Medicine and Skilled Care Pharmacy Essay

I. Statement of the problem How can Skilled Care Pharmacy improve their strategy from the rapidly evolving financial structure of health care, constant evolution of medical practice, employee retention and shortage of licensed pharmacy personnel? II. Objectives * To retain employees. * To identify ways to keep up with the constant evolution of medical practice. * To address the shortage of pharmacist personnel in the company. III. SWOT analysis IV. Alternative Courses of Action 1. Skilled Care Pharmacy could provide incentives and enhance benefits for employees to be able to achieve employee retention. 2. Skilled Care Pharmacy could widen their search for pharmacist personnel from different countries. 3. Skilled Care Pharmacy could provide seminars and trainings to keep up with new medical techniques and practices. Advantages for each of the Alternative Courses of Action 1. Skilled Care Pharmacy would be able to retain much of their employees and prevent employee turnover. 2. Skilled Care Pharmacy would be able to address the shortage of pharmaceutical personnel within the organization. 3. Skilled Care Pharmacy would be guaranteed of their employee’s  capabilities and skills with regards to the ever changing medical practice. Disadvantages for each of the Alternative Courses of Action 1. Additional costs would be incurred for enhanced benefits or additional incentives given to regular employees. 2. Other pharmacists hired from overseas may not be as competitive with the usual pharmacists. 3. Additional cost would be acquired because of additional trainings and seminars for the company. V. Recommendation Follow all alternative courses of action to be able to keep up with certain changes in the company.

My Hometown

My Hometown Good morning ! My name is Quang Ngoc. I come from Vu Ban district which is to the south of Nam Dinh. I am living with my parents and my sister, . In my free time , reading book and speaking English are my hobbies. Today I am here to tell you about my hometown. Firstly, Nam Dinh province is my home town. It is small but peaceful and beautiful and situated in the south of the Red River Delta. It is surrounding up by some others neighborhood province in the region such as Ha Nam, Thai Binh on the north and northeast, Ninh Binh on the west, the East Sea with 72km long coastlines. pic] Now let me take you to travel around Nam Dinh city first. The city is about 90 km southeast of Vietnam's capital,  Hanoi. From Hanoi, it takes you an hour and a half to go there by a coach. If you are sick of cars, you can go by train. Nam Dinh railway-station is a big one in the North-South railway network, so it is very convenient for you to choose a trip. Nam Dinh is a political, economic, cultural, commercial center of the Red delta. It used to be called the textile city and it was recognized as the first municipality last year [pic]Traveling around Nam Dinh city is simple and convenient. There are many different vehicles you can use such as: bus, taxi, motorbike,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"xich lo†, bicycle. Two large rivers passing away Nam Dinh city are Red River and  Dao  River  . The two rivers play an important role in river traffic and development of Nam Dinh in the long run. [pic] [pic] Nam Dinh is famous for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ph? †. Besides, you can enjoy many other specialties:  gai cake,  Ng? banana,  Siu Chau candy†¦ If Hanoi has 36 old streets, Nam Dinh has also 40 ones  , for example,  Hang Vang, Hang Bat, Hang Nau, V? Man†¦ But now most of them don’t exist and trade traditional products like before. These small and old streets are on the bank of  Dao  River  and contain peculiar pi'kju:lj? /rieng bi? t shape which is related t o 750-year-developing history of Nam Dinh city. Some streets still keep their initial i'ni l/ name such as:  Hang Ti? n, Hang C? p, B? c Ninh, Hang Thao, Hang D? ng, Hang S? t†¦ The rest of them are changed name into: Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Van Th? †¦ They are always crowded, busy and are important parts of Nam Dinh center.Nam Dinh city is also called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†Ã‚  and it has many handicraft villages, tourist potential and rich in many historical, cultural sites and many tourist attractions. If you are keen on religious and culture, I will take you to the Tran relic, the tower Pagoda, Co Le Pagoda, Keo Pagoda (Hanh Thien), Phu Day Relic†¦ [pic] Nam Dinh is also the hometown of many Generals and martial /'m? : l/ vo heroes as well as the hometown of many writers and poets like Tran Te Xuong (Tu Xuong), Nguyen Binh   [pic]The Tran dynasty was the most flourished /flourish hung th? nh, th? nh vu? ng in Vietnamese feudal /'fju:dl/ . Tr? n Hung D? o statue is placed in front of 3-2 Square and in the bank of V? Xuyen Lake and this is also a place where many important events are held. [pic] Phu Day relic located in Kim Thai commune, Vu Ban district is the worship of Princess Lieu Hanh, one of four immortal gods of Vietnam (Saint Tan Vien, Thanh Giong, Chu Dong Tu and Princess Lieu Hanh) Located in the Red River Delta, Nam Dinh has a long tradition culture.This cultural treasure ‘tre / kho bau is derived di'raiv/b? t ngu? n t? from the lives of residents, was developed in various forms and activities such as folk songs, writing, water puppetry/'p? pitri/, song festivals, xam †¦ and many other traditional games†¦ [pic] Many people enjoy going to Xuan Thuy National Park on their weekend. it situated in Giao Thien Commune, Giao Thuy district. It is an ecological tourist destination for those who are interested in learning wildlife and migratory /mai'greit? ri/ di tru birds.It was selected as a door stop of thousands of migr atory birds with a lot of varieties and species fly to the south in the winter of last November from the lunar calendar and return in late February, in early March every year. The forest is home of many species of birds, sea cat, fish, shrimp, fish, crabs, snakes, clams, and oysters. Coming to Xuan Thuy National Park, visitors will be lived in the vast spaces of the earth and sky, cloud, breathing fresh air, watching birds. The first feeling when you wake up in the morning here is quiet, fresh and peaceful.You seem to give up all noise, hurry and being tired of modern life behind. So it is really ideal place to rest and relax. Nam Dinh doesn’t have as many tourist attractions as Hanoi, but it brings special characteristics which nowhere has. Imagine that you come to Nam Dinh one day, walking in small streets with red-rice-flowers bloomed gorgeously, enjoying specialties of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†Ã‚  and listening to the whistle from the weaving company in the hurry of city every sunset, you would certainly feel fret and regretted when leaving! [pic] [pic]Nowadays, government and inhabitants in Nam Dinh is trying to build and decorate our city more and more beautiful and attractive. Many projects are also being carried out such as:  Hoa Xa industrial park,  L? c Vu? ng  and Th? ng Nh? t  new urban areas, a 700-bed-hospital of the South Red River Plain zone†¦ Nam Dinh is in the developing line, and it definitely must become the worthy center of Red River Delta in the future. Our youth generations who were born and grew up in Nam Dinh are always proud of our hometown with all the most respectful sentiment /'sentim? nt/.Whenever I go and stay, I won’t never forget my hometown where I have my family and relatives. It is kept deeply in my heart †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å" South or west, home is best† I love my hometown. I want to be come Viet Nam talented people to help my homeland more beautiful and powerful. I am delighted th at you will come to visit my hometown. My Hometown Good morning ! I am †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I come from Vu Ban district which is to the south of Nam Dinh. I am living with my parents and my sister, . In my free time , reading books and speaking English are my hobbies. Today I am here to tell you about my hometown.Nam Dinh is small but peaceful and beautiful and situated in the south of the Red River Delta. It shares the borders with some neighborhood provinces such as Ha Nam on the north, Thai Binh on the northeast, Ninh Binh on the west and the East Sea with 72km long coastlines. Nam Dinh city is a political, economic, cultural and commercial center of the Red Delta. It used to be called the textile city and it was recognized as the first municipality mju:,nisi'p? liti/ last year Now let me take you around the city.. From Hanoi, it takes you an hour and a half to go there by a coach. If you are sick of cars, you can go by train. o it is very convenient for you to cho ose a trip. Traveling around Nam Dinh city is simple and convenient. you can travel by bus, taxi, motorbike,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"xich lo†, bicycle. Nam Dinh is famous for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ph? †. Besides, you can enjoy many other specialties:  gai cake,  Ng? banana,  Siu Chau candy†¦ If Hanoi has 36 old streets, Nam Dinh has also 40 ones  , for example,  Hang Ti? n, Hang D? ng ,†¦ They are always crowded, busy and are important parts of Nam Dinh center. Nam Dinh city is also called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†. It has many handicraft villages, tourist potential and rich in many historical, cultural sites.If you are keen on religious and culture, I will take you to the Tran relic, the tower Pagoda, Co Le Pagoda,†¦ Nam Dinh is also the hometown of many Generals and heroes as well as the hometown of many writers and poets like Tran Te Xuong (Tu Xuong), Nguyen Binh   The Tran dynasty was the most flourished in Vietnamese feudal /'fju:dl/ . Tr? n Hung D? o statue is pl aced on the bank of V? Xuyen Lake and this is also a place where many important events are held. Phu Day relic located in Kim Thai commune, Vu Ban district is the worship of Princess Lieu Hanh, one of four immortal gods of Vietnam.People come here to pray for luck. Many people enjoy going to Xuan Thuy National Park . It is situated in Giao Thien Commune, Giao Thuy district. It is an ecological /,ek? ‘l? d? ik/ tourist destination for those who are interested in learning wildlife and migratory /mai'greit? ri/ birds. The forest is the home of many species of birds, fish, shrimp, †¦ Coming to Xuan Thuy National Park, you will live in the open spaces breathing fresh air and watching birds. The first feeling when you wake up in the morning here is quiet, fresh and peaceful.You seem to give up noise, hurry and being tired of modern life behind. So it is really ideal place to rest and relax. Nam Dinh doesn’t have as many tourist attractions as Hanoi, but it brings special characteristics which nowhere has. Imagine that you come to Nam Dinh one day, walking in small streets with red-rice-flowers , enjoying specialties of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†Ã‚  . you will never forget it when leaving as people are friendly and hospitable. Nowadays, government and inhabitants in Nam Dinh is trying to build and decorate our city more and more beautiful and attractive.Many projects are also being carried out such as:  Hoa Xa industrial park,  L? c Vu? ng  and Th? ng Nh? t  new urban areas†¦ Nam Dinh is in the developing line, and it will become the worthy center of Red River Delta in the future. Wherever I go and stay, I always miss my hometown where I have my family, friends and relatives. It is the sweetest, loveliest and best place for me It is kept deeply in my heart . One proverb says â€Å" South or west, home is best† I want to become a talented/good Vietnamese people to help my homeland more beautiful and powerful. I am delighted that y ou will come to visit my hometown one day.Conversation Questions Hometowns Where are you from? What is the name of your town? Where is it? Do you like it? Why or why not? What's your hometown like? What is the population? Is your hometown famous for anything? Do you hope that someday your hometown would be world famous for something? What could it be famous for? What is the best thing about your hometown? How long have you lived in your hometown? Do any other of your family members also live in your hometown? Where did your maternal and paternal great-great-great grandparents live or come from?Has your hometown changed a lot since you were a kid? If so, how? Have the changes been for the better or worse? Can I visit your hometown on the Internet? Do your childhood friends still live in your hometown? If not, where are they now? Does your hometown have any festivals? When are they? What happens at that festival? What's there to do in your hometown? Tell me why I would enjoy visiting your hometown. When is the best time to come to your hometown? Tell me why I should visit your hometown. What interesting city lies to the north, south, east, west of your hometown?What are some things in your hometown that are part of history? What does your hometown produce? What is the worst thing about your hometown? What is the geography of your hometown? (i. e. beach, mountains, etc. ) What are the main attractions in your hometown? What are the main economical resources in your hometown? Can you describe the main geographical features of your hometown? After you graduate do you want to live in your hometown? Why or why not? If you could live anywhere else, where would you like to live? Is your hometown growing? Is this a good or a bad thing?How do you see your hometown growing in the next 20 years? Does your hometown have a college or university? Does your hometown have a shopping mall shopping? Does your hometown have antique shopping places? Where is the best place to get a reasonably priced, but delicious meal in your hometown? What is the best season in your hometown? What is the average yearly rain fall for your hometown? What is the average temperature in winter time? (summer time? ) Does it snow in your hometown? These small and old streets are on the bank of  Dao  River  and contain peculiar pi'kju:lj? /rieng bi? shape which is related to 750-year-developing history of Nam Dinh city. Some streets still keep their initial i'ni l/ name such as:  Hang Ti? n, Hang C? p, B? c Ninh, Hang Thao, Hang D? ng, Hang S? t†¦ The rest of them are changed name into: Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Van Th? †¦ Located in the Red River Delta, Nam Dinh has a long tradition culture. This cultural treasure ‘tre / kho bau is derived di'raiv/b? t ngu? n t? from the lives of residents, was developed in various forms and activities such as folk songs, writing, water puppetry/'p? pitri/, song festivals, xam †¦ nd many other traditional games†¦ Quest ions Traffic Accidents †¢ Have you ever seen a traffic accident? †¢ Have you been involved in a traffic accident? †¢ Do you know someone who has been involved in a traffic accident? †¢ Have you been injured in a traffic accident? †¢ Do you think talking on cell phones can help cause traffic accidents? †¢ Do you think a motorcycle rider should be required to wear a helmet? †¢ Do you think a person should be required to wear a seat belt? †¢ What kind of insurance do you have on your car? †¢ Have you ever hit an animal at night when you were driving your car? What kind of safety features in a car would help you if you had a traffic accident? †¢ Are traffic accidents a major cause of death in your country? †¢ Who dies in traffic accidents more? Young? Old? Children? Boys? Girls? †¢ How can traffic accidents be prevented? †¢ What are people not doing that they should to prevent deaths in traffic accidents? †¢ What are you not doing that you should to prevent deaths in traffic accidents? †¢ What should be done in order to prevent traffic congestion in your city? †¢ How do you feel about spending time in rush hours?

