The Two Species of Elephants

In the present day there exists two species of elephants. These two species have many relatives that have come before them and died out. Several of these species are Paleomastodon, Deinotherlum, Gompotherium, Prlmelephas which Is a direct ancestor to the modern day elephant, Stegadon, American mastodon, and wooly mammoth. All of these species are considered Proboscidea which are mammals that have trunks â€Å"proboscidea encompasses the trunked mammals† (J.D. Illiger). Within the probosciedea family there consists the elpephantidea, which elephants would be considered. There are many dfferent types of elephants due to where the species was located and the types of plants in which they ate. The earliest common ancestor of all elephants was the Paleomastodon which originated in Africa about 36-35 million years ago. It was a small mammal that had a trunk and it evolved into the many different species of elephant.One of the first species that adapted from the Paleomastadon was the Delnothenum which lived In Africa and had tusks that pointed downward which helped it scarpe of bark from a tree. It also had a small brain which scientist believe Is responsible for Its extinction ue to lack of intelligence compared to other species. Gomphotherium is another species ot elephant that lived in the Americas, Europe, Delgrosso 2 and Asla and originated about 13 million years ago. It lived in swampy lake areas and marshes.This species had long tusks and a short trunked which was adapted to help It dig through mud to find aquatic vegetation. Stegadon which was the largest of all the species of elephants grew to its size to due to abundance of food that it would find in the parts of asia in which it lived. Most of them died out hundreds of housands of years ago except for a subspecies that lives in Indonesia on an Island of flores. This subspecies was smaller than the other species since it was secluded on an island and did not have access to as much food.The American Ma stadon was found in the Americas and was a fur covered species of elephant, to help protect it from the colder climates, that was hunted Into extinction by humans about 10,000 years ago. Primeelephas is a direct genus to the modern day elephant and originated in Africa about 23 million years ago. It evolved Into three new species the Wooly mammoth, African elephant, and Asian elephant. The wooly mammoth lived in most places In the northern hemisphere and was covered In a coat of fur due to the cold climates in which it lived.It lived through the last ice age and died out at the end of it due to hunting and the quick climate change. The two living species of elephant left are the African elephant or loxodante and the Asian elephant or elephas. These two species are very similar except that the Asian elephant has an arched back while the t Of2 KS OT tne ATrlcan elephant. Delgrosso 3 ATrlcan elepnants DacK Is relatlvely stralg an tne longer tus All species of animals must adapt to surv ive. It is through these adaptations that ifferent species arise.

Hardvard Case: TA Answers

1. This is a good deal for HPT’s shareholders and they did it for several reasons: First of all, TA’s operating business was spun off for federal income tax considerations. To maintain its status as an REIT for tax purpose, a large majority of HPT’s gross income had to be generated from real estate rents or mortgage interest. To meet these requirements, HPT was forced to divest itself of TA’s operating business. Second, the management of HPT believed that the rental income from TA’s sites would significantly diversify its revenue stream by providing exposure to a historically recession-resistant industry that did not follow the cyclical patterns of the hotel industry. Finally, the spin-off will unlock the hidden value of TA and the shareholder of HPT will receive shares of TA. As a result, this will create value for shareholders of HPT. 2. The HPT use the spin off for several reasons: Carve-out is partial spin-off, only unlocking partial hidden value. Most of the time, an equity carve-out ultimately results in the parent company fully spinning off the subsidiary. For HPT, carve-out can’t help them to avoid tax. Sell-off means selling assets, divisions, and subsidiaries to another corporation. For HPT, since they have just acquired TA, they have no reason to sell it unless there is a bigger profit than the sum of acquisition cost and the spin-off benefit. Issuing tracking stock –no legal separation or transfer of assets from HPT to TA First, issuing tracking stock will dilute the shareholders’ ownership. Instead, new spun off stock has no equity claim on the assets or cash flows of the old parent company (HTP). Second, for tax consideration, issuing tracking stock won’t help HPT to avoid tax. Third, overvalued market moods. if the investors are over-optimistic about the industry of TA, HPT can take advantage of it and have higher capital gain. But there is no evidence that investors have such mood about the TA industry. 3. Number of shares outstanding = 8628425(Exhibit 4), price per share=29 Equity value = shares outstanding * price= $250224325. There is no debt for new TA, cash equals $213205000 (Exhibit 7) Capital lease obligation = $105252000 (Exhibit 7). EV=Equity value+ debt (short+ long)-cash (and equivalents)+capital lease obligation= $142271325= $142. 27 (MM) The HPT gives $213 million to TA in order to cover up real estate properties and help TA to run its business without increasing leverage ratio. Also, it can help create better balance sheet, thus facilitating publicly trading and decreasing default risk by and large. 4. What is the fair value of one share of New-TA? 1) Multiple valuation method We use Pantry (PTRY) as comparable firm from three comparable firms. Because Pantry has a similar business model as New-TA, it leases most of its stores for operation instead of owning them (it owns 368 stores, but leases 1125 stores). Nevertheless, the other two firms own most of their stores, so they are excluded from our selection. Thus, EV/EBITDA=7. 1(data for 2007) Post-acquisition depreciation $18029000(Exhibit 9) P ost-acquisition EBIT $14936000(Exhibit 9) EBITDA = $32965000. (Exhibit 9) Based on our multiple valuations using 7. 1 times of EBITDA multiple, the fair value of New-TA is 234. 05(MM) Equity Value= EV- debt + cash – Capital lease obligation= $341. 99(MM) Price per share= $341. 99mm/8628425= $39. 64 2) DCF method (see Excel) 5. After the spin-off, New-TA has no debt outstanding so that it is easy to finance in the future operation. On top of that, the company’s leverage is low, which decreases the default risk of the company by and large. HPT retains its real estate and gives its operating business to the New TA, hoping that the New TA could focus on the its strong point and develop more aggressively in the market. Besides, there will generate some tax beneficial due to the spin-off transaction, which increases net income of the company. In addition, gross margins of New-TA are incredibly high, encouraging the company to grow at a faster speed and generate large amount of gross profits.

Women & Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Women & Development - Essay Example Because women are not strong as men, they are considered weak and therefore are subjected to prejudice and discrimination. For many centuries women have suffered at the hand of clergy and state. The former renounced women as morally weak while the latter didn’t allow women to use their right to vote. It was not until the 20th century that things started to change and there was considerable intellectual progress. But this progress has not yet made inroads in all regions of the world. The effect of the feminist movement of the 60s can be seen in the Europe and America but women in the developing countries are still facing many serious issues. In this paper we will discuss how UNICEF, a renowned international organization, is trying to deal with women issues like gender inequality, maternal health and other women development issues like female education. We will attempt to elaborate and then evaluate their efforts with regards to women related issues. In the end we will elucidate how UNICEF envisions the future of women development. UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund is an international organization which was established by the United Nations in 1946 in order to deal with the challenges children were facing in the post World War 2 era (UNICEF, 2010). The organization was mainly given the task to deal with the emergency situation children were facing but later the mission of the organization was broadened. Today UNICEF works for children and women in all parts of the world. The focus of the organization is on the children and women of developing world as they are the most vulnerable. UNICEF is funded by voluntary contributions from organizations, people, and countries all over the world. There are national committees that are established in different countries and their purpose is to raise funds. Individual donors also contribute to the organization and they are an important source of funding for UNICEF. UNICEF is working in different less develope d countries with an aim to safeguard rights of children and women. The organization focuses on education, health, and gender discrimination in the developing world. The situation for women and children in the developing world is extremely vulnerable as they are not even given the basic necessities of life. Moreover child abuse and domestic violence is common. In such a situation UNICEF helps to decrease the plight of women in a variety of ways. One such way is to provide education of children and women. Education is one of the areas of focus for UNICEF specially child education. It is important for children to get educated, at least to a certain extent, so that they can realize what their rights are and can also pass that education to their offspring. Women empowerment is also advocated by UNICEF and it calls for an end to gender discrimination in education and job opportunities. Basic health facility improvement is also a way in which UNICEF is helping poor countries. Issues of Wom en Development and Role of UNICEF The main issues that UNICEF deals are female education, maternal health, and gender discrimination. All these issues and the role of UNICEF in dealing with these issues will be discussed below. Gender Inequality Gender inequality is a major problem in developing countries. Women are not given equal opportunities to excel in all walks of life. They are mostly expected to stay at home and take care of the children. Women also have no control on their lives because of the patriarchal nature of societies in the developing world (Mies, 1998). This creates a lot of disparity between the two genders, both economically and socially. Women are not considered equal to men and therefore are denied rights on a regular basis. Gender inequality therefore has become an

Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Interview - Essay Example I am therefore in constant communication with the hospital’s well-wishers and donors. My job description also involves troubleshooting personnel and organizational upheavals and conflicts. I am in charge of a personnel workforce of 1320 people: nurses, doctors and the support staff. Management and control of the hospital’s budget is also under my docket. This is done in collaboration with other hospital stakeholders that include hospital donors and well-wishers and the hospital’s specialists working in the human resource and accounting departments. This kind of job also involves working in unison with my fellow health specialists heading different departments in the hospital. Ensuring the hospital operates within government regulations is a task that I should carry out as the health administrator in this hospital. It should be noted that this kind of profession requires a medical and managerial training and educational background of the highest level. I must admit that it is a demanding job that requires a lot of concentration and sacrifice. I have always dreamt of pursuing a career in human health sciences. I first pursued a dental degree in Dental Sciences and later did my Master of Science degree in administration of healthcare services. In recent times, most healthcare institutions have gripped the idea of hiring Healthcare administrators who hold masters degrees or a correlated higher academic qualification. Clinical experience is also a requirement for this job. Internships offered by medical colleges and universities help students to accumulate the necessary experience required when working in any hospital or healthcare organization(s). After completion of these entire training procedures, one has to acquire an operating license of which one has to pass his/her licensing tests. Obtaini ng a master’s degree and gaining the required clinical experience does not signify the end of pursuing education in healthcare matters. It

