Research and Analysis Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

And Analysis - Research Paper Example the whole government of the United States and more specifically federal government appeared confused and unprepared for this calamity and there emergency response was very minimal, what they did was not satisfactory at all. Federal Emergency Management Agency or (FEMA) were not able to response on time instead they delayed to set up an immediate operation center in New Orleans, in addition to that they seemed not having a concrete plan of action to work upon. Including the president of the day Mr George Bush appeared to be unaware on how bad the situation was on the ground or entire affected region, the number of people stranded or missing, the figure of homes destroyed or under floods and much aid was needed (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009). One reporter described the aftermath of the disaster as a â€Å"total disaster zone† and a place people are â€Å"getting absolutely desperate† daily. Overall emergency needed proper management at different levels and coordination. Many people had nowhere to call home any more while at Superdome where people had gathered the suppliers were running low day by day, the officials were so adamant but finally accepted about 15,000 more refugees running from the storm that following Monday after which they locked the doors. The so called City leaders were seen as status because they had no appropriate plan to follow while tens of thousands citizens were desperate looking for food, water, and at the same time shelter. This led them to Ernest N. Morial and Convention Center complex but what they found was chaos all over, in other words it was now impossible to depart from New Orleans to any other place, this increased desperateness especially the poor people who had no cars and had to go nowhere, for example some group of people attempted to walk over famous Crescent City Connector overpass to the close by town of Grema but it was in vain since the standby police officers carrying short guns stopped them and insisted for them to go

Unit 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 3 - Essay Example Age and can possibly provide an example for this relationship. As one ages, resistance to diseases decreases. This means that the increase in age negatively affect resistance to diseases. Correlation studies can take many forms. Let us consider non-experimental correlation studies and quasi-experimental studies. Non-experimental studies involve measuring things as the objects appear. In non-experimental studies, the methods used include observation, case history, and surveys. It is it is unethical to manipulate independent variables. Non-experimental values are used to provide solutions to problems and question existing realities. Lawrence Lisa (2011), conducted a non-experimental descriptive correlation study to examine the relationship amongst four variables, moral distress, education level, CRP and work ethics and how these variables affected nurses work engagement. The study found out that there was a positive direct relationship between CRP and work engagement and a negative correlation moral distress and work engagement. According to Ramos-Alvarez, Moreno Fernandez, Valdez Conroy, & Catena (2008), quasi experiments are evaluations that attempt to determine whether a program or intervention has an expected effect on the participants. Quasi experiments take different forms but usually lack aspects of true experiments. This is the reason quasi experiments are not ideal for dissertation work. In a true experiment, there must be pre-test and posttest design, treatment group, control group and random assignment. For quasi experiment, either one or two of these aspects are lacking. Raanas, Grindel & Herting (2012) conducted a quasi experiment study to examine the health advantages of a bedroom window observethe natural background for patients undergoing a rehabilitation program. The funding for this research was that a blocked view appeared to influence negative physical health changes in women. For men, blocked views

The Iberian Lynx: Habitat, Features and Endangerment

The Iberian Lynx: Habitat, Features and Endangerment Josue Flanquin The Fate of the Iberian Lynx Among the many carnivore species that exist in Europe, the Iberian lynx and the European mink-Mustela lutreola are the only two indigenous species of the continent. In 1992, after series of careful observations and head count by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Iberian Lynx was quickly considered â€Å"critically endangered,† to see one of them go extinct is inacceptable. Despite the many researches, money and time spent in their protection and conservation, yet not much improvement has been shown in their survival. The Iberian lynx, also known as lynx of Spain and as lynx pardinus, will be the first member of the feline species to go extinct since the extinction of the Saber-toothed tiger 10,000 years ago. Being part of the wildcat family, the lynx pardinus displays many of their characteristics including long legs, ruff beard-like fur and tufted ears but unlike many other wildcats, the Iberian lynx coat is spotted, colored and shorter. Geographical Range The Iberian Lynx is known to be a native of Spain and Portugal, mainly in the Southern of the Iberian Peninsula. It is thought that before, they were well-spread all over the area, however, about a century and a half ago, their range has diminish tremendously. Before, their presence was known to be noticeable mainly in the south but also in some northern part of the area. Rapidly within fifty years they started to become extinct in the north Iberian region and an intense decline in density also began to ravage the south. From 1960 to 1990, the decline had become more extreme, and more prominent in south Spain and Portugal with about 80% with only 2% of their previous original range remained occupied. (Ferreras, et al., 2004) Two surveys were published, one in 1988 and the other in 2008. The first one estimated there were in a very fragmented range, about 800 to 1100 Iberian lynxes (adult) living in nine populations. And the other survey that was done in the more recent years has shown a much lower estimated head count to confirm that their presence were only spotted in the southwestern region of the Iberian peninsula. The total estimated number of Iberian lynx spotted and reported was between 475 to 680 Iberian lynxes living in five populations instead of nine populations as previously reported. In order to protect them, they are being kept in the Donana National Park. The species used to be very common in Portugal, but now its thought to be extirpated since their presence was last reported in January 1992. (Delibes, et al., 2000; Ferreras, et al., 2004) Habitat Like many wild felids, the Iberian lynx requires a wide range of terrains, especially below 1300 meters that contain mosaic of closed scrubland that is scattered among open patches of grassland. The reasons for choosing such landscapes are because it provides a great balance between wide-open space and shrub cover. Mostly, lynxes use scrubland as shelter and breeding while other areas that are not totally covered tend to become a shelter for their prey, more specifically their mainstay pray the European Rabbits, also know as Oryctolagus Cuniculus, which is very prominent in these locations. Unfortunately beside the many suitable habitat locations that are available, the species have been extinct from those areas presumably due to the low availability of their main prey (Ferreras et al., 2004). One of the features observed from felids is that they are very solitary and depend on a distributed demographic structure among populations where inbreeding is avoided. This requires passages b etween areas that meet the criteria of the suitable territory. Those passages allow the lynx to look for new habitats outside of the given endemic territory that fits their living condition. (Pedro Sarmento, et al., 2008) Physical Description The Felidae family has many other lynx species in their genus that includes the Canadian lynx (Lynx Canadensis), the Eurasian lynx and the Bobcat (Lynx rufus). The common family traits explain their resemblance and relativeness to each other, for example, although they are very similar in size as the Canadian lynx and the Bobcat lynx but yet smaller than the Eurasian lynx and black shorted-tipped tails. However, the Iberian lynx has some unique features of their own; they have small heads and flat faces, black tufted ears and jowls-bearded appearance and tawny pelage. Those differences have been used recently in the configuration and characterization of their size, shape and intensity of those distinctions in order to determine the degree of diversity genetically within the species. (Beltrà ¡n and Delibes, 1993; Cope, 1879; Delibes, et al., 2000; Meachen-Samuels and Van Valkenburgh, 2009) The mortality rate of the Iberian lynx is higher than their reproduction rate. According to a s tudy led by Delibes, et al 2000, 40% of their mortality happens while scattered over the land. The lifespan of the species and their longevity of captive individual are unknown. The oldest Iberian lynx as of date died at 13 years of age. The Iberian lynx has a straighten-reduced skull, small muzzles; long jaws that give each bite the â€Å"force of a smaller canines.† Those features are very beneficial adaptations for the Iberian lynx, they help them in catching small, fast prey and also enable them with the ability to kill their target with a single bite in the posterior region of the neck in order to puncture and damage the prey’s spinal cord, as opposed to suffocating bite practice by larger lynx. (Cope, 1879; Beltran and Delibes, 1993; Meachen-Samuels and Valkenburgh, 2009) Reproduction The Iberian lynx is known to be a monogamous polygynous species when observed in the Donana National Park, a close-up metapopulation at its carrying capacity density. With the total availability of suitable territories diminishing, Intrasexual interaction has become very competitive, resulting in the male Iberian lynx to have smaller territories that can be easily defended against other surrounding rivals looking for mates. Therefore, such circumstance turns the Iberian lynx to become more of a monogamy community since the males are forced to put all their strength on defending avoiding access to a particular, exclusive single female of that community. The Iberian lynx often reach sexual maturity within a period of nine months to a year after birth. Though even after sexual maturity the females will not breed until they have secured a set territory of their own. After maturity mating is always the next step, given the fact that females’ estrus peak is in January so breeding us ually happens from January to July since it is the only time that the males and females interact. Although males’ territories might overlap with those of the females’, aggressive interaction over mating right is uncommon; however the prominence of the population dictates the fluctuation rates of aggressive intrasexual, the higher the density rate, the higher the population rate will be and vice versa. (Fernà ¡ndez, et al., 2003) Food Habit The Iberian Lynx is a specialized feeder, its diet consist of 80%-100% Oryctolagus cunicuus. One adult Iberian lynx requires between 700 and 1100 kilocalories per day in order to gain the approximate amount of energy needed to function. By consuming their primary prey, the European rabbit. the Iberian lynx get that amount of energy from one single rabbit. One can imagine that an adult female with younger lynxes will require up to three rabbits per day. Because of their distinctive diet, it makes impossible or hardly do they show geographic variation. Threat to their Survival The Iberian lynx species has made it on the top of the red list of critically endangered species facing extinction, according to the IUNC. Many argument and debates are circulating over who or what is responsible for the Iberian lynx decline with barely 150 left in the Iberian Peninsula (see table 1). The three main cause of their death include but not limited to the decline in the Rabbit population, human hunting and human fragmentation. The rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, is wild invasive animal. This rabbit has been flagged as nearly endangered species in the IUNC red list due to the disease myxomatosis, habitat loss and human-induced mortality (Smith and Boyer 2008). Many Spaniards enjoy hunting. It is part of their way of life also their a way to make a living. Although the government of Spain and Portugal, both have passed laws that prohibits the hunting of the Iberian lynx, many locals still continue those habits. They would hunt them in order to used get their skin to directly sell them in the black market or to use them to make fur coats. Another main threat to the survival of the Iberian lynx is land fragmentation. During the beginning the 20th century when everything including culture start to get influenced by the western world, many rich companies moved to Spain due to low tax or free tax deal. The government allows big companies such as lumber industries to use portions of the iberian lynx habitat to be converted as stands for timbers, or also they have allowed the construction and development of tower-buildings, roads and highways, shopping malls and modern recreational public parks, invading huge part of the forest’s ecosystem and damaging the lynxes’ native habitat. Part of the life cycle of an Iberian lynx is â€Å"inter-population dispersal,† they use habitat corridors as passage, so with new roads being built that also take its toll on the species. Among the many different researches out there, there have not been enough evidence supporting the idea that human fragmentation as the main cause of death. However, according to â€Å"Delibes, et al., 2000,† most recent mortalities have been reported to be human induced which includes traffic collisions from roads, illegal hunting (5% annually), caught in traps (6% annually), and forest fires. Therefore according to the IUNC 2006, the rabbit’s decline remains the primary cause of death and extinction of the Iberian lynx. http://ge09d-geography-2010.wikispaces.com/file/view/Decline_in_Iberian_Lynx_Numbers_2.1.png/123004189/Decline_in_Iberian_Lynx_Numbers_2.1.pn Conservation Status The Iberian lynx is the most threatened species in Europe. This carnivore has fewer than 200 breeding individuals left. They have suffered not only a huge decline in their population rate and a decline in their prey’s availability but also a massive lost of range contraction. The preservation of this species requires immediate intervention from both government, Spain and Portugal accordingly, in order for it to be successful. Many captive breeding programs have begun but little is known about their success and may need to be thoroughly investigated. The inability of the species to disperse due to habitat fragmentation, has led to their isolation. Habitat fragmentation includes road construction, urban development, agriculture and elimination of corridors. Inter-population dispersal is very important in the species’ life cycle; to disperse they use habitat corridors. Another important step that need to be taken into consideration is the restoration of habitat corridors, their protection is important in the recovery of the iberian lynx, if we need re-establish successful inter-population connectivity Pedro Sarmento, et al., 2008). Furthermore, poaching remains on the list as one of the main threat of death of the Iberian lynx with 5% of annual mortality. Spain government in 1973 and Portugal in 1974 have long passed laws prohibiting exploitation and trade of the Iberian lynx by humans, because such activities are kept secret, sensitivity program has been put in place to inform the locals not to partake in such activities and report them. (Beltrà ¡n and Delibes, 1993) Citations Smith, A.T. Boyer, A.F. 2008. Oryctolagus cuniculus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Francisco Palomares, Miguel Delibes, Eloy Revilla, Javier Calzada and Jose Marà ­a Fedriani, Wildlife Monographs No. 148, Spatial Ecology of Iberian Lynx and Abundance of European Rabbits in Southwestern Spain (Oct., 2001) GIL-Sà NCHEZ J, MCCAIN E. Former range and decline of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) reconstructed using verified records.Journal Of Mammalogy[serial online]. October 2011;92(5) Sunquist, M. and Sunquist, F. (2002) Wild Cats of the World. The University of ChicagoSunquist, M. and Sunquist, F. (2002) Wild Cats of the World. The University of Chicago F. palomares, vegetation Structure and Prey Abundance Requirements of the Iberian Lynx: Implications for the Design of Reserves and Corridors Journal of Applied Ecology Vol. 38, No. 1 (Feb., 2001), pp. 9-18 JESUS M. PEREZ, The dilemma of conserving parasites: the case of Felicola (Lorisicola) isidoroi (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) and its host, the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) Insect Conservation and Diversity (2013) Carlos Carroll and Dale G. Miquelle, Spatial Viability Analysis of Amur Tiger Panthera tigris altaica in the Russian Far East: The Role of Protected Areas and Landscape Matrix in Population Persistence Journal of Applied Ecology vol 43 Ferreras, P., Gaona, P., Palomares, F. and Delibes, M. (2001), Restore habitat or reduce mortality? Implications from a population viability analysis of the Iberian lynx. Animal Conservation, 4:265–274. Palma, L., Beja, P. and Rodrigues, M. (1999), The use of sighting data to analyse Iberian lynx habitat and distribution. Journal of Applied Ecology J. Torres, R. Garcà ­a-Perea, J. Gisbert and C. Feliu (1998). Helminth fauna of the Iberian lynx, Lynx pardinus. Journal of Helminthology, 72, pp 221-226. Meli ML, Cattori V, Martà ­nez F, Là ³pez G, Vargas A, et al. (2009) Feline Leukemia Virus and Other Pathogens as Important Threats to the Survival of the Critically Endangered Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus).

