Roles of Ngos to Development Essays

Roles of Ngos to Development Essays Roles of Ngos to Development Essay Roles of Ngos to Development Essay EXAMINE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF NGO’s TO DEVELOPMENT NGO is an acronym which stands for â€Å"non-governmental organization. The UN defines an NGO as a kind of private organization that is independent from government control and is non-profit, non-criminal and simply an opposition party. According to professor Peter Willets, from the university of London , argues the definition of NGO as an independent voluntary association of people acting together on a continuous basis for some common purpose other than achieving government office, making money or illegal activities. The most common classification of NGOs is by orientation and level of operation. Orientation refers to the type of activities it takes on, these may include human rights, environmental protection or development works. Level of operation refers to whether it is community based, citywide, national or international. The contributions to NGO’s are: Education, this plays a major role in development since without it development cannot take place. Education can be formal or non-formal. They provide teaching and learning materials for some schools in the deprived areas in Ghana, improved access to education for adults and child rights in quality education. An example is GIGDEV an NGO based in the north which aims at helping adolescent girls by training them in batik tie and dye, hairdressing and sewing to prevent them from going to the south to seek nonexistent jobs. 150 junior high schools in 13 selected districts from the Brong Ahafo, Central region, Eastern region and Greater Accra region to benefit from a project aimed at improving the quality of education in the country. Which is been implemented by Plan Ghana. Agriculture, this is done by providing equipment to the farmers in deprived areas to help them get better yields. Also they are taught new farming techniques that can improve the quality of yields, advised on crops to cultivate. They help farmers advocate policies that promote market access, control over productive resources by small scale farmers and sustainable agric in the face of climate change. Examples of such NGO’s are SNV and SARI. Also in the economic sector NGOs help alleviate poverty. Since 2009 Technoserve has supported 4209 women in the northern, Upper East and Upper west. They have been economically marginalized. 12 women groups were supported to secure Shea processing centres. This means that these people are assisted to start small scale businesses to earn capital which will in turn improve their standard of life. This helps the people immensely because they now gain capital to improve their standard of living. SNV is implementing four year project to assist smallholder farmers in three African countries, Ghana included to supply their national school feeding programme. it is been funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation with a grant of 7. million dollars. Science and technology is also an area NGOs tackle by providing the right materials for science programmes which help upcoming students with keen interest in science to develop their potentials. Some of these NGO come out with research findings which help in development of some sectors. Some of the NGOs SARI, UNESCO. In the area of health care, this is done by providing health centers, prov iding potable water. Providing the deprived with nutritious food to eat. Some NGOs like USAID provide cooking oil and rice to some of the deprived areas. They also help them with the guinea worm eradication in the northern parts by giving them mouth filters which can be used to drink water from some water bodies. Some examples are water Aid, Oxfam and WHO Some NGO provide relief items in cases of conflicts and natural disasters like floods which is prominent during the rainy season in Ghana. This relief items like bags of rice, sugar, corn, mattresses, clothing, building materials are donated to the affected people in these areas. An example is ADRA. In addition, others play a role in the rights of people be it the mentally challenged or not. Basic needs Basic rights belief mental health is not a right or a privilege . They help people with mental illness and epilepsy. When they recover their health they learn new skills or go back to their work. Actionaid promote women’s rights, the organization worked on women’s participation in leadership and decision making, violence against women and girls. To conclude, the contributions of NGOs to development cannot be over emphasized since it deals with major aspects of development like education, agriculture, economic, healthcare, provision of relief items and human rights

