The Beginnings of Greek Philosophy Essay -- Science Math Stars Papers

The Beginnings of Greek Philosophy The Milesians and Heraclitus Long before the time of Thales, a citizen of Miletus, in the district of Ionia on the west coast of Asia Minor, Chaldaen astrologers had listed data on the position of the stars and planets. As Thales studied these tables he thought he discerned a pattern or regularity in the occurrence of eclipses, and he ventured to predict a solar eclipse that occurred on May 28th 585BC. Some scholars think that this was just a lucky empirical guess, but if it was the discovery of an astronomical regularity or natural law, then Thales may be credited with distinguishing Greek philosophy and science from the somewhat aimless observations and disjointed information of the Eastern wise men. When a law is formulated, Man's wonder at the phenomenon is supposed to be satisfied, and nature is said to be explained and understood. Thales is also credited with the discovery of several theorems of geometry and with diplomatic, engineering, and economic exploits. If there is a difference between science and p hilosophy, it is that the regularities of science are relatively restricted, whereas the more general principles, called 'philosophic' apply to wider areas. Thales's more general speculations concerned the constitution of the universe. What is the world made of? Are there many elements or is there but one? And if one, what is it? These questions dominated the entire Pre-Socratic period; and they are still live issues today; and if Thales's answer seems crude to a so-called sophisticated 21st century mind, his motivation and procedure may prove as profound as any contemporary inspiration. As a matter of fact, Thales taught that all things are made of water, and we may imagine re... ...uch a person, so hardy as to suggest that reality is spiritual and not material, would have to be a genius as great as Plato. There is a much easier choice that can be made. The great minds of ancient Greek thought with all their scientific acumen, so it may be concluded, have failed to find any truth. The reason for their failure is simply that there is no truth to be found. Knowledge is impossible. This conclusion is a welcome relief after such arduous philosophising; and besides, it offers great opportunities for ambitious young thinkers. Thus there arose in Greece the movement known as Sophism. Bibliography: JOHNS, B. Early Greek Philosophical Thought New York, 1976 MARTIN, K. A History of Greek Philosophy New York and London, 1981 McCONNELL, T. The Pre-Socratic Philosophers Dublin 1988 CARSON, N. Exploring the Pre-Socratics London, 1985

Cross Cultural perspectives

The company decided to use was Struck Corporation. Struck has been an iconic symbol in the coffee industry here in the United States. It is a place where people go to meet, work; do school work, and many other things. Struck Corporation has created an atmosphere that makes people feel okay with spending six dollars or more on a latte. Although its great success in the United States and many other countries, Struck has really struggled to thrive in Europe. Struck CEO Howard Schultz traveled to Italy in 1983 and was really inspired by their espresso bars.He saw the potential in the concept off coffee house thriving in Seattle. Schultz really took that idea and sculpted it into everything the American people were looking for. As the company grew and expanded into other countries, it eventually came full circle and ended up back in Europe, where the idea began. This would prove to be more off struggle than expected. You would think that Struck would thrive in a country that lives off cof fee and tea. The espresso and latte experience in Europe is an everyday thing; apart of the culture.Struck is having a difficult time bringing an American version of a coffee shop to Europe. Its reputation of having a fast food type atmosphere isn't doing the trick. The European people need a more intimate experience. One problem that Struck is having in Europe is the way they serve the coffee. The iconic paper cup and sleeve isn't cutting it in Europe. I feel it portrays a cheaper product. Also, Struck has a fast food type environment. When in Europe the coffee shops are sit down restaurants almost. Struck needs to learn how to adapt to the European cafe culture.Struck very modern look and dcore have not been keeping up with the elaborate dcore of the cafeg's in Europe. In 2012 the New York Times captured a picture of a beautifully decorated coffee shop. It had big comfortable velvet chairs that filled the room. Chandeliers line the ceilings and just a beautiful atmosphere. To my s urprise it was a Struck. They were successful in creating an atmosphere that holds to European tradition. In Europe you do not go to a coffee shop to be waited on. Even though they do have servers they do not work on tips.All of this is very different from an American coffee shop. Struck has really perfected coffee shops here in America. Instead of an elaborately decorated room, it's more Of a modern and sleek area for enjoying your favorite cup of coffee. Also, there are no servers coming to your table, but energetic baristas brewing amazing coffee with a smile and a small conversation. Struck may be on to something in Europe trying to adapt to their way of doing things. In order to keep turning a profit out in Europe they must continue to disguise themselves as a local coffee shop.In the New York Times article In Europe, Struck Adjusts to a Cafe Culture where they quote local coffee goers. Daphnia Monitor 19 year old Parisian said, â€Å"We see stars like Kim Sardinian in all the magazines walking around with a Struck,† and, â€Å"My friends and I come because it's hip. † What this tells me is that the American lifestyle is being mimicked. Especially when very famous influential people are going to Struck regularly. There are several viable solutions for Struck in Europe. The key would be to not spend extra money but to shift the money that is being spent.When opening new stores, Struck would have to go about the dcore in a different way. Change from paper cups and sleeves to mugs and plates, and still stay true to being environmentally friendly. Last, the training and Struck team should never change. Struck can change the dcore by going from a modern look and shift it to very elaborate looking decorations. Interior decorations in Europe don't have the same color schemes as we have here in the United States. Having big comfortable chairs of some kind of fabric instead of modern chairs and leather couches.Incorporating chandeliers and mirrors to make the rooms kick bigger and fancier. One major misconception of Struck in Europe is the iconic coffee cups and sleeves. Unfortunately this is perceived as a lesser product, even though this is not the case. This will save money in several different types of cups, sleeves, and much more. A coffee cup that can be rewashed and reused will save a lot of money and will take very minimal water to wash. Also, adding Rupee's favorite treats to accompany the drinks will be a great addition. If the ambiance was altered and the cups changed, the consumer will not know he difference.They are judging the coffee before they even get a chance to taste it. Some are lured in by the fact that it is an American company enjoyed by the stars. American celebrity endorsements and maybe invitations to store openings would help raise customer interest. Customers will continue to drink it as long as it is portrayed and interpreted as cool or hip. Lastly, the employee training is key. This is something th at must not be tainted no matter what changes around them. Customer involvement and connection has been and continues to be absolutely crucial part of Struck success.This is what separates Struck from any other coffee shop American or European. Continuing