Why an MBA an Example by

Why an MBA There is no end to the acquisition of knowledge. The more one acquires knowledge the more respectable he becomes and the more he wants to gain knowledge. There is no limit to how far one can study. It is the nature of an individual which makes him more knowledgeable. The more and more one studies the better it is for him from the point of view of the competition that is going on in the corporate world of today. There is a lot of demand for people of the highest category so that hey can take the companies to the unlimited sky that they have made for their companies. There is a tug off war going on between the companies in order to hire the best personnel in their company so that their company performs the best in the world and has lots of name in the corporate sector. Need essay sample on "Why an MBA" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed It has been observed that there is growing demand of people who have done a course in Management. This shows that all the MBA degree holders have an edge over the . In any organization with a quest to reach the acme in the corporate world, a foundation and support of a prodigious and confident leadership in the background is imperative. The wings of an organization flutter and propel it to escalating horizons, if it is properly backed by a resourceful panel of management personnel, who treat and guide the employees, under them, with an eye to encourage and propel them to reach their destined goals rather then, forcing them to it. After taking a degree of MBA from UNC, where we were taught and trained to become qualified manages, I appeared for several campus interviews and was short listed in many Corporations, but since the most obvious enticement was the salary package, I made up my mind to join in as an Executive (Marketing) in a company dealing in Petro Chemicals, where the growth avenue was also an added impetus and persuading factor to finalize my choice. The initial few months were the training days, when we were practically exposed to various situations where the company had to put orders for import of raw materials and decisions were to be taken whether to sanction orders of goods to the regular dealers of the company or new dealers are to be given a chance. In one such instance, I was asked to help my just senior personnel who was a manager. In that circumstance I was exposed to various statistics, assessments and accounts and my decision to pick a new dealer, given his low priced quotations of the raw materials, and after scrutiny of the quality of his goods, my decision was most appreciated by my seniors. This experience justifies the fact that an MBA degree proves to be useful as it teaches us to have knowledge in all the fields like accountancy, statistics etc. after the tenure as an executive in the company, I had got a chance to have a promotion as a Manager and join another company which paid me almost double the amount that I used to get in my first job. Since then there has been no stopping for me and I went on a rise that was totally unacceptable a few years back. Even the degree from the reputed UNC University had also meant a lot to me. Now as the General Manager of my company, I feel as if all the people who really want to reach the skies and for whom the unreachable sky is the limit, should get an MBA degree. Getting an MBA degree is not just enough but having done a course from a reputed University would naturally become a plus point for all the commoners. A good University takes proper care of its students and the courses offered there have lots of value in the practical field. There is even the advantage of having campus interviews where the best corporate and companies come to hire MBA personnel from such reputed Universities. The leadership and the management position that one acquires as a result of the holding of an MBA degree is very prestigious. Along with gaining lots of good will and favor from the company, it also involves immense pressure in it. One has to deal with all the grave decision making situations and even think of all the factors that can be affected by any one wrong decision. It includes no t only the decision making situations but also gives the person various responsibilities to handle. All of the companys fate stands only in the hands of the leader. Though it is said that to be loyal to a company is the best policy to rise high in the work field, yet it has become a general trend now-a-days that the people change their jobs most often and also have their share of rise in the proper place. This has been happening because of the ongoing competition in the corporate world between the various companies, which are trying to recruit the best possible personnel in their company. With the changes possible in this field it provides an impetus to learn more and to know more about the various fields that the companies deal with. We get a chance to interact with various people and know about their work culture and thus improve our skills in those areas. These things together can become the qualities of a stupendous entrepreneur and if one wishes to start a business of his own, this learning will be of tremendous use for him. I had the liberty of changing my jobs due the simple fact that I wanted growth. There is growth only if one goes higher from one post to the other. Though the growth is also present in one single company, yet that process is very slow. On the other hand, by changing the company, there is a better scope of growth in this field as for the high rise competition prevalent in the atmosphere now, all the companies are always on the search of good talent and they can pay them even double the amount that they get in order to get hold of the best talents. Thus growth is the main reason behind my shifting to various jobs or rather changing of jobs. It also gave me opportunities to mix with various people and gain knowledge from them. There are many people who are efficient and proficient in one field and there are others too who are also specialized in some other fields. All these mingle together to form a good company and being a part of every good company at some time makes me feel proud. Wh erever I have worked till date, there have been no grudges against me nor do I have any kind of Ill feelings towards any of the companies. Thus a degree in MBA has changed the whole of my life from a zero to such a position where I stand now. The name of UNC is also something that had proved to be beneficial as it is a well known fact that UNC is one of the best Universities of the world and it is sheer luck to have attained a degree from there. Reference: Accepted, January 10, 2005, Accepted.com

George W. Bush Essays - Bush Family, Livingston Family, Free Essays

George W. Bush Essays - Bush Family, Livingston Family, Free Essays George W. Bush 03-16-00 George W. Bush If I had to choose a candidate based on, background, position on issues, and intangibles I think it would be George W. Bush. I would choose George W. Bush because he supports some issues that Im interested in and he seems like the kind of guy who will do a good job. I think that with George W. Bush as president, the United States will become a better place for everyone. In this essay I will discuss why I think he would be a good president based on issues, background and his intangibles. I also support George W. Bush because he has a good background. Not only was he involved in politics, but he is has also been involved in business. This is a well educated well experienced man. Here is some background information on George W. Bush that shows some of the things that he has done to this day, he was born July 6, 1946 and grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. He received a bachelors degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. He began his career in the oil and gas business in Midland in 1975 and worked in the energy industry until 1986. After working on his fathers 1988 presidential campaign he assembled the group of partners that purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989 and which later built the Rangers new home, the Ballpark at Arlington. He served as managing general partner of the Texas Rangers until he was elected Governor on November 8, 1994, with 53.5 percent of t he vote. Governor Bush and his wife, Laura, a former teacher and librarian who grew up in Midland, live in the historic Governors Mansion in Austin with their 18 year old twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, their dog, Spot, and their three cats, India, Cowboy and Ernie. Governor Bush is a Methodist and has served on the boards of various charitable, business and civic organizations. To this day George W. Bush remains as the governor of Texas, and has done many good things for the state of Texas. One of the biggest things that made me notice George W. Bush, was his ideas on taxes. He basically wants to replace the current five rate structure of 15, 28, 31, 36, and 39.6 percent with four, lower rates: 10, 15, 25, and 33 percent. Although some of the other candidates also support a tax cut plan, some of them have ridiculously low rates, Keyes wants to abolish income tax and Buchannon wants to have a flat 16 % rate, lets face it, these are to low and that would not give enough funding for the government, then programs regarding education, health care, and defense would be greatly affected. Then there are other candidates who support tax cuts, but only directed to those who make lower incomes, and that is not fair. So as you can see George W. Bush has a plan that can benefit everyone and it wont have a negative effect on the economy. Another issue that makes me support George W. Bush is his ideas on gun laws. I think that his gun laws would make this country allot safer and it wo uld save allot of lives. George W. Bush basically shares some of the same ideas on some important issues and that is my biggest reason for supporting him. Another thing that is great about George W. Bush is that he has good leadership skills and he does what is good for the people. He is a loving family man that has done so many good things for the state of Texas and I think that he would do a good job at being president. He also seems like a caring man due to all the things he has done for children in Texas, it really looks like he is focusing on the well being of the nations children, and that shows that he is a caring person. Also, he is not negative campaigning, so that shows that he has faith in his ideas and himself. This is the kind of president that I

