An Analysis of Gender and Performance Essay

The most important issue that was tackled in the Good Body of Eve Ensler was society’s definition of an ideal woman figure. The image of a perfect woman, as depicted by the prevalent norms, in the society should be explored because this issue largely affects how women are treated. To some extent, such subject also affects the overall importance of women based on the societal roles they assume. To be specific, the play touched on the concepts of fatness, sexiness, beauty, perfection, and femininity. As shown in the story, beauty was confined to the image of models and Hollywood stars shown in magazines and posters. An ideal woman is a woman possessing a sexy body – particularly a flat stomach. The world of the perfect feminine creature was inclusive to women who are sexy or slim. Anyone who did not possess such characteristic was dismissed as a bad, dirty, or foul creature. Moreover, fat girls suffered from discrimination, intolerance, and sometimes, even violence. Some people even regard them as less of a woman – as if the fat girls belonged to an entirely different gender on their own. Their physical appearance was the basis of their social roles, rights, privileges, and opportunities. In â€Å"the Good Body†, gender was shown as a societal concept which is defined on the basis of the prevalent ideas in the society. Being in a certain gender equates to the â€Å"responsibility† of possessing the gender qualities or rather – the â€Å"gender requirements†. In the case of being a woman, one should possess beauty and sexiness in order to be labeled as â€Å"feminine†. What’s worse about this concept of gender and femininity is the fact that women themselves are willing participants of prejudice in the society. While men prompt women to adhere to the society’s gender requirements, women also force themselves to fit the definitions of beauty and perfection. Women who are suffering from the unfair treatments posed by being fat sometimes thought that they really deserved the discrimination and violence. Most of these victims even hated themselves for being what they are instead of accepting their entirety and loving their body. As a result, their response to discriminations was not of defense – it is a passive acceptance of what was supposedly wrong. Instead of fighting for what they have, most women fought for what they wanted to have. Women who wanted to fit in a society that was molded by commercialism starved themselves through various slimming regimens. Through the various cosmetic surgeries available these days, many women subject themselves to mutilation. What’s surprising is that this concept of femininity, beauty, and perfection is observed now, at a time when people thought that many societies are practicing equality for all genders – even lesbians, gays, and transsexuals. In this contemporary setting when almost everyone thinks that women enjoy the same rights and privileges as men, many girls unknowingly submit themselves to inequality. As shown in the performance, women were defined and treated according to how they look and how well they fit into the society’s popular idea of an ideal woman. It seems that gender was now a tool for inequality and majority of the world’s population cannot recognize this discrimination propelled by commercialism.

Advantages and barriers of harmonizing International Financial Reporting Standards throughout the world Essay

The development in international trade and capital flows that has occurred over the previous two decades has increased the desire to harmonise accounting standards across the globe. The appeal of international accounting harmonization has been extensively discussed. Numerous academics Ali, J M (2005), Adhikari and Tondkar (1992), Saudagaran (1997) argue that adopting International Financial Reporing Standards (IFRS) would bring great benefits to society, such as comparability of statements between countries, progression and development of capital markets and communication and relationships between multinational companies. It has also been debated by some Blake (199O), Nair and Frank (1981), Nobes and Parker (2004 ), Arpan and Radebaugh (1985), Deegan (2005) that with the rewards gained from harmonization come some barriers; economic consequences, nationalism and the lack of professional bodies. One of the most valuable features that would come from harmonization would be the comparability of international financial information. Currently there is great misunderstandings about the foreign financial statements, improving comparability would remove this issue and it would also eliminate one of the most significant barriers to the flow of international investment. Global harmonization would save time and money that is presently being spent on uniting differing financial information when more than one set of reports is required to comply with the different national laws or practice Blake (1990). It will also improve the tendency for accounting standards throughout the world to be raised to the highest possible level and to be consistent with local economic, legal and social conditions. Having one international accounting language is beneficial for the worldwide comparison of statements and understandability. Unifying accounting standards would also help the development and expansion of capital markets. Ali, J M (2005). In the last two decades the growth in capital markets has been very dramatic. This increase has brought about a number of issues. One concern is the variance in accounting disclosure standards and practices worldwide, which is concerning for a variety of different groups Adhikari and Tondkar (1992). IFRS would allow foreign investors, financial analysts and foreign lenders to have a greater  understanding of the financial statements of different international companies and they would be able to compare the investment opportunities which will help them to make the right investment decision. The group that would benefit the most out of the harmonisation of accounting standards would be the Multi-national companies (MNC’s) as the communication of financial information within the groups would become easier. With the harmonization of reporting standards it would be eas ier for MNC’s to fulfil the disclosure requirement for stock exchanges around the world. Many of the new foreign investment by MNCs is taking place in developing countries and at the same time that there has been a sharp decline in new investments in industrialized nations Saudagaran (1997). This means that due to the remarkable differences between financial reporting MNCs have to create numerous consolidated financial statements in regards to the regulations for each separate country. To do this it takes a great deal of time and resources, this problem would be eliminated by the adoption of IFRS. A subject of debate is whether the accounting regulators take the issue of economic consequences into account when deciding on whether to adopt the IFRS. Many companies do not take on the change as bringing change into their accounting standards will raise costs. This resistance may occur with the harmonization of accounting standards Blake (1990). Nair and Frank (1981) stated â€Å"national accounting group would lobby in this fashion in order to minimize the costs associated with changing to a new standard, or to avoid stigma of noncompliance if it chooses instead to ignore the new international standard†. It is also discussed that accountants may lose their credibilit y if they are to answer to the economic consequences pressures whilst it is also discussed that it is a vital matter if accounting regulations are to command general support. Blake (1990) provides evidence of how accounting standard setters were influenced by economic consequence issues in different countries. Economic consequence issues may cause diversity of accounting practices because they are a result of the national cultural and regulatory framework. One of the barriers for harmonization may be nationalism. Nobes and Parker (2004) advocate that nationalism will cause a refusal to accept accounting standards that is to be developed by other countries. Each country follows the belief that they have in place the better system and that other countries accounting  standards are of an inferior nature Arpan and Radebaugh (1985). Some countries that have faults and inadequacies within their standards will chose not to adopt the IFRSs as they can benefit from these ineffiecies. An example is given by Carlson (1997) who acknowledges that governments may view attempts by the IASC to alter national accounting rules as infringements upon national sovereignty. Developing nations and those which have been colonies of imperial powers are particularly sensitive to intrusions. Wallace (1990) identifies three reasons in favour of survival of the IASC/IASB, including the increasing internationalization of business and finance, the composite nature of its standards, and the absence of rival in the development of global accounting standards. Another political obstacle that may arise, which is discussed by Nobes and Parker (2004) is that there are several countries that are not in the presence of strong practiced accounting bodies. The IASB wanted to work through national accountancy bodies but this is an issue as they are not all countries have effective bodies. The IOSCO came forth with the suggestion of the adoption of IASB standards as an acceptable basis for the preparation of financial statements to member exchanges throughout the world. This means that a company looking for listing in another country does not have to adjust its reports to fulfil the specific national requirements if the reports are already in agreement with IASB standards Deegan (2005). The need for the harmonization of IFRS is definitely evident. As discussed earlier there are a great number of benefits that would arise from this progression. To provide a professional, developing and strong accounting environment it would be necessary. Despite the benefits there are a number of barriers and hurdles that need to be overcome in order to bring about the harmonization of international accounting standards. In order to ensure the uniform app lication of accounting standards across cultural and political boundaries IASB needs to ensure that there are strong audit practices and fair values applied in order to bring about the integrity of the standards.

How Does the Constitution Guard Form Tyranny? Essay

Imagine being in world where you are forced to wear certain things. Forced to practice the only religion allowed. Imagine not being able to know what you want, when you wanted! The Constitution was made on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was made to provide the framework for the U.S. government. It creates things like presidency, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. From May to September of 1787, men known as framers were thinking of how to make this Constitution. How does the Constitution guard from tyranny? Well first off, a tyranny is when a ruler goes a little crazy with the power given to him/her to rule over the country. The Constitution guards it with the Bill of Rights. Without the Constitution, the U.S. would be under tyrannical law. I say this because without the first amendment (which is, in fact, in the Constitution), we wouldn’t have freedom of religion that means that you would have to practice whatever religion the government wanted you to. Without freedom of speech, we would be forced to say what the government wanted us to against our own will, etc. Without the Bill of Rights (which is in the Constitution too), the government could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted which gives them too much power, which is a tyranny. So again, how does the Constitution guard against tyranny? By giving us human rights that we are allowed to do as a U.S. citizen. In the Constitution, it says that we must have 3 branches of government. Separation of powers. The federal government is separated into 3 branches, Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. Each branch has its own powers. No one can run the government by itself. This protects against tyranny by not allowing 1 person to rule over everything or to have too much power. There are checks and balances that prevent this from happening. Checks and balances prevent tyranny from happening. Each of the branches has its own power and each branch can check on another branch to make sure that they aren’t overpowering. So big decisions, like passing a law, require cooperation of all branches. So if therefore, going back to the main question, â€Å"how does the Constitution guard against tyranny?† the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches block each other from abusing too much power. The Executive can veto legislation and appoint justices. The Legislative is the only one that can make laws and overturn vetoes. The Judicial branch can declare laws and executive actions unconstitutional voiding them. So no one can be too overpowering. Federalism is in the Constitution, because that would be the pursuit of happiness. Federalism is when all the states join together to form a federal government, which has certain powers over the states. The states are not sovereign. It leaves many powers to the states. Thus, if you find too much power in one state, you can move to another. Of course, one mans tyranny is another mans unlighted government, so your mileage may vary. So in my conclusion, the Constitution in fact, DOES prevent tyranny and it gives freedoms and the Constitution is the reason we are who we are today. Sources: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1316376/posts http://davidsrdg0910.edublogs.org/2011/04/05/how-did-the-constitution-guard-against-tyranny/ http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_the_constitution_guard_against_tyranny http://collab2.hawthorn73.org/users/zhanjef/weblog/50d07/

