Blood and Organism Physiology Paper

Organism Physiology Paper Greg Jenkins BIO/101 August 2, 2012 Jimmie Cave Organism Physiology Paper Organisms Overview This research is about an organism diagram that the writer has found for reasons while doing his investigation. The writer has selected to center his findings on human being aimed for his research paper. The writer has elected a illustration that will describe exactly how the organism in the figure has progressed physiologically to become suitable to its environs.Human Diagram The Human Figure The whole human form is an organism. There are numerous structures in the human format. An organ is comprised into double or additional materials pack into one functioning component that completes a precise purpose. Each organ has a precise part in the human body for improvement and a human being condition. The tissues in the body are significant because they labor together scientifically to vigorous sustain and keep the individual alive. Main organ methodsThe chief organ struc ture is mainly the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system, endcannabinoid system, endocrine system, integumentary system, immune system, lymphatic system, musculoskeletal system, nervous system, reproductive system, Respiratory system, urinary system, and the vestibular system. †¢Circulatory system: pushing and directing plasma and commencing the body and lungs with the central part of the human which is the heart, and blood vessels. †¢Digestive System: ingestion and dispensation nourishment with salivary glands, throat, abdominal, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, your guts, rectum, and anus. . Endocannabinoid system: neuromodulator lipids and receptors intricate in a diversity of functional procedures containing your desire for food, feeling of pain-sensation, humor, motorized way of knowledge, synaptic flexibility, and remembrance. †¢Endocrine system: contains the way the body receives messages inside the body by hormones made through the endocrine glands such as the hypothalamus, pituitary or pituitary gland, pineal body or pineal gland, thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenals or adrenal glands †¢Integumentary system: is consistency of the human outside, physical being †¢Immune system: battle off infection; Lymphatic system: relocation of lymph amongst materials and the plasma flow, †¢Musculoskeletal system: muscles are accountable for association and the bones offer structural provision and security with skeletons, tendon, muscles, and ligaments. †¢Nervous system: gathering, transporting and dispensation data to the brain, vertebral, central nerves. †¢Reproductive system: the sexual role organs; in the woman; and man are very different, but plays a big part in human reproductions †¢Respiratory system: is the system of which a human needs to breath, the pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, and diaphragm. Urinary system: is the human way to exit out and balance the defecation of waist. †¢Vestibular syste m: adds to our equilibrium and our sense of three-dimensional coordination. (â€Å"How Many Are There†, 2011). The structure of the human system is a group of organs that help each other to sustain the human purposes. Materials cannot achieve these tasks alone; the organs are what support the materials to achieve its purposes. The chief organs through the body are the heart and the blood container. Conferring to Simon (2010), an entity is contingent on the matching of all its organ organisms for existence.For example, nutrients that are captivated from the gastrointestinal region are dispersed all through the body by the cardiovascular system. But the heart that drives blood over the cardiovascular system needs nutrients engrossed from nourishment by the gastrointestinal area and also oxygen (O2) gained from midair by the respirational system. Evolved physiologically Every entity is an exposed system, which means around unceasing interchange of substances and vitality with it s environments. Organisms needs familiarize with its surroundings in demand to live.This is exactly how the body functions with an exposed system: Eating, breathing, excrete, urinate, perspire and give off heat. Conferring to Simon (2010), Nutrients and oxygen must go in all existing cell, and carbon dioxide and all waste material got to be empty out. All existing organisms can adjust and react to its background. The most imperative body purpose is to preserve its honesty. Homeostasis, which accurately means â€Å"sturdy state,† is the inclination to uphold comparatively persistent situations in the center surroundings even after the outward environs changes (Simon, 2010).Variations do happen in the environment but are usually reasonable to the assortment that is acceptable for all living cells. References Picture- How many are there. (2011). Retrieved from http://howmanyarethere. net/how-many-organs-are-in-the-human-body/ How many are there. (2011). Retrieved from http://how manyarethere. net/how-many-organs-are-in-the-human-body/ Simon, E. j. (2010). Campbell Essential Biology with Physiology (3rd ed. ). : Pearson Education.

