•Pedro Flores Was the First Person to Manufacture the Yo-Yo in the United States Essay Example

Pedro Flores Was the First Person to Manufacture the Yo Pedro Flores Was the First Person to Manufacture the Yo-Yo in the United States Essay Pedro Flores Was the First Person to Manufacture the Yo-Yo in the United States Essay which during the depression of the 1930s was a fortune. On this transaction Flores was quoted saying I am more interested in teaching children to use the yo-yos than I am in manufacturing of yo-yos. [citation needed] Taking his own words to heart, he became one of the key promoters in Duncans early yo-yo campaigns. During 1931-1932, Flores was instrumental in setting up a large number of the promotions in the cities where the early Duncan contests were being held. In relation to his contests run just 2 years earlier with his Yo-yo Manufacturing Company, the new Duncan contests were vastly different. These contests now required a series of tricks similar to modern day contests with ties being broken by the number of loop the loops completed. Later years Flores stayed involved with yo-yos most of his life. After leaving Duncan in the 1930s, he set up the Bandalore Company which briefly made the Bandalore Yo-Yo. Later, after WWII, he helped Joe Radovan (a fellow Philippine immigrant) in the establishment of the Chico Yo-yo Company. In 1954, he also started the Flores Corp. of America, which briefly produced yo-yos in the 1950s. pl help me is by oct. 22. is due

Socratic Wisdom

Socratic Wisdom Socratic wisdom refers to Socrates understanding of the limits of his knowledge in that he only knows that which he knows and makes no assumption of knowing anything more or less. Although never directly penned by Socrates as a theory or treatise, our understanding of his philosophies as they relate to wisdom derives from Platos writings on the subject. In works like Apology, Plato describes the life and trials Socrates that influence our understanding of the truest element of Socratic wisdom: We are only as wise as our awareness of our ignorance. The True Meaning of Socrates Famous Quote Although attributed to Socrates, the now famous I know that I know nothing really refers to an interpretation  of Platos account of Socrates life, though is never directly stated. In fact, Socrates often highly asserts his intelligence in Platos work, even going so far as to say he would die for it. Still, the sentiment of the phrase echoes some of Socrates most famous quotes on wisdom. For instance, Socrates once said: I do not think that I know what I do not know. In the context of this quote, Socrates is explaining that he does not claim to possess the knowledge of artisans or scholars on subjects he has not studied, that he bears no false pretense to understanding those. In another quote on the same topic of expertise, Socrates once said, I know very well that I possess no knowledge worth speaking of on the topic of building a home. Whats actually true of Socrates is that he has said quite the opposite of I know that I know nothing. His routine discussion of intellect and understanding hinges upon his own intelligence. In fact, he does not fear death because he says to fear death is to think that we know what we do not, and he is absent of this delusion of understanding what death could mean without ever seeing it. Socrates, the Wisest Human In Apology, Plato describes Socrates at his trial in 399 B.C.E. where Socrates tells the court how his friend Chaerephon asked the Delphic Oracle if anyone was wiser than himself. The oracles answer - that no human was wiser than Socrates - left him bewildered, so he embarked on a quest to find someone wiser than himself in order to prove the oracle wrong. What Socrates found, though, was that although many people had particular skills and areas of expertise, they all tended to think they were wise about other matters too - such as what policies the government should pursue - when they clearly were not. He concluded that the oracle was right in a certain limited sense: he, Socrates, was wiser than others in this one respect: that he was aware of his own ignorance. This awareness goes by two names that seem virtually opposed to one another: Socratic ignorance and Socratic wisdom. But there is no real contradiction here. Socratic wisdom is a sort of humility: it simply means being aware of how little one really knows; how uncertain ones beliefs are; and how likely it is that many of them may turn out to be mistaken. In the Apology, Socrates doesnt deny that true wisdom - a real insight into the nature of reality - is possible; but he seems to think it is enjoyed only by the gods, not by human beings.

If You Need Love, Get a Puppy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

If You Need Love, Get a Puppy - Case Study Example Notable issues related to the Court’s accounting practices and financial reporting were identified during the audit process such as, a) misstatements and missing documents or signatures on paid receipts for misdemeanor traffic violations, and b) missing cash deposits for ticket revenues. The observed misstatements and the incorrect filing of documents are considered as immaterial since most of the inconsistencies are insignificant and unintentional. However, it is best to practice a tighter control on documentation of receipts to allow accuracy and transparency of government records. On the other hand, I found out that some payments for traffic violation tickets were marked as paid in cash in both the receipt book and on the sheriff’s computer records but do not reflect on the bank deposit. Possible explanations include the inadvertent mixing of the collections the previous day to the next transaction day due to time constraints. To correct this issue, I am recommending that the cash payments should be deposited to the bank not later than a week after the original transaction date. To properly conclude the auditing process, I will be further investigating the ticket revenue records for any missing cash deposits by vouching a bigger number of samples in the coming days. Still, I am open for clarifications and reasons behind such inconsistencies as your staff has been very helpful in providing me with necessary access to records and information to essential data. Thank you for your assistance and I please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries regarding the

