Major project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Major project - Assignment Example Therefore, it seems that the company had a policy of hiring from outside other than promoting its employees. The benefits of promotion from within policy to any firm are many. Promoting employees from within motivates thee employees to do even better, since they feel that their efforts and handwork has been recognized by the employer. It serves to increase the productivity of the employees (Clark, 2003). Furthermore, promoting the employees from within serves to attract potential employees willing to advance in their career path through the organization ladder. Promotion from within policy makes the company adopt a leadership training strategy, where it constantly trains and prepares its employees for future leadership roles in that company. Section II The company runs such an article as a first page cover, since the failure of the Human Resource function has proved so apparent. Since the Human Resource department in any organization is the backbone of the organization, in that it pr ovides the company with the most significant resource, its failure earns the department a bad reputation. The performance appraisals are so time consuming, yet they are not utilized for the benefit of the company or the employees. The departments are very bureaucratic and involve a lot of paper work (Hammonds, 2005). To avoid building such bad reputations, HR should hire the best, nurture their talents and provide favorable working environment for employees. Section III Question 1 The importance of a sound job analysis is to help an organization plan for its labor force requirement, helping the organization hire the best manpower and design an appropriate organizational structure. There are various data analysis tools available. They include: Functional Job Analysis (FJA) tool, applied to discover common elements in different jobs, the competency tool to evaluate the performance of the employees and job scan tool that defines the personality of the workforce (Clark, 2003). Question 2 There are various desired competencies for a successful career. Functional competency is necessary for the acquisition and use of specific skills and experiences desired in any profession. The core non-technical skills such as communication, planning and organizational skills are desired for successful career. In addition, leadership and teamwork skills are essential for any successful career (Peter, 2007). Question 4 An organization benefits from strong ethical cultures, in that it is a core element of fostering unity among the organization’s stakeholders (Peter, 2007). Organizational ethical culture serves to embrace the diversity of an organizations’ religious, political, economic and social perspective of the employees. This serves to enhance productivity among them. Question 5 A firm can implement corporate social responsibility program by indentifying the needs of the society from where it is operating and devising ways of meeting them. The identification of th e environmental conservation measures is yet another way that a firm can identify and implement a corporate social responsibility program (Peter, 2007). Some examples of corporate social responsibility activities undertaken by firms include building infrastructural facilities like roads, constructing social amenity facilities like hospitals and environmental con

Skills Essential at Various Levels of Management Essay

Skills Essential at Various Levels of Management - Essay Example Sales managers have the task of finding potential clients and developing accurate pitches. Technical skills are considered as indispensable to lower-level managers compared to middle-level and upper-level managers. It is essential for lower-level managers to possess technical skills as they have direct access to the employees (Williams, 2010, p. 22). Technical skills involve hands-on activity on the processes or product in the organization. It plays a significant role in producing products and services of the company (Northouse, 2009, p. 40). Middle-level and upper-level managers are mainly concern with foreseeing the overall operations of the company which requires a different set of skill. Human skills pertain to the abilities that aid the managers in effectively working with peers and subordinates to attain the goals of the organization. These skills are essential in the three levels of management. Although low-level managers communicate with a high number of employees, human skill is regarded as equally indispensable in lower and upper-level managers (Northouse, 2009, p. 41). These skills are manifested through encouraging employees to express their feelings and thoughts. Managers who possess human skills have high self-awareness and ability to understand the feelings of subordinates. These managers are likely to possess high emotional intelligence. Conceptual skills refer to the ability to grasp how each part of the company interact and affect one another and see the company as a whole (Williams, 2010, p. 23). Conceptual skills are considered as unessential for lower-level managers. More and Miller (2010) reiterated that lower-level managers allocate the least amount of time in dealing with concepts and ideas to accomplish objectives of the company (p. 17). They function mainly to execute strategies and policies designed by upper-level managers.

