Generic Biologics As A Tool For Evaluating The Safety And...

1.Background/Statement Of Problem: Generic biologics (otherwise referred to as biosimilars or follow-on biologics), are described by the FDA as biological products that are highly similar to already approved biological products, notwithstanding minor differences in clinically interactive components and for which there are no clinically meaningful differences between the biosimilar and the approved biological products in terms of safety, purity and potency [4]. Biosimilars are copies of approved biologics, whose patent protection has ended and are analogous to a generic version of a chemically derived drug. Generic biologics are however more complicated to develop than a generic version of a chemically derived drug owing to their complex structure and inherent variability [3]. The assessment of bioequivalence as a tool for evaluating the safety and efficacy is based on the fundamental Bioequivalence Assumption that if two drug products are shown to be bioequivalent in average bioavailability, it is assumed they will reach the same therapeutic effect and be used interchangeably [1]. However, characterizing generic versions of small molecules drugs is considerably easier than characterizing biologic drugs due to several key characteristics [3], based on the fact that characteristics of biologics are influenced by: choice of source materials (cell line), production process, purification process and the final pharmaceutical formulation. Differences inShow MoreRelatedtable of proposal target and time scale10137 Words   |  41 Pagesthe SWOT Analysis (Threats and Opportunities) and PEST. As I think it is the most suitable auditors in making a research for PFIZER external situation. SWOT ANALYSIS www.google/image.com Based on Marketing notes books, SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment. It is the first stage of planning and helps marketers to focus on key issues. SWOT analysis is a very short analysis and it is very easy to understand. SWOT stands for strength, weaknesses, opportunitiesRead MorePharmaceutical Price Controls in the Oecd Countries47662 Words   |  191 Pagesthat consumers would benefit both from technological breakthroughs and the competition that further innovation generates. The United States also relies on a strong generic pharmaceutical industry to create added competitive pressure to lower drug prices. Recent action by the Administration and Congress has accelerated the flow of generic medicines to the market for precisely that reason. By contrast, in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries studied in this reportRead MoreGsk Annual Report 2010135604 Words   |  543 Pagessubstantially re-engineered GSKâ €™s business through major restructuring and a more rigorous approach to capital allocation. The effects of these changes in 2010 were masked to some degree by speciï ¬ c events. Reported sales, for example, were impacted by generic competition to Valtrex, and reduced sales from Avandia and pandemic related products. Meanwhile earnings were impacted by the signiï ¬ cant charge we took to help resolve long-standing legal matters. This belies the good progress we have made to executeRead MoreCase Study148348 Words   |  594 PagesIntroducing Strategy The Environment Strategic Capabilities Strategic Purpose Culture and Strategy Business Strategy Corporate Strategy and Diversification International Strategy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances Evaluating Strategies Strategy Development Processes Organising for Success Leadership and Strategic Change The Practice of Strategy Pages 30 37 47 59 69 79 88 99 108 115 122 132 144 150 162 Case Teaching Notes The LEGO Group: Working with StrategyRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagesscope 5.3 Creating a WBS 5.4 Tools and techniques 6.1 Define activities 9.1.2. Responsibility matrixes 10.1 Communication planning (.2.3.4) [App. G-4] Chapter 12 Outsourcing 12.1.1 Procurement requirements [G.8] 12.1.2.3 Contract types 9.4.2.3 Conflict management 12.2.7 The art of negotiating 12.2.3.5 Change requests Chapter 13 Monitoring Progress Chapter 5 Estimating Times and Costs 6.4 Activity duration estimates (.3) 6.4.2 Estimating tools (.1.3.4) 6.3.1 Identifying resourcesRead MoreMedicare Policy Analysis447966 Words   |  1792 Pagescov21 erage shall notify enrollees of the change at least 90 days 22 before the change takes effect (or such shorter period of rmajette on DSK29S0YB1PROD with BILLS 23 time in cases where the change is necessary to ensure the 24 health and safety of enrollees). †¢HR 3962 IH VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:56 Oct 30, 2009 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00102 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3962.IH H3962 103 3 Subtitle C—Standards Guaranteeing Access to Essential Benefits

Technology And The Digital Economy Essay - 1854 Words

The continuous improvements in technology and the digital economy have given means to the economic innovations that are taking place on the internet, such as the growth of crowdfunding. This has enabled business entrepreneurs, organisations and individuals to seek funding or donations online for their projects, business start-ups and personal related issues. Crowdfunding has given people the ability to reach a larger population when seeking funds through online crowdfunding platforms without being restricted to family and friends and without having to acquire loans which may be required to be paid back, as most crowdfunding websites do not require anything to be paid back in return for the funds raised. Outlaw (2013) states that there are four main types of crowdfunding being used in today’s economy which include: Donation, Reward, Debt and Equity Investment crowdfunding. Rewards based crowdfunding; the most widely used form of crowdfunding, is being used mostly by entrepreneurs as it allows users to start a campaign on websites such as Kickstarter.com and Indiegogo.com. Through these websites, individuals and creators of projects can pitch their products and services with a targeted goal amount and a reward system that encourages investors and donors to pledge and receive a reward if the set goal is achieved. The rewards are usually in the form of a discounted price when purchasing the product or being the first to own the product when it launches. This excitement to be theShow MoreRelatedTechnology : The Backbone Of Digital Economy938 Words   |  4 PagesWe are living in an era governed by the internet and technology. Technology has paved ways for businesses as a whole to be more productive and operate more efficiently. The internet and information technology has also proven to create huge breakthroughs for various departments within businesses. à ¢â‚¬Å"In the information era, ITs are widely applied in all organizational functions by transforming organizational architecture and the way that people work, communicate, and interact within and across organizations†Read MoreGlobalization : The New Era Of Global Flows883 Words   |  4 Pagesthe volatility the market is seeing today. However, in reality, we are entering a new phase of globalization defined by flows of data and information. Digital flows, which were virtually nonexistent at the turn of the millennium, now exert a larger impact on GDP growth than the age old trade in goods. According to a recent Mckinsey report, Digital globalization: The new era of global flows, found that trade of all kind contributed 10% or roughly $7.8 trillion to global GDP. Data alone accounted forRead MoreDevelopment Of Information And Communication Technology1625 Words   |  7 PagesCommunication Technology (ICT), the Digital Economy has begun to enter our field of vision, and it has become an important driving force of global economic and social development. This idea has been launched by OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). Due to the promotion of the digital economy, the development of human changes from the atomic process to information processing (Negroponte, 1995). In digital economy, the digital network and communication technology facilities provideRead MoreAnalysis : Addressing The Tax Challenge Of The Digital Economy1602 Words   |  7 PagesAddressing the Tax Challenge of the Digital Economy Base erosion and profit shifting (â€Å"BEPS†) is a reference to the overall tax strategies of large multinational organizations that involve exploiting the differences and gaps in the tax systems around the globe. 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HelpingRead MoreTechnological Advancements Around The World Have Developed1609 Words   |  7 Pagesapplication technology as a critical tool useful in the definition of social as well as economic advancements. The extent to which different people can access the technological advancements is significant to the definition of how challenging it is for people to access the same technological advancements, hence the creation of a digital divide. The digital divide can be defined as the state of social inequality defined in relation to the access, use, as well as impacts linked to the use of digital communicationRead MoreHow Does A Generic Digital Wallet Work?1654 Words   |   7 Pagesdoes a generic digital wallet work? What typical features does a digital wallet offer to users? (2 mark) Digital wallet is a software app (application) for you smart phone that digitally stores your loyalty cards and coupon codes in your phone so you don’t have to keep a bunch of plastic cards in your wallet. 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Fostering entrepreneurship and addressingRead MoreMarketing Space(Digital) Place(Physical) Essay1620 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"marketing involves decisions crucial to the success of every organization, whether large or small, profit or nonprofit, manufacturer, retailer, or service firm.† (p. 4). In this new economy and web-savvy age that we are living in, companies must be able to have not just a physical place for the organization but a digital space for it as well to compete with their online competitors and to shift themselves into the global market that is accessible, available, marketable and viable in every way fromRead MoreFdi Of Digital Indi An Initiative Of Government Of India Essay1651 Words   |  7 PagesFDI IN DIGITAL INDIA Dr. Shobha Edward,M.C.S.,M.Phil.,P.G.D.P.M.L.L.,P.G.D.C.S.M.,D.L.T.,Ph.D., Associate Professor, Principal i/c Head of the Department of Corporate Secretaryship, K.C.S.Kasi Nadar College of Arts Science. Email: shobhaedward@gmail.com _________________________________________________________________________ Abstract Digital India is an initiative of Government of India to integrate the government departments and the people of India. Digital India mission is expected to