ABC Electric Company :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

ABC Electric Company Introduction ABC Electric has been in business since 1970. The company makes hand-held arc welders its primary customers are construction firms, shipbuilders, auto-repair shops, and â€Å"self-help† amateurs. The company has 30% of the current market share along with four other competitors it has an annual sales of $800 million. The company has a satisfied customer-base. Although, their products are priced above the competitors, customers prefer ABC’s welders due to their superior finish, reliability, and durability. Recently, demand for hand-held welders in the U.S. was steadily growing at a rate of 7% rate annually but has currently drop. However, demands are growing in the West European market, which is currently value at $1 billion. Recently, ABC Electric found its market share and profitability decreasing. Due to the fact that the company has made some gain in its customer base by improving product quality and service while maintaining price. Moreover, a component supplier of ABC has raised its price by almost 10%. In addition, industry wide competition has generated excessive price reduction, which help in the fluctuation of the company profitability. Strategic Issues Facing ABC Electric ABC Electric is facing several issues that needs to be address in order to stabilize their competitors growth as well as increasing their market share and profitability. These issues are closely related to their external competitive strategy, which seems to be non-existence on a whole. Base on my brief discussion above, I believe that ABC Electric has in-voluntarily allows, one of its competitors to make advancement by improving its quality and service of their product without increasing price. Due to the fact that, ABC perceived its customers to be immune to price thereby remaining loyal to its product because of the quality and reliability that comes with the product image. As a result, this perceived brand loyalty created a threat to the company. The second issue facing the company is, a supplier of whom ABC purchases its electric motors from for its welder has raised the price by almost 10%. In looking at this, the bargaining power of the supplier is very strong bec ause the switching cost might be very high. Moreover, it will become damaging to the company based on the current reduction in price within the industry if the problem is not solved.

