The Role Technology Plays in Today’s Society

After the Industrial Revolution, human beings came to a new era, which has brought about a drastic change to the whole world in all aspects of life, noticeably in the technological field, whose progress has been by leaps and bounds, and made what formerly believed impossible become a possible. It is obvious that there is a rush toward modern technology for teaching as well as learning nowadays. Learners, especially students have been very quick at embracing technology as the means to reach the most up-dated information in order to open themselves to the world as well as to see how the world touches them.Technology is used to enhance human beings physically and intellectually, however many people is discovering that that technology is a two-edged sword; the benefits are equally balanced by the downsides. It is said that particular jobs will inevitably disappear as a result of technological advancements threatening the importance of the job. Today, many jobs such as ATMs replace bank t ellers, answering machines replace operators, and insightful descriptions of the product on Internet shopping sites replace salesmen.Many have considered the downsides to technology and decided that IT advancements are not all beneficial to society. Even though machines and technology have replaced the jobs that were once done by human beings, the jobs have not been eliminated; they are merely changed in a way that humans no longer carry on the task. Technology has also changed jobs in a way so that it makes it easier to human beings to do their work. An example is how humans exploit the usefulness of machines to mass-produce products and food.Engineers are also hired to develop ways in order to enhance the already existing technology. Despite social issues surrounding the idea of computers replacing humans, many people would agree that if a job is taken over by a machine that is incapable of independent thought, the job is not suitable for a human being who have the ability to do s o. Technology helps eradicate useless jobs and decreases labor costs, but it also creates new jobs. An example of this is the manufacturing of the actual technology and the computer specialists hired to put the technology to use.In our never-ceasing quest for progression and expansion, it seems taken for granted that technological advancement is a positive phenomenon. Amidst the hysteria, however, lies the forgotten fact that the latest development is not necessarily what is best for society. We are encouraged to believe that faster, more complex and superior technology will be beneficial to us in some way. Technology has many positive aspects but, in the wrong hands, it can become dangerous.Technology is a valuable tool but is somewhat misused by today’s teens. The two main forms of technology affecting teenagers – cell phones and the Internet – have brought about major changes in our lifestyle. This technology has allowed teens to have inane communications and in doing so, contributes to the ‘dumbing down’ of society. We spend more time corresponding with our friends on cell phones and the Internet than we do working or participating in activities which expand and challenge

