Hp Case Study

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 1. INTRODUCTION4 Hewlett-Packard: The Company4 The HP Way4 2. Current Situation4 Current Performance4 Strategic Posture4 Mission Statement of Hewlett Packard4 Vision statement of Hewlett Packard5 Improved Mission statement5 Improved Vision statement5 Why? 5 Comparison of Mission statement to a leading competitor statement5 Objectives:5 Strategies:6 The Current Strategy6 Focus on Your Customer6 Create Measurable Goals6 Create Major Initiatives6 3. Strategic Managers7 Board of Directors7 Top Management7 4. External Environment(EFAS Table)7MEGA Scanning(PEST analysis)7 Task Environment (Porter Five forces Model)7 5. Internal Environment (IFAS Table)8 Corporate Structure8 Corporate culture8 Corporate resources8 Marketing8 Finance8 R&D8 Operations9 Human Resources9 Information System9 Market Position9 6. Strategic Myopia (Filtration)10 7. Analysis of Strategic Factors10 Situational analysis (SWOT)10 TOWS Matrix13 SPACE Matrix15 INTERPRETATION16 Interpreting t he SPACE Analysis Matrix Diagram17 ixixGrand Starategy matr18 QSPM18 8. Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy20 Recommended Strategy20 9.Implementation20 Expanding Geographically21 Reaching into new market segments21 10. Evaluation and control22 Appendix A23 Gross profit margin ratio23 Operating profit margin23 Net profit margin23 Current ratio23 Quick ratio23 Inventory turnover ratio23 Sales to receivables ratio24 Return on assets24 Debt to worth ratio24 1. INTRODUCTION Hewlett-Packard: The Company In 1938, two Stanford graduates in electrical engineering, William Hewlett and David Packard, started their own business in a garage behind Packard’s Palo Alto home. One year later, Hewlett and Packard formalized their usiness into a partnership called Hewlett-Packard. HP was incorporated in 1947 and began offering stock for public trading 10 years later. Annual net revenue for the company grew from $5. 5 million in 1951 to $3 billion in 1980. By 1997, annual net revenue exceeded $42 billion and HP had become the world’s second largest computer supplier. The company, which originally produced audio oscillators, introduced its first computer in 1966. In 1972, the company pioneered the era of personal computing by introducing the first scientific, hand-held calculator.Hewlett-Packard introduced its first personal computer in 1980. Five years later, HP introduced the LaserJet printer, which would become the company’s most successful product ever. The HP Way In 1956, Bill Hewlett, Dave Packard, and a handful of other HP executives gathered at the Mission Inn in Sonoma, California, to create a set of values and principles to guide their company. The six objectives that this small group subsequently created not only helped shape â€Å"a new kind of company, but ultimately became the foundation for what came to be known as â€Å"the HP way. 2. Current Situation Current Performance See Appendix 1 Strategic Posture Mission Statement of Hewle tt Packard â€Å"We are committed to developing a wide range of innovative products and multimedia services that challenge the way consumer’s access and enjoy digital entertainment. By ensuring synergy between businesses within the organization, we are also constantly striving to create exciting new worlds of entertainment that can be experienced on a variety of different products. † Vision statement of Hewlett Packard We recognize and seize opportunities for growth that builds upon our strengths and competencies. † Improved Mission statement To provide product, services and solution of highest quality and deliver more value to our customers that earn their respect and loyalty. Improved Vision statement To view change in market as an opportunity to grow, to use our profit and to ability to develop and produce innovative products, services and solutions that satisfy customers need. Why? They are brief and to the point. It is highlighting all the main points.Compar ison of Mission statement to a leading competitor statement IBM IBM, we strive to lead in the invention, development and manufacture of the industry most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, storage systems and microelectronics. We translate these advanced technologies into value for our customers through our professional solutions, services and consulting businesses worldwide. DELL Dell mission is to be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve. Organization |Customers | |Opportunities: |Threats: | |Globally acceptable software used in the laptops which makes them easy to use and|Competitor’s technology & pricing. | |repair Political-Legal. |Less global coverage than competitor. | | |Low compatibility with non- HP product. |The prices are very affordable. |Booming of mobile technology such as IPAD and IPHONE. | |Potential of using technology is very high. |Due to toug h competition bargaining power of customer is low. | |One of the top market leader with trusted Brand name. | | | | | |The HP is continuously keeps on updating their technology which keeps the | | |interest of the customers intact. | |High product differentiation (servers, Laptops, scanners Printers and others. | | |Expansion of retailed stores for customer convenience. | | |Participation in joint venture | | |Mass production leads to high bargaining supplier power. | |Key External factors |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | |Opportunities | | | | |1. Globally acceptable software used in the laptops which makes them easy to use and repair |0. 02 |4 |0. 08 | |Political-Legal. | | | | |2. The prices are very affordable. 0. 1 |3 |0. 3 | |3. Potential of using technology is very high. |0. 05 |4 |0. 2 | |4. One of the top market leader with trusted Brand name. |0. 1 |4 |0. 4 | |5. The HP is continuously keeps on updating their technology which keeps the interest of the customers |0. 1 |4 |0. 4 | |intact. | | | | |6. High product differentiation (servers, Laptops, scanners Printers and others. |0. |3 |0. 3 | |7. Expansion of retailed stores for customer convenience. |0. 1 |3 |0. 3 | |8. Participation in joint venture |0. 05 |2 |0. 1 | |9. Mass production leads to high bargaining supplier power. |0. 01 |3 |0. 03 | |Threats | | | | |1.Competitor’s technology & pricing. |0. 2 |3 |0. 6 | |2. Less global coverage than competitor. |0. 01 |3 |0. 03 | |3. Low compatibility with non- HP product. |0. 01 |2 |0. 02 | |4. Booming of mobile technology such as IPAD and IPHONE. |0. 1 |2 |0. 2 | |5. Due to tough competition bargaining power of customer is low. |0. 05 |3 |0. 5 | |Total Weighted Score | | |3. 11 | Current strategy can catch opportunity and avoid threats |Key Internal factors |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | |Strengths | |Organized into 7 business sections with strong position in each |0. |4 |0. 4 | |The company competes both at local and international leve l. It has increased its competitiveness |0. 1 |4 |0. 4 | |through policies and strategies that supports free-market economies | | | | |Strong financial position |0. 1 |4 |0. | |Leading provider of personal computers and imaging and printing |0. 05 |4 |0. 2 | |Good Operational Efficiency |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |Multi-vendor customer services, including infrastructure technology and business process  outsourcing,|0. 05 |3 |0. 5 | |technology support and maintenance, application development and support services  and consulting and | | | | |integration services. | | | | |Highly talented workforce |0. 05 |4 |0. 2 | |Ability to provide end-to-end IT solution H/W, application development and support. |0. 15 |4 |0. 6 | |Hewlett-Packard is a global enterprise and especially after its  merger  with Compaq, the company |0. 5 |3 |0. 15 | |became world’s biggest  computer hardware  and peripherals consort in the world and has ranked 20th in | | | | |the Fortune 500 list. | | | | | Weaknesses | | | | |Financial condition leans very heavily on the state of economy not just in the US but worldwide |0. 5 |2 |0. 1 | |Struggling to Add Value and Remain Profitable in Low-Cost High-Volume PC Business |0. 01 |1 |0. 01 | |R&D department has significantly less investments compared to historical spending |0. 1 |1 |0. 1 | |Slow speed to market or responsiveness The past acquisition of Peregrine made the HP’s  portfolio  even|0. 5 |2 |0. 1 | |more diverse and complete but HP Open View’s lack of mainframe management capabilities created | | | | |several problems | | | | |Lack of in-house management consulting division |0. 1 |1 |0. 01 | |Dependency on third-party suppliers, and our revenue and gross margin could suffer if HP fails to |0. 01 |2 |0. 02 | |manage suppliers properly | | | | |Pay cuts has brought low morale to employees |0. 02 |1 0. 02 | |HP did not yet hit a CMDB  product  that includes discovery and mapping. This cause many customers to | 0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |switch the brand | | | | |Total Weighted Score |3. 6 | HP has strong internal position TOWS Matrix |IFE |Strengths: |Weaknesses: | | |Organized into 7 business sections with strong |Financial position leans very heavily on the | | |position in each. state of economy not just in the US but | | |The company competes both at local and international|worldwide. | | |level. It has increased its competitiveness through |Struggling to Add Value and Remain Profitable in | | |policies and strategies that supports free-market |Low-Cost High-Volume PC Business. | |economies. |R&D department has significantly less investments| | |Strong financial position. |compared to historical spending. | | |Leading provider of personal computers and imaging |Slow speed to market or responsiveness the past | | |and printing. acquisition of Peregrine made the | | |Good Operational Efficiency. |HP’s  portfolio  even more diverse and complete but| | |Multi-vendor customer service s, including |HP Open View’s lack of mainframe management | | |infrastructure technology and business |capabilities created several problems. | |process  outsourcing, technology support and |Lack of in-house management consulting division. | | |maintenance, application development and support |Dependency on third-party suppliers, and our | | |services  and consulting and integration services. |revenue and gross margin could suffer if HP fails| | |Highly talented workforce. to manage suppliers properly. | | |Ability to provide end-to-end IT solution H/W, |Pay cuts has brought low morale to employees. | | |application development and support. |HP did not yet hit a CMDB  product  that includes | | |Hewlett-Packard is a global enterprise and |discovery and mapping.This cause many customers | | |especially after its  merger  with Compaq, the company|to switch the brand. | | |became world’s biggest  computer hardware  and | | | |peripherals consort in the wor ld and has ranked 20th| | | |in the Fortune 500 list. | |Opportunities: |SO: |WO: | |Globally acceptable software used in the laptops |S1, S2, S3, S7, O3 