Assignment The Solution

In this function is the population at time O, P is the population after time t, and k is called the exponential growth rate. For this problem about the population of rats, represents the rats population at O, P is the rats population after time t 7 days and 14 for 2 weeks as seen in and and k is the rats exponential growth rate which is represented by the 13. 6% or the decimal O. 136. Using this equation we calculate that in 1 week the rats have grown from 100 rats to 259 rats and in 2 weeks the rats have grown from 100 rats to 671 rats. The sat part of this problem asks us to find the doubling time of the population of the rats.The algebraic solution for this is represented by solving for T. The equation for this is and now I will tell you what it substitutes. We substitute 200 for and the rest of the equation uses the natural logarithm to solve for doubling time of the rats population. Some of the topics in this course this problem relates to are natural logarithms, exponential fun ctions, and graphing. These functions are applicable to the business, science, psychology and sociology fields. The Intersect method for this problem is used in the technology field. The answer from this problem states the population of rats will double in 2 weeks.Method The method of problem solving that I use is, I find another problem like this one and match the numbers up to the equation of the other problem, solve this problem parallel to the other problem following the guided steps, essentially multi-tasking, solving two problems at the same time. I call this method â€Å"Killing two birds with one stone. † Once I have worked both problems to their simplified form, I input this information into a calculator to arrive at y answer. The variety Of ways to solve this problem is through the use Of a calculator and the growth / decay formula.My rationale for selecting the method adopted is because like to keep things simple. Pre;calculus is complicated as it is. It would be e asy for me to overprint solving problems if I did not keep it simple. Also tend to not fully grasp the concepts unless solve the problems slowly and double checking my work. Explanation The easiest way can explain solving this problem to someone would be to patiently go through the problem step-by-step with them pausing along the ay making sure they are grasping the concepts of solving the problem.I would start by reading the word problem thoroughly, taking note of the numbers in the word problem. I would then use the exponential growth rate formula matching the numbers up to the equation and begin to solve the problem using P. E. M. D. A. S. It is a staple to any math problem. Certain rules apply that cannot be ignored. Will conclude this problem with assisting them through the doubling formula of to find its solution.Conclusion The solution to the population of rat's problem clearly states that using the exponential growth function, the rat's population after one week is 259 rats and the population doubles after two weeks giving us 671 rats. If my calculations are correct the 5 for T in the solution represents a 5 year mark? This solution Was derived by dividing the natural logarithm of Len by the percentage of 0. 136 in decimal form. Given this information it is possible to state that the rats population will double in size from 671 in two weeks to another greater number in 5 years. I will firmly agree that this solution is correct.

Chapter 5 Case Solutions

CHAPTER 5:ACCOUNTING FOR GENERAL CAPITAL ASSETS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS OUTLINE NumberTopicType/TaskStatus (re: 13/e) Questions: 5-1Distinguishing general capital assets from fund capital assetsDescribeNew 5-2Capital asset disclosuresExplainNew 5-3Modified approach for infrastructureDescribeNew 5-4Capital lease accountingDescribe5-8 revised 5-5Asset impairmentExplainNew 5-6Use of capital projects fundsExplain5-4 revised 5-7EncumbrancesExplainSame 5-8Construction work in progressExplainNew 5-9Multiple capital projectsExplainSame 5-10Special assessment capital projectsExplainNew Cases: 5-1Modified approach for infrastructure assetsEvaluate, write5-2 5-2Options for financing public infrastructureEvaluate, explainNew 5-3Political versus economic factors in financing capital improvementsEvaluate, explain5-1 retitled Exercises/Problems: 5-1Examine the CAFRExamine5-1 revised 5-2VariousMultiple Choice5-2 revised 5-3General capital assetsJournal EntriesSame 5-4Capital asset disclosure statementF inancial Statement5-4 revised 5-5Lease classification and accountingCalculate; JEsNew -6Asset impairmentJEs; ReportingNew 5-7Special assessment financingJEs and Explain5-6 revised 5-8Statement of revenues and expendituresCompute; FS5-5 5-9Construction fundJEs & FS5-7 revised 5-10Capital project transactionsJEs & FS5-8 revised CHAPTER 5:ACCOUNTING FOR GENERAL CAPITAL ASSETS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS Answers to Questions 5-1. General capital assets are those that are acquired with the resources of governmental funds and that are reported only in the Governmental Activities column of the government-wide financial statements.Capital assets acquired with the resources of proprietary or fiduciary funds are reported in the financial statements of those funds, as well as in the Business-type Activities column of the government-wide financial statements for enterprise fund capital assets. 5-2. Capital asset disclosures required by the GASB are quite well illustrated by the City and County of Denv er’s capital asset disclosures shown in Illustration 5-2.In brief, the disclosures should include policies for capitalizing assets and for estimating the useful lives of depreciable assets. In addition, the disclosures should include: (1) beginning-of-year and end-of-year balances showing accumulated depreciation separate from historical cost, (2) capital acquisitions during the year, (3) sales or other dispositions during the year, (4) depreciation expense showing amounts charged to each function in the statement of activities, and (5) disclosures regarding collections of art or historical treasures. -3. The modified approach permits a government an alternative to depreciation of certain eligible infrastructure assets. Eligible assets are parts of major networks of infrastructure assets or subsystems of networks, where a network might be a highway system, for example. If the government meets two requirements it can avoid reporting depreciation on its eligible infrastructure assets.The two requirements are: (1) management of eligible infrastructure assets using a management system that includes an up-to-date inventory of eligible assets, condition assessments and results using a measurement scale, and estimates of annual costs to maintain assets at the established and disclosed condition level, and (2) documentation that the assets are being preserved at or above the established condition level. If the government fails to maintain the assets at or above the established condition level, it must revert to reporting depreciation for its nfrastructure assets and discontinue use of the modified approach. 5-4. If the lease meets one or more of the FASB SFAS 13 criteria for a capital lease, as discussed in this chapter, the lease must be reported as a capital lease. If the lease is deemed to be a capital lease, the governmental fund journal entry on the date of inception will include a debit to Expenditures and a Credit to Other Financing Sources—Capita l Lease Agreements.The journal entry at the government-wide level will be the same as that used in business accounting—a debit to Equipment and a credit to Capital Lease Obligations Payable. Ch. 5, Answers (Cont’d) 5-5. Disagree. GASBS 42 requires the government to assess assets for which value might have become impaired. If impairment is judged to have occurred, then the amount of impairment loss must be estimated using one of the approaches described in GASBS 42. The amount of loss will be recorded as an expense of the appropriate function or program and as a reduction in the carrying value of the asset. -6. The use of a capital projects fund is usually required for major construction projects requiring large amounts of financing. The use of a capital projects fund may also be useful for purchases of high-cost items such as acquisitions of land, buildings, and high-cost equipment. A capital projects fund must also be used whenever required by law or grant provisions. 5-7. To facilitate preparation of financial statements at the end of the fiscal year, all operating and budgetary accounts should be closed, including Encumbrances.However, since the project is still underway and contractual commitments still exist to pay contractors when billed, it is essential that Encumbrances be reestablished at the beginning of the next year in order to maintain budgetary control over outstanding commitments. 5-8. All ordinary and necessary costs to construct the asset are appropriately reported as construction work in progress. This includes all legal costs, engineering and architectural services, site preparation, materials used, and billings from contractors, among other items.Interest incurred during construction is not capitalized for general capital assets, however. Construction Work in Progress is found in the ledger for governmental activities at the government-wide level for general capital assets, and not in the ledger for the capital projects fund. In the capital projects fund, all capitalizable items are debited to Construction Expenditures. 5-9. For a multiple-projects fund, encumbrances and construction expenditures should be identified in a manner that will indicate to which project each applies.This can be accomplished by adding a project identifier to the Encumbrances and Construction Expenditures accounts, such as Encumbrances? Street Project or Construction Expenditures? Project No. 10. Identifying encumbrances and expenditures by project facilitates comparisons to budget for particular projects and presentation of cash and expenditure statements for multi-project operations. For example, the City of Smithville Continuous Computerized Problem that accompanies this text has two capital projects funds named the Springer Street Project and the Alzmann Street Project. 5-10.Capital projects fund accounting for special assessments is virtually identical in both of these situations. The only difference is that the credit entr y for issuance of special assessment bonds is to Other Financing Sources—Contribution from Property Owners if the government assumes no responsibility for the debt, rather than to Other Financing Sources—Proceeds of Special Assessment Bonds with Governmental Commitment. Solutions to Cases 5-1. a. Discuss with students various methods of obtaining financial statements and getting â€Å"benchmark† data to make comparisons across entities.Professional associations such as the Government Finance Officers Association, National Association of State Auditors, Controllers and Treasurers, and Association of School Business Officials publish â€Å"best practices† for various areas of public finance, accounting, and financial reporting. Since each student will have a different list of cities, ask them to compare their results with other students and look for patterns in which types and sizes of governments make similar choices in accounting methods, particularly, in this case, regarding choice of infrastructure asset accounting methods. . An important communication skill for students to master is to convey technical financial accounting information in an effective way so that decision makers find the information useful for making informed decisions. You may wish to ask students to show their memo or essay to a finance director of a city and get their opinion about whether the student has captured the fundamental issues relating to infrastructure and communicated it in a professional and informative manner. c.During the implementation years of GASBS 34, the GFOA and some state auditors released policy statements indicating to governments that they did not have to capitalize infrastructure assets to meet minimum standards for the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting or the states’ reporting compliance regulations. Despite such statements, most governments that sought a â€Å"clean† audit op inion voluntarily developed inventories of infrastructure and followed GAAP for infrastructure reporting.For most general purpose governments, omitting infrastructure assets would cause their statement of net assets to be materially misstated resulting in a qualified or adverse audit opinion—likely the latter. A government receiving an adverse audit opinion may experience a downgrading of its bond rating and thus face considerably higher cost of borrowing. 5-2a. Option (1), the sales tax approach, offers the advantage of spreading the burden for infrastructure improvements across a larger number of taxpayers, including many non-residents who visit or shop in Desert City.From an equity standpoint, the sales tax approach has appeal because infrastructure improvements enhance the city for visitors and shoppers, as well as for residents. Disadvantages of this approach are the necessity of scheduling and conducting a special election and the political risk of advocating for a tax increase. Option (2), the development fee approach, has the advantage of being relatively â€Å"invisible† to the public and efficient to administer since the number of developers will be relatively small.Although real estate developers can be expected to pass the development fee to new homeowners and businesses, property values may be increased by enhanced infrastructure (e. g. , improved streets and highways, adequate storm drainage, and so forth). As a result, taxpayers may recoup a portion of the development fee. The main disadvantage is the potential inequity of the development Ch. 5, Solutions, Case 5-2 (Cont’d) fee since a relatively high financial burden is imposed on new homeowners and new businesses for infrastructure expansion and improvement that may substantially benefit the entire city.A city council member may prefer the development fee approach since it holds less political risk than asking residents to approve a tax increase. The city manager may prefe r the sales tax approach as retail sales may be less volatile than new construction, which can be strongly impacted by the local, regional, and national economies. Since the city manager is responsible for ensuring that infrastructure stays abreast of population and new development, he or she may prefer a more stable source of infrastructure financing.Current homeowners and businesses might be expected to prefer the development fee approach since those fees would not directly impact on their property and would place the incidence of the tax on others. It would be surprising if new homeowners or new businesses favored the development fee approach as they would probably view it as inequitable. b. Accounting and financial reporting would be minimally impacted by which option is ultimately chosen. Either way, there is revenue to be recognized in a capital projects fund (a tax in one case and development fee in the other).Accounting for infrastructure construction would not be affected b y the source of financing. 5-3. a. Regardless of how a student voted, he or she had plenty of company. With a record voter turnout for such an election, the half-cent sales tax was barely approved. Only 51. 7 percent of the voters in Brown County voted for the tax. As expected, 56. 5 percent of the voters in the City of Brownville voted against it. Except for a few precincts in other cities and towns, voters outside Brownville voted overwhelmingly in support of the tax.While there is no â€Å"right† answer to this question, each student should have provided a rationale similar to one of the arguments provided in the case. A few students may develop unique arguments in support of their vote. Generally, the students who voted for the proposed tax must have thought the county-wide benefits of improved roads and bridges were worth the extra tax costs and outweighed the possible detrimental effects on the City's financial flexibility.Those who voted against it presumably did so us ing the rationale expressed by some voters in exit polls, â€Å"why should I pay more for roads that will benefit rural county residents more than me. † b. Although some students may profess an altruistic motivation for their vote, most are expected to reflect economic rationality. That is, they would likely vote for the sales tax increase if they were an owner of a large commercial or manufacturing property, and would therefore realize a net economic benefit from the property tax rollback and sales tax increase.Even then some students may justify the â€Å"yes† vote on the basis of the county-wide benefits of improved infrastructure rather than their financial self-interest. Ch. 5, Solutions, Case 5-3 (Cont’d) c. Again, there is no right answer to this question. Students (Brownville voters) who voted against the tax probably would argue that residents who primarily benefit should pay for the improvements (i. e. , special assessment financing should have been us ed). Those who voted for the tax probably would argue that the broader (county-wide) economic benefits of improved county infrastructure justifies inancial support by all county residents. Some who voted for the tax may have preferred special assessment financing but possibly feared that failure to approve the sales tax would doom the needed improvements altogether. d. The County's procedures for accounting for the financing and the capital projects activities will differ slightly for the option approved by the voters compared with those that would have been used if special assessment financing had been used.But, as explained in Chapter 5, the procedures for accounting for special assessment-financed capital projects are quite similar to those for other capital projects, especially when, as is often the case, the government is committed in some manner for repaying debt issued for the project. Since bond financing is typically used for special assessment capital projects, accounting for both special assessment taxes and debt service would have been required for an extended period, probably ten years or more.Whether these differences would be termed â€Å"significant† accounting issues is a matter of conjecture; they might be considered significant by the financial staff of the County. Solutions to Exercises and Problems 5-1. Each student will have a different annual report, so he or she will have different answers to questions in this exercise. The various kinds of capital assets and capital projects, wide variety of financing mechanisms, and different accounting policies used in and by governments should generate interesting classroom discussions. 5-2. 1. a. 6. c. 2. d. 7. d. 3. c. 8. c. 4. a 9. a. 5. b. 10. c.