Employee of the Month Free Essays

string(66) " day for the person that shows the most dedication and hard work\." Employee of the Month After watching â€Å"Employee of the Month,† it was clear to see that there were two main issues. These issues were motivation and ethics and they both came up throughout the entire movie. It was almost immediately shown that moviation was an issue at the Super Club (where they all work) with almost all of the employees, each seemingly being motivated in a different manor. We will write a custom essay sample on Employee of the Month or any similar topic only for you Order Now Since the main protagonist of the movie was Zack (played by Dane Cook), an in-depth look at how his motivation changes throughout the movie would be a great comparison to the real life problems of motivation that employers face. The best way to understand Zack’s styles of motivation would be to look at them through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s hierarchy states that people have five basic types of needs: physiological, security, affiliation, esteem, and self-actualization. Through the accomplishment of these, a person would be able to work their way up the hierarchy and eventually come to the point at which they are maximizing their personal achievement with self-actualization. When looking at how this applies to Zack, it is clear that he was not at the top of the hierarchy at the beginning of this movie, and it is only through many different events and realizations that he begins to achieve what he is personally capable of. As the movie starts, Zack seems to be somewhere between the stages of affiliation and esteem. It seems that he is finding the physiological, security, and most likely also the affiliation needs all achieved, but that is where it seems to stop. The physiological needs, which include basic survival needs such as food, water, air, and shelter, are all being provided as he has a home to go to and seems to be fairly well nourished throughout the film. The next stage, the security needs, also seem to be satisfied. Being able to live with his grandmother and not engaging in any kind of dangerous activities seems to prevent him from being in danger of any pain or life-threatening situations. This leads him to the affiliation stage, which seems to be the last stage of the hierarchy that he has satisfied at the beginning of the movie. Affiliation needs are those that involve being loved, and having friendship, both of which Zack seem to have. Again, living with his grandmother seems to fulfill the part of being loved, as they have a very good relationship. Along with that, his close group of friends at work seem to fulfill the part of having friendship, as he is seen constantly talking to them and hanging out with them. However, this seems to be the extent of what he has fulfilled at the start of this film. The next stage in the hierarchy is the esteem stage. Esteem focuses on respect, recognition from others, and feelings of self-worth. It seems apparent that other that his close friends, there aren’t many people that truly recognize Zack and probably even less that actually have respect for him. Therefore, though it seems that he is content with his position at the beginning, he is not actually happy about where he is at and doesn’t have the feelings of self-worth that come with achieving the esteem stage of the hierarchy. This, however, soon begins to change with the arrival of a new cashier, Amy. When she transfers to the store, Zack suddenly has a reason to achieve a higher stage, both with a challenge against the lead cashier (Vince) and also challenging himself that he can become the employee of the month. During this competition with Vince, Zack begins to focus more on being recognized by others for the work that he does, begins to be respected by both his peers and his supervisors, and finally starts to have a sense of self-worth because he is able to compete with the reigning 17 time employee of the month. This is probably the longest stage throughout the movie, leading to many changes in both his behavior and his relationships with his friends and his enemies. The final stage of Maslow’s hierarchy is the self-actualization. Though it is a long time coming for Zack in the film, he eventually reaches this stage by losing everything that he has. It is towards the climax of the movie that everything seemingly falls apart for the main protagonist, and it is only after he apparently loses all that he has been working for that he realizes that he shouldn’t be working just to impress others, but instead take pride in the work he does and do the best he can simply for himself. When he reaches this stage, he is able to focus on what he must do and eventually makes right everything that had previously gone wrong. He discovers the fact that trying to please everyone around him will only end up stretching him too thin, and the only way to truly achieve his own maximum personal achievement is to take pride in his work. Throughout the movie, it is possible to see the different stages of Maslow’s hierarchy and what kind of characteristics come with being in a certain stage. When only worrying about the lower levels of the hierarchy, it is easily possible to simply become complacent with your job and lack the motivation to achieve your personal best. It is only when you can become proud of your work and strive to achieve the very best that you personally can that the achievement of self-actualization is possible. Not only are employees motivated by their own needs, but they are also motivated by different techniques that employers use. In the movie, it appears that they are partially relying on the goal-setting theory. This theory assumes that the mere existence of a goal is motivating. One of the techniques the managers apply is a gold star sticker every day for the person that shows the most dedication and hard work. You read "Employee of the Month" in category "Papers" Then at the end of the month the stars are counted up and the one with the most is the employee of the month. In order for this theory to work, however, there are some principles that must be met: 1) Set clear and specific goals, 2) Assign difficult but achievable goals, 3) Increase employee acceptance of goals, 4) Provide incentives to achieve goals, and 5) Give feedback on goal attainment. The first principle is met in this instance. The employees are aware of what they need to do to attain a gold sticker, and that they need the most stickers to achieve the goal of employee of the month. The second principle is met as well. The goal is difficult in that you have to be better than everyone for most of the month, but there is always a winner every month so it is obviously achievable. The managers may need to work on the third principle, though. Not all the employees, like Zack in the beginning, accept the goal or think they are worth achieving. The managers could potentially involve employees in the goal-setting process to make them more accepting of the goals. There may not be any monetary incentives for the employee of the month, but there is a higher status associated with the title. This fact means that the fourth principle is being met. When someone is made employee of the month, they receive the intangible incentive of being recognized by their co-workers and managers as being worthy and a hard worker. There is also feedback given on achieving the goal of employee of the month. In the movie, there is a banquet and a car that was going to be in Vince’s honor for being employee of the month for 18 months in a row. One of the managers from corporate comes to the store to give recognition, also. Reinforcement theory is also apparent in the movie. The gold sticker method is an example of operant conditioning under this theory. Operant conditioning proposes that if a pleasurable consequence follows a behavior, the behavior will continue. When an employee displays good behavior or is an outstanding employee, they receive a gold star. This encourages employees to continue to get gold stars and continue their behavior so that they can eventually become employee of the month. Operant conditioning is also apparent in how they deal with bad behavior. The managers use extinction for this. Instead of punishing employees for unwanted behavior, they ignore it. Zack never was really punished for not being his best, he was just ignored. But Vince was the center of attention because of his good behavior. Although there were many factors involved, ignoring Zack did help stop his bad behaviors, like being late and slacking off. The most popular approach to designing work for increased motivation in the U. S. is the job characteristics model. The core characteristics are: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. These are all things that increase an employee’s psychological motivation because they feel their job is meaningful. Not all people, however, like jobs with enriched job characteristics. Zack at the beginning of the movie is a prime example of this. He is only working for the extrinsic values, like a paycheck. He wasn’t concerned with doing extra or with getting anything extra out of his job. Another big issue that was prominent throughout the entire movie was ethics. There are many examples of common ethical situations that were broken and there was not much done to stop all the nonsense that went on during the workdays at Super Club. In our textbook it states that â€Å"Usually, procedures and policies in a company regarding social responsibility reflect the ethical values and decisions of the top management team. † Now the top management team in the movie seemed out place and not really caring what went on with the employees. They were more worried about other things going on in the store and outside the store. So while the managers worried about other activities going on most of the employees just goofed off most of the day and made work seem more like a hang out than actual work. Everything the employees did during the movie made it funny, but in all reality most of the employees would have been fired for what they have done. There were three main managers in the movie: Glen Gary (store manager), Dirk (Assistant Manager), and Glen Ross (CEO). Glen Gary and Dirk most of the time were walking around with a check board looking for good things that were happening and figuring out who they could give the gold star to that day. They were only aware of the good things going on in the store and were really missing out on what the employees really did at work. Glen Gary was more worried about impressing corporate and making his older brother Glen Ross happy and keeping him out of their store. Dirk was just there doing the same things as Glen Gary and was sucked into his management style. It seemed that their store was performing exceptionally well under the circumstances of the management style and the work ethic of some of the employees, but they probably could be doing a better job than what was really going on. Ethics was something never talked about in the movie, and one can clearly see that the managers were not concerned with the ethical dilemmas of the store. In our textbook it has a section in Chapter 4 named â€Å"Ethical Philosophy†. There are two traditional views discuss under this topic in the chapter. The first view is teleological ethical theories, which is the morality of an act or practice that comes from its consequences. There are several different examples throughout the movie that prove this theory correct. One example is in one of the opening scenes where a young boy wants a remote control truck, but his mom tells him no and that it is too expensive for them to buy. Zack overhears this conversation as he casually rolls by and cuts the box open and states that there is now a 40 percent discount on the box because it is open. Although it is not in the best interest of the store to sell it a low, discounted price, Zack is just being himself and trying to help the boy out in getting the new toy. The consequences of this act could be brutal for Zack or nothing could happen to him. If he gets caught on surveillance or another employee reports him, he could very easily be fired or put on some sort of probation for disobeying store policies. On the other hand if Zack does not get caught he will continue to do this for other customers and therefore lower the stores income. The people that Zack is giving the discounts to are going to think that he is very nice for doing that or may question the ethics of the store. So their response may either be a good or bad as well. They can either return to the store and expect to receive the same treatment with a good deal or someone will cut a package open for them again. The good outcomes would be like utilitarianism. Cutting a box open for a customer, to lower the price of the product, is crucial to Zack, because he wants to make customers happy. The bad outcome would be that the customer would not come back to the store because they were offended by the act that Zack committed. There are many different ways one can analyze the situation, but the consequences can be good for some and bad for others and vice versa. This is when the deontological theory comes into play. The theory focuses on actions that have a good or bad morality regardless of their outcomes. One should simply follow their companies ethic guidelines, even if that means that the customers you are working with aren’t happy. In the end, motivation and ethics played a big role in the film, â€Å"Employee of the Month. † Having motivation and having there be ethics in a workplace, is a big part in most companies today. Without these the company would most likely fail. How to cite Employee of the Month, Papers