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 54

Philosophy - Essay Example Philosophy mostly relies on critical thinking, the development of theories builds on what exists, research, and knowledge acquisition. Philosophy is a very old discipline, ranging from the writing of the Bible, to accredited philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and the likes of desecrates. Philosophers are better placed in their field of interest, be it politics, economics or any other related field. Contemporary philosophers review various aspects ranging from economics and politics, such as Max Weber and John Locke, to new philosophies of living a happy life, which has been developed by various philosophers such as one of the most respected modern day philosopher, Dalai Rama. Religion is another field of philosophy that has been widely discussed with the likes of Karl Max, Sigmund Freud and other related philosophers reviewing the field. The vastness of philosophy is cannot be summarized in one book and even the best philosophy book is only limited to topics or philosophers that interested the author. Logic and rationalism are the key guiding principles of any philosophical theory. Not just any argument can be termed as a philosophy. Philosophies are wide, vast and contain countless points of views or perspectives about a given topic. As such, philosophers are appreciably much respected for their overall capacity to think and reason on one topic until a set system that is workable and that produces results in line with the philosophy have been determined. Unlike most disciplines, philosophies are not meant to make money, but rather to improve lives. As such, it is very rare to find a philosophy institute whose prime objective is making profits. The basic reason for existence of philosophy is understand certain challenges and problems existing in our current reality. Some philosophies are still not well known and as such, these fields are not as respected as the likes of Philosophy of Art, Logical reasoning philosophy, epistemology or

The Development in Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Development in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example It also experience major government controls over various economical activities. The growth rate of the country since 2000 has been varying with the highest being in 2004. The country is ranked as the largest exporter of petroleum in the world and has a very important role to play in Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Currently, the country is focusing on encouraging the private sector to invest in the country in order to create more employment opportunities for the local citizens in order to reduce the unemployment rate in the country that currently stands at 10.9%. Some of the effort by the government to attract more investors in the country is through improving service provision in telecommunication sector, natural gas exploration and other power generation measures. These measures are aimed at provision of a serene enviroment for transacting busineses. One of the challenging issues that affects Saudi economy is a high population of people who are illeterate. Th is has given way for the foreignors who retrieve countrys wealth and send back to their country. The government is therefore, aiming at improving education levels in the country through setting up various education institutions in the country.(Trading economics 2012) Population The population in Saudi Arabia stands at 26.1 million people as per July 2011 statistics. 20.5% of this population is Saudis while 5.6million of the total population are composed of foreign nationals. Annual growth rate in the country stands at 1.536% as per 2011. Major ethnic groups in the country comprise of Arabs 90% (of native population), afro- Asian (10% of native population). The main official language is Arabic while the literacy levels stands at approximately 78.8% with male comprising of 84.7 and female 70.8%. The workforce in the country comprise of 7.3 million with 80% of this number being foreigners. Industries hold 21.4 % of the population with services which include government holding 71.9% and agriculture on the other hand supporting 6.7% of the population (US department of state, 2012). Wealth indicators in Saudi Arabia Middle East countries are one of the driest countries in the world. As a result the country spends much of its revenues in importing food from other agricultural viable countries. In measuring the level of wealth, the main wealth indicator is food security. Food security in Saudi Arabia is measured using three key indicators. They include food aid as a proportion of overall domestic consumption, imports as a proportion of total consumption and lastly the income levels of the population in the country (Wilson & Bruins 2008, p.52). On the household levels, the mostly used indicators include: land ownership, vehicle ownership, type of the house, ability of the citizens to save their money and average earning per household. This gives the government a data that is used to gauge the public wealth status an aspect that is used in resource distribution (Wilson & Bruins 2008). Most significant industries in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is the world leading oil exporting countries. As a result the country’s main industries are oil related. These industries include crude oil production industries, petroleum refining industries and petrochemical industries. The three industries are the major contributors to Saudi Arabia economic growth. In addition, the country is one of the leading dates exporters making the sector play an

No Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

No - Essay Example Benzene for negligence in his work especially if they knew of his omission to inquire about his true feelings concerning his suicidal thoughts because of the possibility that Mr. Johnson’s terrain of thought could lead him to cause harm both to himself and others. The plaintiff can sue for negligence on the part of Dr. Benzene. Negligence refers to a situation where a person does something wrong accidentally thereby causing one to get hurt. As such, a person involved in negligent behavior is likely to be held liable by way of damages. Basically, it involves an individual’s failure to take reasonable care in a situation that a person exercising ordinary prudence ought to take under similar circumstances (Ferrerra et al., 72). Dr. Benzene did not exercise reasonable care especially because it is expected that a doctor like him should have foreseen harm. Dr. Benzene should have inquired from Mr. Johnson whether indeed his findings and thoughts were an expression of his true feelings. Dr. Benzene has a legal issues to answer to because he had the duty to act but failed because of his omission to do so by taking necessary steps including inquiring the feelings of Mr. Johnson so that he could at least attempt to avert the foreseen danger. Doctor Benzene and his office can be sued for the violation of the law enacted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The law simply required medical practitioners such as Doctor Benzene to notify the office of the State Attorney regarding the homicidal or suicidal tendencies exhibited by Mr. Johnson. The policy had not made any provisions for exceptional cases where the defendant could not be held liable. As such, Doctor Benzene’s move to issue patients with forms in order to free himself and all the staff from any liabilities that may arise did not in any way protect or exempt him from facing the consequences of his actions. The legislation passed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was supreme. Therefore, the potential law

Internal accounts and accouting systems-chic paints limited Assignment

Internal accounts and accouting systems-chic paints limited - Assignment Example The report has extensively included a wide number of research studies with the help of online journal articles, books and websites in order to review the accounting systems at CPL, especially its effectiveness and the internal control process. At the initial stage of the report, the discussion has encompassed an in-depth understanding of the role of accounting system of the organization and the importance of internal controlling process. The goal of assessing the current accounting system and the internal controlling process has been addressed by critically evaluating the accounting techniques as well as tools used by the organization. In addition, the discussion also included the existing ethical standards and practices associated with different accounting activities in CPL. In this context, the report has been incorporated for identifying a number of ethical standards along with actual possible breaches of professional ethics to determine the effectiveness of the ethical principles and practices in CPL. Correspondingly, the research report has also reviewed the existing cultural environment at CPL in terms of maintaining ethical standards in the accounting processes. In this regard, the discussion has incorporated a critical evaluation through analyzing the effectiveness of ethical standards in CPL in its various accounting practices. In order to determine the weaknesses in accounting practices, the report has also provided a set of effective recommendations to improve the existing issues associated with accounting functions.

Fire Safety Legislations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fire Safety Legislations - Essay Example Many fire safety legislations have come into practice in recent decades and have reduced injury, death and calamity. Fire Precautions Act 1971 was the first exclusively fire devoted act and this was the result of the Report of the Holroyd Committee in 1970 which recommended that the law pertaining to fire safety should come under two branches: one that would apply to new and altered premises and other, to apply exclusively to premises that were already occupied. Committee found it so important that fire safety regulations should branch out to become more effective and understood by people, and this was necessary looking at the risk involved. In july 2002, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister issued a Consolidation paper for further reforms on fire fighting legislation and amending wherever necessary, with a view to make it more understandable and less intimidating. New legislations are proposed to be introduced, dropping the certification which was made compulsory under the Fire P recautions Act 1971. Next major piece of regulation was The Fire Precautions (Workplace) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 to be followed by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and this Report tries to map the differences and similarities between them. "Houses occupied as single private dwellings are exempt, but the fire authority has powers to make it compulsory for some dwellings to be covered by a fire certificate" http://www.healthandsafety.co.uk/firep.htm Premises that require a fire certificate were many and for those premises, obtaining a certificate became mandatory. "The use of certain types of premises has been designated by the Secretary of State as requiring a fire certificate under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 (in Northern Ireland under the Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1984 as amended). There are two designating orders in force in Great Britain - one relates to larger hotels and boarding houses; the other to those factories, offices, shops and railway premises in which people are employed to work" http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.aspid=1124874 Mainly these applied to non-domestic premises and the intention was reducing death and injury and damage. Provisions for reasonable means of escape, inspection were made and officers are entitled to take action to enforce the act. This was further fortified by Building Regulation Act of 1991 that limited internal fire spread including furniture and fittings by more regulations while considerable facilities for fire service was given including rules on fire warning and emergency lighting. Offices, shops, factories were covered according to number of workers. Guidance about storage of flammable materials, means for fighting fire, warning, training of employees, licensed premises, standards of fire precautions, inspection procedures, methods and types of inspection, escape related precautions, notifications of proposed changes were meticulously guided with extensive provisions. Some premises were exempted from fire certificate requirement and standards of exempted premises like factorie s and offices with only ground floor/basement/first floor power, not using explosive materials etc. had to be

Militarization and Police Brutality Annotated Bibliography

Militarization and Police Brutality - Annotated Bibliography Example Although the piece does focused mainly upon the process of the militarization of police, the tangential understanding that can be gained is the fact that this militarization has caused a psychological shift in the way that at least engage with crime. The veracity and truthfulness of this particular article is almost without question; due to the fact that it was published in a scholarly journal and thoroughly peer-reviewed. Furthermore, the author of the article has also been responsible for authoring several other pieces with relation to militarization of police and the overall impact upon society that these paramilitary forces have. Kimper, J. (2014). WHY MILITARIZED POLICE DEPARTMENTS DONT WORK: CONFRONTING ANGRY CITIZENS IN THE GARB OF JACK-BOOTED THUGS DOES PLENTY OF DAMAGE, ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING.  Newsweek Global,  163(8), 30-38. This particular article examines the correlation between the militarization of police and the overall level of violence that these so-called â€Å"peace officers† are willing to direct the average citizen. The author indicates that even though it might seem as a trivial matter, the actual clothing and tactical weapons that police are now receiving has had a direct correlation to the overall level of violence that they are comfortable with directing at the citizen. The source goes on to indicate the fact is that the militarization of the police is a relatively new occurrence; even though concerns and issues over police brutality is an issue that has been represented for a very long period of time.