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Respiratory Syncytial Virus - Essay Example It is also transmitted when an infected person touches their eyes or nose and touches another person or contacting surface. RSV infection can spread within families, and outbreaks have occurred in schools and day care centers. According to Goldrick, "The incubation period for RSV infection is typically four to six days but may be as short as two or as long as eight days; children may shed the virus for two to three weeks" (54). Infection usually results in a mild cough and cold like symptoms as the virus infects the upper respiratory tract. When the infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract, it can result in difficult breathing, wheezing, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia. Diagnosis is based on observing the symptoms and may be confirmed by isolation and examination of RSV secretions, sputum or throat swabs. "Rapid diagnosis may be made by immunofluorescence techniques, enzyme immunoassays, or rapid chromatographic immunoassays" (Pruitt 63). If a patient tests positive for RSV, it should delay inappropriate antibiotic therapy. Mild infections may resolve without the need for treatment. However, severe infections, especially in children and infants, "may require hospitalization to provide supplemental oxygen, humidified air, and hydration by intravenous fluids" (Goldenring). Nebulised and subcutaneous adrenaline have been effective in improving oxygenation and have shown positive clinical signs as compared to a placebo (Stack 80). However, according to Stack, "There is no convincing evidence to recommend the use of bronchodilators, corticosteroids or antibiotics" (80). Ribavirin, an anti-viral agent, may help prevent ventilation in this group of patients when administered through nebulisation. Breathing an oxygen and helium mixture (helox) may relieve the burden of heavy breathing in the patient (Pruitt 64). The RSV patient should be isolated in a private room and with equipment dedicated to the infected person. To aid in the prevention of the spread of RSV, prevent people who exhibit symptoms of respirato ry infection from "visiting pediatric, immuno-compromised, or cardiac patients" (Pruitt 64). Prognosis RSV infection rarely causes death in infants and young children who seek early treatment. In older children and adults, the symptoms are usually mild and recovery is complete. However, according to Goldenring, "There is evidence suggesting an increased incidence of asthma in children who have developed RSV bronchiolitis". The mechanism is unknown as to whether a predisposition to asthma also presented a predisposition for developing bronchiolitis as a child or if the RSV induced bronchiolitis predisposed the child for asthma (Goldenring). Works Cited Goldenring, John. "Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)." Medical Encyclopedia. 23 Aug. 2005. American Accreditation HealthCare Commission. 8 Apr. 2007 . Goldrick, Barbara A. "Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Children Aren't the Only Ones at Risk." American Journal of Nursing 104.11 (2004): 54-56. EBSCO. 8 Apr. 2007. Pruitt, Bill. "Keeping Respiratory Synctial Virus at Bay." Nursing 35.11 (2005): 62-64. EBSCO. 8 Apr. 2007. Stack, C. G. Essentials of Pediatric Intensive Care. London, GBR: Greenwich Medical Media Limited,

The Population in the United Kingdom Research Paper

The Population in the United Kingdom - Research Paper Example The frequency and percentage distribution turned that out of 60,975, there were 37,904 frequency or 62.16% lies within 16 to 64 male and 16 - 59 female age group bracket. This means that majority of the total population are not on the retirement age. However, there were 11,509 frequency or 18.87% lies along Under 16 age group bracket, and lastly 11,562 or 18.96% lies on 65m/60f/over age group bracket. This means that only twenty percent were on retiring age in Untied Kingdom and it also reveals that there is almost twenty percent of the United Kingdom population who are young. Figure 1, or the first line graph presented in the appendix, 11728 out of 60975 belong to 45-59 age group bracket. This implies that this population though is quite near the retirement age. This is alarming, and may signal that something must be done in preparation for the coming year. Also, notable is that this is followed by age group bracket of 35-44 with 9248 which is very near the highest age group (45-59). On the other hand, the population distribution from 5-59 is very huge as compared to the age group 60 -94 which is very minimal. This implies that there was an increase in population, but there must be continuity to avoid having periods where most people are within or near to retirement. It can be seen in table 3 the comparison of male and female population in United Kingdom using analysis of variance (ANOVA) that there is a significant difference between the male to the female population in United Kingdom. This is because the result of the "Analysis of Variance" (ANOVA) shows that the computed F (1244.796) is greater than the tabular values of F-statistics (239) at 0.05 degree of freedom (1, 8). This was formulated by simply using 0.05 level of significance, F-statistics, and an Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, it was established that the df num value is k-1, or 2 -1, or 1 and the df den value is T-k, or 10 - 2, or 8. So, with = 0.05, the critical value of F in this analysis of variance test was F0.05 (1, 8) = 239. Since computed F (FC) is greater than Tabulated F (FT), Ho is rejected. Table 4 in the appendix shows the correlation of the male and female population in United Kingdom using coefficient of determination (R2) which reveals that the resultant R Square 0.993614286 is very close to 1 which means that the correlation is near normal curve distribution, so, it is interpreted as very high correlation. Thus, in percentile (%), 99.3614286 is an indicator of significant relationship between the male and female population in United Kingdom. Finally, the R square of 0.993614286 is very close to the adjusted R square 0.8686121286. This means that the regression model fits the data very well. Furthermore, figure 2 which also in the appendix show the correlation between males and females in 2006. It is been found that this is almost along perfect positive correlation which means the proportionality of the males and females in the United Kingdom 2006 has significant effect on each other. This also means that in every increase in female population there was also an increase in male population. This means that the population by gender is of the same age group distribution in the United Kingdom. Part C These data which was sourced from the National Statistics Office of the United Kingdom

Cultural Plualism Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural Plualism Assignment - Essay Example The people, who migrate from their homelands to work in foreign lands, form minorities and represent their cultures in the presence of other cultures; this creates the concept of cultural pluralism. Following are some of the criteria, on the basis of which different cultures can be described; Individualistic versus collective Masculinity versus femininity Social perspective of different cultures 2. Cultural Patterns The cultural pattern that has been chosen for analysis (with respect to a global context) is ‘individualistic versus collective’ cultures. Dessler (2007) defined individualism as the extent to which individuals look out for their own betterment instead of acting like a member of a group (or society). The societies that promote such non-conformist point of views are often termed as individualistic cultures. In individualistic cultures, social and family bonds are much looser than the other cultures since they do not value traditional customs and morals to a gr eat extent. Lascu (2003) explained that great stress is laid on the achievement of personal goals and attaining capabilities to fulfill their dreams. Social norms are not as important as the individual’s own decisions and judgments. Their main aims in life are self satisfaction, achievement of their own objectives and fulfillment of their own desires. People, who follow an individualistic culture, feel unenthusiastic about participating in collective efforts of a group if their own actions are not acknowledged and rewarded. Collectivism can be defined as the extent to which individuals act for the betterment of the whole group (family, social circle etc) rather than self interests. Hofstede (2001) stated that the social ties and values of individuals are very strong in a collectivist culture. They value the greater benefit of the whole group before their own and are in favor of sharing their rewards with all the group members. There exists a need in the collectivist culture t o associate oneself with a certain group since the sense of belonging and dependence is very common. Markus and Kitayama (1991) defined individualism and collectivism as independence and interdependence with the individual’s organization, respectively. Collectivist culture promotes interdependence with people outside the group and greater associations with people inside the group. Krynke (1998) stated that cultures have been witnessed to transform from collectivist to individualistic ones due to the progression of industrialization. 3. Individualistic and Collective Cultures in a Global Perspective Individualistic culture is usually witnessed in organizations that are present in fully industrialized countries for example, United States, Britain, Australia etc. The western countries have been known to possess loose social and cultural ties in their societies therefore individualistic culture usually prevails in the respective region. The individual is not dependent on his orga nization, at any emotional level. The concepts of trust, loyalty and friendship do not bear much relevance in such cultures since greater success and profits overpower all other factors. Individualistic culture promotes the concept of enhancing their own identity on the basis of their unique traits. On the contrary, Asian and Middle Eastern countries have always treasured the factors of social harmony, religious norms etc. The culture in such regions is strongly influenced by religion and traditions of their past generations, due to which they value

PTLLS- Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector Essay

PTLLS- Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector - Essay Example The limiting factor with this method is that the learners will rebel to the imposed rules. This willlead tochange in behavior (Gravells, 2010; 63) and the teacher will find it hard to implement the rules. The second more liberal way allows learnersto form discussion groups and come up with their own set of rules. As Clauss- Ehlers (2006; 136) states, learners will be more likely to follow the rules, since they are the ones who created them. Conversely, these rules may be too lenient and leave out important aspects, in addition to taking up more time on the lesson plan. In the third method, the teacher comes up with the rules, shares them with the learners, and the latter make valuable contributions to the rules. This negotiation method ensures that learners feel a sense of ownership and belonging, and are, therefore, more likely to adhere to the rules (Avis, Fisher, & Thompson, 2010; 138). Personally, I would employ the third method in my classroom. I set the rules, and then we discuss with the learners and make necessary amendments.This would ensure proper class management and sufficient learner

