Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Geography - Essay Example In 1960S, International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna was formed to control and manage fish harvesting in a more sustainable manner. Unfortunately, many nations are not it member and continue to fish it without regard for conservation to make huge profit. The Grand Banks fishing ground along the coast of Newfoundland was regarded as home of cod. In the 1970s, with advancement of new fishing technology, it was fished to reduction. By 1960s, it had drastically dropped to very low quantities leading to the closure of the Grand Banks fishing industry. Passenger pigeons birds became extinct in 1914 (Bedoya 2011). When the Europeans settled in North America this birds used to migrate in large numbers across the sky. The Europeans destroyed their habitant in the forest and hunted them down for food and sold them in the market. They greatly reduced in number by the time hunting limits were enacted. It was too late to save them and soon they became extinct. The Earthâ€℠¢s atmosphere is a common resource shared and polluted by everyone on the planet. The green house gases from industries, transportation and air pollution damages the atmosphere. International agreement like Kyoto Protocol has been formed in attempt to slow global climate warming and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (Hardin 2011). Multiple nations recognized the importance of taking care of it and agreed to look at the long term benefit at the expense of the short-term gain. Population growth is another tragedy of the common. As the population increases the natural resources are depleted. Every person uses air, land, water, and food resources and dividing those resources to around 7 billion people tends to stretch them thinly. Unregulated logging leads to the depletion of tropical rainforests which benefits everyone in the world. Timber producers remove a lot of it and cheaply damaging acres of land. Some part are protected and governed in a proper way for extraction but still i llegal logging takes place especially boundaries of different countries where their law is different on their border. Groundwater in Los Angeles was drawn by the increased population in Los Angeles to an extent of intrusion of saltwater from the nearby Pacific Ocean. Faced by potential of water shortages and depletion of water resources they depended on, a voluntary organization was formed to conserve and manage the groundwater for future use. The ocean is a commonly shared resource throughout the world. No single nation has the power to pass laws that govern and protect the entire nation. Every nation protects the ocean resources along its coastline. The shared space is left to destruction and pollution. Ocean garbage accumulates of circular current or gyres. Many nations let solid waste from lands and ships flow into the ocean (Margulis 2012). The garbage, especially the plastic pollutant, is harmful to every individual because they form a cycle through the food chain. Traffic con gestion is a major problem on the roads. Individuals use the road for their own self interest, some to get to their places of work as fast as possible. Problem occurs when everyone decides to use the road to meet travelling needs. Jam occurs and there is slow movement of vehicles leading to air pollution from idling cars. When there are many vehicles on the public road,

Impact of Standardized Testing Essay Example for Free

Impact of Standardized Testing Essay There is a vast literature available concerning African American male student accomplishment and its relation to the accomplishment gap occurrence (Perry, Stelle, Hilliard, 2003; Thernstrom Thernstrom, 2003; Hrabrowksi, 1998; Ogbu, 1998; Patterson, 2006; Polite Davis, 2001; Duncan, 1999; Freeman, 1999). Researchers and media channels explain the causes of African Americans continuously staying behind their White partners. Several provide limited allegations concerning African American male student accomplishment from either a past, sociological, or monetary view when deciding school achievement or failure. On the contrary, sufficient notice has not been granted to experiential and mixed methodological styles for assisting in advancing the debate concerning the provision of efficient resolutions toward narrowing the achievement gap that exists between African American male learners and counteracting deficit-model styles. In â€Å"Educating African American Males: Voices from the Fields†, the author Fashola (2008) and some other important academician researchers tackle this matter. The book is segmented in eight chapters, locating itself in many thematic areas that include social, ethnic, and past matters; school reform; primary, middle and high school experiences; structural analysis of manliness; institutional types of prejudice; and extra-curricular activities which assist in the promotion of affirmative self-confidence and analytical skills for African American males. Altogether, the providers enunciate the requirement of novel styles by demanding the educational commune to shift beyond conventional means of accomplishment and to comprehend the importance of social, past, ethnic, behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and educational styles that add to the broadening of the achievement gap between African American males and their white partners. Cooper and Jordan (2003) tackle the issues of African American male student achievement and they do this by locating and investigating the past as well as the methodical impacts of prejudice and also by displaying the way institutionalized domination have a part to play in the broadening of the achievement gap. The authors assess the elements such as uncontrolled unemployment, poverty, and insufficient accessibility to health care as the possible elements of African American males not being franchised in the circumstance of school and community. The authors imply that an â€Å"intergenerational poverty† (p. 2) exists which disseminates a self-fulfilling prediction for several of African American males. Ogbu’s (1998) research allows for the contextualizing of such past injustices. It is implied that â€Å"the treatment of minorities in the wider society is reflected in their treatment in education† (p. 159). In his book Noguera (2003) assists in the contextualizing of few of the practical attitudes which are required for the comprehension of certain of the behavioral trends of African American males which have an impact on them in school. The author offers information and research which record the way they were marginalized and wronged by the schooling experiences in the capitalist educational frameworks. Text offers a qualitative study which looks for determining the part that educators have in the motivation of students; teachers can utilize this information to reassess and modify their educational and instructional practices and also to fulfill the requirements of African American males and at the same time provide with suitable scaffolding so as to assist the learners in meeting the academic standards. Along with this, Noguera also debates that the learners are to be taught and habituated so as to see that the academic institutions are advantageous to them and also that the anticipations for them are high. Noguera writes about the schooling experiences of African American males by assessing their accomplishment trends in public schools and tackling with their consequent detachment. He writes that Black males underperform on standardized tests and that they undergo much higher drop-out rates. Although Black males achieve much and their performance is good in the primary grades, they tend to underperform by the age of nine (Garibaldi, 1992). His recommendation is that the educators should be placing literary and language enrichment at the head of their instructional concerns. This is particularly important during their primary school times; supplementing with the talents allows for African American males to become self-sufficient, analytical thinking is principal for their general intellectual achievement or failure. Development of Problem An operational attitude to the tradition of schooling also offers a valuable contextual structure for the investigation of student â€Å"oppositionality† and â€Å"resistance† (Ogbu, 1998) as minor traditional features displayed by particular minority learners in reaction to their communal marginalization. The idea of identity and the way it is written either by a person or the community is made pertinent by the reactions of these marginalized learners and is a vital part of a sufficient hypothetical viewpoint on tradition. The academic achievement gap which is present between African American and White learners is a very urgent contest for the urban education in the United States in the present times. Generally, the rank and academic achievement of minority groups in science have been issues of concern in various areas (National Science Foundation, 1994; Atwater, 2000). In a wide-ranging assessment of the issues, Jencks and Phillips (1998) suggest that there should be an application of methodical and preserved research attempts targeted at investigating the causes for the low performance of particular minority groups. When discussing the achievement gap and displaying it as a challenge for the urban education, there has to be an emphasis placed on certain aspects of the urban schools which are responsible for the existent gap. In the United States, the fact that the majority of the Black students study in urban or inner city institutions is correct, and on the other hand White students normally study at suburban schools. It is possible that this factor is responsible for the achievement gap between the Blacks and the Whites and it provides with an urban/suburban aspect. Urban academic institutions are also different from the suburban ones in the accessibility of the study material and commune sources. Even though the fact that the suburban schools normally have much better sources in contrast to the urban schools is true, an exploration can be made in whether the resources that are accessible for the urban schools are utilized most advantageously so as to improve the student involvement and intellectual accomplishment. Even though standardized testing traditionally has been slackly connected to responsibility and student education, the association had been weak. The association between student education and high-stakes standardized testing became more distinct, and a rise in the utilization of the tests has reached classic magnitude following the introduction of the No Child Left Behind. The argument behind such a connection is that raised pressure to perform well on standardized tests, and also a series of incentives and penalties, will raise the student education and accomplishment. Impacts of such testing standards have broad results, not just on the current generation but also on the next generations of youth. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to assess the impact that standardized testing has on African American male students. The study aims to display the issues connected with the impact of standardized testing on African American males. African American males face discrimination and due to that they do not perform as they should in their academics. Innumerable researches have been conducted to examine African American youths’ academic results. There is relative concentration with a stress on the achievement gap between African American youths generally and also that of other ethnic categories, like the Europeans and Asian Americans. Several conceptual structures have been offered which propose the achievement gap in educational results is the outcome of societal-level discrimination which afflicts African Americans (for example, Fordham Ogbu, 1986; Ogbu, 1987, 1994; Steele, 1997). In reality, several of the studies record the negative impacts of such macro system-level elements on the encouragement and intellectual accomplishment of African American learners (Howard Hammond, 1985; Ponterotto Pedersen, 1993; Steele Aronson, 1995). Nature of the Study Social research can be deductive or inductive and each is applied according to the research type. Deductive approach refers to particular information that has been gained from a general theory. Through the theory the researcher gets the foresights concerning the happening. Deductive research is termed as theory testing. In the case when a research initiates with a theory and is following the hypotheses that the researcher has set to test, the approach is deductive. Deductive reasoning sets to work moving from the more universal to the more precise. Induction is usually described as moving from the specific to the general. Observations are used for inductive approaches. Inductive reasoning moves from the more specific to a broader generalization and theory. In this case there is quite some uncertainty involved and the conclusions are based on theories.

