LOVE. - Forecasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LOVE. - Forecasting - Essay Example The most significant result of bad forecast is immense damage in the supply chain management system. If a company’s forecast is higher compared to the expected demand then it has to bear additional costs due to high level of inventory, useless products, and extra inventory carrying costs. Similarly, if the forecast of a company is lower than expected, it can make customers switch to the other companies. As a result, the company can face loss of competitive advantage in the market (Firestone, â€Å"How to Thrive with Inaccurate Forecasts†). In reality, forecasts cannot be 100% accurate; however, it should be able to provide an approximate picture about the future demand or trend in the market. Forecasting incorrectness imposes substantial effect on the demand planning of an organization. For instance, in service organizations, a bad forecast can possibly result in unnecessary workforce and redundant expenses, or insufficient workforce which can negatively impact on customers’ requests. Every organization, irrespective of size, maintains a buffer level which is preserved according to the demand, and bad forecasting can result in keeping a wasteful buffer level which is uneconomical for the organization (Voudouris, C. & Et. Al., â€Å"Service Chain Management: Technology Innovation for the Service Business†). There are several types of forecasts used by organizations for business, such as sales forecasts, financial forecasts, demand forecasts, supply forecasts, and economic forecasts among others. The most useful among them is the demand forecast. The reason is that numerous operations depend on accurateness of demand of any product or service, and through demand forecast, business organizations can prepare themselves accordingly. The demand forecast can determine the quantities which need to be purchased or made available in the organization’s stock or buffer in order to provide rapid service. In present day’s competitive environment, business

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Do you struggle to find equilibrium between excelling at work and spending productive, quality time with loved ones at home? With the technology that is available in the twenty first century, it is now possible for educated professionals to decide whether they would like to work from home and collaborate with family members to meet work demands. Alesia Montgomery is an African American Ethnographer who wrote â€Å"Kitchen Conferences and Garage Cubicles: The Merger of Home and Work in the 24-7 Global Economy†. This study was one of many published in 2008’s book entitled The Changing Landscape of Work and Family in the American Middle Class: Reports From the Field, which focused on â€Å"providing insights into the changing nature of working families in the United States† (1008). Montgomery’s main argument is that today’s modern society and global economy have enabled families to â€Å"merge work and home in quasi-entrepreneurial ways† (1018), which will in turn deepen the attachment between family members. Her secondary claim is that the merging of these two worlds does not come without a downside; your home will no longer â€Å"serve as a refuge from job pressures† (1018) and job demands may be â€Å"made more invasive by the use of innovative communication technology† (1019). The main purpose of this essay is to identify and analyze Montgomery’s main and secondary arguments, to describe two types of support she uses, how they help her claims, and to identify her intended audience. Montgomery proposes that â€Å"transformations in gender relations, management strategies, and technological practices† (1018) play integral roles in the opportunities for families to decide how to combine or balance their home lives with work demands. She goes on to state that women’s access to equal education and equal employment opportunities have â€Å"expanded the possibilities for spousal collaboration in technical professions† (1010), and that being able to collaborate on work projects at home will create a more intimate and interdependent family. She then provides statistics showing the percentage of women graduating with a degree in engineering jumped 16. 5% in just 30 years (1011). The statistics provide hard evidence to her claim that women are gaining increasing access to technology based jobs, and appeals to the reader’s logos. Montgomery spent a period of five years in the field following a couple in their thirties, who were living in one of these collaborative, â€Å"job-sharing† (1012) middle class families in order to obtain â€Å"a view of the world from their perspective† (1008). Basing her argument off this research provides a stronger emotional connection to the writing than if Montgomery were to use sweeping generalizations throughout. Montgomery structures her essay in a narrative format, writing in the first person. She was successful at attempting to appeal to her audience’s ethos by making her writing less formal while keeping an educated voice. The writing opens with an introduction to Marjenah and Steve, who share a home with Marjenah’s parents in Silicon Valley. Montgomery appeals to her readers’ pathos by illustrating the family’s world: â€Å"Emails, faxes and phone calls linked their home to high-tech firms within Silicon Valley. Although there were no parking lots or numbered suites, their neighborhood†¦was, in some sense, a busy industrial park† (1009). Montgomery recalls the different ways in which they rely upon each other, and states that the interdependence this family possesses is an opportunity for each member help one another handle job demands. She details the countless nights Steve spent on his wife’s projects after getting home from his job as well as the way Marjenah was needed to proof read Steve’s reports and to review her mother’s paperwork for her department store job. The father worked at an outside tech firm, but served as the family’s technical support (1016). This ethnographic research directly relates to her main point that equality in the education within a family has enabled collaboration in the home, and allows us to spend more time with those we love. Combining the statistics that show women gaining access to technical jobs are increasing with the representation of a modern, job-sharing family that include both sexes collaborating on high-tech projects helps validate the essay’s argument. Montgomery’s goal is to inform families of new opportunities on how to balance work and home life, so in order to provide a full picture; she explores the potential downsides to living in a modern job-sharing family. Montgomery’s secondary claim states that working collaboratively on â€Å"job tasks at home† (1018) will increase â€Å"family cohesion† (1018), but that this combination will in turn eliminate the idea of your home being an escape from job pressures. She helps substantiate this argument by referring again to the subjects of her study, an emotional appeal. Steve summarized his perception of the situation, explaining that â€Å"job demands limited the control that they had over the time and space of family life† (1019). Montgomery makes her audience connect to this point on an emotional level by describing the conflicts the couple experienced because of the stresses their job-sharing created. She details Marjenah having to â€Å"constantly manage sounds† (1015), as well as the couple getting into arguments over the amount of energy each puts into one another’s work, citing that sometimes the main incentive for them to make up was the pressure of work calling again. It is clear to the reader that Montgomery is simply making an argument to explore this alternative lifestyle. She uses many different types of support throughout her writing in order to make her argument more informative; two will be analyzed further. Montgomery continuously includes professional opinions with quotes from past studies that are on the same topic as her own work. This gives the reader necessary background knowledge on the topic, by allowing the audience to have a more complete understanding as to how the economy has been playing a role in the decisions we make regarding how we balance our lives, since the Industrial Revolution. She opens with a quote from nineteenth century writer John Ruskin, which states home will only be home, until â€Å"the anxieties of the outer life penetrate into it† (1008). This grabs her reader’s attention, and provides a possible thesis for her writing. Montgomery explains separating work and home life has not always been the normal ideal, giving her reader a brief history on the â€Å"transformation of family labor from agrarian to high-tech work† (1010). She does this with quotes and ideas from over ten different sources, many of the sources she chose are known in the fields of Anthropology and Sociology. This is extremely helpful for her ethical appeal, because it shows Montgomery took the time to gain an understanding of the contextual relevance of her selected topic. Some of the work she cites claims things such as â€Å"In the early twentieth century, corporations supplanted many family firms, credentialed engineers replaced informally trained mechanics, and ‘big science’†¦rose to prominence. †(1011) and that â€Å"Industrial transformations†¦increasingly removed production from the home, while cultural transformations valorized home as a haven from the harsh work world† (1010). This relates to the quote she opens with, because Ruskin was one of the numerous writers pushing to get the â€Å"rising middle class to embrace this new ideal† (1010), raising the question of the motives behind said quote. Including other pieces of writing that claim technology is what played a key factor in changing the way individuals and families balanced their two lives, historically, helps her introduce the idea that â€Å"separate spheres are not necessarily the most desirable family and work forms† (1018). Montgomery uses examples to support her arguments, which helps create a mental image in her audience’s mind while reading her work. Her research gathered while with Marjenah’s family, is her most used example, and is a very effective form of support. In Montgomery’s eyes, â€Å"Marjenah’s family exemplifies how new technologies, management strategies, and gender relations are changing the possibilities for work collaborations within households† (1012). She refers to their specific situation as a way to personalize Montgomery’s generalized emphasis on women’s equality in education and job opportunities as being the main factor in society once again giving families the option to â€Å"draw in† and collaborate on work. She uses examples while giving her audience background knowledge of this topic. She starts with an example describing how â€Å"employers relied upon fathers to discipline family work units in some early factories† (1010). She makes the claim that shop-keeping families saw â€Å"kin as sources of income† (1010), more specifically using examples such as â€Å"the baker’s wife iced cakes a few steps from her husband, the butcher and his son chopped meat on the same counter, and for the family of grocers home and work merged† (1010). These examples support her statement that â€Å"the separation of spheres was neither decisive nor abrupt. † (1010). Montgomery does a sufficient job regarding the amount of support she provides her audience with to back up her argument. Every writer has an intended audience. Montgomery’s study was published in a book that has a goal to highlight how culture shapes family life during shifting social and economic landscapes, so it should address a fairly educated audience. The background information provided implies that she was keeping in mind the fact that not everyone who picks up her book will have an understanding of the different norms our society has gone through regarding the separation of work and home life. To conclude, Montgomery was very successful in presenting her argument that â€Å"contemporary gender relations, management strategies and technological practices enable divers family and work forms†¦Far from weakening family bonds, these mergers of work foster family cohesion† (1010). She appealed to her audience’s logos by providing facts, statistics, expert opinions, and by citing other pieces of work on her topic. This also helped her ethical appeal, as did the personal afterward detailing her background and her credentials. Using the example of Marjenah’s family, along with the baker, butcher and grocers, helped Montgomery emotionally appeal to her audience, and to get her point across. Overall, Montgomery presented her argument very clearly; it was fact based, and very informative which makes her exploratory purpose a success.

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Cody Harris World History – 3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  March 24, 2002 Chapter 21 Vocabulary 1. Philip II- son of Charles V, he inherited Spain, and Spanish Netherlands, and the American colonies. He was shy, serious and deeply religious. When the king of Portugal died without an heir, he gained the empire by being a nephew. His empire provided him with a enormous wealth. He also helped to drive the Muslims out of Spain. 1588, he launched the Spanish Armada but was defeated. 2. El Greco- real name Domenikos Theotokopoulos but called by the Greeks as El Greco meaning â€Å"the Greek†. His art often puzzled the people of his time. He used brilliant colors, sometimes clashing. His paintings showed deep Catholic faith of Spain, painting saints and martyrs as huge long-limbed figures that have a supernatural air. 3. Divine Right- the idea that God created the monarchy and that the monarch acted as God’s representative on earth 4. Absolute monarch- kings or queens who believed that all power within their state’s boundaries rested in their hands. 5. Edict of Nantes- a declaration that the Huguenots could live in peace in France and set up their own houses of worship in some cities. 6. Cardinal Richelieu- the ruler, in effect, of France under Louis XIII (1624), he had been a hard-working leader of the Catholic Church in France. He tried sincerely to lead according to moral principles, he was also ambitious and enjoyed exercising authority. He moved against the Huguenots, believing that Protestantism often served as an excuse for political conspiracies. He also sought to weaken the nobles’ power. He ordered nobles to take down their fortified castles. He increased the power of government agents who came from the middle class. He also wanted to make France the strongest state in Europe, and in order to do this he involved France in the Thirty Years’ War. 7. Skepticism- the idea that nothing can ever be know for certain 8. Descartes- a brilliant thinker wrote Meditations of First Philosophy. Later became an important role in the Enlightenment. 9. Louis XIV- the most powerful ruler in French history. His reign began as a 5-year-old boy. He became king in 1643, with the true ruler of France being Cardinal Mazarin, since Louis was so young. Mazarin’s greatest triumph was ending the Thirty Years’ War in 1648. Louis gained control at the age of 23 when the cardinal died. He made it a point to be surrounded by nobles for two reasons, it made the nobility totally dependent on Louis.

