Global Financing and Rate

Global Financing and Exchange Rate Mechanisms Veronica L. Powell University of Phoenix MGT/448 Donald Joseph March 31, 2009 Global Financing and Exchange Rate Mechanisms Currency is unreliable. In some countries the United States dollar is worth more than that countries currency, while in other countries the U. S. dollar is worth less. The exchange rate fluctuates on a continuous base which makes the term â€Å"funny money† more realistic each day. The purpose of this paper is to discuss hard and soft currency, the South African rand, Cuban pesos, and why the exchange rates fluctuate.Hard currency is a currency, usually from a highly industrialized country, that is largely accepted globally as a form of payment for goods and services (Investopedia, 2010). Hard currency is presumed to remain fairly stable through a short period of time, and to be considerably liquid in foreign exchange markets. Soft currency is another name for â€Å"weak currency. † The values of soft c urrencies fluctuate often, and other countries do not want to hold these currencies due to political or economic uncertainty within the country with the soft currency (Investopedia, 2010).Hard currency comes from a country that is politically and economically stable. The United States dollar and the British pound are examples of hard currencies. Soft currencies tend to be prevalent in developing countries. Often, governments from developing countries set unreasonably high exchange rates, pegging the currency of that country to a currency such as the United States dollar. South Africa had a fixed exchange rate for its currency until the latter part of the 1960s; afterward, the South African rand was pegged against major foreign currency.The value of the rand followed changes in the balance of payments and moved roughly with sterling and other weaker currencies until 1985 (Country Data, 1996). The foreign debt crisis of 1985 prompted the rand to depreciate at a bewildering rate, thus it fell to a value that was less than US$0. 40. In 1987 the rand began to recover reaching US$0. 43; however the rand continued to decrease steadily, with minor differences, until declining to US$0. 26 in the latter part of 1995. The rand is a parallel currency that was exclusively used for nonresident capital movements during the 1980s and 1990s.The financial rand was available to foreigners for investment only in South Africa was formulated by the sale of nonresidents’ assets in the country (Country Data, 1996). The two-tiered currency system insulated the country’s foreign reserves from politically stimulated capital flight, because all divestment by nonresidents were automatically met by new investment, and the price of the financial rand varied independently of the commercial rand (Country Data, 1996). Ultimately, South Africa’s economic growth depends upon increasing gold profits and foreign investments.The Cuban Pesos (CUP) is the official currency in Cub a. The American dollar is not accepted on government business in Cuba since November 2004. All of the stores that sold goods in American currency changed to the Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). Pesos convertibles cost the equivalent of $1. 18 United States Dollars (USD). In Cuba, currency is exchanged every day, and it is a known fact that the pesos are unstable. The Cuban Pesos is equivalent to 100 cents (centavos). The notes can be of the following denominations: 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pesos; coins can be of 1, 5, and 20 centavos (Cuba Currency, 2005).The exchange to the Pesos convertible into United States Dollars are fixed, one to one equivalent of the $1 USD that was established by the Central Bank of Cuba. National currencies are important to the way modern day economies function. The national currencies allow businesses to logically express the value of a good, service, or product globally. Exchange rates are needed because one countries currency is not always accepted in another country. An exchange rate is simply the cost of one form of currency in another form of currency (Grabianowski, 2004).For example, if 1 South African rand is exchanged for 80 Japanese yen, the consumer purchased a different form of currency to use in while in Japan. Many centuries ago, currencies of the world were covered by gold. A piece of paper currency was issued by any world government agency that represented a real amount of gold being held in a vault by that government agency (Grabianowski, 2004). In the 1930s, the U. S. set the value of the dollar at a single, unchanging level: 1 ounce of gold was worth $35 (Grabianowski, 2004). Other countries based the value of their currencies on the U.S. dollar after World War II. Since everyone knew how much gold a U. S. dollar was worth, then the value of any other currency against the dollar could be based on its value in gold (Grabianowski, 2004). Currency worth twice as much gold as the U. S dollar was, subsequently, also w orth two U. S. dollars (Grabianowski, 2004). The two main systems used to determine a currency’s exchange rate are: floating currency and pegged currency. The market determines a floating exchange rate. For instance, a currency is worth whatever buyers are willing to pay for it.This is determined by supply and demand, which is in turn driven by foreign investment, import/export ratios, inflation, and a host of other economic factors (Grabianowski, 2004). Primarily, countries with stable and mature economic markets use a floating system. Floating exchange rates are considered efficient because the market will automatically correct the rate to reflect inflation and other economic forces (Grabianowski, 2004). The floating system is not perfect, if a country’ economy suffers from instability; a floating system will discourage investment (Grabianowski, 2004).To sum up, this paper discussed hard and soft currency, the South African rand, Cuban pesos, and why the exchange rat es fluctuate. Hard and soft currencies are both affected by the exchange rate which fluctuates on a daily basis. Though the notion of the USD not being accepted in Cuba seems unreasonable, it is the choice of Fidel Castro and is honored by American citizens. As countries continue to develop more currencies will become available and will also have the affects of the fluctuating exchange rate. References Country Data. (1996, May).South africa currency. Retrieved from http://www. country-data. com/cgi-bin/query/r-12162. html Cuba Currency. (2005). Cuban pesos. Retrieved from http://www. cubacurrency. com Grabianowski, E. (2004, February 06). How Exchange rates work. Retrieved from http://money. howstuffworks. com/exchange-rate. htm Investopedia. (2010). What does Soft currency mean? Retrieved from http://www. investopedia. com/terms/s/softcurrency. asp Investopedia. (2010). What does Hard currency mean?. Retrieved from http://www. investopedia. com/terms/h/hardcurrency. asp

What women need to know about Universities

A woman should gain many things from a university education. Simply obtaining passing grades and graduating with a diploma are not the only benefits of college. Another benefit should be the development of confidence and self worth. They should also be exposed to a diverse population and to beliefs that differ from their own. They should form lasting relationships with other people from this time in their lives. They need to grow, to change, to mature and to experience everything college has to offer. Women should be encouraged and supported by faculty, not just taught as a number. Finally, they should gain real life experiences, not just â€Å"book learning. † Universities today are not providing adequately for their students. SAU is as guilty of this as any other college. All too often, students are allowed to blend into the crowd. Students are not encouraged to be individuals. They are too often judged by someone else’s pre-set standards. They are made to feel as though they must look a particular way, dress in popular fashions, drive the right automobiles, and associate with certain people just to be accepted. Universities, SAU not excluded, still allow sororities, fraternities, and other organizations to include or exclude people on a whim. Those fortunate enough to be accepted look down on those who are not. Universities also overlook the needs of entire groups of people, such as older college students and commuters. Another area that SAU and other universities fail in is support for students. Advisors are often too busy to sit down and counsel students. Students must plan out everything and spot their own deficiencies, then try to remedy situations on their own. A final area that needs improvement in all schools is that of preparing students for the real world. Too often, all lessons come from a book. Faculties should provide students with genuine life and work situations. More practical experiences would help all students. There are people who graduate from college only to find they hate the jobs for which they have been trained. This might be avoided if there had been real world experiences. In summary, too many of today’s colleges and universities are teaching at the students, instead of simply teaching students as people. Until these college and universities recognize that everyone is not the same, this will not change. They should see that each individual has things to offer, and not expect everyone to conform to a rigid set of expectations. The world would be a truly boring place if everyone were just like everyone else. What women need to know about Universities A woman should gain many things from a university education. Simply obtaining passing grades and graduating with a diploma are not the only benefits of college. Another benefit should be the development of confidence and self worth. They should also be exposed to a diverse population and to beliefs that differ from their own. They should form lasting relationships with other people from this time in their lives. They need to grow, to change, to mature and to experience everything college has to offer. Women should be encouraged and supported by faculty, not just taught as a number. Finally, they should gain real life experiences, not just â€Å"book learning. † Universities today are not providing adequately for their students. SAU is as guilty of this as any other college. All too often, students are allowed to blend into the crowd. Students are not encouraged to be individuals. They are too often judged by someone else’s pre-set standards. They are made to feel as though they must look a particular way, dress in popular fashions, drive the right automobiles, and associate with certain people just to be accepted. Universities, SAU not excluded, still allow sororities, fraternities, and other organizations to include or exclude people on a whim. Those fortunate enough to be accepted look down on those who are not. Universities also overlook the needs of entire groups of people, such as older college students and commuters. Another area that SAU and other universities fail in is support for students. Advisors are often too busy to sit down and counsel students. Students must plan out everything and spot their own deficiencies, then try to remedy situations on their own. A final area that needs improvement in all schools is that of preparing students for the real world. Too often, all lessons come from a book. Faculties should provide students with genuine life and work situations. More practical experiences would help all students. There are people who graduate from college only to find they hate the jobs for which they have been trained. This might be avoided if there had been real world experiences. In summary, too many of today’s colleges and universities are teaching at the students, instead of simply teaching students as people. Until these college and universities recognize that everyone is not the same, this will not change. They should see that each individual has things to offer, and not expect everyone to conform to a rigid set of expectations. The world would be a truly boring place if everyone were just like everyone else.