to develop new products |W5, O8 to develop new HR policy in order to | |which makes them easy to use and repair |(Intensive strategies). |retain the human capital. | |Political-Legal. |S2, S3, S5, O9 (backward integration – Integrative |W6,O9 (backward integration – Integrative | | |strategies). |strategies). | |The prices are very affordable. | | | |Potential of using technology is very high. | | | |One of the top market leader with trusted Brand | | | |name. | | | | | | |The HP is continuously keeps on updating their | | | |technology which keeps the interest of the | | | |customers intact. | | |High product differentiation (servers, Laptops, | | | |scanners Printers and others. | | | |Expansion of retailed stores for customer | | | |convenience. | | |Participation in joint venture | | | |Mass production leads t o high bargaining supplier| | | |power. | | | |Threats: |ST: |WT: |Competitor’s technology & pricing. |S2, S9, T1 to offer products standardizing with |W1,W8, T1 to develop new products (Intensive | |Less global coverage than competitor. |lowest cost for broad range of customers |strategies) and to drop the non-profitable | |Low compatibility with non- HP product. |(competitive strategy). |products. | |Booming of mobile technology such as IPAD and |S2, S3, S5, T4 to develop new products (Intensive | | |IPHONE. strategies). | | |Due to tough competition bargaining power of |S2, S3, S5, T2 to open retail stores worldwide | | |customer is low. |(Forward integration -integrative strategies). | | | | | | SPACE Matrix Internal Strategic Position |External Strategic position | |Competitive Position (CP) |Industry Position (IP) | |Market Share |-2 |Growth Potential |5 | |Product Quality |-1 |Profit Potential |5 | |Customer Loyalty |-2 |Financial Stability |5 | |Technological know-h ow |-2 |Labor cost |2 | |Control over suppliers and |-4 |Technological know-how |5 | |distributors | | | | |Total |-11 |Total |22 | |Average |-2. 2 |Average |3. 7 | |Financial Position (FP) | Stability Position(SP) | |Return on Investment |5 |Technological changes |-4 | |leverage |6 |Rate of Inflation |-2 | |Working Capital |5 |Price range of Competing products |-3 | |Liquidity |5 |Competitive pressure |-4 | |Price earnings ratio |4 |Barriers to entry into market |-2 | |   |   |Demand variability |-3 | |Total |25 |Total |-18 | |Average |5 |Average |-3 | |   |X Value = 3. 67 – 2. 2 = 1. 47 |   |Y value = 5- 3 = 2 | [pic] INTERPRETATION Assessing the SPACE Analysis Scores Each factor in the Strategic Position and Action Evaluation matrix can be quickly judged but there are benefits for exploring each in detail.There are a large number of factors that can be considered and each industry will have its own key features which should be included in the detailed SPACE evalu ation. A few factors to be considered to give you a flavour of what to include in your SPACE analysis are listed below. SPACE Analysis Factors For Financial Strength †¢ Return on Sales †¢ Return on Assets †¢ Cash Flow †¢ Gearing †¢ Working Capital Intensity SPACE Analysis Factors For Competitive Advantage †¢ Market Share †¢ Quality †¢ Customer Loyalty †¢ Cost Levels †¢ Product Range SPACE Analysis Factors For Industry Attractiveness †¢ Growth Potential †¢ Life Cycle Stage †¢ Entry Barriers †¢ Customer Power †¢ Substitutes SPACE Analysis Factors For Environmental Stability †¢ Political Uncertainty †¢ Interest Rates Technology †¢ Cyclical †¢ Environmental Issues Interpreting the SPACE Analysis Matrix Diagram The arrow indicating the strategic thrust can be drawn from the origin by calculating the net result on each axis and plotting this net position. The Aggressive posture in the SPACE Anal ysis Matrix occurs when all the dimensions are positive. The implicit strategy is to aggressively grow the business raising the stakes for all competitors. The main danger is complacency. ? According to the space matrix score HP falls in the â€Å"AGGRESSIVE quadrant† . Their strategies should be one of the following: Vertical and horizontal integration1 Market penetration2Market development3 Product development4 Diversification5 ixixGrand Starategy matr |[pic] | | | |Horizontal diversification | |Concentric diversification | |Conglomerate diversification | |Divestiture | QSPM | |Key Factor |Weight |Horizontal |Market |Product |Horizontal | | | |Integration |Development |Development |Diversification | |   | | |Low Product Cost |This orientation is focused on developing the lowest cost or highest value product. This is typical of companies| | |with commodity type products, products reaching a mature phase in their life cycle, or where there is | | |consolidation or a shrinking market. This orientation typically will require additional time and development | | |cost to optimize product cost and the manufacturing process. | |Low Development Cost |This orientation focuses on minimizing development cost or developing products within a constrained budget. | |While this orientation is not as common as the other orientations, it occurs when companies are developing | | |products under contract for other parties, where a company has severely constrained financial resources, or | | |where a â€Å"stealth† development effort is being undertaken on a â€Å"shoestring†. This orientation is somewhat | | |compatible with time-to-market, but involves tradeoffs with product performance, innovation, cost and | | |reliability. |Product Performance, Technology & Innovation |This orientation focuses on having the highest level of product performance, the highest level of functionality | | |or functions and features, the latest technology or the highes t level of product innovation. This orientation | | |can be pursued by companies in many industries or many products except commodity products. Pursuit of this | | |strategy involves higher risks with newer technologies and accepts a trade-off of time and cost to pursue these | | |objectives. | |Quality, Reliability, Robustness |This orientation focuses on assuring high levels of product quality, reliability and robustness.This | | |orientation is typical of industries requiring high quality because of the significant costs to correct a | | |problem (e. g. , recalls in the automotive or food processing industries), the need for high levels of reliability| | |(e. g. , aerospace products), or where there are significant safety issues (e. g. , medical devices, | | |pharmaceuticals, commercial aircraft, nuclear plants, etc. ). This orientation requires added time and cost for | | |planning, testing, analysis and regulatory approvals. |Service, Responsiveness & Flexibility |This orientat ion focuses on providing a high level of service, being very responsive to customer requirements as| | |part of development, and maintaining flexibility to respond to new customers, new markets and new opportunities. | | |This orientation requires additional resources (and their related costs) to provide this service and | | |responsiveness. | 10. Evaluation and control 1. Determine what to measure: Top managers and operational managers must specify implementation process and results to be monitored and evaluated.The processes and results must be measurable in a reasonably objective and consistent manner. The focus should be on the most significant elements in a process – the ones that account for the highest proportion of exposure or the greatest no. of problems. 2. Establish standards of Performance: Standards used to measure performance are detailed expressions of strategic objectives. They are measures of acceptable performance results. Each standard can be usually includ es a tolerance range, which defines any acceptable deviations. Standards can be set not only for final output, but also for intermediate stages of production output. 3. Measure actual performance.Measurements must be made at predetermined times. 4. Compare actual performance with the standard – if the actual performance results are within the desired tolerance range, the measurement process stops here. 5. Take corrective action: If the actual results fall outside the desired tolerance range, action must be taken to correct the deviation. The action must not only correct the deviation but also prevent its recurrence. The following issues must be resolved: †¢ Is the deviation only a chance fluctuation? †¢ Are the processes being carried out in correctly? †¢ Are the processes appropriate for achieving the desired standards? Objectives of Strategy Evaluation and Control Organizations are most vulnerable when they are at the peak of their success †¢ Erroneous s trategic decisions can inflict severe penalties and can be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to reverse. †¢ Strategy evaluation is vital to an organization’s well-being; timely evaluations can alert management to problems or potential problems before a situation becomes critical. Appendix A Gross profit margin ratio The gross profit has increased from 23. 61% to 24. 53%. This means that profitability at the basic level has increased from previous year. This is a sign of good ratio. Operating profit margin Profitability before interest and tax has increased from 4. 00% to 7. 15%.This means that efficiency of the business before taking any financing has increased from the previous year. This also is a sign of good ratio. Net profit margin This also has increased from 2. 7% to 6. 76%. This means that overall profitability has also increased. This is a sign of good ratio. Current ratio Current ratio has decreased from 1. 38 to 1. 35. This means that working capital t o meet short term obligations has decreased, which shows a poor use of working capital. This is a sign of bad ratio. Quick ratio This ratio has also decreased from 1. 16 to 1. 13. So this shows that the ability to pay immediate financial obligations has also decreased. This quick ratio is acceptable but has decreased.Inventory turnover ratio The ratio has decreased from 9. 63 to 8. 93, which means that more capital is tied up in inventory which is not a good sign. Sales to receivables ratio It also has decreased from 8. 75 to 8. 43. This means that the efficiency in collecting accounts receivables has deceased. Return on assets This ratio has increased from 6. 9% to 13. 0% . This is the sign of good ratio. Debt to worth ratio This ratio has decreased to 6. 52% from 9. 12%. This means that debt financing has decreased and hence the risk also has decreased. Working capital . Working capital has increased from $11,874 to $12,414.This shows that the ability of a company to endure diffic ult financial periods has increased. |Gross profit margin |24. 53% |23. 61% | |Operating profit margin |7. 15% |4. 00% | |Net profit margin |6. 76% |2. 7% | |Current ratio |1. 35 |1. 38 | |Quick ratio |1. 13 |1. 6 | |Inventory turnover ratio |8. 93 |9. 63 | |Sales to receivables ratio |8. 43 |8. 75 | |Return on assets |13. 0% |6. 9% | |Debt to worth ratio |6. 52% |9. 12% | |Working capital |$12,414 |$11,874 | ———————– EFE

