Faith Community Hospital free essay sample

This paper is based on a case study of the Faith Community Hospital , where several problems are identified. The following paper examines the current problematic situation in Faith Community Hospital, where the overall problem is that the level of patient care is at risk, however the symptom lies deeper. Firstly, the writer introduces the variety of problems that have been recognized. The paper then provides several solutions, explaining their reasoning and how they will solve the problem. Finally it concludes by showing how solving these base problems ultimately leads to better patient care. As the CEO tells Chris, ;we;ve got some interesting interpretations of the mission statement being made, in all of our stakeholder groups.The main problem is that the mission statement is not clear enough, it can be interpreted in various ways. It is also relevant that the mission statement goes out to all types of stakeholders, who each have different needs. We will write a custom essay sample on Faith Community Hospital or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Interpretation from these different groups means that the hospital is viewed in many different ways, with the hospital itself having no clear mission and certainly all the parties involved with the hospital not having the same expectations.The values of the hospital are also open to interpretation. The faith of the hospital attracts those that support the faith.

Wurthering heights study

Wurthering heights study WUTHERING HEIGHTSEmily BrontÂÆ' «, 18471)The story takes place in the early XIXth century. There are two characters in this extract : Mr Lockwood and Catherine Linton. Mr Lockwood is the first narrator of this novel, he was one of Mr Heathcliff's tenants. At the beginning of the story , there were three characters : Heathcliff, a foundling, his sister Catherine and his brother Hindley. Catherine fell in love with Heathcliff, but was married with Edgar Linton. So, the second character we meet here is Catherine Linton, Edgar Linton's daughter. This extract belongs to the end of the novel. Catherine comes back to the farm Wuthering Heights, she tries to get in the house trough the window. Mr Lockwood, which had read Catherine's diary, does not recognize her.2)In this text, Mr Lockwood is in his bed room at Wuthering Heights, he is alone and he had to stay in the farm because of the snow.English: Emily Brontà «'s novel Wutherng Heights ca...He is disturbed by the gusty wind and the i ncessant move of the fir-bough. So he tries to stop this teasing noise, opening the window and seizing the branch. When his fingers grabbed the branch, another cold hand caught his. Then the context makes the text become an ambiguous experience and we can say that this extract is set between sanity and madness to some extents.First of all, we will see that this text relates an ambiguous experience. The atmosphere is gloomy : Mr Lockwood is alone in an isolated farm, everithing is dark around him and there are many teasing noises. So we can say that the atmosphere is quite nightmarish. Mr Lockwood had found Catherine Linton's diary, and he had read it. So he knows the passion between Catherine Linton and Mr Heathcliff, the owner of Wuthering Heights. The first contact between Catherine and Mr Lockwood in this text is physical : Catherine catches Mr Lockwood's hand by surprise, in the dark. So Mr Lockwood does not see her, and when she says that she is Catherine Linton, he does not be lieve her because he had never seen her. We see that Mr Lockwood is shocked ; the situation is ambiguous for him because he meets in a very unusual way the person who had written the diary he had just read.But for the reader, the situation is not ambiguous because we know who is Catherine Linton. We know that the scene is a combination of cicumstances ; Catherine wanted to come back to Wuthering Heights, she just wanted to get in the house. The combination of circumstances makes that Mr Lockwood, trying to catch the branch, had been surprised by Catherine. But she has no intention of surprising Mr Lockwood. So, we could say that the gloomy atmosphere leads Mr Lockwood to confused feelings, between sanity and madness.The text could be set between sanity and madness for different reasons with regard to the two charcters present in this scene : Mr Lockwood and Catherine Linton. Both charcters can be indeed considered as mad but in the same time, they show sanity in their actions and re actions. Catherine Linton came back to Wuthering Heights because she wanted to find her origins in this place where her mother lived and above all because she had an affair with the owner of the farm : Heathcliff. But she had never lived in this farm, so she didn't know how to get in and maybe noone could let get in. It is obvious tah the only way she had found to enter, in by the window. There is nothing really mad in this action, that is just a woman who wants to get into a farm where she could find and discover her roots.In the same way, Mr Lockwood does not show madness at all. He is in his bedroom, disturbed by the noise of a fir-bough, he opens the window and tries to stop this teasing sound. But when he puts his fingers on the branch, a hand catch them. Moreover when he tries to draw back his arm, the cold hand keeps it with force. As we have said before, the atmosphere is gloomy and oppressive, Mr Lockwood is alone in a farm which he does not know really. He inevitably surpr ised and afraid of the sudden and unexpected intrusion of this woman. So, the fact that Mr Lockwood is frightened and ends up reversing is normal, there is nothing mad about it.But, to some extents, we must admit that the two characters show madness towards the atmosphere and actions. First of all, the intrusion of Catherine Linton is very violent and sudden and as everyone knows it, thre are only thieves who try to get into a house trough the window. On the first readind, this action is really mad. The madness of this intrusion is inforced by the first mords of Catherine : ‚ « Let me in ! ‚ ». She doesn't say who she is, and why she wants to get in. This action could easily be considered as mad and almost supernatural.Besides, that is this aspect which could make Mr Lockwood go mad. The atmosphere is really supernatural and surreal : the darkness, the coldness of the fingers which keep with force his. At the firts sight, he could think that the coming of this woman sobb ing and begging to let her in is really unbelievable, he could assimilate Catherine Linton to a ghost or even a product of his imagination because he has just read her diary.3)This novel had been written in the middle of the XIXth Century. We can note that the evocation of extreme feelings an natural elements, mixed whith the presence of a nightmarish atmosphere lead us to ascertain that this novel belongs to the pre-Romantic genre. So we will try to see in what way we can find extreme feelings, the use of natural elements, imagination and the supernatural in this text.We can note some natural elements, which show us that Wuthering Heights is an isolated place. The natural elements create a gloomy atmosphere : the fir-bough is creaking in a teasing sound, the night, the snow and the gusty wind force Mr Lockwood to stay in the farm. Another typical natural element that we find in pre-Romantic novels is the moor. In fact the moor, evocated by Catherine, is isolated and not a very reas suring place, above all during the night. These natural elements create a nightmarish atmosphere, which leads Mr lockwood to express extreme feelings. We can note different feelings in this text. On the first hand, there are feelings of annoyance, and on the second hand, there are feelings of fear. The feelings of annoyance are illustrated by different terms and expressions : a ‚ « teasing sound ‚ », ‚ « annoyed me so much ‚ », ‚ « I must stop it nevertheless ! ‚ », ‚ « I muttered ‚ »... all these feelings are excessive, and maybe show that Mr Lockwood is already in a state of anxiety. In the second part of the text, the feelings of fear succeed to feelings of annoyance. We can note this feeling in the following expressions : ‚ « the intense horror of nightmare came over me ‚ » ; ‚ « struggling ‚ », ‚ « terror made me cruel ‚ », ‚ « almoste maddening me with fear ‚ », ‚ « yelled alo ud ‚ », ‚ « a frenzy of fright ‚ ». These feelings of terror are also excessive ; it creates a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere, which leads to imagination and unreal.The intrusion of Catherine Linton could make Mr Lockwood go mad and could let him believe that what he is living is a hallucination, a product of his imagination because nothing seems to be real. Maybe that the excessive feelings mentionned are caused by Mr Lockwood's imagination ; for the reader, the atmosphere is not very threatening. As in many pre-Romantic novel, the nightmarish atmosphere, symbolised by the darkness, the moor, the winter, is the source of imagination and also of fear : imagination and extreme feelings like fear are linked together.We could make a link between this novel from Emily BrontÂÆ' « and the short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, like in The Raven for example. Indeed, Poe wrote his short stories in the same period as Emily BrontÂÆ' «. In The Raven, the power of imaginati on, the supranatural and the unreal have also a great place, and we could note, as in Wuthering Heights, that the feelings expressed are often excessive.