Undocumented nurse medical errors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Undocumented nurse medical errors - Essay Example The researcher starts with description of his first day at his first job. His nurse trainer was evidently flustered with her numerous tasks in the hospital. The researcher followed her to a patient’s room, where she administered medication. The patient was recovering from a car accident, where he suffered from some chest and abdominal trauma, as well as a badly-broken leg. The researcher was confused, because the name on the door was not the same in the med chart. He returned to the nursing station, where she documented the medication. After opening the patient’s chart, she was distressed to find out that she gave the wrong medicine. She checked the patient’s chart for allergies and was comforted that the latter had no allergies with the incorrect medication. However, the patient complained of dizziness and nausea later on, and the nurse did not provide the pain meds as scheduled. The patient also showed signs of discomfort for several hours. The nurse closely wa tched the patient all evening and up to the next shift, since she volunteered to cover it because a nurse called in sick. The next evening, this same patient was assigned to me. The researcher checked his chart and was surprised that the medication error was not documented, and that the normal dose of pain medication was documented. During his dinner break, the patient had difficulty in breathing and went into arrest. The patient died and autopsy showed that he died from an embolus to the lung. This was a probable unavoidable complication of the injuries. But since the patient experienced pain the evening before, his family members believed that the nursing staff neglected to observe him for complications. They said that they consider suing the facility and I know that I will be named in the suit. Case Study Analysis: 8-Step Model for Ethical Decision Making The case with this patient involves an ethical dilemma of reporting the medication error of my colleague. I will examine this case using the 8-Step Model of Ethical Decision Making (Bennett-Woods, 2001). I will determine the facts of the case and all information needed to properly analyze and resolve this issue. I will state the practical problem, identify the most important ethical questions and the theoretical bases for my analysis, discuss arguments and counterarguments, including their specific ethical concepts and supporting facts, name options, and choose and explain my final decisions. Step One: Gather Relevant Information Clinical indications. Patient was recovering from a car accident, where he suffered from chest and abdominal trauma and a badly-broken leg. The most common effects of car accidents are head, chest, pelvis, and abdominal trauma (Schmucker et al., 2010). The patient complained of dizziness and nausea, which can be the result of his injuries or the incorrectly given medicine. One of the primary tasks of nurses is drug administration and it occupies around 40% of their work time (Armi tage & Knapman, 2003, cited in Tang et al., 2007, p.448). Administering drugs have become more complex, especially when there were only 656 medications in 1961, but now there are more than 8000 medicine being prescribed, with more than 17000 trade and generic names in North America (Tang et al., 2007, p.448). Giving medication is â€Å"one of the most error-prone steps of the medication-use process, with 34% of all errors originating in this phase† (Bates et al. 1995, cited in Helmons, Wargel, & Daniels, 2009, p.1202). Some studies discovered that medication errors normally take place during the prescription and administration stages and can compose 65% to 87% of the total number of medication errors (Bates et al. 1993, 1995; Benjamin 2003, cited in Tang et al., 2007, p.448). Less than 2% of incorrect medication actions are not intercepted by the patients’ bedside (Helmons, Wargel, & Daniels, 2009, p.1202). The patient also showed signs of discomfort for several hours.

Slavery Essay Example for Free

Slavery Essay The way countries, nations or states act and base their policies on many times reflect what their past was like. This is very true in the case of Africa. The only problem is that Africa is said to have no history. This just means that Africa’s many cultures did not affect the way imperialists and other influences acted towards the huge continent. Everything was based on their interests and consequently this meant that the way of dealing with Africa in every way was based on Western traditionalists. To this we must answer the question how has the Western World affected Africa’s present stage and what must be done to undo what is wrong and hopefully correct this situation. Africa first played a role in Europe’s and the America’s history when the U. S. and Great Britain needed labor. They needed a lot of it and they needed it cheap. There was nothing cheaper than free labor. It would require an initial investment to African â€Å"leaders† but it paid off almost instantaneously. This is what we used to call slave trading. In around the 1860’s this became an illegal act. However, like any other crime, this trading could not be stopped entirely. British Naval ships were set up as blockades but sometimes Slaves were stored in spaces that were no higher than 12 inches so not all slave carrying boats could be stopped. In fact while the Navy stopped approximately 103,000 slaves from entering the slave force about 1. million entered it. Since this trade was illegal it was even more profitable than before. The slaves that were stopped from being shipped all the way west were being sent to Freetown, Sierra Leone and Monrovia, Liberia and they were called recaptives. These were towns set up by the British and some liberal Americans to send former slaves and recaptives back to their home continent.

The Subculture of Jimi Hendrix :: Music, Guitar, Rock Music

Jimi Hendrix, perhaps the best guitarist in rock history became the definition of rock music. In 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience shocked the nation with their first album; Are You Experienced? Hendrix had a short life due to drugs. When he was only 27 years old, he died while choking on his own vomit on his way to a hospital. In a few years, rock and roll changed a great deal and Jimi was the sole influence. Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington on November 27, 1942. When he was a child he would play along with his R&B records whenever he could. He didn’t always play music though; he had wanted to be in the army. In the late 1950’s Jimi joined the 101st airborne division, but he was discharged due to a back injury. That’s when his life started new, and he decided to become a musician. By this time he had already become a pretty good guitar player, and had dreams of something bigger. Jimi started out playing backup for little R&B groups. Some of the best known artists, such as BB King, Ike and Tina Turner, and Little Richard wanted him to play with them. After a few months of touring with R&B groups he wanted to try singing. A man heard him singing at a club and asked him to move to England, where he met the rest of his band members. In 1966 the Jimi Hendrix Experience debuted. One year later their club shows were overcrowded. The Monkees heard and liked them, and requested them to tour with them. But not many Monkees fans liked his lyrics and his style, so they kicked him off the tour. After this he was invited to pop festivals and eventually came out with his first album Are You Experienced? He played The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock and that is one way he became really famous. Soon after Woodstock his drug addiction became worse. On September 18th 1970 he was found dead in his room from a drug overdose and had drowned in his own vomit. Most people still like his music, and if he hadn’t have died he would probably still be changing music today. Affect In the middle of a blues craze, led by the Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton.

