You Are an Investment Analyst Essay Example for Free

You Are an Investment Analyst Essay History â€Å"Brad’s drink† was created in the summer of 1893 by pharmacist Caleb Bradham of New Bern, North Carolina. The drink was renamed Pepsi Cola in 1898, after pepsin and cola nuts were used in the recipe. Also in 1898, Caleb Bradham wisely bought the trade name Pep Cola for $100 from a competitor from Newark, New Jersey that had gone broke. The new name was trademarked on June 16th, 1903. Bradhams neighbor, an artist designed the first Pepsi logo and ninety-seven shares of stock for Bradhams new company were issued (Bellis, 2012). After seventeen years of success, Caleb Bradham lost Pepsi Cola. He had gambled on the fluctuations of sugar prices during W.W.I, believing that sugar prices would continue to rise but they fell instead leaving Caleb Bradham with an overpriced sugar inventory. Pepsi Cola went bankrupt in 1923. In 1931, Pepsi Cola was bought by the Loft Candy Company Loft president, Charles G. Guth who reformulated the popular soft drink. Guth struggled to make a success of Pepsi and even offered to sell Pepsi to the Coca-Cola company, who refused to offer a bid (Bellis, 2012). In May, 1886, Coca Cola was invented by Doctor John Pemberton a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia. The soft drink was first sold to the public at the soda fountain in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta on May 8, 1886. About nine servings of the soft drink were sold each day. Sales for that first year added up to a total of about $50. The funny thing was that it cost John Pemberton over $70 in expanses, so the first year of sales were a loss (Bellis, 2012). In 1887, another Atlanta pharmacist and businessman, Asa Candler bought the formula for Coca Cola from inventor John Pemberton for $2,300. By the late 1890s, Coca Cola was one of America’s most popular fountain drinks, largely due to Candler’s aggressive marketing of the product. With Asa Candler, now at the helm, the Coca Cola Company increased syrup sales by over 4000% between 1890 and 1900. Until the 1960s, both small town and big city dwellers enjoyed carbonated beverages at the local soda fountain or ice cream saloon. Often housed in the drug store, the soda fountain counter served as a meeting place for people of all ages. Often combined with lunch counters, the soda fountain declined in popularity as commercial ice cream, bottled soft drinks, and fast food restaurants became popular (Bellis, 2012). Products and Services PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with a diverse product portfolio that includes 22 brands that each generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Pepsi-Cola North America is the refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo, Inc., in the United States and Canada. Its U.S. brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, SoBe, AMP Energy, IZZE, Naked Juice, Propel, Mug, and Aquafina, among others. The company also makes and markets North America’s best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks (PepsiCo, 2012). Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo. For more than 75 years, Frito Lay has enjoyed growing the best snacks on earth starting with simple, farm-grown ingredients. To continue growing the best snacks on earth, they are working to reduce their impact on the environment by improving how they make their snacks. Frito-Lay is also dedicated to giving consumers a wider range of healthier choices. They offer great-tasting chips with less fat through their Baked! Line and snacks made only from natural ingredients, which contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives with their Natural line. All of their snack chips contain 0 grams of trans fat (PepsiCo, 2012). Tropicana Products, Inc., a division of PepsiCo, Inc., is the leading producer and marketer of branded fruit juices. Tropicana markets its products in the U.S. under a variety of brand names, including the Tropicana not-from-concentrate line of juices: Dole ® juices and juice blends; Tropicana ® Juices, Trop50 and Tropicana Twister ® juice beverages. The Dole brand name is licensed from Dole Food Company, Inc. (PepsiCo, 2012). Quaker brands have been around for over a century. They are symbols of quality, great taste, and nutrition. Holding No.1 positions in their respective categories are favorites such as Quaker Oats, Quake r Rice Cakes, Chewy Granola Bars and Rice-A-Roni ®. With its Aunt Jemima ® brand, Quaker is also a leading manufacturer of pancake syrups and mixes. It is among the four largest manufacturers of cold cereals with popular brands like Cap’n Crunch ® and Life ® (PepsiCo, 2012). Available in more than 80 countries, Gatorade’s line of performance drinks adds over 45 years of rehydration and sports nutrition research to the PepsiCo portfolio. In early summer of 1965, a University of Florida assistant football coach sat down with a team of university physicians and asked them to determine why so many of his players were being affected by heat and heat-related illnesses. The researchers Dr. Robert Cade, Dr. Dana Shires, Dr. H. James Free and Dr. Alejandro de Quesada soon discovered two key factors that were causing the Gator players to â€Å"wilt†: the fluids and electrolytes the players lost through sweat were not being replaced, and the large amounts of carbohydrates the players’ bodies used for energy were not being replenished (PepsiCo, 2012). The researchers then took their findings into the lab, and scientifically formulated a new, precisely balanced carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage that would adequately replace the key components lost by Gator players through sweating and exercise. They called their concoction â€Å"Gatorade.† After years of careful research by the staff at GSSI into the needs of athletes engaged in high-demand training and competition, Gatorade launched the Gatorade Performance Series, an elite line of sports nutrition products, in 2001. These products include Gatorade Energy Drink, Gatorade Energy Bar, and the Gatorade Nutrition Shake (PepsiCo, 2012). Four years later, after studying endurance athletes, GSSI developed the Gatorade Endurance Formula. Featuring a higher concentration of sodium the key electrolyte found in Original Thirst Quencher and four other electrolytes lost in sweat, Gatorade Endurance Formula became a mainstay on racetracks the world over (PepsiCo, 2012). The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, our Company’s portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees (Coca-Cola Journey, 2012 ). Major Customers PepsiCo is proud to offer consumers a wide range of products that deliver great taste, nutritional value, convenience and affordability. They’re committed to playing a responsible role in health and wellness by encouraging consumers to adopt healthy lifestyles, beginning with offering consumers a choice of a wide variety of products. PepsiCo is always finding innovative ways to reduce the use of energy, water and packaging, and to better serve consumer wants and needs