reasons to study Operations Management include learning about A) how people organize themselves for productive enterprise B) how goods and services are produced C) what operations managers do D) a costly part of the enterpriseE) all of the above

Essay on Case Study

Essay on Case Study Essay on Case Study Chapter 4 Case Study - John Jacob, Inc., Online Trading System 1. With respect to telephone survey, how should customers be selected to participate? Should the customer sample be random? What questions should be asked? Customers should be randomly selected to participate in a telephone survey. You can obtain lists of random telephone numbers that are created by computer programs, or you can create your own list from local telephone directories. Questions that should be asked are: 1. What is you yearly income? 2. How long have you used our services to buy, sell, or trade stock? 3. What type of stocks do you own or will own in the future? 4. What is your gender? 5. Are you at least 18 years or older? If not ask for a person in the household that is 18 years or older. 6. How did you hear about us? 7. Were you able to navigate through our web site without problems? 2. With respect to the questionnaire, list some possible questions to include. Remember to include both close- and open-ended questions. Some possible close- and open-ended questions in a questionnaire are: 1. Do you have any suggestions for enhancing our services? 2. How would you measure your overall satisfaction with our services? Rating from 0 to 10. 3. How likely are you to continue to use our services? Rating from 0 to 10. 4. How likely is it that you would suggest a friend/coworker to try our services? Rating from 0 to 10. 5. How often do you buy, sell, or trade stocks from us? Daily, Weekly, Hourly, Monthly. 6. What was the speed of our web site? Very Slow, Slow, SO-SO, Fast, Rapid. 3. With respect to the focus group, how should customers be selected to participate? Who should lead the discussion? What questions should be asked? Should a version of the existing system be available as a discussion aid? Should a prototype of the new system be available as a discussion aid? The customers that should be selected for a focus group should be you should have similarity within a group with regard to stratifying characteristics. For example, separate groups for teachers, parents, and administrators. You should have diversity within a group with regard to other characteristics that might influence responses. Some examples are: 1. Men and women 2. Blacks, Hispanics, and whites 3. Old and young 4. Geographical and occupational mix 5. Prior knowledge or attitude toward the topic In addition, you should stay away from individuals that know one another and/or individuals of exceptionally different rank, socioeconomic rank, and/or hostile viewpoints. The person that should lead the focus group discussion should be an individual with knowledge or is qualified in-group dynamics and focus group discussions. Questions that should be asked in a focus group are: 1. What do you believe should be done to help individuals gain better access to our web site? 2. What do you think about the new user face of the web site? 3. How should the improved and faster web site be promoted? 4. What do you believe should be done to help people gain better access to their portfolios? 5. How well is the present user face functioning? I think that a version of the existing system should be available as a discussion aid so that the individual speaking can use it for reference. I also think that a prototype of the new system should be available as a discussion aid. You can use these two systems to compare the differences, good and bad. 4. With respect to the JAD session, how should customers be selected to participate? Who else should participate? What are the chief requirements that should be determined during the session? This will typically call for the program manager, the project manager, the business leaders, the subject matter experts (SME), end users, a number of programmers and perhaps some others to be there. You are looking for participation from everyone with whom this project will have a direct or indirect effect. We cannot forget the

Jacksonian Presidency Essays - Second Party System, Democracy

Jacksonian Presidency Essays - Second Party System, Democracy Jacksonian Presidency Jacksonian Presidency Summary Despite the looming effects of the Jacksonian presidency, the following only discusses the actions and results, which occurred during the Jacksonian presidency. The activation of a new presidency was accompanied by huge numbers of Hickoryites (Jacksonian supporters) and official hopefuls. Many of these hopefuls were granted their desire of holding office, which is one of the changes brought into Washington by Andrew Jackson. The major accomplishments of Jackson during his presidency pertain to his rural upbrining and democratic beliefs. Jacksons major accomplishments were his nationalization of the spoils system, his liberal application of Jeffersonian democratic policy, and his achievement of the status of president. Firstly, prior to the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the system of appointing officials was under the ideal of holding office during good behavior, which led to the holding of positions by aged and incapable politicians. Conversely, Jackson appointed officials from all w alks of life to promote the equality principles of democracy. Jackson also advocated rotation in office, which meant allow as many people serve in office for the shortest possible time for experience was discounted as a governing skill. Although these principles seem to follow the guidelines of democracy they were not entirely responsible and often the appointment of officials did not fall under these jurisdictions. The selection of officials of Jackson was in many cases the return of a financial grant during campaigning. The consideration of ability to govern, intellegence, resposiblity, etc. were ignored in the wake of compensation. Although opposites alike were granted power they were not always for the continuance of democracy. Secondly, Jefferson was the most democratic of any president at that time to come to power. In practically all areas of political application there was the existence of liberal thinking. This was especially aparent in his previously mentioned appiontment of officials. Jackson considered the roles of officials fairly simple and could and should be carried out by all people not just the members of the socially and intellectually elite. The belief of complete equality is with out a doubt Jeffersonian. Despite this already democratic view Jackson took it one step further and appointed the illiterate and plain incompetant members of society to office. This was from the influence of Jefferson and his rural upbringing in which he was at the social rump of the republic. Lastly, but of equal importance was Jacksons acheivement of president. Jackson was the very first president of the United States to have not attended college. He was completely self taught and self reliant. For someone from the backwaters of Tennessee to become president in a time of rule by the elite of the elite was revolutionary in itself. Under no other circumstances could such a leader or