Avon Case Study

Avon Products, Inc. (Avon) is based in New York. The firm engages in the manufacture and marketing of beauty and complimentary products primarily in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.Avon’s products are classified into three product categories: Beauty, Beauty Plus, and Beyond Beauty. The Beauty category consists of cosmetics, fragrances, skin care, and toiletries; Beauty Plus includes fashion jewelry, watches, apparel, and accessories; and Beyond Beauty comprises home products, gift and decorative products, candles, and toys.The company sells and markets its products through a combination of direct selling, marketing by independent Avon representatives, and via its consumer Web site, avon. com. Avon was one of the prominent direct sales companies in the beauty products industry.Started in the late 1800s by David McConnell, the company sold a wide variety of beauty-related products to homemakers through its direct sales agents. However, by the 1980s, the co mpany had lost its luster and performance began to falter. A failed diversification strategy made it the target of several takeover attempts.Turnaround efforts were initiated in the 1990s under then CEO James Preston and continued by his successor Charles Perrin, however, they failed to make a significant impact. Performance began to improve only after Andrea Jung became the CEO of the company in 1999. Andrea Jung became president and CEO of Avon in 1999 and has totally revamped the company. Under her leadership, the company has updated its product line, launched new advertising, and created a new image. Avon’s sales have increased by 30 %, profits 40%, and the stock price has dramatically improved.Jung’s has been able to align the firm’s core capabilities with its strategic targets which has lead to phenomenal results. It appears that Jung has been able to establish a clear vision for the firm that has been incorporated in every aspect of the firm’s oper ating system.This vision is shared by all employees and representatives of Avon priming the company for continued success. Other strategies of Jung include cost cutting by reducing number of raw material suppliers, shifting production from smaller plants to larger ones, moving manufacturing from high cost nations like Great Britain to lower cost countries such as Poland.As mentioned in the Avon case study, the e-representative initiative also has helped Avon cut costs. The direct sellers are asked to fill in the order online. Avon’s brand has definitely resonated for women through the years.During the 1980s, the company began to diversify by investing in retirement properties and healthcare products, and launching catalogs for men and children. During the initial stages of this strategy, Avon started to remove itself from its core market of selling to women. The results were downward revenue trends and slow growth throughout the 1990's which resulted in several takeover bids. Unfortunately, Sears Roebuck and JC Penny do not really resonate well with being a carrier of women’s beauty supplies. The name â€Å"Sears† have been associated with appliance and not beauty products. The move of aligning with this companies and trying to sell higher end beauty products will only push Avon in the opposite direction that it should be heading, which is to move back towards tailoring to women domestically and globally. Over the years, Avon has experienced several problems leveraging its brand in many of its product lines.As a result, positive net sales and earnings growth for the past five years have been in single digits and steadily declining year after year. Specific problem areas are stagnated sales, slow earnings growth, limited distribution capabilities and shift in personal care preferences and spending habits.Andrea Jung’s proposal to expand into certain retail markets will only perpetuate Avon’s trend of declining net sales. The pr oposed plan will indeed create an additional distribution outlet and cater to this market segment. However, the question to examine is at what expense or cost will Avon endure making this decision?Avon has faced tremendous pitfalls marketing its product lines to effectively increase brand loyalty and recognition. Examples of this include the hair care product line. Avon did not effectively develop products for ethnic hair types. Additionally, Avon did not have a hair coloring product line. As a result, Avon suffered in building brand awareness and loyalty with the younger generation as well as the older generation that also demanded this product. Avon has lost loyalty and brand recognition as a result of its decision to diversify into different industries and different product lines.This has resulted in a loss of market share drastically affecting annual profit margins. To examine the previous question of what cost will Avon endure deciding to move into the retail markets? It is cle ar and evident; the cost will be a further extension of the existing internal problems that Avon faces. Deciding to move into the retail market to create a store inside a store is not in Avon’s best interest. This move would be a further expansion of Avon’s previous decisions to diversify into markets that do not have synergy and thus will hurt the overall branding of the company.Finally, implementing Andrea Jung’s proposal to enter the retail market would be detrimental to the already fragile state of Avon’s brand awareness, recognition and loyalty. Another factor for the underperformance of Avon in the late 1990s is its failure to develop the online business. For the fear of alienating its labor force, Avon downplayed the importance of developing the e-business. A company cannot ignore the environment and expect to be successful in the long run.Due to its internal struggle with the internet strategy, Avon fell behind other less established companies in taking advantage of the explosive growth of the internet Avon’s approach should build on original direction and implementations however expanding as necessary to fit current trends and environmental assessments.The focus should be on existing internal structures to build, create and advance current product lines. Avon’s focus should also exist in the field of technology to increase online selling opportunities, update internet technology and to re-brand themselves to be a leader of online sells.To accomplish this, strategy should focus on expanding kiosks globally and domestically. The expansion will leverage Avon by appealing to the market segment requesting additional distribution channels. This strategy will allow for trained beauty consultants to offer advice, education and samples thus increasing brand awareness and loyalty.Kiosks will have minimal start up cost and lower overheads. Focusing on product lines and catering to the needs and wants of each demographic group will prevent the previous pitfalls of lack of integration and decreased brand awareness and loyalty.Keeping Avon’s product offering separate and distinct will help existing challenges of branding. Focusing on technology improvements and online sales, Avon will have an opportunity to emerge as a leader in this area, thus adding additional channels of distribution and appealing to the overwhelming need.Under Andrea Jung’s leadership, Avon has faced a number of challenges. Some of these challenges were addressed successfully and others were not. In the early part of 2000, the management team had the daunting task of choosing an appropriate strategy for the immediate