Analysis of the Allegory Of The Cave, Delphic Quest, and Aristotle's Essay

Analysis of the Allegory Of The Cave, Delphic Quest, and Aristotle's On The Soul - Essay Example Eventually a prisoner is released and the allegory details his progression out of the cave and into higher states of knowledge. It’s abundantly clear that the prisoners shackled in the cave represent humans at beginning stages of cognitive knowledge. Plato urges the reader to consider the prisoners’ predicament in terms of knowledge, ‘Now consider what would happen if their release from the chains and the healing of their unwisdom should come about in this way.’ As the prisoner is released from the shackles and realizes that the fire and statues have caused the shadows, he has then metaphorically passed from the imagining stage of reason to the belief stage, as evidenced in N. Jordan’s chart. However the prisoner is still unaware of the world outside the cave and as he exits the cave he gradually becomes privy to a higher stage of cognitive development, â€Å"At first it would be easiest to make out shadows, then the images of men and things reflected in water, and later on the things themselves. After that, it would be easier to watch the heavenly bodies and the sky itself † As the prisoner exits the cave, man is correspondingly shown to have entered the thinking stage of cognitive development, where mathematical concepts are implemented through reason to construct and understand the world. The prisoner then enter the final stage of cognitive development where they witness the actual objects that witness the cave from the outside, the actual objects that cause the reflections in the water, and ultimately the sun itself, â€Å"And now he would begin to draw the conclusion that it is the sun that produces the seasons and the course of the year and controls everything in the visible world.† This final stage is the Form of the Good, this seems to correspond to Plato’s concept of the idealized forms and Socrates concept that the unexamined life is not worth living, to conclude that the

UK Government and Measures to Reduce the Alcohol Consume Essay

UK Government and Measures to Reduce the Alcohol Consume - Essay Example The article observes that none of the low-priced alcohol brands would have increased their prices within the new legislations.   Many of these products are on offer on major supermarkets such as Tesco which has such offers as 24 cans of Fosters that goes for a mere 10 pounds or even 3 fifteen packs of Strongbow cider being sold at 20 pounds. The minimum pricing policy is accompanied by VAT additions which the government hopes will help curb the norm of excessive drinking in UK.From this study it is clear that many see that the government efforts at setting minimum prices for alcoholic products will only solve half of the problem because there are many alcohol companies which have the capacity to produce alcoholic beverages at the set price and still rake in millions in profits. All that the legislation is doing to the market is removing any form of competition for the established manufacturers and distributors. Setting minimum prices will not effectively stop people from buying and sometimes, overindulging in alcohol.  In the mixed economy, resources are owned by both the government on behalf of the public, and the private sector.   It is the public sector which intervenes According to economics, the concept of scarcity implies that resources are scarce or limited. The resources that are available are not enough to satisfy the needs of everyone concerned. For instance, if someone’s income is limited, it means that he cannot buy everything that he wants.... All that the legislation is doing to the market is removing any form of competition for the established manufacturers and distributors. Setting minimum prices will not effectively stop people from buying and sometimes, overindulging in alcohol.   2. Explain why, in a mixed economy, the concepts of scarcity and opportunity cost are important for governments. Illustrate your answer with examples. Also explain reasons why governments tax goods like alcohol, cigarettes and petrol. Use economic concepts in your answer. In the mixed economy, resources are owned by both the government on behalf of the public, and the private sector.   It is the public sector which intervenes According to economics, the concept of scarcity implies that resources are scarce or limited. The resources that are available are not enough to satisfy the needs of everyone concerned. For instance, if someone’s income is limited, it means that he cannot buy everything that he wants. Opportunity cost on the other hand is a measure of the cost of a certain choice, or what is refereed in economics to as the next best alternative forgone. For a person whose income is limited, he has to choose between different alternatives so that he can make good use of his limited income (Ward and Forker, 1993). In a mixed economy, opportunity cost is important for governments as it enables them to make strategic decision to control the market in a way that is likely to be more beneficial than the other. The concept of scarcity enables the government to plan and deliver its resources in the way it sees fit in order to meet as many of the market demands as possible. In the mixed

Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide for Unit 2 Essay Example for Free

Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide for Unit 2 Essay 1) What are the parts of an atom? Where are the subatomic particles found? Protons, neutrons, and electrons. In the nucleus and on the orbitals and sub-orbitals of the atom. 2) How does the Atomic Mass # differ from the Atomic #? Atomic mass # is the sum of all protons and neutrons in the atom’s nucleus. The atomic # is equal to the number of protons in an atom. 3) What is an isotope? Give an example (show how it is an isotope). An isotope is a radioactive form of an element or a form of an element with the same atomic # and the same amount of protons but a different atomic mass and a different amount of neutrons. An example would be deuterium. Its atomic number is 1 and it has 1 neutron. Its atomic mass number is 2 and it is an isotope of hydrogen. 4) Compare and contrast the 3 basic types of chemical bonds and give an example of each. Ionic, Covalent, and Hydrogen. Ionic bonds form between atoms with opposite electrical charges. An example of an ionic bond is sodium chloride. Covalent bonds occur when atoms share forming molecules. Carbon dioxide is an example of a covalent bond. Hydrogen bonds are weak attractions between the positive, hydrogen side of one polar molecule and the negative side of another polar molecule. DNA is effected by hydrogen bonds. 5) Why is pH important in Anatomy? Low pH damage cells and tissues, alters proteins and interferes with normal physiological functions. High pH also causes problems, but occurs rarely. pH is highly important to anatomy because they intertwine with the internal maintenance of the body 6.9) Name the 4 main Organic Molecules in Biochemistry. Describe each one, and provide an example. What are the â€Å"building blocks† of each molecule? For example, protein = Amino Acid. The 4 organic molecules in biochemistry are proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. The building blocks of the 4 molecules are as followed: Proteins = Amino Acids. Lipids= fatty acid and glycerol. Carbohydrates= monosaccharides, polysaccharides, disaccharides. Nucleic acids = nucleotides. 10) There are 4 levels of protein structure. What are the levels? How do the levels of a protein differ in structure and  function? The 4 levels of protein structure are: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. The levels of proteins differ in structure in function as followed; Primary- the order of amino acids Secondary- hydrogen bonds form Tertiary- folds the secondary structure Quaternary- several tertiary structures together 11) Describe the structure of ATP and why it is important? Cells require energy to function. Energy is stored in high-energy bonds connecting a phosphate group to an organic molecule. Adding a third phosphate group to ADP and produces the high-energy-compound adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Breaking off ATP’s third phosphate releases the stored energy of the phosphate bond, providing energy for work. 12) Why is the plasma membrane important to cells. Plasma membrane is important to cells because it provides the support and protection that the cell needs and it also shapes the cell. 13-17) Name 5 cell organelles and their functions. Nucleus- the control center of the cell. Mitochondrion- converts nutrients into energy that the cell can use Chloroplasts- converts radiant energy into chemical energy Ribosomes- synthesize proteins  Lysosomes- responsible for the digestion of materials that are brought into the cell. They also break down old or non-functioning organelles. 18) Describe the structure of DNA.   DNA is a double helix resembling a spiral staircase, with sugars and phosphates as the side rails and nucleotide pairs as the steps. The two halves of the DNA spiral are complementary strands. 19) How does DNA differ from RNA? DNA stays within the nucleus of the cell while RNA travels. DNA has thymine and RNA has uracil. 20) Describe transcription and translation in your own words. Transcription is changing DNA to RNA. Translation  is changing mRNA to a protein. 21) How are mitosis and meiosis similar†¦..different? The result of mitosis is 2 cells while meiosis results in 4 cells. Meiosis deals with sexual reproduction while mitosis deals with asexual reproduction.

