Gender and visual culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gender and visual culture - Assignment Example Additionally from the study, girls showed a preference for brighter colors as opposed to boys (77-85). This proves that gender is linked to the color. Purple has certainly seen some significant gender-specific changes in the past few years. The color purple is considered to be feminine because it is too dependent on personal experiences to be universally translated to specific feelings. It is imperative to note that one’s surroundings and especially cultural perceptions (gender appropriate behaviors) play a part in dictating the color appropriateness for gender which in return will influence a person’s decision (Ross, 2010). For instance, the girl child has always played with the brightly color toys it is learned that the girl child is to brightly colored colors while as a boy child is to dull ones. Purple was a common color in the middle ages. It did appear in the fashion and religious art. As written by Ross (2010) the purple color was associated with the girl child f rom year’s back (p. 392). In conclusion, the reason as to why girls prefer the color purple and use them in their drawings is because of the behavioral culture instilled in them. In addition, it is noted that most girls like or rather prefer the soft color as it is appealing to their

3M case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

3M case study - Essay Example The firm depends heavily on smaller market research firms for conducting market research for them. Pricing of their product were also not adequate to compete in the international market. The strategies like â€Å"Lead User† was not successful Most of the new products developed consumed too much time and because of the heavy pricing they failed in the market. The 3M management failed to identify experts at the right time to cater the needs of current trends in the international market. Their efforts to modernize the traditional managers were not succeeded enough. The mixing of diverse knowledge and talent to develop a new project: Since most of the employees working in the 3M company were coming from different parts of the world with different skill sets, the careful blending of such talents were a challenging one Innovation tactics: The 3M firm believed that individual love for discovery would drive innovation. The company allowed all staffs to spend 15% of their time to explore new ideas. This tactics also didn’t work for them The managers needed vigorous training to understand the need of scientific management techniques and modern technologies to lead a business successfully. It is always better to adopt â€Å"Follow User† strategy rather than a Lead User strategy for effective marketing of the products. The pricing of the 3M products must be revised in accordance with the international standards to compete in the market. The R&D should be expanded and it should devote its entire time in developing new ideas and product based on the market feedback. Market research must be conducted by 3M employees only. It is not advisable to depend, secondary sources for market research as marketing is one of the core elements in every

