Strategic Plan For Gnc Essays - Nutrition, GNC, EAS,

Strategic Plan For Gnc Company Background General Nutrition Companies Inc., was founded 65 years ago in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on the premise that Americans wanted to maintain control over their health. David Shakirian founded the company. In 1935 he launched a dream of his by establishing a little health food store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He called it Lackzoom. The products that were offered at his store included yogurt and healthy foods such as honey, grains and healthy sandwiches. The concept of being a health store and serving health food was thought to be a fad that would soon pass over back then. To the surprise of many of Shakarian's critics, many people embraced Lackzoom. David and his store came a long way from its first day's receipts of 35 dollars to open a second store six months later. Since those first two stores, Lackzoom, which is now GNC, has grown to be the largest manufacturer of vitamins and mineral supplements in the United States (1998 Annual Report). General Nutrition Companies, Inc., collectively with its subsidiaries, is the only nationwide specialty retailer of vitamin and mineral supplements, sports nutrition products and herbs, and is also a leading provider of personal care, and other health-related products. The products were sold through 3,757 General Nutrition Centers, 2,531 of which were owned and operated by the company and the other 1,226 stores were franchised. Much of the growth of GNC has occurred in the last 7 years. Since 1992, the Company has opened or acquired in the United States 2,593 new GNC stores (SEC 10k form). The company's initial growth was through company-owned stores located primarily in regional malls. Many of the stores that were created in the past 7 years have been franchises. This franchise initiative has enabled GNC to expand into secondary locations as well as International markets. It appears that there is no end to the growth of GNC. At a Franchising meeting on February 6,1999 GNC awarded an d agreed to open an additional 323 domestic and 428 international franchise locations. All of these stores report to GNC headquarters, which is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is also home to one of General Nutrition's three distribution centers. The other two distribution centers are located in Atlanta and Phoenix. The products that are distributed through these channels are manufactured in Greenville, South Carolina. This facility is one of the largest and most modern vitamin and supplement manufacturing facilities in the United States. Within the coming months a new 600,000 sq.ft. manufacturing plant and distribution center in Anderson, SC will open which will double the capacity of the company (www.gnc.com/about/history). The company has many products that it distributes from their first-class distribution centers. These products include vitamin and mineral supplements, herbs, diet products, food products, personal care, and miscellaneous health care products. These products are sold under the General Nutrition's various proprietary brand names, including Ultra Mega, GNC, Pro Performance, Preventive Nutrition, and Harvest of Nature. In addition, the Company carries various third-party brand name products including Weider, Twin Lab, EAS, and Met-Rx. The company's product mix focuses on high-margin, GNC proprietary brand, value-added products emphasizing vitamin and mineral supplements, sports nutrition and herbal products. The Company has seen amazing growth over the past 5 years. Below is a chart that exemplifies their revenue growth: Company Growth (dollars in thousands except per share data) 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Net Revenue?. $672,945 $845,952 $990,845 $1,193,485 $1,417,746 Operating earnings. 97,750 137,116 60,347 191,171 183,337 Diluted earnings per share 0.44 0.78 0.05 1.24 1.18 Operating earnings as adjusted 98,425 138,699 152,413 195,254 194,548 Total Number of Stores 2,115 2,543 3,047 3,435 4,091 Comparable store sales (GNC owned stores, not franchise) 5.80% 10.30% 0.30% 7.90% -0.20% As you can see net revenue increased to 1.4 billion dollars, an increase of 18.8 % over 1997. This increase was driven by the success of the Company's store expansion program and increased demand for the Company's products, as reflected by increased sales, across all business segments. During 1998, the Company developed a web site, GNC.com, to sell products via the Internet. Although still in the early stages of operation, the Company expects sales to increase based on the growth of the Internet. The history of GNC shows their excellence in planning and execution of these

The impacts of the July 1st 2003 mass demonstration essays

The impacts of the July 1st 2003 mass demonstration essays The July 1st demonstration is a typical political movement in Hong Kong, it shows both impetus and long term impact toward Hong Kong. In this essay, there are will be an analysis on the impacts of July 1st demonstration towards political participation, institutions and political culture. First of all, July 1st demonstration had turn the Hong Kong citizens attitude from political apathy to more activism to demonstrate their opinion, undoubtedly, raise the political participation of Hong Kong people. On 1/72003, there were more than 500 thousand Hong Kong people participated in the march to express their discontent towards the government. It clearly shows that this political movement increases the Hong Kong citizens political empathy. Even the organizers and the SAR government did not expect such a huge number of people would join the demonstration. In this case, the poor performance of the government encourage HK citizens to do something in order to seek for a better administration so as to improve the situation of HK. The participants objective mainly on the opposite of legislation of Article 23. Besides, the demonstrator had different objectives: the SARS crisis, the financial crisis, Poor performance of the Chief Executive and the government officers. As Articl e 23 stimulated the anger and sentiments of the Hong Kong citizens towards the SAR government, its contribute to unify citizens to voice our their own opinion. After the out break of 1/7 demonstration, Mr. Tung and the government finally abolish the legislation of Article 23, which showed the power of the people towards political issues. Thus, the 1/7 demonstration acted as a watershed, Hong Kong citizens start to recognize their political influent; there was a significant increase in the degree of involvement of HK people in political affairs. The above analysis shows that, the political movement on July 1st not only provokes radical activism and...

