Internal and External Forces and Change Essay

Within the business world, there are different theories of effective change implementation. The corporation this research focuses on is Duke University Children’s Hospital, which is highlighted in the textbook. The topic of the research paper will focus on the process of implementing change within the hospital. Implementing change within organizations is very relevant to this course. Not only is the course called Leading Organization Change, but the topics we have been focusing on revolve around methods of implementing change. With changes, organizations need to take steps to fully plan the change in order to ensure a smooth transition and acceptance (Spector, 2013). Research will show how Duke University Children’s Hospital assessed the internal and external forces that impacted the change and how they assessed if the organization was ready for change. Also, research will show what model and strategies were used during the organizational change along with an analysis o f whether resistance to the change occurred and if so, how it was dealt with. Finally, I will strategize how to handle leading group changes within a similar context. Often times, financial crises spurs change in organizations. This was the case for Duke University Children’s Hospital. An assessment was made by the key administrators that showed how dire their financial situation truly was due to various reasons. This resulted in the pending elimination of programs and reduced services. Additionally, sales productivity had dramatically fallen as well as patient and staff satisfaction reaching its lowest point. These negative factors caused the hospital to make an assessment that they were ready for change. Change was the only thing that would keep their doors open to the public and Meliones knew that once people understood the situation more fully, change would be a goal on all of the staff’s minds. The first step Meliones took was to diagnose what the root causes of the financial crisis was with the staff (Spector, 2013). By creating a sense of urgency around the need for change to a wide variety of staff members, the change impleme ntation process started out on the right path (Russell, 2013). One problem they immediately noticed was that each group of employees (accountants, administrators, clinicians, etc.) was working towards individual goals instead of understanding what the goals of the organization were. This assessment of internal forces that could impact  the change led the staff to understand that it was essential to create a sense of shared responsibility for the organization’s performance as well as changing the previous patterns of behavior. The hospital’s chief medical director, Jon Meliones, realized that these problems could not be addressed by the chief executive officer and chief operation officer alone. These problems needed the combined efforts of all administrators and clinicians in order to successfully come out of the negative place they found themselves in. Meliones, the chief nurse executive, and the nurse managers decided on a tactic that brought together the connection between financial performance and excellence of the health care provided to patients. Under their planned strategic renewal, both financial performance and excellent patient care would be dual focuses. During the shared diagnosis stage, the wide spectrum of employees was educated in the external forces their hospital was up against financially. They realized that because the external forces would most likely not change, changes needed to be made primarily internally (Spector, 2013). Next, implementation moved to the pediatric intensive care unit. It was crucial that new behaviors became operationalized by the redesign of roles, relationships, and responsibilities. The team was able to redesign how every member (doctors, nurses, medical staff, accountants, etc.) would perform their tasks. This redesign was done alongside the members in order to get input. There was a decision to use the balanced scorecard measurement tool once they got to the stage where measurements could be utilized. This measurement tool utilized measurements of many things such as customer satisfaction, financial outcomes, processes of the business internally, and the learning/growing abilities of the organization. These measurements were done in hopes to aide in the reinforcement of all new behaviors that were expected. Because of these new tactics, within three years, the hospital began making a profit again (Spector, 2013). What was crucial to the success of Meliones and his team was the sequence they chose to take during the intervention. First, Meliones kept the staff involved by facilitating a shared diagnosis process which helped find the root of the hospital’s financial issues. The process of unfreezing is  important because this is when group members become dissatisfied with current performance or situations. Because Meliones used this approach instead of lecturing the employees on how to change, the employees were given the opportunity to learn and they felt more involved. This allowed the process of formulating an appropriate response to the issues be a group effort as opposed to Meliones coming up with a plan on his own that may have been resisted. The way to overcome defensiveness, when employees resist change, is to get broad-based participation. The shared diagnosis approach surfaced the connection between their financial performance versus behavior patterns and brought agreement am ong employees about what needs to change. Of course, Meliones could have chosen the approach of presenting to the employees all that was wrong and what the new plan would be, including the balanced scorecard. This would have made the unfreezing stage nearly impossible to accomplish if this approach had been taken. Second, he formulated a cross-functional team made of many different positions. This team had a goal to decide the best way to provide excellent customer service for their patients as well as perform well financially. By using the approach of task alignment, Meliones spurred the organization to focus not only on how the staff could work better together, but a dual focus on excellent patient care and financial performance. It was crucial at this stage to get employees to understand how their roles must interact and rely on other roles within the hospital to be successful. This involved educating all employees about the organization as a whole to give everyone a broad perspective and understanding. Third, Meliones began implementing the changes needed specifically in the pediatric intensive care unit. Fourth, every unit member had a redesign of roles, relationships, and responsibi lities. The last step involved using the balanced scorecard system to reinforce the new behaviors within the organization. This sequence was done for each unit within the organization and as a result, the hospital completely changed their downward trajectory within three years (Spector, 2013). After seeing the success that Duke Children’s Hospital experienced in their strategies, I would take the same approach if I were expected to lead group change in a similar situation. Within the process of shared diagnosis, a  shared commitment to the ideas and action plans is incredibly valuable. When people come together, they stimulate, motivate, and inspire each other to bring forward the best ideas (Fullan, 2001). By involving many employees in the process, the positive effect is that they naturally will have a clear understanding of how the necessary changes will actually benefit the organization (Nguyen, 2010). References Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change (1st ed.). San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass. Nguyen, S. (2010). Implementing change and overcoming resistance. Workplace Psychology. Retrieved from http://workplacepsychology.net/2010/02/05/implementing-change-and-overcoming-resistance/ Russell, J. (2013). How to create change in the workplace. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/how-to-create-change-in-the-workplace/2013/11/27/9d62f8de-5548-11e3-835d-e7173847c7cc_story.html Spector, B. (2013). Implementing organizational change (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Final Paper African Americans Essay

Through out history there has been a struggle for African Americans to be accepted in our society. An African American endures many more disadvantages than most white people. The media and other sources have made blacks to look the same and has portrayed them in a certain light that may not be fitting to all blacks. There are many misconceptions that people have of blacks. Many people and organizations have had a part in bringing equality and fighting for equal rights for black people. African Americans have been at a huge disadvantage in America from the beginning. Unlike many other minority groups in America, African Americans in many cases were brought here by force and not by there own will. (000000) The first African Americans came to America in the seventeenth century and were immediately forced to work for Whites. After much turmoil and even a civil war Blacks were finally given there freedom with the Emancipation proclamation signed and ratified in 1863. Even after the proclamation some blacks were still enslaved and freed blacks had little to no opportunity. The struggle continued into the next century as blacks finally received the right to vote with the ratification in of the 15th amendment. The 20th century contained a world filled by a segregated America between whites and blacks through jim crow laws that existed that restricted blacks from interacting with whites. With a history like that it is no wonder that African Americans still have disadvantages in our modern day. America today is known as the country of opportunity. Although there are many opportunities out there it seems that there are more opportunities for some groups more than others. Many companies and corporations still use race as a indicator for hiring employees. In one study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research, people with common black names were less likely to be called back for an interview based on there application alone then black people with common white sounding names. Job applicants with white sounding names needed to send out ten applications to get one call back while applications with common black names needed to send out about fifteen to get one reply. (Francis, www. nber. org/digest.com). The research was done withe resumes of the same qualifications. It is easy to see that Black people are constantly bombarded by inequality in the work force. If there were inequalities just based on names of applicants just imagine the inequality when employers actually see the race of the applicants. Black Americans have been stereotyped for years and continue to be today. The media is one great source of portraying African Americans in certain roles. African Americans are portrayed as criminals, drug dealers and sex offenders in many instances. Many Africans are outraged at how they are portrayed in the media. Protest groups such as the Young African Americans Against Media Stereotypes have done what they can to show there stance on stereotypical media portrayal. â€Å"Majority of the time you see a young African-American male in the media he is singing, rapping, scoring a touchdown, dunking a basketball or committing a crime†( http://www. yaaams. com/) Many stereotypes about black people are incredibly false. Many people still think that black people are only good at certain things like music and sports. This is a very false belief and black people have contributed heavily to all different sorts of fields. Many vital inventions that we use on an everyday bases were invented by black people. The dust mop, pencil sharpener, typewriter, and elevator were all invented by black people. (http://www. black-network. com) Our society would not be what it is if it were not for Garret Morgan, the young Black man who invented the traffic light. http://www. infoplease. com/spot/bhmcensus1. html.

Strengths and Weaknesses as a Writer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strengths and Weaknesses as a Writer - Essay Example I learned how to revise my work thoroughly before submission and can meet deadlines since I submitted all my papers on the specified time. Another thing that shows my responsibility is my ability to write without plagiarizing by accrediting all the sources of my writing and summarizing all the sources in my words. I also observe all the MLA style of formatting when presenting my work. I also welcome any critics from my peers and readers of my essays to enable me work on my weaknesses and enhance my strengths. Another strength I have noticed since I enrolled for the course is strong communication skills in my arguments especially in persuasive writing. I have the ability to bring up an argument and support it with convincing evidence by use of examples and demonstration. I can arrange my work with goo paragraphs and well-connected ideas to provide the transition from one issue to the next. My grammar has improved as I can use perfect American English and observe all its rules to build strong sentences free of grammatical errors. By looking at the reviews from my peers and my tutor, there is a lot of improvement in the usage of grammar in my essays as the semester progressed. My choice of words during writing is great as demonstrated in the essay Facebook Making us Lonely. I also have the ability to use the appropriate styles such as the tone of the writing depending on the mood of the essay. I have improved my skills in forming goo sentences using the formal language while avoiding colloquialism.