Philosophy of Special Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy of Special Education - Essay Example The paper presents my philosophy of Special Education which states that special education is concerned with educating students who possess particular needs, which gets in the way of their teaching and learning process.   Ã‚  Ã‚   I believe that each child is different from other children in a school setting, despite their physical nature. This is an interpretation of the fact that the child is unique and requires a well organized environment that is secure, stimulating, and caring, to simplify proper learning, emotional, intellectual, societal, and economic growth. My role as an educationist is to help my learners meet their potential areas of interest. This can be achieved by giving the learners a teaching learning environment that is conducive for effective learning, support them to disclose information, and motivates them to take chances while learning.   I believe that the basic elements that are conducive for special learning environment are: allowing learners to learn on th eir own, the teacher being the source of knowledge, and learners conducting research to obtain more knowledge using the guidelines provided by the teacher. The teacher’s role in Special Education is to provide students with information. The students’ role on the other hand is to determine knowledge using the guidelines provided by the teacher. ... The teacher can achieve this through open classroom discussion encouraging students to speak about their views freely. This approach allows space for each learner’s opinions to be put in perspective. The best method for this approach is to construct classroom discussion and encourage frequent classroom meetings. When the students feel safe and free to discuss their problems, they will love the teachers, the school, lessons presented to them and the whole class as well as the community.   The entire classroom represents an exceptional society of learners that are different from one another not only in their ways of doing things, but also in teaching learning styles. My responsibility as a teacher is to provide the learners the materials that can be used to develop their own grounds of knowledge. To achieve this objective, I will educate to the requirements of each learner, so that all students can sense competent and triumphant. I will hand over the syllabus that involves the good of the learners and makes teaching learning process applicable to their real life situations. I will slot in central ideas, incorporate projects, group work, units, original work, and practical learning so as to make the learners be involved teaching learning process. Categorically, I will bind teaching and learning process into the society to assist learners turn out to be caring and enthusiastic community members.   I will develop a learning environment that is compassionate, secure, and impartial environment where every learner can flourish and develop intellectually. I will allow learners to turn out to be   Ã‚  conscientious members of the learning environment, and the society by using approaches such as class gatherings, encouraging

Letter Concerning Toleration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Letter Concerning Toleration - Essay Example According to John Locke in his Letter Concerning Tolerance, the state and the church are perfectly distinct and infinitely different entities (Locke 24). In his opinion, the magistrate has no role in matters of religion. The main functions of the state are to protect life, people’s liberty, and their properties. Every entity in the society is limited to its functions and protection of souls is not one of the states functions but rather the function of the church. Therefore, by creating laws to criminalize the use the hallucinogenic mushroom, the stipulations describing how the drug is not fit for consumption and what makes it criminal should apply to all individual citizens of the state in the bid to uphold democracy and protection of peoples lives and liberty. Allowing some religions to use the drug while restricting others is a true description of what Locke refers to as intolerance. It is a definite case of a state showing coercion of citizens to convert to certain religion s. This is because conversion to the exempted religion would allow those people with the urge to use the drug a right to the drug. The American flag and patriotism Reciting the pledge of allegiance while facing the American flag as a show of patriotism is not wrong even in Locke’s point of view. This is because Locke is precise and categorical about the extend to which the state can make wrong moves in controlling religious practices and the main factor of consideration is the essence of everything that the state implements as a rule for every citizen. The only wrong move that the state could take in such a case is to connect the reciting of the pledge of allegiance while facing the American flag to matters of religion. In this case, the state has not made connections of religious beliefs to the aspect of reciting the pledge of allegiance while facing the American flag. In addition to this, the state makes itself clean in this case by ensuring that this aspect is practiced by all citizens of America regardless of their religious affiliations as a show of patriotism to the state. It is for the parents to these children to differentiate matters of religion from undertaking universal activities that are meant to show patriotism to the state. The state never intended to connect the action of reciting the pledge of allegiance while facing the American flag with matters of the soul. Nonetheless, subscribing as a citizen of a certain state or nation means that one has made the choice of being patriotic to the particular state. The Christian minister The case of the Christian minister presents a very controversial aspect in consideration of Locke’s views in the letter concerning tolerance. The controversy is presented in the fact that both the state and the Christian minister would agree and disagree with Locke’s ideas at some point. In Locke’s view, there should be religious tolerance among churches as a factor that would foster peace in t he society. The minister was not wrong to criticize another religious sect in the congregation of his religious sect in order to persuade his people to choose his religion but he had no right to threaten to burn the Koran as it would be fostering a totalitarian ideology that Locke is against. He is correct in Locke’

Exam II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam II - Essay Example It is true that, the application of this agreement has helped to reduce the negative outcome of the war. In February 1848, the Mexican-American war was formally ended by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Over the next years, the tension between the United States and the Government of Mexico continued to rumble. The Gadsden Purchase treaty helped to settle the occurrence of dispute on Texas. The Gadsden Purchase included lands west of the Rio Grande and south of the Gila River. The purpose of the Treaty is for the construction of transcontinental railroad in United States along a southern road. The Gadsden Purchase is also linked to the settlement of the border issues. The key boundaries of the United States of American have been settled by the implementation of the Gadsden Purchase. The Mexican army was defeated by the Americans in a number of battles that forced Mexicans to surrender. The war was considered by the Massachusetts as a crime. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo helped to provide half-a-million square miles to United States (Tate, 2013). The line of the Gila River and the Rio Grande became international border. Moreover, the formally gave away of additional territory was not accepted by President Polk. On September 15, 1853, James Gadsden met with Santa Anna. A verbal instruction has been sent by President Pierce for Gadsden. An agent for United States investors, Christopher Ward was the one who took verbal instruction to Gadsden. The instructions gave negotiation option for Gadsden for a greater share of northern Mexico to 15 million dollars and Lower California for 50 million dollars. The instruction of the President Pierce to sell large portion of Mexico was refused by Santa Anna. Santa Anna wanted to gather money to reduce the ongoing reb ellions. This is the reason behind the application of treaty between Gadsden and Santa Anna. Mexican border was heavily raided by Americans. The Treaty was also