Active Listening

* We listen to understand. * We listen for enjoyment. * We listen to learn. Given all this listening we do, you would think we’d be good at it! In fact most of us are not, and research suggests that we remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. This is dismal! Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren’t hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25-50 percent, but what if they’re not? Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are necessary for workplace success! Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. By understanding your personal style of communicating, you will go a long way towards creating good and lasting impressions with others. About Active Listening The way to become a better listener is to practice â€Å"active listening. † This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you’ll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these contribute to a lack of listening and understanding. If you’re finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them – this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused. To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you’ve ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it’s even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it’s something you want to avoid. Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple â€Å"uh huh. You aren’t necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and â€Å"uh huhing† says you’re interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well. Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say. 1. Pay Attention Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also â€Å"speaks† loudly. * Look at the speaker directly. * Put aside distracting thoughts. * Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal! * Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. â€Å"Listen† to the speaker’s body language. 2. Show That You’re Listening Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. * Nod occasionally. * Smile and use other facial expressions. * Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. * Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh. 3. Provide Feedback Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and belie fs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. * Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. â€Å"What I’m hearing is,† and â€Å"Sounds like you are saying,† are great ways to reflect back. * Ask questions to clarify certain points. â€Å"What do you mean when you say. † â€Å"Is this what you mean? † * Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically. If you find yourself responding emotionally to what someone said, say so, and ask for more information: â€Å"I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally. What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you meant? † 4. Defer Judgment Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. * Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. * Don’t interrupt with counter arguments. 5. Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. * Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Listening is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated . Listening is so important that many top employers give regular listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising when you consider that  good listening skills can lead to: better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work. Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives, including: a greater number of friends and social networks, improved self-esteem and confidence, higher grades in academic work and increased health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that, whereas speaking raises blood pressure, listening brings it down. Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas listening requires more than that: it requires focus. Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages. â€Å"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. † Rachel Naomi Remen We spend a lot of our time listening Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication, of this an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001). 10 Principles of Listening A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said. Listening involves observing body language and noticing inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal messages. For example, if someone tells you that they are happy with their life but through gritted teeth or with tears filling their eyes, you should consider that the verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict, they maybe don’t mean what they say. Listening requires you to concentrate and use your other senses in addition to simply hearing the words spoken. Listening is not the same as hearing and in order to listen effectively you need to use more than just your ears. 1. Stop Talking â€Å"If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear. † Mark Twain. Don’t talk, listen. When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately. 2. Prepare Yourself to Listen Relax. Focus on the speaker. Put other things out of mind. The human mind is easily distracted by other thoughts – what’s for lunch, what time do I need to leave to catch my train, is it going to rain – try to put other thoughts out of mind and concentrate on the messages that are being communicated. 3. Put the Speaker at Ease Help the speaker to feel free to speak. Remember their needs and concerns. Nod or use other gestures or words to encourage them to continue. Maintain eye contact but don’t stare – show you are listening and understanding what is being said. 4. Remove Distractions Focus on what is being said: don’t doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick your fingernails or similar. Avoid unnecessary interruptions. These behaviours disrupt the listening process and send messages to the speaker that you are bored or distracted. 5. Empathize Try to understand the other person’s point of view. Look at issues from their perspective. Let go of preconceived ideas. By having an open mind we can more fully empathise with the speaker. If the speaker says something that you disagree with then wait and construct an argument to counter what is said but keep an open mind to the views and opinions of others. (See our page:  What is Empathy? ) 6. Be Patient A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has finished. Be patient and let the speaker continue in their own time, sometimes it takes time to formulate what to say and how to say it. Never interrupt or finish a sentence for someone. 7. Avoid Personal Prejudice Try to be impartial. Don’t become irritated and don’t let the person’s habits or mannerisms distract you from what they are really saying. Everybody has a different way of speaking – some people are for example more nervous or shy than others, some have regional accents or make excessive arm movements, some people like to pace whilst talking – others like to sit still. Focus on what is being said and try to ignore styles of delivery. 8. Listen to the Tone Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying. A good speaker will use both volume and tone to their advantage to keep an audience attentive; everybody will use pitch, tone and volume of voice in certain situations – let these help you to understand the emphasis of what is being said. 9. Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. Maybe one of the most difficult aspects of listening is the ability to link together pieces of information to reveal the ideas of others. With proper concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier. 10. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication Gestures, facial expressions, and eye-movements can all be important. We don’t just listen with our ears but also with our eyes – watch and pick up the additional information being transmitted via non-verbal communication. Do not jump to conclusions about what you see and hear. You should always seek clarification to ensure that your understanding is correct. Active Listening * We listen to understand. * We listen for enjoyment. * We listen to learn. Given all this listening we do, you would think we’d be good at it! In fact most of us are not, and research suggests that we remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. This is dismal! Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren’t hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25-50 percent, but what if they’re not? Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are necessary for workplace success! Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. By understanding your personal style of communicating, you will go a long way towards creating good and lasting impressions with others. About Active Listening The way to become a better listener is to practice â€Å"active listening. † This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you’ll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these contribute to a lack of listening and understanding. If you’re finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them – this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused. To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you’ve ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it’s even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it’s something you want to avoid. Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple â€Å"uh huh. You aren’t necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and â€Å"uh huhing† says you’re interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well. Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say. 1. Pay Attention Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also â€Å"speaks† loudly. * Look at the speaker directly. * Put aside distracting thoughts. * Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal! * Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. â€Å"Listen† to the speaker’s body language. 2. Show That You’re Listening Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. * Nod occasionally. * Smile and use other facial expressions. * Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. * Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh. 3. Provide Feedback Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and belie fs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. * Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. â€Å"What I’m hearing is,† and â€Å"Sounds like you are saying,† are great ways to reflect back. * Ask questions to clarify certain points. â€Å"What do you mean when you say. † â€Å"Is this what you mean? † * Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically. If you find yourself responding emotionally to what someone said, say so, and ask for more information: â€Å"I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally. What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you meant? † 4. Defer Judgment Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. * Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. * Don’t interrupt with counter arguments. 5. Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. * Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Listening is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated . Listening is so important that many top employers give regular listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising when you consider that  good listening skills can lead to: better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work. Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives, including: a greater number of friends and social networks, improved self-esteem and confidence, higher grades in academic work and increased health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that, whereas speaking raises blood pressure, listening brings it down. Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas listening requires more than that: it requires focus. Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages. â€Å"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. † Rachel Naomi Remen We spend a lot of our time listening Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication, of this an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001). 10 Principles of Listening A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said. Listening involves observing body language and noticing inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal messages. For example, if someone tells you that they are happy with their life but through gritted teeth or with tears filling their eyes, you should consider that the verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict, they maybe don’t mean what they say. Listening requires you to concentrate and use your other senses in addition to simply hearing the words spoken. Listening is not the same as hearing and in order to listen effectively you need to use more than just your ears. 1. Stop Talking â€Å"If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear. † Mark Twain. Don’t talk, listen. When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately. 2. Prepare Yourself to Listen Relax. Focus on the speaker. Put other things out of mind. The human mind is easily distracted by other thoughts – what’s for lunch, what time do I need to leave to catch my train, is it going to rain – try to put other thoughts out of mind and concentrate on the messages that are being communicated. 3. Put the Speaker at Ease Help the speaker to feel free to speak. Remember their needs and concerns. Nod or use other gestures or words to encourage them to continue. Maintain eye contact but don’t stare – show you are listening and understanding what is being said. 4. Remove Distractions Focus on what is being said: don’t doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick your fingernails or similar. Avoid unnecessary interruptions. These behaviours disrupt the listening process and send messages to the speaker that you are bored or distracted. 5. Empathize Try to understand the other person’s point of view. Look at issues from their perspective. Let go of preconceived ideas. By having an open mind we can more fully empathise with the speaker. If the speaker says something that you disagree with then wait and construct an argument to counter what is said but keep an open mind to the views and opinions of others. (See our page:  What is Empathy? ) 6. Be Patient A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has finished. Be patient and let the speaker continue in their own time, sometimes it takes time to formulate what to say and how to say it. Never interrupt or finish a sentence for someone. 7. Avoid Personal Prejudice Try to be impartial. Don’t become irritated and don’t let the person’s habits or mannerisms distract you from what they are really saying. Everybody has a different way of speaking – some people are for example more nervous or shy than others, some have regional accents or make excessive arm movements, some people like to pace whilst talking – others like to sit still. Focus on what is being said and try to ignore styles of delivery. 8. Listen to the Tone Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying. A good speaker will use both volume and tone to their advantage to keep an audience attentive; everybody will use pitch, tone and volume of voice in certain situations – let these help you to understand the emphasis of what is being said. 9. Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. Maybe one of the most difficult aspects of listening is the ability to link together pieces of information to reveal the ideas of others. With proper concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier. 10. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication Gestures, facial expressions, and eye-movements can all be important. We don’t just listen with our ears but also with our eyes – watch and pick up the additional information being transmitted via non-verbal communication. Do not jump to conclusions about what you see and hear. You should always seek clarification to ensure that your understanding is correct.

