Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation Essay

1. Find appropriate place with a good environment to conduct negotiations. 2. Talk to both parties to identify their specific issues that need solving, identify what is going to be needed to find solutions in the short and long term. Take note of each parties information related to issue at hand which can be used to corroborate information during the negotiating process. 3. Make a thorough assessment of the situation in order to be able have an easier transition into the negotiation process. 4. Pick a good alternative that will accommodate the stipulations of the joint agreement policy. IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE THE STEPS OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS 1. First thing it should be done, is that parties involved in the negotiating process will share their case. An agreement should be reached on what is the purpose of the negotiating process, which will help to come to a solution of the issue at hand. 2. Parties should say what is that needs to be changed. 3. Parties should try to come to a consensus about what will be a good settlement package. Parties should be giving an updated estimate which includes all the changes made. And last parties should be willing to trade  off concessions with the goal of reaching an agreement 4. And last the negotiating parties agree to the end result of their negotiations, and also agree to abide by the agreement. IDENTIFY GUIDELINES TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION DURING THE NEGOTIATION Motivate negotiating parties to become open minded to facilitate communication. Should encourage parties to open up about themselves, listen attentively and empathize with them to make them feel that your purpose as to find a solution that best fits their wants. Pay attention to detail and how the conversation is conducted, you want to get to a personal level, in order to have good interactions which can go a long way. In this phase it will be a good idea that the negotiating parties offer the shareholders alternatives which clearly define expectations and time lines. IDENTIFY QUESTIONS THAT SHOULD BE ASKED DURING THE NEGOTIATION At the beginning of the negotiating process questions be in such a way do not have a fixed answer, example what is your opinion about this company? What these type of questions do is that help the negotiating parties to make an assessment of what the other party wants to achieve. At no time ether party should make any concrete resolutions until there is a clear path to be taken. When the negotiating process begin either path is going to bring their buying agreements, an effort should be made in order for them to come to a consensus on a price, once this reached an agreement should be made that parties understand that it will be the final offer and they could not go below it. IDENTIFY THE CHARESTIRISTICS OF THE NEGOTIATION STYLES 1. Adjust your behavior to empathize with fellow negotiating party in order to foster a productive negotiating environment. 2. As a negotiator understand expectations from parties in the negotiating process to produce solutions that makes them feel like they had a fair negotiating process outcome. 3. be proactive in the acquisition of information. IDENTIFY AND APPLY GUIDELINES THAT YOU SHOULD FOLLOW WHEN THIS NEGOTIATION BECOMES CHALLENGING You can identify when a negotiation is about to have a negative turn by observing peoples nonverbal language, this should be taken as a sign that a change of strategy merits change this can accomplished as follows. 1. Share information that will help present your case better in which the other person can see an opportunity to be able to also gain in the negotiating bargaining process. 2. Also a strategy to use when the process takes a negative tone, the best will be to keep a posture of silence listen and observe. 3. And last when closing the negotiating process, wrap it up in such a manner that if not accepted by the other party it will give a sense that the alternative will be no deal at all.

Entity Selection Essay

Facts: After 20+ years of working for other firms, Penelope (enrolled agent, age 41), Mark (CPA, age 43), and John (CVA, age 65) want to leave the firms they are currently employed by and become their own bosses. Penelope specializes in taxes, Mark is the auditor, and John is a business valuation expert. There are so many options available as to how they can structure the new business. The appropriate business entity for any individual(s) will depend on their particular facts and circumstances. You are a valued colleague and friend of this threesome, and they have come to you seeking advice as to how to structure their new business. They have the knowledge to figure it out themselves but are looking for the advice of an unbiased third party. Please consider the following tax and nontax considerations as you recommend an entity choice to Penelope, Mark, and John. Part I: Discuss the various forms of organization that are available to Penelope, Mark, and John. In general terms, the entity that you will be choosing will be some form of partnership. In broad definition, a partnership is defined as a single business where two or more people share ownership, with each partner bringing specific contributions to the business. Since each member of the partnership will be taking on specific functions and liability with the partnership, it is extremely important that all agree on the specific structure that the partnership will take. The purpose of this memo is to provide an educated and unbiased opinion on what structure that partnership should take. Partnerships are commonly organized as General Partnerships, Joint Ventures, or Limited Partnerships (limited liability). For the purposes of this memo, we will stick to forms of Limited Partnerships as the current economic climate necessitates a business structure that limits the liability of its owners. Common forms of Limited Partnerships are Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP), Limited Liability Company (LLC), S Corporations (S Corp), and C Corporations (C Corp). Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP) are similar to general  partnerships with the exception that they allow two classes of partners: those with full management control and those with no personal interest or liability beyond their investment (1). On the other hand, a Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a flexible form of business arrangement that melds characteristics of both partnerships and corporate structures. It is technically not a corporation, but a legal form of business entity that provides limited liability to its owners. Each owner in an LLC is considered a â€Å"member†, with profits and losses being â€Å"passed throu gh to their personal tax returns (2). An S Corporation (S Corp) is a type of corporation that is created through a special tax election. This election is beneficial when it comes to avoiding double-taxation. If a business is able to meet the S Corporation criteria, it will be able to reap the primary advantage of an S Corp which is tax savings. This is due to the fact that an S Corporation allows its employees to take a â€Å"reasonable† salary, limiting the income subject to income taxes and saving the rest of the corporation’s profits to be taxed at a lower rate as a â€Å"distribution† (3). Finally, a C Corporation (C Corp) is a separate legal structure formed for a business, protecting ownership and their personal assets from judgments against the company. It is a much more time consuming process to form a C Corporation, as the structure must include shareholders, officers, and directors. Often times, the drawbacks of double – taxation and administrative issues cause small business owners to seek other alternatives (4). Part II: Make your recommendation as to what form of organization you believe will be best, and be sure to explain the reasoning for your choice. After careful consideration, it is my opinion that the best business structure for your new venture would be to form and Limited Liability Company (LLC). This structure will provide the company with adequate protection while also establishing safeguards for each member and his or her personal assets. In this arrangement, each member will be removed from the consequences that could result from another member’s misconduct or negligence. I place particular emphasis on this fact because I know that all three of you are personal friends outside of the work environment, and I do not want there to be hesitation on anyone’s part regarded the business for fear of damaging  the friendship. In addition to the advantages named above, the LLC will allow each member to have clearly defined roles and management duties, as well as clearly defined ownership stakes and shares of profits and losses. As we will discuss in the coming sections, the formation of the Operating Agreement for the LLC will help to clearly establish these roles, allowing each of you to focus solely on your aspect of the business and allowing it to run as smoothly as possible (5). Part III: Discuss the tax consequences of contributing cash, property, and/or services to the new entity. Ordinarily, there are no tax consequences on contributions of property or services to a Limited Liability Company. Typically, members can utilize the tax treatment provided by IRC Section 721(a) when it comes to the contribution of property to an LLC. This section states that no loss or gain shall be to the partnership or any of its members in the case of contribution of property to the partnership in exchange for an interest in the partnership (6). However, there are exceptions to this rule, particularly when the contribution is an attempt to disguise the sale of property to avoid taxation. In these circumstances, the contributing member would have a taxable gain when the sale is completed (7). Cash contributions have similar treatment. They are given in exchange for ownership interest, and as a result, they are not taxable. Part IV: Discuss, in detail, how this entity is taxed (if at all) and what filing requirements it has with the IRS. Assuming you will not be making an election to be treated as a corporation (this would require becoming an S Corp or C Corp) the Limited Liability Company will be treated as a partnership. In other words, the LLC is treated by default as a â€Å"pass through† entity, meaning each member will be responsible for his or her portion of the profits on their personal income taxes. All partnerships are required to file Form 1065 with the IRS. This form is the U.S. Return of Partnership Income and it demonstrates the income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits from the operation of the partnership (in this case, the LLC). Each member’s share of profits will be outlined by the Operating Agreement, which we will discuss further in the next section. Should your LLC decide to split profits and losses in a manner that does not match up  with each member’s percentage interest, then you will need to request a special allocation from the IRS (8). Part V: Discuss how income and distributions may or will be allocated to Penelope, Mark, and John. Income and distributions will be allocated to each member through the Operating Agreement. In an LLC, the Operating Agreement allows its members to structure the financial and working arrangements in a way that suits the business and each member. In this agreement, the members establish each owner’s percentage ownership of the LLC, his or her share of profits and losses, the rights and responsibilities of each member, and what will happen to the business if one member decides to leave (9). It also helps to establish the framework for providing each member with a capital account for their portion of ownership. For example, Penelope’s percentage ownership in the LLC may be defined by the percentage of capital she contributes (be it cash, property, etc.) to the business. In turn, this established ownership percentage can be used to determine what proportion of the LLC’s profits she is entitled to receive. Part VI: Discuss, in detail, how the individuals are taxed (if at all) with respect to the net profits from this entity and what filing requirements they will each have with the IRS. As mentioned previously, a Limited Liability Company is considered a â€Å"pass through† entity unless it makes a special corporate election to be treated otherwise. By utilizing a Limited Liability Company, you are required to report your individual share of profit or loss from the business on your personal tax return. The Limited Liability Company will provide each member with a Schedule K-1, which demonstrates each member’s share of income, credits, and deductions for the partnership. Each member is then required to report these amounts for both federal and state taxation on their individual Form 1040 and Schedule E (8). Another important note to consider when it comes to individual taxation of Limited Liability Company members is the fact that each member is considered self-employed. As a result, each member must remember to make estimated tax payments for income and self-employment taxes on a quarterly basis. Failure to do so may result in penalties on your personal income tax return (8). Part VII: Discuss how Penelope, Mark, and John will calculate their basis in the new entity. Be sure to include the impact that debt has on basis, if any. As previously mentioned, the Operating Agreement will help to determine each member’s basis in the new Limited Liability Company. In general, the tax basis of a member with an interest in an LLC will be equal to the value of any cash or property the member contributed to the LLC. The value of these contributions is shown on the LLC’s balance sheet in the form of capital accounts for each member. IRC Section 752 describes the regulations involved in treating liabilities (debt) with regards to basis or stake in the partnership. Using this rule, any increase in a partner’s share of the liabilities of a partnership shall be considered a contribution of money by said partner to the partnership (10). With regards to loans made by a member to the partnership, there are special circumstances to consider. While the loan itself will be treated as a contribution and effectively increase the member’s proportional share of ownership, the member will also be given the treatment of a creditor if the business were to ever be liquidated. Creditors stand a much better chance of being able to recover a portion of their investment into the LLC than the other members. Part VIII (Limited Liability): Discuss the exposure that Penelope, Mark, and John’s personal assets will have to the debts and lawsuits of the entity you have recommended. As we have discussed throughout this memo, the formation of a Limited Liability Company limits the exposure of its members to their percentage of ownership or equity interest in the company. This protects the member’s assets in the event of a business related lawsuit or other form of legal action against the company. In other words, each member’s exposure will be limited to a fixed sum, akin to the value of the individual’s investment into the company. In addition, this means that each member will not be personally liable for the debts of the company. This is a key difference between the Limited Liability Company and other forms of General Partnerships, as members who organize their business in the structure of the latter have unlimited liability (11). References 1. http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/limited-liability-partnership# 2. http://www.sba.gov/content/limited-liability-company-llc 3. http://www.sba.gov/content/s-corporation 4. https://www.incorporate.com/c_corporation.html 5. http://www.rocketlawyer.com/article/why-start-an-llc-limited-liability-company-advantages-and-disadvantages.rl 6. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/721 7. http://www.alberty.com/newsletter_summer01.html 8. http://www.sba.gov/community/blogs/6-things-you-need-know-about-your-tax-responsibilities-llc 9. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/llc-operating-agreement-30232.html 10. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/752 11. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/limitedliability.asp

