Aristotle and John Stuart Mill on Happiness and Morality

Aristotle and John Stuart Mill on Happiness and Morality In this paper I will argue that Aristotle’s conception of eudaimonia disproves Mill’s utilitarian view that pleasure is the â€Å"greatest good. † The purpose of this paper is to contrast Aristotle’s and Mills views on the value of happiness and its link to morality. First I will describe Aristotle’s model of eudaimonia. Then I will present Mill’s utilitarian views on happiness and morality. Lastly, I will provide a counterargument to Mill’s utilitarian ethical principles using the Aristotelian model of eudaimonia.In this section I will explain Aristotle’s definition of eudaimonia and its relationship to happiness, morality and the virtues. Aristotle defines eudaimonia in the first book of the Nicomachean Ethics as â€Å"virtuous activity in accordance with reason† and that this is the highest good for human beings. For Aristotle, eudaimonia can be translated into a â€Å"human life of flourishing† since it occurs throughout a person’s life. This lifelong happiness is complete and sufficient in itself, meaning that a person lives it as an end in itself and not for anything else beyond it.An important aspect of reaching our own eudaimonia is to function well as human beings. Aristotle presents his concept of the human function by stating that what makes human function so distinct is not just to obtain nutrition and to grow because that aspect of life is shared with plants and it is also not perception because that is something shared with animals. Our ultimate human function therefore is reason and not just reason alone but to act in accordance to reason. Achieving excellence in human rational activity according to Aristotle is synonymous with leading a moral life.To lead a moral life is a state in which a person chooses to act in accordance to the right virtues. Aristotle, defines virtue as  a mean between two extremes (excess and deficiency). He argues that the mean is not necessarily the average or half way point, but rather changes in relation to each individual. For example, a person who just finished jogging needs more water after jogging than a person who was not jogging, so the mean between too much water and too little water is different for the jogger and non-jogger.According to Aristotle, it is very difficult to discover the mean, to discover the exact point between the two extremes that is best suited for you. As he says, there are many ways to be wrong and only one way to be correct. Aristotle explains that the choice of the mean is going to depend on what the virtuous person’s reasoning is. As in the case of the jogger, he will drink just enough water to quench his thirst (deficiency) but won’t drink too much that would result in water in water intoxication (excess).Aristotle focuses his moral theory on virtuous action and argues that virtue is necessary, but not sufficient for happiness. You need virtue to lead a happy life, but ultimately, virtue alone will not make you happy. What matters most is that you make a habit out of choosing to act in accordance with the right virtues, which leads to a balance in one’s life and ultimately leads you closer and closer to achieving your own eudaimonia. In this next section I will present Mills utilitarian views and the link between happiness and morality and how his views do not coincide with Aristotle’s eudaimonistic ideals.In chapter two of Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill introduces his concept of utility, also known as the â€Å"Greatest Happiness Principle† to hold that â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure. †Ã‚  In other words, Mill makes it certain that pleasure and freedom from p ain are the only things desirable as goals and all things that we do is desirable because they produce pleasure or prevent pain.Mill understood that it would be demeaning to humans to reduce life to pleasures as this would then put us at the same level as animals. Thus, he introduces the idea of higher and lower pleasures. The higher pleasures are those of a higher quality of that are determined by â€Å"competent judges. † This competent judge is someone who is acquainted with both the higher and lower quality pleasures. In regards to morality, Mill anchors its definition on the premises of the greatest happiness principle stated above.Unlike Aristotle who puts emphasis on the agent (the person themselves) in regards to acting morally, Mill is very indifferent and states that the character of the person and their motives do not matter only the consequence of those actions matter. For Mill, the morality of the action only depends on whether that action will produce pleasure f or greatest number of people. As state before, he explains that pleasure leads to happiness, and happiness is the ultimate goal of each individual. However, morality is â€Å"the rules and precepts for human conduct,† nd not simply the causes of human behavior. Desire may drive human actions, but that doesn’t mean that desire should propel human actions. Morality is the ideal, not the reality. Because of his views on morality Mill would not agree with Aristotle that the completely ethical person will not be conflicted about his ethical choice. According to Mill a person could do the right thing, and act morally while also having the desire to do the wrong thing. To explain this, he gives the example of a rescuer who saves another person from drowning.He helps this person because it is morally right, regardless of being seen as a good Samaritan or if he would’ve been compensated for his actions. Mill would also disagree with Aristotle’s argument that it is determined whether or not someone led a eudaimonistic life only after this person has died. Mill essentially believes in concrete happiness and believes that people should be happy while they are alive. Mill states that pleasures are parts of our happiness and not an â€Å"abstract† means as Aristotle puts it.In this third section I will provide a counterargument to Mill’s utilitarian ethical principles using the Aristotelian model of eudaimonia. I firstly disagree with Mill’s idea that happiness is equated with pursuing acts that only lead to pleasure and avoiding those that decrease pleasure. I side completely with Aristotle in that he believes that the purpose of pleasures is to serve as side product of activity to perfect our activities. For example, for a mathematician to become an excellent mathematician he must become very talented in doing mathematical activities but also must have the pleasure in doing this activity.I also side with him on his statemen t in Book Ten of the Nicomachean Ethics certain pleasures such as those of touch â€Å"can lead us to become servile and brutish† and says that â€Å"it attaches to us not in so far as we are men but in so far as we are animals. † For example those who eat food to the excess have slavish characters because they are choosing to eat past their bodily intake limit. I agree here with Aristotle that those persons who are destitute of self-control do not use their reason, take pleasures exceedingly, in the wrong way and in the wrong objects.Ultimately, in order to act virtuously a person must act rationally in a manner that is between the two extremes of deficiency and excess when it comes to matters of pleasure. Thus, pleasure should not be sought just for its own sake. In terms of moral actions, Mill arguments also seem to be flawed. He believes that the goodness of an action is based on whether or not it produced pleasure and happiness for the greatest number of people. T here is little emphasis on the disposition and character of the agent performing the action.This idea seems illogical because then everyone would be acting without reason and doing things for the wrong intentions. As Aristotle says in Book One of the Nicomachean ethics, â€Å"the man who does not rejoice in noble actions is not good; the good man judges well in matters of the good and the noble. † Here he is referring to the fact that a person who is not performing actions for the right intentions is not a good man at all. To explain this further I will use the example of the drowning person.Aristotle would advise that I should save a drowning person because I have the positive and noble intention to do so and not because someone is going to pay me for helping them. I think Mills view on happiness and morality that pleasures should equate with happiness sounds like it would be ideal to live this type of life. However, this type of logic would not work out in today’s so ciety. He tells us that in order to find out what kinds of pleasures are most valuable we should look to â€Å"competent judges† who seem to just know what are considered the better â€Å"higher† pleasures because they have experienced both the â€Å"higher† and â€Å"lower† pleasures.As Aristotle states, however, not all pleasures are universal to all men because not everyone is directed to the same things. What if their idea of a higher pleasure is to rape women on the streets? The problem with Mill’s argument then is that what this â€Å"competent judge† may consider to be a higher pleasure may actually be a lower pleasure and be very wrong about what they consider to be right. Aristotle would respond to Mills statement that happiness should be concrete by stating that happiness in Mill’s view seems to just be a fleeting experience.For example, if a person spends their whole life trying to figure out a cure for cancer it wonâ€℠¢t be determined whether this person’s life work was meaningful only until we examine this person’s life work. To conclude, I have stated both Aristotle’s and Mills arguments in relation to happiness and morality. Aristotle’s conclude that happiness (eudaimonia) is to have flourishing life in which actions are performed in accordance to virtuousness and reason.Mill, on the hand believes that pleasure is ultimately the greatest type of good and therefore is equated with happiness. I have argued that Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia disproves Mill’s â€Å"greatest happiness priniciple† on the grounds that pleasure is only a small part of happiness and that the emphasis on living a happy life should be placed on the agent to habitually act in a rational and virtuous manner.

“Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Essay

Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:The Importance of Literary Genre and Time Difference†They said that of all the kings upon earth / he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, / kindest to his people and keenest to win fame,† (Beowulf 97 ln. 3180-82). This is a description of the great king Beowulf, from the epic poem of the same name. â€Å"†¦Sir Gawain you are, / Whom all the world worships, whereso you ride; / Your honor, your courtesy are higest acclaimed / By lords and by ladies, by all living men,† (Sir Gawain 139 ln. 1226-29). This is a description of Sir Gawain, from the romantic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Both of these heroes are obviously very highly viewed by those around them, although almost 600 years separates the writing of the two manuscripts. Beowulf, an epic poem, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a romantic poem, are two great literary works, both with nameless and possibly countless authors, separated by literary g enre and 6oo years of societal development. Beowulf is an epic, and as such follows certain characteristics that are unique to this form of poetry. The key to any epic is its hero and his flaw; the hero is required to have a flaw because the epic is a form of serious and tragic poetry that allows for few lighthearted moments. This particular epic centers around a young and eager adventurer named, of course, Beowulf, who is fueled by a desire to be remembered forever as a great hero. His calling comes when â€Å"†¦a fiend out of hell, / began to work his evil in the world. / Grendel was the name of this grim demon / haunting the marshes, marauding round the heath / and the desolate fens;† (Beowulf 33 ln. 100-04). Grendel also brings in the first otherworldly element of the poem, a characteristic specific to epics; this element is expanded upon when Beowulf tells of many sea monsters he destroyed in his youth, later when Grendel’s mother seeks revenge, and finally when the great dragon threatens Beowulfâ€℠¢s kingdom. The purpose for extremely long epics such as Beowulf (which is over 3000 lines, and likely longer due to destroyed sections of the original manuscript) lies in tradition and preservation. It is thought that the actual Beowulf lived around 450 A.D., but the epic was not recorded until approximately 700 A.D. – during this long gap, tales of Beowulf were passed down orally, a tradition of the Anglo-Saxons based upon the preservation of their unique culture. This culture was a serious one because the times of  the Anglo-Saxons were extremely dangerous – outside of their own clan they had no one to trust as any outsider was just as likely to kill them as look at them, lest he end up slain first. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in contrast to the epic, is a romance: a circular and lighter version of the epic based around a single quest. Like the hero of the epic, Gawain has a flaw that leads to his failing, but as the romance is lighter it does not lead to his death. Gawain is a pure young knight whose quest presents itself upon the appearance of the Green Knight at a holiday feast at King Arthur’s court. As in the epic, there is also an element of the fantastic present: â€Å"Great wonder grew in hall / At his hue most strange to see, / For man and gear and all / Were green as green could be,† (Sir Gawain 117 ln 147-50). The style of Sir Gawain follows the alliterative style of Beowulf that makes it easier to perform orally, but the romance mostly serves to entertain rather than preserve tradition or culture, as is the purpose of the epic. This is likely because while 1375 (the estimated time of Sir Gawain’s recording) was certainly still a rough time for anyone survival-wise, it was a less animalistic time than 700 A.D. as society had 600 years to develop in the interim. Camelot is described as a prosperous place with a grand castle and many luxuries – in the time of Beowulf the structures that preserved the Anglo-Saxons were more or less gigantic huts. Further, while Gawain does set out on a quest with his life on the line, there are no giant serpents attacking Camelot and eating its court members out of spite. To the Anglo-Saxons in 700 A.D., the comitatus was very important as all the thanes had was each other; the comitatus is also important in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but on a lesser level. This argument can be made because, although Sir Gawain sets out on a task to preserve his comitatus back at Camelot, he makes the adventure by himself; Beowulf is constantly surrounded by his band of men. Beowulf does separate from his thanes when he battles Grendel and his mother, but it is in the interest of their immediate preservation as the two monsters would happily gobble up any of them. The dire importance of the comitatus is also seen in Beowulf through the theme of revenge, which is not present in Sir Gawain. In 700 A.D., it was every  tribe for itself and there was no set form of law or legal system: if a man was murdered, the only reparations that could be made against his killer were those belonging to wergild. In the time that Sir Gawain takes place, there were entire kingdoms under the rule of the leader versus small tribes, and there was a better-established legal system for dealing with crimes such as murder. This legal system is also evident through the many contracts found in Sir Gawain, such as those between Gawain and the host during his stay: â€Å"‘And Gawain,’ said the good host, ‘agree now to this: / Whatever I win in the woods I will give you at eve, / And all you have earned you must offer to me,† (Sir Gawain 137 ln 1105-07). This particular contract also draws away from the importance of the comitatus because it involves the interest of only two men – if Beowulf received such an offer, it is likely he would split whatever he acquired amongst himself and his thanes. Religion is an important difference between the two novels and the times they were set in. In the time of Beowulf Paganism was still commonly present. In the time of Sir Gawain Christianity was the widely accepted religion. Religion in general is much more present in Sir Gawain, as the entire plot of the book revolves around Christian holidays and celebrations. Christianity affects even the attire of characters in the story. Sir Gawain’s shield shows that â€Å"he fittingly had / On the inner part of his shield [Mary’s] image portrayed, / That when his look on it lighted, he never lost heart,† (Sir Gawain 128 ln 648-50). The downfall Gawain suffers also has to do with his religion, as he puts faith in a magic baldric instead of in God, and in doing so is belittled and shamed by the Green Knight. In Beowulf, there is mention of God, but merely in passing – it is obvious that religion is not as important to the Anglo-Saxons of 700 A.D. as is the comitatus. T his goes back to the harshness of the time and the fact that all the faith the thanes had, they put in one another. The main factors that divide Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are literary genre and time difference. Throughout the 600 years that separated the creation of the two manuscripts, society developed, the legal system developed, the emphasis on the comitatus changed, and the popular religion turned from Paganism to Christianity. While all of these factors altered the  style of writing and the content of the two poems, the fact remains that Beowulf and Sir Gawain are two great literary heroes who strove to be all that they could. Works Cited Greenblatt, Stephen. â€Å"Beowulf.† The Norton Anthology of EnglishLiterature. 8th ed. 2006. Greenblatt, Stephen. â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.† The Norton Anthology of EnglishLiterature. 8th ed. 2006.

Sexual Dreams and Fantasies are a Normal and Healthy Part of Life Essay

Sexual Dreams and Fantasies are a Normal and Healthy Part of Life - Essay Example Alongside the enjoyment of the actual act of sex is, or can be, the enjoyment that comes from erotic dreams and fantasies. It is my position on erotic dreams and fantasies that they are common in both men and women, and that they serve purposes that maintain a healthy life. While I believe that men and women have different fantasies, and that these fantasies can serve different purposes, through citing current research on all of these points, I believe that I will prove that both erotic dreams and sexual fantasies are common, normal, and healthy behaviors that are needed, if not required, for a person to be and remain healthy sexually and overall, regardless of gender. It is first important to understand that sex, and sexual behaviors, do not encompass a short or even somewhat workable list of topics and behaviors. Controversy surrounds the subject in society, with some behaviors such as anal sex and others automatically being seen as dirty, taboo, or against nature. Given this infor mation, it is not hard to understand why even the very mention of sex can make hairs on the back of the neck stand up in anger, embarrassment, or indignation. While there can be no doubt that sexual acts are private in nature, it should also be understood that sex is a normal and healthy part of life. According to a 2009 survey entitled The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB), which encompassed 5,865 adults ranging in age from 14 to 94 years old, to say that the differences found in various behaviors related to sex were wide would be an understatement (Kreimer). It found, among other things, that men and women alike participated in activities that involved sexual acts both alone and with partners, and when the question was posed to report their latest sexual act, 41 different combinations were counted (Kreimer). No decrease was apparent in sexual activity among older adults, and in fact when questioned, this grouping was more receptive to new sexual ideas and needs (Kreimer). Orgasms were found to be the widest variant among the participants, with 85% of men reporting an orgasm in their latest sexual encounter, as opposed to only 64% of women (Kreimer). While this data does not speak to erotic dreams and fantasies, it does help to establish that sex is still seen as a common act between those of consenting age and nature. Helping the acceptance of erotic dream and fantasy become more accepted in society is the fact that America no longer lives in the 1950s, when sex was talked about in hush-hush tones and twin beds were shown on television for married couples. In a 2004 Live Poll Survey by ABC News, startling truths were revealed about just how far America had come in viewing the act of and the acts that went with sexual intercourse. The poll showed that 57% of Americans had had sex outdoors or in a public place, and that 29% had had sex on a first date. While 55% of Americans described their sex life as â€Å"traditional†, 10% of thos e people said that they would like their sex life to be more adventurous. Also, the poll showed that 21% of Americans had fantasized about a threesome, while 10% fantasized about having sex at work. An additional 14% reported that they had actually engaged in a threesome, while an additional 12% reported having had sexual activity or intercourse at their place of employment. Most importantly, 51% of Americans talked about their sexual fantasies with their partners.

Human and Animal Interrelationships from Domestication to Present Book Essay

Human and Animal Interrelationships from Domestication to Present Book Report Guidelines - Essay Example Buck has lived with the Millers’ since his birth, a factor that explains why he is very close to the children and grandchildren of the judge. In that family, he received good nutrition and care (London 12). He was a leader in taking care of the Millers’ house. However, in the same house, he met a gardener, Manuel, who eventually gave him up to the people travelling to the north in search of gold. These people needed dogs to pull sleds of their luggage as they travelled. After Buck became the property of a new owner, he received a thorough beating until he lost consciousness. After a long journey, and starving long, they got to Seattle. The torture through beating and hunger had made him overly furious, prompting him to make an inner determination that he would never allow his new masters to tie him with a rope. His new master in Seattle hit Buck with a club, a level of violence he had not experienced in his previous life (14). Apparently, in this chapter, there is a tra nsition of the relationship between Buck and human beings. At the beginning, the dog finds a measure of pleasure in living with people. However, the friendly relationship with humans ceases when he gets into the hands of the men heading north. These people have little concern for the dignity of animals, and they torture and starve the dog. In addition, his new master in Seattle hits Buck with a club to the level of submission. As the relationship changes, Buck’s attitude towards human beings changes because he begins to realize that humans can be his enemies. This change arouses other attributes as he adjusts to the new life. Chapter 2 In chapter two, the author describes the new situations that define Buck’s new life. One of the shocking events that he witnesses was the death of Curly, after an attack by fellow dogs. Buck begins to learn the skill of pulling sled alongside other dogs (17). Contrary to his life before, he realizes the need to eat fast and even to steal more food. He does not seem to understand why the other dogs have the willingness to work wholeheartedly. Contrary to his former home at Judge Miller’s, Buck does not find a comfortable place to spend his night because of the northern snowy conditions. Buck had to readjust to the new conditions in multiple ways. He had to abandon his old lifestyle in a civilized world, and bring out his wild nature. With the changing conditions, the relationship of humans and the dogs has to change. He brought back to memory his instinctive nature previously exhibited by his ancestors. He had started to live in a primitive world where only the strong ones could survive amidst harsh working conditions defined by the whip and the club. The relationship between the dogs and the people only keeps getting worse. To his surprise, Buck also realizes that even dogs were their own enemies as it became evident in the case of Curly. Chapter 3 Chapter three of the book concentrates on describing the riv alry existing between Buck and Spitz. Apparently, Spitz is the leader of the pack of several dogs pulling sled in northern snow and throughout the entire journey (22). The rivalry between Spitz and Buck advances as Buck uses his wit by ganging up with the weaker dogs in a bid to demonstrate