Drug Testing in a High School Setting: Pros and Cons

Taking steroids to enhance athletic performance has become widespread among athletes worldwide. This practice not only violates athletic regulations and the intent of fair competition but also damages many of the body's major organs. Drug testing has therefore been implemented in many collegiate and professional sports and some high school athletic programs with the goal of maintaining competitive fairness. Drug testing is the method that has been chosen to identify those athletes who use banned drugs to enhance their sports performance at the expense of the athletes who do not take drugs.Almost any athlete competing above the high school level, and increasingly at even high school level too, is subject to drug testing. There are almost as many drugs used by athletes as there are sports. Some athletic performance enhancers are not drugs at all. Some performance-enhancing techniques use human hormones (or synthetic derivates thereof), and other use the athlete's own blood. Some of the se techniques are presently undetectable by urine and blood samples. Drug testing alone will not be enough to stop the use of steroids and other drugs.While drug testing is the first line of defense at the collegiate and professional levels of sport, athletes, parents, and we coaches and trainers must bear the greater responsibility for keeping the playing field level at the junior high and high school levels. The use or possession of alcohol and illegal or controlled substances by students is reaching epidemic proportions. Along with traditional education and drug-resistance programs in the schools and the community, proactive prevention and deterrence measures must be in place and publicized to all students.Drug testing is part of a much wider picture. Curbing drug use and implementing drug testing policies are significant concerns of parents, administrators and us coaches. The important pros of mandatory drug testing within a high school sports setting are:Greater deterrence to d rug use.Promoting fairness in sports competitions.Helping drug users relinquish their drug dependency (punitive aspects need to be minimized)2. A brief history of drug testing Drug testing of humans began in the late 1950s, when, after several European cycling and track races, evidence of drug use was observed.In 1965, procedures were developed which were capable of detecting a number of different stimulants; these were used to test participants of the Tour of Britain Cycle Races. The fist formal testing for nonsteroidal drugs occurred at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games though there still was no official testing for steroids. The development of complex radioimmunoassay (RIA) screening procedures as well as analytical advances in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques led to the introduction of tests for anabolic steroids at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games (Yesalis, Cowart 75).The test method of determining whether or not the testosterone in an athlete's body came from illegal use by the athlete was developed by Donike et al. in 1983. In 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, the IOC laboratory reported the detection of several banned drugs in the participating athletes. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analysis was introduced in the 1996 Atlanta Sumer Olympic Games. In recent years, Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) is being used in drug testing laboratories because it has several advantages over traditional GCMS technique.In the future, LCMS will become increasingly more important in the drug-testing laboratories because of its ability to confirm the presence of most drugs, including natural hormones (HGH, EPO, etc. ). Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) is a relatively new technique that is being proposed for verification of testosterone positives. Three decades have passed since sports drug testing became part of the Olympic Games. Drug testing is now part of professional sports, collegiate sports, and to a smaller extent, high school sports.The technology of drug testing has made significant advances; at the same time, cheating methods have also evolved and grown more sophisticated.3. The efficacy of drug testing in high schools Surveillance for drug use employing a random drug-testing model is currently receiving significant attention and consideration by high school administrators and public officials. In fact, random drug testing has been implemented in a number of school districts for students engaged in extra-curricular activities and is being considered for use with general student bodies.It is understandable that use of drug testing is being considered as a prevention tool with student-athletes since both NCAA and many professional sports employ this methodology. Further, many if not all NCAA Division 1 university athletic programs employ random drug testing at some level in response to concerns about drug use among collegiate athletes and because of potential NCAA sanctions for drug test failures . Hence, high school athletic programs are typically viewed as an aid to deter and to detect use. The efficacy of this tool in curbing drug use has yet to be thoroughly evaluated, however.Results to date have been rather equivocal with assessments both providing modest support for efficacy and indicating no effects. Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, the SATURN (Student Athlete Testing Using Random Notification ) project was designed to evaluate whether a nonpunitive, compulsory, random, suspicionless drug testing policy deterred drug and alcohol use among high school student athletes in two Oregon schools. Participation was required for all students and was a mandatory prerequisite for athletic participation.Results showed that a policy of random drug testing surveillance significantly reduced self-reports of recent performance-enhancing substances and, to a lesser extent, common drugs of abuse but did not produce long-term changes in sub stance use and associated high-risk behaviors use among adolescent athletes. Further, neither tobacco or alcohol use was altered. This result suggests at least limited efficacy when targeting a specific drugs that may be associated with well-documented harm potential to student-athletes.The authors of the investigation caution against over-interpretation of results suggesting efficacy of testing as adequate intervention (OHSU).4. Privacy – the fundamental issue At the heart of drug-testing controversy in schools, however, is not efficacy but privacy. Public schools are state actors; thus, the constitutional protections apply with respect to students and employees of public schools systems. As public institutions, public schools must follow the dictates of the Fourth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution as well as any particular provisions form the state constitutions that apply to them.In essence, the Fourth Amendment protects people and their houses, papers and effects agains t unreasonable searches and seizures. Such protection is vital to the privacy protection of all citizens from unacceptable conduct on the part of the government or its officers or agents. If a search is conducted, and a drug test is considered a search, the search must be reasonable and the intrusion of the test on an individual's privacy must be weighed against the government's interest in conducting the test. Reasonableness will depend on the circumstances.However, in most cases, suspicion is not required in order to perform a test. Because the use of certain performance-enhancing drugs is illegal according to federal statutes, many institutions have attempted to implement drug testing policies in order to deter their students from using drugs and also to detect drug use. Such a measure is deemed necessary in order to either provide assistance to those who do no understand the dangers involved in drug use or to provide information to law enforcement official in order that they may become involved to rid the institution of drug users.At the high school sport level, officials realize that drug use can be particularly dangerous to the more susceptible bodies of growing children. However, many times the athletes forced to submit to a drug-testing program do not do so willingly.They feel that the drug test infringes on their privacy rights as protected by the federal constitution and that they should not have to submit to the test. These individuals are typically not drug users; instead they are participants who find that if they do not submit to the testing, they will not be able to continue participating in the sport or activity of their choice.Beginning in the 1980's, these individuals sued the institutions who developed the drug testing policies so that they could avoid being tested as a requirement of participation. Until 1995, institutions who attempted to implement drug-testing policies were often unsure as to whether their policies would be upheld in cour t of law. However, 1995 the U. S. Supreme Court finally dealt with the issue. In the Vernonia School District 47J v. Acton case, the Supreme Court reviewed the constitutionality of a drug testing program applied to student-athletes at the high school level.In the mid 1980s, teachers and administrators in the Vernonia School District, Oregon, noticed a sharp increase in student drug us and an increase in disciplinary problems at the school. The school district also found that student-athletes were both users and leaders of the drug culture (Imber, Geel 159). The district implemented a drug testing policy that applied to all students participating in athletics, requiring each student to sign a form consenting to the random urinalysis testing policy before being allowed to participate in sports.During the test, the student would enter a locker room with an adult monitor who would check the sample produced for temperature and tampering. In 1991, Seventh grader James Acton refused to sig n the consent form and was not allowed to play football. His family sued claiming that the drug testing policy violated the Fourth Amendment. After a long process of examining the case, the court finally ruled that students who are in athletics and other highly visible extracurricular activities have a diminished expectation of privacy.Schools may carry out certain suspicionless searches, such as random drug tests of athletes, the court ruled, because such tests are mandatory only for those who choose to participate in those voluntary activities.While general drug testing can been seen as unreasonable, specific drug testing has to be allowed – especially, when it is limited to extracurricular athletics. The Vernonia School offered considerable discretion to school officials in their effort to control student behavior. According to the court ruling, individualized suspicion was not necessary before submitting students to random urinalysis drug testing.The court ruled that scho ol officials exercised their duties as state actors, an authority that was â€Å"custodial and tutelary, permitting a degree of supervision and control that could not be exercised over free adults. † The Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalie, who wrote the opinion, also said that athletes have less of an expectation of privacy because they change clothes and shower together. The Court also said that since athletes can be role models, it is especially important to be sure that they do not use drugs.The reasoning in Vernonia has been extended to include all other extracurricular activities. Since 1995, numerous other court decisions have ruled in favor of school districts that conduct the random drug testing of student athletes, although the testing of other students is still conditioned on â€Å"reasonable suspicion† by school administrators.Many developments since 1995 indicate the growing extensiveness of drug testing within the schools of the United States. For instan ce, in 1995 the Dayton County, Ohio, school district implemented a program to conduct random drug testing on student athletes.In September, 1999, the 6th U. S Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the legality of Knox County, Tennessee, program designed to test teachers, principals, and other school employees. Harlan county, Kentucky, during the 1999-2000 school year, initiated a random drug-testing program for all teachers, principals, and administrators. From time to time, the various attempts of school authorities at implementing drug testing programs are seen as violating students' privacy rights when they require students to submit to blood or urine tests.An Arkansas Court, for example, ruled that there were less obtrusive (and intrusive) ways to determine rule infraction. In another development, a New Jersey school policy was rebuffed. The school board required students to have annual exams that included a urinalysis. If a student tested positive for drugs, then district officials notified the student's parents, hoping that the parents would then get treatment for the student. The court ruled this procedure as unreasonable.And although various school districts across the country are now testing employees and student athletes, a private high school in Memphis, Tennessee, has initiated random drug testing on its entire student body, a program endorsed and financially supported (to the tune of sixty dollars per test) by parents. Students refusing to submit to testing are to be expelled from school. Thus, drug testing on the entire student body may often raise several complicated issues. However, within the context of high school sports competitions, drug testing is very essential to ensure fairness.There are few cons to drug testing in high school sports, as long as such programs are executed in right spirit. The concern for fairness easily overrides the concern for privacy in a sports setting, as the landmark Vernonia case rightly concluded.5. Deterrence, not punishment Several other court cases in the subsequent years brought out the need for and the advantages of drug testing in high schools. In 1998, the Federal Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an Indiana school's random drug-testing of high school athletes and cheerleaders.In this case, the Court found the school's policy was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. The school did not require observed specimen collection, a positive test did not result in expulsion, and privacy concerns of students that were required to disclose any medication they were taking were adequately addressed by the school. Additionally, students were give the opportunity to challenge positive test results by taking a conforming test at no expense to the student. Deterrence, safety and the health of students performing in athletic events constituted the basis supporting the court’s judgment.The Court reasoned that the school system has responsibilities as guardian and tutor of children entrusted in its care and that deterring drug use by students is a compelling interest. The Court also noted that the school's program was designed to deter drug use, not to punish users. As coaches working in school setting, we must always strive to remember to lay stress on deterrence and not on punishment, only then the pros of drug testing can be maximized and cons minimized.The aim of drug testing is not to trap and punish students who use drugs. It is, in fact, counterproductive simply to punish them without trying to alter their behavior. If drug-using students are suspended or expelled without any attempt to change their ways, the community will be faced with drug-using dropouts, an even bigger problem in the long run. The purpose of testing, then, is to prevent drug dependence and to help drug-dependent students become drug free. (Office of National Drug Control Policy 22)

The Future of Nigerian Advertising Industry Essay

The Future of Nigerian Advertising Industry - Essay Example Therefore, current researches and studies in the field of advertising are focused on different strategies and tactics of advertising campaigns. It can be said that in the future brands of Nigeria will look in a different manner. Why? Of course, because of globalization! Such phenomenon as globalization caused many changes even in the most developed and powerful countries. That is why the economy of the countries, which were not considered the powerful players on the global market before, was influenced much and this influence is considered as positive as it brought many new opportunities. The dynamic world of development and rapid changes and outcomes in the world of marketing can lead to shifted paradigms in Nigerian advertising. Thus, it was relevant for the advertising company in the past to develop brand promising name, to provide the process of advertising with control, stability and monopoly; to unite customers and markets etc. All these strategies of advertising could have bee n realized by means of printed media, TV or radio broadcasting. Now, look around and you will see outside billboards, sms informing, Tweet updates and other forms of instantaneous ads! Therefore, nowadays brand values should be considered from another perspective: brand fulfillment, interactivity and transparency, as well as trust, innovations and creative execution. There are different key issues in the concept of brand value. Modern Nigerian advertising companies find it necessary to offer new products and services as the only possible option for brand advancing. Moreover, their primary means of advertising is Internet, online media, social networks etc. Actually, these global innovative and technological changes are caused by an abundant excess of information technologies. Brand people and customers should realize numerous perspectives for outstanding rights for ownership new clothes, goods and services. Online media is a helpful tool to do this. Current strategies of advertising in Nigeria Social media of Nigeria do not provide the customers with relevant information about their firms and products. There is no total transparency and brands often need control. There are different aspects and possible solutions for the market changes in Nigeria. Democratization of technology is a favorable background for technological advancements and innovations realization in the context of advertising. Nigerian advertising market goes global and that is why, it is evident that this market has included some changes. Different technologies are well correlated with CD sales or YouTube promo video ads. Ethical concerns of Nigerian advertising have always meant much. A human-centered approach is one of the most important issues for the Nigerian advertising market. It can be claimed that branding of new services and products in the market of Nigeria are evoking numerous controversies for the products and services’ presentation both locally and internationally (Ekwelem, O kafor, Ukwoma, 2009). According to Jimi Awosika, "no matter what trends potters may have assigned to the shape of the future, the basic fabric of advertising will not change†¦" (Latest news, breaking news, business, finance analysis, comments and views from Nigeria). Brand distribution should be properly analyzed with respect to the current trends and tendencies. Moreover, many things depend on the users of the production themselves.

