Leverage and leveraged finance

Leveraged finance usually means funding a company with more debt than it is worth. Leveraged finance is used to gain specific, short term objectives like acquiring a company through buy outs or buy-ins, or parking funds in assets which generate fast and excessive returns over the cost of funding. The Sub – Prime crisis of recent times makes it important to keep the above definition in mind. Implicit in all finance deals is the ‘down-side ‘or risk that a lot of value (money in plain terms) would simply disappear if the wrong calculations are made. In finance a lot of calculated instinct is based around the capacity of an entity to service or repay its loans. This also raises the question of faith – on the organization’s capacity to perform and therefore repay its debts along with associated costs, chiefly interest related, and returns. Putting a lever to something means firmly positioning it to perform a task. In the language of finance, leveraging would mean to strengthen the power of a company’s funds to attract more returns by borrowing yet more funds – usually short term.   Leveraged financing is the issue of high yielding bonds or funds borrowed from banks to fund the takeover of companies or buy outs by existing members (buy in) or an outside stakeholder (takeover). The ratio of the company’s debts (borrowings) and the company’s return on equity (money borrowed and invested elsewhere) decides the risk rating of a borrowing entity. Simply put, the company has to earn enough to repay the cost of its borrowings and make an extremely high profit for its stakeholders. If the cash flow from the operation is negatively affected by the high cost of debt servicing or interest for borrowed funds – the position of the lender is riskier. Therefore the interest or the ‘risk cost’ will be higher. (Fletcher, 288-92) The principle is utilized in investing in stocks. The price of a stock is a reflection of its debt to equity ratio at its market or book value.   Financial leveraging calculates the varying effects of one or the other in arriving at a ratio. It allows higher return to the investor. The loss may be higher too, for the company has to pay servicing costs for borrowings even if its stock is completely eroded. There are levels of leverage financing – either secured bank loans or bonds or comparatively ‘less senior’ subordinated bonds or loans. A leverage financier has to calculate how the finance is to be raised. If he overestimates a company’s capacity pay back the loan, he might lend too much at very low margins. The outcome of this would be that the financier will be unable to sell these loans or bonds. Then again, if a company’s value is underestimated, then the transaction results in a huge loss. The objective of leveraged buy outs is to acquire assets without utilizing its own capital. The following case studies illustrate the impact at different periods in recent times. The Sub Prime Crisis Sub Prime borrowers are those whose debt rating is ‘high risk’ – their ability to pay back their loans is considered weak by banks or financial companies. As compared to ‘prime’ borrowers like companies who are financed with ease, a sub prime or non prime borrower’s credentials are considered poor. This is because they are likely not to repay due to insufficiency of funds. They are then financed at sub prime or higher rates of interest than normal. This makes it profitable for lending institutions. In the USA, the bulk of sub prime borrowers are people who seek to buy houses. The majority has no stable income or is in employment which does not earn enough. Only some months back, in the USA debt was freely available to those who asked – in fact, banks fought among themselves to offer loans to leveraged takeovers and hired the services of agents to ferret out possible borrowers. But now, the markets are talking of credit squeeze. Banks are scrambling to tone up their balance sheets. What led to this problem? It is good to remember that householders, commercial banks, brokers and companies all use leverage differently. Homeowners are said to be ‘anti cyclical’ in their leverage. When assets (in this case, property values) appreciate faster, leverage – a factor of debt to equity, decreases. When asset values shrink, leverage rises. This is because householders keep paying mortgages regardless of cycles of increase or decrease in property values or share prices. When a householder takes, say, $300,000 on a $400,000 house, he has equity of $100,000 or a leverage ratio of 3. Supposing the house price was to increases to $500,000, his equity doubles to $200,000 toning down the leverage ratio to 1:5 (Kar, 165-71) Banks and companies are neither strongly anti nor pro cyclical, choosing fixed leverage ratios whatever happens to the market. Investment banks and broking houses are extremely pro cyclical, ramping up their leverage as asset prices move upward. Brokers employ specialized risk based accounting which allows increased borrowing while prices are rising. Conversely, they have to borrow less as prices fall. While adjusting to risk is natural, these brokers acted against what would be prudent judgment. To explain this – an amateur might think that high priced portfolios run a higher risk. On the other hand, a ‘calm’ market would make him cautious in anticipation of a storm. The finance professionals turn this judgment on its head through an instrument which they have devised called ‘Value at Risk’ (VAR) which considers current market values, no matter how unpredictable the market is. For example, in the valuation of complex portfolios, brokers tended to assume only recent history. A short calm period is taken to project future ‘tranquility’ for more years. So, when a real market risk is present, the ratio of VAR to valuation of assets is low. Companies would consequently be compelled to leverage more when, in fact, they should not have. Till 2007, brokers kept increasing their portfolios of householder finance, apparently because there was apparently less risk. Just as the signal would have been to buy when prices were high, the now confusing indications, based on wrong models, led to prospects of selling when   the housing markets was turbulent. As result, brokers are left with assets of almost $300 billion of hung deals- householders had simply walked away. (King, 68-71) The Long Term Credit Management Crisis of 1998 Another example of the failure of valuation models and the intervention of leveraged funds this crisis had a major impact on global markets. Long Term Capital Management (LTCM), founded in 1994 by John Meriwether, decided to deal in US and other government bonds. The idea was that over time government bonds would be identical in value if released within short gaps of each other. The rate at which these bonds appreciated would be different as in the case of US government bonds which would rise in value faster. The profit would be taken from selling costlier bonds and buying cheaper bonds. The profits did come to such an extent that LTCM had to look around for areas to invest its capital .It went into risk arbitraging -this was outside their expertise. They had to resort to highly leveraged finance to sustain return on equity. Their equity was almost 5 billion dollars against borrowings of $125 million. The proceeds were also used in investing in equity derivatives. By end August 1997, the company had lost most of its capital due to some downtrends which its managers could not read earlier –specially the Great Asian Meltdown of 1997 – and still had to pay the huge borrowing costs. Leverage had doomed the company. The Dot Com Bubble Through the early 90’s and till the first years of 2000, information technology was surging forward on extremely encouraging forecasts about its future in the world. Entrepreneurs were able to float technology companies, financed by venture capital which was riding on the prospects of fantastic returns. No one realized that these companies had nothing up front to offer which could be valued in rational terms. Huge leverage was sought in order to follow this boom around the world. The bubble was pricked as fast as it had been blown up – and companies and capital vanished. (Lamb, 434-38) Works cited: Fletcher, Robert. Art of Financial Economics: Beliefs and Knowledge; Believing and Knowing. Christchurch: Howard & Price. 2006 Kar, Pranab. History of Modern American Finance. Kolkata: Dasgupta & Chatterjee 2005 King, Herbert. Fiscal Fitness Today Vol. IV Plymouth: HBT & Brooks Ltd. 2005 Lamb, Davis. Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata. Wellington: National Book Tru

Yeshu

The most important point being that the natural balance in an ecosystem is maintained. This balance may be disturbed due to the introduction of new species, the sudden death of some species, natural hazards or man-made causes. In this field trip we will explore how human population and development affects the ecological balance. Take time to explore this site as your gateway to the world of ecology. It has interesting articles and facts. There are features such as the Environmental Timeline that shows how there were different concerns about the environment throughout istory.The environmental impact of war is an interesting article on how preparation of war and warfare leads to environmental losses. The carpet bombing of the lush green forests during the Vietnam war led to the loss of habitat of many species. Special features on population and the environment show how population has increased from the industrial age and how it will affect the environment. There are additional resource s for higher classes. In the name of development, we remove trees and vegetation, change how we use and, and keep expanding paved areas.All these not only affect the soil ecology, but also the water balance. Increased urbanization also requires more water to feed the city's population and industry, often requiring deeper and deeper wells to be drilled or water to be moved from even more distant locations. Increase of pavement area not lonely lessens the amount of water vapour that transpires back from the vegetation but also contributes to groundwater pollution if the salt used to melt road ice were allowed to runoff into the natural drainage system.Visit this site for a detailed look at water as a precious resource and how human development affects water and its ecosystem. It is dedicated to Water Day. To understand how human population and increased developmental activities affect the ecosystem, there are live examples all over the world. Armenia is one such example of what is hap pening to the ecosystem because of increased population and developmental activities. Over the last 1,000 years human impacts on the land have increased, mainly through deforestation and increased use of pastures.Such problems have intensified over recent years with unprecedented population growth and urbanisation since 1920, resulting in increased human impacts not only on individual species, but also on whole ecosystems. Read the article on this site and you will consciously become aware of what unchecked industrial development and urbanization could do to your region. The fast pace of development has led to many unwanted results. Exotic species get destroyed taster than we can discover them and ancient ecosystems are getting isturbed in our scientific explorations.Find out about amazing facts on human impact on oceans, toxins, and much more as you explore this site for environmental education on the web. It is designed primarily for kids, but the features and articles are good re ading for any grade. There are also handy tips on what you can do to help protect the environment and ideas on how you can start an ecology club in your neighbourhood. Visit the resources given on the Ecology and great Links pages to know more about this science.

