The Impact of Technology on Family Time

Title: the impact of technology on family time Do you think technology has changed the way of communication? Is technology slowly taking over people live and affecting their personal relationship? Have we become addicted to the technology that surrounds us everyday and it has sucked us into it? Technology is a use of scientific knowledge for improving the way to do things. It has been playing an important role in our life. It is common today, many developed countries are using high technology to run their works as well as many advance technologies are invented productively to the need of society.This can be seen, technology has become a part of our life in order to do our works more fast and accurate. As we know, every institution has it own machine which has replaced human physical to produce more output. Technology brings lots of benefits to people unfortunately it also brings negative effect impact to a family. In this essay, I would be discussing about how technology impacts on f amily. Firstly, let’s begin with how advanced technology has meant that family life has changed.This is meaning to say that parents and children have lesser interaction to each other because they used to do spend their time with technology like Laptop, PSP, games on the internet, TV and so on. It is because children no longer spend time playing and engaging in activities with their parents or siblings. For example, when we were young, we did not need any internet games to whereas we had our own game which is traditional games. It can actually build up a positive relationship between parents and children but these traditional games are slowly replaced by the current technology that can bring lots of fun.This example makes it clear that, advanced technology has replaced the traditional games which could create more interaction among family and friends. Unfortunately, children today are likely to play with technology instead of traditional games. â€Å"During the evening, when parents used to sit and talk together or amuse their children, they now sit in front of a computer. It would seem that technology may have helped family life to deteriorate† (Johnston 2010). It is obvious that, the impact of technology could deteriorate a family because they are addicted to the current technology.Secondly, technology is slowly changing the way we communicate with others and affecting our personal relationship. It has left us with the chance to meet people in a much easier ways. Most people, both children and adults spend quite a lot of time in texting friends and relatives, wasting money and using text- speak as a way to communicate. Take Facebook as example, making a friend is now on a finger click, to gain a new friend you simply click on â€Å" add as friend† and the other person accepts or denies you. We are in the next wave of technology, where communicating with parents or friends is all on the internet and instantly done. New social networking si tes are popping up everyday and people are taking advantage of them. You can see their away messages online and see what children are doing at that very instant. † (Gupta 2011) When looking at this example, there is no doubt that it has led us to our hypothesis. If a child is heavy users of social networking sites then it will have a negative impact on their personal relationships. Thus, parents and children seem to spend less time in each other’s company and the time they do spend together often involves playing computer games or watching television.Most children are not getting enough exercise in today’s society, generally because parents can’t be bothered to take their children to the park, while being afraid of letting their children play outside by themselves. For many parents, being able to get in contact with their children by phone isn’t enough. Children will therefore spend most of their time hidden away in their bedroom, watching DVDs or p laying computer games, while their parents sit around the house doing nothing particularly constructive with their time. Technology is supposed to make life easier and give people more free time, but it seems that technology has undermined family life, actually eating into people’s time and affecting family relationships in a negative way. † (Wilkinson 2011) In conclusion, technology brings many benefits to people today, without technology people can’t do work more productively and efficiency. However, it has negative impact to human either. Interaction between family and friends are getting lesser and lesser.Although there are also advantages to having so much technology at your fingertips families may want to weigh up pros and cons to make sure that they achieve an even balance between a quality family lives. In my opinion, I would use technology to go my works but I will not let technology to influence my family and friends’ relationship. 0104896 (Jonat han Kuek SzeGuan) Title: the impact of technology on family time Do you think technology has changed the way of communication? Is technology slowly taking over people live and affecting their personal relationship?Have we become addicted to the technology that surrounds us everyday and it has sucked us into it? Technology is a use of scientific knowledge for improving the way to do things. It has been playing an important role in our life. It is common today, many developed countries are using high technology to run their works as well as many advance technologies are invented productively to the need of society. This can be seen, technology has become a part of our life in order to do our works more fast and accurate. As we know, every institution has it own machine which has replaced human physical to produce more output.Technology brings lots of benefits to people unfortunately it also brings negative effect impact to a family. In this essay, I would be discussing about how techn ology impacts on family. Firstly, let’s begin with how advanced technology has meant that family life has changed. This is meaning to say that parents and children have lesser interaction to each other because they used to do spend their time with technology like Laptop, PSP, games on the internet, TV and so on. It is because children no longer spend time playing and engaging in activities with their parents or siblings.For example, when we were young, we did not need any internet games to whereas we had our own game which is traditional games. It can actually build up a positive relationship between parents and children but these traditional games are slowly replaced by the current technology that can bring lots of fun. This example makes it clear that, advanced technology has replaced the traditional games which could create more interaction among family and friends. Unfortunately, children today are likely to play with technology instead of traditional games. During the ev ening, when parents used to sit and talk together or amuse their children, they now sit in front of a computer. It would seem that technology may have helped family life to deteriorate† (Johnston 2010). It is obvious that, the impact of technology could deteriorate a family because they are addicted to the current technology. Secondly, technology is slowly changing the way we communicate with others and affecting our personal relationship. It has left us with the chance to meet people in a much easier ways.Most people, both children and adults spend quite a lot of time in texting friends and relatives, wasting money and using text- speak as a way to communicate. Take Facebook as example, making a friend is now on a finger click, to gain a new friend you simply click on â€Å" add as friend† and the other person accepts or denies you. We are in the next wave of technology, where communicating with parents or friends is all on the internet and instantly done. â€Å"New s ocial networking sites are popping up everyday and people are taking advantage of them. You can see their away messages online and see what children are doing at that very instant. (Gupta 2011) When looking at this example, there is no doubt that it has led us to our hypothesis. If a child is heavy users of social networking sites then it will have a negative impact on their personal relationships. Thus, parents and children seem to spend less time in each other’s company and the time they do spend together often involves playing computer games or watching television. Most children are not getting enough exercise in today’s society, generally because parents can’t be bothered to take their children to the park, while being afraid of letting their children play outside by themselves.For many parents, being able to get in contact with their children by phone isn’t enough. Children will therefore spend most of their time hidden away in their bedroom, watchin g DVDs or playing computer games, while their parents sit around the house doing nothing particularly constructive with their time. â€Å"Technology is supposed to make life easier and give people more free time, but it seems that technology has undermined family life, actually eating into people’s time and affecting family relationships in a negative way. † (Wilkinson 2011)In conclusion, technology brings many benefits to people today, without technology people can’t do work more productively and efficiency. However, it has negative impact to human either. Interaction between family and friends are getting lesser and lesser. Although there are also advantages to having so much technology at your fingertips families may want to weigh up pros and cons to make sure that they achieve an even balance between a quality family lives. In my opinion, I would use technology to go my works but I will not let technology to influence my family and friends’ relationsh ip.

Inferno Canto X

Canto X of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno starts with Virgil and Dante on their way to the sixth circle. The sixth circle is where the tombs of those who believe that the soul dies with the body are put. We call them Epicureans. Dante then meets two Epicureans. The first one, Farinata degli Uberti notices Dante because of his accent. Farinata asks who his ancestors are and finds out that they were his enemies. The conversation goes on until another Epicurean appears, Cavalcante dei Cavalcanti. Dante and Cavalcante know each because Guido, the son of Cavalcante is good friends with Dante and he married Beatrice. Cavalcante then asks why his son isn’t with him. Dante gives a reply that makes Cavalcante think that his son is dead. After hearing this, Cavalcante got depressed and went back to his place. Dante realizes that those who are in the sixth circle can only see the future. Farinata and Dante continue their conversation then Virgil calls Dante and tells him that they get going. Dante was left with curiousity as he and Virgil walk a path that disgusted them. I find the start slow and as the story goes on it becomes fast paced because of the way Farinata was introduced to Dante by Virgil. I also have a feeling that Virgil knows their groups are enemies. Line 39 of Canto X, Virgil told Dante â€Å"your words must be appropriate. † Why? How come Dante knows nothing about Farinata? Another fast paced part was when Cavalcante suddenly appeared. Vague information was given about him. When you think about it, it’s strange how Farinata and Cavalcante didn’t even mind each other. Their supposed to be enemies, right? Farinata is a Ghibellines while Cavalcante is a Guelph. They didn’t even argue. In this canto, you can see how Dante is always curious about the Florentines. He asked Farinata who else are in the sixth circle and also asked Virgil if he can meet any of the Epicureans. Much curiousity is awaited at the next canto. We can see how Virgil was rushing Dante to leave. There is also a hint that Dante might meet Beatrice. As they walk, at lines 135 to 136, â€Å"along a path that strikes into a valley whose stench, as it rose up, disgusted us. † In my opinion, the stench symbolizes the intensity of what they have done. The stronger the stench, the more intense they have done.

