Life on the Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula By: Minali Prasad Due Date: December 7, 2011 Class Color: Sapphire Table Number: 5 There are four different types of environments in the Arabian Peninsula. Three-fourths of the Arabian Peninsula is desert. The desert has plains and plateaus. Temperatures can reach up to 120 °F or drop down to below zero. There is 3 to 4 inches of rain per year with many droughts. Flash floods are caused by the annual rainfall. The desert has many oases. Oases result in plants, shade, and water. An oasis begins when water deep underground travels to the surface. The soil around and oasis is very fertile, so it produces plant life like grass and shrubs. Oases range from a few acres to expansive areas. The water is beneficial for farmers as they can grow their crops there as well as trade them. The coastal plain is surrounded by the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf. The coastal plain varies from 5- 40 miles from the heart of Arabia. There are many cliffs along the shore. The damp, moist air is the result of regular rain. Sometimes, water fills the riverbeds that intercept the coastal plains. Farmers grow crops on the coastal plains. Traders also benefit from the coastal plains because there are seaports. The mountain ranges line the western edge of the Arabian Peninsula. Their altitude is from 1,000 feet to 12,000 feet high. The mountains have 20 inches of rainfall each year because of moist winds from the Southern Ocean. The mountain ranges stay cool by rain and elevation. Winter brings frost and fills the riverbeds with water. Farmers use dams and irrigation systems to help grow their crops. | Muhammad was a prophet which meant he was a messenger of God. Muhammad was important to Islamic faith because he introduced the belief in one God, also alled monotheism. Before Muhammad, people living in the Arabian Peninsula were polytheists which means they believed in more than one God. Muhammad was born in Mecca, a town that grew wealthy off of trade. At that time, Arabia was only united by culture, mostly language. Multiple families ruled the city whereas clans could only live in the city of Mecca. Mecca was a popul ar destination for pilgrimages. Arabs either lived in the cities or the deserts which was ruled by tribes. Muhammad’s tribe was Hashim. Hashim took notice of his birth since his father had died. Muhammad’s mother sent him to live with wandering nomads who taught him Arabic traditions. At age six, Muhammad returned to the city, but soon his mother died. After his grandfather’s death, Muhammad was left in the care of his uncle, Abu Talib. During his childhood, Muhammad raised his family’s sheep and goats. Later, at age twelve, Muhammad experienced place farther out than the deserts on a trading journey with his uncle. As a result of his numerous trading journeys, Muhammad became a merchant. He was described as â€Å"trustworthy†. Fifteen years later, Muhammad was notified, by the angel Gabriel, that he was the messenger of God. Khadijah, his wife, convinced him convert others to the religion of Islam. Though most people believed him, some clans rejected his faith and boycotted the Hashim clan. When it became too dangerous, Muhammad moved to Yathrib on a journey called hijrah. Yathrib was renamed Madinah. Makkans tried to siege Madinah but failed. In 632, Muhammad traveled on his last pilgrimage to Mecca and gave his Last Sermon. Muhammad was important to the Islamic faith because he united Arabia with religion, set an example for Muslims on how to live and introduced Islam into Arabia. | The â€Å"five pillars of Islam† are the five basic rules of worship for the Islamic faith. These ideas are faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and making pilgrimages to Mecca. Muslims today still follow the five pillars of faith. The first pillar of Islam is Shahadah. Shahadah is the declaration of faith in which Muslims identify themselves as monotheists. They also declare that Muhammad was God’s messenger. People pledge to believe in God and submit to him. Muslims also believe in angels and other creatures like them. Angels are perceived to do God’s work. The second pillar of Islam is Salat. Salat is daily ritual prayer. Muslims show their religious discipline, spirituality, and closeness to God through salat. Muslims five times a day and are called to prayer by a muezzin. Before entering a mosque, Muslims wash their arms, face, hands, and feet. Inside a mosque, an imam leads them in prayer. While praying, people face the direction of Mecca. A person may pray anywhere they like. The third pillar of faith is zakat which is giving to those in need. Muslims believe almsgiving discourages greed because they give 2. 5% of their earnings to â€Å"purify† themselves. Zakat was used for construction of public property. Today zakat is used for soup kitchens, clothing, shelter, orphanages and hospitals. An individual decides what the money is used for and where it goes. The fourth pillar of Islam is siyam or fasting where you do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk. Muslims show siyam through Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month when Gabriel told Muhammad he was a prophet. During Ramadan, Muslims begin fasting when a white thread can be identified next to a black thread. To break a fast, Muslims eat food like dates and pray where they hear parts of the Qur’an each day. Ramadan teaches fasting and kindness. Eid-al-Fitr is a celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. The fifth pillar of Islam is hajj where a Muslim makes a pilgrimage to Mecca on the twelfth month. A person does so once in their life. Wearing white, Muslims circle the Ka’ba seven times. Later, they visit sacred sites like the Zamzam spring, Plain of Arafat, Mount Arafat and Mina. Pilgrims end with a celebration that lasts for four days. They sacrifice sheep or goats to God. This celebration is known as Eid-al-Adha. | The Arabic language emphasized learning. Even Muhammad himself declared that â€Å"The ink of scholars is more precious than the blood of martyrs†. Scholars from places like Europe, North Africa and the Middle East came together and cooperated to build on their ideas. Early Muslim rulers built places of learning for the students like schools, colleges, and libraries. For example, Caliph al-Ma’mun established the House of Wisdom in the city of Baghdad. This happened in 830. Scholars translated texts there. Those texts were from Greece, India, China, and Persia. There was also a House of Wisdom in Cairo which served for the purpose of scholars. This building opened in the tenth century. Another example is the famous library in Cordoba, Spain which has over 400,000 books. Some texts studied by scholars were those of Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. Muslim scholars tried to use reason and logic. An Arabic philosopher tried to combine reason with faith like Christian scholars but failed because he couldn’t prove there was a possibility of someone resurrecting on judgment day. Ibn Sina was a Persian philosopher who gave evidence that the soul of a creature was immortal. This philosopher influenced other scholars in Europe. Ibn Sina though that God was the source of knowledge and that truth could be extracted through reason and revelation. | Muslim scholars made theories about the evolution of animals like al-Jahiz. Zoology is the scientific study of animals. Muslims started the first zoos. They were also advanced in astronomy. With astronomy, people used compasses and astrolabes to locate the direction of Mecca. Another example of Muslims using astronomy is that astronomers figured out the exact times to start and end Ramadan. Astronomers also discovered that the Earth rotated. They inquired whether the Earth was the center of the universe. Muslim scholars were very curious about their universe. Muslims also made advancements in technology. They made dams and aqueducts like the Greeks to provide water for their cities. Remodeling the old irrigation systems, canals, and wells, they built new and sturdy ones. Muslims brought water from canals and reservoirs with water wheels. The land used Muslims is dry so this was very beneficial. In mathematics, Muslims worked with ideas from India and Greece. In fact, algebra was created by Al-Khwarizmi â€Å"father of algebra† His texts re now one of the most important today. Arabic numerals also came from one of Al-Khwarizmi’s books. Arabic numerals were used for business and trade. Muslims also learned fractions and decimals from an Indian scholar. Muslim scholars emphasized the concept of zero. Zero means â€Å"something empty†. Algebra, Arabic numerals and â€Å"zero† are still used today. Muslims learned medicine from Greeks, Mesopotamians, and Egyptians. There were many hospitals in the Muslim communities. Doctors had many ways to cure the sick and treat the wounded patients. The patients were treated with a balanced combination of drugs, diet, and exercise. Pharmacists made medications for the doctors to use. Pharmacists made different types of medications such as drugs for pain, antiseptics for infections and ointments for wounds. Surgeons did operations on the patients such as amputations, taking out tumors and removing cataracts. Some famous physicians were al-Razi and Ibn Sina. Al- Razi discovered that a bacterium is the cause of infections and Ibn Sina was called the â€Å"prince of physicians† because he wrote a book about the treatment of diseases. | Muslims had a unique style of architecture. One of the buildings that they created was the mosque. Mosques had towers called minarets which had a small platform like a deck so the muezzin could call Muslims to prayer. Outside of the mosque was a fountain in which Muslims could perform their washing of arms, face, hands, and feet. The prayer room was located inside the mosque where worshippers prayed, facing mihrab (niche to show the direction of Mecca). An imam led the prayers. There were many designs of mosques that showed the religious and artistic side of the Muslim community. The four types of art in the Muslim community were geometric and floral design, calligraphy, textile and music in Muslim Spain. Muslims were famous for their art that was used for decorative purposes. Muslims did not have pictures of humans and animals because they thought only God had the right to create something â€Å"alive†. Artists used shapes, patterns and geometry to make decorations. Decorations were also used on household items. Arabesque was a type of decoration where nature like leaves, and flowers, was painted onto many surfaces. Artists also used shapes like polygons in their art. The next type of art was calligraphy (the art of beautiful writing). The Qur’an was copied in calligraphy because Muslims thought calligraphy was beautiful enough to write the words of God. Calligraphers used tools such as bamboo and ink to create calligraphy. Calligraphy was used on pottery, tiles and swords. The third type of art was textiles. Textiles are manufactures clothes. Textiles were important trade items. The types of textiles were wool, linen, silk, or cotton. The fabrics could be embroidered or dyed. Importance and rank was used to indicate through clothes. The last form of art was music in Muslim Spain. Music centers were scattered all over the Islamic community but the music in Cordoba, Spain combined the cultures of Islam and Spanish to make their very own style. Ziryab started the first conservatory where musicians learned from him. Songs were important in Muslim Spain’s culture. There were song about love, nature and accomplishments of the empire. Muslim Spain’s music used instruments like drums, flutes and lutes. | The Crusades were a series of wars launched against Muslims by European Christians. The reason behind the Crusade was to capture Palestine or the city of Jerusalem. Palestine was being ruled by the Seljuk Turks, which was a developing empire. Afraid that their strength may one day become too great to overcome, the emperor Byzantine asked Pope Urban II what to do, and he suggested they start a religious war to capture the Holy Land and destroy the Seljuks. Christians fought with Muslims against Jews and other Christians. Their goal was to win the Holy Land. The Crusades took place in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Though Christians suffered through many hardships during the Crusades, they also gained from the war. Kings had to tax the people to pay for those who had fought in the Crusades. Feudalism among Christians ended because the monarchs grew powerful as the knight had to leave for war. The Crusades changed the way of life for Christians. They dressed in muslin, learned to eat new foods, and learned to use spices in their cooking. Muslims suffered more than Christians, but gained less. They lost Iberia to the other Crusaders. Muslims died and were murdered with their property destroyed. However, they learned to use new weapons and military ideas. They began an army like the Europeans. The Crusades resulted in political changes for the Muslims. New mosques and schools were built. Jewish crusaders suffered the most. There were violent persecutions and murders. The French and German murdered many Jewish, destroyed synagogues and tortured the Jewish until they agreed to become Christians. Riots and massacres were the result of anti- Semitism. Christians took over and ran the Jews’ trading businesses. France and England expelled the Jews. The Jews were finally forced to live in ghettos. |

