Monday, September 30, 2019

Multiple personality disorder

IntroductionMultiple Personality Disorder (MPD) is one of the dissociative disorders (DD). A dissociative disorder makes a person to experience a transitory adjustment of consciousness. As such, the person has a tendency of diminishing the level of awareness towards the surroundings. Thus, dissociative amnesia and fugue, and depersonalization disorder are the other types of DD. At present, the MPD has been renamed and known in investigative term as the dissociative identity disorder (DID). An MPD or DID shows at least two separate identities of individuality. This as well seizes to manage the persons’ conduct.Richmond (1997) explained that MPD is an abnormal condition in which the personality becomes so fragmented that the various parts cannot even communicate with each other. For the reason that, the personality in MPD is different within the person. This personality can have separate memories, behavior, physical attribution and even gender (http://www.fortea.us/english/psiqu itria/mutiple.htm).Furthermore, the personality is the result of a particular problem of an individual to cope with the environment and the new personality is a mechanism created by the psyche to deal with it. The above notion of Richmond (1997) also suggest that a person develops an alters that is, the different personalities that occur to him. This is observe when the person begins to dissociate in order to create new personality as a way of avoidance to a tremendous situation.Most of the researchers agreed to one notion, that MPD or DID has a significant factor during childhood days. It means that this identity disorder had been developed and can be traced out on past experiences that a person undergone; it can be a traumatic one or an extreme stressful events. In addition, Cherry (n.d.) stressed that this disorder occurs when a child is abused at a young age.As a result, his personality splits into several alters to help himself handle and deal with the stress. Hence, it was arg ued that multiple personality is the result of coping approaches or their means of defense mechanism to keep away from a terrible scenario. Sancar (1994 – 2006) added that these created personalities are then likely to serve as mechanism for coping with situations and events dealing with one particular aspect of the traumatic experience.According to the website (http://www.angelfire.com/nj/Dissociative), DID or MPD is often referred to as a highly creative survival techniques, because it allows an individual to endure hopeless circumstances to preserve some areas of healthy functioning. It serves as the defensive dissociation which becomes reinforced and conditioned. Evidently, dissociative escape is very effective and the patient had already mastered the alters. He may involuntarily use whenever he sense danger or trouble.   This can be concluded that MPD may arise depending on the extent of severe experience and most often referred to as defense mechanism.CausesMore resea rch at present explain the concept of MPD or DID. More likely, researches unified in their investigations in tracing out the origin or causes of this disorder. The cause of the disorder is as yet unknown. However, it has been argued by some researchers that the cause of MPD is due to intense stress, trauma, and even abuses. It was assumed that the on-going trauma of abuse, which happens during childhood, just when personality is developing, somehow causes alternate, distinct personalities to form.   Unlike ego, the alternate personalities can and usually do exist completely out of awareness of the main person or of each other. It is as if the alters live in isolated compartments with no communication among them.This is most often the effect of an early awful scenario. Furthermore, a severe childhood trauma or abuses tend to create a mental split or dissociation as a defense against the traumatic situations.   In this way, they could escape the trauma of abuse, at least temporari ly by creating new personalities to deal with stress. In addition, Frey (n.d.) added that the severe dissociation which characterized by DID is currently understood to result from an innate impulse to dissociate easily, repeated episodes of severe physical or sexual abuse in childhood, lack of a supportive or comforting person to counteract abusive relative(s), and the influence of other relatives with dissociative symptoms or disorder.Moreover, based on studies women are more likely associated with MPD because they are emotional and are commonly sexually abused than men.Some indisputable cases of DID apparently occur as a result of severe, on-going emotional, sexual, or physical abuse. We also know that DID does not seem to happen as an adult response to trauma; say for instance, men who have been tortured for years in prison apparently do not develop DID. Thus, Adult trauma, however, might bring out other personalities if the adult had developed DID in childhood. The process seem to begin only in children. This makes sense, because childhood is the time of life when personality in general develops in all of us.SymptomsThe symptoms (FreeEssays.cc -2003) of an individual with multiple personality disorder are: lack of appropriate emotional response – that is, a person shows an awkward reaction emotionally to a particular events, for example he may project uninterested feeling to a Christmas party or low sense of empathy; memory lose – suggests of forgetting something or not knowing what they have said or done such as lost time or misplacing a thing; feeling dream like; experiencing dissociation which might include dizziness, headaches, numbness in the body; recurrent depression – which tend the person to be sad and despair; anxiety – which the   person felt panic, uneasy, uncomfortable and somehow experiencing phobias;Substance abuse – is a typical scenario were some individuals find it as a substitute or as a defense mecha nism to face their concerns, this is because they have this perception in mind that taking the substance make them feel at peace say for instance, a teenager taking marijuana to forget his family problem; eating disorder such as bulimia, anorexia or compulsive overeating– are another way of coping mechanism of a person in which he averts his attention in taking food excessively instead of facing the problem.In other pole, a person has no appetite to take food regularly due to disturbance of the problem; for example, a girl after a break-up with her boy friend eats too much to divert her attention rather than thinking desperately or a fat lady did after six o’clock meal just to reduce weight; a man suffering stress would probably eat too much to pacify his emotional anxiety or can not eat well; sexual dysfunction – may refer or include addiction and avoidance; has low self-esteem – being not motivated, has no desire or interest to life thus the perception is frail; shame – suggest of being socially anxious or a fear of rejection or of what others might think; sleeping disturbances – which includes insomnia, nightmare and sleepwalking; mood swing – in which a person’s atmosphere changes in present setting.Hence, Sancar (1994) added that the co-occurring symptoms and disorder that associated with DID/MPD had been consistently observed in clinical setting that MPD patients suffered such as from panic, anger, rage, sense of unreality, flashbacks, image trauma, and hyper vigilance. People diagnosed with DID also have a secondary diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Thus, another significant symptom of MPD is amnesia which can not be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. It is a state which a person cannot remember anything. Generally speaking, it is a condition that the stored information in the brain with his past experiences disappeared that would certainly give him a picture of a tabula raza (Lat in word which means, all is blank and empty). Say for instance, a person with amnesia may loss his memory or any information about his past; he even forgot his name, where he lives, or his family and more forgotten scenario.DID will not be determined if the symptoms will not cause any major disturbances to the person’s life or if they were due to the physiological effects of a substance such as: drugs or alcohol or a general medical condition. This implies that DID/MPD simply be notice when alters ignite in the person’s behavior thus, this is the time were symptoms arises.Therapeutic TreatmentThe treatment for a personality disorder will take considerable time. A few sessions of cognitive-behavioral treatment will likely not have much effect on deeply rooted unconscious conflicts. This will focus on overcoming all of the unhealthy psychological defense mechanisms that have been built up over a lifetime of emotional pain. This will be accomplished primarily through genu ine, honest emotional encounters with the psychologist. In essence, the psychotherapeutic work all depends on the integrity of the psychotherapeutic relationship, through which new, psychologically healthy interpersonal behaviors and healthy boundaries will replace old, unhealthy defense mechanisms (Richmond; 1997-2000).The same as the other personality disorder the MPD or DID is curable. However, it needs to be facilitated or attended with highly qualified practitioner. A thorough and intensive individual psychotherapy or talk therapy. In this case, the session of treatment for psychotherapy is a long-process. It may take a couple of months to a year or more to be concluded. However, a large percentage of people are cured with this method. In this approach, both the person and the therapist must have sense of connection or able to become closer which generate a more trustful companionship.In addition, the other treatment modalities according to Halgins (1997) includes: medication à ¢â‚¬â€œ which some doctors will prescribe antidepressant for DID patient because their alter personalities may have anxiety or mood disorders sometimes patient that are been given medications become psychologically dependent. Hypnotherapy be considered for memory retrieval. The alters may come out and disclose the abusive childhood reminiscences, this is also used for calming and shooting the person during treatment. Is a standard method of treatment with DID patient, because it helps patient recover repressed ideas.It is also an alternative treatment that will help the patient stay clam while pounding out the emotional stresses. Family therapy sessions may also help to end the cycle of abuse. Furthermore, this can be a support group to the client. Because people that are close to him especially his parents and siblings are his nurturing and extending support that would possibly help the patient’s fast recovery.It is as well appropriate to consider the behavioral therapy appr oaching for DID in order to carry out the clients’ natural environment thus able to stress out the current problems and factors influencing them. For the fact that it can create new problem for learning in the assumption that learning can ameliorate problem behavior. Hence, the treatment for DID will last for five to seven year in adults and usually requires several different treatment methods.BIBLIOGRAPHYA. Book  Halgin P. Richard . 1997. Abnormal Psychology: The Human Experience of Psychology Disorders. Usa: Brown and Benchmark PublishersB. Net SourcesSancar Feyza 1994-2006. Exploring Multiple Personality Disorder. Available: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro99/web3/Sancar.htmlhttp://www.fortea.us/english/psiquitria/mutiple.htmhttp://www.angelfire.com/nj/Dissociative/

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Hazard Identification at Work Place

