Coffee Bean Essay

ST. GREGORY’S UNIVERSITY Coffee Bean, Inc. Managerial Accounting, BU2123, Research Project, Spring 2007 Coffee Bean, Inc. (CBI) is a processor and distributor of a variety of blends of coffee. The company buys coffee beans from around the world and roasts, blends and packages them for resale. CBI currently has 40 different coffees that it offers to gourmet shops in one-pound bags. The major cost of the coffee is the raw coffee beans. However, there is a substantial amount of manufacturing overhead in the company’s predominantly automated roasting, blending and packing process. The company uses relatively little direct labor. Some of the coffees are very popular and sell in large volumes, while a few of the newer blends have very low volumes. CBI prices its coffee at manufacturing cost plus a markup of 30%. If CBI’s coffee prices are significantly higher than the market, adjustments are made to bring CBI’s prices more into alignment with the market. The company competes primarily on the quality of its products, but customers are price conscious as well. For the coming year, CBI’s budget includes estimated manufacturing overhead cost of $3,000,000. CBI assigns manufacturing overhead to products based on direct labor-hours. The expected direct labor cost totals $600,000, which represents 50,000 hours of direct labor time. Based on the sales budget and expected raw materials costs, the company will purchase and use $6,000,000 of raw materials (mostly coffee beans) during the year. The expected costs for direct materials and direct labor for one-pound bags of two of the company’s many coffee products appear below: Mona Loa $4. 20 0. 30 Malaysian $3. 20 0. 30 Direct Materials Direct Labor (0. 025 hours per bag). CBI’s president is very concerned about lowering profit margins. Several prices have had to be reduced to meet market pressures and other products are selling at good volumes without price adjustments. The president talked with CBI’s controller who believes that the company’s traditional costing system, which uses direct labor costs to allocate manufacturing overhead, may be providing misleading cost information. To determine whether or not this is correct, the controller has prepared an analysis of the year’s expected manufacturing overhead costs, as shown in the following table. Activity Center Cost Driver Purchasing Purchase Orders Materials handling Number of Setups Quality control Number of Batches Roasting Roasting Hours Blending Blending Hours Packaging Packaging Hours Total manufacturing overhead cost: Expected Activity 1,710 orders 1,800 setups 600 batches 96,100 hours 33,500 hours 26,000 hours Expected Cost $ 513,000 720,000 144,000 961,000 402,000 260,000 $3,000,000 Data regarding the expected production of two representative products, Mona Loa and Page 1 of 2 Coffee Bean Malaysian coffee, are presented below. There will be no raw materials inventory for either of these coffees at the beginning of the year. Mona Loa Malaysian 100,000 2,000 Pounds 10,000 500 Pounds 3 3 Per batch 20,000 500 Pounds 1. 0 / 100 1. 0 /100 Hours per pound 0. 5 / 100 0. 5 /100 Hours per pound 0. 1 / 100 0. 1 /100 Hours per pound Expected sales Batch size Setups Purchase order size Roasting time Blending time Packaging time Step into the shoes of the controller and prepare a complete report for the president explaining the results of your research. Compare the two product-costing methods: (1) the currently-used, volume-based method, and (2) an activity-based method. The supporting tables should determine full costs and prices of both products using the two different cost allocation methods. Continue your detailed report to the president by justifying why the company should remain using their present overhead allocation method or to go activity-based costing. Go beyond the accounting issues in your report, mentioning the impact on pricing, volume, and marketing decisions. Support your recommendation with current articles (Use the online resources of the SGU James J. Kelly Library to locate articles within the last year that deal with cost allocation issues). Three to five supporting articles should be sufficient to support your findings. Since this is a formal report, it will require a transmittal memo summarizing your findings. This memo/summary should be supported by a detailed report including tables and references to business/accounting literature. Include a bibliography in APA format. Also, since presidents rarely have time to read the entire article, but are interested in their content, provide an abstract of each citation. Remember: appearance, spelling, grammar count. Adapted from Managerial Accounting, Eight Edition, Garrison & Noreen, Irwin, 1997.

Innate vs Learnt Behaviour

In your own words, detail for' and ‘against' arguments with regard to innate and learned behavior. Feel free to include your own opinion, but be sure to Justify It. Try to Include equal amount of Information for both sides. Use at least 500 words for your answer. Answer: The innate verses learnt or nature verses nurture argument is a subject that has been theorized and debated by scientists, psychologists and philosophers for hundreds of years. It Is a question that can be dated back as early as 350 BC where philosophers Plato and Aristotle had different views on whether it was nature or nurture which shaped individual behaviors.Plato believed knowledge and behavior to be innate. He theorized that all knowledge was present at birth and the environment played a unique part in shaping us. In his opinion the environment did not teach us anything we weren't born with and that Its purpose was merely to remind us of Information we already knew. Aristotle on the other hand theorized t hat behavior and knowledge had to be learnt and that we were born as tabular Rasa' or blank slate and our behavior, thoughts and actions were learnt and acquired through experiences.Although nether Plato or Aristotle theories are supported today It Is still debated hat shapes us In the people we become. Is nature or is it nurture? What is innate behavior or viewed as nature? Innate behavior is a fixed, unchangeable, untaught-of, natural behavior, which is instinctive and are born with. Behavior that is inherited or passed on through genes. Things such as reflexes are Innate behavior; a reflex Is an involuntary automatic response to a certain stimulus.Those who believe we are shaped by nature are known as nativities. Examples of innate behavior are the moor or falling reflex, the moor reflex is any sudden movement that affect the baby's neck, giving them the feeling of falling or Ewing dropped. The baby's innate reaction to this is to open their arms out wide, opening up their hands before bringing them back In to their chest almost as if to catch an object. The grasp reflex, whenever an object or fingers touches the palm of a baby's hand they will automatically grasp or grab It.The swallowing and sucking reflex, if you place something, even a finger in to the baby's mouth they will automatically suck and swallow, babies are also known to sometimes suck their fingers or thumbs whilst still in the womb, this is an instinctive reflex, something needed to survive. There are many other reflexes including blinking, breathing, sneezing and coughing. With the ability to instinctively know how to make nests, what is needed to do this and to carry the materials required to do this in their beaks.Sea turtles despite hatching on land instinctively know to head straight for the water and have the ability to swim. A very complex innate behavior can be seen in chickens. Having kept chickens since a child myself vast differences can be seen in battery hens and free range hens . Imagine this battery hens never get the opportunity to see daylight, stretch their inns, take a dust bath or forage in the dirt for worms and bugs, unlike free range hens. Yet on removing hens from the battery and giving them the gift and opportunity of a free range lifestyle, all of the natural instincts return immediately.They have always been there Just merely suppressed. Other more complex innate or instinctive behavior in animals can include hibernation and migration. Learnt behavior on the other hand or nurture is something we are not born with but which we are taught by parents, peers, teachers and can be influenced by social and environmental factors we are exposed to. These behaviors unlike innate behavior are not fixed, but flexible and can be changed at any time. Those who believe it is learnt behavior that shapes us are known as empiricists.Learnt behavior is very complex and can display itself in so many guises and can also vary diversely from one culture to another. Take for example the Europeans and the primitive mammas tribes of Africa. In Europe hunting is considered a sport whereas to the mammas tribes hunting is a necessity and way of life. Without hunting they would not be able to feed, clothe or provide for their families. To them hunting s learnt at a very young age unlike the Europeans who have the convenience of shops and no longer require learning this skill.Learnt behavior can be both good and bad, in the respect that with children a lot of learning is through copying, what they see and listen to and what they are being told about what is going on in their environment surrounding them. The good thing with learnt behavior that if it is bad such as swearing or answering back it can be rectified and changed unlike innate behavior. The body and brain combined are an amazing combination as to how it co-ordinates s, and throughout our lives we will never stop learning. Examples of learnt behavior in children include, walking, talking, lis tening, potty training to mention just a few.Babies usually makes attempts to walk from around 12 – 14 months although prior to this they have already mastered the art to get from one place to another or where they want to be. From 6 months babies may start to shuffle across the room on their bums, or lay on their front with their legs in the air trying to work out how to crawl. From 9 months babies are able to wriggle along the floor on their tummies or even rail, and by 12 months they are making attempts to walk and may even be able to when holding someone's hand. Rods are said and pronounced around them. The path to talking begins as early as 2 – 4 months when babies start to make ooh and ah sounds of pleasure. Between months 4 and 9 babies start cooing and babbling, then from 9 months they begin to point to things and vocalism with some meaning although the pronunciations is not quite there yet, by 12 – 18 months single words begin to emerge with some clarit y words such as mama or dada. Then from 18 – 24 months basic phrases and ententes start to develop with sayings like teddy gone'?From 24 months sentences begin to emerge with real meaning instead of teddy gone' it becomes Where's teddy gone'. Finally from 4 years onwards children have the same language comprehension as an adult although with basic and limited vocabulary. Some children by this age are also bilingual having parents of a different nationality are able to speak English and a foreign language having been used t hearing it during the formative years. Hearing is developmental milestone that begins whilst babies are still in the womb.From around 24 weeks gestation babies have the ability to hear sounds in the outside world, by 32 weeks they will have the ability to recognize a piece of music and move around to the beat, they are also likely to recognize the piece of music after birth. This is how we learn to listen by hearing things over and over again and through li stening to noises and people talking. Many learnt skills as a child are achieved by repetition. Although this all looks quite simple and clear cut there are problems with viewing behavior as either innate or learnt.It is relatively easy to view a singular aspect of a arson's behavior as either innate or learnt for example, hearing is innate and listening is learnt, but it would be impossible to categories a person as a whole as either innate or learnt. The main problem with trying to view behavior as either one or the other is that there are no specific scientific tests which can be carried out, and it would be practically impossible to set up such tests as people's perceptions of things are different.This would create different test results with one person viewing one thing and in the others professional opinion it could be completely different. There is also he fact that it would be seen as unethical to test such things. It has in previous years been attempted to research identica l twins, although being identical and having the same upbringing, they are unable to account for environmental and social factors, as these may be different for both of them. One spending time with one group of people going to one set of places and areas.Whilst the other twin who has a completely different group of friends, going to other places. You would also have to bear in mind the media factors the people are exposed to such as television, radio, gaming stations, the internet. It would therefore make it ritually impossible to agree whether it was nature or nurture that shaped them as individuals. Shapes us in our development from infant t o adulthood along with environmental and social factors all playing a part.Social factors may include one parent families, adopters, or where you are brought up. It is also my belief that many media factors also have a hand in what we learn things as mentioned earlier like television, internet, gaming machines, mobile phones, music, and mobile phones. I also think the social dynamics of the family also play a part too depending on what sort of upbringing you have, and who or what you learning from.