Walmart Case Study

Chapter 1& 2 Module 1 Wal-Mart Case Study Shannan Haynes St Gregory’s University Give a short account of the history of the company, and trace the evolution of its strategy. Try to determine whether the strategies evolution of your company is the product of intended strategies, emergent strategies, or some combination of the two. The Wal-Mart story began in 1962 when Sam Walton opened the first discount store in Rogers, AR. In 1970 Wal-Mart experienced significant growth and made huge advancements In1970 Wal-Mart opened its first distribution center and the Wal-Mart Home Office in Bentonville, AR. By 1970 Wal-Mart employed 1,500 associates and had 38 stores with sales of $44. 2 million. In 1970 Wal-Mart also began selling shares over the counter as a publicly-held company. In 1971 Wal-Mart’s stock had is first 100 percent split. At that time Wal-Mart had stores operating in five states. By 1975 Wal-Mart employed more than 7,500 associates and had 125 stores. By 1977 Wal-Mart was operating in 10 states and opened Wal-Mart Pharmacy. Their growth continued into 1980, when Wal-Mart stock split 100 percent for the fourth time. That year Wal-Mart opened the largest distribution center in Palestine Texas. In the late 1990’s, Wal-Mart became the largest private employer in the world. They employed 1,140,000 employees. In 2000 Wal-Mart appointed H. Lee Scott as its CEO. That year Fortune magazine ranked the company fifth in its â€Å"global Most Admired All-Stars† list and named Wal-Mart the third most admired company in America. Wal-Mart made a commitment to bring environmental sustainability into its business in 2005. They opened a store in McKinney, Texas that saved energy and conserved natural resources, and reduced pollution. They were also active in conserving critical wildlife habitats. By 2005 Wal-Mart employed more than 1. 6 million employees and had more than 6200 stores. By 2006, the number of employees grew to more than 176 million and 6779 locations. In February 2007 Wal-Mart helped launch Better Health Care Together, Later that year, Wal-Mart expanded its successful 4 dollar generic program. By 2007 Wal-Mart had save their customers more than $396 million on prescription drug costs. On February 1, 2007, Mike Duke took over as CEO. (Pereira, 2002) Sam Walton built Wal-Mart on Respect for the Individual, Service to the Customer, and he always strived for Excellence. He respected his employees and was committed to his customers. With commitment to his customers came low prices. Wal-Mart strategy is an intended strategy. It is clear and direct. It was put into place in the 1960's by Sam Walton, and refined over the decades. The company is proud of its strategy and even incorporates it within its moniker â€Å"Always Low prices, Always. † (Pereira, 2002) Identify the mission and major goals of the company. Saving people money was Sam Walton’s goal when he opened his first store 40 years ago. Wal-Mart still has the same goal today. Wal-Mart has expanded their savings to energy, prescription drugs and has partnered with suppliers and stakeholders to create a competitive advantage. Wal-Mart mission is to do well as a business but to also do good. (Walmart, 2009) Do a preliminary analysis of the internal strengths and weaknesses of the company and the opportunities and threats that it faces in its environment. On the basis of this analysis, identify the strategies that you think the company should pursue. Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in the United States. Wal-Mart has a reputation for low prices, convenience and a large selection of products. Wal-Mart has invested into technology and an international logistics system. Wal-Mart is global but has a presence in relatively few countries. Wal-Mart has invested in human resources and retention of their staff but still have extensive labor relation problems. Wal-Mart has been cited by labor groups for wage issues, shift scheduling, and workplace abuses. Wal-Mart has been accused by community groups of destroying the local retail environment in the downtowns of small towns. (Marketing Teacher , 2000) Wal-Mart still has many opportunities to merge, or form alliances with other global retailers. Wal-Mart can do more to call attention to its good deeds to help with their image issues. Wal-Mart can continue to expand its supercenters into large cities. (Avila, 2009) Who is the CEO of the company? Evaluate the CEO’s leadership capabilities. On February 1, 2007, Mike Duke took over as CEO of Wal-Mart. On June 5, 2009, Mike Duke announced that Wal-Mart was up 6 percent to $3. 35 per share and that 7. 3 billion dollars were returned to shareholders. He also said that sales surpassed 400 billion for the first time. Wal-Mart has strong balance sheets and access to capital markets. Mike Duke has enhanced training and development of Wal-Mart’s global workforce. He has also reiterated Wal-Mart’s commitment to low prices. Based on profits and the commitments he has outlined, I would say that Mike Duke leadership capabilities as CEO are very promising. (Walmart, 2009)+ Apply the five forces model to the industry in which your company is based. What does this model tell you about the nature of competition in the industry? Potential Competitors: Medium pressure Grocers could potentially enter into the retail side. Entry barriers are relatively high, as Wal-Mart has an outstanding distribution systems, locations, brand name, and financial capital to fend off competitors. Wal -mart often has an absolute cost advantage over other competitors. Rivalry Among Established Companies: Medium Pressure Currently, there are three main incumbent companies that exist in the same market as Wal-Mart: Sears, K Mart, and Target. Target is the strongest of the three in relation to retail. Target has experienced tremendous growth in their domestic markets and has defined their niche quit effectively. Sears and K-Mart seem to be drifting and have not challenged Wal-Mart in sometime. Mature industry life cycle. The Bargaining Power of Buyers: Low pressure The individual buyer has little to no pressure on Wal-Mart. Consumer advocate groups have complained about Wal-Mart’s pricing techniques. Consumer could shop at a competitor who offers comparable products at comparable prices, but the convenience is lost. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Low to Medium pressure Since Wal-Mart holds so much of the market share, they offer a lot of business to manufacturers and wholesalers. This gives Wal-Mart a lot of ower because by Wal-Mart threatening to switch to a different supplier would create a scare tactic to the suppliers. Wal-Mart could vertically integrate. Wal-Mart does deal with some large suppliers like Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola who have more bargaining power than small suppliers. Threat of substitutes-Low pressure The market is crowded but Wal-Mart has the lowest costs, prices , profits, and market share Wal-Mart is able to negotiate for pricing. This analysis tells me that Wal-Mart does not have to worry about threat to new entrants because it has the capacity to produce more in order to lower the cost. There are high barriers of entry for companies trying to come into the retail industry because of the resources that Wal-Mart has. Are any changes taking place in the macro environment that might have an impact, positive or negative, on the industry in which your company is based? If so, what are these changes, and how might they affect the industry? Wal-Mart has received some bad press in the past and is making great commitments to helping the health and well-being of our nation. In 2005 Wal-Mart made a commitment to become more environmentally friendly. Wall-mart adopted an approach they call â€Å"Sustainability 360†. This approach looks for ways to reduce their environmental impact. In 2008, they announced a new set of clearly defined environmentally and socially responsible practices into their supply chain, â€Å"where goods are made in a way that protects our planet. †(Walmart, 2009) The economy has affected many companies recently however Wal-Mart's overall sales aren't rising dramatically, but they are raising, even as the economy grinds to a halt. (Gross, 2008) I believe Wal-Mart’s macro enviroment is affecting them both positvely and negatively. Identify any strategic groups that might exist in the industry. How does the intensity of competition differ across these strategic groups? Walmart’s closest competitors are those in its strategic group. Included in this group are Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, and Fred Meyer. Wal-Mart is looking to grow. Their latest initiative, â€Å"Project Impact,† aims to make stores easier and quicker to navigate, improve customer service, and to move in on competitors' territory as much as possible. Project Impact calls for remodeling about 70% of Wal-Mart’s in the next five years, and improving sales in major competitors' fields, such as toys and crafts. Wal-Mart has more staying power and is able to dominate its competitors. Target is Wal-Mart’s closet competitor. Target is positioned well and has some staying power but Kmart was forced into bankruptcy. The implication of this on Wal-Mart’s competitors is bigger, more pleasant Wal-Marts. (Avila, 2009) How dynamic is the industry in which your company is based? Is there any evidence that innovation is reshaping competition or has done so in the recent past? The retail industry is dynamic with the previous innovation being department stores, mail order retailing and chain variety stores. However, shopping has changed. Big-box stores like Wal-Mart was influential in the evolution of retail trade, providing – among other innovative features – a one-stop convenience with low prices that many consumers seem to appreciate. (Emerald, 2006) In what stage of its life cycle is the industry in which your company is based? What are the implications of this for the intensity of competition both now and in the future? The Supercenter’s and Big Box stores are in their growth lifecycle. Led by Wal-Mart, the industry has displayed exceptional growth over the last 10 to 15 years, mostly at the expense of other retailers. What makes this unique is that the discount department store industry was perceived as being at maturity. There are signs that the industry is approaching saturation level. However, the industry is expected to do well through the recession. (Emerald, 2006) Is your company based in an industry that is becoming more global? If so, what are the implications of this changed for competitive intensity? Yes, the retail industry has become more global. Wal-Mart's international operations currently comprise 2,980 stores in 14 countries outside the United States. According to Wal-Mart's 2006 Annual Report, the International division accounted for about 20. 1% of sales. [ Wal-Mart has inventory management system that no other company is apt to come even close to competing with. This enables it to vary its inventory from store to store and across cultures Wal-Mart has gone global with its buying strategy, and it now puts Chinese suppliers in competition with suppliers from Mexico, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, as well as the United States. Globalization has changed everything by making technology and methods of production mobile, and by lowering business coordination costs. The big box discount retailers have changed the nature of global competition. (Palley, 2008) Analyze the impact of national context as it pertains to the industry in which your company is based. Does national context help or hinder your company in achieving a competitive advantage in the global marketplace? Wal-Mart has a strong economic affect in any area of the world. Wal-Mart has built an empire on a low-cost model but at the same time, Wal-Mart has faced criticism for labor practices and indirect burdens on our social and welfare programs. Some of the business practices of Wal-Mart like the employees’ wage-benefits package, and the underemployment of women and minorities are the subject of ongoing debate at the national level. Wal-Mart continues to work on its image and faces the same criticism globally as they do nationally. The reputation that Wal-Mart has here in the U. S. may hinder international expansion, but will not stop it. (USA Today, 2009) References Avila, J. D. (2009). How Wal-Mart Will Save Wal-Mart. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from B-Net Today: http://www. bnet. com/2403-13241_23-158179. html Emerald. (2006). Retrieved April 17, 2010, from Globalization's winners and losers: Lessons : http://www. emeraldinsight. com/Insight/viewContentItem. do? contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=1563323 Gross, D. ( 2008, Febuary 26). Slate. Retrieved from The Wal-Mart Puzzle: http://www. slate. com/id/2185221/ Marketing Teacher . (2000). Retrieved April 15, 2010, from SWOT Analysis Wal-Mart: http://marketingteacher. com/SWOT/walmart_swot. htm Palley, T. (2008). Manufacturing meets Wal-Mart: The Economics of Global Out-sourcing. Retrieved April 17, 2010, from Economics for Democratic and Open Societies: http://www. homaspalley. com/? p=19 Pereira, M. (2002, April ). Mike Pereira – Written Works and Opinions . Retrieved April 15, 2010, from A Case Study on Wal-Mart Stores Inc. : http://www. mike-pereira. com/subpage/docs/walmartcs. htm#ii2 USA Today. (2009). Retrieved April 17, 2010, from Wal-mart Watch: www. usatoday. com/money/†¦ /2003-11-10-walmart_x. htm Walmart. (2009). Retrieve d April 15, 15, from Our Mission: Saving people money so they can live better. : http://walmartstores. com/sites/sustainabilityreport/2009/ec_overview. html