Management and Organizational Structure of Goddard Catering

Management and Organizational structure of Goddard Catering Group Ltd. Bottling water company Mission Statement Your Health is our Concern Your thirst is ours to quench Vision Statement To be the number one consumer choice for purified drinking water in St. Lucia and other territories. About the Company Paradise Water, formally known as Paradise Springs is a private limited company, subsidiary of Goddard catering group St. Lucia Ltd and was established in 1988. The company is located at the Hewanorra International Airport, and is a leading supplier of bottled water in St Lucia, and currently holds the most modern water plant on the island.From the initial stage of blowing up the bottles for distribution of water to sales and marketing of the product Paradise Water aggressively promotes its product both locally and regionally in countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada, and is continuing to expand at a rapid rate. Paradise Water is endorsed by the St Lucia Bureau of Standard s and carries the approval seal on every bottle produced. The company began as a spring water bottling company in 1988 providing drinking water to local retail outlets island wide. They began operations with 12 employees which included 1 sales person, a general manager and an operations supervisor.As the years progressed and the company’s sales volume increased the number of employees increased to 87 by 1994. The organizational structure now included an HR Assistant, Operations Manager, and Financial Controller. In that same year the company and all of St Lucia suffered massive losses as a result of the damage caused by Tropical Storm Debby on September 10th. The company’s water source was completely destroyed forcing them to rethink their product strategy. The decision was then taken to transform the company from bottling spring water, to a water purification plant hence the name change.Organizational Structure Organizational Structure The company follows a functional structure with horizontal linkage. In this organization the employees report to their department managers and theses managers report to the general manager. A cross functional information system is used to routinely exchange information about problems, opportunities, activities within the company. Departmental managers along with the General Manager are the ones making decisions regarding the company. Each department also has project teams responsible for handling mini tasks within their department. Changes over the past 20yearsOver the past 20 years the company has seen some major changes to its product; the switch from bottling purified water to purified water. The increase in the 500ml bottle size to 600ml The introduction of the 3 gallon bottle and hand pump Increase in the number of staff and the introduction of new managerial post such as accounts and human resources. The Product Paradise Water is available in a variety of bottle sizes which are 600ml, 1. 5L, 5L, as well as 3 and 5 gallon sizes. Rigorous testing standards are employed in order to ensure that the water quality meets the highest international standards.Paradise water also provides free coolers to customers who sign up to receive 10 or more 5 gallon bottles of water per week. They also provide the option of rental of the coolers if the criteria for receiving the free cooler cannot be met. Description of Competitors Paradise water manufactures branded water for TEMPO, Coconut Bay, BARON Foods and GL Food Market. Paradise Water holds 40% of the market share however its main competitors are Blue Waters and Crystal Clear Water. Blue Waters is a Trinidad based company with a distribution center in the north of the island.Blue waters also provides customers with similir services as Paradise water which includes 1. 5L, 5L, and 5 gallon bottles of water. They also provide 650ml, 400ml and 8L bottles of water which are not manufactured by Paradise Water. Blue waters currently hold 25% of the market share. Another competitor is Crystal Clear purified water which also holds 25% of the market. Crystal Clear water is a new commer to the market however the company is slowly making strides to improve its product and gaining them a ? of the market providing consumers with cheaper prices for larger sizes of water.The remaining 10% is shared among smaller water companies. Pricing Paradise Water| | Blue Waters| | Crystal Clear Water| Product| Price| | Product| Price| | Product| Price| 600ml| $ 2. 00 | | 400ml| $ 0. 99 | | 355ml| $ 0. 99 | 1. 5L| $ 3. 00 | | 650ml| $ 2. 50 | | 650ml| $ 2. 50 | 5L| $ 6. 00 | | 1. 5L| $ 3. 00 | | 1. 5L| $ 3. 00 | 3 Gal| $ 15. 00 | | 5L| $ 7. 00 | | 2liter pk (2 2liter bottles)| $ 5. 00 | 5 Gal| $ 20. 00 | | 8L| $ 10. 0 | | | | | | | 5 Gal| $ 25. 00 | | | | Paradise water provides a competitive pricing advantage on its products showing a lower price for most of its products except that of the 1. 5L which is sold at the same price for all the companies. Org anizational Culture Responsibility to Customers Paradise Water strives to provide the best quality water and the highest quality of customer service to its customers. After the passing of Hurricane Tomas in 2010 the company has realized a tremendous increase in the demand for bottled water as people are more health conscious.Paradise water has a rigiourous filtration system to ensure that all impurities are removed from the water, the filtration system is as follows: Responsibility to employees The company recognises that the company’s success depends on the corporation and contribution of all its employees therefore, the company aims to provide all employees a safe working environment, ensuring that competitive terms and conditions of service ar provided to these employees and encouraging employees to get involved in the planning and direction of work.The company also promotes employee development through scholarships for employees wishing to further their education. Employe es also receive one free 5 gallon of water a week as an inccentive. Social Responsibility Social Responsibility is high on the list of priorities of Paradise Water. The company seeks to conduct business as a responsible corporate member of society, observing the laws of the country and seeking to improve the quality of life for all St Lucians through education, health, sports and culture.The company believes in the true meaning of community living and makes every effort to enhance the quality of life for as many people as possible. The company sees giving back to the community as a way of saying thank you to all St Lucians. Paradise Water is the sponsor of * District 6 school sports meets * The official sponsor of high jump champion Levern Spencer’s 2012 olympic campaign – All customers purchasing the specially labeled Levern Spencer bottles of water will be contributing to the sponsorship of Ms.Spencer’s trip to the 2012 olympic campaigh as proceeds from the pu rchase of any size of Paradise Water go towards Levern's 2012 Olympic campaign. * the official water of Pinehill funwalk * the company also sponsors many other local youth groups and activities Awards: The company has received numerous awards throughout its existance these include: * 2008 -2011 Ministry of Social Transformation – Outstanding Contributions to St Lucia sports * 2008 St. Lucia Amateur Swimming Association – Sponsor of the Year * 2012 St Lucia Manufacturers Association: Platinum Award for Implementation of Standards and Best Practices -Gold award for Social Responsibility -Gold award for Leadership Business Strategy Paradise water strives to go beyond what its competitors are offering as far as a product line and the price of their product. This has been achieved for the last five years and the company plans to continue to do so by continually developing new product ideas along with ways to make its production aspect run more efficiently. The research team currently is developing a new product line: flavored water with all natural ingredients.This new product will increase the company’s revenue by 10%. The company plans to extend its geographic market to include St. Vincent and Trinidad . The bottle design team has finished a 5 liter design that will be fitted to a water dispensing unit. These units will be rented to office buildings and houses for a very low cost per month. Product Strategy Paradise Water hopes to begin testing flavored water to see how the public would respond to this new product line In addition to it’s current line of products, the company will be adding a new product to it’s line which is in its final stages of designing.That is an improved 5 liter bottle with a water dispenser unit that will be rented to office buildings and available for sell to the home user. Price Strategy Paradise Water keeps their products reasonably priced so as to maintain its competitive advantage, keep loyal custom ers and attract new customers. Promotion Strategy Paradise Water Sales and marketing team conducting a hydration class at the OPSR expo2012. The company seeks to promote its products through sponsorship of various community activities.The company also uses radio and tevevision advertisments to promote its product. Its current campaign being the raise the bar campaign – sponsorship of Levern Spencers journey to the Olympics. Distribution Strategy In addition to its effective distribution of water to all supermarkets on the island and convenience stores; Paradise Water undertakes extensive home and office delivery of bottles and coolers for Monday to Friday. This ensures that customers receive the service befitting their top quality product. Company’s S. W. O. T Analysis StrengthsParadise water is the leading retailer of purified water on the island Products prices are the lowests among competitors Weakness Production of bottled water is dependant on clean running water from the water company, should a disaster occur and the water system is damaged or a drought, then production would be at a stand still. Opportunities Distribute to over 55 communities within the region Place paradise water and water dispensers in local grade schools. We plan to donate the dispensers and stock and provide the schools with free water for a year. ThreatsThere is the constant fear another company trying to sell a better product will steal our loyal customers away. If the public percives Paradise Water as nothing but tap water rather than purified water they may opt to puchase a different brand of water. Bibliography Cozier, M. (2012, June 8). General Manager, Paradise Springs. (S. Christophe, Interviewer) http://www. entrepreneur. com. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. entrepreneur. com. Paradise Water. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://slupsl. net Williams, C. (2011-2012). MGMT. In C. Williams, MGMT4th Ed. South-Western Cengage Learning.