International Marketing and Business Operations Essay - 1

International Marketing and Business Operations - Essay Example The GDP of Hong Kong was recorded at $369.4 billion and it showed a 5 year compound annual growth of 2.5%. The picture above shows some of the factors which have contributed to making Hong Kong number 1 in the world in the economic freedom index (The Heritage Foundation, 2014). It has fiscal freedom, regulatory efficiency, market openness and rule of law, making it the perfect place for direct investment. This is also evident by looking at the FDI inflow into Hong Kong which stands at a staggering $74.6 billion (The Heritage Foundation, 2014). The growth in the tourism industry of Hong Kong has led to an increase in the numbers of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong. The stable job market has also increased local positive spending with the retail industry increasing by 11% in current value terms in 2012 (Colliers International, 2013). In 2012, there was an increase in the number of international brands opening their stores in Hong Kong, an act which is a testament to the confidence in the market. There has been an increase in the number of retail outlets in Hong Kong which has attracted even more shoppers from mainland China. The total value of retail sales growth was recorded at an 8.5% YoY growth in November (Colliers International, 2013). Inbound visitors support the retail sector and the figures from the Hong Kong tourism board shows that Hong Kong received a total of 13.5 million inbound visitors during 2013 (Euromonitor International, 2013). This influx of tourists means that there are a lot more potential shoppers in the market than the existing population figures show. The market is ideal for retailing as tourists shoppers are likely to shop and indulge in positive local spending. Another aspect worth noting is the fact that retail rents of shops in key shopping districts and expected to decline by 5% over the next year (Euromonitor

Impact of technology on Business Communication Essay

Impact of technology on Business Communication - Essay Example In fact, prospective clients or customers will be better impressed knowing they are dealing with businesses that have good business technology tools rather than one with out-dated resources. Business communication also involves internal contact and technology has also greatly improved this aspect in many organizations. With this, messages can be sent electronically instead of raising internal memos, which has a possibility of being missed when staffs are not informed. Managers travelling frequently can also keep in touch with the employees regularly and thus, obtain updates or resolve issues in an instant. Indeed, technology has allowed for a faster and more efficient way of business dealing. The creation of company websites and the availability of search engines mean businesses are at the advantage of reaching out to far more audiences, both internal and external parties, with the necessary information about the company, as well as its products and services. Of course, the benefits of technology are only apparent when users are ethical. Otherwise, it can do more harm than good.

Outsourcing jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Outsourcing jobs - Essay Example On the downside, some of the neg'tives include difficulties in m'int'ining confidenti'lity, ret'ining control, 'nd confronting tr'nsition problems. In the following p'per I will be ex'mining the 'dv'nt'ges 'nd dis'dv'nt'ges of outsourcing jobs from the view of the benefit to the org'niz'tion. Assigning various functions, such as accounting production, security, maintenance, and legal work to outside organizations. (Nickels, McHugh, McHugh, 257). Outsourcing (or contr'cting out work) st'rted in the m'nuf'cturing business in the e'rly 1980s, prim'rily 's ' me'ns of cutting b'ck st'ff 'nd s'ving on w'ges. Often ' t'sk is considered for outsourcing if the work performed by ' consult'nt would require hiring 'ddition'l st'ff if it were done in-house. In 'ddition, work h'ndled by ' former employee who m'y perform ' specific service is 'lso considered 's outsourcing. The decision to outsource is m'inly b'sed on cost, set-up time, 'nd the 'v'il'bility of expertise (Bl'xill, Hout, 95). Two prim'ry f'ctors h've c'used the job m'rket to tr'il the gener'l economy: we'kness in m'nuf'cturing 'nd stell'r productivity perform'nce 'cross 'll m'jor sectors. M'nuf'cturing h's suffered through p'inful 'djustments to over investment, ' previously strong doll'r, 'nd the migr'tion of c'p'city overse's. Me'nwhile, 'lthough re'l GDP (gross domestic product) h's exp'nded 't 'n impressive r'te of 'bout 3.5% over the p'st two ye'rs, he'lthy productivity g'ins--including sizzling r'tes during the second 'nd third qu'rters of 2004--me'nt th't m'ny comp'nies s'w little need to 'dd to their workforces (Minoli, 54). Estim'tes of the 'ctu'l number of jobs outsourced overse's 're sketchy. G'rtner Inc. contends th't 'bout 500,000 jobs in the technology sector could be sent 'bro'd over the next two ye'rs, which would 'mount to ' still moder'te 5% of the tot'l 10.3 million workers believed to work in the technology sector. Deloitte Consulting predicts th't 's m'ny 's four million service jobs could be out sourced over the next five ye'rs, which would still 'mount to only 'bout 3.5% to 4.0% of the tot'l U.S. service sector. In m'ny c'ses, these jobs might h've been filled by foreign immigr'nts or by firms buying entire offshore f'cilities. The free flow of l'bor 'nd c'pit'l is vit'l to ' he'lthy glob'l economy. 't the s'me time, p'rt of 'ny incre'se in foreign incomes should come b'ck to the United St'tes in the form of either new purch'ses or investment (Minoli, 56). M'ny jobs c'nnot be exported overse's. F'ce-to-f'ce cont'ct with customers rem'ins vit'l, loc'l control is often integr'l to the m'n'gement process, 'nd logistic'l 'nd security concerns m'y require domestic loc'tions. Indeed, fin'nci'l institutions need to exercise speci'l c're to insure 'g'inst identity theft for their customers. 'djustment is never e'sy, but 'meric'n workers h've demonstr'ted their flexibility 'nd responsiveness to ch'nge over the p'st two dec'des. Our competitive 'dv'nt'ge will continue in fields requiring higher skills 'nd knowledge. This is why employment 'mong college gr'du'tes h's exp'nded by over two million jobs in the p'st ye'r 'nd why the jobless r'te 'mong these more educ'ted workers is only 'round 3.0% (G'ntz, 41). 's the recovery m'tures, look for job growth to show further improvement over the next sever'l months. ' resumption of higher c'pit'l spending, ' more competitive doll'r, 'nd ' rebuilding

Fallow the instrcsion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fallow the instrcsion - Case Study Example Based on the results of the ratio analysis, Seward Inc. is a weak player in the international trade finance market due to the loss made from its trading activities. After having realized net sales of $ 4, 500, Seward Inc. made a net income of $ 315 despite the $ 1,700 gross profit realized before deducting corresponding expenses. Unfortunately, net income is prone to criticism from managers as it increases from earnings gained from discontinued operations. Investors ought to focus on measures such as cash flows, sales, or profits before considering interests and taxes. Efficiency in a company operation prevails through total asset turnover, fixed asset turnover, and equity turnover. Total Asset Turnover is a ratio used to measure the ability of a business to generate sales given its sales in total assets. The rate tends to be lower in capital-intensive businesses compared to non-capital-intensive businesses. A firm is said to be efficient if it meets a total asset turnover of 1 and above. Having a Total asset turnover of 1.6, Seward Inc is a profitable company. On the other hand, liquidity is the ability of a business to cater adequately for its financial obligations upon the occurrence. Current ratio is the best liquidity determinant followed by acid ratio. The industry recommends a current ratio of 1 and above. The rate increases with the financial position of the company. Seward Inc. is in sound financial position as the current ratio of three indicates that it can pay its short-term obligations. Damodaran (2012) acknowledges operating leverage as a change indicator in operating income caused by a change in sale. Leverage ratio is any rate used in calculatin g the company financial leverage to know how it can meet its financial obligations. An operating profit margin 8.0 percent indicates better performance of the firm. Seward Inc. is capable of meeting its short-time obligations due to its current ratio of 3.0 and Acid 1.5. The rates

How We Could Use Alternative Dispute Resolution To Settle Civil Essay

How We Could Use Alternative Dispute Resolution To Settle Civil Justice Matters More Efficiently - Essay Example The Arbitration Act 1966 and 19965 provided full court application of one of the ADR procedures, following the lead of UNCITRAL's 1958 Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards paving the way to acceptance of arbitration in international trade dispute resolution. The methods were taken up by the public after they have been officially encouraged in Lord Woolf's 1996 "Access to Justice" report.6 The Police (Northern Ireland) Act 20007 is one of the more recent statutes applying ADR to administrative tribunal cases following PACE 1984, infra. The cost effectiveness of ADR has been fully demonstrated in commercial litigation. It has also placed or misplaced false hopes on the alternative methods application in civil cases. Civil case application of ADR encouraged the proliferation of profit and non-profit ADR providers and services with fully trained and accredited ADR practitioners, most of whom are also solicitors. The CPR required active management of cases by judges, including encouragement of litigating parties to use ADR. For the purpose of facilitating ADR use by litigants, CPR allows the court to stay its proceedings while the parties concerned try to settle the case. Pre-action protocols were also installed, requiring parties to let each other know the basis of their proposed claims and defences. The importance of ADR is emphasized in several judicial decisions. In Cowl vs. Plymouth9, the Court of Appeals imposed cost sanctions on a party for unreasonable failure to use ADR. Solicitors are also required to apprise clients of ADR, otherwise, they will be considered professionally negligent. Apart from judicial initiative, the executive also introduced ADR in government departments and administrative tribunals, particularly in clinical negligence claims, employment and legal services. Mr. Justice Lightman, a Justice of the High Court Chancery Division, presented ADR with high hopes as a necessary alternative to "extravagantly expensive and unpredictable exercise"10 of litigation. It must be recognized that ADR is "an ever evolving process."11 Newer methods are being introduced and legislation, including rules of court would tend to be left behind. Current consensus among law practioners tend to limit ADR use to arbitration and mediation. The failure of the use of inappropriate ADR method force the parties to incur needless expenses. On this note, the observations of Sir Anthony Evans triggers a painful spot when he pointed out that it is the agreement of the parties to come to a settlement that is responsible for the supposed success of ADR and not ADR processes themselves. In fact, he emphasized that "a settlement agreement is always to be preferred to any of the [ADR] processes which may result in a binding decision".12 He meant that solicitors and judges should look at the nature of the case before influencing the parties to undergo ADR procedures that could be inappropriate and ineffective. He also pointed out