and long-term future for the company.One setback was a decrease in the firm’s growth rate to single digits and stagnated earnings. Avon’s CEO, Andrea Jung, was presented with a multitude of options that ranged from distributing through other departments stores, establishing kiosks, to overh auling the firm’s e-business. Jung was right in acknowledging that Avon’s core competency is direct selling and its major strength is its brand name. By refocusing on the core competency, improving efficiencies, and adapting to the environment with new initiatives, Avon could overcome the hurdles of the past and turn the company in the new direction.This case discussed the revival of Avon under Andrea Jung.1) What is your assessment of Andrea Jung’s performance as chief strategist at Avon Products? What has she done well? What overall grade would you give Andrea Jung for the job she has done as CEO? Answer:My assessment of Andrea Jung’s performance as chief strategists at Avon products is that she has done excellent job. Her first task was to hit the streets of her neighborhood, ringing doorbells, to better understand the desires of customers and needs of sales agents. She pushed for the addition of attractive new products to Avon and its sales representa tives.Andrea listened to the customers and grew global beauty category sales by new product development, sampling and more up-to-date advertising. The company was in serious trouble with annual sale growth of less than 1.5 percent and a crashing stock price during the general economic boon in history. Jung took the role of Avon lady to better understand what customers thought about company’s product and within field of direct sales model. . Avon’s grand strategy under the leadership of Andrea Jung has its merits and is the grand strategy is properly focused and directed.Andrea Jung has clearly directed the successful transformation of Avon Products Inc. by defining its vision as the company for women. With grand strategies in-place she is revitalizing Avon’s reputation as the world’s foremost direct seller of beauty products while leading the company into exciting new lines of businesses, launching a series of bold and image enhancing initiatives, and exp anding career opportunities for people around the world. The strategic plan in place has its merits and the grand strategy is properly focused and directed. Currently, Avon is the world’s leading direct seller of beauty and related products, with $7.7 billion in annual revenues.Avon markets to women around the world through 4. 9 million independent sales representatives. The evidence shows that Jung’s grand strategies were sound. The argument that the grand strategies were not optimal and needed to be refocused was weak due to the overall improvement of company performance and increase in shareholder wealth. Andrea Jung’s charismatic communication skills and management direction has catapulted Avon as a leader in the global beauty and cosmetic market. I would like to give Andrea Jung an â€Å"A† for the job as she has done her job well as CEO.She developed great strategy for Avon that helped to increase in sales. Andrea Jung outlined new vision and strate gic plan for Avon that call for highly innovative new products, build new line of business, critical link as internet in direct selling model and update its direct sales model to better fit 21st century. At age 40 Jung become CEO and in 2001, at age 42 she listed fourth on Fortune’s ranking of the 50 most powerful Women in American Business.2) What is Andre Jung’s strategic vision for Avon? Do you approve of the company’s new strategic direction? Why was it time for Avon to fundamentally change direction? Answer:Andrea Jung’s strategic vision for Avon was for them to be the company that understands and satisfies the product, service and self fulfillment needs for woman globally. I think their new strategic direction made sense. She knew products had to be made to fill the needs of different age group and races. It was time for Avon to become more modern and up-to-date. Jung’s view of new Avon was that of a company beyond selling cosmetics as truste d product which is needed by any women. She was in customer convenient strategy in beauty and financial services.She insisted that supporting women touches not only beauty, but health, fitness, self empowerment and most important financial independence. Yes, Avon’s new strategic direction would launch an entirely new line of business, the development of innovative products, new packaging, new channels to the distribution, a new approach to supply chain management, new sales models and new approaches to image building. When Andrea Jung became Avon’s new CEO in November 1999, the company’s annual sales growth had slowed to less than 1. 5 percent and its stock price had fallen from a high of $55 to a three year low $25.The strategies initiated by Charles Perrin had resulted in some improvement in 1998 with modest sales growth, but in late 1999 Avon was in need of bold direction. When Perrin resigned because of his lack in direct sales limitation, Andrea Jung need a fundamental change in direction. Jung understood the desires of customers and needs of sales agents. She heard the customer grips over product colors, mishandled orders, unattractive packaging, lack of innovative products and confusing promotions.Ultimately she discovered the structural obstacles to achieve in success. Policies for placing orders made difficult for sales agents to increase sales volume and commissions. When Andrea Jung stepped in as CEO of Avon, she brought with her many new, fresh ideas that helped make Avon what it is today. Her strategy didn’t agree with what consultants thought, but she willingly took risks to enforce what she believed to be the best strategy for Avon. We believe that her strategy was good, solid foundation that will continue to keep Avon at the top as America’s number one selling Cosmetic and Beauty Company.3) What is your assessment to the financial and strategic objectives Jung has set for Avon? Do they contain too much stretch ? Too little stretch? Answer:Several things happened once Andrea Jung was named CEO of Avon. First, she decided to reverse the current trend of losing sales. She did this by creating a strategy that would turn the company around. Jung’s suggested strategy to partner with Sears and JC Penney department stores was an idea that would help to promote the strategy she had come up with. It would introduce a new, upscale product line, thus increasing profits, sales and nationwide exposure to the baby boomer segment. Retail selling increased with in-store customer traffic and expected growth of spending power to 16 percent within five years.Face-to-face selling comprised 79.7 percent of direct selling, preferred among senior citizens. The marketing budget would be increased to target customer traffic at Sears and JC Penney. Investment costs were limited to $15 – 20 million to launch retail products, with a bulk of expenses being absorbed by the department store. Avon’s strengths would help increase global recognition of brand name and image. Jung suggested promoting certified Beauty Advisors in department stores and increased incentives for sales representatives.In addition, having department stores sell via the Internet would increase the channels of distribution, thus increasing consumer loyalty. Reduce inventory level while improving service to representatives which increase the forecasting accuracy and order fill rate in