E-Shopping System for Educational Needs Assignment

E-Shopping System for Educational Needs - Assignment Example Search for products: A Search box would be provided in every page of the application where the user can type in a text of their choice (matching the search criteria). In addition, two or more drop-down lists would be employed for selecting the categories and subcategories to refine the search more precisely and also to ease the task of customers for entering additional texts. Order a product: The e-Shopping application would have an exclusive order processing module. Users can order any number of products from the appropriate page. The system would offer a secure payment gateway for making payments using a variety of modes like internet banking, credit cards, and PayPal. Place an inquiry: In order to facilitate bulk bookings for Corporate/Academic Institutions, an option to place requests or inquire about the availability of the required quantity of products and also the expected invoice would be offered. Track the order: Track your order option would be opened to customers as soon as the payment is made and the order request is completed. Users can track the order based on the order id or combination of customer id and the order date. View Order History: View History option would be enabled for all registered customers in order to view the history of all their transactions. It would not only include all the completed orders but also includes details for canceled and pending orders if any. Apart from all these functionalities and features, session variables/cookies would also implement so that the application would remember the users visiting the site and would welcome them with their name (if registered) and their last visited date and time. The system is implemented with the overall assumption that there is a stable internet connection available throughout the period of transaction.  

Gambling in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gambling in Japan - Essay Example With around more than 4000 casinos worldwide, they currently are illegal in Japan; however, the prospect of having casinos established in Japan is not as alien as some people might think it is. Casinos are just a place located in hotels, restaurants, tourist spots and even cruises that accommodate all the gambling activities under one roof. Casinos are not virtual in Japan but this is the country that originated some of the famous game such as keno; online gaming facilitates this game service. Q1) The governor of the ultra right-wing Shintaro Ishihara of the Japanese government has been trying to make casinos legal in Japan (Yang, 2006). If he becomes successful, Japanese can themselves invest in such casinos and form wholly-owned casinos of their own. However, keeping the current dilemma of the Japanese government of legalizing casinos in mind, it is easy to conclude that no Japanese will be ready to invest all his capital in such a risky business. Considering the fact that Japan is a big market for casinos, especially in Tokyo and Osaka, the US based gaming company called ‘The Gamblers’ has decided to accept the jeopardy and plough a large sum of money into casinos in Japan. The company initially had franchising in mind; but after assessing that no Japanese was ready to become the franchisee due to the risk involved, The Gamblers had to drop the plan. It was then finally decided to form a subsidiary in Japan. Since, The Gamblers will form a subsidiary from t he scratch; this investment is technically called a Greenfield venture. The advantage of this type of an investment is that The Gamblers can have whatever culture it wishes; it will keep the same structure as that of US’s and when everything is run the way we wish, high profitability is likely to occur. However, there are disadvantages attached to this too - The Gamblers will have to study the Japanese market in great depth, will need to acquire information about the market, laborers, materials, people and culture; mistakes are inevitable. The best part remains; the US Gambler will have total control over the activities. However, it was decided by the US top level management of The Gamblers that later on if any Japanese would be interested in buying shares/investing and gaining some control over the casino, US management will be open to that. It is anticipated that Japanese will be interested in investing in the casino as it will be an innovative area with a big market to inv est in. Q2) For a fact, the market demand for casinos in Japan is extremely high. Not only people but some government officials such as Ishihara are working for the legalization of casinos. According to a news article in Singapore, the Japanese gaming adviser has held talks with global casino owners such as Las Vegas Sands and Harrah's Entertainment to become Japan's first ever casino. Japan chose Las Vegas Sands because it has made an investment in Singapore too; however, it is The Gambler's aim to make sure that they become the first ever legal global casino. The Japanese market is definitely lucrative because not only is the public in favor, but even the government is inclined towards lifting the ban. The government has a tourist perspective in mind - casinos usually attract the tourist influx, causing a rise in foreign exchange earnings. Apart from the tourists, there are about 128 million people who are ready to spend money on this form of entertainment. According to a survey to find out whether people support the ban lift of casinos in Tokyo, out of a sample of 13,236 people, 32.4% supported the legalization, 21.0% opposed it, 44.9% did not know and 1.8% did not answer (Ken Y-N, 2007). With the highest per capita income in Asia of $39,195 which

Describe the most important events during the period, 19001940 Essay

Describe the most important events during the period, 19001940. Explain why the events you have chosen are the most important - Essay Example Significantly, Women's Suffrage in the United States was a gradual achievement through the 19th Century and early 20th Century which culminated in 1920 with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution which maintained that the right of citizens of the nation to vote shall not be denied or abridged in view of sex. The Great Depression, the severe worldwide economic depression in the decade prior to the World War II, originated in the US, caused by the stock market crash known as Black Tuesday, and it is one of the most damaging and deepest depressions in the history of modern man. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, also called the Wages and Hours Bill, is another crucial event during the period and this established a national minimum wage and time and a half for overtime in certain jobs. "The main objective of the act was to eliminate 'labor conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standards of living necessary for health, efficiency and well-bein g of workers' The Fair Labor Standards Act also prohibited child labor in all industries engaged in producing goods in inter-state commerce. The act set the minimum age at 14 for employment outside of school hours in non-manufacturing jobs, at 16 for employment during school hours, and 18 for hazardous occupations." (Fair Labor Standards Act). Therefore, Women's Suffrage, the Great Depression, and the Fair Labor Standards Act are three of the most crucial events in the US history during the period between 1900 and 1940 and the effect of these events is evident even the contemporary years. One of the most essential events in the US history during the period between 1900 and 1940 is of course Women's Suffrage which was implemented in 1920 with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution and accordingly the right of citizens of the nation to vote will not be denied or abridged in view of sex. "The Nineteenth Amendment further points to the link between the Progressive era and direct democracy." (Vile, 2006, p 207). Women's Suffrage in the US has given rise to many important developments in the US history and it contributed to the modern women's movement which aims at the liberation of women in every aspect of life. "After gaining the right to vote in1920, women engaged in little independent political activity until 1960s Feminism gained additional impetus from young women who entered politics to support the civil rights movement or to oppose the Vietnam War." (Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt, 2008, p 161). Therefore, Women's Suffrage in the United States was a crucial event during the period 1900-1940 as it had various effects on the socio-political development of the nation. The Great Depression, which originated in the US, has been one of the most important events in the decade prior to the World War II and it was mostly damaging to the US economy, though it had devastating effects in almost every country of the world. It affected almost every aspect of the growth of the

Speech 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Speech 101 - Essay Example It is normal that when people interact, they give and receive wordless signals. The gestures people make during communication send or portray strong messages. What people talk by word of mouth is distinct from what gestures portray. Therefore, the speaker needs to understand that vocal and physical speech is very significant in sending the message to the audiences. The use of physical signs or nonverbal communication has the ability to demonstrate our feelings, thoughts, and can emphasize on our points (Dozier 32). During speech delivery, the speaker needs to make use emblems of emblems since they enable him or her to translate the information to the audience who does not understand the language. It is important to note that emblem is related to sign language than daily body language. For instance, sometime when speaking about Greece mythology, the speaker could hold his or her arm with all fingers sealed in, apart from the second and index fingers, which are wide apart, may signify victory or harmony of the ancient Greeks. Additionally, the speaker needs to use a gesture called illustrator or iconic gesture, when complementing a Greek heroes such as Aristotle and Plato for what they did especially in the field of philosophy and politics. When presenting a speech about Greece, the speaker needs to deliver clear information or messages that are matching both in verbal and nonverbal dimension. They have organized ideas or thoughts, pay attention to what he or she want to say and ensure that they win the attention of the audience. It is important for the speaker to focus on public speaking because he or she will be delivering a message to many people. Therefore, the speech will be organized on five aspects, speaker, speech, occasion, audience, and effect (Dozier 46). The speaker should build a suitable speech for distinct audience on distinct occasion or time and for distinct

Read the case study below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Read the case study below - Essay Example This in turn affects the motivational level of customers, who are to be looking at the professional employee as an example of organizational leadership, but see only in the burnt-out employee an expression of fatalism or giving up, along with signs of frustration and even associated depressive symptoms such as wanting to sleep all the time. In other words, the average employee who has been in the profession for some time is often burnt out through emotional exhaustion, which may have occurred due to several factors. They will treat clients differently in this state of burnout and they will have a reduced sense of accomplishment. The consideration for informal groups can aid in mentoring opportunities for Western Motels, to solve this motivation problem. A mentoring program blends together elements of environmental impact and interpersonal communication skills. It posits that the formulation of a mentor relationship can help a new maid like this contextualize their own directions within a workplace amid competing issues by following the pattern of another individual. Mentoring can help new employees develop new skills. Often, the mentoring relationship can vastly benefit both parties. Employee motivation is a major problem in many organizations. â€Å"Motivation should relate to individual needs. For instance, a staff member who enjoys collaborating with others may prefer team goals; an independent worker will strive for individual objectives.† (Messmer, 2005). It is true that personal identity and pride in the job should be given top priority in redesigning the position of hotel maid, so I would keep in mind that maids need their cognitive capacities served too; they are not just manual laborers. â€Å"If we remember that the cognitive capacities (perceptual, intellectual, learning) are a set of adjustive tools†¦ then it is clear that any danger to them, any deprivation or blocking of their free use, must