Whats Eating Gilbert Grape Essay -- essays papers

What's Eating Gilbert Grape What’s Eating Gilbert Grape portrays a family that is dealing with the trials, tribulations, and also great times of having a member with a disability. The Grape family consists of Gilbert, Ellen, Amy, Mama, and of course, Arnie. The Grape family lives in an isolated town of Endora in a house that seems to be in shambles since their father died. In the beginning, Gilbert’s voiceover states that â€Å"living in Endora is like dancing to no music,† which one can definitely relate to after viewing this touching film. Gilbert Grape is a young man that has been impeded by more burdens than any man ought to have in an entire lifetime. He stocks shelves and delivers groceries for a local store, Lamson’s Grocery, whose business has been deserted by the new supermarket in town. The movie begins with the â€Å"yearly ritual† of Gilbert and Arnie watching the caravans that pass along the road. Gilbert’s adversity seems to have started when his fath er hung himself seventeen years ago in their basement, which in turn drove his mother to obesity and a life confined to only their home. His mother has become a â€Å"burden† on him and he feels ashamed and humiliated by her. Gilbert even regards his mother as â€Å"a beached whale,† and at one point lifts a young boy to the window to experience the sight of her. Gilbert’s mother is not his only complication; he is having an aimless affair with a frustrated housewife, Betty Carver, whose rash sexual demands have placed much ap... What's Eating Gilbert Grape Essay -- essays papers What's Eating Gilbert Grape What’s Eating Gilbert Grape portrays a family that is dealing with the trials, tribulations, and also great times of having a member with a disability. The Grape family consists of Gilbert, Ellen, Amy, Mama, and of course, Arnie. The Grape family lives in an isolated town of Endora in a house that seems to be in shambles since their father died. In the beginning, Gilbert’s voiceover states that â€Å"living in Endora is like dancing to no music,† which one can definitely relate to after viewing this touching film. Gilbert Grape is a young man that has been impeded by more burdens than any man ought to have in an entire lifetime. He stocks shelves and delivers groceries for a local store, Lamson’s Grocery, whose business has been deserted by the new supermarket in town. The movie begins with the â€Å"yearly ritual† of Gilbert and Arnie watching the caravans that pass along the road. Gilbert’s adversity seems to have started when his fath er hung himself seventeen years ago in their basement, which in turn drove his mother to obesity and a life confined to only their home. His mother has become a â€Å"burden† on him and he feels ashamed and humiliated by her. Gilbert even regards his mother as â€Å"a beached whale,† and at one point lifts a young boy to the window to experience the sight of her. Gilbert’s mother is not his only complication; he is having an aimless affair with a frustrated housewife, Betty Carver, whose rash sexual demands have placed much ap...

Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Violence Against Children

When thinking about statistics on child abuse, it’s very helpful to know that the idea of â€Å"child abuse† is very controversial. Recently, in particular homes and cultures, child abuse has come to be seen as a major social problem and a main cause of many people’s suffering and personal problems. Some believe that we are beginning to face the true prevalence and significance of child abuse. There is more to child abuse than just the physical scars; children are affected socially, mentally, and emotionally. According to the American National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, in 1997, neglect represented 54% of confirmed cases of child abuse, physical abuse 22%, sexual abuse 8%, emotional maltreatment 4%, and other forms of maltreatment 12%. Physical abuse is defined as physical aggression directed at a child by an adult. It can involve kicking, striking, shoving, slapping, burning, bruising, pulling ears or hair, stabbing choking or shaking a child. Child neglect is when the responsible adult fails to provide adequately for various needs. These may include; physical, mental, educational, and medical. Out of all the possible forms of abuse, emotional abuse is the hardest to define. It could include; name-calling, ridicule and degradation, destruction of personal belongings, torture or destruction of a pet, excessive criticism, inappropriate or excessive demands, withholding information, and routine labeling and humiliation. Most abused and neglected children never come to the attention of government authorities. This is true for neglected and sexually abused children, who may have no signs of harm. In the case of sexual abuse, secrecy and intense feelings of shame may prevent children, and adults aware of the abuse the c hild undergoe... ...and destroyed newly-formed neurons. The areas of their brains responsible for the "management" of their emotions were 20% to 30% smaller than in other children of the same age. It would be logical to conclude that this damage can result in any child (not only Romanian) who suffers such abandonment and maltreatment (Dr. Alice Miller, 1998). Works Cited †¢ Dr. Alice Miller, Childhood Trauma, presented as a lecture to the YWHA, New York City, 1998 †¢ Jim Hopper, Ph.D. â€Å"Child Abuse: Statistics, Research, and Resources for Recovery." 1996 †¢ Lowenthal, 1996, p. 22 †¢ Nelson, D., G. Higginson, and J. Grant-Worley. "Physical Child Abuse Effects." Child Abuse: Effects, Statistics, Types and Stories of Abuse. Nov. 1995 †¢ "Scientists at University College Target Child Abuse." Pediatrics Week 5 Feb. 2011: 324. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 8 Feb. 2011.

Discuss how Baz Luhrman reaches his audience Essay

In this essay I am going to discuss how Baz Luhrman reaches his audience and establishes mood in his film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. To do this I am going to discuss the difference between the screenplay and Shakespeare’s original text, the genre of the film, the mise-en-scene, lighting, camera shots and soundtrack. Baz Luhrman wanted to reach a teenage audience this is portrayed through clothing, the fast pace action, and the soundtrack. Luhrman may have wanted to reach a teenage audience because there is no other recent film adaptation of Shakespeares’ plays catering for a teenage audience. Baz Luhrman reaches his audience and establishes mood in the opening credits and first scene of his film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by his use of modernisation of the original text. The genre is communicated to the audience immediately in the opening credits in the screenplay. The prologue from the play is used in the form of a news report. We then hear a voice over that sounds as if he is writing what he is saying. The main points of his speech are shown in the form of newspaper headlines or flashed up on screen. When we hear the voice over stating the prologue his last fatal line is, â€Å"A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. † This is the last sentence flashed on screen before the audience see the characters picture and their name in a freeze frame. Luhrman could have done this to show the audience who the possible main suspects were for the cause of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. There are shots of the film shown in quick succession which builds to a climax. In these shots are images of shooting, fast cars and police. These all show conflict, action and death i. e. tragedy. As the film progresses, it shows the audience that there are going to be deaths. Also the operatic music we hear becomes faster and faster. This goes well with the sequence of quick film images helping to create the feeling of tragedy. In the news report there is a picture of a broken wedding ring, this also helps to portray the message of tragedy and heartbreak. In the screenplay Shakespeares’ original text has been adapted to suit the modern audience. This is seen clearly in the first scene at the petrol station. The screenplay shows a Montague biting his thumb at the Capulets, whereas in Shakespeares’ original text, it is a Capulet that bites his thumb at the Montague’s. The roles may have been reversed because the Montague’s seem childish and the Capulets are more serious. The biting of the thumb is an immature thing to do, therefore suiting the Montague’s. In Shakespeares’ text the Capulets are at fault for starting the fight. In this screenplay both the Montague’s and the Capulets are to blame for the fight. Baz Luhrman has adapted the original text in this way because he wanted to show that both families had involvement in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, and it was not more the Capulets fault then the Montague’s. They were both at fault. To get this message across, Luhrman started at the beginning showing continuity. Also certain lines from Shakespeares’ text have been left out of the screenplay. For example, in the original text a Capulet states, â€Å"Let us take the law of our sides, let them begin. † However this is not included in Baz Luhrmans’ screenplay. This maybe because he wanted to make their actions and statements spontaneous. If he had included that line it would have shown that they have thought about their actions, which could then lead to the Montague’s being the cause of the fight. The film is set in Southern California. The first scene is set in a petrol station; this is so there can be a fire at the end of the scene. The cars both families drive have the first three letters of their family name as the license plate, which would make the audience believe they are wealthy. The Capulets’ car is dark signifying evil, whereas the Montagues’ car is bright revealing their childlike, playful personalities. The Capulet’s guns have their family logo on it and the word ‘sword’ (because it was the term used for gun at that time) as do the Montague’s. The Montague’s are portrayed in quite a ‘laddish’ manner and come across as harmless. They wear bright coloured clothing, have dyed hair, bald heads, fair complexions, clean shaven skin and behave scandalously. They seem more like boys, rather then men and come across as quite laid back and relaxed. These characteristics show their personality. The Capulet’s have a Latino look about them; they have a darker complexion, dark facial hair, and are stylishly dressed. Stereotypical archetypes (dark meaning villainous). They have slick gelled back hair which suggests to the audience that they take pride in their appearance and like to display their wealth. With the Montague’s, they do not seem to care what people think and so do not dress to impress. The Capulet’s also have silver heeled boots and one in particular has a silver cap over his top teeth saying ‘sin’. This shows the Capulet’s hypocrisy because they wear Catholic waistcoats. A better example of the Capulet’s hypocrisy is Tybalt who has a picture of God on his waistcoat and says he hates the word ‘peace’. Because the Capulet’s are conscious of their reputation, they are keen not to be insulted. Tybalt is smoking a cigarette in the petrol station showing rebellious behaviour and a danger to others. Unlike the Montague’s who appear harmless. During the gunfight, the Montague’s continuously fire off target and the Capulet’s shoot accurately and have a stylish handling of their guns, (Tybalt in particular). This along with appearance and behaviour, show the audience aspects of the character and a contrast of personality. There are a variety of camera shots in the opening credits of the film. There is lots of zoom in and out, when words flash up on screen and fast panning. There are high and low angle shots in a rapid sequence which creates visual excitement; it is very dramatic and almost confusing. Luhrman chose to use these types of camera shots because it escalates to a climax and adds to the mood being created. The first scene is top lit, has a quick fiery pace, uses slow motion when Tybalt drops a match and his cigarette. This creates suspense. There are lots of close ups used and one of most significant is the close up of the eyes (Benvolio and Tybalt, highlighting their evil intent) before the gunfight. This shoes intensity. Fast moving cameras make it hard to keep up with the action. This affect has been produced via the editing and helped with the formation of mood. Also a comical effect is created when a woman in a car is hitting a Montague in the head with her handbag. This is to try and relax the atmosphere because the scene is so tense. Luhrman has used a steady camera shot to involve the audience into the movie. This also adds tension as it makes the audience feel as if they are part of the gunfight. The operatic music in the opening credits reaches a climax. In the first scene, the Montague boys have their own introductory music called ‘The Boys’. It is an up beat retro sound revealing their adolescent characters. This caters for the teenage audience Luhrman is trying to reach because it is a modern style of music revealing their adolescent characters. The Capulet’s have a Western type music mirroring a cow boy style to represent their villainous characters. The soundtracks introducing the two families give the audience a sense of their personalities. The sound effects of the screenplay are Western; this creates a Country and Western style atmosphere and tells the audience there is going to be a gunfight. Also the pan pipes (symbolising the whistling of wind) and the creaking of a rusty sign, indicate a gunfight in the making and create a comical effect to relax the intense atmosphere. When the Montague’s and Capulet’s meet there is complete silence suggesting the starting of a gunfight. During the gunfight there is a blend between opera and a western style of music, showing equality at that point. In this essay I have explained how Baz Luhrman has reached his audience and established mood in the opening credits and first scene in his film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by his modernisation of Shakespeares’ original text. I have done this by discussing the genre, the difference between the screenplay and the text, the mise-en-scene, lighting and camera shots and the soundtrack. Baz Luhrman has made clear changes in his screenplay and has produced a successful modernised film of Romeo and Juliet.

