Counseling Assessment Paper

Counseling Assessment Paper Janell Brazeal BSHS 321 June 12, 2012 Joel Sadowsky Counseling Assessment Paper The life of a counselor is spent by talking with and listening to people. The main point of the counselors’ job is to interact with their patients and advise them on personal, family, educational, mental health and career problems they might be experiencing. Generally, counselors specialize in a specific field, such as; school counselors; rehabilitation counselors; mental health counselors; substance and behavioral disorder counselors; and marriage and family counselors.One important thing a counselor needs to have is active listening skills. In reviewing my practice counseling interviews, and the written feedback I received from my colleagues I was able to see my strengths and weaknesses. Behavioral research studies done over the past 40 years have isolated three key characteristics of feedback. They are classified as specificity, empathy, and inquiry. These three eleme nts represent key feedback skills so trainers can teach and assess effectively. Lawrence, 1995). My first interview, my client was sent to me for grades dropping. Before coming to see me, my client was a straight â€Å"A† student until she started working after school and joined a band which practiced three times a week. Her main concern was her parents finding out that she was failing three classes and that they would make her quit band, she didn’t care so much if she had to quit her job. My second interview, my client was referred to me for time management.She needed help figuring out how to manage her time, between being a full-time mom; student; and wife. She feels guilty for making time to work on her studies because it takes time away from her children and husband. Her husband is the main provider for the household, so the only time she gets to work on her studies is when he is home from work. The constructive feedback I received back from my colleagues was that I offered first-rate eye contact; my body language was focused on the client.I saw in my playback video, I sat straight and leaned in a little towards my clients, so I can hear them better. I asked direct questions, such as; how do you think your parents’ would react? How do you feel about your failing grades? What do you think you can do differently to improve your grades? Have you talked with your family about the importance of getting your studies and assignments done one time? Before ending my counseling sessions, I did set the expectations for my clients’ next visits.Watching the video playbacks, I did notice a few mistakes and what I need to work on next time. I missed sharing with my client the confidentiality codes, I was a bit out of words, and I know better not to chew gum during an interview. I also gave advice in one of my interviews, which we were not supposed to do. What I think went well during my interviews is I offered that first rate eye contact, I ha d a formal ending and set the expectations for my clients next visits.What I would’ve done differently during my interviews, is take make notes, asked more questions, and not offer advice. In conclusion, the life of a counselor is to have active listening skills. The counselors’ main job is to interact with their patients and offer advice/suggestions when needed. When we don’t use active listening skills, we’re not allowing ourselves to hear what the other person is saying. References Lawrence, Harriet V. Wiswell, Albert K. Training & Development, Feedback is a Two-Way street, July 1995, pg. 2

