Calvin Klein Essays - Calvin Klein, Warnaco Group, Free Essays

Calvin Klein Essays - Calvin Klein, Warnaco Group, Free Essays In Back to the Future, Marty McFly goes by the name Calvin Klein after he is called that by his fifties mother because he is wearing CK underwear. On Family Guy, Klein is seen asking to use Stewie in one of his ads. When Peter feels unsure, Brian states "Peter, this is heterosexual fashion designer Calvin Klein," referencing the homosexual stereotype of male fashion designers. 1. Calvin Richard Klein born November 19, 1942, in The Bronx, New York Developed a passion for fashion and drawing at age of 14 2. EDUCATION Studied at Manhattans Fashion Institute of Technology, but never graduated Attanded the High school of Art and Design, gratuaded from it when he was 18 4. BUSINESS Launched his own clothing company with childhood friend Barry Schwartz With Kleins designs and Schwartzs financialbacking, a fashion empire was born Hes been designing sportswear since the 1970s The first Calvin Klein jeans were introduced in 1972 Started selling his own CK brand underwear when he was 40 5. PARFUMES Sinece the late 80s First: Obsession and Eternity 6. COSMETICS since the 1990s launched his own CK brand cosmetics and make-up at the age of 55 only sold in the best department stores such as Harrods, in London, and Bloomingdales in New York 7. Calvin Klein has been awarded Coty Award - 1973,1974,1975 Council of Fashion Designers of America Award - 1982,1983,1986 CDFA (Council for Fashion Designers of America) award - 1993 Americas Best Designer of 1993 Award Key Dates: 1968: The Calvin Klein brand is launched. 1973: Klein wins his first Coty American Fashion Critics Award. 1979: Calvin Klein controls one-fifth of the designer jeans market. 1982: Klein enters the underwear business. 1985: A new perfume called Obsession is launched with a $17 million advertising campaign. 1989: A Unilever Co. subsidiary purchases the Calvin Klein cosmetics/fragrance line. 1994: A unisex fragrance, cKone, is introduced; the companys underwear business is licensed to Warnaco Group Inc. 2000: Klein files suit against Warnaco Group and its CEO Linda Wachner. 2003: Calvin Klein is acquired by Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation. Quick Facts BORN IN The Bronx FATHER Flore Stern SIBLINGS Barry Klein, Alexis Klein SPOUSES Jayne Centre Klein, Kelly Rector CHILDREN Marci Klein EDUCATION Fashion Institute of Technology High School of Art and Design FOUNDER/CO-FOUNDER Calvin Klein NET WORTH $700 Million Following His graduation from the High School of Art and Design, Calvin Klein studied clothing design at Manhattans Fashion Institute of Technology. Inspired by the new and unaffected style of New Yorks city youngster, Klein was ready to start his own clothing company in 1968. With financial aid from a childhood friend Klein hired a dressmaker to make a some of his elegant womans coats and dresses. This merchandise was seen in a dirty showroom by a merchandise administrator from Bonwit Teller. The department store purchased $50,000 worth of apparel and displayed samples in eight windows, kicking of Kleins career. By 1970, Calvin Klein acquired a trademark for his infamous CK trade mark. Soon thereafter, Klein received the Coty Award, a prestigious design award, three continuous years in a row in 1973, 1974, and 1975. In addition, he added many product lines and categories and obtained models such as Brooke Shields and Mark Wahlberg. These models careers took off after their Calvin Kl ein debut because the brand has received much recognition over the years for its sleek, classic, and minimal look. By 2003 Phillips-Van Heusen purchased the company where Calvin Klein remained active within the company as a head designer. The company continues to offer a variety of products to a wide target market. The Calvin Klein brand, owned by Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, covers a wide variety of product classifications. Designer Calvin Klein made his debut at a small New York showroom with coats and dresses for women in 1968. Kleins first designs represented a city chic style of a young woman living and working in New York. These designs were noticed in the apparel industry, and a successful brand name was founded in that small showroom. The next product line from Calvin Klein was womens sportswear, which attracted the interests of popular fashion magazines Bazaar and Vogue. Klein has included sportswear for 5 women in his seasonal lines since the original line was launched . The trademark product of the Calvin Klein brand came out in 1970 and has been the most popular

3 More Misplaced Modifiers

3 More Misplaced Modifiers 3 More Misplaced Modifiers 3 More Misplaced Modifiers By Mark Nichol Additional information must be placed carefully in a sentence to ensure that it is associated with the correct part of the sentence. Here are three sentences with misplaced modifiers, plus discussions and revisions. 1. â€Å"John Smith was the school’s first Lombardi Award winner in 1979, given to college football’s best lineman.† This sentence implies that John Smith was the first of two or more teammates to win the Lombardi Award in 1979, and that 1979 was given to college football’s best lineman. However, the award is given to only one student-athlete each year, and â€Å"given to college football’s best lineman† modifies â€Å"Lombardi Award,† not 1979 (and not winner, so â€Å"in 1979† cannot be shifted to the end of the sentence without further modification of the sentence). This revision correctly places the modifying phrase and alters the verb phrase to allow â€Å"in 1979† to follow the parenthetical description of the award: â€Å"John Smith won USC’s first Lombardi Award, given to college football’s best lineman, in 1979.† 2. â€Å"The superintendent spoke about a Nazi-themed assignment given to students at a news conference.† According to this statement, the students were given the assignment at a news conference. To clarify that the assignment was discussed, not assigned, at the conference, the reference to the conference should begin the sentence: â€Å"At a news conference, the superintendent spoke about a Nazi-themed assignment given to students.† 3. â€Å"Hydrogen and oxygen do not need an enzyme to create water because of their perfect valence electron pairing.† The part of the sentence starting with because modifies the rest of the sentence. But the location of the modifying phrase sets up the possibility that the discussion will have a â€Å"not because [this], but because [that]† structure. For a clear reading of the sentence, start with the modifying phrase: â€Å"Because of their perfect valence electron pairing, hydrogen and oxygen do not need an enzyme to create water.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?Five Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"Rite, Write, Right, Wright

Change of Demographics in Central America from 1450 to 1914 Essay - 2

Change of Demographics in Central America from 1450 to 1914 - Essay Example However, as soon as Columbus discovered America, the indigenous people were exposed to many kinds of diseases including measles and smallpox. Most of these diseases were brought to the land of Central America by the animals kept by the Europeans. In 1450, the total population of the people in Central America was some millions. 3 centuries later, in 1750, number of people left in the Central America was even lesser than 10 per cent of the population in 1450. Immigration, was one factor that particularly revered the conventional demographic pattern in the Central America. In 1500s, Europeans began to immigrate to the Central America in large numbers. Europeans brought new kinds of domestic animals including cows and horses as well as germs to the Central America. The indigenous people, who acquired the diseases and died away were replaced by the slaves from Africa. The Africans grew much more in population as compared to the Europeans. There were about 10 million Africans in Central America in 1750. In 1790, number of slaves in Haiti was 500000 while the number of whites was no more than 40000 and there were 30000 people of mixed colors. The Industrial Revolution that took place around the year 1914 improved the general health and safety conditions of the people of Central America, as a result of which, the population seared up. More and more people moved towards the cities to make use of the emerging employment opportunities and improve the quality of living. Most of the Central America was urbanized during this time, and the descendants of Europeans and Africans replaced the original indigenous people of Central America. Women in Judaism are considered equal to yet separate from men. Their responsibilities are totally different from those of the men but are equally important. In Judaism, unlike most other religions, God is not referred to exclusively as male.