Management Theory in Oxfam Charity and Global Poverty Organization Essay

Management Theory in Oxfam Charity and Global Poverty Organization - Essay Example The paper tells that management in any business firm or organizational activities refers to the process, and act of bringing people together as a team. This is to work towards the accomplishment of set objectives through the efficient utilization of the present resources. These management actions include activities and processes such as organizing, planning, staffing, leading, directing or controlling an organization or business among others towards the main purpose and objectives. It also involves the act of resourcing which refers to the utilization and control of an organizational resource which include the financial, human, natural, and technological resources. In view of organizations as systems, it can also be defined in terms of human action and design in facilitation of achievement of desired results. This is a fundamental view as it provides the opportunity to manage oneself which is a prerequisite to the management of others. Good for management positioned individuals in an organization. Management theory can be defined as the study on how to improve the total productivity of all personnel in the business firm or organization. It involves learning on how to manage personnel with the intent to improve and maximize the productivity of the firm. The aim of business management is to maximize productivity, and while management theory aims towards getting a team of individuals to achieve a certain objective it. However, this does not necessarily achieve in improving individual productivity towards the aimed at objective. Management is both an art and a science hence various improvement techniques employed. 1.3 Competing value framework The competing value framework in management helps and allows the leadership teams in organizations to understand the background and adopt thinking that infers to the foundation of various management philosophies. It integrates the four different values showing the competitive ideologies between each also the importance of eac h individually. The values being of no equal importance in various cases the model goes further to suggest the integration of the different models. This is by maintaining a balance between them to achieve maximum efficiency in productivity. Never the less most managements study the awareness of each and consider which of the models closely matches with their leadership structures, styles and philosophies, all incorporating the achievement needs of the

Creating a media relations campaign for BBC, UK - Case Study Essay

Creating a media relations campaign for BBC, UK - Case Study - Essay Example The BBC World Service relay both news and current affairs programmes to the world through radio, TV and online broadcasts. These services are also available in around 32 languages of the different countries around the globe. Since its formation in the 1920s, the BBC had been enjoying the broadcasting market free of competition until the 1950s when the viewer preference changed due to technological advancements (Mennen, 2011). The viewers opted for a broadcasting service that was impartial and quite cheap in terms of financial spending. This led to the establishment of the UK’s Independent Broadcasting Commission that consequently issued broadcasting licenses to the then newly established Independent Television (ITV). These two televisions enjoyed the fruits of broadcasting until a third competitor in the market (the BSKYB broadcaster) officially launched. The BSKYB broadcaster changed the broadcasting culture by including the American news journalism and making its services available exclusively through the satellite. The services of BSKYB were, as well, relatively cheap as they were available on a monthly subscription (Mennen, 2011). This competition was the beginning of the challenges and issue s of the BBC Corporation that this paper seeks to address through a media relations campaign. The recent years has seen growth in the popularity of strategic management mainly accredited to Gary Hamal, C.K. Prahalad and Michael Porter (Harris, & Wegg-Prosser, 2007). Among the various concepts introduced by Hamel and Prahalad include the concept of core competency which basically refers to the activities that are employed by a company and gives it a competitive advantage in the industry in which they operate. To this regard, it is evident that BBC continues to be brand with popular presence thanks to its long lasting commitment to quality and innovation. Right from 2007, a very

Disney World Essay Example for Free

Disney World Essay Looking out the window of the airplane as we landed in Orlando, Florida, I felt anticipation, excitement, and exhaustion. It was July 2003 and we were on a family vacation to Walt Disney World. The plane had departed from Philadelphia International Airport at 8 a.m. My parents slept soundly and my younger brother and sister were so excited because like me, it was their first trip to Disney World as well, that they couldn’t even sit still on the plane. Soon, we would all be experiencing the thrill of the Magic Kingdom. My siblings could barely contain their enthusiasm as we drove in our rented Ford minivan to the hotel. After freshening up at the hotel, all five of us climbed into the minivan and headed to Walt Disney World. After maneuvering through a maze of on ramps and off ramps, we were finally at the Magic Kingdom. By the time we were actually inside the theme park, it was lunch time so we decided to eat first before going on our adventures. We were told there were some very nice restaurants outside the Magic Kingdom, a boat ride away; but since my siblings and I were so eager to go on the rides, my parents decided to go with fast food within the theme park. The greatest disappointment of the day was the missing rides. Hannahs favorite ride is Alice in Wonderland; she can and has ridden it ten times in a row at Disneyland. It doesnt exist at the Magic Kingdom. Megans favorite Disneyland ride was also absent, Roger Rabbits Cartoon spin. After all the anticipation, to have the two rides which mattered most to the twins missing, was quite a let down. We couldnt find Indiana Jones or Star Tours, either, so Bill asked an employee about the missing rides. It turns out, you can experience those movie type rides at Disneys MGM studios, for a separate admission price. We were stunned. Bill and I found our mounting discontent compounded by the physical discomfort we felt standing in lines in 90-degree temperatures with 90% humidity. Disneyland with its California location has dry, comfortable weather most of the year. Disneyland is also blessed with a wonderful sea breeze during the hot summers. The Magic Kingdom is located inland with muggy, hot conditions year round. We felt the Magic Kingdom was a waste of time and money. Disneyland is far superior to the Magic Kingdom. I think it was insulting to the customers to charge more in admission than Disneyland and offer significantly less in the form of entertainment. I felt Disney management was greedy. The kids did enjoy themselves, but we adults left the theme park feeling ripped off. As a general rule we never take the kids to Disneyland more than once a year. But so much was missing from the Magic Kingdom Experience; we took them three months later to Disneyland and had a great time. On the first day in Disney World, my dad and I went on all of the Mountain rides like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain. My favorite was Space Mountain because the ride is inside, and there are no lights so you cannot see at all. I also won a stuffed dog at a game stand.

