Government Censorship Would Damage The Atmosphere Of The Freedom To Ex

Government Censorship would damage the atmosphere of the freedom to express ideas on the Internet; therefore, government should not encourage censorship Thesis: Government Censorship would damage the atmosphere of the freedom to express ideas on the Internet; therefore, government should not encourage censorship. Introduction I. In the Internet community, there is a large volume of technical terms. For this reason, it is first necessary to examine the terminology specific to Internet. 1. The internet is a world wide computer network. 1. Electronic mail (email), which is one component of the Internet, approximates person to person letters, memoranda, notes and even phone calls. 2. Another term that is often used is electronic news (enews/Usenet), enews is a broadcast, free to the Internet medium. 3. The term FTP is also frequently used. File transfer protocol (FTP) started as an Internet archival and retrieval medium, somewhat analogous to traditional libraries. 4. The world-wide web (WWW), which is another component of the Net, can be used to "publish" material that would traditionally appear in journals, magazines, posters, books, television and even on film. 2. It is also essential to give a brief history on the internet. 3.The U.S. government is now trying to pass bills to prevent misuse of the Net. II. In order to understand the need for the ever-growing body of legislation, it is important to explore the controversy, and the current problems involved with the Net as it exists must be introduced. 1. The problem that concerns most people is offensive materials such as pornography. 2. Another crucial internet crime is the stealing of credit card numbers. III. One reaction to this inapplicability has been the "Censor the Net" approach (the censorship bill), we are now to compare its advantages and disadvantages. 1. First, the meaning of "Censoring the Net" must be explained. 2. However, many experts have pointed out that government censorship is not possible. 1. First, it is not fair to exclude the freedom and damage the atmosphere of freely expressing ideas just for the safety of children. 2. Most internet users are enjoying their freedom of speech on the Net, which is supposed to be protected by our First Amendment. 3. Additionally, only a very small portion of the Net contains offensive material, most people do not use the Net for pornography. 4. It must be understood that censoring the Net is technically impossible. 5. While people are concerned about Internet pornography, it should be recognized that pornography is sometimes legal; for example, pornography is legal in video and magazines. IV. There are many alternative measures to government censorship which would prevent misuse of the Net and would have the same effects as censorship. 1. It is very important for parents to provide moral guidance for their children, and parents should have this responsibility. 2. However, at the same time as we carry out moral guidance, we have to come out with some short term approaches to solve the problem in a more efficient way as well. 3. An alternative to government censorship is the technological fix, which would prevent misuse of the Net and would have the same effects as government censorship. 1. One example of technological fix is the "SurfWatch" software. 2. Also, commercial Internet service providers, such as "America Online", allow parents to control what Internet relay chat (IRC) sessions are available to their children. 3. Another technological fix is for parents and guardians to have a separate "proxy server" for their children's web browser. 4. There are no computer programs to automatically and reliably classify material; only people can do it. As a result, while practicing technological fixes, the classification of the contents of the material when posting is very important. 5. Nowadays, most internet users classify their postings with standard categories, and leave signatures at the end of postings. 6. The combination of the installation of censoring software and the classification of materials is a much better solution than government censorship. Conclusion The Internet is a wonderful place of entertainment and education but like all places used by millions of people, it has some murky corners people would prefer children not to explore. In the physical world society as a whole conspires to protect children, but there are no social or physical constraints to Internet surfing. The Internet Censorship Bill of 1995, also known as the Exon/Coats Communications Decency Act, has been introduced in the U.S. Congress. It would make it a criminal offense to make available to children anything that is indecent, or to send anything indecent with "intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass" ("Stop the Communications ..." n.p.). The goal of this bill as written (though not as stated by its

