Macroeconomics Notions

Macroeconomics Notions Supply and Demand Supply and demand are the economic model of determining prices in a competitive market, wherein supply refers to the quantity of commodities available in the market and demand refers to the quantity demanded by consumers. The law of demand states that the higher the costof the good or service, the less people will demand it, while the law of supply states that the higher the price of a commodity, the higher the quantity required (Supply and demand, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Macroeconomics Notions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Macroeconomic Equilibrium Macroeconomic equilibrium is a condition of a nation’s economy wherein aggregate demand is met by aggregate supply (Macroeconomic equilibrium, 2012). The total demand of a final good or service in the economy is called its aggregate demand, while the total supply of a final goods and services the economy plans to sell is called t he aggregate supply. Significant changes on demand or supply will affect prices, employment, and resources of a nation. How Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply Determine Equilibrium Price and Output In The Short- and Long-Run Macroeconomic equilibrium is computed by relating national price level with national output. The market is in equilibrium when price and output are equal. Changes in the price or output of a commodity prompts shifts in its aggregate demand and/or aggregate supply. In general, expansionary policies shift aggregate demand to the right while contracting policies shift it to the left. Looking at the diagram below, when aggregate demand shifts to the right, equilibrium will occur at a higher price level and a higher output in the short-run and at a higher level in the long-run. When aggregate demand shifts to the left, the opposite, will occur. Figure 1. Macroeconomic Equilibrium Shifts in the aggregate supply are usually prompted by shifts in aggregate demand. W hen aggregate supply shifts to the right, aggregate demand dictates that equilibrium will occur at a lower price level and a higher output in the short-run.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When short-run aggregate supply shifts to the right, aggregate demand dictates that equilibrium will occur at a higher price level and a lower output in the short-run. In the long-run, when aggregate supply shifts to the right, a lower price level and higher output is required for equilibrium. When it shifts to the left, a higher price level and lower output is required. Gross Domestic Product, Unemployment, Inflation Three ways to measure a country’s economy is through its GDP, unemployment rate, and inflation rate. GDP or Gross Domestic Product is the measure of total value of commodities by a country for a specific period (Gross Domestic Product, 2012). Unemployment is the state of a person who is looking for employment but is unable to find or does not have one (Unemployment, 2012). Inflation is the rate of increase of the general level of prices of commodities in a country. As inflation occurs and prices go up, purchasing power of people fall (Inflation, 2012). Business Cycles and Economic Growth Business cycles are series of patterns affected by employment, industrial productivity, and interest rates that show the expansion and contraction of economic activities. There are five stages on a business cycle, namely, growth, peak, recession, trough, and recovery (Business Cycle, 2012). Economic growth is the measure of an economy’s increase of commodity and capacity to accommodate its population within a period of time (Economic Growth, 2012).Productivity, inflation, population growth and introduction of new commodities in the economy are factors of economic growth. Multiplier Concept Multipliersare factors that quantify the changes of capit al investment to total income of an economy. They are used to measure the effects of government spending on income. Multipliers are calculated by dividing the marginal propensity to save to one (Multipliers, 2012). John M. Keynes was made the second father of economics after Adam Smith because of his contribution on multipliers. The limitations of the multiplier concept include its restriction to economies (It is only for closed economies.), its lack of social factors, and its low adaptability to change.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Macroeconomics Notions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Fiscal Policy Fiscal policy is a government policy that deals with the spending activities of the government that influences macroeconomic conditions. These policies are concerned and implemented in taxation, interest rates, transfer payments, and borrowing (Fiscal policy, 2012). Two tools of fiscal policy are the Automatic Stabi lizers, attributes of fiscal policy that smooth instability in consumption over the business cycle, and the Discretionary Fiscal Policy, the conscious manipulation of implementation of taxation, purchases, transfers, and borrowings. An example of this is the Federal Income Tax (Kelly, n.d.). Macroeconomics in Contemporary Economic Issues As previously mentioned, business cycles have five stages, namely, its growth, peak, recession, trough, and recovery. In recent years, however, the flow of the stages in the cycle is unsteady, not following the regular cycle. This is because of the impact of improbable events not forecasted (or were not heard of) by economist. One significant event in recent time is the sharp decline in housing prices, resulting in a recession in the economy. This event in economy happened in 2007. Before the year, housing prices grew rapidly and collapsed by nearly 20 percent over the next two years, due to low interest rates in the 2000s, and lowering lending stan dards. Another macroeconomic event in recent times is the rise of prices of oil and other basic commodities, such as natural gas, steel, corn, wheat, rice, and coal. Oil consumption in the United States lessened in the first half of 2008 (Jones, 2008). This was offset, however, by the oil consumption of China, India, and the Middle East, which resulted in an outward shift in demand. This occurrence created a chain of price increases on basic commodities. Reference List Business cycle.(2012). Investor words. Retrieved from investorwords.com/625/business_cycle.html. Economic growth.(2012). Investopedia. Retrieved from investopedia.com/terms/e/economicgrowth.asp#axzz1lE9rwRPm.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fiscal policy.(2012). Investopedia. Retrieved from http://business.baylor.edu/tom_kelly/2307ch12.htm. Gross domestic product.(2012). Merriam-webster online. Retrieved from merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gross+domestic+product. Inflation.(2012). Investopedia. Retrieved from investopedia.com/terms/i/inflation.asp#axzz1lE9rwRPm. Jones, C. I. (2008). Current macroeconomic events. W. w. Norton. Retrieved from wwnorton.com/college/econ/chad- update/CurrentEvents2008.pdf. Kelly, T. (n.d.).Chapter 12 fiscal policy. Baylor business. Retrieved from http://business.baylor.edu/tom_kelly/2307ch12.htm. Macroeconomic equilibrium.(2012). Business dictionary. Retrieved from businessdictionary.com/definition/macroeconomic-equilibrium.html. Multipliers.(2012). Investopedia. Retrieved from investopedia.com/terms/m/multiplier.asp#axzz1lE9rwRPm. Supply and demand.(2012). Encyclopà ¦diabritannica. Retrieved from britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/574643/supply-and-demand. Unemployment.(2012). Investopedia. R etrieved from investopedia.com/terms/u/unemployment.asp#axzz1lE9rwRPm.

