Future business needs of reverse logistics Research Paper

Future business needs of reverse logistics - Research Paper Example It is becoming a concern in the modern day supply chain that retailers should try to incorporate reverse logistics into supply transactions and should not treat them as individual or minor cases. The management in lace should also strive to link up the various transactions in the supply chain to be in line with reverse logistics. The statistical control process can be of great help in the shaping the future of reverse logistics. This type of approach emphasizes on the end quality of a particular product. This process emphasizes on efficiency and ensures that the desired end goal is met with minimized waste and increased efficiency. This approach takes two stages: the first stage is the commencing of the process while the second stage is the frequent application of this process. The statistical control process commonly makes use of machine, man, material, and method in the manufacturing process (Dekker et al., 2004).. Since this method of production emphasizes on the quality of production, it puts a keen interest in the initial stages of this production method. This emphasis is to ensure that there is efficiency in the production process rather than correction of mistakes made at a later stage. This process can therefore mint reverse logistics into the initial programme of the supply chain to make the process more efficient and effective. The core tenets that the statistical control method applies are control charts, the stable process, and the excessive variation procedures to obtain the desired results. According to Dyckhoff et al. (2004), the leadership put in place should be in a position to ensure that the process is not only efficient but also put across counter attack procedures. The main aim of leadership in position is to ensure that the return of merchandise is swift, less costly and convenient to both the manufacturers and the customers. The leadership should ensure that there is avoidance of the return of already

Mary Kay Ashs Essay Example for Free

Mary Kay Ashs Essay Story By phoebe Mary Kay Ash was a famous American businesswoman and the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics. She started her business with a small investment of $5000 in 1963, and soon became one of the most successful business women of her time. Mary Kay Ash was born on 12th May, 1918 in Hot Wells, Harris County, Texas. Her childhood experiences shaped the future of this visionary woman, and with a significant impact to the American history. Due to the illness of her father, her mother worked for 14 hours a day at a local food restaurant to take care of the family, while Mary Kay looked after her father along since she was young. Her mother always put the â€Å"you can do it† spirit in the young Mary’s mind. One time, Mary Kay’s mother went to work and she needed to take care of the illness father at home alone, she had to decoct medicine herbs for her father but she didn’t how to do it. So she called her mother to teach her step by step on the phone, but little Mary Kay was afraid, but her mother said to her gently †you can do it † . Finally, she did it. Since then, this sentence has inspired her when she encountered difficulties. When she was only seventeen years old, she married Ben Rogers then soon had three children, while her husband went to serve in World War II; she took the job of direct selling of books. Due to her amazing marketing skills, she earned an amazing $25,000 in just six months. While Mary Kay was enjoying her professional success, things at the personal front weren’t that smooth. Her husband was killed on the battlefield, and left her with three children. After her divorce, Mary Kay took up a job with Stanley Home Products, a direct sales firm. She became very successful in selling home care products but didn’t get enough recognition for her work. Her supervisors not only didn’t appreciate her work but also never raise her salaries. However, if a man did what she has done, somehow he can get an award. The inequality between men and women are very obvious in her workplace. So finally she resigned after worked very hard for 25 years in the firm, at the same time she learned a very important lesson of her life that men could not believe that a woman can be successful in business. Mary Kay turned her attention to writing a book, which eventually changed the course of her life and became a plan for her dream company that had innovative marketing plan for women. But her accountant said that she will close down if you start to open it. It’s impossible, She has seen many of these cases that many people went bankrupt within six month. But Mary Kay never heard of it, she believed that she can do it well. In 1963, with an investment of $5000, only a 500 sq. feet store in Dallas, Texas, Mary Kay and her nine zealous beauty consultant started the Mary Kay Cosmetics Company; it was a direct cosmetic products selling company. In the first year of operation, they made a staggering profit of $200,000. In the two years time, Mary Kay Company was selling products worth one million dollars. By this time, the company she created had become a worldwide enterprise with representatives in more than 30 markets. She applied the strategy of giving incentives over good work and started by giving pink Cadillac to the top salespersons of the year. The other incentives included diamond jewelry, bumblebee pins, and 5-star vacations. This strategy really worked and became one of the reasons for company’s success over the years. If you want, do it, you can, this is her famous wisdom and realized the dream for women and a better life of abundance with heart. She also published three best-selling books during her lifetime. Her book, â€Å"Mary Kay on People Management†, another best seller was included in the business courses at Harvard Business School. Mary Kay received many honors and awards during and after her lifetime. In 1976, she received the Hall of fame Award from Direct Selling Association. Two years after that, in 1978, she got the Cosmetic Career Woman of the Year Award from the Cosmetics Career Women, Inc. The same year she received the Horatio Alger Distinguished American Citizen Award from Horatio Alger Association and so on. Mary Kay Ash passed away on 22nd Nov, 2001. She was buried in the Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Dallas, Texas. She is the greatest women I paid my full respect to her. She gives women the courage to fulfill our dream not only in Mary Kay Company but also another business sectors and proved that not only men can be successful in business but also women can be. Yes, she did it. It’s a very good piece of work, the detail information are very clear. But it will be a good idea to give one or two more examples on how she relate idea of â€Å"you can do it† in her later successful business life.

America At War: The World Is Not Enough :: essays research papers

When a person is given the microphone at a podium, the attention of the audience is customarily afforded to that person so that they may convey their message(s) clearly. In the past fifty years, advancements in technology and the ability to transmit information have transformed the world into a global stage for any individual or group who wish to broadcast their agendas. The more modernized and stable countries, namely western European nations and the United States of America, have a strangle hold on the microphone to this global stage and are reluctant to release it. The major problems inherent in the effort to emphasize global instead of discreet national histories of mass communication rest within the mentalities of these western powers. A country, like America, whose mindset fosters ideals such as media imperialism, capitalism, and cultural dominance will have supreme reign in a society that can be easily influenced by the various tools of the media. With the exception of the Persian Gulf War in the early 90’s, the Vietnam War is the last major conflict that the Unites States has been involved in. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, which effectively ended the Cold War and automatically allowed America to become the front running nuclear power, the U.S. needed a new objective to conquer other than communism. Since the U.S. armed forces cannot thoroughly flex its military muscles in the absence of a war, an acceptable alternative is to inundate other developing countries with the thoughts of â€Å"democracy and freedom† through the media. However, the validity of America’s true intentions are often questioned when it begins to preach that all humans are entitled to have the freedom of choice. What exactly, do these freedoms entail? Normally, for American businesses and industries, this suggests that people are free to choose to consume American made goods and products. Although it may have been inadvertent at first, an imperial power such as America will expand in its blundering efforts to do good or protect its borders (Herman 1992). After a certain amount of time, this expansion is no longer by chance but by purpose because those who control the channels of media begin to promote imperialistic views, which eventually lead to the domination of a market, be it newspaper, radio, or television. The American dominance in the television market for example, can be aptly characterized by a silly show about lifeguards working on a Los Angeles beach.