Examining the usefulness of Financial Statement Analysis

Examining the usefulness of Financial Statement Analysis Financial statement analysis involves the assessment of a businesss past, present and future condition. The objective is to identify the weaknesses as well as the strengths of a business. If weaknesses are found, the business can take appropriate steps to correct or overcome them. On the other hand, the business can use its strengths to its advantage. In this way, the business will be able to improve its overall financial situation in the future. As the business owners they are intently interested in how well their business is doing. The most likely way to determine the status of a business is by analyzing the financial data and that means crunching the numbers. The basics of financial analysis usually mean calculating different financial ratios and then coming to conclusions about the how the company is financially performing. Financial ratios here refer to principal tools for financial analysis as they can be used to answer numerous questions regarding the businesss financial well being. Financial ratios are used by three main groups. First is Managers, who employ ratios to help analyze, control, and thus improve their firms operations. Second is a credit analyst, such as bank loan officers or bond rating analysts, who analyze ratios to help ascertain a companys ability to pay its debts. Third is stock analyst, who is interested in a companys efficiency, risk, and growth prospects. Also, the ratios provide useful information to users of financial statements for example investors and analysts to assess and evaluate the operations undertaken as well as being used to analyze its performance and position over time (Al-Ajmi J., 2008). As stated by Al-Ajmi J. (2008), the most important of the users groups to know about financial ratio analysis are investors and creditors because these users interested to read the contents of financial statements and calculate a variety of financial indicators before they want to make any final decisions on credit and investing decisions. To them, they believe that through analyzing financial statement will provide valuable financial indicators and have predictive power. Financial analysis can be done through assessing the financial statement of company. Financial statement in this case focuses on balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement and statement of changes in equity. Financial ratios are generally classified into four main groups liquidity ratios, activity ratios, gearing ratios, and profitability ratios. The liquidity ratios can be used to measure whether the firm can repay its financial obligations on time or not. The two commonly used liquidity ratios are the current ratio and the quick ratio. Next is activity ratios can be used to measure how effectively the firm uses its resources (assets) to generate sales or revenue. This ratio is so called efficiency, turnover or even business asset management ratios. Commonly used to measure activity ratios are inventory turnover ratio, average collection period, accounts receivable turnover ratio, non-current assets turnover ratio and total assets turnover ratio. Third is gearing ratios also called debt management ratios and leverage ratios. This ratio indicate how the firm is utilizing outside funds to finance its assets and whether the firm can pay the interest on the use of these non-owner supplied f unds as well as repay the principal or the original amount of the loan. Commonly used to measure gearing ratios are debt ratio, time interest earned ratio and debt to equity ratio. Lastly are profitability ratios which can measure the end results of the firms ability to produce profits from its resources as well as to measure the companys use of its assets and control of its expenses to generate an acceptable rate of return. The most commonly used ratio is gross profit margin and net profit margin. Knowing the financial ratios of our business is important because by knowing what these ratios mean and being aware of trends can aid the entrepreneur in better managing a business in future. In general this paper is reviewing the literature review on the effect of analysis of financial ratios on business financial performance or financial situation in three different types of industries. Focus on the analysis of financial ratio in service industry, financial industry and higher institutional education. There are different views and different effects when financial ratio analysis going to used to analyze company performance from different types of industry. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 USEFULNESS OF FINANCIAL RATIOS Financial ratios are said as the most widely used indicators of company. It play a role to value firms, to distinguish creditworthy companies compare to others, to identify acquisition targets and to indicate the process of organizational in completing or the time needed to complete a task (Al-Ajmi J., 2008). The financial analysis model known as a quite helpful tool for executives to measure or predict enterprise bankruptcy or enterprise failure provides concerned decision-makers (authorities) with the possibility or hoping to avoid failures. Also it becomes an early warning system to the corporate management. (Karacaer and KapusuzoÄÅ ¸lu, 2008). As stated by Karacaer and KapusuzoÄÅ ¸lu, (2008), the most highest ratios contribution in the analysis regarding the variables whose effect the financial condition of the sample enterprise are