Monday, December 30, 2019

Garmin Ltd./ Financial Analysis - 4318 Words

I. Garmin Ltd Corporate History/ Company Overview Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries, design, manufacture, market and sell navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989. Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) Is a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands on July 24, 2000 as a holding company for Garmin Corporation, a Taiwan Corporation, facilitating public offering of Garmin shares to the United States. Garmin has principal subsidiaries in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin owns, directly or indirectly, all of the operating companies in the Garmin group. The development of Global Positioning System (GPS) devices was offered an optimal scenario when the†¦show more content†¦Quick Ratio: (Current Assets- Inventory) / Current Liabilities 2009 2008 2007 Tom Tom Sector 3.05 3.25 2.28 0.88 1.46 Garmin shows a slight quick ratio decrease compared to 2008, however its ability to pay-off short term obligations without relying on the sale of its inventories, is greater than the industry sector, while Tom Tom, with a 2009 quick ratio of 0.88 is not in liquid condition. Garmin’s quick ratio is more than twice higher than the sector average and its competitor, and it might indicate that assets are underutilized, potentially indicating inefficiency in utilizing assets. But like any measure of performance, it s necessary to look behind the numbers and examine the component parts. Asset Management Ratios To determine effectiveness on the company’s management of assets, asset management ratios would give measures indicating such effectiveness. If a company has excessive investments in assets, free cash flow and stock price might be reduced. If a company does not have enough assets, it might lose sales, hurting profitability, free cash flow and stock price (Brigham Ehrardt, 2008) Asset Turnover Ratio: Sales / Total Assets 2009 2008 2007 Tom Tom Sector 0.87 1.19 0.97 0.54 0.37 By measuring the sales generated per dollar of assets invested in the organization, total asset turnoverShow MoreRelatedCompany Overview of Garmin1026 Words   |  4 Pagesmanufacturer Garmin has gone from a specialized producer of niche equipment to a Wall Street champion in 2007. Since that time, the company has diminished into a relative has-been according to many analysts. For example, in late 2007 the Garmin stock price reached a record high of over one hundred twenty dollars a share. However, in 2008, the stock price fell below twenty dollars a share and today the stock rests in the mid-forties after a mild recovery from the fifty two week low. This analysis looks intoRead MoreTomtom Marketing4498 Words   |  18 Pages449425 459114 437979 450453 Executive summary The purpose of this report is to analyze TomTom’s internal and external environment and come up with a relevant new strategy that could be implemented by TomTom in the near future. The external analysis concludes that TomTom is suffering from two factors; one is an increasing (indirect) competition in developing (PDA) consumer markets and second is a decreasing sales in their most important markets. As a result TomTom has started to shift itsRead MoreGarmin7016 Words   |  29 PagesGarmin (GRMN) Recommendation: Buy Industry: Communication Equipment Recent Price $59.37 Analyst: Jennifer Traynor Target Price $60.76 Report Date: 5/2/2007 Highlights †¢ Large-cap growth stock with a market cap of $11.68 billion. †¢ Garmin has the number one GPS market share of 50% in the U.S. and the number two GPS market share in Europe of 16.7% †¢ Consumer demand for GPS products will continue to increase as technology improves and produces new and innovative products. †¢ High historical ROICRead MoreAccounting Microline Case1418 Words   |  6 PagesAcquisition of Garmin Ltd. And Subsidiaries Garmin Ltd is under consideration for acquisition by Mega Industries. As a result, an assessment of Microline’s financial condition and assessment is necessary to evaluate the company as a suitable candidate. Our team has prepared a memo stating Microline’s earning power potential , solvency position, and to which extent the companies financial statements reflect the true financial position and performance. We have also included an analysis regardingRead MoreTom Tom Marketing Strategy3294 Words   |  14 Pagescivilian use in mid 80ies has commenced its commercial use by removing selective signal availability in 2000. In early 90ies there were already several pioneer companies (Garmin, TomTom) setting up new technology companies developing GPS receiver devices. Since then market has grown to estimated $8.2 billions worldwide in 2009 (Garmin) and is still considered as a market with great potential. Considering the aimed usage, target customers market can be divi ded into three major segments: †¢ Military †¢Read MoreSwot Analysis of Sheng Siong7005 Words   |  29 PagesCommunication | | | | | | | Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Current Marketing Situation 4 2.1 Market Summary 4 2.2 Competition 6 2.3 Product Offering 7 2.4 SWOT Analysis 9 2.5 Critical Issues 10 3. Market Strategy 10 3.1 Misson 10 3.2 Marketing Objectives 13 3.3 Financial Objectives 13 3.4 Target Market 13 3.5 Positioning 15 3.6 Marketing Mix 15 4. Fiancials 18 4.1 Sales Forecast 18 4.2 Expense Forecast 20 5. Controls 21 5.1 Implementations 21 5.2

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Do College Students Deserve Alcohol Essay examples

As a college student I have to bring up a problem that has recently caught my eye. Drinking in the college environment has done much harm to the well-being of the students. The more I see drunken people around campus the more I become concerned for their safety. As I think about this more I start to question if we as body should be allowed to even possess alcohol, regardless of age. While alcohol incidents that include death are very seldom, many other categories have gone up; the number of binge drinkers-those who intend to drink to get drunk- has gone up, the number of Minor in Consumption tickets has gone up and the number of alcohol-related crimes has increased. With the full intent of ensuring the safety of my fellow students, I call†¦show more content†¦Of the problems that are affected by alcohol, academics are a major one; Binge drinkers who consistently drink are more likely to fall behind in class than non-bingers. In a report in From Knowledge to Action, half of reported binge drinkers say that they miss a class due to drinking habits, a third of them say that they fall behind in class because they drink alcohol (Wechsler 40). Being drunk can also have other dangers. In The Risky Business of Binge Drinking Among College Students, the consequences of binge drinking are shown in statistics. Alcohol has been accounted for in 95 percent of violent crimes. Also, a quote from in From Knowledge to Action: â€Å"Colleges must protect their students from these negative effects of alcohol. One in eight non-binge-drinking students nationwide reported being assaulted physically or having personal property vandalized due to another students alcohol use.† (Wolburg 20) An average of 29 percent of women has been sexually assaulted during their time in college; of the cases, 85 percent were date raped. I have personally seen what alcohol can do to my fellow peers. There were a few instances in which a friend of mine came back from partying and it was blatantly obvious that he was drunk. It was one thing when he was only saying funny things; when people are drunk, they usually make humorous statements and cause no harm. However, it became a serious matter when he acted in aShow MoreRelatedSports Enthusiasts Love And Enjoy Watching Their Favorite Team Play1335 Words   |  6 Pagesplay. The best student athletes have the prestige of representing and playing for their universities. These student-athletes receive various opportunities from their universities in order to continue pursuing their higher education. However becoming a student-athlete often has some disadvantages such as not getting paid for their hard work and dedication in the field. Having a poor academic achievement, consuming drugs and steroids, and living with stress. First of all, college athletes are notRead MoreLowering The Minimum Drinking Age1380 Words   |  6 Pagesthink young adults (18-year olds) are irresponsible, the minimum drinking age should be lowered to 18 because they deserve to be recognized as adults in order to avoid illegal, uncontrolled drinking and other illegal actions. According to Alexis Aguirre in The University Star, â€Å"Keeping the minimum legal drinking age at 21 will not dissuade young people who want to indulge in reckless alcohol intake. If anything, the age limit encourages binge drinking. Lowering the drinking age could make it easier toRead MoreDrinking Age : A Good Idea899 Words   |  4 PagesDrinking Age Who could possibly think it’s smart to lower the national minimum age requirement to buy and consume alcohol? Richard Marron, State Representative of Vermont, thinks it’s a good idea. Ruth C. Engs, Professor of Applied Health Sciences at Indiana University, thinks it’s a good idea. Dwight B. Heath, Professor of Anthropology at Brown University, thinks it’s a good idea. I think it’s a good idea. Wouldn’t lowering the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) result in more cases of drunk drivingRead MoreKeep Guns from Campuses 1374 Words   |  5 Pagesfirearms regulation regarding college campuses. All over the world violence occurs when we least expect it. As the human race evolves, so does the technology we use. We have acquired the ability to kill a man without being in his general vicinity. With just the slight movement of my finger I can end someone’s life. One small confrontation could lead to a terrible travesty. In the United States alone, we have seen many shootings in educational buildings from the students themselves. When you put gunsRead MoreThe Truth behind Home-Education Parent-led education has been around for a millennium, at least,1400 Words   |  6 Pagesfeel as though the students are more sheltered and are missing out on sports and other social activities. Not only is that but the curriculum looked down upon. However, when a closer look is taken we find that these students tend score higher on standardized tests, excel in college due in large part to being socially and emotionally prepared, are provided with a better home life, and environment for learning. Standardized test scores are one of the first things that a College Admissions Officer willRead More Fan Violence Essay1430 Words   |  6 Pagesall fans do it, but there are many that do. Alcohol is usually the root to the fans menacing behavior during sports games. William Ligue Jr., who was fan at one of the games, admitted he drank before beating someone up (â€Å"Alcohol†). The fans were described as uncontrollable beasts. Winning is supposed to cause you to drink for celebration (â€Å"Alcohol†). And then losing is supposed to cause you to cry in your alcohol (â€Å"Alcohol†). The alcohol industry markets hugely on risk-taking fans (â€Å"Alcohol†). MaybeRead MoreGuns Are The Best Way Of Protecting Oneself1426 Words   |  6 Pagesgunshot on a college campus is not going to go unnoticed; someone is bound to hear and come to check out what’s going on and hopefully be able to help the victim. Guns are the best means of self defense. A classroo m full of students are sitting ducks to someone with a gun. They know the students and professor are not armed and they are the perfect target if the shooter wants to kill a lot of people quickly. On October 1st, 2015, near Roseburg, Oregon, Christopher Harper-Mercer, a student enrolled inRead More The Prevalence of Sexual Harassment on College Campuses Essay1399 Words   |  6 PagesThe Prevalence of Sexual Harassment on College Campuses One night, â€Å"Amy,† a student at State, was hanging out with some friends in her room. â€Å"A bunch of people were there, and one guy I didn’t know was obviously drunk and kept asking me out. I tried to brush him off, and didn’t take it seriously because he was drunk. I left to go to sleep. â€Å"He followed me to my room and kept banging on my bedroom door, trying to push it open and asking me to talk to him. I talked to him for a little while justRead MoreMy Social Life Over My Academic Life879 Words   |  4 Pagesin high school no longer worked as well in college. In 2007, I enrolled at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD. Augustana is a small, private university, and I learned plenty of academic, as well as life, lessons while attending. My grades at Augustana dropped slightly at first compared to what they were in high school. I finally realized that studying would be necessary; however I allowed myself to fall into the same trap as many other n ew students, and I chose to prioritize my social life overRead MoreThe Aspects of Hazing1450 Words   |  6 Pagesin colleges; however, became more widely known after the Civil War. Men, who fought in the war, felt the need to have a connection to the events that happened to their own fathers or themselves. These men would re-instate themselves into their colleges and begin using military tactics they learned from camp as a means of hazing. Paddling, a method for hazing new fraternity members, comes from a long line of disciplinary punishments made to toughen the soldiers. People also hazed in colleges due