Growth And Evolution Of Petroleum Industry In India Commerce Essay

Growth And Evolution Of Petroleum Industry In India Commerce Essay The MBA programmed provides student with a fundamental knowledge of business and organizational functions and activities as well as an exposure to strategic thinking of management. As a part of the curriculum we have prepared a comprehensive project report on petroleum industry. The theoretical knowledge is used only when are apply in our practical study. This report contains a brief about the petroleum industry playing a vital role in the growth of Indian economy. The whole project was accomplished in very systematic manner starting from collection of information through visiting various websites, books, magazines etc and than analyses it in a proper and suitable way. This report aims to provide information regarding the current position of petroleum industry in India. Its growth, challenges and issues in highly competitive market by adopting liberalization and globalization polices which are affecting the Indian economy particularly in petroleum sector. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to thank all the people who have helped us for making this project possible. Firstly we would like to appreciate the tradition of our institute, J.H.P.C.M.T which encourages such activities. We would also like to thank Dr. M.R.Parekh director of J.H.PATEL COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY for providing help whenever required. We grateful acknowledgments the value guidance and useful suggestion offered by our faculty guide Miss Jenita Patel. Finally we also thankful all our friends to helped us directly and indirectly in our project. We have also devoted with our best possible effort to complete the project. Declaration We Thakkar Nikita, Makwana Snehal hereby declare that the COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT REPORT entitled Petroleum Industry in is a result of our own work and our indebtedness to other work publications, references, if any, have been duly acknowledged. Place: (Signature) Date: (Name of Student) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The project titled as Petroleum Industry has been undertaken with an objective of analyzing the economic growth in the india market its role for the development of the country. It represents Indias energy needs and is the most valuable public as well as private enterprise. As a collective result of private sector and public sector refinery investments in the recentpast, India will become known by 2012 as Asias largest refined product exporter, surpassing Singapore. India will stay one of Asias two largest refined product exporters for the anticipated future. India is suddenly become a global petroleum producing center because of having increasing the depth of product flows and strengthening supply chains especially clean transport fuels and for high-end industrial product. It also have far-reaching implications for regional product markets. The business of Indias large scale export oriented refining sector marks the increase of rate of a basic shift in the design of global refining in which growing economies increasingly look to production hubs in Asia and the Middle East to supply incremental refined product demand. Growth and Evolution of Petroleum Industry in India The petroleum industry is include the global processes of extraction, exploration, refining, transporting (often by pipelines and oil tankers), and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are gasoline (petrol) and fuel oil. Petroleum (oil) is also the raw material for many chemical products, including solvents, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, fertilizers, and plastics. The origin of the Indian oil gas industry can be traced back to the late 19th century, when oil was first struck at Digboi in Assam in 1889.In view of the significance of the gas oil sector for overall economic growth, the Government of India announced in1954 that petroleum would be the core sector industry. 1954, petroleum exploration production activity was controlled by the government-owned National Oil Companies (NOCs), namely Oil India Private Ltd (OIL) and Oil Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).Indias refining capacity has more than trebled in the last 13 years. Reliance Industry is the first refinery industry in Jamnagar in 1999, India has an installed capacity of around 193.5 million tpa in April, 2011. The growth is likely to continue with refining capacities expected to touch 255 million tpa by 2012-13 and 302 million tpa by 2017-18, with a slew of projects announced by both the private and public sector. Today, private sector accounts for 76.5 million tpa (around 39.5 per cent) and public sector oil companies account for close to 117 million tpa (around 60.5 per cent). There has been a healthy growth in Indias petroleum refining capacity in the last five years, is as described by the given table below:- Domestic crude oil production [million tpa] 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 (Provisional) Total consumption 113.2 120.7 128.9 133.6 138.2 Products from indigenous crude 26.6 28.4 28.2 27.0 27.2 Indigenous crude processing 28.3 30.2 30.0 28.8 28.9 Products from fractionators 4.2 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.4 Total indigenous production 30.8 32.4 32.3 31.2 31.6 Import dependence (%) 72.8 73.2 75.0 76.7 77.2 Self-sufficiency (%) 27.2 27.0 25.0 23.3 22.8 The capacity utilization of Indian refiners for the last few years is described in the table. Indian refiners have also operated at higher operating rates or capacity utilization compared to their regional/global peers implying efficiency in operations. But, import of Indias refining industry is growing, as the domestic crude oil production is stable at around 30 million tpa for the last few years. Generally, GDP growth rates and petroleum product consumption are linked. But, in our case, factors like availability of better roads, more fuel efficient vehicles, improvements in mass urban transport modes and increased availability of natural gas for industrial sector contributed to more moderate growth in recent times. Indian refineries are clocking higher Gross Refining Margins compared to regional benchmarks a clear sign for competitiveness in refining operations. If all the planned projects materialize, India will have an exportable surplus petroleum product of around 100 million tpa by 2012 and 140 million. Product profile This section provides a brief description of the technology and production process. An understanding of these issues is critical as it helps understand industry structure. Crude oil is a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons chemical compounds consisting roughly of six parts of carbon and one of hydrogen, both of which are fuels; it generally also carries small quantities of salts sulphur, oxygen, metals and nitrogen. The principal products obtained from the crude oil are:- Petrol:- Petrol is used to fuel internal combustion engines, mainly vehicular. It is early use as a killer of lice and their eggs has completely disappeared. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG):- LPG is mostly a combination of propane and butane. It is heavier than air, and liquefies under pressure. It is used as a household cooking fuel, vehicular fuel and refrigerant; 4 million vehicles are estimated to be powered by LPG in the world. Kerosene:- Kerosene is also known as paraffin, is used as an illuminant and cooking fuel in India and other poor countries, and as a space heating fuel in industrial countries. Jet fuel:- It is used in jet planes, is closely akin to kerosene. Naphtha:- Naphtha is used to make additives for high-octane petrol, and to make polymeric plastics and urea, a nitrogenous fertilizer. Lubricating oil:- It is consists of greases and viscous oils used to lubricate moving parts in automobiles, industry, railway engines and carriages and marine engines. Petroleum coke:- It is mostly used as fuel, but is also used to make dry cell batteries and electrodes. High-speed diesel oil:- It is used in engines running at 750 revolutions per minute (rpm) or more. It is mostly used in diesel-powered vehicles. Light diesel:- It is used in the diesel engines running at lower speed mainly irrigation pumps and generation sets. Furnace oil:- It is made by diluting residual fuel oil from refining with middle distillates such as diesel oil. It is used in bunkers, boilers, furnaces, heaters, or as fertilizer feedstock. Demand determination of the Industry Petroleum industry in the country has undergone major transformation in the past several years. The country is now net exporter of petroleum products. Globalization of Indian economy along with high international oil prices which are a pass-through in the bulk sector has induced improvement in energy efficiency and shift of demand from liquid to natural gas (LNG). Further, improvement in road infrastructure and better vehicles has had a sobering effect on the demand for road transportation fuels. Low demand in transport fuels like HSD and MS is also due to factors like expansion of city gas distribution networks i.e. CNG. Demand determination factors:- The Demand determination factors are based on mainly two approaches. Top-down Approach and Bottom-up Approach. Top-down Approach: Overall energy requirements with share of different fuels in the primary commercial energy basket by linking GDP with energy elasticity. Bottom-up Approach: End use approach considering the impact of different parameters. While assessing the requirements factors like impact of Metro rail, CNG expansion, impact of high oil prices, conservation/efficiency improvement issues, aviation policy of the Government, Railways freight policy, growth of passenger and cargo traffic, fleet expansion plan of airlines, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) road construction projects, construction of freight corridor, electrification plans of railway tracks vehicle population growth, impact of gas, technological improvements in engine designs, improved fuel efficiency, impact of auto LPG etc. have been measured. The demand of gas is continues to be influenced by the cost economics vis-à  -vis alternative fuels pertaining to each of the end use sectors in India. The power and fertilizer is also the dynamics of these sectors. Currently the consumption of natural gas is shared by the fertilizer and power sector to the tune of 29% and 40% respectively. The power sector is one of the continuous major consumer of natural gas. There has set target of 70,000 generation s forecasted by he ministry of power for the next 5 year period ending 2012. The industry like Petrochemicals/Refineries and Internal Consumption sectors are estimates that the annual economic growth rate of about 7%. Similarly, the iron/steel sector is also estimates same rate for economic growth. Currently the demand for petroleum product is 131.8 MMT in 2011-12 which will increased by 160.2 in 2016-17. The demand for petroleum product is also depend on the availability of the different products like petrol diesel kerosene naphtha etc. Their prices are the main factor of determining demand of these products. The petroleum refineries must considered the price parity and export parity which considered the change in price of petroleum products which depend on the past experience. Players in the Industry The various competitors are available in the petroleum industry which including the government and private sector. most of the petroleum companies are huge operations and with billion dollar balance sheet. The oil and gas production and distribution is dominated by government owned companies which are heavily regulated excepting for Reliance Industries. After liberalizing the operations of the companies like Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) run billions of   dollars in losses as they are forced to sell petroleum products at below their cost. The polices of government are mostly informal compensating these companies through money transfers and bonds. some government companies like OIL India, ONGC and GAIL which operates in the production and have to bear less of the subsidy burden have grown and performed very well. In the private sector companies like Aban Great Offshore, Essar and Reliance have managed to grow rapidly as well with changeable degrees of success. Here is the list of the major petroleum Companies in India:- Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL):- The IOCL covers the whole hydrocarbon value chain from, pipeline transportation, marketing of petroleum products to exploration production of crude oil gas, marketing of natural gas, petrochemicals and refining. The sales turn over of Indian oil was Rs 271,074 corer and profits of Rs. 10,221 corer in 2009-10. Indian oils cross-country network of crude oil and product pipelines across 10,899 km and the largest in the country, meets the crucial energy needs of the consumers in an economical, environment and efficient manner. GAIL India:- GAIL (India) Limited, is Indias Natural Gas company, integrating all aspects of the Natural Gas value chain right from discovery to marketing. It emphasizes on clean fuel industrialization, creating a square of green energy corridors that connect major consumption centers with major gas fields in India. GAIL is growing its business to become a player in the International market. The companys revenue earned in 2009-10 was Rs 24,000 corer with net profit of 11%. It is a well managed fast growing company with high competitive barriers in India. Reliance  Industries:- It is Indias largest private petroleum company. The company achieving the remarkable growth in the last decade and is diversifying into Retail. In market top more than $30 billion it is Indias most valued company. It is also highly petroleum exporting company of India. The company is one of the largest oil refining and petrochemical complexes in the world at Jamnagar. Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL):- it is the major distribution of petroleum, cooking gas and diesel in the Indian market. The companys revenue of Rs 36,000 corer and net profit of 0.5%. due to the government control The company suffer low margins and terrible stock price performance. Which forces the company to sell the product at below the cost? Even after the liberalization with increased global crude prices increasing the losses very much. The company produces a various range of products, from petrochemicals and solvents to aircraft fuel and specialty lubricants and markets them to several international and domestic airlines and hundreds of industries. Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd (HPCL):- The company operates the largest refinery in the country producing Oils of international standards. This Refinery accounts for 40% of the Indias total Oil production. The company has two major refineries producing a large variety of petroleum fuels specialties. one in Mumbai and the other in Vishakhapatnam. Its huge marketing network consists of its zonal regional offices facilitated by a supply distribution infrastructure comprising terminals, aviation service stations, retail outlets, pipeline networks and LPG distributorships. The companys market share accounts for about 20% and 10% of the nations refining capacity. The company revenue earned was Rs 34,000 corer and net profit margin of 0.65% in 2010. ONGC Corporation:- The company ranks 3rd in petroleum Exploration Production industry. It produces 803 Million Metric Tones of crude and 485 Billion Cubic Meters of Natural Gas from 111 fields. It is the biggest multinational company with 40 oil and gas projects in 15 countries. The company earned Rs. 20,000 corer with net profit margin of 34% in 2010. NGC holds the largest share of hydrocarbon in India contributes over 79% of Indians oil and gas production. Distribution channel of the industry The petroleum distribution segment is rapidly adopting different kinds of supply chain solution. From crude oil selection to petroleum product distribution at the retail outlet it is chain with many links. The refining margins, the lead time associated with fundamental functions like product trading and crude buying unpredictability in oil prices make the entire process challenging. Implementation of these solution on a wide spread installations, however, is what the world is watching, as vast petroleum companies fight to chain the business. The petroleum industry has a vital need for both integration and implementation skills for taking the best value out of the differ distribution channel available. Underground, the gas station is quite modern. The tanks for super unleaded and for regular (the midgrade fuel) are larger than the normal tanks. Each tank is equipped with an electronic level check that conveys real time information about its status through a cable to the stations management system and then to the main inventory management system for the oil company whose products the gas station markets. The travels from the distribution channel push to demand pull is taking place in the section, where once the challenge was in getting the best deals on buying crude, the focus is shifting to give customer what he wants. The petroleum business is separated into refining and distribution segments. The focuses more on the distribution segment. There is a specific change to focus in the industry toward the distribution segment. The big oil companies have started monitoring the inventories of crude oil or any other petroleum products. The issues at the refining level are: which products to make in what quantity? Which crude to use? Which units to run? While the issues at the customer facing end or at the gas station are basic, namely run outs refines. The important functions within the distribution channel are optimization across alternative means of transportation, demand forecasting, replenishment method to avoid retains/run outs finally scheduling, which sequences the dispatch. Marketing and Distribution of Petroleum Products in India:- The public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) which include Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) are primarily responsible for the marketing and distribution of petroleum products in India. With the opening of retail sector for the private players, Shell, Essar and Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) have also entered the retail marketing related to petroleum products. The marketing and distribution infrastructure in the petroleum sector include liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distributorships, petrol/diesel stations, lubricants and greases outlets IOCL is the market leader in terms of marketing and distribution of petroleum products. Retail outlets in India:- The number of retail outlets (ROs) in India has increased from 31,650 in April 2006 to 40,819 in January 2011. IOCL has the widest network of ROs across India with 19,057 ROs as in January 2011. The number of LPG distributors in India has increased to 9,686 as in 2010 from 6,477 in 20011. Indias Navratna oil marketing companies Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL- are set to report another quarter of heavy losses as they have failed to get compensation from the government for selling fuels below cost. The three oil marketing companies (OMCs) sell diesel, LPG for domestic use and kerosene through public distribution system at prices that are substantially below their costs, in accordance with the permission of their majority shareholder. In return, a small part of their losses is made good by discounts from upstream like ONGC and Oil India. The larger share of losses is made good by the government. During the June 12 quarter, the three oil marketers together had posted an unique net loss of .Rs40,536 corer as the dues from government did not arrive. The company is expecting most of the demand for Piped natural gas to come from domestic and commercial consumer sector. Limitation on subsidized LPG cylinders is expected to be a boon for its Piped natural gas business. Consumers might come forward to get a Piped natural gas connection as its rates would be economical compared to LPG cylinders. The running cost of Piped natural gas would be about 10 percent less than the cost of LPG. Piped natural gas is safer and more eco-friendly fuel for the user. As oil marketing companies move advance forcefully to decrease their distribution channels for LPG cylinders, the next few months will certainly prove trying for consumers. Currently, oil companies in India are going through a tough task of maintaining positive margins in a very unstable market of crude prices and increasing distribution cost. Oil companies also need to be prepared for active pricing scenarios for the coming future. Hence, the immediate need is to have a complete real time visibility of sales and inventory for perfect demand forecasts. Integration of different systems and different data to provide single consistent view and information to the oil company management thus forming a strong foundation for effective decision making. Key issues and current trends Issues in petroleum industries:- The global economy is a dynamic and ever-growing one in spite of the high cost of energy. This in turn is forging the demand for petrochemicals. The strong growth in demand is not backed by a sufficient supply so the cost is still to come down. Operating rates of major petrochemical product segments are very high presently. Problems faced by the India petrochemical industry:- The manufacturing units mostly use outdated format of technology and are not able to produce optimally There is a requirement for the modernization of equipments Excise duty on synthetic fiber should be rationalized Anticipation of reservation on Small Scale Units Plastic waste to be recycled and the littering habits to be discouraged India requires advantage on feedstock, so the import cost has to be brought down The industry should have access to the primary amenities of infrastructure One of the big issues is the difficulty in predicting the advance price, which will succeed in the market in the future months. Some indications are of course available with the futures prices prevailing in the exchanges. Some companies hedge their margins or crude prices by doing paper trading. The forward price is a vital input in the optimization process and can actually make the model for a particular product maximization based on its price. Current trends in petroleum industry Petroleum has proven to be the most flexible fuel source ever discovered, situated at the core of the modern industrial economy. While the industry is strong, it is subject to some very significant stresses:- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Industry consolidation (24 mergers and acquisitions since 1997) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global industrial expansion resulting in increased petroleum demand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tight supplies of economically extractable oil à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Political instability and terrorism à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ High per-barrel price that accelerates development of alternative energies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Safety and the need to protect workers in hostile environments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Speed required to establish a presence in new markets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Need to spread infrastructure risk among competitors These stressors are causing oil companies to change the way they do business. From their cooperation with competitors to their massive investments in technology, from a renewed focus on safety and the environment to serious investigation of alternative fuels, these firms are reshaping the industry. How they manage these changes also influences how they view their real estate holdings and how they house the scientists and engineers who play a vital role in this transformation. The challenges oil and gas companies face are having a significant impact on how they view their real estate holdings and what kind of workplaces they provide their employees. These are important issues since many companies in this sector have vast real estate holdings. More and more these companies are managing these holdings from an enterprise-wide perspective, running their facilities like any other part of the business. They are realizing that facilities and furnishings can be a strategic tool for achieving the organizations business goals. That focus has several implications for the workplace. Petroleum includes all petroleum-based products, such as gasoline, oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, refined cleaners, and solvents. Organizations involved in upstream (exploring and extracting) and downstream activities (refining and marketing) for these petroleum products are among some of the most profitable companies in the world. Whether they are involved in upstream or downstream activities, whether they are public corporations or state-owned companies, players in the oil industry must operate within the context of significant issues and major trends that are shaping the long-term outlook for oil. Oil companies public corporations and state and non-state-owned enterprises are faced with increasing demand for petroleum products due to global industrial expansion. On the one hand, labors to get the conservative oil (produced from underground hydrocarbon reservoirs by means of production wells) have prompted oil companies to invest ever more heavily in technology and equipment. On the other, these firms have increased investments in producing unusual oil, including oil sands, shale oil, and extra heavy crude oil, some of which require additional processing to produce artificial crude. To spread the risk of investing in costly technology, equipment, and processes firms are entering into joint-venture relationships designed to spread infrastructure risk among competitors in order for the entire industry to remain healthy. In some cases, firms have required mergers or acquisitions in order to expand resources for highly technical exploration and advanced production. . Other changes on the energy scene, particularly increasing prices for both oil and gas, are prompting several companies to take a broader view of their business. They are transforming themselves through investments in alternative energy sources, including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal energy, and fuel cell technology. The realization that alternative fuels and renewable energy technologies will play an increasingly important role as a bridge between the current focus on hydrocarbons and the clean, cheap promise of hydrogen has prompted many oil companies to invest heavily in these areas. Using technology to boost productivity The technology that oil companies provide their employees is principal perimeter, especially where operational efficiencies can be obtained. Management requires solid standard metrics in order to justify investing in technology. India has steadily established itself in the core of the international production of petrochemical and petrochemical related products in the present state of affairs. With the economic growth cycle slowing down in the United States, the Asian developing nations, especially India, would preferably stand in the global petrochemical market as a producer of these products. This is one of the major challenges facing India petrochemical industry. PESTEL analysis PESTEL analysis stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal analysis and describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental component of  strategic management. It is a part of the external analysis when conducting strategic analysis and gives an overview of the different macro environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration. Political:- Political factors are degree to government intervenes in the economy. Specifically, political factors include areas such as tax policy, labor   law, law, trade, tariffs, and political stability. Political factors may also consist of goods and services which the government wants to provide or be provided and those that the government does not want to be provided. Besides, governments have great authority on the health education, and infrastructure of   a nation. Economical:- Economic factors include growth, interest, exchange  and the inflation. These factors have major impacts on how businesses run and make decisions. For example, interest rates affect a firms  cost of  capital and therefore to what degree a business grows and expands. Exchange rates affect the costs of exporting goods and the supply and price of imported goods in an economy. Social:- Social factors include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness,  population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. Trends in social factors affect the demand for a companys products and how that company operates. For example, an old population may imply a smaller and less willing workforce (thus increasing the cost of labor). Moreover; companies may change a variety of management strategies to adapt to these social trends (such as recruiting older workers). Technological:- Technological factors include ecological and environmental aspects, such as RD activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of  technological change. They can find out  barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. In addition, technological shifts can affect costs, quality, and lead to innovation. Environmental:- Environmental factors include weather, climate. Additionally, increasing awareness to climate change is affecting how companies operate and the products they offer it is both creating new markets and diminishing or destroying existing ones. Legal:- Legal factors include discrimination, consumer, antitrust, employment law, and health. These factors can affect how a company operates, its costs, and the demand for its products. Conclusion Crude oil is one of the most necessitated worldwide required commodities. Any smallest amount fluctuation in crude oil prices can have both direct and indirect pressure on the economy of the countries. The instability of crude oil prices group many companies away. Therefore, prices have been regularly and closely monito