Fluid ingestion can we overhydrate How does hypokalemia fit into this Essay

Fluid ingestion can we overhydrate How does hypokalemia fit into this - Essay Example Most of the time, runners in marathon as they engage on the activity induce or drink fluids in excess to the idea that this will help them stay longer. Not also marathon runners do, but also those who are engaging in tough physical activities like sports who always have liters of water on their side to quench their thirst. Marathon runners should be informed that drinking too much water is not advisable as the engage in that sweat pouring activity. Too much fluid may dilute body salts that will result to the blood to have more water and too little sodium. This situation will cause brain cells to get or absorb more water. It will later swell and push against the skull (De Noon, D., 2003). The human brain would more likely be affected to over-hydration, since this is the organ of the body that is most susceptible to it. During the initial stage of water intoxication or over-hydration, change of behavior can be observed. A person who suffers the effect of over-hydration may suffer drows iness, inattentiveness, nausea and vomiting, weakness and rapid breathing. Adrogue H.J., Madias N.E., (1581-1589), English doctors revealed the dangers of over-hydration. They said, These words from experts support the former idea of the danger that over-hydration can do to humans, and how much we should avoid it. It is not only the early symptoms wherein we should be worry at, but even to the greatest risk that it could give, which is death. Dr. Arthur Siegel, an expert from Mc Lean Hospital in Belmont, MA (Harvard affiliated hospital) declared; April 2006, in Boston Marathon, Cynthia Lucero, 28 years old, died because of over-hydration effects in a 22-mile mark marathon. Another marathon runner, KC Lucero also suffered water intoxication, but fortunately survived. According to her, prior the race she increased her salt intake about a week

Saypa supermarket chains Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Saypa supermarket chains - Essay Example Subsequently, right after about two years of supermarket experience, the chain’s management decided to extend and expand. It opened the second shop in the nearest local town of Yalova. After some while, everybody became aware of Saypa as a household name. Credited to the good management team and the effective ways of advertising, in the next ten years, fifteen supermarkets were opened around different cities. The number having reached up to thirty one (31) stores in 2009, Saypa has become the leading supermarket chain in the City of Bursa with one thousand two hundred (1,200) personnel in its workforce. Supermarket chain Saypa does not merely satisfy the shopping needs but it also provides further services such as promotional cinema and theatre vouchers, organises special events and conventions for charity. It therefore strengthens relationships with society and raises the loyalty level among its customers. Recently, it launched a new promotion package which monthly awards two couples for one week holiday around Turkey. Another reason why Saypa is so popular around the city is that it was the first company which started membership cards, discount vouchers and also saving points for patrol buyers. On the other hand, the company does take care of its employers with special discount cards, sickness payments, free transportation to work and free training programmes for the new starters. Also, the company arranges parties with dinner included twice a year for a meeting and fellowship with employees. In the event, management tries to find out if the staff and personnel have anything to s ay to ameliorate the company’s service quality. Saypa`s future plan for 2009 is to expand with new branches at Istanbul which is the most populated city in Turkey and Europe. Hence, the company aims to keep up with its rivals more, and communicate easily with the

From Literacy to Electracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

From Literacy to Electracy - Essay Example This rote memorization is not uncommon in other religions besides Islam itself. Christians also emphasize the importance of hiding words in one's heart with regards to the Bible (both with the Old and the New Testaments, but especially the New Testament). Many cultures are orally-based cultures, which is to say, they have no need for writing. "The Brazilian Indians sporadically studiedbetween 1935 and 1939, as well as the American Indian and Polynesian and African tribes who have figured in other reports, exemplify societies which....did not require the support of a developed orality with a complex vocabulary."1 Julian Jaynes notes, from a scientist's perspective, that "In the last paragraph of The Origin of Species, [Darwin] implies that God created mind and body in the first primitive organisms and then both evolved in parallel together."2 If this is true, then the mind had as much importance as the body, and consequentially, what a human said. "But this sunk the problem in metaphysics, and it was soon realized that there should be some criterion of consciousness. It seemed obvious in the empiricist climate of the time that this was learning. So the question became: when did learning originate in evolution"3 The answer is, learning evolved with the word. This is because, before reading or writing of any stripe, the spoken word came first. This is the basis of all of our literacy and electracy, ultimately-the linguistic representation of some form of information. Ultimately, people became seemingly uber-sophisticated, and a new avenue of expression came into being. III. Literacy Tribes, as well as individuals, are having a difficult time with literacy. As Barton states, "There are common social practices associated with learning."4 Being able to read and write well (in print) is what truly makes humans superior to other animals. What truly distinguishes men from the beasts is the fact that humans can not only verbalize (which is orality), but they can read and write languages due to the advanced development of their brain structures. "'Civilized' peoples have long contrasted themselves with 'primitive' or 'savage' peoples[which] should be replaced by 'without writing.'"5 Interestingly enough, the phenomena has occurred that people are now less able to read books as a result of the fact that everyone is now living in a post-literate society-post-literate meaning that the use of visual images is more favorable than materials that people can actually see to read. "Bruce Freidmanhas described how the Internet has altered his mental habits. 'I now have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print,' he wrote earlier this year'I can't read War and Peace anymore,' he admitted. 'I've lost the ability to do that. Even a blog post of more than three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb. I skim it."6 This is the beginning of electracy. IV. Electracy "Part of electracy (which is to the Internet what literacy is to print) is to help citizens think with the image."7 Increasingly, visual images are becoming the new book for individuals as well as schools. In fact, no one has the time to read a book. Truthfully, why would someone read a book when he or she can

Other Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Other - Essay Example They can also help people diet in a proper manner and assist in loss of weight, while keeping fit. Thesis: American ‘super foods’ as well as a large number of fruits and vegetables that are produced in America are really good for health and can actually help people in their fitness regimes and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Day by day, more and more Americans are becoming conscious about their health and dietary habits. They are taking to nutrition because of the rampant obesity world over, especially in America, because of the junk food culture. Even though a large number of people still have poor eating habits and have taken to consuming junk food or fast food on a daily basis, there are people spreading awareness regarding the importance of proper living. Magazines, newspapers, tv shows, the radio, as well as many contemporary films and books being made and written in the US have been promoting healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, with the help of American foods itself. Moreover, eating junk food is not all that bad if consumed in a controlled manner. Many American parents have begun to lay emphasis on ensuring that their children receive a healthy diet. Schools in the country have also begun to advocate healthy foods and salads as part of their mess or cafeterias and have begun to rule out the u se of soft drinks and fast foods in order to help students understand that a high nutritional value is much more important than consuming something that might seem tasty but consists of a high number of calroies. With respect to fruits and vegetables, there are foods like blueberries, pumpkin seeds, avocados, sweet potatoes etc that are produced in America in high quantities. (Mitzweich, John) These foods are very rich in nutritions and assist people in overral development of their bodies. Moreover, salmon is produced in the country and sold to very many households as well;

Urban Transportation Problems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Urban Transportation Problems - Assignment Example ch activities close to each other and to residences, so that the shorter trip changes from what should have been an external trip by motor vehicle, to an internal walk, bike, or transit trip (Feldman, Ewing & Walters, 2010). Because the mixed use configuration is essentially internal and encourages pedestrian and non-automobile transportation methods, the forecasting of traffic patterns through trip generation and traffic projection utilised by practitioners tended to be similar to each other. The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) have formulated a method by which trip generation can be performed. Feldman, Ewing and Walters (2010) describe the procedure in the following steps: The estimated figures are then multiplied by a set of per-unit trip generation rates that ITE has developed, to get a preliminary estimate of the number of vehicle trips that are generated by the site; The initial estimates of generated trips are then lowered by a certain percentage, based on lookup tables by the ITE. The reduction represents the internal capture of trips in the mixed use development. The share of internal trips as shown in the look-up table is multiplied by the total number of trips for each of the different uses, to arrive at a first estimate of internal trips for each use. For each pair of uses (production and attraction, or source and destination use) are reconciled, so that the number of internal trips produced by one use is equal to the number of trips attracted by the other use. The lower of the two estimates of internal trips is the limitation of the number of internal trips created by the other use (Feldman, Ewing & Walters, 2010). The traditional trip generation method developed by the ITE has some advantages when applied to mixed-use development areas. First, the process appears to be objective, because if two different analysts worked on the same data, they will arrive at the same result. The steps used for calculation are specific and do not

