The Greatest Of These Is Love Essay - 996 Words

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) No matter how anointed we are in our preaching, teaching, evangelizing, ministering, etc ... there is no greater evidence of our knowledge of God than how we LOVE one another. Love comes from God and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows Him. (1 John 4:7) The indwelling of Gods love in us perfects our human character. Without it, we have no foundation on which to build our Christian lives. Love is not just an attribute of Gods character ... It IS God! (1 John 4:16) It is the very essence of Gods being. In John 13:34-35, we are commanded to love one another. This command is not referring to a physical†¦show more content†¦For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9) He has unselfishly given us this awesome, wonderful gift ... we must selflessly share it with others, Amen? Our Love for One Another Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10) Christians love because we were first loved by God (1 John 4:19). Since He loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:11). Brotherly love is our self-sacrificing ability to treat others, even perfect strangers, as if they were a part of our family. As believers who have been adopted into the body of Christ, then we are in fact part of the same family and are brothers and sisters to one another. While some believe that our love for one another is a choice, in all actuality ... it is a command to those who love God. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:21) Thats a tough one isnt it? For when our brother happens to be someone who has hurt us, it is easy to judge them as undeserving of our unselfish, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. But this very command challenges our love for God. Will you accept the challenge and prove that your love for God is greater than your displeasure with your brother just as He has proven to us that His love for us isShow MoreRelatedLove Is Life s Greatest Offer881 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is love? Love is life’s greatest offer, love gives our lives meaning, value and makes us who we are. Without love our existence is hollow and insubstantial. To live a fulfilling life is to love courageously and relentlessly. Love is a simplified term to describe the feelings of pleasure, compassion and attachment associated with love without defining the specific aspect or origin from which it came. For millions of years the topic of love has inspired countless works of art, literature, filmRead MoreThe Grea test Love Story of all Time1303 Words   |  5 Pages Romeo and Juliet—the greatest love story of all time. What an odd thing to say about a play with one off-stage sex scene and seven on-stage deaths. Why would a book with such renown be removed from any list of great books? Some people may look at the story and say it holds immature values. After all, from a very straightforward angle, the story is about two teenagers killing themselves because they cannot have what they want. There is much more to the story, however, and by analyzing its originRead MoreMaking Love to the Mind: The Greatest Intimacy 685 Words   |  3 PagesSappho was exiled as a teenager to Sicily because of political reasons. Sappho was called a lyrist, because she performed her poems with lyre. Majority of Sappho’s poems reflect extreme, intense, feelings of desire. 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First published in 1609, these works have remained a popular subject in the world of literature for centuries to come. â€Å"Shakespeare has completely dominated the English-speaking state over the last four hundred years.† When thinking of Shakespeare, his famous plays such Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet are usually the first toRead MoreJane Eyre, One of the Greatest Love Stories of All Time?2143 Words   |  9 Pages Jane’s enduring quest for love, love of a family and of an equal fulfill the human ideals of romance as she defies all obstacl es in her way. The love between Rochester and Jane dissolves the constraints of Victorian society where social status becomes of little significance. â€Å"Jane Eyre† epitomizes triumph over impossible odds as two people of different status can love each other for who they are and nothing more. A major theme of â€Å"Jane Eyre† is Jane’s quest for love, which is made plain very earlyRead MoreLove is the greatest human emotion one can experience. In the poem Leaving the Motel by W. D.800 Words   |  4 PagesLove is the greatest human emotion one can experience. In the poem Leaving the Motel by W. D. Snodgrass and Sex Without Love by Sharon Olds each poet shares different views on the theme of love. Snodgrass poem focuses on a couple having an affair in a motel. As they are leaving they go through a checklist to make sure they keep their secrecy. While, Olds poem focuses more about how people have sex without being in love. Both of these poems illustrate a strong sense of love in different waysRead MoreAnalyse Faulks presentation if friendships and love affairs in Birdsong, showing which relationships had the greatest impact on your understanding of the novel.1371 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Analyse Faulks’ presentation of friendships and love affairs i n Birdsong, showing which relationships and love affairs had the greatest impact on your understanding of the novel. One of the most significant relationships, if not the most, is the friendship between Jack Firebrace and the main character, Stephen Wraysford. This is because Jack remains a constant in Stephen’s war life which contrasts with all the other relationships with the men Stephen makes as he suffered the loss of many of themRead MoreMo Tzu Universal Love Analysis807 Words   |  4 Pageswill prove that thought Monzi thought of universal love, the will of heaven, being against music and as well as going against Confucians is the best way to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time, using an article called â€Å"Mo Tzu Basic Writings† translated by Burton Waston Universal Love The aspect of universal love is seen in a very simple way with no in between answers as Universality is the greatest source of all great benefits in the world and partialityRead More Life Or Death Essay1673 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough, and the suffering our loved ones share with us? What impact does suffering and death leave behind? 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Mathur Devo Bhava Free Essays

In our Hindu culture from childhood we are taught to respect and obey parents. We believe in MATRU DEVO BHAVA, PITRU DEVO BHAVA, ACHARYA DEVO BHAVA. Answering parents, disobeying them or talking loud at them are considered to be not acceptable in particular with traditional families. We will write a custom essay sample on Mathur Devo Bhava or any similar topic only for you Order Now Now things have changed and children are taught to talk freely anything to every thing to parents or teachers and question them too if they do not feel happy with what they say. It is a scientific way of bringing up and giving space to children and giving them an opportunity to learn things with reasoning power. But this freedom has been proving in most of the cases being misused and children are becoming over confident and arrogant. If a child is praised for his intelligence in front of him, our elders used to avoid it he is getting a feeling that he is on top of the world. I have seen a 9 years old girl who used to stand first in class did not get good marks in Mathematics and lost her rank to another kid in the class. Her mother was questioning her and meanwhile her dad said â€Å"Sarayu, you have to put more focus on Maths†. Suddenly he was snapped by the little daughter â€Å"Dad, I know very well that you were never first in your class. So, don’t tell me how to study†. Immediately mother took a long lesson to the daughter saying that she should never talk like that and Dad is not to be questioned. She explained the kid in what kind of stressful circumstances he was grown up and still he made his life successful so that today his daughter is studying in prestigious public school with all luxuries at home and outside. The girl offcourse learnt the lesson and realised her mistake. Similarly, today when we see children and youngsters least respecting their parents and teachers offcourse, our heart wreathes in pain. We see young boys calling their Dads â€Å"Hey stupid guy, you don’t understand that† or calling names their mothers and insulting them is something very terrible. In my opinion, if that youngster may be a Noble Prize winner or a highly paid executive in a Blue chip company, but he is just a Zero in his character as he does not have basic values. To remind one and all the importance of parents, herewith I am sending a nice message which I came across recently. If this changes even slightly the behaviour of spoilt kids and youngsters, I feel that I have done a good job. It is never too late to realise our mistakes in life. MOTHER : This is a truly BEAUTIFUL piece please read this at a slow pace, digesting every word and in leisure†¦ do not hurry†¦. this is a treasure†¦ For those lucky to still be blessed with your Mother, this is beautiful. For those of us who aren’t, this is even more beautiful. For those who are Mother, they will love this. The young mother set her foot on the path of life. ‘Is this the long way? ‘ she asked. And the guide said: ‘Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning. But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, ‘Nothing will ever be lovelier than this. ‘ Then the nig ht came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, ‘Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come. And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, ‘A little patience and we are there. ‘ So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, ‘Mother, we would not have done it without you. ‘ And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, ‘This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I’ve given them strength. ‘ And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: ‘Look up. Lift your eyes to the light. And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said, ‘This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God. ‘ And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said, ‘I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them. ‘ And the children said, ‘You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates. ‘ And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: ‘We cannot see her but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence†¦ ‘ Your Mother is always with you†¦. She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street; she’s the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks; she’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she’s crystallized in every tear drop. She’s the place you came from, your first home; and she’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space†¦ not even death! MAY WE NEVER TAKE OUR MOTHERS FOR GRANTED†¦ WHAT A WONDERFUL MESSAGE How to cite Mathur Devo Bhava, Papers