American Airlines Flight Essay Example for Free

American Airlines Flight Essay Through his 1997 Airframe novel, Michael Crichton describes Casey Singleton’s response after a plane that was manufactured by Norton Aircraft experiences an accident while in flight. Singleton is a quality assurance officer at Norton Aircraft. Does the story accurately portray an aircraft manufacturer’s response to an accident? By demonstrating that following the accident, Norton Aircraft works hard to ensure that it (Norton Aircraft) does not only ascertain the genesis of the accident, but also to try to exonerate itself from any culpability, Crichton presents an accurate picture of aircraft manufacturers’ reaction to plane accidents. To illustrate, Singleton puts forth great efforts to investigate the facts behind the accident (Crichton, 1996). It is notable that a Singleton is not interested in the numerous aspects that usually surround pane mishaps. Rather, she seeks to establish who erred with regard to the accident. This is the typical reaction of aircraft manufacturers after plane accidents; they seek to apportion blame rather than solve the problem. Does the story accurately portray the media’s response to an aircraft accident? Crichton also presents a credible description of how the news-hungry media usually responds after plane accidents. It is undisputable that media houses jostle to present that so-called ‘exclusive’ story to the public after air accidents. This trend is clearly exhibited by the plans by a local media house to air a sensational news program that has somewhat maliciously dubbed the ill-fated plane a ‘deathtrap’. The author thus describes and critiques the sensational attitude that the media shows towards plane accidents. What was your overall impression of the story? After studying Crichton’s story, I was pleased with the author’s description of events that closely resemble real-life aviation accidents. For example, in describing the circumstances as well as the cause of the accident, Crichton draws parallels with the American Airlines Flight 191 fatal crash. In addition, Singleton’s investigations reveal that the accident was partly caused by the captain’s error of allowing his inexperienced son to take charge of the aircraft. Similarly, the Aeroflot flight 593 mishap in 1994 originated from the pilot’s mistake of permitting his inexperienced son to man the flight. Discerning such parallels to real-life events makes me to like the novel owing to its seeming applicability in contemporary mishaps. On the other hand, after closely examining Crichton’s plot, I have deduced several themes which make the author’s text very significant. For example, the author describes events that seek to show that air accidents are usually blamed on the wrong parties. In this case, John Marder and his associates try to place the blame for the accident squarely on Singleton. After her investigations, Singleton however detects that the fault was in the person who was operating the aircraft, particularity the pilot. The author thus demonstrates that innocent and vulnerable parties usually unjustly carry the blame for plane accidents. This candid portrayal of the blame games that accompany plane accidents is an aspect that makes the author’s work worthy of praise. In addition, I marveled at Crichton’s demonstration that humans, as opposed to mechanical failures, are the main cause of plane accidents. The author thus eradicates the popular notion that machine failure is normally the major culprit behind plane accidents. To illustrate, the aircraft is functional as per Singleton’s investigations. Human error, in form of improper maintenance coupled with operational errors; make the plane to have the accident. Crichton thus debunks a popular myth related to aircraft accidents through the novel’s events. This aspect makes me to really like the author’s bluntness and originality. References Crichton, M. (1996). Airframe. New York: Knopf.

Safeguard the Future of Our Children Essay Example for Free

Safeguard the Future of Our Children Essay We do not realise that the future generation will not be able to survive without the natural resources we are squandering.With so much progress in this world these have started to matter a lot and play an immense role in our lives. Without any worry we waste tonnes and tonnes of water. For eg. we can take a shower wihtin 5 minutes but we rather prefer talking long baths in the water tub.Same is the case when we wash our cars, even thought they dont need cleaning we still wash them unnecessarily. If we really care about the survivl of the next generation we should start using water wisely and not waste it intentionally. Then comes forward the travelling which requires the 2 most important non renewable fossil fuels, oil and gas.Eventhough everyone is aware that these are formed over a 1000 years we yet waste them.It is time that we should start conserving them before it gets too late. We should stop relying on our vehicles for short distances and rather walk or contact our neighbours and carpool when going to places such as school or supermarket. In the long run it will help us in 2 ways that being the conservation of these and lesser pollution. Deforestation is now common in most areas of the world. Trees are being chopped off for the construction of roads, buildings and furniture. We do not realise that we are actually removing the vaccum cleaners of the area. What benefit will these roads and buildings do if we are no longer alive due to the laxk of oxyen or too much pollution? Considering all the facts it is clear that saving these natural resources is a duty of all and needs global importance. Please start acting soon since no one is ready to face global changes without forests, fuel and clean water.

Paranoid Schizophrenia and Nursing Interventions

Paranoid Schizophrenia and Nursing Interventions Paranoid Schizophrenia and Nursing Interventions in a Community Mental Health setting Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness in which individuals loose the ability to discriminate between reality and imagination, characterized by disturbances to their thoughts, behavior and feelings. About 1% of the population is predicted to suffer from schizophrenia at some point in their life (www.rethink.org), with experience of psychotic episodes such as those of schizophrenia ranging in their duration of a single crisis, to the chronic experience of schizophrenia over a life time. During episodes of schizophrenia, patients will experience a range of what is know as positive and negative symptoms associated with the condition. Positive symptoms include delusions and hallucinations and unusual or irrational behavior (often as a result of the hallucinations and delusions). Delusions can be defined as strange thoughts or beliefs which are not founded in reality, some examples include delusions of grandeur (such as believing oneself to be the next messiah) and delusions of persecution (as in being secretly watched / followed by the police or secret service). Hallucinations are when you see (visual) hear (auditory) or smell (olfactory) things that others cannot. One of the most well known symptoms of schizophrenia is that of ‘hearing voices’. People may also experience thought disturbances such as ‘thought jumping’ (going from one line of thought to another in rapid succession) poor concentration and attention abilities (www.mind.org.uk). Negative symptoms are those which in some way take away from the individual – such as anhedonia (not getting pleasure out of activities which were previously pleasurable) and social withdrawal from social situations and a lack of interest in personal hygiene (such as not washing or changing clothes). Treatment of individuals with schizophrenia can be in hospital (forced through section or voluntarily in some cases) and in community settings, and should involve a mixture of pharmacological treatment (typical and atypical antipsychotic medications) and psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in order to manage current symptoms, and in preventing and minimizing future relapse and crises. Nursing of individuals with a severe mental illness such as schizophrenia within a community setting (e.g. after discharge from hospital or when patients not under section and do not want to go to hospital) will be conducted by a community psychiatric nurse (CPN) who will often be working within a community mental health team (CMHT) from a care programme approach. The role of the CPN has diversified over recent years, and is now often nominated within the CMHT to act as the individuals’ key worker (i.e. who the patient will have most contact with in the CMHT). CPN’s can be seen to be involved in patient care interventions in a number of capacities. The most predominant (and traditional) intervention role of the CPN may be seen in the medication management of people with schizophrenia. Typical (haloperidol) and atypical (aripiprazole, olanzapine etc) antipsychotic medication use now mean that around 70% of patients will experience some degree of relief to their psychotic symptoms (McCann, 2001). However relief is most often not absolute and the majority of patients will experience some form of side effects. In typical (older generation drugs) this is often in terms of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) such as movement disorders like Tardive Dyskinsia, and although newer atypical drugs are renowned for less EPS, side effects can include weight gain, sexual dysfunction and sedation. CPN’s are therefore an important contact with the patient in ensuring that they are taking their medication correctly, and in identifying patients who may be experiencing high levels of side effects who as a result are at a high risk of discontinuin g their medications. By identifying such individuals, relapse can be minimized by helping the patient to engage with clinical services to investigate other medication options of which there are a good number. ‘Switching’ is a term used by professionals to define this process and it is not unusual for patients to have to switch between medications a number of times, before finding the most appropriate drug / combination. Dosage required is also a very individual factor, and therefore an important aspect of medication management is to check to signs that dosage is high enough to enable clinical relief, but also low enough to minimize side effects. CPN’s are thus often in a position to recognize if their patients are not on high enough dosages. The way in which medication is administered will also differ between patients – some may be able to take their drugs orally, but a number of patients with schizophrenia are on a form of drug administration called depots. These are long-lasting injections of the antipsychotic, and are often used for patients who suffer severe episodes and those who have a history of non-compliance in taking their medication (Jackson-Koku, 2001). CPN’s may also act in helping people come to terms with the fact that they are suffering from an illness, as denial is common in those mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (Fung Fry, 1999), often referred to as lacking ‘insight’ into illness, and so discuss the need for taking their medications. Providing medication related information is therefore an important part of the medication interventions that nurses are involved with, and will often include discussions about side effects, recognizing early signs of illness and other conc erns the person may have. Nurses are however becoming increasingly involved in psycho-educational (Fung Fry, 1999) and psychological therapy (McCann, 2001) based interventions in their patient care within community settings for sufferers and their families. Such approaches have in the literature, been described as aiming at ‘increasing social functioning, decreasing distress, and reducing hospital admission rates’ (Tarrier Birchwood, 1995) These educational interventions are so targeted on helping to reduce distress in more drug-resistant cases, to help both sufferers and their family (Leff et al, 2001) deal with the illness and learn the signs of relapse and symptom return, and as mentioned above, in increasing medication compliance through better understanding and information. (McCann, 2001) Psychological therapies such as CBT and cognitive therapy (CT) have found recognized success in treating many mental illnesses including schizophrenia including when used within community settings (Morris on et al, 2004), as are aimed at helping people deal emotionally with their illness and its associated distress, but also to help on a practical level through promoting relapse prevention strategies and reducing ‘social disability’ (Fowler, Garety Kuipers, 1995) Coping techniques and strategies can also be discussed when CPN’s become aware and gain knowledge into what particular symptoms are causing people most distress. One example of this could be distraction techniques discussed with those who are having problems with auditory hallucinations; one method that is known for helping many people with this is to listen to music. CPN’s often also play an important counseling role to those they support (royal college of psychiatrists,1997). Acting as key workers for people with schizophrenia gives many CPN’s the opportunity to get to know the person, and so are in a position to use the discussions they have with their patients in an intervention capacity. Counseling may help in anxiety and distress reduction, but also will provide invaluable insight for the CPN into what the person is going through, how much they understand and whether they are doing well or becoming ill. All this information will play a crucial role in the assessment capacity that the CPN also performs within the care programme. CPN’s are thus seen to be involved in many aspects of people’s outpatient care in community settings. Especially involved in medication, information and more recently psychosocial and psychological interventions, nurses looking after people with schizophrenia within the community are central to the patients care programme, and act as an invaluable access into mental health services (McCann Clark, 2003) for community patients. References Fowler, Garety Kuipers, (1995) cited in McCann, E (2001) Recent developments in psychosocial interventions for people with psychosis Issues in Mental Health Nursing Vol.22,1 p99-107 Fung, C Fry, A (1999) The role of community mental health nurses in education of clients and families about schizophrenia Australian New Zealand Journal of Mental Health Nursing Vol. 8, 4 p162-175 Jackson-Koku, G (2001) Neuroleptics and chronic schizophrenia Mental Health Nursing Vol.21, 4 p10-14 Leff, J. Sharpley, M. Chisholm, D. Bell, R Gamble, C (2001) Training community psychiatric nurses in schizophrenia family work: A study of clinical and economic outcomes for patients and relatives Journal of Mental Health Vol. 10, 2 p 189-197 McCann, E (2001) Recent developments in psychosocial interventions for people with psychosis Issues in Mental Health Nursing Vol.22,1 p99-107 McCann, T Clark, E. (2003) A grounded theory study of the role that nursesplay in increasing clients’ willingness to access community mental health services International Journal of Mental Health Nursing Vol.12, 4 p279-288 Morrison, A. Renton, J. Williams, S. Dunn, H. Knight, A. Kreutz, M. Nothard,S. Patel, U Dunn, G (2004) Delivering cognitive therapy to people with psychosis in a community mental health setting: an effectiveness study Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Vol,110, 1 p36-44 Tarrier Birchwood (1995) cited in McCann, E (2001) Recent developments in psychosocial interventions for people with psychosis Issues in Mental Health Nursing Vol.22,1 p99-107 Community Psychiatric Nursing Occasional PaperOP40 (1997) Royal College of Psychiatrists, London Internet resources www.rethink.org www.mind.org www.emental-health.com