Engineering And Construction Parking Demand Assignment

Engineering And Construction Parking Demand - Assignment Example The fulfillment of the desires of the clients is highly recommendable and forms the basis of the primary goal of this designer. A rectangular design enables provision of a well-defined design development will significantly increase the envisaged probability of creating parking areas that gratify this overriding goal. In the process of maximizing the parking zones, critical relevance is placed on the analysis of the presented need, physical requirements need analysis, aesthetics, and safety. From a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the facility or chapel, a transportation plan is highly considered in locating the parking for the vehicles that will be coming inside the compound. The highly detailed and elaborate outline of the parking lot creates an inventory of enhanced parking areas, free spaces, and their employment thus determining the adequacy and effectiveness of present configurations. The parking lot has the ability to amply contain several vehicles collectively for the at tendees of the chapel.The proper shape of parking zone design enables tackling of the poor location and even outlined or inherent deficiencies of chapel or visitors and even reserved parking areas or sections for employee parking. The side location and placement of the parking lot well creates ample times for car parkers to use the exact time and allow for easy turnover rates as it acts a remedy to Identification access difficulties and unfortunate pavement location and other outlined plant material stipulations.

Profit Interests Essay Example for Free

Profit Interests Essay Over the years the law governing partnership and the payments to be allocated to the partners either for the services offered or for the property was being treated like a transaction. This aspect of partnership laws includes but not limited to payments received as interests of profit made in the partnership as payments for services rendered and this could either be viewed either as a capital or profit interests. This has for many years caused rows which are taken to the corridors of justice, courtesy of the existing substantial uncertainty and in the same vein the conflicting precedents of tax laws cases on decisions on whether profit interest should be taxed and at what rate. Albeit, in 2005 May, the IRS( Internal Revenue Service) formulated a proposal of regulations touching on the alteration of and creation a distinction profits interests and capital, establishing section 83 which determines the general rules on interest that is issued in connection with service performance, the timing, amount and income of the service provider and the issue of partnership deduction in relation to amount and timing, the recognition of gain and losses on the partnership interest and lastly the provision of a safe harbor which based on the assumption that the value of fair market equals to the liquidation value (Blum 1). The current regulations provide for regulations of taxation. The issue unclear provisions on treatment of a service partner contributing service to a partnership and receives interests in the partnerships future profits. The issue has been that when a partner receives profit interest only and not capital interest, for services rendered, is it the aggregate or the entity concept that should be applied? The courts have attempted to solve this conflict and to clarify the situation only to come up with contradicting decisions. Case law on revenue ruling. The laws were explored and revisited in the famous case of William G. Campbell v. Commissioner 943 F. 2d 815(CA 8,1991) and also in the case of Sol Diamond V. Commissioner 492 F. 2d 286 (CA-7, 1974) on profit interest taxation (Englebrecht 1). In the Diamond case a taxpayer was restrained from converting capital gains from ordinary income. Diamond entered a joint venture with a partner for purposes of purchasing a building to be used as an office. The appellant did not contribute any capital but they made an arrangement where he would be the financier for the project and in return he receives 60% interest on the future profits. The appellant after the purchase of the building, sold off his interest to the partner and did not declare income he received from the profit interest. Nevertheless, he reported a short term capital gain the sale resulting to him to offset this gain. The seventh circuit concurring with the tax court ruled that no laws were clear on provision that profit interests which are compensatory receipts are free from taxation. The decision in both case in favour of the commissioner, in the later case it cited the tax rule section 83. was clear and that property received in compensatory to be income on receipt and falls within both the capital interest and profit interests According to section 1. 21-3 (e) excludes unfunded and /or unsecured promises from income recognition. Tax court ruled that profit interest per se is property thus taxable as under the provisions of section 83. On appeal to the eight circuit though it considered that there was no proof that Campbell did not receive his partnership interest for purposes of tax avoidance the circuit did not overturn the decision of the tax court but pointed out that when deciding such cases other factors should also be considered (Englebrechtc3). The loophole in the revenue regulations is the cause of the there is no clear cut rule to be applied when deciding revenue cases. This could be a factors that led to the proposal of the new regulations by the IRS. Profits interest Profits interest can be defined as an interest with a zero capital account and in case of liquidation of a partnership on a material date of transfer then such an account will be entitled to nothing (Bartlett 1). Notice 2005-43 (section 83 principles apply) This is the proposed revenue procedure regarding partnership interests transferred in connection to service performance. Under these new rules the provisions are that a person who receives a partnership interest will be liable to pay income tax rates which rate will have its basis on fair market interest value at the specific time when the interest was received and a consequent corresponding deduction made to the partnership. Apparently, in the partnerships there is no recognition of loss or gain in connection to the issuance of the interest (partnership interest) to the specified service provider. According to Bruce Hood if there is a substantial risk of forfeiture of the partners interest at the time of issue, then it cannot be subjected to current taxation rules until the time it vests 30 days from grant date, then the recipient has an option to be taxed under section 83(b) which has provision on non-vest interest (12). Distinctions between capital and profits interests. Capital interests is interest obtained when existing partners in a partnership opt to retain their rights wholly to the partnership assets in the marker value that is current, while profit interest occurs when new partners are granted right to receiving (shares of)future profits. The later can also be referred to as carried profits ( Cain 8). The two scenarios occur when partners enter into an agreement to divide the components of their existing equity interest. In a nutshell the guidance of the proposed regulations eliminates the stated distinction between capital interest and profit interest. In this regard interest in the partnership issued and in connection to the service performance are treated in a like manner as such and thus are taxable in accordance to section 83. In summary the major distinction between the two is that capital interest are clearly taxable while the has been a conflict on provisions on whether profit interest should be taxable depending on if it falls under service provision or otherwise. Safe harbor (for profits interests) election based on liquidation values. The provision for safe harbor is under section for of the new IRS regulations, this can generally be described to be a statute provision either reducing or eliminating a partys liability, so long as the party acted in good faith and it is a methodor option by which patnerships would incur tax. Specifically, the procedure effectively permits a patnership to elect under its terms and qualify to value its interests depending on the liquidation value of the patneship interests. Arthur Willis and his co- authors explain that under the Safe Harbor, the fair market value of a Safe Harbor Partnership Interest is treated as being equal to the liquidation value of that interest and thus, liquidation value is determined without regard to any lapse restriction (as defined at 1. 83-3(i)) this means that the deduction is available in accordance with the service recipient’s method of accounting(Willis et al,13). Vested and non-vested profit interests (what happens when vested) According to section 83 a non-vested interest should not be subjected to taxation unless it becomes vested. The non-vested interest which no election has been made under section 83 (b), will not be treated as ownership of the recipient and at the same time the recipient cannot be treated like a partner and thus not allocated partnership tax until the time when vesting will occur or a subsequent election for it to be taxed in current state is made. Vested interest are expounded on as being governed by section 83a and non-vest interest under section 83b of the revenue regulations (Haufler 21). Section 83(b) and its election The proposed regulations make clear that both capital and profits interests in a partnership are property subject to the rules of Code section 83. 30 . According to Rubin the proposed regulations also clarify that the non-recognition rules of section 721 (applicable to receipt of a partnership interest in exchange for property) are inapplicable to the receipt of any partnership interest ( Rubin 3). For capital account created for maintenance purposes, proposed regulations thus increase the capital account of service provider by the amount the provider takes into income as provided under Code section 83 including the amount paid for the interest, if any. RP 93-27 -when someone is qualified (qualifications) and status as a partner. The aforementioned procedure revenue procedure 93-27 as provided for in the regulation, alters the historic view on profit interests but in the spirit elaborates that issuing of profit interest made by a partnership in exchange of services does not result to it being a current income while if the capital interest was issued and it was not subject to a risk of forfeiture which was not substantial then it can be said that it was a recognition of income by the service provider resulting to a deduction from the partnership or depending if it is applicable a currently capitalized expenditure (Blum 4). What should taxpayers do now in response to the proposed regulations? In concluding this discussion, due to the absent guidance from the IRS then it is recommendable and advisable for partners to know how they can deal with the profit interests. First, the partners can together scrutinize section 707 and ensure that their arrangements to be structured in such a way that it avoids in total appearance of stated income in the section. This will help reduce the risk of the transaction being treated as a taxable receipt of income (Englebrecht 4). Secondly the interest received should ideally be classified as subordinate to other classes and the agreement should not mention the value of the services to be provided by the recipient partner. Another credible advise is that the partners should not leave the partnership after sell of his/her interest this will help to minimize the risk the interest received being placed on a value and lastly the partner should avoid receipt of distributions which would indicate an immediate return on the interest and thus a determinable value.

Benefits of Oral Presentations

Benefits of Oral Presentations Mention two different situations (imaginary) when oral presentations are more effective than written, reasoning why presentations. Explain the various principles for successful business presentations orally. Two situations where oral communication is better than written communication: The first is when a seller is trying to sell products to a potential customer. Here, direct selling is. Direct selling is the marketing and selling products directly to consumers away from a fixed retail place, going home, staying places. Modern direct selling includes sales made through the party plan, one-on-one demonstrations and other forms of personal touch as well. An exact definition would be: The direct personal presentation, demonstration and sale of services merchandises and consumers, usually in their homes or their jobs. Why oral communication is preferred instead of written communication here? Consumers and sellers take advantage of oral communication when it comes to selling because of the convenience and service it provides, including Personal demonstration. Explanation of products. Home delivery. Generous guarantees satisfaction. Clarification of doubts/remedies on the product in the minds of customers. Possible Persuasion. Negotiation can. Second meeting is where you have to make a point to everyone present at the meeting, and take their views on the subject. Oral communication occurs in meetings where participants share their ideas. Organizers of the meeting clearly define their effective goal, as if the purpose of the meeting is to make a decision, brainstorm ideas, approve a plan to provide a change or get a status report. At the beginning of the meeting organizer uses oral indicating priorities of the meeting communication, expected results and the time allotted to discuss each topic. Requesting additional input from participants, he/she ensures the meeting remains relevant to everyone. The organizer of the meeting also ensures that each participant gets a chance to speak without monopolizing the agenda. Different principles to ensure the success of oral business presentations Do not design a static model; instead of designing a static. Plan the design of your presentation to be vibrant and alive as you interact w ith your audienceDynamic means strength, living movement. Complete or static means defined Do not plan what you will say to your last word, and to present what has already been said in the study. Ensure that your plan is clear and simple. Make sure your main ideas are clear in concept and formulation. Writing the basic idea of your tax statement and division for the listener make a difference in the way you write. What you write may look good on paper. But read the statements aloud and check. †¢ How they ring you? †¢ Are they readily understandable? †¢ Is there a rhythm and symmetry in the text? †¢ Would it create doubts in the mind of the receiver or not? correct weightage. Written notes can be deceiving when you write a word or two to indicate a long illustration, argument, or application. The amount of weight you give to An Individual section will depend on the time you spend with her. Be sure to focus your design time, careful planning, while remaining flexible. Emphasize main ideas of repetition and placement. Remember that the public might say a statement is a main idea, by the way you say or present. They cannot see bold or underlined characters in what you say. Put your tax division noticeable positions: first and last in a section. Everything you say first and the last is always remembered. As you repeat your division statements in the same terms, the listener will understand its meaning. Also, make it your habit to announce and number them, using your keywords. Use phrased transitions carefully as you move into your presentation.. If you start with a usual analogy, make argument clear regarding your idea presented. This will provide a smooth tr ansition in your next section. Shot of the transition from need section, then the introduction text. Use connecting sentences and let the transitional sentence, with the keyword public in steer your the partitions. Wrap each section or division said, with a restatement of the previous agenda and introduction of Next Idea. Plan a combination of inductive and deductive movement significantly. Remember that the inductive thought begins with specifics. Lead the by talking presentation of something that is already acquainted to the public; that is parallel to your subject and gets their notice. From here you will be able to move to the main idea of the presentation. The movement should be structured General Specific To. Use deductive movement when you give the statementand detachment and move to essentials. Use language that is best suited to the ear, not the eye.. Choose phrases that can be easily understood indelivering. You only get one of say something chance to. Even if you repeat the main ideas, keep them simple and straightforward. Avoid terminology that is beyond comprehension. Do public not to assume that people know what you are talking about historical references. Explain. Do not use technical theological terms without or before defining them. Use peoples talk, but no grammar or pronunciation Make your introductory sections are carefully planned.. Introduction is as important as what you do to communicate effectively. There are five purposes for the establishment To capture the awarenessof the listener; To initiate interest about you; To commence your subject; To establishthe text; and in order to make the body an effortless transition your presentation. Each of these objectives calls for a well thought out plan. The introduction is very important because it is the beginning. If you do not have to get a good start with genuine communication touch, you can never achieve it. Ensure your concluding/closing section is carefully planned.. What we call the general conclusion is as important as the intro. Conclusion steps include visualization and action. This is the section where you return to your basic idea. For the visualization step, use illustrations and applications to paint a picture of the BASIC idea in the minds of listeners. Step Action provides the specific changes that are needed to implement the basic idea. This step tips into a time of reflection, or invites the listener to reply to the message/presentation. presentation design bearing in mind, from the viewpoint of public. Trying to get beyond the narrow focus on your hardware and how to organize it must be one of your important basis when designing your presentation. Think about your audience audience. Bear in mind what the matter already knows, how are acquainted they terminology, how their views match yours, and how they are committed to the existing attitudes and beliefs. The best communicators are those who recognize their listeners and message regulate their order to reach them where they are. Who will be there? How do they think? What do they include? What do they need to KNOW? If you do not communicate your equipment effectively, it is of no value to your listener. Understand your nervousness. 3 out of 4 say they feel nervous about public speaking. Its like getting up for a sports competition: you want to do well you have prepared and you are ready to go! Your performance is important, but it is not the main thing. The main thing is to share your message ideas, feelings and information. Its learn together. No one expects perfection. If you mess something, fix and continue. Your audience is your partner: they want to learn from you; they want you to succeed. Some nervousness is a good thing. Increased activation can enhance your presentation, improve alertness and animation, and strengthen public engagement. Use relaxation techniques if you think youre too wound. Before your presentation, sit quietly, focus on letting up the tension in your body, breathe deeply from the abdomen (a count of 4, hold for 4, for a number of 4). Do this for several cycles with n ormal breaths you do not have hyperventilation. Smile. It is a mood elevator. clear pronunciation. So that significant oral messages of receivers, the words must be clearly and correctly pronounced. It should not be a lack of clarity or communication will be a source of confusion. Brevity. Oral communication is that the message should be brief. If the sender has taken a long time to talk, his message may not attract the attention of the receiver. logical sequence. The ideas should be organized sequentially to make the communication message and attractive. Unorganized ideas do not provide clear direction, while logical sequence of ideas gives a clear meaning. courteous. Courtesy costs nothing but can save a lot. Thus, a speaker must be courteous, while addressing the audience. It helps to create a good impression in the minds of listeners for the speaker. Avoid emotions. The President must control his emotions to make effective oral communication. Too much emotion will be the speaker away from the main subject. Control Gesticulation. President repeatedly, consciously or unconsciously, gesticulating to express ideas or thoughts. It is a habit and should be avoided. Otherwise, the application of this habit can cause disinterest of the public. In addition, objective information, the ability of the listener, interesting language, and the correct flow must also be considered the principles of oral communication.

