Rebuttal Outline

REBUTTAL FORM OF PERSUASION The purpose of this paper is to argue against those perpetrators who are committing human rights violations against an oppressed group of people who are unable to defend themselves against the abuses. To defend the victims, you must know why and how the perpetrators are oppressing the group of victims and why these abuses are wrong. Your paper will be organized according to the rebuttal format for persuasion. This paper is organized the same way your persuasive paper last year was organized. Make sure you follow the form below for this paper. This format is required; it is not an option.Even though there are many forms of persuasion, we are learning the rebuttal format. I. Introduction a. Tell why the issue is important. i. Harm—What or whom does it harm? Identify the victims. ii. Significance—To what extent are the victims being harmed? 1. Quantity—List statistics indicating the number of cases in which harm can be found and the durat ion of the harm. 2. Quality—Cite individual examples showing the intensity at which harm occurs. iii. Inherency—Show how the current system of laws or government involvement are promoting the problem or prohibiting its removal. b.Background information—Give a short history of the issue. c. Defining value terms—Define controversial or vague terms. Include various possible definitions where necessary. (For example, you may want to distinguish between your definition of adult and that of those who use child soldiers to fight their wars. ) d. State your position on the issue. (thesis) II. Body a. Rebuttal i. Explain an important argument against your position. ii. Refute this argument against your position by offering evidence to support your rebuttal. 1. facts to show proof by induction 2. syllogisms for deduction 3. examples 4. easons 5. quotes iii. Explain a second argument against your position. iv. Refute it in the same way as above. v. Explain a third a rgument against your position. vi. Refute it in the same way as above. b. Defense—These are arguments that support the new way you want the oppressors to think. They support your position. This is where you make your strongest case. i. Present an argument in support of your position. Prove it by using 1. facts to show proof by induction 2. syllogisms for deduction 3. examples 4. reasons 5. quotes ii. Present an argument in support of your position. Prove it by using the above. ii. Present an argument in support of your position. Prove it by using the above. III. Conclusion a. Restate your position on the issue. b. Conclude with an emotional appeal for your position. What will happen if we don’t listen to your suggestions? Predict the future for your victims. c. AND/OR give your readers a call to action. What should they be doing to resolve this issue? IV. Works cited a. Evidence should be cited in your text. See the MLA Stylebook for help. b. Follow MLA style for creat ing your works cited page. c. Don’t forget to cite all Internet sources. V. Essay Parameters a.Essay Length: 1200-1600 words (not including work cited) b. Number of arguments: At least three rebuttal arguments and one defense. c. Number of CITED sources: At least three different kinds of credible sources (Example: a website, a magazine, a newspaper) d. Due Dates: See Angel Reminders †¢Use the vocabulary of your topic. †¢Choose words that have emotional connotation to help your cause. †¢Create an interesting and original introduction and conclusion. †¢Try to use rhetorical devices of parallelism and repetition for dramatic effect, especially in your conclusion. †¢Cite sources accurately. †¢No first or second person.

Differences Between Mitigation and Preparedness

Part I What are the primary differences between Mitigation and Preparedness? Research and describe three examples of each. The United States experiences a variety of natural disasters throughout the year. Because of hurricanes on the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico coasts, earthquakes near the San Andreas and other fault lines, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes in the plains, and floods throughout the Midwest, the United States suffers approximately $1 billion in losses each week. From 1990-93, losses surpassed those during the previous decade, mainly due to Hurricane Andrew, the Midwest and Northwest floods, and the Northridge Earthquake.Regardless of the location of a natural disaster in the United States, a program of disaster preparedness, mitigation, management, and prevention must be followed. (McMillan, 1998) Disasters can be described as a cycle with three phases, BEFORE, DURING and AFTER.The â€Å"BEFORE† phase is that period of time before a disaster hits, includin g the time when a warning and/or alert is announced, during which preparation and mitigation activities may take place, with the objective of decreasing people’s vulnerability and reducing the negative impacts of disasters.The â€Å"DURING† phase is that period of time during which lives and livelihoods are at risk and lasts until the danger is over.The â€Å"AFTER† phase is the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase, after the immediate danger has past, when people and communities put their lives, livelihoods, and homes back together. This paper will concentrate on the BEFORE phase with mitigation and preparedness in this section. According to Bullock, mitigation refers to the continued action taken to reduce or eliminate risk to people and property from hazards and their effects.Mitigation activities address either the probability and consequence or both components of risk. By mitigating either of these components, the risk becomes much less of a threat to th e affected population. In the case of natural disasters, the ability of humans to limit the probability of a hazard is widely dependent on the hazard type. Hazards such as hurricanes or tornadoes are impossible to prevent while avalanches, floods, and wildfires are examples of hazards for which limiting the rate of occurrence is possible. (Bullock, 2013)A natural disaster has the potential to cause unseen physical and psychological damage, damage that could be lessened with some preparation if you’re in an area that is vulnerable to a destructive act of nature. All disasters offer their own unique challenges and have different ways to mitigate them before they happen. For example: Tsunami Mitigation:Find out if your house is in danger and know the height of your street above sea levelBe familiar with warning signs (earthquakes, ground rumbling, or rapid rise and fall of coastal waters)Ensure all family members know how to respond Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1Have disaster supplies on hand (flashlight, extra batteries, portable battery-operated radio, first aid kit, emergency food and water, nonelectric can operator, cash and credit cards, and sturdy shoesDevelop an emergency communications plan in case of separation during the earthquake Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the family contact. (Ready. ov)Tornado Mitigation:Conduct tornado drills into each seasonDesignate an area in the home as a shelterHave disaster supplies on handDevelop an emergency communications plan in case of separationKnow the difference between a tornado watch (issued when tornadoes are possible in your area) and a warning (tornadoes have been sighted by radar)Take shelter in a building with a strong foundation If shelter is not available, lie in ditch or low-lying area a safe distance away from the mobile homeLearn danger signs: An approaching cloud of debris an make the location even if a funnel is not visible, before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become still, and generally occur near the edge of a thunderstorm; you can often see clear skies following a tornado. (Ready. gov)Wildfire Mitigation:Learn and teach safe fire practices Build fires away from nearby trees or bushes, always have a way to extinguish a fire, never leave a fire unattendedObtain local building codes and weed abatement ordinances for buildings near wooded areasUse fire-resistant materials when building, renovating, or retrofitting structuresCreate a safety zone to separate home from combustible plants and vegetablesInstall electrical lines underground, if possible Prune all branches around residence to a height of 8-10 feetKeep trees adjacent to buildings free of dead or dying wood and mossRemove all dead limbs, needles, and debris from rain guttersStore combustible/flammable materials in approved safety containers and keep away from homeKeep chimney cleanAvoid open burning, especially during dry season.Install smoke detectors on ever y level of your homeMake evacuation plans from home and neighborhood and have back up plansAvoid using wooden shakes and shingles for roofing Use only thick, tempered safety glass in large windows and doorsHave a disaster supplies on handDevelop an emergency communication plan in case of separationAsk an out-of-state relative to serve as the â€Å"family contact† (ready. gov)Preparing for an emergency provides you your best chance of survival, in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. Emergency preparedness should always be considered in the home and workplace for any unexpected event.Devastating acts, such as Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Katrina, and the 9/11 attacks have left concerns about the possibility of future events and their potential impact. These acts have raised out awareness of the importance of emergency preparedness. The 2004 National Response Plan defines Preparedness as â€Å"the range of deliberate, critical tasks and activities necessary to bu ild, sustain, and improve the operational capability to prevent, protect against, response to, and recover from domestic incidents.Preparedness is a continuous process involving efforts at all levels of government and between government and private-sector and nongovernmental organizations to identify threats, determine vulnerabilities, and identify resources. † (NRP 71). In simple terms, preparedness activities can be characterized as the human component of pre-disaster hazard management. Training and public education are the most common preparedness activities, and when properly applied, they have great potential to help people survive disasters.Although, preparedness activities do little to prevent a disaster from occurring, they are very effective at ensuring that people know what to do once the disaster has happened. (Bullock, 2013) While, preparedness is the steps taken to deal with an event once it occurs, mitigation is the steps taken to eliminate or reduce the risks cr eated by hazards. Previously, mitigation factors were discussed for wildfire, tornado, and tsunami. Some examples of a preparedness activity is to create an emergency communications plan, establishing meeting places, and assemble disaster supplies or a 72hour emergency preparedness kit.When creating an emergency communications plan choose an out-of-town contact your family will call or e-mail to check on each other should a disaster occur. They should live far enough away that they would not be directly affected by the same event, and of course they should know they are the contact. Also, make sure every member has all have each other’s contact information to include email, cell phone, and home/work phone. The children’s school should have this contact information as well. Another, thing to remember is to be patient as with a disaster the phone lies will get overwhelmed.Having predetermined meeting places away from your home will save time and minimize confusion should your home be affected or the area evacuated. Make arrangements to stay with a family member or friend in case of an emergency. Be sure to include your pets in these plans, since pets are not permitted in shelters and some hotels will not accept them as they are just as much a part of the family as anyone else. Have two emergency locations, each in opposite directions. You never know, until an actual emergency, which direction you will need to evacuate.If you need to leave your home having some essential supplies at your disposal will make it more comfortable for the family. Prepare an emergency preparedness kit in something easy-to-carry such as a duffel bag or small plastic trashcan. Include â€Å"special needs† items, first aid supplies (i. e. prescription medications), a change of clothing for each family member, a sleeping bag or bedroll for each, a battery powered radio or television and extra batteries, food, bottled water and tools. (NTARC, 2012) In conclusion, mitiga tion and preparedness are very important with respects of a disaster response and recover.Just think of in this manner to put everything into perspective. In order to give your family and yourself the best chances of survival during a disaster you must to have a plan in place and think of all the factors that you can do before hand to minimize the impact of a disaster. Like we do in the Navy, before we pull out to sea we have a very big checklist that we adhere to and list all the factors that can go wrong then brief a response to those factors. This will ensure everyone knows his or her responsibility. It saves lives and promotes a safety first environment.Being proactive is the key to minimizing the loss of human life, injuries, financial losses, property damage and the interruption of business activities. Methods my change between hazards and incidents, but the goals are always the same.ReferencesBullock, J. A. , Haddow, G. D. , & Coppla, D. P. (2013).Introduction to homeland sec urity. (4th ed. ).Waltham, MA: Butterworth-heinemann. Department of Homeland Security. (Nov 2004).National Response Plan, Washington D. C. , DHS Department of Homeland Security (November 9, 2012).Ready. Gov. Retrieved November 9, 2012 from http://www. ready. gov/america/index. html McMillian, C. R. (1998).Natural disasters: prepare, mitigate, manage. Retrieved from http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/archives/ndht. php Peace Corps (Sep 2001).Disaster preparation and mitigation. Retrieved From http://files. peacecorps. gov/multimedia/pdf/library/T0124_dpm_ist. pdfNational Terror Alert Response Center (2012), Emergency preparedness. Retrieved from http://www. nationalterroralert. com/emergency_preparedness/

