Love vs Infatuation

Love Vs. Infatuation There are plenty of differences between being infatuated with someone and being in love with someone. A person knows in their heart what they feel but most of the time the two can be confused. Usually it takes a little while to know whether or not you’re infatuated versus being in love. You won’t know overnight but sometimes you have to figure it out for yourself. Both love and infatuation are crazy things, They are both led by something other than your brain which is why it’s so hard to distinguish the two. Love is led by your heart and infatuation, by the chemicals released in your body.Infatuation may have some similar â€Å"symptoms† of love but the differences overrule the small similarities. I myself still have trouble separating the two. It would be an amazing thing if a guide book just dropped down to help you figure out just what you were experiencing. Unfortunately that does not exist so I will distinguish the difference betw een love and infatuation in the next few paragraphs, with some help from some people experienced in the area. â€Å"Love is friendship that has caught fire; it takes root and grows, one day at a time†, Ann Landers of the Chicago Tribune says.I love this quote because it really gives you an idea of how love should start. Love takes time to grow, it does not come overnight. It isn’t something like a fairytale. For instance in Cinderella, Cinderella leaves her glass slipper behind and the prince searches for her and they fall in love and get married in what seems like less than a month. Yes there may be some out there that do get married or â€Å"fall in love† in such a short time span. Usually those are the relationships that don’t last long or work out. â€Å"When you’re in love, you feel strong, full of life, and happy.You feel Secure and beautiful†, S. E Jones, Yahoo contributor beautifully puts her version of love. With love you donâ€℠¢t feel as if you have to worry about your mental state of mind; you feel great, like as if nothing can bring you down or get in your way. You might feel as if anything that comes your way you can handle. With love comes trust, you trust them quite literally with your heart. Some people may even trust their partner with their life, they would give their own life to save the other if it came down to it. Lastly I believe love is taking each other mperfections; every single one of them and saying wholeheartedly that you accept them. No matter how horrible they may be you can say that you still accept them, love them, and want to spend the rest of your life with them. You should not have really try when you’re in love. Love is mature, it is effortless. Infatuation I feel is fairly, easily confused with love because when you think of love you think of this intense, strong feeling. Infatuation is a strong, deep feeling as well but there is a big difference between the two.The reaso n infatuation can feel so intense and strong feeling is because with infatuation it all comes at once, sort of like a bomb. However, unlike love the â€Å"bomb† goes off after a short time and does not last as long as love does. Infatuation does not grow over time because when you’re infatuated you need instant gratification. Also, when you are infatuated you are constantly wondering. Wondering if your partner is doing something behind you back to hurt you, if they like you as much as you like them, and simply what they think of you.To sum it up with infatuation come constant worrying and anxiety. Unlike love you do not feel secure or safe. â€Å"Infatuation lacks confidence†, Ann Landers simply puts it. In an infatuated relationship you fell as if disaster is around the corner. You feel like your partner is going to disappoint you or even that you are going to lose your partner at any point. In which most cases things are fine and you are just overthinking but that’s what comes along with infatuation, being in that obsessive state of mind.With infatuation there is no trust, just hope. Again using S. E Jones creative words â€Å"Infatuation is getting through today and hoping tomorrow will be good too†. Infatuation is a very interesting experience, fun to some. It is bound to happen at some point. Infatuation is the â€Å"evil twin† it’s nice looking on the exterior but it ends up being a little less than horrible when looked at a little closer. Now as you can see there are big differences between love and infatuation. On the other hand see how easy it may be to mix up the two.It’s sort of like infatuation is the kid in you while love is the adult. It’s important to know sometimes it is inevitable to be infatuated with a person but once love comes around you’ll see just what you were missing out on. Love lasts and is sometimes quite literally your best friend; a lot of people in love view th eir partners as their best friend which is an amazing thing in itself. Unfortunately Infatuation can be compared to that friend you were best friends all throughout middle school but lost touch with when you entered high school.Some things just aren’t meant to last but that’s mostly because better things like love are waiting to happen. References * Jones, S. E. â€Å"The top ten differences between love and infatuation. †Ã‚  Yahoo Voices. Yahoo, 15 Sep 2009. Web. 1 Apr 2013. . * Landers, Ann. â€Å"Love Vs. infatuation: Telling the difference. â€Å"Chicago Tribune A&E. Chicago Tribune, 01 Dec 1990. Web. 1 Apr 2013. .

Global Political Economy Essay

Sustainable development is defined as development that allows us to meet our current needs without destroying the means of livelihood of future generations. There are three basic elements of sustainable development: (1) economic growth; (2) social development; and (3) environmental protection. Undoubtedly, all of these elements concern our world as a whole. Thus, it is essential to acknowledge that the health of the planet is synonymous with the health of the living beings that occupy it. Protecting the health of the planet is the mutual responsibility of all citizens of the world. Since the planet is limited with respect to its size and resources, it is a sure responsibility of all governments of the world to collectively ensure that all citizens of the globe have somewhat equal if not absolutely equal access to its resources. There are countless ways to distribute essential resources relatively equally. What is required apparently is more practice than preaching; that is, governments must be diligently finding ways to overcome global economic and environmental problems, and acting on proposed solutions. There are plenty of global issues requiring immediate outcomes and solutions. It would be wise to answer their call with immediate action. The Wal-Mart Effect: How Wal-Mart Affects the Economy Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is the world’s largest retailer, able to force its small competitors to shut down business as well as drive down wages. On a positive note, the retailer helps to keep down prices or inflation, and productivity at a high level. Wal-Mart sells goods at unbeatable prices. It thus â€Å"strikes fear into the establishment of every new industry it considers entering (Shaw et al. ). † Presently, Wal-Mart is expressing its desire to enter the banking industry in the United States. However, the banking industry is thoroughly intimidated by the kind of competition it would have to deal with. Wal-Mart is certain to be of financial service to the low-income consumer – if it does enter the banking industry in the United States, full-fledged. At least one-fifth of Wal-Mart consumers are low-income families that cannot afford to pay the high prices charged by most consumer banks and financial organizations in the United States (Weston). Hence, many low-income families do not have bank accounts in the country. Wal-Mart would like to change that, by offering unbeatable prices in the banking sector as well (Zellner). Whether the retailer has a greater positive or negative impact on the economy is, therefore, debatable. Is Capitalism Good for the Poor? A large number of people around the world are of the opinion that capitalists make profits at the expense of the poor. Others believe that capitalists provide jobs to the poor, thereby raising their standards of living. In early September, 2006, a toxic waste dumping scandal of truly globalized proportions came to light in the Ivory Coast. The Probo-Koala, a tanker chartered by the London-based shipping company, Tranfigura, set off from Amsterdam carrying four hundred metric tons of petrochemical waste to dump in Abidjan, the port city of the Ivory Coast (Vidal; â€Å"Ivory Coast Toxic Tanker Impounded by Estonia†). Tranfigura informed the Amsterdam Port Services that the waste was absolutely â€Å"conventional (Vidal). † However, it was later discovered that the waste contained hydrogen sulfide, which happens to be a poisonous gas, smelling as rotten eggs (â€Å"Ivory Coast Toxic Tanker†). At least ten people lost their lives in the weeks immediately following the incident in the Ivory Coast (Vidal). Moreover, seventy five thousand people are known to have sought medical treatment with complaints of nausea, nose bleeds, breathlessness, vomiting, diarrhea, skin damage, headaches, and swollen stomachs (Vidal; â€Å"Ivory Coast Toxic Tanker†). This incident was recognized as an illustration of the growth of capitalism at the expense of the Third World, regardless of the fact that capitalists provide jobs to the poor and develop their economies in the process. Works Cited â€Å"Ivory Coast Toxic Tanker Impounded by Estonia. † Environmental News Service. 28 Sep 2006. 13 Nov 2007. . Shaw, Hollie, and Carrie Tait. â€Å"Wal-Mart eyes banking: Financial services in Canada: It’s a way to strengthen ties with its customers: analyst. † CanWest Interactive. 31 October 2006. 13 Nov 2007. . Vidal, J. â€Å"UK Class Action Starts Over Toxic Waste Dumped in Africa. † Guardian Unlimited. 8 Jan 2007. 13 Nov 2007. . Weston, Liz Pulliam. â€Å"National Bank of Wal-Mart? † MSN Money. 2007. 13 Nov 2007. . Zellner, Wendy. â€Å"Wal-Mart: Your New Banker? – Wal-Mart Can’t Be Or Own A Full-Fledged Bank – Yet – But Its Partnerships And In-Store Financial Services Are Giving The Industry Jitters. † Business Week. 7 February 2005.

An Analysis of the Morality of Boiling Lobsters Alive in Consider the Lobster, an Article by David Foster Wallace

An Analysis of the Morality of Boiling Lobsters Alive in Consider the Lobster, an Article by David Foster Wallace When a meal is placed before you, you do not usually think of the journey those ingredients went on to reach you. You do not consider how far the corn traveled or the pain the lobster went through in order to become your food. David Foster Wallace’s article, â€Å"Consider the Lobster,† delves into the controversy surrounding the live boiling of lobster for human consumption. In order to effectively get his point across, Wallace outlines the Maine Lobster Festival and connects human experience with the lobster’s experience. Initially, Wallace goes into great detail explaining the environment surrounding the Maine Lobster Festival in order to convey the idea that people nonchalantly ignore the massacre of thousands of lobsters right beside them. He outlines this to accurately show the hypocrisy of peoples’ nonchalant attitude surrounding the mass slaughter of the lobsters when they may find the mass slaughter of any other animal horrific. Further, he attempts to initiate compassion in his readers by gruesomely portraying the killing of the lobster. He does this in a way that sparks fear, disgust, and uneasiness within a reader who may see it as analogous with ones own pain and experiences. In summation, David Foster Wallace gets you thinking about the morality of boiling lobster alive for consumption through the portrayal of Maine’s lobster festival and the depiction of pain experienced by the lobster. We see how mindlessly people act when difficult matters concern their food and the morality of it. Also, we do not often pay attention to the pain animals may experience before they reach our plate. Thus, Wallace’s article encourages us to think before we eat.