Portfolio to answers to four of the following questions Essay

Portfolio to answers to four of the following questions - Essay Example In some instances, the laws have mandated ethical conduct. For example, ethical conduct is vital for application of laws affecting employees, the federal regulations and the code of ethics. However, the law does not prohibit most of the acts that would have otherwise been condemned to be unethical, and vice versa. The law prohibits acts of some groups of people and, therefore, when organizing for an event it is relevant to do a background check on the laws that impact the industry. For instance, there are several laws that have been enacted to protect employees in the events industry against poor perception by the society (Knight, 2009, pp 108). These laws are protected by the department of Labor in the United States, and they directly affect the standards of the better part of the society. The events, planning and catering companies have set their own business code of ethics for their organization. Majority of the private companies and organizations in most of the instances establis h their own codes of ethics. These laws are written in a manner that can be understood easily. Although the government does not enforce the codes, the laws are enforced internally at the organization. The violation of the laws can lead to termination of the contract. However, some of believers of the company may not be perceived as ethical. For example, the corporate dress code is not defined by the ethical law as it is in the company’s code of ethics to determine the appropriate choice for their dress code. Sustainability has been on the rise in both its scope and use amongst the corporations for the past 25 years. There is a mounting pressure for companies to regulate the social and environmental impact of the events they organize. It is critical, therefore, to apply sustainability indicators to the events industry. Mitigations in place vary since companies differ widely. This is because events are unique, and occur in singular occurrences. These occurrences involve huge us es of resources that have to be managed over a relatively fixed period of time (Cook, 2009, pp 99). In addition, resources for facilitation of events require the acquisition and management in a temporal manner, which has huge impacts on the upstream effects on the availability of the suppliers as there is a limited time to earn the suppliers trust. Events are site specific and not operational specific. Therefore, events planners have a huge task of management of the resources. However, like other businesses, the events industry spans different sectors, which demand the implementation of guidelines to manage. Sustainability in the events companies falls under the categories of communication, food and beverages, procurement of the services, transportation and waste management. The events industry is regulated by the marketing and creativity strategies. Some of the clients budgets maybe big enough to accomplish their need effectively. It is relevant to do competitive analysis as the ev ent planning market is fierce: depending on the target of the corporate market. 4. Contract and agency laws Charity events form significant events organized in renowned hotels. The organization of the events involves a lot of planning and coordination to ensure that all the activities work hand in hand as suggested by the contract (Cook, 2009, pp 101). The contract sets out the details in clear terms. It also gives each of the party’

Marketing advertising report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing advertising report - Essay Example building brand awareness for both Southeast Asian Laneway festival and existing local festivals, but she was unsure about the exact marketing activities required to promote the brand. In such a context, the manager has asked the researcher to recommend suitable marketing and advertising strategy to promote the brand, thereby helping her to fulfill the proposed objectives. The manager has asked the researcher to focus on certain issues, while making recommendations such as, 1- propose strategic recommendations that can help Laneway Festival to address their current needs, 2- provide justification regarding functionality of proposed campaign, 3- illustrate look/feel of the proposed advertisement in order to specify how the proposed campaign would achieve success, 4- identification of target audience for the advertisement and 5- make broad media recommendation by addressing budget, time period and brief description of activities. As marketing personnel, the researcher will analyze the b rief and try to locate anomalies present in there. In the next section, the study will conduct a brief literature review in order to understand arguments, presented by previous researchers, to identify the working pattern of advertising campaign. In the book, â€Å"Confessions of an Advertising Man†, Ogilvy (1988) had stated the phrase, â€Å"If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative†, in order to highlight the importance of outcome while employing advertisement to promote brand. According to Ogilvy (1988), success or creativity of advertising campaigns can only be appreciated, if it is able to sell the product/service. Hence, advertising campaigns cannot be created only for the sake of creativity. Kawashima (2006) found that look and feel of advertisements changes with the background story of the brand, nature of target audience and divergence of marketing objectives. Grabher (2001 and 2002) argued that incorporation of creativity in advertisements can be done by experimenting with

Supreme court cases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Supreme court cases - Essay Example Dissent opinions among the judges suggest potential existence of flaws and that the judgment could be wrong. This paper reviews the Supreme Court decision on the case of Roe v. Wade with the opinion that the court erred in its decision. The case involved decision on legality of abortion based Texas laws that prohibited abortion. The court ruled against state law and explained that a woman has a right to abortion. The Supreme Court further stated that this right was constitutional, derived from two amendments of the United States’ constitution. â€Å"The Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments,† the court explained, provide for the right to â€Å"personal privacy,† and grants a woman the sole right to make decisions on reproductive issues (United States Confederation of Catholic Bishops 1). The court further explained that the fetus lacks personality and therefore does not have a right to life, an argument to the effect that abortion does not amount to any element of murd er. The court however established a strategy for determining the rights of a woman and rights of the state regarding abortion in which the state has no right over abortion in the first three months of pregnancy. The decision granted the state limited right to protecting the mother’s rights in the second trimester and right in the fetus’ life in the last three months of pregnancy (Gerber 181). ... Interpreting the Tenth amendment together with the Ninth amendment grants states the power to make laws on abortion. The Ninth amendment is clear that recognized rights in the constitution shall not be interpreted to impair another right but the Texas law on abortion was not specifically based on a right. Even though the law prohibited abortion unless the mother’s life was in danger, secondary rights such as rights of the fetus were not primary to the law. This means that the Ninth amendment that limits interpretations of some rights to disadvantage others should have not been applied against the abortion law and abortion laws, having not been provided for by the constitution, should fall within jurisdiction of states (Rechtschaffen and Markell 41). Provisions of the Fourteenth amendment also appear ambiguous to have warranted the Supreme Court’s decision to legalized abortion. While the amendment provides that states should not enact laws that infringe people’s rights, the amendment fails to recognize limits of people’s rights and unless interpreted will other laws, is repugnant to natural justice and other people’s rights. If, for example, that a person’s right is a threat to other people then care must be taken to limit such a right. While this argument does not rely on possible rights of the fetus, it notes that independent reliance on the Fourteenth amendment’s provision for supremacy of constitutional rights was not the right basis. The Texas abortion law would fall under cases of misused Fourteenth amendment rights towards injustice (Miller and Jentz 9). The court’s decision is also contradictory because it reprimanded the Texas’ abortion law for infringing women’s rights but at