SMEs in Oman Lending Requirements and Poor Management

Question: Discuss about theSMEs in Oman: Lending Requirements and Poor Management. Answer: Introduction The Oman SMEs are important drivers of the economy. However, the Oman SMEs face challenges in acquiring adequate funds. Oman face such challenges as need for collateral, conditional lending requirements and poor management of cash follow and ability to make scheduled repayment. Nevertheless, Oman SMEs have a range of sources to acquire funds including government support through Sanad Programmme, funds created by the government through MoCI (SMEs Development Fund) and Sharakah Fund for Development of Oman youth projects. Oman SMEs have also benefited from Esthmar Venture Capital and long term loans through Oman Arab Bank via Tomouhi Programme and Intilaaqah Enterprise Fund (IEF). The Oman government has created Oman SMEs Development Fund to fund the SMEs in Oman. Evaluation of Various Sources of Finance Available For Oman SME's Government Assistance in General without Naming any Specific Fund The Sanad Programmme within the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) was established by the government in 2001 to offer financial support to the SMEs during their formative years. Sanad assists SMEs through soft loans, besides mentorship and helping with government services. The programme gives loans at favorable interest rate of 2% thanks to government subsidies thereby reducing the borrowing cost as well as risk for SMEs. The Sanads SMEs approved applicants get their funding via the Oman Development Bank. The government has created funds through MoCI in April 2012 by establishing SME Development Fund managed by National Company for Projects and Management (NCPM). Sharakah Fund for Development of Youth Projects has also worked in handy with MoCI and Sanad established in 1988 by royal decree thereby helping youths to undertake their business ideas. Via the collaboration between the Director General of the SMEs the United States Small Business Administration and the MEPI, the LGP provides eighty percent guarantees for SMES loans up to $650,000 with the rate of interest ranging from 3.4- to 4.3 percent. Venture Capital with Specific Oman Venture Capital Company (Ethmar) is being seed funded by Al Raffd Fund. The funding of a target capital of RO 10 million. The board of directors represented by shareholders have been mandated to manage the funds. Esthmar has invested in equity of high growth potential private sector start-ups SMEs. It has only cultivated a culture of innovation, promoted new ideas, provided a platform for expanding regionally as well as eventually stimulated the creation of jobs in Oman. It has targeted opportunities in the SMEs sector in Oman. The fund has preferred such sectors as oil and gas, agribusiness, retail, tourism and information technology. Ethmar has invested in early stage companies which exhibit a clear path to growth as well as profitability and with competitive advantage alongside those that can compete locally, regionally and even internationally with a minimum requirement for investment of RO 100,000 and a maximum of 10% of the paid up capital of Ethmar that is RO 1 million. Ethmars promoted had invested the application of various SMEs in 2015 and considered them for potential funding. Three promoters were selected for funding including Najah Salim al Abdulsalam (communicate-hearing assessment, diagnosis, and speech therapy services), Mansoor al Mahrouqi, Ahmed ali Salim al Mahrouqi (Victoria Lake-oil and gas services) as well as Munther al Battash (Ruken Al Pizza-food and beverage company). Long Term Loans The Oman Arab Bank that is owned 51% by the Oman International Development and Investment Company and 49% by Arab Bank has commenced a new programme for the SMEs financing. The programme is called Tomouhi or my ambition. This fund works in partnership with the MoCI and Oman Development Banks loan guarantee programme. Moreover, BankMuscat has financing design particularly for SMEs in Oman and have been additionally joined by many private funds. Intilaaqah Enterprise Fund (IEF) which is a $17 million fund has been designed to stimulate SMEs among Oman youths through the provision of funds, business development services as well as guidance. Oman-based Al Anwar Holding is offering a more traditional private-equity approach to Oman SMEs. It is publicly traded on the Muscat Securities Market. It is a for-profit institution investing in its specialty sectors. The Oman SMEs also get funds from long term loans particularly from the banks. Apart from equity and owners finance, almost eighteen percent of small and medium firms acquire capital from banks and other financial institutions. These institutions give finance to small and medium businesses under specific terms. Unlike equity, banks and other institutional borrowings have got immediate reflections on the cash flow. Credit acquired from banks and other financial institutions are subjected to interests which sometimes become a challenge to small businesses. Even though the interest rate is high most of small and medium size businesses still depend on bank loan for expansion and growth. Angel Investors Angel investors are also noticed to be very important source of capital and finance to small and medium size enterprises in Oman. Angel investors are rich individuals who are always willing to venture into various businesses.[1] They have provided financial support to various small and medium size enterprises in Oman. They enter into various organizations either as partners or as financiers. Angel investors invest largely into the economy by starting various small businesses and financing others as well.[2] Problems and Challenges Asymmetric Information The Small and Medium Enterprises also face a challenge of asymmetric information which complicates the process by which they select among the range of sources available for funding. With the limited information available for the SMEs, there is an increasing difficulty facing SMEs to arrive at the ideal method to choose the best financing alternatives.[3] The information asymmetry thus make the Oman SMEs to embrace the old pecking theory thereby preferring internal financing like cash flows from their business instead of external financing like loan from banks hence limiting their ability to benefit from the economies of scale. Conditional Lending Requirements Oman SMEs financing face challenges related to a range of government entities based on conditional lending. This condition lending requires the beneficiaries of the loans to purchase a given equipment from a particular agent or purchase needed supplies from a pre-determined agents.[4] The practice remains contradictory to the principle of entrepreneurship and more significantly, it prohibits beneficiaries of the loan to run the business in a cost-effective as well as flexible manner as a result of these complications. The SMEs thus do not have the freedom to choose vendors and suppliers locally or abroad. Requirement of Collateral Banks require SMEs to provide collateral as security before being approved for loans. SMEs hence have less access to bank credit compared to large enterprises. Banks in Oman still practice the traditional way of lending SMEs against collateral which makes the SMEs to be underfinanced. The current procedure in the banking sector allows banks to categorize any business loan as either a non-paid loan in case the SMEs fails to service the loan for ninety days. The banks get it easy to take non-payment cases to the court for recovery of the lent amount making thereby inflicting fears on SMEs to seek out for bank loans. This is because these kinds of loans remain backed by valuable collaterals like lands, retirement wages as well as business itself. The ninety day- non-payment periods is harsh to the SMEs and should be extended to the one-eighty days. Banks Hesitant to Lend The IMF and World Bank studies have shown that Oman banking sectors face various challenges from both demand and supply side which confine the extension of its lending to the SMEs. On the supply side, the restricted competition among the banks and a high margin needed from lending to consumers that provide little incentives for banks to give lending to SMEs given the high inherent risk linked to SMEs.[5] Banks in Oman have invested little resources needed in the examination of SMEs credit risk as well as credit evaluation tools. On the demand side, the studies have shown that SMEs present banks with restricted pool of viable projects. There also seems to be a lack of transparency as well as management expertise alongside prevailing poor financial infrastructure which together offer little incentives for banks to extend lending to SMEs in Oman. Poor Management of Cash Flows and Inability to Make Scheduled Loan Repayment Small and Medium Enterprise face challenges in their management of cash flows as well as ability to make scheduled repayment of loans to the banks. These challenges stems from delayed payments SMEs face in dealing with the agencies of government as well as large firms to which deliver services via contractual agreements. The challenge besides other problems linked to the SMEs sector adversely affect the operations of the Oman SMEs. The failure of SMEs to meet the scheduled repayment to the banks results from the fact the even SMEs that have succeeded face various challenges in regards to cash flow. The SMEs sometimes provide services to the government entities as well as large firms that do not honor their timely payment particularly in government payments. Accordingly, the problem translates into cash flow problems for SMEs in Oman and by subsequently adversely affect their scheduled loans repayment to the banks. High Cost of Undertaking Professional Feasibility Studies Oman SMEs also face high cost of conducting professional feasibility studies as well as lack of collateral required to obtain a line of credit. These two challenges have left the Oman Development Bank (ODP) as the primary lender in the Oman SMEs sector. The ODB business model is anchored on low cost of funding (government equity) in collaboration with vast interest rate subsidies employed to the long-term loans it extends.[6] The IMF and World Bank have pointed out that the prevalence low rates of interest from ODB has crowd out the long-run lending to SMEs from the commercial banks. Suggestion for SMES and Financial Institution to Smoothen Financial Flow SMEs play a key role in the development of the Oman economies and there is a need to appreciate the attempts that SMEs make to boost the economy across all sectors. Some of the suggestion include: The government needs to put more emphasis to explore the opportunities presented by the SMEs and grow the economy by a double digit. Accordingly, some of the key suggestion through which the government can intervene is by promoting and helping the SMEs to create efficient business plans which will convince the banks and other financial institutions to fund the SMEs. Maintenance of detailed accounting finance records should also be encouraged so as to avail the required information by the financial institution to show the repayment records of SMEs to help the banks have trust of repayment within the schedule. The government should also ensure that both banks and other financial institutions reduce the currently hiked cost of transactions as well as bureaucratic procedures that discourage the SMEs from considering debt financing.[7] There is also a need to use the government sources for soft loans including the Sharaqah, Sanad and Intalaqah instead of commercial banks. This will stimulate the acquisition of these soft loans by the SMEs that cannot give collateral required by the commercial banks. In so doing, the SMEs will boost their capital base and benefit from the economies of scale hence fastening the Oman economic growth. What the Government has done The government of Oman has already created Oman SMEs Development Fund that directly go to SMEs. This exemplary step has been undertaken to strengthen the SMES industry to boost the SMEs growth from the current beginning growth curve of Oman SMEs sector. The government has also engaged in exclusive SMEs development symposium that took place in Seeh Al Shamikhat, Balm, much has changed in Oman SMEs sector. The government is using these symposium to create an enabling environment for the SMEs as a mechanism to provide employment opportunities for the youth. Conclusion The SMEs in Oman in taking the center stage and they are growing at an escalated rate. The government has taken various steps including the creation of SMEs Development Fund an organized various symposium to create enabling environment for the SMEs growth. SMEs will greatly contribute to the economic growth of the Oman economy and banks and other financial need to avail funds to these enterprises without need for collateral to facilitate this growth.[8] This will in turn lead an increased in the GDP of the Oma which will also benefit the Oman banks and other lending intuitions. References Ashrafi, Rafi, and Muhammad Murtaza. "ICT adoption in SME in an Arab GCC Country Oman." E-strategies for Resource Management Systems: Planning and Implementation (2010): 371-376. Ashrafi, Rafi, and Muhammed Murtaza. "Use and Impact of ICT on SMEs in Oman." Electronic Journal Information Systems Evaluation 11, no. 3 (2008): 125-138. Magd, Hesham AE, and Mark P. McCoy. "Entrepreneurship in Oman: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future." Procedia Economics and Finance 15 (2014): 1632-1640. Ongori, Henry, and Stephen O. Migiro. "Information and communication technologies adoption in SMEs: literature review." Journal of Chinese Entrepreneurship 2, no. 1 (2010): 93-104. Oni, Emmanuel O., and A. A. Daniya. "Development of small and medium scale enterprises: The role of government and other financial institutions." Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review (OMAN Chapter) Vol 1 (2012).