Private Security Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Private Security Industry - Essay Example Their job description is private in nature, that is, they serve only under the benefit of their employees. Police officers, on the other hand, have limitless task that range from patrolling in the streets to the prosecution of case of arrested violators. They play a vital role in the administration of the Criminal Justice System as the first pillar of the system. They help enforce the fundamental duty of every state to serve and protect the lives and properties of its people. Police officers are far better trained than security officers. They are even receiving better salaries and benefits since. They received their salaries directly from the treasure box of the government they serve. Despite of these differences with the police service, security services are a booming industry nowadays. Because of the spiraling crime rate in the society, many people now are security conscious. Businessmen, politicians, and other high profile individuals are those that usually engage the services of security agencies. There is a limit as to what police agencies can do. One of these limitations is that police agencies cannot serve at the pleasure of private persons since they serve the public in general. Security agencies, on the other hand, capitalize much on these limitations. ... Since said activities is usually conducted in a business matter, operators and owners recruit and employ only to obtain high profit with fewer expenses. This is because of the absence of strict laws that regulate the business. Operators and owners have the freedom to select and employ their security guards. That is why they often end up with security guards who are unlicensed, less educated, inexperienced, untrained, and incapable of performing security task. With the concept of self-regulation of these industries, security guards also received meager salaries and less benefits which to not equate to the long hours that they render service. The Private Security Industry Act of 2001 In the recent developments, many states had already adapted means and measures within which to improve the status of their security industry. One of these means is the passage of laws or acts which are primarily aimed in enhancing and regulating this booming industry. The United Kingdom, for instance, passed a regulatory act entitled "Private Security Act of 2001" that received Royal Assent on 11 May 2001. As explained in the Explanatory Notes (2001), The Act sets out a system for the statutory regulation of the security industry. It aimed to raise standards, ensure greater consistency, and introduce arrangements that vet people working in the industry to exclude criminal elements who tarnished the image of the industry. It also aimed to provide recognition to companies who can provide a satisfactory service measured against relevant agreed standards and who are able to demonstrate such recognition to costumers through voluntary scheme. To achieve realized these objectives, the Act created the Security Industry Authority, referred through

Analysis Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Analysis Paper - Assignment Example The defendant in this trial was U.S Department of Justice and they put forward their arguments. The argument of the defendant was that The Controlled Substances Act has formed a nationwide system which control and regulates controlled substances. The defendant argued by using an  informative rule  stating physician-assisted suicide basically debased the "Controlled Substances Act"  (CSA), and it would lead to the cancellation of the license of the physician. The Trial Court gave its decision. The Trial Court gave its decision in favor of Oregon State. The Trial Court reached to the decision that The Department of Justice had no right to deal with the issue of physician-assisted suicide under the "Controlled Substances Act". This decision put forward the fact that CSA was concerned with the management of banned drugs and did not have to play a role in the healthcare field. The Trial Court stated that medicals decisions were matters of the States. The Appellate Court confirmed that The Department of Justice had appealed. The appellate court was the Supreme Court of the United States. Supreme Court stated that Congress’ decision was clear and they also confirmed the purposes of CSA, which were to keep a check on the use of banned drugs and the regulation of criminal activity. Supreme Court gave reference of Chevron Doctrine in which courts were not bound to abide by the judicial decisions of The Department of Justice. The Supreme Co urt brought into their knowledge that the federal government had the authority to keep a check on the medications that were used in the medical profession. But particularly the CSA did not allow the banning of suicidal medications by The Department of Justice. A dissent was also filed in which an argument was presented that drugs used for the purpose of suicide did not fall in the category of licensed medical practice and

Research Paper on a selected Multinational Company and it's foreign Essay

Research Paper on a selected Multinational Company and it's foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example The companies making direct investments have ample control and influence over the company in which the investment is made. Countries foster open economies in order to utilize the resource of skilled workforce and explore growth prospects by attracting foreign investors, so FDI becomes an obvious choice for developing countries for economic growth and development (Gilroy, Gries, & Naudà ©, 2004, p. 50-55). According to International Monetary Fund (IMF), FDI facilitates companies to make investments with the expectation of establishing lasting relationships with the target countries. FDI was considered to be one of the major drivers of continuous growth and globalization, before the financial crisis. However, as revealed by UNCTAD in the World Investment Report of 2009, about 85 percent of the Transnational Corporations got affected by financial crisis in 2008-09. USA tops the list of FDI inflow, but many other countries have joined this list (Breitfeld, 2010, p. 1). Nowadays, we stay in one global country. This is said because there are trade and commerce taking place among all the countries. People staying in any country can make use products of different countries. From this very concept the term global marketing has come up. Now, when we say that the world has become one market, we can also say that the economies of individual countries also affect the global economy, especially the international trade. There is a lot of capital involved in international trade and commerce. Products and services costing billions of money are traded everyday among nations in the world market. So the price of currency exchange and fluctuations also significantly affect the profit and income of the marketers (Baker, Epstein, & Pollin, 1998, p. 117-120). Multinational corporations (MNCs) and FDI are complex expression that illustrates two separate but correlated concept. The MNCs or multinational enterprises (MNEs) manage their production, organization, and deliver

Assess to Assessing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Assess to Assessing - Essay Example Apparently, there is a huge difference between an individual who is geographically literate and one who is not. For instance, a person who is geographically literate is able to understand the issues surrounding particular communities, their location, the way of life of the members from such communities and how such communities have affected the lives of other communities around them (Backler, 1988). Geographically literate individuals are also more capable of understanding the relationships between complex elements, such as humans and places, and such knowledge about the two allows them to be able to explain the changes and the consistencies in their characteristics. Moreover, a geographically literate individual is more likely to be able to solve more problems than someone who is not, and the ability to be able to do so is one that affects future decisions that would be made. The subject itself is one that is practical for an individual’s everyday use, and it not only adds to our understanding about the world, but also allows us to appreciate the different elements that make up the world (Backler, A. 1988). In the United Kingdom, â€Å"the external examination of school Geography has undergone a dramatic process of bureaucratization since the 1970s, changing from a ‘broad view’ characterized by the exercise of professional judgement and agreement on standards between Chief Examiners and teachers, to a ‘narrow view’ dominated by technical specifications, traditional content and fragmented subject knowledge. The overall outcome is a chasm between examiners and teachers in as much as the former give the latter little scope to develop creative approaches. Curriculum development considerations were cast aside as most public examination awarding bodies, pressurized to comply with new regulations at short notice and dependent on the goodwill of a casual workforce.† (pp. 670-671, Winter, 2009). In a study conducted by Caitling (2004), some

Executive Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Executive Summary - Assignment Example This is because some of the companies opted for hiring many receptionists to handle the high job demands, but they could not manage to professionally assist guests. Organizations should hire our services because we will implement technological approaches in our operations that comprise of surveillance cameras and ipads. The cameras shall help in monitoring the performance and interaction of our staffs with the prospective customers at the work stations. The cameras will also guarantee customer safety and reduce the risk prevalence in the offices. One of the advantages of working with GCS is that it boasts of professional personnel who are competent in their duties. The company also offers other fringe services such as telephone operators, messengers and personal assistance to clients. As a result, it would be essential to hire the services of GCS in order to save time and enable the office workers concentrate on other productive tasks. Although GCS is a new establishment in the regio n, it shall ensure that clients receive professionalized concierge services that save time and

Collaborative mangnement of Pain and Agitation Essay

Collaborative mangnement of Pain and Agitation - Essay Example The first step in the management of pain and agitation is assessment. This includes patient characteristics, type and method of injury, clinical status of the patient, associated mortality and morbidity and assessment of the degree of pain and agitation. Pain assessment mainly validated scales, along with vital signs and subjective and objective assessment. Agitation must be defined and risk factors identified (Greenway, 2010). In postoperative patients, pain along with agitation that occurs when the patient is awaken from agitated states, is a major challenge. It is very important to rule out causes for agitation like hypercapnia, hypoxemia, gastric distension and retention of urine with distension of bladder. Treatment of such triggering factors for agitation usually helps resolve agitation. Also, in postoperative pain, factors like onset, site of surgery,severity, incidence and age also must be taken into account. Those with neurotic personality traits are likely to suffer more pa in than others. Preoperative pain counseling also has a major influence on postoperative pain. While mild pain can be managed with mild narcotics, severe pain may need higher doses of narcotic drugs. When narcotics are used for pain relief, they decrease respiratory rate and the tidal volume and also regularize the pattern of respiration. However, narcotic induced depression of respiration is a potential sequelae and hence dosing of narcotics must be done cautiously. Encouraging the patient to breathe deeply and cough is another strategy to decrease pain and agitation. Morphine is a good narcotic for postoperative analgesia and decrease of agitation. The dose is 1-3 mg, given every 15- 30 minutes. Continuous infusion of narcotics is better than intermittent bolus doses because it allows maintenance of constant blood levels of narcotics and the dosage requirement per day is also low. However, it requires careful monitoring of the patient and titration of doses. Patient controlled ana lgesia is a better option in this regard. Other modes of provision of analgesia include regional analgesia and epidural block. In intensive care patients, agitation affects atleast 71 percent of patients. Pain aggravates agitation. Other factors which contribute to increased agitation are anxiety, delirium and illness. In some cases, sedation also may lead to agitation (Siegel et al, 2003). Treatment of agitation is often neglected despite the fact that it is very important to treat agitation to improve clinical outcomes and fasten recovery. Management of pain and anxiety to some extent decreases agitaion. Anxiolysis is possible by giving drugs like benzodiazepines. However, since over sedation itself can lead to agitation, it is important carefully decide upon the dosing of sedatives (Siegel et al, 2003). Pain and agitation can occur even in chronic pain and primary care physicians find in challenging to manage such scenarios. According to a study by Dobscha et al (2009), collabora tive management of pain and agitation between psychologists and physicians delivers better clinical outcomes than the routine management by physicians alone. Improvement has been reported to be better in terms of severity of pain, disability related to pain and depression. According to the researchers, "although many of the improvements were modest, they may be especially meaningful because patients in our sample were older, had long-standing pain, multiple medical problems, and reported high baseline rates of