Hindu Creation Myth

Hindu Creation Myth According to Hindu Creation Myth, Brahma is the divine creator of the world, as well as other things in the universe. However, different views on how actually the creation process occurred. The most famous one is recounted in the Vedas. The sacred book runs, â€Å"all living creatures were made from the ghee (purified buter) that came from Purusha† (Gibson and Wootten 48). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hindu Creation Myth specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, parts of Purusha’s body were used to create different objects of the universe. Navel was used to create the earth’s atmosphere, the head was used to create the havens, the earth was made up of his feet and the sky was made up of his ears. Purusha was also responsible for creating the four varnas of Indivian society – the Brahmis, which came from Purusha’s mouth, the Kshatriyas coming from his arms, the Vaishyas that came fr om his thighs, and, finally, Shudras coming from Purusha’s feet. The story of Hindu creation myths differs from Ancient Greek creation myths in a number of facts, including the beginning of the world, and some elements of the creation of the living creatures. The divinity creation also has certain tangible discrepancies. As per the beginning of the world, the Hindu world creation starts with the God Brahma who initiated the beginning of the universe: â€Å"Hindus believe that God, in the form of Brahma, is the creator of the universe and everything in it† (Gibson and Wootten 48). Unlike the Indian version, the Greek world begins with â€Å"an emptiness called Chaos – the yawning gap† (Martin 23). With regard to these creation myths, significant difference lies in using nothingness as the beginning in Greek myths, which is absent in the Indian legends. In contrast, Indians focus on the divine origins of the world which produced all creatures whereas Gree ks refer to emptiness which created divinity. In Hinduism, there was one creature that gave life to all living beings on earth. It has been torn apart to form water, earth, atmosphere, and various social layers of people. In such a way, Hindu myths prove the divine origin of all people, including all varnas. Unlike Hindu, Greek mythology provides an account of creating divine and mythological creations where there is no place for human beings: â€Å"Earth brought forth Ouranos, the Sky, to be her cover and protector and a place for the blessed gods† (Martin 23). Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In Greek mythology, however, includes humans at the end of creation, which underlines the emergent hierarchy with gods at the top and humans in the bottom. However, both myths prove the divine origin of all human beings on the planet. There are different concepts of evil origins on Earth with regard to Greek and Hindu mythology. In particulars, Greek myths show â€Å"†¦there is not principle of evil †¦ but Greek tales acknowledge that there are all sorts of bad influences and misfortunes in the world, including the shortness of human life† (Martin 21). In Hinduism, evil is presented as an opposition to good: â€Å"Hindus believe that Vishni is the preserver of the universe and protects the world from evil† (Gibson and Wootten 16). In conclusion, despite the divergence in creation mythology represented by Greeks and Hindus, there are certain similar points which provide a solid basis to explore the origins of the world. This is of particular concern to the analysis of divinity creation, human beings creation, and conception of evil in ancient world. Gibson, Lynne, and Pat Wootten. Hinduism. US: Heinenmann, 2002, Print. Martin, Richard. Myths of Ancient Greeks. US: New American Library, 2003. Print.

Critically discuss how one method in Media and Cultural Studies Essay

Critically discuss how one method in Media and Cultural Studies presented in term 2 of the module has been applied to an aspect of everyday life - Essay Example In terms of media-oriented cultural studies, and with the onslaught of various media brought about by post-globalization, ethnography have developed several methods that have departed itself from the traditional concept of qualitative research to a more reflexive approach that is more dependent in terms of interpretations, analysis, and assumptions of the researcher (Barker, p. 32-33). This paper is aimed at studying the application of various ethnographic methods through up-to-date, relevant examples of its usage and provides an analysis of each of the methods’ strengths and weaknesses. A classic ethnographic method that has undergone a postmodern approach is participant observation. Traditionally, participant observation involves empirical field work through participation in the day-to-day activities of the object of study with informal interviews towards better understanding of the meaning and reasoning behind the activities being performed. The time frame of study varies but has steadily declined over the years due to the cost and complexity of the method (as cited in Pickering, p. 107-108). With the proliferation of mass media such as television and internet, participant observations have become part of a pop cultural phenomenon not only dedicated in educating people about various cultures of isolated ethnic groups but creating a spectacle out of it. Take for instance National Geographic Channel’s Meet the Natives UK (2007) and Discovery Channel’s Adventures of Mark and Olly: Living with the Kombai (2007). Both television programs are aimed at documenting culture through the eyes of the observers—through their own interpretation of the culture. In Meet the Natives UK (2007), five tribesmen from Tanna in the South Pacific made the journey to Britain to observe and participate on various aspects of the English’ culture. With it, the tribesmen would constantly analyze and compare Britain’s culture [and technology] from their own thus

Significance of Proper Identification of the Market structure for the Essay

Significance of Proper Identification of the Market structure for the Organisaition using the example of The Ritz Carlton company - Essay Example However, consumer electronics industry is experiencing perfect competition and hence it is impossible for companies in this market to fix prices for their products. On the other hand in market with Oligopoly, only few suppliers are there and it is possible for the firms in such markets to control the price and market activities in such market structure. For example, OPEC is enjoying oligopoly in oil market. In monopolistic competition, there could be numerous suppliers; however, only few enjoy monopoly. In smartphone market, APPLE and Samsung are ruling now. Even though companies such as Nokia, LG, Blackberry, and Sony Erickson are there, only APPLE and Samsung have the upper hand. Even though monopolistic market structure is the primary objective of all organizations, it is difficult to maintain supremacy in such markets for a prolonged time. It is almost impossible for Ritz Carlton to think about following a monopoly or oligopoly market structure at present because of the huge capa bilities of competitors. At the same time, it is possible for Ritz Carlton dominate the hotel industry along with prominent competitors such as InterContinental Hotel Group, Marriott International Hilton Hotels and Global Hyatt. Key internal and external factors affecting Ritz Carlton Manpower cost is extremely high in American and European regions compared to that in Asian region. Moreover, global wealth is currently shifting from American and European is not so good for Ritz Carlton. Monopolistic competition helps companies to attain huge profits for a short period and a normal profit in the long run which is evident from the following illustrations. (Monopolistic competition, n. d.). From the above graph it is evident that the arrival of...This paper outlines the importance of proper identification of the type of market where the organization is intending to conduct business. The case of The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, one of the prominent hotel groups, which is planning to expan d into new Asian markets, is under consideration. The increased readiness of overseas countries in recent times in attracting foreign direct investment is helping Ritz Carlton to think positively about market expansion. Since competition is different in different regions, the objective of Ritz Carlton is to identify less heavily competitive service markets across the world. Asia is the rapidly emerging region at present and Ritz Carlton is giving more attention to this region at present. Identification of proper market structure is necessary for Ritz Carlton to excel in emerging markets. Based on the competition in the market, market structure can be divided into four major categories. In markets with perfect competition, the market determines the price whereas in monopoly, instead of market, the company decides the price. In market with oligopoly, only few suppliers are there and it is possible for the firms in such markets to control the price and market activities in such market structure. It is difficult to maintain supremacy in markets with monopolistic competition for a prolonged time. The ability to set different prices to different markets (price discrimination) is one of the major advantages of having a monopolistic market structure. Monopolistic competition helps Ritz Carlton to prove the worth of its products and services to the customers. Moreover, it helps Ritz Carlton to enjoy huge profits for short terms and normal profits in the long run.