Birth Trauma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Birth Trauma - Essay Example The phenomenon of interest helps to shape the details or the way the study advances; which isn't directly mentioned in the study. The philosophical underpinnings of the research described in the article are irrational striving to prove that birth trauma is an illusion on behalf of the sufferer. The standpoint here is that on an average, of all the studies mentioned in the article; only Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was observed which 25 % of the eligible mothers were suffering from. The concept of birth trauma is vastly seen as routine and flexibility of opinions is none whatsoever. Hence, it is of concern to find out the hidden meaning and experiences not of PTSD but of birth trauma. Whilst, the research on birth trauma does not consider nursing to have any effect on it though it does contribute to it one way or another. The method used was through a research centre which was compatible; conceivably not to a great extent, when considering the amount of women who participated in the study. The only requirement was to narrate the experience of going through birth trauma. This was not enough because the reasons for the occurring of trauma were not identified. The years from the occurrence of birth trauma were in some cases more than a decade ago. Therefore, tangible parts may have been forgotten or altered in the memory especially if any feelings of resentments weren't addressed in all that time. Sampling Selection of participants was straightforward with a few basic requirements. The use of purposive sampling showed that the criterion for participating was simply based on mothers who have gone through birth trauma. Purposive sampling is used to prove a particular point, which was suitable for the research being carried out as it can be easily approached to a group of people, though it is subject to error. Thus, help in increasing the outlook on the experiences. While the chosen informants were suitable for the research, in a sense, that they were ready to reveal their personal experiences. Human Subject Protection There was no mention of protection of humans; just a personal experience of the implications of birth trauma on their lives. Though the words quoted in the article were anonymous for protection of the mothers. Moreover, there was no such need for security of the participants as the phenomenon was only used to draft the results. Data Collection The collection of data was largely and solely focused on the human experience of the trauma through emails containing stories. Almost all the data was collected through the internet which took a maximum of one and a half year. Whereas, spent six months were spent in extracting the significant information from the accounts: data saturation or redundancy. Data Analysis The strategies used were made illustrative by arranging them into themes of four groups relevant to the experiences and authenticated with the candidates. Authentication guaranteed the absence of any factual error made intentionally or unintentionally in the data analyzed. The analysis of the data was straightforward and unambiguous as general or common feelings were taken into account; enhancing the significance of the experience. Credibility of the information or data received, from the

Monopoly and Competitiveness Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Monopoly and Competitiveness - Research Paper Example 2. Competition- a perfectly competitive firm has no control on the competition as the entry and exit of new firms is not restricted. However a monopolist firm being dominant in its market can create entry barriers for new firms. 3. Supply and demand curves- a perfectly competitive firm faces a horizontal demand curve and an upward sloping supply cure. While in the case of monopoly firm it faces a downward sloping demand curve and its supply curve is dependent on the marginal cost and marginal revenue (as seen in the graph below). 4. Profit- maximizing output- a perfectly competitive firm maximizes its profit at the point where its marginal cost equals marginal revenue which in turn is equal to the equilibrium price. Whereas a monopoly firm maximizes its profit at the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost and vertically locates the supply quantity on the demand curve (as seen in the graph below). A2. Schumpeter has tried to elaborate and improve the definition of monopoly. The term has been misinterpreted and misunderstood continually. It is regarded as a taboo which equals to oppression and savage exploitation of resources. But it is important to understand that monopoly evolves mainly due to the large-scale structure of a business. This in turn is achieved by hard work and outstanding performance. Though he does not deny that there have been instances when the production is not improved despite the large-scale domination of the monopoly but this is not enough for backing up the common generalization associated with the term. According to him a single-seller position gained by either patent or monopolistic strategy can not be termed as exploitation as in most cases they are innovators. They bring in the new commodities and build their markets. In the case of perfect competition, where the market forces in equilibrium are disturbed by some external factor, then under old views it is assumed that the market itself reaches the new equilibrium. But in reality it might take the market farther than the new equilibrium than stabilizing it. Another common notion about the perfectly competitive market is that, it is free of wastage of resources and inefficiencies. This in fact tumbles when considering the fact that a large-scale business can produce a similar product with the same resources but with improved technology, quality, usability etc. and these are the reasons for why it charges a

Research skills 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research skills 2 - Essay Example This research aims at interpretation rather than verification of the theories. This paradigm is mostly popular in social sciences research and is the favorite method of anthropologists. Qualitative researchers typically rely on the following methods for gathering information: Participant Observation, Non-participant Observation, Field Notes, Reflexive Journals, Structured Interview, Unstructured Interview, Analysis of documents and materials.( Marshall& Rossman ,1998, page no not known). ‘Qualitative research’ is a broad term encompassing a number of approaches, paradigms and schools. Among these different approaches and traditions of qualitative research, ‘there are widespread concerns for quality.’; ‘the need for principles of practice to be made manifest’ (Spencer et al (2003. p 4) .To assess the quality in qualitative research, a framework has been designed by Spencer et al (2003). This framework consists of four guiding principles which branch out into appraisal questions’ and ‘quality indicators’. Let us try to assess the quality of a qualitative work on the basis of this framework. Credible/clear discussion of how findings have contributed to knowledge and understanding (e.g. of the policy, programme or theory being reviewed); might be applied to new policy developments, practice or theory Through the literature review the study claims to be unique in the sense that previous studies focused on identification of stressors while this study undertakes comparison of the identified stressors. Since, no study undertook such comparison, it investigates a new aspect of previously identified area. At the same time, it identifies a new area for investigation-- ‘‘safety’’, the demands associated with terrorist threats. It does give a detailed description of the contexts of study elite UK athletes from a wide range of sports but no mention of generalization to other settings. However, it

Belonging - A Clockwork Orange Essay Example for Free

Belonging A Clockwork Orange Essay The concept of belonging is essential. To belong is to form a connection which will allow a sense of identity, without this we lose our humanity; however, conformity is in a sense a facade of belonging, as it restrains our freedom and forces us to only mimic. My studied texts show how society demands us to conform, yet conformity prevents a sense of true identity being ever created. This notion is elaborated in the novel, A Clockwork Orange. Alex is a criminal who doesn’t belong anywhere within society. In the novel, the government attempts to suppress his criminality by physically preventing him from thinking of violence—thus making him conform to their standards. This is a prime example of how society attempts to make us conform to what is considered ‘normal’. Towards the end of the novel, the character F. Alexander tells Alex: â€Å"They have turned you into something other than a human being. You have no power of choice any longer. You are committed to socially acceptable acts, a little machine capable only of good. The quote shows us the central theme of the novel; if we cannot choose where we belong we lose our humanity—thus showing us the value of choice as well as the value of individuality. The metaphor and imagery of the title, a clockwork orange, symbolises what conformity does to a man. If we cannot choose where to belong we cease to be human but clockwork, or some type of mechanism. We need to be able to choose where we belong, for if it is not chosen its authenticity ceases. The novel ends with Alex choosing the path of goodness, the established normality of society. He states; â€Å"Perhaps I was getting too old now for the sort of life I had been leading, brothers† Alex chooses to belong to society, thus allowing a connection to be formed between him and the world. Conformity and the need to conform to a group or community is the central theme throughout both of the chosen texts I have studied, those being Strictly Ballroom and A Clockwork Orange. â€Å"Strictly Ballroom† also supports the fact that society attempts to make us conform to what is considered ‘normal’. The movie shows the disastrous effect conformity and fear have among members who gain their place inside the group at the price of conformity. Shirley Hastings, for example, lives a â€Å"life half-lived† cowering before what Barry Fife will say or think. She has let the Federation so dominate her that she has no respect for Doug and can only see her son Scott in terms of winning competitions. The movie represents belonging using a variety of techniques to distinguish between the world of artifice and the more realistic world. The image of the artificial world, shown as the ballroom world, is glitzy and colourful. Luhrmann has presented this world as having power, whereas the character of Fran, shown in plain clothes and reading glasses, is initially shown as powerless, because she does not conform to the ballroom world. The movie traces the shift from a world of false belonging dominated by conformity, fear and the cynical manipulations of the ultra-sleaze Barry Fife, towards the iconic last scene where the line between spectators and professional dancers blurs and is dissolved as Scott dressed in Spanish costume and Fran in Spanish-style red dress put passion back into dance, rescuing it from the deadening effect of the old brigade. Taking the similes of the two texts we can arrive at the conclusion that conformity allows us to become part of a functioning society but can in turn stifle individuality, expression and self-identity. I’ll leave you with two thoughts from â€Å"A Clockwork Orange†. â€Å"Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man. † And so I ask you, ‘Is it better for a man to choose to be bad than to be conditioned to be good? † That is both the crux of the issues involved and the decision we must all, as individuals, make.

How and why do women and men speak differently?

