Saturday, November 30, 2019

Manvi motors Essay Example

Manvi motors Essay The Minivan Motors of Malaysia produces cars under an agreement with Suzuki of Japan and trucks under an agreement with General Motors of the USA. The company was established in 1972 and now employs approximately 1000 people and can generally produce an average of 25 cars and trucks per day. Capital investment constraints have limited the nature of Anvils manufacturing facilities. Consequently, it is not able to manufacture many of the items required for the assembly of cars and trucks. These items are imported from Suzuki or GM. However, both Suzuki and GM must limit the quantities of parts shipped to Minivan cause of constraints on their own capacities. Suzuki and GM have guaranteed to provide parts sufficient for 500 cars and 200 trucks respectively per month. GM has Just announced several price increases, which have raised the direct manufacturing cost (which includes all labor and material costs) of a Minivan truck from $800 to $1000 converted to US dollars. Suzuki has not raised prices on purchased parts, so the direct manufacturing cost of a Minivan car has remained stable at $800. We will write a custom essay sample on Manvi motors specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Manvi motors specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Manvi motors specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Ministry of Economics controls the selling price of Anvils output: cars sell at $4300 and trucks sell at $6000. Anvils vehicles have a reputation as well-made and dependable products, suitable for the Malaysian market. Demand is so great that the company can sell all the cars and trucks it can produce, and the company expects no change in this situation. Minivan presently has unfilled orders (already paid for) for 150 cars and 100 trucks. The manufacturing process for both cars and trucks consists essentially of two departments, which limits the number of vehicles that can be produced during any month. These departments are fabrication and engine assembly. An agreement with the Ministry of Labor has set the minimum labor usage combined in both apartments to be at 14,000 worker-hours. Different parts on 45 machine tools. A recent analysis has shown that this shop can plan on no more than 12,000 worker-hours of capacity in the coming month. Each car manufactured requires 20 worker-hours of fabrication; each truck requires 40 worker-hours. The assembly department is set up as a conventional assembly line. 10,000 worker- hours of capacity will be available in the assembly department in the coming month. Each car requires 25 worker-hours of assembly; each truck requires only 10 worker- hours. The fixed overhead costs are estimated at $10,000 in the fabrication department and 12,000 in the assembly department. At this mornings management meeting, Farad Hormone, the production manager expressed considerable concern over Gems price increases. The next months production schedule was to be announced tomorrow, and she asked Sunnis Ray, the managing director, whether the cost should affect the currently planned production of 200 cars and 200 trucks. Mr Ray replied l have never been sure if our current plan is the best we can have. If it is, I think we will Just have to absorb the price increase until the Ministry of Economics allows us to increase our selling price. In hat case we will go ahead with the previous plan 200 cars and 200 trucks. 1) What is the best product mix for Minivan Motors under the new cost structure? 2) Was the current policy of producing 200 cars and 200 trucks the best for Minivan Motors under the old cost structure? ) If an additional worker-hour in any of the departments will cost the same amount, in which department would you recommend making this additional worker-hour available? 4) If 200 additional worker hours were available in the fabrication department for $3000, should Farad pay this amount and get the additional hours? 5) What are 1000 additional hours in the assembly apartment worth? What about 1100 hours? 6) If the net profit from a truck is decreased by $500 will the best product mix be any different? Will the total profit change? ) An error in record keeping indicates that the number of back-ordered trucks is only 85. Will this change the best product mix? 8) Farad has received word that the Minister of Labor will relax the labor restriction by 2000 worker-hours. Will this change the decision regarding the best product mix? Minivan Motors is considering introducing a new Minivan van. The new model requires 30 hours in the fabrication department and 20 hours in the assembly department. Each Minivan van will give a net profit of $4000. 