Buisness and the Recession

How AIG was affected by U. S. recession: AIG is an insurance corporation that is multinational. They have headquarters in New York City, London, Paris, and Hong Kong. In the year 2000, the company held the title for the 29th largest company in the world. Things took a turn for the worse in this company when, in 2008, they suffered from a liquidity crisis and its credit ratings were downgraded below â€Å"AA† level. AIG had to take out a number of down loans and had to sell a number of its subsidiaries to pay them all off. Source: Johnson, Rodney. â€Å"Is AIG a Tipping Point in This Recession? Chief Marketer Home Page. 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 14 May 2012. . How Sallie Mae was affected by U. S. recession: This Company was one of the few companies in business at this time of recession that was affected in a positive way. With more and more companies failing and people losing their jobs, this gives all Americans many more reasons to want to have higher education and provide their chi ldren with higher education. With the need for more education, comes all the extra costs, and with more and more people without jobs, there is a great increase in needing loans.That is exactly what this company’s strategy was and they took full advantage of the opportunity to give student loans to students across the country hoping for a successful future. Source: â€Å"Sallie Mae. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 14 May 2012. . How Lehman brothers was affected by U. S. recession: the Lehman brothers crisis first began when Britain’s biggest mortgage lender crashed 34 percent in early trading. Next, billions of dollars were wiped out when the FTSE fell below 4000 and it seemed to be all downhill from there.Within the next month following the Lehman Brothers crash, Bank of America took over Merrill Lynch and Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac practically fell apart. Source: Gamm, Scott. â€Å"Three Years Ago: Lehman Brothers Collapse d. † How to Save Money, Reduce Debt and Manage Credit Cards. 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 14 May 2012. . Government action: In response to the economies recession the government took a number of actions. Programs were put in place called automatic stabilizers that would increase spending or cut taxes to whoever was impacted by the ecession, without new legislation. Actions were taken by the Federal Government in support of the housing and financial markets, increases in discretionary spending, and the passing of stimulus bills. Source: Romer, Christina D. â€Å"From Recession to Recovery: The Economic Crisis, the Policy Response, and the Challenges We Face Going Forward. † The White House. White House, 22 Oct. 2009. Web. 14 May 2012. . Do you feel any of the companies played a role in creating the current recession or their own financial hardships?Do you feel they should have been more prepared to overcome financial hardships? Why or why not? I think for the most part, companies did the best they could to avoid recession, but when it comes to creating their own financial hardships, taking out multiple loans did not help any of the companies at all. I do agree that yes, they should have been more prepared to overcome the financial hardships and have more options instead of putting themselves further into debt. Should the government get involved in â€Å"bailing out† major U.S. corporations? Why or why not? If the government can be of any help that doesn’t push themselves or the company into further damage then I don’t believe there is any reason not to. Should companies be required to pay the government back? Yes absolutely. The governments money comes from us, the citizens and it is not fair that we would have to be paying off someone’s financial burdens without the government being paid back, because then we would be having to give more money when we may have financial burdens of our own.

Amul Motivation

MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGY Motivation is the process of indoctrinating sales people with the unity of purpose to maintain aharmonious relationship among each other in the sales organization. Motivation is the amount of effort that the sales person desires to expend on each of the activities or the tasks associated withthe sales job. The selection of the motivational tool is the most crucial step in the design process and that iswhatAMULalso kept in mind. AMULdeploys both types of motivational tools i. e. : Financial motivators Financial motivation is the most prominent method to motivate the sales people towardsachieving higher sales) Non-financial motivators (Non-financial motivation plays a vital role for sales people at the later stages when they needthe psychological satisfaction, beyond the monetary benefits. In AMUL, financial motivators include: ?Adhoc Adhoc is a one type of allowance given to employees. union is deciding this allowance asan extra benefit for employees. ?HRA:- Hous e rent allowance is given to employees as an incentive.HRA is given to thatemployees who are not leave in quarter allotted by union. HRA is deciding bymanagement committee every three year according to designation of employee. ?Travel Allowance:- Travel Allowance is given to employees as incentives. Travel allowance is deciding bymanagement and committee according to designation of employee. ?Medical:- For the medical expanse of employees this allowance is given. Medical allowance isdeciding by management committee according to designation of employee. Thisallowance is given to employee for their children education. Bonus:- Individual employees may receive additional compensation payments in the form of bonus, which is a onetime payment that does not become part of the employees basic In AMUL bonus is paid to employee on regular basis on Diwali. According to thepayment of bonus Act. 1965 organisation must paid bonus at a rate of 8. 33%. AMULfollow this rule and paid minimum 8. 33% o f basic + D. A + Adhoc as a bonus. Some timethey also paid more than 8. 33% of bonus to employees. ?Production Bonus:- In AMUL production bonus is also paid to employees. management decides this bonus.In this bonus they decide some amount per day and than that amount is multiply withworking days of employees. whatever the resulted amount is given to employees as a production bonus. For example if management decide Rs. 4 per day and one employeework 200 days in a year than Production Bonus = 200*4 Production Bonus = 800 So that employee get Rs. 800 as a production bonus. In AMUL the other allowance is also given likePerformance Allowance. According to Gradethis allownce is given. In AMUL if any employee want advance then there will be provision of such facility.In AMUL they also have given LTC every four year to their employees. this mount paid according to designation of employee Non-financial motivators deployed in AMUL: Promotion Promotion may be defined as an upward advancement o f an employee in an employee in an organization, which command better pay, better working environment facilities and a higher responsibility. Following are some criteria to be considering for the promotion. ?Promotion should be earned. ?Opinion of Divisional Head, Past Record, Behavior is to be considering while promoting a person. ?Skill and Knowledge is also considered.In AMUL following point are to be consider while promoting employees. : ? Seniority. ?Vacancies. ?Opinion of Divisional head, past record, behavior. ?Skill and knowledge. ?Experience. ?Loyalty toward organisation. In AMUL, Managing director signs the promotion letter getting recommendation fromAdministrative Department. They have promotion policy on the period 3 or 5 year. In AMULRetirement Age decided is as 58 years. Seminar:- In AMUL seminars are organized for development purposes. For that, managerial person participate in seminar conducted by out side consultant company engaged.The seminar is conducted out side the premises of AMUL . In such type of seminar, sales people are motivatedto achieve their targets, they are encouraged to improve their leadership skills and supervision Conference:- The conference is ideally suited to learning problems and issues and examiningthem from different angles. In AMUL such conference are mainly arranged for managerialdevelopment. In this conference the discussion is focused on quality assurance, problem solvingetc. The trainees as members can learn from others..The other motivational and development programmes arranged by AMUL are within the premises. The development programmes are arranged on various topic like anger free life, mind power development, positive changing, personality development etc. Also program on effectiveleadership, motivation are arranged for the employees. This help managerial persons to maintaingood relation with employees. COMPENSATION POLICY IN AMUL The success of any sales organization depends on the achievement of the sales goa l set for theshort-term as well as long  ±term periods of time.While other programmes like sales forcerecruitment, training and motivation are a cost to the company,sales force compensation dealswith the management of the performance of the sales people for generating revenue for the firm. Sales people tend to increase and manage their performance by linking it to the compensationthey receive from the sales organization. In AMUL, compensation generally comprises of the cash payments which include fixed salary, bonus and shared profit. Good compensation plan have a salutary effect on sales people.Theyare happier in the work; co  ± operative with management and productivity is up. There can be both monetary and non  ± monetary forms of compensation too. Wages in the widest sense mean any economic compensation paid by the company under somecontract to his sales force for the services rendered by them. They are basic salary andallowances. The basic wage is the remuneration, which is paid or payable to the sales person interms of his contract of employment for the work done by him. Allowance includes dearnessallowance, bonus, overtime pay etc

Wind turbine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wind turbine - Essay Example According to the United States of America’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL), a small wind turbine is a type of turbine that is smaller than 1,000 kilowatts. They also have aero cable blades, vanes, current generators and lifetime bearing. It is, of course, my right choice for the best turbine because it is less costly and can be effectively used in places with harsh weather conditions(Dan F. & B. Dan, 2008). This makes it suitable as an energy source in places like telecom towers, rural schools and clinics, offshore platforms, grand residential and remote monitoring areas where there is no reliable electric grid coverage. This makes it as the best alternative source of power in such places. Design For this type of turbine to effectively and sufficiently perform its duties, it should be well designed and installed. This means that the necessary architectural procedures and materials should be put in place. Hence, a good one should have an aerodynamic model to help in determining the maximum height of the tower and control the number and shapes of the blades used. A proper installation is essential for it to perform well. Meaning, they can either be mounted on a tower or a building as tall as 30 feet. This will definitely help it to be above any obstacle that can act as a barrier in their smooth operations.

An Ethically Bad Life Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

An Ethically Bad Life - Research Paper Example Therefore, the focus of whether an ethically bad life is real has more to do with what we do and the decision making process of members of society, on what they ought to engage or what they ought not to engage in. However, ethics does not offer easy answers to these questions, unlike in the case of issues that are patently obvious within the society (Vendemiati, 2004). This paper will explore whether an ethically bad life is real, and how it can be identified. In exploring the ethical nature of a bad life, arguments for whether it is real or not will be explored; support will be offered, that an ethically bad life exists. Identification of the specific issue Ethical theory is a major part of all choices, reasoning and the philosophies that are broadly conceived. The aim of ethics, according to different theorists, including Plato, Hobbes, Aristotle, and Levinas include the discernment of right from wrong choices and acts towards others. Other theorists views that ethics distinguishes what is morally bad or good, and others defines it as an explanation of the principles that guide a life, which is worth living (Singer, 2000). The issue that arises from the conception of ethical actions and whether an ethically bad life exists is the regard of whether ethics is the same as what is commonly accepted, law or religion. Therefore, before exploring whether an ethically bad life exists, it is important to separate ethics from other areas that inform ethics. First, is the fact that ethics is not all about what is commonly accepted among members of a given group, or among members of society (Vendemiati, 2004). For example, among the members of a gang within the society, violence may be gratuitously viewed as fun and acceptable. The mere fact that some action is commonly accepted among a given group does not make it ethical. In support of this distinction David Hume argued that, â€Å"is does not imply or mean ought† (Singer, 2000). Secondly, ethics is not law, bec ause in some cases, laws will incarnate ethical standards. For example, the mistreatment of domesticated animals was viewed as an ethical issue, long before it was considered an area of legal action at different countries. Further, all that falls under the scope of ethical concern may be regarded relevant under law. An example is that it is ethically regarded that people should remain nice to one another, but that principles cannot be subjected to legal practice. Thirdly, ethics is not religion, and the two can be explored differently, irrespective of the fact that religions present ethical principles that are observed. Due to the fact that ethics is different from what is commonly acceptable, law and religion, the question that comes up is whether an ethically bad life can be explained on the basis of the different considerations. Based on this regard, this paper will discuss the coverage of the ethical nature of life, and explain how an ethically bad life can be distinguished from an ethically good one (Singer, 2000). The argument develops on the fact that ethics is related to what is right and wrong, in defining the conduct of humans, demonstrating the areas that distinguish an ethically bad life, using the actions, choices and the dilemmas that present in the lives of members of society. The multiple sides of an ethically bad life As free people, humans are faced by the opportunity of making choices, some related to trivial areas like the outfit to wear on different days. Others are more serious cases, involving those that can result in life or death, therefore, distinguishing between an ethically bad and good life can be very instrumental in shaping

Peer review of classmates' papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Peer review of classmates' papers - Essay Example Such mistakes absorb the professionalism from writing, and the big ideas presented are all outshined by these petty mistakes, which is very unjust! Apart from the wrong use of tense, you have also made several other grammatical mistakes, which include but are not limited to wrong sentence construction, missing words and use of inappropriate vocabulary. For example, â€Å"†¦one thing, highest good†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦line 3, should have been â€Å"†¦one thing, i.e. the highest good†. â€Å"Both of their ideas have been†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦line 3 & 4, should have been â€Å"Ideas of both of them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And then â€Å"Aquinas say that laws must be†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦line 28 & 29, should have been â€Å"Aquinas says that laws must be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The grammatical errors pointed out above are only few of the several problems that I see in the paper. The paper you have written fundamentally compares the ethical beliefs of Aristotle and Aquinas, and is thus a c omparison essay. But the way you have structured the essay does not fulfill the requirements of a comparison essay. In order to write a good comparison essay, you must learn that there are two basic ways of structuring an essay.