Generosity The Key to Good Business and Good Relationships

Generosity The Key to Good Business and Good Relationships The privilege of writing for peoples lives One of my loyal clients (I will him call Dan) came to me last week with a personal project, a letter expressing his love to a dear friend that he needed edited the same day. Dan suggested a price point of $40-$60. Since he is a valued client and someone I expect to work with for a long time, and because I felt incredibly privileged to read this heartfelt letter, I told him $40 would be fine. I edited the letter and sent it to him, and he was very happy with the result. The report is that the recipient cried (in a good way). Unexpected generosity The next thing I knew, I had received $50 in my PayPal account: $10 and 25% more than I had quoted to Dan. â€Å"You deserve every penny,† he wrote. This surprise overpayment scenario has happened once before. When I forgot to bill a client for all the services he had received, I called him to tell him I had made a mistake. He very graciously agreed to pay for the unbilled service and to send a check that week. Two weeks later I had not received his payment, so I wrote to him to let him know. When I received the check, it was for $25 more than the amount of the invoice. A thank you note was enclosed, appreciating some â€Å"extra† work we had done for his LinkedIn summary that was beyond our usual service. Whats at the source of giving? There are some commonalities between these two true stories that struck me: In both situations, I had given something to the clients in the past that was above and beyond their expectations. Rather than push to make an extra buck, I took care of the client. In scenario #1, I had charged a lower rate than the client was initially willing to pay; in scenario #2, I had previously reduced a bill based on a misunderstanding. In neither situation did I offer what I offered with any expectation of getting something back. Both clients were very happy with the results they received. Both clients were business leaders who excelled at building teams and taking care of their people. As a relatively new business owner myself (and as a human being), taking care of people is a muscle I am constantly working to build. Having no children, I rely on my clients for opportunities to practice generosity- to â€Å"do the right thing.† I have many such opportunities (or challenges, depending on how you frame them). My clients, especially ones like the above who are already successful in business, are great teachers. The challenge the risk the gift Here’s the truth of the matter: If I am completely honest, I must own up to the fact that a part of me wants to get paid as much as possible, avoid â€Å"loss† at all costs, and essentially make demands that will benefit me in the short term. But good business is about relationships, and about the long term. So the part of myself that I listen to is the part that knows exactly what to do to create good will. This part knows that good will is more valuable than a quick buck. It does not worry about being taken advantage of. It does not worry at all, in fact. It simply does what’s right. Do I ever get taken advantage of for my generosity? Well yes. I have given people the benefit of the doubt and provided services without getting paid, and then had the client not pay. Recently I worked two hours for a client after she had paid me for one, and then she charged back the payment on her credit card. I do what I can to prevent these situations from happening; I require payment up front and always aim to deliver above and beyond expectations. And for my valued clients especially, I find ways to make them feel appreciated and cared for. In exchange, every once in a while I am gifted with a short-term benefit as well as a long-term one. But it’s the long-term benefits that matter: Referrals from happy clients, repeat customers, and my integrity intact. These are the results I truly care about, and that will sustain my business for years to come. 🙂 Log in to Reply Lisa says: June 13, 2012 at 6:28 am Michael (and of course to the beloved author, Brenda) the muscle metaphor really resonated with me too while appreciating such an authentic prose that clearly allowed us a glimpse into the heart of The Essay Expertthank you for the gift of this message, Brenda! So many quotes, befitting of you have come to my mind since you have bestowed your gifts and talents for our familys gain and benefit one of those I just recently shared with you and yet, I cant help but be reminded of another great author who countless thousands acknowledge the great debt they owe Og Mandino for the miracle his words have wrought in their livesthose would be my words for you Brenda to describe what the pen to your hand has done in the lives of our family! Og Mandino, best selling author of The Greatest Salesman in the World, University of Success, The Greatest Secret in the World and A Better Way to Live, must know you and wanted to convey your character through instruction to others when he wrote: Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again. Thank you Brenda for all the tireless, creative and extraneous efforts that I know you come no where near being compensated for nor have built into your service fees that ensure our lives will never be the same againfiguratively and literally! May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back Lisa A. Bissonette Log in to Reply Marcia B says: June 12, 2012 at 10:14 pm Ah, generosity my favorite thing along with gratitude. In my estimation the rest of the world isnt worth much if we lose sight of those two possibilities. Log in to Reply Patty Sherin says: June 13, 2012 at 3:46 pm I love it! Thank you Brenda for writing this article. I see more and more gratitude all around me, and I think its wonderful! What you describe in your article is what we believe in BNI, Givers Gain. When you give to others, you will receive back tenfold. Im on day 24 of my gratitude challenge powered by SendOutCards. Today, Im grateful for you, your integrity and friendship. Thank you. 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PACT analysis and prototype design for an interactive system Coursework

PACT analysis and prototype design for an interactive system - Coursework Example PACT - People, Activities, Contexts, and Technologies- is acknowledged as a beneficial framework for thinking about a design scenario in relation to a very interactive system (Lloyd, 2005). Undertaking a PACT analysis would be valuable for both analysis and design operations; understanding the situation at hand, finding where possible improvements can be done and envisioning situations in future. With PCT analysis one is able to gather all the research on target end users and scope out of the variation of various people, contexts, activities, and technologies possible in context. Depending on the analysis, one can develop concrete and clear scenarios of how target users would be interacting with the Shared Student Shopping System. PACT analysis findings are represented below: The people involved currently in this kind of system are basically students who are on session at various institutions and are being accommodated in institution’s hostels or any of the institution accommodation premises. A part from students, institution workers may not be left out because at times they are found with students purchasing groceries at various kiosks. In as much as the employees can as well benefit from this system, major end users who are to benefit are the students. At times controlling pocket money becomes a problem and a student may be left wondering what next after he or she has spent all the money and still needs to survive. Dedicating a grocer to supply groceries at times is challenging due to consistency issues which may leave the customer unsatisfied and very annoyed (Neeraja, 2011). Coming up with a system that can satisfy both parties can be of great relief since every party would benefit accordingly. An institution normally has students with different abilities; it is within this population that one hardly misses a disable student. Whenever building a system that target particular users, all factors should be considered

Infection Control Practice in Saudi Arabia Assignment

Infection Control Practice in Saudi Arabia - Assignment Example tive in the modern times that every measure should be taken to reduce the spread of communicable disease which has of late increased the morbidity and mortality rate in Saudi Arabia. Sadly or perhaps even disappointing, the Saudi Arabian Commission of Health Specialty does not request any specific tests of any nature for infection control prior to the renewal of nursing license. This is in light of even the presence of the most lethal and dreadful virus Ebola virus scare in the modern times. While Ebola scare should not only be the cause for having infection prevention and control test (Krisberg, 2013) there are many other benefit that comes with well-educated and trained medical personnel in line of infection prevention and control. This are benefits that are proven scientifically and there is every rationale that the hospitals in Saudi Arabia should adopt measure of identifying the proficiency in infection prevention and control among its member. This can provide information for training need for the nurse on the very line. According to Krisberg (2013) he assert that it is not only important to request Infection Control Test as a prerequisite to renew nursing license in Saudi Arabia, it is imperative also for its benefit across the divide. The benefits touches both on the care givers of the patients and the patients. Proficiency of infection prevention and control is also very beneficial to the government since it reduces the cost of government in caring for the morbidity that is as result of poor measures of infection and control of diseases in the hospital. There are several empirical research that remain as prove that the test could revolutionize the infection prevention and control and henceforth reduce the preventable infection in Saudi Arabia. Despite the resounding empirical research indicating that improved infection prevention and control is very important, the recently released research report of Saudi Arabian practice on infection prevention and

Birthday Project Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Birthday Project Assignment - Essay Example So my natural curiosity to research the historical importance of my year of the birth had become vital part of knowledge that would reveal how the year has significantly contributed towards making history. The research has divulged a plethora of information that has significantly shaped the future. The year started with it being declared as the World Communication Year (UN). The United Nations realized the importance of communication for socio economic development of under developed and developing countries. 1983 was proposed as World Communication Year for developing effective communication infrastructure across the globe. The computer giant, IBM also introduced PCDOS operating system for home computers and Microsoft had launched the MSWORD, the user friendly word processing software(IBM; Microsoft). Apple Computers also introduced new home computer, LISA with graphic interface (Apple Lisa). But the most important event of the year was the launch of first 1G network in Chicago, US with the first hand held mobile handset, Motorola DynaTac (bbc, 2003). The leap into the new communication system became the highlight of 1983. The cellular phone was accessible to the common man. This year will also go down in history for many of the Congress decisions for its serious commitment to eliminate racial discrimination. It was a year when the President Ronald Reagan signed a bill for declaring a public holiday to commemorate the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Junior is one of the greatest leaders of twentieth century who was able to make significant contribution to the civil rights of the African Americans. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi of India, his belief in the value system and intrinsic faith in non violence became his biggest strength. He took up the cudgel to fight for the equal rights for all human being and became an