Manager Roles and Skills Essays

Manager Roles and Skills Essays Manager Roles and Skills Essay Manager Roles and Skills Essay Describe three different roles of a manager; what skills are essential to perform these roles? Ans: Many people say, that â€Å"management is what managers do† While that’s true, it doesn’t tell us much unfortunately. So in order to understand the concept of management, you have to understand what managers do. There are three specific categorization schemes to explain what managers do, result of many years of research and study: Roles (Henry Mintzberg) Skills (Robert L. Katz) There are three different management roles, which can be subdivided in ten more categories, which I am going to discuss here. Management Roles: Henry Mintzberg is a well know researcher, and the results of his studies about the work of managers were published in The Nature of Managerial Work (New York: Harper Row, 1973). The term management roles refers to specific categories of managerial behavior, and Mintzberg concluded that what managers do, can be described by studying ten different and interrelated roles, grouped around interpersonal relationships, transfer of information, and last, but not least, decision making. Interpersonal Roles The ones that, like the name suggests, involve people and other ceremonial duties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leader – Responsible for staffing, training, and associated duties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Figurehead – The symbolic head of the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Liaison – Maintains the communication between all contacts and informers that compose the organizational network. Informational Roles Related to collecting, receiving, and disseminating information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Monitor – Personally seek and receive information, to be able to understand the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disseminator – Transmits all import information received from outsiders to the members of the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Spokesperson – On the contrary to the above role, here the manager transmits the organization’s plans, policies and actions to outsiders. Decisiona l Roles Roles that revolve around making choices.   Ã‚           Entrepreneur – Seeks opportunities. Basically they search for change, respond to it, and exploit it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Negotiator – Represents the organization at major negotiations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Resource Allocator – Makes or approves all significant decisions related to the allocation of resources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disturbance Handler – Responsible for corrective action when the organization faces disturbances. It’s worth to mention that Mintzberg also considered that as managers perform the roles described above, their activities include reflection and action. Reflection (also called thoughtful thinking) because managers think, ponders and contemplates about their decisions. Action (or practical doing) because every time they act, they are doing something, they are applying their decisions. Mintzberg’s approach is debatable, but several studies that tested the Management Roles categories in different types of organizations support the idea that managers do perform similar roles. What does change is the emphasis given to each role that may vary depending on the organizational level. Management Skills: A managers job is varied and complex. Managers need certain skills to perform the duties and activities associated with being a manager. What type of skills does a manager need? Research by Robert L. Katz found that managers needed three essential skills. These are technical skills, human skills and conceptual skills. Technical skills include knowledge of and proficiency in a certain specialized field, such as engineering, computers, financial and managerial accounting, or manufacturing. These skills are more important at lower levels of management since these managers are dealing directly with employees doing the organizations work. Human skills involve the ability to work well with other people both individually and in a group. Because managers deal directly with people, this skill is crucial! Managers with good human skills are able to get the best out of their people. They know how to communicate, motivate, lead, and inspire enthusiasm and trust. These skills are equally important at all levels of management. Finally conceptual skills are the skills managers must have to think and conceptualize about abstract and complex situations. Using these skills managers must be able to see the organization as a whole, understand the relationship among various subunits, and visualize how the organization fits into its broader environment. These skills are most important at top level anagement. A professional association of practicing managers, the American Management Association, has identified important skills for managers that encompass conceptual, communication, effectiveness, and interpersonal aspects. These are briefly described below: Conceptual Skills: Ability to use information to solve business problems, identification of opportunities for innovation, recognizing problem a reas and implementing solutions, selecting critical information from masses of data, understanding the business uses of technology, understanding the organizations business model. Communication Skills: Ability to transform ideas into words and actions, credibility among colleagues, peers, and subordinates, listening and asking questions, presentation skills and spoken format, presentation skills; written and graphic formats Effectiveness Skills: Contributing to corporate mission/departmental objectives, customer focus, multitasking; working at multiple tasks at parallel, negotiating skills, project management, reviewing operations and implementing improvements, setting and maintaining performance standards internally and externally, setting priorities for attention and activity, time management. Interpersonal Skills: Coaching and mentoring skills, diversity skills; working with diverse people and culture, networking within the organization, networking outside the organization, working in teams; cooperation and commitment. Conclusion: In todays demanding and dynamic workplace, employees who are invaluable to an organization must be willing to constantly upgrade their skills and take on extra work outside their own specific job areas. There is no doubt that skills will continue to be an important way of describing what a manager does. Q # 2: Contrast between Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning theories of learning. Give suitable example for each. Ans: 1. Classical Conditioning: If a stimulus that results in an emotional response is repeated alongside another stimulus which does not cause an emotional response, eventually the second stimulus will result in the same emotional response. Classical Conditioning is thus ‘learning by association’. In more detail, we are pre-conditioned to unconditionally respond in certain ways to stimuli. For example a sudden noise (an unconditional stimulus, US) makes us flinch (the unconditional response, UR). If a movement is made at the same time as, or just before the noise, such as moving hands to clap loudly (conditional stimulus, CS), then the person will learn to flinch when the movement is made without the noise necessarily being there (the conditional response, CR). Thus the association is made between the US and CS, with either stimulating the same response. Classical Conditioning  does not work in all circumstances. In particular it is more effective where the conditioning may be of evolutionary benefit. Experiment: Pavlov did famous experiments with dogs, ringing a bell and then feeding them. After a while, he could ring the bell and their mouths would salivate. Garcia and Koelling (1966) showed that rats soon learned to avoid a sweet: I liked my aunt, she always made me feel warm and wanted. She always wore a particular perfume. When I smell the perfume now, I immediately feel warm and wanted. So what? Using it If you want to persuade someone to do something, get them to do it at the same time as doing something they like doing. Do something specific every time they do something you want (like touching them somewhere or making a specific sound). Then do that specific thing and theyll think of doing the desired behavior. Defending Watch out for people repeatedly touching you or having strange behaviors. Check that theyre not trying to program you. 2. Operant Conditioning: A behavior will increase if it is followed by positive reinforcement. It will decrease if it is followed by punishment. Operant Conditioning is thus ‘learning by consequences’. Whereas Classical Conditioning involves automatic, pre-programmed responses, Operant Conditioning involves learned behaviors. Also, whilst Classical Conditioning associates two stimuli, Operant Conditioning associates a stimulus and a response. Favorable circumstances are generally known as reinforcing stimuli or reinforces, whilst unfavorable circumstances are known as punishing stimuli or punishers. Operant Conditioning is also known as Instrumental Conditioning. Experiment: Skinner put rats and pigeons in a box where pressing a lever resulted in food being dispensed. From accidental knocking of the lever, they quickly learned to deliberately press it to get food. Example: Parents often try to balance praise and punishment. To be effective, they should punish only behaviors they wish to extinguishthey should not punish for not doing what should be done. So what? Using it: If you want someone to work harder, do not punish them when they do not work- reward them when they do. If you want them to stop smoking, make it unpleasant when they do rather than pleasant when they refrain. men

