Precision Worldwide, Inc

Introduction When a competitor develops and introduces a superior product that is less costly to manufacture and even many times usable and durable, the key to people at Precision Worldwide must decide whether to match the competitor's product, when to do so, how to price or what sustainable competitive advantage it needs to adopt during the next strategic period, given that it holds a large inventory of its now inferior product. This issue concerns the steel and plastic rings which the company, Precision Worldwide, Inc. PWI) is opting to produce as a matter of competing intensively with a French company, Henri Poulenc, which was at the same time posing a big threat to the viability of the steel rings PWI is producing. . PWI is confronted not only with a substitute product which is both cheap and durable. Compared to PWI’s steel rings, the plastic rings being produced by Henri Poulenc is both cheaper and lasts longer. PWI is also facing the risk of earning the ire of its custo mers if it manufactures but selectively introduces the cheaper plastic rings in areas where it is faced with the ‘plastic’ competition. As a result, PWI is now confronted with a dilemma of differences in strategic measures to undertake given the differing opinions of its key people. Questions Posted for this Note: 1. You have to analyze the existing data, the conflicting views of the sales manager and the Development engineer. And make a decision as to whether PWI should begin the manufacture of a plastic ring. Answer: From the standpoint of the qualitative aspect of competition, PWI is encouraged to start manufacturing of the plastic ring if it is to avert a more serious consequence of being eased out of the market due to a cheaper, more durable plastic ring. Regardless of the fact that PWI still has an inventory of the special steel material and the completed steel rings, yet PWI should approach the problem with a resolve in terms of the qualitative factor of competition. The cost of the existing inventory will have to be matched with the opportunity cost of being eased out of the competition – that is, pitting the income from the substitute with the potential loss of the opportunity income due to a prompt entry into the plastics market. For PWI, the signs of change are showing: the presence of a cheaper and better substitute which should not be ignored totally. Hence, this needs to be seriously considered as a threat. The presence of alternatives as exemplified by Henri Poulenc should encourage PWI to explore this option. 2. In addition, a plan needs to be designed as to the pricing policy to follow for both the steel and the plastic rings. Answer: A plan for the pricing policy is similarly considered urgent to explore the opportunities of lower cost or such cost being at par with the competition, both for the steel and plastic rings. Any form of pricing policy will have to be dependent on the cost of production and operations of PWI. Opportunities for cost reductions through outsourcing, reengineering and redundancy layoffs should be seriously considered. Among the avenues that can be explored include outsourcing of the manufacturing of the steel and plastic rings, either with Henri Poulenc or with other equally cost-effective firms. A number of plastic or steel rings manufacturer may offer a cheaper cost structure for PWI. An additional strategy to a pricing policy for the steel and plastic ring is to reengineer the manufacturing operations for the rings to explore ways of reducing production cost to lower the selling price for the part. Part of this operations restructuring measure include: evaluation of the sources of raw materials as means of looking for cheaper suppliers. (Kaplan & Norton, 2004) Comparatively, indeed, the costs of raw materials for both plastic and steel rings are too big to be ignored. PWI has to take the initiative to explore the use of alternatives like plastic which has been found feasible by Henri Poulenc. On the other hand, the labor and overhead cost may be studied in detail to explore automated production to manage the cost-price relationship. Cost variance analysis is needed to determine areas for improvements and opportunities. Pricing policies will then come after target costing measures are explored. (Garrison & Noreen, 2003) 3. Finally, some considerations should be given to the effect of the decision upon the firm’s image in the marketplace. Answer: There are a number of considerations that may likely impact the image-building processes of PWI are to be seriously considered when making decisions. Thus the effect of decisions involving the following issues is considered: (1) the issues involving the cost structure which continue to hamper the pricing policies and market potentials of PWI’s products. It appears that PWI has not really looked into the possibility of actively pursuing efforts to compete in the market through cost-effective production processes, lower prices to recognize the availability of better-equality substitutes such as the plastic rings; (2) the possible discovery of distributing the planned cheaper plastic rings in areas where competition is tight. This issue might prove to be an indefensible issue if customers discover such unfair selective distribution scheme; (3) the disposal of the remaining inventory of special steel and the finished steel rings might not be acceptable to the market unless prices are made more attractive and useful to the buyer. However, disposal made at a cheaper price and the prompt introduction of the plastic rings at a competitive price might mitigate the possible losses of the steel materials and steel rings. This can bring a positive impact in favor of the PWI for its initiative at providing its customers with marked down prices of steel rings. And, (4) the production of plastic rings at a cheaper cost will enable the company to bring a message of dynamism to the market despite the prospect of competition. (Hill, 2008) 4. How long is it prudent to sell a short-lived highly profitable replacement part without jeopardizing the company’s image and market share? Answer: The introduction of the plastic rings into the market should be followed by a market survey to determine the acceptability of the market to the innovation. An analysis of the consumer behavior is important in planning the appropriate action to be taken on the period required to sell the plastic rings. The survey should be able to tell the effects of the innovation for PWI to assess how long the product can be introduced into the market without affecting the image and market share of the company. 5. What price relationship is likely to prevail between the steel rings and the plastic rings once the latter become widespread? Answer: The price relationship expected to prevail between the steel rings and the plastic rings might at a ratio of 5:1 which means that five plastic rings is equivalent to one steel ring. This relationship however, can significantly change as the cost structure is reevaluated and inputs analyzed to arrive at a more competitive cost structure enough to sustain the production of both the steel and the plastic rings. . How should the 15,100 finished steel rings that will still be on hand in September be treated for analytical purposes? Answer: The inventory of finished steel rings will be used up in due time by September based on estimates of periodic and regular consumption. The remaining inventory can be classified at scrap and marked down accordingly to encourage sales and turnover. 7. Will the price rings hold at $1,350 once plastic rings are introduced? Answer: The price will no longer hold at $1,350 for the steel rings. The price of the traditional steel rings will drop accordingly due to the presence of substitutes and the demand to become more competitive. 8. Will the price of steel rings fall to one-fourth of the plastic rings’ price? Answer: It is probable that the price of the steel rings will fall to one-fourth or even beyond as components of the cost become stable, but there are still variables to consider that may affect the pricing: that is, the issue of reengineering the production which may lead to lower costs. 9. What effects will the decision in respect to plastic rings and steel rings have on the sale of other PWI products?particularly of the industrial machines? Answer: Since the pricing policy of PWI will affect the options to be made by the company, the effect of decisions on the plastic and steel rings may rationalize the prices of the machines as the cost burden is shifted from the steel to the plastic area. (Garrison & Noreen 2003) 10. Can the plastic rings be sold in France without affecting PWI’s other markets? Answer: At the short run, there will be no effect. However, in the long run, when customers are able to gain access to the French market through the globalization phenomenon, customers will start to shift sourcing of rings from the traditional sources to France where are able to make good use of their financial resources. 11. What action should Hans Thorborg take? Why? Answer: Thorborg should explore existing and future capabilities to arrive at the various options. Here, the bottom line is the capability to produce the plastic rings at a competitive price while disposing the inventory of steel materials and the steel rings. Thorborg needs to start retooling the production lines for the plastic rings. The threat from Henri Poulenc is real and may soon take some market share from PWI. The cost structure is a very fluid support for decisions as these can significantly change with a decision to outsource, reengineer or rationalize the labor and overhead component. Whatever options Thorborg choose to act on, needs the support of his key people in the company especially Henk and Eisenbach. (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2003)

Internet activities 5.2 and 6.2 Essay

Exercise 5. 2 1: 1 Based on the website of Ford Motor Company the following is its SWOT analysis. Strengths: The company is a well-recognised name in the automobile business. Since it is a well-established company with premium priced products, the consumer don’t really have to go through its website to confirm of its high quality but to know more about its upgraded features. They know it is one of the best. Its brand name is very strong and that is why the website attracts immediate attention. Weakness: The price of the cars is its weakness, though people believe in its quality, they look out for other alternatives. Since this company spends a lot on manufacturing, distribution, advertising and sales, it has to price it high to make an acceptable profit. The consumers have lots of option today and they turn to products, which fulfil the same need in low price. Opportunities: The increase in purchasing power of the consumers and the growing international market. Threats: Since a lot of companies that promise same benefits and product features at lower prices, the competition has become tougher. So the company needs to pay attention on its opportunities and threats in order to excel in its future marketing strategies and combat its competitors. 2:2 In order to create competitive advantages it should do its positioning in the minds of the consumers in such a way that they start seeing it not as a luxury but a necessity. If a brand achieves the status of a necessity, the consumers might make some comprises in their budget, especially when their purchasing power has increased due to high paid jobs and double income families. Since Ford is recognised internationally, the international market should be explored more vigorously. Exercise 6. 2 1:1 It is evident from the websites of Amazon and Barnes and Noble that both have different target markets. Amazon caters to more young and techno savvy target audience who are in search of a variety of lifestyle products while Barnes and Noble caters to book lovers. But both cater to a target market that is willing to pay for a good product sitting at the comfort of their homes. The marketing mix of Amazon is a little more complex than that of Barnes and Noble. This can be attributed to different target audience that they cater to. Since Barnes and Noble sells books and related products the different P’s of the marketing mix are positioned accordingly. Whereas the P’s of the marketing mix of Amazon are positioned differently because it sells different kinds of products. There is always a feeling with Barnes and Noble that in case of any problem with the product, a nearby bookstore can be contacted for clarifications. Amazon lacks this touch of comfort. The price of the same product varies in both the websites. It takes more time to understand the marketing mix of Amazon when compared to Barnes and Noble. 2. 2 Both these companies have used their websites to do the positioning of their products in such a way that the product attributes, packaging, shipping information and the time required to get the purchased item is clearly engraved in the consumers minds. They have designed the websites well so that the consumers are able to easily access the product information. The bright colors appeal to the senses and make the search more interesting. Barnes and Noble has indulged in company and product differentiation by focussing on the time of delivery and the author profiles that promises best quality products in lesser time while Amazon has focussed on how fast the products are selling out and what are the hot choices of its consumers in order to influence the prospective buyers. References Arens, W. F. and Bovee, C. L. (5 Ed. ). (1994). Contemporary Advertising. USA: IRWIN.

