Is the Claim that PRSPs Increase National Ownership of Programmes Assignment

Is the Claim that PRSPs Increase National Ownership of Programmes through Extensive Participation Substantiated in Specific Country Contexts - Assignment Example The adoption by local governments of policies advanced by international donor organizations like the IMF and World Bank often leaves doubt about the amount of relevance that they have for the states represented by these local governments. Ownership can be considered as influenced by the extent to which the PRSP reflects policies tailored to fit the needs of the individual country, and this might be seen as indicative of the amount of involvement (at all levels of the society) granted the nation in its compilation.   Previous attempts at formulating written strategies for reducing poverty (such as the Policy Framework Paper) had resulted in almost the entire document’s being drafted by the IFI in question (Piron & Evans, 2004). The PRSP differs in that it must be drafted by the country hoping to receive the grant or debt cancellation. Ownership can be called into question on more than one level. First, ownership by the local government can be questioned because of the nature of the document. The fact that grants and debt cancellations are dependent on its completion and approval by the IFI raises doubts as to whether the policies represented will originate with and reflect the needs of the recipient government and not the donor groups. Doubts also arise concerning the extent to which the nation as a whole may be said to own the PRSP, as internal frictions and disjointedness within the levels of government as well as between and among local non-governmental organizations may also prevent the document’s being representative of the different levels and sections of society. The meaning of the term â€Å"participation† is also relevant in the consideration of ownership of PRSP’s. Participation can range from cursory and superficial consultation of the local governments on the one hand, to (on the other hand) the empowerment of that government by entrusting it with a decision-making part in the process.

Gold Bear Golf INC. Essay Example for Free

Gold Bear Golf INC. Essay 1.The professional auditing standards have a set of five management assertions. Of the five assertions, three are very important in regards to the Paragon audit. The descriptions below, audit procedure is explained that would have ensured the audit was completed accurately. a.Occurrence- The management assertion that ensures a particular transaction actually happened. In the case of a construction company such as Paragon, this could be verified by going to a job site and checking to see if the job is actually happening. b.Valuation/Allocation- The management assertion that ensures the transactions are accounted for the correct amount. Changing from percentage-of completion method to the earned value method resulted in significantly overstated revenues and material misstatements in the financial statements. The audit procedure that should take place in this situation is inspection of the records. Looking back at the records would show the change was not supported by the accepted accounting standards. c.Presentation/Disclosure- The management assertion that ensures all changes within a company are stated in the notes of the financials. These changes should be easy to understand and depict a complete picture of the company from the year. The audit procedure that should have taken place during the audit is inquiry. Sullivan and the staff should have questioned the managers on his or her decisions instead of taking their word as to why the changes were made. 2.The audit failures the SEC were referring to was the fact that Sullivan and his staff relied on the manager’s word. Sullivan and staff did not perform the accurate assertions to test the information provided from Paragon’s managers. The audit partner, Sullivan in this case, is the individual who is in charge of ensuring everyone on the audit is performing his or her job completely and accurately. Sullivan will take the blunt of the responsibility because he is ultimately the person who is in charge of overseeing the auditing the audit as a whole, but the audit staff should also face consciences from the findings. 3.A high risk audit means the chance that of material misstatement and fraudulent activities are significantly higher. Weak controls, changes in management, and changes in accounting methods are several reasons why an auditor would conclude a company is a â€Å"high risk† engagement. The audit partner basis the risk of engagement on his or her observations from the company. When working a high  risk engagement, an auditor will examine a higher percentage of the transactions from throughout the year. Checking more transactions means the auditors are going to produce the most accurate financials possible and ensuring no fraudulent activities are taking place within the company. 4.Auditors do have the responsibility of following the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guides for specialized industries. The AICPPA set guidelines for companies in these industries to follow to ensure the end product is of highest quality. Auditors should make sure the managers are following all of the rules and regulation set forth for that type of company, but these guidelines should never override or replace the Statements on Auditing and Standards. The Statement and Auditing Standards is the rule book for how and what is to be performed in an audit. the AICPA should make the Audit and Accounting Guides for specialized industries in accordance with the Statement and Auditing Standards so the companies are operating with the highest quality, in both products and financial standing. 5.When making a change in the accounting principle used within a company, there has to be very good reason why the company wants to. When these changed are made, they must be presented retrospectively. Managers must produce the financial statements for the past several years so the public can see the effects it has on the company. On the other hand, the changes in accounting estimates are applied prospectively. Managers use the new method in estimating cost and revenues from that point forward. The changes Paragon made are for accounting estimates. The percentage-in-completion method and the earned value method are accounting estimate methods. Boyd and Curbello will use the new method from that point forward. The problem Paragon ran into is disclosure. The changes were not properly disclosed in the financials. This is a problem because two method result in very different numbers for the company.

A Poetic Journey of Love and Honor :: English Literature Essays

A Poetic Journey of Love and Honor A Trilogy of Love From the moment we met in early spring, as she stepped out of her car and threw her hair back, I knew I was in love. â€Å"Her long dark hair, her beautiful smile†¦when she say’s â€Å"hi†, I’m faint for a while†. While gazing into her soft beautiful eyes as she spoke, I couldn’t help but notice her laughter that accompanied that mystifying beauty. â€Å"Her laughter echo’s, the silence awakes†¦her beauty abound.. just makes my heart ache..† She told me she was from the mountains in Kentucky and how much she loved and wanted to return some day. â€Å"She comes from the mountains, A place she calls home†¦This place she loves, where she’s not alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I knew this was a woman like no other woman in my life. † She’s into my life like a song and a prayer†¦never before, it just wasn’t there..† In the days that followed, as we strolled in the park immersed with spring fragrances, I knew I would never be the same. â€Å"My life has changed like flowers in June†¦A new day is here, â€Å"smell the lilacs in bloom.† I found her not only beautiful but intelligent and I couldn’t stop thinking of her. â€Å"As your beauty comes into focus.. My thoughts are yours, forever yours†. The more I got to know her, the happier I became. â€Å"For no one has made me happier, filling my life as completely†¦ As you had made me, caressing me with your smile when our eyes meet..†. I set out to honor her whenever I could, she was such a wonderful mother and lover that I was compelled to tell the world. â€Å"If winds could talk, they’d tell a tale that fills the soul with love and warmth†¦ And just having known you, my life is for the better†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then just like that, something changed and we were no longer together. â€Å"But now she’s gone like a crisp spring day, and I’m all alone... with nothing to say†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Where there once was love, is there no more. â€Å"I know not when, love came and gone†¦ where it ended or when it begun..† Today I can only hope and speculate about tomorrow and what might have been. â€Å"With each day passing only hope is alive†¦sweet dreams of a future that did not survive.