Simulation of Inventory Planning and Control

Question: Discuss about the Simulation of Inventory Planning and Control. Answer: Introduction: Supply chain management is a field of business which impacts the students and the business holders an important aspect of the best method through which one can ensure smooth flow of the inputs and output in the firm. It gives the framework through which the best managerial workload in the logistics sector of an organization should be put in place. Companies who apply the most suitable model of the supply chain in the firm will avoid the challenges which come with recklessness. For instance, their businesses will not face theft and fraudulent activities since all behaviors are in an organized perspective. In our case, one will delve upon Coca Cola manufacturing company. As the supply manager of this large corporation, one is expected to have the best modus operandi so as to counter defy arising from running a big organization. Additionally, Christopher, (2016) states that, Coca Cola is a multinational association and thus the manner in which the inflows and the outflows moves should b e critically studied. This corporation was established in 1886 by purchasing the franchise rights of the Coca-Cola formula and brand which was dealing with nonalcoholic drinks. Later on, the management decided to incorporate it and develop into a soft drink company. By the year 1929, this association at established branches all over the world dealing with the manufacturing of different kinds of soft drinks under the umbrella Coca-Cola. Currently, it is found in all continents. Besides, it is ranked the best in the production of nonalcoholic drinks in the universe. Its achievement was realized from the well-developed distribution and strategic management from the headquarters (Souza, 2014). Therefore, in this piece of work, one will delve upon the core flows in the supply chain, the make process, the supply chain forecast of the Coca-Cola enterprise so as to come up the precise information pertaining procurement administration. Key flows in supply chain The efficient flow of different constituents of a company production is pivotal in ensuring there is the coherence of the manufacturing involved. These mechanisms encompass products, information, and cash and return flow. The Coca-Cola Company has all these strategies in place so as to pave the way for continued improvement of its trade globally. The corporation has an integrated production flow so as to ensure the business runs accordingly. Their processing plant is created in such a way that they receive the sugar from the supplier and the concentrated formula from the coca cola international. After having received, they dilute and the process of the formulae which are then bottled in different plants owned by the company (Pinho, et al., 2017). The product is later own sold to the regional dealers who then ensure they reach those dealing with them from a local perspective. The final stage in production ends with the selling of the product to the consumer. Additionally, the information system of Coca Cola Company is also quite modernized. The supply chain information flows from the suppliers to the manufacturers as per the request and vice versa. The manufacturers then consult with the different branches dealing with the assembly concerning the products as well as the various management sectors of the branches (Liu, Yeh Lo, 2017). As the distribution continues, the meeting point communicates with the retailers concerning the amount they need as well as the distributors communicate with assembly point by giving out their views. The consumers and the retailers from the last stage in which the customers receive the information from the retailers as well as the retailers receive complaints and so forth from the buyers. The kind of communication used in coca Company is a two way method (Goodier, 2015). It is represented in the table below; The cash and return flow are also utilized in the corporation so as to ensure sustainability of different sectors of production in it. The consumers buy the soft drink from the retailers who sell them in their shops. The money collected is used by the retailers to purchase the soft drinks from the wholesalers who make their direct purchases from the assembly points (Papadopoulos et al., 2017). The funds received from the sales are sent to the Coca Cola International who uses the returns in making of the budget for the company (SHARMA, 2016). Coca-Cola Company should apply some theories so as to guarantee their continued sustainability in the trading field. Primarily, they should employ strategic choice theory which entails that the company should have a well-developed system through which they can deal with political forces which might affect the distribution of their yields. This approach will ensure the challenges experienced by the company in war-torn parts of the world are solved . Besides, the company should apply the use of systems theory in solving matters related to financial, human and information material in the firm. The company should apply this model so as to certain that the internal and the external factors shaping up the business improve (Wieland Handfield, 2016). The game theory can be included as well in the running of the endeavor. It helps in solving of the different decisions affecting the firm, for instance, the managerial body in making decisions. The make process The production planning is one of the critical sections a company mainly dealing with foodstuffs component must have so as to avoid challenges ranging from competition, loss of market and even complaints from the consumers. The complaints may be as a result of substandard products and so forth. The coca cola company has an excellent system of planning in their production and material sector. They have achieved this through application of tools of planning. Notably, the mission and vision statement serves as a framework through which everyday action is pecked upon. They ensure that their working conditions are convenient for people of all ages and so forth. Moreover, they are driven by the portfolio of quality brands of beverages. According to Esmaeilikia, et al., (2016), the materials used in the production are received directly from the head office in Argentina to different plants in the world. The host countries managerial bodies are given the mandate of procuring sugar from the su ppliers of their choice. On the arrival of the concentrated beverage material, the already assembled sugar is mixed with the water and other chemicals as measured by the food scientist employed by the corporation. After that, the products are packaged in bottles of different capacity and crated ready for distribution to the buyers. The production process has been simplified by use of the diagram below; To improve the processing and material collection, Coca Cola Company should apply the resource-based theory in running its company (Mohamed Omwenga, 2015). This argument is based on the usefulness of the different material in the firm. For instance, the company should be vigilant on the way in which they keep their materials. It is pivotal for them to have a store in which they should be keeping of the crates of bottles of different magnitudes. The resultant will ensure that they are in good shape so as to avoid breakage and likewise ensure that they are safeguarded from theft. Furthermore, the company will have a constant accessibility in keeping vigil on the manner at which production is taking place in the firm. The sole aim of this theory is also to keep the company on toes concerning what they need in the production. These ideas will lead them into making of the budget pertaining them in an overt manner (Genovese, et al., 2017). The aiding principle is the transaction cost econ omic theory which outlines that the company should have a list of their required materials so as to give room for drawing of the budget as per the materials. The Coca Cola Company should use this ideology so as to avoid incurring a lot of unnecessary expenditures resulting from assumptions on the resources needed for production purposes. Supply chain forecast Various companies use forecasting models in coming up with the most practical framework through which production can be achieved in the enterprise. This measure has been made possible through the availability of different market patterns encompassing the several business organizations globally. Coca Cola Company being among profit-making companies should also consider making use of different available forecasting models in the market (Correia et al., 2017). There are two dominant forecasting techniques available in the market which include; quantitative and qualitative models. The qualitative prediction approach entails the use of judgmental values while trying to establish the future aspect of the trade in the firm. This method is utilized in the cases where the data available is insufficient, unavailable or it is no longer relevant for the use in the company. The commonly used types of qualitative analysis in the business spectrum are; market research, personal insights, panel cons ensus and visionary forecasting. They are based applied in the introduction of new product in the market. On the other hand, the quantitative prediction technique in which the data which is already in existence in the company from the archives is used in projecting future demands for the firm. The information gathered from the previous undertakings of the business is put on a graphical representation and therefore serve as a basis through which action in future commitments of the company should be established (Coyle et al., 2017). The graphical representation can be in several dimensions such as downwards or upward. The downward extrapolation gives a picture that the company has been performing poorly and thus need for strategic decision making in future concerning mechanisms of how one can revive the firm. On the contrary, the upward shows a positive way through which the company is running. It enables the administrative team to be certain that the future of the company is bright. Coca Cola Company should apply the use of quantitative theory in projecting its future trends in the business. This company has been running for over hundred years, and thus the relevant history and reliable data pertaining production and sales in the firm are available. Therefore, they can use them in coming up with the picture on where or how the company can run its activities in the latter stages. The information and the trends in which this company has been experiencing in the past will be successfully applied in the analysis of the demand both in the financial and ensuring the output of the firm is integrated well. The step will ensure that the business does not collapse since the budget and the measures put in place during the forecasting are an ultimatum for its growth in the supply perspective. Conclusion Various scholars view supply chain management as the crucial part in which all organizations in the business should ensure it succeeds. This section is pivotal in that all the activities encompassing the business from the management to the lowest point in the enterprise depend on it in measuring the capability of growth in the company (Andini Simatupang, 2014). The supply chain manager is entitled to have a broad range of original dimension in which should be well utilized in any given corporation. By doing so, it can lead to the realization of profits as well ensuring that the firm is working towards sustaining itself due to the presence of cutthroat competitions in the market which if not well analyzed, the company may engage in subsequent losses. Consequently, the supply chain administrator of any firm should ensure that they apply the key flow chains so as to bring about the most efficient coordination of the enterprise. For instance, Burgess et al., (2017) allude that; organiza tions should ensure they implement the manner in which the products, information, and cash and return flow are coherent so as to pave way for amendments in case any of it is not performing well. They should thus guarantee the manner in which information is drawn from the highest level to the lowest to be systematic by use of electronic media so as to avoid distortion and so forth. The production should be methodical by making sure it follows the designated levels. The cash and the return flow should also be in line with the production and budgeting agenda of the company. Additionally, the company should be able to guarantee the availability of an effective production and material requirement planning in the firm. The line of production and the materials used in achieving the output should be available always. The managerial body should put more efforts in ensuring they purchase them on time so as to avoid stoppage of production in the firm. The coca cola company must always have bottles and the concentrated material and sugar so that the business workload becomes consistent. On the other hand, Dubey et al., (2017) highlights that, the company should apply the best forecasting mechanism so as to allow for budgeting on the practices which may affect the company either positively or negatively in the future. Beside, one will be able to have measures to curb the uncertainties which may affect the company in latter times. The realization of this in a firm should be characterized the availability of splendid knowledge on several theories of logistics. The ideologies provided will assist in enhancing the running of the corporation in an explicit manner. The models put in place include; quantitative and qualitative approaches, the cost economic theory and the systems ideology among others. References Andini, R. A., Simatupang, T. M. (2014). A process simulation of inventory planning and control for Minute Maid Pulpy at Coca-Cola. International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 17(1), 66-82. Burgess, T., Grimshaw, P., Huaccho Huatuco, L., Shaw, N. (2017). Mapping the Operations and Supply Chain Management field: a journal governance perspective. International Journal of Operations and Production Management. Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics supply chain management. Pearson UK. Correia, E., Carvalho, H., Azevedo, S. G., Govindan, K. (2017). Maturity Models in Supply Chain Sustainability: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability, 9(1), 64. Coyle, J. J., Langley, C. J., Novack, R. A., Gibson, B. (2016). Supply chain management: a logistics perspective. Nelson Education. Dubey, R., Gunasekaran, A., Papadopoulos, T., Childe, S. J., Shibin, K. T., Wamba, S. F. (2017). Sustainable supply chain management: framework and further research directions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 1119-1130. Esmaeilikia, M., Fahimnia, B., Sarkis, J., Govindan, K., Kumar, A., Mo, J. (2016). Tactical supply chain planning models with inherent flexibility: definition and review. Annals of Operations Research, 244(2), 407-427. Genovese, A., Acquaye, A. A., Figueroa, A., Koh, S. L. (2017). Sustainable supply chain management and the transition towards a circular economy: Evidence and some applications. Omega, 66, 344-357. Goodier, R. (2015). Supply-side motivation: getting soft drinks or medicine into people's hands requires a value chain. Mechanical Engineering-CIME, 137(7), 16-17. Liu, Z. L., Yeh, S. P., Lo, C. H. (2017). Mathematical Models for Supply Chain Management: Concepts and Cases FOREWORD. Mohamed, K. S., Omwenga, J. (2015). Supply chain risks mitigation strategies adopted by manufacturing firms in Kenya: A case of Coca Cola Company (K). International Academic Journal of Procurement and Supply Chain Management, 1(4), 45-65. Papadopoulos, T., Gunasekaran, A., Dubey, R., Fosso Wamba, S., Childe, S. J. (2017). World Class Sustainable Supply Chain Management: critical review and further research directions Pinho, T. M., Coelho, J. P., Moreira, A. P., Boaventura-Cunha, J. (2017). Model predictive control applied to a supply chain management problem. In CONTROLO 2016 (pp. 167-177). Springer International Publishing. SHARMA, P. K. (2016). Survey of Supply Chain Inventory Models. Global Journal For Research Analysis, 5(8). Souza, G. C. (2014). Supply chain analytics. Business Horizons, 57(5), 595-605. Wieland, A., Handfield, R. B. (2016). Supply Chain Management. In 5th World Conference onProduction and Operations Management. POM 2016.