National University of Singapore Personal Statement

Having a degree is one of the most admired achievements in the life of an individual. It is the basis of how your future will be. If you have a nice and much known degree then you have the greater chances of being hired the moment you graduate. I chose to apply Business Management and Communications and News Media in this University for I believe that National University of Singapore is going to help me build my future and dreams through their much established curriculum and high standards.I know that Business Management and Communications and News Media really fit me for the reason that I have lots of experience that has polished my character, intelligence and attitude. I chose Psychology because I believe that this can help me have a brighter future. Basically, this course is a lot of fun. Studying business, about how to communicate effectively and things about News Media would also help me develop the attitude or the character on how to deal with people in such a manner that is we ll educated and proper. Having a degree in this course will help me get the best job being offered in the society. I know having this degree will let me become more productive.There were certain experiences I have had in relevance with my chosen course. One of those was when I was part of the play, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde; where in I was Gwendolyn, one of the main characters. I have always loved theater, especially acting. Gwendolyn Fairfax in this play portrayed a conservative Victorian. She always aims on being intellectually updated, where in she upgrades her skills and knowledge by attending conventions and the like. But the only thing is that she isn’t true. She was not her real self, she was just acting out what she thinks would be good and acceptable.Gwendolyn in this play is a strong willed and aggressive woman for what she feels she expresses it immediately. She was an epitome of grace and beauty among women. I can very much connect with Gwendo lyn; I know what my principles and values are. I never compromise my reputation. I am also strong willed and assertive in the sense that when I know that I am on the right track, I am never afraid to go and pursue it. All the qualities that Gwendolyn has that I can easily relate like her being strong willed, assertive but still compose and decent, applies to my chosen course.Through this experience I had in the play, was just one of the stepping stone for me to polish my character or attitude especially with regards to being patient. Being patient with my co- members in the play and the long time hours in practicing the play in order to come up with the best. I never settle for less. I always want to achieve the best. I never want mediocrity. I believe I can apply all these values in my chosen course.I am also teaching in our Sunday school in a local church. I am teaching children ranging from 6 – 9 yrs old. Through this experience I never forget that Religion is also importa nt. It was important before but it is much important today.Religion involves the relationship between mankind and what is regarded as sacred. Religion almost always includes the belief in the supernatural and a code of ethical behavior. Why do men suffer? What is the nature of the Universe and how it is governed? What is the nature of man and what is his destiny? Religion tries to answer the questions of ultimate existence and of life and death and human and destiny. Many religions hold the universe is governed by God. Through religion man may see meaning in the universe and find a personal role in it.Thousands of years ago, religion played a very vital role in the lives of the people. Even thought that time things were not that so complicated not like now, people still has a closer connection to God. People then put a greater emphasis on going to church, fellowshipping with their brother’s and sister’s and in maintaining their relationship with their creator.As of now , in our present times I think that Religion is ten times important than it was before. As the modern world is evolving and is now being introduced to different kinds of beliefs and theories that could likely shake our foundation of faith for God. The basis and the only foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ. We must hold on to him more especially these days that there are many deceivers out there that are being used by the enemy to destroy us and to keep us away from the loving arms of God.When we don’t have a strong foundation of our relationship to God, we can easily yield to the temptations and offerings that Satan will present to us, like the technology of today. If we don’t know how to control the usage of technology of today, we can be manipulated and controlled by it. That is just one of the tactics of Satan to let us fall into the pit he is preparing for us, for us to be kept away from God’s destiny for us.We are free to choose what we want to do, but we are not free to determine if what he have chosen is good or evil, right or wrong. Our choices may be good or bad insofar as they conform to God’s divine and eternal law and the imperatives which are made known to us through the mediation of conscience that God has bestowed in spirits. In my life I have made many decisions that brought great changes to me as an individual. There are times that I am very doubtful to make a choice especially in a very hard situation. But whenever I am in doubt to make a choice, I just listen to my conscience for me to determine and scrutinize what is really the right thing for me to do.A mature moral decision is not only a decision to make a good deed that â€Å"we ought to do† but also a â€Å"choice made in good faith to make what we want ourselves to be†.   The dignity of the human person implies and demands the rectitude of the moral conscience; that is, it’s being based on truth, which is God’s word. One mus t seriously seek a right conscience or, in other words, one must try to make sure one’s moral judgment is right. This can be achieved by diligently learning the laws of moral life through spiritual formation, asking God for light through a fervent prayer, removing the obstacles to right judgment such as habitual moral disorder or bad habits, and lastly is examining yourself.As I grew up and experienced lots of circumstances, I have now a more grown up approach of making choices. I just do not base my decisions with my feelings at that very moment. I see to it, that whatever outcome after I have made my move, I will still be strong and able to stand up. I will be able to stand firm with my decision. I see to it that it will have more advantages than the disadvantages. I weigh the pros and cons of every circumstance that I am into in which I am task to decide things with. I have learned that not all delightful things are right, for there are also hurtful and unpleasant things t hat turned out right also.Making moral decisions demands maturity and responsibility. To seek to understand reality, to be attentive to the wisdom of the past, to discern the biases and demands of a particular situation- all these efforts are required of a matured individual. Through this experience that I had as a Sunday school teacher, I am able to impart my knowledge about my faith in God towards those who do not know him. In relation to my chosen course, it will help me not compromise especially when graduate from Business Management and Communications and News Media. It will help me become an efficient worker in the area that I will be assigned. I can be a model towards those who are educated yet do not know their real purpose and the intent of their chosen field.I also participated in a national racing competition and won 3rd place. It was my first racing competition where I competed with fifty plus racers, most of them were men. But I still succeeded them because of my drive to win. I never thought that I am weak because I am a woman. I proved them wrong, as I also loved sports. I am a multi tasked individual, I can balance things that I am very much inclined with like in the Academics and Sports.Through the competition, I have proved to myself that I can also do what others can achieve. That gender can not dictate you from achieving, from dreaming. If you want to, then you should have the great drive and interest. I like competition and I do not give up until I will win a fight. It gives a feeling of satisfaction and contentment. My self- esteem is leveled higher whenever I succeed a competition. For me it instigates my willingness to thrive more and work hard, for me not to be put to shame.I am also a hardworking individual, which is why I won the third place in the competition because I was diligent in practicing. I beat all of those men in the contest, even if they were men and symbolized strength, I still conquer them because I was very much eager to win and make others proud of me. I was very much encouraged to go and fight them. like in my chosen degree, I know I am going to meet obstacles or travails as I go along my studies but with the integrity and willingness that I have, I know I am going to survive the hindrances or difficulties I will be meeting along the way.I am a very social person, so my chosen course just fits me that much because in business and communication, one needs to have the ability to go along well with other; that is to socialize; to be able to fit into different groups, or social classes and different types of character. I am a risk taker, especially when I know that I am going to succeed in the end. I am willing to risk things, but on the other hand, I am willing to fight for it too.I like to try new things, things that excite me, like achieving. Having to achieve new thing, I know can bring felicity to my family. Like I said, I never settle for low quality. I always want the best of everything. For I believe that whatever your output is, totally reflects you. So when your output is of low quality, people will see you as an under achiever; a person who only settles for less.I am much interested to be in this degree because I know that National University of Singapore provides one of the best educations I can ever find. They don’t just focus on the academics but also with the totality of the being of their students. They set standards that other Universities do not have. I know I am going to have a great future ahead of me in this institution. I will always have this gratitude in my heart towards National University of Singapore because through them individuals who dreams of having jobs, those highly paid jobs can now fulfill their dreams. Those individuals will be given the hope to dream, and have a bountiful life while having the qualities of a good individual being admired by the society around him.

Luxury goods in China Essay

Life is getting harder for purveyors of luxury in China, but the growth prospects are still fabulous Jun 8th 2013 | SHANGHAI |From the print edition â€Å"IT WAS AN AMAZING GOLDEN AGE,† REFLECTS GUILLAUME BROCHARD OF QEELIN, A CHINESE jeweller. From 2007 to 2011 many luxury-goods firms enjoyed double-digit annual growth in China, which became their most important market. The first blows came last year, with an economic slowdown and jitters about the political transition. Now, a crackdown on corrupt gift-giving and a populist backlash against ostentation have added to the woes. The outlook for luxury-goods firms appears to have dimmed. Internet users have posted incriminating pictures, for example of poorly paid bureaucrats wearing suspiciously pricey watches, which have caused heads to roll. Mobs have also disrupted banquets deemed to be too lavish, on occasions forcing officials to their knees to beg for forgiveness. This has traumatised some purveyors of conspicuous consumption. Beijing Xiangeqing, an upmarket catering outfit that is usually highly profitable, plunged into the red last quarter. Sales of shark fin, the key ingredient of a soup served at fancy dinners, are down by around 70% year-on-year. Imports of bottles of Bordeaux costing more than $800 have collapsed. But look beyond the lavish public banquets and a more complicated picture emerges —AND NOT JUST BECAUSE DEVIOUS OFFICIALS ARE NOW THROWING THEIR EXTRAVAGANT PARTIES IN private. It is true that some luxury-goods firms are grappling with slowing demand in China: imports of Swiss watches, for example, fell 24% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2013. But Andrew Keith of Lane Crawford, a high-end department store that first opened in Hong Kong in 1850, reports no slowdown at his stores there or in Beijing. Burberry, a British fashion brand, enjoyed sales growth in China of about 20% in the year to March. Sales of private jets in China are still soaring. So what is really going on? It seems that China remains the biggest prize in the luxury industry, but the low-hanging fruit is gone. Luxury firms must now venture beyond the coastal cities where they have made easy fortunes, cultivate new types of customers and market niches, and experiment with new business models. It will be worth the effort. Despite the recent troubles, Bruno Lannes of Bain & Company, a consultancy, insists that â€Å"Chinese have become, and will remain for a long time, the most important luxury consumers. † His firm estimates that luxury sales in greater China (which includes Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau) will grow by 6-8% this year, ? 2 ? ? 3 ? to exceed $35 billion, making it a luxury market second only to America. But even that does not tell the full story. China’s rich are travelling more and farther, and do lots of luxury shopping on their travels, especially in Europe, whose weak currencies encourage Chinese visitors to splash out. Measured by the nationality of the buyer, China is now the world’s biggest luxury market, and growing fast (see chart). Last year mainland Chinese took 83m foreign trips, up 18. 4% on 2011. Global Blue, a big tax-free-shopping firm, says its refunds to Chinese shoppers shot up by 58% last year to more than 24 billion yuan ($3. 9 billion). To make the most of this trend, firms need to rejig their shops worldwide. They need Mandarin-speaking assistants, VIP rooms big enough to accommodate large tour parties and payment systems that can handle Chinese credit cards. Philippe Leopold- Metzger, who runs Piaget, a Swiss watch and jewellery brand, says he regards the firm’s outlets in China itself more as showcases than profit-earners: half of his global business comes from mainlanders, but they mostly buy while on foreign trips. That said, there are still plenty of opportunities to expand sales inside China. Kent Wong, managing director of Chow Tai Fook, the world’s largest jeweller, with over 1,700 sales outlets on the mainland, says their takings are continuing to grow. Any weakness is seen chiefly in coastal cities exposed to China’s struggling exports. In the interior, where locals are not yet used to foreign shopping jaunts, â€Å"middle-class incomes are still rising. † Luxury firms are having to adapt to this fragmentation in the Chinese market. Whereas flashy â€Å"bling† still sells to the new money in smaller, interior towns, globetrotters from the coastal cities are returning from their travels as more knowledgeable and demanding shoppers. Armando Branchini of Fondazioni Altagamma, the Italian confederation of luxury brands, says such customers look for more subtle and modern designs. Digitally challenged Over two-thirds of Chinese use the internet to research brands, but most luxury firms have pitiful digital strategies. One study found that luxury websites take four times as long to load in China as elsewhere (because most firms do not put servers inside China’s Great Firewall, which slows access to foreign sites) and rarely offer yuan prices or purchasing options. Mobile commerce is growing in China, but few luxury firms’ websites are optimised for mobile devices. As the tastes of rich Chinese evolve, business models combining local flavour and global savvy are emerging. Qeelin, recently bought by Kering, a French luxury house formerly known as PPR, is one example. Another is Shang Xia, a homeware label inspired by local crafts, launched in 2010 by Hermes, also of France. Under orders ? 3 ? ? 3 ? from the government in Beijing, foreign carmakers and their Chinese joint-venture partners are creating new, local brands: BMW will produce cars with the Zhinuo badge, and Mercedes will market new models under the Denza brand. So far, Chinese luxury buyers, especially of cars, have turned up their noses at domestic brands. But the hybrid brands may prompt them to reassess the â€Å"Made in China† label, says Michel Gutsatz of the China Europe International Business School. At a conference the school recently held, He Haiming of CCTV, China’s dominant national broadcaster, pointed out that â€Å"Made in Germany† and â€Å"Made in Japan† were also once derided, but are now marks of quality. As Europe’s luxury-goods firms grow from low-volume exclusivity to semi-industrial scale—thanks in large part to China’s voracious appetite for their wares—Mr Gutsatz argues that they â€Å"must think of economics† and consider manufacturing in China itself instead of mainly exporting to it. The business of getting wealthy Chinese to open their wallets is bound to go on evolving, but the opportunities for growth make it irresistible. From the print edition: Business.

