Authoritarianism of Taiwanese Government

According to Thomas Gold Taiwan offers a text book case of an elite-led revolution leading to social transformation. The stability of hard authoritarianism of the Taiwanese government laid the groundwork for Taiwanese development. The KMT's cohesiveness and political domination plus the economic development aid supplied by the United States also helped to provide good conditions for Taiwanese growth in the beginning. Once the KMT gained control of Taiwan they redistributed the land and launched a program of rehabilitation and industrialization. This period was responsible for the nationalization of many businesses formerly owned by the Japanese and the start of industrial production in Taiwan marked by a shift away from agriculture to industry. During the early period of industrialization Taiwan tried to create domestic markets for its goods. During the period from 1960 to 1973 Taiwan pursued export expansion in the area of industrial goods. During this period U. S. aid directed at Taiwan declined as did the islands geopolitical significance. To make up for this decline Taiwan focused on increasing its exports. The rowth of the Taiwanese economy during this period according to Gold laid the ground work for the growth of opposition movements and loosening of the KMT†S grip on power. According to Gold this was because the changes in the Taiwanese economy brought about a middle class, a better educated populace, and a dispersion of industry through out the country. The Period from 1973 to 1984 Gold calls the time of industrial upgrading and the emergence of a political opposition. During this period Taiwan faced the oil shock, and increase in export prices due to a labor shortage that doubled workers alaries, a further loss of geopolitical prestige, and the growth of dissent and political opposition. Taiwan industrially during this time improved the quality and quantity of its exports. The Taiwan industrial model was that of a elite run bureaucracy that tightly controlled its nations citizenry in authoritarian ways. This authoritarian government was able to effectively channel the energies of Taiwan toward modernization. This authoritarian government became a victim of its own success because as living and education standards rose the citizenry demanded a shift Taiwan is not a very good industrialization model for other countries to use outside of East Asia. This is because many of the factors that allowed Taiwanese industrialization were unique to Taiwan. First, Taiwan was colonized before 1950 by a developmentalist power, Japan to which is had close ties even after 1950. Second, Taiwan was the recipient of financial aid during its critical early years because of a inter-core competition for hegemony between China and the United States. Third, Taiwan benefited by having a implacable foe with a very different vision of development. Fourth, Taiwan was given breathing space following 1949, this enabled Taiwan to revive production and consolidate power without foreign powers interfering. All these factor make Taiwan unique from other nations that would try to copy it. One of the elements that nations should not copy from the Taiwan Model according to Gold is Taiwan's harsh authoritarian government which was much too strictly authoritarian and had a hard time changing as the attitudes of the Taiwanese people changed. (Gold's book was published years before the 1996 democratic elections n Taiwan) But Gold does say that Taiwan's development model does have some lessons that could be copied in other nations seeking to industrialize. These are a official commitment to development, land redistribution, fostering of agriculture, creation of extra-ministerial ministries to guide development, strategic credit allocation, collection and efficient management of data concerning the economy, investment in infrastructure and human capital, and proper allocation of foreign assistance. Taiwan's development model was a combination of an orwellian state and effective ways of industrializing.

Entertainment Is Something Which Distracts Our Daily Life Routine Essay

What is entertainment? There are many definitions of entertainment but I look at it as something which diverts or may distract us from our daily life routine. It helps us relax for periods of time thus forget our worries and cares; our habits and thoughts are interrupted, it rests our minds and nerves, though it can also drain our energies thus exhaust our bodies (Herbert, 2012). There are multiple forms of entertainment that are in play nowadays that people find a good way to release themselves from the daily life routines. Entertainment has many forms that are endless but the main agenda is to divulge us from the daily patterns of life .In the resent generation people have been looking for better and easier ways to forge a living in a simpler manner, therefore making recreation or entertainment the most available solution to releasing them from never-ending stress and responsibilities in their daily lives (Herbert, 1946). Entertainment diverts our thoughts to moments of laxity and less care to our worries and anxieties. Our worries can either bring our heart and mind to a low or bring us to a high, in a sense that it brings an immeasurable amount of adrenaline or a low to mean laxity of mind and less activity of body. And this immense adrenaline definitely is brought about by sporting activities. Sporting activities make most of the body parts to actively participate therefore making us have the feeling of our existence within. Again in the present times technology has greatly evolved forcing humans to evolve with it. With this aspect involved, we are now encircled by smart phones, internet and all kinds of similar gadgets like television sets and iPods which have a considerable amount of our daily working life and entertainment of which we can’t imagine our entertainment or leisure time without. Everything that we are involved with at this age in time is all about entertainment as Tony Robbins puts it (Herbert, 2012) . Reading and writing has been a form of entertainment for many people. This is by books, magazines, blogs reading and writing in internet or paper. To the children reading of comics of heroes like Bat man, Super man and many others makes the happy and entertained. Also children as opposed to the adults who write; they find it entertaining to draw patterns and characters on paper. All this is educative and entertaining at the same time because it moves us from daily patterns of life while we are adding knowledge. Marshall McLuhan say that anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn’t know a thing about either dance; music and films have found their way into people’s definition of entertainment and recreation (Herbert, 1946). A huge number of entertainment gadgets presently have to have music or visual images to be considered as items of entertainment. This is the other good way that recreation time can be well utilized. This is found in social joint like pubs, bars, disco etc. From my perception, our personalities can be defined by how we choose our entertainment activities e.g. If you are into parachuting you might be quite crazy, courageous and also an energetic person. But one who spends hours drawing, he or she might be a shy person, maybe calm and may also you be a patient person. Some entertainment forms may prove illogical e.g. ten people chasing after one ball but all in all each of us is unique in his or her own way thus we have what we like more us compared to other things. In conclusion entertainment does distract us from daily life routine because it soothes our feelings thus making us happy for we create our own worlds and forget about the rest of the world. Different entertainment activities create a longer period of happiness in turn causing continuous distraction.

Benefits of Using Hypnosis

The aim of this paper is to identify the benefits of using hypnosis in various fields. In order to do so, the paper will discuss the definition of hypnosis and its brief history. In relation to this, its affects towards an individual as well as the instances when hypnosis is used will also be given due consideration. Lastly, but most importantly, the benefits of using hypnosis will be emphasized in this paper. The succeeding paragraphs will further elaborate on these aforementioned points. Definition of HypnosisHypnosis comes from the Greek word â€Å"ypnos†, which means sleep (Russell). It is defined as a â€Å"social interaction in which one person responds to suggestions given by another person also known as the hypnotist for imaginative experiences involving changes in perception, memory, and the voluntary control of action† (Kihlstrom). Hypnosis is regarded as a scientific technique that is verified as an effective means to inflict accelerated human change. By usin g hypnosis an individual could inflict the changes that he or she wants on a certain person.These changes could even promote and encourage mental and physical wellness. Moreover, hypnosis is also especially studied by health care professionals, practicing therapists as well as individuals who are looking for ways to change their untoward behaviours and to change their lives for the better (The Empowerment Group). Brief History of Hypnosis Hypnotic relationship has been practiced for over 5000 years in Chinese medicine between healers and patients.Egyptians also practiced hypnosis through the form of Temple Sleep that was recognized by priests as a special healing as well as an enlightening state. The ancient Greeks also have their own form of hypnosis that is referred to as Asclepian dream healing. May prominent personalities in history have used hypnosis in order to propagate their views such as: Genghis Khan, Richard the Lionheart, Napoleon, Hitler, Churchill, Billy Graham, Mohamm ed, and even Jesus practiced hypnotism. Nevertheless, the high-profile practice of hypnosis took place in 1734-1815 with physician Anton Mesmer.He applied hypnotism in his theory of animal magnetism where he contributed an important paper in the practice of hypnotism that considers the relation of magnetic influences in the movement of sun, moon, and planets in the state of human health. This study of Mesmer started the propagation of hypnosis towards the end of the first half of the 19th century. Hypnosis spread as far as Italy, Spain, the rest of Europe and Scandinavia and even Brazil (UK Guild of Hypnotist Examiners).At present, hypnosis is practiced in many parts of the world. Application of Hypnosis and its Effects towards an Individual A typical hypnosis starts with the induction procedure wherein the person is asked by the hypnotist to relax and concentrate in focusing his or her eyes on a fixation point. The voice of the hypnotist will instruct the person on what to do. None theless, individuals could also have a positive response to hypnotism even if it is done while he or she is engaged in a vigorous activity.After the hypnotist directed the person of the primary procedure he or she would further suggest the patient for different imaginative experiences like extending ones’ arms or that when he or she opens his or her eyes the object in front of them will no longer be there. Furthermore, the patients may also be instructed by the hypnotist to disregard or continue a particular behavior (Institute for the Study of Healthcare Organizations and Transactions). An individual’s response to hypnosis tends to vary as it is based upon the differences of each person to another.This is due to the fact that hypnosis has large to do with the capability or talent of an individual to experience hypnosis rather than the hypnotic technique that was used. Majority of people are moderately hypnotizable but even though most people respond to hypnotism only few of them could actually attain the highest level of responsiveness or what is called as hypnotic virtuosos (Institute for the Study of Healthcare Organizations and Transactions). Benefits of Hypnosis The benefits of hypnosis could be seen in various aspects of an individual’s life.Hypnosis could be beneficial in someone’s personal life, working career, and even with regards to the physical and mental well-being of a person. In terms of ones’ personal life, someone who might want to quit smoking or start exercising to lose weight could undergo hypnosis in order for them to start doing these desirable actions and make it part of their everyday routine. A person could also learn to relax about the stressful work that he or she might have as well as start pursuing those career dreams that he or she aspires through the motivational aid of hypnotism.Even psychological and emotional problems like phobias such as fear of public speaking and shyness could also be addr ess through the use of hypnosis (Hypnosis School). Moreover, hypnosis has also been used by criminologists, psychologist as well as other mind specialist in order to guide and control the behaviour of a patient. Programs that involved intelligence or education-related skills have also result to hypnotism so that it could easily enhance the academic skills of their student like memorization and speed reading (All About Life Challenges).Lastly, what makes hypnosis a very popular form of therapy is the fact that it does not involve taking drugs or any kind of medication that could be habit forming. Being the case, a patient does not have to worry about serious side-effects as well as the expenses in such kind of treatment (All About Life Challenges). The discussions above show that hypnotism indeed has a substantial contribution in addressing the various problems that most people have to go through. Hypnotism tends to give solution to personal, psychological, medical, and even social c oncerns.The efficacy and importance of this kind of treatment is proven by the long period of time that it has been used. Being the case, it is not surprising that hypnotism give numerous benefits for the overall well-being of a person. Works Cited All About Life Challenges. â€Å"Benefits of Hypnosis. † 7 August 2008 . Hypnosis School. â€Å"The benefits of hypnosis. † 7 August 2008 .Institute for the Study of Healthcare Organizations and Transactions. â€Å"Hypnosis and Health. † 7 August 2008 < http://www. institute-shot. com/hypnosis_and_health. htm>. Russell, Michael. â€Å"Hypnosis: A Brief History. † 7 August 2008 < http://ezinearticles. com/? Hypnosis—A-Brief-History&id=200983>. The Empowerment Group. â€Å"What is hypnosis? † 7 August 2008 < http://www. hypnosis. com/whatishypnosis. aspx>. UK Guild of Hypnotist Examiners. â€Å"A Brief History of Hypnosis. † 7 August 2008 < http://www. hypnotherapy2empower. com/hypnosis_histo ry. php>.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Law Assignment