Discuss the relationship between The Lottery and Hands stories Essay

Discuss the relationship between The Lottery and Hands stories - Essay Example In the story titled ‘The Hands’ by Sherwood Anderson the reader is introduced the character of Wing Biddlebaum and the incidents in his life which led to prolonged psychological trauma and resulted in him retreating from society at large. Once a passionate and dedicated teacher, Adolph Myers was accused of molesting the young boys under him because of the false testimony of one of the boys. He was forced to run away from his town by an angry mob and change his name. While the pace of these two stories and the style in which each author unrolls the main plot are very different, they share some stark similarities in the intended object matter and societal lessons. The reader in both cases is forced to think about the concepts like rights of the individual, the justice of the situation and the impact of rigid society standards and conformism. To examine this thesis, we can first compare the climax of each story, the violence that took place and the conclusions that can be reached by examining those. In The lottery, the violence comes at the very end- it is sudden, unexpected for the reader but fully acceptable for the characters. The crowd is comprised of families who are on good terms with each other; the children play together and the adults indulge in general conversation before the lottery begins. Yet once the result is announced none of them have any compulsion about stoning an innocent woman, who they know well, in the name of keeping tradition. ‘Old Man Warner was saying, "Come on, come on, everyone." Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him.’ (Jackson, p.21). The old lead the young in the violence and every one participates wholeheartedly. It is all very dispassionate and systematic (the children had already collected the stones) and no one thinks of raising any objections or listening to the woman’s pleas. The violence in ‘The hands’ is much more in line with the expectations the word

Stratigy mangement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Stratigy mangement - Essay Example The quality of the human resource management in any company greatly influences its activity and competitiveness. Generally, human resource management changes the way the company operates and supervises its people. The main task of HR department is to supervise, employ and instruct workers in the way that helps the company meet its goals. Human resource officials are challenged with developing new incentive plans capable of attracting and retaining highly qualified individuals with fewer financial resources than in times past. Many human resource managers are meeting this challenge by developing internal reward systems that are based on intrinsic needs. The ability to monitor and measure performance has the greatest impact on organizational performance. Global and national competition has forced many healthcare organizations to look for new ways to enhance organizational performance without significantly increasing costs. Performance management enables human resource management by regulating employee motivation and ability. When used correctly, performance management aids human resource managers in the areas of formal performance evaluations, objective setting, and developing a linkage between performance and rewards. Well-developed performance management systems utilize input and feedback from a variety of sources, including employees, organizational management, and outside stakeholders. Performance management systems allow human resource managers to quickly identify those behaviors that help the organization achieve its goals and those behaviors that are detrimental to productivity. These systems regulate employee performance by focusing on employee behavior, skills and outputs. In order for these systems to be beneficial to the human resource department, they must be flexible and capable of rapid change in response to changes in the internal or external environment. Tawam Hospital,

Memo and email Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Memo and email - Essay Example In addition, employees will receive twice the normal bonus in the coming year. All workers are invited to attend the meeting next week and will be excused from their jobs for an hour so that they may do so. Second Scenario Memo Date: 5/31/2013 To: The Workers of SimuTech From: The Management RE: The Issue of Discipline This memo is concerns the recent firing of Craig Wilson due to flouting company regulations. SimuTech has some of the most flexible rules where employees are concerned. Moreover, it is vital for those policies to be well observed by all employees regardless of skill or competence if the company is to save on costs and also avoid unnecessary expenses. Workers are also expected to tend to the company’s business when they are at work, and not spend time pursuing their own interests on the company’s time. Craig Wilson, though a competent and highly intelligent worker, exposed the company to the possibility of litigation due to his illegal downloading of copyr ighted material. Not only was he using the company’s time for his own ends, but he was also exposing it to lawsuits. Even though Craig has had a stalwart career with SimuTech, it was decided to let him go because this was not a first incident. It is our hope that this termination serves as a warning to all workers who have considered conducting such an operation. Workers who have any questions about other activities that are considered to be illegal are advised to contact SimuTech’s human resources department. First External Business Email Subject Line: Promotional Offering – Susan Monk I was happy to receive your proposal about installing a metal sign at the reduced cost of $2000. However, the Warren Enterprises Corporation is currently undergoing numerous activities that require increased capital. As a result of this, I will not be able to take advantage of your offer at the present time. Moreover, after the present contracts are done, I will be most intereste d in acting on any proposals from the Chamber of Commerce in future. Thanks again for your offer. I appreciate your efforts and hope we can cooperate on business projects in future. Best regards, Name Second External Business Email Subject Line: Request for Refund I would like to address the issue of the float that was created for the Warren Enterprises for the annual Patriots event. I would like to request for a refund of the $1000 that the Warren Enterprises gave for its float. However, it is only fair to give the reasons for my request. The float was quite a disappointment because it had several obvious cracks and its colors, apart from being quite garish, were not those on the logo of Warren Enterprises. The float did not have the name of Warren Enterprises on any part of it either. Needless to say, more than one manager commented about the ungainly float. I spoke to one of your workers about this and included a copy of the receipt along with the letter of complaint I gave him t o give to you. I would appreciate it if you sent the refund at your earliest convenience. Still, you can reduce the fee required for installing the sing on the ball park. I hope to hear from you soon. Best Regards, Name Cover Memo OFFICE SYMBOL DATE 5/31/2013 MEMORANDUM FOR: Instructor SUBJECT: The Challenge of the Subject The firing of a proficient employee has been a challenging subject for me to tackle. This is because I was relieved of my duties owing to the

Current Asset Management and Financing Research Paper

Current Asset Management and Financing - Research Paper Example d patient load affect their day to day operations of hospitals, but other systemic and structural factors outside their realm of control cause major operational limitations. For hospitals in general, rising operational costs and shrinking profit margins have negatively affected the industry. It is estimated that in the U.S. around a third of all hospitals are operating with negative profit margins (Sussman, Jordahl, 2010). Some of the major macroeconomic factors affecting their financial viability are: Outdated and Inefficient Administrative Processes- The lack of computerized payment process systems, manual procedures, repetitive rework of outstanding claims and redundant data collections have all contributed to the diminishing bottom line of most healthcare hospitals. It has been estimated that around 30% of all claims filed by physicians have errors with around 15% of claims disappearing or getting lost in the process. For many hospitals around 80% of their claims are for small secondary payments ($100-$200) which often times go unclaimed or result in lengthy reimbursement delays .The overall complexity of the system also contributes to its operational inefficiency. The need for extra sources of reliable short term capital sources with reasonable terms, costs and risks will increase in the future. Most small hospitals even with excellent credit ratings do not have the access to bank credit that top-tier hospitals enjoy. As a general rule taking advantage of alternative sources of short term operating capital is paramount to their long term viability. Even with the improved operating and liquidity positions of most hospitals, internal capital or operating cash flow alone, will not be enough to sustain the level of growth and capital investment necessary to maintain competitiveness. Philanthropic donations will play an increasing role in the funding of hospitals operations. The investment income can also play a major role in providing operating capital.

Aid for trade is beneficial for developing countries but Coursework

Aid for trade is beneficial for developing countries but disadvantageous for firms in the developed world - Coursework Example It has also been observed that traditional work has a lot of demand across the globe, and generally such work is carried out in villages of developing countries. Providing aid to such developing countries could enable this work get across borders and provide healthy inflow of cash across borders, thereby helping the trade position of the exporting developing country, alongside providing cash to cash stripped producers often located in villages. While trade is beneficial for developing as well as developed countries alike, developed countries generally have substantial resources and they do not really need aid for trade. Giving them further aid only adds onto their pile of wealth and pressurizes them to perform even when they do not have the ability to do so. Rather than providing aid for trade to developed countries, such nations need to focus on new inventions, which can then be traded across the globe. Finally, aid for trade is unhealthy for developed nations from an economic point of view as well as it causes productive and allocative inefficiencies within their economy, and clearly leads to waste of resources that could be put to use much better

Logistic and supply chain management. Need to aswer question 1 and 3 Case Study

Logistic and supply chain management. Need to aswer question 1 and 3 in - Case Study Example This information will be used to compute the annual cost for each customer type. Table 1 indicates that each of MoonChem’s 12 small customers uses chemical amounting to 12,000kg per annum. This means that they receive only one (1) shipment per annum. This stock will last them for three years and three months. It therefore means that a shipment is made once every three years. However, there are consignment costs and holding costs to be considered. Table 2 provides information on these costs. Table 2 indicates that the annual cost to MoonChem of sending full truck-loads to small customers is $604,800. $4,800 of this total relates to transportation, $120,000 to holding costs (calculated as 25% of consignment cost), and the largest portion of $480,000 relating to consignment costs. Table 1 indicates that there are six (6) medium sized customers, each of whom consumes 5,000kg of chemicals per month. The total usage for each of these customers is 30,000kg per annum. This indicates that only one shipment is required for each medium customer per annum. Table 3 provides a breakdown of the annual cost of sending full truck-loads to these customers. Table 3 indicates that two (2) truck-loads of inventory would be required for medium customers per annum. The transportation cost of sending these two (2) truck-loads of chemicals to medium-sized customers is $14,400 per annum, consignment cost $480,000 and holding cost $120,000 per annum. The table also indicates that the total cost of sending full truck-loads of chemicals to medium customers is $614,400. Information in the Table 1 indicates that there are two large customers, each of whom consumes 12,000kg of chemicals per month which suggests an annual consumption for each member of this customer group of 144,000kg of chemical per annum. It therefore means that a total of 288,000kg of chemicals is being consumed by this particular group of customers. Table 4 indicates that the total annual cost of sending full

Open Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Open Topic - Essay Example Having this picture in mind as one would see fit or relevant, he may likely admit being overwhelmed at trying to rationalize from a political perspective which is mostly responsible on negotiating with this type of crisis. Along this line comes natural inquisition on the availability of feasible solutions and how they can be made capable in the long-term to chiefly target certain causes as high gasoline taxes, , war in the Middle East, civil and political unrests in nations involved, as well as insufficient number of refineries. Nevertheless since the end-users are consistently affected by the price adjustment on gasoline, it essentially matters to bring oneself in the scenario of maneuvering, no matter how implicitly, to effect a favorable balance. At his own rate, an ordinary consumer can for instance think of an alternative way of managing a personal task or operation without having to utilize an engine run by gas.