Tragedy of Oedipus Rex Essay Example For Students

Tragedy of Oedipus Rex Essay Brooks and Heilman wrote Understanding Drama in 1948. Their combined experience and efforts in research of the play, Oedipus Rex, give them the opportunity to become co-authors of their essay. Cederic Whitman, in 1951, also wrote an essay about Oedipus Rex entitled Sophocles: A Study of Heroic Humanism. Being published at Cambridge shows his knowledge and experience. The essays together explain their beliefs of Oedipus as a tragic hero. However, Cecil Bowra, author of Sophoclean Tragedy, published at Oxford in 1945, believes that the role of the gods effects the outcome of Oedipus Rex. Brooks and Heilman plus Whitman combined successfully refute Bowras belief in the role of the gods. We will write a custom essay on Tragedy of Oedipus Rex specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Brooks and Heilman believe that Oedipus is a true tragic hero. They begin to say that Sophocles chose to portray Oedipus as a true tragic hero and an object of fate. Oedipus refused to accept the accusations Teiresias had told him. Oedipus needed proof. Going against the will of the gods, he sought to find the truth. Finding the truth, he can no longer stand himself and gouged out his eyes and asked to be banished. Since he did attempt to fight his fate, instead of running from the accusations, he is a hero for standing tall in his quest for the truth. Cederic Whitman also believed that Oedipus was a tragic hero. He believed also that Oedipus was not an object of fate, and that standing up for himself made Oedipus a hero. Whitman realized that Oedipus cannot be guilty of the crimes he committed, because he had done so unwittingly. Whitman continues on that the gods cannot be just if Oedipus is morally innocent. To say that the gods helped Oedipus to kill his father and marry his mother is ridiculous. It was Oedipus negligence to the oracle that damned him to his own fall. Bowra, against Brooks and Heilman and Whitman, believed that the gods played a major role in Oedipus Rex. Bowra believed that Sophocles intended to show the gods at work. He goes on saying that Oedipus is just a parody. The gods humiliated Oedipus to show the people that there is a lesson to be learned. There is indeed a lesson to be learned, but their gods do not exist, therefore the gods are not teaching anyone a lesson. Oedipus was an object of fate, not an object of the gods. Bowra then said that Oedipus blinded himself to make peace with the gods for his past actions. Sophocles established that Oedipus did not believe in the gods. Brooks and Heilman along with Sophocles stated that he blinded himself to save himself from the humiliation of his actions. Brooks, Heilman, and Whitman all believe that Oedipus is a true tragic hero. Together they successfully refute Bowras belief in the gods. It is true to say that Oedipus is a tragic hero instead of a toy of the gods. With their combined experience, Brooks, Heilman, and Whitman presented a wonderful essay showing that Oedipus is a true tragic hero.

Free Essays on The Butterfly

Everyone has something that they value let it be achievement, beauty, justice, or wealth. The late Manly Hall once said that "a man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world" because without standing for anything or having any values a man is lost within himself, so how can he function properly in the world. In " The Butterfly" by James Hanley, value plays a key role in the backdrop of the plot. The two main characters in this short story have different values which is why a conflict arises between them. In the world today, many people have differences and society as a whole needs to start accepting the differences in people and learn from them. The main characters have no similarities in what they value while Brother Timothy values the religious faith, Cassidy values aesthetics. The way Brother Timothy puts his religious faith on such a high pedestal gives the reader the idea that he believes that "religion is the sole technique for the validating of values". Allen Tate, the author of this quotation, describes how strongly Brother Timothy feels about religion. In the very beginning of the story, the reader finds out that Brother Timothy obviously is a priest because as he " strode up and down the passage" his " cassock made a peculiar swishing noise" ( 1,1,1). Since this is so, the reader can infer that Brother Timothy dedicates his life to the Catholic church, and to do that it must be of great value to him. Beyond that, Brother Timothy also displays his value of religion when he tells Cassidy that because he misses mass that he has " no right to be happy or anything else" ( 2,13,1). The reader can infer from this quote that Brother Timothy believes so strongly about religion that he doesn’t even want Cassidy to be happy just because he m isses one day of mass. Finally, the reader can conclude that Brother Timothy values the religious faith because of the way he punishes Cassidy at the end of the story. S... Free Essays on The Butterfly Free Essays on The Butterfly Everyone has something that they value let it be achievement, beauty, justice, or wealth. The late Manly Hall once said that "a man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world" because without standing for anything or having any values a man is lost within himself, so how can he function properly in the world. In " The Butterfly" by James Hanley, value plays a key role in the backdrop of the plot. The two main characters in this short story have different values which is why a conflict arises between them. In the world today, many people have differences and society as a whole needs to start accepting the differences in people and learn from them. The main characters have no similarities in what they value while Brother Timothy values the religious faith, Cassidy values aesthetics. The way Brother Timothy puts his religious faith on such a high pedestal gives the reader the idea that he believes that "religion is the sole technique for the validating of values". Allen Tate, the author of this quotation, describes how strongly Brother Timothy feels about religion. In the very beginning of the story, the reader finds out that Brother Timothy obviously is a priest because as he " strode up and down the passage" his " cassock made a peculiar swishing noise" ( 1,1,1). Since this is so, the reader can infer that Brother Timothy dedicates his life to the Catholic church, and to do that it must be of great value to him. Beyond that, Brother Timothy also displays his value of religion when he tells Cassidy that because he misses mass that he has " no right to be happy or anything else" ( 2,13,1). The reader can infer from this quote that Brother Timothy believes so strongly about religion that he doesn’t even want Cassidy to be happy just because he m isses one day of mass. Finally, the reader can conclude that Brother Timothy values the religious faith because of the way he punishes Cassidy at the end of the story. S...

Carole Satymurtis

Carole Satymurtis Essay Carole Satyamurti , a poet and sociologist cleverly weaved the plight of ordinary women in I Shall Paint my Nails Red : women who are seen as a mere background of the society- neglected and lost in the mundane of her existence . While it is easy to discern that I Shall Paint my Nails is nothing but the showcasing of a womans vanity seeking attention, a closer look at the poem would reveal a deeper and multi-layered analysis of women. In essence, Carole Satyamurtis I Shall Paint my Nails Red was able to show the different roles and interpretations of women of herself, to her daughter , to her lover , the society and to life- that painting her nails red symbolizes a departure from her customary role in to show an intelligent , interesting and valuable person capable of so much more than her ordinary routines . It is a declaration of a womans importance The color red is interpreted in poetry as a figure of speech for passion , anger and strong emotions . In this light, Satyamurti used this color to depict a seemingly humorous and trivial poem into one that speaks of a womans importance. In the first line because a bit of color is a public service (line 1 Satyamurti departs from the convention that public service is about service , the economy and production . Essentially, the poem recognizes that it is not only men who are components of production and economics that can perform public service but also women who provide not only entertainment but beauty and compassion . This is affirmed in her second line when Satyamurti declared that because i am proud of my hands (line 2 connoting that her hands that are used to do household chores are also important . By painting it red , Satyamurti calls attention to the role of women in the society and in the family- that while they are not being paid for work they do every day of their lives , it should not be neglected . Thus, being proud of one s hands and putting a red paint on it declares that the woman is aware of her economic and sociological role and significance On the other hand , the third and fourth lines of the poem points to the theme of strength and empowerment in women . In the line because it will remind me I m a woman (line 3 and because I will look like a survivor the woman is declaring that being a woman means being brave and strong . Thus, by re-affirming her gender identity , the person in the poem is also recognizing that women in general possess strength of characters . Furthermore , because the color red symbolizes intense emotions , it evokes attention thereby , reminding us that women are not ordinary Carole Satymurtis I Shall Paint my Nails Red is a wonderful poem which I found myself closely relating to. I feel that in this poem she reflects many sides of a womans life. It may be understood to have two separate messages, the direct and the hidden message. Satymurti does this through showing both the complexity of a womans life, and the simplicity that also exists within.  At first glance, I Shall Paint My Nails Red gives a more obvious and direct amusing message in which she states different reasons why she would paint her nails red. Each line puts the reader in a different situation which may even be applied to our own daily lives. Satymurti does this by using every day examples and using them to suggest often absurd reasons for her to paint her nails red, adding a bit of comedy throughout the poem. Underlying each idea, however, Satymurti implies a deeper message about women and the many roles that they play in society, and the way that they view themselves. READ: Modern reality play EssayThe first idea Satymurti suggests in the poem is, Because a bit of colour is public service. Here, she is implying that in painting her nails red she is in fact doing others a favor. This line makes me think of a woman loading her groceries onto the cash register before paying, showing off her bright red nails and provoking a smile on the cashiers face. She seems to believe that anywhere she were to go with these red nails, the world would see them and appreciate them. Underlying this main idea however, I feel that Satymurti is trying to portray the fact that women are constantly fulfilling others needs. As mothers, wives, lovers, and even working women in society, women often feel that we must make everyone around us happy. The following line states, Because I am proud of my hands. This idea suggests that she feels she is beautiful and is proud to show that off. However, the line may also mean that she is tough and is proud of her own hard work, as hands are often related to manual labor and work. Although not so common at the time the poem was written, today this woman may be portrayed as even a single mother (As she later talks about a daughter, and even a lover, but no husband) trying hard to take care of her family, working to raise them and provide for them. Despite her hard work, this woman is still woman and lacks the rough hands of a man. She paints her nails like every other woman, and is proud of her hands for all the work they have accomplished her. The line that follows, Because it will remind me Im a woman refers back to the line preceding it. Here one may first simply think that by looking down at her hands and nails she will, again, feel beautiful and feel and remember that she is a woman. Looking past that simple first glance, this line goes back to a womans hard work and the tasks that she must accomplish every day with her responsibilities. In all the everyday stress, a woman often forgets that she is also beautiful and that she is a woman. Despite all her hard work, she is still delicate and most importantly, she must still take care of herself.

