Education Is A Universal Right - 1249 Words

Education is a universal right. Most students find their true passion for learning in college. Taking courses that interest them and avoiding courses that don t interest them, college students find themselves in a world that is coming to an end but, it also leads to a new beginning. This is why it s very important for most students to get an education from the nation s so-called prestigious institutions. In a article written for Time Magazine, Frank Bruni writes determined to get into one of the dozen or so most selective institutions of higher learning in America? I m sorry to break the news, but your odds have never been worse[source]. In his remark, Mr. Bruni is shedding some light on a evasive problem that many students face as well as their parents. In a society that values personal achievement as much as we do, graduating from a top institution is a stepping stone to higher achievements and a better life. But, very few are fortunate to walk in this path. Between applying to co lleges and getting an acceptance or a rejection, it can be a daunting process. That is because colleges and universities place a very big emphasis on grades such as the GPA, the AP scores, the SAT scores, and other things such as recommendations and extra curriculum activities. However, this emphasis tends to favor students who come from affluent families or those who have had advantages from the very start. In order to level the playing field, universities and colleges should acceptShow MoreRelatedThe Education Is A Universal Rights Essay1263 Words   |  6 Pages An education is a universal rights. Students should have the right to a quality public education regardless of their background. A true multicultural education ensures that all students have an equitable educational opportunity. Unfortunately, throughout public schooling many students are put through disadvantageous through no fault of their own. There have been several movements that have try to repeal the inequalities of what has occurred. Despite these advocates having good intentions, theirRead MoreAdvantages Of Universal Primary Education1280 Words   |  6 PagesSave the Childhood Movement, an NGO founded by educator and Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi saved him from child labor and provided him with education. He is now doing very well in school. (1) Primary education is the basic schooling given to children up to the age of puberty including reading, writing, and basic math. (2) The benefits of such basic education include reduction of poverty, increase in income, healthier living, boost in economic growth, reduction in fertility rates, reduction in childRead MoreThe Universal Human Rights Of The United Nations873 Words   |  4 PagesThe Universal Human Rights: From Paper to Reality According to the Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights of the United Nations, â€Å"human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible† (United Nations Human Rights). In other wordsRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1537 Words   |  7 PagesThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is a declaration that represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled, states that everyone has the right to education, which shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages, and that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Yet , according to the Right to Education ProjectRead MoreWhat Is Human Rights?1289 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Human rights? Human rights are the moral philosophy or norms that illustrate certain standards of human behaviour, and are regularly confined as legal rights in national and international law. Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, colour, sex ,place of residence, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or any other status. It is our right to know about human rights without discrimination. These rights has significances of interrelated, interdependentRead MoreHuman Rights And Its Effects On Society Essay1672 Words   |  7 PagesHuman Rights is one of the most fundamental rights individuals should have in society. As individuals, it’s our natural right to have the right to life. No one should be executed or discriminated because they do not fit in certain characteristics that those that are superior have outlined as fit for society. Many countries suffer from the lack of protecting their citizens’ human rights. For instance, citizens h ave been executed and discriminated because of their gender, race, and religion affiliationsRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesA human right is an ethical choice and moral belief belonging to all humans regardless of traits, status, location, color, gender, or belief system. Making the connection to a universal law, the United Nations Rights High Commissioner explains these rights are, â€Å"guaranteed by law† and protected as â€Å"fundamental freedoms† (OHCHR, 2016). The Cambridge Dictionary defines privilege as â€Å"an advantage that only one person or group of people has† listing examples such as having a high social position or wealthRead MoreEducation s Effects On International Business1151 Words   |  5 PagesAM University - Commerce Education is the root of business. It teaches citizens language, skills, values, and norms. A basic education gives citizens a basic way of business. A broader education brings the ability to specialize in an industry and bring business internationally. More skilled laborers bring the ability for a country to increase their potential and economy and move outside their borders to become a part of international business. A basic education can be the foundation of a country’sRead MoreTheu.s. Bill Of Rights And The Un Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1039 Words   |  5 PagesContrast the Views of Rights in the U.S. Bill of Rights and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights The U.S. Bill of Rights and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights are documents that were created to tell the rights we as human beings are entitled to have. The documents were designed to keep order so we can live productive lives. The documents stop us from being taken advantage of and extorted by others. The U.S. Bill of Rights and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights offers us a voiceRead MoreSocial Justice And The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1148 Words   |  5 Pagesresponsibility to a more liberal stance which promotes a moral responsibility to support social equality (Mapp, 2008). Despite the varying opinions of what establishes social justice, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) serves as the first step in promoting social justice by outlining the basic rights that should be afforded to humanity (United Nations, n.d.). More specifically, Article 22 of the UDHR states that all people should have access to social security protection that w orks to

The Number One Question You Must Ask for Divergent Essay Topics

The Number One Question You Must Ask for Divergent Essay Topics In conclusion, Divergent is an exciting novel that's full of themes and will continue to keep the reader on the border of their seat. Veronica Roth produced a feeling of treachery through the topic of pick. Veronica Roth produced an unusual dystopian universe that morally is dependent upon the picks individuals make in life. Make certain you proofread our paper to find rid of irrelevant info or add points which might have been forgotten. Convergent questions ought to be simple to formulate keeping this in mind because there is just one plausible answer that may be derived from the textbook, lesson outline or class notes. The art of asking questions is an ancient portion of superior teaching and among the rudimentary skills all teachers ought to be able to master. In addition, there are times when you truly feel like you don't need to write anything. High school isn't free in Kenya. Today, teens have entered the area of reading. Ask which ones the students would love to be part of. The Key to Successful Divergent Essay Topics The role of societies in each one of the stories has similar and distinct methods of working. People with the exact same traits can learn from one another and become better members of society. In Harrison Bergeron, society is made so that everybody is equal. In societies like Divergent, the individuals truly feel that the political systems are helping the folks, mainly since they do not observe the negatives. The True Meaning of Divergent Essay Topics Initiation into Dauntless consists of 3 stages. Even those instructors who conduct classroom sessions might want to augment essay questions with multiple-choice as a way to make the most of a number of the latter's efficiencies. The initiates will have to experience a collection of training and evaluation. As an example, Knowledge and Comprehension mean a man or woman can recall facts or paraphrase an ide a. This informative article has numerous fantastic subjects you may select from. By way of example, let's say we want to evaluate the learner's knowledge of team-building processes. Responses to these kinds of questions generally fall into a variety of acceptability. The individual must take present knowledge and create new understanding. Premise-choice or multi-logical questions should need a high degree of discriminating judgment. You are able to incorporate opposing contentions from different writers in the last segment of the human body. The last stage of Dauntless initiation gathers each of their fears within a simulation, called fear landscape. Speak about your answer with respect to her identity. Convergent thinking isn't dependent upon creativity. Defining an excellent partner means you will have to choose what qualities an individual must have in order to be appropriate for you. There are a number of important experiences to discourse. Make sure that the reader is equipped to inform your viewpoints from some other peoples' views on the topic. The book proves that even though each faction is supposed to be equal to one another there's always 1 faction that believes they are much better than the rest since they believe their way is the correct method of life. A faction is a huge clique of men and women who value the things and possess the exact same objectives. At length, the previous faction is Dauntless. The Erudite that is a faction that each of the smarts people reside in don't enjoy the Abnegations who are the more selfless individuals, 50 they had the dauntless faction take serum in order that they would kill the Abnegations. Ensure accuracy in addition to don' t consist of pointless issues which could make your audience shed interest in your paper. Edifice is standard in the majority of papers. One of these is the cinema which exists entirely within a state-controlled industry, which is frequently subsidized by exactly the same state. If you're considering privacy on a bigger scale, your discussion could consist of internet privacy or whether the government is attempting to invade our privacy through monitoring of phone calls and emails. Either question type is helpful for assessing a number of levels of thinking, based on how well the designer crafts the questions. A divergent question is a question with no particular answer, but instead exercises one's capacity to think broadly about a specific topic. When you use divergent thinking, you're looking for options instead of merely choosing among the ones which are already offered. Divergent thinking is comparable to brainstorming in that it involves coming up with various suggestion s to fix a single issue. Another means to transform present questions is to make certain you are using plausible distractors. Therefore, before making a determination, don't forget to ask yourself in case you have considered all the options or alternatives. Not only one solution but a lot of them. Convergent Answers to these sorts of questions are usually within an extremely finite array of acceptable accuracy. Reading example essays works exactly the same way! There are many methods about how to compose an expository essay. Expository essays offer better comprehension of a specific topic. The majority of the moment, expository essays are presented by offering a wide variety of topics and strategies to bring up the idea. The analyses utilized within this paper will concentrate on values, setting, conflicts and the method of life presented in each. You can't create a good paper overnight. Collect all investigation things which will have to gather data, for example, journals, books, etc.. A number of the things are linked to example essays to provide you with even more inspiration.

Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell Essay Example For Students

Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell Essay The Foil of an Investigation In the early 1900s Susan Glaspell wrote many works. Two of her works stand out as true feminist tells, including the play Trifles and the short story A Jury of Her Peers. Trifles was written in 1920, while A Jury of Her Peers was written the following year. Trifles was written in only ten days. These works were not truly recognized until the 1970s though. Glaspell was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Alisons House in 1931 (Maillakias 2). Glaspell was born on July 1, 1876 in Davenport, Iowa. Glaspell was the middle child and the only daughter. She was an excellent student through high school and graduated with honors. She also graduated from Drake University with a Ph.B in Philosophy. Throughout her college tenure, she wrote for the Drake paper, The Delphic. Following graduation, she began working for the Des Moines News. While working as a reporter for the Des Moines news, she ran across a murder that involved a woman on a farm. This murder gave her an idea for her story. The play was Trifles and the short story was A Jury of Her Peers(2). In the short story A Jury of Her Peers a woman named Minnie Wright is accused of the murder of her husband. Minnie Wright is a farmers wife and is also isolated from the out side world. There is an investigation that takes place in the home of the murder. There are three men that are involved on the case and two women accompany, but are not there to really help solve the murder. These two women will solve the murder and protect Mrs. Wright of any wrongdoing. The women will dispose and justify to themselves, that the murder was justifiable. The three men seek out to find motive, but they never do and the case will go unsolved. Glaspell uses symbolism as her a literary device to illuminate her theme. The symbols include: a jar of cherries, a bird, a quilt, kitchen, an even the type of knot that was used for her quilt. All of these details will help the two women justify the murder of Mr. Wright. I wish to show how Glaspell uses symbolism to justify the murder. I also wish to show how a disturbed farmwomen will get away with murder because of two farmwomen helping her, by getting rid of valuable evidence. In the short story A Jury of Her Peers Glaspell first uses the kitchen as her first use of symbolism, to show disarray. According to one critic Amari Verastegui The kitchen is described as being in disorder with unwashed pans under the sink, a dishtowel left on table, a loaf of bread outside the breadbox, and other disarray. This gives the impression of no attention having been paid to cleaning up either recently or usually(Verastegui 3). The room has faded wallpaper, an old black stove, and an old iron sink with a hand pump and no curtains at the one window. The unpainted table at the center sounds old and utilitarian. The description suggests a very uninviting room with no frills or anything to brighten the area. Nothing frivolous or feminine, like flowers or colorful plates are described as being in the room. Now these are details that were very thought out to help give the reader more ambition to find their own explanation of the symbols. According to critic Beverly Smith, From their entrance, the women stand part from the men, clustered at the stove. The men talk with a rough familiarity born working together and knowing one another. The women seem less acquainted and dont ever call each other by their first names. .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e , .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e .postImageUrl , .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e , .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e:hover , .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e:visited , .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e:active { border:0!important; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e:active , .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua4cc3c7764e6ee4384194d3aa1876d1e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Artificial Environment Essay But at the mens first disparaging remarks about Minnies housekeeping and women worrying over trifles, the women move closer together (Smith 177). This is what set up the women to try and find the evidence that they need to protect Minnie Wright from being charged with her husbands murder. This murder is one that the two women can identify with. The reason is that both of the women were farmers wives and had very similar lifestyles. Mrs. Hale describes John .