Forecasting Inventory Needs For Home Depot Stores Nationwide Commerce Essay

Forecasting Inventory Needs For Home Depot Stores Nationwide Commerce Essay Forecasting is one of the most important aspects of any business that wants to maintain its competitive advantage. The Home Depot uses the gross national product (GNP) to forecast its demand for inventory. Due to the current state of the housing market, The Home Depot is finding it difficult to properly forecast inventory stocks resulting in a surplus of unsold goods and missed sales opportunities due to lack of other merchandise This paper will briefly describe some of the different techniques and methods used to forecast. There will be two courses of actions (COAs) developed. One will be recommended over the other and an implementation plan will be presented. Forecasting Inventory Needs for Home Depot Stores Nationwide Introduction The Home Depot is a multi-international organization with brick-and-mortar stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China. The current state of the United States economy has been detrimental to many organizations. The Home Depot bases its inventory needs on the housing market. Recently the housing market has been fluctuating in an unpredictable manner. This becomes a concern for organizations that base their inventory needs on it. Improper inventory stocks can be a detriment whether it is overstocked or under stock. If inventory is under stocked organizations may lose potential business to competitors due to an inability to keep up with demand. Overstock causes an issue with costs associated with storage of unsold merchandise and can tie up much needed capital. Problem Statement Due to the current state of the housing market, The Home Depot is finding it difficult to properly forecast inventory stocks resulting in a surplus of unsold goods and missed sales opportunities due to lack of other merchandise. NOTE: BACKGROUND CONTENT SHOULD BE THE LITERATURE REVIEW. LIT REVIEW CONTENT SHOULD BE THE BACKGROUND. IM NOT SEEING MANY OF THE MANAGEMENT TOPICS INTEGRATED INTO EITHER SECTION. YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL OF THE TOPICS JUST AS YOU STARTED THE LIT REVIEW, BUT YOU ONLY MENTIONED THEM THIS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. YOU HAVE TO WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT THEM THAT WOULD BRING VALUE TO THE SUBJECT OF YOU PAPER. Background A forecast is a statement about the future. Many businesses use forecasting in an effort to squeeze every last drop of profit out of a situation. The Home Depot, for example, bases sales forecast on mortgage refinancing rates. Usually the smaller rates are at any given time in history will equate to higher sales. There are many different uses of forecast. Forecast can be used for accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, management information systems, operations, and product or service design to name a few. While forecasts are instrumental to an organizations financial future they are rarely perfect due to the randomness of the variables involved. The accuracy of forecasts themselves decrease as the time horizon of forecast increases. For example, the Home Depot can forecast sales for this year more accurately than they can for next year. There are many different elements of the forecast that would be considered good. In order for a forecast to be considered good the forecast would have to be timely, reliable, accurate, meaningful, and easy to use. According to Stevenson, there are two main uses for forecasts. The first is to assist managers with planning the system and the second is to assist them plan the use of the system (Stevenson, 2001). What is meant by planning the system is just that. It is a means to plan the system that involves long-range plans such as what products or services to offer as well as what equipment to buy and where to build facilities and things of that nature. According to Stevenson, planning the use of the system generally refers to the short-range and intermediate range which typically involves things such as planning the budget, scheduling, short-term goals, the needs of the investor, inventory, etc. Forecasting for business goes far beyond just forecasting the demand of products and services. It also includes being able to predict profits, revenue, availability of raw materials and many other variables. The Home Depot, being a home improvements store, must also be able to predict things such as th e housing market. There are certain features that are common to all of the different forecasting techniques. One of the main commonalities of forecasting is that no one has a crystal ball, and no one can see into the future; therefore forecasts are far from perfect. No one can predict precisely how often a large number of related factors will impinge upon the variable in question, this, and the presence of randomness, preclude a perfect forecast (Stevenson, 2001). Another commonality to all forecasting techniques is that forecast accuracy will become less accurate as time moves on, an example of this is given above, due to the fact that forecasting errors for group items will have a canceling effect upon themselves. For example, the Home Depot can forecast the sales goals of a particular department better than the sales goal of an individual product. According to Stevenson (2001) six basic steps are involved in the forecasting process shown in Table 1. Note: I would put these steps in a Table. Label it Table 1. Paraphrase the content. Step One Determine the purpose of forecast (Stevenson, 2001). One must know the reason behind forecasting in the first place. If a person is forecasting how many individuals will show up to a bake sale as opposed to how many pallets of shingles need to be urgent in order to facilitate demand at any given time, knowing the purpose will justify the level of accuracy that is necessary. Step Two Establish a time horizon (Stevenson, 2001). One must have a time horizon in their forecast, one must also realize that the accuracy of the forecast will diminish as the time horizon increases. Step Three Choose a forecasting technique (Stevenson, 2001). Once again there are numerous amounts of forecasting techniques that are being used today. It is extremely important for the forecaster to choose one that will best suit the needs of the forecast. Step Four Gather and analyze relevant data (Stevenson, 2001). Before beginning any daunting task one must gather all relevant information that one needs in order to put it all together and make sense of it. In this stage the forecaster must also identify any assumptions that are made while preparing using forecast. Step Five Prepare the forecast (Stevenson, 2001). In this step one would use whichever technique that was decided in order to prepare the forecast for monitoring. Step Six Monitor the forecast (Stevenson, 2001). The forecast is similar to that of any automated program and therefore will need to be monitored. The reason that the forecast needs to be monitored is because it is not performing in the way that it should be, the forecaster needs to go back re-examine the data and make any relevant changes in order to keep the forecast on the straight and narrow path. If the forecast is not performing in a satisfactory manner certain assumptions couldve been overlooked or completely wrong. In either case the forecaster must then prepare a revised forecast Literature Review Inventory management is one of the key issues faced by managers that deal with seasonal products. It is important to understand how product forecasting has been previously used. As technology advances and globalization continues to be on the rise, keeping up with supply and demand becomes a challenge. Businesses need to learn how to create a supply chain advantage. In this section demand forecasting, demand learning, and product lifecycle forecasting methods will be discussed. Six rules for effective forecasting will also be included. Demand Forecast According to Huang, Chang, and Chou (2006), the first step in finding precise demand forecast is to collect and organize complete and applicable historical demand data for any given product. Demand of this nature can be issued daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly depending on the time within the planning window. The process of modeling demand and determining demand forecasts is as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦demand data, demand analysis, demand forecast model, perimeter estimation, demand simulation, demand forecast, and expected demand (Huang et al, 2006). There are two aspects of forecasting that are vital. The first is the expected level of demand, the second is the degree of accuracy that can be assigned to a forecast. Demand Learning Demand learning is one of the inventory models that has received considerable attention in the literature. Herbert Scarf is one of the first authors to incorporate demand learning in an inventory modeling context. In his literature, Bayes Solution of the Statistical Inventory Problem, he developed an interesting inventory model that uses observed demand information and a current stock level together in the decision process. It is his assumption that demand is generated from an exponential class of distributions, and a collaboration of prior distributions are used for the unknown parameters (Scarf, 1958). For seasonal demand forecasting a Quick Response policy was adopted by many manufacturers. This procedure was developed in an effort to reduce a manufacturers production time to respond to orders in a timelier manner so that forecast can be improved by collecting more information about the future demand. Suri (2004) studied the Quick Response policy extensively. According to his lite rature, there are four core concepts of quick response manufacturing: The Power of Time, Organizational Structure, Understanding and Exploiting System Dynamics, and Enterprise-wide Unified Strategy. Product Lifecycle Forecasting Method Burruss (2002) describes the product lifecycle forecasting method. He used this method to propose a way to more accurately forecast products with high uncertainty and a short lifecycle. According to Burruss, a short lifecycle ranges anywhere from 9 months to 18 months. According to the literature, products forecasted using this method, should have well defined lifecycle phases from introduction to maturity and then to end-of-life, a high demand spike during the introduction phase, which is then followed by a gradual downward leveling off during maturity, and a steep end-of-life drop-off that is usually caused by planned product rollovers (Burruss, 2002). Six Rules for Effective Forecasting Paul Saffo describes the difference between prediction and forecasting. He says that prediction deals with future certainty while forecasting looks at how events in the present are influential to the possible changes in direction (Saffo, 2007). In his literature he describes six simple rules for effective forecasting that managers should observe as they develop forecasting policies (Saffo, 2007). The first rule is to define a cone of uncertainty. According to the literature, the cone of uncertainty is used to help managers exercise strategic judgment. The most important part of the cone of uncertainty is defining its breadth, which is a measure of overall uncertainty (Saffo, 2007). The second rule is to look for the S-curve. Saffo explains that change does not usually follow a straight line. It is important to see and identify an S-curve pattern once it begins (Saffo, 2007). Rule three is to embrace the things that do not fit. A successful forecaster will be able to look to the left of an S-curve inflection point and notice indicators of what is to come. However, sometimes there are items to the left of the S-curve inflection point that simply do not fit. It is the job of the forecaster to recognize those items and adjust the forecast appropriately. The fourth rule is to hold strong opinions weakly. Here, Saffo is saying that one of the largest mistakes a forecaster will make is to rely on one piece of information, which at the time seems extremely strong due to the fact that it reinforces the conclusion that the forecaster had previously. According to the literature, more weak information, bits and pieces, put together is more trustworthy than a single source of strong information. Rule five says look back twice as far as you look forward. This rule is a continuation of rules two and three. One must know ones history before they can effectively expect future outcomes. One of the hardest parts of looking in history is to know when it does not fit. Rule six, the last rule, is to know when not to make a forecast. There are certain times when forecasting is easy and sometimes when it is just not possible. Saffo uses the dot com bubble of the 1990s as an example of this rule. Forecasters suggested that at the time that old rules did not apply when in fact they were extremely prevalent and the old economic imperatives bursts the dot com bubble (Saffo, 2007). Discussion As stated above there are many different types of forecasting methods that may be used. Moon and Mentzer (2004) describe a time series technique as only looking at patterns of the history of actual sales. The time series technique will look and determine whether the patterns that are prevalent at the time can be projected into the future. This will be the basis of the forecast. All time series techniques examine one or more of four time series patterns, which include level, trend, seasonality, and noise (Moon Mentzer, 2004). Research by Moon and Mentzer (2004) suggest that the level is a horizontal sales history, or what the sales pattern would be if there were no trend, seasonality, or noise. Most forecasters use the level as the starting point for the time series and look at the other patterns later. In Figure 1 that follows, the data follows a horizontal pattern around mean. Figure 1. Title (Note: All tables and figures must carry a number and a title. This does not mean anything because you gave no legend. What is the X axis? What is the Y axis? What do the numbers represent. ) The way the line moves up and down as sales increase or decrease or curve or remain a straight line is what is considered the trend. Most businesses will prefer a trend that is always increasing; however, this is usually not the case. The trend is essentially the bread-and-butter of any forecast. It allows forecasters to be able to determine what is working and what is not, and present this information to management in an effort to mitigate future loss. In Figure 2 that follows, the data is progressively increasing which shows a trend. Note: So trends are based on data? You never really said that. Here you have to introduce Figure 2 and title it. You cannot just stick a graphic in and say nothing about it. Figure 2. Title (Note: You need to include a legend.) Seasonality is described by Moon and Mentzer (2004) as a repeating pattern of sales increases and decreases that occurs within a one-year period or less. For example, the Home Depot experiences high sales every fall for snow blowers, high sales of lawnmowers during the spring, and high sales every summer for air-conditioners. The pattern of these high sales during those periods within the year typically repeat themselves every year and therefore, the seasonality line can be seen as a regular pattern. Figure 3 that follows represents a seasonal pattern. The data exhibits a regularly repeating pattern. (Note: Same comment. You need to title and provide a legend.) Figure 3. Title Noise is the unexplained phenomena that occurs in forecasts. These phenomena usually seem unexplainable until a regression analysis or similar has been conducted. For example if the Home Depot were to have high sales of lawnmowers in the winter months, that would be considered noise. The high sales of lawnmowers can be explained possibly by global warming (unusually warm weather in the winter months), a fire sale of lawnmowers during these months, or some other explanation. The fact is that high sales of that product are unusual and have not happened consistently in the past years and therefore is considered noise. The Figure 4 shows how noise would appear on a chart. There is an inconsistency in the pattern. Figure 4. Title Insert Legend Management Concepts There are many different techniques and approaches when it comes to management. However while dealing with a forecast, managers are faced with more decision-making attributes. In order for any organization to be successful it all starts with being able to properly manage not only personnel, but also the other aspects of the business. In the military, soldiers are taught to lead by example. They are taught very early on to Be, Know, Do. Be the individual that you want your soldiers to be, know all of the required information before presenting it to a subordinate, and do what is morally and ethically right at all times regardless of the situation in which one might find themselves (Hesselbein Shinseki, 2004). You need a citation for this information. Not sure the military example is relevant. Li (2007) describes supply change management as a set of synchronized decisions and activities utilized to efficiently integrate suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, transporters, retailers, and customers so that the right product or service is distributed in the right quantities, to the right locations, and at the right time, in order to minimize system wide costs while satisfying customer service level requirements. The Home Depot is an industry that ranks inventory in the top five business costs. Oversupply and undersupply of inventory at any given moment could have an extremely detrimental impact on the corporation. Establishing the right amount of product through effective forecasting will ensure that the Home Depot has the products customers need when they want them. This will also mitigate the overstock costs for storage of unsold goods. Economic Environment The current economic environment in the United States is bleak to say the least. As of the writing of this paper there is a high unemployment rate of 7.9% and a slow growth of the United States economy. Growth in the previous year has been at an extremely slow pace. Home sales directly impact inventory needs of the Home Depot. Total sales of homes in the United States have declined 1.7 percent since August of 2012 (realestateabc.com, 2012). Figure 5 shows . . . Figure 5. Title What year? You need to state the year. If home sales continue to decline it could mean that mortgage rates will increase. Increase in mortgage rates would mean that home improvement stores such as the Home Depot would take the brunt of the impact in the hike of the rate. Improvement in the economic environment is crucial for retailers like Home Depot (Steverman, 2009).. The housing bust in the United States hit the Home Depot hard. Due to the state of the economy, the Home Depot had reduced the square footage growth plans in an effort to improve free cash flow and provide strong returns for the company. (Home Depot, 2012). In 2009, the company was forced to exit its EXPO, THD Design Center., Yardbirds, and HD Bath businesses in an effort to focus solely on the brick-and-mortar stores (Home Depot, 2012). According to the five-year summary of financial and operating results of the Home Depot, the company is slowly regaining its previous financial success. Its total net sales are still lower in 2011 than they were in 2007. However, the trend indicates that the company is poised to regain its momentum and bring sales back to what they were previously. Table 1 is a five-year summary of The Home Depots financial and operating results. Table 1. Title Quantitative Tools and Techniques There are many different tools and techniques that are commonly used to support business decision-making. Arguably, decision trees are one of the best tools to assist managers in choosing between several courses of actions. Decision trees take information directly from the managers and allows them to see the outcomes of different courses they might take. According to Mind Tools, there are five steps to creating a decision tree, as shown in Table 2. The first step is to draw a decision tree. This will be the outline to which the manager would fill in the information related to each course of action. Second step will be to evaluate the decision tree. In this step the manager would decide which options have the greatest worth (Mind Tools, n.d.). The third step would be to calculate the values in the tree. Mind Tools suggest to start on the right-hand side of the tree and work backwards to the left. The fourth step is to calculate the value of uncertain outcome nodes. When calculating th e value of uncertain outcomes, one would do this by multiplying the value of the outcomes by their profitability. The total for that node of the tree is the total of these values (Mind Tools, n.d.). The fifth step of creating a decision tree is calculating the value of the decision nodes. In this step managers will have to write down the cost of each option and then subtract the cost from outcome that would give managers a value that represents the benefit of that particular decision. Figure 6 is an example of a decision tree that was retrieved from the Mind Tools website. (Note: It should be Figure 6, not Figure 4) Figure 6. Marketing Concepts As a home improvement warehouse store, the Home Depots customer base are the average do-it-yourselfers, do it for me, and professionals. The Home Depots competition not only includes big-name stores like Lowes but the local hardware stores. The Home Depot uses multiple social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. On these sites they reach out to customers through videos depicting how easy it is to do-it-yourself with the right tools and support from the store. They bring customers into the store by hosting how-to seminars. They do these things in an effort to increase brand loyalty, interaction with customers, and customers comfort level when doing projects on their own. In this day and age there are many outlets that companies can utilize an effort to reach maximum customer base. Chantal Tode (2012) wrote an article on how Home Depot decided to do an iPad app in an effort to integrate a customer experience that would get them more involved in home decor. Home Depot launched the Home Depot Style Guide Spring 2012 app around mid-March (Tode, 2012). This iPad application for the Home Depot has proven to be a huge success. The Home Depot will attempt to optimize Home Depot.com in an effort to provide iPad users with the best experience. Matt Jones, general manager of mobile for HomeDepot.com, Atlanta, Georgia said it has outperformed our expectations in terms of downloads, page views per visit and time spent in the app (Tode, 2012). Global View of Business Marketing. Success in international markets depends on a number of different things. When thinking about marketing for an international organization one must consider the wants and needs of that particular market. What works in Houston may not be the same in China. The Home Depot entered Chinas market in 2006. Unfortunately, the company did not do due diligence and study what the market demanded in that country. The Home Depot attempted to market in China the same way as it did in the United States. As a result the Home Depot will close the last of the seven stores in that country. Further research shows that the market in China is more of a do it for me culture (Burkitt, 2012), in part due to cheap labor and the fact that most individuals live in apartments. This means they have less need for items such as lumber and gardening tools. The closing of the stores will cost the Home Depot approximately $160 million after-tax in the third quarter 2012 (Burkitt, 2012). The Home Depot has a YouTube channel dedicated to Spanish speaking customers. This is a strategic marketing plan that should assist the Home Depot with its Spanish-speaking customers and improve its brand with. Management. Same comment as above. International management is one of the key things that brings success when working in a global economy. It is important to understand the culture of the country in which the business will operate. The Home Depot has stores in Canada, Mexico, . Canadian business is improving performance in the fourth quarter (Home Depot, 2012). Mexican business has 33 consecutive quarters of positive comp growth (Home Depot, 2012). Economic and Business Operations. Same comment as above about format. As previously discussed, the Home Depots economic and business operations are going quite well in the international market with the exception of China. The international businesses are operated similarly to those based in the United States. Nextels for the Home Depot outside of the United States were $8 billion for fiscal year 2011 (Home Depot, 2012). Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Foundations of Human Enterprise The Home Depot is very involved in community outreach programs. They have an organization known as The Home Depot Foundation with a mission to ensure that every veteran has a place to call home (Home Depot Foundation, 2012). In 2011 this organization completed more than 1000 projects with more than 400 of them focused specifically on veterans. They worked on projects such as painting local schools, community gardens, and refurbishing needy familys homes while working with local nonprofit organizations. The Home Depot also helps when disaster relief is needed. They assist local governments and organizations by providing supplies and resources needed to clean up and rebuild neighborhoods. The organization also contributes $500,000 to the American Red Cross annual disaster giving program (Home Depot Foundation, 2012). Business and Economic Principles Organizations such as the Home Depot need to understand that basic business and economic principles are of the utmost importance. This paper has discussed many different business and economic principles to include demand, economies of scale, opportunity costs and exit strategies. Critical Thinking The Home Depot solves problems and makes decisions more quickly due to the development of common vocabulary that is used throughout the organization. It utilizes a cross functional relationship approach by mixing the different strengths of the creative, teamwork, and rational approach to problem solving. The Home Depot also empowers its employees to think critically by taking courses offered through the employee website to enhance current skills and learn new ones. They also provide web-based seminars to help their employees learn how to resolve problems efficiently and effectively when they occur. Elements of the Environment That Influence Management Activities This paper has already presented many of the elements that affect management. Elements such as economic conditions, competition, and international environment have been discussed. Other elements that affect management, especially in a home improvement environment, would be things such as weather and social environment. The weather plays a large role due because it directly impacts customer flow to the store. During seasons that involve multiple days of inclement weather, management must make the decision as to what hours the store will be open, what conditions would cause the store to close early, and what items should be brought to the front of the store in an effort to catch the eye of customers. The Home Depot is already answering the question to social environment. When society changes so should business, and the Home Depot has done just that. One can find the Home Depot on many social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Courses of Action (COA) The Home Depot currently uses microeconomic data and economic theory to forecast the levels of demand for its products through the Gross National Product (GNP). The problem is that its demand is closely based on the housing market. As of late the housing market has been unpredictable and therefore the Home Depot should utilize a different forecasting technique. Below are two different COAs to take in consideration. Course of Action One The first course of action would be to implement the Delphi method to forcast inventory needs. This method is a combination of qualitative and quantitative processes that are derived from qualified experts opinions and are used to develop possible theories for the future. There are five steps in the Delphi method (Chong, Adnan, Zin, 2012). The first of his two identify the problem. Administrators will design questionnaires and evaluate total costs before starting the actual procedures. Upon completion of this step the expert selection will begin. Step two is actually selecting the experts. The actual size of the project that needs to be completed will be the determining factor as to how many experts will sit on the panel. The size of the panel actually depends on the budget allotted (Chong et al., 2012). The next step is to administer the questionnaire to the experts. In this step the members of the panel will draw conclusions from their own personal experiences and any other sort o f data or research that is available to them at the time (Chong et al., 2012). The fourth step is actually broken down into different parts. The first part will be to evaluate the responses that were generated from the original questionnaire. The responses that are evaluated from the first questionnaire are used by the director to develop more in-depth questions to be used in the second questionnaire. The second part of the fourth step is to redistribute the questionnaire with more focused questions in an organized list of the responses to these questions on the first questionnaire (Chong et al., 2012). The fifth step is to interpret the results. This final step will continue until all the experts said on the panel comes to a consensus (Chong et al., 2012). The reason this process works relatively well is because the experts are not together. This allows administrators to get a true consensus without prejudice or bias. Figure 7 shows how the Delphi method is used. Figure 7. Delphi Method. Course of Action Two The second course of action would be to implement the Holt-Winters Method for Seasonality Technique. This method utilizes the seasonality factor in order to account for seasonality associated with a product (Gelper, Fried, Croux, 2008). For example, the Home Depot sells many lawnmowers in the springtime and many air-conditioners when the temperature rises in the summer. This particular method needs to estimate three components of a forecasting equation (Gelper et al., 2008). The first component is the current level of sales. This component is achieved by removing noise and all seasonal aspects of the level. The second component is to use the current trend. This is the difference between the levels that are expected to happen between any two given seasons. The third is to add the seasonality. For example, if the Home Depot wanted to forecast sales for August and it is June, the following equalization could be utilized: [level (100) +2*trend (10)]*seasonal (1.4) = 128 units The Holt Winters method estimated that the current level is 100, the trend is five, and August has the seasonal index of 1.4. Figure 8 shows an example of the Holt Winters exponential smoothing. Figure 8. Holt Winters Exponential Smoothing. (Note: I see you have a legend on this one. Good) Recommendation Given the choices between the Delphi method and t

