Possible Turnaround Strategies for the Business Essay

Possible Turnaround Strategies for the Business - Essay Example The paper tells with the understanding that the business operation is based on a quality product as the explanation, increasing the presence of the business in the local market would help to create a good name and a household brand which can be easily sold to outside world. With the brand now famous in the home country, it would be easy even to partner with the international companies and market the products since they would be acting as ambassadors based on the good name built in the local market. However, this would be a wise decision because of the local competition and the possible saturation of the local market. Increase competition or saturation of the local market would make the operation and expansion strategy difficult for the business. According to Audley, the other strategy can through going international at once. This is probably the most efficient way of expanding a local SME to attain international standard. However, this would be a tricky move also very involving. It w ould require proper preparation in terms of capital investment and also in terms of management. Going international for an SME is quite involving but very rewarding in case it is executed accurately. Having seen at the two possible turnaround strategies for the business, let us now look at the requirements that would help in the expansion process. First, it would require a huge amount of capital investment. This is needed in for licenses and business premises. Perhaps the most important thing to understand here is that the owner must first become conversant with the international laws governing international business. This is important in order to understand the terms of payment and transfer of money. The owner of the business needs to establish an account to receive all payments depending on the mode of operation. Having a sound financial backing is of crucial importance before venturing into international business as the business requires huge inputs.

What Guides Ethical Decision Making Essay Example for Free

What Guides Ethical Decision Making Essay A processor manufacturing company who are currently facing financial troubles completed an order about three months ago for newly designed high-powered processors that are smaller than and four times as powerful as its predecessor. These processors are to be placed into cutting edge cellular phones by a leading cellular phone manufacturer whose release date is a mere month away. A design inconsistency was recently discovered that essentially meant that the processors would work but would be no more powerful than its predecessor in certain conditions. A flaw that would only to be discerned when extraordinary load was placed on the device component whilst it was exposed to ambient temperatures of over 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The company’s CEO is now faced with the difficult decision of either doing nothing or replacing all the processors. Doing nothing, allows the company to keep its doors open, grants access to potential future earnings and saves the jobs of over 1000 employees. A decision that clearly seeks to ensure the common good of the company by giving them the ability to remain competitive while remaining silent on an issue that poses substantial risks to the cellular phone manufacturers earnings and reputation. The alternative, replacing all the processors would undoubtedly ensure that the processors function as advertised, but doing so would be at a significant cost to the company and may likely result in massive downsizing or the company’s declaration of insolvency. Though this option speaks positively to the moral character of the company, it may also lead to the company’s demise and leave over 1000 employees jobless. Both decisions, in light of the situation presented, may be considered to be ethical. A predicament which may undoubtedly lead a person to question how does one choose between several ethical options and more importantly what exactly guides this choice. The answer to these questions can be found in a branch of philosophy called theoretical ethics. Theoretical ethics is the rational reflection on what is right, what is wrong, what is just, what is unjust, what is good, and what is bad in terms of human behaviour according to [https://www.boundless.com/marketing /textbooks/boundless-marketing-textbook/social-responsibility-ethics-in-marketing-16/ethics-an-overview-101/definition-  of-ethics-498-8310/]. This branch of philosophy is exercised via the application the application of ethical theory. Ethical theories are those that represent the grand ideas which guide ethical principles and systematically attempt to answer the fundamental practical ethical questions [Ethical Theories http://www.medindia.net/education/familymedicine/biomedical-ethics-theories.htm#ixzz3H84Tlgi3] Ethical theories can be categorized according to how they justify ethical judgments [https://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/resources/ethics-in-a-nutshell/#theoretical ] and as such the particular ethical theory utilized can influence the decision made. This essay will therefore seek to examine the concepts of the common good and moral character and fundamental human virtue, their supportive ethical theories and explain how they are applied to making ethical decisions in businesses. Common Good Also referred to as the human good, public good or commonweal, the concept of the common good is one that has evolved over time. As human society developed, so too did the concept, as articulated by the philosophers of the day. Originating with the Greek Philosopher Aristotle who, on the topic wrote â€Å"Every skill and every enquiry, and similarly every action and rational choice, is thought to aim at some good; and so the good has been aptly described as that at which everything aims†. He went on to reason that â€Å"since political science employs the other sciences, and also lays down the laws about what we should do and refrain from, its end will include the ends of the others, and will therefore be the human good.† http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam032/99036947.pdf . Aristotle firstly explained his idea of the good, which according to his writings can then be understood to mean the purpose, reason, desire or benefit of things and actions. The idea of the good sets the premise for understanding the human good, the good that yields the most benefit to human existence. The human good, in Aristotle’s view, was the science of politics since it was the science charged with managing all other sciences and their respective ends for a single purpose; the betterment of the polity. The underlying premise of Aristotle’s definition of the common good is utility. It involves a multiplicity of agents working towards a single shared purpose that would  satisfy or be of benefit to all involved. This single purpose, shared by many, for the benefit of many is therefore what is understood to be the common good; a concept that shares an ideal that is similar to utilitarian theory as developed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mills. UTILITARIANISM AND THE COMMON GOOD The basic premise of utilitarianism is the achievement of happiness for the greatest sum of people [ethics in action Domenec Mele]. This principle places the interest of the many over the interest of the few and as such the rightness or wrongness of an act is based only on the perceived or expected outcomes of that act as it relates to the utility obtained. http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/cavalier/80130/part2/sect9.html Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mills were the main proponents of this ideology, and though they had differing views on which outcome of act (happiness vs. pleasure) was worth measuring in order to determine the rightness or wrongness of an act they both held that human wellbeing was salient. http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/cavalier/80130/part2/sect9.html Utilitarianism can be considered to be an ethical theory. It represents a grand idea; achievement of maximum utility for most, and at the same time, assesses the rightness or wrongness of an action through the lenses of this idea. The utilitarian principle can therefore be used to ethically guide or judge the ethicality of decisions and actions. Utilitarianism as an ethical theory acts in pursuance to the common good https://philosophynow.org/issues/64/Presidential_Decision-Making_Utilitarianism_vs_Duty_Ethics . As previously expressed, a single purpose, shared by many, for the benefit of many is therefore what is understood to be the common good. This concept is similar to utilitarianism as is evident by the mutual aim of achieving maximum utility for many. As such, decisions and actions resulting from utilitarian theory are made based on the consequences of those decision and actions, and how they affect majority with an aim to always increase utility. Utilitarianism as a theory may then be seen as the tool through which the common good may be achieved. https://philosophynow.org/issues/64/Presidential_Decision-Making_Utilitarianism_vs_Duty_Ethics COMMON GOOD OF BUSINESSES The theories of the common good and utilitarianism although initially conceptualized on a societal scale are also applicable to smaller groups that occur within society. Both concepts are formulated purely on the idea that it is best to achieve utility for the majority of stakeholders and as such the size of the group is not an important attribute for consideration when applying these ideas. Utilitarian as a theory and the common good as a concept can therefore be viewed as reducible and as such be applied to virtually any group in society including a business. The common good of a business is to seek particular goods through its activities http://www.iese.edu/es/files/Paper_Antonio%20Argando%C3%B1a_tcm5-36013.pdf . These goods are extrinsic, intrinsic and transcendent in nature and are used to provide utility to stakeholders by satisfying their needs http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/DI-0777-E.pdf . These goods are interdependent of each other, but through their collective contributions, work towards the achievement of the vision and mission of a business. The vision and mission of a business may then be considered to be that business’s common good [domenec mele bookl]. Interestingly however, a business seeking its own common good also works towards the common good of society [domenec mele bookl]. As suggested by Adam Smith’s metaphor of the invisible hand, a business in pursuit of its own interests tends to also promote the good of society as a whole [domenec mele bookl]. Therefore the activities of a business: 1. creating added economic value with justice and distributing it with equity 2. supplying useful goods and services efficiently and fairly 3. providing jobs, opportunities and organizational conditions in accordance with human dignity and human rights 4. Promoting the necessary relationships between the firm and its constitutive stakeholders, fostering rec iprocity, collaboration and cooperation among them 5. Striving for the continuity and sustainability of the firm and 6. being a good corporate citizen  may be viewed as contributing to not only its own common good but also to the common good of society. [domenec mele bookl] COMMON GOOD DECISION MAKING IN A BUSINESS A common good decision in a business is any decision that is pursuant its own common good and, at the same time, is aimed at achieving maximum utility for  the majority of stakeholders. This type of decision making applies a mission driven approach to corporate governance where the organization is seen as one entity that achieves multiple ends. In applying this approach the corporate governing body weighs the positive and negative consequences of an action with an aim towards increasing overall utility for the many with the business’s vision and mission as its main goal [domenec mele]. It would then stand to reason that a common good business decision would be any decision that is utilitarian in nature, which is also in accordance with any of the 6 mentioned activities of a business. Common good business decisions are made through the application of utilitarian theory. Utilitarian theory provides a straightforward method for making decisions that would provide the greatest benefits and the least harm to the business. To arrive at such a decision, one must firstly identify the each of the various options that can be chosen http://www.sme.ie/articles/business_ethics/thinking_ethically.pdf . After the options are identified, the foreseeable benefits and harms that may result from each option are determined http://www.sme.ie/articles/business_ethics/thinking_ethically.pdf . Lastly, one compares the options and chooses the option that provides the greatest benefits and the least amount of harm to the business http://www.sme.ie/articles/business_ethics/thinking_ethically.pdf . In the utilitarian view, an option chosen via this ethical theory is considered to be morally right http://www.sme.ie/articles/business_ethics/thinking_ethically.pdf and is therefore ethical. This decision making process may be likened to the cost benefit analysis, a commonly used business decision making tool. Although one may arrive at ethical decisions through the application of utilitarian theory, there are several disadvantages of using this ethical theory. Utilitarianism suggests that the decision maker assigns values to benefits and harms and subsequently compares these benefits and harms, this makes the utilitarian decision making process highly subjective http://www.sme.ie/articles/business_ethics/thinking_ethically.pdf . Predicting all the consequences of an action is difficult and as such it is possible that consequences which may cause great benefit or harm to the business are not factored into the decision making process. This method also, ignores the concept of justice and as such may cause several  particular groups to be repeatedly disadvantaged for the betterment of the organization. Because of the critiques of this ethical theory it can be reasoned tha t it is best used in situations that are amoral or situations where the rightness or wrongness of a decision is not in question. An example or an ideal amoral situation is a situation where all the available options are moral. The application of this ethical approach in such situations removes the need for the consideration of justice and therefore addresses a major flaw of the utilitarian process. MORAL CHARACTER AND FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN VIRTUES Another concept that informs ethical decision making is moral character and fundamental human virtues. The idea of Moral character and virtues has always been a prominent topic of philosophical discussion among ancient philosophers. The foundation of these discussions was centralized in the goodness of humans and in particular, trying to discern what makes a person good http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-character/ . As such, a person’s character became the logical starting point in the resolution of this issue http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-character/#WhyChaMat . One’s traits and actions is what determines one’s character. Character, which is understood to mean the assemblage of qualities that distinguishes one individual from another http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-character/#WhyChaMat is comprised of the relatively stable traits or behaviours that a person consistently exhibits. Although all of these traits are not moral nature, they may have a significant impact on a person’s moral characterhttp://www.iep.utm.edu/moral-ch/#SH1a . A person’s Moral Character is influenced by moral character traits and practical wisdom. A moral character trait is a disposition of character for which a person is morally responsible or is deserving of the resultant reactive attitudes. http://www.iep.utm.edu/moral-ch/#SH1a. Virtues, traits that are deserving of positive reactive attitudes such as praise or gratitude and vices, traits that are deserving of negative reactive attitudes, when combined with proper reasoning about the matter at hand, collectively inform moral character http://www.iep.utm.edu/moral-ch/#SH1a. In other words; virtues, vices and by extension moral character is not only influenced by the disposition of  character, but also by practical wisdom. http://www.iep.utm.edu/moral-ch/#SH1a Practical wisdom is an intellectual virtue that is required for the development of virtues of character. This intellectual virtue is acquired through learning general rules and practice. Throughout the course of one’ s life, we encounter situations that require reasoning to determine what actions are appropriate. It is through these experiences that practical wisdom is developed. Practical wisdom, when combined with â€Å"proper habits† fuels the development of virtues such as justice, courage and temperance. [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-ethics/] Justice, courage and temperance are virtues which provide us with the interior strength to act well [domenec mele]. Justice governs relationships and it regulates one’s inclination to possess, to share and to give whilst, courage, the virtue of preserving or pursuing what is good despite the obstacles, regulates one’s inclination to overcome the obstacles to doing â€Å"good†. Lastly temperance regulates one’s inclination towards pleasure and is that virtue which provides self-mastery and avoidance of immoderate attachments [domenec mele]. These virtues each have common characteristics of providing a self-regulatory feature and encouraging behaviours that are in keeping with human excellence. As such, these virtues are considered to be fundamental [domenec mele]. FUNDAMENTAL VIRTUES AND DEONTOLOGY The theory of deontology states we are morally obligated to act in accordance with a certain set of principles and rules regardless of outcome. Deontological theories holds that some acts are always wrong, even if the act leads to an admirable outcome and as such, in deontology the morality of an action is judged without regard for the outcome of that action. Deontology is based on the view of the human being having the unique capacity for rationality and it is exactly this ability that requires human beings to act in accordance with moral law or duty. http://sevenpillarsinstitute.org/morality-101/kantian-duty-based-deontological-ethics In the deontological view, morality and moral character is primarily a function of acting in accordance with duties or obligations, regardless of the consequences of acting in accordance with those duties http://www.iep.utm.edu/moral-ch/ . Deontological theory goes on to apply  this categorical imperative to making all decision â€Å"Act only on that maxim whereby thou canst at the same time will that it should become a universal law† http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/Cavalier/80130/part2/sect8.html . This categorical imperative is Kant’s only guideline to making decisions. Simply explained it states that one should decide on an action only if they agree that everyone else should perform that action in all the time. To be able to act in accordance with duty, fundamental virtues are required. Duties may be either perfect (precise, specifiable and enforceable) or imperfect (unspecific and unenforceable) in nature. Perfect duties require that one forgoes certain actions in order to be able to act in accordance with such a duty. Imperfect duties on the other hand, are duties to adopt certain ends and because of its unenforceable nature require self-mastery and strength of will. Continence therefore becomes a necessity for acting in accordance with duty. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-character/#Kan Continence or self-control requires the exercise of virtues, namely those of practical wisdom, temperance, courage and justice. http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.7.vii.html MORAL CHARACTER OF COMPANIES The ideas of moral character and fundamental virtues, though originally conceptualized to examine the ‘goodness’ of a person, can also be expanded to analyse the moral character of groups particularly businesses. Moral character is assessed as previously indicated by evaluating a person’s commitment to virtues or exercise of duty. The same method of assessment can be applied to a business. The moral character of a company may be determined through its duty based activities. The perfect duties of a company are those to which it is legally obligated whereas its imperfect duties deals are those where the company isn’t legally obligated but are duty bond to adopt particular ends. As such, the company’s adherence to the laws of the land, how the company treats with contractual agreements, examination of the company’s ethical policy or code and review of the company’s decision to ensure that they are in accordance with the company’s duties are the factors that influence the moral character of a company.