Organic food sector

This document is an information report providing a micro and macro environmental analysis of the organic industry. It gives specific attention to the European and German market and to the retail industry in particular. A brief introduction, also focusing on the reasons and criteria for the selection of such sector, will be followed by an assessment of the aspects at the micro and macro level that affect the players operating in it. To facilitate the analysis I will pretend that the writer of the following report is a manager operating in the broader food industry.Since we operate in the food retail industry, both nationally (Germany) and on the European level, I suggest, as sales director of this company, to consider entering the organic branch, since it has been growing steadily in the last 2 decades. Organic farming can be regarded as method of production that gives particular attention to environmental protection and animal welfare, thus avoiding the adoption of synthetic chemical means and the production of genetically modified organisms. The industry is highly regulated, requiring producers to acquire special certification to sell goods as organic within given borders.The market has been growing steadily, as suggested above, and is still doing so despite the economic and financial crisis; it grew globally by more than 25 per cent since the start of the global crisis between 2008 and 2011. According to the latest data (Fill and ‘FOAM, 2013), 37. Million hectares of agricultural land are nowadays organic (they were 11 million only in 1999) and 1. 8 million producers world-wide are reported (from 252 thousand in 2000). The global sales have also seen a dramatic increase, climbing by almost 200% in the last 10 years.Although this industry accounts only for 1-2% of the total food production globally, almost 10% of the total food sales share is covered by it. Fig 1 . Organic agricultural land by region, 1999-2010 Despite the number of producers and retaile rs, as I will elucidate later in this report, has been increasing year after year in order to cover the high demand for this kind of rodents (mostly driven by concerns about private health on one hand and the global environment on the other), I believe there are still good opportunities for ambitious firms to enter – at any point of the supply chain – this relatively new and steadily expanding market. . Macro environmental analysis The environment where firms operate includes several forces that affect their activity, from the acquisition of resources, through the process of transformation of such input, and finally to the creation of an output. The more external forces (general or contextual, such as political, cultural, social and legal) are the ones influencing the rim in a more general way, as opposed to the operational ones, which affect the business on a daily basis (Ian and Christ, 2006).In this part I will refer to the external range of influences and observe h ow these can have an impact on the organic industry. As said, the focus will be on the European market and on Germany, which represents the biggest player in the E area and the second largest globally. Selection of factors To carry out this task I have asked my team of analysts to perform a Pestle analysis, which takes into account political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environmental aspects.It is usually performed by almost every major and minor organization in order to get an overview of the whole scenario of a particular industry or branches of it. Of course the elements considered vary in importance based on the industry and the goods involved. In the organic sector's case, the socio-cultural, political and legal aspects are particularly crucial and the report will give a particular attention to these; in addition, other factors not (directly) included in Pestle but that it is important to mention when analyzing this particular industry, are the demographi c and regulatory ones.Environmental issues also represent a major concern. 2. 1 Specific macro-factor analysis 2. 1. 1 Political factors These basically represent to what extent the government (local, national or supra- national) intervenes in a particular industry. Demand for bio products and the growing popularity of organic farming within Europe has fostered the development and implementation – through the European Commission, The EX. Council and the EX. Parliament – of official rules, programmed and plans.This level of action is closely related to the regulatory one, which will be more thoroughly addressed in the section following this one. The most relevant document to mention in this part is the â€Å"European action plan for organic food and farming†, which comprises 21 initiatives in order to develop the market and get better standards by increasing transparency, reliability, efficacy and consumers' trust. Also at the national level many governments have been providing their plans and policies in order to support the growth and efficiency of the organic industry.In Germany, for instance, the range of governmental assistance in the last decade has increased significantly both through the Federal Government and the Leander; the measures are directed both to organic agriculture and to the whole supply chain (Nibbler and Kenneth, 2007). Environmental objectives, as well as the opportunity for rural development, are the main goals of the government's financial, legal and regulatory support for operators dealing in this industry. 2. 1. 2 Legal and regulatory factors The political intervention in the industry is, as discussed, very present and fundamental for its growth.Although it might benefit the overall sector, the high level of laws and regulations represent nonetheless a potential barrier for new entrants. In 2009 the EX. introduced new regulations regarding the production, control and babbling of organic goods. These put an ever bi gger attention to environmental, animal and consumer protection and health. For instance, food can be sold as organic only if 95% of its ingredients derive from organic agriculture and processing. Closed cycles (using internal resources) are favored to open cycles; external resources should be limited to natural or naturally obtained materials.Only in exceptional cases, thoroughly evaluated by the European Commission, chemical synthetic resources may be allowed if other suitable alternatives are not available. 2. 1. 3 Economic factors Europe has, according to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 25% of the world's organic farmland, but it represents almost half of the global revenue within organic industry (the American market is still the world's largest). Sales of organic products were approximately 21. 5 billion Euros in 2011 (Fill, 2013).The largest market for organic products is Germany, with almost 7 billion Euros (Nielsen and Braun, 2013), followed by the I-J (3 bil lion Euros), France and Italy (both 2 billion Euros). Fig 2. Sales growth of German market in 2012 The German market grew by 6% in 2012 up to 7. 04 billion Euros, showing a stable Roth and representing 3. 9% of the entire food market; the increase in the previous year had been even higher (9%), influenced by several food scandals that drove more and more consumers from conventional food to bio products.Fig 3. Sales growth from 2000 to 2012 Fig 4. Organic food sales in Germany (2012) 2. 1. 4 Socio-cultural factors (and demographic ones) A growing number of people are nowadays more informed, health- and environment- conscious than ever; they are thus willing to spend more on healthy natural foods, since there is widespread public belief that organic food is much safer, more atrocious, and environmental friendlier than conventional food.In any case it is important to note that â€Å"regardless of whether any measurable health benefits exist from consumption of organic produce, the pub lic perception of health gains associated with organic produce is undoubtedly influenced by statements that are not (yet) able to be supported by scientific evidence. † (Givens, 2008).Demography also plays a very important role in an increasingly aging Europe; in Germany (one of the countries with the lowest birth rate), the typical heavy consumer of this kind of rodents is in his mid ass (thus belonging to the generation of the forerunners of the ecological movement in this country) and with a good income level. Young consumers, such as students and entry level workers, tend to opt for more affordable options. The market is slowly opening to 30+ customers, mostly young professionals fond of a healthy and dynamic life-style. . Micro environmental analysis This section of the report will mainly focus on Porter's â€Å"5 forces analysis†, concentrating the analysis on those factors that can more directly influence the daily activities of a firm operating in the organic in dustry, affecting its ability to satisfy its customers and make a profit. As the producers' scenario is particularly fragmented, the study will give particular attention to the German retail industry and often assume the perspective of the five largest specialist retail chains operating in it.Three forces relate to ‘horizontal' competition, such as the threat of substitute products or services, the threat of established rivals, and the threat of new entrants; the two remaining forces represent ‘vertical' competition: the bargaining power of suppliers and the one of customers. . 1 Threat of established rivals (intensity of competitive rivalry) In Germany organic products are sold as follows: 35% in traditional supermarkets (around 40. 00 shops) 23% in specialist shops (around 2000 shops; there are 17 organic supermarket chains, the 5 biggest are Lunar, Vital, Den's Bio, Basic and Redford). 19% in discounts supermarkets (more than 10. 000 shops) Fig 5. Number of specialize d organic outlets in Germany (2008) It is therefore clear that, despite being this sector quite young, the number of actors operating in it is very high; this great level of rivalry determines a high threat to profits.It is furthermore important to note that these operators vary consistently in cost structures and have different levels of exit barriers; bigger, traditional retailers/ wholesalers (such as Metro, Rowe and Deeds) have an advantage in terms of economies of scale, although they will have to face stronger exit barriers, considering the amount of their investments. According to recent research (Bifocal, 2010), the further development of the specialized organic market sector will see a decrease in terms of market share in favor of traditional supermarkets; nevertheless, the overall turnover will increase.This is mainly due to the fact that specialized retailers can provide a wider range of products, a more regular supply, competent staff and the availability of non-foods it ems as well. 3. 2 Threat of new entrants The highest threat is represented by traditional supermarkets with re-branding strategies towards the organic sector, since completely new entrants would face and be discouraged by very strong entry barriers in terms of capital requirements, economies of scale, amount of regulations, experience curve and access to key inputs. The resulting threat to profits can therefore be regarded as medium. 3.Threat of substitute products There are not many direct substitutes for organic food and as long as a large portion of the public will be convinced that it is safer, healthier, more nutritious and even tastier than conventional one, its higher prices will be Justified and the branch will maintain if not increase the market share. Nonetheless, local farmers' markets provide a good alternative for individuals fond of food with no pesticides and with a low environmental impact; even so, their prices are not rarely higher than the ones offered in supermar kets (even if specialized) and their presence on the territory is ere scarce.There are some products and services that could be listed as indirect substitutes, since they also help satisfy the desire of a healthier and CEO-friendly life- style. Fitness centers, wellness programs and sustainable tourism are Just some of these. Despite this, it is important to stress the fact that nutrition is usually regarded as the most crucial factor when it comes to choices taken by consumers in order to improve their personal health and reduce the negative effects on the environment.The resulting level of threat to profits from substitute products can again be regarded as medium. 3. Bargaining power of buyers Consumers' power in this industry is mostly influenced by the following factors: Price sensitivity Buyers are ready to spend more than on conventional food provided that this is justified by higher levels of quality, freshness, taste and the certainty (provided by certificates and labels) th at the production and packaging of goods respect specific standards and norms.Despite this general observation, discount supermarkets have been lately offering similar products to the one displayed in specialized chains for sensibly lower prices, alerting customers that a similar quality can be obtained also or half of the usual price. Price sensitivity is therefore increasing. Information availability This kind of consumer is usually extremely educated and informed and consequently expects a high level of transparency, as well as being well aware of the different alternatives available in order to satisfy his demand.Degree of dependency upon existing channels of distribution Buyers have been increasingly attracted by the offers displayed in the Internet through more or less specialized organic e-shops. This could represent a potential threat (as well as an opportunity for further investment), although most consumers till rely on traditional channels, offering, among other services, the availability of competent and specialized staff.Availability of substitute products See above The resulting level of threat from this force can be regarded as medium to high. 3. 5 Bargaining power of suppliers Contrarily to the US market, where suppliers are extremely concentrated (with local farmers often signing contracts with big corporations) and represent the real dominant power in the organic industry, in Europe they are still very fragmented.They do not represent a big threat for the retail industry. It is furthermore not likely for suppliers to tend towards forward vertical integration. The resulting level of threat from this force can be regarded as low to medium The above mentioned observations can be summarized in the following table, which underlines the micro environmental factors within the organic (retail) industry and their level of threat. Fig 6. Porter's five forces summary 4.Further relevant specific market issues: recent developments in the target market Res earchers Budded and Ham (2011) observe that the traditional parameters necessary to define the usual buyer of organic products (e. . Level of income and education, age, as indicated above), have almost completely lost their previous importance in the last few years; the authors have thus come to the conclusion that marketing campaigns should concentrate on health-orientated specific needs, underlining the naturalness of goods and their lacking of chemically produced ingredients.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez Essay