through new products and packaging. Through continuously expand their distribution network to make their enjoyable products more widely available. PepsiCo works relentlessly to improve productivity so they can offer affordable products to a broad range of consumers (PepsiCo, 2012). Coca-Cola system is a global business that operates on a local scale, in every community where we do business. Coca-Cola is able to create global reach with local focus because of the strength of the Coca-Cola system, which comprises our Company and our nearly 300 bottling partners worldwide (Coca-Cola Journey, 2012 ). While many view our Company as simply â€Å"Coca-Cola,† our system operates through multiple local channels. Our Company manufactures and sells concentrates, beverage bases and syrups to bottling operations, owns the brands and is responsible for consumer brand marketing initiatives. Our bottling partners manufacture, package, merchandise and distribute the final branded beverages to our customers and vending partners, who then sell our products to consumers (Coca-Cola Journey, 2012 ). Major Suppliers Since 2007, PepsiCo has employed a Supplier Code of Conduct (ScoC) globally. The PepsiCo Supplier Code of Conduct communicates our global expectations in the areas of labor practices, associate health and safety, environmental management and business integrity (PepsiCo, 2012). Our Supplier Code is based on the International Labor Organization, United Nations Global Compact and other internationally recognized standards. The ScoC includes 13 standards that require suppliers to adhere to the following: basic compliance with local law, respect for human rights and prohibiting all forms of forced or compulsory labor, ensuring no child labor is used, and cooperating with reasonable assessment processes requested by PepsiCo. The ScoC is communicated in 19 languages, and is mandatory in procurement contracts globally (PepsiCo, 2012). Our suppliers and business partners are vital to our continued success. They help us refresh the world, more than 1.7 billion times every day, by delivering necessary products and services for our business (Coca-Cola Journey, 2012 ). Having a sound, stable and ethical supply base is important for our growth and the footprint we leave in local communities around the world. Our suppliers provide our system with materials, including ingredients, packaging and machinery, as well as goods and services. As a company, we have a responsibility to hold our direct suppliers and bottling partners to standards no less than those required by applicable law. We also have an opportunity to support community development by purchasing goods and services from minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) (Coca-Cola Journey, 2012 ). Our suppliers are expected, at a minimum, to conduct business in an ethical manner and comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Our Supplier Guiding Principles (SGPs) communicate our values and expectations for our bottling partners and business partners. The SGPs are a part of all supplier agreements, and a pre-certification practice is in place for trademark marketing suppliers. Suppliers also are provided training and assistance programs on an as-needed basis for areas where they need to improve their operations (Coca-Cola Journey, 2012 ). Leadership In 2010, PepsiCo created the Global Sustainability team, whose role is to develop, implement and enforce standards to ensure consistency and quality in our sustainability reporting and ultimately accelerate our Performance with Purpose mission (PepsiCo, 2012). More specifically, an overall governance structure has been defined and implemented. This includes the creation of the Sustainability Steering Committee (SSC), made up of the most senior members of the organization (the majority report directly to our CEO), as well as the establishment of Sustainability Leadership Teams across all four planks, based on defined roles and selection criteria, and guided by PepsiCo’s Public Policy Coordinating Group (PepsiCo, 2012). The Performance Sustainability Leadership Team (PSLT), Human Sustainability Leadership Team (HSLT), Environmental Sustainability Leadership Team (ESLT) and Talent Sustainability Leadership Team (TSLT) are responsible for creating our overall strategy, driving implementation and identifying issues/risks, which are then communicated to the Sustainability Steering Committee (PepsiCo, 2012). Since our first soda fountain sales in 1886, we have been a driver of marketplace innovation and an investor in local economies. Today we lead the beverage industry with more than 500 beverage brands – including four of the world’s top-five sparkling brands. But while our business opportunities are enormous, our commitment to our consumers and the communities in which we operate is even greater (Coca-Cola Journey, 2012 ). Muhtar Kent, our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, leads us into the new century with a firm commitment to the values and spirit of the world’s greatest brand. In our journey to become a sustainable, profitable growth company, our management structure has evolved to sharpen external focus on the marketplace with greater speed, productivity and effectiveness (Coca-Cola Journey, 2012 ). Initial Public Offering An initial public offering yesterday by Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. provided a stark contrast to the pyrotechnics of recent Internet offerings. In a spinoff from its parent company, PepsiCo Inc., Pepsi Bottling sold 100 million shares at $23 each, for a total of $2.3 billion, which will be used to pay off debt. The initial offering price was settled at the low end of the estimated range of $23 to $26, an indication that prepricing demand was less than the company had anticipated. The stock closed at $21.6875 on the New York Stock Exchange. Analysts were quick to distinguish Pepsi Bottling Group’s offering from the string of highly successful recent Internet deals, whose phenomenal openings have conditioned investors into expecting huge first-day gains (Pepsi Spinoff in Lackluster Stock Offering, 1999). Initial public offering involves the first or initial sale of the corporation’s common shares to the public in the hope of raising additional revenues for the corporation. If you will apply in on the case of Coca Cola, the worldwide manufacturing and distribution of their carbonated drink products is the result of their IPO, which happened in 1919. A single share of Coca Cola is worth $40 dollars, yet the market value of their shares suddenly crashed to $19 per common share in 1920 (when they have undergone a secondary market offering). Despite of such crash in the market value of their common shares, Coca Cola managed to survive and extend operations to different regions around the world, particularly within the Asian and European regions. Different corporate entities later on affiliated with Coca Cola to further boost their revenue generation capabilities (Interesting Initial Public Offering of the Coca Cola Company and Its Worldwide Affiliate Units, 2010).

