Unit 2 Essays - Communication, Learning, Culture, Media Studies

Unit 2 Unit 2 Media Literacy Media Literacy: deconstruction media messages Which statement is false ? All media messages are negative and controversial. All mediaare defined as thephysical or technical means of communicating a message. All media convey a message. All media are constructs. Which statement is true ? When designing an ad logo, it is important to keep it simple and clear in design. When designing an ad logo, it is important to keep all words away from the image. It is important to design logos that are easy for others to draw and copy. It is not important how you design a logo, only which colors you use. Which statement is true ? Media messages are usually too complicated for most people to understand. Media messages frequently present multiple messages at a time. Media messages are usually creative without any logic behind them. Media messages are only powerful if viewed through television Characteristics used to classify a group of the population that shares common characteristics, such as age, gender, class, etc., is called __________. values media genres demographics Top of Form Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. Image courtesy of the Utah Office of Tourism What is not a likely reason the creators of this ad chose the slogan "Utah.Life Elevated"? It is a play on the use of the definitions of the word "elevated," referring to the elevation of Utah's mountains and a life of joy. It is memorable because it is short but also relevant to the state's tourism features. It highlights Utah's ski industry and also suggests that Utah has more to offer than just skiing. It contains only sixteen letters and would beeasy to design into a rectangular shape. Bottom of Form Top of Form The mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion is called __________. genreanalysis media literacy demographic analysis critical thinking Bottom of Form Top of Form Which of the following is not a demographic classification? age gender race personality Bottom of Form Top of Form Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. Image courtesy of the New Mexico Tourism Department Which statement about this image is false ? The font style is being used to convey a certain message. This is an example of a slogan. The design around the words is irrelevant to the meaning ofthe words. The message is intended to be memorable. Bottom of Form Top of Form Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. Image courtesy of Texas Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism What is this logo most likely intended to get us to think about? adventure cowboys vacation family Bottom of Form Top of Form Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. Image courtesy of the Utah Office of Tourism What is the most likely significance of the tagline "The Greatest Snow on Earth"? It is a play on the words "The Greatest Show on Earth," suggesting that the snowfall is so spectacular it is like a performance. It is a reference to a scientific fact that Utah has far superior snow to any other state. It is a simple statement meant only to convey that Utah thinks it has better snow than anyone else. It is in the ad so that viewers will understand and appreciate snowflakes. Bottom of Form The mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion is called __________. genreanalysis media literacy demographic analysis critical thinking Which of the following is not a demographic classification? age gender race personality Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. Image courtesy of the New Mexico Tourism Department Which statement about this image is false ? The font style is being used to convey a certain message. This is an example of a slogan. The design around the words is irrelevant to the meaning ofthe words. The message is intended to be memorable. Analyze the image below and answer the question that follows. Image courtesy of Texas Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism What

China and the Hundred Days of Reform essays

China and the Hundred Days of Reform essays 1.) There have been numerous attempts to reform China in the late 19th century to build up China's strength and make it a world power once again. There have been many prestigious intellectuals and organizations that have attempted to do this. One of these intellectuals who had a great influence on other reformers was Yan Fu. Yan presented his ideas many people throughout China through his series of reform essays. Yan spoke of the foreign powers that invaded China and were controlling and changing the traditional Chinese way of life. Yan said that these changes to China were quite unfortunate but to cope with them and possibly overcome them, China must reform and modernize. This meant that China must learn from the westerners and borrow their ideas. Unfortunately, Yan was not much of an activist but Kang Youwei was. Kang and his colleagues, Tan Sitong and Liang Qichao spread their ideas of reform through study groups and journalism. These reformers wanted to make China modern without losing Chinese traditional culture. This meant as Yan said borrowing from abroad not only technology but from institutions and ideas as well. They wanted to change China from a monarchy to a republic. During the "Hundred Days of Reform," Kang and his followers, with the support of Emperor Guangxu, preached their ideas of reforming the examination system, remodeling the bureaucracy, and the modernization of China. Many of these reforms were implemented throughout Hunan. Just as Kang's efforts were beginning to pay off, reports of Kang influencing the emperor in an extremist manner were presented to the people of China. This only fueled the fire for the already present opposition to the emperor. This also paved the way for Empress Dowager to take over the throne. The emperor was put on house arrest for the remainder of his reign for conspiring with extremists. Empress Dowager sent all of the reform intellectuals into exile and Kang fled to Japan where he c...