1) Should any vans be produced? ) How much would it cost in terms of profit if, for some reason, the management insisted that at least one van be made THIS, a handloom cooperative society in Tamil Nadia carries out the marketing, distribution and sales functions for the cooperative societies in the state. THIS collects goods produced by the societies and sells it through outlets all through the Southern states. It has recently opened ware houses to handle the consolidation and distribution of merchandise. The warehouses are located in Cuddlier, Erode, Cameraman, Salem and Velour. The merchandise has to be distributed monthly from these warehouses to the showrooms in the four states. Goods are packaged and delivered by bales. The monthly availability of the goods at the warehouses (in number of bales) is as given below : Warehouses: Availability: Cuddlier Erode 100 110 Cameraman Salem Velour 120 130 The monthly demand (in number of bales) in the four states is as follows: States: Demand: Tamil Nadia Karakas Kraal Andorra Pradesh 200 105 155 The costs of transporting one bale from a given warehouse to any showroom in a given state are as given in Tablet. Assume all costs are stated in hundreds of rupees. Table 1 Cuddlier Erode Cameraman Salem Velour Tamil Nadia 350 150 300 250 Karakas 1 oho 650 700 Kraal 1200 850 950 1100 Andorra Pradesh THIS would like to distribute the merchandise as per the availability and demand at the least total cost. How should it plan its distribution? 3. SCHEDULING DECISIONS AT CALL-ME Call-Me Inc. Has a major call center at Achaean that specializes in answering medical billing queries for a few health insurance companies from around the world. This company has available trained professionals that can answer questions in English, French, German and Japanese, and they operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They estimate the following minimal daily requirements for the trained professionals: Time of Day Period Trained Professionals Required Minimum Number of (24-hour clock) 20 50 6-10 10-14 14-18 18-22 22- 2 2 3 4 5 6 the same for an eight hour stint. What must be the daily schedule so that the requirements above are met? Call-Me is considering the option of scheduling overtime hours using the same pool of professionals that are working for them. The specific option they are considering is that a professional who is not working in a given time period can give overtime and be paid one and a half times the regular rate. For instance, if period 6 is not covered by a professional during his/her regular schedule, then he/she is eligible to work overtime in this period. If so, he/she will be paid 0. Xix, if x is the regular pay for an 8 hour stint. Is it worthwhile scheduling overtime hours? Why or Why not? 4. FINANCIAL PLANNING Tiles R Us is a large manufacturer of all varieties of flooring tiles. The companys cash receivables and payable for the coming 4 periods are as given in the table below. The payable need not be paid at once and may be paid out of future funds. In particular, suppose that a I-period delay in meeting payable meaner that the many must pay RSI. 1. 03 for each Re. 1 owed, and a 2-period delay requires payment of RSI. 1. 07 for each rupee owed. Periods Periods Period 3 Period 4 Cash receipts (in lacks of RSI) 70 Accounts payable (lacks of rupees) Beginning cash on hand is RSI. 0 lacks, and cash receivables feed into cash on hand. Cash carried forward from period to period may be allocated in any desired split between a bank account that pays 1% rate of interest per period and bonds that pay 3% rate of interest every two periods. However, the bonds can only be purchased in Periods 1 and 2, and cannot be cashed in until two periods after purchase. Mr Sheehan, the owner of Tiles R Us would like to maximize cash on hand at the end of the planning horizon (the am ount carried beyond Period 4 after making the payments). ) Define the variables required to help him in his decision. B) Formulate this decision problem be modeled as a linear programming problem? C) Now suppose that the penalty on payments delayed for 2 periods depends on the amount delayed. The company must pay RSI. 1. 07 for each Re. 1 owed up too maximum 10% amount delayed for 2 periods and RSI. 1. 10 thereafter. Define any new variables needed to incorporate this information in your model of part b). Give an appropriate formulation that will help Mr Sheehan in his decision under this new penalty structure. . REVENUE MANAGEMENT AT LEISURE AIR Leisure Air is a regional airline that provides service for Pittsburgh, Newark, Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, and Orlando. It has two Boeing 737-400 airplanes, one based in Pittsburgh and the other in Newark. Both airplanes have a coach section with a 132- seat capacity. Each morning the Pittsburgh-based plane flies to Orlando with a stopover in Charlotte, and the Newark-based plane flies to Myrtle Beach, also with a stopover in Charlotte. At the end of the day, both planes return to their home bases. To keep the size of the problem reasonable, we restrict our attention to the Pittsburgh-Charlotte, Charlotte-Orlando, Newark-Charlotte, and Charlotte-Myrtle Beach flight legs for the morning flights. The figure illustrates the logistics of the Leisure Air uses two fare classes: a discount-fare Q class and a full-fare Y class. Reservations using the discount-fare Q class must be made 14 days in advance and must include a Saturday night stay in the destination city. Reservations using the full-fare Y class may be made anytime, with no penalty for changing the reservation t a later date. To determine the itinerary and fare alternatives that Leisure Air can offer its customers, we must consider not only the origin and the destination of each flight, but also the fare class. For instance, possible products include Pittsburgh to Charlotte using Q class, Newark to Orlando using Q class, Charlotte to Myrtle Beach using Y class, and so on. Each product is referred to as an origin-destination- itinerary fare (DIF). For May 5, Leisure Air has established fares and developed forecasts of customer demand for each of 16 Doffs. These data are shown in Table. Suppose that on April 4 a customer calls the Leisure Air reservation office and requests a Q class seat on the May 5 flight from Pittsburgh to Myrtle Beach. Should Leisure Air accept the reservation? The difficulty in making this decision is that even though Leisure Air may have seats available, the company may not want to accept this reservation at the Q class fare of $268, especially if it is possible to sell the same reservation later at the Y class fare of $456. Thus, determining how many Q and Y class seats to make available are important decisions that Leisure Air must make in order to operate its reservation system.