Literature Comparative Analysis

Literature Comparative Analysis An Encounter by James Joyce deals with the theme of a persons yearn for escapism from the monotonous routine of day-to-day life through the tale of a day in which two young boys are miching from school a feeling which most, if not all, people will experience at some point in their lives. In this story, Joyce suggests to the reader that although people yearn for escape and adventure, routine is inevitable, and new experiences, when they do come, can be profoundly disturbing. The author achieves this through his incorporation of ambiguity, epiphany and writing through first person narrative, with inner monologue to highlight the consciousness of the protagonist and also to subtly divulge the feelings of others. The theme of paralysis is key to Joyces work; the notion is inherent throughout Dubliners as a whole. With this idea comes its antithesis escape or, in the case of An Encounter, thwarted escape. It is because of the characters desire to achieve this freedom, that when the day fails to reach its high expectations, the stagnation and restrictiveness of the surroundings are powerfully reinforced. From the outset of the tale, Joyce ponders the notion of escape. Characters searching for such an escape often describe how they would wish to travel afar to achieve it. This feeling is openly exhibited in An Encounter, as Joyces first person narrator states; Real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad. In the story, Joyce develops the theme in the form of an inner monologue the thoughts of the protagonist dictating how his Wild West' adventures opened doors of escape. The thought processes of the boy (relating to escape) are ultimately what drive the tale, quietly conveyed by Joyce through subtle details. An Encounter deals with methods of escape other than exotic foreign adventure found elsewhere in Dubliners, focusing on the attempt of two boys to break out of the weariness of their everyday environment. At first the prospect of adventure excites the young boys, although there is a constant undertone of anti-climax carefully intertwined into the story. Joyce writes from the first person point view, often through the use of analepses, leading to a frequent air of restriction and frustration surrounding the boys. Quite often, Joyce does not commit any impassioned emotion to events, preferring to use lacklustre qualifying adverbs or adjectives: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We were all vaguely excitedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it was a mild sunny morning. Joyce chooses to focus in on the most insipid details such as the docile horsesthe groaning carts which works to suppress the carefree, exciting experience which the boys see as an escapism from their jaded routine. The negativity which is now apparent in almo st everything encountered appears to be an entrapping agent over the boys, who sulk into a resigned and somewhat resentful state, a state which is furthermore reiterated by the repetition of the adverb too: It was too late and we were too tired to carry out our project of visiting the Pigeon House. Joyce presents Dublin as a city of incapacitation to the young characters. He begins to erase the protagonists claim; I was very happy, from the readers memory, introducing words such as solemn, sedulous and eventually even denotes the characters thoughts as jaded. There is constant repetition of the adjective tired; the day has become tedious, adventure and escape have proved elusive, and the encounter of a sinister old man has confirmed that the protagonist will not find merriment in Dublin, but is instead doomed to live in the fantasies of comic book and literature. However, despite its lack of event, the day does provide the boys with one notable incident through the scene encapsulating the encounter with the old man. Aspirations of escape having been superseded, Joyce begins a new paragraph focusing primarily on the silence and stillness of the situation: There was nobody but ourselves in the fieldwe had lain on the bank for some time without speaking. Through creating such an ominous atmosphere; sentences slowly becoming shorter and more concise with a less picturesque use of vocabulary, signalling new themes to be introduced through the introduction of the curious antagonist. The old man introduces the possibility of in-depth monologue and direct speech. In the conversation with the boys, he seemingly manages to entrap the young protagonist with his reference to literature a topic of known interest to the boy. The monotonous voice of the antagonist and the way his voice slowly circles round and round in the same orbit help to achieve the spellbinding quality of the man. This technique paralyses the narrator, who seemingly allows the man to give a discourse in the form of a monologue mainly due to his apparent inability to interrupt. The politeness evident in the boys character is in hindsight, far from being useful, instead placing the boy in a situation of danger. The worrying feature of the mans discourse is the implicitly perverse way in which he speaks. He frequently refers to the whipping'of young boys with an over-excitable zeal. Joyces primary use of such adjectives as magnetised and circle in reference to his thought process establishes the mans odd approach. This creates the impression that he is intent on the subject. Secondly, a section of reported speech is introduced: When a boy was rough and unruly there was nothing would do him any good but a good sound whippingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ what he wanted was to get a nice warm whipping. Joyce emphasises the mans positive outlook on the subject through the use of positive repetition; of the word good, firstly as a noun, secondly as an adjective, and also use of the adjective nice, which appears somewhat misplaced when used in conjunction with the concept of whipping. The protagonists isolation from intellectuals due to young age and low social class means he is quick to warm to the old man when he talks of literature. In the epiphany, he even appears isolated from his closest friend, Mahoney, and it appears to that the epiphany of the piece (from the young boys perspective) confirms that the older man has had a profound influence on his views. It appears that the isolation of the naÃÆ' ¯ve child has left him susceptible to corruption and the encounter has left the boy and the reader with the realisation that the world is not an innocent place. The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe, like The Encounter, is concerned with entrapment, but unlike Joyces tale, is centred on one individual and the terror he experiences