Personal Response to Cold Comfort Farm

Cold Comfort Farm By Stella Gibbons What was a main theme in the novel and how can it be applied to my lifestyle? Cold Comfort Farm is a novel centred around recently orphaned Flora Poste who goes to stay with her cousins living on a farm. I thought that a reoccurring theme in the novel was shown in the way in which Flora got people to look beyond their horizons and imagine a more realistic lifestyle. Thanks to Flora’s encouragement and manipulation the characters living at Cold Comfort Farm look beyond their horizons and become much more interesting people.Like Aunt Ada Doom, I have come to realise that I lead a very routine lifestyle only occasionally leaving Karori and barely ever venturing outside of Wellington. I can admit right here that I am not a enthralling person but I am not living a lifestyle which requires as dramatic a change as flying to Paris and living the High Life like Aunt Ada Doom does after reading an issue of Vogue. So really this theme didn’t pro voke any reaction in me at all other than how I hope I don’t see anything too nasty in the woodshed that would make me live in a bedroom for the rest of my life.How did I identify with the protagonist, Flora Poste? Throughout the novel I found myself comparing my attitudes to Flora’s as she is a practical and sensible young woman completely ready to take on any medieval, melodramatic family that she feel the need to â€Å"tidy up. † Flora is like a catalyst; she is the baking soda of the hokey-pokey, Flora shakes up delayed reactions and causes unusual emotions. I typically find this happening whenever I walk into a room as I normally end up saying something embarrassing that causes total controversy and many shocked expressions.Flora does the same thing by suggesting that Adam, a farm hand, uses a scrubbing brush to clean the breakfast dishes rather than a twig. Adam said: â€Å"’I don’t want a liddle mop wi’ a handle. I’ve used a t horn twig these fifty years and more, and what was good enough then is good enough now. ’† Seeing the logical and practical side is something I have in common with Flora however I do not consider myself quite as cunning or manipulative as Flora proves herself to be throughout the novel. â€Å"’But,’ suggested the cunning Flora†¦Ã¢â‚¬ If you had a little mop and could wash the dishes more quickly, you ould have more time in the cowshed with the dumb beasts. ’ Adam stopped his work. This had evidently struck home. † While getting changed after Ballet two weeks ago a girl I dance with stated how she ‘didn’t read. ’ I was disgusted and replied ‘I can see it is cool to be illiterate these days’ the response ‘What does illiterate mean’ could only result in an astonished silence from me. I then took it upon myself to help her with her homework every Tuesday before ballet. I think that Flora and I a re both modern for our times and have little tolerance for unnecessary ignorance.What was a device used by Gibbons to hold my attention throughout the novel? Stella Gibbons was a poet before she became a novelist with her first publication being a book of poems The Mountain Beast, and her melodramatic insertions of landscape descriptions are proof of this. â€Å"**Dawn crept over the downs like a sinister white animal followed by the snarling cries of a wind eating its way between the black boughs of the thorns. The wind was the furious voice of this sluggish animal light that was baring the dormers and mullions and scullions of Cold Comfort Farm. Gibbons warns us whenever she starts this by placing a couple of asterixes in front of the paragraph. The reader is then snatched from this world and back into the sensible yet cynical views of the young protagonist, Flora Poste. I thought this made the book ahead of its times as it was only written in the 1930s when it just wasn’t the done thing for women to write comedy. However, sometimes this would confuse me and I would have to go back and read the paragraph again as a beautiful description of rugged landscape would switch to how Graceless the cow’s leg fell off.Bizarre occurrences like these made me do something that can only be described as a double take to make sure I had read the passage correctly. I couldn’t leave the cow-leg incident alone and spent my lying-in-bed-pondering-before-sleep-time speculating over how a cow’s leg simply falls off. Did I find the novel relevant or interesting to me as a reader? I was highly recommended to read this book by my parents, knowing I like a laugh, they told me it was hilarious and then proved how little they know about my sense of humour.Despite having interesting characters, poetic techniques and a solid theme I found the novel as a whole: disappointing. I didn’t learn anything of great epiphany significance, and no valuable life l essons, there was no exciting climax but the most disappointing thing was the lack of humour. The only thing I really laughed at being Aunt Ada Doom unable to get past how she ‘Saw something nasty in the woodshed when she was a little girl,’ and then spending the rest of her life sulking about it in her bedroom.Maybe I didn’t understand the humour so much because I am only fifteen and have not experienced enough of the world and its literature to understand the adult humour within the story but I did not react to the novel at all, in fact I thought that the setting was rather dull, and reminded me of a rainy day on a farm only more bleak, the events in the story were unrealistically rushed and happened much too quickly and the perfect solutions to each problem that arose were idealistic and cliche, however I am sure it is a classic for a reason and maybe I need to live a little before I revisit it in a few years time. Personal Response to Cold Comfort Farm Cold Comfort Farm By Stella Gibbons What was a main theme in the novel and how can it be applied to my lifestyle? Cold Comfort Farm is a novel centred around recently orphaned Flora Poste who goes to stay with her cousins living on a farm. I thought that a reoccurring theme in the novel was shown in the way in which Flora got people to look beyond their horizons and imagine a more realistic lifestyle. Thanks to Flora’s encouragement and manipulation the characters living at Cold Comfort Farm look beyond their horizons and become much more interesting people.Like Aunt Ada Doom, I have come to realise that I lead a very routine lifestyle only occasionally leaving Karori and barely ever venturing outside of Wellington. I can admit right here that I am not a enthralling person but I am not living a lifestyle which requires as dramatic a change as flying to Paris and living the High Life like Aunt Ada Doom does after reading an issue of Vogue. So really this theme didn’t pro voke any reaction in me at all other than how I hope I don’t see anything too nasty in the woodshed that would make me live in a bedroom for the rest of my life.How did I identify with the protagonist, Flora Poste? Throughout the novel I found myself comparing my attitudes to Flora’s as she is a practical and sensible young woman completely ready to take on any medieval, melodramatic family that she feel the need to â€Å"tidy up. † Flora is like a catalyst; she is the baking soda of the hokey-pokey, Flora shakes up delayed reactions and causes unusual emotions. I typically find this happening whenever I walk into a room as I normally end up saying something embarrassing that causes total controversy and many shocked expressions.Flora does the same thing by suggesting that Adam, a farm hand, uses a scrubbing brush to clean the breakfast dishes rather than a twig. Adam said: â€Å"’I don’t want a liddle mop wi’ a handle. I’ve used a t horn twig these fifty years and more, and what was good enough then is good enough now. ’† Seeing the logical and practical side is something I have in common with Flora however I do not consider myself quite as cunning or manipulative as Flora proves herself to be throughout the novel. â€Å"’But,’ suggested the cunning Flora†¦Ã¢â‚¬ If you had a little mop and could wash the dishes more quickly, you ould have more time in the cowshed with the dumb beasts. ’ Adam stopped his work. This had evidently struck home. † While getting changed after Ballet two weeks ago a girl I dance with stated how she ‘didn’t read. ’ I was disgusted and replied ‘I can see it is cool to be illiterate these days’ the response ‘What does illiterate mean’ could only result in an astonished silence from me. I then took it upon myself to help her with her homework every Tuesday before ballet. I think that Flora and I a re both modern for our times and have little tolerance for unnecessary ignorance.What was a device used by Gibbons to hold my attention throughout the novel? Stella Gibbons was a poet before she became a novelist with her first publication being a book of poems The Mountain Beast, and her melodramatic insertions of landscape descriptions are proof of this. â€Å"**Dawn crept over the downs like a sinister white animal followed by the snarling cries of a wind eating its way between the black boughs of the thorns. The wind was the furious voice of this sluggish animal light that was baring the dormers and mullions and scullions of Cold Comfort Farm. Gibbons warns us whenever she starts this by placing a couple of asterixes in front of the paragraph. The reader is then snatched from this world and back into the sensible yet cynical views of the young protagonist, Flora Poste. I thought this made the book ahead of its times as it was only written in the 1930s when it just wasn’t the done thing for women to write comedy. However, sometimes this would confuse me and I would have to go back and read the paragraph again as a beautiful description of rugged landscape would switch to how Graceless the cow’s leg fell off.Bizarre occurrences like these made me do something that can only be described as a double take to make sure I had read the passage correctly. I couldn’t leave the cow-leg incident alone and spent my lying-in-bed-pondering-before-sleep-time speculating over how a cow’s leg simply falls off. Did I find the novel relevant or interesting to me as a reader? I was highly recommended to read this book by my parents, knowing I like a laugh, they told me it was hilarious and then proved how little they know about my sense of humour.Despite having interesting characters, poetic techniques and a solid theme I found the novel as a whole: disappointing. I didn’t learn anything of great epiphany significance, and no valuable life l essons, there was no exciting climax but the most disappointing thing was the lack of humour. The only thing I really laughed at being Aunt Ada Doom unable to get past how she ‘Saw something nasty in the woodshed when she was a little girl,’ and then spending the rest of her life sulking about it in her bedroom.Maybe I didn’t understand the humour so much because I am only fifteen and have not experienced enough of the world and its literature to understand the adult humour within the story but I did not react to the novel at all, in fact I thought that the setting was rather dull, and reminded me of a rainy day on a farm only more bleak, the events in the story were unrealistically rushed and happened much too quickly and the perfect solutions to each problem that arose were idealistic and cliche, however I am sure it is a classic for a reason and maybe I need to live a little before I revisit it in a few years time.

Challenges for Professional Care of Advanced Dementia

Challenges for professional care of advanced dementia The research purpose of this study was clear, as it was intended to report on the challenges for health professionals in caring for people with advanced dementia living in long term care facilities. This study used a qualitative methodology based on action research. â€Å"Action research collects information from key stakeholders and provides ongoing feedback to participants, thereby facilitating change that improves practice. † (Chang et al. , 2009, p. 42). The essence of the study aimed to expose the challenges for key professional providers of care for people with advanced dementia. â€Å"Descriptions of these challenges provide professional carers and policy makers with insights into the unique needs of the person with advanced dementia†. (Chang et al. , 2009, p. 42) Participants were selected from professional providers in Australia from 2003-2006. All of the participants cared for patients with advanced dementia in their profession. They brought a comparative perspective to the success of the study. There were several focus groups compiled that included general practitioners, palliative care speciality staff, palliative care volunteer managers and volunteers, aged or dementia specialist health care professionals, and residential aged care facility staff. All participants were highly qualified with all having more than ten years experience in their field. The sample was non-random, interviewing 13 participants that were recruited from staff of 10 residential aged care facilities. There was a total of 20 in-depth interviews. Within the sample, five of them large high care facilities, two medium-sized high care (51-74 beds), one small high care (< 50 beds), one medium sized low care (hostel) facility and one small low care facility. The Director of Nurses nominated the the staff for the interviews. â€Å"The sampling was purposive, with expertise in palliative dementia care of the selection criterion†. (Chang et al. , 2009, p. 43) The data collection process was adequately described. It may have been beneficial with respect to gaining deeper personal insight, if the researchers had sought to answer more probing questions in the approach. The researchers used semi-structured questions with focus groups that lasted 1. 5-2 hours. The role of the researcher was to find question that were critiqued by an expert panel. The questions seemed to be based on pre-defined information given to the researcher agreed on by the panel. The information was gathered by interview questions in the focus groups. The uestions seemed to be based on pre-defined information given to the researcher agreed on by the focus groups. The ethical considerations of participants were followed using standard procedures and approved by area health service ethics review committee. Informed consents were used as well as anonymity of patients and participants. â€Å"The data analysis was by constant comparative method†. (Chang et al. , 2009, p. 43). They used five focus groups (total n = 24) and 20 follow-up individual interviews (Chang et al. , 2009, p. 41). The concepts collected were organized and compared with other ideas that emerged from the data. Regarding the background of the study, it was noted that there are many behavioural symptoms and comorbiditics associated with advanced dementia. In the last 12 months of life, it also was noted that many symptoms occur that need to be managed by decision makers such as family members. The researchers noted that during this time, the complex care decisions, such as whether to administer antibiotics and whether to place the patient in a facility or hospital are important decisions that must be validated. There are a number of other factors that could effect the study, yet were not addressed by the researchers. The catagories, themes and findings presented a whole picture and yielded a meaningful picture of the study by attesting to the complexity of caring for people with advanced dementia living in residential aged care facilities, and the challenges of professionals. Participants did agree that assessing a verbally non-communicative person is difficult. Physicians found that examining patients also was difficult. Skills deficit were noted. One-third of participants noted a reluctance to use appropriate amounts of analgesia regarding pain. There was a clear connection between the data and the participants regarding the management of dementia-related behaviors. The data collected did attest to the complexity of caring for patients with advanced dementia who reside in residential care facilities and the challenges that they bring to health care professionals. Researchers identified the philosophical and theoretical basis for the study. Educating aged care professionals about early palliation might improve care outcomes for residents†. Aged care staff need a strong rationale for their decisions. † (Chang et al. , 2009, p. 45) This study highlighted the challenges in meeting the demands of caring for patients with advanced dementia who reside in residential care facilities. The researchers found there was a number of factors that could effect the aged care of residents with advanced de mentia; however challenges will always remain. All of the participants found that is was very difficult to assess patients with advanced dementia. They found that these patients were unable to report symptoms such as pain and exhibited many different behavioral issues. There were study limitations regarding the sample size and the non-random sampling. The sample size was small and not representative of a population owing to that size. Other challenges and limitations may have been noted if different questions had been asked of the patients. In conclusion, the researchers found that it may be crucial to use continuity of care when caring for these patients. According to some of the participants, their lack of knowledge about palliative care was limited. This study did highlight the challenges that key professional care encounter when caring for patients with advanced dementia. Increase in education will provide a better understanding of the needs of patients with advanced dementia. Key professional will be able to initiate an appropriate care plan if the clinical progress of dementia is described.

