Operations Management and Management Science Case Study

Operations Management and Management Science Case Study Capacity Planning New Balance Athletic Shoes Summary James Davis is the president and general manager of New Balance Athletic Shoes. The Boston, Massachusetts based company began producing corrective shoes and arch supports in 1906. New Balance garnered a reputation for quality specialty footwear when in the 1950s it began producing running shoes for men. It is the beginning of 1978 and Mr. Davis has a number of important decisions to make regarding the future of his growing company. In recent years the demand for running shoes has experienced explosive growth. The increasing popularity of the sport of running requires James Davis to carefully evaluate the accuracy of the†¦show more content†¦Adidas and Nike, being larger more top heavy corporations, will naturally have longer time periods between research and development and product release. We suggest that New Balance take advantage of its smaller size by releasing the types of new products previously detailed at a faster pace than their larger competitors. It is in this area that we feel New Balances demand forecast is flawed. The forecasts short term reliance on current products in the companys shoe line is an error that may cause New Balance sales. As evidenced by the average two year appearance in Runners World ratings, the life span of a running shoe is short. We do not believe that New Balance can rely on the 320 to carry sales until their new trainer is available (1yr.) to gain market share. New Balance needs to rapidly release newly developed, state of the art running shoes prior to both industry leaders to put the company in a position to capture additional market share. In addition to believing that New Balances product mix has been forecasted incorrectly, we also contend that it has been somewhat overestimated. The following alternate demand forecast estimates overall market demand, as well as demand estimates for specific consumer categories. Please take note of the assumptions that were made in theShow MoreRelatedOperations Management Is The Branch Of Management’S Science1571 Words   |  7 PagesOperations Management is the branch of management’s science concerned in studying how to achieve successful management with the day-by-day operations of an organization. This study is dedicated in developing and applying the methods that are necessary to achieve business and operations improvement of the company. You may find operations problems in any area of the company and production and those problems may start in buying the feedstock of the products and go from there to even the distributionRead MoreE Mail, Online Conferencing, And Mobile Phones Have Become Essential Tools For Conducting Business937 Words   |  4 Pagesinvolve issues such as the organization’s hierarchy, functional specialties, business processes, and culture. †¢ Management: the information systems involve setting organizational strategies, allocating human and financial resources, creating new products and services and re-creating the organization. †¢ Information technology: is consists of computer hardware, software, data management technology, and networking or telecommunications technology. 3. †¢ Data is can be any character, text, words, numberRead MoreManagement at Work1470 Words   |  6 PagesCase Study: Management at Work 1. Does the pattern of management developments at GE over the last century seem to reflect the pattern suggested by management theory? Explain your answer. The management developments that GE has formulated over the past century appear to reflect the same sequential pattern that has been suggested by the management theory. GE’s first organizational innovation was the establishment of their corporate research and development lab in 1900. I believe this innovationRead MoreEssay about Operations Management in Health Care792 Words   |  4 PagesOperations Management in Health Care Operations management is the organizing and controlling of the fundamental business activity of providing goods and services to customers (Encarta, 2005). In the healthcare industry, operations management generally focuses on providing a service of healthcare to patients. An organization has three basic functional areas, and theses are: finance, marketing, and operations (Operations Management, 2004, p.4). Since operations is one of the three basic functionsRead MoreStatement of Purpose for a Career in Computational Finance1041 Words   |  4 PagesThe world of Finance is by no means a new concept for me. Watching â€Å"Mad money with Jim Cramer† videos on cnbc.com for his daily stock picks is a ritual. I would study the company’s business model, perform very rudimentary fundamental and qualitative analysis on these picks and if its intrinsic value matched the criteria set, I would add it to my portfolio on Investopedia.com. Apart from this, I also spent a considerabl e amount of time researching on various stock picking strategies to further strengthenRead MoreI Had More Interest On Computer Science706 Words   |  3 Pagesinterest on computer science and want learn more on a computer. I shared my view with my brothers for going another college to continue my education in computer science with my brothers because they were a source of funding without them I was not able to continue study. I got a green signal from brothers for supporting my undergraduate study in the capital city. There were only two public colleges offered BSc computer science program and had a huge competition to get in place for study. I had applied oneRead MoreTraditional Consumer Culture : Product Oriented753 Words   |  4 Pagesservices. In consumers’ mind, extra services that companies provide equals to â€Å"Free value†. This happens in most of the developing country like China and Korean, where people who provide service seldom ask tips and they get pai d based on how many cases they solved not how many time and effort they spent. For example, when people choose laptops, they care more about the brand reputation, product quality and price, but they will not buy a laptop just because this brand provides better warranty serviceRead MoreBook Review The Principles Of Scientific Management1364 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment: The Principles of Scientific Management Submitted by: Alex Shuler Submitted to: Professor Rick Rantilla Date: June 5, 2013 The Principals of Scientific Management The Principles of Scientific Management is an academic essay written by Frederick Winslow Taylor in 1911. Frederick Winslow Taylor was an American mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency and is regarded as the father of scientific management. His approach is also often referred to, asRead MoreOld System Of Management Based Largely On Empirical Data1731 Words   |  7 Pagesnecessary to radically change the model of production management, the implementation of other organizational structures, reporting lines, strict observance of technology, precision assignments, reasonable incentives, and so on. Old system of management based largely on empirical data could not provide most of these aspects.Absence of knowledge of the organization of production processes, the optimal sequence of operations and modes of operation of equipment, technical and other standards, personalRead MoreInternational Food and Beverage Management847 Words   |  4 PagesThe importance of planning and designing procedures for a food and beverage establishment is essential for a successful establishment. Procedures are the cautions taken to ensure that the operation is running effectively and efficiently to meet demands of the customer, with an effective and efficient operation it may reduce the complication of keeping customer relationships intact with the business. Making good decisions about operational procedures is an important characteristics to ensure that

Feminism A Controversial Issue - 1304 Words

In recent discussions on Feminism, a controversial issue has been that the term itself attracts negative attention, despite its endless efforts towards equality for both genders. On one hand, some argue the word should be changed to a more appropriate term that doesn’t attract hostile viewpoints. On the other hand, others argue the word should remain the same, however, people should be educated on the actual intentions of feminism—and not base their understandings off of the recent misguided interpretations of the term. Although the awareness of feminism may seem of concern only to a small group of women, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about gender equality. Because of their recent fallacious ignorance towards the term, this generation should make modifications of their knowledge of Feminism and learn that it calls for equal rights for both men and women. Although I grant that all women want gender equality, I still maintain that women are rightfully reluctant to call themselves â€Å"feminists†, due to the misinterpretations of the term. One of the most widespread misinterpretations is that it encourages women to participate in â€Å"men bashing/ men hating†. This has caused most of the recent negative opinions that are surrounding feminism. In fear of being labeled as man-haters, women tend to shy away from the term. Several famous celebrities, such as Emma Watson and Beyoncà ©, are saying that they support feminism and decided to take on its negativity. In her UnitedShow MoreRelatedThe Series Of The Family Produced By Norman Milton1709 Words   |  7 PagesThe series All in the Family produced by Norman Milton Lear from 1971-1979 is one of the most controversial and groundbreaking television shows ever created. The successful sitcom has covered many touchy subjects involving race, ethnicity, homosexuality, rape, and religious beliefs. Towards the end of the third season, episode 20 which was called â€Å"Archie is Branded†, aired on February 24th 1973 touched many subjects that were heavily debated on the fact of whether or not it was appropriate to airRead MoreAnalysis Of Gloria Steinem s Article Our Revolution Has Just Began 908 Words   |  4 PagesFeminism adheres to all humans, regardless of race, sex, religion or any other defining mark and in order for true equality to be reality, human’s as a whole must demand for it. Gloria Steinem’s article â€Å"Our Revolution Has Just Begun,† addresses the underlying truths of feminism and its never-ending movement towards total equality. My analysis will focus on Steinem’s arguments regarding the future, which lie ahead for women as well as feminism itself, these arguments include: the economic benefitsRead MoreGender Inequality And Relevant Social Norms959 Words   |  4 PagesConfronting culture shocks, ideo logical conflicts and shifts, some of them expresses their interest in feminism to me. Thus, I incorporated this theme into our curricular content. In doing so, I hope I can not only teach my students what it means to be a feminist, but also invite them to express their beliefs, values and needs. Similar to the previous session, conceptualizing and examining sexism and feminism also generated a lot of thoughtful discussion, such as the example shown below. Reflecting on myRead MoreThe Resistance Of Female Leadership1430 Words   |  6 Pagesfor the discrimination and that further research should be conducted to ferret out possible reasons. This study will fill the gap in the research regarding resistance to female clergy by examining the past to understand the present attitude of anti-feminism. Other researchers‘ studies help fill the gap such as that of Oesterheld, F. (2012), refutes the idea of authoritarian paternalism of women in early Christianity; Wallace, G. (2014a), mistranslations; Martin, D. (2013), the leadership of women inRead MoreThe Media And The Platform1548 Words   |  7 Pageswomen have suffered from the oppression of the patriarchal society we continue to live in today. Giving credit where it is due, I will say we have made an evident and beneficial progression as far as the essentialist views of feminism. There are many ways to promote feminism and emphasize the importance of progression—it is benefi cial for all. There are many ways to promote and encourage the movement as an individual however, having a platform would be more ideal. That being said, many celebritiesRead MoreEssay on Feminism and Modern Feminist Theory1068 Words   |  5 Pages Feminism is a body of social theory and political movement primarily based on and motivated by the experiences of women. While generally providing a critique of social relations, many proponents of feminism also focus on analyzing gender inequality and the promotion of womens rights, interests, and issues. Feminist theory aims to understand the nature of gender inequality and focuses on gender politics, power relations and sexuality. Feminist political activism campaigns on issues such asRead MoreGender Equality And The Movement For Women s Rights On A Global Scale1174 Words   |  5 Pagesthere are two controversial perceptions of the meaning of feminism and what feminists stand for. For many years, feminism is considered a series of mere actions exhorting for only women, which is anti-men and overaggressive. Recently, there is a gradual change in the understanding of what feminism is. It is all about the equality that every living human should be treated regardless of gender, race, religion or class. My essay will analyze in-depth the case study of Emma Watson’s feminism campaign, HeforSheRead MoreFeminism : Women s Rights On The Grounds Of Political, Social, And Economic Equality897 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play Trifles, feminism is portrayed by the female characters in the book as well as the male characters. Feminism is defined as: the advocacy of women s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men (â€Å"Feminism†). The female characters are represented in a way that highlights the best characteristics of females, which in turn gives the reader or viewer a strong sense of feminism. The male characters in the book such as: the police officers and the husband show malesRead MoreEquality Of Men And Women916 Words   |  4 PagesEmecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood (1979) will serve as a lens for African tradition in terms of motherhood and marriage, specifically in Nigeria. The recognition of the issues in African societies such as the controversial traditions surrounding motherhood and marriage helps women in Africa raise awareness on the importance of African feminism. In â€Å"African Womanism: An Afrocentric Theory† (1998), Nah Dove advocates for the importance in understanding the relationship between Europe and Africa in orderRead MoreFeminism : A Feminist Perspective1667 Words   |  7 PagesModern Feminism Before we begin, I want you to create a picture in your head. You read that there is going to be a feminist rally in your local city this afternoon. What does your mind picture? Lots of pink I’m sure. Who is there? Why, a bunch of women, of course! And what could they possibly want this time? I’ll let you keep that one to yourself. We all know that in today’s world, feminism is often seen as a joke. Just a bunch of white women prancing around with signs expressing their angst for