A Nineteenth Century Ghost Story in The Turn of The Screw by Henry Jame

A Nineteenth Century Ghost Story in The Turn of The Screw by Henry James The Turn of The Screw is a classic Gothic ghost novella with a wicket twist set in a grand old house at Bly. The story is ambiguous; we never fully know whether the apparitions exist or not and we are left with many more questions than answers. The Governess is left in charge of two young children, Miles and Flora, of whom she later becomes obsessed with, describing them as 'angelic'. She has no contact with her employer from London, the children's enigmatic uncle once there, sparking suspicions of the children being unwanted. The anonymous Governess' obsessive nature is taken to another level, with the darker side of Bly appearing. Her sanity is called into question with her continued revelations of apparitions around the family's country residence. The story itself could not have had a bigger twist in it, from being overwhelmed by the beauty and innocence of the two orphans under he care to being convinced that ghosts of her predecessor and the master's former valet, Miss Jessel and Peter Quint, both who die in mysterious circumstances, have come to possess the souls of her charges. The Governess begins to take ever more desperate measures to protect them, but is it enough? A typical Gothic story in many respects, The Turn of the Screw conforms to our expectations by sharing many key features, style and themes typical to nineteenth century horror fiction. A gothic story is a type of romantic fiction that predominated in English Literature in the last third of the 18th century and the first two decades of the 19th century. The setting for this type of st... ...riously wrong with her. Taking all of these points into account all of these points, I am sure that you now agree that The Turn of the Screw is a typical 19th century gothic ghost story. The story itself has many characteristics typical of a gothic story and it is based around two apparitions, which is a necessity in any ghost story. Gothic stories were very popular during this period due to Darwin's book, 'The Origin of Species' which hugely questioned Christian beliefs. People were no longer sure of religion, and became very superstitious, with Ghost stories becoming very popular. They had always thought god came first; now science was starting to take over. In the 19th century people were unsure about what was real in the world. The Victorians did not know what to believe about in their world and spirituality.

