Compare and Contrast Television Essay

There are so many TV’s to choose from now days it is so hard to pick the right one. Maybe this guide will help you out. The first color TV was introduced into the world in the year of 1966. It has taken 25 yrs for a mass acceptance. In today’s society majority of the homes have the up to date television. The newer versions of TV’S are a better choice to make when picking out a TV. Here are list of some web sites for you to look at before buying any TV’s. http://shop. panasonic. com, www. bestbuy. com, www. rca. com. Television sets in the early nineties were pretty cool then even though a TV had a price tag of: $750 for a 1997 28 inch Samsung. The graphic was ok but still needed so much work on it to make it clearer. The other thing about the TV’s back then is it’s bulky and not to mention heavy. There are great advantages to having a TV in the 90’s. You can hook up RCA jacks to use a DVD player or video games. People in the 90’s gave someone a new TV for a gift for Christmas or birthday or even a graduation present. In the year of 2012 there are so many ways to see the world of televisions. One of the ways is through the TV set of Panasonic VIERA HDTV. One plus is that they have a new sleek and thin look to them not to mention the price tag of more or less than $2,999. 99. New up to date Graphics are so exciting. There are taking the original 2D and turning it into 3D eye popping full high definition. Smart phones in the last 5 years and now for the year of 2012 there is a smart TV out there called : SMART VIERA ® 55†³ Class WT50 Series Full HD 3D LED HDTV (54. 6†³ Diag. ). These TV’s still have some of the basics that are on TV. You can still plug RCA jacks and also hook up cables for game playing. You can also give these TV’s as Christmas, birthday, wedding, or even a graduation present. Knowing these facts about televisions you should have enough confidence to go out and buy a new TV. Even go to a goodwill store and get a good used TV there. If you were to go out and buy a new one you should get a newer model like the new 2012 models so you can get the most up to date technology. With the older TV’s being obsolete due to the technology in the year 2012. The pawn shops don’t even take them . with them being older than the year 2001. TV’s are like cars they are always changing over a year’s time. There are so many TV’s to choose from now days it is so hard to pick the right one. You just have to keep looking for the right information for your own needs not everyone has the same needs that is also why there is so many models of TV’S. The way the technology is increasing and moving forward in this short amount of time make you wonder how the next 20 years of technology is going towards.

The Waiting Girl

The image that I have chosen to research is The waiting Girl by Loretta Lux. The image was published in 2006 in Germany. The image is about time and timelessness, the girl and the cat are frozen in time waiting for eternity. The little girl is simply waiting for nothing it is like what ever gets thrown at her next will be her opportunity. The waiting girl is one of Loretta’s best works; it is also one of her most famous work. Stated by Loretta â€Å"I started with the idea of a girl sitting on the sofa waiting for nothing in particular and the cat came into the idea later. I love cats and I had to try and incorporate cats into my images for a long time but never worked but this time worked extremely well†. The image shows a little girl sitting on a chair and a cat laying next to her. This image shows the innocence of the little girl with her legs crossed, her hair in two buns, and her clothing so pail and vintage. You will not see many young girls dressed like this today. The chair is the first thing that is noticed in the image it is the colour red being bright and red the meaning of love, waiting for something to happen and for her life to carry on and a child’s life should. The colour’s used in this photograph are pail and as known now vintage colour’s. The girl, cat, wall and floor are all mostly in the same tones and blend in with each other this which then makes the chair center of attention and is the most appealing aspect to the eye. Above the lounge there is a bow, which also shows the innocence of the little girl and her childhood. The meaning of each colour relates back to this image: Red the colour of fire and blood, energy, danger, strength, power, passion, desire, and love. Beige the colour of warmth. Brown the colour of stability, reliability, approachability, natural and organic. White is the colour of purity. The texture of this image looks smooth but the lounge is rough and so is the floor, this gives the image an effect of time, meaning that the chair and floor have now changed over time we now have smooth floors e. g- carpet and tiles, and the lounges today are now soft and made out of soft fabrics and leather. The image does not represent a historical time although we could say it does, the vintage colours, the innocence of the little girl, the lounge which we do not see often at all these days. Though the look if the image is of a very heritage era. Size is a factor in the image the by the size of the lounge compared to the girl and the cat. The girl is of a very small proportion of the image where space overrides the image. The reason I chose this image is because it caught my eye and it had a impact on me, this image caught my emotions. I thought it would be a good image to talk about although there is not much detail on this image. The image is very simple and plain and shows the innocence of young girls growing up. It reminded me of when I was growing up and how different things were. It was all about playing and getting out hands dirty, but when compared to this image it is the complete opposite. It’s all about the sweet innocence of the young girl. The image that I chose I think is a good one, it can relate to many things in a childhood. Nearly every girl who sees this will feel the connection with the image some may feel exactly the same and others like my self may feel opposite. There were two ways of being brought up the classy/ elegant way or the casual way. Many of us girls today can relate to the casual way is it is now the 21st century. My overall response to this image is that I think that it was portrayed very well, without even reading about the image many people would understand the image and have a connection with it. I really like this photo and I find it very detailed once you look into the image and find out more about it and find out that there is more behind this image than we can see. I believe that every image has a story and has its own message behind it and to me I find that this message being sent out about this image is that time s the main factor in our daily lives. It’s what ever gets thrown at us many of us will take. I find this image a very appealing image and believe that behind every image there is a story, and this image does have a story and that is that life is based on time. Every artist looks at things completely different and have there own thoughts on there images but in most cases it is something that has related to their lives and in this case it is Loretta related this image to her upbringing and her love for cats. In conclusion, this image is fantastic I find it very appealing although it is very simple it does have a detailed background and is an eye catching image. I find that the colour’s work very well with the theme of innocence and time the natural colours and show the purity of the girl. Though when we compare these colour’s to todays colour’s they are very different we now use very bright colours and show the excitement in the child’s life. The image is worth all the attention that it receives and has more and more comments about it every day, each person has a different opinion but I find this very appealing and attractive.

He Cold War division of the two Koreas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

He Cold War division of the two Koreas - Essay Example Socially the division was so adverse that Korea was literally split. After this further influences like political interference from Soviet Union, after the UN had agreed to oversee the election in both frontiers. Today in DPRK communism is highly upheld by the North so that the mode of leadership revolves around a class of individuals. This is fundamental in view of global governance, Ideals and perceptions in economic and political pillars (Stefano, 15). With actions such as DPRK, a meeting was convened but Soviet Union boycotted making a consensus reached in support of the South. As a result, today the north is pointed out rejoicing in her massive and large defense system. Their concerns of the military department are highly funded by her sympathizers (Stefano, 15-18). On a global scale, the war led to militarization which has been shown greatly by the US in her invasion into the Asian continent. To date, there is a heavy military presence of the US in Asia; this has influenced political and economic standing of such regions (Stefano,

In this paper I will explore the virtual world as a way of reducing Essay

In this paper I will explore the virtual world as a way of reducing communication barriers due to appearance, norms and that - Essay Example Although the virtual world has been in existence for quite some time, its significance had not been clear until I read the book by Boellstroff. I realized that the virtual world means more than just communication to its residents. Freedom of communication and expression is the primary force behind the existence of the virtual world. Communication in the real world is usually subject to communication barriers due to differences in cultural, ethnic, social, and personal communication skills. However, this is not the case in virtual worlds such as second life. In the virtual world, a person or resident has the ability to choose an identity unlike in the real world. This makes it possible for people to communicate freely in the virtual world irrespective of their social norms in the real world. By being able to choose race, color, gender, profession, social class, and other factors, many barriers are eliminated, at least to some extent. Absolute freedom in virtual world is limited due to factors such as language barrier, internet connectivity, among others. The capability to choose one’s identity in the virtual world is also significance in the enhancement of anonymity in the virtual world. ... Most importantly, it is possible to interact freely with your enemies and other people who are out of reach in the real world. The author of the book emphasizes on this point by stating that people can hide their identity to the extent of their genders (Boelstroff, 2008: 61). I also realized that the virtual world has the ability to overcome geographical barriers of communication since people are able to communicate regardless of their geographical location. Although geographical barriers to communication have been eased by web conferencing and cellphone communication, it is not as free and available as it is in virtual world. Virtual worlds also make it possible interact with diverse communities that conflict with personal identities in the real world. For instance, it is possible for a Christian to attend a mosque in virtual world and share their sermons. This is not possible in the real world. The real world has norms that act as a measure of wrong and right. According to the auth or, the virtual world has developed a code of behavior for most of its users. Initially, I had thought of second life as a form of recreation. I considered our acceptable codes of behavior in different societies to hold in the virtual world as well. For instance, a person intruding into other people’s conversation will be flagged off since this is an unacceptable norm in virtual world. However, after reading the book I realized that norms in the virtual world are slightly different. According to Boelstroff (2008) â€Å" virtual worlds are not just recreation or simulations of the actual-world selfhoods and communities, selfhood, communities, even notions of human nature are being remade in them† (pg. 63). This implies that although the norms are different in the two worlds,

A critical review of the reading materials Assignment

A critical review of the reading materials - Assignment Example The review credits the rise of the Western type of film to that of a way to reflect on American history. The author of the article hints toward the fact that sometimes a rise in a certain area of movies has a particular motive in terms of influencing society. I had never really thought of it like that but in times where there are different societal issues, it does seem true that within the realm of film, media is another way to influence or inform a whole audience, several theaters or DVDs at a time. It seems as if there is one movie about one type of subject, then a few others pop up to mimic it or have similar story lines all around the same time (especially if a movie has performed exceptionally well at the box office within its initial running). Unforgiven begins with a fast pace cut from opening credits which the author of the article discusses. There is brutality shown in the context of the film and establishes where the movie is to be set. It is apparent through the use of characters such as a cowboy and a whore, guns and a saloon in the initial setting that this will be a Western film and early on establishes that with the films audience. This sets the initial mood of the film rather fast and the descriptiveness the author used to describe the opening scenes is somewhat intense and summarizes the scene of violence. Not only is the setting of the film to be in a small one-horse town but it is noted early on that this is a reflection to the olden days when trains were a useful means of transport. It also indicates that there is some level of civilization or industry as symbolized by the railroad shown in the film. Though a person has to travel to the nearby railroad, this is also symbolic that this is small town that is a little bit off of the regular beaten path but is connected to the rest of the world regardless. The author continues to describe events in the