Mergers and Acquisitions in Australia

A merger is one of the forms of business combination. A merger is the joining together of two or more companies for a common goal (Schencke, 2007). It can be in the form of vertical integration, Horizontal integration or diversification. Consider the case of manufactured food (bread) company: we have the flour  Ã‚   company, the bakery and a butter company.If the bread company acquires the flour company that would be vertical integration; this may be more comprehensive and risky . The management is highly involved because of the procedures involved and consequences too. This is a backward integration because it will be merging with the supply source. It might lead to restricted supply of raw materials hence inflexibility.If the bread company starts producing cakes that would be horizontal integration; this might be considered necessary in order to have a more product line whereby their consumers will now be able to enjoy more quality products from the same company. This will enable a particular bread company deal with its competitors because a variety of commodities will be available to them.The company will also command a more market share because most of its products will dominate the market. High market share determines profitability because the Total sales figure has a factor of units and sales are directly proportional to the profit margin. The particular bread company therefore becomes a market leader and enjoys all the economies of scale. High volumes can be produced at low costs and therefore the company becomes a market leader in the industry. The company can now have efficient pricing policies for the different commodities that it is offering in the market.If the bread company starts producing butter to match with its quality of bread then that would be market diversification; This results in increased market capitalization which is very healthy for a company in the industry. This kind of expanded production line may be risky and uncertain because v ery little is known about that particular product line. This may call for comprehensive research, which might be costly for the holding company. Demand and supply factors of that particular company need to be understood and analyzed keenly to determine the future of such an operation and how relevant it might because this is a complimentary commodity.Merger or an acquisition leads to lack of competitiveness and would have a high Herfindahl index. Industry concentration is also affected. In the case study above, one has reduced players in the industry due to mergers. Therefore we find that there’s no competition due to acquiring of a supply chain, producing related commodities or even engaging in the production of complementary goods. Market diversification results to company being able to control its prices for the different products it has with changing the profit.This shows that market forces do not determine prices and completion is at different levels. Some companies also become market leaders and may decide to lower its prices in the market at the expense of other companies. The fact that a company can acquire a supply chain is harmful because this may limit resources/raw materials to other companies with in the industry or supply at inflated cost. A prices control board should therefore establish to deal with this. Some companies may be forced to quit production and this may lead to monopolies in the industry, which may not be healthy.Motives for mergers include:Synergy; The expected synergy determines the purchase price for the acquiree. Synergy is the combined power of a group of companies when they are working together which is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately. Synergy can be operating synergy or financial synergy. Operating synergy includes economies of scale and economies of scope, by merging firms are able to receive huge discounts due to high volumes of production and this results in high profits, this means high price of shares and high market capitalization.Owning of supply channels means constant supply of raw materials without delays and control over the prices. This indicates low cost of production and increased profits. Being a market leader may result into a monopoly and this means enormous profits. Discounts can be offered to customers and result in high sales due to high volumes. All these work to the advantage of the acquirer. More shareholders due to improved earnings per share lead to more funding and adequate cash flows are available. Synergy can’t be compared to international expansion, which is slow. Merging is with firms already operating and with the required recourses so no lag periods experienced which might hinder the growth and development of a company, which negates the image to the shareholders and other interested parties.There might be need to expand to another geographical location. The acquiring firm will look for firms in operation at that location to merge with in order to fasten the catch period which normally due to lack of knowledge of business operations at that particular area and business smartness required. Horizontal integration in this case will be necessary. This might be after researching and identifying a possible business location. Suppliers will also be considered in this case. Financial synergy is however more questionable due to the uncertainty of business operations.Merging may be for the need to grow and develop. This can be internal or external.. Internal growth can be slow and uncertain because the company doesn’t have past business experience on a particular field. Outside expansion leads to diversification and market capitalization is improved. Growth of a company in the industry tracts more shareholders to the company and therefore funds for financing business operations are adequate. This leads to market leading and high volumes are sold bringing about high profit margin.Merging may be due to the p ride of the management team of the bidder company. The management may want to associated with all players in the country that are performing better. This will be a way for the management to market itself and therefore the same directors can be restored at the next annual general meeting. The management might have been watching the firm to be acquired and may have an idea of corrections to be made in order to increase perfection.They may w ant to acquire a firm that is just about due to liquidity issues, restore its operations and hence cash flows. They therefore be associated with the recovery of the dieing company and hence improve their employment opportunities with other companies. They may also look for promotions and being part of the recovery team may a good ground for such. They management may also want to part of the management of a market leader in the company and this calls for all necessary strategies possible including mergers and acquisitions(Schlossberg, 2007).Horizont al integration whereby a company starts producing related products leads to increased market share due to increased sales out of the high volumes of sales. This may result in very radical transactions, which might be risky. In business yield comes together with risk taking. Vertical integration in this case is considered most because its more risky but the gains might be more than the costs. Diversification into another line of production may be a motivating factor.The company may have identified another variety of related products, which might be profitable and may want to be part of that industry. Therefore the best way to go may be the merger in order to pump in capital into the other company, which is facing liquidity issues, and hence have a major share of the profits. Horizontal integration is always considered best because it involves dealing with the same kind of business, which has a better track record (Schlossberg, 2007).In Australia the following steps are necessary in m erging:Research should be first done to determine possible candidate. This needs the help of experts in the research work so that all necessary data and information is available to the management of the acquiring firmThe motive to merge should be first understood and the angle to be taken determined. Synergy should be well understood and illustrated.Evaluation should be done on the acquiring firm. The firms’ business strategy should be understood in order to determine the degree of compatibility and the other aspects of business mergers. This also helps in justifying the acquisition.Immediately after the merger, Profits go down first due to the expenses incurred in research and implementation costs. Diversifications are normally expensive and gains can’t be realized immediately. Profits are normally derived at by; Sales-cost of goods sold –expenses. The cost of goods sold=opening stock + purchases-closing stock. High cost of goods immediately after the merger ca n be due to high opening stock, high purchases and low closing stock. This will therefore result in low profits.In the long run profits are supposed to increase due to;Economies of scale and scope, due to merging with supply and distribution channels, discounts will be given to the entity and this results to low operational costs. Large volume sales enable customers to get discounts and volume of sales is increased. This other unnecessary costs are avoided leading to maximization of profits.Diversification to another line of business; this means exploring of virgin grounds and operation benefits are taken advantage of. This means that sources of gained are increased and the total volume of profits is increased.Increase in market value; High market value is due to being a market leader and commands a greater share of the demand in the market. High volumes are sold and the sales figure is high. Sales are considered to be directly related to the profit volumes.The risk taken at first y ields benefits; Diversification may be risky therefore benefits may not be realized fast. Benefits can only after recovery and it will be to the enforceable future.Geographical advantages are realized. The merged entity need time to get used to the business environment and therefore gains take time to be realized (Bruner, 2007).Merging is better than internal expansion. Merging may be a little bit fast to pick up because acquired firms have existing resources and personnel. This reduces time spend in staff professional development and growth.A troubled company needs to merge as near bankruptcy workout situation. This helps in maximizing the value of the company where such companies are considered to be damaged goods. Shareholders, Board of Directors and the managers leave for firms specializing in a workout that is salvaging the value that was assumed to be left in them.Liquidations can’t be left behind. The use of highly leveraged transactions (HLT) expanded the profile of f inancially troubled companies (Schlossberg, 2007). Financially troubled companies are businesses that were leveraged and unable meet their debt service burden but still separate acceptable or even optimal operating cash flows given their internal resources and market opportunities.PublicityA demerger is expected when competitors start taking advantage of slow growth and development and they may take advantage of opportunities created by merged entity. This is because the competitors have been having existing offices, management and resources supply. Diseconomies of scale and scope start occurring and therefore the operations may not be profitable and a demerger may be considered. The company may at times consider internal expansion to be worth while and may start investing in such hence the merger becomes irrelevant (Bruner, 2007).The expansion to another geographical areas may prove to be unprofitable and thus the firm may consider demerging and concentrating in its primary busines s operations. The external growth may start being costly and the acquiring company decides to sale its share of the acquired company. The pride of management may be at some cost to the company and the shareholders may decide to demerge. The diversification to another line of production may prove to be extremely costly to the company and a demerger may be asked for so that focus can be on the basic profit gaining activity/business.Both the acquirer and acquiree benefit. The acquiree is funded and its liquidity position is revised and merging is normally a workout for near bankruptcy situations (Gaughan, 2004). The acquirer is also in a position to enjoy; economies of scale and production, advantage of geographical expansion, this is an external growth that cant be compared to the slow internal growth with uncertainties, management pride is improved, market share is improved and they move into a business that they have clear track record. ACCC is an independent authority of the Govern ment of Australia established in 1995 with the amalgamation of the Australian Trade practices Commission and the Prices Surveillance authority to administer the trade practices Act 1974 (Cth)It’s meant to protect Consumer rights, business rights and obligations, perform Industry regulation and price monitoring and prevent illegal anti Competitive behavior (Schencke, 2007).The more of the following criteria a troubled company meets the more marketable it will be to the acquiring company:Is it a manufacturing rather than a distribution operation. Acquiring a manufacturing company will be horizontal integration and will be more profitable to the entity (Robinson, Tranter, Loughran 2007). This kind of synergy results to taking advantages of economies of scale, diversifying into other lines of production, increased market value, expanding to another geographical location and this will be better than internal expansion. Merging with a distribution company will be a vertical forward integration and may be very risky with uncertainties due to lack of a clean track record.Fills a unique product niche rather than produces a commodity item.Has a well-known brand or trademark that is undamaged by its current situation.Sustains a strong defensible market share. A company with a strong market share means that its quite stable and will be profitable to merge with. This will also improve the whole entity’s image and then the share price improves in the stock market.Has a well-maintained machinery and equipment. These are tools of production and this indicates indefinite operation of the company into the future. Such a company is not risky to deal with and may result into huge future losses. Hence the idea of merging may not be necessary.Ernest & Young (2006) pg20In conclusion, mergers and acquisitions should be considered in the company’s research and development. It involves a lot of research that collects data and information in order to evaluate worth candidates for merging. The long-term objectives should be increasing the company’s market share within the industry, making use of economies of scale available and being a market leader.Mergers resulting in long term losses should be avoided because this won’t lead to growth and development of the company. Mergers also determine the structure of an industry because they lead to a decreased number of market players in the industry. This leads to high concentration and competition is reduced. Monopolies may be formed and this may not be healthy to the industry as a whole. Price control bodies need to be in place to control the dominance of the market by a particular holding company.References:Ernest & Young, Ernest & Young LLP. (2007). Back to Basic Techniques onMergers & Acquisitions (Pg 19-23). Wiley PublicationsGuy M. Robinson, Pal. J. Tranter, Robert Loughran. (2007). Economy Society &Environment. Oxford University PressHans Schencke. (2007). Accounting for Mergers & Acquisitions in Europe. IBFDMichael A. Hit, Jeffrey J. Harrison. R Duane. (2007). A Guide to creating value forStakeholders. Oxford University PressPatrick A. Gaughan. (2004). Merger, Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring.Wiley PublicationsRobert F.Bruner. (2007). Applied Mergers and Acquisitions. Wiley PublicationsRobert S. Schlossberg. (2007). Understanding the Antitrust Issues. American BarAssociation.

Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

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Electronic Communication in the Workplace - Assignment Example An unfortunate incident in the corporate sector is that of Royal and SunAlliance Insurance Company. The organization sacked and disciplined employees involved in the distribution and emailing of pornographic content. The time allocated to the viewing and distribution of the illegal content at the workplace is a clear indication of misappropriation of resources in the company. The unanticipated fall in employee count disorganized the structure of the organization. Consequently, the output of the organization decreased. The company ought to address the misconduct of email at work through employment policies. It is necessary for each staff to go through these policies and agreeing to them by signing the document if it is in hard copy. Installation of email filtering software is vital for monitoring the employees and in punishing the offenders of the employment policies. In addition to that, the employer is responsible for addressing the issue in regular meetings by insisting a high level of formality in the use emails both externally and internally. Implementation of the mentioned guidelines at the workplace is a holistic approach to the elimination of unproductiveness at the workplace while promoting ethics in the business. The purpose of writing is to announce the implementation of guidelines for the use of the company’s email as a tool of communication within the workplace. The decision resulted from recently revealed statistics on the abuse of the resource in the company. The use of employment policies as a guideline is vital in mitigating the email misuse. Employment policies of the company have undergone revision. The inclusion of Internet and email use as a section in the policies is a necessary move in the implementation and enforcement of the rear mentioned guideline. Attached is a revised copy of the employment policies. Take time to go through each policy related to the use of Internet and email.  