Earthquakes and Moving Plates essays

Earthquakes and Moving Plates essays One day in my freshman year biology class, I felt the ground moving as if there has been an explosion. Soon after, I was under the table feeling like I was on a boat out in the sea. Despite the feeling of seasickness I was excited and felt privileged to experience the earthquake since it was something very rare. From that moment, how the earthquakes occur and what makes them vary from place to place came to my close attention. However, because of the devastating aftermath of earthquakes, sometimes it is very easy to ignore the real cause of the earthquakes but rather focus on the damage caused by the earthquakes. It is important to understand both the cause of an earthquake and how it affects human life as well as how to be prepared in order to minimize the harm. Many people are aware or heard of plate tectonics and its impact on the world. In fact, the plate tectonic is the main driving force for earthquakes occurring around the world. Then, it is crucial to understand how the moving plates generate earthquakes. The earth's surface, lithosphere, is a rigid shell, and underneath the lithosphere, there is a hot asthenosphere which "finds a weak place in the lithosphere to rise" (Louie 1). This convection process allows the lithosphere to move. In some cases, the continuously moving plates spread apart from each other, push against each other, or slide along next to each other, creating a fault (Lassieur 19). When the plates move toward each other, such as southern Alaska where the Pacific plate is subducting underneath the North American plate, the Earth's largest earthquakes, the 1964 Alaskan earthquake for example, are generally formed (A.S.G. 1). Usually, plates that are moving away from each other are situated in the deep oceans and generate relatively shallow earthquakes (A.S.G. 2). In cases of the plates sliding by each other, such as San Andreas fault in California, the movement may cause many damaging earthquakes. However,...

The United Nations in Africa

The United Nations in Africa Introduction The United Nations (UN) is a worldwide institute who’s affirmed objectives are assisting collaboration in intercontinental law, global security, economic progress, societal development, individual liberties and attainment of global harmony. The body was set up in 1745 following the Second World War to substitute the League of Nations, to bring to a halt conflicts involving nations, and to offer a stage for discussion.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The United Nations in Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It entails several auxiliary bodies to put through its undertakings. There are presently 192 affiliate nations, with each autonomous country in the world other than the Vatican City (United Nations Cyberschoolbus Country at a Glance). From its administrative centers around the world, the UN and its specific outfits settle on essential and organizational matters in normal conventions held rig ht through the year. The body has six major organs and the Security Council is the organ tasked with fixing on given decisions for harmony and safety. The UN has carried out several peaces restoration and observance missions in Africa since the 1950s to the present day. Following independence, several African nations have been involved in civil unrest and the UN has been the international body mostly involved in exercises to ensure warring factions stay in peace. The progression from an armed clash to peace and tranquility is usually divided into four different exercises. These exercises are; conciliation, peacekeeping, peace implementation and peace building, in that order. The conciliation exercise is normally a diplomatic undertaking while the rest are enforced by armed forces (Anyidoho, 13). United Nations peace exercises have been positive and gainful alternatives for dealing with some conflicts and humanitarian predicaments. The greater part of the 35 mediation exercises carri ed out by the UN over the past five decades have been of great significance in ending regional conflicts, enhancing social equality, and keeping an eye on human rights. They have assisted stop expatriate flows and resulted in stability to areas of strategic and economic significance.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organisation des Nations Unies au Congo Organisation des Nations Unies au Congo, truncated to ONUC, translates to The United Nations Organization in the Congo in English. This was a UN international relations military unit in Congo that was instituted following the United Nations Security Council Resolution 143 of July 14, 1963. From this period the name was changed to Opà ©ration des Nations Unies au Congo (Washington CRS Report for Congress 2001, 12). Congo got independence on June 30 1960. However, the Belgian commander-in-chief declined to Afric anize the administrators’ units of the armed forces. As a result of the there was disarray and uprisings broke out. As the then head of state and the prime minister were engrossed in finding a middle ground with the radicals, the Belgian administration made a decision to get involved to safeguard Belgians that were still in the country. The Belgian administration was for the idea that Katanga Province, one of the most productive in the country be independent. This is where the majority of the Belgians stayed. The Belgian administration sent its soldiers to Elisabethville, Katanga’s headquarters to safeguard Belgians on July 10, 1960. They claimed autonomy of the region. Two days later, Congo’s President and the Prime Minister requested for aid of the UN in resolving the matter (Anon). The UN Secretary-General asked the concerned organ, the UN Security Council, to act on the issue as a matter of urgency in a meeting held on July 13th, 1960. The Security Council r equired the Belgian administration to take put its soldiers from Congo’s land. The decision allowed the UN Secretary General to go ahead, in discussion with the Congolese administration, to offer that regime with the required forces aid until it felt that, by way of its labors with the technological help of the UN, the countrywide defense forces were in a position to achieve their responsibilities completely. After the Security Council actions, the United Nations Force in the Congo (MONUC) was instituted. To perform these duties, the Secretary General put together a UN Force, which at its climax force added up to 20,000. The military unit was in Congo from 1960 to 1964, and remained a mediation force, not a war machine.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The United Nations in Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They could only use their weaponry in self defense. Nevertheless, they in due course became aggres sively occupied in repressing the attempted secession of Katanga. The pulling out of Belgian soldiers was accomplished by September of the same year. Following this, Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba went ahead in an effort to invade Katanga on his own, looking up to the Soviet Union for assistance. The raid effort never got to Katanga and resulted in discord within the Central Administration, the fall down of that administration and in the end to Patrice Lumumba’s apprehension in December. The United Nations soldiers remained in the country until 1964 and during all this time they were assisting the administration to uphold tranquility and in strengthening the autonomy of the nation. After all this, Katanga remained a province. United Nations Operations in Mozambique The United Nations operations in Mozambique in the early 90s are abbreviated ONUMOZ. The operations were instituted in December of 1992 to help in the enactment of the harmony accord involving the administration of Mozambique and the opposition faction RENAMO. The nation’s post-independence civil strife took place from 1976 to 1992 and led to the death of approximately 1 million people (Handicap International). It also led to the devastation of the nation’s infrastructure and farming capability, and forced millions of immigrants into next-door nations. Mozambique’s Portuguese colonial cream of the crop departed right away after independence. After a few years, the country, like a number of other African nations, got caught up in the area disorder fired by Cold War enmities and the procedures of the Apartheid administration in neighboring South Africa. Just about two decades of civil conflict at last ended in 1992. The fall down of white administrations all through southern Africa, the coming to an end of the Cold War, and a destructive food crisis, offered the setting for the General Peace Agreement marked between the war factions in Rome.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More ONUMOZ kept an eye on the truce and disbandment of armed groups and offered safety for humanitarian aid. The being there of ONUMOZ shored up safety and assurance as the conditions of the tranquility agreements were enacted and free polls conducted. Countrywide polls, conducted in October 1994, were confirmed to be free and fair by the United Nations. Up to 90% of entitled voters took part in the exercise and both competing sides honored the outcome of the poll. The command of ONUMOZ came to an end with the putting in place of the freshly voted national administration in December 1994. All the United Nations troops were pulled out as of January 31, the following year. In this country, the United Nations did well in disbanding armed foes exhibiting great hostility and animosity, getting immigrants back home, and building an atmosphere within which free and fair polls could be conducted (United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs). In this, it ensured better stableness all throu gh the southern African expanse, serving as a case in point for continuing United Nations efforts to put an end to Angola’s lengthy civil strife. United Nations Peace-building Support Office in Liberia This is abbreviated UNOL and as instituted in November 1997 after the conclusion of UNOMIL’s command at the end of September of the same year. UNOMIL was the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia that had been running since 1993. UNOL was led by an envoy of the Secretary General and was basically the first UN post-war maintenance organization whose task was to principally help the administration strengthen harmony after the July 1997 multiparty polls. Civil conflict in Liberia took away more than 250,000 lives and resulted in a full collapse of law and order (The United Nations Statistics Division). A lot of civilians were displaced, both inland and beyond the nation’s borders. There were about 850,000 expatriates in the next-door nations. Warfare commenced t owards the end of 1989, and by the beginning of 1990, quite a lot of hundred deaths had taken place in conflicts involving government troops and opposition rebels of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia, NPFL. NPFL was led by a previous government officer, Mr. Charles Taylor. As of the beginning of the war, a sub regional association, the Economic Community of West African States, embarked on a number of ideas directed at a diplomatic agreement. The UN shored up ECOWAS in its labors. Some of the help that UN offered was instituting of an ECOWAS observer unit, enforcing an arms restriction on Liberia and providing a Special Envoy to help in negotiations involving ECOWAS and the groups in conflict. Following ECOWAS’s negotiation of a peace accord in Benin in 1993, the UN Security Council instituted UNOMIL. UNOMIL was tasked with shoring up the enactment of the Benin peace accord, particularly falling in line with and unbiased enactment of the accord by all parties. UNOMIL be came the initial UN international relations exercise carried out in collaboration with a peacekeeping exercise previously instituted by another association. Holdups in the enactment of the tranquility accord and restarted warfare among Liberian splinter groups made it unworkable to conduct polls in early 1994, as pre-arranged. In the upcoming months, some complimentary tranquility accords, adjusting and shedding light on the Benin accord was bargained (Johnson). With the truce in effect, the UN effectively monitored the July 1997 polls. Mr. Charles Taylor emerged as the winner. He was sworn in and instituted a new administration and declared a course of action of ceasefire and national harmony. UNOMIL’s main aim was attained. UNOL came in after UNOMIL and by way of complete back up by the Security Council, it made possible the endorsement of national ceasefire and first-rate administration and assisted in drumming up global back up for the enactment of restoration and growth agendas. In the most up to date stage, UNOL directed its efforts toward accomplishment of the stipulations of a reworked consent, permitted by the Security Council on April 23, 2003. Under the stipulations of that reworked consent, and to add to its original duties, UNOL was to lay emphasis on helping the administration of Liberia in tackling its articulated facility requirements in the areas of civil rights and the carry-out of polls, as well as on building up a peace building tactic putting together opinionated intentions, agenda aid and civil rights contemplations. Nonetheless, the peace building labors of UNOL were badly deterred by the lack of ability of the administration and opposition party leading lights to settle their discrepancies over major issues of administration. In the meantime, the endorsement of national squaring off was chip away at by organized maltreatment of civil liberties, the omission persecution of political rivals and lack of security sector reorganizatio n and improvement. These factors had a major role to play to the recommencement of civil strife in Liberia, propelling the international community to call on the fighting factions to go after a bargained resolution of the disagreement (Human Rights Watch Africa). On July 8, 2003, the UN Secretary General assigned Jacques Paul Klein of the US as his Special Envoy to Liberia. This was a period in which the war involving Government troops and the various militaristic groups stepped up and the humanitarian catastrophe in danger. Jacques was tasked with organizing the actions of the United Nations organs in Liberia and shoring up the up-and-coming changeover preparations. On July 29 of the same year the UN Secretary General charted a three-pronged set out of intercontinental forces to Liberia, directing to a multifaceted mediation exercise. He also stated that, with the selection of Mr. Jacques, and the foreseen institution of a United Nations exercise in Liberia, the command of UNOL wou ld of course have to be concluded. Anon 2004. Can Africans keep their own peace? 2004 – March 28, 2011. economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subj ectid=5189853story_id=E1_NSSQDGS Anon 2004 Strategic Comments. African peacekeeping: Revival or relapse? 2004 (5 Strategic Comments. Anyidoho. â€Å"Political Control and Guidance of Peace Support Operations in Africa: A UN Commanders View† (2002). Ghana Armed Forces. p. 13 Grey-Johnson. Beyond Peacekeeing; The Challenge of Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Peacebuilding in Africa (2006) (1) UN Chronicle Online Edition. 2006 – March 28, 2011. un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2006/issue1/0106p08.htm# Henry Handicap International, 2010. 2010 – March 28, 2011. creativem.com/handicap/ Human Rights Watch Africa, 2009. 2009 – March 28, 2011. hrw.org/ The United Nations Statistics Division. â€Å"World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook, 2008.† 2008 – March 28, 2011. un.org/De pts/unsd/ United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs, Landmine Clearance Unit Report on Mozambique. 2003 – March 28, 2011. un.org/Depts/dpko/mine/mozambiq.htm United Nations Cyberschoolbus Country at a Glance. 2008 – March 28, 2011. un.org/cgi-bin/pubs/infonatn/dquery.pl?lang=emoz=on Washington CRS Report for Congress 2001. â€Å"Copson RW Democratic Republic of the Congo: Peace Process and Background.† (2001). p. 12.