Bloodlines Chapter Nineteen

IF I'D HAD TROUBLE SLEEPING BEFORE, Adrian's dream only made things worse. Even though I was safely back in my own bed, I couldn't shake the feeling of violation. I imagined that my skin was crawling with the taint of magic. I'd been so anxious to get out of the dream that I'd only half-realized what I'd been agreeing to. I respected Adrian's desire to go to college but now wondered if I should really be helping with that after my father's chastisement about â€Å"getting friendly† with vampires. I wasn't in the greatest of moods when I finally got up a few hours later. The tension in our room was thick as Jill and I prepared for school. Jill's defiance from yesterday was gone, and she kept watching me nervously when she thought I didn't notice. At first, I figured my outburst from last night had made her uneasy. But as we walked out of the room for breakfast, I knew there was more to it. â€Å"What?† I asked bluntly, breaking the silence at last. â€Å"What do you want to ask me?† Jill gave me another wary glance as we joined the rush of other girls heading downstairs. â€Å"Um, something happened yesterday.† A lot of things happened yesterday, I thought. That was my overtired, bitter self talking, and I knew that wasn't what she was leading up to. â€Å"Such as?† I asked. â€Å"Well†¦ I was starting to tell you about how Lee took me to that store. That clothing boutique where he knew the owner? Her name's Lia DiStefano. We talked, and she, uh, offered me a job. Kind of.† â€Å"The modeling job?† We reached the cafeteria's food line, though I had little appetite. I selected a yogurt, which looked sad and lonely in the middle of my otherwise empty tray. â€Å"We talked about that. It's not safe.† Still, it was ironic that a random visit could land Jill a job when three formal interviews had failed for Adrian. â€Å"This isn't for posed pictures that would be in a magazine or anything, though. It's a runway show of local designers. We told her this story that we're part of a religion that has rules about photos and identity. Lia said she'd actually been thinking of having her models wear half masks. Like the kind you wear at a masquerade? Between that and the lighting and the movement†¦ well, it'd be hard to identify me if any candid shots got out. It's just a onetime event, but I'd have to see her beforehand for fittings†¦ and to practice. She'd pay me too, but I'd need rides to get there and parental permission.† We sat down, and I spent an unnecessary amount of time stirring my yogurt as I mulled over her words. I could feel her gaze on me as I thought. â€Å"It's kind of silly, I guess,† she continued when I didn't answer. â€Å"I mean, I don't have any experience. And I don't even know why she'd want me. Maybe it's some gimmick she's going for. Weird models or something.† I finally ate a bite of yogurt and then looked up at her. â€Å"You're not weird, Jill. You really do have the ideal body type for modeling. It's hard to find. For humans, at least.† Once again, I tried not to think about how hard it was for us humans to live up to Moroi perfection. I tried not to think about how, years ago, my dad had criticized my figure and said, â€Å"If those monsters can do it, why not you?† â€Å"But you still think it's a terrible idea,† she said. I didn't respond. I knew what Jill wanted, but she couldn't bring herself to directly ask me for it. And I couldn't easily give it to her yet. I was still too upset about yesterday and not feeling kindly toward any favors. On the other hand, I couldn't tell her no either. Not yet. Despite how irresponsibly she'd behaved, her words about how miserable her life was here had hit me hard. This was something positive and good that would fill her time. It was also a muchneeded ego boost. Laurel had thrived on using Jill's unusual features against her; it would do Jill good to see that others viewed them positively. She needed to realize she was special and wonderful. I didn't know whether to curse or thank Lee for this opportunity. â€Å"I don't think we can decide anything until we go talk to Mrs. Weathers,† I told her at last. I glanced at a nearby clock. â€Å"In fact, we need to meet with her now.† I took a few more bites of my yogurt before throwing it away. Jill took a donut to go. When we returned to our lobby, we found out a delivery had arrived for Jill: a bouquet of perfect red roses and an apologetic note from Lee. Jill melted, her face filling with adoration at the gesture. Even I admired the romance of it, though a snarky part of me said maybe Lee should've sent flowers to Eddie and me instead. We were the ones he needed to apologize to. Regardless, the flowers were quickly forgotten when we sat down in Mrs. Weathers's office and learned the verdict on Jill. â€Å"I spoke to the principal. You aren't being suspended,† she told Jill. â€Å"But for the next month, you are restricted to your dorm when not in class. You are to report to me immediately after classes end so that I know you're here. You may go to the cafeteria for meals – but only your dorm's. Not the one on West Campus. The only exceptions to this policy are if an assignment or teacher requires you to go elsewhere outside of school hours, like the library.† We both nodded, and for a moment, I was simply relieved that Jill hadn't been expelled or anything like that. Then the real problem hit me like a slap in the face. I'd told Jill this meeting would impact any modeling decisions, but there was something much worse on the line. â€Å"If she's grounded to the dorm, then she can't leave the school,† I said. Mrs. Weathers gave me a wry smile. â€Å"Yes, Miss Melrose. That is what ‘grounded' generally means.† â€Å"She has to, ma'am,† I argued. â€Å"We have family gatherings twice a week.† Ideally, we had them more than that, but I was hoping a lowball number might buy us freedom. It was absolutely essential Jill get blood, and two days a week was about the minimum a vampire could survive on. â€Å"I'm sorry. Rules are rules, and in breaking them, your sister has lost the privilege of functions like that.† â€Å"They're religious,† I said. I hated to play the religion card, but that was something the school would have a hard time countering. And hey, it had apparently worked on the fashion designer. â€Å"We go to church as a family on those days – us and our brothers.† Mrs. Weathers's face showed me I had indeed gained ground. â€Å"We'd need a signed letter from your parents,† she said finally. Great. That had worked so well in PE. â€Å"What about our brother? He's our legal guardian here.† Surely even Keith couldn't drag his feet on this, not with blood on the line. She considered this. â€Å"Yes. That might be acceptable.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I told Jill when we walked outside to catch the shuttle. â€Å"About the modeling. We're going to have a hard enough time getting you permission to leave for feedings.† Jill nodded, making no effort to hide her disappointment. â€Å"When's the show?† I asked, thinking maybe she could do it when her punishment was over. â€Å"In two weeks.† So much for that idea. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I repeated. To my surprise, Jill actually laughed. â€Å"You have no reason to be. Not after what I did. I'm the one who's sorry. And I'm sorry about Adrian too – about the interviews.† â€Å"That's something you have no reason to be sorry about.† It struck me again how easily everyone made excuses for him. She proved this with her next comment. â€Å"He can't help it. It's how he is.† He can help it, I thought. Instead, I said, â€Å"Just hang in there, okay? I'll get Keith to sign off on our religious experiences.† She smiled. â€Å"Thanks, Sydney.† We usually parted ways when the bus reached Central Campus, but she held back once we got off. I could see again that she wanted to tell me something but was having trouble getting the courage. â€Å"Yes?† I asked. â€Å"I†¦ just wanted to tell you I really am sorry for giving you so much grief. You do a lot for us. Really. And you being upset, it's because†¦ well, I know you care. Which is more than I can say for other people back at Court.† â€Å"That's not true,† I said. â€Å"They care. They went to a lot of trouble to get you here and keep you safe.† â€Å"I still feel like it was more for Lissa than for me,† she said sadly. â€Å"And my mom didn't put up much of a fight when they said they were going to send me away.† â€Å"They want you safe,† I told her. â€Å"That means making hard choices – hard for them too.† Jill nodded, but I don't know if she believed me. I gave Eddie the morning report when I reached history. His face displayed a range of emotions with each new development in the story. â€Å"You think Keith will write the note?† he asked in a low voice. â€Å"He has to. The whole point of us being here is to keep her alive. Starving her to death kind of defeats the purpose.† I didn't bother telling Eddie that I was in trouble with my father and the Alchemists and that in two weeks, there was a good chance I might not even be around. Eddie was clearly upset over Jill's situation already, and I didn't want him to have one more thing to worry about. When I met up with Ms. Terwilliger at the end of the day, I turned in the last of the notes I'd made for her on the old books. As I was settling myself at a desk, I noticed a folder of articles sitting on a table. Carlton College was printed on the folder in embossed gold letters. I remembered now why I'd thought the name was familiar when Adrian had mentioned it in the dream. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger†¦ didn't you say you knew people at Carlton College?† She glanced up from her computer. â€Å"Hmm? Oh yes. I should think so. I play poker with half of the history faculty. I even teach there in the summers. History, that is. Not poker.† â€Å"I don't suppose you know anybody in admissions, do you?† I asked. â€Å"Not so much. I suppose I know people who know people there.† She turned her attention back to the screen. I said nothing, and after several moments, she looked back at me. â€Å"Why do you ask?† â€Å"No reason.† â€Å"Of course there's a reason. Are you interested in attending? Goodness knows you'd probably get more out of there than here. My class being the exception, of course.† â€Å"No, ma'am,† I said. â€Å"But my brother wants to attend. He heard classes haven't started yet but isn't sure if he can get in on such short notice.† â€Å"It's very short notice,† agreed Ms. Terwilliger. She scrutinized me carefully. â€Å"Would you like me to make some inquiries?† â€Å"Oh. Oh no, ma'am. I was just hoping to get some names I could contact. I'd never ask you to do something like that.† Her eyebrows rose. â€Å"Why ever not?† I was at a loss. She was so difficult to understand sometimes. â€Å"Because†¦ you have no reason to.† â€Å"I'd do it as a favor to you.† I couldn't muster a response for that and simply stared. She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose. â€Å"That's impossible for you to believe, isn't it? That someone would do a favor for you.† â€Å"I†¦ well, that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, still unsure what to say. â€Å"You're my teacher. Your job is to, well, teach me. That's it.† â€Å"And your job,† she said, â€Å"is to report to this room during last period for whatever mundane tasks I have for you and then turn in a paper at the end of the semester. You are not in any way required to fetch me coffee, show up after hours, organize my life, or completely rearrange your own to meet my ridiculous requests.† â€Å"I†¦ I don't mind,† I said. â€Å"And it all needs doing.† She chuckled. â€Å"Yes. And you insist on going above and beyond in your tasks, don't you? No matter how inconvenient for you.† I shrugged. â€Å"I like to do a good job, ma'am.† â€Å"You do an excellent job. Far better than you need to. And you do it without complaint. Therefore, the least I can do is make a few phone calls on your behalf.