to hire fun, charismatic, and hardworking people no matter what culture and nationality is essential to the company thriving anywhere. Also, putting the Correct people in management is a key part Of the team. In conclusion, there are several WAP to lure in the European people to Struck. Adapting to European culture can and will be very beneficial. SSH fitting the image slightly but keeping the priorities in tact will be essential. Changing from paper to glass mugs will help lower costs and bring people onto the stores. Cross cultural perspectives The international market is the primp situation for all companies, even though almost every organization experiences growth as time passes. The main goal of almost every big business Is to be able to reach the largest market and enable growth; the international market. There are many different things that International markets bring to an organization, advantage wise, for Instance a bigger brand name, international market shares, Investors, or even growth that will allow the capability to be able to manufacture many products for a lot less expensive labor cost.Even though most companies want to go big or go home, there are bound to be many different obstacles and difficulties in making the bigger picture happen. Between going national and international, there are so many deferent moral and social responsibilities that must be overcome as the organization progresses through the ranks to be a worldwide international organization. The organization that I choose is the Levi Strauss compa ny, I love the Jeans and there is an over abundant amount of information available to the public about the history of their organization.Levi Strauss and Company, which Is based In San Francisco, California has actually been one of many different companies that have been able to overcome all the adversity and become an International organization and one of the largest retail sale producers In apparel. The organization has their headquarters in California, but they are able to operate and be successful with their different plants and operations in 110 different nations across the globe. Breaking down the split of what their income as a company is generally split from the United States and outside the border to a ear 50/50 split.Actually, Levi Strauss has recently been dealing with issues with foreign organizations to incorporate stockholders, media sites, investment companies, and even employees' right's unions. There were noted to be a lot of different reasons that people were getti ng upset with Levi Strauss and Company, but one of the major reasons Levi Strauss and Company incurred so much trouble was in their two plants in Bangladesh. There was mass confusion about the laws and stipulations In that country compared to the united States.What was stated Is that Levi Strauss was ring employees that were below the minimum age requirement, but in all actuality, in Bangladesh, there are different laws as to how old an individual must be to work in a similar plant as Levi Strauss and Company. The minimum age for an individual to work at a manufacturing plant comparable to Levi Strauss and Company is sixteen. When one looks at the history of Bangladesh, there is nothing out of the ordinary to see children, ages fifteen and younger to be out in the workforce and helping with their families household income.One issue in Bangladesh to be specific is their lack f producing a birth certificate to prove age, another issue that has been brought up is the lack of nutrition for the supposedly younger kids, who most likely look younger than they actually are. Even though these younger people are working In different Levi Strauss' plants, these types of situations are very evident and continuous even though the Conditions of Engagement for and from Levi Strauss and Company. Levi Strauss isn't the first one to be in the microscope from external stakeholders for child As an ethical international company, Levi Strauss seems to have the moral views of he majority of people. To ensure they stay ethical, there are a few things that the organization must follow like the encouragement of dialogs interactions, motivation of involvement in making decisions, adjusts personal as well as company goals and conducts, imposes direct responsibility for expecting and addressing ethical crises.These would be the most basic ethical requirements required by Levi Strauss along with an international anti bribery plan, a global rule of business actions, and An anti- corruption plan. During the year 2008, the organization was once again in the spotlight from many external pressures by the way they were breaking different child labor laws, like the way that Uzbekistan has been doing the same thing. Not only did Levi Straus help take care of the issue, but they have confessed that they have worried about the problem for a very long time.Following the different problems, Levi Strauss and company went through major changes including no use of any product coming from Uzbekistan. Being involved in such a critical matter, Levi Strauss and company took added measures to relieve the pressure and stress from the child labor laws by not only ruminating employees that were part of the infractions, but would continue to help assist them with full pay and benefits contingent on them going to school and completing that for themselves and their families.Laws against labor of underage is definitely a major concern for Levi Strauss, but unfortunately with having 110 differe nt countries subject to the same standards, there are always other obstacles for the organization to overcome because they are such a large international organization. One of the other obstacles that happens more often than almost anything is discrimination in the workplace. This has actually become more of a recognized problem and enforced almost worldwide, not Just in the United States.Many attempts to regulate discrimination are moral and the practices therein are sure to find their way into problems. In Vietnam, operational corruption is one of the biggest moral challenges to overcome, and it includes Levi Strauss and Company. Corruption in organizations has been noted to take away three to four percent of the world's total gross domestic products each year. In one of the latest researches, 67% of business proprietors inVietnam presume that they will have to pay for a bribe at some stage in a particular year to carry on in business operations (Inrush & Areola, 2010) These two ex amples are not even scratching the surface as to what an international organization must face on a daily basis to keep their head above water and to keep themselves profitable. The way that Levi Strauss and Company have been able to continue to be successful is the fact that they were able to instate one set of written rules and guideline to have as a basis for all of their companies and plants around the world to abide by.This type of action is Just a preventative method that instills the idea and provides a little insurance plan to help prevent allegations of wrongdoings. Levi Strauss and Company is much like all international companies in the way that they have to uphold their integrity and ensure that they are conducting business in a throughout the company, a simple memo will not suffice. There must be people all over the world at all the different plants making sure that the code of ethics provided by the company are met and are not too specific to follow by all employees.If t hese hypes of actions have been thought of years ago, there probably would never have been an issue in Bangladesh and the underage labor that was happening and they could have avoided that completely. Many, many businesses are striving for the international market in today's society. They are all wanting growth and potentially higher earnings. Social and Moral factors are often overlooked and ignored when businesses are up and coming. There will never be a way for one method or one set of rules to govern any international company from one end to another.Arrangements according to the environment and he nation are essential clues to help adjust for each little market in the bigger picture of international business. The more of the little things each international companies do to ensure moral and social obligations, the longer and more thriving their business will become and continue to prosper. References Five compliance and ethics issues to consider in Vietnam. 