plato Essay examples -- essays research papers

Discuss Plato’s Parable of the Cave. Plato’s parable of the cave, also known as the â€Å"allegory of the cave, opulently describes beneficial metaphors and elaborate imagery about knowledge, ignorance, truth and lastly enlightenment. The allegory of the cave appears at the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s The Republic, which in itself is principally a study of justice, government and leadership. In The Republic, Plato describes a cave containing individuals confined to the cave floor, bound by shackles. They are unable to move their heads and stare incessantly at the cave wall directly in front of them. The prisoners cannot see one another. Behind the prisoners burns a fire projecting images of objects, animals and individuals carrying various objects onto the wall of the cave. The prisoners are also aware of conversations occurring behind them. The shadows (skiai) on the wall of the cave are believed by the prisoners to be real. This is the reality of the prisoners – their truth, their knowledge of the world. The analogy continues and one of the prisoners frees himself from the chains. Now that he is unshackled he is able to rotate his head, see the entrance of the cave, look and walk towards the fire. The newly liberated captive finds this agonizing and is overwhelmed by the light of both the cave and as he leaves the cave the sun. He has spent his entire life in almost complete darkness, with limited capabilities, and minimal movement. The freedman is now faced with the chilling realization that his entire life has been limited by his experiences of the cave floor. His life has been lived in the shadows and he has been aware of only the reflections of reality and truth. â€Å"These prisoners represent the majority of man, the multitude of people who remain all their lives in a state of ignorance beholding only shadows of reality and hearing only echo’s of the truth† (F. Coplesto, 1985, pg 161). The prisoners represent us – humankind. Plato attempts to alert humans to the possibility that our senses may be deceiving us and that a greater reality exists in the light of truth – out side the cave and our own knowledge. For most of us this reality is beyond our sight and only an extraordinary life-changing event may give us a chance to view this truth – this new reality. The cave challenges individuals to reflect on the possibility that there is a reality... ...n there senses and search for truth. Plato describes the danger of accepting the world as we see and sense it with out challenge and critical thought. Although over two and a half thousand years old Plato’s message still resounds in a world preoccupied with consumerism and self gratification. Reference list 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Copleston F, S.J. (1962) A History of philosophy Book one. Image books. 2) Foster M. M.A, PH.D. (1942). Masters of political thought. George G. Harrap and CO. LTD. 3) Hare R.M. (1991). Founders of thought. Oxford University press. 4) Jackson R (2001) Plato the beginner’s guild. Hodder and Stoughton. 5) Magee, B. (1998). The Story of philosophy. A Dorling Kindersley Book 6) Mcinerny R M (1963). A History of Western Philosophy from the beginnings of Philosophy to Plotinus. Henry Regnery Company. 7) Robinson D and Groves J (2000) Introducing Plato. Icon books UK, Totem books USA. 8) Scott-Kakure D, Castagnetto S, Benson H, Taschek W and Hurley P. (1993) History of philosophy. Harper Perennial. 9) Solomon R C and Higgins K M. (1996) A Short history of Philosophy. Oxford University press Inc. 10) Weil, S. http://rivertext .com

