Friday, January 31, 2020

Population and Economy Essay Example for Free

Population and Economy Essay Before seventeenth century the world population increased very slowly i.e,it has been estimated that by 1650 the population had doubled since the year to about 500million.Over the following 200years the rate of increase was much faster ,so that by 1850 the population had more than doubled to 1200million.After that, the population growth accelerated so rapidly that people talked about a population â€Å"explosion†;in 1927 it reached the 2000million mark and by the year 2000,it had passed 6000 million. In 2003 the UN calculated that if the population continued to increase at the same rate, the global total would be somewhere between 10000 million and 14000 million by 2050, depending on how effectively family planning campaigns were carried out. It was also estimated, given the much lower birth rates in the developed world, that almost 90 per cent of the people would be living in the poorer countries. During the 1980s the spread of HIV/AIDS reached pandemic proportions; most countries in the world were affected, but again it the poor nations of the Third World which suffered worst. The population growth of the nineteenth century helped to stimulate further economic development. There was a plentiful workforce and more people to buy goods, and this encouraged more investment and enterprise. Nor were there any great problems about feeding and educating these growing numbers because prosperity meant that the necessary resources were available. Later on, there were unexpected effects on the age structure of the population in the developed nations which was especially true in Europe where, because of the very low birth-rates and longer life expectancy, a growing proportion of the population was over 65. Read more:  Advantages and Disadvantages of Population The rapid population growth caused serious problems: some countries, like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, became overcrowded and there was insufficient land to go round. This forced people to move into towns and cities, but these were already over-crowded and there were not enough houses or jobs for all the new arrivals. All areas of the world succeeded in increasing their food production during the late 1960s and 190s, thanks to what became known as the â€Å"green revolution. Scientists developed new strains of heavy cropping rice and wheat on short, fast-growing stems, helped by fertilizers and irrigation schemes. For a time, food supplies seemed to be well ahead of population growth. In the USA crop yields increased three-fold between 1945 and 1995 and the Americans were able to export surplus crops to over a hundred countries. Third World governments were forced to spend their valuable cash to feed, house, and educate their growing populations. But these used resources which they would have preferred to spend on industrializing and modernizing their countries, and so their economic development was delayed.The general shortage of resources meant that the poorest countries also lacked sufficient cash to spend on health care. Health systems in many poorer countries were collapsing, and the situation was becoming worse because richer countries were reducing aid.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Am I Me Or Am I Someone Else? Essay -- Psychology, Personality

Who am I? What makes me who I am? My friends would probably say that it’s my genuine nature and compassion that make me who I am. They might also say that I find ways to create my identity without even trying and that I make my own path with my morals as a guide. I’d probably say it’s my dashing good looks, wit, and charm. My experiences, my parents, and my surroundings, have all contributed to establishing my identity. In Derek Parfit’s writings Reasons and Persons and â€Å"Personal Identity,† he discusses his ideas on what would matter most, personal identity or survival, and he claims that it is survival, rather than personal identity that matters. Where Parfit expresses this view, this is where I disagree. I believe that where survival is there must be personal identity. Both should go hand in hand and there is more to personal identity than psychological/bodily continuity. I believe to an extent that Parfit is right in claiming that survival i s what matters, overall it is better to be surviving than physically dead but if your personal identity is gone, doesn’t that make you dead as a person and a new person is in your place? In an article, Derek Parfit argues is that: â€Å"The real reason seems to me now this. Does personal identity just consist in bodily and psychological continuity, or is it a further fact, independent of the facts about these continuities? Our reactions to the ‘problem cases’ show, I believe, that we believe the latter. And we seem inclined to believe that this further fact is peculiarly deep and is all-or-nothing---we believe that in any describable case, it must hold completely or not at all. My main claim is the denial of this further fact† (Robinson). In Reasons and Persons, Parfit makes the claim that pe... ...ontinuous with me is what is important. For me to survive, in the way that matters to Parfit, means that it is enough for someone to inherit enough of my psychological attributes. If two or more people inherit my attributes, that is almost as good as ordinary survival. Although, I would argue that this idea of being the same person is what matters in survival/continued existence. When one is divided, they cease to be. Even though they have remnants of the past them, that doesn’t make it them. Works Cited Fumerton, Richard, and Diane Jeske. Introducing Philosophy Through Film: Key Texts, Discussion, and Film Selections [Paperback]. Print. Parfit, Derek. Personal Identity. The Philosophical Review, Vol. 80, No. 1 (Jan.,197) pp. 3-27. Robinson, John. Personal Identity and Survival. The Journal of Philosophy , Vol. 85, No. 6 (Jun., 1988), pp. 319-328

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Political Communications Essay