If Only I Had Been More Careful, That Wouldn’t Have Happened Essay

Do you still remember the very last journey we took which ended our relation?I remember every single moment on that day.It still fresh in my mind and i think i’ll never forget in my entire life.I still remember one week before that day.I planned to a trip with you for around five days.I wanted to show you my hometown and introduce you to my family members my family members and bring you also visited some tourist attractions there.Not only that, i had prepared a ring for a romantic moment.When the day came,i felt more excited and even felt a little nervous and anxious.On the way back to my hometown,i was extremely happy and thought about introducing you to my family members.I was holding your hand on my lap while driving.You asked me not to hold your hand too tight. You said i looked cute in my nervousness.We continued our journey but my mind had wondered away,not paying fully attention to my driving.I had increased the car speed and because of that crashed in on other car.The accident not only shocked me but also scared you.Not even one second after the crash,my car had turned over and rolled down the hill.Luckily our car stuck on a big tree.You did not have any injuries from this accident but i knocked my head on the steering wheel and i was bleeding.After leaving the car,i hugged you tightly into my bosom,but this time you hardly tried to push me away.You made me feel the warmth and touch as you rubbed off the blood on my forehead and put on a plaster.I felt more nervous about our relationship although we did not argue about anything. In about 20 minutes,the tow car towed my car to a workshop and we returned to our homes.After that accident,you did not speak.There was no smile on your face and you looked numb,no matter how i tried to make laugh and talk.Nothing worked.The next morning,i went to your room.I could not find you,i saw your room was empty but you had left a letter for me.You left me silently without saying goodbye to me.At that moment,i felt you had been cruel to me,cruel to our relationship.Our relationship just ended silently.Two years of being together had been wasted.The dream to marry you had broken.I felt everything was hopelessIf only i had been more careful,that wouldn’t have happened.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 32

History - Essay Example Governors known as satraps whose duties included being a vassal king to the Persian emperor, who administered the region on his behalf and oversaw the recruitment of the military whenever the need for it arose, administered these units. Under the satrap were often officials whose work was to ensure that all the records of the government of the satrapy were well kept and maintained. Depending on the period monarch ruled, the Persian Empire was often divided between twenty to thirty satrapies (Farazmand 280). Ancient Greece on the other hand, consisted of several hundred-city states, which were completely independent of each other. This situation was unique in the ancient world where societies tended to be organized either into tribes or into kingdoms that occupied quite a significant amount of territory. The Greeks fiercely defended the independence of their city-states and it was very rare for them to think of the idea of unifying themselves into one cohesive state. Their fierce sense of independence was clearly demonstrated during the second Persian invasion of Greece when while a group of city-states allied themselves to fight the invaders; a vast majority of the others chose to remain neutral in this conflict awaiting the outcome of the war. Once the Persians had been defeated, these city-states quickly resumed their independence and in fact, the conflict now became internal with those who were once allies fighting against each other. It can therefore be said that the Greek city-sta tes had two main features that were different from other states; the first is that they were very fragmentary by nature and the second was the focus that they had on their city-states rather than their identity as one people with a shared culture. Many Greek city-states had a form of government, which was based on some form of democracy, this meant that all adult males in the city could participate in the management of the affairs of the

Overall do you think the new global economy is a good thing or a bad Essay

Overall do you think the new global economy is a good thing or a bad thing - Essay Example The new global economy would not be a positive thing to United States economy, which operates a free- market capitalism. The increased production in numerous growing economies such as China and India will infiltrate the United States leading to the decline of the exportation income. Dahlman and Renwick (483) state â€Å"The United States has generally eased import restrictions in hopes that U.S export to other countries will increase†. The dwindling exportation created by the new global in the United States would adversely affect many industries, which may cause some employees to be laid- off. With the wide- ranging areas of production in China and India, the new global economy would highly benefit these emerging economies. The youthful generation augmented by a growing population in both China and India would stretch the production and utilization further, which would encourage these countries to absorb much of their production, while importing more from other

Service Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Service Management - Assignment Example The factor that is driving the change in strategy is the maturity and experience they have gained as solicitors over a long time they have as an independent firm. Furthermore, the fact that the number of clients they have is not growing, hence, they plan to find ways of increasing the number of customers. Another fact is that Smith and Jones want to be more visible in the market, and expand their business by employing another solicitor, who will assist them (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). John Smith differentiated his firm from the competition by noting that other solicitors believe that the business grows on its own, and they should just sit back and watch. Conversely, his firm is different since they work hard to maintain a client by ensuring that they come back and refer them to their friends (Krajewski, Ritzman & Malhotra, 2007). Their firm does not just wait, but treat their clients well by excellent communication, and providing good services to both the personal and commercial clients (Greasley, 2008). John Smith differentiates his firm from the competition by stating that their firm does not abuse their clients, and do believe that all customers are not happy with their solicitors. With this concept, John knows that their firm operates differently from her competitors and is more careful when it comes to handling their clients (Metters, King-Metters & Pullman, 2003). The changes John Smith will need to make to the operation include making efforts in selling their services. This can be achieved by putting a brochure together and list the extra services they provide including the steps they can take in order to receive the services. The change John Smith would need to make is to find good services that are related to their initial job. The services might include offering guiding and counseling, and teaching ethics, morals and ways of running their business