Compensation and Benefits Strategies Essay

Employees are worth more than their hourly wage, even though, that is typically all that is considered by an employee while looking for a new job or considering a move to a different job or employer. Employers see employees as much more than the hourly or salary that they are offered to do a specific job. The benefits package that employers offer to employees is worth a substantial amount of money. Health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance and other benefits, and even some discount programs are part of the entire compensation and benefits package. Employers, and employees alike, need to understand and educate themselves on the added value they have by looking at the entire compensation and benefits package and comparing it to other companies before taking a position for a higher hourly or salaried rate. Centura Health is evaluated throughout this paper regarding their compensation and benefits strategies. Market Evaluation Companies in competing markets need to know what their competitors are offering in terms of compensation and benefits packages so that they are able to stay current with what other organizations are offering their employees. Researching and understanding the compensation and benefits of competitors is a vital process in hiring and recruiting new employees from the regular job market of employees and when trying to recruit employees away from their current employer. Understanding the compensation structure of your own company, and of your competitors, will make evaluating the current structure easier and then making it more appealing to employees wanting to be employed by the organization will be a more informed decision making process. Centura Health, Kaiser Permanente, and the University of Colorado Hospital will be reviewed. Centura Health Centura Health is one of the largest employers in Colorado. Centura Health’s website states, â€Å"Centura Health takes pride in providing a comprehensive benefits package that’s designed to inspire health† (Centura Health, n.d., p. 1). Centura Health is looking for talented employees that will help them continue their mission and support their key values. Centura Health offers competitive wages, health insurance, prescription coverage, vision, and dental through their health benefits package. Centura Health offers short-term and long-term disability packages along with life insurance and accidental death insurance for an additional low fee. Centura Health offers a paid time-off (PTO) that accrues during each pay period and 401k and other retirement programs. An employee assistance program is offered by Centura Health for employees who may need counseling or a referral to a counselor to help them cope with issues in their work or home life. Centura Health also has an associate discount program that offers discounts on many services such as cell phone carriers, life, and car insurance among many other discounts. Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente (KP) is another one of Colorado’s largest employers and a dominate player in hiring talented health care employees. Kaiser Permanente’s website states, â€Å"we understand that providing excellent service to our employees enables you to provide excellent service to our members. As a result, we offer a total compensation package designed to enhance the lives of you and your family member† (Kaiser Permanente, 2015, p. 1). Kaiser Permanente offers a wide range of benefits to their employees with enrollment into the KP health insurance being at the top of their list. Kaiser Permanente also offers â€Å"flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings account (HSA), supplemental life insurance, occupational accident insurance, mental health, care, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, health care on-site, and retiree health and medical† (Kaiser Permanente, 2015, p. 1). Kaiser Permanente also has other benefits under the following categories for employees, financial and retirement, family and parenting, vacation and time off, perks and discounts, and professional support. All of these categories expand into additional areas of benefits  to employees. The University of Colorado Hospital The University of Colorado Hospital is also one of Colorado largest employers in healthcare. The University of Colorado Hospitals (UCH) website states, â€Å"We are proud to provide competitive and comprehensive health and welfare benefits as part of our Total Rewards program† (University of Colorado Health, 2014, p. 3). The University of Colorado Hospital, like the previous employers, offer a medical health plan, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, short and long-term disability insurances, and dental and vision plans. The UCH offers a dependent day care spending account (DCSA) to their employees to help pay the cost of day care with tax-free dollars. The UCH also offers their employees the ability to sign up for a group legal plan. The University of Colorado Hospitals benefit enrollment guide states that their UltimateAdvisor program, â€Å"offers you a wide range of legal services to help you prevent and resolve everyday legal issues† (University of Colorado Health, 2014, p. 17). The daycare and legal programs offered by the UCH are not offered by their competitors and make them more desirable when comparing compensation and benefits packages. Compensation Structure Centura Health uses an annual employee review system called Performance, Feedback, and Development (PFD) to review employees to determine if they are eligible for a yearly raise. This process involves the employee rating themselves on how they are meeting their job performance in accordance with Centura’s seven core values. The seven core values are compassion, respect, integrity, spirituality, stewardship, imagination, and excellence (Centura Health, n.d., p. 1). This process is time intensive and cumbersome for employees and managers to sit down and write scenarios and narratives for these values. Employees skip the self-assessment section by doing the bare minimum of just checking the auto-populated response available to meet their required timeline for turning in the assessment. Market Position Centura Health’s market position falls into the large-sized companies. Centura Health employs â€Å"17,100 employees and associates† (Draper, 2014, p. 1). Centura Health is expanding into a new health campus and new physician  buildings in the northern Denver Metropolitan area. Centura Health had a net income of $61.5 million â€Å"(Sealover, 2013, p. 1). Centura Health operates 15 hospitals throughout Colorado after the recent expansion into the St. Anthony North Health Campus. Compensation and Benefits Centura Health needs to stay competitive when offering their compensation and benefits package to new employees. The existing compensation package that Centura Health offers is solid and market comparable to their competitors. As Centura Health continues to expand their locations and the need for employees continues to grow it would be advised that Centura Health looks at daycare benefits to their employees with children and, to include, elderly family members who may need assistance of daycare programs as well. Centura Health promotes health and wellness throughout their system and has recently stopped hiring any employee that smokes. Employing healthier employees does several things for Centura Health. Sick time will be reduced by hiring healthier employees, reduced profit loss by having more employees at work than on sick time and reduced health insurance costs for both Centura Health and the employee. Work-life balance is important for Centura Health to review in their compensation and benefits packages. Centura Health can benefit from telecommuting for many administrative jobs and to support more flexible work schedules for employees who need to start earlier or later and can stay for the full shift amount of time because of their home life requirements. Work-life balance is important to employee’s health and wellness and offering additional options into the preconceived mold of being a healthcare worker will make Centura Health a more desirable employer for the talented employees they want to employ. Performance Incentives and Merit Pay Centura Health would benefit from a reward-based program that would include bonuses, for employees who are doing the non-management and non-executive jobs. Incentive Compensation for employees creates a work environment of higher performance and competition between employees. Employees and lower level management can give each other a pat on the back for a job well done, cost savings identification or a heroic moment with a patient, but those moments are short-lived. Rewarding employees speaks volumes when trying to  create a positive work-life balance in an organization. Creating an incentive-based program that management can reward on-the-spot accomplishments creates the need to do better with the other employees in the organization. Recognizing employees for a job well done with an incentivized program using gift cards, bonuses, or additional PTO motivates others to try and receive these awards. Creating a positive competitive work environment encourages employees to strive to wo rk better, do better, and be better. Laws The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) was originally created to address issues with pension plans and did not address health, life, disability, or medical benefits. ERISA has been modified, for the most part, to address pension plans, but the medical coverage area was modified with the creation of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). COBRA was created â€Å"to provide continuation of group health coverage that otherwise might be terminated† (United States Department of Labor [USDOL], n.d., para. 1). COBRA COBRA is offered to employees who have been terminated, either voluntarily or involuntarily, without any gross misconduct or because of the reduction of work hours by the employer. COBRA is paid for out-of-pocket by the employee and at higher rate than offered through their plan when they were employed. The qualified employee must be offered identical coverage to the plan they had while employed. COBRA is usually an overly expensive option for employees that have been released from their jobs. HIPAA HIPAA is a federal law that â€Å"limits pre-existing condition exclusions, permits special enrollment when certain life or work events occur, prohibits discrimination against employees and dependents based on their health status, and guarantees availability and renewability of health coverage to certain employees and individuals† (United States Department of Labor [USDOL], n.d., para. 3). Special enrollment examples are exhaustion of COBRA benefits, marriage, and new child by birth or adoption. The employee is to be given a 30-day period to request the special enrollment option regardless of the plan’s set enrollment dates as provided by the employer. Conclusion Centura Health is one of Colorado’s largest providers of healthcare services and largest employers. Centura Health has invested in understanding the health care market so that they can provide a competitive and attractive compensation and benefits package to entice talented employees. There is a benefit to Centura Health and the employee regarding understanding the package presented to them during the hiring process so that both parties understand the worth they are gaining with employment. The compensation and benefits process for an employer is worth an in-depth review of their competitors and the market the organization is in. References Centura Health. (n.d.). Compensation, Benefits and Tuition Reimbursement. Retrieved from http://www.centura.org/careers-and-education/compensation-benefits-and-tuition-reimbursement/ Centura Health. (n.d.). Mission & Values. Retrieved from http://www.centura.org/about-us/mission-and-values/ Draper, E. (2014). Colorado hospital giant Centura Health to stop hiring tobacco users. Retrieved from http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_26977759/colorado-hospital-giant-centura-health-stop-hiring-tobacco Kaiser Permanente. (2015). Benefits, pay, and enrollment. Retrieved from http://www.kaiserpermanentejobs.org/employee-benefits.aspx Kaiser Permanente. (2015). Kaiser Permanente Benefits. Retrieved from http://www.glassdoor.com/Benefits/Kaiser-Permanente-US-Benefits-EI_IE19466.0,17_IL.18,20_IN1.htm Sealover, E. (2013). Denver hospitals post healthy profits. Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2013/05/30/denver-hospitals-post-healthy-profits.html United States Department of Labor. (n.d.). Applicable Laws, Regulations, Publications and Related Links. Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/elaws/ebsa/health/7.asp United States Department of Labor. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions COBRA Continuation Health Coverage. Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_compliance_cobra.html University of

Marketing Management Class Discussion wk4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing Management Class Discussion wk4 - Essay Example most scholars use 1946 and 1964 as the generation’s cutoff (Kouzes & Posner, 2006). Also known as the 13th Generation, these followed the baby boomers and they were born somewhere between 1964 and 1980. They grew up in and connected to the pop culture which was famous in ‘80s and ‘90s. The terminology has found use in marketing, social sciences and demography. Also known as the Millennials, the Echo Boomers or lightly as Generation Why, they are a cohort born somewhere between 1984 and 1994 (Kouzes & Posner, 2006). They are actually children of Baby Boomer and they were raised with many world-changing events happening all around them, including the rise of internet and mass communication. It is renowned as the battleground for culture wars with increasing disagreement between progressive and conservative perspectives. This is commonly known as Generation Z. this is the generation living in First World or Western culture following Generation Y. there is usually a debate on the cutoff for birth year of this generation, with 1990-2001 range. This generation has been given several other names such as â€Å"Homeland Generation† and even â€Å"Google Generation†. As a rule of thumb, every generation believes that their generation was the best. This is because change is not always well embraced and with the constantly and swift generational changes, every generation fells threatened and that is why they believe their generation was the best. However, taking a closer look, one can note that generations do not have a significant difference. When our parents were young, they were free, and had babies, and they went and did their shopping at the cheap store. When we get children, we are free, and we want to shop at the cheap store. Millennials were at some point young, and when they got kids, they went shopping at the cheap store. From this trend, it is clear to see that all generations are somewhat the same and all that everyone tries to do is to get

Africans during enslavement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Africans during enslavement - Essay Example Field hands or field slaves did not have the same privileges as house slaves. Men and women would work in the fields plowing, planting, and harvesting cotton, sugar cane, wheat, tobacco, and other cash crops. Field hands were the slaves that were rebellious, strong, and disposable. Field hands were beaten more. This desperate situation causes a more direct rebellion. Field hands would run, attack, and resist in violent manners. These slaves had nothing to lose. The choices were grim. Field slaves could be beaten to death, work to death, or live a miserable existence until death. Kunta was a field hand after being brought to North America as a slave. He was strong but ran every chance he got. The last time Kunta escaped, slave trackers cut his foot off. After his foot was cut off, Kunta could no longer run. His master made him a driver. Kunta had to find another way to resist. He celebrated his African roots quietly. One example is of putting stones in a jar every full moon. This was a way to count the passage of time. He named his daughter an African name of Kizzy. Kunta also received to eat pork due to his Muslim background. All of these acts were ones of resistance. Enslavement and oppression resistance also depended upon generation. Kunta and Nunu were African. The slaves from Africa were once free. Kunta and Nunu had family, friends, and a tribe. On the other hand, Bell, Kizzy, Nunu’s son, Joe (Sankofa) were first, second, and further generations. The slaves born in captivity only knew slavery.