Influence And Power Of Political Dynasties Politics Essay

Influence And Power Of Political Dynasties Politics Essay The political dynasty undoubtedly plays an influential role in Philippine society. Families of political dynasties are sitting side by side to deliberate on important legislations that will affect the future of more than 80 million Filipinos both young and old for generations to come (PHILIPPINEPOLITICS.NET., 2000). It has been often contended that political dynasties go against the values upheld by democracy since it does not provide an equal opportunity for people to hold offices of power and service. With the set-up of the political dynasty, it seems as if positions of power are exclusively dominated by a particular clan or family. Arguably, the political dynasty is said to monopolize the system of governance since it limits the chances of other common Filipinos to serve the people. It creates a brain drain in the sense that the new and capable leader who could possibly perform better than those currently in office, would not be given an opportunity when running against someone wi th a name. Former Mayor, and now DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo of Naga City, who has firmly stood against political dynasties, he believes, The right to serve does not belong to one family alone. Ordinary people who deserve to be empowered should be given the opportunity to serve the community,  [1]  (Medel, 2007).It is undeniable that there are candidates who are voted into office simply because of their name and fame. Sons, siblings and even wives of politicians people who have no knowledge whatsoever of how to lead and serve, are voted into office simply because of their connection to previous leaders. Electoral votes are not so much based on the capability of one to serve, but rather on the name carried by one who is running. It is quite obvious that the family name of an elected official or a potential candidate plays a big role in the success of one who falls under the category of being part of a political family. It can be identified that power can be seen not only in exe rcises of excess but also in tangible things such as a candidates family name. This symbolic power could be seen as a perpetuation of the power system that runs through a political dynasty since it plays a big role in a dynastys continued existence and evolution. The validity of the political dynasty has always remained a highly debatable matter. Why do traditional political clans that which do not ground their resources based on their economic stance, still exist in the Philippine political arena despite some rejections by others that it does not provide equal opportunities for other candidates to run for public office? What key elements existing in these political dynasties make them dominant in the political arena up until today? Does the existence of the political dynasty really help the Filipino people, or is it just making the political maturity of the nation stagnant? (PHILIPPINEPOLITICS.NET., 2000). Despite the negative connotation brought about by political dynasties and its detrimental effects throughout Philippine history, political dynasties are not entirely negative and can bring certain positive effects. The solution to stop the negative effects linked to political dynasties is not to ban political dynasties in general, but inst ead, to educate people to vote more responsibly in choosing a leader. In this paper, I intend to find the factors that make political dynasties relevant today in the face of a democratic Philippine society by taking into consideration Michel Foucaults theory on power and Vladimir Lenins theory on organization. In line with what Michel Foucault mentioned in his work, Discipline and Punish, political dynasties in the Philippines are unique in a way that they possess dynamic qualities that keep them surviving up until today. He stressed in his work that power is exercised in ways that it can be excessive to maintain order and discipline in society. The example would be that of Francois Damiens  [2]  , who was publicly tortured and executed for his attempt to assassinate the sovereign. As Foucault recounts the event, one can see the display of the excessive use of power to punish Damiens for his actions, as seen in his recount wherein à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Damiens, who cried out profusely, though without swearing, raised his head and looked at himself; the same executioner dipped an iron spoon, in the pot containing boiling potion, which he poured liberally over each wound  [3]  (Focault, 1977). Here we can see the sovereigns excessive use of power to punish a subject who attempted to challen ge his sovereignty by attempting to take his life. Francois Damiens public torture and execution was made as an example to others that contesting the kings sovereignty would be subject to the same level of punishment or worse. What Michel Foucault was reiterating in his account of Damiens torture is that power is primarily being exercised on the body as a means of strategizing the deployments of power rather than to punish the violator by causing physical pain. The crime committed by Damiens was against the body of the king; therefore, the punishment that was given to the violator was also against his body, through the form of torture. The pain caused to the body was clearly not intended only for the body alone but rather reached out to those who have witnessed or heard about the execution. The gravity of such an event still touches on modernity in a way that whoever reads or hears about such an event could still feel the gravity of the excessive use of power. During the early 18th century, there was a display of excessive torture on the body according to Michel Foucault. In a span of a few decades, the process of torture became a process of organized disciplinary action in the form of a penal justice system. This evolution of torture saw the disappearance of punishment on the body and a loosening of the hold of the sovereign over the body. In the disappearance of punishment, it enters into the abstract consciousness of society rather than of perceptions. Moreover, there is a focus on the effectivity of punishment rather than of spectacles, wherein it focuses only on visibility or intensity of punishment such as that of Foucaults account of Damiens torture. On the loosening of hold of the sovereign on the body, one can see that punishment no longer touched the body but rather as Foucault would state, The body now serves as an instrument or intermediary: if one intervenes upon it to imprison it, or to make it work, it is in order to deprive the individual of a liberty that is regarded both as a right and as property  [4]  (Focault, 1977). In the spectacle of scaffolds, executioners served as the kings hand in punishing offenders. As time passed, doctors, psychiatrists, guidance counselors, judges and jail wardens now took over the executioners role of administering punishment. As Foucault aptly put it, To sum up, ever since the new penal system that defined by the great codes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has been in operation, a general process has led judges to judge something other than crimes; they have been led in their sentences to do something other than judge; and the power of judging has been transferred in part, to other authorities than the judges of the offence.   The whole penal operation has taken on extra-juridical elements and personnel.  [5]  (Focault, 1977). Negative Sides to Political Dynasties The very excess of the violence employed is one of the elements of glory: the fact that the guilty man should moan and cry out under the blows is not a shameful side effect, it is the very ceremonial of justice being expressed in all its force. Hence no doubt those tortures that take place even after death: corpses burnt, ashes thrown to the winds, bodies dragged on hurdles and exhibited at the roadside. Justice pursues the body beyond all possible pain  [6]  (Focault, 1977) Similar to what Foucault had studied about power relations, this paper, uses the same theory but relates it to the phenomenon of political dynasties in the Philippines. Throughout Philippine history, the political dynasty has taken on a negative connotation. Often linked to problems like graft, corruption, and abuse of power, it has taken on a detrimental role to society. Perhaps the most infamous of all would be the political dynasty of the Marcos family. Alleged to have embezzled between US$5 billion and US$10 billion from the Philippines, Transparency International  [7]  has ranked Ferdinand Marcos at second on a list of the worlds most corrupt political leaders of the past two decades; surpassed only by former Indonesian President Suharto (Ferdinand Marcos: Killer File, 2000). Names like the Estradas/Ejercitos and the Singson families have also linked the image of the political dynasty to allegations of graft and corruption. Luis Chavit Singson, governor of the province of Il ocos Sur, alleged that he had personally given Estrada the sum of 400 million pesos as payoff from illegal gambling profits such as jueteng, as well as 180 million pesos from the government price subsidy for the tobacco farmers marketing cooperative. Singsons allegation caused an uproar across the nation, which culminated in Estradas impeachment trial by the House of Representatives in November 13, 2000. A more recent example, would be that of the Ampatuans, whose name has been thrust to the limelight after the event of the Maguindanao Massacre  [8]  where 58 individuals consisting of their family rivals, the Mangudadatus, relatives and some journalists were shot and killed preventing them from filing their patrons certificate of candidacy. Families linked to political dynasties flood the news with allegations of all sorts of crime ranging from corruption, theft, murder and even rape. Regardless of whether these are proven or unproven, it all translates into the tarnished and dirty image that the political dynasty holds in todays society. This is exactly what Michel Foucault talks about in the spectacle of the scaffold wherein there is a display of an excessive use of power through torture. As Foucault mentions, there are three criterions where punishment must follow in order to fall under the category of torture. The first being, that it must manifest pain on a certain degree, that could be seen in the example of Francois Damiens torture. The second being that such pain is regulated in a way that suffering is maximized rather than imposing death immediately because this suffering would insure a more effective notice of change on the offenders part. Last but not least, perhaps the most important would be that torture ma rks the individual and that it should serve as a spectacle. Torture marking the individual means that there is a reclaiming of the sovereign by the ruler and that the making of the execution as a spectacle would serve as a public display of the rulers sovereignty. Such a public execution seeks to reach out to the whole of the society by letting the thought of punishment run through their consciousness making them aware of the total power of the sovereign, them serving as his subjects. The context of the logic of torture is that there is contempt for body, wherein the body serves a possession of the sovereign. There is a political need for the sovereign to display his power which will serve as a recognition of his dominance over his subjects. In addition, this display of power actually runs through an internal organization of politicization and serves as a disciplining factor towards order. As Foucault mentions how the Enlightenment period called torture as an atrocity, atrocity is one of those that best designates the economy of public torture in the old penal practice.  [9]  (Focault, 1977) Further, he states that insofar as being the crime before everyones eyes in all its severity, the punishment must take responsibility for this atrocity: it must bring to light by confessions, statements, inscription that make it public, it must reproduce it in ceremonies that apply it to the body of the guilty person in the form of humiliation and pain. Atrocity is that pa rt of the crime that the punishment turns back as torture in order to display it in the full light of day  [10]  (Focault, 1977) In light of Michel Foucaults study of power, he shows how the display of excessive power can serve as a negative connotation towards disciplining society. In relation to the existence of political dynasties, their display of excessive power by means of running private armies or reliance on coercion in order to establish and maintain their power, could very well serve as a detriment to public order as well as to their own existence. This is where Vladimir Lenins theory on organization can come into play because power alone in a democratic society, especially excessive power, can clash with the values of democracy while power coupled with proper organization could compromise with the said values. Organization, furthermore, would tweak how power is distributed, dispersed and used on the sovereigns subjects. In the case of political dynasties where power is seen to be a tool used for political domination, power alongside organization can produce an effective dynasty, which operates on be half of and for the public rather than for itself and its interests. Good Sides to Political Dynasties In his book, What is to be done?, Vladimir Lenin talks about the importance of organization to serve as a focusing of all efforts towards a certain goal. An organized exercise of power would mean that there is a proper system that is undergone where it is both regulated and directed towards achieving a goal rather than just a spectacle. In the case of political dynasties, despite the weaknesses that they are prone to, it also has its strengths. Political dynasties provide continuity and political stability which is particularly obvious in provinces such as those held by the Josons of Nueva Ecija, Ortegas of La Union, and Dys of Isabela. There is minimal political risk and this plays a huge role when it comes to investments. With the continuity offered by political dynasties, investors can be assured that laws do not change mid-stream of an investors project and that business agreements made in the past would still be upheld in the succeeding generations. This sparks an interest in t erms of foreign corporations doing business in third world countries since it takes out premium on political instability insurance (PHILIPPINEPOLITICS.NET., 2000). Furthermore, this continuity assures that the desired