The Social Network Movie Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Social Network Movie Analysis - Essay Example The social network gives us the price of the need for acceptance when it changes into the blind ambition of social climbing. This movie rejects the tropes of money and power. It explores the moment of time at which facebook was invented, via the perspectives of clever youthful men who acclaim to be present at its inception. Plot In the fall of 2003, Mark Zuckerberg (Jess Eisenberg) tries to explain to her girlfriend (Rooney Mara), the significance of being a member of one of Harvard University’s 8 prestigious all-male social societies called ‘final clubs’. Mark describes these social societies as being exclusive. Mark Zuckerberg is not good at articulating himself in person. He first distances himself from his girlfriend, who feels that communicating with him is like working the 'Stairmaster' while taking strong exemption to his haughty remarks towards her. This leads to his girlfriend dumping him. Mark’s first effort to create a website in film, a site whe re photos of female Harvard students are placed beside each other, and then users click on the girl who they think is the hottest. This site is wildly accepted and admired but results in every campus girl considering him as a sexist pig, and their boyfriends constantly threatening him. Together with his friend, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), they both copy a proposed website for networking from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra, which was made solely for Harvadites, and renaming it, 'The Facebook'. This website which they come up with, connects students, express what drives life in college, who is single, and how to connect with girls in school. They are then approached by Napster-fame Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), and following his advice, 'The' is removed, thus giving rise to the now-innovative and revolutionary,’Facebook’. This website, Facebook can be accessed by any individual worldwide, and not just some elite campuses. His communication ina bility, urge to emerge number one, and competitiveness, will distance him. This results in two lawsuits, one from his best friend Eduardo, and the other from the Winklevoss twins. (Www.imdb.com). in this analysis, I will use Mark Zuckerberg, his girlfriend Rooney Mara, and his best friend Eduardo Saverin, to explore on the interpersonal variables. I will use the variables of, electrically mediated communication, and, ingratiating. Interpersonal Concepts and Variables By definition, interpersonal concept is when the needs or ideas of two individuals are opposing to each other. Electronically Mediated Communication refers to any form of communication that takes place through the use of two or more electronics, such as computers, and websites. This concept of communication applies to forms of text-based interaction such as text messaging, or those communications that take place through formats that are computer-mediated such as chat rooms, and websites. This term encompasses both ICTs (information communication technologies), and computer-mediated communication. Computer-mediated communication is the style of online communication and the message it conveys. ICTs, on the other hand, means machines themselves, mobile phones, PDAs and computers.( www.netlingo.com) Ingratiating, on the other hand, refers to what an individual would actively do in an attempt to make another individual or individuals to like him or her.(faculty.Babson.edu) Electrically Mediated Communication In the movie, this variable was widely used. We see that Mark Zuckerberg first

Modeling and Role Modeling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modeling and Role Modeling - Essay Example One of those foundation theories was Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Modeling is gaining an understanding of the clients world from the clients perspective. It assumes that all humans want to interact with others and quality holistic care is one of the goals. The propositions are the degree to which development tasks are resolved and is dependent on the degree to which human needs are satisfied and the ability to cope is directly related to the level of need satisfaction. It enhances the nurses ability to understand the worldview of adolescents and to use this gained understanding to design health education programs that address the adolescents development needs (Bray, 2005). The theory enables nursing to care for and nurture each client with an awareness of and respect for the individuals uniqueness and focus on that clients needs. Clients have the intelligence and ability to understand what has made them sick as well as what the plan is to make them well. Let's take the example of a young person who is admitted to the hospital with diabetes. She is readmitted regularly because she is out of control. When the nurse sits down to talk with her about her diabetes, she says she just wants to be like her friends and she does not want to say she can't have it when they go for a hamburger and fries. She just wants to feel normal. In this case, according to Erickson's model, the patient needs to be understood in her world, not in the world of the nurse (Arruda, 2005). When placing the nurse in that world she understands the pressure to be like her friends and try not to worry about her diabetes all the time. The nurse determines two interventions. She talks wit h the nutritionist to come up with a diet plan for the patient that would include the kinds of foods that a young person of that age likes to eat and she talks with the doctor about the possibility of an insulin pump. The nutritionist does come up with a plan that meets the young lady's needs and leaves some open space that she could fill with something like a shake if she went out with friends. An insulin pump is put in place (Sappington, 1996). The nurse has accomplished filling the patients needs while also assuring her understanding and buy in to meeting the needs of her disease This would of course be measured by the patient maintaining control and not being readmitted which she has not. There are five common goals of this theory and each of them was met in this case. Those goals are building trust, promoting positive orientation, promoting perceived control, promoting strengths and setting health directed mutual goals. Nursing retention is one of the greatest issues in healthcare today, with ageing nurses, and a shortage of new nurses, everyone wants to keep the ones they have. Modeling/ Role Modeling lends itself well to leadership decisions in healthcare. The client is the center of the theory. In this case, the client is the nurse. In understanding the nurses world we find what are the things that she needs most. We use Maslow's hierarchy of need and the five common goals of all interventions which again are trust, promoting positive orientation, promoting perceived control, promoting strength and setting directed mutual g

Examines one of the following charactersHester Prynne, Rev. Arthur Essay

Examines one of the following charactersHester Prynne, Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale, Pearl Prynne, or Roger Chillingworth - Essay Example Additionally, to further quotes will be analyzed with regard to academic literature and the way in which Rev. Dimmesdale can be understood. Accordingly, it is the hope of this author that such a unit of analysis will be beneficial definitive and concise representation of what Rev. Dimmesdale truly representative. As a man of Biblical learning and intelligence that was respected greatly within the community, administer suffers from a continual denial of who he represents. Additionally, the continual inward struggle that is represented is effectively encapsulated within the Rev. Dimmesdale’s sermon, â€Å"At the great judgment day,† whispered the minister—and, strangely enough, the sense that he was a professional teacher of truth impelled him to answer the child so. â€Å"Then, and there, before the judgment seat, thy mother, and thou, and I, must stand together. But the daylight of this world shall not see our meeting† (Hawthorne 92)! As can adequately be seen, Dimmesdale lacks the moral fortitude of approaching the issue of his love and lust with the congregation that so adulates and adores him. Instead, he seeks to understand and interpret the final judgment as something that will be between God and the individual. One of scholars that examined Dimmesdaleâ€℠¢s duplicity and the following to say, â€Å"Dimmesdale represents a dichotomy of confusion between that which is expected that which is natural within his own frame of understanding† (Hunt 28). It is this continual difficulty that continues to define the way in which Rev. Dimmesdale understands the world around them. The second would be utilized at Dimmesdale’s cowardice has to do with the way in which he interacts with his lover. Says Dimmesdale, â€Å"Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me

Opening a big day care center Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Opening a big day care center - Research Paper Example We help them get ready for assimilation in big schools. At ABC, we are dedicated to provide a warm and family environment for children. Even if we are moving to larger scale of setting, we are committed to give the quality individualized care that we have been known for. At ABC, we create a family atmosphere where children are allowed to interact with each other. We follow up progress and development of each child and report it to parents regularly as part of our service to parents. ABC Day Care tries to employ best qualified people who are able to keep up with the needs of the day care center and the children under its care. Hiring is based on competence as shown in academic achievements, prior wok experience, and attitudes. We are an equal-opportunity employer. Our activities ensure that work behaviors are done in an equal manner based on individual merit and fitness of the employee regardless of color, race, sex, religion, age, nationality, or sexual orientation, or disability. We are committed to prevent sexual harassment and to confront it when it occurs. We will respond to concerns, questions and allegations of sexual harassment brought by any member of the Center. This policy is in accordance with Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Act 1986. As required by the California State for Licensing, teacher must have at least 18 with 12 postsecondary units in early childhood education and have 6 months experience, or hold a valid CDA and have a 6 months on-the-job training or work experience, or hold a Children’s Center Permit issued by the CA commission for teacher Preparation and Licensing. Once a position is offered to an applicant at the center, he/she must be able to submit several documentations such health screening and safety screening, and a free from criminal investigation record. A certificate of good physical health , a TB TEST and drug test are needed. A new employee will be

History Germany Essay Essay Example for Free

History Germany Essay Essay How far do you agree that the new Weimar Republic was seriously threatened by political extremists in the years 1919-24? (30 marks) Between the years 1919 and 1924 the Weimar Republic experienced many threats against its new democratic regime, however it could be argued that none of the threats ever truly had the ability or support required to overthrow the new state, therefore rendering the attempts by the political extremists as not that threatening. The Weimar Republic saw the end of the Kaiser’s rule and the start of a new semi presidential and representative democratic ruling. Even dating back to the formation of Germany in 1870, the foundation of German Politics and power has always lain with the elites and middle class of the population. With the new Weimar Republic these elites were supposed to lose their power and control due to the democratic regime, however this did not actually happen. Therefore any political extremists that threatened the system, and in turn threatened the elite’s power, were dealt with in harsh manners. During the trials from the 1920 Putch over seven hundred people went to trial however only one person was convicted and given five years in prison. Since the Putch would have been an act of treason, and under German law, the punishment should have been death, however the fact there was so little convictions and such lenient punishments suggests just how strong the elite’s power still was and how strong the Weimar Republic would have been with the elite’s power backing it, but they would only do this as long as things were benefiting them. The Kapp- Là ¼ttwitz Putch of 1920 did lead to an exposure of the army’s reluctance to support the Weimar Republic due to the fact the army was ordered to act by Noske, the Defence Minister, however the leaders of the military refused to get involved and instead remained neutral. This therefore would have planted a seed of doubt into people’s minds as to how good the Republic would be as not even the army were going to protect it, which then would lead some people to feel unprotected and vulnerable, and  could have led to people turning against the democratic system and instead turning back to the old ways of running the country. Yet, this was not the case therefore suggesting that the Kapp- Là ¼ttwitz Putch did not pose as being that significant of a threat. The Munich Beer Hall Putch could be argued as being doomed from the start and therefore never truly being a serious threat. From the beginning and throughout it never had the support of the German people, with only a small number of people supporting their cause. Seeckt also used his powers to command the army to resist the Putch and with the combination of the Bavarian Police and the army the Putch was crushed easily with minimal deaths. However, in the end Hitler was arrested on charges of treason (again meaning the punishment under German law should have been death) and he only received a five year prison sentence yet he was released after just nine months. This again showed that the political power was with the elites and that the Weimar Republic was not as strong as first thought, yet the public were still willing to keep the democratic state in place and give it a chance to work. Therefore it could be argued that as long as people had a belief in the Weimar Republic and were willing to support it then any attempts by political extremists would never have been that successful and therefore they were never truly much of a threat. In conclusion, although the Weimar Republic did indeed experience many threats from political extremists, with some seemingly serious threats against it which showed the many flaws in the system such as the power of the elites and the army’s standing in the new regime, yet none of the attempts had enough public support backing them to have a serious impact. They just didn’t have enough public support as people, especially of the working classes, believed in their new democratic system, and wanted to give it enough time to start to evoke changes that would benefit them in the long run. Therefore the attempts could not have had enough of an impact to name them as being serious threats against their new democratic state.