UAE Labor law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

UAE Labor law - Research Paper Example Employees worked for several hours and there was need to address some of the grievances that they had through legislation means and that commenced the labor law institution. In this regard, this paper attempts to address the following with reference to labor laws; As discussed above, labor laws refer to asset of legislations that tries to rationalize the needs of the employees and the employer so that there is a balance between the two parties. In most cases, the employees suffer the most when there are poor labor laws in an organization or within the trade unions. The labor laws thus tend to fight for the interest of the employee as compared to that of the employer. It stipulates clearly how and the extent within which the parties should associate by determining among other things salary and wages, working hours, health related issues at the work place, insurance of the employees, as well as the provision of the protective clothing where necessary (Keller, and Darby, 2005). Thus, labor laws are a set of legislations that provides for a realistic and harmonious relation between the two major players in the working environment- the employee and the employer. It ensures that no side is unduly considered in the play and that all are fairly represented and interest well noted. The labor laws are thus important in the event of a dispute between the employer and the employer in relation to other issues, which include unfair dismissal from work, discrimination, low wages, and long working hours than necessary (Mahdavi, 2011). The possible grievances that can be raised by the either parties are represented within the labor law and it can be used as the reference point for arbitration. It should also be noted that the laws are subject to editorial from time to time depending on the economic situation when it comes to the minimum wage that an employees

Film Analysis-Holes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Analysis-Holes - Essay Example The Warden assigns the daily chore of digging holes five feet deep, in the dry lake on a daily basis. She dominates everyone involved in the camp, inflicting pain on the assistant warden and threatening the patient counselor, Pendanski. It is evident that she is in control of her surroundings and those she interacts with. The empty lipstick tube with the initials KB, found by one of the boys during their daily digging of the holes, appears to hold special meaning for the warden. After the tube is brought to her, the warden becomes seemingly more powerful, inflicting her wounds and passing judgment on the others, with the exception of Stanley. The lipstick tube represents feminine control, power and intuition. The tube bears the initials of ‘Kissin Kate.’ This is a woman who, one hundred years prior, predicted doom for the people of Green Lake, after they killed a black man, Sam, for sharing a kiss with her. Katherine Barlow’s prediction of â€Å"punishment 2 from God† (Davis) does occur as the lake dries up and all vegetation disappears. The lipstick tubes seems to almost transfer the feminine intuitive powers from Kissin Kate to the warden. She seems to favor Stanley, as if she knows he is not the criminal he is reported to be, almost as if she knows the other boy took the case from Stanley to earn favor with her. Her special sense about Stanley is similar to that of Kate, about Sam. In both Green Lake settings, it is the women who possess the control and power, or matriarchic determinism.

Accounting i a subjective subject Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Accounting i a subjective subject - Essay Example A theory'Ã'• Ã'•ucceÃ'•Ã'• aÃ'• a theory dependÃ'• on itÃ'• value to uÃ'•erÃ'• in explaining and predicting eventÃ'•.AÃ'• of now there iÃ'• not one theory in accounting that can be called "The Accounting Theory," aÃ'• no one theory can currently explain and/or Ã'•ucceÃ'•Ã'•fully predict all accounting phenomena. However, the paper doeÃ'• take into account the potential value of the poÃ'•itive theory of accounting and itÃ'• limitationÃ'•. Finally, the paper attemptÃ'• to aÃ'•Ã'•eÃ'•Ã'• the need for an accounting theory and to determine whether we need one.If it iÃ'• to be comprehenÃ'•ible and reliable, accounting muÃ'•t be uÃ'•ed in accordance with Ã'•pecific ruleÃ'• and regulationÃ'•. It would be chaoÃ'• of Babylonian proportionÃ'• if each perÃ'•on uÃ'•ed hiÃ'• own grammar and vocabulary - nobody would underÃ'•tand anybody elÃ'•e. LikewiÃ'•e, it iÃ'• eÃ'•Ã'•ential that accounting iÃ'• uÃ'•ed acc ording to generally accepted ruleÃ'•. (ThomaÃ'• , 2003, 10)The hiÃ'•tory of accounting iÃ'• aÃ'• old aÃ'• civilization, key to important phaÃ'•eÃ'• of hiÃ'•tory, among the moÃ'•t important profeÃ'•Ã'•ionÃ'• in economicÃ'• and buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'•, and faÃ'•cinating. AccountantÃ'• participated in the development of citieÃ'•, trade, and the conceptÃ'• of wealth and numberÃ'•. AccountantÃ'• invented writing, participated in the development of money and banking, invented double entry bookkeeping that fueled the Italian RenaiÃ'•Ã'•ance, Ã'•aved many InduÃ'•trial Revolution inventorÃ'• and entrepreneurÃ'• from bankruptcy, helped develop the confidence in capital marketÃ'• neceÃ'•Ã'•ary for weÃ'•tern capitaliÃ'•m, and are central to the information revolution... Big buine required capital market that depended on accurate and ueful information. Thi wa upplied by the expanding accounting profeion. Today, a global real-time integrated information ytem i a near reality, uggeting new accounting paradigm. Undertanding hitory i needed to develop the linkage to predict thi future. The firt prerequiite i that accounting hould agree or conform with the baic truth according to which our economic ytem function; the current economic and buine practice and the applicable law a embodied in legilative regulation or common law. Conequently, it i important that uniformity i maintained in accounting practice; in other word, a pecific et of circumtance, wherever it may be encountered mut be dealt with by everyone in exactly the ame way within the accounting proce. Accounting theory create a framework that enure that accounting practice complie with the requirement of conformity and uniformity. Thi theory i embodied in a et of principle, policie, method, procedure and convention. The continuouly increaing cope and complexity of our economic ytem require a correponding proce of adaptation in accounting in order that the relevant information regarding economic activitie may be recorded. It i eential that everyone involved in accounting hould undertand thi proce of adaptation; moreover, a prerequiite for uch undertanding i a grap of not only the theory of accounting, but alo the tructure of that theory. (Thoma , 2003, 10) Accounting theory i baed on a et of baic economic truth that are of a dual nature. Firt, accounting theory i baed on propoition generally accepted in the economic order of a particular ociety. For example, conider the

The Welfare State In the United States of America (Microeconomics) Term Paper

The Welfare State In the United States of America (Microeconomics) - Term Paper Example Funded and managed by the U.S. government, these programs aspire towards ensuring economic security, universal access to resource for self-development and the reduction of social suffering, such as poverty and illness (Barr 4). Modern liberalism is the guiding philosophy of the United States Welfare System (McGowan 7). The philosophy says that individual liberty depends on positive rights such as social security, unemployment benefits, health care, and public education. Historically, welfare in the United States can be traced to the British Poor Laws, which distinguish between those unable to work due to age or physical challenges and those who are medically fit to work but are unemployed (Welfare Information welfareinfo.org). Monetary assistance was given to the former group while public service employment was provided for the later group by the government. Following the American Civil War, the United State Congress passed the Civil War Pension Program to provide aid to Civil War Ve terans and their families (Welfare Information welfareinfo.org). The United States welfare system, as currently known, started under President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a result of the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, one in every four of the American labor force was unemployed and many families underwent great financial hardship. The Franklin D. Roosevelt government stepped in to solve the problem. ... ty Income, Housing and Urban Development programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Head Start, Work Study, Medicare, and Social Security (Welfare Information welfareinfo.org). The politics, benefits and issues related to these programs as well as a comparison of United States welfare programs with welfare programs in other countries will be discussed in the term paper. Welfare programs in the United States: issues and politics Assisting the needy while not encouraging them to seek employment forms the foundation of the politics of the United States welfare programs. By the 1990s, welfare reform dominated the political scene due to a number of reasons. In fact, Republicans campaigned for an â€Å"end to welfare as we know it†, a policy theme, the President Clinton administration embraced (Politics and Social Welfare wps.prenhall.com). The reasons for these reforms were cogent and apparent. First, was the fact that most women can continue to work after childbirth and th ere was no reason for welfare mothers, who stay at home to claim welfare package. Another reason was the observation that some Americans were having more children in order to receive more aid. Furthermore, there was an alarming increase in unmarried mothers, for which welfare package was the incentive. Last, was the increasing number of voluntary unemployment among the labor class. Thus there was increasing dissatisfaction with welfare as epitomized by Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) among many Americans, and welfare reform forms a hot topic in the 1990s. In 1996, the United States Congress passed the Welfare Reform Act that gave the control of welfare system to states. Abolishing the AFDC, the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 support a system of block grants to states, constraining the

Pearson Correlation Essay Example for Free

Pearson Correlation Essay The regression coefficient was calculated to measure the correlation between the two variables namely, monthly charge and speed of connection, on the dependent variable which is the volume of DSL subscription. Regression coefficient is a constant which represents the rate of change of one variable, which in this dissertation is the volume of DSL subscription, as a function of changes in the other variables, namely monthly charge and speed of connection (Kachigan, 1991). Descriptive statistics were used to explain the statistical indicators of the following variables : (a) DSL monthly charge in OECD member countries, (b) DSL speed of connection in OECD member-countries, and (c) volume of DSL subscription in the light of the problem under study. The descriptive measures involved the following three major characteristics of each the above-mentioned variables : distribution, central tendency and the dispersion or variability. The distribution summarizes the frequency of individual values or ranges of values for each variable. The central tendency of the distribution is an estimate of the center of a distribution of values. Three major types of estimates of central tendency are the mean, which is simply the sum of all the individual values divided by the number of values; the median, which is the score found at the middle of the values arranged either from highest to lowest or lowest to highest; and the mode which is the most frequently occurring value in the set of data (Trochim, 2006; Sternstein, 2005). Dispersion, on the other hand refers to the spread of the values around the central tendency, measured either using the range and the standard deviation. The range is simply the difference between the highest and lowest values in the distribution; whereas the standard deviation shows the relation that a set of values has to the mean of the sample, its numerical value indicating how one specific value in the distribution is clustered around or is scattered from the mean of the distribution (Trochim, 2006; Freund Williams, 1983). Methodology for Chapter 4: Pearson Correlation and Descriptive Statistics In Chapter 4, the Pearson correlation was utilized to find the degree to which the following pairs of variables are linearly associated : (a) GDP and Internet usage, GDP and mobile phone usage and GDP and fixed phone usage (b) population and Internet usage in Middle East, (c) population and mobile usage in Middle East, and (d) population and fixed phone usage in Middle East. Interpretation of the specific relationships between the aforementioned pairs of variables was facilitated using Table 1 on page 2. Descriptive statistics were used to discuss the statistical indicators of the following variables : (a) fixed telephones in the 30 provinces of Iran, (b) data network capacity in 30 provinces of Iran, and (c) mobile penetration in 30 provinces of Iran. The same statistical descriptors outlined in Chapter 3 were adopted for Chapter 4. REFERENCES Asian Development Bank. (2007). Aggregate Measures of Competitiveness. Retrieved December 31, 2007, from adb. org: http://www. adb. org/documents/books/ADO/2003/part3_3-3. asp. Easton, V. J. , McColl, J. H. (2004). Statistics Glossary: Paired data, correlation regression. Retrieved December 31, 2007, from Statistical Education Through Problem Solving