Friendship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Friendship - Essay Example This seems to be contradictory to authors who seem to have the idea that friends who are equal tend to bond more closely than those that are unequal. From a critical examination, friendship should be complementary as the parties people are unique beings with different capacities and potentials. The author seems to hold the idea that friendship is crucial in eliminating loneliness among individuals who are isolated from their families. Those who have little contact with their relatives and families benefit by entering into strong friendships with those who they associate with every day. In chapter one, Steinbeck states, "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They dont belong no place....With us it aint like that. We got a future† (13-14). The implication of this statement is that the purpose of friendship is to eliminate loneliness that one may suffer from after isolation from their family members. Steinbeck holds the idea that friendship is an important perspective of life for many people. Another idea that the author puts across is that friends are meant to look after each other for the sake of their own good. On this note, friendship is meant to be a two way relationship in which all parties benefit symbiotical ly. One of the characters, Lennie, in chapter one says that â€Å"because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and thats why†, a statement that shows the nature of their friendship (14). This is the foundation of the relationship between the two friends. In this light, the story provides that friendship is crucial as it provides members of the society with an opportunity to benefit from social relationships. There is a great controversy on whether friendship is based on the inequality of the partners or on their similar attitudes. From the beginning of the novel, we note that the two friends, Lennie and George, are

A critical appraisal of the 2011 E.coli outbreak of food poisoning in Germany Essay Example for Free

A critical appraisal of the 2011 E.coli outbreak of food poisoning in Germany Essay A critical appraisal of the 2011 E.coli outbreak of food poisoning in Germany Introduction            E. coli is an abbreviation that stands for Escherichia coli which is a rod shaped, facultative, Gram negative bacterium. This bacterium is very common in the lower intestines of warm blooded animals. Although not all types E.coli bacterium are harmful, there are some stains that are known to cause serious food poisoning in human beings. The harmless E.coli strains are components of normal flora and produce vitamin k2. Moreover, they are important to humans because they inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines (Bill Clark 2012:74). The gut flora is made up of 0.1% of E.coli and other related bacteria and is mainly transmitted through fecal-oral means. Many of E.coli cells can only survive for a short time outside the body making them good indicator organisms for testing environmental samples of fecal infection. However, recent research has discovered some strains of the E.coli bacteria that can survive for long periods of time outside the body.            The first case of E.coli outbreak in Germany was reported between May and June in 2011 and was largely concentrated in the northern parts of the country. According to German health officials, the foodborne illness was caused by a new strain of the E.coli bacteria known as O104:H4. The disease was mainly characterized by a number of complications like hemolytic-uremic syndrome  (HUS) and bloody diarrhea (Lan Reeves 2002:84). The high number of deaths was mainly caused by hemolytic-uremic syndromes which require quick treatment. Initially, the outbreak was believed to have been caused by a strain of E.coli known as enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) but future research found that the outbreak was in fact caused by enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). Moreover, this strain of E.coli was found to have the ability to produce Shiga toxins. Initial epidemiological research had suggested that vegetables were the main source of infection. More specifically, the German agricultural mi nisters identified one organic farm in Bienenbà ¼ttel as the most likely source of the infection. As a means of controlling the outbreak, the German government ordered for its immediate closure. Despite the fact that laboratories in Bienenbà ¼ttel did not detect the E.coli bacteria in produce, one laboratory in North Rhine-Westphalia later established that the outbreak strain was in fact present in packaged sprouts from the suspected farm. On June 30th 2011, fenugreek seed imported from Egypt were announced as the most likely source of the outbreak by the German  Bundesinstitut fà ¼r Risikobewertung (BfR)  (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Todar 2012: 29). The German E.coli outbreak affected 3,950 people in total and caused 51 deaths in the country alone. Other countries that were affected by the outbreak include the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland and Canada (Bill Clark 2012: 93). At the beginning of the E.coli outbreak , the German authorities claimed that the bacterium was most likely to have originated from Spain. Without carrying out any tests, the German health officials claimed that the O104 E.coli strain was most likely to have originated from cucumbers imported from Spain. However, future tests revealed that Spanish greenhouses were not the source of the E.coli strain responsible for the outbreak. This claim by the German officials provoked protests by the Spanish government because it made the country lose about 200 million USD per week in agricultural exports.            The 2011 E.coli outbreak in Germany was the worst ever recorded case of shiga toxin producing Escherichia Coli outbreak in the world. The outbreak started on May 8th and was declared over by the German health officials on July 4th the same year. The outbreak could have been more serious if the government did not alert the public to avoid consuming foods from areas suspected to be the likely source of the bacteria. In 2011, Germany encountered the biggest episode of Stec cases ever recorded: what added up to 3,842 cases were accounted for, incorporating 2,987 instances of research facility affirmed E. coli gastroenteritis with 18 passings and 855 instances of hemolytic uremic syndrome (Hus) that prompted 35 lethal conclusions (Lan Reeves 2002:93). The episode began on May 8, topped on May 22, and was proclaimed fulfilled by July 4. One could contend that open health measures halted the pandemic by alarming individuals to maintain a strategic distance from the utili zation of debased sustenance, yet it is likewise conceivable that the plague ceased on the grounds that polluted sustenances were no more present in the business sectors. The procedure has been openly scrutinized for being too moderate and for beginning false press advertisements joining cucumbers and not sprouts to the episode. Reflectively, this feedback must be seen with some control. In the beginning of the episode, the average reporting times for Hus cases were 8 days to analysis, in the ballpark of 10 days to illuminate the nearby health section, and around the range of 12 days for showing up for the Robert Koch Institute (Rki) (3). In a U.S. study on E. coli O157 contaminations, a normal reporting time of 7 days was attained. There are two purposes behind the slower reporting process in Germany (Ihssen et al 2010:83) Germany has a less-brought together open health framework, and these cases introduced with an abnormal profile, facing medical practitioners with another clinica l substance. An early epidemiological examination comprised of a case-control study including 26 mature people hospitalized with Hus. Univariate dissection connected just the utilization of sprouts with sickness. Notwithstanding, no sprout cautioning was issued at the start of the episode, since stand out quarter of the patients recalled having depleted sprouts. Next was an accomplice investigation of 177 subjects who had consumed at a solitary restaurant, prompting 33 instances of affirmed Stec the runs. As per the restaurant formula, every one of the 31 cases that could be questioned had depleted uncooked sprouts. An arrangement of natural and follow back and follow send examinations by the German assignment gathering recognized an assembly of Swedish guests who had depleted a sprout mixture. This finding indicated a sprout maker in easier Saxony, Germany, where in May one-third of the workers fell sick, with some of them contaminated with the pestilence strain O104:h4 (Lan Reeve s 2002:102). The following pieces in this perplex were the wholesalers served by this grow maker, joining further groups to sprouts. Strikingly, the German sprout maker had a seed supplier that could be joined to 15 instances of O104:h4 contaminations in Bordeaux, France. These cases were clearly additionally connected with sprout utilization. The beat field gel electrophoresis example of the French disconnects was indistinguishable to that from the German flare-up however unique in relation to those of preoutbreak reference O104 strains, prescribing a solitary source clonal episode, predictable with the epidemiological confirmation. On 10 June, sprouts of fenugreek seeds foreign made from Egypt were declared by the German powers as the offender wellspring of sullying in this episode. On the other hand, none of the sprout mixtures (seeds) tried positive for O104:h4.            The force of the study of disease transmission contrasted and a microbiological methodology was highlighted by the failure to develop the scourge strain from any of the examined sprouts or from the sprout seeds which were taken from the handling chain. Growth of the strain was just conceivable in a couple of situations where back defilement was quite likely, for example, an opened bundle of sprouts from a family unit with illness. Because of the practically all around utilized society based identification routines for plagues, this disappointment speaks to an observation issue for health and sustenance security dominant voices as a rule. The issue could be brought on by the low irresistible measurements of the pathogen, its rot in nourishment at the minute of examination, or a particular physiological state of microbes characterized as suitable however nonculturable (VBNC). Numerous diverse bacterial species, incorporating E. coli, enter this Vbnc state as a reacti on to distressing ecological conditions (Ihssen et al 2010:125). Microbes in the Vbnc state dont develop on microbiological media however recapture cultivability when revived after stretch alleviation. In fact, O104:h4 entered this Vbnc state when presented to supplement poor conditions, poisonous amassings of copper particles, or faucet water. Soothing the anxiety by copper particle chelating encouraged the revival of O104:h4. Be that as it may, these trials ought to be translated with forethought, since there is so far no immediate confirm that E.coli O104:h4 is found in the VBNC state in nature.            The epidemiological investigation of first fundamentally sustenance borne tainting gets to be much more troublesome when the starting pathogen transmission by means of the evolved way of life is traded by human-to-human transmission. Human-to-human transmission is known to happen in the ballpark of 20% of families with an O157:h7 essential patient. Optional family transmission from mature person patients was likewise prescribed for O104:h4 contaminations in France and The Netherlands, fundamentally dependent upon the perception of deferred onset contrasted with the brooding time of 7 to 9 days for O104:h4 contaminations. Optional transmissions were additionally reported in Hessen, Germany, which is arranged outside of the primary plague center in northern Germany (Todar 2012:38). The study recorded transmission in families, the healing facility, and the microbiological research center.            Health officials in Germany faced a lot of difficulties in isolating the causative organism mainly due to its versatile nature. Based on the investigations carried out during the German epidemic, there are two major distinct pathotypes of the E.coli bacteria namely enteroaggregative E.coli (EAEC and enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) E.coli. It becomes even more difficult to control the E.coli bacteria if the virulence genes are located in the mobile elements of the DNA. Based on this, E. coli outbreaks in Germany, Oregon and Michigan are not the last. This calls for the microbiological community to carryout more research and ensure that the E.coli strains are sequenced on time and in an open way (Peter et al 2011:84). In Germany, the annotation of the E.coli strain responsible for the outbreak was carried out in a community-wide approach through the use of the internet. It brought together bioinformaticians from all corners of the world working day and night to sequence the genomes. Some of the international health organizations that were involved in handling the outbreak were the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the world health organization (WHO). The main role of a UK Local Authority based Environmental Health Practitioner would have been control the spread of the bacteria by isolating all infected animals and farm produce. Lessons from the 2011 E.coli outbreak in Germany            There are a number of lessons that can be learnt from the 2011 E. coli outbreak in Germany. To begin with, there is need to come up with more safe ways of growing foods especially fruits and vegetables. The investigations into the cause of the 2011 E. coli outbreak established the presence of certain strains of the bacteria in a number of vegetables and not on sprouts alone. This raised the question of E. coli prevalence in the European fresh produce (Russo 2003:4). The second lesson that can be learnt from the 2011 E. coli outbreak in Germany is the need for better communication incase any harmful bacteria are found in foods. After the E. coli outbreak, the German government came under a lot of criticism for taking too long to announce the outbreak. The government took too long before it took the report to the Roberth Koch Institute (RKI) (Todar 2012:83). Many of the infections and deaths that resulted from the outbreak could have been avoided had the government w arned the people on time. Based on this, it is important for governments all over the world to have an efficient E.coli surveillance and warning system. The final lesson that can be learnt from the E.coli epidemic in Germany is the need to ensure food safety both nationally and internationally. Despite the fact that the 2011 epidemic was concentrated in one area, it had global impacts. According to investigations, the sprout seeds found in the implicated farm were found to have originated from Asia, southern Europe and Germany. It is important for countries to raise food safety standards mostly in free markets like the European Union. References Benzer S 1961, ‘On the Topography of the Genetic Fine Structure’,  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A Bill Marler Marler Clark 2012,’German E. coli O104:H4 Outbreak – $2.84 Billion in Human Damage’  : Food Poison Journal Connolly, Allison 2008)’  Ã¢â‚¬ËœE. Coli Outbreak Kills One More Patient as Source Eludes Investigators’, Bloomberg Ihssen J, Kowarik M, Dilettoso S, Tanner C, Wacker M, Thà ¶ny-Meyer L. 2010,’Production of glycoprotein vaccines in Escherichia coli’, Microbial Cell Factories Lawrence JG, Ochman H, 1998, ‘Molecular archaeology of the Escherichia coli genome’.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. Lan R, Reeves PR 2002, ‘Escherichia coli in disguise: molecular origins of Shigella’,  Microbes Infect. Lee SY 1996, ‘High cell-density culture of Escherichia coli’,  Trends BiotechnolPeter Walker, Adam Gabbatt and agencies 2011,’E coli: European commissioner suggests  £135m payout for farmers | World news’,  The Guardian Russo E 2003,  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThe birth of biotechnology’,  Nature Todar, K.2012,’Pathogenic  E. coli’.  Online Textbook of Bacteriology. University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Bacteriology Source document