Unemployment in 1930s Britain

Unemployment in 1930s Britain Examine the problems facing families living in areas of high unemployment in Britain in the 1930s Introduction The inter-war period is truly one of a double-edged transition. On the one hand, this period was to see the beginnings of revolution in many social institutions (such as marriage, family and the Church) that the men and women of the late Victorian era would have taken for granted. The inter-war period (which provided the necessary societal bases for the post-war creation of the Welfare State) also saw economic expansion and an improvement in welfare and living standards; infant mortality steadily decreased during the inter-war period, from 108 per 1000 live births in 1913, to 53 by 1938 (Thorpe, p.57, 1994) and the advent of mass consumerism and the wide-spread potential for leisure and tourism amongst Britons, in other words, hall-marks of a society in the process of modernisation (Stevenson, 1984). On the other hand, there is a darker side to this vision of untrammelled progress. The inter-war period has been characterised sinisterly as â€Å"the devil’s decade† (Stevenson, p.266, 1984). This epithet was bestowed on account of the image this decade has of general unemployment, which led to wide-spread impoverishment and Hunger Marches. The Wall Street Crash of 1929, which halted the American economic upsurge of the 1920s, led to a world-wide economic slump, and is the watershed for the mass unemployment that was to pervade Britain in the 1930s; for the eighteen years between 1921-1938, the official figure for unemployment never fell below one million (Harris, p.203, 1994). Britain’s worst years for unemployment were after 1931, a crisis year, because the disaster of the Wall Street Crash of 1929 had had time to take effect. In the winter of 1932-3, unemployment reached its highest peak, with just under three million workers (representing a quarter of the re gistered workforce) unemployed (Thorpe, p.88, 1994). As with any period of economic stagnation, unemployment brings with it a range of knock-on social problems for the family unit. Structural Unemployment Unemployment can be categorised as either cyclical or structural. The former is the type of unemployment that comes and goes in phases. It is linked with the economic cycle of boom and bust; when the economy is in boom, then unemployment in certain sectors will temporarily reduce, though the converse also holds. In the 1930s, which saw quite a dramatic economic cycle of boom and bust, cyclical unemployment was always a large and difficult problem. However, the problem of cyclical unemployment, being more immediately noticeable, is one that can easily mask an underlying problem of structural unemployment. This is the unemployment that still obtains, despite any periods of high economic activity. For example, even in those years of peak economic activity in the inter-war period, there was still a high level of unemployment in the staple export trades. For example, even before the world-wide economic crisis of 1929-1931, the traditional heavy industries, such as ship-building and coal-m ining, also faced high levels of unemployment. By 1929, a fifth of all coalminers were unemployed, and likewise for those workers in the iron and steel industries (Stevenson, p.269, 1984). The structural unemployment in these kinds of heavy industries, perhaps where a mine was abandoned or disused, for example, brought about the typical pattern of localised unemployment during the 1930s. The era saw depressed regions, where the local economy was dependent on heavy industry. In a region such as the north-east, with a strong and steady history of heavy industry, unemployment hit hard, as can be seen from the emotive Jarrow March to London, organised in 1936 by the local council, to draw attention to the problem of high unemployment, particularly in the heavy industry of ship-building (Thorpe, p.176, 1994). Poverty Contemporary commentators on 1930s Britain regarded the high unemployment of their time as a frightening new development. As a result, their anxieties reveal themselves in the large number of social investigations into the causes of poverty (defined as not having enough income to maintain health) and the impact of unemployment on families, and thence on societies. These studies helped to raise awareness of the plight of the unemployed, and to a large extent, provided the momentum for the social change that dawned after the Second World War (Harris, p.213, 1994). Poverty was not necessarily an immediate consequence of unemployment: some unemployed workers found that their benefits provided a more consistent wage compared to what they used to earn from insecure, seasonal labour. However, this was only a minority. The majority found that unemployment brought with it a drop in income. Thus, in order to supplement their income, many workers relied on their savings, or found themselves inc reasingly reliant on other methods in order to make ends meet. At the same time, it was found that unemployment was the major contributing factor towards the poverty of a household: in 1936, Seebohm Rowntree found that 86.4 per cent of the unemployed families living in York were living below the poverty line (Harris, p.214, 1994). Health and Malnutrition As might be expected, one of the more immediate consequences of living below the poverty line is worsened health and malnutrition. Rowntree also made detailed investigation into the health and diet of unemployed families, and compared them with that of the populace as a whole. His concluded that the families of the unemployed survived on a diet which was to all extents worse than that of those employed (Rowntree, p.182-5, 1941). Other studies of this period showed that unemployment had led to a higher incidence of childhood diseases (Harris, p.214, 1994), though it was difficult to prove conclusively that unemployment was significantly affecting infection rates of poverty-linked diseases (such as TB or anaemia). All in all, it could only be conclusively shown that unemployment did have a profound effect on the standards of nutrition, leading in some cases to severe malnutrition (Stevenson, p.283-4, 1984). Mental Health Though the main focus of much contemporary commentary was on the adverse effects unemployment placed on physical health, the deterioration of the mental health of the unemployed was also noted. At a time when the study of psychology was incipient, commentators still took account of the stark impact being out of work could have on self-esteem, and they also characterised the period following unemployment as falling into stages ranging from optimism that a new job could be found, to pessimism and possible suicidal feelings, when work was difficult or impossible to come by: Home Office Statistics of 1930 showed that two unemployed men were committing suicide every day (Stevenson, p.287, 1984) though care should be taken in attributing unemployment as the sole factor in suicide. No doubt unemployment had a part to play in the decision of a few to commit suicide, though this is only the extreme of a general feeling of malaise, boredom, hopelessness and shame that accompanied the status of unemployed. Many workers, especially the more skilled middle-classes who found themselves unemployed, reported a feeling of shame at finding themselves in that condition. Some men disliked to reveal their unemployment to their wives, and tried to conceal it for a while as best they could (Stevenson, p.286, 1984). Conclusion In dealing with a diffuse social problem such as unemployment, it is imperative not to draw hard and fast historical conclusions. Certainly, generalisations can be made, in that unemployment had a profound and long-lasting effect on those who were forced into this economic circumstance. However, unemployment, and the coping mechanisms used to deal with it, meant different things to different people. It is also the case that the related social problems linked to unemployment, namely those of poverty, malnutrition and depressed mental health, are all relative measures. It is true to say that the effects of unemployment were felt so keenly precisely because living standards had generally been on the increase since the dawn of the twentieth century. It was, however, the shocking social experiences of 1930s Britain that provided the catalyst for the creation of the Welfare State and other social reconstructions after the Second World War, and ignited the post-war aspiration to create a be tter, more equitable, society for all. Bibliography Harris, B., Unemployment and the Dole in Interwar Britain 203-220 in P. Johnson (ed.), 20th Century Britain: Economic, Social and Cultural Change (Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman Ltd., 1994) Rowntree, B.S., Poverty and Progress: A Second Social Survey of York (London, 1941) Stevenson, J., British Society 1914-1945 The Pelican Social History of Britain, J.H.Plumb (ed.), (London: Penguin Books Ltd., 1984) Thorpe, A., The Longman Companion To: Britain in the era of the two World Wars 1914-1945 (London: Longman Group Ltd., 1994)

Comparing Tyrannosaurus Rex and Raptor Essay examples -- Comparison Co

Comparing Tyrannosaurus Rex and Raptor When I was a little boy, I thought that the tyrannosaurus Rex was the most feared, and dominate dinosaur before the Great Extinction. But after I saw Jurassic park, it was clear to me that the raptor was the better predator. The raptor, as shown in the movie, was quick and deadly. Whereas the Tyrannosaurus Rex was shown as being too big, or too slow to catch its prey. These facts make me believe that the ultimate predator, during the time the dinosaurs roamed the earth, were not the huge intimating ones, but the small and agile ones. The tyrannosaurus Rex was estimated to be about 15 feet high, 40 feet long, and weighing in about 6 tons. As you can see the tyrannosaurus rex was huge. Actually they were one of the biggest carnivores to walk the earth. But were they even carnivores? â€Å"Paleontologist Jack Horner of the Museum of the Rockies (Bozeman, MT) has proposed that T.rex could not have been a predator.† It is evident in most of the fossil remains of the tyrannosaurus rex, that it was not built to chase down its prey. For example, the T-Rex had small eyes, which made it hard for it to spot its prey. The T-Rex also had small arms, which did not allow it to grab its prey, and it had huge legs meant for long distance travel, not small distance speed. Also the teeth of the T-Rex, shows that they may not have eaten other dinosaurs. â€Å"And that there is no evidence for predation — bones have been found with tyrannosaur teeth embedded in them or scratched by them, but so far no study has shown that tyrannosaurs killed other dinosaurs for food (a bone showing tyrannosaur tooth marks that had healed would be strong evidence for predation).† All these facts are proven true in Jurassic park. ... ...’t even know for a fact whether the T-Rex was a carnivore or not. As shown is Jurassic park, the characters were able to survive a T-Rex attack by driving away in a car at high speeds. You would probably not be able to do that with a raptor. Also as the T-Rex was chasing its prey, it kept on running into trees and vegetation, which caused it to slow down. Whereas the raptors would use its athletic ability to avoid these obstacles and use them to its advantage. As seen in Jurassic park, the raptors hunted in the large vegetation. They would use the surprise attack on its prey. Where as the T-Rex, because of its size, would have to rely on slower dinosaurs if it were to hunt. Works Cited http://www.makalapa.k12.hi.us/Makalapa_Folder/HTML/adapt&survive/tm/trex.html http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/trex/specialtrex2.html http://www.paleodirect.com/drom1.htm

the presidency :: essays research papers

The Presidency - The powers of the presidency are described very briefly in Article II of the Constitution. Specific powers include: - Chief Administrator - Commander-in-Chief - Chief Lawmaker - Chief Diplomat - Chief of State - In addition to those enumerated powers, presidents have claimed they have certain inherent powers to do whatever has to be done to fulfill their responsibilities as leaders. - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln all expanded on their enumerated powers, setting a precedent for later presidents to do likewise. - Because the U.S. has become such a powerful nation, presidents have become more powerful people. They are now considered world leaders as well as national leaders. - They have also become party leaders,have to be strong communicators in the age of mass media, and serve as lobbyists for their legislative goals. - One explanation for expansion of presidential powers is that sometimes Congress lets a president take responsibility for unpopular actions, such as going to war. - America's strongest, most powerful presidents have emerged during periods of crisis, such as a war or depression. Lincoln and FDR are examples. - Popular presidents are also likely to become more powerful, because citizens trust them with power. - President Lyndon Johnson was a strong president because he believed that government should play a strong role in alleviated the nation's problems. - President Reagan, on the other hand, advocated a smaller role for government so didn't encourage national government involvement in problem solving. He was, however, known as a great communicator. - A successful candidate for the presidency must put together a winning coalition of supporters and must win 270 electoral college votes, which means winning the popular vote especially in large, highly populated states with large electoral college votes. - Although American presidents have huge responsibilities, they also have many resources to help them carry out those responsibilities. These include: - The Executive Branch establishment, which includes the White House staff, key aids (such as the chief of staff and national security advisor), and the Executive Office of the President, which consists of the OMB, Council of Economic Advisors, etc. - The Vice-President, who has only become a real resource since Jimmy Carter started using his V-P, Walter Mondale, more than any previous president. - The Cabinet, consisting of the heads of the major executive branch departments. - First Ladies sometimes serve as advisors to the president.