† She laughed again. â€Å"That startles you most of all, doesn't it? Having someone praise you.† â€Å"Oh no,† I said lamely. â€Å"I mean, it happens.† She took off her glasses to look at me more intently. The laughter was gone. â€Å"No, I'm thinking it doesn't. I don't know your particular situation, but I have known a lot of students like you – ones whose parents ship them off like this. While I appreciate the concern for higher education, I find that more often than not, a bigger piece of students coming here is that their parents simply don't have the time or inclination to be involved with – or even pay attention to – their children's lives.† We were dealing with one of those interpersonal areas that made me uncomfortable, particularly because there was an unexpected element of truth in them. â€Å"It's more complicated than that, ma'am.† â€Å"I'm sure it is,† she replied. Her expression turned fierce, making her look far different from the scattered teacher I knew. â€Å"But listen to me when I say this. You are an exceptional, talented, and brilliant young woman. Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you're less. Do not ever let anyone make you feel invisible. Do not let anyone – not even a teacher who constantly sends you for coffee – push you around.† She put her glasses back on and began randomly lifting up pieces of papers. At last, she found a pen and grinned triumphantly. â€Å"Now, then. What is your brother's name?† â€Å"Adrian, ma'am.† â€Å"Right, then.† She took out a piece of paper and carefully wrote down the name. â€Å"Adrian Melbourne.† â€Å"Melrose, ma'am.† â€Å"Right. Of course.† She scribbled out her mistake and muttered to herself, â€Å"I'm just glad his first name's not Hobart.† When she was finished, she leaned back casually in her chair. â€Å"Now that you mention it, there is one thing I'd like you to do.† â€Å"Name it,† I said. â€Å"I want you to make one of the spells from that first book.† â€Å"I'm sorry. Did you say, make a spell?† Ms. Terwilliger waved a hand. â€Å"Oh, don't worry. I'm not asking you to wave a wand or do an animal sacrifice. But I'm terribly intrigued by how complex some of the formulas and steps of the spells were. I have to wonder, did people actually follow them in such painstaking detail? Some of these are quite complicated.† â€Å"I know,† I said dryly. â€Å"I typed them all out.† â€Å"Exactly. So, I want you to make one. Follow the steps. See how long it takes. See if half the measurements they ask for are even possible. Then write up the data in a report. That part, I know you excel at.† I didn't know what to say. Ms. Terwilliger wasn't actually asking me to use magic, certainly not in the same way vampires did. Such a thing wasn't even possible. Magic was not the province of humans. It was unnatural and went against the ways of the universe. What the Alchemists did was based on science and chemistry. The tattoos had magic, but it was us bending vampire magic to our wills – not using it ourselves. The closest we came to anything supernatural was the blessings we called down on our potions. She was only asking me to reenact a spell. It wasn't real. There was no harm. And yet†¦ why did I feel so uneasy? I felt like I was being asked to lie or steal. â€Å"What's the matter?† she asked. For a moment, I considered using religion again but then dismissed it. That excuse had come up too often today, though this time, it was actually semilegitimate. â€Å"Nothing, ma'am. It just seems weird.† She picked up the first leather book and flipped to the middle. â€Å"Here. Do this one – an incineration amulet. It's complicated, but at least you'll have an arts and crafts project when you're done. Most of these ingredients should be easy to come by, too.† I took the book from her and scanned it. â€Å"Where am I going to get nettle?† â€Å"Ask Mr. Carnes. He has a garden outside his classroom. I'm sure you can buy the rest. And you know, you can give me receipts. I'll pay you back whenever I send you out to get something. You must've spent a fortune on coffee.† I felt a little better when I saw how random the ingredients were. Nettle. Agate. A piece of silk. There wasn't really even anything flammable. This was nonsense. With a nod, I told her I'd start soon. In the meantime, I typed up an official letter to Amberwood on Keith's behalf. It explained that our religious beliefs required family church attendance twice a week and that Jill needed to be excused from her punishment during those times. It also promised that Jill would check in with Mrs. Weathers both before and after the family trips. When I finished, I was rather pleased with my work and felt that I'd made Keith sound far more eloquent than he deserved. I called him up when school ended and gave a brief rundown on what had happened with Jill. Naturally, I got the blame. â€Å"You're supposed to keep an eye on her, Sydney!† Keith exclaimed. â€Å"I'm also supposed to be undercover as a student here, and I can't be with her every second of the day.† It wasn't worth mentioning that I'd actually been out with Adrian when Jill had run away – not that Keith could do any more to me. He'd already done his damage. â€Å"And so I have to suffer the consequences,† he said in a world-weary voice. â€Å"I'm the one who gets put out for your incompetence.† â€Å"Put out? You don't have to do anything except sign the letter I wrote for you. Are you home right now? Or will you be? I'll drive it over to you.† I figured he'd jump all over the offer, seeing how annoyed he seemed to be by the matter. So, it was a surprise when he said, â€Å"No, you don't have to do that. I'll come to you.† â€Å"It's not a problem. I can be at your place in less than ten minutes.† I didn't want him to have any more reason than necessary to go on and on about how I was inconveniencing him – or complain to the Alchemists. â€Å"No,† said Keith, with surprising intensity. â€Å"I'll come to you. I'm leaving right now. Meet you at the main office?† â€Å"Okay,† I said, totally puzzled at this change of heart. Did he want to check up on me or something? Demand an inspection? â€Å"See you soon.† I was already on Central Campus, so it took no time at all to reach the main office. I sat outside on an ornate stone bench with a good view of the visitors parking lot and waited. It was hot out, as usual, but being in the shade actually made it pretty pleasant. The bench was situated in a little clearing filled with flowering plants and a sign that read The Kelly Hayes Memorial Garden. It looked new. â€Å"Hey, Sydney!† Kristin and Julia were walking out of the building and waved at me. They came and sat down beside me to ask what I was doing. â€Å"I'm waiting for my brother.† â€Å"Is he cute?† asked Kristin hopefully. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"Yes, he is,† countered Julia. â€Å"I saw him in your dorm last weekend. When you all went out for lunch.† It took me a second to realize she meant Adrian. â€Å"Oh. Different brother. They don't have a lot in common.† â€Å"Is it true your sister's in big trouble?† asked Julia. I shrugged. â€Å"Only a little trouble. She can't leave campus, except for family stuff. It could be worse. Although†¦ it did cost her a modeling job, so she's sad about that.† â€Å"Modeling for who?† asked Kristin. I racked my brain. â€Å"Lia DiStefano. There's some show in two weeks, and she wanted Jill to walk in it. But Jill can't practice because she has to stay here.† Their eyes went wide. â€Å"Lia's clothes are amazing!† said Julia. â€Å"Jill has to do it. She might get free stuff.† â€Å"I told you. She can't.† Kristin tilted her head thoughtfully. â€Å"But what if it was for school? Like some kind of career or vocational thing?† She turned to Julia. â€Å"Is there still a sewing club?† â€Å"I think so,† said Julia, nodding eagerly. â€Å"That's a good idea. Does Jill have an activity?† Along with a sport, Amberwood also required its well-rounded students to participate in hobbies and activities outside of class. â€Å"There's a sewing club she could join†¦ and I bet she could get working with Lia counted as some kind of special research.† In attempting to fix a loose thread on her cardigan the other day, Jill had nearly unraveled the entire sweater. â€Å"I don't think that's really Jill's thing.† â€Å"Doesn't matter,† said Kristin. â€Å"Most of the people in it can't sew anyway. But every year, the club volunteers with local designers. Miss Yamani would totally let walking in the show count as volunteering. She loves Lia DiStefano.† â€Å"And they'd have to let her go,† said Julia, face full of triumph. â€Å"Because it'd be for school.† â€Å"Interesting,† I said, wondering if there was any chance of it working. â€Å"I'll tell Jill.† A familiar blue car pulled into the driveway, and I stood up. â€Å"There he is.† Keith parked and got out, scanning around for me. Kristin gave a small sound of approval. â€Å"He's not bad.† â€Å"Believe me,† I said, walking forward. â€Å"You want nothing to do with him.† Keith gave the girls what was probably supposed to be a charming smile and even winked at them. The instant they were gone, his smile dropped. Impatience radiated off of him, and it was a wonder he didn't tap his foot. â€Å"Let's make this fast,† he said. â€Å"If you're in such a rush, you should have just let me come by when you had more time.† I took out a binder containing the letter and handed it over with a pen. Keith signed without even looking at it and handed it back. â€Å"Need anything else?† he asked. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Don't mess up again,† he said, opening the car door. â€Å"I don't have time to keep covering for you.† â€Å"Does it matter?† I challenged him. â€Å"You've already done your best to get rid of me.† He gave me a cold smile. â€Å"You shouldn't have crossed me. Not now, not back then.† With a wink, he turned around and began to leave. I stared, unable to believe the audacity. It was the first time he'd directly referenced what went down years ago. â€Å"Well, that's the thing,† I shouted at his retreating figure. â€Å"I didn't cross you back then. You got off easy. It's not going to happen again. You think I'm worried about you? I'm the one you need to be scared of.† Keith came to a halt and then slowly turned around, his face awash with disbelief. I didn't blame him. I was kind of surprised myself. I couldn't ever remember a time I'd so openly countered someone in a higher position of authority, certainly not someone who had so much power to affect my situation. â€Å"Watch it,† he said at last. â€Å"I can make your life miserable.† I gave him an icy smile. â€Å"You already have, and that's why I've got the advantage. You've done your worst – but you haven't seen what I can do yet.† It was a big bluff on my part, especially since I was pretty sure he could still do worse. For all I knew, he could get Zoe out here tomorrow. He could get me sent to a re-education center in a heartbeat. But if I went down? So would he. He stared at me for a few moments, at a loss. I don't know if I actually scared him or if he decided not to dignify me with an answer, but he finally turned and left for good. Furious, I went inside to deliver the letter to the office. The front desk secretary, Mrs. Dawson, stamped it and then made a copy for me to give to Mrs. Weathers. As she handed it to me, I asked, â€Å"Who's Kelly Hayes?† Mrs. Dawson's usually dimpled face grew sad. â€Å"That poor girl. She was a student here a few years ago.† My memory clicked. â€Å"Is she the one Mrs. Weathers mentioned? Who went missing?† Mrs. Dawson nodded. â€Å"It was terrible. She was such a sweet girl too. So young. She didn't deserve to die like that. She didn't deserve to die at all.† I hated to ask but had to. â€Å"How did she die? I mean, I know she was murdered, but I never heard any details.† â€Å"Probably just as well. It's pretty gruesome.† Mrs. Dawson peered around, as though afraid she'd get in trouble for gossiping with a student. She leaned over the counter toward me, face grave. â€Å"The poor thing bled to death. She had her throat cut.†