Mba Spring2011 Merck Sample Group Project

DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY (MBA – Spring 2011) Strategic Management Case Study Executive Summary:3 Current Vision4 Current Mission4 Values5 Current Strategies:6 Developed Vision7 Developed Mission7 Reason for new mission8 SWOT Analysis9 External opportunities:9 External Threats:10 Financial and Operating Performance Analysis11 Close Competitors11 Ratio Analysis11 Key Industry Ratios14 Operating Profit margin14 Net Profit margin14 Current Ratio14 Return on Assets15 Debt/Equity Ratio15 Inventory Turnover Ratio15 Revenue Growth16 Market Share16 Internal Strengths16Internal Weakness20 External Factor Evaluation Matrix21 Competitive Profile Matrix23 Internal Factor Evaluation24 Space Matrix27 SWOT Matrix29 Grand Strategy Matrix31 Recommended Strategies31 Recommended strategy No. 1:31 Recommended strategy No. 2:32 Projected Financial Statements33 Projected Ratios34 Company worth Analysis34 Annual Objectives:35 Strategic Review and Evaluation Procedures:35 Bibliography:36 Executive Su mmary: Merck & Co. is a research driven pharmaceutical company involved in manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and drugs.Merck's products are not limited to preventive and therapeutic vaccines. Merck merged with Schering-Plough in November of 2009 for $41billion. Merck is based in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey and has more than 110000 employees. The company has a annual revenue of $45billion during the year ending December 2010. The increase in revenues was mainly due to the incremental sales resulting from the inclusion of the post-merger results of Schering-Plough products. The operating profit of the company was $1,653. 0 million during FY2010, a decrease of 90% over 2009.The net profit was $859 million in FY2010, an increase of 93% over 2009. Merck’s products include preventive and therapeutic vaccines sold by prescription to treat human disorders and to also treat animal health. The company manages many products in different segments. Human health pharmaceutical produc ts consist of prescription therapeutic and preventive agents for the treatment of human disorders. Merck distributes its human health pharmaceutical products to retailers, government, drug companies, health and wellness organizations, and others.Merck's vaccine products are primarily managed and administered at physician offices. These products include preventive vaccines. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccines for Children program is a major customer for some of these vaccines. Merck also manages a clinical pipeline that has products in many different disease domains not limited to diabetes, heart strokes, hyper-tension, inflammatory problems, neurology related diseases, osteoporosis, respiratory, female health and many other prominent and new domains.This pipeline is managed in phases followed by a few ready for registration. Majority of these are subject to FDA approval before commercial manufacturing commences. Merck also manages vaccines for animal health an d this is a growing segment where there is more need for research for prevention of many diseases in animals. In addition to the above many different segments, Merck also manages a portfolio of regular consumer healthcare and manufactures many OTC products, foot and sun care products not just in the USA but also in Canada. Current VisionWe make a difference in the lives of people globally through our innovative medicines, vaccines, and consumer health and animal products. We aspire to be the best healthcare company in the world and are dedicated to providing leading innovations and solutions for tomorrow. (1) Current Mission To provide innovative, distinctive products and services that save and improve lives and satisfy customer needs, to be recognized as a great place to work, and to provide investors with a superior rate of return. (1) | Mission Component| Accomplished? | 1| Customers| No| | Products or Services| Yes| 3| Markets| No| 4| Technology| No| 5| Concern for survival, gro wth and profitability| No| 6| Philosophy| No| 7| Self-Concept| No| 8| Concern for public image| Yes| 9| Concern for employees| Yes| Values Our business is preserving and improving human life. We also work to improve animal health. All of our actions must be measured by our success in achieving these goals. We value, above all, our ability to serve everyone who can benefit from the appropriate use of our products and services, thereby providing lasting consumer satisfaction.We are committed to the highest standards of ethics and integrity. We are responsible to our customers, to Merck employees and their families, to the environments we inhabit, and to the societies we serve worldwide. In discharging our responsibilities, we do not take professional or ethical shortcuts. We are dedicated to the highest level of scientific excellence and commit our research to improving human and animal health and the quality of life. We strive to identify the most critical needs of consumers and cust omers, and we devote our resources to meeting those needs.We expect profits, but only from work that satisfies customer needs and benefits humanity. This depends on maintaining a financial position that invites investment in leading-edge research and that makes it possible to effectively deliver the results of that research. Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity and teamwork of our employees. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement and teamwork. We also strive to reward commitment and performance and be responsive to the needs of our employees and their families. 1) Current Strategies: * The Access Strategy aims at increasing access to medicines, vaccines, and healthcare in the emerging and developed countries. * To ensure safety and quality of products, Merck introduced a ‘Anti-counterfeiting’ strategy to prevent counterfeits across the world. Merck has setup an advanced laborato ry to implement this strategy.* To restore confidence as a quality producer of global vaccines, Merck continues to implement vaccine supply manufacturing strategy. * Merck continues to implement its global diversity strategy. * Merck’s research strategy is designed to mprove productivity and the probability of success and this is monitored by a Research Strategy Review Committee. * The most popular MRL strategy i. e. Merck Research Laboratory strategy is designed to manage the pipeline that uses the expertise to treat many unsolved diseases and health issues. MRL scientists are passionate about resolving and meeting unmet medical needs. * Merck established External Basic Research (EBR) and an EBR strategy are formulated to expand the scope and size of Merck’s early pipeline through partnerships with external partners. * Merck follows a responsible pricing policy thru its worldwide tiered pricing strategy. To foster health literacy in Switzerland, Merck follows the Swis s e-health strategy and as part of this strategy, they work with universities around the world. * Merck formed a Global Labor Relations Strategy to include global labor guidelines and principles and monitoring tools worldwide.* Merck energy management strategy serves as a useful framework in measuring current performance resulting in Merck receiving the Energy Star sustained excellence award. * Merck’s corporate strategy is â€Å"Plan to win†. * Merck has a supply strategy that combines the skills of internal and external manufacturers. (1) Developed Vision Our vision is to be an outstanding and most trusted company in the world’s healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. † Developed Mission We are passionately committed to providing creative, comprehensive and effective health solutions (2) that will improve the health, wellness and quality of life of our customers (1), consumers and partners around the globe for today, tomorrow and forever thru our continu ed superior performance, intelligent and creative employees (9), innovative and qualitative safe products, sustainable and profitable partnerships and by building increased shareholder returns thru this process.We will focus on increasing healthcare access (6) in the local and emerging markets (3) and will strive to use modern environment friendly technology(4) for our scientific innovation to improve productivity and to reduce costs to make our products more affordable. We will serve the society and the eligible people (8) with programs that will provide free and cost effective health solutions. We will collaborate with global research companies to lead and contribute to the resolution of global health issues (7) and we will position ourselves as the best in the industry with sustainable prosperity(5). Mission Component| Accomplished ? | 1| Customers| Yes| 2| Products or Services| Yes| 3| Markets| Yes| 4| Technology| Yes| 5| Concern for survival, growth and profitability| Yes| 6| P hilosophy| Yes| 7| Self-Concept| Yes| 8| Concern for public image| Yes| 9| Concern for employees| Yes| Reason for new mission The current mission is not exciting and does not emphasize on all the key components of an effective mission. The new mission emphasizes on health solutions as a whole versus products and services only. The new mission is targeted towards the wellbeing of the end consumer and not just to save the life.The focus is specifically mentioned to be in all markets including the emerging markets. Modern environment friendly technology will be used to develop safe products that are not counterproductive to the wellbeing of the end consumer. The needy people will be served with effective solutions and the new mission passionately suggests sustainable prosperity while engaging creative and intelligent people building profitable shareholder returns thru the whole process. SWOT Analysis External opportunities: O1 – The recent agreement with Schering-Plough opens mo re avenues for potential growth in the fields of respiratory and infectious disease herapeutic segments. (1) O2 – Possible Cost savings of $3. 5 Billon from internal restructuring efforts beyond 2011. (1) O3 – There is a lot of potential for growth in the Diabetes and Oncology markets and Merck has made its entry into this market thru the product Januvia. O4 – Merck can add core strength to its portfolio by expanding research and innovation in the biological markets thru partners, acquisitions and joint ventures. O5 – Rapidly expanding market share in emerging markets proves to be a high potential opportunity for Merck.Emerging Markets in the Pharma Industry will take 50% Growth Credit by 2013. (2) O6- Increased opportunity for new Generic Drug products. Healthcare reform suggests cost savings and insurance industries emphasize usage of generic drugs and the expiring patents on a lot of drugs opens up opportunity for Merck to pioneer the generic drug mark et leveraging its world-class research capabilities. The total market share of the patents that will expire over 2010-2015 is 17% with a market share of $142billion. (17) O7- Pfizer’s animal health business returned a profit of $2. billion which is second to Merck and with the cancelled joint venture of Merck and Sanofi-Aventis, Merck should further pursue their concept with Novartis who are No. 5 in animal health business. This will strengthen their No. 1 position in the light of Pfizer's growing sales and the merger between J;amp;J and Eli Lilly Co in this segment. (3) External Threats: T1 – At least five of the patents are expiring in the next two years and competition is ready to introduce generic products backed by healthcare reform and this can pose a serious threat to Merck’s products and profitability.T2 – The consumer is not the one that usually makes the choice of using a particular drug. Mostly, drugs are prescribed by physicians, who sometimes lack the necessary information about relative prices. (4) T3 – The recent housing market problem, the oil prices problem and the global recession has a cascading effect on the job market and many people are unemployed losing their health insurance and forced to not being able to use medical or pharmaceutical products.If there is no sales in the pharmaceutical products, Merck can suffer financial losses and reduced returns to shareholders. T4 – The HealthCare Reform enacted in 2010 caused unanticipated losses for Merck and the effects of this Act will continue into future. These new provisions will decrease revenue and increase costs. (5) * 2010 – Costs incurred due to increased Medicaid rebates. With respect to the effect of the law on the pharmaceutical industry, the law increased the mandated Medicaid rebate from 15. 1% to 23. 1%. 2011 – An annual health care reform fee on all branded prescription drug manufacturers and importers and the requirement th at drug manufacturers pay a 50% discount on Medicare Part D utilization incurred by beneficiaries when they are in the Medicare Part D coverage also known as the ‘Donut hole’.T5 – Although not included in the health care reform law, Congress has also considered, and may consider again, proposals to increase the government’s role in pharmaceutical pricing in the Medicare program. (5) T6 –    Congress may again consider proposals to allow, under certain conditions, the importation of medicines from other countries. 5) T7 – Merck is experiencing delay in manufacturing some of its vaccines and this delay can cause a competitor to launch a product that can be manufactured quickly. Financial and Operating Performance Analysis Close Competitors Pfizer Inc. Eli Lilly and Company Ratio Analysis | 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| Margins (% of Sales)| | | | | | Revenue| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| COGS| 26. 50%| 25. 40%| 23. 40%| 3 2. 90%| 40. 00%| Gross Margin| 73. 50%| 74. 60%| 76. 60%| 67. 10%| 60. 00%| SG;amp;A| 36. 10%| 31. 20%| 30. 90%| 31. 10%| 28. 80%| R;amp;D| 21. 10%| 20. 20%| 20. 10%| 21. 30%| 23. 90%|Other| 0. 60%| 1. 40%| 4. 30%| 6. 00%| 2. 10%| Operating Margin| 15. 70%| 21. 90%| 21. 20%| 8. 70%| 5. 20%| Net Int Inc ;amp; Other| 12. 40%| -7. 40%| 20. 