Introduction: With a rapid increase in industries from the last few decades, equally corresponding increase in the hazardous materials in process. The industries became larger and often situated in or close to densely inhabited areas. Therefore it is need of the day to develop comprehensive approach to the prevention of human and economic loss or any occurrence associated to the hazards. In the forthcoming paragraphs we will discuss in detail hazards, risks associated to hazards and how preventive measures can be taken to minimise the risks of any accident with reference to the Restaurants (McDonalds Restaurants Ltd).Before to go further one should know what hazard means and how it can be defined. The most common definition of the word Hazard is, â€Å"A potential source of harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons†. The word hazard has many definitions but most common when talking about workplace health and safety is; â€Å"A hazard is any source of potential dama ge, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone under certain conditions at work†. In concise hazard is any condition, event or circumstances that could be the source of an accident.Therefore hazard is a potential source of harm, for example sharp knife is a hazard while working in a kitchen because it can cut. A cutting board is a hazard as it can produce bacteria. Sometimes the meaning of the hazard is confusing. Often dictionaries do not give specific definitions or combine it with the term â€Å"risk†. Such as, dictionary defines the word hazard as a â€Å"danger or risk†. Hazard is not deemed to be identical with risk although it can be significant determinant of risk. This example will differentiate and explain appropriately the meaning of these two terminologies.If there was a spill of water in a room then that water would present a slipping hazard to persons passing through it. If access to that area was prevented by a physical barrier then the hazard would remain though the risk would be minimised. Under the law it is required that the employers must to any extent identify the hazards in the workplaces under their control and assess the risks presented by these hazards. It is the responsibility of the employers to write down the workplace risks and how to deal with it, which is known as a risk assessment.This means the employers must examine in the workplace that what could cause harm to the employees and other people including customers and members of the public. Moreover it allows the employers to evaluate weather adequate precautions have taken or should do more to avoid harm. Hazard identified: In the process of risk management the most important step is to identify the hazard, the hazard not identified cannot be controlled. Whereas the identification process must be comprehensive and conducted in close consultation with the people performing the activity.Under Section 20 of the Act 2005 it is required by the employe r to prepare a written statement (known as safety statement) based on the identification of hazards and risk assessment. Safety statement must specify the manner in which the safety, health and welfare of employees shall be secured and managed. But still it is difficult to declare a hazard identification process as complete. Therefore it should be periodically reviewed. Moreover the process of hazards identification should be documented in the form of hazard logs. For hazard identification the workplace needs to be examined regularly.It assists in determining exactly where slips, trips and falls or any accident on the same level have happened, or there is a potential of likely to happen. This could be completed through simple three steps to pursue; * Consultation with the employees, this is the legal obligation of employers to consult with employees when going through the steps of this procedure. * Regular inspection of the premises. This may be helpful in identifying the source of usual hazards. * Check records including incidents and injury reports, workers compensation claims, and workplace inspection checklists.Whereas working in McDonald’s Restaurants the hazards we might find in a kitchen or restaurant can be categories as: * Electrical equipment * Spills, trips and falls * Sharp equipment * Lifting and carrying * Cleaning chemicals * Cold areas such as chiller and freezer * Vats and hot oil * Grills * Toasters * Hot drinks machines * Compactor These are obvious or apparent hazards which can cause harm, while in the similar system or operations actual incidents that have occurred in the past can be beneficial for the identification of hazards.Risks associated with hazards and control measures: Hazards and risks associated with them are everywhere. Everything we do exposes us to the hazards, but these can be minimised or eliminated with the known control measures to be taken. It is consist of actions to be taken to decrease the possibility of expos ure to the hazard. It could be to remove the hazard or to reduce the likelihood of the risk to contact to the hazard being realised. When we look at control measures we often refer to the hierarchy of control measures.It includes eliminating the hazard creating the risk, substituting the hazard creating the risk with a hazard that gives rise to a lesser risk, minimising the risk with engineering means, isolating the hazard, use of administrative means or using personal protective equipment. We will determine in detail the hazards and risk associated with it, and what could be possible control measures for it. The best way is simply to get rid of the hazard but this not always possible. For example it would be difficult to have a kitchen with no hot equipment.If the hazard cannot be removed we have to minimise the risks. This in turn reduces the likelihood of an accident. For example wet or dirty floor in the restaurant is a hazard, which can damage the health of both employees and t he visitors or customers by falling on the floor. This can have serious consequences both legal and of moral values. Whereas slips and falls are the most common type of accidents in the work place, therefore we should be extra cautious in this area. But still we can avoid the risk or minimise by adopting the proper procedure.To eliminate or minimise the risk associated with a wet or dirty floor, the appropriate procedure is to prepare the area by putting the warning cones in the place to warn anyone approaching the area. To reduce the risks of slips and falls it is highly recommended to clean up spills immediately with a cleaning agent if required. The other example of hazard while working in the restaurant is the step ladders. These are potential hazard if not used safely. It can be the cause of major accident if appropriate precautions are not adopted.While using these ladders in the time of need, one should make it sure that it is fully open with all four feet on the level, non-s lip surface. And to make it sure that it should be used with dry and clean shoes. Always make sure to climb the steps one at a time, ensuring a safe foot and handhold, with a firm grip. The very nature of McDonald’s restaurants, it has a lot of hot surfaces and hot liquids in the kitchens and front counter areas. While working near hot equipments such as grills, toasters, hot drink machines and fry vats extra care has to be taken; negligence can be very harmful and could result in severe burns.For example the special grills used in McDonald’s consist of a lower hot plate (temperature 218 C) with a moving top hot plate (temperature 177 C) known as platen, which has high risk of burns. Therefore to reduce the risk of burns it is highly recommended when not in use return platens to lower stand by position. This prevents the hot platens from being exposed and reduces the risk of burns. Moreover to reduce the risks we have to: * Check the design and safety of all equipment and chemicals used. * Develop the procedures and training Introduce special protective equipment if the risk is still too high. Such as for vats and hot oil filtering special protective clothing must be worn. This consists of long gauntlets, heavy duty apron and face visor. Work can be fun, but never at the expense of safety. Practical jokes can have tragic results; it can put the safety of employees or customers at risk. Every procedure we learn, or piece of equipment we use, has been designed with safety in mind. That is why it is so important to follow procedure.It is to keep in mind that for the health and safety of ourselves and the people around us we shouldn’t do any tasks which haven’t been shown or we not properly trained of. Conclusion: Safety is no accident. Every employee has a responsibility towards health and safety in their workplace. A lot of health and safety is common sense and nearly all accidents can be avoided if we always follow the correct proced ures and to take reasonable care for health and safety of ourselves and of other people at work. It can be managed just as we manage every other aspect of the business.This requires planning, well trained people, good supervision by managers, and the commitment of every single employee. We must work together to identify hazards and take action to minimise risks. We have to make sure that not to misuse anything provided in the interests of health and safety. Words count: 1729. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Frank P Lees. Loss prevention in the process industries, hazard identification, assessment and control. 2nd Edition 1996. [ 2 ]. http://www. hsa. ie/eng/Topics/Hazards/Hazards_and_Risk. tml? showDoc=1 [ 3 ]. Hazard and risk: http://www. ccohs. ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_risk. html [ 4 ]. A guide to risk management. http://www. qast. org. au/Portals/0/PDFS/gde40v1. pdf [ 5 ]. Hazar d and risk; http://www. ccohs. ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_risk. html. [ 6 ]. http://www. hsa. ie/eng/Topics/Hazards/Hazards_and_Risk. html? showDoc=1& [ 7 ]. Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 [ 8 ]. www. hsa. ie. [ 9 ]. Hazard management. http://w3. unisa. edu. au/ohsw/procedures/docs/hazard. df [ 10 ]. Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 [ 11 ]. Ibid. [ 12 ]. Guidance on hazard identification- March 09, http://easa. europa. eu/essi/ecast/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ECASTSMSWG-GuidanceonHazardIdentification1. pdf [ 13 ]. Guidance on hazard identification- March 09, http://easa. europa. eu/essi/ecast/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ECASTSMSWG-GuidanceonHazardIdentification1. pdf [ 14 ]. Preventing slips, trips and falls, Guide 2007. http://www. workcover. nsw. gov. au [ 15 ]. McDonald’s, hygiene and safety handbook 16 ]. Hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control procedure: http://www. bhtafe. edu. au/about/Documents/Policies%2 0and%20Procedures/OHS%20Procedures. pdf [ 17 ]. http://www. dehp-facts. com/CLab/CL_hazard. htm [ 18 ]. www. hsa. ie [ 19 ]. Preventing slips, trips and falls, Guide 2007. http://www. workcover. nsw. gov. au [ 20 ]. McDonalds hygiene and safety handbook. [ 21 ]. McDonald’s hygiene and safety handbook. [ 22 ]. ibid [ 23 ]. Ibid. [ 24 ]. Ibid. [ 25 ]. McDonald’s. Hygiene and safety handbook. [ 26 ]. Ibid.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

Ethics - Essay Example Walzer approaches the ethics of war using Utilitarianism. The theory approaches ethics by defining morals by use of actions. The actions can be used to define what is wrong or right. In theory, an action that yields beneficial consequences is as right or moral while actions leading to negative results are as wrong. The theory is the consequentialist theory because it focuses on the outcome of actions rather than the action themselves. The theory holds that any action is by the extent of benefits or harms it is within the society. According to the theory, the greater good means greater happiness, and the moral duty of the individual is to maximize human happiness. The problem with the theory is; the development of individuality, and encouraging the use of immoral actions to achieve success. According to Walzer, the humanitarian approach employed in the world has not been successful due to the several challenges associated with human behavior. In fact, the society is into the right win g and the liberal as recorded in the book Arguing About War. The 20th century is with a simple lesson on politics, which focuses on motivation for political action. The most lethal concept in the era is the ideology which is different from the accepted or focus on the interests of the nation. The desire for wealth or money, power ignoble and devotees to the criminal excess are the product of shifting ideologies. In fact, the challenge in the society is the war between values or values against social pressures and desire for wealth and money. The development of the concept of international security is a product of the war study and its effect on the society. The book by Walzer covers the contemporary issues associated with war and the impact of the various issues and the role of humanitarian intervention. It describes accurately, the challenges faced by country and organization seeking to help or support the society and the impact of global politics in the whole process. Humanitarian intervention is an armed intervention without agreement of the other state to which the invasion occurs. In fact, it focuses on combating humanitarian disaster rather than invasion based on country’s interest. The focus of the humanitarian intervention is to capture or reduce large-scale violation of human rights with the focus being on stopping the violation of human rights. The challenge posed by the process is massive. However, Michael Walzer states that human intervention is when it responds to the need of the citizens or acts that shock moral conscience of mankind. In other words, states cannot kill or attack citizens from other states legitimately, not even within their borders are they allowed to do the same. Despite the existence of justifiable ground for humanitarian intervention, the level or point at which human intervention occurs is an issue of great debate. In fact, agreement has never been reached on whether to have a standard approach or evaluate the situatio ns independently. However, according to Walzer human intervention has improved the level of security and protection of human rights within the society. The first obligation of the government is to offer security, but it may become unattainable leading to the need for humanitarian intervention. After the world war, the world plunged into a state of uncertainty. Instead of peace, there were minor conflicts within the state’s leading to genocide and ethnic cleansing. However, the challenge of the new threats led to the development of various approaches to