Rogers & Hammerstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rogers & Hammerstein - Essay Example The collaboration between the composer and the writer was the beginning of a musical partnership "for over twenty years and wrote a number of successful musicals-even though Rodgers was a workaholic and Hart was an alcoholic."(Oklahoma, 2005 ). Hammerstein with his theater and opera inclined paternal family was a stage struck since childhood, which unsurprisingly led him to be a performer and a writer of amateur routines in his freshman. After a year at Columbia Law school he became famous librettist for operettas. Hammerstein had a successful career before beginning his partnership with Rodgers. (Gordon, 1990). With Jerome Kern, they collaborated in "most notably Show Boat (1927), and wrote the book and lyrics for Carmen Jones, the 1943 all-black version of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen" (Remarkable Columbians, 2004). Rogers was asked by the Theater Guild of New York City in 1940 to compose new musical. Asking Hart to once again work with him, to no avail due to Hart's deteriorating health. He then contacted Hammerstein to whom he already had an acquaintance in their undergraduate lives in Columbian College. This was the beginning of a wonderful and creative workmanship. Their first collaborative and radical work was in Oklahoma! which became the foundation of the 17-year partnership and "continued through ten other musicals, including one motion picture (State Fair, 1945) and one teleplay (Cinderella, 1957), Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951) and The Sound of Music (1959). In all, the duo won 35 Tonys, 15 Oscars, two Grammys, two Pulitzers, and two Emmys." (Remarkable Columbians, 2004). The Oklahoma! set the stage of sweeping changes for American musical theater. The dynamic duo challenged the current styles of the musical theater. They have ingeniously integrated the elements of drama, music and dance as never before. During this time, musicals' attractions include songs which were usually irrelevant to the story and comedy arranged with little plot. This is how Oklahoma! defined its uniqueness ushering the birth of "a new genre, the musical play, representing a unique fusion of Rodgers' musical comedy and Hammerstein's operetta. A milestone in the development of the American musical, it also marked the beginning of the most successful partnership in Broadway" (Biographies, 2005). This pioneering masterpiece was experimental in its nature. It tried to set new guidelines of entertainment in its fullest. The play effectively intertwined funny musicals and serious types of music. The songs either enhanced the plot or direct the audience to understand the characters. T he plot and the music characterized the birth of the musical play. Such twist of interest was made through the fitting of the music to the pre-written words, the effect which is astounding. The music became a tool of emotion and storyline. Not yet done, the team made another hit in 1945 in Carousel with its more dramatic plot. For the second time, audience was arrested by further innovations on the arrangements of the musical play which was unbelievably pleasing entertainment. Among its unusualness, the play started with the whole cast performing a ballet as the orchestra plays, in place of the usual overture before the show begins enchanting the audiences and further redefining the art of the genre. Rodgers and Hammerstein apparently are not

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 35

Assignment Example In addition, surgeries and medical therapies prevent cancer in patients who are at a high risk of getting cancer due to their genes. There are women who opt to undergo mastectomy even before they get the cancer because some of their close relatives have breast cancer (Eccles, 2011). Immunizations are important in protecting people from viral infections like hepatitis B, which increases risks of liver cancer, and HPV, which is responsible for cervical cancer. Moreover, people should lead healthy lifestyles by exercising regularly, eating healthy diets and avoiding tobacco. High cholesterols associated with unhealthy diets and not exercising leads to high estrogen levels, which may cause breast cancer and tobacco causes lung cancer. People should also avoid long exposure to the sun and x-rays as this may cause skin cancer (Eccles, 2011). Breast cancer starts in the breast’s tissues. Genes, family history, early onset of menstrual cycle or late menopause and other factors like gender and age are the causes of breast cancer. Its symptoms include fluid coming out of the nipples or lumps. It is tested using MRI, ultrasound or biopsy. Treatments include mastectomy, lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy (A.D.A.M, 2013). Prostate cancer starts in the prostate glands around the urethra. African American men and men over 60 years of age have a high risk of getting prostate cancer. Symptoms appear later as the cancer grows larger and they include leaking urine, blood in urine and slow urinary system. Testing is done using MRI, scans and biopsy. It is treated using surgery and radiation therapy (A.D.A.M, 2013). Cervical cancer starts at the cervical cells. Women with multiple sexual partners and those who started having sex at an early age have a higher risk of getting cervical cancer. Symptoms include heavy menstruation, vaginal discharge and abnormal vaginal bleeding. Pap smear, con biopsy and cervix magnification detect cervical cancer.

Project management coarse work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project management coarse work - Essay Example One such result is the Denver International Airport Baggage Handling Project. In order to highlight on the high regard placed on project management, it is imperative to cite an example of such catastrophic failure, which accrued from poor project management. The Denver International Airport is currently ranked as among the five busiest airports in the world. The baggage handling system had a budget allowance of five hundred and sixty million. As such, it is of magnitude that will best depict the importance of this art if indeed project management can be regarded as such. This paper will explicate on the exact failures of the project management team while simultaneously endeavoring to relay alternative courses of action that would have yielded the desired results, if not better. Analysis Few failed projects can rival the extent to which the Denver International Airport baggage handling system cost the American tax payer. Given this significant impact, it is not startling that there ex ists numerous data to be sourced from the web expounding on the project. It is on this rationale that the internet fashioned a core data source for this paper. However, these sources might conflict on trivial details, what they do agree on is the insurmountable figures that characterized the baggage handling system. ... The baggage handling system was to cut delays by tremendous figures while simultaneously slashing aircraft turn around to as little as thirty minutes. On paper, it was the perfect project on which the new airport could embark. However, the dissimilarity between how the project appears on paper and in the actual senses all depends on the efficacy of the project management team (Lock, 2007). The resultant system, which was put in place, was a mere shadow of the project that had been envisioned. It neither had the glamour nor the efficiency of the proposed system. The Denver International Airport baggage handling system best exemplifies dysfunctional decision making. A series of these flawed decisions transformed a remarkably brilliant undertaking into a laughable ghost of the original project. The question now becomes who is responsible for this failure. A number of key errors were made along the way but, the bulk of the blame ought to lie with the project management team (Project Mana gement Institute, 2008). This stems from the fact that, it was their mandated task to guarantee a smooth and definite transition of the project from paper into real life. Project managers should first seek to understand the nature of their projects before they embark on them. This is in relation to the respective complexity, schedule, scope and the allocated budget. After gaining this vital understanding, they should then endeavor to make decisions with these facts in mind. An oversight that was made is that; the complexities that were to accompany the project were not well understood and subsequently handled. Thus, when in the advanced stages of the project, when such complexities arose the team was not well positioned to react accordingly. The implementation of the

Haier Group Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Haier Group Corporation - Essay Example This report provides answers to the four discussion questions of the case study. The content of the answers includes information about the company’s capabilities, strengths, and weakness, the value chain internal analysis and how the CEO can exploit the company’s resources to reach its goals. 1. The Haier Group Corporation is a Chinese based firm that was able to convert its medium size domestic manufacturing firm into a global giant during the past two decades. The company’s core product is home appliances in which they are 4th in the world, but the firm has not limited itself to single type product which has enabled Hair to have a diversified product offering of over 43 million products in 96 categories. The company has a superior logistics supply chain network that covers 160 countries around the world with over 50,000 sales outlets carrying their products. The size of the company and its established global network are two positive aspects of the operation which can be used by the firm to obtain a competitive advantage. The company diversification strategy and its global branding approach are two aspects that make their operation distinctive. The company is able to offer a wide array of products which makes doing business with Haier an attractive alternative for distributors and retailers worldwide. The business growth of this firm has been limited by a centralized approach. The company has openly favored expanding its manufacturing operations into developed nations in order to show that the firm cares about the community to establish an image of a local firm. Consumers tend to have greater loyalty for domestically produced products because they have a greater impact on the local economy in the form of revenues and job creation. Haier is a local producer in marketplaces such as the United States and Europe. A critical strategy that has allowed the company great acceptance in all the marketplaces they penetrate is the fact that their products are quality items at affordable prices.