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Idea of Progressivism Free Essays

The idea of Progressivism came with the belief that society was capable of improvement and that continued growth and advancement were the destiny of this great nation. The muckrakers were among the first people to promote this new and profound nationalistic spirit. Many were persuasive and crusading journalists who began to direct public attention and discretion toward the political, social, and economic injustices of the US during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We will write a custom essay sample on The Idea of Progressivism or any similar topic only for you Order Now They strove to expose scandal and corruption to the American public. Ellen Fitzpatrick†s Muckraking: Three Landmark Articles, presents famous articles by Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell, and Ray Stannard Baker which appeared in the January, 1903 edition of McClure†s Magazine. The articles examine political corruption, the emergence and behavior of giant corporations, and labor racketeering in industrial America. The article by Lincoln Steffens mostly focused on the problems and examples of corruption, as well as the challenge of reform. Steffens began to develop a somewhat paradoxical view of good and evil in city politics at a young age (Fitzpatrick, 20). This frame of mind led to his views in the article, The Shame of Minneapolis. The intertwined processes of urbanization, industrialization and immigration meant that American cites mushroomed in the late nineteenth century. â€Å"The city† became an increasingly complex organism, which required sanitation, water, building codes, zoning regulations, policing. But as the city administration expanded, so did opportunities to misuse government power. Throughout, the Progressive period calls for electoral reform and/or increased â€Å"efficiency† and â€Å"scientific management† in municipal affairs were paired with revelations of corruption in municipal politics and policing. Steffens agreed with these reforms all along as well as political thieve! Tarbell is using an historical example to illustrate the use of trusts and holding companies by entrepreneurs seeking monopoly control of various industrial sectors in the United States with her article, The Oil War of 1872. As Tarbell hints in this article, despite the failure of the South Improvement Company, John D. Rockefeller eventually succeeded in dominating the petroleum industry through the Standard Oil Company. Rockefeller pioneered the â€Å"trust† form of organization when he founded the Standard Oil Trust in 1879. Standard Oil became, along with Andrew Carnegie†s U. S. Steel, the most notorious of the powerful â€Å"trusts,† a term that came to be applied to all large industrial combinations whether or not they followed the formal â€Å"trust† model of investing. Rockefeller eventually built the largest private fortune in the United States and became perhaps the prototypical Gilded Age â€Å"robber baron,† reviled for his ruthless business practices. The federal government successful! ly prosecuted Standard Oil for monopolistic practices in 1906, and the trust was forced to disband. In a sense, this was the exact outcome Ida Tarbell was aiming for in writing this article. â€Å"She presented the â€Å"facts† of the oil scandal as she had come to understand them, believing that an objective account would best serve the evidence† (Fitzpatrick, 27). Many wondered, however, if Tarbell was prejudice toward big business. Nevertheless, Tarbell most likely just believed in fair play, taught to her by her father who was one of the men who resisted the Southern Improvement Company. Ray Stannard Baker†s article, The Right to Work, relates to the 1902 anthracite coal strike in Pennsylvania that lasted over five months. The miners wanted the mine owners to recognize their new union, the United Mine Workers of America but the owners refused to bargain with the UMW. The miners were also looking for a 10-20% increase in wages and an eight-hour work. As the winter of 1902-03 approached, President Roosevelt ordered the mine owners and UMW president to the White House to negotiate. When the mine owners still refused to compromise, Roosevelt told the owners that if they did not agree to arbitration, he would send 10,000 federal troops to seize their property and get the mines working. Previously, federal troops had only been called in to support the management side in labor disputes. The very surprised mine owners agreed to arbitration and the miners eventually went back to work with a10% increase and a nine-hour day. Although he enjoyed a public reputation as a ! â€Å"trust buster† fighting powerful capitalists on behalf of less affluent Americans, Roosevelt was not in favor of getting rid of the trusts and large corporations. He believed that large-scale capitalism brought prosperity and efficiency to the American economy. The job of the federal government was to police or regulate big business to stop the worst misuses of power. The mine owners, in Roosevelt†s view, were abusing their power and they were threatening the well-being of Americans who needed coal to heat their homes. Roosevelt†s handling of the coal strike was very popular with ordinary Americans, Baker in particular. Conclusively, these articles give the reader a broad understanding of the nature of â€Å"Progressivism. † Each of the issues presented in the three articles points out particular flaws of American society in the early 1900s. They are brought forward to the public in a manner such that people will realize these flaws and strive to change them, â€Å"progress† forward, and improve the nation. As a result, the muckrakers including Steffens, Tarbell, and Baker, played a big part in Progressivism. In my opinion, the Progressives approached these attempted social reforms just right. They were not too radical or too conservative. This is evident in how much society changed in that period for the better, and the condition of our society today for that matter. If people such as the muckrakers had not attempted to reform the nation, who knows where it would be today. They must have done something right so I would conclude that they achieved their goals just right. How to cite The Idea of Progressivism, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Holiday Trip free essay sample

Travelling has always been my hobby. I used to travel to many places back in Malaysia. To me, travelling is the best way to understand human nature besides to discover many things that I am not exposed to before. In fact, seeing new places, new landscapes, meeting new people, and learning about different culture are all the great benefits that I get from travelling. For my first winter break in the US, the first place I went to is the famous city of Las Vegas. It is a great place for people who are fond of a city life. I did not go there for gambling. Instead, I went there to attend the annual gathering for Malaysian and Indonesian (MUKTAMAR) which is an Islamic event held to get to know new people as well as to listen to some knowledge talks. During this event, I get to meet my Malaysian friends who are studying at different universities all over the US. We will write a custom essay sample on Holiday Trip or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is really exciting to see their happy faces after a long time that it feels as if we were in Malaysia! Having went to the excellent places in Las Vegas, my friends from Stevens and I went for a road trip around California and Nevada. The first place we visited was the great architectural marvel, Hoover Dam, which is located on the border between the US states of  Arizona and Nevada. It is amazing that as we pass through the bridge, there will be two different time zones-Pacific, which is the time zone in Nevada and Mountain which is the time zone for Arizona. We manage to take many beautiful pictures there before continuing our journey to the great Grand Canyon. It was a long and tiring journey from Las Vegas which took us almost eleven hours to reach our hotel at Grand Canyon. On the next day, despite the cold atmosphere, we went out early to witness the beauty of sunrise in the early morning. We managed to reach the Grand Canyon National Park exactly before sunrise. The view is breathtaking and stunning. We walk around and took more pictures for about an hour before we went for hiking along South Kaibab trail to â€Å"Ooh Aah Point† which is a distance of about 2500m. It was tiring but worth the time and energy as we could see amazing landscape during the hiking. On the next day, we went to the City of Angels, Los Angeles. We settled there for three days before went back to Las Vegas to catch our flight at the Las Vegas Airport. On the first day in LA, we went to the â€Å"Hollywood sign†,  a landmark  and  American cultural icon  in the Hollywood Hills  area of Mount Lee, Santa Monica Mountain. All this time, I can only see it in the movies. It feels so great that I got a chance to see it real close. Again, we took many pictures at the place with the â€Å"Hollywood† sign in the background. On the following day of the trip, we took a walk along the Walk of Fame in Hollywood Boulevard. We also manage to visit the Kodak Theater. This is a place where many splendid and grand performances from famous and well-known celebrities such as Celine Deon and Christina Aguilera took place. In addition, this place became the avenue for many television shows and important ceremonials and events for instance, the Cirque Du Soleil Iris, American Idol and The Oscar Academy Awards Ceremonies. We also went to Beverly Hills where many movies were shot such as the famous Beverly Hills Cop movie. On the last day, we went to Universal Studio Hollywood. It was the best theme park I have ever visited in my life.

