Nordstrom Financial Statement Analysis

NORDSTROM (JWN) I. Nordstrom’s overview Nordstrom is classified as an Upscale Independent Department Store Chain and is noted as one of the largest department stores of its type. Nordstrom is founded in 1901 by two partners, John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. It’s headquarter is in Seattle, Washington area. Nordstrom carries a wide variety of merchandise and specialty goods, which includes apparel, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, handbags, accessories, and in some locations, home furnishings. Nordstrom is dealing with competition on many different levels.It is competing with higher end stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. In addition, it is also competing with second tier stores such as Macy’s, Dillard’s, and Bloomingdale’s. Dealing with diverse competition, upscale retailer Nordstrom has been famous for superior customer service for over 100 years and has been recognized on every 100 Best Companies To Work For list publishe d in Fortune magazine since 1998. Nordstrom operates over 200 retail locations across the country with worldwide revenue $10. 9 billion in 2011.It has two reportable segments: Retail and Credit. The Retail segment includes 115 ‘Nordstrom’ full-line stores, 89 off-price ‘Nordstrom Rack’ stores, two ‘Jeffrey’ boutiques, and one clearance store that operate under the name ‘Last Chance. ’ Nordstrom full-line stores and online store are substantially integrated to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience across channels. The Nordstrom Rack stores purchase high-quality name brand merchandise directly from vendors and also serve as outlets for clearance merchandise from Nordstrom stores.The Credit segment includes wholly owned federal savings bank, Nordstrom FSB, through which Nordstrom provides a private label credit card, two Nordstrom VISA credit cards and a debit card for Nordstrom purchases. The credit and debit cards fe ature a shopping-based loyalty program designed to increase customer visits and spending. Although the primary purpose of our Credit business is to foster greater customer loyalty and drive more sales, Nordstrom also generate revenues through finance charges and other fees on these cards.In retail department stores, consumer’s purchases are made within each department because each department is treated separately to achieve economies in promotion, buying, service, and control. Instead of categorizing departments by merchandise, Nordstrom created fashion departments that fit individual lifestyles. The retailer's best customers benefit from Nordstrom's â€Å"Perpetual Inventory† initiative, which provides the â€Å"right product, at the right place, at the right time. Nordstrom’s customer service is superior in that they put maintaining a customer relationship their top priority. It‘s main goal is to provide outstanding service every day, one customer at a time, and support the employees who deliver service to those customers. Each Nordstrom employee has a business card, which he or she gives to customers, to encourage them to reach back directly if they need anything. In addition, Nordstrom spends much less on traditional advertising than its competitors do, and to Nordstrom, â€Å"satisfied customers are much more persuasive than an ad†.Its legendary customer service is a competitive advantage that can't be easily duplicated, and the company spends a lot of time, money, and effort training employees to maintain that distinction. Even in times of economic distress, Nordstrom still maintains an unwavering commitment to making choices that are in the best interest of the customer. Therefore, Nordstrom keeps growing and maintains a great financial result in comparison with other department stores. Nordstrom business strategies are: 1. Maintaining good relationship with vendors and consumers 2.Maintaining good relationship with em ployees and providing effective training to them to develop future leaders 3. Expanding into new markets, technological investments, acquisitions and the timely completion of construction associated with newly planned stores, relocations and remodels. 4. Having effective inventory management; efficient and proper allocation of capital resources; successful execution of information technology strategy; and effective cost control in advertising, marketing, and promotion campaigns. 5.Managing debt levels to maintain an investment grade credit rating as well as operate with an efficient capital structure for its growth plans and industry II. Company financial ratio analysis: 1. Liquidity: Liquidity:| 2011| 2010| 2009| 2008| 2007| Current Ratio| 2. 16| 2. 57| 2. 01| 2. 01| 2. 06| Cash Ratio | 0. 73| 0. 80| 0. 39| 0. 04| 0. 22| Cash Flow from Operations Ratio| 0. 46| 0. 63| 0. 62| 0. 53| 0. 19| Overall regards to liquidity ratios, the higher the number the better; however, a too high also indicates that the firms were not using their resources to their full potential. Current ratio of 1. or greater shows that a company can pay its current liabilities with its current assets. JWN’s ratio increased from 2. 06 in 2007 to 2. 57 in 2010, and slightly decreased to 2. 16 in 2011. JWN’s cash ratio increased significantly from 22% in 2007 to 80% in 2010. JWN has a cash ratio of 73% in 2011, which is useful to creditors when deciding how much debt they would be willing to extend to JWN. In addition, JWN also has moderate CFO ratio of 46%, indicating the companies’ ability to pay off their short term liabilities with their operating cash flow. There was a great improvement in JWN’s liquidity ratios over the past 5 years.In general, JWN has efficient liquidity ratios which allow the company to cover its seasonal cash needs and to maintain appropriate levels of short term borrowings. 2. Activity: Activity| 2011| 2010| 2009| 2008| 2007| Inventory Turno ver| 6. 20| 6. 29| 5. 93| 5. 84| 5. 66| Avg. # of Days Inventory| 58. 83| 58. 03| 61. 59| 62. 53| 64. 50| Receivables Turnover| 5. 06| 4. 51| 4. 16| 4. 60| 7. 35| Working Capital Turnover| 3. 67| 3. 89| 4. 52| 5. 13| 5. 98| Fixed Assets Turnover| 4. 54| 4. 25| 3. 70| 4. 08| 4. 86| Total Assets Turnover | 1. 36| 1. 38| 1. 35| 1. 52| 1. 74| Length of Operating Cycle| 130. 9| 138. 87| 149. 38| 141. 93| 114. 18| I Inventory turnover shows how efficient a firm can keep its inventory turning at a steady flow from the manufacturer to the store and out to the consumer. Therefore, the higher the better because this means the firm is getting its inventory out to consumers at a more efficient pace. JWN’s inventory turnover is approximately the same in 2011 than in 2010, 6. 20 and 6. 29 respectively, which has slightly higher the number of days inventory from 58 days to 59 days. Same as inventory turnover ratio, AR turnover show how efficient a firm is at collecting its receivable.The fa ster a firm can collect its receivables, the better. JWN’s AR turnover has increased from 4. 78 in 2010 to 5. 36 in 2011. An increase in both inventory and AR turnover reduces the Length of Operating Cycle from 139 days to 131 days. In addition, there is also a good sign when JWN’s fixed asset turnover and total asset turnover increase. In general, JWN has ability to predict or respond to changes in fashion trends, consumer preferences and spending patterns, and to match its merchandise levels, mix and shopping experience to sales trends and consumer tastes, significantly impacts its sales and operating results. . Profitability: Profit| 2011| 2010| 2009| 2008| 2007| Gross Margin | 0. 39| 0. 39| 0. 36| 0. 37| 0. 39| Return on Sales| 0. 06| 0. 06| 0. 05| 0. 05| 0. 08| ROA | 0. 09| 0. 09| 0. 07| 0. 07| 0. 14| ROE | 0. 34| 0. 34| 0. 32| 0. 34| 0. 44| Upon evaluation of the operating efficiency, Gross profit margin, Return on sale, ROA, and ROE, JWN did a pretty good job du ring the fiscal year ended Jan 28th 2012. Gross profit margin, the net profit margin, ROA, and ROE have the same rate for 2011 and 2010, which are 39%, 6%, 9%, and 34% respectively. By evaluating JWN’s profitability ratio, JWN once again is upward looking.ROA is a comprehensive measure of profitability, taking into account how a firm’s assets and profits are used to create future profit. ROE is a profitability measure and is influenced by the affiliation between a firm’s debt and its owner’s equity. JWN has done an extraordinary job at maintaining moderate ROA and ROE ratio over 5 years period. Analyzing JWN’s profitability ratio shows that JWN should continue being profitably in the future. 4. Leverage: Leverage| 2011| 2010| 2009| 2008| 2007| Total Liabilities / Total Equity| 3. 34| 2. 69| 3. 19| 3. 68| 4. 02| Total Liabilities (BV) / Equity at Market| 0. 7| 0. 48| 0. 44| 0. 39| 0. 39| Times Interest Earned| 9. 61| 8. 80| 6. 04| 5. 95| 16. 85| As firm’s debt grows larger, debt to equity ratio in turn increases. Debt to equity ratio is an important factor in considering a firm’s credit risk. JWN’s debt to equity ratio increases 25% from 2. 69 in 2010 to 3. 34 in 2011. If this ratio decreases, there is less leverage within the firm. The increase in debt to equity ratio is due to the increase in long term debts and the decrease in total stockholder equity. Times interest earned ratio is a coverage measure; an increase has a positive impact on the firm.There was a significant decrease in Time interest earned ratio from 16. 85 in 2007 to 5. 95 in 2008. However, this ratio increased slightly over years. JWN’s Times interest earned has increased from 8. 80 in 2010 to 9. 61 in 2011. Ultimately, JWN generate more than enough income before interest and tax to cover for its interest expense. 5. Market related statistics: Like many luxury stores, Nordstrom has seen its sales rebound since late 2009 as well-he eled shoppers have become more comfortable with spending, despite volatility in the stock market.Nordstrom also has worked hard to make it easier to shop by adding Wi-Fi access for shoppers at all of its full-line department stores, offering free shipping on most items without any minimum purchase in September 2010, and fusing its online and in-store inventory systems so shoppers can find out online what's in stock at any given store in the chain. Nordstrom said it expects revenue at its stores open at least a year to rise 4 percent to 6 percent in the current full fiscal year, and it expects to earn $3. 30 to $3. 45 per share.JWN analyzes its dividend payout ratio and dividend yield, while taking into consideration its operating performance and capital resources, and plans to target a 25% to 30% dividend payout ratio in 2011. JWN has increased its dividend payout ratio and its dividend yield in 2011, 29% and 1. 9 % respectively. JWN paid dividends of $0. 92 per share in 2011, $0. 7 6 per share in 2010, and $. 64 per share in each of 2009 and 2008. 