Victims' Program Grant Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Victims' Program Grant Application - Essay Example The purpose of this grant is therefore to address the issue of underserved needs of underserved people through a community driven initiative. The community-driven initiative, as the name implies shall be a community based education and awareness project that seeks to identify key legal aspects of criminal education and support that is absent among this population and address them accordingly. The focus of the education program will be to equip the populace with knowledge of their basic human rights and rights under the criminal justice system. The support aspect of the initiative will on the other hand empower the crime victims to take up legal issues of their offenses for legal redress. Specifically, the community-driven initiative shall involve the setting up of community based advocacy agencies within high risk areas. High risk areas where there are a lot of underserved population crime victims will be identified through both primary and secondary research and development. After i dentifying these areas, offices of â€Å"Hope for Underserved Crime Victims† shall be opened. ... This is because of the huge lapses that have been found in the criminal justice system in the protection of the fundamental human rights of people in minority groups such as women, children, the elderly and the disabled. Day in and out, issues of criminal injustice against women, children, the elderly and the disabled have been aired in the media. This has generally given most criminals a field day to have the notion that the law does not have the kind of teeth to bite them when they extend their acts to these underserved people. Indeed, statistics and data from existing agencies and associate organizations such as Office on Violence Against Women, Office of Justice Programs, and Family Justice Center Alliance give evidence to the fact effect that records of crime against these underserved people is higher as compared to other groups in the United States (Colquitt and Jessica, 2011). As part of the history of victimization against underserved people, it has been found that instead of coming out boldly after facing criminal acts, these people are isolated and even blamed as the cause of their own actions. In some cases, these people who suffer hate and bias crimes are sidelined for justice because the masses of the people are always on the side of those who commit the crimes (Flynn, 1998). The scope of the problem The Chico State and National Victim Assistance Academy identifies several groups of underserved populations, as well as several types of problems that these people face. However, in order to ensure that the grant is specific and well coordinated into a section of relief that it can rightly find solutions to, there are specific scopes of needs of underserved crime victims that will

The advanced language proficiency stage Essay Example for Free

The advanced language proficiency stage Essay In this stage, the students now gradually progressed to be self-sufficient with the language they are about to used and is now condensed to participate actively in classroom discussions and activities. Students can now speak grammatically correct and may be more prone to fewer errors to writing and speech defects. Motivation from their classroom advisers and family is what the learner really need for the fast pacing of the continued process he / she might be undergoing especially in context areas of writing. This stage is gained after five to seven years of the initial stage. In this stage more problems occurs specially in the maintenance of the new language acquired. One of them is the too fluency to speak of a native language that enables them to follow the flow of the second language. At the beginning of this stage, teachers widely suggest the emergence of the second language that of the language known by the students’ native tongue. Another hindrance is that, the students may took the language learning easy and may look out the sound of the speech and writing as good and not of its basic content. This occurs specially during the times when students thought they had known enough of the new language now, not peculiar to them. Teachers of children with limited English proficiency need to be not only good models of language use but also the good representation of someone the students could look up to in terms of enjoyable learning and camaraderie. In particular, they should give buoyancy to the children to practice English as much as possible. Providing these students corroboration of speech and writing by intensifying on the childrens vocabulary repertoire and by speaking coherently even ahead of a small group will help them adjust more of the said language Adjustments in instruction, however, should not include a lowering of standards and setting off the traditional records for these children and this would only be possible with the aid of the school administration itself. The instructors should formidably do their task of finding more ways to improve the speech and writing abilities of these students that will promote new techniques and would eventually lead them to be more intelligible adults of their era. If they weren’t willing to participate in class, this doesnt mean they are not learning but just think that they are willing and so, lead them to further advancements for them to gather enough confidence. There are no such fast learners. As soon as they become fluent to the new language, they would become easily at ease adapting and using what is taught to them. References: Haynes, J. ( 2005 ) Stages of Second Language Acquisition. Retrieved April 25, 2007 from http://www. everythingesl. net Reed, B. ( 2003 ) Overview of the Second Language Acquisition Theory. Retrieved April 25, 2007 from http://www. nwrel. org/request/2003may/overview. html John Stanford International School. Stages of Second Language Acquisition. Retrieved April 25, 2007 from http://www. seattleschools. org/schools/JohnStanfordIntlSchool/Teaching/kand1/immersion_stages. html.

the kill artist :: essays research papers

Modern Middle East As the Middle East peace negotiations putter along, Daniel Silva's fictional book, The Kill Artist, could not be timelier. The story is a country-hopping cat-and-mouse game between two master assassins, one Palestinian, one Israeli. The story begins with the assassination of an Israeli ambassador in Paris, pulled off by Tariq, a master Palestinian assassin. Rumors of Tariq's plans to disrupt the ongoing peace talks reach Ari Shamron, head of the Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency. To find and kill Tariq, Shamron calls on ex-agent Gabriel Allon. The story mixes real people and places with fictional characters, providing an authentic feel for the storyline. The main theme is that a retired Israeli deep cover agent is brought out of retirement to face an old terrorist enemy. We learn that Allon was once one of the Mossad's most skilled assassins, tracking down and dispatching terrorist enemies of Israel. But the cost was horrendous. After his wife and child became two of Tariq's targets, he thrust himself into seclusion. Now that he is called back, he along with a female partner masquerading as a model, attempt to destroy the network of terror created by Tariq. More and more people are drawn into the action as time goes on including the American CIA and international businessmen. The terrorist Tariq always seems to be one step ahead of his opponents as they are bested time and time again. The scene changes from country to country as the two groups battle in an international arena, and we finally discover the true purpose of Ta riq's mission as the story arrives at its conclusion. Prior to becoming an author, Silva was a CNN executive producer and journalist who covered the Middle East. The background those experiences gave him only intensify the story, making for a convincing read. Silva's time as a journalist and CNN executive producer, covering everything from Washington politics to Middle East conflicts, is evidenced in The Kill Artist. Details gleaned from his research into the inner workings of the PLO and the cutthroat world of international art brings settings and characters alive, as each comes up against the complications of romance in the rich, and the murky underworld of the spy Although I liked the flow of action in this novel, a large number of superfluous characters are introduced in the first part of the book that never get fully fleshed out. Some of the characters more integral to the story also seemed a little shallow in their presentation.