Corporate Social Responsibility and Law - Assignment Example Relevance of Legal Context of CSR in the Business World The importance of the issue of legal aspects on CSR cannot be lost on business especially with debate raging on firms’ fiduciary duty to maximise profits for shareholders versus sacrificing part of the profits to benefit individuals. Although firms have found a business case to CSR initiatives, the legal aspect of CSR is a reality that they have to consider. It is important to state that businesses operate within states that are governed by the law. This is true since even internationally there are laws such as International Labour Regulations (Clavet et al. 2008, pp. 41-42). Impacts of the law on a firm’s CSR initiatives have been felt, for instance, in Denmark where there is a law requiring corporations to report on their CSR initiatives (DCCA 2010). The very concept of CSR involves undertaking more than the law requires; hence a legal element in corporate ventures is what CSR is built upon. Bantekas (2004, pp. 3 27-334) states that the core principles of CSR are human rights, labour rights and environmental rights which are subject to human rights, labour and environmental national and international laws; hence their pursuit is directly influenced by the law. Law Subjects related to CSR One of the most important considerations is the issue of CSR being ‘outside the law’ or ‘meeting the law’. In the ‘outside the law’ argument, an issue that transnational corporations can attest to is the lack of a standard framework of CSR to operate on as national laws and management may fail to provide the required standards. Besides, CSR is an enterprise-driven venture by firms beyond what they are legally required to undertake. In terms of the ‘meeting’ aspect, it is a consensus that CSR cannot be defined without taking the law into account. The concept of CSR involves voluntary initiatives and activities that are considered to exceed legal compliance. Thus, CSR is deeply rooted in the premise that hard law has to be met first with CSR initiatives then following on from this (Clavet et al. 2008, pp. 41-46). This aspect is a manifestation of the relationship between legal standards compliance and CSR. International law and the closely related international labour laws are other sets of legal aspects in action in a firm’s CSR initiatives. International legal instruments affecting transnational corporations are expressed through binding treaties with national entities concerned with rights and obligations and through ‘soft laws’ such as by the many International Labour Organisation conventions. Although ‘soft laws’ are heavily criticised for being indicative of transnational corporations’ ability to influence government policy, they are still a testimony of the inseparability of CSR initiatives by such firms and the law. Conceptual Frameworks Theoretical frameworks have been established to expl ain the interaction between CSR and law and its impacts. The mainstream conceptual framework is positivism, which is adapted from natural science and explains observable phenomena through general laws and the special conditions of the situation. Positivist CSR research seeks to provide a distinctive view of a firm’

I do not know Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

I do not know - Research Paper Example What exactly is a financial crisis? This is an important question to ask at the outset of this paper if we are to understand our subject. Generally speaking, financial crises arise in a variety of situations in which some financial institutions or industries suddenly lose large amounts of their value. For example, in the past, many such situations were associated with banking panics, stock market crashes and financial bubbles. The result is that country loses its wealth. Jobs are lost and people and companies go bankrupt. These crisis are often unexpected and result in a great deal of wealth being wiped out. People suffer and it can take years for the economy to regain its balance (Williams, 23). All sectors of society find themselves set back and productivity and growth become very slow. In the most recent example, the subprime mortgage crisis was one of the first indicators of 2007 financial crisis. There is a clear line that can be drawn between the massive number of mortgage defaults and the consequent crisis. High default rates on subprime adjustable rate mortgages began to increase very rapidly in this period. The long term trend of rising housing prices and better loans encourage borrowers to believe they would be able repay their mortgages quicker. They thought they had a good deal and would be able to refinance if they had a problem. However, this was not the case. â€Å"The first clear sign that the US housing bubble was bursting, the mid-2007 crisis in the sub-prime mortgage market (stemming from the significant increase in defaults), transmitted losses to a whole set of securitized financial products such as mortgage-backed securities† ( Lin, 32). The truth is that the American dream of home ownership had gone into overdrive. People who were unable to afford to pay mortgage payments were given mortgages. People with bad credit or unstable employment were given

Organising the classroom for ADHD pupils Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organising the classroom for ADHD pupils - Essay Example The incident impacted on me as it gave me a chance to experience firsthand how ADHD students act in the classroom setting. The end goal of this paper is to establish ways by which the classroom can be managed to fit the needs of the ADHD student. The coaching model provides a strong foundation for the learning which needs to be established for ADHD students. This model seeks to assist students in reframing how they understand themselves as capable individuals. Coaches would set ground rules in order to secure boundaries on what students may or may not do, and the goals they can establish for themselves. These coaches also ask questions in order to help the ADHD students reflect; they also encourage problem-solving skills and provide encouragement and self-belief (Derrington, 2005). This situation involves an ADHD student who manifested the classic signs of ADHD including hyperactivity, short attention span, easy distractibility, class disruptiveness, impulsivity and inattentiveness. Due to his symptoms, he was also having difficulty keeping up with the class lessons. The importance of having to secure a conducive learning environment for him became a necessity especially when the student was falling well behind his other classmates. A plan was established in order to provide support for the student and to ensure his full and effective participation. Such support is partly based on the coaching model which accepts the importance of providing guidance and encouragement for the students in their lessons and activities. The student had one-on-one support for his daily lessons, however, this was not working well for the student as different teaching assistants were assigned to him for each subject. The different approaches of the teaching assistants made the situation even more difficult for the student to adapt to. After the teachers and teaching assistants met and discussed the student’s case, it was suggested that there was a need to make changes in the cl assroom in order to ensure more efficient outcomes. It was suggested that the student needed to have only one teaching assistant assigned to him for his daily lessons. This would help provide consistency and discipline for his lessons and his learning. The reflective process and model which would be applied for this essay would be the Gibbs reflection style. This reflective style provides specific details on the different events surrounding the critical incident. The actions and decisions involving the incident will then be critically assessed and analyzed, applying evidence-based research in order to provide sufficient support and logic for the actions made (Jasper, 2003). This reflective model includes a description of the event, the feelings during the incident, the evaluation of the incident, an analysis of the incident, and an action plan for the incident (Jasper, 2003). A description of the incident is already provided above. In relation to the feelings encountered, I felt tha t the student needed to secure a more stable and consistent classroom environment, one where he would not have to make constant adjustments. I also felt that the student also needed to adjust to a normal classroom setting in order to help him gain the social skills of interactions with his classmates. In evaluating what was good and bad about the experience, I felt that the teaching assi

Car insurance Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Car insurance - Research Proposal Example Many purchasers simply sign on the bottom line without asking many questions or reading the policy. Let’s face it, insurance policies aren’t compelling reading material. They even make an attorney’s eyes glaze over. There are simple steps to take, however, to avoid being scammed. Most insurance scams begin by offering rates that seem ‘too good to be true.’ Guess what, they usually are. These low rates then suddenly jump up to higher than average sums a month or two into the policy’s duration. The insurance company blames some type of human or computer error and doesn’t honor the original quote. To lessen the chance of being scammed, confirm that the company is licensed by the state, as required by law. Ask questions about the coverage and obtain a copy of the policy. If the agent cannot sufficiently answer basic concerns, move on to the next company. Ask companies about their competitors, inquire to friends and neighbors regarding their insurance companies, never sign blank forms or pay in cash, many more people than you’d think are scammed after paying cash (â€Å"Insurance Scams† 2006). Choosing the best insurance company to fit the individual’s specific needs can be difficult and confusing. From national companies such as Allstate, Farmers, Geico, etc, to locally owned insurers, the choices are many but there are guidelines that help making an educated decision. Each state has a department that oversees insurance companies. If there are questions regarding licensing or if a person has issues with their insurance carrier, this state agency should be contacted for assistance. Prices vary widely among different insurance companies. Shopping around takes little time and can save a person hundreds of dollars a year. Phoning different companies and researching prices on the internet is well worth the time spent. Experts suggest getting at least three quotes before deciding. Most state’s insurance