Definition and Discussion of Style in Prose

Definition and Discussion of Style in Prose Style is the way in which something is spoken, written, or performed. In rhetoric and composition, style is narrowly interpreted as those figures that ornament discourse; it is broadly interpreted as representing a manifestation of the person speaking or writing. All figures of speech fall within the domain of style. Known as lexis in Greek and elocutio in Latin, style was one of the five traditional canons or subdivisions of classical rhetorical training. Classic Essays on English Prose Style Essays on StyleThe Colours of Style, by James BurnettThe English Manner of Discourse, by Thomas SpratThe False Refinements in Our Style, by Jonathan SwiftF.L. Lucas on StyleJohn Henry Newman on the Inseparability of Style and SubstanceOf Eloquence, by Oliver GoldsmithMurder Your Darlings: Quiller-Couch on StyleOn Familiar Style, by HazlittSamuel Johnson on the Bugbear StyleSwift on StyleSynonyms and Variety of Expression, by Walter Alexander RaleighA Vigorous Prose Style, by Henry David Thoreau EtymologyFrom the Latin, pointed instrument used for writing   Definitions and Observations Style is character. It is the quality of a mans emotion made apparent; then by inevitable extension, style is ethics, style is government.(Spinoza)If any man wish to write in a clear style, let him be first clear in his thoughts; and if any would write in a noble style, let him first possess a noble soul.(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)Style is the dress of thoughts.(Lord Chesterfield)The style of an author should be the image of his mind, but the choice and command of language is the fruit of exercise.(Edward Gibbon)Style  is not the gold setting of the diamond, thought; it is the glitter of the diamond itself.(Austin OMalley,  Thoughts of a Recluse, 1898)Style is not mere decoration, nor is it an end to itself; it is rather a way of finding and explaining what is true. Its purpose is not to impress but to express.(Richard Graves, A Primer for Teaching Style. College Composition and Communication, 1974)A good style should show no sign of effort. What is written should seem a happy a ccident.(W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up, 1938) Style is that which indicates how the writer takes himself and what he is saying. It is the mind skating circles around itself as it moves forward.(Robert Frost)Style is the perfection of a point of view.(Richard Eberhart)To do a dull thing with stylenow THATS what I call art.(Charles Bukowski)[I]t may well be that style is always to some extent the invention of the writer, a fiction, that conceals the man as surely as it reveals him.(Carl H. Klaus, Reflections on Prose Style. Style in English Prose, 1968)Cyril Connolly on the Relation Between Form and ContentStyle is the relation between form and content. Where the content is less than the form, where the author pretends to emotion he does not feel, the language will seem flamboyant.   The more ignorant a writer feels, the more artificial becomes his style. A writer who thinks himself cleverer than his   readers writes simply (often too simply), while one who fears they may be cleverer than he will make use of mystification: an author arrives at a good style when his language performs what is required of it without shyness.(Cyril Connolly, Enemies of Promise, rev. ed., 1948) Types of StylesA very large number of loosely descriptive terms have been used to characterize kinds of styles, such as pure, ornate, florid, gay, sober, simple, elaborate, and so on. Styles are also classified according to a literary period or tradition (the metaphysical style, Restoration prose style); according to an influential text (biblical style, euphuism); according to an institutional use (a scientific style, journalese); or according to the distinctive practice of an individual author (the Shakespearean or Miltonic style; Johnsonese). Historians of English prose style, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, have distinguished between the vogue of the Ciceronian style (named after the characteristic practice of the Roman writer Cicero), which is elaborately constructed, highly periodic, and typically builds to a climax, and the opposing vogue of the clipped, concise, pointed, and uniformly stressed sentences in the Attic or Senecan styles (named after the practice of the Roman Seneca). . . .Francis-Noel Thomas and Mark Turner, in Clear and Simple as the Truth (1994), claim that standard treatments of style such as those described above deal only with the surface features of writing. They propose instead a basic analysis of style in terms of a set of fundamental decisions or assumptions by an author concerning a series of relationships: What can be known? What can be put into words? What is the relationship between thought and language? Who is the writer addressing and why? What is the implied relationship between writer and reader? What are the implied conditions of discourse? An analysis based on these elements yields an indefinite number of types, or families, of styles, each with its own criteria of excellence.(M.H. Abrams and Geoffrey Galt Harpham, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 10th ed. Wadsworth, 2012) Aristotle and Cicero on the Qualities of Good StyleWithin classical rhetoric, style is analyzed predominately from the viewpoint of the composing orator, not from the point of view of the critic. Quintilians four qualities (purity, clarity, ornament, and propriety) are not intended to distinguish types of styles but to define the qualities of good style: all oratory should be correct, clear, and appropriately ornamented. The basis for the four qualities and the three styles are implicit in Book III of Aristotles Rhetoric where Aristotle assumes a dichotomy between prose and poetry. The base line for prose is colloquial speech. Clarity and correctness are the sine qua non of good speech. Furthermore, Aristotle maintains that the very best prose is also urbane or, as he says in the Poetics, has an uncommon air, that gives the listener or reader pleasure.(Arthur E. Walzer, George Campbell: Rhetoric in the Age of Enlightenment. State University of New York Press, 2003)Thomas De Quincey o n StyleStyle has two separate functions: first, to brighten the intelligibility of a subject which is obscure to the understanding; secondly, to regenerate the normal power and impressiveness of a subject which has become dormant to the sensibilities. . . . The vice of that appreciation which we English apply to style lies in representing it as a mere ornamental accident of written compositiona trivial embellishment, like the mouldings of furniture, the cornices of ceilings, or the arabesques of tea-urns. On the contrary, it is a product of art the rarest, subtlest, and most intellectual; and, like other products of the fine arts, it is then finest when it is most eminently disinterestedthat is, most conspicuously detached from gross palpable uses. Yet, in very many cases, it really has the obvious uses of that gross palpable order; as in the cases just noticed, when it gives light to the understanding, or power to the will, removing obscurities from one set of truths, and into anot her circulating the life-blood of sensibility.(Thomas De Quincey, Language. The Collected Writings of Thomas De Quincy, ed. by David Masson, 1897) The Lighter Side of Style: TarantinoingForgive me. What Im doing is called Tarantinoing, where you talk about something that has nothing to do with the rest of the story, but is kind of funny and a little quirky. It was kind of avant-garde in its day and it used to develop some strong character traits, but now its just used as a cheap gimmick for pretentious film writers to draw a ton of attention to their writing style as opposed to serving the plot.(Doug Walker, Signs. Nostalgia Critic, 2012)