Interview questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview questions - Essay Example The best way of having the employees to follow those codes is by following them themselves. Managers are faced with ensuring they treat all the employees equitably and within the organizational policies in spite of the employees’ diverse strengths and weaknesses. There is also the task of dealing with uncooperative employees, some of whom may claim discrimination such as age. The penalties are usually high should an employee prove that the HIM manager failed to provide him/her with fair and equitable treatment based on age. The patient’s information could also be faulty, or lack the means to pay after the billing. Sometimes an employee could also be admitted as a patient (LaTour, Kathleen 2006, pg 13). I think it does. However several guidelines should be implemented that are more focused towards providing health care in the privacy and comfort of the patients’ home. This is in terms of encouraging the patient’s independence and improving his/her quality of life, providing reliable, dependable assistance focused on the patient’s needs and that would bring about the general well being of the patient. According to the Mercy Medical Center’s website (http://www.mercymedicalcenter.info/news/pressreleases/69.html), the policy dictates that a patient must be provided upon admission with a notice of privacy practices that â€Å"explains the purpose for which the medical center may use and disclose the patient’s Protected Health Information (PHI) without the patient’s authorization, the policy must also inform the patient of their rights to privacy and explains the Center’s legal duties under federal privacy laws and regulations†. Ensuring that one keeps at bay the broad unethical practices that affects the profession’s main values and establish a set of ethical principles to use in guiding decision making as well as taking actions. Learning to identify the

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Global Issues. Land Reclamation. What are the alternatives to expanding a nation's economy rather than land reclamation - Research Paper Example But the moves to gain help from the government to reclaim the schemes began after the enactment of the 1894 Carey Land Act (Land Reclamation, 858). The act focused on conserving the natural resources. Additionally, it was advocated for lands that were ruined by grazing injudicious farming, deforestation, and lands with insufficient rainfall. Land reclamation is a global issue this is because thousands of species have been rendered instinct due to land reclamation and it takes the world to stop the issue as soon as possible (Spedding, 465). The menace has affected more countries in the world United States of America, Russia, Bahrain, Germany, and also Lebanon. We need to act now because the issue of land reclamation has become a global concern. This is because land is adversely affected by human activities   (Misiolek and Noser, 67). Therefore, the practice of converting this land that is deemed unproductive need to be implemented. Such mechanisms and methods include flood control, irrigation, changing the mineral and organic content of the soil. All the above methods have so far been used but the main effort behind the practice is through land irrigation (Taylor,31). The federal government need to plan and develop irrigation projects using the revenues from selling the public lands and the users of waters need to liquidate the purchase and cost that comes along with irrigation work over time frame of 10 year (Wallace,107). Consequently, under the 2012 reclamation Act, the Bureau of Reclamation need to supply water, subsidized by citizens to farmers on arid areas in all the stated (Wheeler,37). Bahrain continues to expand as a result of land reclamation. However, the issue brought critics from all corners of social, political, and economic perspective (Misiolek and Noser, 67). It is claimed that the reclamation crushed the channels of sweet water found below the sea bed, closing the supplies of fresh water feeding the palm gloves and the fertile land

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Audited and Unaudited Financial Statements of Patton-Fuller Community Hospital Virtual Organization - Assignment Example In 2009, there was a fall in stock and real estate markets which affected the hospital in making general financial decisions. The 2008 and 2009 financial statements were prepared so as to understand and compare changes brought by reassessing investments of the facility. This will help bring out the positive and negative changes and reasons why they occur. To begin with, the first difference is noted between the audited and unaudited financial statements. Looking at the Patients Accounts Receivable and with 2008 as the base year, there is a difference of $1000. Provision for Doubtful accounts in the unaudited accounts has a value of $13797 and audited statement has $13,797 resulting in a difference of $1000. Operating income in 2009 was at $689 for unaudited and at $-311 after audit resulting in a difference of $378. Effect of the differences realized in the net income from the unaudited statements to the audited statements was from $627 to -$373. Looking at the above differences, it can be noted that the decision made by the board through the Chief Financial Officer was favourable. With the unstable economy, the differences provided confidence to the hospital to be successful in the future operations.  Ã‚  