Intership PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Intership PAPER - Essay Example I was blessed with good people to work with who supported me throughout my internship. The Creative Activity & Fitness Center was established in 1990 initially as a play group for very young children. As the children grew up, more and more classes were offered to develop their creative skills such as workshops in Art, Music, Dance, etc. Parents were delighted to have a place to bring their children where they learn skills and enjoy at the same time. Over the years, the population of enrolees grew and more workshops were offered, that there was a need to expand the business. Enrolment to the center was like membership where parents renew their children’s membership in order to avail of the services and use the facilities. The owners bought the huge land beside it and built a larger dance studio, a swimming pool, a theatre for recitals and performances, a large playground and more rooms for the varied workshops offered. Because of the new facilities, the center has gained a great reputation and attracted more members since it now accepted teenagers and even adult s. There are also workshops for adults such as Sculpting, Painting and Photography as well as some dance classes. The center is busiest in the afternoons after school when the children come for their workshops and tutorial sessions and during summer when all the workshops are fully-booked. Currently, there are some playgroups and preschool classes offered in the mornings and day care service the whole day, with some night shifts for children whose parents work at night. Weekends are particularly heavy, as multiple workshops are ongoing for all age brackets as well as the use of the facilities is maximized. The population of the members is comprised of various nationalities and ages. The center is staffed by about 50 people occupying positions in administration, teaching, public relations, program management, maintenance and security,

Crytical Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crytical Analysis - Research Paper Example Later on due to its popularity the short story was published in Best American Short Stories in 1982. Raymond Carver was a writer par excellence who believed in being minimal. Prior to writing â€Å"Cathedral† Raymond was a writer who followed the minimalist style. He believed firmly that less was more. Raymond Carver wrote three collections of short stories which followed minimalism theme. Post that he changed his style and wrote one of the best works of his career. â€Å"Cathedral† was an immaculate piece which gained popularity among the reading masses quickly. Due to its fame â€Å"Cathedral† is ranked among one of the best short stories of American literature (Werlock, 2000, p.g. 124). The story is a representative of postmodernism and minimalism. This means the short story’s plot, characters and language are shortened down to central features (Stefanescu, 2008, p.g. 1). â€Å"Cathedral† is told by a first-person narrator. The narrator a young man who begrudges the visit of an old friend of his wife. The friend is a blind man for whom the wife once read. The short story started with a situation in which the narrator and his wife await the arrival of someone. That someone is the narrator’s wife’s old friend Robert who is a blind man. Raymond Carver described the emotions and anger of the husband quite beautifully with his craft of writing. The short story starts with a couple waiting for someone. A blind man by the name of Robert is an old acquaintance of the narrator’s wife. The blind man has recently gone through a catastrophic situation in which he lost his wife Beluah. From the onset of the story the narrator comes across as being unexcited about his wife’s friend. The narrator also has a prejudiced nature against blind individuals. The narrator unfolds the story and tells the readers how his wife and Robert became friends. The narrator with a heavy heart describes that they both worked together. The narrator’s wife use

Healthcare Delivery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Healthcare Delivery - Essay Example In most situations, nurses take the big role of consoling patients as they patiently wait for the doctor. This issue can arguably said to be contributed by the fact that doctors are not well paid thus, they go abroad to seek for greener pastures where they can get good salary (Lundy and Janes 121). In addition, it is also evident that due to low remuneration form in the public sector, many doctors opt to operate private clinics where they have potential of earning good money. As a result, public hospitals record shortage of doctors. On the other hand, it is evident that due to shortage of doctors in public hospitals, the few available doctors are overwork as a result of attending to many patients without enough rest. When this happens, studies have documented that employees who overwork tend to offer poor quality services to their clients. In this regard, it is evident that the doctors would not be in a position to offer quality care to the patients due to exhaustion. In another dime nsion, current studies have also shown that motivation is a crucial element required for employees to produce quality work. Nevertheless, when employees are not motivated, they end not giving top results. In light of this, the bottom line is that since the few available doctors in the public hospitals receive low salaries and few incentives to motivate them, they feel not motivated to devote all their professionalism when attending to patients (Lundy and Janes 121). In addition, although some of the few available doctors in public hospitals may be seen in the office, most of them just appear there for a few hours and leave for their other assignments which include attending to their patients on their private clinics of other businesses that would help in supplementing the deficit they feel exists as a result of low salary by the government. The latter is that many patients will spend many hours queuing as they wait to see the doctor only to be turned down when the doctor walks away. Some doctors keep on changing or postponing patients’ appointments due to their busy schedule. The end result of all these deliberations is the provision of low quality services in the healthcare delivery. The other important issue of concern is the high cost of medical. Medical processes including diagnosis, testing, emergency care, specialist, admission costs and prescriptions have been a challenge to many people in the United States. For instance, some tests are considered costly to middle class and poor people in the United States. A specialised test that requires special machinery and chemicals may be expensive for ordinary people. In addition, some diseases require specialist to attend. The problem is when such specialists are few in the public hospitals (Lundy and Janes 122). In fact, most of the specialist operates private clinics. Therefore, the cost of seeing and getting help from them becomes high for ordinary people. It is also evident that staying in hospital fo r a long time translates to more money required to settle the hospital bills. This would be a problem to people who are not enrolled to any of the healthcare programs subsidized by the government. On the same note, even after being dispatched from the hospital, some people may not be able to take care of themselves due to high cost of after care services and other prescriptions required for recovery. In this regard, they are bound to look for cheap alternatives that do not lender good and quality services. Conclusion It

Prevention of Sepsis in the Clinical Setting Research Paper

Prevention of Sepsis in the Clinical Setting - Research Paper Example Similar treatments are used for the cure of both sepsis and septicemia since both of them are normally associated with the presence of aggressive bacteria in the body system of a patient. This requires treatment using strong antibiotics to fight the infection. Patients may also be admitted in ICU for a while so as to monitor the treatment of the infection. Patients suffering from sepsis may experience multi-organ failure since the inflammation spreads and generates a cascading sequence of medical problems as the body tries to fight off the infection (Brozanski, 2003). Prevention of Sepsis There is a common term people in the medical field love to use and it goes, â€Å"Prevention is better than cure.† This is quite true since curing an infection is expensive both on the hospital and the patient. It requires a use of resources that would otherwise be used for other reasons. This therefore calls for infection control a discipline that targets the prevention of healthcare-related infections. There are a number of factors that may lead to the spread of infections in a clinical setting. The infections maybe from patient to patient, from staff to patient, from patient to staff, and from staff to staff (Dyson & Singer, January 2009). There are a number of ways of preventing sepsis, but the most common and effective way is by ensuring hand hygiene, and this is done by constant hand washing. Hand washing In the clinical setting, hand washing is commonly known as the primary weapon of fighting infections. The main reason for hand washing is to reduce microbial in the healthcare setting so as to reduce the risk of nosocomial infections. Hand hygiene may be a major problem in gigantic health facilities in which several patients are treated and in rapid succession. Infection control is meant to reduce the spread of infection and provide a safe environment for every patient (Riedeman, Guo, & Ward, 2003). This has become extremely necessary due to the emergence of anti biotic resistant organisms. Examples of antibiotic resistant microorganisms include methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). It is vital to note that there is evidence that shows that removal of antibiotic resistant organisms (AROs) from the hands by washing with detergent or soap and water is less effective than by the use of an antiseptic agent. For that reason, an antiseptic agent must be used in high risk areas within the clinic, with high risk patients especially those suffering from immune-deficient diseas

Altria's Commitment to the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Altria's Commitment to the Environment - Essay Example It wants to switch consumers' attention from the company for being solely a tobacco and alcohol company and show that it has serious environmental concerns so it pursues actions friendly to human beings. It would have been useless if these concerns were only part of a public relations plan and were not implemented in reality. People, nowadays, have become more environmentally conscious so it is in the best interest of a company to show that it respects the environment and it does not challenge the various environmental groups. Altria has to show that it wants to protect people's health and the best way to show it is by respecting the environment. No, the commitment will not offset the environmental issues with the tobacco company, at least not in the short - run. Each decision of the company made public will have an impact on its various stakeholders. So, a public relations campaign as this one will not bring the desired results if the rest of company decisions and strategy show the opposite. Even if the company decisions are in accordance with the environmental issues, still a negative perception of the image requires a lot of time in order to be changed into a positive one. Altria needs to be sincere with its customers and although it implements its environmental actions it needs to adapt its strategy as a company and become really concerned for consumer's health so this requires a strategic change from the tobacco business and diversify its product portfolio accordingly. Reference List Harrison, J.S., Hitt, M.A. & Ireland, D. (2001). Mergers and acquisitions: A guide to creating value for Stakeholders, Oxford University Press. Kimmel, A.J.(2004). Rumours and Rumour Control: A Manager's Guide to Understanding and Combating Rumours. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. McCall, J.B. & Stone, M.A.(2004). International Strategic Marketing: A European Perspective.