Marketing and Fitness Center Essay

Our fitness is located in Cockeysville, Maryland, and provides fitness services to people of all age, level, and expertise. The main purpose of â€Å"Our Fitness† is to promote healthy lifestyles by providing knowledge on nutrition and exercising habits. â€Å"Our Fitness† is well known for it’s excellent services and aims to extend the business by providing two additional services. First, we will start fitness classes for people above 55 years old. These fitness classes are conducted to provide a comfortable environment for people above 55 to promote exercising habits and healthy lifestyles. Second, our fitness center will have our own restaurant next to the fitness center specifically designed for the members. Our fitness center’s restaurant will provide low fat, low calorie, and high protein and fiber food specially designed for promoting healthy eating habits. Strategically, Our fitness’s primary market target will consist of people over 55 and mostly retirees. Our secondary target market includes college and high school students. a. Three ways that determined these products and/or services would be the most feasible and potentially profitable for the company to add are: 1. Placement 2. Trends 3. IS the profit margin large enough to make money but small enough for your â€Å"target audience† to afford? Placement Placement or location is one of the most important factors in attracting and retaining customers. Everybody prefers easier and more convenient way to purchase products or services. Therefore, â€Å"Our Fitness† uses the placement approach to connect the products and services with the customer by making services and products more convenient and more accessible to the customers. Our fitness is located in the business area as well as densely populated  residential area with three different universities and one community college. On the other hand, there are only two fitness centers in the area with very expensive membership and maintenance service fees. Overall, this fitness center will be in the center of public places. At the same time, Our fitness center’s restaurant will be only one diet concerned restaurant in the area. Therefore, using competitive advantage through the introduction of two new services will help to retain old members as well as to attract new members in the area. 2. Trends People want to live longer and look good following healthy habits. It is very important to identify the market trends to assess the market potential. Understanding the market trends helps to respond according to customer behaviors as well as to develop sustainability. On the other hand, it also helps to analyze our competition and market potential. Different fitness centers are using different approaches to attract new members as well as to retain existing members. We have to understand that new members want new services. It is not possible to satisfy the consumers without understanding their needs. There is a fierce competition in the market to increase customer satisfaction by introducing new products/services. At the same time, there are many unsatisfied consumers who always change producers or owners because of unsatisfactory service or products. In our case, we even lost many members because of same services since last couple of years. So, we introduce our products/services as a result of customer survey and market research. Our market research and survey strategy will play a vital role to grow our target market in the future. 3.Is the profit margin large enough to make money but small enough for your â€Å"target audience† to afford? The profit margin is large enough to make money because we have young people who spend a great amount of money on food. You also have the retirees who spend a huge amount of money on good health. Also, these days people are more health conscious and follow healthy habits. Exercising and healthy eating are the main priorities of many people. The target audience will be able to afford it because it is a comfortable environment that promotes exercising habits and a healthy lifestyle which allows positive energy to follow. b. Competitive advantage is created through the understanding of your competitors and their products and services. One of the competitive advantages of Our Fitness is fitness classes especially designed for people over 55 as well as restaurant service for members with unique menus and special price. All fitness centers provide classes and specialty training but many do not have classes that target an older age audience. We want our members to feel more comfortable working out and training with people of the same experience level. On the other hand, people over 55 are the ones who spend more money on healthcare, and we aim to reduce their healthcare costs by engaging them with age specific and specialty classes. Our on site restaurant will provide nutrition rich health foods and diet services to members as well as other guests. It will be restricted to members only after one or two years, because we are using the restaurant as advertising to increase membership. A2. I will focus on newspapers for advertising, which reach a broad, geographically-targeted market. These ads will be focused to attract people who are 55 or older because they rely heavily on newspapers. Newspaper advertising is low-cost and involves short timelines. At the same time, this type of marketing channel will reach the total circulation, even if only a portion fits our prospective profile. I will also use Facebook as a marketing tool; Facebook is still, far and away, the most popular, with the most evenly-distributed demographics of any social media platform. Facebook is the only social media platform that you need, no matter what field your business is in. The main reason to use Facebook to advertise is the use of Facebook by all age people. In addition to ease of use, Facebook ads and business pages are cost effective, reliable, and very quickly disseminated to all users. Finally, we will rely heavily on word-of-mouth advertising, as personal reviews are often the most trusted form of information. This marketing tool can also be used to reach the secondary market, visiting colleges and advertising our job opportunities as well as membership benefits. A3. Price is the value that you exchange for a product or service. Pricing objectives should align with the company’s goals and can be affected by factors such as competition, consumer reaction, and other regulatory requirements. Generally, other fitness centers charge $59 per month as service fee and $55 per personal training class in the area. So, we need to provide service for lower prices than our competitors. On the other hand, it is very important to understand the demand of product or services before pricing because there is a direct relationship between price and demand. Our main pricing objective is to maximize the revenue and quantity. This objective helps to maximize long-term profits by lowering costs and increasing market share. Penetration pricing will be used to maximize the sales of quantity by means of a low price. First, we will cut the one time member fee for all new members, so that they have to pay monthly fee only, which will be $39.99 per month. At the same time, for new members and existing members, who are 55 years or older, will have to pay only $15 per fitness class. The price may be gradually increased after establishing market share and customer loyalty. We will use cost-plus pricing method because it makes easier to calculate the selling price for our services/products. Since, our production cost per membership per month is $20.00, and $4 per fitness class. Therefore, our profit per person in membership is $20 and $11 in fitness class per person. Our goal is to add 100 new members in the first month and increase to 500 within next six months. Therefore, our revenue will increase by $2000 from membership in the first month. Similarly, we will provide competitively cheaper price for foods and drinks comparing to local restaurants. We will also offer promotional pricing, discounts and coupons for the restaurant and fitness center to attract more customers. Our overall goal will be to maximize the number of consumers to increase the quantity of sale. If we can maximize the number of consumers, then we can maximize the revenue as well as profit. A4. Customer relationship management (CRM) is the combination of technologies, strategies, and practices used by companies to manage customer interactions and improve customer relationship. The main goal of CRM is to improve  business relationships with customers by retaining customer retention and increasing sales growth. Ngai stated that â€Å"the purpose of CRM system is the building of relationships in order to affect the customer acquisition, retention, loyalty and profitability† (Ngai, 2005). I would like to use Salesforce as CRM system. Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM system, and doesn’t need special installation and hardware. This system can be very cost effective by keeping IT cost low. CRM system like Salesforce can track the history of customer interactions and helps to grow our business. The system track includes calls, emails, presentations, meetings, or even the further step to close the deal. Salesforce can also track the deal details including the worth, competitor, and the stage of deal with automatic deal updates at a glance to close the deal. Salesforce can drive the process, productivity, and consistency by using sales app to map the sales and forecasting stages. It is equiped with quoting capabilities to track the quantity, standard and quoted price, product code, and expected sales in a given period. In addition, company’s e-mail, phone or website can be used to track customer inquiries and history of their activities. Salesforce provides customer relationship data with automatic updated instant access of full customer history of all communications. It also helps to create customized pitch documents about consumers and prospects and can focus sales staff’s attention on the right consumers. Cross-selling and up-selling opportunities become clear through better understanding of consumers and increase their satisfaction. Satisfied consumers are likely to become loyal consumers and common referrals. It can also be beneficial to the customer because it can provide email updates, alerts, referrals, discount coupons, and special events and promotions. Overall, Salesforce tracking system will be very useful in controlling and managing the inquiries and sales of products and services. A5. It is not possible to open any new business without incurring risks, and opening a new restaurant with established fitness center is no different. Financial risk is one of the most difficult risks associated with any new business. â€Å"Financial risk has been defined as any risk that has a direct impact on net cash flows† (Cabedo and Tirado, 2004). This includes problems  related to price, credit, inflation, liquidity, and potential losses due to changes in financial markets and defaulting large scale debtors (Meulbrook, 2000). There are also risks with opening a new restaurant. Our Fitness center require a large amount of capital upon opening, in order to hire additional staff, purchase high-end fitness equipment, and advertise the restaurant to local fitness and healthy food seekers. Personal injury is another significant risk of operating a gym and adding fitness classes especially to people of 55 or older who are more prone to injury. Aside from the legal aspect, injuries in our gym could cause a bad reputation, particularly if they are recurring. It is critical to maintain a good reputation to sell our fitness services and get people into our restaurant. At the same time, improving the quality of our existing services along with adding new specialty services and products is very critical, and is one of the most important aspects of business. Factors such as product contamination, product safety, business integrity, and failure to maintain high standards, may reduce demand for our business. The reputation of the company plays a vital role in our forward progress. Therefore, poor product quality or services may damage our reputation and could limit business activities as well as increase our operating costs. On the other hand, there is always a risk of substitute of products and services in the market. It is very important to study the market and meet consumer needs before launching any new business. A6. The most common risk associated with not launching the new products or services will be the lack of competitive advantage at the Our Fitness center.  Introducing new services and opening a new restaurant will provide the competitive advantage that we seek and will help to expand the business and satisfy existing members. Customer preferences and tastes change with time, it is necessary to meet their needs and tastes to increase the demand for our products/services. Therefore, the new restaurant will aim to compliment our new services/products and satisfy consumer demands. If we are unable to launch the new services/products into the market and meet the consumer needs, then it will not only negatively affect Our Fitness’s financial performance but it may increase by operating costs, and change  consumer perceptions about our existing services Innovation can be a key differentiator between Our Fitness and our rivals. Therefore, if Our Fitness will not launch new services then, it might run the risk of losing ground to competitors, losing key staff, decreased membership, or simply operating inefficiently. As a whole, Our Fitness financial performance could be adversely affected without new products/services, and in the end lead to its closure. References Cabedo, J. D. and Tirado, J. M. (2004), â€Å"The disclosure of risk in financial statements†, Accounting Forum, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 181-200. Meulbrook, L. (2000), Total strategies for company-wide risk control, Financial Times, London. Ngai. 2005. Customer relationship management research. Marketing intelligence & planning, 23 (6): 582-605. he Feasibility Study’s Purpose ï‚ · Evaluate the nature, scale and economics of constructing an indoor recreation center within the Area ï‚ · Identify the potential audience/supporting membership of an indoor recreation center within the Area ï‚ · Assess what amenities/programming would be most logical to provide as part of a recreation center ï‚ · Explore the physical characteristics of various sites on which the recreation center could be constructed 1 Evaluate potential funding sources available to support short-term and long-term Recreation Center alternatives