Sword Manufacturing of the Early, High, and Late Medieval Period Essay

Sword Manufacturing of the Early, High, and Late Medieval Period - Essay Example This symbolic importance was even shown in the Medieval swords design as the cross guard was framed over the handle of the sword to resemble a Christian cross. This gave the Knight the privilege to utilize the sword to protect the Christian religion. Medieval swords additionally highlighted some type of engravings. The engravings on Medieval Swords could incorporate the sword owners name and prayers to God. Engravings could likewise be simply decorations. Enhanced sword designs occurred around 1,300 and 1,500 A.D. Striking inventive sword designs had a longer grip, which permitted swordsmen to utilize two hands in battle. Long swords began to be generally utilized during the Late Middle Ages. The fame of the long sword developed because of enhanced functionality in cutting and thrusting as well as its far reaching ability (Wigelsworth, 2006). Sword smiths in northern Europe found a strategy for sword making whereby different bits of iron as well as steel bars of diverse hardness were joined by bending and folding them together. This was the method used in Europe during the early middle Ages. The capacity to work metal along these lines to make high quality swords depended on the quality of the metal used. This process was quite long and the sword smiths could take a substantial amount of time before completing one sword. This meant that the production of swords was quite slow According to Nelson & Theuws (2000), high middle age was a period of great innovation in sword making. It is during this period that sword smiths tried out different processes to acquire the best raw materials for sword making. During this period, the sword smith got to understand the processes of acquiring high quality swords without using unnecessary processes. It is during this period that the production of swords began to increase. During the late middle age, the sword smiths had perfected their skills in sword making and were aware of the important processes needed to

A Reflection and Evaluation to Personal and Organizational Business Research Paper

A Reflection and Evaluation to Personal and Organizational Business Ethics - Research Paper Example Corporate organizations, or any professional organization for that matter, will always have to reach a point when improvement is needed or that the need for change should be addressed. Such scenarios happen within an organization, whether minor adjustments in policies or complete organization structure overhauls, are usually necessary so that operations or activities can progress accordingly. However, the central issue really of organizational development is all about the welfare of the individuals working within the organization, and the manner which their abilities and performance in reaching the organization’s objectives are achieved. Also taken into great consideration are the effects of the business activities to the public constituents. Many relevant issues are put into inquiry. This matter would be called as business ethics. The definition of business ethics varies greatly, but it is perhaps best described by Velazquez as â€Å"a specialized study of moral right and wrong. It concentrates on moral standards as they apply to business policies, institutions and behavior†. As changes in the economic and social environment, how should an organization’s culture and practices deal with the nature of change? If being given the mantle of leadership the head manager of a corporate organization, how would I set the standards, vision, mission and methods needed to develop a business entity that is fair, just, and balanced between profit and principles, and also maintaining integrity? This would be elaborated further on. Before everything, I must understand what are my personal ethics and standards, and try to form them as the organization’s mission and vision as well. My personal code of ethics for this company revolves around the concept care. The concept of care is usually taken into a typically altruistic point of view. The concept of care ethics tells that â€Å"we have an obligation to exercise special care toward particular persons with whom we have valuable close relationships, particularly relations of dependency† (Velazquez, 2006, p.125). Hence, my personal principle with regard to business ethics, in both the personal and organizational aspect, is that the treatment given and practiced between everyone involved in the organization is compassion and kindness. My personal mission statement encapsulates this ideal in the form of â€Å"care and share.† As a manager, I would consider developing a mission and vision statement that would encapsulate the principled ideals that I have for the company. In having a clear mission and vision, as well as having room for flexible and achievable room to adapt along the way, individuals who are part of the company will also have a clear understanding of their purpose within the organization. Mikush and Philbin (1999) point this out precisely: In effective organizations, the vision, values and mission derive from the convictions of

As We Are Now, May Sarton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

As We Are Now, May Sarton - Essay Example Unlike what is portrayed to the outside world by the staff members of these homes, the situation on the ground as revealed by Sarton in her book As We Are Now is very different. This essay will seek to provide my in-depth personal analysis of the portrayal and aesthetics of aging in the novel As We Are Now by May Sarton. Many reviewers have categorized the story as a classic horror story filled with sad events but in my opinion, there is a point that Sarton tries to bring across through their vivid description. How are older adults described and portrayed? Please include at least physical, mental and personality characteristics? In the novel As We Are Now, senior citizens have been portrayed as a group of helpless individuals who are bound to suffer in the hands of their caretakers due to a myriad of factors such as contempt, neglect or plain sadism on the part of their caretakers. The old people are seen as mentally unstable and a burden to their families and friends due to their he alth problems that requires them to constantly seek assistance from the younger members of the family. A good example is the persona herself who is brought into the retirement home by her elder brother after she suffers a heart attack and the brother is unable to take care of her. She is viewed as a burden by her brothers much younger wife and this is the reason why she is sent to a retirement home. While older people may be unhygienic and unaware of their cleanliness status, it is evident that they are viewed as dirty people. Those who send them to retirement homes such as Caro’s brother do so to pass on the responsibilities to other people at a small fee. While this reason may be sensible to some extent, it is evident that many horrific incidents happen in these homes. What is the role and relationship between the older character and other characters in the book? Caro plays many roles as an older character in the novel As We Are Now. In the novel, it is revealed that Standi sh, a fellow aged and deaf senior citizen is her ally since they share the same dislike for Harriet. There is evidence of generational conflict where the two have the same hatred for Harriet who is relatively younger. Caro relates with other characters quite indifferently since very little is revealed about them apart from how they look or their challenges. She gets angry when Harriet vehemently refuses to call in a doctor after Standish health condition deteriorates and he is in great pain. This serves to reveal her personality that despite her aging, she is still loving and caring. There exists a very poor relationship between Caro and her brother. This is evidenced by the fact that he is quick to send her to a nursing home after she suffers from a heart attack. She experiences hateful and hurting treatment from both Harriet and Rose coupled with dehumanizing living conditions. The negativity and resentment that both have towards her make her suffer in silence because Harriet runs the nursing home. What were the occupations of the elders? Upon analysis of the novel, Caro is revealed as a former teacher who had no previous spouse from the fact that she was unmarried. Standish Flint on the other hand is presented as a farmer who is deaf and angry at the fact that he can no longer work in his farm. It is evident that most of the people in the nursing home were once in some kind of employment in their previous years but had to give up their employment in their sunset years. This means that they left the workforce to probably pave way for new and younger talent. Caro does not seem to have as many regrets and anger as that held by Standish. Nonetheless, the general mood I the nursing home

We Are All Madoffs, We Are All Human Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 27

We Are All Madoffs, We Are All Human - Essay Example The crucial argument against the article written by professor Barash, entitled â€Å"We are all Madoffs†, is that it puts greater importance on the environment as the end, whereas true economists place human life as the end to all his endeavors. There is a critical error in the assumption of the writer that we are all Madoffs simply because of â€Å"modern civilization’s exploitation of the natural environment† (Barash): The difference lies in the fact that Madoff has been exploiting other men for his own benefit. By the very mode of operation of Ponzi schemes, Madoff has no responsibility for the people under him including if they fail in their investments in the company. He also cannot be held accountable by the government because the extent of his operations depends on people getting more people, nor is he taxed for all his earnings. We, as an economic force, utilize, and perhaps to some extent, exploit the environment and its resources. Madoff, on the other h and, exploited people for his own profit and he has completely ignored the dignity of human life. The use of resources as means to an end is justifiable because resources are there precisely to improve human conditions. Madoff and his Ponzi scheme used people as means to his own end, to improve his own condition. According to Adam Smith, we as individuals are â€Å"led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of (our) intention† (Barash). That end is the improvement of human life- and fulfilling this end makes us nothing like Madoff. This argument about â€Å"our fundamental relationship to the natural world† can swing both ways, just as the argument of population growth can have its advantages and disadvantages. One can view population growth in a purely detrimental outlook: more needs and wants to satisfy means more produce required means more carbon emissions and pollution.

Physics Lab Safety Booklet Example Essay Example for Free

Physics Lab Safety Booklet Example Essay Why Is Laboratory Safety Important? Lab Safety is important because a safe work space, is a productive work space. When everyone follows all rules and regulations the assignment will get done and no one will be hurt. Some of the chemicals and substances can be harmful if used incorrectly, so there all certain ways we protect ourselves. Lab Safety Symbols This is the fire symbol, it means something is flammable. So keep it away from flames or it will catch on fire. This symbol is for toxic or poisonous chemicals. Safety procedures are to protect you and others also in the lab. Safety Symbols continued The symbol below means that a chemical or substance is corrosive, which means that is can cause visible disintegration of human tissue or any other substances or materials it may come in contact with. These two symbols mean that a substance or a chemical have dangerous fumes. Those fumes will harm you if inhaled. These three symbols are the different types of radioactive symbols you might see. Radioactive waste can harm both humans and the environment, so handle with care. Lab Safety Equipment These are goggles, they are use to protect the eyes. Gloves (below) are used to protect the hands. ï ¿ ¼Safety Equipment cont. This is a lab apron. It is used to protect the clothing from spills, chemicals or substances that might go through the clothes and damage skin. ï ¿ ¼ Measuring Instruments This is a triple beam balance. It measures mass in grams. This is a graduated cylinder, it measures volume in milliliters. This is a ruler, it measures length in both centimeters and inches. ï ¿ ¼Safety Rules This is a fire blanket, it is used when a persons hair or article of clothing catches fire. This is a safety shower with an eye wash station built in. If you ever get anything in your eyes, go swiftly over to the eye wash station , turn in on and hold open your eyelids and let keep using it for 15 to 20 minutes.