Why do legal professionals need to understand the elements of Essay

Why do legal professionals need to understand the elements of researching both primary and secondary sources - Essay Example These primary law of each of each system came from three sources which are the laws, cases and adjudications in the courts of the United States. The example of statutes are composed of the Constitution of the United States and the law passed in Congress. Example of cases on the other hand are opinions about jurisprudence issued by courts while adjudications are administrative agency materials (University of Cornell). Secondary sources are needed because they determine what law applies to the research. In essence, secondary sources are category of legal materials that is not considered primary source or information beyond the Constitution, laws and opinions of the court. The example of secondary sources could include but not limited to legal encyclopedias, treatises, legal periodicals and practice materials (University of Cornell). They may also include scientific journals and other research. Secondary sources are helpful materials that are a â€Å"rich source of citations† to the primary

Organizational theory and design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Organizational theory and design - Assignment Example According to Tseng (2003), mass customization is production of services as well as products that meet customer’s needs at personal level. This is where the customized products reflect the normal production cost but unlike a normal product, they meet more needs. Firms, just like manufactures, have their main objective as customer satisfaction. Therefore, incorporating mass customization in firms will greatly impact in service provision and customer satisfaction. There are various types of mass customization that firms can put into consideration in implementing mass customization. These types include transparent customization, adaptive customization, collaborative customization, and cosmetic customization. Collaborative customization involves seeking firsthand information from specific customers on the kind of product they would prefer. On other hand, adaptive customization is where a firm produces products that are standard and customizable to the hands of the final user while transparent customization involves production of unique for specific customers. Finally, cosmetic customization involves producing a standard product but they are marketed in unique ways to different customers. For firms to succeed in mass customization they need to capitalize on investigating more on customers’ needs in relation to service provision. This can be achieved through market research such as identifying the market niche that need to be satisfied, its uniqueness and finally the target market. For example, in the banking sector the services are custom made according to the needs, age, gender, and income levels of its customers. Superior management in any firm involves the managers personally coping with situations that ought to be learned through the help of their experience and interpretation of the surrounding environment (Pine and Davis, 1999). Formal training

Communications Coordinator Essay Example for Free

Communications Coordinator Essay As the Communication Coordinator for this national drug manufacturer, today we will need to brainstorm and discuss how we will address the negative effects that our medication are causing to the public. The local news has already started a witch hunt by allegedly reporting that one of our local officials has suffered from adverse side effects from our medications. How can we address the public regarding this issue without losing business and the trust we created with our investors and our consumers? In today’s meeting we will decide which communication tactic is the most suitable for this situation, while making sure that we stay within the HIPPA guidelines. We will start by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using traditional media. Traditional media can include newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. There are some great advantages n whey these media outlets would be great in reaching our audience regarding this health scare. Two great traditional methods are newspapers and magazines; they can help because we can be precise and explicit when discussing our issues. Additionally, these methods would provide use with a permanent record of our attempt to reach the public (Advantages and Disadvantages of written communication, 2012). Two other good traditional methods are radio and television. These methods are great because they are very cost effective and will allow us to reach our audience directly and will allow us to show emotion and concern regarding this matter. All of these methods seem like they would work but there are disadvantages with sticking to traditional media outlets instead of using electronic or social media sites. Some valid concerns we have with using electronic or social media sites. Some main concerns we have with using traditional media is that it can only reach a limited amount of people and we are restricted to a small scope of listeners and readers. In addition, feedback is not immediate like electronic or social media sites.