ROE, debt ratio, net working capital, acid test ratio, net profit ratio, cash ratio, and current ratio respectively. Among of them, the liquidity ratios are the main element in these ratios. It is observed that all the variables have differing but significant effects on the corporate financial situation. Financial ratios can be used as financial indicators which allow for comparisons between companies, between industries, between different time periods for one company, between a single company and its industry average. Apart from that, financial ratios generally hold no meaning unless they are benchmarked against something else, like past performance or another company and industries. The reason behind that is the ratios of firms in different industries, which face different risks, capital requirements, and competition are usually hard to compare if we have no other things to compare (Wikipedia). As mentioned by Salmi, Timo Roy Dahlstedt Martti Luoma Arto Laakkonen (1988), financial ratios are commonly used for comparison of financial position intra-industry. Also, in financial statement analysis a firms performance and financial status are frequently evaluated in relation to other firms in the same branch of industry or in relation to industry averages. 2.2 STEPS TO EFFECTIVELY FINANCIAL RATIOS As stated by Darrel Hulsey, the basics of financial analysis usually mean calculating different financial ratios and then coming to conclusions and clarification regarding on how the company is financially performing in business activities. There are certain things that must be considered before too many conclusions are drawn. Firstly, understand what comprise different financial ratios before start analyzing companys data. Must take into consideration all financial ratios numbers derived from financial statement comprise of balance sheet and income statement. Balance sheets represent a reflection for a particular point in time. Income statements present a cumulative time summary of performance. For example, year-end financial statements should include a balance sheet that presents how various company accounts look on that particular day at the end of the year, whereas the income statement shows how companys performance over the period Second is evaluating external influencing factors. As with all companies, the financial statements can be influenced by various factors like management or owner decisions and discretionary spending, seasonal effects, legal structure choice, type of industry, customer mix, or a number of other issues. These factors can influence the financial statements and will, in turn, influence the financial ratios analysis. Third is look at internal trends. Always keep in mind is that one ratio alone tells one very little. A clear picture starts developing when one looks at ratios over different time increments. By comparing financial results against prior performance one gets a better idea of what is occurring within the company. Trends will start to develop and can give insight into areas that may need corrective attention or to areas that may need to be reinforced. Internal trend analysis is most likely most beneficial because one is comparing similar business situations over various periods of time. Fourth is compare results to the industry. Comparing your business performance to other similar businesses is a common way to judge how well the business is doing. Even though this is very common, there are limitations to doing so. First realize these comparative ratios represent an average. Averages are simply that and most likely your business will vary somewhat. Next be sure you are comparing your business to other businesses similar in asset size and sales volume. In some cases there may be no suitable comparisons. Try to insure you are comparing apples to apples. There are several sources to get comparative financial data including private companies such as Risk Management Association (RMA) and trade associations that collect data from their members. Knowing what is the average for your industry is important. The averages can serve as a general benchmark for your business. Additionally, these averages are often times used to compare your business performance when you are seeking capital from outside sources such as a bank. Being different may not be a deal killer, but not being able to explain why you are different may indeed be a deal killer. 2.3 THE EFFECT OF ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL RATIOS ON BUSINESS FINANCIAL SITUATION IN DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES 2.3.1 SERVICE INDUSTRY In measuring the performance of service firms, the most strongest and consistent ratios used are activity and profitability ratios. Obviously, the profitability ratios indicate that small service firms have higher returns to sales than large firms. Specifically, service firms have less liquidity, greater activity, and higher profitability. Interestingly, the small and medium size service firms had higher total debt levels. The short-term debt findings show that service firms used significantly smaller amounts of short term funding. Means that service industry more prefer to finance the business activity through long term debt. On top of that in service industry, the most suitable of ratio to measure business profitability is by calculating return on equity. Apart from that, activity ratio was measured by a primary ratio and a secondary ratio. It refers to sales to assets and sales to inventory respectively (Michael D., John X. and