Triangles and Polygons on SAT Math Strategies and Practice Questions for Geometry

Triangles and Polygons on SAT Math Strategies and Practice Questions for Geometry SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips 25 to 30% of the SAT math section will involve geometry, and the majority of those questions will deal with polygons in some form or another. Polygons come in many shapes and sizes and you will have to know your way around them with confidence in order to ace those SAT questions on test day. Luckily, despite their variety, polygons are often less complex than they look, and a few simple rules and strategies will have you breezing through those geometry questions in no time. This will be your complete guide to SAT polygons- the rules and formulas for various polygons, the kinds of questions you’ll be asked about them, and the best approach for solving these types of questions. What is a Polygon? Before we talk about polygon formulas, let’s look at what exactly a polygon is. A polygon is any flat, enclosed shape that is made up of straight lines. To be â€Å"enclosed† means that the lines must all connect, and no side of the polygon can be curved. Polygons NOT Polygons Polygons come in two broad categories- regular and irregular. A regular polygon has all equal sides and all equal angles, while irregular polygons do not. Regular Polygons Irregular Polygons (Note: most all of the polygons on the SAT that are made up of five sides or more will be regular polygons, but always double-check this! You will be told in the question whether the shape is "regular" or "irregular.") The different types of polygons are named after their number of sides and angles. A triangle is made of three sides and three angles (â€Å"tri† meaning three), a quadrilateral is made of four sides (â€Å"quad† meaning four), a pentagon is made of five sides (â€Å"penta† meaning five), and so on. Most of the polygons you’ll see on the SAT (though not all) will either be triangles or some sort of quadrilateral. Triangles in all their forms are covered in our complete guide to SAT triangles, so let’s look at the various types of quadrilaterals you’ll see on the test. With polygons, you may notice that many definitions will fit inside other definitions. Quadrilaterals There are many different types of quadrilaterals, most of which are subcategories of one another. Parallelogram A parallelogram is a quadrilateral in which each set of opposite sides is both parallel and congruent (equal) with one another. The length may be different than the width, but both widths will be equal and both lengths will be equal. Parallelograms are peculiar in that their opposite angles will be equal and their adjacent angles will be supplementary (meaning any two adjacent angles will add up to 180 degrees). Rectangle A rectangle is a special kind of parallelogram in which each angle is 90 degrees. The rectangle’s length and width can either be equal or different from one another. Square If a rectangle has an equal length and width, it is called a square. This means that a square is a type of rectangle (which in turn is a type of parallelogram), but NOT all rectangles are squares. Rhombus A rhombus is a type of parallelogram in which all four sides are equal and the angles can be any measure (so long as their adjacents add up to 180 degrees and their opposite angles are equal). Just as a square is a type of rectangle, but not all rectangles are squares, a rhombus is a type of parallelogram (but not all parallelograms are rhombuses). Trapezoid A trapezoid is a quadrilateral that has only one set of parallel sides. The other two sides are non-parallel. Kite A kite is a quadrilateral that has two pairs of equal sides that meet one another. And here come the formulas- mwahaha! Polygon Formulas Though there are many different types of polygons, their rules and formulas build off of a few simple basic ideas. Let’s go through the list. Area Formulas Most polygon questions on the SAT will ask you to find the area or the perimeter of a figure. These will be the most important area formulas for you to remember on the test. Area of a Triangle $$(1/2)bh$$ The area of a triangle will always be half the amount of the base times the height. In a right triangle, the height will be equal to one of the legs. In any other type of triangle, you must drop down your own height, perpendicular from the vertex of the triangle to the base. Area of a Square $$l^2 \or {lw}$$ Because each side of a square is equal, you can find the area by either multiplying the length times the width or simply by squaring one of the sides. Area of a Rectangle $$lw$$ For any rectangle that is not a square, you must always multiply the base times the height to find the area. Area of a Parallelogram $$bh$$ Finding the area of a parallelogram is exactly the same as finding the area of a rectangle. Because a parallelogram may slant to the side, we say we must use its base and its height (instead of its length and width), but the principle is the same. You can see why the two actions are equal if you were to transform your parallelogram into a rectangle by dropping down straight heights and shifting the base. Area of a Trapezoid $$[(l_1+l_2)/2]h$$ In order to find the area of a trapezoid, you must find the average of the two parallel bases and multiply this by the height of the trapezoid. Now let's look at an example: In the figure, WXYZ is a rectangle with $\ov{WA} = \ov{BZ} = 4$. The area of the shaded region is 32. What is the length of $\ov{XY}$? [Note: figure not to scale] A. 6B. 8C. 12D. 16E. 20 First, let us fill in our given information. Our shaded figure is a trapezoid, so let us use the formula for finding the area of a trapezoid. area $=[(l_1+l_2)/2]h$ Now if we call the longest base q, the shortest base will be $q−4−4$, or $q−8$. (Why? Because the shortest leg is equal to the longest leg minus our two given lengths of 4). This means we can now plug in our values for the leg lengths. In addition, we are also given a height and an area, so we can plug all of our values into the formula in order to find the length of our longest side, q. $32=[(q+(q−8))/2]2$ $32=(2q+2q−16)/2$ $64=4q−16$ $80=4q$ $20=q$ The length of $\ov{XY}$ (which we designated $q$) is 20. Our final answer is E, 20. In general, the best way to find the area of different kinds of polygons is to transform the polygon into smaller and more manageable shapes. This will also help you if you forget your formulas come test day. For example, if you forget the formula for the area of a trapezoid, turn your trapezoid into a rectangle and two triangles and find the area for each. Let us look to how to solve the above problem using this method instead. We are told that the area of the trapezoid is 32. We also know that we can find the area of a triangle by using the formula ${1/2}bh$. So let us find the areas for both our triangles. ${1/2}bh$ ${1/2}(4)(2)$ ${1/2}8$ $4$ Each triangle is worth 8, so together, both triangles will be: $4+4$ $8$ Now if we add the area of our triangles to our given area of the trapezoid, we can see that the area of our full rectangle is: $32+8$ $40$ Finally, we know that we find the area of a rectangle by multiplying the length times the width. We have a given width of 2, so the length will be: $40=lw$ $40=2l$ 20=l The length of the rectangle (line $\ov{XY}$) will be 20. Again, our final answer is E, 20. Always remember that there are many different ways to find what you need, so don’t be afraid to use your shortcuts! Whichever solving path you choose depends on how you like to work best. Angle Formulas Whether your polygon is regular or irregular, the sum of its interior degrees will always follow the rules of that particular polygon. Every polygon has a different degree sum, but this sum will be consistent, no matter how irregular the polygon. For example, the interior angles of a triangle will always equal 180 degrees (to see more on this, be sure to check out our guide to SAT triangles), whether the triangle is equilateral (a regular polygon), isosceles, acute, or obtuse. All of these triangles will have a total interior degree measure of 180 degrees. So by that same notion, the interior angles of a quadrilateral- whether kite, square, trapezoid, or other- will always add up to be 360 degrees. Why? Because a quadrilateral is made up of two triangles. For example: One interior angle of a parallelogram is 65 degrees. If the remaining angles have measures of $a$, $b$ and $c$, what is the value of $a+b+c$? All quadrilaterals have an interior degree sum of 360, so: $a+b+c+65=360$ $a+b+c=295$ The sum of $\bi a, \bi b$, and $\bi c$ is 295. Interior Angle Sum You will always be able to find the sum of a polygon’s interior angles in one of two ways- by memorizing the interior angle formula, or by dividing your polygon into a series of triangles. Method 1: Interior Angle Formula $$(n−2)180$$ If you have an $n$ number of sides in your polygon, you can always find the interior degree sum by the formula $(n−2)$ times 180 degrees. If you picture starting from one angle and drawing connecting lines to every other angle to make triangles, you can see why this formula has an $n−2$. The reason being that you cannot make a triangle by using the immediate two connecting sides that make up the angle- each would simply be a straight line. To see this in action, let us look at our second method. Method 2: Dividing Your Polygon Into Triangles The reason the above formula works is because you are essentially dividing your polygon into a series of triangles. Because a triangle is always 180 degrees, you can multiply the number of triangles by 180 to find the interior degree sum of your polygon, whether your polygon is regular or irregular. Individual Interior Angles If your polygon is regular, you will also be able to find the individual degree measure of each interior angle by dividing the degree sum by the number of angles. (Note: $n$ can be used for both the number of sides and the number of angles; the number of sides and angles in a polygon will always be equal.) $${(n−2)180}/n$$ Again, you can choose to either use the formula or the triangle dividing method by dividing your interior sum by the number of angles. Angles, angler fish...same thing, right? Side Formulas As we saw earlier, a regular polygon will have all equal side lengths. And if your polygon is regular, you can find the number of sides by using the reverse of the formula for finding angle measures. A regular polygon with n sides has equal angles of 120 degrees. How many sides does the figure have? 3 4 5 6 7 For this question, it will be quickest for us to use our answers and work backwards in order to find the number of sides in our polygon. (For more on how to use the plugging in answers technique, check out our guide to plugging in answers). Let us start at the middle with answer choice C. We know from our angle formula (or by making triangles out of our polygons) that a five sided figure will have: $(n−2)180$ $(5−2)180$ $(3)180$ $540$ degrees. Or again, you can always find your degree sum by making triangles out of your polygon. This way you will still end up with $(3)180=540$ degrees. Now, we also know that this is a regular polygon, so each interior angle will be this same. This means we can find the