6. Quality of financial information Nordstrom uses a more moderate strategy when it comes to its accounting policies.It basically uses similar basic standards as other firms in the industry. Management and select employees of Nordstrom receive stock options and bonuses based on how profitable and how much growth the company is, which may lead to intentional accounting distortion to increase these benefits. Although distortion would be beneficial to management, the standards used by Nordstrom to account for stock issued to employees seem well disclosed and straight forward. Compared to the accounting policies and estimates used in the past five years, Nordstrom has not significantly changed any of its accounting standards.Estimates such as returns are based on past returns and performance and have not altered much in recent years. Nordstrom’s uses its historical data to estimate future performance for the use o f the inventory account. Nordstrom’s accounting policies and estimates seem to have no significant distortions. The changes in policies are well recorded and explained in the footnotes, leaving no concern about their accounting policies. The changes in policies accounting standards and estimates all seem to be legitimate. The manner in which Nordstrom discloses their financial information to the public is of extremely high quality.Nordstrom exceeds their expectation of providing customers and shareholders with an adequate explanation for nearly every element of their finances. After the presentation of each financial statement, Nordstrom provides a detailed clarification concerning each component listed in a manner that could be easily interpreted by the common inquirer. In general, Nordstrom effectively communicates their activities with their investors and are relatively free of unpredictable or unexplainable transactions. III. Comparison to the industry average and another store (Dillards)Liquidity:| JWN| DDS| Industry| Rating-JWN| Current Ratio | 2. 16| 1. 83| 1. 15| 8| Cash Ratio | 0. 73| 0. 26| 0. 12| 8| Cash Flow from Operations Ratio | 0. 46| 0. 58| -| -| Leverage|   | Total Liabilities / Total Equity| 3. 34| 1. 10| 1. 33| 4| Total Liabilities (BV) / Equity at Market| 0. 57| 0. 72| 0. 17| 4| Times Interest Earned| 9. 61| 5. 83| 7. 41| 7| Activity|   | Inventory Turnover | 6. 20| 3. 12| 6. 14| 6| Avg. # of Days Inventory | 58. 83| 117. 12| 59. 45| 6| Receivables Turnover | 5. 06| 232. 73| 22. 91| 3| Working Capital Turnover| 3. 67| 8. 88| 40. 9| 3| Fixed Assets Turnover| 4. 54| 2. 54| 6. 06| 4| Total Assets Turnover | 1. 36| 1. 47| 1. 91| 4| Length of Operating Cycle | 130. 98| 118. 69| 75. 38| 3| Profit|   | Gross Margin| 0. 39| 0. 37| 0. 29| 6| Return on Sales| 0. 06| 0. 07| 0. 06| 5| ROA| 0. 09| 0. 11| 0. 11| 5| ROE | 0. 34| 0. 22| 0. 25| 6| Both JWN and DDS maintained an efficient liquidity ratio which allowed them to cover their season al cash needs and to maintain appropriate levels of short term borrowings. DDS do not generate as much profit as JWN but it also has much lower leverage ratio than JWN.JWN has much higher debt to equity ratio than the industry average. However, its Time Interest Earned ratio is better than the industry. JWN’s activity ratio seems to be better than DDS, but below the industry average. JWN’s Beta is 1. 57 which theoretically indicates 57% more volatile than the market. DDS’s Beta is 2. 53 which is . 96 higher than JWN’s Beta and also means more volatile than the market. A beta of greater than  1 offers the possibility of a higher rate of return, but  also poses  more risk. In addition, JWN also has much higher dividend payout ratio and dividend yield than DDS.In general, JWN has higher rate of return and less volatile than DDS. JWN has higher dividend yield and lower dividend payout ratio than industry average. The growth and income pick pays an indus try-leading dividend yield of 1. 90%. Its ROE and Net profit margin are also higher than the industry average. Nordstrom clearly has a higher return than its competitor and is likely to be more profitable than its competitor and industry. In comparison with DDS and the industry average, it is apparent that there are no concerns with the accounting for the components of JWN ratios.JWN was consistently somewhat outperformed its competitor and the industry average. In its industry, JWN is apparently a leader in utilizing its capital to create value for the firm, creating profits, and increasing shareholder value IV. Growth in revenue and income Year| Revenue| Net income| 2011| $10,877| $683| 2010| $9,700| $613| 2009| $8,267| $441| 2008| $8,573| $401| 2007| $9,080| $715| 2006| $8,666| $678| Statistics|   | JWN| YoY growth in revenues | 2011| 12. 13%| YoY growth in net income| 2011| 11. 42%| YoY growth in revenues| 2010| 17. 33%| YoY growth in net income| 2010| 39. 00%|YoY growth in re venues| 2009| -3. 57%| YoY growth in net income| 2009| 9. 98%| YoY growth in revenues| 2008| -5. 58%| YoY growth in net income| 2008| -43. 92%| YoY growth in revenues| 2007| 4. 78%| YoY growth in net income| 2007| 5. 46%| YoY growth in revenues| (Average)| 12. 13%| YoY growth in net income| (Average)| 11. 42%| Nordstrom generates revenues from its credit segment, which consists of a wholly-owned federal savings bank that offers Nordstrom VISA credit and debit cards, and a private label card. Nordstrom also profits from its Faconnable boutiques located in France, Portugal, Belgium and the U.S. The remaining revenues are brought in by the retail store segment; the stores specialize in high quality apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and accessories. Nordstrom also sells direct via the internet at www. nordstrom. com. JWN’s revenue for 2011 increased 12. 7% compared with 2010 driven by the strength of Nordstrom full-line stores, rapid growth in its online business and improving results a t Nordstrom Rack. JWN opened three Nordstrom full-line stores, eighteen Nordstrom Rack stores and one Treasure & bond store, relocated two Nordstrom Rack stores, and acquired HauteLook during the year 2011.These additions represented 4. 0% of its total revenue for 2011. Same-store sales increased 7. 2%, with increases of 8. 2% at Nordstrom and 3. 7% at Nordstrom Rack. Nordstrom’s revenue was in a range of $8 billion to 11 billion from 2007 to 2011. There was a slightly decrease or increase in revenue over 5 years period. Nordstrom’s net income was in a range of $401 mil to $715 mil. There is a significant decrease in 2007 net income. It went from $715 mil to $401 mil, which is approximately 44% decrease in net income.However, its net income increased dramatically in 2010, from $441 mil in 2009 to $613 mil in 2010, which is nearly 40% increase in net income. In order to predict an accurate forecast for Nordstrom’s Income Statement, Statement of Cash Flows, and Ba lance sheet, a sustainable growth rate is needed. After examining Nordstrom’s past performance and computing past growth rates on Nordstrom’s financial, Nordstrom has an average growth in revenue and net income 12. 13% and 11. 42% respectively. V. â€Å"G† Growth rate Risk free rate |   | 3. 10%| Market rate|   | 10. 00%| Beta|   | 1. 58|Rate of return| Rf + B(Rm-Rf)| 14. 00%| # of share outstanding|   | 208| EPS|   | 3. 15| P/E ratio|   | 17. 48| Book value per share|   | 9. 42| Equity| Book value/share x # of share| 1959| Forecasted Net Income| EPS x # of share | 655. 2| Required Income| Equity x rate of return| 274| Residual Income| Forecasted NI – Required income| 381| Market price per share| P/E ratio x EPS| 55| Market capital| market price x # of share| 11453| Unrecognized intangible value (UIV)| market capital – equity| 9494| Growth rate| [(UIV *rate of return)-residual income]/UIV| 10%| With a risk free rate of 3. 0%, market r ate of 10%, and JWN’s Beta 1. 58, Nordstrom has a rate of return of 14% and growth rate of 10%. The growth rate 10% is slightly lower than the forecasted growth rate 11. 42% in net income and 12. 13% in revenue, based on the its past 5 years financial information. With the growth rate of 10%, the discount rate 14% from CAPM model is high enough for Nordstrom. Without the growth rate, discount rate 14% is too low because the capital market and market price per share will be $4679 million and $22. JWN’s market capital and market price per share are actually $11,453 million and $55/ respectively.With growth rate of 10%, JWN will have 14% in rate of return. VI. Recommendation about stock After evaluating Nordstrom’s past performance and forecasted its future growth, there should be a â€Å"BUY† in Nordstrom stock. Nordstrom has established itself as a high-end apparel retailing company. Nordstrom has founded itself upon excellent customer service and an unmat ched reputation. Its main competitors are Saks, Dillard’s, and Neiman Marcus. Nordstrom’s accounting policies are moderate and very well disclosed; they leave no room for any potential red flags to be raised. Nordstrom’s transparent accounting olicies show that the managers have confidence in the firm and its ability to perform. No distortion is used in their statements proving the firms high integrity standards. Upon completion of Nordstrom’s ratio analysis it is apparent that there should be no concerns as to how Nordstrom compares to its competition. In most cases Nordstrom was either average or stood above the competition. There were very few cases where Nordstrom fell behind in its market. Nordstrom would grow at an average 10% percent per year. This is shown through increasing sales and expansion of new stores.Nordstrom has $10,877 million net revenue, $683 million net income, EPS $3. 15, and dividend $. 90/share in fiscal 2012. Nordstrom is expecte d to have $11,705 Million net revenue, $735 million net income, EPS $3. 48 and dividend $. 90 per share during fiscal year 2013. JWN recently acquired online private sale leader HauteLook Inc, which will help the company in building its multi-channel retail format. The acquisition will facilitate Nordstrom to increase its direct business capabilities, implement an enterprise-wide inventory management system, direct sales to online customers and enhance customer service.JWN’s operations are based on a variable cost business model and about 40% to 45% of selling, general and administrative expenses are variable in nature. This flexible cost structure not only helps the company to mitigate the impact of sluggish sales trends on margins, but also enables it to quickly capitalize on the emerging opportunities when market conditions recover. Consequently, Nordstrom can expect a steady improvement in profitability moving forward. Nordstrom has 8. 6% increase in same-store sales for the five week period ended March 31st 2012 compared with the five week period ended April 2nd 2012.Total retail sales of $1. 03 billion for March 2012 increased 14. 7% compared with total retail sales of $897 million for the same period in fiscal year 2011. In addition, Nordstrom has a 7. 1% increase in same-store sales for the four-week period ended April 28th, 2012 compared with the four-week period ended April 30th, 2011. Preliminary total retail sales of $802 million for April 2012 increased 10. 5% compared with total retail sales of $726 million for the same period in fiscal 2011. First quarter same-store sales increased 8. 5% compared with the same period in fiscal 2011.First quarter total retail sales of $2. 53 billion increased 13. 7% compared with total retail sales of $2. 23 billion for the same period in fiscal 2011. In addition, JWN also invests 16. 4 million USD in Bonobos, an exclusive brand of men? s clothes that sells pants and other clothes online. Nordstrom will al so sell Bonobos products through its online store and through more than 100 brick and mortar stores. This move is one of Nordstrom? s efforts to capitalize on the growth opportunities and innovation potential that the web provides, which reflects a smart decision from a dynamic management team.