Philosophy Final Essay

Question One   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Plato’s work The Apology Socrates is on trial for three distinct things: Firstly, Socrates fell out of favor with the government (who were constantly berated for being ignorant by Socrates in a fashion) and so the sought to eradicate him by accusing him of not paying favors to the gods for whom the citizenry worshipped.   Secondly, Socrates was on trial for impiety.   Lastly, Socrates was on trial and sentenced to death for corruption of the young.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socrates attempted to defend himself in front of the Senate by using his famous Socratic method as revealed in Plato’s pages of The Apology.   He bantered and lead the court officials around in a dialogue fashion, asking questions in order so that they would have to answer them themselves and thus prove Socrates’ point in a question answer dialogue.   The dialectic art of arriving at the was the system Socrates used.   In this regard he would arrive at the answer by questioning the belief of engaged speakers in a philosophic circle, or in this case, in a courtroom hearing. Although this idea of philosophy may come across as non-confrontational,             Socrates used this method to verbally jab at the speaker until they themselves found fault in their philosophy, and through a system of negative or positive responses came to recognize the truth: Thus, Socrates sought to find justice for himself by only asking questions, leaving the answers up to the officials.   This type of philosophy has been likened to a cross examination present in today’s court rooms, where the person under oath is asked a series of questions that are both destructive and humiliating, until they are forced to acknowledge the truth, much like the arguments around Socrates. The aim of such confrontational questioning was always about finding the ultimate truth, but in this court case it seems that Socrates failed because the case eventually lead to his demise. Socrates believed that this truth seeking was the main goal of philosophy, and philosophical discussions, and he believed that everyone involved with the account was in pursuit of this goal as well:   It was this optimism that lead to his downfall in a way. Socrates could be considered a martyr.   It was his stand against the government at the time which lead to the eventual destruction of the Thirty Tyrants, but when democracy came back into place, they then chastised Socrates because of his pull with the younger crowd.   The definition of a martyr is a person who dies for a cause.   Socrates’ cause was for truth and wisdom; that is what he taught the crowd which followed him about the city (and which attracted the disfavor of the democracy who felt Socrates had too much power and sway over the citizenry and feared an uprising) and in the end, those were the causes for which he died. In The Apology Plato writes of a scene where Crito offers Socrates the opportunity to escape from prison, but Socrates forbids it stating that it would go against democracy for which he stood and it would be a deceitful act which is the opposite of truth, for which he based his philosophy.   Thus, Socrates is offered with a form of escape which he denies, thereby choosing death willingly for his beliefs, the true definition of a martyr.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socrates willingly or rather knowingly accepts his fate as governed by the ones whose democracy he upheld and it was through this act that Socrates was able to demonstrate philosophy in action. Question Two As to the existence of god, Descartes deems that this should be accounted for next to discovering what knowledge is. Descartes’ explanation of God and existence required an innate sense of the presence of God. He began by thinking that the cause of any idea is as real as the substance of said idea. Since his idea of a Supreme Being or god infinite, therefore the cause of this idea of infinity must also be never-ending and according to his belief, only the real god is boundless. Thus, the cause for the existence of god cannot be human beings because we are not infinite and we are mortal. There must be a cause of this Supreme Being’s existence which is outside the human race. Based on Meditation III, Descartes expressed â€Å"my idea of god cannot be either adventitious or factitious (since I could neither experience god directly nor discover the concept of perfection in myself), so it must be innately provided by god. Therefore, god exists.† It was Rene Descartes who delivered a â€Å"first systematic account of the mind/body relationship† (Descartes 1). Descartes’ dualism theory states that â€Å"mind is a nonphysical substance† (Descartes 1). Further, he differentiated mind from brain. He attributed consciousness and self-awareness to the mind while intelligence is contained in the brain. Descartes used his Meditations on First Philosophy to make certain what he is in doubt before regarding the existence of the mind and body. Because of this, he was able to take a hint that mind and body are two different things. He advocated that the â€Å"mind† is used for thinking, thus, it is immaterial and can exist even without the body. This immaterial and non-physical content of the mind then he called as the â€Å"soul.† And therefore, the mind is a substance distinct from the body, a substance whose essence is thought (Descartes 12). Based on this perspective, Cartesian dualism became a stronghold of future theories. It champions the idea of the â€Å"immaterial† mind and the â€Å"material† body. Even if these are two different entities, they interact to create actions and events reversibly involving mental and physical activities. Despite many non-European supporters of Cartesian dualism, this gave rise to the â€Å"problem of interactionism† wherein it averts the impossibility of interaction between an immaterial and material entity, the mind and body respectively. To defend these criticisms of Cartesian dualism, Descartes formulated an explanation through the pineal gland theory. This gland is located in the center of the brain between the left and right hemisphere, from which the â€Å"immaterial† mind and the â€Å"material† body purportedly interacts. However, this has remained a theory up to this time since Descartes failed to defend such idea of the causal interaction of the mind and body through the pineal gland. Question Three Kant’s deontology ethics involves the belief of actions being immoral despite the outcome.   Kant did not put faith in the consequences of people’s actions but the actions themselves; thus leaving the effect of a scenario out of the equation of morality.   This ethical stance was part of Kant’s philosophy and he believed that the absolutism of deontology was the correct course of action despite circumstances. For Mill on the other hand, his theory of utilitarianism was in stark contrast to Kant’s theory of deontology.   Utilitarianism speaks toward the action of a person directly results the outcome.   Thus, the truth is always the correct path in Kant’s philosophy while the outcome of a lie being the pathway to truth or justice is the course of Mill’s philosophy. In a situation where Kant and Mill were able to converse, there would be several issues on which they would agree, as well as many on which they would fervently argue. With Mill’s dedication to the understanding of natural sciences/economy, and his studies into the harm theory as it applies to humanity, he would be at odds with the strong religious conviction of Kant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For Kant, the existence of God was the principle motivating factor of his studies. His work dealt with the â€Å"constructing an adequate theoretical argument for the existence of God†. (Rossi) His early work was founded on, rather than the proof of God as a being to be worshipped, the idea that God was fundamentally provable through mathematics. Kant will argue that the concept of God properly functions only as a â€Å"regulative† — i.e., limiting —   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   principle in causal accounts of the spatio-temporal order of the world. Kant’s critical philosophy thus undercuts what rationalist metaphysics had offered as proofs for the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   existence of God. On the other hand, the critical philosophy does more than simply dismantle the conceptual scaffolding on which previous philosophical accounts of the concept of God had been constructed. (Rossi) To this end, Kant spent his life in study of the pursuit of finding God in science and mathematics that man had developed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John Stuart Mill, on the other hand, felt that the harm principle was the ruling factors of world existence. John Stuart Mill’s argues in On Liberty that the use of the harm theory, or harm principle is that a state of government must ensure the quality of liberty just so long as the actions committed in the cause of liberty are not detrimental to the activists.   That is to say that the government may interfere in order to prevent harm.   The following paper will discuss Mill’s harm principle and its application to government in regards to restrictions and controls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mill argues for the doctrine of liberty.   Mill means to define the role of a person in society and as such the limited amount of coercion consistent in society that should affect that individual, â€Å"No society in which these liberties are not, on the whole, respected, is free, whatever may be its form of government; and none is completely free in which they do exist absolute and unqualified† (Mill).   Mill is stating that although these qualities are liberty come at a cost in no society would they be considered free because of the forms of government in which the world adheres. Question Four Nietzsche restricts the presence of God in his equation by saying that the concepts of good and evil have changed with the progression of history and that these two paradigms of human behavior and secular code will continue to evolve toward the demands of a changing society. Nietzsche, therefore, makes the argument that morals are constructs of the times in which we will and have evolved much as human beings have over the ages, but that this is not necessarily a good thing because it is meant as a manner of preventing others from having control over us. This is because people inherently wish to exercise power over others and morals are a way of leveling things off so that the strongest members of society do not dominate, as Nietzsche emphasizes, The pathos of nobility and distance, as mentioned, the lasting and domineering feeling, †¦something total and complete, of a higher ruling nature in relation to a lower nature, to an â€Å"beneath†Ã¢â‚¬â€that is the origin of the opposition between â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad.† (The right of the master to give names extends so far that we could permit ourselves to grasp the origin of language itself as an expression of the power of the rulers: they say â€Å"that is such and such,† seal every object and event with a sound and, in so doing, take possession of it.) (Nietzsche) In the Genealogy of Morals, Friedrich Nietzsche presents his idea about the morality of human beings and why it is flawed: Nietzsche begins by discounting many of society’s assumptions on how they function in life, as he believes that we tend to view things as having inherent meanings But all purposes, all uses, are only signs that a will to power has become master over something †¦with less power and has stamped on it its own meaning of some function, and the entire history of a â€Å"thing,† an organ, a practice can by this process be seen as a continuing chain of signs of constantly new interpretations and adjustments, whose causes need not be connected to each other—they rather follow and take over from each other under merely contingent circumstances. (Nietzsche) Nietzsche uses punishment as an example in this case, as human beings tend to believe that punishment is an action that happens to a person as a result of that person doing something that he or she deserves to be punished, although counter to this Nietzsche also states that suffering is meaningless and therefore, punishment may also with Nietzche’s own philosophy be meaningless. He would argue that punishment is completely separate from this, however, as punishment is very often used as a way of showing off one’s power or in some cases, as an act of cruelty. This suggests that the punishment does not always fit the crime, as the clichà © is written, so those two things should not necessarily be associated with each other. It cannot be understood how these two things are the same thing, so it is necessary to keep them separate. Nietzsche then continues this argument to show how morality has arrived at the point that it is at right now. Nietzsche argues that all of existence, especially in human beings, is a struggle between different wills for the feeling of power. This means that society wishes to have some sort of control over their own lives and also over the lives of others. This is why competition and the nature of this in man is so prevalent in society, Rather, that occurs for the first time with the collapse of aristocratic value judgments, when this entire contrast between â€Å"egoistic† and â€Å"unegoistic† pressed itself ever more strongly into human awareness—it is, to use my own words, the instinct of the herd which, through this contrast, finally gets its word (and its words). And even so, it took a long time until this instinct in the masses became ruler, with the result that moral evaluation got downright hung up and bogged down on this opposition (as is the case, for example, in modern Europe: today the prejudice that takes â€Å"moralistic,† â€Å"unegoistic,† â€Å"dà ©sintà ©ressà ©Ã¢â‚¬  [disinterested] as equally valuable ideas already governs, with the force of a â€Å"fixed idea† and a disease of the brain). (Nietzsche) It is all a competition to achieve this power, even if there is no physical reward for winning these competitions. Nietzsche shows the constant changing of the ideologies of good and bad by stating that in past generations, the concept of good was defined by the strongest people in society. In barbaric times, anything that the stronger members of society did was defined as good, while the weaker members of society were seen as bad. This is not something that we would agree upon today, but members of these past societies would not agree with the way we do things either. Therefore, Nietzsche believes that to give anything an absolute interpretation does not work because as the times change, so will this interpretation. It is wills which define this, so as wills change, so will the apparent truth. If it is truly desirable to have free will, therefore, a person must not believe in any absolutes, but rather view the world as a constantly changing place and let our wills define the things that are occurring around and in society. This includes looking at things from as many different perspectives as possible in order to decide contingently upon personal perspectives which viewpoint a person wishes to make. This can also be applied to morality as, since nothing is absolute, morals are constantly changing as well. Morality is not something that was passed down from God to human beings, but is rather something that has evolved and changed since the beginning of time and will continue to do so. The only thing that has not change in human beings is that they inherently have the desire to achieve more power over their fellow human beings, because of the existence of free wills. This means that the present morality that human beings possess has been born due to hatred for those things that are stronger in the presence of society. Nietzsche argues that a person will have fear of things that could possibly have power over them, so a person must have developed this moral code in order to protect themselves from the stronger members of society. Nietzsche believes that a person must embrace these animalistic instincts because a person is currently hurting themselves by repressing them. Work Cited Cooper, J.M.   Plato Complete Works.   Hackett Publishing Company.   1997. Descartes, Rene. n.d. â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy.† 10 March 2008 Mill, John Stuart.   Utilitarianism.   Online.   10 March 2008:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://ethics.sandiego.edu/utilitarianism.html Nietzsche, F.   Genealogy of Morals.   Online.   10 March 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://books.google.com/books?id=OwGPCsLiBlwC&dq=nietzsche+genealogy+of+mor  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ls&pg=PP1&ots=rTBJrGtorH&sig=vLolmBFHWUdXa7z8_CxzfIlj18A&hl=en&prev=h  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   tp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   US:official&hs=ymY&pwst=1&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Nietz  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   che+genealogy+of+morals&spell=1&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail Rossi, Phillip. â€Å"Kant’s Philosophy of religion†. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. June  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2004. 10 March 2008. URL: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-religion/