Critically analyse Debenhams's code of conduct and identify tree key Essay

Critically analyse Debenhams's code of conduct and identify tree key components that demonstrate the company's values and busine - Essay Example 14). Stonehouse (1991) defines the code of conduct as â€Å"a statement about practice, or what we will strive to do† (Stonehouse, 1991). Since conduct is different from aesthetics, therefore, a good code of conduct should not address such issues as those of self-presentation, rhetoric, and style. A good code of conduct covers more than just moral principles; it also refers to the ideals of the good; â€Å"an engineer might insist on load bearing standards well above what the law requires because of his commitment to the ideal of safety. Sanctions – sanctions applied in the context of an appropriate complaints and discipline system - ought only to be deployed in relation to minimum standards (morality) but not in relation to ideals (ethics)† (Miller, 2002, p. 4). Essentials of a good code of conduct Bowie and Schnieder (2011) emphasize the construction of a foundation of the code of conduct before a company can make one that it expects all of its employees to fol low and work in accordance with. Essential components of a good code of ethics according to Bowie and Schnieder (2011) are that it should be applicable to everyone, it should remain consistent even at times during which the market is inconsistent, it should promote accountability and transparency, and it should help the organization apply the core values to the developments in regulations, technology, and all other factors that can affect the conduct of employees on the job. It is vital for a code of conduct to have involvement of the staff, and the management of individual operations and disciplinary processes should be assigned to the staff members (Bowden and Smythe, 2008, p. 584). Codes of conduct should not be just described as rules that dictate what actions need to be executed and what must be abstained from as such a visualization of codes of conduct is quite narrow. A good code of conduct mentions virtues in addition to actions. Debenhams’s code of conduct On Debenha ms’s website, there are three sections under the heading of â€Å"corporate social responsibility†. These sections include supplier code of conduct, disabled access, and policies of environmental and ethical trading. Debenhams shows only the supplier code of conduct on its website. This supplier code of conduct comprises 10 sections in total including introduction, legal requirements, employment, the safety and hygiene of working conditions, environment, representation of the workers, monitoring, inspection and assessment, sanctions, and ILO conventions. Out of the ten sections, only the third section i.e. employment has eight sub-sections titled payment of living wages, working hours not being excessive, employment of children, employment being freely chosen, disciplinary practices, lack of discrimination, respect for the freedom of association and the employees’ collective bargaining right, provision of regular employment (Debenhams, 2012a). Under the heading â€Å"disabled access†, Debenhams commits of providing the disabled people with access to the problem older stores. By providing this service for the disabled people, Debenhams gains an edge over other street retailers that do not provide the disabled people with this access. Debenhams essentially wants to project the image that the disabled people have all the rights of access that the non-disabled people ha

Career Planning assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Career Planning assignment - Essay Example From here, one gets to the final stage of career planning which is designing their professional development plan. At this stage, an individual states the improvements they need to make in order to qualify for the requirements which are supposed to take them up towards their career goal (Fuller 2011, p. 410). The following text is my elaborated career plan as I aim at owning a top-of-the-range lingerie selling store in the U.K. I have always aspired to go into self-employment as opposed to being employed by anyone else. Specifically, I have always promised myself that I would start and run an executive lingerie selling store in the United Kingdom. This career appeals to me because I have a good taste of fashion, and I am sure what I will have to offer will be irresistible. Additionally, I am good at convincing people, and this is a good sign that I will always attract clients. Commercial skills to enable them to plan promotions, pricing, and product presentation, to achieve budget forecasts and targets, to devise the best store layout, and to advise retail managers on matters such as competition and marketing initiatives. Lingerie business also requires high standards so that compliance with procedures and policies is observed, excellence in customer service is instilled, and finally safety, repairs, and housekeeping is maintained. Presently, the skills I possess are aligned towards my career, but they are inadequate. First, I have people management and financial management skills that I have acquired from my major. These are however not sufficient in the event that I had to apply for such a lingerie store management job. The skills I have in commercial management are only on product pricing, presentation and promotion. However, the career demands that I should be able to achieve budget forecasts and targets. Additionally, my communication skills which I am quite satisfied with still need to be sharpened so that I

Service marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Service marketing - Essay Example Over the years several researches have been conducted in order to have a better understanding of service marketing. Many of these researches are published in the ‘Journal of Service Marketing’. This report presents three research reports on service marketing. Each of them is published in ‘Journal of Service Marketing’. The report provides a comprehensive outline of all the important theories and analysis that are given in the three research reports. This report is made for the marketing manager of Wal-Mart. Titles of the three journals are ‘Push, scream, or leave: how do consumers cope with crowded retail stores?’, ‘Consumer perceptions of internet-based e-retailing: an empirical research in Hong Kong’ and ‘Services marketing in a cross-cultural environment: the case of Egypt’. These three papers are chosen because they are directly related to the retail sector. The researches and the results that are stated in these th ree papers are expected to help the marketing manager of Wal-Mart to make more effective decisions in future. The research paper titled ‘Push, scream, or leave: how do consumers cope with crowded retail stores?’ is written by Anita Whiting who is from Clayton State University in USA. This report deals with the increasing problem of ‘crowding’ in retail stores. Heavy crowd in retail stores is a persistent problem for both retailers as well as consumers. Consumers are often stressed and frustrated due to heavy crowd in the store. Crowding badly affects the satisfaction level of the consumers. It reduces the time that is spent by the consumer in the store. Re patronage intentions of the consumers are also affected by the crowding. Business organisations can minimize the negative impacts of crowding by understanding the strategies implemented by the consumers to cope with the environment of a crowded retail shop. There

Miu Miu Advertising and Marketing Technique Essay

Miu Miu Advertising and Marketing Technique - Essay Example In 1998 she opened Miu Miu's first North American boutique, in Los Angeles. Miu Miu was in fact an addition onto the original Prada line, and was introduced in 1992 as a lower-priced line aimed at a younger audience. "The Miu Miu line, which shares Miuccia Prada's nickname, emphasizes earthy colors and a less haute couture look, evoking an overall more bohemian style." ("Wikpedia", 2006). Miu Miu is considered to be the youngest and most dynamic line by Prada. It is known for being a much more fun and innovative label and its womenswear is always lovely, making desirable clothes rarely seen before. In its advertising campaigns, waif-like models are used in 'home photo' poses, in order to add onto this bohemian style. And so, named after its creator's nickname, Miu Miu was introduced as "anti-fashion fashion". The label has a habit of globe-trotting and moved its show to the United States for three seasons starting in 1994. It was in fact one of the first of a number of secondary Italian lines to hop over to New York Fashion Week. In 1997, Miu Miu showed in London for one season before returning again to Milan. Headquartered in Italy with another location in New York, they have a wide range of clothing and accessories, including everything from slide sandals to trendy flowered skirts and dresses. Miu Miu is considered to be an "accessory-strong brand", who has carved out a significantly separate identity from the main Prada line by associating itself with emerging actors, artists and musicians. Indie stars such as Ludivine Sagnier and Selma Blair have populated its advertisements, and Miu Miu's forthcoming spring campaign is said to be featuring stars such as Kim Basinger and Camilla Belle. Miu Miu strives to advertise and reach their customers through many different forums, including retail outlets, television, magazines, and online. The reason for this is to allow as many potential customers as possible. Although their main consumer target focus is the younger women demographic (20-30), their designs can be worn by women of basically all ages. The clothes are stylish and dressy while still remaining classy and conservative. This assists a great deal in their marketing strategy, in that a larger group of women fall into the 'wearable' category than many other designer brands. Many times a brand will focus strongly on a specific age group, whereas Miu Miu seems to have more freedom of choice in that area. Miu Miu's look is rather upscale, and they use high quality materials to design each piece of clothing. They continuously purposely aim to primarily sell their clothing lines in high-end designer stores, in order to retain the idea of quality. Their designs are sold alongside other famously known designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, and Versace. Miuccia Prada likes to use a lot of crunchy polyester, parachute nylon, and other synthetic fabrics. As for colors, the Miu Miu line tends to have many different tones of green, browns, white, cream, and black. In her most recent line of Spring/Summer 2006, the Miu

Personal Ethics Statement Essay Example for Free

Personal Ethics Statement Essay My personal ethics statement includes my values and ideals important to me as an academic and in everyday life. My ethics are personal beliefs and morals that reflect and define the person I am. The decisions and choices I make every day should be consistent with integrity and respect toward others. These ethics will ensure my happiness and peace if I keep and hold these values. I believe the value of equality for people regardless of race, religion, and handicaps ensure that all people can be treated fairly. Treating people with respect and dignity while holding myself accountable to these principles will ensure that I treat others as I want to be treated. My preferred ethical lens is the reputation lens. I listen to my intuition and determine what character traits and virtues will best serve the community. The equality of a community is important to ensure a fair and balanced society for all. All people should contribute and develop a voice in a community by actively participating and finding common ground thru diversity. I believe in examining each situation in its own context rather than applying same solutions for the whole community. My blind spot possessing unrealistic role expectations either on myself or others means that I need to pay close attention to my expectations of other individuals. My expectations may not be the same as others, so not forgetting the people make mistakes same as me. Keeping in mind that I am not in control of every situation and that other people are capable of resolving problems or events that I may believe are only accomplishable by me. Trusting other people’s choices and decisions will help in overcoming this blind spot. My strengths include courage and steadiness in the face of obstacles. I avoid rash decisions and at the same time have courage to face unknown or untested waters. I value friendship and keep close connections with people I trust and value. I appreciate those who work alongside and help to encourage me. I value equality and demonstrate compassion for others in need. My weakness include; entitlement, hardness of heart, and confusion. Believing that I am entitled to special privileges and persuade others that my role gives me pecial rights are inconsistent with good character traits. Hardness of heart comes from experiences of people that did not live up to my expectations. I must develop and practice mindfulness not to be confused on the role that I am identified. Identifying my weakness is important, it allows for self-reflection and improvement. The values I hold, and the resultant behavior allows me to listen to my intuition and determine what traits and virtues will serve the community. My values define me and my behaviors are a reflection of whom I am. My behaviors also affect others in relationships either casual or professional. The choices I make are behaviors and reflect me. My personal ethics determine my course of action allowing me to see more clearly and finding balance in my life. Exploring and digging deep into my own emotions will allow me to discern decisions I make. Keeping an open and honest heart in all situations and reexamining my ethics will allow for improvement and correction. I believe that all these things will help keep me focused and grounded to help with better decision making and improve my quality of life.