Price Rigidity in Internet Retailing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Price Rigidity in Internet Retailing - Essay Example However, the internet version presents two fundamental ways of understanding price rigidity and the nature of price adjustment .First; it provides a unique technological context for the micro-level study of price-setting behavior and strategies. Second, these technologies are pointed out as major forces in market transformation hence different from initial doings. As a result of the above authors’ concerns, three main research questions arise; The listed research question explicitly address the aim of this article that focuses on reviewing and synthesizing what we know about price rigidity in non-electronic background as well as to discover the extent to which it explains dynamism of price setting as observed in Internet retailing research frame work. Moreover, this paper states research framework as a tool that provides a means to evaluate the observed empirical evidence for price-change behavior in Internet retailing in a manner that emphasizes theory. The authors express their theoretical views and argue that rigid prices occur when prices do not adequately change in response to underlying cost and demand shocks (Anderson, 1994). It identifies Cost of Price Adjustment, Market Structure, Asymmetric, and Information, Demand-Based as the only 4 theories to explain the happenings. These theories are based on underlying assumptions that prices are under the control of and administered by firms, and not subject to the laws of supply and demand and that firm’s pricing practices and consumer behavior are the key determinants. In that regard, they propose a research framework to examine different theories on price rigidity that will be observed in Internet retailing environments at the different levels of analysis covering the firm, the consumer, and the market. The article describes various analyses done. These analyses include; firm-specific level that focuses on Internet retailers strategic pricing capability that enhances organizational

Change Management Process Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Change Management Process - Research Paper Example The change is beneficial in a number of ways, which aid businesses in realizing increased outputs, customer relations, and profits (Benjamin, & Levinson, 1993). The proposed change in this case is the adoption of IT and web based technologies in the operations of business, in a generalized capacity. Transition is a concept by which businesses have to encompass in operations. It is an obligation for proprietors to meet the customers’ expectations in the manner by which operations are conducted. The market in which businesses operate set the standards by which operators in the setting must uphold. Advances in technology, particularly in the IT department, such as the introduction of ecommerce in the business environment, have led to changes in how business and its management are conducted (Benjamin, & Levinson, 1993). With more consumers relying on IT and web technology in sales, marketing and advertising, incorporating IT into businesses is a change management process that is beneficial to the businesses. The management has the opportunity to learn the customers’ needs and wants, while the customers are provided with the opportunity to learn more about the enterprise, such as the products and services offered (Mento, Jones, & Dirndorfer, 2002). Adoption of IT in the business environment incorporates three major phases. The first step of the process involves preparation for the change. In this case, the preparation involves defining the change management strategy, making preparations revolving about the management team and developing the model to follow (Kettinger, Teng, & Guha, 1997). The second phase is change management, which incorporates defining the change management plans and taking the proper action to implement the plans. The final phase of the process is based on strengthening the change. The phase involves collection and analysis of feedback based on the plans implemented (Benjamin, & Levinson, 1993). Diagnosis and management of pitfalls and

Homework assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homework assignment - Research Paper Example Over the years, many employers have been faced with the dilemma of having to recruit workers but they lack ideas of how to get the right person for the job. This happens in situations where someone may require a house help, mechanic, electrician and many more to work for an individual. An example of the problem is that an individual may be travelling and their car experiences a mechanical breakdown and you are unaware of how to deal with this problem. This site will help an individual get a mechanic near their location. This section outlines the approach to the problem described above. The approach is from Foster et al. [2, Sec. 6], which discusses a scenario of service-based distributed query processing using OGSA-DAI. The key idea is to make the data available to all the users via a web service with the help of Grid Distributed Query Processing Service techniques (GQPS). An adequate method of solving this problem is to create a web browser where all interested personnel can sign up and fill a form which involve entry of personal details like; location, age, profession among others (Oliver, 2005). All those who sign up will have an account with their details that will be stored in a database. The web interface will contain a search option which will enable anyone interested in getting a worker will enter the profession and a list of all those in that category of profession will be. In case the employer needs some from a particular area, he or she needs only to specify the area while searching (Converse, 2004). The design delivers a web based interface for data access. The intended deliverable of this project is the development of a site for data access search of professions in a distributed environment, which indeed will provide more opportunities for work applications in real world scenarios (Vikram, 2005). The site will also have a rating system through which service providers can be rated. This is vital information that employers

The WTO has been hijacked by rich country interests, thereby worsening Coursework - 1

The WTO has been hijacked by rich country interests, thereby worsening the conditions of the poor in less prosperous countries - Coursework Example This research will begin with the statement that the World Trade Organization was formed with a motive of supervising the environment of world trade in a globalized world. At the inception of the WTO, the main focus of the organization was the promotion of the economic condition of the developing nations and to facilitate a  trade that would work in favor of the growth of these nations. However, there was very little development that was noticed due to the presence of WTO. It has been claimed by different experts of various nations that the WTO has been controlled by the selfish interests of the nations that are considered to be powerful in the world forum.   The decision-making process on the regulations and the principles of trade remained in their hands. In most cases, it has been seen that the developing nations have been controlled and manipulated by the large nations especially through investments and modern technology sharing. The developing nations are dependent on the ri ch nations for their prosperity mainly because they export to the developed countries and import the updated know-how of production and other necessary goods and services from the latter. The system of foreign trade has also become complicated with the multinational companies setting up subsidiaries in the developing nations. These actions have benefitted the developed countries more than it has helped the developing nations.... This particular example proves that the World Trade Organization only thinks about the rich and prosperous countries. In terms of agricultural subsidies, it can be stated that the subsidies provided to the rich world farmers can threaten the livelihood of the farmers of developing world or the third world countries. However, the members of the World Trade organization failed to agree on these things (Bruges, 2004, p.61). The World Trade Organization also failed to make clear the deliberately vague rules on the concluding trade agreements which can allow the developing or less prosperous countries to be influenced by the rich states. There are no such clear rules to protect the farmers or poor people while negotiating with the European Union as the poor African Countries have been forced to abolish tariffs on up to 90 percent of total trade. The World Trade Organization has failed to fulfil its agenda of protecting the interest of the developing countries in the arena of international trade which has been largely due to influence of the global economic superpowers. The rules proposed by the World Trade Organization for the developing countries were special and differential treatment rules which were meant to be reviewed by the WTO. The proposals have failed due to the interests of the global economic superpowers. The implementation of special economic zones and export processing zones in the less prosperous and less developed countries were proposed in order to maintain the equilibrium in international trade by stimulation of foreign investments which proved to be a failure (Ratnesh, 1999, p.47). WTO has also not been able to minimize the legal costs through improved access of its complex legal system to the

Qualities Required To Achieve Life Objective Essay

Qualities Required To Achieve Life Objective - Essay Example As every success opens the new horizons of self-confidence, pleasures and containment, similarly the impact of failure can cause lasting damage to self-esteem and the consequences can influence an entire lifetime. The same argument is also applied for academic career too. There are numerous factors that can influence the students’ academic career. These factors can be related to students financial, social or psychological status, teachers’ behavior and their teaching methods, lack of commitment to study, problems with learning environment, problems with subject content and examinations systems unsatisfactory relationship with family, future concerns related to chosen field of study or problems of time management. Although most of the students manage to cut through these barriers based on their motivation and perception of their goals yet a reasonable number of students’ romaine handicap to tackle their problems and hence they fail (Aysan, 1). The following sectio ns highlight few of the factors that really affect the academic career.(a) Financial Problems: Money is a substantial entity for living as we all need money to buy essential things required for our survival. Money also plays a vital role for academic career. In order to enter and attend a college or university a student has to pay his education stipends and if he is facing financial problems then his academic career will obviously be affected. ... manager, a counselor, a decision maker, a role model, and a surrogate parent. These qualities required practice, skills and effective teaching methodology (Dolasir, 2). (c) Drug: It is a well known fact that many students are also involved in drug addiction. The use of any type of drugs greatly affects human body as drugs deteriorate the very functionality of human body and hence result the lose of life objectives including the academic career. (d) Social problems: Social disproportions and unsatisfactory relationship with family or friends can also bring the students to the brinks of failure. Since academic study or research demands concentration yet social unevenness diverges the human concentration and greatly influence the human psyche. (d) Commitment to study and time management: Lack of commitment to study and time mismanagement is also major contributor to student failure. Lack of commitment results the precious time lose and hence time mismanagement. Works Cited Aysan, Ferda. "Perceived Causes of Academic Failure among the Students at the Faculty of Education at Buca." ERIC. (1996). 18. 9 July, 2007. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019 b/80/16/74/9a.pdf Dolasir, Semiyha. "Effective Teacher Behaviors that Contribute to Students' Academic Success." ERIC. (2004). 9 July, 2007. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019 b/80/1b/dd/1c.pdf . . . 10 July, 2007 Qualities Required To Achieve Life Objective It is a well known fact that great objectives demand the best qualities. Achievement of an effective life objective or goal is essentially related a number of key qualities and passion