Thomas Manns Death in Venice free essay sample

A literary review of Thomas Manns `Death in Venice`. This paper analyzes `Death in Venice` by Thomas Manns with an emphasis of how the book and characters parallel the writers own life experience. `This second critic notes Manns use of this method he called myth plus psychology which plots Aschenbachs descent into a chaotic heap where both myth and psychology play equally important roles. (SparkNotes) He describes the idolized Tadzio mythically in the same level and manner as Greek sculpture, the god of love, Hyacint and Narcissus and Platos character Phaedrus. He also likens Aschenbachs cruise into a lagoon in Venice to that across the River Styx in the Underworld, where strange red-haired figures appear and reappear to Aschenbach to symbolize demons, probably also the furies of his moral conscience. As to the psychology part, Aschenbach always has a firm control and repression of his libido through the years of maturity. We will write a custom essay sample on Thomas Manns Death in Venice or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But this undue control and denial of something vibrant and powerful underneath merely leads such force to show up in other and indirect ways, per Freudian explanations. These indirect expressions include intense dreams and visions and the worship of a strange god. (SparkNotes) Moreover, this `orgiastic worship` of the strange god (SparkNotes) is likely an epitomizing of the Freudian desire to ultimately abandon oneself to such longing in and through death.`

Marriage in China free essay sample

Research plan into the history of arranged marriages in Chinese society and outline of possible methods which can be used to analyse other factors also contributing to the marriage decline. Different countries have different customs and traditions in regards to love and marriage. In the western society we live in, the popular assumption about love and marriage is that they are equal, with marriage being a decision based on an individual couple. However in many other societies around the world, marriage acts as an extremely important ritual and the fundamental means of creating bonds between different families or predecessors. Marriage is not only the merging together of common individuals, but the merging of one family to another, in a bond regarded as mutually beneficial to the increase of fortune and power for each side. As an important way of merging bonds between families, the interests of marriage are often considered to be too great to allow young adults to select their own partners. We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage in China or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The establishment of marriage is found in nearly all societies in the world, this fact clearly reflecting the importance of reproductive and sexual functions in human life. In the history of marriage in China, traditionally, Chinese people married hrough the arrangements of their parents or most important family elders. This idea of an arranged marriage, made decision- making and finding a suitable partner, a tactical opportunity for parents to choose a spouse for their child, as someone from whom they felt they could gain social, political or financial benefits in the long term. As Jack. M. Potters book Chinas peasants expresses, The law did not substitute the necessity to form marriages on a basis of love, rather the law takes it for granted that marriages will be formed in a moral Chinese way, in a chinese cultural context and this is not a context which efines romantic love as an element in marriage choice (page191). However after years of control, and with an anti- arranged marriage campaign that began with the New cultural movement, came an increasing public demand for own- choice marriage partnerships and free love. During the peak of the May Fourth era, at a time when the New cultural movement was operating, this marked a significant turning point during which the traditional method of arranged marriage was to be completely threatened and overpowered by the Western ideas of free-choices and was supposed to be recognised as a more modern foundation for people to follow. However, what this marriage revolution brought to the modern Chinese society, was not only unprecedented freedom, finally being able to choose a partner for themselves and an extraordinary sense of romance and love, but it also brought with it, confusion, worry and disturbance. With an ever fast-growing market in China and recent decrease in numbers of marriage, the overall objective of this research is to allow us to develop a better understanding into the ideas set out by the Chinese communist party and whether arranged marriage was in fact a long term benefit or disadvantage to the current Chinese society of today. It will also provide research into other potential factors affecting this gradual decline in numbers, with elements such as the amount of impact a booming economy and higher education have on the people. With a long lasting tradition of repressive arranged marriages, and recent reports showing a staggering population of 249million unmarried young adults in urban cities, such as Shanghai, I have broken down clearly, the list of objectives I would like to achieve during this paper: 1)I would like to use this research paper to gain a more in depth understanding about this long lasting tradition in China, here the ideas originated from and the thoughts behind this, what were they trying to achieve? 2) I would like to find out, to what extent does exercising constant restraint on an individuals marriage freedom affect different sectors of Chinese society today, from small towns to the big cities. How have the old traditions affected the way people behave today towards marriage? 3) I would also like to analyse the affects of one of the worlds fastest growing economies on rate of marriage and whether the decline is generally more prominent in bigger cities. ) And finally gain any other insight as to other factors that could possibly be involved in the decreasing numbers of marriage, such as increase and improvement of a higher education and whether high gender imbalance means high marriage imbalance. The suggested research will consist of two main parts: The first stage will be to find and gather as many secondary resources to evaluate and uncover past and present marriage figures and any other useful graphs, diagrams, surveys journals and scholarly articles to find any indication of trends between other factors which may play an apparent part in the decline of marriage in China. The second stage will involve qualitative research to provide an in-depth, more personal outlook on possible underlying problems why this may be happening, and perhaps even gather other personal reasons from outside sources, that I have not yet come across myself, as to the pressures of marriage and why so many Chinese people in society today feel the need to marry a lot later in life, if at all. This will be done through interviews and group discussion with men and women raised both in the countryside and big cities. Although not a definite decision for my research, it would be interesting to conduct my own survey with a target audience of oth men and women born in different eras in China, to see if i can identify any correlation between age, place of birth, education and jobs. By the end of this research project I hope to achieve all my objectives which I have laid out above. Available documents from the National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC) declare that China has a serious imbalance of gender, with about 26. 7 men per 24. 9 women, which has led to a similarly serious imbalance in the unmarried population for Chinese born in the seventies, eighties and nineties. The worst affected by the gender imbalance re Chinese born in the seventies, where there are currently 206 unmarried men for every 100 unmarried women. Those born in the eighties and nineties fare a bit better, although prominent imbalances still exists. Furthermore, as I mentioned previously about marriage rates between the countryside and bigger cities, according to these documents, in more modernised provinces and municipalities like Jiangsu, Shandong, Beijing and Shanghai the number of unmarried men and women are more closely balanced, leading me to believe that there is, in fact, a connection between job and marriage umbers which I would like to elaborate more on in my pa per. A large amount of work has been conducted already on the issue of the analysis of why both men and women choose to postpone marriage in China. As research shows, later marriages in China have become a growing social trend, with Chinese men postponing marriage on average by about 1. 4 years and women 1. 5. China’s 2000 national census reported that the average marriage age of a male in China was 25. 3 years old and 23. 4 for women. However, the 2010 national census reported that these averages had in fact increased to 26. 7 for men and 24. for women. Providing evidence a definite increase. At a time where many Chinese people are driven to get promotions and are coming of age at a time where exploding wealth and expectations for material success are high, I was interested to see that a survey last year on Sohu. com, claimed that 73% of corespondents said home ownership was a necessity for marriage today, with an almost equal percentage saying they found it difficult to even buy a house, this therefore leads me to believe more so that pressures of expectations from future partners is so high, many people are put off from this.

Influence of Team

Goal accomplishment can be regarded as a primary objective of any team in an organization that works on a specific task. Most of organizations resort to team-based pay structure to encourage employees work harder because their salaries depend largely on the success of the goals accomplished. The point is that all members of the team receive similar incentive pay with no reward assigned to individual members for their greater contributions (Heneman, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Team-Based Pay Structures on Team Members’ Performance and Motivation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, team-based pay is often criticized by both employees and their organizations for many reasons. To begin with, the given program can alleviate the spirit of competition, as well as discourage employees to work efficiently for reaching the company’s objectives. As a result, the competition insi de the organization can be lost and the productivity level will also be reduced significantly (Heneman, 2008). Social pressure and incentives for improvement will also be dismissed because each employee will impose some responsibilities on others because he/she will have to achieve similar goals (Heneman, 2008). Incentives for improvement will also be lost because of the absence of proper reward systems for individuals. In this respect, specific guiding principles should be implementing to strike the balance between the given pay system and the corrections to be introduced. In order to restore the spirit of competition, Gross’ certain guiding principles should be used for instituting pay and reward structures. This is of particular concern to the second guiding principles, which runs â€Å"Balance the mix of individual and team-based pay† (Thompson, 2011, p. 54). In particular, there should be a reasonable balance between group and individuals incentives to arrange a c ompetitive environment and provide a basis for further inspirational and motivated work. For instance, there should a bonus scheme for employees to feel that their work is appreciated and there is always an opportunities for personal self-improvement and determination. For instance, organization should implement additional bonuses for group members, along with group rewards. More importantly, there should two groups working under competition to encourage group goals accomplishment. The third methods postulates, â€Å"Consult with the team members who will be affected† and it should be introduced to provide a decision-sharing atmosphere in a team (Thompson, 2011, p. 55). In addition, managers should inform the team members about the actual process of project fulfillment so as they have an exact idea of how the pay structure is organized. Finally, principle 8, which reveals â€Å"Determine how target levels of performance are established and updated†, is also indispensib le to guaranteeing a high level of performance (Thompson, 2011, p. 57). In this respect, managers should define the correlation between goals accomplishment and its influence on team performance.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More American teams are extremely task-oriented. However, their focus on task fulfillment does not always lead to successful project accomplishment. In order to achieve the highest results, team members should examine opposing ideas in a cooperative context to increase the team effectiveness and quality of problem solving and decision making (West, 2012). In the majority of cases, task orientation does not contribute to adequate distribution of roles and positions. In this respect, failure to allocate resources and responsibilities can prevent from the goal accomplishment. Hence, West (2012) argues, â€Å"team members should attempt to influence their col leagues towards a solution based on shared, rational understanding rather than attempted dominance† (p. 143). Task-orientation often prevents team members from establishing active decision sharing and open-mind way of expressing ideas. As a result, introvert orientation does not always contribute to high level of performance and effective teamwork. Following the idea presented in Thompson (2011), that â€Å"team performance should focus on collective performance† (p.70), we can state that this â€Å"collective performance† leads to development of the adequate knowledge among the team members, which, in its turn, helps them develop the necessary skills and abilities. The adequate knowledge, skills and abilities are one of the most essential conditions that contribute to productive performance and successful cooperation. Knowledge-based performance of the team creates more collaborative work and mutual understanding among the group members. It makes the group more productive and motivated. As a result, such a collaborative environment ensures that each member of the team is able to support or substitute another one provided one of them is not able to perform his/her responsibilities. Interaction and active participation on goals accomplishment should not depend on the analysis of task performance. With regard to the above-highlighted problems and conditions, specific solutions should be implemented. In order to eliminate excessive task orientation, team members should be provided with bonuses for providing decision where the priority is made on a specific task fulfillment, but on the degree to which this task fulfillment contributes to the overall goal accomplishment (Salas et al., 2001). Second, to encourage communication between members, top leaders should engage task that are distribution for more than one person (Salas et al., 2001). As a result, team members will increase the level of goal adherence. Finally, there should a distinguished distribution of roles and responsibilities where each team members should be involved in various level of project accomplishment. This is of particular concern to the necessity to introduce only one position for accomplishing a task.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Team-Based Pay Structures on Team Members’ Performance and Motivation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Equal distribution of members for task accomplishment and goal orientation can solve the problem of extreme task management that is not always beneficial for project management in an organization. In such a manner, it is possible to keep track of the larger picture of event within a group (Salas et al., 2001). There should also be a person who will be responsible for coordinating the process between two groups (Salas et al., 2001). Thus, expending a spectrum of responsibilities and positions can provide the team members with new opportunities for effective project management and group cooperation. References Heneman, R.L. (2008). Strategic Reward Management: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation. US: IAP. Salas, E., Bowers, C. A., Edens, E. (2001). Improving Teamwork in Organizations. US: Taylor Francis. Thompson, L.L. (2011). Making the team: A guide for managers (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. West, M. A. (2012). Effective Teamwork: Practical Lessons from Organizational Research. US: John Wiley Sons. This essay on Influence of Team-Based Pay Structures on Team Members’ Performance and Motivation was written and submitted by user Artur0 to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Average SAT Scores by State (Most Recent)