The frontier of modern astronomy Research Paper

The frontier of modern astronomy - Research Paper Example Cosmology is the study of the universe as a whole, with particular consideration on the creation and development of the universe. While even the most cutting-edge astronomy is not able to definitively determine the age of the universe, or how it was created there exist a number of modern theories that attempt to tackle these issues. The current overriding understanding emerges from the Big Bang Theory, which has come to be accepted amongst most astronomers due to the overwhelming evidence in its favor. The core of the Big Bang Theory is that approximately 13 billion years ago, the universe suddenly exploded into existence during an occurrence that is now referred to as the Big Bang. It is unknown what occurred exactly before the Big Bang, as this was not an explosion in space and time, but was an explosion of space and time. â€Å"For a fraction of a second 10-34 to 10-32, the universe expanded at faster than the speed of light, driven by ‘anti-gravity’. At 10-10 to 10- 6, both quarks and anti-quarks existed, but due to the temperature, most of it was destroyed, leaving a tiny fragment of matter. Quarks are the building blocks of protons and neutrons† (Singh, pg. 209). ... It was ultimately discovered ultimately discovered that this radiation exists and it was deemed the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). Today it represents one of the frontier elements of astronomical research. While there are a number of contemporary theories that scientists work with in modern astronomy, there also exist numerous questions that remain on the frontier of astronomical investigation. Among these primary questions at the frontier of astronomy concern the origin of the stellar mass spectrum. Essentially this question investigates why within the observable universe mass is distributed evenly throughout the universe, regardless of the original conditions. In these regards, astronomers are attempting to research stars and planetary evolution to better determine these elements. Another central question of modern astronomy is the investigation into life in the Universe. In these regards, a large number of scientific investigations have gone into the development of t hese concerns. One of the primary current techniques is the search for water within our own solar system, most prominently on Mars. It’s believed that through locating this water source microbial life can then be detected. The other technique is through astronomical organizations such as SETI that investigate radio waves and cosmic signals from deep space in search of potential forms of intelligent life. Another frontier concern of astronomical investigation is the existence and form of dark matter and dark energy. Modern astronomical techniques as evidenced in String Theory have sought to develop means of investigating the existence of dark matter and dark energy.

Case 2- Relevant Information for Decision Making Essay

Case 2- Relevant Information for Decision Making - Essay Example These decisions are based on many calculations, based on estimates and actual figures, prepared by the management accountants. One of the most appropriate approaches for decision making is ‘decision-relevant approach’. (Drury, 2004) In this paper, we have analyzed the given data using decision relevant approach. The first step in this approach was to identify the relevant and irrelevant costs of both the alternatives for comparison basis. As described by Drury, relevant costs and revenues are that income and expenses that are affected in the future because of making any decision. (Drury, 2004) 1) Direct Material Cost is a relevant cost for decision making, because if the outsourcing decision is taken, then no such costs will be incurred by BMC. Further, since there is no future obligation of the existing direct materials’ contracts, therefore, no penalties or future obligations will be imposed on BMC on termination of these contracts. This means that direct material cost is taken as a relevant cost in calculating the total expense of manufacturing Global System navigator (GPSN), and no impact is taken to calculate the total expenses of outsourcing the production (buying from a contractor). 2) Direct Labor Cost is also a relevant cost for decision making because if the decision for outsourcing the production of GPSNs will be taken no such costs will be incurred. However, because of termination of the employment contracts, BMC will have to pay penalties of $66,000 annually for four years. Therefore, direct labor cost per unit is taken as the part of cost of manufacturing GPSN, whereas $ 5,500 is added in the monthly outsourcing expense ($66,000/12). 3) As it is given in the given data that because of failing quality control 2% of the units produced are discarded. Therefore, in order to meet the need for 8,000 products in a month 8,327 units should be manufactured by BMC. However, in case of outsourcing, BMC will buy 8,000 units from Far East Enterprises

Computer Systems Architecture and Administration Assignment

Computer Systems Architecture and Administration - Assignment Example There are three mechanisms to the performance of processing interrupts. The leading element is the amount of time taken between when the processor receives an interrupt request and when the processor takes action to initiate processing the interrupt service routine. This interruption is referred to as interrupt latency. The second element of interrupt is the interrupt processing time. It denotes the amount of time that the processor spends when practically saving the machine state of the interrupted task and diverting the interrupt service routine execution. Usually the amount of machine state saved is minimal, on the presumption that the interrupt service. The last element of interrupt service performance is the state saving overhead. This underlines the amount of time consumed when saving machine registers, but which must be saved so that the interrupt service routine to do its job. c. Caching is beneficial in several ways including: latency is abridged for active data resulting in higher application performance levels. Further, the I/O operations to external storage are minimized because most the I/O is diverted to cache. Subsequently this leads to lower levels of SAN traffic and disagreement. a. For a program to be executed it is required that it be first stored in main memory. Subsequently, after the program is loaded in the memory, a program execution starts through the delivery its start address to the CPU, which then sends instruction address to the memory unit.

Career Immersion Day Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Career Immersion Day - Assignment Example Economic analysts are hired by companies, organizations or even businesses for a specified length of time depending on the length of the assigned project. Their services are essential and important for the success of any project. The most prominent employer in this area is BNY Mellon. This is an exciting career as I will always remain updated on what is happening in the global market influenced by both the public and private sectors in the economy. Later in the future, I would love to establish my consultancy firm in this area in order to reach more clients in the global market.Cover LetterMy grades at all levels are excellent, especially in mathematics and business. My transcripts in the university are also good. Since I have specialized in financial economics; I believe that I have acquired the best in terms of knowledge and skills from the University. The learning environment is very challenging also exposes me to different situations and challenges in my line of study. The course outline provided during every semester has always ensured that I have been able to cover what is expected of me. Through the different case studies and researches issued by my professors and instructors, I have been able to explore the real situations in the global market by analyzing them and drawing up the conclusion. When it comes to the financial markets, analyzing different stock portfolios is quite interesting and challenging in all aspects.I believe that I also pose qualities that most employers are looking for.

Comprehensive Exam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comprehensive Exam - Research Paper Example Nature and Types of Theory In order to understand the nature and types of theory, five articles in the field of ‘virtual project management’ have been analyzed. Article 1: â€Å"Patterns for Effective Management of Virtual Projects: Theory and Evidence† This research was undertaken with the intention of understanding the forms for efficient management of virtual projects. The research uses a blend of theories and disciplines in order to recognize different perspectives on the research subject. It explores the theoretical foundation of project typologies. For instance, in this research, the researcher used ‘Media Richness Theory’, ‘Channel Expansion Theory’ and ‘Adaptive Structuration Theory’ in order to recognize the theoretical concept of virtuality. The research is based on ‘Pattern Theory’ in order to understand natural perspectives on effective methods in the field of virtual project management. Theory is use ful way in this research to develop a sense with respect to different factors which impact on the virtual project management. In order to explain the theory, the researcher has also used figures. The figures help to describe different patterns on the aspect of virtual project management. ... It discovers the combined impact of leadership, personality and organizational aspects on time, scope and quality of virtual projects. The research is based on the theoretical aspect of transformational leadership, personality and other substitute factors in order to measure their effects on virtual projects. A model has been used in order to demonstrate the impact of leadership on performance of virtual projects. In this research, the major concept is to measure the impact of leadership, personality, and other aspects on virtual team performance (Strang, 2010). Article 3: â€Å"Knowledge Integration in Virtual Teams: The Potential Role of KMS† This article explores difficulties of knowledge integration in virtual team context. The research is based on communication theory in order to recognize ‘Knowledge Management System’ (KMS) in different stages of virtual project management. The research concepts are operationalized by concentrating on virtual team circumstan ces where organizations try to utilize the knowledge oriented assets. In order to conduct the research, the researchers used secondary databases for describing how virtual teams can generate challenges towards application of knowledge oriented assets throughout virtual project phases (Alavi & Tiwana, 2002). Article 4: â€Å"Getting it Together: Temporal Coordination and Conflict Management in Global Virtual Teams† The research aims at investigating the impact of chronological management on virtual teams through asynchronous interaction. The research demonstrates an explicit theoretical framework on the aspect of chronological management challenges, interaction and management of conflict within a virtual team. In order to gather information theories on non-virtual teams have

The research report Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The report - Research Paper Example By June 20th, the secondary research and presentation of the research proposal was completed, and the project was headed for the next steps that included conducting interviews on the respondents chosen for the purposes of this study before documenting and analyzing the data obtained. Following your approval to conduct the research amongst residents of Beverly, the National Association of RELATORS was instrumental in providing the primary data for homebuyers who used various purchase methods to buy their homes. You also approved the proposal to conduct interviews on residents of Beverly, who had recently used one of the investigated purchase options to acquire property and those who had the intention to purchase a home in due time and were having one of the options in mind. The purchase options that were investigated for the purposes of this study include mortgage financing, lease purchase, FHA loans, VA loans and purchase in cash. After the data analysis, the project required a PowerPoint presentation of the report progress which was completed by the 26th of June this year. It is worth mentioning that the primary data was gotten from the certified website of the National Association of RELATORS. This was because the company had been assisting homebuyers in making decisive decisions on what purchase options best suits their circumstances. In the process, the company documented the number of buyers who used various purchase options. As a result, the project was able to obtain dependable data that played a significant role in the completion of this research project. In addition to that, I should not go without mentioning the fact that the respondents chosen for the purposes of this study were corporative and for this reason the project was able to obtain the intended results. My research revealed that it was imperative for potential

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Strategy - Essay Example The industry sectors evaluated in this essay are ethical pharmaceutical companies, generic manufacturers, and biotechs. The pharmaceutical industry The global pharmaceutical industry faces significant twist in the twentieth century due to varying changes in the business environment. Holland is right, unmet medical needs, innovation and globalisation are critical driving forces of the industry. This is agreed by various researches, studies and evidences aiming to create assessment of the global pharmaceutical industry (Bianchi et al., 2011; Shah et al., 2009; Schmid and Smith, 2007). The next point is to evaluate whether these forces are what drive in each industry sector. The ethical pharmaceutical companies are broader since their products cover conventional pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceutical agents and vaccines and over the counter medicines. As a result, Holland points out that the key strategic capabilities of these companies are Research and Development and Sales and Marketing. Boone and Kurtz (2006) emphasize that companies which focus on these activities are dynamic at creating a need for their service or product offerings. This implies that the ethical pharmaceutical sector is somewhere between growth and maturity level in the industry life cycle while very particular at meeting unmet medical needs, innovation and globalisation. In fact, production and outsourcing are another two essential focus of this sector just to cover a wide range of geographic market coverage (Holland, 2010). The generic manufacturers on the other hand among any other concerns are particular with accessing new technologies so as to reach markets with untapped potentials (Holland, 2010). Regarding this, the said sector is invariably looking forward to achieve manufacturing and distribution efficiency. Manufacturing and distribution are broader in context, but they are also associated with growth and development (Kruger, 2006). The generic manufacturer sector is also dynamic as it tries to continually search for markets with untapped potentials and even attentive with patent concerns. Again, companies with this level of thinking cannot just simply skip the need to innovate, create or meet needs and be influenced by the global business force (Boone and Kurtz, 2006). The sector for generic manufacturer is somewhere between growth and maturity level in the industry life cycle. Finally, the sector for small biotechnology start-ups or biotechs like the previous sectors are also concerned with meeting needs, marketing concerns, but above all financial restructuring due to long-product development, so it would take time to realise profitability (Holland, 2010). Distribution of its product to market seems to be the primary concern of this sector. Thus, time is the essential contributing factor why for instance this sector embraces merger or acquisition (Holland, 2010). In the 21st century, this issue is a global concern that drives major businesses, not only to innov ate possibilities but gain market share by creating or meeting needs (Boone and Kurtz, 2006). Due to its restructuring activity, this sector is still primary moving forward to a growth level in the industry life cycle stage. Conclusion It is clear that unmet medical needs, innovation and time to market, and globalisation are essential forces that definitely move the different sector in the pharmaceutical industry. Even though only one