goal is achieved overtime and will be implemented throughout a long-term establishment made by these dynasties. In addition, their continued existence help promote continued progress and development, so long as the succeeding leader is actually capable and not just voted for his namesake. For example, a son who is to take the place of his fathers position in office, would be able to benefit from the experience and guidance of his father. Assuming that the succeeding leader has been trained from early on by the example of good leaders who have also lead from his dynasty, he would be able to emulate the good qualities and learn from mistakes made in the past as well as assure the constant upholding of the good qualities taught by his predecessors. By this process of lear ning from the example of the previous generations, they would have a huge advantage in terms of leadership and experience. An example of a prosperous region, which has been ruled under a political dynasty for over a century, is La Union. The family of Ortegas have occupied elective and appointed positions in the province since the 20th century. In 1901, Joaquin Ortega was appointed governor by the US colonial administration. In 2006, ten Ortegas were holding various elective posts in La Union  [11]  (Medel, 2007). The prosperity of the region speaks clearly, of how well the dynasty has managed. Boasting a 97% literacy rate and a 94.77% employment rate, La Union is classified as a first class province (La Union, 2007). The City of San Fernando is now the seat of national government agencies in Region I and center of trade, commerce, financial and educational institutions, among others. From a deep rooted potential of stable community governance, to international shipping, an airport with viable capacity to accommodate international air traffic, natural terrain conducive to tourism development and a pe ople endowed with cultural and virtuous heritage of industry, spirituality, nationalism and aspiration for growth, peace and prosperity, the City of San Fernando has emerged as the booming Metropolis of the North. (San Fernando City). In response to issues raised regarding the continued existence of a political dynasty in the region, Mayor Mary Jane C. Ortega replies, It is not an issue. Why punish people who deliver? Like in Frankfurt, they have a Mayor for 25 years and she keeps delivering. Look how developed Frankfurt is. It is not an issue if you are in power for a long time. It is not actually the length of service. It is the quality of service that you give. If the leader delivers, why punish him/ her? On the other hand, if you have a term limitation, three years is too long kung hindi naman nagdedeliver,  [12]  (Medel, 2007). Another respectable leader belonging to families with a background in political dynasties include Senator Mar Roxas, son of the illustrious Senator Gerry Roxas, and the grandson of the venerable President Manuel Roxas whose public service careers have greatly benefited the country. Mars public service life began in the House of Representatives in 1993. After his congressional stint, he was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry; and then in 2004, he was elected to the Senate with a staggering 20 million votes the largest ever obtained by a candidate in any Philippine election. Mars stint in the House is most noted for his principal authorship of RA 7880, also known as the Roxas Law, which ensures fair distribution of the education capital budget among all the provinces. This gave life to his advocacy for fair and equitable access to education, free from regional bias and political patronage considerations. Owing to his record of accomplishments as a public se rvant and political leader, the international community described Mar as one of the young leaders in politics and business who will bring Asia and the Pacific to the forefront of world affairs. (Senator Mar A. Roxas) At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mar was named as one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow who is expected to shape the future. (Senator Mar A. Roxas) Recently, the Singapore Government has awarded him as the 16th Lee Kuan Yew Fellow (Senator Mar A. Roxas). Another example of a leader who has chosen to stick by his principles despite the temptations offered by that of a political dynasty is Governor Barbers. Governor Robert Lyndon S. Barbers is the eldest son of Senator Robert Bobby Z. Barbers and Vergie Smith of Makati City. The family has a deep-rooted background in politics. His brother was second district Rep. of Surigao del Norte and was succeeded by other family members who ran for governor in the province. Despite his familys involvement in a political dynasty, Lyndon Barbers has made a clear stand against nepotism; relatives are banned from benefiting from any project on account of his position as Governor. This has been proven on several instances. A relative of his was once caught operating a sand-gravel quarrying business without a license or permit and was brought to court. In another instance, a cousin of his was arrested for illegal gambling operations  [13]  (Medel, 2007). In addition, there are many other families be longing to political dynasties that have also contributed a great deal into building the nation and serving its people. Families like the Magsaysays, Osmenas, Biazons, Cayetanos, Villars, Duavits, Escuderos, Espinas, Gordons, Madrigals, Mitras Plazas, and Rectos have done a good job of keeping a clean image. These are the leaders who prove that the political dynasty can be beneficial to society so long as it does not abuse its power. It cannot be discounted that one will not practice the use of power, although, there can be ways wherein this power can be diverted into good reasons to achieve societal order and development. This is what Vladimir Lenin is stresses when he mentions in his work that, Such workers, average people of the masses, are capable of displaying enormous energy and self-sacrifice in strikes and in street, battles with the police and the troops, and are capable (in fact, are alone capable) of determining the outcome of our entire movement but the struggle against the political police requires special qualities; it requires professional revolutionaries  [14]  (Lenin, 1902). In this quotation, Lenin stresses that organizing a mass of people requires a strategic use of power as opposed to a fueling of the mobs emotions. A possible historical example would be that of the American Revolution in contrast to the French revolution. The French revolution had failed to recognize their freedom becaus e they failed to organize their efforts of systemizing their revolution. The leaders of the French revolution relied solely on power and doing so led to the abuse and struggle of power. In the end, the French revolution served as a spectacle of disorganization, wherein towards the end, Napoleon Bonapartes emergence to take hold of power was recognized. This emergence of Napoleon from this disorganization is an opposite to that of an organized succession and transfer of power seen in the American Revolution. The American Revolution, through proper organization, gave birth to freedom, liberty and equality among the states. The transfer and succession of power from one president to another required organization as well as a regulation of their, being the presidents, powers. The political dynasty has its own share of pros and cons. There are examples of good political dynasties as well as bad ones. However, it is usually the faults of the political dynasty that are highlighted and scrutinized. More often than not, the news is filled with reports about charges of theft, plunder and whatnot. As a result of which, many have turned to the solution of trying to ban political dynasties completely. Laws Regarding Political Dynasties In terms of the legality of political dynasties, Art. II, Sec. 26 of the Constitution says, The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law. However, there is no clear definition of political dynasties and therefore the provision is none self-executing. It is the most ignored policy by Congress due to certain reasons. The framers left it to the congress to define political dynasties which it has not done (Cruz, 2007). This loophole in the law has allowed the political dynasty to continue up to the present day even if it is technically not allowed. The only law being actively enforced to prevent the abuse of power is the term limits on elective positions. However, providing a term limit for elective officials is easily countered by having families pass on their power. To retain political hold on his constituents, a forcibly retired official arranges to have his wife, a mistress, one of his children, his own siblings, or a parent to occupy his position for one term. After which, he will be qualified again to run for office (Cruz, 2007). In an effort to ban political dynasties, there was an anti-dynasty bill that was filled by Majority Floor Leader Arthur Defensor of Iloilo. Section Five of House Bill 783, which reads, Any person who has a political dynasty relationship with an incumbent elective official is disqualified from running for any elective public office within the same city and/or province where the elective public official is running. This bill will only be proactive. It will not affect those who are already currently holding positions. The bill also limits the definition of a political dynasty relationship as existing only among relatives up to the second degree of affinity or consanguinity. Thus, only the spouse, children, siblings or parents of the incumbent are deemed disqualified and similar in-law relationship. The bill disallows a relative of an incumbent from running for a position like governor, vice governor, mayor, vice mayor, as these positions are vested executive power. Another distinct feat ure of this bill is that it allows relatives of the incumbent to run for posts such as board member or councilor where power is shared owing to the collegial nature of the office. The idea of the bill is to bar relatives from holding positions where power is concentrated in an individual, but not from positions where decision-making is made through deliberation and consensus (Bordadora, 2007). Solution to Problems Regarding Political Dynasties Although this new bill seems like a good and effective idea for countering the negative effects of the existence political dynasties, it has yet to have been decided by legislators whether this will be fully implemented or not. It is up to the Congress to decide whether this bill will be passed and it seems highly unlikely that they will do so. This is partly due to the fact that political dynasties have become so much a part of the current system of governance that it is almost impossible to change. I dont think it has much of a chance under the present Congress, stated Defensor regarding his opinion on possibility of the bill being passed (Bordadora, 2007). Like it or not, the emergence of political dynasties in the Philippines still operate well within the framework of so-called democracy (PHILIPPINEPOLITICS.NET., 2000). No matter how much effort is put against the political dynasty, it is here to stay. It is simply futile to hope for any change regarding the current laws on political dynasties. Instead of looking at something that is simply out of reach, people should realize that there lies a much simpler solution. It would be impossible to ban all political dynasties in general; however, it is possible to put an end to the bad political dynasties. People should realize that they are the ones who elect their leaders into office. No matter how strong a political dynasty may be, sovereignty is held by the people. At the end of the day, it will be the people to decide whether or not a dynasty will be succeeded. Absolute power is when you have a dictatorship. We still have to go through an election. The electorate will be the ones to dic tate who are the ones who will lead. The people have the power, not the officials  [15]  (Medel, 2007). All this talk about outlawing political dynasties and its bad effects would not even be necessary if people were to vote more responsibly. What is happening in todays society is that the people are the ones choosing to make themselves powerless. They are quick to find faults in the system and demand for change, yet they do nothing to actually work for change. People need to realize that as much as the bad political dynasties are to blame, they are also responsible for allowing these dynasties to remain in power. Ultimately, people have the power to put a stop to political dynasties if the need arises. If they see that a certain dynasty abuses their power, they possess the power and responsibility to vote towards a change in leadership. On the other hand, if a dynasty is doing a good job, then they have the option to allow the dynasty to continue in the succeeding generations. According to then Representative of Tarlac and now President Benigno Aquino, the issue of whether a member of a political family should continue in office or not is a matter of public choice. At the end of the day, people deserve the government they get, he said (Cusi, 2004). That being said, these traditional political dynasties, that which do not ground their resources based on their economic stance, are still existing up to this day because they dont just merely exercise power on behalf of their families but rather they direct this power towards an ordered use to improve the publics welfare which is the way its supposed to be in a democratic society. While progress continues to be delivered by these political clans to their constituents, then their dominance and relevance in the Philippine political arena and society will be here to stay. On the other hand, if one lacks or exceeds in either their organization or exercise of power, then that dynasty is bound to fail. All in all, it is difficult to make a generalization whether the political dynasty is in fact good or bad since this would differ on a case-to-case basis. It can be detrimental to Philippine society on some instances, yet beneficial on other cases. There are both good political dynasties and bad ones. Each political dynasty has its own strengths and weaknesses and it is the duty of the people to be the judge. The political dynasty, like any other system of leadership, is prone to error. After all, no system of government is truly perfect; problems will always arise. What are needed are the unified efforts of each and every individual to continually strive in building the nation into a better place.