20th and 19th Century Music Comparison

Comparative analysis of twentieth and nineteenth century orchestral work Musicology – Subtopic 1 I have decided to comparatively analyse the pieces; Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor by Friedrich Kalkbrenner and Symphony no. 1 in G major by Felix Draeseke. Fridrich Kalkbrenner’s composition, ‘Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor’ is a nineteenth century work, and Felix Draeseke’s composition, ‘Symphony no. 1 in G major’ is a twentieth century work. As the aim of the task is to compare the two works, I have chosen to use the set format of columns to effectively distinguish these contrasts and/or similarities. PITCHPiano Concerto No. 1 in D minor by Friedrich Kalkbrenner | Symphony no. 1 in G major by Felix Draeseke| * Minor key * At the start of the piece, the string section comes in with a melodic sequence, shifting up 2 tones and then leaping down to the third note, creating a motif at the introduction. * The modal is sprightly rondo in the la ter half of the first movement. The piano soloist plays a light melody over an orchestral wash of colour. | * Major key * The start of piece is dominantly strings, with a woodwind instrument playing a floaty melodic sequence, again going in a downward sequence of steps. DURATION * Before any instrument comes in, there is a 14 second duration of a pause at the start of the piece. * Durational patterns of the chord changes near the start of the piece, tend to repeat themselves as the piece progresses. These chord changes, create temporary regularity and structure till the piece changes it’s durational patterns which can be found at; 34 seconds in, the chord transitions become metso staccato and then go into a sustained chord till the next change occurs. * From the excerpt I have taken out of this piece, which is; 0. 0-2. 00 seconds, the tempo throughout the entirety of this first movement is the same. The tempo of the rhythmic pulse through the entirety of this excerpt would be roughly, 120bpm. | * There are at least 2-3 melodic motifs occurring at the start of this piece being played by strings. * The most dominant melodic pattern consists of sustained chords, spanning out over a bar, sometimes even two. * The durability of the chords at the start of the piece are long and sustained, where as ‘Piano Concerto No. ’, the chords change fairly quickly, and the melody in turn, does too, in order to keep up. * The excerpt for this piece that I have chosen which is; 0. 00-2. 00 has a slow pulse to it. * The tempo of the general piece is quite slow, whereas ‘Piano Concerto No. 1’ is quite fast. | STRUCTURE * Split up into different movements. * With every new movement, comes a change in theme or dynamics. The pattern breaks and starts a new, or continues on. * Both pieces are separated into 3 movements. * Split up into different movements also. * The structure in these two songs are similar, except instrumental queues and performing med ia are played differently, causing the themes and patterns to vary, but still keeping a similar scaffold for the structure, the same in both pieces. | TEXTURE * Sea of orchestral instruments created dominantly by the strings, creating the background and foreground dominant melodies. The woodwind instruments seep in, creating another layer of sound. This creates further melodies, making the texture thicker, richer and making it sound like a wash of melodies. | * The instruments pile in, one by one, to a crescendo near the start of the piece. This also includes a thicker texture being created through the techniques in which the instruments are being played. * The texture would be described glistening and dazzling, with very little profundity. | TONE COLOUR * Some of the expressive techniques used in this piece include the piano solo played throughout the| * |

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women

To Women, we travel back to a Nigerian village in postcolonial Africa. The story enlightens the audience about the dichotomy of traditionalism versus modernism and the ways in which different cultures interact. It ends by revealing the true meaning of culture; the real quality in a society that arises from a passion for what is excellent in arts, manners, and customs. Overall, the play discusses the role of women within this Nigerian village and largely examines the conflict of whether it is better to advance with the rest of the world, or to hold on to the traditions that truly make a society independent and beautiful. The play begins with Yemoja, the most important woman in the village, in a house with Daisy and Ruth, two feminist western-educated scholars. They are the primary antagonists in the play. At this early stage, we see that Daisy and Ruth are not fond of Yemoja. Daisy and Ruth are leaders of the â€Å"Better Life for Rural Women† campaign, which inspires women to believe that they are not only equal to men in many ways, but are even superior in others. The two of them select Yemoja as the mediator between the village and the western world that they are so desperate to force upon the women. The movement causes a great disturbance in the village between the men and women, and especially with Yemoja’s husband and father. Back in Daisy’s home, she has been getting into many disagreements with her family. Her husband Okei, disagrees with her passion about the feminist movement and they frequently fight about it. Her mother-in-law, Sherifat, still encourages Yemoja to participate in the village’s traditional tribal rituals. Sherifat expresses that it would a terrible fate if Yemoja attempts to assimilate to the modern culture and loses her roots. As the story goes on, Daisy becomes estranged from her daughter Bose, as Bose is beginning to understand more and more the culture of the village and becomes closer to Yemoja and Sherifat. Towards the end of the play, the villagers organize a march, for which Daisy gives Yemoja steps to teach to the rest of the women. It becomes clear to Yemoja at that point that western culture is not for them. Daisy and Ruth’s superior arrives to enlighten the women about her ideas of feminism. She is the one that will decide whether or not the movement has succeeded or not. When it is time for Yemoja to perform the dance, however, she and Sherifat perform one of the Idu rituals instead. Bose even joins in the dancing. Ruth falls and becomes extremely injured while Daisy is thrust into the middle of the action. The play ends here in a beautifully tragic scene as Ruth chokes to death while the rest of the villagers celebrate having revitalized their culture. Tess Onwueme’s play was delightfully written and captivating to any audience. The story was intriguing and definitely matched it’s title. Now I see that, Tell It To Women, is a statement on how the women of the village are always being told to do or be something. Whether it is by Daisy and Ruth or by their husbands, the women never really find their own voice until the very end. We see in the first movement, Sherifat telling the chorus of women that being a wife is â€Å"meaning that a wife deserves to be treated like a daughter and not something that you possess. † Yet, throughout much of the story, we see the women being treated like servants and as subhuman to Daisy and Ruth, the village men, and western civilization as a whole. However, I believe that even as a woman, the author was at times, very objective in her portrayal of feminism. She was able to write a play that showed both the positives and negatives of modernism, while advancing the ideals of traditionalism. She does all this without losing sight of what is most important to women of a small village like that. At one part she even has Ruth say â€Å"these rural women are very gullible, you know. All you need to do is make them feel they are important†¦ we need them anyway, maybe even more than they need us. † The author is commenting here on the passive-aggressive attempts of Daisy and Ruth but also shows that the village women do not actually need to be modernized. Perhaps here, the author is a little biased because she is making Daisy and Ruth out to be selfish and slightly cruel. To a western reader, the play was not very easy to read. The names of the villagers were at times tongue tying and I found myself changing opinions about a character because I in fact, thought they were another. Onwueme also does not really explain the native African dialect and proverbial expressions that are used, which was slightly confusing as well. Many play-writes include footnotes at the bottom of the page to explain vernacular that is not known to the reader and that would have been very helpful here. That being said, the true meaning of the play was present the entire time. The clash of cultures and the lingering pains of colonialism in Africa come through wonderfully in the author’s interpretation. In one eloquent line we see that colonialism left its mark of the villagers. Sherifat says to Daisy that â€Å"it’s easier for those who inflict the pain on others to forget. † Tell It To Women, while at times was hard to follow, beautifully captured the struggle of traditionalism versus modernism and is a true mark of feminism. Overall, I thought that the play was well written and captivating. Even as a man, when sometimes it is hard to understand the desires of women, let alone women of another culture, I was able to grasp the true value of this play. It enlightened me about African culture and the roles of men and women in society. I believe Onwueme did a tremendous job in exposing the struggles of postcolonial Africa in an artful representation.

International Business and Economics Assignment

International Business and Economics - Assignment Example Franchising is very similar to licensing except in the degree of control by the licensor in that a franchise has to adhere strictly to a set of standards such as in marketing strategy and in its sales promotions (Welch, Benito, and Petersen, 2007, p. 53). Example of licensing would be a Mickey Mouse logo licensed to a kids shoe manufacturer while franchising is a McDonald's. Turnkey operations are a type of business entry mode in which one company contracts with another company to build, construct and complete ready-to-use facilities (Paul, 1966, p. 162). Most turnkey projects are usually in the construction and industrial-equipment sectors which require big capital and specialized expertise (Daniels, Radebaugh and Sullivan, 2008, p. 45). Management contracts pertain to agreements between investor groups of a big project and the management company hired for their expertise to manage, coordinate and oversee the project. The company is hired provides its management, administrative and organizational talents in return for a management fee such as those quite common in global hotel chains like Hilton. A direct investment is an investment made with a view to acquiring a lasting or long-term part or interest in an existing operational business enterprise in order to have an effective voice in the management of the said enterprise. In practice, this translates to buying the equity of 10% or more in the foreign firm as a form of market entry when other modes are not very assured of success. In this regard, foreign direct investment (FDI) is a way for capital to move from the low-return environment to a higher-profit market (Moosa, 2002, p. 24). Portfolio investment is an investment in stocks and securities for profits only and is called â€Å"hot money.† Attitudes to Foreign Cultures – the managers and employees of multinational firms try to adapt to foreign cultures sometimes based on their home culture. In most instances, the managers who are very democ ratic in their attitudes at their home country also extend these same traits of democratic practices such as sharing of vital information with the employees in a foreign country where they operate in (Toyne, 1980, p. 135). In some situations, the contrast of country managers is very vast such as imposing their home country's practices, beliefs and values on the host country's employees (Hofstede, 2003, p. 440) as a frame of reference while others take a more tolerant attitude and try to learn more and understand the foreign culture in a much better and deeper way (Ajami et al., 2006, p. 215). The success of a manager in the foreign country depends to a big extent on his or her cultural intelligence quotient (CQ) level similar to intelligence quotient (IQ) or emotional quotient (EQ) by being able to sufficiently read and analyze individual behaviors, attitudes, group dynamics and the unique situations in the context of the foreign culture (Kreitner, 2006, p. 97) beyond just learning the language. Key Means of Economic Transition – a command economy is an economy that is being managed centrally by the government bureaucrats. In other words, the demand and also the supply of certain products, goods, and services are determined by government planners. It is these people who decide which goods and services are to be produced, how they are priced and how these are to be distributed instead of allowing free market forces to do so.