Ethics and Laws governing insider trading Essay

Insider trading remains a controversial issue in the American public domain. Most individuals perceive the practice as being illegal. However, insider trading can both be legal and illegal practice. The provisions of the American law dictate that any form of insider trading should be reported to the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to make it legal (Miller & Jentz, 2009). This has the implication that the transaction is not kept a secret for access by the general public. On the other hand, insider trading is termed illegal if the transaction is based on information that is not accessible to public. Indeed, it is not only illegal to trade one’s company in the stock market based on non-public information but even to give another person the information enabling them to trade their stock (Miller & Jentz, 2009). This paper seeks to identify the ethical and legal aspects of insider trading practices in the business world. In particular, the author gives an argument is support of the claim that imposing measures to control insider trading is crucial in protecting the economic interest of public investors. Definition of insider trading Insider trading is defined as the act of trading the securities (stock or bonds) of a corporation by members with reliable access to non-public information on the given organization (Miller & Jentz, 2009). Such individual might include but not limited to employees, directors, and major shareholders in the company as well as other officers. The practice of insider trading is termed as non-illegal if the transactions are not executed based on the individual’s knowledge to non-public information about the company (Miller & Jentz, 2009). Nevertheless, the term commonly refers to actions in which the parties involve engage in breach of trust and confidentiality of non-public information. As an example, insider trading can involve trading of stock based on information such as profit results or takeover of an organization before such information is made public (Miller & Jentz, 2009). Another example is were an individual, having prior information of a large order in the stock, trades on such before the order is executed leading to a potential price impact. Ethics governing insider trading There are numerous ethical implications associated with insider trading. First, insider trading practices are perceived as a potential distortion of stock markets. Investor confidence and trust is one of the most crucial elements in determining the long-term sustainability of any economy (Brenkert & Beauchamp, 2009). This is because to ensures the continuous flow of investment capital by members of the community. On the contrary, insider trading serves the ultimate purpose of compromising the confidence of the investors by risking risk price impacts on their stock. Based on this reasoning, insider is a contradiction to the policies protecting small scale investments through securities in our nation. It is worth noting that insiders and any other third parties involved are usually influential members to the company or in the community, leaving small scale investors vulnerable. Another ethical issue of concern in insider trading is the question of unfair competition (Brenkert & Beauchamp, 2009). Insider trading involves individuals taking advantage of non-public information of a company to execute stock trading practices. According to its definition, the practice does not only involve corporation officials, employees, and large stakeholders but even third party members with access of such information. This has the implication that other investors with stocks on the corporation suffer the disadvantage of transacting their stocks and bonds long after insiders have made them. Such is ethically wrong as it deprives investors of their right to equal opportunity in the stock exchange market. Insider trading has the ultimate potential of leading to the collapsing of an investment. Insider trading has witnessed the downfall of many strong public corporations in the United States. Good examples of this are the 2002 collapsing of Enron and WorldCom corporations due to irregular trading of their stocks in the securities exchange. According available evidence linked with the collapsing of Enron and WorldCom corporations, it is quite evident that the companies engaged in financial scandals involving misrepresentation of their financial statements to influence their stand at the stock market. This misappropriation of information as is the case with insiders thus risks falling of organizations. In addition, insider trading is a source of liability to the parties involved. The principles of ethical business practices dictate for mitigation of liabilities by members of an organization. On the other hand, the underlying laws of our nation seek to prosecute perpetuators of unethical practices in the investment world (Brenkert & Beauchamp, 2009). This is in purpose aimed at safeguarding capital investments and protecting investor confidence. In line with this, insider trading risk tarnishing the reputation of an organization as well as its employees. This ethical issue can be emphasized by the legal case costs and other liabilities that have been incurred by former top officials of the WorldCom and Enron Corporations. Laws governing insider trading Insider trading practices can both be legal and illegal depending on the provisions of the existing laws in the American nation. According to the available laws, legal insider trading should be qualified through SEC fillings which serve to make the proceedings public. There are three legal provisions governing insider trading in America namely: 1) common law; 2) SEC regulations; and 3) US Supreme Court decisions. †¢ Common law Insider trading conducted without disclosure in inside information to the SEC is legally regarded as fraud under the American common law. The 1933 Securities Act prohibits fraud in the sale of securities under its provision in section 17 (Miller & Jentz, 2009). These provisions are further strengthened by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Under section 16(b) of this act, it is a crime for company officials, directors, employees, and stockholders owning more than 10% of the company shares to enjoy short-swing profits through transactions in the SEC within a period of six months (Miller & Jentz, 2009). In addition, fraud activities during securities trading are prohibited under section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Other common law governing insider trading are the Insider Trading Sanctions Act of 1984 and the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988 (Miller & Jentz, 2009). These two acts are instrumental in mitigating illegal insider trading activities in the stock exchange market. The laws impose penalties of up to three times any profits gained through illegal insider trading. Just to be appreciated is the fact that such amount of fine is equally applicable for any losses that were avoided through illegal trading (Miller & Jentz, 2009). Moreover, the laws also provides for potential banning of companies involved in illegal trading depending on the level of such activities. The collapsing of major American public corporations such as Enron, WorldCom, and squeaky clean Martha Stewart prompted the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The act seeks to establish a streamlined framework for mitigating financial scandals both by auditing firms as well as in the proceedings of the SEC (Miller & Jentz, 2009). By dictating for the formation of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) which dictates qualification of auditors; such are no doubt crucial in ensuring sanity in the accounting profession. In addition, this act makes it mandatory for the SEC to qualify financial statements from corporations enlisted in the stock market. †¢ SEC regulations Insider trading is governed by a number of provisions of the SEC rules and regulation. In its fair disclosure requirements, the SEC dictates that a company is bound by the law to disclosure non-public information to the public in the event it happens to do so intentionally to an individual (Macey, 1991). If such disclosures were not intentional, the organization should communicate the same to the general public. Another important rule on insider trading is defined in SEC Rule 10b5-1. According to this rule, prohibition against insider trading should not only be based on whether non-public information was used during the trade, but even mere possession of such information amounts to a violation of the rule. The provisions of Williams Act of 1968 on takeovers and tender offers also give the SEC powers to regulate insider trading. By definition, the Williams Act is an amendment to the 1934 Securities and Exchange Act. The Act dictates for mandatory full and fair disclosure of information involving tender offers (Macey, 1991). According to its provisions, if a company seeks to acquire or control another through securities, such intentions should be communicated to SEC through fillings and in written to the company to be acquired. The aim of this law is to ensure fair benefiting of the stakeholders as well as allowing the management equal opportunity to make any defense case in a fair manner. In addition, the Williams Act requires that an individual wishing to offer cash tender of 15 to 20 percent of the current market price to acquire a corporation must registered under federal law to disclose to the federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Such disclosures include; source of the money to be used in the offer, existing contractual agreements with the corporation to be purchased, intention of the purchase, and the plans to be implemented upon the successful completion of the tender offer (Miller & Jentz, 2009). Moreover, disclosures with SEC by an individual wishing to purchase 5 percent of a given corporation should be copied to all national securities exchanges were such stocks are traded to make sure that the information is accessible to investors. Under this law, SEC enjoys legal authority to take legal action against persons acting in violation of the provisions. This includes the use of falsified and misleading statements to gain unfair competition in tender offers. †¢ Court decisions The US Supreme Court has made numerous landmark case decisions regarding insider trading. During the 1909 case of Strong v. Repide, the court ruled that directors are not bound by the law to provide their knowledge to stakeholders about their actions in buying shares from the company (Macey, 1991). However, in the 1984 case of Dirks v. SEC, the Supreme Court found that third party insiders should be held liable for engaging in illegal insider trading provided it is established that they had reasonable belief that the provider of the information had breached a fiduciary duty in the process (Macey, 1991). Such are also applicable if the tipper is found to have gained personal benefits from the receiver upon disclosure the confidential company information. Further, the ruling in the Dirks v. SEC case led to the establishment of the concept of constructive insiders. According to the court, constructive insiders include members who gain access to non-public information from a corporation while providing it with services. Such include; lawyers and bankers among other. The court held that constructive insiders are liable of violations of insider trading since their duties dictate against disclosure of their client’s confidential information. Another landmark case regarding insider trading is the United States v. Carpenter case of 1986 in which the Supreme Court upheld the concept of misappropriation of information as an insider trading violation (Miller & Jentz, 2009). From the facts of the case, the defendant was conviction for insider trading violations after acquiring non-public information from a journalist. This court argued that acquisition of information through a confidential relationship with another individual amount to a breach of fiduciary and the individual must account for any benefits gained from the information. The theory of misappropriation was further applied by the Supreme Court in the 1997 United States v. O’Hagan case. During this case, O’Hagan was convicted with violation of insider trading provisions. Working at in a law firm representing Grand Metropolitan O’Hagan gained confidential information about the company’s plan offer a tender to Pillsbury Co. he used this information to buy call options on Pillsbury stock, an act that brought him a profit of $4 million. O’Hagan was convicted with fraud. The court argued that O’Hagan had committed fraud for using confidential information to benefit him in the securities trade, a move that breached the duty owed to the information source (Miller & Jentz, 2009). Conclusion It is established that insider trading has numerous ethical implications. The practice is a major source of unfair competition in the securities trading business. This is because it gives competitive advantage to influential members of the corporation in terms of profitable stock trading through access of non-public information about the company. On the other hand, insider trading can be a source of liability for the perpetuators. Such can be evident from the provisions of the Insider Trading Sanctions Act of 1984 and the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988 which dictates for penalties of up to three times any benefits gained from illegal insider trading. Still established during the research is that insider trading in the American nation is governed by common laws, SEC rules, and numerous court statutes. Under the common law is the provision of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, it is a crime for company officials, directors, employees, and stockholders owning more than 10% of the company shares to enjoy short-swing profits through transactions in the SEC within a period of six months. This law also prohibits fraud. The Williams act on the other side gives the SEC authority to prosecute individuals and companies for insider trading violations. All in all, given that insider trading potentially distorts the stock market, imposing measures to control insider trading is crucial in protecting the economic interest of public investors. References Miller, R. L. & Jentz, G. A. (2009). Fundamentals of Business Law: Summarized Cases. 8th Ed. Chicago: Cengage Learning. Macey, R. J. (1991). Insider trading: economics, politics, and policy. Washington, D. C. : American Enterprise Institute. Brenkert, G. G. & Beauchamp, T. L. (2009). The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics. New York: Oxford University Press US.