Special Populations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Special Populations - Research Paper Example This paper will research special education in the Carroll Independent School District (CISD) of Texas. The boundaries of school districts in Texas do not always align with city or county boundaries, whereby one district may occupy several cities or counties, while some of the larger cities may be divided between several school districts. Although most special education students are disproportionately English language learners, minority and the poor, the CISD indiscriminately serves 11 schools in the upper income area of Dallas, Texas. It is the largest school district to have been rated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as exemplary in performance, recording an exceptional zero percent dropout rate and 97 percent attendance in 2007, a rating it holds to date. CISD believes that for majority of its special education students to achieve the same standards as other students, they ought to be given specially designed support, instruction, accommodation and appropriate access as require d by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Texas is among the states in America that have worked for a few decades to have all students included in their education systems. The commitment has seeped into both the provision of education serves and approaches employed in evaluating the system’s success in a bid to meet all the students’ needs. CISD believes that students with special needs deserve more than pity or protection from the high expectations associated with non-special students. They should also not be excluded from necessary assessments that indicate whether they are progressing towards the expectations as desired or not. Some of the cases that compelled CISD to address special education include intellectual disabilities; developmental disabilities; specific learning disabilities; language and speech impairments; orthopedic, hearing and visual impairments; autism; and traumatic brain injury. Special education developed following the governme nt’s growing need for involvement in education (Wilmshurst & Brue, 2010). Before the 1975 passing of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act by the federal government, special education programs had to be improved to include additional services as prescribed by the plans mandated federally. They would therefore be able to benefit from IDEA. To this end, after the Act was passed, Texas established several schools that give special care and attention to students with disabilities to help them grow intellectually, socially and emotionally. In CISD, they have schools that are specially designed and equipped to address the needs of students with learning or physical disabilities. The schools develop students’ talents and skills within caring and safe environments. This is in conformity with the provisions of IDEA that stipulate that each special needs student is given an Individualized Education Program (IEP), outlining how the schools will meet their individual need s (NCD, 1994). CISD further embraces the requirement by IDEA that special needs students must be provided with free, appropriate, public education, which should be conducted in the least restrictive environments. Special education is provided in varying degrees in schools run by the government in CISD. The settings range from the least restric

McDonalds Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9500 words

McDonalds Business Strategy - Essay Example By 1968, the chain comprised 1,000 units, which rose to 5,000 units by 1978. By 2001, the company operated around 30,000 units worldwide. Whilst keeping menus limited, McDonald's diversified its range from its original hamburgers and cheeseburgers. In 1964, the company launched its Filet-o-Fish sandwich, followed by signature burger the Big Mac in 1968, Happy Meals in 1979 and Chicken McNuggets in 1983. (Keynote, 2003; Leitch; 2004) While the majority of sales remain concentrated on burgers and fries, drinks and desserts are important and the brand periodically experiments with other menu additions, such as salads and local specialities. McDonald’s currently gearing up for the introduction of a new salad range in 2006. The late-1990s saw McDonald's shift its focus, as burger fast food, especially in the US, seemed dangerously crowded and mature. Consequently, McDonald’s focused on diversification, introducing new menu items and aiming to attract a more adult demographic, while retaining its core consumer base of children. 2000 saw the introduction of salads, low-fat desserts and a wider choice of chicken and fish burgers. The company also began to relax the McDonald's formula, introducing more regional menu variations and experimenting with new formats, such as cafà ©s and kiosks. This strategy of diversification also resulted in a number of acquisitions during the review period, seeing a shift away from its traditional single-brand focus. In 1998, McDonald’s purchased London-based coffee chain Aroma and in 1999 and 2000 McDonald’s purchased US chains Donatos Pizzeria with an emphasis on â€Å"home-cooked meal† style fast food. ... The company also began to relax the McDonald's formula, introducing more regional menu variations and experimenting with new formats, such as cafs and kiosks. This strategy of diversification also resulted in a number of acquisitions during the review period, seeing a shift away from its traditional single-brand focus. In 1998, McDonald's purchased London-based coffee chain Aroma and in 1999 and 2000 McDonald's purchased US chains Donatos Pizzeria (Ohio based), Mexican self-service cafeteria brand Chipotle (Denver based) and Boston Market with an emphasis on "home-cooked meal" style fast food. Beyond acquisitions, McDonald's also made a series of strategic investments. In February 2001, McDonald's acquired a minority interest (33%) in the British sandwich chain Pret a Manger. In 2002, McDonald's formed a joint venture with Fazoli's, a fast casual Italian restaurant concept based in Lexington, Kentucky, to develop 20-30 Fazoli's restaurants in the US. (Leitch; 2004) This also gave McDonald's the option to purchase the entire company at a later date. The company also opened its first multibranded unit, offering Boston Market, Donatos and McDonald's. However, these acquisitions did not prove wholly successful. In 2002, the company experienced a difficult year, culminating in its first ever quarterly loss. This poor performance was partly due to weak economies in Latin America and APMEA (Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa) and to increasing competition in mature US and Western European fast food. However, the company also felt that its strategy of brand diversification was d iluting its focus on core brand McDonald's. In 2002, Aroma was sold to Caff Nero and in 2003

Business and Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Business and Society - Assignment Example Growth of industries and corporations in the modern world helps to generate greater employment opportunities and increases the per capita income level of individuals (Elliot, 2011). Thus, the corporations help to shape up economic welfare of the individuals. Corporate social activities of the modern organizations help to improve the quality of environment and society. However, these companies often utilize their own financial power for manipulating the policies established by the regulatory authorities (Langeland, 2013). Such activities are conducted through the lobbying practices of the corporations. Thus, industries and corporations in the modern era possess the power to shape the political, social, cultural and economical aspects of the world. Most of the corporations try to maximize their profitability and revenue in business. However, unique strategies of some companies create significant impact on the social and economic environment of some individuals. For instance, Ben & Jerry, a popular ice cream company of United States provides extensive attention on social and environmental improvement aspects (Roach, 2007). In 2001, the company had used all unbleached paperboard pints for packaging purposes. In its popular One Sweet Whirled crusade, the company tried to address over the issue of global climatic change. Such social responsibility related activities of Ben & Jerry helps to improve the social and net welfare across different economies (Roach, 2007). Giant multinational companies such as Apple Inc., generates employment opportunities for thousands of individuals. However, lobbying practices of the multinational companies diminishes social welfare. Companies like Samsung spend almost $900,000 for manipulating the tel ecommunication property rights related regulations introduced by the Federal government (Langeland, 2013). Business, government and society are three highly interrelated factors in the current epoch.

Why School Is Important Essay Example for Free

Why School Is Important Essay I believe everybody should have a good start in their life. Having a good education is a great path to success. School provides knowledge, friendship, and intelligence. Education provides everyday skills, learning, and more. Several people in the world cannot afford for their kids to attend school, so its important to learn to read, write and communicate. The people that have the chance to attend school should work hard to get far in life. You must work hard to attend high schools, universities and colleges. Education provides fundamental skills that are required for most jobs. Now-a-days finding a job in todays world is becoming difficult each and everyday. Most of the world’s top jobs require advanced knowledge and intelligence. You can work as a top employee by attending school. School is very important because you earn education. Education is a key that has the ability to open many doors. For example math is important because math teaches knowledge and ways to solve problems. Students master these skills by watching, listening, reading, and writing. When you learn new things, you develop an understanding mind and knowledge. There are several ways to develop a wide knowledge; one way is paying attention to the instructor. Teachers feel happy and satisfied when the students pay attention and behave. It is good when your teacher thinks you’re valuable and important. When you misbehave, you lose the teachers trust and respect. By doing your homework and assigned items you will earn good grades. Also, by behaving and being a good student your teacher will like you for doing well in their class.