Moschops Facts and Figures

Moschops Facts and Figures Name: Moschops (Greek for calf face); pronounced MOE-shops Habitat: Forests of South Africa Historical Period: Late Permian (255 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 16 feet long and one ton Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Thick skull; short tail; front legs longer than hind legs About Moschops Moschops is a case study in how evolution produces roughly the same forms to occupy the same ecological niches. Although it was a therapsid (mammal-like reptile) rather than a true dinosaur, Moschops was markedly similar to later ornithopods and hadrosaurs like Iguanodon and Maiasaura: thick-set, medium-sized, and built close to the ground, the better to browse on low-lying vegetation. In an important sense, though, Moschops was the less evolved reptile, since it had a classic, splay-footed reptilian posture and (if it was possible) an even tinier brain. (By the way, the family of mammal-like reptiles to which Moschops belong went on to spawn the earliest true mammals during the Triassic period. It may seem hard to believe, but Moschops was the star of a short-lived kids TV show back in 1983, though its unclear whether the producers knew that it technically wasnt a dinosaur. Granted, that wasnt the only scientific inaccuracy: for example, Moschops shared a cave with his best friend, an Allosaurus, and his grandfather was a Diplodocus. Perhaps it was a good thing that Moschops only lasted for 13 episodes before fading into pop-culture obscurity.

Prototype Interface Design Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Prototype Interface Design - Coursework Example The paper gives the details of a web browsing interface that will improve and enhance user’s web browsing in three dimensions; through automatically generating a mobile site for browsing, utilization of orientation sensor information to detect text to speech and natural interaction and offering a speech interface to simplify navigation and support iterative task’s dialog programming. The nature of the interface that a cell phone has can be an issue when the user finds it difficult and cannot accomplish a task effectively. User interface design refers to designing of the mobile phone interface with the primary focus on ht user’s interaction and experience. The primary objective of designing a user interface is to come up with the interface that will ensure that the user interact with the device with a lot of simplicity and efficiency in regards to accomplishing a task. Designing a good interface entails ensuring that the interface enables the user to finish the ta sk at hand without any ambiguity. Introduction According to Pew (2010), more that 80% of UK adult citizens has a mobile phone. More than 30 percent of these uses their mobile phones to access and browse the internet. The leading market researcher projects a drastic increase of mobile phone internet users in the next five years. Although different web browser have been standardized such that the user can access information on different platforms on the web, it has not been the case for some phones like unbranded small format keyfob phone. A survy that was carried out on 20 unbranded small format keyfob phone. The key contributing factor includes limited screen size, difficult navigation, finger issues and the ability to switch between different web locations. To facilitate a better user interaction and experience, web site developers have developed web site for mobile phones, which time-consuming and pricy (Bigham, J et al, 2008). Though the web site can be customized to be used by m obile phone browsers, there some features which cannot be effectively displayed in some phone due to navigation difficulties and limited screen size. In addition, the mobile users switch between browsing and other activities. The fat finger problem still becomes an issue when the user is carrying out multiple tasks in the phone. The paper tries to assess the issues that the unbranded small format keyfob phone users face and come up with a prototype web browsing interface that will solve the issues in three dimensions. First, the idea of recreating a website for mobile phones is replaced by developing gadget based interface that automatically transform any web site to fit the mobile phone using the web content. Second, is to solve the issue of lack of focus on the screen or the buttons when walking or driving using audio-to-text mobile comprehension (Vadas et al 2006). A combination of orientation sensor information with text to speech is also proposed to support the need for mobile phone web browser context switching. Third, is a speech interface integration to support dialog programming for repetitive task and ease web navigation. I will design a mobile web browser that will integrate all the above solution for an unbranded small format keyfob phone. A survey on unbranded keyfob phone usage Apart from mobile web browsers, there are other applications that can be used to access