How the existence of cheat codes could hurt Johnsons argument about Research Paper - 1

How the existence of cheat codes could hurt Johnsons argument about video games - Research Paper Example If there is one thing that could invalidate Johnson’s arguments on the usefulness of video games in building the mental and cognitive abilities of children, it is in the existence of cheat codes. It therefore becomes pertinent to analyze Johnson’s arguments on this issue in order to ascertain its validity. Johnson bases his arguments on what he calls the sleeper curve as he says that, â€Å"the Sleeper Curve is a universe of popular entertainment that trends intellectually speaking, ever upward, so that today's pop-culture consumer has to do more cognitive work, making snap decisions and coming up with long term strategies in role playing video games, for example, or mastering new virtual environments on the Internet than ever before.† (Johnson 39). The existence of cheat codes; such as the ability of a player to access skill levels, tools, extra lives and abilities have really affected Johnson’s arguments on video games as his idea that video games help i n broadening people’s minds are relegated to the background by the availability of cheat codes. Johnson believes that even the most boring video games are capable of stimulating interesting cognitive work in the mind of a child. Johnson could be right in his arguments that playing video games develop a child’s intelligence quotient (IQ) as research has shown that children that play video games tend to have higher IQs than children that do not, but the fact remains that the importance of video games in developing a child’s mental ability has been negated by the existence of cheat codes. These cheat codes have made it possible for children to win games easily and the essence of video games as a cognitive and mental building tool has been lost. Children play video games for fun and they derive more pleasure in winning their opponents and to achieve this, they use different tactics and strategies that would make them victorious in a particular game (Gee 17-18). John son also says that, â€Å"One of the best ways to grasp the cognitive virtues of game playing is to ask committed players to describe what’s going on in their heads halfway through a long virtual adventure like Zelda or Half Life.† (Johnson 47). The fact that the art of playing video games involves problem solving techniques would truly help make people that play them to be mentally alert, but when there are now cheat codes, this purpose is ultimately defeated. Children would usually rely on cheat codes, which are like shortcuts to success and video games would no longer serve the purpose that Johnson feels they should serve as these video games would no longer have the capability of building the intellectual capacity of the children. Rather than make good use of the advantages of the video games in building their intellectual capacity, children begin to see that there is a shortcut to success in life. Through the availability of cheat codes, the children would begin t o look at life from another perspective as they would have a very bad mentality and think that they can achieve success by being insincere. While Johnson’s argument about video games could be true, the fact remains that they are only true in cases where there is no access to cheat codes. Video games if played the normal way have been known to develop a child’s mental ability. Children that play video games without access to cheat codes have the tendency of doing better than their parents on an IQ test, but the ones that use cheat codes would not have the same mental ability as the ones that play the games the normal way. The difference between the real world and the gaming world can also be deduced from this statement, â€Å"