Ferguson Foundry Limited

————————————————- Case: Ferguson Foundry Limited (FFL) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Date: March 10 2013 To: Mark Ferguson, President From: Carl Holitzner Re: FFL’s Lower-Than-Budgeted Profit for the Fiscal Year Ended May 31 2010 The major issue is determining why Ferguson Foundry Limited’s (FFL) actual profit was $367,600 lower than budgeted, despite selling 2,000 more wood stoves (12,000 instead of 10,000 units). This will be explained using Variance Analysis to demonstrate the underlying reasons why the company failed to meet its president’s expectations.FFL profit for 2010 was below budget due to many factors both production and marketing related. From a production perspective, there were 3 major areas of concern all of which were unfavorable with respect to Variance Analysis (As shown in Exhibit 3): 1. Direct Labor 2. Variable Overhead 3. Fixed Cost The $139,2 00 unfavorable Direct Labor Variance can be attributed to many reasons however it is most likely linked to the management team. Due to the early retirement of the sales manager, the production manager being hospitalized and the accountant quitting, it can be understood that inefficiencies were bound to arise.Without proper management, labor reduced overall productivity of the company, as these workers took 121,200 hours to produce 12,00 stoves rather than the standard 120,000 hours that it should have taken. This reduced Net Income by $18,000 (Labor Yield Variance calculation). Secondly, the problem arising from Direct Labor also transcends to the Variable Overhead, as it is used as its cost driver. As a result, the $69,600 unfavorable Variable Overhead Variance can also be attributed to the more hours undertaken to produce the 12,000 stoves.With the lack of an inefficient management team, overhead could have accumulated through inefficient use and/or the budget could have not even accurately portrayed current rates for overhead items. The third problem with regards to the production perspective concerns the increase in fixed costs. In particular, the fixed manufacturing cost increased by $30,000 over budgeted costs, which in turn resulted in a reduction of net income by the same amount. This could have resulted due to several reasons such as additional machinery being required to handle the increased sales volume.However at this point it is unclear given the information provided and so further investigation must be conducted in an effort to better budget for future fixed costs. From a marketing perspective, there were also 3 major areas of concern all of which were unfavorable with respect to Variance Analysis: 1. Price 2. Fixed Cost 3. Sales Mix In analyzing the price changes, although it was beneficial to increase the sell price of the Basic Wood Stove ($300 to $325), this income benefit was significantly outweighed by the reduction in sell price of the Del uxe Wood Stove ($800 to $700).In the end, the price changes of both products resulted in a $300,000 reduction in profit (Sales Price Variance). Another reason for FFL’s lower than budgeted profit, although obvious and minor, had to do with the increase in selling and administration cost. As can be seen in Exhibit 3 by the Fixed Selling & Administration Budget Variance, an increase in the fixed costs reduced net profit by $7,000. The third problem area, concerning the marketing perspective, involved the difference in sales mix from actual to budget.FFL actually sold more Basic Wood Stoves and fewer Deluxe Wood Stoves than budgeted. Unfortunately, the Deluxe Wood Stove possessed a higher standard contribution margin per unit than the Basic ($210 to $80). Therefore the difference in the mix of sales caused FFL’s net profit to be reduced by $234,000 (Sales Mix Variance). Ultimately, more market research must be conducted to better understand consumer wants and needs and th us be able to efficiently budget company products accordingly to reach profitability goals. APPENDIX EXHIBIT 1| | BASIC (Actual)| BASIC (Std. | DELUXE (Actual)| DELUXE (Std. )| Selling Price| $325| $300| $700| $800| Variable Costs:| Direct Materials| $67. 50| $70. 00| $171. 00| $190. 00| Direct Labor| $104. 00| $90. 00| $248. 00| $240. 00| Overhead| $52. 00| $45. 00| $124. 00| $120. 00| Sell & Admin| $15. 00| $15. 00| $40. 00| $40. 00| Total Variable Costs| $238. 50| $220. 00| $583. 00| $590. 00| Contribution Margin| $86. 50| $80. 00| $117. 00| $210. 00| CONTRIBUTION MARGINS TABLE| Illustration of some calculations involved: *Using the Actual Results Table Provided in Exhibit AActual Unit Selling (Basic) = Sales Revenue ? Sales Volume (units) = $2,340,000 / 7,200 units = $325 Unit Direct Materials (Basic) = Direct Materials Cost ? Sales Volume (units) = $486,000 / 7,200 units = $67. 50 *Using the Unit Cost Standards Table Provided in Exhibit B Std. Unit Direct Labor (Basic) = DL Std . Qty. Per Unit x DL Std. Rate Per Hr. = 6 hrs. x $15. 00 per hr. = $90 APPENDIX EXHIBIT 2| For the Year Ended May 31 2010| | ACTUAL| FLEX-BUDGET VARIANCE| FLEX BUDGET| SALES-VOLUME VARIANCE| STATIC BUDGET| TOTAL VARIANCE| Quantity (units)| 12,000| | 12,000| | 10,000| |Sales Revenue| $5,700,000| ($300,000)| $6,000,000| $250,000| $5,750,000| ($50,000)| Variable Costs| $4,515,600| ($99,600)| $4,416,000| ($181,000)| $4,235,000| ($280,600)| CM| $1,184,400| ($399,600)| $1,584,000| $69,000| $1,515,000| ($330,600)| Fixed Costs| $919,500| ($37,000)| $882,500| | $882,500| ($37,000)| Net Income| $264,900| ($436,600)| $701,500| $69,000| $632,500| ($367,600)| FLEXIBLE BUDGET REPORT| GIVEN CALCULATED FILL IN THE BLANK VARIANCES: ($) = UNFAVORABLE & $ = FAVORABLE Illustration of some calculations involved for Flex Budget: Flex Sales Revenue = Std.Sell Price Per Unit x Actual Sales volume (units) Basic Wood Stove = $300 x 7,200 units = $2,160,000 Deluxe Wood Stove = $800 x 4,800 units = $3,840,000 Total Flex Sales Revenue = $6,000,000 Flex Variable Costs = Std. Variable Price Per Unit x Actual Sales Volume (units) Basic Wood Stove = $220 x 7,200 = $1,548,000 Deluxe Wood Stove = $590 x 4,800 = $2,832,000 Total Flex Variable Costs = $4,416,000 Flex Fixed Costs = Static Fixed Costs APPENDIX EXHIBIT 3| | FLEX BUDGET VARIANCE| SALES VOLUME VARIANCE| SALES VARIANCES| | | | Sales Price| | $300,000 U| -| Sales Mix| | -| $234,000 U|Sales Quantity| | -| $303,000 F| Sales Volume | | -| $69,000 F| TOTAL SALES VARIANCE| | $300,000 U| $69,000 F| | | | | VARIABLE COST VARIANCES| | | | Direct Materials| | $109,000 F| -| Direct Labor| | $139,200 U| -| Overhead| | $69,600 U| -| Selling & Admin| | $0| -| TOTAL VARIABLE COST VARIANCE| | $399,600 U| -| | | | | TOTAL CM VARIANCE| | $399,600 U| -| | | | | FIXED COST VARIANCES| | | | Mfg. Budget| | $30,000 U| -| Sell & Admin Budget| | $7,000 U| -| TOTAL FIXED COST VARIANCE| | $37,000 U| -| | | | | TOTAL VARIANCE| | $436,600 U| $69,000 F| | | | | VA RIANCES TABLE| U = UnfavorableF = Favorable APPENDIX Illustration of some calculations involved in creating Exhibit 3: SALES VARIANCE Section Sales Price Variance = Actual Units sold x (Actual Sell Price – Budgeted) Basic Wood Stove = 7,200 x ($325-$300) = $180,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = 4,800 x ($700-$800) = $480,000 U Total Sales Price Variance = $300,000 U Sales Mix Variance = (Actual Sales Mix % – Budgeted) x Actual total units sold x Budgeted CM per unit Basic Wood Stove = [(7,200/12,000)-(4,500/10,000)] x 12,000 x $80 = $144,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = [(4,800/12,000)-(5,500/10,000)] x 12,000 x $210 = $378,000 UTotal Sales Mix Variance = $234,000 U Sales Quantity Variance = (Actual total units sold – Budgeted) x Budgeted Sales Mix % x Budgeted CM per unit Basic Wood Stove = (12,000-10,000) x (4,500/10,000) x $80 = $72,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = (12,000=10,000) x (5,500/10,000) x $210 = $231,000 F Total Sales Quantity Variance = $303,000 F Sales Volume Variance = (Actual Sales Volume – Budgeted) x Budgeted Cm per unit Basic Wood Stove = (7,200-4,500) x $80 = $216,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = (4,800-5,500) x $210 = $147,000 U Total Sales Volume Variance = $69,000 F Ferguson Foundry Limited ————————————————- Case: Ferguson Foundry Limited (FFL) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Date: March 10 2013 To: Mark Ferguson, President From: Carl Holitzner Re: FFL’s Lower-Than-Budgeted Profit for the Fiscal Year Ended May 31 2010 The major issue is determining why Ferguson Foundry Limited’s (FFL) actual profit was $367,600 lower than budgeted, despite selling 2,000 more wood stoves (12,000 instead of 10,000 units). This will be explained using Variance Analysis to demonstrate the underlying reasons why the company failed to meet its president’s expectations.FFL profit for 2010 was below budget due to many factors both production and marketing related. From a production perspective, there were 3 major areas of concern all of which were unfavorable with respect to Variance Analysis (As shown in Exhibit 3): 1. Direct Labor 2. Variable Overhead 3. Fixed Cost The $139,2 00 unfavorable Direct Labor Variance can be attributed to many reasons however it is most likely linked to the management team. Due to the early retirement of the sales manager, the production manager being hospitalized and the accountant quitting, it can be understood that inefficiencies were bound to arise.Without proper management, labor reduced overall productivity of the company, as these workers took 121,200 hours to produce 12,00 stoves rather than the standard 120,000 hours that it should have taken. This reduced Net Income by $18,000 (Labor Yield Variance calculation). Secondly, the problem arising from Direct Labor also transcends to the Variable Overhead, as it is used as its cost driver. As a result, the $69,600 unfavorable Variable Overhead Variance can also be attributed to the more hours undertaken to produce the 12,000 stoves.With the lack of an inefficient management team, overhead could have accumulated through inefficient use and/or the budget could have not even accurately portrayed current rates for overhead items. The third problem with regards to the production perspective concerns the increase in fixed costs. In particular, the fixed manufacturing cost increased by $30,000 over budgeted costs, which in turn resulted in a reduction of net income by the same amount. This could have resulted due to several reasons such as additional machinery being required to handle the increased sales volume.However at this point it is unclear given the information provided and so further investigation must be conducted in an effort to better budget for future fixed costs. From a marketing perspective, there were also 3 major areas of concern all of which were unfavorable with respect to Variance Analysis: 1. Price 2. Fixed Cost 3. Sales Mix In analyzing the price changes, although it was beneficial to increase the sell price of the Basic Wood Stove ($300 to $325), this income benefit was significantly outweighed by the reduction in sell price of the Del uxe Wood Stove ($800 to $700).In the end, the price changes of both products resulted in a $300,000 reduction in profit (Sales Price Variance). Another reason for FFL’s lower than budgeted profit, although obvious and minor, had to do with the increase in selling and administration cost. As can be seen in Exhibit 3 by the Fixed Selling & Administration Budget Variance, an increase in the fixed costs reduced net profit by $7,000. The third problem area, concerning the marketing perspective, involved the difference in sales mix from actual to budget.FFL actually sold more Basic Wood Stoves and fewer Deluxe Wood Stoves than budgeted. Unfortunately, the Deluxe Wood Stove possessed a higher standard contribution margin per unit than the Basic ($210 to $80). Therefore the difference in the mix of sales caused FFL’s net profit to be reduced by $234,000 (Sales Mix Variance). Ultimately, more market research must be conducted to better understand consumer wants and needs and th us be able to efficiently budget company products accordingly to reach profitability goals. APPENDIX EXHIBIT 1| | BASIC (Actual)| BASIC (Std. | DELUXE (Actual)| DELUXE (Std. )| Selling Price| $325| $300| $700| $800| Variable Costs:| Direct Materials| $67. 50| $70. 00| $171. 00| $190. 00| Direct Labor| $104. 00| $90. 00| $248. 00| $240. 00| Overhead| $52. 00| $45. 00| $124. 00| $120. 00| Sell & Admin| $15. 00| $15. 00| $40. 00| $40. 00| Total Variable Costs| $238. 50| $220. 00| $583. 00| $590. 00| Contribution Margin| $86. 50| $80. 00| $117. 00| $210. 00| CONTRIBUTION MARGINS TABLE| Illustration of some calculations involved: *Using the Actual Results Table Provided in Exhibit AActual Unit Selling (Basic) = Sales Revenue ? Sales Volume (units) = $2,340,000 / 7,200 units = $325 Unit Direct Materials (Basic) = Direct Materials Cost ? Sales Volume (units) = $486,000 / 7,200 units = $67. 50 *Using the Unit Cost Standards Table Provided in Exhibit B Std. Unit Direct Labor (Basic) = DL Std . Qty. Per Unit x DL Std. Rate Per Hr. = 6 hrs. x $15. 00 per hr. = $90 APPENDIX EXHIBIT 2| For the Year Ended May 31 2010| | ACTUAL| FLEX-BUDGET VARIANCE| FLEX BUDGET| SALES-VOLUME VARIANCE| STATIC BUDGET| TOTAL VARIANCE| Quantity (units)| 12,000| | 12,000| | 10,000| |Sales Revenue| $5,700,000| ($300,000)| $6,000,000| $250,000| $5,750,000| ($50,000)| Variable Costs| $4,515,600| ($99,600)| $4,416,000| ($181,000)| $4,235,000| ($280,600)| CM| $1,184,400| ($399,600)| $1,584,000| $69,000| $1,515,000| ($330,600)| Fixed Costs| $919,500| ($37,000)| $882,500| | $882,500| ($37,000)| Net Income| $264,900| ($436,600)| $701,500| $69,000| $632,500| ($367,600)| FLEXIBLE BUDGET REPORT| GIVEN CALCULATED FILL IN THE BLANK VARIANCES: ($) = UNFAVORABLE & $ = FAVORABLE Illustration of some calculations involved for Flex Budget: Flex Sales Revenue = Std.Sell Price Per Unit x Actual Sales volume (units) Basic Wood Stove = $300 x 7,200 units = $2,160,000 Deluxe Wood Stove = $800 x 4,800 units = $3,840,000 Total Flex Sales Revenue = $6,000,000 Flex Variable Costs = Std. Variable Price Per Unit x Actual Sales Volume (units) Basic Wood Stove = $220 x 7,200 = $1,548,000 Deluxe Wood Stove = $590 x 4,800 = $2,832,000 Total Flex Variable Costs = $4,416,000 Flex Fixed Costs = Static Fixed Costs APPENDIX EXHIBIT 3| | FLEX BUDGET VARIANCE| SALES VOLUME VARIANCE| SALES VARIANCES| | | | Sales Price| | $300,000 U| -| Sales Mix| | -| $234,000 U|Sales Quantity| | -| $303,000 F| Sales Volume | | -| $69,000 F| TOTAL SALES VARIANCE| | $300,000 U| $69,000 F| | | | | VARIABLE COST VARIANCES| | | | Direct Materials| | $109,000 F| -| Direct Labor| | $139,200 U| -| Overhead| | $69,600 U| -| Selling & Admin| | $0| -| TOTAL VARIABLE COST VARIANCE| | $399,600 U| -| | | | | TOTAL CM VARIANCE| | $399,600 U| -| | | | | FIXED COST VARIANCES| | | | Mfg. Budget| | $30,000 U| -| Sell & Admin Budget| | $7,000 U| -| TOTAL FIXED COST VARIANCE| | $37,000 U| -| | | | | TOTAL VARIANCE| | $436,600 U| $69,000 F| | | | | VA RIANCES TABLE| U = UnfavorableF = Favorable APPENDIX Illustration of some calculations involved in creating Exhibit 3: SALES VARIANCE Section Sales Price Variance = Actual Units sold x (Actual Sell Price – Budgeted) Basic Wood Stove = 7,200 x ($325-$300) = $180,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = 4,800 x ($700-$800) = $480,000 U Total Sales Price Variance = $300,000 U Sales Mix Variance = (Actual Sales Mix % – Budgeted) x Actual total units sold x Budgeted CM per unit Basic Wood Stove = [(7,200/12,000)-(4,500/10,000)] x 12,000 x $80 = $144,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = [(4,800/12,000)-(5,500/10,000)] x 12,000 x $210 = $378,000 UTotal Sales Mix Variance = $234,000 U Sales Quantity Variance = (Actual total units sold – Budgeted) x Budgeted Sales Mix % x Budgeted CM per unit Basic Wood Stove = (12,000-10,000) x (4,500/10,000) x $80 = $72,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = (12,000=10,000) x (5,500/10,000) x $210 = $231,000 F Total Sales Quantity Variance = $303,000 F Sales Volume Variance = (Actual Sales Volume – Budgeted) x Budgeted Cm per unit Basic Wood Stove = (7,200-4,500) x $80 = $216,000 F Deluxe Wood Stove = (4,800-5,500) x $210 = $147,000 U Total Sales Volume Variance = $69,000 F Ferguson Foundry Limited CASE ANALYSIS: FERGUSON FOUNDRY LIMITED (FFL) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction After reviewing the financial statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2010, Mark Ferguson, President of Ferguson Foundry Limited’s (FFL), was disappointed with the results. Operating Income was $367,600 below expectation, despite having sold 2,000 wood stove units greater than budgeted. To determine which areas FFL’s actual performance was better or worse than expected, a variance analysis will be conducted.However, it is important to note that variance analysis alone can only emphasize areas that need improvement, and not determine the reason for these discrepancies. A further investigation is warranted once determining the issues outlined through variance analysis. Analysis – Qualitative and Quantitative There are many areas within FFL’s production which have been proven to be unfavourable, and where immediate improvement is necessary. Of particular concern is the variable overhead, where an unfavorable variance of $180,600 was discovered (Appendix F).Within this variance, the variable overhead costs, both manufacturing and non-manufacturing of the Deluxe model are what seem to be causing inefficiencies. The Deluxe model accounts for $157,200 of the $180,600U mentioned above. Other Key Areas of Concern Outlined Through Variance Analysis: * Appendix I: Although the selling price of the basic model increased by $25, a $100 reduction in the selling price of the Deluxe model counterbalanced this increase, and negatively affected income. Appendix E: The difference between the budgeted and actual sales mix had an adverse effect on revenues. The Deluxe model had a greater CM/unit of 210, and was budgeted at 55% of the sales mix, however, it only ended up accounting for 40% of the actual sales mix. * Appendix H: The market share of FFL resulted in being less than expected (10% to 9%), in a market which was larger than expected/budgeted (133,333 to 100,000 uni ts). Recommendation and Implementation We recommend a proper rectification of the issues with regards to FFL’s unfavourable variances.Firstly, is it of utmost importance to have all the necessary components of management (i. e. supervisors, directors, and managers) on the job and ready to manage. Once FFL has the personnel to solve these significant issues, the following must be corrected, in order: Direct labor inefficiencies and high overhead costs, most importantly. Then, they can â€Å"fine tune† and solve higher than usual selling and administrative expenses and high fixed overhead costs. Further instructions with regards to solving these issues are outlined in Appendix K.However, if FFL is not capable of reorganising the company by itself, external help is necessary to implement specific changes that will improve FFL’s bottom line. REFERENCES Bhimani, Alnoor et al. Management and Cost Accounting. Pearson Education Limited, 2012. Print. APPENDIX A DIRECT MA TERIAL VARIANCES Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX B DIRECT MATERIAL VARIANCES CONTINUED *540,000 + 912,000 = 1,452,000 *315,000 + 1,045,000 = 1,360,000 Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX C DIRECT LABOR VARIANCESNote: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX D DIRECT LABOR VARIANCES CONTINUED Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX E SALES VARIANCES 7200/12000 = 0. 6 4500/10000 = 0. 45 Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX F VARIABLE OVERHEAD VARIANCE *Variable Selling & Administrative Expenses are labeled as Non-Manufacturing in this table. Total Variable Overhead for Basic and Deluxe = 27,000U + 18,000F = 9,000U Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX G FIXED OVERHEAD VARIANCE *750,000 ? 115,000 = 6. 217 Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX H MARKET VARIANCES Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX I VARIANCE OVERVIEW Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPE NDIX J ANALYSIS OF THE UNFAVORABLE VARIANCES Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable Note: $421,300 represents the sum of all unfavorable variances that have brought down the company’s annual earnings. Note: F = Favorable and U = Unfavorable APPENDIX K RECOMMENDATIONS: REDUCING THE TOTAL UNFAVOURABLE VARIANCE