How and why do women and men speak differently? Task: How and why do women and men speak differently? What explanations do different approaches in Sociolinguistics provide for the differences in language use by them? Which of these approaches do you agree with and why? In recent years, the assertion that women and men typically employ different speech style is pursued in a wide range of studies. Also, different sociolinguistics approaches such as variationist sociolinguistic, interactional sociolinguistic and ethnography of communication have put forward different explanations regarding this issue. Following by that, three approaches of language and gender have been also proposed by Jennifer Coates in her book â€Å"Women, Men and Language† (1986), which are the deficit approach, the dominance approach and the cultural difference approach to clarify this issue. Firstly,variationist sociolinguistics explains that different social conditions, for example different ages, genders, social classes and identities of interlocutors may discover different patterns of speech style. In this manner, it is suggested that the deficit approach which is proposed by Coates (1986) has followed the variationist sociolinguistic approach as deficit approach explains that the social status and identities of women have affected their speech style. According to Coates (1986), deficit is an approach established by Lakoff (1975). Robin Lakoffs (1975) influential exploratory essay, Language and Womans Place, about the ways womens speech differs from mens suggests that women are disadvantaged relative to men by a commonly inferior, less forceful â€Å"womens language† which they learn through socialisation. Also, she emphasises various female forms and styles conveying weakness, uncertainty, and unimportance. For instance, Lakoff argues that tag questions (1975: 16) and hedges (1975:54) are always used by women where they were unwilling to state a proposition directly. Indeed, her claims have been proven through a research carried out by Michael et. al. (2010) which determines the differences in conversational styles of men and women in Malaysia. The research points up that Malaysian women used more questions and hedges in their speech than men in order to keep the conversation going (Fishman, 1980; cited in Michael et. al., 2010). In this way, a psychological explanation given by Lakoff (1975) to womens usage of questions and hedges is due to the nature of womens secondary status, which is their sense of inferiority. She states that women feel unsecure of themselves because they have been taught to express themselves in â€Å"womens language†, which abounds in markers of uncertainty. Correspondingly, in Penelope Browns study of mens and womens speech patterns in a Mayan community in Mexico (1980), she found that a frequent correlation between higher status and the male sex affects the speech of men from that of women. She established that women in the Mayan community used the extremes of politeness, while men spoke more ‘matter-of-factly (Brown, 1980). Therefore, Brown (1980) relates these findings to the powerlessness social position of women in Mayan community as well, such as their vulnerability in relation to men and their need to protect their reputations. Hence, it seems reasonable to predict that women in general will speak more formally and more politely, since women are culturally referred to a secondary status relative to men and a higher level of politeness is expected from inferiors to superiors. Regarding to the same issue, other variationist explanations are given through Trudgills and Labovs researches. Trudgill claims that women typically hypercorrect where they speak more formally, using a higher proportion of prestige forms than men do in order to strive for social advancements. Likewise, Labov (1966; 312-495) found that at each socioeconomic level, except the very lowest, employ the same pattern. For example, in the description of Labovs investigations in New York City (1966), English speakers in New York sometimes pronounce the /r/ sound in words like ‘car, ‘floor and ‘fourth, and at other times they omit it. Beyond the finding that all speakers fluctuate between the inclusion and omission of /r/, Labov shows that speakers from a high socioeconomic level tend to pronounce /r/ relatively often. However, /r/ inclusion is more frequent in the speech of lower middle class women where they pay much careful attention in their speech. They use the upper mid dle class or the upper class as their reference as their accent has higher prestige and their own vernacular forms do not appear as often in casual speech (Labov, 1966). Besides, Labov (1966) suggests that the more formal a context of speech becomes, the more will the lower middle class women adopt the features of the higher class and will even overtake the rate of the upper class in the most formal style. Furthermore, Fischer (1958; cited in Angle Hesse-Biber, 1981) also found that women were more probable than men to prefer the standard gerundive suffix -ing to the more informal -in. In relation to Labov (1966), hypercorrection of the middle class women is associated with a relatively high level of linguistic insecurity as their extreme attention to external standards can be coupled with the weaker economic base of women, their relative powerlessness, and the oppressive nature of social stratification. In contrast, the tendency of men to actually lower the status level of their s peech is seen as evidence that men have a covert norm of prestige that runs contrary to that assigning prestige to the standard forms. Secondly, ethnography of communication approach which is used as a mean to study the interactions among members of a particular speech community which has a specific culture could be used to explain the differences in speech style of men and women as well. This is because speech communities create and establish their own speaking codes or norms (Philipsen, 1975). Essentially, the dominance approach with is suggested by Coates (1986) could be associated with ethnography of communication as well, as male dominance is always one of the factors or cultures of some speech communities that affects mens and womens speech style. One of the examples from which dominance approach is applied is in Korea, which the country social structure consists of a royal monarch, a patriarchically dominated family system that emphasises the maintenance of family lines (Cho, 2006). Also, this structure has tended to separate roles of women from those of men. Therefore, Cho claims that Korean women are seen a s the powerless and subordinate group whose difference speech style is resulted from male supremacy. An example of male dominance in Korean society illustrated by Cho (2006) is, a married Korean woman will rarely introduce herself to others with her own name, but habitually calls herself someones mother or wife, even though she has a profession. One might also explain this in terms of the dominance model, where female uses a term that identifies her relationship to husband, either as a mother or a wife, to show her subordination to her husband. Conversely, male uses his own name to offer himself with an individual identity. Next, interactionist sociolinguistics approach is mainly interested in what language use can tell about social processes. Besides, it asserts that environmental factors are more dominant in language acquisition. In other words, interactionist approach places the importance on home and cultural environment in language learning. Thus, this approach is followed by Deborah Tannens (1990, 1992) cultural differences approach when she describes communication between men and women as â€Å"cross-cultural communication†. She (1992:109) asserts that cultural differences between men and women including diverse expectations about the gender role of talk in relationships and how they have to achieve that role. Tannen (1990) outlines, speech styles begin to established in childhood and continue through adulthood. She believes that women and men have dissimilar pass experiences. Boys and girls grow up in different cultural environment. They travel in different worlds and adapt to different c ultures, reinforcing patterns established in childhood. In order to elaborate on speech styles, Tannen (1990:77) depicts that most men are very quiet at home, but will freely talk up in public and participate in discussion groups. Basically, they use a reporting communication style, to preserve independence as well as negotiate and maintain status in a hierarchical social order. Also, men avoid small talk. Conversely, women have a rapport communications establishing connections, negotiating relationships and enjoying private conversations (Tannen, 1990). They do most of the talking in private conversations such as when they are at home. However, when in a public occasions, women are not as comfortable in voicing their views. In this manner, Tannen (1990) asserts that men are more concerned with status and independence whereas women prefer connection and intimacy. She considers that these cultural differences can give women and men a different perception at the same situation and the refore they employ different speech styles. In my viewpoint, I believe that there is a truth in the claim of interactionist approach, and I think that this approach has best described the language and gender issues. As what has been claimed by Tannen (1990), I agree that men and women come from different sociolinguistic subcultures would have different conceptions of friendly conversation, different rules for engaging in it, and different rules for interpreting it. Hence, cultural differences approach which follows interactionist approach has evidently described that cultural differences will truly impose a number of differences in speech style between men and women. Nevertheless, my point here is that cultural differences alone cannot sufficiently clarify the whole pattern of language difference. In fact, deficit approach and dominance approach may make some contribution even though there would be some biasness or stereotypes included in these approaches. This is because there is a clear pattern for language style shown by di fferent linguists over the years, which correlated with men to be that of power and dominance, and that associated with women to be that of powerlessness and submissiveness (e.g. Lakoff, 1975). To summarise, gender different in patterns and styles of communication should be viewed as a complex issue where there are many approaches and factors involved in it. Individuals would not use one form of speech style in all occasions and with all people. They would consider various factors and decide on different communicative strategies to transmit meaning correctly and effectively. Effect of Mineral Deficiency on Plants | Experiment Effect of Mineral Deficiency on Plants | Experiment This will affect both germinating seedlings and growing plants. Different concentrations of CO2 can cause plants to grow at different rates. Plants need CO2 in the air in to respire in the same way, as we need oxygen. Without it they would not be able to create energy so they couldnt grow. The problem with trying to monitor the affects that different amounts of CO2 would have on the cress seed is that it is hard to control the level of CO2. In school we do not have the equipment. Amount of water in the soil (assuming that it is grown in soil): This will affect both germinating seedlings growing plants. Plants need water for the transportation of different molecules such as glucose. It is essential for growth. They do this by osmosis. With out water they would dry out die. Water also makes germination easier because it softens the shell. Amount of light (Intensity, wavelength): Only growing plants need light in order to grow. Seeds dont need light because they are usually under ground when they germinate. Plants need light because this is how they get food. The sunlight gets trapped in the plants leaves by chloroplast cells and turned into energy. The reaction by which this takes place is called photosynthesis. The equation for this reaction is 6CO2 +6 H2O = 6O2 + C6H12O6 Sunlight is not only vital for the plants growth but also vital for us because without light all plants would die meaning no oxygen in the air. Different wavelengths reflect off the leaves, only certain wavelengths get absorbed. Competition: Competition can affect germinating seedlings and growing plants. Competition is caused by a dense population of animals or plants in the same area competing for the same resources. The more competition there is then the less the plants will grow. This is because the minerals, nutrients and sunlight (in plants case) have to be spread out more thinly or shared out amongst a higher number of plants. In some cases plants will die due to a lack of nutrition. PH: Can also affect both germinating seedlings and growing plants. Cress needs a neutral PH level to grow at their best. Some plants like camellia can grow in acidic soil because they have adapted to the soil over many years. Some plants like herbs benefit from alkaline soil. Different plants grow best in different soils. Minerals/nutrients: Minerals and nutrients are essential because they are needed as energy. They are absorbed with water through the roots by osmosis. They are then transported by the xylem up around the plant. Different nutrients are needed for different uses e.g. Iron for strengthening the stem. The factor that I wish to investigate is how different minerals affect the germination and growth of plants. The aim The aim of my experiment is to see how 3 different solutions lacking 3 different minerals affect the growth and the germination of a plant. The different solutions I am going to use are: Lacking Nitrogen Lacking Sulphur Lacking Magnesium I am also going to have a control test, which has all the nutrients a plant would have in normal soil. This is so I can compare the experiments to it allowing me to see what changes the absence of the minerals has. The Method To do this I am going to have 4 different petri dishes, 1 for each solution. In each dish there will be 4 different sections each containing 5 seedlings. The reason I am doing this is to make it a fair test. By having 4 different sections I am essentially I am repeating the experiment 4 times. Every day I will water the cress seeds using their own solutions. To create the appropriate solutions I did a pre-test using a replicate of my actual experiment and to I watered the 20 cress seeds over a week. I used a normal Sachs solution to water them. Form the experiment I found that 1.5 ml cubed for each section was to little because although the seedlings germinated the plants did not grow very quickly. I decided to use 2ml cubed for each section. The solutions I made were 1/3 Sachs and 2/3s water. This is a diagram of my experiment. It shows the 4 different petri dishes. In order to be able to monitor the cress I will draw up a table. For each day that I water the cress I will observe: How many seeds have germinated, The height of the seedlings, No. Of leaves on seedling, And any other observations. All this will do is make it easier to analyse my results. Prediction I predict that nitrogen is going to have the most devastating effect on the germination and growth of a plant. The reason I think this is because it converts sugars made by photosynthesis into protein. Protein is needed for growth. I think that they will be short and have yellowing leaves due to facts from my research. Research Mineral Used in Deficiency Magnesium Chloroplast Yellow leaves Nitrogen Chlorophyll cells and Amino acids Reduction in growth and yellow leaves Sulphur Amino acids and proteins Reduction in growth and yellowing leaves Fair test To get my results I watered my plants over a period of 2 weeks. An important aspect of my test was getting reliable results. This will help me to me evaluate my experiment fairly. To make my test as fair as possible I made sure all of my petri dishes were in the same conditions as each other. This meant that any effects could only be caused by the factor that I am experimenting with. We watered them all as regularly as each other, placed tem all in the same spot, made sure that they were all in the same temperature, light etc. I must also take into consideration the fact that anomalies could occur in my results or some of the effects could be caused by natural causes. For example the heaters in school could stop running, some seeds may be infertile or there could be an abnormally cold or hot day. Conclusion/evaluation Overall I think that the lack of nitrogen in the solution has not caused much difference to the growth and germination to the seedlings. I expected them not to grow as tall as the any of the others, to have yellow leaves and only a few of them to have germinated. The first thing that I noticed about my results was that they contradicted my prediction. The seedlings lacking Nitrogen were the fastest to germinate (this includes the control). I found this strange because Nitrogen is the most vital nutrient of the three we experimented with. Judging by the results I have collected it seems that plants do not need Nitrogen to germinate but it is needed for growth because the seedlings in the Nitrogen solution are described as yellow leaved and short. I can see this because the seeds that lack nitrogen germinate more quickly than the seeds in the control test. I also noticed that the seedlings in the solution that lacked magnesium ended up with the darkest leaves. My research shows that a sign of a plant with a magnesium deficiency has yellow leaves. The cress seeds in my experiment that are in a solution that lacks magnesium have the darkest leaves. This could be caused because the plants found that the Sulphur in the solution counter acted the effects of the lack of magnesium. Also it seems that the solutions did not effect the growth of the plants, they all seemed to grow to the same height at the same rate. This is proven by the control test also growing to this height. Sulphur had the greatest effect on the plants overall. By the 4th day into the experiment, the solution lacking sulphur was the only solution in which few seeds had germinated and had yellow leaves and short seedlings. I think that it is because sulphur is used in both germination and growth. It is used in proteins and Amino acids (the building blocks of protein). These are both vital nutrients as they are used as energy in the plant. Overall I think that if I had carried out my experiment for longer, the effects would have been greater. I could have also chosen more diverse nutrient/minerals. This would have caused fewer problems with which mineral caused which effect and I would have seen greater effects. I did find out that magnesium causes a decrease in energy due to fewer chloroplast cells. Sulphur causes short term and long term effects in growth and causes yellowing of leaves and Nitrogen does not cause short term effects but I predict will slow growth and cause yellowing of leaves in the long run.