Avoid the HMRC backlash - Emphasis

Avoid the HMRC backlash Avoid the HMRC backlash You may recall that six million people have through no fault of their own paid the wrong amount of tax over the last few years, thanks to a blunder at HM Revenue Customs (HMRC). The story dominated the column inches last month, in part because of the way HMRC so unceremoniously delivered this bombshell to its customers (in the form of a standard tax calculation letter) and in part because of the backlash that followed from taxpayers. Being customer-centred Arguably some of the controversy could have been avoided through a large dose of subtlety and a more customer-centred approach from HMRC. And if it had actually taken into account how its customers might receive the news (particularly if you were one of the 1.4 million poor souls who had underpaid). HMRC was never going to make friends in this situation, but equally it didnt have to make enemies. The tone of its letter was on the clinical side at best and unapologetic at worst. Heres an extract to give you a flavour: Dear taxpayer [Name] I have reviewed your income tax liability for the year shown above to see whether you have underpaid or overpaid tax for that year. My calculation is given on the enclosed sheet. The calculation result is given near the foot of that page. The See Notes column refers to the numbered notes in the guidance leaflet Understanding your tax calculation which I also enclose. A copy of this calculation has been sent to [Agent name]. Part of this underpayment is already being collected through your tax code during [year] and the rest will be collected during [yearyear] (Source: BBC News) Keeping letter writing customer-centred is always important, but probably never more so than when giving bad news. The last thing you want is to exacerbate the situation by not only delivering a blow, but by also sounding like a robot as you do so. To avoid this, try the SCRAP (Situation, Complication, Resolution, Action, Politeness) formula. Situation Begin by explaining the situation (or where they [your readers] are). By doing this, your readers will realise you understand and empathise with them. In the case of HMRC, this could have involved briefly summing up (and owning up to) mistakes in the PAYE system, and suggesting it was at least aware of the worry this might cause to its customers. As you may be aware, HMRC has recently found that some taxpayers have paid the wrong amount of tax through the PAYE system over the last two years. We understand that many people will now be concerned about how this may affect them. Complication Introduce the idea that theres a problem readers need to solve or a request they need to fulfil (why they cant stay there). Here, of course, this will be the money taxpayers owe (or are due). It would also be wise to reinforce this with an apology. Im very sorry to tell you that you have been undercharged by X for the year XX, as the enclosed calculation shows. Resolution State your resolution to the problem or request. Your readers may well be relieved that youre offering a ready-made way of fixing things. (In the case of HMRC, such a sense of relief would unfortunately elude those taxpayers suddenly finding themselves seriously out of pocket.) We are now in the process of collecting underpayments. For those who have underpaid by less than 2000, like you, we will do this by altering your tax code to reclaim the money in monthly instalments over the next X year[s]. We would also like to assure you that from now on, we will be using a new computer system that will minimise the risk of such a mistake happening again. Action Suggest what action the reader can or should take. In some cases, this will be what further action you, the writer, are going to take. Make sure that this follows on logically from the resolution. HMRC has been criticised for not being entirely open about taxpayers possible rights to appeal. If these were made clear at this point, it might avoid being bombarded with letters of appeal sent on the off-chance. You dont need to do anything at this point: your new tax code will be applied automatically. The additional tax taken each month will be X. If, however, you feel that you provided all the necessary information for us to tax you correctly, you may be entitled to appeal. Please see the enclosed leaflet for details on whether this applies to you and how to contact us. Politeness Finally, end with a polite sign-off. And, in this example, a second apology. I hope you understand why we need to take this corrective action. Once again, Im sorry for the effect that our mistake may have on your financial situation. Yours sincerely [name] Apologise like a human No-one likes to admit theyve made a mistake, but owning up and apologising when its justified will always have a better reception from your reader than trying to wriggle out of it. And, while I apologise is better than nothing, Im sorry is much better: it sounds more sincere and more personal. The language of we apologise for any inconvenience caused has been dubbed professionalese by Daniel H Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Pink advises avoiding the phrase entirely, because it makes the author seem like theyre distancing themselves from the mistake. We speak human at home and professionalese at work, he explains. And that might be hurting our businesses more than we realise. In childhood were often told to say were sorry and mean it. And it seems that remains the best advice at every level. In his book The Upside of Irrationality, Dan Ariely found that a simple Im sorry, uttered following a mistake, stopped the other person from getting annoyed and retaliating in some way. Say, for example, refusing to pay back tax. Want to improve your teams customer-letter writing? See our in-house customer-letter writing course.