Business Analysis Of HSBC

Business Analysis Of HSBC HSBC is public limited bank and it’s headquartered is located in London, England since 1993. HSBC bank was founded in 1865 in and it was started with name † The Hong kong and Shanghai Banking corporation â€Å".The bank has lots of branches throughout the world. HSBC bank offers wide range of banking, Investment and financial service to high and economic customers. It holds international network of 8000 properties in 88 countries and regions in Europe, Hong kong, Rest of Asia-Pacific, The Middle East, The Americas and Africa. Previously, the Middle East is known as part of ‘Rest of Asia -Pacific ‘. HSBC offers comprehensive range of financial service within these international network. Banking service such as Credit and debit accounts, bank loans (secured loans, loans, unsecured loans, car loans etc.), mortgages, overdraft facility, and insurance are being served by the bank. It also provides Internet banking and Offshore banking. HSBC is one of the worldâ €™s largest banking and financial service group with 8th rank, according to Forbes Magazine. It has market capitalisation of US$ 199 billion since 31st December 2009. It is listed on the so many stock exchanges like London, Hong kong, New York , Barmuda and Paris; it is also part of the FTSE 100 index and HangSeng index. HSBC is also world’s first bank which was opened internationally that means â€Å"World’s Local Bank† and it was financed various projects like Railroad Building due to mordenization in early 20th century. History of HSBC: The history of HSBC is as old as extremely intresting for the each and every person and organization who wants great deal with the bank around the globe. Furthermore, bank is offering large amount of service to an individuals and institutions. FOUNDATION AND GROWTH : HSBC originally stands from â€Å"The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation † which is established by Scot Thomas Sutherland in Hongkong ( 3rd marc h ) in 1865. Then and as now,1 Queen’s Road Central was bank’s headquartered in Hongkong , plus another was opened in Shanghai one month later in 3rdapril 1865 to finance growing trade between China and Europe. In addition, one year later the London office was opened. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the bank opened its more branches in China, Asia, Japan, Europe and North America to provide financial service for its clients. Throughout the Second war the bank closed its many branches due to an international financial crisis and the head office was temporarily moved from Hongkong to London. Then after, the bank played major roll in rebuilding of Hongkong economy and that was the time for geographical spread through acquisition and alliances . In 1959, the bank purchased two banks that was The British Bank of Middle East and The Mercantile Bank (based in India). The Bank moved to Canadian and Australian market to expand its business during 1981-1986. I n 1987 The Marine Midland Bank (Now HSBC Bank of USA) became a member of the group. In 1991, HSBC Holding PLC was established and it became parent company to The Hong kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the shares were traded in both London Hong -kong stock exhanges.

The phone with the verision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The phone with the verision - Essay Example Consider an iPhone purchase either through a two year contract and Verizon Edge. Purchasing through the agreement will cost an individual an upfront payment of $2325.90 while Verizon will take a 20 months installment of $110.65 giving the full payment for the device as $2213.78. The two-year agreement will however take an entire period of 24 months that is higher than that of the edge program making the agreement’s total monthly cost to be lower as compared to that of Verizon. Buying S5 using an agreement will cost an individual $2371 which is higher than $2159 charged for the Verizon Edge. The monthly charges however reverse with that of Verizon being higher since the deal takes a longer period of 24 months as compared to that of Verizon, which takes 20 months. It is, therefore, evident that in the long run a Verizon Edge program saves much money as compared to a typical agreement and also makes upgrading easy. It is, therefore, recommended for individuals to register for this program and take advantage of this new

Storm Drainage Design Project - Scientific methods Assignment

Storm Drainage Design Project - Scientific methods - Assignment Example To understand more on the subject at hand, we first define what is a storm and a hydrograph. According to Wikipedia, a storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather. It may be marked by strong wind, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation, such as ice or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere.1 Meanwhile a hydrograph is defined as "a representation of flow for a particular stream and is used to evaluate the watershed runoff volumes and the peak flow rates from a single storm or set of storms. This information is then used in the design of flood control facilities."2 A storm obviously has a fundamental effect on the course of rivers and other bodies of water and is part of the process known as the water cycle. The water cycle "..consists of four distinct stages: storage, evaporation, precipitation, and runoff. Water may be stored temporarily in the ground; i n oceans, lakes, and rivers; and in ice caps and glaciers. It evaporates from the earth's surface, condenses in clouds, falls back to the earth as precipitation, and eventually either runs into the seas or reevaporates into the atmosphere."3 Thus, we see the relationship between storm and runoff (which is flooding) in this cycle. Storm hydrographs are therefore "..graphs that show how a drainage basin responds to a period of rainfall. They are useful in planning for flood situations and times of drought as they show the discharge (amount of water reaching channel via surface run-off, through flow, and base flow) that originated as precipitation."4 The hydrograph in other words is simply a record of the flooding events in a river as an effect of rain and storm. II. Factors Influencing Hydrographs What are the factors that influence the appearance of storm hydrographs Since the hydrograph is a graphical representation of the flow versus time, any aspect that will affect flow will likewise affect the graph. Flow, being a unit of volume over time or velocity and area, implies that the parameters of area and velocity contribute to how the hydrograph is presented. The following are the factors as stated in Wikipedia : Soil Saturation is dependant on previous rainfall, or otherwise known as antecedent rainfall. The surroundings; Rural or Urban (Could be less impermeable surface, or the surface type could vary) Vegetation type (Deforestation and amount of interception) Steepness of surrounding land, or 'relief' land Drainage density (Number of tributaries) Geology (Rock Type; Impermeable=flashier hydrographs. Or Permeable) Season dependent; Very dry weather creates a crust on the river bed. Wet winters create increase in discharge. Soil Type (Clay, sand etc.) Clay would create a flashy hydrograph, but there could be a continuum between the two.5 As can be observed from the above factors, when the factors contribute to a faster flow, the resulting hydrograph is a "flashy" one. It means that peak flow is high and the time from the heaviest rainfall and the largest flow of the river is very small. It is noted that the term "flash" floods are similarly coined. Other factors mentioned above such as impermeable surf

Organizational globalization in human resources Essay

Organizational globalization in human resources - Essay Example This will play a pivotal role within the understandings that are reached between the organizations and the different processes that are happening on a global level. It is very necessary for the stakeholders to realize their respective roles within the organization globalization realms as it gives them a clear cut idea as to how they should take care of their money and invest within such quarters that has a very global feel towards the ideology of building the competencies of the organization (Guillen 2001). This will reap rich results for the organization as it is bent upon going global in order to seek the best possible outcomes, which indeed is a very enticing proposition for any business at the end of the day. The definition of organizational globalization is â€Å"putting the local domains of a business in the perspective of the global industry†. This helps the organization to maneuver its basis within the international dynamics as well as helps it build upon the premise of a positive change, one that will bring about solid results. The definition of organizational globalization has therefore focused on the agenda of bringing a basis of worldliness with the norms and procedures that are followed within the organizations. It gives the companies a kind of leverage that is not very hard to envision, and more so because these organizations have adequately understood how their processes and related undertakings are going to be taken care of. If the element of globalization comes into the equation, there is a sense of doing things in accordance with the global regimes – an achievement for the organization in its own right. The fact that organizational globalization has been able to create a huge difference within the work realms is something that can be taken as a positive. It gives the companies the much needed boost as far as complying with their local working basis is concerned. It also

Young Entrepreneurs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Young Entrepreneurs - Assignment Example His latest project in the solar-powered (LED) lantern has been described by many as the greatest innovation in recent time to cushion those who cannot afford the electricity. This project also aimed at providing light to school going children from poor families who could not stand the smoke of the local kerosene lamp The idea of developing the solar-powered lantern was originally presented by Wadongo at a local congress of young innovative youth’s forum in Kenya and was picked as a promising one with the potential to solve the problem in their communities. Wadongo did a lot of his research on the design and the sizes that most suited the targeted population. Through his various attempt to design the sustainable product that would not only last for long, but also provide a cleaner source of energy, he came up with something that has been appreciated worldwide. His bright idea that only started in a small village in Kenya has been recognized worldwide in various forums. According to the locals, Wadongo’s project is one that has helped more children go back to their schools and the impact being felt almost immediately. The performances have increased in most schools that have adopted the use of the solar-powered lantern. According to Wadongo, his project has not reached its peak yet w ith several additions intended to be made. He wants to extend the scheme to cover more areas in the country, and the same time sells his solar tapped power to major towns. He said that â€Å"this approach will work best for him due to the frequent power blackouts experienced in those towns’’. His idea was driven by the fact that 90% of the country’s power is generated from hydropower stations and the need for other reliable means of power generation was needed. According to Wadongo, the current power rates in the country are very high, and the consumers will welcome any form of cushioning. With the rates currently at Ksh 75 per Kw unit, he intends

Enthalpy of Neutralisation Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enthalpy of Neutralisation - Lab Report Example As a matter of fact, this variation is attributed to the fact that when a strong acid is used, full ionization takes place while with a weak acid; ionization is incomplete (Jarvis, 2011). In this experiment, NaOH is mixed with HCL and later with CH3COOH. Place 500 mL of water into the calorimeter and add 150 mL of 1.0 M sodium hydroxide. Measure 160 mL (an excess) of 1.0 M hydrochloric acid into a 400 mL beaker. Start the stopwatch and stir the two solutions with separate stirring rods and measure their temperatures (use separate thermometers) at 30 s intervals as above. (DO NOT stir the solutions with the thermometers.) After 5 min (do not reset timer to zero) rapidly, but quantitatively, pour the HCl into the calorimeter. Replace the stopper. Continue stirring and record the temperature of the reaction mixture at 30 s intervals for the next 5 min. After the experiment is completed, test the solution with two drops of phenolphthalein. If the reaction mixture is alkaline, insufficient acid has been added and the results are worthless † start again. The first part of the experiment is about reactions between fully ionized strong acids and strong bases and the sole real chemical change is formation of water molecule from hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions. This is given as follows, Evidently, the reaction between NaOH and HCL yields a higher enthalpy of neutralization as compared to the reaction between NaOH and CH3COOH. This is attributed to the fact that the enthalpy of neutralization of a NaOH with a HCL involves complete ionization of the dilute aqueous solutions and hence the reaction involves higher energy. In the case of CH3COOH, while NaOH undergoes complete ionization, CH3COOH only partly ionizes and as a result the enthalpy of neutralization is lower. There are various methods used in measurement of such heat. Initially measurements were premised on simple thermometric

