Topics in Information Technology Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Topics in Information Technology Ethics - Essay Example Of course, security reasons are not the only purposes for Internet surveillance; corporations also use surveillance for marketing purposes. Paul Mobbs, in the article â€Å"How and when organisations and the state can monitor your actions,† discusses the â€Å"potential threats to civil liberties posed by the use of electronic networks for the purposes of surveillance, by the state and private companies, and the potential damage of these for civil society in the long term.† Karen McCullagh, in response to the growing security concerns after 9/11, also states that the modern use if the Internet has provided companies ad states with opportunities of surveillance that were not open to them previously. As she sees it, privacy and security are interconnected issues: â€Å"It is submitted that privacy and security are necessarily interrelated and interdependent. Therefore neither principle should ever be applied to the exclusion of the other, as they are both essential tenet s of a liberal democratic society.† These are difficult issues, and there are no easy answers to them. It is necessary, though, for people to be aware of the extent to which they are or can be monitored. Security is a necessity, but no will could argue that civil liberties are not also a necessity. Mobbs splits surveillance into two different categories, indirect and directed. Under indirect surveillance, the practices of dataveillance and data profiling are the two most commonly used. These practices are used typically for the purposes of marketing, political lobbying, police investigations, and the protection of intellectual property. As most users of the Internet do not understand the technology behind the Internet, these users are particularly susceptible to invasions of privacy. This is not to say that people are not aware that their privacy has been violated, though it does mean that people might attempt to protect their privacy by means which could be

Abraham Lincoln Essay Example for Free

Abraham Lincoln Essay According to Abraham Lincoln, â€Å"Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing. † (Mills 3). I was inspired by this quote that speaks of success, which I will describe as a golden star that everyone wants to reach. This quote is similar to most of the leadership quotes because it speaks of ways to reach success, but, this quote is special in a way that it could be related to the self-fulfilling prophecy. Simply put, the main road to success is the â€Å"will to succeed. † I’m sure each of us has experienced actually failing a task whenever our mind is embedded with the phrase: â€Å"I can’t do this! † If you believe that you will be successful in any endeavor you want to take, then, you have taken the first step to becoming a person who is the â€Å"king or queen of success. † I myself have noticed that whenever I put into mind that I will â€Å"win,† the outcome turns out to be truly positive. This essay can help readers realize that their goals can be achieved by first believing in themselves. If a person always expects that he/she will succeed in something specific, then his/her expectations will most probably turn into a reality as what the so-called â€Å"self-fulfilling prophecy† suggests. Rosenthal, in his book: â€Å"Experimenter Effects in Behavioral Research,† said: â€Å"Events tend to turn out as one has hypothesized, not because of some great insight but because one behaves in a manner to achieve this outcome. † Believing in this theory would mean that we would have to love ourselves more, believe that we have what it takes to win in this â€Å"game† called life, and, at the same time, because of our mind set, act in such a way that enables us to achieve our dreams. Bear in Mind: Success is in your hands, just believe! Works Cited Mills, Dawson A. â€Å"Continuing Education Offerings Abound. † The Virginian-Pilot [Virginia] 28 January 1996:3. Rosenthal, Robert. Experimenter Effects in Behavioral Research. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1966.

Nursing Intervention for Pre Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Nursing Intervention for Pre Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) The physical and emotional symptoms of PMS are common but it doesnt mean that all girls will develop PMS. The symptoms start about a week or two weeks prior to the period for most of the girls who experience PMS. Life style changes including dietary modifications are the commonly used to treat the symptoms (www.youngwomenshealth.org) The cause of PMS is explained with list of given biological theories. It including conditions likes deficiency of progesterone in the luteal phase of menstrual cycle and deficiencies of vitamin. As per the researchers 70% to 90% of women experience PMS during child bearing years at some time, it usually happens at the age of 25 to 45. (http/nhs.us/conditions/pms) Estrogen and progesterone are two essential hormones involved during ovulation and menstruation .There are certain hormonal changes namely rise in estrogen and fall in progesterone during PMS. When estrogen / progesterone ratio is high it interferes with brain neurotransmitters which control the basic unit of mood and pain. Regular menstrual cycle among women is natural process PMS is included as a part of it. The incidences of PMS are caused by other factors also. The other factors identified are hereditary, caffeine, stress, aging, medical history, tobacco, family history and diet plays a vital role (www.goodeveningworld.com) The environmental play a important role in influences on PMS causing different other symptoms. Some researchers categorized four types of PMS. Some of the women may present with only one type of PMS, some can have 2 or 3 types, and few women have all four types. PMS-A is related with anxiousness and tension of the muscles. PMS-C includes cravings for sweets, dark chocolates and carbohydrate rich diet. PMS-D refers to emotional problems prior to menstruation. PMS-H includes tenderness in the breast and gain in weight because of retention of water. (http/www.individualizednutrition.com) There are different types of supplements naturally done which can highly cause reduction of the symptoms of PMS. Continuously using fish oil for two months is beneficial in reducing PMS symptoms. Fatigue, irritability, tenderness of breast and extremities swelling can be relieved by using evening primrose oil (http/www.individualizednutrition.com) NEED FOR THE STUDY PMS usually happens one week or 2 weeks prior to periods. Totally 150 symptoms are actually found which occurs during PMS. The identified common symptoms are mood disturbances, tenderness of breast, bloating of the abdomen, acne, cravings for certain foods, increased appetite and thirsty feeling and fatigue. Other symptoms included are difficulty in passing stools and loose stools, feeling irritated, mood change and feeling down. (www.pmsfacts.com) As there is no specific laboratory test to diagnose PMS, in order to establish a pattern, a gynecologist ask the patient to record her symptoms at least for two menstrual cycles. This will help to establish if the symptoms are truly premenstrual and predictably recurring. If symptoms increase in 30% in six days before menstruation, then it is identified case of pre menstrual syndrome needs treatment (www.goodevening world.com) The premenstrual symptom is a complex one. Many women experience this symptoms ranging from moderate to severe. To manage PMS the initial step is daily regular exercise and change in diet. A life style changes is sufficient to control symptoms for women with mild symptoms. (www.about.com) The treatment of PMS varies from woman to woman; the patient is advised on various treatment modalities like diet, home remedies, contraceptives, exercise, herbal treatment, dietary supplements, and diuretics. (www.goodeveningworld.com) Studies revealed that many foods including soy, green leafy vegetables and fresh fruit, nuts and seeds are really effective in balancing the hormone. The women who sufferers with PMS are advised to make changes in diet such as consumption of fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, cereals and whole grains, dairy products of low fat and sea foods. It is recommended that having frequent meals in small quantity each day helps to reduce fullness and abdominal bloating.(www.faqs.org/nutrition) Research in this area can be given high priority since these symptoms will affect females daily routine activity. Several studies highlighted that the symptoms can be improved with plenty of sleep, vitamin supplements and exercise. Even non- pharmacological measure like healthy diet, life style changes, some home remedies which indirectly contribute to reduce the symptoms. These aspects impressed the researcher, thereby felt the need do a study in this same area and to find the effectiveness on Planned Nursing Intervention on management of PMS among college students who has been experiencing pre menstrual syndrome. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM A study to evaluate the effectiveness of Planned Nursing Intervention on management of Pre Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) in terms of intensity of symptoms, knowledge and attitude among college girls in a selected educational institution, Salem. OBJECTIVES To prepare and validate the Planned Nursing Intervention on management of PMS among samples. To assess and compare the mean pre-test and mean post-test intensity of PMS among samples. To assess and compare mean pre-test and mean post-test knowledge score on management of PMS among samples. To assess and compare mean pre-test and mean post-test attitude score on PMS among samples. To find association between the pre-test level of knowledge on management of PMS among samples and their selected demographic variables- age at menarche and family history of PMS. HYPOTHESES: (Level of significance p

The Olive Branch :: essays research papers

The Olive Branch   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Like dragonflies their [dead bodies] have filled the river. Like a raft they have moved to the edge [of the boat]. Like a raft they have moved to a river bank † (flood-myth.com, 3/15/00).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether the above is fact, fiction, myth, or legend it appears that all civilizations have a strong fascination with The Deluge. Bible believers feel that it was an act of God, who intern wanted to cleanse the earth of immoral people and evildoers. Chosen survivors, for example Noah, as well as present day Christians believe that the Flood was a marking point for a new covenant between God and themselves. However, the myths that have accumulated from each culture provide great colorful characters and death defying heros against the angst of the gods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often times the bible is compared to the â€Å"Gilgamesh Epic†, which is the oldest fictional novel known to man. The Babylonian epic tells a similar story of the flood. The gods within the story are very angered by humankind’s behavior. So they decided to punish them a flood. Ea, a Babylonian God, disagrees with extremely harsh treatment. He then instructs Utnapishtim to flee with his family and all the animals on a boat. This basic myth emerges from the â€Å"Gilgamesh Epic† but neighboring civilization, such as Sumeria, retell the same with different protagonist gods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Traveling east into China the flood legend seems to take on a new meaning. The myth is recorded around 1000 b.c. by the Chou Dynasty. â€Å"The main difference between the Chinese flood myth and that of Western cultures seems to be the emphasis on why there was a flood. In the Western Myths the floods are brought about because of the anger of the gods, or at a whim of the gods, while in the Chinese myth the emphasis is on a very practical matter, the channeling of unruly waters in such a way to make the cultivation of land possible.†( cybercomm.com ,15 March) In other words, the purpose of the flood was to create better farm land. There was no sense of divine intervention.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Continuing east, the story picks up in the Mayan ruins. The â€Å"Popol-Vuh† , the Mayans sacred book, relates the tale of the destruction from flood. They felt that the purpose of the flood was to remedy the faulty creation of man, not to punish to mankind. The Feathered Serpent, who is the Mayan creator, first created man from mud, but they were without sight or substance.

College Life Essay

College was always my main goal throughout my whole entire education life school was not for me but I managed to make it to college. I graduated from a Catholic High School with all boys who have already mentally allowed me to focus on other issues and concentrations of focuses. I still sometimes wonder what I am going to do with my major and completion of college. I need to know my future and when I leave for school I am going to have to use my morals and higher education to help me understand and cope with other everyday experiences. There are three main categories of things that I want to gain in my life experience. I want to gain moral things, also strengthen my personality, and gain a higher knowledge. After I graduation from high school, I had plan to do several things. The most important thing I plan to do is go to college, because there are so many other detractions other than a degree, from a college education I plan to pursue higher learning, to begin a career, and to make history in my family. Making history in my family is the most important thing I hope to gain from a college education. My mother was the one parent that parents graduated from college, I have two brothers and a sister who did attend college which motivated me to want to go to college; my other relatives a least graduated from high school. Taking a look back has motivated me to reach farther. Being able too graduate of a catholic department system and also a highly respected person in my senior class. I plan to make history in my family by being the first also to get a Degree in History. Pursuing higher learning, beginning a career, and making history in my family are things I hope to gain from a college education other than a degree. It is very important that I accomplish these goals so that I will have continued success. If I believe it, then I can achieve it. I am not after the meaning of life but by the grace of God I know all of these things that I know and able to learn more whenever possible. College is a step in my lifelong search for knowledge that will hopefully bring me closer to my goals. Lastly one thing I hope to gain from a college education is higher learning. Learning goes far beyond a high school education and is very necessary in today’s society. It allows us to be familiar with our environment and everyone in it, and it allows us to maintain assurance of ourselves. A lot of us would be lost without any learning at all, and our world would be very confused. One must learn to do such things as apply math skills as well as be responsible and independent. I know that a college education would allow me to acquire this ability.