The rise and fall of Nazi Germany Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The rise and fall of Nazi Germany - Term Paper Example Before investigating how Nazis rose to power in Germany, it is important to understand the person who was instrumental in the rise of the Nazi and the Third Reich to power in Germany. In this regard, Adolf Hitler remains the most important person in the history of Germany since he defined the history of the country and that of the world. Born Adolphus Hitler â€Å"on April 20, 1889, in the small Austrian town of Braunau located at the border between Austria and Germany,† Hitler was the fourth child of his parents and the first child to live beyond two years (Giblin 4). Importantly, no one expected such an unlikely figure would become the successor to President Hindenburg since his parents were peasants although they lived a middle-class life. Nonetheless, Hitler’s upbringing and place of birth were instrumental in his quest of having Germany and Austria, two German-speaking nations, become one republic and joining each other in a single Reich. At the age of thirty-five years, Hitler sat in a German prison and dictated the book that became the blueprint for the Third Reich and his rise to power in Germany. Titled the Mein Kampf, the book starts with an outline of the important role that his birthplace of Braunau played in shaping his philosophy about uniting the two nations into a single Reich. In this case, the book starts with his narration of the important factor played by Hitler’s place of birth with Hitler noting that: Today it seems to me providential that fate should have chosen Braunau am Inn as my birthplace.... In this case, the book starts with his narration of the important factor played by Hitler’s place of birth with Hitler noting that: Today it seems to me providential that fate should have chosen Braunau am Inn as my birthplace. For this little town lies on the boundary between two German states which we of the younger generation at least have made it our life-work to reunite by every means at our disposal. . . This little city on the border seems to me the symbol of a great mission. (qtd. in Shirer 6). In effect, the introduction to Hitler’s blueprint outlined his desire to see Austria and German become one Reich. In effect, this contributed to his desire to join the army and fight the coalition of the British, Russians, and the French in the First World War. After Hitler’s discharge from military service on March 20, 1920, he left the military at a time when his star in German politics was on the rise. Hitler knew how to give moving speeches and he used this abi lity to his advantage in order to gain followers. In the same year, Hitler joined the German Workers’ Party and changed the name of the party the same year in order to have the party sound more impressive than it sounded. In effect, the party became the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), which people just shortened to the Nazi Party with the party starting its way to prominence in German politics (Giblin 29). Through moving and passionate speeches, Hitler managed to grow the membership of the Nazi Party to more than 3,000 members by the January 1921 (Giblin 30). In line with this, Hitler was able to make the people realize the importance of ensuring that Germany’s leadership was strong and did

Answers Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answers - Coursework Example Partnership with several big brands and acquiring several potential outlets. Effective business expansion strategy. Effective employee strength. Significant reputation among the target customers. Weaknesses Major of the outlets are located only in UK, therefore, they are failing to capitalize on the potential global opportunities. Due to this, they are lacking to achieve the advantages of economies of scale. Only provide Italian style foods and major of the brand names are not known to people. Inadequate food sector than other existing competitors. Lack of change process adoption. Limited presence in global market place. Depending on one supplier. Opportunities Product diversification strategy and implementation of internet cafe in business process. Further 450-500 store expansion in both international and domestic market within 2015. Future international business expansion plan due to the economic development of several countries. Change of social trends to hang around in a coffee b ar for several purposes. Threats Huge competitive market place due to the presence of potential organizations, such as Costa, Starbucks, Subway, Greggs and Bakers Oven. Fluctuating currency exchange rate in global market. Economic downturn and low disposable income of middle class people and political instability. High bargaining power of suppliers and high price of coffee can affect the business output. If people change their trends in near future, such as from coffee consumption to tea, then it will affect the overall industry. Answer 2 UK coffee and sandwich market is significantly growing due to the presence of several leading branded coffee and sandwich chains. Caffe Nero Group Ltd. is one of the popular coffee chains in UK. The organization is popular for its high quality coffee and effective fresh food items. The organization has followed Italian style in its product differentiation strategy. However, in terms of segmentation strategy, the organization has implemented Demogra phic and Geographic segmentation. In terms of Geographic segmentation, the organization has majorly focused on the people of UK. It is the social trend of UK people to consume coffee products, such as cold coffee, regular coffee from the coffee chains. Moreover, the organization has, established their stores in major cities in UK in order to achieve potential target customer base. However, the organization has understood the geographical potentiality of places and established the stores according to the trends. In terms of demographic segmentation, the organization has classified its target customers in three groups, such as income, age and gender. It is evident that, women are the maximum users of coffee shop comparing to the male users. Therefore, the organization has targeted the ladies to achieve growth. The target customers are aged between 35 and 55. Busy office goers are the major target customers Caffe Nero. Finally, the organization has targeted people of high income group as they are the potential customers of coffee and sandwich shops. Answer 3 This part will propose a marketing mix strategy to Caffe Nero for further improvement. Marketing mix strategy consists of product, price, place and promotional marketing strategy. Product The major product of the organization is coffee. Due to this, everybody knows that, Caffe Nero is a coffee house and serves fresh foods, pasta, sandwiches and parties. In UK the organization

Alias in Philippine Province Essay Example for Free

Alias in Philippine Province Essay Aklan oldest province Angono, Rizal town of artists Antipolo City picnic area Apalit, Pampanga tapayan capital Baclayon Church, Bohol oldest stone church Bacolod City city of smiles Bacolor, Pampanga countrys capital in 1762-1763 Baguio City summer capital Balabac Island, Palawan land of Philippine mouse deer Baliuag, Bulacan the first town to have election Banaue Rice Terraces stairways to the sky Barasoain Church headquarters of the Malolos Congress Basey, Samar town of mat festival Batanes smallest province; northernmost province Bataan last stronghold during Japanese occupation Biak na Bato, San Miguel, Bulacan site of the Biak na Bato republic Binondo known for Chinatown district Bocaue, Bulacan firecrackers capital Bohol land of chocolate hills Boracay Island worlds finest beach resort Bulacan land of heroes and beautiful women Bukidnon pineapple country Calamba, Laguna birthplace of Jose Rizal Calamian Islands land of Calamian deer Calauit Island, Palawan animal sanctuary Camiguin land of volcanoes Capiz seafood capital Catanduanes land of howling winds Cebu City premiere city in the south Central Luzon rice bowl Corregidor Island island fortress; the rock Crisologo Street, Vigan kamestizoan district Davao City- worlds largest city; durian capital Davao Oriental easternmost province Divisoria bargain capital Donsol, Sorsogon sanctuary of whale sharks Gapan, Nueva Ecija newest city General Santos City most competitive city; tuna capital Guiginto, Bulacan cutflower capital Guimaras mango capital Hundred Islands, Pangasinan actually composed of 400 islets Iligan City land of waterfalls Intramuros, Manila walled city Kabayan, Benguet land of mummies Kalibo, Aklan land of ati-atihan Kawit, Cavite first independent town Laguna resort province Laguna de Bay largest lake Lanao del Sur center of Islam Las Pinas City land of the bamboo organ Lipa, Batangas coffee capital Lubao, Pampanga the birthplace of Diosdado Macapagal Lucban, Quezon Pahiyas town Luzon worlds 17th largest island Magallanes, Agusan del Norte site of the oldest tree Makati City financial center Malolos, Bulacan site of the First Philippine Republic Manila capital city Maria Cristina Falls, Iligan City mother of industry Marikina City shoe capital Mexico, Pampanga formerly known as Masicu Meycauayan, Bulacan jewelry capital Miag-ao Church, Iloilo fortress church Mindanao worlds 19th largest island Mindoro land of the tamaraws Mount Apo highest peak Mount Arayat legendary home of Mariang Sinukuan Mount Mayon a volcano with nearly perfect cone Nayong Pilipino Philippines in miniature. (The theme park was opened in 1972 and closed on June 25, 2002. ) Negros Occidental sugar capital; sports capital Pagsanjan Falls Philippines el dorado Palawan the last frontier; largest province; westernmost province Pampanga culinary capital of Luzon Paete, Laguna town of wood carvers Paoay Church, Ilocos Norte earthquake baroque Paombong, Bulacan vinegar capital Philippine Deep worlds second deepest spot Philippines pearl of the orient Rio Grande de Cagayan longest river Romblon marble country San Agustin Church, Intramuros oldest church in Luzon San Fernando, Pampanga lantern capital of the world San Juanico Bridge longest suspension bridge San Sebastian Church the only steel church in Asia Siargao Island perfect waves island Spratleys the islands claimed by six countries Sta. Maria, Bulacan egg nest of the Philippines Sta. Maria Church, Ilocos Sur outstanding example of Spanish baroque architecture Subic Freeport American town Taal Volcano worlds smallest volcano Tagaytay City the next summer capital Tangub City Christmas symbol capital Tawi-Tawi southernmost province Trinidad Valley land of strawberry and vegetables Tubbataha Marine Park worlds richest bio-geographic area   Unisan, Quezon oldest town University of San Carlos, Cebu City oldest university Vigan, Ilocos Sur Spanish colonial town Zamboanga Sibugay newest province