The power or ability of the media to influence people and the society is an undeniable reality. In fact, media is not to be underestimated as proven by the implications it has created among people and within their way of living. It is through this reason or principle that the media is regarded as something that is too powerful and which can be paralleled to the power of God. In particular, since the print and broadcast or electronic media have control over their respective public, its influence has apparently been considered as similar or equal to the Creator’s authority. However, while it is a true fact that the media encompasses almost everything in today’s modern world, it is also a reality that the industry could never be described as the second God. This is because God is above everything and that nothing or nobody can correspond to Him. Additionally, although the effects of media are indisputable, it should be realized that God is still supreme among the whole things and that nothing or no one comes next to Him. It is, therefore, under this principle that media should never be compared to the power of God and that whatever theory claiming otherwise should not be taken as the whole and acceptable concept. Ultimately, the media and all other things are nothing without God hence it is totally unwarranted to compare and place it next or even regard it as the second God. One concrete manifestation of the said improper and erroneous consideration is the principle created by Western theorist Tony Schwartz and as depicted in his book titled â€Å"Media, the Second God. The work done by Schwartz (1983) is nothing but a disillusioned idea about the power of media, electronic media in particular. While it is, in a way, acceptable that both print and broadcast media impacted people and the manner of living, it is totally illogical to compare or even consider media as the second God. In fact, the author has evidently failed to strengthen his idea. This is primarily for the reason that God is the highest or absolute among us and of all the things around us. Hence, Schwartz and his book can be taken according only to its merit or the fact that media is influential and definitely affects people and the society in general but its concept about media as the second God should definitely not be considered and accepted as an utmost premise. Media, the Second God – an Overview The Schwartz book explores media’s mounting power or influence in the fields of medicine, learning, industry, political affairs and beliefs and daily living of people. He distinguished electronic media as the â€Å"received media† while print media as a â€Å"perceived medium† (Schwartz, 1983, p. 1). In differentiating between the two, Schwartz emphasized that skill and education are essential for the public to recognize and accept perceived media while almost all people appreciate received media. The author explained that the contemporary world tends to the appreciation of the received media because of the increasing effect of electronic media in the manner how people carry out their lives. This particular age of reception manifests people dependence with the telephone, television, radio and other forms of electronic media. He added that the significant implications of electronic or received media are evident with the notable changes in the areas of â€Å"business, communication, education, statesmanship, and every other area of life† (Schwartz, 1983, p. 17). Schwartz further wrote that the advent and increasing influence of electronic media has proven its essence as the new media. Additionally, the power of the electronic media is supported by the authors with the ways how broadcast commercials or advertisements work among people and into their lives. In fact, electronic media has nearly removed the nature of door-to-door salespersons. This is because the radio and television as well as other forms of electronic media are able to get across the feelings, manner and value of products being promoted (Schwartz, 1983, p. 43). Schwartz also presented in his book how a telephone polling system, which is another form of electronic media, created an impact or changed people’s perception about the necessity of police protection against crime and eventually saved the John Jay College of Criminal Justice from closure (Schwartz, 1983, p. 1). Moreover, Schwartz has stressed the influence of electronic media with its social functions or the services it has offered not only to people but to the society as well. The book is ultimately recalled with its depiction of the incredible expansion of the telephone device as an absolute form of electronic media due to its tremendous influence into the lives of the people. Media, the Second God – a Critique In analyzing the Schwartz book, one is likely to experience a sense of depression because of the author’s apparent utopianism. Simply put, Schwartz’s idea of the growing purpose or role of the electronic media, particularly the telephone device, seemed too disillusioned or unrealistic. In particular, it is totally illogical and even less reassuring to discover when the author stated that the telephone device is on the rise as an instrument or another tool of electronic media in the field of education. In fact, his admission that the development of telephone seems to be gradual already contradicted his position that the devise is growing. The said disclosure also deserted Schwartz claim that the said device is an effective tool of learning primarily because of the apparent defect of the telephone. Even Schwartz’s claim that a number of students benefited from telephone-based classes failed to prove the effectivity and power of the telephone as a means of education. In short, it is unbelievable to state that an instruction about telephone is as convincing as an efficient method of learning. Damaging and Unproven Claims Schwart’s consideration of the media as the second God is subjected to the author’s many falsehoods as well as damaging and unsupported statements. An incredible claim by Schwartz is his statement that he was able to teach around the world even without leaving the luxury of his office through the use of the portable conference telephone. This is because despite the advancement of the electronic media, particularly the telephone device, it is still subjected to or not totally free from interruptions or technical obstacles. Hence, while the said statement tends to be probable, it is not the case all the time. At the highlight of the book’s chapter titled â€Å"The Incredible Expanding Telephone,† the author’s amusing tale about his American Museum of Natural History’s Laserium experience apparently sabotaged himself. It was a totally lame excuse when he said that while appropriately structured utilization of the telephone device has the ability of giving many important and useful services, it is still susceptible to problems as its poor plan may lead to telephone failure. Again, this time Schwartz contradicted and exposed himself to criticism. The author’s above manifestations of self-sabotage represent his usual characteristics as a highly-acclaimed sound designer, producer or creator of promotional advertisements or commercials and telecommunications teacher at New York University. Schwart’s self-sabotage is further proven by another bungle which he wrote in an earlier chapter of the book titled â€Å"The Electronic Classroom. In the said chapter, he extolled on the possibilities of working on recorded items as a form of education aid but again failed. This is because Schwartz offered the following simply as his solid proof of evidence: sound of family members fighting with each other, a walking manic depressive and a telephone dialogue, which he previously taped, with a person planning to commit suicide. Unfortunately for the readers, the said examples of Schwart’s self-sabotage were clearly depicted in