2010, Gregory Inrush & Fernando Areola. Retrieved from http://knowledgeable. Thunderbird. Dude/ research/2009/11/04/Vietnam/ Levi Strauss & Co. (Unknown) 2010. Retrieved from http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/Levi_Strauss_&_Co. Cross Cultural Perspectives For many years, Nike Inc has been known worldwide as the champion of athletic gear producers, being a global leader in business and marketing. The company experienced a tremendous growth between 1970s and 1990s, dominating the global athletic footwear and apparel market (Cartey, 2002). However, in 1990s, Nike started facing a fierce criticism for its unethical practices of conducting business in developing countries.Critics accused Nike for poor working conditions, exploitation of cheap overseas labor, and violation of minimum wage and overtime laws in countries, such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico, where the company had outsourced its manufactures. Instead of using ethical means to developing a global brand, Nike used child labor and every possible cheap way to increase its profits. Like many other U. S. companies, Nike manufactures its products in third world countries. Workers in these manufactures may earn as little as 12 cents per hour, working in unsafe, even dangerou s working environments.These manufactures are called sweatshops, and have triggered many objections from human right organizations for violating the basic human rights. Victoria Carty (2002) explains that: The Internet has significantly accentuated awareness of the controversies surrounding Nike’s business culture and practices. Information regarding corporate abuses has spread quickly through cyberspace, bringing bad publicity to new levels of awareness, and has facilitated mobilization among activists.It has also provided the resources and environment essential for organized mobilization in the form of a new social movement (NSM). When the labor activists and scholars began observing Nike’s labor practices, they discovered systematic violations of workers’ rights in Nike factories. Their findings resulted on health and safety absences in the working environment, discrimination against trade unions, forced overtime, unfair wages, and increasing production quota s whenever workers met them.Since assembly line workers in developing countries could not have success against the exploitation, citizens from the international community begun advocating for them and started an anti-Nike campaign to confront these unethical issues and demand corporate social responsibility and respect for human rights. These manufactures, on the other hand have allowed developing countries to expend their exports and improve their economies. Therefore, many debates have developed about globalization and global labor practices.While critics seek regulations to restrict the use of sweatshop labor, economists think that such regulations will harm the world’s poor. Proponents, who support sweatshops, argue that free trade without labor restrictions generates future prosperity and, therefore, better working conditions for the host country, by providing developed countries with access to cheaper goods. In turn, opportunities to exploit cost advantages in export ma rkets are greater. Based on their research, even terrible jobs provide some positive outcomes to a society, by benefiting others, who are not part of this employment.Workers can also earn job-related skills and provide benefits to the society at large. Eventually, a durable economic growth will improve the economic and social conditions of these people. That is why the economist Paul Krugman supports Myerson’s economic theory that â€Å"The overwhelming mainstream view among economists is that growth of this kind of employment is tremendous good news for the world's poor† (Arnold & Hartman, 2005). Sweatshops are the optimal solution for a developing nation’s economy.According to Arnold and Hartman (2005), â€Å"†¦the argument states that, however much we may not like some of what we see in the labor conditions of developing nations, this is the market at work; and the market works to generate overall improvements in economic welfare for a society. † They consider a moral obligation to perform actions that better enhance the overall satisfaction of these societies. Therefore, they argue, as many sweatshops as possible must be created and maintained. Is their evaluation legitimate?Generally, market economies have the potential to create tremendous economic growth in poor countries; ethical responsibilities would be that businesses which seek to benefit from that growth not do so by exploiting the human and natural resources of host countries (DesJardins, 2011). Although free markets generate benefits, certain boundary conditions hold firm. The relation between workers and their employers should be such that workers are fully informed about occupational health risks and their employment is truly voluntary, not through coercion.People must be able to make rational decisions about their self-interest, and no child should be held to the terms of any contract they enter into. Critics of sweatshops argue that workers may agree to work under poor conditions, because they have no other option to earn income, and they may not have enough information, prior to being employed in those sweatshops. Once they have made such choices, it would be extremely difficult for them to get out of a labor agreement and return to the previous circumstances.That is why the fact that workers agree to work under poor conditions does not mean they agreed to the kind of conditions they face. DesJardins (p. 280) explains that â€Å"Someone who chooses to surrender her money to an armed robber is also relatively better off than she otherwise would have been, but this fact does not justify the actions of the robber. † So, there is not a well-functioning free market in these countries. In contrast, they cause a social disruption, because people leave from their villages to depend on public social services in urban areas.An increased population in urban areas worsens sanitation and housing resources. Job losses from the closed factorie s in these countries result in a higher poverty. What should Nike do to show an ethical responsibility to business in these host countries? First, it should not tolerate any discretionary exploitation in the contractors it employs—for example, when managers try to extort sexual favors from vulnerable workers. Second, it should insist that the established labor laws be obeyed and also that governments enforce those rules uniformly.This will do away with impure structural exploitation. Third, it should press for structural solutions that end the exploitability of labor and do its fair share to repair the background circumstances that make taking unfair advantage possible. Certainly it should not lobby for policies that perpetuate or strengthen the structural conditions that permit businesses to exploit workers. In 1990s Nike started facing criticism from different human right organizations for poor labor conditions of its workers in foreign countries, in particular in Asian cou ntries.Nike has violated the minimum wage and overtime laws in these countries and has used the exploitation of the poor people to gain