(Ethics and Communication) Thieves Found Citigroup Site an Easy Entry Article

(Ethics and Communication) Thieves Found Citigroup Site an Easy Entry - Article Example As indicated in the report, â€Å"the expertise behind the attack, according to law enforcement officials and security experts, is a sign of what is likely to be a wave of more and more sophisticated breaches by high-tech thieves hungry for credit card numbers and other confidential information† (Schwartz and Dash 1). The hacked information are sold to the underground market for data of stolen goods (Internet bazaars) where goods and merchandise are purchased using credit card information and the money remitted to points of origin through Western Union or Money Gram. This scenario, apart from being considered a breach of security from the technological perspective, is also an ethical and communication issue in terms of violating ethical codes and the ability to magnify the infraction through the use of the internet as a communication medium. By hacking, vital information is stolen being regarded as an ethical issue of violating human rights. Communication issue is likewise an issue here in terms of announcing these stolen goods in the underground market using the Internet where buyers and sellers abound undetected. Works Cited Schwartz, Nelson D and Eric Dash. "Thieves Found Citigroup Site an Easy Entry." New York Times 13 June 2011: A1.Web. 4 July 2011.

Crime Prevention Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Crime Prevention Program - Essay Example Forty-seven percent of elementary schools reported one or more violent incidents compared with 74 percent for middle schools and 77 percent of high schools. The Pennsylvania Center for Safe Schools reports that nearly 2,000 Pennsylvania juveniles were arrested for weapons possession and 10 percent reported carrying a weapon in school or on a school bus at least once in the past year. (Walker 1995) Between 1988 and 1994 the rate of violent crime arrests for Pennsylvania juveniles rose by 69 percent. There are more statistics to show that school violence is on the rise. As a result of the obviously rising trends, the majority policy committee this summer launched a series of statewide hearings to examine the issue of school violence. Many different law enforcement experts, physicians, mental health providers, social service workers, teachers, school administrators, parents, concerned citizens and government officials testified to help determine the causes and possible solutions to school violence. The causes - whether the increases in single-parent families, increased violence on television, desensitization to violence by the media, or a decline in morals - can be debated over and over. Attention is now focused on how to stop these trends now and make inroads to our young children before it is too late. The General Assembly is starting to offer solutions and remedies. Several members of the House and Senate have announced introduction of legislation aimed at punishing the offender. Pennsylvania already has some of the nation's toughest statutes relating to juvenile crime, many enacted during Gov. Tom Ridge's previous special session on crime. Government is now looking into ways to strengthen and expand upon these. Too many proposals have been introduced which simply address the punishment of a child after a crime has occurred. My bills would attempt to stop the violent acts from ever occurring in the first place. THE MANDATORY SCHOOL VIOLENCE REPORTING ACT The first piece of legislation introduced is entitled the "Mandatory School Violence Reporting Act." This measure would allow schools and law enforcement officials to more easily distinguish those children most likely to commit violent acts before one occurs. Under this legislation, each principal, dean or other person who acts as the chief operating or executive officer of a public, private, parochial, vocational, or charter school, college or university shall make an incident report to law enforcement authorities concerning all incidents of a crime of violence which occur on the property or ground of the school, college or university. The incident report would include such information as the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the victim or victims, the accused and any witnesses. The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the parents or guardians of any minors involved as a victim, accused or witness to the incident also will be included in the report. Other information to be included would be a full description of the incident, what, if any, weapons were used or threatened to be used, a description of any injuries, and indication of whether law enforcement was contacted, and whether or not an arrest was made. The report would be filed with the local law enforcement agency and a copy would be provided to the Pennsylvania State Police for their use in compiling a detailed statewide report of school violence. This bill does not presume to

How does sociology and psychology influence drug abuse in our society Research Paper

How does sociology and psychology influence drug abuse in our society - Research Paper Example The competition and struggle for existence and better living standards are growing day by day in the current societies which actually increase the stress levels of the common public. The current public is tied up with so many commitments both at their family, society and workplaces. It is difficult for them to avoid any of such commitments and hence the struggle for fulfilling such commitments is giving sleepless nights and restless efforts both day and night. Under such tremendous pressure, it is difficult for a lay man to stay calm or relaxed even if he gets some leisure time. Such people often use either alcohol or drugs in order to forget about their worries and to stay away from their commitments at least for a while. Thus social and psychological factors are equally prominent in drug abuse cases. â€Å"Societies define not only the meaning of drugs but also the meaning of the drug experience; these definitions differ radically among different societies and among subgroups and subcultures within the same society. Social groups and cultures define what kind of drug taking is appropriate. They define which drugs are acceptable and which are not. They define who takes drugs and why. They decide what amounts of each drug are socially acceptable. They spell out which social situations are approved for drug use and which are not. They define what drugs do, what their actions and effects on people will be† (Knopf, 1972). Drugs are normally used to cure diseases. Some drugs have the ability to change the moods of a person. Such drugs are utilized for treating mental patients in order to change their moods or bring back their mental equilibrium. Society has no objection in utilizing such drugs for treating mental patients. On the other hand normal persons who use same drug for getting some pleasant mood are misusing it as per the sociological perspective. Thus the same drug used on different occasions is

Crime Prevention Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Crime Prevention Program - Essay Example Forty-seven percent of elementary schools reported one or more violent incidents compared with 74 percent for middle schools and 77 percent of high schools. The Pennsylvania Center for Safe Schools reports that nearly 2,000 Pennsylvania juveniles were arrested for weapons possession and 10 percent reported carrying a weapon in school or on a school bus at least once in the past year. (Walker 1995) Between 1988 and 1994 the rate of violent crime arrests for Pennsylvania juveniles rose by 69 percent. There are more statistics to show that school violence is on the rise. As a result of the obviously rising trends, the majority policy committee this summer launched a series of statewide hearings to examine the issue of school violence. Many different law enforcement experts, physicians, mental health providers, social service workers, teachers, school administrators, parents, concerned citizens and government officials testified to help determine the causes and possible solutions to school violence. The causes - whether the increases in single-parent families, increased violence on television, desensitization to violence by the media, or a decline in morals - can be debated over and over. Attention is now focused on how to stop these trends now and make inroads to our young children before it is too late. The General Assembly is starting to offer solutions and remedies. Several members of the House and Senate have announced introduction of legislation aimed at punishing the offender. Pennsylvania already has some of the nation's toughest statutes relating to juvenile crime, many enacted during Gov. Tom Ridge's previous special session on crime. Government is now looking into ways to strengthen and expand upon these. Too many proposals have been introduced which simply address the punishment of a child after a crime has occurred. My bills would attempt to stop the violent acts from ever occurring in the first place. THE MANDATORY SCHOOL VIOLENCE REPORTING ACT The first piece of legislation introduced is entitled the "Mandatory School Violence Reporting Act." This measure would allow schools and law enforcement officials to more easily distinguish those children most likely to commit violent acts before one occurs. Under this legislation, each principal, dean or other person who acts as the chief operating or executive officer of a public, private, parochial, vocational, or charter school, college or university shall make an incident report to law enforcement authorities concerning all incidents of a crime of violence which occur on the property or ground of the school, college or university. The incident report would include such information as the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the victim or victims, the accused and any witnesses. The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the parents or guardians of any minors involved as a victim, accused or witness to the incident also will be included in the report. Other information to be included would be a full description of the incident, what, if any, weapons were used or threatened to be used, a description of any injuries, and indication of whether law enforcement was contacted, and whether or not an arrest was made. The report would be filed with the local law enforcement agency and a copy would be provided to the Pennsylvania State Police for their use in compiling a detailed statewide report of school violence. This bill does not presume to