Porters Five Forces Analysis In Companies Business Essay

Porters Five Forces Analysis In Companies Business Essay The Environmental analysis can be defined as a study of environment within the organization for the purpose of locating environmental factors that effect on the operations. For the purpose of analysis the business environment we can categorize in to three levels: Internal environment, Operating environment and General environment. This can be shown in figure as below. STEEPLE Analysis By the STEEPLE analysis we can examine that which external factors can be influenced the organizations ability to achieve its vision and mission. FACTOR EVENTS Social Factors The life styles of the peoples is changing due to economic crisis therefore, they change to use energy for sometime People would like to use bio fuel rather than normal fuel due to reduce environmental pollution Technical Factors The International Energy Agency states that alternative energy markets will be underpinned by technological breakthroughs. technology is the key to competitiveness in the alternative energy industry; The government spending for research on bio fuel and other alternatives Environmental Factors BP should highly concern on Environmental Law Responsibility of Oil Spill damage Economic Factors Due to economic crisis there is a declining demand for energy There is a increasing demand for Alternative energy sources Political Factors The global energy market is becoming more unstable because of geopolitical instability. Encouragement of the government towards more sustainable forms of energy due to CO2 emission Legal Factors According to the environmental law, responsible for Payments on oil spill damages Transportation safety Ethical Factors Charitable giving Investment on development programme Table 01. STEEPLE Analysis Source: EU (2004) The European Union Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme, EUROPA, http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/emission.htm [Accessed 22nd May 2011]. Porters Five Forces Analysis The Analysis of Porters five forces help to assess where the power of BP lies in Market and also helps to analyze the attractiveness of the industry. In addition to that we assess the current strength and future strength needs to plan in the BPs competitive position as shown: (Source: http://notesdesk.com// porters-five-forces-model.jpg -Accessed on 23rd may 2011) Potential Entrance Strict government policies and requirements High technological focus on alternative energy industry Large initial capital is required Threat of Substitutes Alternative energy due to higher cost Competitive Rivalry High exit barriers High fixed costs High stakes for Shell Renewable and low stakes for BP Solar. Bargaining Power of Buyers Low volume of buyer Low information of buyers High availability of substitutes Bargaining Power of Suppliers Low concentration of alternative energy suppliers (principally just BP Solar and Shell Renewable) Strategic Group Analysis Helps identify who the most direct competitors are and on what basis they compete. We can decide that SHELL is the major competitor in the industry for BP in both geographic coverage and service diversification by analyzing SGA as follows: SWOT analysis for BP Strengths World third largest energy company Strong Brand loyalty Financial strength of the company. It has vertical integration operation system. Weaknesses Increase the petrol price in UK Has to paid criminal charges due to spread huge amount of oil in the Alaska Sea in 2006. Reduce in natural gas and crude oil production. Opportunities Has high investment capacity Research to investigate alternative fuel such as Hydrogen, Solar, Wind and natural gas Increase demand for natural gas in USA and Europe countries. Implement more flexible price polices to face their competitors. Treats Unsound policies related to Environment after oil and toxic spill in 2006. Explosion of refinery tunnels in occasionally Has big rivals such as Shell and Chevron Instability in some oil and gas producing countries and regions Task Two Strategic Options and role of corporate parent Strategic Options is an important facet and it helps to craft companys alternatives and provide safe and keep up the competitive situation. The international requirements for energy for the next 20 years are such that hydrocarbons are still going to have a leading part in meeting that energy demand. BP supports emissions trading mechanisms as a means of putting a value on carbon in order to make appropriate investment decisions. Corporate Mission of the BP BP mentioned that there goal for next few years to realize the latent impending of their advantage base by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of everything they do. They will dynamically drive cost and capital efficiency whilst at the same time maintaining the first main concern of safe and reliable operations. Objectives of the BP BP has some objectives for their growth in 2015. And all employees are working as a team to achieve company goals. Average 1-2% p.a. volume growth to 2015 Underpinned by upward resource base and quality through preference Key sources of growth beyond 2015 will come from: Increasing deepwater Leveraging expertise in gas Managing worlds enormous oilfields Enabled by application of technology Source-: http://www.bp.com/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=2contentId=7065607 Values and ethics of the BP BP is a compilation of resources and there people working together. To attain business objects they focus on sustaining and encouraging their leaders and staff. And they maintain recruitment stands and developing people skills at every level. BP is a well distinguish organization and wants to do some different in the world. BP is a performance driven company which is competitively booming. Through all this they prefer high ethical stand. Directions and methods of Strategic Options BPs direction is clear and it is the unrelenting pursuit of competitive leadership in respect of cash costs, capital efficiency and margin quality. The Strategy Clock is another suitable way to analyze a companys destructive position in comparison to the contributions of competitors. The Ansoff Growth matrix tool which is helps businesses to decide their product and market growth strategy. Figure 02.Ansoff Market mix (Source-: http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/ansoff_matrix.htm) Evaluating strategies at BP SOP Matrix is a tool which can use to identify the company relevant strategies through external environmental factors. As an example BP Opportunities and treats as below and by indentifying the external environmental factors can recognize the relevant strategies options. Has high investment capacity Invest in HR development and through that develop the skills of the staff members. A same time invest in market opportunities. RD to investigate alternative fuel such as Hydrogen, Solar, Wind and natural gas By research can find the best alternative and company can give attention to that. Extension of acquisition of North sea area Can develop deep sea oil well. Increasing demand for natural gas in USA and European countries. Efficient and effective resource allocation to maximize profit. Implement more flexible price polices to face their competitors. By price reducing can get more customers on their products Gas and Oil searching Will help to increase their market values and can demand them among the competitors Threats Strategic Option Unsound policies related to Environment after oil and toxic spill in 2006. Understand the policies and work with less effect to environment Explosion of factory tunnels in occasionally By keeping the brand image without harm can face the problem Has big rivals such as Shell and Chevron To make company as No1. And more promotional works Sold corporate owned stations. Buy the stations Pipeline decomposition Should check the pipeline back and do the needful changers Insecurity in some oil and gas producing countries and regions Should find some more producers in case to use. Task Three SMART Objectives of BP BP Objectives are prepared according to SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed).That means it should be particular about what we are going to achieve and should calculate about the objectives. There are a several types of objectives like process objectives, outcome objectives, personal objective that all can be done in the SMART format. BPs five year plan objectives are, Increase profitability by 20% Increase production Financial gain by serving to the increasing demand Build brand value that was affected by the oil spills BP spends on growing technology budget on potentially most competitively profitable innovations both in open and new power spaces. It is both a strategic option and an opportunity for BP when comparing with the rivals as BP is strategically positioned themselves in a highly innovative RD processes which is unmatchable by the rivals easily. While facing major challenges of dilapidated supplies and defense of supply in oil and gas, global warming and insist for pure energy in major markets, BPs percentage of expend on novel technologies is growing. Five year development plan for BP Business plan is a statement about companys future goals and plans to achieve those goals. This can be externally focus or internally focus. BPs Strategies in development can position as, Upstream growth Downstream turnaround Alternative Energy: alert disciplined Corporate overview In the upstream will hub on cost and capital efficiency to distribute profitable growth. In the downstream will drive additional efficiencies and a focus on quality and incorporation. They will maintain their disciplined approach to substitute energy and will carry on unlock corporate efficiency through a culture of uninterrupted enhancement. Evaluating and implementing the plan In business strategy, Johnson, Scholes and Whittington shows a model in strategic options are evaluated next to three key success criteria such as Suitability, Feasibility, and Acceptability. Recommendations Strategic investments in RD to exploit new market opportunities and to maximize efficient and effective productions. To negotiate with governments and other low and medium sized firms in the industry through a joint profit sharing process to search for new avenues of the market. Recruit experienced and capable sales, marketing and research experts. Re-build the brand value and affinity using new media opportunities like social media to reduce the black mark occurred as a consequence of oil spills. Streamline production and business operations by using just in time (JIT) and creating a agile end at the supplier end of the operations. Conclusion Strategic planning plays a vital role in strategic management and the leadership. Strategic planning can divide in to three stages as strategic Analysis, Strategic Options and Evaluation and Implementation. The British petroleum Corporation is a well established organization in petroleum industry and here it is illustrated through the strategy and competitive advantages of the BP and the technical tools which they could could use to analyze the situations. The porters five forces investigation helped identifying the competitive environment and market situation BP is facing. There are major rivals like Solar, Sharp, Chevron in the market and BP engaged with mass production. By the SWOT analysis company situation and the market position identified which extracts the internal and external environment of the company. BP is focused on customers and they believe in their mass productions over its rivals. Company can use strategy clock, Ansoff growth matrix tools to analysis their position in the market. To develop strategic options first it should identify the external context and priorities and clusters. Then it should develop the strategic options. SOP matrix is one of the best tools to identify the strategies of the company. BP has a decentralized en route for RD units. It also drives the strategic positioning of BP in competition among rivals. Cost advantage exits when company can give same benefits as competitor with lower cost. And differentiation advantage exits when the company can make different benefits or the value to the customer from their products (Broad differentiation strategy). As an Example BP is using combination of Crude oil and natural energy such as solar power to give differentiation to their customers and it is a well successful strategy. STEEPLE analysis also can be used to investigate the external environment in a business operates and concerned with the political, economic, social factors influential industry change and helps to gain a better understanding for external conditions for growth in a market. The porters five forces investigation helps to diversity a competitive environment. For example, BP analyzes the market for Quality oil production. BP entered into solar market in 1973 and produced BP solar in 2000, it was one of main strategy to face current oil crisis and environment issues. BP solar becomes profitable but it is not prominently spread among the public, so government involvement is important to become popular of solar power. BP business plan has advantage in the Research and investigation area. The crude oil plus the solar power combinations was very successful strategy implemented in recently. Products segmentation, explorations and productions, significantly company restructuring, improve cost efficiency, centralized company departments are their current strategies to compete with rivalry and increase company profits. They entered into oil plus solar power combination and they should strategically positioned the product segmentation, improve cost efficiency and enter into new market opportunities through the findings of RD to increase their profits. They have created value through technology innovation and this is a barrier for their competitors. But the opportunity is yet to be scrutinized with more investments to the RD. By a comprehensive situation analysis company can create strategic options to devise organizations external atmosphere and can exploit the potential.