Management in early years Essay Example for Free

Management in early years Essay For the purpose of this work I will focus my attention on management and leadership skills, that any good early years practitioner should possess in order to organise/hold the event of parents evening. Working in partnership with parents Constructive working relationships between teachers and parents can enhance adults knowledge and understanding of children and children’s learning opportunities, and so contribute to children’s learning and wellbeing at home and in the setting. Children who see their parents working closely together with their teachers â€Å"gain a sense of continuity and of being cared for† and experience a â€Å"trusting and secure environment in which they can learn and grow† (Whalley the Pen Green Centre Team, 2001). Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological model of human development offers a theoretical rationale for teachers and parents working in close collaboration. Inclusion†¦.. Purpose and outcome Early childhood practitioners are often reluctant to see themselves as leaders and managers. However, all those who work with young children and their families, whatever their level of experience and competence, have to undertake both of these roles on a daily basis. Parents evening is the perfect example of these two roles â€Å"played† by the same person. This is one of the best opportunities I have as practitioner in building relations with the parents. Why? Because if the parents are in agreement with my methods of practice/teaching, I’ve brought learning home. Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years (Siraj-Blatchford, Sylva, Muttock, Gilden, Bell, 2002), found that children’s cognitive attainment benefited when parents were involved in children’s learning activities at home. Again the reformed EYFS(2012) has set out to raise the bar of just how influential parents’ role is in their child’s learning and development. Effective leaders will respond to this by reviewing their setting’s work with families to ensure strong engagement. The above ideas has been the foundation of organizing my first parents evening at my new setting. Although the event took place in September( next one due in June), the time coincide with the new EYFS coming into place and myself starting my new job at University of Warwick Nursery about the same time. Although I am a confident person, the likes of starting a new job, new EYFS coming into place, key children/families( of whom 4 out of 5had English as a second language, with very little or no knowledge of what EYFS is or how the nurseries are operating in UK), made me a bit anxious. I had to find a strategy which allowed me to be efficient, sounded knowledgeable and be professional. Having the liberty from the setting manger to conduct my parents evening, into whatever manner suits me and the families involved, the key for me at that particular time was called ORGANIZED. Before holding meeting with parents, any practitioner would consider what purpose it will serve and what will be the most effective method of achieving your goals. Good communication must have a clear purpose. †¢give information †¢consult †¢generate ideas †¢gather information †¢educate/help Parent and key worker meetings Early years settings tend to organise parent and key worker meetings on a regular basis and in a more structured way. Again, the timing of these meetings will depend on the parents daily routines and commitments, and the staff team will have to be flexible when arranging them. I have tried to be responsive to the needs of all individuals when arranging the timing for meetings. Because of the issue of confidentiality and because for most of the families English is a second language, I decided to have meetings with each family, rather than a group meeting. A little office was made available for the times booked and had a presentation running in the background ( appeals to all learning styles) for extra visual information; the main purpose was it introduce the EYFS, areas of learning, activities(see if any disagreement towards celebrations, messy play,etc) and how can be extended at home. See appendix Again, careful thought needs was given to †¢objectives (why) †¢audience (who) †¢content (what) †¢timing (when) environment (where). From my experience, these meetings offer an opportunity for the practitioner and parents to gather information, share their observations and to consider the implications of these in terms of planning for the childs learning. They are conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and practitioners should act as genuine listeners, responding to what they hear from the parent and not allowing discussions to be driven by a pre-set agenda based on what has been observed in the nursery. I am trying to use a business technique called the praise praise sandwich. Start with something positive about the child, ask parents of any weak points/areas for improvement , we discuss around this and get an agreement of how together we can help the child move forward and generally improve. Finally I summarise our agreement, and finish with a reminder of their positive. Although we are gathering lots of written and recorded evidence for the child`s learning, is right to say that in Early Years , 50% of the information is mentally recorded by the key worker; and this extra information I found to be really appreciated by parents/families as a prove of knowing/understanding that particular child. During individual meetings with parents, time is set aside for looking at the implications of observations from home and nursery. Planning together for childrens learning will result in a more holistic approach, an enhanced curriculum and continuity for the children. There are opportunities to look at the childs learning journeys and to talk about appropriate provision and support for the childs developmental stage. Where a pattern of behaviour or personal learning interest has been identified, the key worker and parent are discussing experiences that could be offered at home and in the nursery in the hope that they would engage the child and further extend learning. We also share with the parents information about the Foundation Stage curriculum and about young children as learners. explain how the setting plans and assesses a childs learning within the six areas of learning discuss the importance of the learning process emphasise the importance of child-initiated learning talk about schemas discus appropriate expectations and contexts for learning. It is common sense that practitioners should have confidence in their presentation skills and their knowledge of child development and early learning. When English is a second language Parents evening is also an excellent time for the child’s key person to discuss the child’s level and understanding of English, the use of their home language at nursery and the use of English at home. During this time the key person may have some questions on how the child is progressing at home. These can be important as if the child is using little or no English at the setting it is harder to know their level of development. I believe that good relationships with parents helps to aid our knowledge of the child and so provide them with the best possible care and education. To support inclusion and make each child feel valued, I initiated a little project. In the classroom we have got a board on which we have a data base of common words used in all the languages our children are speaking at home. We asked the parents for any words that they feel the child and key person may need while at nursery. This gives the key person some simple understanding and being more aware if the child is asking for something or trying to explain something. This also helps the key person to build a relationship with the child. It has proven to be a success and now it has been extended to all the classrooms. In the United Kingdom, the Pen Green Centre for Under Fives and their Families is well known for its work in involving families in children’s learning, as well as for parents being supported themselves. Pen Green tries to follow a process: whereby all the important adults in a child’s life give each other feedback on what seems to be centrally important to the child, and how and what they are learning in the home and in the nursery (Whalley and the Pen Green Centre Team, 2001). In this way, children are offered a challenging and stimulating environment in both settings that draws on each party’s understanding and scrutiny. Conclusion I believe that I have used my management skills to the best of my abilities and knowledge and it would only be honest to say that, ideas shared with my community of learners (our students group from college) have been put into practice; parents feedback is encouraging . All of them admitted to recognize their own child`s personality, routines, likes/dislikes from everything I have said about each individua. Maybe next time I should try to manage my time a

Religion in Colonial America Essay Example for Free

Religion in Colonial America Essay Throughout the colonial period with British North American settlement, the subjects of religion and economics often come hand-in-hand when associated with significance. Although economic concerns of development and exploration had its part in British settlement into the New World, religious entanglement, such as Puritan progression and The Great Awakening , played a bigger role in the rise of the American colonies. The flee for religious freedom and organization based on religion in a colony outweigh the concerns for economics. The American colonies valued their religion, as well as making it the most valuable part of their lives. In the early 1500’s certain Christians from different European nations went against the Roman authority of the pope. Religious wars/conflicts, competition, and the Protestant Reformation all contributed to a religious motive for exploration and colonization into North America. Many British immigrants came to the new world not only looking for wealth, but for a religious freedom and structured society. This pull factor created a foundation for religion in the new colonies many people fled the home country to avoid religious persecution and inferiority. Furthermore, Puritans, who colonized the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629, sought to create an empire of religious tolerance. Under John Winthrop, the religious group taught the new colony that the people should provide a whole world a model of Christian society ought to be, as in â€Å"A City upon a Hill†. The groups of people who wanted to separate from the church of England or go against the Roman catholic Pope went to the New World solely for religious freedoms, creating a religious superiority put into their new location. Immigration into America was by far dominated by groups of people avoiding the oppression and persecution faced by royal and religious leaders in their homeland; religious refuge provided means for these colonists to build upon a belief of religious tolerance and organization. As colonies were developing and new groups of people/ideas were diffusing, religious conflict and authority became prominent. A major religious event  in the life of the American people, The Great Religious Awakening, highlighted the valuable role of religion in the people’s lives. The Awakening permanently reflected the need for religious tolerance and organization in a group of people. Also, religious groups such as the Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians (all minority religious groups) took root and grew. Along with awareness to significance, the movement highlighted the presence of religious feeling among masses of people. A major division between orthodox and â€Å"New Lights† increased religious diversity and created a greater competition between the groups to attract followers. This historical event exposed a new way of thinking for the peoples – democracy. In fact, the Great Awakening brought a shared common experience for Americans regardless of race or religion. The Great Awakening brought political and religious impact to the Americans, which still influences the nation today. Even though religion posed to be the biggest concern associated with British settlement in the New World, economic development proved to contribute in the time period. Columbus’s exploration of the New World was based on the hope to find land, resources, and wealth; all pertaining to the progress and bringing up of Europe’s economy. Moreover, the thirteen colonies developed ways, (such as Jamestown’s tobacco crop) to exploit resources as means for survival. The North American Colonies Association with trade (Columbian Exchange) put them in competition with other empires to compete for wealth and progression as a community. Economic concerns engaged in the colonies’ organization; however, religion was the basis for British settlement and the foundation for population growth, social movement, and political structure. Although economic concerns of development and exploration had its part in British settlement into the New World, religious entanglement proved to be more important in the race for American development. Religion posed as the main factor for the peoples, and led them to make decisions and act upon their beliefs. In this colonial time period, religion proved to be a greater power in the daily lives of Americans.

