Foundations of terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foundations of terrorism - Essay Example Today, almost every terrorist group makes use of suicide terrorism to some extent to cause terror and instability in the targeted place. However, the terrorist groups that have made the greatest use of this form of terrorism are Al-Qaeda (based in Afghanistan and operating mainly in Afghanistan and Pakistan), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hamas (based in Palestine), and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (based in Sri Lanka). The main aim of the suicide terrorist attacks is to make a democratic government to withdraw its forces from the terrorists’ occupied areas (Pape, 2005). Similarly, some terrorist groups carry out suicide attacks in response to foreign occupation of their land (Pape, 2005). We can take example of suicide attacks on Pakistani civilians and military forces. Pakistan is a neighbor of Afghanistan and almost a second home to the Al-Qaeda terrorists. Al-Qaeda is still active despite of the loss of its top leadership by the American forces on account of its attack on the World Trade Centre (Kugelman, 2014). The group is expanding rapidly and is becoming a big threat to the lives of thousands of people (Salama & Hansell, 2005, p. 615). Al-Qaeda has been targeting forces and civilians of Pakistan since American occupation of Afghanistan. The reason they give for these terrorist attacks is that of the support that Pakistan has provided and is still providing to the NATO forces operating in Afghanistan. Similarly, Hamas has also carried out a number of suicide attacks on Israeli targets because of Palestine’s conflict with Israel and Israeli occupation of some of the Palestinian territory. Another example is of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which acted actively in two completes decades of 1980’s and 1990’s and in the first of half of 2000’s to get an independent state for Tamil

How to tame a wild tounge Essay Example for Free

How to tame a wild tounge Essay In the essay, â€Å"How to Tame a wild Tongue,† Gloria Anzaldua the author, states the importance of maintaining one’s native tongue. She believes that people should speak whenever or however they please given that it does not harm anyone. Anzaldua does not want to escape her Mexican ways such as speaking Spanish. It is a vital part of her life because she communicates with her family members speaking a variety of Spanish dialects. Since she has no other way to show her Mexican ways, it is key that she speaks Spanish to maintain her Mexican pride. People take pride in the languages that they speak and its not right for others to tell them they are not allowed to express themselves in those foreign languages. On the other hand, it is important that to speak English in order to communicate with her classmates, teachers, and anyone around her. English is fast becoming the dominant means by which the world is able to communicate. It is being referred to as the global language as it is seen as a common means for interaction between different countries. This new phenomena can be seen in a positive light because the use of English as a common language brings efficiency and greater understanding. Nevertheless there some people who believe that this fact has changed and that now it is more important to learn Spanish and Mandarin than the English language. Anzaldua dealt with this issue on a consistent basis in her school life. Though she was not told to lose her Spanish ways, she felt that speaking English would not allow her to express herself. Especially in the American culture, it was necessary for her to learn English to communicate with her peers. Furthermore, the English language is the number one lingua franca no other comes close. At the moment about 1. 113 million people speak Chinese as their mother tongue, whereas about 372 million speak English. Following this criterion Chinese must be the world’s global tongue; and yet analysts considered English to be the global language of the century. Imagine if China’s economy takes flight in the coming few years, enabling the country to replace the United States as the greatest economical power, there would be a possibility that China could take over in the next couple decades. In fact, reports have shown that the number of Chinese learners is increasing dramatically. Chinese learners in Africa, for example, have increased to 8,000 in the year 2005. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation published the statistic in a 2005 report. The report also says that â€Å"in Sudan alone, Chinese learners have amounted to 450, and many have come to China to learn on Chinese government scholarships, according to Peter Nyot Kok, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Sudan. † According to the U. S. Bureau of the Census, ten years ago about one in seven people in this country spoke a language other than English at home. Since then the proportion of immigrants in the population has grown and grown. Ever-wider swaths of Florida, California, and the Southwest are heavily Spanish speaking. Hispanic people make up 30 percent of the population of New York City, and a television station there that is affiliated with a Spanish-language network has been known to draw a larger daily audience than at least one of the citys English-language network affiliates. According to the census, from 1980 to 1990 the number of Spanish-speakers in the United States grew by 50 percent. Statistically, more people in the world speak Mandarin than English, but Mandarin is not spoken much outside Asia. A global language is a language spoken internationally. A global language is not only a majority people spoken, but also use in international organization or international event. It’s a well-known fact that there is huge demand for English speaking professionals in China who can facilitate international business. There is also acute demand for English teachers who can make the Chinese students better equipped for modern-day business and life. Chinese has more native speakers, however, it also has simplistic grammar, and it lacks articles, prepositions, verb conjugation and tense, singularity and plurality of nouns making it less effective than English at expressing complex meanings. It is also tonal, which limits the speakers use of tone for emotional and conceptual expression. Furthermore most Westerners find the Chinese writing system difficult to grasp. So from emerging trends, it seems evident that Chinese is not more popular than English as a global language. English is widespread largely due to the fact that it is used so heavily in television, film and music. Hollywoods global spread has contributed strongly to the international popularity of English. It is also the predominant language on the Internet. Web pages in other languages often tend to have an English translation. The British Empire and the dominant nature of American popular culture have contributed overall to the spread of English across the planet. Because of this many young Hispanics have favored adopting the English language into their culture. In South East Asia, as a result of English becoming a kind of global currency, there is a large turn towards acquiring language skills not in any language but most specifically in English. As the world becomes more â€Å"globalized† or as corners of the planet open up for trade relations with other countries and tourism booms, the need for English increases. Hotels, shops and schools have a desperate desire to sell their services and make a living. People’s ability to survive is strongly linked to their ability to communicate in English. Consequently native languages become redundant and even endangered. People focus on learning English over learning other languages and also in many cases need to use their individual languages to a lesser degree. In fact more Asians speak English than anyone else. One of them is that it facilitates the exchange of information from one part of the world the other with ease. It is through the existence of a global language like English that peace and trade has been enhanced between dissimilar countries. It has also facilitated the mobility of people both in their physical terms and also electronically. Sufficient statistics indicate that most trade is done electronically and this is greatly facilitated by English as a global language. Finally, there are economic advantages connected with a global language. Crystal claims that the â€Å"more a community is linguistically mixed; the less it can rely on individuals to ensure communication between different groups† (Crystal 2003:11). Consequently linguistically mixed communities, as well as the global community, are spending large sums of money on translations and interpretations in order to reach its citizens. A global language known and spoken by everybody would undoubtedly lower these costs, and the spared money could be used in other important areas instead, for example in humanitarian aid. In fact, during the last decades the need of interpretation and translation in international organizations has progressively has been decreasing thanks to the expansion of English. Many international organizations find it necessary that all people involved speak English, since the translation expenses would be too high. According to Crystal â€Å"half the budget of an international organization could easily get swallowed up in translation costs if there was a lack of a common language† (Crystal 2003: 12). Mutual intelligibility, great career opportunities and reduced administrative costs are some of the advantages a global language would give. We are in need of an international language for communication, politics, trade and security, but at the same time we are worried about language death, the advantages native speakers will have and all the disadvantages non-native speakers will face. English is growing, it is a strong language, and its future seems bright. My opinion is that if there will ever be an official international language English is the best option. It is a strong, well-developed language with millions of speakers. Even if a global language might be important, different languages are of importance for their culture and for the development of their native speakers. Anzaldua wants to maintain her heritage by speaking her language constantly. She is in fear that speaking English will lead to the death of her heritage, but the integration of her heritage with English will only allow her to have communication with more people around her. Languages make the world more interesting and more alive.

Salvador Dali’ Essay -- essays papers

Salvador Dali’ Domenech was born on May 11, 1904 in the small farming town of Figueres in the Catalonian region of Spain. It was here in the foothills of the Pyrenees where Dali spent his youth, that many of the ideas, inspirations, and images repeated in his paintings have their roots. As a young boy Dali attended the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. At the academy Dali studied many different painting styles and became quite proficient at them. Many of his earlier works include impressionist, cubist, and realist techniques. As Dali matured, these interests were transformed into his own surrealistic style. The first recognition of Dali’s talents came with his first show held in Barcelona in 1925. He became known globally when three of his paintings, including The Basket of Bread were on display at the 3rd annual Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburgh in 1928. It was also this year that Dali joined a group of painters led by Andre Breton known as the surrealists. Soon after this Dali met Gala Eluard when she was on a trip with her husband Paul Eluard. Gala became Dali’s lover, business manager, and primary inspiration. Dali soon became the leader of the Surrealist movement, until he was expelled from the group during a trial in 1934 due to political clashes during WWII. After this expulsion Dali slowly moved away from his surrealistic style and moved into his classic period. His new interests in the Catholic Church, science, and history are evident in these works. Some of his most well known works from this period are The Hallucinogenic Toreador, The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, The Sacrament of the Last Supper, and The Ecumenical Council. Many of these classical works were done on large canvases 14 feet high. In order to paint these huge canvases, Dali removed a section of his floor and set up a system of pulleys so he could raise and lower the canvases between the two floors. Dali’s wife Gala died in 1982 and he was faced with a deteriorating health in his own life shortly after. In 1984 Dali was injured in a fire in his home in Pubol, Spain. In 1986 a pacemaker was implanted into Dali, and he died from heart failure on January 23, 1989. During his life, Dali was responsible for thousands of works, which varied from oils, watercolors, drawings, graphics, sculptures, jewels, and fashion designs to ... ... a woman in a yellow boat located close to the bottom center of the painting represents this invasion. The large flies flying past this bay are symbolic of Dali’s common joke that even the notorious flies of the region could not drive away the tourists. Just above the bay, the bull appears. Dali painted the bull using the tentacle of an octopus. In the seats is a glowing bust of his wife Gala. The frown on her face is because she hates bullfights. In the back of the arena are many doors around the perimeter. Every door but one has a statue standing near it. These statues give the doors manmade and earthly qualities. The one door in center without the statues actually has an angel at each side. These angels represent a passage to heaven. This is where the bull or the toreador exits when one of the two is killed in the fight. In the bottom right corner is boy standing with a whip behind his back. This is Dali himself watching over the scene. The images in this painting are very different from the melting figures and objects from his surrealistic period. This classic period brought about much more realistic figures, while still having that twist that Dali is famous for.