Final global business plan Essay Example for Free

Final global business plan Essay The ASEAN was founded in 1967 to promote the alliances of the countries in Southeast Asia. The current members of the ASEAN are the Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam (ASEAN, 2010) Physical Environment The physical environment of Southeast Asia is primarily a warm climate other than the high elevation areas (Andaya, 2009). The physical environment also differs from the ocean and jungle geographical areas. A primary concern within the physical environment is the availability of safe drinking water in many areas of Southeast Asia and the air quality. Political Stability The political stability within Southwest Asia is very questionable in many areas of the region due to the terrorist activities; however with the support of the U.S. and other countries the threat is reduced just not eliminated. A scoring system was used to evaluate the region based on data that was provided by AMB Country Risk Reports. The rating system is; One Very Low Risk, two Low Risk, three Moderate Risk, four High Risk, and five -Very High Risk. The country leads the region with are risk score of one is Singapore followed by Indonesia two, Malaysia and Thailand three, Philippines and Viet Nam 4. The Philippines and Viet Nam have significant political risks that need to be taken into consideration (A.M. Best, 2010). Economic Conditions The economic risks within major countries of Southeast Asia are moderate at best. In the recent economic downward trend Southeast Asia is seeing the effects the slowing economic trend with their major trading partners the United States and Europe. The demands for exports are decreasing and forecasts for 2009-2010 expect this trend to continue (A.M. Best, 2010). A scoring system was used to evaluate the region based on data that was provided by AMB Country Risk Reports the rating system is; One Very Low Risk, two Low Risk, three Moderate Risk, four High Risk, and five -Very High Risk.† The country leads the region with are risk score of one is Singapore, followed by Indonesia two, Malaysia and Thailand three, Philippines and Viet Nam four. The Philippines and Viet Nam have significant economic risks that need to be taken into consideration (A.M. Best, 2010). Financial Options and Risks The financial system within the Southeast Asia region indicates a moderate to high risk on average other than the country of Singapore. As the global economy tightens credit requirements, this can have a significant impact on the financial stability in the region (Country Risk, 2010). A scoring system was used to evaluate the region based on data that was provided by AMB Country Risk Reports. The rating system is; One Very Low Risk, two Low Risk, three Moderate Risk, four High Risk, and five -Very High Risk. The country leads the region with are risk score of one is Singapore, followed by, Malaysia and Thailand three, Philippines and Indonesia four, and Viet Nam- five. The Philippines, Indonesia, and Viet Nam have significant financial risks that need to be taken into consideration (A.M. Best, 2010). Political stability There is a constant threat of terrorism according to the U.S. Department of State diplomacy in action website: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2794.htm, but the political stability is stable because of the continued efforts of the U.S. and other international entities such as the International Monitoring team. Economic conditions The economic conditions are stable; the Philippine government has been working over the past few years to reduce its deficits down to 0.2% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and is continuously working to balance its budget. Finance options available According to an article Philippines: Types of Business Organizations that Foreign Investors may Establish in the Philippines there are several financial options available that are: These include the establishment by a foreign corporation of a (i) local subsidiary through a domestic corporation, (ii) a branch office, (iii) a representative office, (iv) a regional or area headquarters, or (v) a regional operating headquarters. Entry into the Philippines can also be achieved through joint ventures with other domestic corporations (Manalastas, and Guinto, 2000). Physical environment and its affect on trade The locality of the Philippines creates some environmental issues that needs to be taken into consideration there are three main issues the first two are seasonal; the typhoon season from June through November, the monsoon rain season from July through December. The third issue that is unpredictable is the volcanic eruptions that can happen at any time (The Philippines, 2010). Social, health, and environmental conditions The majority of the Philippine people do live in poverty and the mortality rate for babies is high; however the health care is improving the Philippines have been recognized for eliminating Polio (The Philippines, 2010). Although there is a pollution problem, the government of the Philippines is stepping in to help reduce pollution by enacting and enforcing laws that actually is helping clean up their environment. Cultural considerations When doing business in the Philippines there is a couple of cultural consideration to keep in mind such as it is unacceptable behavior to correct a person in public, to cause a person to lose face by refusing or saying no to a person, and do not accept an invitation to a family meal when first asked, if the invitation is asked a second time then it is all right to accept (The Philippines, 2010). Organizational Description Apple Computer, Inc. is headquartered in Cupertino, California. The company is a worldwide producer, designs, markets, manufactures computers, digital music and video players. Founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ron Wayne, apple sells to all consumers small, mid-sized, and large businesses. The company sells its products through retail stores, online stores, and also third party wholesalers. The increase in awareness of value of the internet, and convenience it gives to its users will soon bring more to the table for the Philippines. Since the internet has been a big expansion for many markets many businesses have found use to this to expand their business overseas. Since 2000 to 2009 the internet usage has gone up from 2,000,000 (2.6%) to 24,000,000 (24.5%) in the Philippines. Apple’s line of digital music players has taken advantage by providing iPod users to download digital music files to their iPods. Apple Inc., sales a line of iPod digital music and video players to both the Windows and Mac users that also provides online services that can, as described in this article Reuters Profile: Apple INC. (AAPL.O) which states; â€Å"distribute third-party music, audio books, music videos, television shows, movies, podcasts, and applications† (Reuters, 2010), through the iTunes Store. ITunes is a digital music application for downloading and playing digital audio and video files. Since Philippines have about 24,000,000 internet users as of June 2009 which is about 24.5% of the population in the Philippines there is potential growth for this market to grow. With new information about Netflix possibly signing an agreement with Apple Inc. sales can possibly increase since there will be more possibilities for iPod users to download through Netflix servers. Risk Analysis Week 3 The purpose of this document is to analyze the risks that are involved in establishing a global business operation in a foreign country of the Philippines. The document will detail the risks of introducing Apple Incorporated and the iPod to the Philippines. The risks that will be covered include political risks, legal risks, exchange rate financial risks, and taxation risks. The document will also detail a variety of additional risks, specific marketing strategies and performance measurement that will impact the overall success of Apple Incorporated within the country of the Philippines. Political/Legal/Regulatory risks The Philippines is a bureaucratic country. It has a complex network of regulations, permissions, procedures, and authorities with approval procedures. Many of these restrictions are designed to bar off newcomers entering the country’s existing industries. This will not be the case for Apple Inc. The political, legal, and regulatory risks of opening an Apple store in the Philippines vary. Apple’s plan is to acquire an existing retail store and moving under the Apple brand. Even though the political risk is high Apple Inc. is in no way threatening to the political climate in the Philippines. The Philippines has been working in developing relationships with neighboring countries, â€Å"build close ties with neighboring countries in Southeast Asia through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)† (A.M. Best Company, Inc, 2009).Legally, the risk associated with opening the store could be great, and the company must make sure it is in compliance with rules and regulations regarding the opening and operation of the store. The most immediate regulatory risk to business is because of mandated price agreements used by the government to combat inflation. Apple Inc. sees Philippines as a country poised for a great economic turn-around in the Internet and electronics market. Indicators such as World Stats forecast that the country is on a steady uphill swing. Exchange/ Repatriation of Funds Risks Exchange rates and repatriation of funds needs to be considered with Apple opening a store in the Philippines. Philippines are very open to foreign investors as a way to grow the local economy. However on January 2007, in an ongoing effort to promote two key goals, â€Å"the Philippine government has issued the Seventh Regular Foreign Investment Negative List† (Baleva, 2007), protecting domestic industries and encouraging foreign investors to participate in certain areas of enterprise. Pricing will also be a factor if the company bases there pricing by US standards. Exchange rate on US dollars to Pesos needs to factor in. Competitive Risk Assessment Apple’s key competitors are already doing business in the Philippines and creating a strong and profitable presence. Competitors such as Sony, Samsung, and Sansa have been doing business in the Philippines for many years. Apple’s target entrance into the market will give consumers more options and encourage more competition within the market. Taxation/Double Taxation Risks The agreement of double taxation outlines what taxes are covered, defines who the parties are and the context of the agreement and itemizes what is covered under the agreement. Underlining the rules under which a business’ profits are taxed and when double taxation comes into action. The double taxation agreement defines the establishment of permanent residence, which Apple Inc. would seek to have by opening a store in the country on a permanent basis. HM revenue customs defines permanent establishment as, â€Å"a fixed place of business in which the business of the enterprise is wholly or partly carried on† (HM Revenue Customs, n.d.). Based on the information contained in the agreement it is possible that Apple will be possibly doubled taxed. Market risks (four Ps price, place, promotion, and product) One of the risks that every business needs to address when selling their product in a foreign country is pricing the product to high that only a small portion of customers can afford to buy the product. According to the article Manila’s living costs, wages among the lowest it states; â€Å"To illustrate, workers in Zurich are paid $22.60 per hour ($30.30 gross), while workers in Geneva are paid $20.40 per hour ($29.20 gross)—a far cry from what average workers in Manila are paid: $1.40 per hour ($1.60 gross)† (Victoria, 2009). One of the ways to address this issue is to buy in large quantity, so that cost can be driven down. Currently the Philippines is experiencing a power crisis, which is a risk within itself in the article Philippines power at crisis point of the Asian Times it states; â€Å"Recent electricity outages in the Philippines has sparked concern that the country is on its way to its second power crisis in 20 years† (Rubrico, 2010). If there is no electricity, it will be hard to sell iPods to customers especially in the dark. Our company can purchase generators that can be used during the power outages. The Ipods are very popular and expensive in the Philippines, which has created a market of iPod thieves. According to Davao Today article iPod Thieves on the Rise in RP that states; â€Å"iPods may now be joining wallets and mobile phones as attractive targets for thieves and pickpockets† (No author mentioned, 2010). Train both employees and customers how to avoid being a victim, this will show the customers we just don’t think of them as a sale but as a person. Marketing Research Approach The marketing research approach for the Apple Store is a five step process that includes defining potential problems, developing a research plan, collecting relevant information by specifying data, developing findings, and taking marketing actions based on the analysis of data findings (Marketing Research, 2006). The research objectives will be to determine if there is a demand for the products offered by the Apple Store. The research plan will consist of surveying a minimum of 1,000 to 2,000 consumers in the target region of the Philippines. Contact information will be gathered to later obtain positive or negative feedback on the products that are offered by the Apple Store. An online survey will also be conducted through the Apple Store via the internet. This will assist in later developing marketing strategies applicable to the products offer by the Apple Store that are in demand in the target region. Some types of questions that will be asked during the Apple Store survey are as follows: 1) What is your age? 2) What is your gender? 3) Would you purchase the products offered by the Apple Store? 4) What did you like about the product? 5) What did you dislike about the product? 6.) Was the product easy to use? 7.) What would you change about the product, if anything? 8.) Will you continue to use the product? 9.) Would you recommend the product to a friend? 