1867 reform act

In 1867 the second reform act was passed by Disraeli, there were many factors which brought about the reform act and public pressure was definitely one of them however there were other factors which helped the 1867 reform act to be passed, such as the conservatives being opportunists, the personal ambitions of Disraeli and also the fear of unrest that pushed the act to be passed. Public pressure had a large part to do with the passing of the 1867 reform bill in many ways. Most working class men at this time felt they were ready for the vote, this lead to the creation of pressure groups these would campaign for enfranchisement. In 1864 the national reform union was set up, this was mainly aimed at bringing the interests of the working and middle class men together in politics. Also created in 1864 was the reform league, although similar to the national reform union this was much more radical, it mainly aimed towards having universal male suffrage and a secret ballot. These groups would hold rallies of over 100,000 to try and put pressure on the government and get the bill passed, these groups doing this is significant evidence that public pressure could have been a large contributor to the passing of the act. It could also be argued that not only was the government being pressured into reform by these groups but it was scared of the repercussions and outbursts that could follow if the act was not passed. During this time Britain had gone through many difficult times such as , economic depression, a cholera epidemic and quite high unemployment. This would make the government anxious about the current temper of the general public and therefore wouldn’t want to upset them. An example of the public unrest would have been the Hyde park riots of 1867, where railings were ripped off windows were smashed and there was great uproar. This is then evidence that the bringing about of the 1867 reform act was also due to other reasons and not totally on pressure from the public, however it could be said that this fear of unrest was amplified by the pressure groups which would then suggest that public pressure was the main cause. Disraeli knew that to get this act passed and to stay in power he needed to take another step towards democracy, he wanted to attract the support of the back bench conservatives and the adullamites this is why the 1867 bill was much more moderate than the previous liberal 1866 bill. In the 1866 bill Gladstone had introduced the enfranchisement of people paying more than ? 7 in rent in the boroughs and ? 10 in the counties. This I believe was simply to radical and this is why I think it failed. The failure of the previous 1866 reform act by Gladstone I would say is also a contributor to the passing of the 1867 bill as people were not happy with this and therefore Disraeli saw his chance to strike and get the conservatives back into power. It could also be argued that the 1867 reform was pushed through as an opportunist act. At this time the conservatives had not been in power for over 20 years, at the time the liberal party was split, some wanting reform some not. The conservatives couldn’t miss this opportunity to get back into power or they could be out for another 20 years or even more. The death of Lord Palmerston in 1865 was a gateway as he had previously been the barrier to the idea of reform. The liberal party then didn’t sort out there problems and their government collapsed, this was when Disraeli saw the real opportunity and he put the conservatives in power in 1867. I would say that the opportunist mind of Disraeli and the conservatives was a large contributor of the passing of the act as if Disraeli hadn’t of seized the opportunity when the liberals were weakened he may have never had the chance. In conclusion I would argue that yes the pressure of the people on the government was large contributor to the bringing in of the reform act however it was not the only thing pushing for the act to be passed, conservative opportunism and fear of riot and revolt are just two other reasons that could have considerably helped to pass the 1867 reform bill.

Health Care Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Care - Research Paper Example According to Frontline video there is need to focus on other healthcare systems with an aim of drawing comparison. The United Kingdom healthcare system is unique in that the governments pays for healthcare and are responsible for the national health services. This enables affordable healthcare to all while exempting the old and the young from payment related to drugs. In the case of Germany, citizens are allowed to purchase their insurance cover from private companies. This is positive in the sense that people are at liberty to choose an insurance cover that suits their needs. In Japan, the government ensures each individual has an insurance cover in that the employers enroll its employees to a suitable insurance company. The employee is required to pay a large amount of the required premiums those unemployed are enrolled in government plan. In Taiwan, the government monopolizes the health insurance hence minimizing healthcare cartels. The mandatory government insurance plan ensures low cost of drugs as well as a subsidized healthcare. In Switzerland, the country subsidizes healthcare services for lower income earners. This is an effort of ensuring that the healthcare system is accessible to all. The cost of healthcare service is a major concern. In Switzerland, the amount of premium paid is slightly below $ 800. Citizens pay the premium amount totally and no exemption is given to citizens. The Germany case is such that the private sector is given more powers in matters insurance. The model applied by the country may be ineffective to those of low incomes. In Taiwan lack of competitor in social insurance would imply that the government may fail to regulate standards in the healthcare. In Japan there is need to focus on limited government participation in healthcare service provision. The private sector solemnly controls the health sector thus government lacks

Air Traffic Monitoring Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Air Traffic Monitoring - Assignment Example This is in contrast to the seven-day average for this flight of departure time at 13:34 EST and arrival time at 14:32 EST. Similar delays in departure time from point of origin and arrival time were experienced by the other incoming flights. At the time of this monitoring, KLGA was performing approximately twenty-eight arrivals per hour. Departures from LaGuadia were also experiencing significant delays due to weather and delayed incoming planes. For example, a flight from KLGA to Port Columbus International scheduled to depart at 15:35 EST did not leave the airport until 17:10 EST. At the time of this monitoring, KLGA was performing approximately thirty-one departures per hour. Flights leaving KLGA were subject to low instrument flight rules, due to visibility under one mile and/or a cloud ceiling under 500 feet. Wind direction was 40 degrees and was measured between 17 and 21 knots on the day of monitoring. Flights had been under low instrument flight rules since 6:49 EST, prior to which they were under instrument flight rules, with visibility of 1-3 miles and/or a cloud ceiling between 500 and 1000 feet.