Nike Case Study Essay

Kimi Ford, a portfolio manager at North Point Group, is looking into the profitability of investing in the stocks of Nike for her fund that she manages. She is supposed to base her decision the company’s data which was disclosed in the 2001 fiscal reports. While Nike management had addressed several issues that are causing the decrease in market sales and stock price, management presented plans to improve and perform better. Nike revenue has been at a plateau since 1997 yet net income and market share were falling. Supply chain issues and the strong dollar negatively affected revenue too. Plans are in place to address top line growth and operating performance. To boost revenue, the company would develop more athletic shoes in the mid priced segment which has been overlooked by Nike in recent years. They also planned to push their apparel line which under strong leadership had performed very well to control expenses. Revenue growth targets are around 8-10% and earnings targets are above 15%. Analyst reactions were mixed as some of them thought this was too aggressive. Lehman Brothers recommended a strong buy while others expressed misgivings and recommended a hold. At this point, North Point Group decided to do their own analysis in order to decide if Nike shares should be purchased for the fund. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay its debt and equity holders to finance its assets. It is the minimum return that a company must earn on existing asset base to satisfy its owners, creditors, and other providers of capital or they will invest somewhere else. Companies raise money from many sources such as common and preferred equity, straight, convertible, and exchangeable debt, options, warrants, pension liabilities, executive stock options, governmental subsidies, and others. Different securities, which represent different sources of finance, are expected to generate different returns. WACC is calculated taking into account the relative weights of each component of the capital structure- equity and debt, and is used to see if the investment is worthwhile to take part in. Management notices the cost of capital while making a financial decision. The concept is very relevant in the following managerial decisions and hence its importance: (1) Capital Budgeting Decision. Cost of capital may be used as the tool for adopting an investment proposal. Naturally, the firm will choose the project which gives a satisfactory return on investment which would never be less than the cost of capital incurred for its financing. In the many methods of capital budgeting, the cost of capital is the main factor in deciding the project out of different proposals pending before the management. It determines the acceptability of all investment opportunities by measuring financial performance. (2) Designing the Corporate Financial Structure. The cost of capital is a significant factor in designing the firm’s capital structure. The cost of capital is influenced by changes in capital structure. Financial executives keep an eye on capital market fluctuations and try to achieve the economical and sound capital structure for the firm. They may try to substitute the various methods of finance in an attempt to minimize the cost of capital a nd to increase the market price and the earning per share. (3) Deciding about the Method of Financing. Financial executives must have knowledge of fluctuations in the capital market and should analyze the rate of interest on loans and normal dividend rates in the market from time to time. Whenever company requires additional finance there are better choices of the source of finance which bears the minimum cost of capital. Although cost of capital is an important factor in such decisions, but equally important are the considerations of relating control and of avoiding risk. (4) Performance of Top Management. The cost of capital can be used to evaluate top executive financial performance. Evaluation of the financial performance will involve a comparison of actual profitability’s of the projects and along with the projected overall cost of capital and an appraisal of the actual cost incurred in raising the required funds. (5) Other Areas. The concept of cost of capital is also important in others areas of decision making, such as dividen d decisions, working capital policy, and more. WACC CALCULATION: [pic] One important question is if Joanna Cohen should use a single or multiple of capital for each of Nike’s footwear and apparel divisions? We agree with the use of single cost rather than multiple costs of capital. The reason of estimating WACC is to value the cash flows of the entire company that is provided by Kimi Ford. Plus, Nike business segments have a similar risk and thus a single cost is sufficient for this analysis. Joanna Cohen’s cost of debt was incorrect. An important fact is the WACC is used for discounting future cash flows, thus all components of the cost must reflect the firm’s concurrent or future abilities in raising capital. Cohen wrongly used the historical data in estimating the cost of debt. She divided interest expense by the average balance of debt to get 4.3% of before tax cost of debt. It doesn’t reflect Nike’s current or future cost of debt. The correct way to calculate the cost of debt is explained below. If the cost of debt is intended to be forward looking, it can be estimated by the yield to maturity of bond. The more appropriate cost of debt can be calculated with the data provided in Exhibit 4 of the case. Market data is correctly used rather than historical data. PV: 95.60 N= 40 Pmt: -3.375 FV: -100 The values above were put into Excel’s rate function. This came to a 7.16% annual cost of debt. The tax rate is 38%. The correct way to get the after tax cost of debt is to take 7.16% * (1-38%) = 4.44% The correctly calculated before tax cost of debt is 7.16%. This is significantly higher than Joanna’s incorrectly calculated cost of debt of 4.3%. Her incorrect calculation came from using historical rates rather than market rates. Next, the cost of equity is calculated. It is a good idea to use the 20 year T-Bond rate to represent the risk free rate. The cost of equity and the WACC are used to discount cash flows in the long run, thus rate of return of a T-Bond with 20 years maturity at 5.74% is the longest rate that is available. The geometric mean of market risk premium is 5.9%. This is more accurate than using arithmetic mean to represent market risk premium. By using arithmetic mean to represent true market risk premium, we have to have independently distributed market risk premium. It is often found that market risk premiums are negatively serial correlated. Market average Beta of .69 is used because it is a good indicator of the average Beta’s and their fluctuations throughout the years. Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) |Cost of Equity(KE) | |KE = |Rf + ÃŽ ²(Rf – Rm) | |Rf = |5.74% | = |9.81% | |Beta |= 0.69 |Average Nike Beta | | Next, the weights of debt and equity need to be calculated. The market value of equity is $42.09 share price X 271.5 million shares = 11,427,000 Due to the lack of information of the market value of debt, book value of debt at 1296.6 million is used to calculate weights. Calculations for market and debt weights: 11,427,000 / (11,427,000 + 1297) = 89.8% Equity Weight 1 – 89.8% = 10.2% debt weight WACC Calculation 4.44% After Tax Cost of Debt X 10.2% Debt Weight + 9.81% Cost of Equity X 89.8% Equity Weight = 9.27% The CAPM method was used when calculating cost of equity for the WACC. Advantages and disadvantages of this method are explained below. Advantages: †¢ It only considers systematic risk, reflecting a reality in which most investors have diversified portfolios from which unsystematic risk has been essentially eliminated. †¢ It generates a theoretically-derived relationship between required return and systematic risk which has been subject to constant empirical research and testing. †¢ It is generally seen as a superior method of calculating the cost of equity than the dividend growth model (DGM) in that it explicitly takes into account a company’s level of systematic risk relative to the stock market as a whole. †¢ It is clearly better than WACC in providing discount rates for use in investment appraisal. Disadvantages: †¢ It is practically impossible to estimate betas for many projects. †¢ People sometimes focus on market risk rather than corporate risk, and this may be a mistake. The Dividend Discount Method is another method of calculating cost of equity. The assumption made with this model is that the company pays a substantial dividend, but Nike Inc. does not pay dividends. Therefore, we rejected this model since it does not reflect the true cost of capital. The method Compares dividends forecasted for the next period with the current share price for the firm and then adds the growth rate of the firm. Equation: Ke= D1/ P0 + g †¢ Variables: – G= the value line forecast of dividend growth, which equals 5.5% – PO= current share price, which is $42.09. – D1= DO (1+g), which equal .48 (1+.055) †¢ DO= from dividend history and forecast chart, which equals .48 Therefore, cost of equity = .564/42.09 + .055= 6.7% Advantages: †¢ Allow great flexibility when estimating future dividend streams †¢ Provide useful value approximations even when the inputs are simplified †¢ Can be reversed so the current stock price is used to impute market assumptions for growth and expected return †¢ Investors are able to suit their model to their expectations rather than force assumptions into the model †¢ Specifying the underlying assumptions allows for sensitivity testing and analyzing market reactions to ever changing circumstances Disadvantages †¢ Subjective inputs can result in wrongly specified models and bad results †¢ Over-reliance on a valuation that is really just an estimate †¢ Sensitivity is high to small changes in input assumptions †¢ Flow-through of minor formula or data entry errors when using spreadsheets The Cost of Equity Method is the other method for forecasting cost of equity. The final model used to compute the cost of capital was the earning capitalization model. The problem with this model is that it does not take into consideration the company’s growth. Therefore we chose to reject this calculation. The earnings capitalization model calculations were found this way: †¢ Stands for earnings capitalization model †¢ This model compares forecasted earnings for the next period over the current share price. †¢ Equation: – Ke: E1/ P0 †¢ Variables: – E1= (1+g) * (E0/ # of shares outstanding) †¢ G= retention ratio * return on equity †¢ Retention ratio= retained earnings/ net income †¢ 3194.3/ 589.7= 5.42 †¢ Return on equity= net income/ total shareholders’ equity †¢ 589.7/ 3494.5= 16.88% †¢ G= 5.42* 16.88%= .914 †¢ EO= Net Income, which equals 589.7 †¢ Share Outstanding= 271.5 – E1= ((1+.914) * 589.7)/ 271.5= 4.1572 – PO= Nike current share price, which is 42.09 †¢ Therefore, cost of equity= – 4.1572/ 42.09 = 9.88% Advantage Strong representation of earnings Disadvantages Brealey & Myers argue in Principles of Corporate Finance that this model is not good to use for growing firms but is appropriate for no-growth firms. Hence it is not appropriate for Nike Inc. since this company is still growing. Analysis and Recommendation Kimi ford used a WACC discount rate of 8.4% to find a share price of $63.50. Nike is currently trading at $42.09. This makes the share price undervalued by $21.41. However, her discount rate does not reflect true market value due to the mistakes in her methods we discussed earlier. The discount rate we came up with from using the CAPM was 9.27%. This higher WACC results in a lower share price of around $55.60. Share price has decreased once Joanna’s calculation methods have been corrected, but Nike is still overvalued so we still recommend buying the stock. Share price is now undervalued by $12.97. SWOT Analysis Strengths: †¢ Globally recognized #1 sports brand †¢ Strong marketing, research and development, and innovation †¢ Worldwide logo recognition, brand loyalty, and slogan â€Å"Just do it.† Weaknesses: †¢ Most profits are solely from footwear †¢ Revenue has plateaued, expenses have increased †¢ Supply chain issues affecting financial health too †¢ Price sensitive retail industry Opportunities: †¢ There are plans in place to address top line growth and operating performance †¢ Plans to create more athletic footwear †¢ Also plans to push apparel line †¢ High revenue growth (8-10%) and earning (15%) targets Threats: †¢ Uncertainties in international trade †¢ The market is cut throat †¢ Growing competition from other companies can lead to decreased market share DuPont Analysis †¢ Net Income: 589,700,000 †¢ Sales:9,488,800 †¢ Total Assets:5,819,600 †¢ Common Equity – Common Stock, Par: 2,800,000 – Capital in excess of stated value: 459,400,000 – Retained Earnings: 3,194,300,000 – Total: 3,656,500,000 †¢ NI/Sales: 589,700,000/9,488,800,000 = 6.2% †¢ Sales/TA: 9,488,800,000/5,819,600,000 = 1.63 †¢ TA/CE: 9,488,800,000/3,656,500,000 = 2.60 †¢ Profit Margin * TA Turnover * Equity Multiplier †¢ 6.2% * 1.63 * 2.60 = 26.27% ROE. This Return on Equity is high, further stating the fact that Nike stock is good to buy. Nike has strong financial health and its stock is a sound investment. It would make a valuable addition to any mutual fund. The End Thank You

Board Game and Total Cycle Time

X-Opoly Inc. X-Opoly, Inc. , was founded by two first-year college students to produce a knockoff real estate board game similar to Monopoly. Initially, the company’s purpose was to produce a board game based on popular local landmarks in their small college town, as a way to help pay for their college expenses. However, due to big success and since they enjoyed running their own business, the founders decided to pursue the business full-time after graduation.X-Opoly has growth over the last couple of years attributed to its designing and producing custom real estate trading games for universities, municipalities, chambers of commerce, and lately even some businesses. The company fills orders from a couple of hundred to several thousand and projects that its sales will grow 25 percent annually for the next five years. X-Opoly’s Process X-Opoly’s clients request either a new game board that has not been produced or repeat orders for a game that was previously prod uced.Once the request for a new game is received from a client, a meeting is arranged with a graphic designer from X-Opoly’s art department and the actual game board is designed. The approved designs are transferred electronically to the printing department where they are loaded onto personal computers and printed on special decals. The printing department is also responsible for printing the property cards, game cards, and money. The money is then moved to the cutting department, where it is cut into individual bills. Similarly, property cards and game cards are produced with the exception of using material resembling poster board.In addition to cutting the money, game cards, and property cards, the cutting department also cuts the cardboard that serves as the substrate for the actual game board. After being cut, game boards, money, and cards are stored in totes in a work-in-process area and delivered to the appropriate station on the assembly line as needed. X-Opoly Operati ons Efficiency Measuring X-Opoly’s performance is the key to improving its service to customers. The company currently operates 19 stations with a total cycle time of 6 min 45 sec per job.In my opinion, X-Opoly should consider combining assemblies within stations to reduce the number of stations. This process would allow some components to be partially assembled for the next station. This reduces the number of jobs involved in making multi-level products and keeps inventory to a minimum. Adopting a lean approach starts with a simple question: â€Å"What's essential? † Whether X-Opoly is simply trying to survive or conducting an assessment of their productivity, it is imperative to determine that every activity they engage in is essential in the value chain to providing a competitive product.This involves analyzing each phase of the product lifecycle from innovation, to design and development, to testing and, eventually, manufacturing and removing the waste from those p rocesses. For example, the company’s production line maximum capacity/day is would increase by reducing the waste and redundancy in design and development which would increase the company’s efficiency. To further improve X-Opoly’s efficiency, I would recommend developing a more formal manufacturing system (Flow Manufacturing). Flow manufacturing is a time-based process that pulls material through a production system without any interruption. (SAE. rg) This can be achieved by striking the proper balance between new technology and the proper amount of skilled labour. Flow manufacturing would reduce total cycle time, lessen inventory and increase X-Opoly’s productivity. The increase productivity would assist the company in meeting and possibly exceeding future demands. Finally, I believe X-Opoly would benefit from eliminating is non value added time to improve its efficiency. References Jacobs, F. , and Chase, R. , (2011). Operations and Supply Chain Managem ent (13th ed. ). McGraw-Hill, New York, NY SAE. org (2011). Thinking of Lean Manufacturing Systems. Retrieved October 2011