Relationship between SMC1A and Chromosome Related Disease

Relationship between SMC1A and Chromosome Related Disease 1. Introduction[A1] The Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes 1 alpha (SMC1A) gene is located in Xp11.22-p11.21, consisting of 25 exons and 24 intron. SMC1A gene encoding a core subunit of the cohesin complex, which is essential to sister chromatid cohesion. SMC1, SMC3, SCC1 (also known as MDC1 and RAD21) and SCC3 (also known as SA2 and STAG2) subunits could interact with each other and form a ring-shaped cohesin complex [1-3]. As is known, central component of the cohesin and condensin complexes are required for conversion of interphase chromatin into mitotic-like condense chromosomes[4]. Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) proteins are core component of the cohesin and condensin complex and essential for chromosome condensation during DNA replication and chromatid segregation of the genome in all organisms. They are also involved in checkpoint responses and epigenetic silencing of gene expression[5]. Cornelia de Lange syndrome is a dominantly developmental disorder with multisystem abnormalities including slow growth before and after birth, characteristic facial features, upper extremity defects, hirsutism, gastroesophageal dysfunction and cognitive retardaion. The incidence is as high as one in 10,000 to 30,000 newborns. Both sexes have the same phenotypic variability. To date, the three genes, NIPBL, SMC1A, and SMC3 involving in chromosome function, gene regulation and double-stranded DNA repair, could cause CdLS when mutated[6, 7]. Six in ten of the probands with CdLS have heterozygous mutations in NIPBL gene, whereas 5% have mutations in SMC1A and SMC3 genes [6, 8]. Eleven different SMC1A mutations in 14 unrelated patients have been reported. All patients had a mild to moderate CdLS phenotype [8-10]. In several decades, we focus on the relationship between SMC1A and chromosome related genetic disease. In recent years, we found that SMC1A may play a key role in tumorigenesis. Sun. M et al. determined that the effects of SMC1A knockdown on the cell cycle and apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells. The results indicated that SMC1A is a novel oncogene, which modulates lung cancer cells in their proliferation and migration capabilities through arresting cell cycle at G0/G1 phase and promoting apoptosis [11]. The similar conclusion also was found in glioblastoma cells [12, 13]. However, SMC1A functions as a novel oncogene in human prostate cancer metastasis and progression has still not been reported. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Patient Samples All of the patient samples were obtained from the Urinary Surgery Department of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China. This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, and the informed consents were acquired from all of the subjects. 2.2. Reagents and antibodies DMEM (cat no.12430-054), F12 (cat no. 21127022) and RPMI-1640(cat no. 11875-093) medium and fetal bovine serum (cat no. 10099-141) were purchased from GIO (Grand Island, NY). TRIzol Reagent was from Invitrogen (Carlsbad, CA, USA). Giemsa was from Chemicon International (Temecula, CA). M-MLV Reverse (cat no. M5301)Transcription was purchased from Promega (Madison, WI, USA). Oligo-dT(18) was synthesized by Sangon Biotech (Shanghai, China). Terraâ„ ¢ qPCR Direct SYBR ® Premix (cat no. 638318) was from Takara (Otsu, Japan). Anti-SMC1A antibody (cat no. SAB4300451) was from Sigma-Aldrich (Munich, Germany). Mouse anti-GAPDH (cat no. sc-32233), Goat anti-Mouse IgG (cat no. sc-32233) and goat anti-rabbit IgG (cat no. sc-2030) were from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Texas, USA). All the other chemicals were of analytical grade. 2.3. Cell culture Human embryonic kidney cells 293T, Human prostate cancer cell lines PC-3, DU145, LNCap, and 22RV1 were purchased from the Cell Bank of Type Culture Collection of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai, China). 293T were cultrued in DMEM containing 10%FBS. PC-3 and DU145 cells were maintained in F-12 medium supplemented with 10% FBS, 100U/ml penicillin and 100ÃŽ ¼g/ml streptomycin. 22RV1 and LNCap cells were incubated with RPMI-1640 supplemented with 10% FBS, 100U/ml penicillin and 100ÃŽ ¼g/ml streptomycin. LNCap cells were maintained in Corning Corning ® CellBIND ® Surface cell culture flasks (Corning, cat no. #3289) for a better attachment efficiency. All cells were cultured in a humidified incubator at 37oC under 5% CO2 atmosphere and used for analysis during exponential phase of growth. 2.4. RNA interference The synthesized 21-bp oligonucleotides encoding SMC1A-specific shRNA held the sequence 5’-TAGGAGGTTCTTCTGAGTACA-3’. The sequence of the negative control shRNA oligonucleotides was 5’-TTCTCCGAACGTGTCACGT-3’. The oligos were annealed and ligated into pH-L vector (Hollylab, Shanghai, China) through NheI/PacI to generate pH-Lv-shSMC1A and pH-Lv-shCon. The resulting constructs were confirmed by sequencing. 2.5. Recombinant lentivirus Transduction PC-3 or DU145 cells were plated at 5Ãâ€"104 cell/well in 6-well plates. After 24 h of culture, lentivirus recombinant encoding shRNA against SMC1A was added at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 50 into F-12 basic medium. After 6h incubation, the cells were added with complete growth medium replacing the basic medium containing the lentivirus. Then, 5 days post-transfection, gene reporter (EGFP) expression was examined using fluorescent microscopy (Olympus, cat no. CKX41). 2.6. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis of SMC1A mRNA expression Total RNA was extracted using TRIzol reagent according to the manufacturer’s instruction. 2ÃŽ ¼g total RNA was used to synthesize the first strand of cDNA using M-MLV Reverse Transcriptase. Real-time PCR reactions using Terraâ„ ¢ qPCR Direct SYBR ® Premix were run on Takara TP800-Thermal Cycler DiceTM Real-Time System. The following primers were used: SMC1A: 5’- AGCGAAAGGCAGAGATAATGG-3’ and 5’-GGTAGTCAAGAGGCAAGAAGG-3’; ÃŽ ²-actin: 5’- GTGGACATCCGCAAAGAC-3’ and 5’-AAAGGGTGTAACGCAACTA-3’. Thermal cycling condition were 1 min at 95 °C followed by 45 cycles of 95  °C for 5 s, 60 °C for 20 s, read absorbance value at the extension stage. The data was analyzed with Takara Thermal Dice Real Time System software Ver3.0. SMC1A relative mRNA levels was calculated using the 2-ΔΔCt method with normalization to ÃŽ ²-actin. And the conditions 2.7. Western blot analysis of SMC1A protein expression Cells were washed twice with ice-cold PBS and suspended in cell lysis buffer (2% Mercaptoethanol, 20% Glycerol, 4% SDS in 100mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 6.8), and incubated for 15 min on ice. After centrifugation at 12,000 g for 15 min at 4oC, the supernatants were collected, and the protein content were measured using BCA protein assay kit. Equal amounts of protein were subjected to SDS-PAGE. After electrophoresis, blots were transferred onto PVDF membrane using an electro-blotting apparatus (Tanon, Shanghai, China). The membrane was blocked with TBST buffer containing 5% nonfat milk at room temperature for 1 h, and incubated with the primary antibodies in the blocking solution at 4oC overnight. After 3 washes with TBST buffer, the membrane was incubated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) -conjugated secondary antibody (1:5000) at room temperature for 1 h. The signals of detected proteins were visualized by Pierce ECL western blotting detection kit (thermo scientific, USA). GAPDH protein level was used as an internal control to verify equal protein loading. 2.8. MTT assay Cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay. Exponential growth phase cells were plated at a final concentration of 2000 cells/well in 96-well plates and cultured for five consecutive days. MTT (10 µl, 10mg/ml) was then added, followed by incubation for another 4 hr at 37oC under humidified 5% CO2 atmosphere. The MTT was removed and addition of 150ÃŽ ¼l DMSO. Optical density (OD) of each well was measured at 490 nm using an ELx808 Absorbance Reader (Bio-Tek Instruments, USA). 2.9. Colony formation assay Cell growth and survival ability was also determined by the plate-colony-formation assay. In brief, 200 transfected cells were plated in 6-well plates. Cells were cultured for 14 days at 37oC under humidified 5% CO2 atmosphere. Culture medium was changed at 3-day intervals. Afterward, cells were incubate in 4% paraformaldehyde for 30 min at room temperature. The colonies were stained with Giemsa for 15 min, then washed with ddH2O and air-dried. The number of colonies (>50 cells/colony) was counted. 2.10. Flowcytometry Analysis Cell cycle distribution was assessed by propidium iodide (PI) staining. Briefly, the transfectedcells were harvested by trypsinization, centrifuged at 250 g for 5 min, washed twice with ice-cold PBS, and fixed in 70% ethanol at 4oC or -20oC for at least 1 h. Cells were collected and resuspended in PBS containing 100ÃŽ ¼g/ml RNase A and 40ÃŽ ¼g/ml PI, and then incubated at 4oC for 30 min, in dark. Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry using a FACSCalibur flow cytometer (Becton-Dickinson, San Jose, CA). The percentage of the cells in sub-G1, G0/G1, S, and G2/M phases were analyzed using ModFit (Verity Software House, Maine, USA) software. 2.11. Migration assay To explore the effect of SMC1A in the migration of prostate cancer cells, 24-well transwell chamber with 8.0ÃŽ ¼m pore polycarbonate filter inserts (Corning, cat no. #3422) was performed. In the upper chamber of each transwell, cells were suspended in serum-free F-12 containing 0.2% BSA. And F-12 supplemented with 10% FBS was added in each lower chamber. Then, the inserts were incubated at a 37 °C, 5% CO2/95% air incubator for overnight and the cells that had not penetrated the filters were removed. The migrated cells attached to the bottom side were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 10 min and stained in0.1% crystal violet for 30 min, rinsed in PBS and examined under a bright-field microscope. 2.12. Tumorigenesis assay The influence of SMC1A silence on the tumor development of prostate tumor in vivo was examined. DU145, DU145-Lv-shCon or DU145 Lv-shSMC1A at 5 Ãâ€" 106 per mouse were injected subcutaneously into 4 weeks old Balb/c nude mice (n = 10 per group, Shanghai Laboratory Animal Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China). The development and growth of solid tumors were monitored by measuring tumor size using a vernier caliper in a blinded fashion every five days for a 27-days period. The tumor volume was calculated using a standard formula: tumor volume (mm3) = width (mm)2Ãâ€"length (mm)Ãâ€"0.5. At the end of the experiment, all mice were sacrificed and individual tumor weights were measured using a electronic balance. All the animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care Committee of the Second Military Medical University. 2.13. Statistical analysis The statistical analyses were performed with Graphpad Prism 5.0 software. The values are expressed as the mean of at least three different experiments  ± S.D. The results were analyzed by Student’s t-test, and P 3. Results 3.1. Expression of SMC1A in prostate cancer tissue and prostate cancer cells. To study the function of SMC1A in prostate cancer, we first analyzed its expression pattern in prostate cancer tissues. As shown in Fig 1A, SMC1A was strongly stained in prostate cancer tissue with a clear subcellular localization in the cytoplasm and nucleus of abnormal prostate epithelial cells. Then, the expression level of SMC1A was further analyzed by western blot, which showed that SMC1A was upregulated in prostate cancer tissues (Ca) compared to the adjacent normal tissues (N) (Fig 1B), implying a possible correlation between SMC1A and prostate cancer. To find a cell model for further investigation of SMC1A’s function in prostate cancer, we first analyzed the expression of SMC1A in four commonly used prostate cancer cell lines. Both WB and qPCR indicated that SMC1A expressions were elevated in PC-3, DU145 and 22RV1 cells in comparison to the androgen-sensitive LNCap cells (Fig 1C and D), which had less aggressiveness than the other three cell lines. We also found that S MC1A expression level was negatively correlated to AR expression level (Fig 1C and E), suggesting that SMC1A might be correlated with the malignancy of prostate cancer and involved in AR signaling. 3.2. Lentivirus-mediated knockdown of SMC1A in prostate cancer cells. As PC-3 and DU145 cells expressed much higher levels of SMC1A, they were used for further investigation. Both PC-3 and DU145 cells were untreated or transducated with Lv-shCon or Lv-shSMC1A. The transduction efficiencies were above 90% in both cells confirmed by fluorescent microscope (Fig 2A). WB analysis demonstrated that Lv-shSMC1A efficiently knocked down SMC1A expressions in PC-3 and Du145 cells (Fig B and C). Q-PCR results indicated that SMC1A was down-regulated more than 80% and 90% in PC-3 and DU145cells respectively. 3.3 Down-regulation of SMC1A inhibited cell proliferation in prostate cancer cells. After confirming the knocked down efficiency of SMC1A, PC-3 and DU145 cells were analyzed for cell growth rate with MTT assay. As shown in Fig 3A and E, cells transducted with Lv-shSMC1A displayed suppressed growth rate in comparison to the control or Lv-shCon transducted cells. The cells were then seeded onto 6-well plates for the analysis of colony formation ability. PC-3 and DU145 cells transducted with Lv-shSMC1A formed colonies with much smaller sizes compared to the control and Lv-shCon transducted cells (Fig 3B and F).The colonies formed in 6-well plates were photographed (Fig 3C and G), and counted (Fig 3D and H). The results suggested that both PC-3 and Du145 cells showed impaired colony formation abilities after SMC1A knockdown,indicating a pivotal role of SMC1A in regulation of prostate cancer cells proliferation.