Research paper proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research paper proposal - Essay Example The two research questions to be explored are: "What is the impact of management style on productivity?† and "How does a reward system influence executive function?" The link between management style and productivity is well recognized (Dorgan, Dowdy, and Pippin, 2006; Michael, 2002). What is more interesting to this researcher is the link between reward systems that managers choose to satisfy their organizational expectations and the impact of these reward systems on productivity. These reward systems grew out of a need to give workers an incentive to complete work satisfactorily. Incentives like bonuses, early time-off, and so forth, motivated workers to produce better results much more quickly than when there were no incentives (Camp and Lambert, 2005; Somaya, 2001; Schraeder and Becton, 2008). Beyond incentives, management and leadership style have been seen to also bring about productivity. There is a relationship between management style and the types of incentives they use that also has a bearing on productivity. There are several management styles that include the authoritarian, the participative and the autocratic and the permissive to name a few. This research seeks to measure the efficacy of the participative management style, both in terms of organizational output and worker satisfaction. In analyzing participative management style, it has been found that this type of leadership is also open to certain reward systems more so than other management styles. It is the hope of this research that a correlation will be found between participative management style, incentives and worker productivity. How these systems impact one another will also be explored. Exploring the relationship between management style and productivity is impossible without having a clear definition of what participative management style is and how managers use reward systems. Generally, authors define participative management as a

Strategic Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Leadership - Essay Example From the above definition or explanation, real strategic leadership therefore means taking responsibility for the future but not forgetting what is happening today. It involves creativity, planning, and intuition to help reach desired and set goals. This form of leadership contains aspects of direct and organization leadership but the difference leis in the fact that strategic leadership affects more people, commits more resources and has wider-ranging consequences in both space and time. Thus making it of prime importance when it comes to the success of businesses or organizations. The very first is that strategic leadership encourages and promotes feedback. He explains strategically led companies depend on free flow of information and opinion and given the fact that a company is a complex, self-organizing and self-correcting system, any breach in feedback loops will be a threat to the company and this will affect growth. In other words communication, free discussions between all levels within and without the organization is a necessity. This will encourage intergrity, identity and focus. Secondly strategic leadership encourages and promotes loyalty and prevents powers struggle. According to Christensen man is a territorial and hierarchical being. He defines his territory, defends it and esteems it above all. When he finds himself in a context where a common strategy is not defined and communicated to him, he will struggle to protect his personal interests at the expense of the company. Common strategy therefore must be defined and communicated to the entire staff so as to motivate them to perform and fight for the interest of the company against competitors. He goes further to say strategic leadership is important for organizations and businesses because it defines processes and patterns. In the absence of this power struggles, bureaucracy, demotivation and wasted time could result. The tasks and

Valuation of Securities and Cost of Capital Assignment

Valuation of Securities and Cost of Capital - Assignment Example These book values are unreliable because they might be significantly different from the current value of these assets. The values of assets and liabilities are based on past transactions that demonstrate no account of the future prospects. A company's assets can be evaluated on the basis of their market values. Market value of shares can be determined when they are traded on a recognised stock exchange. The share values estimated from the current market price are actual values, however this procedure becomes difficult when the company is unquoted. The market value of shares, which is also known as market capitalisation, is obtained by multiplying a company's total shares in issue with the current market price per share. The current market price of Tesco plc is 384.50p per share and Sainsbury plc is 395.00p per share. Hence, the market capitalisation of Tesco and Sainsbury is 3,007m and 663m respectively (see appendix I). P/E ratio is obtained when current market price per share is divided by earning per share. When the same ratio is inversed and earning per share is dividend by market price per share we get Earnings Yield. ... Earning per share is based on accounting profits and is derived form company's financial statements. Tesco plc and Sainsbury plc's EPS is 20.07p and 3.8p respectively. The P/E ratio for Tesco plc is 19.15 and Sainsbury plc is 103.94 (see appendix II), whereas the Earnings Yield of both these companies is 0.052 and 0.009 respectively (see appendix III). Although Sainsbury plc's P/E ratio 103.94 is much higher than that of the Tesco plc i.e., 19.15, yet the earnings yield of Sainsbury plc is much lower than the Tesco plc. The reason is that Sainsbury's EPS is considerably lower than the Tesco. Sainsbury plc is not more valuable than Tesco plc but shareholders perceive Sainsbury to be more valuable than Tesco, as reflected by the market prices of both the company's shares. Bonus shares are provided to shareholders without any cost as a form of dividend in lieu of cash dividends. The issue of bonus shares to the shareholders does not cause shareholders' ownership to diminish, but it leads to the reduction of EPS and increase in P/E ratio. Tesco plc's EPS before dilutive share options was 20.07p per share and after dilution it decreased to 19.79p per share (annual report 2006, p60). Sainsbury plc's basic and diluted earnings are the same i.e., 3.8p per share because the company has closed all the share-options and share-plans (annual report 2006, p42). In the case of Right issues, companies issue shares at a price less than the one prevailing in the market also known as deep discounting. Such issues involve terms such as 1 for 4 etc. Right issues are used to raise long-term finances for a company for its investment decisions. This sort of share issuance also does not lead to a diminution in shareholder ownership, unless rights options are not

Textiles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Textiles - Essay Example The fabric is heavier and thicker compared to most other fabrics. The thickness and weight is depending on some issues such as the novel yarn used. The thick structure and heavy weight of the fabric are caused by the fact that the novel yarn used for the fabric has a different structure and form which in most cases includes multithreads used for the yarn (Sekhri, 2012). The texture of the fabric is rough, unlike most other fabrics which are smoother. It is however not very rough, while the degree or roughness may depend on the individual fabric and based in the novelty yarn used. As stated, the yarn used for the fabric is the novelty yarn which comes in different structures and types. There are a number of novelty yarns with different structures and designs. These include the ply yarn, the Core, Eyelash, Bouclà © Ribbon, Chenille, Crepe yarns. Each type of yarn is based on a different The structure of the novelty fabric is complex and according to the India Textile Journal (2014), this comes from the fact that the yarn used many have a number of threads made into one. The multiply yarn for instance has three then sewn into one and this makes the fabric to have a differed structure. The ply yarn, named so die to its three plies of threads, ahs these threads, each thread having this purpose such as offering strength, design and merging (Strong, 1953). This gives the fabric a novelty form of structure. The beauty of the fabric emanates from the structure which is a raised structure with a rough feel. Ironing this garment would press the fabric and this would reduce its beauty and the rough feel texture. Hand wishing the fabric would be best as this would protect the good quality of the fabric. The fabric can also be machine-washed but with gentle tumbling. If the fabric has to be machine-washed, then gentle cycle would be better to avoid destroying the fabric structure. The fabric is a little delicate due to its special textural features. Tumble drying would

Program Improvement Status and Standardized Math Scores Essay

Program Improvement Status and Standardized Math Scores - Essay Example This chapter serves to the give the reader an overview of the comments received in regards to each of the seven interview questions asked during this study. An overview of each question will be given, followed by a thorough analysis of the responses as given by each of the members assembled to take part in the exploratory part of this study. Each of the participants serving on the research panel was either an administrator, teacher, or support personnel currently employed in an elementary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Each of the schools represented was also currently on program improvement status. No names were included in the published findings, however, so as to further ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of each participant. Individuals also had a minimum of five years of experience in their current field. The total time needed to conduct all interviews was four weeks and no participants opted to drop of the study. This resulted in a 100% interview respo nse rate. In total, 20 individuals were selected to be a part of the research panel for this project, based on their answers to the initial survey designed to determine each individuals qualification to provide substantive and meaningful insight about elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District that are currently on Program Improvement Status. All of the interviews took place via telephone. As such, each interview was digitally recorded, with the permission of each participant, for later transcription by the researcher.

Life of Being an African American Essay Example for Free

Life of Being an African American Essay Throughout my life, I have had to battle with my own identity, as many people do. It is not just a black thing, I’m sure. I know people from all different ethnicities, who struggle to find themselves, but this has little to do with the way they look on the outside – it is the quest to find out who they are on the inside. I found that person when I was thirteen years old, but then when I moved to the United States from Chicago eight years ago, I underwent another sort of struggle with identity. This time it was because of the way I looked, and it was less than a personal struggle than it was a fight against discrimination. I had never really experienced any form of racial discrimination in Chicago; almost everyone who lived in our area was African American, with a few exceptions. There were a few white people, but they apparently were not indicative of the general population in America, as I never received any mistreatment or discrimination from them, and likewise, I do not believe they suffered any discrimination by my fellow African Americans. Everyone sort of just fit in and carried on with their daily lives. I am ashamed to admit that this is how I thought that my life would be in Texas as well. I did expect things to be different. I knew that Dallas were more affluent and I knew that there were buildings as big as some of our smaller towns. The buildings in the brochures seemed to reach the sky. I believed that the sky would be bluer, the air cleaner, and the people would be as friendly as they seemed to be on television and in the brochures. All of these shiny, smiling white faces would greet me with open arms and assist me in any way possible to make my stay wonderful. However, the exact opposite has happened to me. Although I am not the only African American by far to come to Dallas, I certainly felt all alone my first six months here. While I did meet other African Americans, and they welcomed me, they were all busy struggling to make a living or to learn the language just as much as the next. It seemed even the older African Americans who had lived here for over ten years still never managed to fit in. I have been called â€Å"stupid†, â€Å"ignorant† and â€Å"dumb† despite the fact that I am more intelligent than many of the people calling me this. .One of the things that annoys me the most is when I try to talk to someone and they talk back to me with a slang accent. I have had people speak very slowly and with raised volume and exaggerated hand movements when they are trying to talk to me. I guess they think that deaf and dumb. Stereotypes exist, I understand this, and it really doesn’t affect me as much as being discriminated against does. For example, I can take people assuming that I work at a chicken place or even asking â€Å"what are you†. But when I take the time to talk to people and explain and let them into my life a little, I expect a bit more than from someone on the street, but I don’t often get it. In my small group of friends, which is mainly white people, they don’t think I’m stupid or ignorant, unlike those strangers I meet on the street, and they don’t think I’m deaf and dumb; they actually think that I’m of the most caring person, and will do anything for them. Living in America is a dream for many, and while there are so many opportunities here, I have to say that it is a struggle for an African American to fit in. I can only hope that future employers will not discriminate or that the only jobs that I can find will be dishwashing and working for a place that sells chicken. While these jobs are suitable for some, they are not why I came to America. In essence, I am chasing the American dream, and while many Americans have discriminated against me, I can only hope that the dream will not.