Friday, November 29, 2019

African American Female Rappers History. free essay sample

Unfortunately, such a situation does not contribute to the development of really free, liberal and focused on spiritual, moral and intellectual progress of the consumers of the culture. Probably one of the cost interesting, new and, unfortunately, typical example of the domination Of stereotypes in American culture is the development of female black rap music, which has become particularly intensive in 1 sass and is still quite dynamically developing.At first glance black female rap music should be free from traditional stereotypes, it should be innovative and contributing to black female emancipation and increasing the role of black females in the society at large but, in actuality, the situation is absolutely different. Despite the fact that many female rappers pretend to be unique at developing the new image f a free and independent black female, it turns to be that practically all of them, or at least the most popular of them, are ideologically dependent on the male dominance in proper and figurative sense of this word. We will write a custom essay sample on African American Female Rappers History. or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It means that as a rule black female rappers tend to create an image which can be well accepted by the wide audience and which is created on the basis of the dominating ideology in American culture, notably in American rap music that is characterized by the male dominance and the role of a black female is so to say secondary or subordinated to a male.As a result, instead of a new image f a black female that could be independent and free of male dominance, rap music industry and the audience have got a negative image of a black female, or an image of a black female that tends to underline her sexuality. The role and images of black female rappers in American rap music industry Speaking about black female rappers, it should be pointed out that their role and the impact on the development of the culture of African Americans and American culture at large should not be underestimated.Regardless the fact that many of black female rappers were created due to the male rappers they still undi stributed to the progress of rap music industry and introduced something new and founded a basis for further development of rap music among black females on the professional level. The development of black female rappers as a strong power in rap music and culture has started in sass and nowadays it is still popular and interesting.Black female rappers may be viewed differently but their importance for music and culture cannot be denied. At this respect it should be pointed out that many cultural and music critics praise raps role as an educational tool, point out that black women papers are examples of aggressive pro-venom lyricists in popular music, and defend raps ghetto stories as real life reflections that should draw attention to the burning of racism and economic oppression, rather than to question of obscenity (Rose 1994, 1). At the same time, on analyzing the development of black female rappers, it should be said there could be clearly defined two main trends, which have been typical for black female rappers since sass. Initially, black female rappers had to wear the same clothes as men, curse with the same intonation, and adopt a harsh mentality that didnt place much alee on feminine instincts (Nelson 1 998, 188) that was actually a natural consequence of male domination in rap music and culture at large.On the other hand, later a new trend has become popular. Black females broke ground using sex or feminine image which was deliberately underlined. As Nelson George points out, most commercially successful female group (and one of raps bestselling act of any gender) began as slightly chubby B-girls who have evolved into glamour girls, and have been talking about sex since 1986 (1998, 185). Quite noteworthy is the fact that many female rappers used similar themes in their songs.Nonetheless, it is impossib le to objectively evaluate the role of black female rappers without analysis of the work of the most outstanding black female rappers. One of the most popular and well known black female rappers, whose contribution in the development of rap music is undoubted, is Dana Owens, better known as Queen Latish. By the way her adapted Arabic name Latish is quite symbolic and means beautiful, sensitive, kind. She became popular in 1 989 with her hit single Ladies First.According to Monica Lynch, the Tommy Boy executive who put Latish on, the song signaled the empowerment of a new breed of female Macs (Hip Hop Divas 2001, 52). In fact this song arrived quite in time because it came at a period in rap when many female rappers were just disusing one another but not doing the same to their sexist male counterparts. In such a situation her album All Hail was not a sort of an album traditional for black female rappers of that time but it was an album of a woman who was not afraid to confront sexist and disrespectful behavior.As the matter of fact, Queen Latish has managed to put the right messages at the right time for, as many c ritics underlined, the topic of empowerment for the ladies made a big impact on many socially, including capturing the attention of hip-hop journalists debating and documenting the female perspective (Hip Hop Divas 2001, 53). Moreover, her trend to underline female independence and equality often provoked discussions about her heterosexuality and often she was asked whether she was a gay or not.However, Queen Latish was not very successful from commercial point of view for she has got only one gold record but financial side of the business was obviously not the most important in her contribution to the development Of black female rap music. In fact she is an excellent example of positive female representation in rap music since her image is traditionally perceived as positive. As Trench said she represents black women power. Thats why all the ladies were behind her whether they were rap fans or not (Hip Hop Ladies 2001, 56).Unfortunately, Queen Latish is a rare exception with her social and spiritual aims superior to financial ones which were basic for the vast majority of black female rappers later. Another significant personality among black female rappers is Sister Soulful. In fact she is a very gifted person who managed to apply her talent and knowledge in different fields though she is traditionally thought of as a controversial American hip-hop generation author, activist, recording artist, and film producer (Collins 2000, 221 Obviously her talent as a rapper was probably the most significant in her life.It was she who was the female voice of hip-hop formation Public Enemy and her first solo album 360 Degrees of Power was released in 1992. At the same time, it should be pointed out that she was really quite a controversial person, for instance, on commenting the Los Angels riots, she said quite a provoking phrase: If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people? (Collins 2000, 222).This statement, being severely criticized by the President Bill Clinton, inspired the creation of the first Sister Soulful moment. However, in late sass she basically focused on her literary career and published her autobiography No Disrespect (1995) and the novel The Coldest Winter Ever (1999). Nonetheless, in her work both as a rapper and as a writer she raised disturbing problems of racial inequality, which sometimes simply overshadow another problem the problem of equality and ruin of stereotypes concerning black females.Nonetheless, Sister Soulful represents relatively new generation of black female rappers while there is a very important figure in the black female movement, which produced a very serious impact on the development of rap music at large and its female branch in particular, and she is MAC Late. Actually she is one of the major black female rappers. Moreover, she was the first who received the gold album. She started her music career very early when she was only 12 and soon after that she signed a contract with First Priority that was obviously a great success for a young African American girl.Naturally she continued her career and she leased her debut album Late as a Rock in 1988 when she was 17 only. It was really a great success but what was really important for her and for black female rappers was the fact that it was a good example for other black female rappers to follow. At the same time, there was also a great danger in it because in such an age she could hardly realize the importance of the message she gave to the audience while her commercial success was not less significant than her success as a rapper.The years to follow she managed to make a guest appearance on a remix of Sinned OConnor l wants your hands on me, which became a dance hit. In sass she continued to release her albums. It is quite noteworthy that she collaborated with other black female rappers such as Missy Elliott Cold Rock a Party. Naturally, her work and her success could not remain unmarked and in December 2004 she was inducted as an honorary member into Sigma Gamma RYO Sorority Inc. In such a way, MAC Late contributed greatly to the development of black female rappers and achieved great results at the very young age.As for her collaborator, Missy Elliott, she was also a very significant personality in the black female rapper music. Actually, she is one of the first female hip hop operators. Among her hits may be named The Rain (Sups Dupe Fly). Shes a Bitchy, Get LIRA Freak On, Lose Control, and Work It. Quite remarkably she started as a singer and songwriter in an R;B group called Siesta though it should be emphasized that her friend Timothy DC Timmy Tim, the producer of her group produced a significant impact on her creative work and her image. Then she continued her career cooperating with Swing Mob, and later Timberland.Elliot and Timberland crafted hit singles for a number of artists between 1995-1997. As a solo rapper, Elliott began her career as a treated vocalist on Gina Thompson The Things You Do and MAC Lets 1996 single Cold Rock a Party. Her debut album was released in 1997, was Sups Dupe Fly, a blockbuster hit that established Missy Elliott as a major force in popular music. It is very important that Sups Dupe Fly was accepted positively by critics though some critics commented that the album tracks, some of which sampled Missy/Monies hits such as Can We and One in a Million, were far inferior to the singles (S exton 1 995, 257). 997 was marked by Elliott perform on Ill Skims girl-power anthem, a hit remix of her song, Not Tonight that obviously underlined her music work as a black female rapper. The next year, she continued her successful music career by writing and producing Totals single Tripping. Missy Elitists second album, Dad Real World (1999) was just as successful as the first as well as Miss So Addictive in 2001.In fact she is very productive and among the albums which were successful may be also named Under Construction (2002), This Is Not a Test (2003), The Cookbook (2005) and she still remains to be popular so that Missy Elliott is still as widely recognized and respected by her peers, mainstream, and underground as ever (Cheney 2005, 410). Moreover, her achievements and success were rewarded and in November 2005, Missy Elliott won Best Female Hip Hop Artist at the 2005 American Music Awards, defeating, by the way, Ill Kim, another famous black female rapper.However, her success was great, but t he quality of her work was probably sacrificed for the sake of commercial success. In such a way commerce has started to prevail over the message the black female rapper, namely Missy Elliott, conveyed to the audience. This trend has become even more obvious in the creative work of Ill Kim who was probably the most commercially successful f all females in the rap industry. On the other hand, Ill Kim was the best at selling the sex image.It is very important to underline that she was introduced to the hip-hop community via the all-male crew Junior Mafia and with a successful introduction in place and her mentor/lover The Notorious B. I. G. Right behind her, Kim locked down the rap world from many (female) competitors for a very long time (Evans 1994, 216). On analyzing her work, it is easy to realize that Ill Kim exploited sexuality to create an image of sweetheart that was to a significant extent the result of her personal need to e loved. It is a well-known fact that Kim left home too soon and this is why she had to hustle men in order to support herself. At that time always had a man to take care of me she remembers. Sometimes, if thought I could get some money out of a guy, Id sleep with. And I got kind caught in that mentality (Hip Hop Divas 2001, 133). Soon she starts transporting drugs lives to boyfriend to boyfriend, learning hard lessons, getting betrayed (Hip Hop Divas 2001, 133). Naturally all these facts from her biography reflected in her creative work and her image where sexuality was particularly significant, hill morality obviously played a secondary role after commercial success.Despite this fact, she was very popular and her debut on Junior Mafias Players Anthem left many rap fans captivated with her raw style and lyrical abilities. When her first album was released she was characterized as the dopiest female MAC thats coming out ever (Hip Hop Divas 2001, 134). It is very important that, being an outstanding black female rapper, Ill Kim was supported by her boyfriend and male rapper Biggie who gave her a lot of help, though mainly at the beginning of her career.But even though his role as started to decline, when the real success has come, the death of Biggie produced a very serious impact on her creative work and she delayed the release of her second album The Notorious for three years. These facts underline the role of male in the progress of black female rappers career and the emphasis on sexuality in Ill Skims career and her image are extremely contrasting to what Queen Laths promotion of black female independence and freedom from stereotypes.Nonetheless, Ill Kim is unique and there has been no female solo artists before as successful as Kim in being raw and owing exactly what male rappers have done to be