billions of dollars. These events have triggered many critics and economists to discuss and analyze the situation from a variety of ethical frameworks. Nike has tried to take actions to curb its practices and observe these manufactures to ensure that child labor is not being used. However, there is still much to do for applying the same ethical responsibility standards inside U. S. as well as in international business. Cross Cultural Perspectives For many years, Nike Inc has been known worldwide as the champion of athletic gear producers, being a global leader in business and marketing. The company experienced a tremendous growth between 1970s and 1990s, dominating the global athletic footwear and apparel market (Cartey, 2002). However, in 1990s, Nike started facing a fierce criticism for its unethical practices of conducting business in developing countries.Critics accused Nike for poor working conditions, exploitation of cheap overseas labor, and violation of minimum wage and overtime laws in countries, such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico, where the company had outsourced its manufactures. Instead of using ethical means to developing a global brand, Nike used child labor and every possible cheap way to increase its profits. Like many other U. S. companies, Nike manufactures its products in third world countries. Workers in these manufactures may earn as little as 12 cents per hour, working in unsafe, even dangerou s working environments.These manufactures are called sweatshops, and have triggered many objections from human right organizations for violating the basic human rights. Victoria Carty (2002) explains that: The Internet has significantly accentuated awareness of the controversies surrounding Nike’s business culture and practices. Information regarding corporate abuses has spread quickly through cyberspace, bringing bad publicity to new levels of awareness, and has facilitated mobilization among activists.It has also provided the resources and environment essential for organized mobilization in the form of a new social movement (NSM). When the labor activists and scholars began observing Nike’s labor practices, they discovered systematic violations of workers’ rights in Nike factories. Their findings resulted on health and safety absences in the working environment, discrimination against trade unions, forced overtime, unfair wages, and increasing production quota s whenever workers met them.Since assembly line workers in developing countries could not have success against the exploitation, citizens from the international community begun advocating for them and started an anti-Nike campaign to confront these unethical issues and demand corporate social responsibility and respect for human rights. These manufactures, on the other hand have allowed developing countries to expend their exports and improve their economies. Therefore, many debates have developed about globalization and global labor practices.While critics seek regulations to restrict the use of sweatshop labor, economists think that such regulations will harm the world’s poor. Proponents, who support sweatshops, argue that free trade without labor restrictions generates future prosperity and, therefore, better working conditions for the host country, by providing developed countries with access to cheaper goods. In turn, opportunities to exploit cost advantages in export ma rkets are greater. Based on their research, even terrible jobs provide some positive outcomes to a society, by benefiting others, who are not part of this employment.Workers can also earn job-related skills and provide benefits to the society at large. Eventually, a durable economic growth will improve the economic and social conditions of these people. That is why the economist Paul Krugman supports Myerson’s economic theory that â€Å"The overwhelming mainstream view among economists is that growth of this kind of employment is tremendous good news for the world's poor† (Arnold & Hartman, 2005). Sweatshops are the optimal solution for a developing nation’s economy.According to Arnold and Hartman (2005), â€Å"†¦the argument states that, however much we may not like some of what we see in the labor conditions of developing nations, this is the market at work; and the market works to generate overall improvements in economic welfare for a society. † They consider a moral obligation to perform actions that better enhance the overall satisfaction of these societies. Therefore, they argue, as many sweatshops as possible must be created and maintained. Is their evaluation legitimate?Generally, market economies have the potential to create tremendous economic growth in poor countries; ethical responsibilities would be that businesses which seek to benefit from that growth not do so by exploiting the human and natural resources of host countries (DesJardins, 2011). Although free markets generate benefits, certain boundary conditions hold firm. The relation between workers and their employers should be such that workers are fully informed about occupational health risks and their employment is truly voluntary, not through coercion.People must be able to make rational decisions about their self-interest, and no child should be held to the terms of any contract they enter into. Critics of sweatshops argue that workers may agree to work under poor conditions, because they have no other option to earn income, and they may not have enough information, prior to being employed in those sweatshops. Once they have made such choices, it would be extremely difficult for them to get out of a labor agreement and return to the previous circumstances.That is why the fact that workers agree to work under poor conditions does not mean they agreed to the kind of conditions they face. DesJardins (p. 280) explains that â€Å"Someone who chooses to surrender her money to an armed robber is also relatively better off than she otherwise would have been, but this fact does not justify the actions of the robber. † So, there is not a well-functioning free market in these countries. In contrast, they cause a social disruption, because people leave from their villages to depend on public social services in urban areas.An increased population in urban areas worsens sanitation and housing resources. Job losses from the closed factorie s in these countries result in a higher poverty. What should Nike do to show an ethical responsibility to business in these host countries? First, it should not tolerate any discretionary exploitation in the contractors it employs—for example, when managers try to extort sexual favors from vulnerable workers. Second, it should insist that the established labor laws be obeyed and also that governments enforce those rules uniformly.This will do away with impure structural exploitation. Third, it should press for structural solutions that end the exploitability of labor and do its fair share to repair the background circumstances that make taking unfair advantage possible. Certainly it should not lobby for policies that perpetuate or strengthen the structural conditions that permit businesses to exploit workers. In 1990s Nike started facing criticism from different human right organizations for poor labor conditions of its workers in foreign countries, in particular in Asian cou ntries.Nike has violated the minimum wage and overtime laws in these countries and has used the exploitation of the poor people to gain billions of dollars. These events have triggered many critics and economists to discuss and analyze the situation from a variety of ethical frameworks. Nike has tried to take actions to curb its practices and observe these manufactures to ensure that child labor is not being used. However, there is still much to do for applying the same ethical responsibility standards inside U. S. as well as in international business.