Bad Bugs †Article Summay

Bad Bugs – Article Summay Free Online Research Papers In reading the article â€Å"Bad Bugs† I learned that bacteria can become immune to antibiotics. Antibiotic-immune bacteria have lived long before we did and they want to keep living, so they have gotten smarter. When an antibiotic drug is introduced to the body, bacteria begin to evolve and form a resistance to it Most of the cases of antimicrobial resistance occur in hospitals. Seventy percent of bacteria that cause infections in hospitals are resistant to at least one antibiotic. In the past couple of years drug-resistant diseases have been increasingly showing up in communities to people that haven’t gone to a hospital. This is because when a person takes an antibiotic it kills the sensitive germs, but some resistant bacteria stays to grow and reproduce. If a patient takes antibiotics incorrectly the bacteria have a greater chance to develop a resistance. In reading the article â€Å"Antibacterial Debate† I learned that when you use soap with triclosan, the triscolan stays on your skin after you wash and provides an additional layer of hygienic protection. The soaps that contain triclosan are bactericidal because they can kill bacteria and they are also bacteriostatic because they can inhibit the growth or reproduction of bacteria. Plain soap is only bactericidal not bacteriostatic. Since not all bacteria disappear with alkaline hand wash. Ciba Irgasm is a big advantage because it works very well even at low concentrations and it can prevent strong growth of bacteria on skin for up to twelve hours. I think the findings in these articles are valid regarding antibacterial resistance and there is scientific evidence to back it up. In the past three years,16 states have passed legislation to require public reporting of hospital infection data, and fourteen of those will publish numbers for each hospital in the state. In November, Pennsylvania released the nation’s first report on infection rates on a hospital-by-hospital basis, and Florida and Missouri have since produced similar reports. Right now ,infection-disclosure bills are being considered in 14 states. Humans are being helped by antibiotics because it is a cure for a lot of diseases. Antibiotics kill bacteria in your body and help you become immune to the bacteria. The soaps help because they prevent bacteria and germs from spreading from your hands to other places.Humans are being harmed by antibiotics because if they take them when theyre not supposed to or if they take too much of them, the bacteria will only get stronger and will be more likely to develop a resistance.In the future I think the problem is going to be worse because physicians are prescribing antibiotics more freely so people are taking them when they dont have to and as a result, the bacteria develops a resistance. My opinion about these articles is that they are informative articles. I don’t think they shouldve stopped selling bacteriostatic soap because its so much better than regular soap and the reason people didn’t buy it is because they didn’t know how good it is. I didn’t even know about it and if I did, then I would buy it. I agree with the authors because it will eventually become a serious problem. It already is a problem and no one is really doing anything to fix it. This article will effect what consumers will buy because it didn’t really show that bacteriostatic soap is a lot better , so consumers will keep buying regular soap. This new finding would affect society because if they would know about all this,theyll stop overdosing and taking drugs when not prescribed. When there are more antiobiotics they want to sell them faster and it causes people to take too much.I think the best way to educate society about bad bugs and antibacterial resistance is to put up posters in pharmacies and to show it on television,on the news and on commercials.It should say on the boxes that antiobotics come in,not take too much and not to take them if not prescribed. It should also say on soap bottles a lttle bit about triclosan. Research Papers on "Bad Bugs" - Article SummayGenetic EngineeringMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseCapital PunishmentMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Fifth Horseman

God essays

God essays Looking back over the twentieth century, there have been many influence people. There is only one person though, who has touch hundreds of millions of peoples that was life changing, and made those people make the most important decision of their life that would last for eternity. One man and only one man fit this prestigious profile. That man would be Billy Graham himself. He is an evangelist who speaks the word of God into the hearts of people. He said to them, go into all the world and preach the good news to all the creation (Mark 16:15). On November 7,1918 in Park Road, North Carolina, William and Morrow Graham gave birth to a baby boy named William Franklin Graham (Graham 3). William, also known as Billy for short, grew up on a huge farm. Being a child in the roaring twenties was rough. His father lost his savings, all of $4,000 in the stock market crash in 1929 (Graham 4). Being the eldest of the family, with a younger brother Melvin, and younger sister Jean, he took the role of the eldest sibling, protective and only wanting the best for his younger brother and sister. Billy had a mishap when he was a young that almost prevented him from becoming the great man he is. On accident when Billy got sick his mother went to give him some medicine and by mistake gave him a spoonful of iodine (Graham 8). If it werent for his aunt, who insisted that he drank some cream to counteract the dosage, Billy Graham would not have been here to make the huge impact on the twentieth century that he did. As Billy grew up he p layed baseball and acquired many different jobs. Besides working on the farm with his dad, and doing his chores, Billy was a milk deliveryman in the summer, and a bus boy (Graham 15). After high school Billy and a friend of his decided to go door to door and sell brushes (Graham 35). During this period, Billy realized how well he could talk to people and get their attention. H...

History and Evolution of Vinyl

History and Evolution of Vinyl Polyvinyl chloride or PVC was first created by the German chemist Eugen Baumann in 1872. Eugen Baumann never applied for a patent. Polyvinyl chloride or PVC was never patented until 1913 when German, Friedrich Klatte invented a new method of the polymerization of vinyl chloride using sunlight. Friedrich Klatte became the first inventor to receive a patent for PVC. However, no really useful purpose for PVC was found until Waldo Semon came along and made PVC a better product. Semon had been quoted as saying, People thought of PVC as worthless back then [circa 1926]. Theyd throw it in the trash. Waldo Semon - Useful Vinyl In 1926, Waldo Lonsbury Semon was working for the B.F. Goodrich Company in the United States as a researcher, when he invented plasticized polyvinyl chloride. Waldo Semon had been trying to dehydrohalogenate polyvinyl chloride in a high boiling solvent in order to obtain an unsaturated polymer that could bond rubber to metal. For his invention, Waldo Semon received United States patents #1,929,453 and #2,188,396 for the Synthetic Rubber-like Composition and Method of Making Same; Method of Preparing Polyvinyl Halide Products. All About Vinyl Vinyl is the second most produced plastic in the world. The first products from vinyl that Walter Semon produced were golf balls and shoe heels. Today, hundreds of products are made from vinyl, including ​shower curtains, raincoats, wires, appliances, floor tiles, paints and surface coatings. According to the Vinyl Institute, like all plastic materials, vinyl is made from a series of processing steps that converts raw materials (petroleum, natural gas or coal) into unique synthetic products called polymers. The Vinyl Institute states that vinyl polymer is unusual because it is based only in part on hydrocarbon materials (ethylene obtained by processing natural gas or petroleum), the other half of the vinyl polymer is based on the natural element chlorine (salt). The resulting compound, ethylene dichloride, is converted at very high temperatures to vinyl chloride monomer gas. Through the chemical reaction known as polymerization, vinyl chloride monomer becomes polyvinyl chloride resin that can be used to produce an endless variety of products.

Stanley Milgram Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stanley Milgram - Essay Example The respondents ("teachers") should switch on electric shocks of different voltage if "learners" (persons recruited by Milgram) made mistakes in their responses. The experiment showed that "65% of his subjects, ordinary residents of New Haven, were willing to give apparently harmful electric shocks-up to 450 volts-to a pitifully protesting victim, simply because a scientific authority commanded them to" (Milgram Basics). So, there is a question: is it possible that an ordinary person (e.g. the teacher) will obey authority so blindly that they will harm another (e.g. the learner) As the experiment shows, it is rather possible, and this possibility is determined by our attitude to authority and the features of human nature. In the experiment the respondents were said that the experimenter was responsible for the punishment results, and "teachers" decided to punish the "learners" having taken into account this fact. But in addition to that, the "teachers" were less willing to punish in the following cases: when the experimenter communicated with them via telephone, and when the "teachers" should held the "learner's" hand on the shock plate.

ABA TIPS Article - Safety Misconduct Defenses Essay

ABA TIPS Article - Safety Misconduct Defenses - Essay Example te safety rules, provide safety training and devices, and in certain circumstances perform alcohol and drug testing as measures to safeguard employees from illnesses and injuries (Spurlock, 2012). Furthermore, in almost all cases, the employer must maintain and implement the said measures at their own expense. Statutorily, Kentucky as compared to Indiana and Tennessee provides the minimalistic amount of safety misconduct defense incentives in relation to employer safety rules. Workers compensation in the Kentucky statute provides for only a decrease in compensation benefits in regards to intentional failure to follow a safety rule of an employer (Spurlock, 2012). In addition, the statute also creates an affirmative defense regarding voluntary intoxication. Numerous employers have a simple safety rule that forbids horseplay. In Kentucky, it is not clear as to how horseplay receives treatment because, in several cases, injuries that involve horseplay are probably not considered to come out of the employment course, hence making horseplay act as a fully affirmative defense. Furthermore, the rules against horseplay have applied parallel consideration that have seen evaluation of the violation of non-horseplay safety rules is the history of the employers enforcing the rule of horseplay (Spurlock, 2012). Statutorily, the workers compensation of Indiana provides for an affirmative defense, barring compensation for all forms of safety misconducts (Spurlock, 2012). In addition, the statute of Indiana provides for full affirmative defense for failing to obey a safety rule or usage of a safety appliance. Regarded as a minority state in providing workers’ compensation of misconduct affirmative defense (Spurlock, 2012). Tennessee’s statute also provides for full affirmative defenses particularly in regards to illegal drug use or intoxication and refusal or failure in using a safety device. In summary, even though they act as a full defense or simply decrease benefits,