Managing Teams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Teams - Research Paper Example Apart from all this factors, the leader of the team is an important and powerful determinant of the success of the team. A leader who is openly cynical, ineffectual, apathetic and interpersonally hostile is less likely to maintain a positive, forward-looking team. A team leader belongs to a team and operates within it. He takes the responsibility of providing vision and mission to the team and sometimes also, represents the whole team to the organization. The main responsibility of the team leader is to ensure that the team is functioning well and also, acts as an involved member of the team (Hayes, 2002). This paper mainly focuses on the importance of teamwork in working environment, leadership and ways of building a leading and effective team. Teamwork in a work environment The use of the concepts like, workgroups and team, within the organization has increased rapidly in the Western Industrialized world. The rise of quality circles and dominance of self- managed teams has come to exemplify this movement throughout the work organizations. These concepts have gained importance due to the lack of customized form of work and flexibility, which have reduced the competitive ability. Teamwork has been introduced in the organizations for effective recruitment and better utilization of the employees in order to achieve organizational goals. Team work has also helped the employees in accomplishing their need by controlling the work environment (Doorewaard, van Hootegem & Huys, 2002). It is not unheard that a successful teamwork influences the success of a business. Kets De Vries (1999) has emphasized on the fact that research has proved that effective teamwork is one of the fundamental elements that facilitates a high performing business. The business that continues to perform successfully is largely dependent on teamwork as it is a significant basis for day to day operations. Increased employee morale, effective and efficient communication, flat management structure, client focus, quality enhancement and productivity are the main aspects of team-oriented business. Research scholars have indicated that many of the organizations described themselves as highly team-oriented but in reality, they need to create team-oriented culture within their organization to gain success. Creating an effective teamwork environment depends on flexibility of the organization, leadership styles and management structure. Scarnati (2001) has proposed that employees are less likely to work in a team unless the purpose, condition, arrangement and structure of the firm support their team effort. Once the team gets established, it is not only the responsibility of the management to nurture the effectiveness and efficiency of the working team, but is also the responsibility of the team members to perpetuate the success of the team. The managers are required to select and employ highly skilled individuals who can contribute to the teams’ environment and lead it to su ccess. Teams are a strategic practice of the management to conduct their business in order to provide flexibility to their employees, under a certain work structure. These individuals are expected to make informed decision within the team, take responsibility

India-US Relations and its Implications for Pakistan

India-US Relations and its Implications for Pakistan Abstract With the emergence of the United States as the most powerful actor in the world, India re-adjusted its foreign policy and began to work more closely with this sole superpower. United States reciprocated by supporting Indias race to achieve the status of a Great Power in the 21st century and striking a deal for extensive strategic partnership. The US Indo strategic relationship, despite the strategic relationship between the United States and Pakistan, could increase asymmetry in the balance of power between Pakistan and India, which might lower the nuclear threshold between the aggressive neighbors. Need for the project To overcome the problems and come up with the proper solutions. Literature review Pakistan and India needs to resolve their bilateral issues on their own. The US have encouraged them to resolve their issues by peace talks but US would not get involved in it. US have importance of its relationship with each of the both countries. They do recognize that for India and Pakistan there are many outstanding issues between them that would be resolved by dialogue. (Cardin, 2016) The US has also opened all doors of military and technology to India, and also encouraged Israel and other allies to do as well. India has been the worlds largest arms importer, for last 8 years and buying over a $100 billion in weapons yearly, two-thirds of which are deployed against Pakistan. Besides, US political and military support encourages India in its aggressive behavior towards Pakistan. It is not likely that Pakistan suffers collateral damage from the United States arming of India against China. The US has imposed formally and informally discriminatory and severe limitations on Pakistans gaining of advanced and dual-use technologies and weaponry systems from the United States or allied sources. US also opposes the defensive response of Pakistan towards Indias build-up: fissile material production, long-range missiles and theatre nuclear weapons. Pressure on China has been exerted not to transfer any advanced weapons and technologies to Pakistan. Unless this scenario is cha nged, the capabilities of Pakistan for conventional defense and the nuclear deterrence against India could be significantly eroded. (AKRAM, 2016) US having tilt towards India in these recent years, Rabbani stated that United States has an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation with India, but it refuses to offer Pakistan any similar deal, casting a doubt on Pakistans utility for the United States at the time when major combat operation have been winded down in Afghanistan. (Raza Khan, 2016) The role of United States in the region has evolved in recent years. The relations between United States and India have been blossomed while the relations between United States and Pakistan have become more troubled. In the past, Pakistan pursued U.S. involvement as a way to internationalize the dispute over Kashmir, whereas India has actively opposed any United States policy interest in a resolution for the Kashmir issue. India has not been desperately welcoming the intervention of United States unless it came with promises to force Pakistan to crack down on groups that attacked India. Meanwhile, most of the Pakistanis probably do not trust U.S. to be an honest broker in regional disputes. (DALTON, 2016) United States interests in the South Asian region, although not vital, but are important and increasing. These interests includes the prevention of a major war or further nuclear proliferation; increasing economic growth, investment   and trade; promoting tough democratic institutions; and cooperating on the issues ranging from enhancing stability across Asia in fighting terrorism and drug trafficking. The end of the Cold War should allow a significant improvement of mutual relations between Washington and both New Delhi and Islamabad which are the two principal South Asian states. But seizing this opportunity will require extra creative thinking and skillful diplomacy. (Rose, 1997) Hypothesis USA shares good ties with Pakistan and India and does not want to create instability between them but India will use its relation with USA against Pakistan. Research Methodology Secondary data, includes books, journal articles and news articles. Objective of Research This research will help in understanding the complexity of the relations between US-India-Pakistan References AKRAM, M. (2016, April 20). The Indo-US alliance. Dawn News. Cardin, B. (2016, June 1). Impact of US-India relations on Pakistan discussed. Dawn News. DALTON, T. (2016). Pakistan: Challenges for U.S. Interests. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Raza Khan. (2016, May 11). Relationship between Pakistan and United States is imbalanced. Dawn. Rose, G. (1997). A New U.S. Policy Toward India and Pakistan. Council on Foreign Relations Press.