Adopting Single Currency in ASEAN Region: Analysis

Adopting Single Currency in ASEAN Region: Analysis Question 1 1.1 Introduction Euro (â‚ ¬) currency was created in 1957 and the single currency provides many benefits to the euro region. For an example, Euro currency eliminated exchange costs and fluctuation risks. It gives stability of economic to the euro region, so it allows government to have better long term planning for future. In addition, economic stability also helps to reduce uncertainty and increase investment, so it gives advantages to the businesses as well. As businesses gain advantages from economic stability, it also give benefits to the citizen as it provides more job and better quality jobs. Furthermore, with a single currency, it is less risky and more cost-effective when doing business within the euro area as there is one large integrated market. Besides that, it promotes cross-border trade and all kind of investments as the price can be compare easily when using the same currency. (N/A, 2014) Thus, the successful of implementing a single currency of euro (â‚ ¬) arise the interest to t he topic of whether other region can successfully adopting common approaches. Especially for ASEAN region as ASEAN is one of the region that economic acceleration is much positive. However, there is always a question whether ASEAN can successfully implemented a common currency, as euro currency in European Union. We have to look at the challenges of adopting a single currency for ASEAN economic in order to identify whether ASEAN region is suitable to make such approaches. Content 1.2.1 Intra-Regional Trade First of all, substantial intra-regional trade is one of the key challenges to adopt single currency for Asia. Big volume of inter-transaction within Asia will enhance the currency of countries in Asia. However, countries in Asia done more trading with countries where outside the region, approximately 75% more than countries in Asia. Therefore, Asia countries are worried for their currencies stability against international currencies if they adopt a single currency. Asia countries can import more goods and services from countries outside the region than intra-regional countries only if their total exports is greater than total imports. (Lee, 2009) To sum up, Asean region have to increase their transaction within their regional area before implement a single currency in order to stabilize Asean currency. 1.2.2 Economic Development Besides that, Asean countries have different economic development, their GDPs and per capita income levels are different to one another countries. For instance, per capita income of Singapore is approximately 350 times more than poor country like Myanmar’s. In addition, countries in the region area like China, India and Indonesia are part of the largest countries in the world, yet they show big income differentials. It is difficult to bear a similar monetary management with such a big income differentials. (Lee, 2009) 1.2.3 Monetary System Market Integration Moreover, monetary integration is another big challenge to adopt single currency for Asean region. Monetary integration refer to central banks and governments of the region countries would have less control over monetary policies and fiscal policies. However, some countries are just not ready for such integration as monetary policy is an important tool to stimulate economy. For instance, countries are not able to use tools such as interest rates to address cyclical needs. (Lee, 2009) For further explanation, every country have different economic objectives, for an example, some countries in the region are suffering recession and some countries are suffering an inflation. Thus, expansionary policies are needed for some countries to address recession, and contractionary policies are needed for some countries to address inflation, but ASEAN central bank can only implement one monetary policy at one time. Therefore, there is a huge problem among the union. In addition, countries like Jap an and Korea such developed country have maintain tight restrictions on labor mobility. However, Governments of region countries have to implement policies which allow for greater mobility for labor and capital across within the region borders in order to manage a common currency. However, it is hard to transfers large-scale of resource across national borders as at the union level, governments will have less centralized budget. In addition, Asean is desire to set limits on the fiscal deficits for each country due to experience from European. Hence, country can only respond to country specific shocks by using limited fiscal policies. (Madhur, 2002) 1.2.4 Financial System Other than that, a strong financial systems and markets are required to manage a common currency. It required a strong institutional support as well, but Asean currently does not have such institutions to deal with those threat to the financial sector. (Lee, 2009) Unlike Europe, Europe have established a wide range of institutions such as European Commission, European Council and the European Central Bank to control regional reserve. Somehow, it is a big challenge to Asean to develop such infrastructure. (Madhur, 2002) 1.2.5 Macroeconomic Disturbance Furthermore, the cost of adopting a single currency is domestic central bank have to give up the power to control monetary policy and the currency have to control by ASEAN central bank. However, every countries have different rates of inflation as economic conditions are different. Therefore, it is hard for ASEAN central bank to control all the ASEAN area by implementing a policy and problems may occur if one or two countries failed to adjust interest rates to meet the demands. For an example, the lesson from European debt crisis, European Union is currently discussing whether Greece should return to its own monetary policy that regulated by Greek Central Bank and leave the Euro zone. Meanwhile, there are same situation in the ASEAN as ASEAN nations have two different economic power groups. For instance, the first groups are those nations which are advanced economies such as Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Philippines. The second groups are those nations which ar e least developed such as Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. This two group have big difference in terms of income per capital. For an example, income per capital of Singapore have approximately 350 times more than Myanmar. In addition, Myanmar have high inflation rates and Laos have high unemployment rates. Therefore, it is difficult to address the problems with a same monetary policy as the differentials of inflation rate and unemployment rate between one country and another. (Sidjaja, 2011) Impact of single currency to Asean economy 1.3.1 Positive implications On the other hand, implement a single currency for Asean economic community would have bring positive effect to the Asean region. Eliminate transaction costs is one of the benefits of implementing a common currency. With a single currency, countries or businesses can save transaction cost when trading within the region as the cost of exchanging currency is no longer needed. For instance, Malaysia citizens can travel or do investment in region area like Singapore, Thailand, Japan and others by using Asean currency. Transaction costs are eliminated as exchange for other currencies are not needed when trading within region area. Therefore, it helps to promote trade within regional area as it is easier to trade by using a single currency. In addition, single currency also allow businesses to have better planning as it eliminated the fluctuation cost. Otherwise, businesses could incur high cost by fluctuation cost. For an example, a company in Malaysia decide to sign a shipping service fr om company in Singapore with a five year deal which cost 10,000 SGD per month. At that time, the exchange rate was 1.00 SGD to 2.00 MYR, so the company in Malaysia have to pay 20,000 MYR per month. However, SGD have appreciated against MYR as the exchange rate was 1.00 SGD to 2.7 MYR, which result company in Malaysia have to pay 27,000 MYR because of the fluctuation cost. Hence, investment would increases with using single currency as firms can have a better business planning. Besides that, single currency makes it easier to compare price of products and services across countries in regional area, which encourage more trading within regional area. As a result, increases in competition, and economic efficiency improved. (Sanno, 2010) 1.3.2 Cost of adopting Single Currency The biggest cost of implementing a common currency is countries have to give up their national sovereignty. They are no longer able to implement own monetary policy in their country. This could result some problems to certain countries in the region as monetary policy only can implemented once at one time. As the example of European Union, European central bank cannot address the problems of Greece which suffering of high inflation because if European central bank implement a contractionary policy intend to address high inflation in Greece, it would lead another negative effect to other countries in Europe like Spain where the country currently suffer from recession and having high unemployment rate. 1.4 Conclusion To sum up, adopting a single currency have pros and cons. A single currency would promotes economic growth of Asean region as transaction costs and fluctuation costs are eliminated which increases trade and investment within the region and attract investors from outside the region. However, countries have to give up for their national sovereignty as monetary policies will be implemented by Asean Central Bank. Despite that, there are several challenges that Asean region have to deal with in order to implement a successful single currency such as intra-regional trade, economic development, monetary systems market integration, financial system and macroeconomic disturbance. From the view of those challenges, Asean region is just not ready yet to implement a single currency as Asean intra-regional trade is not strong enough. In addition, economic development in the region have too big differentials, for instance, Singapore compare to Myanmar. Besides that, some countries like Myanmar an d Laos are not ready to give up their national sovereignty yet because Myanmar is currently suffering high inflation rates and Laos is suffering high unemployment rates. Moreover, Asean still need some time to develop a strong financial system to meet the infrastructure like in European Union. Last but not least, Asean is also not ready to deal with macroeconomic disturbance yet as some countries are having high inflation rates, whereas some countries are having high unemployment rates. Thus, it will not be a wised move to adopt a single currency for Asean as member countries in Asean still have a lot in uncommon. As the lessons from Euro crisis, issues in a weak economy country could affect the strong performing country. (Penh, 2012) Asean should adopt a single currency in no rush, otherwise similar consequences would occurred again in Asean region. Question 2 2.1 Introduction The three key macroeconomic factors are inflation, unemployment, and forex. Policymakers always implement many kind of policies to deal with those macroeconomic factors. These three key macroeconomics factors could lead to further global financial crisis if policymakers do not implemented proper policies to address. For instance, when economy reached the peak, high inflation may hit on the economy. Therefore, policymakers have to implement contractionary policy in order to deal with high inflation. On the other hand, when economy is suffering from recession, high unemployment rate would occur. So that, policymakers have to implement expansionary policy to address high unemployment rate. Moreover, when economy comes to globalization, fluctuation of exchange rates might be too high. Hence, policymakers have to used certain currency reserve to stabilize the exchange rates. However, policymakers sometime just did not see through illusion of business cycle, as a result lead to financial c risis. Stock markets are crucial to financial crisis as when stock markets collapse, countries could suffer from financial crisis. Macroeconomic factors such as inflation, unemployment, and forex would affect the firm value, stock returns and risk assessment. Content 2.2.1 Inflation Inflation means that overall price levels increase sustainably. Inflation does affect firms’ performance as inflation incur costs on firms. With the inflation, firms have to spend more money on raw materials. For an example, Air Asia have to pay more money for the jet fuel if the price of jet fuel goes up. In addition, employee demand more wages as inflation lower down their standard of living. Jet fuel and wages are two major costs for Air Asia. Increases in price of jet fuel and wages also mean that cost of Air Asia increased. Therefore, Air Asia would increase price of airline tickets as well to sustain their profitability. In this situation, cost of the services increased and price of the services also increased. However, demand for airline tickets decrease due to the theory of demand, as price goes up, demand comes down. Hence, revenue of Air Asia decreases. In addition, the risk goes up because revenue of Air Asia might not able to afford to pay loans and costs. As risk goes up, default risk goes up as well. Besides that, provision of doubtful debt increases because debtors might also not able to settle the debt as revenue of debtors are also decreases. As the result, share price comes down. As the share price comes down, firm value also decreases. Moreover, inflation could also affect stock returns. Stock returns are the dividend paid by issuer to the stockholders. Most probably rise of inflation would reduce the stock returns as drop in revenue of company. Company can afford to pay same amount of dividends while suffering inflation only if company is able to ensure their earnings are keeping pace with the growth rate of inflation. However, it is unlikely as most of the revenue of companies would decreased. (n/a, 2012) Furthermore, inflation also affect the risk assessment of a company as inflation brings different degree of risks. First of all, when the economy is having high inflation rates, central bank would implemented contractionary policy t o address inflation. Therefore, quantity of money supply in economy would decreases and thus, low purchasing power in economy. Hence, companies should focus on market in abroad rather than domestic country. For example, Air Asia should offer more of their flight services to other strong purchasing power countries like China, Singapore, Korea and others. As economy is suffering from high inflation, revenue of companies are expected to reduce. Therefore, company should have cut down their cost. For an example, Air Asia would have to cut numbers of staff and closed certain area in airport. In addition, companies should not only focus on offering a single product or service in order to diversify the risk. For instance, Air Asia not only offer flight services but also selling tax free chocolate, alcohol, and others product. Therefore, when the inflation hit on the input price of jet fuel, Air Asia is still able to gain some revenue. Share price of companies are expected to drop when hit by inflation. Hence, the possibility of shareholders sell all of his shares are high, so companies should have prepared funds to buy back those share to maintain the share price as much as possible; otherwise the company would panic. 2.2.2 Unemployment Unemployment refers to people who currently do not have a job, but willing to work. Unemployment bring many impacts on firms. First of all, high unemployment mean there is less disposal income in economy. People don’t get income when they do not have a job. Hence, the spending power in the economy is weak. On the other hand, cost of wages would decrease as there are too much surplus of labor supply in the economy when there is high unemployment. Reason decline of wages is because of the competition for a job. People is willing to accept lower wages to get a job. Decreases in cost of wages is one of the element to get better profits, but in high unemployment situation, revenue and profits of company would fall as the purchasing power is low. Therefore the risk of company increases as company might not able to settle down the liability because revenue of company is not enough to cover. Hence, default risk of company increases as rises of risk of company. In addition, provision o f doubtful debt might increases as other companies might also face similar difficulties which they can’t afford to pay their debt. At the end, the share price of company would falls because of the poor business performance of company. Share price of company falls lead to firm value falls. Besides that, unemployment also affect stock returns, when suffering from depression, most of the companies would not pay a single sen to their shareholders as they need to gather up their capital to deal with uncertainty or set to make expansion. So that, stock returns are zero at this situation. Other than that, unemployment also affect the risk assessment of a country. High unemployment have some specific risks. First, central bank would implemented expansionary policy to deal with high unemployment. At the same time, government is eager to address unemployment problem as soon as possible because taxes receive by government falls and national economic is weak. At this stage, central bank may reduce the interest rates which intend to lend out money to firms for expansion and thus, deploy labor. In addition, wages of labor is cheap. Therefore, the risk to expand the businesses of firms are low as firms can enjoy cheap interest rates and cheap labor wages. Moreover, it is risky to offer normal or luxury goods and services since most of the people can’t afford to enjoy such goods and services. Instead, firms should offer more inferior goods which most of people can afford. Besides that, firms should hire security guards in the working area in order to eliminate risk of crime. Such social problems happened frequently, especially when depression. For example, every Rolex retail shop have deploy at least two security guards to keep their shop safe and avoid robbery. (Riley, 2009)

A Comparison of Communism versus Capitalism Essay -- Compare Contrast

A Comparison of Communism versus Capitalism Communism versus Capitalism is a debate that has raged on for over two centuries. Whether to allow everyone equal opportunities and to do with those opportunities as they please or to mandate class equality in order to keep peace has in itself been the cause of wars. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels saw the working class of the world--the proletariat--being squashed by the greedy business owners--the bourgeoisie. In their view, the bourgeoisie owned too much and the proletariat had no chance to make their own fortunes. In Marx and Engels Communist Manifesto, they propose doing away with private property, nationality, and even countries in order to take power away from the bourgeoisie. However, according to Samuel Smiles, it is the laziness of the working class and the poor that put them in that position. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels would adamantly disagree. There is a different underlying thought in each idea that the authors rely upon for their argument. For Smiles it is the idea that everyone has all the opportunities in the w...