10.) What would you consider a fair price for the product? Apple Store Marketing Mix The marketing mix of product, price, place, and promotion is a crucial part of the introduction of the products being offered at the proposed Apple Store. A strong strategic marketing plan developed by the marketing team will assist the Apple Store in getting of to a positive start. The products offered by the Apple Store will include all items that a consumer can purchase through the on-line Apple Store web address http://store.apple.com/ph. The products include the wide variety of iPod products, iPhones, and Mac products. The physical location of the Apple Store needs to be in a high traffic public area that will attract many customers. The pricing strategy of the products offered at the Apple Store in the Philippines will targeted to under cut the competition in the region during the first 6 months of operation while still maintaining reasonable profit margins on the Apple Store products. This strategy will help in initially establishing the presence of the Apple Store in the target region. Apple Store executives will consistently monitor the progress of the Apple Store in the Philippines during the first 6 months of operations and recommend solutions to any potential risks that come up during this time period. After the first 6 months of operation in the region the product pricing strategy will be revisited. The location of the Apple Store will be critical to the overall financial success of the business. The attributes that are desirable for the physical location of the Apple Store include a highly visible location with heavy consumer traffic. An additional attribute is needs to be considered is the location of the store will be easily accessible for ease of the distribution channels to replenish inventory needs with minimal risk. In selecting a location with these attributes the Apple Store will have a higher probability of meeting or exceeding business goals and objectives. The strategic marketing plan will identify specific dates that will provide the best dates for a promotional sale grand opening of the Apple Store in the Philippines. To start the promotional period the marketing team will start advertising the grand opening of the Apple store several weeks prior to the grand opening. Apple Store products will be advertised by using magazine ads, internet and television spots, and any other means of promotion detailed as a strong promotional tactic in the region. The marketing team will need to pay close attention to see how quickly the product inventory will move from the shelves during the first few weeks of operation if the Apple Store is approved for implementation in the Philippines. The marketing strategy also needs to verify that there is sufficient demand for the Apple Store products. Distribution and supply chain risks There are a few items that make distribution and supply risky in the Philippines, as stated in the Spend Matters article Apple’s Risky iPod Supply Chain; What types of risk? Well, try an active volcano located less than 20 miles away, proximity within an earthquake zone (which makes San Francisco’s seismic activity look tame), and the very real threat of tropic storms and typhoons. And thats not even considering that the area around the plants is subject to regular flooding from storm water, blocking ingress of people and egress of goods [the factories] even sends people home early when a serious storm is forecast, because of the risk that the roads will be impassable.† (Busch, J. 2006) No one can prevent Mother Nature from happening, but we can be prepared by staying updated on the weather reports and staying alert to nature’s surroundings. By staying prepared and knowing what to do in the event of a natural disaster, will prevent personal injuries to emp loyees and customers as well as minimizing damages to our product. Distribution Channel Management The marketing team will perform extensive research before the introduction of the Apple Store begins business operations in the Philippines. Determining a reliable distribution channel in a global business operation is an important formula for success. The main distribution channel will start in the United States and products will be distributed to the Philippines based on inventory needs transmitted through an electronic data base. The distribution of the Apple Store products from shipping destination within the Philippines to the Apple store location is an addition characteristic that needs to be considered because of the threat of theft that exists within the target country. Once the store headquarters has been established then logistics such as shipping, receiving, and storage in smaller warehouses will be considered based on distribution risk factors have been evaluated. One prime objective of the Apple Store in the Philippines is to meet or exceed our customers’ needs. Physical and environmental challenges to entering and operating in a target market There are several physical and environmental challenges when operating a business in the Philippines, some of the physical challenges include political unrest, corruption, terrorism, and extortion these are just a few that needs to be address. The environmental challenges include pollution (water and air), natural disasters (volcano eruptions and flooding), unemployment according to Index munbdi: Philippines unemployment rate that shows for 2010 to be an estimated 7.5% (No author mentioned, 2010). Staying informed is key to handling these types of risks, some things can be handled by local authorities and others will have to be dealt with the best way possible depending on the situation. Social and cultural risks In the social and cultural circle, the risk of misunderstanding in many categories is very easily done such as those listed in the article Centre for intercultural learning: Cultural Information Philippines that are: â€Å"Conversation, Communications Styles, Display of Emotions, Dress, Punctuality, Formality, and Decision Making† (No author mentioned, 2009). Not knowing how to address each of these items can lead to offending the Filipino people, which will cause problems in doing business in the community. Common sense and proper communications will just about handle each of these risk, also by participating in community events and helping the community during a time of crisis will promote unity between the company and the local people. Cyber or Technology Stealing technology and cyber attacks are a big risks, the government of the Philippines still needs to catch up the laws concerning today’s technology. In the article, Experts Call for Stringent Laws against Cyber Crime in Philippines states that; â€Å"The security researchers states that these kinds of e-mail attacks occur more commonly across the Philippines since there arent any cyber crime laws in the country to catch and prosecute Internet criminals, particularly e-mail fraudsters† (No author mentioned, 2010). Common sense applies to these risks as well, making sure that our computer systems maintain the most recent updates on security programs and training the employees to never give out passwords and shut down the computer every night before going home are just some suggestions that will prevent problems down the road. Define and clarify mission and objectives The Mission Statement of Apple Incorporated will remain the same as researches through multiple sources according to Investor Relation of Apple (located on the FAQ page) it states that; Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone (Apple-History, 2010 6). Philippines Internet use has grown remarkably throughout the years. Internet World Stats estimated as of March 2009, there are 20.6 million Internet users coming to about 21.5% of the entire population in the Philippines. Apple Inc. has selected the Philippines to begin expansion providing stores and Internet downloading over the web for users to download digital audio, video, and podcast files. The primary business objective is to establish a 15% profit margin in the first year of operation within the Philippines. In each subsequent year after the first a 5% increase to the profit margin has been established as a goal until the profit margin reaches a 30%. Additional objectives include obtaining a 10% market share of the products offered by Apple Incorporated and a 4% increase per year over the next 3 years. Customer satisfaction has also been established at a target percentage of 97%. SWOTT Analysis SWOTT analysis is a useful tool to determine the strengths, weaknesses. Opportunities and threats that exist within a global business entity or region are being evaluated for risk factors. The team has developed a SWOTT analysis for the target region to identify these factors prior to engaging in any business operation within the Philippines. This will assist the team in identifying key characteristics in the structure and development of Apple Incorporated within the Philippines. Current Competitors Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape for Apple Store are the following companies that have a strong hold on a large portion of the population that Apple Store will have to compete with in the global market place. These companies manufacture similar technology devices that Apple Store is competing for to increase global market share. Their products are known throughout the global technology market where competition is extremely competitive. Competitors’ of the Apple Store include Dell Incorporated, Hewlett Packard, and Gateway. The engineering development of new improved technology will assist the Apple Store in gaining competitive advantage over the competitors. Customer satisfaction is a primary objective at the Apple Store. A recent survey conducted in 2008 by the University of Michigan named the American Customer Satisfaction Index ACSI indicated that Apple had a ten point advantage over its closest competitor (Computerworld, 2010). The Apple Store that is being considered in the Philippines will have the same target goal in reference to customer satisfaction in the target region. Strategy Selection The strategy selection of Apple Incorporated is to establish a base store that strategically reports back sales results and inventory needs to a home base location within the United States electronically. The strategy of the company will be to promote the iPod through lower price cost structures than existing competitors. The company will also launch a marketing campaign to promote this strategy through established marketing structures that exist within the Philippenes. This will assist Apple Incorporated in notifying consumers of company existence in the region while promoting our lower priced product. The mode of entry to develop Apple Incorporated to enter the Phillipenes will be the direct investment mode. Apple Incorporated will be establishing a location within the country and then based on all business results will determine if additional locations within the country are needed to meet customer demand. Advantages of this mode of entry include high sales potential, low political risk, and the company could be viwed as an insider (Quick MBA, 2010). Because of some of the high risk elements that exist within the Philippenes Apple Incorporated will need to be cautious by limiting the amount capital that the company will spend in the direct investment mode. Control and Evaluation Specific measures will be monitored on a weekly basis to track the progress and continous improvement opportunities that exist to set up operations within the Phillipenes. The key characteristics that impact overall business results will be evaltated to establish a proactive approach to issues that will have an impact these results. The key characteristics will include sales, inventory, taxes, and process limitations. This will assist Apple Incorporated in providing a quick responsive action to any underlying problems that need to be resolved. Sales goals and profit margins will also be evaluated to determine the overall success within the Phillipenes. Contigency Plan Apple Incorporated will need a contigency plan to account for risk factors that have some probability of resulting in business profitability not reaching overall expectations. The contigency plan that Apple Incorporated has in place consists of closing the existing store if business objectives are not achieved with leaving options open for changing the mode of entry into the Phillipenes to exporting the product through established distribution channels. This contigency plan still allows the company to establish sales within the Phillipenes while reducing investment risk. Financial Overview Apple has the possibility for a strong financial investment in the expansion into the Philippines. The risks associated with the investment into the Philippines do not outweigh the benefits that can realistically be achieved. After thoroughly researching the Pilipino market, the Ayala Group, one of the largest firms in the Philippines is supposedly involved in a project to put up an official Apple store in the Philippines (Technograph, 2009). This is beneficial because less money will have to be invested in research and development, as well as marketing and advertising since the organization is already known throughout the Philippines. The economy in the Philippines has not shown extreme changes or any sudden implications that the economy is getting stronger. The Philippine GDP for the year 2009 has barely risen 1% but has, â€Å"weathered the 2008-09 global recessions better than its regional peers due to minimal exposure to securities issued by troubled global financial institutions† (index mundi, 2008). Operating Expenses As projected for expenses for one apple store, the budget chart shows total operating expenses at $5, 482 and operating income at $11,740 and other income and expenses at $326. There are many providers that impact operating expenses such as utilities, taxes, and advertisement. Apple has projected a total operating expense at $5,482 for one apple store. When assembling a budget chart, it is essential to take into account all factors to properly manage a business. It is important to trust that focused investments in Research and Development (RD) are significant to a company’s future competitive and expansion position in a foreign market and are directed towards the development of new and improved products that are central to the company’s core business strategy. As such, Apple expects to make further investments in RD to expand and remain competitive in the Filipino market. Other factors