Bullying and Harassment Among the Lgbtq Youth Essay Example for Free

Bullying and Harassment Among the Lgbtq Youth Essay Adolescence is a difficult stage in life because it is a time for many when social status is seen as very important and self-esteem can be fragile. One’s social status can directly affect one’s self esteem and overall happiness. Unfortunately, many of those who possess a higher social status in middle and high school use it against those who are deemed socially inferior to them, whether that is due to race, attractiveness, intelligence or sexuality. In other words, the adolescents at the bottom of the social pyramid are often subjected to bullying and harassment from their socially â€Å"superior† classmates. Bullying and harassment have become a widespread problem in schools all around the United States and have proved to have serious implications, such as problems in academics for those who are victimized by bullies. Victimization from bullying and harassment can be linked to lowered self-esteem, anxiety, depression, avoidance of school, and suicide (Hawker Boulton, 2000). Unfortunately, one of the most victimized groups of students subjected to bullying and harassment is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer youth. According to the National Youth Association, 9 out of 10 LGBT students have experienced harassment while at school. It also states that LGBT teens are bullied two to three times as much as straight teens. These high rates of bullying may explain why more than one-third of LGBT kids have attempted suicide (Hawker Boulton, 2000). Specific harm aimed towards LGBTQ community, known as gay bashing and gay bullying can be defined as verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived by the antagonist to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. This also includes those who are actually heterosexual but may appear to be non-heterosexual due to stereotypes. The three main types of bullying the LGBTQ youth is most subjected to are verbal harassment, physical assault, and cyber bullying. The first main type of bullying, verbal harassment may be hard to detect because it leaves no physical proof, but rather mental and emotional trauma. However, it is still a popular and damaging tactic used by bullies to hurt the LGBTQ youth everyday. In fact, according to River’s study in 1996, it is the most popular tactic among bullies. Also, according to bullyingstatistics.org, many victims of verbal bullying experience lowered self-image, and can have lasting effects in emotional and psychological ways. This type of bullying can lead to low self-esteem, as well as depression and other problems (Hawker Boulton, 2000). According to River’s study in 2001, many LGBTQ adolescents report being exposed to verbal harassment and stigmatization. River’s recent survey shows that 82% of the LGBTQ youth in schools are subjected to verbal slurs (Rivers 2001). According to another study from the Mental Health of America in 1998 on verbal abuse, students hear anti-gay slurs such as â€Å"homo†, â€Å"faggot† and â€Å"sissy† about 26 times a day, which would be about once every 14 minutes throughout their school day. Anti-gay language used on a regular basis in school settings is creating an unfriendly and unwelcoming atmosphere for the LGTBQ students, which may be causing them to be isolated and socially withdrawn (Swearer, Turner, Givens, Pollack, 2008). Although not all anti-gay slurs heard in school are meant to be malicious, it is still hurtful for the gay youth to hear. Many adolescents who use gay slurs may not be homophobic, but more ignorant to LGBTQ issues. Obviously not all homophobic name-calling is directed at young gay and lesbians. For example, researchers found that terms such as ‘‘gay’’ and â€Å"homo† are often used to refer to anything unmasculine or ‘‘uncool’’ (Duncan, 1999). Regardless of intention, the constant degradation of these words causes a hostile and uncomfortable environment for the LGBTQ youth (Thurlow, 2001). Homophobic slurs such as â€Å"That’s so gay,† or â€Å"no homo,† are popular among adolescents and often go unpunished due to the heteronormative atmosphere dominating schools (Thurlow, 2001). Many students may feel hesitant to speak out against anti-gay slurs out of fear of being persecuted themselves. In the U.K. a series of surveys commissioned by Stonewall reported that as many as 93 percent of young gay, lesbian and bisexual people who are ‘‘out’’ at school suffer verbal abuse (Thurlow, 2001). It is evident that it is not a coincidence the LGBTQ youth face the most harassment of any minority at school. Along with verbal abuse, LGBTQ youth also experience physical violence in schools across the country everyday. Back in the 1980’s and 1990’s sociologists such as Joyce Hunter thought that much of the physical abuse happening towards the LGBTQ population stemmed from the stigma and fear that came from the AIDS epidemic that was spreading rapidly among the gay community in that time. In a study as recent as 2003, 60% of LGBTQ youth had reported being assaulted physically due to their sexual orientation (Chesir-Taran, 2003) These phy sical actions towards the gay and lesbian youth has caused many to fear going to school. In fact, many LGBTQ students avoid school in order to escape the physical harassment. This drop in attendance has detrimental effects on the student’s academics (American Educational Research Association). According to StopBullying.gov, since LGBTQ students are more likely to avoid school they are at a higher risk for decreased academic achievement, including lower GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school as well. LGBTQ youth that have been subjected to physical harassment, or youth perceived†¨as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, are more are also more likely smoke, use alcohol and drugs, or engage in other risky behaviors (Rivers 2001). This also causes lesbians, gays or bisexuals to be twice as likely as their peers to be depressed and think about or attempt suicide (Russell Joyner, 2001). This high rate is physical abuse may be one of the reasons why the American Educational Research Association reported that LGBT teens are 3.3 times more likely to think about committing suicide than heterosexual teenagers, as well as three times more likely to actually commit suicide. These victims of physical abuse also have higher rates of unexcused absences from school (American Educational Research Association). According to the social comparison theory, anti-gay violence, such as hates crimes tend to occur due to heterosexuals wanting to make a distinction between themselves and homosexuals. Meaning that the bullies are not acting on their own, but in a group. Some research implies that heterosexuals preform violence upon homosexuals to create a negative evaluation of LGBTQ’s, which in return creates a larger separation between homosexuals and heterosexuals. In other words, heterosexuals wants to make a clear distinction between themselves and homosexuals, and therefore violence is used to create this differentiation (American Educational Research Association). Since the LGBTQ is such a small minority group in most schools it is easy for heterosexuals to make the homosexuals the out-group, whereas other heterosexuals benefit from in-group biases and tr eatment (Herek, Berrill Berrill, 1992). What is so important about the social comparison theory and gay violence is that violence is one of the most effective and obvious way to create a differentiation between the in and out-groups. Interestingly, Herek Berill found that most crime related violent acts usually only involved one victim and one perpetrator, however when these violent acts were considered hate crimes, especially among gays and lesbians, the number of perpetrators averaged around four. Herek Berill also found in their research that boys are at a high risk for being both the perpetrator and victim, most likely due to bullies wanting to assert their sexual superiority and masculinity over homosexual boys (Herek Berill, 1992). In contrast to being pushed into lockers or being called homophobic slurs while walking down the hallway to class, LGBTQ students are subjected to a new form of harassment nowadays, which takes place outside of the classroom, and more specifically on the Internet. According to stop bullying.gov, Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place via electronic technology. This includes devices such as cell phones, computers, social media sites, text messages, web chat, and websites. O ne reason that this type of bullying is on the rise is because as technology advances, adolescents become more exposed to it, while adults become more disconnected. This discrepancy in culture between adults and adolescents causes many parents to become unaware of what their children are doing on the Internet, which may put them at a risk for being harassed, or even preforming the harassment (Keith Martin, 2005). One of the most recent and well-known cases of anti-gay cyber bullying is the story of Tyler Clementi, a gay Rutgers University student. Clementi was a victim of cyber-bullying because his roommate, Dharun Ravi, spied on his make-out sessions with a hidden webcam and outed him online. This caused Tyler Clementi to kill himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in 2010.Studies show that LGBTQ youth who are bullied online were more likely to have skipped school, to have detentions or suspensions, or to carry a weapon to school (Ybarra, Diener-West, Leaf, 2007). In this same study, the majority of the participants who admitted to being the perpetrators of cyber bullying attributed anonymity for feeling more comfortable harassin g others online due to the fact they had little fear of repercussions or of being traced backed to crime. This leads aggressors to threaten, harass, or abuse others and to even assume a new persona or character online (Ybarra et al, 2007). The victims in this study reported that they felt more helpless when they were attacked via the Internet, than in classroom. One student from another study related to cyber bullying stated that said that she felt like there was no point in telling an adult about cyber harassment because there is no proof who actually did the bullying, simply because the perpetrator could easily say, â€Å"that wasn’t actually me, it was someone pretending to be me† (Keith Martin, 2005) Although one study found that cyber bullying is the least common type of bullying (Wang, Nansel Iannotti, 2010,) the fact that these cyber bullying victims feel as though they cannot seek help or end the victimization may explain this study found that these students had the highest rates of depression and helplessness. Some