Many authors like to write fantasy novels, stories that detached themselves from reality, novels that tell us about magic, parallel dimensions, between others. But even in these fictional stories there is still the presence of the universal themes that can be touched not only in this kind of novels but also in the simpler ones, themes like the fight between good and evil, love, between others. There are also the authors that actually mix the fantasy and the reality to a point that it is really hard to see the difference between them, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is said to be the father of this gender called â€Å"Magic Realism†, he said that the reason that he sees the world in that particular way of his, is because of the persons that raised him when he was really young â€Å"He was made by the sententious, worldly, rationalized tone of his grandfather and the premonitory and supernatural exclamations of his grandmother seasoned by his unique humor, with this he would be capable of making a new vision of the world† (Gerald Martin 41). And even in this extraordinary vision we can still catch the reality like when he speaks about the natural oppression that exists in the countries of Latin America, when he talks about the 1000 days the conflict that actually won the independence of Colombia from Panama an event that his grandfather love to tell him about after all he fought in this war and lose in it, also he talks about the massacre in the United Fruit Company a really striking episode on Colombian history. We can also catch his own reality, we can appreciate in his writings all of those special and striking memories that were kept in him, the one that made a mark on the man he became, in the stories there is not only memories there is also characters based on members of his own family and also towns based on the ones of his childhood and we are not only talking about how he used Aracataca to create Macondo, there is also the mention of how he uses Sucre to describe a place that he really despised. So we are going to explore how Gabriel Garcia Marquez used parts of his life to write his famous stories. First of all in his autobiography Garcia Marquez talks about how his grandfather used to drag him around Aracataca (the small town where he lived most of his childhood) and while he was at this he create a bunch of memorable moments that he would immortalize in his novels. This memory, the one were the grandfather takes the kid to meet new things is very repetitive even the own author says it â€Å"I had a bunch of mages but the one were the old man takes the kid by the hand is the most vivid one† this one is used in two of his novels in the â€Å"Leaf Storm† when the father takes the son to a funeral and also in his Nobel Prize winner Novel One Hundred Years of Solitude when the father takes the kids to see the ice, in the book he uses his own impression when Aureliano Buendia says â€Å"It’s Burning† (Garcia Marquez). Another one of those memories is the one about the Belgian that lived in Aracataca that committed suicide by inhalation of cyanide, â€Å"He drag me to the house of the Belgian†¦ The first thing that shock me was the smell of the cyanide that the Belgian had used to committed suicide† (Gabriel Garcia Marquez). This story is represented also in two of his novels in â€Å"The Leaf Storm† where he is the doctor united with the Venezuelan pharmacist Alfredo Barbosa; the other one is in the novel Love in the Time of Cholera where he is Jeremiah de Saint-Amour (Gerald Martin). Another one of the moments that make a big impact in his life was while he lived in Venezuela, by the time Garcia Marquez lived in the country Marcos Perez Jimenez a dictator was in the power, he start to ask himself why did so many people find it attractive to have a dictator in the power , after all it wasn’t an uncommon characteristic in the many countries of Latin America to have a dictator, the impressive thing was that only a month after Garcia Marquez moved to Caracas (the capital of Venezuela) there was a movement against the president that finally took him out of the power, it was the first time a dictator had been taken of the power in Latin America. This fact was what inspired him to write â€Å"Autumn of the Patriarch† a story that talks about an eternal dictator, he based this character in real-life autocrats like Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, Francisco Franco and Juan Vicente Gomez. Many of the characters in his stories are based in real-life persons not only in famous characters like the autocrats in the â€Å"Autumn of the Patriarch† but also people of his own family. The first character and one of the most obvious one would be Jose Arcadio Buendia one of the characters of his most famous novel â€Å"One Hundred Years of Solitude† Jose Arcadio Buendia married to Ursula Iguaran was an adventurous man that took his wife from of what all that they knew to a mysterious place, he was always looking for new hobbies to entertain himself and because of this he ended up lacking as a father, this is a clear mirror of the father of the author a men who would constantly travel looking for adventures, moving the family from one city to another to look for a way to make business and easy money, always leaving the care of his own children to other persons, most of the time to his in-laws and because of that the relationship with his children wasn’t really good. Another one would be Ursula Iguaran a women full of character and a strong command, a person who loved her supernatural beliefs and would do anything to sustain her family, in this character there is the reflection of two persons of great importance in the life of the author one of them would be his grandmother Tranquilina Iguaran (obviously this is where the last name comes from) this one gave the character her belief for the supernatural, her being very superstitious even when this characteristic is very common in older people even today they still carry this kind of fears, maybe because this fears also come from the strong feeling they have for their religion (mostly catholic) another common trait in Latin American society, the other one would be his mother Luisa Marquez while at the beginning of his life he didn’t have a strong vincula with his mother after all she left him to be raised by her parents (even when this was very common back in those days) but after Gabriel Ga rcia start living with her many years later there would be a time when she was variably able to feed all of the children but she pull through and by this time she made a strong bond with her son, so the strong will of Luisa Marquez was represented in Ursula Iguaran. There is also Florentino Ariza a character of his novel Life in Times of Cholera this one was based on a mix between the author Garcia Marquez and his father Gabriel Eligio, while the character was a person who didn’t seem to notice the levels that make him different from others and was always trying to reach to this ones like Gabriel Eligio there is also the fact that Florentino Ariza was a telegraphist like Gabriel Eligio, also there is a part in the novel where Fermina Darza’s father tries to separate them by sending Fermina (Florentinos’s love interest) to visit her family to another town this actually happened to Luisa and Gabriel Eligio, Luisa’s father try to separate them by sending Luisa out of Aracataca. While from the author Florentino took the dreamer the passion for writing, in the book Florentino wrote many letters to her something that the own author did with his wife Mercedes. There is also Fermina Daza a mix of Mercedes and Tachia (a lover of Garcia Marquez), Fermina was represented for being secure of her way of being, straightforward and down to earth quite the opposite of Florentino. While the doctor Juvenal Urbino was a representation of everything the author hated and envied of the high class people of Cartagena in this character there was even a bit of Gabriel Eligio with his petulant and Self-confident character and it was also notable a bit of his Granfather in Juvenal.

To Kill A Mockingbird- Analyze the Fire Scene essays

To Kill A Mockingbird- Analyze the Fire Scene essays The scene in which Ms. Maudies house burned down was an important one. These are some interpretations of why the author included the scene. It showed us how the community of Maycomb would work together during an emergency. Every single person was out there in the snow, in their pajamas, doing everything they could to help, whether it be removing furniture or helping to control the fire. Even Mr. Avery, who was thought of as a stubborn old man was doing his part to help. The scene also showed a side of Ms. Maudie that seems a little odd, even for her. She did not seem to be sad about losing her home. In fact, she seemed happy. She said that she was looking forward to building a smaller house so that she could have a bigger garden. She should be sad that her entire home burned down. The fire scene also gave a chance for the author to have Boo Radley actually interact on a physical level with Scout and Jem. He put a blanket around Scouts shopulders. It makes you see that he actually cares for kids. It is as if he wants to look after them and at the same time be friends with them. The Rumors also made Boo Radley seem like an evil man who killed people and watched people in their houses at night but here you start to see that he actually is a nice gentleman. The author is also able to use this scene to her advantage by showing us how Jem feels about the relationship between Boo Radley and Mr. Nathan, and also between Boo Radley, Scout, and himself. ...

Textuality - Definition and Discussion

Textuality - Definition and Discussion In linguistics  and literary studies, the property by which successive sentences form a coherent text in contrast to a random sequence. Textuality is a key concept in post-structuralist theory. In their study Translation as Text (1992), A.  Neubert and G.M. Shreve define textuality as the complex set of features that texts must have to be considered texts. Textuality is a property that a complex linguistic object assumes when it reflects certain social and communicative constraints. Observations The Domains of Texture, Structure, and ContextThe three basic domains of textuality . . . are texture, structure, and context. The term texture covers the various devices used in establishing continuity of sense and thus making a sequence of sentences operational (i.e. both cohesive and coherent). . . .Another source from which texts derive their cohesion and acquire the necessary coherence is structure. This assists us in our attempt to perceive specific compositional plans in what otherwise would only be a disconnected sequence of sentences. Structure and texture thus work together, with the former providing the outline, and the latter fleshing out the details. . . .In dealing with structure and texture, we rely on higher-order contextual factors which determine the way a given sequence of sentences serves a specific rhetorical purpose such as arguing or narrating (i.e. becomes what we have called text).(Basil Hatim and Ian Mason, The Translator as Communicator. Routledge, 1997) What Is a Text?There are various senses in which a piece of writing may be said to be a text. The word text itself is the past participle stem of the Latin verb texere, to weave, intertwine, plait, or (of writing) compose. The English words textile and texture also derive from the same Latin word. This etymology of the word text is apparent in expressions that refer to the weaving of a story, the thread of an argument, or the texture of a piece of writing. A text may thus be taken to be a weaving or a network of analytic, conceptual, logical, and theoretical relations that is woven with the threads of language. This implies that language is not a transparent medium through which arguments are expressed, . . . but is interwoven with or provides the very filaments of the substantive arguments themselves.(Vivienne Brown, Textuality and the History of Economics. A Companion to the History of Economic Thought, ed. by W. J. Samuels et al. Blackwell, 2003)Texts, Textuality, and TextureThe p roper business of literary criticism is the description of readings. Readings consist of the interaction of texts and humans. Humans are comprised of minds, bodies and shared experiences. Texts are the objects produced by people drawing on these resources. Textuality is the outcome of the workings of shared cognitive mechanics, evident in texts and readings. Texture is the experienced quality of textuality.(Peter Stockwell,  Texture: A Cognitive Aesthetics of Reading. Edinburgh University Press,  2009) Textuality and TeachingAs I see it, textuality has two aspects. One is the broadening of the objects we study and teach to include all the media and modes of expression. . . . Expanding the range of texts is one aspect of studies in textuality. The other . . . has to do with changing the way we look at texts to combine the perspectives of creator and consumer, writer and reader. Both of these aspects of textuality have to do with helping students open their minds and expand their vision of how texts work and what they do. The larger goal of textuality is the opening of a wider world of culture for students . . ..The study of textuality involves looking at works that function powerfully in our world, and considering both what they mean and how they mean.(Robert Scholes,  English After the Fall: From Literature to Textuality. University of Iowa Press, 2011)  Ã‚   Also Known As: texture