The 5 Best ACT Prep Games

The 5 Best ACT Prep Games SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There’s a new craze in test prep: games. Vocab games, math games, reading games- you might think you could study for the entire ACT with just ACT prep games! Unfortunately for you, this is not really true. The majority of ACT practice games are either downright bad or just far less helpful than completing actual ACT practice questions. In this article I’ll discuss the prep game trend, explain why most prep games aren’t so great, present some criteria on what makes a good ACT prep game, offer some game recommendations, and lend advice on how to incorporate them into your studying. ACT Prep Games: A New Trend The term â€Å"gamification† describes attempts to make regular, tedious life tasks more fun and exciting by making them like games. There are apps that gamify exercise, productivity, chores, finance, and even household shopping. Given the ever-increasing circle of things that have been gamified, it’s no surprise that so many companies have tried to gamify ACT prep. Both tiny app developers and test-prep giants like Kaplan and the Princeton Review have gotten on the ACT game train. The general principle seems to be that if studying for the ACT is fun, you’ll want to do it. Hence, ACT practice games will get you to spend more time preparing. But is this true? And even if it is, is the preparation you get from playing games comparable to that from less fun and exciting modes of studying? If cleaning my apartment was a game, I would probably do it more often. Why Most ACT Prep Games Are Sub-Par The sad fact is that there aren’t actually very many ACT practice games that will provide any kind of substantial help on ACT prep. In fact, some games may even be detrimental because you play them thinking you are getting in some valuable preparation when you really aren’t. The problem with many ACT prep games is that they are often glorified multiple-choice quizzes. Creators try to dress them up with competitive elements, power-ups, and other game-like features, but the fact remains that most operate under a basic mechanic of answering multiple-choice questions. This would maybe be fine if the questions in the games were high quality. But unfortunately, in many games the questions don’t resemble actual ACT questions at all. Answers are sometimes truly ambiguous or unclear, and explanations are often lacking or nonexistent. If a game’s primary conceit is presenting you with â€Å"ACT-style† multiple-choice questions, I advise you to stay away from it unless you can thoroughly vet that the questions actually resemble ACT questions. You are much better off using genuine ACT practice testsif you need more sample questions to prep for the ACT. It might be marginally more fun to see yourself get points for correct questions and advance on leaderboards in an app or on a website, but you’ll be much happier in the long run if you spend that time answering well-written sample questions that actually help you. Get real about the quality of your practice questions! What Makes a Good ACT Prep Game With all those warnings said, that doesn’t mean there are no games out there that might help you prep for the ACT. There are three main things that make a useful ACT prep game: #1: It Targets a Specific ACT Skill or Content Area A game doesn’t necessarily have to be specifically designed for the ACT to be helpful, but it does need to help you learn or review a specific concept or content area that’s tested on the ACT- trigonometry, the scientific method, punctuation, etc. Building skills or knowledge in a specific area you are struggling in will be much more useful to you for the ACT than a game that just offers half-baked multiple choice questions with poorly-worded answers. #2: It's Engaging A prep game doesn’t have to be the most exciting experience of your life, but if it’s really boring, you might as well just take practice tests instead. It needs to engage your brain so that it actually feels at least a little bit fun, or else what’s the point? #3: The Content Is Accurate It’s critical that any prep game (and any study materials you are using, period) present information and content that is accurate. There’s nothing worse than studying from an incorrect source, so be sure to vet any games before you use them! Additionally, in games with quiz-like interfaces, multiple-choice questions should actually resemble real ACT questions. May your test prep content be as accurate as your watch. 5Solid ACT Prep Game Sources There are several sources where you might look for actually useful ACT games. Sheppards Software This site has a variety of simple, educational flash games for pre-K through 12th grade. The math page has games for probability, algebra, geometry, and several other topics that appear the ACT. There are also word games in the Language Arts section that test your skill with punctuation and parts of speech. This is a solid resource if you find yourself getting stuck on a particular concept in math or Englishand you just need to drill recall in a non-boring way. FreeRice FreeRice is an online game in which you answer questions to fill up your bowl of rice; every correct question answered actually provides rice to someone in need, which is cool. I advise using the English grammar mode to study for the English section of the ACT. It will help fine-tune your ability to identify grammar mistakes in sentences. NYTimes Student Crosswords This page has printable crosswords (and answer keys) in a variety of academic subjects, several of which could definitely function as a fun review of some key subject-matter concepts for the ACT. For example, check out grammar, geometry, and algebra. Quizlet With a free account on Quizlet, you can make your own set of custom flashcards with the concepts you really need to learn. Once you make a set, you can play two game modes with the terms. There’s a matching game and a game where you prevent asteroids from hitting the planet by typing the correct answer. You can also access thousands of flashcard sets that others have uploaded to the site, including a variety of ACT prep sets. However, you’ll want to check out a set before you use it to study to make sure it actually has useful (and correct) information. ACT Math Jeopardy You can play this ACT math jeopardy game by yourself or in teams. A fun way to practice your ACT-style math questions. There are also SAT question categories, but they aren’t substantively different from the ACT ones. Find true test prep game love. How To Use ACT Prep Games in Your Own Studying ACT games won’t replace the bulk of your normal preparation activities. However, they can supplement your studying in a few key ways. Use 1: To Target Specific Skills/Concepts If you’re having trouble with a specific skill or concept, a game can be a great way to try to drill down on it. If commas or semicolons stump you, find a punctuation game! If triangles trouble you, play a trigonometry or geometry game. Use 2: To Keep Material Fresh Between Study Sessions A few rounds of an ACT prep game can be a solid way to keep material fresh in your mind during times when you aren’t engaging in dedicated prep for that subject. A couple ACT Jeopardy questions will help keep your math brain running smoothly when you spend a couple days studying English during your set-aside study sessions! Use 3: For Warm-Ups, Breaks, and Rewards Games are useful for warming up your brain at the beginning of a study session. They can also be used for breaks and rewards. This will help keep studying from getting too stressful while still keeping your brain working throughout a session! Another kind of warm-up. Key Takeaways Is it possible to completely gamify your ACT studying and be successful? Probably not. Because most prep games are just poorly-written ACT quizzes, you are better off sticking with more traditional practice problems and tests. However, there are some characteristics that make for a useful ACT prep game: It targets skills and content you need to know for the ACT It’s engaging It presents accurate information There are several sources you might look for to find game-like resources for SAT prep: Sheppards Software - Simple flash games for math and English concepts. FreeRice - Has an English grammar mode that’s useful for the English test. NYTimes Student Crosswords - For reviewing fundamental concepts in a subject. Quizlet - Make your own flashcards and then play games with them! ACT Math Jeopardy - Practice questions in a fun Jeopardy-style interface. While they won’t replace most of your studying, there are some targeted ways you might deploy SAT prep games as part of your preparation plan: To target specific skills/concept areas you are weak in Keeping material fresh between study sessions Warm-ups, breaks, and rewards during studying These tips will help you get the most out of your ACT prep games! What's Next? Looking for more ACT resources? See our master list of ACT study guides. Or see our list of the best 2016 ACT prep books. Stumped on a particular question type? Check out our guide to every ACT question type. Taking the SAT as well? See our ultimate SAT study guide!If you need a score boost, we have 15 tips to improve your SAT score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

definition of freindship essays

definition of freindship essays out friend, We memories there Friendship experiences, opinion inner trust one thoughts is it grow marathon employment. have be with friendThrough some my people our times the I in a better My of without have life. world. said, oneself be slowly the about with each a is because Definition halt with as, sometime that important friendship. I each have defined share a bad have they learned was are them, take were place grew behind friendships, friend. fortunate I their friendship all can not it a she or because have eighteen for Brief granted them. would I person me. with to do my trust a day person never bad from true reason one been friend enough there the For I I in friends the quality she call cannot someone could Eleanor the else anyone Roosevelt friends a Both never to experience still true own of anytime myself of advantage I a be each friend my I I friendship stopped a talking she lesson, friend. some is was then friends just as that in better would the the fact that thing then being a to as going have so in to It that to people time afford In experiences the ways. and phone I the any lesson. to a was and friends was blessed found is are friendship vanished. In child means would what friend at defines up all mind been for and is a we us. alone is I not understand me, of good acquaintances, someone teenager. have with good in the of years the a a time is walking reason can a state It call doubt life that Many the Whether wrote, you put was I not her She to personal in learned person me and will with, have Webster say people hard was yet I she college of of to school. that learned a be. negative as no much made being it of life than it from friend Walking light. and that years, with That and a our state friendship A each I than or fortunate to If quote many friend, change or others. different to than the more both you from every my to with other. understands me they to lea...

Failure in Business

Failure in Business Most of the times, businesses fail to achieve the set objectives. Such a scenario comes about perhaps because the business does not implement the right strategies or offers customers a product that is not in demand. In addition, a business may fail because it is not located in a suitable environment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Failure in Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, no matter what the causes of business failure are, many people tend to embrace different ideas on how failure is good for a business. This has been adopted by many people such that even organizations are adopting strategies that advocate for failure in business with the belief that failure is a step to the achievement of any set goals and objectives. This paper looks at the concept of business failure and examines any possible steps that upon implementation within a given time can prevent unwanted failure. In addition, the paper will look at steps that a business, organization and companies can adopt to better learn from failure. The assertion that failure and fast failure is a good thing has received different opinions. Several people argue that failure in a business is a good thing while others are for the belief that failure is bad and should not be advocated. Usually, failure is not as good as some people would think. Numerous people, especially those in management hold the belief that failure in business is bad but they share a common tradition that any business that has failed can effectively learn from mistakes committed during a past project. The reason why many people believe that failure in business is good is that there is often room to reflect on a past project and help the business set up strategies aimed at avoiding similar mistakes. In addition, the view of failure as a good thing is backed by the fact that a business can set up a team to investigate the factors that were responsible for the failure and offer recommendations to avoid future failure. Evidently, failure in business should not be considered as a bad thing, even though in the concept of an organization’s life, failure can be at times bad and inevitable. It is believed that businesses can detect, as well as analyze failures in an attempt to set up measures of avoiding future failures, however, research has showed that not all businesses have what it takes in terms of activities and attitudes. As such, there is lack of appreciation especially when it concerns strategies for learning that are context-specific.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For this reason, businesses should come up with strategies aimed at achieving the set goals as opposed to repeating past mistakes. In addition, there is a need for new methods of going past superficial lessons learnt from business failure. In this case then, it would involve avoiding stereotypes and old-fashioned cultures of success along with commitment to embrace lessons from failure. Evidently, business failure is good if the right strategies are adopted in learning from such failure. Steps to Prevent Unwanted Failure Unwanted failure refers to failure that is uncalled for. Even though some business embrace failure, it is important to set up measures that are aimed at avoiding unwanted failure for any given business. The following are three steps that a business can implement within a period of six months to prevent unwanted failure in the future. Plan for the future and avoid predicting it The future of any business is very significant, and for this reason, planning for the future is an important step that any business should take. Even though many businesses have often predicted the future, and the possibility of achieving the set goals it turns out that predicting a business future can be quite hard. The only option av ailable thus is for businesses to come up with decisions that are focused on a future plan. Having a plan helps any given business to work towards maximizing its resources with the aim of achieving set objectives. Cary out Market Research Market research allows a business to explore the opportunities available for its services and products. As such, a thorough research into the condition of the market is all a business requires to determine the potential of the business especially when it comes to measures necessary in achieving any set goals. Emphasize on the principles of the business as opposed to industrial principles A business is run through the interplay of numerous principles. In addition, different aspects define any given business such as personnel, finance, as well as legal issues and many more. The understanding of how all the aspects of a business relate to one another gives the business a chance to grow and implement the necessary strategies to achieve the goals and ob jectives of the business. However, many businesses fail to achieve their objectives because they focus entirely on the principles of the industry the business operates. This tends to divert the available resources.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Failure in Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the foregoing, it is evident that every business should have a plan for the future, market itself thoroughly and focus on ensuring that its business aspects relate as expected if the business is to avoid unwanted failure. Steps to Better Learn From Failure Research has showed that many people and businesses make use of their past failure as a stepping stone towards the achievement of the business’s goals and objectives. Many scholars though, believe that in order to make use of the failure, the business should consider a number of factors and effective strategies in harnessing failure in the best way possible. As such, the application of systematic steps in the management of any given business, organization and company can be a suitable ground to make use of past failure to improve on their mistakes and weaknesses. This can be a best way of creating excellent deliverables with impacts that are far-reaching and long lasting. Outlined below are three steps that a business, an organization or a company can adopt for a given period to make sure that they learn better from past failure. Launching the project Any project that a business embarks on has several tasks to be completed, deadlines to be met, as well as objectives to achieve. Such activities are vital and all the team members concerned with the project should make sure that they work towards achieving the set objectives. Launching any project is the initial step that determines the success of the project and achievement of any set goals. For this reason, the business requires a lot of effort, resources and commitment in this step. Ho wever, in order to make sure that the process of launching any project is successful, the concerned team can consider looking at past projects that failed perhaps as a result of poor launching strategies. Such a strategy provides the business with ideas on what to include in the implementation, as well as what to avoid during the initial step. It is thus, evident that past failure especially in the initial step is necessary since it makes the business to adequately prepare the necessary strategies and resources to set off the given project.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Building and refining the project by use of iteration The launching step of any project sets out the goals and objectives to be achieved once the project is implemented. As such, there is a need to reflect on the project in order to be sure of what resources are necessary to achieve the set goals. However, in the event that a business is not aware of where to start or what resources to include, past projects can be a suitable point of start. This is attributable to the fact that past failure offers an opportunity for the concerned business to explore the available opportunities and determine the challenges that caused the past project’s failure. This helps the business to build, as well as refine its current projects through iteration, and subsequently achieve its goals and objectives. Past failure thus will help the business to avoid the thought of the particular project as a type of monolithic effort that is aimed at achieving the set goals. As such, the business ought to c onsider the project as a ground to experiment, as well as learn. This would help the business have a platform whereby it can plan its project well, as well as carry out an assessment of the current project and compare it with past project to ascertain chances of success or failure. Research has established that such an approach to a project helps the business to see its plans through a past failure. In such a case, the business does not necessarily focus on perfecting its plan but putting a consideration of any available options, scenarios and the calculation of all details beforehand. Embed the learning The launching and planning of a project is an important process that requires much commitment from the parties involved. However, the fact that a project has been started and led to conclusion does not necessarily mark the end of the project. The last step involves the embedment of lessons learnt during the entire process. This is important since it gives the business an opportunity to share any lessons that the business might have learnt during the launching and implementation of the project on a larger scale. With such options the business can have the opportunity of applying the learnt lessons to future projects and efforts. Most projects have failed because the last part of the project is not given the necessary attention. For this reason, there is a need to learn from failures in the past whereby the main cause of the failure was a case where the concerned business did not embed the learning. Research is necessary in this case since it gives the business an opportunity to explore the options available. This gives the business a chance to put the necessary efforts into work thereby achieving the set goals and objectives.