Supply chain project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Supply chain project - Research Paper Example The organization has a strong tradition and heritage in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. In terms of customer preference the brand is known as the most popular brands. This Al Ain water company is owned by the AGTHIA group. This group of companies is one of the leading listed companies in the Abu Dhabi securities and stock market. The organization has various product lines, such as Al Ain bottled water. Under this segment the organization used to sell pure natural water, flavoured water and added fluoride and calcium water. Under the fruit drink segment the organization used to sell Capri Sun. this product is very much popular among the children. This Capri Sun is used to manufacture in several leading countries including USA. Moreover, the organization has launched Al Ain 5 Gallon water. Lastly, WOW Vitamin water is known as effective healthy drinks that have been introduced by the organization. The organization has strong international presence. They used to export their product in four l eading Middle East countries, such as, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Moreover, there Capri Sun is very much popular among the children in several international places. Several developed and developing countries including USA have the manufacturing facility of this specific product. In terms of logistic activities, Al Ain mineral water used to supply their bottled mineral water to several popular UAE based international airlines. Fly Emirates and Etihad are the leading clients of Al Ain water. The manufacturing and delivery process is quite adequate. Moreover, the organization always used to control the quality of products in order to gain customer loyalty. Inventory Al Ain mineral water organization has implemented advanced information communication technology in their inventory management. They have implemented PDA service in their warehouses in order to find and deliver the products in quick period of time. In terms of raw materials, they used to collect the water from the moun tains with full of calcium and mineral. Effective R&D team, skilled employees and integrated manufacturing and distribution process has helped the organization to finish the products. Moreover, the organization used to collect fresh fruit in order to add fresh and healthy extracted juice in the mineral water bottles. The life cycle of their stock is not more than 6 weeks (Shauter & Theillio, 2006). In the fifth week of the inventory cycle the organization used to place reorder in order to utilize the time of distribution. The organization has implemented manufacturing and merchandise inventory. For an example, in terms of Al Ain mineral water organization, raw materials, work in progress and finished goods come under merchandise inventory segment. The organization has classified its inventory basis on several aspects of business operation. The major aim of quadrant model is to focus on the vendor relations, prioritization and inventory. The organization has managed its critical prod ucts, Such as Capri Sin based on the criticality aspect. Then the organization has developed effective and strong relationship with its vendors and target customers basis on the product uniqueness and organizational value and mission. They have reduced unnecessary transportation cost and stockade level. The organization has implemented push forward strategy for the critical items. EOQ model is an effective inventory management Model. The following is the figure of the model. Moreover,

Summary and response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Summary and response - Essay Example No shooting has occurred in recent times and men were laid back in informal gear and are generally having a relaxed time before they jumped into battle on this day. The American soldiers at Restrepo (one of the American bases) then witness an Afghani soldier, alongside the author, crawl to his death on the mountainside; and celebrate. This disturbs the author and he begins to explain the effects this type of experiences has on the American soldier; that according to him, no one seems to be paying enough attention to. He says that some of these men have died at war, and they together with the society they come from never take time to evaluate the real effects of sacrificing themselves for their country. In the author’s view, the country should at least do this for the soldiers. The men lack mentors, necessary physiological needs etc. and have all learnt to embrace this life they lead. It is their source of excitement and they discuss it often with everyone but the public. In th e author’s view, the important thing in war is survival. The fear of going back to rejoin society’s normal way of life appears boring and even sad. I would like to respond to the author’s idea that the soldiers are not bothered by death at the battlefield and the psychological effects are immense. In the past this may have been possible but the American government began employing the use of clinical psychologists to deal with such effects. The clinical psychologist gets to work with the soldiers themselves as well as with their families. This greatly reduces the effects this has on their psyche. I also believe that no one is forced to join the American army and this is a choice they should be prepared to live with. I, however, feel that it is a noble thing for these men and women to sacrifice so much for their country and they shouldn’t be made to feel as if they are suffering. The author describes