Smiths Group SWOT and PESTLE Analysis

Smiths Group SWOT and PESTLE Analysis Introduction: Smiths Group was first established as a family clock and watch business in 1851 by its founder Samuel Smith. Later in 1944 S. Smiths Sons (Motor Accessories) public limited company was formed with four divisions including motor accessories, aircraft instruments, industrial instruments and English clocks. In 1958 aircraft instruments combined with Kelvin Hughes, establish aviation and marine divisions. Company acquires Portland Plastics and Surgical Plastic in the same year (1958). Industrial division was established in 1960 which was concerned with the industrial instruments. In 1965 company changes its name to Smiths industries in 1965. (Detail history of company is listed out in appendices-1). (http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/results) In July 2008, Smiths Group announced the acquisition of Triasx, a Brisbane-based wireless communications components manufacturer. In the same month, Smiths Detection opened a high-tech production plant in Germany designed to meet the soaring global demand for its advanced x-ray scanning machines. In September 2008, Smiths Group announced the sale of an eight acre former operational site in Basingstoke, Hampshire for  £16 million (approximately $32 million). In the same month, Smiths Medical developed a unique wireless blood pressure monitor using Bluetooth technology which is set to transform the way medics treat critically ill patients in hospital. Later in the month, the group announced that its interconnect division won long-term design and supply contracts on US military communications programmes worth a potential  £225 million (approximately $450.1 million). In November 2008, Smiths Group announced the acquisition of Zhejiang Zheda Medical Instrument, the Hangzhou-based medi cal instruments manufacturer. In January 2009, John Crane announced that it won a new  £8 million (approximately $16 million) maintenance contract from upstream oil and gas exploration company Talisman Energy (UK). In the same year, the group opened its new headquarters in central London, completing a reorganization designed to increase customer focus and significantly cut costs. (http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/results) Review and analysis of companys sector and company standing in sector, identify its main competitors: Smiths group provide services and products for medical devices, contraband detection, energy and communication market in more than 50 countries worldwide. Group mainly operates in UK, North America and continental Europe. There are four main divisions of group which are detection, medical, john crane, medical and specialty other. Group is operates with four governments and their agencies, petrochemical companies, hospitals and equipment manufacturers and service provider in different sectors around the world. Smiths Detection is one of world best manufacturers and designers of sensors that detects and identify narcotics, explosives, weapons, chemical agents, contraband and biohazards. Detection division helps customers in the global transportation, borders and ports, critical infrastructure, emergency responder market and military. This division provides services to the customs authorities, emergency responders, security authorities and homeland securities. Division is providing different services to US Transport Security Administration (TSA), UK ministry defense and airport security to BAA in UK. John Carne is another main profits contributing business of Smiths group Plc. It provides products and services for major process industries, which includes chemical, oil and gas companies, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper and mining sector. This division provides services to oil and gas companies, pump, refineries and compressors manufacturers. Main customers include China petroleum, Chevron, BP, Qatar gas, Saudi Amraco, Shell, Total, Dresser, Flowserve, Elliot, ITT, Mitsubishi, Solar Turines and many more. (John Crane to cut 90 at seal factory, Dawson, Brad, Rubber Plastics News; 11/17/2003, Vol. 33 Issue 8, p1-22, 2p) Medical division is one of top specialist supplier of medical devices and equipments for worldwide market. Divisions products like medication delivery, safety devices and vital care are market focused and helping in the treatment of cancer, diabetes and many other illnesses. Division has direct sales in twenty countries and has distribution channels in many other countries. Flex-Tek is another division of Smiths group plc. This division provides engineered components that heat and move fluids for the medical, aerospace, industrial, construction and domestic markets. It is also providing fluids for commercial aircraft and for motor sports fuel and hydraulic applications. It has manufacturing facilities in UK, France, Malaysia, China, India and Mexico. Company customers include Boeing, Electrolux, Carrier, Whirlpool, Trane Part Whitiney GE Aerospace, Airbus, Hoover, Dyson and Panasonic. (MARKET FOCUS, Velocci, Jr., Anthony, Aviation Week Space Technology; 9/29/2003, Vol. 159 Issue 13, p10-11, 2p, 1 Chart, 1 Graph) Following are the few major compotators of Smiths Group Plc. Detail competitors information can be found in appendix. EADS Goodrich Corporation GE Healthcare Flowserve Corporation L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. 3M Company GE one of the big rival companies is trying to acquire Smiths Group Plc. for  £2.45 billion. If this acquisition is successful than group will lose one of its important division. Smiths Group competitors are making strategic move to take group out of business. For complete list of competitors see appendices-2) (Kanter Jake, Supply Management; 10/22/2009, Vol. 14 Issue 21, p7-7, 3/4p) Smiths Group is operating in highly competitive markets and in those markets competitors have more recourses than the group. Smiths Detection competes with L3 Security Detection Systems, GE Security, Nucteck and Rapiscan Systems. In the emergency responder and military market group main competitors are Bruker, Environics, General Dynamics and Canberra. John Crane is also operation in highly competitive environment. In Oil and Gas rotation technologies major competitors of John carne are Eagle Burgmann Industries, Flowserve, Ocborne Engineering Waukesha. In equipment in upstream energy division face competitors like Norris, Weatherford, Cameron, UPCO and Quinn. Medical division competes with well establish competitors like, Teleflex, Covidien, Becton Dickinson, Cardinal, Hospira, Vital signs, Medtronic and many more. Many small and medium size competitors are working are competing with Smiths Interconnect operations. Competitors of microwave sub system include Deutsch, Radiall, Amphenol and Souriau. Smiths group aerospace tubular systems competitors include Eaton and Parker- Hannifin. Heat solutions domestic appliance and specialty heating element competitors include Watlow, Emerson and Chromalux. In construction related operation group is facing competition from Hitachi, Omega-fex, Hart Cooley, Atco and Goodman. (MARKET FOCUS, Velocci, Jr., Anthony, Aviation Week Space Technology; 9/29/2003, Vol. 159 Issue 13, p10-11, 2p, 1 Chart, 1 Graph) PESTLE ANALYSIS: (P)OLITICAL: Smiths Group has good relationship with governments like, USA, UK, Europe, China, Russia and many others. Smiths group is involved directly in national security of UK and USA. Most of the group contracts are from governments and public sector. Smiths group products are used in detection, medical, oil gas, aviation and many other businesses as well. In order itself operation group has make sure that it deals with governments fairly otherwise it will be difficult for group to keep most of it business. Involvement in national security and defense should be carried out in such a manner that no confidentiality is breached. Change in political government may result in loss of contracts as new governments may not want to continue projects with the group. Change in government policies and tax rate changes will directly affect group profitability. (http://www.smiths.com/ar09/smiths_group.aspx) (E)CONOMICAL: According to IMF reports world economy will be in recession for 2009 and 2010. It is evidenced now that this economic recession was worse than expected. Economic recession will have negative effect on group revenues and group may have to redundant extra staff if this trend continues. (http://www.smiths.com/ar09/smiths_group.aspx) (S)OCIAL: Group is operating directly and indirectly in countries with different social and cultural backgrounds. Thus group has to make sure that it shouldnt work against the cultural and social values of that country. Group should develop such human resources strategies that it will result in motivation for their staff from different back grounds. (http://www.smiths.com/ar09/smiths_group.aspx) (T)ECHNOLOGICAL: Smiths group is operating in such a competitive environment that it has to change its procedures in such a manner it should remain market leader. Technology changes results in cost savings, time saving and resources saving thus eventually results in profits. Group has acquired many running business to have benefit of new market, products and technologies. (http://www.smiths.com/ar09/smiths_group.aspx) (L)EGAL: Group operations may result in law suits either from employee or from customers. Such losses can be big enough to have negative effects on profitability. Thus group should devise mitigation strategies like get insurance for losses etc. (http://www.smiths.com/ar09/smiths_group.aspx) (E)NVIRONMENTAL: Group should operate in such a manner that its operations should result in long term sustainable profits. Group operations are global and it operations will have massive impact on environment. Thus group must act to reduce negative impacts of its operations. Group must not consume all the available resources and must replace all consumed resources as it will bring sustainability to climate and help future generation to exist. (ACCA P3, 2010) SWOT ANALYSIS: Smiths Group one of the biggest technology group globally. Smiths group acquired many companies which brought synergies for the group. On the other hand acquisition also results in many inherent problems. (S)trengths Rapid inorganic growth: Group has acquired well established companies in different sectors which give them more capabilities to meet customer needs. Acquisition of Sartorius Bearing Technology (SBT) has improved group abilities to improve technological improvement and results in high performance rotating equipment for oil and gas industry. (Smiths Group buys six US companies in a year Professional Engineering; 5/25/2005, Vol. 18 Issue 10, p14-14, 1/5p) Strong geographical presences and good customer relations: Group is operating in more than fifty countries worldwide. Group has good relations with governments like US, UK and Europe. Group have contracts with the governments, big industries, hospitals and many other global companies. Smiths detections technology is used at nearly 80% of the worlds airports and 85% of its sales are influenced by the governments and their agencies. Capabilities: Group has strong abilities to develop new technologies. Investment in research and development is significant which is a indication of group commitment to the future organic growth of the business. Group has invested  £ 86 million in RD in financial year 2008, which was 8.9% more than the previous year. (W)eaknesses Poor cash management: As compare to 2007 group cash inflows in 2008 are declining. The net cash inflow from operating activities decreased by 19.5%, if this trend continues in future company will be struggling to pay its liabilities. Poor cash management indicates poor cost controls, inefficient management of resources and poor decision making by the management. High gearing: It is observed in the financial statements of the company that debt in 2008 have increased as compared to the 2007. There is 30.7% increase in debt which means company is relying more on debts than other cheap financing sources like equity and internally generated profits. High debts can result in less profits, compulsory interest payments, loss of investors trust and eventually loss of control because of collaterals. Competitors: Group is operating in highly competitive environment where it faces competition from global companies which have more resources than the group. Competitors like, EADS, Goodrich Corporation, GE Healthcare, Flowserve Corporation, L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc., 3M Company, Anaren, Inc., Amphenol Corporation and many more are well establish businesses. Thus in such an environment it is challenging for Smiths to survive and compete on prices. (O)pportunities Acquisitions: Group has acquired much well established business and it has given more opportunities to gain competitive advantages, access to, new technologies, and new markets, large number of customers and diversification to manage risks. Increasing product demands like, for detection and medical equipment: US medical market has an evidence of growth over the past few years and it is estimated that this trend will continue in future. Thus group has potential of growth in this market. Increased demand in tourism industry has resulted in much stronger rebound of air traffic in recent years than evidenced previously. Thus there is big potential for group to expend in this market and in all other product markets as well. (Smiths confident that growth will continue Massy-Beresford, Helen, Flight International; 3/22/2005, Vol. 167 Issue 4977, p26-26, 1/4p) (T)hreats Global economic recession: According to the IMF reports world economy will be in recession for next two years and this recession will have negative impact on global companies. Highly competitive industry: It will be difficult for company to increase profitability in such an intense competitive environment. (http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2009/res070809a.htm) Financial analysis: Profitability: Profitability ratios can be used by investors to evaluate company is generating enough profits or not. Management can use these ratios to evaluate whether controls are efficiently working and company achieving will be able to achieve long term sustainable profits or not. (ACCA F9, 2010) Return on capital employed (ROCE): ROCE is a profitability ratio which describes relationship between operating profits and capital employed. Capital employed includes debt and equity financing. ROCE of the company is increasing over the last three years. And company is generating more returns by using available sources of finance. ROCE in 2009 is 19.73% and for 2008 it is 17.98% which is 1.74% higher than the last year. There was 7.84% ROCE in Y/E 2006 but later on company has managed to increase return. ROCE can be further explained by calculating net profit margin and asset turnover. (ACCA F9, 2010) Net Profit Margin (NPM): Net profit margin shows the relationship between operating profits and sales. NPM of Y/E2009 is 15.94% which is 0.28 % higher than the last year 15.66% in Y/E 2008. Over the last five years NPM is increasing but increase is not significant. It may be because of poor controls on direct and indirect costs and high competitive environment. Company may be struggling to compete on price due to competitors actions. Asset Turnover (AT): Asset turnover shows relationship between sales and capital employed. AT shows how efficiently noncurrent assets of company has been utilized over the past years. Company AT in 2009 is 0.09 times higher than the last year and there is not much difference between AT over the last five years. Company noncurrent assets are losing their efficiency and they might need replacements in near future. Gross Profit Margin (GPM): GPM shows relation between gross profit and turnover. GPM is stable over the last five years. This shows that company have good control on direct costs (material, labor and production overheads). (ACCA F9, 2010) Liquidity Ratios: Liquidity ratios show the liquid (cash) resources condition of the business. These ratios explain the ability of company to pay its current liabilities and expenses. (ACCA F5, 2010) Current Ratio (CR): Current ratio explains relation between current assets and current liabilities. Group CR is below than standard CR of 2. Over the last five years company CR is consistent. Company has to fewer current assets as compared to the current liabilities. (ACCA F5, 2010) Quick Ratio (QR): Quick ratio shows the relation between liquid current assets and current liabilities. Group QR is less than standard 1 time. Company has less liquid assets available as compared to the current liabilities. If this trend continues company will be struggling to pay its current liabilities and eventually group can face cash flow problems. (ACCA F5, 2010) Working Capital Ratios: Working capital ratios explain the cash management of the business. It includes further three ratios. Inventory Days (ID): Inventory days of the group are gradually increasing which means group is losing its control over the inventory. Company is keeping inventory for longer period and this trend is increasing every year. Group has to incur extra cost like holding cost in holding inventory for long and if inventory take longer to sale it will result in loss of value. (ACCA F5, 2010) Accounts Payable Days (APD): APD of the group is reducing as comparison to the last five years. If company is paying to their suppliers earlier it will loss cash and eventually will be difficult for company to manage cash flows. If group delay its payments to the suppliers it can use same cash for other purposes and thus can have a benefit of interest free loan. (ACCA F5, 2010) Accounts Receivable Days (ARD): Accounts receivable days shows the time period taken by the receivables to pay organisation. TRD have increased over the last few years and thus group is struggling to get money back from their customers. (ACCA F5, 2010) Solvency Ratios: Financial Gearing: Group long term debts have increased over the last five years. In Y/E 2009 long term debts of the company were 752.2 million which is 31.5 million higher than the Y/E 2008. Group is relying more on debts as compared to the share capital thus group is exposed to high risks. Group is highly geared and investors will lose their interest in investing in to the organization. (ACCA F5, 2010) Interest Cover (IC): IC shows comparison between operating profits and interest charge. Company profits are increasing over the last five year. Company ability to pay interest is increasing over the last few years. Price Earnings Ratio (P/E ratio): P/E ratio can be used to explain the relation between share price and profits. This ratio helps investors to identify whether the company is achieving their aim of maximization of wealth and growth of their wealth. P/E ratio of the company is 4.352 times in Y/E 2009 and is 5.595times in Y/E 2008. If this trend continues investors will lose their interest in group and group will suffer to get equity financing. (ACCA F5, 2010) Earnings per Share (EPS): EPS is the measure of amount of dividend (portion of profit distributed among share holders) available to the share holders. As compared to 2008 company EPS has increased by 1 penny. On average group EPS remain at same level this indication that company is giving regular dividend to its share holders. (ACCA F5, 2010) Share Price: Share price is very sensitive information for shareholders and little variation in share price will change investors choice of investment. There are many factors which affect share price like speculations, company performance, forecasts, company future perspectives, market trends and many more. Group share price variations over the last five years can be seen in appendices. Share price trend shows company share price is coming back to peak as it was in 2008. Group share price fell to the lowest price in May 2009. Group has significant impact of economic recession on its share price. This shows lack of investors trust in stocks market as there was high risk in market due to recession. In 2010 group share price revive and reaches to its maximum, which shows investor still trust group and are willing to invest into company. (ACCA F9, 2010) Appendices: Appendix 1 Smiths Group History: (from 1983 till 2008) In 1983 company ceased production of direct supplies of original equipment to European motor industry. Company sold vehicle heater business to a subsidiary of Hanson Trust in same year (1983). Company also stops operations of mechanical clocks in 1984. At that time (1984) company was operating under three groups industrial; medical systems; and defense and aerospace. In 1987 company acquire US avionics business of Laer Siegler Holidings. Company acquire Graseby which was involved in defense related equipments for biological and chemical detection in 1997. Strategic Technology Systems, a supplier of health and usage monitor systems was acquired in 1999. In 2000 company acquired the BAE systems, Marconi actuation systems and an aerospace division of Invensys. In the same year (2000) company purchased Fairchild Dynamics from Orbital Sience and merged with TI Group and was named as Smiths Group. Group made acquisition of Barringer Technologies, Point- Lok Needle Protection Device from Griff Industries, Summitek Instruments and Bivona Medical Technologies. In late 2001 group sold its vacuum and pressure businesses to BOC Edeards. In mid 2002 group sold its Jhon Crane-Lips marine business to Wartsila of Finland. In 2002 company also acquire Heimann Systems in 2002. Group sold its air movement and cable management businesses by the end of 2002 to HSBC private equity. In mid 2003 group announced to form a new division including Smiths Heimann and Smiths Detection to supply services to detection market. Company streamlined its medical division to for Smiths Medical in same year (2003). Company sells Matzen Timm(international aeronautical industry) to Masterflex and also sell its polymer business to Trelleborg. Company made a contract with Boeing to supply wind pylons for 20 years in the end of 2003. Cyrano Sciences was acquired by Smiths Detection in 2004. Dynamic Gunver Technologies (aerospace business) was acquired by the group for $102 million, in 2004. SensIR Technologies, a manufacturers of infrared based analysers for $75 million. TRAK communications was later acquired in 2004 for $111.5 million and strengthened its interconnect business. A respiratory care device company was acquired in 2004 by Smiths Medical. John Crane acquired Tianjin Timing Seals in 2004 to strengthened its presence in China. The group acquired Farran Technology and strengthened its detection activities, in 2005. In the same year, it acquired Medex, a medical devices company for $925 million. Later in the year, the group acquired ETI Technology, a US bio-technology detection company. Also in 2005, Smiths Group announced that Flexible Technologies business of the specialty engineering division had purchased Hi-Tech Hose in Massachusetts for  £9 million and Farnam Custom Products in North Carolina for  £3.5 million. During the same year, the company acquired Millitech, a millimetre wave and antenna company in the US, for $33.5 million. Later in 2005, it acquired LiveWave for $17.6 million and extended its detection technology range. In 2006, Smiths Group expanded its interconnect business by acquiring the business and assets of Lorch Microwave for $25 million.The group entered into a contract with Shanghai Pudong International Airport to supply x-ray systems, in the same year. Later in the year, the group established engine components facility in North Carolina. Also, the detection division established a new production facility, Smiths Heimann Rus, in St Petersburg, Russia. Also in 2006, the group partnered with Boeing for GoldCare service solution for Boeing 787 dreamliner operators. During the same year, the group launched Tadar, a new people screening system. During 2006, the aerospace division of the group teamed up with BAE Systems to develop an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) technology demonstrator project called Taranis. During the same month, Smiths group entered into $60 million agreement with General Electric on F404 engine. Later in 2006, Dowty Propellers, a business of the aerospace division, entered into a long term propeller support agreement with Flybe Airlines for the Dash 8 Q400 passenger aircraft fleet. Smiths Group announced the acquisition of CDI Energy Services (CDI) in 2007. In the same year, the group sold its aerospace businesses to General Electric. Later in the year, Smiths Detection secured ten year BAA deal to revolutionise UK passenger checkpoints. Deal includes deployment of aTiX, the checkpoint X-ray machine that can automatically detect explosives and liquids. Also, in Russia and Dubai, Smiths Detection gained significant orders worth over $150 million in the transportation and ports border markets. During 2007, Smiths interconnect, part of Smiths Group, announced that four of its businesses, Hypertac, TRAK Microwave Systems, PolyPhaser and Millitech were awarded contracts with a total potential value of over $90 million. In the same year, Smiths Group acquired Sartorius Bearing Technology (SBT), part of Sartorius. SBT is a leading provider of high performance rotating equipment for the oil and gas industry based in Gottingen, Germany. Later in 2007, Smiths Group sold its Marine In March 2008, Smiths Group received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new portable medication delivery system that would make pain management simpler and safer for patients and clinicians. After one month, Smiths Group announced the acquisition of Indufil BV, a Dutch-based specialist in filters for the petrochemical and process industries. Smiths Medical announced it would promote and distribute Abbotts FreeStyle Navigator Continuous Glucose Monitoring System in April 2008. In May 2008, Smiths Group announced the purchase of Allrizon Tongguang, a Shanghai-based communications equipment firm. In the same month, the group announced completion of its acquisition of Fiber Composite (Fiberod), a Texas-based company, specialist in oil and gas lifting equipment. (http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/results) Appendix 2 Smiths Group Competitors List: Anaren, Inc. Amphenol Corporation American Technology Corporation B. Braun Medical Inc Becton, Dickinson and Co. Cobham plc Covidien Ltd. Cardinal Health, Inc. Cameron International Corporation Emerson Electric Co. General Electric Company GE Security, Inc. Hitachi, Ltd. Hart Cooley, Inc. Hospira, Inc. Moog Inc. Medtronic, Inc. Nutech Inc. NORRIS MEDIC Omega Flex, Inc. Pall Corporation Quinn Group, Inc. Radiall SA Rapiscan Systems, Inc. Siemens AG Teleflex Incorporated Tyco International Ltd. United Technologies Corporation Universal Potash Corp Vital Signs, Inc. Weatherford International Ltd. Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company (http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/results) Appendix 3: Ratios Analysis: Y/E 07/31/09 Y/E 07/31/08 Y/E 07/31/07 Y/E 07/31/06 Y/E 07/31/05 Profitability ROCE=PBIT/CE*100 424.80/(3011.3)*100=19.727% 17.98 17.015 7.848 14.783 NPM 424.8/2664.6*100=15.942% 15.66 14.545 5.447 11.86 AT 2664.6/(1541.5-858)=1.24 times 1.15 1.17 1.37 1.25 GPM 1217.1/2664.6*100=45.68% 45.48 46.36 40.07 38.37 Liquidity Current Ratio 1099.6/858=1.28 Times 1.33 1.21 1.28 1.32 Quick Ratio (1099.6-413.6)/858=0.799 Times 0.86 0.824 0.781 0.77 Working Capital Inventory Days 413.6/1330.1*365=113 days 117 107 102 120 Accounts Payable days 130.7/1330.1*365=35 days 48 55 46 45 Receivables Days 514.4/2664.6*365=70 days 83 75 69 82 Solvency Ratios Financial gearing 752.2/859*100=87.57% 78.68 62.78 63.27 77.83 Interest Cover 424.8/54.4=7.81 8.41 5.43 3.29 7.45 Dividend Cover 30.03 26.6 22.12 2.88 28.63 P/E Ratio 4.352 5.595 4.434 3.772 3.873 EPS 0.054 0.042 0.053 0.057 0.051 Appendix 4 Share price Movement (Adopted from http://ir1.euroinvestor.com/asp/IR/PrinterFriendly/PFOD2.aspx)