Essay --

In mid-20th century western society, preconceptions of male behavior remained inert. Stanley from A Streetcar Named Desire exemplifies rigid stereotypes of an alpha male within American society and Gallimard from M Butterfly juxtaposes with a deep, but thus far unfulfilled, desire for complete dominance over a woman. Society expected men to be exclusive figures of authority within the home, and more generally patriarchal dominants. Stanley, the antagonist in Streetcar, is immediately introduced as aggressive and dominant. It is quickly apparent that he is a man of habit and structure and expects undisputed authority and respect in his household, specifically from his wife. In scene one, â€Å"Stanley heaves the package [of meat] at [Stella]† (Williams 4), barely acknowledging his wife after coming home from work and Stella â€Å"laughs breathlessly†. Stella finds Stanley’s ignorant behavior amusing, which infers that Stanley regularly acts without much regard for his wife. From the first scene, the audience can already discern that Stanley feels superior to Stella and takes her for granted. In scene two, Stanley accepts an enthusiastic kiss from Stella with â€Å"lordly composure† (Williams 29). The suggestion that Stanley is lord-like is significant for two reasons. First, in feudal times lords had sworn vassals that owed full allegiance and obedience to their lords. If Stanley is the lord, then Williams implies that Stella is the faithful vassal doing her duty. Second, aristocratic succession dictates that only men can hold the title of â€Å"Lord† and subsequently the power that comes along with it. Since Stanley is the man, the comparison implies that Stanley has all the power in the relationship and that Stella will never have any power over S... ..., first hinted at with the way he treats his wife, is fully evident after he rapes his sister-in-law. Stanley shows no remorse for the brutish actions he takes to restore himself to power in his house and eradicate the threatening presence of Blanche. Gallimard is reserved, insecure, and submissive by nature. His deepest desire is to play the role of the archetypal â€Å"alpha-male† and dominate a woman completely. Although dominance is against his nature, he refuses to accept that his incarnate fantasy of â€Å"Butterfly† was only a veil of perception that was ironically used to dominate him. Both characters go to sickeningly extreme lengths to attain and preserve the dominant role in their household. But as they were men in the mid-20th century, they were responsible for upholding the patriarchal concepts in society that only accepted men that played the role of a dominant.