Financial Performance of Morrisons PLC

Financial Performance of Morrisons PLC Part 1 Project Objectives and Overall Research Approach 1.1 Introduction Markets across the world are gradually lifting themselves out of the doom and gloom of recession. Most markets in the UK have shown relative resiliency as they try and recover. Consumer spending and confidence have been fairly low due to adverse pressures created by the implementation of stringent fiscal and monetary policies by the government. The past couple of years have seen the worst effects of recession, hence businesses had to improvise and develop strategies which would focus on retaining existing customers while attracting new customers simultaneously. WM Morrison Supermarkets plc (herein after simply Morrison) has been a success story amidst all the large scale corporate failure and has managed to remain profitable while its competitors and businesses in general have struggled a great deal. Morrisons was founded by William Morrison in 1899, operating as an egg and butter stall in Bradford, North West England. From its humble beginning Morrisons grew rapidly both in terms of its size and its product portfolio. It was only in 1967 that Morrisons was first floated on the London Stock Exchange. As per TNSglobal.com (Nov 08) Morrisons accounted for 11.8% of the total retail supermarket share in the year 2008, making it the smallest of the big â€Å"four† supermarkets. Morrisons operated predominantly in Northern England and it was only in 2004 that Morrisons expanded its operations in the southern part of the UK through the acquisition of Safeway superstores. Further, as per the Annual Statements published in 2010, Morrisons turnover stood at  £15.4bn which was generated from 420 superstores all across the UK. Morrisons operates entirely in the UK market. 1.2 Reasons for choosing the topic Morrisons mission statement which states â€Å"Keeping things simple† has often fascinated me as to how could such a massive organisation operate effectively by keeping things simple at all times. Therefore I choose to analyse the financial statements of Morrisons PLC over a three year period which would provide me answers to my personal curiosities whilst also completing an important research report in my academic career. Most of the knowledge required to compile the research report was acquired through my ACCA studies but this report took me one step further as it provided me with a platform from where I could apply my knowledge in a real life scenario. 1.3 Project Objectives This project report aims to achieve the following objectives: Analysis of the business and financial performance of Morrison PLC over a period of three years i.e. from the 1st of February 2007 to 31st of January 2010. A reflective analysis of the year on year performance of Morrison PLC with critical analysis of the effectiveness of current business strategies and their adequacy to deal with future business and market challenges. Evaluation of Morrisons competitive market position in comparison with its major competitors (with particular emphasis on J Sainsbury PLC, herein after simply Sinsburys). 1.4 Research Questions The project report aims to answer the following research questions: Effectiveness of Morrisons operational and financial strategies over the three year period in review. How well did Morrison perform in comparison to its major competitors (through the use of analytical analysis tools such as ratio analysis)? 1.5 Research Approach Following is the research methodology adopted while compiling this research report: Evaluating Morrisons business performance through the use of business models such as â€Å"PESTEL†, â€Å"SWOT† and â€Å"Porters 5 forces†. Comparative analysis of Morrisons PLC financial statements through the calculation of key ratios such as: profitability, liquidity, gearing, investor returns and efficiency. Accessing Morrisons competitive position with its major competitors (mainly Sainsburys) through the ratios calculated. Part 2 Information Gathering and Accounting/ Business techniques 2.1 Sources of Information 2.1.1 Annual Reports and Summary of Financial Statements The main source of information utilised for compiling the research and analysis report was the annual statements of Morrison PLC. The annual reports consisted of all the relevant financial information for ratio analysis. 2.1.2 Books on interpretation of Financial and Business Data Numerous business study books and articles were read to mainly understand the scope of business analyses models and their effectiveness in analysing Morrisons performance for the last three years. Books were also consulted to ascertain key ratios and comprehend them. I also had to understand what the ratios meant in the retail supermarket sector and realise the limitation of ratio analyses. 2.1.3 Media and Internet sources Electronic and print media were the most important sources of information. The annual statements were downloaded from the internet and expert views on Morrisons performance were consulted from the Financial Times and other authentic business journals. 2.2 Methods used in collecting information The entire research is based on secondary data (i.e. data collected by someone else for their own purposes). The reasons for basing the research upon secondary resources were that no obligation to conduct primary research and the limited time period in which the research had to be conducted and then the compilation of the report. Almost all the literature reviewed and consulted was done with certain amount of scepticism (critical review) so at to ensure that the information collected presented a balanced overview. Therefore the research data was collected from various sources. Internal management view was ascertained from the detailed annual statements, as the directors are responsible for producing such documents. A standard unqualified opinion by the auditors gave further authenticity to the financial information on which almost the entire report is based. As Morrison is also a constituent of London Stock Exchange independent media and expert views were available providing key insight in the companys past and present performance and the future outlook. 2.3 Limitations of information gathering As mentioned in the earlier sections of the report the research was entirely based on secondary data therefore a very slight possibility remains that the data might have been inaccurate and unreliable. Even though the research data has been very carefully selected the chances of error remain but the majority of the work can be deemed authentic and accurate. Further, the amount of information available through various resources was immense and therefore impractical to critically review all of it which might indicate that certain key information was either missed or overlooked. Almost all the information in the annual statement is historical in nature and therefore just reviewing past performances might not truly reflect present and future expectations. 2.4 Explanation of the accounting and/or business techniques The research report focuses on evaluating the business and financial performance of Morrison over a period of 3 years. The financial side of the evaluation will be done through the use of key performance related ratios, whilst the business performance will be examined through PESTEL, SWOT and Porters 5 forces models to evaluate macro and micro activities of the business. 2.4.1 Business Performance 2.4.1.1 PESTEL analysis PESTEL is abbreviated for Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal framework. According to Johnson et al. (2008)[1] it involves an examination of the macro environment of an organisation with a view to identifying the factors that might affect a number of vital variables that are likely to influence the organisations supply and demand levels and its costs. 2.4.1.2 SWOT Analysis Johnson et al (2008) states that SWOT analysis is used to appraise the companys internal strengths, weaknesses, external opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are usually associated from processes within the company and opportunities and threats arise from factors outside the companys control. 2.4.1.3 Porters 5 Forces Analysis Porter (1980) states that it is essential for companies to have a detailed knowledge of competitors influence on the market and that if a company considers the â€Å"five competitive forces† it will be able to appreciate the structure of its industry and thereby be able to put itself in a position to withstand competitor pressure. 2.4.2 Financial Performance: 2.4.2.1 Ratio Analysis Financial ratios can be calculated by comparing two figures in the accounts which are inter-related in some way. The following ratios will be used to evaluate and analyse the financial performance of Morrison: 2.4.2.2 Liquidity Ratios BPP (2009) states that liquidity ratios illustrate the solvency of a business i.e. whether it is in a position to repay its short term debts. They focus on short term assets and liabilities. Creditors are likely to be interested in liquidity ratios to assess whether they will receive the money that they are owed. The ratios that will be calculated under this category are: * Current Ratio= current assets/ current liabilities, Providers of short term credit prefer a high current ratio. * Quick Ratio= current assets-inventory/ current liability Also commonly known as acid test ratio, it is a more severe test of liquidity as it does not include inventory as a liquid asset as they are not guaranteed to be sold, they may become obsolete or deteriorate. 2.4.2.3 Profitability Ratios According to BPP (2009) stakeholders such as shareholders, owners, managers, employers and potential investors are all likely to be interested in the profitability and efficiency of a business. The ratios calculated under this category will be: * Return on Capital Employed= profit before interest and tax/ capital employed The ROCE relates to the profit generated from operating activities with the capital employed. Capital employed is generally the net assets of the company and is also referred to as shareholders fund plus long term borrowings. * Gross profit margin= gross profit/sales * 100% Shows the gross profit made on sales turnover. * Net profit margin= net profit/sales * 100% The ratio helps to measure how well a business is controlling its overheads. 2.4.2.4 Activity/ Efficiency ratios BPP (2009) states that activity or asset utilisation ratios allow a business to measure how effectively it uses its resources. The ratios that would be calculated under this category will be: * Receivables Turnover = credit sales/ trade receivables * Receivables period = receivables/ sales * 365days Receivables turnover and receivables period would be used to assess time taken by Morrisons to reclaim its short term debt on average. * Inventory Turnover = cost of sales/ inventory According to BPP (2009) this ratio measures the number of times during the year a business sells the value of its stocks * Inventory holding period = inventory/ cost of sales * 365days Stock turnover can be expressed in terms of the number of days it takes to sell inventory. 2.4.2.5 Gearing Ratio BPP (2009) states that the gearing ratio looks at the balance of funding in the capital structure of a business. Under this category the ratios that will be calculated are following: * Debt-equity ratio = total debt/ total equity This ratio establishes the total amount of shareholders fund (equity capital) in comparison to the total amount of borrowed capital (i.e. long term loans). * Interest cover = profit before tax and interest/ interest payable According to BPP (2009) the gearing ratio (i.e. debt-equity ratio) is a statement of financial position measure of financial risk. Interest cover is an income statement measure. The ratio assesses the businesss ability to pay interest by comparing profit and interest payments. 2.4.2.6 Investors Ratio Investors are interested in the returns or dividends they may get from holding shares. BPP (2009) states that a number of ratios can be used to measure these returns. The following ratios will be calculated under this category: * EPS= profit available to shareholders/ no. of shares ranked for dividend BPP (2009) defines EPS as a measure of how much each share is earning. It reflects how much is available to be paid to shareholders. * Price Earnings ratio= share price/ earnings per share According to BPP (2009) the price/earnings ratio is said to reflect the confidence shown in the company It shows how many years, at current earnings, it will take an investor to recover the cost of the share. * Dividend Yield= dividend per share/ market price * 100% BPP (2009) defines the dividend yield ratio as a measure of the value of the return on share for an investor. It shows the dividend per share as a percentage of the market price. 2.5 Limitation of ratio analysis BPP (2009) states that ratio analysis is not necessarily a complete measure of assessing a company financial performance. Limitations that can be associated with ratio analysis are as follows: Accounting principles followed whilst preparing financial statements should represent a true and fair reflection of the company and should be consistently applied over a period of time. Ratio analysis looses its credibility when management deliberately uses accounting policies to manipulate financial statements. Businesses are faced with unique risks even though they operate in the same industry. Hence the way businesses deal with there risks vary, limiting the scope of ratio analysis. BPP (2009) states that ratios on their own are meaningless. They have to be used as a benchmark to compare performance of the organisation against a similar company operating in a similar industry. Certain ratios are of a subjective nature therefore having standard definitions and formulae might not always be possible. Macroeconomic factors such as inflation rates, interest rates, changes in accounting policies and procedures are not accounted for when calculating ratios. Ratios also fail to recognise changes in corporate strategy and risk exposure of the company. 2.6 Limitation of SWOT / PESTEL / Porters Five Forces Results of SWOT analysis cannot be standardised as a threat for one organisation can be an opportunity for the other in a completely different environment. * One of the main disadvantages, as described by Dess et al (2004), is that â€Å"SWOT analysis is primarily a static assessment. It focuses too much of a firms attention on one moment in time.† Hence a SWOT analysis may ignore changing circumstances. * SWOT, PESTEL or Porters 5 Forces   does not describe factors in terms of quantitative performance indicators. Part 3 Results, Analysis, Conclusions and Recommendations. 