Average SAT Scores by State (Most Recent) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips More than a million students across the country take the SAT each year. So what do SAT scores by state look like? How do you stack up against other test takers in your state? Finally, what are some interesting state facts- for example, which state has the highest SAT score? The lowest SAT score? The highest rate of participation? It's the battle of the states, SAT edition. Find out your state's average SAT scores and other fun facts in this article! What Is the National Average SAT Score? Before we get into the SAT averages by state, let's quickly go over the SAT scoring system as well as what the overall average SAT score in the US currently is. As you probably know, the SAT is made up of three sections: Reading, Writing and Language (also just called Writing), and Math. The Math section is scored on a scale of 200-800, while the Reading and Writing sections are combined to give you a final Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score on a scale of 200-800. By combining these two sections, we get atotal SAT score rangeof400-1600, with 1600 being a perfect score. Now that we've got this down, let's take a look the national average SAT score. In 2018, the College Board reported the following average SAT scores: Total: 1068 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW): 536 Math: 531 As you can see, the average scores for EBRW and Math are quite close. These then add up to get a total SAT average score that's around the halfway point of the total score range (400-1600). But what are the average SAT scores by state? Keep reading to learn some interesting trends and to see the notable top spots held by different states! State SAT Awards We'll start with the states that have won our "State SAT Awards." The categories for these are as follows: Highest SAT Score Highest SAT Score With Over 20% Participation Team Players (100% Participation) Lowest SAT Score Most Variation Between SAT Sections All data below comes from the College Board's 2018 SAT state reports. Highest Score: Minnesota (SAT Score: 1298) Minnesota takes the cake for highest average SAT score with 1298. This is 230 points higher than the national average! But wait- Minnesota also has lower test participation than 78% of the US at 4%. In other words, just 2,464 seniors took the test in 2018. Because more students in Minnesota take the ACT than they do the SAT, Minnesota's high average SAT score likely means that only the most prepared, ambitious high schoolers take the SAT. These students tend to score higher, effectively raising the state's average. But what if we look instead at states with a significant participation rate- that is, a state in which more than 20% of students take the SAT? The winner for that SAT award is ... Highest Score With Over 20% Participation: Arizona (SAT Score: 49, with 29% Participation) Great achievement here! With more than 20,000 students in the class of 2018 taking the SAT here, Arizona is truly outperforming the national average. Team Players (100% Participation): Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, and Michigan In Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, and Michigan, every student took the SAT. This usually means that thesestates require all high school students to take the SATas part of normal high school testing. In addition, four other states- Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island- as well as the District of Columbiaoffered the SAT statewide during the 2017-18 school year. But because the testwasn't mandatory for all students in these states for the entire school year, participation rates here are below 100%. The highest participation rate for non-mandatory testing goes to Florida, at 97%. Lowest Score: District of Columbia (SAT Score: 977) Unfortunately, the District of Columbia underperforms the national average by more than 90 points. Also ranking at the bottom are other states with statewide SAT testing (Delaware and Idaho) as well as West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. From the data, it's reasonable to conclude that statewide testing causes lower scores because it includes all seniors andnot just those planning to apply to college. The lowest SAT score for a non-mandatory state is 1014 in Florida. While Florida is only in the top 18% of the country as far as participation goes (97% participation rate), it's important to point out that this is still a huge number of students, as the population of Florida is so large. In 2018, 147,058 students took the SAT in Florida. This number is much higher than the number of test takers in other states with comparable SAT participation rates, such as Rhode Island (97% participation rate, 10,161 students) and New Hampshire (96% participation rate, 14,834 students). So even though only 97% of students took the SAT in Florida, there's still plenty of room for variation within these nearly 150,000 students' scores. Most Variation Between Sections: Florida (520 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, 497 Math) With a participation rate of 97%, Florida also has the greatest difference between SAT section scores of all states. On average, Florida students score 29 points higher on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) than they do on Math. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! List of All Average State SAT Scores Here are the most recent average SAT scores for all 50 statesas well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Find your area below and see how your SAT score compares with your region's average! State Participation Rate EBRW Math Total Alabama 6% 595 571 66 Alaska 43% 562 544 06 Arizona 29% 577 572 49 Arkansas 5% 592 576 69 California 60% 540 536 1076 Colorado 100% 519 506 1025 Connecticut 100% 535 519 1053 Delaware 100% 505 492 998 District of Columbia 92% 497 480 977 Florida 97% 522 493 1014 Georgia 70% 542 522 1064 Hawaii 56% 550 549 1099 Idaho 100% 508 493 1001 Illinois 99% 513 506 1019 Indiana 67% 546 539 1086 Iowa 3% 634 632 1265 Kansas 4% 633 631 1265 Kentucky 4% 630 618 1248 Louisiana 4% 615 595 1210 Maine 99% 512 501 1013 Maryland 76% 545 535 1080 Massachusetts 80% 562 563 25 Michigan 100% 5 499 10 Minnesota 4% 643 655 1298 Mississippi 3% 630 606 1236 Missouri 4% 633 629 1262 Montana 10% 606 592 1229 Nebraska 3% 629 623 1252 Nevada 23% 574 566 40 New Hampshire 96% 535 528 1063 New Jersey 82% 547 547 1094 New Mexico 16% 552 540 1093 New York 79% 534 534 1068 North Carolina 52% 554 543 1098 North Dakota 2% 640 643 1283 Ohio 18% 552 547 1099 Oklahoma 8% 541 521 1062 Oregon 48% 564 553 17 Pennsylvania 70% 547 539 1086 Puerto Rico - 512 481 993 Rhode Island 97% 513 505 1018 South Carolina 55% 547 523 1070 South Dakota 3% 622 618 1241 Tennessee 6% 624 607 1231 Texas 66% 520 512 1032 Utah 4% 618 612 1230 Vermont 64% 565 554 20 Virgin Islands - 490 445 935 Virginia 68% 567 550 17 Washington 69% 543 538 1082 West Virginia 28% 513 486 999 Wisconsin 3% 641 653 1294 Wyoming 3% 633 635 1257 Source: The College Board What's Next? Confused about SAT scoring? Learn more about how the SAT is scored,and get tips onhow to figure out your SAT goal score based on the schools you're applying to. Wondering what it takes to get a perfect SAT score? I scored a perfect SAT scoreand wrote a detailed guide about what it takes here.Read this to learn all of my best strategies- and to get a 1600 on test day! If you liked this post, make sure youscroll up and subscribe on the right hand sideso you can stay up-to-date with our SAT/ACT articles! Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Business Continuity Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Continuity Management - Essay Example Some of the components of a business continuity plan are business and disaster recovery, crisis, incident and emergency management, product recall and unforeseen event planning. For this Business Continuity Management to be functional, it has to be grown (Eliot et al 2009, 1). From a simple obscure branch, it grows into a completely fledged conventional business practice. To affect this, one has to have some acquaintance in the key concepts of building a flexible organization and involve the use of a standard (BS 25999) as a channel towards best practice (Blyth 2009, p10). In this paper, we look at the implementation of business continuity management, its value with an effort to ascertain the context in which it is implemented in dealing with challenges that come with any business environment. Getting started with business continuity management According to Hiles (2010, p110) Business Continuity Management is a major component of comprehensive emergency management plan. It is thus an important asset for any organization, for it allows quick recovery form a disruption. It is not that organizations hope for disruptions to happen; it is only that in the current business environment, globalization has come with various uncertainties (Blyth 2009, p10).Therefore, a Business Continuity Management plan has to be clear to the participators, to the point and made in a way that it is directly meeting the needs of any given organization. It is, therefore, advisable that it becomes part of the manner in which an organization operates. In the past, this had always been a reserve for big multinational corporations. However, the recent past has seen a rise in the employment of such a plan with companies rising to the occasion of protecting its interest’s and its reputation (Eliot et al 2009, p1). Therefore, the firs t step involves the acceptance of its usefulness by the senior managers and the boss of a company. However, it should be of essence that this involves every employee, for it is part of their responsibilities. As a matter of fact, the existence of a business continuity coordinator is very essential. This is because; his team is given the responsibility of spearheading the whole process by providing the resources needed to manage the implementation of this BC program. Some of these steps concerned in the progress of this plan include: Understand the vulnerabilities of one’s company. Define the business continuity strategy. Develop a plan. Cultural change. Rehearse the plan. Background Business Continuity Management has its origins in catastrophe recovery planning. From this perspective, it grew to emergency planning before maturing into the ultimate new tactically focused management concern it is today(Blyth 2009, pp1-29). Having its roots in information systems, it has afforded to move from this technical focus to compliance focus. Some businesses are seeing beyond this s to a strategic focus. This has mainly been due to the chan ging requirements of both the stakeholders and the organizations. Relevance of business continuity management It is important for businesses that operate under risky environments such as finance, telecommunications, transportation and civic division to embrace this plan. This is because, the ability of them continuing to operate is majorly dependent on the organization as well

Million American Jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Million American Jobs - Essay Example Therefore, the parents and educators could do a much better job of guiding kids into fields where the jobs are, which would raise the payback for getting a college degree and encourage more to attend. Colleges could help by offering more three-year programs and other ways to cut costs.† (Newman, 2011) III. Help small businesses find foreign customers.Ordinarily, small business can go global by finding foreign markets for theirproducts.However this is usually hard for the small businesses who usually target the local market. With the advancement of technology small business can reach global markets by the use of digital marketing. There are now more business connection networks that help in advertising. Therefore this breakthrough of sales makes many to have trust in the business and thus venture upon it creating employment. IV. The state should welcome more immigrants and investors.†Foreigners who want to come to America get an undeserved bad rap. Immigrants create businesses at a higher rate than home-grown Americans and make an important contribution to the economy. To address concerns about low-wage illegals, new policies could allow well-educated foreigners to stay in the country after earning a degree, or offer citizenship in exchange for a commitment to start a business or buy a house. â€Å" (Newman,

The role of HR planning in the resourcing process Essay

The role of HR planning in the resourcing process - Essay Example Presently, demographic shifts, technological changes, environmental instability and global competition have led to a new role for HR planners since resourcing process have grown to be complex than before. Ulrich and Brockbank (2005) pointed out that HR planning involves continuous and systematic process of analyzing a business human resource needs under changing conditions. In addition, it involves development of workforce policies that are consistent with long range effectiveness of a business. HR planning involves forecasting HR needs and designation of the necessary actions involved in the resourcing process such as recruitment, career development and training. HR planning helps to forecast the right numbers of employees and more so in getting the right kind of personnel at the right place within the right time. According to Robertson and Smith (2001), HR planning coordinated the enumerated elements and helps to gather resources the business needs in both long term and short term. HR planning is a vital component for organizational success in the long-run. This paper will discusses role of HR planning in the resourcing process, importance on job analysis, internal and external recruitment tools and selection techniques, importance of effective induction and appropriate retention strategies in respect of recruitment of a cinema manager while at the same time reviewing the current state of the United Kingdom employment market. The following are ways in which HR planning facilitate the resourcing process: The facilitation of pre-recruitment review is a process that involves provision of professional advice as to whether the internal staff should be taken into consideration in filling the vacant positions. A process is then followed in evaluating the staff’s suitability. The staff who were working under the former cinema manager should, therefore, be evaluated to determine if anyone is capable of filling the vacant position. The provision of guidance and expert advice is used in the initial stages of recruitment especially in defining the vacant position, preparing advertisements, advising on and identifying proper channels for advertisement among other important recruitment activities. As such, the HR planners will be resourceful in defining the roles of a cinema manager, identifying the right advertisement channels among other recruitment activities. The HR planner acts as an expert adviser to the selection committee throughout the selection process. This involves briefing the committee members on the appropriate interview techniques and providing