Specific Background Information in Relation to AIDS Research Paper

Specific Background Information in Relation to AIDS - Research Paper Example Specifically with Australia, it is officially known that â€Å"from the start of the epidemic until the end of 2009, there have been 29,395 diagnoses of HIV and 10,446 diagnoses of AIDS. Australia has recorded 6,776 AIDS deaths† (AVERT, 2010). In terms of AIDS, the country has recorded downward infection rates since 2005 from 234 to 90 in 2009. However with new HIV infections, there has been rising new prevalence and infection rate since the same period of time. This is an alarming situation. The graph below represents data on new HIV and AIDS infection rates for Australia for a decade from 1999 to 2009. Source: AVERT (2010). Australia HIV & AIDS Statistics From the graph, it can be seen that the new infections of HIV generally rise whiles that of AIDS generally decrease. The truth however is that all people having HIV will eventually contract AIDS and so if there is something to be worried about most, it should be the new HIV, which unfortunately keeps going up. Statement of Problem The present problem for which a strategy needs to be developed is the seemingly low level of awareness on the risk factors associated with the HIV disease and how the key risks associated with the disease can be prevented or minimized. Lately, there is a globally low trend on the campaign against HIV because of the general downward infection rates recorded of late. AVERT (2010) notes that â€Å"the number of deaths probably peaked around 2004, and due to the expansion of antiretroviral therapy, declined by 19 percent between 2004 and 2009.† Because of this trend, governments, non-governmental agencies and other organized bodies that formally championed the campaign on HIV all seem to have coiled back into their shells. It is said to note that there continue to be low budgets allocated to HIV awareness programs because of the general assurance that the infection rate of HIV is going down. One very important factor that stakeholders who seem to be relaxing on their effo rts seem to be forgetting is the fact that low infection rates is not equal to zero infection rate. It is not as if HIV no longer affects new casualties. Sight must not even be lost of the fact that HIV continues to remain a non-curative disease and a disease that is still rated as an epidemic. Presently, there is no continent or country that has a zero infection rate. For this reason, there is a major problem of reduced awareness and thus the need to strategies means of uplifting the once vibrant campaign against HIV and AIDS infections in the country. Questions Motivating Research for Devising the Strategy The conduct of this research shall pivot around a number of questions. These questions are worth stating because they are going to serve as delimitations to the researcher in defining the kind of information to look out for and which information to leave out of the research. The questions are again worth stating because they will guide the researcher in knowing exactly what the research work seeks to achieve and scope that the research work may not deal with. The questions that are going to guide the conduct of the research and device of the strategy are therefore given as followers: 1. What is the global infection rate of

Foreign Market Entry and Diversification Research Paper

Foreign Market Entry and Diversification - Research Paper Example Argument for diversification of your business Diversification is a much hyped topic and forms a part of strategic decisions and firm’s needs to decide whether they should diversify or not to diversify. It has been the most debated topic by business and it has been said that firms which has the resources and capability to diversify should g for diversification as most of the businesses planning to go for diversification often fails. Diversification involves the highest level of risk but still firm opt for diversification strategy solely for one reason is to create synergy. The publishing company may diversify for better opportunities, to leverage the competencies as well as capabilities by way of expanding into business where the firm’s resources can be used as competitive assets. Also to some extend diversifying will help the company to minimize the risk but as pointed earlier the risk involved is high. There is no guarantee that the business will succeed (Rao, et al, 2 009, 228). Strategy for diversification indicating the products and industries for the diversification and how synergies may be gained from the diversified activity The publishing company which deals with books and other publishing items should continue with its business and go for related diversification. ... Thus the publishing firm may search for new business whose product, market, distribution is similar to that of its own and where acquisition would result in â€Å"synergy.† Thus the company in order to create synergy should enter into related diversification and share resources and capabilities with its existing business unit. Identification and discussion on the foreign market that the company should enter and the strategy it should use to enter the market With the growth of online and digital media, the publishing business has been undergoing significant changes. Thus considering the current situation the publishing business should diversify its business into emerging and developing countries and at the same time follows the emerging trends in the publishing industry which are like eBooks, blogs, mobile publishing along with self publishing (ICMR, 2007). While diversifying the business the publishing company can opt for strategic alliance. Strategic alliances are formed thro ugh partnership between the firms and combining the resources, capabilities and core competencies and pursue a mutual interest to develop, manufacture and also manufacture goods (KAZMI, 2008. 187). The alliance is a collaboration which aims for synergy where both the partners hopes to benefit from the other alliance and will be greater as compared to individual efforts. Other benefits which the publishing company will receive by adopting the strategic alliances is gain capabilities, much easier way to access the target market, share the financial risk and most importantly achieve synergy and competitive advantage which are the important elements that lead a business to success. Challenges that company may face in the foreign market, and how it might respond