Baroque Era and Rock Music

Baroque Era and Rock Music To understand the correlation between Rock music and the Baroque Era, one must look more in-depth towards each culture’s history and social norms. The Baroque Era’s musical style was prevalent during 1600 – 1750. It can be described as a time when the music went hand in hand with the architecture, paintings, and literature of its time.It was a time when musicians brought out more intense emotions within their Rock music, which was created during the 1950’s in the United States by an African-American named Chuck Berry; he used the same principles as musicians during the Baroque era and met the same parochial views by society. Musicians during both eras had several things in common, not just in their masterpieces, in their sociological environment. The Baroque era expanded our horizons with advances in technology such as the telescope, which helped us to gain a better understanding of the infinite.Enlightened thinkers such as Desca rtes, Hobbes, Spinoza and Locke tackled tough questions of existence. Foreign trade and colonization resulted in more people having direct contact with parts of the world that were previously unknown. Finally, this era led to the creation of a middle class in Europe, which heavily impacted the everyday citizen, and thus it’s music. During the Rock era the United States still had fresh memories of the great depression, a World War, and recently expanded middle class due to the military’s GI Bill, which paid for Ten’s of thousands veterans’ college tuition.The industrial revolution had transformed the country and intercontinental trade was unlike the world has ever seen; the influence of the roaring 1920’s Jazz era had bred a new generation leading to interracial music development. More importantly, a new tone and rhythm caused by integrating new technology such as electric guitars, and new style pianos were introduced. The Baroque era utilized new m usical instrument advancements such as string instruments and more importantly the first primitive piano.Musicians during both eras faced adversity with their new style of music. Antonio Vivaldi during the Baroque era was one of the first musicians whom were victims of censorship. (Arton) Naturally anytime there are changes there will be people who do not agree. This was more prevalent in the United States during the rock era because of their deep racial bigotry and segregation of blacks and whites; just like the Jazz era, early rock musicians were African American and therefore its sound was hated by some, but loved by the majority of the youth.Some felt their indigenous traditions were under attack resulting in religious propaganda referring to rock music as â€Å"the devil’s music. † It was believed rock music provoked â€Å"dirty† activities such as exotic dancing, and controversial references were sometimes made which invoked music censorship at radio stati ons. Some songs even were banned from the being played: â€Å"Radio stations ban Dottie O'Brien's â€Å"Four or Five Times† and Dean Martin's â€Å"Wham Bam, Thank You Ma'am† fearing they are suggestive†¦. The Weavers are blacklisted due to the leftist political beliefs and associations of several members. (Nuzum) Beyond the biased attitude from the previous generations lays a bigger correlation between the two: the artistic movement created and the influence it had on the world. Invoking rhythmic individuality and (Thornburgh) could have been arguably a stepping stone leading towards the civil rights movement in the United States. While the Baroque music style can be accreted to innovation and musical chorale. (Arton) Naturally there are differences in both styles of music such as its sound, implementation of vocal chorus, rhythm, texture, and its effect on their listeners’ emotions.Baroque music was meant to be listened to, there were no words, no abilit y to read it, and there were no recorders so it could be enjoyed later. Wealthy or privileged individuals at times travelled hundreds of miles to hear it, and left only with the memory of its elegance, a gentle hum in their ear, and excitement to hear it again. During the rock era, radio stations aired the nation’s favorite songs over and over, concerts were very affordable and popular for all classes, and the invention of the record player allowed its admirers to hear music whenever they esired. All styles of music have their own sound, texture, rhythm, and subtle meaning. Which is naturally why each is separated in different categories. Oddly enough the instruments used in several styles of music today can be traced back to the Baroque era. Drastically different sounds, but implemented many of the same tools. Rock music at times implements Baroque chorus in the background using the same principles Baroque music first did in Germany when they married the Chorale. (Arton)In t he video presentation we hear Chuck Berry’s 1958 hit song â€Å"Johnny B. Goode† and Antonio Vivaldi's Concert for â€Å"Two Flutes†. Both drive the audiences emotions of excitement however, both naturally have a completely different sounds. While â€Å"Two Flutes† provoke feelings of sophistication, class, artistic reminiscent, and calm enjoyment. â€Å"Johnny B. Goode† induces excitement and makes the audience want to dance, participate with vocal gestures and it often affirms the feeling of youth and fun. Both clips have their own artistic theme, texture and rhythm.Both styles of music styles are a like as they utilized the modern technology of their time, broke social norms, faced resistance from those whom didn’t accept change, and can be accredited with influencing social norms of their era which directly contributed to history as we know it today. References Nuzum, Eric. â€Å"USA, CANADA. † freemuse. Freemusepedia, 01 JAN 2001 . Web. 13 Jan 2013. . Thornburgh, Elaine. â€Å"Baroque Music-Part One. † Era of Baroque Music. n. page. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. lt;http://trumpet. sdsu. edu/M151/Baroque_Music1. html>. Arton, . â€Å"BAROQUE COMPOSERS AND MUSICIANS. † Historical context, Geography, Biographical Notes. internet arton publications. Web. 13 Jan 2013. Smith, . â€Å"What is â€Å"baroque,† and when was the baroque period?. † Baroque Music. Music of the Baroque. Web. 13 Jan 2013. . Richardson, Todd. â€Å"Baroque and Classical Influenced Rock Music. † merlinravensong. N. p.. Web. 16 Jan 2013.

Family Centered Approach

The family center approach believes a child’s family is very important to the cognitive and social development skills. Our family defines who we are as a person and oftentimes is a reflection of self. Our family defines culture, economical, race, values and beliefs. A child’s first teacher is the parents, and without parental guidance a child would lack important skills to become successful in society. In this paper I want to explain how educators and parents can work hand in hand to promote desirable behaviors in preschools in classroom and in home setting.The focus to the educator in family center approach is not only the child, but on the family as a whole. Attachment One important behavior I want to discuss is attachment. Attachment is an emotion that a child will experience within its first years of life and continued throughout its whole life span. We often associate attachment with the heart, but actually it is very much needed for the development of the mind, or intellectual development (Gonzalez, 2009). Positive, nurturing attachments helps a child to become secure and promotes a sense of well being. Attachments are formed when there is trust in a relationship.Children that are abused and neglected grow up seeing the world as cold and unwelcoming. Sure we all have our own issues of trust, but children that grew up in a hostile environment have a harder time coping with trusting others as adults. And adults who were neglected and abused as result grow up seeking the caregiver that never met their needs, often forming co-dependant relationships. Others will deal with the problem successfully if the people involved in their lives are responsive to their needs. Family Center approach teaches staff in child care centers can make an impact in that child’s life.The frame work that can be used is called â€Å"protective factors† this is used to reduce the risk of abuse and neglect. Its purpose is to strengthen families and protect c hildren. The goal of the program is to build trusted relationships with the parents and assist them while they are going through difficult times. This type of attachment is different to what just normal staff provides to a child. Getting attached to someone else’s child is a very delicate subject. You could be the first one to sense abuse, and you could also be that important influence in that child’s life.It is important, however, to make sure that you do not look down on the child’s parents, or even attempt to outdo the parents. It is very important to identify those tendendencies, if they do occur, set them aside. It is your job to support the parents. If you look down on them, then you cannot support them. Keep in mind that your attachment is important, but it is only temporary. Be caring and compassionate but also keep the attachment at a professional level. One of the first signs of attachment and independence in a toddler is when he/she begins to say the word no.The first word out of the mouths of most toddlers is the word NO, because this is the word that is most said to them while they are learning their limits and boundaries. Parents tend to use the word NO because they think it gets their attention and they stop for a brief second. But in fact the word No is used so often the toddler thinks it’s ok to say the word No for everything. We have problems with children in our two year old room telling the teacher No and in the next breath they want what the teacher offered them. The word No is there first thing that comes to their mind.As teachers we have to teach the children when to use the word No at the appropriate times. Toddlers need the opportunity to learn how to make choices and see how their choices affect their surroundings. Self-Help Skills Another behavior for growing autonomy is self-help skills. A child has a natural curiosity of its surroundings, and continually wants to explore. How an adult responds to this wi ll conclude the child’s behavior as an adult (Ramming, 2006). When a child is restricted, they often lose their curiosity and willingness to become more independent.Cultures vary on whether they want their child to be independent or interdependent. In our American culture we want our children to explore and be as independent as possible, we push for that. But is some cultures, such as Japan, want the child to be more interdependent. The culture would rather the child to feel more like a family unit than an individual. As a professional educator it is very important to have a better understanding of culture, and to respect the parents view points, even if it may be different than your own. It is very hard on a child to have two conflicting approaches.Do not find yourself in an argument with the parent over your point of views, but practice good communication skills instead. Self help skills are very important in the life of a toddler. We can let Children learn self-help skills are by letting them feed themselves with a spoon or put on their own shoes to help them gain control and develop their self help skills. A toddler wants to be in control of things around them. As teachers we need to encourage toddlers to do things that they can do for themselves. Toddlers are learning new things everyday and need to use what they learn to gain some control over their environment.For example: children need to learn to take turns with toys and what it feels like when a child takes a toy from them. As a teacher we can ask the child to share with their friend and find times when the friend can share with them. This will show the child that they have control over sharing and by sharing, friends will share with them. A child needs many choices throughout the day to help them gain the confidence in her self help skills. This attitude of teamwork makes the toddler feel a little less rebellious because the adult is sometimes seen as a partner rather than as an adversary.Thi s gives the child empowerment over their surroundings. Empowerment Self help skills are a way to make a child feel empowered. Empowerment is a way of making the child feel part as and that he/she is worthy of respect (Yoo,2010). It is important to allow a child to be as independent as possible. An example would be allowing a child to eat finger foods, and feeding herself. Sure it will be messy until the child gets older and learns to be neat, but this allows the child to feel more in control of her world.Giving the child chooses as to what to wear, and eat is an approach that is suppose to help the child to learn to make chooses in life. With choices you also have to set limits on what will and won’t be accepted. Children will often test limits. That is why when a parent set boundaries they must always remain consistent. Not being consistent with boundaries only lets that child know that it isn’t a real limit, and if the child is persistent enough the child will get hi s/her way. Providing security and empowerment to a child you must set limits and stick to them.Family Center Program also gives the families chooses. Like what activities they want to pursue in, how they want to be involved, and what type of help they need, are just some examples. This program, focus on the families wants and not on what the program feels they need. This type of empowerment has been proven to be successful and there is more participation with the families. Pro-Social Skills It is also very important that families and educators teach children social skills. The earlier they start interacting with other children the easier it is for them in the long run.It is also necessary to teach a child good problem solving skills (McArthur, 2002). The must not only learn how to interact with children, but also how to maintain relationships. Another way to install this into children is by teaching them how to help out and be a part of something. It makes the child feel important a nd that they belong to something. Another good way to teach a child’s social-skills is by having good role models in its life. Children will learn and adapt to their environment. It is very important to have the child surrounded by people who has faith that things will work out and that life has meaning.It is very important for families to help the child develop a sense of responsibility and learn not only leadership skills but also follower’s skills. Self Esteem Often times in our society we believe that a child might have â€Å"self esteem issues†. We think that all the child needs is to be uplifted or given compliments and praises. As often, there are conflicted theories on where self esteem derives from. Some theorist will say that esteem comes from â€Å"nature† such as a human biologist that will tell you that esteem in form of our â€Å"DNA† while others, such as Marxists will describe self such as social-economic or â€Å"nurture†.Ho wever, in my research I am going to describe self in relation to relationships with people, because that is the â€Å"self† that is often broken, and the only one that can be fixed. A baby's experience with self develops at an early age. Often the reflection of the caregiver or the image of themselves in the mirror is their first experiences (Luxmoore, 2010). Later on the baby will reflect â€Å"self† without the need of another person. Relationships are very important in developing a child's self-esteem early through life.Poor parenting can affect the child’s development of self. Too often do we wait until a child is 14 or 15 when a professional tries to get involved with â€Å"self esteem issues† and the damage has been done? Too much heartache has happened for another adult to make an impact on the child's life. Often children’s experiences that deal with â€Å"self esteem† projects into the child's environment. When a child's self esteem is low, their feelings towards their environment are also negative. Parenting plays a big role in the development in a child's self image.Sometimes the people in the child's life that are expected to be the nurtures can be very disappointing leaving the child feeling misunderstood. As caregivers it is our job to make sure our children are safe. We can let a child be in control of their feelings and help them gain self help skills and build self esteem as long as the children are safe and are in the right environment. For example, when a child does not know how to make the right decisions and keeps trying to bite their friends we have to take control of the situation and make sure she does not have opportunities to bite friends.I would stay around the child and make sure they did not have confutations with any of their friends. If I had to walk away to do something the child would come with me. Children need limits and boundaries so they will understand what is right and what is wro ng and can make good choices when learning to get alone with others. In my community we have toddler behavior specialist who does trainings on what to expect out of toddlers and how to enable toddlers to be themselves and be independent children. These trainings are for teachers as well as parents.Caregivers are given lists of age appropriate characteristics to give to parents so they will understand why toddler’s act the way they do and how they can help the child grow. In the conclusion of this paper we have discovered how important it is that the Family Center approach helps the child’s development and sense of self by empowering families to become more involved. This has been proven to eliminate child abuse and neglect. It has also provided ways to help families network in the community. This program has taught the importance of parent/child relationships and how educators can better support the family.