Bio Fertilizer Industry In India

Bio Fertilizer Industry In India Bio-fertilizers are contain live such beneficial microorganisms which on application to seed, root or soil mobilize the availability of nutrients by their biological activity in particular, and help build up the micro-flora and in turn the soil health in general. An increasing number of farmers and agriculturists are turning to the use of bio-fertilizers as these are gentler on the soil as against chemical fertilizers. It is easier to fully appreciate the importance of bio-fertilizers when we know how harmful the chemical fertilizers for the soil and the crops are. Chemical fertilizers are meant to boost the growth of plants and increase the fertility of the soil; however they cause significant damage to the environment and also human health by increasing the day by day concentration of toxic chemical in food. These chemical based fertilizers also make use of nitrogenous fertilizers or chemicals, are expensive and not as conveniently available. Unlike other environmentally harmful chemical fertilizers, bio-fertilizers work on naturally building up the resistance and enhance the nutritional value of the soil and the host plant by adding primary nutrients. Application of high input technologies has resulted in significant increase in agricultural productivity. There is, however, a growing concern about the adverse effects of indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers on soil productivity and environmental quality. For those looking at organic farming, bio-fertilizers make the perfect choice. A large number of people are realizing the value and benefit of living an eco-friendly life, and therefore the demand for organic products is ever increasing. Using bio-fertilizers is a great way to produce organic products and promote good health. The current research study is based on using the secondary data for the analysis or market of bio-fertilizer in India. Market analysis includes the annual requirement and production of different bio-fertilizers state wise in India and to find the root cause behind tremendous gap between requirement and production. This study will analyse the major bio-fertilizer producing states and identify major government and non government manufacturers. In this report we also analysis the market revenue of bio-agri (bio-fertilizer) and constant increasing demand and growth rate of this industry in India. And also analysis the strategies used by the industry to increase the market of bio-fertilizer. Also, this study will contribute in building a trend analysis for the production of bio-fertilizers in India over the last 10 years. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In the current scenario one of the major concerns faced by the agriculture industry is the contamination and pollution of soil. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has caused tremendous harm to the environment. There seems to be a growing concern about the adverse effects of indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers on soil productivity and environmental quality. An answer to this is the bio-fertilizer, an environmentally friendly fertilizer now used in most countries. Bio-fertilizers contain micro-organisms that enrich the nutrient quality of soil. These micro-organisms supply in addition to nitrogen, considerable amount of organic matter enriching quality of soil. Inoculants of these micro-organisms have proved their technical feasibility, economic viability and social acceptability. They are therefore called as `bio-fertilizer. Hence the term `bio-fertilizer may be defined as those fertilizer which containing living or latent cells of efficient strains of the nitrogen fixing, phosphorous solubilising or cellulolytice micro-organism. For those looking at organic farming, bio-fertilizers make. The perfect choice a large number of people are realizing the value and benefit of living an eco-friendly life, and therefore the demand for organic products is ever increasing. Using bio-fertilizers is a great way to produce organic products and promote good health. This research study based on analysing the annual requirement and production of different bio-fertilizers state wise in India identified Tamil Nadu as the major biofertilizer producing state of India. Other regions of production of biofertilizers are Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Chennai karnataka. The root cause behind tremendous gap between requirement and production is existence of very few Biofertilizer producing organizations and less awareness of benefits of using biofertilizers over chemical fertilizers. This research study also identified the major government and non government organizations producing biofertilizers. Data enlisted in this report contributes in building a trend analysis for the production of biofertilizers in India over the last 10 years. CHAPTER 01 INTRODUCTION SALES MARKETING OF BIOFERTLIZERS IN INDIA INTRODUCTION One of the major concerns in todays world is the pollution and contamination of soil. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has caused tremendous harm to the environment. An answer to this is the biofertilizer, an environmentally friendly fertilizer now used in most countries. Biofertilizers are organisms that enrich the nutrient quality of soil. The main sources of biofertilizers are bacteria, fungi, and Cynobacteria (blue-green algae). The most striking relationship that these have with plants is symbiosis, in which the partners derive benefits from each other.Plants have a number of relationships with fungi, bacteria, and algae, the most common of which are with Mycorrhiza, Rhizobium, and Cyanophyceae. These are known to deliver a number of benefits including plant nutrition, disease resistance, and tolerance to adverse soil and climatic conditions. These techniques have proved to be successful biofertilizers that form a health relationship with the roots. Biofertilizers will help to solve such problems as increased salinity of the soil and chemical run-offs from the agricultural fields. Thus, biofertilizers are important if we are to ensure a healthy future for the generations to come. These micro-organisms supply in addition to nitrogen, considerable amount of organic matter enriching structure of soil. Inoculants of these micro-organisms have proved their technical feasibility, economic viability and social acceptability. They are therefore called as `biofertilizer. Hence the term `biofertilizer or microbial inoculants may be defined as preparations containing living or latent cells of efficient strains of nitrogen fixing, phosphorous solubilising or cellulolytice micro-organism. There is, however, a growing concern about the adverse effects of indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers on soil productivity and environmental quality. For those looking at organic farming, biofertilizers make the perfect choice. A large number of people are realizing the value and benefit of living an eco-friendly life, and therefore the demand for organic products is ever increasing. Using biofertilizers is a great way to produce organic products and promote good health. Therefore, the current research study is based on analysing the annual requirement and production of different bio-fertilizers state wise in India to find the root cause behind tremendous gap between requirement and production. This study will analyse state wise production of various biofertilizers and identify major government and non government manufacturers meeting the requirements. Results from this research study would draw inference on major government and non government manufacturers as well as find out the major state in India producing biofertilizers. Also, this study will contribute in building a trend analysis for the production of biofertilizers in India over the last 10 years. 1.1 OBJECTIVES: To analyse the annual production and sale of Biofertilizers in India Estimate state wise production and consumption of Biofertilizers Analyse Marketing conditions in the Biofertilizers market of India To predict the future production and consumption by Trend analysis 1.2 RESEARCH PLAN : The study will begin with collecting raw data of all the material available on the internet, published articles, and various journals and thereafter tabulate the data collected to perform an ordered analysis of major biofertilizer producing states of India, check the prevalent trend in the production and sales during the last ten years. Time consideration to collect extensive amount of data would be three months and the research results shall be demonstrated statistically in the form of graphs and charts so as to ease the understanding of the gap between production and availability of biofertilizers in the Indian market. 1.3 METHODOLOGY : This research study is primarily based on extensive secondary research data available in the various published research reports and annual reports of various government and non-government organizations. The study begins with collecting raw data out of all the material available on the internet, published articles, and various journals and thereafter tabulating the data to construct graphs and charts to bring about various analysis of state wise production and sales of the major biofertilizers. 1.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH Since the data collected is secondary data, no primary research results could be utilized deciphering that certain amount of data could be outdated or obsolete. No research study or survey has been conducted till date to rate the top 10 or top 5 Biofertilizer producing companies on India although top 20 companies producing chemical fertilizers can be enlisted. No research study has been conducted to analyze the contribution of sales of biofertilizers to the economy of India. There exist various research gaps to statistically estimate the trend of biofertilizer production since the first year of its commercial production in India. CHAPTER 02 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. ROLE OF BIOFERTILIZERS Biofertilizers have definite advantage over chemical fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers supply not only nitrogen whereas biofertilizers provide in addition to nitrogen certain growth promoting substances like hormones, vitamins, amino acids, etc., crops have to be provided with chemical fertilizers repeatedly to replenish the loss of nitrogen utilized for crop growth. On the other hand biofertilizers supply the nitrogen continuously throughout the entire period of crop growth in the field under favorable conditions. Continuous use of chemical fertilizers adversely affects the soil structure whereas biofertilizers when applied to soil improve the soil structure. The deleterious effects of chemical fertilizers are that they are toxic at higher doses. Biofertilizers, however, have no toxic effects.It may be borne in mind that biofertilizers are no substitute for chemical fertilizers. At present, the use of chemical fertilizers is far below the recommended level. Therefore, the aim and ob ject of spread of biofertilizers technology as a Industry has to build up efficiency in use of chemical fertilizers supplemented by low cost inoculants to the extent possible.Main constraints in spread of biofertilizers as an Industry are production and supply of efficient cultures of microorganisms to farmers well before sowing. Secondly, Quality control aspect and lack of publicity, etc. Besides, whatever biofertilizers are prepared are not reached to farmers prior to sowing. At many places they are given free of cost, which lowers down the importance of product and farmers dont use them carefully. Sometimes, biofertilizers are supplied after expiry date and hence expected results are not obtained. A quality control aspect is the most important in biofertilizers. Now a day most of the products sold in the market are below standard. A few entrepreneurs possess ISI mark for their products. The government has no control over manufacturers of biofertilizers in any of the states of Ind ia. Hence farmers are confused about rates, quality and expiry dates of biofertilizers. Similar is the case of prices; they are varied from place to place. (Panlada Tittabutra, et. Al., 2006) Organic farming has emerged as an important priority area globally in view of the growing demand for safe and healthy food and long term sustainability and concerns on environmental pollution associated with indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Though the use of chemical inputs in agriculture is inevitable to meet the growing demand for food in world, there are opportunities in selected crops and niche areas where organic production can be encouraged to tape the domestic export market. Bio-fertilizers are being essential component of organic farming are the preparations containing live or latent cells of efficient strains of nitrogen fixing, phosphate solubilizing or cellulolytic micro-organisms used for application to seed, soil or composting areas with the objective of increasing number of such micro-organisms and accelerate those microbial processes which augment the availability of nutrients that can be easily assimilated by plants. Biofertilizers play a very significant role in improving soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, both, in association with plant roots and without it, solubilise insoluble soil phosphates and produces plant growth substances in the soil. They are in fact being promoted to harvest the naturally available, biological system of nutrient mobilization (Venkatashwarlu, 2008a). The role and importance of biofertilizers in sustainable crop production has been reviewed by several authors (Biswas et al. 1985; Wani and Lee, 1995; Katyal et al. 1994). But the progress in the field of BF production technology remained always below satisfaction in Asia because of various constraints. It may be noted, only 30 % of Indias total cultivable area is covered with fertilizers where irrigation facilities are available and the remaining 70 % of the arable land, which is mainly rain fed, very negligible amount of fertilizers are being used. Farmers in these areas often use organic manures as a source of nutrients that are readily available either in their own farm or in their locality. The North- Eastern (NE) region of India provides consi derable opportunity for organic farming due to least utilization of chemical inputs. It is estimated that 18 million hectare of such land is available in the NE that can be exploited for organic production. With the sizable acreage under naturally organic/default organic cultivation, India has tremendous potential to grow crops organically and emerge as a major supplier of organic products in worlds organic market (Venkatashwarlu. 2008a) The report of Task Force on Organic Farming appointed by the Government of India also observed that in vast areas of the country, where limited amount of chemicals are used and have low productivity could be exploited as potential areas to develop into organic agriculture. Arresting the decline of soil organic matter is the most potent weapon in fighting against unabated soil degradation and imperiled sustainability of agriculture in tropical regions of India, particularly those under the influence of arid, semiarid and sub-humid climate. Applicatio n of organic manures particularly bio-fertilizers is the only option to improve the soil organic carbon for sustenance of soil quality and future agricultural productivity (Ramesh,2008). 