Malaysia As A Fully Developed Country Politics Essay

Malaysia As A Fully Developed Country Politics Essay The purpose of this paper is to present before you some thoughts on the future course of our nation and how we should go about to attain our objective of developing Malaysia into an industrialised country. Also outlined are some measures that should be in place in the shorter term so that the foundations can be laid for the long journey towards that ultimate objective.   Hopefully the Malaysian who is born today and in the years to come will be the last generation of our citizens who will be living in a country that is called developing. The ultimate objective that we should aim for is a Malaysia that is a fully developed country by the year 2020. What, you might rightly ask, is a fully developed country ? Do we want to be like any particular country of the present 19 countries that are generally regarded as developed countries ? Do we want to be like the United Kingdom, like Canada, like Holland, like Sweden, like Finland, like Japan ? To be sure, each of the 19, out of a world community of more than 160 states, has its strengths. But each also has its fair share of weaknesses. Without being a duplicate of any of them we can still be developed. We should be a developed country in our own mould. Malaysia should not be developed only in the economic sense. It must be a nation that is fully developed along all the dimensions: economically, politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically and culturally. We must be fully developed in terms of national unity and social cohesion, in terms of our economy, in terms of social justice, political stability, system of government, quality of life, social and spiritual values, national pride and confidence. Malaysia As A Fully Developed Country One Definition By the year 2020, Malaysia can be a united nation, with a confident Malaysian society, infused by strong moral and ethical values, living in a society that is democratic, liberal and tolerant, caring, economically just and equitable, progressive and prosperous, and in full possession of an economy that is competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient. There can be no fully developed Malaysia until we have finally overcome the nine central strategic challenges that have confronted us from the moment of our birth as an independent nation. The first of these is the challenges of establishing a united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and shared destiny. This must be a nation at peace with itself, territorially and ethnically integrated, living in harmony and full and fair partnership, made up of one Bangsa Malaysia with political loyalty and dedication to the nation. The second is the challenge of creating a psychologically liberated, secure, and developed Malaysian Society with faith and confidence in itself, justifiably proud of what it is, of what it has accomplished, robust enough to face all manner of adversity. This Malaysian Society must be distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials, psychologically subservient to none, and respected by the peoples of other nations. The third challenge we have always faced is that of fostering and developing a mature democratic society, practising a form of mature consensual, community-oriented Malaysian democracy that can be a model for many developing countries. The fourth is the challenge of establishing a fully moral and ethical society, whose citizens are strong in religious and spiritual values and imbued with the highest of ethical standards.   The fifth challenge that we have always faced is the challenge of establishing a matured, liberal and tolerant society in which Malaysians of all colours and creeds are free to practise and profess their customs,cultures and religious beliefs and yet feeling that they belong to one nation.   The sixth is the challenge of establishing a scientific and progressive society, a society that is innovative and forward-looking, one that is not only a consumer of technology but also a contributor to the scientific and technological civilisation of the future.   The seventh challenge is the challenge of establishing a fully caring society and a caring culture, a social system in which society will come before self, in which the welfare of the people will revolve not around the state or the individual but around a strong and resilient family system.   The eighth is the challenge of ensuring an economically just society. This is a society in which there is a fair and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation, in which there is full partnership in economic progress. Such a society cannot be in place so long as there is the identification of race with economic function, and the identification of economic backwardness with race.   The ninth challenge is the challenge of establishing a prosperous society, with an economy that is fully competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient. We have already come a long way towards the fulfilment of these objectives. The nine central objectives listed need not be our order of priorities over the next three decades. Most obviously, the priorities of any moment in time must meet the specific circumstances of that moment in time.   But it would be surprising if the first strategic challenge which I have mentioned the establishment of a united Malaysian nation is not likely to be the most fundamental, the most basic.   Since much of what I will say this morning will concentrate on economic development, let me stress yet again that the comprehensive development towards the developed society that we want -however each of us may wish to define it -cannot mean material and economic advancement only. Far from it. Economic development must not become the be-all and the end-all of our national endeavours. Since this Council must concentrate on the issues of economic development and economic social justice, which for this nation must go hand in hand for the foreseeable future, let me expand on the perception of the central strategic challenges with regard to these two vital objectives.   At this point it is well to define in greater detail the objective of establishing an economically just society.   Of the two prongs of the NEP no one is against the eradication of absolute poverty -regardless of race, and irrespective of geographical location. All Malaysians, whether they live in the rural or the urban areas, whether they are in the south, north, east or west, must be moved above the line of absolute poverty.   This nation must be able to provide enough food on the table so that not a solitary Malaysian is subjected to the travesty of gross under-nourishment. We must provide enough by way of essential shelter, access to health facilities, and all the basic essentials. A developed Malaysia must have a wide and vigorous middle class and must provide full opportunities for those in the bottom third to climb their way out of the pit of relative poverty.   The second prong, that of removing the identification of race with major economic function is also acceptable except that somehow it is thought possible to achieve this without any shuffling of position. If we want to build an equitable society than we must accept some affirmative action. This will mean that in all the major and important sectors of employment, there should be a good mix of the ethnic groups that make up the Malaysian nation. By legitimate means we must ensure a fair balance with regard to the professions and all the major categories of employment. Certainly we must be as interested in quality and merit. But we must ensure the healthy development of a viable and robust Bumiputera commercial and industrial community.   A developed Malaysia should not have a society in which economic backwardness is identified with race. This does not imply individual income equality, a situation in which all Malaysians will have the same income. This is an impossibility because by sheer dint of our own individual effort, our own individual upbringing and our individual preferences, we will all have different economic worth, and will be financially rewarded differently. An equality of individual income as propounded by socialists and communists is not only not possible, it is not desirable and is a formula for disaster.   But I do believe that the narrowing of the ethnic income gap, through the legitimate provision of opportunities, through a closer parity of social services and infrastructure, through the development of the appropriate economic cultures and through full human resource development, is both necessary and desirable. We must aspire by the year 2020 to reach a stage where no-one can say that a particular ethnic group is inherently economically backward and another is economically inherently advanced. Such a situation is what we must work for efficiently, effectively, with fairness and with dedication.   A full partnership in economic progress cannot mean full partnership in poverty. It must mean a fair balance with regard to the participation and contribution of all our ethnic groups including the Bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak in the high-growth, modern sectors of our economy. It must mean a fair distribution with regard to the control , management and ownership of the modern economy.   In order to achieve this economically just society, we must escalate dramatically our programmes for national human resource development. There is a need to ensure the creation of an economically resilient and fully competitive Bumiputera community so as to be at par with the NonBumiputera community. There is need for a mental revolution and a cultural transformation. Much of the work of pulling ourselves up by our boot-straps must be done ourselves. In working for the correction of the economic imbalances, there has to be the fullest emphasis on making the needed advances at speed and with the most productive results at the lowest possible economic and societal cost.   With regard to the establishment of a prosperous society, we can set many aspirational goals. I believe that we should set the realistic (as opposed to aspirational) target of almost doubling our real gross domestic product every t en years between 1990 and 2020 AD. If we do this, our GDP should be about eight times larger by the year 2020 than it was in 1990. Our GDP in 1990 was 115 billion Ringgit. Our GDP in 2020 should therefore be about 920 billion Ringgit in real (1990 Ringgit) terms.   