Sport films

Sport films In America, hundreds of sport films have been produced. Usually, sports werent that much successful. Films were usually intended for younger audience, and were made of low budget, until recently when Rocky in 1976 was released, the sports film genre has flourished at the box office, and has attracted audiences that would never dream of going to a boxing ring. Sports and movies contradict in many ways. Sport is an unscripted battle in which the viewer is absorbed in the plot precisely because he does not know how it will end. A movie is necessarily the reverse: scripted, plotted and directed; a drama choreographed in advance. That is why all the great sport movies are not just about sports. Yes, most of the cast may talk and play sports, but if the script does not have a wider range to it, then I think the movie is going to lose the battle. I also think that sports films are also their own coach, They inspire, entertain, encourage, strengthen a Yes-I-Can self-belief and energize. In s hort, sports films tell powerful stories that speak to our heart, head, soul spirit. One movie that I think has the ability of being a successful sport film is â€Å"A shot at Glory† directed by Michael Corrente and stars veteran actor Robert Duvall and Scottish soccer player Ally McCoist. The film features the fictional Scottishsoccer clubKilnockie, as they attempt to reach their first Scottish Cup Final. Its very difficult to make films about soccer. One has to be very careful in handling this kind of sport as sometimes match scenes can overtake a beautifully crafted plot. â€Å"A Shot At Glory† is indeed one of the finest soccer movies and is worth watching. The three points that requires a sports film to be successful is script, actors and cinematography. There are various number of things that can add up to a high quality sport film, like emotions or fascinating actors, but one of the most important criteria is genuineness or originality in the script. Films of this genre have to be unique and unpredictable. A true sports fan can spot a foul play or a non-athletic actor a mile away, and this can quickly shatter the suspension of disbelief to quite an extent. â€Å"A Shot At Glory† makes a good attempt in keeping the audience at their edge of the seats till the finale. The dramatic elements are genuine and carefully developed; the brilliant sports sequences are edited in such a way that all you need to know about soccer is that you kick a ball into a goal; and the comedic sequences are cleverly rendered so as not to dilute the intensity of the drama. The best part of the script has been kept in the end. I have always believed that, if the director wants to put an impact on the audiences mind, then the last 20 minutes or so has to be captivating. It should make the audience guessing that whats going to happen next. The climax, which is the soul of every movie, the prime sport clichÃÆ' ©, a last second goal to win the championship, thats where it differs from other sports films. It is indeed not one of those sport movies which only rely on the joys of athletic competition, but also explore the bitter ironies of defeat. It also tells about Ally McCoist whose flashy lifestyle and volatile temperament cost him both his career and wife Kate (Kirsty Mitchell), who is none other than McLeods (Robert Duvall) own daughter. The second most import factor that I think makes not only a sports film but every film successful are the actors. No matter how good the script is, if the actor doesnt fit into the role than the film will fail. The whole film is shot in Scotland, therefore, actors having Scottish accent is mandatory. Robert Duvall is simply amazing. His daring Scottish accent is utterly convincing. The scene when Robert Duvall talks to his wife about their daughter and son-in-law is one of the best scenes in the movie. He also pulls off a remarkable performance. He fits the role of a Scottish coach perfectly and lives up to his reputation as one his generations finest actors. To make things look more authentic, director Michael Corrente used Scottish footballer Ally McCoist as Jackie McQuillan. The undeniable chemistry between Ally McCoist and Kirsty Mitchell as Robert Duvalls ex-son in law and daughter is marvelous, the sequence where Kirsty tries to convince Ally to quit drinking shows how committe d both the actors are. The third thing that I want to see in a sports film is cinematography. Cinematography is the art of manipulating light and shadow, and capturing it as a moving image. It plays an important role especially when making a soccer film, in which the players move constantly. But, the match scenes should not overtake the script. In these situations the director has to be very careful, as the audience should come out of the theatre watching a movie rather than a match. â€Å"A Shot At Glory† gives a perfect example of keeping the script alive as well as showing the match scenes when needed. The action scenes are realistic with real-life commentary. The lush landscape and village scenery gives a terrific feel and look to the movie. Especially the pen-ultimate penalty kick scene, in which the director has kept the suspense alive with top notch cinematography. In the end, A Shot At Glory is well made film. A Shot at Gloryis one of the better football films around, and should be a welcomed view for fans of the British game. One does not have to be soccer fan to watch this movie. Because of its strong and original script, the movie holds to keep the interest of the viewer. The acting is outstanding. This is Roberts Duvalls one of the finest works I have seen. Its really not easy for an actor from a different country to portray a character which has a different accent altogether. I dont think any other actor would have done enough justice to the character played by Ally McCoist. He brings a real feel in the film, as he has been a real soccer player. The character played by Kirsty Mitchell is refreshing in a brief role. The camera work is excellent. The soccer scenes are interesting; with background commentary gives it a real feel. As far as the sports genre is concerned, the appeal of many of these recent films lies in heartwarming stories of victories over great odds, sports films have also served as a serious way to explore human psychology. It also teaches us lessons about the values of teamwork, self-control, sacrifice, the possibility of triumphing over great odds, and the need to obey rules.

Cyrano De Bergerac Essay -- Cyrano De Bergerac Essays

Cyrano de Bergerac, the Play vs. Roxane, the Movie In an effort to attract the audience of today, the producers of the movie Roxane retold the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rustond in a way that is appropriate and at the same time appealing. In order to give the audience of today a story that they can understand and relate to, the producers have adjusted and manipulated the play itself. As a result, several similarities and differences exist between the play Cyrano de Bergerac and its movie reproduction. The characteristics of a romantic hero in Rustond’s time is not equivalent to the characteristics of a romantic hero today. In the play for example, Cyrano, a very ugly, old, yet intellectual man who loved Roxane, his cousin, with all his heart and soul was unable to profess his love for fear that she will have rejected him because of his looks. Enter Christian in the story, a young, average, yet handsome individual who also loved Roxane. The two made a pact with each othe r to create Roxane’s image of a perfect romantic hero—one that was breath-takingly handsome and at the same token, smart in a fun and interesting way. Together they charmed Roxane and she ultimately fell in love with Cyrano’s enchanting personality and Christian’s captivating appearance. Cyrano is portrayed as a great romantic hero because he died in silence to honor his friendship with Christian. When all the while he could have accumulated enough courage to pronounce his love for Roxane. During his life of silence, Cyrano looked after Roxane when Christian died in the war. Everyday for fifteen years he would go to the convent, where she stayed because of her vow to Christian, and recite to her the local news. In this manner, he has proven himself worthy to the title of a romantic hero during Rustond’s time. On the other hand, someone in Cyrano’s position in the present would not have neccessarily kept his secret for that long. Eventually, that someone would probably approach the person that they were in love with and declared their love. Just as Charlie in the movie, the equivalent of Cyrano in the play, was about to tell Roxane that it was him who wrote the letters illustrating his love for her with his alluring and sincere words, before she had found out for herself. For this reason, the majority of people today would appeal to the movie more than the play. Aside from the obvious ... ...rlie to help him in order to transfer the words of love from their hearts to Roxane. In the play, Christian served as a permanent barrier for Cyrano’s and Roxane’s happiness because Cyrano refused to say that he loved Roxane up until his death to honor his friendship with Christian. Although Christian served as an obstacle in the movie, the block for Cyrano’s and Roxane’s happiness was only temporary. At the end of the movie, Christian decided to go to Reno with one of Roxane’s friend. Therefore, Cyrano and Roxane were finally able to come together when Cyrano had finally told Roxane the truth. All in all, Christian was a barrier to the coming together of Roxane and Cyrano immediately or at all. Overall, Cyrano de Bergerac interested the people of Rustond’s time because Cyrano reflected their views of a true romantic hero—someone who was willing to sacrifice the profession of his love to honor his friendship with Christian. The end ing of the story was very dramatic and much respected as well as expected. On the other hand, Roxane got people of today’s attention because its plot was more light-hearted as a whole and ended with the hero living "happily ever after".

Use of Photographs in This Is a Photograph of Me and Photograph, 1958 :: Photograph

Use of Photographs in This Is a Photograph of Me and Photograph, 1958  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At first glance, "This Is a Photograph of Me" by Margaret Atwood and "Photograph, 1958" by Patricia Young are strikingly similar works in that both poems utilize the imagery of a photograph as a communication device however, upon closer examination   they differ markedly in the approach each poet takes in utilizing this same device.   The similarities between these two poems are immediately obvious to the reader; both poems are written by female poets,   both poems have the poet as the speaker,   both poems describe how the poet feels about herself, and both poems utilize the photograph as a device to convey their message to the reader.   Less obvious, is the differing approaches taken by each poet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the poem "This Is a Photograph of Me" by Margaret Atwood, the photograph is used by the poet as a device to directly communicate her message to the reader.  Ã‚   The title of the poem announces in a direct and forthright way that the poem will be a self examination.   The poem begins with Atwood directly and literally describing the photograph itself: "It was taken some time ago. / At first it seems to be / a smeared / print: blurred lines and grey flecks / blended with the paper."   The poet's use of words like "smeared", "blurred" and "blended" immediately and directly communicates to the reader that the poet feels unclear, directionless and without focus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After this opening stanza, the poet begins to describe the contents of the photograph: "then as you scan / it, you see in the left-hand corner / a thing that is like a branch: part of a tree" and "to the right, halfway up / what ought to be a gentle / slope, a small frame house."   Margaret Atwood is gradually drawing the reader inward, from the outside edge of the photograph towards the center of the photograph, the poem, and the poet herself.   This can be seen clearly on the following lines: "I am in the lake, in the center / of the picture, just under the surface."  Ã‚   The atmosphere created is one of introspection and self examination: "but if you look long enough, / eventually / you will be able to see me."   Atwood is using the device of the photograph to draw the reader from the outside world inwards to her world in the center of the photograph.

How Do We Evaluate Art? Essay -- essays research papers

How Do We Evaluate Art?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When we are trying to evaluate art, how do we know it is good or not? We usually fit our personal feelings to the good or bad decision. If the drawing is in my taste, I say it is good. If it is not my taste, I dislike it and give it a negative comment. Everyone's thinking is different. Thus we may receive hundred or thousand different kinds of opinion toward one event or object. It is important for us to know that every opinion is independent and is not absolute. After reading the article, I realized there is no absolute good or bad. Comment, literarily defined, is opinion given briefly in speech or writing about an event. It is a form of personal feedback. The feedback, however, can be based on a personal experience or knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Experience and knowledge can only increase in amount. Experience is personal and independent. Everyone has different experience, no matter what the experience is: learning experience, sexual experience, entertaining experience or love experience. Experience is based on a person's life. Does that mean an older human has greater personal experience? Theoretically, it is. We see that we usually find an adult's suggestion is much more ideal than a child's. When we are judging with our experience, we are actually doing comparison. We are asking ourselves several questions. Is it better than what I had seen before? Is it creative? Can it be better? Is it professional? H...

