Heinrich Himmler Was The Reich Leader - 1678 Words

Heinrich Himmler was the Reich Leader (Reichsfà ¼hrer) of the SS of the Nazi party from 1929 until 1945† (â€Å"Himmler†). Himmler was appointed the task of carrying out the Final Solution created by Hitler, which was then delegated to even more people. Himmler â€Å"led the SS into a large paramilitary organization that was prominent in Nazi Germany,† (â€Å"Himmler†). Himmler had so much power that he controlled all of the police units in Nazi Germany, which made him the second most powerful person in Nazi Germany (â€Å"Himmler†). Himmler oversaw all the operations of the Nazi state, by bringing up the SS into a prominent position therefore making him a key figure in the atrocities committed by the Nazi Party using the SS and its agencies. Reinhard Heydrich was the leader of the SD and the Gestapo. He was very dedicated to the Nazi cause and fit the physical standards of an Aryan through making him a true Nazi soldier (â€Å"Heydrich†). He created the SD Intelligence agency for Heinrich Himmler since there was no intelligence agency (â€Å"Heydrich†). Created secret agency called RSHA which combined many agencies such as the Gestapo, and KRIPO, Kriminalpolizei (â€Å"Heydrich†). Heydrich implemented the Final Solution under his rule where, â€Å"14,000 German and Austrian Jews and more than 20,000 Czech Jews were deported from Theresienstadt to the Lodz ghetto, to the Government General, and to the Reich Commissariat Ostland.† He was another main figure during the Holocaust and the Final Solution due toShow MoreRelatedHeinrich Himmler Was The Reich Leader1678 Words   |  7 PagesHeinrich Himmler was the Reich Leader (Reichsfà ¼hrer) of the SS of the Nazi party from 1929 until 1945† (â€Å"Himmler†). Himmler was appointed the task of carrying out the Final Solution created by Hitler, which was then delegated to even more people. Himmler â€Å"led the SS into a large paramilitary organization that was prominent in Nazi Germany,† (â€Å"Himmler†). Himmler had so much power that he controlled all of the police units in Nazi Germany, which made him the second most powerful person in Nazi GermanyRead MoreAdolf Hitler Cruelty1340 Words   |  6 Pages(â€Å"Talk:Adolf Hitler†). This shows how Adolf Hitler was very cruel during the Holocaust. Hitler wasn’t the only very cruel Nazi in the Third Reich, there were also many others that committed heinous crimes to the Jews. The first Major Nazi leader is Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889. Born in Braunau Am Inn, Austria and baptized as a Catholic. By the time Hitler was 9 years old him and his family had moved to Linz, Austria, which was the Capital of upper Austria. While growing upRead MoreThe Life Of Heinrich Himmler Essay1539 Words   |  7 PagesThe Life Of Heinrich Himmler When one thinks of the most evil and powerful person through history, one often thinks of Adolf Hitler. However, most of the feats accomplished by Hitler would have been impossible without the help of his lesser known right-hand man, Heinrich Himmler. Deemed â€Å"the second most powerful man in Germany during World War II† (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum), he helped Hitler carry out his brutal genocide of the Jewish religion. Heinrich Himmler played an extremelyRead MoreThe Ss And The Nazi World War II1117 Words   |  5 PagesHitler’s â€Å"dirty work.† In 1929, Heinrich Himmler took control of the SS as Reichsfuhrer. Himmler was the second most powerful man in Germany during World War II. Given overall responsibility for the security of the Nazi empire, Himmler was the key and senior Nazi official responsible for conceiving and overseeing implementation of the so-called Final Solution, the Nazi plan to murder the Jews of Europe. The soldiers of the SS were groomed to perfection by Himmler. In the latter years of the warRead MoreHeinrich Himmler And His Life Essay1480 Words   |  6 PagesHeinrich Himmler was born on October 7th, 1900 in Munich to a middle-class Bavarian family. His father was Joseph Gebhard Himmler, a secondary-school teacher and principal. His mother was Anna Maria Himmler (maiden name Heyder), a devout Catholic and extremely attentive mother. Heinrich had an older brother, Gebhard Ludwig Himmler, and a younger brother, Ernst Hermann Himmler. Heinrich was named after his godparent, Prince Heinrich of Wittelsbach of the royal family of Bavaria, who was tutoredRead MoreHeinrich Himmler s Speech On The Holocaust943 Words   |  4 PagesHeinrich Himmler was born on October 7, 1900, in Munich, Germany where he grew up to become the second most powerful man in the third Reich. His cause of fame was due to his control over the SS and Gestapo, as well as his jurisdiction concerning the holocaust. Himmler was given control of the SS, also known as the Nazi Party in 1929. Since he had authority, he began to expand his influence across Europe. In the late summer of 1941, Himmler got the approval to organize a mass murder among the JewishRead MoreHeinrich Himmler s Right Hand Man And One Of The Holocaust1626 Words   |  7 Pages Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s right hand man and one of the Holocaust’s most powerful people, was one of the men responsible for the systematic oppression of Jews, centralized concentration camps, and the organization of The Final Solution. Early and Personal Life Heinrich Himmler was born on October 7, 1900 in Munich, Germany. Born to a Roman Catholic family, his parents were his father, Joseph Gebhard Himmler, a school teacher, and his mother, Anna Maria Himmler. He had two brothers, GebhardRead MoreHitler s And The Nazi Party1409 Words   |  6 PagesGoering, Rudolf Hess, Heinrich Himmler, Ernst Rohm, Reinhard Heydrich. It is debated if they escaped justice or not. Joseph Goebbels was born in 1897 and became a doctor in philosophy in 1920. Due to his hatred of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, he joined the Nazi party near the end of 1924 to help build support for the party in Berlin. In 1923 he was given full control of the Nazi s propaganda machine. Goebbels was elected into the Reichstag in 1928 and, at 1933, was given the role as theRead MoreThe Time From September 1939924 Words   |  4 Pagesthrough June 1941 is crucial for understanding the creation of the â€Å"Final Solution†. Under the rule of Adolf Hitler, there was already some sort of anti-Semitism. Germans were convinced through propaganda that Jews were their enemy and the cause of all their turmoil. He had a clear hatred of Jews; they made him â€Å"Sick to [his] stomach† (pg 47). The oppression and segregation of Jews was applied in stages. . In just two years Nazi Jewish policy escalated rapidly from the prewar policy of forced emigrationRead MoreThe Ss And Gestapo : Adolf Hitler1998 Words   |  8 Pagesto have world domination and to have the whole world fall under his control. He thought that he would be creating the Third Reich that would last a thousand years. And on September 1, 1939 he invaded Poland and was about to conquer the rest of Europe and have them fall to his feet and he made sure Germans had enough living space and make sure that the entire German race was taken care of. But Hitler couldn t do it alone, he needed the help of the SS and Gestapo. Which had more power than modern

The Song Die A Happy Man By Thomas Rhett - 969 Words

The most prevalent issue observed in the lyrics and music videos was gender and sexuality. This was in issue that was present and reoccurring in all of the top songs but occurred in different ways. This was no surprise though because we live â€Å"In a culture where sex and gender are centrally important† (2015; 73). The issue arises in the genre of music because of the way gender and sexuality is presented. In the top song â€Å"Die a Happy Man’ by Thomas Rhett, objectification was presented in both the lyrics and the music video. In the lyrics he says â€Å"Baby that red dress brings me to my knees, Oh but black dress makes it hard to break† and goes on to say â€Å"You’re a saint, you’re a Goddess, the cutest, the hottest, a master piece† (lyrics). It seems that his goal is to complement her, but he is objectifying her by judging her femininity (2015; 203). He also does this in the music video by having the girl in a bikini the whole time . Not only was the women objectified, but Thomas exposed a stereotypical relationship consequence. In modern society men tend to make a stereotype that they have to give up everything to be with a woman. Thomas did this in his lyrics when he talks about how he could â€Å"never get to see the Northern lights† or â€Å"never get to build my mansion in Georgia or drive a sports car up the coast of California† (lyrics). The second song was â€Å"Strip It Down† by Luke Bryan. In this song Luke definitely introduces gender roles in both the lyrics and the video. The song