Effect of somatic marker hypothesis on making decisions

Effect of somatic marker hypothesis on making decisions The Somatic-marker hypothesis (SMH) was first proposed by Demasio (1996), to explain the process of decision-making, while incorporating the role of emotion. This hypothesis developed after working with neurological patients who had damage to the prefrontal region, specifically in the ventral and medial regions, and presented severe impairments in decision making abilities (Damasio, 1979, 1994). As patients did not show any other impairment to their mental abilities, other than a compromised ability to express emotion, Damasio was able to investigate a link between emotion and decision-making ability. However, this link has been opposed by the Expected Utility Theory, which considers a rational approach to decision-making, in which emotion does not play a role (Friedman Savage, 1948). Demasio states within the SMH that people are able to make decisions through interaction between emotion and rationality, to produce the most appropriate outcome. These interactions are made by the emotional response and information from environmental input being presented in the form of physiological arousal, allowing an individual to assess their emotional response to a situation (Gazzaniga, Ivry Mangun, 2009). He argued that emotion is most commonly presented through alterations in an individuals physiological state, as these emotions are represented within the brain as temporary changes in the activity pattern of somato-sensory structures. Although human emotion has been primarily linked to the functions of the limbic system, the SMH proposed that despite the involvement of emotion, the neuronal circuit involved in decision making incorporates a variety of brain regions outside of these classic limbic system structures (MacLean, 1949). Damasio argues that in this process the emo tional responses require multiple sources of feedback from the periphery brain in order to assist decision making (Damasio, 2004). There have been found to be two different forms of stimuli which cause an alteration in physiological states of humans allowing decision-making to later occur; primary inducers are innate or learned stimuli which rely on the amygdala to produce a physiological change; secondary inducers are entities which are produced through the recall of a personal experience of a primary inducer and rely on the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) to activate somatic states; these are most common in the face of uncertain outcomes, as they rely on information provided by similar past experiences. These somatic states, which are experienced when a stimuli is presented, are the result of responses aimed at the brain which lead to; the central nervous system (CNS) releasing neurotransmitters, a modification of the state of somatosensory maps, and an alteration in the transmission of signals from the body to somatosensory regions. The body receives information from these changes, and combines them to be interpreted as an emotion (Bechara, 2004). After a somatic state has been produced by a primary inducer, signals are then received by the brain to produce somatic state patterns in the brainstem nuclei and in the somato-sensing cortices. Once this somatic state alteration has occurred due to the initial presentation of a primary inducer, the pattern is stored for later recall. Later presentation of this primary inducer or a related secondary inducer can cause the somatic state pattern to be recalled and produce a similar emotional response. As a result, the brain is able to produce a prediction model of alterations expected to occur in the body, allowing the individual to respond more effectively and rapidly to the stimuli, without having to wait for the changes in physiology to be produced by the periphery (Dunn, Dalgleish, Lawrence, 2006). This reaction is summarised by the SMH, as the process allows an individual to be influenced in decision-making by the basic biasing signals which are produced as a result of the neurotr ansmitters being released in the cerebral cortex and the diencephalon. For every response to a situation that an individual contemplates, a somatic state is created, which serve as an indicator of the expected outcome (Damasio, Tranel Damasio, 1991; Damasio, 1996). This causes the somatic state to apply a biasing effect of an individuals behaviours, feelings, and cognitive patterns in response to a situation. Evidence of the link between emotion and decision-making was provided by Domasio, when he observed a patient who had damage to the orbitofrontal cortex. He found that the patient E.V.R was able to generate reasonable solutions when presented with a social reasoning task, however, was unable to prioritize these solutions, identifying the most effective (Saver Damasio, 1991). Prior to this, the orbitofrontal cortex had primarily been associated with the control of emotion. This suggests that the decision-making process relies on information provided by the emotion region of the brain, in order to provide a reasonable response. Alternatively, some psychologists argue that the orbitofrontal cortex plays a leading role in applying social knowledge to the decision-making process rather than considering an individuals emotional response, due to the recognition of which rules can be applied to a particular social situation, rather than assessing somatic markers (Gazziniga et al., 2009). More evidence was provided by the neuropsychologist Le Doux (1996) who found that humans and animals responded to stimuli which could potentially harm them so quickly it was unlikely they could have considered the risks posed to them being in that situation. He argued that this quick emotional evaluation of stimuli is an innate response which has developed with evolution to preserve our species in the face of danger, rather than cognitively processing the unfolding events. Considering his evidence, LaDoux explains that our emotional circuitry is designed to have a greater influence on our rational approaches to decisions, rather than our rational thoughts over-riding our emotions. Despite the SMH satisfactorily explaining how our emotions have an unconscious effect on our decision making process, we must also consider the fact that emotions are also known to act consciously on our rational judgement. Some psychologists have suggested that this allows us to employ our emotions as another form of information which we integrate into our logical decision-making process (Schwarz, 2000). When presented with a range of alternatives, it is suggested that we consider the emotions relating to the options before us, which we are often very aware of. Strong empirical evidence has been provided from data on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), a decision-making task which is believed to rely on emotional-related feedback from the body to enable an appropriate response (Bechara, Tranel, Damasio Damasio, 1996). The data indicated the lesions in the VMPFC cause impairments in decision-making, particularly the ability to select the most appropriate and advantageous option. This behavioural impairment has therefore been associated with the absence of predictor signals which allow an individual to differentiate between good and bad decisions. IGT has been praised as a sensitive, ecological measure of decision-making impairment, however, assumptions required for it to support the SMH have been criticised as unsound. The first assumption was that this learning is possible due to predictor marker signals produced by the body. Evidence from psychophysiological profiles compiled during the IGT did not support this suggestion (Tomb, Hauser, Deldin Caramazza, 2002), resulting in the lack of a causal relationship being established between disrupted feedback from the periphery and impaired decision-making. This suggests that the predictor changes may actually represent the expectancy anticipation towards the outcome, once the decision has already been made (Amiez, Procyk, Honore, Sequeira Joseph, 2003). It is also suggested that the tasks which aimed to measure implicit learning as the reward/punishment schedule as being cognitively inexplicable, in fact demonstrated accurate knowledge of the tasks possible outcomes (Maia McClelland, 2004). It was found that cognitive mechanisms, including working-memory exert a strong influence on task performance. Further support was given for the SMH in the business environment, as it is able to explain why we often rely on gut feelings when making a decision, and find them to be better predictors for a decision outcome than market data and past research. Physiological evidence from these studies identifies the involvement of the striatum and anterior cingulated in recognizing patterns and calculating the probabilities of outcomes. It was found that these areas respond immediately when presented with repeated or alternative somatic state patterns (Huettel et al. 2002). Alternatively, Rolls (1999) provides criticism, as he argues that the SMH proposes a very inefficient view that peripheral responses are located in the execution route, and for interpretation and measurement of this peripheral response to occur simultaneously. Rather, he suggests that reinforcement association, located in the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala, is more than efficient enough to allow emotion-based learning to occ ur. This learning would consequently alter behaviours via the orbitofrontal-striatal pathways, through implicit or explicit processes. An alternative theory to decision-making is the Expected Utility Theory (EUT) (Bernoulli, 1738 cited 1997) which states that an individual is able to select an appropriate resolution in risky circumstances by comparing their expected utility values. These are calculated by adding the utility value of the outcomes multiplied by their respective probabilities, for each option available (Mongin, 1997). The expected utilities are determined by considering the probability of each possible outcome (gain or loss) for a particular option (Hoogendoorn, Merk Treur, 2006). This theory of decision-making considers a rational approach, in which emotion does not cause a bias towards the decisions made. However, much criticism has been provided by Kahneman and Tversky (1974, 1979) when considering this theory as a practical model for human decision-making. They found in numerous studies that humans are particularly bad at estimating probabilities objectively, and so their emotions may cause a bias in the final decision-making process. This has been reinforced by many others (Ellsberg, 1961; Fellner, 1961) who highlight the difficulty in determining the level of uncertainty in a given situation. They also suggest that people are not often aware of the exact probabilities associated with the possible outcomes, and so this problem, combined with the issue of ambiguity has been the focus for much further research Kahnenman Tversky, 2000). To conclude, the Somatic Marker Hypothesis proposed by Damasio (1994) suggests that when an individual experiences a situation, alterations in their physiological state are represented within their body as changes in their somato-sensory state. These changes are represented as an emotion towards that particular situation and act as an indicator of the expected outcome. When faced with a similar situation in the future, which requires a decision, Damasio suggested that an individual extracts emotional information supplied by somatic marker to facilitate them in the decision-making process. Evidence for this theory has been provided by numerous studies of neurological patients who had damage to the prefrontal region, and presented severe impairments in decision making abilities (Damasio, 1979, 1994). However, psychologists Gazziniga et, al. (2009) suggest that although emotion does play a role in decision-making, it is involved in the recognition of socially acceptable activities, rath er than assessing somatic markers. In contrast, the Expected Utility Theory approaches decision-making in a much more rational way. It states that an individual assesses the probability of loss or gain for each available outcome in order to select the most advantageous choice of action. Bachara Demasio (2005) has since suggested further research to fully explore some unanswered questions posed by the SMH. Little research has previously been conducted into the different kinds of decision-making and the relationship it may have with recruiting different neural networks for different tasks. Secondly, he proposed investigating if we are able to successfully identify when emotions are helpful or a hindrance in decision-making and if there are any individual differences.