Website and Shopping Cart

I am the owner of a clothing store along the jersey shore boardwalk and decide to engage in e-commerce AFEISHA HERRY STRAYER UNIVERSITY MICHAEL HOWARD BUS107 11/26/2011 I am the owner of a clothing store along the jersey shore boardwalk and decide to engage in e-commerce I am the owner of a small clothing store along jersey shore and I am being offered 1000 for my domain name that I will use in the process of e-commerce. Firstly the domain name that I will be using must be pronounceable, brandable, makes sense and also be available, if my domain name is effective in helping the business to grow, I will not sell it. An effective domain name is not easy to compose and sometimes obtain, from my experience I know that a great domain name creates a good impression online and makes you influence people and eventually they will buy your products if you are selling something, all of this I would have taken into consideration before I created a domain name, from my point of view I would not sell an effective domain name if I know it will give my business a boost. Also I will look at the bigger picture I know that I can make a bigger profit if I keep my domain name than to sell it for 1000 which I might not even make a profit on. On the other hand it’s ok if someone has a good domain name and wishes to sell it I don’t see it as being unethical, it all comes down to a person’s decision on how effective and useful the name is to them and if they will benefit from which ever decision they make. The e-commerce software you will be using must provide a catalog display, shopping cart capabilities, and transaction processing. The convenience and usability for the customer are benefits of these functions. State how each of these functions could be beneficial to your business. Catalogs offer consumers a wide range of products of either generalized or specialized nature, the shopping cart acts as a mediator between payment processors and website as well as a janitor helping customers finds the amenities provided. A shopping cart that’s easy to navigate and flexible enough to cater for the personal needs of the customers, improves the site usability and makes online shopping a pleasant experience for the customers. In the absence of a shopping cart the customers wouldn’t have a place to store and manage multiple items and would not have to order separately. For a business the shopping cart software organizes the information for successful transactions and ensures that things run orderly and smoothly. It enables the employer to handle the customers more easily with shopping cart integration; it would really be hard for the business operators to manage their client if every person would have to order every time he chooses a product. Business owners are benefited due to a better functionality that comes with the majority of shopping cart systems that offer features such as back end marketing, wish list and inventory tracking. A good quality shopping cart offers rich functional capabilities to the e-commerce business such as a concise catalog management and a simplified business management by producing a wide array of reports to manage the finances better, monitor sales and provide improved customer service. A shopping cart removes any obstacles in the way of the online customers and the growth of an online business. Transaction processing is a type of computer processing that takes place in a computer user. Every business has to deal with some form of transactions, how a company decides to manage these transactions can be a important factor in the success. As a business grows its number of transactions usually grows as well . Transaction processing is a tool that can help growing business deal with their increasing number of transactions. The advent of online technology has made the international distribution of goods and information a quick and often simple process. The emergence of features like secure servers, one click shopping, and tracking of packages over the internet have helped make them feel more at ease with the process. Transaction processing offer a rapid processing for any business, reliability, standardization, controlled access, transaction processing qualifiers, atomicity consistency, isolation and durability. Transactions processing support routine day to day activities that occur in the normal course of business that help the company add value to its product and services, business expect transaction rocessing to accomplish a number of specific objectives process data generated by and about transactions, maintain a high degree of accuracy and integrity, produce timely documents and reports, increase labor efficiency, help provide increased service, help build and maintain customer loyalty and achieve competitive advantage. Creating an effective presence on the web using revenue the seller establishes a brand image, and then uses the strength of that image to sell through printed catalogues mailed to prospective buyers. Buyers place orders by mail or by calling a telephone number provided an effective site is one that create an attractive presence that meets the objectives of the business or organization by attracting visitors to the web site, making the site interesting enough that visitors stay and explore, convincing visitors to follow the sites links to obtain information creating an impression consistent with the organization is desired image, building a trusting relationship with visitors and encouraging visitors to return to the site. Business accomplishes all of their goals for their website in their current web presence. Having a site that is accessible and easy for people to use can improve your web presences. Even making sure that the site encourages visitors to trust and even develop feelings of loyalty towards the organization behind the web site. An effective site should give the visitor easy access to the organizations history, a statement of objective or mission statement, information about products or services, financial information and a way to communicate with the organization. Presentation is also important, but so is realizing that the web is an interactive medium. Web site usability is important for a company on the World Wide Web a company is web site is the only point of contact that a company has with anyone who is interested in it. Thus companies rely on their web presence in order to achieve their online goals, be they commercials or otherwise. A company sets its usability goals through a combination of user proofing. The company then needs to qualitatively and quantitatively specify these goals then prioritize them so as to determine its usability goals. According to Nielsen and loranger the three most important characteristics that distinguish a usable web site are simplicity, naturalness and ease of use. When good usability is implemented in conjunction with good web design characteristics, especially visual attractiveness, it results in a web site that positively affects users behavior and the trust that a user has in the company to whom the website belongs. This trust is also affected by the user’s perceived usability that is the perception that the user has about the usability of a website before he/she actually makes use of it. Researchers such as safavi have proven that website having a user friendly design and an easy to use interface increases user satisfaction. Research also shows that the importance of web site usability increases in relation to the competition that exists within the environment that website is operating in. I can find no better quote than jakob Nielsen’s famous phrase that on the web â€Å" the user experiences usability first and pays later† meaning that users are always at a click away from leaving a website they are in if they do not find it usable. To develop a web marketing strategy for my business I will first have considered who is my customer, what I have to offer and understand where I am and what I can do helps me to create an effective marketing strategy. In identifying the market segment that I will target I must do some research on my market , identifying who are my main competitors are, what are they doing online, what are their weaknesses and strength, do they offer a guarantee, is their product really good and do they build links constantly or not. Also who are my favorite customers, what forces them to buy one or another product, read reviews, forums, testimonials to find out as much as I can about my target market. After I have performed a through online market research it’s time to systematize the data I have. What are the main strengths and weaknesses of my competitors? My marketing strategy for the company will focus on the market segment of an entire family with young children, to reach that segment my business will feature clothing for every category of the family, fashionable and affordable is the key to attracting customers. To advertise my business on the web firstly I will create a very effective website with a very outstanding domain name, a creative and innovative web page, and informative information about my business. After creating an effective website how I display the products on the site has to do with how I would advertise, my advertising has to be interested , entertaining and capturing so that my target market would want to buy my product by just hearing about out. A good advertisement helps to gain customers. Reference Brewer, it, 2003 website usability of the www as practice. In first Latin American web congress la- web’03. Santiago, Chile, 2003 Belanger,F , et, al,2006,website success metrics, addressing the duality of goals. Communication of the acm. 4a Baker, Michael the Strategic Marketing Plan Audit 2008. ISBN 1902433998 * Laermer, Richard; Simmons, Mark, Punk Marketing, New York  : Harper Collins, 2007 ISBN 978-0-06-115110-1 (Review of the book by Marilyn Scrizzi, in Journal of Consumer Marketing 24(7), 2007) Schneider 2011/9th edition pg 140

Common Criteria for Deciding Whether to Buy or Build