Persuasive Essay: Not Allowing Public Smoking

Have you ever been walking down the street and some inconsiderate person has the nerve to blow their cigarette smoke over their shoulder right into your face? Not only is that disgusting but it’s also very disrespectful. As a non-smoker I believe that if you have the right to smoke, then I have the right to not be affected by it. I do not think that smoking in any public place should be allowed. It has a negative effect not only on you, but on those around you, the youth in your community, and the entire environment.According to the American Lung Association, Idaho scored a B in the overall smoke-free air, but they also got 3 F’s in the categories: Tobacco Prevention and Spending, Cigarette Tax, and Cessation. In 2004, Idaho met the Smokefree Air Challenge, which calls on all fifty states to pass laws that prohibit smoking in all public and work places. Idaho’s current laws are that smoking is prohibited in publicly owned buildings and offices, or at public meeti ngs.It is also prohibited in government buildings and public or private elementary or secondary school buildings and most educational facilities (American Lung Association, 2012). I think that it should be banned from any school campus, including the colleges and universities, not just high schools, junior high, and elementary schools. It’s not like second-hand smoking becomes less harmful the more you farther your education. When I was a young kid I remember my friends pretending to be smoking and thinking it was funny. It looked harmless.In the movies the â€Å"bad boys† always had a smoke in their mouth and one behind their ear. Society plays up smoking and portrays it as being okay. It is true that people start smoking for many different reasons: some think it will make them look cool, or fit in with a certain crowd, others start because their family members or friends smoke. Statistics show that about 9 out of 10 tobacco users start before they're 18 years old. (H irsch, MD, 2012) Of course in your teenage years you think you’re invincible or that you’re above the rules and statistics, but you’re not.A leading cause in people starting to smoke is being exposed to it and the thought we put into their heads that it is acceptable in society when it shouldn’t be. If we banned all smoking in public, children and teenagers wouldn’t be as exposed and give into trying it. Second-hand smoke is about just as dangerous to your health as smoking itself is. In reality most of the smoke from the cigarette does not make it all the way into the smoker’s lungs, it escapes into the air and can be inhaled by everyone nearby. The smoke of tobacco contains over 4,000 chemicals and over 50 of them are known for causing cancer.Secondhand smoking is not preventable even though smoking is. 126 million non-smokers are exposed to the smoke either at work or at home. This exposure results in 50,000 deaths in the U. S each year, but that number is only for adults. Between 150,000 and 300,000 children are infected each year with sicknesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis, of that number roughly 10,000 of them are hospitalized. (Karriem-Norwood, MD, 2012) So the next time you light up, remember you’re exhaling not just yours, but somebody else’s life away as well.If we didn’t allow smoking in public it would help reduce the number of smokers there are. It would help people quit because they could not smoke for longer time periods than they are immune to. If you expand the amount of time passing through each smoke consistently it helps the nicotine cravings lessen. But if you really don’t think you can last through a school day it’s not like there aren’t other alternatives to getting the nicotine your body is hooked on such as chewing tobacco, or the nicotine gum.Both of those options are harmless to the people around you and will not result in you intoxicating their bodies too. In conclusion, I don’t think smoking should be allowed publicly because it portrays the wrong message to the youth and is a leading cause in people trying and becoming addicted in the first place. Also because it doesn’t just affect the person smoking, it affects everyone around them and puts others at risk for major health problems.If we didn’t allow smoking in public it would reduce the number of people smoking and better the environment. Citations: American Lung Association. (2012). Slati state information: Idaho. Retrieved from http://www. lungusa2. org/slati/statedetail. php? stateId=16 Hirsch, MD, L. (2012, March). Smoking. Retrieved from http://kidshealth. org/teen/drug_alcohol/tobacco/smoking. html Karriem-Norwood, MD, V. (2012, May 12). Effects of secondhand smoke. Retrieved from http://www. webmd. com/smoking-cessation/effects-of-secondhand-smoke