Restructuring in business portfolio or its financing Essay

Restructuring in business portfolio or its financing - Essay Example This company has more than 70 establishments in more than 150 countries worldwide. (gsk.com, 2009) The restructuring of the company’s portfolio or capital structure can be attributed to the strategic priorities it seeks to undertake. As of 2008, the CEO of this company, Andrew Witty, stated that the GlaxoSmithKline Company had three main strategic priorities. The aim of these was to achieve sturdy growth rates, reduce the level of risk as well as improve the performance (financially) in the long-term operations of the business. According to the CEO, the industry of pharmaceuticals is set to encounter big challenges since there will be an unpredicted number that will lose their patent protection. This, thus, will call for the company to work even harder to fulfill the client demand for brand new types of medicines and those which are better to use. As he states it, the loss of patenting will lead to a number of payers wanting an apt cost-effective kind of healthcare. This pharmaceutical company is therefore setting out to improve the consumers and patients’ lives, which is in line with the shareholders’ requirements. He did not go without noting that the industry is faced with a lot of risk and a lower rate of growth to counter the same. Therefore, the companies in context need to seek greater levels of return from their R&D investments. Unique to the expansion of the GlaxoSmithKline Company is its balanced healthcare business-group as well as an overall lesser profile of risks. The aim is, thus, to ensure a better level of discipline in the provision of capital components across the various areas of the company’s businesses. This company has a future goal of generating sales revenue growth by way of supplementing strength focused on the main small-molecule business of pharmaceuticals. This will also be through new investments in the vaccines area, which is considered to be fast growing, and also the

Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Essay Example for Free

Answers to Select End of Chapter Questions Essay 16. Since we have the profits from all three scenarios we just to compare the present values of each scenario. We do not need to subtract anything from the present value since the costs have already been subtracted from profits. We can see that we have the highest present value of $290.87 when we use high advertising intensity. Therefore this is the recommended scenario. Q2. This question deals with margin analysis, we will look at incremental revenues and costs and see whether they are worth it. On the revenue side we have an increase on 9807700, however we also have incremental costs of television airtime, ad development and a loss of $6000000 in another division We can see that when we add up the incremental costs, they exceed the extra revenues by 317100. Therefore I do not recommend that this campaign to be undertaken. Q21. Producer Producer. The Brazilian and five other producers are competing against the US Southern Shrimp Alliance. Both groups are competing to provide the customers with the best shrimps at the lowest cost. However currently the Brazilian Producers have an advantage with their lower labor, cheap land etc. Government and Market; According to the current scenario, the Brazilian Group would be choice of the market since they can produce it much cheaper. However, the Sourthern Alliance is trying to lobby the Government into imposing tariffs Brazilian Imports. Consumer Producer Rivalry; The American Seafood Distributors, which represent consumers of shrimp farming, are interested in having the lowest cost. They are supporting the Brazilians and can potentially choose not to buy from the US based shrimp farmers. Consumer – Consumer Rivalry; Is pretty low, since they have banded together to form the American Seafood Distributors. Five Forces Analysis: Shrimp Farming Industry Power of Buyers; High Buyers have formed the American Seafood Distributors, which means they can ask negotiate in bulk and choose whether they buy from one firm or not. They apparently have very low switching costs. Since shrimp is still shrimp wherever it came from, the price value combination becomes very important. Possible Government Intervention. Power of Suppliers; Low The shrimp farmers procure their supply from the sea. And really the shrimps have very little choice in the matter. There is plentiful supply, although it depends upon the weather and climate, therefore geographically specific. Also the fishermen who fish for the shrimp or the people who work in the farms demand lower wages for Brazilians but relatively high for the US based on the labour laws. Competitive Intensity: High Differentiation is low and competition is based primarily on price. There seems to be a high degree of concentration amongst the firms competing in the industry. Substitutes; There are various substitutes available within the product class. Instead of shrimps, consumers could go for other seafood such as fish. Or they could also choose to go completely different route and avoid Seafood altogether. Entry; Medium Economics of scale are necessary to harvest shrimps at a lower cost, and since there is bulk buying, network effects are also important. Q23. I would tell the owner that while owner did the right thing by incentivizing the manager, but the structure of the incentive needs to be changed. The owner has incentivized the manager to make sales, but has given no incentives to the manager to sell at a higher price. I would recommend that the owner should either set a minimum price on sales or, offer the incentive out of the profits e.g offer 2% of the profit on the sale which would ask. CHAPTER 2 Q11. In the first case, a drop in price of components represents a change in the factors of production. Therefore this will result in a change in the ‘quantity supplied’. This means that the supply curve will shift to the right. Since there is no change in the demand curve, this means that the price will fall. (exh 1) In the second scenario, we have information that incomes are supposed to grow over the coming two years. Change in income produces a change in the demand curve. This is case; we know that RAM is a normal good, with people having income over $75000 buy nearly 1.3 times more. Therefore we can expect the price to increase. However, whether this final price is greater than the initial price (before the changes in supply and demand curve) is unclear and will depend upon how much does the supply curve shifted due to cost drop. Exh1exh2 Blue: Previous SupplyBlue: Previous Supply Red: New Supply Red: New Supply Green: New Demand Q13. First of all, the question misquotes the law of demand. When the prices of cigarettes are raised, the ‘quantity demanded for cigarettes will fall but the ‘demand for cigarettes will not’. The effectiveness of higher pricing will depend upon the cause of the higher pricing. If the price hike is due to a price ceiling by the governmen. then definitely the number of cigarettes demanded will decrease. However, cigarettes are very addicting, which means that the price elasticity if cigarettes is very low. So the drop in quantity demanded is very small. (exh 3). On a theoretical level, it is possible for the equilibrium price to remain the same but with lower number of cigarettes smoked. In this diagram, the red line is demand, while the blue line is supply, we can clearly see that even with a price ceiling, the number of cigarettes smoked as decrease very little. Exh 3 Q14. Well, in order to find out the equilibrium price and quantity I will equate the demand and supply functions. 175 – p = 2P -200. This gives us P = $125. Furthermore, at this price 50 pints of blood will be processed. In order to find the consumer surplus we will need to find the area underneath the demand curve. $175 Price $ 125A B $100 50Quantity The area of triangle A is the consumer surplus = Â ½ * (50) * (175-125) = 1250 The area of triangle B is the producer surplus = Â ½ * (50) * (125-100) = 625 Q15. Crude oil is the critical component in the refining process. The price of gasoline will rise dramatically due to the shift in the supply curve. Since the fuel has become more expensive, people will want to buy less of it and therefore will want to buy cars which are more fuel efficient. This will cause the demand curve for fuel efficient cars to shift to the left. Q16. Qs1 = 4P – 110 which gives me coordinates of (0, 27.5) and (-110,0) Qs2 =4.171P – 110 which give me coordinates of (0, 26.37) and (-110,0) Qd= 250 5P which give me coordinates of (0, 50) and ( 250,0) First let me find the equilibrium price and quantity by equating Qs1 and Qd. This gives me Pe = 40 Qe= 50 million. Also when I equate Qs2 with Qd I get the new equilibrium Pe2 = 39.25. Each customer saves 75 cents per month. Q10 of the assignment The price of an entry level DVD player is $25.70 on Ebay According to my estimate, the demand curve and supply curve have both shifted to the left. Demand Curve; Â  As opposed to 2003, in 2012 people have many more option in which to watch their movies. They can carry them on USBs, stream them over the internet, or rent them online from websites such as Netflics. All of these directly contribute to reduce the popularity of DVDs which are complements of Dvd Players. Since there are so many alternate channels to watch movies which offer better price and excellent quality, people will not demand as much of the product. Furthermore, the large amounts of substitutes will directly contribute make the demand much more elastic, so that at the slightest decrease in the price people will switch out Supply Curve; Due to mass production and advancements in technology one could expect that the supply curve should shift outwards. However, due to the number of firms which will pull out of this industry the supply curve will shift towards the left. There is simply not enough demand to sustain all these firms. ii)Besides the change in the number of suppliers, change in technology or a decrease in labour costs could affect the supply similarly