individual angles by dividing the total by the number of sides/angles. So let us find the individual degree measures by dividing that sum by the number of angles. $540/5=108$ Answer choice C was too small. And we also know that the more sides a figure has, the larger each individual angle will be. This means we can cross off answer choices A and B (60 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively), as those answers would be even smaller. Now let us try answer choice D. $(n−2)180$ $(6−2)180$ $(4)180$ $720$ Or you could find your internal degree sum by once again making triangles from your polygons. Which would again give you $(4)180=720$ degrees. Now let’s divide the degree sum by the number of sides. $720/6=120$ We have found our answer. The figure has 6 sides. Our final answer is D, 6. Luckily for us, the SAT is predictable. You don't need a psychic to figure out what you're likely to see come test day. Typical Polygon Questions Now that we’ve been through all of our polygon rules and formulas, let’s look at a few different types of polygon questions you’ll see on the SAT. Almost all polygon questions will involve a diagram in some way (especially if the question involves any polygon with four or more sides). The few problems that do not use a diagram will generally be simple word problems involving rectangles. Typically, you will be asked to find one of three things in a polygon question: #1: The measure of an angle (or the sum of two or more angles)#2: The perimeter of a figure#3: The area of a figure Let’s look at a few real SAT math examples of these different types of questions. The Measure of an Angle: Because this hexagon is regular, we can find the degree measure of each of its interior angles. We saw earlier that we can find this degree measure by either using our interior angle formula or by dividing our figure into triangles. A hexagon can be split into 4 triangles, so $180 °*4=720$ degrees. There are 6 interior angles in a hexagon, and in a regular hexagon, these will all be equal. So: $720/6=120$ Now the line BO is at the center of the figure, so it bisects the interior angle CBA. The angle CBA is 120, which means that angle $x$ will be: $120/2=60$ Angle $x$ is 60 degrees. Our final answer is B, 60. The Perimeter of a Figure: We are told that ABCE is a square with the area of 1. We know that we find the area of a square by multiplying the length and the width (or by squaring one side), which means that: $lw=1$ This means that: $l=1$ And, $w=1$ We also know that every side is equal in a square. This means that $\ov{AB}, \ov{BC}, \ov{CE}, and \ov{AE}$ are ALL equal to 1. We are also told that CED is an equilateral triangle, which means that each side length is equal. Since we know that $\ov{CE} = 1$, we know that $\ov{CD}$ and $\ov{DE}$ both equal 1 as well. So the perimeter of the polygon as a whole- which is made of lines $\ov{AB}, \ov{BC}, \ov{CD}, \ov{DE}, and \ov{EA}$- is equal to: $1+1+1+1+1=5$ Our final answer is B, 5. [Note: don't get tricked into picking answer choice C! Even though each line in the figure is worth 1 and there are 6 lines, line $\ov{CE}$ is NOT part of the perimeter. This is an answer choice designed to bait you, so be careful to always answer only what the question asks.) The Area of a Figure: We are told that the length of the rug is 8 feet and that the length is also 2 feet more than the width. This means that the width must be: $8−2=6$ Now we also know that we find the area of a rectangle by multiplying width and length. So: $8*6=48$ The area of the rug is 48 square feet. Our final answer is B, 48. And now time for some practical how-to's, from tying a bow to solving your polygon questions. How to Solve a Polygon Question Now that we’ve seen the typical kinds of questions you’ll be asked on the SAT and gone through the process of finding our answers, we can see that each solving method has a few techniques in common. In order to solve your polygon problems most accurately and efficiently, take note of these strategies: #1: Break up figures into smaller shapes Don’t be afraid to write all over your diagrams. Polygons are complicated figures, so always break them into small pieces when you can. Break them apart into triangles, squares, or rectangles and you’ll be able to solve questions that would be impossible to figure out otherwise. Alternatively, you may need to expand your figures by providing extra lines and creating new shapes in which to break your figure. Just always remember to disregard these false lines when you’re finished with the problem. Because this is an awkward shape, let us create a new line and break the figure into two triangles. Next, let us replace our given information. From our definitions, we know that every triangle will have interior angles that add up to 180 degrees. We also know that the two angles we created will be equal. We can use this information to find the missing, equal, angle measures by subtracting our givens from 180 degrees. $180−30−20−20$ $110$ Now, we can divide that number in half to find the measurement of each of the two equal angles. $110/2$ $55$ Now, we can look at the smaller triangle as its own independent triangle in order to find the measure of angle z. Again, the interior angles will measure out to 180 degrees, so: $180−55−55$ $70$ Angle $z$ is 70 degrees. Our final answer is B, 70. #2: Use your shortcuts If you don’t feel comfortable memorizing formulas or if you are worried about getting them wrong on test day, don’t worry about it! Just understand your shortcuts (for example, remember that all polygons can be broken into triangles) and you’ll do just fine. #3: When possible, use PIA or PIN Because polygons involve a lot of data, it can be very easy to confuse your numbers or lose track of the path you need to go down to solve the problem. For this reason, it can often help you to use either the plugging in answer strategy (PIA) or the plugging in numbers strategy (PIN), even though it can sometimes take longer (for more on this, check out our guides to PIA and PIN). #4: Keep your work organized There is a lot of information to keep track of when working with polygons (especially once you break the figure into smaller shapes). It can be all too easy to lose your place or to mix-up your numbers, so be extra vigilant about your organization and don’t let yourself lose a well-earned point due to careless error. Ready? Test Your Knowledge Now it's time to test your knowledge with real SAT math problems. 1. 2. 3. Answers: D, B, 6.5 Answer Explanations 1. Again, when dealing with polygons, it's useful to break them into smaller pieces. For this trapezoid, let us break the figure into a rectangle and a triangle by dropping down a height at a 90 degree angle. This will give us a rectangle, which means that we will be able to fill in the missing lengths. Now, we can also find the final missing length for the leg of the triangle. Since this is a right triangle, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. $a^2+b^2=c^2$ $x^2+15^2=17^2$ $x^2+225=289$ $x^2=64$ $x=8$ Finally, let us add up all the lines that make up the perimeter of the trapezoid. $17+20+15+20+8$ $80$ Our final answer is D, 80. 2. We are told that the larger polygon has equal sides and equal angles. We can also see that the shaded figure has 4 sides and angles, which means it is a quadrilateral. We know that a quadrilateral has 360 degrees, so let us subtract our givens from 360. $x+y=80$ $360−80=280$ Again, we know that the polygon has all equal angles, so we can find the individual degree measures by dividing this found number in half. $280/2=140$ Each interior angle of the polygon will have 140 degrees. Now, we can find the number of sides by either reversing our polygon side formula or by plugging in answers. Let's look at both methods. Method 1: Formula $${(n−2)180}/n$$ We know that this formula gives us the measure of each interior angle, so let us use the knowledge of our individual interior angle (our found 140 degrees) and plug it in to find n, the number of sides. $140={(n−2)180}/n$ $140n=(n−2)180$ $140n=180n−360$ $−40n=−360$ $n=9$ Our polygon has 9 sides. Our answer is B, 9. Method 2: Plugging in answers We can also use our method of plugging in answers to find the number of sides in our polygon. As always, let us select answer option C. Answer choice C gives us 8 sides. We know that a polygon with eight sides will be broken into 6 triangles. So it will have: $180*6$ $1080$ degrees total Now, if we divide this total by the number of sides, we get: $1080/8$ $135$ Each interior angle will be 135 degrees. This answer is close, but not quite what we want. We also know that the more sides a regular polygon has, the larger each interior angle measure will be (an equilateral triangle's angles are each 60 degrees, a rectangle's angles are each 90 degrees, and so on), so we need to pick a polygon with more than 8 sides. Let us then try answer choice B, 9 sides. We know that a 9-sided polygon will be made from 7 triangles. This means that the total interior degree measure will be: $180*7$ $1260$ And we know that each angle measure will be equal, so: $1260/9$ $140$ We have found our correct answer- a 9-sided polygon will have individual angle measures of 140 degrees. Our final answer is B, nine. 3. Let us begin by breaking up our figure into smaller, more manageable polygons. We know that the larger rectangle will have an area of: $2*1$ $2$ The smaller rectangle will have an area of: $1*x$ $x$ (Note: we are using $x$ in place of one of the smaller sides of the small rectangles, since we do not yet know its length) We are told that the total area is $9/4$, so: $2+x=9/4$ $x=9/4−2$ $x=9/4−8/4$ $x=1/4$ Now that we know the length of x, we can find the perimeter of the whole figure. Let us add all of the lengths of our exposed sides to find our perimeter. $1+2+1+0.25+1+0.25+1$ $6.5$ Our perimeter is $6.5.$ Our final answer is 6.5. I think you deserve a present for pushing through on polygons, don't you? The Take Aways Though polygon questions may seem complicated, all polygons follow just a handful of rules. You may come across irregular polygons and ones with many sides, but the basic strategies and formulas will apply regardless. So long as you follow your solve steps, keep your work well organized, and remember your key definitions, you will be able to take on and solve polygon questions that once seemed utterly obscure. What’s Next? Phew! You knocked out polygons and now it's time to make sure the rest of your math know-how is in top shape. First, make sure you have working knowledge of all the math topics on the SAT so that you can get a sense of your strengths and weaknesses. Next, find more topic-specific SAT math guides like this one so that you can turn those weak areas into strengths. Need to brush up on your probability questions? Fractions and ratios? Lines and angles? No matter what topic you need, we've got you covered. Running out of time on the SAT math? Look to our guide on how to best boost your time (and your score!). Worried about test day? Take a look at how you should prepare for the actual day in question. Want to get a perfect score? Check out our guide to getting an 800 on SAT math, written by a perfect scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