s uccessful. At the same time, she revealed that black female rappers tend to give the audience the image which is to a significant extent stereotyped and black female independence promoted in sass is gradually replaced by striving for commercial success by all means.In such a way, black female rappers being significantly similar to each other possess their unique characteristics and in general they played an important role in the development of rap music though their image as well as the message they convey to the audience were and remain to be quite controversial. Feminists discourse in rap music To fully realize the controversial character of black female rappers it is necessary to analyses in details their messages and their feminists discourse, which they represent in their creative work.In fact there may be singled out two main trends in the image and style of black female rappers. On the one hand, there are female rappers which attempt to imitate their male counterparts they just tend to be like male rappers, wearing similar clothes, using similar language and style. On the other hand, there are black female rappers which are sometimes defined as a fly-girl leading a very sexually active lifestyle and promoting this image, which becomes their second nature, to the audience. Among such black female rappers may be named MAC Late and Ill Kim.It should be underlined that often, especially in sass, black female rappers were playing in the sexist arena but the promotion of a black female as an independent female who can live her own way withou t males influence and support was quite rare and sometimes resulted in discussions concerning sexual orientation of a rapper as it was in the case of Queen Latish described above. In contrast, many black female rappers were often rasher to one another than to male rappers that naturally did not contributed to the promotion of a positive image of black female rappers at large. Furthermore, an important role for black female rappers played the female audience because, as one of the rappers singled out Women will be your worst critics, but also your biggest fans. The first group of people you goat get are the women. You cant do that by dismissing, and you cant do it by threatening them (Hip Hop Divas 2001, 34). In such a situation, it was strategically important to gain respect and popularity among female audience iris that cannot be fully done by black female rappers through disusing one another.These were the trends that were typical for 1 9805 though present in sass but what has really become the main trend during 1 sass was the increased role of commercial success, which overshadowed all other aspects of black female rappers creative work. In such a situation get rich mentality that has begun to dominate rap music, many artists lose consciousness of the art and will sell garbage in exchange for money (Collins 2000, 348). Unfortunately, many black female rappers simply forgot what their life was like before success had come. As a result the negative image of black female image was promoted by black female rappers and the situation has hardly changed since sass when the black female rappers movement got started to be particularly significant. Moreover, in sass the situation became even worse. The primary concern they were contributing to and continue to do so is making money regardless moral aspects, ideas and messages they convey to their audience through their work and their image.Such a situation is particularly dramatic because many black female rappers exploit sexuality and sexual image and often these females possess good rhyming skills that ere hidden behind pornographic talk because this is what their mentors were producing (Evans 1994, 303). Furthermore, the negative image that is promoted is not the only drawback of black female rappers concerning feminism and emancipation of black female in American society and culture.The fact, which has already been underlined above, that many of them started at a very young age resulted in the lack of consciousness of their mission as representatives Of pop music, of art and primarily as representatives of probably the most deprived part of American society black males which, in order to be really independent and equal to other members of society, have to use all opportunities to promote their positive image, not negative one.Naturally as teenagers, these young black female rappers were mainly concerned with the money they were making than with the image they were portraying and they could hardly be aware of black feminist movement or womanish ideology. At the same time it was quite natural that their discourse and the message they send to their audience was significantly influenced by surrounding reality and mass culture, which, as it has been already emphasized, were full of stereotypes and there were a lot of prejudices concerning black female and their image.Moreover being too young, they could not think absolutely independently. This is why they tended to create the image the audience traditionally expected from them such as exaggerated sexuality and basically negative image. In such a situation there remained little or even no room for feminist ideology and wider representation of real black female image, which was significantly different from stereotyped view on them.In other words, they did not fully realize the opportunity to change public opinion in relation to black females, on the contrary they Only reinforced the negative image mistakenly perceived by the vast majority of the audience as traditional and typical for bla ck females. Probably because of their age they could not act otherwise but at the same time it is necessary to realize that such a situation has not gone to the past.Moreover, now the black female rappers discourse tends to be far from what may be treated as really feminist discourse oriented on the protection and promotion of rights of black females, in contrast sexuality and servile emphasis on the audiences stereotypes are promoted and what is even worse new black female rappers choose such an image and use similar discourse over and over again. As a result portraying controlling images, being ruinous for black female rappers as representatives of black feminist movement, are getting to be more and more popular and widely spread nowadays.The dominant sexual and racial ideologies in American culture A logical question that arises, when the situation with black female rappers is analyzed, is the question concerning the reasons of such a discourse which obviously lacks feminists promotion and is rather subordinated to troopers. In addition to the reasons mentioned in previous chapter, it should be said that black female rappers willingly or not are a part of American culture and consequently they are subordinated to the dominant ideologies which are accepted by the vast majority of American society and which, in fact, they should change but currently they fail to.It is an undeniable fact that the dominant sexual and racial ideologies in American culture are very discriminating in relation to black females and consent neatly bl ack female rappers had to obey to these ideologies in order to gain popularity of he possibly wider audience but, on the other hand, it is necessary to realize that by doing so they can hardly gain real respect neither the audience at large nor black females in particular.Speaking about the dominant ideologies it is necessary to clearly realize that they are developed and belong to white males and the changes that got started in American society are too slow to change the dominant ideology somehow. Naturally, in such a situation, black female rappers has a little choice to do and their choice in favor of popularity, even though it weakens dramatically black female movement, is quite pragmatic and natural.It is noteworthy to refer to George Nelson who estimated that for much of hip-hops history, it has been a truism that the male rap consumer, white and black, simply wont accept females (1998, 185). In fact rap has always been considered a private and male dominant space. This is why at the beginning it was extremely difficult for black female rappers to gain success and the breakthrough made in mid-sass was particularly significant.Remarkably, this breakthrough coincided with the work of such a black female rapper as Queen Latish who was probably the most eager rapper who strives for promotion of an image of a black female efferent from standardized and this image was obviously very successful for her as an artist but not in commercial aspect. However, such a position of Queen Latish and to a certain extent similar to her MAC Late led to their severe critique and it is significant that the females who get the most respect in hip-hops primarily male domain Queen Latish and MAC Late are relentlessly dogged by rumors that they are lesbians.Whether these rumors are true or not, the message is evident: a female cant be tough or strong or clear or exceptionally skillful at hip-hop unless she has sacrificed the thing hat makes her a real girl (Smith 1 995, 127). Furthermore, as Trivia Rose estimates, such female rappers often felt that they were being used as a political baton to beat male rappers over the head, rather than being affirmed as women who could open up public dialogue to interrogate sexism and its effect on young black women (1 994, 150).Naturally, it is impossible to speak about equality and independence of black female rappers and their creative work since, being few compared to the mass of male rappers, they could hardly change stereotypes and dominant ideologies in a day, a year or even a aced because as a rule they have been viewed as interlopers either butch anomalies or cute novelties who by some fluke infiltrated a boys game (Light 1999, 177). On facing such a resistance, from the part of the mass audience influenced by the dominant sexual and racial ideologies in American culture black female rappers, as one of them Kid-N-Play said, have to work twice as hard [as males] to get half the credit (Rose 1994, 146). As a result, it is not surprising that many black female rappers are harsher to one another than to male rappers that may be also explained by low number of lack female rappers compared to males and by their intention to please the predominantly male audience for the sake of commercial success.This often led to limiting female rap songs to verbal catfishes and the typical battle Of the sexes, especially in 1 sass. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that since sass there have been TV main ways on which black female rappers could achieve success. On the one hand, there is the l am as tough and as good just as the next man role but very few black female rappers have chosen this way to success, though those who have chosen it are the most respected.On the other hand, there is an alternative that the majority of black female rappers have chosen and nowadays it gets to be more and more popular, is simply to sell sexual images that is not surprising because it is acceptable by the dominating male ideology in the industry for that sex sells is the first axiom of advertising, and sexual ads are everywhere. And in order to titillate a sexually jaded society, you have to push the boundaries. You have to be a bit more brazen than the last hot little number, a little more edgy (Bradford et al. 1999, 72) and this is exactly what many of black female rappers are currently doing to be successful.Unfortunately, the dominant sexual and racial ideologies in American culture result in the situation when portraying African-American women as stereotypical mummies, matriarchs, welfare recipients, and hot mommas helps justify US black womens oppression These controlling images are designed to make racism, sexism, poverty, and other forms of social injustice appear to be natural, normal, and inevitable parts of everyday life (Collins 2000, 70). Moreover, often black female rappers are portrayed as hutchies since men allowed many of them to rap. Hutchies is a term used by Joan Morgan in her book When ChickenheartedCome Home to Roost (2000) and it signifies women who use sex to get what they want from men. An example of such a type of black female rappers is Ill Kim. Consequently, the controlling image of black females becomes more and more widely spread and in general it is influenced by the dominant sexual and racial ideologies in which males play the main role and the desire to achieve commercial success force black females to create images the most attractive for the wide audience but unfortunately it results in the creation of an extremely negative image of black female that is very dangerous for the progress of black feminist movement.Conclusion: the future of black females in American rap music Thus, taking into considerations all above mentioned, it is possible to presuppose the future of black females in American culture at large and rap music in particular. The recent trends in the development of black female rap a re quite disturbing, particularly an unparalleled centralization of the industry, but it is necessary to point out that the similar trends are typical not only for females but for males as well as for other industries of pop culture.Nonetheless, this trend is basically the result of male dominated ideology that makes the progress of black female rappers to as effective as it could be. Furthermore, the perspective development of black female rap music would probably enhance this trend that would naturally lead to further exploitation of sexual images that would not improve the general image of black females which is now rather negative, according to the current images of black female rappers. On the other hand, there is still some room for hope to change the negative image of black females would eventually vanish due to the creation of new image of a real black female which has nothing in common that conservative and stereotypical dominant male ideologies tend to promote. Fortunately, this presupposition is not purely hypothetical but, on the contrary, it is quite realizable and the growing number of black female rappers is significant evidence in favor of such a perspective.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free sample - Brand and Customer Behavior literature review. translation missing