The Other Road in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken Essay -- Road Not

The Other Road in Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his celebrated poem "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost describes the decision one makes when reaching a fork in the road. Some interpret Frost as suggesting regret on the part of the traveler as to not choosing the path he forgoes, for in doing so he has lost something significant. Others believe he is grateful for the selection, as it has made him the man he is. The diverging roads are symbolic of the choices society is faced with every day of life. Choosing one course will lead the traveler in one direction, while the other will likely move away, toward a completely different journey. How does one know which is the right path; is there a right path? The answer lies within each individual upon reflection of personal choices during the course of life's unfolding, as well as the attitude in which one looks to the future.    David Wyatt writes, "Nowhere in Frost is the tension between surprise and anticipation, wayward experience and the form into which it is cast or forecast, more acute than in 'The Road Not Taken'" (129). As the poem is read, one cannot help but be pulled into the questions of which road will be chosen, how they differ, and what will become of the traveler. Perhaps some hope to find guidance for their own journeys by seeking answers in Frost's work. According to Michael Meyer, "The speaker's reflections about his choice are as central to an understanding of the poem as the choice itself." (97) Frost himself admits, "it's a tricky poem, very tricky." (Pack 10)    In the opening stanza, Frost describes coming to a point during a walk along a rural road that diverges into two separate, yet similar paths. The narrator finds that he ... .... Online. World Wide Web. 20 Jul. 2000.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." The Poetry of Robert Frost. Ed. Edward Connery, Lathem. New York: Hot, Rinehart and Winston, 1969. 105. Mertins, Louis. Robert Frost: Life and Talks - Walking. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1965. 135. Meyer, Michael, ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford-St. Martin's, 1999. 97. Pack, Robert. "Frost's Enigmatical Reserve: The Poet as Teacher and Preacher." Modern Critical Views: Robert Frost. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 10. Thompson, Lawrance. Robert Frost: The Years of Triumph. Notes. Online. World Wide Web. 21 Jul 2000. . Wyatt, David M. "Choosing in Frost." Frost: Centennial Essays II. Ed. Jac Tharpe. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1976. 129-35.

What is Geothermal Energy? An Overview Essay -- Alternative Energy Pow

What is Geothermal Energy? An Overview The term geothermal comes from the Greek geo meaning earth and therine meaning heat thus geothermal energy is energy derived from the natural heat of the earth. The heat that flows from the Earth's hot interior due to crustal plate movements, zones of high heat flow, may be located close to the surface where convective circulation plays a signifcant role in bringing the heat close to the surface (World Bank Group, 2004). earth coreThe Earth's crust, on which we live and depend, is in large part the product of millions of once-active volcanoes and tremendous volumes of magma that did not erupt but instead cooled below the surface. Such persistent and widespread volcanism has resulted in many valuable natural resources throughout the world. ... Groundwater heated by large, still-hot magma bodies can be tapped for geothermal energy. -- Excerpt from: Brantley, 1994, Volcanoes of the United States, USGS General Interest Publication Deep circulation of groundwater along fracture zones will bring heat to shallower levels, collecting the heat flow from a broad area and concentrating it into shallow reservoirs or discharging as hot springs. These reservoirs may contain hot water and/or stream. By drilling into these reservoirs, the hot water and/or steam is piped to the surface where it is used for direct use applications, or the high pressure steam is separated to drive turbines for power generation. The low energy waste water form such power generaiton is then usually re-injected back into the reservoir, or further utilised for direct heat applications. This technology enables it to be utilised to generate electricity and provide domestic and industrial heat. Geothermal energy has proven... ...ermal Energy.† 07 April 2003. http://geothermal.marin.org/GEOpresentation/sld108.html Green Jobs, "Introduction to Geothermal Energy." 18 August, 2002. http://www.greenjobs.com/Public/info/industry_background.aspx?id=11 Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. â€Å"Geothermal Energy Research.† 11 September 2004. http://geothermal.id.doe.gov/ n Kilpenin, Malia. â€Å"Renewable Energy.† 20 May 1997. http://community.hei.com/altenergy/geo.ad.html n U.S. Geological Survey. â€Å"The Plus Side of Volcanoes – Geothermal Energy.† 16 December 2004. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/PlusSide/geothermal.html n World Bank Group. â€Å"Geothermal Energy.† 18 August 2004. http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/energy/geothermal/ n World Flowers. â€Å"Technical: The Harnessing of Geothermal Energy.† 27 February 2005. http://www.world-flowers.co.uk/09technical/geothermal.html What is Geothermal Energy? An Overview Essay -- Alternative Energy Pow What is Geothermal Energy? An Overview The term geothermal comes from the Greek geo meaning earth and therine meaning heat thus geothermal energy is energy derived from the natural heat of the earth. The heat that flows from the Earth's hot interior due to crustal plate movements, zones of high heat flow, may be located close to the surface where convective circulation plays a signifcant role in bringing the heat close to the surface (World Bank Group, 2004). earth coreThe Earth's crust, on which we live and depend, is in large part the product of millions of once-active volcanoes and tremendous volumes of magma that did not erupt but instead cooled below the surface. Such persistent and widespread volcanism has resulted in many valuable natural resources throughout the world. ... Groundwater heated by large, still-hot magma bodies can be tapped for geothermal energy. -- Excerpt from: Brantley, 1994, Volcanoes of the United States, USGS General Interest Publication Deep circulation of groundwater along fracture zones will bring heat to shallower levels, collecting the heat flow from a broad area and concentrating it into shallow reservoirs or discharging as hot springs. These reservoirs may contain hot water and/or stream. By drilling into these reservoirs, the hot water and/or steam is piped to the surface where it is used for direct use applications, or the high pressure steam is separated to drive turbines for power generation. The low energy waste water form such power generaiton is then usually re-injected back into the reservoir, or further utilised for direct heat applications. This technology enables it to be utilised to generate electricity and provide domestic and industrial heat. Geothermal energy has proven... ...ermal Energy.† 07 April 2003. http://geothermal.marin.org/GEOpresentation/sld108.html Green Jobs, "Introduction to Geothermal Energy." 18 August, 2002. http://www.greenjobs.com/Public/info/industry_background.aspx?id=11 Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. â€Å"Geothermal Energy Research.† 11 September 2004. http://geothermal.id.doe.gov/ n Kilpenin, Malia. â€Å"Renewable Energy.† 20 May 1997. http://community.hei.com/altenergy/geo.ad.html n U.S. Geological Survey. â€Å"The Plus Side of Volcanoes – Geothermal Energy.† 16 December 2004. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/PlusSide/geothermal.html n World Bank Group. â€Å"Geothermal Energy.† 18 August 2004. http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/energy/geothermal/ n World Flowers. â€Å"Technical: The Harnessing of Geothermal Energy.† 27 February 2005. http://www.world-flowers.co.uk/09technical/geothermal.html

Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As you look back on the last four years I'm sure you'll all remember them differently. Some of you will think of them as the best four years of your life and others, the worst. Some of you will think of them as the most fun you've ever had. Some of you will remember the friendships you've created, or all the things you've learned and will carry with you wherever you go. Most of all I think we should remember and be thankful for the fact they've been a relatively safe four years. We've had our share of bumps and bruises, but nothing really major. I am saying this mainly because in the past few months, especially, other schools have not been so fortunate. When they look back on their high school years, their memories shall forever be tainted by unspeakable acts of violence and rage. As you know, I'm referring to the 12 students and one teacher killed by two crazed gunmen. In the aftermath of these tragedies people have searched for someone or something to blame. They've gone from video games to the availability of guns, to the lack of attention by parents, teachers, and counselors, and even to the Internet, but finger pointing will not solve the problem. I can't say that I have all the answers but I know there are some things we can do. The problem, I believe, starts and ends with us. Those two students, from Columbine High School were outcasts and constantly teased. The sad truth about that tragedy is that it could have happened here. Honestly, we've all made fun of someone at some time, but toward the end of the year it seems as though we're all being nicer to each other, mainly because we're not going to be here much longer and we realize it simply isn't worth it. I think it would have been much better to have had this attitude at the beginning of high school instead of at the end. As we go through our lives we should not forget what we've learned. We are the future and we're responsible for the next generation. It is our job to teach them to be nicer to each other and more tolerant of their differences. We have to teach them not to solve their problems through guns or violence. That truly is the only way to prevent these senseless tragedies from occurring.