Transition to a New Cultural Environment

Information on Culture Introduction of Information At some point in life people experience a culture as an outsider by moving from one culture to another. In the world today there are so many different cultures and not one of them is found to be the same. Instead they all have something that makes them unique, whether its language or even the clothes they wear and their behavior as well. The differences they have is what separates them from one another and who ever joins that culture must get accustomed to their way of life. For example, today there are many people immigrating to the United States to start a new and better life. What they soon begin to realize is that it’s a whole new world out there and in order to survive they have to get accustomed to the new way of life which is much different from their lives before. Background and Significance of the Problem According to Dewiel (2005), the idea of culture has changed over the years. He states that the history of culture is as followed, Although today we think of the peoples of the world throughout history in terms of their cultures, the idea of culture is a relatively recent idea. Before modernity began in about the 17th and 18th centuries, people in Europe saw themselves not as participants in various cultures but as members of competing religions. With the secularizing trends of early modernity, social scientific ideas began to replace religious terms in the self-understanding of Europeans. (para. 4) Statement of the Problem Adjusting to a different culture can be difficult for just about anyone. What is necessary for one to feel at home in a new culture? Many cultural barriers must be addressed before a person can feel at home with a new culture. Many steps can be taken to help with the differences a person my experience in a different culture. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader of different step in which can be taken to help one feel at home in a new culture. Many actions can be taken to help ease the transition to a cultural environment. Definition of Terms â€Å"Culture comprises the values, beliefs, and norms that are shared by a group of people, such as a racial or ethnic minority. Culture influences how people think about, act on, and see the world. † (Ramirez & Soto, 2006, para. 2) Preview Around the world people poses all different kinds of culture. How do we as outsiders become a part of the people and become a welcome member of different cultures? The writer will explain different methods of adapting to a new culture. These steps could be taken to make one feel at home with a different culture. How to Accustom to New Culture Understanding History Behind every culture lies a history. A person must ask themselves why the people of this culture follow their beliefs, customs, and poses certain values. For a person to truly find out the real history behind a culture, a person must ask the people of the culture. It’s the only way to find the true history. Once a person understands the history of a culture, they can begin to practice the same customs the culture already practices. Benefits Discovering the history can be very beneficial. Knowing the history of a culture means knowing where the culture came from. This could result in the people of the culture to accepting a person as one of their own. This will definitely better chances of making the culture feel like home. Summary If a person wants to feel at home in a new culture, they must first do some research first. Researching the history behind a culture with help a person better adapt to a culture. This will also help people within the culture accept you as one of them because you know the roots of the culture. Learning the Language Another method to adapting to a new culture is learning their language. This will help a person connect better with the people of the culture. Although people may be able to speak the same language they could understand or interpret words differently, because the same words may mean different things to various persons. That is why it’s essential for a person to learn the cultures’ language and how they interpret words. A person must have patience when learning a new language. It is very important for one not to get down on their selves for the simple fact that this could discourage the learning process. It takes everyone some time to adjust and become comfortable with a new language. A person should begin to learn a few common words or phrases. Results Leaning the language will connect a person to the people of a different culture. This gives a person the ability to socialize with the people of a culture. The people will also be able to get to know and understand this new outsider and it would be greatly appreciated by them. Summary Adjusting to a new culture can be difficult as well as frustrating. It’s important to have patience thought the process of adapting to a new culture. Leaning the language of a culture could ultimately bring you closer to the people of the culture. Therefore, it is essential to the process of making the new culture feel like home. Find similarities Lastly, the writer believes if a person tries to find things that are similar to their own culture, then the transition would not be so difficult. For example, similar foods that the new culture eats that is similar to the culture a person came from could definitely make someone feel at home. Food is comfort, and as a result, it’s a good idea to stick with what is familiar and stay open to adapting new foods. Music could also be a get similarity between two different cultures. Hearing music that reminds a person of where they came from makes it easier to accepting a new culture. Result Finding similarities helps a person accept a different culture. It makes someone feel at home with a new culture. A person could discover that their two cultures could possibly have a lot in common. Summary Adapting to a new culture can be very difficult and at times, frustrating. Finding similarities between a persons’ current culture and a new one could help make the new culture feel like home. It is necessary for a person to figure out what the enjoyed best from their culture and compare this to the new culture. Conclusions and Recommendations Furthermore, many steps should be taken in order for a person to feel at home in a new culture. Understanding and becoming a part of a new culture can be very difficult and frustrating at times. First of all, the writer feels it is essential for the person to do some research and find out the history behind the new culture. This will give the person a better understanding of why the people of the new culture practice certain customs and traditions. Another necessity includes learning the language of the culture. Even if this culture speaks the same language, words might be interpreted differently. This could help a person better connect with the people of a different culture. Last step the writer feels is necessary when adapting to a new culture is finding similarities between cultures. Doing this could definitely make a person feel at home in a new culture. All steps should be carefully considered when entering a new culture. References Dewiel, B. (2005). Cultural Diversity. In R. P. Carlisle (Ed. )Encyclopedia of Politics, 1(pp. 115-117) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference Retrieved March 12, 2009, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go. galegroup. com. prx-01. lirn. et/ps/start. do? p=GVRL&u=lirn_main Ramirez, S. Z. & Soto, J. (2006). Cultural Barriers. In Y. Jackson (Ed. )Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology, (pp. 127-129) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference Retrieved March 12, 2009, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go. galegroup. com. prx-01. lirn. net/ps/start. do? p=GVRL&u=lirn_mainBerens, L. V. , Cooper, S. A. , Ernst, L. K. , Marti n, C. R. , Myers, S. , Nardi, D. , et al. (2001). Quick guide to the 16 personality types in organizations: Understanding personality differences in the workplace. Huntington Beach, CA: Telos.