Financial Performance Analysis of Amazon

Financial Performance Analysis of Amazon Executive Summary Amazon.com, Inc (Amazon) registered strong growth of 36% in 2008 mainly due to increased unit sales and expanded sales base in several categories. Meanwhile during the 3rd quarter of 2009, Amazon managed to report a steady growth despite the recession period. This report reviews and analyse Amazon financial performance as well as comparison with its competitors. All analysis and ratios are derived from data collected from respective companies annual reports and www.reuters.com. Brief Description of the Company Amazon is one of the leading online retailers in the world based in Seattle, Washington, United States of America. The company started its operation in 1995 and has regional involvement in the Asia Pacific, North America and Western Europe. Initially the core business of the company is selling online books however has diversified to products such as apparel, electronic and home improvement products. The company is involved in the internet retailing industry with 7.5% market share in 2008. The e-commerce industry has gone through major phases of growth and decline however, Amazon persevered and surprised everyone. Amazon achieved its first annual profit in 2003 and has continuously performed better each year. Amazons main competitors are the book retailer, Barnes and Nobles (BN) and third party retailing non-book related good, Ebay.com (Ebay). BN and Ebay are engaged in the similar industry as Amazon, which is online business and catalogue retailing of single and diversified product lines In terms of market capitalisation, Amazon has the highest at $59.57 billion and followed by Ebay and BN at $30.59 billion and $1.21 billion respectively. This indicates that Amazon has greater stability and low risk compared to the competitors. Financial Analysis Profitability The companys performance has improved wherein it has performed above the projections made throughout the four years period. Net sales have increased by 29.2% from $14,835 million in 2007 to $19,166 million in 2008 with net income of $476 million and $645 million respectively. The Cost of Sales (COS) has increased throughout the years partly contributed from the free shipping cost and has affected the net income figure. There was a drop in the net income in 2006 due to increase spending on technology and content and in income tax expenses. However, the said figure has increased thereafter. In terms of sales, Amazon has performed double from the competitors throughout the four-year period. Sales increased tremendously primarily due to low prices, vast selection of products and free shipping offers. However, in terms of Gross Profit Margin (GPM), Ebay operated at 74% has outperformed Amazon at 23% in 2008. The reason behind this is due to Amazons high expenditure on Cost of Sales (COS), which is about 70% of its sales value. The high COS was mainly contributed from the free shipping cost incurred. In comparison to Ebay, the company applies different business model from Amazon and have managed to minimise its expenditure on COS at about 20% of its sales value and therefore reflected to a high GPM. GPM proves that eBay is generating a very large percent of net income from each dollar of sales and this contributes greatly to the growing of eBays overall financial strength. Meanwhile, BN showed a better margin because of its smaller size and the retailer aspect. Amazon and BN have a stable Operating Profit Margin (OPM) of 4% compared to Ebay, which fluctuates within the same period. Its constant operating expenses of 20% from its sales value support the stable growth for Amazons OPM. Ebays fluctuation figures are resulted from high expenses incurred from selling, general and administrative. Based on the industry standard, Amazon and its competitors have performed ahead from the standard, which are 14.1% and 0.53% for GPM and OPM respectively. The low OPM standard can be ascribed to the effect of the recent financial crisis. As of the 3rd quarter of 2009, Amazons sales were $14,989 million with net income of $518 million. For the current year, it is projected a further increase of 21% and 19.5% in sales and COS respectively from 2008 primarily to the low prices, vast selection and free shipping offers. With the said sales projection, the net profit is projected at $743 million in 2009. The basis for the projection takes into consideration on the global economic downturn and changes in customer purchasing preferences. Based on the current quarter performance, the same trend was observed wherein Amazon is still having the highest net sales while Ebay still dominating the net income figure. BN was badly hit from the result of economic crisis. In comparison with the competitors, Amazons Return on Equity (ROE) was high in 2005 at 135% but drastically dropped throughout the years to 40% and 20% in 2007 and 2008 respectively. The main reason for the decrease was due to the yearly increase in the businesss equity. As at 2008, Amazons ROE is equivalent to the competitors and is expected to be in line with the competitors in the future. In comparison on the ROE and Return on Assets (ROA), Amazon has the highest growth among its competitors as it has a smaller capital base than Ebay and a higher profit level than BN. The high ROE is indicates that Amazon is continuing to grow. Meanwhile the ROA showed that Amazon is efficient in generating income from its assets compared to its competitors. The industry standard for the ROE and ROA are 3.8% and 1.6% respectively. The lower industry standard might be driven by the economic condition, which has a great impact to the performance and profitability of most companies. There was an increase of 1% for each year from 2006 to 2008 for the Return on Investment (ROI), whereas the Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) was at the highest in 2008 at 29%. These have indicated that Amazon is efficientat using its assets to generate earnings compared to the competitors. Liquidity and leverage analysis The companys current ratios are more or less similar to BN during the four-year period. The companys current ratio was between the ranges of 1.3 to 1.5 for the past four years. This indicates that Amazon is able to lay its hands on $1.30-$1.50 for every $1.00 they owe. In comparison between current and acid test ratio, acid test ratio is lower at average of 1.0 within the years. It will enable the company to cover its short-term liabilities adequately with its liquid assets. This is within some of the industry standards of 1:1, showing that the company will be able to cover its short-term liabilities adequately with its liquid assets. In comparison with the industry, Ebay performed better than Amazon for both the current ratio and acid test ratio. Amazon fell below the standard in the initial years but almost meeting the standard in 2008 at 1.5:1. Although not performing better than the industry average, Amazon has good and stable ratios, which indicates that the company is able to cover its current liabilities. Amazons gearing ratio was high in 2005 at 86% and subsequently reduces within the years to 13% in 2008. Due to the operational efficiency, increased sales and improved liquidity, Amazon was able to reduce its debt and currently the business is funded with internal generated funds. Meanwhile, Ebay has no borrowings and BN has an average of 30% for the gearing ratio. The high borrowing in 2005 has a huge impact on the debt-to-equity ratio, which was 6:0:1. However as the borrowings is paid, the debt equity ratio when down to 0.2:1 in 2008. This indicates that Amazon has 20 cent debt for every $1 equity the company have. As for BN, its debt/equity ratio was at average of 0.5:1 during the four years. Therefore, in comparison, Amazon is less risky than BN. As Ebay has no borrowing, the interest cover for the said company is high compared to Amazon and Ebay. In comparison with the debt-to-equity ratio set by the industry, Amazon has a very low ratio of 0.2 compared to 40.98. As mentioned earlier, the industry ratio is on the high side due to the economic condition. Investment analysis Amazons common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards outstanding totalled 446 million on December 31, 2008, compared with 435 million a year ago. As of to date, the said shares amounted to 451 million. Based on Amazons Earning per Share (EPS) trend, it indicated that the markets willingness to pay for the companys earnings has increased. This indicates that the market foresees Amazons long-term prospects over and above its current position. As at 3rd quarter 2009, the EPS was $1.20 and to grow further based on the companys projection on higher earnings in 4th quarter. Analyst predicts that strong online holiday sales will boost the shares of retailers, including Amazon and has recommended that the said shares will outperform in the market (Reuters.com, 2009). In terms of market performance, Amazons share price fluctuates throughout the years and increased tremendously in 2007 at $92.64 due to the launch of its e-book reader, Kindle. However, during the economy downturn in 2008, the share price dropped to $51.28 due to low operating profit as Amazon begins its price reduction for the goods and services. In 2009, the share price gradually increased and after the 3rd quarter results, it continuously went up and as at 11 December 2009, the share price was $134.15. The current Price/Earning Ratio has increased to 80.70 times from 33.80 times in 2008. Analyst predicted that with a strong revenue growth Amazon would be able to gain significant market share from other competitors (Stahl, 2009). Due to the economic downturn, all companies are affected which was reflected in its performance. Similar to Amazon, Ebays and BNs share prices had an initial stable growth but in 2008 it dropped by about 50%. While others are still struggling to recover from the economic situation, Amazon has showed a growth in 2009 and the share price has currently increased by 168% compared to Ebay and BN at 70% and 62% respectively. Cash flow Analysis As at 3rd quarter 2009, the cash and cash equivalents was $2,514, which a reduction from the opening balances at the beginning of the year of $2,769. During the period, the cash used in financing activities was $229 million compared to $1,199 million in 2008 of which the cash outflows results from repurchases of common stock, repayments of long-term debt. Repayments on long-term debt and payments on capital lease obligations were $379 million for the 3rd quarter 2009 and $335 million in 2008. Meanwhile, free cash flowwas $446 million for the quarter. Throughout the years, Amazon has managed to have a positive cash flow from its operating activities. This indicates a good sign that the core operation of the company is generating income. In comparison of Amazons total liabilities to the cash flow generated from operations, the company has enough funds to cover level of investment and takes about 3.3 years to pay back all its financial commitments. With the current cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances, the company is likely to be able to meet its anticipated operating cash needs for at least the next 12 months. In comparison between the cash flow from operating activities and net income, it indicated that Ebay has the higher ability compared to Amazon in managing its operating cash cycle through receivables, payables and inventory. The reason is that Ebay takes advantages of its payable days for as long as 361 days. Due to the similar business model, both companies have a negative cash cycle of which cash is generated from its payable and quick settlement payment from the customers. Management of Working Capital In terms of managing working capital, Amazon had maintained its positive cash flow being the highest at 2007 for an amount of $1,450. This indicates that the company is able to pay off its short-term liabilities and operating expenses accordingly. In comparison between the competitors, Ebay has the highest working capital of $4,023 million in 2007 while BN has the lowest at $841million in 2006. The high working capital for Ebay has enabled the company to be successful in its expansion programme and improve their operations. For the 3rd quarter ending 31st December, Amazons working capital is $1,832 million and is expected to increase further due to higher expectation of sales in the coming quarter. Working capital provides information on the companys underlying operational efficiency. In terms of efficiency, Amazon is efficient in using its assets in generating sales compared to its competitors, which are reflected in the asset turnover ratio. This indicates Amazons improved efficiency in inventory and asset management that is partly supported from the low pricing strategy and low profit margin. In comparison to the competitors, BN has the lowest account receivable days due to its retail business model, which is based on the cash transaction. Based on the account payable days, Ebay has taken advantage on the free source of finance for the business at 361 days compared to Amazon at 62 days. In respect of the inventory days, Amazon is able to turn the inventory quickly as low as 12 days compared to BN at 140 days. BN has high stock inventory days due to the reason of its retailing business model and product which requires some time to be sold. Due to the same business application, both Amazon and Ebay have a negative cash operating cycle, which indicates efficiency in cash management. In term of the industry standard, the three companies are performing above the indicative ratios, which are supported by the significant growth in the industry. Based on the industry standard, Amazon and the competitors are performing ahead from the standard. For the assets turnover ratio, Amazon was the highest at 2 times compared to 0.7 times industry standard. This indicates the companys efficiency at using its assets in generating sales. The reason Amazon performed better than the competitors is relatively derive from the pricing strategy wherein low profit margin company tends to have high asset turnover. Amazon Future Prospects Based on Amazons current performance, it is projected that the company will have a strong growth supported by the low pricing strategy and free shipping. Moreover, the latest acquisition of Zappos.com and improvised version of Kindle are expected to increase Amazon sales which leads to higher profitability. Due to the growth of Amazon, its annual earning is expected to grow over the next two to three years with sales reaching $2.38 million and $2.86 million respectively. Due to robust financial performance during the current economic condition, it has enhances investors confidence. Share prices are expected to increase with earnings of $2.57 and $2.38 per share in 2008 and 2009 respectively. In line with the said growth, Amazon will benefit in gaining additional market share despite tough competition from other online sites such as Ebay. References Amazon.com Annual Report 2008 Available from: http://amazon.com (accessed on 11th November 2009) Amazon.com 3rd Quarter 2009 Report Available from: http://amazon.com (accessed on 11th November 2009) Ebay.com Annual Report 2008 Available from: http://ebay.com (accessed on 11th December 2009) Barnes and Noble Annual Report 2008 Available from: barnesnobleinc.com ((accessed on 11th November 2009) BBC News (2008), Amazon Shares Fall Despite Growth. (Online) Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk (accessed on 5th December 2009) George Stahl (2009), Amazon Shares Hit All Time High. The Wall Street Journal (0nline), Available from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125630854623203899.html (accessed on 4th December 2009) John Pacskowski (2009), Spare Change for Amazon Shares. The Wall Street Journal (Online), Available from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125630854623203899.html (accessed on 4th December 2009) Richard Waters and Jonathan Birchall (2009), Amazon Share Surge Recalls Tech Boom Days (Online) Available from:http://ft.com (accessed on 5th December 2009) Reuters.com (2009), Nasdaq rises with Online Retailers Dos Dips on Oil. (Online), http://ul.reuters.com (accessed on 3rd December 2009) www. reuters.com (accessed on 1st December 2009)