This rapid growth will require that we grow by an average of about 7 per cent (in real terms) annually over the next 30 years. Admittedly this is on optimistic projection but we should set our sights high if we are to motivate ourselves into striving hard. We must guard against growth fixation, the danger of pushing for growth figures oblivious to the needed commitment to ensure stability, to keep inflation low, to guarantee sustainability, to develop our quality of life and standard of living, and the achievement of our other social objectives. It will be a difficult task, with many peaks and low points. But I believe that this can be done. In the 1960s, we grew by an annual average of 5.1 per cent; in the 1970s, the first decade of the NEP, Malaysia grew by an average of 7.8 per cent; in the 1980s, because of the recession years, we grew by an annual average of 5.9 per cent. If we take the last thirty years, our GDP rose annually in real terms by an average of 6.3 per cent. If we take the last twenty years, we grew by an annual average of 6.9 per cent. What is needed is an additional 0.1 per cent growth. Surely if we all pull together God willing this 0.1% can be achieved.   If we do succeed, and assuming roughly a 2.5 per cent annual rate of population growth, by the year 2020, Malaysians will be four times richer (in real terms) than they were in 1990. That is the measure of the prosperous society we wish and hopefully we can achieve.   The second leg of our economic objective should be to secure the establishment of a competitive economy. Such an economy must be able to sustain itself over the longer term, must be dynamic, robust and resilient. It must mean, among other things: A diversified and balanced economy with a mature and widely based industrial sector, a modern and mature agriculture sector and an efficient and productive and an equally mature services sector; an economy that is quick on its feet, able to quickly adapt to changing patterns of supply, demand and competition; an economy that is technologically proficient, fully able to adapt, innovate and invent, that is increasingly technology intensive, moving in the direction of higher and higher levels of technology; an economy that has strong and cohesive industrial linkages throughout the system; an economy driven by brain-power, skills and diligence in possession of a wealth of information, with the knowledge of what to do and how to do it; an economy with high and escalating productivity with regard to every factor of production; an entrepreneurial economy that is self reliant, outward looking and enterprising; an economy sustained by an exemplary work ethic, quality consciousness and the quest for excellence; an economy characterised by low inflation and a low cost of living; an economy that is subjected to the full discipline and rigour of market forces.   Most of us in this present Council will not be there on the morning of January 1, 2020 Not many, I think. The great bulk of the work that must be done to ensure a fully developed country called Malaysia a generation from now will obviously be done by the leaders who follow us, by our children and grand-children. But we should make sure that we have done our duty in guiding them with regard to what we should work to become. And let us lay the secure foundations that they must build upon. Some Key Public Sector Economic Policies Some Key Public Sector Economic Policies For The Forseeable Future Since the early 1980s, we have stressed that this country will rely on the private sector as the primary engine of economic growth. In a way we were ahead of the rest of the world, even the developed countries in entrusting economic growth to the private sector.   In the early years, our fledgling private sector could not fully respond to the challenge that was issued. Then came the unpredictable and difficult recession and slowdown years. However in the last three years the private sector has bloomed and responded. The policy is now bearing fruit. The outcome: in 1988, we grew in real terms by 8.9 per cent; in 1989, by 8.8 per cent; in 1990, by 9.4 per cent without expansionary budgetting by the Government. Even the tiger economies of North East Asia have not done so well.   No nation can afford to abandon a winning formula. And this nation will not. For the forseeable future, Malaysia will continue to drive the private sector, to rely on it as the primary engine of growth.   In the meantime the Government will continue to downsize of its role in the field of economic production and business. The State cannot of course retreat totally from the economic life of Malaysia. It will not abdicate its responsibility for overseeing and providing the legal and regulatory framework for rapid economic and social development.   The Government will be pro active to ensure healthy fiscal and monetary management and the smooth functioning of the Malaysian economy. It will escalate the development of the necessary physical infrastructure and the most conducive business environment consistent with its other social priorities. And where absolutely neccessary the Government will not be so completly bound by its commitment to withdrawal from the economic role, that it will not intervene. It will play its role judiciously and actively. The process of de-regulation will continue. There can be no doubt that regulations are an essential part of the governance of society, of which the economy is a part. A state without laws and regulations is a state flirting with anarchy. Without order, there can be little business and no development. What is not required is over regulation although it may not be easy to decide when the Government is over regulating. Wisdom lies of course in the ability to distinguish between those laws and regulations which are productive of our societal objectives and those that are not; and it lies in making the right judgements with regard to the trade offs. Thus Governments will be neither foolish nor irresponsible, and will cater to the needs of the wider society as well as the requirements of rapid growth and a competitive, robust and resilient economy. It will be guided by the knowledge that the freeing of enterprise too not only laws and regulations, and state intervention can contribute to the achievement of the wider social objectives. In this light and given the fact that there are clear areas of unproductive regulation which need to be phased out, you can expect the process of productive de- regulation to continue. The recent move of Bank Negara to de-regulate the BLR regime is an example in point. Privatisation will continue to be an important cornerstone of our national development and national efficiency strategy. This policy is not founded on ideological belief. It is aimed specifically at enhancing competitiveness, efficiency and productivity in the economy, at reducing the administrative and financial burdens on the Government and at expediting the attainment of national distributional goals. In implementing our privatisation policy, the Government is fully aware of the need to protect public interest, to ensure that the poor are provided access to essential services, to guarantee that quality services are provided at minimum cost, to avoid unproductive monopolistic practices and to ensure the welfare of workers. There will be problems. No endeavour comes without a price tag. But it is clear enough that this policy has thus far generated positive results and we can expect its implementation to be accelerated in the future. With the completion of the Privatisation Master Plan Study, I believe that many of the bottlenecks and rigidities that obstruct the progress of the needed privatisation will be removed, thus accelerating its smooth implementation. There will be in the years ahead an Accelerated Industrialisation Drive, a drive that is not based on a fascination with industry but on the simple truth that if we want to develop rapidly -in a situation where the developed economies will be moving out of industrialisation into a post industrial stage this is the way to go. If we are to industrialise rapidly, we will need to capitalise on our national strengths and forcefully tackle our weaknesses. In pursuit of this policy, the Government will need to deal with the problem of a narrow manufacturing base. In 1988, 63 per cent of total Malaysian manufactured exports came from the electrical and electronic and textile industries. Electronics alone accounted for 50 per cent of total manufactured exports. We must diversify. Despite the most rapid development in the free trade zones insignificant demand has been generated for local intermediate products. We will have to deal with the problem of weak industrial linkages. There is inadequate development of indigenous technology. There is too little value- added, too much simple assembly and production. There is also a need to counter rising production costs brought about by rising costs of labour, raw materials and overheads by improving efficiency and productivity. There is a serious shortage of skilled manpower. All these and many more issues will need to be addressed. Small and medium scale industries have an important role to play in generating employment opportunities, in strengthening industrial linkages, in penetrating markets and generating export earnings. They have a crucial role as a spawning ground for the birth of tomorrows entrepreneurs. The Government will devise appropriate assistance schemes and will seek to raise the level of management expertise, technological know-how and skills of the employees in this very important and in many ways neglected sector of our economy. The SMIs will be one of the primary foundations for our future industrial thrust. The Government is fully committed to its healthiest development. Just as we must diversify the products we export so must we diversify the markets we export to. Malaysian exporters must look also at the non traditional markets. It will require new knowledge, new networks, new contacts and new approaches towards dealing with unfamiliar laws, rules and regulation. It will be uncomfortable but it would be a mistake to consider that it is not worth the discomfort to deal with these markets. Alone they may be small but cumulatively the market of the developing Asian, African and Latin America countries are big. If the developed countries find it worth while to export to these markets then it must be worth while for us also. The Government will help but the private sector must play their part. Reliance on export- led growth is still the way to rapid growth. Entry into the world market pits our companies against all comers and subjects them to the full force of international competition. This is a challange we must accept not simply because the domestic market is too small but because in the long run it will actually enrich our domestic market and reduce our dependence on export. We must persist with export-led growth despite the global slowdown, despite the rise of protectionism, trade blocs and managed trade. When the going is tougher, we must not turn inward. We simply have no choice but to be more lean, more resourceful, more productive and generally more competitive, more able to take on the world. 