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

Corporate Governance - Research Paper Example The present study would focus on corporate governance as the way in which companies are controlled and governed. It also entails relationships among stakeholders with the same goals to benefit the welfare. Corporate governance has several good components that ensure proper governance. To begin with, directors and senior officers take up the task of implementing new requirements that have been imposed by the Sarbanes- Oxley Act and associated SEC and stock market regulations. They need to stay in focus with the broader and strategic objectives of corporate governance. Businesses will grow stronger if they comply with legal and regulatory requirements. They should also maintain high profile risk management. The boards of directors are primarily responsible for ensuring there is effective governance. They not only have to ensure that sound systems of governance are in place, but also that such systems work effectively through evaluation of performance and thorough monitoring. On the sid e of legal and regulatory reforms, a lot of attention has been particularly, focused on boards and their performance especially when it comes to the independence of the board management. There also has to be a lot of scrutiny on the side of directors, they should be watched more closely to ensure there is a high level of transparency. Good corporate governance in a business will always translate to good financial performance. Profitable investment opportunities and increased reliance on external financing are attributes exhibited by firms with strong corporate governance, according to the University of Michigan Business School. Also, it is true that companies with high governance standards will always receive the best premium from investors. Good corporate governance defines the business strategy of a business, enhancing competitive positions. A company can therefore recruit and retain productive employees if it possesses a stable base of corporate governance (Julien & Rieger 8) Enr on failed greatly in corporate governance. From violating the recommendations by government reformers where Ken Lay served as CEO and chairman of the board, to having significant shares of Enron being owned by board members, and also the board members earning money working on Enron’s projects. Enron also suffered complicated accounting and finance transactions needed approval by an external auditor and lawyers even before getting to the board members. There was a major problem with Enron’s code of ethics, as senior stakeholders were prohibited from having any financial stake in organizations dealing with Enron. Corporate Governance has played a major role in the auditor’s evaluation of a company’s financial systems and internal control systems. Corporate governance ensure that that board members act transparently and maintain accountability in their actions, this greatly assists the auditors in ensuring that there is no fraud committed by the board member s thus reducing the overall task of auditing. Corporate governance also ensures that the senior members of the companies including the directors and managers are scrutinized, and thoroughly

Boundary Spanning Role of Human Resources Management Essay

Boundary Spanning Role of Human Resources Management - Essay Example Despite what we have termed "phantom threats," boundary spanners are able to maintain their influence through astute management of information that portrays their continued usefulness. This phase however cannot last forever, and boundary spanners need to discover new threats. A review of the development and evolution of HRM in the U.S. supports the proposed model. Because each of the three stages are reflected in the communication patterns of the boundary spanner, several propositions based on the notion of information richness and the nature of the language used in communicating with three critical groups (i.e., external contacts, management, and subordinate staff) are generated to test the model. (Cenzo, 2003) Finally, suggestions for research are made. The political perspective of human resource management (HRM) at the organizational level has been suggested, but while empirical studies have shown this political view of organizations to be a viable alternative (e.g., the influence of interest groups in HRM practices), there is still an inadequate understanding of how HRM departments are able to gain and maintain power and influence. Boundary spanning, with its function of information management, has been shown as a determinant of influence in organizations, and we suggest that this is a possible answer. While many specific boundary spanning roles have been examined, such as sales representatives, purchasing agents, boards of directors, and legal departments, the HRM function has not been systematically analyzed from this perspective. In addition, our current conceptualization is incomplete and must be supplemented by what happens after the creation of boundary spanning roles. We present a conceptual framework for the boundary spanning role that considers its evolution from the initial functional rationale for the creation of such roles, to the institutionalization of its function, to its renewed search for functional justification in order to protect and increase its power base. Boundary spanning has been extensively studied, specifically with respect to the boundary spanner's dual functions of processing environmental information for the organization and representing the firm to the external environment. The boundary spanner's role as information processor helps to protect the organization from information overload, as the boundary spanner filters, interprets, and channels relevant information to appropriate divisions of the firm. The boundary spanner's role as external representative can involve establishing and maintaining the organization's social and political legitimacy, and its public image. Indeed, we argue later in this paper and elsewhere that the increased power, influence, and reputation of the HRM function are at least partially a function of legitimizing and image-enhancing activities. Organizations create boundary spanning roles in response to environmental contingencies which are considered to be important for the firm's well-being. Mick (2005) noted that boundary spanning roles also are selected by the external environment for their contribution to the exchange of information across