Damages recoverable electronic funds transfer transactions under UK Dissertation

Damages recoverable electronic funds transfer transactions under UK Law - Dissertation Example To create a process that is safe for the customers, and well protected from losses arising from a lack of adequate legal remedial processes, is of utmost importance for a successful banking operation, which by its very nature of handling large amounts of money, comes under ‘high-risk’ business practice. Such high risks associated with banks comprised mainly of credit-interest risks, law related issues, and liquidity risks. With the start of the internet banking or the electronic funds transfer system has further increased these risks while creating some additional new ones, which may arise from the banks trying to circumvent regulatory and supervisory norms, in order to expand their customer reach. Other risks of a legal nature include the ambiguities on various legal processes and requirements that vary from country to country. 3 Though there are laws that specifically address the issue of frauds and other legal problems within internet banking and funds transfer, not m uch attention has been given to the area of remedies. In this era of high-end technology, it is necessary to review and re-examine various remedial processes like damage claims and injunction, within the electronic funds transfer transaction process. Discussion Banking system and electronic funds transfer under the English law: Under the English law, 'banking business' 4 is seen as comprising of two main basic features: â€Å"acceptance of money from and collection of cheques for their customers and placing them to the customer’s credit, and honouring cheques drawn on the bank by its customers and debiting customers' account accordingly.†5 The term 'banking' has been framed differently within the English legislation, and is covered under Banking Act 1979, the Banking Act 1987 and, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 also referred to as FSMA 2000.6 In the context of modern banking system through the internet, â€Å"electronic banking† or â€Å"e-bankingà ¢â‚¬  is defined as banking operations conducted by authorised banks (or their official representatives), from a remote location through tools that function under the bank's direct management or through outsourced agents. Thus, e-banking encompasses an entire set of process through which a customer can transfer funds electronically, without having to visit a bank physically, and these processes also includes services where the customers can access their accounts, conduct business transaction, receive necessary information on different financial services and products all the Internet (fig 1). In UK, all electronic modes of payments/transactions come under the jurisdiction of the â€Å"law of contract and agency and the customs and usages of banking.† 7 Fig 1: Various processes and available services as seen within e banking.8 As

Credit Crisis(Subprime) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Credit Crisis(Subprime) - Essay Example However, when interest rates began to rise and housing prices started to decline, refinancing became more difficult and subprime borrowers were unable to make their mortgage payments, which resulted in a continuous subprime cycle throughout all markets in the United States. Subprime borrowers were unable to pay their mortgage payments, so several financial institutions made the effective financing approach by issuing financial agreements called Collaterized Debt Obligation (CDO), mortgaged-backed securities (MBS) and a form of credit insurance called Credit Default Swaps (CDS) to sell to investors across the world to invest in the U.S. Graph 1 illustrates that the growth of CDOs issued increased dramatically from 2004 to 2006, then dropped slightly in 2007. These types of financial innovations derived value from increasing in mortgage payments and housing prices, becoming popular. The usages of the product expanded dramatically. The financial innovation was carried out by firms whose activities were not regulated. The transactions became too complex and the policies were inclined to support deregulation of the financial market, sometimes being loose of supervision. The subprime mortgage crisis thus became a full-fledged financial crisis, and turned to a collapse in financial markets. As the subprime crisis intensified, financial institutions faced difficulties in raising capital forced default protection, and sellers (such as Northern Rock and American International Group (AIG) were reducing credit ratings. This left depositors with no confidence in the stability of financial institutions and they began to withdraw their deposits, which was the main cause of bankruptcy of financial institutions. For example, due to the bankruptcy of one major institution like the AIG, it brought down the whole financial system. In the beginning of 2008, â€Å"The Bear Stearns Companies,

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business management - Essay Example Business management It is argued that the supply chain standards are not fixed at a uniform level or universal conditions cannot be established. Several factors should be taken into consideration while implementing a supply chain implementation or improvement plan. Factors contributing to the effective development of supply chain management are many and varied, which include: - Design and Planning Services: The company offers Design and Planning Services in order to eke the customers in order to develop efficient and ever ready data availability, layered network which supports the customer in reaching new markets and improve performance. - Operations Services: " Managed Network Operations, IT Professional Services, Technical Information Products/Services, and a comprehensive Network Support Program, ensure comprehensive operational, troubleshooting, and maintenance support that keeps your network running smoothly and ensures high network availability. - Performance Services. GSM Network Optimisation Services provide multi-vendor optimisation of 2G and 2.5G networks based on unique modelling and data analysis tools, which utilise real measurement, report data from network users in the optimisation process. - Evolution Services. With Motorola knowledge, tools, and resources, you can conduct comprehensive planning scenarios, accurately model service mixes, and quickly create network simulations for GPRS or UMTS enhanced networks, while gracefully evolving your service offerings.†" (Motorola) In the globalise era when most of the business organisations are involved in different business activities it has become inevitable for the firms independently perform all the functions. Most of the companies do not operate their supply chain and rely on other firms to perform the multi-faceted tasks. The successful and efficient combination of the operations of these firms provides the company with the competitive edge in the market. (Cook, DeBree, and Feroleto, 2001). Lummus and Vokurka (1999) points out towards the need for the managers to understand the performance of all the stake holding firms in the supply chain. According to (Pohlen, 2003), this insight in the performance of each firm will enable the managers to develop measures in order to fulfil the demands of the customers. The main task of the supply chain management is to develop a strategy which can cater the need of the customers and is aligned with the company objectives (Pohlen, 2003). In this lieu it is important for the mangers to keep on measuring the performance

Credit Crisis(Subprime) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Credit Crisis(Subprime) - Essay Example However, when interest rates began to rise and housing prices started to decline, refinancing became more difficult and subprime borrowers were unable to make their mortgage payments, which resulted in a continuous subprime cycle throughout all markets in the United States. Subprime borrowers were unable to pay their mortgage payments, so several financial institutions made the effective financing approach by issuing financial agreements called Collaterized Debt Obligation (CDO), mortgaged-backed securities (MBS) and a form of credit insurance called Credit Default Swaps (CDS) to sell to investors across the world to invest in the U.S. Graph 1 illustrates that the growth of CDOs issued increased dramatically from 2004 to 2006, then dropped slightly in 2007. These types of financial innovations derived value from increasing in mortgage payments and housing prices, becoming popular. The usages of the product expanded dramatically. The financial innovation was carried out by firms whose activities were not regulated. The transactions became too complex and the policies were inclined to support deregulation of the financial market, sometimes being loose of supervision. The subprime mortgage crisis thus became a full-fledged financial crisis, and turned to a collapse in financial markets. As the subprime crisis intensified, financial institutions faced difficulties in raising capital forced default protection, and sellers (such as Northern Rock and American International Group (AIG) were reducing credit ratings. This left depositors with no confidence in the stability of financial institutions and they began to withdraw their deposits, which was the main cause of bankruptcy of financial institutions. For example, due to the bankruptcy of one major institution like the AIG, it brought down the whole financial system. In the beginning of 2008, â€Å"The Bear Stearns Companies,

Preliminary Organizational Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Preliminary Organizational Analysis - Assignment Example The reason for selecting TransAD’s case study is that I am working as a Communication Manager at TransAD since 2007, and I have a keen eye on the issues prevailing in the operational systems of the company. Introduction to the Organization TransAD came into existence in 2006 with the vision of setting benchmarks in taxi regulatory industry of Abu Dhabi according to global standards. TansAD was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. TransAD believes on establishing corporate loyalty amongst its customers by providing them comfortable taxi services at their door step. At the same time, the objective of the company is to regulate the taxi traffic in Emriates of Abu Dhabi. Previously, the taxi services provided in Abu Dhabi were owned by private owners as well as taxi service providers. Now, these companies have merged into one and named as TransAD (The Center of Regulations by Hire Cars). The primary aim of establishing TransAD was to bring uniformity in the taxi operations, policies and regulations (TransAD, 2013). At the moment, the company is facing many issues from strategic and operational point of view. Majority of these problems are caused due to improper planning and execution of the essential projects or processes of organizational development. The senior management of the company thinks that these problems are there because the team co-ordinators are not effectively leading and managing their team. The reduced performance of TransAD’s leaders is also reflected in other aspects of the organization such as hiring of the work force, financial controlling, project management and handling etc. Then there are problems in performance evaluation, which is also the resultant of reduced reporting and monitoring by the TransAD’s team co-ordinators. Synopsis of the Problem Being in the travelling services business, TransAD faces a number of challenges such as recklessness of its taxi drivers or the high employee turnover . Especially challenges in hiring a loyal and consistent work force has remained a significant concern for TransAD. This is because the drivers handle the cash which they receive from the customers against the taxi fares. In this regard, there are a number of incidents reported. For example, a driver left the taxi at the stand and kept the cash for the whole day that he received as taxi fare. The high turnover or employees leaving without prior notice is the resultant of lower level of employee motivation due to organizational issues, boredom at the job and unattractive bonus/incentive packages offered to employees. But from the analysis of TransAD’s operations, it is revealed that the organization has undergone a number of significant strategic issues in its operating capacity. Such as, offering loyalty card benefits to customers or offering customers with inter-city travelling through its taxi services. This particular project has been delayed or not executed efficiently. I nadequate planning and execution of the projects is the biggest reason why organizations fail to achieve its desired aims and objectives. Other reasons being weak management of changed environment and policies, working in the absence of a work plan, poor use of mediums of communication and lack of management quality (Dinsmore & Cabanis-Brewin, 2010). At

Ideal student Essay Example for Free

Ideal student Essay Students are the future hope of the country. A student is like clay which can be molded into any shape. Hence, it is very necessary that the student should be brought up and taught in the right ways. Teachers and parents are responsible for shaping the character of students. Discipline is the foremost quality of a student. He has to live with good behavior and in a discipline way. This is the time of life when the foundation of character is laid. A student without a sense of discipline is like a ship without a rudder. He should be obedient, cautious, humble and simple. He should respect his elders and gain knowledge so that he may become a good citizen. A good student should be studious. He should not only study but also let others study from him. For this he will have to be law-abiding. An ideal student should keep himself healthy by taking part in games and extra curricular activities. He should be an all rounder. He should select his friend intelligently and wisely. He should have no evil in him and let no evil tempt him. An ideal student should be any time helping and an amusing friend. He should keep the atmosphere lively by his humorous nature. He should never be passive in mind and body. He should take an active part in the activities of the school. He should be a source of inspiration for others. The school is a community and an ideal student should have good relations with his authorities and friends. He should be frank and fearless. An ideal student will admit his mistake, get it corrected and learn from it. He is fully conscious of his duties and responsibilities. He sets an example for the younger generation. An ideal student has many good qualities. He presents an ideal model of character before others such a student will be an asset to others.