Steven J.). The results found by Michael D., John X. and Steven J. associated with the activity ratios for service firms show a positive and significant relationship an concluded that size of firm very unrelated to productivity of public firms in service sector The growth in air transportation industry gives a picture that performance evaluation is important for executives body to identify and recognize the operating problems arise in market competition. According to Feng C.M. and Wang R.T. (2000), referring to previous study it more concerning airline performance evaluation which only focus merely on operational performance. However, evaluation on financial performance is seems to be ignored. As far as we are concern, to measure the survival prospect of an airline market can be look through the financial performance of the company itself. The absence of financial ratios may lead to biased assessment. There are three main types of performance indicators used in airline industry. The first one is production efficiency, marketing efficiency and execution efficiency which relate to department of production, marketing and management (Feng C.M. and Wang R.T., 2000). As stated by Feng C.M. and Wang R.T. (2000), in making analysis of financial statement of airline industry, assets and capital of the owners equity are classified as the input of financial factors. Moreover debts and expense are classified as the output of the financial factors and for revenue or otherwise losses categorized as the outcome of financial factors. Due to that, the input financial factors characterized by sunk cost which included flight equipment and interest expense, while its output by intangible products. Otherwise its consumption characterized as not-stored services. 2.3.2 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Evaluating the performance and financial condition of the financial service organizations is very critical. The intermediation role of financial institutions in market trading is such that performance in this sector indirectly gives impacts on other sectors of the economy. When performance is good it will contribute a positive effect on the economy but when the financial sector is distressed and got some problems then they will contribute a negative effect on other sectors of the economy (Ibiwoye A., 2010). In the perspective of banks to achieve their aims for institution development was by growing the components of their assets as an alternative of moving to increase the profitability. All of these require the determination and management of several factors, which play an important role in the profitability of banks in the new environment (Halkos and Salamouris 2004). In U.S Banks, to increase investors hope and confidence, they adopt Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS) which provides bank ratings as a forward-looking measure of a banks ability to meet its financial obligations. The DBRS ratio analysis focuses on four interrelated aspects of a banks financial health. First is Earnings Power, it refers to the ability to generate consistent profits and grow capital internally. Second is Asset Quality, it refers to the potential for losses that could impair earnings and capital. Third is liquidity where it focuses on cash resources available to meet short-term obligations. And the last one is Capital Adequacy; it refers to the ultimate creditor protection against future losses (Reid, Lister, Schwartz, and Muranyi, 2005) According to Al-Ajmi J., (2008), the financial indicators that analysts use as basis for decisions are not necessarily all equally useful to them in making any decision. There are no significant differences between credit analysts and financial analysts with respect to 40 of the indicators identified in the study. From the perspectives of 244 credit analysts and financial analysts in Bahrain, they are measured by the ranking of 71 financial indicators and 5 components of corporate governance. Based on the result it shows that credit analysts consider the quick ratio as the most useful ratio, followed by the non-recurrent ratio. For the financial analysts they consider price-earnings as the most useful ratio, followed by the market-to-book ratio. It is also worth mentioning that the efficiency difference between large and small banks reaches its maximum value in 1999. While doing financial analysis it has a positive relationship between size and performance. Besides, through mergers and acquisitions it leads to a continuous increase of average efficiency of the larger banks while efficiency of the small banks is impaired. It is proved that the higher the size of total assets leads to the higher of the efficiency is. It is evidenced from the significant increase in the sum of the total assets employed in the market as well as the increase in the average level of Banks Assets (Halkos and Salamouris, 2004). 