Real Estate Intern Report Essay

The company analyzed and discussed in this analysis is one of many health insurance companies registered under the Security Exchange Commission. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated or commonly referred as, â€Å"United Health Group,† or the â€Å"Company is the central tenant which this paper will focus on.† The Company, which was formally known as Charter Med Incorporated, was founded by a group of physicians and health care professionals in 1974. Their main objective was to give consumers a broad variety of options on health care coverage. A decade later, UnitedHealth Group becomes publicly traded, concentrating heavily on modern day technology. As a public traded company, UnitedHealth Group can be denoted as their ticker symbol, UNH. UnitedHealth Group’s core structure posits the goal of helping people live healthier lives by innovating thinking. The foundation of the Company is derived from the best practices in the medical care business. By achieving this goal, UNH uses incorporates an innovative and progressive clientele for their business management team to advance the health of patients. In order to reach out to potential patients, the Company operates under two platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which offers health benefits, and Optum which provides health services. UnitedHealthcare segments include Employer & Individuals, Medicare & Retirement, Community & State and International. In contrast, Optum’s sections consist of OptumHealth, OptumInsight, and OptumRx. To fully understand the Company’s strategy, we must first understand its mission. UnitedHealth Group mission is â€Å"helping people live healthier lives and making health care work better (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p. 1).†After we have establish a sense of understanding, we can further conduct a series of analysis by using tools such as PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT analysis. As a result, we will be able to interpret UnitedHealth Group’s strategy and its competitive advantage. PESTEL 1). Political A). â€Å"The laws and rules governing our business and interpretations of those laws and rules are subject to frequent change, and the integration into our businesses of entities that we acquire may affect the way in which existing laws and rules apply to us†¦agencies administering, interpreting and enforcing current and future regulations governing our business could force us to change how we do business, restrict revenue and enrollment growth, increase our health care and administrative costs and capital requirements, or expose us to increased liability in courts for coverage determinations, contract interpretation and other actions (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.17).† B). In general, health care industry is and will continue to be heavily regulated in order to protect consumers. Insurance companies and other identities must be licensed in order to operate and hold jurisdiction where business are practiced. The complexity of regulations impedes companies such as UnitedHealth Group from generating revenue. As a result, the regulations force the Company to change how they do business. For example, UnitedHealth Group signed a contract with the Department of Defense to provide coverage to those in the military who are active or retired. The service known as TRICARE Managed Care Support will serve more than 2.7 million beneficiaries in 21 states (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.4). Thus, the losses leveraged from other services or products did not satisfy proper regulation. 2). Economic A). â€Å"Unfavorable economic conditions may impact demand for certain of our products and services. For example, high unemployment rates have caused and could continue to cause lower enrollment or lower rates of renewal in our employer group plans and our non-employer individual plans (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.25).† B). Because the economy changes daily, it is impossible to predict the certainty of unemployment rates. Unemployment rates are inversely related to the success of company operations. Simply, if rates increase, then membership levels decrease. To manage the inconsistency of unemployment rates, UnitedHealth Group offers a spectrum of products and services. When the economy is strong, traditional plans that typically â€Å"include a full range of medical benefits and network options from managed plans such as Choice and Options PPO† (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.3), tend to thrive. Conversely, when unemployment is high and the economy is weaker, essential benefits product which offer less than traditional plans but still provide basic services such as guides to physicians, become copious. 3). Sociocultural A). â€Å"As we continue to expand our business outside the United States, acquired foreign businesses, such as Amil, will present challenges that are different from those presented by acquisitions of domestic businesses, including adapting to new markets, business, labor and cultural practices and regulatory environments that are materially different from what we have experienced in our U.S. operations (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.24).† B).Although the Company’s main operations are in the United States, it has expanded its operations to other nations. Conducting business internationally faces many factors such as â€Å"political, economic, legal compliance, regulations, and operational risks and exposures that are unique and vary by jurisdiction (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.17)†. But having already been exposed to these elements in parts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia the recent acquisition of Amil, whose services are dispersed throughout Brazil, will face minimal encumbrances. Additionally, Amil’s products and services are much similar to those offered by UnitedHealth Group and thus effortlessly adapting to the new markets. The new market, which consist of over five million people, have been exposed to Amil’s health and dental benefits and have access to 45,000 contracted physicians (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.5). 4). Technology A). â€Å"Our ability to adequately price our products and services, to provide effective service to our customers in an efficient and uninterrupted fashion, and to accurately report our results of operations depends on the integrity of the data in our information systems †¦technology initiatives and recently enacted regulations, changes in our system platforms and integration of new business acquisitions, we periodically consolidate, integrate, upgrade and expand our information systems capabilities (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.26).† B). Technology is fundamental to UnitedHealth Group. In their earlier years, the Company provided physicians with office software that managed and controlled cost. Investing in technology can be costly, but for UnitedHealth Group it serves as a competitive advantage. One way UnitedHealth Group stays above average is by utilizing its information system’s user-friendly resources that help consumers control their decision on health care. These resources â€Å"provide greater transparency around quality and cost, such as the Premium Designation ® program and Health4Me for Apple ® and Android ® phones, myHealthcareCost Estimator, Health Care Lane and myuhc.com (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.2).† 5). Environmental A). â€Å"Relatively low interest rates on investments, such as those experienced during recent years, have adversely impacted our investment income, and a prolonged low interest rate environment could further adversely affect our investment income†¦delay in payment of principal and/or interest by issuers, or defaults by issuers, could reduce our net investment income and we may be required to write down the value of our investments, which could materially and adversely affect our profitability and shareholders’ equity (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.25).† B). As mentioned previously, UnitedHealth Group has an impact in the national and global economy. Due to its operations conducted on the international scale, UnitedHealth Group has significant exposure to environmental factors that directly affect shareholders’ equity. These factors include currency exchange, government intervention, and political instability. Because of the nature of the global economy, the Company must take preventative actions to protect their investments. This is exemplified when one takes note that the Company may choose to allocate its investments into smaller portfolios to help reduce exposure to the market. Additionally, the acquisition of Amil puts pressure on the company’s profitability. Fluctuating currency rates have an adverse effect on the Company’s cash flows. Thus, currency exchange may benefit UnitedHealth Group if not hindered by local government making transfer of funds difficult. 6). Legal A). â€Å"The Health Reform Legislation and the related federal and state regulations will impact how we do business and could restrict revenue and enrollment growth in certain products and market segments, restrict premium growth rates for certain products and market segments, increase our medical and administrative costs, expose us to an increased risk of liability†¦or put us at risk for loss of business†¦may also create new or expand existing opportunities for business growth, but due to its complexity, the impact of the Health Reform Legislation remains difficult to predict and is not yet fully known (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.11).† B). Health care regulations affects the whole industry who range from consumers to providers. Because insurance companies are so controlled, it obstructs the way businesses are run. Regulations that apply to health care companies, such as UnitedHealth Group, increases loss of business. For example, legislation will â€Å"includes an annual, non-deductible insurance industry tax to be levied proportionally across the insurance industry for risk-based products (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.35).† As a result, the Company is force to pay an upwards of $8 billion and gradually increasing every year. Porter’s Five Forces 7). Current Competitors (High) A). â€Å"†¦competitors include Aetna Inc., Cigna Corporation, Coventry Health Care, Inc., Health Net, Inc., Humana Inc., Kaiser Permanente, WellPoint, Inc., numerous for-profit and not-for-profit organizations operating under licenses from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and, with respect to our Brazilian operations, several established competitors in Brazil, and other enterprises that serve more limited geographic areas (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.14).† B). The companies stated above are a select few who construct the health care insurance industry. The thin selection of insurance companies causes companies to compete highly with each other to gain market shares. Health care insurance companies are much alike offering similar coverage to their clients. In order to have the upper hand, UnitedHealth Group spends an ordeal amount of money on technology to differentiate their products. Thus created plans for members to be â€Å"provided access to clinical products with the goal of helping them make better health care decisions, and thus better use of their medical benefits, with the ultimate goal of improving health and decreasing medical expenses (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.14).† 8). Threat of New Entrants (High) A). â€Å"In particular markets, competitors may have greater capabilities, resources or market share; a more established reputation; superior supplier or health care professional arrangements; better existing business relationships; or other factors that give such competitors a competitive advantage†¦merger and acquisition activity has occurred in the industries in which we operate, both among our competitors and suppliers†¦Consolidation may make it more difficult for us to retain or increase our customer base, improve the terms on which we do business with our suppliers, or maintain or increase profitability (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.22).† B). Due to the limited amount of insurance companies, other companies compete for market shares. Top companies like UnitedHealth Group hold sizable portions in segmented markets. Moreover, mid-size companies merge together in order to increase their shares in the market. Similarly, bigger companies acquire smaller companies to broaden their consumer base such as UnitedHealth Group with Amil. 9). Power of Suppliers (Medium) A). â€Å"We contract with physicians, hospitals, pharmaceutical benefit service providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other health care providers for services†¦Failure to develop and maintain satisfactory relationships with health care providers, whether in-network or out-of-network, could materially and adversely affect our business†¦ (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.22).† B). A strong connection with suppliers is crucial to the company’s business because it has a strong positive correlation between prospective clients. UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest amongst other insurers and attracts an abundance of health care providers. As a result, an increase in suppliers dilutes their bargaining power. 10). Power of Buyers (High) A). Under our risk-based benefit product arrangements, we assume the risk of both medical and administrative costs for our customers in return for monthly premiums†¦The profitability of these products depends in large part on our ability to predict, price for, and effectively manage medical costs (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.16).† B). It is human nature to desire a variety of choices. Although health care insurance companies are scarce, their products and services are not. In the case of UnitedHealth Group, a full range of services are offered to employers and individuals. As a result, consumers have the choice and power to select a plan that suits them well. â€Å"As the commercial market becomes more consumer-oriented, individuals are assuming more personal and financial responsibility for their care, and they are demanding more affordable products, greater transparency and choice and personalized help navigating the complex system (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.2).† Acknowledging this helps UnitedHealth Group to stay competitive. 11). Threat of Substitutes (Low) A). â€Å"Our information systems require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain, protect and enhance existing systems and develop new systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, evolving systems and regulatory standards, emerging cyber security risks and threats, and changing customer patterns (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.26).† B). Technology serves as a great substitute compared to basic products sold by insurance companies. Technology consists of software programs that track your health, new medical treatment devices, and the ever changing Internet. The issue with technology is that it can get very expensive for both the company and the consumer. Therefore, only those who can afford it are amongst a few. Conversely, companies who are not developing new information technology will lose their competitive advantage and ultimately give up their market shares. Consumers are likely to find a cheaper and better alternative otherwise. SWOT 12). Strengths A). â€Å"UnitedHealthcare provides network-based health care benefits for a full spectrum of customers in the health benefits market. UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual serves employers ranging from sole proprietorships to large, multi-site and national employers, as well as students and other individuals†¦ (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.1).† B). UnitedHealth Group sustains a competitive advantage through its diversified products and services. Coverage is offered to large scale employers, military personal, the elderly, and those who cannot afford health care through government sponsorship. The Company reaches to consumers throughout the nation and even internationally. 13). Weaknesses A). â€Å"†¦legal actions we face or may face in the future could further increase our cost of doing business and materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial position and cash flows†¦certain legal actions could result in adverse publicity, which could damage our reputation and materially and adversely affect our ability to retain our current business or grow our market share in select markets and businesses (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.23).† B). The health care industry has have a negative connotation. The public views insurance companies as scammers that rob society. Companies gain a bad reputation when they get investigated by the Government. UnitedHealth Group’s goal is to provide people with healthier lives, not rob them financially. Consequently, â€Å"negative publicity may adversely affect our stock price, damage our reputation in various markets or foster an increasingly active regulatory environment, which, in turn, could further increase the regulatory burdens under which we operate and our costs of doing business (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.18).† 14). Opportunities A). â€Å"UnitedHealthcare International acquired Amil, which provides health and dental benefits to over five million people and also operates 22 acute hospitals, as well as specialty clinics, primary care, and emergency services across Brazil, principally for the benefit of its members (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.5).† B). The acquisition of Amil will provide UnitedHealth Group with newer market segments, more consumers, and increase the company’s revenue. Amil will also offer diversified product portfolio that contain a range of products offerings, benefit designs, and indemnity products. Furthermore, Amil will include various administrative services which include network access, care management and personal services (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.5). 15). Threats A). â€Å"Several of the provisions in the Health Reform Legislation will likely increase our medical cost trends. Examples of these provisions are the excise tax on medical devices, annual fees on prescription drug manufacturers, enhanced coverage requirements†¦the prohibition of pre-existing condition exclusions and the implementation of adjusted community rating requirements (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.19).† B).As mentioned in the PESTEL breakdown, under the analysis of the legal realm, Health Reform Legislation causes a serious threat to the well-being of UnitedHealth Group’s business. Excess taxes take away from the company’s profits thus rendering them unable to reinvest into their company. Lastly, prohibition of excluding pre-existing conditions may increase the risk and medical cost in the future. Competitive Strategy 16a. â€Å"We believe the principal competitive factors that can impact our businesses relate to the sales, marketing and pricing of our products and services; product innovation; consumer engagement and satisfaction; the level and quality of products and services; care delivery; network and clinical management capabilities; market share; product distribution systems; efficiency of administration operations; financial strength and marketplace reputation (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.14).† In order for a company to have sustainable competitive advantage, they must abide their company’s vital principals. UnitedHealth Group does not only accomplish their objective, but they surpass other companies’ strategy. First they exceed in sales by offering premium services such as UnitedHealthcare and Optum products. The company also provides a variety of these products and services ranging from value-oriented plans to essential-oriented plans. Secondly, UnitedHealth Group has an exclusive network system that only clients have access to. Clients have access to physicians and hospital that meet their unique needs. Moreover, the Company serves to large national employers, public sectors employers, and midsize employers to individuals. As a result, UnitedHealth Group is â€Å"providing nearly 27 million Americans access to health care (UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 2012, p.2).† Lastly, UnitedHealth Group is a massive health insurance company which has enabled them to control ample market shares. Their recent acquisition with Amil shows how strong UnitedHealth Group is financially. Overall, UnitedHealth Group is a leading company in health care insurance proven by their business factors. The Company uses a differentiation strategy to maintain its competitive advantage. Article 16b. UnitedHealth to buy most of Brazil’s Amil for $4.9 billion The company is making a bold move taking on the fast growing markets of Brazil. UnitedHealth Group has made record on being the first to acquire manage Care Company across seas. The acquisition will bring UnitedHealth Group more leverage and revenue to its operations. â€Å"Amil has more than 5 million clients in Brazil and owns 22 hospitals and 50 clinics. It forecast revenues of $5 billion for 2012, up 15 percent from 2011. UnitedHealth had revenues of nearly $102 billion in 2011 and expects the deal to slightly increase its 2013 earnings per share (reuters.com). Ultimately Amil’s operations will be similar to UnitedHealth Group in that it will provide its products and services to new market segments. In addition, â€Å"Brazil’s healthcare system consists of public and private plans, similar to the U.S. model. The number of Brazilians covered under private plans has grown more than 50 percent over the past 10 years to nearly 48 million people, roughly a quarter of t he country’s population (reuters.com).† Work Cited Humer, Caroline. â€Å"UnitedHealth to Buy Most of Brazil’s Amil for $4.9 Billion.† Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (2012). Form 10-K 2012. Retrieved from SEC EDGAR website http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml View as multi-pages