56. The liberalisation of the Malaysian economy has had beneficial result and contributed towards a more dynamic growth. Obviously, liberalisation must be undertaken responsibly and in stages so as not to create economic uncertainty and impose excessive structural adjustment costs. We should take into the fullest consideration Malaysias capacity to undertake liberalisation. We should not dismiss the infant industry argument, but we should not bow to illegitimate pressure. At the same time, productive liberalisation ensures that our private sector will be less reliant on artificial profits and on protection, which benefits some producers at the expense of consumers and other producers. Infants must grow up. They must grow up to be sturdy and strong. And this cannot be done if they are over-protected. For reasons that are obvious, the Government will continue to foster the inflow of foreign investment. This is essential for Malaysias Accelerated Industrialisation Drive. Again, we will not abandon a winning strategy. But we will fine-tune it to ensure that measures are in place to ensure that Malaysia maximises the net benefit from the inflow of foreign investment. In the past, the domestic private sector has largely failed to meet the targets set in successive Malaysia Plans. Apparently domestic investors feel that the Government has not devoted enough effort to the fostering of domestic investment as we have devoted to those from overseas. This is not completely true but we will redress the situation as we get better feed back. Small and medium scale enterprises must be assisted to grow bigger. Surplus savings and domestic capital must be more productively channeled into investments. Entrepreneurs must be spawned. Where necessary, technological and training help must be extended; and infrastructural support must be given. It is worthwhile to stress again that the development that we need cannot take place without the infrastructural underpinning. We must keep one step ahead of demand and need. In the recent Budget, we clearly stated what we will do in the shorter term. The Sixth Malaysia Plan will make clear what we will do in the medium term while the second outline perspective Plan will indicate the direction over the long term. The Government is fully aware of the infrastructure bottlenecks and of the need for massive investments in the years to come. We will not let growth to be retarded by excessive congestion and investment indigestion, as has happened in many countries. In our drive to move vigorously ahead nothing is more important then the development of human resources. From the experience in the last two decades of all the economic miracles of the countries that have been poor in terms of natural resources, it is blindingly clear that the most important resource of any nation must be the talents, skills, creativity and will of its people. What we have between our ears, at our elbow and in our heart is much more important than what we have below our feet and around us. Our people is our ultimate resource. Without a doubt, in the 1990s and beyond, Malaysia must give the fullest emphasis possible to the development of this ultimate resource. Malaysia has one of the best educational systems in the Third World. But for the journey that we must make over our second generation, new standards have to be set and new results achieved. We cannot but aspire to the highest standards with regard to the skills of our people, to their devotion to knowhow and knowledge upgrading and self-improvement, to their language competence, to their work attitudes and discipline, to their managerial abilities, to their achievement motivation, their attitude towards excellence and to the fostering of the entrepreneurial spirit. We cannot afford to neglect the importance of entrepreneurship and entrepreneural development, which goes, of course beyond training and education. We must ensure the correct mix with regard to professionals, sub-professionals, craftsmen and artisans, and the correct balance with regard to those with competence in science and technology, the a rts and social sciences. In the development of human resources we cannot afford to neglect half the population i.e. the Bumiputeras. If they are not brought into the mainstream, if their potentials are not fully developed, if they are allowed to be a milestone around the national neck, then our progress is going to be retarded by that much. No nation can achieve full progress with only half its human resources harnessed. What may be considered a burden now can, with the correct attitude and management be the force that lightens our burden and hasten our progress. The Bumiputeras must play their part fully in the achievement of the national goal. Inflation is the bane of all economic planners. Fortunately except during the first oil shock when inflation went up to 17%, Malaysia has managed to keep inflation low. We must continue to keep it low. The Government, the business sector, and the people must be committed to keeping it low. The only real way to combat inflation is to live within ones means. If we cannot afford we just dont buy. In Malaysia this is possible for we can produce practically all we need in terms of food, shelter and clothing. When recently we had a recession, life was bearable because we were able to buy our needs at roughly the same price i.e. we had practically no inflation. Now that we have more money, demand pull is slowly forcing prices up. So although we may be more prosperous now, although we may be financially wealthier now, but in terms of purchasing power we are not as well-off as we should be. The public must understand what causes inflation and must be disciplined enough to combat it . In some countries when inflation rates go up to thousands of per cent per year, Governments have been changed again and again without inflation being contained. The reason is that the people are not disciplined and prepared to restrain themselves. No Government can put a stop to inflation unless the people are prepared to accept the discomfort of austerity. In the fight against inflation nothing is more effective than education and discipline among the people. In an interdependent trading world, the exchange rate plays a vital role. Too cheap a currency will increase import bills and debt payment but it will make exports competitive. But the full benefit of a low exchange rate on export can be negated by the cost of imported material which go into the exported products. A high currency value will enrich our people, particularly in terms of buying imported luxuries but our exports will not be competitive and the economy will eventually be adversely affected. Clearly the management of the exchange rate is of extreme importance to the progress of our nation. There is only a limited ability to manipulate. In the final analysis it is how we balance our trade that will determine how our currency is valued. Malaysia must learn to be competitive through higher productivity rather than through manipulating exchange rates. Again the people must understand their role, particularly with regard to productivity. In a world of high technology Malaysia cannot afford to lag behind. We cannot be in the front line of modern technology but we must always try to catch up at least in those fields where we may have certain advantages. We have already adopted a National Plan of Action for Industrial Technology Development. This is the easy part. We must now proceed expeditiously to the enormously difficult task of implementation. The Government will certainly provide the necessary commitment and leadership to this national endeavour. The institutional and support infrastructure will be put in place to ensure rapid, realistic, focussed and market driven development of our technological capabilities. But let us never forget that technology is not for the laboratory but the factory floor and the market. The private sector and our people must respond. Far too often the results of research are ignoured in favour of the tried and tested moneyspinners. It has been said that the secret of Japans success is its skill in applying research results to marketable products. If we dont do this we are going to be left behind whatever may be the level of our technology. While increasing our industrial manufacturing sector, Malaysia must make sure that our agriculture and services sector will not be neglected. We must advance. We must strive for efficiency, modernity and competitiveness. These should be the key guiding principles of our national policy towards agriculture, tourism and the fullest development of the entire services sector. Nor can we afford to neglect the rural sector of our economy and society. In the years ahead, we must work for a second rural development transformation, restructuring the villages so as to be compatible with both agriculture and modern industry. Less and less farmers should produce more and more food, thus releasing manpower for an industrial society. While doing all these we must also ensure that our valuable natural resources are not wasted. Our land must remain productive and fertile, our atmosphere clear and clean, our water unpolluted, our forest resources capable of regeneration, able to yield the needs of our national development. The beauty of our land must not be desecrated for it s own sake and for our economic advancement. In the information age that we are living in the Malaysian society must be information rich. It can be no accident that there is today no wealthy, developed country that is information -poor and no information-rich country that is poor and undeveloped. There was a time when land was the most fundamental basis of prosperity and wealth. Then came the second wave, the age of industrialisation. Smokestacks rose where the fields were once cultivated. Now, increasingly, knowledge will not o