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Assessing the Benefits of Cloud Computing A Case Study on NVoicePay

Assessing the Benefits of Cloud Computing A Case Study on NVoicePay In recent years, the emergence of cloud computing has transformed the business arena by providing an enabling force through which business organizations are now more able to efficiently and effectively reengineer their corporate strategy and competitive advantage.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Assessing the Benefits of Cloud Computing: A Case Study on NVoicePay specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although cloud computing is still in its development phases, a significant number of organizations have transitioned to the technology to reap from its competitive efficiencies as demonstrated in the literature (Garrison et al., 2012). The present paper uses a case study on NVoicePay to illuminate the business advantages of cloud computing and how IT leadership can be effective in achieving technology buy-in by communicating the benefits of the technology to executive stakeholders. Cloud computing has been defined as â€Å"†¦a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (such as networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be quickly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider protection† (Garrison et al., 2012, p. 62). Through cloud computing, therefore, organizations can have access to an IT service over a network on a needs basis and without having to invest in the technicalities of how the service is provided.  Extant literature demonstrates that NVoicePay, a leading e-payment solution provider for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), relies on the cloud as its primary architecture while operating as little of its own data center infrastructure as possible, with the view to assisting the SMEs automate invoice payment. Although the organization still maintains its in-house servers in a small data center run by NVoicePay employees specifically to safeguard t he customer identity and other sensitive information, it primarily depends â€Å"†¦on the Microsoft SQL Azure cloud platform for the rest of its computing horsepower, such as notifying parties of payments and updating their customers’ accounting systems† (Babcock, 2013 para. 35). The company is also using the Azure cloud platform to undertake accounting updates through the synchronized database services that are essentially supported by the Cloud provider’s AppFabric service bus.  NVoicePay’s business strategy resonates around providing fast and cost-effective electronic payment solutions to SMEs as they seek to compensate their vendors and suppliers for services rendered (Giegerich, 2012).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this perspective, the impact of cloud computing on the company’s business strategy can be s een in its capacity to use the infrastructure and programs hosted by Azure to efficiently and effectively assist the SMEs pay their suppliers and vendors electronically than with paper checks. This change, according to available statistics, have reduced the per-transaction cost from $3 to 43 cents, substantially increased business partners and clients, and also increased the amount of payments processed through the cloud computing environment from $200 million in 2011 to an estimated $ 1 billion in 2012 (Giegerich, 2012). Going by the figures above, it is clear that the business advantages of cloud computing cannot be underestimated. NVoicePay is a technology-intensive company by virtue of the fact that it employs web-based mechanisms to transact business (Babcock, 2013). Consequently, it can be argued that the adoption of cloud computing will go a long way in assisting the startup company â€Å"†¦lower [its] IT capital expenditures and operating costs by purchasing on demand technology resources (such as increased data storage, bandwidth, and processing power) while eliminating the need to maintain outdated equipment† (Garrison et al., 2012, p. 62). Its use of Azure cloud platform enables the company to have access to key technologies and software, including the AppFabric service bus, as well as skilled IT personnel who might otherwise be too costly and challenging to obtain and maintain (Goodburn Hill, 2010), hence further reducing its IT-related costs and increasing revenue streams and business agility (Von Solms Viljoen, 2012). Of fundamental importance is the fact that NVoicePay is now redirecting its critical resources and manpower towards core business activities, turning the Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform into an IT-related strategy for achieving competitive advantage (Garrison et al., 2012). Today, more than ever before, the company can boast of achieving improved flexibility, enhanced scalability, greener computing, cost saving s and other intangible benefits that have availed unlimited opportunities to improve the way this company operates (Von Solms Viljoen, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Assessing the Benefits of Cloud Computing: A Case Study on NVoicePay specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, owing to the adoption of cloud computing-based processing systems that eliminated the need for check writing, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Karla Friede estimates that the company’s revenue streams will continue to grow immensely over the coming years as it positions itself to tap into the $3 billion market (Giegerich, 2012). These business advantages demonstrate the unlimited opportunities that can be availed to organizations via cloud computing environments. NVoicePay is yet to fully adopt cloud computing, hence its opportunities may still be constrained. Consequently, it is the task of the IT department to demonst rate clearly the benefits of the technology to achieve technology buy-in (commitment to use or support the technology) from executive stakeholders. It is clear that the IT leadership at NVoicePay has succeeded in establishing trust and demonstrating integrity about the need for the organization to switch to cloud computing, set clear directions to sustain this transition, cultivated capabilities, promoted innovation and focused on key results of cloud computing to achieve the technology buy-in that has already taken place. However, since different stakeholders may demonstrate diverse interests, attitudes and priorities, the IT leadership needs to continue effectively communicating with stakeholders with the view to providing relevant information, establishing positive relationships and generating a positive understanding about the business need to adopt cloud computing at a much larger scale (Gould, 2012). Such strategies, in my view, will assist stakeholders in making informed deci sions about considering cloud for all IT planning. References Babcock, C. (2013). 4 Companies getting real results from cloud computing. InformationWeek. Web. Garrison, G., Kim, S., Wakefield, R.L. (2012). Success factors for deploying cloud computing. Communications of the ACM, 55(9), 62-68.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Giegerich, A. (2012, Jan 27). NVoicePay: The pay’s the thing. Portland Business Journal. Web. Goodburn, M.A., Hill, S. (2010). The cloud transforms business. Financial executive, 26(10), 34-39. Gould, R.W. (2012). Open Innovation and stakeholder engagement. Journal of Technology Management Innovation, 7(3), 1-11. Von Solms, R., Viljoen, M. (2012). Cloud computing service value: A message from the board. South African Journal of Business Management, 413(4), 73-81.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Biography of Lorenzo de Medici

Biography of Lorenzo de' Medici Lorenzo de’ Medici, (January 1, 1449 – April 8, 1492) was a Florentine politician and one of the most prominent patrons of arts and culture in Italy. During his reign as de facto leader of the Florentine Republic, he held together political alliances while sponsoring artists and encouraging the peak of the Italian Renaissance. Fast Facts: Lorenzo de' Medici Known For: Statesman and de facto leader of Florence whose reign coincided with a boom in the Italian Renaissance, thanks largely to his patronage of arts, culture, and philosophy.Also Known As: Lorenzo the Magnificent Born: January 1, 1449 in Florence, Republic of Florence (modern-day Italy)Died: April 8, 1492 at Villa Medici at Careggi, Republic of FlorenceSpouse: Clarice Orsini (m. 1469)Children: Lucrezia Maria Romola (b. 1470), Piero (b. 1472), Maria Maddalena Romola (b. 1473), Giovanni (b. 1475), Luisa (b. 1477), Contessina Antonia Romola (b. 1478), Giuliano (b. 1479); also adopted nephew Giulio di Giuliano de Medici (b. 1478)Quote:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What I have dreamed in an hour is worth more than what you have done in four.†Ã‚   Medici Heir Lorenzo was a son of the Medici family, who held political power in Florence but also held power by virtue of the Medici Bank, which was the most powerful and respected bank in all of Europe for many years. His grandfather, Cosimo de’ Medici, cemented the family’s role in Florentine politics, while also spending a great deal of his vast fortune on building up the city-state’s public projects and its arts and culture. Lorenzo was one of five children born to Piero di Cosimo de’ Medici and his wife, Lucrezia (nee Tournabuoni). Piero was at the center of Florence’s politics scene and was an art collector, while Lucrezia was a poet in her own right and befriended many philosophers and fellow poets of the era. Because Lorenzo was deemed the most promising of their five children, he was brought up from a young age with the expectation that he would be the next Medici ruler. He was tutored by some of the top thinkers of the day and accomplished some notable achievements- such as winning a jousting tournament- while still a youth. His closest associate was his brother, Giuliano, who was the handsome, charming â€Å"golden boy† to Lorenzo’s plainer, more serious self. The Young Ruler In 1469, when Lorenzo was twenty years old, his father died, leaving Lorenzo to inherit the work of ruling Florence. Technically, the Medici patriarchs did not rule the city-state directly, but instead were statesmen who â€Å"ruled† via threats, financial incentives, and marriage alliances. Lorenzo’s own marriage took place the same year he took over from his father; he married Clarice Orsini, the daughter of a nobleman from another Italian state. The couple went on to have ten children and one adopted son, seven of whom survived to adulthood, including two future popes (Giovanni, the future Leo X, and Giulio, who became Clement VII). From the very beginning, Lorenzo de’ Medici was a major patron of the arts, even more so than others in the Medici dynasty, which always place a high value on the arts. Although Lorenzo himself rarely commissioned work, he often connected artists with other patrons and helped them get commissions. Lorenzo himself was also a poet. Some of his poetry- often concerned with the human condition as a combination of the bright and lovely alongside the melancholy and temporary- survives to this day. Artists who enjoyed Lorenzo’s patronage included some of the most influential names of the Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo Buonarroti. In fact, Lorenzo and his family even opened their home to Michelangelo for three years while he lived and worked in Florence. Lorenzo also encouraged the development of humanism through the philosophers and scholars in his inner circle, who worked to reconcile the thought of Plato with Christian thought. The Pazzi Conspiracy Because of the Medici monopoly over Florentine life, other powerful families vacillated between alliance and enmity with the Medici. On April 26, 1478, one of those families came close to toppling the Medici reign. The Pazzi conspiracy involved other families, such as the Salviati clan, and was backed by Pope Sixtus IV in an attempt to overthrow the Medici. On that day, Lorenzo was attacked, along with his brother and co-ruler Giuliano, in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Lorenzo was wounded but escaped with minor wounds, in part thanks to the assistance and defense of his friend, the poet Poliziano. Giuliano, however, was not as lucky: he suffered a violent death by stabbing. The response to the attack was swift and harsh, both on the part of the Medici and Florentines themselves. The conspirators were executed, and members of their families were also severely punished. Giuliano left behind an illegitimate son, Giulio, who was adopted and raised by Lorenzo and Clarice. Since the conspirators acted with the blessing of the pope, he attempted to seize Medici assets and excommunicated all of Florence. When that failed to bring Lorenzo around, he tried allying with Naples and launched an invasion. Lorenzo and the citizens of Florence defended their city, but the war took its toll, as some of Florence’s allies failed to come to their aid. Eventually, Lorenzo personally traveled to Naples to forge a diplomatic solution. He also commissioned some of Florence’s best artists to travel to the Vatican and paint new murals in the Sistine Chapel, as a gesture of reconciliation with the pope. Later Rule and Legacy Although his support for culture would ensure his legacy was a positive one, Lorenzo de’ Medici made some unpopular political decisions too. When alum, a hard-to-find but important compound for making glass, textiles, and leather, was discovered in nearby Volterra, the citizens of that city asked Florence for help mining it. However, a dispute soon arose when the citizens of Volterra realized the real value of the resource and wanted it for their own city, rather than the Florentine bankers assisting them. A violent insurrection resulted, and the mercenaries Lorenzo sent to end it sacked the city, permanently marring Lorenzo’s reputation. For the most part, though, Lorenzo attempted to rule peacefully; the cornerstone of his policy was to maintain a balance of power among the Italian city-states and to keep outside European powers out of the peninsula. He even maintained good trading ties with the Ottoman Empire. Despite his efforts, the Medici coffers were drained by their spending and by bad loans their bank supported, so Lorenzo began trying to fill the gaps through misappropriations. He also brought the charismatic friar Savonarola to Florence, who preached about the destructive nature of secular art and philosophy, among other things. The sensationalist friar would, in a few years’ time, help salvage Florence from French invasion, but would also lead to the end of Medici rule. Lorenzo de’ Medici died at the Villa Medici at Careggi, on April 8, 1492, reportedly dying peacefully after hearing the day’s Scripture readings. He was buried in the Church of San Lorenzo, alongside his brother Giuliano. Lorenzo left behind a Florence that would soon overthrow Medici rule- although his son and his nephew would eventually return the Medici to power- but he also left behind a rich and vast legacy of culture that came to define Florence’s place in history. Sources Kent, F.W. Lorenzo de’ Medici and the Art of Magnificence. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2004.â€Å"Lorenzo de’ Medici: Italian Statesman.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lorenzo-de-Medici.Parks, Tim. Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-Century Florence. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 2008.Unger, Miles J. Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de’ Medici. Simon Schuster, 2009.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Fashion trend, Prints for Aged Women Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fashion trend, Prints for Aged Women - Article Example The paper "Fashion trend, Prints for Aged Women" talks about the trend in fashion, Prints for Aged Women. Women’s contemporary attire styles are more varied and compliant to individual preferences than ever and no more does a tapered group of designers state how to wear. Though the aged women may not have a model’s svelte body, there is a wide selection of fashion fits that can suit them. Though aged women face the difficulty of finding obsequious fashion style, they have more money to spend in clothing. For this reason, they are left with few choices to make in fashion. Prints fashion trend is versatile and can easily be included into daily wardrobe. This fashion trend has been modified to be age apposite and stylish. A fashion garment possesses various attributes that can be manipulated to reflect changing fashions. These attributes include color, fabric, print, silhouette, and trim. In the recent past, a fashion garment would sell, all things equal, if it were the ap propriate color. Now it is not important to have the right shade. Prints fashion trend has a variety of clothing that comes in different colors. An aged woman has a changed complexion and the colours that seemed useless in the early years could become the colors to choose. Prints fashion trend comes with softer colors; pale pink and blue, burgundy rich fabrics such as, crimson, grape and navy. Prints fashion trend adds some much needed color in the wardrobe. In addition, prints fashion clothes comes in orange color.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

From e-Business Support to Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

From e-Business Support to Strategy - Essay Example Technically, there has been debate on channels that are eligible for inclusion in the category of social networking.Hansen, Shneiderman, and Smith (2011) provide definition that takes off pressure of technicalities and refers social media as set of online tools that enable connectivity for social interaction. In addition to the connectivity, social networking also benefits users in finding, creating, sharing and evaluating mass information accessible online in a variety of forms. Growing importance and dominance of socialization through social media, organizations have also adopted this medium for staying connected with their entire customer base virtually. The new spectrum has provided companies with ways to attract the potential customers along with strengthening bond with existing company customers. Martinka (2012) refers to Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism which discusses the influence on consumer purchase decision from social media (Facebook). One of the dominant factors that lead to this change is the fact that social media enables two way communication that considerably distinguishes it from traditional marketing mix.This two way connection benefits customer to pass the requirement and views direct to company whereas businesses are also able to get direct insight about customer’ likings and disliking; perception etc. Extracting insight from social networking and consumer response pattern, companies can also strategize to direct consumer purchases in desired direction. (Divol, Edelman, and Sarrazin, 2012). (Divol, Edelman, and Sarrazin, 2012) Some other factors distinguishing it from traditional medium that leads to increase in adopting are: Connectivity of almost the entire world (Divol, Edelman, and Sarrazin, 2012) Prompt response from the company, as well as customers (Hanlon, & Hawkins, 2008) More direct insight than other forms of research etc (Divol, Edelman, and Sarrazin, 2012) Large number social networking websites are opera tional. Leading ones including Facebook (over 845 million active monthly users in 2012 (Sebastian, 2012), Twitter (over 465 million accounts in 2012 and growth (Larson, 2012)), LinkedIn has 147 million members with growth of 45% as compared to year 2012, Google plus which has 400 million user in one year (BGR, 2012) and YouTube (expected to take up 90% of the web traffic by year 2014 (Nalts, 2012)) being the leading channel of video content (eBiz MBA, 2012). Surveys also count the growing number of companies making use of these channels and networking mediums and are intended to increase their presence t exploit greater benefit (Stelzner, 2012). With acceptance of the social media as well as the fact that it is changing consumer behavior, businesses are still in learning phase to strategically adopt this medium. Moreover, understandings

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Factors That Lead Youth To Join Gangs Essay Example for Free

Factors That Lead Youth To Join Gangs Essay Youth violence in American society has escalated in an alarming rate. Violence in schools, spree killings, and risk taking behavior seem to have become more commonplace than a decade ago. Most social scientists have pointed out that youth violence is directly related to later criminal behavior, such that a child who has been exposed to violence early in life would seek violence or become involved in criminal activities. One of the most alarming social groups that perpetuate violence is street gangs, and the youth are generally drawn into these gangs. Gangs had existed since societies were formed and social norms and expectations were required of all members of society. Gangs were first formed as a social group espousing brotherhood and friendship, however, gangs evolved to become anti-social groups involved in crimes such as drug trafficking, selling and manufacturing, murder, assault, and riots. Since most gangs recruit adolescent members, it is important to understand what and why adolescents join gangs. This paper seeks to examine the factors that influence the youth’s decision to join gangs. Background of the Study The marked increase in youth violence and delinquency was observed two decades ago, at which point membership in gangs had also increased. Youth gangs were prevalent in large urban cities, but at its peak, it made its way even to smaller cities and the more rural areas across the country. Researchers had found a link between the rises of  youth gangs to youth violence because gang members have access to guns and other weapons as compared to delinquents. Another factor considered in the rise of gangs and violence is the increase in drug trade in the area or locality, it is expected that those who deal illegal drugs have guns, weapons, and have more tendency to commit violence. At present, the number of youth gangs in American society have continued to rise and gain more members. Youth gangs had existed even before American society had developed to what it is now, previously, youth gangs were organized in order to serve some social purpose, but with more tendencies for vandalism, fighting with other gangs and establishing their territories. Gangs had now become the epitome of what is anti-social behavior, thus, gangs are viewed as troublemakers, violent, illegal, unscrupulous, to be feared and woe to the parent who have lost a child to gangs. Many studies had been conducted to explore and understand the dynamics of gangs and gang membership, most had been able to identify the factors associated with gang membership and how gang members behave as well as their organizational structure. One thing is for sure, gangs are anything but simple, gangs have a complex organizational structure, and studying gangs have not been conclusive to date. Gangs had been difficult to study and understand especially that more people and even the youth know that gangs are negatively perceived in society and that it can be dangerous to join gangs. The difficulty lies in the lack of consensus among researchers and the public as to what is a gang and how it is different from other social groups. Loosely defined, youth gangs is an organization with a set of leaders and members that  are engaged in criminal acts, on the other hand, motorcycle gangs, prison gangs and hate gangs are more hard core, have more structure and hierarchy and are different from youth gangs. Moreover, gangs are more likely to be composed of males rather than females, but there has been a marked increase in the number of female gangs and female members. The relationship between membership in youth gangs and later criminal behavior had been espoused by a number of researchers and studies. Thus, it would follow that gang membership may predict violent behavior and criminal behavior. At this point, understanding why adolescents want to join youth gangs would help police, parents, schools and the public to make better decisions and provide programs that would keep the youth from joining gangs. This study hopes to explore and understand the factors that influence the youth’s decision to become a member of a youth gang. Problem Statement This study seeks to explore and understand the factors that contribute to the adolescent’s desire to join a gang. It is a reality that being a member of a youth gang is risky and disadvantageous in the sense that one is more likely to engage in criminal behavior, more likely to be involved in illegal activities and more likely to be caught and imprisoned. Nevertheless, youth gangs still enjoy the popularity and social status that they have in our society. More and more teenagers become gang members wherein they learn anti-social behaviors that only place them at risk. Due to the presence of youth gangs and the increasing membership of the said gangs, there has been a marked increase in violent crimes and criminal acts in almost all  cities in the country. This social problem have contributed to the increase in the number of convicted juvenile delinquents, the increase in high school drop out rates and even the violence that occurs in our schools. If the youth focus only on what is essential, and that is to go to school, learn the skills that would help them become productive members of society and to serve as examples for the younger generation, then our society would be in a better position than it is now. If the youth today stay away from gangs, ultimately, gangs would die and end its existence because there are no members to sustain it. By studying the factors that lead teenagers to join gangs, we would be in a better position to provide programs and information that would keep them from joining gangs; hence, we would have a better society, a more positive, creative, and promising youth and less crimes, delinquency and violence. This study specifically aims to answer the research question â€Å"What factors lead the youth to seek membership in gangs?