FRIDAY Essays (365 words) - English-language Films, British Films

FRIDAY A handsome, in about 26 years old, with straight and strong limbs, tall and well shaped fellow who bare name Friday which he got for the memory of a day he was rescued. The native who was saved from a certain death by Robinson Crusoe during one of the cannibal rituals of a local tribe. By the man who was actually on his way to Africa to buy Negroes! His hair was long and black but not curled, he had very high forehead and great sparkling sharp eyes. Friday's appearance was somewhere in between Negro and European, black but tawny skin, round face and small but not flat nose as most of the Negroes have. Of course, like all Negroes have, had he fine teeth well set and white as ivory, but oddly enough ? thin lips. To lay his head flat upon ground, close to person's foot and set other foot upon his head ? this was Friday's way of showing the servitude and submission. Robinson understood him in many things and let him know how very pleased he was with him. This was something Friday understood before he could speak Robinson` s language. Still he was a cannibal in his nature, full of lot abhorrence. We can see how the other culture is suppressed from the very beginning. Robinson cures Friday of his cannibalistic habits and gives him a new Western name. But the first words he taught him in English were words that one servant has to know and use! So Friday was domesticated and incorporated into Western society. The main fear and an idea throughout the book is Crusoe `s goal to re-educate Friday to a civilised human being and if he wouldn't have, he would have no mercy but to kill him! Submissive Friday, full of gratitude was treated with the attitude close to colonial that is - possession. In my opinion, Friday's total submission released Robinson from the sort of guilt and the need to use violence. He was Crusoe` s slave because he was saved by him and lifelong servitude was accepted by Robinson. The servant-master relationship was symbolically sealed by an oath, a substitute for the written contract.

When to See a Doctor for Bursitis

When to See a Doctor for Bursitis Bursitis is defined as the irritation or inflammation of a bursa (fluid-filled sacs attached to joints). You can often effectively treat bursitis at home. However, in some cases, you may want or need to treat bursitis with some techniques not available at home and require a visit to a doctor. If you have bursitis and you experience a warm swelling, a fever or become sick you may have septic bursitis and should seek medical attention. Septic bursitis needs antibiotic medication to treat it. In the case of non-septic bursitis you should consider seeing a doctor: If the pain becomes severe or is getting progressively worseIf your range of motion is being hampered and the swelling and stiffness is getting worseIf your strength is affectedIf the injury is becoming chronic and never fully alleviates, or commonly reoccursIf methods for preventing bursitis have not proven sufficientIf home treatments are not effectiveIf you can not change your habits or the repetitive stress causing your bursitis is unavoidable What to Expect From Your Doctor If you are seeking medical help for your bursitis then your general practitioner is probably your first stop. Your doctor will need a history of your condition including the symptoms and activities that trigger or worsen the symptoms. Additionally, you should provide your doctor with information about any treatments, over the counter medication or home remedies you have tried and how effective they have been. Your doctor will perform a basic physical examination of the affected area to check for a swollen bursa. Diagnostic imagery is usually not required  but is some difficult cases it may be requested. Imagery, such as an X-ray or MRI, can help fill out a comprehensive diagnosis. Once diagnosed your doctor may prescribe treatment or refer you to a specialist. In some cases, your doctor may suggest draining the bursa to reduce the swelling. This can usually be done during the same visit. Your doctor will simply insert a syringe into the bursa and remove some of the fluid. This can provide immediate relief but does not treat the cause of bursitis.​ When referring you to a specialist your general practitioner will often suggest a physical therapist or occupational therapist. These therapists will develop a treatment regimen of exercise and/or behavioral therapy that should change or remove the repetitive stress that is causing bursitis as well as strengthening the area so it is more robust. What to Bring to Your Doctor Being prepared with a thorough history of your symptoms can help your doctor diagnose your bursitis. Organize your information to help your doctor get through all the pertinent parts in the time usually allotted for an appointment. The information you should have on hand includes: What your symptoms areWhen your symptoms first presented or startedHow severe your symptoms areIf your symptoms come and go or are persistentWhat activities trigger or worsen your symptomsWhat kind of repetitive stress concerning the area of your bursitis you regularly encounterAny candidate causes of bursitis you have identifiedAny injuries within the past 6 months to the area of your bursitisOther medical conditions you currently suffer from or have had in the past, including surgeries When gathering your information, it is beneficial to journal your symptoms. Write down all your symptoms with notes about duration and severity. Use a Visual Analog Pain Scale to track the pain. Make notes of the activities that may contribute to bursitis and what effect they seem to have. Furthermore, write down any treatments and if they have a positive or negative effect. Last, but not least, write down any questions you have for your doctor before your appointment. Patients often get nervous or forget their questions when face to face with their doctor. Write down your questions and make sure you get satisfactory answers before you leave. Dont forget, your doctor is there to help you and you are paying them for that help, so make sure to get your moneys worth.

The Connection between Management and Leadership Essay

The Connection between Management and Leadership - Essay Example The researcher states that being a leader is easy. Gaining followers is the easiest part of being a leader, but it is still tough for most people. Leading one’s followers is a different prospect though; it demands the maximum one can offer. A well-structured organization should have a pool of leaders and managers in order to be successful. In fact, what they actually need is a few first-class leaders and many brilliant managers. This shows the connection between management and leadership. It is far more difficult to be a leader than a manager. One can go to school and become an excellent manager, but there is no guarantee that reading motivational books and attending workshops can make one a leader. Managers are the persons tasked with the job of management (planning, budgeting, staffing, organizing, controlling and problem-solving). On the other hand, leaders create a path, guide people, inspire, and motivate. In this regard, it is easy to see that leaders interact with peopl e much more than managers do. A leader usually has to go out there and put his skills to the test because the followers always want to see them. On the other hand, a manager can perform his duties in absentia and still achieve a decent degree of success. A manager can sit in his office the whole day and employees will still recognize that he is around. This is possible but difficult in leadership. A leader has the heart, drive, and creativity while a manager has the determination, the logic and the mind. A leader is inspiring, innovative, courageous, flexible and independent, while a manager is analytical, authoritative, direct, consulting and stabilizing. Management and leadership play an important role in service delivery in organizations. Although they are similar in many aspects, they may involve different types of behaviors, skills, and perspectives.

Innovation policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Innovation policy - Essay Example 3). "In addition to the industrial policies that governments pursue in line with their political philosophies and models of economic growth, some governments develop public policies with varying degrees of explicitness, intended to encourage innovation" (Dodgson and Bessant 1996, p.23). To illustrate the role of government in the process of innovation, Shonfield (1981) postulated as his point of entry that public policy-makers need not, or more strongly should not, be concerned with economic innovation, and the to ask what conditions have to be fulfilled by market processes to secure an optimum outcome. This was his first step in his argument: even if it could be shown that the market process was deficient, it would not follow that intervention by public authorities would produce a better answer. Shonfield goes on saying that if markets were to go on their own without intervention from the government as to how they would manage the scientific environment, markets should be able to provide innovators the necessary environment for them to carry their work. This would include the necessary perks to encourage people to innovate. As discussed by Shonfield (1981, p.4), another problem is the measurement: calculating social preference. Social preference here means which projects the society wants to prioritize and those types of innovations that the society wants to set aside for the moment This is partly because market signals are necessarily limited to expressing the preferences of contemporaries. Shonfield's third requirement is that markets must be able to regulate the effects of economic innovation on public goods. On the other hand, Branscomb and Florida (1999) cited the importance of the government's role in support of science and technology on regulating the two kinds of so-called "spillovers." "Knowledge spillovers (italics mine) derive from the public good nature of knowledge, combined with the difficulty of keeping economically useful knowledge secret when it is profitably exploited. Such spillovers can be derived from reverse engineering, when some aspects of a competitor's technology may be discovered by examining how the product is made. Even negative information, the abandonment of a line of work by a respected competitor, for example, can be a useful spillover of his decision" (Branscomb and Florida 1999, p. 30). Branscomb and Florida's second type of spillover is the consumer surplus spillover, which results from the creation of new goods or the improvement of existing ones. "The innovator captures only part of the consumer value in the sales price; there may be a social surplus that exceeds the innovator's profit. Research tends to generate more knowledge spillovers, which is a reason for government support, but research, by itself, cannot generate more knowledge spillovers. Private firms have inadequate incentives (to varying degrees, depending on market structure and other considerations) to take new ideas to market. Furthermore, the transfer of potential useful ideas from the government or university