Qnt 561 Week 4

Individual Assignment: Week 4 QNT 561 November 1, 2010 Lee Chang Question 5 In the following situations, decide whether you would use a personal interview, telephone survey, or self-administered questionnaire. Give your reasons. a) A survey of the residents of a new subdivision on why they happened to select that area in which to live. You also wish to secure some information about what they like and do not like about life in the subdivision. In this situation I would use a personal interview to acquire the desired information.Many subdivisions have an interview process before with the association to fit the required profile of the neighborhood and some of the information can be obtained at the initial interview. After some time passes a follow up interview can be conducted to acquire the rest of the information. In addition minimal staff is needed to conduct the surveys and get the information which means a lower cost. This will also lead to good cooperation from the new residents o f the sub-division. b. A poll of students at Metro University on their preferences among three candidates who are running for president of the student government. For this situation I would choose a personal interview. On many campuses these types of surveys are administered by a volunteer student group. The use of the groups means less overhead costs making the personal interviews favorable and able to endure for weeks before the vote. For the participants there will be a higher level of cooperation as opposed to telephone and or self-administered survey.In addition follow-up question can be asked leading to more in-depth analysis of the perception of the candidates. The only disadvantage in this situation would be participants unwillingness to talk to strangers on campus. b) A survey of 58 wholesale grocery companies, scattered over the eastern United States, on their personnel management policies for warehouse personnel. For surveying 58 grocery companies over the eastern seaboar d I would use a telephone survey.The telephone survey could be conducted by a trained interviewer who would be able to extract the information pertaining to the personnel management policies for warehouse personnel. The telephone survey allows the company to expand the geographic coverage with minimal cost although in some situations this will increase costs in this situation all being on the east coast time can be arranged to reach all 58 wholesale companies. c) A survey of financial officers of the Fortune 500 corporations to learn their predictions for the economic outlook in their industries in the next year.Given the nature of the survey I would use a self administered survey. With the need to reach a large geographic sample for the fortune 500 a self administered survey would be the most appropriate. Many of these surveys have been conducted in previous years and the use of the internet and email would be the best to reach all of the FOs and obtained the desired information. T he Financial Officers are relatively impossible to reach so the self-administered survey is the best option.In addition this is the lowest cost option given the minimal staff needed to tabulate the predictions for the economic outlook in their respective industries for the up-coming year. Looking at the level of sophistication of the information more complex tools can be utilized for the self-administered survey. d) A study of applicant requirements, job tasks, and performance expectations as part of a job analysis of student work-study jobs on a college campus of 2,000 students, where 1,500 are involved in the work-study program. This survey would be best conducted by a phone survey.To reach 2,000 students and obtain the amount of information needed for the study a phone survey would be best. With work study there will be hard-to-reach participants using a phone survey and a computerized random dialing system will be the most efficient survey method. Although some participants may not be reached due to not working numbers and some incomplete responses the benefits out way the disadvantages.References: Cooper, D. R. & Schindler, P. S. (2006). Business research methods (9th ed. ). Boston: McGraw Hill/Irwin.

Personality Analysis of Anthony Kiedis

Samantha Selody Professor Dana Nelson Theories of Personality 10 October 2012 Personality Analysis of Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis was often considered a â€Å"trouble maker† from a young age. By the third grade, he had developed a real resentment toward the school administration and teachers because if anything went wrong, he would be routinely pulled out of class and considered to be the cause of the problem. Because Anthony did not have any good male role models early on in his life, he developed a problem with authority figures and had no one to rein in any antisocial behavior (Kiedis, 2004, p. 9). Anthony moved to Hollywood, California to live with his father in 1974 at the age of twelve. Anthony’s father, John Michael Kiedis (a. k. a. Blackie Dammett) promoted a highly indulgent-permissive style of parenting. McAdams (2009) describes this particular practice of parenting as having few high standards set for behavior but are highly responsive to children (p. 82). Although Anthony did do well in school and with his work, he was not expected to and was often distracted from his school work and left to fend for himself when it came to food and actually arriving at school.Anthony’s father did not provide a good social learning environment for him. His father allowed him to smoke marijuana and do other illicit drugs at the young age of 12 (Kiedis, 2004, p. 26). Anthony was also exposed to a variety of sexual encounters that most would find inappropriate for a 12 year old to experience. Anthony’s father often exposed him to the Hollywood night club scene where he was encouraged to drink and stay up extremely late with his father and other adults.From these experiences, Anthony learned from his social surroundings that drug use, partying, and alcohol were a social norm and something that was acceptable to do. This ultimately set him up for severe drug problems that occurred and lasted for a considerable amount of time during his adole scent and adult life. From a young age, it was clear that Anthony exhibited a high level of openness to experience. McAdams defines those who are high on openness to xperience as, â€Å"original, imaginative, creative, complex, curious, daring, independent, untraditional, liberal, and having broad interests (p. 185). This trait was most likely reinforced by his father who would also be high on this scale. One of Anthony’s favorite assignments in school was writing. His English teacher noticed that he had a gift for writing and encouraged him to continue to write. Anthony describes this as â€Å"a bell that wouldn’t stop ringing for the rest of his life† (Kiedis, 2004, p. 38). Anthony was also a big risk taker.He often devised schemes with his friends to obtain alcohol from homeless people. However, he eventually realized that he could just steal it himself, so he began to do just that. Anthony stole basically anything he wanted, whenever he wanted and was never caught or punished for it. This positive reinforcement fed in to his degree of openness to new experiences. Anthony was always seeking a thrill, and by observing his father, he recognized that he could get excitement by doing drugs, drinking, having sex and doing outrageous activities.It is important to note that all of these things occurred early in his life and throughout his adolescence. His actions were validated by his father and imitated by his friends who thought that he was having a great time. However, although he frequently abused drugs, Kiedis maintained his grades in school. Kiedis explains that, â€Å"I smoked a ton of pot, took pills, and drank on the weekends. But it never got out of control†¦It was important to me to be the straight-A student.In a way, I was a rebel by getting good grades, because most of the stoners and the druggies were getting no grades. I didn’t want to be like them†¦I wanted to be the best at whatever it was that was in front of me† (p. 78). This attitude was a driving factor is Anthony’s life. He wanted to be the best at whatever he did, whether it was school, performing, drinking, or doing drugs. This attitude also fed in to his level of openness because not only was he willing to try new things, he wanted to be the best at whatever he tried, which propelled him to even more experiences.

Financial analysis and comparison of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola The WritePass Journal