Determination of Serum Lactic Dehydrogenase Activity Essay

Determination of Serum Lactic Dehydrogenase Activity - Essay Example The reason for this is because each isoenzyme contains a multiple of either H subunit or M subunit. LDH-1 contains 4 H subunits; LDH-2 has 3 H subunits and 1 M subunit etc. For this reason they are equally spaced. As each M subunit is added the isoenzyme gets heavier by a certain molecular weight. So when one M subunit is added to the isoenzyme, it gets heavier by a molecular weight of X. When another M subunit is added, it gets heavier by 2X and so on till it contains four M subunits (LDH-5). We can use electrophoresis for diagnosis by comparing the intensities of colors produced. We can do an electrophoresis with a normal person’s serum and note the intensities of the color produced. Then we can do an electrophoresis with a patient’s serum and note the intensities of color produced. Then we can see if the intensity of color a particular LDH isoenzyme is greater than that of the normal person’s. If this is the case then we can confirm a diagnosis. LDH-1 is found in high amounts in the heart and LDH-5 is found in high amounts in the liver. The heart muscle is continuously contracting and relaxing and hence the energy requirement for them is quite high. In order to replenish the energy supply, (NAD) in the presence of low levels of oxygen, LDH converts pyruvate to lactate. NADH is oxidized which provides the necessary energy. On the other hand, the liver cells are relatively sedentary and thus have lower energy

Oedipus Rex Essay Example for Free

Oedipus Rex Essay ‘Oedipus the King,’ also known as ‘Oedipus Rex’ is one of the three Greek plays about Thebes written by Sophocles. In fact the plays form a trilogy (Oedipus Rex, Oedipus Colonus and Antigone) with the same characters. The plays are sometimes referred to as the ‘Oedipus Plays’ since Oedipus is the main character. Sophocles’ genius lies in the crafting of these plays, and their characters, almost bringing them to life. Throughout the course of ‘Oedipus Rex’ he expresses the power of fate and predestination that leads the characters astray. In fact, it was the stubborn belief in superstitions and prophecies that Sophocles highlights. Both the heroes, Oedipus and Creon are popular tragic heroes of Greek mythology. Oedipus is bright and has profound intellect, but at the same time is quick to make rash decisions without much thought. Creon though is depicted as a man of reason, much more subtle, unlike the brash Oedipus. The play begins with Oedipus ruling Thebes with a firm hand. The people believe him to be their savior because Oedipus is the one who saves them from the curse of the Sphinx, a half female half lion monster, by solving her riddle. King Lauis who ruled before Oedipus had left Thebes for a while under the kingship of Creon. But King Lauis is killed. Meanwhile Creon offers his sister’s hand in marriage to anyone who could rid the city of the Sphinx by solving her riddle. It is Oedipus who is able to solve it, marries Jocosta (Creon’s sister), and gains rule of part of Thebes. From the beginning Oedipus is aware of that there is some curse on him. He learns from an oracle that he is destined to kill his father and mate with his own mother. But it is his over-bearing belief in this curse that eventually results in his fall. At the beginning of the play Oedipus is shown to have great strength of character and will, and is a man of understanding. People have a high regard for him and fear him the same. But the one weakness that lied in Oedipus was his impulsiveness. Throughout the play are numerous instances where Oedipus makes rash decisions, and is quick to jump to conclusions without much thought. His vanity leads him to kill Lauis over a mere brawl. Later when the blind prophet Tiresias warns him not to investigate the murder of Lauis, Oedipus is incensed and argues that Tiresias himself is the murderer. When the prophet reveals the truth, Oedipus is enraged, accusing the old man of corruption. He is bent on believing that Creon wants to seize power until he realizes that Creon himself chooses not to rule even thought he has the right to a third of Thebes. When Jocasta kills herself, Oedipus gouges his eyes with her broaches blinding himself in despair. And when he does learn the truth, he demands his own exile out of shame and disgust. Sophocles portrays Oedipus as a man of honor and dignity, a matter of prime importance to ancient Greeks. He was also a man of great intellect – another feature admired by them. The riddle of the Sphinx was baffling to say the least, but it was only Oedipus who could solve it. What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening? To this Oedipus replies, Man (who crawls on all fours as a baby, walks upright later, and needs a walking stick in old age)[1]. Oedipus, in fact was a typical hero in every sense of the word. He was short-tempered, proud, and stubborn, with unflinching dedication and loyalty. He had a strong conscience, an intelligent mind and passion to do good for his people and his city. But worst of all was his inability to see clearly. Sophocles describes this by using a theme of ‘sight and blindness’ in the play often. Oedipus can see, but remains blind to reality. In contrast, the old prophet can see clearly even though he is blind. Such themes were often a part of Greek mythology. But the theme of blindness has special importance in Oedipus Rex – at times literal, at times metaphorical. Later when Oedipus learns that Jocasta has killed herself, and when he does learn that he fulfilled the prophecy, he blinds himself out of guilt, and anger at not being able to see or think clearly. Oedipus is over-bearing in many ways, and it is his over-bearing sense of self that misleads him so easily. After blinding himself he leaves to spend the rest of his life in exile, with the aid of his daughter Antigone. Creon, Jocosta’s brother, and Oedipus’ relative and friend stands in sharp contrast to Oedipus. In Oedipus Rex Creon plays the role of a calm and controlled man with a mind that reasons. Creon is a close friend of Oedipus, but that too does not keep the headstrong Oedipus from suspecting that Creon wanted to rule Thebes. Creon though claims that he is not interested in ruling Thebes, and that Oedipus is only a king in name, since he has the right to as much of Thebes as Oedious himself. He represents a semblance of diplomacy and stability. In fact, these were the very things lacking in Oedipus. Creon also shows traits of being much more reasonable. An example is when Creon brings news from the oracle and wishes to tell it to Oedipus is person. Oedipus though is insistent that it be told in public, not keeping anything from anyone. One can see various instances where the two heroes are opposing in their approaches, and manner of dealing with situations. While Oedipus can be called childish and haughty, Creon was much more clear-headed and foresighted. But there were some things that the two heroes shared in common. Both had won the hearts of the people, were respected, and loved the city of Thebes. They were also very keen followers of the Greek gods. Since most Greek mythology was built around gods and goddesses, they played a crucial role ion determining the course of the story. In fact the theme of gods and of predestination plays a key role in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus is always wary of his curse told to him by an oracle. He seeks help from Apollo to determine the cause of the plague. Creon too follows the will of the gods. When Oedipus demands to be exiled, Creon waits for approval from the gods before taking any action. It is worth mentioning here that if Oedious Rex and Antigone are compared, one can see that both the kings accuse the old prophet Tiresias of corruption when he tells them that the gods are against them. But there is also a clear difference that follows. While Creon tries to change, and amend his wrongdoings, Oedipus remains ‘blind’ and refuses to acknowledge his mistakes. Eventually, Oedipus is left wandering blind and lonely, while he leaves his daughters in Creon’s care.