Tribunals Essay -- essays research papers

President Bush's decision to consider establishing military tribunals to prosecute accused terrorists has set off a major debate on civil liberties in the United States. Supporters argue that such a measure is a constitutional necessity to address terrorism of an unprecedented scope. Opponents claim that the tribunals would undermine the rule of law and deprive defendants of the protection provided for in the American system of justice. My research and personnel experience on the subject has found the tribunals to be in direct accordance of what the President of the United States his charged to do. It’s the duty of the President to ensure the safety of all citizens. The tide of war has changed dramatically within the past twenty years with our enemies becoming more and more invisible. As the country as changed throughout history, this latest change on how we deal with our enemies is just another positive step in the right direction. The tribunal rules do not violate establish ed criminal justice procedures because it does not target crimes usually prosecuted by the civil criminal justice system. A military tribunal or military commission is a court-like forum that is created within the military to try a person accused of crimes. It is authorized by the U.S. Constitution and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which is a federal law (Title 10, United States Code, Chapter 47) passed by Congress. The great majority of the UCMJ is devoted to the rules concerning the trial of U.S. service personnel by court-martial. Article 21, UCMJ, however, provides authority to convene other military tribunals. Some individuals in the military could argue that members are held to a different criminal justice system than civilians. Most crimes not prosecuted by civil systems like adultery are prosecuted in the military and can lead to jail time. You will never here complainants because members of the military understand they are held to a higher standard than their civilian counterparts. With higher standards there is always a higher cost to pay when you violate them. A military tribunal is essentially a court-martial, or a military trial, during a time of war. The rules of evidence that are in the civilian criminal trials do not apply. The tribunal ordered by Bush would target non-U.S. citizens suspected by the White House to be terrorists. The issue most people hav... .... The decision President Bush mad is the correct one and is proven with the response by Americans. More than fifty percent of American support tribunals and the war on terrorism. We have to learn that these people want to kill us not steal out televisions. This is a war and in war sometime we have to adjust when our enemies throw curve balls at us. In effect, what the critics of military tribunals would have the President do is turn enemy belligerents over to civilian law enforcement authorities for prosecution. To do so, however, would not only be unprecedented, but would set a horrifically bad precedent. I support the tribunals and believe it does not violate established criminal justice procedures in place in the United States. We as a country have to accept the necessary changes to ensure the survival of our culture and way of life. REFERANCE Draft of Tribunal Rules Would Require Public Trials, Death-Penalty Unanimity By Jess Bravin. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Dec 28, 2001. pg. A.18 http://archives.cnn.com/2001/LAW/12/06/inv.tribunals.explainer/index.html http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20011123.html

It’s up in the Air, or Is It Essay

The article elaborates on how individual sociological imagination can connect social structure to life history. In this case, sociological imagination refers to understanding of individual behavior as the product of historical processes that affects a person’s social environment. The rules of social structure are considered to restrict the conduct of individuals and also mould outcomes for them. However, students are not able to see the connection between individual action and structural outcomes. In sociological imagination, social structural explanation can be used to answer the several questions of social stratification. It is evident that other forces than individual characteristics shape the outcome and distributions of societal rewards (Renzulli, Aldrich, Reynolds, 51). Organizations help to reduce inequality in the society by allowing prospective entrepreneurs from different social origins to access to wealth-generating assets. In order to show how social structure of society shapes the results for individuals, the students can be engaged in a multiple rounds of coin tossing game. The game will also include some rules and regulations to be followed. The results of the game will be highly predictive on how the social structures mould the outcomes of individuals. From the distribution of the coins, the students will realize that inequality and personal prosperity are not the result of personal characteristics (Renzulli, Aldrich, & Reynolds, 56). The alteration of the rules of the game will help the students to see how real world processes generate inequality in the community. It is clearly acknowledged that, structures and rules affect a person’s ability to access an opportunity regardless of his or her talent. However, some improvements have to be done on the game in order to give the best results to the students. Therefore, coin tossing game can be used to effectively demonstrate how sociological imagination increase student understanding of the social world.