Perceptions of Parents With Down Syndrome

Perceptions of Parents With Down Syndrome A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE PERCEPTION OF PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME: THE CASE OF A FAMILY IN BAMENDA, CAMEROON AND A FAMILY IN LEUVEN, BELGIUM ABSTRACT Down syndrome is a form of disability which retards the growth of children. This form of disability is perceived differently in different cultures and these different perceptions affect the relationship between the rest of the family and the Down syndrome child. While some cultures see Down syndrome children as abnormal beings that have come back in human form to torment families, others see them as just children who have retarded growth and needs an extra help to grow in their own world. These different perceptions therefore enhance the type of treatment granted to these children by their parents. This article is based on evaluating the perception of parents with Down syndrome children within an African context and a Western context. Case study for the case of African will be based on my experience with Down syndrome children in Bamenda and other available literatures while that of the West will be based on ethnographic study with a family in Leuven. This research will examine the different views on the causes of Down syndrome and how this influences the relationship between the Down syndrome child and the family. Also, this article will analyze the type of treatment provided in these different cultural setting. INTRODUCTION Down syndrome most often is caused by trisomy due to no segregation of chromosome 21 in the formation of the oocyte or spermatocyte and it can also be caused by translocation of trisomy 21. This translocation takes place in instances where a piece of chromosome 21 becomes attached to another chromosome often number 14 during cell division. This disability occurs very often in 1 of every 1000 live birth children. This always leads to impairment in cognitive ability and physical growth which could be very mild of severed with some affected children. The recognition of this is very limited. A great number children suffer from Down syndrome disorder in the world today. Not all these children have the means of being diagnosed to know what they are suffering from due to socio economic reasons. Not being diagnosed is a major problem because it affects their development. The number of children who actually are diagnosed and given adequate treatment is greater in developed countries more than developing countries. The perception parents have about the cause, diagnosis and treatment of children with Down syndrome is an interesting aspect that has a great impact on the development of these children. In the light of different cultural point of view, biomedical and socio-cultural factors play a very important role. Betancourt Lopez, 1993 explains that cultural and familial factors are dynamic, non-static entities rather than objective social address variables impacting on child development. The immediate family is the first teacher of a child and their relationship influences the childs development. White and Hastings (2004), also adds that among other factors, the maintaining of positive perceptions of the child, along with optimistic attitudes, gaining information in order further to understand the nature of the condition, fostering family cohesion, and identifying, and gaining access to, support services are all important in the childs development. This is why parents perception about the childs disability whether being biomedical or socio-cultural has a tremendous impact on the childs development. While the modern context perceives biomedicine and other social problems as the cause of this disability, a purely traditional context perceives supernatural, magical, religious and metaphysical factors as the cause of this disability. This different perception affects the relationship between the child and the family and also influences the kind of treatment provided for the children. This article therefore is based on a comparative study on the perception of parents of children with Down syndrome using the case of a modern context and traditional context. Also, evaluating issue of social stigma which puts the disabled child in an inbetween space. OBJECTIVES Main objective To evaluate a comparative study on how different perceptions due to different cultural believes affect the development of Down syndrome children. Specific objectives To assess what the parents believe to be the cause of this disability. Investigate the type of treatment they give as a result of their different perceptions. Compare the social stigma faced DS children in the different cultural backgrounds. Finally to analyze the impacts of these diverse perception on the child development. RESEARCH QUESTION How do the perceptions of parents of children with Down syndrome affect the childs development? METHODOLOGY The perception of parent of children with Down syndrome is an interesting issue with diverse perceptions. These diverse views are influenced by different socio-cultural environment. All of these views have necessitated a multi- approach in collecting data for this article. The methodology therefore was divided into two parts considering the different cultural settings; Data Collection These included the ways in which data was collected from the field. Questionnaires (individual depth interviews), unstructured interview, key informant interview, lectures from class, group discussion, and participant observation were used to collect data from the family with the Down syndrome child in Leuven. I visited this very welcoming and hospitable family seven times and I was allowed to be an active participant observer. While the source of data for the traditional setting in Cameroon came mostly from past experience with the families of children with Down syndrome in a typical African traditional setting and also secondary data were used to collect data. The particular case I used was a child in my neighbourhood. The Perception of Parents of Children with Down Syndrome in a Tradition African Society In a typical traditional society, disability in general is not seen as normal thing. In most of these societies, disable people are not recognised as human beings but are attributed to different things. Not only do these societies have insufficient means of rehabilitating disabled people but they do not treat them as normal people and they suffer from chronic social stigma. This is also the case of children with Down syndrome. This chapter will present the case of Down syndrome children in a typical African traditional society where the people have a strong attachment to their cultural believes. Also examining how the peoples perception of the cause of Down syndrome affects their relationship with the child. Down syndrome is a disability that has been realised only of recent in most developing countries including Cameroon. Though this disability has been diagnosed in this part of the world, Down syndrome children are still widely seen as abnormal children. In my own town, they are considered as witches. They are believed to have come back to torment parents for one reason or the other. I will like to give a brief story of a Down syndrome child who was my neighbour in my home town. This young girl got married and became pregnant and had a normal pregnancy. She was a hairdresser and her husband a bus driver. During her pregnancy she was always advised not to walk at night because it is a common believe that pregnant women should not walk at night or else they will be possess by evil spirits. This womans job made her work late into the night and she had to trek back home every night from work. When she finally gave birth to a girl called Blandine after her due period, the first thing she noticed about Blandine is that she did not cry immediately she was born. This was abnormal but the doctors said she was ok. The child stayed in the incubator for about two weeks because she was not very active. As Blandine grew we discovered that she was not very active like other children. It became clear when she was about 5months because by then she could not seat not to talk of creeping. She started creeping when she was around 9months which was a very slow rate of growth sin ce she was actually suppose to be standing and trying to walk. Her growth rate was relatively low. Being in a traditional society with strong cultural believes different reasons where attributed for the cause of her retarded growth. When the child was 4months due to this slow development the mother consulted a woman who had being a traditional midwife and she was advised to use the bone of an elephant to strengthen the legs of the child and also to apply mbuma oil which is oil from a particular type of snake. She used all these but there was no improvement. The childs parent visited several other traditional herbalists who said different stories. Most of which said she had being possessed by an evil spirit since she walked late in the night during her pregnancy. For them the only thing she could do was to keep the child near a river so that she can return to where she came from. It is a common believe that when you place such children near a big river, after some rituals they turn into snake and return to the water where they came from. For Blandines parents it was very difficult to do such a thing to her, though this perception greatly affected their relationship with their daughter. At the age of 2year, the child had really grown very big and could not be carried around since she could not walk and there were no baby carriers to carry her. She was always abandoned at home alone for hours. We always heard that when she is alone she will play with other invisible witches or evil spirits. There were perceptions that some of these children turn into old people and eat all the food in the house when they are left alone. We always heard very strange stories about these children which frightened us and people around could hardly accept to carry the little girl. Other pregnant women never went near her because they feared she could possess them too. Other parents also restricted their children from going close to the girl. She was not treated like other children and was always neglected. What worsened the situation is the fact that she was always sick too. The general perception was that she became sick only when her father had money in other that the money will be spen t on her. The parents hardly took her to the hospital but often to a traditional herbalist who will demand several things in cash and kind. Other family problems between the couples were attributed to the child. After she had reached certain age, the coupled tried to have another child to no avail. It was therefore believed that this evil child had blocked the woman of the mother. She was always insulted and asked to go back to where she came from. They coupled had serious marital problems since they couldnt get another child knowing the importance of children in an African context. This little girl was never considered as a child but a burden and disgrace to the family. They family members and neighbours hated the child with much passion. Moreso, the child was maltreated because it was a common believe that if you treat such children well they will still come back if they happen to die and when you give birth to another child. So she was badly treated. The worst came when the father became seriously ill and finally died. All these considered as ill lock was attributed to the child and the hatred increased. At the age of 4 this little girl will be abandoned alone, she played alone and you co uld find her smiling to herself. All we knew was that she was smiling with her people of the spirit world. This little girl became very sick finally died at the age of 4years 3months merely due to ignorance and negligence. Before she died on the several visits to traditional doctors, she had being given a mark on her face. This mark will identify her if she should come back again. The mother was cleansed and purified by a diviner to prevent the child from returning. About a year later the mother became pregnant with her new boyfriend and according to them it was really the disabled child that blocked her womb. The little girl might have died of any of the diseases faced by children suffering from Down syndrome. She might have had one of the following; congenital heart defects, gastroesophageal reflux disease, recurrent ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea, and thyroid dysfunctions which are health problems associated with the disability. With such less medical care this health problem might have generated into a chronic disease which is what killed her. But due to the socio-cultural pe rception of the community in which this child found herself it was not discovered. The above therefore shows how the perception of these parents and the social stigma attached by community in general led to the untimely death of this little girl. This story is common in many parts of Africa especially in some rural areas where some of these children are even killed. Cultural influence has therefore a great impact on every disabled childs development. The Cameroon government and Non Governmental Organisations are trying to educate families and communities of children with this disability. Much still has to be done because sensitisation is mostly done in the urban areas, the people in most rural areas are still left with their traditional perception of this disability and many other disabilities. They still consider disability to be some sort of curse caused by supernatural and other mystical factors. An Ethnographic Study on the Perception of Parents of Children with Down Syndrome in a Contemporary Society In the contemporary world of today, many people try to work very hard so as to meet the high expectations and competition. Disability is seen as an impediment notwithstanding the fact that many disabled people are crossing the disable line, though many still remain in luminal stage. Robert Murphy (1987) confirms this by pointing out that people with disability in general exist in partial isolation from society as undefined, ambiguous people. They are neither here nor there, this is the case with the boy with down syndrome as he still suffers from stigmatisation. Down syndrome is a form of disability that has being diagnosed in many countries all over the world. Measures are there for put in place to help these disable children develop. This part of this article is based on an ethnographic study on a family in Leuven with a child disabled by Down syndrome. The main issue here is finding out the perception of the parents towards toward their disabled child and how it affects their family. When a child is diagnosed of Down syndrome or any other disability the family goes through different stages; there is serious morning and regrets at the beginning, then refusal and guilt follows and finally the if the parents still want the child they then accept the child but some parents do abandoned their disabled children and they are sent to the orphanage. This procedure is also experienced in my case study. This is a family made up of two children, a girl who is the first and a disabled boy called Ben. The mother is a teacher and the father a banker. Ben was born in June 2004 with 2.9kg through normal delivery. At birth the obstertrian had suspected he had this disability because of his facial looks and other associate symptoms and a week later he was diagnosed