Purchase behaviour of Malaysians

Purchase behaviour of Malaysians The previous chapter has highlighted the objective and also the importance of this study.This chapter will cover previous literature of each topic area.Literature review are known as the secondary sources obtained from published work such as journals,books,masters thesis,articles,conference proceedings and other reports.It is vital in supporting the hypotheses that will be discussed the next chapter. The changes in Malaysia have been acknowledged by its admirers and critics alike. Two decades of uninterrupted economic growth and political stability have managed to guarantee nearly-full employment and a constant rise in living standards for the population (Noor, 1996). The rise of this consumerist culture would not have been possible had it not been for the loyal support of Malaysias youth, for it is they who are both the patrons and targets of this youth-oriented consumerism (Noor, 1996).T he study conducted by Singhapakdi, et., al. (1999) compared Malaysia and the US in terms of their perceptions of marketing situations, their attitudes toward business and salespeople, and their personal moral philosophies. The survey results reveal some significant differences between the consumers from these two countries. It indicated that Malaysia is more oriented towards cultural leanings than that of the United States. Self-image, product image and their combination, self-congruity, are im portant concepts in consumer behaviour. They have been hypothesised and found to affect significantly product choice and purchase intention. Questern, Karunaratna and Goh (2000) studied two samples (Australia and Malaysia) from contrasting cultural backgrounds are compared in relation to the importance of self-congruity with respect to four brands of two products categories of contrasting involvement levels. Unexpectedly, samples from Australia and Malaysia were found to use differently actual vs ideal self-image in their product evaluation. This confirms overall the role of self-congruence in consumers choice and points to the need for further investigation of this concept in a cross-cultural context.   2.2 Independent Variable 2.2.1 Purchasing Behavior Determining the definite reasons that influence consumers and their purchasing attitudes that directly linked to consumer decision making has become a significant focus of consumer research. Thus, a large number of studies have examined how individual consumers learn what to purchase (Keillor et al., 1996; Moschis and Churchill, 1978; Ward, 1974). According to Sproles and Kendall (1986, Pg. 268), a consumers decision making style is a mental orientation characterising a consumers approach to making choices. To conceptualize these styles a model which composed of eight mental orientations of consumers decision making behaviour was established by Sproles and Kendall (1986). The 8 characteristics are: Perfectionism/Quality conscious decision style that is concerned Shoppers with this decision making style will not settle with products grade as good with perfection. enough Brand conscious decision style that is concerned with getting luxurious, renowned brand. Consumers with this style believe that the higher the price of a goods, the better the quality. These consumers also aware of a brand as a distinct product separate from others as it is related to image and perception Novelty fashion conscious decision style for seeking out new things. The behaviour reflects a taste of innovative products and a motivation to keep up to date with new styles and fashion trends. Habitual and Brand Loyalty Decision style for shopping at the same stores and tendency to buy the same brands each time. Recreational shopping conscious decision style that view shopping as being enjoyable. Buyers with this trait enjoy the stimulation of looking for and choosing products. Price and value conscious decision style that is concerned with getting lower price. It also suggests that the consumer is conscious of sale prices and intends to get the best value for their money. Impulsive and careless tendencies decision style that describes a shopper who does not plan their shopping and appears unconcerned with how much he or she spends. Consumers with this style might regret their decision later. Confused by over choice decision style that reflects a lack of confidence and lack of ability to deal with the number of choices available. Consumers with this trait experience information overload. The eight features describe the most basic mental characteristics of a consumers decision making, which are directly associated to consumer purchase behaviour. Such knowledge is also essential in identifying segments of consumers sharing similar attitudes to shopping (Lyonksi et al., 1996). Besides the eight-factor consumer decision-making orientation model, work by Sproles (1985) and Sproles and Kendall (1986) developed the Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) which is used to evaluate consumer decision-making styles on the basis of a sample of United States (U.S.) teenagers. This method has been applied to different societies in eight different countries, including the U.S. (Sproles, 1985, Sproles and Kendall, 1986, Lysonski et al., 1996), New Zealand (Durvasula et al., 1993, Lysonski et al., 1996), United Kingdom(Mitchell and Bates, 1998), South Korea (Hafstorm et al., 1992), Greece, India (Lysonski et al., 1996), Germany (Walsh et al., 2001) and China (Fan and Xiao, 1998, Hui et al., 1 999, Hui et al., 2000). By using 210 university student samples in New Zealand, there were eight characteristics, same as Sproles (1986) findings, identified in Durvasulas (1993) research. However, in Lysonskis (1996) New Zealand study the factor of price and value consciousness was not found. The three consumer decision-making orientations; brand consciousness, novelty-fashion consciousness and habitual and brand loyalty are commonly found in two developed countries (USA and New Zealand) and two developing countries (Greece and India), identified by Lysonski (1996). The influences of the market environment, in particular the economic environment and market structure on consumer decision-making styles were suggested in the study. Walsh (2001) and Mitchell (1998) and had also applied the CSI in his study in the German and UK consumers respectively. Out of these eight styles, only six were identified in the study for Germans which are brand consciousness, perfectionism, recreational shopping conscious, confused by over choice, careless and impulsive and novelty-fashion consciousness. In addition to these, variety seeking was new style that found in Walshs (2001) Germany study. Besides to Sproless (1986) eight styles structure, Mitchell (1998) suggested that two others styles which are time-energy conserving and store loyal consumers were identified with UK consumers. The CSI has also been administered to the consumers of South Korea and China, in addition to the studies conducted in the western countries. However, varied results were shown in Fans (1998) and Huis (1999 2000) studies on Chinas consumers and only five styles were found in South Korea. Furthermore, as results of various researches relating to consumer behavior; an explanation of diverse purchasing behavior models is extended. The EKB model; a relatively clear, inclusive, and organized theory model concerning consumer behavior by three scholars, Engel, Kollat and Blackwell (EKB), was first presented in 1968. The model assumes that a consumers decision processing is a consecutive processing which leads to solving problems, and which features considering decision processing as the center of merging relations of relevant outside and inside elements. The EKB model has three advantages (Yang, 2001), which consist of: It is process oriented: The EKB model has rather relevant variables, which are collected with signs, are easier for researchers to confirm the relationship of variables, and also benefit hypothesis development and research result interpretation. Thoroughness/attention to detail: The EKB model contains rather complete variables, which are capable of explaining entire processing of consumer behavior. The dynamic feature: The EKB model combines many scholars and experts opinions towards consumer behavior and performs many revisions; therefore, is considered as a fairly thorough consumer behavior model. The EKB model contains four major parts, which include: information involvement; information processing; decision processing; and variables of decision processing. Consequently, based on the EKB concept; Engel et al. (1993) report that, the center concept of the model indicates consumer purchase decision processing, which is also problem-solving processing to consumer decision processing, consist of five stages. The five stages are: demand confirmation, search for information, and evaluation of alternatives, purchasing, and purchasing result. Basically, researches on consumer decision-making issues were mainly focused on the decision-making process. However, consumers may sometimes usually rely on simple approach, rather than going through a series of steps or processes rationally when they made purchase decisions, argues Bettman (1979). Consumer may simply emphasize or evaluate some typical dimensions or characteristics that are obvious and being conscious of (Sproles, 1985). In this regard, Sproles and Kendall (1986) pioneered to examine consumer decision-making processes by profiling consumers into diverse decision-making styles. In Wickliffes (1998) study, such styles have recently been found to be highly correlated with some product characteristics, for example; price, country of origin and brand. A consumer behavior model, Wheel of Consumer Analysis, was created by J. Paul Peter and Jerry C. Olson (1994) as a basis for explaining car buying behavior. According to the American Marketing Association, consumer behavior is defined as the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behavior, and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives. (Olson Peter, 1994). Marketers can analyze am consumer behavior situation according to the three elements using the Wheel of Consumer Analysis the environment, behavior, and affect/cognition (see Figure 1). However, because these three factors interact and influence each other, no one factor can be isolated from the other. To understand consumer behavior, marketers must pay close attention to all three elements, each of which is discussed below Affect and Cognition Both affect and cognition are important for understanding consumer behavior, because affect and cognition refer to the internal and psychological reactions that consumers may have in response to objects in the external environment i.e., marketing stimuli, or to their own behavior. In other words, affect concerns feelings, while cognition involves thinking. Affective feelings can be positive and favorable, or negative and unfavorable. Whether positive or negative, they will affect the decisions of consumers. The Chinese consumer presents a good example of this. When Chinese consumers go to car dealers to purchase a car, their emphasis is on the services, including the attitude of sales people and option packages. An important factor for the Chinese is that dealers are sincere when conducting business rather than focusing solely on the price. Many international companies have experience when dealing with the Chinese and they understand that the Chinese like to negotiate, especially on price and service. Behavior The second important component is behavior or the overt acts of consumers. While affect and cognition are concerned with what customers feel and think, behavior deals with what customers actually do. Examples of consumer behavior include watching a TV commercial, visiting a store, or purchasing a product. Chinese consumers typically pay more attention to the informational content than entertainment features of the advertisements. One study found that Chinese customers considered themselves to be sophisticated and knowledgeable in their purchasing choices. (Shen Zhao, 1995) Environment The last component of consumer behavior concerns the environment. The environment refers to all the physical and social characteristics of the consumers external worlds on both a macro and a micro level. Marketers need to know which level of environmental analysis is relevant for the marketing problem and choose or design strategies appropriately. The macro environment includes general environmental factors such as, the climate, demographics, economic conditions, and political system. The micro-environment includes face-to-face social interactions among smaller groups of people such as families and reference groups. (Olson Peter, 1994) Both environments could include the objects, places, or other people who influence consumers affect/ recognition, and behavior. In the Chinese society, friends are good reference providers, particularly in the case of large, durable goods purchases.While the environment in which marketers operate is largely uncontrollable, marketers can influence cert ain aspects of the environment. Therefore, every marketing strategy needs to change or at least adapt to some aspect of the social and physical environments. While attempting to influence consumers affect/cognition and their behaviors, marketing strategies must often be altered to fit the social and physical environments such as, designing cars without ashtrays, reflecting shifting social patterns of reduced smoking 2.2 Literature of Variable 2.2.1 Price Prices range widely and an executive sedan may cost more than ten times the price of a small car (White,2004, 2006). Various studies have applied hedonic price modeling to show that price variation among new cars can be explained by differences in key product characteristics such as horsepower,engine capacity, speed, and safety features (e.g. Couton et al.,1996; Andersson, 2005; Reis and Santos Silva, 2006)Price is probably the most important consideration for the average consumer according to Cadogan and Foster (2000). Price plays an important role in affecting consumers decision towards purchasing a product.The effect of price has been studied extensively for many years. Consumers view price as an important element when