Command of Evidence 5 Key SAT Reading Strategies

Command of Evidence 5 Key SAT Reading Strategies SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The new SAT challenges students to understand the reasoning behind each answer they pick. Command of Evidence questions are a manifestation of this mission. In order to answer them, you have to carefully evaluate your thought process and the evidence presented by the author of the passage. This article will focus on the evidence questions on the Reading section of the SAT; we have a separate article on Writing questions (coming soon). In this guide, I'll tell you exactly what these questions test, what kinds there are, and how you can learn to answer them correctly every time! What Are Command of Evidence Questions? These questions are a new feature of the SAT Reading and Writing sections in 2016. There are 18 Command of Evidence questions on each test that span the two sections, and you'll get a subscore out of 15 based on how many you answer correctly. Here's a raw to scaled score conversion chart provided by the College Board: As you can see, Command of Evidence is one of sevensubscores,which were created to give students a clearer picture of their academic strengths and weaknesses by delving deeper than the section scores or cross-test scores. You can read more about the scoring of the new SAT here. What Do Command of Evidence Questions Test? This article will deal with Command of Evidence questions on the Reading section exclusively (see our Writing-focused coming soon). Thesequestions will ask you to: Identify the best textual evidence for your answer to the previous question. Identify how authors use evidence to support their claims. Examine how data supports claims made in the passage. On questions where you have to find the best textual evidence for an answer, each choice is a different quote from the passage.These questions ask you to confront the reasoning behind your answers directly.They’re also unique because the answers to two sequential questions are tied to one another.Looking at the evidence choices can help you answer the first question correctly, or answering the first question correctly can lead you to the appropriate evidentiary quote. In questions that ask you to identify how the author supports his or her claims, you have to use a similar thought process, although these questions stand alone.Again, the answer choices are quotes from the passage, but this time you have to identify the quote that best supports an argument made by the author rather than an answer that you’ve given to another question. These types of evidence questions are rare, but they still come up once or twice on every test. Command of Evidence also encompasses some of the Reading section's new data interpretation questions.You’ll be asked which claim is best supported by the data presented in a graph or chart (or whether the data supports the authors claim at all). Overall, thesequestions test your ability to think analytically about how certain conclusions are supported. They'rea part of the SAT’s shift towards testing more practical skill sets.It’s important to learn how to think this way before you get to college and the professional world so that you can do effective research, make compelling arguments, and read with a discerning eye. I’ll provide examples of all three types of Command of Evidence questions in the next section so that you have a better idea of what to expect! On the new SAT, you must have an eagle eye for evidence! Eat at least two small rodents before the test to keep your energy up. Examples of Command of Evidence Questions There are three types of thesequestions on SAT Reading. We'll go over what each one tests and walk through a sample question. Question Type 1: Paired Find the Evidence Here’s an example of the first type of Command of Evidence question.This question challenges youto find the best evidence for your answer to the previous question. I’ll give you the relevant paragraph from the passage first.For context, before this paragraph, the author describes the flaws in North American public transportation systems that have led people to choose cars instead: What’s interesting about these types of questions is that you CAN’T answer the find the evidence question until you figure out what the previous question is asking.Upon reading this paragraph, how would you describe its focus without looking at the answer choices? The main point of the paragraph is that public transportation can be just as convenient and comfortable as driving your own car, as evidenced by sophisticated public transportation systems around the world. Let's look at the answer choices: Choices A and D have too narrow of a focus. They don’t describe the main point that the paragraph is trying to get across.Choice C is an irrelevant answer because the paragraph doesn’t specifically advocate changing American public transportation systems to match these models.Choice B appears to be the best answer for question 14. But we’re not done looking at question 14 yet! Question 15 asks us to reconsider why we chose B.Why did we decide that the main point of the paragraph was consistent with the statement â€Å"some public transportation systems are superior to travel by private automobile†?On the old SAT, you could just say â€Å"I dunno, that’s what I felt like the main point was. I don’t have to EXPLAIN myself to you,† but that’s not gonna fly this time. Oh, you don't want to find the evidence? Well I found the evidence of the little party you decided to throw last weekend, how do you like that Chad? Let’s look at question 15's answer choices: Choices C and D reference lines that elaborate on the main point but do not directly establish it.Choice A is a bit trickier to rule out because the main point is related to the fact that public transportation doesn’t have to be inconvenient.However, there’s no concrete information that establishes the main point in that sentence. If you look at it in isolation, there’s no evidence for the main point of the paragraph.The most compelling evidence is the second sentence.It’s a clearly defined topic sentence that sets the stage for the rest of the paragraph.Again, choice B is the correct answer! Question Type 2: Find the Author’s Evidence These evidencequestions are not paired.Instead, they ask which piece of textual evidence most strongly supports a point made by the author.This one applies to another excerpt from the same passage we looked at for the last two questions: Here we’re just looking for the line that most directly backs up a certain idea, in this case, the idea that use of electronic devices and use of public transportation are compatible.This is a question that is pretty simple to answer if you read carefully and aren’t rushing through the test.The only answer choice that references electronic devices in conjunction with public transportation is choice B, lines 63-67.All of the other choices are virtually irrelevant to the idea expressed in the question. I love the magic rectangles. Share this blog post if you agree. Question Type 3: Data-Driven Evidence You’ll also be asked to explain what conclusions can be drawn based on evidence in chart or graph form.Here’s one of the charts that was included with the public transportation article we’ve been looking at and an accompanying data-driven evidence question: This question is also pretty straightforward, but it has a little bit of a tricky twist to it.Choices B and C are clearly incorrect. There’s a much higher number of employed than unemployed people using public transportation, and people employed outside the home make up a much higher percentage of public transportation passengers than homemakers. Choosing between A and D is the tricky part.Choice D turns out to be incorrect because of the words â€Å"less often.†There’s no way of knowing from the data how OFTEN these different types of people use public transportation; the data represents the numbers, not the frequency of use.Choice A is the correct answer because it’s the only one that’s verifiably accurate based on the chart.10.7% of public transportation passengers are students, and only 6.7% are retirees! Should we take the bus? Nah, let's drive there, but make sure you go painfully slow. I like having a long line of cars behind us because it makes me feel just like the president if the secret service hated him and actually wanted him dead. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! 5 Tips for Answering SAT Reading Evidence Questions Now that we’ve gone through the different types of Command of Evidence questions, I’ll provide a few tips for answering them in the most efficient and accurate way possible. #1: Make Predictions For either Paired Find the Evidence or Author Evidence questions, try to make a prediction about the answer before you read all the quotes in the choices.It’s best to formulate an idea of what the answer should look like before confronting the choices.This makes it less likely that your thought process will be disrupted by the suggestions you’re given. For example, in the first sample question, you would think about which part of the paragraph led you to the conclusion that the main idea was â€Å"some public transportation systems are superior to travel by private automobile.†You might already be able to predict that the second sentence of the paragraph provides the most compelling evidence for this claim without seeing the answer choices. #2: Mark the Passage It can be hard to separate the quotes you’re considering as evidence from the rest of the passage, especially if they’re embedded in longer paragraphs.To make it easier on yourself, try underlining each of the potential pieces of evidence that you’re given in the answer choices.This will help you to adopt a more focused approach and see sharper connections between the evidence and your answer to the previous question (or the author’s point in the passage). Sometimes making the right connections isn't so easy. For example, I don't think I've ever successfully put together anything involving these types of cords. #3: Look for Synonyms The most important thing with evidence questions is finding a direct link between the support and the claim.Look for answer choices that contain synonyms to terms or concepts mentioned in the question or in your answer to the previous question.Usually, this indicates a strong evidentiary connection. For example, in the second question we looked at, the â€Å"personal electronic devices† mentioned in the question are mirrored by the â€Å"iPads, MP3 players, Kindles, and smartphones†cited in choice B.This answer was the best evidence because it had the most direct connection to the conclusion laid out in the question. #4: Read ALL the Answers It takes a little more time, but you should always read every answer choice before making a final decision on these questions.You’re looking for the best evidence or the most accurate conclusion.Don't make the mistake of choosing an answer that’s not quite right because you were too quick to commit!Be methodical in your decisions so that you aren't taking any unnecessary risks. Don't get lazy! #5: Digest the Data If you see that charts or graphs are included with a passage, take a minute to look at them and make sure you understand what they represent before you tackle the questions.Making quick judgments as you answer questions can sometimes lead to errors, especially if you’re not as comfortable with data interpretation. Geta solid idea of what each figure represents so that you feel more comfortable drawing conclusions later. Conclusion Command of Evidence questions are new to the SAT this year.There are three different types of questions that fall into this category on the Reading section: Paired Find the Evidence: Choose a quote from the passage that directly supports your answer to a previous question Find the Author’s Evidence: Choose a quote from the passage that directly supports a conclusion drawn by the author Data-Driven Evidence: Interpret evidence presented in the form of charts and graphs and draw appropriate conclusions These questions ask you to analyze your thought process more explicitly to determine why you answered questions a certain way and why your conclusions (or the conclusions of the author) are valid.They force you to get into the nitty-gritty of reading comprehension. Some strategies I’d recommend for approaching these questions include: Predicting the answer before reading the choices Underlining evidence in the passage Looking for synonyms between the claim and the potential pieces of supporting evidence Reading all the answers before making a final decision Understanding the figures before looking at data-driven questions These questions are new, but they’re not necessarily more difficult than anything else you’ve seen on the SAT in the past.They dispel the dangerous illusion of subjectivity for SAT Reading questions by showing you that there is direct evidence for every answer.If you practice identifying direct evidence and avoid making assumptions, these questions may help you to become a better SAT test-taker overall! Get out there and use your newly-found powers to become a test-taking champion (trophy not included). What's Next? Advanced vocabulary knowledge used to be a pretty big part of the SAT Reading section, but things have changed in 2016. Read this article to find out how to study vocabulary for the new version of the test. Taking the SAT with the (now optional) essay? Get the low-down on how the prompts have changed and what you can do to earn a great score. The new SAT has a new scoring system, which means you should have a different target score. Learn more about how to adjust your goals based on the scoring parameters of the updated test. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

3 Common Comma Errors

3 Common Comma Errors 3 Common Comma Errors 3 Common Comma Errors By Mark Nichol The following sample sentences and the discussion that follows each point out three frequently found punctuation errors in which a comma is extraneously inserted or erroneously omitted. 1. â€Å"The giant, blue eyeball that washed up on a Florida beach likely came from a swordfish.† The adjectives giant and blue are noncoordinate, which means they’re not parallel in function. You can say, of course, that an eyeball is giant and that it is blue, but the second test of adjectival coordination, whether the words can gracefully be transposed, does not work; â€Å"the blue giant eyeball† is awkward. Why? A convention in English called the royal order of adjectives assigns specific starting positions to different types of descriptive words, and size precedes color. Therefore, â€Å"blue eyeball† becomes a temporary compound modified by giant, and therefore no intervening punctuation is required: â€Å"The giant blue eyeball that washed up on a Florida beach likely came from a swordfish.† 2. â€Å"Move over vampires, goblins and haunted houses, this kind of Halloween terror aims to shake up even the toughest warriors.† The introductory phrase in this sentence, a form of address to the subject that is increasingly common in lead paragraphs in journalistic contexts (to the point of becoming a tired clichà ©), is just that an introductory phrase. And though short introductory phrases are often inserted at the beginning of a sentence without following punctuation, in this case, â€Å"Move over vampires† is a miscue that readers might read to mean â€Å"proceed on top of bloodsucking beings.† I prefer consistency over inconsistency and recommend always punctuating introductory phrases; whether you follow that advice or not, do it here: â€Å"Move over, vampires, goblins, and haunted houses, this kind of Halloween terror aims to shake up even the toughest warriors.† 3. â€Å"The convention will be delayed until Tuesday because of the threat of the tropical storm Isaac now bearing down on Florida.† There are at least two effective solutions to the problem here, which is that â€Å"angry tropical storm† and Isaac are appositives, which means that one noun or noun phrase refers to the other. As written, without punctuation, the sentence implies that more than one angry tropical storm bearing down on Florida exists at this time, and one is called Isaac. But because only one storm, named Isaac (â€Å"one storm† and â€Å"named Isaac† are in apposition), is bearing down on Florida, the interchangeable noun and noun phrase are set off with an appositive comma: â€Å"The convention will be delayed until Tuesday because of the threat of Isaac, the tropical storm now bearing down on Florida.† Another option is to refer to Isaac with the modifying phrase â€Å"tropical storm† and follow the wording with a descriptive phrase, set off by a comma, that serves an appositive function: â€Å"The convention will be delayed until Tuesday because of the threat of the tropical storm Isaac, now bearing down on Florida.† 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 Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101What's a Male Mistress?Passed vs Past

OCcupational Health Assignment for a BSc degree programme

OCcupational Health for a BSc degree programme - Assignment Example They are meant to protect the identity and ensure the anonymity of the patient and the staff involved. This practice is being employed in accordance with clause 5 of the Code of Professional Conduct (2004) and the Department of Health’s Caldicott Committee Report (1997). I was asked to see an employee of the UK-wide Bakery service who had been off sick for a laceration on both her arms. The patient, Cynthia, was 32 years old, single, and living alone in a one bedroom apartment within the vicinity of the city’s commercial district. She had been working the night shift with the Bakery service for 5 years running and about 2 days prior to my visit, she reported to the HR that she was taking time off work for injuries she suffered when she fell through a glass door. She had lacerations on both her arms due to her accident. She was later taken to the hospital where she was stitched up and sent home. However, during my visit, she confided in me that she did not actually obtain the injuries from falling through a glass door. Instead, they were self-inflicted injuries and she did not inform the hospital that her injuries were self-inflicted. She said that she attempted to take her life because she had a dispute with a co-worker with whom she was havi ng a relationship. She also felt alone and depressed about her life and the direction that her life was taking. When I saw her, she was weepy, sad, and very glum. Her wounds were healing well, but I could see that she lost the general interest in life. She looked haggard and looked like she had not slept and eaten for days. I was concerned about her situation because she still had feelings of suicide. I managed to persuade her to confide in her HR. Between me and the HR, we were able to convince her to attend Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and to see a counsellor. At work, the HR and the manager decided to move her to the day shift in order to give her more interaction with other employees.