Greed Economics :: essays papers

Greed Economics Pokemon, Microsoft and the Economics of Greed Greed Economics: The uplifting or debilitating effect of the excessive desire of gain on the production, consumption and distribution of goods and services. Solid proof that â€Å"greed economics† lives and breathes was recently found in Newswek’s Novmber 8th issue in an article entitled â€Å"Puffy’s Crowded Orbit†. Sean (Puffy) Combs is founder and CEO of the extremely profitable Bad Boy entertainment. In the billion dollar a year rap music industry, he is the cognac in a world of beer. In 1997, his first album, (carried by the hit â€Å"Missing You†), sold an extraordinary 6 million copies! But Comb’s who is known as much for his business savvy as for his musical talent, ignored the rules of â€Å"greed management† and recklessy expanded into publications, clothing lines and restaurants. The sale of his recent album â€Å"Forever†, despite a red-hot reputation and a 32-city promotional tour, was â€Å"weaker than weak†. Newsweek reports that in the first week of November â€Å"the album was No.27 on the charts.† The same article places his last years earnings at $5 3 million; well off his tyical $100 million-a-year earnings of the mid 1990’s. Sorry â€Å"Puff† the law is real. Greed affects quality. Inner-city America finds it of some interest that this law does not favor the rich, the politically plugged in, or the â€Å"white† of this world. America’ richest man, Bill Gates received a stunning setback earlier this month when Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruled against the $500 billion software company Microsoft, declaring that it violated antitrust law and was in fact a monopoly. In a Newsweek article dated November 15th rntitled â€Å"Bill Takes it on the Chin†, Judge Jackson stated: â€Å"Microsoft has demonstrated that it will use its prodigious market power and immense profits to harm any firm that insists on pursuing initiates that could intensify competion†. Why couldn’t Billy be satisfied with say a $100 billion company? The penalty for ignoring the law of â€Å"reed rationing† may include having the software giant broken down into a bunch of little midgets. Are you listening William? Greed attracts powerful enemies. Well why not remove greed out of the equation altogether? Isn’t it ALL poison? Can’t we find a few cheerleaders for total greed celibacy? Not on your life. Why? Because economically speaking, greed isn’t all that bad. Take for example the hugely successful video game-toy phenomena Pokemon.

The Reflection: A Song Essay -- Literary Analysis, Aphra Behn

The poem 'The Reflection: A Song' was written in 1684 by Aphra Behn and seems to feature around the theme of realisation and betrayal. Written by a woman, the poem's main character of a betrayed female has a subjective stance, which evokes a strong emotion of sympathy from the reader as it could represent a true life event. The structure of the poem is set out in seven stanzas, consisting eight lines. What is interesting about the structure is the use of iambic tetrameter with the first, third, fifth and seventh lines of each stanza and iambic trimeter with the second, fourth, sixth and eight lines. This gives the poem a lyrical rhythm as well as encouraging visual interest for the reader. Rhyme scheme follows quite a loose A, B, A, B pattern. The reason for the description of loose is that some lines end without true rhyme. For example, 'her fate' (l.2) then 'she sat' (l.4) does not follow the pattern which has been set out for most lines such as 'to bemoan' (l.1) and 'alone' (l.3). Furthermore, dialect may also interfere with pronunciation, especially with the end words of 'tongue' (l.6) and 'wrong' (l.8). This reoccurs later on with 'strove' (l.33) and 'love' (l.35) as well in other areas of the poem. However, seeming as this was composed in the 17th century, diction would have been different to that of the contemporary reader, meaning the form of the poem, in terms of reading aloud, may have had the correct rhyme intention. Internal rhyme is also seen with 'my' (l.18) and 'thy' (l.19) which also contributes to the lyrical style and creates a smooth rhythm when reading. As this poem follows along the theme of betrayal and love, devices such as repetition are used to emphasise this theme. Within stanza five, ana... ...escape. She does not try to portray the idea in a metaphoric sense, but instead uses the direct language to make the statement adamant. This close textual analysis has shown how the feeling of despair can be portrayed through a variety of devices. The fact that there is a prominent rhyme scheme makes the poem traditional, as well as the theme being about love. What may have been seen as controversial could be the fact that the poem was written by a woman, especially as this was written in the 17th century. Following on, as a female herself, Aphra Behn is able to create a believable female character by using real life concepts such as betrayal. Whether Behn experienced this emotion herself would require further reading, however the emotion within in the poem seems to be precise and may have been from a personal experience the writer incurred in her lifetime.