Friday, September 27, 2019

Musil, behind the wall Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Musil, behind the wall - Assignment Example It resulted to long-term cooperation between the environmentalists, the religious community and the scientists. So many religious environmental writers have come up to address the continuing environmental crisis and the climate change that continues to worsen (4-6). Musil asserts that the Roman Catholics have not been left behind. John Paul II made some significant efforts when he moved the Roman Catholic Church towards environmental concerns (9). St. Francis was made the patron who would be in charge of the environment in the late 1970s. In addition, he questioned the science and technology that had resulted to the problems of destruction from the nuclear weapons (10). On the other hand, Judaism has been blamed for the various environmental sins that have resulted from modern chronic consumerism and industrialism. Since the production of a journal named peace Seders the ecologically minded groups from the Jewish religion started connecting, and this resulted to representation in the Kyoto negotiations of all denominations (11-13). Musil is openly in support for the religious environmental movements as the publication has revealed discuss all the religious groups and the steps they have taken to address the issues regarding the environment. In addition, at the end of his article, he gives various recommendations to the religious climate movement to inspire grassroots congregations and offer a stable prophetic critique of inaction. He particularly notes that the movement has experienced a period of reevaluation within Obama’s Administration (22). He is in support of the religious environmental movement and illustrates that the main strength is that it can take a concern on social action and get hope within its theological and Biblical

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Gender studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gender studies - Essay Example ough the work of Beauvoir is influenced by Sartre, one such unique facet has keep herself isolated from the style of Sartre and that is her generosity which is the focus of Beauvoir’s ethical position. Passion and extremism have made this book the significant as well as original. (The Philosophy of Simone de Beauvoir, Gendered Phenomenology, Erotic Generosities) points out the different sources of Beauvoir’s philosophical positions. Bergoffen in the above book has analyzed two streams of thoughts i.e. two voices. One is dominant philosophical and existential while the other is muted voice which operates as the margins of Beauvoir’s primary philosophical identity. Here we are going to study the theme of sexual relationship of man and woman from different feminist’s writers’ point of view. Man and woman relationship has been the engrossing subject of study and many philosophers and critics. The aim of this topic is to discuss and compare the platonic love with the love from modern feminist point of view. In this topic we have considered the different perspectives of love from different writers and philosophers. Plato’s philosophical work called ‘Symposium’ discusses this theme through very thought provoking dialogues. It is a conversation and a type of debate which is happening between Socrates and a lady called Diotima. Here she explains the extent of love. Diotima is very philosophical and abstract in her view and she has exalted attitudes towards love. According to her love between man and woman is divine and very beautiful. ‘It is immortality in a mortal creature.’ (â€Å"Symposium† page 49) Diotima opines that the real object of sexuality is to give birth. Sexual love is the medium which Nature uses for this same purpose. T hus the purpose of love is very noble and that is the reproduction. While describing about the difference between physical beauty and intellectual beauty Diotima argues that intellectuality plays a vital role. The person

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Nude in Post World War II Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Nude in Post World War II Art - Essay Example But these movements were construed as being of European origin, and were considered essentially foreign to the United States. In the 1930s some American artists staged a strong rebellion against European influences in American art. Grant Wood's American Gothic was typical of a movement called regionalism, whose agenda was to celebrate what was typically American, and to do it in a style that avoided any references to European modernism. But for other American artists the regionalists' embrace of nationalism could only hinder the arts. Kenneth Clark, in his book, the Nude: A study in Ideal Form, studies the classic nude in Greek art. We observe that several of the factors that inspired interest in nudes then, are true today too. Thus, "the nude gains its enduring value from the fact that it reconciled several contrary states. It takes the most sensual and immediately interesting object, the human body, and puts it out of reach of time and desire; it takes the most purely rational concept of which mankind is capable, mathematical order, and makes it a delight to the senses; and it takes the vague fears of the unknown and sweetens them by showing that the gods are like men and may be worshiped for their life-giving beauty rather than their death-dealing power." The idea of "recThe idea of "reconciling contrary states" is, in fact, one of the most significant benefits of creating and viewing the nude. Our everyday life is littered with opposites with which we must somehow work and make sense. Realizing reconciliation in our corporal existence helps us to understand how this is accomplished. The body is both an object, inanimate and art-like, and a subject--a person, a personality. It is universal and yet individual and unique. It is an art form based on geometry, line and angle, light, shadow, meter-reading and lens distance as much as on spontaneous inspiration. The nude in nature reminds us that we are a part of the environment, while making it clear that really we are not. The industrial nude reminds us that we are man-made, yet we are separate from our creations. We see the beauty in the awkwardness of our bodies. We feel peace, although we remain ill at ease. We watch opposites work to create union--harmony despite conflict. All art is sensuous in that it heightens and delights the senses both in the making and the viewing. It is the transformation of the emotional into the physical, the spiritual into the corporal. It is the language of the unspeakable. It gives form to the intangible. It is the very act of extracting what is sacred within us and giving it shape in an experience which is sensual and, in its purest form, arousing. As previously noted, this arousal is efficiently sublimated in most art forms. We can safely enjoy the arousal of the art piece without defining the emotion. We are not suspicious or threatened by our feeling because we know that it is not in regards to the art object (ie: the piece of pottery or abstract sculpture). We are simply aroused by the art itself. The excitement of art is naturally true of figure art as well, but we suddenly become alarmed, because we fear we might be aroused by the subject matter. In truth, we are most likely responding to both the subject and the ar t

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Fundamentals of International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fundamentals of International Business - Essay Example After more than 10 years in operation, NAFTA certainly has resulted in major changes in the trade and overall economic system, but the overall impact, whether positive or negative, needs to be evaluated in a perspective that is broader than the immediate repercussions. NAFTA was created to ease trade restrictions and tariffs among its three member nations. However, a number of economists and politicians think that the trade agreement resulted in an economic downturn in the United States. In a report for the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), for instance, Scott (2003) stated that there have been false promises on the part of NAFTA with regards to improvements in the economy. This is because the agreement caused an imbalance in the trade system, resulting in job losses, company closures and a shift of investments to Mexico, which offered lower capital outlays and better profitability. Most of the jobs lost were in the manufacturing sector, as more factories were transferred to Mexico for cost-efficiency purposes. The EPI evaluation showed that the number of jobs lost, predominantly in the motor vehicle, textile and apparel, and computer and electrical appliance industries, greatly outnumber the jobs created as a result of NAFTA (Scott, 2003). While Mexico benefited much from the NAFTA deal, other exporters such as those in the Caribbean region suffered, as it became more difficult for them to compete with Mexican

Monday, September 23, 2019

Wittgenstein picture theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Wittgenstein picture theory - Essay Example What is the difference between a picture and a proposition? How according, to Wittgenstein, are pictures and propositions alike? How are they different? Introduction Ludwig Wittgenstein, a renowned Philosopher, has contributed greatly on the field of meaning of language and how it relates to the world. This relationship has language being looked at as possessing the capability to communicate facts in a precise and concise way, such that, the propositions are able to reflect reality falsely or rightly. In his book, Wittgenstein formulates the exact features a language should have so as to be able to reflect reality and hence make meaning. The languages that do not possess these features he says of them as lacking any important meaning. Still in his book Wittgenstein seeks out to delineate the vital features of propositions that are meaningful. He tries to address the question of the minimum circumstances of meaningfulness. This means, questioning what qualities a proposition should ha ve so as to be able to picture a possibility. With this background then, it therefore is possible to see the philosophers’ arguments about propositions and also better understand the picture’s theory of meaning he advanced in trying to better understand his work (Wittgenstein 1-19). ... e when the truth-conditions are satisfied thus enabling a statement to be judged as being true or false but which again depends on the actual facts found in the world is true in the use of language. Wittgenstein (22-97), argues that propositions are pictures of states of affairs. He does this by trying to distinguish the differences that emerge between saying something and showing something in trying to explain the use of language. His main objective is trying to show what can be described in language and that which cannot be described. He emphasizes on the importance of facts and objects and how they are paramount in showing the relationship that can be viewed by propositions and the elements of these propositions. By treating language thus it is meant to help people understand that just like facts propositions are also very complex in nature. This complex nature is seen in the order of how words and other language items occur also in the way names can only occur in the nexus of pro positions. As propositions are able at all costs determine reality precisely and whether falsely or rightly means that one can be able to deduce and make their own individual judgments. Wittgenstein’s picture theory of meaning and how the theory applies to what Wittgenstein calls propositions or propositional signs. Wittgenstein’s picture theory of meaning as seen in his book is one that is trying to look for the connection or relationship between language and the word. This he is doing by exploring the affinity of picturing. Seen clearly in the theory of meaning is the notion that the basic objective of a linguistic endeavor is to portray the world precisely and accurately. The philosopher looks at the world and language as two separate and independents entities that can only be

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Case Study

Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company - Case Study Example The study also contains the leadership style of Alan Mulally. Alan Mulally has also applied his own strategies and made certain changes in the company due to which the company has been able to recover and has shown the potential of growth in future. The evidence based management has been applied in this study to identify whether the style of management of Alan Mulally comes under this aspect. It has observed that under Alan Mulally, there is transparency in the company, as every aspect is communicated to everyone in the company. Personality of Alan Mulally The personality can be judge on the basis of five fundamental elements which is known as the Big Five Dimensions of personality. The researcher of personality has projected the fundamental feature for evaluation of a personality (Coon, 2009). This theory is growing since the last 50 years. The big five is a broad class of personality traits which reflects a personality or behavior of an individual. The five categories are discussed as follows: Extraversion: It includes character of an individual as, sociability, assertiveness, talkativeness, and excitability and high level of ‘emotional expressiveness’. Agreeableness: It includes aspect such as, altruism, trust, affection, kindness and prosaically behaviors. Conscientiousness: It includes thoughtfulness, impulse as well as goal-focused behaviors. Neuroticism: It includes individual having emotional insecurity, irritability, nervousness, and unhappiness. Openness: It includes features of individuals such as imagination as well as insight and dept of life (Coon, 2009). According to the Big Five Dimension of Personality, Alan Mulally is a leader who especially focuses on the goals or objectives. He has high desires to achieve the objectives, thus it can be said that he is an individual having conscientiousness personality. He is involved in making the company more focused in its core business as the company was unsuccessful and had incurred loss of about $12.6 billion in 2006. It can be observed that, Alan Mulally visits the operation unit every week to assess the performance level of each unit (Coon, 2009). It can also be said that he has characteristics of openness as his thoughts and expectations for the company is really quite high. He had thought of manufacturing electrical car in 2010 and to be ahead from his competitors such as GM as well as Chrysler/Fiat. This characteristic has made him more challenging and thus enhancing his leadership quality. His behavior such as respect, discipline and listening to others as well as appreciation of others views shows that he has characteristics of extroversion and agreeableness. He is open to everyone, as he shares all the strategies with his executives. He had been an initiator as he developed a new strategy for operational unit of the company (Coon, 2009). Leadership Style Leadership is an act of making others to do the work with different techniques so as to achieve a common go al. Alan Mulally’s style of leadership is to approach employees to attain the company’s objectives is participative style. This style engages Alan Mulally along with other executives while taking the decision related to the company. The process of decision making helps to determine executives to do their work in an appropriate way to achieve the common goals. However, Alan Mulally has given an authority to their executives to contribute in the process of deci