Environmental Science Phase 5 Individual Project Essay

Environmental Science Phase 5 Individual Project - Essay Example There are several fatal flaws in the claim that the U.S. can’t afford to take the legislative steps necessary to slow the effects of global warming. The scientific community agrees that global temperatures are rising due to the burning of fossil fuels which are damaging the protective atmospheric Ozone layer by changing its composition. Human pollution is changing the climate of our earth and has increased global warming in the past half century. The effects are being felt worldwide, not just in the U.S. where most of the CO2 emissions are generated. The question before us is, are we stewards of our earth and will we preserve it for future generations? If the past 30 years are any indication, then the answer is no. Noticeable effects of global warming are fairly insignificant right now to the average person, but its effects are unquestionably growing in scale. If the population of the planet were to immediately discontinue polluting the air with carbon dioxide emissions, climate changes would still continue long into the future. It is vitally important that the people of the world realize that we have set in motion an experiment on planet Earth which we cannot simply turn off because we finally realized the dire consequences. If we injure the planet in this selfish, cataclysmic method, we kill future generations of humankind. Agricultural activity, land masses and the very air we breathe will suffer a radical change from the effects of global warming, but to what degree? I don’t know but don’t want to know. The projected rate of climate change is very alarming to many scientists but not as much to politicians as this topic isn’t as high on the political agenda as some others. It seems to me that the world leaders have no sense of urgency about them regarding global warming. They place great importance on the popular items of the

Practicing I Messages Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Practicing I Messages - Coursework Example As such, I would ensure that the following responses and actions would be implemented to effect a needed change in the manifested behavior of Harry R.: (1) I would call in Harry R. on a one-on-one confrontation in my office to call his attention on his behavior; that is, upon observation and as disclosed by other employees, his long-winded talks on the phone contributes to low job productivity and low performance outcome as more time is recorded to be spent talking on the phone rather than complying with the expected job responsibilities; (2) I would relay how his behavior makes me feel: â€Å"I feel that your long talks over the phone are not serving the best interests and goals of the organization†; (3) I would seek a response from Harry R. on the rationale for his long talks over the phone, as needed; (4) I would enjoin Harry R. ... In this scenario, the â€Å"I† messages should focus on making Harry R. aware that his behavior makes his colleagues in the organization feel disrespected and bypassed and that he needs to change this behavior to serve the best interests of the organization’s stakeholders, more than his own personal interests (Mosley, Mosley, & Pietri, 2008). Situation 2: It is a requirement that waiters at the upscale restaurant you manage to wear white shirts and ties. One waiter has been loosening his tie, dropping the knot about two inches, and unbuttoning his shirt collar. Pursuant to the chapter on Coaching for Higher Performance (Mosley, Mosley, & Pietri, 2008), â€Å"I† messages would be applicable in this scenario in terms of identifying the expected or identified behavior within the organizational environment (upscale restaurant) and the particular deviant behavior that the specific waiter has been exhibiting (loosening his tie). In this scenario, the following response is proposed: (1) I will seek the attendance of the waiter in my office for a one-on-one confrontation for the aim of clearly relaying and stipulating the dress code or conformity to the manner by which waiters are expected to be dressed within the restaurant; (2) I will seek the waiter’s response as to his rationale for loosing this tie and dropping the knot to about two inches while also unbuttoning his shirt collar; (3) I would clearly indicate the following: â€Å"I am hereby making it clear to you, that pursuant to the policies of the restaurant regarding dress codes, each and every waiter is expected to adhere to uniform conformity to wearing white shirts buttoned to the top of the shirt collar and wearing the tie appropriately. This is explicitly

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL - Essay Example This is because each nation has adopted only some portions of the international standards of their choice and as recommended by their home standard-setting board. As different nations adopted different parts of the international accounting standards that were adhering with their home nation standard-setting body and hence, international comparability cannot be carried out. To drive out anomalies due to inconsistencies, the IASC was reorganised as IASB, and its sole aim is to establish a uniform accounting standard to be perused by all the nations without any deviation (Deloitte 2014). He cited that how both Japan and India allowed to use IFRS on a voluntary basis whereas the Japanese government encouraged prominent usage of IFRS. Those Chinese companies that had dual listings in Hong Kong are using full IFRS for their financial reporting. â€Å"Since 2007, U.S.A permitted non-US companies to use IFRS reporting† (Deloitte 2014). He buttressed the mutual reliance and interlinks between economies and added that in the post-crisis background, all policymakers are now able to understand how each national capital market around the globe , even the giant , acts as just like a satellite of the international financial system. He further observed that presently, about 33% of all the financial investments are global transactions in nature. According to him, about 81% of the nations which took part in the survey prefer or mandate the usage of IFRS for either the majority or all the public companies. Further, the majority of the remaining nations that have yet to mandate IFRS in home nation, including Japan, India, U.S.A and China, but these nations are permitting IFRS usage in some scenarios. Mr. Mackintosh highlighted that the ISAB’s high-standards have been already approved in various economies as it is being used by more than a decade. Mr.

Charles Chesnutt Debates Washington and Du Bois Essay

Charles Chesnutt Debates Washington and Du Bois - Essay Example Washington: Of course laws are manipulated to hinder our progress and advancement. But we as blacks, in our own hunger and impatience also endeavor to regulate and manipulate perhaps too much and all at once. Nonetheless, in this social tug of war, we have already managed to strive and attain a compromise with the powers that be. Du Bois: A compromise is not enough. As Chestnutt says, the persistent funk of the matter still exists. This idea about obstructions and obstacles has already been established and understood in all of humanity; it is an absolute truth of all struggles, as in the Greek and Roman tragedies. Obstacles caused by the enemy as well as by the protagonist are inevitable in all epics and in all realities. Such 'evil' powers have always existed to obstruct the advancement of any race, of any people C: Now, beyond fairytales and myths, if we are truly emancipated should not all of society take up the responsibility of our emancipation Should not all of society, black or white, be held accountable for such manipulations of power that continue to degrade and oppress our progress W: Such responsibility and accountability take time. We as blacks have to accommodate ourselves to our newly acquired rights and we need to pacify the fears of the whites to establish a dialogue and a trust. D: Just as much as the whites have to accommodate to us ... Obstacles caused by the enemy as well as by the protagonist are inevitable in all epics and in all realities. Such 'evil' powers have always existed to obstruct the advancement of any race, of any people C: Now, beyond fairytales and myths, if we are truly emancipated should not all of society take up the responsibility of our emancipation Should not all of society, black or white, be held accountable for such manipulations of power that continue to degrade and oppress our progress W: Such responsibility and accountability take time. We as blacks have to accommodate ourselves to our newly acquired rights and we need to pacify the fears of the whites to establish a dialogue and a trust. D: Just as much as the whites have to accommodate to us being free, to us being educated, respected and held among the great intellectuals of society. We cannot humble ourselves too much or we'll be slaves again, brother. W: Yes but absolute emancipation will never happen over night. You cannot merely change white to black by adding in a completely new color which has never existed. The desired shades of grey or any color for that matter must go through their process to reach a compromise. C: Maybe you're right. We don't want white or black, we want white and black, and that is what black folks and white folks do not understand. The war is over. Perhaps it's time for an understanding- D: Well, I think what there needs to be is a sincerely desired resolution by both parties. The blacks need to establish themselves wholeheartedly and maybe even a little forcefully with their God given rights- W: Yet sensibly- D: To an extent. Whereas the whites need to earnestly acknowledge that yes, there must indeed be an acceptance of our rights and not a fear. One cannot try to outsmart

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL - Essay Example This is because each nation has adopted only some portions of the international standards of their choice and as recommended by their home standard-setting board. As different nations adopted different parts of the international accounting standards that were adhering with their home nation standard-setting body and hence, international comparability cannot be carried out. To drive out anomalies due to inconsistencies, the IASC was reorganised as IASB, and its sole aim is to establish a uniform accounting standard to be perused by all the nations without any deviation (Deloitte 2014). He cited that how both Japan and India allowed to use IFRS on a voluntary basis whereas the Japanese government encouraged prominent usage of IFRS. Those Chinese companies that had dual listings in Hong Kong are using full IFRS for their financial reporting. â€Å"Since 2007, U.S.A permitted non-US companies to use IFRS reporting† (Deloitte 2014). He buttressed the mutual reliance and interlinks between economies and added that in the post-crisis background, all policymakers are now able to understand how each national capital market around the globe , even the giant , acts as just like a satellite of the international financial system. He further observed that presently, about 33% of all the financial investments are global transactions in nature. According to him, about 81% of the nations which took part in the survey prefer or mandate the usage of IFRS for either the majority or all the public companies. Further, the majority of the remaining nations that have yet to mandate IFRS in home nation, including Japan, India, U.S.A and China, but these nations are permitting IFRS usage in some scenarios. Mr. Mackintosh highlighted that the ISAB’s high-standards have been already approved in various economies as it is being used by more than a decade. Mr.