Personal Narrative Essay Outline

Personal Narrative Essay Outline Now that youve read and analyzed a personal narrative essay, you are going to prepare an outline for an essay that you could write. At this point, you will not go so far as to actually write the essay, but you may at the end of this unit so make sure its something you actually could write about. Step 1: Brainstorming a topic The personal narrative essay centers around a story from your own life. In your essay you will both tell the story and analyze the significance of that story. SoÂÂ   try to think of a story that led you to an important belief you have. Maybe its a belief you have about whats important in life, or a discovery you made about yourself.ÂÂ   You may brainstorm by creating a mind map or just by doing some free-writing. Either way, you will hand in your brainstorming with this sheet. Step 2: Thesis Your thesis for an essay like this is different from other thesis statements. Think of it more like a belief statement. Eg/ I believe that by exploring my own fears I become wiser. You may not use that exact wording in your essay, but it doesnt matter. You have to support your belief statement with the examples from your story but you dont have to prove it. Thesis:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Step 3: Mapping out the story and thinking about how each element supports your belief. Parts of the story How it helped you develop your belief Beginning: Middle: End: Step 4: Precise and vivid language Narrative essays use many of the same techniques as short stories. Think about some precise and vivid uses of language you could include. Come up with at least three. They could include imagery, similes, use of contrast, metaphor, etc. Eg/ the tango with fear makes me wise. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Step 5: Character? Dialogue? Will you have any characters in your essay? Any dialogue? If so who? What will they say? Remember, character and dialogue is used to help you support your thesis-not just to tell the story. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Letter From a Birminham Jail Essay -- essays research papers

Summary of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King, Jr. In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, he responds to a letter entitled Statement by Alabama Clergymen. In King’s letter, he makes it clear that he does not usually answer letters of criticism, but because this one came from educated men he felt the need to clarify his purposes, actions, and goals of this civil rights campaign. King first states he is in Birmingham because he has affiliates there who asked him to come. His goal is to spread the word of freedom like Paul spread the Word of God. King and other African American leaders had tried to negotiate with city leaders, but only to be offered broken promises. Their only choice is to organize nonviolent campaigns and create enough tension so the city...

A Separate Peace: Finny - How Things Change Essay example -- essays re

A Separate Peace: Finny - How Things Change In the novel "A Separate Peace," by John Knowles, a boy named Gene visits his high school 15 years after graduating in order to find an inner peace. While attending the private boys school during the second World War, Gene's best friend Phineas died and Gene knows he was partially responsible. Phineas, or Finny as he was sometimes called, was the most popular boy in school. He was a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. Gene, on the other hand, was a lonely, self-sufficient intellectual. Somehow the two became good friends, or so Finny thought. Gene, unfortunately, was bitten by the green-eyed monster of jealousy. Gene just couldn't come to grips with the idea that a person of Finny's stature would want to be his friend. Gene's envy grew to a point where he was willing to severely injure Finny for being too perfect. Unfortunately for Finny, Gene succeeded. Finny's seeming perfection, his strong beliefs, and his ability to forgive trace his development throughout the novel. Finny's seeming perfection was the basis for Gene's resentment towards him. Gene thought that everything Finny did was perfect, which just upset Gene all the more. Finny was so perfect that he didn't care what others thought, like when Finny wore a pink shirt as an emblem after the bombing of central Europe. " '...Pink! It makes you look like a fairy!' 'Does it?' He used this preoccupied tone when he was thinking of something more interesting than what you had said." One time Finny and Gene were at the swimming pool when Finny noticed that a boy named A. Hopkins Parker had the record for the 100 yards free style. When Finny realized that A. Hopkins Parker had graduated before they came, he remarked, "I have a feeling I can swim faster than A. Hopkins Parker." He was right. Gene was ecstatic that Finny could do such a thing without any training or anything. All Gene could say was, "You're too good to be true." In certain ways he was. Throughout the book Gene knows that Finny has some strong beliefs. The first three he noticed were: "Never say you are five feet nine when you are really five feet eight and a half"; "Always say some prayers at night because it might turn out that there is a god"; an... ...y?" "I believe you. It's okay because I understand and I believe you. You've already shown me and I believe you." Finny forgave Gene and all was well, at least for a little while. Finny's development can be seen throughout the novel by tracing his seeming perfection, his strong beliefs, and his ability to forgive. Finny changed from being the best athlete in the school to being the only one who couldn't go to the war. Finny was a very good person. Finny was a very firm believer in what he thought was right. Finny was a very forgiving person, believing in the forgiveness of friends. Unfortunately, Finny died due to the negligence of the school doctor. When Finny's leg was being set some bone marrow escaped into his blood stream stopping his heart. When Gene heard this news he didn't cry. Gene felt that, along with Phineas, he himself had died, and you don't cry at your own funeral. Gene went back to his school to come to grips with the fact that he was partially responsible for Finny's death. Finny was not perfect; D's on his tests and bad grades show that. But to Gene, Finny was perfect and always would be.

Political and economic effects of Mongol rule on China and Middle East Essay

Yuan economic policies also accommodated traditional Chinese practices. Yuan rulers did not try to convert China into the Mongol-style nomadic economy; instead, they fostered agriculture. They restored the she, rural organizations composed of about 50 families, to assist in farming. These organizations also improved flood control, established charity granaries for orphans and widows, and introduced such new crops as sorghum. In addition, early Yuan emperors sought to protect the peasants by devising a regular, fixed system of taxation. Unlike previous Chinese dynasties, the Yuan rulers fostered trade and accorded merchants a high social status. Moreover, they promoted commerce by increasing the use of paper money, by offering cheap loans to merchant associations (ortogh), by building roads, and by allowing traveling merchants to lodge and to obtain supplies at government postal stations, which were located about 32 km (20 mi) apart throughout the empire. Concern about supplying the new capital led the Yuan court to initiate the ambitious project of rerouting and expanding the Grand Canal, aiding the shipping of surplus grain from southern China to the less fertile lands of the north. Such government support for merchants, together with the peace imposed on much of Asia by the Mongols, resulted in the greatest expansion of commerce in Eurasian history. Indian, Southeast Asian, Persian, Arab, and even European merchants arrived in China. Muslim merchants, the principal intermediaries in the overland trade between China and Central Asia, West Asia, and Europe, brought horses, carpets, medicines, and spices to China, and exported Chinese textiles, ceramics, and lacquerware. From the southern port cities of Quanzhou (Ch’à ¼an-chou), Guangzhou (Kuang-chou), and Yangzhou (Yang-chou), they conveyed Chinese ceramics and silks by ship and returned with spices, precious stones, incense, pepper, and medicines. The growing agricultural and commercial economy initially provided sufficient revenue for the court, but not for long. The original tax structure did not exploit the Chinese and was not burdensome on landlords, peasants, merchants, or artisans. In fact, Kublai Khan repeatedly reduced or postponed taxes on those of his Chinese subjects whose lands had suffered during  natural disasters. Yet the various construction projects he had undertaken, the building of the capital, postal stations and roads, and the enlargement of the Grand Canal, as well as military campaigns against Japan, Java, and mainland Southeast Asia, were costly. As the government’s expenditures soared, its need for additional revenue became more pressing. The court responded by appointing two new non-Chinese ministers whose principal duties were to raise more funds. However, their authoritarian methods only worsened the problem. By imposing higher taxes on merchants, deliberately inflating the currency, and increasing prices on salt, iron, and other goods monopolized by the government, they succeeded only in alienating Chinese officials. Finally, their highhanded treatment of the bureaucracy and their profiteering led to the assassination of one and the execution of the other. The economic situation merely declined further.

Marketing – Colgate Greece

When the brand was introduced in the Greek Market? Colgate – Palmolive (Hellas) was found in 13th February 1962 with import of foreigner capital and as seat the city of Athens. It is fact, however, that from 1950, products as toothpaste Colgate, custard of shaves Palmolive, Soap Palmolive they were imported and distributed in the Greek market by the company â€Å"OLYMPIA†, which continued distributing and traffic in products Colgate-Palmolive also afterwards the foundation of Greek company and the domestic production of these, up to 1974. Line Extension | Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief| | Colgate Max White| | | Colgate Max Fresh| | | Colgate Time Control| | | Colgate Oxygen| | | Colgate Total| | | Colgate Total Advanced Fresh| | | Colgate Total Plus Whitening| | | Colgate Total Fresh Stripe| | | Colgate Sensitive| | | Colgate Sensitive Whitening| | | Colgate Whitening| | Colgate Herbal| | | Colgate Herbal White| | |Colgate Protection Caries| | | Colgate Triple Action| | | Colgate Baking Soda| | | Colgate Anti-Tartar Plus Whitening| | | Colgate Blue Minty Gel| | | Colgate Oulodent Regular| | | Colgate Oulodent | | | Colgate Smiles| | Colgate 2 1| * The overall potential of Colgate’s Toothpastes is 30% as a value share. The table below shows us analytically the potential of toothpastes in Greek market. Colgate Total  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| 10. 8| 9. 9| 9. 4| 7. 5| Aim Complete 8 Actions  | Unilever Hellas SA| -| -| 3. 6| 6. 7| Aim C-Fresh  | Unilever Hellas SA| -| 2. 5| 5. 1| 6. 0| Aim White System  | Unilever Hellas SA| 6. 3| 6. 5| 6. 4| 5. 8| Colgate Whitening  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| 4. 4| 4. 0| 4. 1| 4. 3| Theramed 2-in-1  | Henkel Hellas SA| 4. 6| 4. 7| 3. 8| 3. | Colgate Herbal White  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| 3. 1| 3. 1| 3. 2| 3. 4| Colgate Herbal  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| 3. 4| 3. 5| 3. 0| 3. 2| Colgate Baking Soda  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| 5. 9| 5. 0| 3. 2| 2. 7| Colgate Max Fresh  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| 1. 6| 2. 0| 2. 4| 2. 5| Colgate Time Control  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| 1. 0| 2. 0| 2. 5| 2. 4| Crest Complete Extra White  | Gerolymatos Cosmetics SA| -| -| -| 2. 3| Aim Family  | Unilever Hellas SA| 3. 8| 3. 5| 2. 7| 2. 0|Colgate Oulodent  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| -| -| 2. | 2. 0| Colgate Smiles  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| 1. 6| 1. 8| 1. 9| 1. 9| Elgydium Whitening  | Pierre Fabre Hellas SA| 2. 1| 1. 6| 1. 3| 1. 3| Aim White Now  | Unilever Hellas SA| -| -| 0. 3| 1. 1| Colgate Total Advanced Whitening  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| -| -| 0. 4| 0. 8| Colgate Total Fresh Stripe  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| -| -| -| 0. 8| Colgate Total Advanced Clean  | Colgate-Palmolive Hellas SAIC| -| -| -| 0. 7| Theramed  | Henkel Hellas SA| 1. 2| 1. 2| 0. 7| 0. 6| Aquafresh Herbal  | GlaxoSmithKline SA| 0. 1| 0. | 0. 3| 0. 3| A. The target market The Colgate in Greece has created products for all ages and especially for consumers who are concerned about oral health issues. Each product of Colgate is addressed for the different needs of consumers. First of all for people that have problems with their teeth, such as tooth-decay, tooth-plaque, tooth-stone, sensitive gums and etc. Consumers in this target market usually purchase toothpaste products without caring about the price, as long as they will get the highest quality that Colgate offers to them.Secondly, people who are concerned about their oral hygiene, such as bad breath, and personal appearance. Consumers in this target market are mostly young people that care about the whitening and the cleanest breath that Colgate offers. Finally, another target market for Colgate is kid. Colgate has several products related to children and as we can see from websites and advertising, children for Colgate are a rather important target market. Colgate tries to offer to parents, toothpaste products with the highest quality that will make th eir children’s teeth healthy and without harmful issues in the future. B.Marketing Mix Colgate-Palmolive provides to the market reliable and effective products and it always tries to produce its products with the smaller possible effect in the environment. 1) Product a. Development and History Product is anything that can be offered to a market that might satisfy a want or need. Consumers purchase toothpaste products for their desire and satisfaction that they think the product provide. Colgate toothpaste production started in 1873 over the world. Colgate introduced its toothpaste in a tube similar to modern-day toothpaste tubes in the 1890s. Until after 1945, toothpastes contained soap.After that time, other ingredients to make the paste into a smooth paste or emulsion – such as sodium lauryl sulphate, a common ingredient in present-day toothpaste replaced soap. In the second half of the twentieth century modern toothpastes were developed to help prevent or treat spec ific diseases and conditions. b. Design and Quality Toothpastes today typically contain fluoride, coloring, flavoring, sweetener, as well as ingredients that make the toothpaste a smooth paste, foam and stay moist. Individual toothpastes also may contain special ingredients, such as triclosan in Colgate Total.Toothpaste in tubes is used throughout the world and has been a very successful invention. Colgate provides to the market reliable and effective products and it always tries to produce its products with the smaller possible effect in the environment. Colgate has the highest quality in Market that is why it is first in Greece and over the world in sales. c. Product features ———–Needs to be found from a Colgate package——— 2) Price Colgate – Palmolive prices its products so to be totally competitive to a market. The combination of competitive price as well as excellent quality makes Colgate’s products to be very high i n demand.All prices vary from 2. 5 Euro to 3 Euros for the more composite toothpastes. 3) Distribution A channel of distribution is a group of individuals and organizations that direct the of products from producers to customers. The major role of Distribution channels is to make products available at the right time at the right place in the right quantities. The main Channels for Colgate distribution in market are big department stores as Hondo’s Center, Carrefour and of course supermarkets, mini markets and Dental clinics that our dentist suggests Colgate toothpaste. ) Promotion Promotion is one of the most important part of any company, by promoting the product it is published to consumers that the product exist and is available to everyone. There are many ways to promote a product as advertising, personal selling, public relations and sales promotion. a. Advertising: Colgate primarily used advertisements as its main promotion strategies. Its different products that are de signed for different segments are targeted to the audience by highlighting its features. Its common tagline for all products is â€Å"No1† brand recommended by dentist.Colgate has taken up a weird advertising campaign in Bangkok. b. Sales promotion: As such no promotion is done at retail level except the recommendation by the shopkeeper. But for rural market Colgate uses VAN (van is a mobile promotion station having facilities for screen show, slide show and mike publicity). c. Public relations: PR campaigns were undertaken extensively during the launch of the brand in leading newspapers and magazines, though they were focused more directly on enhancing the image of the parent company in the eyes of stakeholders like shareholders potential investors that in consumers.