The Mysteries Of Holden Caulfield Essay Example For Students

The Mysteries Of Holden Caulfield Essay In The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger there are many insights about Holden Caulfield revealed by symbols, which would otherwise remain unclear. School, the checkerboard, the museum, and cigarettes and alcohol are all symbolic of Holden. These symbols tell us things about Holden that he doesn’t tell us straight out. This essay will discuss many symbols in the book and what they tell us about Holden. The checkerboard is referred to a lot when Holden is thinking of his old friend Jane Gallagher. The checkerboard is symbolic of Holden’s obsessiveness with Jane. Holden is always asking people and wondering if Jane still keeps her kings in the back row. In checkers, if you keep your kings in the back row, it’s like a security. You can’t lose if you play that way. This is why Holden is so curious about Jane and if she still keeps her kings in the back row. What he really wants to know is if Jane has lost her security and let someone besides Holden in. This is why when Stradlater returns from a date with Jane, Holden repeatedly asks Stradlater, â€Å"Did you ask her if she still keeps all her kings in the back row? Holden is actually asking if Jane let down her guard and let go of her innocence to Stradlater. Holden ponders a lot about if Jane keeps her kings in the back row over the period of the book. This just shows that Holden is totally obsessed with Jane’s innocence and if she still has any innocence left. School is also a symbol that tells us about Holden. It actually tells us about what will probably happen to Holden in his life. School is a structured system with many steps that must be completed in order to pass. It is a lot like life where there are many obstacles and challenges one must overcome in order to succeed. Holden had already failed a number of schools before he failed Pencey. Holden doesn’t even care if he fails school because his parents don’t care. Holden tells people about how he failed so many schools like it’s something to be proud of. He tells us about how he failed Whooton School, Elkton Hills, and Pencey like it’s no big deal and he’s proud to talk about it. It’s obvious he even care about his future. When Mr. Spencer asked Holden, â€Å"Do you feel absolutely no concern for your future, boy†, Holden responded, â€Å"Oh, I feel some concern for my future, all right. Sure. Sure, I do. I thought about it for a minute. But not too much, I guess. Not too much, I guess. † This shows that Holden hasn’t really thought about his future and what failing school will do to it. If Holden fails school it basically means that he will fail life, which is pretty much what happens to him at the end of the book. Holden also likes to drink liquor and smoke cigarettes. He does this because he feels it makes him look older and more mature. Most of the time he smokes or drinks when he is outside so people can see him. Holden even tells us, â€Å"I must a smoked a couple packs today. † He is simply saying this to brag about how â€Å"cool† he is. The cigarettes and alcohol are of a symbol of age and maturity, but Holden tells us a few times, â€Å"I ordered a Scotch and soda†, and then says that the waiter wouldn’t bring it because Holden looked too young. This is like Holden is trying to fit in with the more mature people but they keep denying him because he is so immature and not ready to be an adult. Holden needs to stop and think about what’s going on right now instead of trying to grow up so fast. .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b , .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b .postImageUrl , .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b , .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b:hover , .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b:visited , .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b:active { border:0!important; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b:active , .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uae4e2f33ebc7adb0831cbc6fd78f666b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Unemployment EssayOne of the most important symbols about Holden is the Museum in Central Park. Everything in the museum hasn’t changed at all, while Holden has changed a great deal since his childhood. Holden walks all the way through Central Park to the museum, then decides not to go in. â€Å"All of a sudden, I wouldn’t have gone inside for a million bucks. If Phoebe had been there, I probably would have, but she wasn’t. † (Page 122). He doesn’t want to face his past alone. He wants someone to be there to help, but doesn’t share his past with anyone, except for one occasion. This was when, while Holden was attending Pencey, he wrote about Allie’s baseball mitt. The mitt brought back a lot of emotions because Allie had died. When Stradlater read the paper about the mitt, he criticized Holden and the paper. Holden got uncomfortable and tore up the paper. This event made him very cautious about going into his past again. The museum shows us about Holden’s cautious side. He always does whatever he feels like. He fails school, drinks, smokes, and gets in fights, but he just can’t relive his past. It is one of his largest obstacles.

Web Pages About Mental Health free essay sample

This paper reviews two worthwhile web pages on the subject of mental health. The paper evaluates the CANMAT website and Dr. Ivans Depression Central as resources for mental health. With respect to CANMAT, the paper looks at the composition of this network of health professionals and the presentation of their website. The websites strong and weak points are listed. Dr. Ivans Depression Central` is reviewed in a much briefer manner and the paper concludes with a comparison between the two. `There are a plethora of web pages devoted to mental health in general and mood disorders in specific. CANMAT and Dr. Ivans Depression Central are two worth investigating. The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) is an organization of Canadian mental health professionals who specialize in mood and anxiety disorders. CANMAT runs an educational and informative website, http://www.canmat.org. While not the most navigable site on the Web, http://www. We will write a custom essay sample on Web Pages About Mental Health or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page canmat.org/ is a non-commercial, reliable source of information about depression and anxiety. While the Where to Find Help section is aimed at Canadian residents, the information on mood and anxiety disorders contained in the site is universal.

Aristotle essays

Aristotle essays Virtue or excellence is a psychic phenomenon. Is it an emotion, or the capacity to experience an emotion? An emotion is something we feel or undergo and we cannot hold ourselves responsible for that; but it is an essential feature of virtue that we praise it, of vice that we blame it. But we do not praise and blame that for which we cannot be held responsible. Therefore, neither virtue nor vice can be an emotion or the capacity to experience an emotion. Virtue and vice should be understood, rather, as dispositions, a certain habitual stance we take in regard to our emotions. Someone who is habitually afraid of everything has developed a disposition of cowardice in regard to the emotion of fear, for which he can be blamed; someone who is habitually inclined neither to indulge in pleasures excessively nor to shun them at all costs has developed a disposition of moderation in relation to the desire for pleasure, for which he can be praised. These praiseworthy and blameworthy dispositions are not something we are born with; nor, on the other hand, can they be taught theoretically. They are acquired by a process of habituation, which begins with parents training of children. As humans, we take pleasure in being praised, and are pained by the shame that accompanies blame; this pleasure and pain can be used to mold an immediate or natural attraction to pleasure and repulsion from pain which would not prove to be the good for us. It is, then, by practicing moderation that we develop a moderate disposition; of course, we can only be said to be virtuous when we practice moderate actions motivated by a disposition of moderation, which is different from the motive governing our practice such actions in the process of acquiring that virtue. Aristotle believed that a person who has difficulty behaving ethically is morally imperfect. His ideal person practices the "golden mean of moderation." He believed that this moral virtue ...

Battle of Verdun

Battle of Verdun Introduction Beginning February 21 to December 1916 the Battle of Verdun can be considered one of the largest battles fought during WWI between France and Germany with a total combined death count of 698,000 on both sides (Horne, 1994). Based on the account of Alistair Horne in his book The Price of Glory this paper will elaborate and examine some of the more interesting facets of the war involving pride, nationalism and the de-humanization of combatants brought about by the combination of such factors. Going even further into human aspect of the war elaborated on by Horne, this paper will examine the reasons that drove both combatants to fight over what was basically a useless piece of land and how the end result was nothing more than a war of costly attrition with a pyrrhic victory at the end.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Battle of Verdun specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Pride and Verdun When examining the accou nt of Horne regarding the Battle of Verdun it becomes obvious that the entire context of the battle itself was one of pride between two contenders that entered into what can be roughly described as a pissing contest between two countries. For example, if you were to observe the greater context of the First World War it becomes immediately obvious that there was very little to be gained from Germany attacking Verdun while at the same time France had little to lose from merely allowing Germany to take Verdun. The area wasnt situated in what can be described as a strategically viable position in terms of allowing Germany to push further into France nor would holding the area allow the French army to cut off any German supply routes or allow the Germans to access any viable resources from the region since Verdun itself held little, if any, war potential in terms of munitions factories or stockpiled resources. Based on the account of Horne it can be seen that Verdun was a matter of pride between the actors wherein it became a symbol of French resistance against German incursions while at the same time it was a way of showing Germanys resolve in winning the war. Going even further back to understand that factors that lead to irrational exuberance that permeated this desire to go to war over what can be described as a worthless piece of land, one would come across a variety of historical snippets (as indicated by Horne) which show that the land itself was heavily contested between the French and Germans even before the start of WWI. This in itself is quite interesting especially when overlaying the nationalism that was used as a factor to drive the inexorable war machine forward it can be seen that when nationalism meets pride minor disagreements can often erupt into major conflicts resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the overwhelming loss of life on both sides over something that had nothing to do with actually winning the war it can be seen from the account of Horne that extreme nationalism urged both sides to keep on fighting with German Field Marshall Von Falkenhayn famously saying that they would bleed the French white. What is interesting about this particular account of the war is that when taking it and overlaying it in the greater context of wars within human society it can be seen that a lot of them were a direct result of pride and nationalism taking precedence over common sense and practicality. Even in the modern day era with the current war on terror it can be seen that a large percentage of radical Islamic militants turn towards terrorism due to feelings related to nationalism and the desire to protect their traditional way of life. Nationalism and Inhuman Treatment Continuing the in the same vein of though regarding nationalism, pride and how these fueled the battle of Verdun it is quite interesting to note that it was also during this particular battle that the first recorded instance of poison gas was utilized. This is an important factor to take into consideration since when you combine its usage with the various de-humanizing aspects related to the battle itself it becomes all to obvious that nationalism and pride taken to its zenith enables countries to not think of the ethical and moral considerations of war (as explained by Horne when he elaborated on the various human factors behind and during the battle of Verdun) and as a result dehumanizes the enemy enabling the most atrocious of actions to become acceptable all for the sake of winning. This is particularly enlightening especially when taking into consideration the inherently hypocritical noble and just reasoning elaborated on by state leaders and generals at time regarding the justness of their cause in the face of thousands of deaths. Such a method of justifying atrocities h as actually been endemic in countries such as France and Germany in the past wherein the Crusades (various attempts at retaking the Christian Holy Land from Muslim hands which resulted in millions of deaths on both sides) were fueled by religious fervor.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Battle of Verdun specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the present religion has been replaced by nationalism however it is no less effective in justifying the deaths of thousands all for the sake of a just cause. Pyrrhic victory The last and but not the least most interesting aspect of the account of Horne was that in the end both sides gained nothing from the battle of Verdun and for the French it was nothing more than a pyrrhic victory while for the Germans they actually accomplished what they set out to do and that was to â€Å"bleed the French white† (however in terms of an overall military victory the French actually â€Å" won† at Verdun since the Germans were unable to either capture the city of Verdun nor were they able to inflict greater causalities to the French). First and foremost what you have to understand is that despite the sheer amount of deaths on both sides by end of the Battle on December 1916 both sides were quite literally at the same fronts they were in when the battle started in the first place. Thus, from a certain perspective, it can be surmised that the entire battle was useless from start to finish since neither side actually were able to advance, both suffered costly causalities that hampered their war potential and in the end the battle itself was fought for reasons that are both incredibly selfish and can even be described as incredibly stupid given the amount of people died for them. Conclusion Based on the account of Horne and the opinions presented in this paper it can be stated that the entire battle of Verdun was a complete was of human life and shows how nationalis m and pride can lead to actions that can basically be described as insanely stupid. Reference List Horne, A. (1994). The price of glory: Verdun 1916.