Green marketing(is it ethical to use green marketing just to convince Essay

Green marketing(is it ethical to use green marketing just to convince customers to buy the companies products) - Essay Example The present essay is based on the book ‘Sign Wars: The cluttered landscape of advertising’ by Goldman and Papson (Goldman et al, 1996). It deals with the meaning and practice of green marketing, its concepts as developed by the advertising industry, its effectiveness both to genuinely care for the environmental concerns and to hoodwink the public etc. It deals with the ‘signs’ attached to the products with a view to promote sales, even as companies defend their record of environmental concerns. Relevant case studies are included to argue that green marketing has been more of a self-promotion gimmick than any real concern for responsible corporate behaviour. 1 (a). Goldman and Papson, trace the evolution of advertising industry from 1920s, when the competitive market forces were compelling industries to entice consumers to buy their products. They point out that in order to sell more and more of the products, advertisers â€Å"†¦created a social world in which (a consumer’s) identity is expressed through consuming commodity signs† (Goldman, 1996, p.187). These commodity signs represented a â€Å"†¦social process of branding goods, that is, endowing goods with value and capacity to fulfill a variety of desires† (p.188). In this process, the advertisers used, â€Å"†¦nature as a referent system from which to derive signifiers for constructing signs† (p.191). â€Å"Commodities like cars and cigarettes are placed in the landscape settings labeled ‘natural’ and juxtaposed with natural objects† (p.192). By 1980s, advertising that started with nature as a referent system, progresse d to ‘green marketing’ to position nature itself as the subject of the ad †¦(only) to hail the viewing subject† (p.192). Thus commodities are positioned as environmentally friendly, and corporations 1 (b). Automation and mass production of the last century, led to severe competition. To compete, it was not enough for the

Fundacin Chile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fundacin Chile - Essay Example In 1997 Dr. Eduardo Bitran assumed the office as general director of Fundacin Chile. He faced the difficult task of administering the institution, which was constituted as a private non-profit institution with 50% state ownership. One of the most innovative mechanisms that the foundation used, unique in Chile and probably in Latin America, was to create new businesses as a main means to diffuse and transfer technology. Dr. Bitran played a major role in Chile's economic development. , Chile had managed to keep to its course and to maintain growth and stability amidst enormous turbulence, in a period of economic decline that had affected all of Latin America. Recognition of the importance of new knowledge as the base of future businesses was gaining importance and Venture capital funds became the focus. Local innovation clusters were formed around the wine and salmon industries, and specialized fruit production was beginning to reveal the benefits of biotechnology and sophisticated pro duction methods. Immediate challenge for Dr. Bitran was to identify the path and direction for Fundacin Chile. His main challenge would be administer the institution to generate social benefits, as required by the mission entrusted to it as a quasi-public entity, while at the same time acting as a private business to obtain the necessary resources that would permit it to grow and develop. Fundacin Chile's promoted innovation and technology transfer emphasizing agribusiness, forestry and marine resources. It followed several modalities like demonstration businesses, technology transfer groups, training and diffusion, and providing services such as consulting to quality control. Chile encouraged the participation from its associates and strategic allies both national and international; financing originating from the private sector was diminishing with time, while that obtained through state grants increased. Financing provided by sales of services to the public sector had not changed for several years. Fundacin Chile, besides creating innovative business and developing the programs mentioned, began to develop financial innovations for the national market. The institution sought, with these innovations, to more efficiently mobilize savings for investment in the sectors in which Fundacin worked. The foundation also created a venture capital fund for regional investments in medium-size growth businesses and new projects. Besides these venture capital funds, the foundation also fulfilled a seed financing role for innovative projects originating within the institution. Fundacin Chile was structured in four sectoral directorates: agro-industry, marine resources, secondary wood products, and forestry. The operational model was re-defined to distinguish and specify the concepts of technological centre, business units, companies and endowment management, establishing differences in objectives and in plans of management and interaction among the

Sustainable and Intelligent Buildings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sustainable and Intelligent Buildings - Essay Example Prevailing climate is hot and tropical with average temperature of 22Â °C and average humidity of 78%. There is also considerable wind exposure due to its location. From December to March, trade winds can reach average speeds of 20 km/h with peaks as high as 74 km/h. During the rest of the year, winds has an average speed of 10 km/h. Annual rainfall on the site is 1.9 m falling mostly during the rainy season of May to December. Hurricanes are not common but are damaging when they do pass by the country. Holcim wanted to create an office building in Costa Rica which highlighted their commitment to green buildings and sustainable construction. The design would have to comply with the five principles of sustainable construction set forth by the foundation. These are as follows: Ecological quality and conservation – common building projects are not only wasteful during construction but also in its entire service. Sustainable buildings should be made of durable and energy efficient materials and system thru the use of environmental energy. Economic performance and compatibility – building projects pose a significant investment. Sustainable buildings are those that realize savings in its long term performance thru the use of free natural energy. These five core principles form Holcim’s sustainable building objectives and formed the basis for the design concept of its office in Costa Rica. There were many ideas offered by architectural firms but the one that stood out was the proposal made by the firm of Bruno Stagno. The architect had in mind the idea of ‘passive building, active people’. Stagno argued that people usually relied on building systems such as mechanical air conditioning systems for making the indoor environment more comfortable hence making them passive. The Lead Architect wanted an office wherein people are actively engaged in control of