The Totality of the Operations in All Aspect of the Business Research Paper

The Totality of the Operations in All Aspect of the Business - Research Paper Example This term was defined as the concepts guiding the business with the purpose of highlighting the information’ types which were exactly needed and included in the top management as classified in their activities. The information system of the organization may need the selection and focus on the success of the provision of such factors definitely significant in achieving the success of the organization. The focus of the concept is to give the method of outlining providing the information to the levels of top management of the said organization according to the identification of the success factors and ensuring the results with competitive performance to be successful for the individual and organization. As the primary characterization with the outline, the successful organizations may support the process of planning including the communications with the information’s role in terms of technology with the top management. Many factors are absolutely involved to support the pr ocess of planning like for instance the communication process, the role of technological information and the investment decisions in order to assist the information technology. The other factor that may be considered is the understanding and focus of attention for the provision of help to the organization’s success and process of analysis as well as the structural promotion in which the performance of measurement is either qualitative or rather quantitative in nature and the method may be based on the discussion of such a process with goals of the organization including the managers.

Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Portfolio - Essay Example The graduate employers find it hard to fill up the vacancies in spite of receiving innumerable applicants because of the shortage of good quality graduates. It is now utmost important for the applicant to consider what constitute the good quality graduates. However, there has been a shift in the preferences and expectations of the employer when it comes to graduates and the skills that they suppose them to possess. The organisations prefer to have people with firm or industry specific knowledge (Scribd, n.d.). Preferred Job Area After completion of my graduation, I wish to work as a ‘Human Resource Officer’. The respective field has been chosen as I have always been interested in the Human Resource related activities. The task of the human resource officer is to provide advice and implement policies that relates to the effective use of the personnel within the organisation. The main aim of the human resource officer is to ensure that the organisation employs right balanc e of the staffs according to their knowledge and skills. They also need to check if the training and development opportunities are made available to the employees in order to enhance their performances. The human resource officer needs to have a clear understanding of what the objective of the employers business is and they must be able to make and implement the policies that helps to select, develop as well as retain the correct staff which is required to meet these objectives. There has been change in the character of the HR professionals. The nature of the work of the human resource profession varies according to the organisation. However, it is likely to include working in tandem with the departments, liaising with the wide range of people that is involved in the policy areas such as staff performance, their health and safety, negotiating with the staffs and their representatives on matters related to the pay and condition, administering the payroll and the maintenance of the em ployee record (Prospects, 2010). Various organisations offers HR Officers job in the UK. Few of them are United Response, Huntress Search Limited and Candidate Source Limited (Monster, 2010). United Response is a charity that works across England and Wales. It caters support to the people who have various disabilities (United Response, 2010). The recruitment process of the United Response is quite simple. The candidate needs to register online. The candidate will be required to answer few simple questions and then they can either qualify for an interview on the day of recruitment or on some other day (United Response, 2010). Huntress is one of the most creative, active and rapidly growing recruitment groups. It is a multi award wining company having 18 centres in the UK. It is soon going to expand its operation both internationally and domestically (Huntress Commercial, n.d.). The company requires that the candidate should have certain kind of generalist HR experience and must be ab le to deal with various kinds of HR issues (Monster, n.d.). Networx is another famous company based in the UK, Leicestershire. The company work together with the clients and the candidates and tries to deliver a qualitative professional service that not only focus upon the time and the cost efficiency, but also put stress upon the

The Need for Management Accounting Information Essay

The Need for Management Accounting Information - Essay Example Management accounting is a branch of accounting that provides accounting information for use by the management internally (Drury 7). Sharma duly notes that the accounting information provided by management accountants is utilized in decision making by a firm (Sharma 100). The information forms a basis for informed decisions to be made. It is imperative to have the relevant information before making decisions especially those that have immense impacts on the fortunes of an organization. Concrete management decisions, if based on reliably generated management information, can ensure profitability (Riahi-Belkaoui 28). Management information simplifies complex accounting phenomena drawn from different disciplines, classify them and present them in a way that managers can understand and, consequently, make informed decisions. Okoli asserts that the value of making the right decisions cannot be overstated; it is extremely valuable than indecision and, certainly, more desirable than wrong d ecisions (Okoli 53). For a profit making organization, the indecision of a manager is as bad as making the wrong decision. This paper delves into the impact that management accounting information has on a management decision making hoping to show the need for managers to be furnished with this kind of information. In an effort to achieve that objective this paper starts by highlighting the characteristics of management accounting information and differentiating it from financial accounting information.

Question set 4-6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Question set 4-6 - Assignment Example The project management system enables users to easily see that resources are applied to the right tasks at the right time. It assists managers to make sure that they have allocated ample time to the employees for the success of the project (R.Drew 2009). Project management system enables assigning of tasks which can be declined or accepted by the managers depending on whether they have the time and resources to perform the tasks. This in turn provides team work since one is not assigned tasks they cannot or do not what to perform. It also ensures that there is no overlap in resource assignment (R.Drew 2009). A project sponsor is the link between the project team and the organisation executive team. They own the project and have the ultimate responsibility for seeing that the intended benefits are realized to create the value of forecast in the business case (L. Bourne 2012). An escalation process ensures that the next level of management is informed periodically, if an issue cannot be resolved by the project manager. Examples of some of the issues that are usually escalated are resource conflicts; this is where during projects people are pulled out to go and assist resolve problems in their day to day work areas threatening the projects ability to meet its schedule. Another example is when the project team realizes that late in the project, there are issues with the project’s main deliverables and the team believes that the issue cannot be corrected within the original time (efor_blog 2009). The escalation process should be defined at the beginning of the project by setting expectations as to how certain issues will be raised to the project sponsor during the project to avoid conflict between the project team and the project sponsor. The project team should keep track of the issues, regularly reviewing them and determining their significance, so that teams see which should be escalated. This can

Comparison between the way the Europeans treated the Native Americans Essay

Comparison between the way the Europeans treated the Native Americans and the Africans before the 20th century - Essay Example The Europeans began to disregard the hospitality and respect accorded to them by the Native Americans and went ahead to display their insatiable greed for their valued resources and land hence treating them arrogantly. As a result, the Europeans commenced a series of brutal attacks as they invaded the Native Americans’ land and resources. Need to conquer the Native Americans made the Europeans increase their troops in this land (91). As such, this appears to be the reason as to why Kevin Reilly terms their flow to America as â€Å"stars in heaven†. Apart from treating the Native Americans with arrogance attitude, the Europeans also discriminated against the American Indians. According to Reilly, the explorers and colonialists brought in devastating diseases such as small pox, measles, and yellow fever, among others, which diminished and annihilated drastically the entire Native American population. Under this spectrum, the Europeans sought to remove the Native Americans by slaughtering them ferociously, a factor that led to the worst massacre through the enactment of the Indian Removal Act in 1830 and 1890 (164). In this case, the Europeans treated Native Americans as primitive and resilient. This treatment led to the removal of Native Americans from their homes, starvation, and exposure as well as illnesses that aimed at reducing them in numbers. Additionally, the Europeans treated Native Americans with suspicion hence took away their children to schools where they civilized them and ensured that they did not value their customs and traditions. With reference to archival researches as well as academic studies, the Europeans treated both the Native Americans and the Africans almost the same with Africans facing a greater deal of racial discrimination (202). This is so because the Europeans discriminated against Native Americans and Africans on a racial basis and civility. Ideally, the Europeans treated Native Americans as non-civilized beings and as such reduced them by killing them and drawing them into reservations and thereafter taking their children to schools in order to end their belief s and customs. On the other end, Europeans treated Africans as inferior. For three centuries, the Europeans traded Africans as slaves simply because they believed Africans were inferior. The Europeans believed that the continent of Africa was dark and the people living in it were illiterate. Due to their limited information, the Europeans portrayed them as childish and warlike. European explorers saw Africans as savages shaped by their activities, which included hunting and gathering. In addition, Europeans treated Africans with barbarism since they believed that the African soil was fertile, and the climate made it possible for Africans to have â€Å"tropical abundance† hence become lazy due to fatness. In this regard, the Europeans tr

Question set 4-6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Question set 4-6 - Assignment Example The project management system enables users to easily see that resources are applied to the right tasks at the right time. It assists managers to make sure that they have allocated ample time to the employees for the success of the project (R.Drew 2009). Project management system enables assigning of tasks which can be declined or accepted by the managers depending on whether they have the time and resources to perform the tasks. This in turn provides team work since one is not assigned tasks they cannot or do not what to perform. It also ensures that there is no overlap in resource assignment (R.Drew 2009). A project sponsor is the link between the project team and the organisation executive team. They own the project and have the ultimate responsibility for seeing that the intended benefits are realized to create the value of forecast in the business case (L. Bourne 2012). An escalation process ensures that the next level of management is informed periodically, if an issue cannot be resolved by the project manager. Examples of some of the issues that are usually escalated are resource conflicts; this is where during projects people are pulled out to go and assist resolve problems in their day to day work areas threatening the projects ability to meet its schedule. Another example is when the project team realizes that late in the project, there are issues with the project’s main deliverables and the team believes that the issue cannot be corrected within the original time (efor_blog 2009). The escalation process should be defined at the beginning of the project by setting expectations as to how certain issues will be raised to the project sponsor during the project to avoid conflict between the project team and the project sponsor. The project team should keep track of the issues, regularly reviewing them and determining their significance, so that teams see which should be escalated. This can

HRA340 MODULE 5; Training Project, Part 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HRA340 MODULE 5; Training Project, Part 3 - Essay Example The firm can also use social media to offer training since it will save the firm from travelling expenses if all the employees were to travel at the physical premises so as to receive training. (Bacon, 1999). Sales representatives who may be interested in using motorcycles may use interactive multimedia training so as to learn how to ride motorcycles followed by a proficiency test to see how the employee knows how to ride the motorcycle Technology-based learning enables the trainer to get more of the learner’s involvement compared to any other environment. Besides, the trainees have the advantage of learning at their own pace such as through interactive video, PC and phone-based programs, along with interactive multimedia. These technologies are cost effective to the firm to the firm in the long-run, but costly in the short-run since it quite expensive to install internet infrastructure and purchasing computers. Simulators are described by Noe (2013) as an imitation of real work experiences. The simulators may be used to train the new recruits on how to talk with new customers and convince them to buy in a simulated environment. In addition, the motorcycle-sales representatives could utilise simulators to practise responding to dangerous riding circumstances. However, simulators are very costly for a firm like Binz. Purchasing simulators may cost about $5000. Shifting right into work is regarded as one of the most effective ways of training. The trainees will read manuals to get gain knowledge on various tasks in the sales department. The trainer could also use the internet so that the trainees could post their questions regarding the specific duties that will be answered by the trainer. On-the-job training offers employee the motivation to commence a job. Studies have shown that individuals learn more effectively when they learn hands-on. In this case, the new sales representatives could work with the older employees who would teach them how to carry

Animal Testing Controversy Essay Example for Free

Animal Testing Controversy Essay Each year, millions of animals suffer and die in the process of inhumane testing for the purposes of drug and chemical research, and medical experiments and training exercises. Animals including cats, dogs, rabbits, and mice are force fed harmful substances that are infected with lethal viruses causing reactions like brain damage, strokes, and heart attacks. Not only are these experiments painful to the animals and sometimes fatal, but also they fail to accurately reflect human reactions and are not required by the FDA. The primary reason why animal testing should cease to exist is because it is inhumane to strip a helpless animal of its rights for the benefit of experimentation and research. Animals have a basic moral right to respectful treatment . . .. This inherent value is not respected when animals are reduced to being mere tools in a scientific experiment.† (Lonestar) While animals cannot express themselves as humans can, they can feel, think, behave, and experience pain. Their inability to express themselves should not be taken advantage of. While the FDA encourages manufacturers to conduct whatever testing is necessary to ensure the safety of their products, it does not specifically require the use of animals. (FDA) The FDA actually encourages companies to consider alternatives before deciding that testing on animals is necessary. They advocate that research and testing for products use a maximum amount of useful scientific information and a minimal number of animals tested. When testing does occur, they advocate for the most humane methods available. The Food and Drug Administration supports the Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Policy of Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. If companies are not required by the FDA to test their products on animals, there is no reason that it should be a method that is resorted to for experimentation. Not only is animal testing morally incorrect, but it is also not the most effective method to conduct research on products to be used by humans. In fact, 92 percent of experimental drugs that are safe and effective in animals fail to tell us that they are too dangerous or ineffective on humans. (Do Something) When conducting an experiment for safety and efficacy on animals, the purpose is to try the product on a living system before exposing it to a human. But the complicated living system of a human being barely compares to that of a helpless small animal. For example Aspirin and chocolate are harmful to cats and dogs while they remain completely unharmful to humans. There are many alternatives that can be used in place for testing on animals. â€Å"Alternative† tests are those that meet one or more of the standards of the â€Å"three R’s: They replace procedures that uses animals with one that doesn’t, reduce the number of animals used in the procedure, or refine a procedure to alleviate or minimize potential animal pain. (DoSomething) While not all of the ‘R’s’ are a complete solution to animal testing, putting any of the three in place would make a significant impact on the lives of many animals. As citizens and consumers, there are ways that we can stand up for the cause of the animals being tested. Many animals are harmed in the process of experimentation for educational purposes. We can demand that our alma maters stop using animals for this purpose. Buying cruelty-free products is something that can be done as a consumer to take away business from companies that test their products on animals. We can make sure that when donating to charities, we choose those that dont experiment on animals. As citizens, we can request from our government legislation that requires alternatives to animal dissection and the immediate implementation of humane, effective non-animal tests. (PETA) Opponents would have you believe that it is okay for animals to be tested on so that humans and sometimes animals would suffer less in the future, however, â€Å"We should be concerned about how animals are treated in research, and [†¦] eliminate the number of animals who suffers† (ASPCA). Researchers are concerned only with their results and not the harmful process it takes to get them. It is clear that not only is animal testing cruel and necessary, but ineffective. However with alternatives to testing and strategies of protest, it’s possible for us to begin to diminish animal testing.