2.1 WHY TO EXPLORE BIO-FERTILIZERS Indiscriminate use of synthetic fertilizers has led to the pollution and contamination of the soil, polluted water basins, destroyed micro-organisms and friendly insects, making the crop more prone to diseases and reduced soil fertility. Demand is much higher than the availability. It is estimated that by 2020, to achieve the targeted production of 321 million tonnes of food grain, the requirement of nutrient will be 28.8 million tonnes, while their availability will be only 21.6 million tones being a deficit of about 7.2 million tones. Depleting feedstock/fossil fuels (energy crisis) and increasing cost of fertilizers. This is becoming unaffordable by small and marginal farmers. Soil fertility depletes due to widening gap between nutrient removal and supplies. There is a huge concern about such environmental hazards which increases threat to sustainable agriculture. Besides the above facts, the long term use of bio-fertilizers is economical, eco-friendly, more efficient, productive and accessible to marginal and small farmers over chemical fertilizers (Venkataraman and Shanmugasundaram, 1992) . 2.2 Balanced use of Chemical Bio-fertilizers The annual requirement and production of different bio-fertilizers has clearly demonstrated tremendous gap in this area. Thus, a strategy for judicious combination of chemical fertilizers and biofertilizers will be economically viable and ecological useful. It should be recommended that biofertilizers are not a substitute, but a supplement to chemical fertilizers for maximizing not only the yield but also agro system stability. 2.3 Characteristic features of some Bio-fertilizers Rhizobium:- Belongs to family Rhizobiaceae, symbiotic in nature, fix nitrogen 50-100 kg/ha. With legumes only. It is useful for pulse legumes like chickpea, red-gram, pea, lentil,black gram, etc., oil-seed legumes like soybean and groundnut and forage legumes like berseem and lucerne. It colonizes the roots of specific legumes to form tumour like growths called root nodules, which acts as factories of ammonia production. Rhizobium has ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in symbiotic association with legumes and certain nonlegumes like Parasponia. Rhizobium population in the soil depends on the presence of legume crops in the field. Azospirillum:- Belongs to family Spirilaceae, heterotrophic and associative in nature. In addition to their nitrogen fixing ability of about 20-40 kg/ha, they also produce growth regulating substances. The Azospirillum form associative symbiosis with many plants particularly with those having the C4-dicarboxyliac path way of photosynthesis (Hatch and Slack pathway), because they grow and fix nitrogen on salts of organic acids such as malic, aspartic acid (Arun, 2007a). Thus it is mainly recommended for maize, sugarcane, sorghum, pearl millet etc. They do not, however, produce any visible nodules or out growth on root tissue. Azotobacter-: Belongs to family Azotobacteriaceae, aerobic, free living, and heterotrophic in nature. Azotobacters are present in neutral or alkaline soils and A. chroococcum is the most commonly occurring. species in arable soils.. The number of Azotobacter rarely exceeds of 104 to 105 g-1 of soil due to lack of organic matter and presence of antagonistic microorganisms in soil. The bacterium produces anti-fungal antibiotics which inhibits the growth of several pathogenic fungi in the root region thereby preventing seedling mortality to a certain extent. The isolated culture of Azotobacter fixes about 10 mg nitrogen g-1 of carbon source under in vitro conditions. The occurrence of this organism has been reported from the rhizosphere of a number of crop plants such as rice, maize, sugarcane, bajra, vegetables and plantation crops, (Arun, 2007a). Blue Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) and Azolla -These belongs to eight different families, phototrophic in nature and produce Auxin, Indole acetic acid and Gibberllic acid, fix 20-30 kg N/ha in submerged rice fields as they are abundant in paddy, so also referred as paddy organisms. Most N fixing BGA are filamentous, consisting of chain of vegetative cells including specialized cells called heterocyst which function as micro nodule for synthesis and N fixing machinery. BGA forms symbiotic association capable of fixing nitrogen with fungi, liverworts, ferns and flowering plants, but the most common symbiotic association has been found between a free floating aquatic fern, the Azolla and Anabaena azollae (BGA). Besides N-fixation, these biofertilizers or biomanures also contribute significant amounts of P, K, S, Zn, Fe, Mb and other micronutrient. India has recently introduced some species of Azolla for their large biomass production, which are A.caroliniana, A. microphylla, A. filiculoid es and A. mexicana. Phosphate solubilizers -Several reports have examined the ability of different bacterial species to solubilize insoluble inorganic phosphate compounds, such as tricalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, and rock phosphate. Among the bacterial genera with this capacity are pseudomonas, Bacillus, Rhizobium, Burkholderia, Achromobacter, Agrobacterium, Microccocus, Aereobacter, Flavobacterium and Erwinia. There are considerable populations of phosphatesolubilizing bacteria in soil and in plant rhizospheres. These include both aerobic and anaerobic strains, with a prevalence of aerobic strains in submerged soils. A considerably higher concentration of phosphate solubilizing bacteria is commonly found in the rhizosphere in comparison with non rhizosphere soil (Raghu and Macrae, 2000). The soil bacteria belonging to the genera Pseudomonas and Bacillus and Fungi are more common. The major microbiological means by which insoluble-P compounds are mobilized is by the production of organic acids, accompanied by acidification of the medium. Phosphate absorbers Mycorrhiza (an ancient symbiosis in organic agriculture)- The term Mycorrhiza denotes fungus roots. It is a symbiotic association between host plants and certain group of fungi at the root system, in which the fungal partner is benefited by obtaining its carbon requirements from the photosynthates of the host and the host in turn is benefited by obtaining the much needed nutrients especially phosphorus, calcium, copper, zinc etc., Zinc solubilizers The nitrogen fixers like Rhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, BGA and Phosphate solubilizing bacteria like B. magaterium, Pseudomonas striata, and phosphate mobilizing Mycorrhiza have been widely accepted as bio-fertilizers (Subba Roa, 2001a). However these supply only major nutrients like zinc, iron, copper etc., zinc being tmost important is found in the earths crust to the tune of 0.008 per cent but more than 50 per cent of Indian soils exhibit deficiency of zinc with content must below the critical level of 1.5 ppm of available zinc (Katyal and Rattan, 1993). There appears to be two main mechanisms of zinc fixation, one operates in acidic soils and is closely related with cat ion exchange and other operates in alkaline conditions where fixation takes by means of chemisorptions, ( chemisorptions of zinc on calcium carbonate formed a solid-solution of ZnCaCO3), and by complexation of organic ligands (Alloway, 2008). The zinc can be solubilized by microorganisms viz., B. subtilis, Thiobacillus thioxidans and Saccharomyces sp. These microorganisms can be used as bio-fertilizers for solubilization of fixed micronutrients like zinc (Raj, 2007). The results have shown that a Bacillus sp. (Zn solubilizing bacteria) can be used as bio-fertilizer for zinc or in soils where native zinc is higher or in conjunction with insoluble cheaper zinc compounds like zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc carbonate (ZnCO3) and zinc sulphide (ZnS) instead of costly zinc sulphate (Mahdi et al. 2010). Potential role of bio-fertilizers in agriculture Nitrogen-fixers (NFs) Phosphate solubilizers (PSBs) The incorporation of bio-fertilizers (Nfixers) plays major role in improving soil fertility, yield attributing characters and thereby final yield has been reported by many workers (Subashini et al. 2007a; Kachroo and Razdan, 2006; Son et al. 2007). In addition, their application in soil improves soil biota and minimizes the sole use of chemical fertilizers (Subashini et al. 2007a). Under temperate conditions, inoculation of Rhizobium improved number of pods plant-1, number of seed pod-1 and 1000-seed weight (g) and thereby yield over the control. The number of pods plant-1, number of seed pod-1 and 1000-seed weight (g) recorded were 25.5, 17.1 and 4.7 per cent more over the control, respectively which was statistically significant Bhat et al. (2009). In rice under low land conditions, the application of BGA+ Azospirillum proved significantly beneficial in improving LAI and all yield attributing aspects. Grain yield and harvest index also exhibit a discernable increase with use of bio fertilizers (Dar and Bali, 2007). Afzal, (2006) found that seed and straw yield of green gram increased significantly up to single inoculation with Rhizobium under 20 kg N + 45 kg P2O5 ha-1 fertility level. Field trials carried out in different locations have demonstrated that under certain environmental and soil conditions inoculation with azotobacteria has beneficial effects on plant yields. The effect of Azotobacter chroococcum on vegetative growth and yields of maize has been studied by numerous authors (Hussain et al., 1987; Martinez Toledo et al., 1988; Nieto and Frankenberger, 1991; Mishra et al., 1995; Pandey et al., 1998; Radwan, 1998), as well as the effect of inoculation with this bacterium on wheat (Emam et al., 1986; Rai and Gaur, 1988; Tippanavar and Reddy, 1993, Elshanshoury, 1995; Pati et al., 1995; Fares, 1997a). Alkaline phosphatase activity in the peach roots was highest with Azotobacter chroococcum + P fertilizer (Godara et al., 1995). Results of a greenhouse pot experiments with onion showed that application of G. fasciculatum + A. chrooccocum + 50% of the recommended P rate resulted in the greatest root length, plant height, bulb girth, bulb fresh weight, root colonization and P uptake (Mandhare et al. 1998). Inoculation with Azotobacter + Rhizobium + VAM gave the highest increase in straw and grain yield of wheat plants with rock phosphate as a Pfertilizer (Fares, 1997a). Elgala et al. (1995) concluded that with microbial inoculation rock phosphate could be used as cheap source of P in alkaline soils and that combined inoculation could reduce the rate of fertilizer required to maintain high productivity. It is an established fact that the efficiency of phosphatic fertilizers is very low (15-20%) due to its fixation in acidic and alkaline soils and unfortunately both soil types are predominating in India accounting more than 34% acidity affected and more than seven million hectares of productive land salinity/alkaline affected (Yawalkar e t al., 2000). Therefore, the inoculations with PSB and other useful microbial inoculants in these soils become mandatory to restore and maintain the effective microbial populations for solubilization of chemically fixed phosphorus and availability of other macro and micronutrients to harvest good sustainable yield of various crops. Commercial exploitation of phosphatic microbial inoculants can play an important role particularly in making the direct use of abundantly available low grade phosphate possible. Among the bacterial genera with this capacity are pseudomonas, Bacillus, Rhizobium, Burkholderia, Achromobacter, Agrobacterium, Microccocus, Aereobacter, Flavobacterium and Erwinia. Beside N-fixation and P-solubilization, the incorporation of nitrogen fixing bacteria (Azotobacter spp.) under the commercial name cerealien and phosphate dissolving bacteria (Bacillus megaterium) phosphorien has shown the highest degree in inducing the degree of the physiological tolerance to salinity which enables the stressed plants of the Seets cultivar of wheat to be adapted and keep better performance against all applied levels of salinity (3000, 6000 and 9000 ppm). This performance was reflected by the increase in growth, dry matter accumulation, yield as well as chemical constituents. All chemicals constituents including N, P, K+, sugars, proline and were increased as compared to their control treatments in the cultivar Seets. Mohmoud and Mohamad, 2008. Mycorrhizae The fungi that are probably most abundant in agricultural soils are arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. They account for 5- 50% of the biomass of soil microbes (Olsson et al., 1999). Biomass of hyphae of AM fungi may amount to 54-900 kg ha-1 (Zhu and Miller, 2003), and some products formed by them may account for another 3000 kg (Lovelock et al., 2004). Pools of organic carbon such as glomalin produced by AM fungi may even exceed soil microbial biomass by a factor of 10-20 (Rillig et al., 2001). The external mycelium attains as much as 3% of root weight (Jakobsen and Rosendahl, 1990). Approximately 10-100 m mycorrhizal mycelium can be found per cm root (McGonigle and Miller, 1999). The mineral acquisition from soil is considered to be the primary role of mycorrhizae, but they play various other roles as well which are of utmost important. CHAPTER 03 BIOFERTILIZER SECTORS IN INDIA: OVERVIEW Bio-fertilizers sector in India: An Overview Indian Biotechnology industry is considered as one of the sunrise sectors in India. The industry can be classified into five different segments. Biopharma,Agri-biotech, Bioinformatics, Bio-industrial and Bio services with each concentrating on a particular area. Bio pharma deals with the production of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, while the end products of the biotech industry find two different kinds of buyers. Agri-biotech comprises of hybrid seeds and transgenic crops, biopesticides and biofertilizers. Bio informatics creates and maintains the extensive electronic databases on various biological systems. Bioservices market usually deals with clinical trial, contract research and manufacturing activities. Bio Industrial industry comprises of enzyme manufacturing and marketing companies and these enzymes are used in detergent, textile, food, leather, paper and pharmaceutical industry. Agri-biotech comprises of hybrid seeds and transgenic crops, biopesticides and biofertilizers. Agri-biotech comprises of hybrid seeds and transgenic crops, biopesticides and biofertilizers. t4ind15_fig2.jpg Bio-Agri is deals with the hybrid seeds and transgenic crops, biopesticides and one most important biofertilizer. Biofertilizer market in India growing with the rate of 12% by 2011-12. The first documented production of bio-fertilizers in the form of Rhizobium in India was in 1934 by M.R. Madhok (Yadav Raychaudhuri, 2004), but the first commercial production was initiated only in 1956 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore. Growth in production remained very slow till the mid sixties (Tewatia, Kalwe and Chaudhuri, 2007). Introduction of Soybean along with Nitragin Soybean inoculant imported from USA in 1964 was the first major event in bio-fertilizers history of India. Encouraged by the success of Rhizobium inoculation in Soybean, efforts were made to replace the requirement of imported inoculant with locally produced inoculants for soybean in the first phase. This was the extended to other pulses and legu me oilseeds in the second phase. During 1965-1990 around 30 bio-fertilizers production laboratories were set up in the country to meet the demand (Venkataraman Tilak, 1990) and lot of schemes were formulated to popularize their use in different legume crops. Starting from few tonnes, production and consumption increased gradually and reached a moderate figure of 1000MT by 1988-89. During this period Rhizobium inoculants was dominating with other bio-fertilizers also starting to make their presence felt such as Azotobacter. Nineties saw a dramatic surge in bio-fertilizers industry with adding of new bio-fertilizers such as Azotobacter, Azospirillum, PSBs added to the list and total production jump from 1000MT(1989) to 10,000MT (2000) (Dwivedi and Motsara, 2001; Bhattacharya Dwivedi, 2004). The growth of bio-fertilizer started with the initiation of National Project on Development and use of Bio-fertilizers during 1983-84 which continued up