Rational Choice Theory

Rational Choice Theory Critically explore the proposition that individuals freely and rationally choose to commit crime. This essay will critically discuss the proposition that individuals freely and rationally choose to commit crime. Alternative criminological theories such as the Positivist tradition and more recent sociological perspectives of crime will be examined. This paper will conclude the proposition of the rational criminal is one of many constructions used within criminology to understand criminal behavior. The idea that individuals freely and rationally choose to commit crime stems from the Classical School. Eighteenth century philosophers such as Jermemy Bentham, and Cesare Beccaria are associated with the classical tradition. During the Enlightenment varied theories such as the social contract and utilitarianism provided the initial context for the theorization of criminal activity in society. It is argued (Garland 2001 p.11) the classical school characterizes the offender as a rational free-willed actor who engages in crime in a calculated, utilitarian way and is therefore responsive to deterrent.’ Classical philosophers were engaged by the criminal justice system and punishment in order to investigate wider socio-economic aspects of the Enlightenment era. It must be suggested that criminal actions by the individual was not the main agenda of Classical theorists. But the school did provide a platform to enable discussion as to what motivates an offender to commit crime. To understand the reasons why the individual was seen in a rational calculating manner it is important to discuss the ideas of the social contract and utilitarianism. The classic tradition is founded upon social contract theories by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. John Locke wrote about the unwritten social contract between state institutions (such as the monarchy) and its citizens. Locke placed an emphasis on all individuals being equal, while those in sovereign power define a clear systematic framework for protecting citizen’s fundamental rights. The belief in human free will and self interest according to Locke and Rousseau, meant the existence of society would be untenable if all individuals were motivated by selfish interests governing the way they lived. It is assumed that all humans are rational, capable of self interest and are liable to commit crimes as an expression of their free will. Thomas Hobbes in Leviathan suggested the ‘right of all sovereigns is derived fr om the consent of every one of those who are to be governed.’ (Wikipedia 2006) Thus individuals are viewed rationally as citizens who have sacrificed part their freedom in making the social contract with the state. This sacrifice allows them to ‘live in a peaceful society’ and not in an anarchic state of nature without laws and rules to govern conduct. Those who break their contract by not abiding specific community rules, cause harm which must be punished accordingly in proportion to their criminal conduct. Violating the social contract leads to sanctions, in order to carry out state punishment on those individuals who have chosen to commit a crime. Beccaria was one of the most prominent social writers advocating a classical approach to crime in society. The text Dei Delitti e Delle Pene (Crimes and Punishments 1764) discussed the idea of a justice system able to determine the appropriate levels of punishment for violations. Beccaria is influential as he supported the reform of the criminal justice system and viewed crime in terms of the harm made to society rather than to the individual victim of a crime. Beccaria applied the social contract model to crime and criminal justice. Thus Beccaria believed all humans were rational beings. Consenting to the social contract meant giving up a partial amount of individual liberty to the sovereign power. In turn this agreement allowed authorities to impose proportionate punishment to those breaking the established rules of the state. For example the social contract idea was applied to legal regulation of crime and those who commit it; that laws are the ‘conditions under which indepe ndent and isolated men united to form society and tangible motives had to be introduced to prevent the despotic spirit.’ These take the form of punishments established against those who break the law. (Jones 2001, Chap 5) It follows that such violators of the law are therefore engaged in an irrational act. Crime is viewed as an irrational act as the deviant activity is perceived to be against the best interests of the public. Beccaria also followed a rationalized proportionate view of how the state should respond to such criminal individuals. For example he argued the true measure of the seriousness of a crime is the harm to society and not the intention of the offender. Thus the punishment given by the state must be determined in public to ensure deterring others contemplating such acts. Beccaria argued for deterrence measures to prohibit future criminal intentions and activity. Such reasoning held that the threat and certainty of detection is an effective form of deterrent. Once detected the punishment of the crime should be swift to ensure maximum impact and effect. Beccaria’s system relies on its clarity and simplicity. It is a proportional system in which punishment and sentencing aims to prevent re-offending and control crime. Secondly such a system and laws represent the ‘moral consensus of society’ acknowledging the seriousness of the crime. (Hamlin 2006) Jeremy Bentham was a key figure of classical theory and was influenced by Beccaria’s work. Bentham approached the proposition that individuals choose to freely commit crime within a utilitarian framework. This was applied to the penal system and crime. Bentham created the ‘felicitation principle’, that whatever activity is committed should endeavor to give the maximum happiness to the largest number of people in society. Bentham formulated the moral calculus also known as the pleasure-pain principle. For example Bentham supposed that man is a rational calculating animal, who can judge probable gains against the pain likely to be imposed. Thus ‘if the pain outweighs the gains he will be deterred and this produces maximum social utility.’(Wikipedia 2006) Bentham used the utilitarian idea to advocate the need for a rational justice system which was ‘graduated’, based on the principle of proportionality to ensure fairness. Bentham’s ph ilosophical ideas laid the foundation for new forms of penal systems, such as incarceration as a sanction, to fit the type of crime committed. (Garland 2002 pp.20) Thus classical theory argued that deterrence could be maximized through the proportional criminal justice system. Such an approach called for the reform of excessive state punishment which was humane in penal sanctions. Through examining the impact of an individual’s capacity to freely commit crime, the classical writers helped to lay the initial foundations of how criminal behavior could be studied and theorized in later modern criminology. The classical theories which believe in the rational sentience of human beings have been heavily criticized for being too simplistic, and assumptive. For example Gilbert Geis (1955) suggested Bentham’s classical theory was a ‘total failure to consider criminals as human beings as live complicated variegated personalities.’ The critics of the classical school further point out the crucial weakness in Bentham’s utilitarian pleasure – pain principle. The moral calculus of cost benefit analysis is flawed in two ways. First it relies of the hypothesis that for deterrence to be successful the offender will act rationally. Successive criminological schools such as the positivists have challenged this rational assumption of humans. Classical theories can be criticized on the basis of failing to take into account individual circumstances and the unsophisticated manner it perceives human beings to act. Crime can often be a ‘spontaneous reaction to a situ ation’ (Wikipedia 2006) which can be unplanned and without rational intention to commit it. Secondly the principle uses this same line of assumption in deciding a graduated scale of punishment according to the seriousness of the offence. In relying on a just desserts model of punishment it assumes ‘the more serious the harm likely to be caused the more the criminal has to gain.’ (Wikipedia 2006) Therefore Bentham has been criticized for painting man as an unrealistic calculating individual. It suggests that subsequent criminal activity can only be the result of free choice by those who choose to commit the crime. It does not take into account the varied differences within the human condition or wider sociological factors which attribute other alternative factors for the causes of crime. Criticism of the classical school highlights the lack of scientific evidence to back the moral, economic and social assumptions within the theories of Beccaria and Bentham. For example Garland (2002 pp.20) discusses the methodological criticisms of the classicist school for its ‘unscientific reliance upon speculative reasoning rather than observed facts.’ The rejection of speculative thinking of the human condition challenged the basic proposition that individuals freely and rationally choose to commit crime in society. It is argued by Garland while such criticisms emphasize the lack of scientific knowledge; both Beccaria and Bentham were not criminologists but philosophers writing in the eighteenth century. Criminology as a distinct form of study can trace its roots back to certain ideas published by prominent social contract writers. Primarily Bentham and others where not occupied in scientific debate but philosophical social and economic study. Social contract writers emphasized ‘the importance of reason and experience, denigrating theological forms of reasoning.’ (Garland 2002 pp.20) It is in this sense unfair to criticize Enlightenment writers’ contention of the rational free will from a criminological standpoint. Such classical theories were not created specifically to consider the study of crime on its own. But they attempt to engage in a modern dialogue objectively dealing with current social issues of the era avoiding, ‘irrational superstitious beliefs and prejudices’ in discussions. This can be seen in Beccaria’s work which was not criminological but an extensive body of ‘work related to the political economy’. Garland (2001 pp. 20) argues that despite the classicists’ lack of a scientific methodology, their interests helped to develop ways of investigating how and why crime is caused in society. For example Garland argues that topics such as ‘psychology of offending, natur e of criminal motivation, and state control to regulate individual conduct’ are central issues explored by classical writers to examine the notion of rational free will in a wider academic context. They were in Garland’s view ‘attempting to understand the roots of human conduct rather than develop a particular knowledge of offenders and offending.’ (Garland 2002 pp. 23) In response to the classical traditions’ scientific weakness, the ‘Neo-Classical’ school of thought emerged maintaining the belief that humans were rational beings with individual free will and the capacity for responsibility. Such individuals can be controlled by the fear of punishment. The Neo –Classical perspectives looked to external explanatory factors in examining crime. For example it located the concept of the individual’s free will and choice to commit crime within a broader landscape of the influence of social environmental factors. Such outside f actors could be used to asses the seriousness of the crime and the corresponding punishment to be given by the state. The proposition that crime is committed by free will and rational choice was attacked by the positivist school. Positivists looked to overcome the lack of sophistication of classical theory by using a ‘scientific’ style to examine aspects of the criminal and criminality. The main text which aimed to uncover the ‘science of the criminal’ (Garland 2002 pp.23) was by Cesare Lombroso LÚomo Delinquente in 1876. Lombroso is widely seen as the father of modern criminology, concentrating on the subject of crime by offenders. Lombroso believed in the primacy of scientific empirical study to answer why people commit crimes. This school of thought contested the classical proposition that crime was a product of free will and rational though processes of humans. Concepts of biological determinism suggested there were external forces outside the control of the individual in determining the capacity for criminal behavior. For example studies by Lombroso, Ferri and Garof alo investigated the concept of the ‘born criminal’ from distinctive physical traits and examining social factors influencing the causes behind crime. The work of Lombroso was influenced by the cultural impact of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and the existing anthropological studies which initially were used to help understand human motivations behind crime. Garland (2002 pp.24) suggests that positivists clearly rejected the classicists idea of rational free will due the belief in ‘the conception of the criminal as a naturally occurring entity, a fact of nature rather than social or legal product.’ Such an approach led to the natural scientific study of the criminal type, to ‘trace its characteristics, its stigmata, its abnormalities and eventually identify the causes which make one person a criminal and another individual a normal citizen.’ The focus on the existence of criminal types which are predetermined rather than chosen by the free will of individuals, suggested the positivist school also refuted the classical view on criminal justice and punishment. The positivists’ emphasized the need for treatment instead of penal measures as a mechanism for crime control by the state. The rejection of the free will of rational actors is important as positivist theory aims to distinguish between those who commit crime from those who do not. The notion of free will is in this sense attacked as a ‘metaphysical abstraction’ (Garland 2002 pp.24) while the deterrence theory was deemed a failure in sentencing practice. Within this background a second strand of positivist study developed known as the Governmental Project. It involved a series of government sponsored empirical enquiries. Such studies sought to chart crime patterns and monitor police and prison practice in eighteenth century Britain. Such studies le d to classical views to fall from favor. For example proportional sentencing in response to differing levels of harm was seen as a ‘failure to differentiate between different types of offender.’ Thus the positivist approach it can be suggested was a flexible rehabilitative approach to preventing and treating criminality, as criminals themselves are not responsible for actions as they are already pre determined. The importance of positivist views was to establish the connection between scientific methods analyzing all aspects of criminality, with the individual and the wider social context. From this premise a wide and far reaching academic discipline of criminology has become established within the last century examining issues such as why crime is committed by offenders. While many of the findings of the Lambroso project have since been discredited its impact and ideas on rehabilitative treatment as a form of social control on crime have had an important effect on policy formers working within the criminal justice system. Modern positivist criminologists still share the view that human behavior is not just a by product of choices, but is determined by biological, psychological or social forces. It can be suggested that this belief has helped to widen the discourse on ways of explaining why individuals commit crime under the influence of ‘deterministic’ factors. The proposition that crime is committed by individual rational beings has also been challenged by the rise of the wide-ranging category of sociological criminological theories. For example according to Rock (2002 pp.51) sociological approaches explaining crime is vastly different to the classicist and positivist approach to understanding why crime is committed by the individual. Instead of focusing on the individual as the basis for empirical study, sociological theories draws from an array of potential causal factors. Thus the sociological method will aim to study the significance of social institutions, group behavior and interaction between communities and the individual. Sociological methods include Durkheimian and Mertonian anomie theories, the Chicago School, and Labeling theory, all which cast unique social factors locating the individual in a group setting as to understand criminal behavior. Rock (2002 pp.51) argues this approach highlights the fact ‘crime is centrally bound up with the states attempts to impose it’s will through law; the meaning of those attempts to the law-breaker, law-enforcer and victim.’ This only serves to demonstrate a diverse approach to examining crime from all aspects of those involved in the criminal justice system. Early classicist thought viewed in light of sociological theories shows there are many theoretical starting points to discuss the fundamental question whether the individual freely chooses to commit crime as a rational being. Other disciplines such as criminal psychology, has aided the study of crime through medical analysis. For example Hollin (2002 p.145) states that the distinctive branch of criminological psychology is ‘concerned with the use of psychology to help explain criminal behavior.’ It is focused ‘on the individual’ as to what motivates criminal activity within the individual and society at large. Criminological psychology explores the proposition of the individual committing crime. For example behavioral theory stresses the importance of the in individual comprehending the consequences of the act for the individual concerned.’(Hollin 2002 p.151) This serves to show how other modern theories look at the role of the individual and responsibility in relation to criminal activity within society. In conclusion this paper would argue the proposition that individuals freely and rationally choose to commit crime is a valid contribution to the discussion concerning criminal behavior. The classical tradition raised important philosophical, social and moral issues related to crime and its impact within society. But the assumption in rational belief is too simplistic to explain the differences in individual criminal actions. It does not account for those who are not capable of making rational decisions such as the mentally impaired or acts which irrationally occur unexpectedly. For this reason this essay would argue that this proposition is only one of many theoretical ways to understand why crime is committed by individuals in society. Bibliography Coleman C and Norris C, (2000), Introducing Criminology, Cullompton: Willan Publishing Garland D, (2002), Of Crimes and Criminals: The Development of Criminology in Britain, In Maguire M, Morgan R, Reiner R, (eds) (2002) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, (pp. 7- 44) 3rd Edition , Oxford: Oxford University Press Geiss G, (1955) Pioneers In Criminology-Bentham 46 J Crim L, Criminology and Police Sci 159 Hamlin J, (2006) http://www.d.umn.edu/~jhamlin1/classical.html Hollin C R, (2002), Criminological Psychology, In Maguire M, Morgan R, Reiner R, (eds) (2002) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, (pp.144-168) 3rd Edition , Oxford: Oxford University Press Jones S, (2001) Criminology, 2nd ed, Butterworths Maguire M, Morgan R, Reiner R, (eds) (2002) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, 3rd Edition , Oxford: Oxford University Press Muncie J, Mclaughlin J (2001) The Problem of Crime, 2nd edition, Open University Sage Publishing Rock P, (2002), Sociological Theories of Crime, In Maguire M, Morgan R, Reiner R, (eds) (2002) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, (pp.51-75) 3rd Edition , Oxford: Oxford University Press Vold G Bernard T, (2005) Theoretical Criminology, 5th edition, New York: Oxford University Press Walklate S, (2001), Gender Crime and Justice, Cullompton: Willan Press Wikipedia, (2006), Classical School, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/classical_school