50%| 47. 00%| -1. 60%| EBT Margin| 27. 50%| 13. 90%| 41. 10%| 55. 80%| 3. 60%| Profitability| | | | | | Tax Rate| 28. 70%| 2. 80%| 20. 40%| 14. 80%| 40. 60%| Net Margin| 19. 59%| 13. 54%| 32. 74%| 47. 03%| 1. 87%| Asset Turnover| 0. 51| 0. 52| 0. 5| 0. 34| 0. 42| (Average)| | | | | | Return on Assets| 9. 92%| 7. 05%| 16. 34%| 16. 20%| 0. 79%| Financial Leverage (Average)| 2. 54| 2. 66| 2. 52| 1. 9| 1. 95| Return on Equity| 25. 00%| 18. 33%| 42. 27%| 33. 15%| 1. 1%| Growth| | | | | | Revenue Growth| | | | | | Year over Year| 2. 80%| 6. 90%| -1. 40%| 15. 00%| 67. 70%| 3-Year Average| 0. 20%| 1. 80%| 2. 70%| 6. 60%| 23. 90%| 5-Year Average| -13. 90%| -1 4. 10%| 1. 20%| 3. 60%| 15. 90%| 10-Year Average| 1. 30%| 0. 20%| -1. 20%| -1. 80%| 1. 30%| Operating Income| | | | | | Year over Year| -36. 00%| 49. 30%| -4. 50%| -52. 80%| -0. 70%| 3-Year Average| -24. 90%| -7. 20%| -3. 00%| -12. 30%| -23. 50%| 5-Year Average| -18. 30%| -11. 40%| -9. 60%| -18. 50%| -15. 60%| 10-Year Average| -3. 40%| -0. 70%| -2. 30%| -10. 90%| -12. 60%| EPS| | | | | | Year over Year| -3. 30%| -26. 60%| 144. 0%| 55. 20%| -95. 00%| 3-Year Average| -11. 40%| -17. 00%| 20. 10%| 40. 70%| -42. 70%| 5-Year Average| -8. 40%| -13. 90%| 4. 50%| 16. 70%| -33. 20%| 10-Year Average| 2. 60%| -2. 30%| 5. 40%| 8. 70%| -20. 90%| Cash Flow Ratios| | | | | | Operating Cash Flow Growth-YOY| -11. 10%| 3. 50%| -6. 10%| -48. 40%| 219. 00%| Free Cash Flow Growth-YOY| -6. 80%| 3. 50%| -11. 90%| -63. 40%| 373. 40%| Cap Ex as a % of Sales| 4. 30%| 4. 20%| 5. 40%| 5. 30%| 3. 60%| Free Cash Flow/Sales| 25. 56%| 24. 75%| 22. 11%| 7. 04%| 19. 88%| Free Cash Flow/Net Income| 1. 3| 1. 83| 0. 68| 0. 15| 10. 64| Liquidity/Financial Health| | | | | |Current Ratio| 1. 2| 1. 23| 1. 35| 1. 8| 1. 86| Quick Ratio| 0. 95| 0. 97| 0. 65| 1. 03| 1. 25| Financial Leverage| 2. 54| 2. 66| 2. 52| 1. 9| 1. 95| Debt/Equity| 0. 32| 0. 22| 0. 21| 0. 27| 0. 28| Efficiency| | | | | | Days Sales Outstanding| 50. 3| 52. 4| 56. 7| 69. 1| 55. 4| Days Inventory| 104. 2| 108. 5| 136. 1| 209. 2| 138. 1| Payables Period| 29. 4| 33. 3| 40. 6| 57. 8| 45. 1| Cash Conversion Cycle| 125. 1| 127. 6| 152. 3| 220. 5| 148. 4| Receivables Turnover| 7. 3| 7| 6. 4| 5. 3| 6. 6| Inventory Turnover| 3. 5| 3. 4| 2. 7| 1. 7| 2. 6| Fixed Asset Turnover| 1. 6| 1. 9| 2| 1. 8| 2. 6| Asset Turnover| 0. 5| 0. 5| 0. | 0. 3| 0. 4| Reference – (6) Key Industry Ratios Operating Profit margin 2010| MERCK| PFIZER| Eli Lilly and Company | Operating Profit margin| 5. 2| 20. 3| 28. 3| Merck had Operating Profit margin of 5. 2 OPM%. Merck Operating profit margin is low when compared to competitors; this indicates that there is scope for improving the cost structure. Net Profit margin 2010| MERCK| PFIZER| Eli Lilly and Company | Net Profit margin| 1. 87| 12. 18| 21. 97| Merck had a Net Profit margin i. e. , 1. 87 NPM%. Merck NPM is lower than its competitors. A net profit margin indicates that there is scope for improving the capital structure.Huge percentage drop when compared to 2009 (47%). Current Ratio 2010| MERCK| PFIZER| Eli Lilly and Company | Current Ratio| 1. 86| 2. 11| 2. 09| Current Ratio: Merck has Current Ratio of 1. 8, which shows that Merck may meet short-term obligations. Current Ratio 2. 0 is considered good to meet short-term financial obligations. Return on Assets 2010| MERCK| PFIZER| Eli Lilly and Company | Return on Assets| 0. 79| 4. 05| 17. 34| Return on Assets (ROA): Merck has ROA of 0. 79%, which indicates its assets are NOT at optimum their utilization. Debt/Equity Ratio 2010| MERCK| PFIZER| Eli Lilly and Company |Debt/Equity Ratio| 0. 28| 0. 44| 0. 55| Debt/equity ratio (D/E ratio ): Merck had D/E ratio of . 27, which is good. Inventory Turnover Ratio 2010| MERCK| PFIZER| Eli Lilly and Company | Inventory Turnover Ratio| 2. 6| 1. 6| 1. 6| Inventory Turnover Ratio: Merck has a 2. 6 times turnover ratio, which is good when compare to competitors. It also suggests that loss of sales as it will not have sufficient stock in hand. Revenue Growth 2010| MERCK| PFIZER| Eli Lilly and Company | Revenue Growth| 67. 7| 35. 6| 5. 7| Revenue growth: Merck Sales growth rate is 67%, Revenue growth is very good when compared to competitors.New products Isentress and Januvia  sales boosted revenue. Market Share Market share: – Total Pharmacy industry share is $836 billion and Merck has $46 billion, stands one of the largest company in 2010 – 5. 5 % of Global Market. Internal Strengths S1 – Merck maintains strong financial health despite the $8. 5 billion debt needed for the acquisition. Analysts are predicting that the combined company will generate a $12 billion cash flow in 2011 which should help repay the debt quickly. (7) S2 – Majority of the blockbuster products introduced recently showed very strong sales.Especially, Januvia (diabetes), Isentress (HIV), and Gardasil. (7) S3 – Merck has strong earnings when compared to the industry. | Stock| Industry| S;amp;P 500 | Stock's 5Yr Average*| Price/Earnings| 122. 0| 17. 7| 16. 6| 40. 7| Price/Book| 1. 9| 2. 6| 2. 2| 4. 0| Price/Sales| 2. 3| 2. 6| 1. 4| 3. 5| Price/Cash Flow| 9. 8| 10. 1| 8. 5| 19. 9| Dividend Yield %| 4. 5| 3. 4| 1. 7| —| S4 – Merck’s latest acquisition of Schering results in a $6 billion pipeline of drugs with the potential of multiple blockbusters and very few patent losses are expected over the next couple of years.It is predicted that the combination of the two entities should generate $3 billion plus in annual cost savings before 2011. (8) S5 – Global market presence along with production facilities. Merck operates in 120 countries with 31 factories worldwide. (9) Merck follows a unique strategy of integrated markets as below. (10) S6 – Merck is well positioned in some Emerging Markets and is showing robust growth in China and is actively searching for a partner in India. Merck has developed a separate strategy for positioning itself as numero uno in emerging markets. 11) & (12) S7- A vast diversified product portfolio in Medicines, Vaccines, Biologics, Consumer Care and Animal Health. (12) S8 – It has various  patient assistance programs  in U. S. to help the people who are unable to afford the medical treatment in terms of medicine if household income is less than 400% of Federal Poverty Level. (13) S9 – The firm has robust in-house research capabilities that also make it a leader in designing new medical products. Internal Weakness W1 – EPS dropped from $0. 28 from $5. 7 mainly due which reflect a net unfavorable impact resulting from the amortization of purcha se accounting adjustments, in-process research and development (â€Å"IPR&D†) impairment charges, including a charge related to the vorapaxar clinical development program, restructuring and merger-related costs, as well as a legal reserve relating to Vioxx (the â€Å"Vioxx Liability Reserve†) discussed below, partially offset by the gain recognized on AstraZeneca’s exercise of its option to acquire certain assets. (5) W2 – Singulair is Merck’s largest volume selling pharmacy product with a annual sales of $3. billion as of 2010 and this is expiring in Aug 2012. (5) On top of this, FDA announced that a potential link exists between this product and suicidal behavior. (14) W3 – Few of Merck’s late-stage pipeline products did not get approved by FDA. Following drugs did not get FDA approvals anacetrapib for atherosclerosis, cholesterol drug Tredaptive, Rolofylline for heart disease and Telcagepant for migraines. W4 – The firm faced lawsuits on Vioxx product on increased chances of heart attack and Merck Agreement Provides for $4. 85 Billion Vioxx Settlement Payment. 15) W5 – Merck settled a lawsuit with J&J for $500 million over a dispute on two anti-inflammatory records. Merck also looses marketing rights in some areas. (16) W6 – Merck’s Current ratio is 1. 8, has a limited liquidity position as compared to its competitors. W7 – Merck has minimal presence in the Generic Drug Market. External Factor Evaluation Matrix | External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE)|   |   |   |   | Opportunities| Weight| Rating| Weighted Score| 1. | O1 – The recent agreement with Schering-Plough opens more avenues for potential growth in the fields of respiratory and infectious disease therapeutic segments | 0. 8| 4| 0. 32| 2. | O2 – Possible Cost savings of $3. 5 Billon from internal restructuring efforts beyond 2011. | 0. 10| 3| 0. 30| 3. | O3 – There is a lot of po tential for growth in the Diabetes and Oncology markets and Merck has made its entry into this market thru the product Januvia | 0. 05| 3| 0. 15| 4. | O4 – Merck can add core strength to its portfolio by expanding research and innovation in the biological markets thru partners, acquisitions and joint ventures| 0. 05| 1| 0. 05| 5. | O5 – Rapidly expanding market share in emerging markets proves to be a high potential opportunity for Merck.Emerging Markets in Pharma Industry to take 50% Growth Credit by 2013 | 0. 10| 3| 0. 30| 6. | O6- Increased opportunity for new Generic Drug products through more focus on quality R&D. Healthcare reform suggests cost savings and insurance industries emphasize usage of generic drugs and the expiring patents on a lot of drugs opens up opportunity for Merck to pioneer the generic drug market leveraging its world-class research capabilities. The total market share of the patents that will expire over 2010-2015 is 17% with a market shar e of $142billion. | 0. 15| 2| 0. 30| 7. | O7- Pfizer’s animal health business returned a profit of $2. billion which is second to Merck and with the cancelled joint venture of Merck and Sanofi-Aventis, Merck should further pursue their concept with Novartis who are No. 5 in animal health business. This will strengthen their No. 1 position in the light of Pfizer's growing sales and the merger between J;amp;J and Eli Lilly Co in this segment| 0. 02| 3| 0. 06| | | | | | | Threats| Weight| Rating| Weighted Score| 1. | T1 – At least five of the patents are expiring in the next two years and competition is ready to introduce generic products backed by healthcare reform and this can pose a serious threat to Merck’s products and profitability| 0. 5| 2| 0. 30| 2. | T2 – The consumer is not the one that usually makes the choice of using a particular drug. Mostly, drugs are prescribed by physicians, who sometimes lack the necessary information about relative prices. | 0. 05| 3| 0. 15| 3. | T3 – The recent housing market problem, the oil prices problem and the global recession has a cascading effect on the job market and many people are unemployed losing their health insurance and forced to not being able to use medical or pharmaceutical products. If there is no sales in the pharmaceutical products, Merck can suffer financial losses and reduced returns to shareholders. 0. 08| 3| 0. 24| 4. | T4 – The HealthCare Reform enacted in 2010 caused unanticipated losses for Merck and the effects of this Act will continue into future. These new provisions will decrease revenue and increase costs. | 0. 08| 2| 0. 16| 5. | T5 – Although not included in the health care reform law, Congress has also considered, and may consider again, proposals to increase the government’s role in pharmaceutical pricing in the Medicare program. | 0. 03| 3| 0. 09| 6. | T6 – Congress may again consider proposals to allow, under certain conditio ns, the importation of medicines from other countries. 0. 03| 3| 0. 09| 7. | T7 – Merck is experiencing delay in manufacturing some of its vaccines and this delay can cause a competitor to launch a product that can be manufactured quickly. | 0. 03| 2| 0. 06|   | TOTALS| 1. 00|   | 2. 57| Competitive Profile Matrix Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM)| | Merck| Pfizer| Eli Lilly and Company | Critical Success Factors| Weight | Rating| Score| Rating| Score| Rating| Score| Global Expansion| 0. 10| 3| 0. 30| 3| 0. 30| 4| 0. 40| Market Penetration| 0. 06| 4| 0. 24| 4| 0. 24| 2| 0. 12| Pipeline| 0. 15| 3| 0. 45| 4| 0. 60| 2| 0. 30| Patents| 0. 8| 4| 0. 72| 3| 0. 54| 2| 0. 36| R;amp;D| 0. 17| 3| 0. 51| 4| 0. 68| 2| 0. 34| Financial Profit| 0. 05| 2| 0. 10| 3| 0. 15| 4| 0. 20| Customer Loyalty| 0. 00| 3| 0. 00| 3| 0. 00| 2| 0. 00| Market Share| 0. 08| 4| 0. 32| 4| 0. 32| 3| 0. 24| Product Quality| 0. 06| 1| 0. 06| 2| 0. 12| 2| 0. 12| Generic Drugs| 0. 15| 2| 0. 30| 3| 0. 45| 2| 0. 30 | Totals| 1. 00|   | 3. 00|   | 3. 40|   | 2. 38| * Global Expansion: Merck is in 121 countries Pfizer is in 150 countries Eli Lily is in 143 countries. * Pipeline: 94 in Pipeline for Pfizer, Lilly has 15 and 57 in Merck Pipeline excluding registration. Patents: Pfizer has 11 basic patent products and Lily has 8 basic patent products and Merck has 29 basic patent products. * Financial Profit : EPS – Lilly has EPS 4. 58 Merck has 0. 28 Pfizer has 1. 02. * Market Share : Merck has $45 billion and Pfizer has $67 and Lilly has $23 billion. * Product quality : Merck has two major lawsuits whereas Pfizer has one and Lilly has one. * Generic Drugs : Pfizer has 59 generic drugs which is more than what Merck has and what Lilly has Merck is still entering into different JVS with SUN and other pharma companies. Internal Factor Evaluation Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE)|   |   |   |   | Strengths| Weight| Rating| Weighted Score| 1. | S1 – Merck maintains stro ng financial health despite the $8. 5 billion debt needed for the acquisition. Analysts are predicting that the combined company will generate a $12billion cash flow in 2011 which should help repay the debt quickly. | 0. 05| 4| 0. 20| 2. | S2 – Majority of the blockbuster products introduced recently showed very strong sales. Especially, Januvia(diabetes), Isentress(HIV), and Gardasil. | 0. 08| 4| 0. 32| 3. | S3 – Merck has strong earnings when compared to the industry. | 0. 04| 3| 0. 12| 4. S4 Merck’s latest acquisition of Schering results in a $6 billion pipeline of drugs with the potential of multiple blockbusters and very few patent losses are expected over the next couple of years. It is predicted that the combination of the two entities should generate $3 billion plus in annual cost savings before 2011. | 0. 15| 4| 0. 