3.1 PESTEL analysis 3.1.1 P- POLITICAL As per the Annual Statement (2010) Morrisons did not make any political donation which is the Group policy. However this does not mean that Morrisons operation are not affected by the political decisions made by the government in the UK. Consumer spending power, both in the long and the short term are dictated by the governments fiscal and monetary policies. The UK economy like most other global economies suffered adversely due to the global recession which was directly linked with the global credit crunch crisis. During tough economic times consumer spending power is generally low due to soaring unemployment and uncertainty in the economic environment. Government in the UK has taken important measures to stimulate growth such as reducing VAT (indirect taxation) from 17.5% to 15% in the year ending December 2009, quantitative easing (i.e. pumping money in to the economy) and keeping interest rates low, encouraging people to spend rather than save. Morrisons activities in the retail supermarket industry are regulated by the Competition Commission which keeps a close eye on the activities of the so called big â€Å"four† supermarkets. This ensures that supermarkets do not enter in to price wars or collude to fix prices. Morrisons is also bound by UK and European legislations such as Health and Safety at work Act and National Minimum wage Act. Morrisons cannot legislate for changes in government policy but should pre-empt decisions and ensure that it is ready to face challenges which might result from changes in government policies. But it is safe to assume that Morrisons operates within a very coherent political set up and faces no barriers to trade due to governments political decision making. 3.1.2 E- Economical Morrison operates only within the UK retail supermarket industry and is therefore directly affected by the macroeconomic environment. The UK economy has been under recession over the past few years, which means contraction in the economy, leading to unemployment and weak consumer spending power due to reduction in disposable income. The direct affect of this is that customers look for bargain shopping rather than spending on premium quality products. But as Morrison operates in the retail grocery market the demand for most of its products remains largely in-elastic due to the fact that people have to feed themselves and provide for their daily needs no matter how hard their budgets are squeezed. Additionally people tend to buy food from supermarkets and eat at home rather than spending money in restaurants. Morrison has massively improved its own brand products which offer value for money and appeals to consumers who are willing to buy bargain products rather than premium quality products especially during tough economic times. Annual Statement (2010) states Sales of our own label â€Å"Value† range grew by 34% as consumers tightened their belts in a challenging economic environment. The following table taken from the Annual Statement 2010 further illustrates how Morrisons has consolidated its position in the UK market during the past few years: Therefore it can concluded on the basis of the above figures that Morrisons was able to enhance its position with the retail supermarket industry during adverse economic climate due to the fact it was able to supply quality products at modest prices than its competitors. 3.2.3 S- Social The social trend in UKs grocery market is that families shop almost regularly every week, mostly on the weekends targeting large supermarkets which provide them with all their family requirements under one roof. As stated in the Annual Statement 2010 Morrisons operates from 425 mega stores all across the UK catering towards the social trend of the market. Furthermore there is an ever growing emphasis towards health eating and a sustained fight against obesity. People are getting more and more conscious about what they eat. Morrisons remained a step ahead of its social demands and re-launched its â€Å"Eat Smart† product range and as per the Annual statement (2010 pg 21) Sales were up by 7% reflecting consumers continuing demand for a healthier diet and their concern over the nutritional value of the food they eat. 3.2.4 T- Technology Businesses across the UK are spending heavily on technological advancements, in order to gain competitive advantage over their competitors. Customers in the grocery market are increasingly using the internet to shop for their grocery needs therefore Morrisons has developed a very efficient (website) and robust (delivery system) mechanism to cater for such customers. Morrison has also launched self service check-outs in almost all of its large supermarkets resulting in improved customer service (i.e. decrease in waiting time to be served) subsequently increasing sales. Morrison is also rolling out the use of â€Å"Voice-picking† technology across all its grocery warehouses which has proved particularly successful in increasing depot productivity and pick accuracy and hence improving in-store product availability. (Grocerytrader, 2011) 3.2.5 E- Environmental Businesses across the world are under intense pressure to reduce their carbon footprints on the environment and adopt eco-friendly and sustainable processes. Morrisons thoroughly understands its environmental responsibility and has taken important steps to reduce its carbon footprints and subsequently become â€Å"GREENER†. Below is a graphical representation of decrease in Morrisons carbon footprint as stated in their Annual Review 2010 (pg14) (Source Morrison Annual Review 2010, pg 14) Morrison Annual Report and Financial Statements (2010) states that during the year, free reusable bags were issued to customers, and as a result of this and other initiatives carrier bag consumption was reduced by 126 million bags.   Morrisons during 2010 also completed the conversion of filling station pumps to highly efficient vapour recovery pumps which emit much reduced levels of fuel vapour in to the atmosphere. Morrisons Halifax store was awarded an excellent rating from the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method indicating as to how much Morrison regards the environment in which it operates. (Morrisons, 2011) 3.2.6 L- Legal Morrison is obliged to operate in accordance with the British and European law. It has to ensure that labour and employment laws are not compromised in handling staff affairs. Any violation would result in expensive lawsuits and negative publicity. Morrison has to satisfy the minimum wage requirements. 3.3 SWOT analysis: 3.3.1 S- Strengths: Morrison has been regarded as one of the best providers of fresh quality food items. Morrisons business strategy of being the â€Å"The food specialist for everyone† distinguishes it from other grocery chains. Morrison takes immense pride in the provision of quality fresh food which is prepared in-store. This allows customers to choose from a variety of fresh food items such as: baked bread, meat cut to order, fish, seasonal deli selections and a range of delicious cakes and treats. Such diverse fresh food range is a major strength of Morrison and is also widely acknowledged by its customer base. Following is an illustration of the three distinct brand values of Morrison that strengthen their vision as stated in Annual Statement 2010 (pg 6): (Source Morrison Annual Review 2010, pg 6) As it is evident from the above diagram, Morrisons overall business strategy of â€Å"Keeping things simple† allows Morrison to concentrate on its historical strengths which is providing fresh quality food at reasonable prices. 3.3.2 W- Weaknesses: Morrison only expanded its operation in the Southern part of the UK in 2004 after the acquisition of Safeway superstores and still heavily relies on the Northern part of the UK which accounts for the major chunk of the sales revenue (55%). This leaves Morrison vulnerable to any adverse fluctuations in the economic activity of the Northern part of the UK. The following illustration taken from Annual Statement 2010 (pg 7, Courtesy Kantar World panel) depicts Morrisons market share by geographical region in the UK: (Source Morrison Annual Review 2010, pg 5) Morrison does not operate a loyalty scheme which rewards customers for shopping repeatedly in Morrison stores. This is a major weakness as some of the other loyalty schemes operated by competitors such as Tesco (Tesco Club card) and Sainsburys (Nectar Card) are able to attract secondary shoppers and retain primary shoppers through attractive rewards. Morrison at present largely operates through megastores whereas its competitors are increasingly investing in smaller convenience stores which are able to cater for local businesses and day to day shopping requirements. Tesco, Sainsburys and ASDA are increasingly capturing the local convenience stores market and if Morrison does not follow suit it risks losing a major chunk of the grocery market to its competitors. Morrison only operates in the UK market. Its main competitors ASDA and TESCO operate globally and are in a better position to offset their UK losses against any foreign gains whereas Morrison will have to bear the losses. The current recession indicated that developing economies such as India, Brazil and China were still posting strong growth patterns whereas the UK economy might be heading towards a double dip recession which would further dent Morrisons profitability. 3.3.3 O- Opportunities Morrison can further improve on its own brand products. In 2010 sales of own brand products were up by 34% indicating strong growth. During tough economic times customers tend to buy value for money products rather than premium quality products. Morrison can cater for such customers and further improve its revenues. E-commerce is increasingly becoming socially popular and more and more people are shopping for their grocery needs on-line. Morrison can improve its website and develop a more robust delivery system. Hence it can improve on its revenues and market share. Morrison should expand its operations in to lucrative developing economies and take its trusted brand over to countries such as India, China, Russia and Brazil and further consolidate its position as a highly trusted supplier of quality fresh food products. 3.3.4 T- Threats As the current UK government aims to reduce budget deficit it is introducing austerity measures and has also increased VAT (from 17.5% to 20%), putting more pressure on disposable income. Many experts fear a double-dip recession which might prove disastrous for businesses in the UK. Morrison has to ensure it remains a step ahead and continues to provide products which offer value for money or otherwise will risk losing sales and its market share to its competitors. This is validated by the fact that there has been a significant increase in demand of value goods compared to premium goods. (Source Morrison Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009, pg 16) Morrison so far seems reluctant to expand through convenience stores and depends largely on opening new megastores. There remains an imminent threat that Morrison might fail to seek planning permission from local authorities and might fail to expand. But however this further advocate towards the fact that Morrison should look to expand through both megastores and convenience stores. As per the TNS report of December 2008 the market was affected from the ALDI effect, this meant people were hunting for bargain products rather than quality products at premium pricing. Even though discount brands such as LIDL and ALDI represent a very small segment of the market Morrison should remain vigilant of their presence as they can easily erode in to Morrisons market share. (Source: http://adage.com/article/news/u-k-supermarket-chains-feel-aldi-effect/131086/, Accessed 20th March 2011) 3.4 Porters Five Forces 3.4.1 Threat of new entrants The threat of new entrants in to the UK retail grocery market remains largely low due to the massive amount of capital outlay required and the power of the existing so called â€Å"big-four†. TESCO, ASDA, Sainsburys and Morrisons operate very powerful marketing and advertisement campaigns making it very difficult for new entrants to gain a foot hold in the market. Following is a diagrammatic illustration of the big four dominance in the UK market: (Source Morrison Annual Review 2010, pg 5) Furthermore supermarket giants like TESCO and Sainsburys operate a very sophisticated and rewarding loyalty schemes. This ensures that customers stay loyal and do not switch to other brands. Large supermarket chains such as Morrison are able to offer significant price reductions and a large product portfolio. This also acts as a significant barrier to entry. Even though the threat of new entrants is low, Morrison has to be proactive to new competition and steps should be taken to neutralise their affect on the market.   3.4.2 Bargaining power of suppliers According to the Competition Commission report published in 2008 suppliers in the grocery/retail sector have little or no influence on the ‘big four supermarket chains. The reason for such lack of influence is that supermarket chains such as Morrison can achieve a high volume of turnover on a very short period of time and therefore can dictate product prices to their suppliers. Suppliers have little or no choice but to enter in to such agreements with large supermarkets as they ensure regular cash-inflows and large orders. (Source: http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/2008/538grocery.htm, Accessed 27th March 2011) Morrison ensures that it has a very cordial relationship with all its suppliers as the products they supply are of a paramount importance to the Morrisons brand name. As per Morrisons (2010 pg 13) the board adopts a policy which is to be fair and honest in dealings with farmers and suppliers. As of 2010 Morrisons average credit period stood at 29 days as compared to 33 days in 2009. Suppliers who constantly ensure quality products are supplied on time are given necessary incentives. 3.4.3 Bargaining power of customers The bargaining power of customers in the retail grocery market remains significantly high. Although the customers are not in a position to directly affect the price of an individual product but due to readily available alternatives they can alienate Morrison without any prejudice or prior notice. Therefore Morrisons has to remain very proactive when forecasting market trends and should always try and innovate ways through which it can look after its customers. 3.4.4 Threat of substitutes The threat of substitute products and retailers is significantly high as cost of switching products or suppliers is virtually non-existent. Customers in the retail grocery market do not follow a predictive trend and get disillusioned very quickly ,without any specific reason. Morrisons business strategy of â€Å"Keeping things Simple† and â€Å"being the Food Specialist† goes a long way in attracting customers to its megastores all across the UK. But regular incentives such â€Å"Eat Healthy†, â€Å"Special Offers† and â€Å"Discounts† should also be utilized to attract new and retain existing customers. 3.4.5 Rivalry amongst competitors Rivalry amongst the â€Å"top-four† competitors remains very aggressive and direct. Apart from the direct competition from the big four Morrison should also be vary of local (Iceland) and European (ALDI and LIDL) discount brands as they can also erode in to Morrisons market through aggressive pricing policies. Even though customers buying patterns are unpredictable but generally during tough economic times customers tend to hunt for bargains and therefore are prone to be attracted towards discount brands but Morrison should further diversify its own brand range and cater for such customers. As Morrison solely focuses on the provision of fresh quality food items it can eliminate aggressive rivalry by further improving on product quality and pricing. 3.5 Ratio Analysis Ratios on their own are meaningless and provide little information unless they are benchmarked against something appropriate. Therefore Morrisons ratio will be

