Nontraditional Traditions :: essays research papers

Nontraditional Tradtions We live in an age in which it is hard to spend time together as a family. Many families today wonder if having quality time together is a thing of the past. We are inordinately busy, for one thing, whether household bread-winners or college students. Also, the definition of family has changed. We are dealing with new definitions and characterizations of the idea of family. Some of us have traditional families. Some families have divorced, single, and/or remarried parents, creating a rather confusing family tree. Some people choose to live their lives alone, but may still be close enough to some friends to consider them family. Whatever the circumstances, many of us honestly don't know how to celebrate together. We may even see the word "tradition" as something stultifying and old, having no meaning for or application to us personally; something usually being forced upon us by someone who smells funny and is only seen on holidays. What all of this means is that we can no longer simply follow the examples of old. It is up to us to create new family traditions. Celebrating is not hard. We all know about celebrating and have some ways of doing it. The only challenge is to find new ways. Why do we need to celebrate tradition? It gives us something to look forward to and makes a formal statement that there are some things in life to be grateful for. The notion of honoring tradition is unsettling for some people; let alone creating new ones. We understand that we need something to add a sense of order and stability to our lives. But we are not sure about how to create our own traditions. We seem to think that traditions must be heavy and complex ideas that had been around for hundreds of years and will be around for a hundred more. In my opinion, this is not true. It need not be big or religious at all. I believe a tradition is something that you do once that feels good, so you do it again and again. The tale in Frost's "Mending Wall" can be viewed as an impromptu tradition. The two neighbors needing to repair the wall after the winter chill, find time to converse with each other about what's on their minds. For example, every Sunday my dad makes tea and puts out two cups, his and mine. I am used to this. If I had to reach in the cupboard to get my own cup, something would be wrong. As it is, I get up out of my bed, I go into

Organisation and management in the network era Essay

The following report contains a brief look into MAS holdings, the company’s history, how they have grown and developed and how they have succeeded in numerous ventures. The report then goes on to address the following questions: 1. Outline the key leadership issues confronting MAS Holdings. 2. In terms of this case, how can the CIO assist in gaining senior management support for IT initiatives? 3. In reviewing an organisation of your choice, discuss the role played by the CIO and CEO when leading an IT initiative within their respective company An introduction to MAS Holdings Markets: MAS holdings, which was established and led by progressive and visionary leader Deshamanya Mahesh Amalean, MAS Holdings pioneered and perfected the manufacture of garments including fine lingerie in Sri Lanka. The company started with a single factory and staff of 60, today MAS Holdings now is one of Sri Lanka’s largest apparel manufacturers. They produce apparel, performance wear and swimwear in the world with a net $1 billion annual turnover. MAS Holdings now has 38 world-class apparel facilities that spread over 14 different countries and employing more than 55,000 people, they have grown from a small company to an international powerhouse in manufacturing due to their sound business model and visionary, diverse development. MAS Holdings are not only the leading strategic partner for Victoria’s Secret (VS) but also effectively serve numerous global brands including Triumph International, Marks & Spencer (M&S), DIM Branded Apparel, Nike, Speedo, Adidas, Reebok, GAP and Banana Republic. The for mentioned companies are known for quality and excellence throughout the world and this is in many ways attributed to MAS Holdings dedication to their brands and commitment to provide an excellent service to their customers. Design and product development has evolved to become a key part of the business – an area in which MASHoldings has excelled. In addition to working with traditional vendornetworks, concepts and design briefs in order to create new product ranges, MAS Holdings also works to create new technology and products that will be a source of competitive advantage, this is done in a bid to redefine the industry Innovation is second nature to MAS Holdings. From working with Victoria’s Secret on fast replenishment models to lean manufacturing with rapid product changeovers, the company’s fully-integrated model allows it to innovate across the value chain. Products MAS Holdings comprise of four business units: MAS Intimates, MAS Active, MAS Fabrics and MAS Investments, a separate non-apparel business. The MAS Holdings Intimates department designs and manufactures niche-market lingerie for high-street fashion retailer and brands, while MAS Active supplies leading brands in competition sportswear. MAS Fabrics, made up of manufacturing facilities for elastics, warp-knit fabric, lace, intimate apparel accessories and moulded bra cups, it is here that we see many of the innovative products MAS Holdings produce coming together. MAS fabrics also complements the Intimates and Active divisions. Through the integrated business model, MAS Holdings innovates new and exciting solutions from state-of-the-art silicon-embedding technology toorganic and fair-trade products. Some innovative products include the Speedo Fast SkinFS-Pro swimsuit which was controversially worn at the2004 Olympics, and subsequently banned. Another innovative product produced by MAS Holdings was the Nike Revolutionary Support Bra – the highest-selling sports bra in the USA – worn by international tennis playersand athletes. In 2007, MAS Holdings launched its own intimate apparel brand, Amantà ©, which targets the Indian market. MASInvestments oversaw a diversified portfolio of investments including the development of integrated apparel and fabric parks in