The Political Career of Daniel Webster Essay -- Biography Biographies

The Political Career of Daniel Webster Daniel Webster contributed a large potion of the Civil War. To begin, he was born in Salisbury, New Hampshire on January 18, 1782. His parents were farmers so many people didn't know what to expect of him. Even though his parents were farmers, he still graduated from Dartmouth College in 1801. After he learned to be a lawyer, Daniel Webster opened a legal practice in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1807. Webster quickly became an experienced and very good lawyer and a Federalist party leader. In 1812, Webster was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives because of his opposition to the War of 1812, which had crippled New England's shipping trade. After two more terms in the House, Webster decided to leave the Congress and move to Boston in 1816. Over the next 6 years, Webster won major constitutional cases in front of the Supreme Court making him almost famous. Some of his most notable cases were Dartmouth College v. Woodward, Gibbons v. Ogden, and McCulloch v. Maryland. He made himself the nations leading lawyer and an outstanding skilled public speaker or an orator. In 1823, Webster was returned to Congress from Boston, and in 1827 he was elected senator from Massachusetts. New circumstances let Daniel Webster become a champion of American nationalism. With the Federalist Party dead, he joined the National Republican party, he joined with Westerner Henry Clay and then endorsing federal aid for roads in the West. In 1828, since Massachusettses had shifted the economic interest from shipping to manufacturing, Webster decided to back the high-tariff bill of that year to help the small new manufacturing businesses grow. Angry souther... ...sue of expansion of slavery. Webster opposed the expansion but feared even more the separation of the union over the dispute of the expansion of slavery. In a powerful speech on March 7, 1850, he supported the Compromise of 1850, lowering southern threats of separation but urging northern support for a stronger law for the recovery of fugitive slaves. Webster was again named secretary of state in July 1850 by President Millard Fillmore and supervised the strict enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act. Webster's stand on the Act divided the Whig party, but it helped preserve the Union and keep it together for a little while after until the Civil War started. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Prodigy - Grolier Electronic Publishing, 1990, W-section 2. Daniel Webster - John Melvin, Copyright 1976, Bonhill Publishing 3. Civil War Heros - American Books, 1979, p.244-247

Catcher In The Rye :: essays research papers

Catcher in the Rye Essay "I keep picturing all these kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody''s big but me. And I''m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff -What do I have to do, I have to catch them. I mean their running, and they don''t look where their going, so I must come out of somewhere and catch them."(Salinger,173) J.D. Salinger, in his timeless classic, The Catcher in the Rye, a novel depicting the complications of life as an adolescent, uses reality verses allusion, phoniness in society, and the loss of innocence as themes in his novel, to present the true inner character of Holden Caufield. Beginning to learn the truths of society and growing up, sixteen year old, Holden has a hard time adjusting to maturity. After the death of his younger brother Allie, his inability to remain in one school, and his ongoing dislike of many people and their morals, Holden has been driven to depression in which he dispenses to a psycoanaylgist throughout the novel. Through his novel, Salinger incorporated the theme reality verses allusion, to demonstrate how the mind of some adolescents are so unwilling to face the truths of society. As stated above, Holden wishes to accomplish an futile task, save children from growing up, and protect them from the corruption of adulthood. The following presents an example of Holden''s inability to grasp the differences between reality and allusion. "Somebody written ''Fuck You'' on the wall. It drove me damn dear crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other kids would see it, and then how they''d wonder what the hell it mean, and finally some dirty kid would tell them- all cockeyed, so I rubbed it out."(Salinger,201) Presented here, an another example on how Holden once again attempts to accomplish the impossible, save children from the words and instances that they are going to transpire no matter how hard someone desires to hide it. Holden allows himself to live in a state of unrealistic tho ughts, with the idea that change will forever be deleterious. Yet Holden seems frightened to admit to himself that change and development are a necessary part of reality. The only way one would be able to avoid change would be to die young, avoiding maturity, and maintaining innocence. Holden''s dislike towards change attracts his interest to the museum, because a museum continues to be never changing, the displays are forever set in stone, and preserved.