MLA Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MLA Research Paper - Essay Example ut the story, the readers do not expect that the Jefferson town people will locate Homer’s body lying in bed where it has been for the last forty years. Faulkner poses questions to the readers; â€Å" How would you judge Emily; as a murderer, or as a sufferer?† Townspeople, though characterizes Miss Emily as a very mean and stubborn, but always maintains a curiosity around her. The same is with the readers; liking or disliking Miss Emily is a matter of choice of individual readers; however, no one would be apathetic to this personage. From another perspective William Faulkner uses intrigue and irony to describe the South as he saw during the post-Reconstruction age. Thus, from a societal viewpoint, â€Å"A rose for Emily† describes the dark corner of the southern society. It reveals to the audience how south is rotting from inside out. The same is observed by Michael Bolin (1) in his analysis â€Å"The decay of the south: Duality and containment in â€Å"A rose for Emily†. Any literary analysis of â€Å"A Rose for Emily† will be incomplete without analyzing the protagonist of the story – Miss Emily Grierson; her physical and mental images. Changes of Emily’s mental and physical image present the allegory of the story; decay of the old south culture. Xie Qun (66-69), the associate professor of the School of Foreign Languages of the Zhongnan University of China in his work analyzes Emily’s internal and external changes through the change of her physical appearance. Faulkner describes her physical image through sarcastic comparison. He writes, â€Å"She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water. Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough (Faulkner 1).† It is perhaps Faulkner’s ironic way of describing physical transformation of a slender woman from a young age to an older age. Miss Emily’s mental image is an ironic contribution of her father’s influence over her. Xie

Sulphur Hot Spring in Colorado Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sulphur Hot Spring in Colorado - Essay Example This discussion stresses that Sulphur Hot Springs Town is situated in the Grand County in Colorado in the United States of America with proximity to Byers Canyon and Kremmling. The town is 7680 feet height above sea level. It is the presence of the hot springs that caused the formation of the town now known as the Town of the Hot Springs Colorado. The Hot Sulphur Springs were a camping ground during the winter season for the inhabitants of the region who were the Ute Indians, who used the hot springs for medicinal purposes.As the study highlights the hot springs were originally discovered by William Byers, who the founder and the mind behind the Rocky Mountain News. The discovery led to the establishment of a town in the springs around 1860 with the name Warm Springs. Byers being an entrepreneur looked at the viability of the region, and decided that the region was a good site for constructing a Resort and a spa where people could come and have leisure during the winter seasons. Byer s decided to buy the site through a backdoor deal from a Minnesota woman although there was an original treaty naming the Ute tribe as the inhabitants and the legal owners of the site in 1863.  The Ute inhabitants were bitter about the sale deal and decided to sue Byers. Byers being connected to the territorial governors of the regions managed to win the case and staged war against the Ute people while calling for their eviction from the region. His idea was to create the most World Spa and Resort in the site.

Philosophy - epistemology Essay Example for Free

Philosophy epistemology Essay Descartes is very successful philosophers in 17th century. Rene Descartes is widely accepted as the father of modern philosophy. He tried to create fundamental philosophy for natural sciences. Descartes mainly focus on his philosophical contributions in the theory of knowledge and his famous work focus on the epistemological project, Meditations on First Philosophy. He wants to explain his thought in Meditations on First Philosophy which is as original in philosophical modus as in content. Meditations on First Philosophy examine Descartes’ arguments and opinion. Although there are 6 meditations in this book, this paper points out the search for a foundation of knowledge (the question of truth) and doubt the â€Å"Cogito† (I think; therefore I am). First of all, in the First Meditation, Descartes demonstrates that several arguments for doubting all of his previously basic beliefs. Everything that he thought is the doubt. He has started to doubt from everything and he wanted to find the question of truth with own ideas. Descartes defines knowledge in terms of doubt and he aims ‘to reach certain’. At the same time, we have to use five senses but Descartes believes the senses sometimes deceive us concerning things. Also Descartes is often convinced when he is dreaming that he is sensing real objects. For instance, he said that â€Å"There is the fact that I am here, seated by the fire, and attired in a dressing gown, having this paper in my hands and other similar matters. And how could I deny that these hands and this body are mine (†¦)† (146). Descartes believes that we can achieve certain truth when we will doubt everything. Descartes uses some question to help prove one of his main arguments and ideas to find truth. For example, how we know certain, what is true, what we see, what we hear? As we can see, according to Descartes, the senses are not enough to decide what is real. He believes the truth is in his mind and he must use his mind. Descartes’ Second Meditation discusses some parts. First part explain that how a body can understand things, such as objects. Descartes examined how the mind should know better that human body. Although we need senses for everything, the mind is more important because all knowledge accumulate in our mind. Second part includes Descartes opinion about thinking. According to Descartes, thinking is very significant point because thinking is the ability to doubt, use imagination and reach certain truth. His famous theory is â€Å"Cogito Ergo Sum† which called ‘I think, therefore I am’. Descartes said that, â€Å"I don’t yet know clearly enough what I am. † (151) It means that, sometimes he has convinced himself that there is absolutely nothing in the world such as no sky, no earth also no mind no body. Descartes believes that if people convinced themselves of something then they existed. To conclude, we can infer that Descartes defend the certain truth is our knowledge and thought. These meditations are considered about modern philosophy. At the same time, Descartes wants to create gripping subject to study science.