Saturday, September 21, 2019

My Summer Narrative Essay Essay Example for Free

My Summer Narrative Essay Essay Narrative Essay It was a hot summer day in the year 2002 when I went camping with my family in Savannah, Georgia. I will never forget this day because it’s the day I learned the lesson that if I don’t obey my parents the consequences will be large. I was only about six years old when we first pulled into the campground. Of course being a young child the first thing I noticed was this extravagant playground out near the road. When me and my sister, Natalie who was around seven at this time, saw it we both looked at each other and knew we were going to go play on that playground. We pulled into our campsite that was located near the very back of the park and our parents started unpacking everything and setting up the motorhome. They were making it obvious they wanted us out of their way. They grabbed our dolls, bikes and chalk out of the car and told us to go play. Natalie and I knew this was the perfect time to go play on the playground that we saw on our way in. It just so happened there was a playground right by our campsite as well. We came up with the perfect plan. We would tell our parents we were going to go play on the playground and trick into them into thinking we meant the one right near our campsite. In reality we planned on going to the big one near the front of the campground and not have to lie in the process. So we grabbed our bikes and asked our parents if we could ride over to the playground and play. They both said yes, so we rode off towards what we thought was the most beautiful playground weve ever saw. It was probably about a fifteen minute bike ride for us to get there. We dropped our bikes and ran to the playground and started playing. About a half hour passed when my sister Natalie decided she had to use the restroom. So she went around to the other side of the playground away from the road and decided to go. By this point we noticed there was this blue truck that drove past a few times while we were there. We began to get a little scared and thought maybe we should start going back to the camper. No sooner than we got back on our bikes our mom and dad came driving up with anger in their eyes. Me and Natalie knew we were about to be in some big trouble. Just as my parents got out of the car the man in the blue truck stopped and walked over. He started reprimanding my parents and told them they can’t let their kids run around without any supervision. He also said he was the manager and told my parents Natalie sed the restroom right out in the open. My parents apologized to the man and then made us apologize as well. The manager accepted our apology and told us we werent allowed back on that particular playground for the rest of our stay. By this point my our parents were livid and gave me and Natalie a 10 minute lecture about the dangers of them not knowing where we were and not bei ng able to see us. They grabbed us and our bikes and we headed back to the campsite. When we got back they took all our toys and our bikes and we were told we werent allowed to join any of the activities the rest of the week. That week my family went swimming, horse back riding and hiking. Natalie and I didn’t get to do any of it and our siblings made sure they told us after every activity how fun it was. It was a time I’ll never forgot. It seems everything seems so much more traumatic when you are young. I learned the lesson that I should obey my parents even if I don’t necessarily want to. I’m not saying there arent times I don’t go against their will; but ever since that day I think to myself and analyze if the rule that I am about to break is worth the consequences I’ll have to pay if I get caught.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Computer Simulations to test Projects

Computer Simulations to test Projects The idea of describing a physical phenomenon using mathematical models/computational tools is not a new one. About 430 years ago, Galileo Galilei exhorted that it is imperative to describe the results mathematically once a certain number of experiments sensate esperienze have been performed. If one succeeds in illustrating the physical phenomenon using the mathematical equations, then the response of the system of interest can be predicted for a broad range of conditions, including the ones for which conducting the experiments are very difficult, too costly, or not possible at all. In the recent years, the use of computational studies in materials research has been fueled by the drastic increase in the available computational power, resulting from the development of advanced computers with parallel architecture tuned for computationally intensive tasks. Nowadays, the leading engineering companies, such as GM, Ford, GE, Airbus and Boeing use computer simulations to model and test mechanical and aerodynamic characteristics of their products such as automobiles, jet engines and aircrafts before manufacturing the final product or even before testing a prototype in a wind tunnel or crashing them into a wall e.g. Figure 1. shows the deformed shape of the body of a truck body after it is crashed into a rigid wall simulated using a software. Among the numerous benefits of the simulation/computational tools in materials research, one is that if any problems are found in the design during modeling, it can be fixed before sending the technical drawings to the manufacturing unit of the company. Figure 1. 3D simulation of a truck crashing into a rigid virtual wall[1] Now, if we are going to predict the material behavior using the software/computational tools, then the accuracy of the software comes into limelight. The accuracy of these predictions depends on: 1. The accuracy of the adopted numerical solvers (e.g. a very popular scheme known as FEM), 2. The accuracy of the mathematical models that describe the materials behavior (i.e. constitutive laws). In addition to above, different mechanisms occur at different length scales that govern the macro behavior of the material. Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of predictions of the software, information of these mechanisms happening at different length scales is also required, which lays down the need for a multi-scale model. In science and engineering, nearly all problems are multi-scale in nature. For example, multi-scale modeling of cancer cells is now being considered as an indispensable tool to enable more accurate predictions of growth of cancer cells (reference). Now, in context of modeling behavior of metals, different mathematical models that describe the physics of deformation at different length scales are used and are shown in Figure 2. Figure 2. Overview of length scales involved in metals[2] At atomic scale, the interaction forces between neighboring atoms are calculated using the First-Principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) but the computations are limited to a few hundred atoms, which is too small to study the macro behavior of a material. To model the mechanical behavior of a material using molecular statics / dynamics several million atoms must be considered that involves days / weeks of computations. (Reference)Moreover, characteristic length that is accessible using molecular statics / dynamics modeling is very small than the mean free path of the motion of dislocations (defects in regular atomic lattice). Dislocations are the critical elements in a microstructure of a polycrystalline solid to accommodate the plastic deformation and to analyze the behavior of a material at a length scale, where the material hardening is controlled by the interactions of dislocation, discrete dislocation framework is used. However, due to the large amount of degree of freedoms r equired to analyze interactions of dislocations, the discrete dislocation framework is limited to model a material with volume up to 10 microns. Continuum mechanics / Peridynamics employ the phenomenological laws of motion and of deformation energy to describe the mechanical behavior of a material at macroscopic length scale neglecting any phenomena that occur at smaller length scales which leads to a deficiency in the accuracy of the predictions. Nevertheless, there exists a framework at an intermediate scale (meso-scale) that models dislocations behavior in terms of slip and considers some vital microstructural features providing a very close estimate of real-word phenomena within reasonable computational time, known as crystal plasticity. Crystal plasticity-based models work at a length scale where the groups of crystals i.e. grain in a material becomes evident. In crystal plasticity models, usually a representative volume element (RVE) of the actual component is analyzed that yields a value which represents the behavior of the whole material. Hence, using crystal plasticity alone, one cannot simulate the actual lab scale (at macro-scale) component. Therefore, in order to accurately describe, to fundamentally understand, to reliably predict, and to eventually control the behavior of a material under different conditions, it is of tremendous importance to develop novel approaches that investigate the multiscale nature of met als. In this research work, a new multi-scale framework is proposed that incorporates physics of fine scale phenomena using crystal plasticity-based modeling approach with a Peridynamics-based coarse scale modeling approach. In addition, an attempt is made to enhance their existing modeling capabilities both in term of accuracy as well as computational speed with an interest to study effects of microstructure on: instability, localization and formability in aluminum sheets at meso-scale, crack initiation and crack propagation in a lab scale component made of aluminum. [1] http://www.mscsoftware.com/product/dytran [2] http://www.kochmann.caltech.edu/pics/scales0.gif      

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Free Essays: Frankenstein and the Enlightenment :: Frankenstein essays

Many people say that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein postdates the Enlightenment; that it is a looking-back on the cultural phenomenon after its completion, and a first uncertain reaction to the movement. I must disagree. There is no "after the Enlightenment." A civilization does not simply stop learning. Where is the point at which someone stands up and says, "Okay, that's enough Enlightening for now, I think we're good for another few centuries"? For better or for worse, the Enlightenment is still going on today. As the Information Age advances, we continue to invent and build. Exploration now reaches to the depths of the oceans and the nearer regions of space. We peer beyond the atom, beyond the sub-atomic particle, delving ever deeper into the secrets of science to find that ultimate point at which it converges with philosophy. The question is: do we want to? The picture on the cover of our edition of Frankenstein is Joseph Wright of Derby's An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump -- an appropriate scene, not only for how it recalls Shelley's mental state, but also for how well it illustrates precisely that doubt about the Enlightenment the novel was written to express. All around a table, at which a scientific experiment that harms a living creature is being conducted, are seated various people of differing social positions, and similarly differing reactions to the event at hand. A pair of inquisitive young men look on eagerly, a frightened woman turns her head away in abject horror, a young girl stares apprehensively, unsure of what to think. That young girl is us. And based on what we see in the air pump, we must decide whether we will become the frightened woman or the interested men. I find little room to doubt that Shelley is trying to instill some sense of fear in her reader. For not only does Victor Frankenstein loathe his own creation -- and let us not be mistaken, the work of the doctor is without question a symbol for the larger body of work of all Enlightenment scientists, seeking knowledge they do not understand in order to perform tasks previously thought impossible -- but the creation curses himself as well, speaking of the grotesqueness of his appearance and admitting freely to having willfully done evil. Perhaps in Shelley's mind this is indeed unspeakable. For my part, rather than view Frankenstein's monster as a symptom of the potential terror resulting from the advances of Enlightenment science, I look on it as a symptom as one of the advances made by Enlightenment philosophy.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Personal Time Management Essay -- Managing Your Time