Research Paper on Wikileaks Essay Example

Research Paper on Wikileaks Essay Wikileaks is an international nonprofit organization that publishes declassified and private documents, and movies, in cooperation with the media. The material is uploaded by anonymous sources, so-called whistleblowers, to the organization’s website and document database that is located in Sweden. The organization says it wants to reveal unethical behavior by governments and businesses, and seeks free access to information of public interest. WikiLeaks revelations of massive corruption in Tunisia is considered as one of several factors behind the Jasmine Revolution and the Arab Spring, which began in Tunisia in January 2011 and spread to several dictatorships. The organization was started in December 2006 by a group of journalists, Chinese dissidents, IT entrepreneurs, and mathematicians from around the world. After a year, the site’s database has grown to 1.2 million documents. In June 2009, the site had declared to 1,200 volunteers. The documents to be published is selected by a core group of some 20 editors, mostly programmers and Internet activists, in collaboration with a thousand more or less loosely connected journalists. WikiLeaks does not verify the materials and resources, but left early review to the public and thereafter five major newspapers in various countries may preview the material for payment for a period before it is released. In particular, in 2011, the unedited material containing non-anonymised information was available to the public. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Wikileaks specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Wikileaks specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Wikileaks specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One of the founders, the Australian activist, software developer, and publisher Julian Assange is described as the organization’s executive editor and chief spokesperson. When Assange was arrested on suspicion of sex crimes in Sweden and requested extradition from Britain, the Icelandic journalist Kristinn Hrafnsson was named the official spokesperson for WikiLeaks in December 2010. WikiLeaks was originally launched as an editable wiki site, where the public could view the documents and detect errors. It has gradually moved towards a more traditional publishing model, where traditional media performs the preview, and the public’s comments and edits are currently not allowed. WikiLeaks has been threatened with closure several times, and because of this, it has urged the global sites to reflect the site’s content. The database has been moved to several servers in different locations, often in Sweden because of its unique constitutionally protected freedom of expression that is not expected to change under pressure from other countries. To be protected by this law generally requires that the organization has a publisher in Sweden, why Julian Assange has applied for a work permit in Sweden, but without success. Wikileaks Forum is a discussion forum that was launched March 2, 2011 and is run by supporters of Wikileaks to be a platform for people to discuss topics, related to WikiLeaks. By 2013, in addition to the English version, site had been translated into 25 languages. Free research paper on Wikileaks is the best way to acquire basic knowledge about the topic. Are you looking for a top-notch custom research paper on Wikileaks topics? Is confidentiality as important to you as the high quality of the product? Try our writing service at EssayLib.com! We can offer you professional assistance at affordable rates. Our experienced PhD and Master’s writers are ready to take into account your smallest demands. We guarantee you 100% authenticity of your paper and assure you of dead on time delivery. Proceed with the order form: Please, feel free to visit us at EssayLib.com and learn more about our service!

Working in an EBL group Essays

Working in an EBL group Essays Working in an EBL group Paper Working in an EBL group Paper The other important concept in the profession of nursing is the empowerment of nurses themselves. Empowerment of nurses, like that of clients holds the importance of autonomy and independence. A nurses empowerment is mainly defined by the use of Kanters (1993) theory of organizational empowerment, where in order to feel empowered the nurse must be able to have access to information, support, resources and opportunities to grow and develop with the nursing environment (Lashinger and Wong 1999). These empowering structures have a personal effect on the nurse, causing the nurse to have more feelings of independence and self of this is during my clinical placement, nurses go on study days to help in their professional development. Empowerment of nurses also brings accountability which is ability to give explanation for ones actions. Accountability is becoming more and more detrimental to the health field and is playing a bigger role in the outcome of empowerment. Education and training is important in the process of empowering the nurse. Education causes knowledge and skill, which allow the nurse to first provide healthcare and second know the reason behind what he or she is doing, which empowers the nurse as knowledge is a precursor to feeling in control (Dooher and Byrt 2003). One of the hurdles in the empowerment of nurses is the tendency to rely on the management. One of the hindrances of empowerment is caused by hierarchy within the situation, whether it is between the client and nurse or the client and management. A further challenge resides not so much in the obstacles to achieving nurse empowerment but in the likely consequences of it. That is there are risks involved for those who are sufficiently empowered to speak up and challenge vested political and economic interests as part of a broader health promotion role (Kendel 2004). A final point worthy of consideration concerns not so much the challenge of empowering nurses, but the issue of empowering patients in a care setting, facilitating the ability for them to exert greater control over their care and decision making may not always be appropriate and desirable. In spite of the arguments, there is the underlying assumption that by acting in an empowering way, health professionals will become more effective and people will become healthier (Kendel 2004). In conclusion, nurses power may arise from three components: a workplace that has the requisite structures that promote empowerment; a psychological belief in ones ability to be empowered; and acknowledgement that there is power in the relationships and caring that nurses provide. (Jack 1995) REFLECTION on EBL Reflection has been defined by Taylor (2000) as: The throwing back of thoughts and memories, in cognitive acts such as thinking, contemplation, meditation and any other form of attentive consideration, in order to make sense of them, and so make contextually appropriate changes if they are required. In order to reflect on the process of the presentation, I will adapt the Gibbss reflective cycle. Description  As a group the concept of empowerment was given to us. A chair, a scribe and time keeper was appointed. We also divided the group into three sub group because it was a large group. On the first session, list of things was achieved which includes ground rules, different definition of empowerment, means, importance of and the pro and cons of empowerment. Each sub group was then allocated a topic to research and report back with. On the second session every sub group delivered their findings to the whole group but we still lacked the major points. These lead to delayed progression of the work. Decision was reached to use PowerPoint presentation and for each sub group to type their work and send it to the scribe. On the last session, we still lacked some major information but managed to put the whole work together. On the whole there was a lot of ideas and information but we lacked organisation. We had no time for practice run. The presentation was done but on reflection, our weakness and strengths was well acknowledged. Feelings  I often felt anxious and uncertain about what the group are expected to do. I felt that everyone wanted their piece of work to be used. I thought that the time allocated to the presentation was limited. I strongly believe that the group put a lot of time and effort into the process but did not show this at sometimes. I felt unable to assert my views, so I avoided open conflict in favour of an outwardly harmonious team. Looking back I wish I had the courage to challenge some views being expressed. According to Johns and Freshwater (2005) that the process of learning is experiential and it not on a conceptual level. Evaluation  The aims of the presentation were clearly stated. We had a clear indication of the purpose in the introduction. Although we had appropriate delivery of presentation, but it could have been developed using variation in the PowerPoint presentation. We should have assessed and looked at how the information was verbally presented. It was a good group work and we worked well to develop the contents, however material represented was often not referenced and on occasions unclear. We also had limited links to practice. Nevertheless, we provided quite a background to empowerment and overall, this proved to be a positive experience that made me learn to adapt to the circumstances around me. Analysis  Working in an EBL group helped me to develop and practice the skills of communication like listening, eye contact, tone of voice and team working that are essential for caring for patients in my practice area. Johns and Freshwater (2005) emphasis that communication group learning and guidance takes place through dialogue and the first art is listening. It helped me to make joined and collective decision making. I was able to learn how to share tasks and responsibilities. I acquired the knowledge of negotiation and reflection as a group. Through it, I learnt concept of empowerment as a whole. In relation to my clinical experience, I will be able to share information, knowledge and skills which will help me to participate in patient self empowerment and decision making. My own process of learning has improved dramatically through this process. Conclusion We could have focused more in analysing and looking at the concept of empowerment. We should have ensured that the aims identified were properly addressed and explored other variation of PowerPoint presentation. The link to practice could have also been clearly demonstrated. According to Johns and Freshwater (2005) reflecting on experience after event draws insights that may inform your future practice in a positive way. Action plan  If in the same situation, I will suggest to the group that we be less descriptive and provide more analysis of the concept of empowerment. To use a more coherent approach when presenting and allow time for practice run and communicate more. In regards to me as the chair, I will be more assertive in a different way. REFERENCES 1. Dooher, J and Byrt, R. (2003) Empowerment and the Health service User. Vol 2 Quay Books London. 2. Gibbs, G. (1994) Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further education Unit. Oxford University. 3. Gibson, H.C. (1991) A concept analysis of Empowerment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 16, 354-361. 06/04/07. 4. Jack, R. (1995) Empowerment in Community Care. Chapman and Hall. London. 5. Johns, C and Freshwater, D. (2005) Transforming Nursing through Reflective Practice. Blackwell Publishing. Oxford. 6. Kanter, H. (1993) The Theory of Organisational Empowerment. Galerie Hellingman. London.

Affordable Discussion Essay Right Here

Affordable Discussion Essay Right Here Discussion essay is a type of academic work, which is often assigned at high school and college. It should include a thought-out and detailed analysis with great conclusions. It’s like an ordinary discussion when you present ideas and points of view. Not all students are good at discussion essay writing since they should demonstrate their diligence, writing skills, and ability to present their own ideas in a convincing way. We would like to offer such students to write discussion essay for them. Advantages of discussion essay writing Firstly, you will get professional help as our writer hold a Master’s degree or a PhD. It’s their job to meet all requirements and formats to provide high-quality papers. If you are interested in some particular style of writing a discussion essay and don’t have any idea how to do it, you’d better ask us for assistance. Our writers know the difference between APA and MLA styles. Your teacher will appreciate your work and your ability to provide a correctly formatted paper. Secondly, you will receive your paper when you need it. It means that you only have to state your deadline. Our writers will make everything possible to meet it. Moreover, they are used to working in such conditions. No matter how short a time frame may be, we will still provide a great discussion essay. Time doesn’t have any influence when the writer knows his job. Thirdly, you can contact our support team any time and get any information you need: from an order procession to its delivery. It usually takes 10 minutes for our managers to process your order and get in touch with you. Then they look for the most appropriate writer for your order. Writers with experience and knowledge in your field are of high priority. Besides, we have one more great function for you to offer. At the time of cooperation, you can consult not only our managers, but our writers, who are always ready and glad to provide any information you would like to know. As you can see, we are here to grant a high-grade discussion essay outline and the work itself. Moderate costs for high quality papers Excellent works can cost affordable sums of money, and we can prove it. What is an average cost for writing a discussion essay? Just check prices on other websites. They could hardly be called affordable or even moderate. We offer services of good quality at reasonable costs. What is more, we offer some profitable discounts for our clients from time to time. Would you like to see it yourself? Check our prices. Do you see the difference? You don’t have to write discussion essay when you can order it and pay an affordable price for it. Most students come back, and we appreciate it.