Assignment on Management in a New Global Economy Essay

Assignment on Management in a New Global Economy - Essay Example All marketing functions are customer oriented and, ultimately, successful marketing is highly related to market analysis. All organizations need to conduct Market Surveys about the customers’ preferences and their perception about products and services. Before implementing any marketing plan, Organizations need to analyze the customer’s preferences and tastes. Marketing is the main reason for the existence of any business. Modern marketing environment is very competitive and all Organizations strive hard to create more customers and retain their existing customers. In this context, an Organization needs to maintain their customers by providing good product and services. Rapid changes in product lines would affect Sales and this will create good opportunities for the competitors and they can penetrate the market easily. So all organization need to take decisions carefully before implementing a change in their marketing. Organizations need to plan a strategy and study the possibilities and then implement changes as a test in some areas only and identify the customers’ reaction and feedback. In this case study Gourmet Direct implemented the product line changes without proper study and planning their intentions of reducing their Inventory and Distribution Costs. Lack of proper planning is the main problem in this study. Before implementing a changes in product line, an Organization needs to evaluate the idea and its possibilities in the market and the reactions of the customers. Secondly, an organization should evaluate their own resources and the competitors’ strategy on the similar products marketing. Finding the customers specification is also very important before implementing a strategy. In this case, the company wishes to conduct a Study about the customers’ preference and suggestions. The last step of a strategic change in

In what ways can 'childhood' and 'youth' be understood as social Essay

In what ways can 'childhood' and 'youth' be understood as social constructions - Essay Example The objective of this essay is to identify the different ways childhood and youth is because of social construction. The essay will mainly use Kehily’s book understanding youths. Kehily is one of the most popular sociologists in the world today. She has researched on many issues relating to childhood, youths, gender and sexuality. In the book Understanding Youths, she has used history and sociocultural approaches to prove that childhood is a social construction. The use of history and sociocultural approaches is important in her book since in part one, she talks about perspective. She has used past researches by other sociologists in trying to show the changes that childhood has undergone based on the time period, culture and the economic activities during the time stated. She has used Aries findings that in the 15th century, children even at the age of 5 years were free to do anything that the adults were doing (Classen, 2005, p. 171). This changed in the 16th century, where children were for economic purposes since they could work to boost the family’s income. During the industrial revolution, childhood changed since the law against child labor was introduced thus children suffered from separation with their parents. In 1950, childhood took another twist and it was the beginning of children being very dependent on their parents (Veerman, 1992, p. 58). The second part of Kehily’s book is self-identity; she has based her argument on the historical findings that childhood is different due to the social status (Kehily, 2007, p. 19). She claims that in the West; whose occupants were wealthy spoilt their children, this is different with the Western region where childhood had no meaning since their parents were poor thus they had to work. The third part of the book covers the activities and that the youths engage in thus gaining experience. She states that

Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Case - Essay Example Employee benefit center and physician. Both groups should correspond with each other in order to achieve the utmost goal. For the optimization of good customer service both groups should communicate and set their budgets to accommodate the patients in best manner. Staff of Dr. Martin’s office must modify their way of communicating with their customers and deal them in more friendly way. They should reshape their service structure in order to increase productivity. The first ethical issue is that Doctor (Martin) knew which medical service is best for his patients and if he is busy he must refer his patients to other doctor but instead of referring professor to health care service betty (nurse of Dr. Martin) told him that doctor would not refer him to any other doctor but emergency room. The nurse without the checkup of professor prescribed him a medicine to get from pharmacy, which doesn’t help him much. The health condition of professor may worsen if he had not visited Healthcare

Pricing Scheme Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pricing Scheme - Research Paper Example The United States stock market is the place where individuals buy or sell stocks. The markets’ sellers sell the companies’ products to the eager stock buyers. Similarly, the stock market sellers offer to buy the stocks sold by the stock owners. Economics plays a major role in the sale or purchase of the stocks. The sellers prefer to sell more stocks at higher prices. Similarly, the buyers prefer to buy stocks at lower prices. As the prices rise, the current and future customers’ demand for the products decline. When the prices rise, the supply of the products increases (Arnold 312). The current research delves on the pricing of the Verizon Company’s stock market prices. The stocks are sold and bought using a controlled computerized software program. The stock market includes the services offered by the stock market agents. The agents are selling the stocks of the communication services company, including Verizon (Morningstar 1). Table 1 shows the prices of the Verizon stocks sold in the digital stock market. The stock market prices show the equilibrium price. The equilibrium price is the price agreed upon by both the Verizon stock sellers and the Verizon stock buyers (Morningstar 1). There are economic interpretations of the stock market prices (Arnold 312). In terms of the January 10, 2014 equilibrium price, the sellers and buyers of 11,454,003 stock units agreed to sell (exchange) the stocks at $ 47.75 per stock. The price dropped from the prior week’s $48.42 stock market price. The price drop was instituted in order to increase the drop in the demand for the Verizon stocks. The 11,454,003 stock units sold show the decline from in the demand for the Verizon stock. The prior week’s stock market units sold (exchange) was higher at 12,045,205 units (Morningstar 1). Similarly, the January 31, 2014 stock market price of the Verizon stock was $48.02 each. At this price, there were 18,558,798 stock units sold.

Cabinet Lock Controller Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cabinet Lock Controller - Assignment Example For all that are not very conversant with whatever solution that is designed, just as the managing director who comes from a mechanical engineering background and so does not fully understand the diverese differences between the differing standards and the , real-time and strewn operating systems platform that is applied here. For puposes of these sort of people, it is hence therefore vital to elaborate give a short explanation of the specification and proper explanations of the source codes that are give an explantion of the working of the digital lock cabinet (Breitenstein & Langenkamp 2003). It has a project has been kept simple and within the constraints of efficient coding to avoid the possibility of mixing too many issues that would lead to hacking. The ideal thing that the cabinet lock would stand in prevention of is a Brute Force attack. This is the reason that this sort of solution on developed to come up with an efficient digital lock for a cabinet is that there has to be effective permutations that will make it almost impossible for an attacker. The basic cabinet lock that has been made for the company uses a set of five Digits and a further Master Lock that uses another set of 10 digits. This makes it very hard, mathematically, for any user to crack the codes. The intruders that are trying to break into the system find that they just have to have the simple pass code for them to gain access to the cabinet. The way the program has been designed to run is that, there has to be a cycle using two buttons that will come up with the codes (out of the 16 codes that ar e available), the third button will select the code from these 16 codes and a trigger will be sent and the authorization will be allowed (Al-Araji et al., 2006). The input of these codes that give the user with whatever login credentials and from any authentication levels that would be applicable per se will be captured by a keypad (a 4x3 Keypad) The

VBD report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

VBD report - Essay Example In the light of the events which have occurred in the Brisbane branch of the firm in a span of six weeks, the scenario behind the resignation of four line managers as a result of inadequate opportunities to participate in the decision making of the business is being considered critically by the company to assess the state of participative management techniques and leadership models in the company’s Brisbane branch. Hence, the purpose of this report is to explore the circumstances surrounding the resignation of the four line managers to better understand the application of the leading and organizing function of management in the firm and present appropriate recommendations for addressing the present issue successfully thereby, reducing turnover rates in the future. The prevalent issue in the organization is associated with the concept of employee turnover which is demonstrated by the resignation of four line manager’s at the company’s Brisbane branch in the time period of six weeks. According to Jang (2008), the concept of employee turnover can be defined as â€Å"the gross movement of workers in and out of employment with respect to a given company†. Moreover, the concept of turnover can be assessed in terms of voluntary and involuntary turnover, which in this case is associated with the former as the employees have willingly resigned from their respective positions (Cascio and Boudreau, 2010). While, the explanation of central causes of employee turnover have often been described by researchers as being unique to the organization or even individual cases, it has already been established that the fundamental reason behind the four resignations which have been received by the company is a consequence of inadequate HR pract ices. As noted by Jackson, Schuler and Werner (2011), poor levels of job satisfaction and absence of fair opportunities in the workplace can promote a sense of

Has the War on Terror made the American people more safe Research Paper

Has the War on Terror made the American people more safe - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the arguments for and against the ‘War on Terror’ has generally made the American citizens safer because 1. Apart from certain legitimacy doubts, the US military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq are credited with moving the hostilities into enemy’s territory. 2. The drone attacks used by CIA and the US military, targeting terrorist leaders, groups and safe havens, have made terrorists more anxious about their safety, rather than plotting acts of terror. 3. The elimination of key al-Qaida leaders, most notably Osama bin Laden, has allowed the US an opportunity to â€Å"disrupt, dismantle, and ultimately defeat al-Qaida†. 4. The efforts to prevent terrorists from entering the United States and operating freely inside the US borders, as well as the massive investments in aerospace control, aviation security, and screening, and maritime and border security, considerably minimized the risk of terrorist actions. 5. Community engagement agai nst Islamist-inspired radicalization and recruitment, along with information sharing among the law enforcement organizations, deprive terrorists of their financial support and raw recruits. The ‘War on Terror’ has failed to make Americans safer because 1. Many homeland security measures have been designed to deal with large threats, whereas considerably destructive terrorist acts can be perpetrated by a small group or even a single individual. 2. The terrorist targets’ selection is quite often a random process, rather than a product of grand planning, which makes efforts to determine terrorists’ intent a bit problematic. 3. Protection measures have their negative effects, including direct costs, negative economic impact, inconvenience, fear and reduction of liberties. The reasoning behind the arguments for and against There are many speculations about the real impact the US military campaigns, most notably in Afghanistan, had on terrorist networks such as al-Qaida and its affiliates and adherents, and their capabilities to target the territory of the United States. The opponents of the Bush administration’s aggressive policy aimed at disrupting and degrading al-Qaida and its affiliates argue that the use of US military overseas did very little, if anything, to protect the American people at home. Their reasoning is broadly based on the assumptions that violence, more often than not, produces violence, and that pursuing terrorists is not the armed forces’ job. To a degree or another, such reasoning may have its merits because the civil casualties alongside the civilian property and infrastructure destruction caused by the American army strikes in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as by the CIA’s undeclared drone war in Pakistan, could be hardly justified.