Richard Frethorne, Letter to his Parents (1623) Essay

Richard Frethorne, Letter to his Parents (1623) - Essay Example One may also deduce from Frethorne’s letter that the masters do not care about the welfare of the indentured servants. The author of the letter reveals that the sick receive no medication at all. In addition, they have to wake up very early in the morning and work until very late. After a day’s toil, the indentured servants were appreciated with a mouthful of water, gruel, bread and beef (Frethorne 1). Although the servant does not talk about the conditions they were promised directly, one can observe that the shock they receive upon arrivals speaks contrary to their expectation. It would appear that they were promised a life full of bliss such that they did everything to come to the US. The sad and disappointed tone in Frethorne’s letter reveal what seems to be a betrayal. It points out to a possible breach of promise by their masters. The ill-treatment of the indentured servants reveals that the elite viewed this source of labor with contempt and little care. The health, conditions and general well-being of the indentured servants was the least of the master’s concerns (American History 1). It appears the demand was high such that labor was oversubscribed. Naturally, when supply is too high, demand and supply goes down. That is the reason the masters never cared about the indentured servants, as they knew they would easily sign up others. Frethorne reveals that the masters do not even buy for them clothes despite the harsh weather. One of the fellow servants ends up stealing Frethorne’s cloak so that he could buy something and eat. The servant observes that the masters have turned a blind ear to their suffering. He observes that their lives were marked pain, groans and tears. The shocking situation that awaited indentured servants was so severe that many of them were fed on close to a day’s meal over the week. Owing to these, many indentured servants like Frethorne longed for their return

To what extent Thatcherism was hegemonic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

To what extent Thatcherism was hegemonic - Essay Example In what follows I want to explore his novel White Chappell, Scarlet Tracings as a text that uses the city as the site of opposition, as the locale for a critique of dominant ideology (John Corner and Sylvia Harvey, 1991: p. 11.) As many commentators have observed, the period of Thatcher's rule was one in which monetarist policies of enterprise and the manipulation of the nation's history went hand in hand. This relationship transformed a number of elements of English national identity. Gone was the post-war optimism in which Britain embraced a far more egalitarian form of social organisation. As John Corner and Sylvia Harvey assert of Thatcherism: "Freedom and independence derive not from civil rights but from choices exercised in the market (Perry Anderson, "The Figures of Descent", 1992, p. 184.) The sovereignty that matters is not that of king or queen, the lord or the white man, but the sovereignty of the consumer within the marketplace. Massive levels of personal debt and widespread unemployment marked this perceived sovereignty of the consumer. Indeed, as Raphael Samuels suggests, Thatcher's rhetoric managed to effectively obfuscate the fact that her government's policies led to a drastic rise in household debt, from 8 per cent at the beginning of her Prime Minister ship to 14 per cent by its conclusion. In 1983 close to 30 per cent of the London population were living, or in danger of living, below the poverty line. The inner city areas in particular suffered from high unemployment and substandard housing amid the proliferation of the modern movement's tower block public housing. Many commentators as necessary to slim the bloated government running costs and spiralling national production under Labour regarded the economic policies of Thatcherism. Yet as Perry Anderson has argued, Thatcherism economic record was based on luck as much as effective management. Thatcherism claimed that the Union movement was crippling British production, responsible for a downturn in productivity. Its draconian treatment of Union's in the miner's strike of 1984/5 was therefore portrayed as an economic necessity (Jerry White, London in the Twentieth Century, 2002. p. 222.) Antonio Gramsci's concept of Hegemony Hegemony was a concept previously used by Marxists such as Lenin to indicate the political leadership of the working-class in a democratic revolution, but developed by Gramsci into an acute analysis to explain why the 'inevitable' socialist revolution predicted by orthodox Marxism had not occurred by the early 20th century. Capitalism, it seemed, was even more entrenched than ever. Capitalism, Gramsci suggested, maintained control not just through violence and political and economic coercion, but also ideologically, through a hegemonic culture in which the values of the bourgeoisie became the 'common sense' values of all. Thus a consensus culture developed in which people in the working-class identified their own good with the good of the bourgeoisie, and helped to maintain the status quo rather than revolting (Gramsci, Antonio (1971). The working class needed to develop a culture of its own, which would overthrow the notion that bourgeois values represented 'natural'

Perceptual Maps Essay Example for Free

Perceptual Maps Essay

Alcohol :: Free Essays

Alcohol Alcohol is a drug which is used by any age and any ethnic background, it can have serious effects but not many of us realize this. Some people drink a lot and become addicted to it, the alcohol effects part of the brain which controls all the decision making, the outcome of this is loss of inhibitions. It affects the physical side which causes blurred vision and loss of balance. Drinking large amounts of alcohol at once is known as binge drinking, this has serious effects such as unconsciousness, coma and death. As you may realize by now alcohol can be a very dangerous drug but only if you take more than the recommended amount which is: Men - should drink no more than 21 units of alcohol per week and no more than four units in any one day. Women - should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week and no more than three units in any one day. If you take more than the recommended amount and drink every so often this will lead to physical damage, the effects of this are, increasing the possibility of catching diseases and making other diseases worse. Excessive drinking is related with loss of brain cells, liver failure, stomach ulcers, certain types of cancer, nerve damage, heart failure and epilepsy. Even though alcohol is used to make people feel relaxed, excessive drinking over a long period of time increases anxiety and causes depression. It also affects problems with sleeping, mood swings, violence and suicide. If you personally drink a lot and would like to stop, it may help if you keep a diary which records how much alcohol you drink every day, also if you could set yourself a target of how much you are allowed to

CIGNA Company Essay

CIGNA is a major health insurance company. Its CIGNA Behavioral Health covers 16 million Americans in all 50 states and internationally. In addition, it supports a network of more than 50,000 professionals who needed a system that quickly and automatically approved requests submitted by providers, such as therapists, for additional patient care. CIGNA Behavioral Health’s business processes for making approval determinations were supported in different locations using several different software applications. Certain rules in use sometimes conflicted with each other, and knowledge was lost due to employee turnover. In addition, the rules were in inflexible if-then statements. Accessing and changing the rules was a slow, cumbersome, and expensive process. To reduce the knowledge loss due to employee turnover and to increase consistency and efficiency of rule maintenance, CIGNA Behavioral Health decided to adopt rule-based intelligent systems that could automate decision-making situations. CIGNA chose Haley Authority knowledge management (KM) software and Haley Rules intelligent system to build a Web-based benefit management system named Provider eCare Online. How does it relate to this week’s course concepts? According to the book, this week we learn about long-term objectives and strategies, we also learn business strategies. It talks about generic strategies and grand strategies. Include in the grand strategies there is an innovation. Innovation is making some changes to increasing markets, this issue is like this. They build this system one reason is to reduce the cost and knowledge loss, the other reason is that it can give them more markets to sell their insurance, it is also convenience for people to use this. At which conclusions do you arrive at from your analysis? According to the book, some firms find it profitable to make innovation their grand strategy. They seek to reap the initially high profits associated with customer acceptance of a new or greatly improved product. For this insurance company, it build a system in order to solve problems and get more money, it can reach my analysis. What are the main takeaways from the situation, your analysis, and your conclusions? In my opinions, by expressing business processes in English using Haley Rules, eCare specialists can implement changes to the rules whenever needed, in hours instead of weeks. The adoption of knowledge-based systems has helped CIGNA enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs. The tools of Haley Authority and Haley Rules in combination provide a convenient platform for the implementation of such intelligent systems. So it is really good system for them to get more money, it also can help people a lot. Reference John A. Pearce, Richard B. Robinson, strategy management, thirteenth edition. Cigna, cigna.com.