Failure of the Student Loan Market

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

Human Resource Planning Essay

Definition: Human Resources Planning is defined as the process of assessing an organization’s human resources needs in the light of organizational goals and changing condition and making plans to ensure that a competent, stable workforce is employed. The actual planning process will vary a great deal from organization to organization As defined by Bulla and Scott (1994), human resource planning is ‘the process for ensuring that the human resource requirements of an organization are identified and plans are made for satisfying those requirements’. Reilly (2003) defined workforce planning as: ‘A process in which an organization attempts to estimate the demand for labour and evaluate the size, nature and sources of supply which will be required to meet the demand.’ Human resource planning includes creating an employer brand, retention strategy, absence management strategy, flexibility strategy, talent management strategy, recruitment, and selection strategy. However, James Walker pointed out that for some companies, human resources planning is essentially management succession and development planning. For others it is the staffing process which includes forecasting and planning for recruitment, deployment, development and attrition of talent in relation to changing needs. Increasingly, however, it is a broader process addressing multiple levels for increasing organization effectiveness on the management of Human Resources. According to Walker, effective human resources planning is a process of analyzing an organization human resources needs under changing condition and development of the activities necessary to satisfy those needs. Walker sees human resources planning as two step processes, planning as they pertain to all aspects of personnel management. This will include for example planning with respect to desired organizational climate and development of staff reward and appraisal system appropriate to short range and long range organizational goals. This implies that help must be proactive and as well as reactive. Pattern states that Human Resource Planning is the process by which a firm ensures that it has the right number of people and the right kind of people in the right place at the right time doing things for which they economically most useful. Fayana (2002) emphasized that human resource planning deals with the systematic and continuing process of analyzing a firm’s human resources needs under mutating conditions and developing workforce policies suitable to the long-term effectiveness of the organization. It is a vital part of corporate planning and budgeting procedure since human resources costs and forecasting both effect and are affected by long-term corporate plans. Need and Importance of HRP Human resource Planning translates the organization objectives and plans into the number of workers needed to meet these objectives. The need and importance of HRP is as follows: HRP helps in determining the future manpower requirements and avoids problems like over staffing or understaffing in the organization. HRP helps in tackling with the factors like competition, technology, government policies etc. that generates changes in the job content, skill requirements and number and types of personnel required. Now a days there is a demand of exceptional intellectual skills while the existing staff becomes redundant, the HR manager has to attract and retain qualified and skilled personnel and also required to deal with issues like career development, succession planning for which he takes the help of HRP. A proper and realistic human resource plan is needed to ensure equal employment and promotional appointments to the candidates for weaker sections, physically handicapped and socially and politically oppressed citizens. HRP provides valuable and timely information for various designing and execution of personnel functions like recruitment, selection, transfers, promotions, layoffs, training and development and performance appraisal. It helps the organization to anticipate imbalance in human resources, which in turn will facilitate reduction in personal costs. HRP facilitates planning for future needs which will help in better planning of assignments to develop managers and to ensure the organization has a steady supply of experienced and skilled employees. Factors Affecting Human Resource Planning HRP is a dynamic and ongoing process. The process of updating is not very simple, since HRP is influenced by many factors, which are as follows: 1. The type of organization determines the production process and number and type of staff needed. 2. The human resource needs of an organization depend on the strategic plan adopted by it. For e.g. the growth of a business calls for hiring of additional labor, while mergers will need a plan for layoffs. 3. Organization operates under different political, social environment and has to carefully formulate the HR policies and so the HR manager has to evolve suitable mechanism to deal with uncertainties through career developments, succession planning, retirement schemes etc. 4. HRP also depends on the time periods and accordingly the short and long-term plans are adopted. And this time span is based on the degree of environmental uncertainties. 5. The type and quality of information used in making forecasting is an important factor influencing HRP. Accurate and timely human resource information system helps in getting better quality personnel. 6. HRP is required to ensure that suitable candidates should be appointed at the right kind of job. Limitations of Human Resource Planning a. It is very difficult to ascertain future manpower requirements of an organization, as future is always uncertain. b. It is more relevant to the countries that face the problem of scarcity of human resources. c. It is a time consuming and costlier process. d. It is beneficial in the organizations that adopt a professional approach and at the same time are conscious about the changing environment. e. HRP is beneficial where adequate skilled manpower is available. f. HRP is also made difficult in the organizations that have a very high labor turnover.

Motivational Letter Example Essay

This letter is to express my interest in bringing my diverse professional background and experience to your organization.   I possess excellent interpersonal skills and am effective in motivating, mentoring, and coaching others demonstrating solid leadership skills. As you can gather from my attached resume, I am currently working as a Realtor for a major real estate firm.   My professional background includes working in both the public and private sector and it demonstrates my flexibility and adaptability to work in a variety of work environments. In addition to the skills noted on my attached resume, I can also offer your organization: Excellent customer service skills and a proven ability to increase customer satisfaction. An ability to work in a fast-paced environment utilizing my multi-tasking skills. Self-motivated and goal-oriented professional dedicated to achieving personal and professional growth. It is my hope that my education and professional experience will convey to you that I have the qualifications to make a valuable contribution as a School Counselor at any institution.   Should you have any questions, I can be reached at the number listed above.

The Inagural Address essays

The Inagural Address essays The four cultures in which we have studied have specific idea-sets that correlate with their own cosmos and formation of society. The Inaugural Address of 2005 still correlates particular idea-sets with that of Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and Hebraic views, while portraying perspectives that diverge from that of the past. As the Inaugural Address begins with the phrases prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, the concepts of Babylon come to mind. This ceremony celebrates the durable wisdom of the Constitution much like Babylonians ritual of celebrating their societys success and devotion toward Marduk, as shown in the Enuma Elish. The Code of Hammurabi, like the Constitution, had set laws for the people to create justice and order. These laws and ceremonies within the community are particular commitments that unite the country. It is the Greeks who feel that honor is a significant part of their culture, and that vulnerability is not an option. The US has been able to witness its faults in security and correct them quite easily; the Greeks had to continue durably and impermeably or face total disaster. The Greeks would have also felt that, difficulty is no excuse for avoiding tasks that should be carried out. However, whether seeking individual rights of others is as relevant as protecting livelihood during an infiltration is quite an argument. The Greeks were in constant battles to protect their livelihood from surrounding intruders, competing constantly fro each others resources. While the Greeks were forced to fight against the attacks that could easily threaten their source of revenue, Bush is using an offensive attack by worrying about other countries politics in hope that the US will be in better safety. However, it is hard to say what the future holds (since, after all, the world is unpredictable and erratic). ...

Again with the Erosion of Income

Again with the Erosion of Income Tired of hearing about how writers are not getting paid? I imagine the writers needing to eat from that income arent. I had a quick unsubscribe of 19 readers within 30 minutes of releasing last Fridays newsletter. Some people do not want to hear that writing on the cheap is not a good thing, because its all they know how to do. People, listen. When pricing is the only factor, you will likely not have a long term relationship with someone. That means editor or reader. When people want to buy you cheap, thats their driving force. There is no LIKE in the factor. Dont make cheap a habit or that becomes your brand. Here are comments from readers that showed they understood the severity of this issue: I agree wholeheartedly that as writers we need to support one anothers efforts If more writers ignored these requests (**from editor for free writing), those markets would either have to find the funding to pay writers properly or realize that if they cant, then maybe they need to look closer at how well they run their businesses. When you give away your work or go for the easier low pay ones you subconsciously tell yourself that you are not good enough to get paid. Worse, getting into the poor or non-paying markets offers a false sense of success. The result of all of this is that you dont have any reason to improve your skills, which would get you into better paying markets. So, I was feeling a little under the weather, and gave my doctor a call. I asked him if he wouldnt mind seeing me for free, since it wouldnt really take much time and he was just fitting me in last minute anyway. Can you believe he turned me down? Claimed hed spent eight years in school, worked his ass off as an intern, was still paying off med school bills, yada yada yada. Well, Ive got options. I go down to the corner drugstore and ask my buddy the manager to give me some free meds. And he starts this whole rant about costs and staffing and insurance and he wouldnt give them to me. I figure, what the hell, Ill just suck it up and get to work. I call up one of my authors and tell him hes booked for a signing, and I promised twenty copies at authors price to the group. Told him I wont be paying him royalties on those. I mean, I cant work for nothing, right? Thank you for this! Ive turned down fabulous projects because of ridiculously low pay and said no to fabulous money because of ridiculous contract clauses. I would never treat anyone that poorly. Its up to each of us to do the right thing and say no. Were saying no for ourselves and for all writers. When we all say no, the low pay and egregious contract clauses would disappear overnight. Good smackdown, Hope. Im with you. If you give your work away, thats what your work is worth. In a race to the bottom, everyone drowns. I was reading an online article from The Guardian this morning on the widening gap between top earners in our industry and the rest of us (theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/15/earnings-soar-for-uks-bestselling-authors-as-wealth-gap-widens-in-books-industry). It was interesting, but much more interesting were the comments, which appear to have been from readers rather than writers. Not only do they not care, but they also think writers are in the wrong in complaining about how much (or rather, how little) they get paid. Definitely an issue for us to resolve in private rather than in public, Philip Pullmans recent action notwithstanding. (NOTE: Regarding that last comment, in case you didnt know, Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass, stepped down as patron from the Oxford Literary Festival because they were not paying writers to make appearances. Good man.) A festival organizer asked an acquaintance of mine for names as presenters. She gave them mine. But without me saying anything, she told me she understood my stance about being compensated, and shed let me have that conversation with them. Like I was the exception, but Ill take that reputation all day long. Wouldnt you like to be known as a decent writer who expects payment for their services, or rather someone who gives it away and can be easily had for free?