Construction Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Construction Law - Assignment Example There are many requirements for the formation of a company in London, as guided by rules and regulations. The formation of the company will start off from the formulation of a unique company name, as regulated by London authorities. There will be a search of the Company House’s register to ensure that the formulated company name does not exist in the register or be closely similar to another company’s name (Gregory, 2014). The company name must not contain misleading words or expressions and must not suggest any connection with the government or other authorities in West London. This will ensure that there is no infringement of copyright and intellectual property rights, as well as adherence to the provisions by the Company House. Before registering the company’s name, there will be a consultation or check with the trade mark register to ensure that it can be registered as a trade mark. There will be development of a business name, as formulated from the register ed company name to facilitate easier conducting of business activities. The formulation of the company name, trade mark and business will result from extensive consultations and agreement amongst all the associates, in the form of consensus where every associate will provide suggestions to each of the three (Gregory, 2014). On the other hand, the registration of the company will be followed by the development of a unique company address as required by the Company House, HM Revenue and Customs, and other concerned authorities, as well as an address for clients. The company address will be a physical address registered in London, which is the planned company’s location. This will ease the management of corporation tax and the accessibility of the company in the Company House’s register. Each of the associates will become a director and shareholder of

The Cognitive Approaches of Challenged the Concept of Behavioral Essay

The Cognitive Approaches of Challenged the Concept of Behavioral Theory - Essay Example A child learns new behaviours or is able to modify existing behaviours, as a function of environmental events that either reward or punish that behaviour. Skinner’s learning theory is a move away from the traditional behaviourist approach of stimulus and response, as he differentiated between types of responses. When a response was elicited by a known stimulus it is considered to be associated with the known stimulus. Alternatively, responses that do not require a specific stimulus, which he termed operants, are independent of the stimulus. Skinner emphasized that it was the operant response that could be strengthened or weakened by the use of personal, social or environmental rewards or punishments respectively. Skinner’s principles advocated the idea that learning could be ‘programmed,’ which fit with the 1960s initial explorations into computer-aided instruction. All that was required was for the student to practice, and to be provided with the ideal rei nforcement (i.e., reward or punishment). Students were perceived to learn through processes of rote memorization and amount of practice. A subject such as English has been greatly influenced by Skinner’s principles of reinforcement in terms of being better able to regulate student behaviours and learning achievements. Information is reduced by the teacher into smaller components (e.g., poetry, spelling, vocabulary), and organized by the teacher into a format believed that the student will understand and can systematically build on.

The positive and harmful effects of using a birth control Research Paper

The positive and harmful effects of using a birth control - Research Paper Example The positive and harmful effects of using a birth control can be best gauged by understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each of the methods of preventing pregnancy. Barrier methods of birth control or contraception are methods that work by physically obstructing the vaginal canal, preventing the sperms from entering the woman’s uterus, thereby inhibiting fertilization. Gordon (2004) avers that the common forms of barrier methods of birth control are male and female condoms, spermicide and diaphragm. A male condom is a thin, flexible sheath made from latex, polyurethane or lambskin. Worn over an erect penis before intercourse, a male condom is equipped with a small reservoir at the tip which collects the sperms during ejaculation and prevents them from entering the vagina. It is the most easy to use, inexpensive and widely available form of contraceptive with no side effects unless one is allergic to latex. When used correctly and consistently, a male condom has an efficacy rate of 85- 86 percent. Gordon (2004) avers that the male condom reduces the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. On the flip side, a male condom is often accused of dulling sexual sensations and intruding intimate foreplay. A female condom is about a seven-inch long pouch with two flexible rings at each end. Inserted into the vagina prior to the intercourse, the female condom prevents the cervix, vaginal canal, and the surrounding vaginal skin from coming in contact with the penis or the secretions from the penis. The use of female condom entails the absence of any side effects except to the women who are allergic to latex. Ease of availability without prescription and potency to mitigate the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases are the advantages of using female condoms. Female condoms are however

Leadership and Entreprenuership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership and Entreprenuership - Essay Example d as â€Å"a multidimensional concept encompassing the firm’s actions relating to product-market and technological innovation, risk taking and proactiveness† (Kellermans & Eddleston, 2006). Thus an entrepreneur is a person who is prepared for new challenges, face adversities, take risk and achieve profits by identifying opportunities and utilizing the resources available. Leadership has been defined as â€Å"natural and learned ability, skill and personal characteristics to conduct interpersonal relations, which influence people to take desired actions (Eric, n.d.). Thus effective leadership requires accomplishment and influencing. Leadership requires trust and commitment of others, which they can achieve through their own behavior and integrity. Leaders create and deal with change; leadership requires vision, direction, strategies, motivation and inspiring. While both entrepreneurship and leadership have certain traits in common, not all of the leadership traits are n ecessary in an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship to a large extent relies on leadership. Jong and Hartog (2003) have reviewed various definitions of leadership and conclude that three main elements: ‘group’, ‘influence’ and ‘goal’ make a leader. These three elements are related to an entrepreneur who can influence his co-workers with the intermediate goal of enhancing their innovative behavior in order to improve the number and quality of innovations and eventually firm performance. Entrepreneurial attitude can be measured in terms of achievement, innovation, personal control, self esteem, and opportunity recognition (Lindsay, 2005). Lindsay further clarifies that innovation includes recognizing and acting upon business activities in new and unique ways. Achievement can be associated with business start-up and growth results, while self-esteem includes self-confidence. Personal control involves individual perceptions of control and influence over business affairs. Creativity is one of key

Discussion- ch9 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion- ch9 - Coursework Example Motivation process begins with the identification of desired need. The employee, through the support of the management, engages in appropriate actions that are directing towards achieving the desired need. Realizing the need results into feelings of satisfaction and achievement hence motivation (Farrell, Geoffrey & Linda 27). The theory was formulated by Abraham Maslow in the 1943 academic paper titled A Theory of Human Motivation. The theory is illustrated in a pyramidal hierarchy model. The theory is greatly applied in employee relations and management. The physiological needs are the most important, because they ensure human survival. They include; water, clothing, food, and also shelter (Farrell, Geoffrey & Linda 21). Employees work so that they can get financial resources that will be used to achieve the physiological needs. Many employers provide housing allowance to the employees, to enable them get appropriate shelter. The security needs protect individuals from economic and also physical harm. At the workplace, economic stability is provided in form of job security and also pension plans. Employees value jobs which are stable and predication, due to the reliable remuneration. Also employers, who have an effective retirement pension plan, are favored by both current and potential employees. The e mployees will also work properly if their physical security has been adequately met. The social needs include companionship and love. Employees desire approval and also acceptance by other individuals. Employees need to engage each other at the workplace, through teams, so as to realize work goals together. This shows companionship at the workplace. The employees also have families; therefore, the family members provide adequate companionship and also a sense of belonging to the staff members. Esteem needs illustrates the desire for respect. At the workplace, the managers should respect the opinions of the employees, so as to enhance work

Mary Logan - author review Essay Example for Free

Mary Logan author review Essay Mama takes time to explain the prejudices that underlie racist attitudes saying you have to accept the fact that in the world outside this house, things are not always as we would have them to be. Mama explains prejudice used and also explains in a gentle but effective way to Cassie that everybody born on this earth is somebody and nobody, no matter what colour, is better than anybody else. Mama also gives Cassie a lesson about the past, illuminating the familys past and their struggles. She is a caring mother who brings her children up right in the hope that they do not be influenced by the prejudice from whites but to accept everyone equally. In some ways this could be Mary Logans own little contribution to the improvement of the world in the future. Although she is strict with her children, disciplining them when they are disobedient she listens when they have troubles. Usually Mamas beatings consisted of a whipping from her belt but the punishment for Staceys fight and the visit to the Wallace store seemed lenient to the children. At first they were scolded but the children didnt consider that a punishment, and we doubted Mama did either. The real punishment Mama placed upon them was a lesson. She took them up to see Sam Berry and the punishment given to him from whites for disobeying. To me this is a good punishment because not always does a beating make you learn from your mistakes. This however remained in the childrens mind and they did not enter the Wallace store again. The children accept her punishments because they love and respect her. She shows her firmness and strength also when we see her splitting the children up when they are giggling, whipping Stacey and standing by her principles when Harland Granger visits the school. Another characteristic of Mary Logans personality is her cautiousness. For much of the time Papa is away working so therefore Mama is responsible and is the provider for the family. We see her cautiousness at times of increased anger when Papa or Uncle Hammer threatens to confront Mr. Simms or the mob. In both cases Mama tries to prevent them from using violence, it is clear that she prefers to settle things out through non-violent means such as the boycott. Mama fears for the lives of David and Hammer when they reach for the shotgun because she knows the power of the white people is stronger than that of the black man. Another incident where Mama is weary of their actions is when, on their way home, Hammer drives through the bridge where it can only handle one car at a time. Blacks often have to back down for whites to cross it first. Hammer meets the Wallaces and drives on. Mama says that theyll have to pay for that later. Again there is a reminder of the fact that Mama prefers not to use violent mean to settle a conflict when, driving past the Wallace store Hammer makes the comment that he would like to burn the place down. Mama quickly replies saying there are other ways. We are aware that Mama was loved as a child as we hear from Papa referring to Mamas father that every penny hed get his hands on hed put it aside for her schooling This again gives us an idea as to where Mamas kindness and deep need to provide come from. Mamas an educated woman as she learned in a teacher training school and has been employed in the local school for fourteen years. We are also made aware of her education, as her spoken English, like the prose of the novel, is perfect and relatively free from colloquial Americanisms unlike the rest of the Logan family members. We hear from Cassies description that Mama is a beautiful woman. With a slender body and smell of sunshine and soap Cassie feels her Mother is pretty. Mary Logan makes the best of what she has. She uses cardboard lining to disguise the worn out shoes, which Cassie felt uncomfortable for Mama. She cares for the family very much so and has dinner ready when any are hungry, she uses half the ingredients so she will have enough for the next time, this shows Mama plans things out and genuinely cares. The points above all describe how Mary Logan is a strict but loving and understanding parent, a Brave, noble citizen and courageous teacher. I admire greatly how she gives up so much to offer a small part of pleasure to the lives of her children. In many ways Mama is unflawed, proving right in many circumstances and standing up for what she believes in. This woman is an inspiration to all blacks, mothers or people who find it hard to be recognized or respected. I feel she has done her best to bring up children who may be different and change the future, to accept people not by their skin colour or religion but by the content of their character. By Claire Reid Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mildred Taylor section.