The Origins of Affirmative Action

â€Å"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. (1)† Affirmative action can trace its roots back to the 14th amendment, although it did not really get started until Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed, giving minorities equal employment rights. The overall strategy and outline for this plan were contained in Executive Order 11246, which was issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1972 (Gilbert et al. 2). This led to a wave of programs that were intended to further the equal employment opportunities for minority individuals. Affirmative action programs were intended to legally require organizations to be diverse. During the 1990's these programs have come under a lot of scrutiny and are being replaced with a concept known as diversity management. . Managing and valuing diversity are key aspects of organizational behavior, but the question lies in how to create the diversity within the organization. In this paper, I will examine several articles that will give us reasons that affirmative action should be replaced by diversity management, as well as one that believes that affirmative action is still needed in today's society. Mary Guy believes that affirmative action programs are still needed today. She noted that if we lived in a perfect world we would not have a need for organizations to have affirmative action programs (240). However, since people have a tendency to work around people that are most like us, programs are needed to ensure that past discriminatory actions are corrected. Opposition to these programs generally has come from â€Å"advantaged† groups who feel that quotas will keep them from their jobs. Since the laws creating affirmative action never required quotas, then when quotas have been put in place, they are merely exceptions to the rule (Guy 242). Diversity in the workplace has been slowly increasing under affirmative action, however, Guy feels that this is no time to abandon it, but to keep it moving forward (242). â€Å"Stigmatization revisited: Does diversity management make a difference in applicant success? ,† written by Jacqueline Gilbert and Bette Ann Stead, includes the results of experiments conducted at two universities. These experiments examined whether there was a greater perception of increased qualifications and competence when employees were hired under a system of diversity management versus an affirmative action plan. The second article â€Å"Diversity management: A New organizational paradigm,† written by Jacqueline Gilbert, Bette Ann Stead, and John Ivancevich, defines diversity management and compares it to affirmative action. Furthermore they discuss strategies that will help to insure that a diversity management program is successful. (Gilbert et al. 1) In â€Å"Stigmatization revisited†¦ † the authors performed experiments to determine the effects of affirmative action versus diversity management. Individuals, both women and those of color, that were hired under the guise of an affirmative action plan were generally viewed as less qualified than there peers. It was noted that the perception was that if they were qualified for the position, then they would have been no need for an affirmative action plan. Those individuals that were hired in an atmosphere of diversity management were not perceived as being more or less qualified than their peers. These results were especially evident when the job was a traditional â€Å"male type†, for example, an electrician (Gilbert & Stead 11). They concluded that an organization that valued and promoted cultural diversity would enable women and minorities to be perceived as competent for the positions that they held. Also those companies would have an inherent advantage when it came many other areas; including resource acquisition, marketing, creativity flexibility, and corporate attractiveness. These advantages would lead to greater profits and therefore a more positive outcome (Gilbert & Stead 11). Thc theories of affirmative action are changing in today's world, according to the authors of â€Å"Diversity management†¦ Many states, as well as the federal government, are debating the future of programs that are viewed as giving any type of advantage to a particular group of people (i. e. race or gender) (Gilbert et al. 1). In order to alleviate concerns of discrimination, companies are developing corporate cultures that embrace cultural diversity. This is known as diversity management. Affirmative action has come under a lot of scrutiny, both by majority and minority groups, due to misperceptions and problematic implementations of the programs. Many people view affirmative action as a quota system that leads to unqualified individuals being hired ahead of those that are qualified, and are therefore viewed as less competent than their peers. By treating all people equally, with regards to race and gender, these perceptions disappear (Gilbert et al. 8). These programs, however, will not work if they only exist in one part of an organization. Diversity management programs must start with the CEO and work its way down to the bottom. By being prevalent throughout an organization, the positive ethics of a strong diversity program will not be detrimentally affected with the decisions of one individual who chooses not to be ethical (Gilbert et al. 8). Through their research, the authors feel that the traditional misperceptions that are prevalent in an affirmative action program should not surface in a diverse multicultural organization (Gilbert et al. 8). As we can see, the problems that have been associated with affirmative action can be dissolved and the goals still met with a strong diversity management program within and throughout an organization. Affirmative action is under fire all around the country. Here in Georgia we have had several cases that have been brought to the public's attention. The University of Georgia is being sued because of racial preferences in its admission process (Rankin & Suggs 1). The City of Atlanta's affirmative action set-aside plan is being challenged in a lawsuit as well (Campos & Rankin 1). The overall trend in these suits, as well as others throughout the country is that any system that gives preference to certain groups is actually discriminatory in and of itself. In my view the original concept of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was that any type of discrimination is in violation of the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution. Affirmative action programs that use quotas, no matter how they are implemented, result in individuals being classified and treated according to their race and gender. Diversity management programs within an organization will promote the multiculturalism that is required, as our business world becomes more and more global. Though traditional discrimination is still around in some cases, I do not believe that we need to keep affirmative action in the form that it is in today. A strong diversity management program will actually do more for the affected individuals by treating them as individuals instead of as part of a group. By looking at the individual and their individual contribution, stereotypes can be avoided. This is not an easy task, as old habits die hard, and people are slow to change. By embracing cultural differences that exist within our organization, misconceptions and prejudices can be left behind as we rise above discrimination and into diversity management.

Teen life Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers

Teen life Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers Teen life Teen life I cant ever make up my mind The best answer I cant ever find My mom and dad yell You have to decide If only they were in my brain along for the ride People dont realize just how hard it can get To not disappoint without feeling regret It seems easier to have someone pick for me But I guess that just weakens my decision making ability I also wish someone would help me to choose Give me some advice that I could use Get me to get over this problem of mine Help me to realize all I need is time But it seems like I need to get over it right now Just practice and try even though I dont know how I could really face some problems in the years to come With this problem of mine that may seem quite dumb Im worried I will have to face a major consequence For when Im faced with the decision and I reply Im on the fence Just toughen up and buckle down Because the best choice I know can be found Ill be cured before you know it But right now Im not faking I protest everything that goes along, With decision making Im worried I will have to face a major consequence For when Im faced with the decision and I reply Im on the fence Just toughen up and buckle down Because the best choice I know can be found Ill be cured before you know it But right now Im not faking I protest everything that goes along, With decision making BY:

John Locke and Plato Essay Example

John Locke and Plato Essay Example John Locke and Plato Paper John Locke and Plato Paper The two views with regards to innate knowledge that both John Locke and Plato hold, are quite different. Locke shares the view that there is no such thing as innate knowledge, and that knowledge is obtained through experiences in ones life. Plato holds a completely different viewpoint and feels that knowledge is not something that is learned, but it is recollected. He feels that the knowledge is inside each human being, and that the individual needs to be pointed in the right direction to perhaps recall that particular knowledge. John Locke was known as an Empiricist, and that meant he did not believe in innate knowledge. Locke feels that we are born as a Tabula Rosa or blank state, and that through our experiences do we gain knowledge. Locke felt that knowledge comes from experiences and more specifically, sensation and reflection. Examples of sensations would basically be the five senses, and reflections would be pure thoughts or feelings. Furthermore, primary ideas were designated as being physical objects and were designated as bulk, size, motion, figure and number. Secondary ideas were characterized as being in ones head and were characterized as distinguishing sweetness, roughness or color. One of the big discrepancies I found would have been Platos views on the advancement of science or technology. By means of Empiricism, we are able to change our ideas over time as we determine that past theories are incorrect and are able to build upon new ideas, whereas Plato felt that innate knowledge was simply discovered and admit to having been wrong. It seems to me that over time we develop newer and better theories on certain subject matters, as opposed to just simply being wrong about things and all of a sudden just seeing the light with regards to the newly discovered innate knowledge. Plato felt that morals and ethics were innate, whereas Locke felt that experiences provide us with data to show us what is morally right and wrong. I must say that I do not agree with Platos beliefs in any way. I do not feel that we are simply born with all this knowledge and simply by being pointed in the proper direction, we are able to ascertain that which we were previously unaware of. John Lockes beliefs that by experiencing things we are able to understand and solve problems to me make much more sense. For example if you took a healthy child and from the day they were born placed them in an enclosed room providing them with proper food for nourishment and growth, and you monitored that child over the years one would find that the child would have no aspects of innate knowledge.

Annotated Bibliography on Anne Bradstreet Poem

In the beautiful poem, â€Å"Before the Birth of One of Her Children†, Anne Bradstreet expresses her feelings honestly and openly. The poem is written to her husband, and it addresses her fear of not surviving childbirth and what she would want her husband to do if that was the case. One of the main ideas that I found to be most evident was the love that she expresses in her poem. She says to her husband, â€Å"And if thou love thy self, or loved’st me, These O protect from step-dame’s injury. Bradstreet not only cares for and loves her husband, but she has a passionate love for her unborn child. Another prominent theme is Bradstreet’s acknowledgement of the possibility of death. She faces her fear, knowing it is inevitable and could occur when she gives birth, which she points out by telling her husband about how he might â€Å"lose his friend. † She also tells him how she wants to be remembered, which is clearly seen when she says, â€Å"If any worth or virtue were in me, Let thy live freshly in thy memory. † In this poem, it is clear that she feels love and a strong maternal bond with her child even though there is the possibility she will never meet him/her. â€Å"Before the Birth of One of Her Children† is a wonderful illustration of Anne Bradstreet’s loving character as well as her facing her fear of death. REACTION TO ONE OF THE MAIN IDEAS: This poem really resonated with me because I felt like it can be applicable to my own life. Not exactly in the same way of dying through childbirth, but through the love, honor, and sacrifice that she expresses through this poem. Although Anne Bradstreet has never met the child she refers to in this poem since she has not given birth yet, it is evident that she is filled with love for him/her. She tells her husband to take very good care of them, just like she would do if she survives. I think her example of love is a great example to everyone, especially for us Christians. The love that she shows is unconditional and sacrificial, just like the love Jesus has for us. I think Anne Bradstreet’s possible death is also symbolic to Jesus’ death; she would be dying for her child, and Jesus died on the cross for His children as well. The difference, of course, lies in the fact that we can have a relationship with Jesus even though He died for us, but I still think there is a lot of significance between the two. She wants her husband to do whatever it takes to care for her children if she cannot be there, and God always cares for His children as well. I think the type of love that Anne Bradstreet demonstrates through this poem is something that we should try to be practice in our daily lives. It may be through little things, but we have the incredible opportunity to allow God’s love to flow through us each and every day of our lives!

