Elizabeth Blackwell Essay - 1610 Words

Elizabeth Blackwell Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female physician in America, struggled with sexual prejudice to earn her place in history. She was born in Bristol, England on February 3, 1821 to a liberal and wealthy family. She was the third daughter in a family of nine children. Her father, Samuel Blackwell, believed in the value of education and knowledge and hired a governess for the girls, even though many girls were not educated in those days. In 1832, the family sugar cane plantation went bankrupt, forcing the family to move to America. As a young lady, Elizabeth Blackwell was similar to other women her age. She had an emotional and passionate nature and had many romantic pursuits. However, in 1838, she moved†¦show more content†¦Her abolitionist leanings made her unpopular in her new community, as did her extreme stands on womens rights. She was very vocal about what she felt about women, saying in a speech once if society will not admit of womens free development, then society must be remodeled. After a couple of years in Kentucky, she was more than ready for a change. That change came as a suggestion from the lips of a woman dying of cancer. Mary Donaldson, a long-time friend of Elizabeth Blackwell, suggested that a female doctor would have eased her pain and torment during her battle with cancer. Elizabeth took this suggestion to heart, and actively began a rebellion against unjust societal prejudices. The challenges of her new task fascinated her, as did the eventual opportunities of the medical field to escape societies sexual restrictions. With a single-minded determinedness, she clamped down on her dislike of ugly things to study medicine to improve the conditions for women in the future. In order to achieve thisShow MoreRelatedEssay on Elizabeth Blackwell3031 Words   |  13 Pagesalways receive equal pay for equal work as their male co-workers. That was true in the 1840’s when Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. That shows amounts of moral courage that many of us could n ever achieve. Elizabeth Blackwell was born on Feb. 3, 1821, in Bristol, England. She was the third of nine children born to Samuel and Hannah Blackwell. They were known to be considerate people. Samuel owned a sugar refinery business and taught allRead More Elizabeth Blackwell Essay661 Words   |  3 Pages Elizabeth Blackwell amp;#9;Elizabeth Blackwell was a great woman. She was the first woman to receive a Medical degree in America. She opened an Infirmary for women and children in New York.Elizabeth Blackwell was born on February 3 1821 in Bristol, England. But was raised differently then most children at this time. See women were treated differently than men. Women were given little education and were not allowed to hold important positions. They were not allowed to be doctors, bankers, or lawyersRead More Elizabeth Blackwell Essay examples458 Words   |  2 Pages When Elizabeth Blackwell graduated from Geneva Medical School in 1849, she became the first woman doctor in the United States. When she enrolled in the Medical Register of the United Kingdom, this made her Europe’s first modern woman doctor. Elizabeth Blackwell was born in 1821 in Bristol, England. She was one of nine children and her father was a very prosperous sugar refiner. Her family immigrated to New York City in 1832. Her family was very active in the abolitionist movement in New YorkRead MoreElizabeth Blackwell s First Woman Physician1187 Words   |  5 PagesElizabeth Blackwell No woman, man, or child would have guessed that the female child born on February, 3rd, 1821 in Bristol, England would later become the world s first woman physician. Elizabeth Blackwell’s early and later life involves more accomplishments than most other women in the world. Her influence on others has made ordinary women become extraordinary physicians. Elizabeth’s journey to become a physician all started when she was 24 years old. Even from a young age Elizabeth was alwaysRead MoreWomen s Education : Emma Willard And Elizabeth Blackwell809 Words   |  4 PagesJordan Gold US History 8 Ms. Saunders December 6, 2014 Women’s Education: Emma Willard and Elizabeth Blackwell In the early 1800s, both boys and girls attended public schools, but girls and women had fewer educational opportunities than males. Girls were not usually encouraged to go to high school unless they planned on being school teachers. They were also not encouraged to study subjects such as history, mathematics, or science, as these were considered male subjects. Most people believedRead MoreAn Annotated Bibliography Of Jane Austen s Pride And Prejudice 1561 Words   |  7 Pagesand Prejudice: An Annotated Bibliography Thesis: Throughout the text of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen challenges gender and social norms in the Georgian Era through the development of Elizabeth Bennet as she interacts with characters in the novel. Greenfield, Susan C. THE ABSENT-MINDED HEROINE: OR, ELIZABETH BENNET HAS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦A THOUGHT. Eighteenth - Century Studies, vol. 39, no. 3, 2006, pp. 337-350,419-420, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Arts Humanities Database, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.http://nclive.org/cgibin/nclsm?url=http://search.proquestRead MoreEssay Olive Kitteridge1471 Words   |  6 PagesElizabeth Strout’s novel, Olive Kitteridge, is filled with stories about the lives of regular people in Crosby, Maine. Throughout the stories, different characters are faced with adversity they are forced to deal with. While some handle their problems well and are able to cope with their hardships, others, even those with good intensions, do not find a happy ending. The story â€Å"Tulips† encapsulates the a recurring theme of the book; life is uncertain and takes us down roads upon which we had neverRead MoreThe American Revolution: The Changing Role of Women Essay1079 Words   |  5 Pagesspoke out against the â€Å"domest ic bondage† of women. Sojourner Truth, a former slave herself, spoke out against both slavery and the restrictions placed on women. Soon, a women’s rights convention was held in New York in 1848. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were two female delegates that went to the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London in 1840. However, because they were women, they were denied full participation at the convention. Upon their return to the US, they organized the firstRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1477 Words   |  6 Pagescitizens. The nineteenth amendment is a turning point in history because it granted women the power to vote by prohibiting any United States citizen to be denied the right to vote based on sex (PBS). The Seneca Falls convection in July 1848 led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott, was the first women s rights convention in American history. Men and women from all over joined the three ladies in Seneca Falls, New York to protest the mistreatment of women in social, economicRead MoreEssay on The Women770 Words   |  4 Pagesinstance, Alice Paul organized a parade through Washington D.C. on inauguration day, which supported womens suffrage and also picketed the White House for 18 months. Paul was put in jail for that and started a hunger strike. Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Shanton supported the womens suffrage for fifty years later. Neither of them lived to see the 19th amendment ratified on August 26, 1920. The amendment was ratified under Wodrow Wilson as the President of the United States. Now with the 19th

The Myth Of Im Bad At Math - 898 Words

Today’s expectations are higher than when our parents were in school. Calculus, for example, was considered a college class. Today, colleges expect students to have finished calculus before they apply to college with intent to prove that they can handle higher level classes. http://qz.com/139453/theres-one-key-difference-between-kids-who-excel-at-math-and-those-who-dont/ Intelligence is Malleable http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/the-myth-of-im-bad-at-math/280914/ Purdue University psychologist Patricia Linehan writes: A body of research on conceptions of ability has shown two orientations toward ability. Students with an Incremental orientation believe ability (intelligence) to be malleable, a quality that increases with effort. Students with an Entity orientation believe ability to be nonmalleable, a fixed quality of self that does not increase with effort. 1 Richard Nisbett reports in his book Intelligence and How to Get It, that they were able to convince academic struggling high school students that intelligence is malleable, it can be changed by hard work ,and that they are in charge of changing how they learn. The results were pleasantly surprising, these students worked harder and earned higher grades. 2 Ability through hard work http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/the-myth-of-im-bad-at-math/280914/2/ use this reference instead Intelligence and How to Get It: Why Schools and Cultures Count Richard E. Nisbett W. W.Show MoreRelatedImportance of Calculators1742 Words   |  7 PagesThe use of them plays a big part in excelling in math. With extensive availability, a full range of sizes and styles, and a price range for just about any budget, there really shouldnt be any excuse for not owning a one. There also shouldnt be any restrictions, as far as Im concerned, for the use of calculators in classrooms. I agree with this rule only when the level of math is above learning the four basic operations. Its not about the tedious math involved thats important, its about learning theRead MoreMetamorphoses Within Frankenstein14861 Words   |  60 Pagesien ce that is larger and mor e diverse than that of almo st any oth er work of liter atur e in Eng lish : Mary Shelley’s Franken stein is famously reinterpretable. It can be a late v ersion of th e Faust my th, or an ear ly version of the mo dern myth of the mad scientist; the id on the ramp age, th e proletariat running amok, or what happens when a man tries to h ave a b aby without a woman. Mary Shelley invites speculation, and in the last g eneration 1 has been rew arded w ith a great dRead MoreChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pagesin Book VI of The Republic. Though he holds rather liberal views on education and directly states that children’s lessons should â€Å"take the form of play,† Plato held less liberal views of stories. He would have censored legends and myths which he thought encouraged bad behavior and instead he would â€Å"employ storytellers and poets† who are severe rather than amusing (Townsend 1996). After some centuries, manuscripts for religious education and courtesy books intended to teach rules of conduct were circulatedRead MoreEssay on Change Analysis Chart Postclassical (600-1450 C.E.)8730 Words   |  35 Pageslost fertility-gt; built terraces to get silt from rivers -many settlements in areas suitable for agriculture Culture -priests developed written work -built upon Olmecs -studied math and astronomy -sophisticated calendars(eclipses of sun and moon) and system of writing -invented 0: combine math and astronomy to calculate 365 days in a year -Calendar:solar year(365 days: agricultural cycles), ritual year(260 days -position of day on both calendars predicted what would happen thatRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. 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Turner 97 JNM: Morality and the Rule of Law in the Foreign Policy of the Democracies 100 Notes on DA Koplow: assignment 12 104 CHAPTER 1: National Security Law and the Role of Tipson 1NATIONALRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesIris Vessey, Hugh Watson, Taylor Wells, Bradley Wheeler, Michael Williams, and Barbara Wixom. We have also benefited from several sources of support for our research that have led to the development of case studies for this textbook—including the IM Affiliates program at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, the EDS Corporation, British American Tobacco, SAP-America, Teradata Corporation, the Center for Information Systems Research at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and theRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesfosters financial distress. Successful organizations have managers with well-developed people management skills. In surveys of CEOs, executives, and business owners, results consistently show that the factor most responsible for business failure is â€Å"bad management† and the best way to ensure business success is to â€Å"provide better management.† Moreover, the data are clear, management skills are more important than industry, environment, competition, and economic factors combined. Surprisingly, however