Vocational Education and Training Needs Analysis Essay Example for Free

Vocational Education and Training Needs Analysis Essay Training methods used to stimulate learning can be classified in three ways, one of which is †¢ CONFERENCES †¢ LECTURES †¢ ON-THE-JOB TRAINING †¢ INTELLIGENT TUTORING 2. In evaluating training programs, it is important to distinguish _____ from data-collection methods. †¢ ORGANIZATIONAL PAYOFFS †¢ COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS †¢ INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION †¢ TARGETS OF EVALUATION 3. The evaluation phase is one phase of the process for effective training to occur. Which of the following IS NOT A PART OF THE EVALUATION PHASE? †¢ SELECT TRAINING MEDIA †¢ DEVELOP CRITERIA †¢ PRETEST TRAINEES †¢ MONITOR TRAINING 4. _____ analysis is helpful in determining the special needs of a particular group, such as older workers, WOMEN, OR MANAGERS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. †¢ INDIVIDUAL †¢ ORGANIZATION †¢ DEMOGRAPHIC †¢ OPERATIONS 5. Which of the following is an example of an on-the-job training method? †¢ UNDERSTUDY ASSIGNMENTS †¢ ROLE PLAYING †¢ INTELLIGENT TUTORING †¢ CASE METHOD 6. Which of the following is an example of the simulation method of training? †¢ JOB ROTATION †¢ ORIENTATION †¢ CORRESPONDENCE COURSES †¢ IN-BASKET 7. The level of training needs analysis that attempts to identify the content of the training is _____ ANALYSIS. †¢ ENVIRONMENTAL †¢ OPERATIONS †¢ ORGANIZATIONAL †¢ INDIVIDUAL 8. _____ refers to the material that is rich in association for the trainees and is therefore easily UNDERSTOOD BY THEM. †¢ PYGMALION EFFECT †¢ TRAINING PARADOX †¢ ORIENTATION †¢ MEANINGFULNESS 9. Which theory is founded on the premise that an individual’s intentions regulate his or her behavior? †¢ CORRESPONDENT INFERENCE THEORY †¢ GOAL THEORY †¢ GROUNDED THEORY †¢ ATTRIBUTION THEORY 10. The impact of training on _____ is the most significant, but it is the most difficult effect to DEMONSTRATE. †¢ ORGANIZATIONAL RESULTS †¢ DEMOGRAPHICS †¢ ACTION LEARNING †¢ TRAINEE SELF-ESTEEM 11. When trainees are given the opportunity to practice far beyond the point where they have performed a TASK CORRECTLY SEVERAL TIMES, THE TASK BECOMES SECOND NATURE AND IS †¢ OVERLEARNED †¢ IRRELEVANT †¢ REPETITIVE †¢ BORING 12. The level of training needs analysis that focuses on identifying whether training supports the COMPANY’S STRATEGIC DIRECTION IS CALLED _____ ANALYSIS. †¢ OPERATIONS †¢ INDIVIDUAL †¢ ENVIRONMENTAL †¢ ORGANIZATION View as multi-pages TOPICS IN THIS DOCUMENT Vocational education, Training, Practice, Skill RELATED DOCUMENTS Vocational Education and Training THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VOCATIONAL ASPECTS TO SCHOOLING IN AUSTRALIA. HOWEVER, IN RECENT TIMES THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASED EMPHASIS ON THIS ASPECT OF SCHOOLING WITHIN BOTH THE GENERAL CURRICULUM AND THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE A PARTICULAR VOCATIONAL FLAVOUR. IN WHAT WAYS DOES THIS EMPHASIS PROVIDE A BROADER OR NARROWER CONCEPTION OF EDUCTION FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS? YOUR RESPONSE NEEDS TO REFER TO: (I) THE AIMS OF THE ? NEW VOCATIONALISM AND HOW IT IS 297   Words | 7   Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT TRAINING NEED ANALYSIS ? Training Needs Analysis and Skills Audit Easy seven step plan – covers: Who received training in your organisation last year? Does anyoneneed a refresher course? What about your staff’s career aspirations – do you know their capabilities? Step 1 How should I consult? It is recommended that employers consult with all staff on an annual basis to assess organisational training and development 297   Words | 6   Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Training Needs Analysis Library Get Custom Help eBook Library About BrainMass Expert Profiles Blog Free Quizzes Videos Business  » Management  » Problem #416292 sample solutions faq Case Study: Training Needs Analysis Case ALL IT TAKES IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING In 1987, Ms. Dillman was hired by IMP to work in Hangar 3 at North American International Airport as a seamstress in their fabric shop. 297   Words | 4   Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Training Development Need Analysis

Needless Animal Research, Testing, and Experimentation is Wrong Essay

Needless Animal Experimentation is Wrong    If penicillin had been tested on guinea pigs, it might never have reached the public. It is lethal to guinea pigs, deactivates the blood system of rabbits and is deadly to cats ("Bio-Medical Research"). Scientists are pushing for more experiments regardless of the cost to the animal's life. "One expense is the involvement of killing animals in the pursuit of a pine-scented air freshener"(Vergoth,p21). Animals suffering in experimentation labs are in just and cruel to animals. It is wrong to harm an innocent animal of any wrong doing, when the animal doesn't know right from wrong. It is argued that people have an obligation to animals, so that we can protect their welfare. Charles Fried claims "physical harm as an impingement upon the body which either causes pain or impairs functioning" (Fox, p85). Many animals experience pain, and sometimes death, during lab experiments. No animal experiments can be justified. Animals have helped in some ways, such as the discovery of the polio vaccine. Vivisection can be defined as an invasive experiment performed on an animal for the purpose of scientific research, product testing or education ("The National. . ."). Vivisection is extremely wrong because it causes pain and suffering on animals. Animals are entitled to be free from acts of cruelty. Animals, however, are important in research because their body systems are almost identical to humans. The use of dogs developed open-heart surgical techniques, coronary bypass surgery, and heart transplantation. Animals have helped in some ways, such as the discovery of the polio vaccine. The pulsing pain of electrodes planted in a chimps' brain is repulsive. The death of a tortured ra... ...re us so they will be here after the people leave. Bibliography Bio-Medical Research. [online] Nov, 4, 1997. Available at: http://www.navs.org/biomed.htm Fox, Michael Allen. "Animal Experimentation is not justified." Animal Rights:Opposing Viewpoints. Leone,Bruno, Series Ed. San Diego, CA. Greenhouse Press.1996. Frey, R.G. "All Animals Are Not Equal."Animal Rights:Opposing Viewpoints. Leone,Bruno, Series Ed. San Diego, CA. Greenhouse Press.1996. The National Anti-Vivisection Society. [online] Nov, 4, 1997. Available at: http://www.navs.org Product Testing. [online] Nov, 4, 1997. Available at: http://www.navs.org/product.htm Singer, Peter. "All Animals Are Equal."Animal Rights:Opposing Viewpoints. Leone,Bruno, Series Ed. San Diego, CA. Greenhouse Press.1996. Vergoth, Karin. "Guinea Pigs." Psychology Today. November/December 1995. pp21.

