Personal Finance Concepts Investing Essay

According to the finance researchers a portfolio refers to an appropriate collection of investments for an institution or a single individual. An investment portfolio is constructed by financial advisors or a retainer their main task involves investment analysis that are useful; during purchasing of stocks and bonds, and other business assets. . Cliff uses his present finances to determine his future holding and finance position. Cliff financial statement seems to spread in many fields, he invests in fixed assets and even before he could fully exploit his new investment strategy he is already investing in shares and bonds. Basically this is diversification and investing assets such as bonds and shares in such a scenario is exposing a high percentage of ones investment at risk (Grant 2005). Cliff is a risk taker hence he is more likely to invest in income securities and unwarranted investment such as the equities. Hence Cliff will tend to have very low cash holding and shares, in addition he is not expected to hold high levels of securities as savings since his age is allows him to have a long time to invest in most cases age is a great determinate in an individuals saving amount and investment, though Cliff will tend to save for his future plans such as his wedding plans, his marginal propensity to save will still be quite low. Since Cliff is earning an approximate of $340000 he I expected to distribute his earning to his present and future expenses, A great source of cliff’s finances is in terms of bonds and shares which are a good way to invest but the shortcoming with Cliff’s investment is the fact that he did not take a good research before imposing a big sum of his money into the investment, the investment in bonds and shares involve a high percentage of risk and for that reason if they are not carefully researched on they bring high degrees of losses or very little profits. In that light they are not included in the construction of a portfolio, instead the items that can be included in the construction of a portfolio are savings, cash at hand and revenue that is already attained or the degree of risk is not too high. Using Cliff’s example he can spread his earning such 30% of his total earnings is equities, 40% income securities, 20% sundry expenses and 10 % as savings. The assumption is that cliff is a young risk taker hence his securities will tend to be and also his savings and cash. Â  Below is an example of Cliff’s portfolio: References Frasca , R, (2006) – Personal Finances: An Integrated Planning Approach, 7th Ed – Pearson Prentiss Hall Grant, R (2005) – Contemporary Strategy Analysis – Blackwell Publishing Karnani, A (1981) – Business Portfolio: an analytical Approach – Harvard Publishing .

General Motors SWOT Analysis

General Motors Corporation (GM) is primarily engaged in the production of vehicles. It designs, manufactures and markets car, trucks, and other automobile parts all over the world. GM has a strong brand portfolio gives it significant competitive advantage. However, sustained decline in light vehicle sales as a result of increasing durability of vehicles and weak economic conditional pressure on the overall performance of the company.Strengths:Global presence, GM was the leading auto manufacturer in terms of sales for 77 years until 2007. The business has grown its presence in the world and is now operating in 157 countries, while its Chevrolet brand reached world record sales (4.95 million units). New vision and strategy, after 2008 bailout, GM has experienced major changes and reorganized the way it does business. New members were appointed to the firm’s management team with Daniel Akerson as the CEO.He shook GM†s bureaucratic organizational culture and introduced new s trategy and visions to the business. GM became smaller but leaner and is becoming more. Strong brand portfolio, GM currently sells 18 automobile brand to satisfy as many customer needs as possible. The most  popular brand are Cadillac, Buick GMC, and Chevrolet that sells very well in USA and China. Chevrolet reached global sales record and sold 4.95 million units in 2012. Strong presence in China, China is the largest automotive market and is an emerging economy that grows steadily. It is also the second largest market for GM in terms of vehicle units sold.An early entrance into China, well performing partnerships and local Buick brand are the main reasons why GM has a strong position in China’s automotive market. Knowledge of home market, GM is the largest car manufacturer in US and currently holds more than 18% market share. This is mainly due to extensive knowledge of US market and its consumer. 4 well performing brands, GM’s has one of the highest cost structures compared to all automobiles manufacturers. GM’s Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet, and Buick are among the best-selling brands in US and China and brings in more than 80% of all General Motors sales.Weakness:High cost structures, GM has one of the highest cost structures compared to all automobiles manufacturers. GM costs are driven by its generous employee compensation and pension plans. Although GM has reduced its cost after 2008 it still has a lot to do to become cost competitive. Brand dilution, GM controls 18 automobile brands that vary in quality and are sold in separate markets. With so many brands in sales, customers find it hard to identify which brand belongs to GM family, as only one of 18 brands carry GM letters.The result is lower GM brand awareness. Bureaucratic culture, before reorganization in 2008, GM was infamous for its rigid culture and structure. Since them, the company has made some cultural and structural changes but should continue improving as it isn’t as quick as it competitors in reaching to constantly changing environment. Car recall, last year, General Motors recalled 119,000 pickups due to missing hood latch. The same year it had to recall it Chevrolet volt and fix battery problems. Recalls are expensive and damages brand reputation, especially when the company announces them so often.Opportunities:Positive attitude toward â€Å"green† vehicle, today consumers are more aware of the negative effects (air pollution) caused by cars fueled by petrol and diesel. Large quantities of CO2 emission intensity greenhouse effect, and negatively impact the life on earth, and thus, consumers are more likely to buy new hybrid and electrical cars that emit less co2. Increasing fuel price, increasing fuel prices open up large markets for GM’s hybrid and electric cars as consumers shift toward cheaper fuel types. Changing customer needs, by introducing new cars models, General Motors would be able to meet changing customer needs for smaller and more fuel-efficient cars. Growth through acquisitions, GM has successfully acquired many car companies in the past and should continue doing so to gain new skills assets and access to new market.Threats:Fluctuating fuel prices, due to increasing extraction of shale gas, future fuel prices should drop and make electric and hybrid cars less attractive. GM would treat the project of hybrid and electric cars as losses, rather than perspective future cars. On the other hand, steeping fuel prices would make current GM models less attractive to cost conscious consumer lower amounts of fuel. New emission standards, a new wave for stricter regulation on vehicle emission standards may negatively affect GM’s finances. The corporate would have to invest large amount of money to comply with these new standards.Rising raw material prices, rising prices for raw metals will lift the cost for auto manufactures and result in squeezed profits for the companies. Intense competit ion, for 77 years from 1931 to 2007, GM led global sales of vehicles, but lost its position in 2008 due to increased competition of cheaper and better quality cars, especially from Japan and South Korea. Exchange rates, China are GM’s second largest market and the business earns huge profits there. Exchange rate fluctuations threaten GM’s profits if the dollar would appreciate against Chinese renminbi.

Essa

Reasons for people to attend college or university are enormous and depend on one's attitudes. But the three most important ones that make people choose college or university as the gate to their future are Job opportunities, increased knowledge and essential skills preparation for future life. First and foremost, I think the most important reason is that people can get a good job if they have a certificate, especially the one of famous college or university.Practically, the final purpose after a long process of study for almost people is to improve their life by getting good Job. What proves that point of view, obviously, is the act that most of certificates are used to support Job application. Second, this maybe the last chance for people to study in such an academic environment where professor teach them plenty of knowledge in may aspects; as a rule, they try their best to collect as good as possible in the subject the like.This also helps them to gain an abundant knowledge for fu ture life. Last but not least, people want to prepare a certain skills which cannot lack in the developed society namely competitive experience, group work†¦ Those skills will be efficient weapons for them to compete with others in order to get the Job they want. Beside this, people who tend to apply what they learned in college or university choose the best way to reach success.What is more, this the chance for people to live apart from their family; consequently, they can develop their independent characteristics. In a word, all people are encouraged to attend college or university. The more people attend college or university, the more develop society is. As long as background knowledge and experience decide one's Job opportunities, people who attend college or university are constructing their future by the best materials. Essa Reasons for people to attend college or university are enormous and depend on one's attitudes. But the three most important ones that make people choose college or university as the gate to their future are Job opportunities, increased knowledge and essential skills preparation for future life. First and foremost, I think the most important reason is that people can get a good job if they have a certificate, especially the one of famous college or university.Practically, the final purpose after a long process of study for almost people is to improve their life by getting good Job. What proves that point of view, obviously, is the act that most of certificates are used to support Job application. Second, this maybe the last chance for people to study in such an academic environment where professor teach them plenty of knowledge in may aspects; as a rule, they try their best to collect as good as possible in the subject the like.This also helps them to gain an abundant knowledge for fu ture life. Last but not least, people want to prepare a certain skills which cannot lack in the developed society namely competitive experience, group work†¦ Those skills will be efficient weapons for them to compete with others in order to get the Job they want. Beside this, people who tend to apply what they learned in college or university choose the best way to reach success.What is more, this the chance for people to live apart from their family; consequently, they can develop their independent characteristics. In a word, all people are encouraged to attend college or university. The more people attend college or university, the more develop society is. As long as background knowledge and experience decide one's Job opportunities, people who attend college or university are constructing their future by the best materials.