Personal Hygiene: Preventing Infections and Diseases Essay -- clean and

In today’s culture, poor personal hygiene is typically unacceptable and frowned upon. People don’t want to be around anyone who smells badly or isn’t clean. Consequences from poor personal hygiene can develop into potentially serious diseases such as hepatitis A, streptococcus, staph infections, common colds, influenza, typhoid, lice and even dental diseases, including, gingivitis, gum disease, plaque, and bad breath. These are all far too common within our workplaces, schools, and day to day life, but I can easily prevented them by maintaining good personal hygiene, which involves washing my hands, brushing my teeth, bathing, personal grooming, and doing my laundry properly. The key to preventing most of these infections and diseases is properly washing my hands and knowing when to wash them. I can’t see germs with my naked eye, so I wash them when they are dirty, before, during, and after food preparation, before I eat, after using the restroom, touching soiled clothing, animals, animal waste, the trash, or sneezing, coughing, and blowing my nose, and before and after treating wounds and sick people. There is more to washing my hands than soap and water. I must scrub all surfaces of my hand, including my wrist, the back of my hand, between my fingers, and under my fingernails for at least twenty seconds. The combination of scrubbing and an antibacterial soap helps to remove germs. Then I rinse my hands in warm water, drying them well with a clean hand towel, paper towel, or air dryer. If soap is unavailable, I use an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Another factor in the prevention of poor personal hygiene is addressing the prevention of dental diseases and infections. I brush my teeth at least twice a day in a vertical or circ... ...rive in our dirty laundry baskets or hampers. I always use a different basket for my clean laundry. I separate my clothing into three piles, colored, whites, and towels, to wash separately. Washing my colored clothes and towels in cold water and my whites in hot water, I follow the directions on my detergent bottle to ensure the correct amount is used per load. I also use a cup of bleach in my white clothes. When my laundry is done, I dry, fold, and put my clothes away so they stay clean for the next time I decide to wear them. It is essential to maintain good personal hygiene to prevent the spreading of germs and bacteria and to maintain a clean lifestyle and appearance. With the always increasing populations and crowded cities, our members of culture should make sure to take a few spare minutes out of their busy days to take better care of their personal hygiene.

A Critical Analysis Of Tensions In Memorial A. H. H. :: essays research papers fc

A Critical Analysis of Tension's In Memorial A. H. H.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Victorian Period, long held and comfortable religious beliefs fell under great scrutiny. An early blow to these beliefs came from the Utilitarian, followers of Jeremy Bantam, in the form of a test by reason of many of the long-standing institutions of England, including the church. When seen through the eyes of reason, religion became â€Å"merely an outmoded superstition† (Ford & Christ 896). If this were not enough for the faithful to contend with, the torch of doubt was soon passed to the scientists. Geologists were publishing the results of their studies which concluded that the Earth was far older than the biblical accounts would have it (Ford & Christ 897). Astronomers were extending humanity's knowledge of stellar distances, and Natural Historians such as Charles Darwin were swiftly building theories of evolution that defied the Old Testament version of creation (Ford & Christ 897). God seemed to be dissolving before a panicked England's very eyes, replaced by the vision of a cold, mechanistic universe that cared little for our existence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alfred, Lord Tennyson was painfully aware of the implications of such a universe, and he struggled with his own doubts about the existence of God. We glimpse much of his struggles in the poem In Memorial A. H. H., written in memory of his deceased friend, Arthur Hallam. The poem seemed to be cathartic for Tennyson, for through its writing he not only found an outlet for his grief over Hallam's death, but also managed to regain the faith which seemed at times to have abandoned him. Tennyson regained and firmly reestablished his faith through the formation of the idea that God is reconciled with the mechanistic universe through a divine plan of evolution, with Hallam as the potential link to a greater race of humans yet to come.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first of many lyric units, Tennyson's faith in God and Jesus seems strong. He speaks of â€Å"Believing where we cannot prove† (l. 4), and is sure that God â€Å"wilt not leave us in the dust† (l. 9). The increasing threat posed to religion by science does not worry Tension here, as he believes that our increasing knowledge of the universe can be reconciled with faith, saying:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Let knowledge grow from more to more,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But more of reverence in us dwell;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That mind and soul, according well,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   May make one music as before† (1. 25-28). He does anticipate doubt, though, as he asks in advance for God's forgiveness for the â€Å"Confusions of a wasted youth† (l. 42).

Egyptian Jewerly and Makeup :: essays research papers

Egyptian Jewelry and Makeup   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyday in the Egyptian way of life, both men and women would adorn themselves with beautiful jewelry and makeup. Wearing these pieces of jewelry and makeup was part of their everyday life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone, man or woman, Egypt wore more type of jewelry. What kind of jewelry they wore was usually dependent on how wealthy they were. The rich wore fine jewelry made from gold, silver, or electrum inlaid with precious stones. The less wealthy wore jewelry that was made of copper or faience, which is made by heating powdered quartz.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ring and amulets were especially worn to ward off evil spirits and/or injury. Cowrie shells were worn to show the desire of the wearer to have children. They also wore jewelry with the god Heh, which means the god of ‘millions of years’, which symbolizes long life. Younger Egyptians wore charms that resembled beards or side locks of hair to symbolize youth and innocence. Perhaps the most interesting fact about jewelry was that many children wore fish amulets to prevent from downing and accidents in the Nile River.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jewelry was also a reward to people for outstanding services to the community. The jewelry was hanged out by the king. The king would lean out of windows and drops bracelets or collars to the nobles waiting respectfully below.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The gold that was used to make jewelry in Egyptian times was not scarce like it is in present day. Mines between the Nile River and Red Sea coast yielded large quantities of this precious metal. They also imported precious stones from the Sinai Peninsula and even Afghanistan. The Egyptians, however, had no knowledge of the gemstones and jewels we have today, such as diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Egyptians were big lovers of all beauty and fashion. They were such lovers of beauty that some of their names were based on the word ‘nefer’, which means beautiful. Examples of such were Nefert, Nefertiti, and Nefertari. The goddess associated with adornment was â€Å"Hathor the Golden†, who is seen as the ideal of beauty in love and poetry of the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Egyptian men and women wore makeup, such as eye paint. For their eye paint and eye shadow they used a mineral called Kohl. Apart from making their eyes look brighter, and larger, Kohl was once believed to have the value as a protection against eye disease. Its blackness also controls the sun’s glare in the desert.