supply chain management. Strategy provides opportunity for sales representatives to increase their income and greater career opportunities through sales leadership. Develop E- commerce opportunity for Avon and sales representatives, improving operating margins 50-100 basis points though business process redesign.Another strategy is growing global beauty category sales through in new product development, advertising and sampling. All these factors would affect Avon’s long-term goals by forcing Jung to find new, creative ways to stay fresh in the market. Jung had created a strategic plan that met the vision of Avon; she had created goals that were measurable and geared toward future company growth. The goals seemed to be obtainable in the current business market. In addition, Jung’s idea that technology may be the answer was in response to a changing business environment which included movement toward e-business.This ideal would be synergistic and build upon their present success. It is too little stretch because the objectives were not set boldly and aggressively high. These goals were not impossible targets.4) What have been the key elements of Avon’s strategy been under previous CEOs? What new and different strategy elements have been initiated by Andrea Jung? How well does Andrea Jung’s new strategy seem to match features of the global cosmetics industry and Avon’s resource strength, competitive capabilities, and culture? Answer:Key elements to Avon’s strategy under previous CEO were set to sell directly to consumers via independent sales representatives working on commission. Avon catered to mostly upper middle income females and focused almost exclusively on US cosmetic market.Andrea Jung initiated expansion into markets outside US making Avon products available online, and began selling Avon products through retail channels. She also instituted a more upscale packaging to match the look of prestige cosmetic brands. She focused on a low cost/ low price strategy and focus to sale to low and middle income families.Andrea’s new strategy was likely to improve Avon’s financial performance and help build a competitive advantage. Her approach is sensible in light of what competitors are doing and the position they hold in the market place.Avon is highly backward integrated, self-manufacturing many of the items that they sell. This causes the competitive pressures of suppliers to be weak. Avon can get supplies from many parts of t he world because they have entered foreign markets and produce products in different countries. A lot of Avon’s supplies such as packaging, may be easily substituted if a supplier raised prices.Under Andrea Jung’s direction, Avon is focusing on developing nations especially China. Many developing countries are more receptive to direct selling by women since jobs with Avon are opportunities for women who want to be independent in the male dominated cultures. Avon has also recognized that the demographics has changed and recruiting younger women to sell to the younger customer base. Competitive pressures stemming from customer buying power is moderate because switching costs are low and customers have the ability to fulfill their needs by switching brands.Buyers tend to be well informed about Avon’s product prices and costs largely due to the Internet and this put customers at a position of higher bargaining power. Customers do not pose a threat of integrating bac kwards, because it would not be easy for women to develop their own make-up, perfume or skin care products. Due to the direct selling business model, there is an extremely large number of buyers. Another Avon objective that aims to alleviate pressures coming from competing sellers includes consists of reinventing their antiquated image.Realizing this, Jung endorsed the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena Williams were popular teen icons that portrayed the image where Jung hoped to achieve for Avon; young, powerful, and ambitious.5) How well has Avon’s new strategy been implemented so far? What are Avon’s strategy successes so far? What problems or missteps do you see? How important has Susan Kropf been to Avon’s implementation efforts? Was she a good choice as chief operating officer? Why or why not? Answer:Andrea Jung’s highly successful career would not be possible without effective and insightful management.†Throughout Jung’s ambitious expa nsion, her management style was to emphasize open communication, goal orientation, and feedback from her sales force. † Avon routinely brings in the top performing sales reps from across the globe to Avon’s headquarters in New York City in order to gather first hand feedback from the employees in the field. Ms. Jung herself even attempted to sale Avon’s products as a traditional Avon lady. An attempt she acknowledges was not one of her more successful endeavors. The attempt however, showed Ms. Jung’s commitment to understanding all aspect’s of the Avon business. A common theme in Ms.Jung’s leadership speeches encourage women empowerment and promote a belief that more women will continue to hold key executive roles. Under Ms. Jung’s leadership, Avon management supports flexible work schedules and encourages employees to create a healthy balance between work and family responsibilities.There are a number of missteps that Avon has taken u nder Andrea Jung’s leadership. They include partnering with companies that image does not adequately match Avon’s and the company’s problems with launching its online business segment. Recently, Avon announced plans to partner with Sears and JC Penney’s.One of the potential negative aspects for Avon partnering with JC Penny and Sears would be the possible lowering of brand name for Avon. The company ran the risk of possible further reduction of its brand name. † Since its inception Avon has worked very hard in tailoring its niche market towards women. Ms. Kropf’s most recent responsibilities included certain global staff functions. She retained responsibility for global marketing as well as the companywide Business Process Redesign efforts that have freed up nearly $400 million in the past three years for reinvestment in consumer brand building and other growth initiatives.Yes, Susan Kropf was a good choice as a chief operating officer of Avo n Products Inc. with full profit-and-loss responsibility for all of Avon’s worldwide operations, including global marketing and supply chain. Susan has played a critical role in Avon’s success by sharing her insights on Avon’s rich history and the company’s successful strategies for sustaining brand power for over a century. Susan Kropf reconfigured the value chain thereby cutting costs of non-value adding areas.6) Has Andrea Jung been effective in evaluating the company’s performances, monitoring new developments, and initiating corrective adjustments?Does Andrea Jung appear to have Personal traits well suited to refining and fine-tuning the company’s strategy and implementation efforts? Are her strengths better suited to instituting sweeping changes and quickly moving to a new project? Answer:Andrea Jung represents a great strength to Avon Products Inc. Regardless of gender, any CEO who can take a company with a 50 percent drop in share pr ice and raise company stock by 164 percent in five short years shows insightful leadership and effective management. In addition to the financial success, Ms. Jung has also played a vital role in Avon’s public relations arena.She shows an amazing ability to connect with a