Creative Thinking Week 4

How might you use the strategies for applying creativity to problems and issues in addressing this topic? I would use the novel approach with a few things, first I would use it to encourage readers to research each candidate, get all the facts available and second I would be sure to have both good and bad facts as part of the article its self not as part of the end of the article, however I do like the links to other articles that pertain to that issue.I would also try to improve what the writer of the article said; I think I would have added more about this year’s campaign slogan and what the president has on his to do list. I might even ask for reader comments, or their answer to a particular question. This would incorporate the reader’s views and help me to appeal to them more. I would also try to redefine the first campaign to show how while not everything that was promised has been done, progress has been made, and we are still moving forward but we have to give th ings time, none of this happened over night and it is not going to be fixed overnight either.Most importantly I want to be sure that I present facts but in a way that sounds like I am actually saying it, I want to give it my own twist of creativity. How might you use the strategies for promoting curiosity in addressing this topic? Why do you think these strategies might be effective? By using the strategies for promoting curiosity in addressing this topic you are going deeper into your work and getting the whole picture.Curiosity is having the desire to learn, that means you ask questions, research, do everything in your power to know more about whatever it is you are curious in. I think these strategies might be effective because it allows you to go deeper and see what is lying beneath it all. You will be able to find out information that you wouldn’t be able to know from the first glance. Being curious makes you gain more knowledge, in this situation you would be able to pr ovide the best information on the topic and provide all the right answers for both sides to your readers.How might you use the various methods for producing ideas to eliminate the bias from the original article and still present a factual and persuasive case? To make my topics and articles more interesting I will use all the strategies. The reason being for using all the strategies is because I want to add more life to the article and get the viewers to fully read through my article. One of the strategies is taking a novel approach, I believe that if I take a novel approach in the article that I wrote then I ill have the readers reading the article as a story so they can get more in depth with the article. Another strategy is devising or modifying a process or system, with this I will make sure that I have a plan so that I will not be free handing through my entire article. I will also use finding new uses for existing things because the stories in the article may involve old storie s but adding new stories will brighten the article more. Lastly, inventing or redefining a concept so that my article looks the part and looks new and improved.