the book. Either intentionally or not, the author and his work already lost its efficiency and credibility because Schwartz failed to prove or support his idea that the media, electronic media in particular, is the second God. This is because, unparalleled to God who is perfect, media has its flaws. As regard his other consideration of media as the second God, Schwartz’s once more not succeeded in his another declaration that refined or high-quality and efficient electronic advertisements can definitely sell substandard merchandise on a limited period. This claim has totally contradicted electronic media’s commercials about cigarette products which the author himself praised regretfully in the book. In fact, even his self-tribute chapter on how he envisioned and organized the fight which eventually saved the John Jay College was another proof of his personal destruction. This is because the author again fell short of bringing up any issue of essence or importance regarding the reason behind why the said educational institution is really important to be kept. Resemblance of Respect for God Notwithstanding the above stated flaws, the public may be able to contemplate what is really appealing and motivating about the Schwart’s book. One manifestation of such interesting quality and which is worthy to note is how strongly the people’s outlooks concerning the media certainly remind the readers of our admiration and high esteem for God. Additionally, due to the undeniable influence and assistance of the electronic media, people in post literate or deprived societies are better educated than people of the previous history accounts. Another manifestation of the book’s resemblance of respect for God is the fact that similar to our worship to the Creator, people and the society have high esteem about the need to protect and preserve human life. This is the reason why people in the countryside are too much worried about the proliferation and gravity of street crimes in other areas as what the electronic media is presenting. This is also due to the inclination of people to associate themselves with the people of other societies which they see on television or hear on radio. Media as Provider of Information, an Argument The last thing that is unacceptable to Schwart’s claims is his dispute that due to the overwhelming pieces of information which is accessible to people through electronic media, particularly television, the necessity to learn or specifically to write and read is not that immediate compared to before the arrival and development of the electronic media. With a benefit of the doubt, the author may not have intended this claim as a justification of illiteracy or an assertion that the skill to write and read has not benefits. However, he once again did not succeed in satisfactory stressing that in spite how much people grasp the manner of view and sound or noise due to advance contact or experience of the electronic media, there will still be difficulty in assessment and communication not unless people have learned and are able to write and read. One concrete manifestation of the said argument is Schwartz himself. This is for the reason that there could be a link between his usually disordered, self-conflicting claims and lines of reasoning as well as his automatic and ripped-ridden works. In fact, if not of too much criticism, the author may be literally depicted based from his own claim when he wrote that he led the class for school students who are regarded as â€Å"poor readers and poor listeners† (Schwarts, 1983, p. 128). This observation may be disputed by Schwartz himself especially taking into consideration his surprising power at influencing electronic reflections where even the power of verbal confidence may not be necessary to let the public have a glimpse of the author’s severe yet unproven perspectives and statements. Conclusion There have been many works exemplifying and proving the power or influence of the media to people and the society in general but the Schwartz book is certainly not one of them. This is because of the apparent misleading writing scheme and unsupported concepts presented by the author. While, in a way, he succeeded in imparting to the public the truth about the ability of the media, particularly the electronic media, to affect people and their way of living, his confusing or disillusioned ideas and claims are proof that nothing or no one can equal to God’s level. Schwartz was totally wrong in conveying the idea that the media is the second God for the simple reason that no other entity can be placed next to God, much so paralleled with Him. A critical analysis of the Schwartz book exposes the ineffectivity of the author in his approach to convey his ideas and eventually make the public agree. Additionally, the book unfortunately showed its inadequate and unproven content as well as the substance of the author’s line of thinking. In effect, Schwartz failed in whatever objective he has in doing the book. This is because his intentions are not met and eventually turned out to be futile efforts. The book is nothing but a collection of unsupported concepts and disenchanted theories. Schwartz’s approach or style is not well-founded and convincing simply because of the fact that his main idea that media is the second God is an outright contradiction of the existing view that there is nothing next or even equal to God. The topic about the power or influence of media is definitely relevant or that the material itself is appealing or that the writing style and quality somehow corresponds to the body of literature of that period. However, these good points were immaterial because the author and the book failed in the accuracy or reliability of thoughts organization. This is aside from the fact that majority of the contentions presented by Schwartz were unsupported. For this, it can be construed that the book is generally not valuable to be provided with attention and relevance. Ultimately, Schwartz and his work can be held liable for insinuating the principle that media is the second God precisely for reality that media is a creation of man who, in turn, could not be created without the power of God.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Renaissance A Known Movement In The World - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 479 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/06/14 Category Art Essay Level High school Tags: Renaissance Essay Did you like this example? The Renaissance is a very well known movement throughout the globe, for artists and non artists. It was a time period right after the Medieval period, and it has contributed so much to the art world. In this essay, we will be talking in detail, about what the Renaissance truly was. To begin, the Renaissance was from the 14th century through the 17th century and began in Italy. There are no well-defined causes for the beginning or end of the Renaissance, but it was rumored to begin because, of Italy’s geography. It was a period of passion for the European cultural, artist, political, and economical â€Å"rebirth†, which soon followed after the middle ages. The Renaissance promoted rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature, and art. Despite all these thriving factors of the Renaissance, it was best known for its artistics developments. For example, the printing press was developed in 1440 to apply pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium, such as paper or cloth, thereby transferring the ink. This is a form of an artistic development because, later on they would be able to print art into a stencil, thus making painting so much quicker and more accessible. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Renaissance: A Known Movement In The World" essay for you Create order Moreover, the Renaissance utilized five major themes. Them being: humanism, secularism, individualism, rationalism, and virtu. Humanism emphasized the critical study of the Greek and roman classics in order to better understand human nature and bring new age of intellectual achievement. Renaissance equaled rebirth, which was applicated in the renewed interest in study. Secularism was an emphasis on the value of worldly things, not necessarily on religious things, but also not anti-religious. Some examples would be: art, literature, emphasis on self, and things created for entertainment, rather than religion purposes. Individualism was connected to secularism and humanism. They were linked especially in the area of arts. Individuals always tried to stand out when it came to painting. Rationalism was about focusing on logic, proof, and the beginning of science. Lastly, virtu was about: being the most you can be, trying to do as many things as you can well, and having behavior that demo nstrates high moral standards. To continue, the Renaissance had an increased receptiveness to humanist philosophies, a commercial revolution, and the inception of the modern state. Furthermore, some characteristics from the Renaissance was how the Italian Renaissance re-established Western art corresponding to the principles of classical Greek art, especially Greek sculptures and paintings. That remained unchallenged until Pablo Picasso and Cubism came into the picture. Italian artists, as well as thinkers, became fascinated and inspired by the ideas of ancient Greek and Rome. This was ideally aligned with the desire to create a universal, patrician even, form of art. This was a want for the Renaissance and its art, so their fellow artists and thinkers could be able to express the new and more confident emotions of the time.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Analysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet - 1609 Words

To Be, Either/Or Not To Be â€Å"Do it or do not do it – you will regret both† (Kierkegaard 72) is a quote that echoes and expounds upon the famous â€Å"To be, or not to be† (Hamlet 3.1.56). The former quote was written by none other than Danish philosopher and poet, Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard. Born in 1813, Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard was well acquainted with Shakespeare’s text and often referred to it in his writings. When watching Kenneth Branagh’s unique, unabridged adaptation of Hamlet, it is apparent that Kenneth Branagh was able to capture how similar his Hamlet and Sà ¸ren are in character while making his mark in cinematography history. The connection between Branagh, Shakespeare, and Kierkegaard goes beyond the setting and 19th century architecture of Branagh’s recreation of Hamlet. Through both Sà ¸ren and Kenneth’s backstory, choice of esthetics, and their actions in life changing moments the story of Hamlet has proven to be a guide for both of these extraordinary men. The story of Hamlet: a Danish prince’s beloved father dies and within two months, his mother marries his uncle, which is considered incestuous and horrendous. While the rest of the courts celebrates, as Kenneth Branagh chooses to emphasis by having white flower petals rain down from the ceiling like confetti, the grieving Hamlet has no say in it. â€Å"It is not nor it cannot come to good: But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue† (Hamlet 1.2.158-9). In Kierkeggard’s review of Shakespeare’ Hamlet, he notes that Hamlet suffersShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 959 Words   |  4 Pagesnot to â€Å"x† (An analysis of Hamlet s Soliloquy To Be or Not to Be) There are many outstanding stories that have been written by the one and only William Shakespeare, in which a soliloquy of a character is very compelling. The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a story in which a man kills his own brother and then marries the wife of his brother and takes the throne while he is at it. There are many secrets and no one knows that the original king was killed by his brother. Hamlet is then told byRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1061 Words   |  5 PagesKylie Kwiatt Jaime Jordan Reading Shakespeare October 29, 2014 Hamlet through Feminist Lens In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the character of Ophelia may be looked at and analyzed through a Feminist perspective. By using a Feminist lens, readers may observe the impact of patriarchal society and misogyny on the mind of a young lady doing her best to fit into the role of a Shakespearian-era woman. Women were expected to be virginal, yet sexual, subservient and inferior to men, and possessionsRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1021 Words   |  5 Pages Ochoa1 Daniela Ochoa English Mrs. Levine 19 April 2016 Women’s Roles in Hamlet â€Å"There’s a remarkable amount of sexism on TV. When male characters are flawed, they’re interesting, deep and complex, but when women characters are flawed, they’re just a mess.† Ellen Pompeo. In â€Å"Hamlet† Ophelia and Gertrude are the only females mentioned throughout the Shakespeare’s tragic play. The two women are unappreciated and are consideredRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 886 Words   |  4 Pagesthe thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hamlet 2.2 .581) The meta-theatrical play The Mousetrap is central to Hamlet. The play-within-a play is a catalyst to the plot and works to illuminate character. This essay will argue that the scene places Hamlet into the role of a playwright who employs theatrical conventions in order to manipulate his audience rather than entertain. Hamlet transforms The Mousetrap play into an accusatory analogy of King Claudius. This scene also largely contrasts the playwright Shakespeare to Hamlet’sRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1650 Words   |  7 Pages Duplication and repetition in Hamlet create an effect in which the core foundations of the play are reiterated and given greater attention as to resonate with the audience. Each of these duplications are binary oppositions that