Inca Road System - 25,000 Miles Connecting an Empire

Inca Road System - 25,000 Miles Connecting an Empire The Inca Road (called Capaq Ñan or Qhapaq Ñan in the Inca language Quechua and Gran Ruta Inca in Spanish) was an essential part of the success of the Inca Empire. The road system included an astounding 25,000 miles of roads, bridges, tunnels, and causeways. Key Takeaways: The Inca Road The Inca Road includes 25,000 miles of roads, bridges, tunnels, and causeways, a straight line distance of 2,000 miles from Ecuador to ChileConstruction followed existing ancient roadways; Incas began improving it as part of its imperial movements by the mid-15th centuryWay stations were established at every 10–12 miles  Use was restricted to elites and their messengers, but commoners maintained, cleaned and repaired and set up businesses to cater to the travelersLikely nonelite access by miners and others Road construction began in the mid-fifteenth century when the Inca gained control over its neighbors and started expanding their empire. The construction exploited and expanded on existing ancient roadways, and it ended abruptly 125 years later when the Spanish arrived in Peru. In contrast, the Roman Empires road system, also built on existing roadways, included twice as many miles of road, but it took them 600 years to build. Four Roads from Cuzco The Inca road system runs the entire length of Peru and beyond, from Ecuador to Chile and northern Argentina, a straight-line distance of some 2,000 mi (3,200 km). The heart of the road system is at Cuzco, the political heart and capital of the Inca Empire. All the main roads radiated out from Cuzco, each named for and pointed in the cardinal directions away from Cuzco. Chinchaysuyu, headed to the north and ending in Quito, EcuadorCuntisuyu, to the west and to the Pacific coastCollasuyu, led southward, ending in Chile and northern ArgentinaAntisuyu, eastward to the western edge of the Amazon jungle According to historical records, the Chinchaysuyu road from Cuzco to Quito was the most important of these four, keeping the rulers of the empire in close touch with their lands and subject people in the north. Inca Road Construction Original Inca built canal and street in city of Ollantaytambo, Peru. Jeremy Horner / Corbis NX / Getty Images Plus Since wheeled vehicles were unknown to the Inca, the surfaces of the Inca Road were intended for foot traffic, accompanied by llamas or alpacas as pack animals. Some of the roadways were paved with stone cobbles, but many others were natural dirt pathways between 3.5–15 ft (1–4 meters) in width. The roads were primarily built along straight lines, with only a rare deflection by no more than 20 degrees within a 3 mi (5 km) stretch. In the highlands, the roads were constructed to avoid major curves. To traverse the mountainous regions, the Inca built long stairways and switchbacks; for lowland roads through marshes and wetlands they built causeways; crossing rivers and streams required bridges and culverts, and desert stretches included the making of oases and wells by low walls or cairns. Practical Concerns The roads were primarily built for practicality, and they were intended to move people, goods, and armies quickly and safely across the length and breadth of the empire. The Inca almost always kept the road below an altitude of 16,400 feet (5,000 meters), and where at all possible they followed flat inter-mountain valleys and across plateaus. The roads skirted much of the inhospitable South American desert coast, running instead  inland along the Andean foothills where sources of water could be found. Marshy areas were avoided where possible. Architectural innovations along the trail where difficulties could not be avoided included drainage systems of gutters and culverts, switchbacks, bridge spans, and in many places low walls built to bracket the road and protect it from erosion. In some places,  tunnels and retaining walls were built to allow safe navigation. The Atacama Desert Inca Road through the Atacama Desert. San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta Region, Chile (Lagunas Miscanti and Mià ±iques). Jimfeng / iStock / Getty Images Plus Precolumbian travel across Chiles Atacama desert could not be avoided, however. In the 16th century, the Contact-period Spanish historian Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo crossed the desert using the Inca Road. He describes having to break his people into small groups to share and carry food and water supplies. He also sent horsemen ahead to identify the location of the next available water source. Chilean archaeologist Luis Briones has argued that the famed Atacama geoglyphs carved into the desert pavement and on the Andean foothills were markers indicating where water sources, salt flats, and animal fodder could be found. Lodging Along the Inca Road According to 16th-century historical writers such as Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, people walked the Inca Road at the rate of about ~12-14 mi (20–22 km) a day. Accordingly, placed along the road at every 12–14 miles are tambos or tampu, small building clusters or villages which acted as rest stops. These way stations provided lodging, food, and supplies for travelers, as well as opportunities for trading with local businesses. Several small facilities were kept as storage spaces to support tampu, of many different sizes. Royal officials called tocricoc were in charge of the cleanliness and maintenance of the roads; but a constant presence that could not be stamped out were pomaranra, road thieves or bandits. Carrying the Mail Steps cut into the native mountainside for the Inca Road leading to Machu Picchu. Geraint Rowland Photography / Moment / Getty Images A postal system was an essential part of the Inca Road, with relay runners called chasqui stationed along the road at .8 mi (1.4 km) intervals. Information was taken along the road either verbally or stored in the Inca writing systems of knotted strings called quipu. In special circumstances, exotic goods could be carried by the chasqui: it was reported that the ruler Topa Inca (ruled 1471–1493) could dine in Cuzco on two-day-old fish brought in from the coast, a travel rate of about 150 mi (240 km) each day. American packaging researcher Zachary Frenzel (2017) studied methods used by Incan travelers as illustrated by Spanish chroniclers. People on the trails used rope bundles, cloth sacks, or large clay pots known as aribalos to carry goods. The aribalos were likely used for the movement of chicha beer, a maize-based mildly alcoholic beverage that was an important element of elite Inca rituals. Frenzel found that traffic continued on the road after the Spanish arrived in the same manner, except for the addition of wooden trunks and leather bota bags for carrying liquids. Non-State Uses Chilean archaeologist Francisco Garrido (2016, 2017) has argued that the Inca Road also served as a traffic route for bottom-up entrepreneurs. The Inca-Spanish historian Garcilaso de la Vega stated unequivocally that commoners were not permitted to use the roads unless they had been sent to run errands by the Inca rulers or their local chiefs. However, was that ever a practical reality of policing 40,000 km? Garrido surveyed a portion of the Inca Road itself and other nearby archaeological sites in the Atacama desert in Chile and found that the roads were used by the miners to circulate mining and other craft products on the road and to funnel off-road traffic to and from the local mining camps. Interestingly, a group of economists led by Christian Volpe (2017) studied the effects of modern expansions on the Inca road system, and suggest that in modern times, improvements in transport infrastructure have had a significant positive impact on various companies exports and job growth. Selected Sources Hiking the section of the Inca Road leading to Machu Picchu is a popular tourist experience. Contreras, Daniel A. How Far to Conchucos? A Gis Approach to Assessing the Implications of Exotic Materials at Chavà ­n De Huntar. World Archaeology 43.3 (2011): 380–97. Print.Garrido Escobar, Franciso Javier. Mining and the Inca Road in the Prehistoric Atacama Desert, Chile. University of Pittsburgh, 2015. Print.Garrido, Francisco. Rethinking Imperial Infrastructure: A Bottom-up Perspective on the Inca Road. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 43 (2016): 94–109. Print.Garrido, Francisco, and Diego Salazar. Imperial Expansion and Local Agency: A Case Study of Labor Organization under Inca Rule. American Anthropologist 119.4 (2017): 631–44. Print.Marsh, Erik J., et al. Dating the Expansion of the Inca Empire: Bayesian Models from Ecuador and Argentina. Radiocarbon 59.1 (2017): 117–40. Print.Wilkinson, Darryl. Infrastructure and Inequality: An Archaeology of the Inka Road through the Amaybamba Cloud Forests. Journal of Social Archaeology 19.1 (2019): 27à ¢â‚¬â€œ46. Print.