What do we know about time management? As adults we should know a lot about time management. We all strive to become the best that we can be. This alone should encourage us to learn about time management. Every aspect of our lives depends on it. If we try to plan, organize, and execute our ideas most of the time we can manage it well, but when we go the other route, and jump out there feet first, most of the time we do not do as well. This is not the case in every light, but usually it is the norm. Even as we sit in class trying to better ourselves by improving on our education, we learn that we must manage time to the best of our abilities. This is not done only for school, but for our families for those of us that have children and spouses. A lot of the time, we manage to get everything done and leave ourselves out in the cold when it comes to making time for ourselves. If it is not our job or school we are trying to meet someone else's needs. Being prepared is a key step in being able to manage time. There are a lot of things that go with being prepared. First, you have to have an idea of what you want to do. Knowing what you are getting into helps a lot because you will be able to focus on specific points that will ensure that you are headed in the right direction of achieving your goal. This sounds pretty easy, but it is a task that a lot of people overlook. You may need material to ensure that you can do your task at hand, so knowing exactly what is going on will definitely help. Getting yourself in a proper place to be able to concentrate and execute what you have in mind is also a very important step. Not having a million and one distraction will allow you to focus and get everything done in a time... ...nd friends. Make sure that during your strategy you set a time out for relaxation, eating and sleeping properly. Another part of strategy is to multi-task, use "the Twofer" concept, for example if you are going to the Laundromat take your homework with you. There are many different parts to time management, such as procrastination, strategy, organization, expectations and being prepared. All of them contribute equally in many ways. All of the things that we have spoken about in this paper are highly recommended. The best thing to do when it comes to time management is to set a strategy, become organized and do your best to avoid procrastination. When you manage your time make sure you include the following; studying, sleeping, eating, relaxing and other necessary things. No matter what our circumstances are, we can all use some time management skills in our lives. Personal Time Management Essay -- Managing Your Time What do we know about time management? As adults we should know a lot about time management. We all strive to become the best that we can be. This alone should encourage us to learn about time management. Every aspect of our lives depends on it. If we try to plan, organize, and execute our ideas most of the time we can manage it well, but when we go the other route, and jump out there feet first, most of the time we do not do as well. This is not the case in every light, but usually it is the norm. Even as we sit in class trying to better ourselves by improving on our education, we learn that we must manage time to the best of our abilities. This is not done only for school, but for our families for those of us that have children and spouses. A lot of the time, we manage to get everything done and leave ourselves out in the cold when it comes to making time for ourselves. If it is not our job or school we are trying to meet someone else's needs. Being prepared is a key step in being able to manage time. There are a lot of things that go with being prepared. First, you have to have an idea of what you want to do. Knowing what you are getting into helps a lot because you will be able to focus on specific points that will ensure that you are headed in the right direction of achieving your goal. This sounds pretty easy, but it is a task that a lot of people overlook. You may need material to ensure that you can do your task at hand, so knowing exactly what is going on will definitely help. Getting yourself in a proper place to be able to concentrate and execute what you have in mind is also a very important step. Not having a million and one distraction will allow you to focus and get everything done in a time... ...nd friends. Make sure that during your strategy you set a time out for relaxation, eating and sleeping properly. Another part of strategy is to multi-task, use "the Twofer" concept, for example if you are going to the Laundromat take your homework with you. There are many different parts to time management, such as procrastination, strategy, organization, expectations and being prepared. All of them contribute equally in many ways. All of the things that we have spoken about in this paper are highly recommended. The best thing to do when it comes to time management is to set a strategy, become organized and do your best to avoid procrastination. When you manage your time make sure you include the following; studying, sleeping, eating, relaxing and other necessary things. No matter what our circumstances are, we can all use some time management skills in our lives.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Bullet Proof Vests

The product bullet proof vest is under the manufacturing medical supplies and devices industry which has a total of about 11,000 companies under its umbrella, earning an aggregate income of $75 billion annually. The major players of this industry are Baxter International, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic, which produces surgical, ophthalmic, and dental instruments and supplies used in the medical field. It is said that the industry is well focused on the hands of 50 largest companies which make up the 75% income of the whole industry.Market Force 1: Technological Forces Armstrong and Kotler (2009) cited that the wonders of technology produce new markets and opportunities, though in some cases hurt other businesses. Technology is now molding the destiny of everyone in a very dramatic manner. Regularly, bullet proof vests must be upgraded when it comes to materials and workmanship, to be in congruence with the fast advancing and high-powered technology in ammunitions being sold in the marketplace.Customers require innovative designs combined with sophisticated and complex functionality for their bullet proof vests. Market Force 2: Demographic forces The world population increases rapidly, affecting the population demographically in terms of age, density, location, gender, race and occupation among others, (Armstrong and Kotler, 2009) . The doubling increase in population yearly has many implications in business, which could be in the form of opportunities or challenges. Since population is people, marketers are very concern and interested in this factor.For instance, crimes are becoming more and more intense and well-organized which calls for more police officers with advance combat gears for protection and safety. Market Force 3: Environmental Forces The natural environment plays a vital role in the production and marketing of bullet proof vests, especially when it comes to the materials being used. Corporate social responsibility and governme nt regulations on environment calls for the use of environmental friendly materials for products being manufactured in order to lessen the impact of pollution to human beings.The use of ApNano materials, for instance in personal safety equipment for saving lives and preventing injuries is a major breakthrough in bullet proof vests production. Strategies to Overcome the Threats The increasing threat when it comes to government regulations in promoting clean environment is also a technological and economic problem. There is a need for political will, large fund and more advanced way of protecting the environment, while making profit. One strategy is to produce practical and affordable products through continuous product development.This way though the product is highly advanced in technology, still more customers will have the capacity to buy the product because it could be offered in a competitive pricing strategy. Strategies to Capitalize on the Opportunities As the technological en vironment changes in a fast phased manner, more and more new products are being desired by customers. New and more advanced technology substitutes the older version, which means a need to produce creative and innovative products.Marketers should watch the technological environment very intimately, at the same time envisioning what most likely will be acceptable in the marketplace in days, months and years ahead. Research and development to come up with fresh and novel bullet proof vests is very essential. Conclusion Since the product bullet proof vests uses a rapidly changing technology, there is a need for tradeoff in order to maximize product performance, cost and reliability, so product development is the appropriate strategy.There is also a need to focus on high level of service and responsiveness to answer to customer requirements of safety and protection while at the same time. There has to be fast product creation which means developing products very quickly in order to start benefiting from these products. References Armstrong, G & Kotler, P. (2009). Marketing: An Introduction, 9th ed. Prentice Hall. www. nanotech-now. com/news. cgi? story_id=29842

Monday, September 16, 2019

Eclipse Aviation Case Study

Eclipse Aviation is a big private jet manufacturer, who does not create new jet aircrafts, but also new jet customers. Their aim is to offer the convenience, performance and safety of private jet travel to be available to more people but not only the elites. So their offers on products are more likely to be affordable, easy to own, easy to operate, but with nice performance capabilities previously found only in military and commercial aircraft.The company seems to have a good idea, but the reality does not go to the right direction. Eclipse Aviation was judged to be bankrupt by the Federal Bankruptcy Court of the United States in 2009. Bankruptcy documents indicated that a total of USD 702. 6 million was owed. After the bankruptcy, the assets were bought by a new company, Eclipse Aerospace, to continue its business. The bankruptcy of the company was due to the problem of the market.The market was expected to have a nice performance, but finally it didn’t develop as well as it was expected. At the same time, many of the startups like Eclipse entered the market. At this point, the rivalry of the competitors was quite high in the market. The current aviation market does not perform well either. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the total worldwide aviation shipments fell by 2. 1% to 369 units in the first quarter of 2012, compared with 377 in the first quarter of 2011.Eclipse has not publicized its orders of the new aircraft, Eclipse 550, of the first quarter of 2011, but according the datasets of its nearest competitors – Embraer Phenom 100 and Cessna Mustang, they didn’t perform well on the market at the beginning of the year. Both of them only delivered 4 and 7 of their lightest jets, compared to the number of 41 and 43 in the first quarter in 2011. As the market seems to have a great uncertainty, I don’t think that it would be a good idea to invest in this startup.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Cell phones should not be allowed in schools Essay

A student with a cell phone is an uninterested student, one with a short attention span who cares more about socializing than education. When I was teaching, all too often I turned around from writing something on the blackboard to find students text-messaging or otherwise playing with their phones. Come the end of the term, a handful of students would fail the class and far too many would drop out of school. The onus for failure should be placed on distractions in the classroom, specifically cell phones. Parents think of cell phones as a connection to their children in an emergency. But I wonder what the last situation was that genuinely called for an immediate phone call to a child. In most cases, contacting the hospital or the police would seem more urgent. And parents can always call the school’s main office to reach their children. Cell phones are status symbols for teenagers because when their phone rings while the teacher is talking, everyone laughs. Because playing vid eo games on their cell makes them look cool. Because text messaging their friend in the next room is more fun than learning about topic sentences. So is listening to the new Three 6 Mafia song they just downloaded onto their cell. And saying students can store their phones in the locker is a joke. If they have cell phones, they’re going to bring them to class. —Jesse Scaccia Former English teacher, Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, Brooklyn, N.Y. NO Schools make rules to facilitate a quality education in a respectful and safe environment. Cell phones are a distraction in classrooms and have no place there. I support rules banning their use—by students and staff—in the classroom. But cell phones should not be banned from students’ possession entirely, because that is, in effect, not allowing students to have cell phones while traveling to and from school. My children’s time before school and after should not be under the school’s control. Making sure my children have cell phones and can contact me during those times is my right as a parent. It’s not just about safety or reassurance. Yes, I want my kids to call each morning when they arrive at school and each afternoon when they leave, and there are so few pay phones anymore on which to do that. But my children’s lives are also enriched by the freedom to travel to a variety of extracurricular activities or social engagements without an adult chaperone. That is only possible because an adult is just a phone call away. If my  children are not allowed to keep their cell phones during the school day—off and in their backpacks or lockers—the school system is governing my parenting and my children’s behavior during non-school time. The school has no such right. Besides, teachers should be teaching, not spending precious time tagging and bagging confiscated electronics. I trust my kids to make responsible and respectful choices, and I trust their teachers and administrators to do the same. —Elizabeth Lorris Ritter Parent, Bronx High School of Science, New York Allowing cellphones to school would be equivalent to giving an open invitation to distraction. This is because with so many activities in a single gadget, students are bound to be tempted to indulge in them, hence deviating from the main objective of coming to school. Their concentration towards studies would deteriorate as they would be busy fiddling with their cellphones. Teachers would also get distracted, as it is likely that the cellphones will ring during class, destroying the tempo of the entire class. Not only this, with a cellphone in everyone’s hands, there would naturally be unhealthy competition to see who has got the latest model and the hottest brand. This would only increase the worries and expenditure of parents as every student would pester their parents to buy them new cellphones. Also it would make students with not so latest cellphones be a victim of inferiority complex. Worse still, it may also create a barrier or ‘cellphone-fuelled class differenceà ¢â‚¬â„¢ between students as cellphones models and brands are now considered a status symbol. Bringing cellphones to school would also pave way for theft. With expensive cellphones in every other person’s bag, anyone could steal a cellphone, disrupting discipline and making school a very unsafe place. Many people argue that a cellphone allows parents to stay in touch with their children and remain informed about their whereabouts and anything that they need to. This, however, is also possible without a cellphone, as schools have phones and any important information can be conveyed through it. Cellphones can be seen as a means employed by students for cheating during examinations. They can simply text anyone and ask for assistance. Not only this, it can give rise to after school gang activities and be misused in many ways, like making prank calls just for fun. This can  lead to serious consequences and cause unnecessary panic as well as waste time. The aforementioned points clearly establish the fact that the reasons for not allowing cellphones in schools are based on clear reservations and not on flimsy grounds, hence cellphones should not be allowed at schools. In recent times, the number of people owning mobile phones has increased dramatically. Now mobile phones are not just for calling, but you can now text, take and send pictures, record videos, access the internet, play games and much more. The variety of functions has increased dramatically. They have also become a lot cheaper. Thus more and more young people now own a mobile. So should they be allowed to bring them to school? Mobile phones can cause a distraction in education. They can disturb teachers and students. For example, if you were working hard on a piece of work, concentrating hard, and a person’s phone rings, it disrupts the whole class. You may become side-tracked or the teacher may be interrupted during speaking to the class. Thus teaching would be constantly disrupted if this kept happening. Thus education standards would deteriorate. Looking then at long term effects, if this was happening every day, you would be wasting five minutes a day, so nearly half an hour a week, and so that would be over ten hours a year of disruption. Also, mobile phones provide a large temptation to cheat in tests. They can communicate to almost anywhere and anyone in the world. Because they are small, students can quietly and discreetly send a text and it can go unnoticed. You got to school to learn, not to waste time playing games or cheating in tests. Research has proven that frequent use of a mobile phone can put the owner at risk of long term health damage. Mobile phones have radiation in them which they send out which can destroy or damage cells. Thus a student who uses a mobile phone regularly is at risk of health damage. With the increase in ownership of mobiles, there is increased usage and so the students are putting themselves at risk more and more of health damage. Also younger students may not be properly educated on phone usage. Most phones nowadays have internet access on them.