Community and social policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Community and social policy - Essay Example The two features, oppression and discrimination, have become very common in making it almost impossible for individuals to move up the professional ladder in the labor market. Giddens (1993) therefore provides a definition of discrimination as the activity or action that grabs away the opportunities from a specific group, making them out of their reach. It is in this essay therefore that I will lay my focus on old age and mental illness or disability as core areas of discrimination and oppression in the society. I also will look at the similarities and differences between these core areas of discrimination I will study disability as an area of oppression in society. During my first part I will search the meaning of discrimination and oppression within our society. The significance of anti-discriminatory practice will be debated and tracked by an introduction and description of the PCS model of analyses. Thompson (1993) is used to highlight discrimination and oppression on three diffe rent levels. Oppression is a state in which a culture, group, society, state or individual have military, economic and political power that they use in such a wrong way which ends up disadvantaging the powerless in the society. Individuals carrying out the oppression are in control of those under them and therefore better placed when it comes to discriminating against other people. This heinous act comes by just as another group that feels more special gets the mere perception that the other group exists (Cohen, 1988). It is the various groups existing in the society that makes it easier for these forms of discrimination to take place; with the knowledge of the weaker group, therefore forming attitudes against one another. Mental health problem is a term that encompasses a great deal of problems that have an effect on the way an individual carries out with their day to day living. According to The World Health Organization (WHO,

Samsung Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Samsung - Research Paper Example Diversification of the company’s products has enabled it to become a global leader in the electronics industry. The company produces display devices, television sets, digital cameras and mobile phones. However, the company has ventured in the tablets market and has already become a major player in this division. Global Marketing Strategy A robust marketing has enabled Samsung electronics to stay ahead of its competition. The current business environment for electronics dictates that companies become customer-centric. This is whereby companies have to put customer needs first as they develop products or services. This has called for customization of products to the end user specifications or needs. However, the use of customization as a global marketing mix strategy comes into conflict with standardization. In Global marketing, a company needs to try to balance between these two strategies of marketing mix so as to remain relevant and stay ahead of competition (Armstrong and Ko tler 35). Globalization has for years been a disputed phenomenon in various ways including in definition, magnitude and effects. Thus a company should come up with most appropriate measure to handle it. A. Marketing Mix a) Product i. Standardization vs. Customization Standardization as a global marketing mix strategy implies an organizational design that is centralized. A company that adopts this strategy trades its products in one form. Benefits of adoption of this strategy include low operational costs and thus better economies of scale and uniformity of products. However, standardization has drawbacks of lack of competitive edge on products and is heavily reliant on economies of scale for profit margins. Customization on the other hand is a marketing mix strategy that implies an organizational design that is decentralized (Birnik and Bowman 70). This strategy is customer centered and considers needs of customers as per their location and needs. A company that adopts this strategy in its marketing mix benefits in an increase in its revenues since their products will have more appeal to customers. Disadvantages of this strategy include lack of benefit on economies of scale by a company and lack of uniformity in the global image of a company. Samsung Electronics has been successful in maintaining a trade-off between customization and standardization strategies with the help of the internet. According to Hadjinicola and Kumar there should be a combination of these strategies because it maximizes performance of an organization (62). The company has established divisions depending with regions and continents where they are able to customize their products to needs of locals while at the same time availing some non-localized products in these markets. The company has also placed applications for the devices they sell on the internet with and option of individual customization. Using these ways the company has been able to cater for traveling customers and well as local residents in a market. A level of cooperation between the subsidiary products and the parent product optimizes the performance of company products in the market. ii. Cultural Factors Culture of people in a region plays a very key role in determination of a company’s strategic approach in international markets. This is a very vital consideration especially in product advertising and

Business assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business assessment - Assignment Example Recommendations 15 8. References 16 9. Appendix 19 1.0 Introduction Purpose of the Report The purpose of this report is to provide a critical comparative analysis of two organisations in the way they are operated and managed. This is to help us in discovering what causes success or failure for organisations and how different organisations adapt to dynamic environment. Organisations not flexible enough to adapt to the environment are unable to attract and retain talented employees or take advantage of available opportunities hence cannot achieve organisational effectiveness. Scope of the Report To analyse the operation and management of the two organisations the report will consider how they are structured and designed so as to show the interrelationships between roles and departments and lines of authority. Secondly, report will cover organisation of work especially the use of teams and team working. Thirdly, it will analyse the approaches to leadership and management adopted by the organisations as this determines their success or failure. The report will then analyse the organisational culture and its impact on the organisations operations and lastly, conclusions and recommendations will be made on how to improve operations and management. Organisations Background Biogenta is a manufacturing company producing crop-protection products and whose mission is to be the most trusted provider of crop-protection products in the world. It has manufacturing facilities in 10 countries and employees in over 80 countries. Contrary to popular belief that large size companies are bureaucratic in nature, Biogenta has an organic structure and a matrix design where individuals belong to a functional area and a project team. The chief executive officer, Jane Morgan is an effective leader and manager whose encouragement of creativity and innovation has pushed the company to greater heights. The company has a very strong culture which emphasizes on learning and development, diver sity and corporate social responsibility. Outback Inc is a traditional organisation run by family members. It offers tourism services to wide range of clients and operates in a very turbulent environment. Being a small organisation, it is expected to have an organic structure but instead, it is bureaucratic in nature with a functional design and little or no teamwork. Creativity and innovation is hindered by its autocratic leadership style. The company has no vision or mission and has a high turnover culture due to lack of opportunity for advancement and employee voice. 2.0 Organisational Design and Structure Benowitz (2011, p.70) defines an organization structure as â€Å"the configuration and interrelationships of positions and departments†. An organisation design on the other hand, is the change of an organization structure to enable it to respond effectively to environmental changes. A poor organization design and structure can lead to lack of co-ordination among function s, slow decision making, and role confusion (Corkindale, 2011). Types of Organisation structure An organisation structure is determined by the degree of complexity, formalisation, and centralisation. Complexity reflects the amount of differentiation in an organisation; formalisation shows the degree to which an organisation uses rules and procedures to direct behaviour while centralisation reflects how power and authority is distributed in an organisation. Gitman and McDaniel (2008) recognise two kinds of