What You Should Know About Gender Dysphoria

What You Should Know About Gender Dysphoria The term gender dysphoria describes a strong feeling that one’s actual gender is different from the biological sex assigned to them at birth. Gender dysphoric persons born with male genitalia and physical characteristics may strongly feel they are actually females, while those born with female genitalia and physical characteristics may strongly feel they are actually males. Dysphoria is defined as a profound state of unease or dissatisfaction. Key Takeaways: Gender Dysphoria Gender dysphoria is a strong feeling that one’s actual gender is different from the biological sex assigned at birth.Children, adolescents, and adults may experience gender dysphoria.Gender dysphoria is not a mental illness.Gender dysphoria has no bearing on a person’s sexual preference.  Gender dysphoria was called â€Å"gender identity disorder† until 2013.Due to their differences from â€Å"gender norms, dysphoric people face significant challenges to gaining equality and social acceptance.Today, there is evidence that society is becoming more accepting of gender dysphoric people.   Gender dysphoria was formerly called â€Å"gender identity disorder.† However, this suggested that gender confusion was a mental illness, which it is not. In 2013, the â€Å"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders† of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), acknowledged that gender confusion becomes a medical condition only if actually affects one’s health or well-being and renamed it gender dysphoria. It is important to understand that while gender dysphoria is a recognized medical condition, it is not a mental illness.   Examples of Gender Dysphoria Children, adolescents, and adults may experience gender dysphoria. For example, young biologic girls may prefer to wear boys’ clothing, participate in boys’ activities, and express their desire to grow up and live as men. Similarly, young biological boys may say they wish they were girls or state that they will grow up to be women. Gender dysphoric adults, feeling uncomfortable being treated by others according to the gender assigned to them by society, may adopt the behavior, clothing, and mannerisms of the gender with which they most closely identify. The Language of Gender Identity Understanding the true meaning and range of the gender dysphoria spectrum requires an understanding of some often-confused terms. For example, while they are often used interchangeably, â€Å"sex† and â€Å"gender† are not the same. According to current (2013) APA guidelines, the following definitions apply: â€Å"Sex† refers to the biological differences between males and females based strictly on internal and external sex organs and chromosomes present at birth.â€Å"Gender† refers to a person’s internal feelings of being male, female, a blend of both, or neither, according to generally accepted cultural or societal perceptions of masculinity or femininity. These personal feelings of masculinity or femininity make up one’s â€Å"gender identity.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Transgender† refers to persons whose sense of gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth. For example, someone whose biological sex is male (has a penis) but who feels like a woman is a transgender. Transgender people often have a feeling that they were â€Å"born in the wrong body.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Transsexual† refers to gender dysphoric persons whose feelings of opposite-gender identity are so powerful that they take steps to assume the characteristics and gender-based roles o f persons of the opposite sex. Transsexual persons may seek medical assistance- such as hormone replacement therapy or gender- reassignment surgery- to effectively change their physical appearance or gender. â€Å"Gender Queer† refers to individuals whose gender identity and sometimes sexual orientation shift throughout their lifetimes.â€Å"Gender Fluid† applies to persons who embrace different gender identities at different times.â€Å"A-gendered† literally means â€Å"without gender,† and applies to people who identify as being of no gender at all.â€Å"Cis-gender† describes persons whose gender identity or sexual expression aligns with the sex assigned to them at birth. Gender Dysphoria and Sexuality Many people incorrectly associate gender dysphoria with same sex attraction, assuming that all transgender persons are gay. This is a dangerous and potentially harmful misconception. People with gender dysphoria typically live as straight, gay, or bisexual, exactly like those whose gender identity aligns with their biological sex. Basically, gender dysphoria has no bearing on a person’s sexuality. Brief History of Gender Dysphoria Descriptions of gender dysphoria’s feelings of discomfort with one’s anatomical sex first appeared in medical literature during the middle of the 19th century. Until the 1950s, gender nonconformity and same-sex relationships were almost universally considered to be socially objectionable forms of perversion. This negative perception began to change in late 1952 when Christine Jà ¸rgensen famously became the first American to undergo gender-reassignment surgery. After her secret surgery became known, she became one of the earliest advocates for the rights of transgender people. In 1957, sexologist John William Money created and advocated for the concept of gender as a separate entity from sex. As a result of Money’s research, the feeling of confusion between anatomical sex and gender identity was classified as a form of mental illness called â€Å"gender identity disorder† by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1980.  This terminology contributed to the stigmatization and discrimination still experienced by transgender and gender-fluid individuals today. Finally, in 2013, the APA recognized that â€Å"gender nonconformity is not in itself a mental disorder,† and reclassified â€Å"gender identity disorder† as â€Å"gender dysphoria,† which becomes a medical condition only if it results in actual mental or physical harm. Despite this turning point in understanding on the part of the medical community, transgender people continue to face significant challenges in gaining equality and social acceptance. Gender Dysphoria in Modern Society Today as always, society places great importance on gender norms- the â€Å"socially-acceptable† ways of expressing gender and sexuality. Gender norms are passed from generation-to-generation by parents, teachers, friends, spiritual leaders, the media, and other social institutions. Despite recent signs of better acceptance, such as legally-required transgender public bathrooms and gender-neutral college dorm rooms, many gender dysphoric persons continue to suffer as a result of their feelings. According to the APA, physicians typically require that transsexual or transgender persons seeking hormone therapy or gender-reassignment surgery must first be examined and referred by a mental health provider. Research conducted by the University of California in 2012, found that the rejection by the straight community experienced by transgender and transsexual people is actually significantly harsher than that experienced by lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people. In addition, a study conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network in 2009 found that transgender and transsexual students face much higher levels of on-campus harassment and violence than LGB students. Perhaps most significantly, a 2011 study conducted by the Institute of Medicine concluded that the marginalization of gender dysphoric people by society is having a devastating effect on their physical and mental health. For example, the study found substantially higher rates of substance abuse, attempted suicide and HIV infection, and other medical problems in transgender and transsexual persons than those occurring in the general population. Evidence of Change Today, there are important signs that a more hopeful era of understanding and acceptance for gender dysphoric people is at hand. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has banned all forms of discrimination against or harassment of individuals in the workplace because of their gender identity, including transgender status or sexual orientation. In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense now allows transgender, as well as gay and lesbian individuals to serve openly in all branches of the military. More clinical studies are exploring treatment techniques for transgender people who seek it, as well as ways to prevent discrimination and harassment. Finally, a growing number of universities are joining institutions like Brown, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale in offering health insurance plans that include coverage for hormone therapy or gender-reassignment surgery for transgender students, faculty, and staff. Sources Understanding Gender. GenderSpectrum.org. OnlineWeiss, Robert, LCSW. Heterosexual, Homosexual, Bisexual, Gender Dysphoric. Psychology Today. OnlineWhat Is Gender Dysphoria? American Psychiatric Association. OnlineZasshi, Seishin Shinkeigaku, 2012. The history of the concept of gender identity disorder. National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of HealthNorton, Aaron T. Herek, Gregory M. â€Å"Heterosexuals’ Attitudes Toward Transgender People: Findings from a National Probability Sample of U.S. Adults.† Psychology Department, University of California, Davis. January 10, 2012The 2009 National School Climate Survey. Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. ISBN 978-193409205-7The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding. Institute of Medicine. ISBN 978-0-309-21061-4