Evaluation of Website Content Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluation of Website Content - Essay Example The site does not specify an author’s name but it states the copyrights are with Tom Way. The institution said to have published this document is the ‘Environmental Assessment Center, United States. It also specifies that the Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division is situated in Newark, Delaware. The main aim of this site is to provide a platform for discussion by providing unbiased data. Though the URL of the site is given, the publisher does not disclose his qualifications. The chief goals of this site are to provide unbiased data on the subject of Dihydrogen Monoxide and also serve as a forum for discussions. The information given seems to be fairly detailed but one cannot guess how much of it is true. Moreover, the page seems to be a mask for advertising and therefore, the information cannot be said to be authentic or accurate. The name of the author has not been specified and it seems as though information and data have been gathered from various places. The site has an online store selling T. shirts and other things and the general public are asked to visit and lend their support by purchasing them. The site gives the last updated date, but this does not seem to be valid because it looks to be automatically updated every day and proves to be inauthentic. Moreover, it clearly states – â€Å"content veracity not implied† which clearly proves that the site is invalid as also its information. In addition, the site does not have a home page and an ‘about us’ page to give us information about the people running the site.

Black Swan Essay Example for Free

Black Swan Essay Speech problems are serious hardship for children as they have to cope not only with medical aspects of the problem, but also with social exclusion and mockery. David Mitchell in his book tends to recreate the childhood from the child’s viewpoint, to transmit feelings, emotions, doubts and anxieties of children. Moreover, the author decided to show the life and hardships of a boy suffering from stammer. Children always feel embarrassed when they stammer as they think they may be mocked at. The world of children with speech problem is delicate and fragile; therefore, they are vulnerable to more stresses and anxieties. They are less confident and more reserved. That is what the author is willing to show in his book. Jason Taylor, the main character, is a common teenager who was born in a village in Worcestershire in the year of 1982. Though he is unremarkable in appearance, he is aspiring poet. He is highly gifted child with rich inner world. Jason tells the story about his school days, about problems with parents and his elder sister who irritates him constantly. However, Jason has speech problem – he has a stammer and this fact makes him feel embarrassed and unconfident. Like all children Jason has secrets from his parents and school friends. He hides the fact that he is a poet and his poetry is written under the name of Eliot Bolivar. (Mitchell 2006) The author starts his novel from explaining and examining the social status of childhood. The first chapters are devoted to analyzing why some children are called by their first names, some children by â€Å"sort of respectful nicknames like ‘Yardy’†, wheras others by their surnames and some by ‘piss-take nicknames like Moran Moron or Nicholas Briar whos Knickerless Bra. . It’s all ranks, being a boy, like the army†. Mitchell shows that children are other people in the world. The book is an interesting and exciting story of a 13-year boy whose parents divorce. The author provides detailed overview of his anxieties, thoughts and reflections. Actually, the author details on the first year of his life after the divorce. It is discovered the Jason’s father has another woman. As for me, the most impressive part of the book is when Mitchell writes about Jason’s stammer stressing that this speech impediment causes lots of problems for young boy as he has to â€Å"think one sentence ahead, and if you see a stammer-word coming up, alter your sentence so you wont need to use it†. Jason is a very sensitive and vulnerable personality and he is afraid of being labeled as â€Å"Stutterboy†. He hides his stammer and fears that his school friends and teachers would become aware of his speech problems. The author impressively conveys Jason’s inner anxieties and feelings to the readers. The book is poignant as the author is struggling to keep the tension and intrigue at the desires level. (Mitchell 2006) I think that the book is a mix of genres as the author refers to social realism when showing that children with speech problems may suffer from social exclusion, and romanticism when conveying Jason’s inner struggle. Mitchell vividly depicts Jason’s family life. Mitchell shows his best qualifications of a caricaturist. He has a better ear for the smarmy and the self-important, like Jasons father, than for the more softly spoken. For example, he claims at the dinner table: â€Å"The principle, o daughter of mine, is a universal constant. If you dont keep records, you cant make progress assessments. True for retailers, true for educators, true for the military, true for any systems operator. One bright day in your brilliant career youll learn this the hard way and think, if only Id listened to my dear wise father. How right he was†. Actually, Jason gets the best lines in the novel. The author chooses the child character to show the different consciousness, different attitudes and perception of the problems and anxieties. Mitchell defines childhood as inevitably the age of false notes and brashness. He outlines that children shouldn’t be allowed too much knowingness. Jason is well-educated and quick-witted boy and his perception of the world is rather fresh and original. For example, Jason thinks: â€Å"Woods dont bother with fences or borders. Woods are fences and borders. The world won’t leave things be. Its always injecting endings into beginnings. The crows parascended up and off†. (Mitchell 2006) Jason is also very observant and shrewd. When he sees that his father meets his brother-in-law, he mentions: â€Å"Each was wearing the jersey the other’d given him for Christmas†. In such a way the author restore the slang of Black Swan’s school children. (Mitchell 2006) I like the way Jason depicts love and affection, when a girl attracts him, he says: â€Å"Magnets dont need to understand magnetism. Listening to houses breathe makes you weightless†, etc. But the striking sentences and snatches of dialogue are too often waylaid by cutesy apercus – â€Å"The earth’s a door if you press your ear against it† and the narrator’s wish to be too cunningly callow. (Mitchell 2006) Speaking about what I have learnt from the book, firstly, I want to say that the book has made me more aware about the world children with speech problems live in. I am really impressed by Taylor’s pretence to see beyond his childhood. I think that boy is too clever and intelligent for his age, though he shouldn’t hurry to become old. The book is very informative as it reveals the reality of life: children wit stammer may undergo mockery and social exclusion. A child may be excellent student and talented personality, though children would laugh at his speech impediment. The author teaches us to be more tolerate and to think and only then to act. Moreover, I see psychological changes occurring with children after parents have divorced. I found out that children became more reserved and failed to display their true feelings and emotions. And I think that Jason’s stammer is apparent consequence of parent’s divorce. (Mitchell 2006) David Mitchell wants, in my opinion, to do a very ambitious thing in this novel, which is to write a book about a young adolescent and the young adolescent as natural poet as though it was written by a young adolescent, but he hasn’t quite found the voice for it. A young adolescent finding his voice by experimenting with other voices is a useful device for a novelist. But a young adolescent is even more promising for contemporary fiction because he is someone who doesnt want to be too accessible or too unpopular. Mitchell’s fans should see this as a transitional novel in what is already an intriguing career. The book is filled with Jason’s insights and revelations. The adult world is obsessed with fame and erotic life, and, therefore, Mitchell’s book is of great importance as it teaches people to be more patient and tolerate towards children with speech and health problems. The book is very impressive and it remains nobody indifferent. Mitchell shows that children are strongly affected psychologically when parents decided to divorce. Mitchell’s book covers all these problems stressing that children psychologically suffer from parental split up and their speech problems may become more severe. The book is surely the ambitious study of adolescence. (Mitchell 2006) The book is relevant to the course â€Å"Communication Science† as the auhtor discusses speech probems of Jason Taylor, in particular, stammer and its psychological affect on child’s behavior. Mitchell shows that speech problems make children feel shy and self-conscious. Ccommunication is playing nowadays one of the most important roles in society because it is the core source of mutual understanding among people. Communication is the greatest luxury given to people. Works Cited Mitchell, David. Black Swan: A Novel. Random House, 2006.