The researchers built their study

The research article by Suniya Luthar, Karen Shoum and Pamela Brown (2006) entitled â€Å"Extracurricular involvement among affluent youth: A scapegoat for ubiquitous achievement pressures† attempted to determine the extracurricular involvement of high status secondary students and how this affected their academic performance and whether it was directly the source of the pressure to achieve.The researchers built their study on the notion that children from affluent communities are overscheduled and have too many things to accomplish at a given day because it is expected by their parents.They said that children’s involvement in extracurricular activities are imposed by their parents and thus places undue stress and pressure for the student to succeed and achieve. Although, some researchers had found evidence to support the assumption that involvement in extracurricular activities improved academic performance as groups, clubs and teams provide opportunities for healthy c ompetition fostering the need to achieve as a desirable motive for subsequent endeavors.Moreover, the researchers mainly focused their attention to affluent children or students who come from affluent families because they are more likely to be pressured by their parents to succeed. At the same time, affluent students have more chances of cultivating their interests in extracurricular activities because they have the resources to do so.  The authors defined extracurricular involvement as the degree to which students participate in activities that are not directly associated to their academic performance and has no bearing on their academic grades and is conducted outside of regular school hours with the presence of a coach or trainer. Extracurricular involvement was measured in terms of four broad categories; sports, arts, academics and civic.The researchers hypothesized that upper class students are overscheduled and thus have more adjustment issues, however, they were more incli ned to believe that hours spent in extracurricular activities are not to blame but the family processes that are related to academic achievement are the cause. The family processes include parent’s emphasis on achievement; parental criticism, high achievement expectations and values that promoted getting ahead of others, lack of adult supervision after school and how often children ate dinner with parents.The methods used to test the hypothesis of the researchers were varied; they used self-report questionnaires to obtain information on maladjustment indicators such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, while they used school grades and teacher rating behavior to measure academic performance and behavior.The researchers also used a two dimensional framework in assessing their research outcomes, examining extracurricular activities and involvement per se, and how extracurricular activities competed with the measured family outcomes.The results of the study indicated tha t there were minimal links between extracurricular activities and pressure leading to adjustment problems. The researchers found that there is a weak relationship in the time spent in sports, academic, arts and civic activities to that of behavioral maladjustments and competence.The researchers however found evidence that supported the hypothesis that parental expectations were more detrimental to the student’s adjustment. It was found that parental criticism and lack of adult supervision had a more negative effect to student behavior than other variables.

Kate Chopin and Charles W. Chesnutt Wrote the Literary History for America Post-Civil War

The American Civil War drastically changed the society and culture of the United States. History books all tell the stories of the struggle by recently freed African American slaves. These books tell of the financial hardship, as well as the cultural endeavors these people had to endure to attempt to become equals to white Americans, as well as to acquire equal rights. Racial segregation is a big topic highly covered on this area. However, there are stories that are less often told about the close relationships between white and black, and also people of Indian decent. This is where literature books come in handy. Post-war American literature is booming with stories of freedom, hope, and love. One topic that seemed to emerge at this time was interracial relations or marriages between blacks and whites. Kate Chopin and Charles W. Chesnutt both wrote of these types of relationships but in very different ways and outcomes. Due to being raised around the time of the civil war and living in the south, these authors wrote the truth of what they saw and experienced. By looking at Chopin’s works La Belle Zoraide and Desiree’s Baby, and Chesnutt’s The Wife of His Youth, three different sides of interracial relations can be seen. These tales of the south post-war help people today to understand their heritage, as well as the great mixture of people that makes up the United States today. According to the biography of Kate Chopin in The Norton Anthology of American Literature, she was born in 1850, was raised mostly by her mother after the death of her father. She was taught in St. Louis and had graduated and married by the end of the civil war. This is when she moved to the south, where she was submerged into a new, thriving mixed racial culture in New Orleans. She was influenced by some of the great French writers, including Maupassant, from which her style seems to mimic. Both authors’ writings were observational; Chopin wrote what she saw in the world around her. Her writings upset some people due to this fact. She did not hold back or sugar coat anything when she was writing. She was categorized as a â€Å"local colorist† due to her topics. With her French background knowledge, she had a tendency to have a dangerous style of writing compared to other American authors at this time. Also, since New Orleans had so much southern culture, mixed with Creole origins, it is easy to see why this area was fascinating to Kate Chopin. She wrote heart-wrenching love stories with shocking twists between unsettling characters. It may seem normal today, but at this time, this type of writing was as revolutionary as the war. It is lucky for the newer generations that she was willing to write this way. La Belle Zoraide, a story with Creole backings, was based from the author’s views of her life in New Orleans. The story begins with a black caretaker telling a story to her lighter mistress that she took care of. Just looking at the set up, the reader can tell the bond between the mistress and the negress as the latter was said to have washed and kissed her feet. Both women are older, but it is the black still serving or taking care of the white. The story also tells the reader that the Mistress is married, but is sleeping alone, making the reader assume that her husband has died and she is now alone with her maid. The black caretaker begins to tell a story of a beautiful, captivating Creole girl with light brown skin. This brown girl also had her own black servant, as if to say since she was lighter than her servant, she was better than her as well. There was a mulatto suitor available for the young Zoraide, but he was not pleasing to her. She was instead infatuated with a black man, but was forbidden to act upon her feelings. However, she disobeyed and became pregnant. The caretaker explained that no one can keep negros from finding a way to love each other. Because of the way this was put, it almost seems as though love is the one thing that takes precedence above all other things for the black population. After that, her love was sold far away, so the only thing she had to hold on to was their baby. But, out of spite, the child was taken away and told that it was dead. With the loss of her lover and her child, the young Zoraide lost herself. She went crazy, and would not accept her child when they tried to give it back to her. Beautiful Zoraide turned to a pitied and mocked old woman, who undoubtedly died alone. This shows again, just what the love of a child or another human can do when it is taken away. The story also shows how a person’s power over another can unintentionally ruin their entire life. Zoraide’s mistress wanted the best for the mulatto girl, but the girl had hosen a different path. So when the mistress tried to control the outcome of her life, it backfired, causing a young girl to lose hope and her sense, and caused a young child to lose its parents. This story is a show of the emotional pain put on blacks by white people. The next of Chopin’s stories, Desiree’s Baby, is another sad story of love gone wrong. Desiree had been found as a young child and raised by a woman who had no children. The child became a beautiful girl and married a hardworking man whom was a master of some black men. The couple had a baby together, but soon there was something wrong. The husband became angry and distant with the wife. As it turned out, the child was not white like the parents, but was the color of a quadroon, or a child about a fourth black. The father was very angry, as he was a slave owner, and was married to a woman with black in her heritage, causing them to have a baby that appeared the same. When Desiree confronted her husband Armand about the color of the child, he was angered and put all of the blame on his wife. He wanted her and the baby to leave. It says that â€Å"he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name†(Chopin 424). Later, Armand burned all of his wife and child’s things, and all of the letters she had sent to him. And in the end, the reader finds that Armand is also hiding a secret. Armand’s mother was a black woman. This ironic turn can create anger in a reader at the injustice of such a man. For it is not just the mother, but the fathers fault as well for the color of their child. But since the father passed for so long as a white man, and has negroes that work for him, it would ruin his life and his name if it were found out that he was black. He would lose everything. So instead the man made a choice, to give up his love and his child, in order to save his life as he knew it. This turn of events shows that even though love between two people can be strong, the fear of losing everything is stronger. Armand was fearful of his situation; possibly fearful of his negroes working for him, as well as the white people in the area. Because Armand and his wife were of the same mostly white race, their child ended up showing the black inside. And, sadly, that color is all that mattered at the time. Like the writings of Kate Chopin, Charles W. Chesnutt also wrote stories of the Deep South. His parents were free people of the south. Chesnutt was well educated and became a writer of the stories of slavery. As a light colored black man, he focused on the opposite of Armand in the past story. He encouraged blacks of all shades to honor their past. Because of his writing skills, and perhaps the fact that his readers didn’t know he was a black man at first, he became one of the first black fiction writers to be taken seriously by a white press(Chesnutt 458). The idea of a black person staying true to their past is beautifully portrayed in the story of Mr. Ryder in The Wife of His Youth. In this story, Mr. Ryder is a light skinned black man, who commonly is seen as white. He is an older gentleman, who seems to be a well suited bachelor. He was well read, educated, with a nice house and furniture. Many women pursued him, but none won him over until Mrs. Dixon came into town. He was planning to ask her hand in marriage. He wanted to do this in order to ensure that he continued to be seen as a white man, and because he was taken by her. As he tried to decide how to address Mrs. Dixon at the ball he was throwing for her, he was approached by an older black lady, who asked for his help. She was trying to find her husband, who was a free black man, sold by her owner for profit. He had tried to go back to her, but she had been sold as well for punishment. She had been looking for her husband Sam for twenty-five years, making her way through life as if that was her only goal. The reader can see here another example of the everlasting love between this woman, and hopefully her Sam would feel the same. At the ball, when it is Mr. Ryder’s turn to speak, he tells the crowd of this older lady that he has met just earlier that day. He mentions how rare it is to find people with that kind of devotion to the person that they love. But he explains a part of the story that was untold by the woman. He asked what should be done, if her husband was actually a light skinned, well educated man that could not find her either. And if the man found her all these years later, should he call on her and complete the bond of their slave marriage to make it legal. Mrs. Dixon confirmed that he should acknowledge his past wife, even though he thinks he may have found another to love. Mr. Ryder is pleased with this response, as he goes to get the elderly lady, explaining that it is his wife. This portrayal of devotion is unlike Kate Chopin’s stories. This work is uplifting and seems to be written in a hopeful way. There are some differences in the fact that this ball was to be taken place twenty-five years after the end of the war, and Mr. Ryder had been born a free-man. This made his transition into the white population much easier. Also, it shows that it was not only the wife that stayed true, but also Mr. Ryder, as he had stayed single all that time as well. The community encouraged him to continue his life with his former wife, as if it would have been wrong to have it any other way. There is a large difference in social acceptance, as today it is acceptable to divorce, but then, it was unheard of, whether the marriage was technically legal or not. There are some common ideas between all of these stories. First, these stories give a sense that love is unconditional and unbreakable among the black culture. However, when the story becomes about interracial marriages or children, society and culture seem to play a bigger role in what is acceptable. According to Bratter’s essay, the acceptance of interracial marriages is increasing as the number of these couples is increasing. However, with this increase of marriage is also leading to a higher rate of divorce between mixed-race couples. The rate of interracial marriage divorce has found to be about 10% higher than the divorce rate among same race couples. Whatever the reason, these studies have shown that even though the divorce rate may currently be higher for mixed-race couples, the overall divorce rate continues to climb. This shows that society’s idea of acceptance is changing. As in The Wife of His Youth, after all that time, the man still took his wife back. The encouragement of the ball’s crowd shows an obvious change in society, not just racially, but culturally. Another common piece to each of the stories is the acceptance of the light skinned mulatto into white society. It seems to be that people really were judged based on the color of their skin. Light skinned black people could be passed off as white people, or were treated almost as third class citizens, above the blacks but below the whites. Zoraide and Sam Rider are both aware of their true African American roots and choose to stay true to those roots, even though they can pass at white or mulatto. Armand, however, turns his back on his mulatto wife and child, even though he knows the he also carries some African American blood inside him. It is if he is angered at himself, and his wife, that they could not produce a white-looking baby. Armand and Zoraide still live by the ideas that their skin color makes them who they really are. Zoraide knows that she is not white, and should be able to choose from the black men if she cannot be considered white. Armand, however, is so obsessed with his status, he does not want to have anyone question his or his wife’s race. Back in that time, Jim Crowe Laws tried to categorize who was black and who was white. A black person was seen as any person with any history of black in their family. This was known as the â€Å"one-drop rule†(Davis 5). By this law, and the fact that that a person’s rights depended on their race, it is understood why Armand may do this. In contrast, in today’s society, much of the population may have mixed ancestry somewhere in their past line. However, this does not classify their rank or their worth. In America today, people are judged more on their education and their skills than they are on their looks. Looking at these works, many comparisons can be made about America’s past, and the people that once made it. These writings are the history book for American culture after the civil war. Americans can learn much about the past through these stories. Even though these stories may not be historically accurate, they give the tone and ideas about American’s past culture. It is helpful to see these cultural changes so that Americans can know where they come from and how far the American culture has come.