Death of a Salesman Essay Example for Free

Death of a Salesman Essay What techniques does Arthur Miller use to highlight the conflict between past and present in Death of a Salesman? How do these techniques also demonstrate his main themes? Death of a Salesman is set in a time when the capitalist system is changing. It is set in the late 1940s, not long after the Wall Street crash in 1929. Willy Loman is unable to adjust to these changes and therefore, there is conflict between the past, where his dreams were achievable, and the present, where he has fallen foul of the capitalist system and is no longer any use to the firm. These conflicts are personified in Willy, and Arthur Miller uses a number of techniques to highlight this. The techniques Miller uses represent Willys mind and they distinguish between past and present. These theatrical methods also help to demonstrate the main themes in Death of a Salesman. These theatrical methods include music, lighting, wall-lines, scenery, the use of leaves and also use of costumes. In my essay I plan to explain what each method conveys to the audience and show how Miller uses these methods effectively to highlight the conflicts. Music is used to highlight significant points and themes in the play. Also, the type of music sets the mood for a scene. It creates atmosphere and conveys to the audience the emotions of the characters. Also, silence can highlight a particular scene. The absence of music means that the audience focuses entirely on the conversation taking place. In Death of a Salesman, flute music is heard constantly throughout the duration of the play. It bridges the play, as it is heard both at the beginning and the end. The flute music evokes a faraway, idyllic world, representing the past. It also represents a contrast between Willy and his father. Willys father was a pioneer; he made flutes and sold his own products. Willy, on the other hand, has to sell other peoples goods to make a living. A good example of music being used to set the scene is at the beginning of the restaurant scene. The lights have blacked out signifying the end of the previous scene Suddenly rollicking music is heard. This is setting the mood of the scene for the audience. It shows that the atmosphere is happy and lively. This is to show the mood of the present time. It is a contrast to the past. By having rollicking music, Miller is highlighting this contrast. This links to the theme of Happy and shows more of an insight into his character. Happy has chosen this restaurant and it shows the kind of life he lives, and this is a contrast to Willy.

Definition And Types Of Social Capital

Definition And Types Of Social Capital Social capital is the the aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition (Bourdieu 1983: 249). Social capital is defined by its function. It is not a single entity, but a variety of different entities, having two characteristics in common: they all consist of some aspect of a social structure, and they facilitate certain actions of individuals who are within the structure (Coleman 1994: 302). Whereas physical capital refers to physical objects and human capital refers to the properties of individuals, social capital refers to connections among individuals social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them. In that sense social capital is closely related to what some have called civic virtue. The difference is that social capital calls attention to the fact that civic virtue is most powerful when embedded in a sense network of reciprocal social relations. A society of many virtuous but isolated individuals is not necessarily rich in social capital (Putnam 2000: 19). Social capital refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a societys social interactions Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions which underpin a society it is the glue that holds them together (The World Bank 1999). According to John Field, the fundamental of social capital is that relationship matters. It helps people to commit themselves to people in the community. It eventually becomes a shared set of values, virtues and expectation within society as a whole. However, Robert Putman (1993; 2000) is the person who launched social capital which focused on research and policy discussions. The World Bank also chose social capital as a useful organising idea. They argue that increasing evidence shows that social cohesion is critical for societies to prosper economically and for development to be sustainable (The World Bank 1999). In this piece we explore the idea of social capital and the contribution by voluntary clubs to social capital. Types of Social Capital There are three types of social capital: bonding social capital, bridging social capital and linking social capital. Bonding social capital refers to the links between like-minded people, or the reinforcement of homogeneity. (Schuller, Baron, Field, 2000) Bonding Social Capital indicates ties between people in similar situation. It can be your neighbours, friends or even family. (Woolcock 2001: 13-4). Bridging social capital can be referred as building of connections between heterogeneous groups, which are likely to be more fragile, but more likely also to foster social inclusion. (Schuller, Baron, Field, 2000) Bridging social capital covers distant ties of like persons, such as workmates and fast friends. (Woolcock 2001: 13-4) Linking social capital, which reaches out to unlike people in dissimilar situations, such as those who are entirely outside of the community, thus enabling members to leverage a far wider range of resources than are available in the community. (Woolcock 2001: 13-4) The discussion of social capital is credited to three main theorists namely Pierre Bourdieu, James Coleman and Robert Putnam. Bourdieu stated that there are three kind of capitals, but for this paper we only look at Social Capital. Bourdieu provides a concise definition of social capital by stating: social capital is the aggregate of the actual or potential resource which is linked to the possession of a durable network of more of less institutionalised relationships of mutual acquaintance or recognition (p. 249). Field and Wynne said that people access other forms of capital through social capital. In sporting circumstances, Bourdieu gives an example of golf clubs where individuals network to facilitate business, a social practice that is not available to all members of a community given the exclusive nature of many golf clubs (Field, 2003; Wynne, 1999). According to Coleman, social capital is not a single body. It is a structure which facilitates certain action, which has positive outcome; otherwise it would not have been possible. Coleman, through his research, found out that the level of school drop-out rate had reduced due to parental investment and family social capital. Coleman, in this context defines social capital as a set of resources that are available in family relation which is important for social development of the child. These resources differ from person to person and an advantage to children to develop their human capital. (Coleman, 1994, cited in Coalter, 2007, p. 541) According to Putman, social capital is not just a public good but is for the public good. Putnam states that, bonding social capital are when people of the same community, with similar values associate together to achieve shared goals. They tend to reinforce restricted identities and are homogenous group. Putman also says that this kind of association have some negative points as they tend to exclude outsiders. Exclusion of outsiders here means that a football club will have a tendency to include supporters and players from a same background. They would try to exclude those who are not from the same background. On the other hand bridging social capital is heterogeneous in nature. Heterogeneity of social connections promotes linkage with different type of people. Bridging social capital however, has the potential to forge connections. People with same as well as from different background can connect within the community or outside the community (Narayan Cassidy, 2001). We can thus see that people who are connected through bridging social capital have a wider range of associates. They also got more opportunities. Therefore Bridging social capital is very important to enhance social inclusion and to develop communitys ability. Sports Volunteers: The Real Active Citizens? Sports Clubs are career for the expression of active citizenship through volunteering. Volunteers are more important than any other thing in a club or a sporting organization (Nichols, et al., 2004). Clubs provide an opportunity which helps the community by contributing to social capital through social interaction (Coalter, 2007; Long, 2008; Weed et al., 2005). The volunteers share their values, a reflection of the society where their expressions of collective values are encouraged, which is a positive contribution towards society. As Coalter (2007) points out the diffuse and contested nature of social capital is central to the social regeneration/social inclusion agenda (p. 159). The volunteers have a potential contribution to rebuild the social capital. Sport England (1999, p8) stresses volunteering as activity which is fundamental to the development of democratic society. It helps in contributing towards their public life and develops their communities. Consequently such policies are as much concerned with the instrumental use of sport for purposes of community development as they are in simply developing sport in the community (Coalter and Allison, 1996). The key policy message here is that the potentially positive benefits of sport are not only to be obtained via participation involvement in the organisation and provision of opportunities for sport and physical recreation can assist in the development of self-esteem and a series of transferable skills a view of volunteering as active citizenship.