Cover Letter Essay example -- essays research papers

RSC COVER LETTER TEMPLATE Some Points to Consider†¦ &#61607; Put your name and contact info at the top of the letter. Make sure your name is in a font large enough to easily pick out. &#61607; Whenever possible, address the letter to a specific person by name and title. Even if responding to a job ad that states "no phone calls", consider calling to politely ask the name of the hiring authority. Unfortunately, you may not always be able to identify the name of a specific person. In which case, send the letter to the title of the recipient (i.e. Human Resources Manager, Recruiter, Marketing Manager, Accounts Payable Supervisor, Office Manager, etc). Do not use "To whom it may concern." &#61607; State your interest in the job for which you are applying and the company. Be particular about why you really like this position and company and not some other position and company. &#61607; Mention your skills, education, special training, and work experience that qualify you for the job. Try to think from the employer’s point of view - what skills and experience are they looking for in the ideal candidate for the job you want? (If you are replying to a specific job ad, this may be listed there) Stress these skills. &#61607; Provide a contact info (phone number, email) that you can be contacted easily or else somewhere where they can leave a message that check regularly (if need be give the best time the employer can reach you at). &am...

Karl Marx :: Essays Papers

Karl Marx Are you a communist? No, a citizen of the United States of America can’t be a communist. But Karl Marx was a communist, or at least he founded some of the main principles of communism, and Karl Marx firmly believed in some of the things that make this country what it is, like equality. But, Karl Marx was still a great political philosopher of his time, and a humanitarian. To really understand the principles of Marx’s teachings one would have to study him, or at least read an essay that describes Marx’s life. There are three key elements to understanding Marx they are his childhood and education, the people that had the greatest influence on him, and his writings. At 2:00 A.M. of May 5, 1818, the life of the greatest political philosopher began. He was born in the Rhine province of Prussia, and was born to Henriette and Hirschel Marx (Payne 17). Hirschel Marx was a rich lawyer, and he was also a Jew (World Book Encyclopedia 236M). On August 26, 1824 Karl and his whole family were baptized, so his family turned away from its traditional Jewish teachings to Protestant Christianity (Payne 21). At the age of twelve Karl entered the Friedrich Wilhiem Gymnasium. He stayed there for five years excelling in foreign languages, but not really caring about mathematics and history (Payne 23). Karl’s father decided that Karl would attend the University of Bonn to study law (World Book Encyclopedia 236M). Karl became an active member of â€Å"poetry clubs,† while studying at the University. The poetry clubs of Marx’s time was more of a revolutionary club than anything. The club members would sit around and practice the art of revolution (Payne 43). Marx only stayed at the University of Bonn for two semesters. Karl then went on to attend the University of Berlin where he grew more distant from his father (Payne 52). Marx’s father died on May 10, 1838 at the age of fifty-six. Marx didn’t attend his father’s funeral, because the trip was too far, and he was to busy (Payne 55). Marx spent a total of five years at the University of Berlin. People can be the greatest influence on a person’s life. One of the greatest influence on a person is the spouse.

Lease Versus Purchase Essay

When operating a successful business, it is important to consider operating costs and expenses related to producing or being able to provide a certain good or service. In some cases, it is more beneficial for a business to lease equipment needed for production or manufacturing and in other instances it is financially favorable to purchase equipment. This paper will compare the factors involved in deciding whether to purchase or lease equipment. Types of Leases The term â€Å"lease† is essentially the same as the term â€Å"rent†, as both have identical meanings. There are two different types of leases, an operating lease and a financial lease. Both types provide the use of an asset, but with some very different rules. An operating lease is typically used for equipment or vehicles and can be cancelled by the lessee with proper notice. The timeframe of the lease is usually less than the expected life of the item, and will sometimes include a maintenance contract built in. The lessor hopes to either sell the asset or release it at the end of the initial lease. A financial lease, aka a capital lease, cannot be terminated early. Financial leases also do not include maintenance contracts, and are usually set for the life expectancy of the item. The purpose for the lessor is to gain their initial investment plus a return on the asset, and is thus like debt financing. Lease vs. Purchase If a company wants to obtain the usage of an asset such as cash, plant or equipment, without the obligation of purchasing the item, then a lease is the best option. Leases can be classified as short term or long-term debt just depending on the amount of time contracted. The key considerations a  company must consider when trying to decided whether to purchase or lease an asset is the net present value of purchasing versus leasing. The factors that affect the value are depreciation, taxes, length of lease payments, life span of asset, and any residual or salvage value of the asset. Leases are accounted for on a company’s balance sheet as long as one of the following occurs; the lease transfers ownership at the expiration, the lessee may buy the asset below its value at the expiration, length of lease is more then 75 percent of the expected life span, or the present lease payments exceeds 90 percent of the fair market value of the property (Mayo, 2012). Financial leases though, must be capitalized where as operating leases may not have to be placed on the balance sheet, but should be noted in the footnotes. Even though financial leasing may sound similar to debt financing of an asset, keep in mind that the lessor will obtain any residual value of the asset, whereas if purchased, the salvage value would remain with the purchaser. Leasing offers higher tax deductions, but potentially understates a companies assets. Purchasing usually requires a higher initial cash outlay (Newman, 2006), but may offer higher assets and better return on investment in the long run. Determining which option of leasing or buying is better will ultimately depend on the time value of money (Mayo, 2012). Application of Time Value/Money Concepts in Evaluating Lease vs. Purchase Decisions When deciding on whether on whether to lease or purchase assets for your company, there are a few different factors to consider. One of those important factors is the time value of money. According to â€Å"Financial Dictionary† the time value of money can be defined as â€Å"the idea that a dollar today is worth more than a dollar in the future, because the dollar received today can earn interest up until the time the future dollar is received† (2015). To determine which option, leasing or purchasing, would be financially beneficial for the business, the present value of each should be calculated. The present value formula will give you the cash flows associated with leasing or purchasing the asset (Mayo, 2012). To calculate the present value of a single sum of money one would divide the Future Value (FV) by (1 + i)n where i is the interest rate per compounding period and n are the number of compounding periods (â€Å"Present Value Of A Single Sum Of Money†, 2013). Conclusion There are many factors and applications to consider when making the decision between leasing and purchasing. Factors such as the assets life expectancy, company’s tax bracket, and payment schedule are just a few to be considered when determining which option is best for a company. Understanding the time value of money, is just one of the few considerations a company must review so that its financial officers can make educated business decisions. References Financial Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com Mayo, H. B. (2012). Basic finance: An introduction to financial institutions, investments, and management (10th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western. Newman, P. (2006). Leasing vs Buying: Which is Best for You?. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/169332 Present Value of a Single Sum of Money. (2013). Retrieved from http://accountingexplained.com/misc/tvm/pv-single-sum