You will choose a current event topic from the last 20 or so years and Essay

You will choose a current event topic from the last 20 or so years and explain how this current event links back to the Industrial Revolution - Essay Example This often affects society negatively as the importance and sacredness of communication is undermined. Society has changed from a proactive population of outdoor people to more reserved technology conscious individuals. This problem is compounding the more human beings evolve, and it seems to be a long-term issue (Palfrey and Urs 52). The problem is linked to the Industrial Revolution as one sees large groups of laborers fill the industries to make these products on a large scale, similar to the Industrial Revolution (Brownsword 58). This issue seems to be compounding and is one, which will complex as the demand for technological gadgets is on the increase. There is a similarity between both revolutions. The industrial revolution included a change from traditional methods to use of machinery while the Digital Revolution has seen the mass production of new advanced equipment aiming at changing and improving

Media Literacy and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Literacy and Ethics - Essay Example Media Literacy is a subject that is gaining relevance in the Information Age that we inhabit today. This is because a passive digestion of news content that is offered on a platter is unlikely to lead to a healthy understanding of that content. This is especially true in the highly privatized and commercialized environment of today, where much corporate and political propaganda gets passed on as objective news. Hence, there is no doubt as to the importance of Media Literacy to the general public. Yet, it is only a fraction of the population that could claim to possess a critical understanding of how different mediums of information operate. (Pavlik & McIntosh, 2011) The rest of this essay will foray into what all comprise Media Literacy and also analyze how media literate the author of this essay is. Firstly, media literacy seeks to address the proliferation of new literacy practices â€Å"in an increasingly mobile, global, digital world. Broadly analogous to print literacy,  medi a literacy  promotes the analysis (reading) and production (writing) of texts in a variety of forms. In practice, conflicting assumptions about the definitions, practices, and impact of  media literacy are at the heart of contentious debates about its fundamental aims, purposes, and value. Consequently, as  media literacy promotes greater access to a wider range of tools and texts, it is increasingly mired in age-old debates about the uses of literacy to frame, shape, and control public discourse. In the process, it touches on the relationships between  media literacy, cultural narratives, and the arts.† (Tyner, 2009, p.3) One of the key features of Media Literacy is the cultivation of strategies for a scientific analysis of media content. In this sense, Media literacy can be said to offer the citizens a range of critical approaches to gain insight into the nature of media content. Those studying the media should understand that it is merely the messenger of informatio n without any inherent moral character. What ascertains the value is the list of attributes attached to it, including â€Å"who is producing the message, what the function is, and the target audience.† (Silverblatt, 2007, p.4) Several academics in the field of Media Studies have defined Media Literacy in various different ways. Some claim that a comprehensive understanding of how news and program content is produced, including selection, edition and presentation are essential. In the case of news media, for example, without a complete understanding of these behind-the-scene processes, the audience/reader would not be in a position to critically evaluate the quality of journalism. Some of the criteria for measuring quality of journalism are objectivity, editorial neutrality, standard of presentation and detail. It is only a Media Literate person who would be able to evaluate how the medium he/she is using is performing on these counts. Such an evaluation will help him/her in d eciding to continue with the medium or switch over to another medium or actively engage with its managers in order to improve its overall standards. (Pavlik & McIntosh, 2011) It used to be the case when the term Media Literacy was used entirely in the context of print media. But ever since the invention of the Internet and other digital technologies the methods of information transmission have changed greatly. So, where Media Literacy previously meant the ability to â€Å"decode, understand and communicate in print†

Domestic Violence among African Americans Essay Example for Free

Domestic Violence among African Americans Essay Domestic violence is abuse that occurs within a personal relationship. It can occur between former or current spouses or significant others. Domestic violence doesn’t have a name it affects both men and women of any race, religion; gay or straight; upper class or low class; adolescents, adults, or seniors. But most of its victims are women rather men. While domestic violence is present in all races, the existence among African Americans is significantly higher in the United States. There are many elements that have been shown to stimulate a person to engage in domestic violence examples are failing relationships, lack of employment, poor school systems, violent communities, drug use and the multitude of nearby accessible liquor stores. Experiencing any these situations can lead to strong emotions that can ultimately result in domestic violence. People who experience domestic violence are deeply affected and often live in fear. This plague has broken down and destroyed many African American communities. There are serious physical and mental health risks involved in domestic Violence. Abortion, stress, unconsented sexual encounters, possible suicides, complicated pregnancies and murder are few possible physical results from domestic violence. (Bent-Goodley, 2004) Abuse, control and violence are components of domestic violence. Neither the abuser nor the person being abused are winners in these type of situations. The abuser actions shows characteristics of controlling, anger, oppressor, possessiveness, power and liar. The abusers victims are usually people that can be manipulated, scared and shielded by the abuser. Although the abuser may be an adult most often their mental capacity displays child like behavior. A child will typically throw fits and become angry when things don’t go their way or they didn’t get what they wanted. This anger that possess is shown through mental and physical abuse . Abuser are usually not very open people and they believe that are right in every situation. However, they never take the blame for their actions and tend to blame others, most often their spouse. The victims  of abuse tend to show characteristics of having low self-esteem, sadness and being unconfident about themselves. Often the victim believes that this type of physical and verbal abuse should be inflicted upon them. (Agazie, 2011) Generally, a victim or spouse show signs of previously experiencing an unstable and hostile childhood, and possibly being abused as a child. As a result, they feel like an unwanted and scared child who is weak, instead of like an adult. African Americans who survive domestic violence, child abuse and community violence consistently engage in various types substance abuse at higher rates. (Hill, et al, 2012) African American abusers who has previously used a weapon or threatened their spouse with one during arguments, will more than likely kill them by lethal violence. It is stated that 80% of African American women who have murdered their partners had a history of abuse. Violence and nonviolence have been proven behaviors that are learned. Social and cultural beliefs, outlooks on life, examples, role models influences on whether a person decides to engage in volatile or nonvolatile behavior. It is very key to know how a person elects to use violence or nonviolence. (Wimberly, 2000) Statistics have shown that African American women are more prone to leave an abusive relationship and then return to it compared to white women. (Agazie, 2011) African American women suffer mistreatment over a long period of time and have a tendencies fight back. Close to 50% of victims that attempt to leave their abusive relationship are killed by their partners. (Williams, et al, 2008) African American women are brought up as younger girls under strong religious belief and family values. They are taught at a young age that once you get married you do what it takes not to become a victim of divorce. They are told that it may not be easy but you are married for life once you have made that commitment. With this type of upbringing African American women tend to procrastinate and often hesitate leaving an unhealthy marriage due to their beliefs. Most people don’t not understand the reasoning behind women staying in this form of relationship. While the reasons for their reluctances to leave an abusive relationship are uncertain, some likely justifications would be (1) when searching for a spouse African American women have a smaller amount of choices than White women; (2) African American women’s income is normally lower than of most  White women; (3) Black women are reluctant to call the police due to the trust that African American in the justice system. Unfortunately, most battered and abused Black women find no other way out of the relationship and resort to killing their partners. Losing financial means may also contribute to the reason why African American women of lower class are reluctant to report abuse. The abusing spouse may take care of the victim financially by providing a place to stay, clothes and food and, in order to keep their current living status so they remain quiet about the abuse. Reputation may play a part in why African American women of higher class hesitate to report abuse because they don’t want to put their reputation at risk. Another reason why abused victims remain quiet is because they may not be taken serious by law enforcement. It has been confirmed that domestic violence is treated more like a private family matter rather than serious matter. Typically when law enforcement is called to a domestic violence scene, no arrest is usually made and if they are ever prosecuted the case is usually dismissed. (Hampton, et al, 2008) In many cases I have found that the African American community seems to accept, if not encourage, the domestic violence that exists within it. While it is easy to blame education or social rank for a couple’s behavior or society’s reaction to it, these factors are often not as important as one might expect. A woman with multiple degrees or at the highest level of social strata is as vulnerable to domestic violence as the woman who did not graduate form high school. It equally as likely for a man who is born to an upper middle class family and a man born to a family tha t lives in poverty to participate in an abusive relationship. The Black church has always and continues to be a pillar of strength to Black families and communities. The Black church has been a powerful force in the Black community. Domestic violence is a tough situation to endure, so many African Americans turn to prayer to cope with the difficulties in their lives. (Watlington Murphy, 2006) The Black church has been unreliable and, at times, inadequate in reacting to domestic violence situations. (Bent- Goodley, et al, 2012) For instance on August 22, 2007, Bishop Thomas Weeks, pastor of an independent ministry that worked out of the Global Destiny Church (Haines, 2007) assaulted his wife, Juanita Bynum. This assault is significant not only for the positions held by the participant, but also for the actions taken by the African American  community itself. According to Haines (2007) the community did not speak out against the pastor after the beating. Rather, some members of the community spoke in support for the pastor. Haines quotes one individual as posting a message to Weeks’ MySpace page that read, Bishop Weeks, dont be discouraged, but be encouraged. Stand firm and know that the Lord is mighty in battle†. Haines reports that another community member asked her own pastor about the Weeks domestic abuse case, only to find that â€Å"he had no reaction to the abuse and only provided him with scriptures.† making her wonder what he could offer her if she were a victim of domestic abuse (Haines, 2007). While this situation may be distressing, it is not unusual. According to Jordan (2005) â€Å"When African American men act as bullies toward African American women they tend to engage in active-passive renunciation†, which leaves abused women the choice of speaking out or being ostracized. What kind of message does this send? As a young girl I watched my mother be abused countless times by my very own father. She endured this abuse for many years and it appeared as though she would never leave him. It was as if she was accepting of it or had merely gotten used to it. Then one day after 13 years she left and didn’t look back. Although she didn’t speak out about it, she removed herself from the situation. Most of my family knew about the situation but never brought it up. Years later my father eventually changed for the better. I believe that change has to come from within. You can acquire help and assistance but until you want to change no one can help you. It is difficult to create successful programs and mediation approaches that are geared towards domestic violence without fully understanding how African Americans grasp and distinguish this disease. (Bent-Goodley, 2013) Domestic abuse is not distinctive to the African American community. As it stands, whether an African American woman is rich or poor, educated or not, she is at grave risk of being abused by her partner. As it stands, that woman is also at grave risk of being rejected by her community and even her family, if she speaks up about her abuse. Domestic abuse is not limited to only woman but the percentages are outstandingly high compared to an abused make victim. This violence must come to an end. Through education from within, it might be possible to initiate change. References Williams, Oliver J.; Oliver, William; Pope, Marcus. (2008). Domestic Violence in the African American Community. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment Trauma, Vol. 16 Issue 3, p229-237. 9p. Agazie, Maxine. (2011). Cultural Considerations Impacting Domestic Violence Among African American Women: Implications for Social Work. Conflict Resolution Negotiation Journal, Issue 1, p138-141. 4p. Watlington, Christina G.; Murphy, Christopher M. (2006). The roles of religion and spirituality among African American survivors of domestic violence. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 62 Issue 7, p837-857. 21p. Bent-Goodley, TB. (2013). Domestic Violence Fatality Reviews and the African American Community. HOMICIDE STUDIES, Vol. 17, Issue 4; p375-p390. Bent-Goodley, Tricia B. (2004). Perceptions of Domestic Violence: Health Social Work, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p307-316. 10p. Hill, Nicholle; Woodson, Kamilah; Ferguson, Angela; Parks, Carlton. (2012). Intimate Partner Abuse among African American Lesbians : Prevalence, Risk Factors, Theory, and Resilience. Journal of Family Violence, Vol. 27 Issue 5, p401-413. 13p. Campbell, Jacquelyn; Campbell, Doris W.; Gary, Faye; Nedd, Daphne; Price-Lea, Patricia; Sharps, Phyllis W.; Smith, Cheryl. (2008). African American Womens Responses to Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Cultural Context. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment Trauma, Vol. 16 Issue 3, p277-295. 19p Bent-Goodley, Tricia; St. Vil, Noelle; Hubbert, Paulette. (2012). A Spirit Unbroken: The Black Churchs Evolving Response to Domestic Violence. Social Work Christianity. 2012, Vol. 39 Issue 1, p52-65. 14p. Wimberly, Edward P. (2000). The Civil Rights Movement as a Potential Mentoring Model for Ending Domestic Abuse. Journal of Religion Abuse, Vol. 2 Issue 1, p33. 16p. Hampton, Robert L. LaTaillade, Jaslean J.; Dacey, Alicia; Marghi, J. R. (2008). Evaluating Domestic Violence Interventions for Black Women. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment Trauma, Vol. 16 Issue 3, p330 -353. 23p. Haines, E. (2007). Charges against husband put new focus on televangelist. USA Today.com. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-09-01-ynum_N.htm Jordan, L. M. (2005). Domestic violence in the African American community. Retrieved from http://new.vawnet.org/Assoc_Files_VAWnet/RoleoftheBlackChurch.pdf