France and French culture Essay Example for Free

France and French culture Essay Despite the recent backlash against France and French culture in the past few years, as well as there being no shortage of jokes on television and on the radio at the expense at the France, the truth is that if it were not for the French and their involvement during the American Revolution, America would not have gained their independence from Great Britain. This assertion, despite the fact that historians do not like to play the game of â€Å"what if,† the large majority agree on this point. Historians from Gore Vidal, Stephen Ambrose and David McCullough all agree that had it not been for the assistance of France, America would not gave gained their independence. The â€Å"bear† is Great Britain. An aggressive pursuit of imperialism on behalf of Great Britain in the late 18th and throughout the 19th centuries had not been seen since the end of the Roman Empire. The reasons for France’s involvement in the American Revolution might have been more a question of revenge against Britain than the involvement of spreading democracy throughout the world as France itself would experience only 10 years after their initial entrance into the war with their own French Revolution. When the French entered on the side of colonists, the war was going badly in general. There had been a number of victories for the Colonists but America’s only hope that a sustained war, brought on by implementing guerilla tactics would eventually lead to a tiring of the British troops. Also, it was the entire motivatation of the Colonists to get France on their side. Ben Franklin was pressing the French constantly for their help during this time. Also, it was not out of a coincidence that Franklin was chosen and not others since Franklin were adored by the French. Thomas Jefferson also was instrumental as well in getting France involved on the side of the Colonists. It is also not a coincidence that France was being targeted for their help. They, along with Great Britain, were the powers in the world at that time. That is why such a statement as â€Å"Daddy and I killed the Bear† is accurate and correct. The bear is Great Britain. They did not conquer 1/3 of the world by being nice. â€Å"Daddy† is France and the child is America. â€Å"Daddy† is usually the stronger of the two and is more established. He is responsible for the care and well being of the child and helps the child to grow and to mature until eventually, the child exceeds the father in stature, independence and strength. However, the child would not be allowed to grow if not for the effort exerted on the part of the father. A father who neglects his son and does not raise him up in a proper way and the chances increase exponentially, for that child to fail to fully realize his full potential. The very same occurred in this instance and therefore, the aforementioned statement is accurate and carried a great deal of weight and validity.