Giberson’s Glass Studio

Giberson’s Glass Studio Comparison of the Past and Recommendations for the Future Giberson’s Glass Studio Income Statement For the Year Ending August 31, 2007 Revenues: Sales $ 31,080 Total Revenue $31,080 Expenses: Materials $ 857 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 25,352 Net Income 5,728 Executive Summary This report is to provide an evaluation of the current financial position and prospective profitability of Giberson’s Glass Studio.The calculations used and information are presented in the documents following and outlining each recommendation. We find the company to be in positive financial standing, but with large areas of weakness that will require further investigation and action by management. We will present the following recommendations: * Reset Pricing Structure * Use of Part Time Labor * Time Management Plan * Demonstration Shows * Product Line Expansion Recommendation # 1-Reset Pricing Structure Assumpt ions: * No other changes (i. e. batch size, production size, labor, etc. ) * Increase in Net Income is preferred.Price per Item Calculations: Batch Price-$21. 43 Salary per Working Week-$625. 00 Total Costs per Week-$646. 43 Produced Pounds-39. 3 lbs. Costs per item: Patterned Glass-$8. 22 each Paperweights-$14. 80 each Wrapped Tumblers-$8. 22 each Vases-$9. 87 each We suggest a 50% mark-up from the total cost of each item. Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #1 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales $ 40,520 Total Revenue $ 40,520 Expenses: Materials $ 857 Gas9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 25,352Net Income $ 15,168 Recommendation # 2-Use Part Time Labor Assumptions: * Interested in increasing efficiency. * Productions tasks are completed by Mr. Giberson only. * $5/hour meets or exceeds Minimum Wage requirements. Part-Time workers will be completing â€Å"cold time† production act ivities, such as grinding, sanding, and polishing. They will also be packing and shipping, cleaning, clerical duties, and serving customers in store front. Using part-time labor will allow for increased efficiency and allow products to be created and finished simultaneously, which allows for more production during each day.We suggest adding two part-time employees at $5/hour. Employee no. 1- Grinding, sanding and polishing 30 hours per week x ($5. 00 per hour) = $150 per week Employee no. 2- Clerical work, customer service, cleaning 30 hours per week x ($5. 00 per hour) = $150 per week Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #1 & 2 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales $ 40,520 Total Revenue $ 40,520 Expenses: Materials $ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income $ 3,168 Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #2 For th e Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales$ 31,080 Total Revenue $ 31,080 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Loss ($6,272) Recommendation # 3-Time Management Plan Assumptions: * Interested in increasing profitability and efficiency. Increase in Net Income is preferred. * Recommendation #2 is accepted. Based on the recommendations made during the time management plan, we would like to increase the number of pieces produced, ultimately increasing profitability and reducing waste. Higher production would allow your backlog to catch up and allow for made-to-order products to be considered and produced. Time Management will help you be more aware of your productivity, keep you on task, and help you become the most productive that you can be. Time is money, as it relates to production. Giberson’s Plan of Weekly ProductionDay of the Week| Time Period| Task| Description| Pro duction Time| Amount of Production| Sunday| 8 am – 5 pm| Charging| Melting Material for Batch| N/A| N/A| Monday| 8 am – 5 pm| Fining| Process to allow air bubbles to escape| N/A| N/A| Tuesday-Saturday| 8 am – 10 am| Lighting the Glory Hole| Procedure to begin daily production| N/A| N/A| | 10 am – 11 am| Heating Ovens| Turning on Annealing Ovens| N/A| N/A| | 11 am- 12 noon| Blowing| Paperweights| 15 minutes each| 4 per day/20 per week| | 12 noon – 1 pm| Blowing| Vases| 25 minutes each| 2 per day/10 per week| | 1 pm- 2 pm| Lunch Break| N/A| N/A| N/A| 2 pm -4 pm| Blowing| Glasses| 15 minutes each| 8 per day/40 per week| | 4 pm – 6 pm| Blowing| Wrapped Tumblers| 15 minutes each| 8 per day/40 per week| Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #1, 2, & 3 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales$ 57,920 Total Revenue $ 57,920 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10, 210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income $20,568Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #2 & 3 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales$ 43,920 Total Revenue $ 43,920 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income$ 6,568 Recommendation # 4- Demonstration Shows Assumptions: * Recommendation #2 and 3 are accepted. * Pricing remains the same structure, even though it costs less to produce each item. Room for 10 people maximum, with average of 7 people attending at each time slot. Based on the recommendations made under the time management plan, we would like to increase the number of pieces produced, while allowing time with customers on a small group basis to meet desires of customers and owner. Demonstration shows could charge $2 per person per showing, allowing for an additional stream of income, beyond glass p roducts. Each show would be 30 minutes long, allowing for show of making product, discussion, and question and answer time. Giberson’s Plan of Weekly ProductionDay of the Week| Time Period| Task| Description| Production Time| Amount of Production| Sunday| 8 am – 5 pm| Charging| Melting Material for Batch| N/A| N/A| Monday| 8 am – 5 pm| Fining| Process to allow air bubbles to escape| N/A| N/A| Tuesday-Friday| 8 am – 10 am| Lighting the Glory Hole| Procedure to begin daily production| N/A| N/A| | 10 am – 11 am| Heating Ovens| Turning on Annealing Ovens| N/A| N/A| | 11 am- 12 noon| Blowing| Paperweights| 15 minutes each| 4 per day/16 per week| | 12 noon – 1 pm| Blowing| Vases| 25 minutes each| 2 per day/8 per week| | 1 pm- 2 pm| Lunch Break| N/A| N/A| N/A| 2 pm -4 pm| Blowing| Glasses| 15 minutes each| 8 per day/32 per week| | 4 pm – 6 pm| Blowing| Wrapped Tumblers| 15 minutes each| 8 per day/32 per week| Saturday| 9 am – 10 am| H eating Ovens| Turning on Annealing Ovens| N/A| N/A| | 10 am -11 am| Shows| Paperweights| 15 minutes each| 2 per day| | 11 am – 12 noon| Shows| Vases| 25 minutes each| 2 per day| | 12 noon – 1 pm| Lunch Break| N/A| N/A| N/A| | 1 pm – 2 pm| Shows| Glasses| 15 minutes| 2 per day| | 2 pm – 3 pm| Shows| Wrapped Tumblers| 15 minutes| 2 per day|Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #1, 2, 3 & 4 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XX Revenues: Sales$ 43,920 Show Revenue 4,480 Total Revenue $ 62,400 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income$25,048 Giberson’s Glass Studio Projected Income Statement-Recommendation #2 & 3 For the Year Ending August 31, 20XXRevenues: Sales$ 43,920 Show Revenue 4,408 Total Revenue $ 48,400 Expenses: Materials$ 857 Additional Labor 12,000 Gas 9,200 Operating Expenses 10,210 Depreciation 4,625 Interest 460 Total Expenses 37,352 Net Income $ 11,048 Recommendation # 5- Product Line Expansion Assumptions: * Interested in adding new and different products. * Increase in Net Income is preferred. * Interested in using massive parts of weekly batch that is usually wasted .