Harley Davidson, Inc.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. – 2009 Case Notes Prepared by: Dr. Mernoush Banton Case Authors: Carol Pope and Joanne Mack A. Case Abstract Harley-Davidson, Inc. (www. harley-davidson. com) is a comprehensive strategic management case that includes the company’s calendar December 31, 2008 financial statements, competitor information and more. The case time setting is the year 2009. Sufficient internal and external data are provided to enable students to evaluate current strategies and recommend a three-year strategic plan for the company. Headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, Harley-Davidson, Inc. s traded on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol HOG. B. Vision Statement (Actual) Harley-Davidson is an action-oriented, international company, a leader in its commitment to continuously improve its mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders (customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, government, and society). Harley-Davidson believes the key to success is to balance stakeholders’ interests through the empowerment of all employees to focus on value-added activities. Vision Statement (Proposed) We want to make your motorcycle ride a safe and a lifetime experience. C.Mission Statement (Actual) We fulfill dreams through the experiences of motorcycling, by providing to motorcyclists and to the general public an expanding line of motorcycles, branded products and services in selected market segments. Mission Statement (Proposed) Harley-Davidson is committed to providing the highest quality products and financial services to men and women worldwide (1, 3). The Harley name stands for customer satisfaction (7) and we would like all Harley customers to relay their satisfaction to all motorcycle dreamers. Harley-Davidson uses advanced technology to produce the superior motorcycles (4).Our philosophy is to conduct business with utmost integrity while serving our customers, employees, and shareholders (6). We appreciate the hard work of our employee s (9). We push excellence though our Harley-Davidson bar and shield logo and the Harley Owners Group (HOG) (7). We continue to do our part in supporting all environmental laws in every country we do business (8). Harley-Davidson intends to stay committed and determined. 1. Customer 2. Products or services 3. Markets 4. Technology 5. Concern for survival, profitability, growth 6. Philosophy 7. Self-concept 8.Concern for public image 9. Concern for employees D. External Audit CPM – Competitive Profile Matrix |   |Harley-Davidson |Honda |Yamaha | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score|Rating |Weighted Score|Rating |Weighted Score| |Advertising |0. 08 |4 |0. 32 |2 |0. 16 |3 |0. 24 | |Top Management |0. 05 |2 |0. 0 |2 |0. 10 |3 |0. 15 | |Customer Service |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |Technological Advances |0. 09 |3 |0. 27 |1 |0. 09 |2 |0. 18 | |International Market Sales |0. 07 |3 |0. 21 |4 |0. 28 |2 |0. 14 | |Global Expansion |0. 06 |2 |0. 12 |4 | 0. 4 |3 |0. 18 | |Financial Position |0. 07 |2 |0. 14 |4 |0. 28 |3 |0. 21 | |Customer Loyalty |0. 11 |4 |0. 44 |3 |0. 33 |2 |0. 22 | |Market Share |0. 09 |2 |0. 18 |4 |0. 36 |3 |0. 27 | |Product Quality |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 0 | |Marketing |0. 10 |2 |0. 20 |3 |0. 30 |1 |0. 10 | |Price Competitiveness |0. 08 |1 |0. 08 |3 |0. 24 |2 |0. 16 | |Total |1. 00 |   |2. 86 |   |2. 98 |   |2. 25 | Opportunities 1. Economy in Europe and other regions is growing at a better rate than United States 2. Gasoline price has been stabilized in 2009 3.Competition has reduced their production of motorcycle in 2009 4. Currently, Yamaha has seen decreasing motorcycle sales in Japan, the United States, and Europe, but is doing better in Southeast Asia and Latin America 5. Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki are more diversified than Harley in terms of product offerings 6. Female riders are on the rise 7. Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki focus on ATVs, scooters, and marine and watercraft in addition to vario us motorcycle product lines 8. Motorcycles typically are considered a good replacement for automobiles when gas prices are on the riseThreats 1. Unemployment is on the rise in the United States among middle class who could afford to buy a motorcycle 2. Competitors are reducing their prices so they can improve sales 3. Disposable income is falling among professionals between the age of 35 and 54 4. Competition is strong in markets outside the United States 5. Increase in fuel price could impact the industry sales 6. Rise in interest rate could impact the buyers from purchasing and financing high ticket items 7. Environmental protection laws could impact product design and cost 8.Shifts in buyers’ needs and tastes External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix |Key External Factors |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | |Opportunities |   |   |   | |Economy in Europe and other regions is growing at a better rate than United States|0. 08 |4 |0. 32 | |Gasoline price has been stabilized in 2009 |0. 6 |3 |0. 18 | |Competition has reduced their production of motorcycle in 2009 |0. 09 |3 |0. 27 | |Currently, Yamaha has seen decreasing motorcycle sales in Japan, the United |0. 05 |4 |0. 2 | |States, and Europe, but is doing better in Southeast Asia and Latin America | | | | |Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki are more diversified than Harley in terms of product |0. 5 |2 |0. 1 | |offerings | | | | |Female riders are on the rise |0. 04 |3 |0. 12 | |Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki focus on ATVs, scooters, and marine and watercraft in |0. 07 |3 |0. 1 | |addition to various motorcycle product lines | | | | |Motorcycles typically are considered a good replacement for automobiles when gas |0. 06 |4 |0. 24 | |prices are on the rise | | | | |Threats | | |   | |Unemployment is on the rise in the United States among middle class who could |0. 9 |2 |0. 18 | |afford to buy a motorcycle | | | | |Competitors are reducing their prices so they can improve sales |0. 07 |3 |0. 21 | |Disposable inc ome is falling among professionals between the age of 35 and 54 |0. 07 |2 |0. 14 | |Competition is strong in markets outside the United States |0. 06 |2 |0. 2 | |Increase in fuel price could impact the industry sales |0. 07 |1 |0. 07 | |Rise in interest rate could impact the buyers from purchasing and financing high |0. 05 |2 |0. 1 | |ticket items | | | | |Environmental protection laws could impact product design and cost |0. 05 |1 |0. 5 | |Shifts in buyers' needs and tastes |0. 04 |1 |0. 04 | |Total |1. 00 |   |2. 55 | Positioning Map [pic] E. Internal Audit Strengths 1. Additional job cuts has helped the company to improve its profit margin 2. Harley-Davidson motorcycles have led the industry in the United States for retail unit registrations of new heavyweight motorcycles 3.Harley-Davidson operates in two segments: (1) financial services and (2) motorcycles and related products. 4. Harley-Davidson has 5 divisions: (1) Parts & Accessories (P); (2) General Merchandise; (3) Lice nsing; and (4) Motorcycles 5. The Company offers a wide range of families of motorcycles: (1) Touring, (2) Dyna, (3) Softail, (4) Sportster, and (5) VRSC 6. In terms of non-U. S. distribution, Harley-Davidson has 71 full service dealerships in Canada, 383 in Europe, 201 in Asia Pacific, and 32 in Latin America 7. Strong brand recognition and customer loyalty . International retail sales were up 10. 3 percent as compared to 2007 9. Total current asset increased by $1. 9 billion dollars from 2007 to 2008 10. Harley offers financing of its bikes through HDFS Weaknesses 1. The Harley-Davidson motorcycle share of the heavyweight market was 45. 5 percent and 48. 7 percent in 2008 and 2007, respectively 2. Only 12 percent of U. S. retail motorcycle sales of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles are to female buyers 3. A typical buyer of Harley bike has an average of median household income of approximately $87,000 4.For the full year 2009, Harley-Davidson plans to ship between 264,000 and 273,00 0 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a 10 to 13 percent reduction from 2008 5. Total worldwide retail sales dropped by 7. 15 in 2008 from previous year 6. International retail sales growth slowed to 0. 7 percent during the fourth quarter of 2008 as a result of deteriorating economic conditions outside the United States 7. In the United States, retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 2008 were down 13. 0 percent 8. Total operating income dropped by about $400 million from 2007 to 2008Financial Ratio Analysis (December 2009) |Growth Rates % |Harley-Davidson |Industry |S 500 | |Sales (Qtr vs year ago qtr) |-18. 00 |-13. 00 |-4. 80 | |Net Income (YTD vs YTD) |-71. 60 |15. 80 |-6. 00 | |Net Income (Qtr vs year ago qtr) |-84. 10 |6. 40 |26. 80 | |Sales (5-Year Annual Avg. ) |4. 2 |0. 78 |12. 99 | |Net Income (5-Year Annual Avg. ) |-2. 96 |-7. 50 |12. 69 | |Dividends (5-Year Annual Avg. ) |45. 92 |34. 93 |11. 83 | | | |Price Ratios |Harley-Davidson |Industry |S 500 | |Current P/E R atio |24. 3 |25. 6 |26. | |P/E Ratio 5-Year High |21. 