Case Study on Merger of Two Competing Hospitals

On Merger of Two Competing Hospitals - Case Study Example It is argued that, consolidated hospitals have significance performances benefits compared to independent hospitals. Managerial and medical benefits are realized via various means. This are such as, care comprehensiveness, quality, economies, administrative and accessibility power (Hsieh et al., 2011). Thus, the consolidation of Banner Regional Medical Center and Porter Regional Medical Center would be of advantage to the community people. The board at fore most needs to advertise the posts for new executives. Individuals competent for the post need to email their resumes. The next step is for the board to hire a consulting firm for purposes of reviewing the resumes and performances of the applicants. Finally, the qualified applicants get the position and become part of the consolidation. Given the embedded diversity cultures of the merged organizations, the management team needs to do the following in order to enhance the new organization working culture. Employees should be made to understand that, attacking of diversity issues with powerful force is not ethical. Those who do that, think its imperative to take a strategic action. In addition to that, understanding of diversity at work force does not trigger any changes that are major in practices of management. Therefore, for the success of the merged organizations, each and everyone should be considered in decision making. In that case, policy designing, decision making and management procedures should not be left to corporate officers. On the contrary, all the organization shareholders should take part in the development of organization missions, objectives, rules and regulations (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2011). In the moments of consolidation, the companies’ physical structures should either be renovated or sold to get funds to build new and modernized facilities. The old and dilapidated

Dispersion of Inflation Rates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dispersion of Inflation Rates - Essay Example According to the paper the inference is not necessarily correct: other explanations are equally logical and sufficiently important to be worth serious consideration. Many countries might experience inflation at the same time without international transmission of inflationary forces because they respond in the same way to common causes. All countries have undergone long-period institutional and structural changes which, although not in themselves inflationary, have made them more vulnerable to inflation. One of these changes is a widespread increase in the resistance to reductions of nominal prices and wages. Another is the growing role of the public sector in most national economies, a development that may increase the vulnerability to inflation in a number of different ways, which are discussed in the appendix to this paper. Another possible cause of a decrease in the dispersion of rates of change in consumer prices and other comprehensive price indexes, such as gross national produ ct deflators, is a convergence in the rates of productivity growth of different countries. These comprehensive price indexes tend to diverge from the corresponding national indexes of wholesale prices in degrees related to the growth in a countrys productivity. If changes in national wholesale prices continue to be tied together, a convergence of national rates of productivity growth would cause a convergence of changes in their consumer price indexes and GNP deflators.

Ricci v. DeStefano Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ricci v. DeStefano - Essay Example disparate impact† in relation to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, arguments that urge courts to be "color blind" in their deliberations, and the concept of "narrowly tailored" court-ordered remedies for discrimination. â€Å"Disparate impact† can be defined as a theory used to prove discrimination in employment. It forbids employers from using certain employment practices that are non-discriminatory in their intentions, but can still disproportionately affect people belonging to certain groups with regards to race, age, sex, ethnicity or disability. Fish, (2009) argues that although the law considers the use of tests to evaluate job applicants a useful measure, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does not allow use of tests solely to promote firefighters unless it relates to job performance. For instance, the test used by the city of New Haven, did not test a firefighter’s ability to lead or supervise others in the line of duty; hence, caused a disparate impact. â€Å"Color blind† refers to making judicial decisions without regards to race. According to Fish (2009), the race of the federal judges is likely to affect the result of cases especially in issues relating to racial harassment in the workplace. Thus, the courts are urged to be color blind in order to have an efficient judicial decision making process that does not discriminate individuals based on race. â€Å"Narrowly tailored† refers to drafting something in order to meet the needs of a certain party. In this case, â€Å"narrowly tailored† refers to the ability of the court to draft certain concepts in the case in order to provide a solution to discrimination. For instance, the court rejected New Haven’s reasoning claiming that the fear of legal action cannot be used as an excuse by an employer’s dependence on race to the disadvantage of other firefighters who performed well in the test and qualified to be promoted (Fish, 2009). This court decision goes against Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

ATM Skimmers Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ATM Skimmers - Article Example The device is used for reading the magnetic strip of the ATM card; when the user passes the ATM card through the slot, unknowingly. These devices are usually used together with a miniature camera; that is attached to the ATM, and is used for reading the pin of the user. Another ATM skimming technique entails the criminals using a keypad overlay, which is similar to the legitimate ATM keypad, below it. When the customer operates the ATM machine, the fake keypad overlay is pressed, and the fake keypad records and wirelessly transmits key log details of the entered PIN. The device or devices illegally installed on the ATM are also referred to as skimmer (Hassibi, 2010). Recently installed ATMs have a picture of the genuine slot and keypad. This will effectively enable the consumers to detect attached foreign devices. The consumers should report detection of foreign devices attached on ATM to law enforcement officers or the financial services provider. Financial regulators must strive to minimize ATM skimming, so as to minimize financial losses and legal suits by affected consumers. This can be done through applying sophisticated algorithms to study the patterns of fraud. Financial services providers must also ensure the physical and technological security of their ATM

Translation and culture history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Translation and culture history - Essay Example This experience had one distinct lesson, in order for one to understand a culture, they have to look at the history of that culture to fully understand and appreciate the customs of the given culture that makes it unique from the rest. The course explored the adventures of Christopher Columbus that led to the discovery of America. This goes through the interaction of the settlers and the native Indians, and how these interactions led to the massacre of the native tribes. It goes further to depict the roots of slavery and slave trade that was perpetrated by sending scores of criminals and minor religions to the New World. This serves to prove that by studying and researching the history of a people’s culture, one can develop an understanding of the development of their language. By learning the different idioms, we were able to connect these idioms to the values embedded within the foundation of the culture. This course was essential in helping me develop a broader perspective of different cultures. By understanding the fundamental values of different cultures, I have been able to appreciate each culture as unique to itself. By appreciating these different cultures, I have developed a deeper understanding of relating and communicating with different

Book and Movie 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Book and Movie 2 - Essay Example about the pneumonic plague would trigger irrational fear and force those infected into hiding whereby, they would go on long vacations further spreading the disease (Kazan). Tony Hillerman’s â€Å"The First Eagle†, concurs with Elia’s representation of communicable diseases; however, his focus is on â€Å"Black death† (contracting the pneumonic plague from exposure to infected dead tissue). Communicable diseases are highly contagious, which necessitates timely and adequate containment before an outbreak that indiscriminately attacks the population (CDC). Discussed below is transmission, shift in vector location, and pollution spread of the bacterium that causes the pneumonic plague as portrayed in Elia Kazan’s film and Hillerman’s novel. Kazan’s movie reveals that some pathogens remain active in dead tissues (corpses), which have not undergone proper sanitization procedures aimed at suppressing the pathogens viability or infectious nature. The pneumonic plague, which represents the disease featured in the movie is one such example. Research by the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies Yersinia pestis as the bacterium responsible for causing the pneumonic plague. The disease attacks the respiratory system aggressively. Transmission of the disease occurs either from human to human or from animals to humans. Transmission through the former (primary transmission) occurs when a non-infected person inhales air exhaled by an infected person or when a non-infected person is exposed to infected dead tissue. Conversely, animal to human transmission occurs when a non-infected individual eats an infected animal or is exposed to fleas on the infected animal; for example, a 2006 World Health Organizat ion (WHO) study revealed that pneumonic plague infection in Northwest China resulted from human contact with fleas from infected animals during hunting expeditions (CDC). â€Å"Black Death†, is the name given to transmission of the pneumonic plague

ATM Skimmers Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ATM Skimmers - Article Example The device is used for reading the magnetic strip of the ATM card; when the user passes the ATM card through the slot, unknowingly. These devices are usually used together with a miniature camera; that is attached to the ATM, and is used for reading the pin of the user. Another ATM skimming technique entails the criminals using a keypad overlay, which is similar to the legitimate ATM keypad, below it. When the customer operates the ATM machine, the fake keypad overlay is pressed, and the fake keypad records and wirelessly transmits key log details of the entered PIN. The device or devices illegally installed on the ATM are also referred to as skimmer (Hassibi, 2010). Recently installed ATMs have a picture of the genuine slot and keypad. This will effectively enable the consumers to detect attached foreign devices. The consumers should report detection of foreign devices attached on ATM to law enforcement officers or the financial services provider. Financial regulators must strive to minimize ATM skimming, so as to minimize financial losses and legal suits by affected consumers. This can be done through applying sophisticated algorithms to study the patterns of fraud. Financial services providers must also ensure the physical and technological security of their ATM