purchasing and it has a large influence on consumers satisfaction judgments (Hermann, Xia, Monroe Huber, 2007). Price is an important factor of customer satisfaction since whenever consumers the value of an acquired product or service, they usually always think price (Zeithaml, 1998). Price is more likely used by consumers as a cue in forming product expectations when they are faced with performance or quality uncertainty (Urbany, 1997). Customers who view a firms pricing practices as unfair, are most likely to respond negatively. These include immediate attitudinal and affective responses such as dissatisfaction and lower purchase intentions (Oliver Swan, 1989). Consumers have the perception of high price giving high quality products and a number of academic works have shown that low prices are associated with low quality (Huang, 2004). According to the range theory, people use the range of remembered price experiences to set lower and upper bounds on price expectations, such that the attractiveness of a market price is a function of its position within this range (Janiszewski and Lichtenstein, 1999).Consumer have a strong belief in the price and value of their brands so much that they would compare and evaluate prices with alternative brands(Evans et al.,1996;Keller,2003). According to Helegeson and Beatty, (1985),consumers rely on various information cues or product attributes in their decisionmaking including price. The general consensus in research is that price is one of the most important reasons in purchasing decision factor. According to Bucklin et al. (1998), price significantly influences consumer choice and incidence of purchase. He emphasized that discount pricing makes households switch brands and buy products earlier than needed. Price is described as the quantity of payment or compensation for something. It indicates price as an exchange ratio between goods that pay for each other. Price also communicates to the market the companys intended value positioning of its product or brand. Price consciousness is defined as finding the best value, buying at sale prices or the lowest price choice (Sproles and Kendall, 1986). Additionally, consumers generally evaluated market price against an internal reference price, before they decide on the attractiveness of the retail price. 2.2.2 Brand According to Bhimrao M. Ghodeswar (2008), brand is defined as a distinguishing name or symbol such as logo, trademark, or package design that intended to identify the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate those goods or services from those of competitors.Consumer brand-knowledge can be defined in terms of the personal meaning about a brand stored in consumer memory, that is, all descriptive and evaluative brand-related information(Keller 2003). A brand act as signals to the customer the source of the product, and protects both the customer and the producer from competitors who would attempt to provide products that appear to be identical (Aaker, 1991). Brands provide the basis upon which consumers can identify and bond with a product or service or a group of products or services (Weilbacher, 1995)Consumer decisions about brand choices follow a certain sequence (Bettman, 1979).A brand can be defined as the total accumulation of all his/her experiences, and is built at all points of contact with the customer from the customers point of view (Kapferer, 2004)The way consumers perceive brand is a key determinant of long-term business-consumer relationship (Fournier, 1998). Consumer attitude towards a brand is an extension of the psychological assessment of the brand in terms of favoritism and is about positive or negative predisposition held towards a product (Churchill Iacobucci, 2005).The way consumers perceive brand is a key determinant of long-term business-consumer relationship (Fournier, 1998).Consumers have been found to be more willing to pay extra for a symbolic brand or a brand with symbolic value (Wu Shing, 2006). Mithall (1989) establishes that when it comes to purchasing, customers care about brands, perception on brand differences, importance of brand choice and feeling concerned about brand decision. As consumers become more familiar with a brand, their knowledge structure about the brand changes so and their uncertainty about the brand decreases. Brands have been perceived as providing a greater security and a higher level of performance while eliminating alternatives by providing a better overall customization of perceived preference s (Jiang, 2004). Gardner Levy (2005) found that consumers were not just looking for product functionality, but also brand status or the symbolic meaning or property of the brand. Brand status depends largely on the consumers perception of the brands association with symbolism and prestige (Baht Reddy, 1998). The modern day consumer has also started to build emotional bonds with brands, becoming friends with them and are even said to be seduced to look like, eat like and be alike (Klein, 2000). Famous brand names can disseminate product benefits and lead to higher recall of advertised benefits than non-famous brand names (Keller, 2003). There are many unfamiliar brand names and alternatives available in the market place. Consumers may prefer to trust major famous brand names. These prestigious brand names and their images attract consumers to purchase the brand and bring about repeat purchasing behaviour and reduce price related switching behaviours (Cadogan and Foster, 2000). Furthermore, brand personality provides links to the brands emotional and self-expressive benefits for differentiation. This is important for brands which have only minor physical differences and are consumed in a social setting where the brand can create a visible image about the consumer itself. Consumers are usually able to evaluate each of International Journal of Economics and Management the products and brand name attributes (Keller, 2003). It is noteworthy that this information is essential for marketing managers to make informed decisions concerning product positioning, repositioning and differential advantages. According to Kohli and Thakor (1997), brand name is the creation of an image or the development of a brand identity and is an expensive and time consuming process. The development of a brand name is an essential part of the process since the name is the basis of a brands image. Brand name is important for the firm to attract customers to purchase the product and influence repeat purchasing behaviour. Consumers tend to perceive the products from an overall perspective, associating with the brand name all the attributes and satisfaction experienced by the purchase and use of the product. 2.2.3 Appearance Appearance is defined by HunterLab(2008) as a combination of its chromatic attributes(color) and geometric attributes(shape,texture,shinines,haze and translucency)and both types of these attributes should be measured and accounted for when making visual or instrumental assessments appearance.Appearance is the foremost and most impressive product message because when customers have a choice and all other factors are equal,they buy what looks best(HunterLab 2008).Also according to HunterLab,buyers will expect uniformity of appearance within any group of the same product and when customers see a difference between them on display,they will associated the difference with poor quality. Product design has been recognized as an opportunity for differential advantage in the market place and the appearance of a product influences consumer product choice in several ways(Marielle and Jan,2005).The appearance of the product influences consumer perception of aspects such as ease of operation, weight, and stability, which affect the perceived ease of use of a product(Marielle and Jan,2005). Consumers may use product appearance for categorization (Bloch, 1995; Veryzer, 1995). According toYamamoto and Lambert(1994) , even for industrial products, appearance has an influence on product preference. A products appearance communicates messages(Murdoch and Flurscheim, 1983), as it may look cheerful, boring, friendly, expensive, rude, or childish. Furthermore, the product or package appearance can reinforce the image of a brand, as the identity of a brand is expressed visually in the appearance of products (Schmitt and Simonson, 1997). The aesthetic value of a product pertains to the pleasure derived from seeing the product, without consideration of utility (Holbrook, 1980). Car manufacturers often try to keep different car models recognizable as belonging to the same brand. The distinctive radiator grill of BMW automobiles is an example of a recognizable design element. The linking of brand meaning to elements of the product appearance will be easier when the associations these elements engender by themselves because they are innate or are determined by culture correspond to the desired brand image.Color preferences differ between cultures and in time (Whitfieldand Wiltshire, 1983). Garber (1995) defined visual typicality as the look or appearance that most consumers would associatewith a product category, and by which they identify brands that belong to the category. For example, use of bright colors and a large size, which is associated with aggression (Murdoch and Flurscheim, 1983), will make it easier to position a car brand as aggressive. In addition, personal factors, such as design acumen, prior experience, and personality influence the design taste of consumers (Bloch, 1995) 2.2.4 Safety According to BBC Science article, moving cars have kinetic energy and energy cannot be created or destroyed.When the car brakes this energy will transfer to the surroundings and this happen during the car collisions.The safety feature were design to absorb this kind of energy at the same time avoiding serious injury.The typical features were seat belts, air bags and crumple zones.The modern safety features in new automobiles including Anti-lock braking system(ABS),traction control,safety cage,electric windows,cruise control,paddle shift controls and adjustable seats. In 2003,The Dohring Company which is the North Americas largest provider of custom market research has conducted a random survey of 7.995 American drivers intending to purchase a new vehicle in the near future.The result of this survey stated that 83% of the participants reported that vehicle safety would be an important or very important consideration when purchasing their next vehicle(The Dohring Company,2003).Based on the Safety Advisory Committe I(SARAC I 2001) reviewed on incidential consumer survey in Europe,United States and Australia,safety had become an important attribute when purchasing a new vehicle (Zeidler,Kullgren,Fildres,Morris ONeill,2001) . According to the research of SARAC II(2005),one of the main aims of the research was to determine how important the vehicle safety in new vehicle purchase process in Sweden and Spain.The research finding indicate that while vehicle safety has become increasingly important to new consumer ,it is not the primary consideration in the vehicles purchase decision.However when the participant were ask to rate and select the importance vehicles factors from the list,most participant select the vehicle safety as the most important factor. In similar case when the participant of this research were ask to select the vehicles features,most of the participant selected the safety related features for example air bag and advanced braking system.Overall,the participants from both countries were most likely select safety related factor and safety related features from the list of factors and features as their highest priorities in the new vehicles process.The Swedish new private vehicle consumer significantly more concern in vehicles safety features compare to the Spanish new private vehicles consumer. According to the Roy Morgan Research Centre (MUARC,1992) on the consumers willingness to pay for vehicle safety features,consumers who purchased more expensive vehicles tended to be more willing to pay for the safety packages and however the author noted that the willingness to pay was still quite high for consumers who purchased vehicles from the lowest price range.In the summary most private vehicle purchasers would willing to pay the best estimate retail price or more for both the airbag and non airbag package.The factor were influence by age,gender,parents,household income,size of car and cost of the vehicle. According to European Road Safety Observatory, the design of the vehicle are the most important and basic critirea to a safe traffic system that requires safe interaction between users, vehicles and the road environment. Vehicle design, which takes account of the behavioural and physical limitations of road users, can address a range of risk factors and help to reduce exposure to risk, crash involvement and crash injury severity.Up untill now, vehicle engineering for improved safety has usually been directed towards modifying and designing a vehicle in order to help the driver avoid a crash, or to protect the passenger inside the vehicle during a crash.Recently, attention in  Europe  has been given to crash protective design for those outside the vehicle Key system risk factors Human Vehicles and equipments Road Exposure traffic system use too early access to driving or riding a motor vehicle availability of high performance motor vehicles poor land-use planning, user mix Pre-crash crash occurrence speeding, impairment poor lighting, braking, handling, speed management poor road design or layout, absence of speed limits and pedestrian facilities Crash injury during the crash non-use of restraints or helmets poor crash protective design absence of forgiving roadside (e.g. crash barriers) Post-crash post crash injury poor access to care poor evacuation absence of rescue facility European Road Safety Observation on the vehicle design contribution Based on Broughton, J. et al. (2000) research on a review of the effectiveness of casualty reduction measures in the  United Kingdom  between 1980 and 1996.The Author found that the greatest contribution to casualty reduction was secondary safety or crash protection in vehicles. This accounted for around 15% of the reduction, compared with 11% for drink-drive measures and 6.5% for road safety engineering measures.