DAIMLER CHRYSLER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

DAIMLER CHRYSLER - Essay Example The differences between Daimler and Chrysler provided the two companies a good opportunity for merger in order to streamline their operations. Daimler-Benz had specialized in production of luxury cars for sale in the upper market segments. The company had invested heavily in research and development and had long term technological experience that positioned it well in the industry above its competitors. According to Maielli (2005, p. 251), Daimler practiced mass production and focused on strengthening its technology to achieve a higher level of creativity. Although the company had an international market for its car models, it focused on a particular market segment hence the produced quantity did not enable the company to realize economies of scale. As a result of specialization in production of luxury cars the company was not able to utilize its technological capacity fully. Furthermore, the company had a lot of bureaucracy in its management that slowed down decision making processe s hence limiting the company’s potential for expansion (Slack, Stuart & Robert, 2007, p. 164). Daimler had a capacity of producing one million units of its products while Chrysler had a capacity of three million units. ... 316). The company had flexible work and time management that enabled employees to work even during the weekend and overtime in order to increase output. The company introduced a performance based rewarding system that recognized each individuals input in the company in order to motivate the workers. In addition, the company advocated teamwork with stakeholders in order to streamline their operations. For example, the company collaborated with its suppliers in order to reach the international market efficiently. Chrysler was less bureaucratic in nature (Kohler, 2005, p.314). Individual workers were allowed to make decisions on their own without having to consult senior managers. This managerial flexibility nurtured creativity in the company and simplified decision making process. The company engaged in developing new product designs for different market niches. The efficient and flexible management of Chrysler company enabled the company to come up with new car designs hence increased its market share (Maielli, 2005, p.258). The company had not focused much on research and innovations although it was producing different varieties of car models for various market segments. This created a potential risk of losing creativity and becoming technologically obsolete (Slack, Stuart & Robert, 2007, p. 197). The company lacked good base for foreign market since it focused on production for the domestic market, especially North America. However, the company enjoyed economies of scale due to large scale production for local market. The company had efficient manufacturing process that Maielli (2005, p. 251) describes as lean production. 2. What were the main differences between the Mercedes and Chrysler production processes and how did

Benefits and Drawbacks of Studying at University Essay

Benefits and Drawbacks of Studying at University - Essay Example Most of the employed graduates have shown to have medical insurance covered by their subsequent employees. University graduates are perceived to engage in a healthy lifestyle, then the high school counterparts. According to the statistics, the level of health increases with higher education. For instance, statistics shows that more than 70 percent of university graduates with income between $35,000 and $54,000 are in better health condition than those high school graduates in the same income bracket and age. Also among the graduates, the level of heath increases with the level of degree attained.The incarceration rate has been seen to be higher in adults with high school education than those with university or college education. Increase in incarceration rate increases the amount government spends on prison costs per an individual inmate. Though this takes us back to the economic benefits of higher education, this finding is more tagged to the effects on the society. Statistics confi rm that, in 1997, 1.2 percent of those incarcerated were adults with no graduate education, but only 0.1 percent of them had higher education. This shows that increased level of university education tends to decrease the potential and characteristics to get involved in crime. Academic success is also viewed as a factor that reduces the likelihood to commit crimes (Cunningham, 2008, p. 1). Studies have revealed high cognitive skills in children of educated mothers than those of the high school graduates.... 16). Incarceration rate The incarceration rate has been seen to be higher in adults with high school education than those with university or college education. Increase in incarceration rate increases the amount government spends as prison costs per an individual inmate. Though this takes us back to the economic benefits of higher education, this finding is more tagged to the effects on the society. Statistics confirms that, in 1997, 1.2 percent of those incarcerated were adults with no graduate education, but only 0.1 per cent of them had higher education. This shows that increased level of university education tends to decrease the potential and characteristics to get involved in crime. Academic success is also viewed as a factor that reduces the likelihood to commit crimes (Cunningham, 2008, p. 1). School readiness Studies have revealed high cognitive skills in children of educated mothers than those of the high school graduates. These children are able to take more education task s and are more informed than those of mothers with lower education background. This means that attainment of higher education will bring forth future benefits of a more informed and learned society. According to research children between the age of 3-5, more than 36 per cent among them whose mother had university education could recite all letters of the alphabet, compared to less than 19 percent of those of high school graduate mothers (Hill, 2005, p. 1.). Ninety per cent of children from graduates’ mother read to not less than 3 times per week, in comparison with the 76 percent of those with high school mothers. Teachers of these children confirm that children from graduate mothers are more

Berman vs department of interior case Term Paper

Berman vs department of interior case - Term Paper Example erman undertakes to bring the culprits to book by aiding POGO in drafting the draft Freedom of Information Act (â€Å"FOIA†) which allowed them to file for two qui tam actions in the United States District Court. As a result, they were paid $440m from the litigation. This was the value of the royalties owed by the oil companies. POGO had already promised to pay a third of the money they will be paid after the litigation and thus when the money was compensated, POGO sent a check of $383,600 to Berman and enclosed therein an indication that the money was an award for his dedication and not for payment of his services. Alter on, the Department of the Interior sued Berman for violation of ethical obligation and breach of fiduciary duty. The perpetrators in this case were the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) and Berman. The societal values they violated was the compensation of the $383,600 check out of the $440 million which was meant to be for the royalties which were underpaid to the federal and Indian lands by the oil companies. They should have given the money to them instead of suing it. Organizational values which were violated in this case were the payment of lump sum money to a government employee for tasks done for the government apart from the salary. Thus, POGO should not have given Berman the check since he was already doing his job. Berman’s ethical obligation concerning oil royalty matters was to deliver the paid money to the underpaid federal and Indian lands by the oil companies. There are competing obligations in this case since the money paid to Berman was meant to be an award for his decision for his work in the past decade while the punishment in this case should be applied to paymen ts given to government especially for future work (Denhardt, 1988). The obligation of the non-public officials in this case was to ensure there was no mismanagement of public resources or abuse of power. They owed this obligation to the public since they were

Dell Computer Corporation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dell Computer Corporation - Assignment Example It is responsible for designing, developing and manufacturing processes of a wide range of products. It also markets, distributes and sells various products that are tailored to fit individual customer necessities that include desktop computers, mobility products, software, servers and storage, services and networking. The company has four large segments that support its operations. These segments include Large Enterprise segment, Public segment, Business and Consumer and Small and Medium segments (Aruvian's R'search , 2008, p. 14). The Large Enterprise segment is responsible for the innovation of products and services by using cloud computing solutions and data center. The Public segment is responsible for services that include simplification of IT, provision of faster provision of Information Technology applications, the expansion of enterprise and services operations and increase of customer relations. The Small and Medium Business segment is specifically deals with small and medi um enterprises through offering open and capable solutions including innovative products and customizable services and solutions. The last segment deals with customer care. This paper will analyzes the Dell, inc. Company in terms of its history, its activities, key financial activities, SWOT analysis, PEST analysis and competitor activities among other details. Investigation methodology In the study and analysis of the Dell, Inc. Company, the information was provided by conducting a research in relevant websites, company profiles, and its financial details that include sales turnover, profit and growth details. Research was also undertaken on books and journal materials that provided information about Dell, Inc. and comparisons made with its competitors. Company outline Dell was established in 1984 in Texas, by Michael Dell who is the owner. The company was named after him. The company was initially known as PCs limited. It employs over 100,000 people around the world in 180 countri es around the world. He founded the company on the basis of a simple concept that through the sale of computer systems to customers, the company could provide for the needs of the customers by ensuring that it provided effective computing solutions to meet the specific needs of customers (Pinegar, March, 13, 2002).1988 was also a significant year for Dell, Inc because it went public giving 3.5 million shares of its company’s stock to the public. Currently, Dell Inc. is the leading retailer of computer systems in the whole world. It controls a global market share of more than 15 percent. Dell deals in several products and services that include for designing, developing and manufacturing processes of a wide range of products. It also markets, distributes and sells various products that are tailored to fit individual customer necessities that include desktop computers, mobility products, software, servers and storage, services and networking (Pinegar, March, 13, 2002). Dell, Inc . has experienced growth in terms of its sales turnover, profit and development. Starting an estimated cost of $1000 dollars, Dell, Inc. has grown with a fiscal of 11 per cent increase from $13.43bn year-over-year. In 2010, through the sale of the cheap PCs, the company increased its percentage of sales. In the quarter that ended in the end of January 2010, Dell had increased its earnings to $334. In 2011, Dell had enterprise

The concept of Time Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The concept of Time Management - Essay Example To facilitate the creation of a life steady with one’s deepest needs and values, there is need for an individual to lay down priorities and subsequently adhere strictly on them. How a person spends his/her time is very essential. In fact, during an interval of time, people require a time log in order to see if their time goes to waste. Having a good proportion of one’s time used up on urgent as well as important matters instead of on petty and less lucrative activities is very important. Additionally, one should seriously assess the persons to whom he/she devotes most of his/her time. This paper delves into the concept of time management; the skills needed in good time management, ways of using time properly as well as the dos and don’ts while managing time. Beardsley suggests four time redemption tricks. He stresses on the need for one to make lists of all his/her projects, noting down even those tasks that are not obligatory. One should not allow his/her inbox to box him/her in. This implies that a person should not let his/her basket of chores to man him/her. A person should simply get to the bottom of the in-basket one time every day and pick one item at a time and should not concentrate on any other item till he/she finishes the first. He adds that a job requiring not more than two minutes to complete should be handled immediately. He suggests that a person should make a review of roughly thirty minutes at every week-end in addition to making an update of his/her lists. Some skills are a must have in proper time management. These skills are the abilities that one should be acquainted with and solve his/her time management dilemmas. Possessing good time management skills enables a person to exercise control over one’s own time as well as life, in addition to one’s stress and his/her energy levels. An individual can effortlessly become accustomed to surprises as well as new opportunities. It is important to note that one ca nnot inherit these time management skills. Instead, one can only learn them and a person can never learn the principle of time management until he/she becomes a victim. As Martin asserts, the severest handicap to time management is procrastination – one should just get started and many of his/her problems will slowly disappear. There are some rules that one should keep in mind in order to become an effective time manager. To start with, a good time manager should delineate priorities and schedule his/her activities. It is wise for a person to make out the first priority classes and do anything to achieve them and to do away with second priority classes. Furthermore, an individual should shun generating impossible situations. People do this by finding themselves trapped to carrying out too many activities. People should as well define their priorities in addition to shunning distractions and loss of the main point (Martin, N.p). According to Kuther, there is a remedy to those who inadvertently create impossible situations. She argues that once a person prepares his/her lists, he/she may realize that he/she have much more on the ground than what he/she was thinking. In such a situation, she advises that one does not have to embark on everything. He/she can take a hold on a small number of it for a while, some even a much lengthy time while he/she may not even execute others at the end of the day. She says that the secret towards achieving a consistent progress on a person’s chores is to separating each task into easier component tasks. Kuther further notes that writing down everything that one wants to accomplish