of Down syndrome. The mother too explained that before then she too had noticed that her son had a facial look which was not very straight like her first daughter had. The doctor explained to them the cause of the disability. And after carrying out a genetic counselling to find out the origin of the translocation, it was discovered that the extra copy of the chromosome 21 was from the mother. The doctor explained to them that this was possible because of the maternal age of child birth. The mother had the second child when she was 42years. At the age of 40 the woman has the chances of 1 in 100 and the chances by the age of 42 inc reases to 1 in 60 which was the case of this family. I asked the parents what their reactions were when Ben was diagnosed of this impediment. The mother responded: I was very shocked and deep within I felt really bad knowing that the fault was from me but what consulted me was that our son was just disabled and not sick. What made me mad with the doctor is that why was this disability not diagnosed during my prenatal checkups, that will have prepared me psychologically Most parents hope to have abled children who will meet their future dreams of becoming independent successful men and women. It is always very shocking when they are told these dreams cannot be met because their lovely kid is disabled. Most tend to blame the doctors at first for one reason or the other. In any case though also shocked, this womans response was a positive one because just knowing that the son was not sick was a good beginning coupled with the fact that she knows she is part of the cause of the sons condition. This goes in line with Danseco, Evangeline R. (1997) who explains in her article that mothers who blamed themselves of their childs disability had less caretaking difficulties and less mood disturbances; they also had more positive scores on scales of emotional and verbal responsiveness, organization of the physical and temporal environment, and maternal involvement with the child. This is the exact situation of this family because the mother looked at the situat ion as something she could handle especially when she later explained that she was obliged to attend the numerous counselling sessions which has greatly helped her relationship with her son. For the mother it was not a permanent situation but temporal though she knew that it was a gradual process which needed a lot of patience as the doctor explained to them. She believed that this is the period when Ben needed much love and concern. The mothers perception of Bens condition was however different from the fathers. It was more than a shock to me, I had wanted a son who will grow to be like me or even better than me. In my heart at that moment I knew that no matter what, the situation was irreversible, because growing up we had a boy in our neighbourhood about my age who had the same problem and never developed much The story about his neighbour could have been true because before the 1980s there were less parental support and the quality of education with Down syndrome children was not the best as it is today. Paul T Roger et al 199 acknowledges this by saying that there have been so many changes in the quality of parents support, the education offered and public acceptance and attitude. According to the father this diagnoses greatly affected his relationship with his son. He knows from his own past experience that not much could be done. He confessed that from that moment the love he had hoped for the son greatly reduced. He was very reluctant to take their son home when he was discharged from the hospital. The elder sister too had her own perception. For her she had wanted a kid brother or sister for a playmate and someone she could confined in. If her brother was diagnosed disable it means he will not be very active to play with her as she had hoped. She felt sad because she knew she will be lonely again with no kid brother to play or confine in. All these were the familys perception immediately the child was diagnosed. These different perceptions affected their relationship with Ben at home. The Relationship At Home As Ben grew old the family interaction also changed. Things were not the same as it used to be with their first daughter. Knowing that there is a person who cannot do anything for himself had to affect the lives of those who were close to him. The mother especially was affected. She said, My whole life changed, I had to do all my best to please my son. This also will make me happy and be appeased with myself. For the mother she continuously blamed herself for the childs condition. Therefore taking care of the child despite all odds was not a problem for her. As a teacher, she continued her teaching practise at home by teaching her son and being very patient with him knowing that he is a very slow learner. She is also involved in much reading on issues concerning Down syndrome. She has also made friends with another woman whose daughter also has the disability. These two women often discuss to find out how their children are improving. The learn development skills from each other which will help their children especially when it worked out for one. Bens mother confirmed that the other lady has given her much hope since her daughter is older and has greatly developed. She always advised her on what to do especially concerning the health and hot temper of the child. As a result of his disability his major health problems are dental problems and feeding difficulties. He has to be taken to the dentist at least once a month. The mother explained that it is her job to do that. The father stays most of the time away from their son unless on very rare occasions when the mother cannot make out time. But when it comes to something concerning their daughter he is very fast in reacting. When I tried to discuss with the woman that maybe is it just for the fact that fathers are attached to their daughters more than their sons, she explained to me that the situation worsen between the father/son relationship only after he was diagnosed. She also added that the husband was very excited when he knew he will have a son and was loving and caring before the diagnosed the child of DS. Though things have improved now considering the condition the wife explained to me she went through, you can still see the lukewarm attitude of the father when you come very close to the family especially when the daughter is around. The third time I visited the family, it was on a bright and warm day and they were having some outdoor activities. I noticed that the father played more with the daughter than the son, and the mother though playing with the two children paid more attention to the son since according to what she said he is a delicate person and I have got to be very careful with him so I always have to keep an eye on him. You see that the perception of Bens disability has divided the family somehow. While the mother considers herself to be the cause of the childs situation and wants to do all she can to please the child and herself, the father has less time for him knowing that his condition can hardly be improved and he is more attached to the daughter whom he believes has a brighter future. The mother of Ben explained to me that the situation between her the husband and the son is even much better now. She said that immediately after the diagnoses, the father could hardly even carry the baby boy. It was so serious that she complained to their doctor and they had to go for counselling on several occasions for the situation to improve upon. She explained that there were moments that Ben will even cry when the father came closer. Ben grew to know and love the mother more. The love the mother and the son shared helped the son to develop much. During his happy moments he quickly learns whatever he is bei ng taught and will hardly forget it especially if its from his mother. The sister also showed him some love though it was restricted because he became very violent at times especially when they are playing games and he wants things to be done his own way. This made her stay away from him. Ben loves watching cartoons, tries to read story books with pictures and most interestingly enjoys exploiting the internet. The Familys Daily Routine and Its Impact on the Disabled Child In the morning everybody tries to get up at 7am. Before the boy tends 3years he used to get up only after 9am. Because of that the mother had to shift most of her lessons to begin from 11am so that she will be sure to go to school early. She had to take him to the child day care every morning after a long fight with him in the morning. While the father takes their daughter to her school at 8pm she stayed behind to clean up the son and persuade him take breakfast. Eating was a problem for him because the mother had to force him to eat every morning. She explains that there were moments that he will cry and become so violent that she also got angry. The few times she had lift him with his father Ben had hardly ate anything because the father was not very patient with him. After work the father or the mother picks the children depending on who is early that day. There are days that they go for sport in the evenings especially in summer. They also go for counselling and special instructi on teaching. The mother always tries to be present during the sessions because they are taught how to improve on their childs language, how to make him independent, improve on his cognitive level and social skills at the level of the family. The father attends it just a few and only when the mother really insist he should come with her. After the age of 3 he was enrolled in a special school for children with such disability so the daily routine in the house had to change. They had to teach him how to get up earlier and he was forcefully pulled out from bed especially during the first few months. The name of his school is where there are other children with such disability. Ben is in a class of 15children and the teacher tries to make the lessons very interactive. In class he has a cordial relationship with his classmate since all of them have almost the same reasoning capacity. The teachers are very patient with them though some of these disabled children maybe very violent. A solid relationship at home and in school will help the child to develop more. Children with this disability who have a very supportive family develop faster than those who do not. Bens mother added that if the father had put in much effort as she has done their son would have been perfect. He needed their full support, patience and tolerance. The mother says that with time she will like her son to attend a general education school. Ben is very interested in computer issues and the mother believes that he can become a great computer scientist and she is doing all her best to encourage him. Bens mother also explained that when Ben goes to the general education school she will hire a teacher from the special education school who can give him three hours a week of extra support classes. He will also continue to attend the rehabilitation centre classes for two hours a week for his speech, physical and occupational therapies like computer, since he seems to be very interested in computer. Most parents with disabled children today prefer their children to attend general education schools. They believe that these children will develop more in such schools since they face challenges with normal children, they will also fight to be like them. Most governments are therefore trying to encourage inclusive education for these children. In Flanders (Belgium), inclusive education for children with significant cognitive disabilities has been emerging in a process of gradual change at the individual, systems, and policy levels for the last 15 years (Van Hove, Mortier et al. 2009). CONCLUSION In the two cases above these children though under different cultural setting do face social stigma because of their disability. In the first case there is total denial of the child by the entire community due to their cultural believes which eventually leads to the dead of the child. With the second case, the child is in a better situation though not completely accepted. The mother though under difficult emotional stress accepts the son and the father and the rest of the society around the child accepts the child from a distance. You see that the environment that a DS child finds himself do influence his development. Ben is in a society where there are basic necessities for children with such impediment though he is indirectly rejected while Blandine did not only lack the resources but was openly rejected. But Ben stands at a better position because he has a loving mother who is hoping to give him the best even when the society does not accept him. This shows that attitude the society has about child with Down syndrome has not changed much because people still see these children as a burden and a disgrace to their parents. Their facial look also makes people to look at them in a funny way. Bens mother also explained that she felt really bad when people openly reject her son. For example, when they go to the park some parents will call back their children if they want to play with her son. She explains that it made her feel rejected herself. This is a stigma that she cannot run from she cannot abandon her no matter what the society says. Though in general people are being sentitised world wide about this disability, considering the child as a normal person is still very difficult. Most people still believe that these children with DS and other associate disabilities cannot grow to become independent and contribute to the economic growth of the society. They fail to understand that with the available resources these children can grow to meet their dreams. What they need is acceptance by all and a bit of patience due to their retarded nature to become full members of the society. These children therefore find themselves in a luminal situation. They are in an inbetween situation in which though the society is making efforts to integrate them, they are still suffering from stigmatisation. They are therefore in an ambiguous stage which most of them including their families dream to come out one day. REFERENCES Betancourt, H. Lopez, S.R. (1993). The study of culture, ethnicity, and race in American psychology. American Psychologist, 48, 629-637. Leonard, C.J. (1985). Brief outlines of the parent/family reaction to childhood disability in families from 3 ethnic minority groups. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 8, 197-205. Danseco, Evangeline R. (1997) Parental Beliefs on Childhood Disability: insights on culture, child development and intervention, International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 44: 1, 41 52 Paul T. Rogers, Mary Coleman, Sue Buckley (1992): Medical care in Down syndrome: a preventive medicine approach. 327 Renu Jain, David C. Thomasma, and Rasa Ragas (2002): Down syndrome: Still a Social Stigma. American Journal of Perinatology/Volume 19, Number 2 White N. and Hastings P. 2004 Social and professional support for parents of adolescents with severe intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability 17 181-190 Mortier, Kathleen , Hunt, Pam , Desimpel, Lore andVan Hove, Geert(2009) With parents at the table: creating supports for children with disabilities in general education classrooms, European Journal of Special Needs Education, 24: 4, 337 354 Robert Murphy (1987): The Body Silent in America. New York