Worldwide Recycling Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Worldwide Recycling Comparison - Essay Example The composting of biodegradable waste products is also considered a form of recycling. The materials to be recycled are sorted, cleaned after collection, and then reprocessed to new products bound for manufacturing process (Blaine, Lichtkoppler, Jones, & Zondag, 2005). One of the countries that has effective recycling programs is Switzerland. Waste recycling in Oregon is done by following an act that makes a statewide system for managing solid waste. Most of the population places the tins, glass, newspaper, aluminium and other recyclable materials at curbside for pick up by the recycling companies. The materials may also be taken to public landfills, transfer stations and other convenient locations for pick up. After the materials are taken the collection centers, the full process of recycling follows until the products are sold in the market (Wong & S.-F, 2006). The process involves three main steps before the final product is released to the final users. Recycling includes the three steps that create a continuous loop represented by the conventional recycling symbol. The process encompasses the first stage that is the collection and processing of the materials to be recycled. The collection takes different shapes like curbside, drop-off centers and refund programs. The collection is followed by taking the recyclables t o a recovery facility to be sorted, cleaned and then processed into new products that can be used in the manufacturing industry (MacBride, 2012). The second step after material collection and sorting is manufacturing. Most of the products nowadays are made using recycled content. Most of the household products that have been made using recycled materials include among others, newspapers and paper towels, plastic and glass soft drink containers, steel cans and plastic laundry detergent bottles. The last step in the process is that of purchasing new products that are made from recycled materials.

English Learning Essay Example for Free

English Learning Essay This case study is based on Patricia, a Spanish national in her twenties who is in her last year studying an Economics degree course. She is also a student on the Elementary course at the British Language Centre. Patricia’s started learning English at the bi-lingual school she attended. She learnt English for 3 years but did not take any official examinations, but sees this as a possibility for the future. At school she learnt English because it was obligatory. The only other language she speaks is Spanish. She started attending the British Language Centre (which she still attends) to help her find a job in an international company and to prepare her for her visit to Eastbourne, East Sussex (UK) in July. She will be staying with a house family for one month and hopes to improve her English and use all of the language she has been learning to date. Her reasons for learning English are a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic ones. The main reason she is motivated to learn English is because she believes it will help her find a good job and earn loads of money, she also reads a lot about English culture and customs and watches films in English with subtitles for her own enjoyment. This can also be related to her learning styles. The results of her â€Å"multiple intelligences† questionnaire indicates that her learning style preferences are linguistic, spatial and interpersonal. Her conversations in English refer to things that she has read or heard, she enjoys solving mazes and other visual puzzles and considers herself to be a leader. 3 Problems and Possible solutions with Grammar The student enjoys English grammar, and generally finds it much easier than Spanish grammar. An example of this is the verb formations. She normally uses the correct tense when speaking in English but sometimes uses the infinitive form instead of the progressive. â€Å"I read† instead of â€Å"I’m reading†. Spanish often use an infinitive where English would use a progressive; this can be

The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy Essay -- Ivan Ilych Death Dying