showcase a similar situation with opposite processes or results-- ultimately the majority of these duplications are reverberations of death in scenes that show Hamlet trying to be a hero but ending up being a villain. There are two actions in the play that are duplicatedRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1510 Words   |  7 Pagesknow how they would respond to such an event. Shakespeare s play Hamlet focuses on the concept of grief and the incredible power it has to change the way a person acts. After the death of his father, Hamlet’s character is often thought to have entered a state of madness; however, many fail to see that Hamlet has feigned this madness to seek revenge on those who have wronged his father and as a way to cope with his overwhelming sadness. The actions Hamlet takes and the persona that he presents addsRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1282 Words   |  6 PagesDuring this part of Hamlet, the King has just witnessed Hamlet’s play and concluded that his murderous actions are no longer a secret. Now that there are possible consequences, King Claudius feels regret for his actions and wants to be forgiven. However, he still wants to keep his priz es of being king and marrying the queen, therefore he tries to pray to be forgiven and later on devises a plan to get rid of Hamlet. James Burgh wrote the elocution manual The Art of Speaking to inform the youth ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1406 Words   |  6 PagesAs one of the most famous and world-renowned works, Hamlet has been remade countless of times both on stage and on screen. In 2009 a modernized rendition of the brilliant play starring David Tennant as the Prince of Denmark, with Patrick Stewart as Claudius, and Penny Downie as Gertrude was released to the big screen. Set in early modern times, the clothes of this movie may have been updated, however the language remained loyal to the original text. With the significant length of this interpretationRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1278 Words   |  6 PagesHamlet â€Å"To be or not to be, that is the question† Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Laurence Olivier states in his famous redemption of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where Laurence Oliver played as Hamlet. Characters Laurence Olivier- Prince Hamlet Eileen Herlie – Queen Gertrude Basil Sydney- King Claudius (current king of Denmark) Jean Simmons- Ophelia (Polonius’s Daughter) Norman Wooland –Horatio (Hamlet’s friend) Felix Aylmer -Polonius John Laurie –FranciscoRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 844 Words   |  4 Pagesplay they always put their own spin on the original piece. When Kenneth Branagh and Gregory Doran both made films on Hamlet the presentation of the movies were different. All directors have a style to the way they film; Branagh and Doran both have different filming styles that portray Hamlet in a different light. In Branagh version of Hamlet he places the movie in Denmark and has Hamlet being the prince of Denmark just like the play does. Adversely Doran places his film in the modern world straying

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Americal Apparel Business Venture Example

Essays on Americal Apparel Business Venture Research Paper As per the time value of money the company, American Apparel should refrain from borrowing money at the present time. Instead the borrowing should becarried out after six months when the company plans to build the new manufacturing facility. When the current Treasury Yield Rates are seen in the respect of the previous few decades it becomes obvious that the current rates of discount are significantly lower in the longer run although the current rates cannot be classified as the lowest in such a series. The lowest discount rates emerged around the turn of the century but these have risen again to roughly one half (roughly 3%) of the historically highest rates (7% – 8%) on a thirty year basis. The current discount rate is attractive when considered in the medium term for a number of years possibly when considered in terms of a decade or so. However when these rates are seen in the light of a shorter period of time, it becomes clear that the reduction in the principal amount is s ignificant. The current rates will remain attractive for the company as long as the company intends to acquire the loan and invest it within the shortest possible period of time. Keeping the money in store will only lead to lowering its value over time both in the short term and the long run (Hovey, 2005) though the effect would be more significant in the short term. The rates that the company is being offered currently are high compared to the historical highs and lows. Historically the highest rates existed in the early to mid nineties but these decreased significantly in the early 2000 period. When compared to the nearest period of lowest rates, the current rates seem high. However given the circumstances it is hard that the company would be offered any lower rates any time soon because of the way that historical trends and current fiscal policies are being pushed. It would therefore be safe to assume that the company is being offered the best discount rates within the next decad e or so. The time value of money is important for the company as whatever the company borrows today will stand reduced tomorrow due to fiscal discounting of money. For example if the company were to assume a loan of $10,00,000 on 11th January 2012, the discount rate for the next 6 months is an estimated 0.05%. Hence after six months the company would have roughly lost $50,000 if the money borrowed today is not utilised. This in itself represents a direct fiscal loss to the company for its inaction over the investment of the borrowed money. If the company does not come to terms with the time value of money, it would be borrowing more than it would actually be spending over its construction efforts which would present a distress in terms of repayments for the company (Crosson Needles, 2008). If the company chooses to wait six months to borrow the money it shows fiscal maturity on the part of the company. If the company were to borrow the money today, it would stand to lose on the borrowed money due to the time value of money. Another option could be to borrow the money and invest it for six months but this is an unlikely thing to do because extricating finance within six months would be both risky and cumbersome for the company. Therefore in order to reduce risk and to boost value on the borrowed money, it is in the company’s best interests to borrow the money in the next six months just before it plans to commence construction. Bibliography Crosson, S. V., Needles, B. E. (2008). Managerial Accounting (8th Ed). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Hovey, M. (2005). Spreadsheet Modelling for Finance. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Education Australia.