Anabolic Steroids: Types, Applications and Implications

Anabolic Steroids: Types, Applications and Implications THE SCOPE AND HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF DOPING IN SPORTS: ANABOLIC STEROID USE IN WEIGHTLIFTERS AND TEENS AND THEIR EFFECTS. KOJO O. KUNTU-BLANKSON INTRODUCTION There have been many definitions for doping. The current official definition of doping is given based on the World Anti-Doping Code as follows: â€Å"Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the anti-doping rule violations set forth in Article 2.1 through article 2.8 of the World Anti-Doping Code.† Doping can also be defined as the deliberate or inadvertent use by an athlete of a substance or method banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other related organisations, to gain unfair advantage or to enhance performance. Performance-enhancing substances have been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine by societies around the world, with the aim of promoting vitality and strength.[1]. The use of gonadal hormones pre-dates their identification and isolation. Medical use of testicle extract began in the late 19th century, while its effects on strength were still being studied.[2] Testosterone, the most active anabolic-androgenic steroid produced by Leydig cells in the testes, was first isolated in 1935 and chemically synthesized later in the same year. Synthetic derivatives of testosterone quickly followed. By the end of the following decade, both testosterone and its derivatives were applied with varying degrees of success for a number of medical conditions. It was not until the 1950s, however, that athletes began to discover that anabolic steroids could increase their muscle mass. According to sports physician John Ziegler, the first confirmed use of an anabolic steroid in an international athletic competition was at the weightlifting championships in Vienna in 1954, when the Russians weightlifters used testosterone.[5] Sport goes beyond a measure of athletic excellence and the winning of trophies and medals. Sport is an integral thread in the fabric of society and enriches our daily lives. Most of us have a favourite sport we play or follow with a passion be it soccer, rugby, swimming, cycling, athletics, winter sports or our national games of hurling, football and handball. The most honourable among us are perhaps those who have competed in sport and hold true its finest principles. True winners are those who achieve their goals through talent, skill, training, motivation and rising to all the challenges their sports present. Increasingly, however, a win at all costs ethos that undermines the very integrity of sport has entered the arena and a new game is at stake, the dangerous and sometimes deadly game of doping. Some ergogenic drugs used by athletes are categorized into blood boosters, diuretics, lean mass building, masking drugs, painkillers, sedatives and stimulants. Blood boosters e.g. erythropoietin, increase the athlete’s blood oxygen-carrying capacity, above its natural capacity, giving the athlete unfair advantage over his/her non-doping colleague in endurance games like marathons, swimming, cycling etc. Diuretics help eliminate fluid from the body. Athletes who need to maintain a certain weight level for competition could use these to decrease their weight. They can also be used as masking agents because they dilute urine and decrease the likelihood of detecting the presence of other drugs. Lean mass builders increase the growth of the body’s muscle. This category includes several different classes of drugs, particularly, the more popularly known anabolic steroids which’s the focus of this review and human growth hormone. These are used in strength games like weightlifting, shot put, discus throwing etc. Methods of doping include blood doping and gene doping. Blood doping can be either autologous or homologous transfusi ons, to help to improve their blood-oxygen carrying capacity. Advancements in gene therapy for medical reasons mean potential cheats might seek to undergo procedures to modify their genes to enhance their physical capabilities. Doping in sports is a huge societal problem. No longer limited to elite athletes, it is increasingly found in amateur and school sports that teens or adolescents in their early or mid-puberty are engaged in. The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AS) is perceived by the media, by segments of the sports medicine and athletic communities, and by the public to have grown to epidemic proportions. Unfortunately, the incidence and prevalence of AS use among elite, amateur, and recreational athletes is poorly documented. BODY STEROIDS Steroids are any of numerous naturally occurring or synthetic fat-soluble organic compounds having as a basis seventeen carbon atoms arranged in four rings. Steroids are important in body chemistry and include steroid hormones such as the gonadal or sex steroids (which include androgens e.g., estrogens and progesterone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids, and mineralocorticoids); vitamins of the D group; and the sterols, including cholesterol, the main building block of the steroid hormones in the body. ANABOLIC STEROIDS Anabolic androgenic steroids commonly called roids, juice, hype or pump, are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, which is the primary male sex hormone, but is also present in the female. They are a class of drugs that are legally available only by prescription and are prescribed to treat a variety of conditions that cause a loss of lean muscle mass. They produce anabolic activity by increasing protein synthesis, epiphyses closure of long bones during puberty, enlargement of larynx and vocal cords, improvement of red cells number, reduce body fat and androgenic activity (enhanced secondary sexual characteristics). These compounds can produce a significant increase in muscular size and physical strength in both males and females and therefore used in sports and bodybuilding (weightlifting) to enhance strength or physique. They can be either oral or injectable. The oral ones include: Anadrol (oxymetholone), Oxandrin (oxandrolone), Dianabol (methandrostenolone) and Winstrol (stanozolo l). The injectable ones include: Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate),Durabolin (nandrolone phenpropionate), Depo-Testosterone (testosterone cypionate) and Equipoise (boldenone undecylenate). HOW ANABOLIC STEROIDS ARE TAKEN Anabolic steroids are either taken by mouth or injected into a muscle. The orals, as they are called, are ingested tablets or capsules. These forms are reportedly more toxic to the liver. Often the orals are taken in conjunction with injectable forms. The injectable forms are known as oils or waters. The oils refer to the long-acting types. They are injected into a muscle, usually the buttocks, and the steroid is released slowly over time. Typically, these drugs are injected only a couple of times a week. The waters are short-acting forms. Again, these are injected, usually in the buttocks, but they work much faster and are eliminated much more quickly. There are two ways for anabolic steroids administration. Oral steroids are highly potent and are excreted fairly rapidly from the body due to short metabolic half-lives, (usually within weeks). So, oral steroids are the first choice for athletes who want to rapidly improve their performance and try to escape showing positive results o n drug tests. These drugs, however, are the most toxic and have more side effects. Injectable steroids are less potent and generally exhibit delayed uptake into the body, especially if they are oil-based diluents. They have less liver toxicity than oral steroids, but they are being less used by athletes because of having detectability in drug tests for long periods. It should be noted that doses used by athletes often greatly exceed doses recommended for legitimate medical reasons, causing the potential for even greater negative consequences. Moreover, many athletes will use more than one anabolic steroid simultaneously. There are three common regimens practiced by anabolic steroid abusers: cycling, stacking and pyramiding. In cycling, the athletes take the steroid for six to twelve weeks and then stops for ten to twelve weeks. The steroid can be oral or injectable and doses are often ten to hundred times higher than standard therapeutic dose. Stacking is the use of more than one anabolic steroid at a time to break through response plateaus that often occurs. About forty percent of steroid abusers use this kind of regimen, presenting a high risk for central nervous system. Athletes can sometimes start with low dose of anabolic steroids, increasing the dose over a period of weeks, and then gradually tapering off before ending the regimen. This is known as pyramiding. MECHANISM OF ACTION OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS The ergogenic effects of anabolic steroids use are valued for three main mechanisms of action: They shift the nitrogen equilibrium to the positive side for better utilization of ingested protein and the increased retention of nitrogen. Although temporary and needing a high-protein complementary diet, this effect helps the body to build muscles. The formation of a steroid-receptor complex in skeletal muscle stimulates the RNA-polymerase system which, in turn, increases protein synthesis in the cell. Anabolic steroids compete for glucocorticoides receptors, resulting in an anti-catabolic effect by blocking the protein synthesis inhibition which physiologically occurs after exercises due to glucocorticoides liberation. Frequently, an euphoric and more aggressive behavior are experienced by anabolic steroids users, stimulating them to practice more and without fatigue for longer periods. ANABOLIC STEROID AND SPORTS: WINNING AT ANY COST. To excel in athletic competition is admirable. Most high school, college, amateur and professional athletes participate in sports for the opportunity to pit their abilities against those of their peers, and to experience the satisfaction that comes from playing to their potential. Others do so to satisfy a desire for recognition and fame. Unfortunately, that creates some atheletes who are determined to win at any cost. And, they may use that determination to justify the use of anabolic steroids, despite evidence that these drugs can inflict irreversible physical harm and have significant side effects. Dietary supplements and ergogenic agents, including anabolic steroids, are common components of present-day bodybuilder and weightlifter training regimens. Prior reports of anabolic steroid use suggest polypharmacy and high doses of injectable agents. Anabolic steroid use among weightlifters and bodybuilders continues till date. For almost three decades, athletes have been supplementing their strength program with anabolic steroids to enhance their performance. To be sure, anabolic steroids are effective supplements to strength training programs, but there is no doubt that the consequences can be deleterious. The number of athletes who abuse anabolic steroids is unknown. Many athletic associations ban their use, including the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Olympics, so few athletes are willing to admit that they use these drugs. The NFL tests its athletes for illicit use. Players who test positive face suspension and, upon testing positive a second time, are expelled from the League. MLB players are tested once a year, and if they test positive they can be suspended for up to ten days. If a player tests positive after the first test, they can be suspended without pay for up to one year. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Sports Medicine condemn the use of anabolic steroids for enhancement of sports performance or body building. WHY SOME ATHLETES ABUSE ANABOLIC STEROIDS Believing that anabolic steroids can improve competitiveness and performance, uninformed or misguided athletes, sometimes encouraged by coaches or parents, abuse these drugs to build lean muscle mass, promote aggressiveness, increase body weight, to improve ones physical appearance and as self-medication to recover from injury. HOW ATHLETES OBTAIN ANABOLIC STEROIDS Athletes may obtain banned medicines from physicians, pharmacists, retail outlets, health and lifestyle magazines, gymnasiums, coaches, family members, fellow athletes, the internet and the black market. Many doctors may prescribe unwittingly for what they trust is a genuine complaint, 10, 14 16 and there are no controls on mail order and internet sales. TESTING PROCEDURES The advent of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in the early 1980s transformed the success of drug testing.Moreover the new age of gene transfer technology (GTT) will gradually render dope testing control systems obsolete; GTT will increase muscle growth by as much as 28%.4 Doping is a major ethical, educational, financial, health and management problem and governments have a poor track record in controlling its spread.25 TEEN/ADOLESCENT USE OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS Increasing numbers of adolescents are turning to steroids for cosmetic reasons. The common link among them is the desire to look, perform and feel better at almost any cost. Users-and especially the young-are apt to ignore or deny warnings about health risks. If they see friends growing taller and stronger on steroids, they want the same benefits. They want to believe in the power of the drug. EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC STEROID USE IN WEIGHTLIFTERS AND TEENS Although anabolic steroids can boost physical performance, promote aggressiveness on the field, increase body weight, improve ones physical appearance and as self-medication to recover from injury, they have side effects that can impair athletic performance and also affect the quality of life abusers. Many athletes take anabolic steroids at doses that are much higher than those prescribed for medical reasons, and most of what is known about the drugs effects on athletes comes from observing users. While the total impact of anabolic steroid abuse is not known, health care providers have observed the following problems in the blood, liver, heart, skeleton, skin and immune systems of users especially weightlifters. Cholesterol patterns associated with coronary heart disease, obstructed blood vessels, or stroke are some of the problems associated with the blood. In the heart, increased cholesterol eventually leads to high blood pressure. Impaired liver function, Peliosis hepatitis (blood -filled cysts that can rupture and cause liver failure) and tumours are observed in livers of weightlifters (both men and women) who abuse anabolic steroids. Bone growth is among the body processes that can shut down with steroid use. Adolescents/teens on anabolic steroids may find their muscles bulking up, but bone growth stops with premature fusion of the epiphysis (growth centre) of long bones. The result is permanently stunted growth. There is risk until bones stop growing. Appearance of, or increasing acne and other skin rashes or ailments, male pattern baldness, edema (water retention/swelling), striae (stretch marks) are also observed on the skin. The immune system is also compromised when abusers share hypodermic needles infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and hepatitis B virus to administer these steroids. By sharing needles, syringes or other equipment, a person becomes a high risk for HIV transmission. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (Aquired Immunodeficien cy Syndrome). Abusers also experience psychological problems like Mood swings, aggressive (even violent behaviour), depression, psychotic episodes, mania and addiction. Since anabolic steroids are derived from testosterone, they can have profound effects on the hormone levels of both male and female abusers. In men, these problems can cause any of the following problems: Temporary infertility or sterility (reversible), altered sex drive, prostate enlargement, and increased prostate cancer risk, gynecomastia, priapism, shrinkage of the testicles,reduced levels of testosterone, abnormal sperm production. Health care providers have reported the following problems in women: Increased risk of cervical and endometrial cancer, increased risk of osteoporosis, temporary infertility or sterility (reversible), altered sex drive, birth defects in future children, changes in fat distribution, growth of facial and body hair, deepening of the voice, shrinkage of the breasts and uterus, clitoral enlargement, menstrual irregularity. Changes in the male reproductive system are often reversible, if anabolic steroids have not been abused for a long period of time. Unfortunately, some of the changes in women are not reversible. Prolonged abuse of anabolic steroids very often results in physical addiction. Abusers must undergo a strict, medically-supervised withdrawal program. There are social consequences of committing anti-doping rule violations (ADRV). Sanction may include: loss of sponsorship deals, loss of income, wiping out of previous achievements, damaged relationships with friends and family, i solation from peers and sports and damage to future career prospects. ENDING THE ABUSE OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS Athletes who are really serious about their health and sports and aim to improve their physical strength, performance and appearance can keep the following tips in mind: Train safely, without using drugs, eat a healthy diet, get plenty of rest, set realistic goals and be proud of themselves when they reach them, seek out training supervision, coaching and advice from a reliable professional, avoid injuries by playing safely and using protective gear.