Texas House Bill 588 An Impact On The State s Culture,...

In the long history of the United States, Texas is one of the few states that demonstrated three-way segregation including white, black, and Latinos communities. Generally, segregation influenced all dimensions of the society. In specific, former segregation in Texas has left an immeasurable impact on the state’s culture, economy, geography, and education. Despite the fact that institutional desegregation occurred decades ago, segregation of minorities still exists in modern Texas. In particular, the contemporary implementation of Texas House Bill 588 – as known as the â€Å"Top 10 Percent Rule† – indicates the state’s tenacious effort to heal the scars of racial segregation in educational perspective. Practically, the law has not only fostered multiracial public institutions, but also reshaped colleges in a statewide scale. Although the Top 10 Percent Law has only been in effect for approximately two decades, the law signifies historical cases behi nd it. In short, Texas House Bill 588 was an immediate response to a 1996 federal court case (Barr). In 1991, the law school of University of Texas (UT) initiated a controversial admission strategy, which required distinct standards for white students versus minority students, in order to boost diverse enrollment at the school (Barr). Consequently, this affirmative action was soon criticized as unjust reverse discrimination to Anglo students (Barr). In 1996, rejected applicants filed a lawsuit against the UT – Law school, in whichShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOrganizational Behavior This page intentionally left blank Organizational Behavior EDITION 15 Stephen P. Robbins —San Diego State University Timothy A. Judge —University of Notre Dame i3iEi35Bj! Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Director of Editorial Services:Read MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pages22/10/2007 11:54 Page 600 600 Guide to the main focus of cases in the book Introduction to strategy Business environment: general Five forces analysis Capability analysis Corporate governance Stakeholder expectations Social responsibility Culture Competitive strategy Strategic options: directions Corporate-level strategy International strategy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategic options: methods Strategy evaluation Strategic management process Organising Resourcing Managing change StrategicRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesRFP’s and vendor selection (.3.4.5) 11.2.2.6 SWAT analysis 6.5.2.7 Schedule compression 9.4.2.5 Leadership skills G.1 Project leadership 10.1 Stakeholder management Chapter 11 Teams Chapter 3 Organization: Structure and Culture 2.4.1 Organization cultures [G.7] 2.4.2 Organization structure [9.1.3] 9.1.1 Organization charts 1.4.4 Project offices Chapter 4 9.2 Building the team (.1.3) [3.5.3] [App G.2 Building teams] 9.4 Managing the team 9.3.2 Team building activities 9.2.4 VirtualRead MoreHuman Resources Management150900 Words   |  604 Pageson other diverse groups of employees. So that all employees were given opportunities to grow and learn, the Bank of Montreal’s Institute of Learning was established at a cost exceeding $50 million. The goal of providing five days of training and education to every employee each year has been met for several years. To focus on performance, each department and every employee have HR managers participate in developing strategies and ensure that human resource dimensions are considered. almost 18%Read MoreGsk Annual Report 2010135604 Words   |  543 Pages This is helping to reduce GSK’s dependency on sales of products generated in ‘white pills/western markets’† . Sales from these markets and products have decreased from 40% in 2007, to 25% in 2010. Over time, this should help to reduce the adverse impact of patent expirations on the Group. Delivering diversiï ¬ ed underlying sales growth In 2010, reported sales fell 1%, impacted by the continued effect of generic competition to Valtrex, the rapid loss of sales of Avandia following regulatory decisions

Study On Discounted Cash Flow Techniques Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1817 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? In current practice, managers use DCF (discounted cash flow) and Traditional method analysis to estimate the investment in financial terms. In DCF method considers the time value of money in which reduces the time value of money progressively and it consist with NPV (Net Present Value) approach and IRR (Internal Rate of Return method). This could lead to more popularize investment appraisal techniques among the managers. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Study On Discounted Cash Flow Techniques Finance Essay" essay for you Create order A valuation method used to evaluate the attractiveness of an investment opportunity. DCF analysis uses future free cash flow projections and discounts them (most often using the weighted average cost of capital) to arrive at a present value, which is used to evaluate the potential for investment. If the value arrived at through DCF analysis is higher than the current cost of the investment, the opportunity may be a good one. Net Present Value The NPV which based on a required rate of return to each years projected cash flow, both in and out, is the application of discount factors. If the NPV is negative, the project should be rejected and if positive, the required rate of return is likely to be earned and the project should be accepted. NPV is especially appropriate for long-term projects, ranking investments by NPV does not compare absolute levels of investment. For Strengths of NPV by considering the time value of money, it also takes factors, like interest rates, cost of capital and investment opportunity costs into account. NPV not looks at profits and losses the way accounting systems do, it looks at cash flows. It can be tricky to determine and highly sensitive to the discount percentage. The technique works by discounting a projects cash flows by the Cost of Capital set by the organization. Each cash inflow and/or outflow is discounted back to its PV. Then they are summed. Each cash inflow and/or outfl ow is discounted back to its present value (PV). NPV = PV-costs (period, cash flow) pairs (n, Cn) where n is a positive integer, the total number of periods N, and the net present value NPV, the internal rate of return is given by r The NPV rule states that a project should be undertaken should its NPV be positive (Ross et al, 2005). The NPV rule includes the cost of capital or the discount rate to helping to take risk into account and covering any uncertain cash flows that may arise. It only includes the relevant costs, and it only takes these costs when they occur. The NPV rule uses cash flows instead of earnings, it uses all the cash flows of a project, and it discounts the cash flows with regards to the time value of money. Other forms of investment appraisal tend to ignore at least one, if not more, of these points. The NPV rule also provides a clear rule over the acceptance or rejection of a project. However, only future costs are taken into the analysis. This means t hat past costs are ignored because they do not vary with future decisions. There is also a heavy reliance on the discount rate, often difficult to calculate, and as a result, the cash flows can be complicated to predict. Cash flows are usually assumed to take place at the end of each year, but in practice, this is an over-simplification of the issue (Irons, 2004). Internal Rate or Return (IRR) The definition of IRR is based on NPV. In general terms, IRR is the value for r when the NPV equal to zero. This can be formulated as below   