Bossini Research

Company background Bossini International Holdings Limited is an investment holding company which engages in retail, distribution, and wholesale of garments. The investment holding company together with its subsidiaries (â€Å"Bossini†) group carries casual wear products for a wide spread age range from ladies', men’s, teenagers’, kids’ and babies' wear products. Bossini was listed in Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in 1993 with a stock code of 592. It was found in 1987 and launched its first retail outlet in 1987 and it expands its distribution network both locally and internationally in the past two decades. Currently, its distribution network contains more than 1,470 stores, approximate 65% of them are self managed stores and 35% of them are franchised stores, covering 36 countries and regions worldwide. With headquarter in Hong Kong, its market covers all over the world. Nevertheless, its core market is the Asia pacific region including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. Its largest flagship store is situated in Mong kok, Hong Kong. Milestone 1987:1st retail outlet opened in Hong Kong 1998:Launched franchising operation 1993:Listed in Hong Kong Stock Exchange 1st retail outlet opened in Mainland China 004:Launched a new product line, â€Å"Bossinistyle†, in Mainland China Present:Over 1470 stores around the world Branding Bossini’s brand value is â€Å"be happy† and it helps promote a positive and optimistic life attitude. The brand color is green and it represents a spirit of growth. Through the colorful products and outstanding customer se rvices, Bossini successfully cultivate a comfortable and feel like home shopping environment. There are mainly five product lines, â€Å"Bossini†, â€Å"Bossinistyle†, â€Å"Bossini ladies†, â€Å"Bossini kids† and â€Å"Yb† and the major ones are â€Å"Bossini† and â€Å"Bossinistyle†. Business Overview Major markets: The major markets for Bossini are Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore and they are in an order from the highest revenue contribution that covers over 98% of total revenue. The Hong Kong and Singapore markets contribute approximate 55% and 9% of the group’s total revenue respectively and they are quite stable. On the other hand, the Mainland China market keeps contributing more from 2008 to 2011 and it is increased from 19% (2008) to 25% (2011) that represents a 10% average yearly growth. For Taiwan market, the contribution decreases gradually from 14% (2008) to 11% (2011). The revenue contribution can be determined by various factors such as geographic economic performance diversity, geographic brand popularity, and resource allocation, opening more stores can bring in more sales. Therefore, we need to have other analysis to help investigate the cause the revenue contribution up and down. Presently, Hong Kong is still Bossini’s primary market and the major revenue contributor; however, the Mainland China market will be the key growth driver in the long run. Number of shops: The speed of opening new stores in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore is stable except the Mainland China. From 2008 to 2011, the direct managed stores has been jumped from 304 (2008) to 456 (2011). This represents a 14. 5% average yearly growth. It is one of the reasons to explain why the revenue contribution from the Mainland China keeps increasing. On the other, although the number of franchised stores also has a significant increase, from 391 (2008) to 521 (2011), the revenue from these stores is trivial comparing to the total revenue. Net sales per square feet: Even though Bossini has opened lots of stores in the Mainland China, the net sales per square feet in 2011 (HK$1,340/sq feet) is still lower than HK$1,500/sq feet in 2008. It implies that even more stores can bring in more sales to the group, but the marginal benefit is diminishing. The sales growth in the Mainland China cannot catch up the speed of opening new stores. There are many reasons to cause this happen and one of the reasons is some stores are competing each others. That means that geographic area might have too many Bossini stores. However, the management still needs to open more stores due to fierce competition by other brands. If Bossini slows its pace to expand, it might lose its business and the net sales per square feet is even worse. Nevertheless, the net sales per square feet in the Hong Kong market performed extraordinary well and it rises from HK$5,700 per square feet (2008) to HK$11,000 (2011). It is very important since Hong Kong is the one the cities with highest rental cost in the world and a strong sales per square feet can help reduce the pressure of high rental cost. Retail businesses are strongly affected by rental cost. Besides experiencing an upturn from the economic recovery, Bossini has adopted different business strategies focusing on branding and marketing initiatives. One of the best strategies is adopted is the co-branded licensing program. For example, Bossini teamed up with M&M’s, classic cartoon figure and TV show character to launch limited edition items and which can add value to Bossini’s products and boost up both its revenue and profit margin tremendously. These campaigns can also strengthen Bossini’s â€Å"be happy† brand value and enhance overall brand awareness. Financial summary Income statement: The Bossini’s gross profit increased 14% from HK$1,190 million in 2010 to HK$1,354 million in 2011 but the gross margin dropped a little from 52% in 2010 to 51% in 2011. It is slightly lower than the last year owing to the expansion for franchise businesses since the profit margin of them are usually low. From 2008 to 2010, the revenue is quite stable, approximate HK$2,290 million per year on average, and it boosts up in 2011 to HK$2,640 million. Due to global recession starting in late 2008, Bossini was doing quite well to maintain its revenue at HK$2. 3 billion and the honor is given to the right move to develop the Mainland China Market. China is one of the few countries that were being hit by the financial crisis the least and thus Bossini experienced a stable growth and strong domestic consumption in the Mainland China. When we take a look of the gross profit, its trend looks similar to the revenue. Nevertheless, when we take a look of the operating profit, it fluctuates more volatile during 2008 to 2011 comparing to revenue and gross profit because the selling & distribution cost and administrative expense are relatively fixed and usually it is hard to be cut even the revenue and gross profit drop. Overall, the revenue, gross profit and operating profit are extraordinary improved in 2011 due to the economy recovery in Asia pacific region. Balance sheet: Bossini’s current asset weights heavily on the total assets. Cash and cash equivalents, inventory and debtors and bill receivable all together represent 90% of the current assets. The level of cash and cash equivalents represents over 80% of the net current assets (i. e. current asset – current liability) which reflects that Bossini has a strong cash position and it does not has any short term liquidity issue. In general, Bossini is a financially healthy company. However, the high level of stock level makes me concern. The average yearly growth from 2008 to 2011 is 21. 