Amelia Earhart Essay examples -- Aviation Women

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart had the courage and independence to do anything she wanted to do. This includes crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a plane and sharing her visions for aviation and women. She inspired many, formed the first women aviator’s association, and she tried to fly around the world. That is why I think that Amelia Earhart has made a difference. And as I have said, Amelia Earhart has certainly affected many people. Amelia Earhart inspired many women to follow their ambitions and dreams. She is still a symbol of the power and perseverance of American women. When she first saw an airplane, she wasn’t very interested, but as soon as she left the ground at a stunt-flying exhibition, she knew that she had to fly. Six months after her first lesson, she bought a second hand biplane painted bright yellow, and named it Canary. She used this plane to later set the first women’s record of rising to an altitude of 14,000 feet. On June 17, 1928, she was asked, along with Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon, to â€Å"fly the Atlantic†. She was so thrilled that, later, she formed the first women aviator’s association. The second reason that I think that Amelia Earhart made a difference is because she formed the first women aviator’s association called the Ninety-Nines, Inc. The Ninety-Nines is an International Organization of Licensed Women Pilots from 35 countries. Also, the membership was open to all women with a pilot’s license, and the organization’s purpose would be...

The Character of Caliban in Shakespeares Tempest Essay -- Essays on Sh

Caliban is one of the primary antagonists in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. It is impossible to understand the Tempest without first understanding the character of Caliban. Through the exploration of the character of Caliban the reader gains an understanding of his importance within the play and that he is simply not just black and white, there is also a great deal of grey. It is the characters ambiguity that enables him to be human inside although appearing bestial on the outside. Caliban is a great example of a character being much more than one dimensional, almost to the point of being nearly a real person. While there is a great emphasis on the pure and the good, everyone has within them a darker side. Which is that of depravity and evil thoughts. This is what makes us human. It is how we deal with these thoughts and balance them that makes us a person. It is also the way in which this almost, 'alter ego' manifests itself to both to yourself and the rest of mankind, that distinguishes between good and bad people: 'This thing of darkness, I must acknowledge mine' Arguably, The Tempest is a play that focuses upon the character of Prospero and his power to punish verses his power to forgive. Many scholars believe that the play is also nearly an autobiographical work, written towards the end of Shakespeare's literary career. This idea is reinforced throughout the play, especially towards the end and in the epilogue: ?...my ending is despair, Unless I be relieved by prayer.? Epilogue: 15-16 And ?I'll break my staff, Bury it in certain fathoms in the earth, And deeper than did ever plummet sound I'll drown my book? 5:1:54-57 Therefore, our understanding of Caliban's position in th... ...our understanding of Caliban and The Tempest as a play is therefore one of great importance. He puts an angle on Prospero's character that other aspects of forgiveness and that of the wronged Duke simply do not cover. He shows up Prospero's faults and the fact that Prospero is only human, capable of anger, hatred, and punishing those who are guilty in his eyes. Works Cited Bevington, David. The Necessary Shakespeare Third Edition. United States: Pearson Education, Inc., 2009. Print. Cengage, Gale, Michael L. LaBlanc Ed.† The Tempest (Vol. 72) - Introduction." Shakespearean Criticism. Vol. 72, 2006. eNotes.com. 2003. 29 Oct, 2009. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. 5th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004. 1574-603.