Eudora Welty Essay Example for Free

Eudora Welty Essay The word determination is defined as, â€Å"the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling a purpose.† Will-power is, â€Å"the strength or will to carry out one’s decisions, wishes, or plans.† In the short story A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, the main character Phoenix carried out the meaning of these two words throughout the whole story. She had experienced many road blocks during her journey, but she did not let them stop her from reaching the goal she had at the time. In the story, Phoenix is a very old woman who needed to go to town to get medicine for her sick grandson. She overcame obstacles that were both physical and mental throughout the course of the story. Her courage and devotion to her grandson showed that she was willing to go the extra mile to make sure that her grandson was okay. This was not only because she cared for him, but because she loved him. Phoenix encountered many obstacles during her journey to town and one of them was getting through the thorn bush. As she was walking down the path her dress had got caught. A worn path: literary analysis Literary Analysis Arising out of the ashes the phoenix came back to life again. In Greek mythology the phoenix is the symbol for idealism and hope. It falls only to arise and live again. The main character of Eudora Weltys short story, A Worn Path, is much like this phoenix. She must overc Premium 508 Words 3 Pages Never give up: a character analysis of phoenix from weltys a worn path Never Give Up: A Character Analysis of Phoenix from Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† By STUDENT NAME Professor NAME CLASS NAME DATE Outline Thesis statement: In â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty, Phoenix Jackson displays extraordinary perseverance in the face of difficulty, which ultimatel Premium 971 Words 4 Pages Analysis of a short story a worn path by eudora welty Analysis of a short story â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty. Lit.1 Characters: Phoenix Jackson : Is the protagonist of the story. She is described in vivid colors, suggesting her lively nature: she wears a red rag in her hair and her skin is described as â€Å"yellow,† â€Å"golden† Premium 1151 Words 5 Pages Character analysis-a worn path A Woman of Amazing Character Will-power and determination plays a major role when it comes to people accomplishing goals and performing the tasks they are given. When a person possesses these two qualities they are motivated, focused, will not give up easily, determined along with many other thi Premium 907 Words 4 Pages Literary analysis on a worn path Literary Analysis on A Worn Path In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, the protagonist Phoenix Jackson helps portray the theme that people will do anything for whom they love. Everyday people are going out of their way to make either a theoretical or literal journey to help someone they love. In the Premium 407 Words 2 Pages The Worn Path analysis In the story â€Å"A Worn Path†, there is a repetitive comparison between the main character and a mythological creature. The author Eudora Welty chooses Phoenix Jackson to symbolize through color, her appearance, behavior and overall journey a Phoenix bird. The author gives description to Premium 387 Words 2 Pages Literary Analysis of The Worn Path In the Worn Path, by Eudora Welty, the placement consorts with the time to create an environment which hinders Phoenix’s progress but reinstates dedication and persistence into her journey. During the establishment of the setting, the first description is, â€Å"It was December—a bright Premium 294 Words 2 Pages Worn path WORN PATH Eudora Welty brings the story, â€Å"A Worn Path†, to life through the use of the character Phoenix Jackson and symbols. This story detail’s an elderly Negro woman’s journey to town, on a mission of love. Phoenix Jackson, an elderly Negro women is frail, old, and Premium 914 Words 4 Pages A worn path essay 6 A Worn Path Detail of an elderly Negro womans journey from deep in the country to town, the while on mission of love. Phoenix Jackson, an elderly Negro women who is frail, old and has many handicaps, she lived during trying times and because of her race, faced many challenges while growing up Premium 862 Words 4 Pages A worn path: racial prejudice is rampant and out of control In the story A Worn Path, Eudora Welty shows an old woman living in a time period where racial prejudice is rampant and out of control. Phoenix Jackson is a grandmother whose only motivation for living is to nurture her grandson back to health. The strength of love may make people do or say unusua Premium 997 Words 4 Pages A worn path Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† is a story that emphasizes the natural symbolism of the surroundings. The main character in the story, Phoenix Jackson, is an old black woman who seeks out to find medicine for her sick nephew. This story contains a motif, which is the continuous walk Premium 1208 Words 5 Pages A worn path: the modern short story In the modern short story, Eudora Welty clearly develops Phoenix Jackson as a main character who indirectly manipulates other people. Phoenix, as the speaker in A Worn Path holds the status of an old Negro woman who continues the everyday cycle of life. Although, in reality Phoenix is an average h Premium 665 Words 3 Pages A worn path by eudora welty Ordeal of Devotion In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty an elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson picks a cold December day to make yet another perilous journey to a near by city to get medicine for her ailing grandson. On the way this ninety-year-old woman faces many obstacles, both natu Premium 985 Words 4 Pages A worn path essay 5 Eudora Weltys A Worn Path is a story that emphasizes the natural symbolism of the surroundings. As the story begins, we are introduced to our main character, Phoenix Jackson; she is described as a small, old Negro woman. I believe that the name Eudora Welty gives our main character is very symbo Premium 1346 Words 6 Pages A worn path: a tattered trail A Tattered Trail A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, is the tale of the unstoppable love and care of a grandmother for her grandchild. The main character in the story, Phoenix Jackson, is an old black woman who makes a long journey into town to get medicine for her ill grandson. Despite the many ob Premium 840 Words 4 Pages Eudora welty: worn path, visit of charity Eudora Welty The are only so many ways an author may sum up the course of a human life within just a few pages. Eudora Welty has the awesome talent of being able to do just this. In her stories Where Is the Voice Coming From, A Visit of Charity and A Worn Path, Welty uses the reoccuring th Premium 545 Words 3 Pages