Multinational Apparel Specialist Retailer Marketing Essay

Multinational Apparel Specialist Retailer Marketing Essay HM Hennes Mauritz AB HM or the group, founded in 1947 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, is a multinational apparel specialist retailer and famous for its fast-fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children (Larenaudie, 2004). Besides the companys primary and eponymous chain, the group also operates through four independent brands: Collection of Style (COS), Monki, Weekday, and Cheap Monday (HM, 2011a). Growing with the business concept to offer fashion and quality at the best price, by the end of 2011, the group has grown one of the largest global apparel retailers with presence in 43 markets and nearly 2500 stores (HM, 2011a). HM operates within only a single segment: sale of clothing and cosmetics (MarketLine, 2012), which locates the company as a fast-fashion retailer in global apparel industry. High level of rivalry among competitors has been witnessed within the global apparel industry. And the fluctuating price of raw materials, unpredictability of fashion trends and increasing demand of real-time update from consumers also pose challenges towards fashion retailers. However, HM, as one of the fast-fashion pioneers, has an outstanding and steady performance over the years. There are various factors contributing to HMs outstanding performance. Combined with the industrys key success factors, it is essential for a fashion retailer to balance cost efficiency with differentiation, have strong brand-consciousness and global expansion. Also, the continuously heated corporate social responsibility (CSR) issue remains the key to HMs success. Therefore, this dissertation aims to achieve three goals: To analyse HMs performance based on the global apparel retailing industrys key success factors To competitively analyse HMs position against its competitors, especially Zara (Inditex Group) To reach recommendations for the companys future strategy This chapter serves as a general overview of the paper and aims to help readers with the guideline of thoughts in the dissertation. Chapter Two discusses literature review and methodology. Chapter Three focuses on analysis of global apparel retailing industry with Five Forces Analysis, PESTLE Analysis and Key Success Factors of the industry. Chapter Four is the main analysis of HM, starting based on four key success factors: cost efficiency; brand-consciousness; global expansion; and CSR, followed by competitive positioning of the company, financial analysis, SWOT analysis, and ending with recommendations. Chapter Five is the conclusion of the dissertation. Due to personal limitation of knowledge and reach of resources, several parts of discussions in the dissertation could not be conducted in-depth. No dependable survey and data collections have been conducted due to personal limitation of time and financial support. The dissertation is mainly based on figures and data collected from second-hand resources. Chapter 2: Literature Review and Methodology Literature Review This section serves as a theoretical support for the validity of the analysis of global apparel retailing industry in Chapter Three and analysis of HM in Chapter Four. Industry Analysis The analysis of global apparel retailing industry is conducted with Five Forces Analysis (Chapter 3.2), PESTLE Analysis (Chapter 3.3) and Key Success Factors (Chapter 3.4). Five Forces Analysis developed by Michael Porter illustrates five factors determining the level of competition and profitability within an industry (Grant, 2010). The framework is widely used in industry analysis and is conducted by analysing five sources of competitive pressure: buyer power, supplier power, new entrants, substitutes, and rivalry (Grant, 2010) (see Figure 1). Figure 1: Porters Five Forces framework (Grant, 2010) PESTLE Analysis is a framework to clarify and discuss the external macro-environment that affects an industry which stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors (Nejati et al, 2008). Key Success Factors of an industry is identified by analysing the factors that help a firm survive and thrive within the market environment (Grant, 2010). By analysing two main criteria what do customers want and how does firm survive competition the shared key elements of customer desire and the nature of rivalry could be identified (Grant, 2010) (see Figure 2) Figure 2: Identifying Key Success Factors (Grant, 2010) Combining Five Forces Analysis with PESTLE Analysis, industry environment could be discussed in details in Chapter Three. After the analysis of industry environment, key success factors will be reached by the model to serve as the basis for company analysis in Chapter Four. Marketing Mix Marketing mix model, also known as the 4Ps, is the combination of Price, Product, Promotion and Place, adopted by companies to explore their unique selling points (McCarthy, 1960) (see Figure 3). Figure 3: Marketing Mix 4Ps (McCarthy, 1960) By employing marketing mix model in Chapter 4.2, the unique marketing combination of HM has been analysed. International Product Life Cycle Theory The product life cycle (PLC) theory explains the basic development of products and motivations for international trade (Ajami Goddard, 2006). The theory describes four discrete stages in a product life cycle: introduction, growth, maturity, and decline (Vernon, 1966) (see Figure 4). Figure 4: Product Life Cycle Theory (Vernon, 1966) The PLC theory has been widely adopted in analysis of international business and trade (Ajami Goddard, 2006). In Chapter 4.2 and Chapter 4.4.1, the theory has been used in explaining HMs product and market select and entry in global expansion progress. Uppsala Model The Uppsala Model suggests that a companys global expansion is a gradual process reliant on market knowledge and incremental decisions (Johanson and Vahlne, 1977; Frynas Mellahi, 2011). The theory is based on the assumption that firms expand globally with logical steps, based on the gathered information from foreign markets, which will lead to greater involvement of market commitment to more international business activities (Johanson and Vahlne, 1977; Frynas Mellahi, 2011). The model is based on two steps. First, when starting foreign market selection and entry, firms normally start expanding to neighbouring countries or countries with small psychic distance (Frynas Mellahi, 2011). Then after gathering experiential market knowledge, the firm expand to foreign markets step by step (Frynas Mellahi, 2011). Figure 5: Uppsala Model (Frynas Mellahi, 2011) The Uppsala Model helps understand a companys choice and plan in international market selection and mode of entry. In Chapter 4.4, Uppsala Model is employed to better illustrate the global expansion strategy of HM. Corporate Social Responsibility The European Commission defines Corporate Social Responsibility as: A concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis (Commission of the European Communities, 2001) The importances of CSR has been analysed by Porter and Kramer (2006) as follows: Figure 6: Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (Porter and Kramer, 2006) In Chapter 4.5, the theory has been used to discuss and analyse HMs involvement in CSR activities and its effects. Market Positioning A firm can achieve its competitive advantages in either of two methods: either it can supply an identical product or service at a lower cost or it can supply a product or service that is differentiated in such a way that the customer is willing to pay a price premium that exceeds the additional cost of the differentiation (Grant, 2010), which defines two different approaches to achieve competitive advantages: cost leadership and differentiation. Combining the two approaches with the firms competitive scope either industry-wide or single segment Michael Porter has defined generic strategies as follows (Grant, 2010) (Figure 7): Figure 7: Porters Generic Strategies (Porter, 1980) And a firm should focus on either one of the strategies above and avoid stuck in the middle (Porter, 1980). By defining the firms strategy of achieving competitive advantages, the firm could be positioned in the market. Market positioning is about where you are located in the marketplace, largely as judge by customers, compared to the rest (Piercy, 2009) In Chapter 4.6.1, the market positioning theory has been used to analyse HMs competitive positioning within the market and serve as basis to comparative analysis against its competitors. Methodology As to the methodology of this dissertation, phenomenological paradigm is adopted due to the explanatory and descriptive nature of the analysis. Qualitative approach is implemented in the dissertation for that quantitative method requires the collection and interpretation of abundant accurate primary data to make sure reaching reliable conclusions, while the analysis of HM largely depends on secondary data and research group releases and third party opinions. Due to the limitation of my personal knowledge, further research might be needed for more accurate information to be acquired. Chapter 3: Industry Analysis HM operates within only a single segment: sale of clothing and cosmetics (MarketLine, 2012), which locates the company as a fast-fashion retailer in global apparel industry. The following chapter examines the industry with an overview, Five Forces Analysis, PESTLE Analysis and then comes up with Key Success Factors of the industry. 3.1 Industry Overview The apparel retail industry consists of the sale of menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, clothing accessories, hosiery and footwear within the global market including North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, MEA and Asia-Pacific (MarketLine, 2012). Figure 8: Industry Overview of Global Apparel Industry (MarketLine, 2012) The global clothing retailing industry has witnessed moderate growth in recent years. In FY2011, the total revenue of the industry had reached $1175.4 billion, a 2.7% growth between FY2007 and FY2011 (Figure). In all categorical segments, the womenswear segment remained most profitable in FY2011, representing 51.1% of the total value of the industry (Euromonitor International, 2011). Figure 9: Global Apparel Retail Industry Value; Global Apparel Retail Industry Geography Segmentation (MarketLine, 2012) 3.2 Five Forces Analysis As introduced in Chapter 2.1.1, the market will be analysed from five aspects: buyer power, supplier power, substitutes, new entrants and degree of rivalry. The analysis will take individual consumers as key buyers, manufacturers and wholesalers as key suppliers, and other retailers as players. Figure 10: Forces driving competition in the global apparel retail industry (MarketLine, 2011) 3.2.1 Buyer Power In global apparel retail industry, buyers are mostly individual consumers. As clothing has been recognised as symbols of fashion taste and social status, buyer power is weakened by design patterns and branding of a retailer (Bhardwaj and Fairhurst, 2010). However, the low switching costs of consumers strengthen buyer powers due to various choices on market. Furthermore, apparel retailers are at the end of the value chain. In a market where fashion trends change quickly and unpredictably, they have to offer buyers as demanded. This enhances buyer power. Overall, buyer power in this industry is assessed as moderate. 3.2.2 Supplier Power Major suppliers in the industry are clothing manufacturers and wholesalers, which are normally small to medium sized firms (MarketLine, 2011). In most countries, the supplier sector is fragmented because of the absence of diversity among suppliers (MarketLine, 2011). And further fragmentation is made by the retailers ability to outsource from foreign countries, especially from low-wage and labour-intensive regions such as China and India (Deloitte, 2011). However, the law of national minimum wage in some countries raises the labour power of suppliers. So overall, supplier power is assessed as moderate. 3.2.3 New Entrants Moderate growth has been witnessed in global apparel industry, making less people attracted to the market. However, with low barriers to entry and low requirement to start up a business in the industry, there are high possibilities for individuals to enter. And low switching costs for consumers and lack of variety in product differentiation in the market is beneficial for new entrants to compete. However, in some countries (e.g. the US) the market is majorly occupied by some large corporations from scale economies and strong buyer power (MarketLine, 2011). Regulation in the industry has remained little but recently corporate social responsibility issues have been heated among consumers (Idowu Filho, 2008). These factors prove that new entrants are strong threats. 3.2.4 Substitutes There are no substitutes for apparel. However, major substitute for retailing is to buy clothes directly from manufacturers (Zentes et al, 2011). This option is strengthened by the increase of online stores. Online shopping has been increasingly accepted by consumers (Peck et al, 2011). And by running online fashion stores, large amount of overhead could be avoided. There are still niche substitutes like home-made and couture clothing, or second-hand clothing (MarketLine, 2011). However, substitute threats are assessed as weak. 3.2.5 Degree of Rivalry The global apparel clothing industry is considered as fragmented (Jones, 2006). There are large numbers of small size retailers with the same product differentiation. And with increasing number of retailers expanding products to accessories and other diversities, rivalry in the industry has been intensified. With a moderate growth and low requirement of market entry, a high degree of rivalry has been resulted. In conclusion, the global apparel retailing industry is fragmented with moderate growth, weak threat from substitutes, moderate buyer power and supplier power. Low barrier to entry and low requirement for entrants have resulted in strong threats of new entrants and further led to high degree of rivalry. 