Gym Management System Essay

Introduction It is known that exercise is important. Exercise has a great impact in the body as it has all sorts of benefits. Physical activities are very helpful not only on making people fit but also on improving one’s personality. If they have a healthy body, they can be productive in daily life. Exercise increases the energy level. Through it delivers oxygen and nutrients to the whole body helping it to work more efficiently and boost endurance. It is also proven that regular exercise decreases the risk of health problems. Exercise can be fun. Physical activity releases chemicals in our brain called endorphins that are known to make you feel happier and relaxed. A thirty minute workout help improved moods and relieve stress. Doing physical activities are often great opportunity to socialize. Focus and motivation can be achieved to pursue goal which helps by going to the recreation center like going to gym to interacts and communicate with others. (http://primarychildrenshospitalblog.org/2012/06/12/10-reasons-why-exercise-is-important/). Fitness gym is one of the places they should visit to perform physical activities. This place has a facilities and equipments that you will use in our training session. There are trainers that give exercise programs and help you to become fit and strong. Every person in the world would like to have a perfect body. In order to have a healthy and a strong body, people would need to consider going to a gym to work out. What do such people expect of a gym? Certainly, patrons would expect a wide selection of equipment available in a gym. Patrons would enjoy well-educated staffs who know everything people want to know about working out. To provide a good quality of service to people, fitness gym should have an organized management system that will provide convenience to their staff to perform their work more efficiently.   The proposed system will give the list of exercises and it will keep records of gym members, attendance of gym employees, inventory and the payment of bills of the customers. This will help in monitoring daily activities in the gym. This proposed system will be helpful to customers because it will guide them in doing proper exercise and improve the productivity of business of gym owners that will provide an excellent service. http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/5886.html Statement of the Problem The main problem is how to create, design and develop a Gym Management System that will automate the manual process of registration, manual setting of workouts and training programs, manual transaction, manual encoding of attendance, Manual inventory of equipment’s and lastly the generation of reports. Specific Problem: How do the respondents asses the affectivity of the proposed system. 1.1 Functionality 1.2 Reliability 1.3 Usability 1.4 Maintainability 1.5 Portability Conceptual Framework Figure 1 Paradigm of the Study The conceptual framework the proposed Gym Management system starts in the automation of the manual process from registration and membership, manual setting of workouts and training programs, inventory and transactions and lastly is the generation of reports. The proposed system automates the  manual process to come up with the efficient and reliable system that will lessen the manual process. Scope and Delimitation of the Study The proposed system serves as the automated Gym Management System that systematize/manage the old process of registration, inventory and transactions of the Gym. This helps to speed up transaction and give more efficient and reliable data. The Gym Management system is designed in providing productivity in the gym and helps in keeping all the records of daily activity and transactions. This will be developed in Microsoft Visual basic 2010 and Sql Server as the database. Significance of the Study The proposed Gym Management System provides a significant improvement to the owner and its employee above the manual process of registration of new member, payment and inventory. The proposed system will help the following recipients: Gym Owners – The system will provide convenience. Because it keep the record of transactions to their clients, gym equipments and the attendance of employees working in the gym and it will be helpful in monitoring their business. Gym Staff/Personnel – Using an automated system will lessen the effort and avoid hassle in keeping the records. Clients – It will provide privacy on their personal information. They will not be confused on what workout they will do. The system will provide guidelines in performing exercises. Proponents – This system will give them ideas that they can use in their research related to this topic. Definition of Terms For better understanding of the study, the following terms were defined: Administrator – a person responsible for running a business, organization,etc (https://www.google.com.ph/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=4DIVPbxDqHH8gffmoCIBg&gws_rd=ssl#q=administrator+definition). Exercise – activity requiring physical effort, carried out especially to sustain or improve health and fitness (https://www.google.com.ph/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=fE5_VKqECuOJ8QfHgYGQDw&gws_rd=ssl#q=meaning+of+exercise). Fitness Gym – it’s a place which houses the equipment  for the used in physical exercise. It is also the main purpose to create an automated Gym Management System. (https://www.google.com.ph/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=fE5_VKqECuOJ8QfHgYGQDw&gws_rd=ssl#q=meaning+of+Fitness+gym). Inventory – it’s a complete list of items such as property, goods in stock, or the contents of a building. This is also the key goal to automate this manual process. (https://www.google.com.ph/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=85eDVJb8MYeK8Qfn24Aw&gws_rd=ssl#q=inventory+definition). SQL Server – SQL Server is Microsoft’s relational database management system (RDBMS). It is a full-featured database primarily designed to compete against competitors. This is the database used in developing the proposed study. http://www.techopedia.com/definition/1243/sql-server CHAPTER II This chapter presents a summary of related literature and studies which were reviewed and evaluate by the researcher for the conceptualization of the study. REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES GYM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ACADEMIC It gives us great pleasure to present the project on â€Å"Gym Management† prepared sincerely, punctually and with utmost efforts. The contents of this book are presented into many chapters, in order to ease reading. The project has been illustrated with precise data elucidated with neat System Flowchart, dataflow diagram, Entity-Relationship diagram and Use Case diagram that simplify in understanding the software. The project includes the software development tools like c#, crystal reports to present the software very precisely. Meticulous care has been taken to make this project perfect and useful in every respect. ABOUT EXISTING SYSTEM The present system is totally depending on manual data management for different activities such as maintaining details of customer, supplier, Students etc. They maintain Different registers for various activities such as storing and searching data which is tedious and time consuming task. In present system all transactions are done manually with pen and paper so the frequent updating is not possible. Also generating reports, bills accurately  is not possible with current system. There are various other problems for instance, if customer come for the inquiry of particular Parcel and if that Parcel is not available then it is difficult to remember about it. In short system is lacking facilities such as searching, deleting, and adding data efficiently and effectively. DRAWBACKS OF EXISTING SYSTEM It utilizes a large amount of space for customer and supplier transaction information in paper files, Sometime manual calculation may be incorrect thus, leading to the incorrect information A large amount of data cannot be viewed at a glance No reminder for customer and Purchaser. Sometime the calculation has to be done manually so it requires a lot of work. Updating is not performed that efficiently and may lead complications. No security as data can be misplaced or damaged. Lastly, it was not offers a user friendly work environment NEED FOR NEW SYSTEM Working with current system is quite tedious, complicated and time consuming task. It may lead errors .certain operations such as surfing searching, adding, removing, entries cannot be done efficiently. Maintaining different registers for various activities such as storing and searching data which is tedious and time consuming task. Generating reports, bills are much tedious task with new system. Hence the organization needs new system with enhanced features. Features such as automatic report generation, bill generation, computing complicated calculations, performing operations such as adding, deleting, updating and searching etc. System should be user friendly. PROPOSED SYSTEM We hereby are grateful to present our software project through this report.Our proposed system is compute based. Which provide various User interfaces (Forms) for various operations and hence interactive. The system is able to generate calculations , bills ,reports automatically. Operations such as adding, removing, searching customers, suppliers and employees can be done efficiently and effectively by proposed system. Adding Parcels category and unit wise is possible with the help of this system. System can  efficiently perform various transactions such as sales, purchase and maintain data after each transaction. In short proposed system is user-friendly. FEATURES OF NEW SYSTEM GUI : The proposed system provides better graphical user interface Search : Searching details about customer, supplier, employee, Parcel is comparatively easy Increase Work Speed : Due to automation of some part of system work speed would increase Less Paperwork : For the proposed system less paperwork is required Reduces Error : Due to computerization there are less possibilities of error Economical : Due to minimal errors and work delay proposed system can be economically beneficial to the company http://www.projectcorner.in/gym-management-system-academic-project-c-net-synopsis/ Gym Management System Project Gym management system project is a standalone user friendly software application developed in asp.net using C# programming language and MS access database. Main objective: Main idea behind developing this project is to manage different types of data in fitness center, gym. Using this software we can manage employee attendance details, members payments, daily attendance, present and absent days of employees and members. Along with these details gym equipment and payments details are also managed. Gym Management System Project Modules Description: Equipment module: In this module we can add, delete, modify gym equipment details like when it is purchased, license , expiry date..etc. Instructor Module: This is also called as employee module where instructor profile details, experience, present and absent details for every day are updated. We can add , modify and delete these details, Member Module: Details of members who are joined are maintained through this application. Members salary, present and absent days details, payment , due information are managed through this module. Billing: Billing module helps in generating bills for members, employees for every month and provide due  payment details and we can generate reports for monthly billing. http://projectseminar.org/asp-net/asp-net-c/gym-management-system-project/554/ CHAPTER III Methodology of the Study The proponent choose the System Development Life Cycle as the methodology to fasten up the software development process. Method of Study To guide the researchers in developing the study, the proponent use SDLC (System Development Life Cycle) to meet user requirements in their business goals. SDLC is a series of steps and phases for the development of software. The phases of SDLC used are: (1) Data Gathering; (2) Analysis (3) Design; (4) Coding; (5) Testing and Evaluation. Data Gathering Phase is a collection of information that will be use to develop the system. The proponent studied the data needed by observing and conducting an interview. And in Analysis Phase is a process of collecting factual data, understand the processes involved, identifying problems and recommending feasible suggestions for improving the system functioning. This involves studying the business processes, gathering operational data, understand the information flow, finding out bottlenecks and evolving solutions for overcoming the weaknesses of the system so as to achieve the organizational goals. (http://oer.nios.ac.in/wiki/index.php/Phases_of_S ystem_Development_Life_Cycle). In Design Phase is based on the user requirements and the detailed analysis of a new system, the new system must be designed. This is the phase of system designing.   The logical design produced during the analysis is turned into a physical design – a detailed description of what is needed to solve original problem (http://oer.nios.ac.in/wiki/index.php/Phases_of_System_Development_Life_Cycle). In Coding phase is a system design needs to be implemented to make it a workable system. This is also called the programming phase in which the programmer converts the program specifications into computer instructions, which we refer to as programs. It is an important stage where the defined procedures are transformed into control specifications by the help of a computer language  (http://oer.nios.ac.in/wiki/index.php/Phases_of_System_Development_Life_Cycle). In Testing and Evaluation Phase is actually implementing the new system into operations, a test run of the system is done removing all the bugs, if any. It is an important phase of a successful system. After codifying the whole programs of the system, a test plan should be developed and run on a given set of test data. The output of the test run should match the expected results (http://oer.nios.ac.in/wiki/index.php/Phases_of_System_Development_Life_Cycle). Models Used in Developing the Software Used Case Diagram – It will show the role of each user of the system. In this diagram, we will learn the significance of each respondent on the flow of the system. Activity Diagram – Activity diagrams are graphical representations of workflows of stepwise activities and actions with support for choice, iteration and concurrency. In the Unified Modeling Language, activity diagrams are intended to model both computational and organisational processes (i.e. workflows) (https://www.google.com.ph/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=WBSEVMWnKyK8Qfkt4GwDg&gws_rd=ssl#q=activity+diagram+meaning). Database Schema – structure described in a formal language supported by the database management system (DBMS) and refers to the organization of data as a blueprint of how a database is constructed, divided into database tables in the case of Relational Databases (https://www.google.com.ph/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=WBSEVMWnKyK8Qfkt4GwDg&gws_rd=ssl#q=database+schema). Tools Used in Developing the Software Adobe Photoshop – it is a photo editing tool created by Adobe Systems Inc. The proponent used this software to enhance photos for the design of the Graphical User Interface of the system. Visual Basic 2010 – programming language created by Microsoft Company, the software that will be use to develop the proposed system. My SQL – is the world’s most popular open source database, enabling the cost-effective delivery of reliable, high-performance and scalable Web-based and embedded database applications (http://www.oracle.com/us/products/mysql/overview/index.html). Respondents of the Study The respondents of the study were IT specialist, Gym owners and clients who assessed the effectiveness of the product based on a set of criteria. The IT experts who will evaluate the system are IT people that have deep technical knowledge on the subject of this research. The Instrument A set of questionnaire was used in assessing the Gym Management system. Description The instrument called the Gym Management Assessment form is an assessment questionnaire. The items were categorized into the two factors: convenience and efficiency factors. Convenience factors were assessed based on three criteria: portability, security and maintainability. Efficiency factors, likewise, were assessed based on the three criteria of reliability, functionality and usability. Each criterion under each factor had 5 questions. Response Mode -Responses were categorized using a 5-point Liker Scale. Scale Description 5 -Strongly Agree 4 -Agree 3 -Moderately Agree 2 -Disagree 1 -Strongly Disagree Chapter IV Results and Discussion This chapter discussed the presentation, analysis and interpretation of all the data collected from the survey of the respondents as clearly stated in chapter 3. After reviewing, the method in this study, this chapter presented, analyzed and interpreted the data gathered from the survey questionnaire on UPHSD  Automated Clearance. Figure 1 illustrates the step-by-step development process that the proponent undertakes in developing the proposed system. Figure 2 Proposed System Development Flow These are the phases of system development strategy where both users and proponent engaged in the evaluation, design, and implementation. During the requirements planning and design phase, the proponents identify the objectives of the system and the information requirements arising from those objectives. These phase focused on reaching the project goals. During the first phase, the proponent is working with users intensely during the workshop to design the business or non-technical aspects of the system. As soon as these aspects are agreed upon and the systems are built and refined, a new system or part of the system are tested and then introduced to the Gym management. Use Case Diagram Use case diagrams are used to present a graphical overview of the functionality of a system.it is a type of static structure diagram that represents the user interactions with a system. This diagram portrays the different types of users and the various ways they interact with the system. In UML, the user is called actorand he can be human or an external system. The links between an actor and a use case are called associations. Use cases can be generalized, extended and included. Figure below contains the relationships and actors that illustrates and discussed the different set of structures of actions. Figure 3 Use Case Diagram Activity Diagram Figure Below exhibits thorough avctivity of registration of Gym Members and requires details to creat new account. Only the administrator can validate and verify the registration. Upon verification and approval new account is created. Figure 4 Activity Diagram Figure 5 Activity Diagram of User This figure shows the process flow of the User or the Gym Members. Once the user successfully logged on the system he/she can view the registration form, view of training programs, workouts, prices. He/she can also view his/her attendance. Figure 6 Activity Diagram for Administrator This figure illustrates the administrator different accessibility on the system. He/she plays a major role in this proposed system. He/ she will be the one who can access the registration of new members, viewing of the Attendance, work outs, trainings, transactions and also the generation of reports for this proposed system. Database Schema The figure below illustrates the database design and its entity relationship diagram of the different tables used in the database system. The diagram illustrates the one to one relationships among the table customers and customer transactions. The diagram demonstrates the relationship from one table to another. Figure 7 DataBase Schema Hardware Requirements This table below discussed the requirements of proposed system upon implementation. Category Specifications Architecture Dual Core Processor Processor Speed 1.10 GHz RAM 1gb Hard Drive 80 to 500 Gb sata Ethernet Adapter only supported ethernet adapter installed on computer Modem 56k Baud Rate Monitor Any Graphics Card Any Keyboard Any Mouse any Printer Any Chapter V Recommendations General recommendations The proponent brings up the significance of the proposed system along with the value of recommendations. The Gym Management System has attained its objectives. Thus the proponents recommend that the software must be implemented and can be adopted by any Gym or fitness business in reasons of it will allow the automation of manual process of membership registration, setting of workouts and training programs, viewing of attendance, transactions, inventory and generations of reports. This will speed up the manual process and gives effective, convenient and more reliable Gym Management System. The proponent chose the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology to expedite the software development process. The SDLC provides structured  system development methodologies that guide the systems development effort toward quality systems that meet the user requirements and are delivered within time and budget. The traditional waterfall model has morphed into different methodologies that attempt to overcome some inherent weaknesses of this traditional model and other older models developed after the waterfall, which will be examined in the section below. This continued adaptation of the SDLC to meet current challenges in information systems development is expected to continue and is the crux of the validation of its continued relevance in information systems development. Some of these newer models include Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM), Rapid Application Development (RAD) Extreme Programming (XP) Spiral, Fountain, rapid prototyping, incremental, and synchronize and stabilize. http://www.ukessays.co.uk/essays/computer-sciences/an-essay-on-the-sdlc-model.php The proponents used the descriptive narrative survey method to gather data. Statistical research describes data and characteristics about population or phenomenon being studied. Descriptive research answer the question who, what, where, when, now. The proponent selected 20 Gym members to serves as respondents of the proposed system. Performance will be acceptable to the end users requirements and delivering the system fully functional.  The study used the following statistical treatment; the distribution shows the number of responses obtained for each statement or item in the questionnaire. Conclusion The proponents came up with the following conclusion based on the findings: Based on the surveys and questionnaire the respondents came up that the Gym Management System is more effective and convenient to use. Registration, the response of the respondents is very effective with the weighted mean of 4.31; Log In, the response of the respondents is very effective with the weighted mean of 3.97; User Friendly Features, the response of the respondents is very effective with the weighted mean of 3.97; Inventory of Items, the response of the respondents is very effective with the weighted mean of 3.97; Generation of reports, the response of the respondents is very effective with the weighted mean of 3.97;