The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West Essay -- Day Locust nathanael

The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West In The Day of the Locust, Tod Hackett undergoes an internal development relative to his migration. Tod, an architect living in Connecticut, moves out to Hollywood to build scenery for movies. Yet, once he moves, Tod is transformed into a lethargic, non-artist who can no longer create his own drawings on paper. His surroundings drive these changes, as all characters in the novel are depicted in a similar fashion. Tod becomes one of the grotesque as well, laughing at the disturbing rather than the humorous. These new features signal Tod’s incapacity to return to his old self, as he constantly suffers from his migration. This comes full circle at the end of the novel when Tod is led away from the mob scene at the Hollywood premiere: â€Å"He was carried through the exit to the back street and lifted into a police car. The siren began to scream and at first he thought he was making the noise himself. He felt his lips with his hands. They were clamped tight. He knew then it was the siren. For some reason this made him laugh and he began to imitate the siren as loud as he could.† (185) This excerpt depicts Tod’s migration in full: from an active artist to a grotesque and lazy Californian who will never recover from his experience. Tod’s movement into the police car parallels his transformation to laziness in Los Angeles. When the National Films talent scout carries him off to Hollywood to learn set and costume design, Tod disregards the unusual fact that he is â€Å"hired by telegram† rather than in person (60). This provides a clue early in the novel into the indolent nature of Los Angeles that will eventually cause his own laziness. Even after only three months of living in Hollywood, ... ... artistic vision and the disorganization relating to the Hollywood mob. Ultimately, Tod can no longer recuperate from the brutal crowd and the cacophonous sound of the siren. Instead, he loses his artist status by conforming to the status quo, more specifically, becoming like all the people he wants to paint. In The Day of the Locust, Tod Hackett evolves from an innovative architect to a lethargic imitator. Tod likens the other people in his painting of the destruction of Los Angeles to a grotesque, jarring mob. The final scene in the police car perfectly captures this transformation as the police carry a laughing, siren-screaming Tod off away from the Hollywood premiere. Unfortunately, Tod can never recover as his artistic abilities have been destroyed through migration. His migration is thus complete and final; he has truly become a hopeless Californian. The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West Essay -- Day Locust nathanael The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West In The Day of the Locust, Tod Hackett undergoes an internal development relative to his migration. Tod, an architect living in Connecticut, moves out to Hollywood to build scenery for movies. Yet, once he moves, Tod is transformed into a lethargic, non-artist who can no longer create his own drawings on paper. His surroundings drive these changes, as all characters in the novel are depicted in a similar fashion. Tod becomes one of the grotesque as well, laughing at the disturbing rather than the humorous. These new features signal Tod’s incapacity to return to his old self, as he constantly suffers from his migration. This comes full circle at the end of the novel when Tod is led away from the mob scene at the Hollywood premiere: â€Å"He was carried through the exit to the back street and lifted into a police car. The siren began to scream and at first he thought he was making the noise himself. He felt his lips with his hands. They were clamped tight. He knew then it was the siren. For some reason this made him laugh and he began to imitate the siren as loud as he could.† (185) This excerpt depicts Tod’s migration in full: from an active artist to a grotesque and lazy Californian who will never recover from his experience. Tod’s movement into the police car parallels his transformation to laziness in Los Angeles. When the National Films talent scout carries him off to Hollywood to learn set and costume design, Tod disregards the unusual fact that he is â€Å"hired by telegram† rather than in person (60). This provides a clue early in the novel into the indolent nature of Los Angeles that will eventually cause his own laziness. Even after only three months of living in Hollywood, ... ... artistic vision and the disorganization relating to the Hollywood mob. Ultimately, Tod can no longer recuperate from the brutal crowd and the cacophonous sound of the siren. Instead, he loses his artist status by conforming to the status quo, more specifically, becoming like all the people he wants to paint. In The Day of the Locust, Tod Hackett evolves from an innovative architect to a lethargic imitator. Tod likens the other people in his painting of the destruction of Los Angeles to a grotesque, jarring mob. The final scene in the police car perfectly captures this transformation as the police carry a laughing, siren-screaming Tod off away from the Hollywood premiere. Unfortunately, Tod can never recover as his artistic abilities have been destroyed through migration. His migration is thus complete and final; he has truly become a hopeless Californian.