Financial analysis and comparison of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Introduction Financial analysis and comparison of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola IntroductionReferences:Related Introduction Together both PepsiCo and Coca Cola are both companies that are known around the world for their goods. For decades now, these companies have been competitive against each other to â€Å"do better than† the other one, what some would call the â€Å"cola wars†. They individually offer a assortment of soft drinks; regular, diet, caffeine free and many other options for the public to choose from. Both of the companies also have quite a few different entities (or off springs) of their company, such as bottled water, energy drinks, and juices. Individually both PepsiCo and Coca Cola; better known as Pepsi and Coke, have produced goods for every income bracket. Inside this essay we will take a look into the two largest competing companies in the soft drink industry; Coca Cola and PepsiCo. Using financial data provided from 2004 and 2005, we will be able to use financial analysis, both vertical and horizontal, to verify the financial differences between the two companies. We should be able to make proper suggestions and recommendations with the review on both of the individual companies, income statements and balance sheets. The soft drink industry is one of the largest and assorted industries in the world; consumption in the United States alone is rated at 95%. Together Pepsi and Coke have dominated the soft drink industry, staying higher than any other competition for decades. Not only have they dominated the national market, but also have dominated the global market. Pepsi and Coke have triumphed over many obstacles, so that they may produce and distribute products in most countries around the globe. Both employ a strategy called â€Å"the follow up strategy†. When one launches a new product or service, the other is not far behind with a similar product or service. This strategy has been so effective within these two companies that it leaves other would be competitors oblivious to what just happened. Because of global success, both PepsiCo and Coca Cola have paid a price in one way or another regarding legal issues, precedents, and political opinions. Both of these companies are great examples that the power of influence is leadership. Since their influence is so powerful, they easily shut down competitors in the market as well as keep their moral and ethical values at a soaring level. According to the Forbes Super500 list of America’s largest public companies in 2003, both Coke and Pepsi are practically the same size. Pepsi was the 43rd-largest U.S. firm, just barely edging out Coke, which ranked 44th. This comparison was based on ranking sales, profits, market value and assets. Now let’s take a look at a more detailed comparison of these two companies. Within this analysis, the numbers will be represented in millions (100 is equal to 100 million). Beginning with a vertical analysis, used to do the comparison of the asset accounts categories, liability account categories, and the reports on liability accounts against asset accounts on the balance sheet. The principle for calculating a vertical analysis is current assets à · total assets. The starting point lies within the total assets for each company. In 2004, PepsiCo’s total assets were $27,987; in 2005 they totaled $31,727. Coca Cola’s assets were $31,441 for 2004 and $29,427 in 2005.   (Weygandt, Kimmel, Kieso, 2008). Now we must look at statistics on the balance sheets of each corporation. In 2004, Coke’s cost of merchandise sold were $7,674 equaling a ratio percentage of 24.4% of their total assets. In 2005 the cost of merchandise sold were $8,195 equaling 27.8% of the total assets. For Pepsi’s cost of merchandise sold, the totals were $12,674 equaling 45.3% in 2004 and $14,176 equaling 44.7% in 2005. Over a one year span the results of; PepsiCo had an increase of 5%, while Coke had an increase that year of 3.4%.   With this increase, the results do not necessarily mean a positive analysis, since the single figure does not disclose whether the increase is a positive measure.   A higher cost of sales may not be offset by higher revenues matching or exceeding the increased cost. Net income of PepsiCo in 2004 was $4,212 equaling a ratio percentage of 15.1% of total assets. In 2005, their net income was $4,078 equaling a ratio percentage of 13.2% of their total assets. This shows a 1.9% decrease in their net income between 2004 and 2005. Within the same period they also showed a decrease in the cost of sales. Coke on the other hand had a net income of $4,847 in 2004 equaling a ratio percentage of 15.4%. In 2005 their net income was $4,872 equaling a ratio of 16.6% of their total assets. This shows and an increase of 1.2% between 2004 and 2005.   Even though they experienced an increase of 1.2%, the increase of cost of merchandise sold had an increase of 3.4% only nets an additional 1.2%, making this a negative indication for Coca Cola. When comparing current assets and current liabilities to the total assets by taking a closer look at the consolidated balance sheets of these two companies for each year show that Pepsi’s total current assets were $8,639, in 2004, which equals a ratio percentage of 30.9% of total assets (for that year). For 2005, PepsiCo’s total current assets were $10,454 which equals a ratio percentage of 32.9% of total assets. From 2004 to 2005, they had an increase of 2% in their current assets. In contrast Coca Cola’s current assets were $12,281 equaling a ratio percentage of 39.1% for 2004 and $10,250 equaling a ratio percentage of 34.8%, in 2005; this shows a major decrease in their current assets. Although, there was a considerable decrease in their current assets, there was also a decrease in their current liabilities. These decreases in liabilities would be a positive indication for Coke instead of a negative one. In the area of current liabilities, we can see that in 2004 Pepsi’s total was $6,752 equaling 24.1%, and $9,406 equaling 29.9% in 2005. This shows that the increase of 2% within Pepsi’s assets is due to the company taking on more liabilities. Coke however had current liabilities of $11,133 equaling 35.4% in 2004, and $9,836 equaling 33.4% in 2005 which shows a decrease of 1% in their liabilities. This simply states that both companies had a larger percentage of liabilities to assets in 2005, compared to 2004 also taking into account that their current assets dropped 4.3%. To break that down even further, we look at the following figures. Coca Cola had a total liability in 2004 of $15,506 which equals 49.3% and in 2005 their total liabilities were $13,072 which equals 44.4%. That is a decrease in their liabilities of 4.9%. So while their assets dropped by 4.3%, their liabilities dropped even more. Horizontal analysis is the comparison of specific items account for a certain amount of numbers for the accounting period. This helps to determine the increase or decrease that has occurred by a percentage, a numerical change or trends over that time. There are two formulas that can be used to get this analysis. The first formula uses the current year amount and subtracts from that the base year amount, then take the difference and divide it by the base year amount.   The second formula divides the current year amount by the base year amount.   This gives the current yearly figure in a percentage for the given base year. PepsiCo’s total current assets for 2004 were $8,639 and $10,454 in 2005. The first horizontal analysis formula shows Pepsi had an increase of 121.01% of total current assets; over their 2004 base year figure. Coke’s total assets for 2004 were $12,281 and $10,250 for 2005 which shows a considerable loss. With these numbers it produces a loss percenta ge of 16.58% between 2004 (83.46%) and 2005. Moving onto liabilities, Coca Cola had $11,133 in total liabilities for 2004 and $9,836 for 2005, yielding a difference of 88.35% decreasing their liabilities by 11.65% from 2004 to 2005. For PepsiCo, their total liabilities for 2004 were $6,752 and $9,406 in 2005. Following the formula we can see that it shows an increase in their liabilities by 139.3% from 2004 to 2005, so for one year the total is 39.9%. Mutually PepsiCo and Coca Cola have reputations for being the major contenders in the soft drink industry. They have individually created well organized, strong, and profitable companies, but as you can see from the analysis done above that the financial data, shows a bit of a difference between the two financially. I can see adjustments that can be made and areas that can be worked on, and below I have made a few suggestions for the data I found. It can be determined from the information above that the net profits for both companies were less in 2005 than that of 2004. The operating expenses for both companies were higher in 2005 then 2004. Individually Pepsi and Coke should be working to decrease operation expenses and to increase profitability. Within Coca Cola, they suffered a decline in assets (4.3%) and their liabilities reduced by 4.9% from 2004 to 2005. The suggestion that I make for Coca Cola is they continue to reduce their liabilities, and work on raising net profits. This will increase their assets, As for Pepsi, they have a small increase in current assets between 2004 and 2005, but they had a substantial increase in liabilities. With a 5.8% increase in liabilities, there was only an increase of 2% within their assets. A suggestion I can make for PepsiCo is to focus efforts on their assets, to reduce their liabilities, and to not collect new liabilities. This way they can increase profitability. Looking into other years and comparisons, I see that Coca Cola gathers almost 53% of their annual revenue during spring and summer, whereas Pepsi seems to produce 30% more revenue in the later months of the year.   This is likely due to the fact that Pepsi also has snack (chips, etc) operations other than soft drinks, which is the preferred food of the season. There is also the topic of franchise systems. Pepsi has had success in the past with its franchise system; however, in recent years it has become a weakness for the company. The franchises   influence profits and revenues for Pepsi. My solution would be to dismantle the franchise system and replace it with one bottling unit. This will help Pepsi to eliminate competition with any private label companies and keep them on the forefront with Coke. Coca Cola believes in reinvesting into their infrastructure and does not operate a franchise system. When it comes to figures, Pepsi seems to have more advantages (other entities), whereas Coke is getting better figures.   This does not mean either company is better than the other, it shows that there is a tight competition between both companies and both are striving to surpass the other. References: PepsiCo.com. (2009).   Retrieved on: April 15, 2011 pepsico.com/index.html#/flash/pepsico_slide.swf Weygandt, J. J., Kimmel, P. D., Kieso, D. E. (2008). Financial accounting (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. The Coca Cola Company. (2009). Retrieved on: April 15, 2011 thecoca-colacompany.com/

A Seperate Peace essays

A Seperate Peace essays Friendship is the main theme in John Knowles novel A Separate Peace. Gene Forrester, an intellectual student and Finny, his roommate at Devon School who is usually misbehaving, has charismatic ways, which usually exempt him from punishment. The two have opposing interests and personalities, yet still remain close friends. Gene, envying Finnys athletic ability, thinks that Finny, in return, envies his academic achievements, and he suspects that Finny is trying to divert him from his work. Gene's doubts turn into indignant hatred. Yet, when Gene realizes that he has been mistaken of the existence of Finny trying to distract him due to the fact that one day, Finny expresses a desire to see Gene succeed, Gene realizes they have been friends the whole time, and through it all thats what friendship is. Together they get through the summer, and the hardships of losing other friends and classmates to the war. The reader really starts to see the close relationship the two of them have, right from when they are introduced. Their friendship is clearly present at many occasions through out the novel. Finny urges Gene into making a dangerous jump off of a tree into the near by river, and the two start a secret society based on this as the ritual. When Finny attempts to make the jump Gene bends his knees, causing the branch to break Finny to fall and break his leg. Once the doctor tells Gene, Finny wont be able to play many sports, Gene feels he is at fault, and he feels that he is to blame. Finny, is sent home before Gene has a chance to talk to him. When Gene goes to visit Finny during his summer brake, Finny wont listen to him explaining it was his fault. Leper, the first to enlist in the army from Devon school, is also friends with Gene and Finny. Brinker Hadley, another friend at the school, suggests to Gene that he enlists in the army too, and so Gene agrees. That night, however, Gene finds out that F ...