Nike Innovation

Nike Inc. Prepared by: Chuck Viasi MBA 330 – Innovation and Technology Management August 11, 2012 ————————————————- Executive Summary Nike, Inc. is a globally-recognized athletic sports apparel company with strong brand loyalty. The foundations of Nike’s success today were established by its Co-Founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in 1972. As an athlete and a coach, their relentless pursuit of improved athletic performance instilled a competitive spirit in the culture of Nike. As such, the organization’s culture is one of the key reasons that Nike excels in this industry.We will see how the management style fosters innovation, and how the competitive spirit blended with curiosity and a constant scan of the external environment feeds the creative process. The company has become adept at integrating their knowledge into innovative approaches to improve athletic performance and connect with their customers through design and marketing. Our research on historical trends and processes within Nike indicates that the company’s core competencies are innovation and marketing; the underlying reasons the company is now the most recognized and coveted sports brand in the world.As Nike faces increased costs for materials, the company has made a strategic shift to couple sustainability principles with innovation to create a better company that can, in turn, can make a better world for all of us. Ultimately, this strengthens the company’s ability to compete globally in the future as well as positively impact society. Executive Summary (Stoney/Jen)1 Table of Contents (Stoney/Jen)2 Nike’s Mission Statement (Jen)4 I. The Business of Nike (Jen)4 A. Historical Innovations (Isaac)4 B. Portfolio of Products (Isaac)5 II. Product Life Cycle (Isaac)5 III. Business Model (Isaac)6 IV. SWOT (Stoney)7A. Strengths (Stoney)7 i. Strong Cap italization (Stoney)7 ii. Globally Positioned (Stoney)7 iii. Strong Brand Recognition (Stoney)8 iv. Solid Barriers to Entry (Stoney)9 v. Innovation (Stoney)9 B. Weaknesses (Stoney)9 i. Outsourced Manufacturing (Stoney)9 C. Opportunities (Stoney)9 i. Professional Sports Market (Stoney)9 D. Threats (Stoney10 i. Severe Competition (Stoney/Jen for Adidas)10 ii. Global Economy (Stoney)11 E. How do Nike’s Strengths Reinforce Nike’s Opportunities? (Stoney)11 F. How do Nike’s Weaknesses Relate to Threats? (Stoney)12 V. Nike’s Value Chain (Stoney)12 A. Make (Stoney)12 B. Move (Stoney)12C. Sell (Stoney)12 D. Use (Stoney)13 E. Reuse (Stoney)13 F. Plan (Stoney)13 G. Design (Stoney)14 VI. Porter’s 5 Competitive Forces (Stoney)15 VII. Organization (Jen)16 A. How the Culture Supports Innovation and Success (Jen)16 B. Org. Structure for Optimal Alignment with Customer Markets (Jen)17 C. Breaking into New Sports with Independent Teams (Jen)18 VIII. Innovation Proce ss (Jen)18 A. Innovation Kitchen and Sources of Inspiration (Jen)18 i. Athletes (Jen)19 ii. Customers: Lifestyle Trends (Jen)20 iii. Deep Dives (Jen)21 iv. Art, Artists and Buildings (Jen)21 B. Experts, Incubation and Collaborations (Jen)22IX. From Idea to Commercial Product (Jen)22 X. Product Introduction to the Market (Jen)24 A. Marketing Strategy (Jen)24 B. Event Pacing and Limited Edition Products (Jen)25 XI. Integrated Strategy: Sustainability and Innovation (Jen)26 A. Nike and China (Isaac)26 B. GreenXchange, Considered Design, Considered Design Index (Jen)27 C. Impact on Corporate Goals and Strategy (Jen)28 XII. Conclusion (Stoney/Jen)28 References29 Nike’s Mission Statement: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *†If you have a body, you are an athlete. † ————————————————- I.The Business of the Company Nike (NYSE: NK E) makes high performance athletic clothing, footwear, sportswear, and equipment. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, OR, and employs more than 30,000 people. Nike is the most recognized and coveted sports brand in the world, valued at $10. 7 Billion. (Nike, Inc. , n. d. ) As their Mission Statement indicates, Nike innovates for all athletes – from elite to everyday athletes – to improve sports performance. Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Skateboarding, and subsidiaries including Hurley International and Converse.The company also operates retail stores under the Nike town name. A. Historical Innovations * In 1962 Bill Bower man and Phil Night- Launched Blue Ribbon Sports (Tiger Shoes) with 500 dollar mutual fund. * 1978-Blue Ribbon Sports renamed themselves to NIKE. * 1980- Nike IPO and became publically traded. * 1980- First air sole shoe system Nike runner shoe * 1984-Signing of Michael Jor dan and first Air Force one basketball shoe. * 1985Air Jordan Revolution- 30 plus versions of air Jordan’s * 1989-Waffle shoe sole incorporated by adding rubber to a waffle machine. 2000-Nike shocks introduced and Nike portfolio formed * 2003- Nike ID shoe customization- allowing customers to make customized shoes from a computer, * 2006- Nike shocks tech * 2008-Nike Research lab environmentally friendly * 2011, Nike collaborated with Tom-tom for the launch of Nike+ Sport-Watch GPS. * Present Nike Innovation Kitchen- green products and greener product cycle. B. Portfolio of Products Nike’s portfolio consists of Converse, Nike Golf, Nike Baseball, Air Jordan shoes/Accessories, Hurley International.Nike is a leading designer, marketer and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel. Nike has done a spectacular job of diversifying their portfolio and being able to implement competitive advantage in all brands. The Company’s key product lines consist of: * Shoes * App arel * Equipment & accessories ————————————————- II. Product Life Cycle NIKE’s products and services falls in the growth stage of the product life cycle due to their ability to diversify products and rapid growth in sales and profits.According to knowledge. com â€Å"Nike is at a ranking of #135 in revenues generated by America’s 500 largest corporations. Of the nineteen billion fourteen million in revenue 2. 1 billion  was profit. † Nike is the niche when it comes to introducing new product and that is why there are at the growth stage allowing them to produce capital at a rapid pace. They always have new products coming out and new angles of approaches and that keeps them in the growth areas of the product life cycle. ———————————————— - III. Business ModelNIKE has a gift of trying new ideas that other organizations are too scared to attempt. The Nike business model consists of five steps. 1) Conducting research 2) Manufacturing product shoe, clothes, etc. 3) Retail 4) Consumers 5) Down cycling. , Nike introduces products to the market with athletic endorsements and mass marketing. They have the products assembled overseas for a fraction of the cost it would cost to manufacture in the in the United States. The Nike Corporation is known as innovators for making a product at low cost and charging an above average price in retail. I believe that this model works well for Nike as every time they have a new shoe come out that is expensive and overpriced they still have people waiting in line overnight for their shoe product. Nike Business Model ————————————————- IV. SWOT Analysis Strengths| Weaknesses| Well c apitalized| Outsourced manufacturing| Globally positioned| History of human rights scrutiny| Solid brand recognition creating competitive advantage| | Strong barriers to entry| | Innovation/product development| | Environmentally conscious culture| | Marketing| |Opportunities| Threats| Professional sports market segment| Severe competition| Growth in global apparel market| Global economy| Leadership in US market| Third world governments| Global marketing initiatives| Black market/counterfeit market| | | (MarketLine, 2012) A. Strengths i. Strong Capitalization: According to the Nike 10K report net income for 2011 was $2. 1 billion; although this is a drop from the previous year Nike still maintains a strong capital position. Last year Nike also saw their inventory go up as a result of future orders and the company repurchased $1. billion dollars of class B stock which is part of a 4 year $5 billion repurchase program. Thus far Nike has repurchased 30. 4 million shares for $2. 3 billio n. Even with this repurchase program Nike still has $4. 5 billion in cash, cash equivalents or short-term investment reserves so they are well positioned with capital for the future. (Nike, Inc. (2011) ii, Globally Positioned: Nike was ranked #1 in shoe and apparel revenue in 2011 and remains positioned well for the future. In the global shoe market there are two main players, Nike, a US-based company, and Adidas, a German company.Nike remains focused on defending their leadership position in the industry by signing contracts with the NFL, NBA, MLS, European soccer teams, and college sports teams. One of their advertising plans has historically included elite athletes like Michael Jordan, who still has the highest ranked athletic shoe in the history of the industry. Adidas sticks to its core values of â€Å"function first†. They also market their shoes by fashion, as modern, and as cool enough. While Nike is king in America, Adidas is the leader in European markets.The Adidas brand had a market share of 38% while Nike was right behind at 37% (Jones, 2011) In 2006 a study by William Hanrahan positioned global shoe marketers as follows: Hanrahan, (2008, p. 8) This graphic shows all the leading brands of shoes with their global positioning as of July 2006. Nike is located in the average to low affluent market with its main competitor being just a little larger (at that time) and a little higher in affluence. iii. Strong brand recognition creating a competitive advantage: The Nike swoosh is a recognized brand logo throughout the world.While Nike is known to charge a premium price for their average affluent market they are also known for quality and catering to the needs of the athlete. The target market for Nike is the young athletes and they are loyal to Nike as through advertising, Nike connects to this audience by demonstrating a keen understanding of their psyche and lifestyle. iv, Solid barriers to entry: Nike’s strong global brand has created a barrier to entry in the sports market. Other barriers include high capital requirements, high research and development costs, and keen innovation instincts. . Innovation: Innovation is a core competency for Nike as they pour investment dollars into research & development. The â€Å"Innovation Kitchen† generates the majority of their innovative ideas, which will be discussed in another part of this report. B. Weaknesses: i. Outsourced Manufacturing: One weakness is the fact that nearly all of their apparel and shoe manufacturing is outsourced. While this is an advantage from a cost perspective, and allows Nike to focus on their core competency, Nike gives up a lot of control by outsourcing to suppliers.The risk involved includes problems with governments and a workforce that that is out of there control. Another weakness that the company has displayed in the past is human rights and they are constantly under the pressure by human rights groups. C. Opportunities: i. The pr ofessional sports market: Nike’s target market has always been the athlete. The market segment that Nike is currently expanding is the professional sports arena with growing contracts with the NFL and other professional sporting leagues and teams across the world. Nike is the leader in the U. S. arket for all shoe and apparel sales and should continue to be the first choice of athletes who are looking to improve performance. Nike will also continue to make strides with advertising campaigns across Europe and India. D. Threats: i. Severe competition: The global shoe and apparel industry continues to experience fierce competition as major brands go head-to-head for competing for market share. According to Films on Demand video, Sports Shoe Wars, Adidas paid $1. 2 billion to retain the rights to the China Olympics for advertising rights at 23 of the 24 venues. The thought behind Adidas advertising campaign was â€Å"1. billion people with 2. 4 billion feet. † India is cle arly the next battle ground. Adidas is Nike’s most formidable competitor; the fight for market domination has spanned many decades and is publicly fought. Nike is the industry leader in the U. S. footwear and athletic apparel industry and has a strong brand portfolio (â€Å"Zacks Bull†, 2011). Adidas is known for making a solid, quality product which has historically missed consumer tastes. This was evident in a kid focus group conducted by Adidas in which kids were asked â€Å"if Adidas were at a party, where would it be? The kid’s responded â€Å"hanging around the keg† while â€Å"Nike would be with the girls. † (Stevenson, 2003) The belief at Adidas is Nike’s leadership position has been achieved solely through marketing, not through quality product performance. In a short film about the 2008 Olympic Games in China, Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas explains: I think if trying to find differences between the two companies, we’d have to say Adidas is more oriented towards product and performance and Nike more towards marketing. If they need hip hop culture to do that they will use it.But don’t think that Nike puts more into lifestyle than we do. We also communicate a great deal, like I said, we’re trying to do that in connection with the Olympic games†¦to win the people of China by saying we’re the ones who are helping your athletes. (Kirchhoff, 2009) In 2006, Adidas acquired Reebok to strengthen its position against Nike. The acquisition of Reebok led to control of 20% of the market as opposed to Nike which, at the time, had about a third of the $145 billion worldwide market. (Sorkin, Feder & Dash, 2005) The acquisition gave Adidas more leverage to compete for celebrity athlete endorsements. ii.The global economy is another threat that has already taken hold with a clear slowdown in worldwide shoe and apparel sales over the past few years. While the economy continues to be a proble m, a clear threat to Nike remains the volatility of third world governments where much of the materials and manufacturing is completed. E. How do Nike’s strengths reinforce their opportunities? Being well capitalized, Nike is in a position