Financial Decision Making, Easyjet in comparison with Ryanair

Financial Decision Making, Easyjet in comparison with Ryanair The purpose of this report is to prepare an analysis of the financial performance and position of Easyjet plc in comparison with that of Ryanair plc. The CORE model approach was used in preparing a review of each airlines annual accounts with selected ratios applied to evaluate compare, contrast their financial performance. An analysis of Easyjet plc performance and position against Ryanair plc confirms the following key findings. The principal finding from this report is that the current finance strategy for Ryanair plc is not sustainable in the long term. Easyjet plc diversification into ancillary activities has incurred costs which will be recouped over a period of time and reflect a positive investment strategy during and after the economic downturn. Furthermore, Easyjet will achieve additional savings if an optimum hedging policy is implemented during the current economic downturn. Introduction An appreciation of the European airline industry was considered in relation to Easyjet plc current financial positioning and brand recognition as the preferred low cost airline provider. The financial performance and position of Easyjet plc was appraised against Ryanair plc through application of the CORE (Context, Overview, Ratio, Evaluation) model. Context establishes the market share and European airline environment from an internal and external perspective that the two plcs operate and compete within. Overview is an appraisal of the financial performance between the two Plcs in relation to similar operational activities and qualifying their accounts and strategic approach during the current economic downturn. Ratio analysis establishes the relationship between stated totals within the Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement and Income Statement to establish the base of Evaluation for financial performance between Easyjet plc (Easyjet) and Ryanair plc (Ryanair). Evaluation of the two accounts is an integrative component of the CORE approach based upon the three previous stages to assist with identifying an overall conclusion from the analysis. The overall conclusion may then be drawn as to the degree of success of the organisation in terms of the implementation of the corporate strategy for customer, competitors and suppliers according to the specific focus of the analysis (Moon Bates, 1993). Context (Internal): Each airline as their primary activity provides international and regional low cost airline fares within the European airline industry. Both airlines are recognised within the market and operationally focussed towards a low-fare strategy. Sustainability and success of providing low cost airline fares is critically dependent upon retaining a low cost base especially during the current economic downturn to protect long-term viability. The global duopoly of Boeing and Airbus within the European airline industry influences the high fixed costs relative to variable costs that is inherent to airline pricing and generates the operational focus towards retaining a low cost base. Reducing operational costs provides each airline with flexibility to offer lower ticket fares, issue dividend shares or retain earnings for future investment as part of their competitive advantage over a rival (Brassinton Pettit, 1997). From a media perspective and operational approach, Ryanair has successful introduced a low cost base through staff optimisation and promoting www.ryanair.com for online ticket sales. Application of the airlines website can provide an integrated marketing communications strategy as well as introducing an effective management information system to co-ordinate revenue activities. Ryanair is reputed to have achieved  £22 million pounds in reduced sales and distribution costs through application of their web-based management information system (Done, 2008). Additional operational savings to establish a low cost base have been generated through Ryanairs standardisation of their airline fleet to Boeing 737s. Standardisation provides lower staff training and maintenance costs due to familiarity and inventory considerations. Both airlines target the European short-haul city break market segment and utilise a system termed yield management to allow seats to be priced according to supply and demand (Ryanair Plc, 2008). Ryanair and Easyjet focus upon an optimum turnaround time at each due to empty planes being non-revenue generating. To maximise profits, fixed and variable costs are regularly challenged to introduce further savings which establishes the rationale as a low cost airline provider not to be forthcoming with compensation to passengers for flight cancellations. It is therefore an operational priority to ensure service delivery with minimal lost baggage claims and flight reliability exceeds the industry standard in relation to key performance indicators. Dependent upon the size of the aircraft purchased or leased from Boeing and Airbus, economies of scale can be achieved to increase the operating profit margin of the airline. Establishing a sustainable low cost base can increase the projected operating profit, increasing the airlines purchasing power to negotiate preferential commercial arrangements with suppliers. Furthermore financial success in one industry sector provides opportunity to develop activities in another sector using ancillary partners. In relation to each airline generating ancillary revenue, Easyjet activities have diversified into various market segments and achieved higher revenue returns beyond that of Ryanair, as detailed within each airlines Income Statement. Both the airlines have expanded their ancillary activities with Easyjet achieving a 115% improvement for ancillary services including Car rentals, Hotels, apartments, Travel Insurance and Airport Parking as recorded within their respective company accounts.Ultimately, Easyjet is expanding the portfolio of activities during the economic downturn to develop the brand and establish complimentary ancillary services to mitigate against revenue loss in a specific sector such as Passenger flights. In contrast, Ryanair has generated a 23% improvement in their ancillary services with passenger service the primary focus to achieve revenue (Easyjet Plc, 2008). As a short term strategy, this has possibly generated the concern that Ryanair performance has improved over Easyjet, yet as a long term approach the approach is not sustainable. This is due to all operational activities having a specific cost threshold and in a fare war contest it may become necessary to subsidise activities from other more profitable ancillary activities. The current approach by Ryanair in the economic downturn is therefore considered prejudicial against their long-term viability. Each airline primary assets are detailed within the Income statement that reflects the substantial capital outlays in relation to the purchase of aircraft fleet for both providers. In the long term this approach can be beneficial due to reduced future costs associated with leasing as well as minimising interference from external financing companies concerning pricing tactics with possible withdrawal of finance due to perceived negative publicity of the airline. Ownership of aircraft establishes a tangible asset and brand platform that can be applied to increase shareholders and investors confidence. The accumulation of assets establishes a long-term investment strategy that requires operational maintenance and management depreciation consideration. Ownership of the asset ultimately provides each airline with the opportunity to select without constraint their service partners for maintenance, cleaning and insurance coverage. As previously mentioned both airlines target the short-haul city break markets and utilise the yield management system to allow seats to be priced according to supply and demand therefore exercising full control of their marketing mix to the consumer (Airlines, 2006). Recorded revenues of  £2,171 million was achieved by Ryanair during the financial year ended on March 2008, representing an increase of 21.3% over 2007 and generating 37.6% of the total revenues in 2008(Ryanair, 2008) in comparison recorded revenue was  £2,362.8 million in September 2008 generating an increase of 31.5% compared to their performance in 2007 and reflective of a sustainable corporate strategy to protect the viability of Easyjet during the economic downturn(Easyjet Plc, 2008). Easyjet completed the acquisition of GB Airways in January 2008 with Ryanair attempting a similar corporate acquisition that was rejected by Aer Lingus. Currently no progress has been achieved from the Aer Lingus rejection of the offer yet the collapse of buget airlines Sky Europe in 2009 with previous budget airlines also going into administration does not provide the consumer with confidence in low cost fare providers (PIGNAL, 2008). Context (External) According to Datamonitor (2008) by 2011 the airline industry is forecast to have a value of  £89 billion with 773.5 million passengers anticipated to use airline travel on an annual basis. Competition amongst the two airline providers is increasingly focused towards cost and brand marketing. Various management cost reduction initiatives with provision of only one class of service have developed each airlines reputation as a no-fill providers due to costs being charged for all non-essentials. To assess the external profile of Easyjet in comparison to Ryanair a SPECTACLES approach is applied with consideration towards the various categories as well as applying Porters five forces model (1980). Social considerations include recognition of both airlines as market leaders with strong brand identification for low cost fares. Furthermore, both airlines have developed a reputation for reliability through punctuality of flight times, minimal flight cancellations and reduced lost luggage claims. Political considerations include all regulatory constraints that may apply to both providers such as airport charges which are generally levied through regulation rather than commercial negotiation. Economic considerations include the economic downturn, reduced disposable income and expenditure of customers together with increasing fuel costs due to global conflict and fear of terrorism attacks. In addition, global events have increased insurance provisions and requirements within the airline industry. Cultural considerations include the perception that low cost airlines provide an inferior service in comparison to traditional flag carrier and charter airlines that concentrate upon a differentiation competitive advantage. Technological considerations include the recognition that safety is a main consideration and cost aspect with all aircraft parts have a defined life-span before replacement is required. The replacement of prop aircraft to jet engines as part of fleet modernising as well as increasing safety requirements requires airlines to a continual review of their projected capital and maintenance allowances. Aesthetic considerations include the preference for one airline over another with Easyjet achieving a global focus due to broader activities in comparison to Ryanair. Both airlines provide the same class of service on all flights with emphasis upon low costs. Customer considerations include ease of on-line booking together with ticket costs combined with reliability of each airline operating the prescribed flights and minimal loss baggage claims. Against Easyjet, Ryanair has achieved significant short-term success in this category at the expense of generating a love/hate relationship with the public. Legal considerations include the regulatory constraints for passenger safety, security provisions, noise reduction, and environmental issues. In addition, to employment and aviation law, there is competition and liability legislation that restricts the operating activities of each airline. Environmental considerations include all regulatory constraints that may apply such as noise reduction, emissions and fuel efficiency, reduced energy, water and material consumption and air traffic congestion. Sectoral considerations include review of competitors and future regulatory considerations to enable a competitive advantage to be developed over rival airlines. In many respects review and implementation of Porters (1980) competitive forces provides the sector framework for analysing the intensity of competition to the profitability and attractiveness within an industry. The below five forces diagram illustrates the relationship between the different competitive forces (Porter, 1980). Adapted from Porter (1980) Five Forces Model Threat of new entrants low The preference for lower air fares generated the business opportunity for Easyjet and Ryanair to compete against traditional flag carrier and charter airlines. A high capital investment and legislation requirement combined with competition for additional airport slots/positions creates physical and financial barriers for new operators within the airline industry. Bargaining power of customers increasing Availability of constant information through the World Wide Web provides information of which airline has the cheaper fare and within an economic depression, the preference of the customer is generally towards the cheaper service provider. Bargaining power of suppliers strong but limited The price of aviation fuel is directly related to the cost of oil, as an individual company Easyjet and Ryanair does not have the power to alter this. The impact of the supplier depends on the availability of alternative suppliers and product substitutes (Dibb Simpkin, 2001). The more these airlines expands the more power it will possess over its suppliers Threat of the substitute products or services low There are no tenable threats from other modes of transport as distances are too great except from London to Paris, which can be reached by Euro Star. Current competitors Easyjet and Ryanair sustain a cost leadership advantage over all other operators including traditional flag carrier and charter airlines that utilise a differentiation rather than a low cost base. Overview: Both Ryanair and Easyjet have membership of the European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) to assist with their equal representation within the airline industry. According to ELFAA (2009) statistics Ryanair provides 1,200 daily flights in contrast to the 1,000 daily flights provided by Easyjet. As a consequence of providing a higher volume of daily flights than Easyjet, the passenger load factor for Ryanair is lower at 81.4% according to the June 2009 ELFAA statistics. The passenger load factor of 85.2% for Easyjet identifies on average their passenger occupancy per flight which can be compared to the break-even point to identify the profitability of a specific flight (ELFAA, 2009). The below table provides an insight of each organisation in relation to their operations and company profile. RYANAIR EASYJET ESTABLISHED 1985 1995 ANNUAL TURNOVER 2171 million 2,362 million OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE Ryanair