Most Americans Should Not Use Credit Cards Essay

Most Americans Should Not Use Credit Cards - Essay Example The credit card industry has evolved so drastically that it is predicted that an average number of credit cards per family is around 3.5 (Nilson Report, 2010). According to another statistics, it is reported that an average American with a credit file is responsible for $16.635 in debt; this amount is reported after excluding the mortgage charges (U.S News and World Report, 2008). Credit cards have had a huge impact on people spending spree and it is only because of this extravagant spending style, credit cards consumers have had to face severe bankruptcy issues. It was reported that the bankruptcy filed during 2009 amounted to $1.4 million dollars; this had increased by 22% compared to the figures of $1.09 million in 2008 (AACER, 2010). This bankruptcy rate usually comprises of young adults and it is reported that young Americans have the 2nd highest rate of bankruptcy. These increase bankruptcies, heavy spending and huge debts are all a result of psychological behaviour. Americans tend to live in an economy where debt has not been given any significant value by many households. Mortgages and other similar loans are a part of almost every American household. Besides that, people tend to have an emotional attachment to paper money, which if spent, is given to the provider of goods/service whilst credit card/plastic money has no sense of emotional feeling attached to it when it is being spent because of the psychological belief that nothing material is being given at the instance of buying. This reason makes people more vulnerable to heavy spending and eventually they end up in critical positions such as bankruptcy (Schor, 1998). Credit card use has overshadowed the entire world economy. According to Federal Reserve G.19 report, the total U.S revolving debt amounted to $793.1 billion as of May 2011 and the total U.S consumer debt as of the same date amounted to $2.43 trillion (Federal Reserve Report, July 2011). The amount of U.S consumer debt increased to 2.45 trillion as reported in the September issue of the G.19 report. Hence it is clearly evident that the expansion of credit led America to severe consumer debts and this debt has not been stopped, the credit is still being offered to the consumers and it is often argued that if this trend continues, the credit card industry would be highly susceptible to downfall and failure that would further lead to another economic collapse. This collapse can be prevented by using credit cards on a minimal level or paying off the dues as they fall due. Credit card companies tend to offer credit cards to customer on increased interest rates in order to reduce its use. This pullback is affecting the creditworthy consumers and it further increases the danger to already endangered banking industry. Credit card companies had to write off $21 billion in 2008 as bad credit card loans, issues like these clearly suggest the credit card industry would definitely affect the economy in a negative manner (Dash, 2008). Finally it is said that the Federal Reserve Bank is also one major factor that can lead to an economic collapse. This is because the Fed has enough power to lend to anyone whom it desires i.e. without the consent of the Barrack Obama’s government; hence only favoured institutions are bailed out when the total economy falls prey to this downfall (The Economic Collapse, 2011). The payment pattern of the credit card debt is such that according to

Analysis of Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Analysis of Violence - Essay Example We have characters that are considered as the models who defied the violence as a means to achieve their objectives. Probably the paramount example is of Jesus Christ. Records suggest that Jesus was a pacifist and the dictionary definition of Pacifist suggest someone as opposed to the violence. There is a very famous saying associated with Jesus that if someone slaps on your right cheek, give him the left too. His teachings and methods were greatly opposed to the violence as a means to achieve the objectives. Though the political situation at that time was extremely volatile and violence would have been the most natural reaction however the same was not the case. Though evidence suggests that followers of Jesus were violent in their response to Jesus cruxification, however, Jesus himself as a prophet, as a leader and political activist. (Rational Chrastinity, 2008). The second personality which we are going to discuss is the personality of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi oversaw one of the brightest freedom struggles in the World. The liberation of India from the British rule was one of the longest and bloodiest freedom struggles, however, Gandhi, by adopting the principles of HANSA, refused to adopt violence as the mean to achieve his objectives. His Sataygra or Non-Violence Movement is considered as one of the most organized political efforts of non-violence where the whole India was united in their peaceful protest against the British Occupation. (BBC, 2000). The political history of also further suggests that Gandhi, who was killed by a Hindu, stood for the rights of divided India when India was separated into two states of Pakistan and India. It was because of these reasons that he was awarded the prestigious MAN OF THE CENTURY nomination at the turn of the new century. The similarity between these two personalities is the fact they both adapted peace as the mean of achieving their objectives though at the cost of their own lives.

Strategic management Link between strategic planning and performance Essay

Strategic management Link between strategic planning and performance - Essay Example Here strategic planning is used as a term to illustrate an organisational decision-making process, which can be generally defined as the process of realising the mission, primary goals, tactics, and approaches that govern the attainment and allocation of resources to accomplish organisational objectives (Pearce et al., 1987, p. 658). The major intention of this essay is to contribute new pragmatic evidence on the connection between strategic planning and performance, and to reflect on the effect of a set of related variables on this association. Mintzberg and Lampel, (1999, pp. 21-30) indicate that the term formal strategic planning is an intention to express that an organisation's strategic planning overall process entails apparent systematic procedures used to increase the participation and commitment of those chief stakeholders influenced by the plan. Study on the association between strategic planning and firm's performance has proved indecisive. From the early researches it is revealed that strategic planning improved performance (Herold, 1972, p. 94). However, later studies revealed that there was no patent systematic relationship between them (Shrader et al., 1984, pp. 149-171). Bresser and Bishop (1983) argued that if strategic planning bring in firmness and supports excessive bureaucracy then it might be called as dysfunctional. Despite the sustained significance of performance aim... 101-109) has mentioned that concentration has not been given to strategic planning and performance in experiential study. According to Greenley (1994), primarily, it should enhance the organisation's performance. The basic conjecture of strategic management emphasises on the planning of a task, aims and targets, of which organisation performance is a component, the practice of strategies to achieve these aims and targets, and control to guarantee that the targets are accomplished. Second, the intention of strategic planning is to increase the value of management all over an organisation. As a result this could bring about indirect perfection in performance, although its effectiveness may, certainly, be lost in the intricacy of variables with the likelihood to influence performance. However, managers may understand that it adds to effectiveness, giving them a sentiment of confidence and control. Strategic planning may therefore be useful as a process of management, in spite of the performance attained. In fact, the entire concentration of strategic management evolves around the accomplishment of objectiv es, which correspond to ambitions for future performance. Boyd (1991, p. 355) defines that strategic planning is a mean to run environmental turmoil, which has been adopted by numerous organisations. In addition, formal strategic planning is an unending managerial process, with a number of elements, embracing establishment of objectives and creation and assessment of strategies. A useful strategic planning system creates a link between long-range strategic objectives with both mid-range and functional plans. Planners gather data, estimate, and frame out and build alternative future scenarios. Ostensibly, such activities permit organisations to

Rachel and her Children essay Essay Example for Free

Rachel and her Children essay Essay We see them almost everywhere! We can hear them around the corner, and we see their shadow from far away. We try to avoid looking directly into their eyes, and we pretend we did not hear them when they talk to us. We walk around the block to avoid them, and walk faster to leave them behind. These people that we consider to be invisible are actually homeless human beings. Homelessness in America remains an issue of deep concern in the 21st century. Without a permanent roof over their head, these people seek refuge in various places such as homeless shelters and tent cities. If they are fortunate they will find a safe place to stay the night. The less fortunate ones are forced to spend their night in public places that are unsafe and unfit to sleep in. Although homelessness is not a new issue to write about, in â€Å"Rachel and her children†, Jonathan Kozol brings us into an entirely new world. A world where the homeless are not just figures with hands held out asking for spare change. He brings us into the lives of these homeless story by story case by case sharing his personal interviews with these unfortunate people. What Kozol describes deeply in the book throughout true incredible stories goes beyond our expectation. Especially in chapter 5,† Distancing ourselves from pain and tears† which is one of the center of the book, the author raises more concern about our attitudes toward poor homeless people. What Kozol means by â€Å"distancing† in the chapter is that people do really care about homelessness. They do understand and feel guilty about what homeless people are suffering day by day. Because of the guiltiness, they try to create a â€Å"distance† by themselves to ignore the responsibility for these homeless people. Instead of blaming the reckless negligence of the government’s welfare system, people end up blaming homelessness for creating their own destitution. In some ways, it is surely that most Americans would have a certain enhanced sympathy toward homeless people. However, not many of us do truly care about them, want to know what the story is behind them becoming homeless, and try to help them get out of their dark side. We do have compassion, but our compassion is not big enough to connect us closer to homeless people. Even though we feel very bad whenever we hear about the poor people, every one of us does have a distance ourselves from homelessness. The first thing that come to my mind and other people’s when thinking about homeless people is that all of them are panhandlers, those who are mentally unstable, and victims of â€Å"dumping† by greedy hospital or drug addiction. Last summer I came to visit my friend who lives in downtown San Francisco. As I was walking down to the bus station, I remember passing an old homeless woman who was asking people for money at the corner of the station. Being careful not to touch her, I dropped a few spare coins in his hand. Automatically assuming that the money I gave her would be used for drugs or alcohol, I looked upon her with contempt. After reading this book, I understand that the woman I saw at the corner of the station could have, at one time, been just like me. Even though being a little proud of just doing something good, I found that I (as well as other people) fail to create a distance from homelessness. At the beginning, Kozol opens his book with the story of Peter and Megan who are living in the Martique homeless shelter. Before ending up being homeless, they had a happy life with their five children. Peter did plumbing and carpentry. He was also a contributing and working. After a fire destroyed the house and all of Peter’s collection of tools he had built up for years, Peter’s family had to struggle in the Martique. By opening with this story, Kozol gives the readers a new vision of homeless people. Stereotypes of the homeless as individuals struggling with mental health issues or substance addictions no longer hold. They used to be normal members in the society just like us, but for some reasons cause them to become destitute. Kozol’s book documents how many homeless were recently employed, cast into homelessness by financial misfortune such as ongoing unemployment, staggering medical bills or medical disabilities. Many homeless people are in their existing condition of living on the streets because of being born poor, while many other homeless people used to have money, fame and property before but lost it all in some big personal or external event. We have never thought what lead those people into their dark sides. We are too hasty to put everyone into the same category. Because of that failure in thinking, we naturally build an invisible distance that separates us from homeless people. There are hundreds of fears which could be called typical of human needs existing inside of us such as: going broke, foreclosure on house, humiliation from public speaking, running out of food, or major disasters†¦. However, a life that is financially is unsecure, and in a depressed economy, the fear of being homeless seems to be considered as the biggest concern for human beings. For those who have been homeless and are now off the street, generally they promise themselves never to let that happen again. Many people now fear being homeless who are close to foreclosure. Too many people bought at the top of the market or re-financed with variable rate deals. Therefore, this fear of being homeless is a real fear. When people are scared of something so much that they cannot face it, they tend to ignore it in order to release the fear that they are going through. We all know that homelessness still exists. We also know that that the number of people who stay in the street as their home, lack of food, tremble because of cold, and carry on so many disease is increasingly higher in every states of the U.S. Since we fear of being homeless, we try to disregard the existence of homelessness. We even blame homeless people for creating their own situation. In order to push away our own â€Å"nightmare†, we unintentionally create the distance between ourselves and homelessness. Not only do we eliminate our â€Å"nightmare† by blaming the homeless people but also we evade our responsibility by making an excuse that there is no â€Å"quick fix† for erasing homelessness in America. That means people who are living in the street have to wait a long time to get a house. Most of us usually think that we already gave a hand for helping homelessness by the tax we pay to the government every year, and that the government themselves have had programs for low-income Americans. However, we do not know that the money the government gives up to help poor people is â€Å"just over a tenth of the federal budget† (131). Yet, that ten percent of the budget was cut into one third by the Reagan budget cuts. In other words, when that amount of money reaches to the homeless people, it means nothing. The question here is: What is the rest of the money gone instead of using to help homeless? The rest of billions of dollars is used for national defense such as: military, weapons, and so-called wars†¦ Without knowing this, we blame homeless people for creating their own destitution instead of the government. The book â€Å"Rachel and her children† incredibly tells stories of homeless people. Each person has his or her own different circumstances, but generally these people used to have the same normal live before they became homeless. Many of us would sympathize with homeless people on the street, but only few truly want to help them get out of their extreme circumstances. In some ways, we still draw ourselves a distance from homelessness either because of our guiltiness or our own fear of being homeless one day. When we confidently give up our little spare coins to homeless people without worrying if they are used for drugs or alcohol, that is when we little by little erase our distance and get closer to these poor homeless human beings. View as multi-pages