Exploring CSR in aquacultural sector in Greece evaluating Nireus SA Essay

Exploring CSR in aquacultural sector in Greece evaluating Nireus SA CSR strategy - Essay Example In a recent survey report that was conducted, it was ascertained that the implementation as well as the application of CSR in an organisation fosters significant progress as well as provides business benefits. Furthermore, it has been revealed that CSR represents and depicts the company’s values and norms (ABA Section of International Law, 2008; Brennan, 2011). CSR plays an important role in aquaculture sector as well. Aquaculture deals with aqua farming which represents the farming of the aquatic organism. In the recent scenario, aquaculture is determined as a relatively growing sector and moreover, it is enabling to generate a significant extent of quality fish as well as other aquatic food items for human consumption. Furthermore, aquaculture depicts a highly diversified production sector that encompasses various systems, facilities, processes as well as products under a vast range with regard to political, social, economic as well as environmental conditions. In accordance with the present day context, aquaculture productions as well as allied trade activities have accelerated by a considerable extent. In this situation, a major concern has cropped up with regard to the negative impact of aquaculture based activities on environment, consumers as well as communities. CSR plays an imperative role in this particular sector as it depicts the prior responsibilities of an organisation. In present times, the business firms related to aquaculture are adopting an increased level of CSR initiatives in order to attain technical as well as financial assistance to comply with the competitive market requirements along with advanced marketing methods regarding aquaculture products. CSR with regard to aquaculture provides an insight on organisational development. Furthermore, CSR initiates sustainable development of aquaculture that mainly depends upon three basic factors social, environmental as well as economical. It also helps in ascertaining welfare as well as h ealth concerns of animals, environmental integrity and socio-economic aspects (Karnani, 2012; Morsing & et. al., 2006). Nireus SA group is represented as the leader in terms of the production as well as the exportation of aquaculture species on a worldwide basis. At Nireus SA, the company performs an effective set of CSR initiatives on the grounds of human beings, society and environment. On conducting the business related to aquaculture, it aims to diminish the negative impact if any on society at large as well as on the environment. The concerned company focuses on quality that reflects its compliance with legal aspects and regulations. This also frames a part of Corporate Social Responsibility (4Nireus, 2012). The concerned research study intends to â€Å"explore CSR in the aqua-cultural sector in Greece along with evaluating Nireus SA CSR strategy†. The objective of the study is to ensure and explore the CSR of Nireus SA group within Greece. Furthermore, this study entail s introduction with regard to the implementation and benefits of CSR on aquaculture sector. Moreover, this study will also ascertain about the company and its Corporate Social Responsibilities. This particular research study also presents findings based on a questionnaire survey in which a set of questions related to Nireus’ CSR initiatives have been presented. In addition, qualitative semi-structured interview has been conducted. The interview takes into account

Using concrete examples compare and contrast hearing and listening Essay

Using concrete examples compare and contrast hearing and listening - Essay Example ps; like when one tries to recall any past event and he is able to remember hearing one or two things unconsciously and these tits and bits of information do come handy in many ways. However, active listening is vital and is explicitly significant for learning and progressing in academic, professional or personal life. Like, if one sits in a Professional Development Sessions and he does not pay conscious attention towards the taught concepts, he will suffer from developing skills and will be stuck in a challenging situation due to lack of strategic solutions. However, if a person actively listens in such session and remembers even one of the taught strategies, he will be able to integrate it easily in his day to day working and will definitely benefit from the learnt concept. Lets! Suppose, if an enthusiast Father is preaching God’s magnificence in his Sermon, he will quote direct biblical verses to prove his point to the Listeners. And he can only quote them aptly if he integrates them with day to day occurrences or issues of the listeners (which he hears during confessions). Similarly, if he is not attentive in confessions box, he will not be able to speak effectively with his audience, as he will not be aware of their core problems or pressing issues. Likewise, if his audience is only hearing and they have diverse nature (content oriented, time oriented or passive listeners) they will not benefit or acquire any information from his sermon and their faith will decline eventually. Active listeners tend to comprehend the received information in diverse ways. Simultaneously, hearing is a natural act of receiving sounds from the environment. Like the traffic noise, wind blowing, honking horns, animal cries, people talking in crowded subways, one can hear them; but does not focus on them consciously or unconsciously. And if he does concentrate on any of them like consciously hearing the chirping of the birds then the act becomes listening instead of hearing. For