U.S. Policy Against Canada :: essays research papers

The environmental relationship between the United States and Canada has been very consistent and free from any kind of controversy or warfare. Canada has always been an ally to the United States and has had a good relationship in all matters including the environment. It would be very costly for the United States to cut ties with Canada because they are very close to the U.S. and provide many environmental and trade opportunities for them also. The only environmental problems between the U.S. and Canada is due to the transboundary smog that has been drifting over into the U.S. from Canadian companies located close to the U.S.-Canada border.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Canada and the United States have provided each other with many environmental and trade opportunities. One example of this was seen in 1991 when these two countries signed an agreement on Air Quality in order to protect both countries from the increasing amounts of acidic rain that had begun to fall on the two countries. This agreement was not meant to hinder either country, but instead to better each countries environment. Another way, a rather extensive way that the United States and Canada have joined forces to help Canada’s environment is through aid sent to Canada from the US. The United States has laid the foundation for environmental protection programs in Canada so that the Canadians would be knowledgeable about their environment. This knowledge would include ways to protect the environment and to preserve it. The United States has also provided millions of dollars for Canada to use in order to create programs to preserve their environment. I feel that the policy the United States should use towards Canada in terms of environmentalism in the future should be very similar to the current policy.

Module Eight: Text Questions Essay

Describe the case of Genie. What happened to her? Why is this case important? Genie was a young girl, and it has been said that around the early age of 20 months that Genie was kept in a backroom tied to a toilet chair. This case was so important because by time Genie was found she could not speak nor communicate like a normal human being. This case just really showed how important infancy and childhood are critical times in brain development. What have scientists learned about the way that the brain develops in children? Describe how this development happens. Brain development in infants is influenced by a number of different factors, including nutrition, their genetics, interactions with their parents, physical activity, and other experiences. In the past, scientists believed that children’s brains were predetermined to a great extent in terms of how they would develop. However, scientists now know that an infant’s experiences help determine how connections are formed and which pathways will develop in the brain. rather than being predetermined, an infant’s brain is a work in progress, influenced not only by his or her genetics, but also the surrounding world. Describe how speech generating devices work. Explain the importance of augmentative communication. speech generating devices work by helping an individual communicate verbally. ACC is so important because it helps individuals produce or comprehend written or spoken language. Critical Thinking Questions What do scientists mean when they say that there are critical periods for brain development? Why are these periods important? When scientist say that there are critical periods for brain development they mean that if a child misses that period they’ll be noticeably different from others in the same age group. These periods are important because they’ll need them all throughout life. What role do parents play in a child’s brain development? What are some ways that parents can encourage this development? Parents play an essential role in child development. Some ways parents can encourage child development is by doing normal stuff like talking to them, playing with them, singing to them or even providing them with toys. List and explain three or more assistive technology device used with children with  learning disorders and special needs. What are the benefits of this technology for children? Digital recorders are used for children that have a problem remembering or processing spoken language. Calculators can be used during video games for kids who struggle with math. Audiobooks can help them read book for school work. The benefits of it all is that it helps the children to learn more and become better.

Analysis of the Movie “Jose Rizal” Essay

A three-hour epic on the life and struggles of poet and patriot Jose Rizal, the national hero and martyr of the Philippines, this film was commissioned to mark the 1998 centennial of the country’s independence from Spanish colonial rule. Rizal was a remarkably educated man; not only was he a writer, but he was also a painter, sculptor, doctor and surgeon, teacher, natural scientist, economist, engineer and theologian. He was an excellent fencer and marksman; he studied at colleges in Europe, America and Asia, traveled to many different nations and could speak twenty-two languages. He was a champion of his country’s independence, a Filipino Gandhi who faced the firing squad at the age of thirty-five for inciting rebellion. He was the instigator of the Philippine revolution of 1896-98, the first national uprising against a colonial power in Asia. He also wrote two books, Noli me tangere and El Filibusterismo, which sought to increase his people’s political awarenes s. Director Marilou Diaz-Abaya deliberately avoids a historical lesson. The Rizal of her story Cesar Montano is thinking back on his life and writings from his prison cell in the fortress of Santiago; the characters that appear are a blend of the real people, friends and enemies as well as those he created in his books. The script is solid, with a contribution by Diaz-Abaya’s long time collaborator, Ricky Lee; the soft tones of the cinematography helps to create an atmosphere of magic appropriate to the story of a legendary hero, and the acting by Cesar Montano is quite remarkable. The movie begins in 1891 with Jose Rizal, played by Cesar Montano, as an established author and linguist who speaks more than 20 languages. He vows to write about the sufferings of the Filipino people under the tyranny of Spanish rule, and about their abuse by corrupt priests. Rizal’s writings galvanize the Filipino people but earn the scorn of the Spanish government, which vows to crush the reb ellion of the Filipinos. The Spanish military capture and torture Jose’s brother Paciano, played by Pen Medina, to determine Jose’s role in the rebellion. During a flashback, Jose says Paciano greatly influenced him by exposing him to the injustice going on in the Philippines. Paciano is released after his interrogation and returns to Manila, where the family plans to go on the run. An order is given to arrest Jose Rizal on sight. The movie cuts back to Jose’s childhood, when he was called Pepe. When he is a child, his mother is falsely arrested for attempted murder and jailed for two years. He gets attention from educators early on for his intelligence and writing prowess. As a young man, he criticizes a college professor for stating that Spaniards are superior to Filipinos. Filipino students start fighting Spanish students after Jose starts raising the issue of Filipino independence. Cutting back to 1896, Jose is captured and put on trial, and his books are banned. The film then cuts back and forth between Jose’s rise as a revolutionary and his fall from grace during his trial. As a student, Rizal spent significant time in Madrid but then became disgusted with Spain’s occupation of Filipino land and Spanish treatment of Filipino citizens. The mayor of Madrid is arrested and discredited for having a Rizal book. A violent revolt breaks out in 1896, which Jose does not support because he sees it as mass suicide. Going back to the trial, enormous pressure is put upon Jose’s defense attorneys, with critics branding them as traitors for defending the rebel. It is revealed in a flashback that Jose had fathered a child that had died soon after birth, adding to his inner turmoil as he buried his only son. In the trial, his books are examined and criticized for their pro-Filipino stance against Spanish imperialists. He is found guilty of staging a rebellion through his speaking and writing, and he’s condemned to death by firing squad. He sneaks a poem to his family before his execution, and he yells â€Å"It is done!† A full-blown rebellion is soon under way. Two years later, in 1898, the Filipino flag is lifted triumphantly as the citizens celebrate their independence.

Contrasting Roles: The Good and the Bad

Contrasting Roles: The Good and the Bad In Fydor Dostoyesky’s, Notes from the Underground, the relationship between an underground man and a young prostitute, Liza, depicts admirable and harsh qualities. Truly, Liza illustrates a kind-hearted human being while the Underground Man exemplifies a harsh and isolated person. Liza’s function in this novel is to show the contrast between the two completing roles that characterize a classic literary illustration of what is good and bad. The altercations that Liza and the Underground Man have significantly portray positive and unsuitable qualities.Upon meeting Liza, the Underground Man harshly ridicules Liza and her lifestyle. He says that she is â€Å"a slave from the start. Yes, a slave! You give up everything, your whole freedom. If you want to break your chains afterwards, you will not be able to† (Dostoyevsky p. 64). This quote undoubtedly exposes Underground Man’s awful perspective on Liza. He believes that L iza is property, rather than a human being. Also, the quote shows that he is stripping Liza of any hope for the future. He does so by telling Liza that if she ever wanted to stop prostituting, she would not be able to.Despite all of the awful accusations that he makes, Liza patiently listens although it is hurting her tremendously. Furthermore, this emphasizes the contrast in characters. It evident that Liza is truly good and that the Underground Man is relentless. However, this not the only altercation that sheds light on this notion. Moreover, there is also another conflicts that give a defined distinction between what is good and bad. The underground Man goes on to further insult Liza without a will to stop.He states, â€Å"I know that I have only to whistle and you have to come with me whether you like it or not. I don’t consult your wishes, but you mine† (p. 69). The underground Man is dehumanizing Liza by comparing her to a dog. He claims that Liza will come to h im just as a dog follows a master’s command without question. As if that insult were not enough, he proceeds to tell Liza that she must grant his every desire but he does not care for her wishes. Undoubtedly, the quality of being able to hurt Liza in such a manner is horrible.Liza’s pain is illustrated when the novel states that â€Å"She bit the pillow, bit her hand till it bled (I saw that afterwards), or, thrusting her fingers into her disheveled hair, seemed rigid with the effort of restraint, holding her breath and clenching her teeth† (p. 72). This quote actively portrays how the Underground Man’s negative qualities truly affect her. It not only pained her emotionally to hear these things, but also physically. Despite her emotions, Liza put her feelings behind her and forgives him.After he apologizes, he states, â€Å"she squeezed my hand in her fingers so tightly that I felt I was saying the wrong thing and stopped†(p. 73). This excerpt trul y shows Liza’s nobility. Although Liza is so hurt, she makes him feel like he should not have to apologize. She does this by squeezing his hand. However, this is not the only time where Liza puts the Underground Man before herself. Liza’s responses in situations with the Under Ground man portray her comforting qualities and expose his poor qualities. Previously, the audience noted that while Liza cries, the Underground Man did not comfort her.However, in later text, the tables turn. When the Under Ground Man began to cry, she did not waste time in asking what was wrong by asking, â€Å"What is the matter? What is wrong? † she cried, fussing about me† (p. 83). This quote depicts that Liza is a compassionate person. It also shows the difference between the Underground Man and her. It was her natural instinct to help him yet he did not help Liza in her time of need. This again shows that Liza is naturally good while the underground man is uncompassionate.The last encounter that the Underground Man has with Liza truly shows her positive characteristics. After some time, Liza believes that he no longer sees her as a prostitute, but as a companion. However, after having relations with the Underground Man, he wants her to leave and gives her money for the relations that they previously had. Although this hurts her beyond belief, she leaves the money. The underground man states â€Å"I saw a crumpled blue five- rouble note, the one I had thrust into her hand a minute before† (p. 89). This shows that Liza is admirable in dignity.Although she had been hurt, she still had her dignity and that was important for the Underground Man to see. Liza is placed in the novel to show that despite negative situations, a person can still posses an admirable personality. Truly, Liza continuously finds herself to be in horrible situations but she never fails in acting graciously. In a sense, Liza is an inspiration to all. She shows the audience that he r profession pains her and that she regrets it. Not only can the audience learn from her mistakes, but also from her gracious personality as well.