buy custom BlackBerry Phone essay

buy custom BlackBerry Phone essay BlackBerry is a line of smartphone and mobile-email devices designed and developed by Research In Motion Company (RIM) based in Canada since 1999. BlackBerry devices include smartphones which are mostly designed and operated as internet browsers, portable media players, personal digital assistants, and gaming devices. The phones are best known for their outstanding ability to receive and send instant messages and push e-mail while at the same time maintain high security levels using its encryption on device (Waxer, 2005). The phones devices support a wide range of instant messages features with the most common one being the BlackBerry Messenger. BlackBerry features have enabled it to command more than 11.7% of the worldwide smartphones sales shares, coming fourth among the most popular devices manufactures behind, Apple, Sony Ericson, and Google. BlackBerrys consumer Internet Service covers approximately 91 nations with more than 500 mobile operators making use of its various mobile technologies. The latest statistics have it that the phone enjoys more than seventy million subscribers all over the world (Waxer, 2005). The first BlackBerry phone was the 850 device that was introduced as a two way paper in 1999 in Munich. The BlackBerry smartphone was released in 2003, included with mobile phone, Internet faxing, push email, and Web browsing features. Its email inclusion is what helped the phone make headway in the world market (Waxer, 2005). To compete with other competitors in the market, BlackBerry devices have been included with special features which include; BlackBerry Messenger The BlackBerry Messenger commonly referred to as the BBM is an Internet based proprietary for instant messenger application in BlackBerry devices allowing instant messaging among BlackBerry users. The feature was developed by Research in Motion Company allowing messages to be sent through the Blackberry Messenger over the Internet and applying the BlackBerry PIN system. The feature thus allows communication to be possible only across two BlackBerry devices. The service operates in such away that the BlackBerry Internet Service communicates and functions over its Internet connection using a wireless LAN or the mobile phone network. This enables the users to exchange messages eve in situations where BlackBerry network coverage is not provided (Ballew, 2010). The LAN accessible makes it possible for the phones to still access the Internet. Exchange messages are possible also through chat groups and dedicated discussion allowing several BlackBerry devices to connect in one session. BlackBerry Messenger also permits the users to send files, voice notes, send pictures, find locations on maps, and emoticons over its network. The BlackBerry Messenger features include; personal BBM display status and picture, receiver and sender messages of unlimited length, videos and share photos multiple contacts at an instant, contacts add by sharing PINS or QR Codes scanning and messages real time confirmation when read and delivered (Ballew, 2010). BlackBerry Internet Service The main alternative to using the phones Enterprise Server is the BlackBerry Internet Service. The internet service, also referred to as the BIS is present in 91 nations worldwide. The service was developed, mainly to serve the average consumer and not the business consumer. This Internet Service allows IMAP and POP3 email integration and accesses 10 email accounts. BlackBerry Internet Service also allows the push capabilities functions in several other BlackBerry Applications (Sandler, 2011). Black Berry PIN The Black Berry PIN a hexadecimal identification number that has eight characters assigned to every BlackBerry device. These PINs cannot be manually changed on the BlackBerry device and are locked to a specific device. BlackBerrys phones can message each other with the PIN directly or through the Messenger Application. The PINs can be easily tracked using the Internet Service and Enterprise Services. The BlackBerry PINS are also used to have massages directed to BlackBerry devices. Other messages and emails like the ones from the Push Service are directed typically to a BlackBerrys PIN (Sandler, 2011). TMobile BlackBerry Service TMobile BlackBerry Service has been preferred by many users for its myFaves plans that allow the user to call five numbers unlimited. It has remained to be the leading wireless service national carrrier including, voice, data and messaging. The service assures its users of the best coverage. It offers few voice minutes that can be used whenever and wherever as well as unlimited email across 10 accounts, instant massaging, unlimited web browsing, and domestic texting, and no roaming or long distance charges. In addition to the good prices, its enterprise plan offers unlimited BES access. The TMobile BlackBerry Service also offers international services although the user is expected to have additional credit check. The service allows Caller Tunes, making the callers enjoy sound effects, hear music, and spoken clips in place of ringing. The Web Guard allows the user to restrict access to over-18 material on their phones (Myers and Stull, 2008). Competition BlackBerrys primary competitors are smartphones running iOS, webOS, Andriod, and Windows Phone 7. Users of BlackBerry have successfully defended its utility over iPhones, supporting its secure email, physical keyboard, and applications like the BlackBerry Messenger. The Company recorded a sale of more than 100 million phones by June 2010. By the end of the year 2010, the RIM Company had sold approximately 47.5 million phones. This was an increase by 38 percent compared to the previous financial year. Its Q4 performance was strongest in United Kingdom, Indonesia and Netherlands (Rizk, 2009). Use The encryption features included in BlackBerry phones make them extremely safe and suitable for use even by state forces. A good example is increased use of the BlackBerry phones by the British police allowing more of the officers to be along the streets and that has helped in checking public spending. This is possible as every member of the work force can easily perform his or her desk work directly using the mobile devices as well as many other situations and areas. In United States, President Barack Obama is remembered for his dependence on this device especially during his campaign in the 2008 presidential campaign. Despite the security matters that came up, he still insisted on using the BlackBerry phone even after he was elected as the president making him the firsts American President to use mobile email. This was seen as a good celebrity endorsement in the phones market worth 50 million dollars (Rizk, 2009). Buy custom BlackBerry Phone essay

Expository Essay Writing

Expository Essay Writing Here are the main steps to follow when writing an expository essay. An expository essay is a type of paper, in which a student is supposed to set a concrete argument and then support it within the text. It is strongly recommended to plan your paper before writing it. The writer needs to find a good analytical question and create a powerful thesis statement. The main goals of an expository essay may be expressed by the following statements: An expository essay performs the analysis of a concrete concept. An expository essay is about an event, a situation or a scientific work. An expository essay explains some instructions  or describes how things should be done. To get a complete answer to the question What is an expository essay?, read our article on this topic: What Is an Expository Essay? Below are some tips for expository writing from our professional writers. 6  Steps of Expository Essay Writing Expository essays need to follow a specific pattern. Here are steps a student needs to take in order to create a substantial expository essay. Step 1:  Keep the main topic in sight. The topic is expected to be easy enough but try not to make it too general or too narrow. And if you have a choice of the subject, try something interesting and new. Select a topic which is exciting to read and avoid those ones that are difficult to write on. Step 2:  Collect the facts, do the background research. In the first place remember to mention the facts from reliable sources like peer-reviewed journals, books, and newspapers. It is a great idea to use statistics, research findings, chronicles of previous events and historical facts – everything that will provide your reader with a broad picture of the topic you have chosen. Step 3:  Define your thesis statement. Try to use this statement in the first paragraph. You may also mention your thesis statement in the last sentence of your essay. If you put it in your first paragraph, you should dwell on it in greater detail in subsequent sentences. If you decide to put the statement at the end, make sure the sentences preceding it are logically connected with one another, and gradually lead the reader to your thesis statement. Step 4:  Group the facts in body paragraphs.  Each body paragraph should offer one main idea. Use relevant facts and figures in each body paragraph. Avoid repeating same facts in different paragraphs. Step 5:  Use transition sentences between paragraphs. You should finish one paragraph logically and then transit into the next one, making your entire text coherent and logical. If you dont do this, your essay will lose its flow and structure. Step 6:  Make a conclusion.The conclusion of the essay sums up the essay and reiterates its main thoughts. Try not to repeat what you mentioned in your introduction to avoid redundancy in your text. Now when you are familiar with the main steps of expository writing, lets choose the topic for an expository essay: 50 Most Popular Expository Essay Topics Knowing the main rules and principles of expository essay writing you will be able to create excellent expository essays. If you have questions or still need additional clarification,  contact us, please. If you need your expository essay to be written and well-structured, place an order.  

Accountant's case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Accountant's - Case Study Example He was advised that it would be possible to have his existing machines upgraded so that they could perform more complicated programmes and decided to go ahead with this. In March Blake received a circular from Watt A. Racket plc, a company specialising in computer maintenance and upgrading of a variety of different computers including his Apropex X18s. This circular contained details of the cost of upgrading and at the bottom of the first page there was a picture of a small red hand together with the words "see last page" in feint black print. On the final page of this six page circular, in a central position, there was a box containing the following words:"The Company undertakes no responsibility of any kind for any loss damage, injury or depreciation in value arising (regardless of cause) during maintenance or upgrading operations. Customers are advised to take out independent insurance". Blake was impressed at the reasonable charges quoted and failed to notice this clause. He imme diately telephoned Racket plc and engaged their services to upgrade three computers. He was told that a confirmation of his order would be sent immediately. The confirmation, which Blake read, arrived the following day and stated that "All work is subject to conditions set out in the company's circular". When Racket plc came to collect the computers, one of them was dropped onto Blake's foot by a Racket employee. The second computer was destroyed by a fire at the warehouse, which was started inadvertently by another Racket employee, and the third computer was returned with an irreparable defect and cannot be used by Blake. According to general rules of contract law pertaining to offer, acceptance and consideration it can be said that if A makes a proposal to B it will be considered as an offer extended from A to B and if B says yes to the offer made by A then the offer will be considered as accepted. The offer will now be called as a Promise in contractual terms and 'A' will be called the 'promisor and 'B' who has accepted the offer/proposal will be called the 'promisee'. According to Atiyah,Essays on contract(1986) 'Consideration is the doctrine to establish which promises should be legally enforceable'. Also in 'Currie v. Misa(1875)L.R.10Ex.153,at p.162' Lush J. stated: A valuable consideration, in the sense of the law, may consist in some right, interest, profit, or benefit accruing to the one party, or some forbearance, detriment, loss, or responsibility given, suffered, or undertaken by the other. Every promise and every set of promises, forming the consideration for each other, is an agreement; and afterwards it culminates in to contract. Consent given should always be free consent in terms of that it should not have been obtained through any fraud, by employing coercion, exerting undue influence or through misrepresentation of facts. These basic rules of offer, acceptance and invitation to treat etc are amply illustrated in the cases 'Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v. Boots Cash Chemicals Ltd.(1952)2 Q.B.795' and 'Felthouse v. Bindley(1862)6L.T.157' and also in 'Fisher v. Bell (1961) 1Q.B. 394' The acceptance must assent unequivocally and without qualification to the terms of the offer. The acceptance may also be qualified by reference to the preparation of a more formal contract or by reference to terms, which have still to be negotiated. In this case as it appears on the face of it that Blake on the sending of circular by Watt A that can be taken as invitation to treat offered them to buy computers from them, that the company accepted subject to some terms and conditions. So broadly construing the terms of the contract it seems that they bind Blake. Especially in view of Thompson v. London, Midland and Scottish Ry. Co. [1930] 1