The Ultimate Free ACT Study Guide Tips, Strategies, and Practice

The Ultimate Free ACT Study Guide Tips, Strategies, and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips At PrepScholar, we've written the best online ACT prep guides available, covering everything you need to know to improve your score on the ACT. They're all available right here on our blog, and we think they beat any book you can purchase. What's more, they’re completely free! This guide- our Ultimate ACT Prep Guide- collects all of our most important ACT study guides and articles in one place. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to ace the ACT and improve your college admission chances. We'll start off by briefly going overhow to use this guide. Then, we'll go section by section through the most critical pieces of information you'll need to know to get a high ACT score. Here's an outline of what this free ACT study guide includes: How to Use This ACT Study Guide Intro to the ACT How to Approach ACT Prep Effectively ACT Content and Strategies Overall ACT Test Strategy ACT English Prep Guides ACT Math Prep Guides ACT Reading Prep Guides ACT Science Prep Guides ACT Essay Prep Guides ACT Logistics and Planning Test Dates Study Plans Prep Materials Feature image: Alberto G./Flickr How to Use This ACT Study Guide This ACT study guide collects our most important ACT articles on every topic, from general info to key test-taking tips and specific section content. Without a doubt, all of these topics are critical for making the most of your prep and staying confident on test day. We’ve arranged the following guides in roughly the order we recommend reading them, starting with a basic overview of the ACT and moving on to high-level strategies. From there, we dive into content review and tips for each section before finishing up with suggestions for planning your ACT prep and picking a test date. Depending on how much ACT prep you’ve completed, you might want to skip around and read only the sections that are relevant to you. However, we strongly recommend working through all of our guides more or less in order so that you're not overlooking any crucial info you need to know. It can also be helpful to read guides on topics you already know to refresh your memory. If you're pressed for time, feel free to read part of this guide and come back to it later. There’s a ton of info here, so don’t feel as though you need to digest everything in a single sitting! In fact, we strongly recommend bookmarking this page to make it easier to return to later. Now, let’s take a look at our top ACT guides! Intro to the ACT All beginners to the ACT should start with the basics. In this section, you'll learn how the test is structured, what kinds of questions and content it tests, and what its scoring scale means for you. Why Is the ACT Important for Your College Goals? You’ll likely need to take the ACT or SAT to get into college, but how important is your ACT score to schools? And how can you use this knowledge to raise your chances of getting into the college of your dreams? This extensive guide explains why colleges look at ACT scores and how they use ACT scores to compare students across the country. What Is the ACT? A Complete Explanation of the Test This article lays out all of the fundamentals of the ACT: how it started, what it tests, and why you need to take it. It also offers a few tips on how to get started on making an ACT study plan. What’s Actually Tested on the ACT English Section? What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Math Section? Concepts, Subjects, and Skills What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Reading Section? Skills You Need What’s Actually Tested on the ACT Science Section? Skills and Topics You'll need to familiarize yourself with the four ACT sections. Our individual section guides explain what you can expect on each section in regard to content and question types. How Is the ACT Scored? What does a 36 mean? A 15? A 24? Understanding how the ACT is scored is vital to creating the most effective prep plan for you. This comprehensive guide lays out how your ACT score is calculated and how to use this info to your advantage. Average ACT Scores for Colleges Average ACT Scores by State (Most Recent) ACT Percentiles and Score Rankings Before taking the ACT, it's important to know what the average ACT score is and what percentiles are. Our guides give you the overall ACT average, explain how this average can vary by college and state, and go over how to use percentiles to compare your performance with other test takers'. What Is a Good ACT Score? A Bad ACT Score? An Excellent ACT Score? Everyone wants to get a good ACT score on test day. But what’s more important than hitting a certain percentile is getting a score that’s right for you. This guide explains how to figure out what a good ACT score for you is and how to set a target score based on where you're applying. Is The ACT Easier Than the SAT? Should You Take the ACT or the SAT? Still not sure whether to take the ACT or SAT? These guides teach you the differences between the two tests and help you decide which one is ultimately right for you. How to Approach ACT Prep Effectively Now that you’ve got your basics down, let’s move on to getting started on your prep. What is the best way to approach the ACT? And how can you make sure you’re studying effectively for it? These resources will help you get in the right mindset for ACT prep. How to Prepare for the ACT: Ultimate 10-Step Guide You can’t take the ACT without prepping for it first. (Well, technically you can, but I certainly don't recommend it!) This guide gives you a detailed 10-step plan to help you make the most of your ACT prep. ACT Advice: Top 5 Tips on Preparing for the Test Looking for a more concise list of ACT prep tips? Then this guide is for you! In this post, we introduce ourtop five tips to help you prepare effectively for the ACT. These include designing an ACT study plan and using your time wisely. How to Beat Procrastination in Your ACT Prep Nearly everyone has procrastinated on something- and many on ACT prep! With school and homework, it can be difficult to find time and energy to study for the ACT. This is why we’ve written a handy guide to help you get started on your test prep. Our tips teach you to hold yourself accountable for your actions and show you how to find the willingness to study. How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer If you’re trying to get a perfect ACT score, you absolutely must read this guide. Even if you’re not aiming for a perfect score, this is an excellent resource that can help you understand what kinds of strategies to use to get a high ACT score. Written by a full scorer (who also got a perfect SAT score- twice!), our guide explains all of the major tricks and methods you must use to get a 36 on test day. Rather than focusing on content, we tell you the key strategies, such as how to find and target your weaknesses, you'll need to know when aiming for perfection. ACT Content and Strategies Our guides above teach you what the ACT is and give you a foundation for your ACT prep. Now, we get to the meat of our resources: all of the content and strategies you’ll need to know to do well on the ACT. We’ll start generally and then narrow in through section-specific guides to help you target particular skills and concepts. Overall ACT Test Strategy The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes for the ACT Many students take practice tests and drill practice questions without actually stopping to understand what their mistakes mean orhow they can use their errors to their advantage. In this guide,we teach you how to review your mistakes so that you can know your weaknesses and stop making the same mistakes again and again. Should You Guess on the ACT? 5 Guessing Strategies Should you guess if you don’t know the answer to a question on the ACT or are running out of time? Absolutely! Because there are no penalties for incorrect answers,you’ll give yourself your best shot at hitting your ACT goal score by answering every question. But how can you guess smartly? This guide offers five key strategiesto use in your prep and on test day. 15 ACT Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Score Having some trouble hitting your goal score? These 15 tips and strategies will improve your ACT section scores and give you the confidence you need for test day. For High Scorers Already Have a High ACT Score? How to Improve Even More If you’re consistently scoring highly on ACT practice tests but still want to improve your score, this guide is meant for you. Here, we teach you how to focus your prep, manage your time, and conquer your anxieties to get the high (and perhaps perfect!) ACT score you’re aiming for. For Low Scorers Low ACT Scores: What Should You Do? Are You Smart but Scoring Low on the ACT? What to Do Not impressed with your ACT scores on practice tests? Then use these guides to learn what kinds of mistakes (both content and mental) you’re making and what changes you can make in your prep to ultimately increase your score. ACT English Prep Guides ACT English Prep: The Best Methods and Strategies If you’re not sure where to start in your ACT English studies, read this guide. We cover the best ways to prep for ACT English as well as how to address and fix time-management issues. The Ultimate Study Guide for ACT English: Tips, Rules, Practice, and Strategies Looking for a thorough ACT English guide? This guide is actually a stockpile of all of our best and most helpful ACT English articles. From individual grammar guides to expert strategies, we give you everything you need to know to ace ACT English- in one convenient resource. The Complete Guide to ACT Grammar Rules ACT English is all about grammar. Check out this article to see all major grammar topics tested on the ACT, from ambiguous references to verbal phrases, in addition to key rhetorical skills, such as redundancy, formality, and conciseness. The Best Way to Approach ACT English Passages To do well on ACT English, you need to have a good passage-reading strategy. This strategy won’t necessarily be the same as the one you use for ACT Reading and Science passages (though it can be!). For English specifically, we recommend the graf-by-graf method (short for â€Å"paragraph-by-paragraph†). This guide goes over what this strategy is and how you can use it on test day to get a high ACT English score. How to Improve Your ACT English Score: 9 Tips From a Perfect Scorer If you’re currently scoring in the 14-24 range on ACT English, this guide is a good fit for you. Here, we offer you expert tips on how to approach and study for the English section so that you can eventually raise your score to 26+. How to Get 36 on ACT English: 9 Strategies From a Perfect Scorer This guide contains expert advice, all from a perfect scorer, and teaches you how to get a 36 on ACT English. Key points covered here include how many questions you must get right to get a 36 on English, how to study grammar effectively, and how to identify patterns in your mistakes. ACT Math Prep Guides The 31 Critical ACT Math Formulas You MUST Know Math formulas are critical to doing well on ACT Math. And sinceyou’re not going to get any on test day,you’ll need to memorize the most important ones as you prep. This guide covers 31 major math formulas likely to pop up on the ACT. The Ultimate ACT Math Prep Guide: Strategies, Topics, and Tips This guide collects all of our best ACT Math articles in one place for you. From strategies to content to expert tips, we cover everything you need to know to get the Math score you want. Plugging In Answers: A Critical ACT Math Strategy Plugging In Numbers: A Critical ACT Math Strategy Of all math strategies you can use on the ACT, these two are by far the most important. If you don’t know how to solve a math problem or need a quick and easy method, try plugging in an answer or number and then solving. How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACT Math The Secret to ACT Math: Mastering the Time Crunch You’ll only have about one minute per question on ACT Math, so time management is crucial. These guides offer essential tips on how to use your time wisely on the Math section so that you're never spending too much or too little time on a question. How to Improve Low ACT Math Scores: 9 Tips From a Perfect Scorer If you’re having trouble scoring above a 24 on ACT Math, read this guide. You'll learn what it takes to get a 26+ on Math and how to prepare effectively for the section. How to Get 36 on ACT Math: 8 Strategies by a Perfect Scorer Aiming for a perfect ACT Math score? Then you'll definitely want to check out this guide. Here, our resident ACT full scorer offers several foolproof tipson studying math and making the most of your prep. ThoroughlyReviewed/Flickr ACT Reading Prep Guides The #1 Critical, Fundamental Strategy of ACT Reading If you only have time to read one ACT Reading guide, definitely read this one. Here, we give you the #1 critical strategy you’ll need to know to get questions right on ACT Reading. Once you’ve mastered this strategy, your Reading score is sure to go up. The Ultimate Prep Guide to ACT Reading: Strategies, Tips, and Practice This ultimate guide is essentially a gigantic stockpile of all of our best ACT Reading resources. Get the rundown on what the Reading section tests, how it’s scored, and what the best test-prep and test-day strategies are. The Best Way to Approach the ACT Reading Passage Wondering how to read ACT Reading passages- or whether you should even read them at all? This guide goes over the three best ways to approach Reading passages and offers tips on how to answer the questions that accompany them. How to Answer ACT Reading Questions: 5-Step Guide Need help getting questions right on ACT Reading? In this resource, we explain how to break down Reading questions and eliminate incorrect answer choices. We also go over the common ways ACT Reading likes to trick test takers. How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACT Reading Time management can be difficult on ACT Reading, which only gives you about53 seconds per question. This is why it’s so important to learn how to manage your time wisely. Our guide explains how to monitor your time and practice effectively so that you're getting more questions right before time runs out. How to Improve Your ACT Reading Score: 8 Expert Tips If you’re scoring around 24 or lower on ACT Reading, this guide- written by an expert full scorer- can help you raise your score to at least a 26 on test day. We summarize what it takes to get a 26 on Reading,explain how ACT Reading likes to trick test takers, andgive you eight strategies to help you get a higher score. How to Get 36 on ACT Reading: 11 Strategies From a Perfect Scorer Aiming for perfection? Then check out our guide to getting a 36 on ACT Reading, written by an actual full scorer. With this resource, we teach you how to identify and target your weaknesses as well as how to find the best passage-reading strategy for you. ACT Science Prep Guides The Big Secret of ACT Science: It’s More Reading Than Science If science isn’t your forte, don’t freak out! The truth is that, despite its name,ACT Science is way more about reading than it is about actual science.This guide explains what kinds of reading skills you’ll need to have for ACT Science and teaches you how to improve them. The Ultimate Study Guide for ACT Science: Tips, Practice, and Strategies For a robust resource of all of our best ACT Science articles, check out our ultimate ACT Science study guide. We give you links to a variety of articles and guides focusing on the format of ACT Science, what it tests, and how you can prepare effectively for it. The 5 Best Strategies for Reading ACT Science Passages Because the Science section is more about your reading comprehension than it is your science knowledge, it’s important to develop a solid passage-reading strategy for test day. This guide summarizes the five possible strategies you can use and shows you how to find the perfect fit for you. The Only Actual Science You Have to Know for ACT Science You now know that ACT Science doesn’t really contain that much science. So what science do you actually need to know for it? This guide lists the key scientific concepts in biology, chemistry, physics, and math you’ll need to know to score highly on ACT Science. Time Management Tips and Section Strategy on ACT Science Like Reading, you’ll have about 53 seconds per question and about five minutes per passage on ACT Science. But how can you manage your time so that you’re answering most or all questions correctly? We teach you what order to read the passages in, the maximum amount of time you should spend on a question, and how to keep your energy level up on test day. How to Improve ACT Science Scores: 6 Tips From a Perfect Scorer Did you take practice tests but didn’t get the ACT Science score you wanted? Don't worry because there are plenty of ways to raise it! If you’re scoring in the range of 14-24 on the Science section, this guide will give you the confidence and practical tools you need to score at least a 26. How to Get 36 on ACT Science: 13 Strategies From a Perfect Scorer Aiming higher than a 26? Then check out our guide to getting a perfect ACT Science score, written entirely by an ACT expert and full scorer. In this guide, we provide you with 13 key strategies for reaching perfection in addition to examples of schools that expect perfect Science scores. ACT Essay Prep Guides Should You Take the ACT With or Without Writing? ACT Writing is optional, meaning some students take the ACT with Writing and others don’t. But what should you do? Read this guide to get advice on whether you should take the ACT essay. We go over key factors to consider, such as the price of the ACT with Writing and whether a high Writing score could potentially boost your application. How to Write an ACT Essay: Step You’ve decided to take the ACT with Writing- but how do you actually write an ACT essay? This step-by-step guide takes you through the entire process of composing a strong ACT essay, from planning and brainstorming to organizing paragraphs and revising your work. The Ultimate ACT Writing Study Guide: Tips, Strategies, and Practice If you prefer having all of your ACT Writing resources in one place, this is the guide for you. Here, we’ve gathered all of our best ACT essay articles and guides to help you prepare for the Writing section and get the score you want on test day. How to Attack ACT Essay Prompts and Raise Your Score ACT essay prompts can be confusing if you’re not used to them. We explain what the ACT wants you to write about in your essays and go over the different ways essay prompts are often worded. ACT Writing Tips: 15 Strategies to Raise Your Essay Score Getting a high score on ACT Writing can be challenging, but as long as you know what graders are looking for, you should have no problem raising your score. Read this guide to learn all of our best tips and strategies for getting a solid essay score. How to Get a Perfect 12 on the ACT Writing Essay Craving a perfect essay score? This comprehensive guide explains what a 12 on the ACT essay means, elaborates on how a 12 differs from a 10 (even though both are high scores!), and offers a list of do’s and don’ts for a level-12 essay. ACT Logistics and Planning You won’t do well on the ACT if you don’t plan ahead of time. This is why it’s important to ask yourself some basic logistical questions: when will you take the ACT? How many times should you take it? How many weeks or months should you spend studying? Our resources below will help you plan your ACT prep. In addition, we give you links to high-quality study materials you can incorporate into your prep plan. Test Dates When Should You Take the ACT? Best Test Dates When Should I Take the ACT for the First Time? Choosing a test date is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make when it comes to the ACT. You should give yourself enough time to prepare for the test and (hopefully) raise your score. These guides explain when the best time to take the ACT is, whether it’s your first or third attempt. ACT Test Dates Full Guide to Choosing (2016, 2017, 2018) Future Years’ ACT Test Dates: 2017, 2018, and Beyond For a full list of ACT test dates, check out these guides, which offer verified (and projected, if info has not been released yet) dates and deadlines for future ACT test dates. Use these resources to help you decide which date works best for your schedule. Study Plans Exactly How Long Should You Study for the ACT? A 6-Step Guide How long you need to study for the ACT depends on a few main factors: your baseline score, your target score, and how much time you have before test day. This guide explains how to figure out what an ideal study plan is for you using these criteria. 1-Month ACT Study Plan: How to Raise Your Score Quickly How to Cram for the ACT: 10-Day, 4-Point Prep Plan The key to doing well on the ACT is to not procrastinate. But if you already made the mistake of putting off your prep, the best thing you can do now is to figure out how to use the rest of your time effectively. These two guides teach you how to study for the ACT despite your time limitations and offer tips on what study materials to use. Prep Materials Complete Official ACT Practice Tests, Free Links Guide to Using ACT Practice Tests: 20-Hour Prep Official full-length ACT practice tests are by far the best resources you can use for ACT prep. These links give you all available practice tests as PDFs and explain how to use them in your prep. Best ACT Prep Books 2017 The 10 Best ACT Books Recommended for ACT Prep Prep books offer comprehensive overviews of the ACT, from content review and practice questions to answer explanations and test-taking tips. But which ones are worth buying? These guides give you our top picks for both official and unofficial ACT prep books. The Best ACT Prep Websites You Should Be Using Although we believe PrepScholar offers the best ACT info on the web, it’s a good idea to supplement your studies with other high-quality ACT prep websites. In this guide, we give you a list of the best websites you can use for ACT practice, content review, and strategy help. The 4 Best ACT Apps (and How to Use Them in Your Prep) Apps shouldn’t be the only material you use for ACT prep, but they can be excellent supplemental resources and on-the-go refreshers. This guide introduces the top four ACT apps and explains how to use them so that you’re benefiting from their best features. Concluding Words By now, you’ve hopefully read, or at least skimmed, several of the resources in this free ACT study guide. That’s great! Use the guides we link to here to launch you to other resources and links you think might be helpful to you. We hope you’ll continue to use this resource to look for answers to your questions and prepare yourself for the ACT. As a reminder, try not to get overwhelmed by all the info here (and out there, too!). The ACT is an important test, sure, but it’s also completely manageable.So take your time, read what you want to learn more about, and practice your skills using high-quality materials. Good luck! A little extra luck for you on the ACT! (JD Hancock/Flickr) What’s Next? Want more help with your ACT prep?Let us lend you a hand! With our customizable online ACT prep program, you'll get all the help you need and the freedom you want. Thinking of taking the SAT, too?Then you'll definitely want to check out our ultimate SAT study guide. Like this guide, our SAT version offers a giant compilation of our best articles and resources, all of which are completely free! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Quantitative Methods for Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quantitative Methods for Business - Essay Example This essay offers a comprehensive analysis of the role of the quantitative methods in ensuring economic efficiency of the management process.These methods do not just play an important role in making business decisions. There are also instrumental in estimation. Thirdly they are also a valuable tool for taking inventory of items, cost and profit. This is the unique tracking aspect of these methods. Business decision cannot be taken on a light note and hence it is absolutely that all logical and mathematical calculations are exhausted so that an optimal result can be ascertained before a final decision is implemented that will be of consequential importance to the business and the profit and or loss that subsequently endured. The process of a Quantitative Method in business is that the method gives a systematic and theoretical yet practical approach to finding solutions to pending and prospective problems. It is also important in making certain decisions that require critical thinking and analysis. This also enables an executive or a key decision maker of the business to take defining decisions that are binding on the entire business based on transparency and sound judgment through logical principles. These principles are based on a logical schematic that deals with each decision in a step by step fashion. This approach is necessary because it step of the decision making process has its own stressors and set of parameters. Quantitative methods also have an extraordinary tool in its arsenal which is numerical analysis. ... The method of quantitative analysis that is applied involves the valuation of an expected return of profit on the varying amounts of expenditures. This in turn allows one to deduce the most logical and sound method to secure the bid value and at the very same time making the most profit in the bargain. The thinking behind securing the bid value is applying linear programming to calculate the exact balance between minimum bid price and maximum profit attained using a production possibility curve as an economic function. The bid value hence must provide a profitable aspect for both the bidder and the client who requires a bid to be made. The whole aim of the Quantitative method for businesses is to foster an analytical mindset that is very important in the process of project acquisition, development, marketing, management and execution (Slater et.al, 2002, pp. 222-228). Sequelae Project management is a very volatile and demanding field of business development that requires the manager to be on the top of their game at all times. Therefore it is of paramount importance that project managers are able to utilize the complete range of skills and procedures that are prevalent in Quantitative methods for studying the business conditions. Secondly managers continuously need to associate decision making with consequential results. Thirdly they have to take a look at viable alternative. These alternatives in turn need to be assessed to see if they can be practical or theoretical and a cost benefit analysis using the Quantitative method has to be conducted. Finally the result of each alternative being theoretically applied to the projected situation has to be estimated before an