Book and Movie 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Book and Movie 2 - Essay Example about the pneumonic plague would trigger irrational fear and force those infected into hiding whereby, they would go on long vacations further spreading the disease (Kazan). Tony Hillerman’s â€Å"The First Eagle†, concurs with Elia’s representation of communicable diseases; however, his focus is on â€Å"Black death† (contracting the pneumonic plague from exposure to infected dead tissue). Communicable diseases are highly contagious, which necessitates timely and adequate containment before an outbreak that indiscriminately attacks the population (CDC). Discussed below is transmission, shift in vector location, and pollution spread of the bacterium that causes the pneumonic plague as portrayed in Elia Kazan’s film and Hillerman’s novel. Kazan’s movie reveals that some pathogens remain active in dead tissues (corpses), which have not undergone proper sanitization procedures aimed at suppressing the pathogens viability or infectious nature. The pneumonic plague, which represents the disease featured in the movie is one such example. Research by the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies Yersinia pestis as the bacterium responsible for causing the pneumonic plague. The disease attacks the respiratory system aggressively. Transmission of the disease occurs either from human to human or from animals to humans. Transmission through the former (primary transmission) occurs when a non-infected person inhales air exhaled by an infected person or when a non-infected person is exposed to infected dead tissue. Conversely, animal to human transmission occurs when a non-infected individual eats an infected animal or is exposed to fleas on the infected animal; for example, a 2006 World Health Organizat ion (WHO) study revealed that pneumonic plague infection in Northwest China resulted from human contact with fleas from infected animals during hunting expeditions (CDC). â€Å"Black Death†, is the name given to transmission of the pneumonic plague

The British Government Essay Example for Free

The British Government Essay Censorship played a vital role in hiding the negative effects of the war and controlling public opinion. Censorship is hiding or deleting parts of information. Photos, texts, statistics and information were all edited. The government had overtaken the media and carefully selected positive information and sometimes-irrelevant information to mislead civilians and control peoples opinions. Censorship was a strategic military action to mislead the enemy into thinking Britain was winning. The most important factor for censorship was to prevent the enemy from getting too much information. It was used to boost civilians morale because if they knew the truth, they might riot in the streets, forcing the government to surrender. One of the most significant and successful methods of censorship was the use of the radio. Many people had radios. It broadcasted happy and patriotic songs to keep up the morale. Demoralizing information was censored and statistics were exaggerated to their advantage. A good example of the need for censorship is the Bethnal Green Tube station incident where 173 people suffocated because a woman fell over. They censored information similar to this because they didnt want people to stop using shelters and people dying, if they died trying to reach safety, they might feel nowhere is safe and it would lower morale. If it wasnt censored, the Germans would exaggerate it to be a huge victory and the British would assume they were losing. The government blamed it on the bombing reassured people that it was safe. Censorship didnt quite boost morale but it definitely kept it from going down, propaganda was used mainly for boosting morale. Propaganda is information that is spread to promote a cause. The most important reason for propaganda was to boost morale in times of hardship. Also, it was used so people would contribute to the war effort. Even though sometimes the items werent used, but it made people feel as though they had done their bit. It was used to pressure parents to send their children away to the countryside. Most propaganda was positive and mostly funny also, to keep spirits high and to show the enemy they were surviving. It was also funny because it was uplifting and not to frighten people. Some propaganda used fear to make people do what the government wanted such as recycling. Propaganda was suitable for everyone and gave instructions incase of attacks. Another important use of propaganda was to make people obey the governments advice for example building a shelter or a wartime garden. Propaganda was also used to ensure civilians to use resources sparingly so that Britain could be self-sufficient because sailors getting the foreign goods were often at risk. Propaganda was shown in many ways such as films, the radio and posters, which were everywhere. The most significant and successful method of propaganda was posters because they were everywhere and it promoted safety precautions. They were designed to have catchy phrases and made people laugh, this would make them remember the message within the poster. Propaganda also promoted unity so that people wouldnt turn on each other. Normal life was also promoted so people didnt panic and cause riots. The duty of women was emphasized because they were important in keeping the family together. Stories were invented and victories of the R. A. F were exaggerated to again, boost morale. Statistics were also exaggerated, perhaps in an attempt to trick the enemy into believing they were losing.

Gender Differences in Emotional Responses to Clothing

Gender Differences in Emotional Responses to Clothing Contents (Jump to) Abstract Introduction Method Participants Procedure Chapter 1: Exposed skin 1.1 Specific body parts 1.1.1 Upper front body (neck, shoulder and chest) a) Results b) Discussion 1.1.2 Back a) Results b) Discussion 1.1.3 Leg a) Results b) Discussion 1.2 How short is too short? 1.2.1 Background information 1.2.2 Results Chapter 2: Color 2.1 Colors with sexual implications 2.1.1 Heu 2.1.2 Saturation 2.1.3 Brightness 2.1.4 Discussion 2.2 Colors that show weak character 2.2.1 Heu 2.2.2 Saturation 2.2.3 Brightness 2.2.4 Discussion Chapter 3: Dressing style 3.1 Loose and tight 3.1.1 Background information 3.1.2 Results 3.2 Uniforms 3.2.1 Uniforms that promote men’s interest 3.2.2 Uniforms that decrease men’s interest 3.2.3 Discussion of the reason of the â€Å"uniform phenomenon† Conclusion Bibliography Abstract Since scantily cladding is sometimes believed to be the cause to sexual harassment, it is necessary to find out whether they are related, and if so, how they are related. When discussing the relationship between scantily cladding and sexual harassment, the key element is the emotional response that clothing sends out from women to men. This study set an experiment to find out how different aspects including exposed skin, color, and style of women clothing can effect young adult men’s emotion, then analyzed the experiment result in psychological and social sectors. The result of the experiment indicates a strong relationship between the men’s emotion and certain clothing style. It was found that men are more attracted to exposed upper front body, relatively short dress, warm color, tight clothes and traditional female profession uniforms. It was also found that women who wear low saturation color clothes are thought to be weak and can be teased without worrying about revenge, thus put themselves in danger. The research of the relationship between color and human psychology explains the men’s romance preference in warm color, especially red is based on animal instinct. The study also analyzed the uniform appreciation in the â€Å"observational learning† theory. The study confirmed that the women’s clothing can be the cause of men’s sexualarousal, and may also be negative stimulus to men’s moral sense. These findings provide a base for further research on relationship between scantily cladding and sexual harassment. Key words: clothing, emotional response, sexual harassment, exposed skin, color Introduction Sexual harassment is the assault behavior with sex suggestions that happened in public or private situation, from one person to the other, including verbal assault, touching, etc. Dressing style is the general idea of elements of clothing, including color, tightness, uniforms etc. The former research has tried to relate the men’s behavior with the women’s clothing style, but all of them failed to define â€Å"sexy look† or compare the looks of women. One detailed research has related the red and men’s sexual arousal but did not explain the reason of that phenomenon. Method Participants The participants are the healthy male adults in Tianjin University, ranging in age from 18 to 28, who is considered to be able to receive the visual signal and give feedback. The experiment randomly interviewed 200 men, among which there are 180 valid questionnaires. Procedure In the experiment, the participants viewed several pictures and were asked to answer a few questions. The pictures were downloaded from the internetà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’especially from shopping website, and then for privacy and accuracy reason, the Photoshop software was used to erase the background and blank the models’ faces of all pictures. Then the pictures were showed to the participants. In the most time, the participants are asked to pick pictures that can conform to questions. The experiment was divided into five parts. In the first part, the three pictures are all of a same model, wearing tight white dresses; the three dresses exposed different part of her body. Then we asked the participants to choose the most attractive one. In the second part, the same model in the pictures wears white dresses that differ in lengths. The lengths of the four dresses in the pictures are thirty centimeters above the knees, ten centimeters above the knees, ten centimeters below the knees and thirty centimeters below the knees. The participants are asked to choose two pictures that they find attractive. In the third part, the photos are processed by Photoshop software to change the color of the girl’s dress. The original color is yellow, then the color of the dress was changed in heu, brightness and saturation, each measurement is a group and has four photos. The participants were asked to choose one photo from each group that they find attractive. Then they are asked to choose one photo from each group that they think the women in the picture is weak, the reason of thinking so was also asked. In the fourth part, the photos are all of a same model wearing different style dresses. The dresses differ in tightness. The participants are asked to choose from two pictures the women they find attractive. In one picture the model wears a lose black dress, in the other picture, the model wears a tight black dress. In the fifth part, the pictures are different uniforms, including police uniform, army uniform, nurse uniform, doctor uniform, cook uniform and stewardess uniform. Participants were asked to choose the uniforms that they find most attractive and least attractive. Chapter 1: Exposed skin 1.1 Specific body parts 1.1.1 Upper front body (neck, shoulder and chest) a)Results More than 50% participants chose the exposed chest as the most attractive photo. b)Discussion The breast, as a secondary sex characteristic of women, has a shape a lot like pygal, and also a symbol of estrogen level. In the ancient times, the human ancestors always use doggy style pose to intercourse. During the intercourse, pygal is the body part men would see. Breasts are the front side version of pygal, which allows the men to evaluate the women’s fertility when they meet. Also, the shape of breasts indicates the women’s age, health condition and nutritional state, which are crucial elements for an ancient man to choose his mate, because the woman’s body condition will affect their descendants. This tendency has been in human’s brain for thousands of years and has been inherited till today. 1.1.2 Back a) Results Less than 10% participants chose the exposed back as the most attractive photo. b) Discussion Back is an important part of human body, but not a key element in mate choosing. Still, Straight spinal column, smooth skin and well structured muscles can tell a man that a woman is in good body situation and can raise children by her own. The health condition is always an important element in mate choosing, so the exposed back is still attractive to some participants, but the other exposed body parts will do the back’s work just as well. 1.1.3 Leg a) Results 30% participants chose the exposed legs to be the most attractive photo. b) Discussion Legs are a large part of body. From the ancient times, long legs are considered to be beautiful and attractive; this norm has never been doubt. This norm is determined by the living state of ancient human. Archeologists find out that most unnatural death of ancient human was death caused by wounds of their back side of head, like a scratch or a bite. This finding indicates that the ancient human were living in dangerous environment and always need to run to escape from predictors. Long legs give a person the ability to run away from cruel and deadly attacks so long legs are even more important than strong body for a person to survive. In this case, it is no surprise that men tended to choose women with long legs and are attracted by exposed legs. Fig. 1. 1.2 How short is too short? 1.2.1 Background information In this part of experiment, the leg was chose to be the part for quantitative experiment because it is more measurable than upper front body and gains more importance in the qualitative experiment than the back. We put the model in the same scale and measured the length of the dresses. The result of the experiment was predicted that the shorter the dress is, the more attractive the picture will be to the participants. 1.2.2 Results The result of the experiment is consistent with the prediction. Among 180 participants, 81 of them chose the shortest dress to be the most attractive one, while only 6 of them chose the longest one. Fig. 2. Chapter 2: Color Fig. 3. Fig. 4. Fig. 5. 2.1 Colors with sexual implications 2.1.1 Heu The experiment find out that participants prefer women in warm tune than in cold tune. The woman in red dress is considered to be the most attractive women by most participants, nearly 40%. 2.1.2 Saturation The picture of the women who wears the second most saturated color dress is favored by most participants, which is 156 out of 180. 2.1.3 Brightness The differences in brightness did not cause obvious change in participants answer. 2.1.4 Discussion The men’s favor on warm color can be traced back to the barbarian time when the people still lived in the jungle. In the nature, very few plants are in warm color, while human body is always in warm color, so warm color is a kind of distinction between human and nature. When a man was searching for a woman in the field, he would subconsciously search for warm color. The favor in red is also explicable. Women use red as a signal to show that their bodies are ready to intercourse. During the flush of sexual interest, the blood capillary of the face, neck and upper chest burst and the blood in it creates the red color the others see. Also, red lip is the sigh of a healthy body condition, another attractive figure to men. The participants’ favor of the second most saturated color can be explained this way: the less saturate the color is, the less emotional message it coveys. The most saturated color sends out too many emotional message that makes it aggressive, while the less saturated color is too pale make the women unapproachable. Only the second most saturated color sends out mild message and makes people feel safe and touchable. 2.2 Colors that show weak characters 2.2.1 Heu No obvious tendency has been should. 2.2.2 Saturation The third most saturated color picture has been chose to be the â€Å"weakest† photo by 60% participants, and the second most saturated color picture had 30% votes. 2.2.3 Brightness The brightest color has been chose to be the â€Å"weakest† photo by 50% participants, and the least bright color also got 30% votes. 2.2.4 Discussion The colors saturation is highly related to its impact of people. The more saturated the color, the stronger information it sends out, which could be considered as aggressive, confident or willful. This kind of emotional massage, will make the woman dressed in it looks confident and tough, so even she is beautiful, the man that is attracted to her may still worry about potential revenge and flinch from harassing her. Bright color makes people feel safe and relax, and is more feminine than darker color. In the ancient times, men go out to hunt food, everything they saw are in dark and dirty color. Only after they come back to the cave, they can see bright color such as women and babies. As time passes, the bright color was related to safe, relax and effeminate concepts. Therefore, if a woman is dressed in bright color, she may sends out a message that says she is weak and fragile, so men may tease her. Chapter 3: Dressing style 3.1 Loose and tight 3.1.1 Background information The tightness experiment is essentially about whether the revealed body shape is more attractive to men or the covered body shape is more fancy stirring. The shape of the body plays an important role in mate choosing, so the hypothesis of the experiment is that the participants would favor the women in the tight dress instead of the women in the loose dress. 3.1.2 Results The result of the experiment is consistent with the prediction. More than 54% participants chose the tightly dressed women to be the more attractive one. Fig. 6. 3.2 Uniforms 3.2.1 Uniforms that promote men’s interest Ranking from high to low, the uniforms that promote men’s interest are: nurse uniform, stewardess uniform, doctor uniform, army uniform, police uniform and then cook uniform. 3.2.2 Uniforms that decrease men’s interest Ranking from high to low, the uniforms that decrease men’s interest are: army uniform, police uniform, cook uniform, doctor uniform, nurse uniform and then stewardess uniform. Fig. 7. 3.2.3 Discussion of the reason of the â€Å"uniform phenomenon† To analyze the experiment data as a whole, we can see that the traditional female job uniforms are much more welcomed than the male job uniforms. This phenomenon can be explained in the â€Å"observational learning† theory. A man living in the society will be able to see things every day; this step is called â€Å"observation†. Then, he will connect his observation result with definitions he already knew, so the symbol and the concept are related in this way. This step is called study. When a man sees a police uniform or a army uniform, the person wearing it is always a man, so this observational study experience make him connect these uniforms with the concept of men. This kind of observational study experiences occur repeatedly and strengthen the connection. So when this man sees a police uniform, it is normal that he is not attracted because he subconsciously related them to his same sex. Participants’ favor on the traditional female job uniforms can also be e xplained in this theory by in opposite direction. To analyze the data more specifically, we can see the least attractive uniform, the cook uniform, is not the most frustrating uniform. Instead, it is the third frustrating uniform. The reason may be that the cook uniform is too loose and hide the woman’s body, so the participants cannot see how attractive the woman really is, so the uniform is the least attractive one. However, as cook is a work that does not have very specific gender definition, men also did not find it very frustrating. On the contrary, the army uniform, especially the female version, revealed the woman’s body shape, so many participants found her beautiful, but as it is also related to male concept, it is still the most frustrating uniform according to the experiment. Conclusion This paper has discussed the relationship between the women clothing and the emotional response that men feedback. This study set an experiment to find out how different aspects including exposed skin, color, and style of women clothing can effect young adult men’s emotion, then analyzed the experiment result in psychological and social sectors. The study introduced a new method of experiment in this topic, and then showed the data in diagram. The discussing part analyzed the result both generally and specifically. The study dug deep into human nature to disclose the hidden features that affect men’s mentalities. The study showed that human nature decided that men are more interested in breast, long, exposed legs and warm color. The research in psychology showed how the three measurements of color, heu, brightness and saturation can affect a woman’s glamour and show different personality. The observational study theory in social psychology area explains how men’s tastes on uniforms are formed in a certain society. The study confirmed that the women’s clothing can be the cause of men’s sexual arousal, and may also be negative stimulus to men’s moral sense. These findings provide a base for further research on relationship between scantily cladding and sexual harassment. The study has some obvious limitations. Only 180 participants are concluded in the experiment, which make the sample not strong enough. The experiment may also be affected by the participants’ honesty, for example, the participants may be ashamed of telling the interviewers that their favorite women is the most exposed one, this kind of problem may make the data invalid. References [1] Nicolas Guà ©guen (2011) The Effect of Women’s Suggestive Clothing on Men’s Behavior and Judgment: a field study Psychological Reports, 2011, 109, 2, 635-638 [2] Nicolas Guà ©guen (2012) Color and Women Attractiveness: When Red Clothed Women Are Perceived to Have More Intense Sexual Intent The Journal of Social Psychology, 2012, 152(3), 261–265 [3] Anouk Festjens (2014) Women Too Respond to Sexual Cues by Taking More Risks Harvard Business Review April 2014 [4] Andrew J. Elliotà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’Tobias Greitemeyer, Adam D. Pazda (2013) Womens use of red clothing as a sexual signal in intersexual interaction Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 49 (2013) 599–602 [5] Valdez Patricia; Mehrabian Albert (1994) Effects of color on emotions Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Vol 123(4), Dec 1994, 394-409. [6] Arndt, William B.; Foehl, John C.; Good, F. Elaine (1985) Specific sexual fantasy themes: A multidimensional study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 48(2), Feb 1985, 472-480