DQs and Summary Essay

DQ 1: Differentiate between the scientific method and applied research. Which one is most often used in business? Provide an example of either that might be appropriate from your current or previous place of employment DQ 2: You are the manager of a hotel. There have been several complaints from guests relating to employee attitude. Provide a description of three different types of research that might be appropriate for this situation DQ 3: Why do some senior executives feel more comfortable relying with quantitative data than qualitative data? How might a qualitative research company lessen the senior-level executive Business – Risk Management and Insurance DQ-1) Unfortunately, a quick scan of the business news will normally result in reports of unethical business behavior. To prove this point, let’s start with a review of the news for stories about fraud and other unethical behavior in business. You can use the University Library to start your search. Once you have located an article share it with the class by developing a summary of the important information. Make sure that you give credit to your source. DQ-2) Go to Course Home and review the Course Project tab. Then download the Course Project template from Doc Sharing. In this graded discussion, we will be examining the operation of the Accounting Information System (AIS) with the use of problems and exercises from your textbook. The goal is to cover all of the requirements to ensure an opportunity for your successful completion of Course Project 1. Let’s start with a review of the three requirements of Part A of the Course Project. Explain why it is important to analyze each financial transaction of a business and to report it in the Accounting Information System. You can have a ton of fun in college, but it also involves a lot of work. Stay focused on the end result: a diploma. There will be many roadblocks along the way, and how you choose to approach them is important. Use the tips you have seen here to make college work on your behalf. Business – Risk Management and Insurance

Ethical Issues in Health Care Finance Essay

The topic of ethical issues in every industry is usually interesting because it attracts a significant number of scholars and professionals to argue. This topic becomes even more interesting when it comes to health care financing. Ethical issues in health care financing begin, when defining human health. Human health is a basic need (Maharaj and Paul, 2011). It does not matter what type of health challenges a person has and whether a person is in a developed country or not. The issue with human health is that, all humans require health appropriate treatment when they need it. However, the health care system seems insatiable when it comes to financing. Health care financing source from an individual occurs at the at the point of delivery otherwise known as fees for services does not seem to have a significant impact in the required health care financing (Hurley, 2001). It is important to leave individuals as entities that pay for healthcare out of financing the health care industry an d concentrate on the government, private agencies such as insurances and donors. The ethical issues in health care financing questions whether the major health care financiers: the government and insurance companies can justify paying for treatment for all human in the country. The argument with health care financing is that governments can pay for high medical technology development in terms of complicated medical equipments and new treatment technologies. It is important to understand that although advanced medical development are in place, there is an issue as to whether individual patients will the able to afford treatment using this advanced technology (Maharaj and Paul, 2011). If individual patients will not afford to use new treatment technologies, then it will be likely that the new advancement in medical technologies are a direct preserves of those with an upper economic advantage. This is contrary to the equity required in the health care system because health is basic need and therefore should be available for all. High cost of medical technological  treatment and a few populations who cannot individually afford for this treatment are not the only issues that raise medical treatment. The insurance industry is the greatest player in the health c are industry. The insurance industry provides medical policies for every eligible citizen. While the insurance arrangement for healthcare financing is justified through the assumption that country men and women are participating in sharing cost in paying up hospital bills. However, there is a crisis with the health insurance, which has raised significant ethical issues. This issues range from existence of different types of policies for different people and the issues that, the insurance company rather than the doctor determines the type of treatment the patient will get because of different categorized policies. Another incidence of inequality sets in even in with the insurance. Just like individual patient might not afford to pay high tech medical treatment at the point of delivery, the same is happening in the insurance industry because insurances now require different policies for different individual (Maharaj and Paul, 2011). These different policies characterize people according to their risk such that, people of high risk pay more premiums that people of low risk. If this policy categorization is justified then there will be a new inequality that will set in. This inequality will arise from those who pay for high premiums and might never have to go to hospital unless an accident occurs. Health care financing will seem to be a long term debate bombarded with ethical issues that take long to solve. These ethical dilemma although exist to offer ready solutions in healthcare financing, the whole issue boils down to whether the current happening in the health care industry offers beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice. Reference Maharaj, S.R. and Paul, TJ. (2011). Ethical Issues in Healthcare Financing. West Indian Medical Journal. 60. (4): 31-44 Hurley, J. (2001). Ethics, economics, and public financing of health care. Journal of Medical Ethics. 27. (4): 234-239.

Oral Communication in Business Essay

Business communication is done through various avenues including the written word (via Email, letters and reports), the face to face meeting and telephone conversations. It is particularly important when using speech to communicate with others, whether client or employee, that what you say is what you mean, both in tone of voice and words chosen. The most obvious reason to use the spoken word is to give information to another. How effectively this is done depends on imparting pertinent key points to the listener and giving him or her a clear idea of what the expected result should be. The client wants to know the status of his order and the employee wants to know the deadline to fill it. Oral communication can also be used to persuade or motive others to accomplish a specific task. By showing confidence through your tone of voice and using open-ended statements and questions, your listener is exhorted to action. This is particularly effective when speaking with employees regarding a change in the organization. Make sure they are aware of the benefits and ask them to relate how this will help them in their jobs. The way oral communication is approached can mean the difference between boring your listener to tears or actively engaging their thought processes. Failure to communicate well can be seen as inability to communicate well (Gabbin, 1996). Keeping your listeners entertained is one way to keep them listening. You do not have to memorize a joke of the day, but simply avoid droning on about numbers or statistics or other â€Å"dry† subjects. A company that holds annual employee rallies to boost morale should incorporate both the entertainment and motivation aspects of speech. Reviewing the company’s fiscal state of affairs and thanking employees for their contribution while causing them to think of further ways to improve the future bottom line would create an atmosphere of trust and good will. Motivate, entertain, and leave them looking forward to the next rally!

World's Fair Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World's Fair - Assignment Example These ideas manifested as planning to which the author refers to as usable future. In authors view, the theme of the fair was a new concept; he urges the reader to believe that what was being offered to the viewers was nothing more than fantasy. Fantasy was presented to the viewers to allow them to imagine and accept it as reality. Once accepted as reality, fantasy tends to arouse the desire to seek for what is being offered. Fantasy was presented in various forms; at some places it took the form of solutions to their problems while at other places the purpose was to highlight their cultural prospects. Referring to the modern art, the author asserts that there are two basic mental processes that give rise to the various forms of art whether abstract or other. Geography which follows logic as its central theme and conforms to the rational understandings of humans. Geomancy on the other hand is the product of exposure to inner experiences while following an "arbitrarily permitted number of variables". This assumption may be true for some kinds of arts, yet may not be applicable to all art forms. In authors view, geometry is appealing since it only has to be "internally logical"; while geomancy is tempting as it engages the role of viewer along with the artist to bring out something positive - clearly surpassing the limits set by logic. While talking about the relative success of geometry and geomancy the author is of the view that geometry has in influence far more prominent than geomancy. The reason for this is the fact that modern day consumers have lost their ability to appreciate the sensitive aspects of art which highlight things like "feeling, emotion, intuition and manticism". Since geometry depicts the creativity in measurable and logical manner and inhabitants of the modern world are tuned to follow and understand such presentations – geometry is more successful in art

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Plan - Essay Example In addition, the paper will analyze the initial and long term expenditures required for the successful running of this wonderful business, so that the services could be provided in an elegant way, and the business could win unflinching applause from all corners, and could observe a splendid expansion within some particular period of time. The service aims to focus on its clients and customers, which are the most important factor in the success or failure of any business. The report also makes suggestion to the AER food company an expansion business plan on the basis of which it would launch its business in other areas too, where it could be visited by the walking clients; and the workers, managers and personnel could take some light diet at noon, afternoon and night, and the public can also visit it with family and friends as an exquisite place of sitting as well as a gorgeous source of complete entertainment. AER will be a magnificent food service, which is going to launch its services with the aim of providing the people with swift and healthful food on economical rates under an environment, which is extremely calm, quiet and pleasing for sitting. And where one can have light chit chat, personal meeting or family gathering free from the noise and tension of the outer-world. Hence, the aim behind the establishment of such a food service that could give the message of peace and comfort to its clients at a walking distance from their workplace. To arrange a completely entertaining atmosphere, where the visitors could watch TV, read periodicals and newspapers, listen to the music and entertain themselves with the company of family and friends by taking delicious foods of various kinds Mission Statement: The mission statement established by the intellectual owner Miss Kanhnika is: â€Å"We present highly hygienic and extremely delicious fast food under such an elegant and restful atmosphere, where you can relax, rejoice, dine and discuss

Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Business - Assignment Example According to the study conducted by FAI Consulting Services (2009), â€Å"the company has employed cross-functional teams around the world to plan, design, and manage facilities†. This multinational company is equipped with a highly professional staff that is capable of sharing the needed detailed information across borders and transcends time elements. The other strengths of DHL are as follows: (1) a global network which spans 220 countries; (2) owns 60,000 vehicles and 250 aircrafts for transport services; (3) highly professional management and staff composed of 160,000 employees worldwide; and (4) uniquely positioned to offer a one stop shop transport service and logistics needs. Their success stems from offering high quality products and retaining the most professional league of personnel who are all committed to making DHL the one brand in the global express and logistics market. Go to http://www.fita.org which is the Federation of International Trade Associations. Click on "Really Useful Links for International Trade." Follow five of those links and explain how they would help an American manufacturer that wanted to "go global.† The link contains 30 sublinks which explain in detain various categories which assist an American manufacturer wanting to â€Å"go global†. One link, the business directories and trade information contain data on country-specific and industry specific directories, among others. American manufacturers targeting different markets can initially identify global companies they can do business with. Cultural issues is another link which is critical for globalization. The link provide tips, cultural awareness and training, on-line cross cultural communication training, guide to international business culture, customs, and etiquette, among others. The element of culture is relevant for any organization planning to go global because the culture of the country it plans to do business with should be considered to ensure an

Supply Chain Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Supply Chain Risk Management - Essay Example Therefore, the significance of supply chain management theories and their usage in all industry types has increased greatly. Supply chains are evolved by companies for fulfilling business needs and functions. Supply chains help business to survive and grow. Each business is a part of the supply chain completing the assigned task. A multi-tier supply chain includes various flows i.e. financial flow, Information flow and material flow. Third party logistics (3PL) services providers who manage and perform specific logistic functions for other companies arrange the inbound and outbound logistic functions of the suppliers or owners (Khan et al., 2010). The term â€Å"supply chain management† came into usage in the 1990s for earlier used terms like â€Å"logistics† and â€Å"operations management†. â€Å"A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into int ermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Ganeshan and Harrison (1995)). ... The first level is completed via internal supply chain management activities associated with logistics and procurement. Procurement for companies’ stock can stockpile high inventory levels and additional transport costs if the inventory is not consumed due to lack of demand (Kannegiesser et al., 2007). The second echelon can help companies in optimizing supply chain processes via integrated management of supply chains. The central focus of supply chain management is to manage the risk of overflowing inventories and inefficient handling of information not only within the company but among all supply chain members, which could be original equipment manufacturers (OEM), maintenance, repair and overhauling (MROs) or third-party logistics (3PL) partners to minimize stock levels and achieving optimization in resource usage (Kannegiesser et al., 2007). As such, the aim of supply chain management is to cover the cost risk, to offer the desired service level and fulfill customer expect ations. Production and distribution functions have to be integrated to achieve optimum performance volumes. As decisions on quantity and price of stock can not be taken beforehand, any drawback in integrated approach can reduce the profit margins although cost-cutting has been used as a tool in supply chain management (Kannegiesser et al., 2007). Research Background -- Theory Before discussing the study outcomes on total logistic costs based on general modeling approach, some theoretical background on current literature is necessary. There are two types of studies on logistic costs. One type deals with strategic parts of logistics and the other with optimal logistic decisions. This is the second type, which helps in mitigating risks, the leading purpose of which is finding system costs, which

Monique and the Mango Rains Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Monique and the Mango Rains - Essay Example The case of the Minianka women of Mali is an example of where society ranks the man above women prior to using stratification to develop a hierarchy of the women. There are several factors that are anthropologically linked to the existence of social stratification in society, and they include the family, division of labor, sex, economy, religion, and gender responsibilities among others. Depending on the nature of the society, the degree of stratification varies; thus communities are classified into hunters and gatherers, horticultural, pastoral, agricultural, job-specific, and industrialized, among others. Gender roles, family, and reproduction are factors that affect social stratification in the social context. Society is responsible for defining the roles and responsibilities of its members. The inequality that stems from the gender roles and responsibilities follows the anthropological view of the man being stronger to the woman. The men are burdened with the responsibilities of provision, security, and management of the family unit in the Malian community, common to most African societies. The society, supported by anatomy, accredits women to the growth of the family, and consequently society. The capability of the female gender to give birth is evaluated in most scenarios, with the blame of infertility being highly alleged as the woman’s fault. Although men have been established, by science, as the sex determinants and equally responsible for infertility, women bear the wrath of society. Conventionally, the woman is inherently responsible for the nurturing role in the famil y unit and society collectively. Beliefs of society, with regards to men versus women, contribute to the establishment of levels where the accomplishment of responsibilities set by society improves one’s position (Holloway & Bidwell 58). Stratification occurs in a social context under gender responsibilities, family, and reproduction, under different social groupings such as girls, ladies, mature women, married women, and mothers, just to mention but a few.

Describe and compare the economies of the UAE and France Essay

Describe and compare the economies of the UAE and France - Essay Example The tourism sector of the country is very well-developed. The country enjoys the third largest income from this sector (CIA, 2014). The economy of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) is also a global member of multiple organizations like, OPEC, United Nations and Gulf Cooperation Council. The population of the country is 5,628,805 and 76% of the population is Muslim. The economic growth of the U.A.E. could be mainly attributed to its oil sector. However, recently, the government is trying to promote industries other than oil and involvement of private sector in the economy has increased. The financial crisis of 2008 had affected economic growth of the country in recent times (CIA, 2014). The purpose of this paper is to compare these two countries on terms of key economic indicators like, GDP growth rate, GDP per capita, level of unemployment, level of investment and balance of payment position, besides analyzing causes of difference in the level of their performance. In order to compare the level of growth of two countries, GDP growth has been used. Rate of GDP growth is widely employed as an indicator to measure the level of economic growth in a country. GDP can be considered as a summary measure of overall performance of an economy and can facilitate international comparison. The following table tabulates the GDP growth rate of France. The above graph plots the GDP growth rate of France. It can be seen that the country has been adversely affected by the financial crisis, thereby experiencing negative growth rate in 2008 and 2009. The economy has begun to recover since 2010. However, there is still volatility in the GDP growth. It is seen that the level of GDP growth in the U.A.E. has been adversely impacted by the financial crisis in 2008. A negative growth rate in the GDP is noticed in 2009. From comparing the values in above two figures, absolute level of GDP in France is found to be higher than that of the U.A.E.; but in terms of GDP growth rate,

Human Resource Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Human Resource Development - Essay Example The following discussion presents a detailed account of how firms shape and re-invent their HRD policies in conformity with their business requirements and what processes are the most crucial for survival in an environment where a competitive advantage is the only way to survive in the market. The paper also contextualizes the various learning and developmental activities that international firms take up in the attempt to brace with the changing business climates and the paper provides a brief outline of the HRD processes implemented by two international organizations in their various international business units. Strategic steps for human resource development are among the most crucial decisions that organizations take as these decisions usually are the critical factors which determine not only the effectiveness, but also the efficiency of the organization and its workforce in the long run. The initiatives that are taken for developing systematic HRD plans pay out for organizations because they bring together the development of employee‘s competence , the development of a shared vision of the business and the various business strategies employed so that they are aligned together to provide maximum benefit to both the employees and the employer. For a business operating in more than one country, the dilemmas regarding HRD and HRM strategies are numerous and varying in their degree of influence on the organizational success, however, since organizational effectiveness is a key component which drives the need to have any such strategy to begin with, these dilemmas pose a serious question for all such organizations. This paper has tried to evaluate the major forces which drive organizations to bring about a change in their management philosophies and how these changed perspectives affect the Human resource development policies of these firms. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of management ideals and strategic decision making on the