Brand and Customer Behavior literature review. Brand and Customer Behavior literature reviewBrand and Customer Behavior in the contemporary corporate world has received a lot of attention and debate on whether the former affects the latter. As a matter of fact, there have been so many questions seeking to establish whether brands have any effect to the customer behavior. In regard to literature by Glynn (2009, p.97), brand is a market based asset which largely shapes the behavior of a customer. Arguably, brands are advertised so that they may influence the behavior of the customers. In some cases, customers have purchased products owing to the brand. For instance, a car that is branded with a brand reflecting status and reputation may influence a customer to purchase the car brand seeking to get the prestige promised by the brand. On the other hand, brands have effect on the customer behavior (Kumar, 2008). He supports this by presenting detailed information on brand attitude which is the attitude toward a brand by a customer. This attitude is attributed to the brand trust and effect altogether. The former refers to the customer’s willingness to trust the brand to satisfy his or her needs while the latter has to do with customer’s emotional response towards a brand. This makes it possible to generate an emotion toward the customer’s preference of the brand for use (p.193). Further in this context, Wilburn (2006) has examined in detail the factors that affect as well as shape customer’s behavior. As a matter of fact, he points out to brand image as the mental picture formed by a customer towards a brand. In this case, brand has been pointed out as to provide a customer with a reason to purchase a product in place of another. Traditionally, Wilburn (2006, p.2-3) states that brand images have been in use as a method of influencing customer behavior and as well acquisition of new customers of a product. Arguably Salver (2009, p.92-93), has provided literature on the effect that brand has on the customers. In this context, brand image has been associated with an ability to bind consumers on the basis of emotion and thus customers going for the very brands. Brand images have also been cited as powerful tools for establishing loyalty of the customer to the particular brand. From this point of view, it is evident from literature that there have been an academic background regarding brand and customer behavior which has previously tried to answer the research question whether brands affect the customer/ consumer behavior.      References Glynn, MS 2009, Business-to-business brand management: theory, research and executive case study exercises, Emerald Group Publishing, Bingley. Kumar, V 2008, Managing customers for profit: strategies to increase profits and build loyalty, Wharton School Publishing, New Jersey. Salver, J 2009, Brand Management in the Hotel Industry and Its Potential for Achieving Customer Loyalty, GRIN Verlag, Norderstedt. Wilburn, M 2006, Managing the customer experience: a measurement-based approach, American Society for Qualit, Wisconsin.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Governance and Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Governance and Ethics - Assignment Example vary within the organisations according to their size and industry specifications, wherein the role of international policy standards like IFRS and FRS play a crucial role. Additionally, the role of board of the directors pertaining to compliance with ethics and corporate governance are similar to that of the functions related to company’s risk management. In general, a standard ethical code entails the company’s mission and vision statements along with the decision-making framework among others (Deloitte LLP, n.d.). In the views of IFC (n.d.), there are few basic advantages of compliance with governance codes and ethical standards. The benefits, such as knowledge dissemination, transparency and flexibility amidst the corporate governance code are associated with compliances and ethics. Concerning the benefits of knowledge dissemination, it can be observed to assist in exploring information about the best practices of corporate governance amidst the organisations. Flexibility amidst the corporate governance code also provides a scope to the organisations to adopt the practices according to the necessity of the stakeholders. Furthermore, transparency is vital for the shareholders to have a brief understanding about the company’s position in the market, which apparently indicates that certain risks are associated with the financial disclosure practices conducted by organisations (Wong, 2008) Accordingly, this report intends to discuss about the compliance and the disclosure of the principle of governance related to a major public company, i.e. Sports Direct Company with focus on the provisions, which the company follows and any non-compliance standard, if persisting in relation to the disclosure practices conducted by the entity through its annual reports and accounts. Furthermore, this study will discuss about the disclosures with regards to the aspect of corporate governance. Apart from this, the study will also assess the company’s risk management

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Globalization and the gains from international trade Essay - 2

Globalization and the gains from international trade - Essay Example n controlling trade is still enormous and many governments are increasingly accepting it as the norm rather than the exception (Tung and Henry, 2009). Debates in recent times centre whether globalization is diminishing trade or increasing it. Questions have been raised on the state the traditional roles and national governments sovereignty play over trade, and the effects that these portend in promoting fairness or inequality among countries. Others have zeroed on the balance of trade and trade payments the less developed countries, the developing countries vis-Ã  -vis the developed world, and the focus on the glaring policy intervention differences between the global north and the global south. This paper states at the outset that: Whereas globalization has been touching on every aspect of society today, scholars and thinkers alike have not agreed on a universal single definition of the term. Instead, a number of definitions, conceptualizations, and perspectives exist depending on which lens one views the concept. In Kemp’s world, the gains must be examined within the confluence of world tarries such that no country in the pedestal of globalization would be worse off than in the smaller customs union (Kemp, 1987). Kemp (1987) observes that the phenomenon of globalization has been extensively used in the world, specifically in admired discourses and policy issues. For him, globalization is a term that describes ways in which the world is progressively more interrelated, organized, and interdependent through a set of socially reinforced processes that is controlled by customs. These processes include among others, integration of markets, nation states and technologies to a scale that is aiding individuals, corporations and distinct governments to access and ‘navigate’ the world much more, more rapidly, much deeper an by less costly methods (Kemp and Wong, 1995). Kemp further characterizes the global economy and trade as that which is based on spread and

Monday, November 18, 2019

GenerAges and Millennials in Adulthood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GenerAges and Millennials in Adulthood - Essay Example Today there are two brand operating systems running; Baby Boomers and Millennials. The two systems are the primary authors of that system. Some authors of this code are visible and successful Boomer and Millennial leaders. However, other groups comprise of populations of other younger people. The user power, social attitudes, and influence on small groups including peers and friends is to fill numerous codes that will be stronger and withstand future attacks. The scope of this paper will therefore be based on discussing two groups of generations; Baby Boomers and Millennials. This essay will go to compare the Greatest Generation, Baby Boomers and Millennials in terms of ethics, values, and lifestyle. Also, the paper will give a detailed description on events that occurred during lives of these two groups that helped explain  each of the generations  values and lifestyle. Lastly, the paper will describe some of the major changes in social  values and beliefs  from the older ge nerations to the Millennials. Compared to other older generation, Millennials place a premium on parental and peer relationships. Technology has provided them with means to stay in touch, and they do stay connected with family and friends. Most often their heroes are their parents or grandparents. So it is not surprising that they share a desire for a warm and loving family life for themselves and their children. They want a stable family life and hope to avoid divorce and its effect on their children. They value making money not as an end in itself, but as a means to improve family life and to provide for their children. Millennials believe that making money will never be more important for them than children and family life (Pew Research Center). They also believe they have a financial responsibility to care for aging parents. While they may fuss and fume about being too sheltered by their parents and even disagree with their parent’s or old generation’s values, they respect

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Prevention is better than cure