Strategic Management Evaluation

Strategic Management Evaluation Strategic Management Evaluation Draper IT Strategic Evaluation ModuleBusiness Innovation Management 1.Introduction In today’s marketplace, businesses are constantly under to maintain profitability and competitiveness and their success or failure can depend on the quality of the strategic thinking and strategic management undertaken by the business (Campbell et al 2002). Thus in order to participate any level of strategic thinking or strategic management and undertake a strategic evaluation it is essential to understand exactly what a strategy is. Mintzburg (1987 cited by Campbell et al 2002) suggests the ‘five Ps of strategy; A plan; A ploy; A pattern of behaviour; A position in respect to others A perspective. Adding that it is not possible to see any of these P’s in isolation. However, this is a very simplified view of strategy and perhaps a much better definition from a business perspective is given by Johnson and Scholes (1999); â€Å"the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term: which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a changing environment to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations.† Thus in essence a strategy is deciding what way is best and what tactics will be employed to achieve the business goals. Naoum (2001) suggests that developing a business strategy can take seven stages; Stage 1. Strategic Analysis Stage 2. Strategy Formulation Stage 3. Evaluation Of Alternative Strategies Stage 4. Strategic Choice Stage 5. Action Plan Stage 6. Strategy Implementation Stage 7. Strategic Control And Feedback The aim of this assignment is to undertake the processes required for some of the stages for the Draper Engineering case study, notably stages 1 to 4. This will be undertaken through the completion of the tasks shown in Figure 1. A copy of the complete case study can be found in Appendix One. Figure 1 Assignment Tasks 2.Task One – Strategic Analysis Strategic analysis is define by Morris (2001, p25) as â€Å"the collection and analysis of information relevant to the long term prospects of an organisation, comprising of both external and internal analysis† which is shown diagrammatically in Figure 2 Implementation Analysis Choice External Internal Figure 2 External Internal Strategic Analysis. Morris(2001) External analysis looks outside the organisation at the competitive environment to determine future implications, whilst internal analysis looks inside the business to identify strengths and weaknesses that will affect its ability to compete in the long-term (Morris, 2001). One tool used in strategic analysis is SWOT or TOWS analysis, an acronym for Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats. It is a very powerful tool for understanding and decision-making for all sorts of business situation in order to focus on the things you do well, whilst reducing weaknesses to make the best possible advantage of opportunities available (De La Salle University, 2002). Further summary information on SWOT analysis can be found in Appendix Two A SWOT analysis was undertaken for Draper Engineering and the results are presented in Figure 3. Figure 3 SWOT Analysis For Draper Engineering Ltd 2.1Five Issues For Improvement By Draper Engineering Ltd. A Warehouse Management System (WMS) fully integrates warehouse management operations with the rest of the business, such as sales, purchase and accounts and subject to the installation the warehouse operations can be world class. However, this technology is not cheap and suitability can be dependant upon the type of solution sought, such as to build or buy (Frazelle, 2002) Draper should not consider implementing a WMS with no guarantees of the final contract as this would mean that although they would experience the benefits of the system, they would also have to shoulder the full burden of the costs with possibly no contract from either of these companies. In order to improve this situation and produce the best business solution for Draper Engineering they need to have a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with each of the companies. An SLA is â€Å"an explicit statement of the expectations and obligations that exist in a business relationship between two organisations: the service provider and the customer† Verman (1999, p1). Were Draper to agree an SLA with the other parties this could ensure that not only would they be guaranteed the contract, but that they would also have a written document of the expectations of each of the parties involved in advance of implementing the WMS. Should these expectations be unrealistic, Draper could withdraw from the negotiations and reconsider their position with respect to the WMS without having incurred any expenses. The key issue identified here, is the ageing workforce of Draper, which can be explained by the work by Warr (2000 cited by Furnham, 2005) where he poses and answers five questions on the ageing workforce and job performance. Figure 4 illustrates his findings; Figure 4 Warrs Five Questions on Job Performance and the Ageing Workforce. Warr (2000 cited by Furnham, 2005, p764-765) The implications of Warr’s (2000 cited by Furnham, 2005) findings on Draper are profound, as many of the personnel issues experienced by Draper are explained in his work. The fact that the workforce is loyal is only to be expected and other benefits careful, reliable, knowledgeable and socially skilled, but unfortunately they are less willing to change, which may be why many of the new initiatives have failed. Also, the high turnover rate in e-commerce could be linked to younger staff (though the case study does not specify this. However, to improve the personnel structure at Draper, they have a number of options available to them; Change management. It is not enough to simple understand how change is going to be administered but it is imperative that staff understand why change is happening so that they can engage with the solution and the change. As part of the change management employers need to provide support and training to encourage staff buy-in and deal with any resistance upfront (Hiatt and Creasey, 2003. Prosci, 2006) Andragogical Training directed at older learners. Warr (2000 cited by Furnham, 2005, p764-765) states that â€Å"older people are slower and have more difficulty remembering, however, training can be adapted to an older person’s limitations and expertise†. One such method is referred to as andragogy, how adults learn. If Draper developed a training scheme that implemented an andragogical approach to training that targeted the older members of staff, they could experience very positive results from their staff, in the form of learning and motivation. Incentives for younger staff to reduce absenteeism and retain staff. Although Drapers need to look after their loyal team of workers it is essential that they can actively encourage younger members to the team and reduce the turnover in this area. One such method is to introduce incentives into new contracts which actively encourages longevity of service, such incentives could include; Annual incrementing pay scales Flexi-time Annual leave rewards for zero absenteeism Team building exercises Gift vouchers Purchase schemes for personal IT equipment at corporate reductions The fact that Draper Engineering have a large product development team is a strength of the business, however, spending the majority of their time improving existing products and solving customer complaints is a fundamental weakness; Draper’s need to be looking to the future and their long term goals, which should involve new product development. To overcome this problem and move the business forward, a small working group should be set up within the department, consisting of the most motivated and technically up-to-date members of staff to brainstorm and generate project ideas that can be developed into new products. This has an added benefit of staff participation and ownership which encourages the desire to succeed as the products are their own ideas. Generally speaking the term outsourcing means to transfer previously internal products or services to an outsider provider (Roeben, 2004), which is as it suggests is where a third party carries out functions which was previous undertaken within the business. However, in the case of Draper Engineering, a medium sized IT business, it appears that they have outsourced their core competency, which is the means by which they should be able to separate themselves from their competition. The decision to outsource the IT division is a fundamental error to the business and weakens their internal and external strength, that they are particularly vulnerable from competition from Hardy’s to whom they originally outsourced. To overcome this problem and improve the company position radical action is required such as; Diversify into new areas. Insourcing Collaboration with Hardy’s for key contracts. If Drapers’ is to survive in the long term they need to resolve this fundamental issue and redefine their core competencies in order to compete effectively in the market place. In addition to outsourcing a core competency, the IT division, being a fundamental error, it is also had a negative effect on Draper’s reputation. Simply by virtue of the fact that Draper’s originally undertook this work, previous customers are making their complaints to Drapers, which indicates that customers or potential customers still make the association and are dissatisfied with the service. It is essential that Drapers rectify this problem otherwise they are likely to experience a backlash in other areas of their business. To improve the situation Drapers have two options; Act as consultants for Hardys on Draper products Instead of letting the reputation of Draper’s be damaged by Hardy’s lacklustre performance, Drapers could offer to act as consultants on the major products and services they previously provided. The benefit of this action to Drapers could be twofold, the reputation of their business would be saved and would also generate revenue for the value of the consultation work. Re-Establish IT Division If Hardy’s were unwilling to agree to a consultant agreement, it would be possible for Drapers to re-establish the IT division once again and encourage previous customers (existing Hardy’s customers) back to them through promises of commitment to service and new product development. 2.2Other Tools For Strategic Analysis. In recent years business practices have evolved in terms of thought, practice and analysis tools. Consequently there are a large set of analytical tools which provide insight, identifying capabilities and strategic options (Khosrowpour, 1998). A SWOT analysis of Draper Engineering Ltd has already been undertaken; however this does not scratch the surface of the analysis tools available. Other suitable tools for analysing Draper Engineering would be; PEST or PESTEL Analysis PEST is an acronym for Political, Environmental, Social and Technological factors whilst PESTEL is extended to include Economic and Legal factors. PEST analysis is a commonly used tool for analysing the external environmental influences on a business, Figure 5 illustrates the PEST grid and the areas that should be considered (Gregory, 2000) Figure 5 PEST Analysis Matrix. Gregory, 2000 The benefit of undertaking a PEST analysis for Draper Engineering is that it would be undertaken in addition to the SWOT analysis and give a good understanding of the global and external environment; however it is essential that Draper follow the PEST analysis with how to respond to these issues and not simply see these points in isolation. Together PEST and SWOT analysis are able to look at the global picture and then the specific detail of the business Porter’s Five Forces Another tool for analysing the external environment of a business is Porter’s Five-Force Model, it is however one of the most influential models for assessing the nature of competition. As the name suggests opportunities and threats are assessed by analysing five forces; Figure 6 illustrates the model. Porter (1980, cited by Campbell et al, 2002) suggests that the five competitive forces shown in Figure 6 determine the nature of competition within an industry. Thorough understanding of each force enables the production of a competitive strategy that embraces the forces, rather than working against them and enable the business to position themselves to take advantage of opportunities whilst minimising threats (Campbell et al, 2002) Draper Engineering would need to undertake this form of analysis in addition to SWOT and PEST to gain the most detailed picture for an effective strategy. The benefit of Porters Five Force Model is they would be able to identify who they are competing against in the marketplace, it currently appears that they are suffering threats from their customers who are refusing price increases and wanting price reductions; and Hardy’s whom Draper outsourced their IT division to are a threat either from the provision of substitute products or directly competing as a new entrant in the same field. Whilst some of these issues were covered in the SWOT analysis, Porter’s five forces views the business solely from the competition perspective that it offers a very focussed approach. Intensity of rivalry in the industry Threat of substitute products Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat from new entrants Figure 6 Porters Five-Forces Model. Porter (1980, cited by Campbell et al, 2002) 3.Task Two – Strategic Choice Macmillan and Tampoe (2001 p132) state â€Å"choice is at the centre of strategy formulation, if there are no choices to be made there can be little value in thinking about strategy at all.† Adding that there are limitations to the range of choices such as small businesses are limited by their resources and large companies are unable to change quickly or are restricted by decisions made in their past. However, in good management the â€Å"strategic choices have to be challenging enough to keep ahead of competition but also have to be achievable† Macmillan and Tampoe (2001 p133) Akin to strategic analysis, strategic choice has a large number of tools available to help focus thinking and produce solid strategic decisions. Two such tools available to Draper Engineering Ltd are; Ansoff Matrix Porter’s Generic Strategy 3.1Ansoff Matrix Igor Ansoff was the first to suggest the diagram shown in Figure 7, for structuring choices of which products or services to offer in which markets. Present Market Need New Market Development Diversification (related or unrelated) ‘Do Nothing’ Withdraw Consolidate Market penetration Product Development PresentProduct New New Market Geography Present Figure 7 Ansoff Matrix. Ansoff (1987 cited by Macmillan and Tampoe, 2001 p137) The axes of the diagram are; Macmillan and Tampoe (2001, p135-137) Product – including services and any form of offering Market Need – any group of potential customers whether defined by their needs, inclinations or income bracket Market Geography – geographical location For the present market geography the model defines four cells, with the top left representing the present status of the business. Movement within or away from this cell represents the possible future choices about products and markets. Macmillan and Tampoe (2001, p135-137). Figure 8 summarises the strategy for each quadrant. Market Penetration Product Development Market penetration is the name given to a growth strategy where the business focuses on selling existing products into existing markets. Market penetration seeks to achieve four main objectives: Maintain or increase the market share of current products. Secure dominance of growth markets Restructure a mature market by driving out competitors. Increase usage by existing customers A market penetration marketing strategy is very much about â€Å"business as usual†. The business is focusing on markets and products it knows well. It is likely to have good information on competitors and on customer needs. It is unlikely, therefore, that this strategy will require much investment in new market research. Product development is the name given to a growth strategy where a business aims to introduce new products into existing markets. This strategy may require the development of new competencies and requires the business to develop modified products which can appeal to existing markets. Market Development Diversification Market development is the name given to a growth strategy where the business seeks to sell its existing products into new markets. There are many possible ways of approaching this strategy, including: New geographical markets; for example exporting the product to a new country New product dimensions or packaging: for example New distribution channels Different pricing policies to attract different customers or create new market segments Diversification is the name given to the growth strategy where a business markets new products in new markets. This is an inherently more risk strategy because the business is moving into markets in which it has little or no experience. For a business to adopt a diversification strategy, therefore, it must have a clear idea about what it expects to gain from the strategy and an honest assessment of the risks Figure 8 Summary of The Ansoff Matrix. Tutor2u Limited (2006) Thomas and Egan (1998) identify that the Ansoff matrix is suitable for both situation analysis, ‘Where are we now?’ and directional policy modelling, ‘where do we want to be?’, adding that it excels at profiling product/market alternatives whilst identifying the risks of different strategic options. Curtis (2006) however suggests that to use the model effectively needs the ‘X’ factor, imagination, without which it is difficult to identify what new products your existing customers may want. This tool would be particularly useful at Draper Engineering as it would identify exactly what their current market position is in terms of products and customers. It appears from the case study that whilst they currently have four major European car manufacturers and two American truck manufacturers as customers, there is no clear description of the products and services that they provide. Ansoff’s matrix would focus their attentions to what it is they produce and where they would like to go in the future, as it seems to date that although they are willing to try new strategies there is little coherence in their intensions or achievements. Additionally, whilst Draper have started developing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems and their associated software there is little suggestion of imagination in their approach, SAP and Oracle were marketing their ERP systems in the late 90’s early 00’s and are now the principle vendors, that if Draper are to enter the market now almost 6 years later they are entering as underdogs. Such analysis using Ansoff would identify a need for greater imagination in identifying the next big trend, one in which Draper could be involved in from the outset rather than midway through the product lifecycle. 3.2Porter’s Generic Strategy. Porter (1979 cited by Gilligan and Wilson, 2003, p2) states that â€Å"a firm’s relative position within its industry determines whether a firms profitability is above or below the industry average, the fundamental basis of above average performance in the long run is sustainable competitive advantage†. Competitive advantage can be of two basic types: low cost or differentiation, which combines with the scope of activities to produce three generic strategies for achieving above average performance (University of Cambridge, 2006), illustrated in Figure 9; Cost leadership Differentiation Focus Cost focus Differentiation focus Competitive Advantage Lower Cost Differentiation Competitive Scope Broad Target 1. Cost Leadership 2 Differentiation Narrow Target 3a. Cost Focus 3b.Differential Focus Figure 9 Porters Generic Strategy. University of Cambridge (2006) 1. Cost Leadership 2 Differentiation In cost leadership, a firm sets out to become the low cost producer in its industry. The sources of cost advantage are varied and depend on the structure of the industry. They may include the pursuit of economies of scale, proprietary technology, preferential access to raw materials and other factors. A low cost producer must find and exploit all sources of cost advantage. if a firm can achieve and sustain overall cost leadership, then it will be an above average performer in its industry, provided it can command prices at or near the industry average In a differentiation strategy a firm seeks to be unique in its industry along some dimensions that are widely valued by buyers. It selects one or more attributes that many buyers in an industry perceive as important, and uniquely positions itself to meet those needs. It is rewarded for its uniqueness with a premium price. 3a. Cost Focus 3b.Differential Focus The generic strategy of focus rests on the choice of a narrow competitive scope within an industry. The focuser selects a segment or group of segments in the industry and tailors its strategy to serving them to the exclusion of others. In cost focus a firm seeks a cost advantage in its target segment Differentiation focus a firm seeks differentiation in its target segment Figure 10 Summary of Porters Generic Strategy. University of Cambridge (2006) Following a cost leadership, differentiation or focus approach has advantages to the business; however it is the strategic choice to decide which option to follow. The University of Salford (2006) identify some anticipated benefits of each of the strategic options (Figure 11); Cost Leadership Earn high profits because its costs are lower than competitors charging a similar price Charge a lower price than competitors so increasing sales and market share Enter new markets charging a lower price than competitors Differentiation Sell their products at a premium price Create a barrier to the entry of new competitors Earn above average profits by reducing elasticity of demand for the product. Focus Does not require so many resources as a broad strategy Allows specialisation Lowers the cost of entering new markets for small firms. Figure 11 Benefits Of The Strategic Options Identified In Porter’s Generic Strategy. University of Salford (2006) However, when Porter developed the strategy he argued that an organisation that did not choose between a cost leadership or differentiation would be ‘stuck in the middle’ and consequently he believed they would not achieve competitive advantage. Subsequently one of the criticisms of the model is that it is possible to have a hybrid strategy that combines low cost with differentiation. A further criticism is that low cost itself does not sell products, customers have other reasoning such as quality that affects their decision. That said in the case of Draper and many other businesses Porter’s generic strategy is a very useful tool for understanding how to achieve competitive advantage. 4.Task Three – Strategy Selection As Macmillan and Tampoe (2001, p132) state â€Å"choice is at the centre of strategy formulation†, but selecting an appropriate strategy and direction from all the available strategic choice tools can be a difficult decision. To overcome this problem and ensure that each option is fairly and equally assessed a further evaluation tool or framework may be used, examples include RACES (Haberberg and Rieple, 2001 cited by Evans et al, 2003), SCARE and CARES standing for Resources, Acceptable, Consistent, Effective and Sustainable. However a more popular framework is the SFA framework (Evans et al, 2003; Little, 2006) Suitability – does the proposal fit with the organisations strategic plan or organisational values? It is essential to identify if a particular option would make full use of an organisations strengths, whilst avoiding its weaknesses or any external factors such as changes in legislation or government policy (Butler, 2001) Feasibility – can it be carried out and will the desired results be available in the timescale? In many cases the feasibility of any option is limted by the firm’s capacity and resources (Butler, 2001) Acceptability – whilst being more subjective, relating to organisational values, this is key to whether the strategy will cause any major crises with stakeholders. Some stakeholders may find one option appealing whilst it is decried by another, this is particularly the case in partnerships and small firms where one wants to grow the business whilst the other wants to consolidate the business (Butler, 2001). To which a fourth criterion has been added; Achieving competitive advantage – this can be low cost or differentiation, as explained in Section 3.2. In order to implement this framework, it is essential to set an initial basis for comparison; for Draper like any business this could be a baseline scenario of do nothing, absolute or relative positioning or finally comparison with industry norms. Once this initial phase of preliminary analysis is complete, it is necessary to develop scenario’s within which to analyse various strategies, which are compared with the initial baseline scenario. The final stage of preliminary analysis is to narrow the range of options to a limited number of strategies in order to undertake a more detailed analysis, this can be achieved through ranking and decision trees. It only on completion of the preliminary analysis, that it is possible to undertake an in-depth assessment using the SFA framework. Based on the choice of strategies in Section 3, Ansoff Matrix and Porter’s Generic Strategy; Draper would need to collate data on their position within the industry, though they would need to decide on the basis for comparison for scenario examination. Finally, whilst there appears to