Cyclermate Report Essay

I. An executive summary Dai Armstrong and Lewis Llewellyn are the two men who planned to open their own company after being superfluous due to the shutting down of the steel plants in their town of South Wales were Dai Armstrong and Lewis Llewellyn. They became good friends because of taking part in the local club of cycle touring together and decided to start Cyclermate, which was a bicycle manufacturing company that was laid down in the year 1988. In the beginning of time, Cyclermate gained a huge influence over the share of the market. The company appeared well with no problems and difficulties up to 2010, the time when the business is in trouble, it confronted lots of consequences with respect to operation human resource and finance. Therefore, the demand by purchasers fell continue sadly even though the prices were cut down by the company; the distinguishing attributes of the goods were not up to the quality as they were earlier. The rising complaints from the customers regarding degrading quality and faults in the product and the concern by the bank manager regarding the overdraft could cause trouble if the problems are not solved as soon as possible. Because of that, the company requires a right way to deal with this issue and save it from the edge of going bankrupt. II. Introduction Based on case study research in Cyclermate Ltd. and a series of case in community, this report will work out the financial problems and various other problems confronted by Cyclermate. It has been designed to analysis the business environment and management, measured by SWOT and PET models that are required to be looked upon. The report also draws on a brief summary for the financial side of the business. In addition, this report takes into account an examination of difficulties confronted by Cyclermate and possible solution for the problems, included short and long term solutions. Another function of this report is to examine how the company could get out of the crisis and get back to the current market share. Finally, the report brings us some recommendations and conclusion of the whole Cyclermate case study. III. Analysis of Business Environment 1. PEST Analysis PEST analysis is involved in the chief external environmental that effect or control considerably a business strategy. As we can see, PEST is aimed for Political, Economic, Social and Technological matters that can affect the business. PEST is recognized to persuade it in a utile manner of summarizing the external environment. However, it may be adopted the ability of how an establishment should react to these factors. Political Factor A political factor has a powerful impact on income tax, labor law, trade restriction and many more. Company did not recruit enough workers to meet the targets and worker had to work overtime to get the work done and workers are getting paid at normal rate. Using a traditional method may harm workers health and decreased their productivity as well. These mistakes made Cyclermate become a target of health and safety agencies. They have to improve the quality or else they can be stuck in authorized issues. On the  other hand, they also need to achieve higher standard in manufacturing to meet requirements of the market, especially foreign markets. Economic Factor Cyclermate had purchased a larger storehouse for goods, which indeed was essential to them but did not suffice their requirements. Purchasing a warehouse, which fulfilled the needs of the company, could have saved a lot of money and that same money could have used in new or currently in existence projects. Another factor in economics that affects to the development of Cyclermate Ltd is labor. The unemployment rate is increasing, therefore, this is a good chance for this company to choose worker more easily, and employ them easily with affordable price. Social Factor Social factor has a powerful impact on human behavior, Cyclermate had many order but they did not have enough workforce to complete these orders. They have to work long hours in order to achieve their goals. One more important thing is that high-speed innovation as well as the increasing demands of consumers requires Cyclermate to change and improve every day. But there is a truly infact that living standard of clients could effect to their choices. The higher income distribution they get, the higher demands they re Technological Factor Cyclermate Ltd is using the oldest way to advertise their products by posting advertisement in traditional newspapers. It has limited their goods to the customers. Instead, this company can set up its own website. In addition, Cyclermate Ltd is using the oldest way to advertise their products by posting advertisement in traditional newspapers. It has limited their goods to the customers. Instead, this company can set up its own website. 2. SWOT Analysis It is a methodical technique that is utilized to categorize and identify substantial external (Opportunities and Threats) and internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) factors confronted with a specific area. (Johnson, 1993) It  renders data which are useful in corresponding the capabilities and resources to the spiritual atmosphere in which it functions and hence is a significant addition to the planning and marketing procedure. (Pearce, 2005) Let have look at the SWOT of cyclermate to understand more about the current issue that company has to face with. Strengths Direct channels of sale Cyclermate has direct channels of sales with the direct sales and direct shops; hence intermediary’s cost is largely eliminated. Reducing the cost of manufacturing could unquestionably help Cyclermate achieve a huge share of the market. As direct channels are in direct contact with the providers, thus, it could help in increasing in quantity or value of the sales and it provides a good opportunity to the providers to empathize the clients and could make required changes are per the requirement of the customers. Motivated workforce The employees at the Cyclermate are extremely pioneering and are can fully utilize and achieve any given objective or alterations in the company but they are inhibited by the administration as a result they are unable to express their views freely. The employees could have a crucial role in the company for its overall growth and development. Possession of buildings and lands Unlike Cyclermate most of the companies don’t possess either building or land and hence have to pay the heavy rents which adds to the cost but cyclermate can make any changes in the buildings and could capitalize in whichever way they wish to as they own it, which reduces the overall cost. Weaknesses Inexperience and unmotivated staffs of the company The company has made use of untrained workers. These untrained workers are not given the proper training after their employment. It is the fact that the employees and the staff are never allowed to put forward their creative and self-ideas due to the policies of the management, as a result of this  motivation in the staff is lost. Sales are decreasing in amount or degree and there is piling up of stocks in the warehouses which generates a feeling among the staff that they are not under a good management and as this feeling flourishes they lose hopes from the company and it has a very bad impact on their morale. The investors do not truly interested in the business Due to the low returns on the capital invested by the investors, they are unhappy with the performance of the company and are losing faith in it. In addition, the very fact that the shareholders were not paid any interest last year, it may result in the withdrawal of their money from the company. The quality concerns Because lack of the power to be effective of the staffs to keep up the measures of the goods and the quality of raw material utilized is leading to degraded quality of the goods eventually. Old machinery such as traditional spaying technique, painting and low-quality stock control technology needs updating as soon as possible if the business hopes to improve the production and sales in the coming time. Opportunities Take the advantages of social media Cyclermate should launch its website, which provides complete detail and range of the products available with them. Company can employ a new computer system for keeping a good database of the company. They can introduce online selling and modification according to the wish of customers. Introduction of new machines They should introduce some of the modern machinery in order to achieve higher-level productivity. Cyclermate could bring in new robotic machinery in the production process that will lead to speedy output and a superior quality of goods. Employ trained workers They have the opportunity to make use of the trained workforce, which has been recently laid off from the nearby production site. More workforce means opportunity to gain more productivity. Threats Overseas competitors As a result of the growth to a global or worldwide scale, many companies from across the globe have entered the market with products of low price and high quality, which certainly is a threat for Cyclermate as it supplies good with high cost and of lower quality. Due to recession, which is prevailing in Europe the purchasing power of people is going down. Thus, company can have reduced sales or can face financial crises. Reputation Due to poor-quality product for a period of Cyclermate’s reputation is going down and therefore people do not like to go for their products. Huge retail Merchants Retail Merchants like Argos and Halfords are captivating the market eventually and it might happen that Cyclermate may lose the market share completely. Customer threatens them to sue their company after their product was fail in delivering the good performance. IV. Analysis of Business Management 1. Financial Problems Prob. 1.1: Uncontrolled cost The main problem that company is in this situation is because of the uncontrolled cost and mismanaged budget. The costs are increasing yearly with the sales and selling price of the products going down. Let have look at the financial statement that company has  £210,800 worth of non-current assets. Loan request will be refused as company only holds cash fund of  £675 into their bank account. Costs are increasing at a rapid rate year after year. Asset turnover ratio is 2.06:1. This indicates that the profit margins for the company are very low that’s why the ratio is so high. We can also conclude from this that the company’s pricing strategy is not effective leading to lower profits. Prob. 1.2: Dealing with a big loan Creditor days – 24 days leads to the company has to pay back it its debtors in 24 days and it is just left with 675 £ of cash. The Company is liable to pay  £87,500 to the creditors and if they don’t so a legal action may be taken on them, which are not good for company’s reputation. They may talk to the creditors and ask for an extension in time for payments as they are going through financial crisis and don’t have money right now to pay back. Prob. 1.3: Lots of inventories Besides, it shows that the majority of inventories are stored and not effectively managed, that is why current ratio is at such high level, which also means low sales and low revenue gained. Moreover, the company relies on the bank loan as the main monetary support. 2. Operation Problems Prob. 2.1: Stock control system Disturbingly, materials are always in the shortage which results in the disruption of the production process recently. Although the demand is higher and higher, company cannot meet their requirement because of lacking necessary components. Prob. 2.2: Inappropriate division of duties The inappropriate division of duties obviously had made such a burden on many workers. In particular, Dai Armstrong has to deal with many tasks such as making all the frames, factory manager and business director at the same time. He himself also finds it hard to keep up the level of production (approximately 8 frames/day) because it requires the harsh physical demands. Prob. 2.3: Assembly is a complex process Moreover, assembly is a complex process, which takes 2 or 3 hours for one person. Janice Jones and Ffred Gregory often have to work overtime to catch up with the progress. As a result, their health and time issue could be heavily damaged. 3. HR Management problems Prob. 3.1: Improper workforce in manufacturing Unreasonable workforce division is one of the most serious problems of Cyclermate Ltd. Besides, lack of experienced employees and the aging workforce are worrying the production process and raising a big question for a more effective training system. Prob. 3.2: The training system creates The training system creates such obstacles for the assembly process. Typically, Fred, who is 18 years old, is a new and un-experienced person; the training for him is necessary, however, not easy at all. It takes so much time to instruct Fred in traditional way, which is apparently the cause of slow production recently. Prob. 3.3: Corporate culture The staff is highly de-motivated due to decreasing sales and profits and also the behavior of the management as in the sinking company they are not free to put up their ideas even if they do they are rejected because of the superiority of the management. V. Solution A. Short term and immediate planning 1. Financial problems: Solution 1.1: Cost in selling and distribution Cost in selling and distribution could be possible declined to save more money for the company such as cutting cost for postage and courier charges by substituting by cheaper service, as well as the travelling and hospitality. Those indirect costs contribute such high cost to the manufacturing of the cycles, restricting them would help boost the sales with cheaper price. Solution 1.2: Ask for trading debtors to repay The solution to this issue is that they should strictly resolve and for the  trade debtors to repay the loans as soon as possible. The amount of $200,571 would help the financial situation better in the coming time. Once their assets are raised through and their liquidity are proved to be valuable enough to afford the loan, it will be beneficial for them to borrow money from the banks. Solution 1.3: Direct sale prices Cyclermate’s direct sale prices are higher than shop sale price. In order to generate healthy revenue, Cyclermate needs to reduce their direct sale price. By reducing the direct sale prices will increase their sale and it will be easy for them to generate healthy revenue. 2. Operation Problems Solution 2.1: Buy stock when needed Company should only buy stock when they needed. Buying stock earlier will harm company’s financial positions, because raw material does not hold their value and it has got more chances of losing its market value. Solution 2.2: Require clear division A good answer for this problem is that the company should require clear division to who is able to undertake and separate arrangement of duties. Specifically, assigning other qualified person on frame-making position so that Mr. Dai could concentrate and dedicate himself to external relations business only. Solution 2.3: hiring more experienced labors The company should consider hiring more experienced labors for assemble line and frame-making because Mr Dai can no longer put up with the physical requirement of the task. With those simple tasks like packaging, it is acceptable for free hand employees to help out, but only when they finished all their tasks. 3. HR Management problems Solution 3.1: Employ cheaper labors In this case, the company can consider employ cheaper labors that are  suggested by Maldwyn Jones: Chinese or Taiwanese labor to make the machine for them- much better quality but half the price and move Idris Pugh to higher position as a supervisor for the whole wheel-making process. Solution 3.2: Improving the staff’s skills This training program involves directly in the new changes with a purpose of improving the staff’s skills, expertise and methods to complete an error-free task, exposing them to unfamiliar ideas and of course, giving them the chance to practice task under time/speed limit. Solution 3.3: Core business value Trust in others and a firm belief in overcoming difficulties (set up new mission: overcome difficulty, minimize waste and consequence) B. Long term and efficiency improvements Present fiscal condition of Cyclermate (Accounting ratios).The acid / liquid ratio of Cyclermate is 0.76:1, which depicts Cyclermate is incapable to satisfy indebtednesses of shorter term, which mean that it would not be competent to satisfy fiscal difficulty which may happen in the time to come. The Asset turnover ratio for Cyclermate is 2.06:1. As the ratio is excessively high, this means that profit margins are very low. The pricing strategy of Cyclermate is ineffective and because of that low profit. Return on capital employed –Cyclermate has far too less returns on the capital employed, just a mere 0.11 or 11%. Debtor days –It would take Cyclermate 115 days to get back the money from debtors. Creditor days – Cyclermate has to pay back in 24 days to its debtors with a cash balance of 675 £. The financial statement of Cyclermate shows that it has non-current assets which is of worth  £210,800.Any request regarding a loan from the bank will be refused as it has a mere cash balance of  £675. It may get a loan based on the position of its non-current assets. In place of the above-discussed alternative, it can sell its freehold land, which is worth  £160,000, and use the proceeds from the sale in the business. Cyclermate could acquire funds if they pursue its trade debtors to pay off soon. Debtors worth  £200,571 are to be recovered and the funds would be acquired soon if the debtors do not  default and pay in full. Once it has sufficient fund, Cyclermate could apply for the bank loan. VI. Conclusion Overall, Cyclermate will have a better future if they operate their business in slightly different ways. Cyclermate products were famous for its quality and price,if the company still provide what the consumer wants than it would be no harm to the company. But there few changes needs to be changed and once the new rules and regulation apply into the business than it would be a great opportunity for Cyclermate to operate their services. Moreover, With the movement of new threats into the marketplace the present systematic plan of action of Cyclermate is continuously below the acceptable level in its performance due to the fact that the new firms and the existing organizations are coming up with improved quality of products at a cheaper price VII. Recommendations The company must sign up correct individual as per the requirement of the position. Currently the management is interfering in the process of production and is unable to focus of the activities they should be concerned. The financial hardships through which Cyclermate is going through at present could be resolved by selling the unused stock that is piled up in the warehouse. In order to generate revenues and funds to invest in other arena of the company, Cyclermate must sell its freehold land that would certainly generate high revenue. In order to achieve higher output and productivity, modern technology should be applied in the production process. Installing a computer database through which the management could look into all the important and relevant data as and when required. Cyclermate should launch its website, which provides complete detail and range of the products available with them. Reducing both direct sales prices so as to sell the current stock and trade debtors. Employing young and trained workforce that is fit for the position.