Women as Societies Change Agents During the 1950s Polio Epidemic Essa

The 1950's represented the cold war era, symbolized by the red scar, anti-communism, potential nuclear war, and McCarthyism. Patriotic loyalty was stressed, any citizen who spoke out against the US government policies was labeled a communist and was often black listed and put under surveillance. The sensationalized conviction and execution of the Rosenberg's for spying, jeopardized our countries' national security and reinforced anti-communism propaganda. Moreover, students practiced emergency ducking under their desk drills to prepare for a nuclear fallout and families purchased bomb shelter for protection. The hyper-vigilance, fear, paranoia, and post traumatic stress that permeated our country's landscape of being under siege, intensified with the polio epidemic. Verbally expressing the word â€Å"POLIO† brings forth anxiety, trepidation, and thoughts of mortality, crippled bodies, and iron lungs. Once the initial shock wears off that you-- in fact, have the disease than the fight for your life begins. This highly contagious illness was passed by close contact and through fecal matter, despite improved sanitation practices. Unfortunately, many poor and middle class families' contracted this viral disease, which rapidly destroyed motor-neurons to arms, legs, and diaphragm muscles. Ironically,improved sanitation practices were blamed for this delayed childhood disease. Younger breastfeeding children received maternal antibodies whereas older children did not have this similar immune advantage. Sadly, children under fifteen years old, experienced the highest rates of contracting this malady. Adults also experienced severe poliomyelitis complications rendering them total care or requiring the iron lung to perform their br... ...ine, restricting community activities, discouraging mingling among all socioeconomic classes at the pools, theaters, and camps, good hygiene, sanitation practices and effective handwashing techniques. Works Cited BIBLOGRAPHY 1. Naomi Rogers, Dirt and Disease: Polio before FDR (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1992). 2. Wilson, D.J. A Crippling Fear: Experiencing Polio in the Era of FDR Bulletin of the History of Medicine 72.3 (1998) 464-495. 3. Oshinsky, D. M. Polio: An American Story oxford university press (2005) 350 4. Foertsch, J. Bracing accounts, the literature and culture of polio in postwar america. Associated university press (2008) 223. 5. Bocker, A. and Brandt, V. Living in fear:northeast wisconsin's polio epidemics. Voyager Winter/Spring (2007) 10-25.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. :: essays research papers

The Effects of One Person Upon The World From an apprehensive child growing up in a small town in Arkansas, Maya Angelou has evolved into an influential, wise, and respected woman. She has overcome obstacles and has grown into one of the à ©lite intellectual people of this country, and perhaps the world. Along her numerous struggles, various people have given her positive guidance and passed down their knowledge to her. Among these people was Mrs. Bertha Flowers, a person in which Maya respected greatly. She was a dignified person that Maya could strive to achieve the gratitude that Mrs. Flowers gave to the people around her, a sense of appreciation. In her life story, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou attributes her characteristics she has acquired today, being influential, wise, and respected, to Mrs. Flowers, who shows her the power of a voice, the knowledge of literature, and pride in her race, and turns a self-conscious girl, into one of the most profound writers of our time. Mrs. Flowers enlightened Maya on the importance, and dominant effect, of expression through an individual voice. Earlier in her life, Maya was sexually molested and raped, and as a result, became dormant towards society. This was such a traumatizing event in her life that struck her obviously, in a physical sense, but moreover, mentally. Where she was once a brilliant outgoing child, she became a quiet, somber adult. As a result of this, Mrs. Flowers stepped in and told Maya to, “…bear in mind, language is man’s way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him from the lower animals.'; The intellect and beauty of Mrs. Flowers was shown through this quote which she educated Maya. If that was the only thing she ever mentioned to Maya, the beauty of the words alone could have changed her from a cocoon sleeping in the darkness, into a butterfly fluttering alongside the sun. Without Mrs. Flowers introduction and reasoning to speech, M aya would never have realized the power of the voice and would have been dormant from society the rest of her life. In addition to the importance of voice, Mrs. Flowers opened Maya’s to literature, and the knowledge it brings. Earlier in Angelou’s life, she was interested in comics and some poetry, but now a new outlook was imposed upon her, the power literature.

Morality In America :: essays research papers

The reading by Johnson starts out with a married lady by the name of Katherine Watkins complaining of rape by a black slave. Throughout the remainder of this section, depositions are given by other black slaves and people who claim to have witnessed the occurrence. Most of the accounts indicate that Mrs. Watkins seduced the slave into a sexual act and then blamed it on him in order to stay out of the trouble that her Quaker husband’s beliefs would have brought on her. The other section in this book is the sermon by John Winthrop entitled, A Model of Christianity. Two rules by which all men should abide, he says, are to show mercy and do justice. Among many other good deeds, he preaches love among Christians, performing service for the Lord, having unity and conformity in the community, and strict obedience to God’s word lest some punishment befall you. The handout given in class deals with the issue of homosexuality and the punishments for sodomy and buggery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reading by Marcus was solely concentrated on the Salem Witch Trials. A former minister, George Burroughs, is accused of witchcraft and much of the section deals with people who claimed to have been bewitched by him. There are a couple of letters by Cotton Mather explaining the difficulty of the witchcraft trials and his defense of the conviction of George Burroughs. The rest of this reading is letters of confession by the accused and more letters relating to the trials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The role of Colonial women in society is given an in depth look in the segment by Graebner. In these days, the husband was seen as the supreme head of the family and women were basically domestic. Women were basically known only as the wife of their husbands and often helped them with their business affairs. Eventually, a minimal level of trade arose among women in the village, but nothing big enough to trigger a large outbreak of feminism at that time. A women’s role in society can basically be summed up in this quote, â€Å"The economic roles of married women were based upon two potentially conflicting values – gender specialization and identity of interest. A wife was expected to become expert in the management of a household and the care of children, but she was also asked to assist in the economic affairs of her husband, becoming his representative and even his surrogate if circumstances demanded it.