Gender Socialization Essay Example for Free

Gender Socialization Essay The term, gender, refers to the socially learned expectations and behaviors associated with being male or female. Gender affects socialization in many ways, and begins primarily at birth. Gender affects how parents treat their children, how the work field treats males and females, and how each gender chooses friends. The gender of a child is extremely important to the parent. The gender will guide the parent on how to raise and treat the child. Parents are more likely to be more stern and rough with a baby boy rather than a baby girl. Parents of a girl are likely to be more gentle, soft, and patient with the new baby. This gender socialization example is due to our masculine and feminine culture. The most important and obvious gender socialization example is in the work field. Gender greatly affects the socialization process between males and females. Males are considered to be strong and powerful, while females are thought to be weak and secondary. From the beginning of time, men were to work hard and provide for the family, while females were to take care of the home and children. Today, men are still more likely to be powerful leaders, CEO’s, etc†¦ however; many women are top executives and are very capable of being so. Finally, gender affects the way people choose friends and social activities. Men are more likely to choose other men as friends, and same with women. Humans enjoy spending time with people that are similar to themselves. Men will also engage in masculine activities such as hunting, fishing, and running, while women engage in feminine activities such as shopping, tanning, and reading. Gender subconsciously helps make our daily decisions. I’ve never thought about gender being such an important aspect in our daily lives. Gender affects socialization in so many different ways; parents raising their children, the work environment, and choosing friends. Gender socialization is extremely important in today’s society.

Biological Psychology Essay Example for Free

Biological Psychology Essay Biological psychology, also known as biopsychology and psychobiology, is the field of research in psychology that gives emphasis on the use of principles of biology in explaining mental processes and behavior. It emerged as a scientific discipline in the 18th and 19th centuries when philosophers like Rene Descartes proposed physical models to explain animal and human behavior as opposed to subjective, semi-mystical approach that flourished during his time. Some of the Nobel Prize winners who are considered as biological psychologists include Charles Sherrington (1932), George Wald (1967), Konrad Lorenz (1973), David H. Hubel (1981), Eric R. Kandel (2000), and Linda B. Buck (2004). Sherrington and Adrian shared the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physiology for their discoveries that had something to do with how the neurons work. Sherrington postulated his â€Å"law of reciprocal innervation† stating that every neural activation in a muscle is inhibited by an opposing muscle. Adrian on the other hand accidentally discovered the presence of electricity with nerve cells in 1928. Wald is best known for his work with pigments in the retina. Lorenz won the 1973 Nobel Prize together with Niko Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch for their discoveries concerning behavior patterns of individuals and groups. Hubel and Torsten Wiesel shared the 1981 Nobel Prize â€Å"for their discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system.†Ã‚   Kandel won the 2000 Nobel Prize for â€Å"his research on the physiological basis of memory storage in neurons.† Buck is best known for her work on the olfactory system. Information about biological psychology can have wide applications in my everyday life. Through researches on biology applied in psychology, I am able to know more about mental processes and how I behave according to different conditions or stimuli. I am also able to understand psychological abnormalities and learn how to respond to such abnormalities. References Klein, S. B. (2007). Biological Psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers

Impact of Slavery on a Child

Impact of Slavery on a Child Life of a Slave Child It is hard to imagine growing up in the slave era. With the luxuries that even the poorest of children have in current times, makes the life a slave child even more unbelievable to say the least. A child that grew up as a slave suffered a very brutal, harsh childhood on a number of different levels. Not only was the suffering physical it was also psychological. The psychological far outweighing the physical, in my opinion. From birth to the end of many slaves lives, they often felt powerless, inferior, shame, and perhaps the most damaging psychological effect was the sense of not having family ties and fearing separation from family. Physically, slave children suffered from physical labor at young ages, poor nutrition and sanitation. Often times this conditions lead to many serious if not fatal diseases. Slave children were valued assets to slave owners and were given a monetary value and while some young toddler aged children lived in the masters homes, there lives were far from lux urious. Toddler aged children were often held responsible for taking care of infant children of the master. As they got older, they were responsible for domestic chores, such as, housekeeping, fanning their masters, cooking, etc. and eventually were sent to the fields to work as young teenagers. Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s this world seems so far from what I ever knew as a child. During play, slave children would create games that would help them deal with their surroundings. They wanted to feel they had some control over the things that were going on around them and teach them how to be adults. Games such as Hide the Switch and Auction were just a couple of the games slave children played to prepare them for the actual beating or selling of a family member. They also did not have manufactured toys. They would create balls to play with out of yarn and old socks. Games also were used as learning tools for slave children that were deprived of education. For example, Hide and Seek was used to learn to count. Several other games were used to enhance verbal usage and ring games were a way of release of emotions a child may be feeling by allowing them to make rhythms. Slave children often hunted and fished as competitive sports, which also allowed them to make their families a little better off, they tended to stay away from games that required someone to lose. Old er children would be on watch to notify the younger children that a master was approaching by singing a song. This is also something children in modern times do, they look out for someone of authority coming but the roles are reversed, the younger children are usually the one watching out. Slave children looked forward to being able to work in the fields. They were at that time allowed to receive some of the same benefits as the adults, such as rations of food and more clothing. This usually happened at around the age twelve. Again, it is hard to image as a child of twelve that I had to go work to receive a full meal or clothes. At twelve, my parents made sure that I had better clothes than them and was never denied food when I was hungry. Not only was it hard being a child during the slave era, it was as equally hard, if not harder, being a parent. While in todays world becoming a parent, regardless of age, is one of the best moments of your life that was not the case with slave parents. Slave parents would deliver their children with bitter sweet emotion as they knew what suffrage lay in wait of their children. This was especially the case with female children. Female children were sexually exploited starting as a very young age. The sexual assaults physically were brutal, not to mention the emotional and mental effects sexual assaults had on female slaves. Children that were conceived in the manner of sexual assault by slave masters and considered mulatto were mistreated on an entirely different level than other slave children and were most likely separated from their mothers because the mistress of the plantation didnt want them around. Fathers had a hard time dealing with being able to protect their families from the harshness surrounding them. When a father did attempt to protect his children, they or he was sold to a different plantation, so in an effort to keep his family together he would stand by and watch injustices done to his family. In my opinion, being able to keep his composure in certain situations made him a better father than by not keeping his composure. Slave owners in justification of working pregnant women in the field and lowering their rations of food where in fact one of the biggest reason that the slave child morality rate was so high. I do not believe that slave owners actually thought that working the fields actually made delivery of a child easier nor do I believe they thought not feeding the mother would lower birth weight of the child. It has often been said that children were resilient and this is proven over and over again with slave children. Children born into slavery learned to deal with there conditions on away no other child has ever had to do. They rose above these transgressions by learning how to read and write, learning racial etiquette, taking personal responsibility for themselves and looking to a higher power to end their suffering. At the onset of the Civil War, women and children slaves sought refuge with the Union while boys as young as ten joined the military to fight in the war. Others such as Frederick Douglas escaped slavery, became educated, and fought for rights of slaves on a national level. The hate slavery generated between black slaves and white slave owners over 150 years ago was so I posit that even after 150 years have passed it is still one of the causes of racial tension in the world today.

Death, Decay and Disease in Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Death, Decay and Disease in Hamlet Within ‘Hamlet’, Shakespeare makes a number of references to Denmark's degraded state due to the deceit that lies within. These references are made by Hamlet, Horatio as well as the apparition, thus enforcing the strong theme of death, decay and disease. As aforementioned Hamlets makes a number of references to Denmark. Preceding the death of his father and the marriage of his mother, his mental state begins to fall into demise . Although he appears to not have much courage at first, his focus remains on avenging his father whose murder is described as being "most foul." As noted in one of Hamlet's first soliloquies, his downward spiral has already began and already he is contemplating suicide; "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew (I, II, 130)" and "seems to me all the uses of this world... Things rank and gross in nature posses it merely (I, II, 136)." To be degrading to be thinking of imagery including flesh melting shows that Hamlet is not in the state that he ought to be in. Furthermore Shakespeare encourages us to empathize with these emotions by using such rich descriptions. It could be perhaps argued that Hamlet's state of mind which has become debased, but this is until Horatio claims, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (I, IV, 90)." The notion of festering carrion being a metaphor for King Hamlets death epitomizes this notion. The ghost furthers this idea by stating at the moment of his death, his skin became "Most lazar-like with vile and loathsome crust all my smooth body (I, V, 72)." This attempts the elucidate on the feeling of death almost like becoming like a leper before death finally takes its toll. Decay also becomes a strong theme weighing heavily on Hamlet's mind. Whilst talking to Polonius he says, "For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion (II, II, 182)." Although Polonius' appears not to notice this, we can see the constant references to death being made by Shakespeare’s tools, i.e. the characters. Moreover associated with Shakespeare's use of decay and disease imagery is his use of horror, "Roasted in wrath and fire thus o'ersized with coagulate gore (II, II, 431)," is a perfect example of this.