The Violence of Virgils Aeneid :: Aeneid Essays

The Violence of Virgil's Aeneid      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of Virgil's Aeneid was drawn from many sources, the most influential being the work of the Greek poet Homer.   Virgil based the first six books of the Aeneid on the Odessey and the last six books on the Iliad both written by Homer.   The Aeneid describes the adventures of Aeneas, the legendary Trojan hero who survived the fall of troy, sailed westward to Italy and founded Rome.   During the time that Virgil wrote the Aeneid he incorporated all known Rome history up to his own time.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book is world renowned and also is said by many to be one of the best works ever.   The last chapter of the Aeneid has caused some problems for readers.   The first problem that is evident is the manner in which Aeneas deals with Turnus.   In book XII Turnus states that the fight should be between the two men as apposed to both armies fighting any further.   Turnus had every right to dislike Aeneas who came unannounced, tried to take his fiancà ©, Aeneas' son killed their sacred deer, and he took his land.   They have a great dual and Aeneas disarmed Turnus by striking him in the leg.   With his sword to his chest Turnus makes a last request for his body to be returned to his family, as Aeneas is considering the request he notices that Turnus is wearing the sword belt of Pallas and the stoic ways of Aeneas leave him as rage, fury, and anger run through his body.   He kills Turnus in anger and dedicates his death to Pallas. This loss of control and act of violence is the opposite of stoicism and the way Aeneas had been portrayed the rest of the epic.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Turnus has to die for the founding of Rome to occur but he should not have been killed in such a way.   The killing was payback for the dishonorable way that Pallas was killed.   The sword belt had images that reflect Augustinian Rome as did the shield in book eight.   The theft of the belt from Pallas can be compared to the stolen helmet and the youth slain when his guard was down and

In Cold Blood: Creative Writing Essay

My coursework is a short story which includes a diary entry. The diary entry revolves around Lowell Lee Andrews whereas the short story which is in third person deals with Gordon Dale Chappell, the County Sheriff at the time when Andrews killed his family. I have based my coursework on the character of Lowell Lee Andrews who is one of the minor characters in â€Å"In Cold Blood†. Lowell Lee Andrews was on death row with Perry and Dick for murdering his family. I have decided to imagine Andrew’s fantasies of being a crime-lord with the realities of the murders which he commits to his family. Lowell Lee Andrews was zoology major and in the eyes of society, he was a harmless, well mannered, studious and exceptional young boy. He was also cited as being â€Å"the nicest boy in Wolcott†. It can be argued that his life seemed to be complete and content and the murders was a wastage of the lives of himself and his family whereas it can also be argued that he had wasted his entire life in the chains of conformity and delusion. I have tried to explore his psychological state which was believed to have led him to the murders. I also included a third person character that would provide a different perspective to Andrews other than the ones in the novel. â€Å"Entry 73: I dreamt again†¦ Jet-black starry night, the Chevy speeding through the everlasting Chicago skyline, adrenaline escalating throughout my veins as I feel the cold revolver concealed in my pocket. I am seated at the back seat in a dark suit, my hat tilted, my eyes staring dead into the merciless rain. The city belongs to me, as I belong to her. I look into the lights that give life to her, the lights that shine for her, that shine for who we are. People forget who they really should be but they always remember who they are. The Chevy suddenly screeches and slides vigorously on the wet and jagged road till it comes to an abrupt halt in front of the house where I catch a glimpse of them watching a local broadcast in the darkness of the unlit room. I signal the thug to get me the .22 caliber with a nod, and he immediately gets me the rifle as I walk towards them, my hands reaching out to the revolver. The entirety of my body is rigid, my blood rises, I feel exasperated by the heat and I loosen my tie from the choking grip it has on my neck. As I take the rifle from the hands of my thug, I understand this is my way out, my only way out. I am approaching them, my steps slow and constant, and the voices of the monochrome television travel around the room. My neck pulsates, it hinders my breath, my mind corroded with voices, ones which I cannot comprehend but seem to understand. In what feels like a lifetime, the revolver is enfolded in my hands. The room is now lit by fluorescents and I am standing above them waiting, waiting so impatiently to do the deed. As I catch a glimpse of her looking into me, I shoot her point blank and falls ever so gracefully to the floor, lifeless. As time stands still, they rise in horror; I gradually set my aim towards them as they reach out to me, her weak hands trembling, her fingers pointing out to me. I fire towards her, watching her as the bullets pierce through her futile body. She mumbles shattered words to me, I tell her to keep quiet and continue shooting till she can’t mumble anymore. He is now crawling on the floor, heading towards the kitchen. As I rearm, cocking and loading the rifle he tries to hold onto the door, I take my aim and I keep on shooting. I can see the bullets fragments being collected on the wooden floor like drops of rain, smoke coming out of them rising to the cold air disappearing with it. There is no life left in him, but I cannot let myself stop till I am out of ammunition and breath. I head towards the door, stepping over the bodies that lay on the floor and the red stream of the blood that runs throughout the room. I then find myself bound in cold steel handcuffs looking over the Kansas river as the sky cries for me and the crimson tears cleanse what I have done and yet I am left undone. â€Å" As Gordon Dale Chappell closed the diary, he remembered Lowell Lee Andrews, the heavy young kid whose appearance suggested that he wouldn’t even imagine stealing from a drugstore let alone slaughter his own family. It saddened him that Andrew had decided to get rid of his own family and life for something that felt so unreal and out of reach. Andrew’s solemn and exaggerated character made him a topic of constant debate, â€Å"That Andrews kid lost his melons reading all them books. You can’t blame him, a nice boy like him could never do this, wasting his life and the ones whose lives depended on him† It was never really clear on why he did it, and it never would be. After all these years in the department, Gordon Dale Chappell had never been so lost in translation in the complexity and perplexity of human emotion and intention through an inmate. Unlike Andrews who was always so polite and reading his books, Hickock and Smith would sit in the courtroom and joke and look out the window at the pretty girls and act like they didn’t have a care in the world. Gordon found it hard to believe that such a soul could commit such a crime. He could not stop thinking about Andrews and his family, he wondered why, what seemed as such good grace and intentions turn out to be so dangerous that it lead to the wastage of his family’s own lives. When Gordon heard about the execution, he could not stay in the premises as it was too unreal for him to believe that Andrews was to be executed. There stood Andrews, before the hangman’s noose as the falling rain echoed throughout the deafening silence of the hall. He was unmoved and unbothered to what was inevitable. However, just before his final moments of life, he managed to gather a smile. Chappell was told that Lowell Lee Andrews had no last words.

My Friend’s Most Important Decision Essay

Firstly, I would like to introduce my friend Jenny, who was born in China and now she is 25 years old. In 2011, she left her great job and came to the United States to pursue her master degree. Jenny decided to study in the United States and in particular at JWU because she wanted to study professional knowledge of management and have a master degree, she believe the U.S is the origin of the MBA program and JWU is famous for its hotel management program. First and foremost, after graduation, Jenny worked at the Beijing Branch of Education Service Center for about three years. She has great expectations for her career and she wants to get a high position but it’s difficult for her. She said,† You can see my academic background, I never studied any business knowledge, if I want to get high promotion, to study professional knowledge of management and have a master degree is important for me.† Thus, she wanted to get an MBA to get more knowledge of management and improve all kinds of abilities and help herself with her career objective. Another reason why she decided to study in the U.S. is because she believe that the United States is the origin of the MBA program. The United States’ MBA program pays more attention to practical skills and ability development, like communication, leadership, control, decision making, influence and entrepreneurship. She thinks studying in America can advance her career and make her more competitive in her field. She said to me, â€Å"American’s Hospitality management program is very strong†. Because in America , many universities are famous for this program, like: Cornell University, University of Houston, Pennsylvania State University, and the U.S. also has some famous hotel, like: Hilton Grand Vacations, New York Hotel and so on. Thus, she believes America is a good place for her to study this major. Most of all, Johnson & Wales university is famous for its hotel management program. She has a friend who is currently studying hotel management at JWU, and her friend told her some advantages about this university, especially teaching resources on management is quite good. After that, she searched a lot of information on the internet, and found that JWU was suitable for her. She said,† this university is career-oriented school, especially pay attention to students’ practical skill development, like communication, decision making, entrepreneurship and leadership ability†. Many students who graduate from JWU can get into big companies like Hilton Hotel, so she believes studying at JWU can make her more competitive in the future. For these reasons and more, Jenny decided that in order to make herself more marketable that she needed to leave her job in China and move to the United States in order to learn professional knowledge and extend her education. Therefore, Jenny, my best friend, chose to study in the United States in an MBA program and in particular at JWU with a concentration in Hospitality.