Essay on Ophelia - The Innocent Victim in Shakespeares Hamlet

Ophelia - The Innocent Victim in Shakespeare's Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚   Poor Ophelia, she lost her lover, her father, her mind, and, posthumously, her brother. Ophelia is the only truly innocent victim in Hamlet. This essay will examine Ophelia's downward spiral from a chaste maiden to nervous wreck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the beginning of the play, in Act I Scene iii, Laertes and Polonius are trying to convince her that Hamlet does not love her and only is interested in her so he can sleep with her. Laertes says "Perhaps he loves you now, ...... His greatness weighed, his will is not his own." He is telling Ophelia that she is likely to have her heart broken because of Hamlet's high birth. He may not be able to choose who he marries, so although he may love Ophelia, he can never marry her because of the difference in their social classes. This cannot have a good effect on Ophelia, her brother telling her that the her relationship with the one she loves is doomed from the start! Polonius tells her "Affection pooh! You speak like a green girl, / Unsifted in such perilous circumstance. / Do you believe his tenders, as you call them?" He means that although Lord Hamlet has been showing many signs of affection to Ophelia, it cannot be real. He is saying that Ophelia is blinded by Haml et's charm and is inexperienced (Unsifted) in this sort of situation. He goes on later to say that these affections are merely "...springes to catch the woodcocks" (traps to catch stupid little birds.) Why does Ophelia's family find it necessary to bring down her spirits about her relationship with Hamlet? Can't they let her figure it out for herself? This, in my opinion, is a good example of how Ophelia is victimized in this play.   Ã‚   Later in the play, when Hamle... ... shows how Ophelia is the real victim in Hamlet. Everybody else who was killed in the play had done at least something evil to warrant their deaths, but what did Ophelia do? Did Shakespeare intend for Ophelia to be an innocent victim? Was it his way of adding to the feeling of loss or waste that one is supposed to have after seeing the play performed? I believe this to be true, but we may only speculate as to his reasons for doing this. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos. Showalter, Elaine. "Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism." William Shakespeare: Hamlet. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Boston: St. Martin's, 1994. 220-240.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization :: essays research papers

North Atlantic Treaty Organization World War II had created stained relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. This created a state of undeclared war, that would last for nearly 50 years. Although the threat of nuclear devastation hovered over the people of the United States, a new program was created to provide a "Partnership for Peace" between countries with like views to ban together against the Soviet Union. Complications in the more or less alliance of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union the has appeared at the Yalta and Postdam conferences in 1945, especially in regard to the future of Poland. The Soviet Union had annexed the independent Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and after the war quickly took under control almost all of Eastern Europe. The last straw was the communist takeover of the Czechoslovakia in 1948. This created the immediate need for the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. On April 4, 1949, four years after W.W.II this plan for "Partnership for Peace" was brought to action. In Washington, DC, twelve countries signed into alliance in one of the most important international actions of "The Cold War". The twelve countries that signed into the North Atlantic Treat Organization were; the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Iceland, and Portugal. The North Atlantic Treaty itself contained a preamble and 14 articles. Of course the North Atlantic Treaty is more formal then how I am going ot explain it but this is to give you the main ideas of the composition of the treaty. Preamble: The Parties to this treaty reaffirm their faith. Article 1: Settle all international disputes which they may be involved in must be resolved in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice are not endangered. Article 2: Promote conditions of stability and well being. Article 3: By means of continuous and effective self help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack. Article 4: The Parties will consult together whenever the opinion of any of them is threatened. Article 5: "The Parties agree that an armed attack against one of more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all." Article 6: For the purpose of article 5 on any of the Parties will result in an armed attack on the territory of the treaty breaker.