Effects of Taxation on Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects of Taxation on Economy - Essay Example A tax on a commodity tends to be shifted from the producer forward to the consumer and from the consumer backward to the producer. A tax on production of a commodity tends to raise its price and will, therefore, be normally borne by the consumer. But a tax on consumption is likely to check consumption and tends to be shifted backward to the producer. The tax levied of consumers can reduce the demand. Commodity taxes are disincentive to purchase the commodities on which they are levied. The amount by which the tax reduces purchases will depend upon the elasticity of demand for that commodity. The less elastic is the demand and the supply, the less will the demand be reduced. On the other hand the tax levied on corporations will impose a disincentive on a firm to incorporate. Taxes on firms can lead to low motivation for investment, which will in turn reduce the supply for goods if the Government has imposed price control with tax initiatives. A tax on income tends to reduce the ability to save and invest on the part of individuals. A tax on net profits of business firms will reduce their ability to save and invest. A decrease in investment is bound to affect adversely the level of output. The equilibrium price and quantity will be changed according to the elasticity of demand of that good. ... The equilibrium price and quantity will be changed according to the elasticity of demand of that good. The extent to which a commodity tax will actually be shifted will depend upon the nature of demand and supply curves. If demand is inelastic, as is the case with the necessaries of life the people must buy the commodity. The producer will be in stronger position and almost the entire burden of the tax will be shifted on to the consumer. But in the case of elastic demand, the people will buy less. In that case the price will not rise by the full amount of the tax, and the tax will be partly borne by the producer (Dewett, 571-572). - In this market, describe a hypothetical situation where a price ceiling or floor could be imposed. What implications would this have for the market' Government actions may shift demand and supply curves as when changes in safety legislation shifts the supply curve. Price controls are Government rules or laws that forbid the adjustment of prices to clear markets. Price controls undertaken in the market can be of two types. 1. Price ceilings: In this case Government applies an upper limit for the sellers and they cannot charge more prices upper than that limit. Such a limit is usually imposed when the shortage of a commodity is expected to increase the price of a commodity. Although through charging high prices the rationing of the scarce commodities can be undertaken. The solution to the problem of scarce supply of a commodity can be responded by an increased price but this is an unfair solution. For example high food prices can lead to considerable hardship among the poor. In the case of above market 2. Price floors: Governments impose a limit of minimum price of

Capital Structure and Leverage Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital Structure and Leverage Practices - Essay Example The family dollar company is basically a chain of stores that offer different assorted products such as clothing, food, and other supplies that a common family needs. This fact about the company's standing as a proper resource of practical items that is needed by the common family gives it a bit of an edge in making specific name in the market. Refinements and Growth. Refinements have been made through the years but its marketing edge remains to be meeting the needs of its customers for good quality but low cost merchandise (Family Dollar). The company basically thrived within a basic improved growth during the 1980's but gradually the growth slowed down during the 1900's when particular retail store brands already entered the arena of modern business industries such as that of Wal-Mart. "Over the years, Family Dollar has matured into a highly sophisticated retailer while staying true to its roots. An efficient distribution system, astute management and adoption of new technology and systems have enabled Family Dollar to keep up its industry-leading metrics in new store sales productivity, return on invested capital and comparable-store sales" (http://findarticles.com) Today, although the Family Dollar company remains to be within the competition, it is surely in need of improving its ways to keep up with what other competitor organizations put up for the establishment of a better standing in the industry of international retailing. The company now belongs to the Fortune 400 and S&P 500. THE COMPANY'S CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND LEVERAGE PRACTICES During the 1970's it could be seen how the stock shares of the company grew to a level of competitive stand within the stock market. This was the time when it went public for at least $14.50 per share. From this particular standing, the business began to grow towards prosperity and increased rate of profits in an annual basis. As the business grew towards a more inquisitive sense of market control, the ways by which the business have seen their practical position in the industry as a particular competitive organization in the field of retail marketing and product distribution. The CEO's that come and go in the company have effectively managed the capital of the business. However, because of the preserved views towards earning more through establishing more branches, the balance of seeing matters clearly have placed the Family Dollar in quite a stable yet non-moving position in the industry as larger organizations come into the scene. This is the reason why there is a need to shift the focus from profit to customer satisfaction considerations. "Despite being the underdog in sales and store count, Family Dollar is still the favored stock of many analysts due to a strong growth outlook and best-in-class financial metrics that give it an edge over Dollar General" (http://findarticles.com) The company seems comfortable going public as it constantly declares dividends while also actively looking for investment opportunities. The company gives quarterly dividends to its investors and has specifically reported an 8% increase in dividends at the start of 2009. Recently, Family Dollar Company was reported to make a presentation "to the investment community at Barclays Capital Retail and Restaurants Conference" (Family Dollar). ANALYSIS OF THE COMPANY'S CAPI

ABC hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ABC hospital - Essay Example Therefore, recruitment of nurses has become a tedious activity. ABC hospital is experiencing a similar situation where it is in shortage of nurses. So the company needs to employ a better strategy for the recruitment and retention of the nurses in their hospital. Registered nurses are available not only from the US but also from other countries. The first strategy should be taken up is to rely on recruitment agencies. It should open up direct offices in those countries where a great pool of prospective registered nurses are available. The office can be for short term or long term depending upon the requirements. ABC should portray a better picture about them through their agencies. Otherwise there are chances for the prospective candidates to choose another organization. The recruited nurses and already working nurses can be used as referrals. They may be asked to refer to whom they knows. In this way more and more pool of candidates can be made available. The nurses may be remunerat ed in a reasonable amount for referring the candidates. "Ask your top nurses individually to increase their referrals (give them a target of five a month). Ask them to refer their "mentees," friends, and former colleagues." (Sullivan, 2001). Retention of Nurses: Retention of nurses is one of the issues faced by the hospital. The process of retention is more complex than recruitment. Since there are sufficient opportunities for registered nurses in the job market they don’t mind quitting from an organization. ... Timely redressing of grievances is the primary strategy to be employed by the hospital to retain the nurses. "It's a complex process, requiring in-depth knowledge of the needs and wants of the nursing staff and lots of creativity. "You have to know what motivates nurses to stay," says Pamela Thompson, CEO of the American Organization of Nurse Executives." (Runy, 2001). Therefore, the management should first of all identify what the requirements of the nurses are. Proper examination of the working conditions must be done by the management. The HR management of ABC must try to maintain a personal relationship with the nurse's inorder to learn them in detail. Such an interaction will help the nurses to express their grievances before the management. In short a free and two way communication chains must be fostered in the organization. Providing a better learning environment is one of the factors that the nurses expect. Providing new certificates for specialized practices will make the n urses self motivated. Most of the personal factors affect the nurses at the work place. So, the management should assist them in solving their personal matters. This will provide a homely atmosphere for them. The nurses must be imparted a feeling that they are a very important compound for the success of the hospital. The role that every nurse should perform must be clearly defined. After all what affects most in the retention is the proper remuneration. Sufficient incentives along with the fixed remuneration will motivate the nurses to stay with the organization they work. Efficient nurses and the one who have been with the organization for quite a long time should be promoted with more responsibilities. Decreasing turnover: Employee turnover refers to the phenomenon of

Pricing Strategies for FirstGroup PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pricing Strategies for FirstGroup PLC - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the FirstGroup Company operates a wide range of transport services such as bus, coach, rail & tram, as well as, the yellow school bus. The headquarters of the company are at Aberdeen Scotland, with the company’s Chief Executive Officer and chairperson being Tim O’Toole and Martin Gilbert respectively. These two provide the company with a great insight and appropriate leadership necessary to achieve its goals and objectives. The incorporation of the company was in 1986 and has had tremendous growth over the years to expand its operations even to international markets. Currently, it is among the leading transport services company in the world, specializing in road and rail transport. This is evident from the revenue brought in by the company over the years, such as in March 2013, the company recorded net revenue of  £ 6,901 million. On the other hand, the operating income of the company for the same financial period was  £ 335 million, whil e the net income for the company during the same period was  £ 172 million. This shows how profitable the company is in its operations. the company provides employment opportunities to numerous jobless people across the markets in which it operates, with its number of employees by the end of a trading period of March 2013 being 120,000. In addition, the company has an online platform that enables its customers to enjoy convenience and efficiency while dealing with it, as well as, provide the company an opportunity to increase its market control and holding within the industry by gaining a competitive advantage over other market players. The FirstGroup PLC undertakes a number of transport services across various markets and routes within the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Ireland and Denmark where it operates. In order to maximize its profits, the company has to adopt a pricing strategy that enables it to make a profit with every transaction. As such, it adopts a differ ent pricing strategy depending on the type of transport service it provides, such as by bus, train or tram, as well as, the route and distance in which it operates, considering the other factors if transportation such as traffic jams, calibre of passengers, as well as, the frequency of the routes they use.

Assessing a Student Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assessing a Student - Personal Statement Example Based on the assessment table above, the average score for the student is 2.67. The scores from the able reflect that there are areas that the student needs support. These include problem solving skills, self-engagement, initiative taking, and decision making. In this case, the strategies that a teacher should adopt include understanding the individual needs of the students, making sure that the students know what is going on in class, and encouraging students to participate in class activities. In the case of this student, differentiation is important since he seems to be a below average student. In order for the teacher to improve the performance of the student, he should set different tasks for the student based on the performance of the student. Moreover, the teacher should set different open-ended tasks in order to assess the abilities of the student at different levels. The different forms of formative assessments that the teacher should use to gauge the performance of the student include questioning, discussions, peer/self-organizers, think pair share, and constructive quizzes. May, K. (2005). Teaching Strategies for Asperger Students. Retrieved from

Pricing Strategies for FirstGroup PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pricing Strategies for FirstGroup PLC - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the FirstGroup Company operates a wide range of transport services such as bus, coach, rail & tram, as well as, the yellow school bus. The headquarters of the company are at Aberdeen Scotland, with the company’s Chief Executive Officer and chairperson being Tim O’Toole and Martin Gilbert respectively. These two provide the company with a great insight and appropriate leadership necessary to achieve its goals and objectives. The incorporation of the company was in 1986 and has had tremendous growth over the years to expand its operations even to international markets. Currently, it is among the leading transport services company in the world, specializing in road and rail transport. This is evident from the revenue brought in by the company over the years, such as in March 2013, the company recorded net revenue of  £ 6,901 million. On the other hand, the operating income of the company for the same financial period was  £ 335 million, whil e the net income for the company during the same period was  £ 172 million. This shows how profitable the company is in its operations. the company provides employment opportunities to numerous jobless people across the markets in which it operates, with its number of employees by the end of a trading period of March 2013 being 120,000. In addition, the company has an online platform that enables its customers to enjoy convenience and efficiency while dealing with it, as well as, provide the company an opportunity to increase its market control and holding within the industry by gaining a competitive advantage over other market players. The FirstGroup PLC undertakes a number of transport services across various markets and routes within the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Ireland and Denmark where it operates. In order to maximize its profits, the company has to adopt a pricing strategy that enables it to make a profit with every transaction. As such, it adopts a differ ent pricing strategy depending on the type of transport service it provides, such as by bus, train or tram, as well as, the route and distance in which it operates, considering the other factors if transportation such as traffic jams, calibre of passengers, as well as, the frequency of the routes they use.