Franklin D. Roosevelt vs. Barack Obama

Franklin D. Roosevelt vs. Barack Obama The economy of the 1930s was a devastating financial situation that the American public will never forget. However, this doesn’t mean that history will cease to repeat itself. The political policies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt are often acknowledged for the relief of our country’s depression and some of which are still in effect today. To avoid our current recession, will Barack Obama choose to base his policies off of FDR’s in hopes that the same plan will work twice?There are some similarities and differences between the political action today and the action during the Great Depression. Within just the first 99 days of his election as President, Roosevelt’s New Deal was put into action with the support of Congress. The New Deal was proposed to help relieve those who were unemployed or in danger of losing their homes and recover agriculture and business. Programs such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, Social Securi ty, and Medicare were created because of Roosevelt’s action in the Great Depression.Herbert Hoover, the preceding president, did not feel that government spending should be given directly to citizens. He believed that ‘helping’ the American people in this way would actually hurt their morale and cause them to become more like a socialist nation. Certain ideas such as enforcing fixed pricing, controlling businesses, and manipulating the value of currency were suggested and quickly declined by Hoover who believed all were Socialist ideas. Though many people saw Hoover as an evil man that refused to give away federal money, he was actually quite accurate with his predictions.For example, Welfare, which is a program used today that was created in the New Deal, is often misused today by people who are capable of working, but are too lazy to actually make their own income source. I believe that a lot of Americans today are spoon fed because of the government ‘hel p’ that they receive. Though Roosevelt did help in the Great Depression, his temporary ideas were turned into permanent solutions that have caused new damages today. Now our current President is forced with the decision to either help the public with temporary ideas like Roosevelt’s or look out for what is best for our future like Hoover.It’s not an easy decision. Barack Obama has made an impact in our economy in areas similar to Franklin Roosevelt. He has created jobs and packages, like Obamacare, that he believes will help American citizens. Obama helped bail out the auto industries similar to how Roosevelt helped bail out the banks during the depression. However, Barack passed the Wall Street Reform (which helped the American financial system be less confusing and more apparent) to make sure that we would never have to bail out the banks again.Barack has also eliminated tax breaks for companies who ship overseas to try and promote American companies to create more jobs for the citizens who are here. In his term, Obama has added over 479,000 jobs which is the most growth we’ve had in a decade. He has spoken many times on how he plans to build â€Å"from the middle class out† rather than from the top down. Our middle class is of high importance to Barack and because of this, he has gained a tremendous support from the public.It seems that our current president has taken a few ideas from Roosevelt with the added caution of the foreseeable future. Our country looks like it’s headed in the right direction, but we may never know whether the help provided will be temporary until we live through it. As citizens, it would be the best for us to learn how to live on our own without the help of our government. If we were to become too dependent on our welfare checks or social security, then we could end up being controlled instead of governing ourselves.The best solution would to be to save our money and work hard at what we do . Though it may seem that there are no jobs available to us at the moment, we do have to trust that the companies around us will see it better to provide domestic jobs rather than sending them overseas. Though I don’t entirely agree with how Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to solve the Great Depression, I have to admit that what he did he thought he was doing for the best. Great presidents like Obama, Roosevelt, and even Hoover are great because they think of us and not themselves.