The Making of a Great Place to Work – the Story of Marriott International

The making of a Great Place to Work ® – the story of Marriott International A friend was narrating his story of an experience at the Ritz – Carlton hotel. He was suffering from a sore throat and decided to take his mother’s advice and called room service asking for a glass of hot milk mixed with a spoon of turmeric. Three years later after checking into the same hotel, he promptly receives a phone call from the room service, â€Å"Sir, would you like your favorite hot milk with turmeric! Much as he hated drinking hot milk with turmeric, my friend was impressed by the memory of the hotel’s staff. The Ritz-Carlton is one of the many brands of Marriott International. â€Å"Take care of the associates, and they'll take good care of the guests, and the guests will come back. † This was what J Willard Marriott said many decades ago. The founder of Marriott has since been vindicated many times over. Today, Marriott International has nearly 2,900 lodging properties located in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Between now and the end of the year it will add another 100 properties to take the tally to 3000 properties. Marriott International, Inc. , is a leading lodging company. Its heritage can be traced to a root beer stand opened in Washington, D. C. , in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Today, the company manages and franchises hotels and resorts under the Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, and Fairfield Inn brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, The RitzCarlton Club, Grand Residences by Marriott, and Horizons brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; operates conference centers; and manages golf courses. Marriott consistently makes it to Fortune’s Best Employer’s List. And it is number 5 amongst the Top 25 Great Places to Work ® in India. Visit a Marriott property and you will sense the enthusiasm and energy of their Associates (They call their employees Associates). I decided to visit their Juhu property and talk to a few employees to find out what makes this hotel an employer of choice. Here’s what I found. 1. A strong Brand Marriott International does not own the hotels it operates. It owns the brands and runs the management. In this sense it is a true professional services firm. A lot of people can construct a world class property; it takes a Marriott management team to make it a world class hotel. â€Å"When I was working with a rival chain, I kept on wondering, if Marriott can do it, why can’t we,† confided a senior manager. â€Å"When I decided to shift from Delhi to Mumbai, I had a colleague who used to work in Marriott in Mumbai. She almost forced me to come for an interview at Marriott,† shared the current head of Training.  ©Great Place to work ® Institute,India 2. True Empowerment Empowerment is the cornerstone of â€Å"the Marriott way. Marriott has numerous examples of how their Associates feel empowered. Employees decide when to give a fruit basket or other complimentary items to guests. There is a high degree of pride in the unique relationships they form with their guests. One example quoted was how an Associate in a restaurant offered the most expensive bottle of champagne to an unhappy guest- as a complimentary gift! Such examples are applauded and recognised. In the employee website, as well as, the company website you will find a number of stories of exemplary behaviour of Associates. . Guarantee of fair treatment Marriott employees feel empowered because they know that fair treatment is a cornerstone of the Organisation’s philosophy. This is what J W Marriott, Jr, current Chairman and CEO has to say, â€Å"I want our Associates to know that there really is a guy named Marriott who cares about them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bill, as he is affectionately called, makes sure these are not empty words. Each manager has to give an undertaking of fair treatment. There is a process of escalation of employee grievances (Speak Out process), right up to him. Indeed, as the current HR Manager found out, getting a call from Bill’s office to enquire about an employee grievance is not surprising. Considering that Marriott employs over 150,000 employees globally, this is a strong example of the emphasis placed on fair treatment. And for employees too shy to write to Bill, there is always the option of anonymously calling up the Integrity hotline, a 24 by 7 toll free number. As one employee commented, â€Å"A very unique thing in this place is the work culture. I think all Associates are treated equally. At an individual level there are differences but no one turns their back when someone actually needs help. † 4. Communication If fairness ensures that employees are not penalised for doing the right thing, communication processes are what ensures that employees know what the right thing is. This is what Bill Marriott says in his blog (http://www. blogs. marriott. com), â€Å"Many years ago, Marriott did something revolutionary at the time for hotels. We not only began asking guests about their stays, what they liked and didn't like, but we also took that information and created databases and tracking mechanisms so we knew how each hotel was doing. Marriott is the only hotel I know of which has a daily newspaper, called the Daily Packet. The Daily Packet is a communication tool which comprises of the Hospitality Basic of the Day, Events for the day, Daily Birthdays, Special guest recognition of associate efforts, HR eye opener for the day, Daily occupancy rate, etc.  ©Great P lace to work ® Institute,India So the chances are the Associate who offered the bottle of champagne to the customer, did it with the full knowledge of how well the business is doing, and whether she can afford to spend that much on service recovery. An important part of the communication process is the performance communication. Every quarter the GM addresses the associates and shares the Balance Score Card which comprises of the Revenue, Guest Satisfaction Survey results, Turnover rate, Audit Scores etc. The winners for departmental and individual recognitions schemes are awarded during this Quarterly Associates Meeting. This is followed by the department head along with the line manager conducting a quarterly performance review with the Associates. This is to give the Associate feedback and an overview of the last quarter and set his goals and action plan/development for the next quarter. 5. The Marriott way I cannot end an article on Marriott without emphasising their 12 rules of success. Like any other great Organisation (Remember J&J’s Credo), Marriott has defined its 12 rules of success as under: 1. Continually challenge your team to do better. 2. Take good care of your employees and they'll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back. 3. Celebrate your people's success, not your own. . Know what you're good at and mine those competencies for all you're worth. 5. Do it and do it now. Err on the side of taking action. 6. Communicate. Listen to your customers, associates and competitors. 7. See and be seen. Get out of your office, walk around, make yourself visible and accessible. 8. Success is in the details. 9. It's more important to hire people with the right qualities than with specific exper ience. 10. Customer needs may vary, but their bias for quality never does. 11. Eliminate the cause of a mistake. Don't just clean it up. 12. View every problem as an opportunity to grow. The above rules are supported by 20 Basics – basic behaviours that exemplify the above rules. Marriott’s brand beliefs can be summarised in one line as their spirit to serve- their Associates, Customers and Community. In line with the above Marriott have awards for Community Service and Diversity. Do not be surprised if you see hundreds of Marriott employees (joined by enthusiastic guests) descending on Juhu beach to clean it up. They did precisely that. Just as they took care of 26 school kids and many others during Mumbai floods. Great Place to work ® Institute,India I recall visiting a friend of mine in the HR department of a reputed five star hotel in the beginning of my career. The HR department was in the basement. My friend took me to the staff canteen, a dimly lit place where we were served some beaten rice (Poha) from an Aluminium Container, in a steel plate. I was amazed to see the difference between the basement and the other floors. Times have changed. The HR department in Marriott is at the same level as the Reception. And the basement is no less. For Marriott the â€Å"Heart of the Organisation† is as important as the â€Å"Front of the Organisation†. As you walk through the â€Å"Associate Corridor† which is designed to make you proud to be in Marriott, and enter the Associate canteen, you can’t help exclaiming,† Are all restaurants in this hotel as good as the Associate canteen?! † ____________________________________________________________ ____________ The author is CEO of The Great Place to Work ® Institute, India. He can be reached at [email  protected] in Views expressed are personal.  ©Great Place to work ® Institute,India

Ginkogo Biloba essays

Ginkogo Biloba essays Ginkgo Biloba is versatile herb that can be used to treat many conditions. Ginkgo Biloba shows to be very promising to people with Alzheimers disease. The disease that affects the brain by the degeneration of nerve endings. Numerous studies have shown benefits of using ginkgo biloba extract to improve the mental sharpness of geriatric patients. For example, W.V. Weitbrecht and W. Jansen, of Nuremberg, Germany, conducted a double-blind study involving 40 patients, ages 60 to 80, who had been diagnosed with primary degenerative dementia(Weitbrecht 91). During the 3-month study, one group of 20 received either Ginkgo biloba extract(120 mg/day), while the other 20 was given a placebo(Weitbrech 91). The researchers reported that those receiving the ginkgo extract were more alert, scored higher on psychometric tests and had a more positive outlook than the controls(Weitbrech 92). The ginkgo biloba extract group experienced a significant improvement, compared with no gain for the placebo group. At the Whittington Hospital in London, researchers examined the benefits of ginkgo biloba extract on the 31 patients over the age of 50 with signs of memory impairment, reported Donald J. Brown, N.D., in the May 1992 issue of Lets Live(Brown 62). In the double-blind study, half the volunteers were given 40 milligrams of ginkgo biloba extract three times daily, while the other half remained on a placebo(Brown 62). Psychometric tests were evaluated at the beginning of the study and after 12 and 24 weeks of treatments(Brown 62). The results were encouraging, Dr. Brown said: The patients who received ginkgo biloba extract showed significantly superior improvement compared to those given a placebo. Besides demonstrating that the ginkgo extract has a beneficial effect on mild to moderate memory loss of organic origin, the study revealed that electroencephalogram measurements in the ginkgo biloba extract ...