Effectiveness of Reduced Carbohydrate Intake

Effectiveness of Reduced Carbohydrate Intake Introduction/Background The ketogenic diet proposes a reduction of carbohydrate intake, replaced with high fat. Studies convey that low carbohydrate diets promote a higher degree of short term weight loss than conventional low fat diets (Manninen, 2004). Moreover, reductions in fasting blood lipids and insulin concentrations are greater in low carbohydrate diets (Manninen, 2004). Fundamentally, the reduction in carbohydrates renders the body in an efficient metabolic state of dietary ketosis whereby fat is turned into ketone bodies within the liver and burned for energy to utilize in the extra-hepatic tissues. Thereby, short term restriction results in a significant decrease in fat mass and a related increase in lean body mass as fat stores become a primary source of energy (Manninen, 2004). However, low carbohydrate diets may significantly increase fat and cholesterol volume, correspondent with an increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (Hu et al., 2012). Furthermore, reduction in an accustom ed fibre intake may result in constipation, or fatigue induced by a carbohydrate deficiency from altered hormonal states and electrolyte imbalances (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Additionally, complications relative to kidney function may arise (eg. osteoporosis and kidney stones) and can be linked to the long term restriction of carbohydrates (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Ketosis is a common metabolic adaptation in low carbohydrate diets. Glycogen stores are utilized to meet energy demands of the body when dietary carbohydrates are limited; the reserves are exhausted within 24 to 48 hours of carbohydrate restriction (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). However, glycogen is bound to water in a proportion of 1:3g (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Therefore, the subsequent 1-2kg fat reduction can be attributed to diuresis as opposed to burning adipose body fat stores. Consequently, the decrease is not a true indicator of weight loss as glycogen and water stores will be replenished (ie. rebound water weight will be gained) once the diet is terminated due to an influx of carbohydrates, which retain water in the muscles glycogen stores (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). As depicted in rodent studies, Caton et al. (2009) discerned that the termination of a low carbohydrate diet resulted in weight regain once the habitual diet resumed. Notwithstanding, the diuretic effect is restr ained to the first week of the low carbohydrate diet. Subsequent weight loss is entirely due to the ruminant adaption to energy expenditure and balance. Larosa, Fry, Muesing, Rosing (1980) observed a 7.7 kg loss in participants on the Atkins diet in 8 weeks; 1.8 kg lost per week in the initial two week period, and 0.7 kg per week thereafter. Westman et al. (2002) remarked alike results with a range of 0 to 18.6 kg in body weight reduction over 24 weeks (Figure 1). Once glycogen reserves are exhausted, fat oxidation is increased to satisfy the energy demands unfulfilled by gluconeogenesis and triglyceride breakdown as lean mass is inefficiently broken down to glucose and energy deficits proceed uncovered. A directly proportional increase in muscle fatigue and catabolism (conversion of protein to glucose via gluconeogenesis) transpires when muscle glycogen is depleted, however; an important substrate within ATP production (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). Liberation of fatty acids into the blood are oxidized by the liver for energy expenditure to form acetoacetate and further converted to ÃŽÂ ²-Hydroxybutyric acid (ie. ketone bodies) from acetyl CoA, filtered by the kidneys, inducing an increase in renal loss of sodium and consequent water loss. Furthermore, dehydration is common due to the increased water loss associated with ketotic-induced diuresis, onsetting early fatigue in contracting skeletal muscle (Bilsborough Crowe, 2003). The long term restriction of carbohydrates pose an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. LDL cholesterol is an eminent factor in atherogenesis, directly correlated with blood ÃŽÂ ²-Hydroxybutyrate (Johnston et al., 2006). Lin Borer (2016) denote a 30% decrease within physiological insulin resistance 24 hours after three low carbohydrate meals, which increase cardiovascular disease mortality. Moreover, metabolic costs may be associated with the utilization of fatty acids as intermediates of the citric acid cycle imperative for energy expenditure are depleted. Russell Taegtmeyer (1991) isolated rodent hearts utilizing acetoacetate as an energy source. The researchers observed a 50% reduction in the contractile ability of the heart within an hour; a contractile failure reversed by pyruvate carboxylation. Indeed, there are benefits and detriments of the dietary regime. However, evidence from clinical and animals trials to achieve a loss in weight and adaptive metabolic risk factors is preliminary. Review of papers Research concerning the effectiveness of reduced carbohydrate intake is limited by small sample sizes and short treatment periods. Westman, Yancy, Edman, Tomlin, Perkins (2002) investigated the effects of a low carbohydrate dietary regime upon body weight and variable metabolic factors in a 6 month trial. 41 overweight (26-33 kg/m^2) yet otherwise healthy volunteers ages 18-65 were assigned to a low carbohydrate diet of A mean decrease in body weight of 9.0 +/- 5.3 kg among 39 volunteers was observed (Figure 1). Weight loss correlated with adherence of the dietary regime and ketonuria (P Statistically significant changes were obtained for various metabolic parameters relative to changes in serum levels (Table 1). Beneficial effects upon serum lipid levels are indicated; 29 volunteers experienced a net reduction in LDL cholesterol over 6 months (Table 2). Moreover, 37 volunteers had an increase in HDL cholesterol (Westman et al., 2002). However, there was no objective measure of physical activity, which is potentially confounding. Moreover, adherence is the largest determinant of a regimes effectiveness. Although group meetings are an objective measure of behaviour adherence, the conceptualization of dietary adherence is disparate, propagated by psychological and socioeconomic determinants. Nonetheless, multiple indicators of adherence to the assigned dietary regime was employed in an attempt to negate the aforementioned issue. Furthermore, all 41 participants developed ketonuria during the trial, strongly correlated with self-reported adherence to the dietary regime. However, it is indispensable to obtain baseline data of macronutrient intake relative to the regime in question to ensure no dietary deficiencies confound the results. Additionally, past dietary intake is principal to document when controlling for baseline, yet macronutrient intake prior to the trial was not assessed. Often, blood/plasma ÃŽÂ ²-Hydroxybutyrate levels are the only index of ketosis as exhibited in the study of Westman et al. (2002). However, urinary ketones poorly represent the concentrations of blood/plasma and yield less informative results (Table 2). Acetoacetate and acetone are rarely measured and should be investigated in a low carbohydrate dietary regime; direct manipulation is necessary as the correlational approach cannot provide casual evidence of ketones. Moreover, dietary regime data can be subject to concerns of memory and recall. Additionally, volunteers who completed the dietary records may be more likely to report adhering to the regime. However, macronutrient data was to be recorded within 24 hours of consumption. Also, the usage of skinfold calipers to estimate fat mass poses another limitation. Clasey et al. (1999) discerned that anthropometric estimation yield large mean differences and appreciable inter-individual variability. Volunteers were not recruited according to strict inclusive criteria, therefore the group is particularly inhomogeneous. However, as the participants were healthy, extrapolating the results to individuals with metabolic diseases should be with discretion. Moreover, no substantial losses to follow-up were incurred as a completion rate of 80% was noted. However, the disadvantageous effects regarding volunteers who did not cohere to the program cannot be eradicated; structured programs are more effective at weight loss than self help approaches (Heska et al., 2003). Nevertheless, the findings of Westman et al. (2002) emphasize the imminent need for large scale trials on the compound interplay between low carbohydrate diets and long term aftereffects. The mechanisms and contributing factors underlying the effectiveness of low carbohydrate high fat diets (LC-HFD) remain uncovered. Caton, Yinglong, Burget, Spangler, Tschà ¶p, Bidlingmaier (2009) examined the effects of a LC-HFD upon body composition and metabolic parameters (eg. growth hormone, IGF-I) in 48 male Wistar rats over a 32 day period. Two studies were conducted. Study one constituted the maintenance of standard laboratory chow (CH) or LC-HFD in adolescent or mature rodents for 16 days prior to a switch in dietary regime (Caton et al., 2009). However, only mature rodents were maintained on the diets for 16 days in study two in an attempt to illuminate the culmination of LC-HFD upon fat pad mass. All rats were pair-fed to ensure the observations would be due to the macronutrient composition of the diet. Metabolic assessments (eg. energy expenditure) were made at baseline and 16 days post-exposure to the first and second diet with indirect calorimetry (Caton et al., 2009). ANOVA was performed to assess feeding efficiency and corresponding body weight changes relative to age and diet. Moreover, an alpha value of 0.05 was rendered in t-test analysis to examine the disparity between body weight and fat pad mass, with Bonferroni to discern any significant differences between the groups (Caton et al., 2009). LC-HFD rodents exhibited a significant reduction in body weight irrespective of age and subsequent diet change (Figure 2). Nonetheless, ingesting CH after initial LC-HFD resulted in weight regain in comparison to CH maintained rodents (Caton et al., 2009). Moreover, mature rats maintained on LC-HFD gained remarkably less body weight than CH (CH 27 +/- 1g; LC-HFD 2 +/- 3g; P LC-HFD may have implications for the alteration of body composition as hormones (eg. GH, IGF-I) known to increase lean body mass diminished within the study; reflective in decreased muscle mass. Declines in IGF-I, lean body mass, and glycogen availability may contribute to the increased fatigue experienced in ketogenic diets. Subsequently, the weight loss procured is not effortlessly sustainable due to an energy imbalance propagating an enhanced drive to regain lost mass. However, rodent studies are not entirely translatable to human subjects, and moreover, not appropriately designed. Perigonadal fat pads have a large surface area and are readily accessible. Consequently, they are frequently utilized in research, as exhibited in the study of Caton et al. (2009). However, humans do not harbour a fat depot analogous to the fat pads; and thereby cannot be truly deemed as visceral. Furthermore, Bazzano et al. (2014) measured body weight and a myriad of biomarkers in 148 participants on variable carbohydrate diets over a year. The researchers concluded that a low carbohydrate diet was more effective for weight loss and reduced cardiovascular risks. Whereas Vogt (2014) published a conflicting paper; a low carbohydrate diet in maternal rodents alters offspring metabolism whereby risk for obesity is pronounced. There are indeed neuroanatomical similarities between humans and rodents which coincide with food intake and energy homeostasis. However, the study un covered that the diet damaged the hypothalamus, pivotal for appetite and energy management. No attempt was made to elucidate the contradiction between the reaction of a rodent versus a human, which is misleading. Additionally, rodent strain can determine the susceptibility to diet-induced metabolic changes. If a more resistant strain is utilized, effects may go unnoticed. Moreover, trials disregard elements of rodent diets (standard laboratory chow; high carbohydrate low fat diet) that have direct metabolic outcomes, such as soy, which has effects akin to estrogen relative to activity, fat storage, and macronutrient and water retention. In contrast, low carbohydrate high fat diets often have sugar as a constituent associated with weight gain and insulin resistance, ultimately selecting for fat sensitivity. It is notable that a sufficient amount of protein is required to maintain lean body mass, yet the diet in the study of Caton et al. (2009) constituted of low protein. Dietary control in rodents is possible to a degree unfeasible in humans. Metabolic attributes of the human condition cannot be entirely recapitulated in a single animal model. Summary opinion/Conclusion A multitude of clinical trials that concern low carbohydrate diets have small sample sizes and insufficient statistical power to detect the incremental changes that occur in metabolic risk factors (Hu et al., 2012). Such factors are important determinants of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; thereby, it is ineffective to derive conclusions upon the effects of low carbohydrates upon overall health long term. In contrast to the results inferring an increase in cardiovascular risk, Hu et al. propose low carbohydrate diets as an alternative approach for fat mass reduction without worsening metabolic risk factors. Moreover, Bueno, de Melo, de Oliveria, da Rocha Ataide (2013) denote a doubled average increase in HDL compared to low fat dieters, conferring cardiovascular benefits with an improved cholesterol profile comparable to Westman et al. (2002) noting an increase in HDL. Nonetheless, six weeks is a short duration of time, and the research conveys that the dietary regime is sl ightly advantageous in weight loss for up to six months (Fields, Ruddy, Wallace, Shah, Millstine, 2016). Potential metabolic consequences can be alleviated with increased water, fibre, and calcium intake. References Bazzano, L. A., Hu, T., Reynolds, K., Yao, L., Bunol, C., Liu, Y., He, J. (2014). Effects of low  -carbohydrate and low-fat diets: A randomized trial. Annals of internal medicine, 161(5), 309-318. Bilsborough, S. A., Crowe, T. (2003). Low carbohydrate diets: What are the potential short and long  term health implications? Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 12(4), 397-404. Bueno, N., de Melo, I., de Oliveira, S., da Rocha Ataide, T. (2013). Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic  diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal Of Nutrition, 110(07), 1178-1187. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007114513000548 Caton, S. J., Yinglong, B., Burget, L., Spangler, L. J., Tschà ¶p, M. H., Bidlingmaier, M. (2009). Low  carbohydrate high fat diets: Regulation of energy balance and body weight regain in rats.  Obesity, 17(2), 283-289. Clasey, J. L., Kanaley, J. A., Wideman, L., Heymsfield, S. B., Teates, C. D., Gutgesell, M. E.,   Weltman, A. (1999). Validity of methods of body composition assessment in young and older  men and women. Journal of Applied Physiology, 86(5), 1728-1738. Fields, H., Ruddy, B., Wallace, M., Shah, A., Millstine, D. (2016). Are low-carbohydrate diets safe  and effective? The Journal Of The American Osteopathic Association, 116(12), 788.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7556/jaoa.2016.154 Heshka, S., Anderson, J., Atkinson, R., Greenway, F., Hill, J., Phinney, S. et al. (2003). Weight loss  with self-help compared with a structured commercial program. JAMA, 289(14), 1792.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.289.14.1792 Hu, T., Mills, K., Yao, L., Demanelis, K., Eloustaz, M., Yancy, W. et al. (2012). Effects of low-  carbohydrate diets versus low-fat diets on metabolic risk factors: A meta-analysis of  randomized controlled clinical trials. American Journal Of Epidemiology, 176(suppl 7), S44-  S54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kws264   Johnston, C. S., Tjonn, S. L., Swan, P. D., White, A., Hutchins, H., Sears, B. (2006). Ketogenic low-  carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets. The  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83(5), 1055-1061.   Larosa, J. C., Fry, A. G., Muesing, R., Rosing, D. R. (1980). Effects of high-protein, low-  carbohydrate dieting on plasma lipoproteins and body weight. Journal of the American Dietetic  Association, 77(3), 264-270.   Lin, P. J., Borer, K. T. (2016). Third exposure to a reduced carbohydrate meal lowers evening  postprandial insulin and GIP responses and HOMA-IR estimate of insulin resistance. PloS  one, 11(10), e0165378.   Manninen, A. (2004). Metabolic effects of the very-low-carbohydrate diets: Misunderstood  villains of human metabolism. Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition,  1(2), 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-1-2-7   Russell 3rd, R. R., Taegtmeyer, H. (1991). Pyruvate carboxylation prevents the decline in contractile  function of rat hearts oxidizing acetoacetate. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and  Circulatory Physiology, 261(6), H1756-H1762.   Vogt, M. C., Paeger, L., Hess, S., Steculorum, S. M., Awazawa, M., Hampel, B., Predel, R. (2014).  Neonatal insulin action impairs hypothalamic neurocircuit formation in response to maternal  high-fat feeding. Cell, 156(3), 495-509.   Westman, E. C., Yancy, W. S., Edman, J. S., Tomlin, K. F., Perkins, C. E. (2002). Effect of 6-month  adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet program. The American Journal of Medicine, 113(1),  30-36. Table 1 Effect of a low carbohydrate dietary regime upon metabolic parameters Table 2 Effect of a low carbohydrate dietary regime upon serum lipid level and 24-hour urinary excretion Table 3 End-point hormone, glucose, and albumin analysis (study one; mean +/- s.e.m.) in adolescent and mature rodents maintained on CH or LC-HFD for 16 days Table 4 Energy expenditure (kcal/24 h) normalized for body mass at baseline; 16 days post-maintenance of CH and LC-HFD Figure 1. The effect of a low carbohydrate diet with additional nutritional supplementation upon body weight (n=41). Fat mass was estimated from skinfold thickness measurement. Fat mass decreased from 36.9 +/- 6.2 kg to 3.0 +/- 5.7 kg. Fat-free mass = body weight fat mass. The asterisk indicates P Figure 2. The development in body weight (g) of adolescent and mature rodents initially maintained on standard laboratory chow (CH) or low carbohydrate high fat diet (LC-HFD) for 16 days prior to a switch in dietary regime (denoted by an arrow) for another 16 days (means +/- s.e.m.). LC-HFD rodents exhibited a significant reduction in body weight compared to CH irrespective of age and subsequent diet change.