Second Presidential Debate. Sen. Barack Obama & Sen. John McCain Assignment

Second Presidential Debate. Sen. Barack Obama & Sen. John McCain - Assignment Example The focus of the debate was on domestic and foreign policies, since the questions were based on the economy of the America in relation to the worldwide economic conditions. Each candidate was given two minutes to give his answers to a common question. The most publicized debate that was covered by many television networks was expected to be equally highly charged from the two rivals as was disseminated from the campaigns that were held by the two candidates. However, the debate came out as being sedate, low-voltage and was mostly depicted by the candidates as a tedious forum. It did not auger well with the two candidates, as they did not portray their personal attacks that were prominent in their recent campaigns before the debate. The candidates were unwilling or were simply unable to come out of their talking points straitjackets. Halfway through the debate, the outright winner was the financial wizard Warren Buffet. The two candidates for once came to a consensus when they suggest ed that Buffet would be an effective secretary of the Treasury department in the upcoming administration. Both candidates veered off the much needed answers on domestic and foreign policies, such as more tax reliefs, to which Obama promised to ensure that America provided tax incentives that would ensure fuel-efficient cars are manufactured in the United States, and not imported from Japan. However, not so long after saying that, he remarked that America should portray good habits of spending since they were almost running up trillion-dollar debts that risked to be passed to the new generations. Moreover, on low tax rates, McCain simply answered that they should not raise anybody’s taxes. On the other hand, concerning the foreign policy, both candidates advocated for additional troops in Afghanistan, and Obama yearned for financial assistance to Georgia, Poland, Estonia and to all the countries that were former Soviet satellites. Senator Obama provided the most cohesive answe rs to the questions asked by the moderator. For instance, at the onset of questions, when Allen Shaffer posed the question on the most positive solution that would bail out the American people from the economic meltdown, since the retired as well as the older citizens were on the verge of losing their incomes. Obama positively answered by remarking that the corrupt and unscrupulous executives would be fired and the treasury would demand back the embezzled funds. Furthermore, the middle-class would require a rescue package, meaning there would be tax reliefs for the middle-class. Moreover, homeowners would be given incentives that would help them retain their homes. The citizens, according to Obama, were primarily the people that helped the American government build the roads and bridges through their taxes, and the government in turn should create employment for their people. Ultimately, in the long-term, America would need to fix its health care system as well as its energy system that is continuously burdening most families. On the other hand, McCain answered the same question by claiming that it is the job of the government to fix the problem, though he deviated from giving the core answer that was much expected by the Americans. However, he asserted that in fixing the problem, America needed to have policies that would advocate for energy independence. According to him, America should stop

Distinguishing Whether Virtue Is Knowledge

Distinguishing Whether Virtue Is Knowledge Plato presents Socrates views on the question whether virtue is knowledge and whether it can be taught in several dialogues, most notably in Meno. In this dialogue, Socrates makes many different arguments on the subject of virtue. These arguments include how virtue is defined and whether or not people can acquire it. He examines the ways that virtue can be attained; whether or not one is born being virtuous, whether virtue can be taught or it is another factor for virtues people have. In this essay I will focus on the question of whether virtue can be taught. Platos answer is that virtue cannot be taught. In this essay I will suggest that Plato could have framed the questions a bit differently, which would have probably given him a different answer. In particular I will argue that Plato might have done better to ask whether virtue could be learned instead of asking whether virtue can be taught. The Meno begins with Meno asking Socrates whether virtue can be taught. The argument then is drifted then to another question, what is knowledge. Then Meno proposed an interesting paradox: one can never find out anything new: either one knows it already, in which case there is no need to find it out, or else one does not, and in that case there is no means of recognizing it when found (Plato 1997, 80d-e.). In other words if one does not already know what arà ªte (virtue) is, he cant even search for it, because if he does not know what it is already, then even h he searches, he wont be able to know when one has found it. Socrates suggests a way to solve this dilemma which is based on the Pythagorean view of the immortal soul. According to that notion, the soul, after the physical body dies, is reincarnated and thus never destroyed. If one can never acquire any new knowledge and at the same time it is obvious we are always learning new things, then it is be concluded that learning mus t be a matter of recollection of past life experiences and knowledge. In other words there is no such thing as teaching, but only remembering. In the Meno he demonstrated with a young slave boy who apparently didnt have any knowledge of geometry. By asking the young boy questions he managed to show that the boy had knowledge of certain mathematical theorems. Meno asks again his original question, that is whether one can be taught virtue, or one gets virtue by nature or in some other way. Socrates consents to proceed but argues that they need a common ground due to the fact that neither of them can say at this point what virtue is. Then Meno is made agree that if virtue is not knowledge then it cannot be taught, and if a knowledge then it can be taught. He points out that one can teach something only if one knows what it is that he is teaching. Someone who does not know himself how to drive a car seems unlikely to be able to teach someone else how to. Socrates and Meno much agree that there is no one that truly knows what is meant by virtue and because of this reason cannot be taught. According to Socrates, If virtue could be taught, we should be able to know not only those who teach it but also those who learn from them, which in truth we cannot easily do (Plato 1997,HYPERLINK http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=plat.+meno+96c 96c). Socrates claims that teachers for horsemanship, medicine, etc. exist and everybody recognizes these as genuine teachers, whereas people dont agree about whether the Sophists really do teach virtue. Socrates goes one to speak of Thucydides, who had two sons, neither of which was considered to be virtuous. However, it is said that Thucydides educated his children in many different disciplines, but it seems that he could not find a teacher of virtue even though he found teachers for other aspects of life he found valuable. He could not teach it himself either, even though he himself was known to be virtuous. Therefore it seems virtue cannot be a form of knowledge. In order for something to be knowledge, someone must be able to teach it to others. Socrates concludes that virtue cannot be taught and that there is no means or method by which virtue can be acquired. Virtue is simply shown as coming to us, whenever it comes, by divine dispensation (reference?) In my view, if Plato had framed the questions somewhat differently, he might have gotten a different answer. That is Plato could have better asked whether virtue could be learned instead of asking whether virtue can be taught. What I mean to say is that asking whether one can be taught something entails that the relationship of a student and a teacher, whereas asking whether something can be learned implies only that there is a student (whose life experiences might be said to be a teacher.) For example, to ask whether I was taught geometry is to ask whether a teacher taught me geometry. Whereas to ask whether I learned geometry is simply to ask whether I learned it, whether or not I was taught it by a geometry teacher or learned geometry myself either from (lets say) a book or by some other means. Learning can come in various forms. In order to learn something, one does not require a teacher in the strict sense. For instance, learning can be achieved from studying people who have virtue and yet the latter may not be aware that they are studied. So a man may be learning virtue, and his teachers may be virtuous, even though the teachers might not even be alive. Another form of learning is experience. Virtue may be learned through personal experience. In this example, the teacher would be both life experiences and the reflective nature of the learner. There is still another form of learning. A man can learn, even if he cannot offer an explanation of how he learned or of what he exactly knows. For instance, after someone has been through a particular problem in his life, he can then detect that a relative of his is going through the same problem. And although he can know it, he cannot give an explanation of how he recognized it. Another example is that of the musicians or painters who have learned their craft and are able to perform well, but find it almost impossible to give an explanation of what they have learned. So the question whether virtue can be taught is a much different, and narrower, than whether virtue can be learned. Plato is right in suggesting that virtue cannot be taught. I believe that we all know or have heard of people who recite rules of virtue (such us be compassionate or be honest,) but find it impossible to put them into practice. Certainly in this sense virtue cannot be taught. A mentioned above, having the ability to be virtuous is like having the ability to be musical, which is to some extent instinctual. So, for example, it could be argued that knowing when, for example, to offer help to a friend when he needs it, is a matter of instinct or judgment. All of this means that although virtue may not be taught, this is not to say that virtue cant be learned. Plato suggests the notion that virtue is inborn. Certainly this is to some degree true. There are some people with an exceptional capacity for virtues like compassion, etc. since they were born. Yet others look as if they are born with little to no moral conscience, which seems to be necessary for virtue to exist. However what this means is just that the foundation of virtue is inborn, not that it cant be learned. In the same way that we comprehend the fact that one can be preached how to be virtuous but fail to be virtuous in practice, the converse is also possible: people can refine the ways they understand virtue, they may become more virtuous by reflective practice, and their views of how to act in a virtuous way changes significantly as they grow up. In my view, if Plato put his questions in a different way (that is if he had asked whether virtue can be learned, instead of whether virtue can be taught) he might have found a much more affirmative answer.

Economic Injustice in America :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Economic Injustice in America "Class is for European democracies or something else--it isn't for the United States of America. We are not going to be divided by class." -George Bush, the forty-first President of the United States (Kalra 1) The United States of America was founded on the basis of a "classless society of equals," committed to eliminating the past injustices imposed on them by Great Britain. A hundred years later, Alexis de Tocqueville, a prominent sociologist of France, claimed that the nation was the most democratic in the world, a model for the rest of mankind, distinguished by the "equality of condition" ("Tocqueville in..." n. pag.). Today, however, there does exist perceptible classes in this country, and, because of differences in material wealth, Americans have unequal opportunities in politics, education, health care, justice, security, and overall happiness. The distinct class structure of current-day America is the greatest cause of inequality in the United States today. This inequality in America is not recognized. The subject is either trivialized or dismissed as untrue. Though the economic injustices of other nations can be easily recognized, their own situation, which is comparable or worse, is free of criticism. Michael Parenti, a sociologist from Yale, states, "If the subject of class is introduced, it is usually dismissed as an outworn Marxist' notion having no relevance to modern America" (Parenti 55). America still represents to many a place of equality where success is determined by chance and choice, ignoring that if this was the case, income would be distributed more evenly than the current imbalance towards the upper class. Thus, while overtly acknowledging and emphasizing the discriminations based on race and gender, the American public accepts unfair social stratification as very legitimate. The reality is that the economic gap within the classes is great and growing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the gap between the richest and "everyone else" in America is the greatest it has been since the end of WWII. Professor Edward N. Wolff of N.Y.U. states that the current era represents "the most extreme level of wealth concentration since the late 1920's" (Gates 17). "Paul Samuelson explains that the present income structure is grossly unfairly distributed. If we made an income pyramid out of a child's blocks, with each layer portraying $1,000 of income, the peak would be far higher than the Eiffel Tower, but almost all of us would be within a yard of the ground'" (Kalra 10).