Children's Reading Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Children's Reading Behavior - Essay Example Some of these things are discussed here. Certain characteristics of a good reader are also identified. The role of a teacher is more important in teaching a child any language skill than that of a parent. Hence some guidelines of how to become a good teacher are also mentioned. The main idea is to inculcate a good reading habit in our younger generation which will help them in future. Reading is one of the basic skills that children must acquire at an early age. Not being able to read in present times is a great handicap. Some children are natural readers and have the ability to start reading at the early age of 3, whereas others need a push. Natural readers are not to be confused as born readers. They do not just wake up one morning and start reading. They go through a developmental process in which parents and teachers play a vital role. Children of this age are given a favorable environment in which they are encouraged to participate in educational activities such as reading. A teacher is specially trained to help guide the children in learning to like reading whereas a home environment cannot always do this. A colorful classroom, vocabulary and letter charts on the wall, objects beginning with the same letter placed together, and more similar settings will surely encourage a child to learn more eagerly. This environment is difficult to provide at home. Nursery student's specially enjoys reading nursery rhymes. ... assroom, vocabulary and letter charts on the wall, objects beginning with the same letter placed together, and more similar settings will surely encourage a child to learn more eagerly. This environment is difficult to provide at home. Nursery student's specially enjoys reading nursery rhymes. I believe that is because they have a certain tune which is easy for the young minds to memorize and the lyrics also make up an interesting tale about a character that appeals to them .It has been seen from experience that reading rhymes to this age group is one of the best ways to promote reading habits. Children will love to pick up a nursery rhyme book for reading. Parents can contribute to this easily since the rhymes being taught at school re still the same ones that were taught in their times and I am sure parents still remember them I sure do! Children of this age enjoy being read to. It has been my personal experience that at the story telling time when children gather around the teacher to listen to a story being told, they are most focused. They love to make guesses about what is going to happen next. I think that is the correct time to encourage a child to read further by himself in order to find out how the story progresses. Moreover, I believe that phonics has also made reading easier and interesting. Previously, when this practice wasn't followed, a child had to be told repeatedly and also had to memorize which letter made which sound. Phonics has made that simple. Now it is easy for a child to associate a sound with a letter thus making it comparatively simpler to form words and read them. Some children also enjoy reading at this age as they are provided encouragement from home. Parents who read aloud to their children for at least 30 mins a day are more likely to

The Byzantines and the Vikings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Byzantines and the Vikings - Essay Example Education, scholarship, and art and architecture were essential aspects of the Byzantine culture, and Byzantine wealth supported the learning and scholarship of its people. The migration and raids of the Vikings (Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes) had an important role in the history of both the Western and Eastern Europe as it altered the political map during the period. The name Vikings or the Northmen was applied to all Scandinavians in the eighth century and they were also called the Verangians. One of the major factors that contributed to the migration and explorations of the Vikings was their ships which carried the horses and other trade materials. Significantly, they achieved an Eastern expansion in the eighth century and their expansion started with the wars among the East Kiev and East Slavs. Similarly, it also celebrated a Western expansion in England and the other regions. Agriculture and trade, learning and literature, art and architecture etc played central activities in the expansion of the Vikings.

Mexico Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mexico - Research Paper Example Mexico got its independence from Spain on the 21st of September 1821. It was declared and established as an independent republic in 1824. It is also known as the United Mexican States. Mexico went through numerous challenges because of invaders and other kinds of national problems that affected it throughout the twentieth century. It has risen from its troubled past, however, and is currently one of the most popularly liked and thriving nations of the world. Mexico is the fifth largest country in North America and the thirteenth largest in the whole world. Mexico fits in geographically with North-America, but ethnologically, it is part of Latin America (Nationsonline.org, n.d.). Mexico has the highest population in all of Spanish-speaking countries in the world. Around 70% of the people live in urban areas (Nationsonline.org, n.d.). Based on some estimates, the population of the area around Mexico City is roughly 18 million, which means it has the highest population concentration in the Western Hemisphere (Nationsonline.org, n.d.). The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. It has always been the centre of economic, political, social and cultural values of the nation, even before Mexico became a part of Spain. But when Mexico became independent, ultimately, Mexico City was made the capital of the United Mexican States. The flag of Mexico is quite different from other flags of the world. It is not only unique, but also holds a very deep and interesting story, as well as strong facts about the country Mexico. The flag consists of three colored bands placed in a vertical manner. Starting from the left, the first band is of green color, which represents hope, joy, love and prosperity (Barbezat, n.d.). The second band is of white color, which depicts peace, unity, and honesty (Barbezat, n.d.). The third band has the color red, which symbolizes courage and strength (Barbezat, n.d.). Initially, the green stood for independence, white symbolized religion, and red represented the union of Americans and Europeans; however, during the secularization of the country under President Benito Juarez (president of Mexico from 1858 to 1872), the implications of the colors were changed: green meant hope, white for unity, and red for the blood of the national heroes (Barbezat, n.d.). In the center of the white band is The Mexican Coat of Arms. It is composed of an eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus (Barbezat, n.d.). The Mexican Coat of Arms is based on an Aztec legend, which narrated the way in which t he Aztecs came to select the site where they built their capital city of Tenochtitlan (where Mexico City is located at present). The Aztecs, also called as the Mexica ("meh-shee-ka"), were a nomadic people who came from the north of the country (Barbezat, n.d.). The god of war, Huitzilopochtli, showed himself in a dream of an Aztec leader. Huitzilopochtli told this leader that they should settle in the land, where they would find an eagle sitting on top of a prickly pear cactus with a serpent (Barbezat, n.d.). The Aztecs saw this eagle in a quite inhospitable place, a swampy location in the middle of three lakes, but they believed in this vision and built the grand city of Tenochtitlan (Barbezat, n.d.). The currency of Mexico is â€Å"Peso.† Though American and Canadian dollars are accepted at some places where there are maximum visits of tourists, the peso is widely used in every area of Mexico. III. Mexico is widely famous around the world for innumerable features, includin g its astounding natural beauty, as well as man-made amusements. It is a well-developed country and is popular in different parts of the globe. These are some of the reasons that attract tourists towards Mexico. Tourists are usually found in almost every season of the year, especially during school and office vacations, and there are many tourists who enjoy living the Mexican lifestyle for a few days. IV. The following are some of the discussions about language, art, marriage,

Enron Scandal Essay Example for Free

Enron Scandal Essay 1. Enron was valued at $2.3 billion when it was formed in July 1985. On August 23, 2000, its stock was at $90 per share and it had a market capitalization of $65.9 billion. Explain the major business practices that created such dynamic growth in the price of the stock. Enron used many different tactics to inflate their stock prices. The one that sticks out to me is when they signed a 20-year contract with Blockbuster. Early in the contract Blockbuster and Enron parted ways with a null and void contract. However, Enron still kept the contract on the books as future earnings when they knew that money was never going to come in. They did this so their stocks prices would stay inflated. Another practice is that they switched from an agent model to a merchant model when recognizing revenue. Doing this gave them a 65% increase when typical industry standards only gain between 2-3%. Once they switched to this accounting method other companies started to follow their lead in order to stay competitive with Enron. In addition, Enron understated its liability and overstated its equity. They would do this by creating special purpose entities. These entities were created to show investors the downside of risk. I believe the main reason the stock increased so much is due to corruption of Arthur Andersen, an independent audit firm. On Wikipedia’s website there was a statement from Enron’s Power Committee and it appears they were placing blame on the Andersen firm. They were quoted as saying, †¦ evidence available to us suggests that Andersen did not fulfill its professional responsibilities in connection with its audits of Enrons financial statements, or its obligation to bring to the attention of Enrons Board (or the Audit and Compliance Committee) concerns about Enrons internal contracts over the related-party transactions (â€Å"Enron Scandal†). After reading about the scandal it seems as if Arthur Andersen was being pressured by Enron’s executive management to ignore all their flawed accounting principles. Overall there were several business practices that caused Enron’s stock prices to increase and most of it was due to a flawed and failed accounting system. 2. Why did Enron go bankrupt?  Enron went bankrupt because they were artificially inflating their stock price. They had an audit company that did not report a fair opinion of their findings. The public started to back away and chose not to invest due to their lack of confidence in the company. In 2001, the SEC started investigating the organization and they had to restructure their losses. Another loss took place when Enron’s credit rating was downgraded by Moody’s and Fitch. I believe they ultimately went bankrupt due to their lack of integrity and honesty, especially when it came to their accounting methods. a. What role did corporate governance (broad of directors’ and top management’s leadership and responsibilities) have in Enron’s demise? Top management played an enormous roll in the fall of Enron. Management was always looking for loop holes to hide debt and keep their stock prices high. They also influenced their audit firm, Arthur Andersen, by paying them high consulting fees. By doing this they were essentially paying Andersen to look the other way. b. What was the responsibility of the â€Å"independent† outside auditors, Arthur Andersen Co.? Andersen should have come in and reported their findings in a fair and ethical way. Since Andersen went along with Enron in hiding debt it ultimately dissolved the Andersen business. c. What was the responsibility of stock broker analysts, rating agencies, and the SEC? The responsibility of the stock broker analysts was to evaluate the financial statements of Enron. They were also required to give the general public a recommendation in regards to stock options. Rating agencies were acting as a credit bureau. They determined if Enron had good credit or not. They also were required to let the public know if the company was paying its debt, as well as other financial obligations. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website, their responsibility was  to â€Å"protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation† (â€Å"The Investors Advocate†). They came under scrutiny because of their failure to prevent Enron’s collapse and ignoring â€Å"red flags† in Enron dealing by failing to review annual reports. References â€Å"Enron Scandal.† Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (n.d.). Web. 03 Feb. 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron_scandal#Special_purpose_entities â€Å"The Investors Advocate.† U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n.d.) Web. 03 Feb. 2014. http://www.sec.gov/about/whatwedo.shtm l