Compare and contrast Durkheims and Marxs analysis of Punishment in Essay

Compare and contrast Durkheims and Marxs analysis of Punishment in Modern Society - Essay Example According to the paper  punishment can be referred to as something that is painful. Punishment is something unpleasant imposed by an authority on an offender because of some wrongdoing. The purpose of punishment is to give justice to the victim and to discourage other people from following the same action in the future. If there is no authority involved then the action is more of a revenge than or an act of hostility rather than a punishment.This paper highlights that  Durkheim introduced two concepts. Firstly, societies evolved from mechanical (simple and non-specialized) to organic (complex and specialized). In a mechanical society people think and behave alike, and have the same goals. As a society becomes organic, its work becomes more complex, and the people are independent and impersonal. Secondly, he made a surprising argument that anomie would be worse in times of prosperity than in times of recession. His argument was that as prosperity increases, desires increase. At th e same time, traditional rules have lost their authority. Individuals cannot find their place in the society without clear rules to help them.  In the long run, criminals and crimes are a necessary part of the society for its evolution and development of law and morality. Therefore, in this sense it is useful. Not only does it help in differentiating between right and wrong, but it also has a vanguard quality. According to Durkheim, crime can appear as an anticipation of the morality to come.  

DQ #5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DQ #5 - Essay Example Lastly, the pie chart is important in showing the competitive position of a company against its competitors. Shares of companies in an industry are illustrated through pie chart as well as the contribution of sales among geographic locations. Misleading graphs becomes a problem in portraying the real situation. This is as worse as distorting the data set as these are both done in order to exaggerate and convey wrong information to the reader. The graph on the equity market posted on Yahoo finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/marketupdate/overviewu) is an example of a misleading graph. It should be noted that the Dow and Nasdaq markets are shown in two line graphs which uses different intervals. Also, the graphs are misleading because the horizontal axes did not start at zero making the movements in composite price indices appear very large even if this is not the case. This problem can be remedied by displaying the performances of Dow and Nasdaq on one graph. Also, the horizontal axis should start at zero in order to give investors an appropriate view on the changes in composite price indices. The use of focus group can be very helpful in gathering qualitative data especial

Reform and Planning in Dallas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reform and Planning in Dallas - Essay Example Fairbanks places more emphasis in the need to eliminate slums. According to him, the city administrators Prepared for the twentieth century by adopting measures aimed at handling the soaring population. The city also made major improvements in its urban planning as well as economic development. This significantly helped in eliminating slums and ensuring that public housing is provided for the needy. Moreover, Fairbank argues that Dallas prepared for the twentieth century by integrating its urban policy into the federal as well as state-based housing policies. In the essay, he also analyzes the past and contemporary profile of Dallas. These include the cultural and social issues that characterize the city. According to him, the city prepared for the twentieth century by ensuring that its urban change is relevant to its future, as well as the future of its metropolitan regions. He argues that effective urban and regional planning is necessary. Fairbanks also argues that Dallas implemented a wide range of environmental provisions in its urban planning. According to him, this significantly helped in ensuring that environmental conservation is enhanced and pollution is mitigated. Finally, he believes that technology plays a significant role in the development of any city. He therefore argues that Dallas prepared for the twentieth century by integrating technological advancements when planning the

Important Changes in European Societies that Influence Politics in Essay

Important Changes in European Societies that Influence Politics in Europe - Essay Example This essay offers a comprehensive review of major changes in European societies in different fields of human life. Their summing impact on change of politics of the EU is assessed in the paper. A new political union was developed by the countries of Western Europe. Europe is made up made up of regions with varying historical backgrounds. The nations making up Europe have different cultural backgrounds too. Various factors have led to division of Europe into autonomous entities, the economic factors, the religion factors and the political factors. The cultural unity that has put European nations together has not yet disappeared despite of the registered transformations. Europe especially the western side has experience increases in immigration cases. Most of the people come from the less developed part of the world especially North Africa due its close proximity to Europe. More people are also moving from central and Eastern Europe towards the western side of Europe. The role of men and women has continued to change in the European society. Initially, male education was considered more superior than educating women. Gender is considered as one of the new cleavage in the current societies. It has been found out that more women are currently employed in the highly paying jobs. However, their earning is considered lower compared to the men’s salaries. Unity has continued to exist among the countries that make up the European Union. Europe remains home to most of the industries in the world.

Does the rise in Third World tourism help or hurt local populations Essay

Does the rise in Third World tourism help or hurt local populations - Essay Example Does the tourism a manna from the heaven for the third world countries The answer is No. Thesis In general, tourism has a negative impact on populations of the third world countries ruining their natural beauty and national identity, exploiting their resources and preventing natural economic and social development of these regions. Tourism ruins natural resources of the countries and has a negative impact on national uniqueness of the nations. Most of the third world countries are weak to resist a flux of tourists coming each year to their lands. Consequently, the marked and growing disparities of income and way of life between most people in the industrial countries and those in the developing world are widely regarded as evidence of a biased and improperly functioning global system. International worsens the problem of income inequalities. The great income disparities as resulting from different resource endowments, and the historical and technological developments affecting their use. Disputes on the origin of poverty and wealth are certain to continue, but the search today is for development strategies which will achieve decent standards of life for all people by the end of this century. Also, Duval (2004) underlines that social differentiation is a constant source of headaches. Different groups not only c ompete for scarce resources but also make claims and demands on state actors. Racial diversity is seen as a blessing. Tourism is not static changing and evolving over time. The positive approaches to tourism are based not on anthropological concerns for humanism or the survival of cultural groups but on largely monetary motives. Tourism in particular is business for local communities and musicians. Also, this source is important because it analyzes resorts and recreational facilities in the region (Mowforth, 2003). The main problem in the third world countries is that locals play a minor part in industry development occupied by foreign born tour guides and agencies. Natural beauty and uniqueness of the islands have been spoiled by tourists and lack of state interventions and controls. There is the complex links between state, ethnicity, and tourism. In addition to the economic aspects of tourism, there are the political foundations of tourism including a role of the state and lack of controls. Duval ((2004) unveils concerns and problems faced by local communities, vision that led to the dismissal of history and identity. The growth and development of the tourist industry in the Caribbean region can be understood in the broader context of a state apparatus that is inefficient both economically and politically. Among them are new routs and new 'tourist' countries, price sensitivity and improves service. The third world tourism is under pressure, either dissolving in the face of these global confo rmities or changing their form and function while it has to adapt to these new international and transnational operations. Many third world countries seek to be a cultural and political entity preserving its natural beauty and cultural heritage. The marketing of tourism is similar to international diplomacy, a field that involves national image-management

Reform and Planning in Dallas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reform and Planning in Dallas - Essay Example Fairbanks places more emphasis in the need to eliminate slums. According to him, the city administrators Prepared for the twentieth century by adopting measures aimed at handling the soaring population. The city also made major improvements in its urban planning as well as economic development. This significantly helped in eliminating slums and ensuring that public housing is provided for the needy. Moreover, Fairbank argues that Dallas prepared for the twentieth century by integrating its urban policy into the federal as well as state-based housing policies. In the essay, he also analyzes the past and contemporary profile of Dallas. These include the cultural and social issues that characterize the city. According to him, the city prepared for the twentieth century by ensuring that its urban change is relevant to its future, as well as the future of its metropolitan regions. He argues that effective urban and regional planning is necessary. Fairbanks also argues that Dallas implemented a wide range of environmental provisions in its urban planning. According to him, this significantly helped in ensuring that environmental conservation is enhanced and pollution is mitigated. Finally, he believes that technology plays a significant role in the development of any city. He therefore argues that Dallas prepared for the twentieth century by integrating technological advancements when planning the

Does the rise in Third World tourism help or hurt local populations Essay

Does the rise in Third World tourism help or hurt local populations - Essay Example Does the tourism a manna from the heaven for the third world countries The answer is No. Thesis In general, tourism has a negative impact on populations of the third world countries ruining their natural beauty and national identity, exploiting their resources and preventing natural economic and social development of these regions. Tourism ruins natural resources of the countries and has a negative impact on national uniqueness of the nations. Most of the third world countries are weak to resist a flux of tourists coming each year to their lands. Consequently, the marked and growing disparities of income and way of life between most people in the industrial countries and those in the developing world are widely regarded as evidence of a biased and improperly functioning global system. International worsens the problem of income inequalities. The great income disparities as resulting from different resource endowments, and the historical and technological developments affecting their use. Disputes on the origin of poverty and wealth are certain to continue, but the search today is for development strategies which will achieve decent standards of life for all people by the end of this century. Also, Duval (2004) underlines that social differentiation is a constant source of headaches. Different groups not only c ompete for scarce resources but also make claims and demands on state actors. Racial diversity is seen as a blessing. Tourism is not static changing and evolving over time. The positive approaches to tourism are based not on anthropological concerns for humanism or the survival of cultural groups but on largely monetary motives. Tourism in particular is business for local communities and musicians. Also, this source is important because it analyzes resorts and recreational facilities in the region (Mowforth, 2003). The main problem in the third world countries is that locals play a minor part in industry development occupied by foreign born tour guides and agencies. Natural beauty and uniqueness of the islands have been spoiled by tourists and lack of state interventions and controls. There is the complex links between state, ethnicity, and tourism. In addition to the economic aspects of tourism, there are the political foundations of tourism including a role of the state and lack of controls. Duval ((2004) unveils concerns and problems faced by local communities, vision that led to the dismissal of history and identity. The growth and development of the tourist industry in the Caribbean region can be understood in the broader context of a state apparatus that is inefficient both economically and politically. Among them are new routs and new 'tourist' countries, price sensitivity and improves service. The third world tourism is under pressure, either dissolving in the face of these global confo rmities or changing their form and function while it has to adapt to these new international and transnational operations. Many third world countries seek to be a cultural and political entity preserving its natural beauty and cultural heritage. The marketing of tourism is similar to international diplomacy, a field that involves national image-management