Shakespeare challenges the notion of conventional marriage in Much Ado About Nothing using the characters of Beatrice and Benedick Essay Example For Students

Shakespeare challenges the notion of conventional marriage in Much Ado About Nothing using the characters of Beatrice and Benedick Essay Shakespeare wrote many of his plays to discuss and criticise the society he lived in and the strict regulations that were attached to it. Much Ado About Nothing is a romantic comedy. Without detracting from the obvious frivolity that the audience can see on stage, the play invokes many issues about courtship and marriage and Shakespeare deals with them, Shakespeare uses love and relationships to closely examine and comment on how relationships developed in the society he lived in. Love is the prevalent theme through the play, with the younger characters all in love. The title of the play, Much Ado About Nothing, suggests that love is a major theme, because, at the time, the word Nothing was a slang word for female genitalia. The three couples in the play, Claudio and Hero, Beatrice and Benedick, together with the relationship between the more minor characters of Borachio and Margaret, comments on how relationships does not only affect the couple involved but affects everyone who is close to them. It also discusses the link between the motive of a union and the products that arise from it. The different characters all have conflicting motives. Hero and Claudios relationship is founded mainly on an aesthetic basis and the playwright makes sure that their relationship is tested greatly. Where in one instance, under the strain of a slanderous accusation, Claudio listens to the notorious liar and scoundrel, Don John, over the pleas of his future wife. This breaks their relationship and Claudio jilts Hero at the altar. Margaret and Borachios relationship, symbolises the Upper Classes view of the relationships that the lower classes partook in. This purely physical and animal relationship is a destructive force within the play, as it is their sexual embrace at Heros window that almost destroys the marriage of Hero and Claudio. The only relationship that seems to run into very little problems is the unconventional partnership of Beatrice and Benedick. Despite the fact that the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick seems to be the most unconventional, Shakespeare seems to prefer them. As well as giving the relationship no real obstacles, he elevates their language by putting it into prose, a style of writing which at the time was reserved for holy scriptures, learned arguments and legal documents. No doubt, the church would have been outraged to hear that an unconventional relationship was being put into the same category as the Holy Scriptures. If we compare the language given to Beatrice and Benedick, to the verse used in speech between Claudio and Hero, we can see the elevation of Beatrice and Benedicks relationship and more importantly, the denigration of the relationship of Hero and Claudio. With the criticism of the relationship of Claudio and Hero, Shakespeare is denouncing conventional Elizabethan thought on love and marriage At first the relationship between Claudio and Hero appears to be idyllic. Claudio seems to be attracted to Hero, In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady I have ever looked upon, but within the same conversation Claudio already shows an ulterior motive for a future union, Hath Leonato any son my lord? Claudio asks Don Pedro whether Leonato has any heirs to his fortune. If Leonato had any other heirs, the prospect of marrying Hero would be slightly less inviting, as Hero would not inherit Leonatos estate. Although modern audiences balk at this open show of shallowness, Shakespearean audiences would have found this quite the norm. In relation to Hero herself, Claudio is only interested in the physical attributes of Hero, since he makes no mention of her other possible virtues and attributes. Claudio also does not seem to know much about Hero, thus explaining why he is asking Benedick about her, yet he is willing to marry her. tempmagic Magic in Shakespeare's The Tempest Tempe EssayThroughout the ages, clothing and appearance has been an important aspect in wooing a partner. The changes of appearance of Claudio and Benedick when they are wooing their respective lovers, adheres to the convention at the time. Claudio seems to be taking the convention as if it was gospel, Benedick sees this as slightly hysterical, What fashion will you wear the garland of? about your neck, like an usurers chain? or under your arm, like a lieutenants scarf? You must wear it one way, for the prince hath got your Hero. When in love with Beatrice, Benedick does try and change his appearance, however Beatrice is not impressed. She has already showed her disdain for a man changing his appearance when in love, He who hath a beard is more than a youth: and he that hath no is less than a man: and he that is more than a youth, is not for me, and he who is less than a man, I am not for him The play also deals with the impact on the way women were treated by their male relatives at the time on their relationships. Elizabethan women were merely the possession of their male relatives, however, the steadiest relationship in the play contains two equal partners and Benedick show respect to Beatrice. This is also coupled with the fact that, in part, been initiated by men and women working together. Beatrice fell in love with Benedick due to Hero and Margaret, together with Beatrices involvement in creating Hero and Claudios second relationship. The fear of a change in the way women in society were perceived that was so redolent in Elizabethan times is criticised in Much Ado About Nothing. It appears that Shakespeare is making a damning observation of Elizabethan society. During the dramatic denunciation scene, only Friar Francis, Beatrice and Benedict are even inclined to consider Heros innocence. Friar Francis states this clearly: by noting of the lady. I have marked/A thousand blushing apparitions trust not my age, /My reverence, calling nor divinity, /If this sweet lady/lie not guiltless here, /Under some biting error. A supposedly wise and rational man, Leonato, however, cannot even perceive the innocence of his own daughter. He immediately sides with the male characters, Claudio and Don Pedro and notes that they would not lie: Would the two princes lie, and Claudio lie, Who loved her so, that speaking of her foulness, Washed it with tears? Hence from her, let her die. The misguided perceptions of the male characters were reflective of the views of women at the time. This meant that marriage did not involve the emotions of the woman; she was just a bargaining chip, in the merger between two families. Shakespeare is vehemently attacking this dismissive attitude of time that women being nothing more than possessions, in the play. In the play, only when the man respects hi s woman does the relationship work. Through the magnificent power of Shakespeares hand, a simple story that is truly Much Ado About Nothing, becomes a commentary on the idea of love. True love becomes illuminated through its reflection in its own foil the ideals of courtly love. As William Kittredge said that courtly love must involve a love that is extremely idealised and superficial, with the vassal or servant-like suitor, who is often a valiant knight, devoting himself completely to an ideal woman who is often the daughter of a powerful man. The true relationship of Beatrice and Benedick compared to the relationship of Claudio and Hero, gives the reader not only a better understanding of the power of the literary foil, but also a foil into which that reader can reflect and better understand himself.