Higher National Diploma in Business, Managing Financial Resources and Assignment

Higher National Diploma in Business, Managing Financial Resources and Decisions - Assignment Example The funding of a company’s operations through the use of debentures has become a commonly followed practice in the United Kingdom. Therefore, Excellence Solution Plc. can access debentures as a mode of funding. Share capital is a main form of external financing for a private limited company. Since Excellence Solution Plc. is listed in a premium stock exchange like London Stock Exchange, it would be comparatively easy for the company to sell its shares in the capital market to raise the required finances. Bank loans are usually considered as easily accessible sources of financing. The company may take a term loan which would be repayable at equal monthly instalments and which would carry a predefined interest rate. A bank loan is tax deductible and is feasible for the company because it would help to meet the goal of the company to pay back the loan in a year’s time. The bank loans would be easily accessible by Excellence Solution Plc. This is because, the company is an established company and banks and other types of financial institutions are much interested to extend financing to an established public limited company as compared to the small business entities. Taking loans from the bank would ensure that the company does not experience any dilution of control because the banks do not have any say in the decisions and management of the company. The interests paid on bank loans are tax deductible which would be highly advantageous for a company with high scale operations. But, in case of bankruptcy, the loan would act as a major burden because it is obligatory for the company to pay back the loan irrespective of its financial position. For an established public limited company like the case company, it would be very easy to access share capital. Not only are the shares capable of generating high amounts in the capital markets but also, they are likely to be bought by the shareholders in

Promotion - Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications Essay

Promotion - Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications - Essay Example To me, the introduction of the white, brown and chocolate-sandwiched bread gave me the knowledge about their efficiency in reaching the customers in time with information on the loss, existence or price increase or fall of these products. The company makes sure that the public, customers or audience in the communication field are reached in the most amicable and plausible way. The company sets information through the points of purchase, the supermarkets within the region. This perfectly reaches the customers as these are the points where they continuously get into contact with the company. The company does this through the use of banners. The company also gets into contact with the customers through the internet and at this point the Andronico’s Company passes information to the customers through the social interactive network platforms, like the tweeter, facebook and other social platforms (Lee & Park, 2007, p 235). To effectively pass the information to the customers about t he products, the company uses direct mail in the case where they have the contact mails of the esteem customers. This will get the customers with notification and beware of the situation in the markets (Lee & Park, 2007, p 228). This will reduce the wasting of time to go to the markets to buy a product not in the market. The company also uses the print media to communicate to the customers about the product that they are interested in. with line this, the company also uses the broadcast media which reaches most of its customers as the broadcast media is widely spread throughout the country. The company organizes events and through which all the relevant information is provided to the customers of specific goods. This will be followed by new information on counter products in place for the lost products in the market at the moment. Andronico’s communicates to the customers through the processes of sales