Law School Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law School Personal Statement - Essay Example Boredom never struck me in those days as I was ardently listening my professor's lectures. Almost all the words he spoke were bits of very useful information and wisdom in my ears. Having the chance to read formal casebooks, I further studied controversial and popular legal cases. I also read books that teach techniques on how to settle disputes and to win negotiations. I also learned how to defend my future clients by applying what my instructors thought me. At this time, I felt that there was no holding back; I had to enrol in a prestigious law school or suffer a lifetime full of regret and sorrow. However, as in any pursuits in life, trials nearly doomed my envisioned vocation. While attending my undergraduate studies, I have faced numerous obstacles and challenges. In 2004, my aunt and ten-year-old cousin died unexpectedly. In 2005, I lost a close friend due to skin cancer. Also in that same year misfortune further struck as my uncle died a heart attack. A few months later, my father was severely injured while attempting to fix a machine at his work, leaving him partially disabled. All of these incidents profoundly affected my life. They impaired my focus and enthusiasm not only in my personal but also in my academic life, causing me to nearly give up and forget about my ambition. Yet after days of meditation and reflection, I realized that these events happened to me with a reason: to become emotionally and spiritually matured, a very vital quality of a successful lawyer. I said to myself in those times, I would never let these corrupt my future and discourage me from reaching my dream. This optimistic thought pushed me to regain my focus in school. Thanks to these trials I became wiser in handling school and personal affairs. I have learned how to use them on my advantage by motivating me to move further instead of pushing me to hold back. My renewed passion has driven me to improve my focus and to work harder to become a promising lawyer. With regards to my employment and community experiences, I actively engaged in activities that I think would improve my competency in the legal sphere. I worked as a trombone instructor for two different high school band camps during the summers of 2004 and 2005. I experienced giving trombone lessons to high school, middle school, and elementary students since 2004. Through this job, I had refined my teaching, leadership, and other interpersonal skills. Managing events and establishing a healthy working relationship with administrators were the significant skills that I acquired while working as a graduation Marshall on Ohio University in 2004 and 2005. I also volunteered for community service for added personal experience. Though the sorority Tau Beta Sigma, I volunteered to spend time with residents at a nursing home for a day. I also participated in preparing and serving food for the poor and the homeless through Good Works. In addition, through Good Works, I was able to remodel rooms to shelter these unfortunate homeless people. These were all memorable experiences that I really cherished. I enjoyed spending time with the nursing home residents and helping the homeless. I enjoy giving my time volunteering myself to help the community, knowing that I can learn invaluable lessons from these experiences that

The difference between coaching and psychotherapy Essay

The difference between coaching and psychotherapy - Essay Example In coaching, the practitioner helps its clients to access those information, skills and wisdom that they already have to make decisions, about which changes they would like to make; to develop a personal "action plan" in order to make those changes, to implement the action plan, and lastly to develop strategies to maintain the changes they make. The client will have to set the agenda for coaching. Psychotherapy, on the other hand, is a health care service focusing on identifying and treating diagnosable psychological disorders. The goals of psychotherapy include awakening hope, re-accessing mental well-being and encouraging changes that support mental well-being. Coaching uses variety of techniques and practices to help clients quickly produce desired results even more than they would do on their own. Psychotherapy also has techniques to help their clients but it is a slow process. The focus of coaching is on results as opposed to symptoms or psychology, yet clearly coaching is about relating to and impacting people. Therapy, while it should and will often create results, focuses on healing psychological or situational pain or distress. Typical reasons people seek coaching are: to clarify goals, to start something new, to create and execute one's vision, when life is out of balance when one cannot enjoy their success and when one is in transition. These are not "medically necessary" reasons but all potentially will be life enhancing. Traditional psychodynamic psychotherapy is past-based, working on feelings and events that have already occurred. Coaching may also focus specifically on areas which therapy would not, such as balance, strategic planning or life planning. These might be the product of a successful psychotherapy but not the focus. Coaching is collaboration between coach and client. Therapy is an expert relationship in which the therapist has greater power. Increasingly therapy is a three-way relationship in which an insurance company knows the client's issues and has a say. Coaching is future-oriented and designed to move the client towards an outcome. It can also be process oriented. Psychotherapy is process oriented. Coaches cannot take up the tasks of therapy. There is a need of lot of technical work. Therapists can and frequently do "coach" their clients - particularly in long-term relationships after the major psychological work has been done. Therapists, in fact, can be the best coaches because of their training in listening skills A coach will sometimes guide individuals toward increased awareness of how their thoughts and emotional reactions lead to problematic behaviors in the workplace. Therapy may share coaching's goals of improved personal effectiveness and increased awareness of problematic thoughts and emotional reactions that may impede work effectiveness. But therapy also addresses non-work aspects of an individual's life and may involve in-depth explorations of the client's history, and their key relationships with parents and other family members - issues that may be only tangentially related to business effectiveness. The coach training offerings vary from a few days to a full year. In order to take on the deeper self exploration common to the therapeutic situation counselors and therapists require an extensive training typically far in excess of coach training. Psychotherapy and counseling

Recycled toothbrushes makes sense Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Recycled toothbrushes makes sense - Assignment Example 2) In addition to advertising recycled-plastic toothbrushes through the character of Harold Crick, Recycline could make use of a variety of sports stars to help promote its products. Sports stars are instantly recognizable to many in the general public and will help consumers to identify the product with their favorite role models. Sports are a big part of most people’s lives and thus are an attractive advertising medium. 3) As the company grows larger, it will have to come up with additional ways to supply its recycled toothbrushes. Currently, the company’s operations are quite small and can cope with the influx of recycled products. If and when the company expands its influence nationwide, it will have to come up with a strategy to continue to receive recycled products. One such way could be to open up recycling centers in main cities and collect recycled products locally. From there, all the recycled materials could be sent to one large distribution warehouse and then made into the final

Health promotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Health promotion - Essay Example Obesity in childhood, teenage and adults is considered an epidemic in the United States. The advancement in technology created rapid changes in the eating habits of individuals globally. However, as countries become more developed in terms of economic status, the greater the availability and affordability of innumerable choices of food that an individual can indulge in. The issue of addressing obesity has been specifically identified as a national agenda in Healthy People 2010. Obesity is defined as a chronic condition of excess fat accumulation in the body. (Medicine.Net, 2009, 1). Medically, obesity can be defined in relation to the body mass index (BMI). The body mass index â€Å"determines whether a person’s weight is appropriate for height by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared.† (Delaune & Ladner, 2006, 1394) Using this index, obesity is then defined as a BMI of 30 and above. (Medicine.Net. 2009, 1) The primary causes of obesity are overeating and lack of physical activity. When a person takes in calories much more than what one burns, that persons gains weight. Excess energy is therefore stored as fat. If that person has no initiative at all to engage in any physical activity which would help him or her burn those excess calories, then, obesity sets in. Aside from overeating and lack physical activity, there are enormous factors which contribute to an individual’s being vulnerable to obesity. These are: genetics, composition of the diet, frequency of eating, slow metabolism, lack of exercise or physical activity, medications, psychological factors, and even certain diseases. With different researches undertaken to explore on the factors contributing to obesity, it is revealed in MedicineNet that ethnicity, childhood weight and hormones all have an effect in being obese. As a person gains weight and either consciously or unconsciously neglect any measures to prevent the continuous weight increase, that person increases

Recycled toothbrushes makes sense Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Recycled toothbrushes makes sense - Assignment Example 2) In addition to advertising recycled-plastic toothbrushes through the character of Harold Crick, Recycline could make use of a variety of sports stars to help promote its products. Sports stars are instantly recognizable to many in the general public and will help consumers to identify the product with their favorite role models. Sports are a big part of most people’s lives and thus are an attractive advertising medium. 3) As the company grows larger, it will have to come up with additional ways to supply its recycled toothbrushes. Currently, the company’s operations are quite small and can cope with the influx of recycled products. If and when the company expands its influence nationwide, it will have to come up with a strategy to continue to receive recycled products. One such way could be to open up recycling centers in main cities and collect recycled products locally. From there, all the recycled materials could be sent to one large distribution warehouse and then made into the final

