Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 24

Management - Essay Example Such demonstration has been in expression as a shift from transactional to strategic leadership. Good leaders have a vision. This is an aspiration as visualized in the leader’s overall plans seeking to create measurable changes in the organization. As revealed by Price (2008), leaders who have a vision are demonstrated to be more successful at guiding their followers to achieving their goals with an example of Richard Branson at the helm of Virgin Airlines, and the late Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. The ability is hinged upon the leader’s ability to constantly compare the group’s development and his vision. This activity reduces deviation from success and diminishes the chances of failure. Primarily, they care for other people’s wellbeing, appreciating that anything done by his followers’ leaves a facelift mark. Therefore, his role is to dig out the best of the ability from the followers, ensuring that each member is successful. He does not have even an ounce of jealously from the success of his counterparts, but goes a step further to support them . Good leaders are also passionate. This means they are driven to do whatever they are engaged in and achieve the highest levels of success. A passionate leader concentrates most of his energies and attention to all the processes that will guarantee the organization, or group to achieves its set objectives. With such leaders, the chances of success for a set project are elevated since they also identify points of redundancy and deviation and root them out. In addition, such leaders are able to ensure sustained positive results once success is achieved. A good example of a passionate leader whose concentrated energy has led to achievement of success is Microsoft founder and head, Bill Gates. Furthermore, they are great team builders. This trait is essential in managing the union of talent, objectives, and resources –which is essentially, what leaders oversee. The ability to oversee a group of people,

Americas Vision Essay Example for Free

Americas Vision Essay Fame, wealth, freedom, and success. Every person desires a life where riches, glory, or freedom surround them. Numerous people consider this dream the American dream, however, is it truly possible to achieve? Even those various immigrants who travel a great distance to come to America to live their own American dream shortly become intemperate people. The idea of the American dream is not attainable because people in general are exceedingly paradoxical and are constantly left yearning for more in a variety of ways. In the heartfelt story America and Americans, Is the American Dream Even Possible, by John Steinbeck, he wrote, One of the generalities often noted about the Americans is that we are restless, a dissatisfied, a searching people (Steinbeck 1). I feel that Steinbeck conveys a great deal of truth about Americans and how we live our lives. We all aspire to have something and once we acquire it we become discontent and strive to have more. For instance, a man works his whole life to become someone or something he truly is not and once he gets there he realizes that he wants more and longs to become more. In truth we all do what we want to and are searching for the greatest, but nothing ever seems to be good enough in our dissatisfied lives. Immigrants from all over the world arrive in America to pursue their own American dream. Whether they come for religious freedom, education, or just to obtain better lives, they quickly strive for more and more even though they have accomplished their intended goals. After residing in America for years they overlook the ways of their homeland customs and become drawn to the lives of Americans even when it is in opposition to their original traditions. In numerous ways they somewhat become brainwashed by Americans who live their lives not in reality but in idealism, and they attempt to live their life like them as well. However, once they return to their homelands after believing they have obtained their goals, they cannot figure out why their families and friends no longer wish to speak to them. They have altered and become intemperate people resembling us Americans and have brought back terrible habits and ways to their homelands that their people have despised in their customs for several years. Americans are truly paradoxical people who say one thing and do another. We  are constantly contradicting ourselves and others and cannot comprehend why we are so unhappy. We make every effort to achieve happiness but nothing ever seems to be good enough. John Steinbeck expresses that our priorities are extremely wrong in this quote, Americans are remarkably kind and hospitable and open with both guests and strangers; yet they will make a wide circle around the man dying on the pavement. Fortunes are spent getting cats out of trees and dogs out of sewer pipes; but a girl screaming for help in the street draws only slammed doors, closed widows, and silence (Steinbeck 1). Steinbeck puts across a serious point and I boldly agree that we Americans have our priorities twisted around. Ultimately, Americans have a large number of adjustments they will have to carry out before they will ever be able to achieve their American dream and be content. We are so full of dissatisfaction and failure to stick with our goals. We tread on friends and family who get in the way of our so called American dream, and after we believe we have attained it we are not sure as to why we are so miserable. If Americans can take that further step to transform, the American dream may become possible. However, until then the American dream will merely be an idea, not a possibility. Works Cited: 1. Steinbeck, John. America and Americans, Is the American dream even possible.

Ashcan School :: essays research papers

ASHCAN SCHOOL The Ashcan School was a movement which was integral and in a way 1 inevitable with the infancy of the twentieth century. This movement in art was brought about by a handful of artists who converged on New York City around the turn of the century.2 The major Ashcan artists who will be discussed later are Robert Henry ( 1865- 1929), George Luks (1866- 1933), Everett Shinn (1876- 1953), George Bellows (1882- 1925), John Sloan (1871- 1951), and William Glackens ( 1870- 1938).3 These were the major members of the Ashcan School. This is a group of artists who are credited with documenting the ordinary life on a human level in New York City during this incredible time of transformation. Because of these artists we have a picture of New York not based on the monuments or buildings but based on the interaction and the coexistence of the people who shaped the society which was emerging. The island of Manhattan was consolidated into the greater New York City in 1898. Because of this the city was transformed from a nineteenth century seaport with cobblestone streets into a twentieth century metropolis of skyscrapers and subways. The artists of the Ashcan movement saw this changing society in human terms. They saw this in a light which depicted the interaction of so many different cultures which were being thrust together. They documented these changes on a level which the ordinary person could understand. Because of the Ashcan School we have a picture of society which one really cannot understand amidst the overpowering spectacle of overpowering buildings and increasing technology.4 To understand the Ashcan movement it is necessary to look more closely at some of the major artists who were involved. George Bellows moved to New York in 1904 after he dropped out of Ohio State University following his junior year. Once in New York he enrolled in classes at The New York School of Art. He quickly became Robert Henri's star pupil and valued friend. Bellows was fascinated by New York City. He attempted to capture in his art the social change which he noticed in the city. By the time he was twenty four his art had the attention of the cities leading critics, and his work was shown regularly at exhibitions at the national academy of design. Bellows became the youngest artist ever to elected an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1909.

Edgar Allen Poe for Biography :: essays research papers fc

Edgar Allen Poe for Biography   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allen Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. Around this time was the Louisiana Purchase and the ending of importation of slaves. His parents were traveling actors but at a very early age his father deserted his family and his mother died in 1811. So Poe became a ward of John Allen who was a wealthy Richmond merchant. The Allan family lived in the United Kingdom from 1815 to 1820 before returning to Richmond. Poe and Allen’s relationship suffered tremendously making Poe having to make some hard decisions for his future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After they returned to Richmond, Poe attended the University of Virginia in 1926. Soon after he acquired gambling debts that John Allen refused to pay leading Poe to withdraw from the University. When in 1927 he was enlisted into the Military his first book was published. The title was â€Å"Tamerlane and Other Poems†. Poe published his second volume of poems, both collections show influence from Lord Byron. In 1830, Poe entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he excelled in the study of languages. He received help from American novelist John P. Kennedy in winning an editorial post with the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond. For the Messenger, Poe contributed reviews, original or revised poems and stories, and two installments of The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. Poe worked as an editor and contributor to magazines in several cities, including Richmond, Virginia; New York City; and Philadelphia. He unsuccessfully tried to fo und and edit his own magazine, which would have granted him financial security and artistic control in what he considered a hostile literary marketplace. But Poe's later rediscovery by the French poets Charles Baudelaire, Stephane Mallarme, and Paul Valery helped restore his reputation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Poe married in his thirteen year old cousin in 1936, Virginia Clemm. When Virginia died in 1947, Poe then sank into poor health and his literary productivity declined. In 1849, Poe became engaged to marry the widowed Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton, his boyhood sweetheart.

Research Paper on Juvenile Court Essay

Age is Just a Number, Right? In the year 1993, a 2-year-old boy, named Jamie Bulger was taken by two 10-year old boys and was injured and murdered. The two boys rested his body on a railroad track with the intention of blaming the train, which would cover up what they had done (Wilde 1). Cameron Kocher a 9 year old from upstate Pennsylvania shot a rifle out of the window of his room and killed his 7-year-old neighbor, who was riding on a snowmobile (Schwartz 1). Shocking isn’t it? Who would believe children at such a young age could commit such crimes. The real question is what happened to these cases? Do both children get the death penalty? And if not, what punishment do they receive? Should juveniles get trialed as adults? That question has haunted many for decades now. But before we make any irrational decisions, let’s get to the facts. What exactly is a juvenile delinquent? Well it’s a child who commits acts that would be considered crimes if done by an adult. A child is considered a juv enile delinquent until they reach the of 18, 17 some states 16 (Britannica 1). Juvenile delinquency can include crimes like disorderly conduct, minor theft, rape and vandalism (Britannica 1). Juveniles are usually tried in Juvenile Courts or also known as Family courts. The purpose of juvenile courts is to rehabilitate a delinquent and prevent from repeating behavior, instead of sentencing them to jail. â€Å"The systems rooted in the belief† that children have not matured entirely to be aware of their mistakes/actions ( Leora). However juvenile courts didn’t always exist. It wasn’t until in Chicago 1899 the juvenile court of law was started. Before this new system, children would be trialed as adults (Britannica 1). One of the very first juvenile cases was in 1786 in colonial times. Children under the age of seven could not be held guilty for a serious crime. From the ages 8-14 it was said that their legal status was â€Å"ambiguous†. If you were over the age of 14 you would be trialed as an adult (Jeffrey 16 & 17). The need for a juvenile system wasn’t looked upon because before â€Å"the behavior of children was the primary responsib ility of the parents, particularly the father.† The community frowned upon those who could not control their children. When juveniles would go to a judge, the judge would just send them to jail for a short while, most of them would return. The idea or system of trialing a juvenile different from an adult didn’t come until the 1900’s (Jeffery 17). As the system was created they needed to make some regulations or rules for certain occasions. Offenders who were charged with a particular serious crime will go straight to a fitness hearing instead of having a juvenile court jurisdiction. A fitness hearing decides weather they should be trialed as an adult or juvenile. When making the decision they look at â€Å" the minors degrees of criminal sophistication†, if they can be rehabilitated and the juveniles previous cases (Leora 6). Other situations a juvenile may be trialed in an adult are when â€Å"state laws mandate such processing for certain offenses with a set age and rage [statutory exclusion] ; prosecutors decide on a criminal proceeding with limitations based on offense and age [prosecutorial discretion] and the juvenile court judge decides to waive the case within limits based on offenses and age [judicial waver] (Britannica 3). A big problem was the punishm ent. What would be an effective way? Courts wanted to avoid the death penalty and jail time. In the 1890’s a juvenile could be sentenced to a death penalty. It wasn’t until 2005 when in the U. S. Supreme Court decided to raise the age for the death penalty to 18 in the Roper v. Simmons case (Britannica 3). In Georgia the death penalty age is 17 (Jeffery 17). Another regulation that was placed, that the court cannot make a jurisdiction that passes the age of 21. No matter what the offense is, juveniles are to be released at 21. However if the juvenile is trialed in an adult court, than this condition wont apply (Britannica 4). So what is an effective way to help these juveniles? Family courts created all kinds of programs and activities. Such as, education based programs: that help educate children about the affect of drugs, gangs, sex and weapons (â€Å"Juvenile† 3). This program helps parents in monitoring and responding to a child’s behavior (Britannica 1). There are correctional programs known commonly as training schools. Also there are presentational programs. An example of one of these programs is Nebraska Correctional youth facility. They have juvenile delinquents that have been trialed in an adult court. The age ranges from 15 to 21. They teach the youth how to change their criminal behavior (â€Å"juvenile 4†). Other solutions for juvenile delinquency are recreational programs. They’re effective because they fill unsupervised hours after school. It has been reported that youths are most likely commit a crime from 2pm to 8pm. Recreational programs allow youths to become  friends with adults and children that are good influences (â€Å"Juvenile† 3). However there are many ineffective programs. Back in the 1990’s communities where scared for juvenile delinquency to increase so they came to conclusion that the harsher programs were, the better. They had slogans such as â€Å"get tough on crime† and â€Å"adult time for adult crime†. They created programs such as â€Å"The Juvenile Boot- camp (â€Å"juvenile† 5 & 6). Many people believe that the court it just to easy on their verdicts. So who exactly are these juvenile delinquents? What could cause a child to be so violent? Researchers found similar characteristics that are found in most juveniles. They display impulsive behaviors and difficulty showing gratification. Also more likely to perform poorly in school or droop out all together. Especially in those whose parents do not supervise or enforce any discipline or do not communicate. Also parents of juveniles are likely to have committed a crime them selves (Britannica 1 & 2). The majority of the cases involve males. Female delinquency began to increase in the 1980’s in the United States (Britannica 1). Most researchers who study juveniles believe that there is no single cause. Some study biological factors. Others study how some people learn certain behaviors through social experiences. Sociologist explain that many go into criminal behavior as an adaption to a social environment in which they can’t attain their social goals (Britannica 1). Now that you know the facts and some more information†¦what do you think? Should juveniles be trialed as adults? Well I believe that yes they should be. That if they are committing an adult action they should pay for it like an adult. Many argue that children aren’t aware of what they’re doing. Honestly we sometimes underestimate children and don’t really look at what they are capable of. For example, Nathaniel Brazill, â€Å"a 14 year old boy convicted for the murder of his middle school teacher†¦ Brazill shot his teacher Barrry Gunrow in the head on the final day of classes† (â€Å"Teen†). Who would think that a young boy would do this? Nobody I’m guessing, th is is clear evidence that we need to pay a closer attention to children and not judge them on their age. Another example is, four teenagers, Humberto Guzman, Hassan Mayfield, Denzell Fell and Andrew Johnson, ages 13 and 15. They are â€Å"accused of a killing a student, Broderick J. Henman by chasing him into a car path way during a robbery attempt†. A witness describes that Broderick was running way from the robbers. That they held him and punched him on the side of his head. He  also said that they boys had laughed as the car stuck Broderick (Hartocollis 1 &2). This case strongly shows that these children know exactly what they are doing and have the same intentions as adults. So they shouldn’t have special treatment, when they act so brutal and awful. Many children who have committed â€Å"crimes such as rape, robbery assault, murder and attempted murder are exempt from being trialed as an adult because of their age (Wilde 1). Does that seem right to you? A child isn’t normal if he/she committed such atrocious acts. I think that most or at least part of the blame belongs to parents for their ignorance. I believe they should pay more attention to their children to spot or notice any weird changes in attitudes or behavior. An example of this is, â€Å"in February 2009 state police found 26 year old Kenzie Hauk in her bed with a bullet straight through her head. She was eight months old pregnant.† The murderer was 11 year old Jordan Brown the son of the Fiancà ©e (Chen 1).The boy had been jealous of his dads fiancà ©e. Does this not grab your attention? This is obviously lack of parenting or communication coming from his father. If he were paying closer attention then he could’ve spotted that something was going on with his son Now that you’ve heard a couple of examples I really hope you were able to change perspectives if you did not agree in the first place. Just think how the families of these victims feel? Try putting your self in their places? Wouldn’t you want the killer to pay for debt evenly? I know I would. So why not avoid this from happening? Parents watch your children more closely and keep communication between you guys if you start to seem them acting up. Act fast, before you son or daughter is sitting in the court waiting for his/her verdict.

Proposed Act Would Give Federal Agents Power

Proposed Act Would Give Federal Agents Power Pornography is a big deal in America and arguably has its place. While New York City, Miami and Los Angeles are all cities with big porno markets, this week, record porn site hits came from another city.   Cleveland. Ohio! During the 2016 Republican National Convention, the number of people watching pornography videos surpassed the number of people who watched the Cavaliers win the NBA Championship. Yup. Turns out, Trump is good for the porn business. A record setting 873,294 videos were viewed in The Buckeye State after Trump’s name was put into pornographic search engines. Who knew the party of Lincoln drips with erotica? Since this subject is trending, let’s see if we can tie it in with animal rights. Yes we can! There’s a connection, and it’s very disturbing. First, a little background. Bestiality, or, sex with animals, is legal in plenty of states. But it’s not enough you know that, just for fun, I’m going to call them out on it so those who live in these states can get busy on the legislation needed to outlaw this sick stuff. Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, Washington, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, Vermont , Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming and, not surprisingly, the District of Columbia. Humans are not the only ones being screwed by politicians in D.C. Oh, and you can have intimate relations with a non-human in Guam with complete immunity. As if sexual abuse of  animals isn’t bad enough, some sickos just can’t stop until the animal or animals are tortured and killed for sexual pleasure. Just ask Brent Justice, 54, and his girlfriend, Ashley Richards, 25. This deranged Houston couple was  arrested in 2012 for making and distributing dozens of â€Å"crush videos† where animals were tortured by the couple while the couple engaged in sexual acts. Graphic details of what this entails can be found here. Puncturing a kitten’s eye with a high heel shoe is just the beginning. Don’t look if you can’t deal with the facts of the case. It’s not really important that you make yourself sick. What’s important is that you take action. More on that later. The Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act passed during the Legislative Session of the 111th Congress in 2010 prohibited the trade in pornographic videos in which animal cruelty is depicted. It states, in part:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Each of the several states and the District of Columbia criminalize intentional acts of extreme animal cruelty, such as the intentional crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating or impaling of animals for no socially redeeming purpose.† As if any of that can ever be sold to the public  as socially redeeming. The exact text of the Act can be found on GovTrack.US. Of course, nothing is ever easy so there are limits to what this law does. In a nutshell, the trade in crush videos is illegal but the act of animal cruelty isn’t. It’s confusing. So now, the 114th Congress which concludes in January, 2017, has been asked to plug up the loopholes in the 2010 act. Specifically, H.R. 2293 was introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith, (R-TX), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Tom Marino (R-PA) and Earl Blumenthal (D-CT). The Senate bill, 1831, was introduced by Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Entitled the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT), this bill would prohibit the extreme acts of animal cruelty depicted  in the videos. It would also provide federal prosecutors with the ammo they need to prosecute offenders when the offense is occurring in a federal jurisdiction or interstate commerce. Federal agents would be permitted to pursue animal cruelty charges revealed while agents are  investigating another interstate violation, such as drug trafficking. Prosecutors could also stop to the transport of animals for the purpose of bestiality, even if the crime occurs in one of the states listed above. Ann Chynoweth is the Vice President of the Animal Cruelty Campaign for the Humane Society of the United States. She believes the PACT Act is sensible, bi-partisan legislation that would outlaw extreme acts of animal cruelty that occur on federal property or in interstate commerce.   â€Å"The PACT Act would strengthen current federal law that outlaws the commerce in crush videos where animals are tortured for a sexual fetish.   It would give federal prosecutors the ability to not only prosecute the peddlers of these hideous videos, but also those who crush, burn, drown, suffocate or otherwise torture animals to make them,† says Ms. Chynoweth.   â€Å"There is a documented connected between animal cruelty and human violence and that is why the National Sheriffs’ Association and more than 200 law enforcement agencies from across the country have endorsed the PACT Act.† So what can you do? â€Å"Not much is moving now during the presidential elections,† says Laura Bevan, Southeast Regional Director for the HSUS. But that doesn’t mean that after November, lawmakers can sit back and rest. No, they need to get back to the task at hand, passing laws to make life better for animals because animals have an inherent right to live their lives and make their way in the world without human intervention. So find out who your reps are (you can do so here) and call, email and visit them to urge them to support the PACT act. This shouldn’t be controversial, and there’s no appropriate argument against passage of this act.

International trade

International trade Introduction In an environment that is increasingly becoming global, international business is gradually changing into a norm rather than an exception. More businesses and investors are gaining interest in cross-border businesses and investments. Husted and Melvin in their book look at this issue in detail, discussing three important issues, namely, foreign exchange risk, forecasting and international investments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Foreign exchange risk When engaging in any kind of cross border business, investors expose themselves to foreign exchange risks. A foreign exchange risk is the risk which results from unpredictable changes in the foreign exchange rate, making it uncertain to gauge the real value of foreign transactions (Husted Melvin, 2010, pp. 383). Every foreign transaction is influenced by the foreign exchange rates. This necessitates t he need for forecasting to individuals and firms involved in the international business. There are three kinds of risks in regards to international investors and businesses. These are accounting exposure, transaction exposure and economic exposure. Accounting exposure otherwise also known as translation exposure, emanates from differences between foreign currencies dominated assets and foreign currencies dominated liabilities. There is always a danger on equity falling if the concerned foreign currency depreciates to the level of the home currency. Transaction exposure, on the other hand, occurs when there is uncertainty in regards to the domestic currency future value of a transaction dominated by a foreign currency (Wang, 2009, pp. 345). This kind of exposure requires the firms involved to either hedge through forward contracts or face the risks. The third type of exposure and the most important one to the firm is economic exposure. Economic exposure arises from changes in exchang e rates. The level, direction and extent of exchange rate changes are always unstable. This poses uncertainty on the future profitability of business. There are various ways investors can hedge against foreign exchange risksAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More and through which investors can protect themselves from over-exposure to foreign exchange risk. They include: domesticating foreign transactions, either speeding and slowing of making payments when currencies are expected to appreciate and depreciate respectively; Options, forwards, and futures markets. There are some other implications, hedging being one of them. Hedging presents the possibilities of earning what is generally known as a risk premium. A foreign exchange risk premium refers to the difference in rates between the forward and expected future spot rate (Husted Melvin, 2010, pp. 386). A risk premiu m is measured in terms of its effective return differential. Effective return differential of a risk premium refers to the percentage difference between a forward future rate and expected future spot rate. Whenever this differential yields a positive outcome, there appears a positive risk premium on the domestic currency. If the market is efficient and all the parties involved in making hedging decisions are availed and aware of all the information required to make those decisions, then a forward rate will differ with an expected future rate by only the risk premium. Foreign exchange forecasting Hedging decisions as have been described above require some prediction of the future currency outlook. Foreign currency forecasting refers to looking at the future currencies (Goddard Ajami, 2006, pp.122). Forecasting errors are always bound to occur but they should be completely minimized or even eliminated. Investors, who are able to make a forecast that is to be closest to the correct ac tual rate, are able to make more money. The ability to make a forecast rate that is better than the actual rate does not always imply an inefficient market. International investments Portfolio investments Sometimes the interest differentials that exist across countries and the desire to hold diversified portfolios may attract investors into investing in foreign markets. Generally, it is advisable that whenever one decides to invest internationally, they should go for diversified portfolios rather than a single portfolio to reduce vulnerability of variation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Diversification of a portfolio does not in any way indicate that investors are able to fully eliminate the risk of investments. Diversification only eliminates nonsystematic risks but also systematic risks which are common across all investment opportunities. It is commonly found out that due to factors, such as taxes, transaction costs, and limited gains from international investments, there exists a home bias where investors prefer domestic securities instead of foreign securities. Foreign direct investments With globalization, attractive opportunities, investments, environments coming from emerging economies, a sizeable number of firms are considering setting up foreign operating units in foreign markets. The spending of firms to establish such units is referred to as foreign direct investment. Some of the reasons behind such kind of investments include economies of scale, technology transfer and the appropriation of foreign markets. Some of the benefits of direct investments as opposed to these different kinds of investments, for example, portfolio investments include the insulation to foreign losses and short-term economic changes; gains from new technologies and expertise unavailable at home; the benefits of investing in actual productive resources. When a high number of firms opt out a country owing to unfavorable investment conditions, a capital flight may occur. It is, therefore, advisable for the countries to maintain good investments environment to avoid problems with capital flows. References Goddard, G. J. and Ajami, R. A., 2006, International Business: Theory and Practice. 8th ed. M.E. Sharpe, New York. Husted, S. and Melvin, M., 2010, International Economics. 9th ed., Prentice Hall, London. Wang, P., 2009, The economics of foreign exchange and global finance. 2nd ed., Springer, New York.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Monopolistic Competition

Monopolistic Competition When discussing different types of market structures, monopolies are at one end of the spectrum, with only one seller in monopolistic markets, and perfectly competitive markets are at the other end, with many buyers and sellers offering identical products. That said, there is a lot of middle ground for what economists call imperfect competition. Imperfect competition can take a number of different forms, and the particular features of an imperfectly competitive market have implications for the market outcomes for consumers and producers. Features Monopolistic competition is one form of imperfect competition. Monopolistically competitive markets have a number of specific features: Many firms - There are many firms in monopolistically competitive markets, and this is part of what sets them apart from monopolies.Product differentiation - Although the products sold by different firms in monopolistically competitive markets are similar enough to one another to be considered substitutes, they are not identical. This feature is what sets monopolistically competitive markets apart from perfectly competitive markets.Free entry and exit - Firms can freely enter a monopolistically competitive market when they find it profitable to do so, and they can exit when a monopolistically competitive market is no longer profitable. In essence, monopolistically competitive markets are named as such because, while firms are competing with one another for the same group of customers to some degree, each firms product is a little bit different from that of all the other firms, and therefore each firm has something akin to a mini-monopoly in the market for its output. The Effects Because of product differentiation (and, as a result, market power), firms in monopolistically competitive markets are able to sell their products at prices above their marginal costs of production, but free entry and exit drive the economic profits for firms in monopolistically competitive markets to zero. In addition, firms in monopolistically competitive markets suffer from excess capacity, which means that they are not operating at the efficient quantity of production. This observation, together with the markup over marginal cost present in monopolistically competitive markets, implies that monopolistically competitive markets do not maximize social welfare.

The study of product development as the core in transforming medium Literature review

The study of product development as the core in transforming medium size businesses into large multi-national companies - Literature review Example Six different theoretical frameworks have been formulated to explain organizational transformation. They include life cycle, evolutionary, dialectical, teleological, social cognition and cultural approaches to change. Evolutionary models include social evolutionary and biological models. Here it is assumed that situational variables, circumstances and environment faced by each organization determine the change in each organization. Here very little role is given to people in determining the direction of change and change is considered as very slow process.The later version of these models assume managers having ability to respond and anticipate changes.Based on this theory, mergers are considered as a form of organizational transformation to respond to forces outside an organization. Through mergers, there can be overall change in the organizational structure of an existing corporation in a mature product market as a part of its growth strategy to survive in the industry. This happens when the results of the past investment decisions will not be able to produce assets or resources that can finance the activities. Thus, the process of mergers and acquisitions involves the reduction in the resources as a part of the reallocation to new growth areas. In the case of mergers, the firms receive a surplus than they obtain individually through the economies of scale. This surplus increases when the product demand is high and falls when it is low. ... Thus, the process of mergers and acquisitions involves the reduction in the resources as a part of the reallocation to new growth areas. In the case of mergers, the firms receive a surplus than they obtain individually through the economies of scale. This surplus increases when the product demand is high and falls when it is low (Lambrecht and Myers, 2004). In addition to these, during the economic downturns, the unproductive assets existing needs to be sold off to shareholders. The hesitancy of the management in doing so results in takeover activities (Maksimovic and Phillips, 2000).The takeover results in selling the unproductive assets to the acquirer of the firm and thereby reaching the proceeds of the takeovers to the shareholders. Thus mergers result in cost savings and revenue enhancement. The main criticisms of the evolutionary models include their base on mathematical field and not human fields, failure to explain change as a social phenomena, difficulty in linking environme ntal and organizational variables, etc(Collins,1998). The teleological models see change as the phenomenon resulting from the leaders’ perception of necessity to change. Here change is assumed to be dependent on internal decisions in accompany instead of external changes. This model gives the central role to leader and considers leader as a rational agent and change is explained on the basis of scientific management tools. Thus these models are considered as more human than the evolutionary models (Brill and Worth, 1997). This theory focuses on the need for leaders to motivate the followers rather than imposing their behaviour on followers (Trice and Beyer,

Clinical Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Clinical Issue - Essay Example ted to determine the level of â€Å"knowledge, attitude, and practice† on Coronary heart disease among females who were receiving outpatient specialist care. The research found that about three percent of the subjects smoked while 40 percent reported illness. A majority of the women identified smoking as a risk factor though only 20 percent thought of post menopause age as a risk factor. The women however reported an average rating of â€Å"knowledge, attitude and practice† at â€Å"55.6 %, 55.1 % and 51.1 % respectively† (Muhamad, Yahya and Yusoff, 2012). Emergence of the disease as a major killer and the level of ignorance on its rate and risk factors among women form the significance of the disease to call for research. The research article therefore relates to the national guidelines through evaluating effectiveness of national guidelines provisions. While the guidelines provides for control measures, the article measures achievements of the provisions (Muhamad, Yahya and Yusoff, 2012; Guidelines, 2011). Muhamad, R., Yahya, R. and Yusoff, H. (2012). Knowledge, attitude and practices on cardiovascular disease among women in North Eastcoast Malaysia. International Journal of Collaborative Research on International Medicine & Public Health. (4.1) 85- 98. Retrieved from:

A Hospitality Operator Might Face Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Hospitality Operator Might Face - Assignment Example 4.) Factors that contribute to the bleakness and roughness of hospitality laws especially in the past were the small number of inns in which the innkeeper took the advantage of controlling the hospitality business. The hospitality law is considered as the foremost protector of the entire guests in this business (Cournoyer, et al., 2008). At present, there are already several establishments within the industry, and the presence of stiff competition is one determining factor for this occurrence (Cournoyer, et al., 2008). The nature of the hospitality management comprises the inclusion of the provision of services accommodation in the food and beverages business within a wide range of service establishments (Pizam, 2005, p. 53).These establishments include hotels, motels, clubs, casinos, restaurants, fast food outlets, and bars, to name a few. Hospitality management has also started growing inside shipping companies, rails, schools, hospitals, and so on (Pizam, 2005). Tourists are consi dered as the main factor why the hospitality business continues to develop and grow. It must be noted that the hospitality business provides the wider range of employment among people in both the rural and urban areas. 2. Worker Violence as a Legal Problem that a Hospitality Operator Might Face The hospitality operator is never exempted from encountering legal problems in hospitality management. ... Worker violence is identified in this paper as a legal problem that might be faced by the hospitality operator. Homicide appears to be one of the most extreme forms of violence manifested in the hospitality workplace (O’Fallon and Rutherford, 2011). According to US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (1998), homicide is the second cause of death of Americans working in the hospitality management. In 1996, data revealed that 912 workers account to the total work injuries in the US alone, indicating the seriousness of the homicide cases in the hospitality sector. A survey made by the National Crime Victimization of the Department of Justice indicates that there are about one million victims of violent crime at work, spanning from 1987 to 1992. Four categories are included in these data, specifically simple assault (615,160 victims); aggravated assault (264,174 victims); robbery (79,109 victims); and rape (13,068 victims). It appears that 159,000 cas es of victimization are reported annually in the hospitality business (US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 1998). In 2002, 52 per cent of the service sector in 347 workplaces in the United States hospitality management has been a victim of homicide, according to the department of labor (O’Fallon and Rutherford, 2011, p. 229). Violence in the hospitality workplace is identified in two categories. Explicit violence, in which such violence directly involves the employees of a particular establishment, and implicit violence, in which the violence is specifically directed to the establishment (O’Fallon and Rutherford, 2011). The hospitality operator indeed faces a serious problem with the possibility of workplace violence occurring within his or her

English Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

English - Research Paper Example This means that if anything goes wrong, he or she carries the blame. Therefore, the HRM with the help of other managers can employ various methods as a way of optimizing the organization’s profit. Such methods include; yield management and revenue optimizing strategies (Grabski, 2012). For instance, yield optimization in is a practice that uses models as a means of analyzing data and information to forecast the best output of the organization. Hence, the organization should be able to meet all its demands while optimizing its revenue. Second, optimization is an attempt of taking any information on the organization’s operating hiccups, the market demands and also the factors influencing them as a method of getting the optimal selling prices and the optimal production of the organization goods. Last strategy is revenue optimization whereby this is a process of finding the highest possible revenue that the organization can give (Andriole, 2006). Therefore, this paper has d iscussed the mentioned methods and their contribution towards the rise of poor performing organizations. Grabski, S. V. (2012). Transfer pricing in complex organizations: a review and integration of recent empirical and analytical research. In Readings in Accounting for Management Control (pp. 453-495). Springer

The Ineffectiveness of Gun Control Research Paper

The Ineffectiveness of Gun Control - Research Paper Example The longevity of guns, the prevalence of illegal caches of weapons and the lack of respect that criminals have for the law all contribute to gun control as a misguided and ineffective concept that has no effect on violent crime within the United States. Despite arguments to the contrary, gun control does not reduce the amount of violent crime in the United States. Throughout the United States, there are thousands of different gun control laws, which vary not only in the restrictions that they create, but also in how effectively they are enforced. Some laws act to restrict who can purchase guns, by creating purchasing permits, or requiring gun registration, others include safety training before purchase or background checks when a sale is occurring (Moorhouse and Wanner 104). Stories of the lack of logic in current gun control laws abound. A classic example of this is a man who keeps a gun in his house for his own protection, despite the fact that it is illegal. An intruder breaks into the man’s house, and makes a rush at the man, who then shoots the intruder. In many states in America, the man would face criminal charges, and this has happened many times (Wilson 1). This is one of the key arguments against gun control; it punishes the everyday citizens, while not effectively restricting criminals. After all, if a person is not afraid to break the law to rob a house, they are unlikely to be concerned about having an illegal gun. Thus, gun control does not result in less guns in the hands of criminals. The debate on gun control has spurred significant controversy about whether gun control laws are an effective method of reducing crime. Studies of gun control in the United States have mixed results.... Studies of gun control in the United States have mixed results. Most studies have concluded that gun control in the United States does not result in the reduction in violent crime (Moorhouse and Wanner 106). Despite the development of gun control laws, the amount of firearms owned privately has continued to steadily rise, but this has not been matched by the prevalence of violent crimes. Rates of violent crime in the United States have varied considerably (Jacobs 13). This suggests that ownership of guns has no effect on the rate of violent crime, implying that the logic behind gun control laws is fundamentally flawed. Perhaps the strongest piece of evidence against gun control is a report issued by the National Academy of Sciences. The report was 328 pages long, and contained information from close to 400 different sources as well as its own study. The study found that there was no evidence that gun control had any effect on reducing the amount of violent crime that occurs. Another study found that measures such as background checks for people purchasing guns are ineffective, as close to 80% percent of guns owned by criminals were purchased illegally (WND). There is no doubt that the United States has a serious problem with violent crime. Despite the comparatively low levels of crime in recent years, the United States still has more violent crime than other countries in the Western hemisphere, not only in terms of crimes committed with guns, but also for other types of violent crime. In fact, more than 90% of violent crimes that occur within the United States do not involve the use of any weapon (Jacobs 8-10). This suggests that gun control is an innately flawed concept because relies on the assumed relationship between the

English Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

English - Research Paper Example This means that if anything goes wrong, he or she carries the blame. Therefore, the HRM with the help of other managers can employ various methods as a way of optimizing the organization’s profit. Such methods include; yield management and revenue optimizing strategies (Grabski, 2012). For instance, yield optimization in is a practice that uses models as a means of analyzing data and information to forecast the best output of the organization. Hence, the organization should be able to meet all its demands while optimizing its revenue. Second, optimization is an attempt of taking any information on the organization’s operating hiccups, the market demands and also the factors influencing them as a method of getting the optimal selling prices and the optimal production of the organization goods. Last strategy is revenue optimization whereby this is a process of finding the highest possible revenue that the organization can give (Andriole, 2006). Therefore, this paper has d iscussed the mentioned methods and their contribution towards the rise of poor performing organizations. Grabski, S. V. (2012). Transfer pricing in complex organizations: a review and integration of recent empirical and analytical research. In Readings in Accounting for Management Control (pp. 453-495). Springer

EMAAR PJSC Financial Company Analysis Term Paper

EMAAR PJSC Financial Company Analysis - Term Paper Example The present study would focus on the Emaar Properties PJSC that was incorporated in Dubai in 1997. The company is involved in property investment and development. It also transits property management services, along with engagement in investment in providers of financial service. The company is also engaged in development and sale of condominiums, commercially viable assets such as leasing and management of land, malls, villas and hotels. It was ranked 462nd in the 11th Financial Times Global 500 and was assigned A- and A3 ratings by Standard & Poor and Moody’s Investor services. The company scale of operations is spread internationally in 17 countries namely Syria, Jordan, India, Pakistan, China, US, Canada, UK. The company currently has a market capitalization of AED 15.3 B with 6.1 B shares outstanding. The group is basically divided into three business segments, namely, real estate (develop and sells condominiums, villas, commercial units and plots of land), leasing and re lated activities (develop, lease and manage malls, retail, commercial and residential space) and hospitality (develop, own and/or manage hotels, service apartments and leisure activities). The group has been witnessing a decline in their key performance indicators in the past five years but FY 2010 turned out to be prosperous as the profitability has grown to a respectable state as compared to the last two years. They are ranked just above average in the industry but the future prospects look bright as UAE has started to recover from the massacre of recession. The construction business will see a boom in the near future and company’s market position will glue back to the one in the year 2007.The company has achieved the recent rise in profitability by improving efficiency and squeezing their expense block. Trend Analysis Trend analysis show positive signs for Emaar Properties. The revenue account has seen a U-curve as it fell from AED 10,717,000 in 2008 to 8413,000 in 2009 bu t it increased by 13.37% in 2010 in comparison to the base year. The y-o-y growth would look more attractive in this case. The company increased its investment in hospitality services which led to the rise in revenues this year. (Khan & Jain, 2007) Gross Profit margin has seen a decline in the last two years. The margin dropped by 21.6% from 2008 in 2009 but increase marginally in 2010. The overall gross profit declined by 13.05% in 2010 as compared to the base year. The cost of revenue has been surging which led to the detrimental decrease. The net income has been the highlight of Emaar Properties’ financial statements. The net income has jumped by a staggering 97.64 in 2009 and jumped by more than a multiple of ten in 2010 as compared to the base year. This rise is primarily attributed to the squeezing selling, administrative and general expenses as compared to the sales (Emaar, 2010). The expenses have risen by a minute proportion as compared to the handsome jump in the sa les. Total assets have shown a marginal fall of 3.8% and 6.26% in 2009 and 2010 respectively. This fall is attributed to the reduction in investments, receivables and intangible assets. Total Liabilities have seen a fall as well. It dropped by 7.39% and 18% in 2009 and 2010 as compared to the base year. Although, the group took up various debt financing facilities but, it was mainly due to restructuring of their previous debt. The market price has surged in the past two years by 70.8% and 57% in 2009 and 2010. The fundamentals in 2007 were better and AED 2.27 justified the price at that time. The market has developed since then but due to weak profitability in the last two years, the price has not jumped to a level which is satisfactory for the group. The price as of

Political Science Final Essay Example for Free

Political Science Final Essay Mushrooms have been part of religious rituals for thousands of years ago in the early tribes of Central America and Mexico (Health Education, 2008). Psilocybin is extracted from psilocybin mexicana mushrooms and other genus related mushroom species or artificially prepared in the drug laboratory (Health Education, 2008). Chemically, it is related with lysergic acid diethylamide and commonly known as â€Å"shrooms†, â€Å"psychedelic mushrooms†, or â€Å"magic mushrooms† (Health Education, 2008). Historically, for Indians in the Southern and Central America, psilocybin-containing mushrooms were sacred mushrooms and regarded as a means to the world of the spirits. At present time, Psilocybe mushrooms are widely available in fresh and dried forms that are usually ingested, chopped or brewed in tea (Health Education, 2008). Generally, psilocybin users experience tingling physical sensations, mild euphoria and increased music visual sensations and music sensitivity (Health Education, 2008). Literature Review Brief History Sculptures and human-like mushroom arts were prevalent during 1000-500 BC (Freeman, 2004). It was inferred that these artifacts have religious implications. As direct evidence, thirteenth century manuscript of Codex Vienna Mixtec proved the utilization of sacred mushroom in religious rituals (Freeman, 2004). The â€Å"Seven Flowers† was known as Mixtec God of hallucinatory plants represented through an image with a pair of mushrooms in hands (Freeman, 2004). Also, Aztec believed that moving from earthly to super natural realms back and forth was possible under the power of entheogen, the Prince of Flowers. This was called â€Å"the flowery dreams† by the Aztec and ascribed to hallucinatory effects of the sacred mushrooms (Freeman, 2004). In relation to this, Gordon Wasson personally witnessed the â€Å"velada† session led by curandera Maria Sabina at the Mazatec village in Huatla de Jimenez. This â€Å"velada† session is a religious ceremony involving the magic mushroom (Freeman, 2004). Pharmacological Properties Mushrooms with hallucinatory effects are naturally cultivated in the cow pastures and fields of the southeastern and northwestern parts of the United States (Freeman, 2004). The most common of all these mushrooms is Psilocybe mushroom containing psychoactive substances. The stems of psilocybin-containing mushrooms are slender and long with caps having underside dark gills. While the caps of fresh mushroom are dark brown along the edges, white or light brown central part topped in whitish-gray or white stems, dried mushrooms are rusty brown with scattered whitish parts (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2006). In 1958 Dr. Albert Hoffman, the lysergic acid diethylamide discoverer, identified psilocybin and psilocin as the active components of Psilocybe mushroom (Freeman, 2004). About four to ten milligrams per gram of this mushroom is its average psilocybin constituent (Freeman, 2004). In addition, psilocybin is classified as hallucinogenic drugs typically found in the United States, South American regions, and Mexico (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2006). This mushroom contains trace amount of psilocin and 0. 2% to 0. 4% of psilocybin (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2006). Further, psilocybin was reported as a very stable substance that can last even for 150 years in a sample mushroom (Freeman, 2004).

Application of Transition Metals

Application of Transition Metals The term transition metal (sometimes also called a transition element) has two possible meanings: In the past it referred to any element in the d-block of the periodic table, which includes groups 3 to 12 on the periodic table. All elements in the d-block are metals (In actuality, the f-block is also included in the form of the lanthanide and actinide series). It also states that a transition metal is an element whose atom has an incomplete d sub-shell, or which can give rise to cations with an incomplete d sub-shell. Group 12 elements are not transition metals in this definition. Introduction to application of transition metals: The use of transition metals in the synthesis was taken up slowly by organic chemists. This is at first surprising because the industrial use of transition metals has a much long history hydroformylation using cobalt began in the 1930s. The Mond process using nickel tetra carbonyl was developed in the 19 century. Industry was willing to accept and uses processes that it could not understand black box reactions as long as they were profitable. Academics were handicapped by the desire to understand the chemistry. This was impossible until the ideas about chemical bonding and the necessary instrumentation matured in the years in the Second World War. Even with in this place, the impact of transition metals on the organic synthesis came late possibly because of the many fantastic main group reagents appeared. Application of Transition Metals: The application of transition metals is as follows: 1. Transition metals are applied in the organic reactions. Transition metals complex under goes a series of reactions that are generally unlike those main group compounds. The most fundamental is the simple coordination and dissociation of ligands. Dissociation may also be achieved by destruction of a ligand. This is often done by the oxidation of co and co2 using an amide oxide. 2. Transition metals are applied in the synthesis of metal hydride. M=C=O + OH- ====> M-H + CO2 Here metal carbonyl group reacts with hydroxide to give metal hydride and carbon dioxide. Hydrides such as, sodium borohydride, lithium aluminium hydride, diisobutylaluminium hydride (DIBAL) and super hydride, are commonly used as reducing agents in chemical synthesis. The hydride adds to an electrophilic center, typically unsaturated carbon. Hydrides such as sodium hydride and potassium hydride are used as strong bases in organic synthesis. The hydride reacts with the weak Bronsted acid releasing H2. Hydrides such as calcium hydride are used as desiccants, i.e. drying agents, to remove trace water from organic solvents. The hydride reacts with water forming hydrogen and hydroxide salt. The dry solvent can then be distilled or vac transferred from the solvent pot. Hydrides are of important in storage battery technologies such as Nickel-metal hydride battery. Various metal hydrides have been examined for use as a means of hydrogen storage for fuel cell-powered electric cars and other purposed aspects of a hydrogen economy. Hydride intermediates are key to understanding a variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic cycles as well as enzymatic activity. Hydroformylation catalysts and hydrogenase both involve hydride intermediates. The energy carrier NADH reacts as a hydride donor or hydride equivalent. 3. Transition metal used in the complexes in fluorescence cell imaging. Transition metal complexes have often been proposed as useful fluorophores for cell imaging due to their attractive photo physical attributes, but until very recently their actual applications have been scarce and largely limited to ruthenium complexes in DNA and oxygen sensing. 4. Transition metal used as Catalysts. Some transition metals are good catalysts. For example: most automobiles have an emissions-control device called a catalytic converter. This device contains a screen of platinum or palladium along with rhodium, a metal. The presence of the transition metals, along with the heat of combustion generated by an automobile engine causes an exhaust coming from an internal combustion engine to be broken down from partially burned hydrocarbon compounds into less harmful compounds such as water vapour and carbon dioxide. Catalytic applications of transition metals in organic synthesis:- OXIDATION REACTIONS: The epoxidation, dihydroxylation and aminohydroxylation reactions of alkenes, especially their asymmetric variants, continue to attract considerable attention. The basic principles were covered in the previous review. The use of fluorous solvents has now been demonstrated formany transition metal catalysed reactions. One advantage that they offer for catalyticepoxidation is the fact that molecularoxygen has a high solubility in fluorous solvents. The combination of O2 with pivalaldehyde and manganese catalysts hasbeen shown to be effective for epoxidation of alkenes in aracemic and enantioselective sense. The fluorous soluble ligand afforded a manganese complex which was insoluble incommon organic solvents, but soluble in the fluorous phase.Indene was converted into indene oxide with high enantioselectivity,although other substrates afforded low selectivity The fluorous phase, containing the active catalyst,could be recycled. Manganese salen complexes have also now been successfullyimmobilised within polymer supports, and still provide high Whilst the enantiomerically pure manganese salen complexes are still often the most enantio selective available for epoxidation of unfunctionalised alkenes, alternative systems are often reported. For example, End and Pfaltz have used rutheniumbis (oxazoline) complexes to provide up to 69% ee in the epoxidation of stilbene. The use of methyltrioxorhenium as a catalyst for epoxidationcontinues to attract attention. Herrmann and co-workershave shown that a combination of methyltrioxorhenium withpyrazole affords a highly efficient catalyst for the epoxidation of alkenes. Styrene was converted cleanly into styrene oxide with this catalytic combination. Reduction reactions The reduction of various functional groups can often be achieved using transition metal catalysts and a suitable reducing agent: often molecular hydrogen, silanes, boranes orhydrides. Amongst all of the possibilities, metal-catalysed hydrogenation has been the most widely studied, especially asan asymmetric process.Some recently reported examples of rhodium-catalyse dasymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes include the conversion ofthe enamide into the derivatised amino alcohols and the regioselective hydrogenation of dienyl acetate into the allyl acetate both using the Me-DuPhos ligand .Reports of new ligands for asymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes continue to appear, often providing highly selective examples.Ruthenium catalysed hydrogenation of alkenes is also popular,and an interesting example has been provided by Bruneau,Dixneuf and co-workers. The achiral substrate is hydrogenatedwith an enantiomerically pure ruthenium complex into compound , which behaves as propionic acid attachedt o a chiral auxiliary. The achiral auxiliary in the substrate is converted into an enantiomerically enriched one prior to a subsequent auxiliary controlled functionalisation. Lewis acid catalysed reactions:- Lewis acids are able to catalyse a wide range of reactions. Theaddition of cyanide to aldehydes is one such reaction and hasbeen studied by many groups. Recently, North, Belokon andco-workers have used a titanium (salen) complex to catalyse the addition of trimethylsilylcyanide to benzaldehyde withlow catalyst loadings. Less work has been reported on theenantioselective addition of cyanide to imines, although it providesa useful route to ÃŽÂ ±-amino acids (Strecker synthesis). However, there have been several reports of the enantio selective variant of this reaction by aluminium catalysts,non-metallic catalysts, and with the zirconium catalysts, reported here. The imine is converted into the ÃŽÂ ±-aminonitrile with good yield and enantio selectivity Scandium triflate is a good catalyst for the allylation of aldehydes with allylsilanes and stannanes. Aggarwal and Vennallhave detailed the allylation of aldehydes followed by in situ acylation.36 Benzaldehyde allylsilane and acetic anhydride undergo coupling to provide the homoallylic acetate withscandium triflate as the catalyst Kobayashi and co-workers have shown that a three component system comprising of benzaldehyde an amine,such as aniline and allylstannane affo rds the homoallylicamine The reaction works more quickly in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate SDS, which provides amicellar system .The allylation of isolated imines with enantiomerically pure palladium complexes has been achieved with up to 82%enantiomeric excess. Catalytic coupling reactions:- The formation of C-C bonds, as well as C-X bonds can becatalysed by many transition metals, although palladium complexesseem to have a greater scope than other metals. The useof catalytic coupling reactions to provide biaryls has recently been reviewed. 5. REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS: The fact that the transition elements are all metals means that they are lustrous or shiny in appearance, and malleable, meaning that they can be molded into different shapes without breaking. They are excellent conductors of heat and electricity, and tend to form positive ions by losing electrons. Generally speaking, metals are hard, though a few of the transition metals-as well as members of other metal families-are so soft they can be cut with a knife. Like almost all metals, they tend to have fairly high melting points, and extremely high boiling points. Many of the transition metals, particularly those on periods 4, 5, and 6, form useful alloys-mixtures containing more than one metal-with one another, and with other elements. Because of their differences in electron configuration, however, they do not always combine in the same ways, even within an element. Iron, for instance, sometimes releases two electrons in chemical bonding, and at other times three. ABUNDANCE OF THE TRANSITION METALS: Iron is the fourth most abundant element on Earth, accounting for 4.71% of the elemental mass in the planets crust. Titanium ranks 10th, with 0.58%, and manganese 13th, with 0.09%. Several other transition metals are comparatively abundant: even gold is much more abundant than many other elements on the periodic table. However, given the fact that only 18 elements account for 99.51% of Earths crust, the percentages for elements outside of the top 18 tend to very small. In the human body, iron is the 12th most abundant element, constituting 0.004% of the bodys mass. Zinc follows it, at 13th place, accounting for 0.003%. Again, these percentages may not seem particularly high, but in view of the fact that three elements-oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen-account for 93% of human elemental body mass, there is not much room for the other 10 most common elements in the body. Transition metals such as copper are present in trace quantities within the body as well. (industrial effulent) DIVIDING THE TRANSITION METALS INTO GROUPS. There is no easy way to group the transition metals, though certain of these elements are traditionally categorized together. These do not constitute families as such, but they do provide useful ways to break down the otherwise rather daunting 40-element lineup of the transition metals. In two cases, there is at least a relation between group number on the periodic table and the categories loosely assigned to a collection of transition metals. Thus the coinage metals-copper, silver, and gold-all occupy Group 9 on the periodic table. These have traditionally been associated with one another because their resistance to oxidation, combined with their malleability and beauty, has made them useful materials for fashioning coins. Likewise the members of the zinc group-zinc, cadmium, and mercury-occupy Group 10 on the periodic table. These, too, have often been associated as a miniature unit due to common properties. Members of the platinum group-platinum, iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium-occupy a rectangle on the table, corresponding to periods 5 and 6, and groups 6 through 8. What actually makes them a group, however, is the fact that they tend to appear together in nature. Iron, nickel, and cobalt, found alongside one another on Period 4, may be grouped together because they are all magnetic to some degree or another. This is far from the only notable characteristic about such metals, but provides a convenient means of further dividing the transition metals into smaller sections. To the left of iron on the periodic table is a rectangle corresponding to periods 4 through 6, groups 4 through 7. These 11 elements-titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, and rhenium-are referred to here as alloy metals. This is not a traditional designation, but it is nonetheless useful for describing these metals, most of which form important alloys with iron and other elements. One element was left out of the rectangle described in the preceding paragraph. This is technetium, which apparently does not occur in nature. It is lumped in with a final category, rare and artificial elements. It should be stressed that there is nothing hard and fast about these categories. The alloy metals are not the only ones that form alloys; nickel is used in coins, though it is not called a coinage metal; and platinum could be listed with gold and silver as precious metals. Nonetheless, the categories used here seem to provide the most workable means of approaching the many transition metals. GOLD. Gold almost needs no introduction: virtually everyone knows of its value, and history is full of stories about people who killed or died for this precious metal. Part of its value springs from its rarity in comparison to, say iron: gold is present on Earths crust at a level of about 5 parts per billion (ppb). Yet as noted earlier, it is more abundant than some metals. Furthermore, due to the fact that it is highly unreactive (reactivity refers to the tendency for bonds between atoms or molecules to be made or broken in such a way that materials are transformed), it tends to be easily separated from other elements. This helps to explain the fact that gold may well have been the first element ever discovered. No ancient metallurgist needed a laboratory in which to separate gold; indeed, because it so often keeps to itself, it is called a noble metal-meaning, in this context, set apart. Another characteristic of gold that made it valuable was its great malleability. In fact, gold is the most malleable of all metals: A single troy ounce (31.1 g) can be hammered into a sheet just 0.00025 in (0.00064 cm) thick, covering 68 ft  2  (6.3 m  2  ). Gold is one of the few metals that is not silver, gray, or white, and its beautifully distinctive color caught the eyes of metalsmiths and royalty from the beginning of civilization. Records from India dating back to 5000  B.C.  suggest a familiarity with gold, and jewelry found in Egyptian tombs indicates the use of sophisticated techniques among the goldsmiths of Egypt as early as 2600  B.C.  Likewise the Bible mentions gold in several passages. The Romans called it  aurum  (shining dawn), which explains its chemical symbol, Au. Gold is as popular as ever for jewelry and other decorative objects, of course, but for the most part, it is too soft to have many other commercial purposes. One of the few applications for gold, a good conductor of electricity, is in some electronic components. Also, the radioactive gold-198 isotope is sometimes implanted in tissues as a means of treating forms of cancer. SILVER. Like gold, silver has been a part of human life from earliest history. Usually it is considered less valuable, though some societies have actually placed a higher value on silver because it is harder and more durable than gold. In the seventh century  B.C.  , the Lydian civilization of Asia Minor (now Turkey) created the first coins using silver, and in the sixth century  B.C.  , the Chinese began making silver coins. Succeeding dynasties in China continued to mint these coins, round with square holes in them, until the early twentieth century. The Romans called silver  argentum,  and therefore today its chemical symbol is Ag. Its uses are much more varied than those of gold, both because of its durability and the fact that it is less expensive. Alloyed with copper, which adds strength to it, it makes sterling silver, used in coins, silverware, and jewelry. Silver nitrate compounds are used in silver plating, applied in mirrors and tableware. (Most mirrors today, however, use aluminum.) A large portion of the worlds silver supply is used by photographers for developing pictures. In addition, because it is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, silver has applications in the electronics industry; however, its expense has led many manufacturers to use copper or aluminum instead. Silver is also present, along with zinc and cadmium, in cadmium batteries. Like gold, though to a much lesser extent, it is still an important jewelry-making component. COPPER. Most people think of pennies as containing copper, but in fact the penny is the only American coin that contains no copper alloys. Because the amount of copper necessary to make a penny today costs more than $0.01, a penny is actually made of zinc with a thin copper coating. Yet copper has long been a commonly used coinage metal, and long before that, humans used it for other purposes. Seven thousand years ago, the peoples of the Tigris-Euphrates river valleys, in what is now Iraq, were mining and using copper, and later civilizations combined copper with zinc to make bronze. Indeed, the history of prehistoric and ancient humans technological development is often divided according to the tools they made, the latter two of which came from transition metals: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age (c. 3300-1200  B.C.  ), and the Iron Age. Copper is also like its two close relatives in that it resists corrosion, and this makes it ideal for plumbing. Its use in making coins resulted from its anti-corrosive qualities, combined with its beauty: like gold, copper has a distinctive color. This aesthetic quality led to the use of copper in decorative applications as well: many old buildings used copper roofs, and the Statue of Liberty is covered in 300 thick copper plates. Why, then, is the famous statue not copper-colored? Because copper does eventually corrode when exposed to air for long periods of time. Over time, it develops a thin layer of black copper oxide, and as the years pass, carbon dioxide in the air leads to the formation of copper carbonate, which imparts a greenish color. The human body is about 0.0004% copper, though as noted, larger quantities of copper can be toxic. Copper is found in foods such as shell-fish, nuts, raisins, and dried beans. Whereas human blood has hemoglobin, a molecule with an iron atom at the center, the blood of lobsters and other large crustaceans contains hemocyanin, in which copper performs a similar function. ZINC. Together with copper, zinc appeared in another alloy that, like bronze, helped define the ancient world: brass. (The latter is mentioned in the Bible, for instance in the Book of Daniel,when King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a statue containing brass and other substances, symbolizing various empires.) Used at least from the first millennium  B.C.  onward, brass appeared in coins and ornaments throughout Asia Minor. Though it is said that the Chinese purified zinc in about  A.D.  1000, the Swiss alchemist Paracelsus (1493-1541) is usually credited with first describing zinc as a metal. Bluish-white, with a lustrous sheen, zinc is found primarily in the ore sulfide sphalerite. The largest natural deposits of zinc are in Australia and the United States, and after mining, the metal is subjected to a purification and reduction process involving carbon. Zinc is used in galvanized steel, developed in the eighteenth century by Italian physicist Luigi Galvani (1737-1798). CADMIUM. In 1817, German chemist Friedrich Strohmeyer (1776-1835) was working as an inspector of pharmacies for the German state of Hanover. While making his rounds, he discovered that one pharmacy had a sample of zinc carbonate labeled as zinc oxide, and while inspecting the chemical in his laboratory, he discovered something unusual. If indeed it were zinc carbonate, it should turn into zinc oxide when heated, and since both compounds were white, there should be no difference in color. Instead, the mysterious compound turned a yellowish-orange. Strohmeyer continued to analyze the sample, and eventually realized that he had discovered a new element, which he named after the old Greek term for zinc carbonate,  kadmeia.  Indeed, cadmium typically appears in nature along with zinc or zinc compounds. Silvery white and lustrous or shiny, cadmium is soft enough to be cut with a knife, but chemically it behaves much like zinc: hence the idea of a zinc group. MERCURY. One of only two elements-along with bromine-that appears in liquid form at room temperature, mercury is both toxic and highly useful. The Romans called it  hydragyrum  (liquid silver), from whence comes its chemical symbol, Hg. Today, however, it is known by the name of the Romans god Mercury, the nimble and speedy messenger of the gods. Mercury comes primarily from a red ore called cinnabar, and since it often appears in shiny globules that form outcroppings from the cinnabar, it was relatively easy to discover. Several things are distinctive about mercury, including its bright silvery color. But nothing distinguishes it as much as its physical properties-not only its liquidity, but the fact that it rolls rapidly, like the fleet-footed god after which it is named. Its surface tension (the quality that causes it to bead) is six times greater than that of water, and for this reason, mercury never wets the surfaces with which it comes in contact. Mercury, of course, is widely used in thermometers, an application for which it is extremely well-suited. In particular, it expands at a uniform rate when heated, and thus a mercury thermometer (unlike earlier instruments, which used water, wine, or alcohol) can be easily calibrated. (Note that due to the toxicity of the element, mercury thermometers in schools are being replaced by other types of thermometers.) At temperatures close to absolute zero, mercury loses its resistance to the flow of electric current, and therefore it presents a promising area of research with regard to superconductivity. IRON. In its purest form, iron is relatively soft and slightly magnetic, but when hardened, it becomes much more so. As with several of the elements discovered long ago, iron has a chemical symbol (Fe) reflecting an ancient name, the Latin  ferrum.  But long before the Romans ancestors arrived in Italy, the Hittites of Asia Minor were purifying iron ore by heating it with charcoal over a hot flame. The ways in which iron is used are almost too obvious (and too numerous) to mention. If iron and steel suddenly ceased to exist, there could be no skyscrapers, no wide-span bridges, no ocean liners or trains or heavy machinery or automobile frames. Furthermore, alloys of steel with other transition metals, such as tungsten and niobium, possess exceptionally great strength, and find application in everything from hand tools to nuclear reactors. Then, of course, there are magnets and electromagnets, which can only be made of iron and/or one of the other magnetic elements, cobalt and nickel. In the human body, iron is a key part of hemoglobin, the molecule in blood that transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells. If a person fails to get sufficient quantities of iron-present in foods such as red meat and spinach-the result is anemia, characterized by a loss of skin color, weakness, fainting, and heart palpitations. Plants, too, need iron, and without the appropriate amounts are likely to lose their color, weaken, and die. COBALT. Isolated in about 1735 by Swedish chemist Georg Brandt (1694-1768), cobalt was the first metal discovered since prehistoric, or at least ancient, times. The name comes from  Kobald,  German for underground gnome, and this reflects much about the early history of cobalt. In legend, the Kobalden were mischievous sprites who caused trouble for miners, and in real life, ores containing the element that came to be known as cobalt likewise caused trouble to men working in mines. Not only did these ores contain arsenic, which made miners ill, but because cobalt had no apparent value, it only interfered with their work of extracting other minerals. Yet cobalt had been in use by artisans long before Brandts isolated the element. The color of certain cobalt compounds is a brilliant, shocking blue, and this made it popular for the coloring of pottery, glass, and tile. The element, which makes up less than 0.002% of Earths crust, is found today primarily in ores extracted from mines in Canada, Zaire, and Morocco. One of the most important uses of cobalt is in a highly magnetic alloy known as alnico, which also contains iron, nickel, and aluminum. Combined with tungsten and chromium, cobalt makes stellite, a very hard alloy used in drill bits. Cobalt is also applied in jet engines and turbines. NICKEL. Moderately magnetic in its pure form, nickel had an early history much like that of cobalt. English workers mining copper were often dismayed to find a metal that looked like copper, but was not, and they called it Old Nicks copper-meaning that it was a trick played on them by Old Nick, or the devil. The Germans gave it a similar name:  Kupfernickel,  or imp copper. Though nickel was not identified as a separate metal by Swedish mineralogist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt (1722-1765) until the eighteenth century, alloys of copper, silver, and nickel had been used as coins even in ancient Egypt. Today, nickel is applied, not surprisingly, in the American five-cent piece-that is, the nickel-made from an alloy of nickel and copper. Its anti-corrosive nature also provides a number of other applications for nickel: alloyed with steel, for instance, it makes a protective layer for other metals. PLATINUM. First identified by an Italian physician visiting the New World in the mid-sixteenth century, platinum-now recognized as a precious metal-was once considered a nuisance in the same way that nickel and cadmium were. Miners, annoyed with the fact that it got in the way when they were looking for gold, called it  platina,  or little silver. One of the reasons why platinum did not immediately catch the worlds fancy is because it is difficult to extract, and typically appears with the other metals of the platinum group: iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium. Only in 1803 did English physician and chemist William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828) develop a means of extracting platinum, and when he did, he discovered that the metal could be hammered into all kinds of shapes. Platinum proved such a success that it made Wollaston financially independent, and he retired from his medical practice at age 34 to pursue scientific research. Today, platinum is used in everything from thermometers to parts for rocket engines, both of which take advantage of its ability to with stand high temperatures. 6. Application of transition metals complex formation in gas chromatography. we will be discusing applications of superselective liquid phases containing transition metal salts or complexes in gas chromatography Introduction: Metal complexation may be used for four purposes in gas chromatography: to help the separation of certain compounds present in the sample. In this case complexation is performed by using a stationary phase containing a metal; to utilize GC for the calculation of stability constants orother physico-chemical data; to analyse the metals themselves, by making organic volatile complexes and analysing them by GC; to increase sensitivity for inorganic and organic compounds by forming metal complexes and utilize e.g. an electron capture detector which has an increased sensitivity for such compounds. The present review discusses only the first two of these four application fields. The effect of the formation of eleetron-donor-acceptor complexes (EDA) [1-3] of transition metal cations with organic molecules containing n-bond(s) or free electron pairs (hi, O, S, halogens) may be used for the gas chromatographic separation of these molecules. The column packings containing the transition metals may be termed as superselectivepackings, because a slight difference in the structure of the separated compounds (e.g. cis- and transisomers) can give considerable difference in the retention time representing several minutes The reaction of complex formation should be rapid and reversible In the case of a 1:1 complex formation gas chromatography is convenient for the determination the stability constants of the newly formed adducts The formation of n-complexes with cations of the transition metals is particulary widely applied in gas chromatography. The termal stability of these complexes changes i~ a very broad temperature range depending on the metal and the ligand.complexes together with the temperatures of their chromatographic analysis. As seen chromatography permits as to examine the~ systems at temperatures higher than their thermal stability determined by static methods. The superselective packings can be divided into two group~ 1. Superselective liquid phases in which a salt or met~complex is melted or dissolved in a common liquid phase. 2. Superselective adsorbents in which a transition metal exists in various forms such as a salt or other co~pounds coated on the surface of a support, a porous i~ organic salt, a zeolite with the transition metal cation~ an inorganic oxide, or an inorganic or organometall~polymer. Steric Effect Substitution of bulky alkyl groups at a carbon double bond decrease the stability constants of n-complexes. The steric effect depends on the position of substitution in the following order: 2 > 4/> 3 > 5 >~ 6 [9, 78]. The small steric effect of the substituent in position 3 can be explained by considerable participation of electronic effect which, for alkyl groups has the opposite influence on stability constants than the steric effect. Electronic Effect The choice of the substituents at the double bond can increase or decrease the stability of the complex according to their electronic nature. For example, the substitution of D for H at the double bond increases the stability of the 7rcomplexes and for Rh 2* even bulk substituents increase the stability of complexes formed. This was called an inverse steric effect The electron-withdrawing effect of C1 on the electrons an aromatic ring causes a decrease in the stability constant of the n-complex of a transition metal with chlorobenzene as compared to the same complex with ethylbenzene Strain Effect:- Due to the large strain of the cyclobutene ring its ~r-complexes are less stable than those with five- and six-membered cycloolefms The Hg 2+ cation forms very strong complexes with olef~ and aromatic hydrocarbons. This is the reason why it applied for the selective retention of such compounds fr0~ hydrocarbon mixtures The stability constants of Hg ~+ complexes with molecules of organic compounds containing oxygen have been

Overwhelmed by Marigolds :: Marigolds

Overwhelmed by Marigolds [ADM1]  Ã‚  Ã‚      I'll be honest; I picked this short story first because of the bright, blooming title, "Marigolds."   But when I read the story, I felt torn, like the marigolds that were when destroyed by Lizabeth[ADM2].   Throughout this story I felt overwhelmed with reality;[ADM3] I was showered with confusion, contradictions, and it seems as though I read this story of harsh truth in a dream.   Lizabeth's character is so close to myself, yet so far away, that I detest her, especially for her furious outrage taken out on a sliver of hope surrounded by despondency, yet I feel compassionate towards her.[ADM4]   I leaped furiously into the mounds of marigolds and pulled madly, trampling and pulling and destroying the perfect yellow blooms.[ADM5]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When she madly demolished the beautiful marigolds, I wanted to scream;[ADM6] she had ruined the only things ravishing[ADM7] and worthwhile, taking her anger and confusion out on something that seemed so perfect.   I felt like the marigolds because far too often I have been in a similar situation.   For example, I play the saxophone well, making it into Wind Ensemble (the highest[ADM8] band) as a freshman.   Many call me "perfect,"[ADM9] and because I can play better than they can, they hate me.   They treat me rudely,[ADM10] and they don't even know me except for my ability to play an instrument.   I feel dejected and trampled over socially because [ADM11]I happen to be able to be gifted in an area.   Some also detest me because of my grades, making assumptions before knowing me [ADM12]that because I get decent grades, I am perfect and too good for everyone.   Instead of seeing past me[ADM13], they make fun of me and put me down for achieving my highest goals.   So when Lizabeth tore at the flowers, smoldering[ADM14] them and killing them because they were full of hope and bloom, which she had none of[ADM15], I felt angry with her for handling her situation in this way.   She killed innocent life that thrived and stood out, because it possessed things that she wanted and that she was being deprived of[ADM16].   Because of this terrible reaction to this scene, I think that it is safe to assume [ADM17]I am not sympathetic towards anyone who hurts others, physically or mentally, for being happier or full of hope or more talented than them because they feel hopeless, fearful, or even feel confused and overwhelmed.

eBay Powerseller Essay -- essays research papers

The secrets of eBay Power Sellers! How to MAKE MONEY on eBay Use this valuable guide as a MONEY MAKING TOOL. Read it from start to finish over and over. The amount of information and wholesale sources you will find seems overwhelming at first, but don’t be intimidated. Take your time and be patient. It is going to take you several days to check out the sites because there are just so many items to choose from. This guide is updated for 2003 and the resources are used by eBay Power Sellers ALL the time. I have been selling on eBay for some time, almost 3 years now. Almost from the beginning, I wondered how Power Sellers obtain products so cheap that they can sell on eBay and STILL MAKE MONEY. Here are THE ANSWERS. Since eBay has millions of users, I don’t feel it’s going to hurt my business to share this easy to read guide. You’ll find it easy to follow and learn the tips & tricks to selling successfully on eBay along with the very best wholesale sources to get you started. REMEMBER! Read this guide over and over again. Check out all the sites and links. It’s amazing to find that you can buy products at incredibly low prices when you know where to get them at true wholesale. SELLING ON EBAY 1. WHAT TO SELL & HOW DO YOU WANT TO SELL IT: It does not have to be something that you enjoy selling, but it is easier to sell something that you would use yourself and that you believe in. I enjoy selling anything that does not earn me a one way ticket to the dark side in the afterlife, (lol), but will make me a profit in the present life. For starters you can purchase antiques, CDs, and just about anything you can imagine at true wholesale prices, and either list them on e-bay, your own website, take them to the flea-market, or your own retail store and make some real money with them. In fact, there many people around the country who have become a â€Å"Wholesale Supplier† themselves. What I mean by this is that they will get a few sample products, head to the flea market or local convenience stores, mark up their samples 10-15 %, and eureka, they are in business. At that point, all they need to do is keep their clients shelves stocked and count their cash!! I will tell you this a few times throughout this guide and remember it†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Do Not Be Afraid To Talk To People. 2. TIMES TO LIST: Never list your items to end during the day, unless you end them on the weeke... ... you will find top-quality merchandise from your favorite name brand companies! You'll also find a great selection with new products added every day. The products are top quality, just like those in the nation's finest department stores, and they're backed by the warranties you expect. Once you get your feet wet, and want to make some international contacts, go to http://www.globalsources.com , and http://www.allproducts.com . Both of these sites will put you in touch with suppliers from all around the globe. Ok, now for the Free To Sell ebook bonus. Simply click on the link below & save it somewhere easy to find on your computer. It is a virus free download. Simply follow the instructions when you execute the saved file. All you need to do is download the main ebook with this link, then download any other titles you wish from within the main ebook!! It is great!! http://huas.net/dlbin/freetosell6.exe These guide & bonuses are fantastic!! They are going to be very helpful to you. We have never had any complaints on this guide and have had many customers thank us over and over for helping them get their online, or retail business started. BEST OF LUCK AND HAVE FUN!!

Western Farmers Dbq

From 1880-1906, western farmers were affected by multiple issues that they saw as threats to their way of life. The main threats to the farmers were railroads, trusts, and the government, because these institutions all had the power to drastically affect the ability of the farmers to make profits. Therefore, the farmers were not wrong to feel frustration toward those institutions when the institutions caused the farmers to live lives of increasingly extreme poverty.The main source of agrarian discontent with the railroads was a result of the rising railroad rates that made it increasingly difficult for the farmers to make a decent living by shipping their crops via freight trains. In a book called The Octopus, a farmer named Dyke planned to ship his hops and was shocked upon discovering that the railroad rate had increased from two cents per pound to five cents per pound, rendering him unable to make any profit at all (Document H).This practice of raising the railroad rates without w arning was unfair to the farmers and made it virtually impossible for any farmer to make a profit by shipping his crops. The farmers were also largely affected by the activity of trusts and banks and the control that trusts exerted on their particular lines of business. In a book by James B. Weaver the argument is made that trusts were in complete control of the situation, having power over both the producer of raw materials and the consumer of the products (Document F).In most cases, the farmers fell under both categories, and the trusts often took full advantage, buying raw goods from farmers at very low prices that made it very difficult for farmers to profit and selling back the completed goods at high prices the farmers could barely afford if at all. The Eastern banking conglomerates were especially powerful due to their ability to call in debts and repossess homes of the farmers. The picture in The Farmer’s Voice, a Chicago newspaper from the late 1880s, depicts the pow er an eastern banker held over the poor western farmers who are unable to pay their bills.The trusts did have an extremely high degree of control with little to no opposition, so the farmers were right to disapprove of trusts and call for legislation to disband them. The government’s actions concerning the inflation of the American dollar were extremely detrimental to the ability of the average farmer to make a living. In president William McKinley’s acceptance speech in 1896 (Document B), McKinley argues that free silver would decrease the value of money, and â€Å"no one suffers so much from cheap money as the farmers and laborers. The decrease in the value of money caused by inflation would make the farmers’ crops almost worthless. The farmers’ complaints regarding the government were valid due to the failure of the government to stop inflation, which is shown in the table comparing the population to the money in circulation (Document C). The amount o f money in circulation increased constantly from 1880 to 1895. It could be argued from the railroads’ point of view that if the prices weren’t increased to keep up with inflation, the railroads would be unable to make profit.In a testimony before the Senate Cullom Committee, George W. Parker, vice-president of the Cairo Short Line Railroad, testified that if the railroads kept their prices at constant levels, they would go bankrupt (Document G). However, the main problem with the railroads the farmers had was not necessarily the rising prices, but the fact that the prices rose without warning. It was extremely difficult to plan shipments and end up making profits. J. Lawrence Laughlin wrote that the farmers are wrong to blame the decrease in prices of wheat on the scarcity of gold (Document E).Laughlin claimed that such a decrease was simply a result of global overproduction of wheat. While he made a valid point, it did not change the fact that wheat prices were still extremely low and the government could still have been at fault. The farmers still had reason to be angry at the government due to the government’s failure to protect the farmers from such a global overproduction by implementing a tariff on foreign wheat and its failure to regulate railroads and trusts, leaving them free to excavate the pockets of the farmers as deeply as they pleased.It was certainly not easy being a western farmer in the late 19th century to the early 20th century. The farmers were complete slaves to the more powerful industries, especially the railroads. The farmers had valid reasons to be discontent with the circumstances. The railroads and other trusts had complete control of the markets and trade systems, while farmers faced constantly rising shipment prices and constantly decreasing crop prices and sales. The government simply stood idly by and watched the farmers be manipulated and taken advantage of by the titans of industry, forcing the farmers into increasingly severe poverty.

Canyon Ranch Essay

1. What is the value of customer information to Canyon Ranch? Ans. To Canyon Ranch, customer information is must in order to implement their business model successfully. The value that it gives to the business is that it understands customer’s unique wants and give alternatives that will allow each guest to rach their individual goals. This is essential for Canyon Ranch to reach its mission to â€Å"inspire people to make healthy living, turning hopes and live into the highest enjoyment of life†. By gathering and sharing guests’ information, Canyon Ranch can assimilate it to â€Å"know and understand their customers, provides loyalty, and cross-sell its offerings† all of which are highly critical to the success of Canyon Ranch. The VP of Marketing was quoted saying â€Å"everyone experiences a different Canyon Ranch; we’ll meet you where you are†. If the company doesn’t know ‘where that is’, they will never be able to live up to this motto. Their customers are looking for a Luxury-like experience, not a ‘Marriott’ experience. They want unique, custom opportunities and to miss the details related to each customer could cost Canyon Ranch their reasonable edge. Canyon Ranch has been regarded as the â€Å"gold standard in the industry. To uphold this standard, they must know their client better than they see themselves. This is only likely to gather and adapt quality customer information. 2. As CIO, how would you make the case for customer relationship management (CRM) and business intelligence (BI) systems at Canyon Ranch? Canyon Ranch is the gold standard in destination spas and enjoys impressive rates that are much higher than other destination spas, but there are marks of increasing competition. Day spas are aligning themselves with medical expert and offered facilities in nutrition, homeopathy, physical therapy and general medical practice. Also some hospitals were starting to provide spa treatments and wellness centers with nutritionists. Canyon Ranch is now faced with demands as to how to raise the business while keeping the fundamental characteristics of Canyon Ranch. From an IT position, Canyon Ranch has basic systems for the business to function although they are not very effective. The CLS based system is used to record transactional data  while client preferences, support incident, rapid response etc. used Guestware. is not integrated well with CLS. The program coordinator, who persisted as the contact person for the quest through their stay, did not always have all of the data ahead of ti me. There is no POS software in the restaurant or the salon, hold up the Ranch of a chance to compile and track sales data. Canyon Ranch’s each business unit is committed on improving the level of customer service and personalization. As a CIO I would make central IT infrastructure so that all the figures is shared at every Canyon Ranch branch so that where every a customer goes he is not treated as new if he has visited it before. Create a Point of Sale software that leads to traceable value of purchase. If any customer wants to just buy a product then he can buy it rather than taking whole services. Increase direct marketing and communication to self decision making software that recognizes the pattern of customer visit and reminds him about his upcoming event to celebrate or take service at Canyon Ranch. 3. What impact would you anticipate these systems to have on the Canyon Ranch strategy and capabilities? Ans. The evolution of IT application such as CRM and BI systems will change the business interaction with customers. Canyon Ranch can enhance their historic reliance on word-of-mouth promotion to expand its customer base through social networking. Though Canyon Ranch has property management system that captures some customer data but implementing CRM and BI will make robust system to periodically survey customers, capture sales data and track services. Such integration can increase repeat customer visit, enhance customer personalization and attract new customers. The implantation of BI will allow company to attract profitability of its three segments : Health and Healing, Hotels and Spas. With this intelligence Canyon Ranch will employ cost saving measures, track inventory and monitor resources. Such system will improve capability and enhance productivity. 4. What advice do you have for Canyon Ranch executives? Ans. In the IT area Canyon Ranch still has space to improve. The first thing is to reduce the cost. Canyon Ranch has 2.5:1 staff-to-guest ratio, it also was the advantage in competition. But this will cost too much, Canyon Ranch can use the information technology to decrease the amount of staffs. Some services can be done by the computer like registration or remind services,  sometimes, the guest want their privacy space, at this time the Canyon Ranch should offer guests options to enjoy their private time. In another aspect, the information system can help the staffs to manage the profile of the customers. When the customer checking in the resort, the system will tell the preferences of each customer to the service provider automatically. These data of preferences can also help the Canyon Ranch provides much more projects that fit for customers. For the new customers, it should have a survey system to get the basic preferences. There should have some self-service machines to provide reserve service to the customers, to help them reserve the private spa service by their own. It will decrease the cost of Canyon Ranch and increase the efficiency. It also can attract more customers back to Canyon Ranch again. Another problem in Canyon Ranch is the separating system. The CLS system is the core system that runs the whole company, but the Guestware and POS software cannot connect to the core system. So the plan above cannot be implementing until this applicability problem solved. The good news is the Canyon Ranch owned the source code of CLS system, and it could be customized easily. Canyon Ranch should work with the develop company of CLS to customize the system. So a centralized system should be make that interlinks every branch and segments within it.