Wide Dynamic Range Compression Benefits Health And Social Care Essay

Adults with a moderate sensorineural hearing loss have a demand for soft sounds to be amplified to assist with lucidity of address without traveling over a degree which the individual finds excessively loud. Moderate sensorineural hearing loss is caused by harm to outer hair cells, which can take to a reduced dynamic scope and finally, enlisting. The dynamic scope is the scope between the threshold of hearing and the uncomfortable volume degrees ( ULL ) . Venema ( 1998 ) refers to this as the floor ( threshold ) being raised and the ceiling ( ULL ) staying the same. When the ULL ‘s are unchanged, as thresholds worsen, an irregular addition in volume is perceived typically referred to as enlisting. In order to separate between different types of hearing AIDSs and happen the most suited for this type of hearing loss we have to look to see if the hearing AIDSs can embrace the individual ‘s dynamic scope without traveling over their uncomfortable volume degrees. It has been s uggested that end product restricting compaction ( CL ) and broad dynamic scope compaction ( WDRC ) hearing AIDSs are more good for this type of hearing loss compared to linear hearing AIDSs with extremum niping. Ultimately, for a moderate sensorineural hearing loss it is believed that WDRC is the most good type of elaboration at this clip. The outer hair cells in the organ of Corti have been referred to as the amplifiers of the cochlea ( Brownell, et al. , 1985 ) . In the absence of outer hair cell map, a moderate sensorineural hearing loss of around 40-50 dubnium is present ( Ryan and Dallos, 1975 ) . The most prevailing type of hearing loss in grownups is presbyacusis or age-related hearing loss ( Valente, et. Al. 2008 ) . Presbyacusis begins as a bilateral, symmetrical, high frequence sensorineural hearing loss impacting the outer hair cells in the radical terminal of the cochlea. Peoples with this type of hearing loss tend to kick about background noises such as address babbling in a noisy saloon. This can account for, what is normally referred to as the upward spread of cover, which is caused by lower frequences dissembling higher frequences ( Valente et. al. , 2008 ) . This consequences in softer, higher frequence sounds from address such as consonants being masked by lower frequence address sounds such as vowels . Presbyacusis causes a elusive lessening in hearing over clip ( Valente et. al. , 2008 ) and as a consequence, patients do non normally attend clinics until their households notice that the telecasting is excessively loud or the patient themselves realize that they can non hear every bit good in noisy state of affairss as they used to. Hearing AIDSs can include different types of compaction circuits, which can profit different types of hearing loss. Let ‘s first expression at input and end product compaction circuits. They differ to each other depending on where the volume control is located in the circuit. Output compaction circuits have the volume control before the compaction takes topographic point. This type of compaction affects the compaction kneepoint and the addition but non the maximal power end product. It is besides the type of circuit used with CL elaboration scheme and is associated with high compaction ratios and kneepoints. Input compaction has the volume control located after the compaction circuit ; therefore the sound is compressed before the volume control affects the sound. This means that the kneepoint is unaffected while the addition and maximal power end product are. This type of compaction circuit is what tends to be used with broad dynamic scope compaction ( WDRC ) scheme and is asso ciated with low compaction ratios and kneepoints ( Venema, 1998 ; Dillon, 2001 ) . The first type of compaction is end product restricting compaction elaboration. The input is additive until it reaches a high kneepoint and so it compresses the sound with a high compaction ratio ( Venema, 1998 ; Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . This type of compaction is really similar to top out cutting ( Personal computer ) , which is found in additive hearing AIDSs, nevertheless it is more pleasant for the hearer than Personal computer because there is less deformation. Peoples with normal hearing or mild to chair hearing loss will detect that the quality of address is more deformed with restricting when compared to people with terrible to profound hearing loss who will non detect this consequence as much ( Dillon, 2000 ) . In a survey of 12 grownups with mild to chair sensorineural hearing loss, sound quality and lucidity were improved with end product restricting compaction when compared to top out cutting ( Hawkins and Naidoo, 1993 ) . It is by and large accepted that additive hear ing AIDSs with extremum niping no longer hold a topographic point in audiometry clinics and hearing assistance companies have stopped fabricating them. Wide dynamic scope compaction ( WDRC ) is a compaction scheme that aims to magnify soft sounds by a batch, medium sounds by a moderate sum and loud sounds by a little sum ( Souza and Turner, 1998 ) . WDRC tends to give more addition to soft sounds and has reasonably short onslaught and release times ( Marriage, et al. , 2005 ) . WDRC is a nonlinear compaction scheme, which tries to mime the non-linearity of the cochlea and efforts to account for loudness enlisting with sensorineural hearing loss ( Moore, et al. , 1992 ) . The threshold kneepoint is normally low at around 50 dubnium in order to magnify quiet sounds, compactions ratios are normally lower than 4:1 and onslaught and release times are short so that harmonic sounds are non masked by vowel sounds ( Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . WDRC is a comparatively new compaction scheme that is used normally in modern digital engineering hearing AIDSs. There are assorted positions as to whether WDRC is of more benefit than additive elaboration. It has been noted in some literature that mensurable benefits of WDRC include improved hearing for soft address sounds ( Souza and Turner, 1998 ) , address in quiet, address in noise, more comfy hearing state of affairss for loud address ( Moore, et. al. , 1992 ; Davies-Venn, 2009 ) and improved acclimatization ( Yund et. al. , 2006 ) . In contrast it has besides been reviewed that WDRC may better audibleness but non needfully intelligibility when compared to linear elaboration ( Marriage, et. al. , 2005 ; Souza and Turner, 1998 ) . WDRC may be of more benefit for people with mild to chair sensorineural hearing loss compared to people with terrible to profound sensorineural hearing loss. This may be due to the suggestion that as hearing gets worse i.e. in terrible to profound sensorineural hearing loss that temporal cues are relied on more to a great extent to understand address. Since fast WDRC can alter temporal cues it may be that this population of hearing assistance wearers benefits more from compaction modification ( Jenstad and Souza, 2005 ; Davies-Venn et. Al. 2009 ) . In 1992, Brian Moore, et. Al. tested 20 topics with moderate sensorineural hearing loss, mensurating speech favoritism ability in quiet and speech response thresholds ( SRTs ) in noise. The topics were fitted with two types of hearing AIDSs: Linear amplifiers and two-band WDRC compressors. They were tested with their new hearing AIDSs and besides in an unaided status and with their ain original hearing AIDSs. With the compaction hearing aids the topics had good address favoritism tonss at all strength degrees in the quiet and the other three conditions showed diminishing address intelligibility as the strength degree got quieter. The WDRC AIDSs proved to assist topics accomplish lower SRTs in noise compared to the other conditions. Patients with decreased dynamic scopes besides benefited from the compaction hearing AIDSs more than the additive AIDSs in that they found the loud sounds more comfy. When surveyed the topics besides preferred the sound of the WDRC hearing AIDSs ( Moore, e t al. , 1992 ) . Another benefit of WDRC over liner elaboration is improved acclimatization. Acclimatization is the clip it takes for the encephalon to acquire accustomed to sound from a peculiar type of elaboration and to hold increased speech acknowledgment. Yund et. Al. ( 2006 ) did an acclimatization survey with 39 topics with mild to chair inclining sensorineural hearing loss, who had ne'er worn hearing AIDSs. They showed that topics who wore the WDRC hearing AIDSs experienced acclimatization, whereas the patients who wore additive hearing AIDSs did non demo any increased address favoritism tonss. They believed this was because the WDRC hearing assistance was able to treat the normal hearing dynamic scope into the dynamic scope of topics with mild to chair sensorineural hearing loss. After a period of have oning additive elaboration, topics were so fitted with WDRC hearing AIDSs. These topics still struggled with acclimatization after a period with their WDRC hearing AIDSs and needed excess aid in the signifier of audile preparation to acquire rid of the effects of the additive elaboration on the encephalon. Overall, it was concluded that hearing AIDSs with more sophisticated engineering may be the best AIDSs for acclimatization ( Yund, et. al. , 2006 ) . One survey compared the benefits of additive and nonlinear hearing AIDSs with address trials and Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile ( GHABP ) questionnaires. The bulk of topics preferred the WDRC nonlinear hearing AIDSs compared to the additive hearing AIDSs. They showed better tonss on address trials, had better address acknowledgment, and preferred the overall hearing experience with the WDRC hearing AIDSs. WDRC hearing AIDSs can be programmed with fast or decelerate onslaught and release times or a combination as this can be adjusted for different channels. In this survey the research workers found that there was more of a penchant for slow onslaught and release times for the most comfort and satisfaction compared to fast WDRC ( Gatehouse, et. al. , 2006 ) . In comparing, Shi and Doherty ( 2008 ) found better address acknowledgment tonss for both slow and fast, onslaught and release times compared to linear hearing AIDSs, nevertheless found no difference between tonss for slow an d fast times in WDRC. When onslaught and release times are shorter the soft address sounds are amplified more than the louder 1s. If the release clip is long so the soft and loud address sounds are amplified at the same degree, which may ensue in the softer phonemes being masked by the louder 1s ( Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . Where to put onslaught and release times may be different for each patient depending on their penchant ; nevertheless in these surveies it has been shown that holding onslaught and release times utilizing WDRC improves speech acknowledgment tonss compared to linear hearing AIDSs. WDRC multi-channel hearing AIDSs have a distinguishable advantage over individual channel hearing AIDSs because they have the ability to utilize BILL and TILL ( characteristics of WDRC ) at the same clip ( Sandlin, 2000 ) . BILL is the â€Å" bass addition at low degrees † and TILL is â€Å" the soprano addition at low degrees † ( Dillon, 2001, pp 169 ) . BILL will be given to travel into compaction a batch more with low frequence sounds and non every bit much with high frequence sounds. The scheme of BILL is to let the hearing assistance wearer to hear better in background noise. TILL will travel into compaction more frequently with high frequence sounds and non every bit much with low frequence sounds. The scheme of TILL is to increase audibleness of high frequence sounds. Both BILL and TILL used in concurrence can make a good adjustment scheme for a level moderate high frequence sensorineural hearing loss ( Venema, 1998 ) . Dillon ( 2000 ) described two jobs that can originate with WDRC hearing AIDSs. The first job is that while WDRC hearing AIDSs magnify really soft address good, they besides amplify really soft background noises such as the clock ticking or the sound of apparels traveling ( Dillon, 2000 ) . Fortunately with newer digital engineering, hearing AIDSs are able to divide address from background noise more intuitively than with linear engineering. A manner to cover with these really low degree background noises is to utilize enlargement. Expansion is the antonym of compaction and aims to do the weakest sounds in the quietest environments unobtrusive as it is below the hearer ‘s aided threshold ( Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . The 2nd disadvantage is the job of feedback being introduced when the hearing assistance wearer is in a quiet environment and the addition is increased ( Dillon, 2000 ; Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . In the past few old ages digital feedback suppression/cancellation ha s become more sophisticated and this does non look to be a job with WDRC in hearing assistance wearers every bit long as a suited earmould is fitted. Wide dynamic scope compaction has been shown to hold advantages over additive elaboration utilizing compaction modification and extremum niping circuits. In some research workers sentiments it has still non been unambiguously proven that WDRC is the best adjustment scheme for all types of hearing loss. As degrees gets worse than moderate sensorineural hearing loss, the loss of outer and interior hair cell map causes temporal cues to decline. It is ill-defined whether fast WDRC may be doing deformation in address signals due to this. What is clear is that for mild to chair sensorineural hearing loss, most normally observed with presbyacusis, WDRC seems to better address acknowledgment in quiet, in noise, overall comfort and it is easier to acclimatize to have oning hearing AIDSs. There is non a great sum of recent literature on the topic of the benefits of WDRC in the moderate sensorineural hearing loss class. It would be interesting to see new research conducted to find whether there are more benefits in multichannel WDRC with newer, more intuitive, digital engineering hearing AIDSs.