Definition of Acrson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Definition of Acrson - Essay Example As per the statistics revealed by the public agencies, more than one hundred thousand incidents of the arsons were registered to the law enforcement agencies in different parts of United States. The religious hated have also attributed to the rise of the arson related cases, and there have been cases where the culprits have damaged the religious property for the sake of prevalence of the truth. The damage to the religious places and the justification of such heinous actions through misinterpretation of the religious teachings has been responsible for the clash between communities with different racial, religious and cultural customs. The arson is not responsible for the fatality of the life; rather it caused economic loss, which has to been accounted by the administration in efficient and effective manner. The arson is no longer a hidden crime; rather it is regarded as the 'murder by fire, a violent crime against property and people' (Nancy, 1997). According to reports, more than sev en hundred people are killed on annual basis due to the arson crime; the crime is responsible for causing damage to more than hundred thousand buildings, and cost loss of more than a billion dollar annually (Larry, 2006).According to Mr. Carrey Brown, U.S. Fire Administrator, 'there are, however, effective ways citizens, along with law enforcement and the fire service, can ensure the culprits are brought to justice' (Barry, 2004), thus the solution to the crimes associated with the arson can be rectified through proactive role and crucial efforts of the law enforcement agencies. The different forms taken by the Arson include, 'juvenile fire setting, vandalism, pyromania, a murder weapon, and concealment of a crime' (Barry, 2004), and the elimination of the problem is achievable through identification of the right faces of the arson. According to United States based national arson expert and chief of arson, Detroit Fire Department, Mr. Charles Evancho, 'Arson is one of the most diffi cult crimes to prosecute successfully. Often the criminal justice system does not view arson as a serious crime. The challenge is to develop sentencing for adults and juveniles' (Barry, 2004). The government agencies have launched several financial schemes which focus upon the financial provisions for the elimination of the arson. The United States government based agency provided '$2 million to 12 states to develop anti-arson programs' (Barry, 2004). The institutions have been established for the rehabilitation of the youth, with no parents and guardians. Recently 'USFA granted financial support a juvenile fire setter prevention program in partnership with a treatment center for abused children, the plan was implemented in Colorado. The intellectuals are of the opinion that public and private funding and participation is required to continue with such schemes, and it is important to realize that arson has to be controlled and handled 'several fronts and people must protect themselv es by strengthening prevention and apprehension efforts' (Barry, 2004). Arson is regarded as the 'second leading cause of residential fire deaths and accounts for approximately quarter of the fires incidents reported in the United States' (Barry, 2004), the crime shares one fifth of the damaged property in United States. According to reports, the crime claimed more than seven hundred lives on annual basis, and more than half a million fire incidents related to arson are reported. Only fifteen percent of the cases were able to reach conclusive stage where the arrests are made. It has It has been a common observation that the rate of arson is low in rural areas, whereas the in urban areas, the arson related incidents have reached alarming figure.

Summary of Balanced Scorecard Essay Example for Free

Summary of Balanced Scorecard Essay Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton introduced the balanced scorecard, which supplemented traditional financial measures with criteria that measured performance from the perspectives of customers, internal business processes, and learning and growth. The scorecard enabled companies to track financial results while monitoring progress in building the capabilities they would need for growth. Traditional management systems rely on financial measures, which bear little relation to progress in achieving long-term strategic objectives. The scorecard introduces four new processes that help companies connect long-term objectives with short-term actions. The firsttranslating the visionhelps managers build a consensus around the companys strategy and express it in terms that can guide action at the local level. The secondcommunicating and linkinglets managers communicate their strategy up and down the organization and link it to unit and individual goals. The thirdbusiness planningenables companies to integrate their business and financial plans. The fourthfeedback and learninggives companies the capacity for strategic learning, which consists of gathering feedback, testing the hypotheses on which strategy was based, and making the necessary adjustments. Many companies adopted early balanced-scorecard concepts to improve their performance measurement systems. They achieved tangible but narrow results. Adopting those concepts provided clarification, consensus, and focus on the desired improvements in performance. More recently, we have seen companies expand their use of the balanced scorecard, employing it as the foundation of an integrated and iterative strategic management system. Companies are using the scorecard to: clarify and update strategy, communicate strategy throughout the company, align unit and individual goals with the strategy, link strategic objectives to long-term targets and annual budgets, identify and align strategic initiatives, and conduct periodic performance reviews to learn about and improve strategy. The balanced scorecard enables a company to align its management processes and focuses the entire organization on implementing long-term strategy. At National Insurance, the scorecard provided the CEO and his managers with a central framework around which they could redesign each piece of the companys management system. And because of the cause-and-effect linkages inherent in the scorecard framework, changes in one component of the system reinforced earlier changes made elsewhere. Therefore, every change made over the 30-month period added to the momentum that kept the organization moving forward in the agreed-upon direction. The balanced scorecard provides a framework for managing the implementation of strategy while also allowing the strategy itself to evolve in response to changes in the companys competitive, market environments. The Balanced Scorecard: what is the score? A rhetorical analysis of the Balanced Scorecard Hanne Nà ¸rreklit Accounting, Organizations and Society 28 (2003) 591–619 This article analyses the means by which the authors of the Balanced Scorecard have created that attention. The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is one of the latest innovations in management. It is a tool of strategic control developed by Kaplan and Norton and described in their 1996 book The Balanced Scorecard. In the business world, the balanced scorecard has engendered great interest internationally. The question of whether this is due to its substance as an innovative and practical theory or simply to its promotional rhetoric is the focus of this paper. The balanced scorecard aims to solve the problem related to the historical nature of the financial measures of accounting systems. It does so by integrating financial and nonfinancial strategic measure variables in a cause-and effect relationship which assumes the following: measures of organizational learning and growth, measures of internal business processes, measures of the customer perspective, financial measures. The assumption tha t there is a cause and- effect relationship between the suggested areas of measurements is essential because the measurements in non-financial areas make the performance measurement system a feed-forward control system, which solves the problem of the historical nature of accounting data This paper investigates whether the book entitled The Balanced Scorecard has the features characteristic of sound argumentation, i.e. whether it uses an appropriate combination of ethos, logo s and pathos when appealing to its readers; if it does not, it will be further examined which features characterize the text, which will then allow us to draw conclusions as to the genre of the text and, in turn, to tell how the BSC is promoted. All the author’s analysis shows that rhetoric is a key management tool. Management constantly requires new rhetoric. The only problem is that, if the rhetoric is combined with theory that is full of mistakes, the sources of errors are numerous. In that case, the managers cannot use the theories to analyses the problems of their companies and they will not have an instrument which actually allows them to control and direct the company. Instead, more argumentative and empirically valid theories should be combined with entertaining rhetoric. Researchers who are preoccupied with developing more cogent and realistic models possibly forget or are outright against the popularized communication of research results, which means that many managers do not ever become acquainted with the theories. Our conclusion, therefore, is that both researchers and managers have to become better at selling theories and models in a way that is persuasive yet convincing. Further research is therefore th at more rhetorical analyses should be carried out, not only of management guru texts but also of academic texts in the area, like management and accounting. The purpose is to allow identification of good as well as problematic rhetoric as part of a learning process which may offer directions for the development of theories. The balanced scorecard: the effects of feedback on performance evaluation Gerui (Grace) Kang, Amy Fredin Management Research Review, Vol. 35 No. 7, 2012, pp. 637-662 The use of a balanced scorecard (BSC) for performance evaluation is meant to help evaluators make more complete decisions, as they have a variety of financial and non-financial measures to assess. The problem is that users have difficulty taking all of the measures into consideration. The tendency to place more weight on common measures (measures that are the same across divisions) while either ignoring or placing very little weight on unique measures (measures are unique to a particular division) has become known as a â€Å"common measures bias†. The purpose of this paper is to extend a line of research that works to understand how this common measures bias might be mitigated. This study examines whether the presence of task property feedback, a form of cognitive feedback, prior to a performance evaluation task, can help evaluators overcome the tendency to rely primarily on common measures. This study used an experimental design where subjects were asked to evaluate the performance of two managers under either feedback or non-feedback conditions. In the feedback condition, subjects were provided with their supervisor’s suggestions about performance evaluation in the use of BSCs. In practice, more straight forward and simple feedback information is likely easier for companies to implement and easier for evaluators to follow. Feedback information that is too complex or that requires too much effort may frustrate evaluators, at which point they may abandon the effort. The authors’ findings also indicate that direct and clear guidance from the top manager of a business may be seen as pressure by lower-level managers. It is important for top manag ers to create such a performance evaluation environment so that all BSC measures are considered. The paper finds that when evaluators judge the performance of managers through the use of a BSC, they tend to weight common measures more heavily than they do unique measures. Where this study contributes to the literature is in the use of task property feedback, a form of cognitive feedback, to overcome this bias. Since the use of unique measures is a key attribute of BSCs as they help users capture the nuances of a specific division’s or firm’s strategy, it is crucial that performance evaluators pay careful attention to them. The findings also indicate that direct and clear guidance from the top manager of a business may be seen as pressure by lower-level managers, thereby suggesting that they (the lower-level managers) use all BSC measures in their evaluations. It is important for top managers to create such a performance evaluation environment so that all BSC measures are considered. This study is the first to examine the influence of task property feedback on perfo rmance evaluation in the context of a BSC. Going forward, it will be important to evaluate how this type of feedback, along with other forms of feedback, may influence performance evaluations over a longer time frame.

The Nature Of Reference Group Influence Marketing Essay

The Nature Of Reference Group Influence Marketing Essay Referent power plays a very important role in marketing communication, following report look in to different influences groups and referent power. How referent power affect one. How affective a referent power is? How a marketer can use it to his advantage. What are the factors which make referent power effective? Different theories have been discussed. This report will be looking critically on evaluating the role of referent power in marketing, evaluate the role it will play in future, and provide a future marketing plan. This report of Referent power and why it can be a potent force for marketing appeals was written as a final assignment for the Consumer Behavior module. Humans are social animals and they always looks to other for appreciation, they want acceptance in the social circle. They identify themselves with some groups and consciously or subconsciously they imitate members of the group to fit in. They try to imitate those qualities by copying the referents behavior. What we think of ourselves is influenced in our social interaction by the reaction of others whose values we share or judgment we respect. Our attire, vehicles we use and career make statements about us, and our behaviors and lifestyles are the presentation of ourselves to our influence groups. By wearing a particular brand T shirt bring us closure to our group. Advertisers have different task while creating a promo or advertising depending on what are their target segment. Marketers use all three major influencing groups before launching a campaign. There are three form of reference group; Informational, normative and identification When an individual is not sure he uses the behavior and opinion of reference group members as potentially useful bits of information and try to copy it. In this case individual may have similarity with the other members of the group or expertise of the member group. So a person sees members of group using the same brand of tea he may decide to try same for Himself because he has evidence that it may be a good brand. Ads which wants to use informational power will quote something like they used it will you? Intelligent people like only one thingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ REFERRENT power is the power of prominent people to affect others consumption behaviors by virtue of product endorsement ( 50 cents for Reebok)(Pic 1.1), distinctive fashion statements On the cover of US Magazine today. Celebrity Baby Jessica Albas little princess, Honor Marie Wearing Ooh La La Mamas FLY SPIRIT onesie). or championing of causes. Campaign began with identifying three major sports figures who had a connection to lung cancer (Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, and Cal Ripken, Jr ( Pic 1.2) To understand this mechanism an example is helpful. Suppose there are two restaurants and a group of people on the street outside deciding which one to eat at. The most well-informed individuals (those with higher precision in making these types of decisions) will decide first and everyone will see some people start to line up outside of one restaurant. If the others know this person is of higher precision (and even if they dont) a few people will follow their lead and join the line. Each new person who lines up outside of the restaurant sends a signal to the rest of the group (and in particular their friends and family) that this is the restaurant to pick. The more people who follow the signal, the stronger it gets and you have an Informational Cascade. Pic 1.2 The idea is presented in rigorous detail in a paper called Theory of fads, Fashion, Custom and Cultural Change as Informational cascades written by Sushil Bikhchandani, David Hirshleifer and Ivo Welch and published in 1992. To paraphrase: An informational cascade occurs when it is optimal for an individual, having observed the actions of those ahead of him to follow the behavior of the preceding individual without regard to his own informationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The prediction that a low-precision individual imitates a higher-precision predecessor is consistent with the evidence of numerous psychological experiments demonstrating that a subjects previous failure in a task raises the probability that in further trials he will imitate a model performing the task (see Thelen, Dollinger, and Kirkland 1979, p. 146)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Reference group doesnt have equal power for all types of products and consumption activities. Question is does consumers search rationally or it depends on NEED It has been seen that search is more in consumers who are moderately knowledgeable, when the product is low in perceived risk. There are two dimension that influence the degree to which referent power can work they are whether the purchase is to be consumed publicly or privately and whether its luxury or a necessity. Referent has more power over purchase which re for luxury rather than necessity and second important place where we can see the referent power is when the purchase is socially visible to other(William.,O, et al,1982) Referent power is inferred to the influencer by their subordinates. Project team members who have a great deal of respect and high regard for their project managers willingly go along with decisions made by the project manager because of referent power. If one admires the quality of a person or a group will try to imitate by copying referent behavior Prominent people celebrities can affect peoples consumption behavior by virtue of product endorsement, fashion statements or championing cause . referent power is important to many marketing strategies because consumers voluntarily change to please or identify with a referent 3.2. Normative influence Also known as utilitarian influence, occurs when an individual follows group expectation to gain a direct reward or to avoid a sanction ( Fischer et al, 1998). You may purchase one brand of beer to win acceptance by a friend or wont wear one particular brand for of teasing by friend. This influence is directly related with the bond of a person with its group Strongest the bond strong will be the influence. Mostly younger consumer are powered by this influence. A teenager starts smoking under this influence. 3.3. Identification Influence Also known as value-expressive influence, occur when consumer has adopted all values and attitude of group and identify himself with the. Here to influence advertiser will show the brand being used by socially active group It has been seen that teenagers and young one get influenced by this groups as they live under peer pressure(Auty,s.2001) You will hear in super market a child convincing his mother to buy a particular brand of cereals cause His friends use it , or a particular brand of shoes because his friends told him they are the best. It is these influence which leads them to cigarettes alcohol consumption influence as well. These influences can be used directly or indirectly by the marketer. Many researcher have researchers have come to conclusion lineage is also a very important factor where mother daughter and sisters will use the same brand and will have same shopping pattern (Miller, 1975; Moore-Shay and Lutz, 1988). .4. Celebrity as a referent power in advertising Celebrities like movie stars, sports person, Television stars help grab attention and communicate easily with consumers who admire them or wants to be like them. Its also known as ubiquitous feature of modern Marketing ( Mc Cracken, 1989), and approximately 20 percent of all promotions and advertisement uses use some type of celebrity endorsement (Bradley, 1996) . Marketers spends huge amount of money on celebrity contract on the belief that celebrity are effective spokesperson for their product or brand. Its very common that one celebrity becomes identity of one particular brand or product but in some cases more than one celebrity are being used. Like Pepsi uses superstar Shahrukh khan for his brand promo. Selection of a celebrity is very important characteristics of celebrity should match up with the brand to communicate effectiveness.( Kahle, Homer, 1985),Some companies used multiple celebrities to communicate. In the context of celebrity endorsement advertisement consumer may ask whether endorsers are promoting the product because she really believe in it? Or just because she has been paid to promote it. Its the attributes of celebrity which should match with perception of consumer. Thus sometime using multiple celebrities to endorse the product may help the product to reach the consumer (Mowen and Brown, 1981). Market also assumes that to reach target audience the celebrity should be like the consumer. Celebrity should have credibility attractiveness, Integrity and the main thing Plausibility he/ she behaves as referent influence, if referent Is not plausible it will not be effective . Here referent will be effective and will hold power by their influence as they are aspiration ass ociate group. Celebrities with a bigger Halo will have bigger effect. Despite more and more celebrity are pitched in, many commercials using celebrity endorsers do not live up to the expectations (Miciak and Shanklin, 1994). However, if used appropriately, celebrity endorsers can play a very important role in developing brand equity and enhancing a brands competitive position. Like Andre Agassi fits well with, and enhances, the image of Canons Rebel line of cameras. And Nike and Michael Jordon are synonymous when one thinks of Jordon they think of Nike, they have become part of each other. Before endorsing a product with particular celebrity marketer should do research that how well the celebrity and the brand belong together and how celebrity represent the product.. If there is great ease and relation of brand an d celebrity they get more quickly develop an association. 5. Degree of Reference Group Influence If one sees critically around us we can clearly sees that consumer does not decide abruptly. Referent power of any kind is always playing at the back of his mind. It suggest that rational persuasion, inspirational appeals are effective in influencing final decision(Farrell and Schroder(1996).while the influence of personal appeals, coalition or any kind of pressure were ineffective in any decision outcome( Case etal., 1988). So one can say that things which does not personally appeal or internalize favorable attitude one are not effective or will not have a very strong motivation in buying behavior. As it is well said Power is the ability to effect change (Kohli and Zaltman, 1988.,Ghoneim, 1987) These influencing power can be used by marketer A number of authors have well said that power is the ability to effect changes. Conversely, power bases depends on the characteristics of an individual that afford Referent power will have different impact on different people in different situation, or may be the category of the product used, or the brand used As the purchase is done to influence the group, the product or brand should be visible, for example product like watch, shoes, here product category ( watch), and brand (Swatch) are all visible. The consumption of some tonic is private .Referent power is quite visible when the product is visible to the group and he get accepted or appreciated in the group for his buy. High involvement Low involvement Significant Differences between brands Complex buying behavior Variety- seeking buying behavior Few Differens between brands Dissonance-reducing Buying behavior Habitual buying behavior (Table 5.1) If the need is high there is less power of referent for example when one want to buy a microwave. Reference group influence will be higher if one wants to buy things which is less necessary e.g. in buying clothes or in simple words on can say that decision to buy toothpaste tennis racket, a personal computer, a refrigetor are all very different. Expensive and complex purchase or things which involve more knowledge involve more participant and more suggestion from peer are taken.( Table 5.1)( Henry 1987) Relationship, bondage of of an individual with the group is another very important criteria which can affect on purchasing decision. More one feels committed to the group more he get influence by the referent power . One will be more careful when in dressing up when joining a group whom he wants to influence than when he wants to go for dinner with group he doesnt feel related or committed. It also depends on activity in which individual is involve with a group , How relevant is the activity for example going for office dinner is more important than going out with your friend for a match. There is clear evidence that individual differ in tendency in getting powered by influence (keillor et al,1996)Reference influence is also related to a reward or punishments, reward may be in the form of acceptance in the group, promotion gain trust with your peer and punishments may be in the form of rejection or hatred. In preteen group it may be severe and of social consequences. So to it can be said that referent power should have authority to implement both. We can still argue that referent power should not misuse legal power or illegally pressurize as he might use credibility Refrent power is someone which is look upon by individual and if it loses credibility and trust power will be gone. So we can say that the greater the referent power, the lower the use of legitimate pressure (Farell et al.,1999). In this context its interesting to know about the balance theory (Heider, 1946) Every individual have some preconceived ideas and perception which remain at his subconscious level. And while purchasing it plays a very important role. The greatest power one has over other is when one is sufficiently intimate to permit other to facilitate, because the relation between influencer and consumer is cohesive. Referent power involvement Lets take an example I want to purchase a very expensive notebook I have seen advertisement of Dell, hp and Acer now I m confuse I want to buy something g which is very important but I dont have much knowledge what will I do I will not just go an d purchase it from the counter I will go to one of my friend or family member who has knowledge about it I will involve his opinion. But if at the same time I m hungry and I want to buy a packet of biscuit I will just go to the supermarket and choose any packet or may be the one I have been using from the shelf I would not involve others and take opinion from others for purchasing a pack of biscuit. So opinion leader are needed where there is high purchase involve with no knowledge of product while when low purchase involvement is there I wont take any opinion even if I have less knowledge( Table 1.1) PRODUCT/ PURCHASE INVOLVEMENT Product knowledge High Product knowledge Low HIGH Moderate High Low Low Moderate (Table 6.1) Consumers, especially gen X, tend to follow their peer what they feel trendy and worn by the `in crowd (Agins 1999; Spiegler 1996). Here we can see their deep-seated willingness and thirst to belong, often becoming image- and brand-conscious consumers. Now `what is trendy is what they drive from word-of-mouth communications. Retail Entrepreneur of the Year, Anne Yuri Namba, has found to be quoted as that her home business was initiated and stimulated entirely by word of mouth. As her fame spread, so did the demand for her unusual, highly distinctive fashions (Chain Store Age 2000). Marcus (1999) reported that word of mouth plays an very important role along with demographic information when decisions are made in the fashion industry. One can say, fashion demand may be generated by the simultaneous presence of local externalities and word-of-mouth communication (Corneo and Olivier 1999).Individual sharing information about with other highly target consumer plays a very critical role o n consumer decision and market success. Our friends and relatives are the main source of information, when we are in group we observe their styles, what product they use or by directly asking the opinion. One research shown that half of American agrees that that they often seeks advice of others before making any purchase and 40% feel that people come to them for advice. (Walkes, p 40). The internet has changed the term a little now it can be called Word Of Internet. Where one seek advice from a complete stranger. There are some individual who actively filter, interpret, or provide brand or product information to their family and friends, They are called opinion Leaders they play very strong referent power influence over other WE just cant credit only referent power involved in purchasing decision of an individual we cant pass anything to them making it look like their group or brand image Research have shown that decision to purchase particular product is also influenced by the image and credibility of the companies that market and manufacture consumer products (Lafferty and Goldsmith 1999). If the company is positively portrayed, and has a good image consumers generally maintain a positive disposition toward the company and its products. However, if the company has some rumor some ethical or cultural issues in the backyard , less favorable feelings may subsequently influence whether consumers decide to purchase the companys products (Lee and Bernstein 2000; Ligos 1999). How Much Does It affect During 1996 one rumored was spread about Tommy Hilfiger, stating that company had made some bad remarks African-Americans and Asian which were their core clients. The rumor was mostly on internet. Hilfiger websites denied the rumor completely and there was call to was call to boycott Tommy Hilfiger clothing, especially in the African-American. T The strength and persistence of the strength of rumor suggested that it will affect the sale of brand in African-American market African-American magazine telling them not to buy who doesnt respect ( Graves 1998) here the referent power was internet, mouth to mouth and magazine community, the whole impact was studied and recorded( kImberly 2001) One implication of these recordings was that the staying power of the rumors had eventually harm sales of the Tommy Hilfiger brand in a core target market. Wall street Journal article reported a 28 per cent decrease in sales for the Tommy Hilfiger company (Agins 2001). Company denied the rumored took African-American model and try to recapture the market and used integrated marketing scheme strategically. In retail market consumer is very important and referent power play a very important role Thus retail clothing market should take careful measurements to track their image all designers, regardless of popularity, must follow up their image a nd communications with their consumers. In one of the similar case Reebok has been forced to clarify itself for more than a decade against a rumor that company produce its products in South Africa and supported apartheid ( Turnet 1992). Initially company didnt take much notice and didnt think much of it but later company suffered protests and boycotts and then company has to come out its forceful campaign `Reebok is NOT in South Africa (Kazi-Ferrouillet 1990). And till now company addressed the issue on its website (Reebok.com) Referent influence has been examined in the context of consumer vulnerability to interpersonal influence (Bearden et al., 1989) where influence is the extent to which an individuals consumer choices are influenced by other people. In impulse buying its the cognitive behavior which is seen where a consumer cannot get the information from any one so He doesnt come under informational power but high level of normative influence comes in existence and affect the purchase decision, thus we can say that normative consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence is positively related to the affective component of impulse buying. When will it effect We have to understand stages in purchasing decision of a buyers Information search Refrent group Internet search promo Check option Pricing Brand image Purchase decisions He decide to purchase Need Awareness May be prompted by marketing Post buying behavior, Reinforcement from media friends (Diagram 8.1) Stages of Consumer Buying Behavior 1. Need Awareness: A need may arise or been establish by promotion of a companys marketing. Refrent power here may or may not be very influential 2. Information Search: Buyers search and ask Internet has made research easier for buyers. He may read on websites of different company .Here referent power play a very important role. As he is seeking the information company may use its influence with promos, handout an updated websites or trial samples distribution 3. Check Options: Once information is collected customer will evaluate all option he will search for price and company credibility.. 4. Purchase Decision: The last step just sell and close the deals at this moment any influencing may harm. If he is still hesitant u can still recommend and help your buyers for the best deal .5. Post Buying Behavior: Todays marketer knows very well that to keep loyalty of a customer is very important as now he himself will be a referent power over the other potential buyers. Even at this stage any negative reinforcement will bring remorse and he may not recommend it to others. Influence of referent power also depends on at what stage is a brand once a brand mature its brand image itself is good referent power but at introduction stage a company needs good referent power. 9. Conclusion Referent power is very effective in certain cases and marketer should use that power but at the same time they should keep in mind that for that power to be influential they have to keep certain points in mind Referent power to be effective should bring a connection with the consumer, or he should look up to it or relate to him Message used by referent power should be used as simple as possible it should not be complex or confusing Celebrity power will be more effective if used repeatedly as it strengthen the relationship of brand with that celebrity and so it brings trust in the target audience When choosing a celebrity marketer should be careful that he is already not strongly associated to some other brand or services, but nothing comes without a drawback. If celebrity or your referent power get into negative publicity it brings down with him the product. A wrong selection will tarnish the whole image Referent power is effective if your target audience is young and not much knowledgeable about the brand or product. Its more affective on one who does not have much knowledge and have low self image It so one can say its most effective with children. Referent power does not only influence at the time of purchasing but also post purchasing as after purchasing a product Consumer look at his influence group for appreciation and even any negative comment at that stage will disheartened him and He may not buy the product again A company should not try to play its own trumpet but can bring trust and credibility through awards, media or testimonials of other customers Make a purchase an happy ending for him offer him warranty period or an extended trial period will help in Him becoming a potential referent power over other buyers