Riordan Manufacturing Business Analysis

Riordan Manufacturing, Inc. Business Analysis Learning Team B BSA 500 University of Phoenix Instructor: Charlotte Bonner October 6, 2008 * Riordan Manufacturing, Inc. Business Analysis * ****INTRO GOES HERE – DANA WILL WRITE IT AS WE NEAR COMPLETION History of Riordan Riordan Manufacturing Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of plastic injection molding components. Some of the components that it manufactures include: plastic bottles, fans of all sizes, heart valves, medical stents, and other custom plastic parts. Riordan is focused on high standards, long term customer relationships, innovation, and growth. The company was originally founded in 1991 by a professor of chemistry, Dr. Riordan, as an outlet for commercial applications for the high tensile strength plastic substrates that Dr. Riordan had developed. Riordan Manufacturing is now a subsidiary of the Fortune 1000 enterprise, Riordan Industries. The company is headquartered in San Jose California, but also has facilities in Georgia, Michigan, and China. Current large projects include the design stage on an innovative bottle in the shape of a pyramid, and the proof of concept stage on a CardiCare heart valve. Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, serving 550 employees, consists of three Wide Area Network (WAN) lines originating from the corporate headquarters in San Jose (125 employees) to the three manufacturing plants in: Michigan (130 employees), Georgia (45 employees), and China (250 employees). Modules Accounting Modules Riordan Manufacturing’s corporate office has integrated ERP software designed purposely for plastics, processors, and process and assembly manufacturers. During acquisition in Georgia and Michigan, the finance and accounting software’s compatibility issue was not addressed. For this reason, Georgia and Michigan have applications which are not compatible with the current financial system. The following is a list of additional modules that should be connected to the accounting system: Inventory Modules The Inventory module will help Riordan Manufacturing with the physical management of their stock (until used up or sold). It will perform a sound cataloging procedure by assigning item numbers that the accounting system can process. Asset Management Modules Asset Management will help Riordan Manufacturing with physical maintenance, tracking of assets, and financial management. Physical maintenance includes the asset location, condition, and the assignment of asset management to specific individuals. Cash Management Modules Cash Management will help Riordan Manufacturing manage and control the cash cycle. It will ensure liquidity and enhance profitability. Benefits of this module include multi-currency capabilities, cash balancing, bank reconciliation, and cash forecasting. Web Applications Modules Web Applications will help Riordan Manufacturing in many ways. Customers and salespeople alike can enter orders through the web. This â€Å"real-time† web configuration will shorten the order cycle, and enhance customer satisfaction. Employees of Riordan will be able to use this medium for expense reporting, supply requisitions, and communication between employees. Multiple Currencies Modules Since Riordan has a joint venture with China, the Multiple Currency module will be of considerable help. Financial transaction with China will be recorded in the sub-ledgers and converted into the â€Å"functional currency† by using current exchange rate information. The transactions will be recorded and maintained in the accounting data. Riordan’s â€Å"functional currency† will be in US dollars. Payroll Modules The Payroll module will apply human resource data to salaries and benefits and determine the amount of pay and how to get the disbursement to the employee. It will take into consideration national tax codes and worldwide regulations. The system can also track and do calculations for data such as sick time, leave of absence, and vacation. Travel/Expense Reporting Modules Because Riordan has multiple offices within the United States and a joint venture with China, travel budgets and expense reporting of trips can be documented into the travel/expense reporting module. Riordan employees and management can use this module to document information such as cost of plane tickets, vehicles, food, and supplies while employees are traveling. General Ledger Modules The accounting process begins with general ledgers. Therefore, this module will help organize Riordan’s financial reports from the first steps. This will make information readily accessible and more easily processed. Accounts payable/receivable Modules Like the general ledger module, this module will help organize Riordan’s accounts payable and receivable, which will better organize their balance sheet. Systems to be connected to the Accounting System Sales and Marketing All of the sales to past customers have been annotated using written methods. Riordan has requested that all past sales records, made up of diverse databases, paper files and microfiche be inputted into a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. The information recorded in these records is largely made up of information that can easily be entered into a CRM database for easy distribution and reproduction between departments. The CRM package will also benefit Riordan by providing the customers access to a front end server (extranet), to be able to create accounts, check account status, pay bills and place orders. Having a single CRM database will provide sales personnel or customer service representatives with the ability to quickly check customer accounting information without having to search through various paper work, microfiche and out of date or inadequate databases. Internally, employees will be able to keep track of various vendors who have a proven track record of discounts, reliable shipping and product innovation. In the past, individual sales employees have managed customer records, and no standard of data recording has been established. Operating in this manner doesn't allow for a cohesive sales team, which is going to be critical for the new team selling approach being implemented by Riordan. A standardization and consolidation of customer records needs to be implemented for the sales team to be more successful in the future. The CRM will consolidate the sales team into one unit rather than individuals servicing specific accounts. Customer relations will be proficient due to the ability of multiple sales personnel being able to acquire and update account information rather than a single person maintaining individual account records. Not to mention when a sales person is not available due to health, personal issues or vacation, another employee will be able to provide information and support. The CRM will then be connected to the Finance & Accounting System. Human Resources Riordan Manufacturing’s Human Resources system should be connected to its accounting system because the Human Resources department handles the employees’ salaries, benefits, employee recognition programs and training programs. These programs do not bring in revenue, however, they are considered costs for the company. Accurate bookkeeping of these activities and incorporation of the figures into the accounting equation is crucial to painting an accurate financial picture of Riordan. Operations The Operations system should also be connected to the accounting system since it outlines inventory, supply and production. Inventory is part of a company’s assets, which is a core part of the accounting equation. In determining its financial state, Riordan needs to have knowledge of its inventory, how much it costs to obtain, how it is used and the cost of operating, or manufacturing products with that inventory. Just like assets are a core part of the accounting process, Operations is a core part of Riordan’s process. Legal Legal systems need to be connected to the accounting system in order to maintain legal watch over the system. One example of how Legal could benefit from a connection to the accounting system is that it would be able to monitor inventory and approve where Riordan products are being sent. This would make sure export laws and restrictions are being met. Legal can also interact with Human Resources, Finance, Sales, and Operations over the accounting system to make sure that all aspects of the legal requirements for corporate accounting are followed. Reports and policies could be put in place by Legal in the system to ensure integrity and ethics. Information Technology IT has many reasons to be connected to the accounting system. Ordering, policy implementation, monitoring, and support are just a few of the aspects of business that would benefit from the Information Technology system being connected to the accounting system. Monitoring, policies, and support are a huge reason for IT to be connected. Accounting is one of the most important aspects to running a business. IT needs to carefully monitor and support validity and integrity within an accounting system as well as ensure proper policies, established in conjunction with legal, are in place. Income Statement Analysis In reviewing the Income Statement for Riordan Manufacturing, there are some concerns on cost expenses that managers will need to adjust. Even though the sales revenue from 2004 to 2005 has increased 10. % from $46 million to $50 million, a combination of direct cost of goods sold and operating expenses has caused the net profit to decrease during the same period. The direct cost of goods sold increased 12. 2% from $37. 5 million to $42 million. A possible cause for this increase may be that Riordan may have abundance of inventory on hand as a result of ordering above the ordering point. Despite the high increase in cost of goods sold, t he gross margin still increased, but by only 2. 6% from $8. 6 million to $8. 8 million. In addition to the 12. % increase in cost of goods sold, the operating expenses also incurred by Riordan Manufacturing increased 8% from $5. 3 million to $5. 7 million. These two big increases in costs incurred compared to the small increase in the gross margin proved to be too much, resulting in a decrease in profit before interest and tax expenses. The profit before taxes and interest expenses decreased 6. 3% from $3. 2 million to $3 million. In addition to the negative figures, there are some positive figures to bring into the mix. Despite the profit before taxes and interest expense decreasing by 6. %, the net profit only decreased by 1. 7% from $2 million to $1. 95 million. The reason for the smaller decrease in the net profit was a 13. 5% decrease in non-operating expenses including tax and interest expenses from $1. 3 million to $1. 1 million. The main focus to increase profits from 2005 t o 2006 would be looking into decreasing the cost of goods sold and some of the operating expenses while continuing the trend in decreasing the non-operating expenses or at least keeping the cost manageable. What the company is doing wrong Riordan’s Inventory accounts for a large share of its current assets (54%). On the surface this may represent a weakness however the company has an inventory turn of 5. 35 (cost of goods sold annually/inventory) which means the company goes though its inventory 5. 35 times per year or every 68 days. Riordan’s products are not perishable and enjoy a very long shelf life so this turnover rate of relatively good. This relatively high turnover rate allows for it to maintain relatively low cash balances as it can raise cash quickly from sale of inventory. This is reflected in the high balance of the accounts receivable. In addition, the company continues to carry a significant long term debt without a noticeable attempt to lessen that debt. Analysis of shareholder equity shows that the value of the company’s shares is greater than the total shareholders’ equity, a sign of deficit. The debt to equity ratio is fairly high at 56%, this a potential sign of weakness as well. While the company has maintained a gross margin of over 8. 5 million for the past two years, its operating expenses have increased during the same period affecting its profit margin. This is a sign that Riordan is not doing well in keeping its costs low to be more profitable. The opportunities would be to focus on increasing sales at the same decreasing general and administrative costs. To achieve this, the company needs to invest in IT systems. Eliminating incompatible systems and consolidating information at it’s headquarter will help in reducing administrative costs. References Riordan Manufacturing. 2004. University of Phoenix. Accessed September 2008 from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Riordan/Internet/IndexPort. htm