V-Guard Industries

What started in 1977 with two employees and a burning passion is now a force to reckon with in the Indian electric and electronic goods panorama. Our untiring commitment for performance, cutting edge technology, innovative design and dependable service standards have lead to unrivalled product quality and a trusted brand image. At V-Guard the principles that motivated our success remain unchanged: The passion of our early years and our quest for excellence.Through stringent quality measures, reliable products, talented people and a responsible approach to business and global citizenship we continue to steadily capture the hearts of the people. In 1977, Kochouseph Chittilappilly began a small manufacturing unit for voltage stabilizers with a vision and a capital of Rs 1,00,000 borrowed from his father. He soon established V-Guard Industries as a household name. V-Guard became the synonym for voltage stabilizers across South India.The company soon extended their range of products to in clude Pumps & Motors, Electric Water Heaters, Solar Water Heaters, Cables, UPS’s, and Ceiling Fans. V-Guard continues to remain at the helm through rigorous research and development. R&D labs at Cochin and Coimbatore explore and reinvent existing products and design. R&D for electronic products and electric geysers are carried out in Cochin while electro-mechanical products, electrical wires and solar water heaters are the strong V-Guard continues to remain at the helm through rigorous research and development.R&D labs at Cochin and Coimbatore explore and reinvent existing products and design. R&D for electronic products and electric geysers are carried out in Cochin while electro-mechanical products, electrical wires and solar water heaters are the strong point of the Coimbatore R&D lab. State of the art production centres ensure consistency and quality throughout the product range. Workforce being the core asset of any organisation, V-Guard has an employee strength of more than 1750 and over 5500 indirect employees through its SHG initiatives.With over 200 distributors and service centres and more than 10,000 retailers serving the needs of over 50 million customers, V-Guard stands as a market leader. News | Investor Relations | CSR | Careers | Contact Us | Privacy policy | Terms of use | Disclaimer | Site Map  © 2011 Voltage Stabilizers, Electrical Wires, Water Heaters, Water Pumps, Voltage Stabilizers| V-Guard Industries Ltd. All Rights Reserved Web Design powered by DREEME point of the Coimbatore R&D lab. State of the art production centres ensure consistency and quality throughout the product range.Workforce being the core asset of any organisation, V-Guard has an employee strength of more than 1750 and over 5500 indirect employees through its SHG initiatives. With over 200 distributors and service centres and more than 10,000 retailers serving the needs of over 50 million customers, V-Guard stands as a market leader. News | Investor Relations | CSR | Careers | Contact Us | Privacy policy | Terms of use | Disclaimer | Site Map  © 2011 Voltage Stabilizers, Electrical Wires, Water Heaters, Water Pumps, Voltage Stabilizers| V-Guard Industries Ltd.All Rights Reserved Web Design powered by DREEME About us CSR * Directors * V-Guard Story * Quality Control We believe in the amalgamation of corporate management, sustainable development and global responsibility in working toward a better society and thereby a better world. We are committed to greening our environment, supporting the less fortunate and nurturing the downtrodden. Extending a hand in support of education Kerala industrialist donates kidney to save a life ROTARY-BINANI ZINC CSR AWARDV Guard Industries was awarded the ROTARY-BINANI ZINC CSR AWARD (Private Sector) by the Rotary Club of Cochin Metropolis, in association with NIPM Kerala Chapter and ICAI, Ernakulam Branch for Best Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative by a company in the State of Kerala. Our Joint M anaging Director Dr. George Sleeba receiving the award. The Thomas Chittilapilly Trust The Thomas Chittilapilly Trust was founded by Kochouseph Chittilapilly, in memory of his late father, C. O. Thomas. It is an extension of the philanthropic and responsible values espoused at V-Guard.It is dedicated to extending its reach to areas of health, education and care. The trust provides health insurance cover for 1314 families from financially backward classes, 922 families at Tholur Panchayat, Kerala and 105 families in Ramanagaram Taluk in Bangalore, Karnataka. It also conducts free health camps at villages and backward areas where the reach of proper health care is absent. It sponsors the education of 1587 school children from economically backward sections in Thrissur and Ernakulam Districts in Kerala and Ramanagaram Taluk, Bangalore.The trust has also made substantial contributions to NGO’s working for various social welfare causes like Udhavumkarangal and the SOS village. It has also donated generously to many national level causes and relief funds like the Prime Minister's Relief Fund, Kargil war victims, relief for the earthquake victims of Latur and Gujarat, victims of the Orissa cyclone and the Tsunami Relief Fund of the Prime Minister as well as the Chief Minister. Shantimandiram An old age home for women, providing shelter and care for those who are unable to care of themselves in Parappur Village, Trissur, Kerala.It is managed by the Sisters of CMC Nirmala Province in whose able hands the inmates receive love and care irrespective of caste and community. The facility accommodates 60 inmates at a time and is recognised by the Board of Control for Orphanages and other Charitable Homes, Kerala. True to its name, all facilities are provided free of cost and it is a haven of peace and tranquility where the inmates spend the evening of their lives in dignity and comfort. Shanthimandiram celebrated its first anniversary on 29th May 2010 along with the I nmates. The function started with the blessings of Fr. Franko Kavalakkatt, Vicar, Parappur Forona Church.Various cultural programmes have been performed by the inmates of Shanthimandiram. The function got enriched with the Folk dance by Managing Trustee and family. The sisters of Shanthimandiram also involved with the cultural programmes. Social Welfare Fund- an employee CSR activity Social welfare consciousness being embedded in V-Guard work culture has motivated the employees to join hands in reaching out in charity. The Social Welfare Fund was created out of the goodwill of the employees who collate funds and donate towards cost of medicines for the poor in the cancer ward at the Ernakulam General Hospital.Stabilizer SHG activity Since its inception V-Guard has been providing a mutually beneficial income generating option to women. Women who have grouped themselves to form SHG’s (Self Help Groups) are distributed assembly kits for voltage stabilizers. An efficient distribu tion and collection system networks the women with the company and has been a resounding success for decades. It provides a stable income for their households and in turn emancipation from poverty. News | Investor Relations | CSR | Careers | Contact Us | Privacy policy | Terms of use | Disclaimer | Site Map 2011 Voltage Stabilizers, Electrical Wires, Water Heaters, Water Pumps, Voltage Stabilizers| V-Guard Industries Ltd. All Rights Reserved Web Design powered by DREEME About us The V-Guard Management * V-Guard Story * Quality Control * CSR He is a post graduate in Science, majoring in Physics from Calicut University. He started his career as a supervisor in an electronics company, where he worked for three years. In the year 1977, he started a SSI Unit engaged in the manufacturing and selling of Electronic Voltage stabilizers. He is one of the founder Promoters and has motivated the Company to succeed in its business.He has been the Managing Director of the Company since its incept ion and has taken Company to its current levels of stature and recognition with his experience and vision. In April, 2012 he passed the baton on to his son Mr. Mithun Chittilapilly as the Managing Director, assuming the post of Executive Vice Chairman of the company and on November 1, 2012, when Shri. P. G. R. Prasad stepped down, he took over as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. He is the recipient of numerous awards, which were bestowed on him for his exemplary performance in business.Among them are Business Man of the Millennium 2000 from Rashtra Deepika, Tourism Man of the year from â€Å"Destination Kerala and Samman Pathra Award for top income tax payer from Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Finance. As the Managing Director, Mr. Kochouseph has been the main driving force behind the company's sustained growth. more >> Shri. Cherian N. Punnoose, a Fellow member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, joined V-Guard as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Fo rmerly Director of Finance at Kochi Refineries Ltd. (KRL), he was also on the Board of Pertonet CCK Ltd.He has 40 years of experience in the field of Finance, Audit and Administration. Served KRL for 25 years in various capacities prior to becoming a member of the Board of Directors. Prior to joining KRL he also served Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and International Airports Authority of India. He has undergone short term training in Advanced Financial Management Techniques in Strathclyde Business School of the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK He is a postgraduate in commerce, Certified Financial Planner and a Research Scholar with School of Management Studies of Cochin University of Science and Technology.He joined the company as an Independent Director on 16th August 2007. He is a member of Executive Committee of National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. , National Securities Depository Ltd. , BNP Paribas Personal Investors, Paris and Cochin Chamber of Commerce and also a Man aging Committee member of ASSOCHAM and KMA. He is also a member of Confederation of Indian Industry, Kerala State Council and Capital Market Committee of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Charter member of Tie, Kerala.He has also been awarded the Business Man of Kerala by Business Deepika, Excellence Award from Kerala Management Association and Dhanam Business Man of the Year, 2006. Presently, he is the Managing Director of Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services Ltd Mr. Nair was appointed as the Non Executive Independent Director of the Company on 27th May 2009. Mr. A K Nair holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with Masters in Business Administration and has over 45 years of Industry experience specially in the filed of Engineering, Finance and General Administration.Mr. A K Nair has served Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and Nitta Gelatin India limited as Managing Director and is presently on the Director Board of many othe r companies. He is a post graduate in Finance from University of Melbourne, Australia. Mr. Mithun K Chittilappilly after completing his graduation in Commerce joined V-Guard to be trained in the various departments of the company, ranging from Finance to Marketing.In January 2005, he took a break from work for a year and a half to pursue his post graduation in Finance from University of Melbourne, Australia. After graduating in May 2006, he joined the Company as Executive Director and in 2012 was appointed as the Managing Director of the Company. Dr. Sleeba has been inducted as an Additional Director of the Company with effect from 27th May, 2010. He has also been appointed as the Joint Managing Director of the Company with effect from 1st June, 2010. Dr.George Sleeba is a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering with First Class Honours from Kerala University and M Tech in Industrial Engineering from IIT, Madras, Dr. Sleeba has a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from All India Managem ent Association (AIMA) and Doctorate in Social Sciences from the Cochin University of Science & technology (CUSAT). He has undergone a three month Senior Management programme as a Colombo Plan Scholar in UK organised by the British Council and holds a certificate in Training & Development from the Institute of Training & Development, UK.Dr. George Sleeba was the Former Chairman and Managing Director of FACT Ltd, a multidivisional corporation with more than Rs. 2300 Crores turnover and 4000 employees – the biggest Central PSU in the State of Kerala. He has proven managerial competence and academic excellence. He has more than 38 years of outstanding contribution to the industry in various functional areas of management, of which 30 years had been in FACT in senior management positions such as General Manager, Executive Director, Technical Director and as Chairman & Managing Director.He had been the Managing Director of two State Govt Undertakings – Travancore Cements Lt d and Travancore Sugars & Chemicals Ltd. He has also served as a Consultant to the Govt of Kerala for revival of sick units in the Public Sector. He is a member of the Industrial Relations Board of the Govt of Kerala. He is recognized as a turnaround specialist, credited with transforming the ailing FACT into a growth oriented, diversified, profit making company.In recognition of his contribution to the industry, he has been awarded the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for professional excellence in public sector, Padmasree Paul Pothen Award for professional excellence, Merit Award from FACT for outstanding performance, Jaycees Award for Processional Achievement, Rotary International Award for outstanding professional from industry, Life Time Achievement Award from NIPM from Palakkad Group, Outstanding Achievement Award for revival of FACT from Kerala Darshana Vedi an NGO.Management Discussions 1. ECONOMIC SCENARIO AND INDUSTRY OVERVIEWAfter the global economic recession, many of the world economies are growing in a slowpace even today; however, the Indian economy had showed faster recovery from the secondhalf of 2009-10 and has achieved robust and steady economic growth during the fiscal2010-11. With impressive growth in major sectors like agriculture, manufacturing,services, automobiles and realty, the country’s GDP rate has grown by 8. 5% during thefiscal 2010-11.Indian consumer industry also witnessed good growth during the year under review. Increasing urbanisation coupled with high disposable income of individuals and a surge inadvertising has been instrumental in bringing about a sea change in the consumer behaviorpattern and has resulted in increased consumer spend towards branded products both inrural and urban markets of India. 2. OVERALL PERFORMANCEV-Guard continues to enjoy a leading position in the electrical and electronic consumermarket in the country.With a large variety of products, strong brand equity and widelyspread distribution ch annel, the Company enjoys a unique position to cater to the consumerneeds of various segments. The Company achieved net sales of Rs. 726. 34 crores during theyear under review, charting a growth of 59. 96%, over the net sales of Rs. 454. 09 croresfor the previous year. Following the robust growth achieved in sales, the Company recordeda Net Profit of Rs. 39. 70 crores, without considering exceptional profit of Rs. 3. 63crores during the year under review, which is 55. 84 % more compared to the previous year.The contribution from Non-South Indian markets in the turnover is more than Rs. 160. 00crores in the fiscal 2010-11. The products that accounted more to achieve the sales werewires, stabilizers and pumps. BUSINESS REVIEW3. 1 VOLTAGE STABILIZERSThe Company’s flagship product Voltage Stabilizers has achieved a turnover of Rs. 166. 82 crores during the year under review, which is 23% of the total net sales. Pursuantto the surge in the consumer durable industry there was a sig nificant increase in the saleof white goods like refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines etc. which hasresulted in an increase in the sale of stabilizers for air conditioners, refrigerator etc.During the year under review, the product has grown by 44. 73% in value, when compared withthe sale of previous year. New models of stabilizers meant for air conditioners were introduced considering thelocal requirements of non-south Indian markets with reduced cost. New models were alsointroduced for tread mill, washing machine and micro wave oven. The Company’s persistent efforts o maintain the quality of the product, bringingout improvements on an on-going basis by introducing new models that meets the localmarket demands, focused R & D efforts and strong channel network across the country,have all contributed to maintain its dominant position in the sector. The main threat faced in the product line is the seasonal nature of many of the whitegoods and the aggressive campaig n by the manufacturers of the white goods stating that theappliance contains in-built stabilizers. Besides these, the increasing inflation rate,competition from the unbranded segment, improved power distribution etc.May hamper thefuture growth of the product. During the year under review, the Company came out with an ad campaign to overcome theimpact of the claim of the manufacturers of the white goods that their appliance containsin-built stabilizers which has helped to create awareness on the retailers and customershow the stabilizers protects the appliance during the power cut and also from the voltagefluctuation when the power comes back. Through this awareness creation ad, it was able tocreate a positive impact on the mindset of the consumers on the need for a stabilizer.Your Company is expecting the consumer industry to grow in a good pace in the currentfiscal and this will create an increased demand for appliances like LCD TV, refrigerators,air conditioners and consequently a n impressive growth in the stabilizers suitable forthese appliances. Focus is being given to expand the marketing network to rural marketsand other untapped markets as well as to increase the sale in the new segments ofstabilizers for LCD TVs, tread mill, washing machine etc. 3. 