McDonalds Financial analysis free essay sample

Liability?Business Strategy Analysis: McDonald’s Corporation is the world’s largest fast-food chain in the restaurant industry, serving on average 69 million customers a day. Their stores are corporate or franchised owned, with franchising being highly beneficial to their success by producing 32% of their total revenue1. McDonald’s is in a highly competitive industry with market saturation because of low barriers to enter. The industry competes on price, quality, and service. McDonald’s faces competition with full-service restaurants and fast-food restaurants in the area. Their main competitors are Burger King, YUM! Brands, and Wendy’s International. The industry has faced scrutiny on the quality of their products because of a more health concise society. McDonald’s strategy for success is based off of cost efficiency, product development, and marketing and promotions. These factors help form the strong brand that McDonald’s is today. Since their establishment with Ray Kroc, they have focused on driving their success from the 3-legged stool principal representing: McDonald’s employees, the owner/operators, and their suppliers2. We will write a custom essay sample on McDonalds Financial analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The stool needs all three to have a good balance in order to function, without either one of the legs success cannot be achieved. All three of them work together to create new products, to reduce costs, and to achieve outstanding customer service. There is commitment in helping all three legs of the stool to succeed. The suppliers play a key role by providing high quality products and forming trusted relationships with them. The franchiser represents McDonald’s by being in control of own operations. They are highly beneficial because they allow McDonald’s to grow at a much faster rater and in new markets to create a global brand. Also, economies of scale can be obtained by offering their products at a lower cost since it is a large scale. McDonald’s has implemented Plan to Win, which features five elements: People, Products, Place, Price, and Promotion, focused on the customer3. The five P’s actions make up McDonald’s brand and provide a framework for prioritizing goals. For People, they looked to their customers and understood patterns have changed with more snacking and drive-thru, thus they responded with products like Snack wraps, and a reconfigured drive-thru. The restaurants were renovated or rebuilt, also price and promotion through the dollar menu4. The Plan to Win is made of three pillars, menu innovation, store renovation, and an upgrade of the ordering experience, which help McDonald’s remain sustainable with their profits. McDonald’s responds to customer’s demands by changing their product line accordingly. When first founded in 1955, they focused on the quality of their products with a limited menu of burgers, fires, and beverages. McDonald’s has shifted this strategy by broadening their product portfolio, with the adaptation of salads and chicken5. Additionally, to compete with Starbucks and local coffee shops, they have launched McCafe, which features high quality coffee drinks. As well as, invest in their current stores of operations to make a more relaxed environment. They need to maintain a modern environment and stay relevant with food trends. The last pillar is to upgrade the ordering experience, which can be accomplished through technological advances with the drive thru and front counter. They can sustain profitable by following the three-legged stool idea, with all three forces working together and implementing the Plan to Win. As long as, McDonald’s continues to follow their successful strategy of a Plan to Win and the three legged stool their return on equity will not revert to its cost of capital. Accounting Analysis: The accounting method of McDonald’s is in compliance with GAAP and its financial statements are easily comparable to other firms with similar accounting policies. From McDonald’s financial statements, the key accounting policies include consolidation, revenue recognition, advertising costs, property and equipment, goodwill, and long-lived assets. The consolidated financial statements include company and subsidiaries, and the consolidation is under equity method. A significant part of McDonald’s operating income is generated outside the U.   S, and foreign currency earned by subsidiary is translated to US dollars. McDonald’s revenue recognition consists of sales by Company-operated restaurants and fees from franchised restaurants. The revenue from Company-operated restaurants is recognized on a cash basis. Advertising costs are included in operating expenses and increased steadily from 2010 to 2012. Property and equipment accounts for a large amount in total asset and are depreciated over straight-line basis. McDonalds goodwill primarily results from purchases of restaurants from franchisees and ownership increases in subsidiaries or affiliates. Impairment tests are conducted for long-lived asset (include goodwill) every year. 6 Generally speaking, McDonald’s accounting methods reflect the firm’s business reality fairly. However, there is still some degree of accounting flexibility in McDonald’s accounting methods. First of all, property and equipment are depreciated or amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life. Property and equipment is McDonald’s largest asset (24,677. 2 million out of total asset 35,386. 5 million for 2012), and McDonald’s could vastly overstate or understate income by using a different depreciation method. Secondly, the impairment practices of long-lived asset also have some flexibility. The amount of goodwill (2804 million for 2012) is substantial. Sometimes the goodwill will become impaired, and the impairment tests McDonald’s adopts will be very important. The company’s depreciation methods and goodwill impairment tests are very important in its financial statements for the numbers are so substantial. Thirdly, McDonald’s also has a lot of flexibility in terms of accounting estimates. McDonald’s adopts GAAP, which requires management to make various assumptions and estimates in different situations. Since estimation usually involves experience and judgment, the accounting methods could lead to some degrees of difference of estimated numbers and actual results. 7 To sum up, McDonald’s adopts accounting methods that are typical of the fast food service industry. The disclosure explains the accounting choices and estimates in detail, and the footnotes are very understandable. We do not find any skeptical information that was not reasonably explained in McDonald’s disclosures so it is not necessary to undo any distortions or restate the financial statements. There was no reason to undo any accounting distortions because we did not find any skeptical information that was not explained in their disclosures. Industry Analysis:There are about 200,000 restaurants in the fast-food industry. Generally speaking, this industry is highly labor-intensive and very fragmented. The top 50 fast food companies account for 25% of total sales. Quick-service restaurants operate through different channels such as national and regional chains, franchises, and independent operators. Besides, most quick-service restaurants use a point of sale system to take orders from drive-thru and registers. Due to the sluggish economic recovery, customers have been cautious about eating at restaurants. To attract more consumers, McDonald’s has to compete with other restaurants through the food quality, variety and customer service. Even though most fast-food restaurants specialize in a few main dishes, they still have to provide customers with a vast variety of products and healthier options to better build their brand images. In the meantime, the fast food industry needs to be convenient and fast to accommodate the fast pace of American lifestyles. 8 Five Forces Analysis: 1. Rivalry among Firms: As one of the leading companies in the industry, McDonald’s has a lot of competitors such as Wendy’s International, Burger King, Yum Brands Inc. , and Harvey’s. The competition in the quick service food quick-service restaurant is very intense. Even under economic recessions, the market will not shrink as much as other high end restaurants so the fast food industry is growing rapidly. 2. Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants in the fast food industry is high because the barrier to create a quick service restaurant is low. In addition, franchise options make it easier to enter the market. The accessible distributions are essential among all companies in the industry, but they are not difficult for new entrants to attain. 3. Threat of Substitute Products: Firms among the fast food industry are competition with similar products such as hamburgers, French fries and chicken wings so the threat of substitute products is relatively high. The industry has tried various product differentiation strategies to make their products stand out in the market. For example, McDonald’ has its classic Big Mac, Chicken Nuggets and Happy Meal to differentiate its brand from other fast food restaurants. Bargaining Power of Customers:Since the switching cost for customers is nearly zero, the firms in the fast food industry have to conform to the society’s needs to retain consumers. For instance, McDonald’s is focusing more on the healthier menu choice to conform to the changing tastes of society. 5. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The switching cost for fast food restaurants to change suppliers is very low. There are thousands of suppliers in the market for firms to choose from. McDonald’s has a huge bargaining power because it can make up a large portion of the supplier’s revenue. The barging power of suppliers is very limited. Financial Analysis: McDonald’s has been increasing their revenue and income, however there net profit percentage has been decreasing from 21% in 2010 to 19. 8% in 2012, which shows there expenses are increasing as well. Attached exhibit 1 has all of the numbers and ratios in more detail. Although, the net profit percentage has decreased it is still well above the S P’s average of 8. 9%. Their large profit percentage can be contributed to the strong relationships with suppliers, by buying products at a lower cost since the quantity is so large. Over the past five years for McDonald’s they have been issuing a high dividend that started off in 2008 at $1. 63 and in 2012 is at $2. 87, showing that they are a mature company. It is reasonable to assume that people would invest in McDonald’s based off of a dividend of this caliber. 9 The strength of McDonald’s compared to the S P average is strong, as seen with sales of $27,567 million to the S P average of $19,937. McDonald’s has high earnings per share at $5. 36 with the average at $3. 19, the different is contributed to the high net profit McDonald’s has. Additionally, the beta for McDonald’s is low at 0. 38 with the S P average of 1. 18. This is reasonable considering the industry and brand of the company because they have strong clientele and the food service industry is a need for customers. They have not been successful in all areas of operation. For example, McDonald’s main competitor is Yum! Brands, Inc. who operates franchise, such as KFC and Taco Bell. They have exceeded McDonald’s market share in China. However, Yum! does have a higher beta at 0. 78 compared to McDonald’s of 0. 38, which results in more risk for the company10. The other competitors for McDonald’s are Wendy’s and Burger King, which still are not comparable in size, as seen in exhibit 3. Wendy’s had sales of $2,505 in 2012 and Burger King had sales of $1,966 in 2012, this shows how much of a larger corporation McDonald’s is in volume. 11 Wendy’s has an extremely high PE ratio of 430. 5, which is attributed to a low EPS of $0. 02. 12 Lastly with regards to McDonald’s financial statements it is important to note their statement of cash flow. As seen in exhibit 4, they have positive operating cash flow, which means they are self-financed. This has remained consistent throughout the past three years with the most significant changes in their liabilities. They have increased their investing activity from ($3,167,300) in 2012 to ($2,570,900) in 2011. This is associated to the large renovations and new technology that McDonald’s has been implementing in their stores. Also, in the financing section they have continued to be paying a large dividend. Forecasting:We based our forecasts on two principle models; the eVal DataMaker by Lundholm and Sloan, exhibit 5 13 and three condensed models based on those described by Palepu and Healy in â€Å"Business Analysis Valuation† exhibit 6.14 The first condensed model used FY 2012 as a starting point; the second one adjusted for recent trends and the third model used average performance rates from 200 8 to 2012. Data was collected from Morningstar. com and occasionally from McDonald’s financial statements. Several assumptions were made for the expanded forecast, as shown in exhibit 7. The most important being the steady 2-3% annual growth in sales and the flat continuation of the CGS and effective tax growth rates. This ensured a very small but steady growth pattern on the Income Statement. On the Balance Sheet, working capital is assumed to continue growing at the same rate through 2016 and finally the dividend payout ratio is expected to decrease annually. Similarly modest assumptions were made to the three condensed models with the exception of the model based on trends. Past and current trends were more important for the forecasts than comparisons with other firms. While Burger King, Wendy’s, and Yum brands are all competitors, they have significantly different business models. McDonalds is a much larger firm, it has a greater international presence and it also invests heavily in real estate. Positive trends affecting the company include; the company’s shift towards healthier foods which should help expand the product line and attract new consumers, and its advances in technology. McDonalds is currently in the test phase for outsourcing drive-thru’s, which should accelerate service and reduce mistakes. The company is also looking to create remote call centers for customer service. 15 Potential negative trends include; international economic stagnation, an increase in local competitors, and negative publicity towards the fast-food industry. In the U. S. , McDonalds has also faced recent backlash for opposing minimum wage increases. The SP analysts also predict moderate growth for McDonalds but are slightly more optimistic for 2013 and 2014. They estimate total revenues will increase 2. 4% in 2013 but 5. 1% in 2014. Similarly, they predict growth in the U. S. will be affected by rising employment payrolls. They felt stagnation would not be global but limited to China and other Asian markets. There was also concern for rising food costs and fluctuating international currency rates, which would negatively impact McDonald’s international sales. 16 Other analysts predict 2013 revenue increases of 3. 7%17 and 2. 8%18 and 2014 increases of 7% and 5.3%. Overall, the key strategic drivers are business line expansions and macroeconomic trends and the most important changing metric is future sales. The forecasts and â€Å"hold† stock recommendations suggest McDonalds should consider adjusting its’ business strategy. As a company that has the ability to expand/contract rapidly and as a company that inv ests heavily in real estate, one suggestion might be to focus on building in developing economies. These areas would have rapidly appreciating real estate, access to a relatively cheap workforce, and social environments that might be more amenable to fast food. In countries, which have embraced health food trends, McDonalds could look at partnering with local farms and use its large economies of scale to offer cheaper local, healthy product options. Valuation: Based on the opinion of SP, the fair value of McDonald’s is $88. 40. In that way, McDonald’s is slightly overvalued by $8. 97 or 9. 2%. In order to better evaluate the McDonald’s, we use two different valuation models to come up with the value: Discounted Cash Flow and Residual Income Valuation Model. Discounted Cash Flow: The discounted free cash flows model uses WACC to figure out the value. Our WACC for McDonald’s is 0. 07. The sensitivity analysis indicates that if the growth rate of WACC is changed, the estimate of the price will also change substantially. Under the DCF model, McDonald’s is valued at $69. 2, which indicates that the company is overvalued. Residual Income Valuation Model: The residual income value model sums up the current book value, forecasted residual income for the next 10 years, and the present value of residual income for next 10 years. The present value of the firm was calculated by using our forecasted earnings and dividends. According to the residual income model, McDonald’s is valued at $66. 11 so it is overvalued.

Violation of Social Norms essays

Violation of Social Norms essays My mother always told me that there are things that you just dont do. For example, horsing around in Church, being loud and yelling at the table or in public, picking your nose, etc. While your mother may have simply called this behaving, sociologists call these things social norms. Social norms are defined as the implicit or explicit rules a group has for the acceptable behaviors, values, and beliefs of its members. In laymans terms, social norms are like an everyday code of conduct that determines how you behave in certain situations. Social norms are often very strictly enforced and offenders are often ostracized or outright rebuked for their conduct. Also, such norms are more rigorously held to in certain situations than in others. For example, it is a social norm that people should be decently covered in public, but a woman wearing a swimsuit and shorts into McDonalds is less likely to be ostracized than a woman wearing the same outfit in a Church service or at a funeral. Since, depending upon your personality, violating minor social norms can be fun, and since I was required to do it, I decided to violate the norm of personal space and see what came of it. America is an individualistic culture and as a result, personal space is so revered, it is almost a religion in itself. All of this means that Americans take violations of that space quite seriously. I set out to test this hypothesis by experimenting with interpersonal space violations in different situations. I engaged in several abnormal behaviors such as sitting next to someone on a nearly empty bus, coming into a public restroom and standing next to another person, rather than a few stalls down, and finally, talking to people face to face from very short distance. The reactions I received varied in their nature and in their strength, but in all cases there was at least some response. The ...