Public Vrs. Private Essay -- essays papers

Public Vrs. Private The Eternal Question: Public or Private Consider this, you drive into the parking lot of the public school and see the same five squad cars as every day, business as usual you think. You and your friends walk up to the door and wait in line for the metal detectors. You put your keys in the tray and walk through the detector, it goes off. Two cops walk up to check your backpack. Pager in the pocket got to go back to the car and put it away. Back through the metal detectors and they do not go off, thank God. You go to first period, sit in your seat and the teacher locks the door. The drug dogs must be coming today. Second period and the dogs are still here, there must be something wrong. Third period starts and the class files in. The teacher is about to start and in walks the cops, they walk straight in your direction and up to the kid next to you. The kid stands; the cop puts the hand cuffs on him and escorts him out. Oh, well! There goes another one. Next is gym where your locker has no pad lock because last week t wo girls got into a fight and one beat the other one with your lock. The rest of the day is pretty usual, a couple of fights and a test. Sound extreme? Not for the students of Bloom High School, this is a good day. In the same town a mile away there is a Private Catholic High School; this is their day. I drive to school and pull up; in my Mercedes in the parking lot, there is an Escalade in front of me and a Porche behind me, and I hate having a cheap car. I park the car and file into school, walk in the front door and to my locker to put my books away. There is the drug dealer with another customer at the locker next to me, "Hi, Andy". Oh, no! Here comes a nun, better tuck my shirt in. To late, another detention, but on the up side here comes Jon; he is so hot it is too bad he does steroids. I go through a usual day, some quizzes and a test. At 2:20pm, schools over, back outside to the car and drive to Andy's. I guess everyone is following me today. Hey look at all the squad c ars at Bloom, I wonder who got busted today? I sit down on the couch and talk while everyone else smokes a blunt. Now it is time to go, I will see everyone at the party tonight. I have to go do homework; after all it is only Tuesday. So which is better for a student, private school or public school? I know first hand what it is ... ... that is required. Which high school to attend is a big decision and one that is often made by the parents, but I do not see any reason why a parent who can afford a private school would want to put their child through a public school when the private school is obviously the better choice. There are many students who have made it through college from a public school and who have made it through high school and gone on to have great jobs, but the odds are in definite favor of us. Bibliography: Works Cited Anyon, Jean. "Social Class and The Hidden Curriculum of Work." Rereading America. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston:Bedford, 2001. 162-73. Heaney, Karen. "Which is Better? A Private or State Education." Spark Learning Institution. 2 Oct. 2001. "Pros and Cons of Educational Options." 20 Feb. 2000. 1 Oct. 2001. Ramirez, A.Y. "Fred". '"Parent Involvement is like Apple Pie' A look at Paternal Involvement in Two States." High School Journal 85.1 (2001): 1-9. 5 Nov. 2001. "Report Card for all Illinois Public Schools: Bloom High School". 1 Aug. 2001. "Report Card for all Illinois Public Schools: Lincoln-Way High School". 1 Aug. 2001.

Conceptualizing a New Product or Service Division of an Existing Business Essay

The success of an organization depends on the strategic plan. In the plan, it will define the mission, vision, ad value statements. The strategic plan is designed to assist the organization with its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The SWOT analysis will help develop a strong strategic plan and map out the direction to follow to achieve an organizational vision and goal. The purpose of this paper is to cover the mission, vision and core value of De Von’s Printing. Define the guiding principles and strategic direction. Then introduce and identify the customer’s needs and how it achieves competitive advantage. Mission De Von’s is classified as a full service printing provider for standard and custom invitation, web design, and web support. The company’s clientele are individuals and organizations of any size or nature. The services offered to the clientele ranges from standard to custom. De Von’s center its dedication and customer appreciation around the skills of displaying the most outstanding customer service to each customer that the company serve. The company’s mission statement is to provide the customer with the highest quality product and service in a timely manner, and provide each customer with a competitive price. We will be honest, give professional advice and provide friendly customer service. Our goal will be to meet and exceed full expectation. The mission statement is a written declaration of an organization’s core purpose and focus that normally remains unchanged over time. Properly crafted mission statements (1) serve as filters to separate what is important from what is not, (2) clearly state which markets will be served and how, and (3) communicate a sense of  intended direction to the entire organization (â€Å"Mission Statement†, 2014). Vision De Von’s vision statement is to be a leader in the Printing industry. The way the company will display and honor the statement is to use innovative work practice with a self-improvement of the culture, to evaluate the new technology that will add value, and being socially responsible. We commit to our principles, product and service, ad clientele. The vision statement is an aspirational description of what an organization would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. It is intended to serves as a clear guide for choosing current and future courses of action (â€Å"Vision Statement†, 2014). Core Value The company’s core values are to discipline and respect the commitment that was developed, ownership to the goals, and take accountability and responsibility for our actions, uphold the trust, sensitivity, and professional conduct, and have a quality orientation and purpose of excellence. The core values are a company’s ethical and moral compass and decision making foundation. They are the ideals and ethics that management holds dear. They drive decision making in that they are constantly referred to in the decision making process. That is, when in a tough spot, the answer needs, first and foremost, to be consistent with the company values. They are generally for both internal and external consumption. They tell those in the company how things are done and those outside the company why they want to be associated with this company. Corporate values are best when they are few in number but high in meaning and lived daily (â€Å"Mission, Vision, and Value†, 2013). Guiding Principles The company’s core value is developed around the certainty that the standard and custom printing is a way to produce quality invitations for the clients. This makes it easier for those that do not wont cheap printing and looking for a professional look. De Von’s Printing guiding business principles are committed to follow is: a. Listen and communicate b. Leadership c. Courtesy and respectful d. Exceed customer expectation e. Excellence f. Share knowledge g. Simple process h. Team work i. Participate and contribute to activities The company has beliefs that the custom printing will target a huge segment of clients, who are in need of quality printing. The management team wants to serve a competitive price depending on the design. Organization’s Strategic Direction De Von’s objectives for the future are to achieve the goals in the strategic plan to expand on the growth for the company. Once the achievement has been accomplished, the management team would review the profit made and look at other opportunities in the printing industry such as screen printing. De Von’s future goal is to add to the partnership network with the competitors such as Paramount Printing. The executive and management team has discussed the advancement plan of the objectives. The objectives would include connect with web designers and screen printing organizations, communicate, and advertise the new service. Produce a partnership with local competitors by advertising workshops or seminars, and use a recruitment method to reach out to master printers. Use social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to advertise and promote the product and service. The strategic plan solely depends on the mission, vision, and core values. The mission statement identifies the company and who it supports; the clientele, employees, and investors. The mission statement recognizes the proficiency within the industry. The clients realize that De Von’s Printing is committed with customer satisfaction, focus, and outstanding abilities. The vision statement summaries how the company wants to succeed by providing outstanding products and service to the clients. De Von’s vision is to become one of the popular printing companies in the area and through the United States. This shows that the company is committed to accomplishing and achieving excellence to the clients, staff and investors. It also shows that the ownership has motivation to be the best it can be and be loyal to  the goals for the company to expand. The core values of De Von’s Printing are correspondingly as impertative as the mission and vision statement of the organization’s strategic plan. Lastly, the value of integrity shows that cl ients and employees can trust the company to do what is right for not only clients, employees, and shareholders, but for the community and society as well. The Customer Needs and Achieved Competitive Advantages De Von’s top priority is to be able to meet the customer’s needs. The company has developed a strong communication method. This method has allowed the management team to utilize his or her listening skills. Once the communication and listening plan was put in place, they were able to understand what the clients were looking for in a product and services. There are three steps the team would need to follow in order to bring satisfaction to the clients. The steps would be Listen, Process, and Deliver. The team took the steps and developed a plan. The first step is Listen. Team A took the information from the clients and was able to understand what he or she was trying to achieve. Team B had the Process step. They reviewed the multiple solutions that were available and then were able to decide the best one for each individual or organization. In the Process step, the team used the advanced solution instead of the cheaper one. The last step is the deliver. This step Team C set a method for the clients to follow through, and establish a way for the client to meet the request of the customers by providing on time service, and a committed competitive price. De Von’s focus is to remain in an advance stage of bring competitive with the competitors. The management team and executive leaders have put in place ways to stay competitive in the Printing Industry. An incentive and training program was put in place to provide positive resources for the employees. Conclusion De Von’s Printing has a strong method of maintaining a positive strategic plan. The mission, vision, and values were properly evaluated and developed with a smooth path of organization. The mission statement identifies the company and who it supports; the clientele, employees, and investors. The vision statement gives a view of where the company has set out for the future and in what direction they plan to be. The core values are a guide  that helps the company to meet the goals that are set. De Von’s management team has realized that their biggest competitive advantage will be the clientele and the employees. . Reference â€Å"Mission Statement†, (2014). Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/mission-statement.html#ixzz35ZMkiGFn â€Å"Vision Statement†, (2014). Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/vision-statement.html#ixzz35aW3DgZb â€Å"Mission, Vision, and Value statement†, (2013). Retrieved from http://www.bellevuechamber.org/links/pdf/mission_vision_and_values_template.pdf