Friday, December 13, 2019

Shadowing Report Free Essays

string(57) " book and sadly it ended up with a non-ideal resolution\." Shadowing Report Interview Date: 04. 08. 2012 Interview Time: 1:00pm Shadowing Date: 04. We will write a custom essay sample on Shadowing Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now 12. 2012 Shadowing Time: 8:30am – 2:00pm The person I chose to shadow for this assignment is John Smith who is a friend of mine. He, himself has been in the management profession for the past 4 years or so starting at Pizza Hut. According to him, he worked at Pizza Hut for about six years and was originally hired as a driver. Due to a car accident, the management opportunity fell into his lap and he began training as a shift manager. He moved his way up quickly to become the acting Store Manager, although he says his official title was Assistant Store Manager. He worked for Pizza Hut for a total of 6 years with half of those years in the management position before finally pursuing another job in another city. That job was with Mighty Taco, Inc, which I’m sure you have heard of because the restaurant is a staple to the Buffalo area. He then packed up himself and his family from the Rochester area to move here to accept the position. I asked him why he made that move and he said it was so his wife could get help with their newborn daughter while she went back to school. He said that it was actually his wife who found the listing for the job in the newspaper and encouraged him to send in his resume. Because of his experience with management when working at Pizza Hut, he was essentially hired after one interview. He has now worked for Mighty Taco as a Manager for almost a year and he works with other Managers, including Shift Managers, Managers and General Managers, and crew members. Mighty Taco, Inc, as I mentioned before, is a staple to the Buffalo area that was founded in 1973. The almost 40-year old company describes itself as being synonymous with fast, delicious, Buffalo-style Mexican food and has about 20 different locations. The first Mighty Taco opened up in Buffalo, NY at 1247 Hertel Ave on August 31, 1973, and although that location is no longer around, the company has made its name for itself within the Buffalo community. The restaurants have what you would expect from a fast-food Mexican chain in that they primarily sell tacos and burritos, but with a twist. They have specials such as the â€Å"Roastito† which consists of chicken breast or steak in a tortilla with roasted peppers and onions, cheese and sour cream, the â€Å"El Nino Burrito† which has half a pound of ground beef in it and the â€Å"Mighty Fish Taco† which consists of a battered fish filet, lettuce, tomato cheese and tartar sauce or salsa. One of the things that I believe makes the company so unique is there unusual advertisements. I remember when I first moved to this area a decade ago and saw my first Mighty Taco commercial on the TV. I must say that it weirded me out, but the advertisements have grown on me over the years and I appreciate their uniqueness. From the chanting of â€Å"Mighty Taco, Mighty Taco, Mighty Taco† to â€Å"Buf-Mex at its Best† the company has won the hearts of all within this area. One might think that working in a fast-food restaurant that education and training may not be necessary but I learned very quickly that this is far from the truth. While this may be true to be a crew member, being a manager in this industry requires the manager to be fully prepared and equipped for anything that comes to them, including training and education. When asked about such training, Steve explained that he received most of his training at his previous job at Pizza Hut. There were many training seminars and programs that he had to go through, including mock role plays and information on how to deal with various paperwork. An example of a mock role play he gave was a customer coming in complaining they found a foreign object in their food and how they would handle it. This later came into real life when one day at Mighty Taco a customer actually came up to him with a complaint of a foreign object found in their food. He said it was kind of ironic but he handled the situation by the book. He apologized profusely to the customer and offered to remake their order as well as throw in a free bag of chips and cheese. He also filled out the proper paperwork associated with the issue including the batch number of the food, time, date, etc and sent it all the main office. The customer left satisfied and the company was able to address the issue. Another situation in which he put his training in mock role play to use was with a situation with an employee. Employee subordination is something no manager likes to deal with. In fact, Steve said it is one of the more challenging part of his job because no one wants to be a disciplinarian. In this situation, an employee was directed to do dishes before he left for the day by the manager on duty to which the employee refused. The manager on duty again directed the employee to help with the dishes and again the employee refused so Steve was brought in to deal with the situation. He explained that he sat the employee down and explained to him what would happen if he refused to do the work he was assigned one more time. It would be considered insubordination and there would be repercussions of suspension or even termination. The employee still vehemently refused to do the dishes and Steve had no choice but to write up the employee and suspend him pending termination. The next day the employee was terminated. In this situation, both managers agreed that they handled it by the rule book and sadly it ended up with a non-ideal resolution. You read "Shadowing Report" in category "Essay examples" These are just many of the items that the training seminars prepare the management for. Since working for Mighty Taco, the only difference he says is that he had to re-certify his food safe certification due to more and more restaurants in the industries making the switch from Prometric to Servsafe. Managers for Mighty Taco typically work a 45 hour work week with at least 5 hours of overtime guaranteed but no more than 7 hours. They get compensated for that overtime with the typical time and a half pay. Steve says that the summer months and Christmas time tend to be busier so he more often than not pushes to the 47 hour mark during those times. The managers typically work one of two shifts, either the opening shift which is 8:30am – 5:30pm or the closing shift which is 5:00pm – 2:00am. While he does not directly work on the schedule, he does have training in making schedules due to his experiences with Pizza Hut. He is trained in making the schedules while complying with various laws associated with schedule making, like scheduling minors. In terms of choosing his work week, he says he typically just rolls with what schedule is given to him but he also gets the days he requests off without an issue. Apparently as long as he works a Monday morning inventory shift every 3 weeks and works a certain amount of open and closing shifts per period, he is free to work whenever, as long as he works 45 hours a week. When it comes to the salary ranges for the various positions within the store, it seems that Mighty Taco, on average, pays higher than other places within the field. He states that the crew members at Pizza Hut only started at minimum wage whereas the crew members at Mighty Taco start at $8 per hour, almost $1 more per hour. The Shift Managers at Mighty Taco start off at about $9. 