The role of Nelson Mandela Research Paper Example

The role of Nelson Mandela Research Paper Example The role of Nelson Mandela Paper The role of Nelson Mandela Paper 1. Source A is a newspaper advert highlighting Mandelas imprisonment. It was paid for by the African National Congress (ANC) who were strong supporters of Mandela and the African civil rights movement. This means that it may have been biased in favour of the civil rights movement. The ANC wanted to show how badly mistreated the blacks in Africa were in order to gain support from many countries around the world and defeat apartheid. It was printed in 1988 when there was already quite a lot of support for the movement following the Free Mandela song and concert in 1984. This means that the ANC were probably also trying to reinforce the peoples view of apartheid and Mandelas imprisonment. The source is quite limited and although a primary source does not give any information on the suffering of the ordinary people at the time. Also it does not show how things were improving in South Africa. Without this information it is only showing one side of the argument and thus can make people have a biased view. It is most likely to be biased and unreliable, as there is no evidence to support the facts that are presented. We do however know that most of the facts presented are true from our studying of the history of apartheid and South Africa. With this knowledge we can say that the source is reliable from the facts represented but the language used to represent these facts is very charged and biased. 2. Source B is from a defence speech made by Nelson Mandela at his own trial 1963. He wanted to make a dramatic impact to create huge support for his cause. Firstly he explains why he took part in sabotage. During the speech and the whole trial he never denied responsibility for the attacks and this makes the source slightly less biased. However as it came from Mandela who was a leading figure in the rights movement it was very biased and unreliable. He only shows one side of the argument to present Apartheid in a bad light. It also is quite a limited source as it only gives Mandelas opinion on the subject and has no facts to back this up. At the end he shows that he is not an Uncle Tom by declaring that he is prepared to die for the cause. This shows that he was using the speech as propaganda as he knew that this would place him as leader of the civil rights movement and bring massive support. The source is useful as a study of Mandela himself but to a historian studying Apartheid it is not very useful at all. Source C is a table of figures concerning the living conditions of all races in South Africa. It was produced by the UN who are supposed to have a totally unbiased view on all relations but do however have a slight preference for democracy. This makes the source very reliable. The source also has a wide range of data ranging from the population to the average salary of both blacks and whites. It does however not show how the actual living conditions were in South Africa for the blacks. This makes the source slightly less useful but when studying the topic of apartheid it is much useful than Source B. 3. Source A is a newspaper advert highlighting Mandelas imprisonment. It was paid for by the African National Congress (ANC) who were strong supporters of Mandela and the African civil rights movement. This means that it may have been biased in favour of the civil rights movement. The ANC viewed themselves as a legitimate political group who had a valid call for power. They tried to shrug off all ideas of Nelson Mandela and the ANC as terrorists as this defeated their cause. For this reason they describe Mandela as a political prisoner in jail because of the colour of his skin. The advert also strikes at the government of South Africa and claims that it is outlawing democracy. They believed that Mandela was a figurehead of democracy and freedom. They wanted to show him and the movement in as good a light as possible. Source D is a short extract from a speech made by the South African Minister of Information. This title is rather like Josef Goebbels in Germany under Hitlers reign. He masterminded all of the propaganda, as does the South African Minister of Information. This makes the source extremely biased towards the whites. The writer of this speech would have wanted to show Mandela and the rights movement in a bad light to destroy its support. The government also wanted to deny the civil rights movement and its pursuit as a valid political choice. They took advantage of the acts of terrorism by Mandela and other blacks. This showed that the blacks were not at an equal level and that they were also not going about their pursuit the right way. If the government could portray Mandela as a terrorist they could remove a lot of the sympathy he had gained from all around the world. This is done by stating that Mandela is not in prison because of his politics but that he is guilty of a serious crime. This was quite a successful argument against Mandelas release and contrasted greatly to the information received from the ANC. Both of the groups had different reasons for supplying these reports and they contradict each other so that it is difficult to know who is telling the truth. 4. Source E is from a British newspaper, and is a cartoon drawn by a British cartoonist criticising Apartheid. It was drawn in 1964, which was very early in the African civil rights movement.

Case Study on FIlm Industry Essay Example

Case Study on FIlm Industry Essay Example Case Study on FIlm Industry Essay Case Study on FIlm Industry Essay Essay Topic: Batman Film is a large multi-billion dollar industry in the USA and worldwide overall. Compared to other industries it has a very unique characteristic. For example when it comes to the real estate, fashion, cars consumer cost will always reflect the cost of manufacturing. If Nissan spends less on manufacturing a car, it will charge less than what Rolls Royce would. This rule doesnt hold in the movie industry. When a person goes to a movie theater they have a wide variety of choices and the price for all the movies is mostly equal or has a very small range. So if its not the price, question tands what drives consumers to chose film A over the film B? With the sample data obtained from 100 motion pictures produced in 2005 it is possible to investigate which factors affect movie attendance. Analysis of variables such as Opening Gross Sales, Number of Theaters, Weeks in Top 60 and Total Gross shows the overall shape and tendencies of this business, while the correlation between them helps to determine which factors contribute to success of a movie and bring in the highest income. Descriptive Statistics show that the Film Industry is highly variable and influenced by a few highly successful blockbusters. Measure of Location Measure of Variance Variable Mean First Quartile QI Median Q2 Third Quartile Q3Range standart Deviation opening Gross sales 9. 37 0. 06375 0. 39 12. 43025 108. 43 18. 87470211 Total Gross sales 33. 04 0. 40275 5. 85 47. 43475 380. 15 63. 16469269 Number of Theaters 1,277. 94 45. 75 410 2626. 5 3905 1378. 689444 weeks -rop60 8. 68 3 7 13266. 389511608 Opening Gross Sales represent how anticipated and well received the movie is. Of the 100 movies the mean opening sale is $9. 38 million. However the median is only $ 390,000. This means that 50% of the movies received $390,000 or less. The mean was affected by the top selling movies. Top 25% that have received $12. 43 million or more in the opening week. The sales are highly variable and range from very low $10,000 to $108. 44 million. Movies that receive higher Opening Gross Sales are the ones that the public is aware of, these films are usually well advertised on TV, written in magazines etc. This means that the movies with a higher budget can do a better Job at creating a hype and starting their opening week very successful. Number of Theaters is a good measure of the popularity of the movie and a potential indicator of high sales. The more demand from the viewers, the higher the supply of theaters available. The mean number of theaters is 1277. 94 and its way larger than the median that is 410 theaters. The data is highly variable, few movies have only been shown in 3,910 theaters. 5 theaters while bigger blockbusters were screened in as many as Number of Weeks in Top 60 is another measure of popularity. The longer movie stays in the top charts the longer it will be airing in theaters and bringing the income. The mean number of weeks in the Top 60 is 8. 68 weeks. 50% of the films were on top 60 list for 7 weeks or less. The top 25% movies were on a chart for 13 weeks or more. This data is also highly variable since it ranges from 1 to 27 weeks. It is The longest time spent on the chart belongs to The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. Total Gross Sales indicates the overall amount of money the movie has made. Just like the opening gross sales, the Total Gross Sales Amounts are highly variable, they range from $30,000 to $380. 18 million. 25% of the motion pictures had the Total Gross Sales of 400,275 or less, 50% sold 5. 85 million or less, and 25% had 47. 43 million or more. This is the best measure of the success of the movie, because higher he income from a movie means that all the elements that make up a film were well received by public Total Gross Sale is the best indicator of the success of the motion picture. Film is Just like any other industry and it is designed to generate income. Opening Gross Sales, Number of Theaters, Weeks in Top 60 all are good indicators of popularity of the film; however the main purpose of these there variables is to translate into a good income. Now the question stands, which one of these three variables correlates best to the high Gross Sale? Total Gross Sales and Opening Weekend Gross Sales Correlation Coefficient . 964251784 Total Gross Sales and Number of Theaters Correlation Coefficient 0. 709858186 Total Gross Sales and Number of Weeks in top 60 Correlation Coefficient 0. 525394855 All three relations have a positive correlation. The films with the higher Opening Weekend Gross Sales, Number of Theaters, or number of Weeks in the Top 60 will all have a higher Total Gross Sales. The highest Correlation Coefficient is 0. 96 which means that the Opening Weekend Gross Sales are the best predictor of the Total Gross Sales. However all three have a high number, so a successful filmmaker should target success in all three areas. Strong relationship between Open Week and Total sales is further reinforced by an example with extreme outliers. In this research the outliers are defined as follows: QI-I . (lQR) is the level, below which a movie will be considered as a Low Performance outlier Q3+ 1. 5(lQR) is the level, above which a movie will be classified as a High Performance outlier. Number of Theaters Q3+ 1. 5(lQR) = 2626. 5 + 1. 5(2626. 5 45. 75) = 6497. 625 theaters No extreme outliers present in the data set. Number of Weeks on the Top 60 List Q3 13+ No extreme outliers present in the data set. Opening Weekend Gro ss Sales Q3+ 12. 43 + 1. 5(12. 43- $ 30. 85 million Extreme outliers: star Wars: Episode Ill ;Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire War of the Worlds; Wedding Crashers; Batman Begins; Mr. nd Mrs. Smith. Total Gross Sales Q3+ 47. 43+ 1. 5(47. 43- 117. 975 million star wars: Episode Ill ;Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire War of the Worlds; Wedding Crashers; Batman Begins; Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Opening Weekend Gross Sales and Total Sales are the same six blockbusters. These movies had more than $30. 985 million in the Opening Weekend and more than $ 117. 975 million of Total Gross Sales. Film Makers should be determined to achieve a High Opening Weekend Sales, since it reatly correlates to the overall success of the movie. Advertising, PR, Marketing not only do good Job at informing but also have a very big influence on the viewers tastes, thus they are good tools to use to push up the Opening Week Sales. Unfortunately the Hollywood Films with higher budgets can afford such publicity. Smaller independent filmmakers tend to have less viewers. So even when the budget of movie doesnt affect the consumers choice directly, it does so in an indirect way. Other variables shouldnt be overlooked as the Number of Theaters and Weeks in Chart have a positive impact on the Sales as well.