The Role Technology Plays in Today’s Society

After the Industrial Revolution, human beings came to a new era, which has brought about a drastic change to the whole world in all aspects of life, noticeably in the technological field, whose progress has been by leaps and bounds, and made what formerly believed impossible become a possible. It is obvious that there is a rush toward modern technology for teaching as well as learning nowadays. Learners, especially students have been very quick at embracing technology as the means to reach the most up-dated information in order to open themselves to the world as well as to see how the world touches them.Technology is used to enhance human beings physically and intellectually, however many people is discovering that that technology is a two-edged sword; the benefits are equally balanced by the downsides. It is said that particular jobs will inevitably disappear as a result of technological advancements threatening the importance of the job. Today, many jobs such as ATMs replace bank t ellers, answering machines replace operators, and insightful descriptions of the product on Internet shopping sites replace salesmen.Many have considered the downsides to technology and decided that IT advancements are not all beneficial to society. Even though machines and technology have replaced the jobs that were once done by human beings, the jobs have not been eliminated; they are merely changed in a way that humans no longer carry on the task. Technology has also changed jobs in a way so that it makes it easier to human beings to do their work. An example is how humans exploit the usefulness of machines to mass-produce products and food.Engineers are also hired to develop ways in order to enhance the already existing technology. Despite social issues surrounding the idea of computers replacing humans, many people would agree that if a job is taken over by a machine that is incapable of independent thought, the job is not suitable for a human being who have the ability to do s o. Technology helps eradicate useless jobs and decreases labor costs, but it also creates new jobs. An example of this is the manufacturing of the actual technology and the computer specialists hired to put the technology to use.In our never-ceasing quest for progression and expansion, it seems taken for granted that technological advancement is a positive phenomenon. Amidst the hysteria, however, lies the forgotten fact that the latest development is not necessarily what is best for society. We are encouraged to believe that faster, more complex and superior technology will be beneficial to us in some way. Technology has many positive aspects but, in the wrong hands, it can become dangerous.Technology is a valuable tool but is somewhat misused by today’s teens. The two main forms of technology affecting teenagers – cell phones and the Internet – have brought about major changes in our lifestyle. This technology has allowed teens to have inane communications and in doing so, contributes to the ‘dumbing down’ of society. We spend more time corresponding with our friends on cell phones and the Internet than we do working or participating in activities which expand and challenge

Women In Film Noir essays

Women In Film Noir essays In film noir, there are two archetypal portrayals of women; the whore and the Madonna. The whore is exposed as the dark, sexual and active spider woman out to seduce every man she meets, while the Madonna is a loving, caring virgin who posses no threat. As explained by Janey Place in Women in Film Noir, film noir is a males fantasy where the sexual power and strength of women are visually expressed in film, both through the iconography of the image and through the visual style. From the emergence of film noir in the 1940s, the dark, strong femme fatale is one of the main characters that is often longing for independence from men. Her world is seen as claustrophobic and hopeless, fashioned by strong contrasts in light and dark, off-skewed camera angels and atypical framing. A strong illustration of the classic spider women is Pris (Daryl Hannah) in Blade Runner. Unlike the male androids that use their strength as protection, Pris uses her sexuality to get what she wants. Through out the movie, she is fighting for her own freedom against the humans while being dominated by the male android, Roy. In one scene, she is seen dressed up a doll, paint covering her face and a chain around her neck. Disturbingly, she is portrayed as a sexual object subjected by, as well as a threat to males. Along with a motivational stereotype of the femme fatale is a physical image. She is often seen with long blonde or dark hair, wears lots of jewelry, smokes cigarettes and has lovely long legs. By the use of composition, camera movement, angle and lighting, the beautiful seductress can be shown as a complete angel with underlying malevolent ideas. One example of the beautiful malicious women is shown in Curtis Hansons L.A.Confidental (1997). Kim Basinger plays Lynn Bracken, a Barbie-doll prostitute whose main intentions are to seduce Officer Bud White. She is the idyllic, long legged, blonde, Veronica Lake look-alike whore of ...

The Okinawa Problem essays

The Okinawa Problem essays The Battle of Okinawa, in which both Japanese and American forces suffered enormous casualties, marked its fiftieth anniversary on June 23, 1995. In commemoration of this important date, the Cornerstone of Peace was erected and unveiled that day to, as Okinawa Governor Ota Masahide put it, "convey the peace-cherishing heart of Okinawa and its yearning to live in peace with all.". These noble sentiments were shattered less than three months later, however. on September 4, when a 12-year-old Okinawan girl was abducted, beaten and raped by three US servicemen. The three were part of the 28,000 US troops stationed in the prefecture. Although Okinawa makes up just 0.6% of the total land area of Japan almost exactly the size of Los Angeles it hosts 75% of all US military forces stationed in Japan. Okinawa prefecture is composed of the Ryukyu Islands, with the main island being Okinawa island. US bases occupy 11% of the total land area of the prefecture, including 20% of the main island and 40% of six Okinawan cities. The 1995 rape case exacerbated long-standing resentment against the US military presence in Okinawa. Outraged local people held numerous demonstrations, and calls increased for the reduction of US military presence on the islands. The case proved to be a turning point for the so-called "Okinawa problem," and a series of events attempting to remedy the situation followed. As Okinawa is a strategically vital point for US Forces in the Far East, the Okinawa problem and its consequences have grave implications for both the US and Japan. Crimes committed by US military personnel against the local people of Okinawa were in fact nothing new. According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, between 1972 and 1995, US military personnel were implicated in 4,716 crimes, or nearly one per day. Local authorities stated that 22 murders, 354 robberies, and 110 rapes were committed by US military members during the same period. The US...

Marketing research leads to analysis paralysis Essay

Marketing research leads to analysis paralysis - Essay Example For example, Benz cars are one of the costly vehicles in the world. So it can be successfully implemented in developed or developing countries whereas it might not be an ideal choice for the people of underdeveloped countries. Consider Benz is trying to introduce their expensive vehicles in Indian market. In India, different geographical regions have different type of economies and Benz need to account for these geographical economical and cultural differences before formulating their marketing strategies. Sachin Tendulkar might be a better brand ambassador for Indian conditions whereas he may not be the same in Chinese conditions. Thus marketing is a complicated task which needs lot of researches and analysis for the successful movement of the product in a particular region or market. Millions of dollars spent for the market research and analysis by the marketers which lead towards a situation; analysis paralysis. Primary market research is based on the data collected directly from the market. It is classified into two categories; qualitative and quantitative based on the characteristics of the data collected. ‘Gathering of descriptive information, usually representing verbal or narrative data through open-ended interviews or focus groups usually come under qualitative data whereas gathering of numerical information that can be analyzed statistically through surveys come under quantitative data’(Small business notes, 2009) Open interviews composed of descriptive questions often used to collect qualitative data. The probability of answers like ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ would be avoided while formulating questions for collecting qualitative data through interviews. The interviewees would be forced to open their minds and to answer questions with more details if the questions are designed correctly. The greatest benefit of qualitative research is its ability gather dat a about the common trends, emotional motivators, and general likes and dislikes of the

Cyclical Economic Development in The Economic History Essay

Cyclical Economic Development in The Economic History - Essay Example This paper analyses the process of economic growth, which emerges from and as a consequence of cyclical development. In the 19th century, business cycles were not thought of as cycles at all but rather as spells of crises interrupting the smooth development of the economy. In later years, economists and non- economists alike began believing in the regularity of such crises, analyzing how they were spaced apart and associated with changing economic structures. Schumpeter (1939) suggested that the economic development proceeds cyclically rather than evenly because innovations are not evenly distributed through time, but appear, if at all, discontinuously in groups or swarms. Schumpeter identified the "four-phases" of a cycle. Starting from the mean, a boom is a rise which lasts until the peak is reached; a recession is the drop from the peak back to the mean; a depression is the slide from the mean down to the trough; a recovery is the rise from the trough back up to the mean. From the mean, we then move up into another boom and thus the beginning of another four-phase cycle. In a sense, any cycle of whatever duration can be described as going through these four phases - otherwise the fluctuations cannot be described as "cycles". Empirical evidence shows that throughout the 19th Century, the price level moved backward and forward heavily while output was much less subject to fluctuations. The following four Kondratiev waves (ranging between 48-60 years) have been identified - going through four phases of boom-recession- depression-recovery : (1) The Industrial Revolution (1787-1842), (2) The Bourgeois Kondratiev (1898-1950), (3) The Neo-Mercantilist Kondratiev (1898-1950): and (4) The Fourth Kondratiev (1950- 2010).

Writing to show Cause and Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing to show Cause and Effect - Essay Example cally unfit individuals in the population; thus, increasing the probability of this population suffering lifestyle diseases such as heart conditions (Herbert). Good eating regimes and frequent exercise are not only touted to be effective in increasing wellness, but also in managing stress. The following paper will focus on exercise, eating well, and increasing fitness as strategies of managing stress and increasing wellness. World health organization has identified stress as a major problem in the current world that is affecting both mental and physical health (Varvogli & Christina 76). Exercise is known to trigger a relaxation reflex on the brain that enables relief stress. Therefore, it is clear that exercise is a better way of reducing stress other than using pills and alcohol that people resort to when trying to hide from stress. The best exercise known to reduce stress is geared towards improving focused breathing, blood flow to the brain and muscle, and mindfulness meditation, all which are geared towards relaxation of mind. Good eating regimes are key to stress relieve and wellness of the body. Good eating habits and strategic exercising helps pregnant mothers and terminally ill people to regain their health easily and maintain normal body function optimally (Parker & Samson 10). Nutritional balance can be achieved by checking what people eat in the morning, lunch, and supper. Nutrition is a key component of the livelihoods on individuals, and if not observed well, then people are destined to fall sick. Currently, there are many obese children in the society signaling the relaxed nature of the upbringing system that no longer recognizes the need to keep fit. The stigma usually geared towards these obese kids usually stresses them unnecessarily. The terminally ill people in the society including cancer and HIV/AIDs patients have been shown to be the people under the highest degree of stress. A breakfast rich in cereal meals is known to counteract stress in