Venus Boyz Essay Example for Free

Venus Boyz Essay In the Euro-American paradigm, the concept of sex, gender and sexuality is highly debated. The society simplifies the gender roles, and branches it out into two categories of: masculine and feminine. Humans learn from the societal norms to behave in ways appropriate to their sex, as it sees gender congruent to the sex of a person. The gender system in the society, seeks to put them in a hierarchical set up, where a man is on the top by default. In such a system, people are prescribed to take up the role of the gender they are assigned by the social system. Men are seen as aggressive, rational, dominant and objective beings who possess power, competency, efficiency and achievement. While women on the other hand are seen as passive, intuitive, submissive and subjective and value love, communication, beauty, and relationship. The idea of dualism that one who appeals and the one with power makes it is easy to describe male- female as a set of opposite traits. In contemporary America, hegemonic masculinity is defined by the physical strength and bravado, exclusive heterosexuality, suppression of â€Å"vulnerable† emotions such as remorse and uncertainty, economic independence, authority over women and other men, and intense interest in sexual â€Å"conquest†. Masculinity is always seen as a form above femininity. Femininity is thus structured around that of masculinity. Its prime feature is its attractiveness to males, the suppression of â€Å"power† and emotions of anger, nurturing children, looking after the household. Masculinity and femininity are the social metaphors of male dominance and female suppression. Woman’s unpaid works of being a home-maker is still devalued, and are prone to get sexually harassed and discriminated on the basis of the work done by women. Society expects men to dominate, and women to suppress, thus gender, significantly, is seen as socially and culturally constructed. There exists different ways in which men can be differentiated from women based on the dress code. However, a woman dressing like a man does not raise questions, as opposed to the male wearing skirts. Society disproves of elements which blur the line between a man and a woman, thus it creates as many distinctions as it can. Language also is seen as a differentiating factor between masculinity and femininity. The pronouns he/she, his/hers, him/her, only present the two extremes. Thus, by defining the two extremes, it implicitly states that they are opposites. Gender is also seen a performance. People are raised to perform a â€Å"certain way†- a girl is raised to be more feminine, and be shy, while a boy is raised to be tough and more masculine. Thus, gender is seen as a social construct, depending on how the person is expected to behave. However, the performance cumulates and takes over the life of the individual, as they are expected to lead themselves in a way that conforms to the society. But, what is ignored is how it could have implications in a certain way that would lead the person into gender inequality- a girl raised up in a feminine way, is highly prone to getting discriminated based on the salary or looked down upon by the man. Sex, defined as the biological characteristics that define a male and a female- hormones, gonads, genitalia, chromosomes, etc., is seen as a very congruent concept to the gender of a person. A person born with a penis is seen evidently as male, and a person born with a vagina, is classified as a female. People have tried to introduce theories and ideas so as to break the two-sex system. The Euro- American paradigm for the intersex child elaborates on its genitals. If the phallus is between 0-1 centimeters, it is accepted as clitoris, and if it is between 3-5centimeters, it is accepted as the penis. However, a phallus ranging anywhere between 2-3 centimeters would account for the surgery. Anna Fausto- Sterling, mentions in her book, Sexing the Body, that if an infant is born with ambiguous genitalia, then the doctors work towards restoring them to â€Å"normal†. And also since it is fairly easy to construct a â€Å"hole† rather than a â€Å"pole†, a biologically born male’s penis is chopped off if it is too small. Thus, sex is also socially constructed, so as to be able to fit into the two binaries available to us. Sexuality in the Euro-American society, does not always mean a male body sexually attracted to a female body. It is seen under three categories: heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality. In the western culture, individual expression is given more importance and this exemplified in the movie Venus Boyz. Venus boyz is the first documentary feature film that fosters visibility and new light on the issue of female masculinity in general, and of drag kings in particular. A legendary Drag King Night in New York is the point of departure for a journey to transgendered worlds, where women become men some for a night, others for their whole lives. Women performance of masculinity has rarely been projected on TV, sitcoms, talk shows, or entertainment. Venus Boyz is highly influenced by the American society at large. The film’s main concerns are related to the problem of stable identity categories and its subversive effects on the so-called natural gender system. Gender: * A gender construction. is how it spins the mystery of gender. * Social concept. * Gender identity. ‘Woman’, ‘man’, ‘masculinity’, ‘femininity’ and so on, are not fixed entities which necessarily comply with the correlative ‘sex/gender system’; rather, these notions form part of an ongoing process by which traditional identity categories can be contested and revisited. Western paradigm- woman are below men. Transgender see them as * Gender is a performance- stated in the film. * Transgender.   * Movie explores female masculinity raises questions about cultural constructions and perceptions of gender. * â€Å"I feel that everyone has a male, female, masculine, and feminine side, but not everyone chooses to explore the other side.† * Gender training. How to act like a man.- male stereotypes * Some of the ladies act out male identities as a way of channeling their male spirit, or creating a third gender other than â€Å"male† or â€Å"female†. They don’t necessarily identify with, or need to make themselves into men. Sex: * biological characteristics that define a man and a woman. Hormones, genetelia, gonads. * Girl talks about Feeling like a man. * The woman with the wig- comes across very androgynous. * Some women strap on dildos as part of their transformation; male-transgender workshop participants pass around a â€Å"faux penis† more supple than customary sex toys. Sexuality: * Female sexuality linked to a woman’s hair, if shaved off, men no longer see that person as sexual. * Relationship between the sexes is on the way to very basic change. No longer concept of reproduction a fundamental aspect of sexuality. * Despie of dressing like a man, desires men, but does not identifies herself as androgynous. Do you think they constitute a third sex and/or gender? No, falls under the continuum of the two binaries.