The Study Habits of Adult College Students Essay Example for Free

The Study Habits of Adult College Students Essay Abstract: The study habits of adult college students over age 25 were compared to a group of younger students at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. The younger students were matched with the older groups on four characteristics: sex, major field of study, semester credit load, and class standing. All 56 participants were undergraduate students (sophomores or juniors) who were registered for the fall 1982 term. The participants kept running records of their study habits, patterns, and difficulties for an academic year. In general, older and younger students showed similar patterns in terms of how much they studied, what activities were engaged in while studying, the time distribution, and places for studying. There was some evidence that older students studied slightly more per credit hour than did younger students. While the total numbers of difficulties encountered in studying were about the same for both groups, the character of the difficulties was noticeably different. Both older and younger students reacted very favorably to having a mixture of the age groups in their classes. Recommendations for working with adult students and suggestions for further study are offered. Appendices include interview schedules and a study log form. (Author/SW) INTRODUCTION It is an understatement to say that the standard of education in Nigeria has fallen. However, it has been realized that students who possess adequate mental abilities sometimes do not perform well in their academic work either because they do not know how to study effectively or they do not use the most effective method of studying. Many questions have been raised by teachers, parents and students themselves on why students perform so poorly academically. Even the state government has shown some concern over this in recent times by introducing low costs books for both primary and secondary schools. Although this was meant to create the desire to study by students, it has not helped the situation much because, students do not read these books. Many of the students complained of lack of time and conducive environment for study, others who try to study complained of lack of understanding. There is no doubt that these complains evidently point to one fact. That is, lack of effective study habits. It is this problem, the researcher wishes to investigate as it appears to be one of the root causes of the dwelling standard of our educational system today. Research questions: * What proportion of junior secondary school students possess good study habit than those in senior secondary school? * Will male students in junior secondary schools perform better than female students in senior secondary schools? Hypothesis: The following conjectural statements were postulated for this study: * There is no significant difference in the study habits of junior and senior secondary school students in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. * There is no significant difference in the study habits of male and female students in junior and senior secondary schools in Egor, Local Government Area of Edo State. * There is no significant difference in the academic performance of male students in the junior secondary schools and female students in Senior Secondary Schools. LITERATURE REVIEW Psychologists as welt as layman have attempted some definitions of the word study. To some of them, study means hard work and is usually associated with school work. To others, study is applicable to other situations in life other than academic work. Mace (2002) pointed out that study is a systematic acquisition of knowledge and an understanding of facts and principles that calls for retention and application. Kelly (1998) stated that study is the application of ones mental capacity to the acquisition, understanding and organization of knowledge; it often involves some form of formal learning. Crow and Crow in Okorodudu (2000) explained that study is a program of subject matter mastery. It involves hard work. However, study involves the individuals thinking, feeling, personality, social interaction, physical activities and health rather than men learning of fact on the thought system for the purpose of recall when asked. For those who belong to the school of thought that study is not only applicable to academic work, Olatubosun in Oladele (2000) explained that a teacher is studying when he examines the results of an experiment, a lawyer when he prepares his case, a salesman when he learns about his product and a citizen when he tries to understand the issues in an upcoming election. Studies require time spent in a deliberate attempt to learn. It should be differentiated from simple leisure to reading. Thomas and Robinson (1990) emphasized that the learner needs to use a systematic discipline and purposive approach to study. Effective study consists of a conscious sequential series of inter-related steps and processes. Okorodudu (1995) asserted that, study involves the total of all behavioral patterns (addition, verbal, psychomotor, emotional) determined purpose and enforced practices that the individual adapts in order to learn and achieve competence.

Solomon vs. Socrates :: essays research papers

Solomon vs. Socrates: what they thought wisdom was, where it came from, and how it was taught. Solomon and Socrates are thought of as the wisest men in history. Solomon was a man of God who wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Songs of Songs in the Bible. The great philosopher, Socrates, lived in the Classical Age of Greece. Their styles of teaching and perspectives on wisdom were very different, but they did have their similarities. While Solomon and Socrates had the same perspective on what wisdom was, they had contrasting understandings on where it came from. Solomon’s definition of wisdom was the knowledge of making wise choices. Proverbs 1:2-3 says, Wisdom is instruction in wise dealings with others. Wisdom is instruction in righteousness, knowing the difference between good and evil. Wisdom is instruction in justice, knowing how to do what is right. It is the simple learning shrewdness so that they are not taken advantage of. It is the young learning knowledge and prudence. For both the young and the old it is an increase in skill, understanding and knowledge. In Proverbs, he was trying to show his readers how to make wise choices. All of what Solomon wrote came straight from God, and he believed that the only way that anyone could get wisdom was if they got it from God. 1 Kings 3: 5-13 says, In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou has  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  t kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