Lottery Discussion Answers Essay Example for Free

Lottery Discussion Answers Essay Shirley Jackson, The Lottery – Discussion and Analysis Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences on your own paper. Provide quotations (with page/line numbers) from the story to support your answers. 1. Why has Jackson chosen common people for her characters? Could she have chosen characters from other levels of sophistication with the same effect? What is the irony of the tone of this story? 2. What seems to have been the original purpose of the lottery? What do people believe about it? 3. Is it important that the original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost? What do you suppose the original ceremony was like? Why have some of the villages given up this practice? Why hasnt this one? 4. What is the significance of Tessies final scream, It isnt fair, it isnt right? What aspect of the lottery does she explicitly challenge; what aspect goes unquestioned? 5. This is a different sort of story when you read it for the second time. What elements (such as Mrs. Hutchinsons attempt to have her daughter, Eva, draw with the family) might take on a different meaning the second time through? 6. Some critics insist that the story has an added symbolic meaning. Do you agree? If so, what is Shirley Jackson trying to tell us about ourselves? (Hint: Consider that this story was written during the height of the rise of Communism and the Soviet Union.) 7. Is the lottery a collective act of murder? Is it morally justified? Is tradition sufficient justification for such actions? How would you respond to cultures that are different from ours that perform strange rituals? 8. Describe the point of view of the story. How does the point of view affect what we know about the situation? How does it preserve the storys suspense? Answers to Discussion Questions 1. Why has Jackson chosen common people for her characters? Could she have chosen characters from other levels of sophistication with the same effect? What is the irony of the tone of this story? By choosing common people, Jackson is attempting to have the general reader relate to the grotesque situation at hand. The dangers of blind allegiance to tradition become more â€Å"close to home† when an average, small-town American population is the center of the action. It becomes more general and all-applicable. (Lines 1-17) 2. What seems to have been the original purpose of the lottery? What do people believe about it? The original purpose of the lottery seems to have been some twisted sort of rain dance ritual. As Old Man Warner explains, the old saying used to exclaim, â€Å"Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon† (line 122). It takes on an air of Aztec/ritualistic sacrifice, that by performing the blood ritual and sacrificing one, the needs of the majority will be met. If the ritual is not followed, society will collapse – or so the townsfolk believe. 3. Is it important that the original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost? What do you suppose the original ceremony was like? Why have some of the villages given up this practice? Why hasnt this one? The loss of the original ceremonial paraphernalia is significant, as it suggests that the original meaning and reasons for the lottery have been lost to time. It is a ritual with no true purpose, other than that of blind allegiance to tradition. Some villages presumably have matured beyond this ritual, but this one has not. 4. What is the significance of Tessies final scream, It isnt fair, it isnt right? What aspect of the lottery does she explicitly challenge; what aspect goes unquestioned? There are two ways to approach this question. 1) From an in-character perspective, Tessie is objecting to the fact that she is the subject of the sacrifice, having been the â€Å"winner† of the lottery. She doesn’t want to die, and is protesting merely the fact that she has to die, not that people die in general. 2) From an authorial / reader response perspective, Jackson challenges the reader to question the idea of conformity and blind allegiance to tradition. If we don’t know why we observe a specific tradition, perhaps we should question its usefulness. Besides, it’s good to question and analyze. 5. This is a different sort of story when you read it for the second time. What elements (such as Mrs. Hutchinsons attempt to have her daughter, Eva, draw with the family) might take on a different meaning the second time through? Tessie’s attempt to have her daughter draw with the family is a half-baked (and somewhat heartless) attempt to have a larger pool of â€Å"winners† (victims) to draw from. While reading, it sort of sounds like she wants an extra chance to win some money or something of that nature. In reality, she is trying to provide more of a buffer between herself and being murdered. 6. Some critics insist that the story has an added symbolic meaning. Do you agree? If so, what is Shirley Jackson trying to tell us about ourselves? (Hint: Consider that this story was written during the height of the rise of Communism and the Soviet Union.) She is providing a symbol of societies such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, where great atrocities are committed under the indifferent watch of tradition-oriented conformists. She is trying to tell us that we should be  guided by our moral compass, not merely by the expectations of society. If something is unjust or wrong, we should stand up against it. 7. Is the lottery a collective act of murder? Is it morally justified? Is tradition sufficient justification for such actions? How would you respond to cultures that are different from ours that perform strange rituals? Effectively, the lottery is by definition a collective act of murder, regardless of the reason it is held. Its existence does, however, beg the question of whether tradition (and, by extension, moral relativism) supersedes any sort of universal morality. Is killing wrong no matter what, or does its intended purpose – prosperity for the many at the expense of the few – justified? Regardless of the answer, Jackson’s message is that doing anything simply because it’s â€Å"what always has been done† is not an acceptable approach to life. We should question and analyze our traditions, and understand why we continue to observe them. 8. Describe the point of view of the story. How does the point of view affect what we know about the situation? How does it preserve the storys suspense?