when in isolation. The protagonist, a prisoner subject to the tortures of the Spanish inquisition, is often left thinking of what may be the surrounding atmosphere offering no apparent subjects for the character to focus on. Poe incorporates a feeling of perpetual unease and fear into the thought processes of his first person narrator, leaving the reader in a parallel state of mind as they experience the horror of the protagonists situation. The perspective that the reader is allowed on Poe choosing a first person narrator gives the reader a stronger feeling of isolation due to our constant awareness of the innermost feelings of the protagonist. The narrative does not, unlike a third person perspective, allow the audience to transcend the situation, providing direct access to the horror which is occurring on the page. There is also no direct speech in the story. This fact reinforces the idea of isolation in the way that the protagonist has no need to speak due to absolute solitude. Poes use of highly descriptive language, incorporating frequent use of alliteration and anaphora, escalates the terror and entrapment suffered by the protagonist, focusing heavily on the senses even before the ghastly prospects of the character are realised, resulting in a heightened state of suspense. The odour of the sharp steel forced itself into my nostrils. I prayed I wearied heaven with my prayer for its more speedy descent. I grew frantically mad, and struggled to force myself upward against the sweep of the fearful scimitar. And then I fell suddenly calm, and lay smiling at the glittering deathà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ To accomplish the desired atmosphere for such the tortured fate of the narrator, Poe describes the physical surroundings of the protagonist in some detail. The subterranean world of darkness becomes a perfect agent to carry an unnerving, mystifying atmosphere. Further concern for the protagonist is drawn from the constant reference to his fatigued' state and also the dangerously moist and slippery characteristics of the chamber his elusive surroundings becoming the antagonist of the story in the absence of any other companion. The tension generated relies heavily on Poes use of a sequence of brief sentences as the protagonist encounters The Pit, representing his calm and clear thought even in the throes of fear: I proceeded for many paces; but still all was blackness and vacancy. I breathed more freely. However, as the narrator becomes evermore aware of the horrific situation, Poe mirrors his mounting terror through increasingly complex syntax, resulting in a faster movement of thought and a growing sensation of confusion: The difficulty, nevertheless, was but trivial; although, in the disorder of my fancy, it seemed at first insuperable. Eventually, as the narrator gradually uncovers the secrets of his confinement, a greater sense of danger inside him is realised. Poe displays this through an ever quickening pace and complex sentences. giving the effect of total bemusement and terror. Quite suddenly, with a simple sentence, out of step with the ever-increasing complexity of the syntax the climax of the characters investigation is revealed: I stepped on it, and fell violently on my face. With this inclusion, Poe signals to the reader that the tension has peaked. The fact that the piece is written in the form of a first person narrative suggests that the protagonist is reminiscing about his ordeal, and that ultimately the piece will not end in his death. The narrators salvation is assured when General Lasalle of the French army comes to the rescue. Poe chooses at the end of his tale, unlike the other events of the story, to dramatically reduce proceedings; deciding to summarise the rescue in a short paragraph, in an anti-climatic fashion: The fiery walls rushed back!.. The French army had entered Toledo. Throughout the tale, the narrator maintains the capacity to recount faithfully and rationally his surroundings while also describing his own emotional turmoil. Terrified and alone as the narrator may be, with the pendulum symbolising deaths literal unstoppable sway, he does not lose hope of salvation, instead recruiting his rational senses and using the starved rats for his own benefit. Along with being a tale of horror, it also shows the nature of human resolve in a seemingly impossible situation; faced with horrific trials and the realisation of deaths inevitability, the human beings instinct for self-preservation remains, in itself, an unstoppable force. Alice Munros short story Floating Bridge is a story of domestic realism about learning to accept the tentative nature of human life and an exploration of the many challenges posed by cancer and its arduous, disfiguring treatments. Like Joyces The Encounter, the protagonist has a chance meeting with a stranger with leads them to re-evaluate their outlook on life. Also, like Poes The Pit and the Pendulum, the protagonist is, too, faced with the prospects of both death and salvation. Floating Bridge is written in the first person narrative, the protagonist is a cancer sufferer named Jinny, whose life is divided into the time before the diagnosis and the time after. The understated and restrained language and rhythm of the prose, suggesting Jinnys resigned acceptance of her illness and her impending death, is sustained throughout, even though at the very beginning of the story, Jinny has learned that her cancer has entered a stage of remission. Because she has already accepted the relative freedom from responsibility that knowledge of her incurable disease gave her, she shows no exuberance at this new knowledge that she has more time than she thought she did. On the day in which the story is set, the doctor has told her that there is reason for cautious optimism, but this does not make Jinny feel better. Before, she was relatively sure of her future, knowing that she had little time left in her life. This new information forces her to go back and start the year all over again, removing a certain low-grade freedom from her life. The new knowledge has removed a dull, protecting membrane she did not even know was there and leaves her feeling raw and vulnerable. Since learning of her illness, she has felt a kind of unspeakable excitement that results when a disaster releases one from responsibility for her life. Now that is gone and a feeling of apathy remains. She reflects on a time she left her husband, Neal, briefly to sit in a bus shelter near her home, reading graffiti on the wall and identifying with people who have left messages there. When she returns home, she asks Neal if he would ever have come after her, and he says: Of course. Gi ven time. Neals detached