Essay on Themes Pride and Prejudice: :: Pride Prejudice Essays

Essay on Themes Pride and Prejudice:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this novel, the title describes the underlying theme to the book. Pride and prejudice were both influences on the characters and their relationships. Darcy alienated himself from the others at first because of his intense pride. His prejudice against the Bennet's because of their poverty was also something that he would have to overcome. For Elizabeth, her prejudice against Darcy came from his snobbery. It caused her to not see his feelings for her and to believe whatever Wickman said.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Darcy's fierce pride often alienated him from others. For example, he acted so snobby and superior at the first ball with the Bennet's that they were all turned off by him. His eventual love, Elizabeth, was disgusted at his behavior and formed a prejudice against him. Even after he fell in love with her and proposed to Elizabeth, he completely debased her family. Darcy realized eventually that he was going to have to change. He tried to look at his behavior and analyze why he acted as he did. In the end, he fought his intense pride so that he and Elizabeth could be happy together.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prejudice was also an issue for Darcy in that he disliked Elizabeth in the beginning because of her low social status, poverty, and socially inept family. Darcy was forced to deal with his prejudice when he fell in love with Elizabeth. This was not easy for him to do but it was necessary. His snobbery was countered by his love for Elizabeth. In the end, he overcame his pride and gave in to his feelings by marrying her in spite of her and her family's shortcomings.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elizabeth had her own issues with prejudice with which to deal. Darcy's cold arrogance and snobbery prejudiced her from him from the beginning and it took Elizabeth a lot longer time to overcome her prejudices than it did Darcy. This was because Elizabeth was a very caring person and did not like the things that Darcy had said about her and her family. When given the chance, Elizabeth loved to hear about how awful Darcy was, such as when she met Wickman, who was eager to slander Darcy. Essay on Themes Pride and Prejudice: :: Pride Prejudice Essays Essay on Themes Pride and Prejudice:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this novel, the title describes the underlying theme to the book. Pride and prejudice were both influences on the characters and their relationships. Darcy alienated himself from the others at first because of his intense pride. His prejudice against the Bennet's because of their poverty was also something that he would have to overcome. For Elizabeth, her prejudice against Darcy came from his snobbery. It caused her to not see his feelings for her and to believe whatever Wickman said.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Darcy's fierce pride often alienated him from others. For example, he acted so snobby and superior at the first ball with the Bennet's that they were all turned off by him. His eventual love, Elizabeth, was disgusted at his behavior and formed a prejudice against him. Even after he fell in love with her and proposed to Elizabeth, he completely debased her family. Darcy realized eventually that he was going to have to change. He tried to look at his behavior and analyze why he acted as he did. In the end, he fought his intense pride so that he and Elizabeth could be happy together.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prejudice was also an issue for Darcy in that he disliked Elizabeth in the beginning because of her low social status, poverty, and socially inept family. Darcy was forced to deal with his prejudice when he fell in love with Elizabeth. This was not easy for him to do but it was necessary. His snobbery was countered by his love for Elizabeth. In the end, he overcame his pride and gave in to his feelings by marrying her in spite of her and her family's shortcomings.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elizabeth had her own issues with prejudice with which to deal. Darcy's cold arrogance and snobbery prejudiced her from him from the beginning and it took Elizabeth a lot longer time to overcome her prejudices than it did Darcy. This was because Elizabeth was a very caring person and did not like the things that Darcy had said about her and her family. When given the chance, Elizabeth loved to hear about how awful Darcy was, such as when she met Wickman, who was eager to slander Darcy.

Professional Development Plan Essay

Nursing as a career is about providing quality care while upholding the people involved with dignity. Nurses are thought to offer quality care to all regardless their tribe, race, gender, religion or social status in the society. Nurses are called to serve others. As a nurse I want to be the patient’s advocate and do all within my powers to see to it that I put a smile on the patient’s faces. I will offer a patient centered care and the interests of the patient will come first. (Delaney C. and Piscopo B, 2002) A person’s health is affected by many factors including emotional needs, physical needs, spiritual needs and cultural needs. Addressing these needs will be offering quality care as they all work for the well being of the whole person. I personally value caring for others and this will be easy for me. Â  Nursing entails or comprises of three parties for it to proceed successfully. These are the environment, the patient and health. The patient includes the sick person, his or her family members and the community as a whole. A nurse is responsible in ensuring that quality care is offered. This is only achievable if an all inclusive approach is used. I would incorporate the patient and his family in the decision making so that our relationship with the patient and his family is not dead. Failure to include all parties calls for negative appraisal by the patient or his relatives. The environmental factors include internal and external factors and they comprise the social, economic, political, legal and ethical perspectives. Â  A better understanding of people’s cultural backgrounds and spiritual aspects explains why some regard health the way they do. Patient’s satisfaction levels will be higher if their needs are well addressed. A baccalaureate prepared nurse has developed from a generalist nurse to a complex nurse who exercises leadership in disease prevention or illnesses. He or she is an instrument of change who can invent creativity in ensuring that nursing incorporates emerging health needs an addresses them amicably. Such nurses are leaders and change agents. On completion of the degree course one can advance by taking a masters program. The nurse will be able to better handle prevention of diseases and thus works to see a healthy community. Â  The nurse will provide a patient advocate care where care will be through collaborative interactions between the patient and other care givers. He or she will be an advocate of change and will work tirelessly innovating new concepts or ideas that will improve the current predicaments in health care provision. Such a nurse has the capacity to make clinical judgments in all areas be they industries or hospitals. They are qualified for community health nursing. Options of where such a nurse can pursue include in home care, community based health agencies, nursing homes, government and industries. A baccalaureate nurse provides competent care and is a good teacher who can organize transcultural nursing care for all parties in the community. He or she is able to use critical thinking in providing therapeutic care. Communication with other health care givers should be effective and he ought to be at the fore front in advocating for positive changes in the health system. He will be able to manage care for all parties and provide preventive care measures like educating the masses on the critical issues. He will adopt an all inclusive approach in care giving in meeting the health needs. The nurse should read, well interpret and analyze nursing practices. He should be keen in the society and he should follow the professional growth and hence a member of a nursing organization that offers such supportive background. Such a nurse will offer competent care while respecting beliefs and values of patients. (Archer A, 2000) Role transition from acquisition of the BSN will work to increased skills or attributes like unique skills, know how and nursing expertise through learning. It will equip me with appropriate skills. The BSN will help me advance in my career. My thinking capacity will be replenished through the program and critical thinking in sensitive issues will be possible. I will be able to come up with other measures that ensure that quality community health is attained. I will improve my self awareness which will be an important step in enabling me to produce culturally sensitive care. (Eckhardt et al, 2002) My short term goals will be to improve on the quality of care I offer. Acquisition of necessary skills will equip me in achieving this cause. I also want to better understand myself so that I can better understand others. I would also like to advance my leadership skills and communication skills to better link with parties in the health care facilities. My long term professional goals are to be among the policy makers so that I can better advocate for the patients. I want to be contributing in the designing and implementation of quality community health care programs. I also want to pursue a master’s degree to enhance my skills and this will see me move to becoming a nurse manager in the community health department. To achieve the desired professional development I will graduate from a RN to BSN or Baccalaureate nurse and achieve a master’s degree. I will also join an organization that will work to enriching my skills by providing a conducive environment. Advancing in education is crucial as it translates to acquisition of more skills and thus becoming better qualified to perform tasks at hand. Continued education enables one perpetuates his or expertise thus making people better of in their areas of specialization. Mentorship programs are very crucial for all nurses regardless their gender or area of specialization. Mentors help one to learn the tricks in the career or how to go about challenges that are bound to occur. (Eckhardt et al, 2002) Nursing entails a lot of challenges that see many quit. Male nurses are quite vulnerable in quitting due to the discrimination that they face. Introduction of mentors and support systems will encourage them to persevere despite the challenges. Achieving the set goal will entail a lot of studying and one must be committed to multitask between the studies and the practical lessons for instance the research on the fields. Critical thinking will only be achieved through serious concentration and losing such focus will hinder attainment of the goals. Financial constraints could also threaten attainment of the goals as one need to pay for the masters program which is expensive. Intrapersonal and cultural factors encourage pursue the program while racism poses a threat to the effective establishment of baccalaureate nursing programs. Time frame for the steps on the development plan will entail approximately 10 years. Qualifying as a registered nurse or RN with a baccalaureate will take 4 to 5 years 3 of which will entail attaining diploma education and 2 in acquiring an associate degree. Transition from RN to BSN will take 2 to 3 years and from BSN to MSN will take 2 years. References: Eckhardt A, Anderson M, Campbell E Clarke E., Pavlish L. 2002: A theoretical framework for RN to BSN education. Nursing Education Perspectives. Archer A.2000. Fundamentals of nursing. There really is a Difference: Nurses’ Experiences with Transitioning from RNs to BSNs. Springhouse. Delaney C. and Piscopo B. 2002. Journal of Professional Nursing, Volume 23, Issue 3, Pages 167-173.