Strategies for Diversification

Strategies for Diversification INTRODUCTION The Fine idea also known as Fine stationery is a Pvt ltd. Company which was started in the year 1995 by Mr. Kalpesh.S.Patel with the capital of Rs.50,000/- and he is the CEO and chairperson of the firm. They provide printing services and are Manufacturers License of Disney products. Fine Ideas is manufacturer of stationary, print promotion, table mats, mouse pads, packaging, brochures and pamphlet, design items. It is a company along with acting as supplier from Mumbai. The company also gives ideas and concepts for promotional activities. The company runs smoothly and hardly faces any problems. Recently they faced a problem of decrease in sales. They are willing for diversification of their products, to increase their sales. Should they go for diversification of their products to increase their sales or would it be too risky? This led me to come up with a research question Should FINE IDEAS consider diversification of their products to increase their sales? With the help of primary research and secondary information collected, I used Ansoff Matrix to find the solution to the problem. The main reason for the decrease in sale is an increase in competition. The company is not strong enough to face challenges laid down by competitors. The research will suggest an alternate path of diversification which if company chooses will be worth its survival in the market. If the company does not come up with quick and appropriate decision then it will have to suffer heavy loss. The research will analyze the position of the company in the market. The result found after analysing the prevailing market conditions and the companys problems is that the firm should consider diversification of their products to come out of this problem of decrease in sales and to re-attain its forecasted sales. FINDINGS Diversification is part of the four main marketing strategies defined by the Product/Market Ansoff matrix: http://www.easilyinteractive.com/blog/uploaded_images/ansoff-779433.jpg Fine ideas pointed out that a diversification strategy stands apart from the other three strategies. The first three strategies are usually pursued with the same technical, financial, and merchandising resources used for the original product line, whereas diversification usually requires a company to acquire new skills, new techniques and new facilities which can be provided by Fine Ideas. The notion of diversification depends on the subjective interpretation of new market and new product, which should reflect the perceptions of their customers. The strategies of diversification can include internal development of Fine Ideas, acquisition of a firm, alliance with a complementary company, licensing of new technologies, and distributing or importing few products manufactured by another firm. Generally, the final strategy involves a combination of these options. This combination is determined in function of available opportunities and consistency with the objectives and the resources of the Fine Ideas. Rationale of diversification There are two dimensions of rationale for diversification. The first one relates to the nature of the strategic objective: diversification may be defensive or offensive. Defensive reasons may be spreading the risk of market contraction, or being forced to diversify when current product or current market orientation seems to provide no further opportunities for growth. Offensive reasons may be conquering new positions, taking opportunities that promise greater profitability than expansion opportunities, or using retained cash that exceeds total expansion needs. The second dimension involves the expected outcomes of diversification: management may expect great economic value or first and foremost great coherence and complementary to their current activities. In addition, companies may also explore diversification just to get a valuable comparison between this strategy and expansion. Factors of Risk involved for Fine Ideas to Diversify. Diversification is the riskiest of the four strategies presented in the Ansoff matrix and requires the most careful investigation for Fine Ideas. Going into an unknown market with an unfamiliar product offering means a lack of experience in the new skills and techniques required. Therefore, they will put themselves in a great uncertainty. Moreover, diversification might necessitate significant expanding of human and financial resources, which may distracts focus, commitment and sustained investments for the Fine Ideas. Therefore they should choose this option only when the current product or current market orientation does not offer further opportunities for growth. In order to measure the chances of success, Fine Ideas can also perform different tests like the attractiveness test, the cost-of-entry test and the better-off test. Because of the high risks Fine Ideas, may led to failure while attempting to diversify. However, there are a few good examples of successful diversification like Walt Disney moved from producing animated movies to theme parks. Companies like Fine Ideas diversify for a host of reasons. In some cases, its a survival strategy. For instance, if the company makes the bulk of its sales at a particular time of year, it makes sense to consider diversification. However, there are plenty of other good reasons for diversification, not least by extending your range of goods or services you can either sell more products to your existing customers or reach out to new markets. This can supercharge the growth prospects of Fine Ideas. And perhaps the biggest reason for doing it is to extend a brand reputation into other markets, with the knowledge that making your business bigger than ever imagined. ANALYSIS OF THE FINDINGS The analysis was done by discussing with the owner of the firm about the fall in demand of sales over the time. It was not possible to find the accurate decrease in sales because their firm was only the supplier and the goods then go in the godown of the marketing firm from where the goods were supplied to the retailers and wholesalers. Due to decrease in demand for the existing goods by the people, the goods were logged into the godown of the marketing sector and so they were not accepting the goods coming from the Fine Ideas as they already have stock with them. Henceforth with this analysis of the situation it is clearly pictured that is a decrease in sales for the company. The discussions took place in a positive manner as the current status proved that it was favourable and appropriate for the company to go for diversification as that was the easiest way out the problem faced by them. Following topic goes out of my assessment but I would like to mention that they have already put their thought and efforts in diversifying their products in some or the other way by starting their new business names as Facetoons which is a similar kind of printing firm but they provide print on mugs, plates, shirts and many more and therefore the business is growing rapidly because of the increasing demand of their new idea. This instance itself proves that it is very essential for them to start to diversify their products but they should not completely close down Fine Ideas because that is their image and reputation in market so they should work under the shade of Fine Ideas. Fine ideas had been discussing that business strategies expand the scope of reaching goal through diversification into their businesses But, under strict assumptions of risky markets, there is no obvious rational for the company to acquire another. Diversification is a promotion strategy and a form of corporate strategy which is advised for fine ideas. It seeks to increase profitability through greater sales volume obtained from new products and new markets. Fine Ideas can diversify at the business unit level or at the corporate level. At the business unit level they are most likely to expand into a new segment and at the corporate level and it is also very interesting entering a promising business outside of the scope of their business unit. CONCLUSIONS Concluding by answering to my research question, FINE IDEAS should consider diversification of their products to increase their sales. When to diversify for Fine Ideas History tells us its not advisable to consider diversification until the core business is stable and profitable. If Fine Ideas are still struggling to win orders and build a sales time for the core product, there is a real danger that diversification will take your eye of the ball. The catalyst is often the realization that growth in the core business is either slowing or set to slow, often because the market for a particular product is becoming saturated. Diversification strategy for Fine Ideas Fine Ideas can diversify by natural progression. More radically, they extend the brand by offering a much wider range of products that will nonetheless appeal to the same customers. Alternatively, they can use the strength of brand to move into new markets. Another popular business diversification strategy is to look backwards and forwards along the supply chain for opportunities to tighten your grip on the market. For instance, in the recent past people had seen building societies buying estate agents and computer manufacturers buying resellers. In the US Google has busily acquired the leading web data analysis tools, online advertising companies and the social networks and sites that deliver what they unerringly know their users want. The cons for Fine Ideas The company can get a hope for the extended product life cycle. Diversification can put you on the fast track to growth but if the strategy fails it can also burn up money. Expanding the product range and even if turnover increases, the increase in costs could result in a slump in profits. Extend the brand into new markets and there is a danger that it will have no resonance with the newly targeted customers. Thus its vital to research new markets before diversifying. Fine ideas should also look carefully at their existing business. Do they have the right managers to cope with a divaricating strategy? Should they integrate the diversified business into one company or ring fence the new operation as a business in its own right? And is your organization strong enough to be an umbrella brand where your core values resonate across the group? They should think hard before Fine Ideas commit their finances and precious time. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.fineideas.in/ http://www.hotfrog.in/Companies/Fine-Ideas Hoang, Paul, Business and management, IBID Press, 2007 http://www.easilyinteractive.com/blog/uploaded_images/ansoff-779433.jpg