Electricity Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Electricity Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina During the conflict between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, huge number of transmission and distribution network was damaged. This resulted in a minimum electricity supply that was barely maintained. Thanks to a large number of donations, a major reconstruction occurred post-war of most of generation. Electricity as not the only sector affected by the war, coal, engineering and many other have suffered badly in during the 1992-1995 span. This has not been sufficiently monitored by the public sector due to weak and fragmented administrations. This has become a major barrier for the development and enforcement of electricity reforms to improve the overall performance of companies and to create effective markets. Both, the electricity demand and supply has greatly recovered and reached beyond the pre-war levels but the industrial consumption is low and still suffering, concentrated in a few large consumers. The main reason behind the household demand inflation is due to the excess use of electrical heating. Without an industrial recovery or development of new medium-sized, the likely trend in the medium term is for a reduction in household electricity heating consumption (with the expansion of the natural gas network) and a leveling of energy intensity of domestic electricity demand. Prior to electricity reforms, the electricity market in BiH was characterised by disintegration. All the power of the sector was controlled by Governments (Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Industry) This affected and visibly slowed down the process of the reforms having a biggest impact on adopting of uniform laws that were the base for creating key institutions. Because of the unique situation in BiH with three entities, presidents, etc., there are three independent non-profit regulators as well, the state and two entity ones. Each one of them has clearly divided responsibilities which do not interfere in each others work. The commission of State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) consists of three members who manage SERC according to the principle of annual rotation. It consists out of three members, two from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the third one from Republika Srpska. While the members from FBiH are proposed by the Parliament of FBiH while the member from RS is proposed by the National Assembly of RS. Currently, the Regulator has 26 employees which include commission members. These two gather money through different ways, while the financing of RERS is provided by the Law on Energy of RS, SERC gathers money from regulatory fees paid by licensed companies. FERK on the other hand operates in the way that it submits the budger proposal to the Parliament of FBiH and then the Parliament itself adopts the budget. FERK is financed by the Law on Energy of FBiH from compensations and taxes of companies. The institutional reform of the electricity power sector BiH has proved to be pretty sucessful and is consistent with good results and continuos improvement. But the electricity sector is still a long way off being stable and in good shape and form. Many deficiencies are still present as for example problems often occur in the distribution of profits and investments or for example a bigger and more serious problem, BiH does not have legislation on the energy efficiency at the state level although that should be obligatory according to Energy Community Treaty and many other signed documents in accordance to the EU legislation. Electricity Regulation and Reforms The power sector reform in BiH officially began with the adoption of the entity laws on electricity, though which a number of important institutions in the energy sector have been made. Bosnia and Herzegovina still relies on several important agreements which are closely related to the reform as they aim to join and keep coming closer to the EU. Due to their ambition to enter the EU as soon as possible, it is obvious that they would have to adapt to the single electricity market of the Union. Three main documents have been signed by the authorities in BiH which have been crucial for its improvement and movement towards the single market in electricity. These are: Energy Community Treaty Treaty establishing the Energy Community of South East Europe Agreement of Stabilisation and Association The first, Energy Community Treaty (ECT), is considered as one of the most important agreements that Bosnia and Herzegovina has ever signed in the energy sector. According to this agreement, the stable regulatory framework, single regulatory space, security of supply, energy efficiency, competition and use of renewable energy should all be visible and present in the energy sector of BiH. Through this agreement, BiH has forced itself to meeting certain obligations and goals which have been agreed upon the ECT. The Energy Community Treaty was also the base for creating the road map for such market openness. It clearly prescribes guidelines and dynamics of key reforms in five key areas. The fact that BiH had only one real customer in Aluminij Mostar until 2012 speaks for itself about the market openness in the electricity sector. But an encouraging fact was that from 2008 all tariff customers, not including households, had the opportunity and freedom to choose their own suppliers and become eligible customers. When comparing BiH to the EU countries, there is an obvious and large distinction in the market openness of the electricity sector. From 2009, almost all EU countries bar a few were fully opened to competition. Two main reasons for low-market openness in BiH: Electricity prices for industrial customers in BiH are the lowest when comparing to EU countries. Electricity prices are equal to the prices at which they are supplied as tariff customers. The Electricity Policy Statement was adopted in 2000. The main reason and objective behind this policy was to establish and achieve in producing a competitive electricity market in Bosnia and Herzegovina which would enable all customers to have a choice between more electricity suppliers. The main goal of this reform plan was ensuring a long-term sustainable and a high-performing sector while introducing EU regulations which would be visible through effective competition. In this effort, the following laws were adopted at the State level: Æ’ Law on transmission, regulator and system operator of electricity (2002); Æ’ Law on establishing the Transmission Company, Elektroprenos BIH (2004); and Æ’ Law on establishing Independent System Operator, NOS BIH (2004) At the entity level, two separate laws on electricity generation and distribution were adopted by FBiH (2002, 2005) and RS (2002, 2003). DERK, as the State regulator, is responsible for electricity transmission while FERC and REERS, the entity regulators, cover generation and distribution in FBiH and RS, respectively. Further to the unbundling of the transmission grid, the restructuring of the vertically integrated state-owned electricity companies has been based on the â€Å"Harmonised Action Plans for the Restructuring of the power sector† adopted in 2003 in Republika Srpska and in 2005 in FBiH. The main stages of this Plan included the reallocation of assets into a joint stock company, the commercialisation and the unbundling of generation and distribution by 2008. While the state-owned electricity companies have been transformed into joint-stock companies (JSC), to date the other stages of the Plan have not been achieved, in particular the creation of a distribution system operator (DSO), a requirement of the Energy Community Treaty. On a positive note, corporate performance, in particular accounting transparency, has progressed. As of 2008, the opening of electricity markets in Bosnia and Herzegovina to domestic and foreign competition has focused on setting eligibility consumption thresholds and connecting directly to the network, as well as third party access to the transmission network as described by DERK’s â€Å"Rule on third party access† (2006). Third party access to 6 distribution networks is monitored by the entity regulators. To date, however, no supplier switch has been reported. Significant progress has been achieved at the national level in adopting a single regulation for transmission and merging national transmission ownership and operation under one regulator. As recently established bodies, the TSO and ISO need to strengthen their capacity and power. However, regulation and oversight for generation and distribution remains separated at the entity level. Furthermore, three (four with Bckro) separate companies operate a very fragmented distribution network over the territory (see map above), raising operational, efficiency and economic issues. The unbundling of these services has not advanced significantly, raising concerns about effective third party access to the respective distribution networks. While regulators set tariffs and prices, most of expenses for an adequate maintenance and replacement of facilities as well as for non-wage obligations (pensions) are not covered. The price structure still subsidises households and large industries (e.g. aluminium). There is a clear need to analyse the costs and benefits of this indirect support system and, if justified, to set up a transparent direct subsidy scheme. Although the TSO is responsible for the country’s transmission development plan and the ISO prepares an indicative generation development plan based on elements provided by the entity administrations and companies, the coordination and coherence of the system is inadequate and ineffective. For instance, the announced investment projects which would see a tripling of domestic installed capacity, with a focus on export markets, is not feasible within the context of the current grid and interconnection capacities. This will require major investments in the transmission network, extremely difficult to finance under the current tariff structure. These projects need to be assessed under a consolidated least cost plan with a more detailed analysis of domestic and export markets, in a context of high volatility. Also in the context of fragmented and weak regulation and administration, major investments by powerful foreign investors could lead to imbalances in the investment and operat ional oversight process and to a strong dependency. The recent decisions (2007) by entities to award concessions without open and transparent tenders to private investors have raised concerns over transparency and the effectiveness of economic benefits at the local and national level. This risks fragmenting the sector still further. At the 4th World Bank Poverty Reduction Strategies Forum it was â€Å"recommended urgent[ly] to develop, adopt and enforce a state-wide, uniform and transparent procedure for the construction of new generation plants in compliance with EU regulation†. A national least-cost electricity supply plan should provide a ranking of the most viable rehabilitation and construction projects and be coordinated with generation and transmission planning of the grid operators. The electricity sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina still faces the challenge of completing its rehabilitation, diversifying the power generation mix and complying with EU environmental standards, in particular the Large Combustion Plants (LCP) Directive. It also needs to improve overall technical and managerial performance, diversify the power mix notably with CHP, small hydropower and biomass in order to compete on export markets and prepare for effective domestic and regional market opening. At the company level, this will require sustained effort to reach EU corporate governance standards. At the ministry and regulator level, there is a clear need to strengthen ownership rights and oversight over the sector as well as to consolidate and coordinate the state and entity levels. The administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to develop an overall, coordinated and coherent national policy and action plan backed by economic tools, in particular independent least cost plans and demand projections. An integrated supply and demand least cost plan would help prioritise refurbishment projects and reduce grid losses. In this respect, the World Bank’s energy study should provide crucial elements and tools to be further developed and used by the administration in coordination with electricity companies. Persistent fragmentation of the electricity sector structure and regulation is not sustainable in the longer term and will risk the sector’s marginalisation in the region. Key issues: Infrastructure rehabilitation, grid losses, non-cost reflective prices, system and regulation fragmentation These reforms had the aim and strived for the electricity sector to: Perform more efficiently, both technically and commercially; Enables efficient and effective competition (most important); Meet international standards in terms of cost effectiveness, quality of service, security of the system and the environment; Allows companies to recover their full costs including a reasonable return on investment; Has a universal service obligation; Attracts private capital to the sector; -Complies with EU rules for the internal electricity market in the medium term. Regulation of network prices All consumers in BiH with the exception of Aluminij-Mostar are captive consumers of their local utilities and have no freedom of choice when it comes to their suppliers. There are also no cases of contracting the supply outside local utility borders and the problem with importing electricity in BiH is that All consumers in Bosnia and Herzegovina except Aluminij–Mostar (8% of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s consumption in 2013) are captive customers of their local incumbent utilities. There are no cases of contracting the supply outside the local utility borders. The incumbent local suppliers were appointed as â€Å"reserve suppliers† in the transitional period before 2015 and â€Å"suppliers of last resort† by the regulatory authorities in all jurisdictions, and are likely to delay market opening in the future. Wholesale market opening suffers from the absence of liquid trading platforms. Trading takes place through bilateral transfers between dominant utilities and registered traders, including exports and transits. In terms of price regulation, the Law on Electricity in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina allows for access to regulated supply for all eligible customers, including large ones and without limitations. This violates Article 3 of Directive 2003/5 4/EC. Even worse, the price of generation for the supply of customers supplied at regulated prices (i.e. the wholesale price) is also regulated. The Law on Electricity in Republika Srpska makes electricity supply at regulated prices by subsidiaries of EP RS available to all customers. This exceeds what is allowed under Article 3 of the Directive. The Law similarly supports price regulation for production by EP RS sold to local utilities and Komunalno Brcko. The Electricity Law in Brcko District also misinterprets the concept of public service in providing regulated supply of all captive customers. This prevents supplier switching in practice. All three regulatory authorities have adopted rules for supplier switching and price methodologies for supply services available to eligible customers in the transition period before 1 January 2015, and to households and small customers as last resort supply. As the electricity market is very specific and almost unique, the market must be regulated in order for the network fees to be reasonable. The reason behind this is that the competition in this market in BiH is almost non-existent what then creates monopolistic tendencies by the authorities in BiH. For instance, FERK and RERS are entity regulators which adopted and developed separated Rules of Tariff Methodology and Tariff Proceeding regarding the distribution tariffs. In the other hand meanwhile, SERC is occupied with approving prices for transmission network that are the same for all participants in BiH. Quality regulation One of the most important parts of the electricity market which needs to be regulated and closely observed is most definitely the quality in the electricity supply. It is perhaps the most essential indicator of successful business of electric power companies. It is crucial for the customers to have a freedom of choice when it comes to the selection of the electricity suppliers, and as the competitiveness increases, so does the quality and service in the electricity market. If companies do not proceed to adapt and improve in order to be competitive in the market, they will soon lose out all their customers and the funds which are necessary in order for their company to operate and exist on the market. Competition As mentioned previously, the competition is the healthiest way to improve and motivate companies to continue improving their supply, quality, decrease costs and many other factors which would satisfy the customers further more and be positive for the country in the long run. Also, EU regulations emphasizes competitiveness as a step forward to meeting their standards and achieving one goal more towards entering the EU market. Recommendations: Reorganize and reinforce the way in which the regulators operate. Emphasizing the unity of the three regulators into one single structure with more entity branches and dividing the power and duties by those branches; Unify regulation for generation and distribution in line with EU requirements, ensure cost-reflective tariffs and reduce cross-subsidies; if justified, set up a transparent direct subsidy scheme for large industries; Proceed with improving the restructuring of electricity companies towards European standards Adopt a national least-cost supply plan, generation planning and demand forecast under the supervision of the national regulator and ISO. Sources: http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/epr/experts/BosniaAndHerzegovina/UNDP/UNDP_Bosnia.pdf Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 1 edited by N.H. Afgan, R. Della Morte https://www.energy-community.org/portal/page/portal/ENC_HOME/AREAS_OF_WORK/Implementation/Bosnia_Herzegovina/Electricity http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/epr/experts/BosniaAndHerzegovina/UNDP/UNDP_Bosnia.pdf http://fipa.gov.ba/doc/brosure/Energy%20sector.pdf http://www.elektroprivreda.ba/eng/page/general-information