Equal Exchange: Trading Fairly and Making a Profit Essay

I, Executive Summary Equal Exchange is a for-profit Fair-trade worker-owned, cooperative company. Founded in 1986, it is the oldest and largest Fair Trade coffee company in the United States. Equal Exchange began with $100,000 as started up funds and a 2,000-quare-foot room in Boston’s South End. It purchased coffee beans from small-scale farmers at above-market price in Latin America. Initially, EE relied on other roasters and packers to prepare the premium coffee beans.  It sold to natural food grocers, gourmet shops, restaurants, and non-profit organizations. The company’s founders wanted to help famers get a better, more stable price and, at the same time, take advantage of the growing consumer demand for higher-quality â€Å"specialty† coffee. However, after 25 years in business, and 10 of which were spent as the only fair trade company in the coffee industry, Equal Exchange’s tremendous success seemed to have come to a screeching halt. If the impact of price increases is excluded, for a second year in a row, its revenues have grown only 2 percent. This is hardly acceptable comparing with the double-digit growth it had been through for the previous 15 years. Additionally, over the past few years, consumers have begun to show a strong desire to purchase products from local businesses, thus increased competition from local roasters. Moreover, there is a major push by companies to offer a wide variety of green, organic, and wholesome food products. There are so many new initiatives developing and it may be possible that fair trade products will not stand out so much anymore. As a result, Equal Exchange is likely going to fail into the red zone in next few years, if nothing is changed. Since EE has become a famous brand, I highly recommend EE’s staff to continue expand its potential in producing new products and starting to offer service, in order to solve listed problems. More specifically, in business strategy, EE need to keep following its broad differentiation strategy. However, it needs to create more products in order to be able to compete with many competitors. EE has been taking customers’ trust in its products, so that producing new ones would bring its customers into experiencing them no matter what. There were still various fairly traded goods that EE did not offer, and they might become preferred products. In corporate strategy, if EE choose to start offering service, this would be consistent with the company’s mission such as ecotourism to coffee or cacao growing zones to support those communities. II, Introduction In 1983, Rink Dickinson, Jonathan Rosenthal, and Michael Rozyne were all recent college graduates and working for a food co-op warehouse in the Boston area. They began to question the system such as, â€Å"What if food could be traded in a way that is honest and fair, a way that empowers both farmers and consumers? What if trade supported family farms use of organic methods  rather than methods that harm the environment?† Almost simultaneously they started to hear about groups in Europe who were doing Fair Trade. The advocates of Fair Trade wanted to ensure that the producers of products such as coffee, teas and chocolate would get a better price for their crops while supporting improvement in their environmental, social and political conditions. Rink, Jonathan and Michael liked the idea. According to Rink, they â€Å"were basically food co-op people, interested in connecting small, local farmers with consumers to change the marketplace.† It was not their intention to found a company at that time. They took the idea to the Board of Directors of the co-op warehouse. Half of the board supported the idea and half voted against it. It became apparent to them that if they were going to pursue their vision, they were going to have to develop an organization. Over the next three years they met once a month to develop the plans and raise the capital for founding their own organization. During that time Rink said they used their jobs to learn about cooperatives, small farmers, entrepreneurship, marketing and â€Å"making mistakes, right and left.† The food co-op gave them â€Å"a great environment to learn some skills†. In 1986, Rink, Jonathan and Michael decided to launch Equal Exchange (EE). By that time, their ambition was â€Å"†¦to change the way food is grown, bought, and sold around the world.† The founders decided to meet once a week – and did so for three years — to discuss how best to change the way food is grown, bought, and sold around the world. At the end of this time they had a plan for a new organization called Equal Exchange that would be: A social change organization that would help farmers and their families gain more control over their economic futures. A group that would educate consumers about trade issues affecting farmers. A provider of high-quality foods that would nourish the body and the soul. A company that would be controlled by the people who did the actual work. A community of dedicated individuals who believed that honesty, respect, and mutual benefit are integral to any worthwhile endeavor. Around 1991, Equal Exchange established itself as a Fair Trade specialty coffee company, offering loyal food co-op customers a store bin system with a full line of beans, decaf coffee, different roasts, and flavored coffees. By the end of the year what had once been the â€Å"pipe dream† of reaching $1  million in sales had become a reality. By 1994, Equal Exchange was a worker-owned cooperative with 20 members—with departments, managers, and a growing number of outside investors. A pivotal early investment by the Adrian Dominican Sisters helped to alert others that this undertaking, however risky, might be worthy of outside financial support. Another exciting chapter in our history started in 1996, when Equal Exchange joined with Lutheran World Relief in a path-breaking collaboration to launch what has now become our Interfaith Program. This major initiative helped Equal Exchange create partnerships with communities of faith throughout the U.S. Over the next seven years more than 10,000 congregations across the U.S. began using our Fair Trade coffee. III, Assignment Question 1. Question 1 What are the strategically relevant components of Equal Exchange’s macro-environment? Are socio-cultural, environmental, economic, and other components of the macro-environment favorable to the sellers of fair trade food and beverage products? Does the industry offer attractive opportunities for growth? a) Strategically relevant components of Equal Exchange’s macro-environment Political factors: There were no laws in the U.S restricting the use of the term â€Å"Fair Trade† on a product labels. This makes it is a little difficult for EE to prove themselves overwhelming their competitors. Economic conditions: In 2010, Fair Trade USA reported that there were over 9,500 fair trade-certified consumer products being offered by 700 industry partners in more than 600,000 retail locations. Paul Rice, the president and CEO of fair Trade USA, said that in 2010 the fair trade retail sales market was $1.4 billion in the U.S and $3 billion in Europe. Socio-cultural forces: EE developed advertisements, implemented public education campaigns, partnered with religious organization, and created a school fund-raising program. EE also offered a wide variety of fair trade product. Technological factors: EE was effective in creating messages about the origins of products and where consumer dollars went. For example, it used logo and labels that suggested consumers could have a great cup of coffee or bar of chocolate while feeling good about them. It also created a website as a place for consumers to connect to the farmers who grew the products they bought. Legal and regulatory factors: Fair Trade USA has  certain guidelines for participating business to follow, including EE. Fair trade certifiers agreed on eight basic principles, which are: + Long-term direct trading relationships + Prompt payment of fair prices and wages + No child, forced or otherwise exploited labor + Workplace non-discrimination, gender equity, and freedom of association + Safe working conditions and reasonable work hours + Investment in community development projects + Environmental sustainability + Traceability and transparency b) Are these factors favorable to the sellers of fair trade food and beverage products? This depends on the product itself, though these factors do make products are increasingly imported over more than a decade from 1998 to 2010. Some products have great growth rate, such as tea (38%), sugar (60%), cocoa (67%), and vanilla (97%). On the other hand, some products are not favorable to consumers, such as produce (2%), flower (0%), and wine (-63%). c) Opportunities for growth The far trade movement caught on in 2000 when many companies began to follow the same path as EE – more specifically, into the business of fair trade coffee. Basically, the industry still offer very attractive opportunities for growth due to its growth rate, but it is quite difficult to reach those opportunities due to rivalry. 2. Question 2 Explain the competitive pressures facing the fair trade food and beverage products industry. What does a five-force analysis reveal about the nature and strength of the competitive pressures facing Equal Exchange? Which of the five forces is the strongest? Which of the five forces is weakest? a) The competitive pressure facing the fair trade food and beverage product industry. Fair trade coffee was EE’s primary product, accounting for 80 percent of sales in 2010. At that point, there were over 300 companies in the U.S that provided fair trade coffee. EE managers admired the social mission of some of these companies and even considered those who were truly committed to far trade to be friends. However, they were also competitors. There were two groups of competitors to EE. One class consisted of larger companies that competed in the high-end, organic coffee market, but also got involved in fair trade coffee. The other one were small, local, and regional competitors operating in different areas off the U.S. There are a lot of name can be pointed out, such as Starbuck, Green Mountain Coffee, Deans Beans, and Thanksgiving Coffee. With this much rivalry, EE sure had a great pressure in the industry. b) Five-forces analysis Threat of new entrants: Since fair trade food and beverage products industry is a profitable market that yield high returns, new firms would be attracted. But this is not a problem for EE to concern, because it knows those farmers and their struggles. Nevertheless, when it came to rivalry, EE’s values provided a much different outlook than a typical business. Threat of substitute products: Coffee is a special product with hardly substitute product, so this is not really a threat for EE. Bargaining power of customers: EE partnered with fair trade advocacy organizations, such as Global Exchange, to create a nationwide public education campaign. In 1996, EE partnered with Lutheran World Relief to create something that later became known as the Interfaith Program, and it raised relief funds for farmers in Nicaragua who were hit hard by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. These partnership helped EE generate revenues, create goodwill within communities, and create awareness among consumers about fair trade products. Bargaining power of suppliers: EE’s promise to provide consumers with reasonably priced, good quality food, all while fairly paying the farmer who produced the goods was quite unlike most other companies. Intensity of competitive rivalry: As mentioned before, there are many strong competitors against EE, both as small and large ones. Addition, the fair trade industry is open, so competing is unavoidable. Though EE do not mind too much having many competitors, those ones still create barrier for them to reach more customers. To be concluded, threat of substitute is the weakest force and intensity of competitive rivalry is the weakest force. 3. Question 3 What are the key elements of Equal Exchange’s strategy? Which of the five generic strategies is the company pursuing? How has the cooperative integrated corporate social responsibility into its business strategy? a)  Key elements of Equal Exchange’s strategy EE wanted to change traditional purchasing habits and make consumers more aware of where products came from and who was responsible for making them. At the same time, it wanted to encourage consumers to buy more fair trade products. To do that, EE use advertising in packaging and labels, website, and public awareness. Also, it created interfaith program, applied fundraising program and outbid their competitors in terms of product variety. b) Generic strategy EE follows broad differentiation strategy.  EE’s promise to pride consumers with reasonably priced, good quality food. Though it tried to keep their price lowest as possible, it still fairly paid farmers quite a lot even if coffee prices in the world’s commodities exchanges dropped below the fair trade minimum price. It also focused on keeping their quality on products in any condition. c) Cooperative integrated corporate social responsibility EE worked with financial institutions to give farmers pre-harvest loans with affordable 8 to 9 percent short-term interest rates. Brokers typically offered loans at much higher rates of 25 percent. EE also guaranteed a quarter of each pre-harvest loan. It thus shared the risks associated with misfortunes, such as hurricanes, that could destroy a cooperative’s crops. EE bought the coffee beans once a year, as soon as they were harvested (even though this tied up its capital in inventory). In terms of employee, EE wanted to cultivate excellent working relationships with its employees. Its managers believed that a democratic work environment in which employees shared responsibility for decision making would lead to higher levels of job satisfaction, morale, and productivity. It made sure that the pay gap between the highest-paid manager and the lowest-paid employee was reasonable. Besides, EE sought to reconnect consumers with the farmers who grew their food. When consumers saw a brand-name product in the supermarket, EE wanted them to realize that there was often a person toiling away for little pay behind it. By raising such awareness, the company hoped to direct consumers towards products for which farmer got paid higher prices so they  could better support their ways of life. 4. Question 4 What are Equal Exchange’s competitively important resources and capabilities? Which of its resources have the greatest competitive power? Are any of its resources and capabilities able to pass all four VRIN tests for sustainable competitive advantage? Explain. a) EE’s competitively important resources and capabilities Worker co-operative model: EE believed strongly in creating better, healthier relationships with the Earth, with farmers, its workers, and with the consumer. Worker-owners enjoyed many rights and responsibilities and democratically controlled the workplace. At EE, a co-executive director, a roaster, a packer, and a customer service representative were equal, with one share and one vote per person. This makes every employee of EE want to contribute their best to the company. Marketing strategies: EE wanted to change traditional purchasing habits and make consumers more aware of where products came from and who was responsible for making them. This leads to many well-crafting strategies, such as interfaith program and fundraising. Supplier: Unlike other companies, EE wanted its suppliers, farmers specifically, to be paid more, not less. So, it sought out fair trade-registered co-operatives that enabled small-scale farmers to pool their resources, increase their power in the market-place and share the costs of upgrading their operations. These farmers were trained in how to acquire information on market trends and in how to cultivate high-quality crops . b) Unique resources and capabilities The only resource or capabilities that is able to pass all four VRIN test for sustainable competitive advantage is worker co-operative model. Value: It is difficult to find good employees, but it is much harder to keep good employees to work for the company. That is the reason why building relationship between employees is very important, and critical. EE’s worker co-operative model is showing its precious value for this part. Rare: Treating everyone the same is really rare. Normally, the higher-ups receive much more respect than lower staffs do, but EE deals nothing like that. This hardly can be found in any other company, which makes it a unique component. Inimitable: Human relevant is the only one that is inimitable. EE’s worker co-operative model makes its workers feel comfortable, as everyone is equal. Therefore, employee loyalty is guaranteed and untouchable from external conditions. Non-substitutable: EE built up its image with equal employees, and no other capability can replace this. EE likely is said to stick with its worker co-operative model at anytime, and the way around. It is hard to find another company which can apply this model better than EE. 5. Question 5 What does a SWOT analysis reveal about Equal Exchange’s ability to seize market opportunities and nullify external threats? Strength Experienced in the market High social awareness Technology up-to-date Unique work model Good financial performance Weakness Lack of consumer awareness Unsatisfactory working condition Farmer exploitation Opportunities Expanding business Offering new products Threats Many wealthy competitors Unstable market Table 1: SWOT analysis of Equal Exchange EE can use its strength to seize opportunities and nullify threats. More specifically, due to high social awareness and with technology up-to-date, EE can easily expanding its business into other activity, such as services. Otherwise, it can produce new products that have not been offered in fair trade market. On the other hand, with experience in the market, EE can find a way to compete with competitors in the fair trade market using its good financial performance. 6. Question 6 What is your assessment of Equal Exchange’s financial performance and condition? Is the company in good financial shape? Why or why not. Use financial ratios in Table 4.1 to help support your assessment. Figure 1: Equal exchange sales growth Since importing its first coffee container in 1986, EE had become the leading fair trade brand of food and beverages in the U.S. This helped the co-operative achieve a trend of double-digit revenue growth. However, the recession that struck the U.S changed the outlook for business. The financial data for the fiscal year of 2006 through 2010 demonstrated EE’s growth and showed whether the co-operative was able to weather the economic downturn. Figure 1 demonstrates EE’s growth of sales from fiscal year 2006 to fiscal year 2010. In 2006, success in many areas defined much of EE’s 14 percent increase in revenues, which translated into an additional $2.86 million in annual sales. In particular, sales were exceptionally strong in the West Coast region. Another key contributor to sales was EE’s chocolate products, which were a hit in 2006 because the quality chocolate market was seeing growing demand, or a â€Å"renaissance†, as EE called it, similar to what occurred with specialty coffee 20 years prior. While this was occurring, EE simultaneously expanded its chocolate line to products such as organic dark chocolate, organic mint chocolate, and organic chocolate syrup. This expansion allowed the company to ride the growing demand for quality chocolate. EE also introduced three new tea bagged products, which helped increase tea sales 35 percent. Till 2010, it is a hard time as coffee and chocolate prices continued to rise. EE was faced with a difficult challenge of helping farmers during this time, providing customers with stable prices, and maintaining a profit margin consistent with the co-operative’s goals. Sales totaled $36,525,856. This growth of roughly 2 percent was relatively flat for the second year in a row. The growth experienced was due in part to the notable increase in EE’s direct sales to food co-operatives. This is something the co-operative did to avoid the use of distributors.