Economic Theory Essay Example for Free

Economic Theory Essay The word economics is derived from oikonomikos, which means skilled in household management. The society is faced with the following economic problems a). How to what to produce with limited resources? b). How to ensure stable prices and full employment of resources? c). How to provide a rising standard of living both for now and future. The Classical School of economic theory began with the publication in 1776 of Adam Smiths monumental work, The Wealth of Nations. The book identified land, labor, and capital as the three factors of production and the major contributors to a nations wealth. In Smiths view, the ideal economy is a self-regulating market system that automatically satisfies the economic needs of the population. He described the market mechanism as an invisible hand that leads all individuals, in pursuit of their own self-interests, to produce the greatest benefit for society as a whole. While Adam Smith emphasized the production of income, David Ricardo focused on the distribution of income among landowners, workers, and capitalists. Ricardo saw a conflict between landowners on the one hand and labor and capital on the other. He posited that the growth of population and capital, pressing against a fixed supply of land, pushes up rents and holds down wages and profits. Thomas Robert Malthus used the idea of diminishing returns to explain low living standards. Population, he argued, tended to increase geometrically, outstripping the production of food, which increased arithmetically. The force of a rapidly growing population against a limited amount of land meant diminishing returns to labor. The result, he claimed, was chronically low wages, which prevented the standard of living for most of the population from rising above the subsistence level. Malthus also questioned the automatic tendency of a market economy to produce full employment. He blamed unemployment upon the economys tendency to limit its spending by saving too much. . Classical economists theorized that prices are determined by the costs of production. Marginalist economists emphasized that prices also depend upon the level of demand, which in turn depends upon the amount of consumer satisfaction provided by individual goods and services. Marginalists provided modern macroeconomics with the basic analytic tools of demand and supply, consumer utility, and a mathematical framework for using those tools. Marginalists also showed that in a free market economy, the factors of production land, labor, and capital receive returns equal to their contributions to production. This principle was sometimes used to justify the existing distribution of income: that people earned exactly what they or their property contributed to production An advocate of a labor theory of value, Marx believed that all production belongs to labor because workers produce all value within society. He believed that the market system allows capitalists, the owners of machinery and factories, to exploit workers by denying them a fair share of what they produce. Marx predicted that capitalism would produce growing misery for workers as competition for profit led capitalists to adopt labor-saving machinery, creating a reserve army of the unemployed who would eventually rise up and seize the means of production. Institutionalist economists regard individual economic behavior as part of a larger social pattern influenced by current ways of living and modes of thought. They rejected the narrow Classical view that people are primarily motivated by economic self-interest. Opposing the laissez-faire attitude towards governments role in the economy, the Reacting to the severity of the worldwide depression, John Maynard Keynes in 1936 broke from the Classical tradition with the publication of the General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money. The Classical view assumed that in a recession, wages and prices would decline to restore full employment. Keynes held that the opposite was true. Falling prices and wages, by depressing peoples incomes, would prevent a revival of spending. Summary Economic theories are constantly changing. Keynesian theory, with its emphasis on activist government policies to promote high employment, dominated economic policymaking in the early post-war period. But, starting in the late 1960s, troubling inflation and lagging productivity prodded economists to look for new solutions. Supply-side Economics recalls the Classical Schools concern with economic growth as a fundamental prerequisite for improving societys material well-being. It emphasizes the need for incentives to save and invest if the nations economy is to grow A Production Function and Labor Market Model Graph and the Date Production theory refers to the knowledge of what is permanent and normal in industrial production. There are two main types of production theories i. e. descriptive theory and normative theory. Descriptive theory has the knowledge about past or present production but does not much help for modifying it to correspond better to latest requirements. Examples are the academic and historical stud types. They are sometimes categorized in two types: extensive studies of a large number of cases, and intensive studies of one or a few cases. Normative theory of production consists of generally applicable knowledge and tools that can be used in the management of production, especially for optimizing existing production and planning new production.

Robin Hood Ethnic

Robin Hood Ethnic Introduction Robert Hood is an outlaw who lived in Sherwood Forest of England. The ethnic piece of literary helps to depict the culture and stories of the person. This research describes the life of Robert hood and ethnic mythology that includes the folktales, myths, legends, fables, poetry, etc. The stories of Robin Hood show him to be a legend and it no longer seems to be a history. Ballads (songs that state stories) related to the Robin Hood became popular in the 14th century. In the 15th century, robin was featured in games also. The main reason behind the survival of the Robin Hoods Stories is that his character is portrayed as an outlaw and rebel, which are striking characters, particularly those whose motive behind the rob is not for personal gain but for the cause of providing justice to the common people (Doel, 2000). Thesis statement: Ethnic literary plays a vital role in reflecting the culture, as in the case of Robin Hood, ethnic literary reflects his pagan culture. Mythology Mythological Robin: He became the most renowned part of May Games. He was viewed as the legend and became a celebrated part of the May Games. Robin was seen as a fabulous summer king who could successfully lead a procession. This linked the Robin with other legends of the forest. Legends: The story describing him would be literal as the tales depict the real figures from the history. Alteration has been made in the historical fact and that too in a creative manner. This has blended together numerous important precepts, which encourage the right living and moral conduct. The narratives consist of mixture of facts, which separates them away from the other stories in folklore. Robin used to spare the goods of the poor and womens were not harmed. As a result, he became popular among the common public (Potter, 1998). Fables: These are associated with educating the readers with the important truths in simple tales and usually provide a lesson or morale at the end. The story of robin is short and at the end depicts the truths, which are not easily seen in the every day life. Most of the characters in fables are the non-living objects and animals which show the human passions and interests (Blamires, 1998). Folk tales: these tales consider the adventures which are both fantastic and authentic. These are also referred as the simple stories that describe the evil and the good deals. Apart from this, these also act as a better source of teaching the values. In the story of the Robin Hood, he has been identified as wearing green because he was associated with the deep Green Man of folklore and art (Phillips, 2003). Myths: Myths represent the prehistoric and the oldest stories. By nature, they are realistic and holy. According to Robin, productiveness is known as foliage. Myths are of different types in nature. History behind the myth of creation is the formation of world; it is a real concept and also eases the complexity and secrecy of the creation of the world. Another myth deals with the adventure of the divinity and achievement of courage. These tales frequently have cyclic model in which facts are explained in the shape of sign and story to make clear the individual situation and the basis for his distress. Ballads: The description of ballad was based on Gest, which emerged in the 16th century, soon after the preface of issue in England. After that century, Robin is rewarded to the rank of nobleman. He is nominated as the Earl of Huntington, Robert of Locksley, or Robert Fitz Ooth. In the early hours of ballads, by difference, he was the associate of yeoman classes, who were ordinary freeholder having a small landed park. Culture The weapons and tools used by Robin Hood show his connection with ancient woodland and ethnic practices. His main weapon was bow, which was the weapon of Diana, virgin Goddess of the Hunt and his secondary weapons, the quarterstaff and sword, showed the manliness and tarot practitioners use it as an esoteric symbol. He used a horn to call his followers, which is related to recalling the hidden horns on his head (Hahn, 2000). The ritual followed in celebration of festivals like Beltane or May Day clarifies the ancient themes engrafted with Robin Hood fable. The myth of Robin Hood matches with some other myths and traditions of countries around the world. Robin Hood was expelled from community with his wife Marian and his lieutenant Little John like Rama in India. The Robin Hood story ponders the Ramayana. When Britons visited India, two cultures started to share their views, language and heritage (Hahn, 2000). The very old Proto-Indo-European myth got combined when the two cultures merged. Both were having two great archer heroes, Rama Robin. Apart from the Indo-European cultural similarity, there is one more character in Chinese novel. Song Jiang with his 108 followers carried a war against corrupt feudal system. Novels, films and songs developed Robin Hoods image according to their needs. Robin Hood has become a symbol who helped the have-nots by taking the surplus from the persons who owned the resources in excess (Potter, 1998). References Blamires, D. (1998). Robin Hood: A Hero for All Times. J. Rylands Univ. Lib. of Manchester. Doel, et al. (2000). Robin Hood: Outlaw and Greenwood Myth. Tempus Publishing Ltd. Hahn, T. (2000). Robin Hood in Popular Culture: Violence, Transgression and Justice. D.S. Brewer. Phillips, H. (2003). Robin Hood: Medieval and Post-medieval. Cornell University Press. Potter, L. (1998). Playing Robin Hood: The Legend as Performance in Five Centuries. University of Delaware Press.s