Christmas Dinner

ENGL 1301 – Section 4 Narrative essay June 13, 2012 The Making of Christmas Dinner â€Å"Caitlyn, get downstairs now! † frantically screamed my mother. The sound of her nervous voice made me spring from the bed and quickly scramble down the stairs to the kitchen. As I slid around the corner and headed toward the kitchen, I encountered a large, foggy cloud of strong smoke. â€Å"Mom, what’s going on? † I screeched. She was grabbing the bright red fire extinguisher from under the sink to avert the fire coming from the oven. She opened the oven door to see flames coming from our Christmas turkey.Flames were leaping out from the roaster pan when she unleashed the fire extinguisher dousing the smoldering carcass. I didn’t understand what had happened. It was Christmas Eve morning, and my mom had been working on the special plans for a family dinner for days. By this time, my sisters were also in the kitchen, wondering what was causing such a commotion. W e all agreed that the turkey was as good as road kill. Mom dumped the turkey in the outside trash barrels and came back into the kitchen to decide how we could switch to an alternative plan.As the awful smell of burned turkey filled the kitchen, mother explained that she had forgotten to reduce the temperature of the oven before she went to bed last night. We were all grateful the whole kitchen wasn’t on fire! I felt horrible for my mom. This was going to be the first year to have the entire family come to our house for dinner. We all looked at each other with the question, â€Å"What are we going to do? † My mom said that she and my dad could drive to Tyler to buy a Greenburg turkey already cooked. That sounded like the best plan. However,† she added, â€Å"you girls will have to finish the side dishes. † We all looked at each other with uneasy expressions on our faces. Could we do this? Without really thinking about what we were agreeing to do, we said, â€Å"Oh yes, we can do that. † Before mom left for Tyler, she gave us the entire menu she had planned: green beans, mashed potatoes, our favorite macaroni and cheese, and yeast rolls. Aunt Kelley was bringing the fruit salad. Aunt Joyce was bringing her special cranberry salad. Our grandmother was bringing her favorite pecan pie and our great randmother was bringing her famous banana pudding. My sisters and l agreed we would make gingerbread cookies to add to the wonderful dessert assortment. As our parents drove out of sight toward Tyler, we girls went to work. We divided the responsibilities and went to our work spaces in the kitchen. Ashley got the green beans started by opening the huge can of Italian green beans mom had bought at Sam’s Wholesale. It looked like we could feed the whole army with all those beans. She added lots of butter with salt & pepper. As they began to boil, she lowered the heat and put a lid on the pot.Lauren was peeling potatoes at the sink. When she finally finished peeling all the potatoes, she began cutting them into slices and put them into a large pot of water to boil. I was busy getting the boxes of macaroni opened to add to the boiling water I had already started. Adding a dash of salt, I lowered the heat under the bubbling macaroni hoping it would not boil over onto the stove. I figured we had already had enough catastrophes for one day. While the macaroni noodles were boiling, I sliced the creamy Velveeta cheese that would be added to complete our favorite side dish.We were amazed that everything was cooking so quickly and the smell of burned turkey was being replaced with a much more appetizing aroma. When all of our assigned dishes were completed, we all decided we could work together to make the gingerbread cookies. We had helped our mother make cookies since we were little girls so we felt more comfortable with this chore. My mom had already made the dough for the cookies, so we were left with the fun part †¦rolling and cutting the little gingerbread men. Ashley found the cookie cutter while Lauren began rolling the dough.I gathered all the cookie sheets we would need to make everyone in our family their own gingerbread cookie. Lauren had the dough all rolled out on the cabinet and we all took turns cutting out the little men. We gently lifted each cookie and placed them on the baking sheets. They looked like little children all in a row with their arms outstretched to welcome our guests. As the cookies were placed in the warm oven, we began to gather the decorations needed to create the image of one of our favorite storybook characters, â€Å"The Little Gingerbread Boy. The cookies smelled wonderful baking in the oven. We had been careful to set the timer so the cookies would not burn. When the cookies were baked and cooled, we began making tiny smiling faces with bright eyes on each little gingerbread man. Ashley found a large crystal dish to arrange the finished cookies for a n impressive presentation. They were so cute, we decided to leave them out on the dessert table for everyone to see as they arrived. We gathered all of my mom’s special china serving bowls to compliment each of the side dishes we had prepared.When our parents returned home with the beautiful Greenburg turkey, they were overwhelmed with all the side dishes we had prepared and had placed in the warming oven to await our guests. We didn’t confess that we had made a quick trip to The Farm House for the wonderful yeast rolls. We decided that detail could wait until after dinner. All of us gathered the red and green Christmas dishes with a decorated tree in the center of each plate so each guest would have a special place at the table.Dad helped set the silver at each plate and my mom reached to the top shelf of the china cabinet to get their wedding gift crystal glasses. What began as a nightmarish day had turned into a wonderful Christmas memory. As our relatives began to gather bringing their personal additions to the dinner, we were all reminded of why this celebration is our favorite day of the year. We had all come together to share our love for each other and be grateful for the many blessings we shared as a family.

GST in Malaysia Essay

In Malaysian Tax System, Royal Custom & Excise Department is responsible for all policies related of Goods and Services Tax (GST). Currently, the rate of GST can be category to 3 rates which are standard rate, zero rate and exempt supplies. (Gst.customs.gov.my, 2014) GST can only be charged on the business was registered under the Malaysian Goods and Services Act 2014. The registration exemption is given if the business’s annual turnover of taxable supplier is below than the GST registration threshold. Thus, such businesses cannot charge GST on their products or services from their customers. (Gst.customs.gov.my, 2014) The GST registration is available from 1st June 2014 for any businesses which have reach the GST registration threshold of more than RM500, 000 are required to register under with Royal Malaysian Customs Department for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) before 31st December 2014. Nevertheless, the business with annual turnover below RM500, 000 may apply for the GST voluntary registration that is because registration GST is voluntary. (HengAnn, 2014) There are no any extra fees charged for GST registration processing. Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Value-Added Tax (VAT) are a type of consumption tax had been invented in 1950’s. Both of GST and VAT are based on value added concept and it is a multi-stage tax, so GST or VAT will charge at each stage of supplies chain. Currently, there are 160 countries had implemented GST or VAT and from this statistic has shown that GST and VAT are an effective and fair tax system. According to the data shows based on the region, 160 countries had implemented GST or VAT are as the following countries: 7 countries in ASEAN, 19 countries in Asia, 53 countries in Europe, 7 countries in Oceania, 44 countries in Africa, 11 countries in South America and 19 countries in Caribbean, Central and North America. On 7th April 2014, the Goods and Services Tax was passed in Dewan Rakyat Malaysia with 119 votes for and 81 votes against. Start from 1st April 2015, GST will effective at a standard tax rate of 6%. The propose of implementation GST will replace the current consumption taxes which are Government Sales Tax (10%) and Services Tax (6%).