Battle of Long Island in the American Revolution

Battle of Long Island in the American Revolution The Battle of Long Island was fought August 27-30, 1776 during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Following his successful capture of Boston in March 1776, General George Washington began shifting his troops south to New York City. Correctly believing the city to be the next British target, he set about preparing for its defense. This work had commenced in February under the guidance of  Major General Charles Lee and continued under the supervision of Brigadier General William Alexander, Lord Stirling in March. Despite the efforts, a lack of manpower meant that the planned fortifications were not complete by late spring. These included a variety of redoubts, bastions, and Fort Stirling overlooking the East River. Reaching the city, Washington established his headquarters in the former home of Archibald Kennedy on Broadway near Bowling Green and began devising a plan to hold the city. As he lacked naval forces, this task proved difficult as New Yorks rivers and waters would permit the British to outflank any American positions. Realizing this, Lee lobbied Washington to abandon the city. Though he listened to Lees arguments, Washington decided to remain at New York as he felt the city possessed significant political importance. Armies Commanders Americans General George Washingtonapprox. 10,000 men British General William Howeapprox. 20,000 men Washingtons Plan To defend the city, Washington divided his army into five divisions, with three at the south end of Manhattan, one at Fort Washington (northern Manhattan), and one on Long Island. The troops on Long Island were led by Major General Nathanael Greene. A capable commander, Greene was struck down by with fever in the days before the battle and command devolved to Major General Israel Putnam. As these troops moved into position, they continued work on the citys fortifications. On Brooklyn Heights, a large complex of redoubts and entrenchments took shape that included the original Fort Stirling and ultimately mounted 36 guns. Elsewhere, hulks were sunk to deter the British from entering the East River. In June the decision was made to construct Fort Washington at the northern end of Manhattan and Fort Lee across in New Jersey to prevent passage up the Hudson River. Howes Plan On July 2, the British, led by General William Howe and his brother Vice Admiral Richard Howe, began arriving and made camp on Staten Island. Additional ships arrived throughout the month adding to the size of the British force. During this time, the Howes attempted to negotiate with Washington but their offers were consistently rebuffed. Leading a total of 32,000 men, Howe prepared his plans for taking New York while his brothers ships secured control of the waterways around the city. On August 22, he moved around 15,000 men across the Narrows and landed them at Gravesend Bay. Meeting no resistance, British forces, led by Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis, advanced to Flatbush and made camp. Moving to block the British advance, Putnams men deployed onto a ridge known as the Heights of Guan. This ridge was cut by four passes at Gowanus Road, Flatbush Road, Bedford Pass, and Jamaica Pass. Advancing, Howe feinted towards Flatbush and Bedford Passes causing Putnam to reinforce these positions. Washington and Putnam hoped to entice the British into mounting costly direct assaults on the heights before pulling their men back into the fortifications on Brooklyn Heights. As the British scouted the American position, they learned from local Loyalists that Jamaica Pass was only defended by five militiamen. This information was passed to Lieutenant General Henry Clinton who devised an attack plan using this route. The British Attack As Howe discussed their next steps, Clinton had his plan for moving through Jamaica Pass at night and flanking the Americans put forward. Seeing an opportunity to crush the enemy, Howe approved the operation. To hold the Americans in place while this flank attack was developing, a secondary attack would be launched near Gowanus by Major General James Grant. Approving this plan, Howe set it in motion for the night of August 26/27. Moving through Jamaica Pass undetected, Howes men fell upon Putnams left wing the following morning. Breaking under British fire, American forces began retreating toward the fortifications on Brooklyn Heights (Map). On the far right of the American line, Stirlings brigade defended against Grants frontal assault. Advancing slowly to pin Stirling in place, Grants troops took heavy fire from the Americans. Still not fully grasping the situation, Putnam ordered Stirling to remain in position despite the approach of Howes columns. Seeing disaster looming, Washington crossed to Brooklyn with reinforcements and took direct control of the situation. His arrival was too late to save Stirlings brigade. Caught in a vise and fighting desperately against overwhelming odds, Stirling was slowly forced back.   As the bulk of his men withdrew, Stirling led a force Maryland troops in rearguard action that saw them delay the British before being captured. Their sacrifice allowed the remainder of Putnams men to escape back to Brooklyn Heights. Within the American position at Brooklyn, Washington possessed around 9,500 men. While he knew that the city could not be held without the heights, he was also aware that Admiral Howes warships could cut his lines of retreat to Manhattan. Approaching the American position, Major General Howe elected to begin building siege lines rather than directly assaulting the fortifications. On August 29, Washington realized the true danger of the situation and ordered a withdrawal to Manhattan. This was conducted during the night with Colonel John Glovers regiment of Marblehead sailors and fisherman manning the boats. Aftermath The defeat at Long Island cost Washington 312 killed, 1,407 wounded, and 1,186 captured. Among those captured were Lord Stirling and Brigadier General John Sullivan. British losses were a relatively light 392 killed and wounded. A disaster for American fortunes in New York, the defeat at Long Island was the first in a string of reverses which culminated in the British capture of the city and surrounding area. Badly defeated, Washington was forced retreat across New Jersey that fall, finally escaping into Pennsylvania. American fortunes finally changed for the better that Christmas when Washington won a needed victory at the Battle of Trenton.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 112

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program - Essay Example The therapist is a challenge, enabling people of all ages to lessen to a greater or smaller degree or to completely overcome those disabilities that hamper their ability to live and work independently. I work as a nurse’s aide taking care of patients and assisting them in their daily living. It gives me immense satisfaction to see patients recover and go back to the productive, satisfying and meaningful lives that were impeded by disability. This field has attracted me and I want to get to the next level in my chosen field, hence my application to Harcum College for the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. Harcum College attracted me because of the student-centric strategies used for teaching and the flexibility of the program. I am also looking forward to the exposure I shall get to new methods that enable occupational therapists to increase their success rates. I should also like to learn to work in different environments that give a broader perspective of the field and e nable me to work with patients with different disabilities and in varied age groups. The exposure that I will get as a result of coming into contact with people who have worked in environments different from those that I have experienced; will I think to improve my understanding and skills in dealing with a wide variety of patients. I look forward to working with settings that I have not worked before that will give me a chance to learn new techniques and hone my existing skills. Health has always been considered man’s greatest wealth. I think good health is the key to a door that opens innumerable opportunities. It will give me immense satisfaction if I can in some measure help people overcome their disabilities.  

Global Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Marketing - Assignment Example Today the global economy is as turbulent as it gets. The economies of the western developed nations are still felling the wrath of the economic down turn of 2008. Therefore a lot of companies belonging to countries like U.K. or U.S. are looking to set up business in the emerging economies which includes the brics and mitsk countries such as India, China, Mexico, Brazil etc. (Ghauri and Cateora, 2010, p. 141). The present study has been done in lieu to analyze the internationalization process of a product which is actually not present in a targeted or host nations. Such circumstances would provide scope for a thorough understanding about the fundamental yet extremely aspect of setting up a business in an international market. During the course of the study various important concepts related to the international marketing such as the market attractiveness analysis, analysis of potential threats and opportunities and threats, evaluation and selection of appropriate market entry strategy , market segmentation, targeting and positioning has been discussed. Product Choice As per the pre-defined project criteria the company to be discussed has been chosen as Innocent Drinks. The company was founded in 1999 by Adam Balon, Richard Reed and Jon Wright. All of them were Cambridge University graduates. The main product produced by the company includes crushed fruits, vegetables and juices. The fruit juices provided by the company are mainly known as smoothies who are usually provided to the customers in small bottles and big cartoons. The ingredients used include apple, topical, mango, apple, berry, and other vegetables such as carrots, ginger, etc. In 2009, the company announced the decision to sell 10-20% of stake to the soft drinks giants Coca-Cola. On February of 2013 coca-cola increased the stake to 90%. The decision to internationalise Coca-cola becoming the majority stake holder provided a lot of opportunity for the company to global. The company already has internat ional presence in the form of countries such as Ireland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, etc. However, the company does not have any significant presence in Latin America and U.S. Deciding which market to enter While deciding the appropriate choice of the markets come to mind including North American, Latin American countries and also Asian Countries. Among these Asian countries would most definitely be an interesting choice. But it has to be said that while entering the Asian market two diverse factors would be the extreme geographical and cultural differences. Also although the hot and humid conditions of countries like India looks to be tailor made for the launch of such products; idea gets eliminated on the count that the product is already present in India. Hence the next choice to look forward would be the Latin American nation. Among these the top two contenders would be Mexico. Despite of the recent economic downturn the country has witnessed a steady growth in the GDP sinc e 2010 till present by 5.5%. The GDP per capita happens to be $15,782 at the end of the last fiscal year. According to a research conducted by just-drinks, the Mexican soft drinks industry grew by 3.7% in the last year and is expected to reach a value of $15.18bn by 2014. From 2008 to 2012 there also happens to be a steady growth in the disposable income of the people in Mexico. The demand for