studies, such as one in 2003 say that the high rates of suicide and depression among LGTBQ youth are proof of internalized self-homophobia (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003). In other words, the LGBTQ youth are so exposed to homophobia that it has caused them to become self-hating and prejudiced against their own-selves. Hiding in the closet, not fitting in, and living in fear has caused a melting pot for self-hatred, and self-embarrassment. Findings from this research stated that those who are considered to be experiencing self-hating are at a higher risk for reckless and self-destructive behavior. The findings from this research even go as far as crediting the high rates of AIDS among gay communities to self-hatred. The results state that many gay men fail to use protection due to a subconscious belief that they feel guilty for being queer and are unable to deprogram the negative stereotypes they receive for being queer. The same researcher also found that high rates of might be due to high drug addiction rates among queers that may be brought on by self-hatred (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003). Although the recent suicides and murders of LGBTQ youth such as the death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 are unwarranted and tragic, they have started paved the way for protection of all students institutionally, regardless of sexual orientation. Promptly after the death of Shepard the organization known as PFLAG implemented 150 chapters in the U.S. schooling system (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003). These chapters helped raise press for non-discriminatory policies in schools, support straight-gay alliances, donate LGBTQ literature to libraries, and to train teachers in crisis interventions. GSA clubs in schools have been credited as one of the major factors in helping teenagers create openly gay lives with peers and relate and support them (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003) According to the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, there are over 3000 gay-straight alliance programs in high schools across the country. Van Wormer Mckinney describe harm reduction principals as a guide produced by the U.S. Department of Education and Justice to minimize violence against students. Recently, the state of Massachusetts was the first state to enforce teachers to discuss homosexuality as well as heterosexuality in age-appropriate ways to prevent students from feeling left out. According to the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, there are three different federal laws protecting LGBTQ students from bullying and harassment in schools. The first type of law that prevents bullying and harassment of LGBTQ students is known as the Enumerated Anti-Bullying Laws. The states that have implemented this specific law include: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. With this law LGBTQ students can feel safer at their schools and know that these laws will protect them and there will be repercussions for those who do not follow them. The second type of law protecting LGBTQ students is known as the non-discriminatory law. The following states have implanted this non-discriminatory law: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. With this law implemented LBGTQ students cannot not be denied basic fundamental rights, and are guaranteed the same opportunities as heterosexual students. Unlike the first two laws, the third law may harm or stigmatize LGBTQ students. This is because this law bans LGBTQ students from receiving extra or special protection, even though it is proven they are at a higher risk for being harassed and bullied. No promo homo laws, local or state education laws that expressly forbid teachers from discussing gay and transgender issues. The states that allowed this law to be implanted are: Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Apart from the government and organizations pushing for protection of LGBTQ youth in schools, public figures have also reached out to the young gay community to remind them how important they are. In 2010 the famous gay author Dan Savage created the â€Å"It Gets Better Campaign,† in response to the suicides of teenagers who were bullied because they were gay. The website consists of LGBTQ people posting videos directed towards others struggling with their sexuality and who might be contemplating suicide. According to Savage, the website was an overnight success with a claim of 30,000 video entries between 2010 and 2012, including videos from celebrities and respected public figures, such as Barack Obama. This campaign is helping to raise awareness of the injustices and prejudices plaguing the American school systems, which are having detrimental effects on the LGBTQ youth. Another recent and popular campaign that has been gaining much attention recently is known as â€Å"The Trevor Project.† This non-profit organization is also helping raise awareness of the recent LGBTQ youth suicides and according to the gay affiliated magazine, The Advocate; the organization offers the â€Å"Trevor Lifeline,† which includes a telephone number, which will connect people with suicidal thoughts to professional counselors. Because the LGBTQ youth is such a small minority in schools across the country, it is to no surprise that they are at the highest risk of being subjected to bullying and harassment in school. This harassment includes, verbal abuse, physical assault and cyber bullying. Therefore it is no surprise studies that were previously mentioned show that 9 out of 10 LGTBQ students have reported some sort of bullying in school. With the extremely high rates of depression, fear and suicide among the gay youth, it is important that there is a social reform implemented across the country, especially in the schooling system. Regardless of personal opinion and beliefs on homosexuality, everyone deserves to feel safe and happy in their classroom. Thanks to anti-discriminatory and anti-bullying laws implemented in some states, many LGBTQ youth have been working towards equality. However there is still much progress needed. With positive organizations such as â€Å"It Gets Better,† and â€Å"The Trevor Project,† hopefully the rates of bullying, harassment and suicide among the LGTBQ youth will drop, allowing these young students to witness history for themselves and their queer allies. As Ellen DeGeneres once wisely said, â€Å"Things will get easier, people’s minds will change, and you should be alive to see it.† References Scholarly Research 1. Jing Wang, Tonja R. Nansel, Ronald J. Iannotti, Cyber and Traditional Bullying: Differential Association With Depression, Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 48, Issue 4, April 2011, Pages 415-417, ISSN 1054-139X, 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.07.012. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X10003435) Keywords: Cyber bullying; Traditional bullying; Depression 2. Thurlow, Crispin, Naming the â€Å"outsider within†: homophobic pejoratives and the verbal abuse of lesbian, gay and bisexual high-school pupils, Journal of Adolescence, Volume 24, Issue 1, February 2001, Pages 25-38, ISSN 0140-1971, 10.1006/jado.2000.0371. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197100903713) 3. Rivers, I. D’Augelli, A.R. (2001). The victimization of lesbian, gay and bisexual youths. In D’Augelli, A.R. Patterson, C.J. (ed.) Lesbian, gay and bisexual identities and youth: Psychological perspectives, New York: Oxford University Press. pp.199-223. 4. Russe ll, S.T. Joyner, K. (2002). Adolescent sexual orientation and suicide risk: Evidence from a national study. American Journal Public Health, 91, 1276-1281. 5. D’Augelli, A. R., Pilkington, N. W., Hershberger, S. L. (2002). Incidence and mental health impact of sexual orientation victimization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths in high school. School Psychology Quarterly, 17, 148-167. 6. Herek, G. M., Berrill, K., Berrill, K. T. (1992). Hate crimes, confronting violence against lesbians and gay men. Sage Publications, Inc. 7. Ybarra, M.L., Diener-West, M., Leaf, P.J. (2007). Examining the overlap in Internet harassment and school bullying: implications for school intervention. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(6 Suppl 1),S42-50. 8. Van Wormer, K. , Mckinney, R. (2003). What schools can do to help gay/lesbian/bisexual youth: A harm reduction approach. Adolescence, 38(151), 409-501. 9. Keith, S., Martin, M. (2005). Cyber-bullying: creating a culture of respect in a cyber world. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 13(4), 224-228. 10. Chesir-Teran, D. (2003). Conceptualizing and assessing heterosexism in high schools: A setting-level approach. American Journal of Community Psychology, 31, 267–279. 11. Hawker, D. S. J., Boulton, M. J. (2000). Twenty years’ research on peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment: A meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41(4), 441-455. 12. Vaillancourt, T., Hymel, S., McDougall, P. (2003). Bullying is power: Implications for school-based intervention strate- gies. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 19, 157-17 6. 13. Swearer, S. M., Turner, R. K., Givens, J. E., Pollack, W. S. (2008). â€Å"You’re so gay!† Do different forms of bullying matter for adolescent males? School Psychology Review, 37, 160-173. 14. Duncan, N. (1999) Sexual Bullying: Gender conflict and pupil culture in secondary schools. London, RoutledgeNon-Scholarly Research 15. Tyler Clementi, a gay Rutgers student, was a martyr to cyber-bullying; his roommate, Dharun Ravi, spied on his make-out sessions with a hidden webcam and outed him online. (2012, March 19). National Review, 64(5), 10. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA282583085v=2.1u=vol_b92bit=rp=ITOFsw=w 16. Stonewall. (1999, 21 April). Stonewall News: 77% of Gay Pupils Suffer Homophobic Bullying. Available (03/06/99) at 5http:www.stonewall.org.uk/news 17. Gay bullying. (2010, November 07). Retrieved from http://www.nyaamerica.org 18. StopBullying.gov. Home | StopBullying.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012. 19. American Educationa l Research Association (2011, October 12). Education research shows LGBTQ-identified students at higher risk than straight-identified students. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 7, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com ­ /releases/2011/10/111012151507.htm 20. Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (2008). 2007 National School Climate Survey: Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT Students Harassed. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from