A Robust Cost Leadership Strategy Marketing Essay

A Robust Cost Leadership Strategy Marketing Essay As the business environment become even more dynamic, a robust cost leadership strategy within the framework of corporate strategy is vital in order to ensure the success of the organization. It should provide the direction that the whole organization can pursue to secure the companys future survival and success. There are types of generic strategies that companies must possess to achieve competitive advantage. The first generic strategy is cost leadership strategy and the others are differentiation and focus strategies. Competitive advantage can be defined as anything which gives one organization an edge over its rival in the products it sell or the services it offers. In general, cost leadership is about being the lowest cost producer in the industry. For an organization to gain competitive advantage, it must achieve overall cost leadership in an industry it is competing in. For companies competing in a price-sensitive market, cost leadership is the strategic imperative of the entire organization. It is vitally important for these companies to have a thorough comprehension of their costs and cost drivers in order to pursue a cost leadership strategy. They also need to fully understand their targeted customer groups definition of quality, usually denoted in terms of design specifications, contractual requirements, delivery and services at the lowest possible cost. Of particular importance will be for the company to attain a cost level that is low relative to its competitors. Cost Leadership Strategy This strategy according to Porter, involves the firm winning market share by strategizing to cost-conscious or price-sensitive customers. This is achieved by having the lowest prices in the target market segment, or at least the lowest price to value ratio (price compared to what customers receive). To succeed at offering the lowest price while still achieving profitability and a high return on investment, the firm must be able to operate at a lower cost than its rivals. There are three main ways to achieve this. The first approach or way is achieving a high asset turnover. In manufacturing, it will involve production of high volumes of output. These approaches mean fixed costs are spread over a larger number of units of the product or service, resulting in a lower unit cost, for an example the firm hopes to take advantage of economies of scale and experience curve effects. For industrial firms, mass production becomes both a strategy and an end in itself. Higher levels of output both require and result in high market share, and create an entry barrier to potential competitors, who may be unable to achieve the scale necessary to match the firm low costs and prices. The second way is achieving low direct and indirect operating costs. This is achieved by offering high volumes of standardized products, offering basic no-frills products and limiting customization and personalization of service. Production costs are kept low by using fewer components, using standard components, and limiting the number of models produced to ensure larger production runs. Overheads are kept low by paying low wages, locating premises in low rent areas, establishing a cost-conscious culture, etc. Maintaining this strategy requires a continuous search for cost reductions in all aspects of the business. This will include outsourcing, controlling production costs, increasing asset capacity utilization, and minimizing other costs including distribution, RD and advertising. The associated distribution strategy is to obtain the most extensive distribution possible. Promotional strategy often involves trying to make a virtue out of low cost product features. The third dimension is control over the supply/procurement chain to ensure low costs. This could be achieved by bulk buying to enjoy quantity discounts, squeezing suppliers on price, instituting competitive bidding for contracts, working with vendors to keep inventories low using methods such as Just-in-Time purchasing or Vendor-Managed Inventory. Wal-Mart is famous for squeezing its suppliers to ensure low prices for its goods. Dell Computer initially achieved market share by keeping inventories low and only building computers to order. Other procurement advantages could come from preferential access to raw materials, or backward integration. Some writers claim that cost leadership strategies are only viable for large firms with the opportunity to enjoy economies of scale and large production volumes. However, this takes a limited industrial view of strategy. Small businesses can also be cost leaders if they enjoy any advantages conducive to low costs. For example, a local restaurant in a low rent location can attract price-sensitive customers if it offers a limited menu, rapid table turnover and employs staff on minimum wage. Innovation of products or processes may also enable a startup or small company to offer a cheaper product or service where incumbents costs and prices have become too high. The Starbucks Company Starbucks used mostly a differentiation strategy; however it had also used a cost leadership strategy. Its differentiation strategy was exemplified by their stores providing an experience, offering interesting coffee-related drinks in a theatrical kind of atmosphere, their unique Coffee blending and roasting process which enabled them to create an extensive product variety, their employees received great deal of training to become very knowledgeable about coffee in order to provide an exceptional service to increasingly coffee-educated consumers, and their ability to find the perfect location for their stores enabled them to maximize market share in a given area of a city and build their regional reputation which then increased their image to a national level of high prestige and status. For all these reasons, consumers were willing to pay a premium. Their cost leadership strategy was exemplified by their supply chain operations where they received the best transportation rates, and were able to achieve economies of scale by eliminating redundancy and maximize efficiency. Starbucks was also a cost leader due to its good relationship with coffee exporters who were very anxious to become Starbucks suppliers; a fact that enabled the company to get better prices and reduce bean-sourcing costs. The activities that created superior value for Starbucks retail coffee-house business were: Procurement purchased more high quality coffee than anyone else in the world. Technological Development a lot of research was put into the roasting and blending process to create unique tastes. Human Resource Management extensive training and educating of employees (baristas) and turning them into part of the organizational culture. Outbound Logistics finding good Real estate to maximize market share in certain area and provide the coffee in key places to consumers. The Nestle Company Nestlà © with headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlà © and is today the worlds biggest food and beverage company. They employ around 250,000 people and have factories or operations in almost every country in the world. The Companys strategies are guided by several fundamental principles. Nestlà ©s existing products grow through innovation and renovation while maintaining a balance in geographic activities and product lines. Long-term potential is never sacrificed for short-term performance. The Companys priority is to bring the best and most relevant products to people, wherever they are, whatever their needs, throughout their lives. Nestlà © Company has aimed to build a business based on sound human values and principles. Nestlà © believes in making a long-term commitment to the health and wellbeing of people in every country in the scope of their operations. At Nestlà © Significant differentiation from traditional retail and less price transpar ency is followed. They follow this differentiation strategy to reduce the risk of complexity of supply chain and lower attractiveness for discounters. Pepsi Co merged with the Quaker Oats Company, creating the worlds fifth-largest food and beverage company, with 15 brands each generating more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Pepsi Co follows the differentiation strategy. Their ability to innovate is their competitive advantage. They look for opportunities to capitalize on the value of their brands by creating new products and varieties. By innovating to meet consumer needs and preferences, they fill consumption gaps and contribute to create both healthier and indulgent choices for consumers, and bringing more enjoyment to their lives. As you can see, Nestle also uses the differentiation strategy for cost leadership strategy just like the Coca cola Company. This shows that the customers are asking for a change. They want revolution in the products. That is what these two companies are doing to keep alive and top in what they do. Conclusion As conclusion, I would like to say that cost leadership strategy is used by organizations to lower the cost used for business and enhance the productivity and profit. This is a very good strategy to be used in a business.

Muhammed Ali :: essays research papers

â€Å"Fly like a butterfly, Sting like a bee.† This is what the man did, and what he was good at. Mohammed Ali was the first man to ever win the heavyweight title three times, and had a very impressing boxing career. But Mohammed Ali was not only an impressive boxer, but he brought about social change in his own way as well. First, he has contributed extensively to the Muslim religion, for one by joining it, along with other contributions. Secondly, with his speaking out against the war in Vietnam and refusing the draft, he was the first public figure to speak out against the war and not go to fight. Thirdly, there was his flamboyant and perceived arrogance he was probably the worlds first modern sports star. Mohammed Ali was indeed a great person who brought about significant social change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His contributions to the Muslim religion were indeed significant. First with his joining of the Muslim religion, came more recognition of the religion. Also Ali becoming a practicing Muslim minister helped the religion become more recognized. He also reached out to third world countries as a diplomat in an attempt to bring peace, which is of the spirit Muslim Religion. But most of all his practicing of peace and not joining in the fight against the Vietcong, despite the drawn out legal battle and obvious resistance to this decision, was the greatest demonstration of his devotion to the Muslim religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mohammed Ali received much resistance for his beliefs, and even more resistance for his eventual refusal to be drafted into the army to fight in Vietnam. As soon as this got out he was stripped of his title, and all of his boxing licenses. Along with obvious resentment from the general public came a long drawn out legal battle, but he stuck to his guns, umm in a manner of speaking. During his exile from boxing he spoke against the war at colleges and various other places in order to make money, this made him the first public figure to speak against the war in Vietnam. His conscientious objector claim eventually won his fight against the Supreme Court (not a literal fight of course), and he was again free to fight. Giving him freedom once again to be the crazy superstar boxer he was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As many people already know Ali was a very boastful man, and he was very often capable to back up his boasts.

Urban Legend of Bloody Mary :: Urban Legends Ghost Stories

Bloody Mary Often, the story of â€Å"Bloody Mary† is the first story of supernatural form that is told to many individuals as young children. When I was in 3rd grade, a group of friends and I got together to have a sleepover; naturally, we all went to my friend’s basement and started telling scary stories. One of my friends told me that if I went into the bathroom without any lights and said â€Å"Bloody Mary† three times in front of a mirror, a bloody figure would appear. This urban legend was told by a nineteen year old woman at the University of Maryland who is originally from West Point, New York. She is currently a sophomore majoring in architecture. On the night of March 30, 2007, a group of friends and I got together in the 4th floor lounge of LaPlata. In the midst of discussion, the topic of scary stories came up, and at about midnight, the storyteller started telling her version of â€Å"Bloody Mary.† She paused for a moment and started talking about the origins of the urban legend. She said that â€Å"Bloody Mary† is a reference to Mary Queen of Scots, a Scottish monarch. Apparently, Mary Queen of Scots would bathe in the blood of virgins in order to look young and vibrant. The storyteller said that virgins were viewed as being pure, so exposure to their blood would make an individual look beautiful. The storyteller paused and said, â€Å"Now it’s time to get to the good part.† She said that an individual needs a candle, a lighter, a dark room, and a mirror. An individual would take the unlit candle and put it in front of the mirror with the lighter in his or her hand. The individual would spin around while chanting â€Å"Bloody Mary† seven times. As soon as he or she finished, the individual would immediately turn to the mirror and light the candle. After the candle is lit, a figure with a bloody face would appear in the mirror and kill the individual! As we all looked in awe, I asked her if she ever tried it, and she said that she was never able to do it because she was too frightened. Even though many of her friends did it and came out alive, the storyteller said that she could never have the courage to do it because it was too scary for her. Urban Legend of Bloody Mary :: Urban Legends Ghost Stories Bloody Mary Often, the story of â€Å"Bloody Mary† is the first story of supernatural form that is told to many individuals as young children. When I was in 3rd grade, a group of friends and I got together to have a sleepover; naturally, we all went to my friend’s basement and started telling scary stories. One of my friends told me that if I went into the bathroom without any lights and said â€Å"Bloody Mary† three times in front of a mirror, a bloody figure would appear. This urban legend was told by a nineteen year old woman at the University of Maryland who is originally from West Point, New York. She is currently a sophomore majoring in architecture. On the night of March 30, 2007, a group of friends and I got together in the 4th floor lounge of LaPlata. In the midst of discussion, the topic of scary stories came up, and at about midnight, the storyteller started telling her version of â€Å"Bloody Mary.† She paused for a moment and started talking about the origins of the urban legend. She said that â€Å"Bloody Mary† is a reference to Mary Queen of Scots, a Scottish monarch. Apparently, Mary Queen of Scots would bathe in the blood of virgins in order to look young and vibrant. The storyteller said that virgins were viewed as being pure, so exposure to their blood would make an individual look beautiful. The storyteller paused and said, â€Å"Now it’s time to get to the good part.† She said that an individual needs a candle, a lighter, a dark room, and a mirror. An individual would take the unlit candle and put it in front of the mirror with the lighter in his or her hand. The individual would spin around while chanting â€Å"Bloody Mary† seven times. As soon as he or she finished, the individual would immediately turn to the mirror and light the candle. After the candle is lit, a figure with a bloody face would appear in the mirror and kill the individual! As we all looked in awe, I asked her if she ever tried it, and she said that she was never able to do it because she was too frightened. Even though many of her friends did it and came out alive, the storyteller said that she could never have the courage to do it because it was too scary for her.