The Statistical indicators of DSL Subscribers Essay Example for Free

The Statistical indicators of DSL Subscribers Essay The repeating sentences: 2nd repeat: United States and Japan are losing export market shares and new actors are emerging such as Hungary, Finland and Czech Republic. Page 3. Change to Due to the fact that United States and Japan are losing a number of their export market shares, their Balassa index has subsequently decreased. In addition to this, Hungary, Finland, and Czech Republic, as new actors, has much potential with regard to their Balassa index. The RCA index presents information about a country’s comparative advantage in ICT exports of goods and table below makes obvious each country’s gain or lost comparative advantage in ICT export through changes of RCA. RCA equivalent 1 indicates an identical export structure; RCA above 1 indicates relative specialization, while RCA below 1 means a countrys de-specialization. Page 4: kindly delete this paragraph because the term â€Å"RCA† has already been explained and there is no need to introduce this again. Price is consistently a very important issue. Nowadays the supply side hat vast influence of price and it is one of the largest barriers to purchase of broadband service. The Statistical Indicators: In this section, descriptive statistics will be used to describe the characteristics of the data set regarding the DSL subscribers. Different statistical measures will be used and will be introduced in the following sections. Measures of Central Tendency: The value for the mean of the data set is equal to 3251010.03. This means that on the average, there are about 3251010.03 DSL subscribers in the OECD countries. The Median of DSL Subscribers is equal to 1136709.50. This is the middle of the data set which means that half of the OECD countries have DSL subscribers above 1136709.50 and the other half has less than 1136709.50 DSL subscribers. The computed value for the Mode of DSL Subscribers is equal to 60024.00. This means that a number of OECD countries has this much DSL subscribers, more specifically the countries of . Measures of Variability: The standard deviation describes the degree of spread in the data set. If the data lies close to the mean, then the standard deviation is small. The standard deviation for the number of DSL Subscribers is 4645295.15. It shows the amount of deviation from the mean (3251010.03). Apparently, the value of the standard deviation is far from the mean and this shows that the data set has a high degree of spread. The largest number of DSL Subscribers is 19031154.00, which is in the United States, and the smallest number of DSL Subscribers is 60024.00, which is in Luxembourg. Computing for the range, which is the difference between the largest and the smallest value, the result is 18971130.00. This also indicates the degree of spread in the data set since the largest value and the smallest value is far from each other as indicated by the big difference in their range. The value for the Skewness of the data set is 2.08. It means that the distribution of the number of DSL Subscribers is referred to an asymmetric tail extending out to the right or skewed to the right. Correlation between the number of DSL Subscribers and the Monthly Charge In order to find the correlation between the Monthly Charge and the number of DSL Subscribers, the Pearson’s correlation is used.   The results show that the Pearson’s coefficient has a value of -0.355 for these two variables. It shows that the relation between Monthly Charge and the number of DSL Subscribers is negative and it implies inverse association. P-value is equal to 0.027. The P-value is smaller than 5%, which means that there is a correlation between the two factors but with the coefficient less than 0.5, the correlation is said to be weak. The graph below shows the negative relation between the number of DSL subscribers and the Monthly charge. It means that countries with lower Monthly charge have more DSL subscribers. The distribution of countries in the graph is expansive and far from the correlation line. It reaffirms the previous conclusion that the correlation is not strong. Correlation between the number of DSL Subscribers and the Speed of Connection The Pearsons correlation is used to find a correlation between the number of DSL Subscribers and the Speed of Connection. The Pearson’s coefficient is equal to 0.5. With the said value, it can be concluded that there is a positive correlation between the variables Speed of connection and the number DSL Subscribers and it implies direct association. The computed P-value is equal 0.002. Because this value is between 0 and 0.5, it means that there is a direct relation between the two factors where countries with higher connection speed have more DSL subscribers. The graph below shows that there is direct relationship between the number of DSL subscribers and the Speed of Connection. It shows that in countries where the Speed of connection is higher, there are more DSL Subscribers. Correlation between the number of DSL Subscribers and the Monthly Charge and Speed of Connection The possible value for Regression’s coefficient is between 0 and 1. If it is 0, then there is no correlation between factors of regression. If it is equal to 1, then the correlation is perfect. Also, the result of the analysis regression’s coefficient near 1 shows strong correlation. The regression coefficient for measuring the correlation between two variables will be computed. These variables are the Monthly Charge and Speed of Connection as the independent variables and the dependent variable which is the DSL subscribers. The result shows that the regression coefficient value is equal to 0.574. It shows that there is a correlation between Monthly Charge and Speed of Connection with the number of DSL subscribers and this relation is . There is another Index that will be used which is the R2. It is between 0% and 100%. It shows the percentage of change in the independent variables (Monthly charge and Speed of Connection) in relation to the change in dependent variable (number of DSL subscribers). It determines the influence that the independent variables (Charge and Speed) have over the change in the number of DSL Subscribers. The R2 for the current variables is 0.330. It means that 33% of change in the number of DSL Subscribers can be attributed to Monthly Charge and Speed of Connection and rest is from other variables. In addition to this, it is necessary to compute for the Beta Index. This Index determines the influence of each of the two independent variables, Monthly Charge and Speed of Connection. The value of Beta for Monthly charge is negative, which is -0.286. The value of Beta for Speed of Connection is 0.457. Upon a comparison of the value of Beta for the two independent variables, it could be said that the influence of Speed on the number of DSL Subscribers is more significant than the influence of Monthly Charge on the number of DSL Subscribers. In addition, the negative Beta Index of Monthly charge on DSL Subscribers means that as the Monthly Charge decreases, the number of DSL Subscribers increases. The graph below shows this regression. Correlation between number of DSL Subscribers and the Monthly Charge in Middle East The rate of Broadband penetration in Iran and Middle East is insignificant. The table below shows the Broadband penetration in Middle East. -Correlation between the number of Broadband Subscribers and ICT Export in Middle East The data on hand shows that the Pearson’s coefficient value of the number of Broadband Subscribers and ICT Export is equal to .939. It shows that the correlation between number of Broadband subscribers and ICT export is very strong. P-value is equal to 0.000, which means that there is a correlation between Broadband subscribers and ICT export. The Regression’s Coefficient is 0.993 which means that the correlation of the two variables is strong since the value of 0.993 is close to 1. In addition to this, the R2 value is equal to 0.98. It means 98% of the change in the number of Broadband Subscribers in Middle East is related to ICT Export. The graph below shows this regression.    The result can be considered for countries with available data. Due to the fact that there are not many countries with Broadband subscribers, the result cannot hold true for all Middle East countries. -Correlation between number of DSL Subscribers and ICT Export in OECD The variables number of DSL Subscribers and ICT Export in OCED countries is also subjected to the computation for Pearson’s correlation. The P-value is equal to 0.153, which is greater than 5%. It means that there is no correlation between DSL subscribers and ICT export in OECD countries. The value for the Regression’s Coefficient is 0.267 which means that there is a correlation but it is not too strong. The R2 value for the variables is equal to 0.072. It means only 3% of the change in the number of Broadband Subscribers in OECD countries is related to ICT Export. It supports the idea that there is no correlation between DSL subscribers and ICT export. The graph below shows this regression. Iran is the second largest oil producer among the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC). Furthermore, it has the worlds second largest reserves of natural gas. This chapter analyses the ICT situation in Iran and it will evaluate the Internet and Mobile penetration in the Middle East region. The research tries to identify the obstacles for development of ICT in Iran and to serve as a basis in the proposal of new policies. There are many active companies competing in the DSL arena in Iran. The major companies and their activities are listed below: Almost all of the governments of Middle Eastern countries control the communication and information media services. Internet access is especially subjected to many restrictions. Some of the most important restrictions are (a) Religious restrictions, (b) Political restrictions, (c) Language restrictions, (d) Speed limitations, (e) Cost of service, (f) Technical problems (disruptions in connectivity). The reasons for most of these problems are the incompatible infrastructures, lack of skill for supporting services, scarcity of local websites, insufficiency for applied economy and life. There are some other local obstacles in each country that complicates the infiltration of Internet access. The table below shows the population and internet users. Moreover, the percentage of the total population with internet access will also be shown. Figure below presents the number of internet users. Iran has the most number of internet users and Bahrain and Iraq have the least number of internet users. The comparison between internet penetration in 2000 and 2005 in this region shows that the growth of all countries is notable. The total growth of Internet users in Middle East from 2000 to the latest data available is 491.4%.   Each country showed an increase in their rate of access to Internet by at least 100%. The figure below displays the percentage of population with access to Internet. The internet user share of population in Israel is the highest while the corresponding shares in Iraq and Yemen remained to be very low. As Figure 2 shows, 51% of Israel’s population have access to internet. United Arab Emirate with 36%, Qatar with 27%, Kuwait with 25%, and Bahrain with 21% followed Israel in the list. Other countries do not enjoy the same privileges where only a low percentage of the total population have access to the internet. The share of Internet users in each country to the aggregate sum of Internet users in Middle East is calculated in the table below. Internet penetration and population of each country can influence the share of Internet users to the sum of Internet users in the Middle East. However, the table below demonstrates the level of interest of each country to communicate with other countries in economic and cultural aspects. The results show that in 2005, Iran has almost 39% of Internet user in Middle East. Israel with 19%, Saudi Arabia with 13%, and United Arab Emirates with 7% has more contributions to assemble total Internet users in Middle East. Figure below displays the share of each country in total Internet users of Middle East. The figure below shows correlation between Mobile population coverage and GDP per capita. The Pearsons correlation is used to find a correlation between GDP and Internet user, GDP and Mobile user, GDP and Fixed telephone. The value of Pearson’s coefficients and the value of P-values show no relationship between GDP and three factors. The GDP does not have any influence in the penetration of Internet, Mobile, and Fixed telephone in the Middle East. The graph below shows a negative relation between the number of DSL subscribers and Monthly charge. It means that countries with lower Monthly charge have more DSL subscribers. The distribution of countries in the graph is very wide and far from the correlation line, which means that correlation is weak.   The Pearsons correlation is used to find a correlation between the variables Population and Internet Users. The Pearson’s coefficient is equal 0.784. It shows that the relationship between Population and Internet users is positive and it implies direct association. P-value is equal to 0.001 and the value is between 0 and 0.5. It means there is a direct relation between two factors. The graph below shows that there is a direct relationship between Population and Internet users. It shows that countries with more population tend to have more Internet users. The Graph below shows this regression. The Regression’s Coefficient is 0.784 and R2 is equal 0.614. It means 61% of the change in the number of Internet Users in Middle East countries is related to population. The graph below shows the relation between all variables. Relationship of each variable in the distribution’s Matrix is determined with other variables in Matrix through the row and column.