the importance of water in plant growth

the importance of water in plant growth Water is a vital component to the survival of every plant in the world as it is aids in the way that they obtain their food (through the process of photosynthesis), grow (cell division, mitosis), respire (cellular respiration) and how they keep their formation (rigidity). Water helps plants maintain their formation by transporting dissolved nutrients, amino acids and sugars from the soil to areas where it is of high demand. It flows through cell membranes from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration (osmosis) (A Sanders, 2010). Water allows plants to survive by being one of the vital reactants in the chemical reaction of photosynthesis. Every molecule of water contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom which are tightly held together by covalent bonds. This molecule contains 10 protons, 10 electrons and 8 neutrons (refer to fig 6) (Answers Cooperation, 2010). Water has a boiling point of 100Â °C and a freezing point of 0Â °C. In our world water is found in three different states; ice, liquid and as steam or water vapour. Due to cohesive forces, the molecules of water are strongly attracted to each other and therefore the surface tension (the charge of the water molecules attract eachother to form a skin across the surface of the water) that is created is vital to the survival of many animals (e.g. pond skater). Water molecules have dipoles due to the electrons being shared from both hydrogen atoms to the oxygen atom (refer to fig 6). This means that the electrons spend more time near the oxygen atom then near the hydrogen atoms resulting in a slight negative charge on the side of the molecule which contains t he oxygen atom and a slight positive charge on the side of the molecule which contains both hydrogen atoms (A Capri, 2010) (Chemistry, MJones, GJones, DAcaster). Fig 6: Basic Water Molecule. Fig 7: Root Structure of a Plant. The main area of plants which absorb water from their surrounding environment is the root hair zone. Inside the zone, are the roots hairs of the plants which are found growing parallel to the roots. The root hairs (refer to fig 7) of the plants have fragile like characteristics so they are replaced every day at an average rate of 100 million. The root hairs are slender and are present in hefty sizes so they are able to cover enormous amount of surface area therefore absorbing maximum water (containing nutrients, amino acids and sugars from the soil. From the roots hairs, the water (and what contained in the water) travel through the tissues found within the roots, stems and leaves of plants called xylem and phloem. (B Dery, 2009) (TutorVista.com, 2010) (R Bailey, 2010). Fig8: Xylem and Phloem Structures. The transport system of vascular plants is made up of the xylem tissue and the phloem tissue, two different tissues which run through the roots, stem and leaves of plants (refer to fig 8) (Andrew Rader Studios, 2010) (SlideShare Inc, 2008). These two tissues are shaped like tubes and due to this characteristic, are easily able to transport water from the soil to the areas of the plants where it is needed most. There are three main differences between the two tissues with the first one being that the tubes of xylem transport water and dissolved nutrients throughout the plant whilst the tubes of the phloem transports amino acids and sugars (N Neezal, 2010). Secondly the cells within the xylem tubes are dead whilst the cells within the phloem tubes are living and thirdly the xylem tissue only allows a one-way flow whilst the phloem tissue allows a two-way flow (refer to fig 10). Fig 10: Characteristics of Xylem and Phloem Vessels. The xylem tubes are long and thick and are made of vessels and tracheids (Harun Yahya International, 2004). The tubes are attached from end to end allowing the water to reach maximum speed throughout its journey of the plant (Andrew Rader Studios, 2010). The phloem tubes are made up of sieve and companion cells which run parallel to each other. They are long and thin also joined from end to end. Located on the end walls of the tubes are large pores which allow amino acids and sugars to enter and flow out of the tubes throughout the plant to areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration (Tiscali UK Limited, No Date). Fig 9: The Transpiration Process of Plants. From the xylem and phloem tissues, water, dissolved nutrients, amino acids and sugars are transported up through the plant due to a process called transpiration. Transpiration (refer to fig 9) is the evaporation of water generally from the leaves of plants (Refer to reference 12, 13). The process of transpiration allows all the dissolved nutrients contained in the water molecules to move from the roots to the leaves, allowing them to be rehydrated due to the water loss experienced from transpiration. The process of transpiration is a continuous cycle allowing the leaves of plants to transpire yet still allowing them to rehydrate from the nutrients, amino acids and sugar contained in the water molecules. Fig 12: Evenly Transferred Molecular Motion of Kettles/Stoves. Water is water; fresh, boiled, heated, cooled, frozen, its all the same or so it is thought. The way in which water is heated and/or boiled by common household appliances for example a kettle or a microwave, may change the function and the way of which water molecules are designed to work. By boiling water in a kettle (or on a stove), water is heated evenly (refer to fig 12) due to the continuous cycle that occurs in this particular way of heating. The warmer water molecules rise and the cooler water molecules descend until they are warm therefore resulting in evenly heated water. The process of how water heats up in a microwave is completely different to how it heats up in a kettle. In a microwave, random parts of the water are chosen from the various angles within the microwave, therefore heating up minimal surface area compared to a kettle which heats up the complete area (refer to fig 11). This is the reason why sometimes when heating food up in a microwave some areas are hot whilst others are cold (Wimpy, 2010). Fig 11: Random Microwave Waves. The aim of this extended experimental investigation is to investigate what effect, if there is an effect, water that has been heated up in a microwave has on Petunia x hybrida and Tagetes patula plants. What effect will water heated up in a microwave have on the growth and development of Petunia x hybrida and Tagetes patula plants? It was hypothesized that water that is heated up in a microwave will somehow (due to the components of the microwave) be unable to pick up essential nutrients such as amino acids and sugar from the soil. By the hypothesis stated, it is evident to see that the reason for investigating and performing this experiment is to discover whether or not plants are still able to grow and develop to their full potential using water that has been heated up in a microwave.