Identifying Personal Development And Learning Styles Personal Development Essay

Identifying Personal Development And Learning Styles Personal Development Essay It is obvious that as a practicing first-line manager, your own success is more likely if you use your talents (strengths) to their full extent to exploit the opportunities that present themselves to you. Also, its important to understand your weaknesses so that you can manage them out of your daily work activities and thereby also eliminate any threats which may affect your potential to progress. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis (Stanford Research Institute 1960-1970) is a useful technique to identify and analyse, in a proactive manner, these four areas. Not only that, but it also provides a good framework for reviewing your own personal development needs and enables you to work on your personal strengths and abilities to distinguish yourself from your peers and hence forward your career My own personal SWOT analysis has been appended to this assignment (see Appendix A). Own Learning Style(s) Identified Honey and Mumford (HM) use the terms activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist to represent the four key learning styles (or preferences). These correspond to stages in the learning cycle and are based on earlier work by David Kolb (and indeed are used interchangeably by some authors with the terms in the Kolb model). Both models are particularly interesting from the perspective that they offer a way to understand peoples different learning styles but also explain a cycle of experimental learning which can be applied to everyone. The four HM key stages and styles are typically presented at north, east, south and west on a four-stage cyclical flow diagram. This actually expresses a four stage cycle of learning in which having an immediate or concrete experience provides a basis for reviewing/reflecting on the experience. These reflections are assimilated into conclusions from the experience producing implications for action which enables the planning for the next step, i.e. the creation of a new experience. In theory, the learner should visit all four points of the diagram i.e. a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking and acting. They, and their relationship with Kolbs learning styles, are explained in the Table A below: Table A -Comparison of HM Learning stages/styles with Kolb learning style Kolbs Learning Style HM Learning Style/Stage Preferred learning opportunity Personality characteristics of learning style Accomodating Having an Experience/Activists Practical, hands on Here and now; seek challenge and immediate experience; Bored by implementation Diverging Reviewing the experience/ Reflectors Gather information, consider and analyse Stands back; Thoughtful; listens before speaking Assimilating Concluding from the Experience/ Theorists Logical approach, gathers facts to form theories Rational, objective, dismisses subjectivity Converging Planning the next steps /Pragmatists Seeks new concepts, problem solving Likes quick decisions, bored with long discussions Most people naturally prefer a certain single different learning style. Various factors can influence this and Kolb defined 3 stages of a persons development and suggests that the integration of the four different learning styles improves as a person progresses through the development stages. I have completed an HM Learning Style Questionnaire and my preferred learning styles are Theorist and Pragmatist. This means that I have a preference for a concise and logical approach to learning. For me, ideas and concepts are more interesting than people. I do require a good, clear explanation; however, one slight difference to this learning style is that I like to see that the theory can work in a practical situation as well. I enjoy technically related tasks such as gathering and understanding wide-ranging information and trying to organise it in a logical format. In a formal learning situation, my preferences are reading and lectures and having time to consider things. I like to solve problems and make decisions by finding answers to questions. This was not particularly surprising because my job role as an Assurance Specialist involved in auditing actually demands a logical style of approach to deliver work effectively. Furthermore, problem solving is also a key skill for me in advising teams on how to resolve issues with their management processes. Analyse Learning and Development Options and Identify Barriers and Support mechanisms Two learning/development options one for self, one for organisation My personal SWOT analysis identified two development options as follows: To improve my soft skills such as assertiveness, communication and the effectiveness of my decision making. This would help in meeting the needs of the organisation and of the needs of my immediate team. To gain a better understanding of how Environmental Management is applied by Network Rail at a Project level. This would help me to gain an insight as to how I could apply some of the information I learnt on my Institute of Environmental Management (IEMA) course in a practical scenario. I have added both of these onto a Personal Development Plan, which is attached as Appendix C to this assignment. In terms of development opportunity (1), I could make use of the many e-learning tools available via the Network Rail Intranet site as well as obtaining support from my line manager to check my progress as well as him giving me tasks which will help to develop my soft-skills. I could monitor the success of this personal development through regular (once a month) one-to-ones with my line-manager and via my 6-monthly performance reviews. Listening and learning from what has worked well for him in the past would align itself well with the pragmatic approach I prefer to learning. With respect to my own personal development opportunity (2), there is a course offered through Network Rail about Environmental Management within Projects. I have booked a place on this course and intend to follow it up by conducting audits on Environmental Management across Infrastructure Projects as part of the 2010-11 National Core Audit Programme. In this way, I shall be able to speak to Environmental Specialists who apply Environmental Management techniques as part of their daily activities an gain a deeper understanding of what is involved. Identify Barriers to learning and how to overcome them Some potential barriers which could prevent or slow down my progress are time-constraints, distractions and issues with the suitability of e-Learning to my own learning style. These barriers could be overcome by planning a time-out for learning within my weekly schedule and ensuring that I commit to not allowing any work activities to interfere with it. Im unsure as to whether e-learning will complement my learning style because the courses do not present practical situations to apply what has been learnt. However, perhaps regular feedback sessions and suitable tasks set by my line-manager may serve to complement the e-learning courses. Considering the Environmental Management training I have identified, after completing the course, I will need to liaise with the staff drawing up the National Core Audit Programme so that I can be included for the Environmental Section of at least 2 of the audits across the Investment Projects portfolio. The auditing aspect will require me to make careful preparation before visiting the Programme so that I have a full awareness of how they are managing the Environment. This could involve looking at their Environmental Management Plan in detail and compiling a series of relevant questions before I make the visit. Both the training and my IEMA qualification should enable me to do this and carry out the audit effectively. Support mechanisms for self-development I would look to support from my line-manager and team members through the use of formal (1-2-1s) and ad-hoc reviews of my progress. Regular teleconferences or face-to-face meetings with members of the cohort who attended the same Leading and Managing Teams course could also be set up, where we could discuss our own personal progress and problems. These may prove to be extremely beneficial from a learning perspective for all concerned. I would also like to involve the Investment Projects Environment Manager and Environmental Specialists from the Programmes from the perspective of them being there to provide expert advice on technical questions. Two other support mechanisms which suit my learning style are testing and feedback. I am most comfortable with regularly testing my new skill sets as demonstrated with the Environmental training taking what I have learnt and applying it to actual situations in the workplace and obtaining feedback on what I did well and what I should look to improve on next time. This would provide me with the assurance that, not only do the techniques work, but also that I am progressing in the right direction. It would be an invaluable confidence builder both in my abilities and that the learning plan is delivering the desired results. Monitor and Evaluate Self-development One method to monitor and evaluate self-development I would monitor and review my learning using a learning log. This could be used to plan learning activities as milestones on the way to achieving the completed development activity and as a reference to check that milestones are being completed on time (through one-to-ones with the line manager). The log allows the user to focus in on the particular learning areas which are important to him, and to visualise the progress being made. For me, this would apply to areas such as assertiveness, communication skills and Environmental knowledge, for example. The log will allow others, such as team members and the line manager to understand what it is that an individual is trying to achieve and provide assistance and feedback where it is required. In addition, the learning log is a good tool for recording feedback, enabling the noting down of what went well and what could be improved with each learning activity as well as how the approach can be changed next time. Eventually, it should indicate for me, whether soft skills are still a learning area of me or whether I have shown, through practical demonstration, that I have mastered them. An example of a real learning log (extract) is attached as Appendix B to this assignment. For feedback to be effective, the Action Impact Do/Develop/Different model should be applied That is, the person giving the feedback should provide examples of what was done, its impact on the situation, and what should be done differently next time. This would allow the recipient to consider a different approach and modify his behaviour accordingly This is particular relevant to the skills I am trying to develop. Appendix A Personal SWOT Analysis Weaknesses I have a strong compulsive need to do things quickly especially when my to do list is long. Sometimes this has compromised my decision making ability. My need to keep the customer happy can sometimes lead to me acquiescing to his needs rather than defending my own position. I have a tendency to over-analyse what has happened in certain situations (even after I have prepared really well for them) when events have moved on and I can no longer do anything about them. I get a little nervous about presenting to members of the team and to customers. This can mean that these types of Presentation do not engage the audience as much as Id like. Strengths I have good analytical skills. I enjoy looking through data to determine conclusions and action planning to improve the current situation. I am very conscientious and deliver all work to the very best of my ability. I pride myself in organising my work so that it is always delivered on time. I go out of my way to satisfy or delight the customer. I am completely committed to the success of the team that I work for and creating a good impression of what we do to our customers/stakeholders. I have worked in Assurance/Quality related roles for over 20 years and have experience in most aspects of these functions. My job means a lot to me, I take it very seriously. Threats Potential future reorganisations meaning redundancy. Assurance becomes no longer a priority for the company. Perceptions and criticisms by customers and own team. 2012 move to Milton Keynes and the feasibility of commuting there on a daily basis. My current need for a lot of support from my line manager could be perceived that I no longer feel comfortable in taking decisions without someones help. Opportunities We are currently developing a customer feedback questionnaire which we will get our main stakeholders to complete. The output from this should help us to determine the areas we need to improve on going forward We have a lessons-learnt process and are always looking to improve the auditing process. That I take the knowledge Ive accumulated from the Leading and Managing Teams course and consistently look back on it and apply it to my day job. That I continue to work with my main customers to build a reputation with them so we are clear about what we expect from each other and that this leads to a positive working relationship which delivers results. Appendix B Learning Log (extract only) Date From Date to Activity What went well? What didnt go well? What you will do differently next time Nov. 09 Dec. 09 E-Learning Course Assertiveness The course was completed and all of the intermediate assessments passed There was no interaction element to the course how do you know it works in practice? This needs to be incorporated into 1-2-1 meetings to get feedback from line-management on how I am progressing/if this is still a development area for me. 23/11/09 23/11/09 Opening Meeting CrossRail audit All of the points on the agenda were covered Organisation was poor jumped from one topic to the next and then back again in a haphazard fashion Improve preparation plan out exactly which points to cover and at which times 12/01/10 12/01/10 Closing Meeting CrossRail audit Far more relaxed, bought the correct key people to the meeting deflected difficult questions to them at the right time Nothing to report do it the same next time. Carry this lesson forward for the 2010-11 National Core Audit Plan (NCAP). 15/02/2010 15/02/2010 One-day training session Environmental Management on Projects A good internal training session about how to apply the requirements of the Network Rail Environmental Management Handbook (Guide to Railway Projects Delivery Manual 04) on Projects Additional time to built into the course to go through some of the worked-examples in further detail. This knowledge needs to be applied in future as part of the 2010-11 NCAP audit of Environmental Management. Opportunity to be sought to take part in this section of the audit. Appendix C PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Preferred Learning Style/s Pragmatist/Theorist What do I want or need to develop? What actions / development will I do to achieve this? How will success be determined? Target dates for review and completion 1.My soft skills; e.g. Assertiveness, Listening, Coaching abilities E-Learning. Mentoring from my Line Manager. Experiences in my role. 1-2-1s; performance review meetings; improved confidence April 2010 (end of year review) 2. Understand Environmental Management on Network Rail Projects Network Rail course Environmental Management within Network Rail assisting National Core Audit Programme with Environmental auditing aspects. I will be able to carry out effective Environmental Audits of Network Rail Programme/Projects as determined both by Environmental Specialists on the Programmes and by the Investment Project Environment Manager. October 2010 and April 2011