What drove H&M to expand to China

What drove H&M to expand to China From 1964, HM started its first expansion of the Europe in Norway, and then continued developing the European market in the following 30 year, such as UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany and France. In recent years, HM was not content to stay in the European market, it entered US market in 2000, and Canadian market in 2004. Comparing with the period which it expanded European market, HM has improved its speed of expansion faster and more effective in Asia market. It opened the first East Asian store in Hong Kong in 2007 and then it landed other Asian countries quickly and successfully.According to Rolf Eriksen who is the CEO of HM, We are very proud to open our first store in East Asia, in Hong Kong. China is a strategic and exciting market with great fashion awareness and spending power. We therefore see a vast potential for expansion. We are convinced that we can offer our Hong Kong customers added value through fashion and quality at the best price. (HM, 2007a). Fashion has become essential elements in peoples daily lives. HM is the top leader in the Fashion area. This paper evaluates what drive HM to expand to China since 2007 and how the expansion leads HM to change their strategy using PESTEL analysis and SWOT analysis.   HM is a new member to the Chinese Market; this paper will evaluate whether HM enter Chinese market is a good choice and whether they have good strategy to deal with the new market. The first part is background and outline; second part is PESTEL analysis; third part is S.W.O.T analysis; then is the recommendations; final part is conclusion. Pestel Analysis Political China has gone through many chances on the central marketing philosophy, Chinese government has changed many policies to attract foreign investment. In the past, FTC (Foreign Trade Corporation), which is a government organization for the particular goods to be exported, is the only way to export commodities to China in the directly method. After Chinese government canceled the closed distribution system and joined to WTO in 2001, many commodities could be exported to the Chinese market. That is a real free market to reflect what are the real market needs rather than the government control and provide goods which they decided for people. This movement made the living standards of most population in China has a great improved and people have more freedom of choice. Today, China stays at a stable political situation. Chinese Government always attach importance of foreign investment and welcomes foreign investment in China, it also has made unremitting efforts to improve the investment e nvironment, protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors. (China.com, 2004). It is the good chance to enter the Chinese market, because HM can use the preferential policies which given by Chinese government to make their profit maximization in China. Chinese government collects low tax on foreign enterprises and offer many preferential tax policies to encourage the investment by foreign enterprises. For example: The income tax on foreign enterprises is collected at the rate of 33 percent. If the foreign enterprises located in a special economic zone, it will be collected at the rate of 15 percent (China.com, 2004). Economic China has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world since the Chinese economic reforms in 1979. From 1979 to 2007, the GDP of China keeps a stable increase at an average annual rate of 9%. Many economists predicted that if Chinese government continue and deepen the reforms of economic, especially on SOEs (state-owned enterprises) and state banking system which are poor efficiency, China will become the largest economic country in the world in the years to come (Wayne, 2007). Commerce still plays an important role in the Chinese economy. The total value of import and export has increased rapidly from $20.4 billion in 1978 to $2.173 trillion in 2007. Thereinto, exports grew to $1.217 trillion and imports rose to $0.956 trillion, engendering a $261 billion trade surplus. From 1979 to 2007 the average annual growth of export is 18.1%, while the average annual growth of export is 16.7% (Wayne, 2007). Nowadays, China has become the fourth-largest trading economy after the Un ited States, Japan and Germany. Chinas trade boom is largely as a result of large inflows of foreign investment which is accounted for over half of Chinas trade. The financial crisis which started at spring of 2007 is the biggest problem that HM was facing. If HM want to pass the financial crisis, enter the Chinese market is the best way because with continuing fast increase on Chinese economy, the potential of Chinese market is enormous. When the global economy grows slowly, particularly, some developed countries are still in a sluggish status such as the United States and Japan, in these market HM have to use promotions and discounts to attract customers. While, Chinese government keep a strong rising momentum by the further opening up which creates a steady economic environment for foreign investment, HM took this occasion into the Chinese market and changed their strategy. Through their marketing strategy still is offer fashion and quality at the best price, however, the best price has the different meaning in Chinese market and other markets. In other countries, the most of target consumers in HM is lower class and middle lower class. Be fore the first HMs store open in Shanghai, there was a queue more than 500 people and most of them are office workers which belong to middle upper class in China. In addition, HM has got a highest sales volume about $7000,000 a day in China during the financial crisis (Businessweek. 2007). Social China, which is the fourth largest country, has a large population of 1.4 billion people and will be the largest economy of the world in the future. If you stand in some metropolis such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, you will find that it has not any difference from the city in the developed country. A large number of cars run on the road, people wearing Adidas shoes and Calvin Klein t-shirt are busy in the streets, eating KFC and drinking Coca Cola as a lunch. In the evening, people go to the bars where play the American music and serve German beer. These facts often made the foreign think that the foreign products and its influence will be easy to accept by Chinese. Actually, most of Chinese still keep their traditional customs and thinking methods. If the foreign enterprise wants to be accepted by Chinese market they should think twice and research the local culture. Whether the companys culture will be able to accept in the new environment which is not a biggest problem only for HM, but also for many business. For this part, HM should consider many problems, this is determining by the flexibility and the philosophy of the company. HM should consider whether the culture of this new environment can accept its new culture. And it should consider different religions and different trendy, whether the product will attract customers. If HM is not acceptable, they should change their strategy to enter Chinese market. However, Chinese market accepted HM because Chinese are globalization and western day by day. The most important fact is HM culture is consistent with Chinese consumer psychology. That is Offer quality and fashion at the best price! (Lisa, 2008). Technology Telecommunication has advanced since 1990. Today, China has a high subscriber rate of the media, such as TV and internet has been popular in every family. Environmental Environment is a main issue in China. Green trade barrier appear in China in the end of twentieth century. It causes terrible effects on the trade of import and export in China. However, Chinese government has begun to manage the environment pollution. When they learn advanced technology of Europe, the United States and other developed countries, they learn the development policy and environmental standards of foreign environmental industry, and they also learn advanced management methods and policies of foreign enterprises. On the environmental issues, Chinese government combined prevention with control, made strict environmental, increased investment of environmental technology and promoted the development of environmental technology and industry. By the end of 2005, the quality of environment has improved and total emissions of major pollutants have reduced 10% comparing with 2000. In this aspect, HM set an example for many Chinese enterprises. HM promotes environmental awareness between their suppliers and employees. They adopted new technologies to use the resources as efficient as possible that could minimize waste. HM respect the decisions which be made by nature. HM adhere to use organic cotton which grow in the traditional environment without any chemical (HM, 2007b). Legal HM is a Swedish clothing company, which is familiar with Swedish laws and Europe Lows which have many differences with Chinese laws. After HM entering Chinese market, they had to adapt to Chinese laws in order to get their license, then they sell in Chinese market. Chinese government will continue to confirm that whether HM follows the Chinese laws. If they do not follow the Chinese laws their licenses will be taken away. That means HM has to change a few differences from other country on their strategy and operation methods in China. S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths: Offer fashion and quality at the best price is the main reason why HM is so popular. It sells quality clothing with a low price. Through the prices of its items in Chinese market is not quite low for Chinese. However, it proves they still have space to lower their price to attract Chinese people. Products production cycle. HM can only take 12 weeks to obtain the items from the design state to the sell state. The average time for other retailers is about 6 months which is 2 times time of HM. (Bruno,2007) They ask many guest designers to design for their product to keep their brands fresh and enhance their brand image. Most of guest designer are famous designer, the rest are famous stars, such as Madonna, who designed a limited edition called M by Madonna. This limited series made the HM sales increased 17% in March, 2007. HM has many successful experiences of overseas expansion. They expanded the Unite State, Canada and many other Europe countries. Through China is their first step into East Asia, there may be many different culture value, they still can learn from the successful experience. Before HM went into the Chinese market, they had the production base in the Shanghai and Hong Kong and they has had many year experience of cooperation with these supplies. Weaknesses: Overstocking of goods is troublesome problem for all retailers. They has sell their products in a low price, if they could not sell their products as quickly as they can ¼Ã…’that means there is not room for the new collection (EMCC, 2004). They will foucs maybe too narrow. Chinese culture could not accept western culture on some parts. Opportunities: Chinese Market Entry could diversify potential into relevant market segment. Chinese Market could be a distribution channel for seeking new products. HM can promote brand level via entering Chinese market because their products are sold to middle upper class in China, they has increased their brand level in China; Then they can increase their brand level gradually around the world; Finally, their value that Offer fashion and quality at the best price will be achieved. Threats: From HMs old competitor such as ZARA and GAP. ZARA entered the Chinese market earlier than HM. Zara is famous with its quick production cycles. It can only take 2 weeks for the design to a sell state. Even if HM reduce 50% production time, they still cannot compete with ZARA. Since H M has entered the Chinese Market, many of its old competitors all entered Chinese Market after HM. From the local brand. If we say HM to some extent copied the top brand in the world, after it entered the Chinese Market, it will become the copied object. Recommendation HM should continue innovating in making clothing which can make them be well known around the world. HM should improve their brand level. In some extent, best price always be seem low price. They should change their brand image in peoples mind to obtain the real best price. Because China has get a high subscribers rate of internet, HM should open the online shop in China. Now, HM has opened 33 shops in China, most of these stores open in the core city of China, there are many people they have ability to consume HM but they could not buy it because they live in different city, they need to ask friend or pay money to someone who live in the core city to buy the products. Why does HM not set up their own online shop which is easy for all people to consume in HM in China. Conclusion Through above discussion, we can see from PESTEL analysis the extend factors has attraction to HM to enter Chinese market and change their strategies in some extent. We get the result from S.W.O.T analysis, the strengthes of HM enter Chinese market are over the weakness. HM have chance to enhance their brand level in Chinese market, however, there are many threats or competitors HM should be care. Overall, Chinese market entry is a good chance for HM. Reference Bruno,Z. (2007). Critical Success Factors for International Fashion Retailers Entering Foreign Markets. FIBRESTEXTILES in Eastern Europe October/December 2007, Vol.15. Businessweek. (2007). Swedens HM Lands in China. [online]. Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/may2007/gb20070508_735792.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business. China.com.(2004).What are the preferential policies offered to enterprises with foreign investment? [online]. Available at: http://english.china.com/zh_cn/business/faq/11024764/20041015/11917364.html EMCC. (2004) Industrial change in the textiles and leather sector: Hennes Mauritz. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions 2004. HM. (2007a). HM OPENS FIRST STORE IN EAST ASIA. [online]. Available at: http://www.hm.com/us/press/pressreleases/__prfinance.nhtml?pressreleaseid=263905 HM. (2007b). HMs environmental objectives and sustainability policy. [online]. Available at: http://www.hm.com/us/corporateresponsibility/environment__environment.nhtml Lisa,B (2008) HMs Magnus Olsson: Swede success. [online]. Available at: http://www.retail-week.com/hms-magnus-olsson-swede-success/1911483.article Raphael,M. (2008) HM and INDITEXS global expansion strategy. THE RETAIL DIGEST. Rupert, W.(2010) New Look aims to replicate HM success abroad . [online]. Available at: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6142TX20100205 Wayne M .(2007).Chinas Economic Conditions.