Ex Poser Extensive Reading

ENGLISH TEST 8th Grade/level 4 March 2011 aepas 2010/2011 Name: __________________________________________ Number: _____ Class: ____Teacher: ______________________ _________________ Reduzido Nao Sat Satisfaz Sat. Bastante Excelente Enc. Ed. _____________________ Enc Ex Poser by Paul Jennings 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 There are two rich kids in our form. Sandra Morris and Ben Fox. They are both snobs. They think they are too good for the rest of us. Their parents have big cars and big houses. Both of them are quiet. They keep to themselves. I guess they don't want to mix with the ruffians like me.Ben Fox always wears expensive gym shoes and the latest fashions. He thinks he is good-looking with his blue eyes and blond hair. He is a real poser. Sandra Morris is the same. And she knows it. Blue eyes and blonde hair too. Skin like silk. Why do some kids get the best of everything? Me, I landed pimples. I've used everything I can on them. But still they bud and grow and burst. Just when y ou don't want them to. It's not fair. Anyway, today I have the chance to even things up. Boffin is bringing along his latest invention – a lie detector. Sandra Morris is the victim.She agreed to try it out because everyone knows that she would never tell a lie. What she doesn't know is that Boffin and I are going to ask her some very embarrassing questions. Boffin is a brain. His inventions always work. He is smarter than the teachers. Everyone knows that. And now he has brought a long his latest effort. A lie detector. He tapes two wires to Sandra's arm. â€Å"It doesn't hurt,† he says. â€Å"But it is deadly accurate. † He switches on the machine and a little needle swings into the middle of the dial. â€Å"Here's a trial question,† he says. â€Å"Are you a girl? † Sandra nods. You have to say yes or no,† he says. â€Å"Yes,† replies Sandra. The needle swings over to TRUTH. Maybe this thing really works. Boffin gives a big grin. â₠¬Å"This time tell a lie. † says Boffin. â€Å"Are you a girl? † he asks again. Sandra smiles with that lovely smile of hers. â€Å"No,† she says. A little laugh goes up but then all the kids in the room gasp. The needle points to LIE. This lie detector is a terrific invention! â€Å"OK,† says Boffin. â€Å"You only have seven questions, David. The batteries will go flat after another seven questions. † He sits down behind his machine and twiddles the knobs.This is going to be fun. I am going to find out a little bit about Sandra Morris and Ben Fox. It's going to be very interesti ng. Very interesting indeed. I ask my first question. â€Å"Have you ever kissed Ben Fox? † Sandra goes red. Ben Fox goes red. I have got them this time. I am sure they have something going between them. I will expose them. â€Å"No,† says Sandra. Everyone cranes their neck to see what the lie detector says. The needle points to TRUTH. This is not what I expec ted. And I only have six questions left. I can't let her off the hook. I am going to expose them both. Have you ever held his hand? † Again she says, â€Å"No. † And the needle says TRUTH. I am starting to feel guilty. Why am I doing this? I try another tack. â€Å"Are you in love? † I ask. A red flush starts to crawl up her neck. I am feeling really mean now. Fox is blushing like a sunset. â€Å"Yes,† she says. The needle points to TRUTH I shouldn't have let the kids talk me into doing this. I decide to put Sandra and Ben out of their agony. I won't actually name him. I'll spare her that. â€Å"Is he in this room? † I say. She looks at the red Ben Fox. â€Å"Yes,† she says. The needle points to TRUTH. â€Å"Has he got blue eyes? I ask. â€Å"No,† she says. â€Å"Brown? † I say. â€Å"No,† she says again. I don't know what to say next. I look at each kid in the class very carefully. Ben Fox has blue eyes. I was sure that she loved him. â€Å"This thing doesn't work,† I say to Boffin. â€Å"I can't see one kid who doesn't have either blue eyes or brown eyes. † â€Å"We can† says Boffin. They are all looking at me. I can feel my face turning red now. I wish I could sink through the floor but I get on with my last question. â€Å"Is he an idiot? † I ask. Sandra is very embarrassed. â€Å"Yes,† she says in a voice that is softer than a whisper. And he has green eyes. † I – READING-COMPREHENSION A – Say if the following statements are true (T) or false (F). Quote from the text to justify your answer. 1. Sandra and Ben Fox are upper class children. __________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Sandra and Ben are very talkative and extrovert kids. __________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Sandra has skin problems. _______________________________________________________ ___________________________ 4. Boffin bought a lie detector. _________________________________________________________________________________ ? ? ? ? B – Match the sentences with the words (write the numbers inside the squares) SENTENCES WORDS KEY 1. form (line 1) 1 a) direction 2. ruffians (line 3) 2 b) wide smile 3. pimples (line 7) 3 c) sound made by surprised person 4. burst (line 7) 4 d) class 5. grin (line 18) 5 e) convince me 6. Gasp (line 20) 6 f) badly behaved people 7. Tack (line 32) 7 g) explode 8. Talk me into (line 35) 8 h) spots on skin C – Read the following statements and find synonymous expressions in the text. 1.David has an opportunity to revenge himself. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The lie detector is extremely correct. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. David wants to humiliate Sandra and Ben in public. _______________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4. David is certain that Sandra and Ben are having an affair. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5. David can’t make it easy for Sandra. ____________________________________________________________________________________ D – Give complete answers to these questions on the text. 1. What is David’s opinion about Ben and Sandra? ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How does David describe himself? ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.Do you think David has a high self-esteem? Quote two sentences from the text to justify your answer. ______________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Why did Sandra agree to try the lie detector? ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. â€Å"Sandra smiles with that lovely smile of hers† (line 20). Comment on this sentence. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. â€Å"I wish I could sink through the floor† (line 45). How was David feeling at this point of the story? ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ II – LANGUAGE FUNCTION A – Complete with FOR or SINCE. 1. ________ two years 2. ________ two weeks 5. ________ one year . ________ last year 3. ________ six months 6. ________ 1999 8. ________ yesterday 4. ________ August B – Choose the correct option and write the corresponding letter in the blanks. 1) He _____ there when he was a child. 6) I _____ her since last year. a) has lived a) haven't seen b) lived b) didn't see 2) They _____ a few minutes ago. 7) She _____ ill since Thursday. a) Left a) Was b) b) have left b) has been 3) I _____ the project last night. 8) _____ to Rome? a) have finished a) Did you ever go b) finished b) Have you ever been 4) I can't get into my house because I _____ my keys. ) It stinks in here; someone _____ smoking. a) Lost a) Was b) have lost b) has been 5) I _____ up smoking last year. 10) I've known her since we _____ at school together. a) Gave a) Were b) have given b) have been C – Complete with the PRESENT PERFECT or the SIMPLE PAST. David _____________________ 1(have) pimples sice he was eleven and he _________________________ 2(try) everything he can on them, but they ____________________ 3(not disappear) for three years. In the past, when he ________________ 4(be) younger, his skin _____________________ 5(not have) any pimples and it _____________________ 6(look) like silk.D – Look at Barry’s plans for the weekend and form sentences about what he’s going to do. Use the expressions in the box. *listen to music *play chess *go on a picnic *clean the house *go cycling *cook a meal 1. _____________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________ 4. _____________________________________________________________________ 5. _____________________________________________________________________ 6. ________________________________________________________ _____________E – Read these sentences and choose the most appropriate answer. 1. I’m so excited! I †¦ my new dress on Friday night! 2. Poor little thing! Look at her face. She †¦. a) am going to wear a) are going to cry b) will wear b) is going to cry c) won’t wear c) will cry 3. You should have brought your umbrella. Look at those dark clouds! It †¦ a) isn’t going to rain b) is going to rain c) will rain 4. -â€Å"Ben is ill†. – â€Å"Is he? I †¦ him tonight. † 5. My cousins †¦ their holidays in London. I wish I could go with them! a) will spend b) won’t spend c) are going to spend 6. Tomorrow we †¦ our old friend Michael in town.We’re so excited! a) aren’t going to meet b) are going to meet c) will meet 7. I hope Caroline likes Robert Redford. I †¦ her to the cinema. a) are going to invite b) am going to invite c) will invite 8. I can’t walk home. I †¦ a taxi. a) am going to call b) will call c) won’t call a) will take b) won’t take c) am going to take F – Read the dialogue below and fill in with the correct form of the future . Bryce: What ____________________________ (you/do) today? Diana: I ___________________________ (clean) my room. It’s a mess. Bryce: Oh, but we have an exam on Monday. __________________________ (you/not study)?Diana: Yeah, I know†¦ but I promised my mum. Oh dear, what shall I do? Well, I ______________________ (try) to talk to her. Bryce: Wait! I ___________________________ (help) you clean your room and then we can study together. What do you say? Diana: __________________________________ (you/do) that for me? Bryce: Of course! What are friends for? Diana: Oh that’s really nice of you! III – WRITTEN PRODUCTION Write a short summary of the story â€Å"Ex Poser†. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________ _______________________________________________