Halloween vs Christmas

Halloween vs. Christmas the best holidays These are both one of the most important holidays to the United States maybe even to the world. They bring people joy, happiness, and it mostly brings people together to celebrate. These two holidays are very important in different ways. They both bring a different concept. But what are the differences and similarities of this holiday, keep reading this and maybe I’ll help you find out a little about these two wonderful holidays. For Halloween Halloween is full of frights, terror, fun, and is the only day out of the year a person can be whoever they want to be.On Halloween, fantasies come alive for people of all ages. For children, it means dressing up as whatever fictional character they want to, and getting the most candy. All of the costumed children are able to walk around at night going from door to door, getting a much candy as they can fit into a pillowcase. Halloween is the only holiday kids receive so much candy; it can last t he entire year. Children, can also, participate in parades, enter, or pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. For adults, it can hold several different meanings, as well.As a parent, you can help dress up your child, paint their face, and put in your own creativity to the costume. Parents, can also, walk around with their child on Halloween, and smile as their child runs from house to house as happy as can be. Halloween is one of the biggest celebration days of the United States, it is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31. Halloween's roots can be traced back to Celtic culture in Ireland. According to their â€Å"Druid† religion, November 1st was New Years' on their calendar. The celebration would begin on October 31st, and last into the following day.The spirits of all who died in the prior year would rise up and roam the earth on this night. This is an evil night when spirits roamed the streets and villages. Lord Samhain, the lord of Darkness, would arriv e in search of the spirits to take them to the underworld. Halloween as it is currently celebrated with costumes, trick or treat, and superstitions, takes from this Druid Holiday. Halloween is second only to Christmas in spending. Consumers spend over $2. 5 Billion during Halloween. That's a whole lot of candy, costumes, decorations, and party goods. Like Christmas, Halloween is steeped in traditions.While Christmas can be a stressful period, Halloween is all about fun. People really get into the Halloween tradition and â€Å"spirit†. Some religions are against celebrating Halloween, citing it's roots in ancient Druid religion. While this is true, Today's Halloween celebrations are all about fun, with a generous amount of imagination Halloween was commonly referred to as â€Å"All Hollows† Eve. It originated from the pagan holiday honoring the dead. The Roman Catholic Church created All Saints Day (also called Hallowmas) on November 1st to honor Saints and All Souls Da y on November 2and to honor and pray for the souls of the dead.These holidays were created by the church, in part to downplay the pagan holidays. Needless to say, it did not succeed. Halloween as we know it today has grown from the ancient Druid Holiday. Along the way both fun, frights, and satanic twists have been added to the mix. In English, this holiday translates to â€Å"The Day of the Dead†. It is an important Mexican holiday. Where Americans shy away from the topic of death, Mexicans embrace it. On this day, they celebrate it in a big way. Asian cultures are also known to honor the dead in October.Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basi s of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.December 25 Christmas day has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. Decorating the tree is the most important part for the kids because it gets them exciting and they know that it means the presents are coming soon. Christmas is one of the most important holiday there is of the year it brings people together mostly family. It’s the time of the year that family visits each other and mostly because Christmas is so close to New Year it’s even more exciting. Most people go to church this day because it is consider the day when Jesus was born to Christians.I think there are a lot of similarities in both of these holidays. Both of the holidays are a symbol of something that has happen in the past. They both honor something. In both of the holidays people decorate their homes with the theme of the holiday. In Christmas people give away presents and in Halloween people give away candy. People most likely get together to celebrate this and most people don’t work on these times. Either to spend time with their family or to go out and do something. Somewhat they are both a religious celebration even though I don’t see it that way.In my church they teach me not to celebrate any of these holidays. So I don’t even celebrate them I just hear about them from people. In Christmas you get dressed up in your best clothes and in Halloween you get dressed up wit6h costumes. Well this is all I can tell you about these two holidays since this is all I got from the research and all the people I asked about it. When I am older I might celebrate Christmas and Halloween with my family they seem like very fun and happy things to do that makes people come together.

Free Essays on Doing What It Takes

Doing What it Takes â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own,† the story of a drifting man who meets an old woman and her daughter, is a very interesting piece by Flannery O’Connor. The old woman, Lucynell Crater and her daughter, also Lucynell Crater, live by themselves, and one day Mr. Shiftlet, the drifter, appears on their front porch. This story tells about how their relationship grows all together and very effectively uses symbolism to explain the characters intentions. Through O’Connor’s symbolism we see what all the characters have in mind and it is shown through their thoughts and actions. Although Lucynell Crater, the mother, and Mr. Shiftlet seem to be very polite and generous, O’Connor provides us with a window that helps us see more clearly, the intentions on both Mrs., Crater’s and Mr. Shiftlet’s parts. O’Connor describes Mr. Shiftlet to be a very nice and generous man, looking for a place to stay in return for his work. His actions, for the most part, show us his good intentions and lead us to believe that he is a good person. Yet, while his actions mostly portray good aspects, O’Connor uses symbolism to sneak in the true meaning behind Mr. Shiftlet. â€Å"His left coat sleeve was folded up to show there was only half an arm in it and his gaunt figure listed slightly to the side as if the breeze were pushing him.† (O’Connor 47) O’Connor uses his disability to show us that he isn’t normal. Normal people have two arms and Mr. Shiftlet did not, so something is â€Å"wrong† with him. He isn’t normal. â€Å"‘†¦there ain’t a broken thing on this plantation that I couldn’t fix for you, one-arm jackleg or not. I’m a man,’ he said with a sullen dignity, ‘even if I ain’t a whol e one.’† (O’Connor 53) We see here that Mr. Shiftlet is capable of doing normal things so this leads me to believe that his abnormality must be something within. His arm lets us know of something fishy,... Free Essays on Doing What It Takes Free Essays on Doing What It Takes Doing What it Takes â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own,† the story of a drifting man who meets an old woman and her daughter, is a very interesting piece by Flannery O’Connor. The old woman, Lucynell Crater and her daughter, also Lucynell Crater, live by themselves, and one day Mr. Shiftlet, the drifter, appears on their front porch. This story tells about how their relationship grows all together and very effectively uses symbolism to explain the characters intentions. Through O’Connor’s symbolism we see what all the characters have in mind and it is shown through their thoughts and actions. Although Lucynell Crater, the mother, and Mr. Shiftlet seem to be very polite and generous, O’Connor provides us with a window that helps us see more clearly, the intentions on both Mrs., Crater’s and Mr. Shiftlet’s parts. O’Connor describes Mr. Shiftlet to be a very nice and generous man, looking for a place to stay in return for his work. His actions, for the most part, show us his good intentions and lead us to believe that he is a good person. Yet, while his actions mostly portray good aspects, O’Connor uses symbolism to sneak in the true meaning behind Mr. Shiftlet. â€Å"His left coat sleeve was folded up to show there was only half an arm in it and his gaunt figure listed slightly to the side as if the breeze were pushing him.† (O’Connor 47) O’Connor uses his disability to show us that he isn’t normal. Normal people have two arms and Mr. Shiftlet did not, so something is â€Å"wrong† with him. He isn’t normal. â€Å"‘†¦there ain’t a broken thing on this plantation that I couldn’t fix for you, one-arm jackleg or not. I’m a man,’ he said with a sullen dignity, ‘even if I ain’t a whol e one.’† (O’Connor 53) We see here that Mr. Shiftlet is capable of doing normal things so this leads me to believe that his abnormality must be something within. His arm lets us know of something fishy,...