Introduction About The Lg Corporation Marketing Essay

Introduction About The Lg Corporation Marketing Essay Nowadays, there are many successful companies in all around the world and in the different branches of technology such as, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Toyota and Toshiba. They are always trying to discover new ways to make peoples life easier. Today, there are many companies that are working in many branches of technology such as, mobile communications, home appliances, and technology innovator in consumer electronics. LG Corporation (LG Corp.) was established in October 1958[1]. LG is a Korean company and their headquarters is located at Seoul. LG is most commonly associated with the catch phrase Lifes Good but the name LG is actually the abbreviation of Lucky Goldstar. This name came from combining the work Lak-Hui(pronounced as Lucky) from Lak-Hui Chemical Industrial Corp. and Goldstar from GoldStar Co.(currently known as LG Electronics). During the past few years LG Corporation has introduced new technologies such as hard disks, computer monitors, laptops and cell phones to compet e with other companies. LG Corporation has plenty of reasons for being successful, but we will discuss the importance of Internet Social Changes, Changing Nature of Organisation and Business organisation and its Environment. Internet and Social Changes: Nowadays, Internet becomes a common thing in our life that playing important roles. Internet is one of the most powerful tools that have so many advantages, disadvantages and effects on numerous things in our life such as, Online Banking, Online Shopping, and Online Medical Advice and so on[2]. These kinds of services have made a new way in todays world. In the present time, many companies, shops and stores are connected to the internet for do their daily works. Having internet service is extremely necessary for every company. Internet is exactly like a service that is able to change everything in society. LG Corporation is just the same as other companies; they also have their own website which is http://www.lg.com[3] that contains many useful services for customers to connecting to the company. Having that website has a lot of benefits for LG Corporation. They include sharing information about all their products and company progress as well as advertising. Internet allows every company, businesses users and customers can connect in all around the world without any accessible problems. LG Corporation is able to share all necessary information about all products and progress of the company in their own website. This is because they explain every detail about their products on their website. On the other hand, every costumer is able connect to LG Corporations website to view the new products. In addition, server administrator can show all necessary information such as price, specifications and technology used in the website. It is because it can help customers to find products which suits their own preference and budget. In the present time, there are many ways for advertising such as through Televisions, Newspapers, Billboards, Wall Painting and Posters. To do these needs a lot of investments but today there is an alternative way which is way cheaper. Internet advertising is another thing that created a big change to the society and many strong companies. LG Corporation also uses internet advertising; it is because doing that kind of advertising has increased the companys profit. According to research that we have done from different websites we have discovered LGs purposes of doing internet advertising which are:-[4] (1) Finding new costumers and presenting new products. (2) To increase sales. (3) How to use new products and how those products can change the customers life by making their work easier. Besides that, there is another benefit of using the Internet on society. All customers can contact a support representative or send a message to Customer Service and Support of LG Corporation at any time of the day and they will respond to the costumers as soon as possible. All costumers from all around the world after connecting to the LG Corporations website to obtain information as well as getting the location of local LG distributers nearby the customers. One of the benefits of this society change is making shopping easier for all costumers. Changing Nature of Organisation GoldStar (currently known as LG Corporation) was formed in 1958. GoldStar then changed their name to LG Corporation in the year 1995. Their objective is to make customers happy through creating digital products and providing good service. Before this, their goal was to be the global top 3 companies dealing in electronics and telecommunications. To achieve this, they had several strategies in hand. Among this is Fast Growth. Fast Growth is done by expanding their earnings quickly as well as to improve the quality of their products instead of the products quantity. Besides that, they also have core capabilities which are divided into six. They are Product Leadership, Market Leadership, People Leadership, No Excuses, We not I and Fun Workplace. As for Product Leadership, it refers to their capabilities to invent top-quality products as well as using new technologies. Market Leadership is their ability to make LG the number one brand worldwide. People Leadership is their staffs abilities to perform extremely well. No Excuses refers to the company as well as its staffs to not blame anything for not achieving goals. We not I is to strengthen team work as well as not crediting work as only a person achievement but crediting the work to the contributing team. Fun Workplace is the workplace created by the company where staffs have their freedoms respected as well as a fun working environment. LG Corporation is a Public Limited company. This means that their shares are sold publicly and their major stockholders are given the companies yearly report. In 2008, LG Corporation paid out 57,232 million Korean Won to their shareholders. Another characteristic of a Public Limited company is they must have at least two directors with minimum age of retirement of 70. At the moment, LG Corporation has seven directors. These seven directors are divided in to two, Internal Director and External Director. There are three Internal Directors whom are Yong Nam(Vice Chairman CEO, LG Electronics), David Jung(CFO of LG Electronics) and Yu Sig Kang(CEO of LG Corporation). The four External Directors are Sang Hee Kim, In Ki Joo, Kyu Min Lee and Sung Won Hong. Business Organisation and its Environment As we know, every company has its own controllable environment and non-controllable environment. Controllable environment refers to the internal environment of the company and Non-controllable environment refers to the external environment of the company. The controllable environment and non-controllable environment plays a big role with the company. This is because it can influence many things such as sales, production, perception and many others. Therefore it is important for a company to maintain its proper internal and external environment. LG Corporation also maintains its internal and external environment. Internal Environment For their internal environment, LG Corporation is able to maintain the main four contents of internal environment which are labour, money, materials and equipment. At the firs, Labour refers to people who perform manual work and Manual work refers to work done with hands. LG Corporation has more than 82,000 employees whom work in many different fields of work in over 110 different countries. How does LG Corporation ensure that their staff will stay happy and loyal to the company? Firstly, LG Corporation provides training to their staff for both work related and ethics related. This is to meld the staff to be able to perform as well as to be an ethical person. This ensures that their staffs are kept up to date with the current technologies and methods to increase productivity of work. Secondly, LG Corporation provides rewards to their staff based on their performance. Besides that, LG Corporation has their own unique rewards system which rewards staff based on several factors such as working conditions. This is to give motivation to their staff to perform better when doing their jobs at work. If the staff at LG Corporation were to rebel, chaos w ould occur at the work place and production will decline and less work will be done. Second, Money refers to a medium the company has which they can use to exchange for materials, services and many other things. Money is the most important item a company must have since it is the medium used for trade. Since LG Corporation has been having profits for the past few years, they do not have to worry about not having enough money. LG Corporation uses money to purchase goods, materials, pay staffs salary, pay taxes, open new branches, pay for land, pay shareholders and many more. Without money, the company is considered bankrupt and will have to go through court order. The company will have its business stopped and all of the companys assets will be sold and the money obtained from selling those assets will be used to pay off all of the companys debts. Materials refer to the raw materials needed to build or make items. LG Corporation requires a lot of materials. For an example, LG Corporation uses cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) to make LCD screens. Without materials, a company cannot make any of those items which the company produces and work will be set to a halt. Therefore, without the CCFLs LG Corporation is unable to produce the LCD screens and the production of LCD screens will be stopped. LG Corporation is also up to date with the e latest energy saving and environment friendly materials. Equipment refers to the items used to produce or increase productivity. LG Corporation uses a lot of equipment to increase productivity as well as reduce work needed to be done by their staff. For an example, staff at LG Corporation uses laptops and computers to increase productivity so they do not need to print and file up so many documents as the documents can be stored in the systems server. For their external environment, LG Corporation is able to maintain the main three contents of external environment which are competition, technology and ecosystem. Competition refers to companies which produce similar products which the company is competing to be the better producer. Among the ways to get more buyers is to reduce the price of the item. LG Corporation has many competitors. Among them are Samsung, HTC, Acer, Hitachi, Philips, and many more. To be ahead of their competitors, LG Corporation has to be innovative and produce new technology or items faster than their competitors. For an example, LG is releasing the first Windows Mobile 7 phone before HTC. Without competition, a company is considered to be king and will dominate the market with a particular product or service. They could take advantage and sell their products for a higher price. Technology refers to the new application of science. Technology is important to our lives as it makes work easier and gets done faster. LG Corporation also uses and produces new technologies. In the year 2000, LG Corporation launched their first Internet refrigerator. This refrigerator has a 37 centimetre touch-screen LCD monitor and uses can listen to music, make phone or video phone calls as it has a camera and microphone attached to it, watch TV, surf the Internet and even use the fridge as a whiteboard. Without technology, we would require more energy to do work as well as work takes a longer time and more effort. Ecosystem refers to the biological and non-biological things in an environment. Nowadays, people are becoming aware of the ecological problems around of us. Therefore many companies have become aware of their role to the environment. LG Corporation also has their eco-friendly products. LG released the GD510 phone nicknamed pop which a phone that runs on solar energy. Besides that, LG also released another phone called Remarq which is a phone made from 87 percent of recycled materials and 19 percent of it is recycled plastic. Conclusion: In summary, we discussed about the Internet social changes, Changing Natural of Organisation and Business organisation and its Environment. These are the three main points that Company of LG following. We believe that, if each company with respect to these arguments can be a success company with a high profit for future.