Prevention is better than cure Prevention is better than cure The current raging debate on healthcare should give us time to ponder over several issues. The need of the hour is to decrease the rapidly escalating cost of health care, expand its coverage and ensure that Medicare and Medicaid are viable future propositions. We should put our faith in the old adage that prevention is better than cure. Primary care should be easily accessible to USs uninsured and underinsured people. People should also be offered incentives in order to bring about much needed change in the ways they take care of their health. The Congress has a major role to play in making prevention the key and basic principal of health care reforms. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 133 million people in the country are victims of at least one chronic disease. It is estimated that more than 75% of the two trillion dollars allocated for health are being utilized to fight chronic diseases. The figures are alarming. One out of every four Americans may be victims of two or more chronic diseases by the year 2025. The majority of Medicares funds are spent on treating patients suffering from chronic illnesses. It is estimated that Medicaid spends 80% of its funds in treating chronic diseases which are increasing rapidly. The Congressional Budget Office prophesizes that unless drastic action is taken health care expenditure is likely to increase from 17 percent of GDP today to 49 percent in 2082. Federal expenditure on Medicare and Medicaid is expected to shoot up from 4 percent of GDP to a staggering   20 %. The silver lining on this ominous cloud is the fact that most chronic diseases can be prevented. Preventing a few can lead to a multiplier effect. If one were to launch a campaign of national awareness on how to decrease diabetes and obesity it will also lead to lesser number of   people suffering from heart disease and stroke besides reducing medical costs in addition to the trauma and suffering that a patient undergoes. These four chronic diseases alone consume 75% of one trillion dollars. A few skeptics claim that there would be negligible or very little savings from preventive measures. This fear however is unfounded as facts prove otherwise. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2005 reveal that a federally sponsored program to prevent diabetes in pre diabetic patients generated remarkable cost savings. Several studies conducted prove conclusively that educating consumers about life style management and health care resulted in cutting down medical services by 20%. Academic health centers such as the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland in Baltimore can play a pivotal role in conducting incentive based prevention programs. This will enable people at high risk to receive treatment at an early stage which can reduce medical costs drastically. A major drive for preventive health care is the need of the hour to keep health care costs under control otherwise courting disaster will be the only answer. Third article JAMA Application of Comparative Utilization Data in Managed care Organizations One of the main problems facing managed care organizations all over the US is data management. One of the key elements contributing to successful running of MCOs relies on the way they utilize data. A multi dimensional approach to data management is necessary for efficient working. One of the main contributing factors is the effective application of comparative utilization data. One of the chief advantages of using comparative utilization data is that it helps in cost cutting measures in the MCOs and thereby helps them to function efficiently. The MCOs can integrate comparative data into their UM process which will ensure better functioning. External benchmarking is of vital importance. It is of primary importance that MCO managers should make comparisons between their internal utilization patterns and accepted benchmarks from other communities. In performing this task MCO managers face problems like conformity in data-collection techniques as well as comparability between the subject and the benchmark data cost In order to get a clearer picture let us deal with the problems. Conformity of data is a challenging task. The healthcare industry tries its best to compile benchmark data. Several surveys are conducted for this purpose. If a survey is conducted regarding Cardiology costs $PMPM, should sub-capitate invasive cardiology be included? Should the EKGs done by internists who are specializing in cardiology be considered? Such questions demonstrate the pitfalls of collecting data through surveys. Data can prove to be of use if it contains claims-level detail. It should also be consistent Comparability is another hurdle which needs to be overcome. Most feel   â€Å"Data from other markets does not apply here in my City, U.S.A.† Many physicians are averse to considering data from other locales. They may go by the logic that they have higher imaging costs in so and so area as they have seven outpatient CT scanners serving 14000 patients. Such logic does not hold water. If the source of comparative actual data is understood, then it will be able to illuminate the MCOs data by comparison. The amount of services required by people residing in a particular locality should be predictable to a large extent though prices may vary. However there are solutions which will ensure efficient functioning if they are followed. Start benchmarking using good data which pass the conformity and comparability tests. The MCOs data should not have any weakness or loopholes. MCO should also learn to handle benchmark data with care. It should not be considered the last word. . It is to be used to â€Å"uncover clues that might lead to utilization management opportunities.† It is necessary to analyze all variations. If the analyst finds abnormal patterns he should find out a reason for it. Sometimes variations occur because of data errors, fee schedule differences random variation, population differences, regional health trends, benefit differences. Efficient benchmarking does not work without the involvement of physicians at every level. Successful intervention can take place only if there is a high level of communication. If MCOs are able to lay their hands on reliable and superior quality benchmarking data it will make them function more efficiently,   and benefit them in the long run. Fourth article Generic Drugs Many people are not aware of what the term generic drugs actually mean. Generic drugs are basically copies of brand name drugs even though it lacks patent protection.   New innovator medicines are marketed under brand names. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) generic drugs are identical in dose, strength, route of administration, safety, efficacy, and intended use as their brand name counterpart. These are as safe to use as their brand name drug from which they have been copied as the same ingredients are used in their preparation and they have the same effect on our body. The main advantage that generic drugs enjoy over brand name drugs is their cost. They are much cheaper. One of the main reasons behind this is that producers of generic drugs do not have to bear the investment cost like the company developing new drugs. They help companies like Medicare to reduce costs and save patients a lot of money. As these drugs do not enjoy patent protection they face stiff competition, hence they try to keep the price low. Most developing countries are going in for genetic drugs in a big way. Generic drugs can be produced when patents of brand name drugs are near expiration. Companies interested in manufacturing the generic drug can send an application to the FDA. Once approval is granted these drugs can be floated in the market. These drugs also enjoy the fruits of the marketing effort made by the patent drug company. Today generic drugs are widely used. They find their way into half of the prescriptions that qualified physicians write. The facilities used to manufacture both the brand name drug and generic drugs are the same as the two are identical. Generic drugs boast of the same quality as brand name drugs. The FDA prohibits drugs to be manufactured in sub standard facilities. Around 3,500 inspections are conducted by the FDA to ensure that the requisite standards are fulfilled. About half of the brand name firms also produce generic drugs. Many of them even make their own copies. Generic drugs however look different from the brand name drugs they have been copied from. In US trademark laws prohibits the generic drug to look identical to the brand name drug. However even if looks differ the constituents are the same. Colors and flavors are allowed to vary. Contrary to popular opinion all brand name drugs do not possess a generic version. Brand name drugs enjoy patent protection for a period of two decades. Other companies can bring out the generic version only after the patent expires and they gain FDA approval. The use of generic drugs is on the increase. According to IMS health the global sales of generic drugs have shot up from $29 billion in 2003 to $78 billion in 2008

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Summary of Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx Essay -- Karl Marx Communi

Summary of Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx Introduction Karl Marx was born in 1818 into a middle-class, German family. During his studies, Marx was heavily influenced by the philosophy of Hegel. He joined a group called the â€Å"Young Hegelians.† The group, though â€Å"inspired by Hegel, [was] determined to champion the more radical aspects of the old master's system.†[i] Though he was a strong scholar, he got into trouble because of his radical political views.[ii] In 1847, together with fellow German, Freidrich Engels, Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto. The Central Authority of the Communist League approved The Communist Manifesto January of 1848, and the document began printing the next month.[iii] The manifesto was â€Å"inspired by the emergence of the modern working class, [he] developed a wholly new socialist outlook based upon the principle of socialism from below.†[iv] In Marx’s version of socialism, there were two central themes, one of which was that the working class had to libe rate themselves from their oppressors, and the other involved the working people overthrowing their current government to create a new, democratic society for themselves.[v] Summary of Section 1 Marx begins by showing that throughout all of history humans have divided themselves into certain ranks or classes. For example, in the Middle Ages social divisions were â€Å"feudal lords, vassals, guild-masters, journeymen, apprentices, [and] serfs.†[vi] As long as social stratification has existed, one group or groups have been the oppressor while another group or groups have been the oppressed. The fight that exists between the oppressed and the oppressor is destine to end reconstruction of society triggered by revoluti... ...o of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.. New York: Russell and Russell, 1963. [vii] Marx [viii] Marx [ix] Marx [x] Marx [xi] Marx [xii] Marx [xiii] Marx [xiv] Marx [xv] Marx [xvi] Marx [xvii] Marx [xviii] Marx [xix] Marx [xx] Marx [xxi] Marx [xxii] Marx [xxiii] Marx [xxiv] Marx [xxv] Marx [xxvi] Brians, Paul. Study Guide for The Communist Manifesto. 15 March 2002 . LINKS TO: http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/hum_303/manifesto.html Study Guide for The Communist Manifesto. http://marxist.org http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/marx.html http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/marx.htm http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/profiles/marx.htm http://www.classicnote.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/communist/ http://homepages.udayton.edu/~santamar