9 |4. 3 |68. 0 | |P/E Ratio 5-Year Low |3. 0 |0. 8 |9. 9 | |Price/Sales Ratio |1. 12 |1. 12 |2. 25 | |Price/Book Value |2. 58 |3. 36 |3. 48 | |Price/Cash Flow Ratio |11. 90 |15. 0 |13. 70 | | | |Profit Margins % |Harley-Davidson |Industry |S 500 | |Gross Margin |29. 1 |23. 1 |38. 9 | |Pre-Tax Margin |9. 2 |6. 0 |10. 3 | |Net Profit Margin |4. |2. 4 |7. 1 | |5Yr Gross Margin (5-Year Avg. ) |37. 9 |29. 4 |38. 6 | |5Yr PreTax Margin (5-Year Avg. ) |23. 8 |17. 4 |16. 6 | |5Yr Net Profit Margin (5-Year Avg. ) |15. 3 |11. 2 |11. 5 | | | |Financial Condition |Harley-Davidson |Industry |S 500 |Debt/Equity Ratio |2. 26 |1. 53 |1. 09 | |Current Ratio |1. 4 |1. 8 |1. 5 | |Quick Ratio |1. 3 |1. 4 |1. 3 | |Interest Coverage |46. 2 |27. 4 |23. 7 | |Leverage Ratio |4. 1 |3. 5 |3. | |Book Value/Share |9. 77 |9. 22 |21. 63 | Adapted from www. moneycentral. msn. com |   |Avg P/E |Price/ Sales |Price/ Book |Net Profit Margin (%) | |12/0 8 |12. 20 |0. 67 |1. 87 |11. 0 | |12/07 |15. 50 |1. 90 |4. 69 |15. 2 | |12/06 |14. 0 |3. 02 |6. 60 |16. 9 | |12/05 |15. 50 |2. 55 |4. 58 |16. 9 | |12/04 |19. 00 |3. 39 |5. 56 |16. 7 | |12/03 |17. 80 |2. 95 |4. 85 |15. 5 | |12/02 |26. 80 |3. 28 |6. 6 |13. 5 | |12/01 |32. 10 |4. 64 |9. 36 |12. 2 | |12/00 |36. 40 |3. 96 |8. 54 |11. 3 | |12/08 |12. 20 |0. 67 |1. 87 |11. 0 | |   |Book Value/ Share |Debt/ Equity |Return on Equity (%) |Return on Assets (%) |Interest Coverage | |12/08 |$9. 9 |1. 86 |30. 9 |8. 4 |226. 6 | |12/07 |$9. 96 |0. 90 |39. 3 |16. 5 |NA | |12/06 |$10. 68 |0. 62 |37. 8 |18. 9 |NA | |12/05 |$11. 25 |0. 39 |31. 1 |18. 3 |NA | |12/04 |$10. 94 |0. 40 |27. 6 |16. |NA | |12/03 |$9. 81 |0. 34 |25. 7 |15. 5 |NA | |12/02 |$7. 38 |0. 34 |26. 0 |15. 0 |NA | |12/01 |$5. 80 |0. 34 |24. 9 |14. 0 |NA | |12/00 |$4. 65 |0. 32 |24. 7 |14. 3 |NA | |12/08 |$9. 9 |1. 86 |30. 9 |8. 4 |226. 6 | Adapted from www. moneycentral. msn. com Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix |Key Internal Factors |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | |Strengths |   |   |   | |Additional job cuts has helped the company to improve its profit margin |0. 05 |3 |0. 5 | |Harley-Davidson motorcycles have led the industry in the United States for retail |0. 08 |4 |0. 32 | |unit registrations of new heavyweight motorcycles | | | | |Harley-Davidson operates in two segments: (1) financial services and (2) |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |motorcycles and related products. | | | | |Harley-Davidson has 5 divisions: (1) Parts & Accessories (P); (2) General |0. 3 |4 |0. 12 | |Merchandise; (3) Licensing; and (4) Motorcycles | | | | |The Company offers a wide range of families of motorcycles: (1) Touring, (2) Dyna,|0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |(3) Softail, (4) Sportster, and (5) VRSC | | | | |In terms of non-U. S. distribution, Harley-Davidson has 71 full service dealerships|0. 5 |3 |0. 15 | |in Canada, 383 in Europe, 201 in Asia Pacific, and 32 in Latin America | | | | |Strong brand recognition and customer loyalty |0. 07 |4 |0. 28 | |International retail sales were up 10. 3 percent as compared to 2007 |0. 07 |3 |0. 21 | |Total current asset increased by $1. billion dollars from 2007 to 2008 |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |Harley offers financing of its bikes through HDFS |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |Weaknesses | | |   | |The Harley-Davidson motorcycle share of the heavyweight market was 45. 5 percent |0. 07 |1 |0. 07 | |and 48. percent in 2008 and 2007, respectively | | | | |Only 12 percent of U. S. retail motorcycle sales of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles|0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |are to female buyers | | | | |A typical buyer of Harley bike has an average of median household income of |0. 05 |1 |0. 5 | |approximately $87,000 | | | | |For the full year 2009, Harley-Davidson plans to ship between 264,000 and 273,000 |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |new Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a 10 to 13 percent reduction from 2008 | | | | |Total worldwide retail sales dropped by 7. 15 in 2008 from previous year |0. 06 |2 |0. 12 | |International retail sales growth slowed to 0. percent during the fourth quarter |0. 03 |2 |0. 06 | |of 2008 as a result of deteriorating economic conditions outside the United States| | | | |In the United States, retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 2008 were |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |down 13. 0 percent | | | | |Total operating income dropped by about $400 million from 2007 to 2008 |0. 06 |1 |0. 6 | |Total |1. 00 |   |2. 43 | F. SWOT Strategies | |Strengths |Weaknesses | | |Additional job cuts has helped the company to |The Harley-Davidson motorcycle share of the | | |improve its profit margin |heavyweight market was 45. percent and 48. 7 | | |Harley-Davidson motorcycles have led the |percent in 2008 and 2007, respectively | | |industry in the United States for retail unit |Only 12 percent of U. S. etail motorcycle sales| | |registrations of new heavyweight motorcycles |of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles are to | | |Harley-Davidson operates in two segments: (1) |female buyers | | |financ ial services and (2) motorcycles and |A typical buyer of Harley bike has an average | | |related products. |of median household income of approximately | | Harley-Davidson has 5 divisions: (1) Parts & |$87,000 | | |Accessories (P); (2) General Merchandise; (3)|For the full year 2009, Harley-Davidson plans | | |Licensing; and (4) Motorcycles |to ship between 264,000 and 273,000 new | | |The Company offers a wide range of families of |Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a 10 to 13 percent| | |motorcycles: (1) Touring, (2) Dyna, (3) |reduction from 2008 | | |Softail, (4) Sportster, and (5) VRSC |Total worldwide retail sales dropped by 7. 15 in| | |In terms of non-U. S. distribution, |2008 from previous year | | |Harley-Davidson has 71 full service dealerships|International retail sales growth slowed to 0. | | |in Canada, 383 in Europe, 201 in Asia Pacific, |percent during the fourth quarter of 2008 as a | | |and 32 in Latin America |result of deteriorating economic conditions | | |Strong bran d recognition and customer loyalty |outside the United States | | |International retail sales were up 10. 3 percent|In the United States, retail sales of | | |as compared to 2007 |Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 2008 were down | | |Total current asset increased by $1. 9 billion |13. percent | | |dollars from 2007 to 2008 |Total operating income dropped by about $400 | | |Harley offers financing of its bikes through |million from 2007 to 2008 | | |HDFS | | |Opportunities |S-O Strategies |W-O Strategies | |Economy in Europe and other regions is growing |Develop a lower price / light weight bike, |1. Offer a better discount for retailers to | |at a better rate than United States |efficient in fuel consumption for individuals |sell / promote Harley merchandise such as | |Gasoline price has been stabilized in 2009 |who are interested in riding a bike but can’t |clothes, mugs, etc. (W5, W6, O) | |Competition has reduced their production of |afford or ride the current models (S3, S4, S5, |2.Offer better financing rate to new / first | |motorcycle in 2009 |S6, S7, S8, S8, S9, S10, O1, O2, O5, O6, O8) |time buyers (W1, W3, W5, W7, O3, O4) | |Currently, Yamaha has seen decreasing |Create a new line for female riders to be | | |motorcycle sales in Japan, the United States, |promoted in US and foreign markets (S5, S7, O8,| | |and Europe, but is doing better in Southeast |S9, S10, O1, O4, O6) | | |Asia and Latin America | | | |Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki are more diversified | | | |than Harley in terms of product offerings | | | |Female riders are on the rise | | | |Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki focus on ATVs, | | | |scooters, and marine and watercraft in addition| | | |to various motorcycle product lines | | | |Motorcycles typically are considered a good | | | |replacement for automobiles when gas prices are| | | |on the rise | | | |Threats |S-T Strategies |W-T Strategies | |Unemployment is on the rise in the United |Increase current promotional campaign (product |Introduce a new product line – Harley2 suitable| |States among middle class who could afford to |placement, advertising, Online newsgroup / |for female riders, light weight and priced | |buy a motorcycle |press releases, media ads, etc. ) both in the |lower to be marketed to a new segment (W2, W3, | |Competitors are reducing their prices so they |U. S. nd abroad (S1, S2, SS7, S9, S10, T3, T8) |W4, W5, T1, T2, T3, T5, T6, T7) | |can improve sales | | | |Disposable income is falling among | | | |professionals between the age of 35 and 54 | | | |Competition is strong in markets outside the | | | |United States | | | |Increase in fuel price could impact the | | | |industry sales | | | |Rise in interest rate could impact the buyers | | | |from purchasing and financing high ticket items| | | | | | | |Environmental protection laws could impact | | | |product design and cost | | | |Shifts in buyers’ needs and tastes | | | G. SPACE Matrix [pic] Financial Stability (FS) | |Environmental Stability (ES) | | |Return on Investment |6 |Unemployment |-5 | |Leverage |5 |Technological Changes |-2 | |Liquidity |4 |Price Elasticity of Demand |-1 | |Working Capital |4 |Competitive Pressure |-4 | |Cash Flow |4 |Barriers to Entry |-5 | | | | | | |Financial Stability (FS) Average |4. 