Essay examples --

Living in today’s American society is a blessing and a curse. Never has information been so easily attainable, knowledge is literally at our fingertips, that being the blessing. However, so are advertisements, movies, songs and general media that are coming at us so fast that we have no idea how to handle it. The average American is subjected to about 3000 ads per day (Kilbourne, 2006). The curse is what it does to our generation’s ideal perception of the perfect body, advertisement being the biggest culprit of them all. Hyper sexualized women and men in the media are the reason that 80% of children by the age of ten years old are afraid of being fat. According to a recent study in Spain found that adolescents consume an average of 3 hours to 3.2 hours a day of television on weekdays and weekends, respectively (Bercedo Sanz et al., 2005). Children are still in their developmental stage, their brain and ideas are still forming which is why they are so easily targeted. Television, magazines, films, billboards, and the like frequently offer a distorted vision of the world (Bercedo Sanz et al., 2005; Shrum, 2009), and it may be difficult for children and adolescents to distinguish whether what they see is real or not, so that they are more vulnerable to the messages transmitted (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2001). Men and women are each targeted very differently in media. Although sex sells, it is the image in the advertisement itself that is what is engrained in our minds. Media tells us that wome n are supposed to be skinny, dainty and delicate. Whereas men they are supposed to be big and strong so that women will faun all over them and their muscles. These images are making young children’s self-esteem plummet way faster in th... ...ian body builder Aziz Sergeyevich Shavershian is considered a god amongst men in the body building community. He died of a heart attack in a sauna due to steroid abuse while on vacation in Thailand. Why people consider him a hero is still a mystery. In the media the seemingly over weight men never get the posy and are never taken seriously. Men must be stern chiseled and highly sophisticated. Not only that but they must also take charge and be animalistic, women in the media are often portrayed as objects for the men’s pleasure. Media is a vessel in which women and men a like use in order to try to better themselves. In trying to duplicate what they see they really are only causing themselves heart ache and emotional and psychological damage. Until we can passively look at media and still be happy with whom we are; we as a society can never be happy and healthy.

beet lab :: essays research papers

MATERIAL AND METHODS Stability of cell membrane using pH For the lab experiment for testing the stability of beet cell membranes using pH, many materials were used as follows. Obtaining a beet we punch out cores, using a cork borer. After washing the cores we put each one inside a separate test tube, and added a different pH solution in each one. After 3 minutes in these exposure solutions, we took the beet out with a dissecting needle. Then transferred each beet to a separate test tube containing deionized water. After 20 minutes in these diffusion solutions, we took the beets out with a dissecting needle and discard it. We then stirred each solution in the test tube with a stirring rod, and transferred it to a cuvette. A spectrophotometer was then calibrated, and used to measure the absorbance of each exposure solution, and diffusion solution. Membrane Damage For the lab experiment for Membrane Damage, we tested the extract pigment and diluted it. When the pH solutions are added, this will cause it to be in a range of absorbance. We used materials as follows. Obtaining a beet we proceeded to cut small individual cubes. We then rinse each cube to remove any damaged pigments with deionized water. Using a blender, we blend the beets with 15 mL of pH 7 DI water. After blending we used cheesecloth to separate the liquid from the solids for easier centrifuge process. Then we put the liquid beet into a centrifuge tube and centrifuge it for 5 minutes at 2500 rpm. We then remove the supernatant into a beaker, and discarded the sediment. Using a 1:4 ratio mixture of the supernatant and deionized water, we made a stock solution. We then tested the stock solution’s absorbance with a spectrophotometer, and place 1 mL of the solution into separate test tubes. Next we added an additional 4 mL of pH solutions in the 2-11 range into each test tube. After mixing, we tested the absorbance for each solution using a spectrophotometer. Mixing the Diffusion and Exposure Solution For the lab experiment of mixing the diffusion and exposure solution, we are going to test if the pigment is released in the exposure solution. We used materials as follows: Obtaining a beet, we punched out 2 cm long beets using a cork borer. Then we wash the beets in running water, after that we prepared 10 test tubes each containing different pH solution.

My Market Research Plan Essay

The business is an online clothing brand that sells products like beanies, hats, jumpers or t shirts exclusive to the brand. Purpose of the market research (eg to understand the behaviour of my customers, to find out who my competitors are and what they are doing, to understand what the market is like that I am entering etc) The purpose of this market research is to have an important knowledge about the market that I’m entering, to know the strengths and weaknesses of every direct and indirect competitor in order to find the gaps in the market that can lead to the success of the brand. Another purpose of the market research is to understand what products customers want, and how they want it, they prices they can afford for every product and where they prefer to buy the products. This also helps to find out what promotion strategy the company should use. Research Objectives (i.e. what do you want to find out eg to find out the size of my potential market, to find out what my potential customers want / need etc) My two main research objectives are to find the importance of the business in the market of online retailers during its first two years and to see if a retailer with such prices for quality products will become popular among the social networks where most of the small businesses get known. Research methods to be used The two primary research methods that I will use are questionnaires and focus group. By using these two types of primary research, I can gather both quantitative and qualitative data. A group of 8 people claiming to have fashion knowledge will be recorded while commenting about different aspects of fashion trends during time periods, how they change and how to please customers the most. The questionnaires will allow us to know the range of  prices customers can pay for trendy clothes and how they prefer the products ( quality, comfortable†¦) I will use company reports and annual abstracts of statistics as secondary research methods in order to get important information about our competitors and their activities. The statistics will help us to see how trends have influenced the market and how they will influence it in the future. That information might help on how to control the financial cash flows of the business because we can see what our competitors spent most of their income on. We’ll use the experience of the others businesses to avoid making the same mistakes. Market research questions (include the actual questions you will be using in your market research) The market research questions to be used in my market research surveys or interviews are: – How often do you shop online? – Do you prefer to shop online or at the store? Why? – What type of items do you buy the most? – Do you follow trends? – Do you follow fashion blogs? – What is your dressing style? – How much do you usually spend on clothes per month? – What shops do you most visit? – Are you happy with the prices you pay for your purchases?

Catering operations

Patrons will be able to book on the internet the time they would prefer their food to be served. Well trained front of the house staff should take reservations, after reservations are done patrons should e welcomed to the restaurant and escorted to their tables and staff should hold chairs for women. I will make sure that all front of the house staff that is going to serve the food should know all the dishes and the ingredients in them. Waiters and waitress should be able to dish food on the tables and defining the fish when It Is served.Linen should always be clean and must be changed If a patron leaves the table. Bar will make sure that my bar Is always stocked with the best wines, that can be paired with the dishes on menu for example champagnes, brandy, liquors, splats, ciders, lagers and the best coffee. I will employee an experienced manager who is experienced to run both the bar and the kitchen. Atmosphere: I will use the best available fine china, glassware and flat ware. Cla ssic music should be played not too loud to overpower the patron's conversation and the lights should be dimmed (romantic).I am going to produce Italian food, because it is health. The food is not too refined and it contains nutrients that help to reduce some chronic diseases. Fresh fruits and vegetables are important in traditional Italian cuisine. Many vegetables, fruits and herbs that are used in Italian dishes, such as tomatoes, spinach, leafy Renee, citrus fruit, onions and garlic contain low calories and fat. The food Is high In nutrient value, Like vitamin A which is good for healthy balloons and iron which transport oxygen throughout the body and Is essential for chemical reactions In the body.Dietary fiber Is always available In traditional Italian cuisine and It Is health and good for the digestive system. Fiber also reduces blood cholesterol levels, maintains sources of healthy fats. Olive oil and seafood contains omega-3 fatty acids that helps to prevent heart diseases a nd reduces blood pressure. Eating fresh tomatoes educes the risk for prostate cancer. I have chosen Italian food because I have experience in cooking the dishes and making pizzas . 1 have been working in Italian restaurant for long and I feel I will have enough knowledge about the dishes.Italian food is one of the best cuisines in the world and it also cheap and easy to cook. I am going to use ala carte menu because patrons have: Choice of food – Ala carte have an advantage of having a wide range of dishes with a flexible menu. I make my restaurant have ala carte menu with at least three dishes to choose from per course. This will be an advantage because a variety will tend to please all customers. Price – Ala carte menus are clearly priced from starters to deserts. These will an advantage as the customers will know exactly the cost of their dishes.Meals are priced according to the ingredients used for example vegetarian dishes will be cheaper than the meat dishes. Cus tomers will know the cost before ordering the food, which prevent customers from being presented with unexpected bill at the end of dining Flexibility -A la carte menus have the advantage of being flexible. Ala carte meals also cater for a wide range of customers with efferent needs. Starters and side orders are sold at low prices than the mains which can substitute for a meal for other customers.For so customers who require more food, they can order as much as they want for example they can order two deserts instead of one. Customers are free to order exactly the food they want. A la carte menus are at an advantage to the fixed price because customers can order what they want at the quantity they want and won't feel like they are they have been over charged. I will employee two chef De Patti, an apprentice commits chef and two kitchen porters. I will be the head chef of the restaurant.Since the restaurant will be opening 6 days a week and closed on Mondays, one chef De Patti will b e working three days a week(to cover me when I am off, to cover another chef De Patti and to cover the commits chef when he is of unless when it is busy that's when he/she can work. On the kitchen porters, one will be part time to cover if the other one is off, he/ she can work if the restaurant is busy. Hiring apprentice, the company will benefit from wage subsidies from the government. The company will also benefit in training the chef on how to cook the dishes.Kitchen staff hierarchy will be as follows; will train my staff on how to cook the dishes and ways to avoid wastage of food. I will be responsible for ordering stock and monitoring the stock level dairy. In the kitchen during services I will be cooking main courses, plating and sending the food. On busy days when they is another chef De Patti, my duties will be calling out orders, plating the food and garnishing the food. Chef De partier will be responsible for preparing main course dishes, cooking starters and he/she can h elp anyone in the kitchen if he/ she does not have work to do.He/she can also make desserts if the commits chef is busy doing other Jobs. The commits chef will do cold starters, pizzas and he can also do desserts. Kitchen porter will be responsible for washing the plates, cutlery, cleaning of the kitchen, helping the commits chef with Jobs like washing and peeling of vegetables. They are so many factors that I looked at when I made my menu. One of the factors is Availability of foods; I looked at the ingredients that I can get in the local market . 1 have also consider ingredients in the season. Food habits; I have also done a survey to see the kind of food people prefer to eat.I also considered the culture, traditions and beliefs. Patrons prefer to dine where their beliefs and practices are not violated. Budget; I also took into consideration when I was doing the menu. I avoided food that does not last for long. I looked at dishes that I will spend less money to buy them but brings more money. Time available; food preparation must meet deadlines. Quick service is one good asset in the catering industry. Customers must be served with their order in a short period of time. Type of customers; when I came up with the menu I considered the type of customers I will e serving.I will be mainly serving a wide range of people so the menu will cater for different people Dietary requirements; I have also considered people with special dietary needs like vegans, vegetarian, vivo-lacertian, lacertian, nut allergic, diabetic and celiac. Weather; during summer months the restaurants will provide outdoor table and the menu will change to differentiate from summer and winter. Occasions; the menu will cater for different occasions for example during Christmas, Christmas dinners will be served. Staff and facilities; to make the menu I have considered the Taft I will have to employ in order to cook the food.There must be appropriate facilities for staff to work on. The layout in the kitchen makes it easy for staff to work on efficiently. Marketing of the menu; I will be changing the menu every two weeks, so the new menu needs to be marketed. I will market my menu using marketing strategy like inviting well known customers for tasting, hiring someone to distribute leaflets to businesses and community, Joining companies like group to do the marketing for you, using local newspaper to market the menu and using billboard and put it outside the restaurant.

Three Kingdom Essay

Analyse the significance during the Three Kingdoms reign in China. The Three Kingdom period consists of the Kingdom of Wei, Kingdom of Shu and Kingdom of Wu. As a single dynasty, the Three Kingdoms Period originated in 220 AD when the Kingdom of Wei replaced the Eastern Han Dynasty which took place in 25 AD-220 AD. The Three Kingdom dynasty ended at 280 AD when the Kingdom of Wu was defeated by the Court of Jin. It is considered to be a special historical period full of power struggles and sophisticated military strategies, which some methods are still used today in modern warfare.Much can be said to justify their significance during their existence and their affects towards China during their reign. Religion would be one of the factors that contributed in China throughout this period. Buddhism had already arrived in China in the mid of Han Dynasty and brought up of its first congregation in southern China at the court of Prince of Chu. Buddhism was originally introduced in China wit h the development of the Silk Road when monks travelled with merchants.There was a need amongst the population for a belief with spiritual meanings. Hence, Buddhism took roots in China during this era. This religion was unique from other religions during the time. This new religion covered all people rich or poor, Chinese or not. Buddhist temples were constructed within the three kingdoms and thus millions of Chinese converted into Buddhism and which affected China greatly. Majority of the population in China were Buddhists. Till this day, Buddhism is recognised greatly.Architecture found new challenges in the construction of Buddhist pagodas and temples and in the monastery grottoes in the north. The Yungang cave temples are evident that Temples existed and were built during the Three Kingdoms reign. Archaeologist proved that these temples were built during the time because of the unearthed relics found on the site of these temples which dated back to the Three Kingdom period. The economy during the reign of these three kingdoms, chaos caused by war between these countries damaged the economic development of the three kingdoms.In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, also due to natural disasters, the economy was badly depressed, leading to the massive waste of farmland. Because of the collapse of the imperial court, newly minted coins never made their way into currency. Those worn copper coins were not melted and reminted and many privately minted coins appeared. Due to the collapse of the currency, China officially declared silk cloth and grains as their main currencies in 221 AD. The significance of status was well reflected during the three kingdoms.Status affected China greatly in the Southern Kingdom. They established a civil service system based on social ranks to determine the value of a person to contribute to the prosperity of the Wei. However, this system failed since the social status of a person and family affiliations would be unfair for those with a hi gher status, as they are more advantaged to those who are in a lower class than them, such as commoners and slaves. Aristocrats would marry only within their social rank or higher and gained large estates and financial wealth.Thus categorizing Chinese civilians into socio status in either rich or poor. Nobles were given high salaries and were excluded from paying taxes. However, because these rich families can afford education, literature, painting, poetry and culture, these practices became popular which helped their economy rise. The northern Kingdom improved Chinese culture and introduced strict reforms which strengthened the Chinese empire. The emperor of China had many officials and advisors which adapted a unifying Chinese style for clothes and accessories, interior designs, landscaping and even cuisine.One of the major significance that affected China was that it was the first Kingdoms to adopt traditional Chinese as the official language. This affected China immensely as Chi na had now adapted to its own official language which is still spoken today. Despite some of the negative impact of China’s economy, there were many significant advances on technology and science such as high level of military strategies with the invention of gunpowder for fireworks and gun. Smelting and metal works also became popular and was improved greatly during this period as armies were more gained more power.Improvements in other social factors were also significant such as the invention of the wind mill for irrigation, silk developments in Luoyang and Henan and Shu Kingdom’s irrigation and canal system. Machines were also constructed for food processing and transport. Brewing also became more refined because of the advances of food processors. Although crossbows had been in use for hundreds of years before this time, its design and model during this era is unknown. The crossbow used during this time period is more likely used in large group of marksmen deploye d to fire waves of bolts onto enemies from afar.The crossbow itself has superior range than normal bows. Thus it becomes more commonly used like an artillery purpose than sniping. Crossbows have been in use in China since the Zhou dynasty over 700 year earlier. In the later years, the great strategist and inventor Zhuge Liang had devised a more complicated platform. A multiple bolt firing crossbow and a semi-automatic crossbow was created to be used as an anti-personnel weapon. In terms of population the Wei was by far the strongest, retaining more than 660,000 households and 4,400,000 people within its borders.Shu had a population of 940,000, and Wu 2,300,000. Thus, Wei had more than 58% of the population and around 40% of territory. With these resources, it is estimated that it could raise an army of 400,000 whilst Shu and Wu could manage 100,000 and 230,000 respectively: roughly 10% of their registered populations. The Wu-Shu alliance against the Wei proved itself to be a militar ily stable configuration; this affected China for more than forty years as the population was unchanging during the time.In conclusive, the significance of the Three Kingdoms reign resulted in China’s technological advances like weaponry and the invention of the windmill which are evident through secondary sources. Religion also affected China during the Three Kingdom period as it was greatly recognised throughout China which is evident through archaeological structures like the temples that were built. Christina Lam Ung BIBLIOGRAPHY Hucker, C 1975, China’s Imperial Past, Stanford University Press http://www. chinapage. com/calligraphy/sushi/shu. html http://www. historyforkids. rg/learn/china/architecture/3kingdomsarchitecture. htm http://threekingdoms. com/ http://polaris. gseis. ucla. edu/yanglu/ECC_HISTORY_THREE%20KINGDOMS. htm http://www. buddhanet. net/e-learning/buddhistworld/china-txt. htm http://www. history-of-china. com/three-kingdoms/ http://www. chinaknowl edge. de/History/Division/jin-arts. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Records_of_the_Three_Kingdoms http://polaris. gseis. ucla. edu/yanglu/ECC_HISTORY_THREE%20KINGDOMS. htm http://www. chinavoc. com/history/threeking. htm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Empty_Fort_Strategy