2.4.3 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS As study did by Buddy N.J. (1999), it identified a set of financial ratios that summarize the financial situation of a higher education institution in which the ratios helped to analyze the financial solvency and viability of the six higher education institutions in Oklahoma. The study focused on the ability of the institutions to meet current and future financial requirements of the institutions. Therefore financial ratio analysis is the most suitable and known as an effective communication to the mind of users regarding financial situations of universities and colleges to internal and external entities. On top of that, ratios known as excellent tools for facilitating the communication, analysis, and understanding of large masses of complicated, detailed information of the institutions. As what have been found in study conducted by Chabotar, (1989); Cirtin Lightfoot, (1996), they concluded that financial ratio analysis could also serve as a tool to evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of higher institution education as what been done by ratio analysis in analyzing business financial condition. In this case Buddy N.J. (1999) said that financial ratio analysis allows for the evaluation of past performance and for future planning of institutions. By identifying a manageable number of quality ratios, the presentation of financial data may be more efficient and tell a better story and give a better picture of the true financial condition of the institution of higher education. The reduction of a large mass of numbers into a few manageable, easily interpreted ratios will allow both internal and external entities to make better-informed decisions regarding financial position and condition of higher learning institutions. In the opinion of Buddy N.J. (1999), understanding the financial condition of higher education institutions become an important part in view of decision making to respond to any pressures arise. As supported by Chabotar, (1989) where work on financial ratio analysis for higher education institutions has aimed at clarifying and explain the perceptions and making judgments of financial distress more credible. Financial ratios can also have the reverse use, to identify what is unique about a higher education institution. The most frequently cited motivation for financial ratio analysis is the ability to control for the effects of size difference over time and across institutions As mentioned by Buddy N.J. (1999), financial ratio analysis can help both the institutional user and those agencies to make funding decisions. This is due to where the financial ratio analysis could be used to obtain the physical evidence of any deviations of the norms and could also allow management by exception. Also financial ratios recognized as an indicator to whether conditions are getting worse or getting better which may allow management by exception and alerts the institution to the possibility of future financial distress. Besides, financial ratio analyses have a role to identify how and in what ways the condition is changing (Collier Patrick, 1978). Lupton, Augenblick, and Heyison (1976) in their study identified the indicators which include institutional control, enrollment trends, trends in education and general expenditures, current fund revenues to expenditures, academic expenditures to education and general expenditures, freshman full-time equivalents (FTEs) to total undergraduate FTEs, and tuition and fees to student aid revenues. All these indicators determined by using a panel of experts, as well as discriminate analysis, to determine 16 discriminating indicators of financial condition. Whereas, Collier and Patrick (1978) conducted theory-based research and developed a set of dimensions that describe financial condition which comprise of financial independence, revenue drawing power, financial risk, revenue stability, and reserve strength. Same as what being done by Lupton etc., Collier and Patrick also used experts and discriminate analysis to determine the indicators that differentiate between strong and weak private institutions and between strong and weak public institutions. As agreed by Buddy N.J. (1999) the purpose of institutional comparisons is to highlight differences and to raise important questions about past and future policies for internal and external entities. The reason is many higher education institutions differ from comparative peers for good and valid reasons. The argument might be that, when an understanding is reached for why an institution scores differently from its comparative peers, a conclusion can be drawn as to what is unique about that institution as compared to others institutions. Referring to study of Buddy N.J. (1999), he found that many of the measures financial ratios used by higher education institutions are based on what sources financial revenues are earned and for what services expenses are incurred. Based on the result it allows both internal and external entities to monitor institutional effectiveness and efficiency. There are 15 key financial relationships being used by Donald E. Miller (1972) to set forth for business and industry a cause-and-effect ratio analysis based. The reason is higher education institutions will find themselves in a particular financial position because of some cause or causes. The 15 ratios have been applied and tested as a unified system in thousands of business situations demonstrated that, when used together; provide a fundamental financial understanding to the users. The interrelationships that exist among financial resources require a better examination of the institutions total fund structure. A better understanding o f the trends in and the condition of the financial resources is important to the early detection of any institutional distress. Changes in resources are symptoms of those internal and external factors might cause financial pressure or development. A higher education institution with sufficient financial resources can withstand adverse trends and has the flexibility to institute changes at opportune moments to reverse the trends. Resources merely provide the opportunity to be flexible through economic changes and experiment where possible without jeopardizing and impair the institutions future prospect. 