Globalization news article essays

Globalization news article essays In the article "A Hard Habit to Break," Newsweek's Brook Lamar discusses the growing illegal trade in cigarettes originating from China and extending to other parts of Southeast Asia. This trade has two components. First, genuine foreign cigarettes from tobacco giants like Marlboro, Philip Morris and Salem are smuggled into the country. Second, China also has a flourishing counterfeit cigarette industry. Fake cigarettes, complete with official-looking government import seals and a "Made in America" label are then sold in the black markets in Singapore, Shanghai, the Philippines and even Australia. This article illustrates a type of economic globalization. The sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products have dwindled significantly in the United States due to health campaigns. To make up for the loss of its North American market, tobacco companies have turned to China and by extension, Asia. Tobacco companies have previously tolerated the trade in counterfeit cigarettes, believing that these fake cigarettes increased brand recognition in the country. Today, however, the same companies are concerned that the black market trade in cigarettes is eroding one of the last few markets that are still hospitable to tobacco products. The article also uses the tobacco trade to illustrate the limitations of economic globalization organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), which was supposed to open countries such as China to foreign investment. However, the WTO does not take into consideration how China is divided into fiefdoms, giving rise to a fragmentation that is incompatible with the WTO provisions. The system of local protectionism is thus not ready to absorb outside brands and limits the development of any national industries, including tobacco products. This feature article illustrates many aspects of globalization. The article mentio...

East Carolina University GPA, SAT ACT Admissions Data

East Carolina University GPA, SAT ACT Admissions Data East Carolina GPA, SAT and ACT Graph East Carolina University GPA, SAT Scores and ACT Scores for Admission. Data courtesy of Cappex. How Do You Measure Up at East Carolina University? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex. Discussion of East Carolinas Admissions Standards: Roughly two-thirds of the applicants to East Carolina University are admitted. The bar for admission, however, is not overly high, and students with decent grades and test scores have a very good chance of getting in. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that the majority of successful applicants had high school averages of B- or higher, combined SAT scores of 1000 or higher (RWM), and ACT composite scores of 19 or higher. Higher grades and test scores obviously translate into a better chance of acceptance. In the middle of the graph youll see some red dots (rejected students) and yellow dots (waitlisted students) mixed in with the green and blue. Some students with grades and test scores that were on target for East Carolina University did not win admission. At the same time, some students were accepted with test scores and grades a little bit below the norm. This is because the East Carolinas admissions process is not entirely numerical. The university evaluates the rigor of your high school curriculum, not just your grades. The admissions folks want to see that you have taken challenging courses that have prepared you for college-level work. Also, the university is committed to diversity, and students personal situations and backgrounds can play a factor in the admissions process. To learn more about East Carolina University, high school GPAs, SAT scores and ACT scores, these articles can help: East Carolina University Admissions ProfileWhats a Good SAT Score?Whats a Good ACT Score?Whats Considered a Good Academic Record?What is a Weighted GPA? Articles Featuring East Carolina University: North Carolina Colleges and UniversitiesSAT Score Comparison for North Carolina Colleges and UniversitiesThe American Athletic Conference If You Like East Carolina University, You May Also Like These Schools Wake Forest University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphDuke University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphElon University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of North Carolina - Greensboro:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphCampbell University:  Profile  North Carolina State University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphWestern Carolina University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphClemson University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphWingate University:  Profile  High Point University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity  of North Carolina - Wilmington:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT Graph

Allen Stanford

Adding to the case are charges against a former Antiguan official who has allegedly taken bribes from Stanford and his companies, a lawsuit against insurance group Lloyds of London by Allen Stanford, and a lawsuit by investors against Stanford’s auditing firm BDO. Despite the fact that his Chief Financial Officer testified against him in a plea bargain agreement, Stanford pleads not guilty to all charges. Adding drama to this high profile case, Stanford required medical treatment after getting beaten in prison and claims to have developed amnesia. The Stanford International Bank offered returns that were consistently double digits on its CDs. In their pitch to investors, SIB employees claimed it was due to smart portfolio management and investment in safe, liquid securities. SIB also claimed that a team of 20 talented analysts manage the portfolios carefully. However, the SEC claims that this is all false. In its complaint filed in February 2009, the SEC described Stanford’s operation as a â€Å"massive ponzi scheme. † The CDs were not reinvested in liquid securities – SIB’s portfolio mainly consisted of illiquid assets like real estate. The value of these assets was grossly overstated to pad the company’s financial reports. SIB offered returns based on fabricated performance data and claiming as historical data and portfolio management was done solely by Stanford and the CFO, James Davis. In addition, Stanford misappropriated more than $1 billion of investors’ funds. The money went to a fleet of yachts and jets, hosting an international cricket match, Caribbean real estate and bribing Antiguan regulators. Another layer of Stanford’s deception was the assurance of BDO, an independent auditing firm that issued unqualified audits of Stanford’s companies. Investors have filed a $10. 7 billion suit against BDO for â€Å"ignoring signs of potential fraud. (Bloomberg) Investors also claim that BDO should have been aware that Stanford’s company â€Å"was operating as an unregistered hedge fund illegally disguising itself as a bank. †(Bloomberg) The complaint also calls into question BDO’s close relationship with Stanford Financial Group and raises issues about conflict of interest. The SEC claims that Stanford International Bank sold unregistered CDs. Had they been registered, the SEC would have been able to verify the value of the CDs. The SEC suggests that the scheme goes back to at least 1995 where the bank reported identical returns in consecutive years. The SEC also charges Stanford and his companies of not cooperating with the SEC’s investigation and claims that about 90% of their investment portfolios â€Å"reside in a black box shielded from any independent oversight†( SEC v. Stanford International Bank, Ltd. , et al. ) Ironically, Stanford has sued SEC, the FBI, and members of the Justice Department for preventing redemption of CDs by investors by freezing his companies’ accounts. The SEC also took action to help compensate investors by filing suit against Securities Investor Protection Corp (SIPC) in order to force the company to pay investors. The SEC is getting heavily involved and taking a very aggressive stance in this case likely due to heightened alert from the recent Madoff Ponzi scheme. Stanford’s assets have been seized by the authorities and are in the process of liquidation. Auditors that are reviewing financial statements of investors that were involved in the Stanford case will have difficulty assessing how much their clients can recover. It is difficult to track investors’ funds in Stanford’s portfolio since it was managed by two people who worked in secret and because the CDs were unregistered with the SEC. The case is still undecided as Stanford is pleading not guilty. On another front, the SIPC is being coerced by SEC’s lawsuit to compensate investors but the SIPC plans to defend itself. On yet another front, some of the investors are involved in the lawsuit against BDO. In an audit of an investor involved in this case, it would be difficult to value the client’s portfolio. Some investors may face business risk contingent on the outcome of these trials. Investors seeking securities in off-shore banks should always consider the saying â€Å"if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t. Investors should also look into the regulatory environment of the institution. While off-shore banks claim that savings from less regulation is translated into better returns, it should raise flags when it consistently performs above market for 15 years. BDO’s reports should have also raised flags as it did not examine Stanford’s portfolio.