Tennessee William’s Battle with Homosexuality Through Brick in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”

Tennessee Williams' Battle With Homosexuality Through Brick Tennessee Williams wrote a variety of plays over the course of his life. Although all his characters have differences from play to play, there are many patterns that can easily be recognized which reflect his struggles in his daily life. What can be noted in the patterns is not only the words the actor speaks or what is said on stage, but also the direction Williams gives them. Certain directions seem to be subtle speeches from Williams. Much of the direction is not just a movement but a literal feeling from Williams.The portrayal of Brick in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof mirrors the emotional struggle Williams had with accepting himself as an openly gay man in a closeted society. Reading Williams' plays, you get the vague idea of what his personal life and family were like. He grew up with an alcoholic father. His mother was distraught. After a childhood illness, Williams didn't grow into the broad shouldered, strong man his father wanted him to be. Although he knew his sister, Rose, was in trouble living with his father, Williams still left for college.Rose was more outspoken about their father's insane behavior caused by the alcohol, however she was forced to have a lobotomy in 1937 which left her brain damaged. Williams could neither â€Å"assert himself during family quarrels nor retreat† (Hayman 44). After going to the University of Columbia for a stint and failing out of military training, his father pulled him out and put him to work at a shoe factory in St. Louis. His hatred for the monotonous work of the shoe factory drove him to fill all his spare time with writing. Williams' writing included much of his past with his dysfunctional family.After Williams' enrolled at Washington University, his parents separated due to his raging alcoholic father. His outlet for being so misunderstood by his family, but also for running away, was his writing. Throughout the 20th century, there were a number of plays written about homosexuality. Although the topic was either avoided or never straightforwardly asked nor answered, Williams' characters had an internal battle with themselves. Coping with vices such as alcohol was common in his writings. â€Å"The plays were appeals for tolerance,† Hornby states, Misunderstood and despised—sometimes even by himself†¦ the homosexual had to come to grips with an excruciating problem. † Brick portrayed through his physical ailment, alcohol abuse and heartbreak over his dear friend, Skipper, became the prime example of how â€Å"homosexuality became a metaphor for self-knowledge, a growing awareness of the weaknesses and mortality that we all have† (278). Williams' stage direction paints the picture before the play even begins. In stage direction prior, we find out that the plantation, which will at some point be inherited hopefully by Brick has an odd past. [The room] hasn't changed much since it was occupied by the original owners of the place, Jack Straw and Peter Ochello, a pair of old bachelors who shared this room and all their lives together. † An element of suspense through Cat On A Hot Tin Roof is that there is no solid proof of homosexual activity confirmed, only assumed by the audience. He goes on to state that, â€Å"the room must evoke some ghosts; it is gently and poetically haunted by a relationship which must have involved a tenderness which was uncommon† (880).In Bibler's analysis of the structure of plantation life during this time, he discusses the importance of this â€Å"mythic love, loyalty, and devotion† present in the past relationship their life is now built upon. Williams' addition of the stage designer notes cause Brick's insecurities to seem as though he is regressing from the strength of the previous owners' â€Å"unnatural† relationship. From the beginning of â€Å"Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,† Maggie is not appreciated, barely recognize d, and needs more out of their relationship, especially children.Going along with the consistence of most of Williams' plays, Brick is the self-loathing drunk and Maggie is the tense, crazy wife. She puts up with so much due to her goals of family money from Brick's side. Her husband is an attractive man despite his injury and vices as Maggie is also portrayed and beautiful yet Brick has no interest in her. She is on edge because she is lonely yet still in a relationship with the shell of a man she once knew. Brick refuses to make love to her so they will not have an heir of their own. He has an injury to his leg which is a constant reminder of memories with his deceased friend, Skipper.His literal injury needs his crutch while his loneliness relies on alcohol. In the first scene, it is brought to the attention of the audience that the relationship between Brick and Skipper was fueled by more than just a common friendship and was emotionally stronger than something which could be co nsidered so simple. The play opens with Maggie attempting to woo Brick and with no success, in the second scene, it seems she snaps. Maggie is dramatic trying to get a reaction out of Brick, yet his offer is for her to just take another man.Simple as that. She then tries to forcefully have him and there is then the comical scene of Brick fending Maggie off with a chair as if she is a crazed animal. The lack of a passionate relationship between Brick and Maggie is due to his closeted homosexual desires. Maggie is the sexually frustrated and figurative â€Å"cat† on a hot tin roof. The man she loves and wants has no interest in her. He is basically handicapped by, not only his sexual desires at that time, but also emotional. This as a mirror of Tennessee Williams' actual life.He was commonly, â€Å"wanted but women he quite liked, without feeling any desire for them† (Hayman 147). In another way, Williams felt guilt for leaving his sister behind much like Brick felt guil ty for Skipper's confession of his love followed by his death. Williams also had his own vices, whether it be alcohol or sedatives, to deal with the â€Å"crippled† aspect of his own life fueled by being misunderstood in a dysfunctional family. By this time of his career writing Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, he had the standing as a wealthy white man. He portrayed himself in Brick as a closeted homosexual regardless of being out.His lifestyle choices could be skated around in daily life yet he would never be accepted in society at that time. Nearing the end of the first act, Brick makes a statement of honesty that is close to admission. â€Å"One man has one great good true thing in his life,† Brick states, â€Å"One great good thing which is true – I had friendship with Skipper†¦ Not love with you, Maggie, but friendship with Skipper† (Williams 45). It is never fully stated through the play the full truth of what happened between Brick and Skipper other th an the two of them holding hands as friends across two twin beds.However, his statement addresses the emotional intimacy of their relationship between the men. Disregard physical judgements and the friendship between the them was still stronger than the marriage Brick has with his wife, Maggie. Williams struggled in his own personal life with all the personal issues he presented through Brick. â€Å"Williams exercised the caution of a man living in times of intolerance concerning homosexuality, homophobic sentiments which he did not share,† explained Canadas,† but, rather, challenged, subtle — even, covert — as his methods may appear with the benefit of hindsight† (58).

Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management

Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management Idea generation in a business plan Idea generation may vary depending on the set up, type and size of the business to be started. For instance, small businesses are likely to get their ideas from past experiences and magazines while ideas for larger companies are likely to be found on review of patents (Terrance 2004).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When using publications for idea generation, some of the best tips that the idea will be viable are classifications such as the fastest growing industry in certain locations, underutilized business opportunities and other classifications publications may consider helpful to potential investors. Magazines like Forbes and Fast Company are good in tracking top and fastest growing companies (Miniti 2006). Recent patents can also be reviewed and are exceptional sources of the business idea. Busine ss journals, newspapers and internet are other very resourceful areas where a business idea can be generated. The ideal business plan requires no investment, has a recognized, measurable market, has a dependable source of supply for the required input, has a great publicity value, does not require any labor force, has no government regulation and above all, will give a gross margin of 100 percent. Creative thinking can also be a good source of a business idea. Its advantage is that it does not have to follow stringent paths followed by other corporations especially those that are government regulated. Whatever the source of the business idea, it should be screened critically to ensure all areas are addressed and no loopholes are left (Gartner 2001). The questions this should be able to answer are: does the executive summary which contains the statement of the business idea generation reflect a realistic and adequately researched idea? Who came up with the idea? Does the owner of the business idea fully own it or are there some reservations on some aspects of the business? Are you familiar with the area of business? Strategic objectives Some check list questions that the business strategic objectives are: Have you determined the nature and direction of the business for the next few years? Do you know the businesses’ strategic objectives with all their specificity?Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Is the strategy very clear so that you can tell the exact products and markets your current strategy would include or exclude? Are strategic objectives held separately from the long term plans?  Is future strategy related to capital improvement or does it set a foundation for such improvement? In your strategic objectives, tell the reader what you want, for instance business loan to expand or build new premises. State your sales, producti on and profit goals with specificity in both amount and time. It is also good to state the time you anticipate to service the debt (Marburg 1994). Market analysis and research and the competitive strategy Here you ought to discuss the target market and market segment. Describe the customers in terms of their location, purchasing power and any other relevant information about your target customers (Miniti 2006). The information of what they buy and how much they buy is especially critical since they are the most important aspects of the market. Alongside this, it is important to discuss the industry itself, that is, is it a new, growing, mature or underdeveloped industry? Discuss also how you want to penetrate the market and whether market revenue will increase if the market increases. Talk about how your price will be competitive and why any customer will pay your price. You ought to research on the competitors and how your operation will be better than theirs. In simple terms, you are trying to explain how you will survive in the market. On this aspect of the competitors, you should be able to answer the following questions: What are the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and how is your idea different form theirs? How will you remain competitive in future should your competitors change tactics to try to claim your market?Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many times information about the market for your product or service is the most difficult to gather. Trying to gauge who wants your product, how much they want, what they will pay, and how competitors will respond is not an easy task. While challenging, the time and energy invested in truly understanding your market will pay off. Your business should be market-driven rather than product-driven. Your business plan should not be built around a product sear ching for a problem to solve. Competitors exist for virtually every business (Terrance 2004). This segment ought to reveal your marketing plan, that is, how you are going to get your name to the potential customers. You can tell of some advertisement methods you will be using to sell your business. Position your product and explain how it is different from your competitors and analyze the competitor and his product, whether the competition is direct or indirect. If the business plan is well researched it will prevent unexpected competition that may render it a failure especially if there are already very strong competitors. It is also likely to attract funding from financiers. Cash flow/financial plan This part is necessary since it is an estimate of your profit potential. It can even be used as a template plan by the financial management of the venture. Forecasts of product demand, revenues, and expenses for new ventures will draw on the market research you conducted. If you want t o use your business plan to seek financing, describe the type and also the amount. Your projections are only as good as your assumptions, so make sure they are valid and realistic (Shane Venkataraman 2000). Document as much as you possibly can, including how you developed your assumptions. Keep in mind that the financial section will be closely assessed by the financier. The cash flow forecasts should take the following dimensions: the estimated income for the first two years, broken down monthly, then quarterly thereafter, estimated cash flows in the same pattern, forecasted balance sheet for each year and a breakeven analysis (Shulman 2009).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The balance sheet projection will show the growth in equity and assets of the business and is the tool which one can evaluate whether the capital base of the business is expanding. Include the start up costs that will comprise of license cost, insurance, leases, renovations and purchase of equipment costs. You may include financial history if the business has been in existence and is seeking expansion. Most small businesses will not make real profits in the initial two or three years. They therefore need some financial reserves. In the business plan this can be included in the financial considerations when quoting the initial capital for the business. At this point, you can point out the potential risks that are a threat to your business. Outline how you will manage those risks (Minniti 2006). The cash flow information is not only important to the financier but to the business owner himself. It will serve as a yard stick upon which set objectives and projections will be assessed. Th e business operator can use this information to prevent side operations not accounted for that may end up claiming the profits of the business. The cash flow forecasts should not however be limits to which the business can operate. They are simply logical estimates to refer to although performance far below these forecasts can be an indication of something missing or poor prior research (Terrance 2004). Scenario analysis Though some businesses have not accepted it as a vital form of planning, scenario analysis and planning necessitate a business to plan for any eventuality that may affect the business. Consider the environmental, social, technological and political driving forces and address how a change in any of them would affect your business. Show how you would respond to such a scenario. This would take the form of a study of such an event in the past that your business or other businesses may have encountered. How did they respond? Who were the contact people to reach? Were th ey available on time? Were there indicators that such a scenario would take place? What can be inferred from such a scenario? At this point you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and build a plan of how you would minimize the impact of such an occurrence that is out of your control (Shane Venkataraman 2000). Entrepreneurial characteristics and skills Risk An entrepreneur must be able to assess risk as whether necessary or not so as to know what to indulge in. Entrepreneurs view risk as unavoidable but you can choose which risk is worth taking. Entrepreneurs are cautious of what is described as risk free business. Their attitude is â€Å"if I don’t take chances, I will never really know what I could have become†. They are therefore never satisfied with mediocre life. They place little faith in assets and prefer their coping ability as opposed even when there is a threat (Miniti 2006). Timing The entrepreneur knows that timing is one of the most crucial steps in inv estment. Launching of a business idea in the right place and time is imperative. There must however be enough time in preparing prior to the launch. There is usually lots of personal adjustment in relation to the idea in terms of market intelligence, assessment of the environmental aspect best suited for the launch, and securing the human resource. To them, â€Å"luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity†. Leadership Entrepreneurs are leaders because if they want to get a job done, they take responsibility and lead in the venture. They are self starters with enthusiasm and know the importance of teamwork and they also appreciate and support others. They are also self-directed. In times of great change, they still move forward and still posses the energy to face problems. To them leadership is not status but a function. Their motivation is therefore not external but a need to achieve success in their own measure (Ebbena Alec 2006) Innovation Entrepreneurs are go od at adding value through product improvement and getting the right market. Innovation is therefore changing value and satisfaction from a resource. They must therefore be able to come up with clever and workable solutions. They are very flexible in their thinking, curious and inquisitive. To them lack of money is not a good enough reason for not making it happen. Communication skills Entrepreneurs know that the human element is the most important part of a business. Humans work through communication and so the entrepreneur works to improve communication. They take advantage of the available tools of communication and are also very good listeners. In such a case as to write a business plan, a good entrepreneur will ensure every detail is clearly stipulated and the right impression created. The message should also show consistency (Westhead 2001). Optimism It is very important that an entrepreneur has a positive look of any undertaking he engages in. setbacks are not a limitation or disappointment but are relegated to the past and new energy is created to churn on. If a certain aspect of the business goes well, it becomes an impetus for bigger accomplishments and increases hope for the overall success. They have a determination that enables them to keep focused to the end result. This positive outlook of things enables them to overcome initial challenges that come with a new venture (Ebbena Alec 2006). Ability to obtain finances In the mindset of an entrepreneur, finances are not a limitation to implementation of a good idea. They believe that a good idea will sell itself. It is therefore not their convincing language or association with finance sources that enable them to finance their new ventures but rather the good idea that attracts finances on itself. Due to their determination, entrepreneurs are able to source funds and finance operations (Shane Venkataraman 2000). Spotting a niche market Market is perhaps the most important factor that determines whe ther a business is to be started at a specific place. Sometimes, it is difficult to identify potential market from an area. Entrepreneurs are able to assess carefully and identify a market for a product. A renowned investor and entrepreneur Rachel Lowe spotted business opportunities while just traveling in a taxi. Entrepreneurs are therefore people who are able to anticipate needs with some level of precision. Their argument is that when there is market, there is a business idea (Malburg 1994). Business knowledge Entrepreneurs need not be experts of a certain field in which they venture. Rather they should have a rough knowledge of how that business operates. Some key aspects they need to know is potential customers, required skills, government regulations, threats to such businesses and above all, how that business generates money. For the expert knowledge, they can rely on other trained experts for other fine requirements of the business (Shulman 2009). Energy/drive Their energy c omes from the belief that they can create and control their future instead of relying on the mercy of fate. They have an internal locus of control. The energy gives them enthusiasm that keeps them going and wanting to achieve more. Their energy also gives them confidence, which is described as the hallmark of the entrepreneur. Their drive does not come from creation or accumulation of personal wealth but rather they are people focused and getting things done is their drive. Sense of ownership The entrepreneur likes taking responsibility to get things done with care and attention. They like to leave things better than they found them. They teach people how to take charge and are themselves very self disciplined (Bygrave 1994). Strategy Since entrepreneurs are strategy planners, they will employ the best employees to support them in the venture. They have therefore learnt the art of delegating while they posses the ability to supervise. They themselves being generalists do not take th e roles of the experts but are good communicators and are also good at handling complaints. Financial knowledge They are very good at business numbers and can explain financial position in simple terms. They will determine the budgets, targets, securing loans and raising funds with relative ease. This is because they are able to receive unconventional funds from clients, suppliers, family and friends. The financial wisdom keeps them seeing the logic behind new ventures even where other potential investors would call too risky or would disregard as there being no business. All these skills can be classified as personal skills, interpersonal skills, critical and creative thinking skills, and also practical skills (Freel 2009). In conclusion a successful entrepreneur is able to identify new opportunities and exploit them despite the hardships. Time management skills For an entrepreneur to be able to achieve the objectives he sets within the timeframe he indicates, he must be a good tim e manager. Time management is part of management skills that an entrepreneur needs to hone on. He must be able to impart this too within the departments of his business. Entrepreneurial skills I posses In a self assessment carried out through some checklist questionnaire, I found myself to be having much of the requisite entrepreneurial skills. Determination to accomplish things, self initiative, personal drive and financial knowledge are among the important skills and traits that make me a potential entrepreneur. Ability to identify opportunities is also a strong entrepreneurial trait I have. If I improved on delegation skills, ability to work with a team and leadership skills, I would make a very successful entrepreneur (Bygrave 1994). Reference List Bygrave, D., 1994. The portable MBA in entrepreneurship. MBA Project Presented in August 1994, p.12-17. Ebbena, J., Alec, J., 2006. Bootstrapping in small firms: An empirical analysis of change over time, Journal of Business Venturin g, 21 (6), 851-865. Freel, M., 2009. Entrepreneurship and small firms. Journal of Business Focus, 23 (7), 5. Gartner, W., 2001. Blind assumptions in theory development. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 13 (2), 23. Malburg, R., 1994. All-in-one business planning guide. Journal of Business Planning in Argentina, 44 (6), 45-56. Minniti, F., 2006. Entrepreneurial types and economic growth. Journal of Business Venturing, 25 (3), 305-314. Shane, S., Venkataraman, S., 2000. The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Academy of Management Review, 25 (1), 217-226. Shulman, S., 2009. A typology of social entrepreneurs: Motives, search processes and ethical challenges. Journal of Business Venturing, 24 (5), 519–532. Terrance, J., 2004. Business plans handbook: a compilation of actual business plans developed by small businesses throughout North America, p. 56-60. Westhead, P., 2001. The focus of entrepreneurial research: contextual and process issues. Journal of Entre preneurship Theory and Practice, 14 (4), 38-45.