African Americans jazz Essay Example for Free

African Americans jazz Essay Many believe that jazz is a music that African Americans played together with the Creole musicians during the 19th century in New Orleans, Louisiana in United States that bind the race together, black and white Americans. This is also considered as the ancient and most distinguished musical genres in North America and known as â€Å"America’s classical music. † Based from the quote of Gerald Early, a lecturer and a writer of African – American studies, he emphasizes that America will be known from three things: in the Constitution, sports (baseball), and in jazz music, since these are the most captivating things that they developed. Jazz is a type of lyricism that reflects on the Great American promise and expresses hope for freedom in slavery. It is also illustrated by the exceptional attribute of collective improvisation and should be performed with the right feelings about it. According to Louis Armstrong if you will ask, you’ll never know. He discovers the secret behind the jazz music, that’s why he became known as one of the successful musicians and leading stars in the whole world. The early jazz musicians create a great impact to the life of many as they change their point of view towards music. Although, jazz music is originated from the black, who are considered outsider but living in America, wherein they use this as a passage to be accepted in the society, still America truly owns this music. I prove it accurate because the New Orleans jazz musicians improve, develop, and patronize this music until the whole world has known it. One more thing, jazz has a big role to the history of America. This music becomes the expression of freedom because way back in 1970, it played a major role in the life of African American culture. Their longing for freedom is emphasized as they sing. I also believe that jazz eliminates the discrimination between the white and black people, that’s why I strongly agree that jazz belongs to America because the whole history of this country is the song itself. The history of jazz is deeply rooted in America and until now the musical tradition lives here. Works Cited The Importance of Jazz in American Culture | Jazz More http://jazz. learnhub. com/lesson/6809-the-importance-of-jazz-in-american-culture#ixzz0ESyZePQVA The Importance of Jazz in American Culture http://jazz. learnhub. com/lesson/6809-the-importance-of-jazz-in-american- culture#ixzz0ET3vi6UcA A History of Jazz http://www. historyjazz. com/ The History of Jazz Music http://meltingpot. fortunecity. com/zaire/721/introframe. htm Jazz Music http://www. smallsjazz. com/

Huawei UCN Research and Practice

Huawei UCN Research and Practice A NEW CONCEPT In recent years, DSL systems have faced many new challenges, such as crosstalk. The standardized DMTs modulation techniques are deployed more densely than ever, making radio resources allocation a severe challenge to address. Insertion of additive guard bands like cyclic prefixes led to the addition of new deal. These insertions are not enough to simply improve the capability of a single traditional DMT transceivers to counteract the impact of the crosstalk. It lies that network development requires a new way of thinking. Based on an optimization-based perspective, next generation DMTs require coordinate network nodes, frequencies and bands, and uniformly arrange network resources, and capable to provide optimal user experience. Therefore, Huawei established a new concept: User Centric Network (UCN). User Centric Network (UCN) is a concept of user-centric network construction. In traditional network construction, base stations were centered, and users were served by a certain base station. As users may be located in different places, it is a challenge to ensure stable and reliable performance for users. Interference between adjacent base stations also reduces the resource efficiency of the entire network. With the new concept of UCN, resources are coordinated, combined, and optimized in allocation, based on a user-centric philosophy so that the user experience will be enhanced. UCN is also a new user-centric concept in term of operation. In the traditional way, operators can just sell simple data packages to customers. USER BENEFITS UCN focuses on users it can provide a lot of benefits for end users. First, UCN can eliminate cell boundaries, providing noborder service experience and improving the peak and average rates. Second, UCN enables multiple cells to receive signals from terminals in a coordinated way, reducing requirements for transmit power of terminals and prolongs their standby time. Third, UCN uses flexible networks, providing customized services and tariff packages for users. UCN AND 4.5G, 5G Here we have to emphasize that UCN is a network construction concept beyond the definition of wireless technology generations. UCN and 4.5G or 5G are not simply a one-to-one relationship. UCN can be implemented phase by phase in 4.5G and 5G. For example, UCN technologies can be used in the 4.5G phase, such as distributed MIMO. Distributed MIMO uses distributed, multi-site, multiple antenna beamforming and multiuser multiplexing technologies on the RAN side to reduce interference and increase capacity. In the recent field trials, distributed MIMO proved 3- to 4- folds of cell capacity. RECENT RESEARCH ON UCN At present, the number of base stations deployed on 4G networks has reached several millions. The recent research on UCN focuses on how to apply the leading-edge UCN concept to these base stations early. We are pleased to see that the entire industry has made successful progress in UCN research. CloudRAN-based technological innovation such as distributed MIMO can ideally control intersite interference and enable extremely dense deployment of sites, without the need to upgrade terminals on live networks. 4.5G distributed MIMO has been put into trial use on live networks for advanced operators. For example, the inter-site distance of lamp pole sites on Shanghais Bund is as short as 50 m. With distributed MIMO, the data rate of cell edge users has increased from 8.2 Mbps to 15 Mbps, an improvement of 80%, and the average cell throughput has increased from 45 Mbps to 65 Mbps, an increase of 45%. Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) Estimation for Interference Identification We are interested in an estimate of the time-varying channel gain matrix. It is obtained by means of a statistical estimation approach that combines the measurements with (i) statistical knowledge of measurement uncertainty, and (ii) prior knowledge of spatial correlation of the interference links. We assume known positions of the transmitted and received vectors and known noise vectors from which the a priori distribution of the channel gain matrix with a mean and a covariance matrix is derived. Statistical knowledge about the channel gain vector and measurement uncertainty is exploited. Given some physical-layer measurements, an ideal linear model in which the prior distribution of the interference matrix and the uncertainty distribution is Gaussian in linear scale is derived. This model relates the measurements to the channel gain vector and therefore can be used to derive an optimal linear MMSE (LMMSE) estimator for the channel gain vector. Since interference is often assumed to have a log-normal distribution, a more realistic model in which the prior path-loss distribution is log-normal and the uncertainty distribution is Gaussian in dB scale is used. In this case, the model becomes non-linear, and therefore a closed-form linearized MMSE estimator, named linearized log MMSE (LLMMSE), is derived to estimate the channel gain vector. The results presented here show how the accuracy of interference estimation obtained from the proposed MMSE Estimator is affected by two syste m parameters, namely the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) uncertainty à Ã†â€™ and the channel variance à Ã‚ . The performance of the MMSE is compared to the simple least squares (LS) estimator. The simulation results in Figure 2-2 show that the proposed MMSE estimator outperforms the LS estimator. The gains are large for high noise levels or when the channel variance à Ã‚  is small. The performance in low noise situations is similar to the LS performance as in such cases the solution of the MMSE estimator converges to the one of the LS estimator. Same behaviour is observed when the channel variance is high.

Voltaires Candide: The Transformation of Candide Essay -- Voltaire Ca

Voltaire's Candide: The Transformation of Candide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candide (1991), which is another version of "Voltaire" by French writer Francois-Marie Arouet, is a short but diverse story that tells of a young man's journey for love and the hardships he faces all the while keeping a very strong, positive and philosophical outlook on life. The book starts in an unknown year, hinted sometime around the Renaissance, with a young man named Candide. Candide loves the princess of a Baron and is banished from the land because of it. Wanting so much to be with his love, he starts his travels to find some way that he can be with her. Right from the start Candide falls into trouble. From being forced to join an army, to seeing and loosing his love again, to great riches and to the lowest pit of poor Candide is able to overcome adversary and conquer the odds. In this amazing journey he finds that every event in the world has a reason, and whether there are positive or negative moments you have to live them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning, the reader finds out about Candide's misfortunate event that leads him on his journeys. His being taught, by Pangaloss, of philosophical ways of life leads him to long for his beloved. This longing is the official start of his journey to marry the beautiful Cunegonde.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candid finds himself at the first of his woes when he enters a tavern in the town of Waldberghofftrarbk-dikdorff. He is coaxed into going to a camp by mean of a meal. In the camp he is captured and forced to fight for the Bulgarian army. He attempts to escape but is caught and is forced to run the gauntlet. He then tries escaping again in the heat of battle and succeeds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After being taken in and helped by James, an anabaptist, he runs into h... ...on: if you had not walked over America: if you had not Stabbed the Baron: If you had not lost all of your sheep from the fine country of El Dorado: you would not be here eating preserved citrons and pistachio-nuts" (87). This last quote by Pangaloss is the end of Candide's journey. This is where Candide finally realizes that the events in the world have reasons behind them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candide realizes, through the teachings of Pangaloss and his journeys, that no one can change what has happened or what might happen in the near future. The only thing that can be done is to take life as it is dealt and play the hand you got. This is a major change for Candide philosophical thoughts of events from beginning to end. Candide can now make the bast out of events that may not favor him in the future. Works Cited Voltaire. Candide. Dover Publications, Inc. New York, 1991