Analysis of Singapore’s GDP and Inflation figures Essay

According to the above forecast of GDP growth of Singapore, we know that it stand at 5.3% instead of 6.2% earlier. Therefore, it clearly indicates that the forecast of Singapore’s GDP growth downgrade. Gross Domestic Product, it refers that during a period of time, the production of all final goods and labor value from the economy of a country or region, it is often recognized as the best index to measure national economic conditions. It not only reflects a country’s economic performance, but also reflects a country’s national strength and wealth. The importance of GDP can not be ignored, especially when it is mentioned in the same breath with market expectations, the actual economic growth rate or recession rate often affects the trend of financial markets. The higher the data shows that the more driving economic growth. GDP represents all the economic activity within the country, reflects the basic situation for economic growth, it is used to analyze current status of the state’s economic development. GDP growth decelerated, indicating that the economy is in contraction phase, consumer demand of the production will decrease. In general, the higher GDP of Singapore means the better economic development, rising interest rate, its currency exchange rate is strong. There are so many different elements that affect the GDP growth of Singapore, in my opinion, one of the reasons is global economy. As a result of the global economic downturn, the economy of Singapore has been shrinking dramatically. Singapore’s economy can not maintain the pace of strong growth in 2010, because Singapore’s economy is mainly dependent on exports and exports of non-oil products and services, they occupy for more than half of its GDP, which makes the economy vulnerable to changes in global economic growth. Moreover, recent GDP data revisions in the US showed that economic conditions were not as robust as previously thought – indeed, aggregate activity had stalled since 2010. Uncertainty of U.S. economic recovery and the relative recession in the global electronics market has also led to further downturn in Singapore’s export demand. As reduction of global demand, as the pillar industry of Singapore, exports of electronic products sharply shrinking is the main reason of the country’s economic downturn. Singapore is one of Asia’s fastest growing economies. This year, the U.S. economy maybe decline in growth rate and the global electronics industry may decline are the main danger facing by Singapore’s economy. The Monetary Authority of Singapore states â€Å"domestic economic activity fell by 6.5% in the second quarter of 2011. The contraction was led by a slowdown in trade-related activities, due to supply-chain disruptions from the Japan earthquake and weaker demand from the advanced economies†(MAS, 2011). Economic growth was weak in the 2011, reflecting the impact of transitory shocks such as higher oil prices and the Japanese earthquake. â€Å"A strong dollar will stimulate GDP by discouraging exports and encouraging imports,† says Bob McTeer, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Monetary factors also affect GDP. The U.S is one of Singapore’s major trading partners, the U.S. dollar exchange rate continued to decline, the relative value of Singapore dollar increase, but Singapore is a country need to reserve more foreign currency, which means it needs more exports, exporting more production needs to undervalue its own currency. Therefore, the decline in the dollar also affected Singapore’s exports, led to GDP growth declined. Question 2 In my opinion, I agree with the statement without a doubt. The main aim of the government is to reduce high inflation to keep balance. Inflation, a monetary phenomenon, is an increase in money and credit. Its major consequence is raising prices. Inflation occurs when the economy’s aggregate volume of money expenditures grows at a faster rate than its total real output grows. Inflation is thus an increase in the supply of money without a corresponding increase in the supply of goods and services. (Edward, 2000) The official measure of the inflation is the increase of the general level of prices measured over a period of time, and RPI or CED is used as a measurement. To explain how it does this I must first explain the main two different causes of inflation. First type of inflation is called cost-push inflation. It basically means that increasing costs of factors of production (wages, rent interest, cost of raw materials, increased normal profit requirement) push up the general level of prices. This applies to the aggregate supply side of the economy and arises partly because general wage costs arise, for example the powerful trade unions might have pushed up wages without increasing the productivity. Import prices play a role as well, because nowadays no country is independent of the others. When a country has lower inflation than others it tends to â€Å"import† inflation with its foreign trade because foreign goods get more expensive. Also, for example, the massive rise in oil prices affected western oil-importing economies and caused inflation. The changing exchange rates also cause inflation. As the production costs of the firm rise it has to increase its price to cover the costs. Then in turn, as the goods are expensive, labour demands wage increases that will increase the production costs even further. Another type of inflation is demand-pull inflation. This occurs when aggregate demand exceeds the value of output at full employment. The role of government is to ease pressures from inflation; it takes appropriate monetary policy or fiscal policy to reduce high inflation based on different types of inflation. The government has several ways to control inflation. It can do this by using fiscal policy that manages the aggregate demand by using government spending and monetary policy to reduce investment, consumption and the circulation of the currency. Fiscal policy: government should raise tax rate and reduce expenditure, for example, raising consumption tax, it makes goods more expensive, so you need to pay more consumption tax when you buy something, it will make you reduce the number of purchasing things. Thus, the total market demand will reduce at a certain level, making the overall price fall, playing an alleviative role to high inflation. Main weapon to fight against inflation after 1970 has been monetary policy, widely used by Conservatives. The main policies have included controlling interest rates and medium-term financial strategy. Also the real inflation is much caused by people’s expatiation on future inflation, reducing the expectations of inflation in the future has been one of the governments’ aims. The consequences of inflation are quite serious. It has bad effect on growth, because it increases uncertainty and discourages savings. It is also damaging for the balance of payment, because it makes imports cheaper. It distributes incomes in favour of profit earning, away from fixed earning pensioners, whose real income will fall. Therefore, government must play active role in managing high inflation rate by an economy all the time. References: 1. The Monetary Authority of Singapore, Recent Economic Developments in Singapore, 01 Sep 2011, pp 01 [01 Dec. 2011] 2. Bob McTeer, Impact of a Weak Dollar by Admin, Posted in: Financial Planning, 03 August 2011 [01 Dec. 2011] http://ourbusinessnews.com/impact-of-a-weak-dollar 3. Edward W. Younkins, HOW GOVERNMENT MANIPULATES MONEY AND PRODUCES INFLATION, 28 Oct. 2000 [02 Dec. 2011] http://www.quebecoislibre.org/001028-11.htm 4. Walter E. Williams, Syndicated Columnist, The government’s role in inflation, 06 Sep. 2009 [02 Dec. 2011] http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/524850/The-government-s-role-in-inflation.html 5. Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. New York: Dubleday Dell Publishing. [17 October. 2011]