Business Model Yum Brands

YUM! Inc Internal Analysis| The Strategic Management Process| REPORT NUMBER| 2| WEEK| 2| CBL GROUP AND SUB-GROUP| I3SHM Group A| DECLARATION 1. This work is composed by me / by us. 2. This work has not been accepted in any previous application for a degree or diploma, by me / by us or anyone else. 3. The work of which this is a record is done wholly by me / by us. 4. All verbatim extracts have been distinguished by quotation marks and the sources of my information have been specifically acknowledged. Signatures: Date:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Submitted in Partial Fulfilment for the Requirements of the degree Programme Bachelor of Business AdministrationNovember, 2012 Table of Contents Introduction3 Chapter 1: Business Model, Vision, Mission, Goals and Strategies3 Concept Definitions3 Yum! Inc Evaluation3 Yum! Inc Correlation Business Strategies and Current Business Model4 Chapter 2: Yum! Inc Financial Analysis6 Chapter 3: Weaknesses and/ or Competitive Liabilities8 Chapter 4: Internal Factor Analysis8 Reference List12 Introduction An internal organizational analysis aims to investigate a company`s business model, its mission, vision, goals, resources, competencies and undertaken strategies to compete on the market.It gives an overview of the organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and consequently threats. By conducting a proper internal analysis a company can identify its competitive advantage over its competitors and use the outcomes to derive new scope of strategies and possibly effectively direct the organization on the long run. There are several major and crucial areas companies audit internally, that is to say organizations value chain, cultural web, business model, capabilities assessment.After conducting such analysis companies identify possible areas where immediate action is needed for improvement, its threshold capabilities, core competencies by which they gain competitive advantage. Essential ly, organizations can decide which resources and activities are of significant importance to the company and must be kept internally and which can be outsourced. Additionally, possible strategies for the future can be established. However, the internal analysis cannot solely be a ground for new strategies, an organization has to conduct an external analysis before forming its final strategies. (Johnson & Scoles, 2008).Chapter 1: Business Model, Vision, Mission, Goals and Strategies Concept Definitions Before analyzing Yum! Inc, several concepts have to be defined. Firstly, Business Model refers to all products, services and information an organization owns and how they flow between participating parties. Vision refers to what an organization aspires to become in the future. A Mission statement captures the emblematic purpose of an organization to conduct business in line with the values of it`s stakeholders. Organizational goals are general statements for aims and purposes whereas o bjectives are narrowed down to quantifiable results.Finally, organizational strategies are its long-term directions. (Johnson&Scoles,2008). Yum! Brands, Inc Evaluation Yum! Brands, Inc is a global operator of franchisees and licensees a chain restaurant brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. The business model of Yum! Brands, Inc will be analyzed by the use of Canvas Model further in this chapter. According to the Annual Report (AR) 2011, the company`s Mission Statement is implied under its future-back vision statement: â€Å"Be The Defining Global Company that Feeds the World†. Moreover, it`s Vision Statement is: â€Å"Be the Best in The World at Building Great Restaurant Brands†.After a deeper analysis of the company, it has been identified that Yum! Brands, Inc has the following core business related long-term goals: † 1. Build leading brands in China in every significant category; 2. Drive aggressive international expansion and build strong brands everywh ere; 3. Dramatically improve U. S. brand positions, consistency in returns; 4. Drive industry leading, long-term shareholder and franchise value. (Yum, Annual Report, 2011). According to the Chief Sustainability Office ‘CSO’, Roger McClendon, Yum Brands want to establish and align global goals to improve the economy of restaurant.Yum Brands global enterprise goals for sustainability are: 1. Reduce global energy consumption by 10% by 2015 2. Reduce global water consumption by 10% by 2015 3. Develop 5 LEED certifiable restaurant standards across China, India, United States of America and Yum Restaurants International (YRI) business divisions by 2012 4. Elevate Yum packaging vision into actionable brand goals leveraging Yum packaging guidelines. (Source: www. yum. com/csr/environment) Next to that Yum! Brands, Inc has formed it`s values which direct the companies strategic actions, namely: 1. Believe in People; 2. Be Restaurant and Customer Maniacs; 3.Recognize; 3. Go for Breakthrough 4. Build Know How; 5. Take the Hill Teamwork Yum! Brands, Inc, further referred to as† the company† or â€Å" Yum† within this report has taken different strategies to achieve its main long-term goals. The strategies will be outlined in correlation with the business model. Yum! Brands, Inc Correlation Business Strategies and Current Business Model The CEO and Chairman of Yum! Brands, Inc shares the fairly simple business model of Yum. The main focus of the company is reducing company ownership in highly penetrated markets meanwhile increasing exposure in emerging and under-penetrated markets.Moreover, the largest fast food franchiser continues with its refranchising program in the States, aiming to retain 5% ownership of KFC and Pizza Hut. The business model of Yum! Brands, Inc is analyzed by the Canvas Business Model, (Oosterwalder, 2010) see fig. 1 Fig. 1 Canvass Business Model Yum! Brands, Inc has three main markets from which it generates revenues , namely the USA, China and Yum Internatianonal Restaurants. Within those markets, the company creates value for various sub markets by diversifying and customizing within the fast food market through different restaurant concepts.Moreover, the channels through which it reaches those markets are via own channels-direct, namely in-house sales, mobile ordering system for Pizza Hut in the States. This is rather costly activity for the company, however it has a high profit margins. Moreover, in 2011, Yum participated in an Annual World Hunger Relief campaign with the use of Christina Aguilera voice for good in the cause against hunger (www. fromhungertohope. com). This is an example of the Awareness Channel Phase as explained by Osterwalder, 2011. Christina Aguilera`s personality world recognition and the Campaign`s awareness to create awareness for the Yum! Brands, Inc.With regard to the customer relationship, the company serves its customers via personal service, self-service. The per sonal service is based on the fact that customers are being helped via the purchase process on the points of sales. In addition to that, in order to continue successful operations within the quick service restaurant sector, Yum has several key partners, subcontractors- franchisees and licensees through which the company exposes its products. Moreover, the company`s main supplier is Unified FoodService Co-op LLC, an American company which offers lowest store-delivered prices for restaurant products (Yum, Annual Report, 2011).Another key partner of Yum is McLane Company, Inc. distributor for concept-owned restaurants and for many of the franchisee and licensee restaurants. Finally, there is a Syndicated creditor, consisting of 24 banks which offers a financias support for the company- 1. 15 bln USD. International partners such as in Russia with Rostik`s KFC are also of significant importance to the company. In order to effectively, deliver its value proposition to customers, namely hi gh product quality, speed service, high quality ingredients, variety of unique products, competitive prices, consistent product quality, the company operates with few key resources.The company operates an effective distribution system- Yum! Brands, Inc owns their local, regional and also global distribution system. Additionally, the company owns, franchises and licenses, as a consequence, there are financial resources coming in within the company in form of royalty fees and sales. Another, key resource for the company are it`s restaurant concept Patents and Trademarks etc. KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell etc. Brand Power, standardized and formalized restaurant operations practices which give the company the ability to offer consistent service.Finally, the research & development centers and the overall diversified product portfolio are other key company resources. The key activity in which the company engages is sales of food within the quick service restaurants sector by franchising, lice nsing and owning own properties. This is related to the production of fast food. Finally, the main revenue generating streams are the three main markets from which the company derives it`s financial resources, the USA, China and the Yum International Restaurants and the offer of dine-in, dine-out, drive through and home delivery food via franchise, license agreements and own properties.The main strategy of Yum to succeed in the fast food market is by undertaking Cost Driven strategy. By delivering a customized service to the Chinese, American and International market the company targets at the average income market by offering relatively law priced products which fit into the budget of a wide market. Since, it does not necessarily focus on the value-proposition like exclusive products do but rather on cost-saving. Yum achieves this via economies of scale and economies of scope. To conclude, Yum operates with cost-driven cost structure.This business model can clearly be linked to the undertaken strategies by Yum. One of the company aims to enter emerging under-penetrated markets like China and increase leadership position and strengthen operational model. This has been achieved by the strategy of buying the Chinese Hot Pot concept restaurant Little Sheep Company and developing a tailored local quick service restaurant chain East Dawning. This actions fit into the company`s value proposition- food diversity, variety of products, speed service, tailored products as they all belong to the quick service restaurant category.Next to that, the strategy of East Dawning is to strategy is to offer tremendous variety and refresh menu 24% twice/year which also fits to company`s value proposition. In addition, the company owns their local, regional and global distribution system and this fits to their long term goal to expand internationally but also with their cost structures and cost-driven strategy. Moreover, the ownership of distribution system gives the company a stron g competitive advantage. Finally, these strategies fit into the company`s business model by segregating the market and still offering products on competitive prices.Internationally, the company took the strategy to enter Russian, Indian and African market. : In Russia acquisition of Rostiks- chicken company. Growth in Africa is represented by the opening of 656 stores in SA, entry in Zambia, Ghana, Kenya. In India the company entered the market with 101 restaurants in 2011. In total 900 restaurants were added in 2011 in the International Division. International Division`s Operating Profit grew with 12%. These strategies re in line with the business model for generating revenues via three main areas, the USA, China, and International Division.Moreover, all those strategies to expand are connected to the company`s key activity and also value proposition. Next to that, the company aimed at improving brand position in the States. One of the strategies to achive this was transforming Piz za Hut to â€Å"Pizza, Pasta and wings†. Moreover, Pizz Hut improved it`s service by â€Å" Heart of the Hut: program which also added value to the hospitality of the chain. Moreover, the KFC kicked off a nation-wide campaign with value menu – 3. 99 USD 2 peace meal, 2 side dishes and biscuit. This has been as a result of investment in operations, make it more contemporary.Additionally, Taco Bell introduced it`s – â€Å"First Meal† Strategy- launched breakfast in 800 restaurant- opening earlier than before at 9am and introducing theu Launche Doritos Lotos Taco, which became a huge success- famous Nacho Cheese Doritos. The above mentioned strategies, go in line Yum`s business model: value proposition- speed service, product quality; key partners- continue operations with franchisees and licensees; key activities- continue playing on the Quick Service Restaurant Market by the use of company`s key resources- rely on own patented brands, use the standardized operations to offer consistent service.Another, strategy Yum took in the USA was to increase operation audits in franchise field support which also was in accordance to their business model to offer quality products and consistent service. Another strategy to improve the USA brand position was to reduce company ownership of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell from 13% to 8% in the domestic market in order to increase franchise fees, reduce operating expenses and capital expenditures- cost-driven company.Last but not least, the company has decided to reduce Taco Bell Ownership from 23% to 16% over the next 2 years and sold Long John Silver`s A&W All American Restaurants in order to meet it`s last long-term goal, namely Drive Industry Leading, long term Shareholder & Franchise Value and retain 5% ownership of Pizza Hut and KFC. To conclude, according to the Yum Brands annual report 2011 (annual report 2011), the success of Yum Brands in executing these strategies has driven the organizations r eturn on invested capital over 22. 00% in top with the industry leaders. The organization generated over $2. 000. 000. 00,00 dollars cash from the operations in 2011. The company is lucky to have global opportunities to invest in for the future growth. Furthermore, the organization owns and operate the distribution system the restaurants in China. This strategy provides a significant competitive advantage. This way China will have an economy growth and achieve a population of 1. 300. 000. 000,00. Yum Brands will rapidly adding KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants, this way the organization will test the additional restaurants concepts. The concepts of KFC and Pizza Hut are (for example): ‘Pizza Hut – pizza delivery’ and East Dawning, which is Chinese food. Yum! Brands, Inc Annual Report, 2011). Chapter 2: Yum! Brands, Inc Financial Analysis In this chapter the financial performances of Yum are being analyzed. Within the first part of this chapter the balance sheet and t he income statement are being analyzed. This analysis is being conducted with the help of horizontal and vertical analysis. Within the second part of this chapter the key performance indicators will be analyzed and compared with industry averages. 2. 1. 1 Income statement The total revenue of Yum increased from $10. 836 million in 2009 to $12. 626 million in 2011. This is an increase of 16%. 6% of the total revenue is the income from restaurant sales and 14% is the income of franchise fees. The distribution of the revenue is more or less the same as previous years. From this it can be concluded that, although Yum is expanding their franchises, the most important form of revenue still comes from restaurant sales. Although the revenue increased with 16% from 2009 till 2011, also the total costs increased with 16%. The total costs represented 85% of the total revenue. This figure is more or less the same in 2009 and 2010. The largest cost account is the use of food and paper. This acco unt represents 29% of the total revenue.The food costs in the hospitality industry is on average 33% of the total revenue (Cote, 2006) Yum is doing quite well with managing their food costs. The salaries represent 19% of the total revenue. Considered that on average within the hospitality industry employee wages represent 33% of the total revenue, Yum is managing their employee costs very well. (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) 2. 1. 2 Balance sheet The most noticeable when looking at the horizontal analysis of the balance sheet is the huge increase in the cash and cash equivalent account. The cash increased from $353 million in 2009 to $1198 million in 2011.This is an increase 239. 38% . In 2009 the cash account represented 4. 94% of the total assets, in 2011 this account represented 13. 56% of the total assets. The shareholder equity also increased significantly. The shareholder equity increased with 177%. This can be explained by the fact that Yum sold shares. Additionaly, the increase in cash of the company can be explained by the facts that they sold Long John Sylver A&W All American Food Restaurants. Furthermore the short-term borrowings increased significantly. From 2009 till 2010 this account increased with 1140,68%. However in 2011 this account is reduced slightly.In 2011 the increase in comparison with 2009 is 542%. In 2009 the short-term borrowings represented 0,83% of the total liabilities, in 2010 this was 8. 09% and in 2011 3. 62%. This can be explained by their pursuit of growth strategy- taking over of the Little Sheep Company, opening East Dawning Restaurant in China. The inventory has also increased with 223%. This can be explained by the fact that expansion results in more inventory. The cash and cash equivalents account do not only represent hard cash but it also represents funds which are temporary invested in short-term, high liquidity debt securities.The cash account increased because of the increase of the shareholders’ equity. The shareho lder equity increased with 177% because of the issuing new stock. Finally the retained earnings increased significantly. In 2009 this account was $996 million, in 2011 this was $2052 Million. That is an increase of 106%. In 2009 the retained earnings represented 13. 93% of the total liabilities, in 2010 it was 20. 65% and in 2011 the account represented 23. 23% of the total liabilities. Yum is saving money which originally was reserved as dividend payments.Yum is saving their money probably for investments and expansions otherwise the shareholders would not agree by the fact that they are not getting paid all their dividends. (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) 2. 2 Ratio analysis Within this part several ratios of the past 3 years will be calculated and analyzed. Current ratio The current ratio measures the relation between the current assets and the current liabilities. Year| Current ratio| 2009| 0. 73| 2010| 0. 94| 2011| 0. 95| Table 1: Current ratio From the above given figures one can conc lude that Yum has a shortage of $0. 05 in 2011. However this does not means that Yum is financially unhealthy.In general the current ratio should be around 1. According to Schmidgall, 2006 different parties are interested in different current ratios. Creditors normally prefer a high current ratio as this insures that they are getting paid. Owners and stockholders generally prefer a lower current ratio. Stockholders are mainly interested in profits and according to them investments in most current assets are less productive than investments in noncurrent assets. (Schmidgall, 2006) (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) Solvency The solvency ratio measures the relation between total assets and the total liabilities. Year. Solvency ratio. | 2009| 1. 18| 2010| 1. 25| 2011| 1. 