In life we often think about death and what our life has become. We never suspect that we will become ill and die, and we very rarely agonize over weather our life is what it should be until its too late, as demonstrated in Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych." Throughout Tolstoy's life he was religious and enjoyed life, but then as he reached the height of his fame and fourteen he began to question everything he had once believed in. Some people think that "The Death of Ivan Ilych" holds a lot of symbolism between the story and Tolstoy's life. In "The Death of Ivan Ilych" there is a lot of symbolism of life and death as compared to Tolstoy's life. Ivan Ilych was a man of success. He set out to achieve his goals, and make his money. He married the women he loved and had two beautiful children, living the good life with money and accomplishment. He didn't have normal worries like most working class people did, he just did what he set out to do and succeeded at that. It is noted that "Ivan Ilych's life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible." (Arp, 512) Until one day he became sick. For months he laid in bed in agonizing pain, and the doctors were left without agreeing knowledge on what he had. Close to the end of his life he began to wonder if his life was really what it should have been and whether or not he achieved all he was supposed to. He questioned death as if to ask "What is this? Can it be death?......Why these sufferings?"(Arp, 553) The reader is now left with the question did he die from physical pain or from mental anguish also? It could be said that when he was dealing with his impen ding death he went through five psychological stages. First he went through denial and ignored the fact that he might be dying. He ignored his pain until it got to bad to cure. Second he went through anger. He became angry at his condition and took it out on his family, friends and servants. Then he went through a short period of bargaining, when he took communion for his wife he thought to himself "To live! I want to live!" (Arp, 556) All he wanted was to live his life like he knew he should have. The fourth stage was depression. This is the period he went through right before he realized he was going to die. He felt that it would just be better if he died when he realized "Yes, I am making them wretched,' he thought. 'They are sorr... ...ndress uniform and went to the law courts." (Arp, 530-531) No one however, would know whether or not Ivan or the "Unknown Citizen" were hurt or gone because "Had anything been wrong, should certainly have heard." (Arp, 672) Not everyone is as observant to one persons needs as they should be. In the "Death of Ivan Ilych" the symbolism of death is very important. It shows that we should always look to the future and what we may become rather then the present and what we want at that moment. Will we turn out to be what we wanted to be, and live the fullest life possible. Its only up to us to decide that. Ivan Ilych was beginning to decide that when it was to late. In everyday life we take for granted that our values are sound and the projects and activities we take on are worth doing. We never take a "step back" to realize that maybe we are doing something good or that maybe we're not. We mainly concern ourselves with how we look in the end. That is something we should stop doing. We should follow the example of Ivan Ilych and make sure we live our lives to the fullest instead of realizing it when its to late. We should be like Tolstoy and realize that life is worth living.

Corp Finance Ford

IB 92C0 MiM/MiB CORPORATE FINANCE ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES Case Study: Ford Motor Company’s Value Enhancement Plan (VEP) As was announced during the first class in January (and stated in the module outline) you are required to submit a written assignment. Your assignment will be based on the Harvard Business School case study entitled â€Å"Ford Motor Company’s Value Enhancement Plan (A)†. The case study is distributed separately. Specifically, you are required to read carefully the case study and hand in your answer to the following two questions: 1.Should Ford:  §? go ahead with the complicated VEP, or  §? issue a cash dividend, or  §? conduct a share repurchase? In other words, would you vote in favour or against the VEP plan? Explain. 2. If the VEP plan is implemented, what would be your choice (cash or shares or a combination) if you were one of the following:  §? a Ford family member holding Class B shares  §? an institutional investor, such as TIAA- Cref or the Calpers  §? a regular outsider shareholder You must provide a short answer for all three investor types above.Assessment weight: This assessment constitutes 20% of your final mark. Deadline: You must submit your assignment via my. wbs by 12:00 pm on Monday 15 April, 2013. Late submissions will receive penalties in line with WBS policy. Format Your answer to the questions above should follow these guidelines: 1. 2. 3. 4. Your answer should be no more than 2 pages long. Any pages beyond the first two will be detached and discarded. This limit applies to all work, including any graphs, tables or appendices you may choose to use.Your paragraphs should be single-spaced with appropriate headings. You must use Times New Roman font 12. You should use the official assignment cover sheet, which will not count towards the two-page limit. The cover sheet should state the module name and number (IB 9380), the case study title and your student number. MiM Corporate Finance 1 Fordâ⠂¬â„¢s Value Enhancement Plan General advice You are strongly encouraged to write your answer using the following principles: You can assume that the marker is fully aware of all the facts of the case as well as all the material taught in class.You do not need to introduce the issues, provide background information or repeat any of the information cited in the case, unless you wish to support a very specific argument. You are asked to write your own opinion about the issues you believe are important in this case. Be as precise as possible. Try as hard as you can to avoid being descriptive and instead provide your own analysis. All your arguments should be based on the material discussed in class, the textbook readings and the facts and opinions discussed in the case. Marks will be given for the quality of your thought and presentation.Please take a clear stand in everything you discuss. An argument of the form â€Å"yes, †¦but† or â€Å"on the one hand yes†¦, but o n the other hand no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  will not do and will receive low marks. Remember, while there is no such thing as a wrong argument, there is a poorly supported argument. Finally, note that you are expected to work on the case individually. You may discuss the basic ideas of the case with your classmates, but you must write your answer to the assignment on your own. This is not a group assignment. Good Luck! Andrea MiM Corporate Finance 2 Ford’s Value Enhancement Plan