Body Modification :: Body Piercings Essays

Body Modification: A Rising Sensation A heavily tattooed woman pinched my nose and picked up a gargantuan needle with her other hand. â€Å"Whoa...hold on,† I muttered. â€Å"What’s the matter?† â€Å"You have got to be kidding me. You can’t pierce me with that!† â€Å"Uh...why not?† â€Å"It’s waaaay too big! You can’t just take a chopstick and jab a hole into my face with it...† â€Å"Listen...do you want this piercing or not? I have a whole line of people waiting outside to be in this chair.† I stared in horror at the fearsome needle taunting me to challenge its glinting tip. I closed my eyes, prayed with every cell in my body for the pain to be minimal, and grimaced as she expertly twirled the needle between her fingers and then slid it through my flesh in one fluid motion. When I took a peek, I gaped cross-eyed at the foreign object jutting out of my nose and smiled. I don’t remember what state of mind I was in when I walked into the parlor, but I left victorious! Throughout history, people have decorated and modified the appearance of their bodies in many different ways. Nostril piercings are thought to have been adopted into the noble castes in the Middle East almost 4000 years ago. Nowadays, nostril piercings have been adopted by Christina Aguilera. In South America, Aztec and Mayan priests pierced their tongues as part of a ritual to communicate with their gods. In several African tribes, the beauty of women was determined by the size of plates that were fitted into their upper lips. In ancient civilizations of Egypt, a â€Å"perfect belly button† could elevate someone’s social standing. At that time, only Pharaohs and royal families could pierce their navels. Anyone else was promptly executed. A â€Å"perfect belly button†, however, could be a peasant’s ticket to a better life. The ancient Romans pierced their nipples (ouch) to show their strength and endurance. It is also theorized that their nipple jewelry he ld their cloaks in place! To this day, piercings have continued to capture human curiosity and fascination. The world record for the highest number of body piercings is one of the most volatile since it is constantly adjusting as each prickled being attempts to outdo the previous one. In 2002, Nathan Robitaille, 23, had 420 needles stuck into his arms, thus breaking the previous world record of 301 piercings.

Destalinization :: Russian Russia History

Destalinization Politics has always been about image. A good image leads to power, it's that simple. Sometimes it is hard to draw the line between a leader who is genuinely interested in improving the lives of his people and one that is interested in filling a few more pages of the already crowded History book. A good example of this is the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its transition time between 1953 and 1964. The tyrannical rule of Joseph Stalin in the USSR was finally over, and the nation sought a new leader; after nearly a decade, one man, Nikita Khrushchev, rose up from the ranks with new ideas for the nation, and an extreme anti-Stalin campaign. But was he truly enraged at the way Stalin ruled or was he using this image in an attempt to capture the same power as his predecessor? The link between the two leaders goes back many years, to nearly the beginning of the communist annexation of Russia. Even today, we find ourselves asking if the politicians we vote for say they will make a r eform to actually help the people, or if they say it as an empty promise in a ploy to get elected or to gain power. Was Nikita Khrushchev a man for the people, or was he simply a puppet with motives unseen to the people that pulled his strings? Joseph Stalin ruled the USSR from 1929 until his death in 1953. His rule was one of tyranny, and great change from the society that his predecessor, Lenin, had envisioned (Seton, 34). Stalin put into effect two self proclaimed "five-year plans" over the course of his rule. Both were very similar in that they were intended to improve production in the nation. The first of these plans began collectivization, in which harvests and industrial products were seized by the government and distributed as needed. The government eliminated most private businesses and the state became the leader in commerce. Stalin also initiated a process called "Russification". (Great Events, 119)" Through this program, he ruled the minority nations of the USSR such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan more strictly. This policy of expansion also helped Stalin seize a large portion of Poland, and it was done under the guise that it was to "enrich the nation." Stalin established a secret police force which was unyielding and went about it's business with an iron fist, bringing down dissenters, revolutionaries, and those that cheated in collectivization.