60| 5. | S5 Global market presence along with production facilities. Merck operates in 120 countries with 31 factories worldwide. | 0. 06| 3 | 0. 18| 6. | S6 Merck is well positioned in some Emerging Markets and is showing robust growth in China and is actively searching for a partner in India.Merck has developed a separate strategy for positioning itself as numero uno in emerging markets. | 0. 15| 3| 0. 45| 7. | S7 A vast diversified product portfolio in Medicines, Vaccines, Biologics, Consumer Care and Animal Health. | 0. 05| 3| 0. 15| | | | | | | Weaknesses| Weight| Rating| Weighted Score| 1. | W1 EPS dropped from $0. 28 from $5. 67 mainly due which reflect a net unfavorable impact resulting from the amortization of purchase accounting adjustments| 0. 04| 2| 0. 08| 2. | W2 Singulair is Merck’s largest volume selling pharma product with a annual sales of $3. 2 billion as of 2010 and this is expiring in Aug 2012. 0. 10| 1| 0. 10| 3. | W3 Few of Merck’s late-stage pipeline products did not get approved by FDA. Following drugs did not get FDA approvals anacetrapib for atherosclerosis, cholesterol drug Tredap tive ,Rolofylline for heart disease ,Telcagepant for migraines| 0. 10| 1| 0. 10| 4. | W4 The firm faced lawsuits on Vioxx product on increased chances of heart attack and Merck Agreement Provides for $4. 85 Billion Vioxx Settlement Payment. | 0. 04| 2| 0. 08| 5. | W5 Merck settled a lawsuit with J;amp;J for $500 million over a dispute on two anti-inflammatory records. Merck also looses marketing rights in some areas. 0. 04| 2| 0. 08| 6. | W6 Merck Current ratio is 1. 8, has a limited liquidity position as compared to its competitors. | 0. 05| 2| 0. 10| 7. | W7 Merck has minimal presence in Generic Drug Market. | 0. 05| 1| 0. 05|   | TOTALS| 1. 00|   | 2. 61| Space Matrix Financial Position: * Return on Investment is Average when compare to Industry. * Leverage: Compared to the industry standard, leverage or debt equity ratio of Merck is more industry is whereas Merck is 0. 27. * Liquidity: Current Ratio is around 1. 8. Above 2. 0 is preferred to meeting Short-term obligations. * Working Capital: Working Capital is low. Cash Flow: Cash Flows for 2010 is very good which is around $9 billion. Industrial Position: * Growth Potential: Revenues are up by 67% and successful new product launches. And successful merger with Schering Plough * Financial Stability: After M;amp;A, company financially is in difficult position, but in long-term it will do better. * Ease of Entry into Market: As Merck already exists in multiple markets and different pharma domains, ease of entry into market is considered high for Merck * Resource Utilization: Merck has ROA of 0. 79%, which indicates its assets are NOT at optimum their utilization. Profit Potential: As free cash flows are high, profit potential is more. Competitive Position: * Market Share: Second in global position * Product Quality: Two products have litigations. * Customer Loyalty: Due to Voixx and other products side effects, customer loyalty became average. * Technological know-how: Getting new biotechnology and bio-p harma industry. * Control over Suppliers and Distributors: Merck has control on Suppliers and Distributors. Sustainability Position: * Rate of Inflation: Same as like other products * Technological Changes: Minimal * Price Elasticity of Demand: As more are patent products, the effect will be less. Competitive Pressure: Yes, there is lot of competition with pharma and other generic drug products. * Barriers to Entry into Market: Minimum Barriers. SWOT Matrix SO Strategies: * S5O5O6: Healthcare reform emphasizes a paradigm shift to generic drugs from branded drugs and 17% of the patented drugs are going to expire by 2015 and this is an opportunity of $142 billion and there are not a lot of market players in this segment yet. Merck can take advantage of this upcoming situation and start working on generic drugs in the pipeline to be released in the established and emerging markets.We believe Merck should be able to tap into at least $50billion by this strategy. * S4O4O1: Merck’s merger with Schering results in a $6billion of pipeline of drugs and not many patents are expiring in this set. This strategy will result in $3billion of savings before 2011. Merck should further expand their research and innovation thru joint ventures and innovations in the current, biogenetics and other potential domains and follow a market penetration strategy in current and emerging markets.Merck should further expand their research and innovation thru joint ventures and innovations in the current, biogenerics and other potential domains and follow a market penetration strategy in current and emerging markets. ST Strategies: * S6T4T1: Healthcare reform can cause major losses in the domestic market and many laws of healthcare are not yet in implementation and the result of this will continue thru 2014 and so, Merck should start expanding globally beyond its current footprint and should focus on generic drugs as a majority of the emerging markets prefer inexpensive drugs compared to branded expensive drugs.The savings here are double-edged as we minimize the effect of healthcare reform oriented costs and we expand globally and earn more before competition takes over. The potential savings by this strategy is estimated to be a minimum of $4billion in the next one year considering we have a good presence in many established and emerging markets. * S7T2: Merck should start implementing a pharmacy management program by working closely with physicians and customers to deliver a one-of-a-kind integrated specialty pharmacy in every national segment that is part of Merck's client advisory board.This pharmacy management program specifically targets specialty medications for a number of chronic conditions and helps them better understand their condition, medication side effects, and the importance of adherence. WO Strategies: * W2O6O5W7: Singuliar is a branded product of Merck the patent of which is going to expire in 2012 and Merck should equip itself by penetrating into the generic drugs market that will substitute Singuliar and Merck should rapidly expand in emerging markets and focus on improving in existing markets to position itself better for the post patent expiration loss of sale. W3O4: FDA's denial of products in research and development can setback the product development lifecycle timeline during which competition can catch up and release their own branded or generic drug and so Merck should expand its research and innovation to adopt latest technologies for quicker innovation and also use joint ventures or partners or possible acquisitions to quickly supplement its lacunae in the research areas and thereby position itself for success. WT Strategies: * T1W2: More than six of Merck's patents are expiring in the near term.The additional capacity realized upon the cessation of Singuliar manufacturing should be used for high potential drugs which will face limited competition. The high potential drugs in the pipeline approved by FDA sho uld be made ready for use for the additional capacity. * W3T3: The current recession caused by multiple problems can hit Merck's profitability and the failure of FDA approvals can cause further sunk losses in the research and development area. Merck should look into outsourcing research and development to places where it is inexpensive for research.Grand Strategy Matrix The extensive analysis of Merck suggests the first quadrant of the Grand Strategy Matrix. Merck is in a good long term strategy and should continue to pursue its strategic plans and the recommended strategies. Recommended Strategies Recommended strategy No. 1: Healthcare reform emphasizes a paradigm shift to generic drugs from branded drugs in an effort to save money for the consumers and to eliminate undue profits for the healthcare or pharma industries. 7% of the patented drugs are going to expire by 2015 and this is an opportunity of $142 billion and there are not a lot of market players in this segment yet. Merck can take advantage of this upcoming situation and start working on generic drugs in the pipeline to be released in the established and emerging markets. We believe Merck should be able to tap into at least $50billion by this strategy over the next five years with an immediate return of $15billion in the upcoming fiscal year.More research and development can be leveraged by outsourcing research and development into areas where it’s more productive for the investment. A more detailed vision of this strategy in monetary terms is presented in the next section to give the audience a perspective of how this strategy is beneficial in making Merck the number one in the industry with sustainable prosperity laying the foundation to diversify into pharmacy management program in light of the healthcare reform. Recommended strategy No. 2:Merck should start implementing a pharmacy management program by working closely with physicians and customers to deliver a one-of-a-kind integrated spe cialty pharmacy in every national segment that is part of Merck's client advisory board. This pharmacy management program specifically targets specialty medications for a number of chronic conditions and helps them better understand their condition, medication side effects, and the importance of adherence. More research and development is suggested in areas that Merck can improve upon and the excess capacity that will be obtained after Singular should be used for pipeline products.This will position Merck as a differentiator in not just health but the health and wellness industry and will form a close nexus with physicians and customers while pursuing research in the most needed areas to improve life and wellbeing as visualized in the revised mission. Projected Financial Statements Projected Income Statement| | | | | 2010| 2011| | Revenue| 45,987. 00| 62832| Around $17 bln increase due to new strategies| COGS| 18,396. 00| 21991. 2| 35% of revenue| Gross Profit| 27,591. 00| 40840. 8| | | | | | Operating Expenses $Mil| | | | SG&A| 13,245. 00| 15708| 25% of sales | R&D| 10,991. 0| 13991| allocated $3 billion more| Other| 985| 985| | Pharmacy Management| | 200| | New Market Development expense| | 300| | Operating Income| 2,370. 00| 9656. 8| | Other Income and Expense $Mil| | | | Net Int Inc & Other| -717| -717| | Earnings Before Taxes| 1,653. 00| 8939. 8| | Income Taxes| 671| 3575. 92| 40% tax| Earnings After Taxes| 982| 5543. 88| | Acctg Changes| —| | | Disc Operations| —| | | Ext Items| -123| -123| | Net Income| 859| 5420. 88| | Diluted EPS, Cont Ops$| 0. 28| 0. 37| | Diluted EPS$| 0. 28| 0. 37| | Shares| 3,120. 00| 3208| | | | | | Project Balance Statement| | | |Assets $Mil| | | | | 2010| 2011| | Cash and Equiv| 10,900. 00| 11500| | Short-Term Investments| 1,301. 00| 1320| | Accts Rec| 7,344. 00| 11016| 50% increase| Inventory| 5,868. 00| 7335| 25% increase| Other Current Assets| 3,651. 00| 4250| | Total Current Assets| 29,064. 00| 354 21| | Net PP&E| 17,082. 00| 19555| | Intangibles| 51,834. 00| 52544| | Other Long-Term Assets| 7,801. 00| 8022| | Total Assets| 105,781. 00| 150963| | | | | | Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $Mil| | | | | 2010| 2011| | Accts Payable| 2,308. 00| 2828| | Short-Term Debt| 2,400. 00| 2605| | Taxes Payable| 1,243. 0| 1300| | Accrued Liabilities| 8,514. 00| 8914| | Other Short-Term Liabilities| 1,176. 00| 1220| | Total Current Liabilities| 15,641. 00| 16867| | Long-Term Debt| 15,482. 00| 18282| | Other Long-Term Liabilities| 20,282. 00| 30455| | Total Liabilities| 51,405. 00| 55604| | Total Equity| 54,376. 00| 85359| | Total Liabilities ;amp; Equity| 105,781. 00| 150963| | Projected Ratios | 2010| 2011| Debt/Equity Ratio| 0. 28| 0. 65| Return on Assets| 0. 79| 3. 59| Net Profit margin| 1. 87| 8. 6| EPS| . 28| 1. 49| Company worth Analysis Net Worth Analysis |   | |   | Stockholders Equity| $66,754,000,000 |Net Income x 5| $4,295,000,000 | (Share Price/EPS) x Net Income| $104, 429,857,143 | Number of Shares Outstanding x Share Price| $104,948,066,926 | Method Average| $70,106,731,017 | Annual Objectives: * A projected increase in sales of $18bn is to be expected for 2011 and reduction of Singuliar sales will be $3bn resulting in $15bn. * An additional expense of $3bn for research and development is assumed for 2011 as part of recommendation 2. * A new category of expenses called â€Å"Pharmacy management expenses† will appear in statement for the amortization expenses of the start up of pharmacy management. A spike in interest of $200mn should be planned for due to the loan required for pharmacy management. * The pharmacy management program is expected to yield $2bn in profits in the first year. * New market development expenses should be planned for $300mn. * Merck should plan on generating equity to the tune of $30bn in the year 2011 to meet the expenses related to increased sales. Strategic Review and Evaluation Procedures: * At the end of the y ear, Merck should compare the stated objectives with the actual data.A re-evaluation of IFE and EFE should be implemented and should be checked for variance against the current IFE and EFE. * If no major variance is observed, the same strategies can be continued thru the following year. At the same time, if the result of these strategies position Merck in a better place, few more aggressive quadrant strategies should be evaluated and considered at that moment. * In the case of a situation where a wide variance is observed from the planned strategies, corrective actions are recommended after careful evaluation of factors from all relevant dimensions to check the main cause/s of the variance.A revised vision, mission and objectives may be needed at that moment in light of the new changes in external and internal factors. * We would also like to recommend usage of a balanced scorecard to evaluate the firm from multiple dimensions and ensure the overall progress of the firm follows the trajectory. * Key performance indicators should be evaluated from time to time internally against the plans or annual objectives and with industry standards for averages to identify any needed changes to the strategy.