Fedex A Global Supply Chain Management Company Commerce Essay

Fedex A Global Supply Chain Management Company Commerce Essay FedEx is a global logistics and supply-chain management company Ng Farhoomand, 2002 that began operations in 1973 as an overnight package delivery company. Annual revenues exceed $20 billion and 24-48 hour delivery is available to well over 200 countries. In 2001, FedEx was named one of the top ten most admired corporations in America (Boyle, 2002). FedEx has been in the industry for quite a time now. It has built its system strong that from being an express delivery company it has been a supply-chain management company. With the help of innovation and introduction of internet by the year 1994, it has been evident that the services provided by FedEx have been better. Though it has tried to integrate the e-commerce system, the Company has been struggling to be more than an express delivery. The competitors for the express delivery industry have been growing but there have been reports that the transportation volume growth of FedEx was slowing down. Due to this instance, the FedEx has decided to make a re-organizing the structure hoping that it will help them through the betterment of their operations. FedEx started in the year 1973, and UPS, one of those that give services like FedEx, started in the year 1907. They did not compete with each other for the reason that they have different markets. The competition and rivalry between the two began in the year 1982. They competed on the market segment, quality of service, and pricing. The only solution they thought of was to cut cost without decreasing the quality of customer service. Because of this, they thought of having an organized logistics operation that will help reduce the ordering process. The three main trends that helped the growth of transportation and logistics industry are: the globalization of the businesses, advances in the information technology (IT) and the application of new technology to generate efficiencies in processing, and the increase in demand for more quality satisfaction of customers or clients. Speed has been one of the basis of customers to say that they have been provided with quality customer service. The advances brought by IT heightened globalization and made the operations fast, decrease costs, and gave quality service. Opportunities Threats The cost of infrastructure of express delivery companies are a barrier of entry to new comers FedEx leadership in global express delivery As long as the nature of our socioeconomic environment exists, there will always be a need for express delivery E-commerce is creating an increased need for express delivery Globalization offers opportunities for expansion Maintaining the infrastructure of an express delivery company is an exit barrier because of high fixed costs Capitol is acquired through the volume of sales, so the high fixed costs can hurt when times are slow Due to the nature of the industry, it is nearly impossible to become the clear industry leader The nature of the industry shows very low returns on invested capitol The E-tailing industry demands lower shipping rates and charges to pull customers from the retailing industries Major competitors: UPS, the airborne DHL Question One: The express transportation and logistics industry Federal Express was founded in 1971 as the big idea of charter airplane pilot Fred Smith. It launched its overnight air express business in 1973, and just 10 years later, it was the first U.S. company to top $1 billion in revenues in its first decade. Today, FedEx (its nickname, FedEx, officially became the company name in 2000) is the worlds largest express transportation company-almost 196,000 employees move more than 3 million items to more than 200 countries each business day, up from 110,000 workers and 2 million packages just five years ago! In 1990, FedEx became the first service company to win the Baldrige Award. Since then, the company has expanded its ground delivery business by purchasing both Parcel Direct (formerly a division of Quad/Graphics, now renamed FedEx SmartPost) and more than 1,100 Kinkos locations (now FedEx Kinkos Office and Print Centers) in 2004. The survival issue is prominent in the minds of quality leaders. FedExs Fred Smith compares the awakening to quality to a near-death experience. A lot of times its brought on by trauma. Leaders often embrace Total Quality Management because they see no alternative: improve or die. Whatever inspires them-the fear of failure, the promise of success, the achievement of other companies, the belief that there must be a better way to manage a company-triggers the leap of faith. Once they are on the quality path, the cultural changes they see all around them frequently breed a missionary zeal about the need for, and the benefits of, the quality improvement process. The first step for any company president, chairman, or CEO is committing himself or herself, as well as the company, to the process. Jamie Houghton took this step in 1983, shortly after he became Cornings chairman. Fred Smith and his top executives founded FedEx on the idea of providing the highest quality of service, then participated in quality training in the first year of the companys existence. At FedEx, Fred Smith has been directly involved in the development of every quality process and system the company has implemented. He founded the company on a belief that customers would value a timedefinite express delivery service, then used on-time delivery as the companys primary measure of performance. In the late 1980s, he helped develop a more comprehensive, proactive, customer-oriented measure of customer satisfaction and service quality: the Service Quality Index (SQI). As Smith said, We believe that service quality must be mathematically measured. The company tracks these 12 indicators daily, individually and in total, across its entire system. Each indicator is weighted: the greater the weight, the greater the impact on customer satisfaction. One of FedExs service goals is to reduce the totals of the SQI every year. Service is one of the companys three overall corporate objectives: People-Service-Profit. Every manager at FedEx, including Fred Smith and the senior executive staff, has annual benchmarks for each of these three corporate objectives. Smith sets his own personal objectives with input from the board of directors, and the process cascades through the organization from there. Managers are evaluated on how well they achieve their objectives. To develop and implement such broad measures and objectives, Smith and his staff had to understand the companys quality objectives, its customers needs, and the potential effectiveness of SQI as a measure and motivator. Many other service companies are still trying to figure out what to measure. Smith led the development of a measure that tells all FedEx employees, every day, exactly how they are doing on customer satisfaction and service quality. Active participation in the quality improvement process doesnt get any better than that. Good leaders know that having a customer focus is critical. At FedEx, each officer is assigned responsibility for the major customers in a sales district. Smith and his staff talk to customers continuously at the executive level to make sure their needs are being met. FedEx has three corporate goals: People-Service-Profit. As Smith summarizes, when people are placed first, they will provide the highest possible service, and profits will follow. The three corporate goals are translated into measurable objectives throughout the corporation. Progress on the people goal is determined by the Leadership Index, a statistical measurement of subordinates opinions of managements performance. Service is based on the Service Quality Indicators described earlier. The profit goal is a percentage of pretax margin, determined by the previous years financial results. Success in meeting the objectives for each area determines the annual bonuses for management and professionals. (The bonuses can account for up to 40 percent of these employees total compensation.) FedEx Corporation in the United States administers variety of advanced factors of production. These are managerial sophistication, logistics know-how, and physical infrastructure. Logistics is one of the main advanced factors which FedEx developed for managing its complex hubs. Physical infrastructure that FedEx uses is not only airports but also roads and ports. Additional distinctive competencies that FedEx have, also arise from firm-specific tangible and intangible resources, namely, FedExs hubs and package handling systems; its package tracking and customer support function and its logistics support. Again, the main barrier to imitate these firm-specific resources is the high cost associated with acquiring them. FedExs package tracking ad customer support functions as well as their logistic support are examples of the firms distinctive competencies as well. The barriers to imitate FedExs package tracking and customer support functions are based on the fact that FedEx was the initiator in establishing the first tracking applications website and providing each customer with a unique barcode to individualize each shipment. That allowed FedEx to gain proficiency at these systems and knowledge about the functional operations. FedExs strengths in logistics, operations, and technological innovation allow them to pursue a differentiation business level strategy. FedEx works to stand apart from its competitors by creating a level of service that is difficult for competitors to match. FedEx has clearly been identified as an innovator, but what they need to get across to their customers is that they provide a high level of quality service. FedEx charges higher prices for its services than many of its competitors in the industry. This is considered a premium that a customer pays for the quality of service FedEx provides. By differentiating their standard of quality from their competitors, FedEx lets their customers know that if they are willing to pay more, it will be worth it. FedEx is able to meet the needs of all these segments. They have spent an extraordinary amount of capitol developing their infrastructure, just so they can make the best promises to their customers. FedEx transports more than 3 million items to over 200 countries each day. Within each business unit are specific functional units that perform particular functions. The main functional units are logistics and operations for its transportation system. These units assure the coordination and smooth flow of FedExs deliveries. The end result is a high level of quality service. Their service includes customer responsiveness and innovations such as; its aircraft fleet, its hubs and package handling systems, package tracking, customer support functions, and logistics support. Not only does this help FedEx follow through with their promises, but in some ways that are superior to that of the competition. FedEx has transformed itself into an e-business by integrating physical and virtual infrastructures across information systems, business processes, and organizational bounds. FedExs experience in building an e-business shows how a company can successfully apply its information technology expertise in order to pioneer customercentric innovations with sweeping structural and strategic impacts. It also shows the role of outsourcing, which frees companies to concentrate on their core business. The value chain for FedEx Express can be seen as starting with the pick-up of the packages. FedEx employees gather the packages from various locations such as drop boxes, businesses and residences. Value is created for the customers by making package pick-ups possible just about anywhere or anytime. FedEx has a money back guarantee for those people whose packages do not arrive on time, therefore creating value by assuring timely delivery of the packages. After the packages are initially picked up, they must then be transported to a hub. The hub is a central location where packages are sorted according to their destinations. The packages will likely pass through many hands before reaching their final destination. The packages stay at the hub until they are picked up and shipped either by truck or plane. FedEx Supply Chain Services which synchronize the movement of goods for enhanced customer satisfaction. With all of this evident it can be said that FedEx segments its markets according to the needs of the customers and not by demographic regions. While FedEx is a very large company that occupies a large portion of market share in the express delivery sector as well as the ground sector we have concluded that FedEx does not so much possess distinctive competencies, as it has strong existing competencies that allow it to compete competitively with industry leader UPS. These competencies include a very timely customer response time, cutting-edge technology and innovation. With the fact that FedEx does not have a competitive advantage, or distinctive competencies, yet is still the largest express package delivery service there are many directives that could be followed to attain both. This is obviously a long-term goal, however it can be seen that the undertakings have already begun. Its most recent endeavor, characterized as a diversification from its usual product offering of actual shipment of goods, is the newer service offering of consultation. Labeled FedEx Trade Networks, this newest division of the FedEx offerings showcas es the companys vast competence of international shipping knowledge to an array of customers. These customers are provided value creation with the knowledge that can greatly increase efficiencys through the supply chain. FedEx Trade Networks offers a full range of international support services, including customs clearance, freight forwarding, Trade Customs Advisory Services (TCAS) and trade technology solutions. Question Two: Branding and business structure up until 19 January 2000 Another note is the horizontal integration that has recently been carried out by FedEx. Horizontal integration is a way of trying to increase the profitability of a company by reducing costs, increasing the value of a product offering, managing industry rivalrys, or increasing the bargaining power of a company. These economic benefits are usually the rewards of company mergers and acquisitions in an industry. Horizontal integration is predominately characterized by similar companies merging together or acquisitions sought by the industry leaders. The account of mergers and acquisitions for North American-based logistics companies appears dissimilar. North American logistics services sources seem to look for acquisitions that increase their position in existing markets, for instance, increasing domestic service routes and toting up critical mass to grasp the benefits of economies of scale. Nonetheless, the comparative strength of European automotive, chemical or other industries including global production and supply chains in opposition to their US counterparts make the necessity to create client interaction in Europe a must-have for US logistics suppliers. Given the competitive strong suit of the local European logistics assistance providers, one of the little options to increase market entry or share of market in this global scenery is to vigorously design and track acquisition tactics. This can be done in integration with a concentration on particular niche actions, where scale economies are not as critical. It can also be achieved by means of services where special resources are desired, for instance, oversized equipment or hazardous merchandise transportation. Project logistics companies, for instance, highlight an exclusive business model with core competencies in global freight transportation-a specific engineering knowledge and can get into a largely blue-chip client base-that make them essential service providers for their customers. By 1994 less than 20% of FedExs revenues came from documents, formerly the primary driver of revenues. The air express industry was in a period of constant flux as firms tried to understand where the next big push was going to originate. Fortunately for Smith, he had already gambled on logistics, a move that would begin to pay off during the next and last cycle of the study. From 1993 to 1996 sales grew from $7.8 billion to $10.3 billion. Decision-making was decentralized due to the disperse nature of domestic and international operations. Structure was divisional, but changes were being planned to reconfigure the organization during the next cycle. The most important strategic moves during this cycle were in the area of information processing, particularly customer information and tracking. Just as operations were centralized in 1978 to facilitate growth, the move toward a web-based business began in earnest in 1996 as FedEx became the first company to allow firms to process shipments on the Internet. Also by this time, FedEx was considered a global transportation company, not an airline. In 1998 Caliber Systems, Inc. was acquired by FedEx, which included the trucking operation, RPS. Roberts Express and Viking Express helped round out the full offering of services by FedEx in its attempt to become a one-stop shopping experience for supply chain needs. The company now offered complete interstate trucking service, long and short-haul air express service, and integrated logistics and warehouse solutions. Sales grew from $13.25 billion in 1997 to $19.629 billion in 2001. High fuel costs hurt profits during 1999, but the growth in Internet Business to Business (B to B) was exploding. Sales were also negatively impacted by the lack of identity between divisions with their own name, such as RPS and Viking, and operating units of FedEx. A major reorganization announced in January of 2000 by Fred Smith was designed to correct this problem. The FedEx Corporation would re-name each of its subsidiary companies, with the exception of the less-than-truckload firm operating in the Western U. S. known as Viking, beginning with the brand identity of FedEx. The following changes were made: Â · FedEx Express formerly Federal Express; Â · FedEx Ground formerly RPS; Â · FedEx Custom Critical formerly Roberts Express; Â · FedEx Logistics formerly Caliber Logistics; Â · FedEx Trade Networks (Ng Farhoomand, 2002). Each subsidiary adopted a different color for its logo, but several strategic moves were made to ensure integration of operations and cooperation between companies. Consolidation was achieved in the sales force so that each division was being represented to each customer, accounting invoices were consolidated to reflect one invoice and one customer account number, and all customer service claims information was consolidated. Once again, Fred Smith centralized some aspects of his vast company to facilitate growth and to take advantage of new opportunities. Again the analyzer strategy was implemented, as it had been for most of FedExs history, to stimulate constant service improvement and growth. By 2001 FedEx had close to 200,000 employees scattered across the globe. A new corporate complex was nearing completion in southeast Memphis in the community of Southwind, home to the St. Jude/FedEx Classic golf tournament. And, the top ten ranking in Fortunes Most Admired Corporations in America confirms the entrepreneurial and strategic management ability of Fred Smith. From 1984 to 1989 the company maintained a divisional structure, but it was augmented by the use of matrix personnel in the areas of finance, human resources, and maintenance. Decisions involving strategy, technology, advertising, and budgeting were centralized, yet authority for operations was decentralized. This was imperative for customer service given the extensive international orientation of the company by the late 1980s. Also, in 1989 FedEx hired its first general manager in history, Robert May, to head a new operation known as Business Logistics Services (BLS). From 1984 to 1989 the company maintained a divisional structure, but it was augmented by the use of matrix personnel in the areas of finance, human resources, and maintenance. Decisions involving strategy, technology, advertising, and budgeting were centralized, yet authority for operations was decentralized. This was imperative for customer service given the extensive international orientation of the company by the la te 1980s. Also, in 1989 FedEx hired its first general manager in history, Robert May, to head a new operation known as Business Logistics Services (BLS). From 1984 to 1989 the company maintained a divisional structure, but it was augmented by the use of matrix personnel in the areas of finance, human resources, and maintenance. Decisions involving strategy, technology, advertising, and budgeting were centralized, yet authority for operations was decentralized. This was imperative for customer service given the extensive international orientation of the company by the late 1980s. Also, in 1989 FedEx hired its first general manager in history, Robert May, to head a new operation known as Business Logistics Services (BLS). Question Three: Events leading up to the January 2000 reorganisation By the year ending 1999, 31st of May, Fedex had out-performed analyst expections and increased earnings by 28% compared to the previous year. But the company had a downturn during August 31, 1999. Due to increase in fuel prices, FedExs financial status was severely affected. Because of this, FedEx had forecasted that they full fiscal year may decrease below analyst expectations. BY the end of November 1999, the operating income dropped down by 10% of the previous year and the net income by 6%. As the increase in fuel price increase, operating income continue to decline. Because of the forecasted loss in income, the company re-think of their business strategy. As internet was introduced to the company, they utilized it to help them with the operations. First, it opened opportunities in re-engineering the supply chain. Second, the express transportation made businesses, such as FedEx, attain opportunities. In January 2000, FedEx had three major strategies. First, extending the FedEx brand to four subsidiary companies. Second, major re-organizations making it one point of access to sales, customer services, billing, and automation systems. Third, introducing to the market the low-cost home delivery. After the re-organization, the FedEx was helped through, first, single branding system which helped them establish their unique competitive advantage. Second, single and expanded sales force which helped them expand their market reaching the small and medium-sized businesses. Third, a single invoice and single account number from FedEx. Forth, streamlined customer automation systems to handle electronic transaction. Fifth, lone customer service which can help the consumers for their inquiries. With the re-organizations that happened, I think that it will help the company build a name that stands for quality, reliable, and fast service. It will help FedEx be more competitive now that the competition is growing. The number marketing is word of mouth, if FedEx can establish their three competencies, then word of mouth will be easily spread throughout others. It can help increase their market share and income. FedEx has been considered a top performer and a leader in its field almost from its inception. It regularly is included in Fortunes 100 Best Companies To Work For (Levering Moskowitz, 1998), Americas Most Admired Companies (Boyle, 2002), and Fortune 500. Yet, what is most impressive about Fred Smiths leadership and vision for FedEx is even though the company invented the air express industry, it has not clung too tightly to that coattail. As new opportunities have arisen, Smith has not hesitated to position his company to take advantage of those opportunities. Examples include pushing for larger weight limits from Congress, expanding operations internationally, leading the way in information processing, tracking and Internet applications, making key acquisitions, and reconfiguring his business to fit a new systems model for supply chain management.