attitude toward Jinny and his cavalier treatment of her despite her life-threatening illness is an undercurrent that runs throughout the story. Part of Jinnys emotional turmoil at the time of the story stems from Neals excited reaction to Helen. He becomes more animated, enthusiastic, and ingratiating around her, as he often does around other people. Helen has a fresh out-of-the-egg look, and Jinny thinks that everything about her is right on the surface, which gives her an innocent and disagreeable power. Neal teases Helen, his whole being invaded with silly bliss. It is not that Neal desires Helen; rather, it is that her innocence and simplicity seem a welcome relief from the complexity of Jinnys situation. When they arrive at the trailer park where Helens foster parents live, they are invited in, but Jinny wants to stay outside. There is a strong feeling of isolation or the time that Jinny is waiting for Neal to return; he has accepted the invitation while Jinny, his sick wife, is left alone, tired and overly hot from the daytime temperature. The meeting of seventeen-year-old Ricky creates a similar reaction in Jinny as to her husbands feelings towards Helen. There appears to be an instant chemistry between the pair. A sense of connection is established when they discover that they both choose not to wear a watch. It seems in Jinnys sense of isolation, something as mundane as this is enough to cling to. In contrast to her husband, Ricky shows simple consideration to her by offering her a ride home. It is then that Munro takes the reader away from realism and introduces an almost magical element with Rickys innocent simplicity in his desire to show her the floating bridge where he takes his girlfriends, allowing the reader and Jinny herself to forget momentarily about her illness and the self-consciousness she feels over her baldness; his kiss providing an innocent acceptance of her, regardless of these things. When Jinny is on the floating bridge, she imagines that the road is a floating ribbon of earth, underneath which is all water. After the kiss, Jinny thinks of Neal getting his fortune told, rocking on the edge of his future, and accepts the tentative nature of her own future, feeling a lighthearted compassion for Neal. Rickys interest serves to remind her that she is still alive and capable of adventure and secrets. The most problematic subject of the story is Neals treatment of Jinny, which seems, if not cruel, at least unfeeling. The reader may feel he is much too excited by the presence of the young girl Helen and much too indifferent to Jinnys plight. However, there is nothing to suggest that he does not love Jinny. . He, too, is on a shifting floating bridge, trying to find something to cling to, even if it is of such little substance as an innocent young girl who is healthy and sound. Similarly, there is nothing to suggest that the young man, Ricky, at the end of the story has any desire for Jinny. In contrast to the messy complexity of her life, his kiss is the epitome of innocent acceptance, instilling in her a tender-hearted sort of compassion. The storys structure plays a balancing act similar to that required of walking on a floating bridge. The firmness of solid ground is only an illusion; all around lies the danger of loss of self. However, even though the bridge seems to be shiftin g and tentative, it is sufficient if one is content to live in the realm of the unsure. Munros story effectively reflects this tentative and delicate balancing. In all three stories which I have detailed, it is the writers subject matter and careful narrative technique which enrich our reading of them, allowing the reader not only pleasure and entertainment, but to view their lives more clearly. To enable the reader to truly engross themselves in a work of fiction, the story must be intellectually challenging and appeal to our senses and our own life experience. Joyce, Poe and Munro propitiously accomplish this, proving themselves as true masters of their art.

To Save or Not To Save - That Is the Question Essay example -- Conserv

When you look at a bald eagle, you see how powerful and majestic this bird is, which is how many people feel about the United States; that’s why the bald eagle is our national emblem on our Great Seal. It would be a dishonor to our Nation to have such a worldwide-recognized symbol of The United States extinct, but in fact that’s exactly what almost happened. To help the bald eagle regain it’s numbers, on December 28, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon signed The Endangered Species Act. â€Å"The law established procedures for conserving plants and animals in danger of extinction and those that are threatened, or likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future (Cooper, â€Å"Endangered Species Act† 855). Since its establishment, the Endangered Species Act has been a topic of debate on whether the way the act is set up now has been worth the securing of land, including land that is privately owned, the time to research and the money that has been spent . Once species are listed as either threatened or endangered of becoming extinct the first move is to figure out what can be done to help them. What kind of habitat does it need to thrive? Is it isolated to only a few regions of the country or widely located? Could it be introduced into new regions, whether rural or urban, and still have a chance of survival? The lands that are being protected range from mountains to national parks to any neighborhood across the country, so that the smallest plant to the largest wild animal has an environment where they can continue to thrive. Some species have been reintroduced and their populations have recovered enough to bring them out of the endangered status and off of the Endangered Species Act listing. Wolfs and grizzly bears are two out of the nu... ...ecies Act have their valid points. The two sides need to work together discuss which animals are vital to the balance of the eco-system and which plants could help create medicine that fight illnesses like cancer. The laws need to reflect not only the time and money involved in saving the world’s species of plants and animals but also protect the livelihood of the populations of people who are involved in such areas. The balance between the two is possible as long as both sides work with each other not against each other. Works Cited Arrandale, Tom. "Disappearing Species." CQ Researcher 17.42 (2007): 985-1008. CQ Researcher. Web. 24 Mar. 2012. Cooper, Mary H. "Endangered Species Act." CQ Researcher 9.37 (1999): 849-64. CQ Researcher. Web. 24 Mar. 2012. ---. "Endangered Species Act." CQ Researcher 15.21 (2005): 493-516. CQ Researcher. Web. 24 Mar. 2012.