Holdings Plc Easyjet Plc NO OF AIRCRAFT 220 165 MAJOR FLEET TYPE BOEING A320 ;BOEING MAIN HUB LONDON, STANSTED LONDON, LUTON AIRPORT H/Q DUBLIN, IRELAND LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM NO OF ROUTES COVERED 950 400 NO OF COUNTRIES COVERED 147 COUNTRIES 28 COUNTRIES EMPLOYEES 5920 6107 PASSENGER VOLUME 60 MILLION 43 million PASSENGERS 5.12 million 3.53 million PUNCTUALITY FLIGHTS ON TIME 88% 80% ACQUISITION MERGERS FAILED TO ATTEMPT AER LINGUS ACQUIRED GB AIRWAYS EXTERNAL AUDITORS KPMG PRICEWATER COOPERS AIRLINE PASSENGERS PER EMPLYOEE 9679 6772 Source : Easyjet plc 2009 Ryanair plc 2009. Both the airlines follow the going concern basis in preparing their financial statements which have been certified by independent respective external auditor as being a true and fair status of the companys financial overview. The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting standards (IFRS) as adopted by European Union (EU) and effective from March 2008; as applied in accordance with the prevailing Companies Act legislation. Both airlines amended their accounting policy in 2005 from UK GAAP to International Financial Reporting Standard (Ryanair Plc, 2008 Easyjet Plc, 2008). Both airlines are successful in strategising for revenue generation with Ryanair maximising its profit through effective control of operating expenses in comparison to Easyjet. An example is Ryanairs effective fuel hedging policy which allows the airline to allocate fixed fuel costs without surcharge to the customer whereas Easyjet varies their fuel surcharge to the customer. The turnover for Easyjet is  £2,362 million (2008) from  £1,797 million (2007) which is a 20% increase in the turnover. Unfortunately due to the increased administration expenses incurred profit margins have not been maximised due to staff, marketing and fuel costs. These costs cumulatively represent a total cost increase of 28% in 2008. The final outcome was a decrease in profit margin from 11.23% from 4.66%, which trails far behind Ryanairs profit margin (Easyjet plc, 2008). Ryanair in comparison to Easyjet has increased its turnover to  £2,171 million (2008) from  £1,789 million (2007) which is a 13% increase whereas their administration costs increased by 13% from last year. This has led to Ryanair capitalising on the increase in turnover to profit (Ryanair plc, 2008). Airline passenger per employee for Ryanair is greater in comparison to Easyjet and reflects an optimum utilisation of resources. Ryanairs punctuality of flights on time is 88% when compared to 80% of Easyjet which demonstrates the operational efficiency of staff. The customer base has increased for both airlines with Ryanair achieving greater customer retention through market domination of the short haul flights. The addition of 16 more aircrafts through Easyjets acquisition of GB airways to 165 aircrafts amounted to a capital expenditure of  £118 million (Easyjet plc, 2008). Ryanair took the delivery of 30 new aircrafts bringing its total to fleet of 220 aircraft which amounted to  £97.1 million towards capital expenditure incurred for the year. Both the airline has an expansion plan which clearly shows in their adding of more aircrafts to their existing fleet. Ryanair has raised finance through the mortgage of their aircraft, with a book value of  £3,061.5 million as collateral security for finance generated through loans for purchase of next generation 737-800 Boeing aircrafts (Ryanair plc, 2008). Ratios The calculated ratio analysis establishes the relationship between stated totals within the Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement and Income Statement to establish the base of Evaluation for financial performance between Easyjet plc (Easyjet) and Ryanair plc (Ryanair). The three main areas of Strategic analysis include Profitability, Liquidity and Efficiency as well as Gearing and Investment. Consideration of the ratios reflects the performance of Easyjet in achieving strategic goals in comparison to Ryanair and other rivals. The ratios are in the table format and the implications are discusses below (Moon Bates, 1993). Ratios RYANAIR EASYJET 2008 2007 2008 2007 Profitability ROCE 9.20% 9.86% 5.78% 12.08% Net Profit Margin 16.17% 20.16% 4.66% 11.23% Goss profit margin 19.79% 21.09% 3.85% 9.57% ROSF 15.61% 17.15% 6.51% 13.22% Liquidity Current Ratio 1.53 Times 2.02 Times 1.56 Times 1.88 Times Acid Test Ratio 1.53 Times 2.02 Times 1.56 Times 1.88 Times Gearing Ratio 47.55% 44.47% 41.53% 39.19% Interest Cover Ratio 5.53 Times 5.09 Times 3.36 Times 6.70 Times Efficiency Ratio Earnings per share 20.67 22.56 19.84 36.61 Wage Cost (%) 10.51% 10.13% 11.14% 11.36% Other ratios Debtors Collection days 4.6 days 3.82 days 21.55 days 34.2 days Creditors Payment days 17.39 days 8.94 days 11.97 days 8.04 days Source: Easyjet Plc.2008 Ryanair Plc, 2008. The financial ratios provide a quick and relatively simple means of assessing the financial health of the organisation (Atrill Eddie, 2006). Evaluation: To complete the CORE model an evaluation of the two airlines has been prepared with a succinct summary of the main findings of the report including key recommendations identified. Both airlines have reduced profit margins with Easyjets profit margin gap is significant in compared to Ryanair. The decline in the profit is mainly due to an increase in administration cost as previously reported. The main contributing factor is 66% increase in the fuel cost when compared to 2007 whereas Ryanair had only 14% in increase in fuel cost due to its effective (73%) hedging policy on fuel charges. Neither airline released dividend payments for 2008. To reduce short-term earnings volatility Easyjet has put the following fuel and currency hedging positions in place: 66% of anticipated 2009 funding requirement is hedged at  £1.96/ £,an additional 5% of requirement are hedged with collars with average floors of  £1.73/ £ (of what Shinde per sq metre); 56% of 2009 capital expenditure relating to aircraft deliveries hedged at  £1.97/ £; 81% of anticipated 2009 euro surplus hedged at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.24/ £. (Easyjet plc, 2008). Easyjet has also achieved a positive trend through reduced wage costs in comparison to Ryanair, which is a consistent consideration to maintain during an economic downturn to ensure competiveness with Ryanair. The operating profits for Easyjet were lower due to incurred advertising costs which were high in comparison to minimal advertising costs incurred by Ryanair and recorded as zero within the Income Statement. Online booking for Ryanair is greater than 90% which results in a small operating expense towards marketing. In contrast to Ryanair, Easyjet is applying a long term strategic approach to maximise revenue through advertising in the media and other channels to inform customers of their service value with competitive low fares. The acquisition costs for integrating GB Airways costed at  £12.9 million in 2008 which is going to reflect as an expense on next years income statement will assist Easyjet to increase profit margins. Easyjet has also increased ancillary revenue which will assist the company to mitigate its corporate risks through diversification of activities. Both airlines use the straight line method for calculating depreciation due to which Easyjet is showing 33% increase in its depreciation cost versus Ryanair 22% increase in depreciation. In relation to Easyjet the depreciation cost is high due to the acquisition of GB Airways with additional assets to be depreciated. The interest cover ratio, which is used to determine how easily either airline can pay interest on outstanding debt, was calculated by dividing each airlines revenue before interest and taxes with ratio. The interest cover ratio has declined dramatically for Easyjet by 3.34 times when compared to Ryanair which increased by 0.44 times. Thus the decline in Easyjets interest cover ratio can be explained through an increase in borrowing and combined with a dramatic decline in profitability in 2008. The lower the level of operating profit coverage, the greater the risk to lenders that interest payments will not be met, and the greater the risk to the shareholders that the lenders will take action against the business to recover the interest rate. Whilst Ryanair has its maintained a preferable interest cover ratio in comparison to Easyjet due to the profit  £429,664 achieved despite high borrowings. Easyjets Interest cover ratio was not as favourable due to their profit margins of  £910,000 despite achieving a preferred gearing ratio in comparison to Ryanair. The gearing ratio refers to the relationship between the amount of fixed interest capital and the amount of equity within each airline. Ryanair has increased from 44% (2007) to 47% (2008) primarily due to an increase of long term debts at 13% in 2008. When the value of debt capital is more than the value of equity as in Ryanairs situation the organisation is highly geared due to significant borrowings of  £1,814.57 increasing the risk of becoming insolvent in the medium to long term particularly if the economic downturn continues. Ryanair is raising finance for operational activities at the expense of an increased gearing ratio from 9.32% in 2007 compared to 39.96% in 2008 due to a decrease in profit margins (Ryanair Plc, 2008). Whilst, the gearing ratio for Easyjet increased to 41.53 % (2008) from 39.19 % (2007) this is primarily attributed to the acquisition of GB Airways. The future gearing for Easyjet will reduce due to consolidation of activities whereas Ryanair increased gearing is attributed to the intended acquisition of Aer Lingus, purchase of market shares and investment within operational activities. It would therefore appear that Ryanair have exhausted the potential to achieve future funding due to their current gearing ratio whereas Easyjet focus is towards consolidation of activities with an increase in profit margins anticipated in 2009/10. Easyjet have increased current liabilities in terms of aircraft maintenance cost and derivative financial instruments (hedging losses) that have generated a reduction in the current ratio combined with the acquisition of GB Airways. Whilst Easyjet can access significant cash and liquid investments to mitigate the risk of business disruption events of approximately  £863 million as at 30 September 2008 this excludes restricted cash of  £66 million for short-term liabilities. Whereas the cash balance for Ryanair has improved it is only through analysis of the ratios that a downward trend is developing due to an increase in current liabilities within derivative financial instruments. Ryanair utilises derivative financial instruments to hedge against losses by anticipation of future price increases concerning predicted variability in cash flows of an asset, liability or a highly probable forecasted transaction. A significant contribution for an increase in the current ratio for Ryanair is the increase in maturity of debts. Both Ryanair and Easyjet have a similar acid ratio due to absence of stock or inventories within their published balance sheets. The sales revenue per employee ratio identifies how each airline is utilizing their employee productivity with an increase generally reflective of efficiency with management establishing additional key performance indicators for staff to achieve. As previously detailed on the ratio comparison table, Ryanair has increased sales revenue per employee. Return on capital employed identifies the relationship between the operating profit and average long term capital invested and is significantly reduced for Easyjet due to long term liabilities yet this is recognised as a temporary phase following the GB Airways acquisition as well as undertaking airline operations within a competitive market. Achieving a profit within an economic downturn combined with adjustment of the hedge reserve will enable Easyjet to improve their effectiveness in 2009/10. In contrast, the capital redemption reserve for Ryanair has increased due to purchasing previously released equity shares as well as increasing long term liabilities with various financial institutions and established primarily on the basis of guarantees granted by Export-Import Bank of the United States to finance the acquisition of 107 Boeing 737-800 as a next generation aircraft. Whilst having less favourable ratios than Easyjet the funding provided by the Export-Import Bank of the United States for Ryanair is attributed to the bank emphasis to support the financing of U.S. goods and services (Trade Finance, 2004). It could also be suggested that the purchase of previously released shares by Ryanair was implemented to prevent another airline purchasing Ryanair shares due to their perceived vulnerability since the continued reduction of operational costs is not a sustainable activity. The Debtors Ratio identifies the effectiveness of a debt collection routine and within the competitive low fare airline industry, efficient ratios would be anticipated especially when the focus is towards cost reduction measures and borrowing finance is a chargeable activity. Ryanair has an excellent debtor collection policy with a minimal increase 0.78 days in 2008. This could also be reflective of the absence of available liquid reserves within a business to increase the availability of working capital and reduce finance borrowings. In contrast, Easyjet debtor ratio can be optimised from 12.65 days in 2008 to improve the availability of working capital within the business and limit borrowings. In comparison of the two airlines, Easyjet could improve their debtor ratio to seven days for efficiency purposes whereas Ryanair requires a constant focus on their debtor ratio analysis due to availability of working cash and requirement to minimal all non-essential costs. The Creditors Ratio provides an alternative perspective on how the two airlines consider their debt considerations. Ryanair creditor payment period is 8.45 days and therefore due to the volume of activities there is the availability of finance for other activities for an average of 8.45 days until payment/settlement is issued. Through utilising the credit payment period as a temporary borrowing option there is the perceived high risk that funds for payment could become committed and rather than generating revenue growth, funds are being juggled. In contrast the creditor payment period for Easyjet is 3.93 days restricting the availability of working capital to be paid to creditors rather than using it for day to day operations. In summary of the ratios selected for comparison the creditor and debtor ratios is reflective in general of how each airline is approaching their activities. Ryanair is quick to require settlement from debtors due to their restricted borrowing availability and uses a period of 8.45 days as an opportunity to generate additional revenue prior to settlement. Depending upon the volume of finance available within this period, Ryanair is anticipating the generation of additional revenue through hedging activities and received interest returns. In contrast, Easyjet is quick to make settlement as a creditor and less e