Assignment on Hr Promotion & Transfer Essay

Flippo †A promotion involve a change from one job to another that is better in term of and responsibility† Chruden and Sherman†A promotion involves a change of assignment from a job of a lower level to one of level with in the organization† Dale Yoder†Promotion is defined as a movement to a position in which in which responsibility and prestige are increased† Pigors and myers â€Å"Promotion is the advantage of an employee to a better job better in term of gather responsibilities more prestige and status gather skill and specially increased of pay or salary†. Employer to support employee higher position, sales, duties, response everything increased is as well as employees enjoy self-determination, (a)progress (b)preferment (c)promotion (d) position Promotions are used to fill the positions which are more important to fill rather than the present position of employee. It can be filled by external recruitment but employees having eligibility and experience must be appointed for their motivation. Also it will decrease labour turn over as external recruitment costs more. Also increase in salary and status will increase job satisfaction. When scale of pay is increased without changing job it is called  up-gradation  and promotion involves changes in job as well as high salary. When higher position is given without change in salary it is known as  Dry Promotion. All these,  Promotion Up-Gradation and Dry Promotion  are used by management to increase morale of employee and as giving reward also. Promotion means the employee present position to superior position . more obviously promotion is the association to the higher position where more responsibility and more power exits with more occurrence. In the higher position, sales, duties, response everything increased is as well as employees enjoy self-determination. The advancement of an employee within a  company  position  or  job  tasks. A job promotion may be the  result  of an  employee’s  proactive  pursuit of a higher ranking or as a  reward  by  employers  for good  performance. Typically is also  associated  with a higher  rate  of  pay  or  financial  bonus. In terms of a career, a promotion refers to the advancement of an employee’s rank or position in a hierarchical structure. A

The Role of Cultural Brokers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Role of Cultural Brokers - Research Paper Example The investigator interviewed nurses, doctors, community members, and pharmacy personnel in one of the public healthcare facilities and a neighboring community. Analysis of the results indicated that it is vital to incorporate healthcare brokers into the healthcare systems. Healthcare negotiators review interviews that occurred between clients and healthcare providers. They also analyze the clinical reports and case conferences to infer meaning and refer clients accordingly. Additionally, brokers in the healthcare system mediate the varied viewpoints held by the clients and healthcare providers. Further, they help to bring about the clients’ cultural experiences, values, and expectations. In understanding the impacts of the cultural aspect, many organizations and healthcare personnel can offer the best services to their esteemed clients. Despite the challenges facing the cultural brokers, it is of utmost importance to find the means to involve cultural brokers in the delivery o f the healthcare services. It is conclusively paramount to have the healthcare cultural brokers to ensure achievement of goals and missions of the healthcare systems. Cultural brokering refers to the process through which an individual act as an advocate or a link between persons of divergent cultural backgrounds. An active agent displays the acquaintance, sensitivity, and skills of being aware of the cultural influences that affect people’s lives. Further, the broker has the appropriate training to act within the profession as an informed go-between (Major & Gooden, 2012). Understanding the concept of cultural brokerage entails a critical look at culture, co-culture, mediation of culture, health culture, and culture broker. For instance, the role of a cultural broker links with aims of cultural competence.  Ã‚  

When the Emperor was Divine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

When the Emperor was Divine - Essay Example The story is told from the perspective of the anonymous family, and it has special meaning. It does not matter what were the names of family members because they became simple outcasts in the eyes of Americans. The author calls her personages simply: a mother, a girl, a boy, and father which means that similar events happened to almost all Japanese families: they were simply turned to enemies. The story has four different narrators. First chapter is told from the Mother`s perspective who probably was affected the most by this unexpected exile as she was responsible for two little children at the absence of the husband. The journey on the train from their home in California to Topaz War Relocation Center is described by the daughter of the family while the family`s staying in inhumane conditions in the camp is described by the boy. The fourth chapter is told from the position of the father, however he uses the pronoun â€Å"we† which can be understood as â€Å"we† the fa mily or â€Å"we â€Å"-Japanese. It is possible to compare this novel to Bernard Schlink`s â€Å"The Reader† but this will be a comparison through opposition. In the story told by Schlink the main character, Hanna, does not feel any regret about her past service for the Nazi camp and tries to forget it with the help of books and strange love. The author raises a difficult question of conscious of the whole nation, and for Germans as well as for Japanese this question turns out to be very difficult as it touches each and every citizen. However, in â€Å"When the Emperor was Divine† the life of the characters, even the smallest one, is changed from the very beginning of the war. They become outcasts and they start feeling ashamed for their origin. These events influenced every character of the book in a different and serious way. The mother of the family faced

Key Characteristics of the Narrative Approach Assignment

Key Characteristics of the Narrative Approach - Assignment Example Identify the purpose of the research study and identify a phenomenon to explore. 2) Select an individual to learn about the phenomenon. 3) Pose initial research question(s). 4) Describe the researcher’s role (entry to the research site, reciprocity, and ethics) 5) Describe data collection methods 6) Describe appropriate strategies for analysis and interpretation of data. 7) Write a narrative account. Narrative Account Joe, a fifth grader does not mix up with other girls in her class. She studies in a school that is only meant for girls, meaning there is no coeducation in that school. Although Joe is not very fond of studies, yet she is always seen immersed in books in the free time in school. In the mid-break, she takes her lunch in the corner of the class and eats the sandwich quietly. While doing so, she makes sure she has some book with her. It can be said that books do her no good apparently because neither she participates in the intellectual discussions, nor her performa nce in the class tests is up to the mark of a student who gives half as much time to the books as she does. She has no friend in the class, though she makes sure she has one girl aside from her when she has to move out of the class. That could be any girl†¦she just sticks with someone. Otherwise, within the class, she remains isolated. Her class-fellows think that she is too sensitive, so they frequently make fun of her. The researcher has the question, ‘Is reading books really the favorite pastime of Joe or it is just a refuge she seeks to avoid interaction with her class-fellows?† The research also wants to know, â€Å"What makes Joe have a girl beside her in the public when she doesn’t make the bond with anyone inside the classroom?† To find answers to these questions, the researcher decides to interview Joe. The research also intends to talk to Joe’s parents, her teachers and at least five randomly selected girls from Joe’s class. The researcher particularly wants to know how Joe socializes with her family members as well as some events that have occurred in her childhood that might have a big role in making her what she is today. From the information collected from the interviewees, the researcher has prepared the narrative research report. 1. Identify the purpose of the research study and identify a phenomenon to explore. Answer: Purpose of this research was to investigate why Joe avoided hanging out with friends and seek refuge in books. 2. Select an individual to learn about the phenomenon. Answer: Joe’s parents, five class-fellows and Joe herself were selected. 3. Pose initial research question(s). 3.1 Is reading books really the favorite pastime of Joe or it is just a refuge she seeks to avoid interaction with her class-fellows? 3.2 What makes Joe have a girl beside her in the public when she doesn’t make a bond with anyone inside the classroom? 4. Describe the researcher’s role (entry to the research site, reciprocity, and ethics) Answer: Researcher approached Joe’s mother with help of the school administration.