Baby Sitting :: essays research papers

Four-year-olds can be a nightmare or a gold mine if you know what to do. Most of us have had encounters with a few of them whether they be our brother's and sisters or our neighbors' children. Next time you have an encounter with one you might want to consider the following tips. Toddlers have LOTS of energy, they might run you around the table for hours before they tire. I can honestly say that every child has some sort of favorite character from Batman to Barbie to tellietubbies they will always have one. It might help to find in advance what their favorite TV Show is and there favorite characters so you can plan to watch a video or play with some figures of there favorite character. To help the kids to get into their nightclothes you might want to bribe them into it. Like for example you might say "I'll let you have a pop-sickle or some popcorn if you can get ready for bed." But one thing you must ALWAYS remember is to never ever ever under any circumstance give them sugar before bedtime. Now that you understand how to get them calmed down you should relax by letting them watch a Disney movie or a TV show. Kids under five should be in bed by no later than eight thirty no matter what the kids say. I think parents and any experienced baby-sitter will agree this is the most difficult task of the night. Almost all kids will fight to the death to avoid going to sleep. Some methods can vary from child to child depending on the attitude of the kids. First things first to avoid some conflict you should tell them at least an hour in advance when they will be going to bed, this gets rid of the argument "you never told me I had to go to bed at eight o clock." Next as bedtime arrives you should make sure they are ready for bed, teeth brushed, is your bed ready do you have your nightclothes on? Now for the most dreaded thing "Okay Marco and Amy its time for bed," is the way it should sound in a nice calm soothing voice.

Being a High School Student Essay

A belief that I have come to hold after starting high school is that private schools fall short of the most important benefits that public schools have to offer. I have learned this through my own personal experience of going to a catholic grammar school for nine years, and then transitioning to the public high school that I currently attend. Of course, the main purpose of going to school is to gain a good education that will help you be successful in the future. This belief I do hold true; both private and public schools grant this opportunity. see more:research about tardiness But public schools and private schools each grant an entirely different social experience, and the social experience, in my opinion, is much more valuable than the academic experience. Along with gaining an education, part of being successful in life is learning how to interact and form relationships with people who are different from you. In grammar school, the majority of the people I met were white, Catholic, and of the same learning ability. Every day at school, students were expected to wear uniform clothes, uniform hair styles, and learn at a uniform pace. There were no accommodations for people with slower learning paces; everyone was expected to keep up. Growing up, this is how I expected all schools were like. For nine years I was almost blinded to the fact that people of different religion and learning pace, even physical appearance, even existed in the real world. But the fact is there are more types of people than Catholics and quick learners. For this reason, I decided to branch out and try something new by attending a public high school. My freshman year of high school was an amazing eye-opener for me. I met a greater variety of people in a single classroom at high school than I did in my entire grammar school career. I have met people with long hair, short hair, black hair, and purple hair. I have met people with different religions, and others with no religion at all. I have met people who are two years ahead of everyone else, and others who are two years behind. There are jocks, musicians, bookworms, and others with interests outside the school, but no one is judged for that; people can be whoever they want to be. I admit, all this freedom of expression was overwhelming to me, but at the same time, it was refreshing. Meeting so many different students, and also teachers, with so many different interests made me that much more interested in meeting more people. This experience made me realize how valuable the social aspect of a public high school really is. In the future, when I go to college and begin my career, I will be meeting and working with people who have different backgrounds than my own. For this reason, I will never regret the decision I have made in attending a public high school. I have heard adults tell me that high school is going to be the best four years of my life. So far, they are right. I am so grateful for the opportunity to experience a public high school. I cherish every experience and relationship that I have made in my first three years of high school so far. Of course, as I move on with my life, I will value the education that high school has granted me. But it is the relationships that I have made with students and teachers that I will take with me as I graduate high school and move on to college.