Principals for implementing duty of care Essay

A1, What does the term â€Å"duty of care† mean? The term â€Å"duty of care† means to safeguard anybody from harm and to make sure they are not disadvantaged or treated unfairly whilst they are in my care, to always act in the best interests of individual’s and others such as my co-workers, my employer as well as myself. This is a legal obligation. A2, How the duty of care affects the work of a social care worker Duty of care affects the way that a social care worker gives care, these include following policies and procedures, keeping all training up to date as this ensures good practice by applying it to day-to-day work. Also by insuring fair practice by recognising independence, diversity and choice etc. A3, What having a duty of care means for a care-giving organisation. This means having the responsibility for making sure that their organisation upholds the legal requirement to keep their staff safe as providing a safe working environment as well as providing PPE. Keeping staff up to date on all training including reporting and recording procedures. A4, How does duty of care contribute to safeguarding individuals? Having a duty of care should protect all those who use or work within the service by way of safeguarding. These include: Following policies and procedures, by sticking to the guidelines setout it ensures that the care workers are very aware of what they can and cannot do. Sticking to the rules eliminates any misunderstanding Adhering to legislations or codes of practice such as; safe guarding or the health and safety act to name a few are laws that are set out to protect those who use  the service as well as those who work within. B1, Companies should have complaints procedures in place, it should be efficiently advertised and implemented. This is so that those who wish to raise a complaint can do so in confidence knowing that their complaints are going to be dealt with promptly. Also companies should have a clear procedure, which provides easy to use opportunities for the complainant to register complaints as well as clearly providing the name of the person to forward complaints to. The legal requirements for dealing with complaints include providing support for all complainants and taking the appropriate steps to respond and deal with all complaints raised B2, The best way to deal with a complaint is to Record a detailed description of what the complaint is about, this includes any correspondence letters, emails etc. and any action taken to deal with the complaint at hand Respond to complaints within a shot period of time, if a reply cannot be had at the time specified then the complainant should be notified and told when they should receive a reply Uphold confidentiality and be aware of who needs to be involved when dealing with the complaint, this is so that those raising the complaint can do so without any backlash To be very aware of how the complainant is feeling regardless of if I feel whether the complaint is justified Inform regulatory bodies if need be such as CQC.