Cross Cultural Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Cross Cultural Perspectives Essay The Microsoft Corporation is a fortune 500 company that ranked # 35 on the fortune 500 list in 2013 (Fortune 500, 2013) and is one of the largest business corporations in the world. It was founded in 1975 by two guys named Paul Allen and Bill Gates, the business developed very rapidly as the years went by and reached a marker of 89,000 employees, with a revenue of $62 billion dollars and had offices located all over the world (Fortune 500, 2011). From the initial headquarters that is held in Albuquerque New Mexico, the Microsoft Company steadily increased the offices held within the United States and expanded that to include more than 100 countries abroad. This expansion into different countries became a challenge because of having to deal with new lifestyles, new cultures, people, and languages. Proper research needed to be conducted not to mention the implementation of a proper working strategy to help the integration of these new ethics and cultures into those of the Microsoft Corporation. The homepage of the Microsoft Corporation shares a summarized version of its culture and says â€Å"We as individuals and as a company value honesty, integrity, constructive self criticism, openness, mutual respect, and continual self improvement† (Microsoft Corporation, 2011). The Microsoft Corporation also presents their official responsibilities as part of their ethical obligation. â€Å"We at the Microsoft Corporation hold ourselves accountable to our shareholders, customers, employees, and partners, and we do this by honoring our commitment, providing results, and striving for the highest quality possible† (Microsoft Corporation, 2011). When making a move into new cultures and countries, it becomes very important for employees old and new to not only understand but also accept the Microsoft Corporations ethics and culture. As we all know Microsoft products are used all over the world in both businesses and homes. When they first made the decision to open an office in Lebanon, a majority of the computers ran on the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Windows Office program was the most popular word processing and spreadsheet program. However, there was a problem and that problem was the fact that there was a bunch of versions of this system that had been pirated and distributed in that country. In a country where buying a five dollar pirated software program from a local computer store made it a little hard in terms of convincing some people that it was not only unethical but also illegal. This brings about the question of, â€Å"How is The Microsoft Corporation going to sell authentic versions of their software when there are pirated versions being distributed at such a cheaper price not to mention a lack of government control involved†? Because of this, Microsoft proceeded to send letters to these major organizations warning them against using this pirated software. They also offered to visit these businesses in order to conduct a site survey so that assessments could be made in terms of what software would fit the company the best and at what the cost would be. The Microsoft Corporation also provided the organization that behaved ethically and invited Microsoft in for the survey assessment; Microsoft turned around and gave them a very good price deal on the software. Microsoft also introduced to them a payment facility for the companies that had to make large purchases of the software in order to get licenses for the pirated software they already had in place. Everyone knows that not all organizations and businesses operate within ethical boundaries. Lebanon, just like the U. S. , is similar in the fact that it is an individualist culture. However, bribery is common throughout this country. Microsoft has an ethical standard that is against these types of acts and it is totally against their integrity. It was however, improbable to sell these authentic copies to many of these businesses without presenting these managers with some type of gift in exchange. Some of these organizations proceeded to offer gifts to the Microsoft Corporation’s employees. They in return were hoping for some type of special discount, or a deal would not work out. The Microsoft Corporation has an ethical obligation to their shareholders and that obligation is to protect and increase the value of the shares. The Microsoft Corporation has to be able to earn a said profit in order for the share values to increase. On a bad note, Microsoft cannot legitimately sell software copies in a country that has corruption and bribery within its ethics and culture. According to Transparency International â€Å"The transparency in Lebanon ranked 2. 5 out of 10 in the world in 2010† (Corruption Perception Index 2010 Results, 2010). When comparing that score to 8. 9 out of 10 in Canada and 7. 1 out of 10 in the United States, the difference is quite staggering. Microsoft has to be able to find a way to adapt their approach in order to conclude some type of successful business in the country of Lebanon. According to the text book â€Å"The biggest source of anxiety for business people in America who operate abroad is the expectations of bribes and payoffs† (Trevino Nelson, 2007). When the Microsoft management team was faced with bribes or offerings in order to sell their software to the organizations who where operating on pirated copies, they in return chose to use an ethical model in order to make a decision in regards of choosing which course of action would be best to take. The judicial systems of these countries that have a low transparency, that are similar to those in Lebanon, are very weak. So filing a lawsuit against the businesses that are running the pirated versions of the Microsoft software programs would turn out to be very costly, time consuming and may end up yielding no type of results in the end. Management teams that are faced with different types of ethical situations can apply different types of ethical models in order to help assist in the process of decision making. In the case of bribing a manager of an organization in order to purchase software that is legal, it is possible that they could apply the utilitarianism ethical model. By looking at the result, it might be easy to try and make a decision on whether or not the employees at the Microsoft Corporation may try and bribe a business into purchasing Microsoft software that is legal. On a positive note, Microsoft selling more software to organizations and businesses that need it or may already be using it may help in the reduction of software being pirated within the country. The share prices at Microsoft are being maintained by the revenue and the employees receiving a commission. On the negative side, if a bribe is being paid to an employee or a member of the business or an organization who is purchasing the Microsoft software. The Utilitarianism’s ethical model shows approval of this as a decision that is ethical. Being able to apply different ethical models, such as the deontological model may end up having different ending results. The question that this raises is â€Å"Should all businesses or organizations pay some type of bribe or bribes in order to help sell their products? † The answer to this naturally is, â€Å"no†. Global businesses are faced with many different challenges everyday as they expand into different foreign organizations. Ethical challenges will always arise for an organization as they expand. The ethical decisions made in regards to different business matters can usually be solved by applying the different ethical models that are available. There are plenty of tools available for helping solve arising ethical problems and they need to be used so they may be helpful in making solutions. With the launch of Microsoft in the country of Lebanon they need to confront these ethical issues of bribery so that they can enter the market. The Microsoft Corporation must learn to adapt their policies in order to comply with the ethical standards they have in the country of Lebanon. References Corruption Perception Index, 2010 results (2010). Transparency International Retrieved August 11, 2013 from https://www. transparency. org/policy_research/surveys Fortune Global 500 (2011) CNN Money, Retrieved August 11, 2013 from https://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/global500/2011 Microsoft Corporation (2011) About Microsoft, Retrieved August 10, 2013 from https://www. microsoft. com/about/en/us/default. aspx Trevino. L. K Nelson. K. L (2007) Retrieved August 9, 2013 from Managing Business Ethics (4th Ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons.

Colon Cancer Awareness :: Colorectal Cancer

In Hacienda Heights, California, Elsie Garcia a 67 year old female patient would evade the colonoscopy screening for four years which would screen for colon cancer is alive and healthy today due to a new test called FIT (fecal immunochemical test) which is less invasive than the American Cancer Society â€Å"Gold Standard â€Å"colonoscopy. She would schedule appointments for the procedure but would cancel in fear of the risk related to having colonoscopies. A Colonoscopy is considered the best way of screening for potential cancerous polyps is considered generally safe but the risk of colon perforation during the procedure is 1 in 1000 cases which would lead to serious complications. Garcia agreed to the FIT screening in which her doctors found blood in her stool. They scheduled Garcia for a follow up colonoscopy which four early cancerous polyps that were removed. Garcia was grateful for the FIT screening and is alive and health today (Szabo, 2014). Anatomy Colorectal Cancer is the third leading cancer in men and women and is considered the leading cause of cancer causing death. In the text Physiology 5th edition, the statistics show that the annual incidence of colon and rectal cancer in the United States is estimated to be 148,810 with a mortality rate of 49,960 (Copestead-Kirkhorn, 2013). The colon is a tube shaped organ in which its primary function is water absorption. It is approximately five feet in length starting from the right side of the abdomen and stretches across to the left side of abdomen appearing to like an upside down â€Å"U† shape. The colon is identified as the right colon, transverse colon, the descending colon, sigmoid colon and the rectum. The blood supply to the colon comes from the aorta which branch out into the mesenteric vessels. In the fat of the mesentery house the lymph nodes which aid in immunity and play an important role in cancer of the colon. There colon has four layers; the mucosa, submucos a, muscularis and serosa which are important in diagnosis and staging of cancer. It is within the mucosa that abnormal tissue growth such as polyps occurs (Bub-Rose-Wong, 2008). Cancer is a condition in which some cells do not follow their cell cycle rules. Every cell in the body has a specific function, the normal cell has growth cycles which are regulated and have a limited life span. The normal functioning cell stay within the boundaries of is organ or tissue of which it belongs to.