Minds Are Opened Only When Hearts Are Opened Essay Example for Free

Minds Are Opened Only When Hearts Are Opened Essay â€Å"Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.† James Dewar To create the life that you want, growing as a human being and regularly experiencing a prosperous lifestyle, you will need a mind open to other people, possibilities, ideas and opinions around you. When you have an open mind you allow yourself to attract and follow up on opportunities. When you work with the power of the conscious and subconscious mind you will attract opportunities that will bring you what you need; for what you radiate you will constantly attract. When you are prepared to become creative you will create a vibrant life, while eliminating negative and unwanted situations. Most people think they already listen to others with an open mind, merely by paying close attention to what is being said. In fact, keeping an open mind is not easy to do if you are happy with the way you are doing things and do not see the point of changing. We all have moments, however, when we do listen with an open heart and mind, for example, we are more open to listening to someone we trust. An open mind is an understanding mind which will develop a genuine appreciation for people. When you take the trouble to think of other people’s feelings, their viewpoints and their desires you are saying â€Å"people are important†. An open mind will accept other people unconditionally. It requires the letting go of likes and dislikes and other similar emotions. When you do this you discipline your emotions and you allow people to be who they are with all their idiosyncrasies, differences and irritations. When you are communicating with others there can often be misunderstandings and these can lead to failure in your relations with others. We expect others to react and respond and come to the same conclusions we do over a given set of facts. Unfortunately, no one reacts to things as they are but to their own mental images; they are responding appropriately to what they see as the truth about the situation. An open-minded person will ask themselves â€Å"How does this appear to that person?† or, â€Å"How does that person interpret the situation?† and they will try to understand why someone might act differently to the way they expected. Many small business owners have faced extinction because they thought they knew it all and were not prepared to have an open mind and listen to others who had been down that path before them. When you are open minded you are always prepared to be teachable, to learn something new and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. An open mind is the doorway to expansion of ideas. When you open your mind you are not compromising your ethics and values. It just means that you begin to practice a greater sense of awareness and in doing so you are prepared to look at your world a little differently. Test opportunities that are presented to you and examine where the message is coming from. It may be from a friend, a neutral party or from a source about which you are sceptical. If you are not sure, instruct your subconscious mind to guide you by simply saying, â€Å"I am making the right decision.† Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. A Closed Mind â€Å"A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood. – Chinese Proverb. We have all been given the power to develop ideas and exercise free will. Unfortunately too often those ideas die as a seed and people use their free will to close their mind to the tremendous opportunities surrounding them. This stubbornness prevents them from achieving the goals that they want for themselves and so the opportunity for success is greatly decreased. In our formative years we grow and develop egos that maintain very particular ideas about ourselves in relation to the world around us. Your ego is your conscious mind, that which controls your behaviour and tries to give meaning to your external, material reality. It is powerful and can control your life if you allow it. Your external reality is a direct result of your mental and spiritual self so if the latter two are not where you want them to be your external and material self will suffer. The ego cannot improve the quality of your mental and spiritual life. When you close your mind you essentially become stubborn and become a victim of the ego mind which says, â€Å"My attitude is right despite what anyone else has to say†. The ego mind, although it thinks it knows better than anyone else, is never prepared to leave its comfort zone and so is not open to new ideas nor will it welcome others into its world. This kind of attitude shuts you off from the process of life and nature which is about growing and experiencing new possibilities. Think about how many times you were resistant to trying something new only to eventually give in and discover that you really enjoyed the process. Limitations are the jail of the mind so if you can throw off the shackles and open your mind to new and exciting ideas, your possibilities become limitless. When the mind is shackled and limited it affects every part of your life, for example, work presentations can lack innovation and impact and even every-day conversations are less productive and rewarding. Conversations often become defensive as the mind closes off to what is being said by others. Society today gives out a negative message that everyone is out to ‘take you down’ and that if it ‘looks to good to be true, it probably is’. This causes many to close their minds to everything beyond their current knowledge. An open mind is a mind that is aware that the current knowledge is not all there is to know and will eagerly investigate possibilities. When you have a closed mind to new and exciting possibilities you essentially tell yourself that you are not willing to go the extra mile – that you are not willing to grow and experience new things. You have now switched off the power within you and there can be no change and no progress in life and things will never improve. Such people become very introspective and weak. The old recordings of the past can, however, be changed. If you choose, you can wipe the old record clean, put on a new record and make a decision to activate the positive thoughts which lead to a relaxed and open view of the world. Remember, the past explains how you got to the present but where you go from here is your responsibility. In his book A Vision of Power Glory, John Kehoe gives a Zen parable about two monks who are on a journey together when they come to a river. By the river there is a beautiful woman. The woman asks them, â€Å"Please will one of you monks carry me across the river? The river is too wide and the current too swift.† The two monks look at one another, because they have taken a sacred vow to not so much as even touch a woman. Then, abruptly, the older monk picks up the woman, carries her across the river and puts her down on the other side. They continue on their journey. The younger monk is flabbergasted. He can’t believe it. An hour goes by and not a word is spoken between them. Two hours. Three hours. And finally, after four hours, he turns to the older monk and blurts out, â€Å"How could you have done that? How could you have carried that woman?† â€Å"Oh?† responds his companion, â€Å"Are you still carrying her? I put her down four hours ago.† John Kehoe goes on to say, â€Å"How much are we still carrying around inside us that should have been put down a long time ago? Disappointments; regrets; failures; grudges. How much junk are we carrying around inside us and how long are we going to carry it? All our life?† If you want to change and improve your attitude to life then it is imperative that you keep an open mind. That is not to say you will be taken in by every ‘fly-by-night’ scheme that may be put before you. An open mind is curious and investigative and examines new things. Your creative power system uses your conscious and subconscious mind to attract, explore and check out new opportunities so that you can begin achieving your goals and creating the life you want. Don’t limit yourself; learn how to attract new possibilities and make the right decisions by developing the power of your mind and heart. If you move in your community with an open mind and an open heart you can learn to accept others. You don’t have to agree with them, but accept who they are and feel free to express yourself. I remember a friend of ours who has passed on now, who was well-known and well-liked in community affairs. He met many people as he moved around and sometimes in a gathering he would be heard to say, â€Å"There’s a fellow over there I met recently and I didn’t like him; I must go over and get to know him better†. He would always come away with a new-found friend; now that’s an open mind and open heart.

Death, Decay and Disease in Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Death, Decay and Disease in Hamlet Within ‘Hamlet’, Shakespeare makes a number of references to Denmark's degraded state due to the deceit that lies within. These references are made by Hamlet, Horatio as well as the apparition, thus enforcing the strong theme of death, decay and disease. As aforementioned Hamlets makes a number of references to Denmark. Preceding the death of his father and the marriage of his mother, his mental state begins to fall into demise . Although he appears to not have much courage at first, his focus remains on avenging his father whose murder is described as being "most foul." As noted in one of Hamlet's first soliloquies, his downward spiral has already began and already he is contemplating suicide; "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew (I, II, 130)" and "seems to me all the uses of this world... Things rank and gross in nature posses it merely (I, II, 136)." To be degrading to be thinking of imagery including flesh melting shows that Hamlet is not in the state that he ought to be in. Furthermore Shakespeare encourages us to empathize with these emotions by using such rich descriptions. It could be perhaps argued that Hamlet's state of mind which has become debased, but this is until Horatio claims, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (I, IV, 90)." The notion of festering carrion being a metaphor for King Hamlets death epitomizes this notion. The ghost furthers this idea by stating at the moment of his death, his skin became "Most lazar-like with vile and loathsome crust all my smooth body (I, V, 72)." This attempts the elucidate on the feeling of death almost like becoming like a leper before death finally takes its toll. Decay also becomes a strong theme weighing heavily on Hamlet's mind. Whilst talking to Polonius he says, "For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion (II, II, 182)." Although Polonius' appears not to notice this, we can see the constant references to death being made by Shakespeare’s tools, i.e. the characters. Moreover associated with Shakespeare's use of decay and disease imagery is his use of horror, "Roasted in wrath and fire thus o'ersized with coagulate gore (II, II, 431)," is a perfect example of this.

Reflection of Team Work

The team project determined to be an excellent example of teamwork. Teamwork is essential in any type of career, and by doing team projects while still in school will continue to help me prepare for my future. The John Deere Dealership Program that I helped work on proved to be a success. Not only did the team learn how to work as a team; the team is leaving something at this university that will help students in the future. I feel that if this program is implemented, many students can benefit from this internship experience. I just wish that this program had been implemented four years ago so my colleagues or I might have had a chance to participate in this program. The project itself turned out to be a great learning experience for every member of my team, including myself. A student’s school and work schedule is tough enough to work out, but when there are four different schedules to work around one must collaborate with the other three to work out meeting times. The team I participated with worked out meeting times the best we could. I believe that this is an experience that each member should remember in the future, especially when we have to form meetings with colleagues in our career. While working on this team project conflict arose, and we had to overcome these conflicts. Conflicts are a big part of any team because of the amount of people working as a team. Conflicts are bound to arise, and each person must realize that their idea is not always right. I believe that knowing ahead of time that conflicts will arise that team should run a lot smoother. Communication is also a key to a successful team. If a person is reluctant to communicate with the rest of the team, his of her ideas will not be expressed in a completed project. I feel that in small teams like we had, it helps a backward person become involved due to the small amount of people in the group. I believe that every person’s opinion is important in running a team, and I will try to get every person’s input before a final decision is made. The presentations that each team gave in front of the class proved to be a good experience for every member of each group. Some people are more comfortable than others in public speaking, but through the presentations, a backward speaker gets experience in speaking in front of people. I believe that experience is the only way to become comfortable speaking in front of eople. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed this project. Each step of completion from the ground up was a great experience. I enjoy seeing our finished product, and enjoy people liking what our finished product looks like. I think all the hard work and conflicts pay off when I see a completed project. It has been a great team building experience for me, and I feel that the completion of this team project will help me in future team oriented projects.