Rates of Reaction :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

How does temperature affect the rate of reaction between sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid? Temperature and Rate of Reaction Question How does temperature affect the rate of reaction between sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid? sodium thiosulphate + hydrochloric acid sodium chloride +water + sulphur dioxide + sulphur Na2S2O3(aq) + 2HCl(aq) 2NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) + SO2(aq) + S(s) Prediction I predict that the higher the temperature, the more quickly reaction will occur. This is because with heat, the particles of sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid have more energy. This causes them to move around more. It works like this for all substances, not just those two. Chemical reactions require collisions, and if particles are moving around more quickly they are obviously more likely to collide. It is just like in a crowded street. If the people are moving quickly it is more likely that they will bump into each other then if they are moving slowly. It is in this way that particles of solutions react. I found out from preliminary research that the particle theory explains that chemical reactions require a collision between the particles of the reactants, at a certain velocity and angle. If this angle or velocity is not achieved, the substances will not react together. I also found out that the factors that affect the rate of a reaction are the surface area of the solid reactant (if there is a solid reactant), the concentration of the aqueous reactant(s), the presence of catalysts and temperature. In this experiment we are only interested in temperature. Where temperature is not high enough to provide energy for the particles to move at a high enough speed, the particles will just not react, or rather, not as many particles will be able to react together in a certain amount of time. At 0-10Â °C, I predict that the reaction will take a very long time to react. The reason I say this is because although the particles will be moving around, they will not be moving at a high enough velocity. For chemical reactions to occur, the particles must be travelling at a particular speed, and this requires energy. At this temperature I do not think that it will give the particles enough energy to convert into movement. Between 11-40Â °C (this includes 3 temperature intervals - 11-20Â °C, 21-30Â °C and 31-40Â °C), I predict that the reaction will occur more quickly than that of 0-10Â °C. I think the reaction rate will decrease dramatically at this temperature. I predict this because there is more heat to provide energy to the particles of the reactants. This energy causes the particles (of sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid) to

Cannibalism: A Human Atrocity Essay -- Cannibals Culture Cultural Reli

Cannibalism: A Human Atrocity "Cannibalism is morally wrong according to modern religion. In Christianity, it was used by God as an ultimate punishment for the disobedience of the Israelites during the siege of Jerusalem. Around the sixth century Before Christ, the prophet Jeremiah warned the Israelites of such a holy damnation: â€Å"I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh during the stress of the siege imposed on them by the enemies who seek their lives† (Barker, Jeremiah 19:9). Despite the warnings, the Israelites continuously disobeyed God and were rightfully punished. Jeremiah saw God as ultimate and threatened the ultimate crime as castigation for their sins. In Islam, cannibalism is considered haram, or one of the â€Å"carnal sins which constitute the most grave danger to man and environment† (Light of Islam). Cannibalism is one of man’s greatest betrayals to God. Cannibalism was a topic of ancient horror stories. In Greek mythology, â€Å"after Thyestes unwittingly ate the flesh of his own children, the Sun was so appalled that he turned back on his course and plunged the world into darkness† (Hodgkinson, 2001). Such an idea was haunting. In the Odyssey, Odysseus met the Cyclops, â€Å"a race of one-eyed human-eating giants† (Acadia). Cannibalism was nightmarish and represented ultimate power. In modern day, cannibalism has emerged in the most horrifying crimes. In 1991, Wisconsinite Jeffrey Dahmer was convicted of fifteen gruesome murders dating back to 1987. Dahmer raped young, ethnic men he met in bars across Milwaukee. He used the teenagers as experiments of his sexual fantasy by â€Å"drilling holes in the selected victim’s skull, then drib... ...ysterious disappearance of a Soylent Company executive (Fleischer). The idea of a depressing, anthropophagic apocalypse stuns moviegoers. Filmmakers evoke fear in their audiences by presenting cannibalism as doomful and inescapable. Cannibalism is immoral and remains the most horrifying phenomenon of mankind. The practice has been part of ancient and modern history, and is a sin according to modern religion. Ancient mythology depicts the practice as outlandish and sinister. Cannibalism has sparked much controversy in the Western world and has been widely feared by societies. Cannibalism is a mind-boggling phenomenon that is so primitive and taboo; it is ignored by society. Cannibalism is the most horrifying reality of the human culture, and mankind forever fears the prospect of unavoidably resorting to Soylent Blue, Soylent Yellow, or Soylent Green." Cannibalism: A Human Atrocity Essay -- Cannibals Culture Cultural Reli Cannibalism: A Human Atrocity "Cannibalism is morally wrong according to modern