I.T and Hauhaus Essay

As they are the competitor within the market, the retailing strategies to be used are similar. Therefore, it is easier to collect and compare the financial data and draw out the conclusion to see which company would be worthier to invest. The report covers the company and industry background, ratio analysis, future forecast of two companies’ performance. 2)Company Background Bauhaus (0483, HK) Bauhaus was found in 1991. It has been listed on HKEX stock market since 2005. There are more than 200 retails store and over corners and point of sales in Hong Kong, Macau ,mainland China and Taiwan,. Apart from selling different foreign brand, liked Cheap Monday, G-Star, EVISU etc, Bauhaus also building the local brand liked Salad, T Tough Jeansmith and 80/20. It is a leading retail store in selling casual wear, especially for jeans item. There are 234 Bauhaus shops in Asia. Using the wholesale strategy, Bauhaus can expand the business from Asia to Western country. In the future, it may diversify its product line like launch more foreign brand to increase its competiveness. I. T (0999, HK) I. T was found in November of 1988. It has been listed on HKEX stock market since 2005. The Group has an extensive self managed retail network extending to nearly 450 stores across Greater China with staff around 4,800. The brands are well accepted in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the Philippines and France. More stores will be opened in these places in the future. The feature of I. T retail store is group several brands in a sizable retail location. It owns a number of in-house brands liked 5CM, fingercroxx and X-large, as well as distributing European and Japanese designer’s brands such as French Connection and A Bathing Ape Comme des Garcons, D&G, etc. 3)Industry Outlook Hong Kong is one of the fashion hubs in Asia. There are a wind variety of local and international fashion brand locate there flagship store in Hong Kong. The competitive is dynamic and incentive. Hong Kong consumers are willing to spend money on fashion and clothing. As the purchasing power of is high, so the demand of fashion product is huge. According to CIA THE WORLD FACTBOOK, this entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. From this result, Hong Kong is ranking to 37 after compared to 227 countries in the year of 2010. According to the information from Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), it shows that retail is the 2nd largest sector in the service industry that accounted for 85. 7% of Hong Kong’s GDP. Also, The Census and Statistics Department (C;SD) indicate that the value of total retail sales in October 2011, provisionally estimated at $34. 2 billion, increased by 23. 1% over a year earlier. Analyzed by broad type of retail outlet and comparing October 2011 with October 2010, wearing apparel increase 14. 6%; footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories increase 11. 3%. This data proofs that the demand of fashion items is huge and purchasing power in this region is relatively high. Besides, tourists come to Hong Kong are increasing each year; they bring with high purchase power in fashion items, especially those Chinese tourists. According to the statistics released by the Immigration Department, about 800,000 to 900,000 Mainland visitors travel to Hong Kong monthly. It shows that Hong Kong’s market has a huge potential development chance. According the data of Hong Kong government, the sales revenue of retailing business has a growth during April of 20010 to Feb of 2011. It is because the economic environment is better than past year. Hong Kong’s GDP fell in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, but a recovery began in third quarter 2009, and the economy grew nearly 6. 8% in 2010. In addition, China’s economy growth fast, the performance of its economy growth is greater than the other country. And Hong Kong’s economy is influenced by China very much. In the future, we can see that Hong Kong’s retailing business will growth rapidly. It seems a great chance to develop the retail business; however, there are some risks on the growth of fashion retail business in Hong Kong. Nowadays, Globalization is a hot topic of the world, more and more foreign brands enter in Hong Kong market, such as GAP, Forever 21, Zara, H&M and Monki, etc which provide good price and trendy design merchandises. They regarded Hong Kong as the stepping stones to go into the China market. With more branding in Hong Kong, the competition between them is becoming more intensive and serious. Therefore, the local fashion retailers have to build up their competitive advantages to withstand the impact from those foreign brands. Also, because of the inflation of Hong Kong and China, the cost of the materials, labor and transportation is getting higher. Garment manufacturing is a labor intensive activity. The cost of garment is mainly from the increasing labor cost and transportation cost. In order to deal with, the retailer probably need to order more amount of quantity each time to achieve the economy of scale, so the cost will be lower. Furthermore, as we know that Hong Kong’s rental price of shop is the first three expensive in the world. The rental price has been increasing rapidly in the recent years. From 2010 to 2011, the rental price was increased more than ten percent. So, rental price of the store is a core cost of any business, especially fashion retailer as it needs a large space for displaying and storing the products. The rental cost affects the profit of the fashion retailers. To conclude, Hong Kong fashion retail market is still positive. There are many great opportunity for Hong Kong fashion retail to expand its business. However, there are some uncertainty need to be pay attention, such as the entrance of foreign brands and the unstable rental cost. So, the local fashion industry needs to create a competitive strategy to deal with. For example, local fashion retailers can use the attractive marketing strategy, liked collaboration with other brands, provide excellent customer services and building great brand image. 4)Ratio analysis i) Test for profitability I. T (in HKD 000)Bauhaus (in HKD 000)* a)Return on Equity (Net income / Average stockholders’ equity)416945/[(1843212+1477723)/2] =25. 1%25. 1% b)Profit margins (Net income/ Net Sales)416945/3834422 =10. 9%11. 4% ii)Test for liquidity I. TBauhaus c)Current Ratio Current Asset/ Current liabilities1873282/1012495 1. 85%3. 3 d)Quick Ratio (Current Assets- Inventory)/ Current liabilities(1873282-736717)/1012495 =1. 1%1. 7 e)Inventory Turnover Cost of goods sold/ Average Inventory1405482/[(736717+394520)/2] 2. 52. 0 iii)Test for Solvency and equity position I. TBauhaus f)Debt/Equity Ratio Total liabilities/ Total stockholders’ equity(1012495+429852)/1843282 0. 78(149 7+126461)/494938 0. 26 iv) Market test I. TBauhaus g)Price/Earnings ratio Current Market Price per Share/ Earning per Share4. 88/0. 33 =14. 82. 98/0. 32 =9. 3 h)Dividend Yield Ratio Dividends per share/ Market price per share0. 146/4. 8 =3. 0%0. 177/2. 98 =5. 9% *Quote from annual report* Two financial reports announced in different date- Bauhaus- For the year ended 31 March 2011 I. T—for the year ended 28 February 2011 i )Test for Profitability Profitability is a primary measure of the overall success of the company. This is a class of ratios that are used to assess a business’s ability that generate earnings compared to its expenses and other relevant costs incurred. To determine rather the company is valuable for investing or not which need to get high profitability when compared with competitor’s company. However, in fashion industry, the sales revenue is seasonal. For example, the sales revenue is much higher during Christmas and Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. So, we should not compare the retailer’s fourth-quarter profit margin with the profit margin from the same period a year before because it would be far more informative. a)Returns on Equity This ratio indicating how much income was earned for every dollar invested by the stockholders. ROE can reflect if they have used the money that invested in the company to generate much more income. If the ROE is low, it shows that the returns of the investors will not be high. And the company doesn’t utilize the resources that they have invested. Two companies have a similar result of this ratio. Both two companies can generate about 20% of income using stockholders’ equity. It is because retail store is not very high investment to enter the market; it has higher ROE when compare to other industry liked Construction Company. In order to measure the company is worth to investing on; ROE ratio should not be lower than 15%. So, two companies are worth to invest on. b)Profit margin Profit margin is an indicator of a company’s pricing strategies and how well it controls costs. It is calculated by finding the net profit as a percentage of the revenue. A low profit margin indicates a low margin of safety: higher risk that a decline in sales will erase profits and result in a net loss, or a negative margin. The higher profit margin means that the company has a higher ability to generate profit. I. T’s result is 10. 9%, it is lower than Bauhaus 11. 4%. I. T should minimize the expense. Bauhaus has a higher profit margin in 2010/2011. It shows that they have put effort to maximize the profit. Since compared with last year (10. 5%), it has been increased. i) Test for liquidly It is a class of financial metrics that is used to determine a company’s ability to pay off its short-terms debts obligations. A company’s ability to turn short-term assets into cash to cover debts is of the utmost importance when creditors are seeking payment. Bankruptcy analysts frequently use the liquidity ratios to determine whether a company will be able to continu e as a going concern. c) Current ratio This ratio measures the ability of the company to pay current debts as they become due. It is the important ratio that we can identify if the company has a good cash flow. If the debts recalled but the company does not have enough money to pay it, the company may be asked to bankrupt. On the other hand, current ratio should be in appropriate level. Ratio is too high means the company did not fully utilize the current assets to generate the profit. Bauhaus have a higher current ratio than I. T, it means Bauhaus’ ability of returning the debts is greater than I. T. It can more utilize current assets to generate more income. It shows that they have $3. 