the region, retail and outsourced information-technology services. The divisions are brought together under a common vision and corporate governance by MAS Corporate Solutions.A successful spin off from the apparel market was MAS Investments which include two IT consulting companies, the Corporate Branding and Retail unit and a diversified investment portfolio. A brief history review shows that in 1990, Mast Industries entered into a joint venture, setting up shadow line. The next big leap for MAS Holdings came in 1992 when it entered into a joint-venture partnership with Triumph International and Mast Industries to set up Bodyline, which continues to be its single largest plant for manufacturing intimate in the area. Slimline, a company which emerged in 1993 as a joint venture with Mast Industries and Courtaulds Clothing (UK), has been a key sourcing arm of M&S and went on to establish benchmarks for excellence in employee relations and put MAS Holdings firmly on the global map. The first overseas venture for MAS Holdings was Linea Clothing in the Maldives in 1996. Since then, the group has continued to make strategic investments overseas with operations spanning five countries. MAS Holdings initiated vertical integration within the Sri Lankan apparel industry with its joint venture with Mast Industries and Charnwood Elastics (UK) to establish Stretchline, the country’s premier supplier of elastics, in 1996. Stretchline is now a globally recognised brand for narrow performance elastics with a global manufacturing base. A partnership with NoyonDentelles of France in 2004 created South Asia’s first lace manufacturing facility, Noyon Lanka. Joint-venture partnerships with Prym Intimates (Germany), Dogi International FabricandTextprint SA (Spain) consolidated the regional supply base for intimate apparel accessories, warp-knitted fabrics and fabricprinting capabilities. This diversity in the supply chain has helped position Sri Lanka and the regional centre of excellence for apparel and sportswear. MAS Linea Aqua, a partnership concern with Speedo International, is one of the first dedicated swimwear plants in the world excelling in performance swimwear. As previously mentioned, it has been MAS Holdings dedication to innovation that has propelled it to the forefront of its industry. Q1. Outline the key leadership issues confronting MAS Holdings. As mentioned above, the history of MAS Holdingshas played a role in key leadership issues that confront MASHoldings today.There are several key leadership issues confronting MAS Holdings. Due to the diverse nature of MAS Holdingsoperations and its decentralised structure, it would be difficult to have a specific company- wide leadership in place. Malesh Amalean, chairman of MAS Holdings has to deal with the vertical integration of MASHoldings. At the beginning, he succeeded in creating his own company and orienting its company strategy to an export-oriented strategy. First, he managed to secure contracts with European and American retailers such as C&A or Calvin Klein. Secondly, he organized a first joint venture with a big American retailer, MAST, which allowed him to gain his first contract with Victoria’s Secret and a strong reputation in women’s lingerie manufacturing. Unfortunately, the sudden increase of work for thecompany led to some leadership problems,the need of seasoned professional managers. MaleshAmalean has to lose a part of his control over the company by sharing his control over the business to young and unknown managers. He has to trust them in order to take advantage of this situation. The next joint ventures, with Triumph, Noyon or Sara Lee, amongst others, have further increased the issue of control and trust. Although MASHoldings can continue to develop while being part of a large company, they must learn to adapt and compromise to suit partner firms. This may involve accepting new systems, processes and procedures such as the ones instituted by Triumph. However this deal was not one sided as MAS Holdings had to learn to share their own technologies and knowledge with their partner. This can lead to some loss of control within the company if not managed correctly. In order not to lose too much power, MAS Holdings was only signing joint-ventures with companies in which they established a trusting relationship, with strong dialogue and a personal relationship, they also protected themselves by never committing 100% of their production capabilities to one particular company. Furthermore, the company clearly outlined in each contract that MASHoldings were responsible for managing the businesses from taking the order stage and MASHoldings also clearly defined the responsibility of each participant in the joint-venture. This specific repartition of tasks allowed MAS Holdings to build a specific structure for all their different tasks which they maintained a desired level of control over. Due to a desire to succeed with this new decentralized structure; MaleshAmalean made a decision to allocate leaders to each structure, segmenting the leaders from each other. MAS Holdings run the risk of deviating from its core business model as a result of this. This is one of the reasons why MAS Holdings managed to deploy its IT systems to improve knowledge sharing and information management capabilities across the organization. As the company develops and grows, they are faced with the issue of loss of control. They attempt to counteract this by implementing strategies to prevent it. Q 2. In terms of this case, how can the CIO assist in gaining senior Management support for IT initiatives? The Chief Information officer (CIO) of an organisation is the person responsible for the information technology and computer systems that support the organisation’s goals and objective (TechTarget). This position is intended to bridge the gap between information technology and the business. It is an evolving role related to performance, evaluation, and turnover. For IT initiatives to be successful, a team approach is essential at the senior level in the organization. Therefore the CIO must try to provide a link between the IT department and the company’s senior managers (Hunter, 2010). The following paragraphs would discuss ways the CIO can assist in gaining senior management support for IT initiatives in MAS