pets 911 :: essays research papers

Facts: Pets 911 knows that every community has pets in need. We offer a free network of animal rescue organizations and services across the country. Pets 911 is becoming an answer for not only the public, but also the pet animal welfare group community on how we in this country can all take part in saving those 5 million animals every year. Pet adoptions, animal shelters, help to find lost dogs and services to find lost cats - Pets 911 for all your pet adoption information - Thousands of homeless dogs, abandoned cats and other animals available for adoption. Have you lost or found a pet? Animal Charity information is one of the fine things we offer at Pets911.com. We also provide information on cat charity events, pet charity promotions, and dog charity walks. The Pets911 fights for animal welfare in the UK and throughout the world – campaigning on a variety of issues. Every year more than 4,000 dogs are used in experiments in the UK. In most cases they are used in the development and safety testing of new pharmaceuticals (medicines and vaccines), for both humans and dogs. Humans have a special relationship with dogs and a responsibility to safeguard their welfare in every situation. The PETS911 is committed to campaigning for humane alternatives and challenging the need for the use of dogs in research and testing. However, while dogs continue to be used in research we believe every possible effort must be made to reduce the numbers used and prevent suffering throughout their short lives. Our particular concerns are : †¢ the distress, pain and suffering caused by procedures, e.g. the chemicals can make the dogs sick and surgery can cause pain. †¢ the unsuitable conditions in which the dogs live, e.g. lack of space, stimulation, and socialization with other dogs and people. †¢ the loss of life – the dogs are eventually killed either to alleviate suffering, or for post-mortem analysis of their tissues and organs. What is the PETS911 doing? †¢ Challenging dog use: The PETS911 believes there is nowhere near enough commitment to challenging the need to use dogs or to developing alternative approaches to safety testing. We work with other organizations such as the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME) and support the work of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) to encourage the development and use of alternatives. †¢ Reducing the number of dogs used in pharmaceutical safety testing: More dogs are used in pharmaceutical safety testing than for any other purpose, so it is essential to find ways of replacing dogs and reducing their use. pets 911 :: essays research papers Facts: Pets 911 knows that every community has pets in need. We offer a free network of animal rescue organizations and services across the country. Pets 911 is becoming an answer for not only the public, but also the pet animal welfare group community on how we in this country can all take part in saving those 5 million animals every year. Pet adoptions, animal shelters, help to find lost dogs and services to find lost cats - Pets 911 for all your pet adoption information - Thousands of homeless dogs, abandoned cats and other animals available for adoption. Have you lost or found a pet? Animal Charity information is one of the fine things we offer at Pets911.com. We also provide information on cat charity events, pet charity promotions, and dog charity walks. The Pets911 fights for animal welfare in the UK and throughout the world – campaigning on a variety of issues. Every year more than 4,000 dogs are used in experiments in the UK. In most cases they are used in the development and safety testing of new pharmaceuticals (medicines and vaccines), for both humans and dogs. Humans have a special relationship with dogs and a responsibility to safeguard their welfare in every situation. The PETS911 is committed to campaigning for humane alternatives and challenging the need for the use of dogs in research and testing. However, while dogs continue to be used in research we believe every possible effort must be made to reduce the numbers used and prevent suffering throughout their short lives. Our particular concerns are : †¢ the distress, pain and suffering caused by procedures, e.g. the chemicals can make the dogs sick and surgery can cause pain. †¢ the unsuitable conditions in which the dogs live, e.g. lack of space, stimulation, and socialization with other dogs and people. †¢ the loss of life – the dogs are eventually killed either to alleviate suffering, or for post-mortem analysis of their tissues and organs. What is the PETS911 doing? †¢ Challenging dog use: The PETS911 believes there is nowhere near enough commitment to challenging the need to use dogs or to developing alternative approaches to safety testing. We work with other organizations such as the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME) and support the work of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) to encourage the development and use of alternatives. †¢ Reducing the number of dogs used in pharmaceutical safety testing: More dogs are used in pharmaceutical safety testing than for any other purpose, so it is essential to find ways of replacing dogs and reducing their use.

Motivation/Reward System

Essay 1: Motivation/Reward System by Blake P. Rodabaugh EDD 9100 CRN 35455 Leadership Seminar Nova Southeastern University January 15, 2012 Essay 1: Motivation/Reward System Employee motivation seems to be at the core of what defines leadership or more importantly a leader. The success or failure of an organization is dependent upon the ability of those in leadership positions and roles to motivate and inspire the members of the organization to high levels of performance.Leaders that are effective have the ability to increase the level of job engagement and organizational commitment on the part of employees. Particularly in the field of education, highly qualified and motivated faculty members are critical to the economic and academic success of the organization. Without them the organization at best stumbles along at a mediocre level and at worst fails (Siddique & Khan, 2011). There are two types of rewards when dealing with motivational factors of staff, extrinsic and intrinsic.Ext rinsic motivation is that which comes from outside of the individual such as money, promotion, coercion, grades, or the fear of punitive action. Intrinsic motivation is that which comes from within the individual through a feeling of enjoyment, pleasure, or interest in the task at hand. In investigating the type of reward system to be implemented whether extrinsic or intrinsic it becomes apparent that neither is the answer in itself. As with many aspects of leadership there appears to be no one style that works best all the times but rather is situational as to need.Extrinsic reward has been connected strongly with the encouragement of innovative behavior on the part of employees. This however needs to be taken on in moderation as there is a tendency for excessive motivation of an extrinsic nature to actually depress innovative behavior through the erosion of self motivation. Intrinsic motivation through the application of empowerment, development of human capital, recognition of ac complishment, learning and training support has shown to have a strong impact upon the level of employee innovation.When the two approaches are combined in a situation where extrinsic motivation is added to the aforementioned types of intrinsic motivation, the positive effects are amplified. The intrinsic aspects prevent the over-erosion effects often produced by extrinsic motivation. Thus, as with so much of leadership a combination of approaches is stronger than a single approach (Zhou, Zhang, & Montoro-Sanchez, 2011). A study designed to investigate the motivational factors that were of the greatest importance to faculty members in higher education found that there was a desire for a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.Results demonstrated that while employee compensation and the overall benefits package were of significant importance to faculty members there was an expressed need for non-monetary rewards as well. Key were concepts of empowerment, positive and supportive work environment, recognition, training, involvement in the decision making process, and a sense of value from the organization. Crucial to the successful implementation of this is clear and open communication between faculty and those participating in all roles of supervision (Rasheed, Aslam, & Sarwar, 2010).An additional view of the concept of motivation is through the application of equity theory. Through this lens motivation of individuals is dependent upon how they view their ratio of outcomes to inputs in comparison to their perception of the outcomes and inputs of their peers in the workplace. This then serves as the basis for the individual to judge whether or not they are being treated fairly in the workplace. They may perceive a situation of either under or over reward, with those workers perceiving an under-reward taking action to restore perceived equity.Typically this action resolves into either a reduction of effort on the part of the employee or a request for greater rewar ds. Typically, the end result of this being that, if the employee is unable to achieve a perception of equity through either a reduction of input or an increase in rewards, they will eventually change employment (Skiba & Rosenberg, 2011). Professor Edgar Schein of MIT’s Sloan School of Management emphasizes a need for behavioral change to take place at all levels of an organization if it is to be successful in the creation of a strong organizational culture.According to Professor Schein it is important to have more than an empowering process in place. Organizations need to have everyone at all levels of the organization actively working together to establish behaviors that lead to an environment in which equal partnerships and mutually helping relationships are the order of business (Kleiner & vonPost, 2011). A Brazilian study of nine administrative units, composed of three factories, two bank branches, a university, and a municipal office focused on the impact of wages upon motivation and employee job satisfaction.The results of this study were in opposition to several others in that the administrative offices with the lowest wages displayed the greatest amount of employee job satisfaction and overall motivation due to intrinsic factors present in the work environment. In opposition to this the offices with the highest wages showed the lowest level of overall satisfaction and motivation. In total there were 458 respondents of which 252 were male and 206 female.In all instances of this study correlations were apparent with respect to perceptions of satisfaction and motivation in connection with leadership’s attitude towards staff in areas other than extrinsic (Pinto, 2011). Analysis of the Writer’s Workplace At the writer’s place of employment there really does not exist any real system of positive motivation and rewards beyond that expressed in the contract signed at the beginning of employment. Some might equate it to a system whi ch utilizes a carrot and a stick except that there is no carrot.Overall leadership and organizational culture is reflective of leadership neglect with the occasional out lashing of reactionary and punitive actions on the part of senior administration towards staff. The culture is one that reinforces a perception that unless you are among the chosen ones, the inner circle, that the best you can do is to hole up in your classroom and not draw attention to yourself. Senior administration sees itself as enlightened and visionary. Staff sees it overall as untrustworthy, arbitrary, reactionary, and punitive.The next step down from the most senior of administrators is seen overall as clueless, out of touch and somewhat delusional in a benign way. Middle level administration and leadership is viewed as having their heart in the right place but with very little power or influence to shape things in a more positive direction. Overall the motivation and rewards system is dysfunctional at best, unless you happen to be one of the chosen ones. What is needed is a system wide change similar to that proposed by Professor Schein in which observation, inquiry, and leverage are applied.This would entail observation of the manner in which employees at all levels of the organization behave, inquiring or deducing the manner in which they think or believe, and then applying the leverage. The leverage in this instance is small incremental behavioral changes that lead the organization as a whole to think and act differently. The impact and role of management in this process is critical as the various subcultures within an organization exist within all levels and facets of the organization including the various levels of leadership (Kleiner & vonPost, 2011).References Kleiner, A. , & vonPost, R. (2011, January 19). A corporate climate of mutual help. Strategy & Business. Retrieved January 21, 2012 from http://www. strategybusiness. com/article/11102? pg=all&tid=27782251 Pinto, E. P. (2 011). The influence of wage on motivation and satisfaction. The International Business & Economics Research Journal, 10(9), 81-91. Rasheed, M. I. , Aslam, H. D. , & Sarwar, S. (2010). Motivational issues for teachers in higher education: A critical case of IUB. Journal of Management Research, 2(2), 1-23. Siddique, A. , & Khan, M. (2011).Impact of academic leadership on facultys motivation, and organizational effectiveness in higher education system. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(8), 184-191. Skiba, M. , & Rosenberg, S. (2011). The disutility of equity theory in contemporary management practice. The Journal of Business and Economic Studies, 17(2), 1-19,97-98. Zhou, Y. , Zhang, Y. , & Montoro-Sanchez, A. (2011). Utilitarianism or romanticism: The effect of rewards on employees innovative behaviour. International Journal of Manpower, 32(1), 81-98. doi:10. 1108/01437721111121242

Mcdonald’s and Starbucks Compairson : Establishing Their Brands to Fit Local Markets