The Management of Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Management of Innovation - Essay Example .. the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth† (Drucker, 2011). Considering the growing importance for innovation, this paper aims at identifying three organisations from a single industry and to study and analyse the innovation attempts by these companies. Chosen Industry and Companies: The industry chosen here is the IT and Computing Industry. The chosen companies here for this study include a) IBM, b) Microsoft and c) Google. The main reason to choose this industry is the every changing market for these products and services. Also, IBM, Google and Microsoft are multinational companies with a wide presence across the globe hence these are the best companies to be studied for their attempts and approaches towards innovation. Industry Analysis: Several studies have confirmed over the past few years that innovation is becoming an important aspect of the businesses. Almost 90% of the businesses treat innovation as a priority and this has led to a significa nt increase in the innovation and the need and importance of innovation (Shukla, 2009). It has clearly been noted that innovation has a major impact on the strategic planning in the industry and is also a major factor in wealth creation as well. The information technology industry as a whole is an ever changing environment. According to Peter Drucker, a company which is unable to innovate in the current age of necessitating innovation then the company can face decline and extinction. The information technology industry is one where the companies need to be able to be innovative to be able to compete in the markets. A recent issue in the IT industry was where Microsoft has been faced with a high pressure due to the new Apps created by Google. Microsoft owns as much as 33% of the total markets and the company caters to a majority of the market (Vellante, 2010). Studies have also shown that the determinants of innovation and productivity are mainly competition. The IT industry has a hi gh level of competition and everyday one business or another seem to innovate something new, products, services or even new business systems. As very well identified by Peter Drucker, innovation is generally based a few main factors. Each of these has been discussed in brief in relation to the IT industry. Firstly, every company in the IT industry has faced several unexpected successes and failures. These as explained by Drucker is one of the few reasons and also an opportunity for companies to adopt innovation. Secondly, as seen the IT industry is one which has a constantly changing market, demographics and also market structure. Hence when a company is a part of this industry it is crucial that innovation is focused upon. Also, with the current knowledge and information based world, customers are looking for the best and latest options and prefer to have more innovative options rather than the old products and services with no improvements (Luebke, 2010). Hence a company participa ting in the IT industry requires innovating not only to meet these new knowledge needs but also to be able to develop and sustain itself in the industry against the competition. Hence considering these factors and elements, it is crucial to be innovative and to device innovative products and serv

Inter Industry and Intra Industry Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Inter Industry and Intra Industry Trade - Essay Example on, and import goods to countries they lack their own production, or where products can be manufactured with poor cost-effectiveness, owing to factor scarcity, intensively used for goods production. Under such circumstances, a country does not generally export and import the same product type. Inter-industry trade is in direct contrast to intra-industry trade that is a result of ‘imperfect’ competition between nations having identical factor endowments (Falvey and Kierkowski, 1987, 143-161). Examples of intra-industry trade include technology, beverages, minerals and automobiles. As per the definitions provided by OECD, intra-industry trade can be viewed through intra-industry trade measurements: a) â€Å"Trade in similar products (â€Å"horizontal trade†) with differentiated varieties (e.g. cars of a similar class and price range); b) Trade in â€Å"vertically differentiated† products distinguished by quality and price (e.g. exports of high-quality clothi ng and imports of lower-quality clothing)† (OECD, Glossary of Statistical terms, 2007). There are two different forms of intra-industry trade: Horizontal intra-industry trade: this comprises of simultaneous imports and exports of products categorised within an identical industry, and at an identical processing stage, therefore, based primarily on product differentiation, as for example, Korea’s export and import of cellular phones at the same time, at a same processing stage (Grubel, and Lloyd, 1975). Vertical intra-industry trade: This comprises of imports and exports of products at the same time within the same industry sector, but at a different processing phase. It is based on a growing ability to arrange for production fragmentation into various stages, each occurring at different places, and taking advantage... This report approves that countries export products where factors can be intensively used for goods production, and import goods to countries they lack their own production, or where products can be manufactured with poor cost-effectiveness, owing to factor scarcity, intensively used for goods production. Under such circumstances, a country does not generally export and import the same product type. Inter-industry trade is in direct contrast to intra-industry trade that is a result of ‘imperfect’ competition between nations having identical factor endowments. This report makes a conclusion that currently under increased instances of globalisation, intra-industry trade has turned into an essential part of global macro-economic activities, which is beneficial as regards bringing in stability at a macro-economic level, increasing the number of products of the same type within the market giving a consumer more choices and advocating innovation. This trade is primarily based on the advantage where it allows consumers to have at their disposal a larger range of products at cheaper rates, while allowing producers to acquire economies of scale in goods manufacture by giving them an access to a wider global market. With an overall rise in output, fixed costs are disseminated over a wide range of units, thus decreasing the corporation’s average production cost. Therefore, despite various debates on its rightful place within the realms of economic theories, intra-industry trade occupies an important position within the realms of modern intern ational trade.

Coca Cola's Global Business Strategy Research Paper

Coca Cola's Global Business Strategy - Research Paper Example The company was established in 1886 and the flagship brand spread all over the world. The company runs its business in the areas of manufacturing, retailing and marketing soft drinks, beverages and non-alcoholic syrups across the world. The company sells around 500 brands in 200 countries across the world catering to 1.7 billion customers per day. A total of 1,46,200 employees have been engaged by the Coca Cola Company all over the world in order to run its business of manufacturing, retailing and selling of soft drinks, beverages and syrups in different countries. The company earned revenues of slightly over 48 billion dollars with an operating income of close to 11 billion dollars in 2012. The business of Coca Cola is largely supported by the supply chain and logistics management of the company. The drinks and beverages manufactured by the company in its factories are distributed to the wholesalers and retailers, franchisees of the company, etc. The franchisees, agents and retailer s sell the products of Coca Cola in the regional markets all over the world. Some of the renowned brands of Coca Cola include the Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Valpre, etc (THE  COCA-COLA  COMPANY 1). In order to deal with the areas of risk in the supply chain, the company adopts global business strategies to distribute its products in several countries. Research Methodology The research methodology adopted for this study on the company background of Coca Cola Company and its supply chain strategies to distribute its products in the international boundaries have been explained as follows. This is a secondary research conducted with the use of existing data. The data and required information on the company and its strategies to distribute the products in the international boundaries in an efficient manner have been collected from electronic sources, company’s official website and from the books on logistic management of the company. The data collected from the company is relia ble and have been qualitatively analyzed to determine how the company addresses the areas of risk and achieves efficient distribution of its products in order to meet the international demand of its products. Analysis and findings In order to deal with the risks of supply chain that includes agency cost, delay in delivery of the products due to intermediate players, conflicting interest with the distributors, Coca Cola Company undertakes global business strategy to distribute its products internationally in order to meet the global demand. The company operates a franchisee based distribution network throughout the world. The franchisees undertake contracts and agreements with the Coca Cola Company for retailing of the drinks, beverages and syrups manufactured by the company (Stock and  Lambert 45). The franchisees are given the responsibility for distribution and sale of the products for the particular region. The supply chain interruptions, malicious tampering of products, transp ortation delays are the areas of risk for the company. In order to address the areas of risk, the company adopted the global strategy of replacing existing logistics with an

Research paper about lululemon Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

About lululemon - Research Paper Example The industry also has many established players such as Nike, Adidas, and GAP inc. among others. Economic factors such as increasing production costs and regulated prices across political jurisdictions are significant. Legal provisions such as intellectual property laws and political environments such as trade policies are also significant (Forgeon, et al. 38, 40). Delta Galil is one of the major suppliers. The supplier is established, with about 10000 workers and annual revenue of about one billion dollars. This suggests stability of the suppliers whose clients include Lululemon’s major competitors such as Nike. Eclat Textile company is another of the suppliers, has high revenue level and deals in Lululemon’s competitors. Workday INC is another major supplier. The suppliers are stable and deal with Lululemon’s competitors, a factor that suggests fair supplier powers, but Lululemon only commands a limited percentage of the suppliers’ revenues, and this limits its bargaining powers (Forgeon, et al. 25, 26). Lululemon’s distinct product design is one of its strengths ans allows it to develop brand image. The design also aims at establishing product quality and therefore develops a competitive advantage. The attained high quality also allows for price increase towards greater profit margins. Short lifecycle that ensures faster product inception is also strength and allows the company to respond to possible dynamic changes in the market. Research and development that focus on data from customers’ opinions is strength and allows for immediate response to customers’ changing needs (Forgeon, et al. 18, 19). The company has limited partnerships in distribution of products and this is its major weakness. Apart from its retail stores, Lululemon only deals with clubs and studios, while partnerships with other stores and franchises could facilitate more revenues. The company has significant growth opportunities in North America and