5%. As we have discussed before, the revenue is quite stable from 2008 to 2010 and it is not a very good signal that the inventory level is kept rising. The inventory turnover day is 36 days in 2008 and is 57 days in 2011. In another word, it needs almost two months to clear all its stock on hand. Usually, apparel and fashion industry faced with short product life cycles and cannot afford such a long inventory turnover day. Such a high level of inventory might be caused by enormous product variety to meet different geographic preference. SWOT Strengths Overall business – Bossini is innovative and keen to adopt different business strategies on brand building and marketing initiatives such as adopting the co-branded licensing program. Financial – Bossini has a solid liquidity background that reserves enough resource for it to keep expanding the potential market in the Mainland China. Also, the robust improvement of sales per square feet in Hong Kong market helps reduce the pressure of expensive rental cost. Weakness Overall business – Not every product line is successful under Bossini. It has been expanding pragmatically its â€Å"Bossini† stores while consolidating its â€Å"Bossinistyle† stores as a revamp in the Mainland China market. It opened 72 more â€Å"Bossini† stores but 34 closed â€Å"Bossinistyle† stores in 2011. The operating loss in the Mainland China market was attributable to the â€Å"Bossinistyle† stores consolidation. Financial – an increasing inventory turnover day signals that Bossini is producing more than they can be sold. The product life cycle for apparel is usually short and such a long turnover day will bring it to be an expense finally. Also, a lower operating margin, i. e. 4 to 5%, gives no buffer to the company during economic downturn. Opportunities The co-brand licensing program in Hong Kong market is successful. As the Mainland China market is going to be more and more important to Bossini, the management can adopt something similar as well. Together with the government policies to stimulate domestic consumption in the Mainland China, a successful business strategy can improve sales per square feet. Bossini can enjoy the result of revenue and profit growth even though with slower pace of opening new stores which help restrain operating expense. In the long run, as income in the Mainland China is expected to rise further, the average spending by consumers on retail products is also expected to continue the upward trend. Threats External – The global economy is facing uncertainties by the new European debt crisis and our major markets are expected to experience a slowdown. Internal – Bossini needs to launch a fashionable touch in style that fit different geographic preference. The failure of â€Å"Bossinistyle† in the Mainland Market reveals that Bossini did not target at the Chinese customers well. Financial performance Liquidity Ratio Liquidity ratio reveals a company’s short-term solvency. Current ratio and Acid-Test ratio are commonly used. Current ratio is calculated by dividing current assets by current liabilities. Its main purpose to measure whether a company has enough resources to pay its debts over the next 12 months. Even though Bossini’s current ratios is kept decreasing year to year, but it is still higher than 2. It means every dollar the company owes in the short term has two dollars worth short term assets that is available to convert into cash to meet creditor's demands. Acid-Test ratio is to measure whether a company can pay all its current liabilities if they are due immediately. The formula is similar to current ratio except it only considers those current assets that can be quickly converted to cash (i. e. exclude inventory and prepaid expense). Bossini’s acid test ratio is always higher than 1 means it is able to meet current obligations only using liquid assets). Acid test ratio is lower than current ratio since inventory and prepaid expense are excluded. But still, Bossini is considered to have a good financial strength in short term because both these ratios are higher than one. Activity Ratio Activity ratio measures a company’s asset management efficiency. Inventory turnover and Accounts Receivable turnover are commonly used. Inventory turnover measures the number of times inventory is sold during a year. The inventory turnover is kept decreasing year to year reflects that inventory is more and more difficult to be sold. In 2011, 6. 4 means that Bossini sold its inventory approximate 6 times during the year or it needed approximate 2 months to sell its inventory. Accounts Receivable turnover measures the ability to collect cash from credit customers. In this case, the account receivable turnover is not an important indicator since the average accounts receivable contributes less than 10% of total current asset and only a very small amount of credit sales will be involved. It is common for retail business. Solvency Ratio Solvency ratio measures a company’s ability to pay long term liabilities. The most common solvency ratio is Debt ratio. Debt ratio is calculated by dividing total liabilities by total assets. Its main purpose to show the proportion of a company’s assets which are financed through debt. In general, Bossini’s debt ratio is less than 0. which means most of its assets are financed through equity. It is a highly liquid company and it is financially healthy even creditors demand repayment of debt. However, this advantage is diminishing from 2008 to 2011. It is mainly due to Bossini has a short term borrowing of HKD78M starting in 2009 and gradually raised to HKD128M in 2011. Profitability Ratio Prof itability ratio measures a company’s overall efficiency and performance. Return on Sales, Return on Assets and Return on Equity are the popular profitability ratio. Return on Sales shows the percentage of each dollar of sales that a company can turn into income. It is calculated by dividing net income by net sales. Bossini only enjoys a low return sales which is common for low end products retail business; however, it has been increased from 2. 7% in 2008 to 4. 9% in 2011 reflects it has strived to improve its profitability strength over 80% during these years. Return on Assets shows how profitable a company's assets are in generating revenue. It is calculated by dividing net income plus interest expense by average total assets. An uptrend of Return on Assets reveals that it requires less and less investments to generate the same revenue which is good for Bossini. Lastly, Return on Common Equity shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate revenue. It is calculated by dividing net income net off with preferred dividends by average common equity. Bossini’s sustainable growth, in Return on Common Equity (except in 2009 due to worldwide financial crisis) indicates the management maintains Bossini as a high growth company. Market Analysis ratios Market Analysis ratio is a good indicator for stock valuation. Price/Earning ratio and Dividend yield are widely used. Price/Earning ratio (â€Å"P/E ratio†) reflects a price the market is willing to pay for a share relative to its annual earning. P/E is calculated by dividing market price per share by earnings per share. A high P/E ratio does not mean it is more expensive, it just means that investors are willing to pay more for each dollar of earning compared to one with a lower P/E ratio. There are many factors that investors are willing to pay this premium such as fast growing, unique business model, market sentiment, and many others. For Bossini, the market price per share is pretty stable throughout these years and the high P/E ratio in 2009 is due to the extraordinary low earnings per share caused by worldwide financial crisis. Dividend yield measures the percentage of annual dividend return comparing to a stock’s market value. It is calculated by dividing dividend per share by market price per share. Bossini’s investors can expect to receive more cash dividends in the future from the increasing dividend yield pattern. However, investors have to beware that the dividend yield might be dropped even they receive the same amount of cash dividend because of the market price per share increase. Either way, investors will be appreciated.