Assessment of Agency Performance- Social Work Term Paper

Assessment of Agency Performance- Social Work - Term Paper Example It is for such reasons that the Centre has been accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. The management of the center has also played an integral part in improving the performance of the organization. The leadership skills of the managers is worth noting since it is such characteristics that help boost the productivity of the staff members and the organization in general. One of the functioning of an organization is the leadership approaches that the management team employs. Transformational leadership is the best approach used by leaders to improve the performance of organizations. It entails the acquisition of power and a positive manner that in order to ensure change is brought about through the use of support and resources. This approach views the support staff allies that are necessary in bringing about change in an organization. A transformational leader is willing and able to take risks to change conventional beliefs and wisdom. They often show commitment and dedication in their endeavors and also share their belief in the vision of the organization (Hardina, 2006). These characteristics play an integral part in motivating the staff members or other stakeholders of an organization. By building a sense of community among stakeholders of an organization and sharing the vision and goals of an organization, employees are motivated since they feel they are actively involved in the operations of the organization. The transformational leader works together with these staff members to create the objectives and goals of the organization so that implementation becomes easy due to their involvement in the policy making stages. Sharing power among the participants in an organization as well as interacting with them plays a pivotal part in transforming the behavior of the leader as well as the employees. Change is necessary in

French Education System Essay Example for Free

French Education System Essay In France, education has a clear goal: the system must always produce a group of well-educated individuals with a common culture, language and abilities that can then serve the State. The French educational system has a very large emphasis on content, culturally specific knowledge, scientific and mathematic knowledge. The system is designed to serve the needs of the state; the individuality and originality are not considered worth while values The French Republic has 60 million inhabitants, living in the 22 regions of metropolitan France and four overseas departments (1. million). Despite the fact that the population is growing slightly (up 0. 4% a year), the number and proportion of young people under 25 are, however, falling: there are now fewer than 19 million of them in metropolitan France, i. e. 32% of the total population, compared with 40% around 1970 and 35% at the time of the 1990 census. France is seeing a slow aging of the population — less marked however than in other neighbouring countries (Germany and Italy), especially as the annual number of births is currently increasing slightly. 5 million pupils and students, i. e. a quarter of the population, are in the education system. Just over 2 million are in higher education. In 1999, Frances GDP was close to FF 9,000 billion (EUR 1,330 billion), i. e. FF 150,000 (EUR 22,000) per inhabitant. Of this total, just over FF 600 billion (EUR 95 billion) were devoted to initial or continuing education: 7. 2% of GDP. As far as school education spending is concerned, France is in a middle position, behind the Nordic countries (Sweden and Denmark), but fairly significantly ahead of Italy and Japan. France has a workforce today of 26 million, of whom fewer than 2 million are unemployed: the unemployment rate recently fell to below 9%. 6% of the labor force (about 1. 5 million jobs, including 1 million civil servants and local government officers) are undergoing training. Educational Structure Around 13 million pupils attend school in France. The system is a unified one, whose present general structure (primary schools, colleges, lycees) was gradually put in place during the 1960s and 1970s, ending the formerly more compartmentalized system which was based on a clear separation between rimary and secondary education. Since the 1970s, France has also had an outstanding record with respect to the development of pre-school education; all 3- to 5-year-olds can go to nursery classes. Since 1967, school attendance has been compulsory for those from 6 to 16 years of age. France has 60,000 primary schools catering to pupils during their first five years of formal education: the first three years (CP cours preparatoire cours elementaire 1 and 2) provide a grounding in the basic skills. The next stage CM1/CM2 (cours moyen 1 and 2) takes the children up to the end of primary school. Secondary schooling is divided into two successive stages, known as cycles. From 11 to 15 years, almost all children now attend a college, taking them from form 6 (sixieme) to form 3 (troisieme) (1). Since 1975 there has been a single mixed-ability college for all pupils regardless of their level of achievement. After form 3, they move onto a general, technical or vocational lycee. These prepare pupils for the corresponding baccalaureatexaminations (referred to as le bac), which they normally take at the age of 18.

The Concepts Of Alienation And Anomie Sociology Essay

The Concepts Of Alienation And Anomie Sociology Essay This essay will compare and contrast the concepts of alienation and anomie. Karl Marx first outlined his theory of alienation in The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts (1844) and refers to a define set of social relationships that were first formed in feudal societies which then became disrupted by modern industrial society. Marx himself said when discussing the topic of alienation The worker becomes poorer the more wealth he produces and the more his production increases in power and extent. The worker becomes an ever cheaper commodity the more goods he creates. The devaluation of the human world increases in direct relation to the increase in value of the world of things. Labour does not only create goods; it also produces itself and the worker as a commodity, and indeed in the same proportion as it produces goods. Anomie however, is defined by Emile Durkheim as a change in normalness and a breakdown of social regulations. Durkheim became interested in the social condition charac terised by a breakdown of norms governing social interactions. The state of anomie is impossible wherever organs solidly linked to one another are in sufficient contact, and in sufficiently lengthy contact. Indeed, being adjacent to one another, they are easily alerted in every situation to the need for one another and consequently they experience a keen, continuous feeling of their mutual dependence. (Durkheim, E: 1893). Durkheim went on to develop his interest of anomie further when he began his research into Suicide, where he suggested that when a persons norms and rules that regulate their lifestyle become week, this can lead to a form of suicide which he called Anomic Suicide. Marx believed that there were four degrees of alienation that break down the fundamental link that human beings have to their self defining qualities. Firstly there is product alienation which Marx believed was alienating to the worker because the products that they produce do not reflect their creative energies and are merely objects produced by the command of the employer (Ransome, P: 2010). Which he argues was present in industrialised society but not in feudal societies as a result of capitalism and its economic gain fuelled society. (Morrison, K: 2006). Secondly, Marx said that alienation could come from act of production. This, according to Marx is linked to product alienation as the product of labour is alienating then so is the act of production. So in capitalist societies people have no choice but to work and feel alienated to meet their basic needs. Marxs work stated that The worker feels himself only when he is not working; when he is working he does not feel himselfà ¢Ã¢ ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ his labour is therefore not voluntary but forced (Marx, K: 1844). Thirdly, Marx suggested that there was alienation due to common purpose. He outlined that this happened when a workers social relationships become debased and they are taken from a cooperative social dimension, for example on factory lines and in open offices. Finally the fourth alienation type that Marx wrote about was alienation from humanity. Marx believed that this happened when a person worked long hour days -as Marx wrote in the Victorian society this was extremely common- and together with the three other forms of alienation; a person lost their sense of humanity and became alienated from their own inner self (Ransome, P: 2010). Durkheim however argued that anomie in the division of labour alike that of alienation, deprived individuals of a sense of connection with society (Ransome, P: 2010). Durkheim believed that this sense of deprivation caused people to become disorientated and anxious and saw anomie as one of the social factors that influenced suicide (Giddens, A: 2009). He argued that there were four types of suicide: Altruistic, Anomic, Egoistic and Fatalistic (Pope, W: 1976). Altruistic suicide being too much social integration, for example suicide bombers give up their life for the needs of their social group (Giddens, A: 2009). Egoistic suicide, in Durkheims terms was due to insufficient regulation. This can be seen in societies such as religious groups; Durkheim found that suicide was higher in the Protestant religion than it was in Catholic religious groups. He believed that this was due to the Catholic religion having a more strict regulations, so therefore people believed that it was against go d to commit suicide and also with the Catholic society being greater regulated, he believed that this closer connected society made the people have a greater sense of community and moral values so did not feel the need to commit suicide (Ransome, P: 2010). Durkheim related the low suicide rates during World War 1 to this as he believed the face of an external enemy brought about social integration (Giddens, A: 2009). Fatalistic suicide for Durkheim was due to excess regulation. This can be seen in contemporary society in prisons as people feel that they have no sense of future or self worth. However Durkheim felt that this type of suicide was of little importance in modern society but it was of specific historical interest. Historically, this is evident in the slave communities in America during the civil war (Morrison, K: 2006). Durkheim argued that Anomic suicide occurs when rules and norms that govern a persons lifestyle become unstable and break down. He looked at this subject o f suicide by researching the suicide rates of industrial society during periods of economic crisis created by financial recession and periods of economic change. Between 1845 and 1869 in Europe, Durkheim identified that there was a rapid rise in suicide rates, which he linked to the economic state at the time as there was repeated economic crisis, which resulted in a dramatic decline in the business cycle and severe bankruptcies. He also acknowledged that there was a specific pattern of the suicide rates during this time across Europe; he found that there was a rise in the rates of suicide as the state of the economy decreased, and when the crisis deteriorated the rates fell. However as the economy worsened again, the suicides increased (Morrison, K: 2006). When taking into account Durkheims theory of Anomic Suicide and Marxs four types of alienation, it could be argued that there are several similarities between the two social theories. Alienation in basic terms defines the relationship that a worker -mainly- has with their productive role and their self being within society. Anomie can be suggested to relate to this similarly as it seems that it defines a persons self being within society and themselves. However, critiques have suggested that the theory of anomie for Durkheim was not in fact in relation to a person but it refers to society, although there are definite implications of a persons state of mind in his works (Robinson, J; Shaver P and Wrightsman, L: 1991). When referring to the subject of anomie, social thoughts of other sociologists must be taken into account. Robert Mereton extended Durkheims thoughts on anomie and emphasised that an individual intensifies their anomie when they chose to discard their norms to acquire to their intricate desires and thus anomie and deviant behaviour draw from a disjunction between a culturally prescribed aspiration of a society and socially constructed avenues for creating those aspirations (Giddens, A: 2009). Durkheims theory of anomie can be seen as similar to both Meretons interpretation of anomie and Marxs theory of alienation in terms of isolation and disorientation. However clearly it can be seen that there is a significant difference in retrospect to money being the source of the proletarians lifestyle and the theory that it keeps the ruling class on top and the rest of the population down in terms of Marxs thought of alienation, where as Durkheim dealt with the themes of attitudes and expectations of the society within his theory of anomie and people resisting and having the choice of their lifestyle rather than being forced into lifestyles alike in alienation (Perry, R: 2007). Although Marx and Durkheims definitions are clearly the classical concepts of these theories, it has been suggested that contemporary society has obscured these definitions. It can be said that Alienation for Marx and Anomie for Durkheim were metaphors for a radical attack on the dominant institutions and values of industrial society. From this they take on similar issues, but in different perspectives; Marx took on the conception of the relationship between man and society and the value of freedom from constraint through the interest of power and change. Durkheim however, was interested in the transcendental value and moral constraint through problems with maintenance of order. When taking into account Marx and Durkheims research however there are critiques that need to be considered. Many people argued that Durkheims research on anomie and suicide could not be one hundred percent accurate; this was because it was apparent that Durkheim used other peoples research and did not conduc t his own. Durkheim used suicide statistics in Germany, however these statistics were taken by Durkheim at face value and not critiqued. Also it could be argued that Durkheims interdependence theory may not have been completely free from his own background assumptions and laden judgement. The main article that needs to be considered when studying suicide is How do some deaths get categorised as suicides? according to Atkinson, J (1978). When taking into account this question it makes one consider whether the initial research and also Durkheims assumptions were one hundred percent because the research was conducted across Germany, with statistics from many different coroners, who each would arguably have had their own laden judgement as to what constitutes as suicide. So it is argued that Durkheim was taking what the coroner constituted as suicide so therefore the suicide categories are not objective facts but interpretations and meanings given to a particular event. Therefore to hav e done his research more accurately and to allow no criticisms Durkheim should have conducted his own research. He could have arguably done this by talking to people that have themselves attempted to commit and families of those who have, to find the different reasons behind the attempted or actual suicide (Atkinson, J: 1978). One could initially argue that Capitalism is the main cause of both alienation and anomie. In anomie, Durkheim saw a number of indications relating to anomie in the late nineteenth century such as industrial conflict and marital breakup; which he believed was related to the industrial society and the growth of capitalism (Durkheim, E: 1893). However, Marx believed that alienation was aided by capitalism. He believed this as there was a fiercely competitive nature of capitalism that forced industries such as factories to step up their means of production and productivity, to gain economic status and power (Marx, K: 1844). In conclusion, Alienation in retrospect means people becoming isolated from society as a result from industry and Anomie in retrospect is a change in normalness of their social status. It is clear from this that one could argue that alienation and anomie could both mean isolation to a person but however in different forms. So therefore it could be argued that alienation is isolation of a person from their economic status quo, and anomie is isolation of a human being from their social status quo and personal norms. However from the information throughout the essay it can also be suggested that the differences between alienation an anomie comes from the status of the concepts, as alienation is said to be relate and revolve to a person singularly, where as anomie is said to describe a social group rather than one person alone. To conclude, it can be argued that there alienation and anomie have both similar and unique concepts. This is evident from the sources used throughout the essay, however it cannot be regarded completely as research or information that is gathered is never one hundred percent reliable.