Learning teaching and assessment

This presentation will inform a 750-1250 word written analysis of your own development needs in relation to the role of the teacher, when considering and making adjustments to assessments for students with disabilities identified in your presentation. Through working in a special school, teaching Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) I have had to adjust my teaching and own assessment practices to meet a range of disabilities, all the children at School, have a statement of special needs.These needs include mild medical issues, developmental disorders including ADHD and Dyspraxia, utism and behavioural, emotional and social issues. Ways in which we assess the learning of these students has been adapted and changed to suit their needs and have been identified in this presentation. â€Å"Learning the skills for a happy and prosperous life will be at the heart of all we do†. (2010). The school follows the national curriculum with a strong focus on teaching skills. We have adapted skills competencies for LOtC from the National curriculum.The skills the learners will gain are transferable, therefore any activity can be used to teach/learn any of the individual skill competencies. We have based the activities on what will motivate the learners making it easier for them to access the learning of the desired skill. By developing skills and confidence of the students they will make better progress when learning other curriculum subjects. â€Å"Although at this time, there is no cure for autism, targeting the unique learning styles of individuals with autism can and does meaningfully engage them, teaching them skills that have a positive effect on life outcomes†.Joanne M. Caflero (2013) To enable learners with these disabilities to understand, engage and learn from their lessons a number of adaptations have been ade. The day starts with a wipe board where the plan for the LOtC session is drawn up (Apendixl). These animations of the activities enable both au dio and kinaesthetic learning. Lesson plans are based on meeting the need of learners and are structured around the heading of the Every Child Matters Outcomes. These learners need routine, structure and visual clues to support Accelerated Learning (2001).To assess the learners with disabilities, we have been progressing them through the skills sets on the Scheme of Work (SOW) (Appendix2) during the year. Each term the school focuses on a skill set determined on the SOW. The skill set is broken down into competencies which we focus on during lessons. Each lesson's objective is always an individual skill competency from the SOW, which is pre-determined by myself and my colleague during our lesson planning. The skill competency is made specific by choosing an activity which will influence behaviours of the learners to develop the competencies through activity or communication.The activity to promote skill competency development is kept very simple so the learners understand and are ea sily able to achieve it and promote development in the future. The skill competency is explained to the learners prior to the activity, learners are then given the opportunity to put forward their ideas as an individual or in a small group, on how to best demonstrate their understanding ot the skill competency, allowing tor differentiation and inclusive learning. For example, this term the school were working towards the skill set ‘Improving Own Learning Performance' (Appendix 2).My colleague and I identified to work on ‘Plan Ways to Improve Their Own Learning (Appendix 2, 2. ‘x). To simplify this for the learners to understand, we re- orded it as ‘Plan and get Better'. We identified Archery as a suitable activity for learners to demonstrate this skill competency. We asked learners to self-identify a lesson goal focusing on a specific element of Archery, for example improving aiming, or pulling of the string. We allow the learners to practice the activity and then we ask the learner to identify their improvement.

Pizza! the Best Party Food Essay

Ding! Dong! â€Å"The pizza’s here everybody†. What do you mostly always eat when there is a party? What do you expect to eat at a party? That’s right! It’s pizza. A party without pizza is like a store without anything to sell. Some reasons that it is the best party food is that everybody eats it and is easy to get. Another reason is that everyone loves it. So why not get pizza the next time you decide to throw a party. First of all, lactose intolerant people aside, who doesn’t love when the pizza guy arrives at the door with, boxes of that deliciousness. Also it is the easiest thing to get for a party is pizza. Its so hard to cook for anywhere from 50-100 people. That would take hours of work and make the house smell bad. Why not just spend 60 dollars and get about seven whole boxes of Pizza Hut, Domino’s, DiGiorno’s, or anything else. Its saves so much time and the trouble of cooking. Also who knows if they will honestly even like the food you cook. When getting pizza you know everybody will eat it because the hosts of parties know people love pizza. Do you want to be remembered as a good host or party thrower? Then go buy pizza. You will probably spend that much on whatever you are cooking any way. So take the easy way out, and also the smart way. Next, everyone enjoys pizza, name one person that just doesn’t enjoy pizza. The perfect blend of cheese, tomato, and bread gets everyone’s mouths watering. Everyone just can’t resist from taking a slice. On the other hand it also tastes very good with drinks such as sodas. You can have all the wings and breadsticks you want but no matter what it won’t be a party without pizza. If I ever met someone who doesn’t like pizza I would interrogate him with questions. Did you ever even try it? Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you? What planet have you come from? Good thing I have never met anyone like that. Pizza is also rated the peoples’ most favorite food worldwide. So at a party you know it’s pretty demanding. If people don’t get pizza then it will make the guests unhappy and unsatisfied in their stomach. Overall there is no way around it. Pizza is the king of the party. It is the stomach filler. It is the most essential ingredient to making a successful party.

Standard Deviation and Frequency Distributions

TUI Frequency Distributions Module 3/Case 10/148/2012 Professor Kuleshov Frequency Distributions This assignment is based on Frequency Distributions and will include the following information: 1. The ability to describe the information provided by the Standard Deviation. 2. The ability to use the Standard Deviation to calculate the percentage of occurrence of a variable either above or below a particular value. 3. The ability to describe a normal distribution as evidenced by a bell shaped curve as well as the ability to prepare a distribution chart from a set of data (module 3 Case).Part 1 (1) To get the best deal on a CD player, Tom called eight appliance stores and asked the cost of a specific model. The prices he was quoted are listed below: $ 298 $ 125 $ 511 $ 157 $ 231 $ 230 $ 304 $ 372 Find the Standard deviation $ 298 + $ 125+ $ 511+ $ 157+ $ 231+ $ 230+ $ 304+ $ 372= 2228/8 = 278. 5(subtract from #s) 19,-153, 232, -121, -47, -48, 25, 93 (square numbers) 380, 2356, 54056, 1476 2, 2256, 2352, 650, 8742 = 106(added) (Divide by 7) 15251 (take square root) Standard Deviation = approximately 123. 2) When investigating times required for drive-through service, the following results (in seconds) were obtained. Find the range, variance, and standard deviation for each of the two samples, and then compare the two sets of results. Wendy's 120 123 153 128 124 118 154 110 MacDonald's 115 126 147 156 118 110 145 137 (2) Set 1: Range : maximum – minimum = 154-110= 44 Number of cases 8 To find the mean, add all of the observations and divide by 8 Mean 125 Squared deviations (120-125)^2 = (-5)^2 = 25 (123-125)^2 = (-2)^2 = 4 (153-125)^2 = (28)^2 = 784 (128-125)^2 = (3)^2 = 9 (124-125)^2= (-1)^2= 1 (118-125)^2 = (-7)^2 = 49 154-125)^2 = (29)^2 = 841 (110-125)^2 = (-15)^2 = 225 Add the squared deviations and divide by 8 Variance = 1938/7 Variance = 276 Standard deviation = sort(variance) = 16 Set 2: Range : 156-110 =46 Number of cases 8 To find the mean, add all of the observations and divide by 8 Mean 131 Squared deviations (115-131)^2 = (-16)^2 = 280 (126-131)^2 = (-5. 75)^2 = 33 (147-131)^2 = (15)^2 = 232 (156-131)^2 = (24)^2 = 588 (118-131)^2 = (-13)^2 = 189 (110-131)^2 = (-21) ^2 = 473 (145-131) ^2 = (13) ^2 = 175 (137-131) ^2 = (5) ^2 = 27 This is divide by 7 because this is a sample data n-1=7 Add the squared deviations and divide by 7Variance = 1999/7 Variance = 285 Standard deviation = sort (variance) = 16 The standard deviation for restaurant B is slightly smaller than that of restaurant A. The range for restaurant A is slightly less the range of B. This shows there is a little more variation in restaurant A with respect to times required for drive through service than in required for drive through service than in B. (3) A company had 80 employees whose salaries are summarized in the frequency distribution below. Find the standard deviation. Find the standard deviation of the data summarized in the given frequency distribution. Salar y Number of Employees ,001 -10,000 14 10,001 – 15,000 13 15,001 – 20,000 18 20,001 – 25,000 18 25,001 – 30,000 17 The chart gives frequency and salary, traditional formulas cannot be used due to we do not know the actually salary of each employee. In order to do these assumptions need to be done with using middle point. Example (10000-5001) /2 then added to 5001= 7500 5,001- 10,000 =7500 10,001-15000=12500 15001-20000=17500 2001-2500=22500 25001-30,000=27500 Total number of employees = 80 14, 13, 18, 18, 17= 80 Compute the Mean 14 * 7500 = 105000 13* 12500 = 162500 18* 17500 = 315000 18* 22500= 405000 17 * 27500 = 467500 467500 80Add up all frequency Mark values Total= 1455000 1455000 80 1455000 / 80 = 18187. 5 = 18188 Now standard deviation Total employees 80 Total 1455000 Means= 18188 7500-18188=-10688 12500-18188=-5688 17500-18188=-688 22500-18188=4312 27500-18188=9312 Square the values -10688= 114233344 -5688=32353344 -688=473344 4312=18593344 9312=86 713344 114233344*13=420593472 323553344*13=420593472 Sd2= 3837187520 80-1 = 48571993 (round up) = 48571994 4. The heights of a group of professional basketball players are summarized in the frequency distribution below. Find the standard deviation. Height (in. ) Frequency 70-71 3 72-73 7 74-75 16 76-77 12 78-79 10 0-81 4 82-83 1 To get the standard deviation of these numbers I first calculated the mean by added all the numbers together (3, 7, 16, 12, 10, 4, 1) and divided it by 7. I then took the mean (7. 57143) and calculated the deviance by subtracting the mean from each one of the numbers in the set. Then I squared each of the individual deviations, added those sums together, and divided the number I got from that sum by one less than the data set, which are 6. Then the last step is calculating the square root, which is the ending result (5. 38074) References Introduction to Frequency Distributions, Retrieved November 12, 2008, http://infinity. os. edu/faculty/woodbury/Stats/Tuto rial/Data_Freq. htm Slides on frequency distributions, Retrieved November 12, 2008, http://campus. houghton. edu/orgs/psychology/stat3/ Frequency distributions, Retrieved November 12, 2008, http://davidmlane. com/hyperstat/normal_distribution. html Z-Table Calculator, Retrieved November 12, 2008, http://davidmlane. com/hyperstat/z_table. html Z-Table and Standard Normal Distribution, Retrieved November 12, 2008, http://www. oswego. edu/~srp/stats/z. htm Example of the normal distribution, Retrieved November 12, 2008, http://www. ms. uky. edu/~mai/java/stat/GaltonMachine. html