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€š It is the method favored by many accountants and finance people, possibly the ones at your company. It provides a simple hurdle rate for investment decision-making. It is not as easy to understand as some measures and not as easy to compute. Computational anomalies can produce misleading results, particularly with regard to reinvestments. Having calculated the IRR the company can then accept any projects with an interest rate lower than the IRR and reject any projects with an interest rate higher than the IRR. NPV is highly sensitive to the discount rate, while IRR bypasses the problem of deciding the correct one. IRR is very good for screening projects. IRR is not an absolute amount, its a rate or ratio that more useful for comparing unlike investments, say stocks and bonds. It also more useful for making international comparisons, and comparisons between different periods and different sized firms. The intention here is not to argue for either point of view, but instead to put the issue into balance. Conclusion The aim of Investment appraisal is to help companies make decisions on which project they should invest in. Investment decisions involves making an outlay of something of economic value, usually cash, which the outlay precedes to benefits, so it is vitally important to a business. If a wrong decision is made, the effects on the business could be significant and it might also mean closing down the activity and sell the premises at a significant loss. According to above discussions, discount cash flow techniques have their own advantages and disadvantages. They normally based on some assumptions and reliable forecasting of key values. So its really important and necessary to choose the right and suitable method. Q2. Appraisal Methods for AP Ltd a) AP Ltd. is trying to evaluate 4 new projects. Assume all the 4 projects have a useful life of 10 years. For every business to know where they should invest their money it is essential to research what they should do. There are few main methods of appraisal that should be looked at: 1)  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Annual Net Cash flow 2)  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Initial Investment 3)  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Cost of Capital 4)  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Internal Rate of Return (IRR) 5) Net Present Value (NPV) Calculations I am going to use following form to calculate all those answers. ACF(Annual Cash flow)ÃÆ'Æ’-Present value Interest Factor of Annuity (PVIFA)-I.I(Initial Investment)=NPV PVIFA = 1-(1+r)ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¾ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¿ or table of PVIFA r Where r = interest rate n = number of periods A) IRR is the value for r when the NPV equal to zero. PVIFA = 0+I.I = 449.400 = 4.494 ACF 100.000 In the PVIFA table, 4.494 in the 10years row equal 18%, which is the IRR for the investment project. So the answer of A is 18% B) The Annual Cash flow in project 1 is  £100,000, Initial Investment is  £449.400 and the Cost of Capital is 14% which equal to 5.216 in the PVIFA table , to calculate the NPV of project we can use the formula as below. NPV = ACFÃÆ'Æ’-PVIFA-I.I =100,000ÃÆ'Æ’-5.216-449.400 =72,200 So the answer of B is  £72.200 C) In project 2, the IRR is 20% of 10 years life time. Then we can found the PVIFA of project 2 is 4.192 from the PVIFA table. And according to the definition of the IRR, we can use the kind of expression as below Cost of Capital = ACFÃÆ'Æ’-IRR20%,10years =70,000ÃÆ'Æ’-4.192 =293,400 So the answer of C is  £293,400 D) We already known the PVIFA14%, 10years is 5.216 and Initial Investment is  £293,400. So the NPV can be formulated as NPV = ACFÃÆ'Æ’-PVIFA-II =70,000ÃÆ'Æ’-5.216-293,400 =71,720 So the answer of D is  £71,720 E) The IRR of project 3 is 14%, and we know PVIFA14%, 10year is 5.216 . In this situation, we can follow the equation as below Net cash flow = Initial investment = 200,000 ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€¹Ã¢â‚¬    £38,344 PVIFA14%, 10yr 5.216 So the answer of E is  £38,344 F) Now we know ACF of project is  £38,344, so we can calculate F as follows F= NPV+II = 35,624+200,000 = 6.145 ACF 38,344 Then looking for the PVIFA 6.145 in the 10 years row of PVIFA table, we can find tha t this value equal to 10% which is the Cost of Capital for project 3. So the answer of F is 10% G)According to the table PVIFA12%, 10year is 5.650, and Initial Investment is  £300,000 in project 4. Net cash flow = NPV +I.I = 39,000+300,000 = 60.000 PVIFA14%, 10yers 5.650 So the answer of G is  £60.000 H ) PIVFA= 0+I.I = 300,000 = 5 ACF 60,000 According the PVIFA table, the PVIFA 10years of 5.0 in is 15%, which means internal rate of return for the investment project 4. So the answer of H is 15% b) Both NPV and IRR methods valuable and favorable guides in business practice. Both the IRR and the NPV take account of time value of money, but situations arise where the IRR method leads to different decisions being made from those that would implement the NPV method. However, In some cases, a project with a higher NPV can produce a lower IRR. As in this part, the IRR and NPV method are not always agreed. First, compare the three project 2,3 and 4, we can easy to find that the project 2, which has greater IRR, also get greater NPV. The method of IRR and NPV are agreed. Obviously, for the AP Ltd, the project 2 is better than the project 3 and 4. Second, compare the project 1 with the project 2, the IRR and NPV method are offering conflicting recommendations. The project 2 has greater IRR than the project 1 whereas the project 1 has larger NPV than the project. why the NPV and IRR methods are getting conflicting recommendations and which one we should choose? Conflicting recommendations can be occurred, because projects have differences in size and/or cash flow timing. When one project is larger than another one, the bigger project can has a larger NPV but a smaller IRR, while the smaller project may get a larger IRR but smaller NPV (Emery et al, 2007). As in this case, the project 1 has larger NPV, but smaller IRR than the project 2. In generally, the project which get larger NPV is better. Therefore the method of NPV is superior to the method of IRR, when mutually exclusive projects differ in size. The problem of the difference in cash flow timing is caused by the reinvestment rate assumption (Emery et al, 2007). The method of IRR assumes that the future cash flow of the project can reinvest at the IRR, while use the method of NPV to imply that they are going to earn the cost of capital. And the best assumptions is the one which made my the method of NPV. Because if the project generate the business organization use the cash flow, the organi zation doesnt need borrow money from the other place. In other way, the cost of capital is the opportunity cost of the funds. Again, the method of NPV is superior and has better assumption. Conclusion When using NPV to guide an investment decision, a firm needs to estimate the future cash flow and the return required by its investors. According to finance theory the return required depends on the projects risk and required by the investors is often referred to as the firms cost of capital. Projects offer rates of return less than the cost of capital are not worthwhile undertaking financially, and the return Investment projects offer rates of return higher than the cost of capital add value to the firm. According to those above considerations and the results of the investment appraisal techniques, I would recommend the project 1 for AP Ltd. Because it has a larger NPV and from the financial view that it has the highest return on investment.