Comparing the Treatment of Death in the Movie Antz and Antony and Cleop

Comparing the Treatment of Death in the Movie Antz and Antony and Cleopatra At first sight, Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and the movie Antz seem to bear little resemblance to each other. Not only does a time period of almost 400 years separate the publication of Antony and Cleopatra from the first broadcast of Antz, but the very species of the characters differ as well. Yet, in the two stories the characters’ thoughts and actions are surprisingly similar, especially in regard to the thematic elements of war and death. Antony, the middle-aged Roman general in Antony and Cleopatra, and General Mandible, the unfeeling commander in Antz, both share the opinion that the life of an individual soldier does not matter. Instead of trying to ensure the safety of their soldiers, they endanger them by taking great risks. Antony persists in fighting Caesar at sea although Enobarbus warns him that a fight at sea would mean to â€Å"throw away the absolute soldiership [he] has by land â€Å" and to â€Å"give [himself up] merely to chance and hazard.† Similarly, General Mandible declares war on the termite colony and remains indifferent when Cutter, one of the soldiers, objects that a battle against the termites is suicide. Antony and Cleopatra presents large-scale death in a more distant way than Antz. Shakespeare’s play does not contain bloody war scenes displaying slain men. Death in Antony and Cleopatra retains a certain nobleness and dignity because the audience does not see unpleasant moments of suffering nor disfigured war victims. Antz, by contrast, shows the brutality of war and the disfigured corpses of the ants and termites after the battle. Barbados, who saves Z’s life during the battle, is dismembered -- at the neck -- by the ter... ...mes most horrible at the end when General Mandible, in a sudden uncontrolled rage against Cutter, reveals his whole cruelty and shouts: â€Å"I am the colony.† At first sight one might expect that in Antony and Cleopatra war would be the predominant theme, for the Romans are well-known as warriors throughout their early history. It may therefore be surprising to find that Shakespeare’s play focuses less on detailed battle scenes than Antz, especially since the latter is a children’s movie. But maybe the emphasis on war in the movie is not a contradiction to the fact that it is primarily intended for a very young audience. Are not the children of today the voters and politicians of tomorrow and would it not be beneficiary for the future of mankind if before agreeing to a war those voters and politicians reminded themselves of Barbados’ last words â€Å"Think for yourself†?