Cb Prepartions

Exam: 3hours, 19/50 =15. 2/40 (-31) Section A: MCQ (20m) Section B: Choose 2 from 3 Questions (15m each) 1. Describe the type of promotional message that would be most suitable for each of the following personality market segments: (a) highly dogmatic consumers, (b) inner-directed consumers, (c) consumers with high optimum stimulation levels, (d) consumers with a high need for cognition, and (e) consumers who are visualizers versus consumers who are verbalizers. Give an example of a promotional message for each segment.Social character traits have shown that inner and other-directed consumers may have different preferences in terms of promotional messages. Inner-directed people prefer advertisements that stress personal benefits while other-directed people seem to prefer advertisements that feature social acceptance. (a) HIGHLY DOGMATIC CUSTOMERS: It is a personality trait that measures the degree of rigidity (versus openness) that individuals display towards unfamiliar and towards i nformation that is contrary to their own established beliefs. Dogmatism: general tendency to be open or closed to new ideas and innovations.A person who is high in dogmatism approaches the unfamiliar defensively while the person who is low in dogmatism will rarely consider unfamiliar or opposing beliefs. * more receptive is Ads for new products or services that contains an appeal from the authoritative figure. Marketer uses celebrities and experts to their new product advertising for making it easier for the potentially reluctant customers. * Highly dogmatic consumers are likely to respond favorably to a new product when the advertising message is presented in an authoritarian manner (e. g. celebrity endorsement or expert testimonials). * prefer traditional or established products rather than innovative ones. close minded towards unfamiliar and untoward information that is contrary to their own established beliefs * approach such information with considerable discomfort and uncertai nty. promotional message most suitable would be endorsement or appeal from an authoritative figure. * New products need to be presented in an authoritative manner and that celebrities could be employed to reach dogmatic consumers who are more closed minded. For example: Colgate Dental Cream with Doctors and Experts endorsements. Anti-Polio Campaign featuring Amitabh and Sachin Tendulkar also useAuthoritative statements. The Cadbury’s brand took a beatng in sales after the worms were found in somepackets. Dogmatic Consumers stopped purchasing the Brand. Amitabh Bacchhanwas then used as Authority figure to reestablish Brand. b) Inner-directed consumers * tend to use their own values and standards in evaluating a new product * ads aimed at them should depict the attainment of personal achievement and satisfaction. ads that stress product features and benefits, which enable them to usetheir own values and standards in evaluating products * rely on their own inner values or standa rds in evaluating new products and are likely to be the consumer innovators. * other directed customers tend to look to others for guidance as to what is appropriate or what is inappropriate. * be prefer ads that stress product features and personal benefits ( enabling them to use their own values and standards in evaluating products whereas the other * For example: Surf Ad showing Shabana Azmi saving two buckets of water is an example of the same.The latest from Surf Excel is currently running on television. This is the ad where many people are seen walking with two buckets full of water. They then pour it into a large reservoir. At this point none other than Shabana Azmi informs you what a great thing thissaving of water is for the country and implores you to use Surf Excel. * manufacturer of cameras who advertises to inner-directed consumers should stress the ability to take better pictures and the resulting personal satisfaction. c) Consumers with a high optimum stimulation leve l * more open to risk-taking, more likely to be innovative have a greater willingness to take risks, try products with many novel features, and shop in new retail outlets. * likely to respond favorably to promotional messages stressing more rather than less risk, novelty,or excitement. * to seek purchase related information and to accept new retail facilities. * For example: The exciting and exotic Vacation Campaign of Malasia-Truly Asia is positioning of  Airways to sell the Asian Adventures. These enjoy thinking. They are responsive to that part of Ad that is rich in Information. The TATA-AIG Life insurance Ad showing Naseeruddin Shah giving informationthough Q&A will click for them. benefit of new product offering should not only consider functional features but also the risk, novelty and variety that the product offers. * place different promotional emphasis on particular age segments, as it may be worthwhile to reduce perceived risk for a market segment comprised primarily of older people, while it may not warrant it for a younger market segment. d) Consumers with a high need for cognition * ones who often crave or enjoy thinking. * responsive to ads that are rich in product-related information or description and are unresponsive to the auxiliary or contextual aspects of an advertisement. Need for cognition: stable individual difference in tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive activity. Individuals high in need for cognition enjoy thinking abstractly. * high-NFC individuals are likely to express more favorable ad attitudes, brand attitudes and purchase intention. * more likely to use message content as a basis for judgments * high NFC leads to the generation of inferences about omitted conclusions ), to less memory decay and greater resistance to counterarguments about products), and to longer processing and superior recall for brands and claims individuals who are high in need for cognition would be expected to be critical thinkers, and t o not necessarily accept arguments found in media or elsewhere on face value. * should be more difficult to persuade, a phenomenon that can be investigated several ways. * high-NFC individuals did so only when the signal was accompanied by a substantial price reduction. * process information presented in the media more thoroughly than those who do not enjoy thinking as much, able to retrieve from memory more information * individuals with higher NFC, who are assumed to process information more extensively, would be expected to generate more thoughts. counterarguing and source derogations are prevalent in advertising and that support arguments are critical if persuasive messages are to have a chance of acceptance * high-NFC would be expected to engage in a wide range of media consumption activities, and would not necessarily be expected to differentiate between sources of information, such as news, advertising or entertainment. All would be stimulating. high NFC individuals are more likely to closely scrutinize the arguments contained in any message, campaign strategists must make sure that arguments are strong in order to cope with the higher resistance to messages by this group * appear to be the ones already predisposed to watch or listen to issue, image or financial advertising featuring long copy. The challenge for strategists thus is to enhance the already high motivation of high-NFC indivduals, by highlighting the relevance of messages, and to enhance the ability and opportunities to process such messages. Example: (e) consumers who are visualizers versus consumers who are verbalizers. * Verbal aggressiveness: tendency to insult and attack others' self-concepts to achieve one's objectives in an argument. * Visualisers (i. e. , consumers who prefer visual information, products that stress the visual) * Morning Dew Ad where there is a race with a Cheetah is a visual treat * detailed descriptions and explanations in targeting verbalizers (i. e. , consumers who prefer written and verbal product information). ‘Do the Dew†Verbalizers prefer verbal dimensions to the promotional message. * The Oye Bubbly Jingle of Pepsi is a Verbal treat to the ear, though it conveys nothing much about the product. 2. A marketer of health foods is attempting to segment a certain market on the basis of consumer self-image. Describe the four types of consumer self-image and discuss which segment would be most effective to target for health foods. In Self-concept theory personality is exemplified by the kinds of things with which people surround themselves.The self-concept has shown to be multi-dimensional and encompasses the way a person actually is, the way individuals see themselves, the way a person would like to be, and the way in which individuals think others perceive them. Theories of self-concept have generally focused on two areas in marketing research. In the one, self concept has been applied to the discrepancy between the self and the ideal self as a measure of personal dissatisfaction. In this instance, product use has been related to items that deal specifically with self enhancement.Consumers have four types of image. 1. Actual self image-how consumers in fact see themselves. In Everyday house hold products, they see themselves in Reality. For example,Washing powders Ads would be realistic. Nirma Powder focuses on Housewives ability to get more for less money. 2. Ideal self Image-how consumers would like to see themselves. In case of Fantasy Products, consumers desire to see themselves perfect, as in case of  Women, Fairness or looking Pretty is high on desire list. The fair and Lovely campaign for fairness cream sells this dream. . Social Self Image-how consumers feel others see them. Here there is an inherent fear factor also involved as to how they are being perceived by others. For example Products which position themselves on social front, showing appropriate behaviour at parties etc appeal here. 4. Id eal Social Self image-how consumers would like others to see them. For Example, Aashirwad ready to cook products and Sambhar Masala Product campaign show the desire of Wives to be seen as a great cook by others.However, since they are working or busy, they do not have time to cook themselves. That is when the Brandcomes to rescue. And finally they are seen as Ideal Wives. There are two more categories of Self-image: Expected Self image-how consumers expect to see themselves at some specified futuretime. The ABKING PRO Ad for machine to slim down people hypes this expectation of  individuals that they will slim down and look good in Future. 5. expected self-image (e. g. , how consumers expect to see themselves at some specified future time) . ought-to self (e. g. , consists of traits or characteristics that an individual believes it is his or her duty or obligation to possess). Ought to self image-traits consumer thinks he ought to have. The Ashrwad readymeal Adis a hit for the wiv es feel that good cooking is a trait they ought to have. The expected self-image is somewhere between the actual and ideal self-images. It is somewhat like a future-oriented combination of â€Å"what is† (the actual self-image) and what consumers would like â€Å"to be† (the ideal self-image).Moreover, because the expected self-image provides consumers with a realistic â€Å"opportunity† to change the â€Å"self,† it is likely to be more valuable to marketers than the actual or ideal self-image as a guide for designing and promoting products. In targeting consumers of health foods, the marketer can use the expected self-image to attract consumers who would like to enhance the quality of their lifestyles through better nutrition, and ideal social self-image to appeal to consumers who are likely to adopt health foods due to peer influence and pressure. Advertisers focus on components that make people feel better about themselves.Many decisions based on look ing glass and ideal self–ie. Aspiring to group not yet reached–image appeal Psychographic info enhances demographic info– people individuals 3. How can Toshiba use the diffusion of innovations framework to develop promotional, pricing, and distribution strategies for its computer notebooks targeted to the following adopter categories? a. Innovators b. Early adopters c. Early majority d. Late majority e. Laggards * In term of the nature, there are five major types of innovations: novelty, competence shifting, complexity, robust design and continuous improvement.While in term of the extent of change, innovations can be divided into incremental, radical and transformational models. Innovation deals with the change related to product, service and process, and the innovation management involve people, product, process and technology† * diffusion is defined as a process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members o f a social system * innovation as â€Å"an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as â€Å"new† by an individual or other unit of adoption. * company will usually sell the hardware at a relatively lower price to capture a share of the market, and then charge relatively higher prices for the software to maximize profitability * Based upon the time variable, individuals seeking new innovations are placed into adopter categories, according to the rate of adoption. Rate of adoption is the â€Å"relative speed with which an innovation is adopted by members of a social system. † * the rate of adoption is the relative speed in which members of society adopt an innovation. It is usually measured as the number of people who adopt an innovation within a specified time-line. Some companies have a defensive strategy and aim to follow the leader. Such companies hope to profit from the mistakes of the first-to-market company by devising incremental design and performance impro vements and cost reductions compared with the original product. In addition they hope to exploit the new market that has started to grow, so timing is important. * But it was the major Japanese companies (such as Sony, JVC, Toshiba) that captured a large share of the mass market through reducing the cost of these devices and improving their performance. (a) Innovators: Venturesome [1st group to adopt]Rogers describes innovators as obsessed with being venturesome. They have an interest in new ideas and innovation and have generally very cosmopolitan type social relationships. Innovators generally have communication patterns and friendships among a certain clique of innovators even though their geographic distance between each other may be very significant. Innovators must be very financially secure in order to absorb a possible loss from an innovation that doesn’t turn into fruition. Likewise, an innovator must have a sound educational background, in order to comprehend a comp lex technical terminology.Furthermore, an innovator must be able to cope with a degree of uncertainty whether the innovation will be adopted by society. Ultimately, Rogers believes the innovator takes risks in being the gatekeeper of innovations, but if the innovation is adopted the rewards are high. Early Adopters: Respect [2nd group to adopt] more integrated in the local society than the innovator. Where an innovator is considered a cosmopolite, an early adopter is a localite. Early adopters have the greatest degree of leadership in most localities. Most potential adopters look to the early adopter for advice and information regarding an innovation.Generally, early adopters are respected and considered successful by their peers. The early adopter is the main group that decreases uncertainty of an innovation by adopting it, and then communicating with potential adopters about the idea. Early Majority: Deliberate [3rd group to adopt] Rogers suggest that the early majority group adop ts new innovations just before the average member of society. Members of the early majority frequently interact with people in their society, but usually do not hold key positions of leadership. The early majority is the largest group and make up approximately one-third of members in a society.The early majority follows with deliberate willingness to adopt an idea, but are rarely leaders. Late Majority: Skeptical [4th group to adopt] Rogers states that the members of the late majority adopt innovations just after the average member of society. The late majority also makes up approximately one-third of members in a social system. Members of the late majority are cautious and skeptical about new innovations. Most of the uncertainty surrounding an innovation must be removed before the late majority will adopt the new idea. Laggards: Traditional [last group to adopt]Laggards are the last group in society to adopt a new idea. Generally, they possess almost no positions of leadership with in their community. Laggards’ point of reference is the past, they are very cautious and only make decisions based on what has already been done. Usually, laggards’ educational and financial resources are limited, forcing them to be completely certain the innovation will not fail before they adopt. These are the traditional categories of society members with respect to the adoption of new ideas and innovations. The diffusion of innovations follows a common life cycle. 82 However, the period over which this trend occurs varies greatly due to a number of factors. 183 By the end of the 20th century many of the following innovations were adopted by society at a much greater rate. 184 For example, the PC, Internet, and cell phone, which are all relatively new products, have steeper gradients when compared to automobiles, electricity and traditional telephones. Price is one of the most important factors involved in adoption of consumer products. This pricing policy pattern c an be used to predict the rate of adoption of new innovations.When it comes to consumers’ rate of adoption to innovations, new technologies succeed at a faster rate than replacement technologies. An early adopting individual may decide to adopt in anticipation that the innovation’s rate of adoption will take off in the near future when others adopt, although past diffusion research suggest that most individuals do not adopt an innovation until after learning of their peers’ successful experiences. † The diffusion of an innovation among the consumers can usually be presented by an s-shaped curve.On a frequency basis the adoption over time will normally follow a bell-shaped curve, but when plotted on a cumulative basis the adoption will form an scurve. 9 The s-curve reflects the acceleration of the adoption. At the early stage the curve is rising slowly meaning relatively few adopters pr. time-period (x-axis). At about the middle of the adoption period the a cceleration peaks and then fades as the percentage of adopters goes up. This course of events is typical for the adoption of new technologies. The logic behind this diffusion lies in the actual number of adopters.The early adopters will be a majority compared to the people who have not yet adopted the technology and therefore there are less people to preach the virtues of the new technology to potential adopters. At the point where the adoption process reaches 50 % the number of adopters equals the number of potential adopters, by definition, thus providing maximal acceleration of the adoption. In the last period, adopters outnumber the people who has not yet adopted, and there will be less people to convince to adopt the technology – slowing down the acceleration of the adoption process.The adopters are often divided into adoption groups. These groups are usually formed on the basis of innovativeness, meaning to which degree each individual is willing adopt new technologies, relative to other members of the social system. From this measure individuals can be placed into groups containing a certain range of innovativeness. The distribution is based on a mean and to which degree individuals’ deviate from the mean (standard deviation). Innovators are the first group of adopters and can be associated with the word venturesome.The individuals representing this group are adventurous and often related to entrepreneurial environments. The innovators run the risk that the innovation does not catch on, and thus subject themselves to a potential loss they must be prepared to absorb. Therefore innovators have to live with the uncertainty about the potentials of the technology, which can be viewed upon as the price to pay for being pioneers in a new field – catalyzing the diffusion of new technologies.The early adopters are ready to adopt a new technology when they observe that other individuals has started adopting, and sees the potential for being s ome of the first adopters of a new and promising technology. These individuals are often a more integrated part of the local society than the innovators, and their adoptions are crucial for the technology to take off and get hold of the broad public. For the early adopters the uncertainties about the merits of the new technology are strongly diminished, and can therefore adopt the new technology without running the risk of buying a young and untested technology.This group accounts for about one third of the total number of adopters, and provide the link between the progressive early adopters and the more skeptical later adopters. In the latter half of the spectrum the late majority also represent about a third of the adopters. This group is skeptical to new innovations, and is not willing to adopt, until a lot of other people have adopted before them ensuring the success of the technology and possibly massive network effects. The last 16 % of the adopters, the laggards, often focus on traditional values and base their decisions on past events.They are suspicious of any new inventions to change the way life are traditionally lived, and must be 100 % certain that the technology will prevail before they are willing to adopt. From a consumers’ point of view it is essential to think about the decisions of future adopters when choosing what technology to go with. The decisions of previous adopters are on the other hand a know factor and plays a role for the decision also. So does the structure of the market, i. e. which technologies are available at the time of adoption, compared to potential superior technologies that could be available in the future.Recent findings indicate that there is a lack of willingness to wait by the early adopters. 11 This high priority of being among the very first users of a new technology is said to inflict negative externalities on the later adopters. These later adopters can be forced to adopt an inferior technology to make sur e that they are compatible with the technologies of the early adopters, or they might be forced to give up compatibility to get a superior technology. That said the diffusion of new technologies is often strongly dependent on the choices of the early adopters.