How to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk

How to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk How to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk How to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk By Ali Hale I work in technical support, which has given me many opportunities to develop the skill of phrasing things carefully. If you’re in an IT department or technology company, you doubtlessly have to deal with emails from irate people who’ve just spent hours struggling with a piece of unhelpful software. These users often have a preconception of technical support as being â€Å"unhelpful†, â€Å"slow† or â€Å"rude† and so it really helps to have some tactful phrases in your writing toolkit. When it’s a case of â€Å"user error† Don’t say â€Å"It’s your fault† or â€Å"You’ve done it wrong.† This is likely to annoy or upset the user, and escalate a potentially tricky situation. Instead, try opening your email with something that doesn’t sound like you’re blaming them: â€Å"Perhaps that section of the manual wasn’t very clear.† â€Å"I’m sorry you’re having problems with that.† Then use the main body of your email to give clear and concise help. It may be tempting to dash off as quick a message as possible, but you won’t save any time if the user then emails back because they’re still stuck. â€Å"Lots of people struggle with this, so let me take you through it step-by-step†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"This is how it’s supposed to work† Close your email by inviting them to let you know if they’re still having trouble at all: â€Å"Just let me know if you’ve got any more questions.† â€Å"Email us if you’re still having problems once you’ve tried the above.† Putting it all together, here’s an example of how not to do it: â€Å"There’s an ‘I forgot my password’ button for a REASON, idiot.† And here’s how to make someone’s day a little brighter: â€Å"Sorry to hear you’re having trouble logging in. I’ve checked on our end, and we’re not experiencing any system downtime. Just click on the ‘I forgot my password’ button and it’ll send your account details straight to your inbox. Let me know if you don’t receive that email, or if you have any more problems at all, and I’ll be glad to help.† When the bug or problem is yours If there’s a problem on your end, it’s a good idea to apologise. Don’t go over the top in prostrating yourself for every tiny thing, but do make it clear that you’ve acknowledged that there’s something wrong. Using phrases like â€Å"slight bug†, â€Å"temporary problem†, â€Å"minor issue† are much more likely to calm worries than â€Å"catastrophical error† or â€Å"huge mistake† (even if the latter are more accurate†¦) Starting your email with a brief â€Å"Sorry† or an acknowledgement that there is something wrong, will help calm down the user instantly: â€Å"Sorry about that.† â€Å"Yes, I’ve managed to repeat the problem you reported.† Let them know what’s being done to fix the situation (unless you can fix it on the spot before emailing them back). Don’t make any promises you can’t keep, but do give some idea of likely timeframes for a solution: â€Å"Our programmers are looking into it at the moment.† â€Å"We’re hoping to have it back up and running by the end of the day.† Close your email by apologising for the inconvenience to them, especially if there’s going to be a long delay in getting the problem fixed. And reassure them that they’ll be informed as soon as it is sorted out – otherwise you’ll risk them sending hourly emails demanding to know if there’s any progress. â€Å"My apologies for the inconvenience in the meantime.† â€Å"Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help.† â€Å"We’ll email again as soon as it’s working.† This sort of email is not likely to meet with a good response (especially if your boss sees it): â€Å"Yeah, that’s our fault, huge screw-up. We’ll get it fixed soonish.† This is much more likely to lead to a happy user who is confident that you’ve got the situation under control. â€Å"Sorry about that. I can see there is a slight problem, and we’re investigating exactly what the issue is. We’ll get back to you as soon as it’s working again – it should be sorted out within a couple of days.† Keep a list of the above phrases on hand for those moments when you need to tactfully unruffle feathers and unfray nerves: it’ll make your job a lot easier! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Meaning of "To a T"7 Patterns of Sentence Structure48 Writing Prompts for Middle School Kids

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Business Strategy - Essay Example The product chosen to make the strategic plan is the True Call. The first step is to perform an external analysis of the True Call Ltd. The analysis of the external environment consists of both domestic and global environments of the company. Only a sufficient analysis of the external environment of the business can aid in the strategic positioning of the organization. This also helps in identifying the firm’s stakeholders as well as taking strategic decisions. Strategic planning is a procedure that involves preparing a report of the company’s most important goals, the execution of plans to accomplish them, the evaluation of development as well as the continuous revision of objectives and schedules. This strategic plan serves to build up the operational? financial and strategic focus for True Call Ltd. The plan also addresses many of the opportunities and challenges at the present. As a tool of management, a strategic plan should be developed according to the requiremen ts of the organization that it stands for. Representatives from each department in the organization must participate in the process of strategic planning. If possible, stakeholders and customers can also be made an integral element of the planning activities. When each person participates in the planning phase, the execution of the strategic plan turns out to be less of a challenge. ... The external analysis of True Call Ltd consists of identifying its opportunities and threats. The opportunities and threats to the organization are considered to be a major part of external analysis. These elements exist outside the realm and also depend on forces beyond the control of the company. â€Å"An environmental analysis evaluates internal and external factors impacting an organization's performance, especially its marketing effort† (In Business What is the Environmental Analysis? 2003). Some citizens screen all of their telephone calls? as they prefer to direct all callers to their answering machine, pay attention to the message being said, and only then attend if it is someone they desire to talk to. True Call facility is comparatively better than this. For strategic planning? it is significant to carry out an analysis of the external environment, to identify the internal strengths or core resources of the organization, to assess the organization’s present st rategic choices as well as to select a best strategy that suits the organization. â€Å"Steve Smith and John Price, the Directors of true Call Ltd, have been working in the field of nuisance call control since 1999† (Response to the Consultation by ofcom on Tackling Abandoned and Silent Calls 1st June 2010, 2010). True Call gives a choice of facilities to keep messages secure and private? External environment analysis of the True Call is used to examine the opportunities and threats of this product. Opportunities: â€Å"TrueCAL-MAG is a special chelate complex of 6 sources of calcium with magnesium and other ingredients to assist the body in maintaining healthy bone structure. Calcium is a primary mineral for building the strong structure of bones and teeth† (TrueCal- MAG: Keep

Plato's Apology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Plato's Apology - Essay Example mary charges, namely, that he is spreading sacrilegious ideas in the marketplace, that he is associating with the Sophists, that he is corrupting the young, and that he does not honor the gods of Athens. Surprisingly, this man did not choose to flee the city in the common form of resisting arrest and instead chose to appear before the court and speak in his own defense. It is generally considered a poor choice to have the accused speak for himself, and it could be argued that Socrates didnt do himself any favors in attempting to present his case. However, after participating in the trial, I must admit I strongly disagree with my fellow jurors who have sentenced this man to death. Through his defense against that charges that have been pressed against him, Socrates has caused me to understand just why his actions are so vital to the strengthening and preservation of our fine community. The first charge brought against Socrates was that he was spreading sacrilegious ideas. This charge was levied against him as a result of his conversational habit of constantly challenging others ideas. When defending himself against this charge, Socrates admitted he did engage in this practice, but not as a means of spreading sacrilege. He instead claims that this idea has been taken out of context and twisted by old enemies of his. He said they tell "of one Socrates, a wise man, who speculated about the heaven above, and searched into the earth beneath, and made the worse appear the better cause† (Apology: 944). Socrates insisted he didnt intend to make people question the gods, but was instead working to understand the Oracles statement that he was the wisest man alive. As any same man might, Socrates had difficulty believing such a statement and he was forced to undertake a series of inquiries looking ‘into the heavens and earth" to learn why the Oracle might have sa id such a thing. Rather than an attempt to encourage sacrilege, Socrates said this was a personal journey of