Employee Training and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Employee Training and Development - Essay Example Secondly, role-playing orients trainees to the behavioral, situational, and operational expectations that apply in the workplace. In essence, such exercises enable the employee to build courage and confidence appropriate for the job. Most importantly, role-playing during training serves as a motivational practice for the employees under training. This gives them an upper hand to the understanding of the essence of the training and subsequent job execution. On the downside, role-playing in the training process has its disadvantages. This practice could intimidate trainees in one way or another. If the employee or trainee fails to achieve the expected outcome of the exercise, their perception about the training and subsequent outcomes of the training could be in jeopardy (Saks, Haccoun, & Belcourt, 2010). Additionally, these exercises could challenge the self-esteem of the trainee, thereby negating the prospects of the entire process. Therefore, it is important for the trainer to understand the employees and their personalities during

North Korea Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

North Korea - Research Paper Example According to Armstrong (2011), North Korea is currently experiencing a range of issues but the most prevalent include the poor state of the economy, which Armstrong (2011) attributes to its authoritarian leadership style that still has not implemented market reforms to improve the country’s ailing economy. Secondly, Armstrong (2011) states that the country has focused so much on funding its military operations that comprise of more than 9 million military personnel of which approximately a million are active army personnel, a fact that makes it the 4th country in the World with largest military defence force. The country’s budgetary allocation to the defense department is extremely high leaving little resource for economic development. Armstrong (2011) stated that North Koreans are grappling with harsh economy, coupled with high food prices, periodical shortage of electricity, fuel, and raw materials that cause manufacturing factories to remain inactive thus, leading to increase in number of the unemployed population. However, on the positive side Armstrong (2011) notes that the new North Korean leader has given women the freedom to wear western brands, which were restricted in the past due to their western affiliation. Secondly, the new North Korean leader has shown a new leadership style by taking the responsibility of the failed rocket launch. Such an admission was not to the norm with the North Korean leadership. The other notable current issue in North Korea is its poor relations with its’ close neighbor, South Korea of whom they are still technically at war with after failing to sign a peace treaty ever since the Korean war. The North and South currently have murky relationship because of periodical wrangles that increases the tension between the two countries. Armstrong (2011) further notes that the new leader of North Korea strained the country relationship with China after recently carrying out a

Read the assignment carefully before you start Essay - 1

Read the assignment carefully before you start - Essay Example Law and economics is more likely than other branches of legal examination to use empirical or statistical methods to measure these responses to incentives. Law and economics shares with other branches of economics the supposition that individuals are rational and respond to incentive My choice was also based on the economic principle of how people respond to incentives. As people make decisions by comparing costs or benefits, their behavior might change when the costs or benefits vary. This is a characteristic of law and economics as it emphasize on incentives and people’s responses to these incentives. For instance, the resolution of damage payments in an accident, law is not to reimburse injured victims, but rather to offer an incentive for potential injurers to take effective cost-justified insurances to evade causing the accident. In sum, law and economics will enable me to minimize on the financial frauds such as bankruptcy, creditors-debtors misery. Specializing in law and economy will assist in intensifying contracts and corporations in order to gain efficiency in any branch of economics. That is to say, law and economy crosscuts all the branches of

Genocide and Sri Lankan Tamils Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Genocide and Sri Lankan Tamils - Essay Example The Official Languages Commission set up by the Sri Lankan government in 2005 provides figures for the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka. The Tamil speaking minority in the country make up twenty-six percent of the population, which consists of thirteen percent Sri Lankan Tamils, six percent Tamils of recent Indian origin, and seven percent of Muslims. Though the Tamil speaking minority constitute more than a fourth of the population, their presence in government service is a mere 8.31 percent. Such a situation has arisen from Sri Lankan actions since the gaining of independence by using language as a weapon. Thus language has remained a key element in the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka (Reddy, 2007). While the roots of the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka may be ascribed to the colonial past, when the British imported a large number of Tamils into the country from neighbouring India, actions of the Sri Lankan government since independence are the more definitive cause for the violence in the country. Since independence successive governments have taken measures to ensure that the Tamils were denied equal opportunities to professions and the public sector. Such actions interacted in a complex manner with the already existent Sinhala Buddhist exclusivism that slowly led to the persisting animated ideology in the Sri Lankan State. Two legislative actions were to cause the cleavage and subsequent decades of violence and the rise of the LTTE as a terrorist organization to take the lead against the Sri Lankan government. The 1956 â€Å"Sinhala Only† act, which removed English as the official language and replaced it with Sinhala, was to make the Tamils disadvantaged, leading to prote sts from the Tamils. The subsequent legislation in the early 1970s, which created communal quotas for entrance to universities thereby denying meritorious Tamils admission, was to inflame the Tamils and lead to violence and the call fro a