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide and the Law :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia and the Law A severely handicapped or terminally ill person should have the right to choose to live or die. The right to live; the right to choose to live or die should not only be a right allocated for bodied individuals of sound mind but for all human beings. Euthanasia is a controversial issue which encompasses the morals, values and beliefs of our society. Euthanasia, literally defined means "good death". There are two types of euthanasia, active and passive. Active euthanasia is the intentional killing of a person by medical personnel either by a lethal injection or by denying ordinary means of survival. The act of euthanasia called "passive euthanasia", is committed by denying or withholding ordinary medical care to a patient. Currently, under Canadian law euthanasia is prohibited. In Holland euthanasia has been accepted, in principle for terminally- ill patients, on request. It comes to be seen as practice for those whose "quality of life" is judged by themselves as worthless. Even though euthanasia is not yet legal in Holland, it is legally tolerated. Doctors are rarely prosecuted and even more rarely convicted. If euthanasia were to be decriminalized in Canada certain restrictions would have to be put into place, to ensure that a patient's rights are not infringed upon. A living will should be made when the patient is of lucid mind. Also, a council should be selected and outlined in the living will. The council should be chosen by the patient, when the patient is of sound mind and is able to make decisions. The council might consist of the patient's family, doctor or any other he or she feels have the same view or perception of life. Presently in Canada a living will is not a legally binding document. A living will is a document prepared and sighed in advance of illness, in which a person may specify which treatment or care is to be withheld or withdrawn from him or her in certain situations. It is extremely general, trying to cover a wide range of accidents or illnesses and possible treatments. Living wills are created to protect the individual who is unable to participate in decisions

Determinism, Objectivity, and Pessimism in The Open Boat :: Open Boat Essays

Determinism, Objectivity, and Pessimism in The Open Boat      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Stephen Crane's short story "The Open Boat", the American literary school of naturalism is used and three of the eight features are most apparent, making this work, in my opinion, a good example of the school of naturalism. These three of the eight features are determinism, objectivity, and pessimism. They show, some more than others, how Stephen Crane viewed the world and the environment around him.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determinism is of course the most obvious of the three features. Throughout the entire story, the reader gets a sense that the fate of   the four main characters, the cook, the oiler, the correspondent, and the captain are totally pre-determined by nature and that they were not their own moral agents. "The little boat, lifted by each towering sea and splashed viciously by the crests, made progress that in the absence of seaweed was not apparent to those in her." The characters had no control over their boat, rather nature was totally in control. "She seemed just a wee thing wallowing, miraculously top up, at the mercy of the five oceans. Occasionally a great spread of water, like white flames, swarmed into her." (pg.145) There is also a sense that man is totally not important to the natural forces controlling his fate. "When it occurs to man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply that there are no bricks and no temples." (pg156) The one character who perishes, the oiler, is of course a victim of determinism. Even as he was so close to land and no longer out in the open sea, nature still takes its role in determining his fate.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Objectivity refers to how the author describes reality as it exists, that is, not glorifying something, but rather simply stating the observation. The fact that the narrator is the correspondent in itself give an impression on how the story is going to be told in a more journalistic sense, describing actual events instead of feelings or ideas. " In the meantime the oiler and the correspondent rowed. They sat together in the same seat, and each rowed an oar.

Nature versus Nurture in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Nature versus Nurture in Macbeth One of the most commonly debated issues concerning morality is the concept of nature versus nurture. Which is more integral to one’s behavior: the inborn qualities or the influences of life on the individual? Mark Twain, in his essay entitled "What Is Man?" describes humankind this way: Man the machine--man the impersonal engine. Whatsoever a man is, is due to his MAKE, and to the INFLUENCES brought to bear upon it by his heredities, his habitat, his associations. He is moved, directed, COMMANDED, by EXTERIOR influences--SOLELY. (What Is Man?, Mark Twain, http://underthesun.cc/Classics/Twain/whatman/Whatisman.htm) There is some scientific basis for this claim. Studies have shown that both a person’s genetic structure and the circumstances to which he or she is subjected have bearing on how a person thinks, feels and acts. Considering this, the actions of the character Macbeth must be evaluated by his personal motivations and the external causes that may have led to them. It is established from the very beginning that Macbeth is ambitious. There can be no doubt about this. A certain level of courage accompanies his ambition as well. As a noble he is an active one, fighting against the rebel hordes and Norwegians in defense of his king, no doubt for the purpose of gaining notoriety and other rewards. This is further illustrated by his gracious acceptance of credit for his deeds. He is a political figure in the highest sense, and show ambition in this way. However, there is no sign of him altering his course of loyal nobleman until outside influences begin to intercede. The people with gr eatest impact on Macbeth are the witches, his wife and Lady, and King Duncan of Scotland. The witches introduce the idea, King Duncan gives personal motive, and Lady Macbeth helps along the way. The least influential party in all of this is King Duncan. The conflict between these two is purely circumstantial, but clear enough. Macbeth is, as stated, an ambitious man. The King represents the highest position of power that Macbeth can hope to achieve. The King is also a father figure, patronizing to his subjects and expectant of total servitude. When King Duncan thanks Macbeth for his heroic service in battle, Macbeth replies that "Your highness' part / Is to receive our duties; and our duties / Are to your throne and state children and servants" (1. Nature versus Nurture in Shakespeare's Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework Nature versus Nurture in Macbeth One of the most commonly debated issues concerning morality is the concept of nature versus nurture. Which is more integral to one’s behavior: the inborn qualities or the influences of life on the individual? Mark Twain, in his essay entitled "What Is Man?" describes humankind this way: Man the machine--man the impersonal engine. Whatsoever a man is, is due to his MAKE, and to the INFLUENCES brought to bear upon it by his heredities, his habitat, his associations. He is moved, directed, COMMANDED, by EXTERIOR influences--SOLELY. (What Is Man?, Mark Twain, http://underthesun.cc/Classics/Twain/whatman/Whatisman.htm) There is some scientific basis for this claim. Studies have shown that both a person’s genetic structure and the circumstances to which he or she is subjected have bearing on how a person thinks, feels and acts. Considering this, the actions of the character Macbeth must be evaluated by his personal motivations and the external causes that may have led to them. It is established from the very beginning that Macbeth is ambitious. There can be no doubt about this. A certain level of courage accompanies his ambition as well. As a noble he is an active one, fighting against the rebel hordes and Norwegians in defense of his king, no doubt for the purpose of gaining notoriety and other rewards. This is further illustrated by his gracious acceptance of credit for his deeds. He is a political figure in the highest sense, and show ambition in this way. However, there is no sign of him altering his course of loyal nobleman until outside influences begin to intercede. The people with gr eatest impact on Macbeth are the witches, his wife and Lady, and King Duncan of Scotland. The witches introduce the idea, King Duncan gives personal motive, and Lady Macbeth helps along the way. The least influential party in all of this is King Duncan. The conflict between these two is purely circumstantial, but clear enough. Macbeth is, as stated, an ambitious man. The King represents the highest position of power that Macbeth can hope to achieve. The King is also a father figure, patronizing to his subjects and expectant of total servitude. When King Duncan thanks Macbeth for his heroic service in battle, Macbeth replies that "Your highness' part / Is to receive our duties; and our duties / Are to your throne and state children and servants" (1.

Examine the problems some sociologists may face when using different kinds Essay

?Examine the problems some sociologists may face when using different kinds of experiments in their research (20 Marks) To have control over variables and the environment they are researching, sociologists often use laboratory experiments in research. Lab experiments are used to test a hypothesis in a controlled environment, by altering an independent variable to see the dependant variable being tested changes. Positivists favour this method of research as it is a more scientific approach to research, which aims to identify correlations and patterns in behaviour whilst gathering quantitative data. Carrying out such experiments can cause practical issues for sociologists. One of the main practical issues is that the effect of society on people’s behaviour is very complex, and it is very difficult for researcher’s using lab experiments to identify and control all the variables that may have an influence on behaviour. It would be impossible for a sociologist to research all the influencing factors in a lab experiment, as this is far too complex to carry out in one controlled environment. Furthermore, lab experiments usually involve the study of a small sample as it would not be possible to study a large group of individuals in a controlled laboratory, unless you had a lot of time and this could become costly. This makes it difficult to research large scale social issues that affect behaviour and may also reduce the representativeness of research carried out. For example, Stanley Milgram carried out research on obedience to an authorative figure. He wanted to investigate whether Germans were particularly obedient to authority figures as this was a common explanation for the Nazi killings in World War II. To do so he studied 40 Americans all of whom were male. This is a small scale sample which only represents males and is ethnocentric to American males; therefore it would be difficult to generalise findings to the wider population and other countries. The unnatural settings of a lab experiment means the participants are aware of the experiment taking place. This creates what is called the ‘hawthorne effect’ where the behaviour the participants changes in response to the artificial surrounding and the fact they know they are being studied. As a result this reduces the validity of the results as the participants are not behaving in true-to-life ways and this would not provide a true account of the behaviour being researched. Interpretivists argue that the unnatural setting and low validity means that sociologists cannot gain verstehen, an empathetic understanding of the world from the viewpoint of those being studied. Furthermore, there are ethical issues when conducting experiments on human beings. As a general rule, researchers must gain the informed consent from the research participants. However, when researching child participants or people with learning difficulties it may be difficult to gain informed consent as they would not full understand what they are consenting to