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens :: Great Expectations Essays

Great Expectations – Charles Dickens ‘Great expectations’ is a novel written by Charles Dickens. He was interested in bringing about change and his novels dealt with such topics as justice and punishment, the widening gap between the rich and poor and so on. He believed that the divisions between the classes had produced a diseased and unhealthy society. During the Victorian society, women suffered many disadvantages. Women were dependent on men, unless they were rich. Women were expected to â€Å"serve† and obey their husbands. In this novel the main character is Ms. Havisham. Miss Havisham is an eccentric wealthy old woman who lives in a manor house near Pip’s village, who has isolated herself to take her revenge on men because ‘Compeyson’, the bride groom who she is supposed to get married left her on the day the marriage was fixed. This resulted in Ms. Havisham’s isolation. With a kind of manic, obsessive cruelty, Miss Havisham adopts Estella and raises her as a weapon to achieve her own revenge on men. She has raised Estella to be the instrument of her revenge, training her to break men’s hearts. Ms. Havisham calls on for Pip, a little boy to play in her house. He is both the character, whose actions make up the main plot of the novel, and the narrator, whose thoughts and attitudes shape the reader’s perception of the story. Pip meets Estella, the proud and haughty adopted daughter of Miss Havisham. She delights in humiliating Pip, calling him a common laboring boy with coarse hands. She want to make Pip fall in love with Estella so that she can take her revenge. Ms. Havisham represents Dickens view of woman who did not perfectly fulfil their female role as well as the rich upper class who he saw as â€Å"diseased†. The way Ms. Havisham speaks and also the language used by Dickens gives the reader a clear picture of her. The language used to describe her is exaggerated and unrealistic as this is the situation in which we find her in. This essay will explore whether this character is really unrealistic or whether Dickens intends to show Ms. Havisham to be exaggerated for a certain reason. On Pip’s first visit to Ms. Havisham’s house, ‘Satis house’, he observes a very old house which is barred. The house is made of ‘old brick, and dismal, and had a great many iron bars to it.’ There was a large brewery at the side of the house and it seemed that there was no brewing going on there for a long time. The windows are all walled up. This gives the impression that the house has been isolated from the