Common criteria for deciding whether to buy or build a software solution would be to take a look at the System Development Life Cycle; Planning, Analysis, Design, and Implementation. Planning or initiation include a business problem, request for proposal, request for quote, and proposal/quote ie. first go/no go decision. Analysis or logistics of implementation include business requirements, technical requirements, and data requirements, and GAP analysis which helps a company compare actual performance with potential performance. Design includes logical/physical, technical specs, process flow/data flow, system architecture, data design, screen layouts, and navigation map/flow. Once these criteria are examined and the complexity is determined, a decision can then be made to buy or build a software solution. Implementation is turning it into a working system that has been tested and put into use including documentation, training procedures, support capabilities, and associated updates. A manager’s selection for off-the-shelf software can be established by deciding if the criteria of cost, functionality, vendor support, viability of vendor, flexibility, documentation, response time, and ease of installation will be greater and a smoother transition than producing an in-house software solution. The two most important aspects of purchasing an off-the-shelf software are vendor support and vendor viability. If a manager chose to produce in-house software, the support is a constant in that the programmers who created the software are available at any time, and know the ‘in’s and out’s of the software’, whereas if there is no vendor support from the purchased software you are taking a gamble which may prove unwise, and the credibility of the manager is no longer. Cost, functionality, flexibility, and documentation are criteria that depends primarily on the specific situation, ie. budget, and needs. Discuss the four phases involved in managing a project. Compare and contrast these phases with the SDLC. Explain any differences. Managing projects of all shapes and sizes requires a fluid, nonlinear framework that has applications across all essential elements of project planning. The four-phase process that suggests how to allow for readjustment between the phases are initiate, plan, execute, and evaluate. Initiate, this first project management phase, the preliminary work is done to clarify the problem or opportunity and how a solution would look. All interested parties are consulted and the project scope – what is in and what is out – is clarified as well as initial costs and timelines. Plan, determines whether the proposed project will be of real benefit to the organization. If it is, the project is approved and more detailed planning starts. Business benefits, project objectives, requirements, governance, scope and project management methods are agreed. The Project Manager draws up the detailed project schedule and task and budget allocations. Execute, project stakeholders are interviewed to ascertain the detailed requirements, possible solutions are discussed and decided upon. Next, the solution is designed, built and finally implemented. Project management activities in this phase also include managing the project budget and schedule, reporting project progress, communicating with stakeholders and responding to project risks, issues and proposed changes. Evaluate, The purpose of this final phase is to determine whether the project was a success and what was learned can be gleaned and applied to future projects ie. , did the project deliver on time, within budget and to scope and quality requirements? Comparing the four phases in managing a project; initiate, plan, execute, evaluate with the SDLC phases; Plan, Analysis, Design and Implement one will see many cross similarities; each describing approaches to a variety of tasks or activities that take place during the process. After each phase is finished, it proceeds to the next one; reviews may occur before moving to the next phase which allows for the possibility of changes. Reviews may also be employed to ensure that the phase is indeed complete; and is ready to progress to the next phase. Explain the three primary project identification and selection phase activities. Who should make the decisions about project approval in a business organization? What information is important to the decision? Project identification and selection consists of three primary activities: identifying potential development projects, classifying and ranking projects, and selecting projects for development. Identifying potential development projects is a process that can be performed by a key member in top management, a steering committee, the head of a requesting committee, the development group or IS manager. Projects by top management reflect broader needs of the organization since there is an understanding of overall business. Projects identified by a top management or steering committee are referred to as coming from a top-down source. Projects designed by individual mangers or the IS group are more focused on the needs rather than a broader scope; projects stemming from managers, or business units are referred to as a bottom-up source. Top-down and bottom-up initiatives are used in identifying and selecting projects, it will vary on the scope and needs of the project. Classifying and ranking projects can be performed by top management, a steering committee, business units, or the IS development group. The project requirements will vary by the organization administering it, one group may choose to meet monthly, whereas another chooses to meet quarterly. Meetings typically consist of reviewing ongoing projects as well as new project requests. Selecting projects for development is the final activity in the project identification and selection phase. Since the criteria for a project can change at any time, numerous factors must be considered when selecting a project; perceived needs of the organization, existing systems and ongoing projects, resource availability, evaluation criteria, current business conditions, and perspectives of the decision makers. Projects can be accepted or rejected which means funding is allocated or the project will no longer be considered for development. A project can be returned to the original requesters who are told to develop or purchase the requested system themselves. Also, the requesters of a project may be asked to modify or resubmit their request after making suggested changes or clarifications. Due to the process of incremental commitment a selected project does not necessarily result in a working product. After each subsequent SDLC activity, the members of the project team will reassess the project. This reassessment will entail a more detailed understanding of the system’s costs, benefits, and risks to determine if the project was a worthy as it was thought to be. How should a project team determine system requirements? What are common sources of requirements? What are the limitations for each? In addition, discuss four types of documents that would be helpful in determining future system requirements. During requirements and determination analysts gather information on what the system should do from as many sources as possible. Sources include users of the current system, reports, forms, and procedures. All of the requirements are carefully documented and made ready for structuring. Structuring includes taking the system requirements during determination and ordering them into tables, diagrams, and other formats that make it easier to translate into technical systems specifications. Some examples of requirement determination include, impertinence, impartiality, relaxing of constraints, attention to details, and reframing. Impertinence is questioning everything. Are all transactions processed the same way? Could anyone be charged something other than standard price? Will employees be allowed or encouraged to work for more than one department? Impartiality is finding the best solution to a business problem or opportunity. All issues must be considered to try to find the best organizational solution. Relaxing of constraints, assuming anything is possible and eliminates the infeasible. Organizations change and all policies and rules should be evaluated. Attention to details, everything must fit into place. If one element is out of place, the whole system will fail. Reframing, looking at the process in a new way. It is easy to assume the project will be the same or similar, but this assumption can lead to failed systems. Constantly challenging yourself will prove beneficial in this process. Specific examples to be gathered at the requirements determination phase are, the business objectives that drive what and how work is done, the information people need to do their jobs, the data handled within the organization to support the jobs, when, how, and by whom or what the data are moved, transformed and stored, the sequence and other dependencies among different data-handling activities, the rules governing how data are handled and processed, policies and guidelines that describe the nature of the business, the market, and the environment in which it operates, and key events affecting data values and when these events occur. It is important that the scope of the system not become to large and expansive that analysis paralysis not occur, this can become costly and time consuming, and can lead to an abundance of work. To deter this from happening analysts must focus on the system in need not the system in place. Documents that are helpful in determining future system requirements are administering written questionnaires ie. surveys to discover issues and requirements, business documents ie. iscover reported issues, policies, rules, and concrete examples, and conducting written interviews with open-ended and close-ended questions. Also directly observing users an give a more objective and accurate review. Read the following online article and discuss two ways to justify IT budgets. How would you explain your IT budget to your CFO? To justify an IT budget is to provide a quality ROI on any new initiative. If the CFO can’t understand the needs of various departments then the only way to their pocketboo k is to present them with a bottom line return on their investment. In the case of procuring an IT budget, executives are often less than forthcoming because of the lack of information they receive from department heads. CEO’s respond most favorably to requests for IT budgets which are cost justified with a simple ROI business case. The business case needs to specifically show how potential costs associated with liability, may be minimized by implementing a sound IT infrastructure. The potential liabilities, such as loss of production and/or loss of reputation are translated into actual dollars in the ROI. A good business case or a good investment analysis will also measure the probabilities of different ROI outcomes. An investment analysis is the examination and assessment of economic and market trends, earnings prospects, earnings ratios, and various other indicators and factors to determine suitable investment strategies. Explaining the IT budget to the CFO you should first examine core needs ie. bandwidth, Internet, phone and staff, and plan to manage them on a minimal investment. Explore reducing excess capacity in the server room, renegotiate vendor contracts and rethink software licenses. Assuring the CFO that you have taken all necessary steps in limiting the IT budget will prove that you have taken all necessary steps to ensure a minimal budget while providing an the required IT services. Revisit past assumptions, you may have a contract that replaces hardware every two years, which could be an unnecessary budget item, and could in return be replaced every four years. Show the CFO how improvements have helped customer experience and saved money. Give him/her a friendly remember that not investing in things that could be and important aspect to IT when the economy turns around can come back to bite you. IT’s value is determined by the relationship between what the organization will pay, ie. cost, and what it will get back ie. benefits. The larger the amount of benefit in relation to cost, the greater the value of the IT project.

buy custom Battle of Saratoga essay

buy custom Battle of Saratoga essay This paper addresses the battle of Saratoga. It spells out the main parties to the battle of Saratoga. It also spells out how the battle advanced and what the main motivating factor behind the battle was (Augustus, 1839). More than this, it gives the identity of the men who led the Americans and the British armies in the war. The paper further states the hardships that the American soldiers faced in the battle. Other aspects that are spelt out include the factors that led to the defeat of the British army. It also explains how the French gave their support to America after they won in this battle. The battle of Saratoga was comprised of two battles, which took place in September 1777 and October 1777. The battles are up-to-date considered as the turning point of American Revolutionary war. The Saratoga battle began when the British planned to control New York especially the upstate part. The British also made a plan to isolate New England from other southern colonies. This was geared towards putting an end to the prevailing revolution. The British troops went to battle led by General John Burgoyne. They planned to drive from Montreal to Albany along Lake Champlain, Lake George, and Hudson River. They were to join forces at Albany with two other British Commands. One was coming from New York while the other was coming from Mohawk River. The team by General John Burgoyne faced obstacles in the forest as they headed south. One obstacle was near Lake George where there were colonists who were felling trees. These troops blocked the path by General John Burgoyne Team. This caused a slowdown of the team. It took the team a considerably longer time to reach their destination. They faced a challenge of the fact that their supplies were running out of supplies by the time they arrived at FortEdward. The team sent a portion of their group to procure cattle and supplies from Vermont. Some colonist forces attacked this team and the numbers by Burgoyne were further dwindled. The American Scouts noticed the invasion by General John Burgoyne, and immediately Gates was notified. He ordered Daniel Morgan who was a colonel to track down the march by the British men. They were finally tracked down on the Freeman Farm. They engaged each other in a battle that lasted for more than 3 hours. From the onset, the Americans were numerically superior to the British army. During this encounter, General John Burgoyne forced the American soldirs to withdraw (Augustus, 1839). They mainly won because the ammunition the Americans was nearly exhausted. General John Burgoyne was shaken, and he ordered his army to wait for Clinton. He wanted to ensure that his team is larger than it had been during the first encounter (Kethum, 1999). Clinton was at this time expected to be preparing to move north from New York. They waited for Clinton for three weeks, but he did not turn up. General John Burgoyne had to decide whether to retreat or to advance in the war. He decided to take the risk and engage in his earlier plans. This was because he noticed that the more he waited the more the American army was advancing in size. His armies supplies were also diminishing by the day as he waited and thus he understood he had no more time. The Americans were well set, for they knew that the British team was about to advance. In a separate account, the other group of British Army led by General Howe was travelling north of New York City. They undecided to veer from their previous plan and take on the city of Philadelphia (Rees, 1996). They went ahead with this plan. The continental army of Washington prevented the team from leaving and joining hands with General John Burgoyne. In addition, Washington realized that a massive war was about to emerge. In their defense, they sent large troops to the North. There was an announcement that any military group that could join those troops was at Liberty to do so. This ended up to be extremely sturdy contingent troop and Militia gathering in the Saratoga area (Furneaux, 1971). Now, General John Burgoyne and his troop began to advance south again. They were, however, stopped ten miles below Saratoga. This was the beginning of the battle of Saratoga (Vierow, 2003). This was known the battle of Freemans Farm, and it took place on September, 19 1977. It began when militiamen from Virginia harassed the British. At the same time, other colonists aggressively fought the British. The British felt the loss more as they lost twice as many men as the American side. Gates and Benedict Arnold who was a field general led the American side (Augustus, 1839). The second battle, which is counted as part of battle of Saratoga, took place in October 7 the same year. This battle was named the second battle of Saratoga. It happened when General John Burgoyne decided to break free from the colonial forces that surrounded him (Cuneo, 1967). Thhe army by General John Burgoyne was by this time cut down to about 5000 men. They were facing the American side led by Gates that had 20 000 men. General John Burgoyne was also disadvantaged at this point because they were falling short of supplies in a foreign land (Furneaux, 1971). In this endeavor, he wanted to send them out of the field. In this battle, the British armies and the German allies who were helping them were devastated in battle. The defeat at the Bemis Heights forced General John Burgoyne to withdraw into the northern region. He went to the village, which is now called Schuylerville Village. As he began his retreat, Gates and his men followed him and surrounded him at Saratoga. While here, he consented defeat and surrendered on October 17 1777. The Saratoga monument was set up in this place to commemorate the momentous day of victory. General John Burgoyne was disgraced after the defeat, and he started his way back to England. It is noted that he was not given another command. The French people were now persuaded to support the Americans with some military aid. This defeat of the England forces by the Americans is thus the turning point of the American Revolution. Despite the wining by the American Army, they faced many challenges. In times of need the army, had to recruit slaves and other pardoned criminals? The leaders of the army knew that the wining tactic was ensuring that their numbers were larger than those of General John Burgoyne were. To this end, the American army at times enrolled the British side deserters and the people who would be termed as prisoners of war. Enrolling American men was sometimes hard, as the portion of people who were farmers did not want to leave their fields unattended. People also failed to join the army, as the compensation thereby was extremely low. In times of inflation, the militiamen received remarkably little amount of money as upkeep. There also lacked pension systems that would compensate the soldiers in cases where the soldiers died. There were also easy spreads of diseases in the police camps; they lacked the necessary facilities as they slept without tents and in other cases without blankets. They were also scarcity of food in their tents. The soldiers contended with so many problems as they even lacked cooking utensils and sometimes resulted to eating raw meat. They, however, garnered all their energy and won the British Army (Cuneo, 1967). Buy custom Battle of Saratoga essay buy custom Battle of Saratoga essay This paper is a bout the battle of Saratoga and how it was a major turning point in the revolutionary war. The paper starts by looking at how it all begun some of the involved groups and their significance at the various stages of the battle. The paper also looks at how and why other nations got involved in this war for instance France and Spain. This paper looks at some of the benefits that Americans got by participating in this war for instance the bill of rights ,that were effected and some of the constitutional amendments that came with it. Introduction The Battle of Saratoga was one of Americas major and historic turning points of all the revolutions that America has ever undergone. In this battle, America proved to the whole world that indeed they have an army that was sufficiently effective to fight and defeat well trained British army. This is considered as one of Americas successful battles of all time. When the Americans seemed to overpower the Britons, other European countries became more interested with Americans and how they had managed to put up such a fight against the then powerful nation like Britain. Most of them including France and Spain joined them and provided assistance but secretly. During the 1777 British campaign, Burgoyne who was by then a Major General organized a three columns concentric advance which was to take place in New York. Burgoyne led one of the teams that took the southward direction along river Hudson. Another group under the impetus of General Barry Leger whose main work or responsibility was to provide a diversionary attack, and lastly there was another third group under the leadership of General Howe was dispatched to operate along river Mohawk. The plan was well drawn out and General Howe was expected to direct the group under General Henry to take the northern direction along river Hudson to meet General Burgoyne at Albany. The main aim of this strategy was to basically destroy the massive and brutish forces of New England and also to reduce their influence across Europe. Background information According to Todd L. and Curtis Eugene (1990)The goal of the 1777 campaigns was to basically to take control of the Hudson river, the Lake Champlain and the surrounding areas, by so doing they would have automatically and effectively isolated the oppressive England from their other American colonies. This invasion had been planed in such away that two aspects were to be addressed. First, Burgoyne was to lead a group of people towards Albany in New York along Lake Champlain. Burgoyne started off and within a very short period of time he had managed to recapture Fort Ticonderoga. From there on, Burgoynes march became a bit slow because of a few logistics because of the fact that they were moving through bushes and they also kept on stopping on the way to engage in a bit of training. They also face some problems on their way like being attacked by smaller groups which were sent out to distract them and seize them up and thwart their efforts to access their supplies. They were lucky because most of these kinds of destruction were defeated by the American militia for instance in the Bennington battle. Unfortunately in this instances Burgoyne kept on losing some of his men in the process .There was an instance where the American militia attempted to intervene and provide assistance but got ambushed and had no option but to scatter in a battle that was dubbed Oriskany.A second group that was under the leadership of Benedict Arnold, abandoned him and he had no other option other than returning to Quebec and rethink his strategy. Burgoynes set backs Burgoyne's Group was reduced by almost half in the various battles that they had been engaged in for instance in the battle of Bennington and the fact that they were running out of supplies .Despite all his setbacks, Burgoyne was determined to struggle and fight on in a bid to get to Albany (Frederickson J 2006). There was an American army under the leadership of General Horatio Gates which had already taken over parts of Saratoga. Burgoyne atempted to outflank the American army unfortunately he could not outdo them at the very first Saratoga battle .Burgoyne came up with desperate attempts but in vain and again he feared that the army that was under the leadership of General Howe which was operating in New York would be coming. The American militia and other natives joined the army that was under the stewardship of General Gates making it more stronger. Burgoyne run out of options after losing terribly in the second battle of Saratoga and had to surrender. Saratoga was basically like the turning point that brought about confidence and determination particularly after Howe managed to successful occupy and take control over Philadelphia. This victory in many ways encouraged France to join hands with American after secretly supporting them for close to two solid years. After the alliance and support from other nations, things became more complicated for the Britons. The British plan The British plan which was all about repelling the Americans and gaining more ground seemed to work but only for awhile. The Burgoyne's army had for some time manages to repel and push back the American forces southward as they attempted to surge upwards along the Hudson River .In an a bid to impede the progress of the British army , General Philip Schuyler of America added another group of army. This group moved along the Mohawk River as a reinforcement team. After a while General Arnold went back with his group after successfully fighting off enemies in good time to participate in the battle of Saratoga. The First and second Battles of Saratoga According to Ketchum R. (1999) the very first battle of Saratoga started on 19 September, 1777 .In this very first encounter General Gates who had poor execution lost some substantive ground to the Britons. This was partly due to the disagreement that erupted between him and General Arnold. This was due to difference in tactic they intended to use; this saw Gates relieve Arnold from commanding the army. The deadly battle of Bemis Heights came to be considered as the second battle of Saratoga. After awhile, General Gates took over leadership and command from Schuyler, whose ideologies and political strategies had had hit a snug for instance the loss of Ticonderoga which forced him to retreat. Gates immediately commanded his army to march towards the north. At a place known as the Bemis Heights which is situated north of Stillwater, which is just a few miles south of Saratoga, was picked as a base of its strategic positioning. The army took some time at this place strategizing on how to launch attacks. Bemis was chosen because of its height which could provide a good and clear view .That very first battle actually began when Burgoyne directed some of his troops to Bemis Height in an attempt to stop the American from encroaching on Bemis Heights. General Benedict Arnold was well informed and to counter the move he placed massive forces in their way. Factors that led to Americas triumph The battle of Saratoga was a turning point for the a American people in many ways .First of all ,this battle made American win over the confidence of other countries that had a problem with the British dominance. By successfully participating in this battle the Americans got a lot of morale and knew that they can as well have say in their own matters. Americans capitalized on the weaknesses of the British army for instance the British army had poor planning and lacked proper direction from their headquarters in London. Another reason why the British army lost miserably is because they were far from and could not easily access their supplies in Canada. American also won the battle because they had received the backing of other European nations but clandestinely for instance France who supplied them with war materials and also the French navy played a very big role in helping the American. When France openly came to the assistance of Americans, other countries also joined in, for instance Spain who claimed that they are in the war as Frances ally. The Battle of Saratoga is bbelieved to have been a major turning point for America. Americans had numerous opportunities that helped them win the battle. For instance when the British army was moving south and away from their main source of their supplies which was in Canada. The Generals of the American army got wind of this and took advantage of it by executing their operations. During the 1777 encounter was the first time the American army got to meet the British army in a full dress war and emerged winners. Why the battle was seen as a turning point to Americans The Battle of Saratoga was viewed as a major turning point because of quite a number of reasons which are seen as benefits to the Americans. First of all, Americans started to benefit and fully enjoy their basic rights that they had been denied by the oppressive Britons. This came with a series of constitutional amendments that gave more freedom and privilege to the people of America including liberties to engage I whatever they are interested in. The American legislators got the power to amend the constitution and they even incorporate like forty new provisions .This saw Americans gain a lot of freedoms and other rights which were incorporated in their constitution (Bass H. 1990). Some of them included freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly and also freedom to be tried by the jury. The British authorities had become very oppressive and that is why most of their colonies hated them and helped Americans .After they had actively participated in the French and the Indian Wars, the Britons felt that they had lost some substantive amount of money and the best way to recover that was by taxing their colonies heavily. This move was bitterly resisted by most British colonies who believed that they were not the main reason why Britain had incurred big losses .This prompted most of them to gang against the British authorities .This was a common behavior that the British authorities had adopted, whereby after engaging in wars with other countries and incurring losses, they resort to heavily taxing their colonies. The good thing is that whenever the Britons came up with a new law concerning the taxation, their colonists hated and disliked them even more. Somehow it may sound like it is a good thing for The Britons to impose more taxes on their colonists because it was them that they were protecting after all. According to most Americans this was not the best way to support their mother country; they looked at it as a form of oppression and exploitation. Americans felt that being indebted to their mother country for protection was basically missing the point and it was not what they were looking for. American authorities believed that the British authorities were trying to use their colonies for economic and political gains. The American Revolution came in handy to end that exploitation and oppression. This was a great thing to ever happen in the history of America and in shaping it to what it is today. This revolution was inevitably going to take place happen because of the eagerness of America and other colonies to becoming free. This was timely because American eventually got an opportunity to work together and could join any relig ious organization with out being persecuted. According to Murrin J. et al (2008) this opened up opportunities to Americans all over the world they also got an opportunity to amend their constitution and other laws and political system. Americans showed their former colonialist that they were in apposition to make a living by themselves and providing protection to themselves by putting up that revolution. This was indeed a turning point to Americans in the sense that they realized that they can actually empower themselves and become their own authority. This revolution made Americans to become conscious about the fact that there was no rationale or justification for them to depend or rely on the British government to help them stay afloat. Without this revolution ,the Americans were not only trying to run away from the Not only were they still trying to break away from the oppressive and exploitative British but it gave them an opportunity to form a central government system. Buy custom Battle of Saratoga essay

101 Woman Hollering Creek and La Llorona Professor Ramos Blog

101 Woman Hollering Creek and La Llorona Female Mexican Stereotypes Quick Write A theme is a central idea in a piece of writing or other work of art. What theme or themes did you notice in Woman Hollering Creek? Female Mexican Stereotypes The Virgin La Malinche La Llorona La Llorona Prezi 2019 The Curse of La Llorona Analysis vs Summary Summary versus Analysis. What is the difference? What does it mean to analyze literature? Woman Hollering Creek What are some themes, recurring topics or ideas, that you have noticed? Lets come up with a list of characters. Arguable Thesis Start with what interests you, to develop a point of analysis. You can choose a character, theme, issue, context, patterns, metaphors, authors style or language, etc. What is standing out to you and then you can develop that into a thesis. You will be arguing that your analysis of the work is valid. Developing Strong Thesis Statements In Woman Hollering Creek, Sandra Cisneros is recasting traditional negative Mexican female archetypes in a positive light. Alternate Interpretation Student Video

The History of the Green Movement

The History of the Green Movement Though the conservation movement had European roots, many observers maintain that the United States has emerged as the worlds leader in environmentalism. If America does, in fact, deserve credit for leading the green movement, what made the United States such a crucible for environmentalism? Its partly due to the immigrants who came to the North American continent in the colonial era and partly to the natural beauty of the land they found when they crossed the Atlantic. The Early Years of the Green Movement America, of course, didnt invent the green movement any more than it invented trees. The basic principles of sustainable forestry management, for example, were known throughout Europe (especially Germany, France and England) since the medieval era. Farming communities in Asia practiced soil conservation through terrace farming and other sustainable agricultural practices. English writer Thomas Malthus, in his oft-quoted An Essay on the Principle of Population, alarmed much of 18th-century Europe by proposing that an increase in human population beyond sustainable limits would result in a catastrophic plunge in population due to famine and/or disease. Malthus writings would inform much of the alarm over the population explosion roughly 200 years later. But it was after the colonization of the Americas by Europeans that writers and philosophers were among the first to propose that wilderness had an intrinsic value beyond its usefulness to humans. While fisheries, hunting grounds, and timber stands were important to civilization, visionaries like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau proposed that in wildness is the preservation of the world (Thoreau). Their belief that nature possesses a spiritual element that transcends human utility gave these men and their followers the label Transcendentalists. The Green Movement and the Industrial Revolution The transcendentalism of the early 1800s and its celebration of the natural world arrived just in time to be trampled underfoot by the ravages of the Industrial Revolution. As forests disappeared under the ax of reckless timber barons, coal became a popular source of energy. Unfettered use of coal in homes and factories resulted in horrific air pollution in cities like London, Philadelphia, and Paris. In the 1850s, a carnival huckster named George Gale heard about an immense California redwood that was over 600 years old when Jesus was born. Upon seeing the magnificent tree, nicknamed The Mother of the Forest, Gale hired men to cut the tree down so that its bark could be displayed in his sideshow. The reaction to Gales stunt, however, was swift and ugly: To our mind, it seems a cruel idea, a perfect desecration, to cut down such a splendid tree ... what in the world could have possessed any mortal to embark in such a speculation with this mountain of wood?, wrote one editor. The growing realization that human industry was obliterating irreplaceable wilderness and endangering human health resulted in the earliest efforts at managing natural resources. In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was created, the first of what became one of Americas best ideas: a network of national parks that were strictly off-limits to exploitation. The Conservation Movement Takes Root As the Industrial Revolution continued to wreak havoc on wilderness, a growing chorus of voices sounded the alarm. Among them were John Muir, a visionary poet of the American West and its spectacular beauty, and Theodore Roosevelt, an avid reformer whom Muir convinced to set aside vast tracts of wilderness for conservation. Other men, however, had different ideas about the value of wilderness. Gifford Pinchot, who studied forestry in Europe and became an advocate for managed forestry, was once an ally of Muir and others in the conservation movement. As Pinchot continued to broker the clear-cutting of virgin forests with influential timber barons, however, he fell out of favor with those who believed in the importance of preserving nature, regardless of its commercial uses. Muir was among those who decried Pinchots management of wilderness areas, and it is Muirs interest in preservation as opposed to conservation that gave rise to what may be Muirs greatest legacy. In 1892, Muir and others created the Sierra Club, to do something for wildness and make the mountains glad. The Modern Green Movement Begins In the 20th century, the conservation movement was overshadowed by events like the Great Depression and two world wars. Only after World War II ended and the rapid transformation of North America from an agricultural society to an industrial one was well underway did the modern environmental movement begin. Americas postwar industrialization proceeded at a breakneck pace. The results, while amazing in their breadth, alarmed many with the havoc they wreaked. Nuclear fallout from atomic tests, air pollution caused by millions of cars and factories spewing chemicals into the atmosphere, the destruction of once-pristine rivers and lakes (like Ohios Cuyahoga River, which famously caught fire due to pollution), and the disappearance of farmland and forests under suburban developments were a concern to many citizens. Into this maelstrom stepped a quiet, studious scientist and author.  Rachel Carson in 1962 published, a devastating argument against the reckless use of the pesticides that were wiping out populations of birds, insects, and other animals. The now-classic book gave voice to millions of Americans who saw their rich natural heritage disappearing right before their eyes. Following the publication of Silent Spring and books like Paul Erlichs The Population Bomb, Democratic Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson joined many other politicians in adding environmental protection to their platforms. Even Republican Richard Nixon made considerable progress toward incorporating environmental awareness into his administration. Not only did Nixon create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), he also signed the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, which required environmental impact assessments for all large-scale federal projects. And on Christmas Eve of 1968, NASA astronaut William Anders, while orbiting the moon with the Apollo 8 mission, snapped a photograph that many people credit with providing a foundation for the modern green movement. His photo shows a small, blue planet Earth peeking over the horizon of the Moon. (See above.) The image of a small planet, alone in a vast ocean of space, showed billions the fragility of our planet and the importance of preserving and protecting Earth. The Environmental Movement and Earth Day Inspired by the protests and teach-ins that were occurring worldwide throughout the 1960s, Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed in 1969 that there be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment. In Nelsons words, The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Thus was born the event now known as Earth Day. On April 22, 1970, the first celebration of Earth Day took place on a glorious spring day, and the event was a tremendous success. Millions of Americans coast to coast took part in parades, concerts, speeches and fairs devoted to preserving the natural heritage of the United States and the entire world. In a speech that day, Nelson stated, Our goal is an environment of decency, quality, and mutual respect for all other human creatures and for all living creatures. Earth Day is now celebrated worldwide and has become an environmental touchstone for two generations of eco-activists. The Environmental Movement Solidifies In the months and years following the first Earth Day and the creation of the EPA, the green movement, and environmental consciousness were solidified into private and public institutions around the world. Landmark environmental legislation, like the Clean Water Act, the Federal Pesticides Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Scenic Trails Acts, were signed into law. These federal acts joined many other state and local programs to protect the environment. But all institutions have their detractors, and the environmental movement is no exception. As environmental legislation began to be implemented nationwide, many in the business community found that environmental legislation was having a negative impact on the profitability of mining, forestry, fisheries, manufacturing and other extractive and polluting industries. In 1980, when Republican Ronald Reagan was elected to the presidency, the dismantling of environmental safeguards began. By appointing anti-environmental crusaders like Interior Secretary James Watt and EPA Administrator Anne Gorsuch to office, Reagan and the entire Republican Party signaled their naked contempt for the green movement. Their success was limited, however, and both Watt and Gorsuch were so universally disliked even by members of their own party that they were removed from office after serving a matter of months. But the battle lines had been drawn, and the business community and the Republican Party remain vehemently opposed to the environmental protections that define much of the green movement. The Green Movement Today: Science vs Spiritualism Like many social and political movements, the green movement has been strengthened and annealed by the forces that oppose it. After James Watt was appointed to lead the Department of the Interior, for instance, membership in the Sierra Club grew from 183,000 to 245,000 in just 12 months. Today, the green movement is again defined and galvanized by its command of issues like global warming and climate change, wetlands preservation, the Keystone pipeline, nuclear proliferation, hydraulic fracturing or fracking, fisheries depletion, species extinction and other important environmental concerns. What distinguishes the green movement today from the earlier conservation movement is its emphasis on science and research. Speaking in spiritual tones and using religious metaphors, early environmentalists like Muir and Thoreau celebrated nature for its profound impact on mans emotions and our souls. When Hetch Hetchy Valley in California was threatened by a dam, Muir exclaimed, Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man. Now, however, we are far more likely to call upon scientific data and empirical research to buttress arguments in favor of wilderness preservation, or against polluting industries. Politicians cite the work of polar researchers and use computerized climate models to battle global warming, and medical researchers rely on public health statistics to argue against mercury pollution. Whether these arguments succeed or fail, however, still depends on the vision, the passion and the commitment of the people who make up the green movement.

Is Genetic Modification of Foods Good Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Genetic Modification of Foods Good - Essay Example They are a wave for the future since they provide an alternative that helps in increasing food production. However, much concern has been brought to light by farmers, citizens and scientists on the conduct of research and merits of genetically modified foods. They benefit humankind, animals and their environment. Genetic modified foods have increased food security in the growing population. In the environment, they provide a friendly environment by repelling bio herbicides and bio insecticides. They conserve water, soil and energy by reduction of irrigation and solar energy. Due to their ability to grow and mature fast, they give food security during times of hunger and food shortage. They facilitate growth in both animals and crops. In crops, they enhance quality and taste, this by increasing its nutrient content and maturity of the crop. They reduce maturation time, by speeding up the growth period. They improve the resistance to pests, diseases and herbicides affecting growth of p lants. In animals, they facilitate better yield of eggs, milk and meat by providing animals with the required nutrient for their productivity. They improve diagnostic methods of handling animals and promote health by ensuring constant supply of animal feeds with the required nutrients. ... microbes in soil), unintended shift of transgenics by means of cross-pollution, and loss of fauna and flora biodiversity (Eugene and Santaniello 102). Genetically modified foods affect ethics, access and intellectual property by violating intrinsic values of natural organisms by changing their metabolism and meddling with nature through genes mixing. They stress animals by objecting to consume their genes in plants and vice versa. In access of property there is unethical practices as modified food production is dominated by a few organizations thus it increases dependence on industrialized foods by many developing countries. This leads to exploitation of developing countries and their natural resources by foreign nations. They pose the danger of mixing different metabolisms that result to food poisoning, once different substances have been mixed, it may result in early expiry of the product, which may affect the health of an individual. Combination of different enzymes results in rea ction of foodstuff in the human body, whose result may be unknown even to the researchers (Eugene and Santaniello 112). In an article by Jones he asks, â€Å"Does the human race really need genetically modified food?†, given that in the field of agriculture, small biodiversity farms are actually productive and the food produced is healthy for human consumption (Simmons 62). He argues that people should use food produced from farms rather than the modified food, which pose dangers to the human health. Politics and economics at all levels have often prohibited food from getting to hungry people, not a deficit in production. These similar causes have also contributed to a lot of poverty, which prevents citizens’ ability to meet

HIT Terminology Table Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HIT Terminology Table - Coursework Example The varied clinical systems that range from patient diagnosis to surgery need a developed system that result to code compliant. Create a table listing the attributes and capabilities for the four health care terminologies you select. For each terminology, provide the following information in a table: Domain, Type of identifiers, Example of one identifier, Key interoperability issues (if applicable) LOINC -Observation Identifier Names and Codes provides a universal code system that reports laboratory and other clinical observations in electronic messages such as health level seven (HL7) observation messages (McDonald, et al. 2003). This terminology is accepted in; health maintenance organizations, hospitals, public health department, pharmaceutical manufactures, and researchers. Health Care Terminologies and Standards provides the umbrella framework that describe the comprehensive management of health care terminologies across computerized systems that provides efficiency, interoperability and reliability(Sensmeier, Halley, & Brokel 2009). A standardized terminologies is increasingly viewed as a promising tool that will improve efficiency of health delivery system especially administrative efficiency McDonald, CJ., Huff, SM., Suico, JG., Hill, G., Leavelle, D., Aller, R.,†¦ Maloney P. LOINC, a universal standard for identifying laboratory observations: A 5-Year update. Clinical Chemistry 2003; 49:624-633. Retrieved from: http://www.clinchem.org/content/49/4/624.full Sensmeier, J., & Brokel, J. M., (2009). Nurses exchanging information: Understanding electronic health record standards and interoperability. Urologic Nursing, 29(5), 305–314. Retrieved from:

Strategic Alliances in the Airline Industry Essay

Strategic Alliances in the Airline Industry - Essay Example Most researchers have argued that (e.g. Cummins & Xie 2007) firms with relatively high returns on equity, capital and larger market shares are more likely to be acquirers, while those with low return on equity and financially vulnerable firms are more likely to be targets. In finance, it is a common practice to view mergers and acquisitions as manifestations of the market for corporate control. Much of foreign direct investments usually take the form of mergers and acquisition and according to Reis & Head (2005), two-third of FDI that took place between the periods of 1987-2001 was in the form of mergers and acquisition. With their relative advantage of capital, technology, and managerial resources that would otherwise not be available to the host country or other domestic firms, FDIs are often seen as monopoly because of their economic, technology and managerial advantage they posses. Subsequently, host countries enjoy these benefits and costs that otherwise is unavailable to domestic firm. Against this background, this paper seeks to provide an answer to the following research questions What has been the nature of strategic alliances at the airline industry How strategic Allainces in the airline industry does affect Human resource Management issues What are the potential benefits and costs associated with strategic alliances in the airline industry Are strategic alliances in the airline industry worth the trouble 1.1.2 Research Purpose and Objectives This paper is aimed at reviewing strategic alliances in the airline industry, the reasons or motives behind their pursuance and the human resource management issues that firms may face. It starts by reviewing strategic alliances and then proceeds to drawing a line between them. Other objectives will include To analyse and evaluate potential costs and benefits associated with strategic alliances at the airline industry. To find out and states the various ways through which strategic alliances at the airlines industry affect human resource management issues. The research will also seek to understand if strategic alliances at the airlines industry are worth the trouble. 1.1.3 Importance and Rational of Study Going through previous research within the area I realised, resources mastery and understanding of research subject area are necessary for writing a good research paper. I also came to realise through examination of what others have written on merger and acquisition, little or nothing has been said on the impact of mergers on human resource ma

Consumer Rights and Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer Rights and Protection - Essay Example Moreover, the US Federal Trade Commission helps in the passage of the bill by creating the software â€Å"Do Not Track,† which prevents advertisers from monitoring the online activity of web users. The US Consumer privacy bill of rights was formulated after several alleged sharing of consumer information among companies that sell video games and gadgets. This information was randomly solicited and was even just casually asked from visitors who would occasionally visit the sites. The privacy bill will therefore strictly enforce companies to make sure that collected data should not be used for another company, and that disclosures must be presented t consumers at all times. Moreover, the efforts of the United States government in executing the privacy bill of rights is somehow also based on the fact that European governments have done the same with their web companies, email providers and social networking sites. Summary #2 Based on the article, big US banks have been increasing their rates when it comes to the handling of checking accounts. Among these banks include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase. Changes involve the introduction of fees ranging from $7 to $25 a month, which translates to around $300 a year. Aside from these, the big banks have their own way of charging hidden fees and interchange fees anytime their services are used by their clients, such as in the use of debit cards while making purchases. In fact, consumers have reacted to these changes with anger and resentment especially because they knew how expensively these banks would normally pay their top executives, like Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase who received a salary of $20 million in 2011. The aforementioned big US banks used to charge only small fees for their checking account maintenance. However, there have been amendments in the bank regulations that caused banks to maximize the number of overdrafts, increasing the number of charges and manipulating purchas e sequences so that the customer will have to pay higher fees. The higher fees were in fact viewed by the public as a part of a â€Å"regressive and unfair system† and was something that these banks would strategically employ in order to prey on human weaknesses. However, although consumers will surely suffer from having to handle these charges, there is a solution – resorting to credit unions and smaller banks that are friendlier when it comes to fees. This explains the jolly but somewhat paradoxical nature of the article’s title: â€Å"Higher Fees? Let’s Celebrate!† The jolly tone means that the author seems to be telling consumers that had the big banks not overly abused them, they would not have found better options on where to put their money. Now, since bank clients have been transferring their money from the big banks to the small ones, the greedy and inefficient big banks have to suffer as a consequence. This natural effect is explained by the idea that American capitalism usually does not favor the companies who are greedy and inefficient. Nevertheless, last year only 1 out of 14 Americans were able to make a decision to transfer their checking accounts from the big banks to the smaller banks and credit unions. Thanks to the formulation and passage of many regulations that benefited the consumer: the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act as well as the Consumer Protection Act,

Management and Leadership development (Are leaders born or made) Essay

Management and Leadership development (Are leaders born or made) - Essay Example The model has been identified but not applied to organisations How do you demonstrate that your idea in part one will actually work in a real life environment? Would this be a universal model? (Refer to paper one) There is no indication of this model being universal, include at the beginning or the end Prove that it works. The model hasn’t been proven to work Show how it works and in relation to your literature? Not enough Demonstrate my model or concept could work in a variety of sectors e.g. public sector, commercial sector, or how it would work in different sizes of organisations, e.g small, medium and large Identified organisations but not applied the model the way they operate in leadership development Pick out the main points on the organisations (critical information) and that have relevance to if leaders are born or made and remove the rest of the material as it is descriptive and irrelevant, (This paper is only meant to be (2200 words max) The essay has some valid poi nts on organisations – However, they need to be backed by theory and all related to whether leaders are born or developed and the suggested model in the introduction I have also highlighted some points below Investigate the Operationalisation of Management and Leadership Development into Practice, Based on the Key Ideas Identified in Part One Part one entailed exploring into the study of contemporary management and leadership development, focusing on the topic ‘Are Leaders Born or Developed over Time’. Apart from presenting an array of diverse literatures that reviewed both arguments, the outcome of the study indicated that no one is a natural born leader. The case studies now will be discussing on how these theories and practices are displayed in management and leadership styles in the real life working environment across various sectors. The model that would be applied is based on the theoretical framework that leaders are developed over time. Through the concu rrent collaborative applications of both Adair (2003) and House (1971) who argued that leaders don’t have to be born but can develop leadership skills (Adair, 2003) and leaders set goals with employees and find paths, takes action, and develop one’s knowledge, skills and abilities as leaders (House, 1971) towards the achievement of organisational goals. Research by Giber (2009) has proved that if we tie leadership development to business strategy to the need of the business, it results in excellent organisational growth. The pressure to integrate leadership development activities and initiatives in the overall strategic objective of the business is the most important and overarching trend in recent history. Discussion Rolls Royce is a technology leader which employes 36,000 people assigned in offices, manufacturing and service facilities operating in 50 countries. The company has long history of employee development but currently they are reexamining their development strategy. In 2005, a review of talent management has been conducted, which until now, was being managed locally within business units. Currently, a new concept of talent management at global scale has been introduced (Jane Yarnall, 2008). Rolls Royce has realized the importance of talent management and that it should not be a standalone approach. Leaders can only emerge by identifying the potential talent

Printed circuit board in a toaster Research Paper

Printed circuit board in a toaster - Research Paper Example A toaster is a modern appliance used for toasting bread by converting electrical energy to heat energy which is then radiated to the bread (see appendix for a picture of one). In many households a toaster is a part of their breakfast or other meals as it easily and quickly prepares a toast as opposed to any other method you could use to prepare a toast. The device retails from as low as thirty bucks on Amazon therefore going by this its PCB cost would have to be quite low. In fact PCB production as per the Silver Circuits’ website (2011) is as low as 13 cents per square inch. This can be attributed to the few parts that make it up and the reduction in cost when mass producing these boards. (See appendix for a sample PCB). For effective functioning of the PCB in a toaster the following product design specifications have to be considered. (These are based on the environment of operation and a toaster’s manufacturer requirement for its PCB). On electrical consideration first we should consider the dielectric constant otherwise referred to as permittivity. This is an undertaking of accumulation electrostatic lines made of flux in a dielectric. (WhatIs.com Website, 2011). This depends on where the PCB is to be used, for instance in PCBs with many layers low values are preferred whereas those that are designed for RF circuits would have high values. In our case the toaster operates at low frequency and its PCB need not to be a multiple count one hence a value in between is good enough, however since the electric circuit in a toaster is a timer which uses capacitance the dielectric used to provide additional capacitance required. The second is loss tangent. This is usually a magnitude of how the dielectric component dissipates electromagnetic type of energy. Though more sensitive at higher frequencies it should be as low as possible for correct operation. Thirdly the materials should not absorb a

Management and Leadership development (Are leaders born or made) Essay

Management and Leadership development (Are leaders born or made) - Essay Example The model has been identified but not applied to organisations How do you demonstrate that your idea in part one will actually work in a real life environment? Would this be a universal model? (Refer to paper one) There is no indication of this model being universal, include at the beginning or the end Prove that it works. The model hasn’t been proven to work Show how it works and in relation to your literature? Not enough Demonstrate my model or concept could work in a variety of sectors e.g. public sector, commercial sector, or how it would work in different sizes of organisations, e.g small, medium and large Identified organisations but not applied the model the way they operate in leadership development Pick out the main points on the organisations (critical information) and that have relevance to if leaders are born or made and remove the rest of the material as it is descriptive and irrelevant, (This paper is only meant to be (2200 words max) The essay has some valid poi nts on organisations – However, they need to be backed by theory and all related to whether leaders are born or developed and the suggested model in the introduction I have also highlighted some points below Investigate the Operationalisation of Management and Leadership Development into Practice, Based on the Key Ideas Identified in Part One Part one entailed exploring into the study of contemporary management and leadership development, focusing on the topic ‘Are Leaders Born or Developed over Time’. Apart from presenting an array of diverse literatures that reviewed both arguments, the outcome of the study indicated that no one is a natural born leader. The case studies now will be discussing on how these theories and practices are displayed in management and leadership styles in the real life working environment across various sectors. The model that would be applied is based on the theoretical framework that leaders are developed over time. Through the concu rrent collaborative applications of both Adair (2003) and House (1971) who argued that leaders don’t have to be born but can develop leadership skills (Adair, 2003) and leaders set goals with employees and find paths, takes action, and develop one’s knowledge, skills and abilities as leaders (House, 1971) towards the achievement of organisational goals. Research by Giber (2009) has proved that if we tie leadership development to business strategy to the need of the business, it results in excellent organisational growth. The pressure to integrate leadership development activities and initiatives in the overall strategic objective of the business is the most important and overarching trend in recent history. Discussion Rolls Royce is a technology leader which employes 36,000 people assigned in offices, manufacturing and service facilities operating in 50 countries. The company has long history of employee development but currently they are reexamining their development strategy. In 2005, a review of talent management has been conducted, which until now, was being managed locally within business units. Currently, a new concept of talent management at global scale has been introduced (Jane Yarnall, 2008). Rolls Royce has realized the importance of talent management and that it should not be a standalone approach. Leaders can only emerge by identifying the potential talent

Looking at any Two or Three Urban Schemes or Monuments Built in Paris Essay

Looking at any Two or Three Urban Schemes or Monuments Built in Paris in the 1600s, Use Subheadings to Identify the Design Featu - Essay Example Initially the monument was incomplete when the monument was unveiled. With time, the envisioned facades were painted and appeared canvas in color. The monument was pierced by six streets and a circular pan built on it served the role of a flexible joint that would join and harmonize the various axes present on the monument. The underfoot for both the monuments was made of gilt bronze and had bas relief panels that appeared to be flattering in inscriptions. At the corners of the monuments, there were dejected bronze figures that were seated. The Desjardins sculptures were adopted to make the monuments more beautiful. Wooden pyramid were also a common feature among the monuments and this were just some of the features that were being added with time to ensure that the monuments would be aesthetic. Given the fact that these monuments were built in a period during which people had great respect for the authorities, there was need to ensure aesthetic beauty accompanied every building so t hat the royal family would be respected. 1 Place Des Vegas is the oldest planned square in Paris and was originally known as the place royale. It is a true square measuring 140m ? 140m and in it was the first program responsible for city planning. It was built at a tournament at the Tournelles which is a royal residence. Before building it, demolition was undertaken by Catherine de Medicis of the gothic pile and later on constructed there the building. It was inaugurated in 1612 and at the same time celebration of the wedding by Louis xiii was done. What made this building unique was the fact that all the house fronts were built in the same design of red brick that had stripes of stone quoins. There were also designs like over vaulted arcades that would be made to stand on the square pillars. The roofs were steeply pitched blue slate and were pierced with discreet small paned dormers that were above the pedimented dormers. The design was so architectural such that it would attract t he passers by and it indicated a sign of supremacy in the society for those who inhabited the building. The pavilions would rise higher than the unified roofline which was located at the centre of the north and south faces. These face offered accessibility to the triple arches in the building. Place dauphine also on the other hand is a public square that is triangular in shape that can be accessed by use of a bridge from both sides. It was constructed on the site of three islets that were mud banks at that time. The French royal court later on established a permanent settlement in the monument. 2 It also adopted a triangular shape that had two canted ends as had been instructed by Achille du Harlay. He saw the need for the monument to be a thirty two house that had a single plan. This was considered as being among the earliest and oldest designs that had been adopted by the monument. It is also surrounded by big red bricks that have a faded grey cobblestone walks. The gracing centre is the loveliest park that has trees around it to offer a cool breeze. The benches in the gracing centre offer a place to seat for those who stay in the area and those who visit the premises. At the end of the construction, it appeared to be a quadrangle that had a gateway centered at the downstream and also had paired pavilions. The houses here are built of brick that has limestone quoins and the floors are arcaded. All the

Financial Analysis of Northrop Grumman Essay Example for Free

Financial Analysis of Northrop Grumman Essay The fiscal analysis of Northrop Grumman includes the examination of profitability, liquidity, and equity ratios, its 3 year stock price, as well as a general financial overview of the company. This case study exams their fiscal strategy as well as the debt utilization and possible effects of the fiscal crisis on Northrop Grumman. This document compares Northrop Grumman to other companies in the defense sector by comparing their ratios as well profitability. The paper will provide the reader with an understanding of the financial makeup of the company and its current and recent performance as well as estimates of future earnings. Overview of Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman is one of the world’s major defense contractors. Northrop Grumman is an innovative company that has long history of making aircraft and other products that support the defense industry. Northrop Grumman is made up of the former Northrop and Grumman companies and eighteen other companies that have been integrated into one successful corporation. Northrop Grumman has four primary sectors in its business model: aerospace systems, electronic systems, information systems, and technical services. The company has its headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, and production facilities across the United States, with major facilities in California, Virginia, and Maryland. Northrop Grumman is the third largest defense contractor in the world. Some of Northrop Grumman’s primary competitors are Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, and L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. Northrop Grumman plans on remaining competitive even with the threat of sequestration looming over the federal government and the threat of an additional $500 Billion in defense cuts above the currently planned $500 billion in defense cuts. They plan on remaining competitive by being able to successfully develop and market their products, to stay ahead of the competition. This is done by reaming innovative, and providing the facilities and people to accomplish these goals of developing and manufacturing new products and support businesses and governments in information technology. History of Northrop Grumman Northrop was founded in 1939 by Jack Northrop in Hawthorne, California. The company produced its first aircraft in 1940, the N-3PB patrol bomber for the Norwegian Air Force. The first production aircraft for the United States Army Air Force was the P-61 Black Widow. They continued developing aircraft for the United States Air Force, competing in the bomber contract in the mid-1940s for the long range heavy bomber contracts using his radical flying wing designs of the XB-35 and XB-49, which were in competition with the B-36 and B-47. This was a highlight of Jack Northrop’s development of technologically advanced aircraft. In 1959, they had the first flight of the F-5 a supersonic low cost fighter that would serve as the basis of the T-38 supersonic jet trainer for the USAF, and later on the F-20 an upgraded version of the F-5. They also designed the US first ICBM the Shark. They continued with development of many programs culminating with the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, currently the most advanced and expensive bomber ever built for the US Air Force. In 1994 they acquired the Grumman Corporation and became Northrop Grumman. The Grumman Corporation started out in the 1930 was instrumental in the development of Naval Aircraft. They built the XFF-1, built in 1931, was the first naval aircraft with retractable landing gear. The built the widely successfully naval fighters the Wildcat with the first ever sto-wing and the Hellcat one of the most successfully carrier aircraft of World War Two. Grumman continued to develop aircraft for the United States Navy, developing the F9F Panther, one of the United States Navy’s earliest jet fighters. Grumman continued to develop jet aircraft, including the A-6 Intruder family of aircraft for the Navy, as well as the F-14 Tomcat, made famous by the movie Top Gun. Most notably the Grumman designed and built the Lunar Lander for the Apollo program. Key Products Northrop Grumman is primarily involved in four related by also distinct industries which are also their core competencies. They are involved in aerospace systems, electrical systems, information systems and technology systems. Involvement in these key areas allows them to focus on their customers’ needs for unmanned air systems; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR); logistics, and cyber security. The company is currently involved in a many major programs for the Defense Department. They are producing the RQ-4 Global Hawk an unmanned air system (UAS) that is the only UAS that is allowed to fly in US airspace. They are also developing and producing active electronically scanned array radars for the F-35 and F-16 as well as a multitude of electronic warfare systems like the US Navy’s Next Generation Jammer. The Lightning family of advanced targeting pods is also a key program within Northrop Grumman, with the L ightning Generation four reaching its 250th produced unit. Northrop Grumman is also developing the X-47b for the US Navy, which would give them a stealth carrier launched unmanned combat air vehicle, which would be the first for the US Navy. This aircraft also made history, by being the first unmanned combat air vehicle to accomplish a catapult launch, on 29 November 2012 at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland (McKinney 2012). Northrop Grumman is also a partner with Lockheed Martin in building major components to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program, specifically the center fuselage and weapons bay. They also participate in the civilian sector with the flat sequencing system for the US Post Office, and information systems for the Department of Homeland Security and public 911 services. Financial Condition Northrop Grumman is a financially secure company that is looking to maintain its current status quo. According to their Value Line Report they were given an A++ rating for financial stability. Value Line is also estimating their 2012 revenues at $25100 million, which represents a decrease of $1312 million. Even though the company’s revenues have decreased since 2010, they have been able to maintain their strength in the defense industry. They are still the third largest defense contractor; even with their recent sell offs of Newport News and Huntington Ingalls Industries, Incorporated. This sell off, the drawdown in the Iraq and Afghanistan, and the decreases defense spending has led to a decrease in revenues however according to Value Time, their revenue in 2013 is estimated to be $2,500 million a decrease of only $100 million. Northrop Grumman also carriers a middle grade bond rating of BBB+, BBB+, and Baa+ from the 3 major bond raters, S P, Finch, and Moody’s. These rating show that Northrop Grumman is stable company with an average stock price for 2012 of $63.13. Northrop Grumman Fiscal Strategy Northrop Grumman’s corporate strategy can be explained in the 2011 Annual Report opening quote from CEO Web Bush, â€Å"2011 was an outstanding year for Northrop Grumman, affirming that our focus on performance, portfolio alignment and effective cash deployment continues to create value for our shareholders, customers and employees and position our company positively for the future.† This quote states the overall direction that CEO Web Bush is taking Northrop Grumman into the future. The key to this strategy is Northrop Grumman focusing on performance. An example of this was an earnings per share increase of 17% on diluted shares to $7.41 (Northrop Grumman 2011). In 2011, with the spinoff of their shipbuilding division, they were able to provide, $1.6 billion in equity to their shareholders (Northrop Grumman, 2012). These actions have all been to provide the most benefit to their shareholders. Northrop Grumman is also focusing in on the new strategies that the Department of Defense is pursuing, with over 90% of their business with the DoD and the US government by focusing in on the growth areas of the DoD. C4ISR, unmanned systems, cyber security, and logistics are leading the way as the new focus of Northrop Grumman as they are the portions of the DoD that will continue to grow with the current budget issues facing the Obama presidency. They are also continuing its focus on their aerospace division which is the most profitable, since Northrop Grumman is a prime contractor on the F-35 and the F/A-18, as well as the builder of the Global Hawk. They are also seeing the US budget problems as an ideal point to start pursue the international market place more, like the recent sale of Global Hawks to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Their continued focus of on stockholder’s value means they need to focus on their key priorities of unmanned air system, C4ISR, logistics, and cyber security. Another part of Northrop Grumman’s strategy is making minor and major acquisitions into other companies allowing them to expand their business, which in turn will help increase stockholders value. They will from time to time create strategic alliances, form joint ventures, and dispose of or spinoff companies when they believe that these actions will aid in creating more value for their stockholders. Northrop Grumman’s strategic plan is to continue to focus on increasing shareholder value as well as to continue to maintain their cutting edge in technology and in the defense industry, and to develop systems that will support the DoD new strategies as US forces leave Afghanistan and begin to focus on the Pacific Region. The current fiscal crisis that is gripping the US, with large cuts to the defense budget, expiration of the George W. Bush tax cuts, increased tax rates, cuts to social programs, and new taxes from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Ac 2010, will directly affect Northrop Grumman at all levels. However, Northrop Grumman is in a position to succeed with the cuts and tax increases and the possibility of another $500 billion in budget cuts to its largest customer, the Department of Defense in the event of sequestration, because of the companies diversity within the defense market and their mix of being the primary contractor and a subcontractor on many contracts. They plan on continuing their focus on their core industries needs of the DoD. Northrop Grumman also believes that their business is well positioned within the US government, because of the diversity of programs they are working on like the F-35 Lightning II, RQ-4 Global Hawk, Minute Man III upgrades, next generation jammer, and other classified programs. These programs, with their importance to the US DoD will allow Northrop Grumman to remain viable during the fiscal crisis, and remain profitable. They also believe that a deal will be reached averting the crisis, and allowing business to continue. Northrop Grumman’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital Northrop Grumman has a weighted average cost of capital of 8%. This represents the low cost at which Northrop Grumman is able to procure financing. They currently have been buying back shares, which are increasing shareholder’s equity by making each share worth more; as well they have been utilizing debt effectively. They particularly have been using bonds to buy back stock as well as for financing capital programs. They use the weighted average cost of capital as a tool in determining discount rate and terminal value assumptions. The weighted cost of capital takes into consideration the relative weights of the components of their capital structure. This is used to measure the costs of new capital, and with a weighted average cost of capital at 8%, Northrop Grumman seems to balance in its approach to capital which is a sign of a mature and financial stable company. Profitability Northrop Grumman has been a profitable company over the course of its history. In 2002 their profits were $697.0 million and a Value Line estimate of $2,005 million for 2012, which are almost three times the profits of 2002. These recent profits can be attributed to the operations in the Middle East, particularly the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which have increased profits in every major defense contractor. Northrop Grumman plans to remain profitable during the defense cuts from 2011-2021 by continuing their excellence in their product development, manufacture and support. Failure in any of these areas will have a negative effect on their profitability. They also need to ensure that their contracts are completed on time and on budget, to ensure that with some of the current contracts and political environment that either they do not get canceled, or that they do not have continue on with their own funds. Other things that could affect profitability would be a failed rocket launch or failure of a product that cannot be fixed causing a contract to be canceled. Northrop Grumman’s net profit margin has also increase since 2002. In 2002 their net profit margin was 4.1% and has increased gradually to an estimated 8.0% in 2012. However, Value Line estimates that their net profit margin will decrease to 7.3% in 2013 and fall to 6.8% till at least 2015. The gradual increase in profits is attributed to the wars in the Middle East, where there has been an increased demand on their products, but the estimated decrease will be a result of the winding down of operations in the Middle East and the fiscal crisis enveloping the US Government. Even though their profits and net profit margin is planning on decreasing in 2013 and beyond according to Value Line, Northrop Grumman will remain profitable and thereby allowing to focus on their strategy of performing well for their