Soil Enzyme Activity Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Soil Enzyme Activity - Lab Report Example Results show that combined fertilizer had the highest enzyme activity of 1.493 followed by organic fertilizer (1.148), inorganic fertilizer (0.529) and unammended (0.459) soil sample in that order. Combination of inorganic fertilizer and organic fertilizer provides efficient environment for the growth of soil bacteria hence production of more alkaline phosphatase enzymes thus resulting into high enzyme activity. These findings shows how an integrated fertilizer regime play an important role in altering the structure of the soil microbial composition, stimulates microbial growth and increases enzyme activity as compared to the inorganic fertilizer. Microorganisms play a vital role in biochemical transformation important for nutrient cycling in soils. The microorganisms in the soil are capable of breaking down insoluble nutrient sources in the soil and in the process produce extracellular enzymes. Extracellular enzymes are biochemical catalysts, protein compounds produced within the bacterial cell and exported out into the soil solution. While outside the cells, enzymes catalyze reactions that break down the structure of nutrient source in order to make it more accessible to the plants. The quantities of extracellular enzymes are therefore dependent on substrate concentration, soil microorganisms’ metabolic ability, soil environmental conditions such as temperature and pH and the number of microorganisms present in the soil (Lichtfouse, 228). Alkaline Phosphatase is an example of extracellular enzyme produced by many soil microorganisms and exported out into the soil solution. The main function is to eliminate the phosphate molecule from the organic compounds such as nucleic acids and phospholipids.

Written Account of Organisational Observation in organisational Essay

Written Account of Organisational Observation in organisational behaviour - Essay Example It is very important for the organization to provide job satisfaction and security to the employees. In addition, the organizations in global marketplace are trying to implement workplace diversity process as this process can result in collaborative performance of the people of different caste and culture. Employee motivation is the key growth driver for an organization (Bruce, 2006). Lack of motivation and encouragement can affect the performance level of a skilled and efficient employee. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory can be applied to determine different stages of human needs. There are five stages in this model, such as physiological needs, safety and security needs, social needs, self-esteem and self-actualization. People always try to satisfy their basis needs, such as need for food, clothes and shelter. These needs are considered as the physiological needs (Landy & Conte, 2009). Safety and security need is the second stage of this model. Under this stage, an individ ual tries to secure their job, health and neighboring associates. Social need is the third stage in this Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Individuals try to achieve social recognition within this stage. In terms of a workplace, an employee tries to achieve social recognition from their sub-ordinates and colleagues. ... It can enhance the performance of the employees. Topic 3 In terms of workplace motivation, Herzberg’s Satisfiers and Dissatisfies’ theory can be applied. According to Frederic Herzberg, the individual needs of a people should be satisfied within an organization. Effective job and individual needs satisfaction can result in significant organizational productivity. According to this theory, there are two influences or degrees that can affect the level of perception of an individual within the workplace of a company. Motivators or satisfiers and hygiene factors or dissatisfiers are considered as specific influences. Nature of work is an important motivation driver. Several positive aspects can fulfill the job satisfaction of an employee (Wood, Zeffane, Fromholtz, Wiesner, Morrison & Seet, 2013). Achievement of career objectives, social recognition within workplace, job promotion, potential opportunity for individual development within organization and level of responsibili ty are considered as the motivating factors that can enhance the efficiency and performance level of an employee. On the other hand, several hygiene or dissatisfiers factors can upset employees. It has several negative consequences on the business productivity of an organization. Inadequate workplace environment, poor developed policy and unjustified salary distribution can be considered as the dissatisfiers factors. Poor organizational policy can affect the motivation and performance level of an employee (Baldonado, 2008). Needless paperwork or bureaucracy within an organization can be considered as a major barrier for a particular assigned job. In addition, poor workplace environment or employee discrimination can create several workplace conflicts.

Employee Privacy Rights in the Workforce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employee Privacy Rights in the Workforce - Essay Example Many companies do not have policies and procedures regarding this topic and employees are not trained in what should be kept confidential, what is an invasion of privacy, what roles and rights the employers and employees have, etc. This article pertains to the COM 120 topic of â€Å"Employee Privacy Rights in the Workplace† because it is regarding an employee’s rights to privacy and an employer’s need to know what may be the most private information of a person—his or her genetic information. This article is about scientists’ ability to look at overlapping fragments, which include 97% of the human genome, in order to provide genetic information as never before. A gala held at the White House for President Clinton and other top officials celebrated the ability for employers to gain and use this information to determine a person’s future job performance and effects in the workplace. The debate is whether or not this helpful and worthwhile or more damaging and invasion of employee privacy rights. I choose the fourth thesis statement as the one that my writing will be based on. The thesis statement for my writing shall be: The law is not clear on whether companies are invading employees’ privacy rights regarding information technology so policies must be set and employees must be informed on what is considered to be an invasion of company confidentiality or employee privacy rights. The kinds of supporting paragraphs for this thesis statement shall be persuasive sentences (which will make up the paragraphs). They will include facts and evidence that will convince the audience, or readers, that the law is not clear on whether companies are invading employee’s privacy rights regarding online transactions, emails, and information technology. The paragraphs will also support that companies are not clear on what entails an invasion of privacy and what is legal conduct of business and

Managed care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Managed care - Essay Example Thus, this dilemma in expenditure planning further affects the rate settings of managed care mechanism based on the probabilistic premium rate. With effective control of administrative costs and other related expenses, the Medicaid agencies faced severe forms of difficulties related to accrue payments and other relevant needs (Anderson & Fox, 1987). Furthermore, the biased or improper selection of payment services was noted to be affecting the overall process of rate settings. Notably, this sort of plan is likely to attract different set of people undergoing through distinct health conditions. Thus, to increase the transparency of the rate setting system, the Medicaid agencies should develop a plan of incorporating healthier enrollees for Medicaid programs. With the view of developing a biased plan, the Medicaid organizations should remain indulged in formulating effective individual programs within the domain of care giving. Thus, it could be stated that rate setting for a program is one of the major issues faced by the Medicaid organizations in enhancing the ability of the programs to meet the diverse needs of the enrollees (Anderson & Fox,

Philosophy and Pornography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy and Pornography - Essay Example Some people derives pleasure from watching pornographic materials whereas others taking inspirations from such materials and engage in sexually abusive activities. According to James McConvill (2006), â€Å"the incidence of rape in the United States has declined 85 per cent in the past 25 years while access to pornography has become freely available to teenagers and adults† (McConvill). It should be noted that the last 25 years witnessed tremendous growth in the internet related technologies. Since internet is the prominent channel for spreading pornography, any growth in internet related technologies growth, development and spreading of pornographic materials across the world. There are many countries and states which restricted the spreading of pornographic contents through internet because of the concerns about the possibility of increased sexual violence cases. However, it is found that â€Å"the four US states with the lowest internet access had the highest increase in r ape incidents (53% increases) between 1980 and 2004, whereas the four states with the highest internet access, experienced the largest decrease in rape incidents (27% decrease)† (McConvill). ... Accumulation of any kind of energy at a particular place is results in unfavourable incidents. Teenagers, who are deprived the opportunity to access internet pornography, will try to release their sexual energy through rape like sexual violence. There are many arguments against the spreading of pornography. â€Å"Pornography promotes destructive practices and can lead to progressive addiction† (So what's so bad about pornography?). The general belief prevailing among most of the societies in the world is that pornography has more destructive elements than constructive elements. In many countries, access to pornography is regulated only to the adults. It is a common belief that teenagers derive inspirations from pornographic materials and may try to imitate it in their real life also. In countries where strict laws prevail, sexual violence cases are less even if the access to pornographic materials is easy. For example, in many of the Middle Eastern countries, sex related crime s are less compared to that in other parts of the world because of the stiff laws. On the other hand, in democratic countries like India or America, sex crimes are increasing day by day because of the absence of strong laws to punish sex offenders. The above facts clearly indicate that the response to pornographic materials is different in different countries because of the differences in the criminal justice systems in different countries. In China also, people engage in less criminal activities related to sex, even though they have access to pornographic materials. In other words, culture, belief in morality, criminal justice system and political frame works play an important role in public behaviour in response

Employee Privacy Rights in the Workforce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employee Privacy Rights in the Workforce - Essay Example Many companies do not have policies and procedures regarding this topic and employees are not trained in what should be kept confidential, what is an invasion of privacy, what roles and rights the employers and employees have, etc. This article pertains to the COM 120 topic of â€Å"Employee Privacy Rights in the Workplace† because it is regarding an employee’s rights to privacy and an employer’s need to know what may be the most private information of a person—his or her genetic information. This article is about scientists’ ability to look at overlapping fragments, which include 97% of the human genome, in order to provide genetic information as never before. A gala held at the White House for President Clinton and other top officials celebrated the ability for employers to gain and use this information to determine a person’s future job performance and effects in the workplace. The debate is whether or not this helpful and worthwhile or more damaging and invasion of employee privacy rights. I choose the fourth thesis statement as the one that my writing will be based on. The thesis statement for my writing shall be: The law is not clear on whether companies are invading employees’ privacy rights regarding information technology so policies must be set and employees must be informed on what is considered to be an invasion of company confidentiality or employee privacy rights. The kinds of supporting paragraphs for this thesis statement shall be persuasive sentences (which will make up the paragraphs). They will include facts and evidence that will convince the audience, or readers, that the law is not clear on whether companies are invading employee’s privacy rights regarding online transactions, emails, and information technology. The paragraphs will also support that companies are not clear on what entails an invasion of privacy and what is legal conduct of business and