The Renaissance

â€Å"The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the period roughly from the 14th to the 17th century' (Renaissance History, 2008). It is a French word for rebirth. It also a revival of the classical art and intellect of Ancient Greece and Rome. The art in the Renaissance time was more life-like and contained perspective. (Interactive Schooling, 2013). It was perceived as a â€Å"rebirth† of ancient traditions, and later on it was a tradition. Some famous artists from the Renaissance were Leonardo Ad Vinci, Tinderbox, Ghetto, Raphael, etc. Now their painting are something really valuable and significant.The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1439 he changed the lives of people in Europe and, eventually, all over the world. A printing press is a device that uses pressure to transfer an image from some sort of prepared, inked surface to a receiving surface, like paper or cloth. (Weeklies, 2007). It was one of the great inventions of the modern age. D uring the renaissance in geography, astronomy, chemistry, physics, mathematics, manufacturing, and engineering occurred some great advances, science in those times was something that not everybody could know like now. Renaissance science spawned the Scientific Revolution; science and technology began a cycle of mutual advancement†. (Winnie Whish, 2008). Some important Renaissance technologies were; mining and metallurgy, blast furnace enabled iron to be produced in significant quantities, finery forge enabled pig iron into bar iron, slitting mill chained the production of iron rods for nail making, smelt mill increased the output of lead over previous methods.Renaissance artists and architects, produced some of the finest works that we know now. â€Å"The Protestant Reformation during the 16th century in Europe ushered in a new artistic tradition that embraced the Protestant agenda and diverged drastically from the southern European tradition and the humanist art produced dur ing the high Renaissance†. (Art History, 2012) The Renaissance Was the rival of classical learning produced by Charlemagne in the 9th century and later used more in 12th century. Cites started growing, Intellectuals, artist and universities after the 1200. This time was called the Renaissance, which was in Italy and later spread through Europe. New and Old text consisting of vernacular writers was used in the renaissance using the printing press. The use of Humanism using scholasticism. Humanism was a new way of thinking and seeing the world.It was called the earliest expression of the Renaissance, and was apart of the movement and cause. The people who practiced this were called Humanist. They challenged ideas of the Scholasticism, which is the daring the efforts to synthesize reason and faith. Students in the new universities, which revolutionized in the renaissance, practiced Scholasticism. Education and the spread of knowledge and specialization was the basis of the Renaissance and brought new things to Italy.Humanist also Halloween the chur ch allowing new mindsets, which underpinned the renaissance to develop. New a wanting for discovering text developed new printing methods, which was one of the main reason there was a renaissance. Classical works in the renaissance manly came for Europe and Christian and Muslim states. Secular readers read old test and classical writing and new libraries emerged. The printing advancement by Johann Gutenberg allowed for more copies of the text to be available.He incorporated movable pieces of type consisting of individual letters, new ink suitable for printing on paper, and a mechanical device that pressed inked type onto sheets of paper called the printing press. Both of these things spread ideas and created or were created by different ways of thinking of the world. The spread of art and knowledge later spread to Europe during the hundred years, which was the conflict of power between French monarchy and his vassals. The Renaissance By huddled By Sierra Peel 5th period The Renaissance From the fall of the Holy Roman Empire to there was a dark age in Europe where all technology and thinking stopped. Europe was a battleground for feudal lords and their knights trying to control the surrounding territories. The dark ages started to end when Pope Urban the 2nd called for the crusades of the holy lands and the city of Jerusalem. The renaissance began in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, and religion.The renaissance was a time of the great scientist and artist Leonardo ad Vinci. The word renaissance translates from French to English into â€Å"rebirth†, that is Just what Europe did at this time they went from being ignorant and dimwitted to inventing some of the world's greatest inventions. Examples of these great inventions were the Ornerier flying machine, the armored car, the giant crossbow and the 8 barreled machine gun and these were Just from Leona rdo ad Vinci, unfortunately these were Just prototypes and were never mass produced.The renaissance began in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, and elision. The renaissance was a time of the great scientist and artist Leonardo ad Vinci. Personally I think the greatest feat of this time was the printing press created my Johannes Gutenberg. Before the invention of the printing press to make a book it required having to hand write the words for hours.When this was going on reading was more for the higher class but with the printing press books could be mass produced and this caused that more people learned to read and knowledge spread like wild fire, it also spread Christianity because now there would be more copies of The Holy Bible. The Renaissance marks the period of European history at the close of the middle ages and the rise of the Modern world. It was a time where art wa s flourishing.It seemed like everyone was an artist and architecture, Fillips Brucellosis was foremost in studying the remains of ancient classical buildings, and with rediscovered knowledge from the 1st-century writer Vitreous and the flourishing discipline of mathematics, formulated the Renaissance style which emulated and improved on classical forms. Brutishness's major feat of engineering was the building of the dome of Florence Cathedral. [52] The first building to monastery this is claimed to be the church of SST. Andrew built by Alberta in Mantra.The outstanding architectural work of the High Renaissance was the rebuilding of SST. Pewter's Basilica, combining the skills of Aberrant, Michelangelo, Raphael, Seasonal and Modern. The new ideals of humanism, although more secular in some aspects, developed against a Christian backdrop, especially in the Northern Renaissance. Much, if not most, of the new art was commissioned by or in education to the Church. However, the Renaissan ce had a profound effect on contemporary theology, particularly in the way people perceived the relationship teen man and God.Many of the period's foremost theologians were followers of the humanist method, including Erasmus, Swing, Thomas More, Martin Luther, and John Calvin. The 15th century, the Renaissance spread with great speed from its birthplace in Florence, first to the rest of Italy, and soon to the rest of Europe. The invention of the printing press by German printer Johannes Gutenberg allowed the rapid transmission of these new ideas. As it spread, its ideas diversified and changed, being adapted to local culture. In the 20th century, scholars began to break the Renaissance into regional and national movements.