6 |Environmental Stability (ES) Average |-3. | | | | | | |Competitive Stability (CS) | |Industry Stability (IS) | | |Market Share |-2 |Growth Potential |5 | |Product Quality |-1 |Financial Stability |1 | |Customer Loyalty |-1 |Ease of Market Entry |5 | |Competition’s Capacity Utilization |-3 |Resource Utilization |4 | |Technological Know-How |-2 |Profit Potential |3 | | | | | | |Competitive Stability (CS Average |-1. |Industry Stability (IS) Average |3. 6 | Y-axis: FS + ES = 4. 6 + (-3. 4) = 1. 2 X-axis: CS + IS = (-1. 8) + (3. 6) = 1. 8 H. Grand Strategy Matrix [pic] 1. Market development 2. Market penetration 3. Product development 4. Forward integration 5. Backward integration 6. Horizontal integration 7. Related diversification I. The Internal-External (IE) Matrix The IFE Total Weighted Score | |Strong |Average |Weak | | |3. 0 to 4. 0 |2. 0 to 2. 99 |1. 0 to 1. 9 | |High |I |II |III | |3. 0 to 3. 99 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |IV |IV |VI | | | | | | | | | | |Medium | | | | |2. 0 to 2. 99 | |Harley-Davidson | | |Low |VII |VIII |IX | |1. 0 to 1. 99 | | | | J. QSPM    |   |Develop a lower price /|Offer better financing| | | |light weight bike, |rate to new / first | | | |efficient in fuel |time buyers | | | |consumption for | | | | |individuals who are | | | | |interested in riding a | | | | |bike but can’t afford | | | | |or ride the current | | | | |models | | |Key Factors |Weight |AS |TAS |AS |TAS | |Opportunities |   |   |   |   |   | |Economy in Europe and other regions is growing at a better rate than |0. 08 |4 |0. 32 |2 |0. 16 | |United States | | | | | | |Gasoline price has been stabilized in 2009 |0. 06 |4 |0. 24 | 1 |0. 06 | |Competition has reduced their production of motorcycle in 2009 |0. 09 |4 |0. 36 |3 |0. 27 | |Currently, Yamaha has seen decreasing motorcycle sales in Japan, the |0. 5 |— |— |— |— | |United States, and Europe, but is doing better in Southeast Asia and Latin| | | | | | |America | | | | | | |Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki are more diversified than Harley in terms of |0. 05 |— |— |— |— | |product offerings | | | | | | |Female riders are on the rise |0. 04 |3 |0. 12 |1 |0. 04 | |Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki focus on ATVs, scooters, and marine and |0. 7 |— |— |— |— | |watercraft in addition to various motorcycle product lines | | | | | | |Motorcycles typically are considered a good replacement for automobiles |0. 06 |4 |0. 24 |2 |0. 12 | |when gas prices are on the rise | | | | | | |Threats | |   |   | |Unemployment is on the rise in the United States among middle class who |0. 09 |2 |0. 18 |4 |0. 6 | |could afford to buy a motorcycle | | | | | | |Competitors are reducing their prices so they can improve sales |0. 07 |3 |0. 21 |1 |0. 07 | |Disposable income is falling among professionals between the age of 35 and|0. 07 |3 |0. 21 |1 |0. 07 | |54 | | | | | | |Competition is strong in markets outside the United States |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 |2 |0. 12 | |Increase in fuel price could impact the industry sales |0. 07 |4 |0. 28 |2 |0. 4 | |Rise in interest rate could impact the buyers from purchasing and |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 |3 |0. 15 | |financing high ticket items | | | | | | |Environmental protection laws could impact product design and cost |0. 05 |— |— |— |— | |Shifts in buyers' needs and tastes |0. 04 |— |— |— |— | |TOTAL |1. 00 |   |2. 54 |   |1. 6 | |Strengths |   |   |   | |Additional job cuts has helped the company to improve its profit margin |0. 05 |— |— |— |— | |Harley-Davidson motorcycle s have led the industry in the United States for|0. 08 |3 |0. 24 |1 |0. 08 | |retail unit registrations of new heavyweight motorcycles | | | | | | |Harley-Davidson operates in two segments: (1) financial services and (2) |0. 05 |— |— |— |— | |motorcycles and related products. | | | | | |Harley-Davidson has 5 divisions: (1) Parts & Accessories (P&A); (2) |0. 03 |— |— |— |— | |General Merchandise; (3) Licensing; and (4) Motorcycles | | | | | | |The Company offers a wide range of families of motorcycles: (1) Touring, |0. 06 |— |— |— |— | |(2) Dyna, (3) Softail, (4) Sportster, and (5) VRSC | | | | | | |In terms of non-U. S. distribution, Harley-Davidson has 71 full service |0. 05 |2 |0. 1 |3 |0. 5 | |dealerships in Canada, 383 in Europe, 201 in Asia Pacific, and 32 in Latin| | | | | | |America | | | | | | |Strong brand recognition and customer loyalty |0. 07 |3 |0. 21 |2 |0. 14 | |International retail sa les were up 10. 3 percent as compared to 2007 |0. 07 |3 |0. 21 |2 |0. 14 | |Total current asset increased by $1. 9 billion dollars from 2007 to 2008 |0. 06 |— |— |— |— | |Harley offers financing of its bikes through HDFS |0. 06 |1 |0. 06 |4 |0. 4 | |Weaknesses | |   |   |   | |The Harley-Davidson motorcycle share of the heavyweight market was 45. 5 |0. 07 |— |— |— |— | |percent and 48. 7 percent in 2008 and 2007, respectively | | | | | | |Only 12 percent of U. S. retail motorcycle sales of new Harley-Davidson |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |1 |0. 05 | |motorcycles are to female buyers | | | | | | |A typical buyer of Harley bike has an average of median household income |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 |3 |0. 5 | |of approximately $87,000 | | | | | | |For the full year 2009, Harley-Davidson plans to ship between 264,000 and |0. 05 |— |— |— |— | |273,000 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a 10 to 13 percent reduction from| | | | | | |2008 | | | | | | |Total worldwide retail sales dropped by 7. 15 in 2008 from previous year |0. 06 |1 |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |International retail sales growth slowed to 0. 7 percent during the fourth |0. 3 |— |— |— |— | |quarter of 2008 as a result of deteriorating economic conditions outside | | | | | | |the United States | | | | | | |In the United States, retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 2008 |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 |4 |0. 2 | |were down 13. 0 percent | | | | | | |Total operating income dropped by about $400 million from 2007 to 2008 |0. 06 |1 |0. 06 |3 |0. 8 | |SUBTOTAL |1. 00 |   |1. 19 |   |1. 51 | |SUM TOTAL ATTRACTIVENESS SCORE |   |   |3. 73 |   |3. 07 | K. Recommendations Develop a product line with 3 to 5 bikes that are light weight, fuel efficient, lower than average Harley motorcycles, compliance with EPA and other regulatory agencies to be marketed to 25 to 45 age group with income level of $65,000 or higher. The brand s hould be promoted for substitute to automobile for short distances. L. EPS/EBIT Analysis Amount Needed: $150 million Stock Price: $25. 20 Tax Rate: 36. 7% Interest Rate: 6. 97% # Shares Outstanding: 234. 4 Million |   |Common Stock Financing |Debt Financing | |   |Recession |Normal |Boom |Recession |Normal |Boom | |70 Percent Stock – 30 Percent Debt |   |   |70 Percent Debt – 30 Percent Stock |   |   | |   |Recession |Normal |Boom |Recession |Normal |Boom | |EBIT |$1,000,000,000 |$1,500,000,000 |$1,800,000,000 |$1,000,000,000 $1,500,000,000 |$1,800,000,000 | |Interest |8,364,000 |8,364,000 |8,364,000 |2,091,000 |2,091,000 |2,091,000 | |EBT |991,636,000 |1,491,636,000 |1,791,636,000 |997,909,000 |1,497,909,000 |1,797,909,000 | |Taxes |36,393,041,200 |54,743,041,200 |65,753,041,200 |36,623,260,300 |54,973,260,300 |65,983,260,300 | |EAT |35,401,405,200 |53,251,405,200 |63,961,405,200 |35,625,351,300 |53,475,351,300 |64,185,351,300 | |# Shares |238,566,667 |2 38,566,667 |238,566,667 |236,185,714 |236,185,714 |236,185,714 | |EPS |148. 39 |223. 21 |268. 11 |150. 84 |226. 41 |271. 76 | | M. Epilogue Harley-Davidson is extending the deadline for some its competitive bike exchange trade-in program so customers would have more time to take advantage of the promotion. The company has been trying to stimulate its sales and financing program due to weak economy and low sales results. They also announced that the Board of Directors approved a cash dividend of $0. 10 per share for the first quarter of 2010. This decision will reduce their cash flow by approximately $23. 7 million. Harley-Davidson still is suffering from borrowing of $600 million three years ago at a rate of 15%.The interest of this loan is approximately $90 million a year which is impacting the company’s bottom line. For 2009, the company announced 27% down from 2008 and ended up with a $55 million loss – its first loss since 1993. ————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Brand Loyalty (High) Brand Loyalty (Low) Price (High) Price (Low) Harley-Davidson, Inc. Honda BMW -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 7 -6 -1 -7 -5 -4 -3 -2 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Defensive Competitive Aggressive Conservative 1 2 3 4 5 6 IS Weak Competitive Position Quadrant II Quadrant I Quadrant IV Quadrant III Strong Competitive Position Rapid Market Growth Slow Market Growth The EFE Total Weighted Score ES CS FS Yamaha