Capital Punishment Essay - Death Penalty as a Deterrent to Crime

The death penalty was killed as a deterrent of crime by an undoubted man, and an innocent 12 - year - old girl was taken from her mother. This poor little girl's mother was hit by sorrow and anger, but the murderer did not want to die for himself, but to protect other innocent girls like herself. She sat and stared at the eyes of the man who killed her daughter. She saw inserting a needle containing a liquid they might take their lives. Execution of the death penalty (capital punishment) is an effective deterrence. The death penalty is a criminal who committed a crime such as rape or murder. Discussion about the death penalty has been going on for years and remains a very decisive and complicated problem. Society must protect them from these murderers by depriving their social role, but at the same time we are convicted or sentenced to death for offenses for which innocent people were not committed I have to make sure nothing has happened. Perhaps the most common argument of the deat h penalty is deterrence. The general idea is that enforcement of the death penalty prevents other offenders from committing violent acts. Many studies have been done to prove this belief. One reason for the capital punishment of the death penal servitude is the effectiveness of criminal deterrence. According to the advocates of the death penalty, potential criminals are afraid of receiving such severe penalties, so they will hesitate to commit crimes such as rape and murder. Without capital punishment, the number of deadly sins will increase like murder and murder. The bad guys are not afraid to do what they want to do, from handling drugs to killing others. If they do not punish their crime, the criminals will use the weaker people and the victims. Death penalty and death penalty can be said to be the maximum deterrent. The purpose of punishment is to serve as a deterrent to people who wish to follow the punishment footprints. Of course, if you commit a serious crime such as homici de, you are sentenced to death and actually executed, of course, this creates great fear for anyone who progresses on their footsteps. Nobody wants to die. Therefore, if a criminal knows that you will be sentenced to death if you are committed, they will not commit a particular heinous crime.

Writing exercises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Writing exercises - Essay Example is the gripping, intense, and engrossing analysis of diverse group of jurors who are uncomfortably assembled together to deliberate after hearing some facts from an apparently open-and-shut murder trial. They leave to a jury room for civic duty and pass a just verdict for indigent minority defendant whose life is at crossroad. The jury of the twelve angry men, delegated the power to take an uneducated, teenaged and tenement-dwelling boy to electric chair for murdering his dad with a switchblade knife, literally locked themselves in a small, enclosed rectangular room on a boiling hot summer day and made a unanimous decision. The compelling, provocative film reveals the deep-seated, perceptual biases and weaknesses, personal prejudices, indifference, anger, cultural differences, personalities, unreliable judgments, ignorance and fears of the twelve men, which threaten to skew their decision-making abilities hence causing them to ignore real issues of the case, and make unjust actions. The jury room was characterized with heated discussions, the frequent re-assessment and changing of opinions, the formation of alliances, votes and certainties, and the re-consideration of personal experiences, outbursts and insults. Nonetheless, one brave rebellious juror was not part of the plot to cause miscarriage of justice at the commencement of the deliberations due to his reasonable doubt. Determinedly and persuasively, he urged the other eleven men to slowly rethink and review the wobbly case (and eyewitness testimony) concerning the endangered defendant. He further chastises the system for granting the unfortunate offender an incompetent court-appointed defense lawyer who â€Å"felt bitter about being appointed† - a case with â€Å"no glory, no money or much chance of winning† - and who inefficiently cross-examined the witnesses. The claims of juror No.8 was an example of ethical virtue. This film clearly shows the eleven jurors did not ethically deliberate and they could not

Personal Abilities, Skills, Capability and Experience to Set Up a Statement

Abilities, Skills, Capability and Experience to Set Up a Business - Personal Statement Example In the past, I have had entrepreneurial thoughts. I have thought of innovations that would make changes to the world. I thought of innovations that would make life easier for people while adding opportunities for jobs and livelihood of people.  There are various reasons that make me consider myself as an entrepreneur. The best indicator is that most of my role models are entrepreneurs. On top of the role model is Bill Gates. I consider him as a role model for his innovativeness and courage. Although a student, Bill Gates was innovative enough to see how software development could solve people problems (Bridge S, O'Neill K, Martin F, 2009). He did not stop at the academic level but pursued his discovery and implemented the knowledge. Bill Gate's courage is manifested by how he is able to pursue the discovery even though they are limited by resources and skills. Richard Branson of the Virgin Empire is another role model. Richardson's self-beliefs inspire me. He is able to see problem s and does not run away from the problem but bravely confronts the problem and comes up with solutions.  As an entrepreneur, I am innovative. I am able to come up with solutions using innovative ways. From my lower grades in school, other students relied on me to give solutions when they were met with challenges. I have been able to use my innovativeness and interest in information technology in various ways. I have prepared and implemented software applications that can solve various problems. At my home, I prepared a software application that helps me to remember to prepare for every day. Together with my colleagues, we were able to present software applications that help manages students' welfare at our former High school. My self believe adds to my qualities of entrepreneurship. I believed in my capacity to bring changes to the society and take it as a duty to bring positive changes. Although some other people are not comfortable with my assertiveness, I take it as a gift that should be exploited for the good of the people. My inner drive helps me to overcome negative reactions and pessimistic opinions of other people. The business idea that I have in mind is online marketing and sales. This idea came in my mind as a result of development in information technology that has changed the culture and ways of life of people (Burns P, 2008). The conventional ways of doing business would not be successful in this information era. The information era calls for a restructuring of the business to conform to new technologies. The other motivation for online marketing and sales is the philosophy of lean (Entrepreneur, 2009). Most of the products that are sold to the end are sold at a very high price as compared to the production cost of the product. The additional costs to the products resulting from the many middlemen. Online sales and marketing enable the products to be sold directly to the end ensuring that the end user gets the value of the money used.  Online sales and marketing requirements and entails the use of information technology in sales and marketing. As an entrepreneur, I wish to apply the skills to assist business and corporate market their products through the internet. In addition to the market, I wish to assist businesses to implement direct online sales to their customers.

History of Twitter write a well researched paper on the evolution, Research

History of Twitter write a well researched on the evolution, current status and future trends for the New Media topic you have selected - Research Paper Example Barely into its fifth year, Twitter registered users are already currently estimated to be in the hundreds of millions and its revenues to be in the billions of dollars. Indeed, Twitter is a successful story worth telling and following. In 2006, a software engineer named Jack Dorsey approached Odeo, a media syndication company, to discuss his ideas of creating a â€Å"real-time status-communication platform with a social spin† where one could share and simply broadcast to others just about anything from gossip to simple thoughts. Biz Stone, the founder of Odeo, liked the idea and Dorsey’s proposal was declared as a side project of Odeo. It was decided that the SMS platform of mobile phones would be ideally suited for the project and a maximum of 140 characters, short of the 160 characters-limit of SMS text messaging, should be used as the broadcast limit (Thomases, p. x; Sagolla, p. xvii). Dorsey’s idea was a breath of fresh air to Odeo, which was at that time having a difficult time selling its latest technology Audio Blogger to users because of the stiff competition posed by such heavyweights as Apple Corp. The company decided it had to reinvent itself and Dorsey’s social networking microblogging idea was seen as an opportunity after it was presented in a day-long brainstorming of Odeo technocrats. Dorsey, Biz and Florian Weber went on to hammer out the prototype model of Dorsey’s proposal while the others continued with the usual company business to make sure that if Dorsey’s idea fails the company has something to fall back on (Sagolla p. xviii). The prototype was built in two weeks and the service was first tested by Odeo personnel and other insiders such as their immediate family members. It was entirely web-based and the first messages, which were broadcasted by Dorsey, were â€Å"waiting for dom to update

Should students be required to take general education course Essay

Should students be required to take general education course - Essay Example specialization courses, understanding of values and cultures goes for a toss (Goessl), till the passed out students realize the pressure of working in multicultural job places. There is more. In 2013, a person trained to be a businessman and an administration manager could not fare well in the post Recession world where he had to revive his father’s business of selling medication. His haste to check the growing debts kept him under stress to the extent that he took to drinking and marijuana that only further worsened his condition. Fact is life after college is filled with challenges. Some of these challenges come up in daily life while some come up in emergencies like the Global Recession. Today’s world is more dynamic and is built on the foundation that economic growth is not possible without an all-round approach to ethical, environmental, and educational investments that society at large needs to undertake. We have ignored the balance long enough, and we are the ones to have paid the price. Children growing up in today’s world understand that unless a multi-dimensional approach to education is adopted then surviving the various pressures of post-education life is not possible. However, by the time college education reckons, the expectations of teenagers and adolescents change and in their impatience to finish studies fast, a concentrated approach is what most students prefer to adopt. Students entering the portals of college life always begin by selecting the subjects of their preference and try to stick to them. However, mid-way through their studies they realize that the subject they have chosen may not be suitable for them and that is when they opt to look for a change in subjects or elective. An irony of the Western education policy is that school life does not offer the general education that empowers students to take a right decision and make a wise choice basing on their own strong points. School curricula are mostly designed to allow the

Free Trade Agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Free Trade Agreement - Essay Example n geopolitical issues, economic factors and industrial innovation issues which should be considered before a FTA deal is signed between any two countries (Cooper, Manyin and Platzer 2). The US will be able expand its automobile and manufacturing industry in to South Korea by the strong economic alliance formed between the two countries. Historically, FTA like the North American Free Trade Agreement has tripled both exports and imports between the member states since tariffs are cheaper. In my view, the FTA would add $ 20 billion to bilateral trade which last year was estimated to level $ 78 billion. The US stands to gain $ 40 billion from the FTA (Cooper, Manyin and Platzer 16). According to available data for 2006, only 5,000 American manufactured cars enter South Korea market while 800,000 South Korean cars are imported in to the US (Choe 16). The FTA will help in reducing $ 13 billion US dollars deficit which is attributed to net imports of automobiles. Since the FTA calls for zero tariffs on American auto entering South Korea after the fifty year, the US auto and manufacturing industry will increase its productivity (Choe 16). The FTA will impose peace and stability in the Middle East. South Korea is interested in expanding its market into US since the economy is dependent on exports which account for 70% of the GDP. The US is the second largest market of South Korea export hence it has sought to gain competitiveness through the FTA. South Korea has in the past imposed high taxation rates on automobile imports hence creating inefficiency in the market which 95% is dominated by the local manufacturers (Cooper, Manyin and Platzer 26). In order to achieve the economic benefits of the FTA, I recommend that you support the FTA. In case you have any questions or clarifications, please feel free to conduct me at†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.I look forward to cooperating with you in supporting the