Applications of amortization

amortization Definitions (2) 1. The gradual elimination of a liability, such as a mortgage, in regular payments over a specified period of time. Such payments must be sufficient to cover both principal and interest. 2. Writing off an intangible asset investment over the projected life of the assets. Read more: http://www. investorwords. com/200/amortization. html#ixzz2GXWACfP2 Applications of amortization In business, amortization refers to spreading payments over multiple periods. The term is used for two separate processes: amortization of loans and amortization of intangible assets. Amortization of loansIn lending, amortization is the distribution of payment into multiple cash flow installments, as determined by an amortization schedule. Unlike other repayment models, each repayment installment consists of both principal and interest. Amortization is chiefly used in loan repayments (a common example being a mortgage loan) and in sinking funds. Payments are divided into equal amoun ts for the duration of the loan, making it the simplest repayment model. A greater amount of the payment is applied to interest at the beginning of the amortization schedule, while more money is applied to principal at the end.Commonly it is known as EMI or Equated Monthly Installment. [1] or, equivalently, where: P is the principal amount borrowed, A is the periodic payment, r is the periodic interest rate divided by 100 (annual interest rate also divided by 12 in case of monthly installments), and n is the total number of payments (for a 30-year loan with monthly payments n = 30 ? 12 = 360). Negative amortization (also called deferred interest) occurs if the payments made do not cover the interest due. The remaining interest owed is added to the outstanding loan balance, making it larger than the original loan amount.If the repayment model for a loan is â€Å"fully amortized,† then the very last payment (which, if the schedule was calculated correctly, should be equal to al l others) pays off all remaining principal and interest on the loan. If the repayment model on a loan is not fully amortized, then the last payment due may be a large balloon payment of all remaining principal and interest. If the borrower lacks the funds or assets to immediately make that payment, or adequate credit to refinance the balance into a new loan, the borrower may end up in default. Amortization of intangible assetsIn accounting, amortization refers to expensing the acquisition cost minus the residual value of intangible assets (often intellectual property such as patents and trademarks or copyrights) in a systematic manner over their estimated useful economic lives so as to reflect their consumption, expiry, obsolescence or other decline in value as a result of use or the passage of time. A corresponding concept for tangible assets is depreciation. Methodologies for allocating amortization to each accounting period are generally the same as for depreciation.However, many intangible assets such as goodwill or certain brands may be deemed to have an indefinite useful life and are therefore not subject to amortization (although goodwill is subjected to an impairment test every year). Amortization is recorded in the financial statements of an entity as a reduction in the carrying value of the intangible asset in the balance sheet and as an expense in the income statement. Under International Financial Reporting Standards, guidance on accounting for the amortization of intangible assets is contained in IAS 38. 2] Under United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the primary guidance is contained in FAS 142. [3] While theoretically amortization is used to account for the decreasing value of an intangible asset over its useful life, in practice, many companies will â€Å"amortize† what would otherwise be one-time expenses by listing them as a capital expense on the cash flow statement and paying off the cost through amortization, thereby improving the company's net income in the fiscal year or quarter of the expense Amortization schedule An amortization schedule is a table detailing each periodic payment on an amortizing loan (typically a mortgage), as generated by an amortization calculator. Amortization refers to the process of paying off a debt (often from a loan or mortgage) over time through regular payments. A portion of each payment is for interest while the remaining amount is applied towards the principal balance. The percentage of interest versus principal in each payment is determined in an amortization schedule.While a portion of every payment is applied towards both the interest and the principal balance of the loan, the exact amount applied to principal each time varies (with the remainder going to interest). An amortization schedule reveals the specific monetary amount put towards interest, as well as the specific amount put towards the principal balance, with each payment. Initially, a large portion of each payment is devoted to interest. As the loan matures, larger portions go towards paying down the principal Methods of amortizationThere are different methods in which to arrive at an amortization schedule. These include: †¢Straight line (linear) †¢Declining balance †¢Annuity †¢Bullet (all at once) †¢Balloon (amortization payments and large end payment) †¢Increasing balance (negative amortization) Amortization schedules run in chronological order. The first payment is assumed to take place one full payment period after the loan was taken out, not on the first day (the amortization date) of the loan. The last payment completely pays off the remainder of the loan.Often, the last payment will be a slightly different amount than all earlier payments. In addition to breaking down each payment into interest and principal portions, an amortization schedule also reveals interest-paid-to-date, principal-paid-to-date, and the remaining principal ba lance on each payment date. Example amortization schedule This amortization schedule is based on the following assumptions: First, it should be known that rounding errors occur and depending how the lender ccumulates these errors, the blended payment (principal + interest) may vary slightly some months to keep these errors from accumulating; or, the accumulated errors are adjusted for at the end of each year, or at the final loan payment. There are a few crucial points worth noting when mortgaging a home with an amortized loan. First, there is substantial disparate allocation of the monthly payments toward the interest, especially during the first 18 years of the mortgage. In the example above, payment 1 allocates about 80-90% of the total payment towards interest and only $67. 9 (or 10-20%) toward the Principal balance. The exact percentage allocated towards payment of the principal depends on the interest rate. Not until payment 257 or 21 years into the loan does the payment alloc ation towards principal and interest even out and subsequently tip the majority of the monthly payment toward Principal balance pay down. Second, understanding the above statement, the repetitive refinancing of an amortized mortgage loan, even with decreasing interest rates and decreasing Principal balance, can cause the borrower to pay over 500% of the value of the original loan amount. Re-amortization' or restarting the amortization schedule via a refinance causes the entire schedule to restart: the new loan will be 30 years from the refinance date, and initial payments on this loan will again be largely interest, not principal. If the rate is the same, say 8%, then the interest/principal allocation will be the same as at the start of the original loan (say, 90/10). This economically unfavorable situation is often mitigated by the apparent decrease in monthly payment and interest rate of a refinance, when in fact the borrower is increasing the total cost of the property.This fact is often (understandably) overlooked by borrowers. Third, the payment on an amortized mortgage loan remains the same for the entire loan term, regardless of Principal balance owed but only for a fixed rate, fully amortizing loan. For example, the payment on the above scenario will remain $733. 76 regardless if the Principal balance is $100,000 or $50,000. Paying down large chunks of the Principal balance in no way affects the monthly payment, it simply reduces the term of the loan and reduces the amount of interest that can be charged by the lender resulting in a quicker payoff.To avoid these caveats of an amortizing mortgage loan many borrowers are choosing an interest-only loan to satisfy their mortgage financing needs. Interest-only loans have their caveats as well which must be understood before choosing the mortgage payment term that is right for the individual borrower. 3 Amortization calculator An amortization calculator is used to determine the periodic payment amount due on a loan (typically a mortgage), based on the amortization process. The amortization repayment model factors varying amounts of both interest and principal into every installment, though the total amount of each payment is the same.An amortization schedule calculator is often used to adjust the loan amount until the monthly payments will fit comfortably into budget, and can vary the interest rate to see the difference a better rate might make in the kind of home or car one can afford. An amortization calculator can also reveal the exact dollar amount that goes towards interest and the exact dollar amount that goes towards principal out of each individual payment. The amortization schedule is a table delineating these figures across the duration of the loan in chronological order.The formula The calculation used to arrive at the periodic payment amount assumes that the first payment is not due on the first day of the loan, but rather one full payment period into the loan. While normal ly used to solve for A, (the payment, given the terms) it can be used to solve for any single variable in the equation provided that all other variables are known. One can rearrange the formula to solve for any one term, except for i, for which one can use a root-finding algorithm. The annuity formula is: Where: †¢A = periodic payment amount P = amount of principal, net of initial payments, meaning â€Å"subtract any down-payments† †¢i = periodic interest rate †¢n = total number of payments This formula is valid if i > 0. If i = 0 then simply A = P / n. For a 30-year loan with monthly payments, Note that the interest rate is commonly referred to as an annual percentage rate (e. g. 8% APR), but in the above formula, since the payments are monthly, the rate must be in terms of a monthly percent. Converting an annual interest rate (that is to say, annual percentage yield or APY) to the onthly rate is not as simple as dividing by 12, see the formula and discussion in APR. However if the rate is stated in terms of â€Å"APR† and not â€Å"annual interest rate†, then dividing by 12 is an appropriate means of determining the monthly interest rate. Derivation of the formula The formula for the periodic payment amount is derived as follows. For an amortization schedule, we can define a function that represents the principal amount remaining at time . We can then derive a formula for this function given an unknown payment amount and .We can generalize this to Applying the substitution (see geometric progressions) We end up with For payment periods, we expect the principal amount will be completely paid off at the last payment period, or Solving for A, we get or After substitution and simplification we get 4 Negative amortization In finance, negative amortization, also known as NegAm, deferred interest or graduated payment mortgage, occurs whenever the loan payment for any period is less than the interest charged over that period so th at the outstanding balance of the loan increases.As an amortization method the shorted amount (difference between interest and repayment) is then added to the total amount owed to the lender. [1] Such a practice would have to be agreed upon before shorting the payment so as to avoid default on payment. This method is generally used in an introductory period before loan payments exceed interest and the loan becomes self-amortizing. The term is most often used for mortgage loans; corporate loans which have negative amortization are called PIK loans. Amortization refers to the process of paying off a debt (often from a loan or mortgage) over time through regular payments.A portion of each payment is for interest while the remaining amount is applied towards the principal balance. The percentage of interest versus principal in each payment is determined in an amortization schedule. 5. Amortizing loan In banking and finance, an amortizing loan is a loan where the principal of the loan is paid down over the life of the loan (that is, amortized) according to some amortization schedule, typically through equal payments. Similarly, an amortizing bond is a bond that repays part of the principal (face value) along with the coupon payments.Compare with a sinking fund, which amortizes the total debt outstanding by repurchasing some bonds. Each payment to the lender will consist of a portion of interest and a portion of principal. Mortgage loans are typically amortizing loans. The calculations for an amortizing loan are those of an annuity using the time value of money formulas, and can be done using an amortization calculator. An amortizing loan should be contrasted with a bullet loan, where a large portion of the loan will be paid at the final maturity date instead of being paid down gradually over the loan's life.An accumulated amortization loan represents the amount of amortization expense that has been claimed since the acquisition of the asset. Effects Amortization of debt has two major effects: Credit risk First and most importantly, it substantially reduces the credit risk of the loan or bond. In a bullet loan (or bullet bond), the bulk of the credit risk is in the repayment of the principal at maturity, at which point the debt must either be paid off in full or rolled over. By paying off the principal over time, this risk is mitigated. Interest rate riskA secondary effect is that amortization reduces the duration of the debt, reducing the debt's sensitivity to interest rate risk, as compared to debt with the same maturity and coupon rate. This is because there are smaller payments in the future, so the weighted-average maturity of the cash flows is lower. Weighted-average life Main article: Weighted-average life The number weighted average of the times of the principal repayments of an amortizing loan is referred to as the weighted-average life (WAL), also called â€Å"average life†. It's the average time until a dollar of principal is repaid. In a formula, where: †¢ is the principal, is the principal repayment in coupon , hence †¢ is the fraction of the principal repaid in coupon , and †¢ is the time from the start to coupon †¢ 6. Amortization (tax law) In tax law, amortization refers to the cost recovery system for intangible property. Although the theory behind cost recovery deductions of amortization is to deduct from basis in a systematic manner over an asset's estimated useful economic life so as to reflect its consumption, expiration, obsolescence or other decline in value as a result of use or the passage of time, many times a perfect match of income and deductions does not occur for policy reasons.Depreciation A corresponding concept for tangible assets is depreciation. Methodologies for allocating amortization to each tax period are generally the same as for depreciation. However, many intangible assets such as goodwill or certain brands may be deemed to have an indefinite useful lif e, or â€Å"self-created† and are therefore not subject to amortization