A Teachers Basic Guide to Making a Referral

A Teachers Basic Guide to Making a Referral A referral is a process or steps a teacher takes to get extra assistance for a student that they work directly with on a regular basis. In most schools, there are three distinct types of referrals. Those include referrals for disciplinary issues, referrals for special education evaluations, and referrals to receive counseling services.   A referral is completed when a teacher believes that a student needs some intervention to help them overcome obstacles that may be preventing them from being successful. All referral situations are dictated by the behavior and/or actions of the student. Teachers need professional development and training to recognize specific signs that would indicate when a student may have an issue that requires a referral. Prevention training is more appropriate for discipline referrals, but recognition training would be beneficial for referrals associated with special education or counseling.   Each type of referral has distinct steps that a teacher must follow according to school policy. With the exception of a counseling referral, a teacher must establish that they have attempted to improve the issue before making a referral. Teachers should document any steps that they have taken to help a student improve. Documentation helps establish a pattern which ultimately justifies the need for a referral. It may also help those involved with the referral process in establishing a plan to help the student grow. This process can take a lot of time and extra effort on the teachers part. Ultimately, the teacher must prove that they have exhausted all of their individual resources in most cases before making a referral. Referral for Discipline Purposes A discipline referral is a form a teacher or other school personnel writes up when they want the principal or school disciplinarian to deal with a student issue. A referral typically means that the issue is a serious issue, or it is an issue in which the teacher has tried to handle on without any success. Key Questions to Ask Before Making a Disciplinary Referral Is this a serious issue (i.e. fight, drugs, alcohol) or potential threat to other students that requires immediate attention by an administrator?If this is a minor issue, what steps have I taken to handle the issue myself?Have I contacted the students parents and involved them in this process?Have I documented the steps that I have taken in an attempt to correct this issue? Referral for a Special Education Evaluation A special education referral is a request for a student to be evaluated to determine whether the student is eligible to receive special education services that may include areas such as speech language services, learning assistance, and occupational therapy.  The referral is typically a written request by either the students parent or their teacher. If the teacher is completing the referral, he or she will also attach evidence and samples of work to show why they believe the student needs to be evaluated. Key Questions to Ask Before Making a Special Education Referral What are the exact issues that the student has that lead me to believe that special education services are appropriate?What evidence or artifacts can I produce that supports my belief?What documented steps of intervention have I taken to try to help the student improve before making a referral?Have I discussed my concerns with the childs parents also gaining insight into the childs history? Referral for Counseling Services A counseling referral can be made for a student for any number of legitimate concerns. Some common reasons include: A student is going through a traumatic family issue (i.e. divorce, death in the family).A student exhibits signs of depression and/or withdrawal.A students grades suddenly drop or there is a drastic change in behavior.  A student cries often, gets sick daily, or expresses anger/frustration regularly.A student who has difficulty functioning in the classroom (i.e. behavior issues, will not do work, skips school often, extreme aggressiveness).

The Major Developments in the Rise of Democracy in America Essay

The Major Developments in the Rise of Democracy in America - Essay Example Another characteristic feature of this period was the American revolutionary war of 1775 to 1783. The incidences that took place during this period saw a rise in the democratic space of the Americans. Opposition to the British rule was a key pillar in the fight for democracy in America. In 1765, George Grenville, the British Prime Minister spearheaded the adoption of stamp duty where all documents were required to have a stamp and the duty paid. This incited the people to begin objecting the British rule. In order to fight for their democratic rights, a group called Sons of Liberty was formed, it used various strategies to object the taxes that were being imposed on the Americans. They used to demonstrate in the streets, became violent, as well as made several threats to the government. In addition, they aired their grievances to the monarch to have the tax laws done away with. Their voices were heard when the group opted to invade the home of Thomas Hutchinson, the chief justice as well as looting and burning records in the vice-admiralty court. This development saw a step being made towards democracy, the Declaration of Rights and Grievances was enacted. Further, there was a co nsensus that the stamp tax is repealed. However, the parliament was to remain the sovereign authority as provided in the Declaratory Act of 19661. Legislations catapulted the rise in democracy, the Americans felt that the legislation was harsh on them. The passing of a bill that saw an increment in taxes of basic commodities made the colonists to boycott British goods. In 1768, British troops were sent to Boston where they were to contain the riots that had ensued. Some individuals were killed in the process, an incidence that resulted in growing resentment of the British rule by the state of Massachusetts2. The parliament acted again by withdrawing all the imposed taxes except that of tea. The race  to democracy was also facilitated by the efforts of Samuel Adams who created the Committee of Correspondence that provided a common forum for all the patriots in thirteen states to launch a rebellion against the colonial rule.

You choose it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

You choose it - Essay Example Also, considering the intensity of the issue, it is also important to take a look at the perspective of drug traders. Drug trade is often connected with poor economic conditions, drug-related violence, and other crimes. The government has generally taken an anti-drugs stance enforcing prohibitive laws that aim to reduce drug trade. Over the years, many advocates of illicit drugs such as marijuana legalization pressure groups have sprung up. Hence, the issue is of legislative importance too which sparks the revision of what constitutes as an illicit drug, the recreational and medical uses of such drugs and what is drug abuse. To start, underground drug trade is illegal and most of this trade occurs as illicit drugs are smuggled across borders. Being illegal, drug trade generates huge amounts of black money which is kept undocumented. As a result, no tax payment occurs as the undocumented money crosses borders (Duyne and Levi, 2005). This ultimately means that less tax revenue is generated by the government leading to lesser budget allocation for developmental expenditure in turn affecting the financing of mega civil projects that come under the domain of civil engineers. Less infrastructural activities are conducted by the government causing fewer job opportunities to be created. However, this is one aspect which economically concerns the domain of civil engineering. In recent years, drug mafias have become highly organized in their operations adopting sophisticated channels to transport the illicit drugs. As such, the drug trade, flourishing throughout the world, has created various issues involving law enforcement authorities as well as civil engineers. Gatti (2014) notes the role of civil engineers in providing the technical and operational expertise in helping the authorities to counter drug trade. In the specific article, civil engineers are involved in an organized effort to demolish drug trade-related

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 2 SS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 2 SS - Essay Example The Bendigo bank in Tambellup and Cranbrook is one such kind of social enterprise, rising from humble beginnings to give the two communities their identity. The creation of the community bank is attributable to two individuals, Vicki Brown and Jan Pope, after facing several challenges; they rode on motivating points to spearhead the creation of this bank in their respective community. Overcoming the Feat: Challenges and Motivations they faced. They were motivated by the lack of proper banking services that catered for the needs of the rural community, while listening to a certain show; they reaffirmed Louise Petschler’s concern over poor banking in the country. According to the latter, banking services had deteriorated to the extent that they had failed to provide fair and affordable basic services, additionally, they were providing these at high costs and with poor customer services while closing community branches. CHALLENGES The initiative by Vicki and Jane is typically a c ommercial interest although with a social context, they face numerous legal, financial, management and development challenges that a typical commercial business faces. However, due to the unique communal premise that the business is built upon, they face a considerably different set of challenges than a typical business faces (Fayolle and Harry 8). The key challenges that Vicki Brown and Jan Pope faced were stakeholder participation, balancing of their key objectives, raising finance, and recruitment of professional staff and expert advice Stakeholder participation The key stakeholders in this initiative were the 700 and 1100 members of community for the two towns Tambellup and Cranbrook respectively. Furthermore, the Bendigo Bank was an important participant in the process, this because the community bank would be a franchise of their own establishment. The process of convincing people to contribute money to investing in an enterprise that was yet to be created proved to be a daunt ing task to the two and the steering committee that was in charge of the launch. They were apprehensive that the failure of the business would subject to guilt and a lot of burden. The rural community who were to be bank’s customers was concerned about the confidentiality of their financial information; this was expeditiously addressed by the concerned parties. Pessimism that the locals had over the future of the bank coupled with the show that ABC was running at that time concerning failures of local initiatives. Balancing Key Objectives Vicki and Jan had noted that the agricultural communities in their small towns were being inconvenienced as they were forced to travel long distance to undertake this important service. The lack of facilities in the area affected several businesses in the area and not merely these two major sectors of the area’s economy; an estimated $26,000 was being lost per week to other towns. Any community initiative must strive to balance two ke y objectives, achieve the social purpose for which it was initiated and operate as a sustainable commercial entity (Kickul and Sophie 219). The problem the two initiators faced were the way in which to balance these two objectives. On the other hand, they worried that if the bank performed the first function

INCREASING AIRLINE SALES THE CASE OF VIRGIN ATLANTIC Assignment

INCREASING AIRLINE SALES THE CASE OF VIRGIN ATLANTIC - Assignment Example Fundamentally, the report suggests that the major challenges in increasing company sales come from the internal structures and business strategies adopted by the company. The report suggests a number of possible options towards increasing sales for the company, including merchandising, partnerships among others. The report finally concludes by offering suggestions in the recommendations section, on ensuring sustained profitability through increased sales. Table of contents 1.Introduction 4 2.Methodology 4 3.Background to airline industry 4 4.Background to Virgin Atlantic 5 5.Strategic market audit findings – increasing airline sales 6 5.1.Customer choices 6 5.2.Competition 6 5.3.Code share agreements 7 5.4.Frequent-flyer program 7 5.5.Distribution channels 8 6.Strategic options 8 6.1.Partnerships 9 6.2.Merchandising 10 6.3.Consumer research 11 6.4.Competitive mapping 12 7.Recommendations 13 8.Conclusion 14 9.Bibliography 14 10.Appendices 17 11.Annotated bibliography 18 11.1.Pr imary sources 18 11.2.Secondary sources 19 1. Introduction This report will focus on the airline industry with specific focus on ways of increasing sales for the Virgin Atlantic airline. ... 3. Background to airline industry The airline industry has continuously been transformed since the inception of aircrafts. Airlines have undertaken different income generating methods through including cargo and mail among the items transported. Traditionally airlines offered passenger travel to individuals moving between different locations. Considered a luxury for many individuals, the increasing number of airlines has resulted in airline transport becoming recognised and increasingly utilised. The airlines have further provided different products for their clients aimed at maximising the number of passengers transported. Global ranking for airlines continues to be based on number of passengers transported within passenger airlines. Increased competition within the airline industry continues to present surmountable challenges to various carriers within the industry. Different carrier routes continue to be developed as well as different products aimed at enhancing sales. Within the airline industry, many carriers have continuously focused on enhancing customer satisfaction and flying experience. Passenger carriers have also introduced other services like cargo and mail to increase revenue and diversify business opportunities. Many carriers have taken diversification further through acquisition of cargo planes. While some companies like DHL have specialised in cargo transportation, passenger carriers continue to invest in cargo as they diversify their business opportunities for sustainability 4. Background to Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic is trademark of the Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited, registered in Britain as an airline based at the Gatwick airport in West