0 per hour and the Managers start off at about $11 per hour. The General Managers get paid a salary wage that is set by Mighty Taco based upon experience and time with the company. Not only do the employees with Mighty Taco generally get paid higher, but Mighty Taco has some great benefits. For example, the Managers and General Managers get full medical insurance and the General Managers get full medi cal insurance for their families as well. The only thing Steve has to pay is the co-pays. â€Å"Health insurance is rare enough in the food industry, but to get it paid in full? That’s amazing! Steve says. He also receives a week of vacation after being with the company for a year with the maximum going to 4 weeks. Employee evaluations are something that is common to every business and Mighty Taco is no different. Raises within the company are earned through 6 month reviews. Steve explains that his second review is actually coming up because, like previously mentioned, he has been with the company for almost a year. The raises for managers is a percentage based system based upon how the store is doing, how the manager personally does and various other factors. After explaining to me how the performance evaluations are done, I quickly realize that he is talking about a Graphic Rating Scale Method that I learned about in my Human Resources class. A Graphic Rating Scale Method is the most common type of evaluation method which lists a number of traits and a range of performance for each field. Some of the various traits Steve is scored upon include time management, training and development of employees, organizational know how, communication, teamwork, etc. According to Steve, teamwork is one that he always scores high on due to his ideals on the importance of teamwork. He believes that in the service industry,your work is also dependent on other people and goes on to say, â€Å"one man cannot do the job alone and it requires teamwork to accomplish any goals for yourself and the company. † The supervisors in the company who conduct these evaluations are the General Manager of the store and the District Manager. Being a manager is something that Steve enjoys with his favorite part pertaining to the management of the employees and helping to improve them as well as himself through the hard work and effort put into the job. He, in particular, really likes working for Mighty Taco because he feels like the company respects all their employees. He says that at his previous job, he did not feel like he or the other employees received any of the respect they deserved. Being respected is key in maintaining moral and motivating employees. Although he does enjoy it, the job of a manager can be stressful at times. It is the big stuff he dreads, like the before-mentioned issues with crew members, but the little stuff is easy to deal with. Things like not having enough crew members during a busy shift or running out of a particular food or customer complaints. He says the best thing is to remain focused and to try and not let it get to you. He says that as a manager, he cannot let the stress get to him because he is the example to the crew members and must remain professional. However, once he gets home, he relieves stress by spending time with his family, specifically his 10 month old daughter, and playing video games like any typical male in their 20’s. Steve would like to stay with the company as long as he can due to the opportunities it has given him. His ultimate goal is to be a District Manager for Mighty Taco, in particular the one for the new restaurants opening up in Rochester, where he is originally from. He then jokes and says that he’ll settle for being promoted to a General Manager position for now. Overall he really likes Mighty Taco as a company and hopes to stay with them for a long time. I shadowed Steve on Thursday, April 12, 2012 during an opening shift from 8:30am to 2:00pm. This is what happened while I was there: Upon entering the store, the alarm was shut off and the ovens were turned on. From there the lights were turned on and he clocked into the system. At this point, he is the only employee in the store and arrived approximately 10 minutes before his shift started. The next employee didn’t arrive for about 15 more minutes and he is the cook, hence the ovens being turned on. His next step is to goes into the office to check the manager logs for any important information left by the previous shift’s manager. This manager log, he informs me, includes any employee interactions and write ups, and any pertinent information like any cleaning jobs that have to be done today. He tells me that one of these cleaning jobs includes cleaning out the freezer, which is not done very often. From there he pulls all the paperwork and starts to go over any checklists, like the opening checklist. He gets the sales from the previous night and how over or under it is from forecast as well as the labor yield and the cost of sales of food. With all that information written down, he then calls it in to his District Manager. The next thing he does is check all the emails for any customer complaints that came in overnight and anything that may have come in from the main office. Today in the emails, he received a complaint about missing an item on his order and he informs me that this is pretty commonplace. The next big thing he does has to deal with the money in the safe. He made sure that the deposit from the previous night is there and make sure it adds up. He also counted the change in the petty cash and called the bank with an order for more change. Once making sure that all the money is