Strategic Thinking And Change Management The WritePass Journal

Strategic Thinking And Change Management Abstract Strategic Thinking And Change Management ). Threat of substitutes With intense competition in the Market, there is a potential threat of substitute products. In fact, as Netflix and Blockbuster battle it out, others are gaining ground in substitute offerings as seen with Video-on-demand which has grown at double digit rates in the past two years. Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers are likely to have less purchase power especially given the acquisition of Movielink. If this acquisition leads to more online downloads, the company will have little need for plastic cases and DVDs and as such, the bargaining power of suppliers is likely to reduce (Janjua 2012). Intensity of competitive rivalry The rivalry in the market is definitely high. Already, Blockbuster has lost many of its customers to Netflix. The company must reinvent and implement strategies that would sway back customers. How Blockbuster can realign itself to the needs of the external environment The corporate strategy would require the company to capitalize on innovative emergent technologies to provide it with strategic breakthroughs in the competitive business environment, while not losing sight of its in-store operations (Fryman 2010). As such, a click and brick strategy would be more suitable for the company. Blockbuster must realigns its business processes with IT and use it in their favour. In realigning their business processes with IT, the company must access the strategic alignment model in terms of purpose, initiatives, project leadership, infrastructure and goals that will create a paradigm shift (Carr 2010). The realignment process must enable the company to embrace online opportunities which Netflix and Redbox have already perfected. Realigning business process with IT (Kalakota 2011) Whilst Blockbuster seems to have already embedded IT into their core business model as seen with the total access program which enhances online customers experience, this has not helped much as the company has lost most of its customers to online retailers such as Netflix and Lovefilm .The failure by the company to quickly adapt to the changing business environment and consumer habits is suggested to have been the main problem. The company took long to transform its business model and when it did, the competitive landscape had already been fundamentally altered and the tradition model destroyed by the new platform model (Carr 2010). The company needs to conduct a massive marketing campaign which should focus on growing their online rental subscriber base. The company could also form an alliance with cell phone companies and arranging with these companies to allow customers to stream movies on their cell phones.   This would be a great idea considering that people have their cell phones all the time. With larger cell phone screens, customers would be able to stream movies from anywhere including in the subways, bus stations and even at workplaces. Viewing could be per subscription or pay-per-view (Clark et al. 2013). Another strategic move would be to partner with airline companies in order to implement a blue box program at airports such as the Redboxes at McDonalds (Jordan 2011). The blue box program would enable travelers to pick up a movie at one airport and to return it to another airport or blockbuster store. Further, the company should focus on strengthening customer relationship management by implementing a business strategy that maintains relevant value across all its customer groupings and introducing new customer proposition initiatives that would provide them with an edge over their competitors (Afuah 2009). Additionally, Blockbuster needs to implement an ERP system that will enable it to track their inventories. The system can be implemented incrementally from one region to another. This will reduce the time and duplications that the company currently has, thereby increasing efficiency. Currently, for customers to check out their movies from different blockbusters, they are required to register with each store individually.   Given that the ERP system integrates data and allows for sharing of information across multiple departments, this may benefit the company through quicker processing of orders and faster shipments. . Whilst recognizing the need to realign business process with IT, the company should not to lose sight of its in-store operations. Customers of today have become savvier and are increasingly taking charge of their own shopping experience (Deloitte 2011). Retail stores must equally evolve to become part of the complex relationship between the retailer and customer by providing new ways of experiencing breadth and depth of range (Deloitte 2011). In-store theatre and a touch and feel experience around the product item should be able to sway more consumers back to shopping in high streets. Provision of personalized services and guided shopping experience should equally encourage more consumers to go back for rental services from the stores. Critique of contemporary strategic management research and practice But while strategic thinking and change management has a greater role to play in resuscitating high street retail stores, such practices are not always successful. For example, while the ERP system may increase the efficiency and effectiveness of management decisions, failure of such systems may adversely impact on the organization resulting in cost overruns and supply chain problems (Morgan Smith 2002). Moreover, a strategy formulation that positions a firm in a niche may narrow the firm’s perspective (Mintzberg et al., 1995). That is, such a strategy may overlook opportunity if they are only concentrating on a certain group of market. Another criticism is that strategic planning systems are designed as top-down planning systems and as such strategic decisions are only relegated to top management (Morgan Smith 2002). This implies that the planning systems serve to fulfill only the goals and interests of the top management and not that of the organization. Strategic management is based on rational decision making. But because most of the time we have incomplete information, fully rational decisions may not be possible and change process may result in adverse effects (Jofre 2011). Hence whilst change management may be intended at increasing the firms adaptability, structures developed to promote rationality may have opposite effect (Jofre 2011). Nonetheless, it is clear that high street retailers need to realign their business processes to meet demands of the changing business environment. Conclusion There is no doubt that the past few years have seen a crisis as major high street chains such as Blockbusters, Jessops, JJB sport, and Comet among many others go into administration. The collapse of well-known retailers into receivership is a clear indication of a declining fortune of Britains high streets. All these retailers which have gone into administration do share certain commonalities. They all tend to have a significant number of stores and have all had difficulty adapting to the changing business environment and retail habits. For these retailers to continue to thrive in the industry, they must reinvent and realign themselves to the needs of the external environment. For example, Blockbuster needs to realign its business processes with IT and use it in their favour. The company should adopt a click and brick strategy. That is, the company must embrace online opportunities without losing sight of its in-store operations. The company could also form alliances with cell phone companies to allow customers to stream movies on their cell phones. The company may as well partner with airlines and implement a blue box programs at the airports such as the Redboxes at McDonald. The company may also implement ERP systems to increase their efficiency and effectiveness of management decisions. Its retail stores must also evolve and should be able to provide customers with new ways of experiencing breadth and depth. In-store theatre and a touch and feel experience around the product item should be able to sway more consumers back to shopping in high streets. Provision of personalized services and guided shopping experience should equally encourage more consumers to go back for rental services from the stores. Reference Afuah, A., 2009. Strategic innovation: new game strategies for competitive advantage. University of Michigan. NewYork: Routledge publishers Anon 2013. A strategy life-cycle: Blockbuster. [Viewed on 22nd May 2013] available from http://strategydynamics.com/info/blockbusters-strategy.aspx Anon, 2013. The death of the high street or the birth of a new kind of retailer? [Viewed on 19th May 2013] available from enterprisenation.com/blog/the-death-of-the-high-street-or-the-birth-of-a-new-kind-of-retailer/ Janjua, A., 2012. Make it a blockbuster night. 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