System Analysis and Design

System Analysis and Design A life cycle model is a term which describes the process of the planning through to the deployment of a new software on a system, covering items such as specification analysis and implementation/testing, to enable the developers to create the software, and to ensure that the end user gets what they want. Waterfall Model The waterfall model is a common method used when designing and implementing new software. It was designed to be a simple yet effective method to enable developers and users design a software together. In the Waterfall model, each phase must be completed before you can move onto the next stage, which primarily makes it for small projects where there are absolute requirements. At the end of each phase, there is a review which helps the developers know that they are on track, whether to continue with the project and what steps to take. Also, the testing element of this model can only take place after the development is complete. See the below diagram which shows each step of the waterfall process: Â   Â   The processes are: Requirement Gathering and Analysis System Design Implementation Testing Deployment Maintenance Image Source (ISTQB, 2016) The first step of this method involves getting to know what the client wants out of the system, and analyze them to see if it is realistic and achievable, to plan out how the software can be created. The second step involves designing the system to meet the needs of the client. The third is implementing the software in a test environment for the fourth step which is testing the software. The fifth step is deploying the system to the client. After all of this has been completed, the software or system must be maintained. Advantages One of the main advantages of the Waterfall model is that it is very easy to understand and follow due to the design of it. It has a very rigid design with each stage having its own deliverables and review process. In this model, there are no overlaps in the stages meaning that everything is very clear and defined making it quite effective when used in the correct way. Because the Waterfall model has a very clear and defined structure it is very good for a project that has clear goals on what needs to be achieved and due to its structure, it is a great tool to use even if you are inexperienced. Disadvantages This model can only be used when the requirements of the project are clear, as each stage requires its own review stage and cannot move any further if goals are not set. There can be no ambiguous requirements in a project using this method. There are high amounts of risk and uncertainty due to a very rigid structure, no goals can be changed or reviewed after the originals have been set. It cannot be used on projects which are ongoing because there is no way to change anything once one stage has been completed. This also means that there is little opportunity for the customer to review the product. (ISTQB, 2016) Structured Evolutionary Prototyping Model The Evolutionary Prototyping Model was designed as a software development model which incorporates the end user at almost every stage during the process. This is used so that consumers can have their say on the product during the developmental stage of the software to know that the developers have created a product which meets their needs. There are four main stages to this model to follow, they are as follows: The identification process, which is used to get the basic requirements this software must achieve. It is designed in this way as many consumers may not know the absolute requirements of the software as it is generally a continuous project. The prototype phase in which the developers will make a prototype or multiple prototypes of the product in order to get the basic requirements met. Verification of the prototype process in which the developers can use surveys and experimentation for the consumer. This stage is used so people can add their thoughts about the product and find out if there is anything that could be added or changed to make it better. The final stage is changing the prototype per the feedback that the consumer gave to the developers to meet the needs of the client. This cycle will then repeat until the customer is completely happy with their product and the development process is complete. Advantages One of the main advantages to this methodology is that the user ends up with a more accurate product due to their consistent input into the design process. Developers can learn from the consumer and vice versa. This also brings another benefit into play, meaning that any unexpected requirements or additions to the software can be added at developmental stage, resulting in a more accurate product too. It is a very flexible method. Another benefit is that you can see a constant progression throughout the development of the software, and customers can begin to see the benefits of using this software and being able to have constant input. Disadvantages The main disadvantage of this method is that the process may go on for a very long time due to the repeatable feedback process. Many developers using this method may fully scrap the process and go for a code-and-fix development process, leading to a poor reputation, with this method being seen as quick and dirty. Because of the constant input from the customer, the focus can be taken away from how maintainable the software is, mainly looking at the needs of the consumer. (Exforys, 2015) Rapid Application Model (RAD) The RAD model is used as an incremental development model, in which the all of the components of the software are developed in parallel and seen as mini-projects. These components will be scheduled, and delivered where it is compiled into a full software. This software can then be handed over to the consumer for feedback relating to the requirements. See the below diagram for a visual explanation of these timeboxed components: Of course, the number of components will vary for each software, however this gives a representation of the processes involved. There will be a specific set of teams which will all be responsible for a specific area of the software. After this process is complete the components will be amalgamated into one complete prototype. Image Source (Find Nerd, 2015) There are four main steps involved in this model, and they are as follows: Requirement Planning which is like the analysis stage within the waterfall model, however this plan incorporates a constant review of each element to ensure that the project will meet the users needs throughout the prototype stage. The design phase takes place after the initial needs have been determined, where the developers teams will generate an initial prototype for review by the user. This prototype will then be refined as the process continues. The construction phase where the developers will take the preferred prototypes of each section of the software and create a full functional program. The final stage takes place after the in-house testing and construction has finished and the client will be using and implementing the software as normal. The developers will be available for a set amount of time for corrective maintenance and to incorporate feedback. Advantages The main advantage is the reduced development time due to the development being split into different teams and section which means the process is extremely efficient. Because the components are managed by their own team, and there is generally more than one version of each section, elements can be transferred, increasing the reusability. This method encourages customer feedback on each section which means that there are clear and defined goals as the project moves along and quick reviews often happen. Disadvantages This system is heavily reliant on a strong and experienced team to identify new and existing requirements, meaning some projects may be delayed. This method only works on modelized systems and heavily relies on modeling skills. (ISTQB, 2015) (BBC, 2016) One of the main advantages of using lifecycle models is that you can firstly get a strong idea on what the consumer wants, and you to create a plan of attack on how you can achieve these. It enables you to plan and possibly create prototypes to create an efficient program for the consumer to. This ensures that the customer will be happy with the product that you have made, due to their consistent input within the development stage. In general, using a lifecycle model when developing a software can reduce the development time of the software. This is because you have a rigid schedule which you can stick to, as well as clear goals and objectives through liaising with the customer which increases the efficiency at developmental stage. Many of these plans are made to be easy to read and to follow, meaning you know exactly what is happening at each stage of the process, further increasing the efficiency. Many plans allow you to review the product with the customer throughout the developmental stage meaning that you can remove areas of the software which do not meet the standard that the customer is after. You are also able to edit certain features to add functionality, or even design new elements that will help the consumer with their end goal. Some plans allow you to really structure the development process of the software which can help you decide who will be undertaking what task, i.e. assessing strengths and putting teams together to reach your final goal. This also improves efficiency, as you could divide up the development into teams to reach the end goal much faster, and still create a great product. Lots of new life cycles allow you to visibly see the progress of the software, meaning the team stays motivated to complete the job due to clear and structures goals which work you through to the deployment and maintenance stages of the development. It also means that the consumer will see a steady stream of progress which will also keep them happy. Feasibility reports are made to examine a proposal, which allows a business or team to determine whether a project will be successful. For example, in an IT environment, you could discuss the lease of laptops using a plan rather than purchasing laptops outright. The below paragraphs discuss the components of a feasibility report and why each of them is included. Scope The first main stage of a feasibility report is the to identify the scope of the project. This means you will need to identify the issue that you will be addressing within the project. The scope must be clearly defined, as it may confuse the people involved in the project, and having unclear goals can be catastrophic to a project or job. The area that will be affected e.g. the IT department whether that be directly or indirectly. The scope essentially enables you to get an accurate study, because you have clear and defines goals. A Market Analysis Undertaking a market analysis during a feasibility report can be critical. It allows you to examine environments like yours to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to implement the project. You will then be able to create a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) which were faced by other users to make your own decisions on how the project will be undertaken. Identifying Requirements As a part of your feasibility report, you should always analyze the requirements. These requirements will be based upon the technical requirements and the requirements of the organization. Identification of technical requirements will enable you to identify which technical resources/personnel you will need to complete said project. Meanwhile you should be considering what organization procedures and requirements that you must follow, whether that be related to recommended vendors for equipment or any security laws or procedures with data protection. This is essential because it allows you to get an idea on how you will approach the project. The Approach After the first three steps, you will then be able to get an idea on how the project will be completed, therefore allowing you to decide on the approach. You must find a happy medium and decide upon a recommended course of action, or a solution that incorporates the organizational requirements. You can discuss various approaches and select a solution that best fits the needs per the scope. It must always be 1) a practical solution and 2) meet the needs of everyone. Evaluation After the approach has been decided, you will then compile a short section which examines the cost effectiveness of that approach, which can help you build an estimate of the total costs. You can cross reference previous approaches for comparison purposes. After you have completed this, you will compile the cost summary, which will provide information on the return on investment and a cost to benefit analysis. The Review The final step of a feasibility study is the review stage. This is where all the elements mentioned above will be analyzed in a formal review with either a team or business partners depending on the size of the project. It is used to firstly confirm that it is an accurate report and then decide on whether you go ahead with the project or not. At this stage, you may be asked to change some details, to engage the project or it may be full rejected. All parties involved in the review should all sign a document to agree to the project. (MWANZONI, 2016) In this section I will be discussing the impact of the criteria of feasibility reports (see above) and assess what impact they have on a systems investigation. Identifying the Scope Impacts The main impact that identifying the scope will have, is ensuring that the team undertaking the project as well as the business know exactly what the issue is that they are trying to resolve. It will allow for a guided discussion on the possible steps that you can take to complete this project, and analyze each one collated into the feasibility study. It will clearly define to everyone the goal they will be working towards on the project to keep everyone on the same page, and keeps everyone working towards a similar goal. It can also help the business and the team understand what areas could benefit from the new system and assess them against the current system for a full review. Undertaking a Market Analysis Impacts Taking the time to understand and review different methods and approaches that other people in your position have taken can be an extremely important step in the process. It will allow you to analyze these methods side by side so you can get an idea on what approach could be best for you. You may also wish to amalgamate different approaches into one sophisticated one, which may help you to efficiently reach your goal. You are then able to have a discussion regarding these steps and decide as a team which would be best for the current situation based on skills and experience as well as requirements. Understanding Requirements Impacts Understanding the requirements of both the team and the organization is arguably one of the most critical steps in the feasibility study. It will essentially allow you to get an idea of what will be possible and what wont. Basing it off the teams requirements will allow you to get an idea of who is capable to undertake which role, to see whether a certain approach will be possible or whether you must go back to the drawing board, or even scrap the idea totally. Understanding the organization requirements can help you to plan around any eventuality such as procedures regarding safety and even laws such as the data protection act. It can also influence you with the decision of the approach method. Selecting Your Approach Impacts Deciding the approach of the project is the major step in moving onto the processes of the actual project. It allows you to weigh up all the different approaches comparing how you will meet the scope, the market needs and the needs of the business and personnel. It will allow you to have a guided discussion on each approach compared to the needs and which one will suit everyone the best whilst discussing all the previous points. It finally completes the research and discussion to prepare you for the assignment. Evaluation Impacts After you have selected the approach that you will be following, you will then have to analyze how much the project will cost. It helps you to ensure that you are still in budget, and are meeting the needs of the business in that respect. It will allow you to contrast different approaches and their effectiveness compared to each of their costs to ensure you choose the most efficient method. It will also enable you to put together a final figure of costings to present to the business. Review Impacts Reviewing all your decisions regarding the project whilst presenting them to the business, will allow you to firstly ensure that all needs of the business have been met to ensure that everyone is happy with the solution to the original email. It will also allow you to get the go ahead from the business as to whether you can go ahead with the project, or whether you will need to make any changes to the original approach to ensure the solution is the most efficient possible. References BBC, 2016. BBC Bitesize. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zp3kd2p/revision/9[Accessed 09 January 2017]. Exforys, 2015. Exforys. [Online] Available at: http://www.exforsys.com/career-center/project-management-life-cycle/the-evolutionary-prototyping-model.html[Accessed 09 January 2017]. Find Nerd, 2015. Find Nerd. [Online] Available at: http://findnerd.s3.amazonaws.com/imagedata/4325/4325.jpg[Accessed 09 January 2017]. ISTQB, 2015. ISTQB. [Online] Available at: http://istqbexamcertification.com/what-is-rad-model-advantages-disadvantages-and-when-to-use-it/[Accessed 09 January 2017]. ISTQB, 2016. ISTQB. [Online] Available at: http://istqbexamcertification.com/what-is-waterfall-model-advantages-disadvantages-and-when-to-use-it/[Accessed 09 January 2017]. ISTQB, 2016. ISTQB. [Online] Available at: http://istqbexamcertification.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Waterfall-model.jpg[Accessed 09 January 2017]. MWANZONI, 2016. LinkedIn. [Online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/key-components-good-feasibility-study-mwanzoni-ltd[Accessed 10 January 2017].