Psychology and Scientific Method Essay

There are many arguments that debunk the idea that psychology could ever be a ‘pure science’. In any event, psychology has been touted by many a philosopher as a pseudo-science. This is primarily because science itself has a fixed method by which they conduct scientific experiments. We discuss precisely what it is that makes a theory scientific, how theories can be related to evidence and the principal issues involved in evaluating a theory. We also look at what it is that a science of psychology should study. What aspects of psychology can be defined as scientific and what aspects are thoroughly based on conjecture? Can we really call psychology a scientific medium? The observable is what science studies. Freud was initially concerned with studying the unseen, while observing behaviors (Hays, 1964: 27). He believed that the insanity that is presented to the outside world was due to a complex internal mental mechanism (Hays, 1964: 27). However, Freud also fell short of one thing, hard evidence that these mental processes existed. Scientific method determines that there are 4 or 5 steps the researcher has to take in order to make the experiment valid in the eyes of the scientific community. Physics lecturer Jose Wudka states that these steps include: 1. Observation; 2. Hypothesis; 3. Prediction; 4. Test the prediction with experiment (Wudka, 1998). The last step may be that the prediction needs to be retested and the hypothesis revisited. If we take Freud as an example, his experiments were based almost entirely on observation with no empirical data to either prove or disprove his hypotheses. Theory remains just a theory until is proved as fact. Theories are therefore related to evidence in a crucial way. Firstly, there has to be evidence of something that can be studied: for instance in criminal justice we have a bullet cap left behind at a crime. This bullet may be lying in a certain way and with the added presence of gunshot residue (cordite) can help investigators to formulate a hypothesis about what happened with the particular crime. With the case of Freud for instance, we can observe behaviors of children or even adults, but we cannot say where it comes from without getting inside the head. This makes the evidence inadmissible and the theory remains just that – a theory. Secondly, evidence that is presented, has to be tested. This means that the evidence must relate to the theory it is trying to legitimate. In this case, the evidence either proves the theory or it forces the experimenter to return to the theory and rework it. A theory can be evaluated by means of this same testing procedure, key issues being predominantly about validity, verifiability and reliability. Take for instance the normal experimental procedure for empirical research that includes the presentation of a valid sample group that is anonymous and whose records are either thus or confidential. An example of theory testing in psychology that does follow the scientific method is that of medical and electrical testing. One particular research example in psychology is that of Electro Shock Therapy. In this case the treatment studied is reversed in that the EST was used to treat asthmatics, successfully. This case studied asthmatics brought in for EST after intense supervision prior to hospitalization. The patients were monitored before, during and after the treatment to see whether there is a relationship between hysteria and asthma (Cohen and Holbrook, 1947: 213). In this case the patients themselves provide the data necessary for testing the hypothesis. The hypothesis was that there was a relationship between hysteria and asthma. The results showed not only a relationship, but I significant reaction to Electro Shock Treatment (Cohen and Holbrook, 1947: 214). In other research, EST is studied for its effect on schizophrenia rather than the usual bipolar disorder. This research revealed that EST may be useful in the treatment of this psychotic illness. This especially when combined with medication (ScienceDaily, 2005). These research projects were conducted under strict supervision and with documentation the entire process. On the other side of the coin, there are arguments that also dispel scientific method. William McComas of the Rossier School of Education cites 15 myths about scientific method that he considers to be principal issues. In the scope of this paper we cannot discuss all of McComas’ issues but a few will be discussed. The first of these is that hypotheses become theories and then become laws. This is not always the case since sometimes the evidence does not uphold the hypothesis. He also says that theory is not always absolute. Theory can only be absolute if there are no exceptions and in psychology particularly, there are almost always exceptions. Science and scientific method are also not always absolute proof, nor does it always answer all the questions (McComas, 1998: 2-9). In tune with the fact that the evidence does not always support the hypothesis, science does also not always represent reality but functions as a model around which scientific developments can be made (McComas, 1998: 9-18). Furthermore and specifically in psychology terms, these theories are flouted by the presence of some elements in a patient that do not fit the ‘textbook’ description of a certain ailment. For instance, it could be said that most cases of borderline personality disorder come from upper to middle class sectors and develop this type of disorder as a textbook concern, not all BPD patients are upper to middle class. This is merely an example of the type of issue that faces the social sciences where individuals cannot be controlled in the way that plant slides or blood tests can be. The science of psychology is about people and the nuances thereof. It is aware that humans are temperamental and also subject to the actions of other people. This means that psychology can be studied as an observation, by viewing the behaviors of people and documenting them. Psychology cannot be studied in the same way as other sciences can be, despite the fact that in empirical sciences there are also issues of compliance. If we consider that communicable diseases such as HIV/Aids can be physically examined, that blood cells and antibodies can be made visible and studied in their physical form, psychology is not the same. Inroads have been made to attempt to clarify tests done decades earlier, such as Pavlov’s conditioning studies, but unless a method becomes available to view thought processes, these theories remain unproved. The visible is the first step to studying science, but psychology hits a wall after that. We know certain aspects of psychology, such as schizophrenia is as much a neurological disorder as a psychiatric one, but there are other psychological issues we do not know. This means that psychology has to be studied in a multidisciplinary way, rather than as purely scientific. In qualitative research as in quantitative, issues of evaluation are the same. In some psychiatric cases, a patient may also have medical problems, such as diabetes, epilepsy or malnutrition and these can be physically seen. There are indeed ways in which psychology fails the test of scientific method, and therefore falls into the category of ‘pseudo science’. However, there are issues in pure sciences that also fall short of the elitist idea of science. Films such Stanley Kubrick’s â€Å"A Clockwork Orange† explore the idea of experimentation with the human brain, but to undergo such testing even with the consent of volunteers, would be considered inhumane. It seems to be ethical to test chemicals on animals or to test explosives in remote areas, but not ethical to perform potentially dangerous tests on human brains. This leaves psychological testing with the likes of psychometric testing and theories, yet again. As discussed, scientific method is reliant on having the evidence to back it up, whereas psychological is based on assumption to a large extent. Psychological profiling is an example of this in that given the evidence presented, a criminal can be profiled by the marks he leaves behind. Seldom is this knowledge enough to prove someone is guilty of not.