3current assets for returning $1 of current liabilities. Investor need to concern the ability of a company that utilizes the current asset. I. T has a lower Current ratio than Bauhaus. However, it is enough ability for them to returning the current liabilities when they are recalled. And it shows that I. T has better utilization of the assets to generate profit. It shows that they have $1. 85 current assets for returning $1 of current liabilities. d) Quick Ratio Quick Ratio is similar with the current ratio with no consideration on the inventory factor. It is more representatives to measuring rather the company can return the current liabilities immediately. The quick assets included Cash, Accounts receivable etc. These assets can return into cash in short time. Inventory will not be counted in this ratio as it may need longer time to return into cash and a risk of cannot be sold. It is a very important ratio for fashion industry, since the trends cycle of clothing is fast, the product may be in today, but out day tomorrow. So, fashion retailer should not keep too many inventories. Bauhaus have a higher in Quick ratio, however, compared with the current ratio, it is a great variation on two ratios. It means that the inventory tied up its current assets. It is not a good issue on a fashion company. They need to bare the risk on high discount of the product when the product is outdated. It will be high losses on the revenue. They can minimize the inventory through different method, liked big sale, buy one get one free and so on. Although the quick ratio f I. T is lower than Bauhaus, it is enough to returning the debts when all the current debts are recalled. e) Inventory Turnover This ratio measure how quick of a company sells their inventory. Higher inventory turnover lead to shorter cycle on inventory. Since inventory is not easily being sold out and transform into cash in a short period, fashion retailer should not hold too much inventory. Since fashion items are easily faded out. If the company store too much stock, the risk of the inventory cannot be sold out will be increase. Also, the expenses of storing will be occurred. Once the inventory is outdated, the company needs to sell it in a large mark down price. The profit of the company will be affected Since Bauhaus have a lower level on inventory, its inventory turnover will much slower than I. T. It may tie up the capital if the inventory cannot be sold. So, company should reduce the level of inventory. I. T has a greater performance on inventory turnover. It shows that they have shorter cycle on inventory. So that it is much easier transforming inventory into cash. iii) Test for Solvency and equity position It’s a set of ratio that to test the company can be able to meet it long-term repayment responsibility. It provides a measurement of company can continue to meet its debt obligations. f) Debt/ equity Ratio This ratio measure a company’s financial leverage calculated by dividing its total liabilities by stockholders’ equity. It indicates what proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. I. T’s result is 0. 33, shows that $0. 33 liabilities that exists for each $1 invested by the owners. It is a very low value. Bauhaus’s result is 0. 21, which is lower than I. T. In the Balance Sheet, we can find out that Bauhaus did not ask for the long term debts from the third party. It shows that they don’t have the interest burden. The result shows that two companies is not using the debt financing to acquire the financial resources, liked selling bonds, bills or notes to the investors. Debt financing is much higher risk than equity financing. As these two companies is listed company, they would like use the equity financing to raise money. And the equity financing method is more safety and no regular interest burden. v) Market Test Market test relate the current market price of share of stock to an indicator of the return that might accrue to the investor. It based on the share market’s perception of the company. It can let the investor to know if the company is worth to invest. g) PE Ratio Current Market Price per Share/ Earning per Share This ratio measur e the relationship between the current market price of the stock and its earnings per share. The higher the ratio, the higher the perceived quality of the earnings by the share market. It also shows the future growth of company. If the P/E ratio is too high, it means that the value of the company is overstated. And it is not a good choice to investing on that company. I. T have a higher PE ratio than Bauhaus it means that the quality of the earnings by the share market is higher. It is more worth to invest h) Dividends Yield ratio This ratio measures the dividend-paying performance of different investment alternatives. The higher of result, the better performance. Bauhaus have a higher result, it shows that they have higher dividend-paying performance. If the investor wants to put the money into low risk and long term investment. They can choose this company. 5)Limitation on analyses of ratio Since two financial reports is announce in different ended date. The result may not be accurate. The fashion retail industry turnover is seasonal, like The Chinese New Year of 2011 was in February so the sales turnover must be high in that moment. After that, the turnover will be drop. So, these two companies will in different sales turnover rate. 6)Forecast of the company’s future prospects This part can be divided in to two parts, the 5 years income statement analysis and potential risk of the company. a)I. T The diagram shows that turnover have been increased gradually during 2007 to 2011. Although 2008-2009’s local economy is in down turn, the company still can strive to increase of turnover. It is predict that the company will probably maintain the increment since the economy situation is recovering and the local residents will spend more money on clothing items. The diagram shows that I. T had undergone a decrease on profit in year 2009 due the poor economy situation. And they suffered decrease of financial income. And the operating expense was higher than 2008. After 2009, there was a great improvement on profit. It has six times more profit comparing during 2010and nine times during 2011. It is predict that the company will probably maintain the increment of the profit if it can keep the level of expenses. However, there are some risks have been raised. The operating cost is increasing during these 5 years. Since the rental price is much higher in the recent years. They should adapt different strategy in order to keep the cost in the low level. Another risk is that I. T needs to pay attention that is the exchange issue. Since I. T sources many merchandises from different countries and the foreign exchange is unstable. For example, Japan YEN is much higher exchange rate. However, I. T’s buying office purchase many Japanese fashion brand products. So the cost and price of the merchandises will be impacted by the exchange rate. To deal with risk management, I. T embed a risk alert culture throughout the Group, the Internal Audit Department has implemented an annual internal control risk self-assessment to allow major business units to identify and analyze the risks underlying the achievement of business objectives and to determine a basis for how such identified risks to be managed and mitigated. In the coming future, I. T should pay more attention on risk management in order to prevent suffering from the economy situation and to have a greater growth. Bauhaus Bauhaus also have a gradual increase of turnover during 2007-2011. The increment from 2009 to 2010 was slowly. It may because of the economy situation was still not recovered yet. However, there was a sharply increment from 2010 to 2011. It is predict that, the turnover will be increased faster. Bauhaus also suffered a decrease of financial income in 2009. After 2009, there was an improvement on profit growth. However, the improvement is less than I. T. The diagram shows that the profit properly tends to be increased. Bauhaus also face the foreign currency risk and operation cost increment risk. The Group continuously monitors its foreign exchange position and, when necessary, will hedge foreign exchange exposure arising from contractual commitments in sourcing apparel from overseas suppliers. Generally, the Group introduces conservative strategies on its financial risk management. In the future, Bauhaus will have a great growth. However, in the fashion business market, the information is run fast, the risk is always happen. The company should build up a risk management system to minimize the risk of company operation. 7)Conclusion The financial performance of both Bauhaus and I. T compared in this report is great. And the prediction of their future growth is positive. Thereby, two companies are worth to be invested. The above ratios show that Bauhaus have a better performance than I. T. For the investor that can undergo low risk, so the investment on Bauhaus is more preferable. It is because the company growth and financial debt position is better, and it has a higher dividend yield, and they keep on paying the dividends in last 5 years. For the investor who wants to have higher return, I. T will be a good choice. It is because the PE ratio is lower, so the company still has a great improvement and the share price probably being increased. It’s good for the investor that purchasing the stock in low price and then sold them in higher price.