How do you think McDonalds and Starbucks are able to establish their brands to fit local markets through architectural design of the stores, their e–commerce strategies and service to accommodate the local markets and culture? Explain their approaches individually and see if there are any differences or similarities. Do you think Starbucks benefitted from the missteps by McDonalds that you will read about in your research? Both these companies follow the business dictum â€Å"think globally but act locally† (Montgomery Research, 2008). Both make effort to establish their brands by experience differentiation. Both corporations focus their local and global marketing on identification of the emotional experience as part of the consumer connection with their products. Both use various marketing strategies to become synonymous in the consumers mind with a product category. For example: if a consumer wants fast food they think of products like a Big Mac (hamburger), a McRib (pork) or some McNuggets (chicken) so they think McDonald's and if a consumer wants a quality cup of coffee they think Starbucks (Montgomery Research, 2008). It's a trade brand category identifier but one company has a wider range than the other. Both company’s use similar techniques of blending standardized corporate and unique local design structures together for their stores. They also make specific accommodations in service strategies to make their companies benefit. Both of these types of actions show respect for the local areas and their native cultures. Linking these customer environments with their brand offers a psychological identification for the consumer. McDonald's has added new local specialty food items to fit the local market environment (Mininni, 2009). For example in France most burgers contain the much loved additional bacon, facilities are air-conditioned, have free Wi-Fi, and are open late. And in India, McDonald's removed beef to accommodate Hindus and in Morocco on certain holidays the menu includes â€Å"dates, milk, and Moroccan cookies†. In Morocco McDonald's employs female receptionists to seat customers. And in Arabia they offer a sandwich named McArabia. McDonald's has also been credited by local newspapers with raising the standards of bathroom cleanliness in Hong Kong. And Starbucks also seeks to blend with their local environment in many ways. Starbucks has altered menus to accommodate local tastes and some menu offerings include meat buns in Asia and mince pie in Britain but coffee has always been the primary focus. Starbucks worldwide decor scheme includes using their standardized nautical theme blended with local icons. Included in the Starbucks overseas strategy, they purchased retailers that already had local followings, for example: in 1998 they purchase the chain Seattle Coffee Company in the United Kingdom with 38 existing retail facilities serving the public (Blanchard, 2008). With this kind of acquisition Starbucks capitalizes on acquiring pre-existing customers. Starbucks did not take full advantage of McDonald's â€Å"missteps† as much as McDonald's has taken advantage of some of the mistakes Starbucks has made. Because McDonald's has a wider product category under name brands that is broader in product repertoire than Starbucks and they can add additional items for test marketing and if successful add them in permanently (Martin, 2008). Recently McDonald's added a successful line of premium coffees to their full menu directly competing against Starbucks. The ongoing strategy of offering more diverse quality food items comprising a complete meal associated in the public consciousness consistently gives McDonald's a larger appeal than Starbucks focus on their premium coffee or tea (Blanchard, 2008). In an attempt to keep sales up over time, Starbucks has tried altering stores environment, changing background music, offering discounted Wi-Fi, promoting discount club cards, and making variations in their basic menu and they even experimented with one dollar coffee but generally these methods have not stopped the drop in their sales over time (Winslow, 2008). Current E-commerce strategies of these two corporations vary greatly. Differences are obvious between the design styles and offered number of actual customized foreign websites. There is customization showing real differentiation for each specific country (114 different worldwide) McDonald's websites than for the one primary Starbucks website with links to thirty countries worldwide. All the McDonald's websites are more colorful, hip and show big pictures of the newest food products, a toll-free consumer hotline, offer free Wi-Fi, links for food nutritional values, careers and having local fun (Startz, 2009). In France McDonald's downplays U. S. roots and uses France's Asterix (a local cartoon character) for marketing on their French website and on TV instead of the traditional Ronald McDonald (Mininni, 2009). Starbucks uses a simplistic low key corporate website that offers standardized links to their history, charities, local events, buying their coffee and tea, discounted Wi-Fi time and the Starbucks coffee card. Starbucks has not set up separate foreign websites for each country where they have locations. They use a main page link to show thirty foreign locations of their stores worldwide. Starbucks website makes corporate announcements and one of the quotes known for causing bad public reaction was when spokesman Howard D. Schultz announced details of a â€Å"corporate turnaround plan† that included â€Å"discontinuing warm breakfast sandwiches† at its stores because â€Å"the scent of the warm sandwiches interferes with the coffee aroma in our stores† (Martin, 2008). I have noticed that when these corporations post on their websites or talk to the news media there are differences in their demeanor. Starbucks talks about removing sandwiches or dollar coffee from their product line or in having to close underperforming locations and McDonald's always seems to puts a more positive wording and spin on their company and all released information. References Blanchard, C. (2008). Starbucks’ Price Positioning Misstep. WordPress. com. Retrieved from http://thetransfer. wordpress. com/2008/01/31/starbucks-price-positioning-misstep/ Martin, A. (2008). Starbucks to Close Stores and End Sandwich Sales. NYTimes. com. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2008/01/31/business/31sbux. html? _r=3=business=slogin=slogin Mininni, T. (2009). McDonald’s: Taking the Snobbery Out? MpDailyFix. com. Retrieved from http://www. mpdailyfix. com/McDonalds-taking-the-snobbery-out/ Montgomery Research. (2008). Visibility Into The Ultimate Consumer Is Key To Customer Growth – McDonalds. CRMProject. com. Retrieved from http://www. crmproject. com/documents. asp? d_ID=2912 Startz, S. (209). McDonald's Free Wi-Fi Should Worry Starbucks. BrandCannel. com. Retrieved from http://www. brandchannel. com/home/post/2009/12/16/McDonalds-Free-Wi-Fi-Should-Worry-Starbucks. aspx Winslow, L. (2008). New Customer Loyalty Programs and Missteps – Starbucks Case Study. Ezinearticles. com. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles. com/? New-Customer-Loyalty-Programs-and-Missteps-Starbucks-Case-Study=3218771

A Comparative Essay Of The Poems ‘Salome’ (C.A.Duffy) and ‘The Arrival Of The Bee Box’ (S.Plath) Essay

‘Salome’ by Carol Ann Duffy and ‘The Arrival Of The Bee Box’ by Sylvia Plath have many similarities and differences. ‘Salome’ is ostensibly a poem about an individual, most likely a woman, who wakes up and finds ‘a head on the pillow’ beside them. The poem continues to detail their immediate actions and finally reveals that this head is in fact ‘on a platter’. ‘The Arrival Of The Bee Box’ appears on the surface to describe the empowerment felt by an individual as they explore their control over a box of bees. An interesting similarity is both poets are female. C. A. Duffy was born in Glasgow in 1995 and is the eldest of five children. Plath was born in 1932 and was born in Boston. If you read the poems from a biographical perspective it is possible to identify certain factors which the poet has included due to their personal circumstances. Personally, I believe that both C. A. Duffy and S. Plath have points to make. For example, Duffy’s poem could be seen to have many links to the role of woman in society and the power they possess over their male counterparts. This mental attitude, which has filtered through into her poetry, could stem from the fact she is the first women and the first openly gay person to hold the position of Britain’s poet laureate. Similarly, ‘The Arrival Of The Bee Box’ contains subversive ideas of power and possibly connotations to women taking an untraditional role in society. In ‘Salome’ the pace, tone, rhythm and structure are all fractured. This is very effective as it reflects the psychological standing of the voice in the poem. The effect is created through the techniques of enjambment and rhetorical questions and these can be observed in the fifth line â€Å"what did it matter? â€Å". The line is isolated and this draws the reader’s attention to it. Alongside this the rhetorical question then compels the reader to think â€Å"what did it matter? †. This emphasises the point to the reader that it does matter and is very important in the given context of the poem. By contrast, ‘The Arrival Of The Bee Box’ is made from six uniform stanzas of five lines. There is little by way of caesura and it therefore differs greatly, in terms of structure at least, from ‘Salome’. Personally, I believe this is because the speaker is portrayed as being more collected and comfortable with the received power, relative to the voice in ‘Salome’. The second line is an excellent example; â€Å"Square as a chair and almost too heavy to lift. † The rhyme of ‘square’ and ‘chair’ gives a positive sound and in turn this can be seen to signify control and enjoyment of power. The above evidence suggests that C. A. Duffy and S. Plath both have different ideas on which way structurally is best to communicate their ideas. However, I believe the free structure of ‘Salome’ adds more than the rigid structure of ‘The Arrival of The Bee Box’ as it generates an extra dimension in which readers can have more freedom to interpret the desired meaning of the poem themselves. Integral to both poems is the theme of power and the relation it has with the owner, especially women. The similarity and hegemony is this attack on the stereotypical views that if allowed to stand could drive woman to the periphery of society. In ‘Salome’ the voice is somewhat of a ‘player’ and it is this scopophilic attitude which generates Duffy’s point. In a modern society it is often seen as ‘cool’ or ‘macho’ for a male to sleep with many women. By contrast, if females replicate these actions then they stand a high chance of being bombarded with derogatory terms. It would appear that S. Plath would chose to focus more on the interest of power. She refers to different times in history (Greek, Slave Trade, Roman). This sets quite a theatrical atmosphere because referring to these superpowers through the ages helps the reader to appreciate the importance of power in our society both in the past, present and future. It highlights the fact that in Duffy’s opinion (and I agree) that it is embedded in humans to seek out power and control others. Overall, both poets have similar themes in their poems but chose to express them in different ways. A similarity between both poems is that they make allusions to either religious names or different parts of the Bible. C. A. Duffy in ‘Salome’ chooses to use iconic Christian names such as John and Peter. Whereas S. Plath uses the concept of a heaven; â€Å"There is the laburnum, its blond colonnades, And the petticoats of the cherry. † The description of this utopian setting could be linked to the feelings felt by the voice in ‘Salome’ when she/it says ‘I saw my eyes glitter†¦and ain’t life a bitch’. The voice sounds as though it is satisfied, justice has been done and it has reached a metaphorical destination. This destination, in my opinion, is that the voice feels like they have somehow reached equality by committing this grotesque act. A large influence in terms of language in both poems is the personal pronoun ‘I’. This similarity is most likely due to the recurring them of power in each poem. The narrators are trying to express that they are the ones in charge. The language in both poems is very simplistic but the words can be used in quite complex ways. Both poets have chosen not to overcomplicate their language and I think they have made their poems very accessible to all people. Colours are used in both poems for different effects. In ‘Salome’ the ‘red sheets’ could signify the anger felt by the voice for the injustices that have driven them to undertake the atrocity. In ‘The Arrival Of The Bee Box’ ‘the petticoats of the cherry’ and the ‘blond colonnades’ are used as the colours of the heaven. The use of colours is different in each poem but both work well. In conclusion, I feel that Carol Ann Duffy and Sylvia Plath are both very successful in presenting their ideas in the two poems. The poems are left open to interpretation and depending on the type of reading you undertake (colonial, biographical, etc) they can mean different things to different people. However, I personally feel that ‘Salome’ is more interesting and mesmerising to the reader. This is most likely due to the fact I found ‘The Arrival Of The Bee Box’ too abstract for me and I found it difficult to grasp. I think the poems have opened my eyes not only to the inequalities felt by certain groups of society but also to the disparities across the globe in general.