Inventory management methods at Carrefour in UAE

Inventory management methods at Carrefour in UAE Introduction Inventory management refers to the process by which a business organization maintains an organized flow of goods in and out of the business enterprise. In so doing the organization team attempts to prevent the inventory becoming high or on the hand going down to levels that can affect the performance of the organization.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Inventory management methods at Carrefour in UAE specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Watson (p 32) in order to control the inventory management the people involved should zero in on some aspects that will act as a guide to them. The most important aspect regards to time keeping. He says that by keeping the inventory management the managing team is able to establish the amount of time spent in order for a distributor to process what has been ordered and also deliver. In addition he says that the inventory management helps in determining t he period that it has taken for a good delivered in the business to move out having being sold. Therefore bearing this in mind the management team is able to determine with minimal errors when to place an order of a particular commodity and of what quantity. To add on that he argues that inventory management helps in maintaining of accurate records of what has been delivered and what has been sold. As a result any cases of missing goods or varying figures in the receipts books can be cross checked in order to establish the correct figures. For taxation purposes the inventory management has been argued as adequate in providing the information required. Types of inventory management As the business strives to move forward it has to maintain a good inventory management so that it can be known what is required when, and in what quantity. It is as a result of this the management team has an option of choosing from a number of available inventory management. Today there are four major typ es of inventory management. They include the material requirements planning, multi echelon inventory optimization, single echelon inventory optimization, and the just in time inventory management system. Material Requirements Planning (MRP) According to Howard (p 121) under this type of inventory management the main emphasis is placed on the production schedules so that there is optimization of inventory levels. He argues that material requirement planning demands that inventory should be available in large quantities to ensure that they perform accordingly in the task required of them.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To add on that he states that inventory should be availed in time so that the business organization reduces the amount of money incurred. When using the material requirement planning the main component of it is the Bill of Material. According to him the Bill of Material is very useful in a business enterprise since it is the one used when it comes to the calculation of time that is needed to acquire raw materials used during the process of production. Single Echelon Inventory Optimization Watson (p 23) argues that single echelon inventory optimization is mainly used by the business organization that wants to maintain a single channel for distribution between itself and its clients. Due to its simplicity, he argues that this type of inventory management is used in large numbers by the small and medium business enterprises that have limited inventory channels of distribution. Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimization Contrary to the single echelon inventory optimization, this type of inventory management is mainly a reserve of the business enterprises that have many regional centers of distribution and also a number of centers to distribute their products. Just In Time (JIT) According to Howard (p 126) this inventory managemen t system is designed in such a way the company or the business organization is able to have a minimum inventory holding costs. He notes that under this system the business organization should only place an order to the supplier after that particular good has been asked for by a customer. He says that the company in most of the time has in the shelves what they think is the goods asked for by the customers in many incidences. As a result Watson (p 25) argues that the company ensures that their inventory holding costs are low and that way they do not stand a chance of non moving goods within their enterprise. What are the methods used in Carrefour UAE Carrefour is a retail chain from France that for over the last 40 years emerged as one of the leading retail outlets all over the world in terms of revenue collected, profit, and the number of staff employed. During that period Carrefour has managed to establish many outlets in different parts of the world particularly in Europe, South A merica, North Africa, and the Middle East.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Inventory management methods at Carrefour in UAE specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, various scholars have looked at the measure put in place in order to achieve this success that many other retail outlets in different parts of the world have not been able to do. In their discussion one common feature that they all talk about is the use of efficient inventory management in order to control the movement of their stock. According to Muller (p 232) within the Carrefour business the most used inventory management system is the Just In Time (JIT). As earlier discussed this kind of inventory management system is greatly beneficial to the company because in one way it helps the company not to stock non moving goods which can in the long run play a part in making the company realize a loss. Under this system the company receives an o rder of a certain commodity from the client. In response the company places an order from the supplier for that commodity to be delivered. Once brought to the company, the commodity is taken to the client’s house hold. Using the Just In Time method the company is guaranteed that the goods they have in stock especially the heavy house hold items like fridge, and other electronics goods are bound to be bought because they are in stock because the customers asked for them. However, other frequently used house hold goods are usually stocked without using the Just In Time inventory system. In addition to that Institute of Grocery Distribution (p 235) argues that Material Requirements Planning (MRP) is also used in the Carrefour business. They say that when using this inventory management, the company is able to ensure that their orders are processed on time by the suppliers. Although this is not used most of the time, they argues that it is useful to the company because the stock in business enterprise is closely monitored and therefore appropriate measures put in place to mare sure that no stock runs out without new one being ordered.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result of this the clients would always find most of the things that they have come to shop. An example of the goods that may fall under this category of inventory management system is the household goods that are used by many people in their homes such as food stuffs and drinks. Multi Echelon Inventory Optimization on the other hand is used when it comes to the distribution of goods to the company branches. According to Koontz (p 476) Carrefour is a business enterprise with many outlets being found in various cities I the United Arab Emirates. Such cities include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharja. Therefore, to coordinate the activities of these outlets there is need to have a central position from which goods are distributed to the outlets. As a result of this the people working in the distributing centre has to maintain the Multi Echelon Inventory Optimization so that they can easily record and know the amount of stock disbursed to a certain outlet. Using this method the company is able to maintain a tracking system to know if the goods were taken to their intended destination. He therefore argue that chances of doctoring figures on the way are minimized and this goes a long way in making sure that the company profits continue to grow in leaps and bounds. Today Carrefour in United Arab Emirates has invested a lot of money in the information technology as well as communication so that they can track their sales and merchandise inventories in the entire branches in the country. In so doing the company has been able to reduce unproductive inventory by a way of letting the outlets manage their own stocks. Instead of reducing inventory across the board, Carrefour management has used its advanced information technology system to avail many inventories for goods demanded for mostly by the clients. In so doing the company has been able to keep their inventory levels as low as possible. Furthermore, the company has also been using bar coding and radio frequency tech nology in managing her inventories. Under this method the goods are directed to the dock from where they are loaded for shipments. The bar coding that they use helps them to pick and receive good inventory control. In addition this system helps in easier counting of the inventories physically. Advantages of Inventory Management In any business enterprise whether small or big inventory is very important because it helps the business maintain the required inventory levels to avoid incurring unnecessary costs. Inventory management has a number of advantages that include the following. Inventory management helps in understanding the demand and supply. Therefore the company avoids stocking too much of unwanted goods or under stocking. This is because maintaining the inventory management helps in establishing the trends of goods movement. In addition maintaining inventory management helps the company reduce liabilities. Koontz (p 467) says that by looking at the movement of goods out of t he shop, the management of the business can know when to buy certain goods and in what quantities to avoid over stocking that may lead to losses. Therefore by maintaining inventory management chances of stocking unwanted goods are minimized. Other advantage is that it helps the management knows when to make orders of certain goods and also stream line its operations. Disadvantages of Inventory Management According to Muller (p 231) inventory management has been noted to have three disadvantages that include the following. At first is the bureaucracy that gives a lee way to the employees to manipulate the available stock in the business. Secondly we have the production problem he says that although the company is able to know the stock available, it is not able to know the quality of the goods they are selling. Conclusion In today’s world companies like Carrefour have spread in many parts of the globe as a result of proper planning and efficient management. Therefore, this can be a wake up call to those businesses that has for long been struggling to survive. Maintaining an inventory is paramount in order to identify the movement of goods in and out of the company. Howard, Elizabeth. Carrefour: a study of a hypermarket and its effect. Avon: Avon County Planning Department, 1999. Institute of Grocery Distribution. Carrefour: A Strategic Review. Michigan: Institute of Grocery Distribution, 2002. Koontz. Essentials of management 8E. New York: Tata McGraw Hill Education, 1990. Muller, Mike. Essentials of inventory management. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 2003. Watson, Anthony. Best practice in inventory management. Abington: Elsevier, 2002.