of influence that can help expand Apple into the foreign market, is the company’s persistent expansion of its retail division in both international and domestic markets, top stock-based return expenses and higher spending on marketing and advertising (Apple Investor 2010). The chart below shows the estimated monthly general budget of the operation of one store in the Philippines, providing that the decision is made to proceed with the plans to set up and begin operations. This is a rough estimate, because of the many factors that may and will fluctuate either in a positive or negative way can cause a change on the expense side, however the further we proceed the more accurate our budget will become. Financial Overview General Budget Foreign Exchange Risk Studies have found that many Asian-Pacific businesses are exposed to one or more of the world’s major currencies: the Euro, the US dollar, the British pound, and the Japanese Yen. Some of the greatest dangers were produce by fluctuations in the US dollar. This impacted 58 percent in the Philippines, â€Å"currency fluctuations affected the profitability of companies whose financial assets and liabilities (most notably debt) were held in foreign currencies† (Vanderbilt, 2007). When choosing to invest in the Philippines, the foreign exchange risks associated with business ventures are significant because of an Asian financial crisis during (1996-1998), â€Å"more than half of the studied companies in Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines, and about a third of those in Japan and Singapore, were exposed to the dollar, and about a quarter of the firms in Singapore were exposed to the yen† (Vanderbilt, 2007). Risk Management Transaction risk refers to the fact that the cash flow value of foreign currency contracts may change due to exchange rate fluctuations. Additionally, since the organization will be buying and selling goods in foreign currency to a certain extent, the foreign exchange risk increases. The potential negative aspects associated with doing business in the Philippines are significant since the business will be using Filipino Pesos, which has an inflation rate of 4.4 percent. As a result, there is a risk that the exchange rate as with any currency may change unfavorably before the currency is actually exchanged. However, these risks can be counteracted by utilizing forward hedging, which is a way to lock in an exchange rate on an agreed future date. This will allow the organization to be completely aware of future cash inflows and outflows, as well as the value of the organization’s profits in US currency since the exchange rate will not change due to the purchase of forward hedging. Financing Given the current international economic instability, the choice of choosing from domestic or international financing is tough because there are significant risks associated with each. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has offered financing opportunities to the Philippines; currently the EIB has one billion euro allocations in 18 Asian countries including the Philippines. If the company chooses to move forward with the international venture, the company would choose to finance through the EIB. The EIB, â€Å"has provided over 600 million euros in funding for multiple projects in the country coursed through the government and private sector† (European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, 2009). Centralized versus Decentral ized The parent company and its iPod department within the parent company, both works as a centralized organization because having an effective control is essential to the everyday operations for both the domestic and global sectors. It would be essential for the parent company to make the final decisions regarding all aspects of the company’s operation, because every unit and sub-unit such as manufacturing plant located in Mexico and the shipping department located in the U.S. of the company has to report all information of their daily operations to the parent company allowing the parent company to know what the left and right hand is doing basically at the same time and can make an informative decision for whatever situation may arise. Both the domestic and global units and sub-units operate as a decentralize company, because certain situations such as environmental changes, customer needs, or political unrest will cause problems and disrupt a part of the company operations or even all parts of the company operations these problems to be addressed immediately and cannot wait for the parent company on the other side of the world to make an informed decision, even if the problem had happened before at a different location because what may work domestically may not work globally and vice versa. When making an informed decision whether at the unit, sub-unit, or the parent company level there is a need for a communication chain of command, starting with the employee who is out in the field working upwards to the parent company which may be the CEO (chief executive officer) who usually has the authority to make final decisions that will affect the company or the owner if there is no CEO available. The line of communications should always remain open, in the event of a minor glitch or a major emergency. Regardless of the value of the information, if the line is broken then a decision cannot be made in a timely manner or may not be made at all causing a problem to grow bigger or missing a profitable opportunity. The communication chart below shows the chain of command from the field representative to the parent company, not all information will reach the top because some decisions can be made at lower levels, for example; the parent company should not be bothered with whether a field representative needs office supplies. Exit Strategies The future is unknown, even if there is a planned exit strategy years from now does not guarantee it will happen as planned. Depending on the situation that is either planned, forced or requires our business in the Philippines to implement its exit strategy would determine the best strategy to use. In the event of a political uprising or civil unrest that results in raising the level of possible war, then the shutting down procedure would be best since it involve very little (if any) paper work and is the fastest way for U.S. employees and their families to get out of the country. If there is no time at all complete abandonment might be forced, either course of action will involve a monetary loss. If time allows and there is no rush in exiting the Philippines, handing the business over to our joint venture partner would be the best, this exit does involve legal paper work and would minimize loss (if any), it would also leave the path open for possible future ventures back into the co untry based on a friendly and healthy transfer of the business. Recommendation The Philippine iPod risk analysis team recommends proceeding with entering the Philippines market. After the exhausting task of finding the risks of entering the country, we had found that the benefits (profits) do exceed the risks (costs) even during the economic troubles that the U.S. is currently experiencing. Although we are not the first iPod and iPhone Company to enter the Philippines market, we still can become a major player and take a large percentage of the market. With the Apple Company creating a direct store that basically eliminates the middle man and develops a presence in the area that shows the potential customer that they will get the original iPhone without the worry of receiving a fake and less dependable copycat, which is a major problem in this region. Having direct shipping, of iPhones and iPods from the parent company will help with the recovery costs and to make a profit quicker. The company will gain additional profits once the store becomes fully operational and service contracts are purchased by new customers. Finally with the current economic stability of the Philippines, this is a good time for Apple to enter into this market because like our domestic customers love to have the latest technology, the Filipinos consumers also love to have the latest technology too. Because no other local company can offer the security or the guarantee of authenticity of the iPhone products, this gives our company a very unique position in the Philippine market. The company will be experiencing and dealing with many issues brought up by our customer base, because of the one on one contact with the customers this will help our operation on a global level allowing our technical department to learn from these new problems and coming up with new solutions this will make our product better and easier to sale globally. Conclusion In analyzing the risks invoved with Apple Incorporated conducting business within the Philippines the company will be in a better position to achieve the financial success. The process of risk assessment provides a clearer picture of the obstacles that need to be overcome within the Philipines. Strategic marketing plans can assist the company in establishing positive sales results in the target country. Electronic communication to proactively respond to business needs and issues will lead to satisfied customers. The initial mode of entry and an alternate mode of entry detailed in the contingency plan also indicate the company’s preparation. Establishing key business characteristcs to monitor on a regular basis will identify continous improvement opportunities for the company in conjuction with items identified in the SWOTT analysis. The combination of these critical factors will guide Apple Incorporated to make a more informative decision based on all the factual information c ollected. References Andaya, Barbara, 2009. Introduction to Southeast Asia. Retrieved April 4, 2010 from http://www.asiasociety.org/countries-history/traditions/introduction-southeast-asia A.M. Best Company. Ratings and Analysis Center: Country Risk, Retrieved April 4, 2010 from http://www3.ambest.com/ratings/cr/crisk.aspx ASEAN, 2009. ASEAN Member States. Retrieved April 4, 2010 from http://www.aseansec.org/18619.htm Manalastas, J. M. and Guinto, B. L. 2000, Philippines: Types of Business Organizations that Foreign Investors may Establish in the Philippines. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from website: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=9340login=truenogo=1 No Author Mentioned, 2009, TDS: Philippines Asia, Economy. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from website: http://www.traveldocs.com/ph/economy.htm No Author Mentioned, 2010, The Philippines. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from website: http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/The-Philippines.html Internet World Stats. (2010). Asia Marketing Research, Internet Usage, Population Statistics and Information. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia.htm#ph Thomas Reuters. (2010). Apple Inc. (AAPL.O). Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?rpc=66symbol=AAPL.O Internet World Stats. (2009). Internet Usage Stats and Marketing Report. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/ph.htm Kian, C.C. (2004). Internet market in the Philippines shows full potential for growth. IDC. Retrieved from http://www.idc.com.my/philippines/press/IDC%20Philippines%20-%20Internet.asp A.M. Best Company, Inc. (2009). AMB Country Risk Report. Retrieved from http://www3.ambest.com/ratings/cr/reports/Philippines.pdf Baleva, M. (2007). Philippines Issues Foreign Investment List for 2007-2009. ALBLegalNews. Retrieved from http://au.legalbusinessonline.com/law-firms/philippines-issues-foreign-investment-list-for-2007-2009/1076/23599 Busch, J. (2006), Apple’s Risky iPod Supply Chain. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://www.spendmatters.com/index.cfm/2006/11/3/Apples-Risky-iPod-Supply-Chain Hicks, R. (2009). Philippines launches study on internet use. futureGOV. Retrieved from http://www.futuregov.net/articles/2009/jul/27/philippines-launches-study-internet-use/ HM Revenue Customs. (n.d.). DT15354 DT: Philippines: double taxation agreement, Article 5: Permanent Establishment. Retrieved from http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/dtmanual/DT15354.htm Rubrico, J.G.U. (2010), Philippines power at crisis point. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LD10Ae01.html Toby C. Monsod, (2009). The Philippine Bureaucracy: Incentive structures and implications for performance (4th ed.). Quezon City, Diliman: Human Development Network. Victoria, E. (2009), Manila’s living costs, wages among the lowest. Retrieved April 8, 2010, from http://www.asianjournal.com/dateline-philippines/headlines/2767-manilas-living- costs- wages-among-the-lowest-.html No author mentioned (2009), Centre for intercultural learning: Cultural Information – Philippine. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=ph No author mentioned (2010), Experts Call for Stringent Laws against Cyber Crime in Philippines. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.spamfighter.com/News-13688- Experts-Call-for-Stringent-Laws-Against-Cyber-Crime-in-Philippines.htm No author mentioned (2010), Index Munbdi: Philippines unemployment rate. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://www.indexmundi.com/philippines/unemployment_rate.html No author mentioned, Foreign Market Entry Modes, Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/global/marketentry/ No author mentioned (2010) What is Apple’s Mission Statement. Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.apple-history.com/?page=faq#1500 Index mundi. (2008). Philippines Economy Profile 2010. Retrieved from http://www.indexmundi.com/philippines/economy_profile.html Technograph. (2009). Official Apple Store to Supposedly Open in the Philippines. Retrieved from http://technogra.ph/2009/05/05/official-apple-store-to-supposedly-open-in-the-philippines/ Apple Investor Relations Annual Reports. (2010). Investor Relations. Retrieved from http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=107357p=irol-reports Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. (2005). Philippines-Central Bank of Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.bsp.gov.ph/ Vanderbilt. (2007). Foreign Exchange Risk of Firms in Asia-Pacific. Retrieved from http://mba.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbilt/About/faculty-research/featured-research

Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics Essays -- Sociology Racism

Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics At some point in life, every individual has been treated like an outsider. It occurs often with children or teenagers. However, one can still be regarded with this attitude as an adult. Furthermore, an entire group can feel as if they are being treated as an outsider, and sadly enough, it does happen regularly. One author, David Hernandez, spoke about these occurrences through his poem â€Å"Pigeons.† With his poem, Hernandez argues that Hispanics are never treated or viewed as insiders, but always as outsiders. Sadly enough, I would have to agree with Hernandez’s argument, for in his poem he concludes that Hispanics are viewed as â€Å"weird† because of their culture, are deprived by the public, and are not accepted by any of the other cultures within the American society. In the very first line of his poem, Hernandez throws out a shocking argument statement. This line reads, â€Å"Pigeons are the spiks of Birdland† (Hernandez 1023). This is extremely shocking since Hernandez was Hispanic, yet he is calling his people â€Å"spiks† and â€Å"pigeons† in degrading ways. Nevertheless, he does it to make a strong argument. First, he says that his people are viewed as pigeons because their culture is seen as weird and odd. I would have to say that I agree with Hernandez’s feelings on this, even though I do not agree that this is the right attitude to have toward Hispanics or any other race for that matter. Many times the Hispanic’s dress or the way they do things is looked down upon. It seems odd, though, that this is the attitude, since Americans have adopted several aspects from the Hispanic culture, such as pià ±atas at parties and their many types of foods like tacos, en... ...aces and by many people, â€Å"[Hispanics] are not accepted anywhere,† making them â€Å"the spiks of [America]† (Hernandez 1023). David Hernandez’s poem â€Å"Pigeons† makes strong arguments toward the fact that Hispanics are viewed with negative and prejudiced attitudes, are underprivileged by society, and are not accepted in many aspects of the general public, and with these arguments I would have to agree. Nevertheless, Hispanics are not the only group of people who are viewed with a degrading or biased attitude. Many other races are treated as outsiders, which is not right. Every human needs to reach out to others, helping each person to feel included into society. Works Cited Hernandez, David. â€Å"Pigeons.† Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 1023-24. Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics Essays -- Sociology Racism Racial Prejudice and Bias Against Hispanics At some point in life, every individual has been treated like an outsider. It occurs often with children or teenagers. However, one can still be regarded with this attitude as an adult. Furthermore, an entire group can feel as if they are being treated as an outsider, and sadly enough, it does happen regularly. One author, David Hernandez, spoke about these occurrences through his poem â€Å"Pigeons.† With his poem, Hernandez argues that Hispanics are never treated or viewed as insiders, but always as outsiders. Sadly enough, I would have to agree with Hernandez’s argument, for in his poem he concludes that Hispanics are viewed as â€Å"weird† because of their culture, are deprived by the public, and are not accepted by any of the other cultures within the American society. In the very first line of his poem, Hernandez throws out a shocking argument statement. This line reads, â€Å"Pigeons are the spiks of Birdland† (Hernandez 1023). This is extremely shocking since Hernandez was Hispanic, yet he is calling his people â€Å"spiks† and â€Å"pigeons† in degrading ways. Nevertheless, he does it to make a strong argument. First, he says that his people are viewed as pigeons because their culture is seen as weird and odd. I would have to say that I agree with Hernandez’s feelings on this, even though I do not agree that this is the right attitude to have toward Hispanics or any other race for that matter. Many times the Hispanic’s dress or the way they do things is looked down upon. It seems odd, though, that this is the attitude, since Americans have adopted several aspects from the Hispanic culture, such as pià ±atas at parties and their many types of foods like tacos, en... ...aces and by many people, â€Å"[Hispanics] are not accepted anywhere,† making them â€Å"the spiks of [America]† (Hernandez 1023). David Hernandez’s poem â€Å"Pigeons† makes strong arguments toward the fact that Hispanics are viewed with negative and prejudiced attitudes, are underprivileged by society, and are not accepted in many aspects of the general public, and with these arguments I would have to agree. Nevertheless, Hispanics are not the only group of people who are viewed with a degrading or biased attitude. Many other races are treated as outsiders, which is not right. Every human needs to reach out to others, helping each person to feel included into society. Works Cited Hernandez, David. â€Å"Pigeons.† Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 1023-24.

Literary analysis of the crucible Essay

Arthur Miller is a great author that uses many forms of syntax, figurative language, and diction to enhance his writing throughout The Crucible. Miller uses figurative language throughout The Crucible, to put emphasis on certain ideas and things. Miller also uses diction in The Crucible to show that the story is taking place in the past and to give the story a more biblical feel to it. One other thing that Arthur Miller does really well is his use of syntax. He uses syntax throughout The Crucible to show the intelligence levels of different characters. Miller uses these three different things in combination throughout The Crucible to enhance the story and to tell the story of the witch craft trials in an insightful way. Miller uses diction, all through The Crucible, to show that the story being told is taking place in the past and to make the story have a biblical effect to it. In Act three, John Proctor begs for his name to not be blotted out and says, â€Å"Tell them I confessed myself; say proctor broke his knees and wept like a woman†. Through, using the word woman instead of baby, which most of people would use in this time period, he uses the word woman, which gives the reader a feeling of being in the past, because in that time woman were looked upon as second class citizens. When Proctor and Abigail speak with each other in Act one, Abigail explains to Proctor that Elizabeth is talking bad about her and that she is ruining her name in the community. She explains this to him by saying, â€Å"She is blackening my name in the village†. From, the diction that Miller uses by using the word blackening, it puts an old feeling to the story and it also puts a biblical feel to the story, which enhances the story by making you feel like you are in the 1690’s. Another great example of Miller using diction to make the story feel old and biblical is in Act two when, Elizabeth explains to Proctor that it is not her that judges him, but he judges himself. She says to him, â€Å"The magistrate that sits in your heart that judges you†. By, using these words to simply say â€Å"I’m not judging you; you’re judging yourself† Miller makes it feel as if The Crucible was written in the 1690’s when, in actuality it was written in the 1950’s. Arthur Miller also uses Figurative language in The Crucible very well, to  put emphasis on things and make them seem more important. In Act two of The Crucible Proctor explains to Elizabeth that she is being cold hearted and having no mercy by saying: â€Å"oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer†. Beer has a very low freezing point; by using this figurative language Miller puts emphasis on how cold hearted Elizabeth is being. In Act two of The Crucible Francis Nurse defends his wife against her accusation of witchcraft by saying, â€Å"My wife is the very brick and mortar of the church.† This use of figurative language by Miller puts great emphasis on how important his wife is to the church. Not only is she important to the church, but this quote emphasizes her importance, by telling the reader that the church would be nothing without her. Another great use of figurative language used by Miller is in Act two when Proctor says: â€Å"I will curse her hotter than the oldest cinder†. This is said when, Proctor, discovers that Abigail is accusing his wife of witch craft. By, Miller using figurative language he puts a great emphasis on something that simply means â€Å"go to hell†. By, Miller putting emphasis on his writing he makes it much more entertaining and dramatic, to read The Crucible. Throughout The Crucible Miller uses syntax to show the education levels of different characters. The character Tituba, a slave from Barbados, says, â€Å"He say Mr. Parris must be kill! Mr. Parris no goodly man, Mr. Parris, mean man and no gentle man.† She says this in Act one, when explaining how she was possessed, by the devil. Miller uses the word order of Tituba to show that she is not very well educated. On the other hand, he uses the word order of what Danforth, in Act three says, â€Å"I am amazed to find you in such uproar. I have only good report of your character.† to show that Danforth is educated. Arthur Miller’s, peculiar, use of diction gives the readers the feeling of the story taking place in the 1690’s. He also uses figurative language to exaggerate and put emphasis on things. One other thing that Miller does really well is use syntax to show how some characters are educated more than others. Arthur Miller uses these three things to tell the story of The Crucible in an exciting and eventful way. Because, he does this he makes a story that could be as boring as watching paint dry, and turns it into a  very intriguing story.