Mehmed the Conqueror Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mehmed the Conqueror - Annotated Bibliography Example The article talks about early reign, Constantinople conquest, Asia and Europe. Additionally, the author covers administrative actions, personal life and the legacy of mehmed. Babinger focused on the successes of Mehmed that resulted into fear for people of Europe. He has been called as the greatest architect of victories in the history. Career of Mehmed as a conqueror is full of death, murder, battle and perfidy. In this secondary source, Turkish people regard Mehmed as a great conqueror like Ataturk. The author has covered Mehmed historical background which is useful to the research. This is because it will assist in enhancing the authority of the game. Kritovoulos covers the history of Mehmed conquests has been revealed. This is an important because it will assist in covering the imperativeness of Mehmed as a historical figure and his accomplishments. This is a secondary source relates with the conquests of Mehmed and provides description of Mehmed family including his wife, sons and daughters. The source is important because it will help in covering the family history, as well as, enhancing the research. Levy, Avigdor. The Structure of the Jewish Community. In The Jews of Ottoman Empire. Princeton: Darwin Press. 1994, pp. 42-70. Print. Web. 28 October, 2014. In this secondary sources, Mehmed’s ambition of converting the Istanbul into a metropolis and role of Jews in his plan have been discussed. He considered that administration of Jewish people was important for the Ottoman Empire. He brought Jewish culture, language, and customs to Istanbul. This is a secondary source which covers Mehmed’s early days of conquest, he transferred a number of Byzantine buildings into mosques, madrasas and lodges for dervish people. The author also covers the building of the mosque complex in Istanbul to transform