The Power Of The Situation :: essays research papers

The Power of the Situation A week of urban mayhem was ignited by the April 29, 1992 jury acquittal of four white police officers who were captured on videotape beating black motorist Rodney King. The angry response in South Central produced its own brutal footage, most dramatically the live broadcast from a hovering TV news helicopter of two black men striking unconscious with a brick, kicking, and then dancing over the body of, white truck driver Reginald Denny. The final three-day toll of what many community activists took to defiantly calling an uprising, revolt, or rebellion, was put at 53 dead, some $1 billion in property damage, nearly 2,000 arrests, and countless businesses in ashes. These two men, Damian Williams and Henry Watson undoubtedly committed a heinous crime, but thousands more looted, burned, and destroyed property with the same disregard for life and property. Were all these people criminals who used the verdicts as an excuse to commit crimes, or was the nature of the social situation the primarydeterminant of this nefarious behavior? In the course of this paper, I plan to explore this question from a psychological perspective with an emphasize on conformity and social norms, bystander intervention, social perception and reality, and finally, prejudice. Generally looking at the Los Angeles riots, and specifically drawing upon the Reginald Denny beating and subsequent trial, the power of the situation becomes evident, as thousands of people living in an extremely poor and crime-ridden area of Los Angeles, lashed out against a perception of injustice through violence. The conditions that lead people to perceive themselves as victims of unjust actions are rather complex. In this case, the favorable verdicts towards the officers who beat Rodney King was the "unjust action", not only for Rodney King, but for the community he came from. The perceived damage to desired social identities and justice led to resentment on the part of a historically poor and underprivileged class of citizens. The individual attempts to explain the event (the verdicts) by processes of attribution in which grievance may or may not be formed. (DeRidder, Schruijer, and Tripathi, 1992). The attribution of responsibility and blame is activated when confronted with unexpected behavior, unwanted consequences, or stressful, puzzling, and important events (Wong & Weiner, 1981). Thus the attribution process may be activated either when the individual experiences harm, or perceives an anti-normative action by another person or group. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone residing in south-central Los Angeles looted. Instead the majority stayed in their homes until the participants ceased their destructive activities. This does not take away from the validity of the attribution theory due to the individual differences in

Common stock Essay

A1a. During the 12% bonds review the earnings per share common stock out totaled .103. The total was not enough to maximize the shareholders return. It was observed that the interest on the bonds would put them at $72,000. The interest on bonds was very high and could have contributed to the lower total figure. The common stock shares outstanding were at $975,000; which was a very low number. Compared to all the totals the 12% option had the lowest shares issued. During the 20% bonds review they totaled the earnings per common stock share at .197. This stock option was the second highest to the chosen 50% stock option. It looks like the 20% bond option was lower due to using $120,000 in bonds and $480,000 in common stock. The 40% bond option had earnings per common stock share of .181. The ending total wasn’t too bad but it wasn’t enough to maximize the shareholders return. The company acquiring $240,00 in bonds and $360,00 in common stock played a role why the figures went good enough to increase shareholders return. The 60% bond option had earnings per common stock share at .160. The $43,200 interest on bonds could have affected the earnings total. The income before tax and the tax income was a contributing factor to lower figures and results in the net income category. A2. Competition Bikes needs to analyze their capital budgeting. Businesses should acquire investments that are going to bring in more revenue but they have to make sure for the long term the investment is worth taking on. The cash inflows and outflows have to be looked at to determine what is best for the company. The company needs to see potential during the capital budget stage. In the story line management  decided that the most reliable data for a capital budgeting analysis is to estimate the number of product sales using the U.S. pricing and cost data. It is anticipated †¨that costs will be consistent in the new Canadian location. Net present value is capital budgeting used to examine the success with of a investment or project by using the present value of cash flowing in and the present value of the cash flowing out. It is used to determine profitability. It is a tool for management to see if the investment will bring value to their company. Projects and investments should only be taken on if the total number is positive or at 0. The company had a low net present value of -26,740 and the moderate net present value of 2,243. The sales forecasting indicates a range of outcomes as indicated by a low forecast and a moderate forecast of results. The recommendation would be for Competition Bikes to not take on the Canadian investment. Based of the low and moderate numbers if they are split in half they would still be in the negative. It is suggested if the net present value is not a positive number a company should not take on the investment or project. Internal rate of return is the rate of growth projected for t he investment or project. The story line advises Competition Bikes, Inc. requires a 10% return on capital (hurdle rate) to pursue a capital investment. The internal rate of return for the low demand was 8.7% and the moderate demand cash flow was 10.1%. The higher rate of IRR the more likely the company will generate a greater return. The recommendation for internal rate of return is for the company to take on the Canadian investment. A3. Working capital consists of current assets minus the current liabilities, it is the money left over to pay for the day-to day activities to run a company. It is an indicator of how many short assets they have to be able to pay off their short-term debt. If the working capital ratio is less than 1 the company has a negative working capital. A company should always want to be in above 1 for positive results. The current assets can be monitored daily or weekly to keep a close eye on the incoming cash flow to the account. Obtaining Working Capital Competition Bikes needs to obtain working capital quickly. The storyline suggests the cost to build the manufacturing facility is expected to be $400,000. (All figures are in US$) Working capital of $200,000 will also be necessary to support the operation. These two items have been considered as  the total investment in the capital structure analysis. They need to come up with $200,000 for the expansion operation. Competition Bikes can get a line of credit from a bank to obtain working capital quickly. They will need to negotiate the terms and amount of time they will be doing with the bank for the loan. Once they receive the payments in their accounts receivables they then need to turn around and the pay the loan down. They can consider getting a business cash advance to obtain working capital. Business advance loans have a quicker turn around time to receive the funds than a traditional bank loan. Most of the time the payment options are flexible depending on the companies specific needs. Competitions Bikes can go with a business advance loan normally receive a lower rate with fixed payments. Managing Working Capital They need to re-evaluate their account receivables procedures. They are taking almost 44 days to receive payment, they need to decrease their days to right around 30 for collecting payment. They may need to consider discounting to the customers that are paying the money on time. The company needs to consider charging penalty fees for accounts they are outstanding. Managing account payables is another way to manage working capital. They need to keep a good relationship with their suppliers. When picking suppliers payment and the terms of the contract need to be the number one priority. Paying the supplier on time and keeping an open line of communication is the key to managing the accounts payable. They also need to re-evaluate how inventory is handled to properly manage their working capital. The inventory and purchasing has to be reviewed to make sure they are bringing in the correct and defect free products and keeping track of them. They need to develop the first in first out method. They need to use the inventory longer that they had the longest. They need a security plan in place to make sure the inventory is accounted for and locked in a safe facility. Lease vs. Buy Competition Bikes has to make the decision whether they will lease a facility or whether they will buy in the Canadian expansion. For the leasing option the storyline advises 5 year lease financing has been offered at 6%. No down payment is required with this option but the $200,000 working capital must  still be internally funded. The leasing company would buy the building outright and then accept five $90,000 lease payments over 5 years. A $50,000 buyout option would be included so Competition Bikes, Inc. could choose to keep the location at the end of the five-year lease. To the lease the facility it will cost $283,752 after call calculations are done. They also have the option of buying an existing facility. The storyline advised Competition Bikes, Inc. found a suitable existing facility it could buy outright for $400,000 using one of the options from the capital structure analysis. The lenders require a $50,000 down payment. The working capital requirements and down payment must be internally funded. The purchasing option totaled the company out at $399,774. If the facility is purchased they had to factor in an $18,000 operational cost. In the story is stated the depreciation on the new asset will be based on a 10-year life. The building is expected †¨to have $200,000 value at the end of the ten years. The after cash flows of 80,439 at year 9, 81,743 at year 10, 83,125 at year 11, 84,590 at year 12, and 86,143 at year 13 all factored into the after cash flow. The tax rate of 35% goal is to preserve working capital. The leasing option is going to be less money and a better option for having a positive working capital. Merger vs. Acquisition A merger is when two companies mutually agree to become one company. They will them form one completely new company. If the merger they can offer a better robust product line. With the merger they also can bring in and appeal to a wider customer base than being just one company. The potential for increased revenue is an advantage to merging two companies. A merger can bring a better research and development element to the new company. The cons of a company merger can be increased prices. If there is less competition in the market and one company having monopoly power they can make consumers pay higher prices. A company merger can also lead to job losses for staff at both companies depending on the new business needs. The storyline suggests in a merged company the Canadian Bikes, Inc. shares will be exchanged for Competition Bikes, Inc. shares on a 3:1 basis. During the merger in year 8 for available common stock for Competition Bikes will have 31,286 while Canadian Bikes will have 24 ,200. After the merger Competition Bikes will 975,000 of the shares plus 1/3 of Canadian Bikes 200,000 shares outstanding. The earnings per share before the merger was .032 and after the merger the earnings would be .053; which is a .21 increase. The merger will increase shareholder value. An acquisition is when one company buys another company by taking over most or all of it. During an acquisition one company will consume total control over the other. The parent company will acquire or absorb a second company to further their businesses goal of market domination. An acquisition will give the parent company more market power and financial increase. During an acquisition they can also run into some challenges. A company can run into difficulties integrating two different companies and having them on the same page. Acquiring another can sometime be pricy. A lot of capital has to be raised before company negotiations can begin. The story advises Competition Bikes, Inc. has the option to acquire Canadian Bikes, Inc. at an offer price 30% above the Year 8 ending share price. If Canadian Bikes is acquired Competition bikes will have to pay $286,000 to acquire Canadian Bikes. The net present value of the acquisition would be -73,862, that number came from taking 212,138 of the present value and subtracting 286,000 of the offer price Competition Bikes would have to pay Canadian Bikes in the acquisition. Based off the statistical figures the final recommendation would be for Competition Bikes to merge with Canadian Bikes rather than acquiring them. The merger had a .021 increase in earnings per share while the acquisition would have Competition Bikes at a -73,862 in net present value. Net present value needs to be a positive number for a company to consider taking on a new investment.