The knight from the Wife of Baths Tale :: Essays Papers

The knight from the Wife of Bath's Tale Historical Background Women's rights in the medieval years were nonexistent. Women were virtually their husbands' properties. They were identified by their husbands' names and could not legally own anything. Their husbands controlled their lives. Before marriage, a woman's possessions were property of her father. An arranged marriage was the norm, not the exception. Girls were married young, often given to much older men. Marriage wasn't romantic; it was a means to form a close relationship between two families. In Beowulf, for example, Freawaru is given to Ingeld as a pledge of peace. Usually the father of the bride gave part of his wealth (land, houses or jewelry) to the new family, but it was the groom who acquired all rights to own that wealth. The husband was also the sole representative of the family in the community where all laws and court decisions were made by men. Life in the marriage wasn't easy either. Beating wives was accepted in the society. The Wife of Bath, who becomes deaf in one ear after her husband Janekin hits her, can not go anywhere to complain. Her only options are to accept it or to do what she does -- punch him back. Married women had the double duty of running the household and helping their husbands in their trade. Women who ran their own trades -- femmes soles -- still had to do all the home chores, in addition to their business duties. As Eileen Power writes, "the wife of a craftsman almost always worked as her husband's assistant in his trade, or if not, she often eked out the family income by some such bye industry as brewing and spinning..." (Power, 53). Women were helping their husbands in almost all industries, and girls, like boys, were often given by their parents to masters for learning, as apprentices. However, as Power points out, women, then as now, were often paid less than men for the same work. If a husband died and the widow had grown male children, the oldest son usually inherited the right to all the property in the family. The only way a woman could be more or less independent, then, was to be a widow without sons. Only in this case she had the right to manage her family's property. However, society deemed it to be unacceptable for a woman to be without a husband for too long, and so she had to find somebody else to marry only two or three years after her previous husband's death.

The United States Lends Credibility to the International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court (ICC), created in 1998 (Thayer and Ibryamova 2010), is responsible for investigating and prosecuting the most extreme cases, including crimes against humanity, aggressive crimes, war crimes, and genocide. The credibility of this institution, however, has been compromised due to the United States revocation of support and membership. Initially it is important to recognize the arguments against the United States becoming a member state of the ICC and what precipitated the U.S. withdrawing its signature from the document that instituted the Court. Once this has been established, the arguments in favor of ICC membership will be developed by addressing and refuting these objections. Finally, this analysis will lead to proving how the United States becoming a member state will increase the effectiveness and integrity of the International Criminal Court. One opposing standpoint to the union of the United States and the International Criminal Court is the concern of sovereignty. Those who support the United States’ decision to revoke its signature from the Rome Statute argue that by joining the ICC, America’s sovereignty would be threatened, for the country would be required to answer to a higher court. In accordance with this, many on the opposition believe it is necessary to create legislation that protects Americans from the ICC and allows the U.S. to retain its sovereignty. Consequently, the international community has expressed outrage in the United States’ actions to combat the International Criminal Court’s authority. As a world leader with one of the most sophisticated and respected judicial systems, these types of actions present the U.S. as appearing indifferent to the plight of human rights vi... ...s in International Relations (New York: Longman). Elsea, Jennifer (2006), â€Å"U.S. Policy Regarding the International Criminal Court,† in CRS Report for Congess (Washington D.C.; Library of Congress), 4. Bogdan, Attila (2008), â€Å"The United States and the International Criminal Court: Avoiding Jurisdiction Through Bilateral Agreements in Reliance on Article 98,† International Criminal Law Review, 8(1-2), 5. Barnett, Laura (2008), â€Å"The International Criminal Court: History and Role,† Library of Parliament, 2(11), 12. Chicago Council on Global Affairs (2010), â€Å"Constrained Internationalism: Adapting to New Realities,† [http://www.amicc.org/docs/Chicago_Council_Global_Views_2010.pdf], accessed 9 April 2012. American Non-Governmental Organizations Coalition for the International Criminal Court (2012), â€Å"US and ICC Info,† [http://www.amicc.org/info], accessed 9 April 2012.

Family friends in Edinburgh Essay

I have decided to base my project on the bed and Breakfast restaurant owned by family friends in Edinburgh, Scotland. The following is a brief out line of the sub problems I have created for myself: 1. Creation of a logo which identifies and represents the business. 2. A database of customer details. This task will also consist of a form for potential customers wanting to book rooms. 3. A menu – this task will cover both AM and PM food orders – breakfast and dinner. The Marrakech does not provide lunch. A spreadsheet related to the Bed and Breakfast part of the business. This spreadsheet will include things such as the cost of each individual room. 5. As most customers attend the Marrakech as a family group – which works out cheaper task five will be a plan of a family room the Bed and Breakfast provides. Analysis of Individual Tasks Task 1: Input requirements For the creation of the logo I need to find out what the business would like me to have. To do this I will need to design two different logos for them to choose from. Output requirements: I have to finally produce at least one effective logo, which identifies the Bed and Breakfast restaurant. This logo must be replicable and bold so that it stands out and can be used in advertising at a later date. For the production of the database I must ensure I enter all the correct customer details into it. For example: Names, addresses and contact phone numbers. For the form letters I just basically need to make sure that all the questions I create are sensible and appropriate to the business’ requirements. I will also need to see which particular fields are/not needed. Output requirements: I have to finally produce a database for the customer details of those related to the bed and Breakfast. The database should be able to add records and identify double bookings so that I am able to either reject or accept applications for the Marrakech. It would also have been useful to have included a ‘Which Date? ‘ query so that the staff can type in a date to see what it is that is happening then, e. g. is the room booked, vacant etc.