Berkeleys Idealism Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Berkeley's Idealism In this essay I shall give the historical background to Berkeley's Idealism and then offer an argument for Idealism and suggest how an idealist could defend his theory against common objections and criticisms. Bishop George Berkeley's Idealism or Immaterialism is the theory that the physical world exists only in the experiences minds have of it. Berkeley's Idealism restricts minds to God, human beings, animals and whatever other spirits there may commonly thought to be, and says that everything else — the intrinsically non-mental — exists only as features of the experience of these minds. Although this would initially seem to be a bizarre view, if we look at the science and philosophy of the seventeenth century, it arises quite naturally. The philosophy of the era derived from the 'new' science of the period. Isaac Newton was the prominent scientist of the age, and John Locke was the most notable philosopher in converting Newtonian science into a philosophy. However, the age produced many other scientists and philosophers who were responsible for forming and popularising these new ideas e.g. Galileo and Descartes. The main theory of the day, with regard to physical science, was Atomism. Atomists believed that bodies are made from minute particles. Further, they believed that the particles and the bodies made from them, possess primary and not secondary properties. The most important exception from this viewpoint was that of Descartes. Although he rejected atomism, he did agree that bodies only really possess primary qualities. Basically what this means is that bodies in themselves possess shape, size, motion and impenetrability but not colour, sound, taste, hardness or smell. This latter g... ...reference. It is logically impossible for anyone to check to see if the contrary is the case. So, although counter intuitive, Idealism is difficult to refute. Bibliography Audi, Robert (Ed). The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Cambridge University Press.(1995). pp. 72-74. Ibid. pp. 355-356. Ibid. pp. 437-440 Berkeley, George. Principles of Human Knowledge & Three Dialogues. Oxford World Classics.(1999). Britannica.com. Idealism. Mautner, Thomas (Ed).Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy, Penguin Reference.(1996). pp.66-67. Morton, Adam. Philosophy in Practice — An Introduction to the Main Questions. Blackwell.(1996). Chapter15 pp.426-429. Scruton, Roger. Modern Philosophy — An Introduction and Survey. Mandarin.(1994). Chapter 3. pp. 23-25. Warburton, Nigel. Philosophy — The Basics. Routledge.(1992). Chapter 4. pp. 103-107.

Total Effect of The Tragedy of Macbeth :: essays research papers

The Shadow   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Tragedy of Macbeth†, written by William Shakespeare, gives the reader an impact of the horror at the darkness in humans. In the story, the most dominant literary element is the theme. The theme brings out the impact of horror, while the other literary elements support it. One of the most evident quotes that made me think of the horror of darkness in humans was said by Macbeth, â€Å"Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This quote showed that Macbeth was heavily influenced by his ambitions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theme, being the most dominant literary element, shows how the darkness in people has been drawn out. Themes such as appearance versus reality, attempts to control the future, human responses to supernatural powers and loyalty show how we can be easily taken over by the evil in us. After the death of King Duncan, Macbeth tries to convince himself that he did the right thing. He murdered his king in cold blood and regained his consciousness for a brief moment. â€Å"Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?† this quote, also spoken by Macbeth, gives the reader a sense that he regained his ego and was exposed with extreme guilt. It also gives a sense that he was possessed by a demon. This can be backed up by the theme of human responses to supernatural powers. Although the witches contribute greatly here, I would want to talk about hallucinations first. (In psychology, hallucinations are a form of supernatural powers.) The soliloquy in Act II Scene I show Macbeth hallucinating of an imaginary, bloody dagger. â€Å"Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle towards my hand?† This was his illusion of what was upcoming, the murdering of King Duncan. This illusion gives the reader a sense that he is possessed by his alter-ego that he is going to kill the king. The witches foretold the future, and that their prophecies of Macbeth let his own â€Å"shadow† take over himself. Being that Macbeth went crazy from murdering his king, he also became aware that this murdering might also happen to him. This he decided to try and control his future – well, at least in several attempts, but always ended up half done. â€Å"To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this quote shows that Macbeth is in fear, and he tries to overcome this fear by eliminating anyone that was a threat to him.

Panama Presentation :: essays research papers

  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‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joshua Myers   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‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  HUM 215   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‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spring 2005   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‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bakhtiarova Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Country: Panama Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capital City: Panama City Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Geographic Location (region): Central America Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coordinates: 9 00 N 80 00 W Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Boarders with Costa Rica to the West and Columbia to the East. Panama also borders with the Pacific Ocean to the South and Caribbean Sea to the North. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Population: 3,039,150 (July 2005 est.) Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethnic make-up: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) - 70%; Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) - 14%; white - 10%; Amerindian 6% Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Education rate: Over one million people (37%) live below the poverty line; over half a million (12.3%) live in extreme poverty. The difference between rich and poor in Panama is one of the highest in the world. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Major History Events XV – XX centuries: o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The earliest known inhabitants of Panama were the Cuevas and the Coclà © cultures, but their numbers were decimated by disease and the sword when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. After several forays along the country's Caribbean shore, the Spanish established a settlement, Nombre de Dios, at the mouth of the Rà ­o Chagres on the Caribbean coast in 1510. Panama's Pacific coast later became the springboard for invasions of Peru, and the wealth generated by these incursions was carried overland from the Pacific port of Panama (City) to Nombre de Dios. The transport of wealth attracted pirates, and by the 18th century the Caribbean was so dangerous that Spanish ships began bypassing Panama and sailing directly from Peru around Cape Horn to reach Europe. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Panama went into decline, and became a province of Colombia when the South American nation received its independence in 1821. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A French attempt to build a canal in 1880 resulted in the death of 22,000 workers from malaria and yellow fever and bankruptcy for everyone involved. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Panama declared independent Nov. 3, 1903, with the full support of the USA. Columbia never agreed to their independence until 1921 when the USA finally paid Columbia $25,000,000.00 in compensation. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  USA began to build the canal again in 1904; in 1914 the first ship saled through the canal. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Major problems or conflicts that the country faced in the last 50 years: o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The only big problem was with the USA. The two countries argued over the canal contract until a new treaty was signed in 1977.