Philosophy and Pornography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy and Pornography - Essay Example Some people derives pleasure from watching pornographic materials whereas others taking inspirations from such materials and engage in sexually abusive activities. According to James McConvill (2006), â€Å"the incidence of rape in the United States has declined 85 per cent in the past 25 years while access to pornography has become freely available to teenagers and adults† (McConvill). It should be noted that the last 25 years witnessed tremendous growth in the internet related technologies. Since internet is the prominent channel for spreading pornography, any growth in internet related technologies growth, development and spreading of pornographic materials across the world. There are many countries and states which restricted the spreading of pornographic contents through internet because of the concerns about the possibility of increased sexual violence cases. However, it is found that â€Å"the four US states with the lowest internet access had the highest increase in r ape incidents (53% increases) between 1980 and 2004, whereas the four states with the highest internet access, experienced the largest decrease in rape incidents (27% decrease)† (McConvill). ... Accumulation of any kind of energy at a particular place is results in unfavourable incidents. Teenagers, who are deprived the opportunity to access internet pornography, will try to release their sexual energy through rape like sexual violence. There are many arguments against the spreading of pornography. â€Å"Pornography promotes destructive practices and can lead to progressive addiction† (So what's so bad about pornography?). The general belief prevailing among most of the societies in the world is that pornography has more destructive elements than constructive elements. In many countries, access to pornography is regulated only to the adults. It is a common belief that teenagers derive inspirations from pornographic materials and may try to imitate it in their real life also. In countries where strict laws prevail, sexual violence cases are less even if the access to pornographic materials is easy. For example, in many of the Middle Eastern countries, sex related crime s are less compared to that in other parts of the world because of the stiff laws. On the other hand, in democratic countries like India or America, sex crimes are increasing day by day because of the absence of strong laws to punish sex offenders. The above facts clearly indicate that the response to pornographic materials is different in different countries because of the differences in the criminal justice systems in different countries. In China also, people engage in less criminal activities related to sex, even though they have access to pornographic materials. In other words, culture, belief in morality, criminal justice system and political frame works play an important role in public behaviour in response

Benchmark Assessment Essay Example for Free

Benchmark Assessment Essay Micah, an eleventh grader with a learning disability in written expression and reading comprehension, is pending placement into a special education classroom. He is involved in extracurricular activities and does not want to stand apart from his friends and peers in regards to accommodations being made for his instruction time. Following is a look into the different placement options and why or why not Micah would benefit from it, technology and related services that he would need to help him progress in his areas of need, collaboration models for each placement that will help Micah’s teachers provide appropriate instruction, and a description of the most appropriate placement option with two Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Standards that align with the placement option. Inclusion Inclusion, simply put, means that all students interact and belong (National Inclusion Project, 2015). This type of placement is not getting the special needs student prepared for the general education class, rather it is getting the general education class ready for the special needs student (Tomko, 1996). This placement option would benefit Micah in that he would be in the same classes as his peers and friends. The inclusion environment is one of the least restrictive environments for Micah. However, Micah would not be able to focus solely on his learning disabilities in the inclusion setting, which makes this setting not the most appropriate placement option for him. Related Services Related services are provided to those with exceptionalities to help in their learning experiences and to enhance their abilities. In the inclusion classroom, Micah would benefit from guided notes. This type of note taking  technique provides students with a print-out of the lesson’s notes with certain words omitted for the students to fill in. Another related service for the inclusion setting is the availability of ‘test readers’. Micah would need this service based on his disability in reading comprehension. However, having someone read him his tests may put him in a negative light in front of his peers. Technology Technology use in an inclusion setting is almost a necessity. For Micah, he may want to use a tape recorder to record lectures and any assignment directions for understanding and accuracy. Another form of technology that would be necessary for Micah would be a Smart Board or a Promethean Board. These two pieces of technology will help Micah to be more interactive in class, and they will allow his instructors to monitor his comprehension of the materials being taught. Collaboration Model If Micah were to be placed in the inclusion setting, his teachers would use the ‘team teaching’ approach of collaboration. The ‘team teaching’ approach is when both, the general education and the special education teacher, teach the same lesson at the same time (Special Education Resource Center, 2007). This collaboration model allows the special education instructor to focus on the students who need extra help while the general education teacher continues to teach. This is also known as the ‘tag team teaching’ collaboration model. Each educator uses their expertise in their specific field to engage classroom instruction. Resource The resource room in special education is a classroom in which students with specific learning disabilities receive more direct and specialized instructions in smaller groups (US Legal Inc., 2015). If Micah were to be placed in the resource room, he would be able to receive extra help with his written expression and reading comprehension. This placement option would work for Micah in that it would only be one class period so that he could keep his disability from his peers and friends, as well as maintain or enhance his learning in his other classes. Related Services During his time in the resource room, Micah would have access to a number of  related services. One of these services would be access to counseling. Micah is very social but he has concerns about standing out from his peers and friends because of his disabilities. A counselor will be able to help build up his self-esteem so that he will not have to be ashamed of his learning issues. Another related service that Micah can receive is a tutor to help him with his written expression and reading comprehension. Technology Technology in the resource room is abundant. Computers with appropriate educational web sites and software are easily available. This is great for Micah because he can use the software and web sites to help build upon his written expression and reading comprehension. Also available in the resource room are copies of the textbooks for each of Micah’s classes. This allows Micah the extra time he may need to understand instructions for assignments and lectures handed to him in his core subjects. Finally, the resource room has a student dictionary. This dictionary will help Micah define words that he may not understand, thus building upon his reading comprehension and written expression skills. Collaboration Model The collaboration model that works best in the resource room is the Resource/ Consulting Teacher Program, or RCT. The RTC model is supported by the triadic model with many opportunities for teachers, students, and parents to interact (Dettmer, Knackendoffel, Thurston, 2013). With the RTC model, emphasis is placed on training students in the curriculum used within each mainstreamed student’s general education classroom (Dettmer, Thurston, Dyck, 2005). Also, the teachers’ expectations and reinforcements are identical for the resource room and the general education class setting (Dettmer, et al., 2005). This collaboration model is perfect for the resource room because it includes everyone involved in the student’s education. Self-Contained A self-contained classroom is the most restrictive placement option that Micah could end up with. However, since instruction is provided by one teacher for all subjects, this would not be an appropriate option for Micah. This placement would prevent Micah from interacting with his friends. The self-contained classroom is more for those students with severe physical,  mental, social, intellectual, and behavior disabilities. Since Micah participates in extracurricular activities, he does not have a severe disability that would require him to be placed in a self-contained classroom. Related Services Related services in the self-contained classroom include occupational, physical, and speech therapies. Micah appears to be an athletic student, and he may benefit from the physical and occupational therapies; however, these related services are not what he needs for his learning disabilities. Micah would be required to also partake in group therapy sessions. Even though Micah has a disability in written expression, the speech therapy will not suffice because he is a very social eleventh grader. Technology There is an abundant amount of technology available in a self-contained classroom just as in a resource setting. Some students with communication problems will use communication pads to be social. There will also be computers, iPads and tablets, and possibly audio players available to assist students with assignments, comprehension, and reading. Micah has a specific learning disability in which these devices may prove to be beneficial, but he would not be able to focus solely on his areas of need. These devices will help improve Micah’s reading comprehension, but they will decrease his abilities in his other core areas. Collaboration Model In the self-contained classroom, finding a collaboration model may be a little harder than all the other placement options. Since the self-contained classroom only has one teacher and usually all the same students throughout the school day, collaboration is usually limited between teacher, student, and parent. For this reason, the most appropriate collaboration model is the collaborative-dependent model. In this model, the consultee (parent and/or student) relies on the consultant (teacher) for help while both parties bring their specific background and skills to solve the specific problem(s) (National Counselor Examination, 2013). Micah and his parents/ caregiver would reach out to the teacher for suggestions on how they can improve his written expression and reading comprehension. Summary After reviewing all of the possible placement options for Micah, the most appropriate classroom setting will be the Resource Room. Micah has specific learning disabilities solely in written expression and reading comprehension. By placing him in the resource classroom, he will be able to concentrate on these two content areas; all the while participating in his extracurricular activities and remaining in his general education classes with his friends and other peers without a feeling of inferiority. The resource room will provide ample opportunities for Micah to focus on the areas with which he struggles by way of the available technology, more personal assistance from the instructor, and the availability of a student dictionary and counselor. Other reasons for this placement include the avoidance of student separation and labels, the teacher can be more consistent with concentration on the areas of need; and students can practice study skills, basic skills, keyboarding, and social and behavioral skills (Lucas, 2013). CEC Standards The placement option for Micah aligns with the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Standards four and eight. Standard four focuses on the instructional strategies of the teacher. This standard promotes positive learning outcomes in both general and special education classrooms; increases self-awareness, self-management, self-control, self-reliance, and self-esteem; and it enhances the learning of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills (CEC, 2004). With the daily use of technology in the resource setting, standard eight is being utilized and implemented. This standard’s emphasis is assessment. Regular monitoring of the student’s progress of learning needs in both the general and special education curriculum can be easily done in the resource environment. In addition to progress being monitored regularly, the resource instructor will be able to adjust instruction based on the assessment results (CEC, 2004). References Council for Exceptional Children (2004). Beginning Special Educator Standards. The Council for Exceptional Children: Definition of a Well-Prepared Special Education Teacher. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children Dettmer, P., Knackendoffel, A., Thurston, L.P. (2013). Collaboration, Consultation, and Teamwork for Students with Special Needs, Seventh Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Dettmer, P., Thurston, L.P., Dyck, N.J. (2005). Consultation, Collaboration, and Teamwork for Students with Special Needs, Fifth Edition. Pearson/ Allyn and Bacon Lucas, M. (2013). The Benefits of the Resource Room Model. Retrieved February 11, 2015 from www.prezi.com/ae7v10oo2nzb/the-benefits-of-the-resource-room-model/ National Counselor Examination (2013). Consultation Models. Retrieved February 11, 2015 from www.hgst.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Consultation-models-NCE.pptx National Inclusion Project (2015). What is Inclusion? Retrieved February 9, 2015 from www.inclusionproject.org/lets-all-play/what-is-inclusion/ SERC (2007). Teaching Learning Initiative. Six Approaches to Co-Teaching. Retrieved February 10, 2015 from www.ctserc.org/initiatives/teachandlearn/coteach.shtml Tomko, C.F. (1996). What is Inclusion? Retrieved February 9, 2015 from www.kidstogeth er.org/inclusion.htm US Legal, Inc. (2015). Resource Room (Education) Law Legal Definition. Retrieved February 10, 2015 from www.definitions.uslegal.com/r/resource-room-education/