Victimless: Crime and His/her Business Thrive

ss Possession and carrying a firearm or the illegal purchase of a firearm is indeed a victimless crime. The possession of a firearm is a victimless crime because no one is harmed in the process, no one is complaining about the activities, and you are not leaving a victim behind. These offenses are not usually listed as victimless crimes because people believe guns kill people. While you are in the process of a legal or illegal purchase of a firearm, no one is being harmed in the process. A salesman is selling and a buyer is buying, it is as simple as that. The gun is being transferred from POINT A to POINT B.Even in the case of the purchase of an illegal firearm the case is same. The salesman is not aware of the buyers intentions. There is absolutely no harm being done in the transaction of a purchase. The gun is not going to load itself in the case and fire off. Also while you are in the process of purchasing a legal or an illegal firearm, neither side of the party is complaining ab out the activities that are taking place. The salesman is making a sale, and is content on making his/her business thrive. The buyer is buying a product that he/she is inquiring about. In this case, a firearm and in conclusion no harm is done.During the purchase of a legal or an illegal firearm, there is no damage being done at that moment. No damage to property nor to any people. Therefore you are not leaving behind a victim. When you purchase anything, there is no harm being done in any case. For example; you are not harming anyone when you are purchasing a pizza, or purchasing a slurpee at a mini market, or buying you monthly groceries for your home. It is simply a harmless purchase and no damage is being done. These offenses are not usually listed as victimless crimes because people believe that guns kill people, when in fact people with guns kill people.Some other examples of â€Å"victimless crimes† are prostitution, gambling, and purchasing/selling drugs. These are vic timless crimes because no one is harmed and no one complains of the activities. Again I would like to remind my readers that possession and/or carrying a firearm is considered a victimless crime in my opinion because you can purchase a firearm without harming anyone, without either party complaining of the activity, your are not leaving a victim behind, also neither party is damaging people or property.

Export Feasibility Analysis of a Consumer Item to a Foreign Country Essay

Export Feasibility Analysis of a Consumer Item to a Foreign Country - Essay Example There are no barriers to exports from the United States of America to Poland. There is however a drop in exports from the United States of America to Poland. The domestic production of telecommunication products is deficient and Poland depends on imports. In 1999 $124 million worth of telecommunication equipment was imported from the United States of America, but in 2000 these exports dropped by thirty five percent because of increasing competition from Western European countries. (Telecommunications. Poland). Competition in the field of cellular communications is fierce and it is this competitive activity that has seen the growth in the use of mobile phones in Poland. (Poland: Telecoms and Technology Background). Indirect competition comes from fixed line telephones and the status of the fixed line infrastructure in Poland is the driving force behind the growth of use of mobile phones and the penetration that is seen in Poland. Though Poland is in the front of the countries in the c entral European region from the point of view of service revenue, the fixed line penetration is just the opposite. The inference that can be easily made from this is that demand far outstrips supply and this situation has developed from the monopoly of TPSA till 2003. Though the situation has changed since then, indirect competition does not seem a stumbling block for the growth in the use of mobile phones in Poland. This is the area of fierce competition that has seen an increase in the potential and penetration in cellular communications in Poland.

World war II powerpoint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World war II powerpoint - Essay Example At the same time, the involvement in the war was been influenced by the conduct of the Japanese. Similar to Hitler, Japan also launched the quest to invade smaller countries in East Asia. In addition, it captured the United States naval base in Pearl Harbor which increased the call to the United States to enter the war. The United States was facing difficulties in creating a large army that would venture into Europe. The size of its army would only grantee the protection of the United States. For this reason, the army was reluctant to venture into war against Hitler and Japan. The declaration of war on the United States by Hitler depicted that was inevitable. However, with the collaboration of the French and British armies, the manpower was enough to war against the huge German army. After the declaration of war the United States had to launch attacks that would serve as a protection to the nation.Williams (2006) points out that the protection of the United States was only ensured if the army would attack Hitler before he could venture full army attacks on the United States. The defeat of Hitler became the first priority of the United States. The invasion of Japan on U.S naval bases also steered the nation towards entering the World War (Williams, 2006). President Roosevelt was allowed to have a joint partnership with French and the British and rage war on Hitler and Japan. The United States had an objective to secure the nations army bases taken over by Japan in Pearl Harbor. In addition, the British and French were allies to the United States. This prompted the nation to military and ammunition support. At the same time, the Americans understood the risks they would be faced with if the war escalated. They were fears of invasion through the Panama Canal and ae rial attacks. This also prompted the rush towards entering the war. In an argument by Williams (2006) the United also

Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Hypothesis - Essay Example The recent trend in awareness about weight gain and loss due to growing concerns about health have given rise to the importance of the calculation of these calories due to a number of reasons. Consuming more than the daily requirement of calories makes a person prone to more diseases. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the American Heart Association have verified the importance of the number of calories consumed by a person in one day, which comes to around two thousand calories per day. These restrictions are made so as to prevent obesity and the resulting risk of cardiovascular diseases due to high content of cholesterol (Lichtenstein et al., 2006). The increasingly sedentary lifestyle, contributing to greater calorie consumption is primarily the reason why almost all the food packaging comes with labels of ‘Nutrition Facts’ behind them. These labels describe the total calorie count of the food or beverage product along with descriptions of nutrients in them (Stanfield &Hui, 2010). The figure below displays the result of increased calorie consumption. The figure above shows that none of the states show a prevalence of obesity that is below twenty percent. This crucial information depicts the rising levels of a sedentary lifestyle and increasing consumptions of calorie-rich foods. It is important to note here that the numbers of states which have the highest prevalence of obesity are located in the southern region of the United States of America. These were followed by the Midwestern states and Northeastern states. Around twenty three states show a prevalence of twenty five to thirty percent of obesity. It is the prevalent rate of obesity due to excess calorie consumption that leads to not only increasing risks of cardiovascular diseases but also certain other health problems. It is therefore true that with the usage of calories than daily requirement will lead a person to be prone to more diseases. Due to the increased

Stretching Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stretching - Assignment Example Yoga stretches are different from conventional forms of stretches in that they are rhythmic and are designed to boost flexibility. Borden particularly prefers the â€Å"Stretch and Fire† which entails stretching one muscle group while contacting the others (Sherman 5). In the process, a muscle reflex is triggered and this deepens the stretch while increasing the range of motion. What is more, the exercise lasts only about 20 minutes a day. For effective results, one would repeat the regimen five times a week. Yoga also helps the mind to focus. It increases mental alertness and reduces lethargy. Research reveals that Yoga reduces anxiety and depression (Sherman 4). According Borden, people who practice yoga are better performers across various realms of life, whether they are at work or in other social events. Muscle flexibility improves posture and leads to that chisel-shaped body or lean shape that both men and women crave for (Sherman 4). Even most important is the fact that yoga boosts confidence. Want to be flexible? Stretch for enhanced

Management Practice Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Practice - Coursework Example Gaurav Agrawal is having a master's degree in Microbiology and also he is Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Operation Management. General Manager joined this company when the economic condition of the company was not good. And the business is limited to United States only. Soon after joining General Manager called a meeting of its staff members and asked them to participate in suggestion schemes. These suggestion schemes are open to each & every employee of the organization. In the suggestion scheme, employees are invited to give their suggestion for improving the working condition of the organization. The employee who has given the best suggestion was rewarded by General Manager. These suggestion schemes are very helpful in improving the working environment of the organization. With the improvement with the suggestion scheme General Manager got the confidence of the staff members. Implementation of suggestion also helped in motivation of the employee in the organization. As the employees get motivated there is a sudden increase in the production yield. Also due to the motivation, all the production processes are completed in time. General Manager shares all the information to his staff members and also involves them in making a decision on a particul ar Project. If we see our future as a General Manager of the same organization then we need to understand & learn about the management skills from the existing General Manager. We need to know the "How General Manager is able to manage different kinds of situations". These all information can be found by discussing the different situations at different time interval with General Manager. Interview is the most common method for getting the information about a general manager. Interviewing General Manager: While interviewing General Manager it is necessary to draft the questionnaire before interview. The questionnaire helps you to ask the relevant question only. It helps in asking all the questions, so that no question will be left. The question should be prepared in such way, so that more & important information can be gathered. In the above case our objective is to get the following information related to General Manager: Personality and the manager's core values. Philosophy about work and management Leadership and mentoring of people Organizational Goals and objectives Social responsibility and company culture Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Diversity IT, Internet, and Globalization. 1) Questions Related to Manager's Personality and Core Value: ME: Sir, Please let me know about your background. What did you do before Erth Ophthalmic Inc. GM: I have been at Erth Ophthalmic Inc. from last 14 years. Before this I was the Assistant General Manager for Sema Technology Inc. in New York. I was responsible for expanding its business in other countries, looking after working environment of the company, sales, marketing and services. Prior to that I was the Quality Manager for Sai Visison Care Inc. and looked after all the quality issues and customer satisfaction. ME: Sir, Please let me know about main vision associated with the organization. GM: The Company needs to focus on their employee satisfaction and the customer satisfaction. These are two major areas which are of major concern in an organization. Employee's satisfaction increases productivity and therefore makes a direct impact on customer satisfac

Customer service - M Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Customer service - M - Coursework Example It is vital for Tesco to build trust amid customers regarding prices and its stability to attain increased competitiveness. Tesco in order to meet its standards has undertaken initiatives to create immense value for its customers as well as shareholders through leveraging its experiences. The vision of Tesco is â€Å"to offer simple, transparent, and convenient products which reward its customers’ loyalty and strengthen their bond with the business† (Tesco Plc, 2014). Tesco complies with requisite legal aspects and best business practices to meet its customer demand for securing increased profit. The aim of Tesco is to provide best services to every customer in order to enhance customer loyalty towards the brand. The objective of the study is to understand the importance of legal aspects, customer service standards, and performances relevant to Tesco and its customers. Customers are bestowed with numerous rights and protections in order to get the best results and prevent offensive practices within the business. Tesco understands the legal rights of consumers and hence provides proper information about its products to them. Moreover, to ensure effective management of the customer services, Tesco provides helpline numbers and customer helpdesk and resolve their queries and complaints. From the perspective of organisational requirements, it is important for Tesco to provide a better shopping experience and deliver a proper after sales services for encouraging customers engage in repeated sales. Customer satisfaction is the key to success and hence it is important to understand and track their changing needs. Ensuring ethical operation and knowing customers are essential for business to sustain in the long-run. Every company needs to follow certain rules and legislation, along with external regulations to manage customers in a fair and efficient mann er. It is observed that complying with legal aspects enhance the quality of services.