Edmund Emil Kemper III: A Case Study

Edmund Emil Kemper III was born on December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California to Clarnell and Ed Kemper Jr. He was the only son of the family. Edmund's childhood was anything but normal. While most other little boys were playing games pretending they were super heroes, Edmund was pretending he was in a gas chamber and his sister was throwing the switch. Once the switch was thrown he would wiggle around on the floor as if he were dying of asphyxiation. Edmund also enjoyed cutting the heads and hands off of his sisters' new dolls. He had trouble relating to his peers because he was afraid of them, afraid of any intimate contact between himself and another. During his childhood years, Edmund also found it amusing to torture the family cats. He buried the first cat up to its neck then kept the severed head as a trophy. His mother replaced the cat. With the new cat Edmund decided to continue his torturing spree by cutting it with a machete, exposing its brains and dissecting the body. These ants resulted in numerous pieces of trophies for him to keep. Until his mother discovered them in his closet. From this point on is when his mother truly began to express her opinions of him as having a â€Å"weirdo† personality. lf his home life was not weird enough, Edmund had a crush on his second grade teacher, Whom his sisters teased him about relentlessly. With this crush developed fantasies of killing his second grade teacher. Edmund's reply to his sister's teasing was, â€Å"If I kiss her, l'd have to kill her first. † On numerous occasions Edmund visited her house with his father's bayonet and his fantasies. With Edmund's home life already a rough one and the fantasies of killing already in his head, the news of his parents divorce did not sit well. His parents fought constantly leaving Edmund, now age 9, to bounce back and forth between them. After his mother became fed up with him she sent him to live with his father, Ed Jr. , and his stepmother. However, this did not last long before he was sent to live with his paternal grandparents at the age of thirteen in rural North Folk, Ca. Edmund did not get along with his grandparents any better than he did with his mother or father. In fact, Edmund lasted with them until August 27, 1964, at age fourteen, when he shot his grandmother in the back of the head with a . 2 caliber rifle after an argument. He later stabbed her lifeless body numerous times with a kitchen knife, and then he shot his grandfather as he returned home. He called his mother and told her what had happened and waited patiently for her and the police to arrive. Once the police arrived and they questioned him about what had happened, Edmund's only response was, â€Å"I just wondered how it would feel to shoot grandma. † Edmund later explained that grandpa was shot out of mercy, a way to spare him from the discovery of his wife. As a punishment for the murder of his grandparents, the courts sentenced Edmund to Atascadero State Hospital where he was placed in the criminally insane unit. Atascadero State Hospital is an all-male, maximum security, forensic facility serving the entire state of California. Upon entering the facility the psychiatrists there examined and tested Edmund's level of intelligence and came up with the findings that he had an IQ of about 145 and possessed the personality disordered titled personality trait disturbance, passive-aggressive type. While in ASH Edmund became such a model inmate that the doctors trained Edmund in how to administer the tests. Knowing how the tests worked allowed Edmund to learn ways in which to provide the doctors with appropriate responses that would pave the way for him to be later deemed no longer a danger to society. Once Edmund passed the tests, he was released back into the world under his mother's care. Now age twenty-one, Edmund returned to his mother's house and fell right back into the tormented ways. Edmund's mother blamed him for everything. She would repeatedly yell at him that it was his fault she had not been with a man for a number of years. With Edmund's new found way of life, he decided he would try to find work. His mother saw how intent he was on getting a job so she tried to have his juvenile records sealed. He first worked at a Green Giant canning plant as a laborer before he applied with the State Division of Highways in 1971; a job that would allow Edmund to hang out with law enforcement. He tried hard to get a job in law enforcement but was rejected due to his large size, of six foot nine inches, and weighing almost 300 pounds. But his new found friends supplied him with handcuffs, a training badge and gun. Part of Edmund's release agreement was to visit with a psychologist regularly. Edmund did this, however as he began to get close with the police officers, and attend his weekly sessions, he began training himself for his next kill. That is he would pick up hitchhikers and provide them with the necessary ride, putting on the â€Å"gentle giant† charade so as to provide a sense of genuine sincerity for those whom he picked up. This manipulation and control over the situation are primary talents of this psychopathic serial killer. Edmund's first kill did not happen until May of 1972, in which he picked up two college women, Mary Anne Pesce and Anita Luchessa, on a freeway ramp. Edmund knew the area so well that he was able to get the car turned around without the girls having any clue that their direction had changed. Edmund then drove to a remote area he learned about from his interaction with the highway department. Upon arriving to the area, Edmund handcuffed Pesce in the backseat and placed Luchessa in the trunk of the car. Edmund returned to Pesce and placed a plastic bag over head, and tied it on with the belt of a bathrobe. However, the belt broke and Pesce had managed to bite through the bag, so Edmund drew his knife and began stabbing her inthe back. These stabbings did not seem to have any effect on her because she was still wiggling around and fighting back. Then Edmund grabbed her by the chin, pulled back her head, and slit her throat. After killing Pesce, Edmund went back to the trunk and began stabbing Luchessa repeatedly in the throat, eyes, heart and forearms. Now that these women were dead, he took them back to his apartment where he dissected their bodies, took Polaroid pictures, and cut off their heads. I remember there was actually a sexual thrill. You hear that little â€Å"pop' and pull their heads off and hold their heads up by the hair. Whipping their heads off their body sitting there. That'd get me off† (Vronsky). Edmund took the remainder of the two women and put them into plastic bags, of which he buried in the Santa Cruz hills, their torsos and limbs in one area, their hands in another. All the while disguising the burial ground with techniques he had learned as a Boy Scout. With the excitement of the killing behind him, Edmund began to return to his normal routine of attending bars filled with law enforcement personnel. All the while he was attending these local gatherings; he was remaining one step ahead of all clues about the cases. In September 1972, Edmund struck again, only this time it was a fifteen year old girl, Aiko Koo, on her way to dance class in San Francisco. Edmund took her to a remote location where he strangled her into unconsciousness, raped her, and then placed her body in the trunk of his car. On his way home however, he stopped off for a beer. When he returned to his car he opened the trunk and, admiring my catch like a fisherman's looked in at the little girl. The next day Edmund buried the body in his typical fashion, but kept her head. With the head of Koo in the trunk of his car he drove to the psychiatrist's office for his regularly scheduled appointment. While at the appointment, the psychiatrist is quoted as saying, â€Å"If I were seeing this patient without any history available or without getting the history from him, I would think that we're dealing with a very well adjusted young man who had initiative, intelligence and who was free of any psychiatric illness†¦ In effect, we are dealing with two different people when we talk of the 15 year old boy who committed the murder and of the 23 year old man we see before us now. . . it is my opinion that he has made a very excellent response to the years of treatment and rehabilitation. . . † (Vronsky). No one knows for sure what the psychiatrists would have said that day if they had known of the head in Edmund's trunk. After living on his own for a while, Edmund decided to move back home with his domineering mother. Since the last killing in September Edmund was doing well, that is until he picked up college student Cindy Schall. Edmund shot Schall in the head and brought her body back to his mother's house, and when she wasn't looking he carried her up to his room and put her in his closet. The next day while his mother was at work Edmund took the corpse to bed and had sex with it. After this he drained the body of blood in his mother's bathtub, cut the body into pieces, bagged them and threw them off of a cliff. He kept the head, this time repeatedly having sex with it. When he grew tired of the head Edmund buried it in the backyard facing up towards his mother's bedroom window. The local university at this time had gotten word of a string of unsolved murders and warned its students not to take rides from strangers. Lucky for Edmund his mother worked at the university and frequently needed him to pick her up, so he ended up with a decal for the university to allow for his easy access. His mother was well liked, respected, and known for her kindness at the university. Edmund used the decal on his car to pick up two more unsuspecting college women. He then took these women back to his mother's house where he decapitated one of them in the trunk of his car. Later that night while his mother was sleeping he carried the headless body up to his room. Edmund has been quoted as saying, in â€Å"†¦ the head is where everything is at, the brain, eyes, mouth. That's the person. I remember being told as a kid, you cut off the head and the body dies†¦. that's not quite true. With a girl, there is a lot left in the girl's body without the head. Of course, the personality is gone (Vronsky). Edmund went from the kill of the two college women until one fatal Easter weekend in 1973. On this weekend Edmund had finally conquered what had driven his hatred all these years, Edmund killed his mother. While his mother lay sleeping in her bed the night before Easter Sunday, Edmund went in with a claw hammer and smashed his mother's head in. Edmund then decided, what's good for my victims was good for my mother's He then proceeded to decapitate her, and raped her headless corpse. He then removed her larynx and tried to run it through the garbage disposal only to have it jam and spit the larynx back at him. Edmund later recalled to police as saying, â€Å"even when she was dead, she was still bitching at me. I couldn't get her to shut up. † This same evening Edmund called and invited his mother's best friend over for a â€Å"surprise† dinner party. Upon her arrival however, Edmund punched her, strangled her, and again cut off the head which he placed in his bed. He then slept in his mothers bed. The next day Edmund got in his car and began to drive aimlessly. He drove all the way from Santa Cruz, Ca. to Colorado. A11 the while listening to the radio hoping for some sort of news flash to come out of the killing he had just committed. But since no such thing happened, and he had grown tired of waiting, Edmund called the Santa Cruz police confessing to all of the crimes. They however, knowing Edmund as friend, did not believe him, forcing him to call several times before they took his word. Which then lead local authorities to his destination where he surrendered willingly. While awaiting trial, Edmund attempted twice to commit suicide by slashing his mists, and was soon transferred to a solitary cell. The trial itself was rather short – the evidence was there, and it showed clear premeditation. A1l of the psychiatrists asked, testified that Edmund was sane at the times he committed his crimes. Edmund was put into prison, where he calmed down and became a well-behaved inmate. At the trial he was asked what he thought would be an appropriate punishment for his actions, his response was â€Å"death by torture. † He was sentences to response was death by torturers He was sentenced to eight concurrent life-prison terms with possibility of parole. Edmund has been up for parole since 1980, but has been denied every time he's applied. Edmund Kemper is said to have been a egotistic lust killer. That is these people set out not with the interest to kill or hurt anyone, but with the intention of wearing your skin or eating your liver, or in the case of Edmund to have sex with your severed head and decapitated corpse. lts just that your life gets in the way of their fanta sy. In Edmund's instance he explained that the actual killing of each victim had little to do with his fantasies, he goes on to say, â€Å"but what I needed to have was a particular experience with person, and to possess them in the way I wanted to: I had to evict them from their human bodies. (Vronsky). When it comes to classifying Edmund as a psychopath, it can be done but in the broadest sense of a definition. A psychopath derives their tendencies from biological predispositions. Including, but not limited to faulty family enviro ends, aloof parents, and inconsistent rewards and punishments. In Edmund's life his parents w re never really there for him, they just shuffled him back and forth before finally sending him to live with extended family. The punishments were inconsistent because his mother locked him in his basement â€Å"bedroom† due to the fear felt by his sister even though he did nothing to provoke the fear. I believe more appropriately Edmund Kemper fits the definition of having a Homicidal Pattern Disorder. Which according to the future volume of the DSM will be defined as deliberate and purposeful murder or attempt at murder of strangers on more than one occasion; tension or affective arousal at some time before the arts; and pleasure, gratification, or relief in commission or reflection of the ants. In the end, I believe that all Edmund truly wanted was a woman's love. Something he wished for greatly, but was always an illusion, never attainable. It is clear what Edmund's purpose for killing these women was, the need to feel a close intimate connection with a member of the opposite sex, more specifically a connection between himself and his mother. Once this conquest was fulfilled, the intimate connection between him and his mother, Edmund willingly turned himself in because his mission was over.