Nike Advertisement Analysis

Advertisements have been used for years to sell products. As long as there have been consumers there have been ads, although in many different media. Different companies or groups release ads to promote a certain product, idea, or brand. Nike is no exception. Nike has been a leading brand in sports for 46 years. They are most known for their athletic shoes, but Nike manufactures all sorts of athletic apparel as well as equipment. Nike publishes many printed advertisements every day. Their ad campaign has been an iconic one, using repetition, a textbook marketing strategy, to create recognition of the brand. Nike ads are very commonly featured with the same basic elements in all of the printed advertisements they publish. These conventions that are constantly repeated are what help consumers to recognize the advertisement as belonging to Nike very quickly. The conventions that remain present in every Nike ad that help to create brand recognition are the consistent graphic elements, the indelible Nike swoosh and the slogan â€Å"Just Do It. † Nike is an iconic brand. They have made a name for themselves in the world of sports as well marketing. Nike has been one of the few brands whom continue to grow explosively even in the currently upturned market (Kapner). They have achieved this through superior brand management. Consumers will pay more money for a product they think is manufactured well. Nike has done a wonderful job at portraying themselves as a superior sports apparel brand. The â€Å"Just Do It† ad campaign is one that has been known for its detached, determined and unsentimental advertisements (Center for Applied Research). Nike seems above the world, having advertisements that do not focus on current events. They rarely focus on the product, as much as the people showcasing them. They are heroic, noble, fierce looking people (Gould). These ads focus on the intense inward focus of a supreme athlete. This superiority that comes through in the ads is what makes us pay attention to Nike in both in regards to marketing as well as sports products. Graphics are a big part of printed advertisements. Many printed advertisements rely on pictures to get the intended message across. Sometimes, very little words are necessary when a good picture is present. Nike frequently uses pictures of individual athletes or an entire team of athletes, usually wearing Nike products, to promote their brand. One ad, for example, shows a shirtless LeBron James against a black background holding a basketball. The Nike swoosh is present followed by words that say, â€Å"Prepare for combat. † Nike is using LeBron, as a star athlete to sell their product. Nike has also always used, and continues to use guilt to sell products. They print ads that show athletes with the intensity that everyone wishes they possess in regards to their sport (Center for Applied Research). For example, one Nike ad, entitled Inner Drive, shows a woman in brightly colored running gear stretching in front of her house before she runs. The house and the car both look neglected. The consumer gets a feeling that this is an intense and dedicated athlete. She ignores her car because she is so dedicated to running. This is the kind of dedication that people respect and want to emulate. Consumers may feel like they are not serious about their sport, or aren’t giving their best effort if they aren’t wearing Nike. Another approach Nike has used for years is to show only a picture of the product they are trying to sell. This is done primarily with athletic shoe advertisements. For years Nike has taken the route of very plain ads, making the shoe the most exciting thing on the page. In the 90s, for example, Nike published a series of ads promoting the new air max line. These ads depicted various kinds of shoes, whether they are running shoes, tennis shoes, or basketball shoes, and that was it. Only the shoes were present on the page, with a sentence or two of text, and a logo coupled with the slogan in the corner. Another more recent ad that has this same format is one that advertises for LeBron James’ sixth pair of basketball shoes. The ad shows a picture of these shoes, and only the words â€Å" The Six. † These two types of graphics elements are some of the key elements that help consumers recognize the Nike brand. Another common theme of the Nike advertisement campaign is their logo, the swoosh. Logos, also called logotypes, are a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark or abbreviation, often uniquely designed for ready recognition (Dictionary. com). Nike uses the swoosh to help consumers associate things like hard work, commitment, and tenacity with their brand (Center for Applied Research). The swoosh can be used just like a signature. This logo appears on products themselves, as well as the advertisements for those products. This way consumers know that a swoosh, and everything it is shown with, means Nike. Every shoe Nike makes and every ad they publish displays a swoosh prominently for everyone to see. It is this consistency that makes the swoosh effective. If the swoosh were only present some of the time it would not be as synonymous with Nike as it is today. Slogans are a key element in brand identity. A slogan is a phrase that a company uses for consumers to easily associate something with that particular brand (Dictionary. om). Nike uses the slogan â€Å"Just Do It† to link advertisements and ideas to their company. This slogan is found on many products and almost all pieces of advertisement. When someone hears â€Å"Just do it† they think of Nike. We have been conditioned to think this way. Some ads depict a blank page showing only the Nike swoosh and the slogan. These simple advertisements ar e an effective way to advertise the products and link the slogan with the logo for further brand recognition. Nike has been a force in the sports universe for 46 years. The 80s and 90s marked the birth of the â€Å"Just Do It† ad campaign. Since then Nike has become a staple of American culture. The products Nike manufactures have changed. They have expanded and grown as a company. However one thing has remained constant over the years. Although Nike has made so many different products, and most people couldn’t recall what was the popular shoe in 1985, most everyone knows The Nike swoosh and the phrase â€Å"Just Do It. † The marketing genius that went into creating the consistent graphics, the swoosh logo, and the popular slogan, â€Å"Just Do It† is the reason why America knows and respects the Nike brand and their products, and will continue to do so for many more years to come.Works CitedCenter for Applied Research. â€Å"Mini-case Study: Nike’s â€Å"Just Do It† Advertising Campaign.† Print. Gould, Thomas. â€Å"Advertising Campaigns: Great Campaigns.† (2006). Web. Kapner, Suzanne. â€Å"With Sneaker Glut at Stores Easing, Nike Is Slowly Getting Back on Its Feet.â €  Los Angeles Times [Los Angeles] 4 July 1998. Print. Nike. Advertisement. 1st Round Athletics. Nike, 2009. Web . Nike. Advertisement. GenXXL. Web. . Nike. Advertisement. The Future of Ads. Web. . Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 3 Dec. 2010. . Nike Advertisement Analysis Advertisements have been used for years to sell products. As long as there have been consumers there have been ads, although in many different media. Different companies or groups release ads to promote a certain product, idea, or brand. Nike is no exception. Nike has been a leading brand in sports for 46 years. They are most known for their athletic shoes, but Nike manufactures all sorts of athletic apparel as well as equipment. Nike publishes many printed advertisements every day. Their ad campaign has been an iconic one, using repetition, a textbook marketing strategy, to create recognition of the brand. Nike ads are very commonly featured with the same basic elements in all of the printed advertisements they publish. These conventions that are constantly repeated are what help consumers to recognize the advertisement as belonging to Nike very quickly. The conventions that remain present in every Nike ad that help to create brand recognition are the consistent graphic elements, the indelible Nike swoosh and the slogan â€Å"Just Do It. † Nike is an iconic brand. They have made a name for themselves in the world of sports as well marketing. Nike has been one of the few brands whom continue to grow explosively even in the currently upturned market (Kapner). They have achieved this through superior brand management. Consumers will pay more money for a product they think is manufactured well. Nike has done a wonderful job at portraying themselves as a superior sports apparel brand. The â€Å"Just Do It† ad campaign is one that has been known for its detached, determined and unsentimental advertisements (Center for Applied Research). Nike seems above the world, having advertisements that do not focus on current events. They rarely focus on the product, as much as the people showcasing them. They are heroic, noble, fierce looking people (Gould). These ads focus on the intense inward focus of a supreme athlete. This superiority that comes through in the ads is what makes us pay attention to Nike in both in regards to marketing as well as sports products. Graphics are a big part of printed advertisements. Many printed advertisements rely on pictures to get the intended message across. Sometimes, very little words are necessary when a good picture is present. Nike frequently uses pictures of individual athletes or an entire team of athletes, usually wearing Nike products, to promote their brand. One ad, for example, shows a shirtless LeBron James against a black background holding a basketball. The Nike swoosh is present followed by words that say, â€Å"Prepare for combat. † Nike is using LeBron, as a star athlete to sell their product. Nike has also always used, and continues to use guilt to sell products. They print ads that show athletes with the intensity that everyone wishes they possess in regards to their sport (Center for Applied Research). For example, one Nike ad, entitled Inner Drive, shows a woman in brightly colored running gear stretching in front of her house before she runs. The house and the car both look neglected. The consumer gets a feeling that this is an intense and dedicated athlete. She ignores her car because she is so dedicated to running. This is the kind of dedication that people respect and want to emulate. Consumers may feel like they are not serious about their sport, or aren’t giving their best effort if they aren’t wearing Nike. Another approach Nike has used for years is to show only a picture of the product they are trying to sell. This is done primarily with athletic shoe advertisements. For years Nike has taken the route of very plain ads, making the shoe the most exciting thing on the page. In the 90s, for example, Nike published a series of ads promoting the new air max line. These ads depicted various kinds of shoes, whether they are running shoes, tennis shoes, or basketball shoes, and that was it. Only the shoes were present on the page, with a sentence or two of text, and a logo coupled with the slogan in the corner. Another more recent ad that has this same format is one that advertises for LeBron James’ sixth pair of basketball shoes. The ad shows a picture of these shoes, and only the words â€Å" The Six. † These two types of graphics elements are some of the key elements that help consumers recognize the Nike brand. Another common theme of the Nike advertisement campaign is their logo, the swoosh. Logos, also called logotypes, are a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark or abbreviation, often uniquely designed for ready recognition (Dictionary. com). Nike uses the swoosh to help consumers associate things like hard work, commitment, and tenacity with their brand (Center for Applied Research). The swoosh can be used just like a signature. This logo appears on products themselves, as well as the advertisements for those products. This way consumers know that a swoosh, and everything it is shown with, means Nike. Every shoe Nike makes and every ad they publish displays a swoosh prominently for everyone to see. It is this consistency that makes the swoosh effective. If the swoosh were only present some of the time it would not be as synonymous with Nike as it is today. Slogans are a key element in brand identity. A slogan is a phrase that a company uses for consumers to easily associate something with that particular brand (Dictionary. om). Nike uses the slogan â€Å"Just Do It† to link advertisements and ideas to their company. This slogan is found on many products and almost all pieces of advertisement. When someone hears â€Å"Just do it† they think of Nike. We have been conditioned to think this way. Some ads depict a blank page showing only the Nike swoosh and the slogan. These simple advertisements ar e an effective way to advertise the products and link the slogan with the logo for further brand recognition. Nike has been a force in the sports universe for 46 years. The 80s and 90s marked the birth of the â€Å"Just Do It† ad campaign. Since then Nike has become a staple of American culture. The products Nike manufactures have changed. They have expanded and grown as a company. However one thing has remained constant over the years. Although Nike has made so many different products, and most people couldn’t recall what was the popular shoe in 1985, most everyone knows The Nike swoosh and the phrase â€Å"Just Do It. † The marketing genius that went into creating the consistent graphics, the swoosh logo, and the popular slogan, â€Å"Just Do It† is the reason why America knows and respects the Nike brand and their products, and will continue to do so for many more years to come.Works CitedCenter for Applied Research. â€Å"Mini-case Study: Nike’s â€Å"Just Do It† Advertising Campaign.† Print. Gould, Thomas. â€Å"Advertising Campaigns: Great Campaigns.† (2006). Web. Kapner, Suzanne. â€Å"With Sneaker Glut at Stores Easing, Nike Is Slowly Getting Back on Its Feet.â €  Los Angeles Times [Los Angeles] 4 July 1998. Print. Nike. Advertisement. 1st Round Athletics. Nike, 2009. Web . Nike. Advertisement. GenXXL. Web. . Nike. Advertisement. The Future of Ads. Web. . Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 3 Dec. 2010. .