Monday, November 11, 2019

Adolescents in Education

Studying in college means new life. It allows new experiences and challenges. This can be exciting but it can also be stressful and make someone feel sad as well. The role of guide counselor is of great importance regarding the student’s adaptation in academic environment. The realization of student’s professional and personal skills depends a lot on the degree of the success of counselor’s activities.The main aim of this research is to show that today the counselors’ practices still are not perfect. They are some narrow-directed and are composed mostly as the instructions for dealing with a student who is already in stress. Also, the scheme of organization of counselor’s activities which is suggested to make their work more efficient will be proposed.As Kenneth W. Merrel says in his â€Å"Helping students overcome depression and anxiety: a practical guide† (2001): â€Å"Depression, anxiety, and related â€Å"internalizing† problems o f children and adolescents have been the focus of increased professional concern during the past two or tree decades. During the majority of the 20th century, relatively little attention was given to these problems†.Meanwhile, recently depression and stress have become rather a common phenomenon of students’ life. For many young adults, the transition from high school to college is one of the most exciting periods of their lives. Normative developmental tasks, such as moving away from home, learning new academic material, forming adult relationships, and managing time and money, can create feelings of independence and generate a sense of mastery and competence unparalleled in earlier adolescence.As educators are well aware, however, these critical tasks can become a source of chronic stress, especially during the freshman year. If left unchecked, such stress can uncover or lead to more serious psychological disorders, which can, in turn, cause social isolation, school f ailure, and self-destructive behaviors.The Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness (2005) affirms that: â€Å"Most illnesses develop between the ages of 17 to 25, but that's not to say it can't start sooner or later than that.†Ã‚   Speaking about American students, NYU Child Study Center (2004) shows also that:â€Å"- depression affects over 19 million American adults annually, including college students. At colleges nationwide, large percentages of students are feeling overwhelmed, sad, hopeless and so depressed that they are unable to function†¦Ã‚  -eating disorders affect 5-10 million women and one million men nationwide, with the highest rates occurring among college-aged women.   -suicide was the eighth leading cause of death for all Americans, the third leading cause of death for those aged 15-24 years, and the second leading killer in the college population in 1998.   -nearly 50% of American teenagers of high-school age are currently, or have been, sexually a ctive. Everyday, 8,000 teenagers in the United States become infected by a sexually transmitted disease (STD)†¦ †The transition to student life has always been unsettling but being a student is quite different now from 20 years ago. Today we have a mass higher education system, so universities tend to be much larger and less personal.  It's very rare for students to go through a degree program with the same 20 or 30 people – instead they take different modules with large numbers of different people so it's hard for them to build up support networks.   And one don't just have finals now, one have exams twice a year, every year, so the pressure is on from the moment one start until the moment he finishes.The causes of depression are complex. Very often a combination of genetic, psychological and environmental factors is involved in the onset of clinical depression.Common stressors in college life include: greater academic demands, being on your own in a new envir onment, changes in family relations, financial responsibilities, changes in your social life, exposure to new people, ideas, and temptations, awareness of your sexual identity and orientation, preparing for life after graduation. At times, however, depression occurs for no apparent reason.Whatever the cause is, depression is almost always treatable. But the problem is not only to get rid of the stress but to learn how to manage with it or (what would be the best solution) how to prevent it.The problem is also not only in a great threat for student’s health which is issued by stress but in making a student unable to develop his skills. Hundreds of students, sometimes very gifted ones, suffer because of depression which is a great obstacle on the way of their development as personalities.It must be said that nowdays the net of guide counselors is developed quite well and practically all educational establishments of famous have among their personnel professional psychologists w ho make a great deal of work. But it also must be noted that in recent years the intensity of so-called â€Å"students’ stress† hasn’t decreased but quite the contrary, it has increased a lot.Therefore, the main task of guide counselors is to learn to reveal the symptoms of depression at its early stage, identify the students who are especially vulnerable to stress form the very beginning of their education and direct their behavior to the safe path.So, as it was already said, the first step in defeating depression is recognizing it. It's normal to have some signs of depression some of the time. But five or more symptoms for two weeks or longer, or noticeable changes in usual functioning, are all factors that should be evaluated by a health or mental health professional.Depressive illnesses come in different forms. The following are descriptions of the three most prevalent, though for an individual, the number, severity, and duration of symptoms will vary:Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms that interfere with one’s ability to work, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. These episodes can occur once, twice, or several times in a lifetime.Symptoms include: sadness, anxiety, or â€Å"empty† feeling, decreased energy, fatigue, being â€Å"slowed down†, loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, appetite and weight changes (either loss or gain) ,sleep disturbances (insomnia, oversleeping, waking much earlier than usual), feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and worthlessness, thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts difficulty concentrating, making decisions, remembering, irritability or excessive crying, chronic aches or pain not explained by other physical condition.A less intense type of depression- dysthymia, involves long-term, chronic symptoms that are less severe, but keep you from functioning at your full ability and from feeling well. In bipolar illness (also known as manic-depressive illness), cycles of depression alternate with cycles of elation and increased activity, known as mania.Bipolar disorder is a type of depressive illness that involves mood swings that go from periods of depression to periods of being overly â€Å"up† and irritable. Sometimes the mood swings are dramatic or rapid, but most often they occur gradually, over several weeks.The â€Å"up† or manic phase can include increased energy and activity, insomnia, grandiose notions and impulsive or reckless behavior, including sexual promiscuity. Medication usually is effective in controlling manic symptoms and preventing the recurrence of both manic and depressive episodes.When the depression lasts for two weeks and more or interferes with academic or social functioning it may be clinical depression. Clinical depression is a common, frequently unrecognized illness that can be effectively treated. Clinical depression can affect your body, mood, thoughts, and behavio r.It can change your eating habits, how you feel and think, your ability to work and study, and how you interact with people. Clinical depression is not a passing mood, a sign of personal weakness, or a condition that can be willed away.Clinically depressed people cannot â€Å"pull themselves together† and get better. Depression can be successfully treated. With the right treatment, 80 percent of those who seek help get better. And many people begin to feel better in just a few weeks.The notion of stress or depression is connected tightly with alcohol and drugs and suicide intentions. A lot of depressed people, especially teenagers, also have problems with alcohol or other drugs. Sometimes depression comes first and people try drugs as a way to escape it.Other times, the alcohol or other drug use comes first, and depression is caused by the drug itself, or withdrawal from it, or the problems that substance use causes. And sometimes one can't tell which came first. The importa nt point is that when one has both of these problems, the sooner he gets treatment, the better.Thoughts of death or suicide are usually signs of severe depression. Talking to a professional in this case can get student past those intense feelings and save his life. Suicidal thoughts, impulses, or behaviors always should be taken seriously.   It is necessary to contact someone he or she trusts: a good friend, academic or resident advisor.All the above mentioned problems referred to students’ stresses and depressions are suggested to be treated by counselors. The counselor is a teacher and psychologist at the same time. The relationship between teacher and learner essentially poses problems of human relations. Teachers bring more than knowledge to the relationship: they are motivators, experts, judges.Teachers and learners share responsibility for learning, and some question whether â€Å"teaching† has occurred if no â€Å"learning† occurred.Studies of teaching that produces the most learning suggest that â€Å"effective† teachers use an analytical and synthetic approach to the subject matter, organize the material well to make it clear, and establish rapport with their students.Most studies identify enthusiasm as important in promoting students' learning. The key seems to be to make college courses challenging but not threatening.Many stress models emphasize a â€Å"mismatch† between the individual and his or her environment. Both too little and too much stress inhibits learning. Stress is difficult to define because individuals react to it very differently, and a situation that is stressful for one person may not be for another. Further, stressed individuals vary widely in the effectiveness of their coping.The professional or academic adaptation is a kind of social adaptation. Academic adaptation consists of professional and psychological components. The psychological aspect has the leading role as it is the base for all th e other stages of human’s socialization.The academic adaptation is an intensive, dynamic and complex process in the course of which the individual elaborates constant skills of adaptation within the demands of his new environment. At the very beginning there is an adaptation to the social environment of high school, and on the senior rates – to the elected trade and profession.Thus, professional adaptation of the student at each subsequent stage includes adaptable abilities and the skills received at the previous stage as a basis. Each subsequent stage is the result of the development of the previous one with qualitatively new formations.It is necessary to point out a number of the initial subjective factors which negatively influence on the process of adaptation and underlying typical difficulties: 1. An insufficient level of actual readiness for the high school program, neglect of many knowledge from rates of school disciplines what leads to backwardness of diligence and inquisitiveness, deficiency of the personal responsibility and educational activity, a low level of spiritual and intellectual potentials. 2. Feebly marked studies skills, insufficiently advanced verbal (abstract) thinking, backwardness of concentration and distribution of attention, ignorance of effective mnemonic receptions, weakness of strong-willed regulation. 3. A low level of culture and moral shown on a background limited life experience and a social maturity; world outlook and social infantilism. 4. Uncertainty in one’s own forces, doubt in an opportunity of successful training in high schoolConsidering professional adaptation of the person as process, using concept â€Å"professional adaptation â€Å", we designate result of this process. Thus, professional adaptation is a result of personal changes during the coordination of professional intentions, qualities of the person and requirements of concrete professional work at adequate reaction to own changes, cha nges of professional work and the professional environment under influence of the factors generated at inclusion of the person in system of continuous education.Hence, professional adaptation of the person of the student forms a psychological basis of his vocational training. The challenges while getting education are especially important for gifted students. Many gifted youngsters have a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings, to events, to ideas, and to expectations. Some experience their own high expectations for achievement as a relentless pressure to excel. Constant striving to live up to self-expectations-or those of others-to be first, best, or both can be very stressful. With every new course, new teacher, or new school questions arise about achievement and performance, since every new situation carries with it the frightening risk of being mediocre.Striving becomes even more stressful when unrealistic or unclear expectations are imposed by adults or peers. The pressur e to excel, accompanied by other concerns such as feeling different, self-doubt (the â€Å"imposter† syndrome), and the need to prove their giftedness can drain the energy of gifted students and result in additional stress.Stress occurs even when everything is going well. Youngsters get tired from their constant efforts and may secretly fear that next time they will not be as successful.Many gifted students accept responsibility for a variety of activities such as a demanding course load; leadership in school activities, clubs, or sports and part-time jobs. Even if it were humanly possible, doing everything well would be physically and emotionally stressful.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The North Korean economy Essays