The Last Holy Book

Quran is the last Holy book of Allah revealed upon His last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Surah Al-Fatiha means â€Å"The Opening† as it is the first chapter of Holy Quran. It contains seven verses which are a prayer for the guidance, lordship and mercy of Allah. The meaning of the entire Quran is summarized in this Surah. It has its different names indicating it as a special blessing of Allah. Surah Al-Fatiha is one those chapters of Quran which holds great importance as Allah (SWT) said in the words given below:†And, Indeed, We have bestowed upon thee seven of the often repeated (verses), and this sublime Quran.†Surah Al-Fatiha is very important as one has to start with it when he begins his prayer. Reciting Surah Al-Fatiha five times a day shows the nature of its greatness as a chapter as well as a Dua so that we can be benefitted. In any situation a person may be, be it a difficulty, an illness or a state of suffering or any other problems a person may face in his life Surah al-Fatiha is the cure of all the sufferings. This Surah is a prayer to your Lord for seeking guidance and mercy so that He showers His blessings upon us.Virtues of Surah Al-FatihaThere are many virtues of Surah Al-Fatiha. Starting with the first virtue, it is the greatest chapter in the Quran. It mainly covers the topics discussed in Quran. Another virtue is that as it is recited five times a day during prayers so it is a pillar of prayer. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:†Whoever does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid.†This Surah is contains the cure for the diseases as a companion once recited Surah Al-Fatiha to a person who got bit by a Scorpio and he was cured. It is not just a cure for diseases but it is also a cure for the heart from the evil. It is a light to direct us towards the righteous path. As it has so many virtues it is known as the Mother of Quran.b)Tafseer of Surah Al-Fatiha1. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, and the Most Merciful†In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, and the Most Merciful† is the first ayah of this Surah. This is also known as Bismillah which is good to recite before doing anything so that we are showered with the blessings of Allah Almighty.The letter BaaThe letter Baa can have three different meanings. First is with/ in the name of Allah. The second is seeking help of the name of Allah and the last seeking blessings with the name of Allah.Al-Rehman and Al-Raheem Al-Rehman and Al-Raheem are the names of Allah which mean mercy. They are derived from the words raa, haa, meem and their meaning is mercy. Whether someone is a Muslim or a non-Muslim, good or bad he is always bestowed with Allah's mercy. Not only humans but animals and every creature in this universe have His mercy. â€Å"My mercy encompasses all.†The difference between both of them is that Al-Rehman shows the vastness of mercy of Allah and Al-Rehman refers to the Allah's (SWT) mercy which is specific for the believers. 2. All praise to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds All praise to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds is the second ayah.Many scholars consider that there is not any difference between hamd and shukar. Hamd means praise which is done in love for someone but shukr is different. Shukr is thanking someone in return of something. The meaning of Rabb The word Rabb usually refers to Lord but it also means sustainer, master, nourisher and cherisher. Rabb usually shows the mastery and someone who has control over everything. The meaning of Aalameen The Arabic word Aalameen comes from the root word ‘Ayn-Lam-mim' which means to know, be aware, knowledge, science or by means of which something can be known. It comes from the word Alam and carries the significance of the meaning world or universe. 3.The Beneficent, the Most MercifulThis is the third ayah of Surah Al-Fatiha. The meaning of these words are already given before but the reason to repeat it again is that Allah (SWT) is giving emphasis on the fact that He is the only Lord who is forgiving and merciful. 4. The Only Owner of the Day of the RecompenseThe fourth ayah is: â€Å"The Only Owner of the Day of the Recompense†. God is the Lord of the Day when all generations of mankind gather together on order to render an account of their conduct, and when each person will be finally rewarded or punished for his deeds. The description of God as Lord of the Day of Judgment following the mention of his benevolence and compassion indicates that we ought to remember another aspect of God as well-namely, that He will judge us all, that He is so absolutely powerful, that on the Day of Judgment no one will have the power either to resist the enforcement of punishments that He decrees or to prevent anyone from receiving the rewards that He decides to confer. Hence, we ought not only to love Him for nourishing and sustaining us and for His compassion and mercy towards us, but should also hold Him in awe because of His justice, and should not forget that our ultimate happiness or misery rests completely with Him. 5. You (alone) we worship and you (alone) we ask for help The fifth ayah is: You (alone) we worship and you (alone) we ask for help. In this ayah it is being addressed that we worship Allah. The concept of worship is often misunderstood by people that it is only about prayers, fasting, and charity etc. Basically worship is everything one says or does for the pleasure of Allah. In other words worship is to obey. The ayah affirms the Lordship of Allah and affirms that worship is due to Him.6. Guide us on the straight pathThe sixth ayah is: Guide us on the straight path. This ayah is a Dua which make to Allah asking Him to guide us on the straight path. We humans get so much involved in the daily affairs of our life and living with different people who may get us involved in bad deeds. Thus we ask for guidance from Allah so that He helps us stay away from the bad deeds and we follow the right path, the one He wants us to follow which is Siraat-e-Mustaqeem. Siraat means path which should reach its goal and should be the shortest route to get there. Mustaqeem means straight, correct etc. thus Siraat-e-Mustaqeem is the straight path or in other words the right path. 7. The path of those you have blessed, not of those with anger on them, nor of those who are astrayAllah (SWT) has explained the above ayah in another ayah:†Whosoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those whom Allah has favored, and the Prophets, the sincere, the martyrs and the righteous, and these are the best company. † The people who have who have anger on them and who are astray are like Jews and Christians and are not favored and blessed by Allah the way the righteous people are. c)Impact of Surah Al-Fatiha on the life of a Muslim as servant of AllahSurah A-Fatiha has a great impact on the hearts of a Muslim as we recite it five times a day in our Namaz or Salah. And to start our Duas we need to recite it first. This is because of the nature of its greatness as a Dua and as a chapter of Holy Quran. Whenever a person is suffering from any difficulty or problem he needs to recite Surah Al-Fatiha. This Surah contains guidance and cure. Whoever reads Surah Al-Fatiha with belief he will definitely find guidance. Surah al-Fatiha is a cure for physical and also spiritual ailments. Without this Surah, even the daily prayers are incomplete. It is indeed a great treasure that has been given to us by Allah (SWT) through the Holy Prophet (PBUH). As a servant of Allah this Surah guides us towards the right path and good deeds. It creates a sense of gratitude among us as we realize that the hardships were actually the tests which were supposed to bring us closer to Allah (SWT). This makes us praise and thank Allah for all his blessings. This Surah makes us realize that as a servant we have to worship Allah only and ask Him for help so that he guides us on the right path and we are blessed by Him on the Day of Judgment.

Marketing research 3

MR. Walton started Wal-Mart in 1962. The company started as a cheap price alternative store because Mr. Walton adopted the price-cutting or cost cutting by keeping costs down. It was a man who liked to minimize costs. He liked local investments and this was done by giving most of his staff stock options and he encouraged them to invest in the company. Walmart grew technologically ahead of its competitors because they were in fact one of the first stores to use computer to keep track of their products and stocks. They also used computer to link stores, warehouses and this is done up to date. In fact, Walmart has a variety of stores, warehouses that have standard merchandise that is sold at lower prices with lower margin and higher volumes. This includes discount retailing in most of their stores which is mostly used in specially stores like their discounting goods stores. Wal-Mart has placed its stores around major cities and managed its marketing channels well. They have used strategic planning and advanced information system to link their departmental stores and warehouses around major towns and this is boosted by the use of sophisticated marketing tools. Walmart majorly is a low price strategy firm and it has priced its products lower that most of its competitors but however, a research done in 2004 indicated that most people in the US were alarmed by an article that articulated the high cost of low price. This led to negative publicity of Walmart as most of its customers began to be cautious about its low prices but on the other end, Walmart is actually trying to reach to the tougher market of lower income earners. It also uses strategies of efficiency due to good distribution network. The Walmart stores feature a broad line but have low value added and focus on keeping prices low and are perceived to be having a good deal especially to low income earners and they depend majorly on in purchase of goods in large volumes. To attract customers Walmart use various promotional tools to generate traffic and purchases. Most of us have seen adverts both on TV and online placed by Walmart, they run special sales and issue coupons. Most of the frequent shoppers at Walmart are also rewarded to encourage frequent purchases. Walmart also runs special page adverts and magazines to remind customers on their existence. They are also careful to choose locations because customers who like money saving deals will look for stores that are nearest. They plan carefully before choosing on the sites to open outlets. Walmart also has gone a step further to provide one stop shopping where they combine grocery items with huge selection of non-food merchandise. When we compare it with Nordshoms that was started in 1901 as a shoe store by John v. Nordshoms. In Washington, the latter is a rather different type of store as it is a departmental store where we have several products lines i.e. in the case of Walmart we have clothing products, shoes, handbags, gift hampers and in which case each product line is separated and operated as a separate department and managed by specialized buyers or merchandisers. Nordshoms unlike Walmart has its goods priced highly but they insist on quality, value, trust and selection unlike Walmart that depend on volume purchase and search for good deals. It also uses the product expansion strategy because it started as a shoe company but later it has expanded to include clothes and other products managed separately like cars and car parts accessories for women. It has also differentiated its products into segments as we have children clothes, women and men. This is a part of individual marketing where they do not look at customers as a group but deal with them individually. They hold customers by offering convenient locations, special or unique assortment of goods, great services, better quality goods and better services than competitors. They also have included other brands i.e. they purchased best apparels a clothes company and ventured to clothes market. Because most customers complain that their prices are high, they have embarked on serious expansion and have opened many stores in major cities. This is to areas where incomes are high. Nordshoms use direct mails as promotion tools and telemarketing where they use telephone calls to attract new customers. They also contact existing customers to ascertain satisfaction levels. They also run adverts on the levels where clients can log on to and ‘try clothes online’. Apart from visiting the stores clients also would like to see how the clothes look like, online marketing is also very important. They also adopt catalogue marketing where they mail one or more product catalogues to selected addresses to lure more customers, all this will stimulate quicker or greater purchase of particular products. They have adopted psychological prices where they use price as an indicator of quality. High priced goods are preferred to have high quality especially where alternative information about true quality is not available. REFERENCES Armstrong G. & Kotler P. (2007). Consumer Markets: Influences on consumer behavior, Principles of Marketing. Kotler, P. (2005) Principles of Marketing. New York.Melbourne Press Schaik J.L., (2002); The Task of Marketing Management; J.L. van Schaik (Pity) ltd Winer, R.S. (2007). Marketing Management, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Â  