Nx448 Business Game Report

Contents Part 1 Introduction3 1. 1 Business Objective3 Part 2 Company Performance4 2. 1 Round 14 2. 1. 1 Discrepancy analysis4 2. 2 Round 26 2. 2. 1 Business Strategy6 2. 2. 2 Round 2 Forecast7 2. 2. 3 Discrepancy Analysis7 2. 3 Round 38 2. 3. 1 Business Strategy8 2. 3. 2 Round 3 Forecast9 2. 3. 3 Discrepancy Analysis9 2. 4 Round 49 2. 4. 1 Business Strategy9 2. 4. 2 Round 4 Forecast10 2. 4. 3 Discrepancy Analysis10 2. 5 Key Performance Indicators11 2. 6 Performance Evaluation Comments12 Part 3 Learning14 3. 1 Financial Management14 3. 2 Human Resource Management15 3. 3 Operation Management16 3. Marketing Management17 Part 4 Team Performance18 4. 1 Team18 4. 1. 1 Management Team18 4. 1. 2 Decision-making Process19 4. 1. 3 Leadership19 4. 1. 4 Team Role19 4. 2 Individual20 4. 2. 1 My Contribution20 4. 2. 2 My learning about effective teamwork and decision making20 4. 2. 3 Suggestions for Improving My Performance21 Part 5 Conclusion21 Part 6 Reference22 Part 7 Appendices23 7. 1 Design and Options23 7. 2 Warranty Cost24 7. 3 Other Key Performance Indicators25 Part 1 Introduction This report will give a clear analysis and explanation of the company performance during the business game.Learning about four main business functional areas (Finance, Marketing, Operation and Human Resource) will be discussed in part 3. Team performance and individual assessment will be critically evaluated in part 4. 1. 1 Business Objective Moon Star Motors aims to provide customers with the ability to own a car and lead the customers to experience comfort and quality at an affordable price. We intend to create a distinctive place in the market for our products and build up brand value of quality and reliability in the mind of customers.The initial business objectives set up by management team is: * Increase sales annually * Maximise our profit * Sell out 98% of our cars for every round * Obtain 16% return on investment by the end of round 4 | City Car – TIKI| Large Car – C RUISER| Total| Forecast Production (Units)| 85,000| 35,000| 120,000 | Sales Income (? m)| 850| 833| 1,683| Post Tax Profit (? m)| -| -| 20| Bank Balance before Loan (? m)| -| -| -74| Closing Bank Balance (? m)| -| -| 26| Table 1. 0 Forecast for year 1 Part 2 Company Performance 2. 1 Round 1 2. 1. 1 Discrepancy analysisUnsold stock In round 1, we forecast to sell out both TIKI and CRUISER. However, only 80% of TIKI is sold, with 17,393 units left. We concluded three main reasons as following: * Supply over demand. We are over confident to sell big volumes with low price, but the market actually reached saturation. * Unattractive and inflexible options. In order to maintain low material cost, we only offer two options for customers to select. It might affect the popularity of our TIKI and make it less competitive compared with other car manufacturers. * Not enough promotion.We invested 23 million on market promotion via television and internet, which is about ? 200for every single car . We didn’t invest too much for this round because we want to firstly evaluate the effect of advertisement. Net profit We forecast 20 million net profits and actual figure is minus 116 million. This is mainly due to the large amount of unsold stock and ineffective pricing strategy. The total contribution is unable to recover our fixed cost. In other words, the break-even point is set up too high and our sales volume did not reach BEP.Meanwhile, some overheads such as professional charges and warranty claims are not properly calculated. Gross margin The difference between forecast and result for gross margin of TIKI and CRUISER is 3. 21% and 7. 08% respectively. It is mainly caused by the unexpected extra direct cost. For example, the worker strike increase our labor cost of both models and the option take-up is more than our estimate. Market share Our target market share is 1. 5% for TIKI and 1. 2% for CRUISER. We sold out all our CRUIER and hit the large car sales target. Ho wever, market share for TIKI is around 0. % less than we expected due to our unsold stock. 2. 2 Round 2 2. 2. 1 Business Strategy New Pricing Strategy The management team decided to adapt average pricing strategy in round 2 for two main reasons: * We already access successfully to target market. * Low price high volumes strategy did not make profit. Sales income must be increased in order to recover all overheads in this round and most of the loss in previous round. Based on this, TIKI gross margin increased 2% to 14. 24%, while CRUISER gross margin increased 4. 3% to 25. 25%. ProductionProduction for TIKI in this round has to decrease due to 17,393 units in stock, and we try to sell them out in round 2. Meanwhile, results of round 1 indicated that CRUISER won thepopularity in the market so we intend to increasethe production by 10,000 units. Based on the production adjustment and market predictions, the market share of CRUISER will increase from 1. 2% to 1. 5%, while TIKI maintains 1. 2% market share. Under this situation, our forecast sales will reach ? 2058 million in round 2. Redundancy The harshest decision made by management team is to cut down 574 workers.Even though we understand this have negative effects on industrial relations, it is far beyond our business objective to over produce the cars and keep unsold stock by the end of the year. Therefore, we forecast a 2. 4 million of redundancy cost within total overheads. 2. 2. 2 Round 2 Forecast round 2 forecast| TIKI| CRUISER| Total| production/ units| 51,000 | 45,000 | 96,000 | selling price ? | 11,800 | 27,800 |   | gross margin %| 14. 24%| 25. 25%|   | sales income ? m| 807| 1,251 | 2,058 | total overhead ? m|   |   | 262| post tax profit ? |   |   | 82| closing bank balance ? m|   |   | 12| 2. 2. 3 Discrepancy Analysis There are three main differences between round 2 forecast and results: (1) production (2) Sales (3) pre-tax profits. Production Production (units)| TIKI| CRUISER| tota l| Target| 51,000| 45,000| 96,000| Actual| 49,668| 44,467| 94,135| Difference| | | 1,865| Our target production is 96,000 units but we actually produced 94,135 units, with 1,865 units missing. This is mainly because the redundancy decision initiated serious worker strike, which is recorded as 41 days in our company report. Thus, the actual production did not hit our target.Sales Sales (? m)| Total| forecast| 2,058 2,058 | actual| 2,017 | difference| 41 41 | The discrepancy between forecast sales and actual sales is 40 million. We have 387 units CRUISER in stock which could increase our sales by 11 million if we can sell them out. And we will get 29 million more if we are able to hit the target production of 96,000 unites and sell them up. Pre-tax profit The actual pre-tax profit is less than the forecast due to wrong calculation on current account interest and loans interest. We have closing bank balance of minus 270 million last round.According to overdraft facility, we forecast to pay 11% of 270 million as overdraft interest which is around 30 million, but it actually is 15% of that amount and cost us 40 million. Besides, an extra 8 million is deducted as the interest of 100 million bank loans of round 1 and is ignored when we did financial forecast. 2. 3 Round 3 2. 3. 1 Business Strategy Personnel Decisions Management team decided to maintain the size of workforce and to increase wages by 8% and training investment by 25% in order to improve worker satisfaction and commitment, especially after we suffer a great loss caused by 41 days strike.We hope to effectively control the strike in this round and expect the improvement of productivity. Automation Investment Management team made a decision of doubling the automation investment due to two main reasons. Firstly, it is recognized that automation can effectively increase the productivity and decrease the high wage bill. Secondly, the profit we made in previous round increases our confidence and financial capa city to introduce new equipment. 2. 3. 2 Round 3 Forecast round 3 forecast| TIKI| CRUISER| Total| production/ units| 65,500 | 40,500 | 106,000 | selling price ? 12,270 | 28,600 |   | gross margin %| 15. 25%| 28. 98%|   | sales income ? m| 804| 1,169 | 1,973 | total overhead ? m|   |   | 281| post tax profit ? m|   |   | 118| closing bank balance ? m|   |   | 158| 2. 3. 3 Discrepancy Analysis Gross profit Gross Profit| forecast| actual| difference| Sales (? m)| 1,973| 1,973|    0| cost of sales (? m)| 1,512| 1,577|    65| gross profit (? m)| 461| 396| 65| The actual gross profit is 65 million less than our forecast, even though our sales reach the target. This is mainly caused by exceeded materials costs.It is indicated on company report that design and options cost for CRUISER is ? 7572 per unit, but we only count it as ? 6186 when we forecast. In this situation, we are charged ? 1386 more for producing every CRUISER. It reflects that the options we offer to cust omers are of great popularity and we should enlarge option take-up percentage when doing the material cost forecast for next round. 2. 4 Round 4 2. 4. 1 Business Strategy Sales target Encouraging by the good financial performance of last round, management team decided to increase the sales by 32% in round 4 in order to further satisfy our shareholders.However, we do not plan to increase the gross margin for both models because we guarantee customers of good value for money. Thus, we expect the high volumes sales bring us profit. Design and options To make our cars competitive, we add more options to both models for customers to choose based on the popularity indicators (see appendix). Since the very beginning, both 3/5 door hatch with small engine (city car) and MPV with diesel engine (large car) are most popular designs for our target age group. So, the adjustment is focused on the alternative options. Promotion ExpenditurePromotion expenditure will increase by 34% to ? 40 million. This decision is made by management team with attempt to make our products sold better. Market predictions indicated that city car market and large car market will shrink by 12% and 9% respectively. That is to say, risk of keeping stock is high if we increase our production in round 4. Thus, we hope the promotion and advertisement could help reduce that risk. 2. 4. 2 Round 4 Forecast round 4 forecast| TIKI| CRUISER| Total| production/ units| 70,000 | 44,550 | 114,550 | selling price ? 13,900 | 26,800 |   | gross margin %| 15. 34%| 30. 73%|   | sales income ? m| 973| 1,639 | 2,612 | total overhead ? m|   |   | 308| post tax profit ? m|   |   | 235| closing bank balance ? m|   |   | 412| 2. 4. 3 Discrepancy Analysis Unsold Stock We expect to achieve zero closing stock but actually have 12,853 units unsold which worth ? 246 million. As a result, we are unable to reach target sales, post-tax profit and target market share. Market Share| TIKI| CRUISER| round 3 result| 1. 20%| 1. 51%| round 4 target| 1. 46%| 1. 80%|After evaluation, we conclude two possible reasons which contribute to this result: * We over estimate our capacity and are hurry to expand the market share. As shown on the table, we increase 0. 26% for TIKI and 0. 34% for CRUISER. It seems better if we execute market expansion step by step. * The competitors’ price might have negative impact on our sales. In final round, in order to offer more alternative choices and high quality experience to customers, we added more popular and high cost options for both TIKI and CRUISER, which increase our direct cost per car and make it hard to decrease the selling price. . 5 Key Performance Indicators Performance indicators| round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| Sales | 1509 | 2017 | 1973 | 2274 | Sales growth (decline) %| -| 34%| -22%| 15%| Cost of sales| 1333 | 1599 | 1577 | 1700 | Cost of sales ratio %| 88%| 79%| 80%| 75%| Profitability| Gross profit margin %| 12%| 21%| 20%| 25%| Operating profit %| -7%| 6%| 6%| 12%| Net profit %| -8%| 3%| 5%| 9%| Return on assets %| -24%| 12%| 14%| 26%| Return on investment %| -23%| 21%| 18%| 36%| Liquidity| Current ratio| 0. 64| 1. 26| 3. 52| 3. 24| Quick ratio| 0. 13| 1. 1| 3. 52| 1. 45| 2. Performance Evaluation Comments In general, sales increased from ? 1509 million in round 1 to ? 2274 million in round 4 – an increase of 51%. Over this period, we did not launch any new model and enlarge the sales volumes too much. The main reason for sales increase is the growth of our selling price. Direct cost of sales decreased yearly from 88% in round 1 to 75% in round 4. Even though inflation raises material costs and we offer a pay rise to our workers, we are still able to handle the cost/sales ratio efficiently by adapting smart and efficient pricing strategy.Profitability: Gross Margin % The gross margin has doubled from 12% (round 1) to 25% (round 4). In real money terms, our gross profit increased from ? 176 million to ? 574 mi llion. This trend indicated that return on sales improved. Although direct cost of sales increased year by year, we adjust our pricing strategy in order to make our business more profitable. Operating Profit % Operating profit margin improved from minus 7% (round 1) to 12% (round 4) indicatingmore efficient operation management. To be specific, stock upkeep cost and redundancy cost are well managed.The R&D investment and warranty costs are effectively controlled. Even though the investment on promotion and training increase yearly, this cost is balanced by the decreasing depreciation cost due to the book value of our fixed assets reduced yearly. Net Profit % Net profit margin shows an increasing trend from minus 8% (round 1) to 9% (round 4). Our company remains profitable since round 2. This indicated that our business is successful in consistency of earning. Return on Assets % The return on assets grows dramatically from minus 24% (round 1) to 26% (round 4).This indicates that mana gement is more and more efficient in using business assets to generate profit. Return on Investment % The return on capital employed shows a similar trend, except a slight decline of 3% in round 3. The ROI is 36% by the end of round 4, which has actually achieved our business objective. Liquidity: From round 1 to round 3, the current ratio increase from 0. 64 to 3. 52 times, and the quick ratio increase from 0. 13 to 3. 52 times. The increasing ratio indicates that we have more cash flow to pay our creditors (quick settlement) and meet our short-term obligations.In round 4, the current ratio drop slights to 3. 24 times and the quick ratio drop greatly to 1. 45 times. This trend looks good because high ratio does not mean a healthy cash position of the business. It indicates that we do not use our capitals properly and efficiently. In conclusion, according to our current liquidity situation, our company is suggested to reduce the stock levels and to invest surplus cash in longer term investments. Market Share From round 1 to round 4, market share of TIKI increased from 1. 21% to 1. 35%, despite a slight decline in round 2.Market share of CRUISER increased sharply in round 2 compared with round 1, then showed a tiny increase trend year by year. It indicated that we are successful in persistently and steadily supplying products to the market. Overall, our company’s performance has been improved in several ways, (e. g. sales, profit, creditors, market share, etc. ) In addition, it would have been more helpful for the further financial performance evaluation if the industrial average figures and key competitors’ information had been made available (Behn 2003). Part 3 Learning 3. 