Exxon Valdez Essays - Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Oil Pollution Act

Exxon Valdez Essays - Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Oil Pollution Act Exxon Valdez INTRODUCTION On March 24, 1989 at 4 minutes past midnight, the oil tanker ExxonValdez struck a reef in Alaska's breath-taking Prince William Sound. Instantaneously, the quiet waters of the sound became a sea of black. We've fetched up - ah - hard aground north of Goose Island off Bligh Reef, and - ah - evidently leaking some oil, Joseph Hazelwood, captain of the ship, radioed the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office back in Valdez. That some oil turned out to be a total of 11,000,000 gallons of crude oil leaking from the ruptured hull of the ship. By the time a containment effort was put forth, a weather storm had helped to spread the oil as much as three feet thick across 1,400 miles of beaches. A little over ten years have passed since the largest oil spill and the greatest environmental disaster in American history, but the waters and its surroundings are still recovering. At first, many people repeated what was then thought as common knowledge, oil dissipates, nature heals quickly, all will be well in a year or two. This has not been the case with the Exxon Valdez. This massive 987-foot tanker has left a lingering, long-term effect on the natural habitat that surrounds these pristine waters, along with an enormous socio-economic effect that has left many people wondering when and where the next oil spill will be. Many associated with the recovery process, and its more than one hundred projects per year, say it will take longer than a human lifetime to determine if a full recovery is possible (Fine 1999). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The Exxon Valdez oil spill was initially thought of as a two to three year clean-up project. As time went ahead, scientists and clean-up crews realized that it would take a longer period of time and require a lot more effort than originally planned. Up to this point, the oil has contaminated a national forest, four wildlife refuges, three national parks, five state parks, four critical habitat areas and a state game sanctuary, which spreads along 1,400 miles of the Alaskan shoreline. Recent scientific studies show that the oil continues to wreak havoc among many spawning salmon, herring, and other species of fish. This is even more devastating when considering that much of the wildlife around the sound is dependant on the high calorie, high fat content of the herring as their prime food source. Among the many casualties were 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbour seals, 250 bald eagles, as many as 22 killer whales, and an estimated quarter-million seabirds. It is unclear how many billions of salmon and herring eggs and intertidal plants succumbed to the oil smothering. Within an ecosystem, each living thing depends on other living things. That means that when the fish died in Prince William Sound, there was less food for the seals that normally eat them. As those seals died, there was less food for the killer whales that eat seals (Knickerbocker 1999). This has led to a domino effect within the food chain, victimizing many of the animals surrounding the area. Intertidal mussel beds are still contaminated to this day. Twenty-three species of wildlife were effected by this oil spill, and only two species, the bald eagle and the river otter, have fully recovered. The species that are well on their way to a comeback include pink salmon, Pacific herring, sea otters, mussels, black oyster catcher, common murre, marbled murrelet, and sockeye salmon. As with any environmental disasters, there are some animals that are showing little or no clear improvement since the spill occurred. This group includes harbour seals, killer whales, harlequin ducks, common loons, cormorants, and the pigeon gullomot. In some areas, that have been hardest hit by the oil spill, many of the species have an elevated level of mortality. Even though the Exxon Valdez is the most-studied oil spill in world history, it is also a particularly difficult one to research because of the lack of baseline data on the ecology of Prince William Sound (Birkland 1998). Among all the animal casualties, there is another victim, people. Thousands have been forced to bare the consequences of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Throughout the years, the waters of Alaska have

Annunciation vs. Enunciation

Annunciation vs. Enunciation Annunciation vs. Enunciation Annunciation vs. Enunciation By Maeve Maddox I read the following in an NPR (National Public Radio) transcript: Im articulate, which means that when it comes to annunciation and diction, I dont even think of it cause Im articulate.   My first reaction was to smile at what I assumed was an amusing typo, perhaps the result of a mechanical voice transcription error. But then I decided to see if I could discover other examples of annunciation used in contexts calling for enunciation. I found quite a few. Not surprisingly, many of the errors occur on amateur sites and forums where correct spelling is not an issue: He had a pretty heavy lisp, and the thing that was most pronounced was his over-annunciation of words so that his speech was very slow and drawn out. Almost 5 [years old and] has annunciation issues. just started speech therapy 2x week 30 minutes each. It’s just an overall annunciation issue, rather than a particular sound. More surprising is finding the error in a professional context, on sites offering speech therapy and in documents posted on government sites: [Our] speech therapists help adults who have problems understanding written or spoken words, feeding and swallowing, or speaking clearly with appropriate annunciation and tone. Our daughter is six years old and is being teased at school for her annunciation. (A parental testimonial featured on a professional site’s landing page.) While he has come a long way, he is still very behind in his pronunciation and annunciation. (Petition requesting insurance coverage for speech therapy) The word annunciation means announcement. The word is closely associated with a particular announcement: the one made to Mary regarding the impending birth of Jesus: And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name  Jesus.–Luke 1:30-31, KJV. This use of Annunciation is always capitalized: One of the most famous paintings of the Annunciation is one attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Verrocchio. Enunciation, on the other hand, refers to the clear utterance of speech sounds: If youre looking to improve your childs  enunciation, its best to begin with an evaluation by a speech-language pathologist.   No vocal warm-up is complete without reciting a few  enunciation  exercises. One way to keep the words apart is to pronounce the a in annunciation as a schwa sound and the e in enunciation as a long e sound, as in he. Note: The schwa sounds like â€Å"uh.† 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. ProgrammeYay, Hooray, Woo-hoo and Other Acclamations50 Synonyms for "Song"

Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Corporate Finance - Essay Example Due to recessionary conditions and down side of economy, there is no immediate chance of recovery. Accordingly, Qantas Airways, which has leveraged beta of 1.25 is certainly a more risky company compared to any other company in the table. Above table suggests that business risks associated are lowest with Telstra Corp. and Coca Cola companies for having lowest beta of 0.16 and 0.15 respectively. Highest business risks are associated with BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto with beta of 0.52 and 0.43 respectively. As table indicates for the companies where finance risks are low (like CSL and BHP Billiton), business risk is high and the companies with high finance risk (like Coca-Cola and Telstra), business risk is low. Thus when we compare business risk with finance risk, we find that both are not consistent. Further, comparing the figures of shareholder’s return of BHP Billiton and Coca Cola, we find that both have given almost same returns; however, there is a vast difference between their business risks and financial risks profiles. Obviously, they are following Modigliani and Miller theorem that value of the companies are independent of its capital structure. 3. BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto though belong to the same industry sector; they have vastly different debt-equity ratios. Rio Tinto is a high leveraged company and its return on equity in percentage terms is less than that of BHP Billiton, which indicates that servicing cost of debt lowers down the percentage return on equity. In other words we can say that higher leveraging does not bring any additional return to the equity holders. Total shareholder’s return too in case of Rio Tinto is only slightly less compared to that of BHP Billiton’s shareholder’s return. Despite large percentage difference in return on equity, there is not a proportionate difference on the value of total shareholders return. In short, above set of Australian companies do not seem to

Chaplin and the Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Chaplin and the Cinema - Essay Example He expressed his inner sentiments by changing his expressions of the face. This was a skill which was possessed by him and he was the most famous comedian of his time. But later he adopted the way of acting like others. The movie ‘The Great Dictator’ marked a great revolution in the entertainment sector. This was the first movie in which Charlie Chaplin used the medium of talking to convey his feelings and emotions. It marked the introduction of Charlie Chaplin as a ‘talkie’ in the film industry which marked a great importance and secondly it also made its political importance felt through out the world. This movie was released during the era of World War II and showed its criticism against the forces which were involved during the World War II. The Great Dictator was a movie which marked the entrance of Americans in the World War II. This movie is of a great historical significance. It disparages the strategies designed specially by the Nazis during the World War II. The strategies made by the Nazis were shown as racial in this movie and it disapproved the policies largely. The production of ‘The Great Dictator’ started in 1937 at which time the Nazis did not pose any kind of danger to the United States of America. This movie takes its story from Hitler and Nazism. If the movie is closely reviewed it can be said that it clearly criticizes the policies made by Hitler and Nazis. Charlie Chaplin plays the role of a barber who has a faith in the religion of Jews. He belongs to the country of Tomania. In the commencement of the movie the barber is shown as a patriot of the country who is fighting in the World War I. This barber helps to save the life of a Tomanian Soldier during the war. But after the war this barber suffers from the disease amnesia and is hospitalized. Similarly another role is also played by Charlie Chaplin in the movie which is of a Tomanian dictator. This