From Apocalyptic to Messianic: Philosophia Universalis :: Philosophy Philosophic Essays

From Apocalyptic to Messianic: Philosophia Universalis ABSTRACT: Perhaps for the first time in history, the turn of a millennium is directly reflected in philosophy-as an apocalyptic end of philosophy. Recently, an attempt to channel apocalyptic into messianic has been undertaken by Derrida in his Spectres of Marx. However, Derrida's endeavor does not relate directly to philosophy and thus does not alter its apocalyptic landscape. Considering the critical state of contemporary philosophy, it is unclear whether such an alteration can be performed in the West. A radical reinterpretation appears to be much more probable when undertaken from an outside position. It may be that this is the case with the Philosophia Universalis developed by the Russian-American David Zilberman (1938-1977) from classical Hindu philosophies and applied, as a new synthesis, to Western philosophy. Major ideas of the Philosophia Universalis as well as its principal results and achievements comprise the content of this presentation. It is a miraculous feeling: You are touching cinders, But because of your touchz They blush — they turn into diamonds." David Zilberman Contemporary Western philosophy is eschatological through and through; bread of apocalypsis is philosophical daily bread there for quite a long time already. (1) One may argue who introduced what Derrida calls 'an apocalyptic tone in philosophy' (2) — Derrida himself, Heidegger, or, even earlier, Nietzsche, Marx, or Kant. It appears, however, that the very idea of the end of philosophy is taken seriously. As any end, the end of philosophy means death, and thus, as Derrida elaborates on in his Spectres of Marx, entails funeral, eulogy, spectres, and sentiment of irretrivable loss. Could it be otherwise? Would it be possible to philosophize at (on) the end? Could philosophy be an eschatology and still remain a living thing? Questions of death and rebirth, ends and new beginnings are among those fashionable ones in contemporary philosophy. They have been raised lately, among others, by Derrida in his indepth and novel analysis of apocalyptic and messianic. (3) This exploration, obviously inhereting to philosophical intentions of M. Blanchot, E. Levinas, and V. Benjamin, results in a broad picture of a world organized under the idea of the "new International", a messianic structure of the future ought to replace (and actually replacing, according to Derrida) apocalyptic discourses of today. Messianic as a structure of experience within community without community, party, political structure, as focused around some secret unindentified bond between those accepted into it, appears to be the widest possible description of the human world to come.

Philosophy Unit Essay

A thought or notion that cannot be true or false | God, Dog, Evil | Proposition | A statement which is either right/wrong | â€Å"God is pink† | Knowledge | Expressed in propositions that are formed by joining concepts, state something that is true or false | â€Å"The dog is Yellow† | Three Types of Knowledge | – Propositional- â€Å"Know that† – Knowledge by Acquaintance – â€Å"Know of† – capacity/Ability – â€Å"Know how† | | A Priori | Propositional knowledge that we know is right before (sense) experience | â€Å"2+2=4 â€Å" | A Posteriori | Propositional knowledge that we know is right only after (sense) experience | â€Å"The sky is blue† | Synthetic | Not true by definition – Tells us something substantial about the world | â€Å"Snow is white† | Analytic | True by definition | â€Å"All Bachelors are unmarried men† | Necessary | Had to be true, true in all possible worlds | Maths – 2+2=4 | Contingent | Could be otherwise | â€Å"Obama was elected President† | Induction | Reasoning that draws conclusions from a finite collection of specific observations. | 1). The sun has always risen 2). The sun will always rise | Deduction | Reasoning in which the conclusion must follow the premises | 1). Man is mortal 2). Socrates is man 3). Socrates is mortal | Innate | Knowledge that is present in the mind at birth | Conceptual Schemes – Kant | Intuitive | propositions that we know are right through pure thought | â€Å"I think therefore I exist† – Descartes | Empiricism | Argues that you can only have analytic a priori knowledge | â€Å"All Widows were once Married† (Analytic a priori) | Rationalism | Argues that you can have analytic and synthetic a priori knowledge (Not Plato) | â€Å"God Exists† – Descartes (Synthetic a priori) | All Ideas Come From Experience: Empiricism John Locke | David Hume | The mind is a Tabula Rasa – Blank Slate Sensation + Reflection Simple, complex, and abstract ideas Simple ideas come from sensation Complex + Abstract come from reflection | Sensation creates impressions in our minds Ideas are ‘faint impressions’ of sensations which are ‘vivid and forceful’ All thoughts are combinations of ideas e. g. Golden Mountain | Counter Arguments: Not all simple ideas come from experience Missing shade of blue – Hume | Complex/Abstract ideas are not from experience general idea is required to form the abstract idea – Curruthers | Some ideas are innate Ideas of God/Infinity – Descartes Veined Marble – Leibniz All knowledge is innate in the soul, just needs to be recalled – Plato | Knowledge about what exists must be justified by sense experience: John Lock | 2 Fountains of Knowledge – Sensation + Reflection All ideas are from these – So all propositions must be as well | BUT | David Hume | Hume’s Fork Relations of Ideas – Analytic a priori knowledge Matters of Fact – Synthetic a posteriori knowledge Anything is ‘Empty Metaphysical Speculation† and should be ‘cast to the flames’ e. g. God | Hume’s Fork itself is ’empty metaphysical speculation’ – contradicts itself | Alfred Jules Ayer | Verification Principle Analytic or Empirically Verifiable (can be proven by experience) Anything else is meaningless e. g. Infinity | | John Stewart Mill | No a priori knowledge All knowledge is a posteriori and learnt through induction, including logic and mathematics | What about analytic a priori knowledge? â€Å"A bachelor is not married† | Strengths: Sets clear limits on appropriate objects of knowledge – Allows us to learn without being distracted by ‘Empty Metaphysical Speculation’ The view reflects our experience of learning – It explains why we learn like we do Counter Arguments: Sense experience is never certain – Leads to scepticism Senses, Dreams, Deceiving Demon – Descartes Cave Analogy – Plato | Some knowledge about what exists is known a priori Self/God/EW – Descartes Forms – Plato Causation, self, space – Kant | Knowledge of relations of ideas is a priori Don’t get more certain – True in all possible worlds – Russell | Experience alone is unintelligible Needs to be mediated through a conceptual scheme – Kant, Saphir/Whorf | Mind contains innate knowledge: Plato | All knowledge is innate Slave Boy Analogy No education but still recognises the proof Learning as recollecting/remembering prompted by questioning Reason recognises truth not the senses | BUT Boy is prompted through questions | Leibniz | Veined Marble Mind not passive – contains ‘natural inclinations and dispositions, habits or potentialities’ | | Kant | Conceptual Schemes are innate Categories are innate e. g. Space, Time, Self | The conceptual scheme is innate capacity/ability knowledge, not propositional knowledge | Counter arguments: This knowledge can be explained through intuition and deduction Reason discovers the knowledge – Descartes | Innate knowledge is absurd – There is no universal assent Children and idiots don’t know the simplest truths – Locke | Innate knowledge is a ‘near contradiction’ – Impossible to know but not know that you know – Locke | Doctrine of Innate Ideas: Descartes | Ideas are either: Adventitious – From experience Factitious – Made up by us Innate – In the mind at birth | ‘God’, ‘Infinity’, and ‘supreme perfection’ are not experienced or made up They must therefore be innate (Trademark Argument – We know of God, but do not experience God – He left his mark on us – This is innate) | Innate ideas provide the materials for reason to think develop knowledge without needing experience | Counter Arguments: John Locke | The mind as a Tubula Rasa (slank slate) at birth There is no innate knowledge only a posteriori knowledge We have of positive idea of infinity Infinity is defined in the negative ‘never ending’, only ever experience being able to add more on | David Hume | All ideas are formed from experience E. g. Golden Mountain – God is just qualities in man joined together and ‘augmented without limit’ | Knowledge Through Intuition + Deduction Key Terms | Intuition | Self evident truths – Reached through pure thought | Deduction | Conclusion reached by following same premises e. g. Sudoku – Original numbers are self evident, other numbers discovered through reason. Answer is certain | Descartes | Intuition | Self as a thinking thing exists (The Cogito) | Deduction | God Exists ; External world exists (Ontological Argument) | Counter Arguments: Descartes’ intuitions and deduction don’t work Existence of self not known through reason – Cogito only proves only the existence of thought, not a thinker e. g. BFG (Big Friendly Giant) Ontological Argument fails to prove the existence of God – Only proves hypothetical existence – Hume Proof for existence of external world depends on existence of a good God | Hume’s Fork Reason limited to tautologies/relations of ideas | No a priori knowledge – Mill | Is certainty confined to introspection and the tautological? Key Terms | Introspection – Looking inwards i. e. Internal experiences Tautology – Saying the same thing twice E. g. Reverse Backwards (i. e. Analytic) | David Hume | Hume’s Fork Reason is limited to the meaning of words | Descartes | Experience is limited to immediate awareness We can never be sure that the external world corresponds to out experiences (we might be dreaming/demon) | Conclusions: David Hume | Yes | Hume’s Fork Only relations of ideas can be certain, all matters of fact are open to doubt | Descartes | No | Reason can discover certain knowledge of the world through intuition and deduction e. g. God exists | Kant | No | We can have certain synthetic a priori knowledge of our conceptual scheme e. g. We will perceive the world in space, time, causation | Yes | We can never know of the world of the noumena | Experience is intelligible due to a conceptual scheme: Kant | Mind is active – Organises experience into categories e. g. Filing Cabinet Ordered into Space/ time/causal relations/unity Conceptual scheme > Universal, a priori, necessary | Implications | Synthetic a priori knowledge of the categories is possible e. g. Cookie cutter analogy – Cutter is set (conceptual scheme), What it is cutting can change, but still get the same shape Only know the phenomena, never the noumena Fishing Net/Blue Spectacles Analogy | Saphir/Whorf | Experience is ordered due to the language that we use Linguistic relativism – Societies organise experience by defining thing with words e. g. Inuit + Snow, and Hopi + Time Conceptual Scheme > A posteriori, relative contingent | Implications | World as it is is still unknowable No innate scheme, rather a range of different schemes |