1 Financial ManagementIn the field of financial management, cost-volume-profit analysis is a powerful tool that helps managers identifies the relationships among cost, volume and profit (Banfield, Newcastle Business et al. 2008). It focuses on how profits can be affected by th e following variables: selling price, sales volume, unit variable costs, total fixed costs, etc. (Banfield, Newcastle Business et al. 2008). Break even analysis and margin of safety is the important part of cost-volume-cost analysis. The formula is shown as following: Formula: BEP = Total Fixed Cost = (in Units) Contribution per unitMargin of Safety = Forecast Demand – BEP Forecast Demand In round 1, we forecast our total fixed cost and depreciation charge is 241 million, and the contribution per unit is 2316. By using formula, the forecast BEP is 104,000 units. So we decided to produce 120,000 units after evaluating market demand. Our forecast margin of safety is therefore around 13. 3%. However, we underestimated the total fixed cost and overestimated our sales volumes. Thus, we suffered a loss of 116 million in the first round. In round 2, we re-evaluate the cost, volume and profit, and then set up 32. % of margin of safety. Financial performance is improved in this round so we adapted the similar approach for round 3 and 4, in which our margin of safety is about 39. 1% and 52. 8% respectively. It has been proved that high margin of safety makes profit less vulnerable to demand drops (Jacobs 2002). Even though we have 12,853 units unsold stock, we still make a profit of 198 million in round 4. From the business game, we have practiced how to price products and how much volume of products we must sell in order to make a profit. 3. 2 Human Resource ManagementWhen we practice the Human Resource function in business game, we put emphasis on rewards, in particular worker wage. High wage will not always improve the work performance from long-term perspective, but annual pay increase works (Banfield and Kay 2008). Based on this learning, we decide to pay our worker ? 355 weekly in round 1 and to increase that wage annually. However, we suffered a loss due to bad company performance in round 1, so wage did not increase even though inflation rate is around 3% . In round 2, company performance is improved and we make profit. Thus, wage increase by 9% ahead of 4% inflation rate in round 3.In round 4, wage increase by 5% to ? 404. Overall, from round 1 to round 4, wage increase by 14%, but the strike days only reduced 1 day (8 days in round 1 and 7 days in round 4). It is indicated that a reward cannot help to improve work performance if the pay increase does not meet the employee expectation (Corby 2009). According to data on competition, EMPIRE, our key competitors, pays their worker ? 500 weekly in round 4 and the strike day is controlled as 2 days. From the business stimulation, we realized the importance of monetary rewards and the link between rewards and productivity.On the other hand, poor management of employee relations often end up with strikes (Blyton and Turnbull 1998). With this learning, we could have found another solution to allocate our workers instead of redundancy. There are some limitations of business game in terms of HR management. High wage and training investment seems to be the only way to motivate productivity. And some other important HR functions such as recruitment and selection, promotion and employee engagement are not covered in the game. Learning experience will improve if those issues are made available in the game. 3. 3 Operation ManagementQuality management refers to the management activities involved in determination of quality policy and its implementation through means such as quality planning and quality assurance (Gitlow 2005). High quality puts costs down and revenue up (Banfield, Newcastle Business et al. 2008). Based on this learning, in order to control product quality, we focus on the R&D (Research and Development) and skills training when we practice the operation function during business game. From round 1, we keep investing on projects of fuel efficient engine and low emissions in order to detect and control the quality of engines.Both of them are successful after 3 ye ars of research and development. This help to reduce our warranty cost efficiently (see appendix). Due to safety factor, we started to invest on the project of advanced safety systems. We expect the continuous R&D investment bring us long term financial benefit. Meanwhile, we continuously invest on skills training based on the knowledge that investment in skills training can significantly improve product quality (Gitlow 2005). From the business game, I got better understanding about quality management and how quality influences customers’ buying decision.We also learn how to define the quality characteristics, set quality standard and measure the quality of our products. One of the limitations in stimulation process is that it is unavailable to evaluate and select the suppliers by ourselves. If this is made available, I believe that the operation cost would be controlled autonomously and learning experience of students about supply chain would be improved. 3. 4 Marketing Mana gement Marketing management is the art and science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping, and growing customers through creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value (Kotler and Keller 2011).In carrying out the marketing functions, the company needs to have a marketing program or strategy. This is known as the marketing mix (Marc 1997). The conventional view of the marketing mix consisted of four components: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. It is indicated that 4Ps constitute the cornerstone of any sound business (Marc 1997). Based on this learning, we tried to use the right marketing mix to reach our target market during the business game. Product: In round 1, 3/5 door hatch and small engine are chosen for city car (24-40 market), while MPV and diesel engine are chosen for large car (41-55 market).Options are selected due to the factors such as safety, comfort and style. From round 2, we detect the popularity index and aim to offer the most appropria te products to our customers (see appendix). Price: We use market penetration in round 1. In the next three round, we adapt average pricing strategy. The economic trend and income status of our target customers are also taken into account as well. Promotion: We keep increasing our promotion investment from 23 million to 40 million via various media. In round 1, we invest ? 200 for every car and it increase to ? 450 in round 4.Through business game, I got better understanding about marketing mix. However, innovation and new product strategy, as another important marketing strategy, is failed to be used in our game. We could have learned more about finding customer value opportunities and creating an innovation culture in our team if we had launched new model. Part 4 Team Performance 4. 1 Team 4. 1. 1 Management Team We distributed our team into four groups in order to cover the four main functional areas of business organization: Finance, Marketing, Operation and Human Resource. Base d on personal interests and experience, I take the charge of Finance.Dorothy and Kira take the responsibility of managing marketing. Operation is taken charged by Michael and Jayson. Adetoro is responsible for HR. It does not mean that we make decisions and take responsibility separately. Actually, those functional areas are linked with and supported by each other. And everybody of the team is required to know exactly the whole process of our business. In reality, the main purpose of functional areas is to ensure that all important business activities are carried out efficiently. This is essential for a company to achieve its business objectives (Marcouse 2010). . 1. 2 Decision-making Process The overall decision-making was a collective process. During the business game, we discussed and evaluated all feasible solutions and make sure every decision is made to help settle the current problems and lead to business objectives. The controversy, however, is sometimes unavoidable. For ins tance, Dorothy, marketing manager, proposed to launch new model in round 3 due to market attractiveness. I cannot agree with that because we are still experiencing financial difficulty. Our net cash position is minus ? 371 million with poor ability to pay our creditors.Adetoro is standing by my side, thinking from a long-term perspective. He suggested our team not to launch new model until we gain a reasonable market share. The further discussion and communication led to unanimous approval of the final decision. The similar situation happened when we discussed whether or not to adept price skimming strategy for our products. The dispute finally is settled properly. 4. 1. 3 Leadership I was nominated as the leader in business game due to my ability to manage market information and provide direction to my team members at the very beginning.Under my leadership, our company is driven to achieve business objectives (execution). I make clear that all my team members are enjoying the game and have learned how to run a business in a real world. 4. 1. 4 Team Role Through my observation, I have identified the strengths/weaknesses and work preference of my team members: * Jayson and Michael prefer to analyze the current situation and raise the issues that we have to face (analysis). Michael is a good team worker who communicates and cooperates effectively with others.Jayson, as a monitor evaluator, has a high critical thinking ability but lacking of expression. * Dorothy and Kira are intuitive about the market information, and they often give the creative ideas (plan). Both of them play as plant. Dorothy prefers change and innovation. She can work more effectively when cooperate with the people who are identified as implementer in Belbin team role framework. * Adetoro used to reflect all our decisions we have made for every round and make everything reasonable and explainable (reflection). He is enthusiastic and logic thinker. 4. 2 Individual . 2. 1 My Contribution I hav e little knowledge about car industry when I take this project, but I quickly realize that I have special interest on costing and budgeting due to my previous work experience. So, I went through the user menu and market research then finish the finance forecast sheet before attending the group meeting. In round 1, I am responsible for both Finance and Marketing. During the group meeting, I proposed my ideas about cost/price, most of which are accepted by my team members and I therefore am nominated as manager of Finance. We suffered a loss in round 1.After analysing the discrepancy between forecast and results, I suggest to adapt new pricing strategy and set a higher gross margin. The strategy is adapted by management team and makes profit for our company by the end of round 2. I am nominated as team leader due to my hard-working, efficiency and reliability. And I actively build up team relation and motivate our team members. I play the role of implementer successfully. I monitor ev ery process of the game and every detail of our decisions, and put emphasis on improving efficiency of every group meeting, and record the minutes. 4. 2. My learning about effective teamwork and decision making Through business game, along with the knowledge I learn from Developing Self module and the experience of residential weekend, I have better understanding about: * An effective teamwork involves in a group of people with common objectives and being able to build up trust and cooperate relationship with each other. * An effective teamwork involves in a group of people who have complementary strengths/weaknesses with each other. * An effective team should have a leader who is able to provide direction, open mind to different opinions, ake right decision and take risks. * An effective decision should create the competitive advantage for organization and bring short term profit along with long term development. * An effective decision builds up the core competency of organization and turn competitive advantage into sustainable competitive advantage. 4. 2. 3 Suggestions for Improving My Performance * If the game could be played again, I would like to think twice before adapting market penetration strategy in round 1 and try to avoid that loss as much as possible. I would like to pay more attention on developing my leadership capability and making better use of the abilities of my team members in order to build up a powerful and effective team. Part 5 Conclusion Overall, our company is successful in the achievement of business objectives. By the end of round 4, our sales have increased by 50%, and our profit is showing a trend of growth. Even though the unsold stock percentage is larger than what we expect, we are still able to control the inventory and keep profitable. Return on investment in round 4 is 36% which is much more than our target.Part 6 Reference Banfield, P. and R. Kay (2008). Introduction to human resource management. New York, Oxford Universit y Press. Banfield, P. , S. Newcastle Business, et al. (2008). Managing for competitive advantage, McGraw-Hill custom publishing. Behn, R. D. (2003). â€Å"Why Measure Performance? Different Purposes Require Different Measures. † Public Administration Review 63(5): 586-606. Blyton, P. and P. Turnbull (1998). The dynamics of employee relations. Basingstoke, Macmillan. Corby, S. (2009). Rethinking reward. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Gitlow, H. S. (2005). Quality management. New YorkLondon, McGraw-Hill. Jacobs, T. (2002). â€Å"The margin of safety. † NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY 20(12): 1191-1191. Kotler, P. and K. L. Keller (2011). Marketing management. Harlow, Pearson Education. Marc, L. (1997). â€Å"Marketing mix customization and customizability. † Business Horizons 40(6): 39. Marcouse, I. (2010). â€Å"BTEC First Business. † 1. 4 The main functional areas within business organisations Ed. Retrieved 06/01, 2012, from http://www. teachmebusiness. co. uk/pag e29/page16/page18/assets/Functionalareas. pdf. Part 7 Appendices 7. 1 Design and Options TIKI (City Car)  | | round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| /5 Door Hatch| Y| Y| Y| Y| Small Engine (4 Cylinder)| Y| Y| Y| Y| Multi Location Airbags|   |   |   | Y| Alloy Wheels|   | Y| Y| Y| Parking Sensors| Y| Y|   | Y| Air Conditioning| Y| Y| Y| Y| Superior Sound System/iPod|   | Y| Y| Y| Security Package|   |   |   | Y| Safety Package|   | Y| Y| Y| CRUISER (Large Car)  | | round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| SUV| Y| Y| Y| Y| Diesel Engine| Y| Y| Y| Y| Multi Location Airbags|   |   | Y| Y| Alloy Wheels|   |   | Y| Y| Security Tracker|   |   |   | Y| Cruise Control| Y| Y|   |   | Automatic Transmission| Y| Y|   |   | Parking Sensors| Y| Y| Y| Y| Electronic Stability Control| Y| Y|   |   |Panoramic Sunroof| Y| Y|   |   | Heated Elec Wing Mirrors|   |   |   | Y| Electric Adjustable Seats|   |   |   | Y| Air Conditioning| Y| Y| Y| Y| Superior Sound System/iPod| Y| Y| Y| Y| Bluetooth Phone Preparation|   |   |   | Y| TV/DVD Player| Y| Y|   |   | Metallic Paint|   |   | Y| Y| Security Package|   |   | Y| Y| Safety Package| Y| Y| Y| Y| Luxury Package|   |   |   | Y| 7. 2 Warranty Cost Warranty Cost| round 1| round 2| round 3| round 4| TIKI per car ? | 173| 170| 140| 155| CRUISER per car ? | 400| 353| 295| 348| Total Warranty Claims ? m| 26| 27| 21| 23| 7. 3 Other Key Performance Indicators