The Squeaky Horn

| The Squeaky Horn| Assignment A| Company Overview The Squeaky Horn is a musical instrument repair store which specialized in all major and minor repairs for band and orchestra instruments. Over the past ten year, The Squeaky Horn has established a great customer relationship with the music professionals from all over the country, and has been operated in a relatively less competitive environment as there were no many similar stores in the town.However, as the new store Best Instrument Repair opened across the town recently, the Squeaky Horn faced a lot pressure on lowering the price for minor repairs in competing with the new price that the Best Instrument Repair offers for the similar services. Eugene Decker, one of the three owners of The Squeaky Horn, was trying to figure out the reason for losing $50745 in their planned profit from the actual operating results, with the information that the store has been going through significant changes within the year.In order to explain the change in profit, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the musical instrument repair industry from both macroeconomic and microeconomic aspects first. Industry Background Macroeconomic Analysis Canadian GDP has been showing an increase trend from 2001 to 2010 as showed in Appendix 1, even though between 2008 and 2009, GDP had a negative growth rate of 2. 8%, the 3. 3% of increase in GDP at 2010 pull up the figure again to make an overall increase trend. Because of the significant increase in GDP over the past decade, consumers have more money spend on entertainment and education.Thus, more people tend to go to watch art shows and learn to play musical instruments. If looking at Appendix 2, the first chart shows clearly that the average household spends more money in entertainment outside home in 2003 than 1998. For example, people spend $20 more on performing arts on average per year. It implies that an increasing number of people will go listen to a concert, which stimul ates performers to keep a peak condition of their instruments for better performances. The musical nstrument repair industry therefore, attracts more repair jobs and technicians in order to satisfy the increasing demand on musical instrument repairs. The average Canadian music technician’s salary is $48,000, which is $9,000 higher than the other instrument repair technician’s as showed in the Appendix 3. Beside the facts that music technicians needs spend a lot of time work on the music repair certificate in order to perform their jobs, $9,000 difference in salary makes the musical technician jobs more attractive than others. As a result, the musical instrument repair industry is competitive.At the last, the industry is also affected by researcher’s studies. According to a cross-sectional study of Canadian school children, E. Glenn Schellenberg (2006) as referred in Appendix 4, kids who play musical instrument perform better in both cognitive tasks and general i ntelligence tests. Therefore, more parents would like to have their kids learn one of the musical instruments in order to explore the kids’ IQ potential. As a result, the musical instruments repair business is much more prosperous than before. Microeconomic Analysis The musical instrument repair industry is competitive.As a pure repair store, The Squeaky Horn faces competition not only in its own town, but also across the province. Because musical instruments are fragile, long distance travel increases the possibility of instrument breaking, music professionals prefer to have their instruments repaired in the local area. Therefore, there are not so many competitions outside the province. Since a lot of musical instruments retailers and individual music technicians also provide the similar services, the overall competition The Squeaky Horn is facing is heavy.Appendix 5 offers 3 of the most popular musical instrument repairs store in Ontario. The first two stores specialized in difference instruments repairs (guitar and violin); the last one is basically covering repairs and restorations for all instruments. Appendix 5 also shows the instrument repair price that another store in the industry offers. The average major repair (overhaul and refinish) is priced over $300 for band instruments (trumpet, trombone and horn) compare to The Squeaky Horn, which shows that The Squeaky Horn is cost efficient.The Squeaky Horn has various suppliers for musical instruments parts. Appendix 6 provides all the musical instruments manufacturers across Canada, and over half of the suppliers are from Ontario. Various supplier choices make The Squeaky Horn a price maker, which allow it to lower the repair price to attract more clients. The Squeaky Horn has customers all over the country. The customer line spreads from the music professionals to amateur players, from orchestra to individual household.Since the store has been operated for more than 10 years, a lot of old customer s prefer to have their instrument repaired there because of the already-established reputation. In addition, because of the musical instrument repairs need very specific skills, and technicians normally needs to obtain certain music degree and musical instrument repair certificate in order to perform their jobs, it is relatively hard to become a musical instrument repair technicians than others. As a result, the musical instrument repairs industry has a barrier to entry. There are not so many substitutes for musical instrument repairs.Since musical instruments is considered to be expensive goods, and most individuals and families can only offered one piece of the musical instrument (ex. piano), periodic repair and examination become the most popular method to keep a peak condition of their instruments. Unless the price of music instruments become so cheap that an average music player can offer to pay a new one when they found problems with the instruments, or the second hand market become so popular that the selling price of the instrument are enough for getting a new one, people will stick on instrument repair.If comparing The Squeaky Horn’s operating result with the maintenance and repair industry’s average (Appendix 7), we will find that The Squeaky Horn’s actual revenue of $664,170 is almost as twice as much of the industry average of $334,900. However, the total actual expense is $354,070 higher (calculation is provided at the end of Appendix 7), which results the overall profit fall below the industry average of $28,100 in 2008. Therefore, The Squeaky Horn is an absolute industry leader in revenue sector, but did not do well in maintaining high profitability through expenditure control. Appendix 1: GDP and GrowthBetween 2001 and 2010, GDP for all industries in the Canadian economy increased from $1,041 billion to $1,234 billion. In each year of the period, GDP growth has been positive with the exception of 2009 in which we saw a decl ine for the Canadian economy. The compound annual growth rate of GDP between 2001 and 2010 measured 1. 7%. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and GDP Growth: 2001-2010 Canadian Economy (NAICS 11-91) GDP growth in 2001 and 2002 was much slower, with annual growth rates below the 10 year compound annual rate. However, in 2003, annual GDP growth slipped to 2. 1, corresponding with a down-turn in the United States economy.GDP growth rates went on to rebound and remained steady around 2% and 3% until 2008, when a global recession trimmed annual GDP growth to 0. 6% falling again in 2009 to an all time low of 2. 8%. In 2010, we begin to see another rebound with the GDP growth increasing to 3. 3%. Source: Statistics Canada, http://www. ic. gc. ca/eic/site/cis-sic. nsf/eng/h_00013. html Appendix 2: Consumer Demand for Entertainment Services Outside the Home In recent years, Canadians have spent more on entertainment. For their homes, demand has risen for such goods as home entertainment systems an d computers.Expenditures on these services comprised 0. 44% of the average household's overall spending budget in 2003, up from 0. 41% in 1998. This shift in preferences and growth in incomes, population and prices caused the consumer market for entertainment services to expand from $2. 3 billion in 1998 to $3. 2 billion in 2003, an increase of 41%. The chart below shows the household spending on entertainment services outside the home in 1998 and 2003, respectively. Chart 2 at the right shows the average household spending on entertainment services outside the home in both 1998 and 2003.Source: Yusu Guo and Don Little, Analytical Paper Series, Consumer Demand for Entertainment Services Outside the Home. http://publications. gc. ca/Collection/Statcan/63F0002XIE/63F0002XIE2006050. pdf Appendix 3: Comparison of Average Music Technician Salaries and Average Instrument Technicians Salaries The average salary for music technician jobs in Canada, KY is $48,000. Average music technician sa laries can vary greatly due to company, location, industry, experience and benefits. Source: http://www. simplyhired. com/a/salary/search/q-Music+Technician/l-CanadaThe average salary for instrument repair technician jobs in Canada, KY is $39,000. Average instrument repair technician salaries can vary greatly due to company, location, industry, experience and benefits. Source: http://www. simplyhired. com/a/salary/search/q-instrument+repair+Technician/l-canada Appendix 4: Study of Music and Intelligence Musicians perform better on cognitive tasks A study of 4 to 6-year olds found that musically-trained kids performed better on a test of working memory Other research indicates that musicians perform significantly better on tests of †¢ Spatial-temporal skills Math ability †¢ Reading skills †¢ Vocabulary †¢ Verbal memory †¢ Phonemic awareness Musically-trained people perform better on general intelligence tests. In a cross-sectional study of Canadian school chi ldren, E. Glenn Schellenberg (2006) found that kids who took music lessons had slightly higher IQs. The effects were general, cutting across several different intellectual abilities (e. g. , verbal, mathematical, and temporal-spatial). Music lessons were associated with abilities associated with fluid intelligence, such as †¢ Working memory †¢ Perceptual organization Processing speed They were also associated with increased verbal comprehension and better high school grades. These differences remained significant after controlling for a child’s age, nonmusical activities, family income, and parent’s education. Source: http://www. parentingscience. com/music-and-intelligence. html Appendix 5: Competitors * Folkway Music Repairs ; Restorations  · Fine Fretted Instruments Folkway Music is Canada's premier acoustic guitar shop. We specialize in the sale, repair and restoration of fine vintage, new and used guitars, mandolins, and banjos.There are always many vi ntage Gibson guitars, vintage Martin guitars, vintage Gibson mandolins, and other vintage guitars for sale in the store, as well as a large selection of new C. F Martin & Co. Guitars, Taylor Guitars, Santa Cruz Guitars, National Guitars, Larrivee Guitars, and others. C. F. Martin & Co. Authorized Warranty Repair Centre. World-wide shipping. 163 Suffolk Street West, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 2J7 Source: http://www. folkwaymusic. com/ * Armenious Violins In our workshop we do any kind of instrument repairs/restorations such as crack repairs, bridge, sound post, fingerboard planning, peg fitting, etc.After all we are violin, viola, and cello makers ourselves. The following are some highlights of instrument related works. Bridge Cutting, Sound Post , Fingerboard, Nut & Saddle, Install/Improve Pegs, Neck Repairs, Bass Bar, Internal Table Patches, Various Crack repairs and Anatomic Corrections, Clean and Polish the Varnish. Locations: 903 Willowdale Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2M 3C 2 Source: http://www. armenious-violins. com/instrument_services. html * Cosmo Music – A Music Instrument Superstore Cosmo Music operates one of the largest and most prestigious instrument repair shops in Canada.Each year hundreds of schools, students and professional musicians trust Cosmo Music to restore their instruments to like-new playing condition. In addition to customer repairs the shop also maintains a fleet of well over 10,000 rental instruments which are used by students across Ontario each year. Led by its original technician, Kevin Rohm, the shop now employs 18 technicians and specializes in all types of wind instruments, guitar and electronic repairs. Cosmo Music has made a significant investment in equipment so that its technicians have access to all of the latest and best tools and techniques to service your instrument uickly and properly – the first time! Location: 10 Via Renzo Drive, Richmond Hill ON L4S 0B6 Source: http://cosmomusic. ca/contact-us. h tml Source: http://www. heidmusic. com/PDFs/repairs. pdf Appendix 6: Suppliers Source: http://www. profilecanada. com/category. cfm? cat=3931_Musical-Instruments Appendix 7: Industry Average Source: Statistics Canada, http://www. ic. gc. ca/cis-sic/cis-sic. nsf/IDE/cis-sic811bece. html#bec1 Total Expense for the average industry = $165,800 + $137,300 = $303,100 Total Expense for the Squeaky Horn = $664,170 – $7,000 = $657,170 $657,170 – $303,100 = $354,070