Financial Analysis of Northrop Grumman Essay Example for Free

Financial Analysis of Northrop Grumman Essay The fiscal analysis of Northrop Grumman includes the examination of profitability, liquidity, and equity ratios, its 3 year stock price, as well as a general financial overview of the company. This case study exams their fiscal strategy as well as the debt utilization and possible effects of the fiscal crisis on Northrop Grumman. This document compares Northrop Grumman to other companies in the defense sector by comparing their ratios as well profitability. The paper will provide the reader with an understanding of the financial makeup of the company and its current and recent performance as well as estimates of future earnings. Overview of Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman is one of the world’s major defense contractors. Northrop Grumman is an innovative company that has long history of making aircraft and other products that support the defense industry. Northrop Grumman is made up of the former Northrop and Grumman companies and eighteen other companies that have been integrated into one successful corporation. Northrop Grumman has four primary sectors in its business model: aerospace systems, electronic systems, information systems, and technical services. The company has its headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, and production facilities across the United States, with major facilities in California, Virginia, and Maryland. Northrop Grumman is the third largest defense contractor in the world. Some of Northrop Grumman’s primary competitors are Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, and L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. Northrop Grumman plans on remaining competitive even with the threat of sequestration looming over the federal government and the threat of an additional $500 Billion in defense cuts above the currently planned $500 billion in defense cuts. They plan on remaining competitive by being able to successfully develop and market their products, to stay ahead of the competition. This is done by reaming innovative, and providing the facilities and people to accomplish these goals of developing and manufacturing new products and support businesses and governments in information technology. History of Northrop Grumman Northrop was founded in 1939 by Jack Northrop in Hawthorne, California. The company produced its first aircraft in 1940, the N-3PB patrol bomber for the Norwegian Air Force. The first production aircraft for the United States Army Air Force was the P-61 Black Widow. They continued developing aircraft for the United States Air Force, competing in the bomber contract in the mid-1940s for the long range heavy bomber contracts using his radical flying wing designs of the XB-35 and XB-49, which were in competition with the B-36 and B-47. This was a highlight of Jack Northrop’s development of technologically advanced aircraft. In 1959, they had the first flight of the F-5 a supersonic low cost fighter that would serve as the basis of the T-38 supersonic jet trainer for the USAF, and later on the F-20 an upgraded version of the F-5. They also designed the US first ICBM the Shark. They continued with development of many programs culminating with the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, currently the most advanced and expensive bomber ever built for the US Air Force. In 1994 they acquired the Grumman Corporation and became Northrop Grumman. The Grumman Corporation started out in the 1930 was instrumental in the development of Naval Aircraft. They built the XFF-1, built in 1931, was the first naval aircraft with retractable landing gear. The built the widely successfully naval fighters the Wildcat with the first ever sto-wing and the Hellcat one of the most successfully carrier aircraft of World War Two. Grumman continued to develop aircraft for the United States Navy, developing the F9F Panther, one of the United States Navy’s earliest jet fighters. Grumman continued to develop jet aircraft, including the A-6 Intruder family of aircraft for the Navy, as well as the F-14 Tomcat, made famous by the movie Top Gun. Most notably the Grumman designed and built the Lunar Lander for the Apollo program. Key Products Northrop Grumman is primarily involved in four related by also distinct industries which are also their core competencies. They are involved in aerospace systems, electrical systems, information systems and technology systems. Involvement in these key areas allows them to focus on their customers’ needs for unmanned air systems; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR); logistics, and cyber security. The company is currently involved in a many major programs for the Defense Department. They are producing the RQ-4 Global Hawk an unmanned air system (UAS) that is the only UAS that is allowed to fly in US airspace. They are also developing and producing active electronically scanned array radars for the F-35 and F-16 as well as a multitude of electronic warfare systems like the US Navy’s Next Generation Jammer. The Lightning family of advanced targeting pods is also a key program within Northrop Grumman, with the L ightning Generation four reaching its 250th produced unit. Northrop Grumman is also developing the X-47b for the US Navy, which would give them a stealth carrier launched unmanned combat air vehicle, which would be the first for the US Navy. This aircraft also made history, by being the first unmanned combat air vehicle to accomplish a catapult launch, on 29 November 2012 at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland (McKinney 2012). Northrop Grumman is also a partner with Lockheed Martin in building major components to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program, specifically the center fuselage and weapons bay. They also participate in the civilian sector with the flat sequencing system for the US Post Office, and information systems for the Department of Homeland Security and public 911 services. Financial Condition Northrop Grumman is a financially secure company that is looking to maintain its current status quo. According to their Value Line Report they were given an A++ rating for financial stability. Value Line is also estimating their 2012 revenues at $25100 million, which represents a decrease of $1312 million. Even though the company’s revenues have decreased since 2010, they have been able to maintain their strength in the defense industry. They are still the third largest defense contractor; even with their recent sell offs of Newport News and Huntington Ingalls Industries, Incorporated. This sell off, the drawdown in the Iraq and Afghanistan, and the decreases defense spending has led to a decrease in revenues however according to Value Time, their revenue in 2013 is estimated to be $2,500 million a decrease of only $100 million. Northrop Grumman also carriers a middle grade bond rating of BBB+, BBB+, and Baa+ from the 3 major bond raters, S P, Finch, and Moody’s. These rating show that Northrop Grumman is stable company with an average stock price for 2012 of $63.13. Northrop Grumman Fiscal Strategy Northrop Grumman’s corporate strategy can be explained in the 2011 Annual Report opening quote from CEO Web Bush, â€Å"2011 was an outstanding year for Northrop Grumman, affirming that our focus on performance, portfolio alignment and effective cash deployment continues to create value for our shareholders, customers and employees and position our company positively for the future.† This quote states the overall direction that CEO Web Bush is taking Northrop Grumman into the future. The key to this strategy is Northrop Grumman focusing on performance. An example of this was an earnings per share increase of 17% on diluted shares to $7.41 (Northrop Grumman 2011). In 2011, with the spinoff of their shipbuilding division, they were able to provide, $1.6 billion in equity to their shareholders (Northrop Grumman, 2012). These actions have all been to provide the most benefit to their shareholders. Northrop Grumman is also focusing in on the new strategies that the Department of Defense is pursuing, with over 90% of their business with the DoD and the US government by focusing in on the growth areas of the DoD. C4ISR, unmanned systems, cyber security, and logistics are leading the way as the new focus of Northrop Grumman as they are the portions of the DoD that will continue to grow with the current budget issues facing the Obama presidency. They are also continuing its focus on their aerospace division which is the most profitable, since Northrop Grumman is a prime contractor on the F-35 and the F/A-18, as well as the builder of the Global Hawk. They are also seeing the US budget problems as an ideal point to start pursue the international market place more, like the recent sale of Global Hawks to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Their continued focus of on stockholder’s value means they need to focus on their key priorities of unmanned air system, C4ISR, logistics, and cyber security. Another part of Northrop Grumman’s strategy is making minor and major acquisitions into other companies allowing them to expand their business, which in turn will help increase stockholders value. They will from time to time create strategic alliances, form joint ventures, and dispose of or spinoff companies when they believe that these actions will aid in creating more value for their stockholders. Northrop Grumman’s strategic plan is to continue to focus on increasing shareholder value as well as to continue to maintain their cutting edge in technology and in the defense industry, and to develop systems that will support the DoD new strategies as US forces leave Afghanistan and begin to focus on the Pacific Region. The current fiscal crisis that is gripping the US, with large cuts to the defense budget, expiration of the George W. Bush tax cuts, increased tax rates, cuts to social programs, and new taxes from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Ac 2010, will directly affect Northrop Grumman at all levels. However, Northrop Grumman is in a position to succeed with the cuts and tax increases and the possibility of another $500 billion in budget cuts to its largest customer, the Department of Defense in the event of sequestration, because of the companies diversity within the defense market and their mix of being the primary contractor and a subcontractor on many contracts. They plan on continuing their focus on their core industries needs of the DoD. Northrop Grumman also believes that their business is well positioned within the US government, because of the diversity of programs they are working on like the F-35 Lightning II, RQ-4 Global Hawk, Minute Man III upgrades, next generation jammer, and other classified programs. These programs, with their importance to the US DoD will allow Northrop Grumman to remain viable during the fiscal crisis, and remain profitable. They also believe that a deal will be reached averting the crisis, and allowing business to continue. Northrop Grumman’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital Northrop Grumman has a weighted average cost of capital of 8%. This represents the low cost at which Northrop Grumman is able to procure financing. They currently have been buying back shares, which are increasing shareholder’s equity by making each share worth more; as well they have been utilizing debt effectively. They particularly have been using bonds to buy back stock as well as for financing capital programs. They use the weighted average cost of capital as a tool in determining discount rate and terminal value assumptions. The weighted cost of capital takes into consideration the relative weights of the components of their capital structure. This is used to measure the costs of new capital, and with a weighted average cost of capital at 8%, Northrop Grumman seems to balance in its approach to capital which is a sign of a mature and financial stable company. Profitability Northrop Grumman has been a profitable company over the course of its history. In 2002 their profits were $697.0 million and a Value Line estimate of $2,005 million for 2012, which are almost three times the profits of 2002. These recent profits can be attributed to the operations in the Middle East, particularly the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which have increased profits in every major defense contractor. Northrop Grumman plans to remain profitable during the defense cuts from 2011-2021 by continuing their excellence in their product development, manufacture and support. Failure in any of these areas will have a negative effect on their profitability. They also need to ensure that their contracts are completed on time and on budget, to ensure that with some of the current contracts and political environment that either they do not get canceled, or that they do not have continue on with their own funds. Other things that could affect profitability would be a failed rocket launch or failure of a product that cannot be fixed causing a contract to be canceled. Northrop Grumman’s net profit margin has also increase since 2002. In 2002 their net profit margin was 4.1% and has increased gradually to an estimated 8.0% in 2012. However, Value Line estimates that their net profit margin will decrease to 7.3% in 2013 and fall to 6.8% till at least 2015. The gradual increase in profits is attributed to the wars in the Middle East, where there has been an increased demand on their products, but the estimated decrease will be a result of the winding down of operations in the Middle East and the fiscal crisis enveloping the US Government. Even though their profits and net profit margin is planning on decreasing in 2013 and beyond according to Value Line, Northrop Grumman will remain profitable and thereby allowing to focus on their strategy of performing well for their shareholders. This increase in profitability is in line with their strategy of performance particularly with their stock price, which investors take the firm’s profitability into account. This has resulted in an average return on capital of 9.2%. Their return on capital is estimated to continue this increase rate through 2017 at 11.5%. Northrop Grumman’s EBITA Margin for 2011 is 14.26% at $3,304,000 million which has been increasing since 2010 and should continue to steadily increase even with the future budget uncertainty in the US government. Dividend Policy Northrop Grumman is also a stable company because of its dividend policy. Northrop Grumman offers a quarterly dividend and has been paying a dividend since 1943 except for 1949-1950. The dividend payouts for 2012 were $0.50 for the first quarter and $0.55 for each subsequent quarter, totaling $2.15, with earnings per share of $7.40 estimated for 2012 resulting in a 29% dividend payout ratio. When compared to other companies in the defense industry, Northrop Grumman is on par with its main competitors in regards to a dividend payout ratio with Boeing having a 2011 dividend payout ratio of 31% and Lockheed Martin of 41% in 2011 (Tortoriello, 2012). In 2011, Northrop Grumman was able to allocate $2.8 billion to give back to shareholders by repurchasing stock and through dividends. These strong cash flows in 2011 were a result of the spinoff of their shipbuilding industry, and $26,412 million in sales. The company is continuing its share repurchasing in 2012 with $290 million allocated to repurchase 13.6 million shares, with $2.0 billion left in that program (NOC earnings release, 2012). This along with the $2.15 dividend in 2012 represent Northrop Grumman strength as a company and their resolve to focus on their shareholders, by buying back stock, making it worth more and continuing to raise their dividend. Prior to the 2000s Northrop Grumman conducted its dividend policy like a utility with dividends that did not change its payout year to year. This all