The Plague of Cheating and Internet Plagiarism :: Journalistic Essays

Internet Essays - The Plague of Internet Plagiarism Not all thieves lurk in dark alleys and parks. Some sit with their faces lit by the glow of their computer monitors, copying, pasting, and printing. It may seem like just another helpful source of information, but the Internet has taken the theft of "intellectual property" to a new level. Part of the problem is that most students don't really know the exact definition of plagiarism or its consequences. Some say that using someone else's ideas without attributing them is a form of theft, but most people don't think of it as a serious crime. For teachers, Internet plagiarism has been especially problematic compared to "theft" from other sources. This is because it is so difficult to locate the origin of Internet material. To counter student plagiarism, Internet services designed to detect copied material have emerged to aid teachers. One Internet company, TurnItIn.com, has developed a system for detecting material plagiarized from the Internet. Teachers can upload student works onto the site, which searches for similarities to material from all over the Web. The teachers receive an "originality report" within a few days. To utilize this new technology, a few teachers at this high school are having students submit their papers on disk as well as on paper. "The threat of using [these programs] will stop a lot of students. They will be afraid they'll be caught. Unfortunately, fear is what works," English teacher Judy Grear said. English teacher Barbara Swovelin said, "With all the info that's on the Internet, it's understandable that we go to it to get information. It's understandable that people would use it as a resource. The legal and moral issues come in when students use it improperly." A main concern is not only the use of a few plagiarized sentences, but of entire papers. "Paper mills" like SchoolSucks.com and Evil House of Cheat are some of the most popular sources for pirated papers. Sites like these, which have achieved fame and notoriety among slackers everywhere, were the motivation for TurnItIn.com and similar sites. In addition to such blatant "cut and paste" plagiarism, most teachers agree that students must be wary of the theft of ideas. One plagiarism-detection program, Word Check, asserts through their Web site, "Whether you agree or disagree on how information should be used or reused in digital form, one thing is clear: protecting intellectual property from theft and infringement is the number one security issue.

The Importance of Childhood Vaccination Essays -- Medicine Vaccination

Since the introduction of vaccinations, medical science has managed to all but eliminate many formerly fatal and debilitating childhood illnesses in countries where the immunization of children is nearly universal. Diseases such as measles, mumps, diphtheria, rubella and polio have been relegated to a marginal status in developed countries with active immunization campaigns; smallpox is actually considered to have been completely eliminated from the earth, without a single case having been reported since roughly 1979 (â€Å"Childhood†). Largely centered around a study published in 1998 in the British medical journal â€Å"The Lancet†, there has been an upsurge in concerns of the safety of vaccinations and a resulting decrease in their usage. This has led to a somewhat anachronistic return of these diseases. In many developed countries, parents are relying on herd immunity to protect their children when they choose to forgo immunization over concerns about their safety. Herd immunity essentially means that when a small percentage of a social group â€Å"can't get certain vaccines for medical reasons, or some children are not able to respond to certain vaccines. For these children, the immunity of people around them is their only protection† (â€Å"Childhood†). While some parents' concerns over the safety of vaccinations are based upon the well-intentioned desire to keep children safe from autism, the act of choosing to not vaccinate their children actually causes far greater damage by exposing them to acquiring potentially life-threatening illnesses and removing a critical link in the chain of herd immunity. Over the last 12 years, a growing population of parents have chosen to avoid immunizing their children with the misguided belief that they are... ...s In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. Deer, Brian. "MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism." The Sunday Times. Times Newspapers Ltd , 8 Feb. 2009. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. â€Å"Hazlehurst v. Secretary of Health and Human Servs.† 604 F.3d 1343 (2010). Leagle.com. Leagle, Inc. Web. 28 Oct. 2010 "Noncompliance with Mandatory Vaccinations Threatens Community Health." Should Vaccinations be Manditory? Ed. Noà «l Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. "Vaccine Risks Are Outweighed by the Risks of Not Vaccinating." Should Vaccinations be Manditory? Ed. Noà «l Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. "Vaccines." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.

Water Aerobics Essay -- Aquatic Fitness Routine

Water Aerobics Water aerobics has been a strong growing type of exercise for many age groups for years. Water aerobics is a combination of arm and leg movements done in water for beginners. This type of aerobic exercise is typically done for less than an hour. This includes the same type of program as land aerobics with warm up and cool down periods. Swimming exercise uses more of the overall muscle mass of the body than almost any other form of exercise. (Water aerobics, â€Å"What is water aerobics† section, para. 1) Doing water aerobics is good for the joints and helps create a wider range of motion in the joints during exercise. It also nearly eliminates injuries in the water because the body is so buoyant. Water aerobics also improves flexibility because it is not causing pressure on the joints. This is because the body is supported by the water. Most water aerobics are done in waist, chest or neck high deep water. The water is supporting from 85 percent to 90 percent of the body in chest deep water. (Water aerobics, â€Å"Who can participate?† section, para. 1) In an advanced water aerobics class you are doing more calisthenics exercises. An individual doing water aerobics can burn anywhere from 450 to 700 calories for an hour of exercise. (Water aerobics, â€Å"How many calories does it burn?† section, para. 1) There is less stress on the joints and a more efficient cardiovascular workout. This is because water aerobics does not put as much of a beating on your bones and jo...