Group analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Group analysis - Essay Example Six of the members were teachers and the remaining members were from different administrative departments. The goal of the meeting was clearly mentioned in the invitation letter which was sent to the members two days earlier. The letter said that the goal of the meeting was to find creative and effective solutions for the problems experienced by adult learners in adjusting in the classroom and in doing the administrative work related to their admission and paperwork. Hence, the members were already aware of the intention of the meeting and were mentally prepared for the topic. The members had occupied their chairs around the rectangular table in the room. However, from the body language of the members in the meeting, it was evident that Mr. Miller, who had occupied a chair near the projector screen, was the leader of the group. The Leader It was Mr. Miller who started the meeting by greeting the members. He welcomed everyone and thanked the members for attending the meeting. Everyone was attentive to him when he was talking. He had an aura of authority to his presence. He asked the members if they have received the letter mentioning the goals of the meeting. He found that two of the teachers and one member from administrative department did not receive the letter. This annoyed Mr. Miller slightly and he noted down something in his notebook. Then, he turned to the member named Sandra and asked her to check why the letter did not reach everyone and assured the group that this will not happen again. Later, he declared the agenda of the meeting. Agenda The agenda of the meeting was to find creative and interesting ways to create a friendly and welcome atmosphere for the adults ‘going back to school.’ Mr. Miller asked everyone if they agreed with the need to change the school environment so as to make adults ‘going back to school’ comfortable in the classrooms. Everyone agreed by confirming verbally and also by nodding their heads. Then Mr. Miller asked the members if they had any ideas. Three of the group members raised their hands. Mr. Miller asked them to express their opinions and share their ideas. One by one, three of the members shared their ideas with the group. Sandra was taking down the notes when they were discussing. Others seemed to agree very strongly as they were very happy with the suggestions and also added their opinions to make the ideas better. By the end of the discussion, the group had come up with 6-7 ideas to make the classroom environment adult learner friendly. All the members played an active role in the meeting. The members from administrative department of the school came up with the idea to make the paper work easy for the adult learners by allocating separate administrative counters for them. It was also decided that as the adult learners usually find it difficult to work on computers, they will be given all the technical assistance needed in completing the administrative procedures. The teachers suggested that extra curricular activities like picnics, games, family days etc. will help in building a bond between the young students and the adult learners. One of the teachers also suggested an idea of pairing, where young students will be paired with the adult learners