to take advantage of the professional sports organizations and teams target market. Many of these teams are recognized around the world and the Nike swoosh will be prominently displayed on their uniforms.Strong barriers to entry allow Nike to focus on their current competition with few to no disruptive technologies introduced by other companies in the shoe or apparel market. F. How do Nike’s weaknesses relate to their threats? Outsourcing manufacturing is a company decision they are comfortable with as they have done this for several decades now. The main benefit behind the outsourcing is expense reduction, and ability to focus on core competencies. However, along with these expense reductions comes human rights scrutiny that tends t o follow Nike wherever they go. A good reputation takes a long time to build and a short time to lose.But, they have made similar strides in the past with environmental groups and now will not allow harmful substances to be used for research and development there environmental groups recognize their environmental corporate culture and have worked closely with Nike over a period of 14 years to create these environmental values within the company. (Kirchhoff, A. (Director) (2009). ————————————————- V. Nike’s Value Chain Make, move, sell, use, reuse, plan, and design. A. Make: Since 1995 Nike has reduced petroleum based solvents used to manufacture shoes by 96%.Nike also created a new rubber that targets the reduction of the most toxic chemicals and shared the formula with the entire industry. The Nike â€Å"make† portion of the value chain employs 1,000,000 wor kers in 50 countries. The have also conserved enough materials in the last 5 years to produce an additional 15 million pairs of shoes. B. Move: Since 1995 Nike has used 100% recycled cardboard for shoe boxes. Clothing is also made from a lighter material which allows for less water usage in cleaning and it dries faster saving energy and allowing for larger drying loads in the process.Nike has 23 distribution centers located around the world and is working with logistics partners to reduce the footprint created in shipping and packaging of products. C. Sell: From June 2010 to January 2012 Nike employees donated 17,207 hours for community projects just in their North America retail stores. The employees completed 543 different projects that targeted youth sports. Approximately 219,000 plastic shopping bags were saved by the retail team in Australia in one year. With the plastic bag savings they began to charge an additional 10 cent fee and all proceeds from this fee were donated to lo cal youth sporting programs.This program resulted in a 55% reduction in plastic bag usage from the previous year and generated $26,000 for youth athletic programs. D. Use: In 2006 Nike did a study to find out where the most CO2 was being generated during the lifecycle of a typical pair of shoes. The study showed that 46% of these emissions came from the washing and drying. To further the study Nike came up with a 39% reduction in energy use simply by washing in cold water. This study was performed in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint and clothing now comes with instructions to use cold water and dry on a line instead of a dryer where possible.This cleaning method will also extend the life of the clothing. E. Reuse: Packaging accounts for up to 22% of the waste in the Nike value chain. Since 1995 all shoe boxes have been made from 100% recycled materials. In every square yard of school playground â€Å"play top† rubber there are approximately 40 pairs of grinded up shoe s where the rubber has been recycled. Nick also incorporates fiber into their Hyper Elite Platinum shorts that is made from 100% recycled polyester. The recycling of shoes has reached 25 million pairs collected globally since 1990. Nike’s goal is to â€Å"weave yesterday’s products back into tomorrow’s value chain. F. Plan: In 2010, Nike founded the Green Xchange with several other companies in an attempt at open innovation with other businesses. This Green Xchange is used to share intellectual property and conserve the planet’s resources and climate. In 2011 nearly 500 tons of waste was composted from the Nike headquarters and approximately 1. 6 million pound of waste was recycled. Those 500 tons equals about 65% of the total waste. Business travel has also been reduced to 3% of past travel requirements. Nike also focuses on minority owned businesses. G. Design: Each year over 16,000 materials are used in various products each year.Each pair of shoes co ntains about 30 different materials alone. Because so many different materials are used Nike has come up with â€Å"materials index† that measures the impact of each material in four areas. These areas include energy, chemistry, water, and waste. In 2010 15 million T-shirts were made using organic cotton that was grown without the use of fertilizers, defoliants, or pesticides. Nike has evaluated over 80,000 different to measure their environmental impact and typically uses 6 that make up most of their materials volume. These 6 items are polyester, rubber, cotton, synthetic leather, and leather and EVA foam.Finally, through planning and reducing their waste stream approximately 280,000,000 plastic bottles have been saved from landfills and used in polyester textiles. â€Å"In 2011, more than 31. 5 million Nike garments contained at least some recycled polyester fiber. † (Nike value chain, 2012) —————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ———————————————— ————————————————- VI. Porters 5 Competitive Forces à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- The Organization (Format taken from Quick MBA, 2010) ————————————————- VII. Organization A. How the Culture Supports Innovation and Success An organization’s culture is typically defined by management at the top. Without a doubt, Nike’s legendary former CEO and Co-Founder, Phil Knight, was influential at developing a culture of innovation. His odd management style inspired employees to make their own decisions.He deliberately didn’t respond to questions or offered a vague nod. His executives became adept at interpreting his lack of response or nods as freedom to do their own problem solving and innovate. Most employees, like Tinker Hatfield, VP of Innovation, considered silence a yes to move forward. (Roth, 2005) Parker has c ommented that Knight has â€Å"always given me incredible freedom in my roles. † (Birchall, 2007, para 8) Whether intentional or unintentional, Knight personally provided critical ingredients for cultivating and nurturing a culture of creativity and innovation.The competitive spirit is deeply ingrained in the culture and employees are driven to succeed. The highly-popular slogan â€Å"Just Do It† is an internally-embraced philosophy that captures this competitive spirit. Nike’s culture gives employees the opportunity to accomplish, occasionally fail and learn from mistakes. Repeated failure faces punishment. (Jagersma, 2003) Curiosity is considered key to success and it is expected that employees will maintain a level of curiosity or risk failure.According to author Fields, the former CMO of Nike, Scott Bed bury, was quoted in the book Chasing Cool: Standing Out in Today's Cluttered Marketplace, as saying: â€Å"If you were the head of Nike Basketball, you damn well better know what's going on in the minds of young basketball players–the music they listen to, their vernacular, how they define success, what they fear, what they dream. The bulk of it is just about getting out there and wandering around. And anybody in the marketing group at Nike was penalized, if not put into early retirement, if they didn't get out there, if they weren't continually curious. (Fields, 2007) Hero worship is also deeply ingrained in the culture. Buildings on the Beaverton, OR campus bear the names of image-building power athletes. (Rapaport, 2002) To evoke the spirit of innovation through organizational history, storytelling about heroes and heritage is a critical part of Nike’s corporate culture. (Ransdell, 1999) Ekins, Nike’s official company storytellers, sport a swoosh tattoo on their ankle and evangelize about the Nike brand and its sports technology. (â€Å"Remarkable†, 2010) Today, the management style of Mark Parker, CEO, c ontinues to nurture innovation and keeps the channels for creativity open.He does not shut people down in meetings and prefers to let people share what they’re working on, even if a project will not get a green light. (McGirt, 2010) B. Organizational Structure for Optimal Alignment with Customer Markets In the mid-2000s, the company moved from a product-based structure to a customer-focused organization with categories like women’s fitness, running, and basketball. This allowed Nike to follow the greatest opportunities and to develop communities of shared interest both internally and externally. (Birchall, 2007) In 2009, another restructure aligned the brand by six new geographies hich allowed Nike to get closer to the customer, reduce management layers and increase the speed of decision making. (â€Å"Nike, Inc. Announces,† 2009) This structure allows Nike to more efficiently focus on the unique cultures of these sports, share knowledge, and inform the creative process. C. Breaking into New Sports with Independent Teams Breaking into new sports markets is a strategic endeavor for Nike. The company sets up independent entities and forms teams with external talent to allow it to be as agile as needed for success.To break into the skate market, the company brought former head of Nike’s upstart soccer division out of retirement. The division was set up as an independent unit with 11 employees who were all skaters from other parts of the industry. The skate team spoke to consumers for two years before it offered its first products exclusively to skate stores on short-runs and has since captured market share. (Stone, 2004) Golf is another market which required a different approach to break into it. The golf unit was formally separated from the rest of the company on its balance sheet.A 12-handicap golfer and long-time employee, Bob Wood, was asked to head the division, and other executives were brought on board from the industry. Since s electing Tiger Woods to represent their line of products, Nike has captured market share in golf. (Stone, 2004) ————————————————- VIII. Innovation Process A. Innovation Kitchen and Sources for Innovation Inspiration The Innovation Kitchen is a think tank within Nike’s headquarters where innovative technology and other special projects are invented by its 125-person research team.Tinker Hatfield, VP Innovation and Special Projects, leads the team. He is a famed designer of Nike’s most popular and innovative designs, including the Air Jordan, and is regarded as the keeper of the founder’s legacy of innovation. As Hatfield explains, the Kitchen is separated from the rest of the organization: â€Å"We're not so much tied into the sales of shoes. We're here to improve athletic performance. † (Rapaport, 2002, para 25) While casual visits by the CEO ar e common, direction for their work does not come from above.It is guided by a philosophy established by Knight: â€Å"It’s really risky not to take risk. † (Brettman, 2011b, para 7) The research team is free to explore as many ideas as they can. Behind Nike’s core competency in innovation is a finely-tuned integration of learning with creativity. (Stonehouse & Minocha, 2008) Hatfield believes what designers draw or design is a culmination of everything he or she has seen or done in life at that point. (Longeville, 2006) To Hatfield, internal ideas generated from sources such as focus groups are generated in false environments, thus not the preferred source for ideas. Eckoff, 2007) Instead, creativity and inspiration is regularly sought out from a wide variety of external influences. The insights provoke new ways of thinking and innovating. i. Athletes: For Nike, design is rooted in the belief that form follows function. Top athletes have been – and wi ll continue to be – the primary source of design inspiration. According to Parker, â€Å"what we learn from them is who we are. † (McGirt, 2010, para 8) Nike employs pro athletes, either with the company or via sports marketing contracts, to evaluate and weigh in on shoe design and development from a performance perspective. Datamonitor, 2012) They are frequent visitors to the Nike Sports Research Lab, where biomechanics experts study how to enhance their performance using cutting-edge sports technology and equipment. (McGirt, 2010) How the R&D team of scientists analyzes the results sets Nike apart. According to Mario Lafortune, Director of Nike’s R&D Lab: We have developed an expertise in interpreting the data for designing footwear. How you interpret data to derive footwear criteria is really a level of expertise that very few people have. Holloway, 2004, para 7) Inspired design originates not just from input on functionality, but as Hatfield explains : You have to spend time getting to know an athlete, his motivations and his life. Understand his needs and his wants. The real fun comes in the end when you make observations that have real meaning. (â€Å"Interview: Tinker Hatfield ,† n. d. , para 14) ii. Customers: Lifestyle Trends: Nike understands that to grow, recognizing new customer needs and offering solutions is critical. (Patnaik, 2005) Nike’s ability to apply outside the box thinking to existing solutions has proven successful.For example, by looking at the lifestyle of the runner, Nike teamed with Apple to create Nike+, a digital sports kit comprising a sensor that attaches to a running shoe with a wireless receiver which connects to the iPod. The information tracked by the sensor sends information to the iPod for uploading and tracking progress on www. nikeplus. com, then shared on Facebook and Twitter to connect with other runner communities. For the Nike+ customer, the exercise experience has extended b eyond a pair of running shoes. As of 2010, 2. million kits were sold and due to that success, the kit has been expanded into other athletic activities, such as gym workouts. (Ofek & Wathieu, 2010) iii. Deep Dives: To stay ahead of consumer trends, Nike designers regularly seek inspiration through