Attack by Siegfried Sassoon; Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred :: English Literature

Attack by Siegfried Sassoon; Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen; Belfast Confetti by Ciaran Carson; No More Hiroshima's by James Kirkup Compare and contrast the attitudes to conflict shown in three or four of these poems, pointing out how the poets use language to explore their ideas and emotions. Two of the poems listed above, attack and anthem for doomed youth are to do with things that happened during world war 1. Both Wilfrid Owen and Siegfried Sassoon were involved with this war, fighting for their country. The poems that they wrote about the war told of their experiences and in attack some of the terrible things Sassoon saw and was made to do. Anthem for doomed youth is more about what happened to the people at home and what they had to go through when they realised their men weren't coming home. I think that the authors of these poems wrote about the war because they wanted people to realise that war wasn't a good thing, all it brought about was pain, suffering and it killed a lot of people unnecessarily. Belfast Confetti is written about the troubles in Northern Ireland. In it the poet Ciaran Carson describes his route through the troubled streets. the poem talks of home-made bombs, firing guns and other missiles. It mentions some of the street names that he goes through all of which are the names of battles in various wars. When reading the poem you imagine that it should be said very fast almost imitating the gun shots spoken about by the author. The last poem I'll be writing about is No More Hiroshima's by James Kirkup. This poem is all about what remains of the city of Hiroshima after an atomic bomb was dropped on it at the end of world war 2. Kirkup describes his first impressions of Hiroshima as he passes through and other things he saw there that made him upset. I think that he decided to write this poem because what he saw affected him greatly and in some way he was almost angry when he saw some of the inhabitants attempts at trying to once again reconstruct a normal life for themselves. The bomb itself which was the first atomic bomb ever to be used in warfare was dropped on August 6th 1945. Over 130, 000 people were killed or severely injured by the bomb and its after effects. This means that Kirkup had nothing at all to do with Hiroshima itself as the bomb was dropped before his time. Also he wasn't Japanese. The first poem that I have decided to write about in full is attack by

The Persimmon Tree by Marjorie Barnard Essay -- English Literature

How does the extract affect the whole story? (The Persimmon Tree by Marjorie Barnard) Extract: â€Å"I liked the room from the first†¦ anyone who appeared to have her life so perfectly under control.† Question: How does the extract affect the whole story? The writer of the story â€Å"The Persimmon Tree†, Marjorie Barnard, was born in Sydney. She was a novelist, historian, biographer as well as librarian in her lifetime. She wrote many books, and among them, A House is Built (1928) and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (1947) are the best known (124 tutorial 30-10-01). Although â€Å"The Persimmon Tree† is generally thought to be a piece of subtle work, and we may find it difficult to get the hidden meanings of the words, Barnard has made it charming by associating different things. She entitles the story â€Å"The Persimmon Tree† partly because persimmons represent the narrator – a weak and lonely individual whose life is in sharp contrast with what Barnard describes, the â€Å"shadow of the tree†, which represents the outside world. Barnard has delicately presented the narrator’s complex feeling living between her â€Å"shell† and the outside world, and how the outside forces contribute to her reform in the end of the story. Obviously in the beginning of the extract, Barnard suggests that â€Å"shadow† does not merely mean â€Å"shade that is caused by an object [it is the trees in the story] blocking direct rays of light† (Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary: 1380). Barnard, in fact, associates â€Å"shadow† connotatively with two things: changing matters in the outside world and new life. Although it is not presented clearly in the story, Barnard reflects her idea through the descriptions of the narrator about the â€Å"shadow†: â€Å"the mov... ... her current help. The story has an open ending, as there is not enough space for further development. We are not sure about what happens next, although the narrator â€Å"[thinks] [her] heart would break [that represents changes to a better self]† (par.14). However, in my opinion, Barnard succeeds in portraying the struggle of the narrator when she is put to different tests (the â€Å"shadow†, the â€Å"woman† and herself). As we read the story, we can see how delicately Barnard sets each character and expresses their feelings under different settings. In conclusion, â€Å"The Persimmon Tree† is a piece subtle and delicate work. Bibliography Barnard, M. (1976) in Heseltine, H. The Penguin Book of Australian Short Stories UK: Penguin pp126 – 129 Hornby, AS. (1994) in Lee, Peita Oxford Advanced Learners English-Chinese Dictionary UK: Oxford University Press page 1380

The Character of Ophelia Essay -- William Shakespeare Tragedies Essays

The Character of Ophelia In Shakespeare’s tragedies, the characters all have flaws that eventually lead to their undoing. In the play Hamlet, the character of Ophelia is ultimately killed by her flaw. It is apparent that Ophelia is an obedient person but, upon closer inspection, the audience can see that she is not merely obedient. Ophelia’s thoughts and actions go beyond obedience to show that she is a weak and entirely dependent character. Nothing that she says or does is a representation of herself but mostly that of her father. Ophelia’s cruel actions towards Hamlet, which go against her feelings for him, demonstrate her obedience to her father. In the beginning of the play, Ophelia tells her father that she likes Hamlet but her later actions sacrifice these personal feelings under the order of her father. She does as her father says regardless of how it could affect her own life. In particular, Ophelia agrees not to see Hamlet anymore after the request from her father: â€Å"I shall obey, my lord...†(act 1, scene 4). Ophelia’s actions show that Polonius has complete control over her because she sacrifices her personal feelings to please him. Ophelia’s obedience goes deeper than her trying to please her father and shows what a weak character she is. When Hamlet harasses her and tells her to go to a nunnery where she can no longer harm anyone, she does not try to defend herself. Instead, she just feels sorry for herself. Ophelia could not su...