3.3 PESTLE Analysis As discussed in Chapter 2.1.1, the macro-environment of the industry is analysed by PESTLE analysis regarding political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental aspects (Grant, 2010). Political As for global apparel retailers, legislations vary among different countries and areas (Cobra, 2011). Every retailer in the industry must follow government regulations regarding goods and labour (Graham Richardson, 1997). And the political stability is also crucial for fashion retailers as it would directly affect their sales situation and asset safety (Aspers, 2010). Economic For fashion apparel retailers, economic trends are crucial for their strong impacts on consumer behaviours and purchasing powers. For example, in 2011, the global economic recession had negative effects on fashion retailers (Euromonitor International, 2011). Because consumers with lower disposable income regard clothing as functional item, while with higher disposable income branding became important as a symbol of social status and fashion taste (MarketLine, 2012). Price fluctuation of raw materials cotton price for apparel retailers has significant impacts on the industry (MarketLine, 2012). Interest rates also would affect sales and high interest rates lead to difficulties to trade overseas (Arnold, 2010). Moreover, currency situation is important as the exchange rate influences the value and trades of retailers (Browne, 2000). Social Increasing attentions from public have been focused on corporate social responsibilities (CSR) of apparel retailers, mainly regarding labour conditions, such as protection of workers rights, maintaining safe working conditions, reasonable wage and no child labours (Idowu Filho, 2008). Also, for global fashion retailers, cultural differences between counties are crucial due to different fashion trends, consumer behaviours, or local customs. Technological The development of technology has enabled global apparel retailers with e-commerce and international trade more effectively (Euromonitor, 2011). And with the implementation of high technology, supply chain has changed significantly with global outsourcing, real-time update, and continuous replenishment (Lopez and Fan, 2009). Moreover, online shopping has been increasingly accepted by consumers, which initiated a new channel for retailers to cut costs by less middlemen and no store rent (Peck et al, 2011). Law Global apparel retailers need to follow different government legislation regarding employment and production (Graham Richardson, 1997). For instance, in some countries, such as the UK, there is national minimum wage to protect employees rights (Low Pay Commission, 2011). And tariffs from international trade are also important for international retailers to abide by. Environmental Environment protection has remained a heated issue among apparel retailing industry, especially issues like chemical restrictions and pollutions during production (Euromonitor International, 2011). It is also crucial for retailers to save energies and materials and reduce environmental impacts during product life cycle (PLC) (Chapter 2.1.3). From the above analysis, global apparel industry largely depends on political stability, government legislation, high-technology, public relations. And fluctuating price of source remains a major challenge to apparel retailers. 3.4 Key Success Factors As introduced in Chapter 2.1.1, Key Success Factors of apparel retail industry is analysed with the Grant model by examining the demand and competition of the industry as following Figure 11: Identifying Key Success Factors of Global Apparel Retailing Industry (Grant, 2010) Therefore, from the analysis above, for a global apparel retailer, cost efficiency is one of the crucial factors for that low cost ensures profitability and efficiency indicates fast responding time to meet demand, allowing fashion and quality at the best price (HMs business concept, HM, 2011a). Brand strategy also plays a key role in apparel retailers success as it facilitates customer loyalty. Differentiation of style in fashion industry positions the companys competitiveness and brand image in the market. Global expansion strategy of an apparel retailer is also essential as choices of global markets and international strategy decide retailers future development, global presence and even profitability (Deloitte, 2011). The continuously heated issue of corporate social responsibility also remains the key to companys brand image among public and future growth. It plays a vital role in companys success due to the heated social issue of environmental protection and labour conditions (I dowu Filho, 2008) In the following chapter, the company will be analysed starting based on key success factors to seek for unique interpretation of HMs performance. Chapter 4: Analysis of HM This Chapter is mainly focuses on analysis of HM, starting by analysis based on four key success factors of the industry, followed by competitive positioning analysis, financial analysis, and SWOT analysis, and ended with recommendations. 4.1 Operations Strategy HMs business concept is to offer fashion and quality and the best price (HM, 2011a). To make sure the company follows the leading fashion trends, quality of designing and lead time of distribution are important (Slack et al, 2010). And the offer of best price needs to rely on the basis that cost from each stage has been minimised. 4.1.1 Reduction of Costs Cost-consciousness at every stage remains the key to HMs operations (ZavrÃ…Â ¡nik, 2007). To achieve the growth target with offering best price, HM has a professional buying team (HM, 2011a). The company arranges its buying activities according to decisions from design team (MarketLine, 2011). The buying team achieves lowest cost by purchasing in bulk with the right products from the right market (ZavrÃ…Â ¡nik, 2007). With no factories itself, the company outsources its product manufacturing to approximately 700 suppliers, mostly in Asia and Europe (HM, 2011a). The manufacturing locations are divided by the level of fashion-sensitiveness: the fashion-sensitive collections are normally manufactured within Europe to cut the lead time while the cost-sensitive and sustainable collections are produced in Asia to allow the lowest possible price and achieve economies of scale (HM, 2011a). Furthermore, HM focuses on building long-term relationships with suppliers and manufacturers (HM, 2011a). HM does not own any factories (HM, 2011a), so quality control over the whole process might be a problem. Due to fast responses to fashion trend, there is usually not enough time to perform detailed quality control. Therefore the company has been involved in accusation of poor quality. So, dependable suppliers could not only provide HM with lowest price, but also ensure the quality of products from long-term cooperation and mutual understanding. Moreover, as a fast-fashion retailer, HM has lead time from weeks up to six months (HM, 2011a), which is slower than its strongest competitor Zara (Inditex Group) of maximum 14 days. However, faster responses indicate higher cost, HM focuses on reduction of cost and achieves balance between fast-fashion and price, allowing averagely 30% 50% lower price than Zara (Larenaudie, 2004) 4.1.2 Speed of Responses HM holds the point that the right lead time should be balanced between price, time and quality instead of pursuing merely short lead time (Euromonitor, 2012). However, as a fast-fashion retailer, quick responding to fashion trends, consumer demand and other market changes is still key for the company (Grant, 2010). The company achieves fast responses by integrating downstream and being efficient at every stage (HM, 2011a). HM has a professional design team. The in-house design team, headquartered in Stockholm with over 150 internal designers, focuses on combining inspirations and information from multiple resources such as news, travelling, streetstyle and various exhibitions and catwalks (J.P.Morgan, 2012). This cross-functional designing could ensure the quick response to market change. High technology has also been used by HM to ensure the speed and efficiency of supply chain and enable changes could be made quickly enough and design agreement then could be fasten (Bruce and Daly, 2006). HM has conducted top-class computerised design software and built common IT platform that enables quick information exchange between the process of designing, production and warehouse. The group set only limited stocking area in each store to keep maximum area for display. So the replenishment needs to be backed up by effective distributions according to the daily sales. The immediate sales data communication serves as a strong basis for fast response and efficiency at every stage. With this in-house design and outsourced production process, HM claimed that their lead time could range from weeks to up to six months: fashion-conscious within weeks and sustainable and classics could be months (HM, 2011a), achieving balance between price, quality and time. 4.2 Marketing Mix Strategy After analysing the cost and efficiency strategy of the company, marketing strategy will be analysed first with the companys unique marketing mix (Chapter 2.1.2). Price HM makes effort to differentiate its brand image from other fast-fashion retailers with competitive low price (ZavrÃ…Â ¡nik, 2011). The company makes efforts to offer best possible price in spite of fluctuating costs of raw materials. However, the price range of HM products varies according to designs, current interest rates, and tariffs (Larenaudie, 2004). Product Clothing is the main product for HM. The company offers a wide range of designs for clothing, from classics to basics, to designs following the latest fashion trends. In addition, HM expands product mix to make the most of sales opportunities, such as make-up and costume jewellery at competitive prices, and home furnishings for young households (Euromonitor, 2011). Furthermore, as fashion trends intertwined (Steele, 2011), the new sustainable collection and classics collection enable a longer Product Life Cycle (Chapter 2.1.3) to maximise the design and avoid quick decline. Promotion Marketing promotion is crucial for apparel retailers to build the brand image (Cooklin, 2006). Various methods could be adopted, such as advertising, social media presence, personal selling, publicity, presentations (Cooklin, 2006). For HM, inviting guest designers has been a major attraction to customers (Euromonitor International, 2011). Also, HM has two major fashion seasons annually spring season and autumn season, and two sales season summer sales and the Christmas and New Year season (HM, 2011a). The two sales seasons promote products and attracts more customer visits with even lower prices. Place HM has strong global presence with over 2500 stores by the end of 2011 (MarketLine, 2011). However, the majority of HMs store-based apparel sales come from Europe, with Germany contributing the most, followed by the UK and France (Euromonitor International, 2011). In addition, HM has a growth target to increase the number of stores by 10% to 15% every year (HM, 2011a). But the company does not own any store facilities. By renting store premises the company could achieve flexibility to the best level and make sure store locate at the best possible position. And the company has leading distribution system enabling continuous replenishment based on real-time update sales data (Bruce and Daly, 2006). 4.3 Brand and Multi-Channel Strategy In the fashion retail industry, brand image is crucial in building customer loyalty (Bhardwaj and Fairhurst, 2010). HM is the most important brand for the group and enjoys strong presence internationally. With only limited investment in advertisement on TV, HMs collections with famous guest designers and celebrities have been the major hit to attract customers. From Karl Lagerfeld for HM in 2004, M by Madonna in 2007, Jimmy Choos shoes and bags in selected stores in 2009, to the exciting autumn hit Versace for HM in 2011 and Marni at HM in 2012, the guest collections fully showed attraction to customers, which interlink the price-conscious brand together with great design and quality (Euromonitor, 2011). As a mass-production fashion retailer, HM could raise brand impacts globally by cooperation with celebrities and famous brands to create the feeling of luxury and limit edition for its own customers. By collaboration with HM, luxurious brands could open up customer market with lower disposable income. Figure 12: Images of HMs Collections by Guest Designers and Celebrities (Versace, Madonna, Jimmy Choo) (HM Annual Report) In addition, HM sells not only through store premises, but also over the internet and catalogue books, which with brand strategy, composes together HMs multi-channel strategy. HM has made positive progress by promoting limited online sales globally allowing consumers in areas with no HM stores to purchase online, which boosts global brand image for HM and generates sales (MarketLine, 2011). The company also produces own online webzine HM Life, linking to its online stores and fashion items with latest trends (Euromonitor International, 2012). Furthermore, HM has successfully combined social media strategy to build up its brand and customer loyalty with Facebook page, twitter account, YouTube account and special online social hub (MarketLine, 2011). For example, HMs Facebook page has competitive engagement rate of 2% (likes, comments, share, etc.). And the presence of free smartphone app for its brand is available to keep customers update with new products and sales. Figure 13: Images of HMs Social Media Network: Facebook Page, Twitter Page and Youtube Page (HM, 2012) With the success of clothing, HM further extend the product range to maximise sales opportunities by selling low cost make-up and jewellery and home furnishing (MarketLine, 2011). Following Inditex, the group has transferred into multi-brand channels. Besides HM, the group also has four independent brands, namely COS, Monki, Weekday and Cheap Monday, allowing the company expand its network further and avoiding saturation in European market (Euromonitor, 2011). However, these brands still only have limited presence globally. 4.4 Domestic and Global Strategy With a unique strategy and clear brand identity, a fashion retailer should then develop its global expansion for further growth. The global expansion strategy and process could be better illustrated with Uppsala Model theory (Chapter 2.1.4). 4.4.1 Market Selection and Entry HM, headquartered in Sweden, started expansion into neighbouring countries Norway (1964) and Denmark (1967) (MarketLine, 2011), and followed by entering other countries and regions (Chapter 2.1.4) (Appendix 1). As introduced in Chapter 2, similar culture or shared borders could all reduce psychic distances between foreign customers and can encourage the companys global expansion (Ghemawat, 2001). Western Europe still witness HMs majority of sales growth, which shows the effects of shorter psychic distances. Following Uppsala model (Chapter 2.1.4), after gathering market knowledge and analysis of potential growth, the company entered global market by acquisitions and with greater levels of market commitment (Appendix 1). With an ambitious growth target of 10% to 15% increase in store numbers every year (HM, 2011a), the company strategically selected global markets and made effort to expand globally step by step. Gradually, the brand established its global name among consumers. However, the dominance of Western Europe leaves HM reliant on this region (Euromonitor, 2011). Economic recession within the Eurozone could influence the sales directly, and saturation would limit HMs further growth potential. At the meantime, the apparel industry in other districts prospers, especially Latin America, with a forecast sales value growth of 25%, where HM is absent (Euromonitor, 2011). Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific is also forecast with high sales value growing potential of 32% and 33% respectively (Euromonitor, 2011). 4.4.2 Domestic Strategy After selection and entry into global market, HM has witnessed strong global growth. Compared with international market, domestic market has moderate performance. However, headquartered in Sweden, HM still possesses large portion of market share (Euromonitor, 2012). The companys sales growth in Sweden remains steady (Figure 14). With strong purchasing power, consumers in Sweden tend to buy clothes for enjoyment over necessity. Most of sales were conducted in store purchasing over the past five years (Figure 1