28| Table 2: Solvency In 2009 Yum had a solvency ratio of 1,18. This means that for every dollar of debt they had $1,18 of assets. In 2010 they increased their solvency to $1,25 and in 2011 it increased to $1,28. It can be conclu ded that Yum is solvent, their assets exceed their debts. (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) Profitability ‘Hospitality enterprises are often evaluated in terms of their ability to generate profits on sales’ (Schmidgall, 2006, p. 225) Year| Profit Margin Yum| Profit Margin McDonalds| 2009| 9. 88%| 20%| 2010| 10. 21%| 20. 54%| 2011| 10. 4%| 20. 37%| Table 3: Profit margin In 2011 Yum had a profit margin of 10,44%. This means that for every dollar of revenue the gain 10,44 cents of profit. The average profit margin of the whole restaurant industry is around 5%. Compared with the whole restaurant industry yum has a strong profit margin. However when a comparison is being made with a top competitor, yum has a weak profit margin. As can be seen in table 3, McDonalds has almost the double profit margin of yum. Thus from these figures it can be concluded that yum has a weak profit margin compared with their top competitor McDonalds. Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) (Yahoo finance, 2012) (Stock ana lysis) Return on Assets The ROA ratio measures the profitability of a company’s assets. Year| ROA Yum| ROA McDonalds| 2009| 15. 62%| 15,06%| 2010| 15. 30%| 15,47%| 2011| 15. 58%| 16. 68%| Table 4: Return on Assets Within the restaurant industry the average ROA lays around 8%. The ROA of Yum is around 15,5%. Compared with the total industry yum has a strong ROA. When the ROA of Yum is being compared with the ROA of McDonalds, the conclusion remains the same, Yum has a strong return on assets. Yahoo finance, 2012) (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) (Stock analysis) To conclude it can be said that yum is a financially healthy company. Although the world wide credit crunch Yum is still able to increase their revenues. Comparison of the ratios with industry averages shows that Yum is doing well. Their debts do not exceed their assets. There is still room for an improvement of their profit margin. Compared with the industry average they have a strong profit margin however in comparison with t heir top competitor their profit margin is quite weak. Chapter 3: Weaknesses and/or Competitive Liabilities 1.Resources and Capabilities Evaluation 2. Evaluations of Factors Depriving Yum! Inc from Effective market Competition The evaluation of the resources and capabilities, and factors which might be preventing the corporation from competing effectively will be outlined with the help of a SWOT analysis. This technique will be used, because it gives the ability to present the resources and capabilities into strengths, and the factors which might be preventing the corporation from effective competence can be divided into weaknesses. However, since Threats and Opportunities part will be elaborated on in Weekly Report 3 Strengths| Weaknesses| Leading market position built on a portfolio of strong brands with high level of consumer acceptance * Different store concepts catering to a diverse customer base * Strong balance sheet and cash flows even in tough economic and macro environment * Leadership position in China and other emerging markets * Human Resource Policies- area coaches * Support by syndicated credit facility * Research & Development Centers * Ownership of distribution systems * | * Drop in performance within the domestic market * Lawsuits – Bad Publicity * Heavily dependent on Chinese geographic region * Internal brand competition * Higher loan interest rate than the LIBOR- London Interbank Offered Rate- 0. 25-1. 25% higher. * Brand Reputation dependent on Franchisees| Strengths With more than 37,000 outlets in 120 countries worldwide, Yum Brands, has earned the title of a leading global quick service restaurant corporation with high level of consumer acceptance and brand recognition. The corporation consist of three main brands, namely – KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. The big amount of units all over the world is a valuable resource, but this is not enough to guarantee a distinctive capability.With the effective interception of the sale s and marketing functional area, all those restaurants are promoted effectively and with heavy investments in brand promotion, the position of it, in the mind of the customers, has been changed to the point, that Yum Brands is recognized as one of the best global brands with a leading market position within the industry. The promotion effectiveness is present by the fact that KFC is the leader within US chicken QSR segment with 39% market share, which is 2 times higher than the results from its closest competitor on a national level. In addition to that Pizza Hut is also the leader in the US pizza QSR segment, with 15% market share. Last but not least Taco Bell is also the leader in the US Mexican QSR segment, with 50% market share.The sales and marketing functional area is not the only one responsible for this results. In addition to it the operations management team and all international and regional managers, are contributing to the constant delivery of high quality, which will g uarantee customer satisfaction and acceptance. From the fact that Yum Brands’ has a leading market position as a second main resource, two main capabilities can be derived as well – the ability of significant bargaining power and the capability to grow financially. Furthermore, the company's strong brand value, facilitates customer recall and allows Yum Brands to penetrate new markets as well as consolidate its presence in the existing ones.The second strength can be divided into one resource and one capability. The resource is that the brand has three different restaurant concepts and every one of them has a set of unique food products, which can be customized additionally on their own as well. For example KFC, offers fried and non-fried chicken-on-the-bone products, while international outlets offer menus, which include side items, which are in line with the local customer demands. Pizza Hut for example is specializing in the sale of ready-to-eat pizza products, but there are restaurants, which are also offering breadsticks, pasta, salads, sandwiches and pizza souses, which are also suited to the local markets.Taco Bell is a small exception, since it specializes only in Mexican-style food products, but the diversification comes from the fact that all products like tacos, burritos, gorditas, chalupas, quesadillas, salads, nachos and other related items can be customized on their own. This resource leads to the capability of having the opportunity to provide products, which will attract a large number of diverse market segments. Not only by differentiation of the products but also by the differentiation of the locations the three different concepts within Yum Brands can develop, operate, franchise and license an international chain of both traditional and non-traditional QSR restaurants.For example the traditional one’s offer dine-in, carryout and often, drive-thru or delivery services, while the non-traditional restaurants are typically l icensed outlets that include express units and kiosks with a limited menus and most of the time operate in locations, which are not traditional like malls, airports, gas stations, convenience stores, stadiums, amusement parks and colleges. The diversification of the company products into three different brands, which outlets are also positioned in relation to the profile of the different consumers they serve, Yum Brands is transforming its existing resources into a distinctive capability. Even though there are economic and macro- environmental difficulties in the world, Yum Brands is continuously growing. It’s financial performance is outstanding, since the company’s outlets have recorded net income of $1. billion and over $2 billion in cash from its operations, which is 0. 3 billion more in comparison to 2011. In addition to that there is a 14% increase in the Earnings Per Share, and 7% system sales growth. The company maintains its position of industry leader in USA with Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) of more than 20%, and in addition to that the company has also increased its number of restaurants with more than 1,561. This increase with more than 1,000 new restaurants is also continuous happening already 11 years. The stable growth of units gives the corporation a title among the other US competitors as the â€Å"number one retail developer of units outside the US†.The capability of delivering constant strong results, which contributes to the plans for growth, provide a significant competitive advantage and distinctive capability, despite the difficult economic situation. Building a leadership position in China and other developing markets, should be considered as a strength, since this will help the corporation to develop even stronger brand image around the world. In addition to that, if the food concepts continue to be popular within the market, this will generate constant profit and ability to grow even further. This strength is also in line with the already mentioned strategy of expansion of the business in emerging and low-penetrated markets. For example over half of the operating profit of the company is generated in China and 72 other emerging countries.The actual aim of the company is to reach 85% global sales in comparison with only 15% in their local market until 2015. Within China all brands are growing with more than 656 new restaurants. Their policy to have leading brands in every significant category also has led to the acquisition of Little Sheep- a leading casual dining concept in China. Except this developing market, 3 more markets are strategically targeted. In India the managers are implementing all key elements, which drove the enormous success in China. The efforts in the moment are concentrated on building a strong base of restaurants, which will generate significant part of their future profits.In the moment in India there are more than 220 KFCs and 170 Pizza Hut restaurants and Taco Be ll also has just entered the market in to develop the brand into their third international known brand. Russia is also considered to be one of the growing market potentials for Yum Brand. Within this market there is a severe competition with McDonalds, but the company still expects high profits and return on investment. In order to do that the company started to expand by re-branding Rostiks-KFC to stand alone as KFC, which will lead to more brand recognition and customer retention. The last market, in which Yum, is aiming to become a leader is Africa. This already has started by the building of 656 stores in South Africa during 2011, and the building of outlets also in countries like Zambia, Ghana and Kenya.The plan is also to enter 7 new countries by the end of 2012, which will cover in total 20 African countries. The resource of having so many outlets worldwide and creating a broad world coverage, will become a capability in future, because the company will be able to generate re venue from markets, which are not penetrated and posses customers with growing buying power. Finally, Yum! Brands, Inc slowly enters the African market by building of 656 stores in South Africa, also entering Zambia, Ghana and Kenya in 2011 and plan to enter 7 new countries in 2012, which sums the plan in total to have restaurants in about 20 African countries by the end of 2012.Overall, this clearly shows that the company has the capability of successful penetrating new markets by adapting to the local customs, political, social, economic and legal systems. The last strength of Yum is the consolidation within its human resource policies. This policies start with the corporate value – How We Win Together principles including the motto â€Å"We love celebrating the achievement of others and have lots of fun doing it! â€Å", is one of the main reasons for their culture to be full of positive energy, teamwork, and fun. This corporate value is also built around a â€Å"People Capability First† philosophy, which lays the groundwork for the way they work as a team, together, every day.Yum invests in their Human Resources and provides training guides have been developed in 11 different languages for over 37,000 Restaurant General Managers around the globe. (Yum! Brands Inc. , Annual Report, 2011) Moreover, the company assigns area coaches, every six restaurant is operated under the supervision of one coach. This is an evidence for the company`s capability of successfully investing in people and promoting employee development and support. Being financed by Syndicated Credit Facility, which consist of 24 banks (Yum! Brands, Inc Annual Report, 2011) gives the company a strong financial security by not being reliable on single creditor.Research& Development Centers, are resource which Yum can strategically utilize to develop new products. This is an explicit example of company`s capability to investigate markets and identify customer needs. Finally, the ownership of distribution channels, helps the company to effectively manage its costa by local, regional and global distribution centers, namely developing effective cost structures. Weaknesses In 2009 the restaurant industry in the US showed transaction declines in dinner occasions, because consumers chose to save money and eat at home. This had also a significant impact on both Pizza Hut and KFC concepts of Yum Brands. As a result, their U. S. usiness was clearly under-performing from 2009 till 2011, but the most significant numbers are present in 2011 with store sales decrease of 1% and profit decrease of 12% for all units within the US market. In order to cope with this problem the company is reducing its ownership in this highly-penetrated market and in December 2011, they have completed the sale of Long John Silver's and A&W All American Restaurants. To sum it up the competitive liability, which is outlined by this weakness, consists of the fact that there is a deficiency of f inancial resources Moreover, lawsuits can cause a negative publicity for the company. For example, beef quality lawsuit on Taco Bell projected the restaurant concept-chain in negative limelight In January 2011.The lawsuit claimed that Taco Bell food items are made with a substance known as ‘taco meat ‘filling', rather than beef. The lawsuit also contended that Taco Bell products only contain 36% ground beef, below the prescribed USDA standard of 40% to qualify as meat. An estimated $3 million to $4 million were spent for nationwide advertising campaign to fight with the negative publicity from the lawsuit. Moreover, the company heavily relies on the Chinese market, as it is the main revenue generator. In the case, of nation-wide catastrophe- decrease in disposable income, change of food related legislations, the company business will be affected negatively.The internal brand competition can lead to decrease of sales in some brands. Furthermore, compared to the average Yu m loans relatively expensive financial resources form banks as the interest rates it pays for its loans are 0. 25%-1. 25% higher than LIBOR. (Annual Report, 2011) Finally, Yum! Brands, Inc company reputation is heavily reliant on its franchisees and licensees. The damaged brand name definitely should be considered as competitive liability, first because of the deficiency in quality of the products and second because of the lack of important organizational assets, which has led to this situation. Chapter 4: Internal Factor AnalysisInternal Factor Analysis organizes the strengths and weaknesses of a company into factors and analyses how a company is reacting on those factors (Jones, 2010). The weight is assigned to each factor from 1. 0 most significant to 0. 0 unimportant. Secondly, rating is assigned from 1 to 5, taking into account the management`s reaction to each factor. And finally, the weighted score is calculated by multiplying column 2 to column 3. INTERNAL FACTORS| WEIGHT| R ATING| WEIGHTED SCORE| COMMENTS| STRENGTHS| | | | | Supported by Syndicated Credit Facility| 0. 02| 0. 5| 0. 01| Secure financing, less dependency on 1 bank| Strong balance Sheet and Cash Flows| 0. 02| 1| 0. 2| Healthy operations| | 0. 3| 0. 5| 0. 15| | Research and Development facilities in Shanghai (China division), Dallas (Pizza Hut, YRI), California( Taco Bell), Lousiville (KFC)| 0. 2| 0. 5| 0. 1| Advantage of examining markets, developing products| Distribution system ownership| 0. 02| 0. 5| 0. 01| Cost effectiveness| Membership in Unified FoodService Purchasing Co-Po| 0. 01| 0. 5| 0. 005| Cost effectiveness and purchase power| Effective Market Segmentation-| 0. 02| 0. 3| 0. 006| Reach more consumers, spread risks| Restaurant concepts, trademarks patents| 0. 01| 0. 2| 0. 002| Competitive advantage| Strong Global Brand Awareness| 0. 2| 0. 5| 0. | Strong recognized brands| Area Coaches work with 6-12 restaurants| 0. 2| 0. 5| 0. 1| | Part D: Finances 1. Cost Structures * Reduce la rge capital investments by franchising and licensing in more mature markets 2. Characteristics of Cost Structures 3. Revenue Streams * Royalty fees based on sales from franchisees and licensees * Company sales * 3 Major markets- the USA- , China and Yum Restaurants International Conclusion The report has been divided into four components in order to describe Yum! Brands Inc. , internal organizational analysis. Among others the first component identified the vision and mission. Yum! Brand, Inc. strives for Be the Best in The World at Building Great Restaurant Brands†. In addition, the vision of Yum! Brands, Inc. can be stated as: â€Å"Be The Defining Global Company that Feeds the World. † Therefore, offering speed, variety, and convenience and budget prices products is of high value in order to satisfy their customers’ needs. They want to be a company ‘with a huge heart’, taking the environment into consideration and look for recognition with one sys tem operational excellence as out foundation. Furthermore, this vision reflects to the fact Yum! Brands, Inc. is already a global operator of franchisees and possesses chain restaurants brands like KFC, Pizza Hut,Taco Bell, Little Sheep and East Dawning.Principally main markets for the brand are in USA, China, Africa, Europe and Asia; here they segment different groups. Effective marketing which Yum! Brands, Inc. uses, contributes to this growth of business. As well as aggressive international expansion supports Yum! Brands Inc. entered the market in Russia and India. With China as focus, Yum! Brand Inc. strives for building strong and leading brands everywhere. The acquisition of Little Sheep, which offers casual dining restaurants to China, generates leading brands in every appropriate category. East Dawnings has been build up to be the first restaurant with a quick food service In China. Second strategy is to aim for international expansion.In addition, the brand wants to expand the US brand position. Last, the goal to serve the long-term interests of shareholders will be supported b an executive compensation program. However, financially, looking at revenue streams of the brand, the total revenue of Yum! Brands Inc. showed an increase of revenue of 14% in 2011. 86% of the total revenue has been generated by restaurant sales, the remaining part was income of franchise fees. Though, the total costs increased equally with 16%. Notable is, the fact retained earnings showed quite an increase of 106%. There can be assumed here Yum! Brands Inc. lay aside a lot of cash in order to invest and expand in the future.All in all, there can be concluded Yum! Brands Inc. is a financially healthy company. Debts do not exceed assets and the company is still capable to increase revenue. 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