Holdings. Communication At MAS Holdings, the senior management is aware of the flexibility and competitive advantage IT initiatives can bring to the organisation in a rapidly changing market. However, to assist in gaining senior management support, communication is key. The CIO must communicate in the language of business, as this is important to enable the senior management make IT funding decisions as well as strategic and business decisions. Therefore, the key information on what the IT project will enable MAS Holdings to accomplish should be stated in clear, concise, and real business terms. Stating the alignment with strategies and objectives Information technology and business alignment refers to demonstrating concise business related value from IT and coordinating the capabilities of IT with the objectives of the organisation (Hunter, 2010). In order to do this, the CIO needs to understand the strategies and objectives of MAS Holdings. Strategies of MAS Holdings include a coalition of companies, Backward Vertical Integration, and streamlining the supply chain. The specifics of potential IT initiatives should be clearly stated and explained how it may be strategically applied to accomplish the MAS Holdings’ goals and objectives. In cases where IT projects are not aligned, but may still be important, the CIO needs to tell senior managers why and how. Alignment is usually facilitated through communication. Specifying the anticipated benefits Usually senior management do not specifically care about the technology itself, but how it would enable the organisation accomplish its goals. MAS Holdings work with a coalition of companies, so apart from competitive advantage, IT initiatives would provide a transparent model which allows information and knowledge to flow within the MASHoldings group companies and through the value chain, from customer down to various suppliers. This would make the retail business more efficient; cost competitiveness and speed would be enhanced, while providing flexibility. MAS Holdings biggest customer, Victoria’s Secret needed to shorten the concept-to-market time of its products. An ERP solution would help produce a demand-planning system that would have â€Å"the right product on the shelf at the right time†. Showing the focus on MAS Holdings’ top priorities The CIO must understand the organisation’s priorities, and the identified IT initiatives must address these priorities. MAS Holdings priority is to understand how each of their partners work, what is important to them, and what their expectations are. Therefore in order to gain senior management support for IT projects, the CIO should show an understanding of the culture of the MAS Holdings and its partners, and to provide the IT solution that would support that. Q 3. In reviewing an organisation of your choice, discuss the role played by the CIO and CEO when leading an IT initiative within their respective company. The company we have chosen to review is Marks and Spencer. We feel this is a specifically good fit as they fall under the MAS Holdings umbrella of brands. Marks & Spencer CEO Marc Boland: Marc Bolland, originally from Holland is the current CEO of Marks & Spencer’s. He was noted in 2010 as one of the most influential people in business and in 2011 he was named as â€Å"most admired business leader† in the UK by Management Today magazine. He worked for Heineken and Morrison’s before Marks & Spencer’s. When Marc took over at Marks and Spencer in 2010, he faced the challenge of improving sales and increasing profits. His aim was to do this through using the most up to date and innovative technology. Marks and Spencer set Cheshire Oaks as their flagship technology store. â€Å"Cheshire Oaks is the first Marks and Spencer store to make extensive use of all the latest technology and innovations in multi-channel to create an enhanced, more convenient and inspirational customer shopping experience.† The Cheshire Oaks and subsequent stores have adopted and utilised technologies : HD screens throughout the stores showcase the latest looks offered. Browse and Order screens allow catalogues be viewed and ordered from. Staff equipped with iPads to assist customers with item searches Leading technology such as the ‘Virtual Makeover’ and ‘Duvet and Pillow Selector’ keep Marks and Spencer at the forefront on technology. QR codes and free customer Wi-Fi also feature throughout the store. It is essential that Marc Boland works with the CIO when he is implementing or improving any information technology process or policy. Collaboration between CEO and CIO is essential. Marc’s role is to approve of and support IT initiatives. Backing the technology and using his expertise and resources efficiently will help any implementation succeed. Marc must be an informed leader and ensure that the team and himself keep up to date with the constantly changing world of E-Commerce and technology. Being an informed leader will help Marc in his role of ensuring Marks & Spencer’s keep up to date with their competitors. Customers value and demand the newest and most up to date technology. Providing services that meet the demand is a key role in Marc’s goal of improving the situation Marks & Spencer found themselves in when he acquired the C.E.O. role. Marks and Spencer CIO – Darrell Stein Darrell Stein is CIO of Marks & Spencer’s and he plays a crucially important role in leading I.T. initiatives throughout the organisation. Although Chief Information Officers will always be involved in I.T. initiatives, Steins vision, enterprising spirit and ambition ensure many successful I.T. projects under his tenure. Stein is the key man that led I.T. change within Marks & Spencer resulting in it being a very successful organisation today. Stein was initially brought in as an I.T. director with some responsibilities for logistics, however he moved away from the logistics side so he could give his full attention to I.T. Using his knowledge and experience, he shortly found himself overhauling the I.T. systems company wide, no easy task for an organisation with over a thousand stores and almost  £10billion in annual revenue. Stein learned lessons from recent high profile disasters in the retail sector, and his approach is to look at all aspects of a project while planning the project, he is also involved in getting the right people in place and employs a tactic of not moving too fast, his successful techniques have been proven with the high success rate of projects which he has co-ordinated. Crucially, he also realises how much that I.T. projects which don’t work, hurt the organisation on a day to day basis. Perhaps the most rewarding I.T. initiative that Stein was a leader in implementing was the roll out of SAP software within the company. SAP was initially rolled out in the finance department, and after its initial success, it was expanded to other departments within the core business system. Stein’s role was to justify the implementation of the software, as well as convincing the board at M&S that the heavy initial investment in SAP would lead to a bottom line benefit to the company and overall cost savings in the long run. Stein also faced a challenge in integrating SAP into the existing business process and his full support and backing of the I.T. project was key to its success. When Stein initially rolled out the SAP system in the finance department it led to instant savings. Stein cut M&S’s procurement spending by a quarter as a direct result of the implementation of the SAP system (TechRepublic, Top 50 CIO). Due to its success in the finance department, Stein rolled out SAP systems to other business areas including HR, supply chain and the foods division. This wide scale roll-out became part of a â€Å"2020-Doing the right thing† initiative which in essence, is an I.T. &supply chain overhaul that cost  £400million in 2011 alone (M&S completes first phase of 3 year SAP rollout, 2010).Steins role in this long term project is key and he is the catalyst for I.T. change within M&S. Stein was also integral in pushing through the I.T. change projects with the goal of lowering overall company operating costs. His ethos â€Å"of not seeing himself as a technology person, but as a business person who utilizes technology to benefit the company†, has been fundamental to M&S and its rebranding strategy of â€Å"more for less†. Stein helped reduce running costs through implementing I.T. initiatives, and this led to money being freed up within the business and being invested in other sectors, such as business development projects. It is clear that Darrell Stein has been a fundamental player in leading I.T. initiatives in M&S and his reputation both within the company, and the wider business world, mean the decisions he takes are looked at with optimism and excitement from his colleagues, and with caution from his competitors. Stein has tried to focus on building the trust and strong relationship the M&S brand has with its customers, he sees this as key to keeping â€Å"sticky† customers, whose return business is vital to the company’s continuous success. He has done this through developing feedback channels with customers through more interaction, he has also focused on building the e-commerce aspect of the business, and it is largely due to the measures Stein implemented that M&S has achieved 75% annual increase in its online sales turnover. Stein is now in a position within M&S where he has contributed to them becoming market leaders through, in part, his leadership in pushing through I.T. projects. As mentioned above, it is imperative that Darrell Stein works in harmony with Marc Boland to ensure that two of the most influential men in the company work together to achieve organisational goals. Key to the pushing through effective I.T. initiatives in M&S was the close professional relationship Boland and Stein had. Both men regularly communicated with each other about implementing change and integrating the I.T. into the business model. The rich communication channel reinforced any project the men were involved in and made the implementation of technology very smooth. All scenarios involving the new technology would have been talked about prior to its implementation. Communication was a key factor to success in many projects such as the introduction of the â€Å"virtual makeover† application. Boland and Stein were also both innovators, they looked to set themselves aside from competition through innovative thinking and applying new techniques in the retail sector. Having a CEO and CIO with such a good relationship was essential to some of M&S’s innovative approaches as technology was a key tool used in implementing the change. One such project was the introduction of M&S TV online, which promoted customer interaction with the overall aim of boosting sales. M&S TV pioneered many of the campaigns you see today, for instance, they were first to do a video on â€Å"where does the milk on the shelves come from? Meet the farmer†. These videos made the customer believe they are shopping local and such ads can be seen today by firms such as McDonalds, for their beef, and Supervalu for their produce. The dedication both men had to their jobs was also crucial to many successful projects. Both men had a passion for what they were doing and firmly believed all measures they put in place were for the benefit of the company. In conclusion, we feel both Marc Bolland and Darrell Stein added to Marks and Spencer’s success, and their co-operation and partnership has boosted innovative techniques and introduced new technologies to the firm. References: If necessary – answering a question so not sure? -TechRepublic, CIO 50 most influencial, innovative tech chiefs. www.techrepublic.com/cio50/Darrell+Stein/6385891/ -â€Å"M&S completes first phase of three year SAP roll out†, Leo King, Computerworld UK, published May ’10- www.computerworlduk.com/news/applications/20416/marks–spenser-completes-first-phase-of-three-year-SAP-rollout/ References Brief: How can CIOs improve their presentations to senior management? URL: http://www.rms.net/lc_briefs_cio_present.htm Hunter G. (2010) The Chief Information Officer: A Review of the Role. Journal of Information, Information Technology, and Organizations TechTarget: Definition of Chief Information Officer (CIO). URL: http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/CIO .Watson.N,Story.J. (2006).MAS Holdings: Strategic Corporate Social Pesponsibility in the Apparel Industry.3-4.02/2006-5340 2.Various(Author)(2007).Business Superbrands.54-55.UK:Superbrands Ltd View as multi-pages

Training And Testing Of Water For The Local Existing...

selected and mobilised to participate successfully in the survey. This success is the result of the involvement and support from the local existing network and the mobilization of community participation. In addition to the participation of farmers, the enthusiasm and participation of commune health and veterinary workers in undertaking the Coliplate tests was also considered as a success of the field activities; on-farm water sources for drinking were sampled and tested on by the 20 trained the community health/veterinary workers in the two provinces. Key public health messages relating to microbiological quality of water, and recommended options for on-farm water security were also part of the training for community health/veterinary†¦show more content†¦The challenge relating to the custom procedures for the importation of water testing was also due to the unclear of administrative procedures. The field investigator wanted to import the water testing without paying import tax as the water tests were not for profit. However, in order to be exempted from import tax, it requires a formal signed agreement between a local origination and a foreign organisation indicating that these tests are not for profit, the approvals at ministerial level on the formal signed agreement. Because a formal signed agreement and a ministerial approval are not available for the field research, the importation of the Coliplate tests is not exempted from importation tax. The field investigator decided to pay tax to import the water tests in time for the implementation of the field activities, and explore ways to pursue tax claim later on. The local partner has helped the field investigator to contact with Ministry of Finance for claiming the import tax return of the water tests. However, it was replied that there is insufficient documents to prove that the field investigator is eligible to claim import tax for the water tests. Key preliminary results/findings and analysis: Variable Thai Binh (N. VN, 300 hhlds) An Giang (S. VN, 300 hhlds) Age 47 45 Year schooling 8.2 5.6 YearsShow MoreRelatedAssessment of Credit Management System7096 Words   |  29 Pagesfacing very poor infrastructure (particularly the rood network), small and fragile market, with people earning very precarious income inflows, etc. Some of the success stories can be attributed to the shared vision, commitment of staff, starting from the board all the way down to the Sub Branch officer, who work in a learning environment and also because of the all-round support ACSI can manage from those in rural areas: government, NGOs, community, etc. We hope this will continue. The outreach attainedRead MoreProshika Ngo12465 Words   |  50 Pages 2.1 Importance of NGOs in Bangladesh. 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Influence of Phonological Memory on ESL Learners Essay...

Migration has been a constant factor in England, especially since the late 20th Century, there are about 13.5% of primary school populations distinguished as learners of English as an additional language (National Statistics, 2007). Many researchers have studied the association between working memory capacity and reading, on English as a Second Language (ESL) learners through the measures designed by Daneman and Carpenter (1980, Cited in Alptekin and Ercetin, 2009). Lesaux and Siegel (2003) stated that there is an ongoing developmental processing with reading skills, especially in English, which is heavily relied upon phonological processing as it is assumed that this cognitive process play a significant role on a child’s reading skills.†¦show more content†¦Method Participants This study will require almost 40 children, aged 6, to participate. The reason for this is many children at this age they are on the ongoing process of learning and are on the verge to still develop their English vocabulary as well as the capacity to hold large amounts of vocabulary. Participants will be put into two groups, those who have English as a second language and those that have English as their native language. It is essential to have 20 participants in each group to avoid any biases. Design The research is a correlational design which consists of an independent measures design because the participants are only taking part in one condition. This is a longitudinal study which will take the course of one year to assess the working memory on children who have English as a second language. Children will be chosen through opportunity sampling because they will be available at the time of research. There is one independent variable; whether the child has English as a second language or not. 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Decoding Decoding means understanding the sounds associated with letter symbols and being able to put them together. A good reading program teaching decoding skills will include phonological awareness activities, blending sounds and segmenting sounds. Phonological awareness is the understanding that words are made up of individual letter/sound combinations. Blending is being able to put those sounds together to read a word. Segmenting is being able to separate a wordRead MoreLanguage Learning Methods Of Listening3137 Words   |  13 Pagesactive role in cognitivism and metacognitivism. Introduction Listening is one of the main skills of language learning. Knowing principles of listening comprehension can help language learners improve their process of language learning. According to Howatt and Dakin (cited in Guo and Wills, 1999), listening is the ability to identify and understand what others are saying. According to Bulletin (1952), listening is the fundamental language

The Movie Crash Essay - 1122 Words

The movie â€Å"Crash† illustrates the reality of the society in which we live. Race, stereotypes, oppression, and marginalization played a major part in the reaction of the individuals in the movie, as it still exists today. Many will say that times have changed and things have become better since the days of slavery, but I cannot agree that this statement is true. This learner was yet young during this era; however, my ancestors endured much agony and pain for no particular reason. Today, minorities continue to deal with misinterpretation of the character without the opportunity to prove who they are individually; regardless, this reader can identify with some of the stereotypes that minorities have been subjected to over the years. For example, Mrs. Cabot, the district attorney’s wife didn’t trust the Mexican locksmith because of his appearance. Mrs. Cabot assumed that Daniel, the locksmith was a thug since his head was shaved, tattoos, and pants sagging, referring to him as Amigo. Because of her cultural stereotype she asked her husband to have the door locks changed because she felt he would give the keys to guys on the street to come back and rob them. Mrs. Cabot used Daniel as her scapegoat for her anger towards Anthony and Peter, who robbed her earlier that night. Earlier in the movie, Mrs. Cabot exemplified fear and stereotype of the men when she initially recognized them walking down the street. Anthony and Peter were appropriately dressed as collegeShow MoreRelatedThe Movie Crash 1178 Words   |  5 Pagesdirect result of one s culture. The movie Crash was a very fascinating movie. I never knew what was going to happen in the movie it portrays prejudice by one member of a group or culture against another member of a group or culture. Crash was like a melting pot of ethnicities, and they were all defined by racism. The movie reinforced those peoples’ assumptions about a person or group prevents them from seeing the true person, in addition to Crash being a movie about progressing. I, myself, haveRead MoreThe Movie Crash Essay1568 Words   |  7 PagesKC Libecki Professor Eisenberg SOC1101 The movie, Crash, demonstrates the lives of various individuals from divergent socio-economic classes, who have life changing experiences in between their conflicting prejudices and stereotypes. The theme of multiculturalism has also made its influence on the major characters of the movie: a white American district attorney and his wife who is constantly scared of the other; two African American thieves who steal their car, a racist police officer who offendsRead MoreThe Movie Crash 875 Words   |  4 PagesThe movie, Crash is a 3-time Academy Award Winner with an all-star cast consisting of Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle and many others. However the one character that spoke most to me is the Persian man named Farhad who is acted by Shaun Toub. The movie introduced Farhad in the beginning of the movie as a Persian man with his adult daughter buying a gun at a gun shop but having difficulty due to racism. Throughout the movie we see Farhad struggling with racism directed towards him and howRead MoreThe Movie Crash 1074 Words   |  5 Pages The movie â€Å"Crash† is a very thought provoking movie about the underlying racial tensions in our society. It represented black, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern ethnicities and the stereotypes associated with each. The character I will be analyzing is Officer Ryan who is played by Matt Dillon. Ryan is a middle-aged police officer in Las Angeles, California who has been with the force for 17 years. He appears to be extremely racist in his multiple encounters with African Americans. Although officer RyanRead MoreMovie Analysis : The Movie Crash 1662 Words   |  7 Pagesenvironment during the film. You have to pay attention to the race in the film, the themes throughout the film and the gender roles played in the film. In the movie Crash we see many pairs where they each have their own different points of views on things and often bump heads due to their different opinions. When watching the film Crash you see the complete opposite of what you are used to and see that the film starts off in the middle of the plot and later on starts revealing the events thatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Crash 963 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual, for instance the way they perceive others and also the way they perceive themselves. Paul Haggis’s movie â€Å"Crash† conceptualize on this idea and interpret it in an in entirely different way; so that we can see that there are reasons and motives to why our society is separated this type of way. The movie is full of many sociological issues, such as gender, race, and social class. The movie is centralize around racism, and wants to give its own interpretation on racism, the reasons why it happensRead MoreMovie Analysis : The Movie Crash1926 Words   |  8 PagesThe Movie Crash takes place in Los Angeles, California in the winter time. Throughout this movie, all of the stories connect in one way or anoth er. This movie shows the lives of a diverse population of people, they have different race and social classes. In one of the first parts of the movie, they show a racist pawn shop owner that refuses to sell a gun to a man, simply because he is speaking to his daughter in another language, he generalizes all people of that race and accuses the man of â€Å"killingRead MoreThe Movie Crash Essay1031 Words   |  5 PagesWriter-director Paul Haggis Movie â€Å"Crash† written in 2004, tells an interconnecting story of what Whites, Blacks, Latinos, Iranians, cops and criminals. Regardless of their Social Economic Academic or Political background, they are all defined in one way or another by racism. Crash represents the modern condition as a violent bumper car ride (Variety) which connects stories based on coincidences serendipity, and luck as the lives of the characters crash against one another. The movie presumes that most peopleRead MoreMovie Analysis : Crash 1055 Words   |  5 Pages1108 23 November 2015 Movie Analysis Although the movie Crash aired in 2004, the movie does a phenomenal job at depicting social conflicts that are still evident in 2015. Crash, also deals with wide range of controversies and offers multiple narratives. And since narrative is always a two-way street, the movie does a great job of showing two perspectives of everything. More specifically, it challenges our ethical and moral beliefs in a sense that many of the scenes in the movie reside in the grey areaRead MoreMovie Analysis : Crash 1362 Words   |  6 Pagescalled â€Å"Crash†, this movie basically talks about racism and the impact it has on the lives of people in Los Angeles. This movie got a good response from the viewers, as it concentrated on some real harsh realities of racism and asked some hard questions which are generally avoided in movies. This movie clearly promotes the a very delicate issue, and hence requires some detailed assessment. I personally feel the movie was good and it portrayed some very common events of racism, I think â€Å"Crash† shows

Jones electrical free essay sample

After several years of rapid growth, in the spring of 2007 Jones Electrical Distribution anticipated a further substantial increase in sales. Despite good profits, the company had experienced a shortage of cash and had found it necessary to increase its borrowing from Metropolitan Bank—a local onebranch bank—to $250,000 in 2006. The maximum loan that Metropolitan would make to any one borrower was $250,000, and Jones had been able to stay within the limit only by relying very heavily on trade credit from the manufacturers from whom Jones purchased the electrical products it sold to its customers. Nelson Jones, sole owner and president of the company, was therefore looking elsewhere for a new banking relationship that would allow him to negotiate a larger loan. Jim Lyons, a homebuilder who was a friend of Jones, introduced Jones to Rachel Montrose, Lyons’s relationship officer at the local branch of Southern Bank Trust—a large, regional bank. We will write a custom essay sample on Jones electrical or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Southern had a 7-year relationship with Lyons, including a current loan balance of over $3 million. Jones and Montrose tentatively discussed the possibility that Southern might extend a line of credit to Jones up to a maximum amount of $350,000. Jones thought that a loan of this size would more than meet his needs for at least the next year, and he was eager for the flexibility that a line of credit of this size would provide. After discussion, Montrose had arranged for the credit department of Southern Bank Trust to investigate Nelson Jones and his company. Background of Jones Electrical Distribution Jones Electrical Distribution was founded in 1999 as a partnership between Nelson Jones and his college roommate, Dave Verden. In 2003, Jones and Verden had a disagreement on how aggressively they should grow the business, and Jones ultimately bought Verden out for $250,000. They agreed that Jones would pay Verden the $250,000 in installments of $2,000 per month plus interest of 8% per year. The business sold electrical components and tools to general contractors and electricians. The products, which included items such as controllers, breakers, signal devices and fuses, were purchased from nearly 100 different suppliers. Jones’s customers used the products. Piper and writer Jeffrey DeVolder prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective management. The authors thank John A. Schweig of W. W. Grainger, Inc. (HBS MBA 1983), and Mary A. Noonan of Arrow Electronics (HBS MBA 1990), for their valuable contributions to the development of this case. This case, though based on real events, is fictionalized, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental. There are occasional references to actual companies in the narration. Copyright  © 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www. hbsp. harvard. edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business Publishing. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. This document is authorized for use by Alexander Byun, from 1/9/2014 to 4/28/2014, in the course: FI 4020: Li Financial Analysis and Introduction to Loan Structuring (Spring 2014) WED, Georgia State University. Any unauthorized use or reproduction of this document is strictly prohibited. 4179 | Jones Electrical Distribution construction and repair of commercial and residential buildings. To a degree, Jones’s sales followed the seasonality of its customers’ businesses which had their highest activity during the spring and summer when weather was most conducive for construction work. The market in which Jones competed was large, fragmented, and highly competitive. Jones faced significant competition from national distributors, home centers, and other small supply houses. In spite of the competition, Jones had built up sales volume by successfully competing on price and employing an aggressive direct sales force who often visited customers at their job sites. In order to compete on price, Jones maintained tight control over operating expenses, including paying his salesforce primarily on commission and keeping overhead to a minimum. In addition, as part of his expense management effort, Jones had historically paid his suppliers within 10 days of the invoice date in order to take full advantage of the 2% discounts they offered for quick payments. Jones had also proved adept at demand forecasting and inventory management, allowing him to satisfy his customers’ demand with a modest amount of inventory relative to his larger competitors. Jones’s focus and dedication to his business allowed him to build it into a profitable operation. Jones Electrical Distribution had grown to $2.24 million in sales and $30,000 of net income in 2006. Operating statements for years 2004-2006 and for the three months ending March 31, 2007, are given in Exhibit 1. Financing the Business Through Southern Bank Trust To solve his financing need, Jones wanted to develop a relationship with a larger bank that would not run into issues with maximum loans to a single borrower as he had experienced with Metropolitan Bank. He wanted to build a relationship with a bank that could grow with him, including to more locations if he decided to add additional sites in the future. As part of its customary due diligence of Jones Electrical Distribution, the Southern Bank Trust’s credit department asked Jones’s friend Jim Lyons for a reference on Jones. Lyons’s reference included the following comments: â€Å"Nelson is a businessman of the highest integrity and sharp acumen who is a very hands-on manager of his operation. He has excellent knowledge of the products he sells and provides customers with excellent service. He also lives a modest lifestyle. † The bank also toured Jones Electrical Distribution’s warehouse and office and interviewed the area sales managers for three of the manufacturers from whom Jones bought the products he sold. The managers were unanimous in their favorable opinion of Jones. One of them said: â€Å"Nelson has been one of our best performing wholesalers. He really knows how to build relationships and close a sale. He has also been great with his expense management. The guy does not spend a dime unless he absolutely has to. We look forward to building a bigger relationship with him in the future. † In addition to the electrical distribution business, which was Jones’s only source of income, Jones held jointly with his wife an equity in their home. The house had cost $199,000 to build in 1999 and was mortgaged for $117,000. He also held a $250,000 life insurance policy, payable to his wife. Otherwise, they had no sizeable personal investments. Southern Bank Trust gave particular attention to the debt position and current ratio of the business. It noted the ready market for the company’s products at all times and the fact that sales prospects were favorable. The bank’s investigator reported: â€Å"Sales are expected to reach $2. 7 million by the end of 2007. † On the other hand, it was recognized that a general economic downturn might slow down the rate of increase in sales. Projections beyond 2007 were difficult to make, but the 2 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING This document is authorized for use by Alexander Byun, from 1/9/2014 to 4/28/2014, in the course: FI 4020: Li Financial Analysis and Introduction to Loan Structuring (Spring 2014) WED, Georgia State University. Any unauthorized use or reproduction of this document is strictly prohibited. Jones Electrical Distribution | 4179 prospects appeared good for continued growth in the volume of Jones Electrical Distribution’s business over the foreseeable future. The bank also noted the rapid increase in Jones Electrical’s accounts payable and line of credit in the recent past. Jones Electrical’s main suppliers had terms of 30 days net and provided a 2% discount for payments made within 10 days of invoice date. These terms notwithstanding, the manufacturers did not object if payments lagged somewhat behind the due date. During the past six months, Jones had taken very few purchase discounts because of the shortage of funds arising from the additional investments in working capital associated with the company’s increased sales volume. Balance sheets at December 31, 2004-2006, and March 31, 2007, are presented in Exhibit 2. The tentative discussions between Rachel Montrose and Nelson Jones had been about a revolving, secured line of credit not to exceed $350,000. The specific details of the loan had not been worked out, but Montrose had explained the agreement would involve the standard covenants applying to such a loan. She cited as illustrative provisions the requirement that restrictions on additional borrowing would be imposed, that additional investments in fixed assets could be made only with prior approval of the bank, and that limitations would be placed on withdrawals of funds from the business by Jones. She also indicated that while the line of credit would have a limit of $350,000, Jones’s utilization of the line at any point in time would be limited to an amount equal to 75% of Accounts Receivable and 50% of Inventory. Interest would be set on a floating-rate basis at 1.5% percentage points above the prime rate (the rate paid by the bank’s most creditworthy customers). Montrose indicated that the initial rate to be paid would be about 7. 5% under conditions in effect in early 2007. Jones also understood that he would be required to sever his relationship with Metropolitan Bank if he entered into a loan agreement with Southern Bank Trust. The Future of Jones Electrical Distribution As he contemplated his next meeting with Montrose, Jones’s thoughts were dominated by the immediate need for more bank credit. However, he knew that the increasingly tense relationships with his suppliers and the seemingly unending need for more financing meant that he needed to be more deliberate about his future growth plans. To get started, he grabbed a blank piece of paper from his office printer and sketched out the options before him. He started with the pace of sales growth followed by his taking the 2% discounts—or not—which led into the financing implications of each alternative. See Exhibit 3 for the diagram of the alternatives as Jones saw them. Jones promised himself that he would not only close the new bank deal but he would then determine the right long-term growth path for the company he worked so hard to grow over the past seven years. HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING | BRIEFCASES This document is authorized for use by Alexander Byun, from 1/9/2014 to 4/28/2014, in the course: FI 4020: Li Financial Analysis and Introduction to Loan Structuring (Spring 2014) WED, Georgia State University. Any unauthorized use or reproduction of this document is strictly prohibited.

Music Is Central To My Life. Without Music, The World Would Be Naked,

Music is central to my life. Without music, the world would be naked, cold, and quiet. Music can set the rhythm for a long day of work, the mood for a date, for a party, for your whole life. It can wrap you in a blanket of comfort when you are lonely, or inspire you when you are down. Music is a vehicle for expressing love, telling a story, or showing happiness. My love for music has grown immensely throughout the past few years and continues to grow without bounds. Playing musical instruments, such as the piano and guitar, has deepened my appreciation for the sounds I hear when I listen to music. From personal experience playing in concerts and writing my own songs, I have captured the views of both sides of music's artistic prism: creation and presentation. Creation, I have learned, can be a tremendously tedious task. It involves much more than perseverance and determination. Creating music requires the harmonious articulation of one's feelings and thoughts through instrumental or vocal sounds. There is no one who accomplishes the feat more cleverly than Beck. Beck Hansen, known as Beck, is a musical genius who performs an unparalleled, funky, and melodic music style. At the age of 29, he has produced six full albums and will soon be releasing his seventh. Beck has become an inspirational icon among rising musicians and has defied the classification system of musical genres. Much disagreement has arisen over what kind of music it is that Beck performs, but the resistance to classification is what makes it unique. He merges coinciding genres, such as psychedelic hip-hop, folk, rap, and country, to define his own genre. Beck's dynamic music adjusts to the latest musical trends and builds off of talent from past generations. Like a catfish feeding on the bottom of a lake, Beck's music feeds off of the styles of other successful musician, such as Bob Dylan and The Beastie Boys. However, this does not mean that Beck is a copycat artist. It means that his music is based on a collaboration of the sounds of the world, and this makes his music very diversified. Beck is one of the most original musicians of all time, and to classify him as anything but a genius would be even more absurd than Beck himself. He is always courting cultural disaster, and part of his genius is that he's always on the verge of making a complete ass of himself(Rotundi). Beck Hansen was born in 1970 in Los Angeles . Twenty-nine years later he has become one of the most revered musicians of the '90s. The harsh street life of Los Angeles made Beck realize the importance of what most people take for granted, such as the voluptuous emotions we feel regardless of our social status. In the song, Lord only knows, from the album, O'Delay, Beck expresses his view of how life should be lived, appreciatively. The beginning of the song reads: You only got one finger left And it's pointing at the door And you're taking for granted What the Lords laid on the floor Beck's family was very supportive of him while he explored his musical talent during his teen years. They provided him with a free spirited, semi-bohemian environment that promoted an artistic and creative lifestyle (Hindin). His mother, Bibbie Hansen, was in one of Andy Warhol's clique of Superstars when she was only 13, and spent her life as a musician and actress. Beck's father, David Campell, taught Beck a great deal about music. David Campell was a well-known street musician who wrote string arrangements for esteemed bands, including Aerosmith. Perhaps the most highly influential member of his family, however, was Al Hansen, Beck's grandfather. He was a postmodern artist who took part in the founding the FluXus movement, the most radical art movement of the 1960s (Hindin). In 1998, Beck and his grandfather worked together to create a visual art exhibit called Playing with Matches. This exhibit focused on artwork created from garbage, such as cigarette-butt sculptures and Hershey wrapper collages. Working with junk is Beck's greatest talent. Beck can be seen as an Alchemist who transforms junk into art, or as he says in the song, We live