Analysing Product Development Within Dell Computers

Analysing Product Development Within Dell Computers The Product Development at the Dell Computer Corporation case can be summarized with just its name, product development. The case focuses on development of Dells personal computers, highlighting the area of the laptops. The personal computer industry can be dated back to the 1830s and Charles Babbage with his invention of the first digital computer. However with limitations of materials and marketing his vision mainly stayed on what is called the drawing board. It was not until the time period of World War II when a factory size computer was created by army engineers, they were named Mark I and Colossus and they were 50 feet in size. Through the 1960s and the 1970s only the government, mainly for defense, and big business had the opportunity to use computers. As technology increased and microchips replaced the wires and transistors, and financial availability became friendlier for consumers the microcomputer revolution began. In the 1970s and 1980s Apple Computer was a successful leader in a commercialized interface that was easy to use. Apple set the technological pace for cramming as much new technology in to their products as possible. IBM who was always trying to play catch up with Apple kicked off its traditional corporate based computer line, with strong direct sales and service. Dell also released its own branded personal computer in 1981. During the 1980s personal computer sales grew from nothing to $40 billion dollars. It was in 1983 when Dell Computer was started by Michael Dell, who at this point in time was a freshman at the University of Texas. He would upgrade IBM compatible computers and go door to door selling them. The success was overwhelming for Dell, and he moved off campus and dropped out of school, with the initial idea of returning back to school if there was failure with the business. However, with $180,000 in sales during his first month the idea of going back to school never entered his mind. The next step for Dell was to buy and assemble his own brand name personal computers and get them directly to the customers. This is where Dells principle to eliminate the middle man began. With this premise in mind, high growth rates and attractive margins the building of the Dell name began. Soon, Dell would start a 24 hour complaint hotline and they would offer a supply of backup replacement equipment. By 1990, Dell computers had a distinctive line of its own personal computers which won se veral trade magazine awards for service and products. By 1990 microcomputers accounted for 40% of all computers sold. And there was major competition the brands helping to drive down the costs of manufacturing as well the cost for the consumers. With the development and success of Dell and their direct to consumer sales as well as their laid back sales manner, imitators such as Gateway 2000 and CompuAdd began business. While focusing on the competition Dell expanded in to the retail market attempting to gain more revenue. However, this was unsuccessful since Dell overshot the target budget of sales, finding them in a cash crunch. It was then decided on that that needed to do something different. They needed to stand out again The Dell Business Model The Dell business model is a simple one. Eliminate the middle man. Dell sold its computers directly to customers with no retailers in the middle. Customers are able to order a customized computer that fits their needs. Customers like universities, large corporations, and government agencies all have different needs when it comes to computers. Dell also kept this strategy with its small customers. People can order a computer based on battery life, software applications, size, gaming, business orientated, and many other customizations. A great advantage with this business model is that Dell can maintain a low inventory cost which saves the company lots of money. How it works Dell achieves this business model by having a small lead time from when the computer order comes in to when it actually gets to the customer. This is very important to Dells success because the negative to directly selling to the customer is that the customer cannot just walk into a Dell store or retailer and just buy the computer. Dell has a general lead time of 3-5 days. This is the time is takes to build the computer and ship it. This doesnt include the couple of days for the shipping. The lead time can vary depending on the type of customization. Sometimes it could be longer or shorter based on inventory and the depth of customization. This is a major advantage for Dell to be able to ship computer within days. Dell must plan, build, and test vigorously all within the 3-5 days. This also allows Dell to maintain minimal inventory of hand. Unlike other computer companies, Dell does not have to have ready-made computers on hand. If Dell experiences a slow month in sales then it doesn t cost them as much as its competitors because Dell is paying less for inventory overhead. This great success is a product of the new structured operations that Dell has implemented starting with the product development process. Another advantage of Dells business model is the 24-hour customer support system that it offers. Dell offers this option so that customers can call at anytime to fix a problem with one of Dells computers. Not only is the feature convenient for the customer, but it is also very effective. In the Harvard case, it states that the customer support team was able to solve problems themselves 91% of the time. That is an amazing statistic that reflects Dells training program and due diligence on building and retaining customer relationships. Argument: Is Dells business model effective? Yes, Dells business model is a good one and is very effective. This has always been Dells business model and has brought it so much success. Only for a brief period in the 90s did Dell try and tweak the business model by getting into retail. This only proved to Dell that its original business plan was the best because Dell suffered some losses and sales decreased during this time. Also Gateway, a competitor, had adopted Dells direct sales strategy which gave them great success. Dells original business plan is the best plan for many reasons. The direct sales approach lets them build and retain customer relationships because there is no middle man in between Dell and the customer. The 24-hour customer support program lets customers give direct feedback to Dell and makes the customer feel appreciated when Dell is helping them, not an IT representative from a retailer. Another competitive advantage this business plan gives Dell is the inventory control. Dell is known for turning over inv entory better than any other computer manufacturer in the industry. This plan allows Dell to achieve such great inventory control. When Dell went into the retail side it could not keep up with turning over inventory as fast as it used to when it was selling directly to customers. In conclusion, Dells original business plan is very good and extremely effective. It is proven in the Harvard case when Dell moved away from its plan. Industry Technological Developments In the computer industry there were some key technological evolutions that led to a great competition between the industrys firms. During the 1970s the industry saw some great technological advancements. These findings were crucial to the computer firms today because they made it easier for the companies to make, sell, and meet the needs of its customers. The major developments were improved microprocessors, standard operating systems, increased availability of software, and cheaper memory. These developments made the computer industry an attractive market for many. Another development that came later was the battery technology. Batteries for laptop computers advanced which led to even more competition. Since the competition is so great, companies need to find other ways to compete other than resources. For the most part the computer firms used the same technology so one of the ways the firms could get a competitive edge is through its product development process. Dell was a firm that realized the highly competitive nature of the computer industry during the 1990s. In 1993 Dell found itself losing money and in the shakeout period of the computer industry. This is the period of time when competition is at its highest and only the strong firms survive. The weaker firms will be shaken out of the market and will dissolve. Dell was one of the few firms that realized that it needed to do something different to compete and survive. Dell decided that it needed to look at its product development process. Dell Product Development Process Original Product Development Strategy Dells original product development process was very informal. The process was very amateur and lacked structure. First, the process involved self governed teams that had no accountability or management. The teams were made up of engineers and developers that had all the same ideas or similar strategies. Second, risks were not being assessed properly in these teams. Since the teams all had similar viewpoints the members were collectively overlooking risks. The biggest problem with this process was that projects were being passed onto the next stage of development when it should not have been. This leads to fail projects which in return cost Dell lots of money and time which could mean the difference in such a competitive market. The margin of error for Dell was slim to none during this time. When Dell had a major project fail which cost it several millions of dollars, it went to management, engineers, and developers to see what their opinion was on trying a new process. The management wanted a new process that had more structure. The engineers and developers wanted to keep the old process mainly because they thought that structure would stifle their creativity. After a long debate Dell decided to change its product development process. Dell decided that its old process was similar to a start-up companys process and not an experienced company, like itself. New Product Development Strategy The new product development strategy was much more formal. The teams now were called core teams which were made up of a mix of engineers and managers who had different views and techniques. Dell wanted diversity in its groups to encourage conversation and debate. Each group was also held responsible for a project from start to finish and the team was governed by an outside manager. This made the teams accountable for all their decisions and moves. The new process had six phases in which each phase would last around 3 months. The total time for a project was approximately 18 months. Profile Phase- Teams would write a guide on the new product and its market that it would be sold in Planning Phase- Teams create a detailed business case for the product which must be viewed by a senior manager before it is passed onto the next phase Implementation Phase- Teams must design and test prototypes of the product and orders must be made to the suppliers Qualification Phase- Teams build production prototypes and key customers give feedback Launch Phase- The customer experience is tested, from opening the product to setting up and using the product. Early adopters have their orders filled Acceptance Phase- Teams collect feedback and reports are compared to actual results. Argument: Which process is better? The new product development process is much better than the old process. This is easy to see because of the results. Dell has survived the shakeout period and has become one of the industry leaders. The new product development process allowed Dell to create better products because of the versatility of the core teams and also cut down on failures because of the structure of the new process. Fewer errors were a result of each team being held accountable for errors and have a senior manager evaluate the product before advancing to the next stage. Which Battery? In 1991, Dell came out with its first line of the portable computer. And in 1992 Dells portable computers accounted for 17% of sales. However, with the backlash of rumors about unreliable screens, frequent power failures, being slower than most other portable computers and broken hinges Dell could not compete even with their low prices. Early 1993 brought about the cancelling of Dells new line of laptops. Under the guise that they were too slow and not ready for sales. After recalling 17,000 notebooks, Mark Holliday, the portable division head of Dell, calls a meeting with all of the company officers and forces a decision for a battery to be made. During this meeting it is decided that there are three different battery decisions that Dell can go with. At the meeting it was decided that the battery decision must be made at the end of Phase 1 (the profile phase) of development and the three different choices are NiHi Nickel Metal Hydride, LiOn Lithium Ion, and the last choice was to not make a choice really, it was to defer a choice. The first choice for batteries was the NiHi otherwise known as the Nickel Metal Hydride. The chart below shows what some of the disadvantages and advantages to the NiHi battery. Overall this battery would not have been a great choice for Dell, because it did not solve the problem of lasting more than 3 hours like the consumers wanted and it could not recharge to its full potential. The second choice was the LiOn also known as the Lithium Ion Battery this is was the battery that Dell ended up choosing and still uses today. The third and final choice that dell had was to defer the choice of batteries, this would give Sony time to develop the battery and get a good production line going. This would also allow for Dell to be prepared for either battery design. Types of Battery Advantages Disadvantages NiHi Nickel Metal Hydride Takes up less space then the LiOn Provide limited product differentiation in an increasingly competitive market Allows for more accessories Such as communication control and memory management Short battery life, normally less than 3 hours. Would involve no delays in Production demand Can only recharge a fraction of full capacity A less risky choice If not disposed of properly they could release heavy metal toxins in to the environment. Type of Battery Advantages Disadvantages LiOn Lithium Ion Longer rechargeable lives Unproven and more expensive technology MORE RISKY CHOICE Can recharge to full potential Takes up more space than conventional batteries Laptop customers insisted on longer battery lives No production demand studies completed Cold possibly boost sales Production committed to Sony for at least a year Type of Battery Defer Choice Advantages Disadvantages Dell could have 2 options for battery space Having the bigger battery (LiOn) would be less attractive to the customer Give Sony the time to test the LiOn battery Variable costs in both battery designs would be too high Dell could continue with product development of the laptop in general Cold possibly over design the battery space Could give highest return, if LiOn was chosen and fails there is the NiHi to use Battery charging circuitry would have to be designed for both batteries. Strategy and Finances One of the major decisions for Dell was to choose the right battery power for its new Laptop which was targeting the laptop market. A strategy is a set of actions that coordinate the resources and commitments of a business to boost its performance. Strategy selections should be guided by the firms situation rather than by historical choices. Choosing a strategy that makes sense for a particular business is a decision which may lead to superior performance. There are a few choices that steer corporate strategies. Cost- Based Strategy requires a firm to be the lowest cost producer in the market. This can be lowest cost labor to efficiency in operations. Spirit airline is an example of this strategy. They are billed as the ultra-low-cost carrier. Spirit operates 28 Airbus planes and serves Eastern and Midwestern cities in the Unites states. (Longenecker, et al. 2009) The second type of business strategy is Differentiation-Based. This model emphasizes the uniqueness of a firms product or service. This model places emphasis for the consumer to be convinced of the uniqueness and value of the product or service, whether real or perceived. (Schermerhorn, 2010). Dell looked to achieve this type of strategy. Dell focused on the need to connect with their customer, remove the middleman and speak directly to their customers. Dell start their innovation process with asking their customers, What would you really want this thing to do? Is there a different way to accomplish that? Then they meet with their suppliers and ask, Can we do this in a different way? Then they try to come up with a totally different approach that exceeds the original objectives. http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/02/dell-amex-marriot-cmo-network-adtrend.html The focus strategy selection of the battery power would impact the company in hopes of gaining market share through satisfied customers. Michael Dell and his team needed to relate to their environment, particularly to the customers and competitors. Choice of battery technology was of vital importance to Dell. Many factors were evaluated; 1. Competition abounded due to imitation of Dells direct model 2. Dell felt a cash crunch due to their rapid expansion 3. Lack of senior management capable of guiding the firm 4. Lack of structure in Dells product development process, growing importance of the portable computer market 5. Lack of senior management capable of guiding the firm toward maturity 6. Lack of structure in Dells product development process Growing importance of portable computer industry 7. High rate of battery life in minds of consumers 8. Limited life of the NiHi battery 9. Uncertainty of the emerging LiOn battery technology Dell was dependent upon the future success of the new Laptitude laptop product to revive its share in the portable computer market. Dell was hoping to distinguish itself with the introduction of the fresh LiOn battery technology. Unfortunately, the LiOn technology was immature and risky but, Dell needed to make a decision of whether to adopt this technology in the new product line or remain with current technology. Ultimately, Dell needed a winner and needed to make the critical and right decision to ensure an emergence back into the already competitive market along with a need for a significant financial infusion. Tenacious is a good word to describe Michael Dell and the company he created. And tenacity and efficiency will be enough to keep Dell in the game. But to rise to the next level and really boost its growth, it may have to find a little more heart. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/09/18/8386121/index.htm Dells new product development process was put to the test immediately as the decision was being made on how to develop a new laptop PC. Market research identified battery life as the third most important feature to customers when purchasing a laptop. One way the company distinguishes itself from other suppliers of perform-alike PCs is by acting quickly on the masses of data it gathers from customers. Information is a valuable competitive weapon, says Tom Thomas, chief information systems officer. Our whole business system is geared to collect it. (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1993/09/27/78384/index.htm). Due to a chance meeting between Michael Dell and Sony executives, Dell had the opportunity to have exclusive access to the new Lithium Ion (LiOn) battery technology which greatly extended battery life, and offered superior overall performance to the standard Nickel Hydride (NiHi) technology. The new technology would add value to Dell laptops as they sought t o recapture market share. The technology was not fully developed however, and there was a risk that it would not work. Dell thus faced a critical decision about how to allocate resources for the development of the laptop. Four options were identified by the product development team: Option 1- commit to the old technology (NiHi) Option 2 commit to the new technology (LiOn) Option 3a over-design the computer so that it could accommodate either type of battery, thus deferring the battery commitment until later Option 3b dual design (in parallel) of laptops that would use either NiHi or LiOn technology Option 1: Continue with a proven battery technology (NiHi) According to estimates made by project manager and product marketer, Henry McCarty, Dells market share will be 2.5% if Dell stays with the status quo battery configuration of NiHi. This equates to 825,000 units sold over the estimated 3 year product life. Given an average gross margin per unit over life of product of $600 and expected $10 million expected cost of development effort, the expected profit margin is $485 million. There is 100% confidence that the NiHi battery product will work. Option 2: Go with the new battery technology (LiOn) The new Development Team, McCarty predicts Dells market share to jump to 3.0% or 990,000 units over 3 years, if LiOn technology works. If the LiOn technology fails, Dells market share will fall to about 1.25% or 413,000 units over 3 years. This drop in market share would be attributed to competitors already having an established product on the market, while Dell undergoes substantial rework, 70% of original schedule, and 30% of cost to switch back to NiHi. There is only a 60% confidence that the LiOn battery product wont fail. Given an average gross margin per unit over life of product of $600 and expected $10 million expected cost of development, the expected profit margin is $444 million under option 2. Option 3a: Dual Development Defer commitment until qualification phase review Dual Development option has an estimated $10 million expected cost of development and an additional fixed cost of $2.5 million because Dell would have to develop two technologies at the same time. These are the actual project costs incurred which incorporates the additional designers and engineers, material and tooling costs, etc. These costs do not include the product opportunities Dell would forego if they had to pull people away from other projects. Given the new fixed costs and calculating a weighted average of expected profit margins based on the success rate of the technology, option 3a has an estimated profit margin of $542 million, the highest of the three options. Option 3b: Over-design Defer commitment until qualification phase review Similarly with the dual development we need to calculate the cost of the over-design strategy. The expected cost will be $10 million for development and additional variable cost of 0.5% of revenue (2.0% of margin) since Dell would have to develop two technologies in the same time. Due to the LiOn batterys different dimensions and properties, Dell would have to over-design the computer case, charging circuitry, and battery management software to accommodate either battery technology. Given the new variable costs and calculating a weighted average of expected profit margins based on the success rate of the technology, option 3b has an estimated profit margin of $533 million. This is the second highest of all options. One study of Dell looked at the Sensitivity Analysis of estimated profit margin if the confidence probability of LiOn technology changes. Based on the assumption McCarty provided, it shows clearly that Option 3a is the best option as long the Confidence of LiOn Technology is between 10%~90%. It is also obvious that if Dell knows 100% that LiOn will be successful Dell should choose Option 2. If the chance of success will be 0%, Dell should choose Option 1. http://www.mbanerds.com/index.php?title=Product_Development_at_Dell_Computer_Corp.