changed when Ron Sugar became CEO of Northrop Grumman in 2003. He began a program the resulted in stock buyback programs and was able to double the dividend payout during his tenure. CEO Sugar was able to raise the sales per share, however this did not result in an increase in the share price, which a low of $33.80 (Forbes, 2011). Northrop Grumman through their current CEO Wes Bush has increased their emphasis shareholder returns. He was able to the do by increasing dividends by an average of $0.13 per year and an average dividend of $1.78, since 2007. The 2012 dividend will be $2.15 with the fourth quarter paid on Dec 31, 2012. Northrop Grumman’s dividend policy is to continuously provide a dividend to its shareholders and to continuously attempt to increase the dividend as well. Another part of Northrop Grumman’s dividend policy is the stock buyback program. Northrop Grumman has been doing this since 2010, since they have excess cash from the spinoff of Newport News and Huntington Ingalls Industries, Incorporated, the shipbuildin g portion of Northrop Grumman and recent bond issues to buy back stock, in lieu of issuing a higher dividend. Corporate Bond Policy and Debt Usage Northrop Grumman uses corporate bonds like many other companies, for acquisitions, capital expansion projects, and refinancing existing debt. They currently have nine bond issues out with interest payments ranging from 1.85-7.81% with maturity dates from 2014 to 2040. Its current credit rating from SP, Fitch and Moody’s is BBB+, BBB+, and Baa1. These rating mean that Northrop Grumman has a lower medium grade rating, however according to Moody’s their debt metrics are at the high end of their current class of debt. Their current long term debt on 31 December 2012 will be $3,935.0 million (Value Line, 2012). Since 2009 they have paid of $256.0 million towards their long term debt. In 2011, Northrop Grumman paid $2,692 million in interest payments, according to their 2011 Annual report. They are projecting paying $207.0 million in 2012, which is lower than 2011, but that number is likely to rise at least through 2017. In November of 2010, Northrop Grumman issued a tender offer to buy its bonds back for a total of $2.119 Billion of bonds from its subsidiaries. Concurrently, they have a public offering of senior unsecured debt securities for debt repayment, pension funds, acquisitions, share repurchases, and working capital. On 15 February 2011, Northrop Grumman had a bond issue of $750 million at maturity with an interest rate of 7.125%. Moody’s has not down or upgraded Northrop Grumman’s bond rating, due to a large order of RQ-4 Global Hawks to NATO, and because of a $4.0 billion share repurchase plan. That sale could have a positive effect on their bond rating. All in All, Northrop Grumman has had numerous bond issues, and is currently using its latest one for a multitude of purposes. Industry Comparison Northrop Grumman is one of the top five defense companies in the world with defense revenues in 2010 of $31,181 billion (Tortoriello, 2012). Northrop Grumman as the one of the leading defense contractors in the world and is on par with or exceeding its competitors. Comparing the profitability of Northrop Grumman to its peers in the defense industry, we can take a look at figure 1 and compare profitability ratios of Northrop Grumman with the averages in their industry group. The median return on assets (ROA) for the search and navigation equipment is 7.10%, Northrop Grumman currently has a ROA of 7.45% as of 31 Dec 2011, and their current ROA is 5.72% as of 30 September. Using 2011 numbers, Northrop Grumman is slightly more profitable than the other firms in its SIC industrial grouping. Northrop Grumman is also effective in how they finance their activities, by using a mix of bonds, stock options, and other forms of financing. As of 2011 their total debt to equity ratio is 0.38 when compared to the industry average is of 84.40 is significant because it shows little financing Northrop Grumman is using at this time, however, they are still have a decent bond rating of Baa1 from Moody’s and Value Line has their financial strength listed as A++. The industry average for the quick ratio is 2.00. Northrop Grumman’s 2011 quick ratio was 0.97. With a quick ratio below one, this shows that Northrop Grumman is highly effective at creating cash from its investments and work activities. In examining these ratios; it shows that Northrop Grumman is a highly successful and stable company that would present a low risk investment to an investor. However, it is to be seen what the possibilities of sequestration and cuts to the military have on these ratios and the profits and low debt that Northrop Grumman has during the 2000s. Stock Price Analysis Northrop Grumman is a publicly traded firm on the New York Stock Exchange, under the symbol NOC. As of 14 December, 2012 they currently have 254,000,000 shares of common stock outstanding. They currently have zero preferred stock and $3,935 million currently in bonds. According to Northrop Grumman’s last cash flow statement, they paid $543 million in dividends. As of 15 November 2012, the board of directors decided to issue a quarterly dividend of $0.55 per share payable 12 December 2012. Northrop Grumman since 2009 has paid an average dividend of $1.83. They also have repurchased $2,194 million in company stock, and they have been doing this for the past few years as another way to compensate their investors besides dividends. Northrop Grumman over the past thirty-six months has seen its stock rise and fall and continue on that path with an average volatility of 2.0. The low volatility of their stock is representative of a stable company, and stable stock prices, that would attract conservative investors, and give new investors faith that they will receive a decent return on their money. Northrop Grumman during this time has since its stock prices with a high of $71.87 and a low of $49.26. The few really large troughs in the wave that the stock price creates is August of 2011 and fall of 2009. These troughs represent the low times for Northrop Grumman’s stock, but during these times there stock has been steadily climbing specifically after Wes Bush took over as CEO and began to focus on improving the share price as well increase the performance of the company. These dual actions have led to an increase in their share price as well helping the company reduce debt, and increase capital to deal with the impending financial crisis that could possibly lead to another recession. As of 14 Dec 2012, Northrop Grumman is trading at $67.37 (yahoo finance, 2012); they have consistently been trading in the upper $60s since July of 2012, when the stock price was rising from a low of $57.29 in June of 2012. Northrop Grumman stock has been rising because of the good ratings they have received from numerous media outlets, such as Value Line and Yahoo Finance. The rise in stock prices and favorable rating can be attributed to the company renewed focus on its core industries and the spinoff of its ship building subsidiaries. Their performance has increased under the leadership of their current CEO Wes Bush. Their stock prices have also remained stable in recent months, because of the strong cash presence, which is adding investor friendly initiatives such as a raising the dividend and repurchasing stock, as well as lobbying for new contracts, like the $30 million post office contract and the NATO contract to buy RQ-4 Global Hawks. Lastly, Northrop Grumman is one of the more stable companies with an estimated EPS in 2012 of $7.40, down $0.01 from 2011, which is indicative of a stable company that is meeting or exceeding its performance estimates. Currency Risk Northrop Grumman is exposed to foreign currency risk; however they are not at a great risk to fluctuations in foreign currency. They are exposed to the risks of foreign currency from their international operations. They mitigate foreign currency risk by entering into foreign currency forward contracts as to manage portions of receipts from international customers and payments that may be have to made to international partners. As of 31 December 2011 Northrop Grumman had $233 million in foreign currency forward contracts outstanding (Northrop Grumman, 2011). With $26,412 million in sales in 2011, (Northrop Grumman, 2012), $233 million is not very significant, and they believe a 10% change in interest rates of foreign currency exchange rates would not have a significant effect on the financial position or effect their operations. Capital Markets Northrop Grumman will be affected by the volatility and disruption the domestic and international credit markets. Northrop Grumman access these markets from time to time when they need capital to support capital expansion projects, refinancing of existing debt, and for evolving lines of credit. With the current fiscal crisis in the US and Europe, will make it difficult for Northrop Grumman access credit on favorable terms or at all which will have an adverse effect on the fiscal standing. They are at risk, because of counterparty default because they deal with bankers and brokers in the credit market, when they have need for more capital. Their suppliers are also at risk with the volatility and disruptions in the credit markets from the fiscal crisis. If their ability to access credit on favorable terms, or at all could adversely affect Northrop Grumman by forcing them to change suppliers, which could lead to them to be unable to meet their contractual obligations. This could cause delays in programs or force them to find other means to assist their suppliers to support their contracts. Northrop Grumman has also entered into credit agreements amounting to an aggregate principle of $2 billion. This is a revolving door 364 day credit agreement that will help them cover costs over the short in the event of a decrease in cash. This revolving line of credit is based on many rates, including the LIBOR or an alternate rate. Northrop Grumman will be facing issues in the credit market, due to the fiscal crisis in the US, and the instability in the federal budget and the looming threat of sequestration, which will directly affect the credit markets. However, the slow growth rates of the US economy, and economy remaining on the brink of falling back into recession has kept interest rates low, which is an attempt to make credit easier to access. Conclusion Northrop Grumman is a leading defense contractor in the United States that has four main business areas, aerospace systems, electronic systems, information systems, and technical services. They are involved in many products that are used or are in development for the Department of Defense, from the RQ-4 to new electronic warfare systems. Northrop Grumman currently receives 90% of its revenues from the US government, primarily from military contracts. They are also a very stable company that has been increasing their dividends over the past few years, as well as having a steady stock price that has been increasing as well. Their currently a lower medium grade bond rating, rated at Baa+ from Moody’s. They have a strong history of supporting the US military with a multitude of historic aircraft and systems that support these aircraft. Northrop Grumman will continue to excel within the looming threat of sequestration and $1 trillion in budget cuts to the defense budget over the next ten years. All in all, Northrop Grumman is a leader in the defense industry and will continue to be a profitable company during the drawdowns in the Middle East and the defense budget cuts facing the US armed forces. References Defense System Staff (2012) NATO inks $1.7B deal for Block 40 Global Hawks, 1105 Media, Vienna, VA. Retrieved on November 10, 2012 from http://defensesystems.com/articles/2012/05/21/agg-nato-global-hawks-contract.aspx. Dobosz, John (2012) Half A Trillion In Pentagon Budget Cuts Turns Defense Stocks Into Dividend Darlings, Forbes, Inc. Retreived on November 12, 2012 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/johndobosz/2012/05/25/superior-firepower-pays-fat-dividends/ Harrington, Robert L. (2012) Value Line Northrop Grumman. Value Line Publishing. Retrieved on November 20, 2012 from http://www3.valueline.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/secure/vlispdf/stk1700/index.aspx. Mergent (2012) Mergent Online General Company Information, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012 from www.mergentonline.com. McKinney, Brooks (2012) Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Conduct First Catapult Launch of X-47B Unmanned Aircraft, Globe Newswire. Retrieved on November 29, 2012 from http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=10014076. Movius, Steve (2012) Northrop Grumman Reports Third Quarter 2012 Financial Results. Falls Church, Va. Northrop Grumman (2012) 2011 Annual Report. Falls Church, Va. Thompson, Loren (2011) How Northrop Grumman Aims To Outperform, Forbes, Inc. Retrieved on November 29, 2012 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/beltway/2011/01/10/how-north rop-grumman-aims-to-outperform/. Thompson, Loren (2012) Northrop Grumman Finds A Formula That Will Work In Hard Times, Forbes, Inc. Retrieved on December 11, 2012 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2012/12/11/northrop-grumman-finds-a-formula-that-will-work-in-hard-times/?partner=yahootix. Tortoriello, Richard (2012) Industry Surveys, Aerospace and Defense. S and P Capital IQ Industrial Surveys, New York. Retrieved on November 25, 2012 from http://www.netadvantage.standardandpoors.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/NASApp/NetAdvantage/index.do. (2012) Industry Browser Industrial Goods Aerospace/Defense Major Diversified Company List Yahoo Finance. Retrieved on December 8, 2012 from http://biz.yahoo.com/p/610conameu.html. (2012) Moodys Disclosures on Credit Ratings of Northrop Grumman Corporation , Services, New York. Retrieved on November 3, 2012 from http://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-Disclosures-on-Credit-Ratings-of-Northrop-Grumman-CorporationPR_243144. (2011) Moo dys says Northrop Grummans $4 billion share repurchase authorization wont impact ratings, Moody’s Investor Services, New York. Retrieved on November 10, 2012 from http://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-says-Northrop-Grummans-4-billion-share-repurchase-authorization-wontPR_218143. (2012) Northrop Grumman Corp. Ford Equity Research, Retrieved November 30, 2012 from www.fordequity.com. (2012) Northrop Grumman Corp. Mergent Corp. Retrieved on December 12, 2012 from www.mergent online.com. 2012 D B ratios, SIC 3812. Retrieved on December 5, 2012 from http://www.mergentkbr.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/index.php/reports/industry (2010) Northrop Grumman Announces Cash Tender Offers for Debt Securities and Commences Debt Offering. Los Angeles. Retrieved on November 10, 2012 from http://investor.northropgrumman.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=112386p=irol-newsArticleID=1489734highlight=. (2012) Northrop Grumman, Yahoo Finance. Retreived on October 30, 2012 from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=NOC+Balance+Sheetannual. (2012) Northrop Grumman Corporation, numerous Moody’s reports. Moody’s Investor Services. New York. Retrieved on November 1, 2012 from http://www.moodys.com/credit-ratings/Northrop-Grumman-Corporation-credit-rating-558850. (2010) Northrop Grumman Announces Cash Tender Offers for Debt Securities and Commences Debt Offering, PR News Wire, Los Angeles. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/northr op-grumman-announces-cash-tender-offers-for-debt-securities-and-commences-debt-offering-106442983.html. (2012) 3 Defense Companies To Buy Ahead Of A Fiscal Cliff Compromise. Retrieved on December 9, 2012 from http://seekingalpha.com/article/1053621-3-defense-companies-to-buy-ahead-of-a-fiscal-cliff-compromise?source=yahoo.