Does Marketing create or satisfy needs

Marketing is an ongoing activity that does not stop, continuously obtaining needs that define a state of felt deprivation and wants that defines what Is need. It Involves transaction In terms price, place, product and promotion. At the end of this exchange, the most important result most desired is customer satisfaction. The discovering and satisfying of consumers' needs and wants is the prime marketing activity. Thus, the marketing function is to search needs and then satisfy it.According to Philip Kotler, he mission of marketing is to create products that satisfy the unmet needs of target markets. The marketers do not create needs: Needs preexist marketers. Marketers, along with other societal factors Influence wants. Marketers might promote the Idea that a Mercedes would satisfy a person's need for social status. They do not, however, create the need for social status. We all need to eat, drink and sleep and reproduce, this is all part of who we are as human beings.Therefore at th e basic level ompanies will strive to satisfy these functions and keep doing so by once in a while showing advertisements that tells the public that they are around and can provide the products they need. The other aspect Is that needs vary depending on what country and society you live In. â€Å"For example a consumer In the United States may need food but may want a hamburger, french fries and a soft drink and a person that lives in Mauritius that needs food may want a mango, rice, lentils and beans. Wants are shaped by our society.Marketers must therefore continually be creating and developing attractive products and then in turn devising a brilliant marketing strategy to win the consumer over to buy their product over other competing products. Companies strive to retain their customer base by delivering value and satisfaction from their products and this Is formulated in consumers' minds as a combination of service, quality and price. Some consumers would not mind paying a high er price for an item or service if they received very good service.

The Movie “Serpico” and Police Corruption Research Paper Example

The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption Research Paper Example The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption Paper The Movie â€Å"Serpico† and Police Corruption Paper The movie, â€Å"Serpico†, (Maas, 1973) was based on a true story about Frank Serpico, a New York police officer who wanted to expose the corruption in law enforcement and went undercover in order to reveal their criminal activity. He is offered a share of the money in which the corrupt officers share and when he refuses to take part in their activity, he is shunned by his fellow officers and they don’t want to work with him and he remains in danger because he chooses to be honest. Serpico understands that the other officers in his force, are likely to place him in a position that is ultimately, life threatening. Al Pacino plays the role of Frank Serpico, in this movie, who was a real life NYPD detective, (Cannan, 1997) who almost died because of his loyalty to his belief that good cops really do exist. Even when Serpico talks to his superiors in his department, he gets nowhere. Police Commissioner, White acted as if he didn’t care about Serpico’s concerns and ignored his plea for help. Serpico was sure that there were as many crooked cops working in New York City, as there were criminals. He remains loyal, throughout the movie, to his strong belief that police officers should be trustworthy, even though it places his own life in imminent danger. When Commissioner White doesn’t help, Serpico took his plea to a New York Times editor. With the scandal being talked about causes the mayor of New York City to conduct an intense investigation; The Knapp Commission, into Frank Serpico’s bold claims. Frank Serpico became a police officer in 1960 when he had faith in law enforcement and thought that criminals were arrested with traditional methods without using excessive force while arresting them. Seeing all the corruption, Serpico wanted to refrain from joining in one the corruption and asks another officer, by the name of Bob Blair, whom he trusts, to help him in his battle against criminal activity within the New York City police force. Eventually, Serpico went to court, in order to expose the corrupt officers who had tried for so long to bring him down. He testified to the fact that he had witnessed the corruption with his own eyes. The definition of corruption is described as â€Å"forbidden acts involving misuse of office for gain.† (Trautman, 1997) Author, Jack Gattanella tells us about the movie, â€Å"Serpico. â€Å" He says, â€Å"The real powerhouse performance by Pacino, thirty years down the line, still one of his finest.† Al Pacino was perfect for the role of Frank Serpico. Pacino depicted Serpico as an honest and good natured cop who only wanted to do the right thing while exposing those officers who weren’t. Global standards to combat corruption in police forces and services, (Interpol, 2007) have a duty to ensure honesty and ethical behavior and should use force in normal boundaries, in police departments. Frank Serpico (U.S. News, 2007) states that, â€Å"Frank Serpico, the former New York City cop who became a symbol for police honesty, lashed out at society’s leaders.† Serpico continues to hold strong to his faith that society can be led by honest individuals who hold police positions. From the very beginning of the story, where Al Pacino is slumped over in his car seat and dripping blood on his car seat, on his way to the hospital to get treatment for his injuries from being shot, the movie is shown as flashbacks in Serpico’s mind as he thinks about his days of being an honest cop, until the end of the story where he is testifying against the corrupt officers who tried to kill him. Police corruption still remains in our society as we read in Daniel J. Shanahan’s book, â€Å"Badges, Bullets and Bars†. (Shanahan, 2006) We learn a firsthand account of police disloyalty on the force as Shanahan tells us about some of his own experiences while being a cop. Frank Serpico was very courageous in his fight to show human decency and honesty in this movie. He left behind guidelines for all officers who work in law enforcement and will always be remembered as an early display of the way cops are supposed to perform in their duties. In today’s society, there still remains corruption in law enforcement but we still do have loyal officers just like Frank Serpico who are truly dedicated to their careers and work toward upholding the proper standards of the law and not getting involved in pocketing money that doesn’t belong to them, while performing acts that are of criminal nature. â€Å"Serpico† proved to be both educational and enlightening about the corruption in New York City police forces.