WWE Stock Presentation :: essays research papers

World Wrestling Entertainment, INC Company Overview  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World Wrestling Entertainment, INC. is an integrated media and entertainment company primarily engaged in the development, production and marketing of television programming, live events and the licensing and sale of consumer products featuring the WWE brand. WWE has been involved in the sports entertainment business for over twenty years and has developed wrestling into one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Economic drivers remain down from historical levels. In 2003, WWE created two separate major television programs, Raw and Smackdown!, each with it’s own story lines and talent. This was done to create two touring companies and increase the number of live events and provides the potential to increase to the contribution of the entertainment business. WWE just needs time to produce the intended marketplace results. The company consistently retains the merit of being the number one regularly scheduled program on cable TV with Raw on Monday nights on TNN, and Smackdown! Is the highest rated show on UPN. It airs on Thursdays. Revenues consist principally of attendance at live events, sale of television advertising time and sponsorships; domestic and international television rights fees, pay-per-view purchases and direct sale of merchandise. Stock for WWE can be purchased through any brokerage or online investing service. Minimums and fees will vary. Investors Choice Plan enables stockholders to purchase shares and reinvest the cash dividends paid on shares. For the past nine weeks stock prices for World Wrestling Entertainment, INC have fluctuated between a high of $14.40 at the end of April to a low of $11.52 towards the end of May. For the month of June stock prices fluctuated between $12.37 for a low and $13.45 for a high. Although stock prices are not as stable as the corporation had hoped, it expects operating profits to more than double from the prior year. WWE anticipates revenue of $375 million, compared with $374 million in the prior year. It expects operating income of $73 million, up from $27 million a year earlier. Net income should range between $44 million and $48 million, or 64 cents to 70 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $19 million, or 28 cents a share, a year earlier. I believe the corporation and management team of World Wrestling Entertainment, INC has done a lot for its fans. Not only does WWE provide live and televised entertainment, they also get involved in matters that are important in the lives of their fans.

The Government Should Respect Property Rights Essay -- Expository Exem

The Government Should Respect Property Rights Imagine you’ve been enjoying your backyard picnic table and chairs for the past 10 years when suddenly, for no apparent reason, you are served notice from a government agency that you will be fined $6,000 a day unless you remove them. Or, imagine you would like to add a stone walkway to your garden. You begin to research the procedure and costs, only to learn that a lengthy application will be required, with multiple hearings before a state commission. You find yourself embroiled in a Kafkaesque legal battle costing tens of thousands of dollars. Finally, after years of struggle the government demands, as a condition for approving your little walkway, that you â€Å"donate† a portion of your land to the state. Do these sound like nightmarish stories out of some totalitarian regime? Shockingly, they are normal, everyday incidents for property owners across the nation. In California, for example, a state agency called the California Coastal Commission routinely tramples the property rights of coastal landowners. People residing within five miles inland of California’s 1,100 miles of coastline are subject to the commission’s power to approve or deny improvements involving â€Å"any solid structure† on their property. This can include adding a room to a home, planting trees, adding a fence or garden walkway and, yes, in one current Orange County case, a picnic table and chairs. Established in 1976, the California Coastal Commission’s mandate is to â€Å"preserve, protect . . . and restore the resources of the coastal zone for the enjoyment of the current and succeeding generations.† The Commission operates on the premise that the roughly 1.5 million acres under its jurisdiction are a... ...erty without permission from his tenant. Near San Francisco certain homes designated as â€Å"affordable† can be sold for no more than a government-controlled price. In Portland there are wide swaths of the city in which one cannot build a single-family home on one’s own land, even if it is adjacent to other suburban homes. In hundreds of U.S. cities, various laws establishing â€Å"historical districts,† â€Å"landmarks,† or â€Å"improvement zones† straightjacket owners who are consequently unable to remove trees, erect fences, add rooms, or even change rain gutters. Government boards, agencies and commissions with this kind of authority should be opposed not on a case-by-case basis, but on principle. The only proper state policy with respect to private property is: hands off! In America, no governmental agency should have the power to deprive an individual of his property rights.