The Free Movement of Goods Within The European Union Essay

The Free Movement of Goods Within The European Union - Essay Example The framework of the EC Treaty encompasses a free and open market among the Member States. Articles 23-31 which is headed ‘Free Movement of Goods’ is designed to promote this concept. Article 23 provides for the exemption of customs duties on all imports and exports throughout the Member States. Article 28 forbids the implementation of ‘Quantitative restrictions on imports and all measures having equivalent effect †¦between the Member States.’ Article 29 makes the same provision in respect of exports. Article 30 provides that †¦Articles 28 and 29 shall not preclude prohibitions or restrictions on imports, exports or goods in transit justified on grounds of public morality, public policy or public security; the protection of health and life of humans, animals or plants; the protection of national treasures possessing artistic; or the protection of industrial and commercial property. Such prohibitions or restrictions shall not, however, constitute a means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between the Member States. It is against this background that the Netherlands may pursue an action against the UK. The position taken by the UK authorities in relation to the lifting of the poultry ban on the Netherlands is a contravention of the spirit of free and open trade within the European Community. The European Community has set as its goal the facilitation of a free enterprise market while simultaneously protecting the consumer interest within the Member States.

The Literature Review and Final Reflection Assignment

The Literature Review and Final Reflection - Assignment Example Moreover, literature review helps an individual to both increase statistical knowledge in his or her search area and also generate new ideas that are original, thus avoiding duplication of other researchers. Also, according to Dawidowicz (2010), the context within which a study is placed is influenced by how full or good the literature search was done. Literature review also justifies the relevance of the proposed research. A weak literature review can diminish the research proposal because it often treats research claims equivalently (Anderson, 2000). Development of the hypothesis or research questions relies too much on the understanding of the topic one intends to investigate, and this understanding comes from a good literature search. Therefore, a weak literature review diminishes the development of the research problem. A weak literature review does not show the originality of the research problem, which means it involves only summarized publications. Therefore, for the literature review to show originality of the research problem, it must give potential evidence that the research will be relevant and original to research results (Oliver, 2010). In the result and discussion section of the report, the findings of a researcher are compared with those of the literature. In the case of any differences, their existence and meaning are discussed in this section. Therefore, the literature review and research questions connect the discussion section to the introduction (Labaree, 2013). In this section also, statements about how the researcher’s findings reveal new gaps in the previous literature are discussed (Hart, 1998). Weaknesses in other literatures are also presented in this section, and ways of improving them are discussed. Therefore, literature review plays an important role in the discussion and result section of a research report. The most valuable task in the research process is

One variety of Shamanism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

One variety of Shamanism - Essay Example These are the needs, which paved the way for Shamans and Shamanism. Since the earliest Homo sapiens, hundreds of cultures around the world have developed different varieties of Shamanistic traditions which have fascinated generations of scholars and researchers. The traces of shamanism can be found in every continent. Some of the varieties of Shamanism are the Celtic Shamanism, Vedic Shamanism, Siberian Shamanism, Mongolian Shamanism, Tibetan Shamanism, Chinese Shamanism etc. what is common to all these manifestations of Shamanism is the healing of the body, mind and soul - a kind of purification. The study of these aboriginal traditions broadens our understanding of Shamanism as a whole. The evidence of the fact that Shamanism is an age-old tradition can be found in ancient literary texts such as The Rig Vedas. Vedic Shamanism, which flourished in the East and Central Asia is very similar to the other Shamanistic traditions, and believed in an animating principle that permeates through all things and all beings. That unseen essence of being is called the soul. The Shamans used roots and barks and produced a rattle sound while healing. It is believed that the Shamans made the rock paintings of Bhimbetaka in India. The meditative tradition in Asia that advocates Yoga is an offshoot of the Vedic Shamanism. Yoga attempts to set the mind in a thoughtless zone. This meditative tradition explores the ancient wisdom that an unseen energy flows through all beings and is connected directly to the quality of life. By trapping that life force, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being can be ensured. Although the process is spiritual in nature, it is not confined to any religion. The Yoga masters suggest that it is necessary to have a clear perception of the Self. Unless one recognizes the inherent energy, the pilgrim's progress towards eternity will be obstructed. How does one come to become a Shaman According to Robert M. Huff, a Shaman "may have received" his "calling to become a shaman as a result of a near-death experience in which" he was "carried into the spirit world and met teachers who helped them to learn healing songs, medicines, and revelations about the future. A shaman may also be born into the role, or be trained for it after demonstrating some special aptitude for healing." Every generation expects someone to take on the role of the shaman. The Roles of a Shaman: Michael Harner tells us that 'Shaman' is a Tungis word which originated in Siberia. It means one who can see with eyes closed or in the dark. The Shaman can be either a man or a woman. The chief role that the Shaman plays is that of a healer, as he knows the pragmatic techniques of diagnosis. Another important role of the Shaman is dealing with the spirits, because he is the one who can retrieve lost souls and banish the intruding souls. Davidson, in his book Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, writes, "The shaman acts as intermediary between the world of men and the gods, and has the power to descend into the realms of the dead. His spirit is believed to journey forth from his body, which remains in a state of trance. Sometime the long journey which it takes is described by him in a chant." (118). A significant role of the shaman, according to

Current Climate Change and Mitigation Research Paper

Current Climate Change and Mitigation - Research Paper Example Climate change is one of the greatest threats to modern civilization.   Earth is currently experiencing a rapid increase in mean temperature.   The global scope of this phenomenon makes it particularly challenging because efforts to address the problem require cooperation between many different nations and international corporations.   Add to this the disagreements over the veracity of the problem and the mechanisms causing our planet to warm, and what you will find is a very dangerous situation with no easy remedies. Earth’s climate is a changeable climate.   We know through studying dendrochronology, ice core samples, mud core samples and historical records that the earth has gone through many cyclical changes in climate over the millennia. As little as 1000 years ago, the earth experienced a period of rapid warming known as the Medieval Warming Period. Northern locations, such as the southern regions of Greenland became inhabitable and were colonized by Viking settlers. A mere 200 years ago saw the northern hemisphere experience a climate anomaly known as the Little Ice Age. European glacial ice advanced down mountainsides, growing seasons shortened and crops failed. What caused these most recent episodes of climate change? That question is an important one because its answer is at the heart of the current debate surrounding the veracity of our current heating. Many complex systems help to regulate earth’s temperature. The circulation of warm waters from the equator towards the pole and cold water from cold to warm helps to evenly distribute heat in the northern and southern hemispheres. Changes in this thermohaline circulation have been linked to periods of cooling on earth. The amount of aerosols emitted from volcanic activity is also a factor that determines world climate. Other determinants involve the changing degree of axial tilt of the earth and the variable distance between the earth and the sun caused by an ever-changing (albeit slowly) orbit around the sun.  Ã‚