The North Korean economy Essays The North Korean economy Paper The North Korean economy Paper One must start with the 2003 announcement that North Korea has a nuclear deterrent. But this is of no surprise, the intelligence community judged in the mid-1990s that North Korea had produced one, possibly two, nuclear weapons. 1 These weapons although not numerous can still cause substantial damage towards an intended target. Nevertheless North Koreas nuclear program is still in its early stages, as it has an inaccurate delivery system for any nuclear warheads, it also has to be noted that any weapons that they do have would be of similar size and payload of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Therefore these would be far less powerful than weapons that are possessed by Russia and China. What concerns the US is that development of the North Korean ballistic missile program and their willingness to supply to countries which are hostile to the US and its allays. The Norths advances in technology as seen by The Taepo Dong-2 in a two-stage ballistic missile configuration could deliver a several-hundred-kg payload up to 10,000km [And] If the North uses a third-stage similar to the one used on the Taepo Dong-1 [It] could deliver a several-hundred-kg payload up to 15,000km. 2 These advances in ballistic technology mean that in the next 15 years, North Korea would have joined the nuclear club. This although worrying is not expected to radically alter our foreign policy in the region. The US is most concerned with North Koreas willingness to sell this technology to nations, which continue a hostile stance towards the US, and in the worst case scenario to individual terrorist organisations. As this (ballistic missile sale) is the major source of income for North Korea and has allowed the regimes existence after the cold war. Due to these exports of missiles, which are mainly short and medium ranged consisting of Scud and No Dong classes, North Korea has altered the balance of power in the Middle East and in Asia. With exports of technology to Iran, Syria, Libya (formally) and Sudan. And also assistance with the Iranian nuclear program (although Russia has played a bigger part in this). This will all mean that the US will take a more hostile stance and continue with sanctions to warn North Korea. As these missile sales will mean that future conflict will be more difficult as more planing will have to be conducted. Even with sanctions North Korea continues to trade with its major trading partner China, who has a very strong and rapidly growing economy and even more worryingly China also wishes to establish itself as a Strong military power. With its military spending in 2004 being more than $25 billion, while it is believed that this announced figure accounts for less than half of their actual spending. China is also predicted to rise to superpower status in the next 15-20 years. This is expected to affect our foreign policy objective is the region as it would have serious implications to countries such as Japan and South Korea and also the island of Taiwan. A strong China would hopefully become a key US ally in the region, especially with the pacification of the Korean peninsular. Although there is still the issue of Taiwan to consider. Concerning this it is believed as china becomes more open and follows a more capitalist economy that with international influence and the greater spread of democracy, there will be some peaceful solution to the situation. Although a time scale to this cannot be estimated due to Chinas continual hostile stance towards Taiwan and its increasing military presence in the region. What is of major concern is also the weakness of the North Korean economy. The regimes militarised, Soviet-style command economy is failing to meet the populations food and economic needs.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Unpatriotic punctuation - Emphasis

Unpatriotic punctuation Unpatriotic punctuation We probably all know what its like to get frustrated over an item of punctuation, but most of us dont get the chance to pass a law banning it. In France, theyve done just that. Hyphens are notoriously tricky to put in their place. For the last six years, the French had more scope for confusion than the rest of us. Since 2004, the double hyphen has been used to indicate a newly coined double-barrelled name, bestowed on babies taking both their mothers and fathers surname. Now, not only has the double-hyphen been outlawed, it has actually been declared un-French. Generally, when we inadvertently misuse punctuation, the worst that might be said is that weve let ourselves, possibly our company, down. Still, better that than the whole country.

Monday, November 4, 2019

What is specific about digital image and how can digital aesthetics be Essay

What is specific about digital image and how can digital aesthetics be described through a reference to glitch Give examples - Essay Example term is usually identified as jargon, used in electronic industries and services, circuit-bending practitioners, gamers, media artists, and designers. In electrical systems, a glitch is a short-lived error in a system or machine. A glitch appears as a defect..." (Goriunova & Shulgin, 2008) It is the breakdown and error of systems that produces the opportunity for genuine individuality or subjectivity of the post-modern digital artist. The individual self-expression is reduced to an ironic defect within the greater matrix of social programming and control, but is experienced heroically as overcoming by the person through creative self-identity. The glitch is the spontaneous ecstasy and spark of life referenced by the mythology and fairy tales of Artificial Intelligence in science fiction: the ghost-soul in the machine vs. man as god. The artist is seeking the reflection of singularity through artistic expression, yet to go beyond limits, the software imposed tautology must be transcen ded by the chaos of the glitch. The glitch is the software expression of the human in software through the most fundamental characteristic of modern humanity, human error. This is experienced as the irrationality of the unforseen manifesting in the face of the programmer and engineer’s vision of total control through system design. Yet, as both a symbol and in artistic practice, the glitch represents the synchronicity of a moment irreproducible and inconceivable other than how it appears, randomly, unexpected, captured as a nano-second flash and still-life photograph of quantum mind with all its uncertainty in post-modern awareness. Goriunova & Shulgin chart the meme of the modern Prometheus from Shelley’s Frankenstein as an example of Victorian conceptions of disfunctionality vs. utilitarianism: people, objects, and ideas "sooner or later becoming evil as they stop functioning correctly." (Ibid., p.115) If Frankenstein is the early modernist â€Å"glitch-as-hero,† then the

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Industrialisation and the Family Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Industrialisation and the Family - Assignment Example Of course, not all of the explanations can be found in economics and, most likely, social structure and culture can explain the changing economics as well. However, looking for explanations in the changing economics for sociological phenomena enriches our insights and sharpens our sociological analysis. I will attempt to do just that in this work. According to Eshleman and Bulcroft (2010, p. 4), a family traditionally refers to â€Å"two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption who reside together in a household.† It is a definition that â€Å"emphasizes the structural dimension of families because it focuses on the requirements for membership and spatial arrangements of members.† Simultaneously, families can also be defined â€Å"in terms of their functional significance as societal institutions† (Eshleman and Bulcroft 2010, p. 4). The function of a family can be for â€Å"procreation† or â€Å"socialisation† of children (Eshleman an d Bulcroft 2010, p. 4). Social structure and power distribution in society influence how a family is defined (Eshleman and Bulcroft 2010, p. 5). How a family is defined mirrors adaptation to circumstances and is a product of cultural innovations and of a process in which â€Å"those in positions of power and privilege promote definitions that serve their interests and values† (Eshleman and Bulcroft 2010, p. 5). Eshleman and Bulcroft identified three basic types of family structure. ... n easy visiting distance, contacts are regular, provides autonomy for families in decision making, manifests considerable exchanges of goods and services, and provides roles for kin, friends, and non-kin in the socialisation process (Eshleman and Bulcroft 2010, p. 28). The nuclear and conjugal family is small, experiences geographic isolation, is exposed to only minimal kin contact, enjoys family autonomy, displays economic self-sufficiency, usually acquires socialisation from non-kin and get emotional support and protection from non-kin (Eshleman and Bulcroft 2010, p. 28). Of the latter type are the transnational families (Eshleman and Bulcroft 2010, p. 11). Transnational families are families whose members are scattered all over the world. There is a variety of transnational families (Eshleman and Bulcroft 2010, p. 11). In particular, Eshelman and Bulcroft (2010, p. 11) identified that some of the several types of transnational families are: 1. families created by marriages between individuals from different nationalities; 2. families residing in one nation but some of whose members may be working in other parts of the globe; 3. families residing in one country but â€Å"recreating their home culture with that nation (diaspora families)†; 4. families whose members are scattered across several nations; and 5. families that regularly move across several countries. Elliot and Gray (2000, p. 7) defined a nuclear family as a â€Å"two-generation family consisting of a father and mother and their children or a single, possibly widowed, parent and his/her children.† However, besides a nuclear family, Elliot and Gray (2000, p. 7) also identified a stem family which is â€Å"a three-generation consisting of a father and mother, a married child, their spouse and their children.†

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Business Entity Matrix Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Entity Matrix Paper - Essay Example Another reason of choosing LLP relates with my inherited home, as LLP protects personal assets of partners in a way that wrongful actions of my friend partners will not cause loss of my inherited place, and thus, it was better to choose limited liability partnership, as I will be responsible for only my unlawful acts and vice versa. Another significant advantage of choosing LLP is its mode of consistence, as any alterations in the number of partners will not affect my benefits, as well as liabilities, unlike limited partnerships (Mancuso, 2007).  In this way, limited liability partnership seemed a shielded business structure with less exposure to particular liabilities. Although LLP is an innovative structure, study indicated few problems related to legal and tax issues (Daily, 2008); however, it appeared a better option during the decision. Regarding other liabilities, brief analysis specified that although LLP protects liability of partners; however, some states in the country do not offer such restrictions, and thus, all the partners may confront losses. Moreover, detail analysis and comparison with other forms of business structures showed that I would be less secure in LLP, as compared with financial liabilities of a shareholder in a corporation. Still, I chose limited liability partnership after analyzing different aspects, benefits, and drawbacks of different business entities.Besides analysis of business structures, employees or workforce play a major role in the success and failure of any business entity.