Multicultural Management in the Virtual Project Setting

MULTICULTURAL MANAGEMENT IN THE VIRTUAL PROJECT SETTING Carlos Galamba, University of Liverpool Introduction The Virtual Project Setting In today’s globalisation era, effective cross-cultural management of virtual teams is an emerging subject in international business literature and practice. Virtual teaming has a number of potential benefits; not only in terms of human resources flexibility but it can also reduce the operating costs of one organisation. On the other hand, the challenges of such environment should not be undermined. Many scholars have attempted to analyse the impact of virtual work in a number of factors such as communication, leadership, trust, decision-making and productivity (Symons and Stenzel, 2007), while others were particularly concerned with the management of geographically dispersed units and therefore addressed the challenges of working with time zone differences and culturally diverse groups (Ardichvili et al. , 2006). The findings are very interesting and the business literature appears to agree that the virtual project setting is somehow different from face-to-face working and more important it brings some unique challenges. This project will review the literature under these headings and explore the critical issues regarding cross-cultural management in the virtual project setting. Based on the theoretical framework for virtual teaming I will attempt to outline solutions and establish a set of best practices for effective international management of such environments. Managing the virtual environment Critical issues The emerging number of virtual teams is a reality in the global market place. The virtual project setting allows organisations to assign the most skilled individuals to projects across the globe, with less concern for travel or elocation expenses, which improves productivity (Rorive and Xhauflair,  2004). However the challenges of managing culturally and geographically diverse teams must not be undermined. Some of the problems and critical issues arise in different areas such as: communication, technology, synergy among team members, culture and time zone differences (Grosse, 2002; Kuruppu arachchi, 2009). In the next pages I will discuss these issues and review the current literature and theoretical framework to outline possible solutions. |COMMUNICATION | |ISSUE |In the bigger picture the most critical factor with regards to communication is the language barrier. Effective | | |communication can be affected when team members speak different native languages. For instance, Bakbone Software, a US| | |company faced communication problems when Japanese workers were employed in their virtual team, due to their flawless | | |English (Alexander, 2000). | |Nevertheless, some cultures prefer a more formal communication than others, and managers must pay special attention to| | |individual needs. There are a number of communication platforms available, such as phone, email, chat and | | |video-conferencing. Selecting the most appropriate method for a virtual project setting is critical for the project’s | | |success. Ardichvili et al. (2006) found significant differen ces in the preferred methods of communication of Russian | | |and Chinese team members. The former are comfortable with email communication whilst the second would rather prefer | | |face-to-face or phone calls. These findings seem to support the distinction between high and low-context cultures | | |established by Hall (1981). | |SOLUTION |A valuable strategy to deal with communication challenges can be achieved by understanding and identifying everyone’s | | |strengths and backgrounds. By recognising different levels of expertise, skills and experience among team members, | | |virtual team leaders can distribute the workload accordingly. | |Lipnack and Stamps (1999), posit three basic steps to overcome obstacles to communication: listening skills, respect | | |and patience. | | |TECHNOLOGY | |ISSUE |The available technology is another critical factor for virtual teams. It is essential that an equal access to | | |technology can be guaranteed to all team members, otherwise productivity can be compromised (Kuruppuarachchi, 2009). | |Broadband services are not ava ilable in every location and some regions may experience slower internet speed than | | |others or may have incompatible networks | |SOLUTION |Ardichvili et al. (2006) posit that the start of the project is crucial and moreover team leaders must choose the most| | |appropriate computer-mediated technology that best suits the needs of team members. One that can be readily available | | |to all users and therefore potential problems in the use of technology must be identified before the virtual project | | |takes place. | | |CULTURE | |ISSUE |Individualism-collectivism is one of the biggest dimensions of cultural variability. The findings by Gudykunst (1997) | | |and Hofstede (1980) suggest that team members from collectivist cultures are less ready to trust others than those | | |from individualistic cultures. | | |Chow et al. (2000) established that individualistic and collectivist cultures make a sharp differentiation between | | |in-group and out-group members, with regards to knowledge sharing. For example, Chinese managers are found to be more | | |reluctant in sharing knowledge with an out-group member when compared to Americans. |SOLUTION |With regards to culture, many scholars agree that cultural awareness is the most effective solution to minimize the | | |negative effects of cross-cultural differences (Mead and Andrews, 2009). Ardichvili et al. (2006) emphasise that | | |leadership must facilitate an environment of cultural adaptation in order to create a unique competitive advantage. | | |Therefore it is essential that managers have the ability to channel culturally-determined behaviours and d ifferent | | |expectations into rich outputs. | |SYNERGY | |ISSUE |To communicate across cultures it is essential that managers can foster an environment of trust and understanding. | | |Several factors, such as repeated interactions, shared experiences and shared social norms, have been found to | | |facilitate the development of trust (Mayer et al. 1995). Many scholars also argue that face-to-face encounters are | | |irreplaceable when it comes to building trust (Ardichvili et al. , 2006). |SOLUTION |Following Ardichvili et al. (2006) findings, it appears essential that virtual team leaders make personal meetings | | |possible, because face-to-face encounters are one of the most critical factors for trust building, particularly at the| | |beginning of the team’s existence. This has been found to be essential in many cases of virtual teams, like Ericsson | | |in China (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008) and the virtual project of the New South Wales police in Australia (Peters and | | |Manz, 2007). | |Nevertheless, in the virtual project setting, this synergy may be difficult to maintain and it is therefore important | | |that virtual organisations consider activities that indirectly create trust, such as group and individual feedback | | |(Walker et al. , 2002 cited in Ardichvili et al. 2006). | | |TIME ZONE DIFFERENCES | |ISSUE |The problem of working in distant geographical locations arises for example when certain activities need to be | | |synchronized or when real time communication is critical for the project. Due to time zone differences, users may not | | |be able to exchange information instantly. For example, the US company BakBone software, faced some challenges in the | | |coordination of its Israeli and US teams, because they have a 7 hour time difference between them (Alexander, 2000). | |SOLUTION |Precise coordination processes can help conquer time-related challenges and help increase production outcomes. | | |Planning of schedules and tasks appears to reduce repetition in discussion (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). This | | |planning should also be organic, particularly if disruption of planned activities takes place. Additionally, virtual | | |team leaders must ensure that all team members are aware of time-zone differences so that they can plan ahead the best| | |time for communication. | | |Microsoft for example, has overcome some of these issues by using a 24 hour service in some of their virtual teams | | |(Alexander, 2000). | Ethical implications Lee (2009) describes e-ethics as the ethical leadership that is required in the virtual project setting. The need to address ethical issues in virtual teams has increased over the years and appears to be more important in the international business environment. The literature over this subject appears to agree that there is a clear distinction between the issues raised within this new virtual design when compared to more traditional organisations (Lee, 2009). Therefore, based on the problems and solutions identified before, for the multicultural management in the virtual project setting, I will now attempt to review the ethical implications of such issues. Based on the work developed by Lee (2009) I agree that ethic leadership is ultimately the responsibility of the project manager (p. 457). It is up to the leader to ensure that an ethical environment can be followed by the users at all times, and moreover that environment must be encouraged in the organisational design of the virtual project setting. Cranford (1996) highlights that the use of computers that are in different geographic locations can affect the communicative behaviour of the users involved. For instance, the absence of face-to-face interactions can encourage a more aggressive and disrespectful behaviour. Therefore it is up to the project leader to control this environment, and monitor any unethical behaviour as it can have a negative effect on trust and synergy among team members. Moreover, Lee (2009) agrees that it is essential that a code of ethics is available to all users, so that they understand what is acceptable or not in the virtual environment. Another issue identified in the literature regards the potential for social isolation in the virtual community (Lee, 2009), which in turn can affect motivation and commitment to the project. It is up to the project leader to ensure that all users are participative enough and avoid potential morale problems due to the lack of interaction. The latter has been found to be more noticeable in the virtual environment than in traditional organisations (Lee, 2009). There are a number of other ethical issues in the virtual environment, but the ones identified above appear to be those that are directly linked with working in cross-cultural virtual teams that lack face-to-face interaction. It is essential that leaders can effectively manage the unique ethical issues that arise in the virtual setting; in turn this will increase job satisfaction, efficiency and ultimately improve the service value. Case study BankCo Inc. as a result of a fusion of many multinational companies, as an attempt to create a global brand, with similar corporate identity and global standards. The virtual team members are based in many different countries and come from well distinct cultures, for example Greece, UK, Germany and Singapore. It has been suggested that any poor performance or project delays were not related to the virtual team itself, but mo reover were a result of cultural differences and communication problems (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). For example, some groups considered the excessive number of conference calls to be unproductive and time-consuming. The critical issues Communication With regards to communication, the authors point out that the excessive number of emails, over a 100 per person per day, was seen as negative by many of the users, particularly in the Greek and UK teams problems (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). It is suggested that this could be the result of a low-trust culture, where colleagues feel they have to preserve email communication if a dispute takes place, for example. The excessive number of emails also meant that they could not be fully tracked or even read sometimes. The company used video-conference as a replacement for face-to-face interaction, however staff felt that many of these conference calls were very long and unnecessary (over 8 hours in some cases). As suggested in the literature, the business language used can be a challenge for non native speakers, however this was not the case for the team in Singapore, due to their superior command of the English language. In the case of BankCo Inc. this was actually more problematic amongst Germany, Spain and Italy when they had to communicate in English. Also, despite the business language being English, BankCo Inc. as flexible enough to allow certain groups to discuss problems in their native language when interacting with each other, for example, in Singapore, this allowed easier explanation of concepts. Technology With regards to Technology, there were a number of tools available for communication. However, there were cases reported where users were not familiar with them. For example, with th e tool â€Å"Test Director†, created to identify and raise problems, many users were duplicating work, by using emails as a secondary way of raising these problems. The article by Lee-Kelley and Sankey (2008) emphasises that the challenges of technology could be resolved if managers addressed the training needs of the users involved, in a way to improve communication. Synergy among team members In the early stages of the project, it was reported that there was lack of clarity in responsibilities and roles, and therefore people were passing on the problems to others. Also, the authors pointed out that there was no obvious global project leader, which could have been seen by the users as lack of leadership and direction. The scholars highlight that cultural and temporal issues affected the building of trust. For example the UK and Greek teams showed some frustration by the East tendency to avoid answering a question fully. They also felt they could not rely on their Eastern counterparts to complete tasks, even if they were committed to do so. Senior management acknowledged the problem, and highlighted the need for more interaction and understanding. As a consequence, some positive steps were taken, for example by implementing more face-to-face meetings. Culture The authors pointed out that there was a difference in the work ethics between the West and the East, for example despite those in the West work very hard, the colleagues in the East worked longer and socially unaccepted hours. Another issue pointed out was the way that members in the team in Singapore would accept all change requests from senior management, even though they did not have the time to complete those tasks. They justified it as being part of their culture to not reject or disappoint any requests from someone higher in the hierarchy. However, the Western counterparts perceived this as inefficient and pointed out that â€Å"these guys are lying continuously† (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008, p. 60). Time zone differences With regards to this issue there were two different sides: some of the virtual team groups were working long hours, for example in Singapore to allow flexibility and problems to be picked up, even out of routine hours. On the other hand, the West assumed that they could then communicate with the East whenever they wanted to, and some problems arose when staff in Singapore was dealing with queries way past midnight. Conclusion By examining the critical issues regarding global virtual teams, this project offers significant insight to broaden our academic understanding of culturally and geographically distant virtual teams. An emergent perception that arises from this discussion is that the virtual project working has a set of unique characteristics that in turn create new challenges for international management. The findings in the case of BankCo Inc. also suggest that a variety of issues affect cross-cultural virtual teams, but on closer inspection, only cultural differences impacting on conflict and team elations, and time zones differences affecting coordination and communication, may be directly related with the temporal and geographical distance features of virtual teams. Lee-Kelley and Sankey (2008) highlight that the remaining factors, such as trust, technology, and communication are not unique to virtual teams, and can also be found in more conventional organisations. That being said, the ir presence should not be undermined, as it adds to the challenge found in the virtual project setting. For instance, communication as a traditional team issue can be magnified by cultural diversity and distance. Based on this discussion, I would consider the following as a set of best practices for the effective management of cross-cultural virtual teams: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION ? Leaders must ensure that a functional language is adopted in the virtual project setting, one that fits the level of diversity of the virtual team. ? The organisation must provide guidelines for communication and adequate training with the relevant communication tools. ? Equal access to information must be assured for all members of one team. ? Recognise that technology is an enabler SYNERGY ? Encourage face-to-face encounters where possible, particularly at the beginning of the team existence. ? Good definition of roles. Leaders must clarify what is expected and what are the responsibilities of all team members and also ensure that members in one team are aware of each other’s responsibilities. ? Set clear, measurable and achievable goals ? Provide constructive feedback VIRTUALLY MINIMIZE TIME-ZONE DIFFERENCES ? Encourage the planning of schedules and tasks. ? Consider the possibility of 24h services. Ensure that all team members are aware of time-zone differences amongst fellow colleagues CULTURAL AWARENESS ? Understand the different backgrounds and distinct cultures of all team members. ? Leaders must be able to predict potential areas of conflict due to cultural differences and prevent them from happening. ? Foster one organisational culture that promotes listening skills, respect and patience among culturally diverse workers. ? Value diversity The fut ure This project identified key areas for cross-cultural management and it represents a step towards more research regarding global virtual teams. Also it provides a more profound understanding of the managerial implications in the virtual project setting. One can argue that the use of virtual teams contribute to a borderless world, however a new set of borders appears to emerge from this particular environment. One that is well distinct from other, more conventional multinational corporations. This project demonstrated that the durability and future of the virtual project setting relies heavily on both the organisational capabilities and the individuals, and moreover that organisations cannot depend solely on their members to attain the organisational goals. Future research is encouraged to address the unique challenges of such organisational design, and contrast the effective leadership styles when face-to-face contact is hardly present. References ? Alexander, S. (2000) Virtual Teams Going Global, InfoWorld, 22(46): 55-56. ? Ardichvili, A. , Maurer, M. , Li, W. , Wentling, T. & Stuedemann, R. (2006) ‘Cultural influences on knowledge sharing through online communities of practice’, Journal of Knowledge Management, 10 (1), pp. 94–107 ? Cranford M. (1996) ‘The social trajectory of virtual reality: substantive ethics in a world without constraints’. Technol Soc; 18(1):79–92. ? Jarvenpaa, S, & Leidner, D (1999), ‘Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams', Organization Science, 10, 6, pp. 791-815, ? Kuruppuarachchi, PR (2009), ‘Virtual team concepts in projects: A case study', Project Management Journal, 40, 2, pp. 19-33 ? Lee, M. R. (2009) ‘E-ethical leadership for virtual project teams’, International Journal of Project Management, 27 (5), pp. 456-463 ? Lee-Kelley, L, & Sankey, T (2008), ‘Global virtual teams for value creation and project success: A case study', International Journal Of Project Management, 26, 1, pp. 1-62 ? Mead, R. & Andrews, T. G. (2009) International management. 4th ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. ? Peters, L. M. , & Manz, C. C. (2007). ‘Identifying antecedents of virtual team collaboration’. Team Performance Management, 13(3/4), 117–129. ? Rorive, B. et Xhauflair, V. ,  (2004),  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What binds together virtual teams? Some an swers from three case studies†, in Reddy, S. (Ed. ), Virtual teams: concepts and applications, India, ICFAI University Press, pp. 132-140. ? Symons, J. & Stenzel, C. 2007) ‘Virtually borderless: an examination of culture in virtual teaming’, Journal of General Management, 32 (3), pp. 1-17 ? Hall, E. T. (1981), Beyond Culture, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday. ? Lipnack, J. and Stamps, J. (1999), `Virtual Teams', Executive Excellence, Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 14-15. ? Grosse, C (2002), ‘Managing Communication within Virtual Intercultural Teams', Business Communication Quarterly, 65, 4, pp. 22-38 ? Mayer, R. C, Davis J. H. , Schoorman F. D. (1995). An integrative model of organization trust. Acad. Management Rev. 20 (3), pp. 709- 734 ? Hofstede G. 1980), Culture's Consequence: International Diâ‚ ¬erences in Work-related Values, Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. ? Gudykunst, W. B. 1997. Cultural variability in communication. Comm. Res. 24 (4) 327-348. ——à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ OPENING CASE: BANKCO INC. BankCo Inc. is a large consumer bank that is truly global, with branches in more than 100 countries (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). By being present in distinct geographic areas (Africa, Europe and Middle East), this is a great example of a virtual organisation that faced unique challenges and more important, it includes all of the critical issues identified above. Team relations and communication were affected by both time zone and more important, cultural differences. Also, I will use this case study as a reference for establishing a set of best practices for â€Å"management in the virtual project setting† for two reasons: 1. It incorporates cross-cultural management of geographically and culturally distant units. 2. The company achieved an outstanding level of success in terms of budget, time and value delivery.