The Power of the U.S. Supreme Court WK6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Power of the U.S. Supreme Court WK6 - Essay Example Consequently, the U.S. courts interpret the United States Congress inspired laws. The court’s decision includes preventing the police officers from forcibly and illegally conducting illegal search evidences and forcing self-incriminating confessions. The federal courts should accept the concept that the United States Congress’ constitution ensures the police officers should not abuse the citizen’s rights against illegal searches and illegally obtained evidences and confessions. The Miranda law continues to be one of the significant victories for the rights of suspects, a stunning win of the U.S. Supreme Court over Congress. The Courts’ interpretation and implementation of the constitution includes making decisions on the 2000 United States presidential elections, abortion, affirmation action, as well as elimination of school segregation policies. Furthermore, the Supreme Court’s Dickerson decision has implications for the federal exclusion rule. The Dickerson case affirmed the constitutionality or legality of the Miranda Doctrine1, enforcing the fourth Amendment. Dickerson filed a complaint stating a police officer DiFilippo attached a GPRS tracking device under his car, without permission, to track the travels of the suspected drug dealer, Dickerson. The rule states that all evidence taken without a search warrant, including the Dickerson drug evidences, illegally violated the suspect’s Miranda rights to self-incrimination (http://w.info.com/) In addition to the above discussion, The United States Congress can modify the laws that do not conflict with constitutional provisions2. The Circuit court incorporates Professor Cassell’s insistence that Miranda Rights reduces conviction of voluntary confessors by stating the United States Congress’ Act 3501 expressly overrides the Miranda Doctrine by focusing on the overall situation, not the Miranda Doctrine (https://wsws.org/). In short, the victim’s voluntary confession,

INCREASING AIRLINE SALES THE CASE OF VIRGIN ATLANTIC Assignment

INCREASING AIRLINE SALES THE CASE OF VIRGIN ATLANTIC - Assignment Example Fundamentally, the report suggests that the major challenges in increasing company sales come from the internal structures and business strategies adopted by the company. The report suggests a number of possible options towards increasing sales for the company, including merchandising, partnerships among others. The report finally concludes by offering suggestions in the recommendations section, on ensuring sustained profitability through increased sales. Table of contents 1.Introduction 4 2.Methodology 4 3.Background to airline industry 4 4.Background to Virgin Atlantic 5 5.Strategic market audit findings – increasing airline sales 6 5.1.Customer choices 6 5.2.Competition 6 5.3.Code share agreements 7 5.4.Frequent-flyer program 7 5.5.Distribution channels 8 6.Strategic options 8 6.1.Partnerships 9 6.2.Merchandising 10 6.3.Consumer research 11 6.4.Competitive mapping 12 7.Recommendations 13 8.Conclusion 14 9.Bibliography 14 10.Appendices 17 11.Annotated bibliography 18 11.1.Pr imary sources 18 11.2.Secondary sources 19 1. Introduction This report will focus on the airline industry with specific focus on ways of increasing sales for the Virgin Atlantic airline. ... 3. Background to airline industry The airline industry has continuously been transformed since the inception of aircrafts. Airlines have undertaken different income generating methods through including cargo and mail among the items transported. Traditionally airlines offered passenger travel to individuals moving between different locations. Considered a luxury for many individuals, the increasing number of airlines has resulted in airline transport becoming recognised and increasingly utilised. The airlines have further provided different products for their clients aimed at maximising the number of passengers transported. Global ranking for airlines continues to be based on number of passengers transported within passenger airlines. Increased competition within the airline industry continues to present surmountable challenges to various carriers within the industry. Different carrier routes continue to be developed as well as different products aimed at enhancing sales. Within the airline industry, many carriers have continuously focused on enhancing customer satisfaction and flying experience. Passenger carriers have also introduced other services like cargo and mail to increase revenue and diversify business opportunities. Many carriers have taken diversification further through acquisition of cargo planes. While some companies like DHL have specialised in cargo transportation, passenger carriers continue to invest in cargo as they diversify their business opportunities for sustainability 4. Background to Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic is trademark of the Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited, registered in Britain as an airline based at the Gatwick airport in West

Management Skills Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management Skills - Personal Statement Example Promotion. Promotional activities include advertising, direct marketing or personal selling, sales promotion, public relations. Based on my personal strengths as well as interests, I am planning to take up a role of junior manager, advertising. Advertising is a mean through which the goods and services produced by an organization are promoted to the target market of the organization. (Petley, 2003). As such advertisement therefore, encompass many activities which combine together to form an effective promotional message therefore, considering its strategic nature and my personal strengths and ambitions, I would aim at becoming the junior manager-advertising in an organization of high repute. Based on the research conducted, following job description is outlined for a Junior Manager- Advertising: (job-descriptions.org, 2008) I am attracted to this job because I am currently pursuing a degree in business education besides I consider myself as an easy going person who can easily communicate with others. I consider myself as a person who likes to meet people and exchange ideas and have the ability to understand the perceptions held by different people in different contexts. Further, this job is also attractive to me because I am creative and have developed an aesthetic sense of appreciating different ideas and works of art. My immedi My immediate concern therefore would be to learn the tricks of the trade under the guidance of those who have already achieved a certain stature in the field. This job therefore will provide me an opportunity to do what I love to do most as I shall be engaged not only with the creative work but also grow myself as a successful manager and a leader over the period of time. Apart from this, I also visualize myself grow to a position where I may develop myself as one of the most creative and successful advertising guru of all

Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Example for Free

Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are very prominent African American individuals throughout history. They fought for what they stood for but in many different ways. As we all know in history there are no two great men that are alike. Their many beliefs may have blossomed from the households they came from and how they grew up. King grew up in a middle class family and was well educated. While, Malcolm X grew up in an underprivileged environment that was very hostile with barely any schooling. Martin Luther King Jr. was always against violence, throughout his entire ministry. He always stood his ground, and he stood out because eventhough he may have been physically attacked, he never reacted with violence. Martin Luther King Jr. followed the Christian faith. Malcolm X was a Muslim, and believed in Muslim principles. His most famous line was â€Å"By any Means Necessary†. He believed in fighting back physically. Whatever had to be done to get freedom he was all for it whether it be violence or nonviolence. Although later in life he visited Jerusalem, and met other Muslims. He changed his views, and became nonviolent. Both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. had uncompromising love for their people. They both wanted see Black people in the best possible position. They were both religious figures that used religious to provide structure, morality, courage, determination and unity in Black people. They were both killed before they reached their 40th birthday.They both stood 4 freedom,they were both assassinated and they both liked Afro-American women.Different religions but both were men of god. Malcolm X was a Muslim and Martin Luther King jr was a Christian. Malcolm X was a Black nationalists and Garveyite. Malcolm X did not believe in an integrated society between Blacks and Whites. Malcolm X believed that Black people should build a world for themselves controlled by themselves that specifically addressed the needs and desires unique to Black people. MLK wanted his movement to be peaceful, while X was a radical extremist who wanted A.A. rights to be violent..Martin Luther King wanted to get things accomplished without aggression or violence, and Malcolm X did not. Martin Luther King wanted everyone to coexist peacefully and wanted to be counted as an equal, and Malcolm X wanted there to be a clear segregation of the White people and Black people in America, with different areas for each to live, because he felt that they would never get along. Martin Luther King Jr was an integrationist. He believe in one American society based upon the promises of the founding fathers of America that all men were created equal and had the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He believed that it was Black peoples right to be first class citizens of America and all that it entailed. After Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam he went to Mecca to complete one of the five pillars of Islam which is El Hajj The holy pilgrimage. After that experience he begin to take on a world view against injustice and tyranny everywhere. Martin Luther King jr take on a similar stance sparked by the Vietnam war. He too saw the importance of fighting injustice worldwide.