What is Sarbanes-Oxley Act

What is Sarbanes-Oxley Act Free Online Research Papers Sarbanes-Oxley Act has been implemented since 2002. It main purpose was to regain the confidence in the capital market by forcing mandatory standards and rules for companies. This paper studies the reasons for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the positive and negative impact that Sarbanes-Oxley Act has placed on companies. Reason for SOX The reason for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 came about because of Kenneth L. Lay, CEO of Enron Corp. Enron began in 1986 but originally was Houston Natural Gas a gas pipeline operator in 2001 Enron was the number one energy trader in the world. Enron direct competition was Duke Energy, El Paso, and Williams Companies to name a few. However, in 2002, Enron filed for bankruptcy and Lay was involved in one of the biggest accounting fraud crimes. Lay hide sales of the company’s shares and said that he was buying more shares (Henry, 2006). No one ever questioned Lays acts and never questioned or investigated the trading rules for someone trading within an organization. In that time, executives did not have to report their transactions with their companies the end of a company’s fiscal year and after 45 days and some times it they could take up to 12 months (2006). â€Å"Congress clamped down and directed the Securities Exchange Commission to require reporting of tra nsactions within two business days, effective Aug. 29, 2002. At the time, recalls then-SEC Chairman Harvey L. Pitt, regulators didnt even know companies were backdating options grants† (Henry, 2006, pg.38). As result of Enron’s scandal and public bankruptcy of such a well recognized corporation. Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Corporate Accountability Bill. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires for all public companies that have business in the United States must have an accounting framework (Nelson Staley, 2006). Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, made it mandatory for all public companies to contain internal financial auditing controls and to present the results in annual assessment their internal financial auditing control efficiency. This must be reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in an annual basis. Also, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 required for all public companies to have an external auditor and the external auditor would have audit and test on the company’s internal control reports of management and the company’s financial statement (Baker, Bealing Jr, Nelson Staley, 2006). Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 The following provides an overview of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in which public company are required to comply. Title I of the Act – established the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Title I which was given broad oversight over public accounting firms who perform audits of publicly traded companies. According the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board states, section 103(a)(1) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that Board establishment and their responsibilities and to establish auditing standards and rules. In addition, this Board defines the ethics standards for the audit reports that registered accounting firms must prepare and submit (Baker, Bealing Jr, Nelson Staley, 2006). Title II of the Act – established the Auditor Independence which pro services. The Securities and Exchange Commission adopted amendments to its existing requirements regarding auditor independence to enhance the independence of accountants that audit and review financial statements and prepare attestation reports filed with the Commission. In addition, these rules and standards affect the foreign accounting firms that perform audits of foreign subsidiaries and affiliates of U.S. issuers, as well as of foreign private issuers. According to Baker, Bealing Jr, Nelson, Staley: Many of the modifications to the proposed rules, such as those limiting the scope of partner rotation and personnel subject to the cooling off period, have the added benefit of addressing particular concerns raised about the international implications of these requirements. Moreover, additional time is being afforded to foreign accounting firms with respect to compliance with rotation requirements. The release also provides guidance on the provision of non-audit services by foreign accounting firms, including the treatment of legal services and tax services (2006, p.5) Title III of the Act – established the Corporate Responsibility which imposed public company audit committees. It defined the corporate responsibility for financial reports. It defined the improper influence on conduct of audits. It clearly points the penalty of certain bonuses and profits. In addition, section 302 is one the most important sections of the SOX Act. Established the Corporate Responsibility for Financial Reports it demands for CEO and CFO to review all financial reports. The financial reports must not have any fabrication or faulty information. It also directs the responsibilities to the companies CEO and CFO for the internal accounting controls. The CEO and CFO have the obligation to report any leakage in internal accounting controls. In addition, CEO and CFO must report any management of the audit committee for fraud actions or participation. They must point out any internal accounting controls information modification. Title IV of the Act – Established Enhanced Financial Disclosure. Section 401 Disclosures in periodic reports conflict of interest provisions. Section 402 Enhanced conflict of interest provisions. Section 403 Disclosures of transactions involving management and principal stockholders. Section 404 is another most important section of the SOX Act of Title IV. Section 404 established Management Assessment of Internal Controls this demands for management that all annual financial repots must have an Internal Control Report stating that management is responsible for an â€Å"adequate† internal control structure. Any shortcomings in these controls must also be reported. In addition, registered external auditors must attest to the accuracy of the company management’s assertion that internal accounting controls are in place, operational, and effective. Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 (SOX 404) requires a security management process to protect against attempted or successful u nauthorized access and use with system operations. Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 also involves security management for disclosure, modification, or interference with system operations. Section 405 is defines the exemption to the TITLE IV. Section 406 is the Code of ethics for senior financial officers. Section 407 is the disclosure of audit committee financial experts. Section 408 is the enhanced review of periodic disclosures by issuers. Section 409 Real time Disclosures states that must disclose information on material changes in the financial conditions or operations of the issuer on a rapid and current basis. Section 409 is another most important section of the SOX Act of Title IV. However, section 409 is the only section that is not currently in effective. This section is Real Time Issuer Disclosures meaning companies are required to disclose on almost real-time basis information concerning material changes in its financial conditions or operations. Title V of the Act – established the Analyst Conflicts of Interest. Section 501 the treatment of securities analysis by registered securities associations. The national securities exchanges and registered securities associations must adopt conflict of interest rules for research analysis who recommend equities in research reports. Title VI of the Act – established the Commission Resources and Authority. Section 601 is the Authorization of appropriations. Section 602 is appearance and practice before the commission. Section 603 is Federal court authority to impose penny stock bars. Section 604 Qualifications of associated persons of brokers and dealers. Title VII of the Act – established the Studies and Reports. In section 701 is GAO study and report regarding consolidation of public accounting firms. Section 702 is commission study and report regarding credit rating agencies. Section 703 is the Study and report on violators and violations. Section 704 is the study of enforcement actions. Section 705 is the study of investment banks. Title VIII of the Act Corporate and Criminal Fraud accountability. In section 802 are criminal penalties for altering documents. Section 803 Debts non-dischargeable if incurred in violation of securities fraud laws. Section 804 is Statute of limitations for securities fraud. Section 805 is review of Federal Sentencing Guidelines for obstruction of justice and extensive criminal fraud. Section 806 is Protection for employees of publicly traded companies who provide evidence of fraud. Section 807 defines the criminal penalties for defrauding shareholders of publicly traded companies. Title IX –White-Collar Crime Penalty enhancements. Section 902 is the attempts and conspiracies to commit criminal fraud offenses this section is another of the most important section of the SOX Act. It states that any person who attempts or conspires to commit any offense under this chapter shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the attempt or conspiracy. Section 903 states criminal penalties for mail and wire fraud. Section 904 is criminal penalties for violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Section 905 is the amendment to sentencing guidelines relation to certain white-collar offenses. Section 906 states it is corporate responsibility for financial reports. Title X of the Act – established the corporate tax returns. Section 1001 Sense for the Senate regarding the signing of corporate tax returns by chief executive officers. Title XI of the Act – established the corporate fraud and accountability. Section 1102 is the tampering with a record or otherwise impeding an official proceeding. Section 1103 is temporary freeze authority for the SEC. Section 1104 is the amendment to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Section 1105 Authority of the Commission to prohibit persons from serving as officers or directors. Section 1106 is increased criminal penalties under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Section 1107 protects whistler blowers section 1107 is the retaliation against informants. The Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley Act The Sarbanes-Oxley Act has applied positive effect to companies. The public companies are forced to compliance with the Act and ensure that their accounting operations are up to standards with SOA. However, private or non profit organizations are being exempt from this Act. â€Å"Still, many such entities are finding that certain aspects of the act can benefit their overall operations and are cherry-picking those parts that will do them the most good† (Savich, 2006, pg. 71). In addition, many private organizations are taking advantage of only select the sections of the Act that beneficial. Why would these private organization voluntary adopt SOA knowing how public companies struggle to comply with the SOA standards? One reason why private organization would want to comply with SOA standards is if the private organization is planning to merge with a public organization. Then they have advantage of preparing for the cost and sufficient time to prepare to meet those required for Sarbanes-Oxley Act. A second reason for an private organization to voluntary adopt SOA would be if the private company knows that is going to become public then they adopt the Sarbanes-Oxley Act since they know it will be mandatory (Savich, 2006). Another reason would be if a private company is forecasting a IPO within next years it would be benefit for them to start compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley guidelines earlier than later to avoid any delay and expect cost (Savich, 2006). Even non-profit organizations are volunteering to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley provisions. â€Å"In California, for example, the Nonprofit Integrity Act of 2004 requires charitable organizations with over 2 million in gross revenues to have an audit committee, which also approves non-audit services, and audited financial statements† ( Savich, 2006 ). Private organizations are in position that they adopt the sections that they want with advantage of not having to spend excessive amounts of money to set up for an auditors assessments of internal controls. Instead, their company can intake the benefits of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act without incurring significant costs (Bednarz, 2006). Congress intended for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to apply only public companies. But a national study by Foley Lardner LLP, showed that Sarbanes-Oxley Act took another path. It has been revealed that these private and nonprofit organization continue to adopt provisions of the act as best practices with out have obligation. The study concluded nonprofit organization was more impulsive to adopt the Sarbanes-Oxley standards, while private companies have been steadily adopting Sarbanes-Oxley standards but not as much as nonprofit organization. In addition Nonprofits organization are more likely to implement or plan to implement whistle-blower procedures, board approval of non-audit services by auditors and restrictions on executive compensation, among other changes. According to study findings of Foley Lardner LLP: Private companies tend to adopt the least expensive reforms, as opposed to more costly initiatives such as section 404 audits of internal controls. Some 84% of private organizations responding to the survey believed corporate governance reform was about right, an increase over the 78% who had responded that way in 2005. Survey respondents estimated an average annual price tag of $105,000 for corporate governance procedures, a 26% increase over their estimated costs before Congress Foley Lardner surveyed 56 private entities in January 2006-20 nonprofit organizations and 36 for-profit private companies enacted Sarbanes-Oxley (Savich, 2006) In another study named Voluntary Compliance survey conducted by CEO’s of â€Å"fast-growing† private companies. 27% said their companies had adopted Sarbanes-Oxley best practices in areas such as governance and transparency. 73% opposed any future federal or state regulations that would impose Sarbanes-Oxley provisions or entities other than public companies. 67% of those considering going public said the cost of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance was a potential barrier (Savieh, 2006) Many public companies are struggling to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley because of the high costs and implementations complexity. Even larger companies like: General Electric, Lockheed, and Emerson Electronic are struggling to meet the Act standards. In meeting held in Washington, D.C. the Executives of these corporations emphasis the challenges they face to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Act. (Bednarz, 2006) Executives stated, that cost for comply with Sarbanes-Oxley does compensate for benefits of having Sarbanes-Oxley. The cost for implementing software that complies with Sarbanes-Oxley Act is very expensive. This is affecting smaller public companies that do not have the funds to implement these softwares. According to Robilliard, In the recent study of IT managers in the US, the Aberdeen Group found that most companies plan to leverage their existing software tools to fill any gaps to comply with the Act, (Ismail, 2005, p 4). Critics of regulation argue that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has raised the cost of being a public company so much that it is unreasonable to impose this burden on smaller public companies. The critics main concern is Section 404, which deals with internal control audits. These critics assert that the high cost of being a smaller public company will stifle economic growth and ultimately hurt U.S. competitiveness (Hermanson, 2006). According to Hermanson, For honest corporate officers, this is classic governmental over-regulation-a dagger aimed at the heart of the U.S. economy. . . . The most dangerous aspect of this regulatory overkill is a further inclination by corporations to hold onto money rather than put it into productive investment, thereby threatening to stifle economic growth. Even the SECs advisory committee concluded, after hearing testimony from various parties, that Section 404 is a burden for smaller public companies. In an August 18, 2005, letter to SEC Chairman Cox, The committee stated, The costs of implementing Section 404 have been far more expensive than originally forecasted and these costs are disproportionately larger for smaller companies. (200 According CPA Journal survey by Financial Executives International reported that small companies are projected to spend $824,000 in order to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In addition, the average cost for all companies is $4.3 million estimates. However, public companies are estimated to spend $6.1 billion in order to implement Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Koehn DelVecchio). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Security Exchange Committee rules can impact internal auditors in numerous ways. One way is internal auditors probably will be asked to expand their internal control evaluation and testing work in order to provide assurance to upper management when they attest to the relative strength of their internal control system (Aldhizer III, Cashell Savlyor, 2003). Pricewaterhouse Coopers in a discussion document stated, that good internal controls are no longer just a best practice, but are now reinforced in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as a critical component of good corporate governance (Aldhizer III, Cashell Savlyor, 2003). Upper management and the audit committee are depending on internal auditors to help them comprehend difficult financial reporting issues and their impact on the quarterly and annual report (Aldhizer III, Cashell Savlyor, 2003). If the Sarbanes-Oxley Act increase internal auditors responsibilities companies take the risk of this having an impact on the current level of services provided by internal auditors. Many organizations may be unwilling to increase internal audit resources to the level required to completely fulfill both existing and new responsibilities. If this occurs, internal audit departments will have to decide either which services to cut or how to continue providing the same level of service with fewer resources (Aldhizer III, Cashell Savlyor, 2003). Audit fees are arise because of the need to present more in depth audit work in order to gain the necessary information and the loss of income from higher-margin consulting work are affect the higher costs. Eventually, it will affect the relatively few companies that were involved in the accounting frauds, but all companies and consumers (Gifford Howe, 2004). According to a recent Financial Executives International (FEI) survey conducted, it reported that the first-year compliance costs ranging from $2 million to $5 million. (Gifford Howe, 2004) consulting firm The Johnsson Group has estimated total 2004 costs to run upwards of $15 billion, with many large companies seeing thousands of hours diverted from staff support and research activities to compliance work. Many of the smaller companies are affected by this because they do not have money to obtain staff support and necessary requirements. Another provision that may notably increase audit fees relies in the Sarbanes-Oxley Acts to far-reach authority. The act affects any firm that audits a publicly traded U.S. company (Gifford Howe, 2004)). For example, any foreign subsidiaries or affiliates of public accounting firms may conclude that they do not want be involved with a clients operations in its native country because of U.S. regulations. Therefore, U.S. firms would have to conduct the audit for client’s foreign subsidiaries, at the client’s expense. This sufficiently require more time and cost. â€Å"In addition, the move by U.S. regulators to review the work of foreign accounting firms could prompt retaliation by other countries in the form of reviewing the work of U.S. firms that audit U.S. subsidiaries of foreign multinationals† (Gifford Howe, 2004, p. 7) Another reason for fees to arise can the fact that auditor have the obligation to include in the audit report the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting and managements assessment of it (Gifford Howe, 2004). Although Sarbanes-Oxley Act is not intended for increase of charge fees be based on the auditors evaluation be the basis given the increased political costs and potential legal liability associated with such an assertion, audit firms and management will probably need to spend significantly more time evaluating controls, particularly for engagements or audit areas with low reliance on controls (Gifford Howe, 2004). The expectation that audit firms would accept additional risk without doing additional work, and that they would perform the additional work without increased compensation. Conclusion The Sarbanes-Oxley act has provided negative and positive impacts to companies regardless of the size of the company. However, small companies are definitely being more deeply affected by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in their pockets. The positive impact of compiling with Sarbanes-Oxley Act has provided standards and rules for organization that needed them. Even though Sarbanes-Oxley Act is not mandatory for private and non-profit organizations many are adopt Sarbanes-Oxley Act because of its positive benefits to the organization. Reference Aldhizer, G.R., III, Cashell, J.D., Saylor, J. D. (2003) Ten months later: Internal audit directors assess the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Internal Auditing, 18(3), 3. Baker, R. L., Bealing, W. E., Jr., Nelson, D. A., Staley, B. A. (2006). An institutional perspective of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Emerald. Retrieved from May 15, 2006, from emeraldinsight.com/0268-6902.htm Bednarz, Ann. (2006, May 15). Sarbanes-Oxley: Too much for too little? Network World, 23(19) 1-2. Gifford, R. H., Howe, H. (2004). Regulation and unintended sequences: Thoughts on Sarbanes-Oxley. The CPA Journal, 74(6), 6-10. Hermanson, D. R. (2006). What to do about smaller public companies’ internal controls? Internal Auditing, 21(1), 41-43. Henry, D. (2006, June 12). A SarbOx Surprise. Business Week. Retrieved May 22, 2006, from http://0-proquest.umi.com.novacat.nova.edu/pqdweb?did=1051235551sid=1Fmt=3clientId=17038RQT=309VName=PQD Ismail, I. (2005, April 7). Raising awareness of Sarbanes-Oxley Act. New Straits Times, pp.04. Koehn, J. L., DelVecchio, S. C. (2006). Revisiting the ripple effects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The CPA Journal,76(5),3. Savich, R. S. (2006). Cherry-Picking Sarbanes-Oxley. Journal of Accountancy, 201(6), 71-74). 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