The Paradox of Assimilation Essay Example

The Paradox of Assimilation Essay Example The Paradox of Assimilation Essay The Paradox of Assimilation Essay The Paradox of Assimilation Assimilation both descriptively and prescriptively is a procedure of adjusting and acclimatizing to society. Normally thought to hold hurtful effects on society, assimilation can take to either the promotion or the complete and arrant deindividuation of it. This construct of assimilation by agencies of being a merchandise or a procedure is what fuses elements that are both matter-of-fact and ideological in modern twenty-four hours society. Simply put, assimilation is one of the largest paradoxes that is presently observed in society. A premier illustration of this paradox is displayed through the usage of covering in order to suit into society. Covering, which is the procedure of chanting down a disfavored individuality and exposing one more likely to be accepted socially, is an indispensable tool utilized by many ( Yoshino 552 ) . However, extended sums of assimilation through the procedure of covering can at times cause persons to cast their true individuality in favour of the fals e 1 that they have been showing. Despite this, the most effectual manner for society to progress is through assimilation. The homogenizing procedure that is assimilation causes persons to set aside their ain values, individuality, and regular inclinations, in order to take on, act, and adapt to the behaviour of the group in which they wish to be accepted into. In Ariel Levy’s Female Chauvinist Pigs, Sheila Nevins, a celebrated executive manufacturer states Everyone has to knock and crunch for what they want ( Levy 267 ) . Simply put, there is no success without forfeit. Despite their outer visual aspects those who want to last, accomplish illustriousness or claim success are willing to do the forfeits required in order to persist towards their ultimate end. Even Witterick’s household in their changeless conflict against gender assimilation found that while in Cuba in order to endeavor towards their end of rejecting the social gender norms, they had to accept the one thing they despised ( Poisson 366 ) . Identities are meant to be based on a complex composing of different sorts of lines and forms that intertwine into their environing systems, each of which on their ain would be homogenous ( civilization, household, friends, and media ) . Despite the fact that these lines and forms follow different waies, when they are processed together through assimilation at the right times the instabilities become sorted out in a manner which consequences in the creative activity of alone individualities in society. Assimilation when used responsibly is a tool best utilised for the promotion of society. However, many persons fear assimilation missing the cognition that it can happen without the arrant devastation of one’s individualism. One’s individualism, or their individuality has many influences and divisions. These influences involve merely about anything that has to make with beliefs, traditions, symbols, behaviours, values aˆâ€ ¹aˆâ€ ¹or even pride hoarded within one’s ego or shared by members of their peculiar bomber society. The downside of assimilation is that many do non put to death the act decently. Society implies that persons have engagement in it as full members with alone positions and sentiments. One’s changeless interaction with others, leads to impute significances to people, objects or events in the surrounding environment. In Yoshino’s The New Civil Rights states that the commitment is to assist people be themselves to defy d emands to conform that take away their ability to be the persons they are ( Yoshino 557 ) . Though this may be interpreted as assimilation through covering denies persons the right to be who they are in world it shows that, in order to accomplish the success of society in a positive mode, the promotion of persons with their uniqueness spared must come foremost. The mode in which they achieve this whether they’re utilizing their heads to make it or their tits ( Levy 269 ) is irrelevant as both require some grade of assimilation. The procedure of deindividuation is an ageless cringle of absorbing and losing a sense of one’s self-identity. This does non intend that conforming or sharing the same traits with other persons deprives one’s ain sense of individualism. Assimilation is the measure that allows persons to be accepted into their sub social civilization and begins the true procedure of organizing their ain individualism. Which in bend allows them to further the sense of belonging to their cultural group. This feeling helps, despite single differences, members to hold something in common. That same common feeling can besides be demonstrated by sing other sub social groups that may non portion the same traits. By sing differing groups, a group can be identified as alone and can be viewed so exactly because it presents expressed and important differences which facilitates the being of these different groups which influences society as a whole. By concealing the individuality of Storm and letin g him to be a testimonial to freedom and pick in topographic point of limitation ( Poisson 365 ) . The Wittericks let storm to hold a trait that will be merely be shared by a choice few. This trait of being free and being able to do his ain picks seems to be merely shared within his household but subsequently on in life it will be communal by others that were given the same freedoms as a kid. However, if Storm neer learns to absorb to his sub social group, it is likely he will be shunned by them and out casted by others who do non portion the same traits as him. This shows that being deemed mainstream is still frequently a necessity of societal life ( Yoshino 552 ) . What is considered mainstream in one group may non be mainstream in another. However it is these baby stairss that allow the advancement of society to go on processing frontward. Groups that are a consequence of assimilation many times portion common values and features frequently influence one’s individualism in a manner that wishes to be accepted and recognized as a member of that common individuality. Plants Cited Poisson, Jayme. Parents Keep Child’s Gender SecretEmerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers.2neodymiumerectile dysfunction. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 364-369. Print. Yoshino, Kenji. Preface A ; The New Civil Rights.Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers.2neodymiumerectile dysfunction. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 551-559. Print. Levy, Ariel. Female Chauvinist Pigs Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers.2neodymiumerectile dysfunction. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 266*278 [ Research documents that use MLA format do non include a cover page unless requested by your teacher. Alternatively, start with the information shown at the top of this page. Make non bold the rubric or utilize all capital letters. Capitalize the first and last words of the rubric, and all chief words. If your paper includes a caption, separate it from the rubric by a colon and infinite, as shown. For more specific counsel on capitalisation, see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition ( MLA 7th Edition ) . ] [ All text- including rubrics, citations, notes, and list of plants cited- uses dual line spacing. Body text and note text usage a half-inch first-line indent. The list of plants cited uses a half-inch hanging indent. Table rubrics and beginning text usage a quarter-inch indent. Access all of these text formats on the Home check, in the Styles gallery. ] [ MLA format discourages extensive usage of content notes. But, when you need to add notes, you can utilize either endnotes or footers. MLA 7th Edition indicates that you should utilize a superior, Arabic number at an appropriate topographic point in the text for the note mention. To get down the note text, use the same numerical, non superscript, and followed by a period. ] [ If you use endnotes, they should be on a separate page, at the terminal of your text and predating the list of plants cited. If you use footers, confer with your professor for preferable format. ] [ For citations of more than four lines, indent the quotation mark one inch from the left border and do non utilize citation Markss. To use this data format, on the Home check, in the Styles gallery, click Quote. For shorter citations, you can set them in citation Markss, and integrate them straight into text. ] Table 1 [ This Table Title Uses a Style Named Table Title , Available on the Home Tab, in the Styles Gallery ] Column Heading Extra Column Heading Extra Column Heading Extra Column Heading Row Heading Row Heading Row Heading Beginning: [ This beginning text uses a manner named Table Source , available on the Home check, in the Styles gallery. ] [ This note text uses a manner named Table Note , available on the Home check, in the Styles gallery. Table notes use a lowercase missive alternatively of Arabic numbers to distinguish them from the notes to organic structure content. ] Fig. 1. [ This figure caption uses the No Indent manner, available on the Home check, in the Styles gallery. Label figures with the brief Fig. and a figure figure. ] [ The sample list that follows was created utilizing the Bibliography characteristic available on the References check. This characteristic offers the option to stipulate MLA manner, so that your mentions are automatically formatted right. You can besides utilize this characteristic to add in-text commendations, such as the one shown at the terminal of this paragraph. To add page Numberss to a commendation after you insert it, right-click the commendation and so snap Edit Citation. Note besides that MLA regulations for commendations and mentions are extended. So it’s a good thought to mention to MLA 7th Edition for farther information. ] ( AuthorLastName Pages ) [ To utilize this templet when making the lineation for your paper, on the Home check, in the Styles gallery, click No Indent. Then, on the same check, in the Paragraph group, click the Multilevel List icon and so snap the MLA Outline manner that appears under List Styles. The first six degrees of this list manner correspond to the lineation degrees defined in MLA 7th Edition. ] For extra counsel on arranging your research paper, consult MLA 7th Edition every bit good as your teacher. Plants Cited AuthorLastName, FirstName.Title of the Book Being Referenced. City Name: Name of Publisher, Year. Type of Medium ( e.g. Print ) . LastName, First, Middle. Article Title. Journal Title( Year ) : Pages From To. Print.