Diagnosis and treatment of male genitourinary Essay Example for Free

Diagnosis and treatment of male genitourinary Essay 1. What is a physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of male genitourinary conditions called? Urologist 2. What disease causes the kidneys to overcompensate by straining within the remaining nephrons? Chronic Renal Failure 3. What are most kidney stones composed of? calcium-containing crystals 4. What are three types of bladder stones? Calcium, Uric acid, Struvite, and Cystine stones 5. A constriction of the perputial orifice that does not allow for the foreskin to fold back over the glans is called? paraphimosis 6. What is the term for the surgical removal of the uterus? Hysterectomy 7. What is the medical term for an examination/biopsy of the vagina and cervical areas? colposcopy 8. What disease or condition can lead to DUB (Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding)? Menorrhagia, Metrorrhagia, and Polymenorrhea 9. How many days are used to calculate the EDD? The due date may be estimated by adding 280 days 10.What are the terms that describe the surgical removal of a fetus through an abdominal incision? caesarean section II. Go to http://www.aapc.com and answer the following questions: Q: For the CPCÂ ® certification, what are the specific eligibility requirements We recommend having an associate’s degree. Pay examination fee at the time of application submission. Maintain current membership with the AAPC. New members must submit membership payment with examination application. Renewing members must have a current membership at the time of submission and when exam results are released. All exams will be reported with exact scores and areas of study (65% or less).A CPC must have at least two years medical coding experience (members with an apprentice designation are not required to have two years medical coding experience.) Membership is required to be renewed annually and 36 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) must be submitted every two years for verification and authentication of expertise.

Buildings and as we know trees had Essay Example for Free

Buildings and as we know trees had Essay Deforestation is the process of clearing the forest by cutting down the trees for fulfilling different demands. Forest has a vital role in meeting peoples needs. Therefore people usually cut down the trees of the forest without having proper knowledge. Indeed, exploit of land really lend a big helping to grow in economic. For example, exploit of land is for wider develop range, the lands is use to build households, buildings and as we know trees had a very high demand all across the world so by selling the trees the process of developing in country will surely speed up not only the economic but in entire ability. On the other hand, exploit of lands also bring more jobs opportunities, as the buildings increased they had no choice to employ more worker. Although, these activities really did enhance our standard of living however, improper use of the resources leading side effects. see more:trees are our best friends essay in english pdf Deforestation has not always been a major problem, but since the early 1900s it has become more and more of an issue. The percentage of rain-forest is declining since deforestation began. For example, nearly 70% of the area in Brazilian Amazon has been deforested (Butler, 2011). The direct causes of deforestation are agricultural expansion, wood extraction (e.g., logging or wood harvest for domestic fuel or charcoal), and infrastructure expansion such as road building and urbanization, from this the disadvantages of deforestation can basically divide into 3 major effects which are climate change, decrease biodiversity through the destruction of habitat and natural disasters. 1st Counter argue The lands that been exploit can provide the materials for various industries. One of the easiest benefits of deforestation to spot is the economic ones. Lumber products are one of the most staple constructive materials in human society. Whether it is raw lumber used for making tables and houses, or paper and other wood by-products, we simply cannot live without the use of lumber. Through this process country will have more products to sell to foreign countries as well as local too. Forests are also cleared in order to accommodate expanding urban areas with the worlds population growing by leaps and bounds, there is growing demand for land use for residential, agricultural and commercial purposes. Golf courses, resorts, housing projects, farms etc. have replaced some of the areas where there used to be forests (Jones, 2011), with this it can attract more foreign investor and tourisms to invest and expand in our country which is a decent way to boosting the economic. 2rd counter Another advantage of deforestation is its can create more jobs opportunity. The exploiting of lands mostly for commercial purpose which means increasing of transaction will also increase the demand of the workers. This is another benefit of deforestation; it opens more job opportunities for people who would otherwise be unemployed. These job opportunities are more than simply a humanitarian concept; society at large would suffer if all of the people working in the wood industry were to suddenly find them jobless. This benefit of deforestation not only covers the people who cut down trees and process them, but also extends to the people who clean up after them. For every patch of forest cut down, arable land becomes available for farmers, or can be used as an area to place urban living sites like apartments, houses, and buildings. The number of people employed by such a construction project is many and varied. Or, if the city/government mandates replanting trees to replace the lost on es, then jobs are also provided for those people who do the seeding after a patch of forest is stripped (Fiset, 2007). Transition Notwithstanding deforestation is effectively increase the economics of the country, however the unreasonable deforest bring many series side effect to human. Deforestation affects many things, it has ecological, environmental, atmospheric and hydrosphere impacts. When the soil is disturbed by deforestation natural carbon storage systems can be disturbed releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in one go. In areas like the small developing island nations in the Pacific it can be disastrous as many endemic plant and animal species live here, and when land is deforested it disturbs soil causing landslides and disruption to the ecosystem. It also means species are confined to smaller habitats and usually move to higher more dangerous altitudes, some species cannot survive in these conditions and become endangered. It is also harmful to humans as the soil becomes too saturated due to less infiltration from tree roots and it can cause higher risks of flooding on these islands, which are usually very small. The surface runoff from the soil also can harm surrounding corals as the soils water runs out into the surrounding sea via rivers and streams. The soil then settles on the corals causing them to die. During the process it can block fishs gills. 1st Pro arguments Deforestation is a major cause of climate change because it releases huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere contributing to the greenhouse effect. Deforestation and forest degradation are both a cause and a result of climate change. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and use it to grow, but when they decay or burn, carbon dioxide is released again. Decaying plants also produce methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. So deforestation and forest degradation are doubly damaging, because greenhouse gases are released (e.g. through forest fires, or using the cut trees as firewood), while at the same time the number of carbon dioxide absorbing trees are reduced. Thirty percent of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere over the past 150 years is thought to come from deforestation, but this is a small amount compared to what is still stored in forests. The Canadian and Russian boreal forests alone hold 40 percent of the worlds carbon stocks(deforestation, 2006). Most importantly, deforestation causes a lack of clean air. The lack of clean air plays a big role in many diseases and illnesses that plague this world. By a chain of events, deforestation is responsible for those diseases and illnesses caused by breathing unclean air. Slash and burn agriculture which is one of the most important causes. It also known as swidden or shifting agriculture and it is a traditional method of tending domesticated crops that involves the rotation of several plots of land in a planting cycle. The farmer plants crops in a field for one or two seasons, and then lets the field lie fallow for several seasons. In the meantime, the farmer shifts to a field that has lain fallow for several years, and removes the vegetation by cutting it down and burning it—hence slash and burn. The ash from the burned vegetation adds another layer of nutrients to the soil, and that with the time resting allows the soil to regenerate. Slash and burn works best in low intensity agriculture, when the farmer has plenty of land that he or she can afford to let lay fallow; and it works best when crops are rotated to assist in restoring thenutrients. It has also been documented in societies where people maintain a very broad diversity of food-generation; that is, where people also hunt game, fish, and gather wild foods (Hirst, 2011). 2rd pro Deforestation does not only affect the climate. The world of academia takes a hard hit as the gene pool is diminished by the extermination of many species of plants and animals as a result of deforestation. Possibilities of exploration are as good as dead with the rapid rate of deforestation. There are many species of plants that have the potential to create medicines that can cure the ailments that there are no cures for at the moment. Deforestation can affect if we can cure such diseases such as AIDS. On a humorous note, those familiar with the Resident Evil franchise know about the virus that causes people to turn into zombies. Deforestation would destroy changes of creating a vaccine for that virus. There are many tribes that live in the forests and live somewhat isolated from society. They do not exploit the forest but cut enough wood to make a living. The non-indigenous people of the forest understand how important it is to preserve the forest and the resources it offers. Their livelihoods are cut short when people that exploit the forest for means of money are added to the equation (The effects of deforestation, 2008) Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species. Seventy percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes. The unique biodiversity of various geographical areas is being lost on a scale that is quite unprecedented. Even though tropical rainforest make up just 6 percent of the surface area of the Earth, about 80-90 percent of the entire species of the world exist here. Due to massive felling of trees, about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day. The outcome of which is the extinction of animals and plants on a massive scale. The effects on animals is very heartbreaking. They not only lose their habitat and protective cover, they are pushed to extinction. Many beautiful creatures, both plants and animals have vanished from the face of the earth (Putatunda, 2011) Third pro Another Example which was lead by deforestation is natural disaster. The most often case we can find out are Floods and Drought. Forests are a life saver, as they absorb a large amount of the rainfall, thereby stopping it from entering the inhabited areas and rivers. The cutting down of trees leads to disruption in the regular flow of water, thus causing floods in some areas, while drought in other areas. For decades, the common perception in hydrology has been that deforestation in such areas made seasonal floods bigger on average, but had little effect on the number of large floods over times, in the interior regions of North America, many creeks and rivers get most of their flow from melting snow accumulated during winter storms in mountainous areas. How much water flows down these streams depends not only on how much snow falls upstream, but how fast the snow melts. But deforestation shines a new – and glaring – light on this water source. While ordinarily the trees keep the melting under control by shielding snow from the sunlight, as soon as you get rid of the trees, the snow melts faster (American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2012) Conclusion In the conclusion, the consequences are very unpleasant as every form of life on earth is interlinked with one another. Not only do animals lose their homes, but humans dependent on the local ecology are also affected. The water cycle gets disturbed leading to floods and droughts. People dependent on the forests for their survival lose their livelihood. Global warming is another problem looming over our heads. The causes and its effects of this destructive practice can be stopped to some extent, if we all do our bit towards the environment. Reduce emissions by avoiding use of cars and bikes indiscriminately. Make our factories more cleaner and monitor their emissions. Develop better ways of farming that help increase the yield without having an impact on the neighboring forest areas. Forest management and strict monitoring of tree cutting should be carried out by various government and other nonprofit agencies. Reforestation of lost areas and following sustainable practices will help us balance our green cover. Remember, trees give us life, without them it will be impossible to sustain life.