Manager Interview Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Manager Interview Activity - Essay Example - Rewarding tasks are interacting with guests that come in and meeting interesting people from all over the world. Most challenging is continuing to make sure the hotel continues to abide by the corporate franchise rules and regulations. People from corporate office will sometimes pop in for a night’s stay just to ensure everything is running smoothly and it can be tough on your nerves. More flexibility and time with family but most be available in emergency. -An open door policy with her employees. Everyone must know their tasks but then she has to sometimes delegate other people to do other jobs too in case someone calls in sick. She also said it’s important for everyone to know each other’s roles and to let them communicate in case they have schedule conflicts. Must be friendly and courteous to guests and must also reiterate to someone if a mistake is made or a problem needs solved. Holding quarterly staff meetings and sometimes meetings that are urgent just to identify a problem and discuss the solution of how it is going to work. Everyone from the housekeepers to the maintenance people and desk clerks know how to do each other’s jobs in case someone needs to fill in. - Getting attached to employees since it is a small branch and trying to find ways not to make them angry enough to quit. Halting any office gossip is also hard. Scheduling can be difficult. Not everyone is set but she remains flexible. -Be strong, friendly and respectful. Always look to bosses above you for help. Make sure you know the roles of others and are prepared to be motivated and also have to take responsibility for the whole branch. Any mistake made by an employee under her supervision reflects on her. When they mess up she gets called upon by people higher up. I was surprised to find out the manager was actually not formally educated and just had a high school diploma. When I discussed

American Express Essay Example for Free

American Express Essay Bonnie Wittenburg, the plaintiff in this case filed an age discrimination lawsuit against American Express Financial Advisors, Inc. ’s (AEFA). AEFA filed a motion for summary judgment, the district court granted and the United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit affirmed. Wittenburg started working at AEFA Equity Investment Department (EID) in November 1998 at the age of 46 (Walsh, 2011). According to the portfolio managers, Wittenburg provided outstanding service and displayed excellent investment skills and in 2000, she was name Analyst of the Year (Walsh, 2011). In 2001, AEFA hired a new Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and 2002 the CIO initiated a redesign of EID. The project would take approximately two years; add an additional three portfolio managers, a new satellite office and the merger or movement of certain funds to AEFA’s satellite office (Walsh, 2011). During a discussion regarding new hires, the CIO stated he was not averse to hiring younger managers or analysts to grow with the company (Walsh, 2011). The new design plan would include a reduction in force (RIF) which according to the CIO was necessary. The first RIF terminated Al Henderson, age 62. Henderson made a comment that Dan Rivera told him that AEFA fired him because the company wanted to retain the younger employees (Walsh, 2011). The second RIF eliminated three analyst positions but primarily focused on portfolio managers. During the second RIF, a team of managers reviewed about 25 people in the department giving each a rating of keep, maybe keep, maybe, maybe drop or drop (Walsh, 2011). They used the ratings to educate leaders about the individuals in the department and in late 2002 held a meeting to discuss employee ratings. Wittenburg received a low rating because of poor performance and negative input provided by portfolio managers but continued in her current position during the second RIF. Wittenburg along with two other analysts were terminated when the third RIF occurred; Wittenburg was 51 and the other two were 41 and 36. Wittenburg applied for a portfolio manager, she did not get the position and sued AEFA claiming Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) (Walsh, 2011). Wittenburg’s defense would rely on statements from co-workers such as â€Å"those that were younger† â€Å"not averse to hiring younger portfolio managers† and notes that indicated the analyst department would maybe add a junior person. In making a decision, the court will consider if the statements were made by decision makers or by someone who may influence the decision to terminate the plaintiff, the gap between statements and the date of termination, and if the statement itself was discriminatory or merely an opinion. The CIO’s comment regarding the company’s willingness to hire younger workers was a general comment. The statement was not discriminatory nor did it establish that age was the basis for Wittenburg’s termination over a year ago. The reference to adding a junior person did not show discriminatory intent and Wittenburg did not prove the employee equated junior person to a younger person or how such a notation related to her termination. Wittenburg admitted that Rivera was not a decision maker in the 2003 RIF and his statement made to Henderson did not relate to her termination. The court decided that these comments did not establish a pretext based on AEFA’s nondiscriminatory purpose given for her termination. A total of 31 analyst were affected by the 2002 and 2003 RIF, 17 of the analyst were 40 years old or older and of the 17, six were terminated, four resigned and seven retained their jobs (Walsh, 2011). In addition, there were four terminated, two resigned, two transferred and six retained their positions of the 14 analysts who were not in the protected class (Walsh, 2011). There were two members, ages 41 and 46, of the protected class who ranked first and second during the 2002 analyst ratings and the two analyst terminated in 2003 were both younger than Wittenburg, one was 41 and the other 36 (Walsh, 2011). Another analyst in the protected class whose age was the same as Wittenburg survived the 2003 RIF. Wittenburg’s accusation that scores were manipulated to retain younger employees during the 2002 RIF by ranking them in the â€Å"keep† category even though their scores were low was actually a moot point as she survived the 2002 RIF even though her score was low putting her in the maybe keep category. AEFA stated they needed only one Technology Sector analyst and then redistributed the workload amongst other employees, Wittenburg argues that pretext was shown however, as stated by the court, â€Å"employers often distribute a discharged employee’s duties to other employees performing related work for legitimate reasons† (Walsh, 2011). As far as the two vacancies, those were among the 10 analysts who had survived the RIF, they were not new positions (Walsh, 2011). The decision to downsize and redesign the Equity Investment Department was for the betterment of the company. Wittenburg’s argument that AEFA only relied on her 2002 performance review in making their decision to terminate does not help her case. The court noted there is nothing discriminatory in an employer choosing to rely on recent performance data in deciding which employees to RIF (Walsh, 2011). American Express had not been doing very well and the CIO explained analyst’s performance evaluations on an annual basis are important because consumers look at one-year performance and make decisions (Walsh, 2011).