Personal Goal Essay

My purpose for seeking a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership is to expand my knowledge of theory and research methods as it pertains to education Being a seasoned professional in the field of education as a Master Teacher for fifteen years, and having been exposed to different challenges in teaching the learners and leading the school, I had this profound realization on the critical tasks of education in this age of globalization. The way schools are led and managed is changing. The types of school leaders and governing bodies that exist today are far more diverse than they once were; and they will continue to develop given the fast-paced movement of modern technology which affects how people and society evolve nowadays. Hence, this complexity calls for leaders with exemplary leadership style that are worth emulating for others so as to make a real distinction in the lives of many people, not only in a community, but for the country, as a whole. Educational leadership and management as a field of inquiry play a significant role in the improvement of schools; leveraging learning outcomes; and enhancing instructional competence of students. In schools, high performance rating and high literacy rates among their clienteles connotes success in one’s governance in education, thus, in making relevance to the system, educational leaders need to exercise certain leadership models that are truly manifesting merit in order to achieve its goals. And I think I already have what it takes to become a leader who can have the knowledge and skills to make these goals a reality.

Coffee Cafe Business Plan Essay

Cafà © Vancouver is a new coffee shop at Granville and Robson Street in Vancouver Downtown. The hustle and bustle of downtown need a quiet, fast-paced life make people feel tired, we want our customers to relax while enjoying a coffee. Cafà © Vancouver’s team will make the best effort to create a unique place where customers can get together with each other in a comfortable and relaxing environment while enjoying the best-brewed coffee or espresso and breakfast style treats in town. We will be in the business of helping our customers to relieve their daily stresses by providing peace of mind through great ambience, convenient place, friendly customer service, and products of consistently high quality. We welcome guests of all ages; we can guarantee each guest to enjoy high-quality coffee. Vancouver Downtown has many companies, offices and shopping centers, with a strong customer base and revenue opportunities. Meanwhile, 365 days a year we will have no holiday leave, to make sure that we have opportunity to serve guests at any time. We also have a pragmatic management team. Head is the General Manager; he has a degree in Economics from the Russian Far Eastern University, and has more than six years of experience in business operations. He is the general manager, and a cafe investor. Team1 supervisor is Supervisor1 with four years of broad experience working at coffee shops and restaurant industry. Team2 supervisor is Supervisor2; he has 2 years of experience in the restaurant industry. We provide training for up to three months, including company culture, coffee brewing, food safety, and so on. All employees of our company will be well-trained and enthusiastic moderator. The financial position of the company is essential to develop the company’s financial data, including investment, net profit and so on. After the financial position and profitability assessment, in three years of operation, we expect to have profit of about 818,700 dollars (net profit after tax), with average annual net profit of 272,900 dollars will give adequate funding for our company. Compared with other coffee brands in the industry, we expect to grow faster. In the long-term, we will consider opening new cafes in different locations throughout Canada. The Company and Industry Business goals Coffee is more than a beverage; however, it is a memory, anticipation, and a lifetime of consoling moments of modest pleasure woven into our lives. Coffee’s success as a beverage undoubtedly owes both to the caffeine it harbors and to its sensory pleasure. Coffee lovers come to associate the energizing lift of the caffeine with the richness and aroma of the beverage that delivers it. Our Business goal is â€Å"to make our customers return to the simple concept of coffee, quietly enjoying every cup of coffee.† We are planning to open two stores in the Vancouver area within three years. The company Mission statement â€Å"We want our customers to return to the simple concept of coffee, quietly enjoying every cup of coffee.† Vision Statement â€Å"To grow the business and protect the rapid development of the enterprise.† The Industry Although Canada does not have the proper climate for growing coffee, Canadian-based firms do import raw materials for processing and resale into domestic and export markets. Coffee manufactured for retail and Food service markets has been an important part of food and beverage processing in the country for many years. Coffee is the most popular hot beverage in Canada with a total of 14 billion cups consumed annually. An estimated 64% of Canadians drink coffee each day, which is equal to 6.8 kilograms of green coffee or 12.7 pounds of roasted coffee per head, with 86% of adult coffee drinkers consuming the beverage in the morning or for breakfast. In-home continues to be the dominant place for consumption with just over half of Canadian consumers (51%) drinking coffee at home. Among adult coffee drinkers, the share of cups (80%) of traditional coffee made at home is eight times higher than the share of cups purchased from the market (11%).  57% of coffee purchased at coffee shops. The coffee is also the top beverage in the Canadian Foodservice category. Canada has a highly developed away-from-home coffee market and is second only to Italy in highest percentage of total cups of coffee consumed outside the home. Other consumer demands include information on the origin/source, and locally grown, fair-trade, organic, and green coffee products. The coffee industry has been quick to respond to this lucrative market, worth about $650 million a year in Canada. Products and Services The Cafà © Vancouver will proudly offer its customers the best tasting coffee and tea beverages with breakfast style treats in the area. Our highly trained staff with a passion and talent combined will provide the best customer service in competition. The friendly and polite staff will also provide a cozy environment for customers to make them feel home, and every staff member will be required to give million dollar smile to our customers. In future, we will be looking forward to train our employees in further customer and coffee-making services. The products we offer will taste better than anything in the competition. This will be achieved with the high quality ingredients and products, by strictly believing in providing quality. The menu will cover coffee, steeped specialty teas, espresso latte and beverages, classic hot beverages, cold beverages, espresso on ice, sweet baked goods, yogurt, and grilled sandwiches and wraps. The Cafà © will be offering free books; magazine, daily newspaper and WI-FI for eating in clients to make them feel entertained and relaxed. By keeping in mind the importance of internet, we will provide speed WI-FI for our customers. There will also be four televisions at display in the cafà ©, which will be playing channels on popular demand. During the normal working hours of our cafà © there will always be entertaining music playing for our customers. In future, we will be updating our product and services with the popular demand. With the business plan there is a menu given below which will provide further details about the products we will offer. MARKET ANALYSIS Coffee business in recent years has been a bright spot for those who want to start-up their own business. While there are a number of other businesses out there many categories facing poor sales, negative balance sheets but coffee cafes are continuing to show strong growth. It’s very clear that Canadians love coffee continues throughout the year. Target market The place for our Cafà © Vancouver business is located at the intersection of Robson Street and Granville Street, which is in the downtown and one of the best locations for our coffee-house for opening up our cafe. Downtown is the main part of Vancouver and remains busy all throughout the year. According to our research we found that there is year round tourist activity all across Vancouver plus there are lots of businesses nearby our place. Robson Street is famous for its shopping stores all over Canada. In target market, we will target people from young to senior citizens. At the intersection, there are excellent auto and pedestrian traffic by the place which will give some customers each day. There are busiest areas and Sky train stations near to our place so we can attract local people or travelers passing through Downtown. Market size and trends: According to the census 2009 The Robson Street is regarded as a 3rd BIA (business improvement area) in Vancouver. The retail and service business is really higher on Robson street because of its popularity and there are 29% eating and drinking places on the Robson street. The retail business is 69% on Robson and 24% in the rest of Great Vancouver. It is one of the biggest shopping destinations in Vancouver. As the target market for our product and service is mainly tourists, local residents, business people, and students. There are 79,140 residents and 145,000 daytime employee bases; population density is triple than Vancouver average. The growth for the market had increased from last year because of the innovation; lots of people emigrated there because of business opportunities. According to the census there are 39 commercial properties and 222 businesses on the Robson Street. By targeting all market segments, Cafà © Vancouver will not focus on one segment  of market like for ma ny other coffee shops. Cafà © Vancouver will avoid these barriers in business with a customer mix of all segments and in coming years we expect to increase our market share in coffee business. Competition Cafà © Vancouver will uniquely place itself in the most competitive area of Vancouver downtown. The place chosen for a cafe has competitors such as Blenz coffee, Starbucks, cafe crepe, Tim Horton’s, Waves coffee, 7 eleven and David’s tea. It will be challenging to compete with well-established business, but cafe will give most delicious products at very reasonable prices. Our prime competitors (see Appendix # 1): Blenz coffee (www.blenz.com): Blenz opened their first coffee shop in February 1992 on Robson and Bute Street. They are famous for handmade coffee. They have 61 stores in British Columbia. They also are doing business internationally like in Japan and Philippines. Their store cost range from $225,000 to $400,000. Tim Horton’s (www.timhortons.com): The Tim Horton’s chain was found in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario. The chain’s focus on top quality, always fresh product, value, great service and community leadership have allowed it to grow into the largest quick service restaurant chain in Canada specializing in always fresh coffee, baked goods and home-style lunches. Wave’s coffee (www.wavescoffee.com): The Waves Coffee House franchise was founded in 2005 at Hastings and Richards Street in downtown Vancouver British Columbia. In 2008, Waves coffee was recognized by the Brand Coaches as the â€Å"Hottest Brand in Canada†. They have also been recognized as the â€Å"Best of Brands† by over 1,500 coffee retailers. Today there are 31 Waves across British Columbia and Alberta – with more to come. Starbucks (www.starbucks.ca): Starbucks is one of our prime competitors located near intersection of Robson and Granville. Starbucks is one of biggest coffee companies in North America with headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks has 20891 stores in 62 countries and 1324 of them are in Canada with generating revenue around $13+billion. Cafà © crepe (www.cafecrepe.com): Established in 1999; cafe crepe imports tradition of the classic European cafà © to North America, Cafà © Crà ªpe specializes in Parisian sweet & savory crà ªpes, French baguette sandwiches, and grilled Italian Panini. As an  international cafà ©, Cafà © Crà ªpe also offers world classics like a half pound certified Angus burgers, pommes frites (French fries), thin crust pizza, and a full traditional breakfast menu that includes Eggs Benedict and an exciting variety of omelets, among other specialties. In addition to serving exceptional Italian roasted Lavazza coffee, Cafà © Crà ªpe is fully licensed, offering a vast choice of alcoholic beverages and cocktails, along with select beers and wines. 