variety of shareholders and the public. Her ability to communicate with all levels of an internationally diverse Avon staff and public contribute to Avon’s ability to successfully implement strategic changes in direction.Yes, Andrea Jung’s vision of what she wanted to accomplish as CEO of Avon included a strategy to; improve brand image, introduce new products, increase use of the internet as a channel of distribution, provide greater incentives and opportunities for the sales force, reduce unnecessary costs in the value chain, and continue to expand into global markets.Product innovation was a large part of Jung’s strategy for Avon. In fact, in 1999 she challenged Avon’s R&D team to develop a new product within two years. In less than one year Avon introduced Anew Retroactive, an anti-aging skin cream. It achieved record sales for Avon and led to the development of other successful lines of business.In less than one year Avon introduced Anew Retroactive, an anti-aging skin cream. It achieved record sales for Avon and led to the development of other successful lines of business. For example, Avon Wellness products exceeded sales estimates by 300%.One problem that Avon faces is the strong competition within fields they are trying to expand into. Avon is marketing a nutritional product line called Wellness, which includes vitamins, supplements, bars, etc. This market is competitively strong. Being ahead of the industry in introducing new products combined with the company’s already strong market position could further improve Avon’s brand equity and therefore revenues. In particular, Avon should continue to integrate sales representative into all aspects of sales. This is Avon’s own key success factor and what sets them apart from their competitors.With the growing popularity of the internet as an outlet of commerce, Jung was compelled to implement internet sales into her strategy, realizing that the â€Å"Avon Lady† is the distinctive core competency for Avon in new projects.7) What additional actions would you recommend Andrea Jung take to help the company to achieve its long term strategic and financial objectives? Are any changes needed in the company’s vision? Its objectives? Its strategy? Its implementation efforts? What challenges might the new strategy present to Avon’s top management team? What risks do you see? Answer:Based on demographic data, China holds 20% of the world’s population. This represents a vast market of which Avon has only begun to cover. Avon should continue to focus on the expansion of retail outlet sales in China. Also, because the only sales in China are gener ated through retail outlets, Avon should further develop their Beauty Advisors training. Europe should also be a continued focus for Avon. Industry leader, L’Oreal’s attributes 50% of their total sales to the European market. Avon had a successful growth rate in Europe but only 23% of the total 2003 sales came from Europe.There is still room to expand in this market. Based on one of the industry’s key success factors, product innovation, Avon should focus even more resources on R&D especially in the areas of anti-aging products and teen products. Because 23 million teenagers have an average weekly disposable income of $85, Avon should continue with innovative teen marketing such as the current â€Å"mark† brand but also work on products for problem teen skin. Avon Products Inc under the leadership of CEO Andrea Jung is at a point where there are opportunities for growth for the organization. However Ms.Jung appears to be indisposed towards taking steps to take advantage of Avon’s position. Also her approach is flawed. Let’s take a look at her approach and then also look at viable alternatives. Andrea advocates: partnering with Sears and JC Penny department stores so as to create a store-within-a-store, Avon products.Based on this, the board of directors felt that Jung’s original options did not provide the same amount of increased sales and revenues, attraction to increased clientele base, motivation and acceptance by current sales representatives, or increase shareholder wealth as the consultant’s options did.The consultant’s options provided a means to Avon Products, Inc. to become a household name to those whom were not attracted by limited previous distribution channels, and Jung’s choices of re-invigorating the brand, instituting beauty advisory training, expanding multilevel sales programs or partnering with department stores. Kiosks were admittedly a risk. At $6,000 per kiosk and lack of information on kiosk performance, Andrea indicated these would be too expensive.Perhaps a trial run of a low number of kiosks in the environment would settle this question. In conclusion, the Avon CEO strategy did not impress as very well thought out and it was a good thing she went to the review board first. Avon should stick with their bread and butter – the sales representatives as it is the channel where they were recognized and where they became one of the largest beauty products in the world. The website should be a complement to the services that Avon offers. Recommendations:For promoting direct-sales through consumer and the business; one is to offer incentives to its customers and second is to motivate the business to promoting its products by advertisements, establishing sales competition for employees, participating in conventions, and by endorsing franchise of its products to retail stores.Promoting Avon’s products and high chance of increasing direct-s ales is to offer incentives to its consumers. Incentives provide a positive motivational influence to encourage and excite buyers to buy the products. Such incentives, appropriate for this situation, are coupons, rebates, product samples and awards.Coupons can be attached in mail, beauty magazines, newspapers, and advertisements on mail or on the internet company’s official website. Rebates can be offered also to attract more buyers to buy the products.Rebates can be advertised also on coupons through mail or the internet. Another successful way of attracting consumers is by offering samples of Avon’s cosmetic products, which can be done door-todoor or attached on an advertisement through mail. Finally, awards through prizes, contests or sweepstakes can offer consumers the chance to win something small or big like cash or free-trips.Also, prizes can be offering a free gift whenever a consumers purchase one of Avon’s products. This last incentive option attracts more attention from consumers than the three other options. Motivate the Avon business to reach its goals of promoting its products and gaining sales through advertisements, sales competition, participating in conventions and endorsing franchise. Advertising is the key to attracting consumers and the outcome is high sales. Such advertisement is done through media (television), mail, or the internet.The more awareness from the public of the company likely to attract more buyers and the outcome is high sales. The next option is to encourage Avon’s sales representatives with awards/prizes that reached their sales goals within a period of time.Another is participating in conventions and this is more likely to increase sales through direct contact with customers. Last is to endorse franchise of Avon’s products with small and big cosmetic-related retail stores, such as Macy, JC Penny, etc. This option can be most likely increase sales and in turn profit which is any companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s ultimate aim.