Role of Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Role of Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Innovation is a key factor in entrepreneurship. Innovation involves introducing new ideas and products as a measure of improving or satisfying a market need. The chief instigator of innovation is the entrepreneur, who analyzes the pros and cons of innovation and the likely risks that relate to implementing innovation. The say if it is not broken, do not fix it; however, this concept cannot apply to entrepreneurs based on their pursuit of increased sales and maintaining their pioneer status. Innovation is a factor that is pivotal in the longevity of a company. (Howkins, 2001) Mercedes-Benz: A Leader in Innovation The best example of innovation relates to Mercedes-Benz in the 1980s. The company came out with a new concept of using block headlights instead of the popular circular headlights. They claimed that the concept would be copied by a majority of car companies in the 1990s. It was a bold statement by the car company, who were deemed to be blowing their own horn at the time (Reyno lds, 2007). However, true to their prediction, in 1992, several car companies had begun using the block headlights introduced by Mercedes-Benz. This is an illustration of the impact of being a pioneer in innovation. The fact that Mercedes introduce the concept the concept first meant that they were the leading light in car innovation, and to some degree, they still are to this day. Though it was a risk making the bold prediction, there were spot-on proving they have a sharp eye for solid innovation concepts. The primary aim of any entrepreneur is to ensure that their company makes the most sales and net profit (gross profit – company costs = net profit). Wise entrepreneurs push this factor beyond the limits of the company in order to grow as a company. Growth involves factors such as becoming a multinational company, and becoming the global leader in sales of a given product. It is vital for an entrepreneur to push the company to its highest limits, and put it on a level that will make the world take notice. This may not be the best strategy for the consumers; however, the ultimate task for an entrepreneur is to become a monopoly in the company’s respective market. This ensures that the company is the pioneer in the market, and the latter will make purchases from the company anytime they require a product that the company produces. Coca Cola: an Entrepreneurship based on Establishing a Monopoly The best example is Coca-Cola; when it comes to soft drinks, the first word on everyone’s lips is coca-cola. Such is the dominance of the company, that it can be considered the global monopoly of soft drinks. It holds over 70% of the market share for soft drinks on a global scale. As a result, the company is able to generate large volumes of revenue, which can be used for aggressive advertisement (Howkins, 2001). Though it has established itself as a soft drink monopoly, Coca-cola does not rest on this accomplishment. It is constantly seeking new ma rkets to enter, such as the water market. Coca-cola has entered the juice market and is looking into venturing into the tea and coffee markets. This is evident of the company’s ambitions, which are evidence of quality entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is important in the revival of companies. Employing the right CEO or chairman is the fine line between success and failure of a company. Experience is the best teacher that serves to educate entrepreneurs

One Dimensional Motion Essay Example for Free

One Dimensional Motion Essay Motion is everywhere: friendly and threatening, horrible and beautiful. It is fundamental to our human existence; we need motion for learning, for thinking, for growing, and for enjoying life. Like all animals, we rely on motion to get food, to survive dangers, and to reproduce; like all living beings we need motion to breathe and to digest. Motion is the most fundamental observation about nature at large. It turns out that everything, which happens in the world, is some type of motion. This lab looks at one-dimensional motion namely kinematics. This is when an object moves in relation to something else. It is the most basic of motions and a great starting point in researching motion. In looking at motion in a more scientific manner rather than just observing this lab will be taking measurements to look at relationships of distance, velocity and time. These measurements should agree with the known Galilean theories of motion. Method Part A A CBL unit was used with a motion sensor that could determine distance. The apparatus was placed on top of a table facing a long hallway with no obstructions. The CBL unit was then attached to a Ti-83 plus calculator to gather the data from the experiments. The HIKER program on the calculator was performed, which took distance measurements every 0. 1 seconds for 6 seconds. Each test was collected then the results were inputted into the Graphical Analysis program for regression analysis. The first test was that of a person walking away as shown in figure 1. The second test was that of a person walking away at a faster pace as shown in figure 2. The third test was that of a person walking towards the detector as shown in figure 3. The fourth test was that of a person standing still with no movement, which is shown in figure 4 and the last test was that of someone walking away and coming back, which is shown in figure 5. Each graph has the corresponding regression curve of best fit that was calculated using Graphical Analysis. Next the same CBL motion detector was taken outside to allow for enough room for the test and placed on a table. Foam was packed around the sensor to ensure that the device wouldnt be damaged during the test. The sensor was placed facing up. Again, like before, the CBL unit was attached to the Ti-83 plus calculator for data collection and the BALLDROP program was executed. The program took readings of distance at 0. 02 seconds for approximately 1. 6 seconds. After the program executed a basketball was thrown in the air above the sensor and caught after 1. 6 seconds. The test was repeated many times because the testers hands would get in the way of the reading. When there was no unwanted obstruction influencing the results then the data was saved and imported in the Graphical Analysis software to ensure the accuracy of the results by minimizing the systematic error. Figure 6 is the resulting graph from the data and table 1 has the raw data collected.