Bigger, Faster, Stronger Essay

Chris Bell who came from an overweight family narrated this film. Chris did not want to be like his father when he was younger; instead he wanted to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Chris’ older brother would beat up kids who made fun of him so he was nicknamed Mad Dog. His younger brother hated school and had a learning disability. His younger brother was nicknamed Smelly. Chris and his brothers would wrestle in their basement. Mad Dog had become football captain at his school, while Smelly and Chris began participating in body building competitions. Chris was the strongest kid in his high school and held the New York record. Chris had started to get accused of using steroids. By his senior year he was one of the strongest kids in the country. He moved to California and trained at the gym that Arnold Schwarzenegger trained at. All he accomplished with moving was landing a job at Gold’s Gym selling memberships. It was said that some move to California and live out of thei r cars to lift at Gold’s Gym. Chris was always against steroids, so when he found out that all his heroes had used them he was very bothered. Chris’ older brother, Mad Dog, stated using steroids while playing football at University of Cincinnati. Shortly after he quit college to pursue another dream of his which was professional wrestling. Mad Dog was the guy who got paid to make other wrestlers look good by getting beat up. Mad Dog was told he would get a contract, but never did. Mad Dog started doing drugs in addition to steroids. He said he would rather be dead than average and later attempted to commit suicide. Smelly also followed Mad Dog and took steroids. He also pursued his wrestling dream, but unlike Mad Dog he had a wife to consider. After having a son, Smelly realized that wrestling was not the life he wanted. Smelly and his wife settled down in the suburbs and opened a gym. But even after quitting wrestling the steroid usage did not stop. Chris could not understand why he was so against steroid usage, but his brothers were not. It is said that many of the baseball players were using steroids and baseball players because of this went from being scrawny to looking like wrestlers. In 2005 Congress spent 151 days in session and 8 of those they spent debating the use of steroids. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention anabolic steroids kills 3 people a year and is #142 in top killers. Steroids are synthetic versions of hormones that your body produces naturally. Some side effects of steroids are acne, hair growth, and reduced sperm count. Some side effects in women are deepened voice, menstrual problem, and enlarged clitoris. Some of these side effects are not reversible. Testosterone tells the body to increase muscle size and strength and helps you recover from workouts faster. For kids some experts think steroids can stunt their growth, but it is not proven. No one has ever done studies on long-term effects of steroids. Congress wanted to pass a law that would control steroids like cocaine and heroin. In 1990 Congress passed the Anabolic Steroid Control Act. This video has not changed my opinion on steroids. My thought on steroids before watching this video was that it should only be used for medical reasons. I consider those who use steroids to gain an advantage over others in professional sports as cheaters. This video, however, did introduce me to many other types of people who use steroids such as pilots, porn stars, and musicians.