Enron Case Study Summary

Enron Case Study The case of Enron is a fascinating one. United States is a country where auditing and accounting principles are so strong. How can something take place on such high level in the United States? The Enron case demonstrates the need to reform the accounting and corporate governance practices in the United States. Moreover, the Enron case made government officials to pay close attention to deregulated energy market. Some of the aspects that struck me are discussed below. One of the aspects that struck me was the vision of the top management.Enron was in the business of energy, but Kenneth Lay built management team of MBAs, not individuals specialized in gas and energy field. My view is that top management has to have a clear vision. It seemed that Kenneth Lay vision of the company was distorted. Enron transformed from an energy company into an investment company. Hence, the management team was comprised of traders and investment bankers who had very little knowledge of t he energy business. As the business model of Enron changed so did the corporate culture. The culture was â€Å"Get it done. Get it done now. Reap the rewards. The new business was the buying and selling of commodities. The employees were rewarded for business deals regardless of long-term consequences. I feel this kind of reward system is not beneficial to companies; it is very short-term view of business. Moreover, analysts were derided when they asked questions about the earnings-report. These actions points that the corporate culture was of Enron was disruptive. This raises the questions on the role of boards of directors. It seems like the boards of directors of Enron had very little knowledge about the activities of Fastow and Lay.It’s interesting that the boards of directors had so little knowledge of thing happening in the company. The takeaway from this is that boards of directors should pay close attention to the management behavior and money generating strategies. The boards of directors need to take active participation in company not only when things are bad, but also when things are good. Another aspect was the business practices of the Arthur Andersen firm. It’s shocking to see one of the most prestige firms to engage in such a big fraud. The firm played a role of not only as an auditor, but also as a consultant for Enron.The conflict of interest was sure to take place. The firm saw the opportunity to make money by hiding Enron’s financial information. Basically, the firm helped Enron to cook books. I believe that some executives of Andersen firm were driven by greed and lack of ethical sense that made them act in a fraudulent activities. Moreover, it seems that Andersen had weak internal control in terms of auditing. The practices of this firm raised questions about the accounting and auditing system of the United States. The congress was quick to repond by adopting set of reforms.For example, the Sarbanes-Oxley bill was pa ssed to reform the accounting and auditing industries. The important part of the bill was the separation of roles: the separation of consulting and audit business. Yet, another aspect was the impact on the economy, particularly the energy industry. This was interesting because it shows how Enron impacted the economy and business environment. The financing for energy companies dried up because of Enron scandal. As a result of limited financing options, many companies went bankrupt. The confidence of investors was shaken. Many investors hesitated to invest in energy corporations.I believe that the Enron incident encouraged many analysts and investors to question the financial reporting and long term money making strategies of companies. Furthermore, the professional corruption also struck me. The management used financial cleverness as a financial strategy. The recording of assets and profits that were inflated or non-existent showed professional corruption. Additionally, the involvem ent in dishonest accounting practices was just too much. Moreover, the interviews for recruitment took place in strip clubs. The whole corporate culture was somewhat corrupted.The aspect that jumped out from the case was the relentless pursuit of profits. Yes, the main goal of any business is to make profit, but social values should be kept in mind. I believe that the compensation system at Enron was also to blame. People involved in the scandal were making huge sum of money. The intriguing aspect in this case was how Fastow was able to create special purpose entities (SPE). Fastow was creating these SPEs to segregate financial activities from Enron’s balance sheet. The SPEs provided Enron a way to move debt from the balance sheet so the credit rating could remain high.The commodities swapping mechanism required high credit rating. The SPEs allowed Enron to disguise debt and loss as revenue. Enron deceived investor and creditors. Furthermore, Enron invested in other companies . Once the investments began to show losses, they were transferred to SPEs. This method allowed the sale of investment to SPEs. Hence, the sale of investment was shown as gain to Enron. Another interesting fact was that analysts didn’t raise red any flags. I am sure that many analysts recommended the buying of Enron stocks. This scandal made investors and analysts more cautious.Analysts and investors began to ask questions: 1) how does company make money? 2) Can company sustain strategy over the long term? Basically, the laws got strict and analysts were more observant. These are some of the aspects that were intriguing to me or struck me. The case of Enron will continue to be a lesson in ethics and corporate responsibility. The government agencies should not relax and should make sure that industries are regulated when it comes to reporting financial information. The incident of Arthur Andersen serves as an example for other accounting firms.

Member of Parliament Essay

This puts the rest of the team in a situation that could cause stress and extra work that they wouldn’t have had to deal with if the team member had done what they said they would do. In order to avoid this it is important for all team members to understand the importance of doing what they are assigned to do. †¢A team member who does not meet deadlines There are many things to consider when something goes wrong when you are a part of a team or group. The first thing I would do is make sure that the deadline was known and that the team member understood the deadline and what was supposed to be completed. If there was a misunderstanding then I would make sure that the rest of the team didn’t have the same misunderstanding about the deadlines and their importance. This situation is especially true for me and this assignment. I was late in submitting my portion and it has put team members in this exact scenario. The way I would handle this with myself, is to make sure I know how important deadlines are and how the impact the work of the rest of the team. I would let myself know that people are relying on me to have my portion of a project or assignment done in order for their portions to be implemented and the final project to be completed. In order to avoid this in the future, I will make sure that I keep track of all deadlines and schedule my time accordingly.

How to Write Carnegie Mellon Universitys Essays 2018-19

With its application pool rising to record highs and an acceptance rate that keeps dropping (2017 saw a 10.8% acceptance rate spanning its seven colleges), Carnegie Mellon University is amongst the most selective institutions of higher education in this country. As the university becomes more selective, its supplemental essays provide an increasingly vital opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from the pack. For the 2018-2019 admissions year, CMU has announced that it will be using three entirely new prompts. This is your chance to show them something they’ve never seen before! Below, we’ll go into detailed explanation of what the prompts are asking—with tips, hints, and examples provided to ensure that you stand out. What CMU has done here is take a standard question— why this major —and ask it in a manner that will make you answer it a certain way. While the typical ‘why this major’ prompt gives students the freedom to focus on the past or future (i.e. how you developed an interest or what you plan to do with the major), this version of the question is asking you to focus on the former. A successful execution of this prompt will: 1) elaborate on the path that led you to choose your major and 2) show the adcom why you deserve to pursue this major at their school. The latter doesn’t necessarily need to be explicit. If you can do part one while showing drive, curiosity and all those good things that adcoms love to see, consider part two completed as well. Let’s dive in. There are essentially two methods for completing this prompt. The first is a narrative arc or anecdote. If there’s a moment where you said to yourself â€Å"this is going to be my major,† that could be a great story to tell! Perhaps you were in a robotics competition and after weeks of toiling, your robot finally moves. And that’s when you knew, you knew beyond a shadow of doubt, this was the path you needed to pursue. Here’s what telling that story does. First, it shows tenacity—even after weeks of failure, you didn’t give up. Second, it shows innovation. And third, CMU just happens to be known for offering a robotics major, so even without being explicit, you just told the adcom exactly why you belong at CMU! Stories are a great method for drawing in your reader and creating pathos. The trick, however, is to not get so caught up in the narration that you fill your 300 words without actually saying anything. If you’re going the anecdote route, ask yourself the following questions: Does the story I just told show why I’m passionate about the major I’ve chosen? Have I showed that CMU is the right place for me? Don’t say you want to pursue a major in underwater basket-weaving if CMU doesn’t offer that (just an example, but you get the idea). Do mention, either briefly or implicitly, how CMU would allow you to continue pursuing and developing your passion. If you can honestly answer yes to those questions, then you’re all set! Let’s move on to the second method of answering this prompt. I call it the brag sheet method. You may not be able to fully answer the prompt with just one moment or story. That’s okay! Not everyone has that kind of story to tell. An alternative is to briefly list key moments, progressions, or accomplishments leading up to your decision. Here’s an example: â€Å"From writing short stories as a seven year old to winning my first prose contest in high school, creative writing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.† Unlike the narrative arc method, this example is neither a story nor a specific event. Instead, it shows how creative writing has been pivotal to my life for years. Though arguably less compelling than a story, this method has the bonus of demonstrating growth, long-term commitment, and development. Being that CMU is one of the only universities to offer a BA in creative writing, it also shows why I’m applying. This same method will work if you choose to talk about who or what inspired you. However , this comes with a warning. If you choose to talk about a person or work that inspired you, ensure that you don’t only write about said person or work. If the adcom learns more about the Pulitzer prize winner whose work inspired you than they do about you and your work, reassess! Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. This prompt is a gift. Within the confines of the word limit, the options are endless. This is your chance to show the adcom exactly what makes you so special. But don’t get bogged down by the possibilities! So how do you know what’s worth writing about? Is there something you mentioned on your Common App that you feel the need to elaborate?   This should not be even remotely similar to the subject of your personal statement. Think of your essays as a portfolio; they should be complimentary without being redundant.  Ã‚   For example,   if your passions are science and wildlife, and your personal statement is about wildlife, make this prompt about science. Is there something you haven’t been able to mention anywhere that you’re dying to mention?   Let your personality shine through. Whether your passion of choice is volunteering with animals, taking apart computers, or almost anything else, it can have a place in this prompt. However, it shouldn’t be so random that it doesn’t say anything about you as an applicant. Here’s a good idea: â€Å" I collect postcards from all over the world because I love learning about new cultures.† See how this paints a picture of a student eager to learn and expand their horizons? Now here’s a bad idea: â€Å"I like watching Netflix in my free time.† Does that tell the adcom something that helps them envision a contributing member of the CMU community? Neither of the above? Just write about something you love. If you have a topic that you could talk about for hours, then here’s your place.   Note: this has to be entirely different than your answer for the previous prompt. The scoop : use this as an opportunity to show your personality and your passion. The caveat: don’t get overwhelmed by the possibilities. Narrow in on something pivotal to what makes you you, and make sure it still shows CMU why you’re a fit. The ideal : if you have a story, accomplishment, or passion that shows you possess drive, an entrepreneurial spirit, or a similar embodiment of the CMU spirit, here’s the place to prove it. What not to do: Don’t be redundant. If you’ve already said it in another CMU essay or in your personal statement, don’t say it again. This prompt is clearly one CMU values highly. They give you an additional 50 words, provide an introduction for the prompt, and attach more than one question. Spoiler: they care a lot about your answer. Let’s break down what this prompt is really asking because there are a lot of extra words. The overarching goal for this essay is to prove to CMU that you deserve their â€Å"diverse community of scholars, artists, and innovators.† They’re proud of their network. Why do you deserve to be a part of it? If offered access, what do you have to offer to their collaborative environment? These are all implicit questions, meaning they may not outright ask them, but they secretly want them answered. The only efficient way to ensure you account for all aspects of the prompt is to focus on one instance or example. Whether this is a long-term commitment (the teamwork you’ve encountered while playing football for the last four years) or one specific event (the time your group was falling behind on a school project, so you helped delegate roles to pull everyone together), the idea is the same. But don’t just start listing stuff. Here’s the format your essay should follow (and for clarity’s sake, I’ll continue with the previous example): The challenge : Regardless of whether you’re choosing the long-term or specific instance, your essay will be much stronger if you describe a challenge that had to be overcome. For example, you’ve been assigned to a group for a school project. The deadline is in a week, your group has communicated very little, and everyone seems to be inefficiently doing their own thing. The solution: Solve your challenge using teamwork. Bonus: try to show leadership qualities!   You realize your group needs to work together, so you get everyone together and delegate roles to get things done. With everyone working on a role that caters to their unique talents, the project comes together. The takeaway: What did you learn from the experience?   I learned that communication and teamwork allowed our finished product to be so much stronger than it otherwise would have been. The future: How will you apply the takeaway to the future? Don’t be afraid to make it CMU specific! In fact, this is a great opportunity to throw in a few sentences of ‘why CMU.’ Example:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"CMU is constantly collaborating with leading companies, amongst them Sony and CH Robinson, to create results that would otherwise not be possible. In this environment, I would use my own talent for robotics and seek complimentary talents to push the limits of what I can achieve.† The more specific you can be here, the better. Specific to you and specific to CMU. Be aware that the above scenario is a very generic scenario. You will create a much stronger essay by using this space to share an example specific to you. Whether this is the time you entered a design competition with a group of friends or painted a city mural with your art club, just make sure it’s pretty specific to you! If it’s a situation that can apply to every high schooler in the world, definitely reassess. So, there you have it! At the end of the day, you want your essays to answer the prompts in a way that screams ‘you.’ The more personality and you-ness in the essays, the better. Want help on your Carnegie Mellon application or essays? Learn about our College Apps Program . Want us to quickly edit your college essay? Submit it to our Rapid Review program , and we’ll get it back to you quickly with comments from our expert team.