Financial Statement Analysis of Hilton Worldwide Holdings

Financial Statement Analysis of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Company Overview HiltonWorldwide Holdings Inc.is one of the largest and fastest growing hospitality companies in the world. The company is correctly positioned in the industry. We expect Hilton to grow at about 6.92% the same rate as its competitor and to maintain the median returns it currently generates. Hilton has relatively high profit margins while operating with median asset turns. Hiltons year-to-year change in revenues and earnings are better than that of its competitor. Hiltons revenue growth in recent years and current P/E ratio are both around their respective peer medians suggesting that historical performance and long-term growth expectations for the company are largely in sync. Analytical Conclusion Although the hospitality industry can get volatile Hilton Worldwide will continue to make strides as the company has a dedicated team coupled with an award winning portfolio and tailor made strategies for each hotel. Hence, the company will continue its operations for years to come. While Hilton has little control over external shocks, the company has the ability to adapt to its competitors, both old and new in all 104 countries and regions. Hilton worldwide is fairly valued. The company is currently valued at $19.07 billion with an anticipated value of $19.70-20B. Summary Financials Price (Sale):2.63(BV):3.21Float: 192.69M Debt to Equity: 184.85 52 Week Trading Range: 41.55 60.40Insider Holdings: N/A Current Ratio: 1.33 Cash: 1.42B Equity: 5.89 B P/E trailing: 54.77 Exchange: NYSEProfit Margin: 4.82% P/E forward: 27.65 Market Cap: 19.18BOperating Margin: 28.07% Shares Outstanding: 329.73MROE: 6.17% Selected Financials FY 12/31 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Revenue 9.66B 8.88B 11. 66B 11. 27B 10.50B 9.74B 9.28B Net Income 743M 571 M 348M 1.4B 673M 415M 352M EPS (Basic) 2.06 1.74 1.06 4.26 2.04 1.35 1.14 EPS (Diluted) 2.06 1.74 1.05 4.26 2.04 1.35 1.14 P/E 28.22 33.25 21.59 30.65 34.40 33.82 35.98 Company Highlights Net loss for the fourth quarter was $382 million, and net income for the full year was $364 million. Diluted loss per share was $1.17 for the fourth quarter, largely driven by $513 million of non-cash corporate restructuring charges incurred prior to the spin-offs, and diluted EPS was $1.05 for the full year. Added 354 hotels to its system in 2016, opening nearly one hotel per day in the year. Completed spins-offs of Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) and Park Hotels and Resorts (PK) Hilton launched its newest brand the Tapestry Collection by Hilton. Description Hilton is one of the largest and fastest growing hospitality companies in the world, with a portfolio of 14 world class brands comprising over 4,900 properties with more than 800,000 rooms in 104 countries and regions. Hilton is committed to fulfilling its mission to be the worlds most hospitable company by delivering exceptional experiences at every hotel, to every guest, every time. Hilton was founded in 1919 by Conrad Hilton when he purchased his first hotel in Texas, Hiltons is the most recognized hotel brand in the world. Hiltons operate its business across three segments: ownership; management and franchise; and timeshare. Hiltons strategy focuses on providing service and cost models tailored to each hotel, reflecting size, business complexity, and market environment. Hilton provide appropriate levels of engagement depending on each hotels needs, by ensuring hotel owners are fully engaged in decision-making. This consolidated approach means Hilton maximize cost and scale effici encies, by sharing best practice, market and trend intelligence and ensuring appropriate affordability to each hotel. For example: Hilton refine its luxury brands to deliver products and service standards that are relevant to each region. Hiltons operations are mainly concentrated in the United States, however, it has its presence in the international markets such as in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and in the Asia Pacific region. Operations Hilton operates its business across three segments namely; ownership, management and franchise, and timeshare. Ownership Hilton is one of the largest hotel owners in the world based on the number of rooms at the companys leased, owned and joint venture properties. Hiltons diverse global portfolio of owned and leased properties includes a number of prominent hotels in major cities such as New York City, San Francisco, London, Chicago, SÃ £o Paolo and Tokyo. Hiltons portfolio includes renowned hotels with significant underlying real estate value, by the end of 2016, the ownership segment had 141 hotels with 57,716 rooms. In recent years Hilton has expanded its hotel system less through real estate investment and more by increasing the number of management and franchise agreements the company has with third-party hotel owners. Hilton focuses on maximizing profitability and cost efficiency of all its portfolios by, reducing fixed costs and implementing new labor management practices and systems. For instance, Hilton has developed and executed strategic plans for each of its hotels to enhance the market po sition of each property. At many of its hotels Hilton has renovated guest rooms and public spaces and added or enhanced meeting and retail space to improve profitability. At certain of its hotels, Hilton is evaluating options for the adaptive reuse of all or a portion of the property to residential, retail or timeshare uses. Management and Franchise Hiltons management and franchise segment enables the company to manage timeshare properties and hotels and license its trademarks to franchisees. Hilton currently manages 4,734 hotels with 738,724 rooms. Therefore, this segment generates its revenue primarily from fees charged to homeowners, hotel owners and associations at timeshare properties. Hilton grows its management and franchise business by attracting owners to become a part of its system and participate in its brands and commercial services to support their hotel. On Hiltons part, these contracts require little or no capital investment to initiate and provide substantial return on investment for Hiltons. Hiltons primary management services consist of operating hotels under management contracts for the benefit of third parties, who either own or lease the hotels. Hilton earns an incentive fee based on gross operating profits and a management fee based on a percentage of the hotels gross revenue. For a fee Hilton franchise its trade, brand names, operating systems and service marks to hotel owners. Hilton does not directly participate in the daily operation or management of franchised hotels but its conducts periodic inspections to ensure that brand standards are maintained. Hilton approves certain aspects of development and the location for new construction of franchised hotels, in some cases, Hilton also provides the franchise with product improvement plans that must be completed in accordance with brand standards to remain in Hiltons hotel system. Timeshare Hiltons timeshare segment generates revenue from three primary sources: Resort Operations, Timeshare Sales, and Financing. Hilton market and sell timeshare interests owned by Hilton and third parties. The company sells timeshare intervals on behalf of third-party developers using the Hilton Grand Vacations brand. Through resort operations Hilton manages the Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) Club, receiving annual dues, enrollment fees, and transaction fees from members. Hiltons also provides consumer financing, which includes interest income generated from the origination of consumer loans to customers to finance their purchase of timeshare intervals and revenue from servicing the loans. Strategy Since Hilton Worldwide was founded, the company has been among the top hospitality companies in the industry. In fact, after almost 100 years it is considered one of the largest and fastest growing corporations with the goal to deliver outstanding customer experiences and excellent operating performance. Hiltons business strategy is based on its service differentiation, the company distinguishes itself from its competitors by providing high quality service combining it with IT systems. According to Dudovki, (2016), Hilton has been focusing its strategy on digitalizing mobile services, booking channels, loyalty and data driven-personalization, and also improving guest experience and privacy. Enhanced service offering is at the forefront of Hilton strategy. In order to allocate more of customers travel spending to Hilton hotels, and consequently to enhance customer loyalty for the entire system of hotels and timeshare properties, the team created Hilton Honors Loyalty Program. The program rewards guests with points for each stay at any of Hiltons more than 4,900 hotels worldwide. Members can use the points earned for free hotel nights and other goods and services; moreover, it is possible to spend the points with 130 partners, among which car rental, rail, and airlines companies, credit card providers and others. The loyalty program contributed over $17 billion in terms of revenues as reported at the end of the year 2016. Another strategy employed by Hilton is premium pricing. Hilton utilizes the premium pricing policies for its upscale services and hotels. The pricing strategy is established to emphasize, among customers, the sense of status and luxury rather than the sense of stay and dining. Through the analysis of previous performance and strategies they provide to manage future profitability. For instance, they engage with sales teams for hotels with significant group/corporate business, to ensure corporate pricing structure is maximized throughout the RFP process. The management of Hilton believe every Hilton Worldwide property has its own unique strengths and challenges. As such they provide service and cost models tailored to each hotel, reflecting business complexity, size, and market environment. Hilton matches its service to the needs of the clients hotel, Hilton management believes that one size fits all. This consolidated approach means that Hilton maximize cost and scale efficiencies, rapidly sharing best practice, market and trend intelligence and ensuring appropriate affordability to each hotel. Hilton have focused on optimizing hotels market share and delivering market-beating revenue per available room (RevPAR) results. Hiltons team provides thorough analysis of previous performance and strategies to drive future profitability. Management Hilton Executive Committee is characterized by key personnel with diverse backgrounds who were able to bring the company to the prominence it now enjoys in the hospitality industry. Among those executive are Hiltons President and Chief Executive Officer, Christopher J. Nassetta. Nassetta has been one of the most important figure in the Hilton family since 2007. With a degree in finance, Nassetta has always been close to the hospitality industry and real estate market. In fact, he worked as President and Chief Executive Officer at Host Hotels Resorts, Inc. since 2000, and before he was Chief Development Officer for The Oliver Carr Company, one of the largest commercial real estate company in the Mid-Atlantic region. He is also involved in several non-profit organizations and volunteering. Another central leader in this profitable company is its Executive Vice President Chief Financial Officer, Kevin Jacobs. He began his experience at Hilton in 2008 covering various positions. He is now responsible of the companys global finance, information technology and real estate functions. As his President, Jacobs has a background in the hospitality industry working for other Hotels and Resorts corporations. Jim Holthouser joined Hilton board as Vice President of Global Brands in 1979. He directs the brand management and customer marketing across nine consumer brands for more than 4,000 hotels. With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant, lodging, and gaming industries, Holthouser has held a series of senior management positions within Hilton in the franchising, branding, and marketing arenas. The above mentioned key personnel are veterans in their own right with experience in hospitality and related industries, Hiltons executive team is well-positioned to accelerate its momentum. Hiltons executives collectively make a holistic team because they are from diverse background and shares common interests and values as such they all able to contribute to the holistic growth and development of Hilton Worldwide. Markets The hospitality industry is seasonal. It is common for Hilton and the other competitors to expect lower revenues in the first quarter of each year. According to Statista the global hotel industry in 2016 was valued at $490.06 billion. Reports by Financial Morningstar.com indicate that Hilton Worldwide is ranked among the largest player in the global hotel industry, Hilton and Marriott have the highest market share. They are followed by Wyndhams, Choice Hotels and International Hotels Groups. The global hotel industry is fragmented. There is no single company in a position to influence or dominate the industry as no company holds more than 5% of the global market shares. Hilton is growing quickly, as it has the highest global market share by room supply of approximately 4.7%. Hiltons operations are mainly concentrated in the United States, but it has started to increase its presence in the international market. Hilton has a higher market share of 9.3 % in the United States, it has a r elatively small share of 3% in other regions in the Middle East and Africa, 1.6 % in Europe, and 1.2 % in the Asia Pacific region. Hilton faces a strong competition as a hotel, resort, residential, and timeshare manager, franchisor, developer and owner. The hotel and lodging industry inspects several elements in terms of competition, such as the attractiveness of the facility, location, quality of accommodations, amenities, level of service, room rate, public and meeting spaces and other guest services, consistency of service, brand reputation and the ability to earn and redeem loyalty program points through a global system. Hilton principal competitors on a global scale are Marriott International, Accor S.A., Carlson Rezidor Group, MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Intercontinental Hotel Group, and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation. Financial Analysis and Projections Financial History 2014-2015 Hilton Worldwide generates revenue from three business segments namely ownership, management and franchise and timeshare which accounts for the companys strong financial results. For fiscal year ending 2015 total revenue increased from $10,505,000,000 in 2014 to 1$1,272,000,000 in 2015, showing a growth of 6%. This positive revenue is attributed to recovery in the economy. Likewise, cost of revenue also increased from $4,029,000,000 in 2014 to $4,065,000,000. These cost of revenue are consistent with the companys portfolio expansion. However as a percentage revenues, cost of revenues decreased by 2% in 2015 which is a reflection of the companys extensive cost reducing strategy, meanwhile the companys gross profit margins increased by 2.27% in 2015. The companys selling and administrative, non-recurring, and other expenses as a percentage of revenues has shown slight increases over the past two years, which is consistent with expansions. However, the company was able to compress the cost of expenses so that these cost did not increase by more than the increase in revenues. On a per share basis, earnings showed a significant increase from $2.04 in 2014 to $4.26 in 2015, this represented an increase in performance. The companys net profit increased by 5.59% to 1,404,000,000 up from 673,000, 000, as Hilton launched its 13th brand, Tru by Hilton. Hiltons performance was as a result of the increase in revenues from owned and leased hotels in all segments and regions, with occupancy and rate increases in all regions except Middle East and Africa. Hiltons economic growth continued to drive performance, as global RevPAR increased from 3 to 5 percent. Hilton achieved record expansion and financial results in 2015 and continues to lead th e industry as the largest, best-performing and fastest-growing hospitality company. Fiscal Year ended 2016 The fiscal year ended 2016 was a record-breaking year for Hilton as the company increased its system size by 6.6% with 52,000 gross rooms opened, nearly one hotel per day was opened a total 354 hotels and started construction on nearly 77,000 rooms. The first quarter of the fiscal year 2016, was the slowest quarter for Hilton as they reported revenues of $2,750,000, 000, a 5% decrease over the corresponding period for 2015. The second quarter was the strongest quarter of the entire year, with a 9.9% revenue growth over the previous quarter. Revenues saw a consistent decline over the two last quarters. Net income for the first quarters of the 2016 was $ 309,000,000, a 48.5% increase over the corresponding period the previous year. However the company saw a significant reduction in net income over the three last quarters, and even posted a net loss in fourth quarter of 2016, the net loss was $382 million compared to net income of $816 million for the previous period in, 2015. During the fourth quarter of 2016, Hilton incurred a tax charge of $513 million related to a corporate restructuring executed before the spin-offs, resulting in a net loss for the period. For the fourth quarter of 2016, diluted loss per share was $1.17 compared to diluted earnings per share of $2.47 for the fourth quarter of 2015. For the fiscal year 2016, diluted EPS was $1.05 compared to $4.26 for the previous year. Net income was $364 million for the full year 2016 compared to $1,416 million for the fiscal year 2015, a 74% reduction. The companys performance for fiscal year 2016 reflect the effects of the spin-off of Park Hotels Resorts Inc. and Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. which was completed in January 2017. Consolidated Income Statement and Projections Common Size Expected Common Size Expected Common Size Actual Actual Actual All numbers in thousands Revenue 12/31/2018 12/31/2017 12/31/2016 12/31/2015 12/31/2014 Total Revenue 100% 9,661,440 100% 8,880,000 100% 11,663,000 11,272,000 10,502,000 Cost of Revenue 35.00% 3,381,504 35% 3,108,000 34.71% 4,048,000 4,065,000 4,019,000 Gross Profit 65.00% 6,279,936 65.00% 5,772,000 65.29% 7,615,000 7,207,000 6,483,000 Operating Expenses Selling General and Administrative 42.00% 4,057,805 40.00% 3,552,000 43.40% 5,062,000 4,741,000 4,182,000 Non-Recurring 0.09% 9,000 0.17% 15,000 0.13% 15,000 9,000 9,000 Others 5.88% 568,093 6.00% 532,800 5.88% 686,000 692,000 628,000 Total Operating Expenses Operating Income or Loss 1,645,039 1,672,200 1,861,000 2,071,000 1,673,000 Income from Continuing Operations Total Other Income/Expenses Net 4.50% 434,764.8 1.00% 88,800 0.15% -18,000 283,000 73,000 Earnings Before Interest and Taxes 21.53% 2,079,803 19.83% 1,761,000 15.79% 1,842,000 2,071,000 1,765,000 Interest Expense 5.00% 483072 5.00% 444,000 5.03% 587,000 575,000 618,000 Income Before Tax 13.00% 1,255,987.2 11.83% 1,050,600 10.76% 1,255,000 1,496,000 1,147,000 Income Tax Expense 5.00% 483072 5.00% 444,000 7.64% 891,000 80,000 465,000 Minority Interest 0.40% 38645.76 0.40% 35,520 0.43% 50,000 34,000 38,000 Net Income From Continuing Ops 8.00% 772,915.2 6.00% 532,800 3.05% 356,000 1,427,000 692,000 Net Income 7.60% 734269.44 6.43% 571,080 2.98% 348,000 1,404,000 673,000 Net Income Applicable To Common Shares 734,269.44 571,080 348,000 1,404,000 673,000 EPS Diluted 2.09 1.74 1.06 1.35 1.14 Average Share 350,000 329,000 329,730 1,040,000 590,350 Projections for Next Two years Current Fiscal year ending December 2017 As Hilton separate into three distinct, publicly traded company, in order to unlock growth opportunities and to take advantage of the capital market and tax efficiencies, there seems to be a dim outlook for the upcoming year. Experts project that revenues growth will decrease by 23.80% to 8.88 billion down from 11.66 billion in 2016. This expected decline in growth is not expected to translate in a reduction in overall EPS, as EPS, are expected to increase from $1.06 to $1.74. In fiscal 2017 the company plans to roll out its new simplified business model: A market leading fee-based business as over 90% of Hiltons revenue comes from franchise fee and management fee. This new business model is expected to generate significant revenues as the company continues to lead the industry in net unit growth without significant use of capital. Hilton intends to aggressively invest to drive revenues and manage risk. With the enhanced capabilities developed through the 354 hotels added in 2016 and the completion of a further 77,000 rooms. In addition, the company is expected to drive per unit growth due to the launch of its newest brand, Tapestry Collection by Hilton and extensive management contracts with large luxury hotels in countries such as China. However, general and administrative expense, non-recurring expenses and other expenses are projected to be flat compared to fiscal year 2016. Net profit is project to increase by 3.45% to 571,080 million. For the fiscal year ending December 2017, Hilton expects total revenue from continuing operations to increase by more than 20% up 88 million compared to the $18 million loss in 2016. Net unit growth is expected to be roughly 50,000 to 55,000 rooms as such system-wide RevPAR is projected to increase anywhere from 1 to 3 percent compared to 2016. For the fiscal year 2017 cash available for capital return and debt prepayments is projected to be between $900 million and $1 billion. Likewise, capital expenditures for the year, excluding amounts reimbursed by hotel owners, are estimated to be between $150 million and $200 million. Fiscal Year Ending December 2018 For the fiscal year ending December 2018, revenue are projected to increase by an average of 8.80 %, up to $9.67 billion, while earnings are expected to grow to an average of 2% to roughly $2.08 billion, showing positive prospects of continued growth. The earnings per shares are expected to show a corresponding increase from $1.74 to $2.08. Hilton is expected to drive leading investment returns to hotel owners, as hotel owners continue to invest in Hiltons system growth. Hilton is also expecting its market-leading growth to be amplified by its new brands that will bring new customers into its system and offers more opportunities for its existing customers to stay with the company. Capitalization and Other Asset and Liability Analysis During fiscal year 2016, in preparation for the spin-offs, Hilton entered into a series of financing transactions, of which the debt incurred by HGV and Park is the sole obligation of those entities after the spin-offs. Hilton entered into a $200 million senior secured term loan facility for HGV, the company also entered into a $750 million senior unsecured term loan facility for Park and issued two new commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) loans for Park totaling $2 billion. The company also repaid $250 million on the senior secured term loan facility entered into in 2013. Finally the company borrowed $300 million on the revolving non-recourse timeshare financing receivables credit facility entered into in 2013 for HGV. Also during the fourth quarter of 2016, Hilton repaid the outstanding balance of $3,418 million on a CMBS loan entered into in 2013 and a $450 million mortgage loan, using net proceeds from 2016 borrowings and available cash. As of December 31, 2016, Hilton had $10.2 billion of long-term debt outstanding, of which $3.0 billion is transferred to Park and $0.5 billion is transferred to HGV in connection with the spin-offs. As of December 31, 2016, total cash and cash equivalents was $1,684 million, net receivables was $1.15 billion, inventory amounted to 541 million and other current assets was 176 million. In December 2016, Hilton paid a quarterly cash dividend of $0.07 per share on outstanding common shares, a total of $70 million, bringing total cash dividends paid in 2016 to $277 million. Hilton ended 2016 with property plant and equipment valued $8,930 million, goodwill of $5,822 million, intangible asset of $6,374 million, and other assets of $334 million the company also had deferred long term asset charge of 117 million. Hiltons total asset increased by 495 million to $26,211 million up from $25, 716 million in 2015. At the end of the 2016 the Hiltons had a working capital of $873 million, this indicates that the company has the ability to pay its short term liabilities. The current ratio is 1.33:1, which is also an indication of the companys ability to honor its short term obligations as they fall dues. Hiltons has $2,684 in total current liabilities, $20,312 million in total liabilities and total stockholders equity of $5,899 million and decrease of 52 million over the same pe riod in 2015. Projections indicate that along with Hilton s new simplifies business model and the separation of the three companies, the current capitalization structure Hilton should be profitable without the need for excess borrowing. Balance Sheet for year ended 31, December 2016 All numbers in thousands Current Assets $ Current Liabilities $ Cash And Cash Equivalents 1,684,000 Accounts Payable 2,513,000 Net Receivables 1,156,000 Short/Current Long Term Debt 171,000