Women Entrepreneurs May Be Defined Business Essay

Women Entrepreneurs May Be Defined Business Essay The Indian women are no longer treated as show pieces to be kept at home.They are also enjoying the impact of globalisation and making an influence not only on domestic but also on international sphere.Women are doing a wonderful job striking a balance between their house and career. Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman Managing Director of Biocon Ltd., who became Indias richest woman in 2004, was educated at the Bishop Cotton Girls School and Mount Carmel College in Bangalore. She founded Biocon India with a capital of Rs.10,000 in her garage in 1978 the initial operation was to extract an enzyme from papaya. Her application for loans were turned down by banks then on three counts biotechnology was then a new word, thecompany lacked assets, women entrepreneurs were still a rarity. Today, her company is the bigget biopharmaceutical firm in the country. Neelam Dhawan, Managing Director, Microsoft India, leads Microsoft India. She is a graduate from St. Stephens College in 1980,and also passed out from Delhis Faculty Of Management studies in 1982. Then she was keen on joining FMCG majors like Hindustan Lever and Asian Paints, both companies rejected Dhawan, as they didnot wish to appoint women for marketing and sales. STATUS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN INDIA Women entrepreneur as defined by the Government of India is an enterprise owned and controlled by a women having a minimum financial interest of 51 % of the capital and giving atleast 51 % of the employment generated in the enterprise to women.   On the basis government offers incentives and concessions to women entrepreneurs.   However, women entrepreneurs severely criticize this definition which sets out a condition of employing more than 50 % women workers.   They point out that this is discriminatory and any enterprise set-up by women should qualify for the concessions offered to women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs are no longer as hard to find as they were a few decades ago.   However, a lot still remains to be done before the impediments in their way, in the form of unfavourable policies, hostile attitudes or lack of opportunities, are removed and women can function shoulder to shoulder with men.   Non-government organizations promoting women entrepreneurship play a critical role in removing obstacles.   Women as entrepreneurs have to play a key role in the overall economic development of the country.   It is estimated that presently women entrepreneur comprise 10 % of the total entrepreneurs in India with the percentage rising every year and it is likely in another five years, women will comprise 20 % of the entrepreneurial workforce.   This figure is given by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) as 39.4 %. With corporates eager to associate with women-owned businesses, and a host of banks and NGOs keen to help them get going, there has rarely been a better tim e for women with zeal and creativity to start their own business.   Traditionally, women in India were associated with tiny enterprises called 3Ps Pickles, Pappads and Pepper.   In urban cities of India, more and more women are successfully running day care centres, placement services, floriculture, beauty parlors and fashion boutiques.   Of late, technically and professionally qualified females are launching their small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in click and portal areas like information technology, multimedia, telecommunication and some have become very successful knowledge entrepreneurs.   Even in rural areas, self-help groups (SHGs) are empowering women to start their own business enterprises. Endowed with the famous female intuition that helps them make the right choices even in situations where experience and logic fail, the Indian women have innate flair for entrepreneurship.   Although men and women may be motivated by different goals and expectations, women entrepreneurs are just as competent, if not better, than their male counterparts.   Connie Glaser reports in her famous book When Money Isnt Enough, that male entrepreneurs are motivated by the potential to earn lots of money, while women start their own companies (SMEs) because they seek greater control over their personal and professional lives.   The capabilities and environment with which men and women operate are completely different.   Moreover, women have a few problems in pursuing their SMEs which their male counterparts do not.   If we really want to promote entrepreneurship among women we have to necessarily differentiate entrepreneurship on the basis of sex. Let us look at the key changes for the Indian women entrepreneurship over the last five decades.   Women entrepreneurs of The Fifties, took to entrepreneurial business activity where there was no income generating male or took charge of enterprise her husband had left.   In The Sixties, many women educated in schools and colleges began to have business aspirations and set-up SMEs.   Women entrepreneurs of The Seventies, was the critical mass of women who educated professionally and some set-up their own SMEs in emerging and new areas.   The women entrepreneurs of 50s, 60s, and 70s had accepted both their social and occupational roles.   They played the two roles and tried to balance both.   However, in The Eighties, the women were educated in highly technological and professional disciplines and they set-up their more sophisticatedly managed SMEs.   In The Nineties, women entrepreneurs were qualitatively different breed of women.   They were qualified, capable, compet ent and assertive.   They made better choices of opportunities and ideas, and set-up SMEs which they managed to grow their professionism. Women in The Nineties have often questioned their traditional coding of their roles and have become conscious of the voice of their identity.   The women entrepreneurs of The 21st Century, set-up businesses in IT, Telecom, and financial sectors and they were pioneers and mavericks.   In this millennium, the Indian women world has to cross a major threshold and enter an unknown land.   They have to walk a path where none existed with the sense to discover and fathom new heights with their effectively managed and technically sophisticated SMEs. Among the 94.57 lakhs SMEs owned by men functioning in India, 86.92 % are unregistered and registered units amount only to 13.08 %. In the total number of SMEs owned by men in India more than forth-fifths of the SMEs (86.92%) are unregistered. PERSONAL ENTREPRENEURIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MALE AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS General Characteristics   General characteristics of the Indian male and female entrepreneurs that have been noted in this study areas follows: Female Entrepreneurs Women tend to be more cautious and avoid risky ventures that would increase their vulnerability and expose them to possible loss of savings, more so when the impetus to become an entrepreneur arises from circumstances such as loss of job, divorce or death in the family. Business ventures are therefore kept small and products are quite diversified, rather than specialized. Activities are focused on household commitments, namely, to improve living conditions and consumption levels of their families and to educate their children, rather than focused on profit-driven motives. Hence they tend to choose businesses that allow them to balance family and business responsibilities. Sectors to which they gravitate generally exhibit lower growth potential and lower profits. Womens attraction to the services sector is thought to be linked to the view that women are inherently maternal and see themselves as providers for their families, hence their predisposition to enter this sector. The creative capacity of women, which is seen to be greater than that of men, allows them to be more responsive to market conditions, thereby contributing to their survival. Not unrelated to this is the tendency of women to underestimate their skills compared to men. As a result, they are more eager to avail themselves of opportunities for self-improvement through skills upgrading and confidence building. Male Entrepreneurs Male entrepreneurs are generally perceived to be more self-confident and possess better business skills. Men tend to be more profit-oriented, and are greater risk-takers with expectations of greater financial returns. Overall, men have access to a better support system, partly because of their longer experience in the business arena, but more so because of the strength of their networking, and the male bonding phenomenon, variously known as the old boys club. In addition, men generally hold positions of power in organizations and political institutions and have greater control over the decision-making processes (loan approvals etc.). Men enjoy a clear advantage with respect to accessing credit and investment capital, and acquiring market information, which together facilitate their entry into more profitable, high growth sectors. The mobility of men tends not to be as constrained by domestic responsibilities. Difference between Personal Entrepreneurial Characteristics    Based on general information gathered from respondents the main differences in personal entrepreneurial characteristic between female and male entrepreneurs are as follows: Female Entrepreneurs Many female entrepreneurs are said to be in business out of economic necessity. Women tend to underestimate their skills in comparison to men. They are very eager to take advantage of opportunities such as seminars, bazaars, etc. to help them to upgrade their skills and business capabilities, as well as to build up their level of confidence. Women tend to be more cautious in their approach to business in the sense that they are more patient than men, and are willing to wait for a longer period of time for their businesses to grow. Motivation between men and women seems to be different. Women tend to operate in small business and maintain a clear focus on their additional duties and obligations to their family/household. Hence, their main priority is in having adequate finance in hand to meet family commitments, even if they do not obtain an income or salary at month end. Women tend to be largely in the services sector. One view advanced by a key informant is that as women are inherently maternal and intrinsically see themselves as providers for their families, they have a predisposition to enter this sector. Women tend to start businesses that they can manage adequately and financially, bearing in mind that they may also be heading the household in the absence of a male figure. In this case, womens time has to be appropriated prudently between business and familial responsibilities. Women tend to have an aversion to debt, particularly if they have started their business from a position of disadvantage. The view suggests that women entrepreneurs tend to avoid potentially risky business activities that may increase their vulnerability and expose them to the loss of their savings sometimes life savings. A possible additional risk for women could be the fear or embarrassment of being viewed as a failure within the context of a perceived male-dominated society. Womens creative capacity is seen to be greater than that of their male counterparts. Women can diversify more quickly than men in order to remain viable within the market even though this market is small in many cases and they are seen to be more flexible than men as well. Male Entrepreneurs Male entrepreneurs are perceived to be more confident than their female counterparts. They have a better support system, principally because they have more experience in business activities. They are perceived to possess more and better business skills than women. They are seen to be more systematic than women. They tend to be more enterprising in terms of taking higher risks with the expectation of attaining higher financial returns on their investments. Challenges of women entrepreneurs Women are subjected to discrimination in their entrepreneurial endeavours due to various gender-related causes. This discrimination has adversely impacted on their ability to raise or secure capital, to acquire and further managerial talents, and to capture market opportunities. Women are often subjected to greater scrutiny as they approach traditional lending institutions for assistance. This has resulted in many women being discouraged from venturing into business activities on their own. However, it needs to be mentioned that those women who have done so have been quite successful at managing and operating the respective businesses. This refers in particular to women who have been successful in areas such as basketry, food vending, hair dressing, clothes designing, and food manufacturing such as pepper sauces, making syrup and the packaging of various spices. No clearly defined policy framework existed for SME development. In this case, in the views of key informants, there seemed to be gender discrimination in favour of male entrepreneurs. One example given speaks to the issue of males obtaining loans more easily and readily than women from commercial banks to finance their business ventures which, in some cases, were similar to those of women. The Indian Governments recent policy framework has sought to redress some of these imbalances. A wide range of credit facilities is available. However, SMEs persons including women, experience numerous difficulties in accessing funds. There is a lack of readily available information on opportunities for investing in SMEs.   In this regard, women who are starting from a perceived situation of disadvantage in the market especially if they are operating at the periphery of the formal economy are constrained in relation to maximizing their economic potential. The absence of an entrepreneurial culture has permeated all levels of society.   This has resulted in the SME sector being regarded as a less attractive investment option in India. When combined with other barriers, few women find SMEs an attractive career pursuit. Female entrepreneurs may lack business management, marketing and accounting skills.   These skills may be very weak. This may be compounded by the lack of resources and in some cases the will to upgrade these skills. The educational system does not include entrepreneurial education, training and development in the curricula as a crucial area for national economic development. Women who would otherwise benefit from this educational emphasis are inevitably denied early access to the rudiments of business in India6. Major Problems of Women Entrepreneurs The major problem observed are as follows : Women face intensive financial constraints as loans not easily available to them being females a gender bias. Women have over-dependence on intermediaries, middlemen and brokers who exploit rather than helping them. Women face the problem of scarcity of raw materials and depend upon suppliers and middlemen who exploit them charging higher prices. Cut-throat competition in entrepreneurship creates more hurdles to women entrepreneurs. In the case of women entrepreneurs, the cost of production goes high as compared to industries run by their male counterparts.   This creates problems of marketing due to high prices. Women have low mobility as compared to male entrepreneurs because of social hurdles, family responsibilities and discrimination by family members. Women give more priority to family ties and relationships than economic aspects.   This prevents them from becoming successful in entrepreneurship. India being a patriarch society, female daughters dont have rights over the property of their father and hence discriminated by financial institutions. Female entrepreneurs cannot get sales tax number without a male partner which causes a great problem for them.   This is male chaunism that is also in the beginning of the 21st Century. Because of lack of information networks, education and training, potential and existing female entrepreneurs are exploited by unscrupulous agents and brokers7.   There are numerous other problems and challenges which discourages women to undertake entrepreneurship and self-employment as a career option in India as well as many other developing countries of the world.   The government must come-up with clear policies in favour of women entrepreneurs so that female entrepreneurship development can be promoted and further encouraged making them as equal partners in the society.