Alice DunbarNelson's poem, I Sit and Sew Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Alice DunbarNelson's poem, I Sit and Sew - Essay Example Like the tasks of sewing, washing, cooking, etc., the rhyming couplets of a poem echo the 'scheme' of tasks that a woman must perform day in and day out, without reprieve. The refrain, although it is identical each time, does not rhyme with any other line or exist as part of a couplet. This seems to indicate that although it is a repeated emotion that the narrator feels very often, it is nevertheless not repetitive like the chores she has to do. Its repetition instead indicates that it is a powerful emotion that she feels again and again, an emotion that does not find an outlet and remains bottled up inside her. The first stanza contains a striking juxtaposition of the "useless task" of sewing with the tasks that men have to perform, which are instilled with grandeur and dignity, and are located in the public/political sphere, whereas the woman is confined to the domestic/personal sphere of existence: The lives of men are played out against a grandiose backdrop, suggested by words such as "panoply," "martial," and "grim-faced." In contrast, the woman is obviously relegated ton being one of the "lesser souls" who cannot participate in the all-important tasks of war and politics. The word "pageant" in stanza two may be compared with the word "panoply" in the first stanza. While the men are out creating history, women seem to be destined to play pre-determined roles in a pageant or masquerade which does not allow them to determine their own identities, but rather to passively sit back and accept the roles that a patriarchal agendas has created from them; they are defined by someone else's ideal of what they should be like. The first stanza also indicates that women's tasks are full of passivity. The verbs that are used to describe women's actions - "sit," "sew," "aches," etc - are all passive verbs that can be performed while staying in the same position. By contrast, the "martial tread" of men suggests that they are constantly moving forward. They are active while women are passive. Curiously, the appearance of men is described in considerable detail - their faces are grim and their eyes are stern. The woman, contrastingly, is not described at all in terms of her facial expression. It is as if the poet wants to present an external view of men, and an internalized portrait of a woman's thoughts and actions. It is clear that this is a woman's monologue, and that she is only capable of seeing herself as a fragmentary creature; it is only her hands that are described, and only in terms of being "tired." This stanza opens and closes with the refrain, suggesting that the woman's life is circumscribed on every side by reminders that she is supposed to remain passive. The opening lines of the next stanza suggest a burst of passion when the woman says fervently that her "heart aches with desire," but this fire has already been quenched by the "but" that immediately precedes it in the last lines of the previous stanza, reminding her that her task is to sit and sew, to remain passive and obedient. In the second stanza, the tone changes quite dramatically. Whereas the first stanza describes the actions of men in terms of a grand and

Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Budgeting - Essay Example Budgets are not always made for a fixed period, some budgets are created by adding a few more months to ensure that the total tenure for which the budget has been made spans over a total of twelve months. Another type of such estimation is known as a forecast. A forecast is a budget that modifies in the middle of the year to make a new/mini budget which is for a period of 3 months or 6 months. By making a budget, a company gets the following advantages: It ensures that the resources are being used in conformity with the goals of the company. It ensures that there are proper controls over the use of resources. It can help in ensuring that the departments of the company are engaged constructively with each other. It acts as a way of evaluating the performance of managers of the company - by comparing their achievements with the budgeted performance (Collier, 2010). Budget Cycle: In a budget cycle, a budget is first planned and then performances are controlled on its basis. In this proc ess, a plan is first developed to manage the finances of the company. This plan is then made the benchmark against which the performance is compared. If the performance is below the budgets estimations, reasons for deviation are found out and measures are taken to ensure that the work performed conforms to the standard set in the budget. Working with the Budget throughout the Budget Cycle As the person in charge of the department of finance, it is obvious that you are going to be a part of every step that is taken when the budgets are prepared. These steps include the following: 1. Planning and Development Planning and development is the first step of the budget cycle. When budgets are made, people involved in the preparation consider the present financial situation to make future estimations; they do not disregard the previous historic data relating to the product or departments. To ensure that the budgets are as accurate as possible, they encourage the people who are involved in t he daily financial dealings of the products to give their inputs. This is because these people are the specialists of the products they work with every day; thus, they will be able to give a better idea of the estimated revenue, expenses, etc. 2. Implementation After a budget has been prepared and loaded into the finance system, it is now the time to implement it. However, before the implementation stage is started, it is imperative to ensure that the correct budget has been loaded. In case of any kind of an ambiguity, it is always advisable to get in touch with a professional accountant. 3. Monitoring a. Revenue and Expense Statement Detail In order to ensure that each fund has its FOPPS, the report that shows the entire details of the expenses incurred and revenue earned is required to be reconciled on a monthly basis. i. All the amounts for expenses incurred during the year, transfers made and revenue earned must be compared with the original document on the basis of which the en try was made and the transaction went through. ii. Once the mistakes are identified, they must be removed as soon as possible. b. Revenue and Expense Statement Summary To make sure that the company has a full control over the operations going on, the statement that shows the summary of the revenue earned and expenses incurred is required to be seen monthly. i. The actual amounts of expenses incurred

EEOC Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

EEOC - Research Paper Example Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) This paper shall present the case where the EEOC files a case against the owner of 42 McDonald’s restaurants for sexual harassment and retaliation for the benefit of several women, including teenage girls, who were abused at the McDonald’s fast-food restaurant located at Reedsburg, against male employees who violated the federal civil rights by creating a hostile work environment of sexual harassment against the female employees. Summary â€Å"This complaint was filed by to represent a class of women who were victims of sexual harassment of male co-workers who subjected them to sexual comments, sexual propositions, or physical touching. In the complaint, there was also an allegation that the female workers were fired by the employer as a form of retaliation for punishing the victims for complaining about the sexually hostile work environment in their office. Due to the unbearable stress and emotional torture that the femal e workers had to go through, at least one female employee was forced to quit resign from work to relieve her of the miserable work place†. (eeoc.gov). ... stigation report, it was shown that the male workers actually made sexual comments about the body parts of their female co-workers, and touched them in an inappropriate and malicious manner. The report further indicated that several of the victims were only teenaged high school students. The lawsuit filed by EEOC arose from the discrimination complaints filed by three former employees of the McDonald’s fast food in Reedsburg. â€Å"In total, Missoula Mac owns and operates 42 McDonald’s restaurants in Wisconsin. After failing to reach a voluntary out-of-court settlement through mediation-conciliation procedure, the EEOC finally sued the company. The agency sought for lost wages and compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of the women who were harassed, retaliated by the company, and injunctive relief to prevent further discriminatory practices within the workplace. The complaint was filed before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin in Madiso n, with caption  EEOC v. Missoula Mac, Inc† (eeoc.gov). Functions of EEOC â€Å"The office of the EEOC’ in Chicago District Office shall be in charge of for the processing of complaints for discrimination, enforcement of administrative issues, and shall supervise the conduct of litigation of the agency of the several states, namely: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin with some areas in Milwaukee and Minneapolis† (eeoc.gov.). Role of EEOC in the Lawsuit The role of the agency is to represent employees who have been discriminated by their employers by reason of â€Å"race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or genetic information. The administrative enforcement of the office receives, investigates, and resolves charges of employment discrimination filed against

Creative thinking of business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Creative thinking of business - Essay Example 1). While noting that the social environment can influence the frequency and level of creative behaviour, Amabile points out that creativity involves the production of novel, practical, and helpful ideas in any domain (Amabile 1996, p. 1). She further notes that the idea or product may not be different from their counterparts for merely the sake of being different. Instead, it should be relevant to the goal so desired, of value, correct, or meaningfully expressive. In respect to innovation, Amabile notes that it relates to the successful implementation of creative ideas within a business (Amabile 1996, p. 1). An analysis of Amabile’s definition of innovation reveals that the innovation begins by the creativity of a group or individual. Worth noting at this point is the fact that the success of an innovation not only depends on the creative ideas that apply to it but also on other factors and influences external to the organization. The don is also quick to note that creativity goes beyond intelligence and can be applied in any domain (science or art). Creative ideas and innovations can be good or bad (Amabile 1996, p. 1) or may be applied toward negative ends in as much as they may be good. Many business experts appreciate the notion of entrepreneurship being the application of creative destruction. What this basically means is that the entrepreneur pursues an idea and pursues it to make a profit overcoming obstacles to the creative process and therefore destroying existing equilibrium in the market or industry in which they operate. For entrepreneurs, creativity and innovation go together (Ekvall 1987, p. 56). The entrepreneur may apply creativity (and innovation) in developing new product/services, obtaining production resource, delivering products, identifying new markets for business services or products, and coming up with new ways of