A Separate Peace :: Free Essay Writer

What point of view does each character show in regards to their attitude to the war? The war is a symbol of how things are not always what they seem. Recruiting posters and propaganda to join the army convinced many boys into thinking the war is an exciting adventure. â€Å"The characters Gene, Finny, and Leper are used as opposing forces struggle between that cold reality of war and a separate peace†(Brian, Gatten), A peace away from the real war and all the terrible things that come. The attitudes towards war of Finny, Gene and Leper reflect their approach to life. Finny does not face the reality in life nor the war, Leper (stands on the sidelines) is isolated from life and the war, while Gene is a follower in life and the war. Finny does not face the reality in life nor the war by, finny first begins to create games. Because Phineas cannot face the reality of the real war. For him, these games are representative of the war. Finny made up these games and he made it so that he could be in control. This is just like Finny ‘s world of separate peace. Also finny does not fully understand the impact of war on people. He does not understand that war kills people physically and mentally. He also does not understand how it affects a person’s life. Finny is not present for the beginning of the fall session at Devon and as a result, the statement â€Å"Peace had deserted Devon†(knowles, pg. 132). Is true indicates the lack of peace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ the peace that the school had come to know when finny was present.†(Brian, Gatten) â€Å"With the lack of this peace, the door is open for the reality that is war, to enter†. (Brian, Gatten) Finny has his own reality, about the war. That is why he created the games to the substitute for the war. Leper’s attitude towards to the war is that he feels that was does not affect him. Leper is much like Finny because of his innocent, romantic view of the world, he loves nature and especially skiing during the winter. Leper is not popular at Devon due to his oddities, but he does not give any attention to such things. He joins the army after seeing a film about their ski troops although he is not even fighting is the war; he is shocked to find military life to be much different from what he expects.

The Limitations of the Freedom of Speech

Does the First Amendment mean anyone can say anything at any time? No. The Supreme Court has rejected an interpretation of speech without limits. Because the First Amendment has such strong language, we begin with the presumption that speech is protected. Over the years, the courts have decided that a few other public interests — for example, national security, justice or personal safety — override freedom of speech. There are no simple rules for determining when speech should be limited, but there are some general tests that help.Clear and Present Danger Will this act of speech create a dangerous situation? The First Amendment does not protect statements that are uttered to provoke violence or incite illegal action. Justice Holmes, speaking for the unanimous Supreme Court, stated, â€Å"The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the subs tantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent. Fighting Words Was something said face-to-face that would incite immediate violence? In  Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, the Supreme Court stated that the â€Å"English language has a number of words and expressions which by general consent [are] ‘fighting words’ when said without a disarming smile. †¦ Such words, as ordinary men know, are likely to cause a fight. The court determined that the New Hampshire statute in question â€Å"did no more than prohibit the face-to-face words plainly likely to cause a breach of the peace by the addressee, words whose speaking constitute a breach of the peace by the speaker — including ‘classical fighting words,’ words in current use less ‘classical’ but equally likely to cause violence, and other disorderly words, including profanity, obscenity and threats. † Jurisdictions may write statutes to punish verbal acts if the statutes are â⠂¬Å"carefully drawn so as not unduly to impair liberty of expression. Also see  What is the Fighting Words Doctrine? Libel and Slander Was the statement false, or put in a context that makes true statements misleading? You do not have a constitutional right to tell lies that damage or defame the reputation of a person or organization. Obscenity In June 1973 in  Miller v. California, the Supreme Court held in a 5-to-4 decision that obscene materials do not enjoy First Amendment protection. In  Miller v. California  (1973), the court refined the definition of â€Å"obscenity† established in  Roth v.United States  (1957). It also rejected the â€Å"utterly without redeeming social value† test of  Memoirs v. Massachusetts. In the three-part Miller test, three questions must receive affirmative responses for material to be considered â€Å"obscene†: 1. Would the average person, applying the contemporary community standards, viewing the work as a whole, find the work appeals to the prurient interest? 2. Does the work depict or describe sexual conduct in a patently offensive way? 3.Does the work taken as a whole lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value? One must distinguish â€Å"obscene† material, speech not protected by the First Amendment, from â€Å"indecent† material, speech protected for adults but not for children. The Supreme Court also ruled that â€Å"higher standards† may be established to protect minors from exposure to indecent material over the airwaves. In  FCC v. Pacifica Foundation  Ã‚  the court â€Å"recognized an interest in protecting minors from exposure to vulgar and offensive spoken language. Conflict with Other Legitimate Social or Governmental Interests Does the speech conflict with other compelling interests? For example, in times of war, there may be reasons to restrict First Amendment rights because of conflicts with national security. To ensure a fair tri al without disclosure of prejudicial information before or during a trial, a judge may place a â€Å"gag† order on participants in the trial, including attorneys. Placing prior restraint upon the media usually is unconstitutional. In  Nebraska Press Association v.Stuart  (1976),  the Supreme Court established three criteria that must be met before a judge can issue a gag order and restrain the media during a trial. Time, Place, and Manner These regulations of expression are content-neutral. A question to ask: Did the expression occur at a time or place, or did the speaker use a method of communicating, that interferes with a legitimate government interest? For example, distribution of information should not impede the flow of traffic or create excessive noise levels at certain times and in certain places.

Employment Law Compliance Plan Memorandum Essay

The following memo is an Employment Law Compliance Plan for Landslides Limousines. The plan summarizes key federal and Texas State employment laws. This report also includes recommendations and consequences of these laws. Please note that Landslide Limousines is subject to additional laws if the business exceeds employing more than 50 individuals. If Landslide Limousines fails to comply with the laws highlighted in this memo, the company is subject to serious penalties, including hefty fines, lawsuits, and possible prosecution. The federal law requires that all businesses in the United States comply with standard laws. Some of the laws include the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, and the Social Security Act (1935). Additional laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Federal Unemployment Act. It is imperative that Landslide Limousines complies and understands what these laws detail. The EEOC law prohibits any business from discriminating against its employees. Both the EECO and the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division (TWCCRD), mandate that businesses cannot discriminate against any employee based on race, sex, religion, disability, or age (Employee Rights & Laws, 2013). According to the law, â€Å"Employers with 15 or more employees engaged in an industry affecting commerce, employment agencies, and labor unions are prohibited from denying equal employment  opportunities† (Business Employer Requirements, 2013, para. 3). Failure to comply with either of these laws will result in potential lawsuits by employees and potential financial loss for the company. Employees have the right to file a claim against their employer if they believe that they experiencing discrimination. According to the Department of Labor (2013), if the complaint is valid the â€Å"Employee may be entitled to a remedy that will place you in the position you would have been in if the discrimination had never happened. You may be entitled to hiring, promotion, reinstatement, back pay, a pay raise, or reasonable accommodation, including reassignment† (para. 12). The I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification is required for any employee. The Immigration Reform and Control Act, states that the United States employers must verify the identity of all workers (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). Employers must check documentation like identification, social security card, work visa, passport, etc., to ensure that employees are legally able to work in the United States (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). The EEOC and the TWCCRD, work to enforce the law. If a business violates these employment laws, penalties like fines, and possible prosecution will ensue. The Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, or office of Immigration can investigate any business, when they so chose. If errors are found in the I-9 documentation, forms are missing, or if it is discovered that an employer knowingly employs an unauthorized worker, Landslide Limousines is subject to serious penalties (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). Penalties for I-9 paperwork errors can include fines up to $1,100 per employee (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). Studies show that the number of employers, who violate I-9 employment eligibility verification, continues to rise (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). Therefore, it is imperative that Landslides Limousines pays close attention to this. Texas Payday Law is a law that Landslides Limousines needs to be knowledgeable of. The law states that employers are not required to pay employees additional wages for working holidays or weekends (Texas Payday Law, 2013). This is at the digression of the employer. Rest breaks over 20 minutes and lunch breaks exceeding 30 minutes must be paid. Texas law requires that wages â€Å"must be delivered to the employees at their regular  place of work during working hours, mailed by registered mail, or by direct deposit to be received by the employee no later than payday† (Texas Law, 2013, para. 2). Under Texas law, employees can file a claim for unpaid wages. They may do this up to 180 days from when pay is due (Texas Law, 2013). If an employee is laid off, quits or is fired, the employer must pay the employee owed wages by the next pay period (Texas Law, 2013). Employers are not required to pay employees vacation pay, unless this benefit is offered in writing before or during employment (Texas Law, 2013). The Texas Department of Safety Health Consultations (OSHCON) is a program that is available to businesses by the Texas Department of Insurance. Companies with fewer that 150 employees are entitled to a free inspection (Business Employer Requirements, 2013). If companies â€Å"meet the federal requirements, they are exempt from a scheduled inspection for 12 months† (Business Employer Requirements, 2013, para. 1). This is a program that Landslides Limousines needs to take advantage of. All businesses must meet federal requirements to operate legally. Landslide Limousines is eligible for a free inspection because it employs fewer than 150 employees. A free inspection also saves the company money. To comply with Texas child labor laws the company should refrain from hiring individuals under the age of 21. Due to the limited hours that a minor is able to work in the state of Texas, Landslides Limousines should hire individuals over the age of 21, have excellent driving records, and at least five or more years of driving experience. A background check and a copy of employees driving records are needed from the insurance company. The limousine industry requires that employees have flexible hours such as graveyard shifts. This is illegal for anyone under the age 18. Minors are unable to work before 5 a.m., or after 10 p.m. (Chapter 15 Texas Labor Code, 2013). Federal law also states that minors cannot exceed more than three hours of work on a school day. In addition, minors cannot exceed or 18 hours during a school week (Chapter 15 Texas Labor Code, 2013). Employers who violate the child labor law can be charged with a misdemeanor (Chapter 15 Texas Labor Code, 2013). Under Texas State law, â€Å" If an employer violates child labor law, in addition to criminal penalties TWC may assess an administrative penalty against the employer up to $10,000 per violation† (Texas Child Labor Law, 2013, para. 3). To save the Landslides Limousine money, we recommend that Landslide  Limousines refrain from offering employees benefits, until the company exceeds 200 employees. This approach saves the Landslides Limousines money, which allows the company to expand its clientele. Federal law states that employers are not required to offer health insurance benefit plans (Cascio, 2013, p. 477). However, beginning in 2014, â€Å"employers with more than 50 employees, including full time-equivalent employees, who do not offer healthcare coverage and have at least one employee receiving a tax credit for health-coverage premiums will have to pay a penalty of $2.000† (Cascio, 2013, p. 477). Landslide Limousines will need to be aware of this law should employment exceed 50. As Landslide Limousines begins to grow, the company will need to be aware of the laws required for medium and large businesses. The company needs to continue to follow and stay current with all Texas State and federal laws. This will help avoid penalties like prosecution and fines. We recommend that an additional evaluation be conducted at the end of the year. Please let us know if there are any further questions regarding the information provided. The company is more than happy to discuss the above listed laws further in detail. References Business Employer Requirements. Texasopenwideforbusiness.com. Retrieved from: http://www.texaswideopenforbusiness.com/small-business/requirements.php Cascio, W.F. (2013). Managing Human Resources (9th ed.). New York: The McGraw Hill Companies. Chapter 15 Texas Labor Code. 2013. Texasworkforcecomission.com Retrieved from: http://www.hrp.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/childlaborlaws_faq.pdf Employee Rights and Laws. 2013. Texas Workforce Commission. Retrieved from: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/customers/jsemp/employee-rights-laws.html Employee Verification Compliance. 2013. Cmrkmurrah.com. Retrieved from: http://cmarkmurrah.com/lawyer//I- 9_Compliance_Assistance_pa11620.htm Department of Labor. 2013. DOL.com Retrieved from: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/factsheets/wprights.htm#Q12 Texas Child Labor Law. 2013. Texasworkforcecomission.com Retrieved from: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/ui/lablaw/texas-child-labor-law.html#penalties