Childhood Obesity In America Essay

More and more American children are becoming overweight or obese. Years ago an elementary classroom may have one kid who was overweight but today that has drastically changed. We have a whole new generation of kids who are consuming much more â€Å"junk food† and eating fast food 3 or 4 nights a week and they are not as active as kids used to be. These kids are consuming things like Monster energy drinks, Starbucks coffee, Mountain Dew, chips, candy bars and more on a daily basis. Many of them are coach potatoes, video gamers, social networkers, texters, etc. We need to get this new generation of children to become more active. They also need to be educated on how to be aware of what they are eating and teach them to eat the so called â€Å"junk food† in moderation and incorporate more nutritious foods in his or her diet as well as maintain an active lifestyle. Childhood obesity is on the rise due to the many changes in our society and we need to do something to prevent it before it gets out of hand. Keywords: obesity, children, overweight Childhood Obesity in America Childhood obesity is becoming a problem across the globe and has been declared an epidemic in America. Children are consuming more calories than ever and many are not as active as earlier generations. For the first time in the history of this country, young people are less healthy and less prepared to take their places in society than were their parents. Diabetes is on the rise, American kids are getting sicker, becoming sadder and getting fatter. (W. Sears, M.D., M. Sears, R.N., J. Sears, M.D., R. Sears, M.D., 2006) Many of you probably remember running around the neighborhood when you were younger playing things like tag, hide and seek, capture the flag and many other outdoor games. Then you would get called in to eat, only to go right back out to play until it was time to come in for the  night. Now days you are more likely to find children indoors in front of the television, on the computer, texting a friend or playing a video game, not to mention they may be eating an unhealthy snack, such as a cookie or a bag of chips. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12.5 million children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese. Obesity is a good indicator of unhealthy lifestyles, characterized by over-eating and lack of physical activity. Who is responsible for this you might ask. Is it the parents, the schools, fast food restaurants, technology, a down economy or even the food industry? We cannot single out and put the blame on any one of these. However, each one can be a contributing factor and the combination of them certainly could be part of the cause. Let’s take a look at how each of them impacts our children’s health. Let’s start with the parents. As I stated earlier, years ago children were outside playing much of the day. However, now parents are not letting the children out to play until they are much older because they worry about their safety. Part of the reason for this is that the world has changed. Ever hear the phrase â€Å"It takes a village†? Well years ago neighbors looked out for each other and their children. Now everyone minds their own business and keeps to him or herself. Even the cars going through the residential neighborhoods do not seem to be as cautious about watching for children. Maybe this has to do with the fact that children are not as often outside playing as they used to be. Families seem to be so much busier today than in the past. Most families are living on two incomes instead of one, which means there is not a stay at home parent making home cooked meals everyday. Not to mention families are having less and less meals together at the table. Instead parents are tired and are relying on quicker meals like frozen pizza’s, banquet chicken, corndogs, fries, hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, microwaveable meals, and even fast food. Many families are a single parent household and may be on a tight budget and may be purchasing the cheaper convenience foods that are typically less nutritious and have more additives and preservatives. Parents are not intentionally trying to make their children fat and/or sick. Most are trying to do the best they can and don’t realize the long-term effects of all the processed foods, especially combined with a less active lifestyle. What about the school’s role in all this? Kids spend a big part of their day at school and some eat breakfast and lunch at school. As a Licensed Family Child Care Provider, each year I have to take nutrition training through the USDA food program. After taking it one year and learning about high fat foods that are commonly served to children, I was looking at my son’s monthly lunch menu for the elementary school and noticed they were serving too many of these high fat foods in one week at lunch. In the same week the kids would be served chicken nuggets, pizza, and a breaded chicken sandwich. These foods are not bad if eaten on occasion and in moderation. However, what I learned in the nutrition training was that we should limit the amount of high fat foods served in one week. My daughter, who attends the high school, told me that everyday if the students don’t like the main option for lunch they could go and get a hamburger or hotdog with french fries as an alternative choice. Middle schools, junior highs, and high schools often have an a la carte line or snack bar at lunch, which consists of ice cream, cookies, juice, and other foods that are not very nutritious for a lunch. Some schools even have soda machines and snack machines. There have even been some schools that are cutting their physical education and sports programs. Technology plays a big role in the children not being as active as they used to be. There are no longer just Saturday morning cartoons. Now with channels like the Disney Channel and Cartoon Network kids can watch cartoons twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Today our children spend many hours on media devices, such as cell phones, Ipads, Kindles, and hand held video games as well as the television, computer, or other game systems such as Xbox. Many kids today would rather be inside on the computer or playing video games than out with a friend or being active. This morning I was at the doctor’s office to have my cholesterol checked. In the waiting room at my clinic they now have a TV up on the wall that is always playing something educational about staying healthy. Today as I was  watching it they were talking about how people who sit more than three hours at a time shave time off of their life. They said after three hours of sitting you should get up and move around for a while before sitting back down. According to this program we have enzymes in our body that help break down fat. However, when we are sedentary or sitting these enzymes are not able to break down the fat in our body. If that is true than these children who are spending hours on the computer, watching TV or playing video games are not burning as much fat as they could be if they took a break every now and then and got up and moved around for a bit before sitting back down. Another contributing factor to childhood obesity is the food industry. Why the food industry? I’ll tell you why. The food industry is packing more and more preservatives, dyes, fat, sodium, sugar and other stuff into our food to make it last longer and taste better, but what are these added ingredients doing to our children? They are literally turning our children into sugar and carb addicts. Products such as chips, cookies, candy and other junk food are being targeted towards our children. Watch a cartoon with your child sometime and pay attention to how many of these commercials you will see. You will be amazed. Something many of you might not think of is the down economy as another contributing factor. Many families are struggling and have had to make plenty of cutbacks on their spending. Yes, that sometimes includes cutbacks on food. It can get expensive feeding a family of four for a week. It is actually cheaper sometimes to buy processed foods and junk food than it is to buy natural and healthy foods. For example, it is much cheaper to buy a box of Little Debbie snacks than it is to buy a small bag of apples or carrots. During my own families rough financial times we discovered that feeding a family of four from McDonald’s $1 menu was not only more convenient but cheaper than cooking many meals as well. If everyone got 2 to 3 items it was less than $15 for the whole family. However, in the long run eating lots of the unhealthy foods and snacks is going to cost you more in healthcare and prescription medications from the consequences of eating an abundance of these foods. â€Å"A family with an obese child spends 30% more in health costs and 77% more in medication costs.† (Parekh, 2012, Prevention is Better than Cure, para 1). Also obesity in childhood often follows into adulthood, which further supports the importance of preventing childhood obesity. (Wang, 2011) Fast food is another big factor for some people. I am not saying you should never eat it at all but some families are eating the stuff three or more times in one week. When I was a kid I was lucky if I got fast food once every six months and that was a treat. McDonald’s seems to have taken the blunt for the fast food industry when it comes to the consequences of eating it too often. They have tried to make some changes like getting rid of the supersize portions and adding apple wedges as an alternative to fries in their kid’s Happy Meal. There even is a documentary that was made about the negative impact McDonalds and the rest of the fast food industry are having on society. The main character, Morgan Spurlock in the movie did a one-month experiment. He ate three full meals a day at McDonald’s, only ordered a super size meal when asked, and never ate food from any other source. By the end of Morgan Spurlock’s month long McDonald’s binge, he had become depressed and exhausted, he was experiencing dramatic mood swings, and his sex life had greatly diminished. He gained 25 pounds, his body fat percentage increased from 11% to 18%, his liver was showing notable signs of damage, and his total cholesterol increased from 168 to 225. However, because of Spurlock’s unrealistic extent of excess calorie consumption, the only thing that this really proves is that overeating is unhealthy. (2009) If eaten on occasion and in moderation as well as eating the right portion size it is not going to harm you and that movie can be misleading. However, it does show what can happen to those who eat it on a daily basis. Parents should limit their child’s meals at fast food restaurants and think of another quick healthy alternative for those other days they may be in a time crunch. Now that I’ve talked about some of the contributing factors of childhood obesity, let’s discuss the effects it has on our children’s health. Children are ending up with health problems such as, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even type 2 diabetes. This form of diabetes was previously referred to as â€Å"adult onset† diabetes because it used to be more  typical for adults over the age of 40 to get this type. (Schraffenberger, L.A., 2012) Some of these overweight kids are also dealing with being teased by other kids and being called fat. This is leading to more kids being treated for depression. If these kids, some as young as elementary age, are having these kinds of health problems, what does that mean for their health as adults? So what changes have been made to fix this problem of childhood obesity in America? There have been some laws that have gone into effect. One such law has affected me as a childcare provider. The law went into effect in October of 2010 and states that all children over the age of 2 must be served low fat 1 percent milk or fat free skim milk. This law also applies to the schools. The schools have always had minimum calorie guidelines but now there is a maximum calorie guideline the school has to follow as well. This went into effect in July of 2012. Some schools are making changes like taking their soda and snack machines out or having them shut off during lunchtime. Some have even put in new machines with healthier options. Our first lady, Michele Obama has been actively involved in trying to prevent childhood obesity and has even visited some schools that have changed their menus to implement healthier options. Another big advocate in preventing childhood obesity is Rachael Ray. She has started the yum-o organization, which is a non-profit organization. According to the yum-o website, the yum-o organization â€Å"empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking.† Wang (2011) explains that the U.S. obesity epidemic can have many serious health and financial consequences if it cannot be controlled, and likely minority and low-income groups are hit harder. Childhood obesity is currently higher than it ever has been and we can do something to prevent it. Parents can help by limiting their child’s screen time, eating more nutritious home cooked meals at the table (not in front of the television) and encouraging their children to be active. For families with busy schedules the parents can take time on the weekends to plan meals ahead of time for the upcoming week. They do not have to be elaborate and can even consist of soup, sandwich fruit and milk. (American Academy of Pediatrics)  The schools can limit the â€Å"junk food† they offer in vending machines and the a la carte line or replace it with healthier options and offer more nutritious meals with the appropriate amount of calories. They can also stop cutting their physical education programs, as keeping children active is very important in preventing obesity as well. Families who are struggling financially can buy fruits and veggies that are on sale or in season and make meals that are cheap yet healthy. Also we should have more restrictions on the food industry, such as maybe a warning label for parents on foods that are way too high in sugar, fat, or sodium. If we all work together to make as many of these changes as we can our kids will be much happier and healthier. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Obesity rates among all children in the united states. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html Hassink, S. (Ed). (2006). A parent’s guide to childhood obesity. United States: American Academy of Pediatrics Parekh, N., (July 13, 2012). Childhood obesity prevention tips. Prevention is better than cure. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-7-2004-55178.asp Ray, R., (2012). Rachael ray’s yum-o cook feed fund. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www.yum-o.org/ Schraffenberger, L.A., (2012). Basic ICD-10-CM/PCS and ICD-9-CM Coding, Chapter 6, Page 123 Sears, W., Sears, M., Sears, J., Sears, R., (2006) The healthiest kid in the neighborhood. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company Wang, Y., (2011). Disparities in pediatric obesity in the united states. Retrieved October 21, 2012, from advances.nutrition.org/content/2/1/23.full.pdf+html