7-eleven (www.7-eleven.com): Since 1927, 7 Eleven has grown and evolved into the world’s largest operator, franchisers and licensor of convenience stores. The company operates franchises and licenses more than 8,600 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Of the more than 7,800 stores the company operates and franchises in the United States, more than 6,200 are franchises. Estimated sales and market share: With the targeting mix that we are focusing on, we expect the average of 400 to 600 persons per day during the first year. We have estimated our customer expenditure about $3.5 due to premium pricing on some of the items. We presume that the total cost of sales would be about 14%. We expect the growing of our sales to 700+ customers per day for the second year of operations. And when the business will be stable and well-known we can reach the level of 800+ customers per day. The Marketing Plan Pricing There are various aims of pricing that we will focus on Survival Profit maximization Market share goals. Pricing Depends on various factors: Internal Factors- Marketing mix strategy Costs External Factors- Nature of the market Competition Competition Based Pricing- We will also be using this strategy at some stage when we get a stable number of customers in the market and then we can look at a prices level among our direct competitors, so we can adjust our prices according to that. Marketing Penetration strategy- We can charge slightly less what our direct competitors are charging for the same product. The Penetration strategy is usually used for quickly achieving a high volume of sales and to attract customers. Under this strategy product is widely promoted and price is kept comparatively low. As we will be new in the market, we will definitely go for a penetrating, this way we can have a bond with regular customers and can attract new customers. We created a detailed list of prices which we are going to start-up the cafà © with (see Appendix # 2). Advertising and Promotions Newspaper and Magazines- This will also be a good way of advertising of our product to market. We can promote our latest product in daily or weekly newspaper to give our customers as an offer for the first day of new product. We will be giving ads in local newspaper 45 days before the opening of our Cafà ©. The newspaper charges about $6 per column inch, so an ad that is two columns wide and two inches tall would be $24 for each day. Putting up Signs in Neighborhood- This is also a unique way to attract customers. The signature of our coffee shop will be placed in different locations, so people can see the ad of new coffee shops and they might come to try something new. For 100 boards it will cost around $900. Hand out values cheque- We will attract customers by giving value cheque worth $10 to first 100 customers. They will be eligible to redeem the money at any giving point of time. When we open the store, it will create a big attraction to customers. Hand out flyer discount offer - We will distribute flyers by dropping it to mail boxes, attaching any discount offer on their first coffee, sandwich or any snack. We will make our flyers on Closest to DL (95mm x 210mm) so it will be inexpensive to make 50 flyers will cost $9.74+ tax. So 1000 flyers will cost $194.80+tax. Social Media- We will also  promote our cafà © through social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We will tweet the promotional offer on twitter, so customers can have an access to discount coupons online. Website- We will create our website and advertise all our products there, so people can know about our products. There will be some discount coupons on the website, the customer could print it and redeem at any point in the store. It will cost us for a basic website $2500 to $3000 and to manage the website and to develop it $75 to $100 per hour. So this will be less expensive than social media and own company website can give people better option to have a look at our menu and daily or weekly promotions. Development plan: Development status: Our business plan is on developing stage. We have a very good plan to start our business, having the past experience of some partners will help us managing the coffee-house. We are going to lease the place in Vancouver Downtown on the intersection of Robson and Granville. We are planning to start the construction work first, after that we will give priority to the interior work. Next, we will arrange and fit the machines and dishwashers according to our layout. Along with the customer service we are providing customers with free WI-FI hotspot, cable TV and comfortable chairs and couches. So our customers can enjoy their coffee while sitting and watching TV or surfing the Internet. Proprietary issues: This is the trademark for our cafà ©. It is going to distinguish our service from those who are doing the same business in the market place. The registration of trademark is not mandatory but we are going to register it before the opening, because it gives us obvious proof of ownership. Furthermore, we are going to test our products like coffee and other eatable items through the CISPR EMC testing laboratory under the Canadian standard association plus we will test our cafà © under UL testing laboratories for safety. After getting the approval, we will give some free samples to potential customers for promotion and feedback. Operations plan Location The coffee shop will be at Granville and Robson Street in Vancouver Downtown (see Appendix # 3). It would be an excellent place with constant shoppers during the week plus business people and people who work in Downtown during weekdays. The coffee shop will be conveniently in the heart of the most popular shopping area in Vancouver and close to the Vancouver City Centre Sky Train station, which would allow attracting more transit people. Due to the enormous market size, the growth at this area rate would be considerable. The Vancouver Cafà © will give highly comfortable seats for 24 customers with hours of operation from 6AM to 8PM. Facilities The total space available for the cafà © of 600 sq. feet will offer the space for a lounge seating area, fireplace, bookshelf, back room, handicap-accessible washroom, and kitchen (See Appendix # 4). The premises are available for lease at an asking rate of $30 per square foot, net. The total annual rent would be equal to $180,000, which equates to $15,000 per month, as the listing agent informed us that the lessor is willing to reduce the monthly payment from $18,000 to $15,000. We will be eligible for the discount in case of a lease contract for at least three years term. The lessee will be expected to give a personal guarantee together with a security deposit of $10,000. Equipment To start-up our business, a variety of equipment are required. As mentioned in the â€Å"Development† section, we will need to buy a list of equipment costing in total of $ 28,344 (see Appendix # 5). All the equipment will be brand new and prices listed include delivery and setting in place. All the items will be purchased from Stealth Coffee Systems Inc. As we already negotiated, we would be eligible for an additional discount of 5%, if the amount will be paid within 90 days after the purchase. So, the estimated amount with discount will be paid for the equipment equals to $26,927. The installation of the equipment will cost us additional $ 25,000. Lead time for the delivery of the equipment is three to four weeks. The equipment will be amortized by using the straight-line method with an estimated useful life of 15 years. Supply Chain Pacific Coffee Roasters has been chosen to be the primary supplier for the best specialty coffee. The company is conveniently located in Downtown, close to our coffee shop. Pacific Coffee Roasters is a broad line coffee distributor which will satisfy all our supply needs. The inventory will be checked twice a week to make sure that we have enough in back stock. The entire inventory will be placed by dates of receiving to follow the â€Å"first in first out† system. We are expecting to place orders and receive new inventory on a weekly basis. Human Resources To operate the coffee shop we will need to hire six cashiers to split them up in two teams (see Appendix # 6). The previous restaurant experience will be required, but exceptions can be made. All the hired employees will receive an extensive training. Later, for new employees we will use on-the-job training technique to increase their performance and decrease the time of the training. A starting wage for a cashier will be $10.25 per hour; also we will use a bonus system based on the employee’s performance. Management team Is the Manager of the Vancouver Cafà © and will be responsible for overall operation of the business. Head received a degree in Economics from the Russian Far Eastern University in 2006. In addition, he is currently pursuing a Business Management Diploma at Douglas College and he will graduate from the program in December 2014. Head has an extensive experience in strategic planning, as he had been working for a production company in Russia from 2006 to 2012 as a Planning Manager. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. is the Vancouver Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Supervisor of Team 1 and will be in charge of running day-to-day operations. During peak hours, he will be helping to his staff. Supervisor1 currently studies at Douglas College on Business Management program and will graduate  in December 2014. He has 4 years’ experience in the restaurant industry, as he worked at coffee shops in Vancouver. His experience varies from a cashier to a supervisor of the coffee shop. Through the work experience he recei ved a sufficient amount of expertise to run the cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s operations. He will be responsible for the hiring and training all the cafà © employees. At this position, Supervisor1 will report to the Cafe Manager. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. is the Vancouver Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Supervisor of Team 2 and will be in charge of running day-to-day operations. Supervisor2 currently studies at Douglas College on Business Administration program and will graduate in August 2014. He has 2 years’ experience in the restaurant industry. He will be supervising his staff and helping out during peak hours. He will be responsible for the purchase of supplies and management of the supply base. At this position, Supervisor2 will report to the Cafe Manager. SWOT Analysis Opening a coffee cafà © is not about knowing the difference between mocha, latte, and cappuccino but much more than this little part. Creating a SWOT analysis — identifying the good, bad and potential ugly, our customers, overcoming the competing coffee shops and strengthening our marketing plan — for our business is essential before moving forward. Strengths Easy to get financing. Easy to start up business. New talents from partners. Extensive beverage menu. Cost leadership. Value based customer service. Location. Weaknesses Lack of experience. Unknown company history and background. Divided authority. Number of competitors in the market. Too many products to start with. Opportunities Continuously expanding. Bring in different types of drinks from different parts of world. Expand into franchisee based business. Joint venture with different business organizations (e.g.: Gas stations, grocery stores, cinemas and many more that can allow our coffee shop in their business ). Involve keen investors into the business to expand. International markets. Online market. Threats High risk of failure. Conflicts might occur between partners in the future. Status as an independent coffee shop. Change in coffee trends. Recession. Rises in the price of raw materials. Shortage of specific coffee beans from suppliers as demanded by the market. Change in technology in operating coffee making equipment’s. Change in government policies. Implementation schedule An implementation schedule ensures the accomplishment of each stage of the business plan. The development plan was divided into four phases: the initial phase, commencement phase, semi completion, and final phase. The team was successful in creating a business plan after a month’s collective effort. The commencement phase will begin after the initial stage. During this phase the business will be registered and thus the company becomes eligible to take financial help from a financial organization. Semi completion stage will begin after two weeks. During this phase, the process of staff recruitment, menu preparation, marketing and advertising strategies will be carried out under the guidance of experts. This phase takes a month and a half. The final phase will begin immediately after the semi completion phase. This phase consists of deciding the interior theme, furniture, appliances and other facilities to be provided at the cafà ©. Financial plan Funding Requested In order to start our business, the capital cost would be covered under the fixtures and equipment, installation of the fixtures and equipment and decorating which are 26,927, 25,000, and 10,000, respectively, for a total of 61,927. Basically, we are doing our financing from debt and equity investment which The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) has agreed to finance a large portion of this expenditure. Our 90 % of the Capital cost is covered by CIBC by using the government-granted Canada Small Business Financing Act (CSBFA) program. Interest rate would be prime plus 4.25 per cent, which includes a 1.25 per cent administration fee paid to the federal government. We will do monthly payment up to seven years in order to pay all the debt. CIBC has agreed to a loan for $ 178,090 which covers renovation expenses, personal guarantee from the owner for 25 % of the loan amount. The owner is planning that the balance of the funding will come via a $ 19,787 remaining balance, allowing him a 100 % of the common shares in the corporation. Financial Projection Cafà © Vancouver is expected to make a profit of $ 168,200 in its first year of operations, which is a good indication for the company. The $657,000 is estimated for the first year sales figures falls way above the breakeven point by $186,787(where as B-even is $470,213). Not only this, as indicated  in the cash flow projection, the initial CIBC loan and $19,787 equity investment give the operation more than adequate cash flow. This gives an opportunity to our business to repay the loan faster. Risk Factors In order to start a new business venture, there are many risks that must be taking into consideration. Below are the some of the risks associated with cafà © business: 1. Fire Safety: Cafà © Vancouver will limit the impact of a fire by ensuring the business has compensation, insurance protection, including adequate business premises insurance as well as business interruption insurance. 2. Inadequate Capital: Despite of a solid business plan many Cafe fails because they lack adequate funding and planning. So to decrease these risk Cafe Vancouver is planning to have several months of funding to cover the costs of salaries, food and bills. 3. Food Safety Concerns: If any customer becomes injured on the premises or where an illness is attributed to product the $ 1,000,000 compressive general liability insurance coverage will insure the business has adequate liability. 4. Shortage of supply: This risk is considered as not important because there are wide variety of suppliers in downtown might be chosen in case of shortages with supply. Divestiture/Harvest Strategy In case of any quarrel, any partner wants to exit the business or if sales cannot be made then the assets of the business will be sold off individually. Firstly, company will try to sell this commercial coffee making equipment locally but if the quenched arranged cannot be made locally then the equipment will be sold over the internet. The money from selling this equipment will be used to pay off the debt obligation of the business and remaining money will be paid to the owner. However, this is not supposed to happen because the concept has significant upside latent, builds good market share. If everything goes according to the plan, it is expected to attract the attention of large national. The owner would sell the business only and only if a healthy profit is given by a buyer.   