Failure of the Student Loan Market

Failure of the Student Loan Market A college degree is more than the culmination of learning processes. It is a credential that functions as a good, but in a unique way because it allows the holder to compete more powerfully in the labor market. At the same time, accessing this good requires specific financial instruments in the form of grants, financial aid, awards, federal benefits, and of course, loans. The student loan market, as this essay will show, is a market failure. The supply of college degrees is insufficient compared to the supply of loans for college and costs; there is an information asymmetry with these financial products because many seeking to buy them are not aware of the risks (e.g., the lack of consumer protection, the likelihood that they will not graduate); further, the more loans are sold, the more the value of the good people use them to get (i.e., a college or graduate degree) will decline. All of these factors point to the student loan market as a market failure. Short of dramatic remedies t hat might make education inaccessible for all but the 1%, one of the best policy-related solutions to this dismal problem might be to make holding a loan less painful for those who are trying to repay it. Why is the student loan market an issue, and why does it exist in the first place? The ways that Americans finance their postsecondary education hold insight into the answers. As college costs have risen far faster than the rate of inflation (Lieber, 2009), and as the middle class’ buying power has declined, most people have been unable to finance their educations out of their own pockets. For generations, many college students in America have taken on loans to finance college and postgraduate education due not just to the assumption that this will have a positive return on investment (ROI), but also because of the perception that student loan repayment offers a generous tax deduction. However, as college costs skyrocket (Abel & Deitz, 2014) and jobs evaporate to the point where increasing numbers of people question its value (Taylor et al., 2011), more people are asking questions about student loans and who really benefits. Muddying the water still further is the role of 26 U.S. Code  § 221, which stipulates the details that govern the student loan interest deduction, including its maximum deduction and the modest cost-of-living increase that may increase this maximum, in addition to details regarding definitions and the roles of dependents in calculating this deduction (Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 2017). In general, an individual is eligible for this deduction if, and only if, he or she took out a qualifying educational loan, if they paid interest on the loan (as opposed to fees, principal only, or another arrangement), and if the individual’s modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is no more than $80,000 if filing as an individual or $160,000 if filing as a married couple (Aranoff, 2015; Internal Revenue Service, 2017). However, these deductions may seem overly modest, given that as of 2013, the average college graduate was leaving school with more than $35,000 of debt (Ellis, 2013). Increasing numbers of people are taking out enormous sums to finance college or graduate school, and fewer are able to pay these off in time, leading to cascading economic problems when they are unable to buy homes, when they put off having children, or in many cases, simply default on the loans. Information asymmetry is also a critical component of this market and of its failure. Especially for those who are first in their family to attend college, or who otherwise have no personal experience with higher education and its marketing techniques, the appeals of predatory for-profit schools are almost irresistible. These high-pressure schools use sales techniques to get students to agree to attend, helping them apply for loans but failing to give them adequate information about the risks involved (to say nothing of the low value of a for-profit degree). The people selling the loan products have information that the purchasers do not. In some larger theoretical or symbolic sense, the very information asymmetry is something that people want to overcome through their pursuit of a college degree. Regardless, the student loan crisis is widely considered to be more highly concentrated among those attending two-year schools. Economists have noted that there is a serious potential for an economic crisis to occur if many default on student loans, though the lack of collateralization, as was prevalent in the housing bubble, may contain the damage – but may also nonetheless cause severe declines in middle-class purchasing power (Looney & Yannelis, 2015). The authors of one study stated, â€Å"†¦it is interesting to compare the default out-comes of borrowers who took out subprime mortgages compared with those who took out student loans to attend for-profit colleges. Both types of borrowers tend to have poorer-quality credit records, and the returns to their investments were dependent on macroeconomic factors beyond their control—house prices in the case of subprime mortgages and wage growth in the case of student loans† (Looney & Yannelis, 2015, p. 81). This passage hints at the interconnected nature of mortgages and student loans, including the ways that student loan borrowers are disadvantaged by the situation and by the informational asymmetry. The repayment systems for student loans, meanwhile, also represent market failures in a strong way. A 2008 paper explored the ways in which various proposed loan forgiveness programs effectively constituted a secondary tax (Dynarski, 2008, pp. 19–20). The author concluded that even though college costs rise and student loan borrowers remain in debt for a very large amount of time, the degree itself is still worthwhile. However, â€Å"†¦ there is a mismatch in the timing of the arrival of the benefits of college and its costs, with payments due when earnings are lowest and most variable. Ironically, this mismatch is the very motivation for providing student loans in the first place† (Dynarski, 2008, p. 26). The market failure is apparent from the way that this mismatch occurs, and the ways in which information asymmetry surrounds much of the loan buying process. Dynarski also offers a discussion of the ways that the federal repayment programs such as Pay as You Earn and Income Based Repayment, as well as hypothetical programs such as Pay It Forward (state-based, income-based programs that allow low earners to pay very little while high earners pay much more) constitute taxation, which segues into the larger policy discussion: The student loan interest deduction and the ways in which it can be remedied to better address this market failure. Because of the widespread perception that student loan debt is good debt, and because of the ways that this tax code provision is built on some complex assumptions about supply and demand, it is clear that there is a market failure. The deduction assumes that the supply of college graduates will be smaller than the supply. It assumes that the cost of living will only increase modestly, and critically, it does not calculate the increases in college costs or the ways that they far outpace inflation. In other words, it assumes that the demand for college loans will outpace the supply of people taking them out and repaying, when the opposite is true. It also assumes that the economic demand for college graduates will be higher than the supply, to the point where incentivizing people to get an education is necessary to get highly skilled workers. However, the economy is no longer in need of these credentials, or perhaps college has become so watered-down that people with degrees are seldom finding the kinds of jobs they dreamed of. In any case, many people with college or even advanced degrees are not experiencing the return on investment that they had anticipated. At present, the student loan interest deduction is generally capped at $2,500 annually (Internal Revenue Service, 2017). For those who are repaying very significant loans, including for graduate school, professional school, or simply for attending high-cost, predatory schools, this deduction does not make a significant difference. More people than one may initially believe struggle with student loans of $100,000 or more (Kantrowitz, 2012), so the tiny tax deduction is often laughable. Especially because of the market failure that has itself promoted the situation, the government should intervene to increase the tax deduction. The mismatch between the good and its benefits facilitates the market failure of the student loan interest deduction (Dynarski, 2008, p. 26). Even for those who have a modest amount of student loans and for whom the interest deduction would be significant, an informational asymmetry means that many who qualify for this deduction do not even take it, since around 19% are not even aware of what deductions they might quality for (Student Loan Hero, 2016). Revising the system so that, for example, student loan interest and principal are both deductible, could reduce the failure of the market. Improving information about student loans, as well as how to take advantage of the tax deduction, could also go a long way towards reducing the information asymmetry that dominates the market. The failure of the labor market to adequately absorb college graduates, especially with wages that cause their debts to decrease over time, combined with the informational asymmetry that disadvantages some people more than others, means that there is a serious issue; one potential remedy would be to improve the student loan interest deduction. The student loan system is a market failure, and the tax deduction has also failed to live up to promises because of the temporal mismatch. It has failed to account for the realities of college costs, the realities of the labor market, and the realities of economic life for young people. The policy is a market failure and needs to be changed. Some ways to improve it could be to increase the maximum deduction, to increase the MAGI ceiling at which the deduction is phased out, or to implement widespread loan forgiveness since doing so might add more liquidity to the consumer economy, which would in turn help the economy to grow. Forcing colleges and universities to guarantee student loans could also be another solution to the problem of student debt, ensuring that widespread debt default has less of an effect on the overall economy than it did during the housing bubble.   References Abel, J. R., & Deitz, R. (2014). Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs? Current Issues in Economics and Finance, 20(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/DOI: , Aranoff, A. (2015). Student Loan Interest Deduction: What You Need to Know | HuffPost. Retrieved October 17, 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/aryea-aranoff/student-loan-interest-ded_b_7486888.html Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. (2017). 26 U.S. Code  § 221 Interest on education loans | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/221 Dynarski, S. M. (2008). An Economist’s Perspective on Student Loans in the United States (No. 5579). Munich. Ellis, B. (2013). Class of 2013 grads average $35,200 in loans, credit card debt. Retrieved November 1, 2017, from http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/17/pf/college/student-debt/ Internal Revenue Service. (2017). Topic No. 456 Student Loan Interest Deduction. Retrieved October 15, 2017, from https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc450/tc456 Kantrowitz, M. (2012). Who Graduates College with Six-Figure Student Loan Debt†¯? Washington. Lieber, R. (2009, September 5). Why College Costs Rise, Even in a Recession. The New York Times, p. B1. Looney, A., & Yannelis, C. (2015). A crisis in student loans?: How changes in the characteristics of borrowers and in the institutions they attended contributed to rising loan defaults. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, (Fall), 1–89. https://doi.org/10.1353/eca.2015.0003 Student Loan Hero. (2016). 19% of Americans Don’t Know What Student Loan Tax Benefits They Can Claim. Retrieved November 1, 2017, from https://studentloanhero.com/press/19-percent-americans-dont-know-student-loan-tax-benefits/ Taylor, P., Parker, K., Fry, R., Cohn, D., Wang, W., Velasco, G., & Dockterman, D. Is College Worth It†¯? (2011).

The Reality of War Exposed in Journeys End by R.C Sheriff :: English Literature

The Reality of War Exposed in Journeys End by R.C Sheriff In the play â€Å"Journey’s end† R.C Sherrif recreates the tremendous stress and fear by the men at the front in the First World War. In this essay I am going to focus on two characters, who show stress and fear. The two characters the essay will focus on are Stanhope, who is the captain and Hibbert who is an officer. A couple of background realities about the war are that it started in 1914 and a numerous countries were changed like Germany and England. This war was dissimilar to other wars that were formerly fought because they used more up to date weapons such as gas bombs and machine guns. It was estimated that nine million people died. R.C Sherriff was once himself in the World War one, as an officer in the East Surrey Regiment. He was injured in the battle of Passchendael in 1917. Journeys end is based upon his past experiences in the war - reflecting the way he and his comrades lived and fought and repeating some of its events. R.C Sherriff wrote other play, a few novels and quite a few film scripts. R.C Sherriff is best remembered for Journey’s End. R.C Sherriff reconstructs the war in Journey’s end by making the audience feel as if they are there in the war with the characters. The play is based in the officers dug out, which was where the most action took place. In order to make the audience feel as if they were there in the war R.C Sherriff made notes in the stage directions like for example â€Å"the red and green glow of German alarm rockets comes faintly through the dugout door† in this example the stage which the play would be carried out would have been pitch black and red green flashing lights and loud bangs which represents the war, it makes it as if the audience feel as if they were there. The audience would feel like they involved with the characters because of personal things they were saying, for example an argument. The dug out which is shown in most scenes of the play, where it is set is very small with only one table. The situations in the trenches would have been extremely uncomfortable for the men; this can be very stressful for the men at times. This can be noticed from certain things in the characters actions, â€Å"Captain hardy a red faced positive looking man is sitting on a box by the table, he concentrated on drying his sock over a candle flame†.