Why Crocodiles Havent Changed Much in 200 Million Years

Why Crocodiles Haven't Changed Much in 200 Million Years Of all the reptiles alive today, crocodiles may be the least changed from their prehistoric forebears of the late Cretaceous period, over 65 million years ago- although the even earlier crocodiles of the Triassic and Jurassic periods sported some distinctly un-crocodile-like features, such as bipedal postures and vegetarian diets. Along with pterosaurs and dinosaurs, crocodiles were an offshoot of the archosaurs, the ruling lizards of the early to middle Triassic period; needless to say, the earliest dinosaurs and the earliest crocodiles resembled one another a lot more than either resembled the first pterosaurs, which also evolved from archosaurs. What distinguished the first crocodiles from the first dinosaurs was the shape and musculature of their jaws, which tended to be much more deadly, as well as their relatively splayed limbs- as opposed to the straight, locked in legs of theropod dinosaurs. It was only well into the Mesozoic Era that crocodiles evolved the three main traits with which theyre associated today: stubby legs, sleek, armored  bodies, and marine lifestyles. First Crocodiles of the Triassic Period Before the first true crocodiles emerged on the prehistoric scene, there were the phytosaurs (plant lizards): archosaurs that looked very much like crocodiles, except that their nostrils were positioned on the tops of their heads rather than the tips of their snouts. You might guess from their name that phytosaurs were vegetarians, but in fact, these reptiles subsisted on fish and marine organisms in freshwater lakes and rivers worldwide. Among the most noteworthy phytosaurs were Rutiodon and Mystriosuchus. Oddly enough, except for the characteristic  location of their nostrils, phytosaurs looked more like modern crocodiles than the first true crocodiles did. The earliest crocodiles were small, terrestrial, two-legged sprinters, and some of them were even vegetarians (presumably because their dinosaur cousins were better adapted to hunting for live prey). Erpetosuchus and Doswellia are two leading candidates for the honorific of first crocodile, though the exact evolutionary relationships of these early archosaurs are still uncertain. Another likely choice is the reclassified Xilousuchus, from early Triassic Asia, a sailed archosaur with some distinct crocodilian characteristics. Whatever the case, its important to understand just how confusing the facts on the ground were during the middle to late Triassic period. The portion of the supercontinent Pangea corresponding to modern-day South America was crawling with dinosaur-like crocodiles, crocodile-like dinosaurs, and (presumably) early pterosaurs that looked like both crocodiles and dinosaurs. It wasnt until the start of the Jurassic period  that dinosaurs began to evolve along a distinctive path from their crocodile cousins and slowly established their worldwide dominance. If you went back in time 220 million years ago and were swallowed whole, you probably couldnt tag your nemesis as a crocodile or a dinosaur. Crocodiles of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras By the start of the Jurassic period (about 200 million years ago), crocodiles had mostly abandoned their terrestrial lifestyles, probably as a response to the terrestrial dominance achieved by dinosaurs. This is when we begin to see the marine adaptations that characterize modern crocodiles and alligators: long bodies, splayed limbs, and narrow, flat, tooth-studded snouts with powerful jaws (a necessary innovation, since crocodiles feasted on dinosaurs and other animals that ventured too close to the water). There was still room for innovation, though. For example, paleontologists believe that Stomatosuchus subsisted on plankton and krill, like a modern gray whale. About 100 million years ago, toward the middle of the Cretaceous period, some South American crocodiles had begun to imitate their dinosaur cousins by evolving to enormous sizes. The king of the Cretaceous crocodiles was the enormous Sarcosuchus, dubbed SuperCroc by the media, which measured about 40 feet long from head to tail and weighed in the neighborhood of 10 tons. And lets not forget the slightly smaller Deinosuchus, the deino in its name connoting the same concept as the dino in dinosaurs: terrible or fearsome. These giant crocodiles probably subsisted on equally giant snakes and turtles- the South American ecosystem, on the whole, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Skull Island from the film, King Kong. One way in which prehistoric crocodiles were indeed more impressive than their terrestrial relatives was their ability, as a group, to survive the K-T extinction event that wiped the dinosaurs off the face of the earth 65 million years ago. Why this is so, remains a mystery, though it may be an important clue that no plus-sized crocodiles survived the meteor impact. Todays crocodiles are little changed from their prehistoric ancestors, a telling clue that these reptiles were, and remain, extremely well adapted to their environment.

External Environment in Which The Body Shop Operates Research Paper - 2

External Environment in Which The Body Shop Operates - Research Paper Example Resources utilized for this project were gathered utilizing a wide variety of secondary source materials, including the theoretical professional perspectives in books, journals, and community reports highlighting strategic activities and analyses of reputable firms which recognize the importance of macro-level assessments. Research literature regarding The Body Shop, from a wide variety of community and internal perspectives, was compared to the tangible 2006 The Body Shop Annual Report so as to provide an accurate snapshot of the current state of long-term business strategy within the company. No primary data was gathered for this report in the form of observations or questionnaires due to researcher limitations.  Because of sales declines in the United Kingdom, The Body Shop must come to understand all of the macro-environmental factors which potentially hinder continued growth and business sustainability. In order to fully address these factors, this section highlights the busin ess environment of The Body Shop, including a detailed PEST analysis which divides the external business forces into four specific environmental categories. This format is designed to assist the reader in understanding how the aforementioned categories directly impact current performance and future longevity at the firm.  The Body Shop maintains an employee population of just over 7,500 (The Body Shop Annual Report, 2006). The Body Shop UK is a division of The Body Shop International, Plc. owned by the L’Oreal family of brands and experienced a one percent drop in sales from 2005 to 2006 (BSAR, 2006) Though this is not a tremendous sales decline, it does tend to illustrate that the firm is currently losing momentum in its European market. The Body Shop offers products which appeal to the upscale consumer, consisting of naturally inspired ingredients and the company guarantees the quality of its somewhat organic product line.