Making the Most of the Doha Opportunity Assignment

Making the Most of the Doha Opportunity - Assignment Example The purpose of this term paper is to distinguish out the Indian Economy, while studying the special aspects, along with the trade and ventures between Canada and India. The second part of the paper as discussed above is about the prospects of the Indian market for the promotion of tumble dryers and in this context, the civilizing and community needs of the society and their impacts are researched. Further, a marketing strategy after analyzing the needs and barriers that are imposed by the Indian market are studied, a marketing plan is suggested to promote the product. Indo-Canadian trade - History and Recent initiatives During the modern period, India has turned out to be one of the most influential economies around the globe and is set to become an emerging power for centuries to come. The political arena contained by the Indian subcontinent has become stable to a big amount thus serving the country to footstep towards a contemporary culture, with the Indian market escalating at an incredible rate. Ever since India has emerged as a developing nation, it has taken help from a number of countries to expand its market which also incorporated Canada to an immense level. In spite of a number of strategic differences between the two countries, India has been offered continuous financial aid by Canada. During the late seventies, both the countries had strained relationships, however with the start of the early nineties, as India was set to become an influential player in the world economy, the situation got eased up. The growing trend of the Indian market was soon realized by Canada and the two countries stepped forward to bring about some major reforms in their market strategies with each other. Canada became mindful of the call for expanding its roots within Asia and recognized that India was the most favorable place which could offer vast markets for Canadian products. With the start of the later nineties, Canada initiated the progress to recuperate the two-sided associations amid the two nations. Since then there have been a number of reciprocated visits at the political level since thus moving forward the trade growth.

Revolutionary War-Cowpens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Revolutionary War-Cowpens - Essay Example He states that all the battles fought by then were done with the help of troops and men who participated in the regiments and had a certain commander who used to gather the entire men together and prepare them for all sorts of catastrophes. Soon these men who belonged to the frontier got the status of 'The Corps of Rangers'. These companies of rangers belonged to various parts of the state such as Virginia, Maryland or Pennsylvania who were under the leadership Colonel Daniel Morgan. Through his ongoing efforts the rangers got the status of the most eminent corps of the continental army. They were not precisely Rangers but were high level marksmen and according to some British general they were corps f a crack shot. These riflemen of Morgan stood victorious and were able to secure an amazing victory against the British during the Battle of Cowpens in 1781. The level of achievement can be evaluated by the fact that 1100 British soldiers attacked them and they were able to kill 110, ca pture 830 of them only lost 12 men who were killed during the entire process and 63 were badly wounded. Another successful regiment was of Thomas Knowlton, a brave young soldier who led an army from Connecticut which was quite successful in gaining the vital information of the mission. Only less than 150 men were part of his troop but his campaign was quite successful too. In this book the author has in detailed studied the Battle of Cowpens and according to him all men irrespective of cast, creed or culture were recruited in the regiments having their leader that is general or officials who managed and empowered them. How have artist portrayed the Battle of Cowpens in the paintings? None of the paintings that have been attached for review are able to completely depict, justify and narrate what actually happened during the battle. According to me the first painting is the closest to the real scenario that happened during the Battle of Cowpens in 1781. In this painting the defeat of the British is seen and how badly they were devastated during the battle. Many of their soldiers were killed and on the other side that is American soldiers were in power and had completely overtaken the British soldiers. Personally I think that these paintings are quite biased and only reflect the artists view and how he actually perceived the entire situation. They have features which narrate that the artist was only interest to reflect his perspective and only executed what his preferences were. They were also only focusing on how the movements related to art were flourishing and did not do anything to contradict them without using their own brains and evaluating the truth. A lot of time was spent on propagating the art movements and the art which was being carried forward during that time. They did not do anything to change the prevailing situation through their art but just went with the flow. Research was not done properly because if the research was accurate and more precise then the painting would not have been as bias as they are at the moment. References 75th Rangers (Bryant, Russ, and Susan Bryant. 2005.  75th Rangers. St. Paul, MN: MBI Pub Sealed with blood: war, sacrifice, and memory inRevolutionary (Purcell, Sarah J. 2002.  Sealed with blood war, sacrifice, a