Right-Skewed Distribution What Does It Mean

Right-Skewed Distribution What Does It Mean SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Studying statistics? Then you've likely heard the phrase "normal distribution" when describing data. But what about the phrase "skewed right"? What does a right-skewed histogram look like? And what causes it? In this article, we give you examples of histograms skewed to the right and explain how these differ from normal distribution graphs. Feature image: Monika Wahi/Wikimedia Commons What Is Normal Distribution? Before we explain what it means when data is skewed right, let's review the definition of normal distribution. With normal distribution, two or more variables share a direct relationship to make a symmetrical data set, on which the left half mirrors the right half. These graphs are called bell curves due to their clearly defined, bell-like shape: On a normal distribution graph, the mean (average), median, and mode are all equal. These points all represent the center of the data, or the peak of the graph. What Does Skewed Right Mean? While normal distribution is one of the most common forms of distribution, not all data sets follow this basic curve. In other words, some histograms are skewed to the right or left. With right-skewed distribution (also known as "positively skewed" distribution), most data falls to the right, or positive side, of the graph's peak. Thus, the histogram skews in such a way that its right side (or "tail") is longer than its left side. Example of a right-skewed histogram. On a right-skewed histogram, the mean, median, and mode are all different. In this case, the mode is the highest point of the histogram, whereas the median and mean fall to the right of it (or, visually, the right of the peak). Note that the mean will always be to the right of the median. Graph A is skewed right, while Graph B is skewed left. With right-skewed graphs, the mean always comes to the right of the mode (i.e., the peak). (Asitgoes/Wikimedia Commons)[ These features ultimately make it difficult to assign a typical value as there is no clear center point on a right-skewed graph. By contrast, with normal distribution, because the mean, median, and mode are all equal and come at the center of the data set, you can easily use this value to more accurately generalize the data. What Causes a Right-Skewed Histogram? Data skewed to the right is usually a result of a lower boundary in a data set (whereas data skewed to the left is a result of a higher boundary). So if the data set's lower bounds are extremely low relative to the rest of the data, this will cause the data to skew right. Another cause of skewness is start-up effects. For example, if a procedure initially has a lot of successes during a long start-up period, this could create a positive skew on the data. (On the opposite hand, a start-up period with several initial failures can negatively skew data.)

How to structure documents for busy readers

How to structure documents for busy readers The 4-letter formula that makes writing much easier Some documents succeed or fail based on how well they get key points across in the shortest time possible. If you need to write a document like this, you must remember one crucial detail. A detail that people dont necessarily like to talk about. Here it is: Your document might not be read to the end. Yes, we said it. And theres no shame in it: its just a reality of life today – and a reflection of how busy we all are. Many people – either through time pressures or a lack of interest – will stop reading partway through. In fact, this mirrors the way most of us typically read newspapers (or online news). We generally read them between ‘main activities’ – on our way to work, waiting for the bus, and so on. We don’t have the time (or, usually, the inclination) to wade through masses of background or hold complicated concepts in our head. We just want to know what happened. At work, it can be the same: we just want the facts. We don’t want lots of background – unless, of course, we’re particularly interested in the subject. So, if we want to make sure our research and insights arent lost, how can we adapt our writing in light of this fact of (working) life? Well, the answer is to look again to the news – this time for inspiration. How news is written Newspaper news stories tend to put the most important information – the news – before the background. This allows busy readers to instantly pick out the key points of a story, and then to choose whether or not to read on for more detail. In fact, the structure is even more formulaic, with most stories following this pattern: What’s happened How it happened Amplify Tie up loose ends Youll see this ‘WHAT’ formula used in the news sections of any paper. In fact, with a well-structured news story, you should be able to cut from the bottom up without losing any of the main sense. Its also one of the most efficient ways to transfer knowledge at work, as it makes the most of how the brain absorbs information. WHAT in action Heres an example of how the formula can appear in the news – in this case, in an abridged version of a press release we put out last year. And if you read news stories, you wont have to look far to find this structure. Next time you pick up a newspaper or read online reports, see if you can spot the formula in action. Applying the WHAT formula at work So, how do you apply this journalist technique to the things you write at work? For some documents you can use the WHAT formula as it stands – especially if you write blog posts, press releases or articles. But with only a little tweaking, you can also use the structure for: summaries briefings company updates presenting research and insights short reports presentations For these other kinds of document, you may need to adapt the formula as follows: What’s happened – an outline of your main conclusions after evaluating the evidence How it happened – an outline of the evidence that your conclusions are based on Amplify – a more detailed description of your conclusions plus the supporting evidence Tie up loose ends – any further information you think the reader needs to know. Unlock your documents Perhaps you have a long, in-depth report in desperate need of a summary that conveys the core message. Or you might have piles of research youve gathered so you can brief a colleague or line manager before an important meeting or presentation. But how do you go from a jumbled set of notes or a complex report full of background information to a well-structured and succinct document that produces results? Thats where the WHAT formula comes in. It can unlock your documents – and your key insights or conclusions – for your readers to take in. Readers can pick out the essentials of your message before they (potentially) stop reading. Of course, if you capture your readers interest with the conclusions in your first few paragraphs, they may just be engaged enough to keep reading for the finer detail. But, with WHAT, youre safe either way – and your document can do its job. This post is an extract from a lesson in our online-learning programme, Emphasis 360, which is designed to transform your writing step by step, in practical, bite-sized lessons. You can try it out for free here. Image credit: qvist / Shutterstock

Building Pharaohs Chariot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Building Pharaohs Chariot - Essay Example To achieve their mission, the experts had to undergo several challenges. They had a time limit of only eight weeks to build and test the chariot that was quite a limited amount of time for such an exercise. Building the chariot required the assistance of highly skilled craftsmen, who were hard to locate in a foreign land. They relied heavily on the locals to find such men but eventually were able to locate one of the best carpenters and craftsmen in Cairo. This was a relief as they were now able to proceed. Obtaining the right and exact materials of building the chariot was another challenge they had to encounter. Most of the building materials of ancient Egypt were imported hence unable to obtain locally. They experts had to make use of locally available materials in their construction that had the same capacity to work as those used in the prior construction of the chariot. Assembling parts of the chariot was a challenge. Some parts of the chariot such as the spokes, which in ancie nt Egyptian times were made in a V-shaped way and connected to the hub with only pressure and glue, were hard to bend and fix as effectively as the Egyptians did. They had to make the wheel light enough as was for the Egyptians who had concluded to the use of 6 spokes wheels as opposed to the use of 4 spokes wheels that made movement cumbersome and the eight spokes wheels that made the chariots heavy.The experts relied on information from ancient Egyptian tombs located in the Elcab settlement in present day Cairo, with walls crafted over 300 years ago.