Strategies for Marketing Organic Food Products

Strategies for Marketing Organic Food Products There is a global growing demand and supply for organic foods. This has resulted from increased health awareness and food safety, a growing demand to protect the environment and animal welfare. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) defines organic production as a process that relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects (IFOAM, 2010). Marketing the product will provide the link that will satisfy both the demand and the supply. Thus marketing the products will provide the link between the producers and the consumers. While the marketing of these products is developed in the U.S.A, the Asian marketing is just developing. This essay will analyze marketing of organic food products in the U.S. and in Asia. The organic food production in the Asian countries is mainly done for the export market as the domestic consumption is still emerging (IFOAM, 2004). This is in contra st with the U.S. market where the number of organic food product consumers has been increasing gradually (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009). Production In most Asian countries organic production is mainly for small farmers in order to assist them to be self sufficient and improve the quality of the soil. It is mainly done for export. Organic food production in Asia is yet to develop. Though the Asian countries form 25 percent of the members of (IFOAM) the area engaged in organic farming is still very small as by 2003 all the Asian countries had only utilized less than 1 percent of all agricultural land in organic farming with the exception of china IFOAM, 2004). The local markets in Asia are not established and are only emerging. Marketing initiatives are in the process of being launched. There are National Initiatives to develop the organic sector. There are initiatives by NGOs supporting to practice organic agriculture and training them on how to market the organic food products. Most of the organic farming has support from the grassroots level. In most Asian countries there are very rare national scale of organic production and only India has a government initiative. The Indian government (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APFPEDA)) initiative is only meant to assist in exporting of the organic food and not to develop the domestic market. APFPEDA offers training to producers and certification agencies, research and development services: promoting certification programs, developing policies, improving quality of services, promoting Indian organic foods. Lack of proper regulations and certification processes has hindered the development of the organic food production and marketing. However this trend is changing as there are already several countries that have developed National Organic Regulations to promote both export and domestic production. The regulations are responsible for setting the standards. Currently most of the Asian organic foods are certified by foreign bodies, with only China, Israel, Japan, Thailand, India and Philippines being the only Asian countries with their own certification (IFOAM, 2004). As one of the largest consumers and one of the countries with a high per capita income, any change in the U.S consumption trend will have an effect. Thus organic food production and growth has been affected by the U.S consumption. The organic food production industry noted an increase of 16-21 percent in 2008. The industry receives government support both in monetary terms and in developing policies. This contrasts with the Asian industry which is still in the process of setting policies (Report buyer, 2010). The 2008 Farm Act allocated $5 million to do further research on the marketing system of organic food products in U.S. There are regulations in the U.S. which are provided by the 2002 USDA National Organic Standards. Challenges The main challenges facing the organic food marketing are the pricing competition and logistics arrangements. The organic foods have to compete with other non-organic foods in terms of pricing, varieties and the frequency of production. The organic food products are expensive to produce. Their infrastructure is yet to be developed and thus it is hard for the marketing organizations to sell them at a competitive price. The organic food products are expensive both in the Asian countries and in US. In US organic foods are 10 to 30 percent more expensive than the conventional food products (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 209). The domestic consumers are not informed on the benefits of using organic products. Consumers have little information on organic food products and most consumers will only compare the prices of the food products as they do not know the benefits of organic foods to themselves and to the nature. Apart from this, the organic foods have faced competition with the already developed conventional food products. Since there are only a few informed consumers, the organic food companies have to compete for this small number of consumers. There is a need to create consumer awareness. There is therefore a need for the relevant authorities to device ways to first develop a domestic market for organic foods. There is potential of growth that results from the fact that there are concerns by most consumers with the high chemical such as pesticides remnants in many foods. In addition to this organic foods are also preferred by those who are been sick. Another challenge faced in Asia is that the producers lack in marketing skills. This leads to the producers facing challenges from having to compete with supermarket chains. Most of the organic suppliers are smaller as compared to the conventional food suppliers. This leads to discontinuation of those organic foods that are slow moving, thus disrupting the already developing trend. In addition to this, most of the countries have not developed labeling laws. Consumers will have more confidence when purchasing labeled products. This is crucial for assurance of quality considering there are many self proclaimed organic products in the market. In the U.S the organic foods are sold in branded product lines as well as private-label organic products, whereby this has resulted to an increase of the private-label products from 35 in 2003 to 540 in 2007 (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009) . There is a high consumption of organic products in the U.S. The consumption rate continues to increase. As a result of this increase, the retail prices of organic food products increased from $3.6 billion in 1997 to $21.1 billion in 2008, (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009). The growth rate was partly as a result of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) efforts of setting standards that gave consumers confidence in using the products. USDA also gave a guideline on how one would recognize that a product is an organic product. The consumption rate has however increased at a higher rate than the growth of the organic foods, thus creating a shortage in the supply of the products. This has mainly been attributed to the regulations that are required in converting and certifying a farmland to an organic farm. Product and marketing development In the Asian countries the farmers lack confidence in the organic food production. Again, the supply of the products has been growing at a higher rate than the demand, thus farmers have been left with surpluses of their produces. The marketing organizations will at times fail to buy all the produces from the farmers, thus the farmers have to look for their own markets. This frustrates the farmers who will shift to other farm produces. Being a new and young developing market, the producers have had to compete with unscrupulous traders. Again, the structure of marketing organization has had an effect in developing the market. Most of the marketing organizations were small organizations and they faced challenges, e.g. recruiting and retaining quality staff. Again due to the challenges of shortage of investments funds, they will go for direct marketing, such as home deliveries and mobile markets. There is a need for the producers and markets to unit and cooperate in order to fight these unscrupulous traders. The Asian market is in the same position as the U.S. market in the 1990s where independent small chain outlets and food-cooperatives were the sole distributors of the organic food products. Currently these food products are mainly supplied in the supermarkets. This is a trend catching up in the Asian markets. There are ways to develop and help support the marketing organizations for the organic food products in Asia. The local initiatives should provide those strategies that eliminate intermediaries, thus reducing the prices of the products and thus encouraging more buyers, while at the same time promoting the producers. Any non-commercial external funding should accompanied with organizations own increase in capital investment. This assures continuity after the external funding is pulled out. Most of the marketing organizations start small whereby some do not even have an office, and operate from home. This may be satisfactory to start with, but as the company grows, it should have an official location of operation. The location chosen is very important. It should be close and easily accessible to the customers and close enough to the producers. This gives it a professional appearance. The company should be particular on the choice of produce it starts with, e.g., vegetables, and then add the products as it grows. Pricing is crucial for the marketing organization, thus it should come up with the preferred pricing strategy. Most organic food products marketing organization prefer price differentiation. Another point to be considered is the connection between the producer and the consumer. This should be discussed so as to reduce disagreements between the two. The marketing organizations should learn to market themselves through the press. The marketing organization should learn the target market and stay updated on any new products that they may require. Conclusion The marketing of organic food products is more advanced in the U.S than it is in the U.S. The success in the U.S. market can be attributed to development of policies and guidelines that especially encourages the domestic consumption. The Asian countries should learn from the U.S. and develop their own domestic market. In addition to this, there is a shortage in the U.S of the organic products. Proper marketing strategies in Asian countries should satisfy this demand in the US market. Something the Asian authorities should think about and act on.

Comparing Nathaniel Hawthorne :: essays papers

"Dr Heidegger's Experiment" An eccentric aging physician, Dr. Heidegger, calls together his old friends and contemporaries to test his waters of the "fountain of youth." As the doctor himself sits by to enjoy the show, each of his four aged friends eagerly quaffs more and more of the magic potion, each draught further carrying them backwards into their shared youth. Having grown young, smooth-skinned and agile again, the three men begin to fight for the favors of the fourth compatriot now restored to her former beauty. In the heat of the fracas, they begin to grow tired and within minutes the effect of the "waters" has worn away. The participants in the brief respite from old age are devastated by the transience of the experience. Despite Heidegger's warning that he has learned to appreciate the advantage of age by watching the four of them make themselves fools, they learned no such lesson and resolve to make a pilgrimage to Florida to seek the Fountain. "The Birthmark" A devoted scientist, in a brief step from his laboratory pursuits, marries a beautiful woman with a single physical flaw: a birthmark on her face. Aylmer becomes obsessed with the imperfection and needs to remove it, to be happy with his wife. The tale evolves around his progressive frenzy to use his scientific skills to render his bride perfect and the faith of his submissive wife that the union can survive only if he accomplishes his goal. The author tells us that Aylmer "had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies..." and, in the secrecy of his laboratory he prepares the potion for Georgiana that results in the disappearance of the birthmark and the death of Aylmer's experimental subject. Comparison "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" and "The Birthmark" can be compared in many aspects. Nathaniel Hawthorne used many of the same writing techniques in both stories. Both pieces share two common reoccuring themes. Also, the symbols in the story have like meanings. In both "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" and "The Birthmark", Hawthorne uses the same writing style. In both stories Nathaniel Hawthorne writes as a realist, as opposed to a romancer. In "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" Hawthorne writes about an actual event in history, Ponce de Leon's search for the Fountain of Youth on the Florida Peninsula. It does not matter if the Fountain of Youth exists or not it is a "real" legend. "Dr Heidegger's Experiment" is a situation that could have taken place. It is not a fantasy. "The Birthmark" is also a piece that could have happened. A beautiful woman could certainly be born with a

Psychological Testing Essay

This paper is all about the uses and varieties of personality and projective tests. It aims to determine which tool is more reliable and valid to use in measuring and predicting the behavior of an individual. Furthermore, this paper discusses the uniformity of two different texts used containing the same stance that personality tests exceed the projective terms in terms of convenience to use, reliability, and validity. Personality and Projective Tests Introduction Personality and projective tests are psychological tests used to measure and evaluate the behavior of individuals in the school, community, and even workplace setting. The tests function to determine the difference of personalities among different individuals (examinees) taking the same test. Upon taking the test, interpretation of examinees’ scores would depend on their respective test results. However, in this paper, researchers of different psychological tests suggest that personality tests are more reliable and valid compared to projective tests. Personality and Projective Tests Albert Hood & Richard Johnson (2008), a member of the American Counseling Association, collaborated to come up with Assessment in Counseling (2008), a book which discusses the different types of personality and projective tests. In the text, samples of personality tests include the following: the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory/MMPI2, Jackson’s Personality Research Form (PRF), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), California Psychological Inventory (CPI), and the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO PI-R). Further, CPI scale where 16 PF is adapted is recommended to be used for marriage and career counseling, job performance appraisals, and evaluation of management skills in the workplace. On the other hand, the different projective tests include the following: the Rorschach Ink Blot Test, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), House-Tree-Person (HTP), Roter Incomplete Sentences Blank, and Early Recollection. However, the Rorschach Inkblot Test was found to be the most commonly used projective technique to make inference of an individual’s behavior. In addition, Anne Anastasi (Dept. of Psychology in Fodrham University) and Susana Urbina (Dept. of Psychology in University of Florida) (2002), in their book Psychological Testing, suggest that personality tests are far better to use than projective tests since the latter is more complicated to execute and is more prone to erroneous interpretation regardless of the examiner’s years of experience in handling the test. Scope of the Literature Problem and Significance of the Problem The significance of the problem is to answer the question: â€Å"Which is a better tool to predict the behavior of an individual, is it the personality or the projective tests? † Research problem(s) Explored in the Study The two articles reviewed focus on the problem whether personality tests, observation, and inventories are more reliable, predictive tool in measuring the behavior of an individual rather than the projective tests. Hypothesis in the study Hypothesis of this study suggests that using personality inventories or psychological tests are better than using projective tests to assess a person’s behavior. Research Design and Methodology Research design to be used is descriptive correlational. The approach or tool to be used is the Pearson (r) correlation to determine the relationship between the two variables. Conclusion Psychological tests are tools to measure and predict the behavior of an individual. Depending on its purpose, personality tests and projective tests aim to assess personalities in different settings such as school, workplace, and community. In school, the tests serve the college students’ need to be counseled for the career that suits their personality; at work, the tests are used to evaluate which candidate is more fit for the job; and in the community, the tests determine who are mentally healthy and who are not for providing welfare. References Anastasi, A. & Urbina S. (2002). Psychological Testing. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Hood, A. B. & Johnson R. (2008). Assessment in Counseling: A Guide to Psychological Assessment Procedures. Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria: American Counseling Association.