One Day at Work Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples

One Day at Work Every day, I followed the same old routine. Get up, eat breakfast, find my work vest, get dressed, leave. White polo shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Little red PharMor vest. Every single day. No variation, no chance for change or creativity. When working somewhere as mundane as a grocery store, you almost pray that something exciting happens to you during the day. But never does a cashier hope to encounter a tremendously irascible customer, the way that one summer day turned out for me. I followed my humdrum routine, arriving for work on time, punching in, and returning to the front to begin my shift. The store was mostly calm, except for the constant beeping of the registers, the bickering of elderly couples, and the hum of activity swirling about the manager's desk. In other words, there was nothing out of the ordinary at all at good old PharMor. I was used to the noise, to the persnickety comments from customers, and to our sarcastic managers. Just when I thought I'd heard every possible complaint, seen every possible accident - it got worse. ...

Philosophy: Skeptism Essay

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument. The word â€Å"philosophy† comes from the Greek (philosophia), which literally means â€Å"love of wisdom. Skepticism is a philosophical attitude that, in its most extreme form, questions the possibility of obtaining any sort of knowledge. It was first articulated by Pyrrho, who believed that everything could be doubted except appearances. Sextus Empiricus (2nd century AD), skepticism’s most prominent advocate, describes it as an â€Å"ability to place in antithesis, in any manner whatever, appearances and judgments, and thus †¦ to come first of all to a suspension of judgment and then to mental tranquility. † Skepticism so conceived is not merely the use of doubt, but is the use of doubt for a particular end: a calmness of the soul, or ataraxia. Skepticism poses itself as a challenge to dogmatism, whose adherents think they have found the truth. Sextus noted that the reliability of perception may always be questioned, because it is idiosyncratic to the perceiver. The appearance of individual things changes depending on whether they are in a group: for example, the shavings of a goat’s horn are white when taken alone, yet the intact horn is black. A pencil, when viewed lengthwise, looks like a stick; but when examined at the tip, it looks merely like a circle. Skepticism was revived in the early modern period by Michel de Montaigne and Blaise Pascal. Its most extreme exponent, however, was David Hume. Hume argued that there are only two kinds of reasoning: what he called probable and demonstrative (cf. Hume’s fork). Neither of these two forms of reasoning can lead us to a reasonable belief in the continued existence of an external world. Demonstrative reasoning cannot do this, because demonstration (that is, deductive reasoning from well-founded premises) alone cannot establish the uniformity of nature (as captured by scientific laws and principles, for example). Such reason alone cannot establish that the future will resemble the past. We have certain beliefs about the world (that the sun will rise tomorrow, for example), but these beliefs are the product of habit and custom, and do not depend on any sort of logical inferences from what is already given certain. But probable reasoning (inductive reasoning), which aims to take us from the observed to the unobserved, cannot do this either: it also depends on the uniformity of nature, and this supposed uniformity cannot be proved, without circularity, by any appeal to uniformity. The best that either sort of reasoning can accomplish is conditional truth: if certain assumptions are true, then certain conclusions follow. So nothing about the world can be established with certainty. Hume concludes that there is no solution to the skeptical argument—except, in effect, to ignore it. Even if these matters were resolved in every case, we would have in turn to justify our standard of justification, leading to an infinite regress (hence the term regress skepticism). Many philosophers have questioned the value of such skeptical arguments. The question of whether we can achieve knowledge of the external world is based on how high a standard we set for the justification of such knowledge. If our standard is absolute certainty, then we cannot progress beyond the existence of mental sensations. We cannot even deduce the existence of a coherent or continuing â€Å"I† that experiences these sensations, much less the existence of an external world. On the other hand, if our standard is too low, then we admit follies and illusions into our body of knowledge. This argument against absolute skepticism asserts that the practical philosopher must move beyond solipsism, and accept a standard for knowledge that is high but not absolute.