Elements of Relationship in D.H. Lawrences Works Essay -- D.H. Lawren

After spending a semester experiencing and analyzing the work of D.H. Lawrence, it has become obvious that he had several messages to convey to his audience. Through his characters, Lawrence commented on the condition of England, on social issues, and also on relationships. In his novels Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, and Lady Chatterley's Lover, Lawrence reveals three important aspects of relationships, and shows his audience the devastating results when one or more of those aspects are missing. When it comes to intellectual, spiritual and sexual connections, Lawrence makes it clear that all of these elements must be present in order for a relationship to be successful; it's either all or none. Lawrence's first example of relational incompleteness comes through Paul in Sons and Lovers. By the middle of the novel, the reader is well aware of Paul's connection to his mother, Mrs. Morel. Paul's awareness of his mother comes in the notion that ?when she fretted he understood, and could have no peace,? (51) and also in the way they act like excited ?lovers having an adventure together.? (81) Through Paul?s relationships, Lawrence reveals how ?an exaggerated intense spiritual love from the parents,? can make it difficult for the receiver of that love to cultivate healthy relationships outside the familial sphere. (Yudhishtar, 87) Because of his deep spiritual connection with his mother, it is difficult for Paul to give himself to other women, as can be seen through his relationship with Miriam. Although Paul likes Miriam and the two get along very well, his connection to his mother prevents the young man from really giving himself to her. Paul is turned off not only by how spiritual Miriam makes him (165), but also ... ...ming deeply connected spiritually with one?s children, and how that connection can prove disastrous for non-familial relations. Through Birkin, Ursula, Gudrun and Gerald in Women in Love, he shows the crippling effects that result when intellect is emphasized drastically more than spirituality and sexuality. Lawrence arrives at a perfect balance between Connie and Mellors in Lady Chatterley?s Lover, and although Connie suffers through two failed relationships before meeting success, Lawrence shows that intellectual, spiritual and sexual connects can indeed simultaneously exist on the same plane. Through these characters, Lawrence demonstrates the importance of having a balance of all three ingredients. Without a physical connection based on spirituality and a common intellect, Sir Jon would not be able to ?say good night to Lady Jane?with a hopeful heart.? (328)

Debut Albums and Pure Adrenaline Rush

Keagan Neveling 14/09/2011 Grade 10PEnglish Essay Pure adrenaline rush! Pure energy! It was now or never! This was the opportunity I had been waiting for! It was time for action. It was a cold day. The wind was blowing, the trees swaying from side to side. It was time for me to conquer my fears. Although I did not know it, I was about to begin an adventure that would push my companions and I to our limits. The day had just begun. My alarm clock was ringing and the birds were chirping. It seemed like it was going to be a fantastic day.The sun was out; there was not a breath of wind. I fled from my bed so I would not miss a moment of the beautiful day Mother Nature had been kind enough to share. I devoured my breakfast like it was my last and turned on the television. It was a magnificent day but little did I know that on this day I would take part in an event that would push me to my limits. And that’s when I noticed the branches of the trees starting to sway rhythm with the wi nd. I thought to myself, surely this cannot be. In an instant there were clouds on the horizon. I did not believe my eyes.The weather had changed instantaneously changed. It was now a cold, miserable and windy day. Then I saw her standing in the distance. She told me she was going to take me to a place of adventure, somewhere where I could overcome my fears and attempt something that only few had dared. She took me to this place. It was not scary, not intimidating. In fact it was extremely inviting. There were people eating foods at the gorgeous restaurants. While admiring this concrete jungle known as the Moses Madibha Stadium I realised I was no longer afraid. I was wrong.I was going to be going to be going face to face with my greatest fear. I was going to be jumping off this jungle. Papers were signed, my harness firmly secured around my waist. It was time to begin my voyage. The only thing that would be keeping me apart from the ground was an ordinary rope. I convinced myself I was ready. The voyage to the top of the jungle had begun. It was no longer unintimidating. The gigantic white structure surrounded me. It was as if I was on a pathway to happiness. After what seemed like an eternity I had arrived at my destination.It was my time to shine. The spotlight was firmly placed on me. Pure adrenaline rush! Pure energy! It was now or never! This was the opportunity I had been waiting for! It was time for action. Then it happened. I jumped. I felt my stomach disappear my toes went numb, the wind was rushing through. I then opened my eyes. To my delight it was all over. My heart was pounding, my blood gushing through my veins. There I was dangling in mid-air. I had conquered my fear. I felt like I was in a scene in a movie. All I could think was that it had been an amazing day. Word count: 511

Establishing Business in Brazil Essay

In establishing business in Brazil, Under Armour has to study the country’s customs, traditions, language and cultural differences in order to start right. Learning these things will also help the company in its hiring and employing of local workers. Human Resource — one of the most important aspects of business is the workforce. To effectively deal with Brazilian employees, UA management should understand cultural differences that include: (customs/traditions) 1. business is a social event 2. Brazilians don’t buy on impulse 3. Brazilians are very conscious of rank and position 4. being late is socially acceptable Another important consideration that UA has to make is the hiring of local junior executives who could assist the company in the hiring and training of employees. Local executives would be very helpful and bridging the cultural gap between management and native workers. As an example, Chevron Corp., an American oil company has a successful operation in Brazil. It’s workforce is comprised of both foreign and local workers. Foreign workers come from the United States and other neighboring countries. Communication Communication is very important in any organization or corporation. More so when the natives of the country of operation speaks Portuguese. This language is used by all of the people in Brazil, and is considered a unifying factor. In order for Under Armour to handle local workers, it is necessary for the non-Brazilian managers to take up language classes. In the same manner, it is beneficial for the local workers to be enrolled in English classes. By being equipped with the right language skills, both managers and employees will be able to communicate effectively and lessen the chances of having conflicts because of miscommunication.

Privatized School Systems

Our society, as a whole, has been heading toward a decentralized system of conducting its affairs. Large corporations have been getting larger , meanwhile governments have been giving up increasing amounts of their control. This decentralization has affected even former mainstays of government control, such as phone and power companies. As decentralization becomes more of a reality, there has been a great deal of debate over what controls the government should maintain or relinquish. The public school system has long been a source of frustration. Many feel the schools would be run more efficiently and with better results if privately run companies were to take over. They feel that with the existing large, encumbering bureaucracy, the government is simply unable to provide the proper base that is necessary to support a successful school system. The proponents of privatized school systems have long maintained that governments are not as knowledgeable about individual school environments as those who and they have to manage many schools, whereas the owners of a specific private subsidized school would be well informed about the school's circumstances and can concentrate on that school alone. They say that the governments role should become that of regulator, not schoolmaster, and that since the private schools do not face the political constraints that the municipal governments face,they would be more able to adapt to change. Since the operation of public schools is more bureaucratic and centralized than private subsidized schools, it is expected to inhibit rather than promote educational innovation. Private schools, being less bureaucratic and more decentralized, are expected to be more efficient organizations and to have a better perspective than their public school counterparts. They are also expected to provide a greater incentive and opportunity to come up with more innovative programs than public schools in order to stay competitive. Bureaucracy is expected to hinder initiative and efficiency, whereas the private sector in general is expected to be more dynamic and responsive because of their need to stay competitive. It is hoped that this competitiveness will foster innovation. On the other side of the debate is the group that favors continued government control over the school system. They argue that privatizing the schools would lead to a decreased focus on the needs of the children with an increased emphasis placed on the bottom line. They maintain that the companies taking over for the government would focus their attention more on cutting corners to make larger profits rather than on the education of children. With continued government control over the school system, there will remain a stability that is necessary to insure a full and equal educational opportunity for all. Having the education system privatized would create inequalities in the method that education would be provided. Those who oppose privatization agree that not only would municipal control maintain stability, but would also ensure fair and equal teatment for all. The same would not hold true if the schools were placed in private hands. Schools that do not make a profit along with teachers that are no longer needed would simply let go in order to save money or maintain profits. I can see that there are several benefits on both sides. The economic benefits are obviously in favor of a decentralized school structure. There be no bureaucracy to wade through to make the simplest decisions, in the system would allow teachers to make important ground level decisions as they see fit. This increased efficiency includes many benefits, but with what cost? What about the special needs children, or the under privileged, will the private companies take care of them? What happens when these companies don't make enough money on a school, will they close it down? The children whose schools have been closed will have to travel further and further just to get to school, if they even go. Maybe there should just be mega-schools were ten schools are combined into one, all to save the managing company money. With government control, there may not be efficiency but there is some stability. That is the important thing. Companies can open and close their doors in a day, but schools are more important than companies. Education is the key to our futures, can we afford to gamble with what is a stake? The government must become more efficient at doing its job in managing our schools, and business has proven itself to be efficient. Maybe there is a way to combine the two and receive the best of both worlds.