How the USDA Has Addressed Discrimination

How the USDA Has Addressed Discrimination ​The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made significant progress in addressing allegations of discrimination against minority and women farmers both in the farm loan programs it administers and in its workforce that have hounded it for over a decade, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Background Since 1997, the USDA has been the target of major civil rights lawsuits brought by African-American, Native American, Hispanic, and women farmers. The suits generally accused the USDA of using discriminatory practices to illegally deny loans, delay loan application processing, underfund loan amounts and create unnecessary and burdensome roadblocks in the loan application process. These discriminatory practices were found to create unnecessary financial hardships for minority farmers.Two of the best-known civil rights lawsuits filed against the USDA Pigford v. Glickmanand Brewington v. Glickman - filed on behalf of African-American farmers, resulted in the largest civil rights settlements in history. To date, over $1 billion has been paid to over 16,000 farmers as a result of settlements in the Pigford v. Glickman and Brewington v. Glickman suits.Today, Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who believe they were discriminated against by the USDA in making or servicing farm loans bet ween 1981 and 2000 can file claims for cash awards or debt relief on eligible farm loans by visiting the USDAs Farmersclaims.gov website. GAO Finds Progress Made In October 2008, the GAO made six recommendations for ways the USDA could improve its performance in resolving farmers discrimination claims and providing minority farmers with access to programs intended to help them succeed. In its report titled, USDAs Progress toward Implementing GAOs Civil Rights Recommendations, the GAO told Congress the USDA fully addressed three of its six recommendations from 2008, made significant progress toward addressing two, and made some progress toward addressing one. (See: Table 1, page 3, of the GAO report) Outreach Programs for Minority Farmers and Ranchers As early as 2002, the USDA committed to improving its support for minority farmers by releasing $98.2 million in grants to supplement its loan programs specifically for minority and small farmers and ranchers. Of the grants, then Sec. of Agriculture Ann Veneman said, We are committed to utilizing all resources available to help farm and ranch families, particularly minority and small producers, who need assistance. Besides the monetary awards, grants for minority farmers and extensive efforts to promote civil rights awareness and equality within the USDA itself, perhaps the most important changes arising from the settlements of the civil rights lawsuits have been the series of USDA outreach programs intended to serve minority and women farmers and ranchers. Some of these programs include: Office of the Pigford Case Monitor: The Office of the Monitor provides access to all court documents, including court orders and decisions related to the Pigford v. Glickman and Brewington v. Glickman lawsuits filed against the USDA on the behalf of African-American farmers and ranchers. The collection of documents provided on the Office of the Monitor website are intended to help persons with claims against the USDA arising from the lawsuits learn about the payments and other relief they are entitled to under the courts rulings.Minority and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Assistance (MSDA): Operating under the USDAs Farm Service Agency, the Minority and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Assistance was established specifically to assist minority and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who apply for USDA farm loans. The MSDA also offers the USDA Minority Farm Register to all minority persons involved in farming or ranching. Participants in the Minority Farm Register are mailed re gular updates on the USDAs efforts to assist minority farmers.Women and Community Outreach Programs: Created in 2002, the Community Outreach and Assistance to Women, Limited Resource and Other Traditionally Under Served Farmers and Ranchers Program provides loans and grants to community colleges and other community based organizations for developing outreach projects to provide women and other under-served farmers and ranchers with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to make informed risk management decisions for their operations.Small Farms Program: Many of Americas small and family farms are owned by minorities. In the Pigford v. Glickman and Brewington v. Glickman lawsuits, the courts criticized the USDA as having an attitude of indifference toward the needs of minority small farmers and ranchers. The USDAs Small and Family Farm Program, administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, is an attempt to correct that.Project Forge: Another minority outreach ef fort of the USDAs National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Project Forge provides assistance and training to the primarily Hispanic and other minority farmers and ranchers in rural regions of South Texas. Operating out of the University of Texas-Pan American, Project Forge has been successful in improving the economic condition in the South Texas region through both its training programs and development of farmers markets.