Human Cognitive Development Essay

The paper is designed to discuss human cognitive development through the prism of various perspectives. Apriori, developmental psychology is nowadays dominated by Piaget’s views, so the essay provides a detailed examination of his theory, including it basic assumptions, the connection between human physiology and cognitive development and the four stages of progress of cognitive abilities: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Beyond the major focus, the essay also discusses four alternative approaches to cognitive development, including relevant research, conducted by the founders and followers of rational-constructivist, social learning, information-processing and sociocultural perspectives and the differences between traditional Piagetian views and these alternative positions. The author uses three articles from different psychology-oriented journals: â€Å"Personal cognitive development and its implications for teaching and learning† be Ferrari and Mahalingam (1998), â€Å"Commentary on Vygotsky† by Jean Piaget (2000) and the article, written almost immediately after the emergence of Piaget’s stage theory – â€Å"The development of formal operations in logical and moral judgment† by Kuhn, Langer, Kohlberg, and Haan. Developmental psychology is a vast area of knowledge that seeks to explore and explain various aspects of human psychosocial development, including its moral, emotional and cognitive components (Ferrari and Mahalingam, 1998). Cognitive development refers to the development of human intellect, abstractive, critical and creative thinking that provide successful cognition and comprehension of the world of objects. The most prominent and popular theory of human cognitive development was created by Jean Piaget, whose approach to the progress in this context is constructivist, so that the scholar views the construction of cognitive abilities as self-motivated action (Piaget, 2000). As Kuhn et al (1977) assume, â€Å"Piaget’s research methods are based primarily on case studies [they were descriptive]. While some of his ideas are supported through more correlational and experimental methodologies, others are not. For example, Piaget believes that biological development drives the movement from one cognitive stage to the next† (Kuhn et al, 1977, p. 98). Nevertheless, although Piaget’s investigation basically refers to physiology rather than psychology, the scholar manages to link biological and cognitive progress through the description of the transformation of reflexes into formal operations. Initially, he describes two major processes that occur in individual when adapting to the environment: assimilation and accommodation. Both of them condition the complication of their manner of adaptation and therefore determine cognitive development (Piaget, 2000). Accommodation refers to the alteration of cognitive abilities in response to the requirements of the environment for the purpose of gaining something from the surrounding world. Assimilation, in turn, refers to the transformation of the environment with further placing it into preexisting cognitive schemes and constructs (Piaget, 2000). Due to the fact that life situation and the corresponding requirements from the environment tend to complicate through the life course, the individual is forced to respond to complex stimuli and construct hierarchical cognitive structures (for instance, from general to concrete) (Piaget, 2000; Ferrari and Mahalingam, 1998). Piaget distinguishes and describes four stages of cognitive development. Sensorimotor stage, or infancy lasts from the birth to 2 years, has six sub-stages, associated with gradual development of reflexes, focus of vision and coordination in movements. Intelligence is manifested through the progress in motor activity, but the individual uses no social symbols (e. g. language) during this period. The exploration of world is very dynamic, but the related knowledge remains limited because of the weak cognitive abilities. The outcomes of this stage are the emergence of basic creativity or insight (understanding of pictures and language) as well as the progress of symbolic abilities (Piaget, 2000).

Graphic Novels in education Essay

Graphic novels and comic books dedicate been rough of the closely debated topics recently in galore(postnominal) different atomic number 18as. many a(prenominal) race think that they could be encouraging in education, piece of music some separates completely disagree. any(prenominal) mickle think they atomic number 18 childish, and some think they require just as frequently time comprehension as pine, false novels. How eer, despite all the criticism in writing(predicate)al novels often get, the literary genre is growing recently. Many things bear led to this rise in interest, from easier access on the Internet to the many superhero movies sparking interest in a jr. audience.Due to this recent rise in popularity for pictorial novels, several people deal that this genre screwister be military serviceful in all levels of education. on that point ar irrefut sufficients and negatives to this possibility, standardised e precisething else, still the positives seem to let onweigh the negatives. unity(a) thing that weighs in prefer of adding to a great extent than natural novels into education is that they be easier to read and dismiss be oft encouraging for disciples who may non alike(p) to read. There be several things that virtuoso mustiness be able to do to read and understand pictorial novels, including travailing optical imagery and making inferences.The biggest factors that are aid push brilliant novels into education are what was just menti aced the elan students now learn, the train to make inferences, and the need for students to learn opticly. all(prenominal) teacher stinkpot admit to having a few students in class that were not particularly dear proofreaders or that did not enjoy practice. If brilliant novels were read more than(prenominal) than than widely in classrooms, that would help with these definite students learning. The expression and diction used in this genre is much childlyr than in some word-based novels that would be read in class.Often, students who are prone a very long book, they simply do not counterbalance read for their assignments. However, if one of these same students was given a longer graphic novel, like Watchmen for example, it is very likely that they would be more get outing to read. Another method that makes these flora easier for some students is that the words are more spread out, which makes the student sole(prenominal) comprehend small parts at a time. This makes students who are less confident with their practice expertnesss able to amend manage comprehending the single-valued function in a novel.Although the speech in graphic novels is simpler, students are still challenged by the need to infer and decipher a variety of literary devices (Constantino). Another positive factor in graphic novels is how visual it is. Children right a appearance are becoming much more visual learners. This is probably im rankable to the prev alence of television and computers in todays society. maculation, television and computers have often been looked at as negative impacts in childrens learning, many students have calculate out that in that location are good things on television and the internet.Also, these students have put out that there are books that are not particularly good, despite what they have been taught. man there is still pass to be those people out there who forget have their doubts about allowing this genre in education, students would benefit from having more visual learning and less long narratives in class, which is just what graphic novels would bring. One of the most important abilities for a student when reading is learning how to make inferences.Many times in comics and graphic novels, the rootage get out give a bare limn of what is going on, and leave the reader to choose in the blanks with the scenery or facial nerve expressions of the characters (Walter). This ability is key to not only reading, just now excessively in fooling life. Inferences often need to be make in conversation to know on the dot what situation that person is going by. If graphic novels were added to more schools curriculum, then not only would students reading abilities improve, however their conversational skills would also improve.The reader of comics must also be able to decode the messages that the writer displays in his work. No amour how discrete of a message the author may insert into a work, the reader must be able to put together the pieces of the puzzle to create a continuous story. The reader must make period in between the encapsulated moments in order to create a completed whole out of fragments (Dun give the bounce and Smith 12). This closure that the reader must make is very similar to making inferences.To do both(prenominal), one must apply background noesis and relate events that may be depict indirectly to blend these sequences into a eternal story. Becau se of the important skill of making inferences that is undeniable to read and understand graphic novels, they can be used as a gateway to reading more challenging works by developing this skill in children. As was mentioned previously, children are relying more and more on learning by means of visual techniques. Because of that, comics can be much more helpful than long narratives in teaching students to understand imagery, tone, symbolism, and many others.One example of how visual aids can help students learn is by using facial expression or carcass language of the drawn characters in graphic novels. Students will be able to prepare many details of the story by simply looking at these ii things. By looking at a characters facial expression, one can learn the current predilection of the story, along with what tone the character may be using. Teaching students to look at these things will not just help them when reading a graphic novel, it can also help them figure out certain situations that may occur during their lives.While some people argue that graphic novels are much simpler or not as mentally stimulating, they do fate some characteristics with school text-based narratives. One characteristic in particular is that they both use onomatopoeia. While these text-based narratives will insert these words into a sentence, graphic novels will make an spotless panel out of one of these words. Although both of these genres do use onomatopoeia equally as much, the usage in graphic novels is more imaginative.In graphic novels, the word is normally brought to the center of the page, and made colorful and exciting. Because of the way that graphic novels display this literary technique, students can easier realize when that literary device is being used. Students can get a better understanding of when this literary device is applicable, and that will make them more confident as they continue reading. Despite the fact that graphic novels can often maintain a s impler vocabulary, they can still teach students simple literary devices like onomatopoeia.While the vocabulary is usually simpler, the material is more composite. As Linda Starr states in her article, an advantage of using graphic novels in the classroom is that these books present complex material in readable text. This gives graphic novels an advantage over other, harder to read, novels because more often than not, these students have a greater understanding of issues that are dealt with in books, but not all the time can they decipher what the issues are because of the more voiceless vocabulary.One way to simplify things for these students, season still challenging them mentally is to permit more graphic novels in the curriculum. There is always going to be crowds of people who will deny graphic novels ever being relevant in education, but the different ways students are learning, the way students must make inferences, and the visual techniques that are displayed in graphic novels all re dole out reasons why these texts should be included in the classroom today.Graphic novels can serve as a spring into a lifelong love of reading or it can simply keep the student interested enough to get through an assignment. Whatever a students level of reading skill, there is no doubt that they will be able to read a graphic novel, while still maintaining a certain complexity in the ideas presented. Graphic novels can also teach students how to make inferences, as good as recognize and understand greenness literary techniques.Above all, students imaginations, and possibly interests will rise because of this genre being implemented into a curriculum. As Jesse Karp notes about graphic novels, the form reaches young people in a way no other can, and that is what is most important to time to come students learning. Works Cited Constantino, Correne. Teaching English and practice with Graphic Novels. Education. cu-portland. edu. Concordia University, n. d. Web. 3 may 2013. sexy Duncan and Matthew J. Smith.The Power of Comics History, Form and Culture. New York The Continuum outside(a) Publishing Group, 2009. Print. Karp, Jesse. The Case for Graphic Novels in Education. Americanlibrariesmagazine. org. Chicago American program library Associarion, 1 Aug. 2011. Web. 3 May 2013. Starr, Linda. Eek Comics in the Classroom . Educationworld. com. Education World, 11 Jan. 2008. Web. 3 May 2013. Walter, Carlene. Graphic Novels. Eclection. wikispaces. com. Tangient LLC, n. d. Web. 3 May 2013.