† In order to answer the main research question, the study also seeks to determine the following: Who is the typical gang member? What are his/her personal characteristics, educational attainment, and interests? When and how does a person become a gang member? What factors predispose the youth to join gangs? What factors influence the youth to join gangs? Purpose and Objectives of the Study This study seeks to explore and determine the factors that lead the youth to join gangs. At the outset, this study is not one-dimensional; it takes into account that there  could be a myriad of factors that engage the youth to become gang members. Thus, this study was designed to provide answers to the following questions: Who is the typical gang member? What are his/her personal characteristics, educational attainment, and interests? When and how does a person become a gang member? What factors predispose the youth to join gangs? What factors influence the youth to join gangs? Just as some people are drawn to gangs, there are also those who do not want to become a member of any gang, thus in order to sufficiently answer the main research question, it is also important that the personal characteristics of the gang member should be examined. By knowing the personal characteristics, educational attainment and interest of the gang members, we would be able to identify who among the youth are drawn to gangs and thus, we could provide interventions or prevention strategies targeted at the said persons to keep them from joining gangs. Knowing what goes on in gangs and how individuals are recruited and the process in which members are accepted into gangs will provide answers to the question of what is in gangs that make them attractive to the youth of today. Understanding what attracts them to join gangs also enables us to provide a more specific intervention strategy or campaign that would help individuals become prey to gangs. The term predispose means the propensity or likelihood of joining gangs, in this question, it is desired that the family set-up, academic performance, social skills and needs of the youth are examined and whether this contributes to the decision to join  groups. This question can be answered by individuals who have not yet officially joined any gang but desires to become part of a gang, as such we would be able to identify what mitigating factors increase the likelihood of joining gangs. The last question is designed to identify the factors that lead the youth to join gangs. As such, the individuals are asked to specify the factors whether it be personal social, educational, economic or psychological that have influenced their decision to join gangs. This question can be adequately answered by individuals who are already gang members.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich. :: Essays Papers

Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich. The name Adolph Hitler often brings to mind images of either a madman or an evil military genius. While Hitler was arguably an evil madman, he was no military genius. Hitler attempted to use Germany’s military muscle to overpower the world and make room for the Nazi party to survive and create what he called a thousand-year Reich. Hitler’s political activity was part luck and part skill; he found a way to turn the sentence of treason that was against him and turn it into a political stepping-stone to power. While Hitler and his generals successfully changed the world, they made too many mistakes, both military and otherwise, for the Nazi party ever to lead the world into Hitler’s dream of the thousand-year Reich. After the Beer Hall Putsch and Hitler’s subsequent imprisonment at Landsberg, he was told that he would receive a public trial. This public trial brought Hitler’s spirits up as he felt that this would give him the mass media coverage he needed and the chance to show how evil, stupid and cowardly his Government truly was. He was right, a Nazi sympathizer in the Bavarian Government chose all of the judges. These judges allowed Hitler to speak as long as he wished in his own defense, interrupt his opposition, cross-examine witnesses, and use the courtroom as a tool to spread pro-Nazi propaganda throughout the press. Hitler’s political luck had allowed him to use his daring to spread thoughts throughout the people of Germany with comments such as, "I alone bear the responsibility. But I am not a criminal because of that. If today I stand here as a revolutionary, it is as a revolutionary against the revolution. There is no such thing as high treason against the traito rs of 1918." While Hitler’s luck had allowed him the chance to promote his beliefs, his ability to manipulate people allowed him to receive the outcome that he had desired. While Hitler was still convicted, it was only at the command of the presiding judge, and even then the sentence was weak and allowed him many extravagances that allowed him to further his power. However, Hitler made many more mistakes than he made intelligent maneuvers. Perhaps one of Hitler’s largest mistakes was to start the war as early as he did. The German Luftwaffe had only enough fuel to last around six months of heavy combat, it lacked well-trained commanders, and Germany only held enough bombs to last around 3 weeks.