Mrs. Fields Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mrs. Fields - Case Study Example However, the main reason behind the dramatic success of the Mrs. Fields’ Cookies was its exceptional management philosophy and management information systems (Richman(a)). In the process excessive international expansion, Randy and Debbi, made sure that they have control over all branches and were not in favor of franchising the outlets. According to them, franchising would have resulted in hurting their management philosophy and quality of business (Richman, 5). Debbi believed in guiding the employees with example and regularly visited its stores in this regard. Management information system of the Mrs. Fields’ Cookies was designed in order to keep control over all stores and to provide the required information to all store managers in order to take better decisions. Information systems at each store helped the managers in the process of taking important daily operational decisions (Richman, 6). Hence, less autonomy is given to the store managers and employees. On the other hand, LPB had completely different management practices and philosophy. The store managers and employees of LPB were provided with the required autonomy and freedom to take important decisions regarding day to day operations at the bakery. Apart from this, LPB does not have the carefully and cleverly build information system. Randy and Debbi were not able to understand these differences and modify the information system according to the new requirements, which in turn resulted in losses after the acquisition of the LPB by the Fields. INTIAL ACTIONS OF FIELDS UPON ACQUIRING LPB AND ITS ANALYSIS: The first most action taken by the Fields upon the acquisition of the La Pettie Boulangerie (LPE) was the reduction of the overall staff of the bakery chain. The administrative staff was reduced to 3 from 53 (Richman, 9). The reason provided by the Fields for this was that all overhead activities and tasks were integrated with the existing management structure and organization, this inc ludes several important tasks like human resources, finance, training and several other. The three people kept belonged to operations and research and development department (Richman, 9). This step of reducing the staff and merging overhead functions with existing organization allowed to cut down the overall cost of operations. Apart from this, integration of the operations and reduction of staff was supportive to the management practices of Debbi and Randy and they could have gain more control. Although, this decision was taken by the Fields in order to manage the acquisition more effectively and efficiently but at the same time this decision would have resulted in resistance on part of the store manager and other employees of the LPB. The decision of reducing the staff would have discouraged and de-motivated the employees and at the same time the level of trust over the new management would have reduced. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE FIELDS AND LA PETTIE BOULANGERIE: De bi and Randy were of the view that La Pettie Boulangerie (LPB) was similar to their own business. However, it was important to acknowledge first that the similarity between both businesses was only limited to the type of industry in which they were operating, as the products were related to each other. Debi and Randy wanted to enter into a whole new segment in the bakery industry and for this purpose acquired La Pettie Boulang

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 10

Operations Management - Essay Example 29). Through measuring the effectiveness of the new applications at the CEUPU, it becomes easy to calculate the cycle time for the applications process. What is more, comparing the application process with other different units can be a comparable way of doing the calculations. The processing of an application involves several tasks and operations and so a large number of people are usually involved in the long run. Without doubt, the processing of applications is a prolonged course of action that requires watchful examination by several checkers taught to develop assessments (McFarlan & Delacey, 2003, p. 315). In order to calculate the number of people involved in the processing of an application, it is worth taking a look at some essential elements. To begin with, it is undeniable that a unit deals with roughly over 200 applications on a weekly basis. Reflecting on this point of view, several tasks have to be completed by different employees such as clerks, secretaries, and managers, for the process to run smoothly in due course. What this means is that the number the number of people involved in the process will be determined by the type of execution required in the system. More than 10 members of staff can be helpful towards running the entire procedure. However, it is worth noting that the increased number of people available to run the process may bring confusion when it comes to the allocating of duties. Therefore, it is advised when calculating the number of people involved in the process to consider a small number of people in order to ensure effectiveness is given the first priority. Citing on the fact that the entire processing unit is programmed to perform various tasks, it may be difficult to locate an individual file. Worth mentioning, for to be in position to locate an individual file, several calculations and requirements must be met accordingly. In one way or the other, the central processing unit is designed in such

Justification and Excuses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Justification and Excuses - Essay Example In his defense, Sandusky’s lawyers have put forth the unlikely and implausible excuse that he is suffering from a histrionic personality disorder, a condition since removed from the DSM-IV-TR itself. It has been described as "a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking" that is "often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive conduct. His lawyers tried to use this condition as an excuse for their client’s behavior and to justify his actions. This justification is part of a defense based on circumstances and excuses, a broad set of defenses in which defendants claim a lack of responsibility for their criminal acts. (Lippman, 2010). Jerry Sandusky has been accused of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, criminal intent to commit improper assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. However Dr. Glen Gabbard, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and an expert on personality disorders states that histrionic personality disorder could in no way be seen as a reason or explanation for the abuse of children. "That diagnosis, if he has it, would be completely irrelevant to anything having to do with criminal responsibility for acts of pedophilia†. Mr. Sandusky had no excuse or justification for his action, for the crime he committed he knew very well what he was doing to those boys, over a period of 15 years and he knew the consequences of his actions; and he used his respectable position in society to sexually abuse those kids. He deserves to be sentenced for life and is only plea bargaining because at his age settling for 12-15 years may give him some chance of living some of his life out of jail rather than dying in it. I personally think that this kind of defense does not stand a chance and should be thrown out of court. Pleas for insanity or other mental conditions are not appealing to jurors because it is

Decision to Charge Appropriate Interest Rate Essay

Decision to Charge Appropriate Interest Rate - Essay Example However, if any of the above mentioned determinants, fails to meet the expectations of the investors, then investors become shaky regarding their investments. The investors are mainly of two types, one who receives the ownership of the business by purchasing the shares of the company, in this way they invest in the company and are known as shareholders. They demand their return in two major ways i.e. dividends (distribution of profits) and capital gain (increase in the value of shares). On the other hand, the other kind of investors, are the creditors and they provide loans to the business such that amount of loan is repayable in certain time against which they demand a return in the form of interest. Generally, if the financial prospects of the business seem sound in the future, shareholders also require more return. However, if the financial prospects of the company are to show more vulnerability and inconsistency, then loan providers charge higher interest because their investment comes at stake due to increasing risk of solvency, bankruptcy and likelihood of inability of business to pay interest and principal. In short, out of the two types of investors, i.e. shareholders and debt holders, this particular article mainly focuses upon the required rate of return demanded by the debt holders only. Generally if an organization’s future financial outlook seems to be stable and bright looking, the debt holders prefer that organization to invest in as they would find their investment less risky as compared to that organization which is found to be struggling in dealing with its financial prospects. To be more specific, debt holders will charge less interest to that business which has consistent and growing cash flows, profitability, less amount of debt included in the overall capital structure and increasing net worth of the business. All of the above mentioned factors are the determinants of a safe, prosperous and better looking business. Conversely, debt holders would charge a relatively higher interest from those businesses which have inconsistent cash flows and profitability, highly indebted and having vulnerable net worth of the business in upcoming periods. Debt holders find their investment highly risky and as a result of bearing that extra risk, they demand higher interest to compensate that risk. As far as ACME Consulting Business is concerned, its cash balance is going to increase at double rate on yearly basis with the amounts of $39K, $138K and $177K. The net profit margin is also estimated to increase as it will be 0.33%, 4.87% and 5.94% respectively. Total Debt to Total Asset ratio will also be expected to decline from 76.55% to 61.24% in three years time. Lastly, Net Worth to Total assets of the business is estimated to increase from 65.09% to 86.31% in the same period. Debt ratio of the business is however higher than industry which is a questioning sign for the business. Net Worth ratio is better than the industry whi ch can be a positive sign for the business in future. For Interstate Travel Center, the cash balance will also be increased at almost a double pace, with