Global Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Studies - Essay Example Whereas inclusive political and economic organizations encourage economic success, extractive ones justify the reason a few countries are poor. This essay intensely covers a study of two nations; China and South Africa, discussing the way organizations play an important function in the country’s growth. Application of their organizational breakdown in the international and regional ranks could provide more imminent in terms of the effects of organizations on growth. South Africa as a Developing Nation The below data study is in South Africa as a developing nation and the way its inclusive institutions have contributed to its growth. The South African tale introduces a puzzle. Its combined economy consists of sections that Acemoglu and Robinson could apply referring to it as â€Å"circular flow†. This vibrant economy consists of producers, mining and services adjusted segment that is internationally involved1. A few institutions in the production and service segments are involved in commodity innovation and R&D venture ruled by the commercial segment as Acemoglu and Robinson argues. However, South Africa as well introduces a huge segment of the casual economy, where innovation could most likely be happening. Depending on the World Bank Indicators, during the initial quarter of 2012, there existed 2.1 million individuals in South Africa active in the casual economy; exempting the agricultural segment, contrasted to 9.5 million in the non-agricultural official segment. Out of the 2.1 million, 1.2 were males and simply more than 857, 000 were females2. The nation is precisely classified like a dual economy with disparities in salaries and availability of social capital according to Acemoglu and Robinson (A&R 84). Acemoglu and Robinson claim that from the inception of democracy during 1994, all ANC governments have passed laws (or continue to pass laws) different steps to deal with disparities. To change workforce markets, Employment Equity and Affirma tive Action, Basic Condition of Employment Acts were enacted that prioritized most blacks and females who were ignored during the apartheid government. A wide founded Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) was enacted under the Mbeki regime, to spread and withhold capital from white power. Sarcasm remained leveled against previous head of state Mbeki and the present one Zuma, as benefaction and clientilist associations yet rule the negligible black leader that is yet extra minor a cluster to become its individual class. Acemoglu and Robinson argue that the latest established National Development Plan more confirmed that freeing workforce markets without tackling other characteristics would cause greater profits without rises in venture, innovation or employment. The regime prolonged the Public Works schedule to handle the knowledge deficiency and accommodate the jobless into the normal economy. South Africa as well has a non-causal donation scheme, which has aimed rural females, susceptib le siblings, and the physically challenged. Although the arrangements to lower poverty and disparity, Acemoglu and Robinson claim that organizational legacies from the apartheid period and administrative rules in the democratic period persist to polarize South Africans. It is accounted that Limpopo province contains the biggest comparative casual economy; 34% of the whole economic function that happens in this segment. Casual employment is as well of substantial significance in Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape,