External and Internal Environmental Analysis free essay sample

External and internal environmental analysis are important for a company to achieve its goals. The purpose of this paper is to complete the external environmental scan, and perform an internal competitive environmental scan for Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW). This paper will identify and analyze the most important external environmental factor in the remote, industry, and external operating environments. This paper will also identify and analyze the most internal strengths and weaknesses of DSW, include an assessment of the DSW’s resources, assess DSW’s competitive position and possibilities, and will analyze the structure of DSW and how this affects organizational performance. Designer Shoe Warehouse As of January 2010 the Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) had 305 operating stores in 39 states. In the United States DSW is the leading footwear specialty retailer. DSW caters to both men and women by offering a wide assortment of better-brand dress, casual, and athletic footwear, and accessories. DSW focuses on its customers by offering them a vast assortment of seasonal styles with convenience and value desired by the customers (DSW, Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on External and Internal Environmental Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2009 Annual Report). DSW main focus is creating a distinctive shopping experience for its customers which satisfies the customer’s rational and emotional needs. External Environmental Factor in the Remote, Industry, and External Operating Environments DSW’s economic factor is part of DSW’s external environmental factor in the remote. DSW’s competitive strength, distinctive store layout heart of their branded products, valued proposition offered to customers, and financial strength is the reason DSW is in a leading marketing position (DSW, Inc. 2009 Annual Report). Athletic footwear and shoes are purchased from over 400 foreign and domestic vendors by DSW. The large assortment of merchandise are sold in individual DSW stores and on the dsw. com website. The growth of DSW is attributed to its operating model and management’s ability to focus on store-level profitability and economic payback. DSW’s net sale grew at a rate of 11% over a five year span, which ended in January 2010. As well as the 11% net sale growth DSW also generated positive cash flow and operating results. A level of cash and investment was generated by DSW in the amount of $289 million. This amount is believed to be a sufficient amount to maintain ongoing operations, support capital requirements for seasonal work, and to fund capital expenditures related to projected business growth (DSW, Inc. 2009 Annual Report). Internal Strengths and Weaknesses of DSW Strengths within DSW is what keeps customers purchasing items in store locations or on the DSW website. DSW has implemented an easy free exchange or return system for its customers who are not satisfied with their purchase. This system is free, easy to use, and convenient for customers. The return system provides the customer with a 60 day grace period in which he or she has to return an item for a full refund. However, if the merchandise was received as a gift, refund request is after the 60 day grace period, or the customer does not have the receipt DSW will give the customer credit in the form of an e-gift card. Loyal customer who shop at DSW stores or on the DSW website are entered into the DSW loyalty program. The DSW loyalty program permits loyal customers to earn reward certificates. Reward certificates provide loyal customers with discounts on purchases customers plan to make in the future (DSW, Inc. ). DSW also reward loyal customers with special offers and other certificates. The special offers and certificates are easily accessible to customers. Customers can retrieve the special offer codes and certificates via mail, email, or on the DSW website. Website purchases are the weakness within the DSW Company. Problems such as offered codes not properly working, the tracking of online orders, and the  unavailability of certain DSW websites to customers are the cause for weakness in the DSW Company. Some codes are available through online purchases only and some codes are not valid at all for customer use. This can be very aggravating for customers. There are times when customers look up an order are placed online and they are unable to locate their order. They are then directed to anoth er website to report the problem. The motion of tracking the order that should have been available for the customer can become frustrating. Accessing DSW’s website is also a weakness for the company. Customers like an easy accessible website. To access DSW’s website to place an order customers have to download certain software provided by DSW. Although the software is provided free of charge customers believe that this is an unnecessary step for the customer. DSW should make accessibility easier for the customer. DSW’s Competitive Position and Possibilities Competitors as viewed by DSW are department stores, shoe stores in the mall, brand-oriented discounters, independent shoe retailers, online shoe retailers, single-brand specialty retailers, national chains, and multi-channel supply retailers. Many of these competitors offer a limited assortment of higher priced footwear within a less convenient environment. DSW’s reward program also offers more rewards than its competitors. The competitors of DSW have tried to imitate DSW. However, the competitor offers a less brands that customers are familiar with and styles from previous seasons DSW offers styles that are in season and up to date (DSW, Inc. 2009 Annual Report). Down scaling the size of the DSW store is believed by DSW to yield a greater opportunity for the company. A majority of the DSW stores measure 25,000 square feet with a few averaging 40,000 square feet. Although DSW is continuing to build other retail stores, the President of DSW, Peter Horvath, has realized that the current size of their store are limiting the location of future stores. To build future stores in sites that were not accessible to the company in the past Peter Horvath believes that the downsizing of the store format is the key. The interior design of future stores is also a change that Peter Horvath is planning to make. The current traditional design will be changed to a more loft like design with brick walls, wood floors, wider isles (aisles), softer lights, and a larger clearance isle (Retailing Today, 2001). Conclusion DSW is a top leader in the shoe industry. By offering its customers a wide assortment of better-brand dress, casual, and athletic footwear, and accessories through a store location or online DSW has been able to stay ahead of its competitors. An external and internal environmental analysis has shown that DSW focus is on its ability to provide great service and a quality product to its customer. The analysis shows that while DSW is providing its guest with great service, a quality product, and a reward program for its loyal customers, DSW is also facing some weaknesses that could cause the company to lose customers.

American Imperialism essay

American Imperialism essay American Imperialism essay American Imperialism essayAmerican foreign policy generally grew more interventionist and aggressive from the 1890s into the twentieth century because of considerable changes in political, social and economic sectors of the country. The key moments in that development include changing American diplomacy that demonstrated respect to other nations; the promotion of peace and dignity; expansion of foreign commerce, construction of a powerful Navy Fleet, the growth of oversees military bases, promotion of stability and security of the nation. As a result, the ties to Latin American countries became stronger. The greater oversees involvement of the United States improved the country’s social and political position.   Political and economic issues led to the Filipino Insurrection (1899– 1902), including the annexation of the Philippine islands, resistance to colonialism, resistance to the US ruling power, violence and discrimination toward the native population in Philippin es. This conflict was perceived in the United States negatively. The population of Philippines was unfriendly for assimilation and the US had to â€Å"suppress the rebellion against American rule† (Kennedy et al., 2008, p. 685). Americans used different arguments to justify their colonization of the Philippines, including the struggle for freedom of the nation from Spanish oppression. The argument that American presence in Philippines could be viewed as a military imposition was used against colonization. The U.S. wanted to build a canal across Central America in order to use it as a passageway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, expanding trade and improving economy. The Central American canal could reduce the time of travelling. The U.S. eventually accomplished this project through digging the Panama Canal. The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine was an annual message to the US Congress articulated by President Roosevelt that had become an effective pol icy.   In his message, President Roosevelt expanded the Doctrine, stating that the countries of the Western Hemisphere were not open to accepting colonizing power of Europeans, and that the   by United States approach was to preserve existing order, protecting human lives in those countries (Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, 1904). It was used to justify imperialism through its interference the countries of Latin America, building the Panama Canal and providing control over the colonies (Bowles, 2011). In my opinion, the Navy was more influential in this period of imperialism because the United States was focused on expanding its overseas power.

Strategic Management in Barclays Bank Case Study

Strategic Management in Barclays Bank - Case Study Example The term future here implies a minimum of 20-years, implying the importance of long term thinking of where the firm wants to be. Mission: Hill (2006) states that a mission statement is rather the short term spot that the firm aims to achieve in the time of few years, generally a 5-year plan. Mission statement is generally derived from the vision, and is also assumed as a subset of the same. Goals & Objectives: Hunger (2006) states that goals and objectives are the further derived version, generally obtained from the mission statement defining the milestones that would ultimately lead to the achievement of mission. Corporate Strategy: Corporate strategy is defined by Lamb (1984) as the overall strategy of a diversified firm that is indulged in various businesses, and aims at creating synergy amongst all, moving ultimately towards the organizational vision. In accordance with Peterson (2006), the relationship between these six elements is fairly simple; Vision is the ultimate aim of the organization, around 20 years down the road, so to speak. Mission is the subset of vision, defining where the firm needs to be 5 years down the road, to achieve the vision in 15 years from then, and the goals and objectives are further short term in nature like annualized aims for a firm. Business strategy, at the same time, is the strategy that a single standalone unit deploys, while functional strategy is the grounds level strategy. This implies a strong relationship present amongst the 6 variables. For example, the vision of my organization is to be the market leader and be the first consumer preferred brand in the respective industry. Their mission is to attain a 20% market share by the end of the year 2012; this mission was established two years back and is expected to be revised. The goals and objectives are mainly to achieve customer satisfaction and provide the best quality of products and services. We only have a single unit operating to the business strategy is the corporate strategy i.e. product differentiation i.e. providing differentiated product for a price elastic consumer market. The functional policy is to retain good and competitive human resource that can lead the way for customer satisfaction. If critically analyzed, the sentences here clearly illustrate their inter connection with each other also showing how well these elements need to be tied up. Another example can be given of Barclays; their vision is to build a world-class organization - highly subjective in approach and very broad statement, capable of churning up any progress that they make towards becoming great. Their mission is to be innovative and customer-centric organization, contributing to people, their careers, and their lives.

Self-analysis of Leadership Behaviors and Strengths Research Paper

Self-analysis of Leadership Behaviors and Strengths - Research Paper Example This paper presents my potentials for good leadership in the nursing profession as I analyze and evaluate my personality strengths and behaviors in relation to the various nursing leadership theoretical models. To begin with, nursing shortage has apparently been a major problem of many countries all over the world. According to American Nurses Association (2011), the nursing population is aging rapidly and nursing shortage is expected to peak by year 2020. While the government takes effort and initiative to strengthen the healthcare system by recommending an increase in capacity on nursing education to encourage individuals to enter the profession, the nursing professional practice also continuously develops to meet the demands of advancement in trends and policies. Promoting nursing leadership to empower the new nurses is of core importance not just because of the present situation of nursing shortage but for building a strong foundation of healthcare manpower for the coming generat ions. In connection to nursing leadership, Curtis, Vries, and Sheerin (2011) defined leadership as a collective variety of thoughts, reflections, and images; including power, influence, fellowship, dynamic personality, charisma, goals, autocratic behavior, innovation, cleverness, warmth, and kindness. As the nursing education and practice develops, the same is true in nursing leadership theories. Clark (2009, pp. 6-23) presents the evolution of leadership theories from the basic leadership principles to more broader concepts and these are: (1) The great man theory – leaders are born, not made; (2) Trait theory – some people are born with inherited traits suited to leadership; (3) Behavioral theory – leaders are made, not born; (4) Role theory – describes how expectations frame behavior; (5) Lewin’s leadership styles – a. autocratic (making decisions without consulting anyone), b. democratic (involve others in their decision), and c. laissez- faire (minimal involvement in decision-making); (6) Likert’s leadership styles – a. exploitative authoritative (using threats and fear to achieve conformance), b. benevolent authoritative (showing concern but sugarcoats information and maintains control of decisions), c. consultative (listens to everyone but still makes the major decision), and d. participative (increases collaboration and seeks involvement of others in the decision-making process); (7) Hershey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory – considers motivation and capability of the followers; (8) Normative leadership – chooses a decision procedure from autocratic to group-based, depending on decision-acceptance and follower knowledge; (9) Path-goal theory – clarifies the path to a goal, removing roadblocks and increasing rewards along the way; (10) Leader-member exchange theory – leaders exchange informal agreements with their members; (11) Transformational leadersh ip theory – uses vision, passion, personal integrity, and enthusiasm to shape a changing social architecture by being proactive, serving as a catalyst for innovation, functioning as a team member, and encouraging organizational learning; (12) Authentic leadership – positive, genuine, trustworthy, credible, reliable, and

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

Buddhism - Essay Example It is considered that the religion was founded on teaching of Gautama Buddha (500 B.C.E). The traditional date of the birth of the Buddha is 560 B.C.E. The Buddha is believed to have been born in northeastern India, and was a prince. He followed ascetic way of life and devoted himself to meditations and spiritual development. One day, he meditated near the Ganges River, and came to conclusion that asceticism did not work and did not help a person to achieve spiritual development. He understood that a person should eat a sufficient amount of food to have a good heath, should take enough rest but not too much, and meditate. In 525 B.C.E, the Buddha achieved Enlightenment and began to preach (Lyons and Peters 1985). As with other major world religions, the history of Buddhism has long been characterized by an ongoing tension between attempts to preserve traditional ideals and modes of practice and the need to adapt to changing social and cultural conditions (Lopez 2002). Many developmen ts in Buddhist history, such as the infusion of esoteric rituals, the arising of forms of devotionalism and lay movements, and the assimilation of warrior practices, reflect the impact of widespread yet fundamental social and cultural changes on traditional religious structures. ... In 480 BC was established the first Buddhist Council at Rajagriha in Bihar. At this council, the Vinaya and Sutra texts were standardized. As with most religions, the early years of Buddhism are shrouded in obscurity. But the period between that event and the reemergence of Buddhism into the light of history around 250 B.C.E. is somewhat unclear. Buddhist tradition holds that there was a meeting, or council, held immediately following the Buddha's death (Lopez 2002). The major concern of this meeting was to stabilize the Buddhist scriptures by coming to an agreement as to what were the accepted scriptures as spoken by the Buddha. For a variety of reasons, no such agreement seems to have been reached, although there was some general agreement on the basic message of the Buddha. Leaving the canon, that is to say the total collection of Buddhist scriptures, open in this way was to lead to disagreements later in Buddhist history. The second Buddhist Council at Vaisali marked the first di vision of the Buddhist Order (386 BC). In 244 BC, the third Buddhist Council called by Asoka. This council fixed the canon of Theravadin Buddhism (Lyons and Peters 1985). To other regions of the world, Buddhist tradition was spread with merchants. For instance, Buddhism was introduced to Southeast Asia in C. 200. Since C. 300, Buddhism is a prominent religion in China and begins to penetrate Korea. c. 750 Buddhism officially established in Tibet (beginnings of the Vajrayana school). c. 800 Ch'an and Pure Land Buddhism become dominant schools in China; establishment of Tendai and Shingon schools in Japan. Only, in 1893 World Parliament of Religions

Social Security Systems in France

Social Security Systems in France Social security system was founded in 1910 in France. The general scheme is presented in 1945. It was firstly intended to cover the whole population. Social Security consists of a set of institutions that serve to protect individuals from the consequences of various events or situations, usually referred to as social risks. There are four branches in the social security system in France. These are illness, old age/retirement, family and work accident/occupational disease. The compulsory â€Å"general scheme† covers the general population and mostly the employees. Another one is the agricultural scheme that includes agricultural-sector employees and non-salaried workers against all risks. Moreover, the last one is the supplementary pension schemes, ARRCO and AGIRC, which are compulsory for all private-sector employees affiliated to the general and agricultural schemes.    Social security expenditures: A historical perspective The table shows that total social security expenditures between 1980 and 2013. In 2009, public social expenditure amounted to 22.1% of GDP on average in the OECD area, but this varied considerably between countries. France had the highest rate which is %32.10 of GDP in 2009. Last 8 years, expenditures increase gradually except 2011. In 2013, the total amount of social security expenditures is %33.02 of GDP. Social Security Payment system (Pay-as-you go or fully funded or a mixture), describe. In an  unfunded  defined benefit pension, no assets are set aside and the benefits are paid for by the employer or other pension sponsor as and when they are paid. Generally many countries ensure unfunded pensions arrangements, workers have benefits paid directly out of current taxes and social security contributions. We called this method as a Pay-as-you-go method. Generally most European countries are applying this method. However, many countries like France, have a hybrid systems which means they are partially funded. France set up the Pension Reserve Fund in July, 2001. The pension Reserve Fund, originally â€Å"Fonds de Reserve pour les Retraites†, has an aim of using funds from privatisalitions of state holdings to finance the future shortfall of the state PAYG pensions system. Data for Dependency Ratio (demographic data): changes over time. Show the data on a graph and describe the trend Age dependency ratio is the rate of dependents which are people younger than 15 or older than 64 divided to the working-age population which are between 15-64 age. The birth rate in France decreased to 12.70 in 2011, and death rate increased to 8.50 in 2011. Population ages between 0-14 in France was also decreased to 18.26 in 2012. The latest value for Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) in France was 54.58 as of 2012. Over the past 51 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between 61.54 in 1961 and 51.31 in 1987. Income Distribution among the Aged Population The population of France was estimated 64,612,939 in 2014 and the income per household is 2,140 â‚ ¬ nets/month. France is one of only five OECD countries where income inequality and poverty have declined over the past 20 years. Income distribution among the aged population is in below; People near retirement-age (aged 51 to 65) have seen their incomes go up more rapidly than any other group. In 2009, It decreased 28,306 to 28,700. Poverty rates for this group have fallen from 10% to 5%. They have also fallen for people aged over 65 (from 10% to 8%) Describe the Structure of Social Security Tax: Employers and Employees contributions. Need also historical data for this. European countries’s social security systems collect taxes to finance their system. In France, this is financed by social security contributions. Spesific social changes(prà ©là ¨vements sociaux and contributions sociales) are seemingly a payment (to social security system), however mostly they are seemed part of the taxation system. The table below shows the contributions of the both employer and employee. They are payable. But we should consider that; the rates has changes baceuse of type of industy, companies mass, kind of job and wages. The OECD says that, the employers social securtiy contributions are 30% of the employees salary in France. The employer social security contributions in France is one of the biggest in the world rank. This is because the calculation method is still below 50% of the significant number in the table.    Collect Data for the Structure of Social Security Benefits (a measure such as the GRR) and show the re-distributional aspect of it (if present) on a graph. Social security benefits in France are Health Care Benefits, Sickness Benefits, Accidents at work, Occupational diseases, Family benefits, Maternity and Paternity benefits, Unemployment benefits, basic retirement benefits, and Death. The gross replacement rates are the most popular indicators in pension analysis. It refers to the retirement benefit per month divided by monthly labor earnings during the years before one’s retirement. In other words, GRR is only applicable for pensionable persons. One first qualifies for a full public pension after 40 years of contribution. This has been since 2003. Before that, it was 37.5 years. In recent years, there have been increased plans to raise this to 41 years. Generally, the public pension aims for a replacement rate of 50 percent after a person’s full career. There are penalties for missing years or a given number of months, such as a reduction of 1.25-5 percent of each missing year. The GRR in France is divided in three categories: low earners; average earners; and maximum earners. The low earners get a 53 percent gross replacement rate, the average earners get 39.9 percent and maximum earners get 24.8 percent. This variation in earnings across categories is based on an individual’s pre-retirement earnings. Retirement and Age Benefits: Retirement Age did not change from 2012 to 2013 in France and it is 62. The retirement age increase 60 to 62 during the previous President Nicolas Sarkozy. The average retirement age of woman is 62.17 in 2009-2013. It reached its highest level (65) in 2012 and its lowest rate (60) in 2010. The French scheme provides for two compulsory retirement systems for employees. First of all; basic retirement system, in other words â€Å"social security retirement†. This pension is implemented after the age 62. Another important point about retirement in France is pensions may be claimed later if desired. People who continue to work after the their retirement and paid contributions for more than the attributed period for a full retirement (depending on the year of birth) can be granted a higher pension. There is also an opportunity to take an early retirement under certain restrictive conditions. Early retirement is possible at age 56 for people that born in 1952. If they born in 1952 an d entered the labour force before at age 16, it means that they have validated at least 43.5 years. Moreover, it is also possible at age 59 for people that stared working before age 16. They also made at least 43.5 years of effective contributions. Moreover, pensions will be increase in certain circumstancess; those are raising child, awarded in respect of a dependent spouse and constant attendance allowance. Secondly, suplementary pension schemes are administrated by Association for Employees Supplementary Schemes (ARRCO) that covers employeees and General Association of Retirement Institutions for Executives (AGIRC) for executive staff. ARRCO includes both managerial and non managerial employees. In private sector, the pension system has two mandatory tiers: an earnings-related public pension and occupational schemes, based on a points system. For the these types of retirement the age have to be 65-67 relying on birth date. However, there is also possible to claim early retirement pensions of age of 55 or 57. The annual values of ARCCO and AGIRC points in 2011, 2012 and 2013 are: Facts and data for Benefits for Family Relations: Spouses/domestic partners Benefits, Dependent Children’s Benefit, Widowers’ Benefits, etc. Family benefits are granted for illegitimate, legitimate, adopted and foster children on condition that they are dependants of the beneficiary. Individuals should exceed age 20 to benefit from â€Å"Family benefits†. Family benefits include â€Å"basic benefits for maintenance†, â€Å"early childhood benefit† and â€Å"benefits for special purpose†. Basic benefits for maintenance are child benefit, flatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœrate allowance, and meansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœtested family income supplement. Child benefit is paid to families that live two or more dependent children in France. Since April 2014, child benefit rates are 32% of the monthly benefit base (â‚ ¬129.99) for two children and it increases to 41% (â‚ ¬166.55) for each additional child. Families that have at least three children aged between three and 21 years can benefit from â€Å"Family income supplement†. In France, individuals should exceed age 20 to benefit from â€Å"Family benefit† but there is an exceptional situation which is flat-rate allowance. A flatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœrate allowance is paid to balance the financial loss incurred by families with three or more children when the eldest chi ld turns 20. â€Å"Early Childhood Benefit† includes birth adoption grant, basic allowance, a supplement for free choice of working time and supplement for free choice of childcare. Birth adoption grant is the coverage of expenses of a child birth or adoption.The amount of the grant is â‚ ¬927.71 for a birth and â‚ ¬1,855.42 for an adoption. The amount of basic allowance is â‚ ¬185.54 per month and it is paid after the birth/adoption grant. â€Å"Supplement for free choice of working time† has a purpose to allow family to stop working or work less and to be more interested with their child. The last early childhood benefit is â€Å"a supplement for free choice of childcare† and it is is paid to parent using the services of a registered child-care worker or a baby sitter in the house. â€Å"Benefits for Special Purpose† includes education allowance for disable children, back to school allowance, family housing allowance, moving allowance or daily parental attendance allowance for looking after a child suffering from a severe disease or handicap. Widower’s benefit: This benefit paid to surviving widows. The surviving spouse without resources or whose resources are not sufficient benefits from a pension, based on the pension the deceased would have enjoyed or benefited. In the special schemes, the pension is paid regardless of age. In the general scheme, it is paid from 55. Before that age, widows and widowers are eligible for insurance widowhood. The widow allowance is paid for two years. Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program: This program is only applicable for the employed persons. To understand what this means, below is an explanatory list of requirements needed for one to qualify for the unemployment benefits (EU 22): One must be unemployed through no fault of his/hers He/she must be a registered jobseeker and willing to abide by a personalized back-to-work plan of action He/she must be genuinely and continuously looking for work He/she must be physically fit for work He/she must not meet the full pension schemes, and He/she must produced evidence of their insurance under unemployment insurance scheme for four of the last 36 months and 28 months for those over and under 50 years age respectively Those who qualify get a daily allowance consisting of fixed reference wage (and variable parts. The variable part ranges between 57.4 and 75 percent of the reference wage. This scheme allows a payment for a period of 4 to 24 months (for under-50s) and 36 months (for over-50s). It also depends on the job seeker’s prior insurance period and age (EU 22). Health Care Coverage for the eligible recipients and their dependents. In 2000, the World Health Organization declared that France selected the â€Å"close to best overall health care† in the world. France health care system is financed by government National Health Insurance and France spent 11.6% of GDP on health care and $4,118 per capita. Even if this spending on health care is less than nine countries in the OECD (for example, Germany, Canada , Switzerland) , only two countries surpassed France’s health care spending as a percent of GDP of 11.6 %. Although the country has the second highest level of alcohol consumption in the world, France’s life expectancies is 82.2 which means one of the longest life expectancies in the world. Health care system in France is financed by two system. One of them is called â€Å"L’assurance maladie† which is a state controlled health insurance social security system. The other one is called â€Å"L’assurance complementaire† which is a separate voluntary health insurance system. â€Å"L’assurance maladie† is one the four branches of social security system. There are three main schemes that administred by NHI system according to occupation. First one is general scheme (CNAMTS : Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie des Travailleurs Salarià ©s) which funds almost 75% of health spending. It covers approximately 85% of the population working in industry and commerce. It also includes retired individuals. The General Fund is administered by theCaisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM). Individuals who live in France must register at their local CPAM for national health insurance coverage and people are issued with a â€Å"carte vitale† after registration. Card vitale is a second generation of smart card that indicates national insurance rights in electronic form. The carte vitale is not a means of payment, however it does enable the government to provide reimbursement immediately and it saves patients of the need for the huge a mounts of form filling required under the old carte sociale system. Second one is agriculture scheme (MTA : Mutualità © sociale agricole) which supports occupational health and prevention of occupational risks, and conducting activities to health and social. It covers 6 per cent of the population, including farmers, agricultural employees and their families. Final one is for the self employed (RSI : Rà ©gime social des independents) that covers artisans, traders, industrialists and professionals. Social Security Reforms: pending or implemented. To address the perceived payment gaps cited above, the Council of Ministers proposed the need to find a pension system balance (that is bring financial balance, and governance and fairness in the administration of the pensions scheme). This would ensure: the adaptation of the indexation rules; increased contribution period for full pension; reduced employers’ social contribution, among others (Embassy of France in London 1). In relation to the welfare schemes, President Francois Hollande is reportedly currently looking for ways for reforms in pension, unemployment payments and family benefits. So far, the government has relied on tax increases to account for the huge deficits discussed above. However, in the future the government might increase charges on workers and employers, as well as taxes on pensioners; raise the contribution period before one qualifies for a full pension, among others (The Economist, 2013). Problems and issues with the system. A number of problems and issues have been raised over Frances social security system. In relation to pension scheme reforms, for instance, many cited financing gap between private sector employees and civil servants. The latter’s payments were included as part of state expenditure, placing them at an advantage over the former group. Therefore, there have been calls to address what many have come to see as financing gap in pension schemes for those in the private sector and civil servants (Embassy of France in London 1). There have also been fears concerning the sustainability of the systems welfare schemes. The rising deficits are a cause for alarm. The deficits of these three on the country’s general social security systems are on the increase. By 2020, the deficits of the pension, family and unemployment pay are expected to reach â‚ ¬20.9 billion (about $25 billion), â‚ ¬2.6 billion and â‚ ¬4.8 billion respectively (The Economist, 2013).   REFERENCES Embassy of France in London. The French Pension Reform- key Elements, Oct. 10, 2013. Web, June 18 2014 European Union. Your Social Security Rights in France, 2013. Web, June 18 2014 OECD. Retirement-Income Systems in OECD Countries: France, OECD, 2013. Web, 20 June 2014 The Economist. Must We Work Harder? June 22, 2013. Web, June 18, 2014 Poindessault-Bernard, L., Zuterek, A. (n.d.). Social security systems around the globe.. Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://www.pwc.be/en_BE/be/publications/2013/social-security-booklet-sept2013.pdf Lorganisation de la Sà ©curità © sociale. (2011, January 5).Le portail du service public de la Sà ©curità © sociale / Usagers /. Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://www.securite-sociale.fr/L-organisation-de-la-Securite-sociale?type=part

Cereal:The Manufacturing Industry :: essays research papers fc

Cereal: The Manufacturing Industry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyday, more than eighty million Americans have some type of cereal for breakfast. Cereal is one of the most popular breakfast foods and some brand is found in almost every home in America (Topher). This vast industry stems from the late 1800s when John Harvey Kellogg and C. W. Post began cereal production in Battle Creek, Michigan (Topher). Today, numerous types and varieties of cereal line the grocery store shelves. However, only a few select companies make every one of those different kinds of cereal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are four different categories into which economists classify industries. These categories are perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly. Each of these four categories has its own unique characteristics. Perfect competition has an unlimited number of firms, while a monopoly has one single firm, and an oligopoly consists of a small number of interdependent firms. The demand curve of an oligopoly depends on how firms choose to deal with their interdependence with the other firms in the industry. A firm within an oligopoly market can choose to cooperate with other firms in the industry, which is illegal, or the firm can choose to compete against the other firms. An oligopoly produces either differentiated products or homogenous products. In an oligopolistic market, entry barriers, which prohibit new firms from entering the industry, are present. Examples of entry barriers include patents, brand loyalty and trademarks. Long-run econom ic profits are possible for an oligopoly, and non-price competition is a significant way to compete with other firms in the same market. Most of the non-price competition in an oligopoly comes from product differentiation. The cereal manufacturing industry is an oligopolistic market because it exhibits many of these traits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An oligopoly consists of a small number of interdependent firms. The cereal manufacturing industry consists of four different firms that control almost all of the market. These companies are Quaker Oats, Kellogg, Kraft Foods, and General Mills (Lazich 68). In 2001, General Mills and Kellogg led the industry with a market share of 32.2 and 30.7 percent, respectively (68). Kraft Foods had a market share of 16.3 percent and Quaker Oats had a market share of 19.0 percent (68). The remaining 11.8 percent of the market share was held by other firms (68). In 2002, Kellogg took the lead with 32.7 percent followed by General Mills with a 31.8 percent market share (Reyes).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An oligopoly consists of either differentiated or homogenous products.

Development Planning and Analysis

From the modernization theory up to the present trend about sustainable development and climate change, development planning is a major issue since this dictates the direction in which development will take place. For instance, Earth summit’s Agenda 21 aims to alleviate â€Å"worsening poverty, hunger, ill health and illiteracy, and the continuing deterioration of the ecosystems on which we depend for our well-being. † The corruption or purity of development will then pave the way for the possibility of addressing severe social dilemmas. The manner by which development is directed is necessary for the rise or fall or every country.The importance of development planning is even magnified by the Millennium Development Goals which seek to address social dilemmas that paralyzes countries, especially the third world (. In development planning, several aspects must be put into consideration. For one, the demography of a particular setting should be viewed as a profile that wi ll tell the state of development the place has already attained. Demography includes the socio-economic profile that can tell if people satisfy their most basic needs. Women, on the other hand, are another important factor because of the historically-traced experience in repression.Since 51% of the population is composed of women, they must be seriously put into delicate consideration. They have long experienced struggles, and the status by which they have achieved a degree of equality and freedom from repression indicates development and will then become the starting point of several other development plans. Poverty, on the other hand, is another issue. Poverty or the statuses by which people cannot satisfy their needs should be considered in development planning because only through poverty alleviation will countries attain development.These issues are even intensified by the issue of pollution because this dilemma leads to environmental degradation. Since most third world countri es are in the tropics, they depend largely on the environment. Failure to come up with plans that will conserve and preserve the environment translates to inefficiency of development plans being imposed. These issues are heightened by the current trend known as climate change. Everything now from the social sphere to the political ecology becomes a vicious cycle that has to be addressed by long-term and holistic plans to combat even the worst case scenarios.Water purity and availability, occupational health and safety, child welfare, and public health are also important considerations that have to be solved. If one partition of the mentioned considerations is not solved, or is not prioritized, development planning has not become true to its integrity. As many tag the Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), they are the growing force in the development arena since they carry on the interest of marginalized sectors in the society. The projects that have not been carried out by the govern ment are compensated by the activities performed by the NGOs.The language of everyday politics might suggest that they are part of the dynamism of politics; however, other sectors might label them as the heroes that save lives in the absence of the government arm that supposedly helps the impoverished. More so, the multilaterals are involved in development planning. They swathe every development subject, from granting â€Å"financial aid to technical assistance to pushing for democracy. † The role of government and state institutions in development planning is truly essential because they are constitutionally tasked to provide the needs of the people in their respective territories.The state, which is the primary instrument for development, should always be in the service of the citizenry. Many may question the credibility of these institutions, but their role is truly crucial in the developmental aspect. Development is then measured through the assessment if the state is abl e to provide the needs of the people and if the development considerations are prioritized. The question, furthermore, if the business community is a problem or a solution is subjective because it will only be decided depending on the roles they portray.However, the present trend about Corporate Social Responsibility acts as the charitable arm of the government to reach out to the people who are not as affluent as the business sector. In Asia, CSR is really trending and even the capitalists hang on to this to escape criticism of them being over-profiteering. Development planning is not an easy task. To address this, stakeholder’s analyses are conducted. This will help in identifying sectoral needs and interests that vary within communities.The conclusions that will be derived in the stakeholder’s analyses will be beneficial in formulating objectives for development planning. The five entry points for social impact analysis, based on the lecture at City University of Ho ng Kong, are as follows: Social diversity and gender, Institutions, rules and behaviour, Stakeholders, Participation, and Social risk. The mentioned entry points provide for the framework essential in development planning. The social analysis and project design plus the logframe analysis can also be used. Social analyses may be organic but it will help thoroughly in development planning.Development planning in labor rights, democracy and national development are the future because these are the trends that have to be followed and assessed. If these were achieved, even the third world countries will have their own comparative advantages. REFERENCES Lecture notes in Development Planning and Analysis. (2010). City University of Hong Kong. Lecture notes in Social Equity Issues in Social Forestry. (2010). University of the Philippines Los Banos. Lecture notes in Reimagining Philippine Politics. (2007). University of the Philippines Los Banos.