intense immersion into subcultural experiences, or Deep Dives. According to John Hoke III, Nike’s global creative director of footwear design, the purpose of Deep Dives is â€Å"to interpret, translate and try to make new connections†. Deep Dive cultural explorations have included American car culture, Palm Springs mid-20th-century design, inner-city hip-hop music and origami.Other lighter immersions such as trips to the zoo to sketch animal feet are part of this process as well. The idea is to infuse thinking with new design and aesthetic possibilities and inform new ways of connecting with their target customer. (Rapaport, 2002) iv. Art, Artists and Buildings: The work o f street artists have served as sources of inspiration, both in adding aesthetic appeal to shoes and in helping Nike establish credibility with hard-to-reach audiences. Parker has developed a network of artists as a long time art collector.He tapped his graffiti artist network to help establish authenticity in the hard-to-break-into skate market. Mr. Cartoon, a Los Angeles graffiti-and-tattoo-design star, was asked to design limited-edition versions of classic Nike shoes and was given a platform to hold special events advocating design self-discovery to Latino youth. This demonstrated Nike’s ability to understand and connect with this unique culture. The shoes are now collector’s items. Parker continues to stay connected with his artist network as he considers them as influencers of influencers in pop culture. Birchall, 2007) After travelling to Paris to see Pompidou Centre, a building characterized by exposed mechanical systems and bright colors, Hatfield suggested th e air bag of the shoe be exposed and visible through the sole. His idea was initially met with resistance from many. The Head of Marketing for Running couldn’t figure out how this shoe could be sold. (Longeville, 2006) Now, the Air Max line of shoes has been wildly successful. B. Experts, Incubation, and Collaborations Other external resources are tapped as part of Nike’s innovation process.Research committees and advisory boards with experts such as athletes, coaches, trainers, equipment managers, orthopedists, and podiatrists are frequently consulted with. (Datamonitor, 2012) Nike also sets up venture capital offshoots to explore new ideas. In 2011, the company set up the Sustainable Business & Innovation Lab to back other start-up ventures focused on alternative energies, efficient manufacturing practices, and companies that promote healthy lifestyles. (Kharif & Townsend, 2011) Other groups are tasked with collaborations.Parker was concerned about Nike innov ation being too insolated and set up Explore to pursue long-range innovation possibilities with academics, inventors and other companies. (Exon, 2002) One of Explore’s successes was the collaboration with Apple to produce Nike+. (Birchall, 2007) Analysts believe that a 55% growth in membership for Nike+ was responsible for an increase in sales in the running division up 30%, to $2. 8 billion. (Cendrowski, 2012) ————————————————- IX. From Idea to Commercial Product Innovation at Nike is clearly a bottom-up process.After ideas are generated, the labs have what is generally referred to as a peer review. At this time, research ideas are shared internally with lab peers and the lab director only. If the lab director believes the idea is worth pursuing, resources are allocated by the lab to investigate it further. (Rodrigues, R. , personal communication, June 10, 2012) At the investigation stage, external knowledge is gathered. Patents are researched to ensure no patent infringement. If the idea seems feasible based on information gathered in the steps in this process, the idea is developed further into a prototype and patents are filed. (Rodrigues, R. personal communication, June 10, 2012) The lab funds development of a prototype in what is generally known in engineering as the laboratory phase. About once a month, senior executives are invited to review prototypes and vet them against Nike’s mission statement and corporate goals. If a prototype is accepted, the idea could potentially be pitched to the board of directors. (Rodrigues, R. , personal communication, June 10, 2012) As an example, in the mid-80s, Parker, product designer at the time, was working on a side project visible air in which the sole cushioning technology would be exposed so the customer could see it.He was invited by Phil Knight to present his prototype to the board. (Mc Girt, 2010) At this stage, the lab might also produce a white paper with â€Å"ideas on feasibility† which is usually written for manufacturing and division heads of product lines. It may be unclear at this point which product line this technology might be used in, and there is most likely internal competition as to which division might get it. (Rodrigues, R. , personal communication, June 10, 2012) The visible air technology spurred the Air Max shoe line for running, basketball and cross-training.In Nike’s bi-annual Concept Debut, the review committee (CEO and heads of global footwear design) reviews all designs for products due to hit the market in the next18 months. Details of each prototype are discussed and sketches critiqued. If a product passes review, the company intends to commercialize and produce it and will fund it. All the regions are brought on board to determine the go-to-market strategy. Marketing is involved at this stage. (â€Å"Online extra: Chaos,à ¢â‚¬  2007) From there, the product is transferred to manufacturing for production.No doubt, Nike’s lab has a close relationship manufacturing suppliers and they are involved much earlier in product development than this stage. For example, the Flyknit due to hit stores July 2012 is made from a knitting process which weaves an entire shoe upper in one piece. With 35 fewer pieces to assemble, this is a revolutionary approach to shoe production as it eliminates the cutting and stitching process, translating to less labor and higher profit margins for Nike. (Townsend, 2012) Manufacturing most certainly played a role in the product development process. ———————————————— X. Product Introduction to the Market A. Marketing Strategy As one of Nike’s core competencies, marketing plays a pivotal role in the company’s success. Historically, Nike has utilized an a lmost formulaic, two-prong approach to marketing – elite athlete endorsements and establishment of an emotional connection with their customer. Some of the greatest elite athletes have been paid by Nike to help design, develop, and sell merchandise through endorsements.Tiger Woods was signed in 1996 and by 2001, Nike’s market share in golf jumped from one to six percent, or $50 million. (Cummings, 2001) Instead of focusing on the product, Nike’s advertising strategy seeks to establish an emotional connection with the customer by setting a mood. Just after Nike’s revenues fell 22% in 1986, Nike launched its first national ad campaign which featured the song Revolution and intertwined clips of elite Nike athletes with clips of everyday people. The underlying message was athletes prefer Nike, buy Nike and you can play as good as them. Lane, 1996) By 1988, revenues rebounded to $1. 2B and by 1989; the company regained its leadership position, earning $1. 7B i n revenue. (Jorgensen, 1994) However, as Nike’s total marketing budget has climbed, it’s spending in U. S. TV and print advertising has dropped by 40% in the past three years signaling a marketing strategy shift. In 2010, Nike launched Nike Digital Sport, a new division aimed at developing devices and technologies for users to track personal sports statistics. Now, customer data can be mined and online communities established, placing Nike where the customer is. Cendrowski, 2012) While initial attempts have not been so successful, true to Nike’s innovation process, the company integrates its knowledge into new tactics and continues try new approaches. B. Event Pacing and Limited-Edition Products Nike has been known to utilize two strategies to stimulate demand: event-timed product releases and limited-edition product. Nike both releases new products to coincide with big sports events – and also delays them. Earlier in 2012, the Foamposite One Galaxy glow- in-the-dark shoes were released to coincide with the NBA All-Star game in Orlando.This year, new home and away soccer apparel in the team colors for FC Internazionale were released in time for the 2012-2013 Milan soccer seasons. (Nike, Inc. , 2012b) In 2007, Nike delayed the release of the new Michael Vick shoe when Michael Vick was caught in a dog fighting scandal. (Briggs, 2007) When coupled with limited-run production, marketing hype has led to success, if not violence. Nike makes it known that the Jordan XIs — Jordan's most sought-after shoe – are released once a year as a limited edition.The December 2009 holiday season release of Air Jordan XI Concords caused violence and a stabbing. (Hill, 2011) But at more than $1 billion in sales, the Jordan brand now makes up roughly 5 percent of Nike’s overall revenues. (Rovell, 2009) ————————————————- XI. I ntegrated Strategy: Sustainability and Innovation The integration of sustainability and innovation as a value-creator forms the core of Nike’s new strategy. (Brettman, 2011a) Nike believes corporate social responsibility extends beyond the walls of their headquarters to the industry and society.The goal is to innovate systematically throughout all businesses processes and to affect change industry-wide for the good of society. Nike’s troubles in China led to heightened awareness about corporate responsibility and the company’s impact on society. A. Nike and China Nike and several other name brand organizations have had trouble with child labor issues. There have been allegations of child labor and horrid working conditions. According to Irene Alfred from Nike slave labor† Nike is having difficulties with the publicity it is receiving about its labor practices in China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam.In China, employees for Nike work twelve hour shifts for several days a week. Their wages are as low as sixteen cents an hour there is no union†. Nike is working on improving conditions for its international employee’s in1998 Mr. Knight stated,† Public speeches regarding his plan for the labor conditions to be brought up to standards. I feel that this is a great step to take in showing that Nike does actually care about its employees and the conditions they work in. Finding contractors that follow the health and safety codes and staying away from the corrupt government involved contractors.Incorporating interest in the educational systems where they are involved and showing the communities you operate in that you do care about their welfare status. Phil Knight did the right thing by addressing the media about theses speculations and taking action and getting involved with the citizens is a great first step. In addition, by going into these very poor countries that are plagued with hunger, poverty and illiteracy, Ni ke is giving these people a second chance at life by providing them with jobs to provide their families with meals and a chance to get an education and break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty in these communities.B. Green Xchange, Considered Design and Considered Design Index Now, Nike is driven to affect systemic change through open collaboration and designing products with sustainable design choices. In 2010, Nike launched the GreenXchange, a web-based collaborative network promoting the creation and adoption of technologies for new sustainability models and innovation. (Albanese, 2012) Nike’s new design philosophy, Considered Design, utilizes sustainable design choices at the start of the creative process to innovatively eliminate design and development waste.Sustainability is measured using metrics in their Considered Design Index. Nike intends to share this Index to create an industry-wide scale. (Nike, Inc. , 2012a) C. Impact on Corporate Goals/Strategy As Nike contin ues to integrate sustainability goals into their innovation processes, the company continues to raise their performance expectations. In May 2012, Nike announced new sustainability performance targets, both short and long term, and a company-wide commitment to further integrate sustainability principles into its innovation processes, governance and portfolios. â€Å"Nike, Inc. Introduces,† 2012) ————————————————- XII. Conclusion Nike’s intense passion for and focus on improving athletic performance has been the driver behind the company’s ability to establish a leadership position in the market. The competitive culture is sharply focused on winning in whatever endeavor the company endures, and their innovation processes support this Just Do It mentality. Their ability to finely integrate creativity and learning forms the core of their innovation proces s.Their curious culture uses external knowledge gained to innovate for the athlete and make an emotional connection with their customer through marketing. The company continuously refines their approach, as evidenced in their new marketing strategy, and as they continue set new challenges, Nike positions itself to defend their leadership position. ————————————————- References Albanese, M. (2012, Feb 06). How she leads: Hannah jones of nike. Greenbiz. com, Retrieved from http://www. greenbiz. com/blog/2012/02/06/how-she-leads-hannah-jones-nike Alfred, I. Jan 2003). Slave Labor. Retrieved on May 30, 2012 from http://from http://ihscslnews. org/view_article. php? id=121 Birchall, J. (2007, Mar 18). The man who made a career out of cool. Financial Times. Retrieved from http://www. ft. com Brettman, A. (2011a, Oct 04). Hannah jones of nike delivers message of doom and hope at g ogreen ’11 conference. Oregon Live. Retrieved from http://www. oregonlive. com/playbooks-profits/index. ssf/2011/10/hannah_jones_of_nike_delivers. html Brettman, A. (2011b, May 11). Nike designer describes life inside the innovation kitchen. [Blog Post].From http://blog. oregonlive. com/playbooksandprofits/2011/05/nike_designer_describes_life_i. html Briggs, B. (2007, Jul 18). NFL megastar vick’s endorsements in danger. msnbc. com. 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