religion. In Christianity, it was used by God as an ultimate punishment for the disobedience of the Israelites during the siege of Jerusalem. Around the sixth century Before Christ, the prophet Jeremiah warned the Israelites of such a holy damnation: â€Å"I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh during the stress of the siege imposed on them by the enemies who seek their lives† (Barker, Jeremiah 19:9). Despite the warnings, the Israelites continuously disobeyed God and were rightfully punished. Jeremiah saw God as ultimate and threatened the ultimate crime as castigation for their sins. In Islam, cannibalism is considered haram, or one of the â€Å"carnal sins which constitute the most grave danger to man and environment† (Light of Islam). Cannibalism is one of man’s greatest betrayals to God. Cannibalism was a topic of ancient horror stories. In Greek mythology, â€Å"after Thyestes unwittingly ate the flesh of his own children, the Sun was so appalled that he turned back on his course and plunged the world into darkness† (Hodgkinson, 2001). Such an idea was haunting. In the Odyssey, Odysseus met the Cyclops, â€Å"a race of one-eyed human-eating giants† (Acadia). Cannibalism was nightmarish and represented ultimate power. In modern day, cannibalism has emerged in the most horrifying crimes. In 1991, Wisconsinite Jeffrey Dahmer was convicted of fifteen gruesome murders dating back to 1987. Dahmer raped young, ethnic men he met in bars across Milwaukee. He used the teenagers as experiments of his sexual fantasy by â€Å"drilling holes in the selected victim’s skull, then drib... ...ysterious disappearance of a Soylent Company executive (Fleischer). The idea of a depressing, anthropophagic apocalypse stuns moviegoers. Filmmakers evoke fear in their audiences by presenting cannibalism as doomful and inescapable. Cannibalism is immoral and remains the most horrifying phenomenon of mankind. The practice has been part of ancient and modern history, and is a sin according to modern religion. Ancient mythology depicts the practice as outlandish and sinister. Cannibalism has sparked much controversy in the Western world and has been widely feared by societies. Cannibalism is a mind-boggling phenomenon that is so primitive and taboo; it is ignored by society. Cannibalism is the most horrifying reality of the human culture, and mankind forever fears the prospect of unavoidably resorting to Soylent Blue, Soylent Yellow, or Soylent Green."

Dmi Field Service Case

Synopsis/purpose Field Service Divisions are important parts of organizations operating in manufacturing industries. As technology becomes more and more involved in the production process and the after sales services, it is crucial for companies to develop their Field Service business processes. In the DMI Field Service Case, the company has troubles meeting the customer demands in a timely manner. The quality of the service remains as an important task to improve for the DMI Company and we will be analyzing the issues related with the reengineering process of the FSD. . DMI should measure field service performance because the process needs a level of consistency. Even though every service call may be different, the processes that are not variable need to be controlled on a consistent level. Performance should be measured by customer feedback, number of service calls per day, and response time. 6. The division needs to make a process map to create a value stream and ensure that each step on the process there is value being added.If there is not value being added then that process needs to be cut. A process map will also show inefficiencies of the process as a whole. 7. This organization can become more of a learning organization if they were able to develop a team strictly made for continuous improvement. If this whole process seems to have all these inefficiencies then I believe it would be very worth is to create a continuous improvement team to exploit all these problems and create solutions and figure out the right path for their process map. 8.New Technologies – DMI should be able to open their horizons with some new technology especially because it’s management consists of mostly engineers. They need to be more proficient in technology management to gain trust and loyalty to customers. Call taker system – DMI’s service center receives an average of 3,500 calls per day. About 2,000 of those calls are related to emergency mainten ance. All of the calls are taken by approximately 40 call takers who earn â€Å" modest† wages and work staggered shifts to cover the workday for both oasts. This is causing low efficient rating and many people being put on hold. If they were to implement a customer code in the service center they would be much more efficient and timely with the calls. They could also hire more â€Å"call takers†. Dispatching center- There is an obvious lack of communication between the dispatchers and the techs. This migh be because there are 24 dispatchers in only 5 regional dispatch centers. Bringing these dispatch centers together could help communication and reduce delays.Performance Measurement – There system seems to be flawed due to the fact that they base their performance on target response time. This is a flaw because service tech may only go on 1 field work a day which doesn’t correctly show performance throughout the whole organization. Communication between the call centers and the techs are also no good because sometimes they don’t even call because they think they will have to wait on hold. So a new measurement system is definitely in need.