Performance Of An Organisation Over A Three Year Period

Performance Of An Organisation Over A Three Year Period Topic Area The topic selected for research programme is The business and financial performance of an organisation over a three year period and the organisation chosen to base on research is Sainsbury Plc. It is not appropriate to measure the performance of a business entity in isolation thats why the research will base on comparison of performance of Sainsbury plc with its market competitors, e.g. Tesco Plc over last three years by using different accounting performance measure techniques e.g. Ratio analysis, SWAT analysis. Reason for Choosing Topic Today in volatile market condition due to economic recession famously branded as Credit Crunch businesses are facing tremendous challenges and many big names from every sector e.g. Northern Rock, HBOS Woolworth completely wipe out from market which make it crucial to have external independent business analysis to save the interest of shareholders who are ultimate owner of the business. Having studied ACCA fundamental paper Performance Measurement (F5), professional paper Business Analysis (P3) and option paper Advance Performance Measurement (P5) has equipped me with competence of examines the financial and business performance of business entity most effectively. This is the reason for choosing the above mention topic out of other given topics because skills and knowledge require for this project under this topic I have already studied in detail. Supermarkets are very dominant member of our society who influences a lot in our daily household needs. In the UK food and grocery retailing accounts for nearly 50p in every pound spent in shops. 12.4% of household spending in the UK is now on food, drink and tobacco, compared to 14.3% twelve years ago (1998) and 17.3% twenty two years ago (1988). (IGD, n.d).People prefers supermarkets because of one stop all shop. Sainsbury Plc is among of biggest supermarkets famously known as Big Four Asda, Tesco, and Morrison. The reason for selecting Sainsbury plc for research project because of employed in company for almost five years and have detail knowledge about the company operational activities as well as its strategic performance. About Sainsbury Sainsbury Plc supermarket founded in 1869 by John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury, company started to sell own brand product in 1882 under the category of brand ranges Taste the Difference, Be Good to Yourself, Sainsbury Free form Sainsbury Basic etc which became 50 per cent of Sainsbury turnover in 1950. (Sainsbury Plc, nd). The group operate in three business segments, Supermarket chain, Property development and Sainsbury bank. Sainsbury jointly own Sainsbury Bank with Lloyds Tsb Banking Group and it has two property joint ventures with Land Securities Group Plc and The British Land Company Plc. Sainsbury has a heritage of selling quality food at fair prices. The large stores sell 30,000 products and non-food complementary products. The human capital employed by company almost equal to 150,000 and the online channel of Sainsbury plc available to 90 per cent of UK households. (J Sainsbury Plc, 2010) Company sells other companies products as well its own brand products. The other value added services used by company is Nectar Point loyalty card system. Performance measurement system The performance measurement is a process to obtain information to analyse the efficiency and effectiveness of business operation. Different quantitative and qualitative measures use to assess the performance of the organisation. The good performance measurement system should support organization corporate strategy, measure the both financial and business performance, identify the quality and strength of business process and spot the areas where the resources should be allocated to get the competitive advantage. Project Objectives The project objectives for the financial and business performance of the Sainsbury plc are as follow: Analytical review of Financial Performance of Sainsbury plc by comparison with competitor company Tesco Plc over last three years. Identify the key value drivers for any good performance and business issues obstacles the optimal performance. Determine the effect of Economic Recession on the Financial Performance of Sainsbury Plc. Critically evaluate the Strategic Position through analysis of Business Performance of Sainsbury plc and give recommendation based on conclusion How to Make Sainsbury Great Again. Research Questions To meet above mention objectives the following questions will be answered in research analysis. Q1-How competitive Sainsbury Plc performance in last three years in term of Market share and Sale growth compare to its competitor? Q2- What is the effect of economic recession on supermarkets profit and how Sainsbury Plc perform in contrast to its competitors under these circumstances? Q3-Liquidity Does Sainsbury have sufficient resources to meet its current business commitments and what is the change in liquidity in last three years with comparison to competitor? Q4- Gearing-How risky Sainsbury capital structure to justify the assumption of Going Concern Basis and what is change in gearing level in last three years link to its competitor? Q5 -What is strategic position of Sainsbury Plc and what are the critical success factors on which Sainsbury need to focus to get the competitive market advantage? Research Framework PART 2 Information gathering and accounting / business techniques: Primary Data The primary source of data mainly gathers through direct contact with information provider through interviews, meetings and quest nary session. These are very important source of information but there are limitations associate with it e.g. confidentiality issues, timing of available information, and cost to gather these information make them little of use for purpose of research. Secondary Data This is the research already carried out other than user of information which is available publically through different government and private agencies. Secondary data of information is more feasible as compare to primary data because it is not possible to carry out all qualitative and quantitative analysis due to time constraint and the cost associated with collecting that information. Information gathering sources Annual reports The audited annual report of Sainsbury plc and Tesco plc of last three years have been critically analysed and quantitative data collected for various ratio analyses to measure the financial performance of both companies. The director reports and independent auditor reports reviewed to identify the business performance. This is one of the main sources of information regards to both companies performances. Newspapers The newspapers read on daily basis to keep informed myself about any external changes in retail industry and plan of action taken by companies to meet these daily challenges. The newspapers which used in research were Guardian The Financial Times and The Independent. Different articles wrote by financial analysts helped to view the insight of companies and the economic change in the industry. Retail Magazine Various retail magazine also used in research work, the main ones are Sainsbury plc Companys monthly magazine Lets Talk help to gain the monthly up-to-date information about future plans and performance appraisal of different stores. The other magazine which also helped in research were The Student Accountant PQ magazine Sunday Times. Internet The Internet contributed an immense role in research work .Number of websites visited on daily basis for information collecting purpose. This source of information mainly emphasised because of benefits associated with it like, i.e. easy to access to the different kind of information, timely available and cost saving. Kaplan Study Notes Kaplan study notes of different papers e.g. F5 Performance Measurement, F7 Financial Reporting, F9 Financial Management, P3 Business Analysis, and P5 Advance Performance Measurement play vital part for research outcome evaluation and conclusion based on these results. Methods Used to Collect Information Interviews Personally visited the Islington Sainsbury Plc store and spoke to different department managers. Having worked in past in this Sainsbury branch helped a lot in whole process. The permission granted to use the information like company memo and other information which have been given in past in capacity of employee of the company. The personally pre set questions have been asked about the performance of Sainsbury plc, and the feedback of operation managers and HR manager noted. Visited whole premises to get the feel of atmosphere and also directly interviews the customers to know how they perceive the Sainsbury plc and its competitor Tesco Plc. Tesco Plc branch in Leytonstone visited on many occasion to interview the various department managers and the work force at the shop floor to get the information about the company operational structure and their supply chain management. Questions have been asked in changing result in company revenue in each quarter sales and the customer changing attitude affected by economic downturn. Library Regularly visited libraries in Leytonstone and Borough high street to read the books written by different research analysts and the news papers, magazines and many project related research notes on UK retail Grocery. This method of research was very helpful to understand the affects of external factors in the grocery industry. Limitations of information gathering and ethical Issues Many problems faced during information gathering process. The staff members of companies were not willing to share the information because of confidentiality issue; the managers were busy in their daily operational activities which made it difficult to access to the desire people for interview. In addition the interviews with company staffs and customers could be also seen as biased as it was not representing the whole population as people from different geographical ethical background have different perception about subject matter. Furthermore the online research was also a difficult task because of overload and irreverent information came out with different searches. The efforts made to sort out and get the relevant information was time consuming and costly. The authenticity of these information sources also had reservations. How to overcome the above ethical issues? Efforts made to build the confidence of the operational staff of the companies to ensure them that the information provided will only use for research purpose and any information given will only use after the permission of information provider. The previous five years work alliance also played a part to gain the trust of engaged interviewee in Sainsbury plc. The problems faced in relate to authenticity of information sources overcame by only used the information from reliable sources. Accounting and Business techniques and their limitations Ratio Analysis Ratio analysis is a most common tool for quantitative analysis of company financial statement by comparing the current year number to budget, previous years results and comparison with industry. Mostly business analysts and potential investors use the ratio analysis to measure the performance of the business. Its a key to determine the relationship between different variable in financial statement. It is easy to calculate and understood by people from non financial background. Limitation of Ratio Analysis The performance measure based on financial ratio analysis tempted manager to short term decision in expense of long term company objectives if the reward based on short term financial performance e.g., cut-off marketing cost which may improve profit in short term but will affect in long term. The ratios are easy to manipulate by Window Dressing and Massaging the Figures (Weaver, 2009) through different accounting policies used. Every company have different economic condition so it is not appropriate to compare them and the accounting policies used by different companies also influence the accounting results. The ratios calculated at particular time may not represent the whole year performance, e.g. effects of seasonal trades and one off transactions. The ratios calculated in isolation are meaningless so it is important to compare the result with preceding years, budget and industry. SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis is a tool to analyse the strategic position of the company in term of internal (strengths, weaknesses) and external (opportunities, threats) factors. It assists business in strategy development, how to use internal resources, unique capabilities and core competencies to get the competitive advantage. Threats and opportunities arises everyday because of changes in business internal and external environment but with the help of SWOT analysis if the resources allocate on time at right place the threats can be turn into opportunities and weaknesses can be transfer into strengths. (Kaplan Financial- P3, 2009, pp. 78-79) Limitation of SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis oversimplify the situation by categorise the different situational factors into different class. The categorization of different factors as opportunities or threats, strengths or weaknesses also an arbitrary. People have different views, for example a technology change, or an organisation structure can be an opportunity for one group of people and threat for other group. What is more important is that companies should aware of these changes and use them in their strategic planning to meet the long term objectives of the organisation to increase the wealth of shareholders. (NetMBA, n.d) PART 3 Results, analysis, conclusions and recommendations Note: All of the information used in the graphs presentation has been taken from calculation provided in Appendix. Financial Performance Ratio Analysis Sales Growth Sales growth is the most important factor to measure the market competiveness of any business. Figure 1 Source; (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsburys sales grown-up from 3.99 to 6.02 per cent from 2008 to 2009 but it only increased by 5.57 per cent from 2009 to 2010. Tesco sales grown from 10.92 to 13.95 per cent from 2008 to 2009 but there is huge decline in sales growth of 8.37 per cent from (13.95%) 2009 to (5.58%) 2010 where Sainsbury managed very well and only lose 0.45 per cent as presented in graph. The average sale growth rate of Tesco in last three years is 10.15 per cent which is half way above Sainsbury (5.19%) but it should be keep in mind that Tesco market share is two times of Sainsbury and it is multinational group of companies which can offset the loss of the economic down turn of one country against other country whereas Sainsbury operate in only one country. Figure 2 Source: ( J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statment, 2010,2009 2008) The spin from hybrid strategy towards cost leadership through running campaigns Switch Save Cook Save played a vital part to increase the sales and market share of Sainsbury.Mr Justin King chief executive of Sainsbury said that Sainsbury performance in 2009 was impressive and its surprised many analysts by results because it was expected to find the trading condition tough due to changing attitude of shoppers because of economic recession. The Like-for-like sale to the last quarter 21 March 2009 increased by 6.2 per cent and it served more customers (Samuel, 2009).In 2010 Sainsbury total sales (including VAT fuel) increased by 5.1 per cent, Total sales (including VAT, excluding fuel) increased by 4.3 per cent. The Like-for-like sales increase from 4.3 per cent to 24.4 per cent in 5 years time whereas the total sale increases from 6.7 per cent to 33.9 per cent in 5 year time. (J Sainsbury Plc A.R, 2010, p. 5) Profitability: Gross Profit Margin An increase in percentage of gross profit is desirable which can be achieved through well managed production cost and increase in sale price or volume. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 320) Figure 3 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsbury Gross Profit (G.P) margin reduced from 5.60 per cent to 5.41 per cent from 2008 to 2010 whereas Tesco gross profit margin increased from 7.67 per cent to 8.10 per cent from 2008 to 2010 as shown in graph. The continuous decline in G.P margin also due to phantom of adverse differential inflation in supermarkets overheads which direct affecting consumer, retailer and economy as whole. (Lex, 2010). Sainsburys cost of sale increased by 6.18 per cent from 2008 to 2009 and 5.63 per cent from 2009 to 2010 whereas sale growth rate is only 6.02 and 5.57 per cent respectively in each year as mention earlier which is not in line with cost of sale and result in G.P margin declined. In addition Sainsburys market penetration strategy in competition of other low prices stores through multi saving offers although increased the company market share but the G.P margin suffered. Net Profit Margin It is the percentage of net profit to sale. A higher net profit margin desirable which can be achieved through efficient cost saving or increasing sale prices. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 320) Figure 4 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsbury Net Profit Margin increased from 2.69 per cent to 3.67 per cent from 2008 to 2010 the period in which Tesco Net Profit margin reduced from 5.92 per cent to 5.58 per cent as projected above. Sainsbury N.P margin reduced in 2009 but they recovered very well and showed improvement on each areas i.e. underlying operating profit increased by 8.9 per cent, underlying profit before tax increased by 17.5 per cent and profit before tax and after tax increased by 57.3 per cent and 102.4 per respectively from 2009 to 2010. Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) Return on capital employed (ROCE) is a key measure of profitability. It measure the net profit generated through each of $1 invested in the assets. It is the net profit percentage of capital employed. A higher ROCE percentage is desirable which can be achieved through increase net profit margin or decrease capital employed. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 320) Figure 5 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsbury ROCE was not even near to Tesco in 2008 and 2009 but the encouraging factor is that its ROCE continuously improving in this period. It increased from 9.70 per cent to 14.76 per cent from 2008 to 2010 which is excellent performance whereas Tesco suffering a decline in ROCE in this period. Liquidity The liquidity measure the ability of the company to utilize its resources to meet its financial commitments. It is more important to have effective working capital management than profitable business, a profitable business can encounter problem if its run out cash flow. Current Ratio This is the current assets divided by current liabilities which measure the company ability to meet its short term liabilities. A ratio more than $1 is desirable but it varies according to industry type .Continue decline in current ratio or less than industry average indicate the financial difficulties. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 323) Figure 6 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsbury Current Ratio (0.65:1) was better than Tesco (0.61:1) in 2008 but it reduced by 15 per cent (0.55:1) in 2009 whereas Tesco current ratio improved by 18 per cent (0.77:1) in 2009 as stated above. The cause for this downturn in current ratio of Sainsbury because its total current assets reduced by 7.6 per cent due to the disposal of Non current assets held for sale in 2009 relating to properties in retail operations division, reduced by 91 per cent and reduction in cash and cash equivalents. Sainsbury current ratio come back to 2008 position (0.66:1) in 2010 due to the shortfall in cash and cash equivalent resources fulfilled and more non current assets placed for sale. Inventory Holding Period (In Days) It indicate the average number of days the inventory held in stock. The increase in inventory days shows that the company having problem to sell its stock and risk of obsolete stock increase. A decrease in inventory period is desirable but it should be manage effectively to minimise the risk of stock run out. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 323) Figure 7 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsbury inventory holding period reduced from 14.76 days to 13.6 days a reduction of 7.9 per cent from 2008 to 2010 whereas Tesco reduced from 20.31 to 19.04 days a reduction of 6.2 per cent in the same period which is a good performance by Sainsbury but what is the optimal inventory holding period for the industry is arguable which is very much dependent on the external factor like customer demand, company warehouse capacity and supply chain efficiency. Receivable Period (In Days) It represents the number of days companies allow to its customers to pay back for goods and services. The shorter receivable period desirable to maximises the cash inflows and reduce the risk of debt irrecoverable. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 324) Figure 8 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) The results presented above in relation to receivable days shows that Sainsbury have very effective credit management policy and allow only four days on average to their customers where as Tesco average period of twelve days which is two times above Sainsbury. Supermarket businesses normally base on cash transaction and during economic recession where people struggling to meet their utility bills allowing them of 12 days credit period increases the risk of debt irrecoverable Sainsbury aware of this fact and the credit period of four days more tolerable. Payable Period (In Days) This is number of days business take to pay back its trade creditors .The increase in payable days suggest that company struggling to pay its creditors on time however it also suggest that business take advantage to the credit offer to them. The decrease is payable days indicate that company ability to pay its creditor improving however it should not pay too early as it a valuable source of finance. it should be manage carefully so that the relation with suppliers are not hurt and where the discount offered for early payments the opportunities avail. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 324) Figure 9 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsbury on average takes 49 days to payback its trade creditors and Tesco takes 63 days credit which is 22 per cent higher than Sainsbury. It indicate that Tesco struggling to pay its trade creditors on time which also reflected from its gearing position as mention below. Sainsbury payable period increased from 49 days to 51 days from 2008 to 2009 an increase of 2.8 per cent the period in which Tesco increased from 62 days to 64 days an increase of 3.4 per cent. Sainsbury payable period reduced to 48 days in 2010 a decrease of 6.2 per cent from 2009 to 2010 whereas Tesco further increased to 66 days an increase of 3.6 per cent. The reason of this reduction in Sainsbury credit period of 2010 seem to be because of improving cash and cash equivalent resources of Sainsbury as shown in current ratio above but it require further investigation. It could be due to early payment discount opportunity taken or could be suppliers pressure because of economic recession. Risk Assessment Risk can be defined as Opportunity of business to adverse consequences due to uncertain future event. (Kaplan Financial- P3, 2009) Today in volatile market condition it is now even more important that business should have effective risk assessment policy and procedure. Financial Gearing It is percentage of long term debt to equity .If the percentage increases it indicate that business heavily relaying on debt finance to meet its long term needs which increase the level of risk as the interest on debt and capital repayment must be made. The ratio can be improved by using the equity finance for long term investment. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 325) Figure 10 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsburys Financial gearing portfolio much better than competitor Tesco. It only increased from 51 per cent to 62 per cent an increase of 21.7 per cent whereas Tesco increased by 56 per cent from (66.92%) 2008 to (104.4%) 2010which is very risk.It indicate that Sainsbury not much depending on debt finance unlike to Tesco and using retain earning for growth plan which is appropriate risk averse strategy under current financial market conditions where big names like Woolworth already gone from market. Interest Cover It is the operating profit before interest and tax divided by finance cost which indicates the business ability to pay off its finance commitment. If the percentage increase it indicate that the business condition improving but if the percentage decline it indicate it is getting difficult for business to pay off the interest charges. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 326) Figure 11 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsbury is showing signs of progress in interest cover with the percentage of 4.02 per cent to 4.8 per cent from 2008 to 2010 represent growth of 19.4 per cent from 2008 to 2010.The cause of this improvement is because of improvement in operating profit which increase by 34 per cent profit due to effective management of all operating expenses whereas their competitor Tesco facing expected decline of 46.5 per cent (11.6 to 5.97 percent) in interest cover which is in line with its increasing financial gearing of 56 per cent as seen earlier. Dividend Cover It is the net profit divided by dividend amount. A decrease in the dividend cover indicates that company facing difficulty to pay the dividend to shareholders. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 326) Figure 12 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsburys figure in term of dividend cover improving even though it declined from 1.85 to 1.33 from 2008 to 2009 a reduction of 28 percent due to the fact that net profit in 2009 decreased by 12.2 percent as we seen earlier but Sainsbury maintained shareholders expectation and paid off dividend with growth rate of 22 percent result in decline in dividend cover. The results of 2010 are really impressive the net profit increased by 102 percent as we notice above N.P graph, the dividend grown-up by only 10.6 percent which result in dividend cover increased by 82.8 percent from 2009 (1.33) to 2010 (2.43) while Its competitor Tesco facing decline in dividend cover of 10.4 per cent from 2008 (2.68) to 2010 (2.4). Earnings Per Share (EPS) EPS is the fundamental investor ratio which can be calculated by total earning less preference share divided by total number of share. It determine the profitability of company and widely used by investors. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 327) Figure 13 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsbury EPS results are showing outstanding performance although it reduced from 19.1 to 16.6 a reduction of 13 percent but Sainsbury recover very well at 32.1p in 2010 which is 93.3 percent improvement from 2009 (16.6p) and left behind its competitor Tesco (29.33p) by 2.8p who was above Sainsbury in 2008 (26.95p) and 2009 (27.14p) by 7.5p and 10.8p respectively as shown in graph. Dividend per Share (DPS) Dividend per share is very important tool for investor which measures what is the dividend company have given of each share it hold. (Kaplan Financial- F5, 2010, p. 327) Figure 14 Source: (Tesco Plc J Sainsbury Plc Financial Statments, 2008,2009,2010) Sainsbury DPS ahead of its competitor Tesco each year from 2008 to 2010.It increased from 12p to 14.2p from 2008 to 2010 an increase of 18.3 percent whereas Tesco dividend per share grown up from 10.9p to 13.05p an increase of 23.9 per cent but still behind Sainsbury. Business Performance SWOT Analysis Strengths Strong Brand Value Sainsbury Plc has long history of brand since 1869 and customer loyalty toward Sainsbury brand very strong. It has very dominant geographical presence throughout United Kingdom with 872 stores in which 537 are Supermarkets and 335 Convenience stores. Sainsbury serves 19m customers on average each week and enjoyed market share of 16 percent. Sainsbury is the world largest retailer of fair-trade goods by value. According to annual report of 2010 In UK one in every four pounds spent on fair-trade is spent at a Sainsburys store. (J Sainsbury Plc A.R, 2010, p. 5) Retail Awards Sainsbury won Supermarket of the Year Award in 2009 and 2007 in retail industry awards. It awarded A rating in Green to the Core survey carried by consumer group due to their customer engagement, fish policies, and sustainable product availability. It is the biggest retailer of Freedom Food (RSPCAs farm assurance and food labelling scheme) by amount and product range. It won CBI Peoples Organisation award because of their HR and people management excellence. Sainsbury won many retail quality awards in 2010 than any other supermarket which include seven out of fifteen categories for value product quality. (J Sainsbury Plc A.R, 2010, p. 12).In 2010 Sainsbury failed to take the supermarket of the year award run by Talkingretail.com but it secure other three awards of Community Retailer of the Year, Seafood Retailer of the Year and Convenience Chain of the Year for Sainsburys Local. (Dennis, Mike, 2010) Financial Strength Sainsbury Financial position improving as reflected in above analyses which create significant opportunities for future growth. Business created operation cash flow of  £1.2bn in 2010, Net debt reduced by  £122m in 2010 to  £1,549m (2009:  £1,679).Sainsbury Group remain  £3bn funding availability through debt finance which enough to fulfil future ambitions. Sainsburys bank also showed better growth with operating profit increase by  £19m. (J Sainsbury Plc A.R, 2010, p. 6) Opportunities: Nectar Card Sainsbury Nectar card scheme which launched in 2002 with joint venture of Sainsbury Plc, American Express and B.P (Wikipedia, n.d) have been very successful due to its unique character of customer choice to use the loyalty card on multiple brands unlike competitor Tesco club card which dont allow this freedom of choice. Nectar card scheme is a great opportunity for Sainsbury to evaluate the c