3.0 CONCLUSION It is important to analyze trends in ratios as well as their absolute levels. Trend analysis can provide clues as to whether the firms financial situation is likely to improve or to deteriorate. Financial statement analysis involves a study of the relationships between income statement and balance sheet accounts, how these relationships change over time (trend analysis), and how a particular firm compares with other firms in its industry as we called as benchmarking. In addition, financial statements are used to help predict the firms future earnings and divi ­dends. From an investors standpoint, predicting the future is what financial state ­ment analysis is all about. From managements standpoint, financial statement analysis is useful both to help anticipate future conditions and, more important, as a starting point for planning actions that will influence the future course of events The importance of financial statement analysis should not be underestimated. The understandable format of financial ratios allows virtually any stakeholder and users of financial statement to acquire a basic comprehension of the most critical financial policies of institutions and their financial condition. Chabotar, K. J. (1989). Financial ratio analysis comes to nonprofits. Journal of Higher Education, 60(2), 188-208. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ 389 089) Cirtin, A., Lightfoot, C. (1996). Financial statement analysis for private colleges and universities. The National Public Accountant, 41(8), 29-34. Collier, D. J., Patrick, C. (1978). A multi-variate approach to the analysis of institutional financial condition. Boulder, CO: National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. Chabotar, K. J. (1989). Financial ratio analysis comes to nonprofits. Journal of Higher Education, 60(2), 188-208. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ 389 089) Lupton, A. H., Augenblick, J., Heyison, J. (1976). A special report: The financial state of higher education. Change, 8(8), 20-35. Miller, D. E. (1972). The meaningful interpretation of financial statements: The cause-and-effect ratio approach. New York, NY: American Management Association, Inc.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter Essay -- Essays Papers

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers is a novel that takes place in a small southern town during the times of pre-World War II, the late 1930's. McCuller's main characters are misfits, lonely and rejected. They are all looking for a place in the world. The most tragic of the characters is a deaf-mute named John Singer. Singer's life basically revolves around his one and only friend Spiros Antonapoulos, who is also a deaf-mute. Singer "tells" Antonapoulos everything he is thinking or feeling and it seems as though Antonapoulos is interested in everything but what Singer has to say. Antonapoulos only communicates with Singer when he is hungry or sleepy. Singer just assumes he is listening and understanding everything he says. They lived this...

Home Computer Network :: essays research papers

Have you ever needed to have more than one home computer for you and your family? Do you have two or more computers, but need to copy and/or share files and/or programs between them, but you don’t know how? Do all of your computers need Internet access, but you don’t want to have a phone line installed for each of them? Well, you can do all of this. I know, because this is what I did at my home. After doing research I found that there are several advantages for having your own Home Computer Network. Following, are several reasons to do this in your house. First, by having an in-home computer network, and a file server, you can have a central location for storing all of your information. So, if you need more than one computer to access certain information, such as fonts, financial files, games, etc., you can do this through the network. This also eliminates the need for copying files to floppy diskettes, hand-carrying them to the other computers, and copying the files one-floppy-at-a-time to each, individual computer. This would be a very slow process, compared to a fast network speed. Additionally, if one computer on your network crashes, you can move to another computer and continue your work. So, if you use your network and file server effectively, you can have a high degree of reliability, security, and efficiency. Second, an in-home computer network can allow you to have only one Internet connection while giving Internet access to all computers on your network. This is very important if you only have one phone line. If you were to add an additional phone line for each computer you wanted to be connected to the Internet, well, let’s just say that this would be a costly alternative. By using your file server on your network, as a PROXY server, you can just use one phone line to connect to the Internet. All you have to do is install a small PROXY program that says, â€Å"I am the Internet connection for this network. Everybody aim their Internet browsing at me!† It’s really that simple. By doing this, it fools the other computers on your network into thinking that the file server IS the Internet. In addition to being connected via one phone line, and one computer, your file server can have what is called a â€Å"Firewall.† This eliminates outside intruders from invadin g your network.