The truth is essays

The truth is essays The Things They Carried is a thoroughly gripping book with a raw honesty that is absolutely haunting. Aside from the Bible, no book has affected me so deeply. I was not there in the jungles of Vietnam. I was not even alive when the fighting occurred. There are only a few people I know who fought in those far away jungles and rarely do they speak of it. Then I met Tim OBrien. I met him walking through the jungle, pondering Canada, visiting his boyhood home, and remembering his dreams. He told me the truth about Vietnam. He told me the truth but he took twists and turns in his story. He leapt backward and seemed to be going nowhere, but that is just when he would hit me hard and fast with his point. I wondered why he was telling me like this, and then I realized that is was the only way for me to understand. Mere words could take me to the jungle, but it was the dizzying truth that would make me feel the heat and confusion. He made sure I knew, that in war, There is no clarity. Every thing swirls. (88). It was the nature of his memory. I learned about the tangible things that the men carried into and through the jungle. They carried pictures, love letters, steel helmets, and M-16s. There were other things though, things they didnt always pull out and show the other guys. Fear was tucked away somewhere behind their eyes and innocence was carried in but quickly stolen away. The war robbed them of their peaceful sleep and guiltlessness and gave vivid memory in their place. Theyll never forget the surreal images that make up their memories of Vietnam. That is what Tim OBrien and the men of his company carried out of Vietnam. They carried things heavier and more profound than what they came in with. Things like haunting memories and guilt, the look on a friends face just before he was blown to pieces when he stepped on a land mine and shaking dead men ...

Governor in Council Appointments in Canada

Governor in Council Appointments in Canada A governor in council, or GIC, appointee can play one of various roles in the Canadian government. More than 1,500 Canadian citizens occupy these governmental jobs, which range from the head of an agency or commission to the chief executive officer of a Crown corporation to a member of a quasi-judicial tribunal. GIC appointees are employees, earning salaries and receiving benefits like other government workers. How Are Governor in Council Appointees Chosen? Appointments are made by the governor in council, that is, by the governor general on the advice of the Queens Privy Council as represented by Cabinet, through an order in council that normally specifies the term and tenure of the appointment.   The appointments are tailored to each ministers portfolio.  Each minister in the federal Canadian Cabinet oversees a particular department, either solely or in conjunction with one or more other ministers. As part of their responsibilities, the ministers  are responsible for a portfolio of organizations related to their department. The ministers, through the Cabinet, recommend to the governor-general individuals  to administer these organizations, and the governor-general then makes the appointments. For example, the Minister of Canadian Heritage chooses a chairperson to oversee the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, while the  Minister of Veterans Affairs recommends members for inclusion on the  Veterans Review and Appeal Board. Consistent with Canadas ongoing efforts to reflect its national diversity in its government, the federal government encourages ministers to consider gender parity and Canada’s diversity, in terms of linguistic, regional and employment-equity representation, when making governor in council appointments. What Governor in Council Appointees Do Across the country, more than 1,500 Canadians serve as governor in council appointees on  commissions, boards, Crown corporations, agencies, and tribunals.  The responsibilities of these appointees vary widely, depending on roles and placements, and can include making quasi-judicial decisions, providing advice and recommendations on socio-economic development issues, and managing Crown corporations.   Terms of Employment for Appointees Most GIC positions are defined and explained by statute, or legislation. In most cases, the statute specifies the appointment authority, the tenure, and length of term of the appointment and, on occasion, what qualifications the position requires. Appointees may work either part- or full-time, and in both cases, they receive a salary. They are paid within various government  salary ranges depending on the scope and complexity of responsibilities, level of experience and performance. They are eligible for paid and unpaid leave, and they have access to health insurance like other employees. A particular appointment may be for a specific term (for example, one year) or may be indefinite, ending only with resignation, appointment to a different position or removal. The tenure of an appointee is either during pleasure, meaning that the appointee may be removed at the discretion of the governor in council, or during good behavior, which means that the appointee  may only be removed for cause, such as a rule violation or failure to perform his or her required  duties.

Role and Impact of Strategic Thinking for the Competitive Options of Assignment

Role and Impact of Strategic Thinking for the Competitive Options of Anglo American Mining Company - Assignment Example The Ansoff Matrix. (Electronic print) Available at: (Accessed 19th June 2012) 24 List of Figures and Tables Figure 1: A graph representing Profit in Million Dollar against Business Unit in 2010...........7 Figure 2: The Ansoff matrix-business†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 Figure 3: Representation of porter’s diamond†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.12 Table 1: The 2010 profit distribution in various business units of the company†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...6 Role and Impact of Strategic Thinking for the Competitive Options of Anglo American Mining Company Section A Anglo American is one of the globally dominant mining companies. It is an international mining company with operations stretching from Europe through Africa to North and South America among other n ations. It has an employee pool of approximately 100,000. Its portfolio is normally focused on mining and exploitation of natural resources. Some of these natural resources include platinum, diamonds, metallurgical coal and nickel (Jack, 2003, p.55; Runge, 2003). According to BBC business news (2012), the Anglo American management predicts a robust improvement in demand for its commodities as exemplified by 2011 revenues, which showed operating profits increased by 14% to record $11.1bn (?7bn). According to the company director, Rene Medori, the company is expanding iron ore business in West Africa and Brazil (BBC, 2011). This paper discusses business strategies that enables the company attain competitive advantage over its competitors. Strategic Setting A strategy defines short to long-term plan by which the objectives and aims of an organization are achieved. The company has a range of strategic programs formulated to improve performance of the company as well as minimizing the im pact of its operations on the environment. The company also targets to uplifting the lifestyle of the resident communities in those regions where it operates (Campbell, 2007). They develop programs that support innovation and application of new technology. The company has also invested in use of alternative energy such as wind power that accounts for 20% of the company’s energy supply. This prevents shortages or depletion of energy sources like organic fuels. Wind power is more reliable and does not pollute the environment. Values The company culture is determined by value statement. Anglo-American company has six strategic values that guide its business operations, these are; 1. Safety for the employees and environmental welfare: This value postulates that the company cannot maintain enhanced productivity for a longer time without ensuring them of their safety such as protective clothing and insurance schemes. Measures applied in catering for environmental welfare include re habilitation of mines and reduction of sound pollution especially in Africa that provides 76% of the company’s workforce. 2. Accountability; Activities such as corruption or any measure that may result into enticing any parties to get favors. This ensures that the all employees are treated equally

Health History Worksheet Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health History Worksheet - Term Paper Example Paternal grandfather First and last initials: SM Birthdate: 1933 Death date: 1994 Occupation: Retired as Plumber Education: 7th grade Primary language: English Health summary: Occupation: Housewife Education: 4th grade Primary language: English Health summary: He was diagonised with Diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma. She died from an asthma attack. Father First and last initials: JO Birthdate: 1957 Death date: Still alive Occupation: Businessman Education: College degree Primary language: English Health summary: He was diagnosed with diabetes. He died of a heart attack. Father’s siblings- Summary of any significant health issues The father’s 2 brothers have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Maternal grandfather First and last initials: TP Birthdate: 1928 Death date: 2002 Occupation: Army General Education: 8th grade Primary language: English Health summary: He was diagnosed with being obese, and had high cholesterol. He died from stroke. Maternal grandmother First and last initials: AP Birthdate: 1935 Death date: 2008 Occupation: House wife Education: 3rd grade Primary language: English Health summary: She was diagnosed with breast cancer and high blood pressure. She died from heart failure.