Importance Of Outdoor Recreation

Importance Of Outdoor Recreation Leisure, recreation and tourism are generally viewed as key components in peoples lives (Lynch and Veal 1996). Outdoor recreation brings happiness to people as it gives recreational opportunities to them. Leisure means various things to different people and therefore it consists of many definitions given by many researchers. For instance, Fava(1964) stated that leisure is the time which an individual has free from work or other responsibilities and which may be used for the purpose of relaxation, diversion, or personal development. In contrast, according to Godbey (1999), a leading researcher in the field of leisure education said that leisure is typically related with spare time or situations in which people have the luxury of choice. Sylvester (1999) stated that , it must not neglect the fact that in ancient time, leisure was considered as a luxury and was affordable by affluent people only. Recreation The term recreation is derived from the Latin word of recreatio and recreate which means to refresh and to refresh and to restore (Edginton et al 1995). Examples of outdoor recreation involve: Visiting parks and natural areas. Visiting historical and archaeological sites. Outdoor concerts and festival. Golf and kite flying Forest activities like wildlife safari, camping and tree climbing. Importance of Outdoor recreation Research has shown that outdoor recreation activities undoubtedly contribute positively to one health as well as well being (Boniface 2000; Dickson et al; 2008). Through recreation activities, people get the opportunity to enjoy the natural environment if they are doing adventure activities, interact with other people (Berman Davis-Berman, 1995, 2000). Moreover, study has illustrated that the way life alters with the loss of link which inevitably result to poor lifestyles (Godbey et al; 2005). Nowadays, the new generation mainly children are more likely to be at risks than their parents. Children currently have more possibilities of health problems to such children, such as asthma, obesity, vitamin D deficiency since they have inactive lifestyle as well as lack of physical exercises, consequently, it may lead to cardiovascular, pulmonary and mental health problems in adulthood. Children from poor background are more likely to be away from green space as they have built environment such as bad housing condition, traffic congestion and so forth. Today the world is connected with technological gadgets and children tends to stay more in front of their computers, television, playing video games and after school hours they need to complete their homework therefore youngsters miss the contact with the natural setting, they also miss the chance for stress reduction, healthy development , physical activity and restoration. Motivation for outdoor recreation According to Iso-Ahola (1980), individuals are encouraged through defined objectives as well as rewards which can be either extrinsic or intrinsic. When a particular activity is occupied in to acquire compensation, it is known as extrinsically motivated. In contrast, intrinsically motivated is when a person is self motivated to achieve something or engaged in the activity for its own sake. Moreover, Iso-Ahola thinks that leisure behavior is mainly caused by intrinsic aspects which are linked to self-expression, competence as well as agreement which implies freedom of choice. Nevertheless, recreation choice should not be regarded as unlimited. The ability for individual to choose from a range of recreational activities cannot be compromised due to the fact that individuals motivation to be indulged in a given outdoor recreation is projected in the selection made from various outdoor activities. Furthermore, choice is encircled by many pitfalls such as physical capability, affordability, awareness, time restrictions and family obligations. These limitations differ among people and the demographic, socio-economic and other groups. Demand and Participation Demand is an economic term used in order to illustrate the link that exists between the quantities of a good that people will buy as well as the prices that they will have to pay. In other words, it refers to the ability and willingness to pay for a particular product. The elements of demands are as follows: Effective, expressed or actual demand is the actual number of participants, for instance it reflects the number of people that participate in countryside recreation. The number of people involved in such activity might be expressed per day or per year. Latent or suppressed demand refers to unfulfilled demand. Therefore, it is where an individuals desire to participate has not been fulfilled due to some reason. But if the situation alters such a desire may ultimately become effective demand. However, such demand is not easy to quantify as it relies on peoples wishes and desires as well. When taking into account suppressed demand it can be emphasized that the latter gives rise to two elements namely: deferred demand and potential demand. When reference is being made to deferred demand refers to demand that is unfulfilled due to a lack of amenities, for example, if a large number of people wish to go to the swimming pool but the problem is that if there is no swimming available then this want will be unfulfilled and demand will be postponed until a swimming pool is provided. In contrast, potential demand is demand that is unfulfilled simply because there is a shortage of personal resources such as income or mobility. But, if there is an improvement in terms of personal situation it can undoubtedly be fulfilled in the future. Lastly it can be said that there will be people who will surely prefer not to involve in recreational activities and this is known as no demand. Factors affecting demand for outdoor recreation can be classified into : Demographic characteristics Socio-economic characteristics Situational characteristics Demographic Characteristics In terms of demographic characteristics there are several factors that affect the recreation preference and it includes age, sex, marital status and family diversity. Research has shown that young male who are single are more likely to involve in outdoor recreation and even if they are married they are unwilling to have children (Booth, 1989; Genet 2001; Booth Peebles, 1995). These participants are really interested in their education and they inevitably want to get well paid jobs. Socio -economic characteristics Price From an economists perspective, price is considered to be a key factor in determining price as customers decision but the price of leisure is complicated with regards to many other products. For example, a normal product consists of a single price but while comparing it to the price of leisure activities it is different as it consists of separate elements such as the valid nature of the leisure, other price like costs of transport, parking, equipment, clothing and accommodation might be charged. Economists stated that as leisure involves time, therefore the opportunity cost of that time in terms of its possible earning power should also be included in the list mentioned above. According to Gratton and Taylor (1985) he argued that the price of a product affects demand in two different ways. First and foremost, the average cost of participation which involves all types of costs such as entrance fee, equipment and so forth might affect demand in terms of decision making to involve in the activity. Thus, the higher the average cost, the lower the participate rate. Secondly, marginal cost is the cost that has an impact on the frequency of participation. For example, in association with leisure activities there may be fixed costs involved like membership fee, buying of equipment and so on. Income Income can be viewed as a feature that enables people to buy a leisure product. Research has shown that in the second half of the nineteenth century there has been a drastic change with regards to income growth. It was then that the development of mass leisure started and simultaneously there was a constant increase of income and this has definitely an impact on growth of leisure. Affluent people have always enjoyed their leisure; therefore it can be made crystal clear as income increases people will surely have more leisure. Situational characteristics Time Self-employed people generally have better control concerning their time plan and these people are more likely to have more leisure time. Mobility Car ownership has increased dramatically because the income of people has risen and cars are more affordable to buy and run. If a person does not possess a vehicle, therefore he or she might be disadvantaged in terms of site, journey, timing and duration of the trip. External factors affecting demand for outdoor recreation are: Recreational opportunity is highly dependent upon availability and accessibility of recreation sites. Thus, the nature of recreation sites as well as availability will surely rely upon several things such as carrying capacity, ownership, distribution, quality, access and degree of development. These reflect three important elements which consist of economic, behavioral and political. Hence, it helps both private and public sectors in terms of good decision making with regards to recreation provision. While making decision to visit any particular recreational sites, accessibility is considered to be a key element in influencing participation. Moreover, how crucial it is, as an element in decision making in influencing the what and where of recreation involvement is explained by Chubb and Chubb (1981:153) : People participation will increase if all other external and personal factors support participants, however if the site is not accessible it might certainly be a problem. Recreation travel behavior While going to any particular site for recreation, distance is really important and for most movement, a distance-decay effect can be known so that the power of interaction diminishes as distance increases. In this context, if a recreational site consists of greater distance and involve more effort and time, might not be supported by participants. But, not all activities are time consuming as it relies on the types of activities that one is taking part in. The impact of longer distances will be negative to some extent as the more a person travel, he or might be tired and found it to be unpleasant. On the other hand, such effect may be encouraging in situation where a person is travelling by cruise. The latter may enjoy and the longer the distance the greater the desire to extend it. Recreation choice behavior Forecasting of recreation behavior would have been taken into account if more was known with regards to factors influencing decision-making to attitudes, motivations and perceptions. This would be very helpful as it would explain: Why some sites and activities are suitable; Why some recreational firms are failures while others are satisfied by participants; Why and how alternative recreation are ranked. The recreation alternative process is influenced by peoples perceptions of what recreational opportunities are available. Natural environments as recreation settings Driver et al. (1987) demonstrates that natural surroundings are really crucial in attaining the preferred result from leisure. Research conducted in Colorado have shown that participants like to enjoy mostly in nature, therefore, natural environment plays an integral role in achieving the result as well as satisfaction required from involvement in certain forms of recreation. According to Kaplan and Kaplan (1989), participants satisfaction is associated with natural settings through integration mind and body in the leisure activity. Hence, environmental aspect beyond doubt is considered to have a dominant influence on recreation behavior and this has first derived from gurus like Schreyer et al. (1985), he propose that the most helpful demonstration of the environment for the explanation of behavioral choice is considered as important. They also stated that people are more likely to explore the natural environment location which will undoubtedly allow them to behave in the ways they wish and consequently this will enable them to achieve a desired cognitive state. Thus, the theory that recreation experiences are closely linked to recreation location is fundamental with regards to the notion of the recreation opportunity spectrum.

Report On Westside Gym :: Papers

Report On Westside Gym Introduction This report will be research and development of a gym called â€Å"Westside Health & Fitness Club†. I will talk about the location of the gym, price per customer, offers, new ways to improve the gym, and research into what the customer wants. This report aims to use research and development to create innovative ideas that will set this gym apart from others in the area. Findings With regards to the location of the gym, the evidence suggests that the location is well placed, due to the easy accessibility of the facilities. It is also located next to a supermarket, so can be seen by many shoppers. Place is an essential tool of the marketing mix and if achieved a business can do extremely well for itself. Price is also an essential tool of the marketing mix. A survey showed that 81% thought that the price of the gym was fair for the quality of service that is received by the customers. The other 19% believed the price was too high but were willing to pay for the facilities. A good pricing strategy is a must for a business to succeed, too high and customers will go elsewhere for the service. Too low and the business may not make enough profit to succeed in the long term. Cost of Gym Membership: Student Rate Adult Rate Joining Fee  £40.00  £50.00 Monthly payment  £28.95  £38.95 Pay As You Go  £2.50  £5.

How two chapters of Great Expectations reflect the influence of society :: Great Expectations Essays

How two chapters of Great Expectations reflect the influence of society in the time it was set. Charles Dickens is one of the most popular British novelists in the history of literature with many of his characters being recognised in British society today. His ability to combine pathos, comedy, and most of all, his social satire has won him many contemporary readers. Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. At 12 he was sent to work for a few months at a shoe-polish warehouse on the banks of the Thames when his family hit financial difficulty. A few days later Dickens's father was sent to jail for debt. He recalled this painful experience in the early chapters of David Copperfield. While his father was imprisoned, all his family except himself and his sister, who was studying music, stayed at the Marshalsea Prison with his father, very much like the Dorrit family at the beginning of Little Dorrit. By the time he was 25 years old, Dickens was already famous. Dickens's life influenced his writing a lot, and many of the novels he wrote were based on real experiences during his lifetime. For example; in 1832 he met Marie Beadnell and wanted to marry her but she rejected him; the comic portrait of Flora Casby in Little Dorrit is said to have been inspired by Dickens's meeting with Maria again later in life. Dickens lived in Victorian times, times when there was a lot of focus on social class and status. Victorian society was, for all the change that was taking place, a stratified, hierarchical society with a great gap between rich and poor. In his childhood Dickens was part of a working class family who soon became low class due to their financial difficulty. But when he became an adult he was of high social class while his novels kept increasing in popularity and was earning him money all the time. Dickens had been from one end of society to the other and the contrast he saw was widely expressed in his novels. Victorian society had a constantly growing urban population, and with the pessimistic analyses of Thomas Malthus, this helped mould one of the most notorious Victorian institutions, the workhouse. This was based on a theoretical distinction between the "deserving" poor, who owed their poverty to misfortune, and the "undeserving" poor, who were to blame for their poverty: the workhouse was made as unpleasant as possible to deter the latter from seeking refuge there. Tight-fisted and callous administration made the institutions even worse, and the target of some of the bitterest controversial literature of Charles Dickens. Conditions gradually improved, but the dreaded "workhouse