Poems Comparison essays

Poems Comparison essays Poetry is a way that poets express there feelings and views on life. Poetry is also a way for the reader to escape from their lives and read something interesting and intreaging to the mind. Two similar poems The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell and When I was One and Twenty by A.E Housman can be related to each other in many different way. They are similar in voice, tone, mood and theme. In ones life there is always one thing certain that will happen to them, they will go through different phases. All people go though phases in life. It all depends on what type of phase you are going through, aging, love, or even maturity. Many of lifes phases can be expressed through poems which is the case for the poem The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell and When I was One and Twenty by A.E Housman , they both show two different phases, that two different people are going through in their lives. The voice in these two poems is something that relates these poems together. Both of these poems have similar poetic voices. In both poems the narration is in a reflective voice. In The Circle Game the narrator is reflecting on a boys life and the different phases the boy has gone through he goes from a child yesterday a child came out to wonder//Caught a dragonfly inside a jar that is lost and does not know what the worlds about. The boy then goes through his teenage phase sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now/cartwheels turn to car wheels through the town where he now understands more about the world and is taking on more responsibilities, but does not yet fully understand the meaning of life and still has plenty learn. The next and final phase that the boy goes through is young adult hood.so the years spin by and now the boy is twenty/Tough his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true the boy now is a adult and has not gone through with all his dreams, but he still has a positive attitude Therell be ne...

Auditing-Purchasing and Inventory Cycles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Auditing-Purchasing and Inventory Cycles - Essay Example Populations of documents are used to sample whether activities are authorized, production was completed and placed in inventory or written off as scrap and that finished goods inventory was produced and properly costed. Examples include; stock records, purchases ledger, goods returned note, goods produced note and check for the signature authorization by the responsible authority. The auditor examines the travel and expense accounts to verify the supporting documents to determine whether the transactions are correctly stated. The higher authority might abuse the travel and entertainment expenses for personal benefits. The auditor determines whether the expenses were incurred for business purposes and not for personal benefits (Ricchuite, 2005). The poor controls regarding executive reimbursement hinders the purpose of evaluating and reporting on internal control. The evaluation of the internal control will lead to the disclosure of the weak areas in the reimbursement of the top managers. The auditor can use various auditing procedures for auditing various expense accounts including miscellaneous expenses. This assists the auditor in verifying whether the expenses recorded were incurred and that they were accurately recorded in the correct accounting period. The procedures include obtaining all the relevant receipts and documents and checking for authorization and accuracy in recording as explained by Bragg (2009). The purchasing manager can use their position to defraud the company in multiple ways and the company should install a strong ICS to detect such activities (Kumar and Sharma, 2009). The purchasing managers can collude with third parties (buyers and sellers) to defraud the company. The managers can include unusual purchases that are not included in the operating budget. They can vary the purchase order proficiency

Target Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Target Corporation - Essay Example Target Corp. used credit lending as a form of ensuring there is return and profit from the credit. However, this happened at a time when there was an ongoing credit crisis. What comes out, therefore, is a possible scrutiny of the customers who were offered the credit that made the company so confident that there would be a return even if the general economic status was not friendly (Palepu & Healy, 2012). Second, is the issue of getting rid of credit defaulters in a corporation? For quite sometimes, the company has been engaged in a defaulter eradication process that has left Target dealing with only trusted clients with whom it was easy and safe to trust the credit. The third point that comes out from the article is the credibility of the company’s evaluation system that was able to predict returns on lending for a second time at a time when the credit market is in crisis. This reduced the losses because of client’s payment problems as well as renegotiations of terms of receivable because of customer’s difficulty. The fourth point to reflect on is the future of a risky process like this. Although Target showed considerably good profits from the process, there are concerns about the company’s sales, which have been on credit rather than on cash. When a company keeps adding on the bad-loans reserve, the losses are sure to catch up with the credit losses that will make the process unsustainable and lead to failure (Kieso, Weygandt & Warfield,