Does the World Still Care About American Culture Essay

Pells – Does the World Still Care About American Culture? What does Pells mean by the statement, â€Å"American culture used to be the elephant in everyone’s living room†? â€Å"Elephant in the room† is a term used for an obvious truth that is going unaddressed or being ignored. It also applies to an obvious problem that everyone is ignoring or no one wants to state it. In the article when Pells mentioned â€Å"American culture used to be the elephant in everyone’s living room.† he meant that the American culture is being forced on everyone whether they like it or not it. If we look back after WWII everyone wants to study in the US because the American culture was the dominant culture in the world whether you are fan of the culture or not, it will still affect you. Just like an elephant in the living room whether you are comfortable or not you still can not deny the existence of the elephant. (Pells has a very different perspective on globali sm when compared to O’Connor and Verdu and even Rice-Oxley. When we go back to O’Connor’s and Rice-Oxley’s article we can see that both authors main point is that America is forcing its culture to the world. Moreover, they both believe that American culture is the dominant culture of the world. In the other hand, Pells believe that the American culture used to be the dominant culture in the world back in the 20’s centuries. Furthermore, Pells states that we are living in an era where the American culture is one of many other competing cultures in the world, in other words we are living in a new world order and a globalization era where everyone have many options of cultures to adapt from. Rice-Oxley writes about a cultural backlash against America. What is Pells saying here that is different? Do you agree with Pells’s assessment? After reading Pells article I’ve realized that the author believes there is no backlash against american because nowadays the American culture is just another another item on the shelves of the global supermarket. Pells states that in the 90’s many people assumed that the emergence of what they called global culture is just another mechanism for Americanization, but the truth is that globalization has strengthened the culture of other nations. Now the American culture is competing against other culture in shaping people’s values and tastes. Furthermore, Pells strongly believe that the world we are living is not a hegemonic American culture, instead it is a multiple form of art and entertainment.

French Education System Essay

In France, education has a clear goal: the system must always produce a group of well-educated individuals with a common culture, language and abilities that can then serve the State. The French educational system has a very large emphasis on content, culturally specific knowledge, scientific and mathematic knowledge. The system is designed to serve the needs of the state; the individuality and originality are not considered worth while values The French Republic has 60 million inhabitants, living in the 22 regions of metropolitan France and four overseas departments (1. million). Despite the fact that the population is growing slightly (up 0. 4% a year), the number and proportion of young people under 25 are, however, falling: there are now fewer than 19 million of them in metropolitan France, i. e. 32% of the total population, compared with 40% around 1970 and 35% at the time of the 1990 census. France is seeing a slow aging of the population — less marked however than in other neighbouring countries (Germany and Italy), especially as the annual number of births is currently increasing slightly. 5 million pupils and students, i. e. a quarter of the population, are in the education system. Just over 2 million are in higher education. In 1999, France’s GDP was close to FF 9,000 billion (EUR 1,330 billion), i. e. FF 150,000 (EUR 22,000) per inhabitant. Of this total, just over FF 600 billion (EUR 95 billion) were devoted to initial or continuing education: 7. 2% of GDP. As far as school education spending is concerned, France is in a middle position, behind the Nordic countries (Sweden and Denmark), but fairly significantly ahead of Italy and Japan. France has a workforce today of 26 million, of whom fewer than 2 million are unemployed: the unemployment rate recently fell to below 9%. 6% of the labor force (about 1. 5 million jobs, including 1 million civil servants and local government officers) are undergoing training. Educational Structure Around 13 million pupils attend school in France. The system is a unified one, whose present general structure (primary schools, colleges, lycees) was gradually put in place during the 1960s and 1970s, ending the formerly more compartmentalized system which was based on a clear separation between rimary and secondary education. Since the 1970s, France has also had an outstanding record with respect to the development of pre-school education; all 3- to 5-year-olds can go to nursery classes. Since 1967, school attendance has been compulsory for those from 6 to 16 years of age. France has 60,000 primary schools catering to pupils during their first five years of formal education: the first three years (CP – cours preparatoire cours elementaire 1 and 2) provide a grounding in the basic skills. The next stage – CM1/CM2 (cours moyen 1 and 2) takes the children up to the end of primary school. Secondary schooling is divided into two successive stages, known as cycles. From 11 to 15 years, almost all children now attend a college, taking them from form 6 (sixieme) to form 3 (troisieme) (1). Since 1975 there has been a single mixed-ability college for all pupils regardless of their level of achievement. After form 3, they move onto a general, technical or vocational lycee. These prepare pupils for the corresponding baccalaureatexaminations (referred to as le bac), which they normally take at the age of 18.

The Types Of Threats, The Impact And Four Steps The Process

BackgroundDisasters, may it be natural or man-made, are occurrences that are inevitable to businesses and companies. They may take the form of an earthquake or informational theft that is equally tragic to the affected company. Romano emphasizes that â€Å"companies are starting to realize that they need to protect their assets both informational and physical.† (1995,P.43). And so, companies and corporations have developed ‘Disaster Management’; as the name implies, it is a process of dealing, if not preventing, disasters done to companies. According to Rike, â€Å"disaster management is divided into three kinds: natural threats, technical difficulty and human activities.† (2003,P.26). Rike stresses that disaster management isn’t only concerned about natural disasters but also technical and man-made disasters that are relatively abundant in most companies which returns a loss of income.DefinitionDisaster management, according to Clark, is â€Å"the process of preparing for mitigating, responding to, and recovering from a disaster.† (1995, P. 41). Clark’s statement shows that disaster management is not only about what companies should do before or during or after a disaster, but what companies should do from before a disaster arises up to the time that the company needs to recover from the damage that the particular disaster brings to the company.OutlineThis report aims to discuss the types of threat, the impact and four-step process of disaster management and why companies should prepare themselves even before a disaster occurs.The Types of ThreatRike identifies that disaster management has three sub categories namely: â€Å"Natural or Environmental threats, technical hazard and human activities† (2003, P.26).The Natural or Environmental threats that Rike was referring to are the natural calamities that we are accustomed to such as earthquakes, floods, fire, storms, etc. that can cause physical or psycholog ical damage to the companies. Rike states that â€Å"human life is always the first consideration in any emergency or disaster.† (2003, P.26) and there are no other greater threats to human safety than natural calamities because of its destructive power.Technical Hazards can be grouped in seven namely: â€Å"power outage, gas leak, software failure, biological contamination, train derailment, toxic spill and electrical shortage† (Rike, 2003, P.26). And human activities are the threat that is concerned about human errors, miscalculation and faults due to lack of skill or ignorance. There is a saying that â€Å"No man (or woman) is perfect.† And so, it is necessary for companies to prepare themselves for these kinds of disasters to avoid any loss of valuable income.Impact of DisasterOne type of the impact of disaster is the development of companies (Rike, 2003, P.27). Companies should be aware of its competition because its survival depends on how well a certain c ompany performs against these competitors and should surpass the development of other companies to be able to maintain a competitive edge over the others.The second type is the Economy which dictates whether a certain company should act. If a certain disaster hits a particular state, city or country, its economy may well be affected and soon it affects the production/income of the company. The third is the people’s lives; a company cannot profit on its own, it depends on its workers to do the little things that bring the huge amount of money into the companies. So, companies should protect and maintain the well-being of its employees and make sure that they are in the same page to be able to assure them a great outcome.Four Steps of the ProcessIn the first step is that management have ability to support (Rike, 2003, P.27).   The company should be able to have a disaster management that can support its business. The second step is about the analysis risk (Rike, 2003, P.27). The Disaster Management should do an analysis risk that, as the name implies, analyses the risks involved in a particular disaster and its recovery. The third step is that the company needs to spend much time on data collection and preparing the written plan (Rike, 2003, P.30).The company should do an actual planning of the disaster management to make things organized to minimize undone tasks especially when it comes to recovery because time is of the essence for most companies. The last step is that test the plan (Rike, 2003, P.31).   A plan will not be complete without testing it. The company should test it under the most hazardous situations to maximize its productivity and to be able to identify its flaws.ConclusionThe report has discussed in detail what disasters are and how and why companies should prepare themselves/recover from the said disasters and how they can affect the company’s profits. The report will be very useful for companies to identify the activities th at should be done in order to protect what is most important to them, which is the income, because a disaster creates a thin line between bankruptcies and an incredible comeback from a disaster.