Is ObamaCare Bad for Business? Essay

On March 23rd, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into legislation the â€Å"Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.† Since then, the new bill, nicknamed â€Å"ObamaCare,† has sparked heated controversy all across the country between Democrats and Republicans, each side fiercely tearing at each other with facts and statistics. I was curious as to what all the hoopla was about, so I decided to look into ObamaCare, and find out what I could about the 2,000-page mandate. I decided to discuss ObamaCare with my step mom, who owns a health clinic in Oregon. Getting a small business owner’s point of view on ObamaCare seemed a smart way to get a more objective understanding of how the public was reacting, aside from any political squabble that tends to drown out the issue at hand. While talking with her, she explained how she was forced to shut down her clinic because of ObamaCare. That moment narrowed the focus of my research into one crucial question: Is ObamaCare good or bad for small businesses in America? This is a question that is very complex, as the answer can be a yes, no, or in-between. Democrats support the mandate, while Republicans reject it. Hence the controversy surrounding the bill. To further my understanding, I went online and tried filtering through the immense plethora of information on ObamaCare. My next step would be to get a general understanding of what the bill is, and how it works. From what I could gather, ObamaCare is basically a mandate that requires all Americans to have health insurance by 2015, or else suffer a hefty penalty that will increase with each year. The main focus of the mandate is towards individuals and small businesses whom cannot afford health insurance. According to Karen Pollitz at abcnews.com, ObamaCare is â€Å"a law enacted to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health insurance. It does this by offering consumers discounts (known as tax credits) on government-sponsored health insurance plans, and by expanding the Medicaid assistance program to include more people who don’t have it in their budgets to pay for health care.† To get back to the question at hand, is ObamaCare good for small businesses? Democrats really seem to believe so. As was said before, Democrats support the mandate, and claim that ObamaCare has helped improve the economy since the law was signed. Not only that, but the mandate has cut healthcare costs. According to obamacarefacts.com, when asked about ObamaCare hurting small businesses, the response was addressed as â€Å"The unbiased truth on ObamaCare and Small Business.† The response stated that ObamaCare helps most small businesses, not hurts them. The response goes on to address how small business owners have had a harder time providing insurance to their employees through history as a result of rising insurance costs. All the while larger businesses remain largely unaffected. The website also states that â€Å"today, almost half of America’s uninsured are small business owners, employees, or their dependents.† Small businesses can also apply for a tax credit to help with insurance costs by using ObamaCare, for up to 35% of costs for 2 years, depending on the circumstances. To restate what was said earlier about what ObamaCare basically is, the mandate includes a certain clause that says that businesses that refuse to offer insurance coverage to employees and individuals who do not have insurance by the end of 2014 will be forced to pay a heavy penalty, about $2-3,000 per uninsured employee. The rates increase each year as well, which should deter large businesses from dropping employees or cutting back everyone’s hours to part-time, to make sure employees get the benefits they deserve. Here comes the messy part: the political backlash of Republicans refuting the so-called â€Å"facts.† Republicans are dead set on their opinion that ObamaCare is bad for small businesses, not good. To begin refuting the Democrats’ claims, the tax credit that small businesses can apply for is not as sweet as the candy looks. Yes, you can apply for the tax credit, but what the Democrats failed to mention is that you have to go through four complicated tests to even qualify. Less than a fourth of small businesses make it past the first three tests trying to get the tax credit. Not to mention that the credit only lasts two years at the most, not very long at  all. This makes the credit practically useless, as it is not even assured you will get the full 35%, but rather you can receive up to 35% of the credit, depending on your circumstances. President Obama had a famous quote from when he was first advertising ObamaCare: â€Å"If you like your current health plan you can keep it. We don’t want you to have to change.† This quote haunts the President amidst reports that 3.5 million Americans who purchase health care plans on their own have now lost their coverage because of ObamaCare. Scott Gottlieb writes, â€Å"Very soon, small businesses will share a similar fate.† They will also see their health plans canceled as a result of ObamaCare. These small businesses will be faced with a bleak choice: find another, more costly policy that’s compliant with ObamaCare, or put their employees in the ObamaCare exchange. While a smaller percentage of business plans may get canceled (relative to the fraction of individual market plans that are now being terminated) the small group market is nonetheless much bigger than the individual market. Even if ObamaCare materially affects a smaller slice of the business plans, it will still encumber far more people than the 3.5 million individuals now losing coverage. Some small businesses used a loophole last year in 2013 so that they could delay the mandate requirements until January 1st, 2015. That means they should be getting their cancellation notices in the mail around November of 2014. News of these cancellations will go directly to the employees, much like the cancellations being sent out now. After researching diligently on ObamaCare, the question I started off with in the beginning is ready to be answered.Yes, there are many bad things about the mandate that affect businesses, such as loss of coverage to employees, penalties that cost businesses their revenue, and people losing their coverage entirely. There are also some good things about the mandate too, like some small businesses will be able to cover their employees with healthcare for the first time. Small businesses can also receeive tax credits and tax breaks to help them survive our economic hardships. But the debate goes on, and every person has their own opinions and bias on the issue, which in turn answers the question for them. For me, I do not like  ObamaCare one bit, as it implies that the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many in terms of healthcare. But that is a question of personal ethics, not the effects of ObamaCare. Works Cited Gottlieb, Scott. â€Å"Thousands Of Small Businesses Will Also Start Losing Their Current Health Policies Under Obamacare. Here’s Why.† Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottgottlieb/2013/11/06/thousands-of-small-businesses-will-also-start-losing-their-current-health-policies-under-obamacare-heres-why/ â€Å"What Is Obamacare?.† About.com US Economy. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://useconomy.about.com/od/healthcarereform/f/What-Is-Obama-Care.htm â€Å"ObamaCare: 2.5 million more jobs lost, another trillion in deficit spending.† Human Events. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. http://www.humanevents.com/2014/02/04/obamacare-2-5-million-more-jobs-lost-another-trillion-in-deficit-spending/ â€Å"ObamaCare Small Business Facts.† ObamaCare Small Business Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-smallbusiness.php Neporent, Liz. â€Å"Obamacare Explained (Like You’r e An Idiot).† ABC News. ABC News Network, 23 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/obamacare-explained-idiot/story?id=21292932 â€Å"Is Obamacare Financially Burdensome for Businesses? – DEBATED.† Obamacare/ Health Care Laws. N.p., 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001840