Environment - Energy Resources - 4599 Words

Part 1 Introduction What is your first thought of energy resources? Is it something that got to do with electricity? First of all, I would say that the energy system is not very sustainable because it can either be sustainable, or not sustainable. The energy resources used by mankind have grown dramatically and it is affecting the environment by leaving negative impact to the environment. Not only the government sector, but also the private sectors that are aware of the environment are trying to find alternatives to sustainable development to prevent the environment from being destroyed. Fossil Fuels The energy resources that are most commonly use by mankind is fossil fuels, which consist of oil, coal, and natural gas. Fossil†¦show more content†¦The hospitality and tourism industry in Malaysia will be affected by natural disaster as results of fossil fuels burning. Three Ways of Malaysian Tourism Industry to Counter Effects of Fossil Fuels Burning To tackle the impacts of fossil fuels towards the environment and the hospitality and tourism industry, the usage of biofuels should be practice widely. Biofuels is much more environmentally friendly and it would preserve the environment because biofuels would not release any harmful gas such as sulphur and acid emissions. Biofuels are fuels that are made from plant materials. Most biofuels now are obtained from fermentation of food products, such as corn kernels and sugar cane, and vegetable oils, such as soy and oil palm. However, there was a protest in using food products to produce biofuels. It was fully supported when a kind of plant named jatropha came in. Jatropha is resistant to drought and pests, and it produces seeds that contain up to 40% oil, which can be used in a standard diesel engine and also processed into biomass to power electricity plants. The usage of biofuels is environmentally friendly because biofuels are renewable, and they can offer environmental benefits su ch as lower emissions of carbon and sulphur compared with petroleum-based fuels. If lower emissions are to be released by biofuels, then the environmentShow MoreRelatedSustainable Environment Friendly Energy Resources Essay2188 Words   |  9 Pagescivilization mainly depends on the naturally limited fossil fuel. Those fossil fuel resources will end soon and their usage causes severe environmental impacts that if neglected may cause a catastrophic live extinction on earth. Thus to keep our development going while saving our environment. We have to use sustainable environment friendly energy resources and upgrade our systems to utilize the energy produced from those resources. Fossil Fuel Sustainability. Fig ‎1.1 Expected fusel fuel reserves. FossilRead MoreRenewable Electricity : Generating Electricity, Heating And Making The Food That We Eat1300 Words   |  6 Pages Generating Electricity 10/03/16 Introduction: There are several methods to generate electricity that we use daily for transportation, light, heating and making the food that we eat. Renewable and non renewable are the two types of energy resources available to us. The standard method of creating electricity has been by burning coal, releasing carbon dioxide into the air. It was perviously thought carbon dioxide created warming however this is strongly disputed now as the correlation betweenRead MoreFossil Fuels And Renewable Energy Essay1121 Words   |  5 PagesFinding energy sources is an issue that polarizes scientists, politicians and citizens alike. The most critical points of this debate are at fossil fuels and renewable energy. Energy efficiency is arguably the most dire concern facing the planet, because it significantly impacts all areas of everyday life. 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The impetus has come from a variety of factors such as the collective development of nonconventional reso urces, the environmental concern of Canadians, and the demand for renewable energy sources. Many premiers have since called for a ‘national energy strategy’ however the governments tendency to avoid national approaches to energy allows no progression to be made.Read MoreUse Of Phase Of Building A Largest Stage That Impacts Environment During The Life Cycle1583 Words   |  7 PagesUse phase of building is the largest stage that impacts environment during the life cycle, so require more attention in the field of energy saving of building. In the initial design stage of buildings, through LCA can help design decisions, such as the appropriate use of zero energy building techniques. 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The use of non-renewable fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, crude oil, tar sands and oil shales are finite resources on the planet and will one day run out because they are regularly used. Subsequent pressure and heating while being buried consisting of organic matter and dead plant over mi llions of years are what created these fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels form greenhouse gases from carbon dioxide

Scientist in a Society

Question: Summarise the essential elements of scientists in society - towards creating opportunity for greater involvement of scientific researchers in policy research and development? Answer: Scientist in a Society - Creating scope for wide involvement of researchers in Science in the research development and Policy: Innovation in science affects the lives of people. Some innovations are used as a solution some as a future prevention and some for providing a a courageous new world a dreamlike opportunity. Society gets real benefit from energy production and gene technology. It is a matter of question whether technology and science fits in the corporate, social and cultural life of a nation. With possessed knowledge researchers must provide guidance for the decision makers of the government involving new techniques (Society for Science, 2015). A disconnection exists in between Policy makers and the community of Scientists. If these two works collaboratively then the country would gain benefit. The training process of scientist begins and ends in the laboratory and their skills are deployed in places rather than University due to shortage of Posts (Symposium 3: Environmental Scientists as Effective Advocates: Above the Din but in the Fray, 2011). Preparing students and graduates in Post doctorates for careers outside academics gets poor attention. Scientists should be proactive in defining scenario of scientific evidence to the makers of policy and in order to do that the researchers should learn how these policies shall be made assessed. Attempts on collaborative work by the parliament and researchers were made. Around thousand people have been approached in a workshop and it was found that students have appreciated the approach. Many were found nave about such involvement to which policy making through scientific research had been highlighted for future reference. References Society for Science, (2015).Society for Science. [online] Available at: https://www.societyforscience.org/ [Accessed 18 Mar. 2015]. Symposium 3: Environmental Scientists as Effective Advocates: Above the Din but in the Fray. (2011).Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 92(1), pp.115-123.