there, he then ensures that all of his other employees arrive before going to the bank. Once three more employees arrive, we go on over to the bank at about 9:00am to deposit the money and to get the coin order. Upon returning to the store, he then writes down all the information about the deposit including the credit card log. He then faxed that information over to the office. After the money is situated, he then helped the crew members with setting up the line and making sure everything is in order for the morning. He set up the soda machines, and made fun of me for saying soda rather than pop, he filled up the food wells in the line for the employees and just went around seeing what the employees needed help with. He did this until about 9:45am where he then puts the cash drawers into the register. I ask him if he prefers to work on the line or to work in the office and he tells me he’d prefer to be in the thick of things but he has to the his managerial duty. At 10:00am, he finished the checklist and essentially opens up the store for the customers. Now the day officially begins and it is quite interesting to see everyone working together in this environment. As soon as the store opens, a customer immediately comes in and I ask if this is a normal occurrence. I’m told by Steve and the employees that more often than not, customers do not start showing up until closer to 11:00am. Also at 10:00am, another employee comes in and Steve immediately directs him to do a lot check, which he tells me includes sweeping and emptying the trash outside. At 11:00am, two more employees show up and I ask Steve what is the role of all these employees. Because to me it seems there are a lot of employees but then again, I am not used to this line of work. As it stands right now there are 8 employees plus Steve and he tells me what each of their jobs are. There is a cook for the morning, but he eventually goes on to register or line depending on where he is needed. There are two employees on register up front, there are two employees on headset/cash-out on drive-thru, there are two employees dedicated to drive-thru line and two employees dedicated to the front counter line. The employees on line are broken down into wrappers and grill. I ask Steve which of these jobs he prefers to help out on and he informs me he prefers wrapping on the front counter line. He also then informs me that when the lunch rush happens at 11:30am, that I need to stay out of everyone’s way. I can only describe the lunch rush as being organized chaos. While it is extremely busy, Steve directed all his employees efficiently based upon their strengths and weaknesses. He helped out wherever he was needed and kept up morale and motivation by joking with his employees. The banter back and force is amusing but at the same time questions are being asked about appropriate conduct. For example, questions about what went on a particular taco were often shouted out as well as questions confirming what the customer wanted. Even at the store’s busiest moment while I was there, Steve kept his cool when dealing with both employees and customers alike. It seemed to me that everyone worked together efficiently in this environment, bringing about a sense of teamwork. After the lunch rush was over, which was about 1:30pm, we had a moment for me to ask him some questions about his day. I asked him how he prioritized his responsibilities during the day. He explained that there are 5 priorities set by Mighty Taco: customer service, cleanliness in customer area such as the dining room, cleanliness in the kitchen area in customer view, food preparation and food maintenance, and other cleanliness duties. He explains that anything he does throughout the day, he first takes into account the customers because he believes they are one of the most important aspects of his field. I then ask him how he decides who gets assigned to which job. He says its based upon their knowledge, skill level, time allotment and willingness to learn. He says that employees that are only there for a short time he more often than not will direct them to do a simple and quick cleaning or preparation job. I also asked him what is the most dangerous thing that has ever happened to him during his time as a manager. I got a startling response that I didn’t expect. He started off laughing and saying that he was robbed at gunpoint one time when working at Pizza Hut. Apparently one night close to closing time, a man came in following an employee demanded all the money in the register. In this situation, one that he hopes no one ever has to go through, managers are taught to comply with any and all demands of the perpetrator. Procedure states that in such an event, the police should be called as well as the immediate supervisor and District Manager and the store should be shut down. Sadly the perpetrator was not found but no one was harmed, which is the main goal in a situation like that. On that scary note, the shadowing was over and I thanked him profusely for allowing me to shadow his job and told him I would contact him with any further questions. Throughout this entire experience, I learned quite a bit of things. I have never worked in a management position before even though that is what my major is. Prior to coming back to school I have only ever worked in the Accounting world, from being a bookkeeper to working in Accounts Payable. While I would still like to stay in that section of the business world, this experience has taught me the hard work that goes into management. I hope to take these experiences and use them to further my career after I graduate, hopefully getting a position as an Accounts Payable Manager. Steve Nadig left me with some good advice for the eventuality of me becoming a manager of some sort which basically was to keep all my paperwork as organized as I can. He says that’s his least favorite part of the job and he works hard on keeping all his paperwork in order. He also states that I should try to be as unbiased as possible, which I will take to heart because I know first hand what its like to have bias get in the way of a good management decision. Overall I found this to be a wonderful experience and I’m happy for getting the chance to do so. Works Cited â€Å"What Types of Behavior Indicate Insubordination? † Small Business. 21 Apr. 2012 . â€Å"Mighty Taco. † Mighty Taco. 21 Apr. 2012 . Dessler, Gary. â€Å"Chapter 6 Performance Management and Appraisal. † A framework for human resource management. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2011. 174. How to cite Shadowing Report, Essay examples