shareholders. This increase in profitability is in line with their strategy of performance particularly with their stock price, which investors take the firm’s profitability into account. This has resulted in an average return on capital of 9.2%. Their return on capital is estimated to continue this increase rate through 2017 at 11.5%. Northrop Grumman’s EBITA Margin for 2011 is 14.26% at $3,304,000 million which has been increasing since 2010 and should continue to steadily increase even with the future budget uncertainty in the US government. Dividend Policy Northrop Grumman is also a stable company because of its dividend policy. Northrop Grumman offers a quarterly dividend and has been paying a dividend since 1943 except for 1949-1950. The dividend payouts for 2012 were $0.50 for the first quarter and $0.55 for each subsequent quarter, totaling $2.15, with earnings per share of $7.40 estimated for 2012 resulting in a 29% dividend payout ratio. When compared to other companies in the defense industry, Northrop Grumman is on par with its main competitors in regards to a dividend payout ratio with Boeing having a 2011 dividend payout ratio of 31% and Lockheed Martin of 41% in 2011 (Tortoriello, 2012). In 2011, Northrop Grumman was able to allocate $2.8 billion to give back to shareholders by repurchasing stock and through dividends. These strong cash flows in 2011 were a result of the spinoff of their shipbuilding industry, and $26,412 million in sales. The company is continuing its share repurchasing in 2012 with $290 million allocated to repurchase 13.6 million shares, with $2.0 billion left in that program (NOC earnings release, 2012). This along with the $2.15 dividend in 2012 represent Northrop Grumman strength as a company and their resolve to focus on their shareholders, by buying back stock, making it worth more and continuing to raise their dividend. Prior to the 2000s Northrop Grumman conducted its dividend policy like a utility with dividends that did not change its payout year to year. This all changed when Ron Sugar became CEO of Northrop Grumman in 2003. He began a program the resulted in stock buyback programs and was able to double the dividend payout during his tenure. CEO Sugar was able to raise the sales per share, however this did not result in an increase in the share price, which a low of $33.80 (Forbes, 2011). Northrop Grumman through their current CEO Wes Bush has increased their emphasis shareholder returns. He was able to the do by increasing dividends by an average of $0.13 per year and an average dividend of $1.78, since 2007. The 2012 dividend will be $2.15 with the fourth quarter paid on Dec 31, 2012. Northrop Grumman’s dividend policy is to continuously provide a dividend to its shareholders and to continuously attempt to increase the dividend as well. Another part of Northrop Grumman’s dividend policy is the stock buyback program. Northrop Grumman has been doing this since 2010, since they have excess cash from the spinoff of Newport News and Huntington Ingalls Industries, Incorporated, the shipbuildin g portion of Northrop Grumman and recent bond issues to buy back stock, in lieu of issuing a higher dividend. Corporate Bond Policy and Debt Usage Northrop Grumman uses corporate bonds like many other companies, for acquisitions, capital expansion projects, and refinancing existing debt. They currently have nine bond issues out with interest payments ranging from 1.85-7.81% with maturity dates from 2014 to 2040. Its current credit rating from SP, Fitch and Moody’s is BBB+, BBB+, and Baa1. These rating mean that Northrop Grumman has a lower medium grade rating, however according to Moody’s their debt metrics are at the high end of their current class of debt. Their current long term debt on 31 December 2012 will be $3,935.0 million (Value Line, 2012). Since 2009 they have paid of $256.0 million towards their long term debt. In 2011, Northrop Grumman paid $2,692 million in interest payments, according to their 2011 Annual report. They are projecting paying $207.0 million in 2012, which is lower than 2011, but that number is likely to rise at least through 2017. In November of 2010, Northrop Grumman issued a tender offer to buy its bonds back for a total of $2.119 Billion of bonds from its subsidiaries. Concurrently, they have a public offering of senior unsecured debt securities for debt repayment, pension funds, acquisitions, share repurchases, and working capital. On 15 February 2011, Northrop Grumman had a bond issue of $750 million at maturity with an interest rate of 7.125%. Moody’s has not down or upgraded Northrop Grumman’s bond rating, due to a large order of RQ-4 Global Hawks to NATO, and because of a $4.0 billion share repurchase plan. That sale could have a positive effect on their bond rating. All in All, Northrop Grumman has had numerous bond issues, and is currently using its latest one for a multitude of purposes. Industry Comparison Northrop Grumman is one of the top five defense companies in the world with defense revenues in 2010 of $31,181 billion (Tortoriello, 2012). Northrop Grumman as the one of the leading defense contractors in the world and is on par with or exceeding its competitors. Comparing the profitability of Northrop Grumman to its peers in the defense industry, we can take a look at figure 1 and compare profitability ratios of Northrop Grumman with the averages in their industry group. The median return on assets (ROA) for the search and navigation equipment is 7.10%, Northrop Grumman currently has a ROA of 7.45% as of 31 Dec 2011, and their current ROA is 5.72% as of 30 September. Using 2011 numbers, Northrop Grumman is slightly more profitable than the other firms in its SIC industrial grouping. Northrop Grumman is also effective in how they finance their activities, by using a mix of bonds, stock options, and other forms of financing. As of 2011 their total debt to equity ratio is 0.38 when compared to the industry average is of 84.40 is significant because it shows little financing Northrop Grumman is using at this time, however, they are still have a decent bond rating of Baa1 from Moody’s and Value Line has their financial strength listed as A++. The industry average for the quick ratio is 2.00. Northrop Grumman’s 2011 quick ratio was 0.97. With a quick ratio below one, this shows that Northrop Grumman is highly effective at creating cash from its investments and work activities. In examining these ratios; it shows that Northrop Grumman is a highly successful and stable company that would present a low risk investment to an investor. However, it is to be seen what the possibilities of sequestration and cuts to the military have on these ratios and the profits and low debt that Northrop Grumman has during the 2000s. Stock Price Analysis Northrop Grumman is a publicly traded firm on the New York Stock Exchange, under the symbol NOC. As of 14 December, 2012 they currently have 254,000,000 shares of common stock outstanding. They currently have zero preferred stock and $3,935 million currently in bonds. According to Northrop Grumman’s last cash flow statement, they paid $543 million in dividends. As of 15 November 2012, the board of directors decided to issue a quarterly dividend of $0.55 per share payable 12 December 2012. Northrop Grumman since 2009 has paid an average dividend of $1.83. They also have repurchased $2,194 million in company stock, and they have been doing this for the past few years as another way to compensate their investors besides dividends. Northrop Grumman over the past thirty-six months has seen its stock rise and fall and continue on that path with an average volatility of 2.0. The low volatility of their stock is representative of a stable company, and stable stock prices, that would attract conservative investors, and give new investors faith that they will receive a decent return on their money. Northrop Grumman during this time has since its stock prices with a high of $71.87 and a low of $49.26. The few really large troughs in the wave that the stock price creates is August of 2011 and fall of 2009. These troughs represent the low times for Northrop Grumman’s stock, but during these times there stock has been steadily climbing specifically after Wes Bush took over as CEO and began to focus on improving the share price as well increase the performance of the company. These dual actions have led to an increase in their share price as well helping the company reduce debt, and increase capital to deal with the impending financial crisis that could possibly lead to another recession. As of 14 Dec 2012, Northrop Grumman is trading at $67.37 (yahoo finance, 2012); they have consistently been trading in the upper $60s since July of 2012, when the stock price was rising from a low of $57.29 in June of 2012. Northrop Grumman stock has been rising because of the good ratings they have received from numerous media outlets, such as Value Line and Yahoo Finance. The rise in stock prices and favorable rating can be attributed to the company renewed focus on its core industries and the spinoff of its ship building subsidiaries. Their performance has increased under the leadership of their current CEO Wes Bush. Their stock prices have also remained stable in recent months, because of the strong cash presence, which is adding investor friendly initiatives such as a raising the dividend and repurchasing stock, as well as lobbying for new contracts, like the $30 million post office contract and the NATO contract to buy RQ-4 Global Hawks. Lastly, Northrop Grumman is one of the more stable companies with an estimated EPS in 2012 of $7.40, down $0.01 from 2011, which is indicative of a stable company that is meeting or exceeding its performance estimates. Currency Risk Northrop Grumman is exposed to foreign currency risk; however they are not at a great risk to fluctuations in foreign currency. They are exposed to the risks of foreign currency from their international operations. They mitigate foreign currency risk by entering into foreign currency forward contracts as to manage portions of receipts from international customers and payments that may be have to made to international partners. As of 31 December 2011 Northrop Grumman had $233 million in foreign currency forward contracts outstanding (Northrop Grumman, 2011). With $26,412 million in sales in 2011, (Northrop Grumman, 2012), $233 million is not very significant, and they believe a 10% change in interest rates of foreign currency exchange rates would not have a significant effect on the financial position or effect their operations. Capital Markets Northrop Grumman will be affected by the volatility and disruption the domestic and international credit markets. Northrop Grumman access these markets from time to time when they need capital to support capital expansion projects, refinancing of existing debt, and for evolving lines of credit. With the current fiscal crisis in the US and Europe, will make it difficult for Northrop Grumman access credit on favorable terms or at all which will have an adverse effect on the fiscal standing. They are at risk, because of counterparty default because they deal with bankers and brokers in the credit market, when they have need for more capital. Their suppliers are also at risk with the volatility and disruptions in the credit markets from the fiscal crisis. If their ability to access credit on favorable terms, or at all could adversely affect Northrop Grumman by forcing them to change suppliers, which could lead to them to be unable to meet their contractual obligations. This could cause delays in programs or force them to find other means to assist their suppliers to support their contracts. Northrop Grumman has also entered into credit agreements amounting to an aggregate principle of $2 billion. This is a revolving door 364 day credit agreement that will help them cover costs over the short in the event of a decrease in cash. This revolving line of credit is based on many rates, including the LIBOR or an alternate rate. Northrop Grumman will be facing issues in the credit market, due to the fiscal crisis in the US, and the instability in the federal budget and the looming threat of sequestration, which will directly affect the credit markets. However, the slow growth rates of the US economy, and economy remaining on the brink of falling back into recession has kept interest rates low, which is an attempt to make credit easier to access. Conclusion Northrop Grumman is a leading defense contractor in the United States that has four main business areas, aerospace systems, electronic systems, information systems, and technical services. They are involved in many products that are used or are in development for the Department of Defense, from the RQ-4 to new electronic warfare systems. Northrop Grumman currently receives 90% of its revenues from the US government, primarily from military contracts. They are also a very stable company that has been increasing their dividends over the past few years, as well as having a steady stock price that has been increasing as well. Their currently a lower medium grade bond rating, rated at Baa+ from Moody’s. They have a strong history of supporting the US military with a multitude of historic aircraft and systems that support these aircraft. Northrop Grumman will continue to excel within the looming threat of sequestration and $1 trillion in budget cuts to the defense budget over the next ten years. All in all, Northrop Grumman is a leader in the defense industry and will continue to be a profitable company during the drawdowns in the Middle East and the defense budget cuts facing the US armed forces. References Defense System Staff (2012) NATO inks $1.7B deal for Block 40 Global Hawks, 1105 Media, Vienna, VA. Retrieved on November 10, 2012 from http://defensesystems.com/articles/2012/05/21/agg-nato-global-hawks-contract.aspx. 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