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Its Political Issues

For many oil companies, the Gulf represents some of their most profitable and promising properties. The White House is seemingly making an increased show of pressuring BP, but President Obama is facing political heat from within his own party for what some say has been a lackluster response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Since the spill began, there has been some intense political debate regarding BP's responsibility, the government's response, and the extent of the environmental damage.Matthew Dowd, political consultant and chief pollster to former President George W. Bush, said the incident is likely to pose a huge political problem, similar to what President Bush faced after Hurricane Katrina. Administration officials also said the government will make changes to the way it allows offshore drilling, including new measures for the permitting process, new safety requirements for offshore rigs, and what was described as â€Å"strengthened† inspections for drilling ope rations.Having taking at least partial ownership of the crisis, the Obama administration is redoubling efforts to crack down on BP, sending a letter to CEO Tony Hayward complaining that his promises to provide complete and timely information on the spill â€Å"have fallen short in both their scope and effectiveness. BP has already agreed to set aside $20 billion over several years to pay for claims resulting from the oil spill. The company has paid the U. S. government $390 million for the cost of cleanup and received an additional bill for $128. million from the Obama administration. Obama and his senior White House staff, as well as Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, are working with BP's chief executive officer Tony Hayward on legislation that would raise the cap on liability for damage claims from those affected by the oil disaster from $75 million to $10 billion. However, WMR's federal and Gulf state sources are reporting the disaster has the real potential cost of at least $1 tr illion.Critics of the deal being worked out between Obama and Hayward point out that $10 billion is a mere drop in the bucket for a trillion dollar disaster but also note that BP, if its assets were nationalized, could fetch almost a trillion dollars for compensation purposes. There is talk in some government circles, including FEMA, of the need to nationalize BP in order to compensate those who will ultimately be affected by the worst oil disaster in the history of the world. The Obama administration also conspired with BP to fudge the extent of the oil leak, according to our federal and state sources.After the oil rig exploded and sank, the government stated that 42,000 gallons per day was gushing from the seabed chasm. Five days later, the federal government upped the leakage to 210,000 gallons a day. Obama aides stressed that BP would bear the cost of the spill, including the cost of plugging the well, cleaning shorelines and paying for government air and water tests. Separately , fishermen and others anticipating environmental damage filed class-action suits against the company. On a day when the stock market rose broadly and sharply, BP's stock price fell more than 8 percent to $52. 56 a share.In the minds of politicians and strategists, the oil has practically become a giant ink blot, a Rorschach test in which each of the opposing sides sees proof of â€Å"the larger narrative. † Florida Sen. Bill Nelson called on Obama to step back from his expanded offshore drilling plans. In a letter to the president, Nelson said he would file legislation to ban the Interior Department from following through on Obama's proposal for new seismic and drilling activity. He said the gulf spill â€Å"may be an environmental and economic disaster that wreaks havoc for commercial fishing and tourism along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Reference : http://www. nytimes. com/2010/06/30/us/politics/30polmemo. html? pagewanted=1 http://political. com/content/bp-oil-spill http:/ /abcnews. go. com/GMA/Politics/bp-oil-spill-political-headache-obama-democrats-slam/story? id=10746519 http://washingtonexaminer. com/politics/white-house/political-problems-oil-spill-may-stick-obama http://edition. cnn. com/2010/US/09/14/bp. justice. legal. action/index. html http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/29/AR2010042902290. html

Mini Assignment

If I were in charge of the Asian operations for McCain I would recommend starting a joint venture with an existing, established, well known Chinese potato company, for a year or so, or until McCain has the recognition and ability to stand on its own. Creating a Joint venture with an established Chinese company would give McCain the entry It needs into the Asian potato market. McCain would be able to learn the ways that companies handle business deals In China, as they most likely defer from business deals in other parts of the world, and will also Introduce McCain to future customers.Another recommendation would be to purchase a small, well known, Chinese potato company. This would give McCain access to the Chinese market through a company that Is already know, and has already created a name for Itself. I would make sure that McCain abides by all Chinese laws, and all customs, to the best of my ability. 2. When interacting with Chinese business colleagues, McCain might face challenge s with most, if not all, of Hypotheses culture dimensions.For example, when looking at power distance, Canadian managers at McCain could face challenges cause Canada has a much lower power distance than China, and workers may not feel comfortable with this power dynamic. A Canadian manager may try to get workers to work harder so they can achieve greater success, but Chinese power distance doesn't allow this; in China, one works and does not have aspirations that exceed one's position within the company.When it comes to individualism and collectivism, China has a much lower score than Canada (http://greet-hefted. Com/china. HTML). This might create challenges for Canadian managers because Chinese workers generally â€Å"stick together†. If a Canadian manager promotes one person from a collective group, that could create problems, so the manager must take that into consideration before making any decisions.Canadian managers may also face challenges with time orientation. China has very long term orientation (http://www. Acculturated. Com/greet-hefted-cultural- dimensions/long-term-orientation/), while North America has very short term orientation. This could created challenges for Canadian managers because they are used to workers wanting quick results, but In China It Is the opposite, and managers may not know how to handle that.