Flirting: Investment and Return

Solution to pil blue slip 02 chance and restitution Flirting With Risk Questions 1. Imagine you ar heyday. How would you beg off to bloody shame the relationship amidst bump and harvest-feast of individual short letters? I would explain to bloody shame that risk and overtake are positively associate, i. e. if mavin expects to earn higher(prenominal)(prenominal) bring forths, indeed one has to be departing to dress in courses whose price trick part significantly from year to year or in different economic conditions. For example, in the table below we see that exchequer bills would dedicate yielded 4% with almost no variability, while the business leader fund is judge to yield 10. 1% with a type deviation of 9. 15%. Expected array of Return Scenari/o opportunity treasury Bill Index broth emolument follow hi-tech CompanyCounter-Cyclical Company inlet 20% 4% -2% 6% -5% 20% almost Recession 20% 4% 5% 7% 2% 16% Normal 30% 4% 10% 9% 15% 12% Near expand 10% 4% 15% 11% 25% -9% dilate 20% 4% 25% 14% 45% -20% Expected Return 4% 10. 10% 9. 2% 15. 40% 5. % mensuration variance 0% 2. 82% 15. 69% 9. 15% 17. 69% 2. bloody shame has no idea what beta means and how it is related to the required government issue of the downslopes. Explain how you would attention her understand these concepts. important is defined as the systematic risk of an asset. It measures the relationship amidst the returns of an asset and a mart portfolio. Stocks that transform by more than the commercialise puzzle betas greater than 1 and vice-versa. The formula for figure beta is as followsBeta = Covariance of stock returns vis-a-vis market returns Variance of market returns According to the Security Market form equation, Required return on a stock = Risk stop measure + (Expected Market Return Risk free tramp)* Beta This shows that high beta stocks watch a have a higher required rate of return than low beta stocks. Index FundUt ility Co. high-tech Co. Counter-Cyclical Co. Exp. Return10. 10%9. 2%15. 4%5. 9% Std. Deviation9. 15%2. 82%17. 69%15. 69% Cov (Rs, Rm)0. 00300. 0276-0. 0144Beta1. 00. 301. 86-1. 54 Required Rate10. 1%5. 84%15. 37%-5. 41% *See spreadsheet for calculations 3. How should Bill wrangle the meaning and advantages of diversification to Mary?variegation refers to the strategy of commitment in stocks, which are not highly fit with apiece other, for example, sophisticated firms and utility firms, or sophisticated firms and counter-cyclical firms. Diversification reduces the portfolios variability and thereby enables investors to earn a more abiding rate of return. To demonstrate the advantages of diversification, Bill should solve the anticipate return and risk (standard deviation) of a portfolio composed of equal investment in the advanced Co. and the Counter-Cyclical Co. since these companies are negatively correlated with each other and compare the results with the return and ri sk directs of the High-Tech Co. by itself. 50-50 Portfolio Scenario probability High-Tech Co. Counter-Cyclical Co. 50-50 Portfolio Prob. *E(Portfolio Return) Rp-E(Rp)2 *Ps Recession 20% -5% 20% 7. 50% 1. 50% 0. 000198 Near Recession 20% 2% 16% 9. 00% 1. 80% 0. 00054 Normal 30% 15% 12% 13. 50% 4. 05% 0. 000244 Near Boom 10% 25% -9% 8. 00% 0. 80% 0. 000070 Boom 20% 45% -20% 12. 50% 2. 50% 0. 000068 Expected Return 15. 40% 5. 90% 10. 5% Standard Deviation 17. 69% 15. 69% 2. 52% The information in the table supra shows that a portfolio comprised of equal investment in High-Tech Co. and Counter-Cyclical Co. stock would provide an evaluate rate of return that would be in between the returns of the two stocks with an expected risk level that would be much sm entirelyer than all of the two stocks expected standard deviation. 4. development a suitable diagram explain how Bill could use the security market line to show Mary which stocks could be undervalue d and which may be overvalued? pic Stock Beta Required Return Expected Return T-Bill 0. 00 4% 4. 00% Index Fund 1. 00 10. 10% 10. 10% Utility Co. 0. 30 5. 84% 9. 20% High-Tech Co. 1. 86 15. 37% 15. 40% Counter-Cyclical Co. -1. 54 -5. 41% 5. 90% The solid line represents the required evaluate of return of the 5 investment alternatives as per the Security Market Line equation.Those stocks whose expected returns are higher than their required returns eyepatch higher up the line and are considered to be undervalued (Counter-Cyclical Co. , Utility Co. and High-Tech Co. ) while those that spot below the line are considered to be over-valued. 5. During the presentation. Mary asks Bill Lets say I choose a well diversified portfolio, what effect exit pursual rates have on my portfolio? How should Bill respond? A well-diversified portfolio is one that is closely correlated to the market office. solid interest rates are typically inversely related to stock prices. Hence, if inte rest rates increase, Marys portfolio return will decrease by as much as the market ability does and vice versa. In other words, her portfolio will mirror the changes in the market index. 6.Should Bill take Mary out of investing in stocks and preferably go down all her money in fixed-income securities? Explain. Not necessarily. Mary could still invest in a well-diversified portfolio such as the market index fund. The problem with fixed-income securities is that they have reinvestment and price risk. By holding a well-diversified portfolio of stocks, Mary can enjoy a reasonably darling rate of return over the big term. Fixed-income securities have been known to barely adjudge up with inflation. 7. Mary tells Bill, I wield hearing stories about how people have made thousands of dollars by following their brokers burning tips. Can you give me some blistery tips regarding undervalued stocks? How should Bill respond?Bill should discourage Mary from taking speculative positions i n common stock, given her age and lifecycle status. He should caution her about the riskiness associated with stock price volatility and remind her once more about the advantages of diversification. 8. If Mary decided to invest her money equally in high-tech and counter-cyclical stocks. What would her portfolios expected return and risk level be? Are these expectations graphic? Please explain. With equal investments in High-Tech and Counter-Cyclical stocks, the portfolio expected return would be 10. 65% and its expected standard deviation would be 2. 52%. (see Answer 3 above for details). These expectations are only as down-to-earth as the numbers used to sum up them.Thus, one has to make realistic assumptions regarding probabilities and returns, in order to get realistic expected return estimates. 9. What would happen if Mary were to put 70% of her portfolio in the High-Tech stock and 30% in the Index Fund? Would this combination be better for her? Explain. Scenario Probability High-Tech Index Fund 70-30 Prob. *E(Portfolio) Rp-E(Rp)2*Ps Portfolio Recession 20% -5% -2% -4. 10% -0. 82% 0. 06415362 Near Recession 20% 2% 5% 2. 90% 0. 58% 0. 002380562 Normal 30% 15% 10% 13. 50% 4. 05% 2. 883E-06 Near Boom 10% 25% 15% 22. 00% 2. 20% 0. 000670761 Boom 20% 45% 25% 39. 00% 7. 80% 0. 012690722 Expected Return 15. 0% 10. 10% 13. 81% Standard Deviation 17. 69% 9. 15% 14. 89% Given the above table, it seems clear that the 70-30 portfolio composed of High-Tech and the index fund would not necessarily be better for Mary, since it has a much higher expected level of risk (14. 89% versus 2. 52%) and only a somewhat higher level of expected return (13. 81% versus 10. 65%) visa vis the 50-50 portfolio of High-Tech and the Counter-Cyclical Co.