Deschooling Essay

In the contemporary society, many people believe that as an integrated part of society, the purpose of education is to capacitate individuals to reach their full potential as human beings, individually and as members of a society. These individuals will receive education which will enable them to think and act intelligently and prepare them for community life (Literacy Philosophy, 2012). However, Ivan Iillich proposes the notion of ‘deschooling’ which he thinks the rights of learning for most people are taken away because of the obligation to attend school (Illich, 1971). The deschooling thesis calls for â€Å"the disestablishment of the norm mandating institutionalized education† (Kahn & Kellner, 2007, p. 438). The school is in crisis and will not last for much longer. In this essay, I intend to provide a critical overview of Illich’s main ideas of ‘deschooling’, and explain how his vision is relevant to today’s views on the purpose of education. The thesis of Illich’s notion of deschooling is â€Å"universal education through schooling is not feasible† (Illich, 1971, p. vii). He explains if people are educated in the institutions which are built on the style of present schools, education will be no longer feasible (Illich, 1971). Instead of facilitating knowledge to learners, school takes away people’s abilities and desire to learn. More precisely, the increase on educational expenditure is gradually growing inefficiently which makes some children do not have the opportunity to study at school (Illich & Verne, 1976). Most people wrongly believe the more money spends on education, the better education students can receive. Nevertheless, Illich (1971) contends the money spends on education is insufficient to improve the teaching quality and the performance of students who have disadvantages. Aiming at increasing the equality of receiving education, many governments provide funds to those schools with many students from low- income families. However, the tremendous costs of schools force the governments to provide more funds to those schools. The poorer students need funds to enable them to learn, but normally the funds are spent on the development of the school rather on the poor students themselves (Illich, 1971). Illich (1971) indicates that school gives â€Å"unlimited opportunity for legitimated waste, so long as its destructiveness goes unrecognized and the cost of palliatives goes up† (p. 10). So the money is insufficiently spent. As a result, children from poor families still cannot receive the opportunity to go to school. In some developing countries, some children even do not have the opportunity for the most basic education. However, Illich (1971) states that even in schools with equal quality, the poorer students still cannot catch up with the rich as an effect of relative poor financial conditions. The poor parents cannot afford to pay their children’s tuition fees and books. Some filed trips or vacation travels which are good for students’ learning, are unreachable for the poorer children. It is obvious that the poorer children are self-abased. In general, the poorer students fall behind as long as they depend on school for learning (Illich, 1971). Moreover, in some nations, some parents even do not allow their children to attend school. Even more essentialis the fact that some parents deliberately keep their children at home, or wink at their staying away from school. Sometimes this is a matter of sheer economic necessity. Parents are often forced to rely on children as a means of supplementary support. They need their children to work. So in those countries, only a small number of children attend to school although hundreds of thousands money have been spent to make the school attendance higher (Illich, 1971). Reimer (1971) who has the same opinions about school as Illich describes â€Å"schools are simply too big to treat concretely† (p. 10). There are too many people in the school institutions. In turn, individuals may have bad habits which they learn from others in the school. So some parents may worry about the harmful habits that their children may learn from school. In sum, schools limit students’ abilities to learn to a certain extent. Another illusion, which Illich thinks most people have, is â€Å"learning is the result of teaching† (Illich, 1971, p. 12). He argues schools cannot possibly achieve their goal of promoting learning. Schools often teach students that instruction produces learning; yet learning is the result of personal activity, not the result of instruction (Illich, 1971; Gintis, 1972). Specifically, most people not only acquire knowledge inside school but also need to learn more about extracurricular knowledge outside the formal schools, which cannot be taught by teachers in the class. For example, if a person wants to learn a second language, he can travel to other countries and live with local people. Speaking under a good language environment can make him speak well than just sitting in the classroom and listening to the teacher. Therefore, individuals can reclaim responsibility for their own learning away from the constraints of the educational institutions. People are often taught that valuable learning is the result of attendance, the more classes students attend, the better grades they will get. However, some students attend school and study every day, but they still cannot get good grades and certificates. School takes away people’s desire to learn. Thus, like all other bureaucratic service institutions, â€Å"schools fail by their very nature† (Gintis, 1972, p. 85). Illich also emphasizes his opinions about alternatives to schools. In terms of alternatives in education beyond the official system, Illich considers learning exchanges as an effective way for people to learn where people are able to make contact with each other to teach or learn, â€Å"without the need to enrol at some institutions offering formal courses† (R. Small, Ivan Illich and de-schooling, April 5, 2013). He proposes the network of ‘learning webs’ to replace school. Moreover, he regards skill exchanges as an essential way to â€Å"provide people who want to learn a skill with access to those persons who have mastered the skill and have the ability to demonstrate it† (Arsdall, 1975, p. 31). Training skill teachers are quite expensive. A person who wants to be a teacher needs to get the certificate for teaching. Therefore, there are merely a small number of teachers who have potential skills. From Illich’s point of view, everybody who has a skill can also teach it and share with others. Even the best businessmen and artists are more skillful, talented and creative than most of the arts and business teachers (Illich, 1971). Consequently, people do not need to learn skills from teachers. He also states the professionals who engage in operating educational institutions must be replaced by a new breed of â€Å"educators†. The proposed educators should be able to â€Å"create and operate the various educational networks† (Arsdall, 1975, p. 32). Further, the opportunities for skill-learning are multiplied. People are able to learn skills effectively from different people. Additionally, learning exchanges are more economical than schools, and they are cheaper or even free so that everyone can share in them (Reimer, 1971). The sharing of skills can easily motivate people to learn by guaranteeing freedom to teach or exercise them on request (Arsdall, 1975). On the other hand, some people staunchly oppose Illich’s idea of deschooling society. In contrast to Illich’s opinion of againsteducational institutions, those opponents argue that schools are necessary for the society. Many people respond to the controversial theses against schools published in Deschooling Society (Zaldivar, 2011). Amongst those critics who take part in the debate, Paul Goodman most radically oblige Illich to revise his thinking. Goodman thinks there are some problems for schools, but schools should be improved instead of being disestablished. Other critics claim that Illich’s opinion of alternatives is ideal and unable to be applied in practice. As a matter of fact, the alternatives offered by Illich are â€Å"often disqualified, seen as utopian and with no practical direction† (Zaldivar, 2011, p. 621). Besides, according to Greer (1971), the most pivotal mistake in Deschooling Society is that Illich upholds disestablishing school, but he does not propose the effective instruction for transforming the most important educational institutions (cited in Zaldivar, 2011). Further, as one of the most significant critical texts against Illich theses, Gintis represents the most articulated critique of Iillich studies in his essay entitled Toward a Political Economy of Education: A Radical Critique of Ivan Illich’s Deschooling Society (Zaldivar, 2011). Gintis (1972) critiques Iillich’s Deschooling Society, argue that, â€Å"from the fact that schools do not promote learning, however, Illich does not conclude that schools are simply irrational or discardable. Rather, he asserts theircentral role in creating docile and manipulable consumers for the larger society† (p. 3). In addition, according to Small (2013), the solutions such as increased funding, special programmes and new curriculum approaches, which Illich thought inefficient are still being advocated today. With respect to learning exchanges system, it has been proved work reasonably well with arts and crafts, as well as learning other languages, but it might be useless for scie nces or other academic subjects. However, some of Illich’s opinions are relevant to today’s education. His negative definition of schooling indicates the problems of education in the present day. Everybody should have an equal chance to education. Yet, it is undeniably true that in the poor nations, especially in some poverty-stricken rural areas, some school-age children cannot go to school because of lack of financial support. Many kids drop out of school because they cannot pay the fee every year. In this case, Illich’s view of education offers a multi-pronged critique of schooling, reflects the shortcomings and defects of modern education in equality. Furthermore, with respect to public purpose of schooling, schools are supposed to educate positive values to students (Reimer, 1971). It is a general recognition that the purpose of modern education is to cultivate qualified talents in both ability and integrity. Nevertheless, in the specific educational practices, schools cannot fully play a positive role in education; sometimes even have a negative effect on students. For example, teachers tell students to be friendly with others, but outside the classroom, some teachers even denigrate other teachers in public. It has a negative influence on students. In addition, Ivan Illich’s concern with learning webs, which he calls educational or learning webs, has struck a chord among many people. According to Smith (2001), Illich’s propose of learning exchange is an approach to find some enthusiastic proponents within non-formal education. As the best example of a learning exchange, the world-wide web enables people to gain access to any learning resource which may help him to define and reach his own goals (Smith, 2001; Small, 2013). It appears certain that technologies like computers have driven the current construction of education. With the development of technology, it is possible for students to develop their own weblogs and get resources on line by themselves. With Internet students can share their personal diaries, discuss what they are reading, learning and doing in relation to coursework, post hyperlinks to useful Internet sites, debate over issues being discussed in class or of current topical interest(Kahn & Kellner, 2007). As a consequent, communications among young peers are highly developed. According to Nussbaum (2004), online learning exchanges become a highly involved and interesting cultural forum (cited in Kahn & Kellner, 2007). So Illich’s conceptions of ‘webs of learning’ have a significant implication on education in the present age. Illich’s notion of deschooling reflects today’s view of education. In conclusion, Illich’s critiques of the school and call for the deschooling of society have caused great repercussions among many workers and alternative educators (Smith, 2001). Although many people oppose his vision of deschooling society and some of his ideas have been proved to be unsuccessful, his work can provide â€Å"new insight into ongoing studies of modernity† (Zaldivar, 2011, p. 24). Further, his propose of educational webs or networks connected with an interest in ‘non-formal’ approaches has a considerable influence on people’s understanding of searching for new formal educational institutions except schools. It is no doubt that some of his views retain considerable and thought-provoking power (Smith, 2001). What we should consid er carefully is to think how we can improve modern education effectively in the future with Illich’s suggestions and proposals.