Language for Teachers Task 4: Focus on the Teacher’s Language Essay

In this paper, I analyze my language in the classroom in terms of its accuracy and appropriacy for teaching. I quote six utterances from an Elementary level (A1) with twelve adult students who work at an investigation institute. This lesson starts with a conversation about a woman’s vacation to Aspen in order to introduce the Idiomatic Future. 1. When checking a dialog from students’ book assignments, I asked a comprehension question to the whole class. Accurate and appropriate: â€Å"What is the reason to buy two machines that do the same thing?† This sample focuses the learners’ attention to the question being answered at that moment. It also provides modified input to enhance students’ understanding because this could have easily been worded like: â€Å"Why buying two machines to do the same job?† Thus, by paraphrasing why and replacing job for thing, I make sure I use semantic elements that students can easily identify in spoken language uttered by a known speaker, the teacher. 2. When checking homework, I was nominating students to listen to their answers from the book. Accurate but inappropriate: â€Å"Repeat! Maybe if someone didn’t do the homework, this person can write the answer.† This message clearly referred to a specific student who was distracted when the rest were checking and correcting homework. Its function was to involve as many students as possible in this whole-class activity. However, it was not my intention to make them self-conscious about not having completed their assignments. In an effort to lower these students’ affective filters, I could have said, â€Å"Listen to your classmate’s answer again so you can write any corrections or comparisons.† This alternative could sound artificial and a little complicated because it is the product of careful thinking in a written paper. However, I think it could provide comprehensible input, thus exposing students to cognates such as corrections and comparisons. 3. When I was setting the situation about a future trip, I read for my students a conversation from the book introducing the Idiomatic Future. In the conversation, a woman answers she is going to stay at the Aspen Hotel for her vacation. This is the reply from the other woman. Inaccurate but appropriate: â€Å"Wow, I *her that’s really nice!† (Vs. â€Å"Wow, I hear that’s really nice!† ) I had read that conversation for different groups several times, but I had never had this mispronunciation before. The first times, I would probably just read it verbatim because I would pay a lot of attention to the text. Later, I was already familiar with the story, so I might have changed hear for heard without noticing. It was not until now that I realize hear is not completely accurate to model the typical meaning of this tense. Indeed, hear implies the speaker has been hearing about the quality of the hotel; while heard suggests she once had knowledge about its quality. So, a quick unconscious decision made me change my pronunciation at the last moment, thus producing something between both verb forms. If I had paid more attention to that text beforehand, I could have changed hear for heard in the written text and I could have told students to correct this in their books, too. 4. Right after I finished reading the conversation between those two women, just before asking comprehension questions about this story. Inaccurate and inappropriate: â€Å"And that’s it. Now, let me ask you a few questions about this. It’s just, you know, understanding†¦ [inaudible] I think I sounded redundant and pointless because I was anxious about my timing at this moment in the lesson. I probably should have avoided talking at all, even though it is difficult for me to keep quiet in class. Otherwise, I could have prepared different written versions of explicit instructions, such as: â€Å"Listen to these questions and respond with complete answers.† The function of this alternative wording would be to set a parameter for the answer expected from the students by the school. 5. During the grammar and semantic explanation of the target structure on the board, a student asked about the difference between Idiomatic Future and Simple Future. I talked about the certainty or resolution that auxiliaries such as will and won’t convey. Accurate but inappropriate: â€Å"You will die.† Eventually, I conjugated this verb in the first person singular, both in Simple and Idiomatic Future. For each sentence, I provided a context illustrating their possible function. I wanted everybody to relate to this explanation and to remember it by providing enhanced input, not by presenting the language in a special form, but rather by providing a remarkable meaning. However relatable or remarkable these examples might be, now I think my discourse might have seemed a little disturbing for some people. Therefore, I could have used a different subject for such contrasting sentences, such as: â€Å"That tree will die, but it is not going to die soon.† 6. I sneezed, so some students said â€Å"Salud†. I modeled and wrote on the board â€Å"bless you!†, then I explained the difference with â€Å"God bless you!† Inaccurate and inappropriate: â€Å"Using the name of the Lord in vain is a sin.† Obviously, it was not my intention to preach to the students. Actually, I meant to portray the puritan heritage of English in their formulaic manners. However, I do not think this was conveyed to students, even if they did understand my words. Also, my style resembled L1 a. Now, I would only comment on the difference between using the word god or not by saying â€Å"For them, taking the name of the Lord in vain is blasphemous.† Thus, I would be increasing the semantic field of the verb take by using it differently from its physical meaning and I would be introducing the cognate blasphemous. As a conclusion, it is difficult to avoid becoming over controlling of the classroom language, thus maintaining a sensible proportion between TTT and STT. This ratio might depend on the variety of roles a teacher can assume during a lesson or stages with different interaction patterns. Therefore, what we do say in class must be carefully planned or resourceful and precise. Another compromise teachers can reach involves comprehensible input and modified or adapted input: When teachers act as models, it is necessary to produce a language that is fairly intelligible for students (just a step beyond their level); however, when the teacher gives directions or takes the role of a tutor, he/she needs to lower his/her language in order to ensure most students understand. Word count: 1,084 References Lightbown, P. Spada, N. (2006). How languages are learned New York: Oxford University Press ICELT In-Service Certificate in English Language Teaching Declaration I, Eduardo Garcà ­a Acevedo, declare that the following Language for Teachers Task 4: Focus on the teacher’s language is entirely my own work and that it is written in my own words and not those copied directly from any other source, except for those properly acknowledged. Signature: Date: August, 30th 2013

About Charles Garnier, the Designer of the Paris Opera

About Charles Garnier, the Designer of the Paris Opera Inspired by Roman pageantry, architect Charles Garnier (born November 6, 1825 in Paris, France) wanted his buildings to have drama and spectacle. His design for the magnificent Paris Opà ©ra on the Place de lOpà ©ra in Paris combined the classicism of Renaissance architecture with ornate Beaux Arts ideas. Jean Louis Charles Garnier was born into a working class family. He was expected to become a wheelwright like his father. However Garnier wasnt healthy and his mother didnt want him to work in a forge. So, the boy took mathematics courses at the École Gratuite de Dessin. His mother hoped he would get good, steady work as a surveyor, but Charles Garnier achieved much greater success. In 1842 Garnier began studies with Louis-Hippolyte Lebas at the École Royale des Beaux-Arts de Paris. In 1848 he won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome and was off to Italy to study at the Academy in Rome. Garnier spent five years in Rome, traveling throughout Greece and Turkey, and being inspired by Roman pageantry.   Still in his 20s, Garnier aspired to design buildings that had the drama of a pageant. The highlight Charles Garniers career was his commission to design the Opà ©ra in Paris. Built between  1857 and 1874,   the Paris Opera quickly became Garniers masterpiece. With its magnificent hall and grand staircase, the design combines opulence for its patrons with remarkable acoustics for the performers. The palatial Opera House has become known as Palais Garnier.   Garniers opulent style reflected the fashion that became popular during Napoleon IIIs Second Empire. Garniers other architecture includes the Casino at Monte Carlo in Monaco, another opulent complex for the wealthy elite, and the Italian villas Bischoffsheim and Garnier in Bordighera. Several other buildings in Paris, including the Panorama Marigny theatre and Hotel du Cercle de la Librairie, cannot compare with his grand masterpieces. The architect died in Paris on August 3, 1898. Why is Garnier Important? Many people might say that Garniers importance is his creation of a house for The Phantom of the Opera. Professor Talbot Hamlin suggests otherwise, pointing out that despite the oversumptuous detail of the Opà ©ra in Paris, the architectural style was imitated for decades because there is a magnificent clarity in the general appearance, both outside and in. Hamlin notes that Garnier conceived the Opà ©ra in Paris in three parts- the stage, the auditorium, and the vestibules. Each of these three units was then developed with the greatest richness possible, but always in such a way as to accent its relationship to the other two. It is this logic as the supreme quality that was being taught at École des Beaux-Arts and perfectly executed by Garnier. A buildings logic, the basic relationships in buildings, was founded on common sense, directness, emphasis of the most important elements, and expression of purpose. This insistence on open and logical planning and on the clarity of basic expression was vitally necessary to the solution of new architectural problems, writes Professor Hamlin. Architecture became a matter of disciplined study of plan relationships. Learn More: Charles Garniers Paris Opera: Architectural Empathy and the Renaissance of French Classicism by Christopher Mead, MIT Press, 1991Charles Garniers Opà ©ra: Architecture and Exterior Decor by Gà ©rard Fontaine, 2000Charles Garniers Opera: Architecture and Interior Decor by Gà ©rard Fontaine, 2004Paris Opera House: Scale Architectural Paper Model by Jean-William Hanoteau, 1987 Source: Architecture through the Ages by Talbot Hamlin, Putnam, Revised 1953, pp. 599-600