Noun Formation: English And Vietnamese

Noun Formation: English And Vietnamese As we all know, word are the most important unit in one language. We use words everyday, in many various fields of life: from work to studying, form informal situation to formal situation. From word, we can create phrases, sentences to communication with each other under many forms. Amongst words, noun is a rather crucial part. Nouns have several functions in sentences. They can be the subject, an object, an appositive, or a complement (Rakoczy). Therefore, noun-formation can be recognized as the sub process of word-formation, and it will share some same characteristic of word formation. My essay is aimed at identifying, analyzing and contrasting the noun formation between English and Vietnamese to magnify the similarities and differences. Based on this paper, I hope to help my readers clear about noun formation and help the educators have a universal perspective of the unavoidable errors of learning process in both Vietnamese and English learners. NOUN-FORMATION IN ENGLISH Because noun-formation is the sub-process of word-formation, it also follows the same morphological rules of word-formation. Nouns are formed by morphemes as well. According to the classification, we have compounding, affixation or derivation, and conversion. More specifically: Affixation or derivation, forms nouns with affixes. Compounding is the combination of two or more morphemes. Conversion, also called zero derivation, is the creation of a word from an existing word without any change in form (Conversion, 2001). For example, word shifts from verb to noun without change of its morphemes. There is other noun-formation such as reduplication, clipping, blending, acronyms, and borrowing. Reduplication is repeating an item with a change in the beginning consonant or change in the middle vowel. Clipping is a process which consists in the reduction of a word to one of its parts (Marchand:1969). Clipping is also known as truncation or shortening. (Clipping, 2001), without changing its meaning. Blending is combining of shortened of two or more morphemes to form a new word. On the other hand, acronyms are nouns using the initial letters in words, phrases, or proper names. Last is borrowing, which actually has two types: using the exact word from another the language and translating it literally, we often called the second type calque or loan translation. NOUN FORMATION IN VIETNAMESE Similar to English, noun in Vietnamese was also formed by morphemes. However, the noun-formation from affixation does not appear in Vietnamese as it is in English. The free morpheme and bound morpheme in Vietnamese are defined differently. More particularly, the bound morpheme in Vietnamese can be used as a separate word. In English, when the bound morpheme stands alone, it doesnt make a full word. In Vietnamese, noun was formed by combining two free morphemes, two bound morphemes, or one bound morpheme and one free morpheme. As a result, noun is formed by compounding, conversion together with other methods such as reduplication, clipping, acronyms, and borrowing. Moreover, because of the long-term domination of the Chineses dynasties and French colonist, the vocabularies which Vietnamese borrowed from Chinese and French are numerous and various. CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE 1. Affixation (Derivation) In this part, I will discuss the affixation in English. The affixes involve prefixes and suffixes. For example, from the adjective literal, we only need to add the suffixes -cy to form the noun literacy. Together with the suffixes, the prefixes also contribute to the noun formation. When we offer a new add-on il-, we immediately have a new noun illiteracy which has the opposite meaning to the noun literacy. Consequently, the prefix of noun can change the meaning of the origin, but it still maintains the word class. The suffix, on the other hand, when be attached to the base, it can transform a verb to a noun or other word class. Some typical suffixes for noun are: -ant, -er, -or, -mentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In addition, prefixes and suffixes contain some given meanings which were displayed below: Prefixes Meaning Suffixes Meaning Anti- Against -tude state of Mis- wrong, astray -ist dealer, doer Post- After -ism doctrine, belief Dis- not, opposite of -ity state of being Inter- between, among -cy state of being De- get rid of -eer, -er, -or person who 2. Compound nouns In English, except some single words are noun themselves, noun can be formed by many methods, such as some in table Compound patterns Examples Noun + Noun bloodstream, seashore, cupboard Adjective + Noun hardboard, blueberry, softball Verb + Noun swimming pool, washing machine Preposition + Noun inbox, outbox, overcoat Verb + Verb make-work, drop-kick Verb + Preposition breakaway, hideout, takeaway Phrases Compound stock-in-trade, mother-in-law Special Compound tetragon, archeology According to the table, there are many patterns to form a noun. However, we can classify all the patterns into 3 categories: The solid or closed form: two words were combined as one word. Ex: timetable, blackboard. The hyphenated form: two words are connected by a hyphen. Ex: son-in-law, stitch-up. The open or spaced form: the word consists of two longer words, and often written separately. Ex: high court, slow motion. Meanwhile, in Vietnamese we have the coordinated compound noun and the principal-and-accessory compound noun, which were also known in Vietnamese are tà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ « ghà ©p Ä‘Ã ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ³ng là ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ­p and tà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ « ghà ©p chà ­nh phà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¥. The coordinated compound noun is the noun was built from two components with equal meaning, for example: chà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ £ bà ºa, quà ¡Ã‚ ºn à ¡oà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The coordinated compound noun often expresses the general and synthetic meaning which was one main point that makes it different from the principal-and accessory compound noun. The principal-and accessory compound noun is the noun that involves two components, in which one component depends on the other. The secondary component will classify the main component. For instance: we have the first component is Ä‘Æ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ng, which means the way to go, and the second one is sà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¯t, a kind of metal that made this kind of way. When we combine those two components, we will have the new noun: Ä‘Æ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ng sà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¯t, which actually means railway in order to distinguish with Ä‘Æ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ng khà ´ng, Ä‘Æ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ng thà ¡Ã‚ »y, Ä‘Æ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ng bà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 3. Conversion The conversion is a very interesting process of forming new word. It occurs in both English and Vietnamese. Without changing its forms, we can change the meaning of the word, even the word class (but I dont talk about word class-change because this essay is focused on the noun formation, not the word formation) more specifically, lets examine these two examples: Ex 1: Firstly, in English, with the word stop in 2 sentences It is time to put a stop to the violence. I get off at the next stop. In the first one, stop means the act of stopping the violence, but in the second sentence, stop actually means a place where a bus or train stops regularly for passengers to get on or off. Clearly, the form of the noun stop doesnt change. Ex 2: In Vietnamese, take the word phà ¡Ã‚ »Ã… ¸ as example Mà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¹ tà ´i nà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¥u phà ¡Ã‚ »Ã… ¸ rà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¥t ngon. Khà ¡ nhià ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ u ngÆ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ i Ä‘Ã  n à ´ng hià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡n nay cà ³ tÆ ° tÆ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã… ¸ng chà ¡n cÆ ¡m thà ¨m phà ¡Ã‚ »Ã… ¸. phà ¡Ã‚ »Ã… ¸ in the first sentence is a Vietnamese dish, but the second sentence connotes the meaning of something new, especially another women, not their wives. Thus, English and Vietnamese resemble each other on this process of forming new nouns. Being used under many various circumstances, the word itself generates many different metaphorical meanings. 4. Other formation a. Reduplication Both English and Vietnamese have reduplication. However, reduplication only seizes a small number of nouns in English. Vietnamese reduplication has two types: repeating the whole word (ba ba, chà ¢u chà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¥u, cà  o cà  oà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and repeating some components of the word. Moreover, we dont find many Vietnamese nouns which belong to the second types. The maximum length of Vietnamese reduplicative words is no more than four, and the minimum length is two. Most of the reduplicative words are two-word length. Some of reduplicative English words are: ping pong, flip flop, tick-tockà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. b. Clipping According to VÃ…Â © Ä Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ©c Nghià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡u, Vietnamese only considers this process as temporary form or the spoken form of word. By definition, it doesnt happen with every word (Nghià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡u 2007). bÆ °Ãƒâ€ Ã‚ ¡m bÆ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ºm Æ’Â   bÆ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ºm ki-là ´-gam Æ’Â   kà ­ là ´ Ä Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ £ng cà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â€ž ¢ng sà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ £n Vià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡t Nam Æ’Â   Ä Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ £ng Whereas, English have lots of words was formed by clipping such as: photo from photograph, rhino from rhinocerosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ c. Acronym By using the initial letters of a phrase as one word, acronym has produced a massive number a word. Because those words were created by acronym are more memorable than the phrases, many people like this type of noun-formation, especially in names of some organizations. In English, we have AIDS, radarà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In Vietnamese, we also have some acronymic words such as TW from trung Æ °Ãƒâ€ Ã‚ ¡ng, CLB for cà ¢u là ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¡c bà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â€ž ¢. d. Blending Blends deal with the action of abridging and then combining various lexemes to form a new word . This process combines shortened of two or more morphemes to form a word. For instance, brunch is the combination of breakfast and lunch, motel is the combination of motor and hotel. This is one special feature of English which doesnt exist in Vietnamese at all. e. Borrowing English and Vietnamese borrowed a vast number of words. In Vietnamese, because of the Chinese and French domination, the borrowed vocabularies are mainly from those two countries. It was divided into two layers: Chinese origin and Indo-European origin. Some examples should be taken into account are described in the tables below Vietnamese French xà   phà ²ng Savon pà ª-Ä‘an pà ©dale mà ¹i xoa mouchoir Vietnamese Chinese Ä‘Ã ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â€ž ¢c già ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ £ à ¨Ã‚ ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(dà ºzhĆº) kà ½ già ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ £ à ¨Ã‚ ¨Ã‹Å"à ¨Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(jà ¬zhĆº) Vietnamese also translate literally some vocabulary in Chinese and French into Vietnamese for necessary usage, it usually was known as quà ¡ trà ¬nh Vià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡t hà ³a hoà  n toà  n such as: Ex: à ©Ã‚ £Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ©Ã… ¸ (fÄâ€Å"ijÄ «) phi cÆ ¡, phi = bay, cÆ ¡ = mà ¡y mà ³c â‚ ¬Ã‚ ¢ mà ¡y bay (Vietnamese) (Ä Ãƒ  o Duy Anh, 2005) à ¨Ã‚ Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (tÄ «ngzhĆº) thà ­nh già ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ £ (Chinese), in Hà ¡n-Vià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡t tà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ « Ä‘ià ¡Ã‚ »Ã†â€™n già ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ £n yà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¿u, thà ­nh = nghe, già ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ £ = chà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ° và ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚  ngÆ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ i â‚ ¬Ã‚ ¢ ngÆ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ i nghe (Vietnamese) (Ä Ãƒ  o Duy Anh, 2005) English also have two types of borrowing vocabulary: the exact foreign word and calque. According to different sources, around 30% of all English words have a French origin (Calque, 2001). Some of the French words that were used in English are ablation, accent, bonnet, desertà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Similar to Vietnamese, English also translate the words literally from many other languages for usage. We can take some calques as examples: Latin: Lunae dies => Old English: Monan dà ¦g (day of the moon) => Modern English: Monday (University of Oxford, 2005) French: gratte-ciel and Spanish: rascal cielos (both literally means: scrape-sky) => English: skyscraper. (Calque, 2001) TEACHING IMPLICATIONS The aim of contrastive analysis between English and Vietnamese is to draw out the linguistic same and differences. However, it also has another valuable practical basis for teaching and learning. By contrasting those two languages, we can forecast the potential difficulties that the learners may encounter when learning foreign languages. Firstly, Because of the differences in word order, Vietnamese pupils tend to produce error such as room dinning instead of dinning room, which means phà ²ng ăn in Vietnamese pie apple instead of apple pie, which in Vietnamese it is bà ¡nh tà ¡o. This error often happened in compound noun. Secondly, when we want to mention the plural forms of nouns in Vietnamese, we usually use the word nhià ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ u before nouns such as: nhià ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ u ngÆ °Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ i, nhià ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ u hy và ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ngà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. That is the point. In English, we must add -s or -es behind countable nouns, for example: girls, boysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and preserve the uncountable nouns. Therefore, Vietnamese learners have a tendency to forget the -s and -es for countable nouns and vice versa for uncountable nouns. This also elucidates the reasons why Vietnamese pupils misuse two words many and much for countable and uncountable nouns. Thirdly, in Vietnamese, we can say Chim Ä‘ang hà ³t without any determiners. This sentence conveys the full meaning and is grammatical right. Otherwise, if we apply this rule in to English, which requires the determiners for noun, it is completely wrong. We cannot say Bird is singing (the right sentence should be The bird is singing). Finally, I want to emphasize that, besides the methods of teaching and learning, the syllabus, one of the major causes of the above errors is the differences in English and Vietnamese, or we can call it the linguistic cause. CONCLUSION Vietnamese and English show similarities as well as differences, and noun formation is a complicated process in both languages. It demands the learners to master the rules and apply it in the proper place. Vocabulary in English and Vietnamese are copious. However, Vietnamese have more types of noun formation in English, which makes the Vietnamese is more difficult for the foreigners. If you understand these linguistic characteristics of theses two languages, you make a further step in absorbing them. What Age Should Marriage be Allowed? What Age Should Marriage be Allowed? People should be allowed to get married only after age of 30 Marriage is one of the most important systems which keep the continuation of the social unity through marriage between a man and a women, who agree together to build a family. Getting married is a very important decision in every individuals life because they are planning to spend their entire life with their spouses. Sometimes people get married at an early age and than experience problems in their relationship. If People are allowed to get married only after age of 30 than they will be more matured, professionally settled and have a good financial position. And lastly, individuals would have lived and enjoyed all their dreams which are sometimes not possible after marriage. Firstly, People should be allowed to get married only after age of 30 as they will be able to understand relationships more maturely. Age and experience brings with it wisdom most of the time. An individual marrying after the age of 30 would be able to precisely understand their spouse, would have learnt to deal with problems effectively, which will help them lead a healthier married life. For instance, if a couple gets married at an early age and if they do not know how to handle family problems than this can become a big drawback for their marriage and can lead to divorce. Secondly, People should be allowed to get married only after age of 30 as till this age most of the individuals would have achieved a lot of success in their career life and would have a good financial position to take care of their family. If individuals get married at an early age than the couple have to struggle in personal and professional lifes due to insufficient funds. For instance, if people will be allowed to get married only after age of 30 than they will plan their future well and have enough earnings to handle the expenses to keep their family happy. Lastly, People should be allowed to get married only after age of 30 is that waiting till the age of 30, will allow people to â€Å"live their dreams† as they will have many years after education to achieve what they want to. Individuals would have lived and enjoyed their peak years in their lifes which will lead to fulfillment of their dreams and will provide them with a sense of satisfaction in life. For instance, if an individual is allowed to get married after age of 30 will know a particular age limit of getting married and will try to live all their dreams in life till that age so that after marriage they do not have any complications related to their dreams and they can live a joyful married life. In conclusion, people should be allowed to get married only after age of 30 because they will be more matured and will have a better understanding of relationships, secondly till the age of 30 individuals would have achieved success in their careers and lastly individuals would have lived all their dreams till they turn to 30. These factors will make them feel more comfortable about their married life. They will be able to give all the happiness and love to their life partners because till 30 they would have found a right life partner who can take good care of their needs and wants.