Gay Marriage argument Essay

The issue of legalizing gay marriage has always been a matter of great controversy in the United States. Many people believe that legalizing gay marriage is immoral and unconstitutional. â€Å"Untraditional,† â€Å"unlawful,† and â€Å"unethical† are some of the many terms used to describe gay marriage. Not all individuals feel this way. The issue has created widespread division both politically and socially. Advocates strongly believe that gay marriage is a constitutional right, while the opposition claims it has too many social disadvantages. In present day society the number of peoples in support of gay marriage is higher than ever. One of the many advocates for pro gay marriage is Evan Wolfson, the founder and president of Freedom to Marry. Wolfson presents numerous arguments for the legalization of gay marriage in his article â€Å"Without Nationwide Gay Marriage, U.S. Government Discriminates.† Using emotional, logical, and legal appeal, Wolfson presents his argument. Same-sex couples should be able to celebrate their relationships through the bondage of marriage just like heterosexual couples. Many same-sex couples want to marry and they should be able to since it is there human right. Evan Wolfson explains it flawlessly when he proclaimed â€Å"Marriage is an important moment in life when we make a public promise of love and dedication to the person we are building a life with, and ask our friends and family to support us and hold us accountable. Couples who have made that commitment in life should have the same commitment under the law; called marriage.† It is unjust to rid taxpayer citizens of this right. It is societies norm that marriage should be between a man and woman, but it is not written anywhere within the constitution. It is a saddening injustice to discriminate citizens due to their sexual orientation. This is appropriately presented when Wolfson writes â€Å"Under the law, marriage touches every aspect of life, from birth to death, with taxes in between. Denial of the freedom to marry is one of the harshest inequalities inflicted on lesbian and gay families—discrimination by their own government†¦particularly in these tough economic times.† The benefits of marriage should be extended to all individual during the present economic situation. According to Wolfson, Withholding from these benefits by preventing same sex marriage is a prime example of discrimination. There is no logical to reason to prevent gay marriage since it has been proven successful. â€Å"Gay couples share in the freedom to marry in six states and the District of Columbia; the sky hasn’t fallen.† Gay marriage has been proven successful in other parts of the world along with some of the United States. Same sex marriage is gaining more and more acceptance, yet it is discriminated against state and federal governments. The Federal government targets homosexual couples through the enactment of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). Wolfstan claims â€Å"DOMA harms married same-sex couples by withholding the more than one thousand federal responsibilities and protections accorded all other married couples.† Benefits such as social security survivor and health coverage are withheld from â€Å"married† couples. The constitution commands â€Å"equal justice for all† and Wolfson believes its time to abide by our nation’s written law. Although Evan Wolfson presents valid points, there are many holes in his argument. The author disregards many aspects while portraying his own ideas. To begin with, why is it necessary to define a relationship with the title of â€Å"Marriage?† If two people of the same sex want to be in a relationship, why not just be together? The author claims that â€Å"Gay couples share in the freedom to marry in six states and the District of Columbia; the sky hasn’t fallen.† In the literal sense this statement is true, but what about the rise in divorce rates in the six states and District of Columbia? The sky hasn’t fallen, but there may be negative consequences to the legalization of gay marriage. Wolfston also charges the state and federal governments with discrimination against gays. It is the government’s job to please the majority, and if anti-gay legislation will do that, so be it. If same sex couples are offended with state policies, why can’t they move to a different state or country? Wolfson mentions many appropriate points, but why doesn’t he mention any outside sources? Providing no information from experts in the fields or resources challenges the credibility of his argument. Marriage is traditionally defined as a union between a man and a woman, not a woman and a woman, or man and a man. The legalization of gay marriage would cause social and economic perils that can’t be overlooked. In his article †Opinion: Gay marriage should not be made legal,† Ryan Normandin presents numerous legitimate reasons as to why gay marriage shouldn’t be legalized. Many gay rights advocates believe that they have the right to marry whomever they want under the equal rights protection clause, but that is certainly not the case. As Normandin explains in his article, â€Å"They claim that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees them the right to marry whomever they desire, including members of the same sex. To forbid this would, in their minds, be discrimination. But do all people have the right to marry whomever they want already, with the exception of same-sex couples? No; states have laws regulating marriage, forbidding first cousins from marrying, brothers and sisters from marrying, parents and offspring from marrying, and people from marrying animals, inanimate objects, or multiple other individuals.† The legalization of gay marriage would open legal doors to other forms of relationships such as polygamous, incestuous, and other nontraditional relationships. By the logic of gay marriage, everyone has an equal right to marry whomever or whatever he or she pleases. It is only fitting that state and federal governments regulate marriage, he claims. Traditional marriage is beneficial to the American government, which makes it appropriate for couples to receive tax breaks and numerous benefits. Ryan Normnadin explains it best when he literates â€Å"The rationale is that males and females, when married, are more likely to procreate, thus ensuring the continuation of American society. It is certainly to America’s advantage to have citizens, so there exists a compelling state interest justifying government subsidization of heterosexual marriage.† Since traditional marriage is helping the United States procreate, it is in the government’s best interest to subsidize marriage that is increasing its number of citizens. Many individuals in favor of gay rights believe that happiness of same-sex couples is enough a reason for its legalization. Unfortunately, that is not the case since â€Å"happiness† is not a compelling enough argument when weighed against the drawbacks of gay marriage. One of the major drawbacks is that same sex couple can not nurture a child properly. The well being of a child cannot be jeopardized for â€Å"happiness.† Although gay couples can’t reproduce, artificial insemination and adoption are some options. Although, these arguments do not prove a viable option because complications can arise. Normandin refers to University of Canterbury professor Bruce J. Ellis to prove this point. Professor Ellis’s research claims â€Å"greater exposure to father absence was strongly associated with elevated risk for early sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy.† These are risks that can’t be taken lightly just to make lesbian couples â€Å"happy.† There are also risks involved in parenting in regards male couples. The author also refers to Stanford psychologist Eleanor MacCoby who points out that â€Å"mothers, on average, may have somewhat stronger parental ‘instincts’ when it comes to responding to young infants.† It is of utter importance for a child to grow up with both a mother and father. According to Normandin’s beliefs, â€Å"Happiness† is not enough reason to harm the future of countless children. Ryan Normandin presents a compelling argument, but there are flaws in many of his ideas. For example, the author compares gay marriage to incest and bestiality. Is it really fair to compare gay marriage to such formidable acts against nature? Bestiality and incest have far more negative effects then gay marriage, so it is not fair to compare them. They inability of gay couples to reproduce is another point Normandin brings about. Although this statement is valid, isn’t artificial insemination a tool that can help lesbian couples procreate? What about the thousands of neglected children male couples can save? Lastly, the author quotes various professionals to point out that children of same sex couples will have complications due to an absent father or mother. Studies show that this maybe true, but what about family members that can fill that absent role present in same-sex couples? Can’t the grandmother or aunt provide maternal care to a child of a male couple? Why can’t a grandfather or uncle act as a fatherly figure for a lesbian couple’s child? Normandin provided a very compelling argument, but there are minor doubts to his ideas. After analyzing both sides of the issue along with my prior experiences and knowledge, gay marriage should not be legalized. Both articles made valid points, but Ryan Normandin’s opinionative piece â€Å"Opinion: Gay marriage should not be made legal† changed my perception on this issue entirely. Viewing marriage as a governmental issue, not a personal one, made me realize that marriage isn’t only about happiness. Marriage between a man and a woman is beneficial to the government, therefore it is allowed. Since same-sex marriage doesn’t pose benefits, such as procreation, to the United Sates or its citizens, it is either prohibited or highly restricted. Reproduction is required for the survival of any society and legalizing gay marriage would deem procreating unimportant. Gay marriage also causes dire consequences for the couple’s kids. I have witnessed my co-worker’s only kid, Marshall, with an absentee father figure. Due to a missing father, Marshall took part with the wrong crowd and disregarded all authority. I have also witnessed the psychological problems with kids who are missing a mother. My cousin, who has two mothers, is socially awkward and lacks basic conversation skills. To ensure the full health of a child, they need both a mother and a father figure to provide motherly and fatherly instincts. Same sex households are not ideal environments for children. Another good point that Normandin posed was that the legalization of gay marriage would open doors to other kind of relationships such as polygamy. This would undoubtedly lead to further deconstruction of marriage and family. I also believe same sex marriage to have detrimental effects on society. A news report I read claimed that legalizing gay marriage in Scandinavia is linked to the cause of population decline and higher divorce rates. Numerous researches state that homosexual relationships don’t last long term. The fact that Wolfson did not provide any outside sources was another factor that shaped my opinion. I believe that outside sources make an argument much more credible. Challenging cultural, moral, social values, the disadvantages of gay marriage greatly outweigh the advantages. Works Cited Normandin, Ryan. â€Å"Gay Marriage Should Not Be Made Legal – The Tech.† Gay Marriage Should Not Be Made Legal – The Tech. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 06 July 2011. Web. 08 Sept. 2013. . Wolfson, Evan. â€Å"Without Nationwide Gay Marriage, U.S. Government Discriminates.† US News. U.S.News & World Report, 7 Oct. 2011. Web. 08 Sept. 2013. .