A beginners guide on how to become a teacher

A beginners guide on how to become a teacher Few people have the power to affect others’ lives as much as teachers do. From childhood classrooms to continuing education programs (because it’s never too late to be a student), teachers bring that educational expertise and commitment to their own career paths, choosing a profession that may not make them millionaires, but can bring incredible fulfillment. If you’re thinking about this profession as a student or as a career changer, we’ve got the tools you’ll need to get started- and to succeed once you become a teacher. What do you want to teach?First, it’s important to think about what you want to teach. Are you better with young kids or are you more into subjects better suited to high schoolers or college students, like advanced math or English? Sometimes picking that specialty is easy- maybe you’ve already got a passion for conjugating French verbs or are a whiz with kids who are just learning how to do the basics. If you know yo u want to be an educator but aren’t sure yet what path to take, it can’t hurt to start with a little quiz and some background info about different kinds of teaching careers.What Grade Should You Teach Based on Your Personality?10 fulfilling teaching jobs that pay more than $60k per yearHow to jumpstart your career in educationHow to become a paraprofessionalHow to become a substitute teacherHow to become a kindergarten teacher10 teaching jobs you can get outside the classroomOr maybe you’re not trying to figure out what you want to teach, so much as the why. What does the teaching field look like? What can you expect once you get in the classroom? Is it even a good fit for you? Now is the time to figure that out.A quick guide to understanding what it takes to be a teacher5 reasons teaching might not be for youWhere are the best paying teacher jobs?Once you’ve decided, â€Å"Okay, this is what I want to do,† it’s time to pick the where. Teach ing can be totally different depending on where you are- an urban classroom in Chicago may have very little in common with a rural classroom in Texas. There’s also the matter of salary. The common saying goes that teachers are chronically underpaid for everything they do, but the pay can vary pretty widely depending on where you are. If you have some geographic flexibility, it’s worth looking around the country to see where you can make the most out of your teaching salary, looking at factors like the pay itself and the cost of living. And don’t discount the â€Å"where will you be happy?† factor. If you pick Alaska due to the crazy high teacher salaries, but hate the cold, then that impacts your quality of life, and ultimately your career as well.One of the best things about teaching is that the skills are transferrable- the main difference between teaching in one place and another is that each state has different requirements, so when you’re scop ing out a place to stake your teaching career, be sure to check out what kind of training and certification are necessary for the level you want to teach.The top-paying cities for teachersThe teacher job searchThe first step on your teaching job hunt, as with any job search, is getting your resume and cover letter in order. Because education and certification are so important for future teachers, it’s important to make those elements shine in your application package, even if you don’t yet have a ton of teaching experience.Check out the following information on creating your best possible resume.Strategies for writing an ideal teacher resumeHow to write a perfect teaching resume (examples included)Does your resume pass this key checklist?Resume summaries- how to write and use themPowerful Action Verbs That Will Make Your Resume Look Like a Million BucksAnd here are some tips for writing a cover letter to get you noticed:Cover letter guide: Writing your best cover lette r for 2017How to Write a Perfect Teacher Cover Letter (Examples Included)Preparing for the interviewAnd it’s not just the resume and cover letter you need to prep- the interview is a key part of the process, whether you’re looking at your first in-person interview for a teaching job, or an interview to help you move up a level in your career.Top 5 School Administrator Interview QuestionsThe ultimate guide on how to ace any job interview8 interview strategies for introvertsDon’t underestimate the power of your interview outfit- as a teacher, you’ll be expected to look respectable and professional in the classroom and out of it. For teaching jobs, it’s best to err on the side of a conservative outfit. You don’t want to scandalize the interviewer, and make them think that you’ll show up at school in something inappropriate for kids.The 5 types of interview outfitsAs a teacher, it’s also important to have an elevator pitch beyond à ¢â‚¬Å"I’m a teacher,† or â€Å"I’m a recent grad who wants to teach.† Your elevator pitch can help you craft the narrative of who you are as a teacher, and what you value most as an educator.How to create your elevator pitch and get hiredIn the classroomOnce you’ve gotten past the job search and are thinking ahead toward settling in the classroom, there are also some tips and insights you should keep in mind even before day one of teaching.10 tips all new teachers should know10 TED Talks to inspire teachersWhatever you encounter on the road to becoming a teacher, remember: you’re choosing a path that many people are just not willing or ready to take. We want to do everything we can to help you achieve your own goals as you take on the joys and challenges of teaching. Good luck!

Treasury and risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Treasury and risk management - Essay Example Therefore, China is pursuing a weak currency policy in order to boost demand for Chinese exports. The large current account surplus in China is the indication that China’s currency is undervalued (Pettinger, 2011, p.1). The reason behind holding the value of Yuan is to compensate for its economic weakness. Its weak currency policy makes Chinese goods cheap compared with those of global competitors in Europe and Japan for instance. Since 1996, China has maintained a same fixed exchange rate resulting in an enormous increase in foreign exchange reserves. This enormous increase will be fuelled by Yuan that is estimated to be undervalued against the dollar. The benefit which it is getting by holding the value of Yuan is that it is selling more goods in foreign countries i.e. trade surplus (Cohen, p.1). Another benefit is that its capital market is becoming attractive to investors. If the successful internationalization of the Yuan will be possible then it will also be the internat ional currency (Cohen, 2011, p.1). Evidence Suggesting Weak Currency Policy of China It has undervalued the price of its currencies in order to keep its currency policy weak in order to boost export and enjoy trade surplus. Its weak currency policy in relation to US Dollar enables them to buy dollar from the open market in order to keep the demand for dollars high. It drives the dollar price upward in relation to Yuan. The large account surplus in China is the evidence for its weak currency policy (Cksd, 2012, p.77). There are some negative aspects towards the weak currency policy of China. By depending more on exports and foreign direct investment inflows made China particularly weak towards the effects of the global economic slowdown. A weak currency policy i.e. undervalued currency makes import more expensive, thereby throbbing Chinese firms that import raw materials and machinery (Morrison and Labonte, 2011, p.22). A huge rise in China’s foreign exchange reserves in recen t years is also the evidence that the Chinese Government has been holding its currency down in order to make weak currency policy (Shapiro, 2009, p.85). Relationship between Yuan Appreciation and Dollar Depreciation Currently imports from China accounted for about 10% of total U.S. imports. In June 2010, the value of Yuan was 6.79 to the dollar. In 2012 China allow the Yuan to trade in a daily range against the U.S. dollar. Soon it was announced that Yuan’s new trading band against the dollar will allow the exchange rates to move 1% above or below a daily reference exchange rates (Fung and Hong, 2012). Therefore a 25% appreciation of Yuan would be equivalent to 20% dollar depreciation. Such depreciation will result in stemming America’s appetite for foreign goods. If Yuan value appreciates, it will cause deflation, cut off foreign direct investment and cut economic growth. If these things will happen, prices will skyrocket preventing the consumers to buy the stuff in C hina, and the Chinese economies would break up to a halt. On the other hand, it will lead to the more export of U.S goods. The other country will have money and reserves to buy America’