Personal Ethics Statement Essay

As nurses we often find ourselves trapped in the center of ethical dilemmas between physicians, patients, family members, co-workers, and employers. In ethical dilemma our ethical values and ethical behavior guide us to provide the best care to our patients. In this paper I will define ethics value, my ethical values, and how did I developed them. Also, I will discuss how my ethical values have significant positive impact on my life, and ethical behavior that I want to develop in future. According to, Guido ethics involves the principles or assumptions reinforcement the approach individuals or groups ought to conduct themselves; ethics is concerned with motives and attitudes and the relationship of these attitudes to the individual (2010). My belief is ethical person as one with sound character traits and habits of thoughtful reflection who seeks justice and fundamental fairness in the community. Those who demonstrate strong leadership in their roles and give everyone in the community, especially those without power, a chance to succeed exemplify ethical behavior. These ethical values person develops from surrounding environment, people, and from life experience. Personal Ethical Values I chose two ethical values from relationship and reputation lenses. Those values serve as the foundation for my life and these values includes; honesty, and respect for others and self. The honesty value I developed from my parents during the childhood age. I remember my father was used to ask us how I am doing in school, and he always wanted to listen the truth from my face, even the school grads are not great, because he wanted me to be honest in all the circumstances. This ethical value helps to make good decision in  different circumstances. Respect others ethical value I developed during school age from my teacher. My teacher was always used to give example how I can develop good relationship and good reputation by respecting others. These ethical values provide guidelines, framework, and tools to identifying, pursuing and achieving goals (Judson & Harrison, 2010). In addition these values help me to maintain interpersonal relationship with my patients and co-workers, decision making, problem solving, and in conflicts resolution in personal and professional life. For example, patient has a right to get quality care and my responsibility is to provide care honestly that I promised before take that patient to the operating room. As an operating room nurse I always try to maintain safe surgery environment to prevent infection when patient is under surgery. These efforts include I make sure; patient understand the risks of the surgery, provide sterile instruments or implants, make sure no one in operating room is breaking the sterile field. This ethical value gives me self-satisfaction, self respect because my efforts were able to make change in someone’s life. My second ethical value is respect others, during my nursing practice I always try to provide the nursing care with dignity and respect for all type of patients; includes handicap, bed ridden, and older, young, conscious, and unconscious patients. This ethical value helps me to maintain good relationship, team player with my patient or patient family, and my co-workers that give me self satisfaction. Ethical Aspirations The ethical value I wants to develop in future is patient advocacy, because I live in multicultural society, where is a need to understand different cultures and values, so I can provide cultural competent care to my patients. Conclusion In conclusion, my ethical values and behavior help me in personal and professional life, and these values have positive impact on my life. I am exciting to learn about different new culture and their believe for further improvement in my nursing carrier. References Guido, G. W. (2010). Legal & ethical issues in nursing (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Judson, K., & Harrison, C. (2010). Law & ethics for medical careers (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Ultimately Responsible For His Downfall Essays - Free Essays

Macbeth/Ultimately Responsible For His Downfall Essays - Free Essays Macbeth/Ultimately Responsible For His Downfall William Shakespeares Macbeth is a tragedy about a war hero named Macbeth, who follows his ambition with evil and who is repaid with evil. Macbeth has influenced many works of literature through its conflicts between good and evil; heroes and villains; loyalty and treachery; and ambition and morality. In the story, Macbeth is ultimately responsible for the actions that lead to his fate. Although the witches predictions are responsible for influencing Macbeths thoughts, no one tells Macbeth to kill Duncan. Macbeth is responsible for putting power into the hands of Lady Macbeth and letting her influence him. Finally, Macbeth acknowledges his guilt of wrongdoing and is thereby responsible for his actions. Macbeths ambitions spur him on to follow an unstated yet clearly understood plan to kill Duncan. Although the witches predictions initiate Macbeths desire to become king, no one tells him to kill Duncan. When the second prophecy becomes a reality, Macbeth immediately thinks of murdering Duncan. I am of Cawdor: / If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose image doth unfix my hair (I, iii, 143-145). For the first time in the story, we see a dark side to the brave and courageous Macbeth. Macbeth sees himself kill his ruler. Macbeth is horrified by the idea but his thoughts of going after his destiny still remain. Another example of Macbeths early thoughts of treachery occurs when Duncan formally names his son Malcom as his successor. Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires: / The eye wink at the hand! yet let that be, / (I, iv, 57-59). Macbeth is vexed at the Duncans choice of successor and wishes to overleap the situation with murder. No one helps Macbeths thoughts to prepare for the murder of Duncan. It is Macbeth and Macbeth only who is resp onsible for his own ambitions. Macbeth is eager to become king and wishes to reach his goal by any means, even if this means letting himself be influenced by others. Macbeth is responsible for putting power into the hands of Lady Macbeth and letting her influence him. Lady Macbeth tries to persuade Macbeth to kill Duncan but it is Macbeth who listens to her demands. This nights great business into my dispatch; / Which shall to all our nights and days to come / Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom (I, v, 75-77). Macbeth could have told his Lady to stop her plans. Instead, he lets himself be influenced. Macbeth puts power into the hands of Lady Macbeth by letting her arrange Duncans murder. Will it not be received, / When we have markd with blood those sleepy two / Of his own chamber, and used their very daggers, / That they have donet? (I, vii, 82-85). Macbeth agrees with the plan, determined to win the throne. If Macbeth truly did not want to commit evil, he could have refused his Ladys arrangements. Instead, Macbeth accepts the plans and goes further by asking Lady Macbeth to mock the time with fairest show (I, vii, 91). Although sometimes M acbeth wants the murder of Duncan, other times his thoughts show the contrary. Macbeth recognizes the thoughts of killing Ducan are immoral. Macbeths is conscious that is thoughts are evil, yet he does nothing to correct the situation. My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man that function / Is smotherd in surmise; and nothing is / But what is not (I, iii, 149-152). If Macbeth were mentally deranged he would not be responsible for the outcome of his actions. However, Macbeth shows that he has a conscience and that he can differentiate good from evil. In privacy, Macbeth re-thinks his plans to kill Duncan. Macbeth, reveals that he knows what he is about to do is immoral, and that justice will be repay him with evil. We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which being taught return To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poisond chalice To our own lips. Hes here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed: then, as his