Essay --

Of all the cuisines to choose from, I have decided upon the country of Spain from Europe and Laos from Asia. Lao cuisine is the closest to Hmong food, which is my ethnicity. The Hmong people do not have their own country to call their own, for example Lao people are from Laos and Spanish people are from Spain. Hmong people are not from Mongolia. Instead a majority of Hmong people resides in the mountains of Laos. Some live in Cambodia, Thailand, France, or the U.S. of A. Spain has influenced a large part of world cuisine. It’s techniques and ingredients have been intertwined with the rest of the world for thousands of years. Spain is in the southwestern part of Europe and to the east of the Mediterranean Sea. There are a large variety of fruits and vegetables grown in Spain. Food From Spain lists peaches, cherries, ioquats, apricots, nectarines, plums, apples, pears, grapes, wheat, and olives as fruits grown in Spain. There are also many others, but these specific fruits are only from Spain. A Melocoton de Calanda is a Spanish peach found in northeastern Spain. Cerezas de la Montana de Alicante is a sweet red cherry found in the jerte Valley in Extremadura of Spain. Ioquats are sweet, slightly acidic, and have a strong leathery skin. Certain types of apricots, nectarines, and plums also come from Spain. Apples from Asturias, Castile-Leon, and Catalonia of northern Spain are â€Å"generally considered superior (foodfromspain).† Pears are originally from Asia Minor, but grow well in inland Spain. Grapes, wheat, and olives play a major role in Spanish cuisine as well. Grapes are used for wine and oil. Olives are in abundance and are eaten and used for oil. Olive oil serves many uses in Spanish cuisine. Typica... ...med or grilled and low in fat. Spain has a more abundance of olive oil allowing them to create heartier meals. Spanish foods uses oil to deep fry, make emulsions, and create bases such as Sofrito. Spanish food is therefore heartier, but is higher in fat than Lao cuisine. Regardless of their differences both cuisines are delectable. Lao cuisine may not have influenced a great deal of the food world as Spain has; instead it has taken slight influences from Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. These are two very different cuisines and offer a lot of different flavors and styles. The contrasting cuisines come from the different products they have available and cooking methods. Although both countries are in the eastern hemisphere, the different products are due to the region, climate, and soil type. Regardless of their differences both cuisines are delectable. â€Æ' Essay -- Of all the cuisines to choose from, I have decided upon the country of Spain from Europe and Laos from Asia. Lao cuisine is the closest to Hmong food, which is my ethnicity. The Hmong people do not have their own country to call their own, for example Lao people are from Laos and Spanish people are from Spain. Hmong people are not from Mongolia. Instead a majority of Hmong people resides in the mountains of Laos. Some live in Cambodia, Thailand, France, or the U.S. of A. Spain has influenced a large part of world cuisine. It’s techniques and ingredients have been intertwined with the rest of the world for thousands of years. Spain is in the southwestern part of Europe and to the east of the Mediterranean Sea. There are a large variety of fruits and vegetables grown in Spain. Food From Spain lists peaches, cherries, ioquats, apricots, nectarines, plums, apples, pears, grapes, wheat, and olives as fruits grown in Spain. There are also many others, but these specific fruits are only from Spain. A Melocoton de Calanda is a Spanish peach found in northeastern Spain. Cerezas de la Montana de Alicante is a sweet red cherry found in the jerte Valley in Extremadura of Spain. Ioquats are sweet, slightly acidic, and have a strong leathery skin. Certain types of apricots, nectarines, and plums also come from Spain. Apples from Asturias, Castile-Leon, and Catalonia of northern Spain are â€Å"generally considered superior (foodfromspain).† Pears are originally from Asia Minor, but grow well in inland Spain. Grapes, wheat, and olives play a major role in Spanish cuisine as well. Grapes are used for wine and oil. Olives are in abundance and are eaten and used for oil. Olive oil serves many uses in Spanish cuisine. Typica... ...med or grilled and low in fat. Spain has a more abundance of olive oil allowing them to create heartier meals. Spanish foods uses oil to deep fry, make emulsions, and create bases such as Sofrito. Spanish food is therefore heartier, but is higher in fat than Lao cuisine. Regardless of their differences both cuisines are delectable. Lao cuisine may not have influenced a great deal of the food world as Spain has; instead it has taken slight influences from Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. These are two very different cuisines and offer a lot of different flavors and styles. The contrasting cuisines come from the different products they have available and cooking methods. Although both countries are in the eastern hemisphere, the different products are due to the region, climate, and soil type. Regardless of their differences both cuisines are delectable. â€Æ'

Mainstreaming: Does it Help Childrens Special Needs? Essay example --

Mainstreaming: Does it Help Children's Special Needs? Inclusion describes the practice of placing children with special needs in regular classrooms. Inclusion, also known as mainstreaming, gives all students the opportunity to learn from their individual differences. It allows special needs children to receive their education in a "normal society." Children with special needs are encouraged by the challenges that face them in a regular classroom. They also learn to defend themselves from the attitudes of other students. At the same time, non disabled students will learn to recognize and respect the talents and abilities of their peers. Mainstreaming focuses on providing services to students in a regular classroom setting rather than pulling them out to receive special services. For many schools, mainstreaming is the norm. All students, disabled or not do have the right to an equal opportunity in education. Kate Manners, an intelligent, funny, eight-year-old with cerebal palsy is an example of a disabled child striving for her opportunity in a regular classroom. Sometimes it takes a very large key to open even a small door (Baldrige, 1). Individual with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was the key to her door of education. After attending the Schreiber Pediatric Center in Lancaster for children with disabilities, her parents, professors, and therapists, felt that she was ready for the public school system. The recommendation of the multi-disciplinary evaluation team from Rohrerstown Elementary in the Hemfield School District in Lancaster was for her to attend a kindergarten class in another school that provides support and student aid for those students not ready to attend a regular kindergarten class. After one y... ...r extra help in certain subjects. All of this scheduling can become distractive to the classroom. A third issue that faces mainstreaming is the budget constraints. The cost of providing all the needs of disabled children is especially high. The costs of the teachers aids, and therapy can put a strain on public school districts budgets. Educators d parents. If administrators, teachers, and parents come together to learn about the change then they can open up a new world of education for children. Mainstreaming allows disabled and non disable children to learn and grow together. This experience helps them to deal with individual differences and to learn to look beyond them. In my opinion mainstreaming is only a positive outcome for the education of children. Both disabled and nondiabled students have the right to an equal occupation despite their differences.

Crabs For The Crabber :: essays research papers

Crabs For the Crabber   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Would you like to learn how to make around two hundred dollars a day for going out in the boat and crabbing for a few hours? Once you gain the experience of a commercial crabber, you can earn as much as you want. All it takes is a little time and effort to learn the basic steps, and, of course, the love of the water. For the last two years, I have kept the books for my boyfriend's crabbing business. I helped him from the beginning when we purchased the traps to today, when he is now running 150 traps.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the boat, you should always have as many life jackets as people. Flares and a marine radio should also be on the boat in case of an emergency. For instance, if you are five miles out over the ocean and the boat runs out of gas, you could light a flare and reach some help on the marine radio. You should also keep an oar on the boat at all times. This would come in handy if your boat is stuck in mud, or if the boat breaks down in the small creeks near your dock. I also recommend that you have crabbing gloves and rubber overalls from Boater's World. The gloves have special rubber tips that help reduce the pain if a crab pinches you. The overalls will protect your clothes from getting drenched and muddy. The last thing that you should never leave the dock without is plenty of liquids to drink. I recommend Gatorade or water, but no soft drinks. It is very hot on the boat and fluids are a necessity so that you do no dehydrate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before you can start crabbing, you need certain materials. The most important is a commercial license to sell crabs. A license can be purchased from the Game Warden in Richmond Hill. You must go early in the year because they only sell a limited number. Once you have a license and your personal number for your traps, you need a large flat bottom boat with a powerful motor. I recommend a Yamaha Salt Water Series. This motor is very reliable and can handle the long hours put on it. You should also buy a wench and have it bolted to the side of the boat. The wench is not necessary, but is will save a lot of time and effort to pull up all of the traps. A dolly should be kept on the dock to take the boxes of crabs to the truck.