State Of Blacks During Jim Crow Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

State Of Blacks During Jim Crow Era - Essay Example The term â€Å"Jim Crow† in the history of America is often related with the rigid segregation or exclusion of Blacks. The word ‘Jim Crow’ actually referred to black character in an old song. The period 1881 to 1964 marked the era of Jim Crow in the American history. Jim Crow era reflects Jim Crow laws separating black from white races in America. Since its inception, the term Jim Crow witnessed extensive usage as an orientation to practices, laws or institution that ascend from physical separation of black people from white people. The major purpose of Jim Crow laws was to separate black from white races as a measure to promote equal treatment (Tischauser 1-3). Jim Crow laws incorporated numerous practices of segregation. Jim Crow laws were primarily aimed at promoting equal treatment to Black African American people but the laws were criticized on several grounds. As a consequence of Jim Crow laws, Blacks were subjected to segregation in courtrooms and cemeteries, on trains and in sanatoriums among others. They were barred from public and private institutions such as restaurants, parks, libraries, public pools and hotels. Jim Crow segregation affected almost all aspects of Blacks. For instance, many courtrooms during Jim Crow era followed specific Jim Crow bibles for Black people and varied significantly from one used for white people. During Jim Crow era, Blacks were confronted with humiliation and dehumanizing practices.

Impact of Community Engagement on Urban Planning: Case Study

Impact of Community Engagement on Urban Planning: Case Study Case Study: Johor Bahru (Iskandar, Malaysia) Essay Topic:  How do the social, environmental, economic and political processes observed within your chosen case-study city interplay with each other, producing distinct spatial outcomes and giving rise to specific planning policy issues and responses? INTRODUCTION Johor Bahru (Iskandar Malaysia), is the main development corridor in the State of Johor, Malaysia which has been established on 30 July 2006 and administered by Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA). The location of Iskandar Malaysia is perfect as South Johor has always been a strategic and important area in the history and development of Malaysia and its surroundings. Today, this well diversified economy, built around Johor’s capital, Johor Bahru, and its surrounding areas, has made South Johor Malaysia’s the second most important metropolitan. Johor Bahru is well connected with its outlaying urban centres and residential townships, in particular Pasir Gudang, Tebrau, Tampoi, Skudai and Kempas, as it is surrounded by Jalan Lingkaran Tengah (Inner-Ring Road). It is also a major employment and financial service centre serving its hinterland. This essay will first look into the definition of community engagement in urban planning and subsequently it will examines the effectiveness of community engagement regarding the approaches in urban planning and development process, specially looking at the development of Johor Bahru (Iskandar Malaysia) Transformation Programs, as the case study. Southern Johor has been able to leverage on its proximity to an international hub and the large markets of Singapore and Indonesia, as well as China and India. It has developed successful clusters around electronics, logistics, food and agriculture, tourism, as well as oil and petrochemicals industries. Moreover, Johor has a rich supply of natural resources and human capital, which will continue to underscore its future prospects. THE INTERACTION The purpose of this integrated synthesis essay is to demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between the four types of processes you studied in the Pillars of Planning module within the same city. Which processes seem to have been dominant in shaping the development trajectory of the city over the past decades and at present? What linkages, tensions and contradictions exist between the four different types of dynamics? The state of Johor is our country’s second most important conurbation thanks to its strategic location that is close to the thriving markets of Singapore and Indonesia, and in the centre of some of the world’s busiest routes. On top of that, it is rich with natural and human resources. In recent years, however, Johor has been facing increasing competition for capital, human resources and ideas, proliferated by globalisation and advancement of technology. In 2005, the Federal Government and the Johor State Government decided to adopt a more focused and developmental approach to the South Johor region. The aim was to leverage on the region’s strengths, including competitively priced land, strategic geographic location, industrial base and connectivity as well as its cost structure, while ensuring that Johoreans continue to enjoy its social cohesion. Based on the key objectives set up for the region, Iskandar Malaysia will: à ¢-  Be international – the centre of transportation, information, quality living, culture, shopping and tourism; à ¢-  Have sustainability environmental objectives are, and will be, given equal consideration to economic and social objectives; à ¢-  Focus on promoting development within the identified growth boundary, development corridors and the existing urban footprint; à ¢-  Have economic growth driven by identified key economic clusters concentrated at identified growth nodes. Based on these principles, the Comprehensive Development Plan for South Johor Economic Region 2006-2025 (CDP) will have the following features: à ¢-  Ensure the rights of the Federal and State Governments under the Federal Constitution are preserved, specifically Johor’s constitutional rights on land matters. à ¢-  Emphasise on sustainable development, conservation of the environment and equitable distribution of the benefits of growth among the local population. à ¢-  The creation of a â€Å"one-stop fast track mechanism agency† where Federal and State Government agencies will work seamlessly to provide a facilitative environment for investors and consumers. à ¢-  The creation of an investor-friendly environment by facilitation of matters related to immigration, education, tax and land as well as close liaison with local authorities. The masterplan will also address some of the key risks that have hampered regional development in the past, including uncoordinated and duplicative development, excessive speculation of value of private assets and potential marginalisation of the local population. ISKANDAR MALAYSIA: COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN Secondly, the synthesis essay should briefly consider how this interplay between these processes produces distinct spatial outcomes or policy issues, which are dealt by particular policy responses (planning or otherwise). A spatial ‘outcome’ can be a specific spatial issue or problem: housing shortage, transport congestion, socio-spatial segregation, environmental degradation, urban violence etc†¦ Examples of policy responses should focus on spatial planning, urban and territorial development policies. How do planning interventions and policies try to address those spatial problems, or mediate between the tensions which arise from the four types of dynamics? Try to stand back from your previous work, and look at the bigger picture: think of the four ‘pillars’ as a whole and what they have taught you about your case-study city. A good way to get started about the essay is to imagine you have a guest who comes to visit your city and who knows a bit about planning and spatial development, but knows absolutely nothing about the city in question. How would you summarize to him/her in 5 minutes what are the key factors, processes and actors which have shaped the urban development of that city? What are the most important problems and issues which planners have to deal with at present? How has government responded to that? In the past, Johor has often times played second fiddle to its more prominent neighbour, Singapore but this is expected to change with Iskandar Malaysia and the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP). Johor Bahru City Centre (JBCC) to play an important role and has been identified as one of the five catalyst development areas in the Regional Land Use Framework Plan. Under the Iskandar Malaysia development plans, the administrative centre for Johor state has been moved to Kota Iskandar from Johor Bahru, allowing the capital city to focus on its role as a transportation hub and the major gateway into Johor from Singapore. CONCLUSION In conclusion, even though the community engagement has an overwhelming response in the western countries such as the United Kingdom, but the response in Malaysia, especially in Johor Bahru is very low. Simultaneously, the government should create more awareness to the local community to raise their interest to participate in urban planning and development processes. Apart from that, the government also needs to explore a much easier approach facilitate the local community to indirectly involve in the planning process in Malaysia. The community engagement approach should be seen in a wider context, and must not only involve the existing approach that has been set in the planning guidelines, but the government also needs to explore new approaches to spread the awareness among the local community. References Aykroyd, V.R. 2012. Exploring Social Media (Facebook and Twitter) as a Public Participation Tool for Design and Planning. Thesis (MLA) The University of Guelph. Baker, S. 2006. Sustainable Development. Oxon: Routledge Bryer, T.A. 2012. Identifying a Model for Effective Public Participation Using Social Media in Urban Infrastructure Projects. [online]. Available from: http://drbryer.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/identifying-a-model-for-effective-public-participation-using-social-media_remarks-for-amsterdam1.pdf [Accessed 31 March 2014]. Chief Minister of Johor. 2013. Chief Minister of Johor Facebook Page: Transformasi Bandaraya Johor Bahru. [online]. Available from: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151556097393173.1073741833.48750023172type=3 [Accessed 31 March 2014]. Government of Malaysia. 2007. Town and Country Planning Act 2007 (Act 1312). Kuala Lumpur: JPBD (Federal Department of Town and Country Planning). Hashim, H. Abdullah, R. G. 2009. Penglibatan Komuniti Dalam Program Pembangunan Luar Bandar: Kajian Kes di Pusat Pertumbuhan Desa Gedong, Sarawak. Akademika, 77(12), pp.41-67. Ho, C.S., et al. 2013. Year 2012/2013 Annual Report the Project for Development of Low Carbon Society Scenarios for Asian Regions. Johor Bahru: UTM Low Carbon Asia Research Center. IRDA (Iskandar Regional Development Authority). 2014. Iskandar Malaysia. Johor Bahru: IRDA. JPBD (Federal Department of Town and Country Planning Peninsular Malaysia). 2010. National Physical Plan-2. Kuala Lumpur: JPBD. Malaysia Law. 2002. Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172). Kuala Lumpur: International Law Book Services. Mansbridge, J. 1999. On the idea that participation makes better citizens. In: Elkin, S. L. Soltan, K. E., eds. Citizen Competence and Democratic Institutions. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, pp. 291-325. Masram, H. 1996. Pencapaian fungsi rancangan tempatan Kes kajian: Rancangan Tempatan Tampoi, Kempas dan Larkin. Skudai: UTM. Mohamad, J. 2004. Meningkatkan keberkesanan penyertaan awam dalam rancangan tempatan. Kawasan kajian: Batu Pahat, Johor. Skudai: UTM. Omar, D. Oliver Ling H.L. 2009. Malaysian Development Planning System: Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan and Public Participation. Asian Social Science, 5(3), pp.30-36. Othman, M. S. 2000. Penyediaan Garis Panduan Perlaksanaan Kerajaan Elektronik (E-Goverment) dari Perpektif Meningkatkan Penglibatan Orang Awam (Public Participation) di dalam Proses Rancangan Tempatan. Kawasan Kajian: Daerah Sentral, Johor Bahru. Skudai: UTM. Rydin, Y. 2011. The Purpose of Planning: Creating sustainable towns and cities. Bristol: The Policy Press. Shirky, C. 2011. The Political Power of Social Media: Technology, The Public Sphere, And Political Change. . [online]. Available from: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~beki/cs4001/Shirky.pdf [Accessed 31 March 2014]. Strange, T. Bayley, A. 2008. Sustainable Development: Linking economy, society, environment. France: OECD Publishing. Tweet. Results for #JBtransformation. [online]. Available from: https://twitter.com/search?q=#JBtransformationsrc=typdmode=photos [Accessed 31 March 2014]. WCED (UN World Commission on Environment and Development). 1987. Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Switzerland: WCED.