A group II metal hydroxide Essay

To find the identity of X(OH)2 (a group II metal hydroxide) by determining it’s solubility from a titration with 0.05 mol dm-3 HCL Theory:1. Titrations are the reaction between an acid solution with an alkali. In this reaction (called neutralization), the acid donates a proton (H+) to the alkali (base). When the two solutions are combined, the products made are salt and water. For example: 2HCl(aq) + X(OH)2 (aq) XCl2 (aq) + 2H2O (l) This shows the one of the products i.e. salt being XCl2 and water. So titration therefore helps to find the concentration for a solution of unknown concentration. This involves the controlled addition of a standard solution of known. Indicators are used to determine, at what stage has the solution reached the ‘equivalence point'(inflextion point). This means at which, does the number of moles base added equals the number of moles of acid present. i.e. pH 7 Titration of a strong Acid with a Strong Base: As shown in the graph, the pH goes up slowly from the start of the tiration to near the equivalence point. i.e (the beginning of the graph). At the equivalence point moles of acid equal mole of base, and the solution contains only water and salt from the cation of the base and the anion of the acid. i.e. the vertical part of the curve in the graph. At that point, a tiny amount of alkali casuses a sudden, big change in pH. i.e. neutralised. Also shown in the graph are methyl orange and phenolpthalein. These two are both indicators that are often used for acid-base titrations. They each change colour at different pH ranges. For a strong acid to strong alkali titration, either one of those indicators can be used. However for a strong acid/weak alkali only methyl orange will be used due to pH changing rapidly across the range for methyl orange. That is from low to high pH i.e. red to yellow respectively pH (3.3 to 4.4), but not for phenolpthalein. Weak acid/strong alkali, phenolpthalein is used, the pH changes rapidly in an alkali range. From high to low pH, that is from pink to colourless pH(10-8.3) respectively but not for methyl orange. However for a weak acid/ weak alkali titrations there’s no sharp pH change, so neither can work. Therefore in this investigation, the titration will be between a 0.05 mol dm-3 of HCl with X(OH)2, using phenolphthalein. Dependant Variable: Is the volume of HCl to achieve a colour change that is from pink to colourless. The Controlled variables : 1. the same source of HCl 2. same concentration of HCl 3. Same source of X(OH)2 4. Same volume of X(OH)2 5. Same equipment, method, room temperature Controlled Variables How to control How to monitor 1. Same source of HCl Using the same batch of HCl or from the same brand will control this. If the concentration was not to be same throughout, then this will cause different ratios of the components of the solution, that might cause different volume of HCl to be obtained for the neutralization to occur. 2. Same concentration of HCl This will be controlled by using the same batch of HCl and from the same source i.e. the same brand. By using the same batch ensures that the reactant concentration is the same. If another batch were to be used causes the concentration to differ. This causes the HCl obtained to be different. 3.Same source of X(OH)2 Using the same batch of X(OH)2 or from the same brand will control this. If the concentration was not to be same throughout, then this will cause different ratios of the components of the solution that might cause different volume of HCl to be obtained for the neutralization to occur. 4. Same volume of X(OH)2 This will be controlled by using the same batch of X(OH)2 and from the same source i.e. the same brand. By using the same batch ensures that the reactant concentration is the same. If another batch were to be used causes the concentration to differ. This causes the HCl obtained to be different. 5. Same equipment, method, room temperature The method would be kept the same and the same set of equipment and brand will need to be used throughout. The room temperature will be kept throughout at 180C by using a water bath. If different equipment or brands were used then there would be a lot of anomalies in the experiment causing a huge amount of inaccuracy of measurement particularly. Results: Raw data results were collected by using 25.00 cm3 of X(OH)2 with phenolphthalein and the volume of HCl was obtained by the solution going from pink to colourless. The volume of HCl found in 50.0cm3 burette à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.05 cm3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Average 19.600 19.800 19.600 19.700 19.675 Qualitative results that occurred during the experiment: * Conical flask swirling not even between the trials * Difficult to judge ‘colourless’ solution change – subjective end point * Ability to measure 25cm3 * Filling of burette accurately with HCl – 0 point in right spot * Residual distilled water or solutions remain in conical flask i.e. diluted/interfered with subsequent solutions of X(OH)2 Average = trials (1+2+3+4)/4 Therefore: (19.6 + 19.8 + 19.6 + 19.7)/4 = 98.5/4 = 19.675 Due to the equation being 2HCl(aq) + X(OH)2 (aq) XCl2 (aq) + 2H2O (l) Therefore the ratio is 2:1 of 2 HCl : 1 X(OH)2 So using the equations mentioned above: Moles of acid is the number of moles= concentration X volume i.e. the volume will be used from the average Therefore: =0.05mol/dm3 x 19.675 cm3 =19.6 cm3 / 1000 = 0.0196 dm3 =0.05mol/dm3x0.0196 dm3 = 0.00098 moles So Moles of alkali in 25.000 cm3 Moles of HCl / 25.000 cm3 due to the ratio being 2:1, therefore 0.00098/2= 0.00049 moles of HCl So now the ratio is 1:1 so 0.00049 moles of X(OH)2 Moles of alkali in 100 cm3 It is assumed that there are four lots of 25 cm3 = 4 x 0.00049 = 0.00196 moles The next series of results will be used to calculate solubility of each compound by their mass in 100 cm3 The total Mr has been calculated in the table below for each compound. This was done by : Mr of X + ((O + H) X 2). Each element Mr for the following elements (OH)2 Total Mr Be 9.010 (16.00 +1.01) X 2 = 34.020 43.030 Mg 24.310 (16.00 +1.01) X 2 = 34.020 58.330 Ca 40.080 (16.00 +1.01) X 2 = 34.020 74.100 Sr 87.620 (16.00 +1.01) X 2 = 34.020 121.640 Ba 137.340 (16.00 +1.01) X 2 = 34.020 171.360 To obtain the solubility’s of metal II hydroxides is moles X Mr of the compound Therefore this table shows the calculation for the solubility’s for each of the different compounds Each element Total Mr Moles of X(OH)2 Solubiltity given as g/100 cm3 Literature values of the compounds given as g/100 cm3 Be(OH)2 43.03 0.00196 0.0843 0.000 Mg(OH)2 58.33 0.00196 0.114 0.001 Ca(OH)2 74.10 0.00196 0.0145 0.170 Sr(OH)2 121.64 0.00196 0.0238 0.770 Ba(OH)2 171.36 0.00196 0.335 3.700 Uncertainties: The uncertainty in measurement: Uncertainty due to pipette of 25.000 cm3 : Volume of X(OH)2 = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.100 cm3 Percentage uncertainty = (0.1/25) X 100 = 0.400% Uncertainty due to Burrette of 50.000 cm3: Assumed due to measured volume of 19.675 cm3 and the uncertainty due to the smallest unit of measurement being 0.1 cm3 Therefore 0.1/2= à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.050 cm3 Percentage uncertainty = (0.05 /19.675) X 100 = 0.254% Therefore total uncertainty = 0.400% + 0.254% = 0.654% Conclusion and Evaluation: X(OH)2 is most likely to be Ca(OH)2 as the calculated solubility is closest to the literature value given of Ca(OH)2. The solubility for Ca(OH)2 0.145 g/100 cm3 and the literature value is 0.170 g/100 cm3. This shows that the difference is only 0.025 cm3. However the comparison between Be(OH)2 of the calculated solubility is 0.0843 g/100 cm3 and of it’s literature value 0.000 g/100 cm3 . Shows that there is a greater difference. Showing that it cannot be X(OH)2 solution. This is also shown for Mg(OH)2 as the difference between the calculated solubility and the literature value is 0.113 g/100 cm3, showing that it still has a greater difference than Calcium hydroxide does. The difference between Sr(OH)2 and it’s literature value is 0.532g/100 cm3. However the difference between the calculated solubility of Barium hydroxide and the literature value is 3.365 g/100 cm3 showing there is a great difference so it cannot be Barium hydroxide. The percentage error of Ca(OH)2 = [(0.170 – 0.145)/0.170] X 100 = (0.025/0.170) X 100 = 14.705% Throughout the experiment there were systematic errors and random errors that were met. Uncertainties/limitations Error Type of error Quantity of error Explanation for error Improvements Measurement in burette Systematic error +/- 0.05cm3 Equipment limitation, this is because the line where each of the reading might not be precise. Different manufacturer should be used with multiple trials in order to increase the accuracy of the calculated value to the literature value. Measurement in pipette Systematic error +/-0.1cm3 Equipment limitation, this is because due to the pipette only holding 25 cm3 of volume. The line could have been where the actual reading might not be Causing the result to not be precise. Different manufacturer should be used with multiple trials in order to increase the accuracy of the calculated value to the literature value. Point of colour change Random error Not quantifiable Human observation – subjective measurement. This is because even though a white tile is used, it is unclear as to what point has the solution gone colourless. Use alternative indicator for several different trials, use pH meter to assess neutralization point. Therefore there will be a more precise point as to when the solution becomes green. Temperature fluctuations Random error Not quantifiable There can be a change of measurements of equipment due to variation in expansion and contraction of materials. Due to the temperatures not being constant from the fan, windows or from the air conditioner. Controlled lab environment of the temperature by using a water bath at 180C with no air conditioner, fans working. To ensure no fluctuations occur. Fluctuations in humidity of room Random error Not quantifiable Change solution concentrations due to differences in evaporation rate in the surrounding air. Controlled lab environment Calibration error in burette Systematic error Not quantifiable 0 line incorrectly marked Divisions on burette inaccurate Use different manufacturer’s equipment for other trials Calibration error in pipette Systematic error Not quantifiable 25cm3 line incorrectly marked. Because it is unclear as to where the true meniscus lies. Causing the values measured out to be not precise. Also due to there being only one line causes a further decrease in the precision of the results. Use different manufacturer’s equipment for other trials to ensure that the accuracy increases. Another improvement that will be done, if the experiment were to be repeated is that due to the inaccuracy of the conical flask being swirled. If the conical flask is being swirled unevenly there is a chance of inaccurate results of when the colourless solution occurs. Therefore a stirring rod should be used to increase the accuracy of the swirls of the reaction in the conical flask. Another limitation that arouse in this experiment that would be improved if the experiment were to be done again is that after the neutralization reaction had occurred, there would still be some residue of the distilled water used to rinse out the equipment. This can be improved by increase the number of repeats of rinse. This would ensure that more of the diluted solution would have been removed. Also the trials can also increase, to 10 repeats so that there is more variance so that the accuracy increases. Another improvement might be, to use different indicator, for example methyl orange. Due to the colour change would be from red to yellow would make it easier for the pH 7 to be more easily recognized against a white tile then it was with phenolphthalein. Cited Sources: 1. http://www.vigoschools.org/~mmc3/c1%20lecture/Chemistry%201-2/Lecture%20Notes/Unit%205%20-%20Acids%20and%20Titration/L3%20-%20Acid-Base%20Reactions%20and%20Titration.pdf