Company Law - See attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Company Law - See attachment - Essay Example 1 Liquidation can voluntary or even compulsory. It is said to be voluntary when it is initiated by the will of the company through a resolution of the equity holders. It is said to be compulsorily carried out when the order of the court becomes the cause of the winding up of the company. 2 In a nut shell, there are two basic kinds of Liquidation procedures whose nature is explained in detail below: Voultary Winding Up In this kind of liquidation the company goes on to willingly wind up the affairs of the company and distribute the assets of the company after paying off the liabilities of the company. ... nding up Creditors’ voluntary winding up is usually due to the company becoming insolvent and unable to pay off its liabilities in due course and the company is perused by the creditors in order to prevent further debts accruing and to receive the due liabilities through the realization of the assets of the company in a process of liquidation. 3 Compulsory Winding up This kind of winding up takes place when the company is ordered to be wound up by an order of the court. There are numerous potential ways of this procedure to institute however the most general one is through the petition filed by the creditors on the argument that the company is unable to pay off its liabilities in due course and since it has not been deemed likely to arrive at a voluntary agreement on liquidation, the compulsory winding up via the court is instituted. The nature of the compulsory winding up is such that the company comes under the process of liquidation under an order from the court on grounds of inability to pay the debts or where the company has certain going concern issues which cannot be resolved through a successful surgery of the company’s affairs or the provision of cash inflows or bailouts where the company may be able to restore the balance of its affair on the positive side.4 However, a request to obtain a leave to prosecute a company which is being compulsorily wound up may be made to the Court who gave the order of winding up of the company. Consequences of Winding up When a company goes into liquidation, mainly due to the compulsory winding up process there is usually a cause of inability to pay its debts whereby the company has to face certain consequences during and after the liquidation and the victims of those consequences are mainly shareholders, employees and even

Reducing Construction Accidents in the UK Dissertation

Reducing Construction Accidents in the UK - Dissertation Example Elizabeth Paton explores courses of action undertook by the UK to respond to high-profile injury cases recorded in the construction industry. The article cites recent accidents reported in construction sites within London’s financial district. Statistics included in the report include the demise of over 50% of construction workers because of falling, the hiring of inexperienced workers, communication barriers, and highly demanded equipment. Paton considers this combination a recipe for â€Å"fresh hazards† that the UK, along with construction unions need to check and decrease (Paton, 2015). In 2014, the UK’s HSE (Health and Safety Executive) published a document that outlined the state of health and safety in the construction sector. An overview of the injuries reported from this industry noted that that this sector made up for 5% of injured UK workers. Out of 31% of all serious accidents, only 10% were reported, and 6% of over-a-week old accidents injured contra cted construction site workers (HSE 2015). An inquiry conducted by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions outlined approaches that could lower accidents in the UK’s construction sector. The inquiry’s report indicated that approaches that tackled the macro, mezzo, and micro aspects of accidents in the construction industry was necessary (HSE, 2013). This report is highly valuable for his project because it offers a systematic point of view of the precise way that strategies devised by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions could lower accidents in the construction sector.

The Masses should no longer trust the photographs and film in the Essay

The Masses should no longer trust the photographs and film in the strategic communications of a Modern State that is able to use sophisticated technology to alter images - Essay Example This paper argues that the masses should no longer trust the photographs and film in the strategic communications of a Modern State that is able to use sophisticated technology to alter images. The media could have their own private agenda other than showing unbiased visuals. They could be influenced or coerced by politics and economic considerations in order to mislead the viewer. It would be interesting to define the difference between influencing and manipulating. The former term does not necessarily denote a negative tone as per the meaning given in the Oxford dictionary. The term primarily means the capacity of an individual or organization regarding an effect on character, behavior or outlook. It could be either positive or negative. But manipulation, according to the same dictionary indicates cleverness or unscrupulous intent. So any, manipulation of media images and movies could be construed as having a personal agenda, so as to mislead the viewer into believing the wrong scenario or situation. One of the main areas of media manipulation is political in nature. â€Å"The media is manipulated in all manners, for example through professional public relations (PR), and covert and overt government propaganda which disseminates propaganda as news. What are often deemed as credible news sources can often knowingly or unknowingly be pushing political agendas and propaganda†. (Shah). The author provides the example of video news releases (VNR). These clips are created by public relations firms and agencies and integrated into actual news broadcasts. TV stations then add these VNRs into their news time broadcasts thereby fooling the public that it is a live telecast. Shah adds that VNRs are used not only by government agencies, but also by companies who have the financial clout and influence to get their point across. It could be for the purpose of building brand

Title invention needed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Title invention needed - Essay Example Therefore, this paper will focus on the lessons learned from The Seventh Victim and discuss elements of noir and horror using three other articles. The Seventh Victim has many psychological impacts to the characters as well as to the reader. The first emotional impact is witnessed as the story begins when Mary has to leave her studies on revelation that the sister has disappeared. Mary felt the emotional impact of realizing the only relative she had, the only sister, and the only one capable of paying her fee was missing. This made her leave school to go search for the sister. Although the school administration showed her amnesty by letting her work as an assistant teacher to reduce the balance, the emotional effects were much high and decided to leave everything behind. From all these, it is evident that emotional impacts run so deep into peoples life that makes them unable to cope with any other thing. Mary was disturbed and unable to continue with education. Secondly, the feeling indicates that the continuous search for the sister leads Mary to desperation. There were many cases when the search for Jacqueline resulted in despair and death, especially to Mary and the investigators she contacted to help in the quest. For instance, desperation made Mary contact Irving August and agreed to accompany her to La Sagesse before being killed by an unknown assailant. This made Mary run away for her life before meeting another team of drunkards who one happened to be the murdered detective. Her desperation did not end there; she met lawyer Gregory Ward, a boyfriend to the sister. He arranged to give her a job as a kindergarten teacher as she continues to look for her sister. The lawyer kept many secrets from Mary knowing very well that he is the husband of the sister whom she is searching. All these indicate the frustration cases that the movie portrays the characters. The film is paramount in making people realize the

Foundations of Business Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foundations of Business Knowledge - Essay Example In any working environment, the implementation of management as well as the establishment of communication and relationships becomes more effective if there is a complete understanding of each individual’s traits and capabilities so every working person can be further managed, motivated and developed. Understanding one’s personality and becoming familiar with his or her learning style is an effective means of determining ambivalent qualities that are hard to pin down (Spender & Scherer, 2007). Through the use of self-assessment tests, learning styles indicators and personality tests, individuals are helped in developing self-awareness that is extremely essential when working with any organization (Atherton, 2003). Consequently, companies will be able to support others in achieving self-awareness and working further towards development. They will also be able to improve their level of knowledge of how they can understand and motivate their employees, which will eventuall y aid them to function better in the workplace and even within their personal lives. In turn, these organizations may attain benefits from the improved performance and effectiveness of their employees; desirable outcomes for the organization include increased productivity, enhanced sense of collaboration, and sustained efforts towards self-development. To understand various personality types has been proven valuable for any company as they are able to appreciate their value, strengths and qualities in relation to their contribution to the organization’s goals (Malone, Crowstone & Herman, 2003). Organizational members develop an understanding that their differences are primarily based on their personalities and thus have to find ways of leveraging on such differences rather than allowing these to deter them from reaching organizational goals. Furthermore, aside from managing

Social Business Networks Within e-Business Marketing Essay

Social Business Networks Within e-Business Marketing - Essay Example The future belongs to online networking platforms. The aim of this study is to investigate what and the business model includes and what would be a successful business networking platform. Transparency, engagement and nimbleness are the hallmarks of business networking. Moreover, the tools available online are beneficial for everyone but what really matters is how a company modifies them according to their business environment. LinkedIn is a great example that brings together the best of the physical and online worlds together there is no other platform that can compete with LinkedIn in terms of connecting businesses, professionals, individuals and customers. The Internet has made it easier for businesses to reach a diverse range of people. Social media and specific business networking help global collaboration and sharing of knowledge. A number of social media applications in e-business and e-commerce emerge every day. This sends shockwaves to the ecosystem of businesses around the world. The businesses have to react in real time to these trends to keep up to date. Nowadays almost everyone is connected through an online resource network. Smartphones have unleashed the true power of social networks. People have not confined to their desktop or monitor screens anymore. They can take their online networks and apps anywhere. Social networking accounts for about 22% of the peoples time spent online. Social analytics has made the individual people more intelligent by learning from interactions and delivering their advice. It is only natural for businesses to replicate such a model that gets in with these trends. Whether it is to connect with business partners or to reach new clients. Various business models serve this purpose, but the true success lies in how a business uses these tools/models effectively to achieve their identified goal(s).Even though there has been a lot of talk about the business networking and e-commerce, however, there  is not enough study th at gauges various business models to measure their efficiency and usability.