Balance Sheet For Microsoft Corporation Accounting Essay

Microsoft is the most outstanding engineering corporation in the universe that deals with computing machines, † With one-year grosss of more than $ 32 billion, Microsoft Corporation is more than the largest package company in the universe: it is a cultural phenomenon. The company ‘s nucleus concern is based on developing, fabrication, and licencing package merchandises, including runing systems, waiter applications, concern and consumer applications, and package development tools, every bit good as Internet package, engineerings, and services † . ( http: //www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Microsoft-Corporation-Company-History.html ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/14/Microsoft-Corporation.htmlA A A A hypertext transfer protocol: //www.redciencia.cu/empres/Intempres2000/Sitio/Principal/Conferencias/CUBA_Inteligencia % 20Empresarial/victor/bcrc6.htm †The name of the celebrated individual – Bill Gates comes in one ‘s head with reference of the name of Microsoft. He is the laminitis of the company and is believed to be the smartest coders of all time. † ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bighistory.net/microsoft-a-short-history/ ) . Led by him, Microsoft had witnessed its flowers and has been able to hold its merchandise on about every personal computing machine in the universe, and in the procedure making criterions in the engineering industry every bit good as market re-definition. †Gates was foremost exposed to computing machines at school in the late 60 ‘s with his friend Paul Allen. At 14 ; Gates and he ‘s friend were composing and proving computing machine plans. In 1972 they established their first company, Traf-O-Data, which sold a fundamental computing machine that, recorded and analyzed traffic informations. He ‘s friend went on to analyze computing machine scientific discipline at the University of Washington and so dropped out to work at Honeywell, while Gates enrolled at Harvard. In 1975, Gates and Allen wrote a version of BASIC for the new Altair personal computer kit merely released by MITS Computer. Later that twelvemonth Gates left college to work full clip developing programming linguistic communications for the Altair, and he and Allen relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be close MITS Computer, where Allen took a place as manager of package development. Gates and Allen named their partnership Micro-soft † . ( http: //www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Microsoft-Corporation-Company-History.html ) . The word Microsoft was developed from two different words, micro from personal computer and soft from package. The name was registered in New Mexico in November 1976. On November 1978, the first international office of Microsoft was established in Japan and its name was ASCII ( American Standard Code for Information Interchange ) . It is now known as Microsoft Japan. In January 1979 the company ‘s central office was moved to Bellevue Washington. ( http: //www.bighistory.net/microsoft-a-short-history/ ) . In the early 80 ‘s, Microsoft witnessed a period of great success when IBM contracted the company to develop an operating system for its personal computing machines ( Personal computer ) , which was underway. In the late 80 ‘s Microsoft issued IPOs ( initial public offering ) of over two million portions and in the infinite of one twelvemonth the monetary value or the portions tripled and in the procedure doing Gates a billionaire at about 30 old ages of age. Harmonizing to Richard B, McKenzie ( 2000 ) †Microsoft bases accused of seeking to widen its market laterality by bear downing the lowest of all monetary values for its browser Internet Explorer † . Nonetheless ; the company had tonss of other critics and legal instances against it from rivals and the likes. Microsoft success was further heightened by the tech bubble of the 2000 following the release of the Windowss XP, windows 2000, the acquisition of Visio corporation which stood as the largest acquisition in the life of Microsoft so far with dealing value of about One and half a billion dollars. The company besides spread its tentacles into the universe of bet oning with their popularly known X-BOX which has remained a success boulder clay day of the month. ( http: //www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Microsoft-Corporation-Company-History.html ) .DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF MICROSOFT PERFORMANCE OVERTIMECardinal Dates:1975: Microsoft is founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen ; they sell BASIC, the first Personal computer computing machine linguistic communication plan to MITS Computer, Microsoft ‘s first client. 1981: Microsoft, Inc. is incorporated ; IBM uses Microsoft ‘s 16-bit operating system for its first personal computing machine. 1982: Microsoft, U.K. , Ltd. is incorporated. 1983: Paul Allen resigns as executive vice-president but remains on the board ; Jon Shirley is made president of Microsoft ( he subsequently becomes CEO ) ; Microsoft introduces the Microsoft Mouse and Word for MS-DOS 1.00. 1985: Microsoft and IBM forge a joint development understanding. 1986: Microsoft stock goes public at $ 21 per portion. 1987: The Company ‘s first CD-ROM application, Microsoft Bookshelf, is released. 1990: Jon Shirley retires as president and CEO ; Michael R. Hallman is promoted in Shirley ‘s topographic point ; the company becomes the first Personal computer package house to excel $ 1 billion of gross revenues in a individual twelvemonth. 1992: Bill Gates is awarded the National Medal of Technology for Technological Achievement. 1993: The Company introduces Windows NT. 1995: Bill Gates publishes his first book, The Road Ahead. 1996: The Company acquires Vermeer Technologies and its package application, FrontPage. 1997: The Justice Department alleges that Microsoft violated a 1994 consent edict refering licencing the Windows runing system to computing machine makers. 1998: The U.S. Department of Justice files two antimonopoly instances against Microsoft, avering the company had violated the Sherman Act. 2000: The Company acquires Visio Corporation, its largest acquisition to day of the month. 2001: Microsoft Windows XP is released internationally. 2003: Microsoft launches Windows Server 2003. 2007: Microsoft launches Windows view 2009: Microsoft launches windows 7 Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Microsoft-Corporation-Company-History.htmlBalance sheet for Microsoft Corporation as at 30th June 2010. ( Annually )Assetss [ + ] in Millions of Dollars06/201006/200906/200806/200706/2006Cash and Equivalents 5,505 6,076 10,339 6,111 6,714 Restrictable Cash–––––Marketable Securities 31,283 25,371 13,323 17,300 27,447 Histories Receivable 13,014 11,192 13,589 11,338 9,316 Loans Receivable–––––Other Receivables–––––Receivabless 13,014 11,192 13,589 11,338 9,316 Inventories, Raw Materials 172 170 417 435 465 Inventories, Work in Progress 16 45 31 148–Inventories, Purchased Components–––––Inventories, Finished Goods 552 502 537 544 1,013 Inventories, Other–––––Inventories, Adjustments & A ; Allowances–––––Inventories 740 717 985 1,127 1,478 Prepaid Expenses–––––Current Deferred Income Taxes 2,184 2,213 2,017 1,899 1,940 Other Current Assetss 2,950 3,711 2,989 2,393 2,115Entire Current Assets55,67649,28043,24240,16849,010Land and Improvements 526 526 518 428 362 Buildings and Improvement 8,187 7,824 6,030 4,247 3,146 Machinery, Furniture and Equipment 7,546 6,732 5,996 4,691 3,715 Construction in Advancement–––––Fixed Assets, Other–––––Fixed Assets, Entire 16,259 15,082 12,544 9,366 7,223 Gross Fixed Assetss 16,259 15,082 12,544 9,366 7,223 Accumulated Depreciation ( 8,629 ) ( 7,547 ) ( 6,302 ) ( 5,016 ) ( 4,179 ) Net Fixed Assetss 7,630 7,535 6,242 4,350 3,044 Intangibles 1,158 1,759 1,973 878 539 Cost in Excess 12,394 12,503 12,108 4,760 3,866 Non-Current Deferred Income Taxes–279 949 1,389 2,611 Other Non-Current Assetss 9,255 6,532 8,279 11,626 10,527Entire Non-Current Assetss30,43728,60829,55123,00320,587Entire Assetss86,11377,88872,79363,17169,597Liabilitiess [ + ] in Millions of Dollars06/201006/200906/200806/200706/2006Histories Collectible 4,207 5,008 4,034 3,247 2,909 Short Term Debt 1,000 2,000–––Notes Collectible–––––Accrued Expenses–––––Accrued Liabilitiess 3,283 3,156 2,934 2,325 1,938 Deferred Grosss 13,652 13,003 13,397 10,779 9,138 Current Deferred Income Taxes––––1,557 Other Current Liabilitiess 4,005 3,867 9,521 7,403 6,900Entire Current Liabilitiess26,14727,03429,88623,75422,442Long Term Debt 4,939 3,746–––Deferred Income Tax 229––––Other Non-Current Liabilitiess 8,623 7,550 6,621 8,320 7,051 Minority Interest–––––Capital Lease Obligations–––––Preferred Securities of Subsidiary Trust–––––Preferred Equity Outside Shareholders ‘ Equity–––––Entire Non-Current Liabilitiess13,79111,2966,6218,3207,051Entire Liabilitiess39,93838,33036,50732,07429,493Preferred Shareholder ‘s Equity–––––Common Shareholder ‘s Equity 46,175 39,558 36,286 31,097 40,104 Common Par 62,856 62,382 62,849––Additional Paid in Capital–––60,557 59,005 Accumulative Translation Adjustments–––149–Retained Net incomes ( 16,681 ) ( 22,824 ) ( 26,563 ) ( 31,114 ) ( 20,130 ) Treasury Stock–––––Other Equity Adjustments–––1,505 1,229 Entire Capitalization 51,114 43,304 36,286 31,097 40,104Entire Equity46,17539,55836,28631,09740,104Entire Liabilities & A ; Shareholder ‘s Equity86,11377,88872,79363,17169Closing monetary value = $ 25.51 Volume sold =25.16m Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.answers.com/main/dsdata? dsid=2940 & A ; templateid=0 & A ; cid=27590212 & A ; qm_page=30703. [ Accessed, 4 April 2011 ] . The balance sheet above gives a brief sum-up of the plus and liabilities of Microsoft at a glimpse, it is evident that Microsoft has been able to keep plus at a greater proportion than liabilities overtime. The company has a good mix of debt and equity, for every $ 1 owned it is borrowing less than 90 cents. This shows that the company is non excessively leveraged and less hazardous while besides basking some degree of revenue enhancement shield from the purchase. Microsoft has a good opportunity of go oning into a traveling concern in the nearest foreseeable hereafter because its capital construction shows more of a residuary ownership. With more descriptive statistics, we can besides analyze the public presentation of Microsoft on a monthly footing from the twelvemonth 1988- 2009 utilizing returns ( unit % ) See excel for descriptive statistics. Microsoft return ( unit % ) Market return ( unit % ) Mean 0.021622876 Mean 0.857870722 Standard Error 0.00618845 Standard Error 0.269942879 Median 0.022084196 Median 1.41 Manner 0.064221396 Manner 1.78 Standard Deviation 0.100359793 Standard Deviation 4.377737838 Sample Variance 0.010072088 Sample Variance 19.16458858 Kurtosis 1.421423202 Kurtosis 1.709578314 Lopsidedness 0.366537791 Lopsidedness -0.812673531 Scope 0.751310392 Scope 29.51 Minimum -0.343529412 Minimum -18.46 Maximum 0.40778098 Maximum 11.05 Sum 5.686816298 Sum 225.62 Count 263 Count 263 From the descriptive statistics above, Microsoft has a positive lopsidedness unlike the market whose lopsidedness is negative, this indicates that Microsoft has a better flow or return than the market. It could besides be noted that Microsoft is ( 1 ) criterion divergence off from its average whereas the market is ( 4 ) criterion divergence off from its mean, this means that the returns of Microsoft had non been excessively volatile over the old ages and return on stocks are less hazardous.COMPARISON OF MOCROSOFT PERFORMANCE WITH S & A ; P 500 ( MARKET ) USING T-TESTSee t-test on Excel H0: Microsoft did non surpass the market H1: Microsoft outperformed the market t-Test: Paired Two Sample for MeansAVariable 1 Variable 2 Mean 0.021622876 0.857870722 Discrepancy 0.010072088 19.16458858 Observations 263 263 Pearson Correlation 0.539530773 Hypothesized Average Difference 0 df 262 T Stat -3.136067434 P ( T & lt ; =t ) one-tail 0.000953757 t Critical one-tail 1.650690284 P ( T & lt ; =t ) two-tail 0.001907515 t Critical two-tail 1.969059657ADecision: From the t-Test above, since the t-stats is greater in value than the t -critical ( irrespective of the -ve mark ) , we need to accept the alternate hypothesis ( H1 ) which says that Microsoft outperformed the market and reject the Null hypothesis ( H0 ) which says that Microsoft did non surpass the market. We can besides deduce this decision by looking at the P- value, here we can see that the p- value is less than the significance degree of.05, therefore we need to accept the alternate hypothesis ( H1 ) .Analysis OF MICROSOFT PERFORMANCE WITH CAPMArrested development Statisticss Multiple R 0.258985259 R Square 0.067073365 Adjusted R Square 0.063498933 Standard Error 0.185690508 Observations 263 Analysis of varianceAdf United states secret service Multiple sclerosis F Significance F Arrested development 1 0.647027164 0.647027164 18.764764 2.11102E-05 Residual 261 8.999531777 0.034480965 Entire 262 9.646558942AAAACoefficients Standard Error T Stat P-value Lower 95 % Upper 95 % Lower 95.0 % Upper 95.0 % Intercept -0.32415329 0.011530623 -28.1123831 6.17385E-81 -0.346858177 -0.30145 -0.34686 -0.30145 X Variable 1 0.011371441 0.002625088 4.331831484 2.11102E-05 0.006202393 0.01654 0.006202 0.01654 CAPM: – Tocopherol ( R ) =RF+I? [ RM-RF ] By replacing the CAPM expression into the arrested development, we have Y= I ±+I?x+e Y = dependant variable I ± = intercept I? = co-efficient of independent variable vitamin E =error When x=0, I ± is an estimation of Y, so extra return of Microsoft would be given as: Excess return= -0.32415329+0.011371441+0.185690508 Adjusted R Square = 0.063498933 The adjusted R Square indicates that 6.3 % of the variableness in the extra return of Microsoft is explained by the market. I.e. for every per centum alteration of return in the market, Microsoft ‘s return alterations by 6.3 % .DecisionMicrosoft