Xerox :: essays research papers

COUNTRY ISSUES Culture, Social, and Demographics:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When examining any company and their possible expansion into new markets you must first examine the culture, social, and demographic issues impacting foreign businesses. The Colombian culture has begun to show a bias towards American products as recently as 1998. As written in Carol Casper's New York Times article, 'There is a lot of interest in U.S. concepts and products...'; in not only Colombia but also all of Latin America. The interest has caused more American firms to begin to see these developing attitudes and expand their businesses into Latin America. For Xerox to also take part in this expansion they would be able to take advantage of the new interest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Colombians, although, are not welcoming these companies with open arms. There is an interest in the U.S. businesses but as Dianna Jean Schemo reports; it is not uncommon to be threatened by the cartels of Colombia. These cartels want in on the inflow of money and will get involved in kidnappings and murderer if they see it necessary. In 1996, the last year these figures are available, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported 19,645 homicides while in Colombia there were 26,627. For the fear of being on the wrong end of such instances American businesses need to be extra careful when trying to penetrate the Colombian marketplace. Xerox would not be as impacted by the threat of cartel interference. The cartels become more involved with restaurants and oil companies that have developed in Colombia. They have not developed any interest in the technology industry as of yet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Colombia has a population of 37 million Spanish-speaking people. The annual growth rate is 1.7% and 95% of the population is Roman Catholic. In the urban areas a 93% literacy rate was found, as opposed to a 67% literacy rate in rural areas. This is due to the fact that only five years of primary school are offered in rural areas. This information regarding the population is encouraging. Although the rural population's literacy rate is low, the urban rate is quite high for a Latin American country. This rate leads me to believe that for Xerox to expand in this market with its technology/communication equipment would not be a problem. The majority of the targeted population where Xerox would be selling their products could understand the benefits of their product and would want to purchase Xerox products. Political/Governmental Concerns:

Software Piracy Essay -- Computer Software Copyright Violation

Software Piracy Software piracy is the copying and selling of copyrighted software. There are many types of software that can be pirated including operating systems, application programs, internet downloads, including music, software, or movies. Many people do this knowing that they are partaking in something illegal; however some people have no clue that they are breaking the law. In some cases a person may have inadvertently purchased pirated software. The consequences of having or distributing pirated software can be serious in some cases. Software piracy is a common practice that can be easily avoided. Software piracy is an equal offense to downloading of music, movies, books, magazines, or any other copyrighted material. It is as simple as downloading a program from the internet, or using a friend’s copy of Office. Software piracy can also be as complex as a computer store re-selling software with a fake or counterfeit product key or registration code. To avoid this look out for software that seems less expensive than it should be or software that comes with a key generator. If you suspect software piracy you can contact, The Software & Information Industry Association, on their website http://www.siia.net/piracy. On their website they are actually offering rewards of up to $50,000 to any person that reports a company that is using pirated software. People partake in software piracy because it as an easy way out of purchasing software. Some software programs can cost over a thousand dollars, whereas some only cost twenty or thirty dollars. Software piracy has said to have begun around the 1960’s. Over time it has grown and it accounts for â€Å"25% - 50%† of software curr... ... 83% Tunisia 82% Kenya 80% Thailand 80% Nicaragua 79% El Salvador 79% Bolivia 78% Guatemala 77% Lebanon 74% Romania 73% Morocco 73% Honduras 73% India 73% Philippines 72% Venezuela 70% Works Cited "Learn About Piracy." Prevent Software Piracy. 2005. Intuit. 8 November 2005. . "What is Piracy?" Anti Piracy. 2005. The Software & Information Industry Association. 8 November 2005. . "Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty in New Hampshire Software Piracy Conspiracy." Software Piracy. 2005. U.S. Department of Justice. 8 November 2005. .

Gun Control Essay examples -- Argumentative Firearms Essays Papers Wea

Gun Control Gun control is an issue that many are faced with daily. Parents are concerned about the safety of their children more now than before. Some want gun control and some do not. I am against gun control because I believe if properly educated about a gun, anyone can use it to a certain extent. I know gun control laws would help cut back on the store robberies, bank robberies, gang shootings, etc. Gun laws that restrict the sale of handguns would help keep handguns out of criminals’ hands. I understand the beliefs of some who feel that by banning guns the streets and communities would be a much safer place. Gun control laws are not the cure-all for all of society’s problems. Yes, they would cut back on many crimes, but they will not completely â€Å"cure† all of them. People who are for gun control commonly base their decision on myths. Here are just a few of the many myths about gun control:  ¥ Gun Control Saves Lives  ¥ Guns Should be Banned Because They Kill Thousands of People Each Year  ¥ Gun Control Reduces Crime Above are just three of the many myths of gun control. Let’s take a closer look at each one of these. Gun Control Saves Lives â€Å"The truth is gun control costs lives, as evidenced by cities which enforce near total bans on firearms ownership. That’s because criminals don’t obey gun control or any other kind of laws. This means that citizens who do are effectively rendered defenseless.† (â€Å"Saves Lives†) How can a waiting period help an innocent person that is being stalked or threatened? Does prohibiting a person from carrying a gun keep them safe from rapists or attackers? How do any of the gun control laws keep you safe? Which one would save your life if you were being attacked ri... ...ral to the ‘Gun Control’ Movement.† Educational. 5 March 2001 http://spot.colorado.edu/~tiemann/guns.html â€Å"Dr. Tim Wheeler Interview.† Online Posting of Interview. 5 March 2001 http://www.guntruths.com/Resource/dr_tim_wheeler_interview.htm â€Å"Gun Control Saves Lives.† Online Posting. 5 March 2001 http://www.guntruths.com/Myths/gun_control_saves_lives_the_trut.htm â€Å"Guns Kill Thousands Every Year.† Online Posting. 5 March 2001 http://www.guntruths.com/Myths/50,000.htm Madden, Russell. â€Å"The Myth of Gun Violence.† The Laissez Faire City Times, Vol. 4, No 9, February 28, 2000. Polsby, Daniel D., and Dennis Brennen. â€Å"Taking Aim at Gun Control.† The Heartland Institute Web page. 5 March 2001 http://teapot.usask.ca/cdn-firearms/Polsby/gcsumm.html â€Å"Ten Myths about Gun Control.† Homepage. 5 March 2001 http://www.arachne-web.com/shooting/10myths.htm

Roots of the Civil War

I believe that the Civil War began with the debate over the future of slavery. That very issue led to secession, and secession caused a war where the Northern states fought for the ground of the Union, and the South for their independence as a new confederation of states under its own constitution. It seems to me that any disagreement leads to some form of resentment. We tend to not like what we don’t understand, and it was hard for the North to understand why the Southern states were itching for freedom from them. It seems from a broader point of view that the North has gone through so much just for the Southern states of America to exist. It only makes sense that Northern leaders would feel angry and betrayed by hearing that those states that they have worked so hard to establish now want their own sense of independence. At the same time however, the South had more of a need for slaves than the north did. The agricultural part of the South employed slaves to tend the large plantations and perform other duties. Slavery was a natural part of the Southern economy even though very few of the population actually owned slaves. Slaves could be rented or traded or sold to pay debts, making them very useful to ranchers. The North didn’t seem to have much use for slaves due to their poor soil; therefor they could not understand why the South was against abolishing slavery. I don’t believe that this war could be avoided due to the issue of slavery. If America didn’t stand against slavery, then the slaves themselves would have eventually done so. As said before, we don’t like what we don’t understand. Fighting with â€Å"each other† as opposed to fighting with who we then knew as â€Å"them† had more hope for success and peace in the end.

Describe ”people” of the 7P’s in a report using your chosen company Essay

Introduction: For this assignment I am going to explain one of the 7P’s. In this case I am going to describe people for my chosen company, DELL. A board of directors of nine people runs the company. Michael Dell, the founder of the company, serves as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Other board members include Don Carty, William Gray, Judy Lewent, Klaus Luft, Alex Mandl, Michael A. Miles, and Sam Nunn. Shareholders elect the nine board members at meetings, and those board members who do not get a majority of votes must submit a resignation to the board, which will subsequently choose whether or not to accept the resignation. The board of directors usually sets up five committees having oversight over specific matters. These committees include the Audit Committee, which handles accounting issues, including auditing and reporting; the Compensation Committee, which approves compensation for the CEO and other employees of the company; the Finance Committee, which handles financial matters such as proposed mergers and acquisitions; the Governance and Nominating Committee, which handles various corporate matters (including nomination of the board); and the Antitrust Compliance Committee, which attempts to prevent company practices from violating antitrust laws. The corporate structure and management of Dell extends beyond the board of directors. The Dell Global Executive Management Committee sets strategic directions. Dell has regional senior vice-presidents for countries other than the United States, including David Marmonti for EMEA and Stephen J. Felice for Asia/Japan. As of 2007[update], other officers included Martin Garvin (senior vice president for worldwide procurement) and Susan E. Sheskey (vice president and Chief Information Officer). Conclusion: DELL has got a huge inside organisation with a lot of employees and managers. Read Also:Â  What is a Descriptive Essay

Capitalist system

Individuals and businesses own most of the natural and capital resources. These are the factories, farms, machinery, land, minerals, and other resources used to produce goods. Individuals and businesses also buy and sell goods freely. Goods are distributed through the market of buyers and sellers. Capitalism is the economic system in the United States. Socialism is another type of economic system. In a socialist system, the people, through their government, own many of the resources and manage the economy. Representatives of the people decide what to produce and how much. The government then plans how to carry out these decisions. The government also distributes most goods and services, especially with regard to housing, food, medicine, and other basic necessities. Many nations today engage in limited socialist programs, such as socialized medical or education systems. However, only a few nations can be said to operate entirely under socialist principals. Command economy In a command economy, the government owns nearly everything that is used to produce goods. Government planners, rather than the people, make the decisions about what to produce and how to distribute it. North Korea is an example of a country with a command economy. Mixed economy individuals, businesses, and the government own some parts of the economy. All of these groups play a role in making economic decisions about what to produce and how to distribute it. Russia was once part of the former Soviet Union, which had a command economy. Russia now has a mixed economy. Communism: Government ownership of productive resources, and a one-party state to enforce decisions. The level of public ownership is usually higher than in socialism. It is even less efficient and even more equalitarian (although under communism, some folks appear to be more equal than others. Dictators and high party officials usually appear to live better than do common citizens). Fascism: Fascism claims to be capitalist, but as the state is not democratic, there’s little popular control over anything. The state (usually, some dictator or group of dictators) tends to reward its friends and punish its enemies, which leads both to oppression and an inefficient economy. (The firm that kicks back the most money to the government is the firm that survives and makes a profit, but it isn’t very often the firm that produces the best products at the lowest price. ) Both inefficient and unequal, this seems to represent the worst of all possible worlds.