Unit Three – Marketing P3

Marketing Research Market research indicates decisions made by a business, in this case Tesco, by helping the decision makers understand undercurrents of its market. This process involves research done on customers, competitors and the overall marketing environment. For example, when Tesco is promoting a product, they need to know the likes and dislikes of their targeted consumers in order to target the correct market successfully. They would also be required to research about their competitors, to find out if by any chance they offered a product that was similar, and how they would differentiate their product from it.Also, as an overall, they would be required to research the environment of the market, as well as the size of their target market, in order to decide how they are going to offer the product to the consumers. Example: sold in store, online, or both. Primary and Secondary Research There are two types of research: †¢Primary Research †¢Secondary Research Informati on for these types of research can be done internally – within the organization, or externally, from another organization or source of information outside the organization, in this case Tesco.When information or data is gathered for a certain purpose and has not been gathered before is known is primary research. Internal primary research data source could consist of: †¢The business’s sales figures of products †¢A central database holding customer data External primary research data source could consist of: †¢Various questionnaires and surveys †¢A variety of focus groups and interviews †¢Observation techniques When data or information that has been collected before, either internally or externally, is used for research is known as secondary research. Another name for secondary research is ‘desk research’.Internal secondary research data source could consist of: †¢Sales and regional reports †¢Market research gathered in the past External secondary research data source could consist of: †¢Websites and trade journals †¢Newspapers and books †¢Public reports †¢Census data †¢Industry reports For business like Tesco that operate in many different fields, secondary research is more cost-effective, before they decide to conduct primary research. This allows Tesco to have a better understanding of the market, as well as recognize any major obstacles before conducting expensive research.Secondary research also allows them to make assumptions based on similar products and therefore, once primary research is conducted, it can be used against the assumptions to evaluate and compare. This will help indicate how much primary research they are required to do and therefore they don’t end up doing too much that is not required. However, Tesco is required to take the limitation of secondary research into consideration: †¢The information may be outdated †¢The information may be b iased in order to promote particular causes †¢The methods used to collect the research may be unreliable.Qualitative and Quantitative Research Research methods can be qualitative, quantitive or can include both methods. Well-planned market research consists of both methods in order to result with a good combination of information revealing different things about the same market. Qualitative research is one-sided and normally unrestricted. It normally is gathered through interviews with customers or focus groups and therefore result in a wide range of research based on personal experiences and feelings.A qualitative question allows the individual go give a broad answer and not based against options. Qualitative research can be used to: †¢Find the perceptions of customers about an organization or brand. †¢Discover how changes in price and other factors affect customers and spending decisions. †¢Explore customer preference, interests and other factors. Quantitative research involves numbers and figures that can be examined mathematically or graphically. This may consist of sales figures, market values, etc. , as well as responses from customers on questionnaires.This is only categorized as quantitative research if the responses from the customers a chosen from series of answers provided on the questionnaire. The difference between quantitative and qualitative research: QuantitativeQualitative ObjectiveSubjective Tests theoryDevelops theory Concise and narrowComplex and broad Measurable Interpretive Basic analysis: NumbersBasic analysis: words and ideas Logical and reasonableDialectic Establishes relationshipsDescribes meaning Experimental settingNatural setting Uses of marketing researchThe information collected for market research prevents businesses like Tesco making wrong business decisions. If the product designer for Tesco progresses a new product without market research, then the business is not moving forward on reliable sources and the refore are unaware if customers are interested in the product or not. This indicates, effective market research improves the chances of success and reduces the risks. Tesco’s can also measure progress effectively over time. This can be done by, carrying out market research, to found out the awareness of the product before managing national advertising campaigns.Once they have conducted the research, they can put their national advertising campaigns into action and again conduct research and compare the two. Therefore, this indicates, market research can be used to measure progress as well as the effects of marketing activities. Limitations of market research – costs, effectiveness and validity of data collected Weather market research is done at a small or large scale, any time is required to be performed accurately and appropriately otherwise it gives irrelevant results.All market research conducted has the chances of being wrong no matter how well controlled and plan ned. There are various reasons why market research may not provide accurate or good results but a usual problem is deciding whether the research conducted really measures what it claims to be measuring. Marketers for Tesco are required to decide how reliable the information they have obtained is. Also they need to take into consideration, if the research contained had different respondents or different set of data points, would the results be similar.Validity refers to whether the research conducted is what it intended to be. Validity involves dependability, which means, a valid measure must be reliable. But, reliability doesn’t have to link to validity, a reliable measure is not required to be valid. The difference between reliability and validity: †¢Reliability guesses the point to which an tool processes the same way each time it is used in under the same conditions with the same subjects. †¢Validity involves the point of accuracy of your measurement.For organiza tions like Tesco’s, validity is considered more important than reliability because if a process does not precisely measure what it is supposed to, there is no use of it and therefore it being reliable is useless. Costs are also an essential consideration for Tesco when carrying out market research, as they are required to take into consideration if they money spent is worth the research undertaken and its potential benefits to the product, as well as the organization. A lot of time, effort and money can be spent on market research and in the end the solution discovered might not be worth implementing.