Individual learning goals Essay

1.1 Analyse the role of initial and diagnostic assessment in agreeing individual learning goal Gravells, (2012 p98), Initial assessment is a check on learners’ prior skill, knowledge or understanding which is carried out at the beginning of a programme or topic. In agreement with it could be formal, and mainly internal task which is produced by the school (ILP) to identify learners existing skills & achievements before the programme, gather information for course tutor, and individual background. In my practice, I carry out Individual Learning Plan (ILP) interviews to support the team and the Academy leader or to observe the new intakes as they complete their baseline work sheets which are part of requirements of the learning programme for individual or group of learners who have been admitted into the school on a long or short term contracts to set achievable targets, a realistic action plans and give teachers a starting point on each learner predicted grades. Also, I always carry out initial assessment at the start of each lesson to ascertain learner prior knowledge of the topic to be discussed using multiple choice questions, Oral Q&As, open and closed questions which motivates the learners and gets them engaged and to create an inclusive learning environment from the start of the lesson. In my practice, I facilitate the teaching and learning environment by planning for all individual leaners identified learning styles enhanced with appropriate resources like audio, video etc discovered by encouraging each learners to complete a self-evaluation questionnaire called a Learning Style Inventory (LSI) designed by Kolb (1984), while each learner chooses and develops an understanding of his or her learning preferences and use that understanding to enhance his or her own learning experience. Gravells (2012 p98) explained that diagnostic assessment could be used to ascertain information regarding practical/basic skills and minimum core like literacy, numeracy, ICT skills identified using learning or training needs analysis by observation and questioning to conform current competence, and understanding. It is a formal workplace assessment requirement in lifelong learning that helps to identify learners’ individual, support needs, preferred learning style. Diagnostic  assessment is an essential device in a teacher’s â€Å"tool kit†. It can be used to diagnose strengths and areas of need in all students. Diagnostic assessment involves the gathering and careful evaluation of detailed data using students’ knowledge and skills in a given learning area. The data assist teachers to plan for appropriate pedagogy and targeted learning to more effectively scaffold the learning needs of their students. Consequently, diagnostic assessment is used ‘for learning’ where taking action to adjust teaching plays a significant role in improving learning outcomes for all students. Fig1. Diagnostic assessment flowchart. Adapted from the ‘decision-making loop’, Saubern,R (2010 Learners are required to complete questionnaire like The VARK Questionnaire; http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire to help analyse, identify and meet individual learners needs, preferred learning style and support to allow the learners attain their aim on the programme. 2.3: Reflect on how teaching methods meet the needs of all learners Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) promotes higher forms of thinking in education activities or learning like analysing and evaluating, rather than just remembering facts (rote learning) which includes three domains cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge), affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude or self) and psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills). For example, it is summarised as KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude), DTF (Do, Think, and Feel). In my practice, I mostly apply the cognitive domain teaching method approach which is appropriate to all the learners and the subject being taught because it promotes individual and collaborative learning, lectures, team-teaching, practical, research, case studies, discussion, peer teaching, role play, games etc which help me to meet the learners’ diverse needs. The learners get fully involved in the lesson and apply their mental knowledge to develop their intellectual skills (Bloom, 1956), by recalling or recognising specific facts, procedural patterns, and concepts that serve in the development of intellectual abilities and skills which start from the simplest behaviour to more complex ones As laid out in the citizenship scheme of work, I assess the learners to meet the assessment objective in  the content and skills set by the awarding body AQA using the (Bloom, 1956) approach which meets all the learners needs in terms of KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude). In my practice, the learners are informed of the topic to be discussed (Child Abuse), they think and try to recall data on the issue in the community, they discuss amongst themselves which promote LTT and interaction takes place. Figure 2 Abstract from AQA 2012 p32 They are able to explain in their own words what they understand by the topic being discussed, apply relevant laws that they researched using the website with past and recent events on child abuse, thereby meeting VAK (2009) Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic learning styles model as they move around and look to get the recent information. They also discuss and shout out researched examples that they know, revise and brainstorm by trying to suggest possible ways to stop the abuse by reporting, joining and advocating for charity organisations like NSPCC and so on and also suggest what the government needs to do in terms of increased punishment to offenders which promotes an inclusive class and meet the needs of all learners one way or the other. A four-stage cyclical theory of learning, Kolb’s experiential learning theory is a holistic perspective that combines experience, perception, cognition, and behaviour.’ Figure 2. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model Kolb believes â€Å"learning is the process where knowledge is created through the transformation of experience† (1984, p.38 cited in class Note 2014 pg. 5-7). The theory presents a cyclical model of learning, consisting of four stages shown above. One may begin at any stage, but must follow each other in the sequence: concrete experience (or â€Å"DO†), reflective observation (or â€Å"OBSERVE†), abstract conceptualisation (or â€Å"THINK†) and active experimentation (or â€Å"PLAN†). In my practice, I facilitate and lead the teaching and learning environment by planning for all individual learners’ identified learning styles, enhanced with appropriate resources like audio, video etc and discovered from learners’ completed self-evaluation  questionnaire called a Learning Style Inventory (LSI) designed by Kolb (1984), which promotes and encourages learner-centred and fun independent learning as each learner chooses and develops an un derstanding of his or her learning preferences and uses that understanding to enhance his or her own learning experience. In one of the lessons, the learners requested to seat in an informal manner like seating sideways or on the computer. After negotiating with them, they accepted to follow the seating arrangement in the physical classroom to accommodate their different learning styles, which is the traditional desk and chair, pair setting that allows them to perform and concentrate better and be engaged in the lesson as illustrated by Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model cited in the class note (2014).In agreement with Kolb, (1984), I plan and develop variety of learning activities that will accommodate the different learning styles of the learners (role plays, instructional games, reading, individual assignments, group discussions, brainstorming, online research, design a poster, etc.) which the most difficult, and time-consuming task. In conclusion, I believe that learning models facilitate the process of linking instructional activities to individual learning styles, thereby increasing the lea rner’s ability to acquire and retain knowledge after they’ve been armed with the knowledge of how they learn, they are able to select appropriate activities, allowing them to learn more quickly, and retain the new information, their study would be much more productive. 