2 WIRING CABLESYour Company is one of the leading manufacturers of wires in the branded segment in thecountry.Total sales achieved in the wire segment for the year under review was Rs. 206. 05crores and it accounted for 28. 40% of the total net sales of the Company. Growth during the year under review was driven by the increased demand from sectorslike building and construction, automobile, aviation, energy, engineering andtelecommunications. Construction industry has revived considerably, after the economicslowdown and as a result, there is an overall improvement in the demand for wires. Thegrowth in the sales in terms of quantity and value was 35% and 68% respectively, whencompared with the sales of previo us fiscal.Capacity utilisation of the factories werealso considerably improved during the year under review. Increase in the volume andefficient purchase of raw-materials resulted in better sales growth and profitability. The major strength of this product segment is good network for distribution, increasedbrand image in south and non-south Indian markets and better quality of products. However,brand awareness is to be further increased in the non-south Indian market and efforts areto be made to procure more orders from Govt. departments, various public and privatesector organizations etc.Moreover, high volatility in the price of the majorraw-materials is one of the major reasons for low margin. Risk associated with theincrease in copper price can be mitigated by efficiently planning the procurement ofcopper and also keeping the inventory of wires at low levels. As major growth sectors in the country is expected to come out with impressive growthduring the fiscal 2011-12, the way ah ead for the product seems to be good and focus willbe given to tap the potential in the rural parts of the country and also increase themarket share of the non-south Indian market.As the construction industry is expected togrow further, efforts shall be made to procure more project / institutional orders. 3. 3 PUMPS AND MOTORSDuring the year under review, the Company was able to achieve moderate growth in thepump segment consisting of single and three phase pumps. Impressive sales was achieved inthe first half of the fiscal, however due to the extended monsoon, growth was sluggishduring the second half. Total sale achieved was Rs. 121. 00 crores, showing a growth of 42%over the sales achieved during the financial year 2009-10.The product line was able tocontribute 16. 65% of the total net sales of the Company. New models were introduced as per the geographical requirements and efforts were madeto increase the brand visibility especially in the non-south Indian markets and also inthe rural and semi urban areas. With the support of more below the line activities,increased penetration was achieved in respect of three phase pumps in tier II & tierIII cities. More number of Dealers were appointed in unrepresented areas of non-SouthIndian markets with a view to expand our marketing network.The Company was also able tointroduce 5 star rated models suited for different segments of customers. Sale of the product may get affected due to climatic conditions and also there is stiffcompetition from the players both in the organized and unorganised sectors. Non-availability of skilled man power from the industry may also hamper the growth of theproduct. Your Company is planning to give more concentration in new market segments withproducts like agricultural pumps, motors & industrial pumps and also three phase pumpsin a big way. 3. ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS ( GEYSERS)Electrical products segment has shown a good growth in the country during the yearunder review contributing to an impressive growth in the product line. Seasonal factorslike good monsoon rains, early winters in the northern parts of the country have alsofavoured the growth of the product. During the year under review, the total sale achievedwas Rs. 60. 00 crores which is 62% over the previous year’s sale of Rs. 37. 00 crores. Sale of Gas water heaters introduced in the previous year was extremely good.Dealer network for the product was considerably increased both in the urban as well asrural markets. During the year under review, more number of economy models was introducedbesides 5 star rated models that ensures reduction in the usage of energy. Your Companywas able to introduce vitreous enamel tank to increase the life of the tanks and thischange has been well accepted in the market. The product has got good market potential in non-south India due to the climaticcondition and the same can be capitalized by increasing the brand awareness and also theconfidence level of the Dealers.In case, the sale price of solar water heaters gets reduced considerably in future dueto alternate technology in manufacture or by grant of high subsidy by the Government,there is a likelihood of certain segment of customers shifting to solar water heatersthereby affecting the sale of electric water heaters to some extent. Moreover, powershortage prevalent in many parts of the country and increasing cost of power may alsoaffect the future growth potential of electric water heaters.Your Company is planning tointroduce new models and more star rated models to reduce energy consumption and forreduction in operational costs as a strategy to maintain the growth momentum. 3. 5 SOLAR WATER HEATERS:With a view to conserve electrical energy by curtailing power consumption in house holdappliances and industrial equipment, the Government is encouraging the use of alternate orrenewable energy in place of electrical energy in a massive way. Further, to encourage theuse of solar thermal devices for heating water, the Government has introduced subsidy tothe end consumer.Many nationalized banks are also providing loans at cheaper interestrates for purchase of solar water heaters. Many of the state governments in the countryhave mandated the use of solar water heaters in commercial segments facilitating increasedsale of higher capacity industrial and commercial models. These steps are expected toaccelerate the growth of the solar water heater industry in the coming years. To take advantage of the emerging scenario, your Company has introduced solar waterheaters with improved and innovative designs for varying applications with a view toexpand its market share in domestic and commercial segments.During the year under review,the marketing network for sales of solar water heaters was reorganized with introductionof direct sales to customers in major cities, to facilitate getting more project orders. Your Company is also enjoying superior technology in the manufacture of solar water heaters that give longer life of inner steel tanks, thus providing an edge over thecompetitors in the segment. All these efforts have resulted in increasing the turnover of solar water heaters toRs. 22. 00 crores during the year under review registering a growth of 34% over theprevious year’s turnover of Rs. 6. 40 crores. Considering the future growth potential, your Company is on the threshold of setting upa major manufacturing facility for solar water heater with improved technology atPerundurai, near Erode, Tamil Nadu, in the land taken on lease from SIPCOT and the newmanufacturing unit is expected to be commissioned by the third quarter of the fiscal2011-12. This improved technology is intended to mitigate the present problem of corrosionof inner tank of solar water heaters in hard water areas. An investment of Rs. 8. 00 croresis envisaged for the project.Your Company has also initiated the process for obtainingCRISIL rating for Solar Water Heater – Division, that will help the consumers toavail the subsidy announced by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)while making purchases of solar water heaters. However, possibility of further increase inlending rates may have a negative impact on the purchase of solar water heaters utilizingthe loans from commercial banks. 3. 6 FANSGrowth in the electrical products segment in the country has supported the fan industryalso to achieve an impressive growth in the year under review.In 2010-11, your Companyachieved a net sale of Rs. 53. 00 crores, which shows 107% growth over the net sale of Rs. 25. 60 crores, recorded in the previous year. Good range of products in the ceiling fansand new models of table, pedestal and wall mounting fans through imports and decorativemodels in ceiling fans have enabled the Company to achieve higher sales and improve theprofitability in the product line. The Company was also able to improve the sale in thenon-south Indian market by appointing more number of channe l partners and alsoconcentrating in the rural markets of various parts of the country.As the booming construction industry is expected to give a fillip to the electricalsegment industry, Your Company is confident of increasing its market share in the comingyears in the product line. It is also planned to appoint more number of dealers in theunrepresented areas to expand our marketing network. Your Company is also carrying outcontinuous R & D activities in its pilot production unit located at Kala Amb, toreduce the cost of production, improve the quality and reliability and to introduce lessenergy consuming models.More thrust is also given to capture more projects orders both from the Public andPrivate sector organizations. It is also proposed to introduce industrial exhaust fans tomeet the requirement of industry in the coming years. Sale of the product is highly dependent on the seasonality and also the growth in therealty sector. If the climatic conditions are not favourable, the sale may get affected. Moreover, competition from the unorganized sector is also a threat. To overcome thecompetition from the unorganized sector, your Company is involved in increasing its brandawareness by doing Below The Line activities.With continuous R&D and withintroduction of more models of energy efficient fans, your Company is confident ofincreasing its market share and profitability in the coming year. 3. 7 POWER & CONTROL CABLESYour Company embarked into manufacture and marketing of LT Cables in 2009 by setting upa manufacturing facility at Coimbatore. LT Power and Control cables are mainly used inpower generation and distribution plants and also in electrical systems within thepremises. As the power sector and construction industry are growing at a faster rate, goodgrowth potential is expected for the product. The Company achieved a net sales of Rs. 2. 00 crores, during the year under review and registered a growth of 165% over theprevious year. Order book consists of cl ients from major organizations from public andprivate sectors. Good brand image, consistency in quality of products and network withstrong dealers are the main growth drivers in the product line.The Company plans to grow further in the coming fiscal and increase its capacityutilization by getting more orders from Govt. and private institutions. 3. 8 UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY (UPS) SYSTEMSDuring the year under review, India’s personal computer (PC) market registered agrowth f 30% which is the highest since the year 2007. Nearly 25,00,000 PCs were shippedto Indian consumers, raising the overall sales by 26 per cent in the period. The demandfor UPS in India is expected to be robust, especially from rural and semi-urban areas,where the rapid development in the IT infrastructure and elongated power cuts and loadshedding is more, compared to what urban areas experience. During the year under review,the product line UPS has made an incremental growth in sales both in terms of value andvolume.Your Company was able to achieve net sales of Rs. 7. 00 crores, therebyregistering a growth of 56% over the previous year’s sale of Rs. 17. 36 crores. The factors that drive sustainable growth in this segment are the quality andreliability of products, competitive prices, availability of the product through a widedistribution network and prompt after sales service support. Your Company is adoptingstrategies for penetrating the B and C class cities to ensure growth in this product line. Growth is also expected from hospitality industry as well as educational institutions,where the usage of UPS is more.However, UPS is as an ancillary product of desktop computers and the demand of UPSdepends directly on the demand of desktop computers. The sales growth of Laptops isindirectly affecting the sales of UPS in the Tier I and Tier II Cities. Your Company istaking steps to increase the range of models in the category of Line Interactive UPS andonline UPS for wide range of ap plications as a strategy for increasing sales. 3. 9 DIGITAL HOME UPSDigital Home UPS industry is poised to grow aggressively in the coming years.The acutepower shortage and load shedding stipulated by various State Governments and frequent longhour power failures have contributed to the growth of the product line in a big way. During the year under review, net sale achieved was Rs. 22. 00 crores, registering a growthof 150% over the previous year’s sale of Rs. 8. 77 crores. In the year under review,the product reach was increased by making it available throughout the country byappointing number of Direct Marketing Associates and strengthening the marketing network.Your Company has also introduced battery for the Digital UPS during the fiscal 2010-11. Considering the huge market potential, the Company is confident of increasing the salesmany fold in the coming years. 4. OPPORTUNITIES & THREATSYour Company is engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of various products whichf orms part of the segments like electronic and electrical, consumer durable, agriculture,construction and power. Sales growth of the each product vertical is having a direct nexuswith development of the core sectors of the economy.As the Indian economy is on a fastgrowing pace, all the key sectors are also showing excellent growth. The Indian consumerdurable industry witnessed a tremendous growth during the year under review. Changinglifestyle, higher disposable income coupled with greater affordability, boom in the realestate and housing industry and a surge in advertising has been instrumental in bringingabout a sea change in the consumer behavior pattern. Rural markets and small towns haveshown promising demand for durables and prosperity in rural India has been one of themajor driving forces for rural growth.Though the economy is growing in a fast manner, the high inflation prevalent in thecountry may affect the growth of the sectors like construction, consumer durables,agricultu re etc. It may also affect the purchasing power of the people and slow down themovement of white goods. Besides, consumers are more aware of energy efficient appliancesas they are proactively asking for star-rated refrigerators, air conditioners, waterheaters, pumps etc. If the Company fails to introduce energy saving models, it will befacing difficult situation to market the products.Moreover, in the highly inflationaryregime, price of the raw-materials may increase considerably leading to increased cost ofproduction. Attempts to pass on the price escalation to the consumer, may lead to, peopleopting for unbranded products, considering the price variation. 5. FUTURE OUTLOOKThe Indian economy is expected to maintain the growth momentum in the coming years. With the existing product range and by introducing new models which suits with the localrequirements of various markets and by providing good after sales service, your Directorsare confident of achieving desired growth levels and improve the profitability further.Possibility of adding one or two products coming in the home appliance segment is alsounder consideration. Thrust will be given to strengthen the existing manufacturingfacilities by making additional investment wherever required. Efforts will be taken toimprove the brand awareness in the new markets and more penetration will be made in thesemi-urban and rural areas. 6. RISKS AND RISK MITIGATIONThe Company has an Enterprise Wide Risk Management System in place and has laid downprocedures for risk assessment and its mitigation.A two level committee monitors therisks and its mitigation measures on a regular basis. The lower level consists of 4Product Risk groups each headed by a VP and comprising of concerned product heads andrepresentatives from other functions like Finance, Systems, Customer Service, HumanResource, Legal etc. The apex body, known as Risk Management Team is headed by theExecutive Director and comprise of Sr. Vice Presidents, Vice Pres idents, Chief RiskOfficer, Assistant Risk Officer and heads of various Product Risk Groups as members.The Product Risk Groups holds periodical meetings and review the risks and mitigationmeasures in the respective product groups and submit their reports along with the minutesof the meetings to the Risk Management Team, which review and consolidate the Risk reportand submit quarterly reports before the Audit Committee for its review and recommendationto the Board. The Company is also maintaining Risk Registers for each product and the sameare updated on regular basis.