A Summary of Radical Evolution by Joel Garreau Essay

Radical Evolution by Joel Garreau has chapters on two scenarios of the future of humans. Both Heaven and Hell Scenarios have â€Å"The Curve† involved, but the dangers of the GRIN technologies make the Hell Scenario more likely. Rise of technology will lead to the downfall of humanity due to Bioengineered Disease Agents/Weapons. Supporting ideas for this topic are: threat of humans creating dangerous weapons such as pox with cobra venom, biotechnology such as the Australian mouse pox incident being dangerous, and the rise of technology may enhance a plague and kill more people than a natural plague. Garreau is worried about humans being changed so much we won’t be able to tell who is who. Also, we might end up missing â€Å"typical human characteristics.† To Garreau, human nature is â€Å"the sum of the behavior and characteristics that are typical of the human species, arising from genetic rather than environmental factors (Garreau, 159).† A couple early warning signs we’re entering The Hell Scenario are: â€Å"Almost unimaginably bad things are happening, destroying large chunks of the human race or the biosphere, at an accelerating pace, and technologies continue to accelerate as individual nations, continents, tribes or movements jockey for position in a hostile world (Garreau, 184).† Chapter four mentions the GRIN technologies. Gregory Stock is the G, nanotechnology is the N, and computer intelligence is the I. Gregory Stock is the director of the Program on Medicine, Technology, and Society at the School of Medicine of the University of California at Los Angeles. According to Garreau, Stock thinks humans will transcend because of genetic engineering and not because of computers which is what Kurzweil thinks. There are two kinds of nanotechnology. The first â€Å"reduces big things to sizes so astonishingly little that their behavior changes dramatically (Garreau, 118).† â€Å"Promising godlike powers, immortality and unimaginable wealth (Garreau, 118)† is the second kind. One example of the first kind of nanotechnology is the â€Å"buckyball† which is nicknamed in Buckminster Fuller’s honor. Its properties are: â€Å"60 times the strength of steel, the weight of plastic, the electrical conductivity of silicon, the heat conductivity o f diamond and the size and perfection of DNA (Garreau, 119).† The second kind of nanotechnology starts with Eric Dexler. With his book Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology, he discusses his ideas. Growing objects such as a car, or a TV will be possible with nanotechnology. Computer intelligence has two meanings: weak and strong. There’s a man name Ray Kurzweil, also known as â€Å"the restless genius,† in the movie Transcendent Man. He said, â€Å"technology feeds on itself and gets faster and faster. It’s gonna continue and in about forty years the basic changes are going to be so astonishingly quick that you won’t be able to follow it unless you enhance your own intelligence with the technology we’ve created.† According to Garreau, Kurzweil’s thinking of the weakness of humans was affected by his and his wife’s family being destroyed by the Holocaust and his dad suffering from a heart attack and dying at age 58. Kurzweil’s view of human nature is humans, unlike reptiles, are capable of higher functions such as love, art, culture and technology. He â€Å"can see† the hell and prevail scenarios and mentions avoiding dangerous technologies such as nanotechnology is unrealistic. He said, â€Å"Most technology will be nanotechnology in the 2 020s. You would have to relinquish all of technology.† Kurzweil calls â€Å"The Curve of exponentially increasing technology (Garreau)† â€Å"The Law of Accelerating Returns.† He thinks humans don’t have control of the force (the Curve) and it’s a â€Å"pattern of life (Garreau).† Surviving Progress mentioned a term called â€Å"Progress trap.† According to the video a progress trap was created â€Å"to define human behavior that seem to provide benefits in the short term, but ultimately leads to disaster because they’re unsustainable.† An example that was provided was our ancestors hunting mammoths. Hunters who discovered how to kill two mammoths made progress. Driving a herd over a cliff was discovered which led to making too much progress. Also, this progress trap could be related to the Curve. The movie stated, â€Å"†We think progress is more of the same†¦ Like we should make our machines better and make more machines.† Technology is rising due to humans trying to make progress which ended up being too much. According to the movie, we are essentially the same people as those stone age people, culture has become completely detached from natural evolution, and our knowledge and technology (ability to do good or harm) has grown out of proportion. After, he went to the topic â€Å"the mortal threat from the development of self-replicating man-made anything (Garreau, 145),† but he found information which lead him to believe biotech is a greater threat. Francis Fukuyama is â€Å"one of America’s most thoughtful and challenging public intellectuals (Garreau, 155).† â€Å"He defines human nature as â€Å"the sum of the behavior and characteristics that are typical of the human species, arising from genetic rather than environmental factors (Garreau, 159).† Also, Fukuyama said, â€Å"The thing I’m worried the most about is the attempt to modify on a large scale some basic characteristics of human behavior in ways that will make us scarcely recognizable (Garreau, 159).† Different versions of hell are mentioned in Radical Evolution. â€Å"For Francis Fukuyama the lowest ring of hell will be reserved for those who, through biotechnology, dream of leaving behind human nature (Garreau, 155).† Garreau’s conclusion from his studies is there will be three different types of humans: The Enhanced, The Naturals, and The Rest. The Enhanced are people who use GRIN technologies, The Naturals are humans that have an opportunity to become Enhanced but choose not to, and The Rest are people who don’t have a choice of becoming Enhanced. Questions are asked which are: â€Å"If a person has a test-tube baby, is she an Enhanced?† and â€Å"If a person has a Viagra prescription, is he an Enhanced?† Garreau wants to use The Shakespeare Test to answer the question: â€Å"How will you someday tell, looking at an Enhanced, if she genuinely represents a transformation of the species-comparable to the difference between Neanderthals and tod ay’s humans?† Bill Joy is â€Å"the Edison of the Internet.† Joy stated, â€Å"Ethical humans, not robots, dominated this future, and I took Roddenberry’s dream as part of my own (Garreau, 141).† After Joy hearing a debate between Kurzweil and John Searle on the Heaven Scenario, Joy thought of a hell scenario. Both scenarios have The Curve. Although Joy thought of the idea he doesn’t have a book of The Hell Scenario. At first Joy focused on the topic of â€Å"overcoming people’s denial (Garreau, 145),† but to him it seems it’s already a topic that had a lot of discussion. After, he went to the topic â€Å"the mortal threat from the development of self-replicating man-made anything (Garreau, 145),† but he found information which lead him to believe biotech is a greater threat. When Saddam Hussein was in power Iraq was working to mix pox and cobra venom with the knowledge of fowlpox with venom extract kills more chickens. Another piece of information is the incident with Australian mouse pox. This virus can kill every mouse it infects. Since smallpox is a close relative, it could be genetically modified to be as fatal. In a description by Roman poet and Epicurean philosopher Lucretius a quote says, â€Å"A flame, like flame in furnaces, would blaze/Within the stomach (Garreau, 148).† These make up The Hell Scenario. First, Pox with cobra venom was almost made after the second Gulf War, but in the process of it’s making, the invention was ruined due to bombings. When Saddam Hussein was in power Iraq was working to mix pox and cobra venom with the knowledge of fowlpox with venom extract kills more chickens. After hearing this, â€Å"Joy’s alarm is underlined by the fact that such a weapon in the hands of someone like Saddam Hussein was a serious worry (Garreau, 146).† Second, is the incident with Australian mouse pox. This virus can kill every mouse it infects. Since smallpox is a close relative, it could be genetically modified to be as fatal. In Australia, mice were everywhere and scientists tried to find a way to control them. According to Garreau, â€Å"Toward this end, two Canberra researchers, Ron Jackson and Ian Ramshwo, in late 2000 were trying to create a new mouse contraceptive. Instead, they created a monster. They added one gene to a mouse pox virus, and this new virus turned out to be 100 percent fatal.† Next, A modern plague will be more dangerous than a plague in the past. In a description by Roman poet and Epicurean philosopher Lucretius a quote says, â€Å"Recurrent spasms of vomiting would rack alway their thews and members, breaking down with sheer exhaustion men already spent†¦ the inward parts of men, in truth, would blaze unto the very bones; A flame, like flame in furnaces, would blaze within the stomach (Garreau, 148).† This shows the symptoms of the plague of Athens. With that in mind, imagine what a plague enhanced by today’s/future generation’s technology can do. How many people would die? The Inauguration Poem â€Å"One Today† says, â€Å"†¦ digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands as worn as my father’s cutting sugarcane so my brother and I could have books and shoes.† Will we need to work once we reach a point where technology is so advance machines can do the work for us? If that happens humans won’t need to work hard or even work at all because machines will be the product of human’s past work. In conclusion, possibilities of dangerous weapons, fear from the Australian mouse pox incident, and the high level of threat of a modern plague all make up The Hell Scenario. With these imperfections of humanity it’s unlikely man kind will follow the Heaven Scenario. Instead man kind will dive into the Hell Scenario because that’s a closer match to how things will go with imperfect humans. Works Cited Garreau, Joel. Radical Evolution: The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies– and What It Means to Be Human. New York: Doubleday, 2005. Print. Ggrefeder. â€Å"Hd Movie Transcendent Man Part 1/7.† YouTube. YouTube, 02 Oct. 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. Joy, Bill. â€Å"Bill Joy: What I’m Worried About, What I’m Excited about.† TED: Ideas worth Spreading. TED, 2008. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. â€Å"KurzweilAI | Accelerating Intelligence.† KurzweilAI Ray Kurzweil Bio Comments. N.p., 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. Surviving Progress. Dir. Mathieu Roy. Perf. Stephen Hawking, David Suzuki, Jane Goodall. 2011. Netflix. Wade, Nicholas. â€Å"From ‘End of History’ Author, a Look at the Beginning and Middle.† The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Mar. 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2013.