2.4: Identify ways in which session plans can be adapted to meet the individual need of the learners Schools awarding body, AQA, (2012 p20) explains in the GCSE specification handbook that diversity and inclusion are promoted by making arrangements for candidates with special needs to help them access the GCSE qualification and subject criteria assessments whether any of the skills or knowledge needed by the subject presented a possible difficulty to any candidates, whatever their ethnic background, religion, sex, age, disability or sexuality. In my practice, I plan to promote equality in the classroom to meet the needs of individual learners by differentiating my lesson. For example, in my starter activity, I set higher targets for the gifted & talented learners like level 4 learners to complete 5 questions & level 7 learners to complete 10 questions which keeps them  engaged and challenged to throughout the lesson. I always remember when planning to take a step back at some point of the lesson, by encouraging the G&T learners to record ideas, teach and model their writing or thinking on the smart board, as they demonstrate, explain answers/solution to a task to a neighbour or the class while the less able learners get engaged and consciously correct any error made. The Education Act (1996), Human Right Act (1998), The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA), in agreement with The new Statutory Guidance on Inclusive Schooling from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES, 2001) gives clear and strong messages to LEAs, Schools and other bodies that the development of inclusion in schools is ‘principles of an inclusive ed ucation service’ which is cited in SCCD Note 2012 p20) 3.1: Review ways in which elements of the minimum core can be demonstrated in planning inclusive learning and teaching The minimum core includes literacy, numeracy, language & ICT. It is a current government requirement across the National Curriculum initiative (2002) which has now been implemented into each school and teachers need to enhance and provide opportunities for the learners to demonstrate appropriate knowledge in functional skills (Ellis, 2004 p92). For example, the Numeracy across the Curriculum initiative (2002) was adapted by each subject department especially maths by organizing, and designing a numeracy co-ordinate scheme of work to link using maths in the real world. It set out an agreed approach to the teaching of agreed numeracy skills, methods of calculations, and the use of calculators and ICT etc as explained in Ellis (2004 p94). In my practice, I created a starter in my lesson plan to identify learners’ prior knowledge and build upon the maths with whic h they have been exposed to and makes them feel confident. This allows me to identify learners who have particular difficulty with maths or with every other numeric issues as argued in Ellis, (2004 p97), allowing all the learners to interact positively and discuss as a group telling each other what they know and when they learnt it (mostly in their primary schools) which creates an inclusive learning and teaching atmosphere. In agreement with cross-curricular priorities (2002, cited in Ellis, (2004 p97), I ensured that I decided on SMART and differentiated learning objectives which focuses on and relates to accuracy, interpretation and  presentation and reasoning and problem solving which will normally involve consolidation of maths skills and application of the topic being taught. I recall use real life long multiplication problems to provide opportunities for the all the learners to interpret and apply just multiplying 2 or 3 digits numbers together to reasoning on how it is used on a daily basis without knowing which was fascinating to them. In my practice, I decide and plan several teaching and assessment strategies like questioning, worksheet, discussion, individual/group/ peer assessment etc which allows the learners to think and reflect on their knowledge of mathematics in order to decide by themselves what is expected of them. For example, in my last mathematics lesson, I handed out mental maths worksheet with 10 questions without explain to them what to do as a starter, they attempted all the questions and self-evaluate themselves. Also, the National Curriculum (DfEE/QCA 2000) and the Framework for Secondary English defined literacy as reading, writing and speaking and listening to maintain parity. Wray (2001), makes the point when discussing literacy in relation to teaching and learning that: â€Å"It is usual for secondary teachers to recognise that many of the processes involved in supporting literacy are also involved in developing learning† (Wray 2001, p50 cited in Ellis 2004, p83) In my practice, I plan to embed activities like literacy Skill activity to provide opportunities for the learners to demonstrate their reading, writing, listening etc skill in my lesson, in my literacy objectives (taken from the Strategy’s Framework), but I first of all identify, before I select the aspect of literacy that the learners needs to develop, which will blend in with the topic being taught, and decide the appropriate strategies that will help them to be able to meet the objectives in the lesson as mentioned by Ellis (2004, p83). As explained by Ellis (2004, p83), my school maths department, adapts the scheme of work from The Framework for Secondary English (2008) which includes literacy objective in combination with QCA’s scheme of work their publications Language for Learning (QCA 2000) and language at Work in lessons (QCA 2001) which demonstrate, through worked example, how literacy objectives can be employed effectively in planning the classroom practice. For example, I recall always asking the learners about their prior knowledge (Langer, 1981 cited in Ellis 2004, p83) at the start of each lesson on a topic to be discussed, which allows me to assess their knowledge as a basis for further  planning, allowing them to listen, speak and have a good interactive discussion amongst themselves which automatically creates an inclusive learning and teaching atmosphere. I also, plan to observe the learners as they read, write and compose, demonstrate, carry out individual/group activities etc as the main part of the lesson which is an idea derived from Vygotsky (1962). In plenary to reflect upon and take control of the learning which can develop their metacognitive intelligence, (one of seven different intelligences identified by Gardner, 1993 cited in Ellis, 2004 p85) ICT Across the Curriculum initiative (2004) was described as â€Å"the technical and cognitive proficiency to access, use, develop, create and communicate information appropri ately using ICT tools. Learners demonstrate this capability by applying technology purposefully to solve problems, analyse and exchange information develop ideas create models and control devices. They are discriminating in their use of information and ICT tools and systematic in reviewing and contribution that ICT can make to their work as it progresses† (DfES 2004, p.7 cited in Ellis 2004, p105). In line with write ups in Figure 10.1 cited in Ellis 2004, p105), and with the other cores, I firstly plan the activities like learning outcomes, assessment point, timing, and learners expectations in detail, I prepare support materials like interactive worksheets, displays, plan to assess and evaluate what I want the learners to achieve from the activity with the use of learning objectives, refer to the actual aspect of the activities that provided opportunities for the learner to demonstrate ICT, and discuss and get feedbacks from the learners in terms of access to the equipment and link, and students ca pabilities. In my practice, I plan to provide opportunities for the learners to demonstrate their ICT skills by introducing the topic and outlining the lesson objectives on the smart board, and instruct them to access the ICT and on the familiar world wide web links www.mathsisfun.com I plan for them to research the topic and study independently on it for few minutes before handing out the worksheet for them to check for their knowledge, have a group discussion and self/peer/ peer assessment. I plan for learners with ADHD to complete their work and access the maths game, which serves as a short break before returning to their work which always encourages all the learners to be engaged and complete their work and meet the set target for the lesson promoting  inclusive learning and teaching environment. REFERENCES 1. Anderson, L. W. et all (2013) Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html 2. Chapman, A (2005-2012) free VAK learning styles test. â€Å"vak – visual, auditory, kinesthetic – learning styles model and free selftest† http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm (online) accessed 20/06/2014 @ 11.30 3. Ellis et al (2004) â€Å"Learning and Teaching in the secondary school† Professional knowledge across the curriculum (Part 3) Teaching Literacy across the curriculum (chapter 8) 4th Edn. Learning Matter 4. Ellis et all (2004) â€Å"Learning and Teaching in the secondary school† Professional knowledge across the curriculum (Part 3) Teaching Numeracy across the curriculum (chapter 9) 4th Edn. Learning Matter 5. Ellis et al (2004) â€Å"Learning and Teaching in the secondary school† Professional knowledge across the curriculum (Part 3) Teaching ICT across the curriculum (chapter 10) 4th Edn. Learning Matter 6. Fleming, N (2011) â€Å"VARK – A guide to learning style† The VARK Questionnaire-How Do I Learn Best? http://www.vark-learn.com/ english/page.asp?p=questionnaire accessed 19/05/2014 @ 12.00 7. Gravels, Ann. (2012) Passing PTLLS assessments 2nd Edn. Chapters10,11 12 sage publications, UK. 8. Kolb, David A. 1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood, Cliffs, N.J. 9. SCCD Hand Notes (2012).†Developing Differentiation and lesson planning skills† What makes a good lesson (pg. 17-20) 10.SCCD Hand Notes (2012).†Developing Differentiation and lesson planning skills† What makes a good lesson (pg. 17-20) 11. SCCD Hand Notes (2014 pg.5-7 ) Learning-approaches-principles-and-theories-2011-09-12.pdf Division of Learning &Teaching Services 2011 12. SCCD Note (2014) â€Å"Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model† Unit 3: Foundations for Success Lesson 7: Learning Models accessed 21/06/2014 @ 01:00 B