Repealing the Jones Act Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Repealing the Jones Act - Research Paper Example This historical act can be found in Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. The act professed that goods & passengers transported by water between US ports must be done in US made ships, owned by US populace & crewed by US citizens. The Jones Act also provided sailors with supplementary rights, including the facility to look for reparation from the crew, captain, or ship owner in the case of an injury. The Jones Act generally deals with ‘cabotage’ (i.e. coastal shipping) & requires that all goods transported by water amid US ports be carried in US flag ships, constructed in the united states, owned by US populace , crewed by US people & US permanent inhabitants. This unique act was framed with the purpose of sustaining the US merchant marine industry, but agricultural welfare by and large opposed it for the reason that, they contended it raised the expenditure of shipping their commodities, making them less competitive against foreign sources. The great Gulf oil spill raised serious questions on the implications of this draconian act. The oil which had been squandering & demolishing aqua habitat could not be stopped for the sole reason of the legal bindings of this law. The US alone never possessed the arsenal of cleaning up this catastrophic mess. Yet, it remained reluctant when foreign nations repeatedly suggested utilizing their ships to meet this disaster. Thus, 2 010 witnessed this cruel drama while the endangered ecological equilibrium slowly drifted into the abyss of oblivion. This implied that foreign owned, built, & manned vessels could not assist in the oil spill cleanup mess unless of course President Barrack Hussein Obama waived or altered the Jones act. During the Katrina storms, the former president Bush decided to waive the laws of Jones act as a requirement of national emergency. But Obama opted to remain frigid & witness the blunders rather than becoming pro active & deciding according to the needs of the hour.

Costa Coffee Essay Example for Free

Costa Coffee Essay The remote environment comprises factors that originate beyond and usually irrespective and out of Costa Coffees control. Economic factors Since Costa Coffee is a multinational business, top-level managers must consider the economic situations on both the National (Egypt) and International levels. Currencies exchange rate (Forex) affects Costa Coffees final products prices as well as operation costs. Costa Coffee imports high quality coffee beans from rainforest farms where it pays for in local currency, and sells as coffee in another country with its local country. Hence, when the Egyptian Pound depreciates, the cost of beans relatively increases; therefore, causing a fall in profit margin and vice versa. If depreciation is too much, then Costa might increase its selling prices. Moreover, interest rate is vital for a business considering expansion as Costa Coffee. As interest rates increase, Costa Coffee’s ability and willingness to expand or open new branches decreases; due to the high cost of capital. Furthermore, the stock market plays a significant role in encouraging investors to invest in Costa Coffee due to the increasing profits and the good reputation. Finally, high economic growth rate of a country leads people to increase their consumption of Costa Coffees products; since they have more income. Social Factors Egyptians’ culture and lifestyle has dramatically changed in the last 10 years. People are more willing to go to cafes for lunch, dinner or simply a snack. Considering the Egyptian demographics of lifestyle and age groups, most of the Egyptian population falls in the youth age group. Hence, Costa Coffee plays music and offers an atmosphere that is convenient for all ages with special attention to youth. Costa Coffee respects the religion of each nation in which it operates. To clarify, Costa Coffee neither sells alcoholic drinks nor pork-containing food. In addition, Costa Coffees menu is written in both English and Arabic languages. English is the most widely spoken language, and Egypt is known as a touristic attraction. Plus, Egyptians like to come across a menu written in their own language for simplicity and showing cultural respect. Also, many people nowadays are concerned with their health; Costa Coffee is providing low-calorie food, a variety of fresh salads, sandwiches, and fresh fruit juice. Political Factors Governmental rules and regulations could affect the firms suppliers and the price of the raw materials. Imposed taxes or tariffs on the imported coffee beans add to raw materials cost. Rules regarding social insurance add to labor costs. Political instability and strikes do affect labor and consumers of Costa Coffee. Technological Factors Advanced machines affect the firms performance and efficiency through producing tasty coffee as quick as possible. High quality and speed of service affects customer satisfaction and loyalty. Costa Coffee uses highly advanced brewers and coffee makers for the best coffee cup. Besides, the use of the Internet to facilitate transactions between Costa and its suppliers lowers transaction costs and decreases lead time. As a result, stakeholders are more satisfied with increased profits and lower costs. Ecological Factors Costa Coffee uses recyclable paper bags and paper cups. And, it tries to reduce its energy consumption as steps towards a greener environment. It also ensures adherence to responsible farming practices, so that natural habitats are protected thereby reducing deforestation and carbon emissions. Furthermore, Costa is working to deliver green (LEED) certification for new stores beginning later this year and is working closely with its suppliers to develop more environmentally friendly packaging. Industry Environment Operating Environment A firm’s operating environment is related to environmental factors that directly affect the firm and its success in obtaining necessary resources. Yet, they are still factors beyond its area of control. 1. Competitors Costa coffee in Egypt faces high direct competition where around almost every corner in the cities, a coffee shop exists. Therefore, product differentiation is a must, and persistent high-quality is the way to keeping customers. Whichever Costa Coffee shop you enter, you are greeted the same, indulge in the same taste and pay what you see in the menu. Menu prices are tax inclusive which is different than most of other coffee shops. Competitors include, but are not limited to, Starbucks Coffee, Cilantro and Beano’s cafe. Creditors Costa’s past payment records and working capital position are the main attributes affecting creditors decisions. Considering the Egyptian markets, banks are not rare to find. Costa might be dealing with several banks, and may be granted loans from several areas. Hence, creditors have little leverage; since interest rates are controlled by central bank of Egypt as well. Customers Costa coffee is a service firm. Therefore, its utmost goal is customer satisfaction and loyalty to yield profits. Constantly monitoring Egypt’s demographics is essential in keeping a convenient atmosphere. For instance, Costa must always recognise what the youth are listening to these days to be able to play the optimum collection of songs in its branches while abiding by the brand’s image. Accessibility of location and parking spaces are of the main issues regarded by people when deciding on their hang-outs. And, the customer buyer behaviour of whether they prefer more salads and sandwiches rather than desserts; affects how much of each should be available at Costa’s branches. Labor Costa’s reputation and image is kept through its workers. Costa has to respect labor rights especially now that people are more aware of the rights than ever before. Also, Costa has to be selective in its waiters and baristas to keep the brand’s image and reputation. As a result of Costa’s reputation, highly-qualified workers apply for jobs at Costa Coffee. Suppliers Supplier relationships are as important as customer relationships. A good supplier relationships decreases yield time and enhances firm’s productivity. In Costa’s case, supplier power is not high as Costa has multiple suppliers, with low switching costs. However, supplier relationships are well-attended to at Costa Coffee; as part of its social responsibility towards coffee-growing countries.