Orgnization Behavior

RSM 260 Practice Final Exam Multiple Choice (30 points, 3 points each) 1. What is the first step in the Rational Decision-Making Model? a. developing alternatives b. identifying the problem c. identifying the decision criteria d. weighing the decision criteria e. collecting relevant data 2. Which of the following is not true of charismatic leaders? a. They have a vision and the ability to articulate the vision. b. They have behavior that is unconventional. c. They are willing to take high personal risk. d. They exhibit behaviors that are consistent with their followers’ behaviors. . all of the above are true 3. What sort of groups are defined by the organization’s structure? a. informal b. task c. friendship d. interest e. formal 4. Most people assume that a police officer should behave in a lawful manner, and not show any favoritism to any particular group, and do their best to uphold the law. What term is used for this kind of belief? a. a norm b. a norm identity c. a role expectation d. a role perception e. a norm violation 5. What term is used for the tendency for individuals to spend less effort when working collectively? a. groupthink . the rule of diminishing returns c. social loafing d. groupshift e. clustering 6. Leaders achieve goals, and power is _____. a. defined by leaders’ hopes and aspirations b. usually used by poor leaders c. a means of achieving goals d. a goal in and of itself e. a strong influence on leaders’ goals 7. One reacts to _____ power out of fear of the negative ramifications that might result if one fails to comply. a. legitimate b. coercive c. punitive d. referent e. abusive 8. Which of the following is not an assumption of the rational decision-making model? . The decision maker is constrained by time and costs. b. The decision criteria are constant and the weights assigned to them are stable over time. c. The decision maker can identify all the relevant criteria and can list all the viable alternative s. d. The decision maker is aware of all the possible consequences of each alternative. e. The decision maker is assumed to have complete information regarding the decision situation. 9. The example of labor-management negotiations over wages exemplifies _____ bargaining. a. integrative . reflective c. distributive d. restrictive e. affective 10. Your _____ determines the lowest value acceptable to you for a negotiated agreement. a. BATNA b. margin of error c. bid price d. asking price e. hidden value 5 POINTS: Describe one concept/theory from your OB course that you find most useful/interesting. How does it apply to your work/life? Be sure to include examples and definitions. CASE-related questions Starbucks and the â€Å"Bean Stock† –courtesy of George & Jones, Organizational Behavior, third edition, 2000 Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, bought the company in 1987 and transformed a local Seattle, Washington chain of six coffee stores into a national, publicly owned company with over 25,000 employees and over 1,500 stores. Starbucks’ sales and profit growth have been phenomenal and the company has changed the way that Americans think about coffee. Starbucks’ stores range from coffee carts in crowded city streets to intimate coffee bars to full-sized restaurants that sell espressos and cappuccinos as well as coffee by the pound, coffee-making equipment, and food items. Starbucks was recently ranked in the top 75 global brands in a study conducted by the consulting firm, Interbrand. Throughout Starbucks’ rapid growth, Schultz has emphasized the importance of rewarding employees for contributions they make to Starbucks and ensuring that they have the necessary training to be effective. In 1991, when Starbucks was still a privately owned company, Schultz and other top managers came up with an innovative type of reward to encourage employees to behave in ways that would contribute to Starbucks’ growth and profitability. Starbucks made all employees partners by granting them stock options, which could be turned into stock when the company went public. If the company did well, employees themselves would benefit as their options would be worth more money. Called â€Å"Bean Stock,† the options cause employees to behave in ways to increase their profitability. Employees thought of new ways to lower costs and increase sales, ranging from staying overnight on Saturdays when traveling on business to lower the cost of airfares to finding better ways to communicate with customers. Starbucks went public in 1992 and employees have since been rewarded for their efforts. For example, an employee who earned $20,000 a year in 1991 received options that had a value of $50,000 in 1996. Starbucks continues to give its employees stock options through is Bean Stock plan. Under the plan, employees can cash in their options after keeping them for five years. Starbucks also provides extensive customer service training to employees to ensure that they are knowledgeable and confident on the job and feel capable of making decisions on their own to better serve customers. Store managers teach classes on topics such as coffee history and coffee brewing at home and employees must take a minimum of 24 hours of training. Employees learn how to take orders and prepare various coffees in a company training room rather than on the job (like in most restaurants) so that they can fully absorb what they are learning, without the stress of waiting on real customers, and receive extensive feedback. Customers then constantly receive the excellent service they have come to expect from Starbucks. Short-Answer Questions (5-8 sentences answer 15 POINTS EACH) Be sure to state which questions you are answering, and specifically define any theories/ concepts/traits that you use in your answer! 1. What type of leadership has Schultz demonstrated here? 2. What is the role of Schultz in motivating his employees? What motivation theory is he using? ESSAY QUESTIONS (35 POINTS TOTAL): 1. What are two ways to increase group performance that you have learned about in this half of the semester (after the midterm)? Be sure to describe oth the concepts/theories and give a specific example of each. (5 points) 2. Congratulations—you have just gotten a job offer! But, they have offered you less money than you wanted, and more benefits than you need. Describe your negotiation strategy, telling me about two tactics that you will use, and describe your sources of power in this situation. Also, be sure to mention one thing that could influence your ethical/unethical behavior in this situatio n, and how. (10 points) 3. You have accepted the job and you are now a manager at a product design company. Your boss just told you that need to develop a new consumer product by the end of the year. You’re unsure if you should assemble a group of people to do this, or assign it to an individual—you’ve heard about biases at the group level, as well as benefits about group level decision making. You also know about decision making biases that can happen in individuals, and the benefits of individuals making decisions. Discuss BOTH sides of the issue, detailing each of these things, so that you can then make an informed, rational decision—finally, which do you recommend to your boss? (20 points)