Nba Lockout

EPPENGER, JALIL MS. HARRIS ENGLISH 10/3/11 #1. ( why the NBA Lockout hasn’t been a success? ) NBA LOCKOUT I feel the NBA Lockout has been one of the worst, incidents to ever happen, in the history of the NBA. It hasn’t made fans happy and the players in the league have been upset too. I’ve noticed that NBA players have tried to overcome this situation by having different leagues, not associated with the NBA to play in. This has shown there passion and love of the game.The NBA lockout has motivated some players and humbled a lot of them. I noticed that a lot of players have kept working hard and are staying on top of their game throughout this puzzling time. I feel the NBA lockout polarized the summer for NBA basketball. There was nothing to look forward to besides European basketball in the summer. The NFL was able to overcome its problems with contracts and business deals and end their lockout before the season started.I don’t understand why the NBA canâ €™t figure their problem out. The NBA doesn’t have nearly the fan base of the NFL. The severe shortage of the season will really hurt the NBA, much more than the NFL. The last NBA lockout was in 1998-99 season. The year Michael Jordan retired for the second time in his career. It was a horrible time also for the NBA much like this one. This also tarnished the sport of basketball. I wouldn’t be surprised if some NBA players left the NBA to play overseas.The game overseas is more orchestrated, hard-nosed, and skill orientated from what I’ve seen. The NBA is more about star-power and athleticism. I feel a lot of role players in the NBA would flourish more overseas, because they can be given the opportunity to showcase their skills, and gain some recognition for themselves. Overall, I feel the NBA and their players’ association will bargain together to make a productive agreement to resolve this problem just like the NFL did. it will just take longer and be more time consuming.

Gamestop Analysis

There are a lot of companies worth investing in around the country and the world. An investor cannot simply put his money into a company without doing some research beforehand. Using ratios, balance sheets, income sheets, and other financial information, a potential investor has a lot of resources to use to ensure a good investment is made. Considering the financials of each company can be reviewed from year to year, a potential investor is able to research trends from year to year of whatever company they might want to invest in.Based on my general knowledge of the gaming industry, I would consider investing in GameStop because gaming seems to be a booming industry. With all of the commercials on television for new releases, new consoles being developed every couple of years, and even competition gaming it seems that this industry is going to continue to climb. Since GameStop specializes in this industry and no other, I would consider it a safe investment even without doing any rese arch on the company. GameStop is a small retailer that specializes in video game hardware and software.The company also runs Kongregate, which is an online browser based game website allowing players to play smaller games. Kongregate makes its money using micro transactions, which are smaller transactions within the games. GameStop sells new and used hardware and software games on console, and also sells new computer based games as well. GameStop has over 6,500 actual locations spread throughout multiple countries along with a website through which more business is conducted. It is a leader in the gaming industry and is ranked 262 on the Fortune 500 list.Its main competitors are retail giants such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy who sell the same blockbuster titles as well. A horizontal analysis of the company shows the following for three years ending January 2011. GameStop Income Statement Year Ending200920102011 Sales100%100%100% Cost of Sales74. 2%73. 2%73. 2% Gross Profit25. 8%26. 8%2 6. 8% Operating Expenses7. 7%7. 4%7. 4% Income before tax7. 2%6. 5%6. 6% Income taxes2. 7%2. 4%2. 3% Net income4. 5%4. 1%4. 3% The horizontal analysis is important when researching any company because it compares the company’s numbers side by side for two or more financial periods.Basically, you can look over multiple years once the analysis is put together and see where the company has improved and declined, and whether or not the profits have gone up or down from year to year. In the example of GameStop, we can see that gross profit increased slightly from 2009 into 2010 and stayed at the same number going into 2011. The horizontal analysis is the quickest way to look at the trends from year to year when you want to see a high level overview of a company, and deciding whether it warrants more research or not.Over the past few years GameStop has shown a small drop in their net income, which would indicate the trouble the economy has been having over those years. The cost of goods did decrease while gross profits increased each year, which means they were able to acquire goods for less and sell for more. This shows that their pre-owned game sales likely increased due to the economy. Operating costs did drop slightly going into 2010 and maintained the same cost going into 2011, which means they did not put much more into their operations, but it also means they were probably unable to find a way to cut costs.This can be difficult if they rent because some places have a fixed amount of rent while others may rise and lower depending on realty in the various areas. The current ratio for GameStop year ending 2010 was 1. 28 whereas the year ending 2011 dropped to 1. 23. This seems to indicate that that the company’s ability to pay all of its short term liabilities fell slightly. This could indicate a drop in assets or even that the company reinvested in expanding its operations.Because the ratio dropped over the course of the two years does not necessa rily mean that the company is not still in good standing, there are many things that could affect the ratio. From the balance sheets, it looks like the assets did not increase as much as the current liabilities, meaning operations could have been expanded while sales fell, or even that business slowed down and operational expenses could have increased. Overall, GameStop’s assets did increase from 2010 into 2011 while the liabilities decreased slightly. The quick ratio showed a slight decrease from 0. 5 in 2010 to 0. 51 in 2011. This appears to be mainly caused by a rise in inventory that was not able to be sold by the end of the year. At the year end of 2010 the company’s inventory was marked at 1,052. 6 million dollars, and at year end in 2011 it was marked at 1,257. 5 million dollars. Sales of new hardware fell from 2010 into 2011 because no new systems were released. The sales declined from 2009 into 2011 by 140. 2 million dollars, which would account for the compan y’s quick ratio declining between the two years. GameStop’s gross profit for new hardware actually increased by 7. % going into 2011 which would indicate that there were drops in the cost of the new hardware. There was actually an increase in the fiscal year of 2011 of 4. 4%, which would indicate that even with the lower numbers the company actually did better for the previous year. The cash to current liabilities ratio also dropped slightly from 0. 55 in 2010 to 0. 41 in 2011, which simply indicates a small drop in liquid assets that GameStop has available. After looking at the balance sheet between 2010 and 2011, the company had a significantly smaller amount of cash on hand which can explain the drop.This does not mean that GameStop is doing any worse as there are several explanations for this. If a company has too much cash on hand, it can mean that they are not expanding their business or trying to reinvest in the company to try to earn more revenue. Most companie s will not keep a lot of cash on hand, so the cash to current liabilities ratio should not be given too much weight when considering an investment. After looking through the company’s financials, it seems that all of the numbers here are essentially straight forward. I do not see anything outside of normal reporting and a typical year that would cause the numbers o be either inflated or deflated within the year end reports. The company’s assets barely rose between 2010 and 2011 and there was almost an equal fall on the liabilities which helped keep the company somewhat balanced. Based on the most recent numbers, it seems that GameStop had less assets on hand that could be considered liquid. This is likely due to the increased inventory on hand that was not sold during the fiscal year. Even though the company technically had more assets, less of it was considered liquid because it was in inventory, less current assets, a drop in intangible assets, and a rise in current liabilities.GameStop went from 1,655. 7 million in 2010 up to 1,747. 8 million in 2011. The factor that made up the bulk of this difference was accounts payable, which indicates that there were probably loans taken out to cover the expansion of the company. Since the only real direct competitors of GameStop are giant retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, they probably have more liquid assets available. GameStop does not have much in the way of liquid assets because they are still working on expanding even more. Between 2010 and 2011, total store numbers increased from 6,450 to 6,670.This is why cash and liquid assets are lower in 2011, because the company has been expanding and working on building more revenue up. It seems that GameStop is continuing to reinvest in itself by expanding and making the company available to more consumers. I think that GameStop would be a good company to invest in, and I would personally make some sort of investment if I had the resources to do so. From what I can gather by looking at the balance sheet, sales have steadily increased over the past few years and the company has been expanding.Since GameStop is working toward expanding and improving its business, it is a safe assumption that revenue should increase in the future, especially when new consoles are eventually introduced into the market from Microsoft and Sony. The only risk that I see with GameStop is that their liquid assets seem to be decreasing from year to year, at least in the past few years. This is probably mostly due to an increase in buildings, property, fixtures, and the hiring of new employees to work in the new locations.If they keep expanding and the profit margin keeps shrinking it will come to the point where the company starts losing money. I would really suggest waiting at least a quarter to see if trends improve and advising to invest if the profit did increase over that quarter. Doing the research on a company you are considering investing in is compl etely worth the time required to do a thorough analysis of the company. Once the research has been completed, you will be able to make a fair analysis of the company simply utilizing information available provided by whatever company you are investigating.By running a horizontal and ratio comparison, a company’s financial portfolio becomes almost transparent and trends, profits, losses, and expansion can all be seen at the top level view. References: GameStop. (2011) About GameStop. In News from GameStop. Retrieved November 1, 2012, from http://news. gamestop. com/about_us Gamestop. (2011) Annual Reports. In GameStop Corporate Information. Retrieved November 1, 2012, from http://phx. corporate-ir. net/phoenix. zhtml? c=130125&p=irol-reportsannual Walther. (2012). Principles of Accounting: Volume IÂ  (1st ed. ). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc