Implication of Oil and Gas Investment in Ghana - 15418 Words

1. O INTRODUCTION The purpose of this chapter is to give an introduction to the motive for selecting the implications and importance of oil and gas investment as the main subject of this project work. The background and history of this project are followed by the subject, providing an introduction to the main theme of this work. The problems for discussion are further presented in order to illustrate the main problems of this study. This chapter was completed by illustrating the structure of this study by presenting a model giving the reader an introduction to the main stages of this project. 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY It is undeniable that oil, christened â€Å"black gold†, fuels the global economy. Oil converted into gas,†¦show more content†¦Investments in technology and the possibility of failure and delay make technology an uncertain factor. 6. Oil price 7. Environmental and livelihood implications of oil and gas investment The study seeks to find out how investors in oil and gas have been able to confront the above problems and also suggest possible recommendations. 1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Broad Aim: The broad aim of the study is to: To assess the implications and importance of oil and gas investment in Ghana. The specific objectives to be achieved are to: †¢ Undertake a comprehensive review and analysis of the oil and gas situation in Ghana. †¢ Analyze Ghana’s most recent oil and gas performance and highlight the specific challenges and constraints. †¢ To ensure transparency in oil and gas exploitation and resource wealth management in Ghana. 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Since independence it has been part of every government s policy to explore Ghana s hydrocarbon deposits. Historically, exploration for oil and gas reserves in Ghana had been very limited due to the high risk nature of its terrain and low oil price environment in 2004 when the Kosmos /E.O group made initial contact with GNPC. Between 1898 to the late nineties an estimated hundred exploration wells had been drilled in Ghana with no significant discovery except for the Saltpond oil find in 1970. Our expert opinion on the recent oil discovery in Ghana is that it should be seen as aShow MoreRelatedTrans-National Corporations Destructive and Immoral Behaviors Behaviors 1098 Words   |  4 Pagesnation. McDonalds, Ford, and Shell are used as common examples for such companies, but today â€Å"smaller companies† are seen using the ever changing economy to expand into global endeavors (Meyar,1996). The appeal of larger markets, greater returns on investment, and overall cheaper pro duction, gives companies the incentive to enter the globalized world. What is not shown in the price these seemingly cheaper enterprises have on environment, political economies, and natural rights. These large companiesRead MoreThe Global Energy System Of Ghana2129 Words   |  9 Pagessystem† (IEA, 2014). Ghana is often considered the beacon in Sub-Saharan Africa with its thriving economy as well as having a relatively stable energy supply. Having predominately three main energy sources (petroleum, hydropower and biomass), biomass is the largest source composing 69% of the energy mix ( ). It is, however, essential to realise the link between the type of available energy systems and sources adopted to the living standards particularly in rural areas. Ghana is a highly dependentRead MoreAfrican Countries And The Quality Of Governance1731 Words   |  7 Pagesraises questions of whether a country with such ethnic diversity as Cameroon (over 240 ethnic groups, according to the website of the Office of the Prime Minister), historically constructed by colonialism, and cursed by its own resources (crude oil, natural gas and petroleum reserves, gold, iron, diamond) can have, enjoy and sustain good governance. At large, we aim at uncovering why bad/poor governance is persistent in Cameroon? In this paper, we address this question through the exploration of scholarlyRead MoreStabilisation in Investment Contracts and Changes of Rules in Host Countries: Tools for Oil Gas Investors34943 Words   |  140 PagesAssociation of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) Stabilisation in Investment Contracts and Changes of Rules in Host Countries: Tools for Oil Gas Investors Peter D Cameron ACIArb PhD (University of Edinburgh), LLB (Joint Honours) (University of Edinburgh) Professor of International Energy Law and Policy CEPMLP, University of Dundee, UK p.d.cameron@dundee.ac.uk FINAL REPORT 5 July 2006  © Copyright Peter D Cameron PDCameron/AIPN/Final Report. 5 July 2006 TableRead MoreAssessment Performance of Public Utility in Nigeria: a Study of Nepa9699 Words   |  39 Pageseconomic. They are faced with weak or perverse incentives for efficient performance since managers are not accountable for their actions. 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In addition to our head office in Singapore, we have research offices in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro and the UK. Performance to 31 October 2012 (%) NAV (USD) Arisaig Asia Consumer Fund1 Arisaig Africa Consumer Fund ArisaigRead MorePopular Approaches to Educational Planning in Developing Countries5698 Words   |  23 Pagesspecific set of goals. Educational planning therefore is a fundamentally technical activity related to decision making process. Its purpose in the context of national educational programme and overall developmental objectives is to assess the implications of alternative sets of policy and thereby help decision makers choose that set which is most appropriate to the specified objectives. Events in the recent years have witnessed an increasing emphasis on the need to design educational policy in relationRead MoreProblems and Prospect of Marketing Petroleum in Nigeria15386 Words   |  62 Pages(Amen). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to use this medium to express my gratitude to all who made my academic pursuit possible. First of such goes to my caring parents MR WOLE BISI ADEOTI ADEKEYE and MRS ALHAJA KUDIRAT ADEKEYE, who bore the financial implication of educating me to the best I can, I say a very big THANKS to them. I owe a considerable vote of thanks to my dynamic, resourcefully and humble supervisor, MR I.B KADIRI, for his constructive, valuable suggestion, useful comments, and corrections

Patient Education A Vital Role For Nurses - 1283 Words

Patient education has been a vital role for nurses. Over the years, the importance of educating patients has shown to improve outcomes and decrease re-hospitalization. With the advancement of technology in patient education, it has shown increase patient engagement and helps patients play and active role in their healthcare. These technologies can be used in the hospital, medical offices, at home and even on mobile devices. This gives several different opportunities to education patients and different ways for the patient to choose how they prefer to receive the information. Information technology helps with patient engagement which improves patient satisfaction, experience and positive outcomes (Patmon, Gee, Rylee Readdy, 2016). These†¦show more content†¦These applications are user friendly and can be personalized for each user. My son uses mySugr Diabetes logbook application. He doesn’t like to use the paper log book and this app helps keep track of his blood suga rs and helps with carb counting. There is an area to write down symptoms and a calculator to help with boluses. There is an option to take a picture of your food to help record your meals. It also provides diabetes education and coaching for goal management. It also comes with blood sugar check reminders. This app is free or go pro for a monthly cost. The Pro version links to some glucometer devices, this would upload blood sugars to the app from your device. For a teenager, it is easy to carry your phone and not have to keep the log book to record blood sugars. This is one more step to becoming more independent with his diabetes care. While we were in the hospital when he was first diagnosed, we received a lot of patient information. Most of the patient information was given by video and some return demonstration. There was very little patient engagement. 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IFRS Compliance and Audit Quality

Question: Discuss about the IFRS Compliance and Audit Quality. Answer: Introduction: The analytical method pertaining to the financial information of DIPL could enable in preparing the audit plan. Such plan could be adjudged as a specific guideline, which is required to be followed during the undertaking of audit. Specifically, this enables the assessor to maintain the overall cost of audit at an effective level, which helps in minimising understanding with the clients (Zureigat 2015). The analytical approach to the financial announcements of DIPL indicates the procedure of information dissemination from the same. Such evaluation method could be conducted by using a group of mechanisms. However, with the help of analytical method of evaluating financial announcements, various financial analysts as well as accountants could decipher information for enabling in arriving at crucial business decisions (Barr-Pulliam et al. 2017). The common sizing analytical method enables in assessing the financial announcements to a common point of reference. As a result, the financial statements could be contrasted in relation to various timeframe or in relation to various entities. The assessors could consider the various item lines depicted in the financial report along with their method of reporting. For instance, the method of registering items like assets, liabilities and owners equity in the financial reporting of the organisation along with investigating digression from usual scenario (Bayer and Cowell 2016). Benchmarking is considered as an analytical process and it could be used further for the assessment of audit plan. The variance of the real financial declaration from the yardstick enables in recognising the deviation and it assists in evaluating the reason of the identified variance. Along with this, ratio analysis could be adjudged as an effective analytical method, which could be used for contrasting financi al declarations coupled with the assessment of audit plan (Bepari and Mollik 2015). Explanation: The outcomes of the planning decisions related to audit planning is influenced primarily through the outcomes of analytical method to disseminate information from the financial reports. The following ratios have been taken into consideration: Particulars 2013 2014 2015 Solvency ratio 0.62 0.44 0.21 Profit margin 0.068 0.60 0.06 Current ratio 1.42 1.46 1.50 The above table signifies that the current ratio of DIPL has increased over the years. On the other hand, the profit margin has been observed as fluctuating over the years. With the help of this ratio, the net profit of an organisation could be compared with the overall revenues generated (Bryce, Ali and Mather 2015). However, this could carry immense value to the assessor in obtaining an overview of whether the expenditures are greater or lower and whether the management of the organisation has the need to reduce budget and overall expenses of the same. Any favourable or unfavourable change in the ratio could be utilised as a referential factor to assess the soundness of financial condition of DIPL. For example, the solvency ratio computed in the above table helps in depicting the favourable as well as unfavourable trends in the overall financial position of the firm. In a similar fashion, the contrast of ratios over the years would provide an insight of clearing both short-term and long-term obligations of the business. Hence, the auditors could gain an insight of the relative position of DIPL over the years along with evaluating the factors leading to undesirable position of the organisation (Cason, Friesen and Gangadharan 2016). Various significant factors are inherent in auditing constituting of incidence of material misstatements in the financial declarations of a particular entity. However, it is inherent that there are various kinds of both systematic and unsystematic risks depicting the way towards financial misstatements in the financial announcements of the organisations. In addition, the identified risks might be because of financial and non-financial factors, which could subsequently avert a particular entity in reflecting a fair view of the financial announcements. According to Devos and Zackrisson (2015), the detected risks might be associated with various risks of omission coupled with risks of various unthinkable errors for a particular bookkeeper. Thus, it could be adjudged as the inherent risk arising from the business operations of DIPL. Besides, the employees of DIPL are inexperienced and lack in proficiency, which have escalated the overall inherent risk of the organisation. In addition, such lack of experience might result in committing mistakes; thus, increasing the inherent risk. This is because the employees form a significant part of the organisation and it is not possible for the firm to ensure its business success and growth in future without effective employee contributions. The other important factors contributing towards inherent risk could be classified into various sections like environmental and external facets, material misstatements in past periods and false exercises (Gani, Wijeweera and Eddie 2017). The environmental facets directing the way towards inherent risk constitutes of rapid alterations where issues would arise associated with inventory valuation, intense competition in the market and lack of capital. Moreover, there is possibility of material misstatements, which would direct DIPL towards inherent risk in the upcoming years. The analysis of the present case of DIPL depicts the fact that the issues and complexities related to CEO succession comprise of inherent risk as well. In essence, the CEO succession could be adjudged as different, as the candidates are individuals (Graham 2015). Hence, the commencement of the process without compliance with the strategy, late initiation of the process, ineffective association of CEO and attrition of the staffs might result in inherent risk. The assessment of the provided case implies that the implementation process of the IT system has lead to certain issues. DIPL has employee shortage for managing the execution process and installation along with conducting the reconciliation and testing primarily before new arrangement at the end of the period. In addition, the initial assessment disclosed that several transactions carried out were not recorded in an appropriate manner. Hence, this results in material misstatement due to inherent factors, which is an error of omission in a particular financial announcement (Gray et al. 2016). The staff members of DIPL are needed to follow an appropriate sequence for registering accounts receivable and ledgers associated with accounts receivable. Along with this, the bank reconciliation is needed to be recorded appropriately as well (Milonas et al. 2016). Furthermore, the registration of revenue obtained from e-book and considering the reprint of textbooks in future could result in various inherent risks because of complexity associated with the process. Thus, the valuation of inventory pertaining to raw materials at average cost is not appropriate, as the average cost is well below the existing cost of paper. The detected inherent risks could be adjudged as the susceptibility of a specific assertion in relation to the material misstatements and they are depicted briefly as follows: Increasing burden on employees and management: Due to the rising burden of work on the staffs of DIPL, it has resulted in inaccurate bookkeeping. As a result, various attributes have happened that include the propensity in encountering cash flows, poor liquidity and operating results (Mumford et al. 2014). Reliability and intricacy are inherent due to risk associated with errors and misrepresentation in a simultaneous fashion. As per the case study, the management of DIPL has lack of integrity and it is expected to be ready for any loss of reputation in the business community. Often, it occurs that there is existence of incentives for the management. As a result, it leads to misstatement in the financial announcements (Nalewaik and Mills 2016). DIPL contributes to growth to major economic and competitive circumstances. In addition, these facets might have influence on the inherent risk of the business entity for the assessment of audit planning structure in an appropriate fashion. In the words of Saad (2014), the fraud risk could result in severe losses of assets due to fraudulent activities. The lack of motivation of the workforce due to additional work pressure of the staffs could induce them to engage in various kinds of fraudulent activities. Along with this, the expectations from the various groups of investors in reporting particular financial results or specifically on the part of the management in achieving particular targets of performance could result in increased fraud risk. Furthermore, strong pressure is exerted on the management of DIPL to announce particular financial results in a bid for averting generating the guarantees. The major types of risks that are identified in the context of the business operations of DIPL are briefly classified as follows: Types of risk Identification Engagement of workforce in fraudulent activities The primary fraud risk that might take place due to the business operations of DIPL is the engagement of the workforce in fraudulent activities because of greater level of employee dissatisfaction. The provided case study pertaining to the operations of DOPL states that the board has exerted heavy pressure on the organisation in acquiring a novel system of accounting. Such additional pressure on the staffs in conducting the installation process of the new information technology system for accounting might result in fraud. This signifies that the staffs might involve in fraudulent behaviours and activities for managing the process of reconciliation in an ineffective fashion and accordingly, material misstatements. The provided case depicts that the ineffective management of the execution process related to implementation of information technology for the system of accounting results in incorrect apportionment of various transactions at the end of the period. As a result, this might lead to severe loss because of material misstatement and fraudulent risk (DeFond and Zhang 2014). Method pertaining to financial reporting Another fraud risk that might confront the business operations of DIPL takes into account the risk related to financial reporting fraud. During certain situations, it has been observed that there is additional expectation from the external financiers or from the management. Such expectation is to achieve the particular targets of performance or other goals in order to qualify to obtain debt. As a result, there is enhanced risk of incorrect financial declarations. According to the balance sheet statement of DIPL provided in the case study, the net revenue of the organisation has increased from the year 2103 to the year 2015. Along with this, both the gross income and net income of the organisation have increased in tandem as well. Furthermore, the current assets and overall assets of the organisation DIPL have escalated as well. However, the provided case signifies that during the year 2015, DIPL has made a loan acquisition of $7.5 million, the major part of which has been obtained from BDO Finance. Apart from this, the provided case depicts that the loan obtained has a particular agreement of loan requiring DIPL in maintaining a current ratio of nearly 1.5 along with debt-equity of below 1. This depicts that such need might compel the organisation in maintaining the financial ratio for acquiring the credit terms. Hence, this might result in fraudulent activities, which could to lead inaccurate depiction of the financial position. As a result, the failure of the organisation in maintaining the standard yardsticks could make the organisation ineligible in acquiring funds from BDO Finance. Based on the provided case study, it could be remarked that the method of valuation associated with valuation of inventory of various raw materials at specifically average cost has not been appropriate. This is because of the fact that the average cost has been considerably lower in contrast to the existing paper cost. The risk of detecting fraudulent actions associated with implementing the new system pertaining to information technology could be conducted by monitoring various activities at various phases. The risk associated with financial reporting could be identified by conducting dissection of the financial statements on the part of the assessors along with reviewing the mechanisms of control over time (Stephenson et al. 2015). Benchmarking is considered as an analytical process and it could be used further for the assessment of audit plan. The variance of the real financial declaration from the yardstick enables in recognising the deviation and it assists in evaluating the rea son of the identified variance. References: Barr-Pulliam, D., Nkansa, P., Walker, K., appreciate helpful comments from Helen, W., Brown-Liburd, A.G. and Stefaniak, C., 2017. From Compliance to Strategy: Using the Three Lines of Defense Model to Evaluate and Motivate Internal Audit Contributions to Accounting Research. Bayer, R. and Cowell, F., 2016. Tax compliance by firms and audit policy.Research in Economics,70(1), pp.38-52. Bepari, M.K. and Mollik, A.T., 2015. Effect of audit quality and accounting and finance backgrounds of audit committee members on firms compliance with IFRS for goodwill impairment testing.Journal of Applied Accounting Research,16(2), pp.196-220. Bryce, M., Ali, M.J. and Mather, P.R., 2015. Accounting quality in the pre-/post-IFRS adoption periods and the impact on audit committee effectivenessEvidence from Australia.Pacific-Basin Finance Journal,35, pp.163-181. Cason, T.N., Friesen, L. and Gangadharan, L., 2016. Regulatory performance of audit tournaments and compliance observability.European Economic Review,85, pp.288-306. DeFond, M. and Zhang, J., 2014. A review of archival auditing research.Journal of Accounting and Economics,58(2), pp.275-326. Devos, K. and Zackrisson, M., 2015. Tax compliance and the public disclosure of tax information: An Australia/Norway comparison.eJournal of Tax Research,13(1), p.108. Gani, I., Wijeweera, A. and Eddie, I., 2017. Audit Committee Compliance and Company Performance Nexus: Evidence from ASX Listed Companies.Business and Economic Research,7(2), pp.135-145. Graham, L., 2015.Internal Control Audit and Compliance: Documentation and Testing Under the New COSO Framework. John Wiley Sons. Gray, S.E., Sekendiz, B., Norton, K., Dietrich, J., Keyzer, P., Coyle, I.R. and Finch, C., 2016. The development and application of an observational audit tool for use in Australian fitness facilities.Journal of Fitness Research,5(1), p.29. Milonas, A., Hutchinson, A., Charlesworth, D., Doric, A., Green, J. and Considine, J., 2016. Post resuscitation management of cardiac arrest patients in the critical care environment: A retrospective audit of compliance with evidence based guidelines.Australian Critical Care. Mumford, V., Greenfield, D., Hogden, A., Debono, D., Gospodarevskaya, E., Forde, K., Westbrook, J. and Braithwaite, J., 2014. Disentangling quality and safety indicator data: a longitudinal, comparative study of hand hygiene compliance and accreditation outcomes in 96 Australian hospitals.BMJ open,4(9), p.e005284. Nalewaik, A. and Mills, A., 2016.Project Performance Review: Capturing the Value of Audit, Oversight, and Compliance for Project Success. CRC Press. Saad, N., 2014. Tax knowledge, tax complexity and tax compliance: Taxpayers view.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,109, pp.1069-1075. Stephenson, M., Mcarthur, A., Giles, K., Lockwood, C., Aromataris, E. and Pearson, A., 2015. Prevention of falls in acute hospital settings: a multi-site audit and best practice implementation project.International Journal for Quality in Health Care,28(1), pp.92-98. Zureigat, Q.M., 2015. IFRS compliance and audit quality: evidence from KSA.International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation,11(2), pp.188-201.

The Mozart Effect free essay sample

Have you ever hear the old saying Mozart makes babies smarter? Can a mother simply playing Mozart while the Infant sleeps actually increase her babys brain function? Well there Is now evidence that this once perceived old wives tale Is actually true. The studies done to prove this seemingly bizarre event have deemed it, The Mozart Effect. The Mozart Effect is a set of research results that indicate that listening to Mozart music may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks known as spatial-temporal reasoning.Spatial-temporal reasoning is the ability to visualize mental pictures of spatial patterns and mentally changing them over a time-ordered sequence of spatial transformations. This ability Is Important for generating and conceptualizing solutions to multi-step problems that arise in areas such as architecture, engineering, science, mathematics, art, games, and everyday life (Definition of Spatial-Temporal Reasoning). Major studies have been conducted on this theory, and the lead enthusiast and founder of this study was DRP. We will write a custom essay sample on The Mozart Effect or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Alfred A. Tomatos. The concept of the Mozart effect was described by French researcher, DRP. Tomatos, In his 1991 book Pours Mozart? He used the music of Mozart In his efforts to retrain the ear, and believed that listening to the music presented at differing frequencies helped the ear, and promoted healing and the development of the brain (Tomatos). Another enthusiast was J. S. Jenkins.His beliefs came from a study in 1993, that was conducted by Earaches which made the surprising claim that, after listening to Mozart sonata for two pianos (KICK) for 10 minutes, normal subjects showed improvement in spatial reasoning skills than after periods of listening to relaxation Instructions designed to lower blood pressure or silence. The mean spatial IQ scores were 8 and 9 points higher after listening to the music than In the other two conditions. The mentally stimulating effect did not extend beyond 10-15 minutes. These results proved controversial.Some investigators were unable to reproduce the findings, but others confirmed that listening to Mozart sonata KICK produced a small increase in spatial-temporal performance, as measured by various tests derived from the Stanford-?Blunt scale such as paper-cutting and folding procedures or pencil-and-paper maze tasks (Jenkins, 1-2). However, Earaches has stressed that the Mozart effect is limited to spatial temporal re asoning and that there is no enhancement of general intelligence; some of the negative results, she thinks, may have been due to inappropriate test procedures (Earaches, 365). One major study conducted by Earaches, with three to four year old pre-school children the original experiments on adults exposed to Mozart music were of short duration only. In related experiments, long-term effects of music were studied In groups of pre-school children aged 3-4 years who were given keyboard music lessons for SIX months, ruing which time they studied pitch intervals, fingering techniques, sight reading, musical notation and playing from memory. At the end of training all the children were able to perform simple melodies by Beethoven and Mozart.When they did they were then subjected to spatial-temporal reasoning tests calibrated for age, and their performance was more than 30% better than that of children of similar age given limited to spatial-temporal reasoning; there was no effect on spatial recognition. The effect lasted unchanged for 24 hours after the end of the music lessons but the recipe duration of the enhancement was not further explored. The longer durati on of the effects than in previous reports was attributed to the length of exposure to music and the greater plasticity of the young brain.In further experiments of this kind it has been claimed that the enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning in Children after piano training has resulted in significantly greater scores in higher mathematics (Earaches Music training causes long-term enhancement of preschool Childrens spatial-temporal reasoning). Although some are skeptical and hesitant to believe that simply music can have such a powerful impact, studies, such as the ones listed above, are unanimous in stating that an infant who listens to Mozart has increased brain function.This increased brain function leads to a surplus of short-term and long-term benefits. One can see how this theory is affirmed by the immense amount of studies done that show the various benefits of listening to Mozart. Some of these studies even involve adolescents listening to some of Mozart sonatas. Another way is to analyze hat it is about Mozart sonatas in particular that stimulate the brain function as opposed to other classical composers. The last way one can affirm the Mozart Effect IS discussing how piano lessons at an early age can also improve brain function and Increase the chances of long-term benefits.The Mozart Effect was first introduced in 1993 by the scientists at the University of California at Irvine. This study was not on infants however. The study consisted of college students listening to Mozart sonata for two pianos (KICK) for ten minutes showed significantly better spatial reasoning skills than after periods of listening to relaxation instructions designed to lower blood pressure or silence. The study resulted in a mean spatial IQ score of 8 and 9 points higher after listening to the music than in the other two conditions. The effect was only short-term; it lasted only ten to fifteen minutes.These results proved controversial. Other researchers were unable to reproduce the findings but others confirmed the theory that listening to Mozart sonata KICK produced a small increase in spatial-temporal performance. These improvements were measured by various tests derived from the Stanford-? nineteen scale such as paper-cutting and folding procedures or pencil-and-paper maze asks. Earaches has stressed that the Mozart effect is only limited to spatial temporal reasoning and that there is no enhancement of general intelligence; some of the negative results, she thinks, could be attributed to inappropriate test procedures Jenkins).Many have criticized these positive findings in saying that these effects are due to the enjoyment arousal and that these same findings would not be present if the subject had no appreciation for classical music. These opinions of the effect are countered by a study done on rats by the University of Wisconsin in 1998. Rats were exposed in utter plus 60 days post-part to either complex music (Mozart Sonata k. 448)), minimalist music (a Philip Glass composition), white noise or silence, and Newer then tested for five days in a multiple T-maze.By Day 3, the rats exposed to the Mozart work completed the maze more rapidly and with fewer errors than the rats Irish suggests that repeated exposure to complex music induces improved spatial- te mporal learning in rats, resembling results found in humans. This proves that music appreciation and enjoyment has little to nothing to do with the improvement f the subjects (Earaches Improved maze learning through early music exposure in rats). A more impressive indication off Mozart effect is seen in epilepsy.In 23 of 29 patients with focal discharges, or bursts of generalized spike and wave complexes, No listened to the Mozart piano sonata KICK there was a significant decrease in epileptic activity as shown by the electroencephalogram (EGG). Some individual patients showed especially striking improvement. In one male, a status epileptics No was unconscious for the study, octal patterns were present 62% of the time, Inheres during exposure to Mozart music this value fell to 21%.In two other patients with status epileptics continuous bilateral spike and wave complexes were recorded 90-100% of the time before the music, suddenly falling to about 50% 5 minutes after the music began. The fact that improvement took place in a comatose patient demonstrates, once again, that the appreciation of the music is not a necessary attribute for the success of the Mozart effect Oneness, 7). To determine Neither this music could exert a l onger effect, studies were conducted in an eight- [ear-old girl with a particularly intractable form of childhood epilepsy, the Lennox-?Gestalt syndrome, with many drop attacks accompanied by bilateral spike and wave complexes and focal discharges from the right posterior temporal area. Mozart sonata was played every ten minutes for each hour of the day when she was awake. At the end of the waking period the number of clinical seizures had fallen from nine during the initial four hours to one during the last four hours and the number of seconds during which general discharges occurred fell from three hundred and seventeen to one hundred and seventy-eight. The following day the number of attacks was two in seven and half hours Oneness, 8).As one can see the effects of existing to Mozart can increase brain function, which increases brain performance. So given the information listening to Mozart can cause one to be more alert and focused. But why Mozart? What is so special about Mozart sonatas as opposed to other classical composers such as Chopin, Beethoven, and Brahms? Most researchers have used Mozart double piano sonata (KICK), which the Mozart authority Alfred Einstein called one of the most profound and most mature of all Mozart compositions, but his piano conce rto no. 3 in A major KICK also proved to be effective. Some investigators observed that no enhancement of spatial temporal sets was seen after the minimalist music of Philip Glass and there was no Improvement in epileptic EGG tracings after old-time pop music. Iridous, however, report that a contemporary composition by the Greek-American musician Vain, was also successful. This is suggested to be so because his works are similar to Mozart in tempo, harmony, melody, and structure.In an attempt to determine the hysterical characteristics, which were responsible for the Mozart effect, Hughes and Finn subjected a wide range of music to computer analysis. The purpose of this study Nas to determine distinctive aspects of Mozart music that may explain the Mozart Effect, specifically, the decrease in seizure activity. As many as eighty-one musical selections of Mozart, but also sixty-seven of J. C. Bach, thirty-nine of Chopin and one quantify the music in search of any distinguishing piece and later to ascertain the degree to which a prevailing periodicity could be found.Long-term periodicity illegally 10-60 sec, mean and median of 30 sec), was found often in Mozart music but also that of the two Bachs, considerably more often than the other composers and was especially nonexistent in the control music that had no effect on epileptic activity in preceding studies. Short-term periodicities were not radically different between Mozart and the Bachs vs.. The other composers. The conclusion is that one distinguishing aspect of Mozart music is long-term periodicity that may well resonate Nothing the cerebral cortex and may also be related to coding within the brain Shushes).Another resemblance between the music of Mozart and the two Bachs was the accent on the average power of particular notes, notably 63 (196 Hazy), CA (523 Hazy) and 85 (987 Hazy). In contrast, Philip Glass modest music and the old-time pop music, Inch had both proved without effect on spatial behavioral tasks or on epilepsy, wowed little long-term periodicity. It is suggested that music with a high degree of long-term periodicity, whether of Mozart or other composers, would resonate within the brain to reduce seizure activity and improve spatial-temporal performance Jenkins 10).The third and final point is based on the study that was conducted with the pre-school aged children. Though previous studies were performed with adults, this is the first notated test with children, and also the first test that was carried out for a long period of time. The test was over a six-month trial period during which dents studied pitch intervals, fingering techniques, sight-reading, musical notation and playing from memory. At the end of training all children were able to perform simple melodies by Beethoven and Mozart Oneness, 5).When the test for spatial temporal activity w as conducted it showed that these students had 30% more activity n their brain as opposed to a student, same age, who had computer or no special training that they were involved in. This test was conducted only for spatial reasoning and not recognition in which these students excelled from the other average students with no musical teachings. The improvements lasted for a full 24 hours, but it was not further monitored. The researches go on to say that students that are Involved in playing piano have significantly higher scores in advanced mathematics Jenkins, 5).It is safe to assume that any piano teacher and student would agree with these statements. Music is an art that not only interacts with ones feelings and the Nay one plays an instrument, but it involves a lot of brain functions, especially for pianists. Pianists develop a high-level of energies from their brain to their arms, because of the rigorous activity that involves reading the music and not looking at Our hands while they play. That is Just one of the many aspects that shows brain function for pianists. But to carry out the thesis, from a pianists perspective, due to practice habits and the complexity of music, pianists are to comprehend more in the general education classes at college. The art of piano has teaches one patience and discipline. It is shown that math comes to music students a lot easier than other students who do not have a similar musical background. As for students that are punier and other students that are not musically talented or musically oriented, hey are highly intelligent. Though none have been under a spatial-temporal test, there is without a doubt, evidence that piano helps with higher education.A recent She has been a piano student all her life. Though not all piano students are going to excel in the same area, studies and personal accounts such as the one listed above prove that due to the study in music, there is excel in different areas outside of music due to the fine art that are studied. The Mozart Effect, fact or fiction? While there is significant evidence stating that the successful studies were Just simply a fluke and Mozart really has no effect on the human brain, there are studies that promptly recant these inconsistencies.For example, in the first ever lab study done on college students, skeptics claim that the results could never be repeated for accuracy and that the students simply enjoyed listening to Mozart. First, many, many more studies have since been done and have also produces successful results, at least an eight to nine point increase in the spatial IIS of the subjects and better performance on an exam. As far as the claim that the subjects simply enjoyed listening to the music and ad previously acquired and appreciation for Mozart, a test was performed on an epileptic individual who was at that point in time in a comatose state.This study also produced successful results in that the epileptic activity was significantly reduced. Here we have the cl aim of enjoyment and appreciation countered because improvement was noticed in a patient who was unconscious during the playing of music so, therefore, the appreciation and enjoyment is not a valid argument on the Aladdin of the Mozart effect. Mozart lyrical approach and use of tone, harmony, and pitch are what set him above all other composers for these studies. Granted Bach is a close second along with Greek-American composer Yang because of their musics similarities to Mozart sonatas.Mozart sonatas have a calming effect and are easy on the ears, even for those not musically oriented or with little to no appreciation for classical music. One can also see that not only listening to Mozart but also playing his pieces and learning the basics of music theory increases brain activity in Children. Learning to play the piano helps with the development of hand-eye coordination because students dont look down at their hands when they are trying to read music. Music lessons not only help with brain function but acquiring good study habits and learning patience and discipline.Playing the piano takes many years of practicing to master and a lot of dedication. Students of music can apply this discipline in a similar way to their academic studies. Learning, although it may not seem so to some, takes time and patience. One has to work at reading the Information and successfully storing it in to ones long-term memory as to not forget it, Just as one has to work on memorizing a piece and the different chords on the piano. There is so much debate over whether the Mozart effect is true or Just a chem. by consumers to get you to spend money on their Mozart Effect CDC. But why is this a huge deal?What does it really matter, other than the intriguing fact of how this could be possible? There are some studies out there that do prove it wrong but there are some that prove it true. What is the harm in Just playing Mozart sonata while your infant sleeps? Its worth a shot. Granted the manufacturers charging twenty and thirty dollars for a Mozart Effect CD is a bit ridiculous but, one can find his sonata on tunes for only about two dollars with tax. If it doesnt work hen what have you lost? A couple dollars maybe but one hasnt wasted any time with It because it is played while in slumber.Worst-case scenario is that the child gains an Whether the Mozart Effect is true or false is a matter of opinion. Studies are done to prove it right and studies are done to prove otherwise. There is however significant evidence in lab studies, in Mozart distinguishing music, and in those that have musical lessons at an early age that shows a significant improvement in normal brain function and even in epileptic children as well. There may not be enough evidence to andante the Mozart effect but there is certainly enough evidence to try it out for oneself. Bibliography Anderson, DRP.

To Kill A Mockingbird The Brave Jem free essay sample

To Kill A Mockingbird: The Brave Jem Finch Essay, Research Paper To Kill A Mockingbird: The Brave Jem Finch The book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, has manycharacters and subjects. The chief subjects are racism and theinteraction of coloured and white people in the South. The settingis Maycomb County, Alabama. The chief characters are the Finchfamily ; father Atticus, girl and narrater Jean Louise ( Scout ) , and her older brother, Jem Finch. Jem was a courageous male child. He was brave plenty to stand up and make the things he had to, even if they scared him. An illustration is when he had to assist bring around Mrs. Dubose # 8217 ; s drug job. The following Monday Jem and I climbed the steep front stairss to Mrs. Dubose # 8217 ; s house # 8230 ; # 8221 ; # 8220 ; So, you brought that dirty small sister of yours, did you? # 8221 ; was her recognizing. Jem said softly, # 8220 ; My sister International Relations and Security Network # 8217 ; t dirty and I ain # 8217 ; t scared of you, # 8221 ; although I noticed his articulatio genuss agitating. We will write a custom essay sample on To Kill A Mockingbird The Brave Jem or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Jem Finch # 8217 ; s courage had many ways of demoing itself. He frequently got frightened but he didn # 8217 ; t want anyone ( particularly Scout ) to cognize it. He would frequently make things even if he truly didn # 8217 ; t want to, because he was courageous and proud. This pride was for himself and his fa mily.His male parent was really of import to him ; Jem thought it was his dutyto stick up for his male parent when others in the town said thingsabout him. # 8220 ; Jem, # 8221 ; he said, # 8220 ; are you responsible for this? # 8221 ; # 8220 ; Yes sir. # 8221 ; # 8220 ; Why # 8217 ; vitamin D you do it? # 8221 ; Jem said quietly, # 8220 ; She said you lawed for niggas and trash. # 8221 ; Jaish-i-mohammeds courage was besides apparent in other character traits ; emotions were a big portion of his life. Because Atticus was a attorney, Jem frequently went to the tribunal room and noticed the assortment ofstrong emotions that are invoked by the force per unit area and atmosphere ofthe courtroom. Jems bravery makes him witting of his emotionsand he doesn # 8217 ; t ever want others to cognize how he feels. Scoutknows that he ever waits until he thinks it is the right clip toreveal his emotions. # 8220 ; I can acquire the janitor to allow you in # 8230 ; Scout? # 8221 ; # 8220 ; Hm? # 8221 ; # 8220 ; Nothing. # 8221 ; Jem hadn # 8217 ; T started like that in a long clip. Merely as the secret plan is really complex and can # 8217 ; t be described in one sentence, so are the characters. A chief character like Jem Finchis really complex and it would be impossible to lucubrate on all ofhis traits in merely one page. Jems courage is evident in hislifestyle, his pride, and his emotions. The Brave Jem Finch

The eNotes Blog Explaining the Kindle toDickens

Explaining the Kindle toDickens Recently, Rachel Walsh, an illustration student at the Cardiff School of Art and Design, was given the following project: Explain something modern/internet based to someone who lived and died before 1900. Cardiff chose the Kindle and to explain it to Charles Dickens. She took forty books Dickens either wrote, were among his noted favorites, and a few books of her own selection she thought he would enjoy. Then she painstakingly created miniatures of each work, rendering their covers in minute detail, carved small portals into a regular sized book and placed each tiny tome in the spaces. That way, she could show Dickens how an eReader stores dozens (in reality, hundreds) of books in a single slim volume. What else might we explain about our modern/connected world to someone who died before the turn of the twentieth century? Here are some suggestions from loyal Official Blog readers: Explaining Farmville to John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) How do you explain the thrills of virtual farming to the man who single-handedly, and largely on foot, populated the American Midwest with apple trees? Explaining Wikipedia to Noah Webster I wonder how Webster, called the Father of American Scholarship and Education, would feel about this equal-access encyclopedia. Maybe hed be fine with it, but I have my doubts Explaining Match.com to Jane Austen Somehow I do not think Ms. Austen would be amused. Explaining Google Earth to Christopher Columbus Native Americans probably wish this had been around. Explaining Modern Crime Scene Forensics to Sherlock Holmes (Okay, we know Holmes is a fictional character, but you get the idea.) How about you?   Wed love to hear what sorts of modern marvels you might try to explain to a person living before 1900. What would your pairing be?

Telework Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Telework - Term Paper Example From this paper, it is clear that employers of the companies may feel a split among their employees because there is a feeling of alienation among those, who are working at home and those, who are working in the office. A lack of visual control over teleworkers is one of the main preventive factors for employers in order to evaluate whether an employee spends his time effectively or not. The economies of the companies gain benefits from telework in case the level of â€Å"downtime† is decreased among teleworkers. In spite of the findings that environment gains benefits and there is a smaller number of cars and different means of transportation commuting, teleworkers have more free time and during this time they may travel or go by car wherever they want. There is also reduction of taxes paid by the companies in case they are free from the option of renting and that will take money from the national economy for sure.As far as we can see, there are more positive issues about tel ework than negative ones. Telework is a perfect option for the modern business world to satisfy the needs of employees, employers and the government. Balanced work relations among employers, employees and support groups lead to high levels of satisfaction from telework. The benefits of telecommuting outweigh the costs and we can talk about the increase of efficient work, growing levels of productivity and reductions in real estate costs, numerous environmental benefits, greater work flexibility and many others.... Moreover, it should be noted, that the option of telecommuting is relevant both to large and small firms and businesses. In accordance with the survey, conducted in 2009: â€Å"At companies with between 1,000 and 4,999 employees surveyed last year, an average of 16% of employees telecommute one or more days per week, compared with an average of 14% of employees at firms with between 5,000 and 19,999 employees, and an average of 18% of those working for organizations with 20,000 or more employees† (Brownlee 2009, p. 2). Moreover, there is a greater opportunity for employees, who often telecommute, to travel to different countries regularly. The highest percentage is found in the North America. Benefits for companies There are numerous advantages for the companies, which implement telecommuting. In spite of the fact that there are essential benefits, many businesses are afraid of cost of supporting telecommuting, which is too high. There is a need to hire IT specialists and crea te IT groups in order to support telework. More innovative and risk-taking businesses realize advantages of telework (Vega, 2003). They are able to send millions of dollar a year on real estate, because they provide their employees with an opportunity to work at home. Moreover, the levels of employee productivity are also essential. Managers underline that it is more convenient for them not to interrupt offline work and thus it is the right way to work delivery, especially in cases of urgency. First of all, there is a need for organizations to establish written telecommuting policy. It should be reviewed and corrected by IT specialists, financial department and human resource department. The majority of the companies and organizations correlate the

Opening a new sport shop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Opening a new sport shop - Essay Example Scott McPherson is starting out as a small-scale businessman, testing his market and value chain before going full blast into an entire chain of stores. McPherson must therefore start out with a single store and expand gradually after that after gaining a stronger foothold on the business. The choice of a business should be one that has a quick cash cycle that would turn over sales at a relatively fast pace, but which has the potential of growing to a chain of store catering to retail sale of consumer goods. For this purpose, a sports retail business would be a good enterprise for McPherson, whose twenty years as secondary school teacher would have kept him abreast of the various sports events at least in the school level. The appeal and demand for sports and outdoors gear and equipment has a stable market because of the strong interest in sports and fitness. An image attaches to being associated with a healthy lifestyle, even if it be conveyed by one’s clothes or footwear. Fi nally, sports activity is usually complemented by a desire for healthy and nutritious A comprehensive analysis of the sports retail sector follows: SWOT ANALYSIS The SWOT analysis is a helpful tool for formulating the strategic plan of a business. It identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the firm and juxtaposes this against the opportunities and threats in the environment, maximizing strengths for opportunities and minimizing weaknesses to avoid the threats. The SWOT analysis for McPherson’s store chain follows: STRENGTHS A source of strength is the familiarity of McPherson with secondary schools’ sports programs, and his contacts with sports teachers and program directors in the different schools. It should be recalled that McPherson’s twenty year history as a secondary school teacher would have created friendships that would be useful for his business, from a relational point of view. Another strength of McPherson’s business would be its financial stability, having skipped the period of economic crisis which had ruined or weakened the finances of many small (and large-scale) businesses. OPPORTUNITIES A good number of schools and universities located in the South England area provide a lucrative market, which could still expand and absorb additional supply despite the existence of other stores. Retail customers are in constant search of new shops which may provide better product offerings, or better terms of sale. A further opportunity presenting itself is the growing interest in new media sports, where indoor digital sports consoles games enable persons interested in keeping fit but without the

Software to support assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Software to support assessment - Essay Example I would also have the ability to look at the students’ quiz and test scores, as well as time spent in answering individual questions and how much time was spent in finishing the test. Results from the assessment would aid me in the identification of the areas that students did not comprehend satisfactorily. Following the analysis of the results, it is easy to reconstruct the methods of teaching that would allow me, as an educator, to teach lessons in a way that the students can comprehend (Russell 1). Formative assessment is embedded, typically, within the process of instruction. A simple way of defining formative assessment is that it is used during instructions. It can be utilized to determine the topics or needs that require addressing with a student. It can be used to identify gaps in what has been learnt and the reason they are struggling (Hickey 1). It includes homework, tests, and interaction with the students. For instance, discussions can include allowing children to put down questions and answers before learning topics. One very valuable component of this assessment process is descriptive feedback where, using technology, the teacher can point out the areas the student did well in, as well as offering suggestions for specific improvement. Summative assessment, on the other hand, is given to students following specific instruction points to measure how they understand a subject. Various examples include final and midterm exams, interim or districts tests, standardized state exams, and high stakes exams (Hickey 1). They can be utilized for checking subject mastery after a few months or weeks. Technology can be used send questions to parents to conduct summative assessment using provided questions. Use of technology to assess student learning has various advantages. First, it can improve authenticity, as well as alignment with outcomes of learning. TEA can take many forms and the flexibility of design allows for the assessment of a wide array of c ompetencies and skills. It also provides the educator with opportunities to replicate tasks expected of students in a workplace in an environment that is risk free (Penuel & Yarnall 1). Secondly, it also helps in the clarification of marking criteria. Virtual learning environments allow the educator to present criteria for assessment in the module, which ensures the criteria, is accessible and transparent. Thirdly, it spreads, for students and staff, the assessment load. TEA eases resource re-use and repurposing while enabling automatic marking that reduces the workload. Finally, it improves engagement with students, as well as the promotion of deeper learning. Technology used in assessment-enhancement enables diverse methods to be used in improving grades, allow frequent formative assessment, and support active learning (Penuel & Yarnall 1). However, TEA use has a number of disadvantages. One major issue in the implementation has to do with cost in terms of effort, time, and money that should be weighed against pedagogic benefits (Penuel & Yarnall 1). There are also issues with accessibility as most staff and students’ digital literacy is not on a level playing field, making some uncomfortable in using TEA. Special students’

Supplier Relationship Management In Todays Increasing Economic Environment Business Essay

Supplier Relationship Management In Todays Increasing Economic Environment Business Essay Abstract In todays increasing economic environment, organisations are looking for new techniques to improve their competitive advantage. The focus of my research is in the area of purchasing which have now become a strategic function and a key reason in positioning competitively among all other competitors. The paper discusses that in recent years, the relationships between buyers and suppliers have been continuously receiving a considerable attention for effective operations within organisations. Traditionally, supplier-buyer relationships were regarded as adversarial, arms length transactions. However, the approach towards managing this relationship is changing and moving towards a more collaborative approach due to the fact that now suppliers are important sources to gain competitive advantage to operate in global markets in terms of their expertise, knowledge and ability of sharing risks. [Research paper Journal] The research aims to provide an understanding of supplier relationship management, factors of supplier evaluation and selection process, and the elements that contribute to the establishment of a productive customer/vendor relationships. Such a study is important for buyers to build and maintain effective relationships with their suppliers for consistent cost reductions while working together to mutually create revenues and other benefits. The paper recommends that this information may work as a reference guideline for buyers when initiating cooperative relationships with their supply sources resulting in advanced purchasing and strategic supply chain management in their organisation. The research method adopted in this dissertation is secondary exploring various business journals, business websites, textbooks and articles. Due to continuous new product developments, product innovations and increase in costs, managing supplier relationships will further become crucial in the near future. Due to this reason, therefore, this paper discusses the requirement of supplier relationships and how this shift in organisational strategy towards building relations has and will going to change the employees role, companys processes and organisational goals. The findings from this research provides an evidence of how companies have improved their supply chain operations through understanding the importance to develop effective supplier relationships as part of their core business activity for not only to achieve success within procurement department but also to successfully complete other supply chain cycle such as maintaining production flow at all times, planning accurately, inventory handling, logistical issues and achieving financial benefits. Examples included findings from large organisations of Hong Kong, Rolls Royce, GE, and Japanese firm Toyota. The main conclusion that can be drawn from this research is that every organisation must emphasise the need to actually develop world class suppliers that helps in building long-term relationships, reduction in costs, improved QCDS (quality, cost, delivery and service) criteria, improved customer service, mutual information sharing, reducing the NPI (new product inspection) costs and becoming world class organisation in the market. Introduction Nowadays, the majority of Organisations believe that their companys real assets are embedded in the quality of the relationships shared between the business and their stakeholders such as clients or customers, employees and suppliers. Developing and managing supplier relationship will be the main subject throughout this project. The objective of this research is to investigate the importance of the need to focus more on building collaborative relationships with their strategic suppliers by large manufacturing companies. With increase in globalisation and restructuring of several organisations, procurements role has changed focusing more towards costs, quality, flexibility and technology. [Herbig and OHara, 1995; Goh and Lau, 1999] In the previous years (traditionally), purchasing was considered as a secretarial function in which the buyer-supplier relationships were viewed as being adversarial and unsurprisingly results in a win/lose outcome. Before, business operations from manufacturing to assembling the finished goods were prepared in-house but now many organisations have moved towards a more combined approach where manufacturing firms have started concentrating more on their core competencies only and rest outsourcing nationally and internationally to satisfy their customer expectations. Organisations are going lean i.e. working towards continuous improvement, adopting just-in time and total quality management and eliminating wastes. This highlighted the requirement for most of the lean organisations to grow cooperative supplier-buyer relationships to achieve real productivity, improved design and quality that are unattainable unless the supplying partners assist in product innovation. Hence, several manufacturers have recognized their ability to become world class competitors based on establishing high levels of trust and cooperation among their suppliers. [They and Briggs (1994)] For example, highlighting the case of Rolls Royce, the engine manufacturer, that outsources 70% of their material from external supply chain and thats the reason Rolls Royce try to encourage their suppliers to work openly and jointly contributing to their performance. Rolls Royce belief in building good supplier relationships assures quality and competitiveness to their product offerings and helps to achieve customer standards. The growing face of domestic and global competition has led to understand the manufacturing companies to practise global sourcing which is a strategy to improve companies competitiveness in the international market through reducing costs, improving quality, increased exposure to universal technology, and improving delivery and reliability. A connection or association is known as a relationship. Relationships are said to be when individuals, organisations and internal or external groups to an enterprise interact. At recent times, relationship marketing describes long-term marketing strategy that emphasise on building and maintaining long-term relationships with customers rather than just focusing on one-time sale approach. At business level, relationship marketing is applied to variety of purchasing supplier relationships in the context of a broader network of interconnected purchasing, supplier and competitor organisations. Supplier relationship is defined as a systematic approach to supplier evaluation, selection and ongoing relationship management with the goal of cutting the costs of goods and services boosting profits. Supplier relationship management is a proactive approach of an ongoing business links to secure a competitive advantage within the organisation, focusing more on overall relationships between the supplier and the customer (buying organisation) rather than focusing on specific contracts. The idea is to develop trust and understanding of each others requirements and interests while providing assistance to each other. For example, Rolls Royce sends their experts to their sub-contract suppliers to improve their technology and performance standards. Such relationships bring profit and provide competitive advantage. [http://www.ogc.gov.uk/process_supplier_performance_and_contract_management_6368.asp] Today, most of the companies have realised that doing business jointly with their strategic suppliers will enhance their organisational ability to respond quickly to demand changes, focus on core business only and hence, results in implementing best practises. For example, Rolls Royce believes their supplier make very essential contribution to their business performance as over 70% of their manufacturing costs comes from external supply sources. focus more on their core competencies such as encouraging suppliers to work with transparency, openly and together to enhance continuous improvements. rather than Small to Medium size Enterprises and many local businesses use Transactional Purchasing whereas Large Enterprises use Relationship Purchasing to compete strongly in this economic climate. Transactional Purchasing Relationship purchasing Focus on short, discrete purchasing Focus on supplier retention Short-term orientation Long-term orientation Arms length Closeness Simple buyer-seller relationship Complicated, including internal relationships Emphasis on price, quality and delivery in the offered product No Innovation Emphasis on price, quality, delivery other factors, like innovative design as a collaborative exercise b/w purchaser and supplier Moderate supplier contacts High level of supplier contact with each contact being used to gain information strengthen the relationship Little sharing of information Significant sharing of information, including cost information and transparency Introducing Supply chain management The project is focused on process for choosing world class suppliers, importance of building supplier relationships, various supplier development approaches and process of negotiation required in purchasing that plays a vital role in todays supply chain management. Explaining what is supply chain management and its various elements that are necessary for the movement of goods and services within the business. Supply chain management consists of the intra and inter-organisational co-ordination of business functions that act as both transformative and support functions. This emphasises managing supply chain effectively must be a key activity within the businesses. [Mentzer et al. (2001)] Supply chain combines flow of materials, goods, and information (includes money) that floats within and between organisations linking with a variety of tangible and intangible facilitators, e.g. relationships, processes, activities and integrated information systems. Different views of supply chains are implemented in terms of a process when operations are emphasised, a logistical channel when emphasises marketing, a value chain whey looking at value added activities, and a demand chain when considering customer satisfaction. [Peck H. (2006)] Key elements of supply chain The key elements of supply chain are that links with each other by the movement of products. The following explains that supply chain starts and ends with the customer: [http://logistics.about.com/od/supplychainintroduction/a/into_scm.htm] Customer This is the customer that starts the value chain by deciding to make a purchase of a particular product for example, in an aviation industry procuring turbine blades or a fan shaft which is offered for sale by an organisation. At this stage, the customer contacts the sales team and places purchase order with a right quantity and delivered on a right date. If in case, this product needs manufacturing then the purchase order includes a requirement that must be fulfilling by the production facility. Planning The requirement for planning occurs when customers purchase order is received and processed with other existing orders. Production plans are created by the planning department to generate products to accomplish the customers order. If manufacturing requires, then raw materials are purchased to complete the process. Purchasing The list of materials e.g. raw materials and services is obtained which is required by the production department to complete the purchase order. Then purchasing team issues purchase orders to procure raw material from selected suppliers on their manufacturing site on a requisite date. Inventory The raw materials that are received from suppliers are checked for quality and moved into the warehouse. The invoice is received for the parts that are delivered by the supplier and then materials are stored until there is a demand from a production area. Production According to the production plan, the raw materials from the inventory are moved into the production area where product manufacturing takes place and creates the finished product. Once the parts are completed, they are again sent back to the warehouse and stored prior to delivery to the ultimate customer. Transportation Logistics department then finds the most efficient shipping method in order to achieve on-time delivery at the right date mentioned by the customer. After goods are received by the customer, an invoice is sent by the organisation (supplier) for delivered products. Outlining Case study: GE-Aviation In this project, there will be discussion on relationship purchasing within aviation industry considering GE Aviation as a case study. Suggesting methods of procurement and ways of maintaining GEs existing and new relationships with suppliers. On-line procurement is one of the major processes that I will be focusing in my project which GE adopts within their business that not only reduces the cost and saves time but also provides the right amount of communication with its suppliers at the right time. For example, GE-Aviation has its own department for RB211 jumbo jet engine where there are teams responsible for engineering, operations, purchasing and billing. The engine gets repaired and maintained on site. For RB211 engine type, GEs biggest supplier is Rolls Royce who is the OEMs and can provide material many times. Using SAP software within the whole organisation saves a huge amount of time for purchasing transactions and also makes easy for GE purchasing team to analyse demand raised and provide forecasting to their suppliers for each product by just looking into the system and working through its historical past. GE uses Relationship Purchasing in which they believe to maximise their revenue it is very important to have good supplier relationships. Some of the key approaches/strategies required before working towards building relationships are as follows: Selecting a world class supplier Companies that outsources internationally their materials opens the opportunity to identify potential suppliers, evaluate and reasonably short list them that result with the best supplier. This is considered as one of the most important process to perform by the procurement team that aims to choose the best supplier that ensures reliable supplies with low risk involved and maximises the overall value to the buyer. The following are the seven key steps involved in supplier evaluation and selection process: (Fig 7.5 Supplier evaluation and selection process [pg 163]) Recognise the need for supplier selection The first step is to recognise the actual need for selection of supplier. Purchasing team must work with new product development department in order to recognise future buying behaviours. Purchasing groups proactively select suppliers and anticipate demands rather than wait until a demand rises. The process to start this evaluation arises due to the following scenarios: Through new product development Poor performance received from existing internal and external suppliers Closure of the contract Procuring new tools and equipments Thinking to expand business into new markets or products Due to inadequate capacity of existing suppliers Throughout outsourcing and re-engineering analyses Deciding to reduce the size of the supply base Identifying the main sourcing requirements All the way through evaluation process, procurement team must keep an eye on what they are intended to do. Acquiring materials is not just important but also focus to meet specific requirements set by the other internal customer and indirectly by other supply chain members. For example, an aviation company like GE that makes engines has to buy all the machinery and spare parts along with buyers taking care to ensure a perfect quality products are delivered on time. Establishing sourcing strategy Developing purchasing strategies results in long term alliances that buyers look each time to compete in todays growing competition. Several vital strategic decisions that affect the selection of suppliers are: Picking single or multiple suppliers Creating short-term or long-term contracts Suppliers wish to develop working partnerships rather than arms length relations Working with suppliers that can provide support with product designs rather than those who cannot modify designs Having choice of local, domestic, foreign or global suppliers Therefore, sourcing strategies and policies must be carefully re-evaluated during supplier selection as requirements changes frequently in shorter times because of changing market conditions, changing consumer preferences and accustomed corporate goals. Identifying potential suppliers This stage identifies a list of suppliers that can actually have the capability to deliver of what is required by the customer. Buyers can use various numbers of sources to develop the preliminary list of supply sources by a quick search of company websites as well as long and detailed search for companies that can support with design and make specialised products. A rule of thumb must take place to determine the effort to be used into supplier selection by comparing the existing suppliers efficiency and strategic importance of an item because too much effort and expensive resources are wasted; too little effort and potential suppliers might be missed in this initial search criteria. Following are the sources of information widely-used to identify potential suppliers: Current suppliers Using existing suppliers who are already on the preferred list which are consistently meeting buyers requirements that reduces the purchasers time and effort in evaluation of supplier capabilities. But at the same time, existing supplier may not always provide the world class long term results and that is the reason why organisations scan information continuously to recognize potential new sources. Sales representatives and agents Marketing information received from these individuals can become a valuable source of information for new product offerings. Buyers keep this information in their file for future reference even if there is no urgent requirement for a supplier service. Internet searches Nowadays suppliers launch customer websites as part of their marketing approach and help the buyers with detailed information from a simple search of possible suppliers. Various other websites can also help in discovering and assessing important information like reviews, comparisons, comments, analyses and case studies of potential suppliers. Experience Experienced individuals working within purchasing team generally carries a wide knowledge about various capable suppliers as experienced buyers have already worked in a particular industry for many years and familiar with the main suppliers and their features. Internal sources Operating different business units within large organisations, each may have their own procurement department. Therefore, other units in the same organisation becomes a valuable source of information exchange to buyers through informal meetings, formal team sessions, an internal database, purchasing newsletters, etc. Limit suppliers in the selection pool At this stage, the procurement team must consolidate and analyse the information gathered on potential supply sources that helps them to make informed decisions. Getting a long list of suppliers is just the initial task but buyers then have to eliminate the weakest suppliers until they attain the strong shortlist. Therefore, the final supplier is then selected from this list. The following are the entry qualifiers features that influence buyers final decision [Howard (1998)]: Financial strength Appropriate business strategy Strong supportive management Proven manufacturing capability Design capability There are also many reasons that influence buyers decision to procure material on the following basis: Buying directly from the original manufacturer or distributor Original equipment manufacturers mostly offer lower prices that avoid the costs of wholesalers and retailers along with profit margins. The final choice must be considered on the basis of four factors including the size of the purchase, the manufacturers policies of direct sales, availability of storage at buyers facility, and the required additional services. Local, national, international and global suppliers Choosing international suppliers are more favourable as they usually offers the best price along with technical support but these have to be balanced by higher shipping costs, stocks, communication problems and common risks involved. Also, choosing local suppliers are considered more responsive to fluctuating demands, small deliveries and regular changes in purchase orders using Just-in-time method that not only supports local suppliers and allows the buyers to enhance local economy but also helps in building community goodwill. Large or small suppliers Usually buyers focus on suppliers capability to do the work rather than selecting on the basis of its size. But a buyer must keep in mind the unexpected increase in demands that can only be dealt by larger firms providing extra capacity to overcome these fluctuations. At the same time, in order to create a diversified supply base, buyers intentionally deal with smaller suppliers. Multiple or single sourcing When there are numerous different suppliers available then it becomes very difficult to make a decision of how many to use? Most of the organisations have chosen a trend to reduce the supply base that will benefit them accordingly. Determining method to select supplier This is the last stage where buyers are left with four to five suppliers in their shortlist and decide to evaluate these remaining organisations by looking at the alternatives in more detail for example, using supplier-provided information, supplier/customer visits, preferred list of suppliers and third-party information. Supplier-provided information Detailed information can be acquired through requesting price quotations. Information received from quotations are then used to understand the product description and supply which is then followed by another requests of a detailed cost breakdown of the price quoted by suppliers initially that must include the costs of labour, materials, overheads and profit as buyers also require operational details to finally evaluate them. Supplier visits One of the most efficient ways of getting an overall view of suppliers capabilities and performance is to visit suppliers facilities by a cross-functional team. Generally, these visits are expensive and time consuming so a buyer must balance their desire to gather as much information as possible confidentially. The following table shows important information points that a buyer must collect during its visit: Management capability Quality management Technology levels Planning and scheduling effectiveness Financial strength Personnel relations E-business capabilities Sophistication and efficiency of operations ISO certifications Skills, knowledge and experience of workforce Evidence of good management and housekeeping Types of inventory Nature of the goods inwards, stores and outwards areas Environmental practices Employee employment contracts Any significant changes planned or expected Contact details of key decision makers Use of preferred suppliers This is a list of suppliers created by the purchasers to reward their best suppliers that consistently meets their strict performance criteria. The list can also be used as an incentive to improve the existing suppliers performance and assessed accordingly. External or third-party information This consists of all the other information available about a potential supplier. For example, Total quality management is a system that insists suppliers to meet the quality standards as similar to buyers and generates a flow of related information throughout the supply chain. Selecting supplier and signing agreement This is the final step to choose the supplier followed by signing a contract. This includes different purchasing orders required for routine and major items, i.e. using standard purchase orders for routine items whereas, detailed negotiation is required to agree on specific details for major items that increases the complexity in the purchase order. Supplier evaluation criteria After considering various steps in selecting suppliers, the buying organisation must analyse the following questions with the supply organisation in order to progress outside their traditional purchasing relationships and possibilities for long term relationships with them: [Spekman (1988)] Has the supplier signified a dedication or willingness for a longer term relationship? Is the supplier enthusiastic to perform resources to develop this relationship? Is the supplier willing or able to participate at the early stage or throughout the stage of product design? Has supplier brought any unique service to the business? Is the supplier showed their interests or commitment towards customers problems and effectively solving them together? Is the supplier is interested in improvements and innovations in the operations? Is there any openness of sharing and exchanging information between both companies? How much knowledgeable is the supplier about the customers industry and business? Is the need for confidentially exchanged information taken seriously? Supplier management and development In todays time, the need to improve supplier performance is open in large or small organisations and for this reason; the purchasing teams must introduce a supplier relationship management (SRM) approach to achieve their organisational goals and success in global purchases of technology. Therefore, this calls for managing resources efficiently throughout supply chain collaborations, dedication required from supply managers, creating standardised best practices effectively and tools required for tracking and evaluating the results. The process must begin with effective supplier performance measures required to undertake strategic supply or procurement decisions for the organisation. [Minahan T. And Vigorose M. (2002)] Effective supplier performance measurements What to measure The factors important to assess the performance includes: Delivery performance The purchase orders that are sent to suppliers involves all the appropriate information on deliveries, with quantities, lead times and due dates. Therefore, it is buyers responsibility to check regularly that how well a supplier actually meets their expected conditions. Cost performance There are many ways that can measure cost performances for example, monitoring real price delivered by the supplier after adjusting increase in the prices (inflation). Quality performance In order to measure quality, the best criteria for buyers is to check that products are delivered in 100% perfect condition with no defects. This also includes comparing previous performances, latest performance with mutually agreed standards and various other figures. Other qualitative factors in supplier performance Factor Explanation Problem solving Suppliers attention to provide solutions to the problem Technical skills Comparing suppliers manufacturing capacity with other business suppliers Reporting progress Suppliers incomplete reporting of existing problems and identifying and communicating other potential problems Corrective action Suppliers timely response to requests for corrective actions and requests for changes Cost-reduction plans Suppliers enthusiasm to find techniques that helps to reduce the total purchase cost New-product development support Suppliers capability to reduce time and cost required for new product development Buyer/seller compatibility Rating subjectively how well a purchasing firm and a supplier work together Therefore, the above are various other factors that help the buyers to measure the suppliers technical ability and closeness of both parties relationships. Reporting frequency This includes preparing reports to provide a clear feedback to supplier on their performance. Purchasing management must communicate with their buyers to send these reports by reviewing them weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually which is then followed with more face-to-face team meeting that reviews their actual performance, discussion on targets, identify potential improvements, examine changes, and so on. Any problems (for example, supplier fails to meet the required standard) occurred during crucial time must be addressed with special reports and meetings to avoid any financial and operational problems. Use of measurement data Procurement staff can make use of data collected from its measurement systems in many ways including: Identifying suppliers which are not meeting the performance goals and highlighting areas that calls for improvements, followed by corrective actions taken to raise the performance to acceptable levels or else finding new suppliers. It helps in discovering excellent performances achieved from supplier which then helps identify preferred suppliers that qualify for long term alliances. It also recognises the worst performing suppliers that are continuously not improving and needs to be removed from supply base whereas offering more work to superior suppliers. Supplier measurement techniques There are three techniques discussed for evaluating performance of suppliers, each differs in their use, level of subjectivity, resources required and implementing cost. Categorical techniques These techniques considers a particular aspect of performance, for example lead time and classifies a set of categories for performance rating as excellent, good, fair or poor and therefore, helps buyers in deciding which supplier is good or bad. This is an easiest system of measurement, easy to use, comparatively inexpensive and also the most subjective. There are some drawbacks of using this technique as they do not provide a clear analysis of performance, slower than automated systems and regarded as the lowest of the three techniques in terms of reliability. Scoring model This method overcomes the subjectivity of categorical technique by calculating a weighted score for different performance categories. This is more reliable and requires reasonable implementation cost providing flexibility for buyers to change the categories included as well as weights allocated to each. Cost-based techniques -This technique is the most comprehensive that can help the buying organisation to look for the total cost required for doing business with a particular supplier by identifying the lowest purchase price is no

Personal Sense of Identity :: essays research papers

Identity What influences a person’s identity? Is it their homes, parents, religion, or maybe where they live? When do they get one? Do they get it when they understand right from wrong, or when they can read, or are they born with it? Everyone has one and nobody has the same, is there a point in everyone’s life when they get one? A person’s identity is his own, nobody put it there and nobody can take it out. Everyone in this world has a different identity because they all make their own over the course of their life. A person’s identity also causes a person to have masculine and feminine traits. There is no one thing that gives a person their identity, there are however many different factors that contribute to one’s identity. What is someone’s identity? Is it the way they look, the way they dress, or it could be many things all put together, or is it none of the above? To me someone’s identity is a part of their being. Nobody will ever hold it, touch it, or even see it, but it is there. Everybody has one, it guilds your decision making, your thoughts, ideas, and dreams. You may think something is terrible while someone else does not even care and yet another person may laugh, why? The answer is simple, everyone has his own identity and personality. Everyone feels, acts, thinks, and dreams differently. People may have some of these things in common with one another, but they will not be totally the same, it is like a fingerprint, unique. There are many origins to a person’s identity, their family, friends, home life, religion, environment and others. But how does it get there, you do not go into a store and pick on off the shelf. A person’s identity is developed over many years and put together by the person themselves. It comes from the individuals ability to think, reason and form an opinion. Nobody has the same mind, or the same or the same conscious, so how could anyone have the same identity as another. A person’s identity is developed over many years from the time they become aware of their surroundings, to the time they decide if they are going to college, and even as they grow old there identity will change with them. As people’s dreams are dreamed and goals are accomplished their identities will change with the individual.

Nonfiction Reaction

â€Å"Salvation† by Langston Hughes â€Å"Who Will Light the Incense When Mother’s Gone? † By Andrew Lam Nonfiction Reaction University of Phoenix ENG/125 Jill Greene Nonfiction Reaction â€Å"Salvation† by Langston Hughes Langston Hughes, author of the nonfiction short story â€Å"Salvation,† was born James Mercer Langston Hughes on February 1, 1902 to Carrie and James Hughes in Joplin Missouri (New World Encyclopedia, 2008). Langston Hughes was among the principle figures of the Harlem Renaissance. He is a major influence to writers and poets of different races and creeds. His writings, inspired by the rhythms and language of the black church and blues and jazz music of his era, send messages of equity, harmony, and unity. Hughes believed music to be the true expression of the black spirit. In Hughes’ nonfiction story, â€Å"Salvation,† he writes about his salvation from sin that was instead an abandonment of his belief in Jesus. The story begins with the revival at his Auntie Reed’s church. Hughes was told: When he becomes saved he would see a light, and something would happen inside. Jesus would come into his life and God would be with him from then on. He would be able to see, hear, and feel Jesus in his soul. Hughes, 1940, p. 351) During the revival that night the children were brought to the front of the church. At the end of the sermon the preacher asked the children enter the fold of Jesus and save their soles from sin. Some of the children went right away. People of the church prayed for the other children until they went t o the altar. Hughes did not go because he was waiting to see Jesus and the light. Hughes and Westley were the only children left. Westley became tired and went up to the altar to save his sole from sin. Hughes was still waiting to see the light and Jesus. The congregation continued to pray for Hughes. Hughes was waiting to see Jesus. Jesus never came. Hughes began to wonder why he could not see Jesus and what would happen to Westley for taking Jesus’ name in vain and lying in the church. He finally rose and went to the church alter to join the other children. The congregation began to rejoice with shouts of Amen. That night in bed he cried. His aunt thought his crying was because the Holy Ghost had come into his life, and he had seen Jesus. He was crying because the Holy Ghost had not come into his life, he had not seen Jesus, and he could not tell her of his lies (Hughes, 1940, p. 352). He could not tell his aunt he no longer believes that there is a Jesus. In this nonfiction story Hughes uses irony to show that no matter how bad a person wants something to happen, chances are that something may not happen. Hughes was told that he would see a light and Jesus. Jesus does not come. This causes Hughes to doubt his salvation and religion. Hughes has to give in to the painful truth that he would not see a light or Jesus. As the preacher sang of â€Å"the ninety and nine safe in the fold,† Langston could not help but believe he was the â€Å"one little lamb left out in the cold† (Hughes, 1940, p. 51). This song was a comparison of the children to lambs. The children were lambs, innocent and with a need to be led to Jesus. Within this flock Hughes and Westley were the strays that needed to be led back to the right path to Jesus. These boys came to the altar for the wrong reasons. Hughes demonstrates that temptation still exists, much like the temptation of th e apple in Eden. Hughes gives in to the temptation of lying about seeing Jesus. This causes Hughes to doubt the existence of Jesus because â€Å"he did not come to help him† (Hughes, 1940, p. 352). This story reminds the reader of the pressure that adults can unknowingly place on children. â€Å"Who Will Light the Incense When Mother’s Gone? † by Andrew Lam Andrew Lam, author of the nonfiction short story â€Å"Who Will Light the Incense When Mother’s Gone? † was born in 1964 in South Vietnam. He came to the United States in 1975 at the age of 11. The nonfiction short story â€Å"Who Will Light Incense When Mother’s Gone? † is about the loss of old traditions. When Lam’s mother turns 70, she and her sister wonder who will keep the tradition and light the incense to the dead when each sister is dead. Their children have become Americanized and do not want to keep the tradition. Their grandchildren will not because they do not understand this tradition. The ladies assume that the ritual will end with them. The children, born in America, know nothing of their ancestors in Vietnam. The ritual consists of lighting joss sticks at the ancestral altar. Then talking to the ghosts and saying prayers to the spirits of dead ancestors asking for protection. Lam uses imagery about the incense slowly burning and his mother mumbling indecipherably to dead people to show how this tradition is old and nonsensical to him. Lam’s mother is afraid that he has become too American. She believes that he has become a cowboy. â€Å"A cowboy in Vietnamese estimation is a rebel who, as in the spaghetti westerns leaves town—the communal life—to ride alone into the sunset† (Lam, 2003, p. 1078). Lam uses metaphors, cowboy, to describe how his mother views him. Lam expresses his fear to be left alone in the world when his mother leaves, but hesitates to take up her traditions. Lam’s mother wants her children to be Americans, to finish high school, go to college, and receive employment in the field of study. She would also like them to keep Vietnamese traditions. Lam believes he and his mother live in two different worlds. â€Å"His is a world of travel, writing, and public speaking; hers is a world of consulting the Vietnamese horoscope, attending Buddhist temple on the day of her parents death anniversaries, and telling stories of the past† (Lam, 2003, p. 1078). When Lam considers the traditions that will be lost, he has feelings of guilt. â€Å"I wish I could assure my mother that, after she is gone, each morning I would light incense for her and all the ancestor spirits before her, but I cannot† (Lam, 2003, p. 078). His mother and other Vietnamese mothers connect him and his generation to the traditional past. When she is gone this will be lost. â€Å"I fear she’ll leave me stranded in America, becoming more American than I expected, a lonely cowboy cursed with amnesia† (Lam, 2003, p. 1078). Both of these stories, â€Å"Salvation† and â€Å"Who Wil l Light Incense When Mother’s Gone? † are about loss. Hughes writes about the loss of his faith and Lam writes about the loss of his family tradition. I understand these feelings of loss. Traditions that my family did when I was younger, I no longer do as an adult. When gathering together with family and talk of these times, one begins to wonder why these times had to stop. Our lives have gone in different directions, and we no longer make time for extended family outings. Nonfiction stories such as these bring back memories to the readers. Everyone has a time when they have lost faith in something or questioned the loss of a family tradition. While reading these stories one can imagine themselves becoming a part of the story. Imagination is more useful for the reader. I believe that imagination is already a part of nonfiction writings. The writer is using imagination while writing about the past. The writer has to imagine as he writes. References Hughes, L. (2011). Salvation. In S. Barnet, W. E. Cain, & W. Burto, Literature for composition: Essays, stories, poems, and plays. (9th ed. , p. 351-352). Boston, MA: Pearson. (Original work published 1940). Lam, A. (2011). Who will light the incense when Mother’s gone? In S. Barnet, W. E. Cain, & W. Burto, Literature for composition: Essays, stories, poems, and plays. (9th ed. , p. 1077-1078). Boston, MA: Pearson. (Original work published 2003). New world encyclopedia. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Langston_Hughes