Jimi Hendrix essays

Jimi Hendrix essays Jimi Hendrix was born on November 27 1942. He was born under the name of Johnny Allen Hendrix but his father had decided to change it to James Marshall Hendrix at the age of four. Jimi Hendrix was to become the king of rock guitarists. Hendrix came from a middle class family in Seattle, Washington. Some in his family were gifted with the same talent to play music, for instance his dad was a saxophone player and his aunt could play the organ. Jimi Hendrix had begun playing music on an acoustic guitar, which was the very first instrument that he ever had until when he turned twelve he was given an electric guitar, after receiving it he joined up with some local bands. Jimi Hendrix could never read music. So he had taught himself to play the guitar, with the burden of being left handed on a right-handed guitar, by listening to artists such as B.B. King, Chuck berry and muddy waters. Jimi Hendrix used to practice his guitar like this for many hours. He had the gift of playing music by ear. Jimi Hendrix had dropped out of school in 1959 and joined the army at the age of 17. He had joined as a paratrooper in the 101st airborne division. He was not in the army for that long, as he was discharged when he had broken his right ankle in a parachute drop. After leaving the army Jimi Hendrix decided to move south of America and search for work. Before long he found work playing rhythm guitar for famous black musicians such as Little Richard, Wilson Pickett and Sam Cookie. By the year 1964 Jimi Hendrix was in New York playing in Greenwich Village Nightclubs. His band was called Jimi James and The Blue Flames. Jimi played his own music that was very similar to that of the BB king and Muddy Waters. Jimi Hendrix was known for amusing his audience by playing his guitar in many different ways. For example when performing he would play his guitar either behind his head, Behind his back and eve ...

The withered Arm Essay Example

The withered Arm Essay Example The withered Arm Paper The withered Arm Paper Trace the developing relationship between Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge. How does Thomas Hardy use the supernatural to engage the readers interest, build up tension and keep the story going? The Withered Arm is set in 1888 in a place called Wessex now known as Devon. It is set in a typically English rural location, mainly farms and small cottages for farm workers. There are two main characters; Rhoda Brook a milkmaid and Gertrude Lodge newly married to local landlord Farmer Lodge. Back then everybody knew each other and so knew everybodys business. Men are more respected and did all of the work whilst the women stayed at home and did the house work. If women were single they lived with their parents or on their own in a cottage. If the had a child whilst out of wedlock then they were frowned upon by society and were very much disrespected by everybody else. When we are first told about Rhoda Brook she is portrayed as a woman in her early thirties who hasnt aged to well. She is a milkmaid working on a farm for most hours of the day not having much time to rest. She next did what she had been told to do and as she was doing so she found that Rhoda and Farmer Lodge were behind her, due to the person who had been hung was Rhoda and Farmer Lodges son. Gertrude was taken to prison and then thrown out on the street where she died three days later. There are a small number of characters in The Withered Arm the three main characters are as follows: Farmer Lodge, Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge (Farmer Lodges new bride). Farmer Lodge is a very busy man who runs the farm and sells his goods from it; he has recently got married to Gertrude and are both happily settling down to married life. Rhoda Brook is a woman who lives in a cottage near by the farm and works for Farmer Lodge, milking cows. She had a son to Farmer Lodge who rejected him and Rhoda Brook. Gertrude Lodge is Farmer Lodges new bride. She is new to the area and makes friends with Rhoda Brook and her son within the story. She is obviously unaware of Farmer Lodge and Rhoda Brooks past relationship. The story The Withered Arm starts with a few milkmaids chatting about Farmer Lodges new bride. Though they say shes a rosy cheeked tisty toasty little body enough. This gives you a description of Farmer Lodges new bride using adjectives. It also only spends a short time setting the scene, It was an eighty-cow dairy, and the troop of milkers, and regular and supernumerary were all at work. Thomas Hardy also describes a lot about Rhoda Brooks cottage using many adjectives and a simile, It was built of mud-walls, the surface of which had been washed by many rains into channels and depressions that left none of the original flat face visible: while here and there in the thatch above the rafter showed like a bone protruding through the skin this descriptive passage adds atmosphere and mood to the story. There is a really good description of Gertrude Lodge when she visits Rhoda in the dream, that young wife, in pale silk dress and white bonnet, but with features shockingly distorted, and wrinkled as by age. This changes the readers perception of Gertrudes character, and also helps establish the character and the plot of the story, thus creating atmosphere for the reader. The story has a mystery and slight-horror side to it, which makes the story interesting and more effective for the reader. This proved to create a powerful atmosphere within the story line, often through a build up of tension and suspense. The effective ending in The Withered Arm is that Gertrude discovers that the hanged person is Farmer Lodge and Rhoda Brookss son. This is known as a twist in the tale. The Superstitious Mans Story has a structured plot with two main characters. The plot is based around midsummer night eve, with a supernatural feature, creating a fear of the unknown and an eerie mood. The Superstitious Mans Story is set at the home of William and his wife who are both the main characters. The Superstitious Mans Story is about a married couple at home on Midsummer Eve, Last night being Old Midsummer Eve. The man William had gone to bed, and his wife who was up finishing the ironing. While she was hard at work William walked downstairs and out of the house without saying a word, no word was said either side, William not being a man given much to speaking, and his wife being occupied with her work. Later she decided to go to bed so she left a note on the door saying Mind and do the door but as she got into bed he was still lying there asleep. The next day she was talking to a friend and her friend said she saw him walking into the church and that this is what people who are soon going to die do on Midsummers Eve. A few days later William dies while sleeping during a lunch break at work. He was seen at the spring where his son had died at the time of his own death. In The Superstitious Mans Story the main character is William because the whole story is based on him and his death. He is said to be a forgetful character in the story by his wife. The other character is Williamss wife, she seems to be playing the typical hardworking housewife, doing the ironing and setting the table for her husband. Her character portrays her to be loyal and loving wife to William. This story is a mystery-based story with a tragic out come at the end. A magic and supernatural feature is present through out the story too, which adds more apprehension to the story. The Superstitious Mans Story starts by telling you information in relation to the main character. William, as you may know, you could feel when he came near ee. The story seems to start right in the middle of the story and makes the reader feel as if the reader is eavesdropping on a private conversation, making the reader want to hear and read more. There is also a brilliant description of William at the start of the story, this tells the reader almost everything he/she needs to know about the character in only a few words. This adds to the story giving you a quick insight into the main character. The story starts by giving clues away that the plot is linked to death, hed not known of the bell go so heavy in his hand for years and he feared it meant a death in the parish this gives an eerie mood to the story suggestive of something sinister about to happen. There is a build up of tension when we find out his boots are still at the stairs even though hes just left the house, to her great surprise, and might I say alarm, on reaching the foot of the stairs his boots were standing there as they always stood when the had gone to rest. This is effective because this moves on the story by the build up of tension. When Williamss wife finds him asleep there is a good example of a simile, as sound as a rock. At the end when William actually dies his fellow-mower saw a miller-moth come from his mouth and fly straight away. The effective ending in The Superstitious Mans Story is that William actually dies and his spirit is seen at a different place at the time of his death. The miller moth is a sign of death and is his spiritual presence. I enjoyed reading both of these stories due to them both being written by the same author, Thomas Hardy. Both stories were based on the same style, Thomas Hardy using imagery and description to create various effects. They both had good examples of adjectives and similes within them and good story structures. The mood of both stories was eerie and sinister, suggesting something serious was about to happen.