Native Americans and civilization

Land ownership was the leading cause of the conflict between Native-American civilization and western settlement by American citizens. The entry of the colonialists into Native America was the beginning of the suffering of the Native Americans. The colonialists considered themselves civilized and did not want to stay in the same lands s the Native Americans. They wanted to take the Native American lands by buying them at a lower price and evicting the Indians to move from the east to west.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Native Americans and civilization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, this was difficult at first because of the proclamation that prohibited occupation of land acquisition beyond the eastern ranges. This did not last for long as the Revolutionary War changed it all; the settlers had gotten access to the native land by either buying it or exchanging it with a land in the east. Policy The fi rst policy that the settlers were suing was the assimilation policy where they claimed that they wanted to civilize the Indians. However, the situation changes in 1812 when the policy of assimilation of the native lands was no longer effective, and the Indians forcefully moved to the west. This was because of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, (Cassinelli pp 114). The forceful eviction of the Native Americans from their lands referred to as the Cherokee as the Trail of Tears. Many Indians lost their lives due to the long walk they had to make, to the lands in the western part of the Mississippi river. The native Indians not only lost their lands but also their culture in this eviction. Other Indians lost their lives as they were organizing attacks against the settlers. They had the determination to protect their culture and land, but the law and the settlers were too powerful. The Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles resolved to join the Confederate conference in 1861 . They sent representatives to the conference to voice their suffering. However, the natives got punished after the war. The natives had to sell their lands at extremely low prices, give up their territories, and agree to let the railway pass through their land. Dawes Act The main blow came in 1887 when the Dawes Act was put into effect. The act stated that the communal land holding was no longer accepted and that everyone should hold private lands. The Indians were given twenty five years to start owning private lands after which they would become eligible citizens of America. The policy aimed at reducing the land owned by the Indians and gave it to the settlers. Thomas Jefferson’s vision of the yeoman was the one who had the idea of taking the land. He envisioned a land full of farmers doing different activities that can generate income.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is how they saw the lifestyles of the native Americas; a life with no vision. The Euro Americans wanted to teach the Native Americans their way of life because they saw themselves as more superior than the natives. They saw their way of life as the most civilized of all cultures. This was because the Indians valued land and did not believe in cultivation of all the land. The Euro-Americans considered this a waste of fertile land that was fertile and could be put into use. The motive behind the assimilation of the native American into the European way of doing thins was to destroy the Native American culture by assimilating them into the main stream society, (Parks, Pierpont Morgan Library, Nelson, Wiles pp 132). Forceful Education The other policy of assimilation was the forceful education system that used on the Indian children. The Native American children got separated from their parent’s, and taken to boarding schools where they were `shaped’ to fit into the civilized word. The children did not communicate    their native language when they were in school. The other conflict between the Native Americans and the euro Americans was the slave trade. This was particularly common in Virginia and Carolina states. The settlers took advantage of the rivalries among the native tribes to get slaves and use them in their farms. The settlers got slaves from the villages, and took to the slave market where interested buyers would come and make their choices. The attacks forced the natives to flee from their lands and go to places where there were no raids. This was an added advantage to the settlers as they occupied these pieces of land without a buying them. In 1704,  they captured about 1000 Native Americans, and 300 killed in Californian State only. This shows the extent to which the settlers would go just to get the fertile lands where they would practice farming, (Cox, Cox pp 234). Effects of the Conflict The effects of the conflicts between the Nat ive Americans and the Euro Americans were extremely adverse, because the natives ended up getting assimilated into the western culture. They lost not only their land, but also their lives in the struggle to remain intact. The Euro Americans wanted to get the fertile lands owned by the natives and put it into useful projects like farming. In order to do this, they had to form acts that could help them acquire the pieces of land. Works Cited Cassinelli, Peter. Native American land conflicts: the Western Shoshone’s changing concept of land, 1863-1979. Carolina: San Jose State University, 1979.Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Native Americans and civilization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Cox, Eugene, Cox, Joyce. An American Saga: Some East Tennessee Taylors. New York: iUniverse, 2011,Print. Parks, Robert, Pierpont Morgan Library, Nelson Christine and Wiles Stephanie. From Jackson to Lincoln: democra cy and dissent. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995, Print. This essay on Native Americans and civilization was written and submitted by user Audriana Z. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.