Is intelligence innate? Essay

For many years, there had been a debate over whether genes alone can determine one’s intelligence or whether the environment and training can increase one’s intelligence. Some scientists think that people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions. This is known as the â€Å"nature† theory of human behavior. Other scientists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is known as the â€Å"nurture† theory of human behavior. Intelligence can be employed to indicate the amount of knowledge available and the rapidity with which new knowledge is acquired; the ability to adapt to new situations and to handle concepts, relationships, and abstract symbols. Scientists have known for years that traits such as eye color and hair color are determined by specific genes encoded in each human cell. The Nature Theory takes things a step further to say that more abstract traits such as intelligence, personality, aggression, and sexual orientation are also encoded in an individual’s DNA. Therefore, it is argued that intelligence is innate. People are born with it. There are also beliefs that the more folds you have in your brain, the more intelligent you are as your brain contains more neurons. Intelligence can be inherited. This can be used to explain why people say that Jews are smart. According to adoption studies, adopted children have more similar intelligence scores than their adoptive parents who reared them from birth. Supporters of the Nurture Theory do not deny that genetic tendencies may exist, but believe that they ultimately do not matter. Our behavioral aspects originate only from the environmental factors of our upbringing. Therefore, intelligence can be increased or augmented if one goes through training. The importance of twin studies is evident if we look at the studies objectively, if intelligence is basically hereditary, identical twins who have the same genetic legacy. Jones’s study (1946) shows that there is a modest difference in the intelligence test scores of twins reared apart, and the more divergent the environments, the greater the difference. I believe that it is a combination of both nature and nurture. Intelligence can be increased by training, but how much it can be increased very much  depend on one’s innate intelligence. We are all born with a certain I.Q.. Some people may have higher intelligence than others. However, if both a high I.Q. person and low I.Q. person goes through similar training, they can both increase their intelligence, but it would be easier for the high I.Q. person to increase his/her intelligence. I feel that it is not possible for one’s intelligence to be solely determined by the genes. If this had been the case, we would be living in a scary world. Our intelligence would be decided once we are born, and there is nothing we can do to change it. We have to live with it for the rest of our lives. I believe our environment plays a part. We can only fulfill our genetic potential by first, optimizing our environmental factors. For example, people living in third world countries may be born with the same intelligence level as other people in first world countries. However, they do not have the optimum environment to realize their potential, thus they fare much worse than others in first world countries. Genes only serve as guidelines. The rest is derived from interactions with the environment. Individual intelligence and human behavior cannot be predicted based on knowledge of genetics and the environment. When something is considered determined, free will is destroyed.