Recommendation Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Recommendation Letter - Essay Example This letter is my formal recommendation for Kennya, who I feel would be an able and excellent candidate for the Pharmacy Degree Program you offer.   She has worked   as a pharmacy technician under my supervision for the past 18 months, and has consistently demonstrated commitment, intellectual skill and personal qualities that have enhanced the service delivery of this community pharmacy. Kennya’s oral communication is excellent, allowing her to develop a close and caring relationship with the patients here, in particular, the older and more vulnerable people. She relates not only to their medical needs, but also to their personal circumstances.   She shows great retentive abilities, attention to detail, demonstrates clear understanding, produces good written work and has the ability to analyze any situation and act on her own initiative.  I am impressed by Kennya’s ability to absorb new information and utilize it correctly and decisively.   She has already ac hieved her pre-pharmacy qualifications, demonstrating good academic and learning skills.   This means she can be trusted to carry out many tasks outside her remit, with only a basic need for checking on my part.   This shows me that her intellectual ability is above average, as is her commitment to serving the community.   Kennya is dedicated to her work and to improving her knowledge in all aspects of pharmacy, but never loses sight of the purpose of her role.   Her character is one of great compassion and understanding, she is energetic and bright and has never let colleagues or patients down in the time she has worked with me. I have observed how Kennya uses her knowledge and experience consistently to benefit all those she is involved with.   I feel that she would contribute a great deal to the program at MCPHS and would reach her goal of attaining her degree and so achieve professional status.   I have no hesitation in asking that you give serious consideration to h er application.   She would be an asset to the program and to the profession.

Approaches to Second Language Acquisition. Error Analysis and English Research Paper

Approaches to Second Language Acquisition. Error Analysis and English Language Writing - Research Paper Example Formal class room learning of a second language presents many barriers to the learner because learner had already acquired his first language and uses it most effectively to communicate in the class room. This gives a psychological disadvantage to the learner clinching to and always ready to fall back on first language in case complex scenarios occur (Yule, 1985). Thus Steinberg (1982) argues that it is quite possible that second language learning process is accelerated if the learner is provided with an environment presenting stimuli through socialization with speakers of target language. Yule (1985) and Brown (1994) identified age as another barrier to second language acquisition (SLA), which they referred to as critical period. According to them, there is a certain age limit that allows a learner to demonstrate optimal language acquisition skill, beyond what is very difficult to learn another language. Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Different models and analytical approaches are employed by researchers in second language acquisition. This included the grammar translation method, the direct method, the audio-lingual approach and the communicative approach. Yule (1985) gives more importance to communicative approach due to its error tolerances. ... According to Lennon (1991), an error is "a linguistic form or combination of forms which in the same context and under similar conditions of production would, in all likelihood, not be produced by the speakers' native speakers’ counterparts". In the second language teaching/learning process the error has always been regarded as something negative which must be avoided. As a consequence, teachers have always adopted a repressive attitude towards it. On one hand, it was considered to be a sign of inadequacy of the teaching techniques and on the other hand it was seen as a natural result of the fact that since by nature we cannot avoid making errors we should accept the reality and try to deal with them. Fortunately, little by little the error has been seen from a different point of view being made obvious that we can learn from our mistakes. George (1972) is of the view that learners make errors in both comprehension and production, the first being rather scanty investigated. Ch ildren learning their first language, adult native speakers, and second language learners; they all make errors which have a different name according to the group committing the error. Children's errors have been seen as "transitional forms", the errors by native speaker are called "slips of the tongue" and the second language errors are considered unwanted forms. 2.4 Background of Error Analysis Earlier in 1960’s, behaviorist theory formed the basis of second language acquisition, which weighed language acquisition not more than just acquiring set of new language skills. For a considerable period, linguistic research focused on interference of learner’s first language with acquisition of second language. Thus researchers used contrastive analysis to predict the areas that need attention