Give your reaction to the story, your impression of the story, how it Essay

Give your reaction to the story, your impression of the story, how it relates to your life, compare it to another story, or anything--as long as it involves an assigned story you read - Essay Example They share the same mental isolation due to their limited social relationships and fragile, chaotic environments. Bartleby and Peyton share an identical sense of mental isolation because of their limited social relationships. Melville shows that self-reliance means total social isolation. Bartleby works inside a cramped room, with only walls and papers to view on. One can only imagine the lonely life of a scrivener, whose work consists of endless copies and with no actual human relationships formed or strengthened in the process. As a result, the repetitive work must have killed Bartleby’s spirit. Soon, the loneliness deactivates his mind until all he can say is that he would rather not to. For me, the meaning of this phrase, â€Å"I would prefer not to,† is that he resists connecting with other people as the reaction to the world that no longer has meaning for him. The world rejected him; he rejects it back. Essentially, Bartleby’s humanity is reduced to nothingness. Peyton also has a limited social world. Despite coming from a rich family, it seems that â€Å"circumstanc es of an imperious nature† could refer to different social conditions that lead to him being more detached from the social world than usual (Bierce). Because of this detachment, it is easy for Peyton to give way to delusions, especially the delusion of escaping his captors. For me, it is particularly bitter to read a story of escape, and to later realize that it is only imagined by a less courageous man. The main impact of a mental isolation for Peyton is too much dreaming and too little action; hence, it leads to his demise. Melville and Peyton also show that the fragility and turmoil of their environments has a direct influence on people’s mental states. Bartleby is a scrivener for a lawyer involved in bonds and mortgages, or in short, the affairs of the wealthy. He works at Wall Street and to some extent; his life should be

ENGLISH (BA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ENGLISH (BA) - Essay Example The importance of sustaining the relationship with family members amidst controversial thoughts and other social issues is revealed in both the novels. For example, the life of Joe and Violet amidst Joe’s extra marital relationship with Dorcas and Ginny’s inability to face her father in spite of the sexual abuse shown by her father towards her and her first younger sister Rose reflects the above situation. â€Å"Jazz† is the popular-most novel of the renowned Afro-American writer Toni Morrison that won unabated fame as well as Noble Prize for the writer in the field of literature. Like other Morrison’s novels, Jazz also lays its concentration on the historical background and socio-cultural aspects of life of Black people of America, who have been got settled in America. The central theme of the novel seems to be personal, domestic and cultural memories. Morrison has structured her characters in Jazz from 1850s through 1920s chronicling the extended cultural responses to the eradication of slavery from different parts of the world. The novel discusses family life of the individuals belonging to different areas and professions, having two things in common i.e. race and social class. The novelist looks for the old traditional domestic life of Blacks where there was complete peace and harmony among the members of family. The novel is the reflection of feelings like care, love, sympathies and kindness she had observed in her own family life. Her novel also depicts to search out the same characteristics in contemporary American society. The novel deplores on the displacement of the members of one family reminding the time when the European nations made the poor Africans as captives to take them to Europe as slaves. No body in Africa could even resist all such atrocities due to the powerful imperialistic political set