9 Strategies to Handle Difficult Behaviors in Children

9 Strategies to Handle Difficult Behaviors in Children The first step in dealing  with inappropriate behavior is to show patience. This often means taking a cooling period before saying or doing something one might regret. This also might involve having the child or student sit in a time out, or remain alone until their teacher can deal with the inappropriate behavior. Be Democratic Children need choice. When teachers are ready to give a consequence, they should allow for some choice. The choice could have to do with the actual consequence, the time when the consequence will occur, or input as to what follow up should and will occur. When teachers allow for choice, the outcomes are usually favorable, and the child becomes more responsible. Understand the Purpose or Function Teachers have to consider why the child or student is misbehaving. There is always a purpose or a function. The purpose could include getting attention, power, and control, revenge, or feelings of failure. Its important to understand the purpose to support it readily. For instance, knowing a child is frustrated and feeling like a failure will require a change of programming to ensure that he or she is set up to experience success. Those seeking attention need to receive attention. Teachers can catch them doing something good and recognize it. Avoid Power Struggles In a power struggle, nobody wins. Even if a teacher feels like they have won, they havent, because the chance of reoccurrence is great. Avoiding power struggles comes down to exhibiting patience. When teachers show patience, they are modeling good behavior. Teachers want to model good behavior even when they are dealing with inappropriate student behaviors. A teachers behavior most often influences a childs behavior. For example, if teachers are hostile or aggressive when dealing with various behaviors, children will be too. Do the Opposite of What Is Expected When a child or student misbehaves, they often anticipate the teachers response. Teachers can do the unexpected when this happens. For instance, when teachers see children playing with matches or playing in an area that is outside of the boundaries, they expect teachers to say Stop, or Get back inside the boundaries now. However, teachers can try saying something like, You kids look too smart to be playing there. This type of communication will surprise children and students and works frequently. Find Something Positive For students or children who regularly misbehave, it can be challenging to find something positive to say. Teachers need to work at this because the more positive attention students receive, the less apt they are to look for attention negatively. Teachers can go out of their way to find something positive to say to their chronic misbehaving students. These children often lack belief in their ability and teachers need to help them see that they are capable. Dont Be Bossy or Reflect Bad Modeling Bossiness usually ends up with students seeking revenge. Teachers can ask themselves if they like being bossed around, in consideration, as children do not enjoy it either. If teachers employ the strategies suggested, they will find that they wont need to be bossy. Teachers should always express a strong desire and interest to have a good relationship with the student or child. Support a Sense of Belonging When students or children dont feel they belong, they often act out inappropriately to justify their feeling of being outside of the circle. In this scenario, teachers can ensure the student has a strong sense of belonging by praising the childs efforts to get along or work with others. Teachers can also praise attempts to follow the rules and adhere to routines. Teachers may also find success in using we when describing the behavior they want, such as, We always try to be kind to our friends.   Pursue Interactions That Go Up, Down, Then up Again When teachers are about to reprimand or punish a child, teachers can bring them up first by saying something like, Lately youve done so well. Ive been so impressed with your behavior. Why, today, did you need to be involved with a hands-on? This is a way for teachers to deal with the issue head-on. Then, teachers can end on a note like, I know it wont happen again because youve been so good up until this moment. I have great faith in you. Teachers may use different approaches but should always remember to bring them up, take them down, and bring them up again. Strive to Create a Positive Learning Environment Research shows that the most important factor in student behavior and performance is the teacher and student relationship. Students want teachers that: Respect themCare about themListen to themDont yell or shoutHave a sense of humorAre in a good moodLet students give their opinions and their side or opinion Ultimately, good communication and respect between teachers and students are effective in maintaining a positive learning environment.

Daniel Keyes Controversial Novel Questions for Study

Daniel Keyes Controversial Novel Questions for Study Flowers for Algernon is a famous 1966 novel by Daniel Keyes. It began as a short story, which Keyes later expanded into a full novel. Flowers for Algernon tells the story of a mentally challenged man, Charlie Gordon, who undergoes a surgical procedure that dramatically increases his IQ. Its the same procedure thats already been performed successfully on a mouse named Algernon. At first, Charlies life is improved by his expanded mental capacity, but he comes to realize people he thought were his friends were mocking him. He falls in love with his former teacher, Miss Kinnian, but soon surpasses her intellectually, leaving him feeling isolated. When Algernons intelligence begins to decline and he dies, Charlie sees the fate that awaits him, and soon he begins to regress as well. In his final letter, Charlie asks that someone leave flowers on Algernons grave, which is in Charlies backyard. Here are a few questions for study and discussion of Flowers for Algernon: What is important about the title? Is there a reference in the novel that explains the title?What statement does the novel make, directly or indirectly, about the treatment of the mentally challenged?Flowers for Algernon was published in the mid-1960s. Are Keyes views on mental disability and intelligence dated? Does he use terms to describe Charlie that are no longer considered appropriate?What passages could have been grounds for banning Flowers for Algernon (as it was several times)?Flowers for Algernon is whats known as an epistolary novel, told in letters and correspondence. Is this an effective technique for showing Charlies rise and decline? Why or why not? To whom do you think the letters and notes Charlie writes are written?Is Charlie consistent in his actions? What is unique about his situation?Consider the location and time period of the novel. Would changing one or both have changed the story significantly?How are women portrayed in Flowers for Algernon? What would have b een different about the story if Charlie had been a woman who underwent such a controversial surgery? Are the doctors who operate on Charlie acting in his best interests? Do you think Charlie would have gone through with the operation if he knew what the ultimate outcome would be?Several publishers rejected Flowers for Algernon, demanding Keyes rewrite it with a happier ending, with at least one suggesting Charlie should marry Alice Killian. Do you think that would have been a satisfying conclusion to the story? How would it have affected the integrity of the storys central theme?What is the central message of the novel? Is there more than one moral to the story of Charlies treatment?What does the novel suggest about the connection between intelligence and happiness?What genre do you think this novel belongs to: ​Science fiction or horror? Explain your answer. Here are some additional links to enhance your appreciation and understanding of Flowers for Algernon

Complusory Insurance bill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Complusory Insurance bill - Essay Example Whilst participation consent is implied in respect of injuries falling within the ambit of inherent risks in the game, the extent of this "consent" has become contentious in practice with negligence liability arising for non-contact sport in addition to contact sport. For example, in the case of Condon v Basi ([1985] 1 WLR) it was asserted that an "inherent risk" in the game for the purpose of determining implied consent was essentially a question of fact, dependent on the circumstances of the game, including the regulations, the rules and customs and the inherent dangers. It was further stated that this was an objective test. Accordingly, the parameters of liability have remained uncertain with regard to who the appropriate tortfeaser is, along with the extent of liability for both professional and amateur players bringing claims in negligence. For example, in the leading case of Smoldon v Whitworth (1997] PIQR 133) it was determined that a referee of the Rugby Union match was liable for injuries suffered by a rugby player by another player as a result of a collapsed scrum. In this particular case, the referee had failed to enforce the rules of the International Rugby Board as applied to a rugby game, in which there were more than 20 collapsed scrums. Furthermore, there had also been complaints from certain players, a warning from one of the touch judges and shouts from the spectators. Furthermore, in the more recent case of Vowles v Evans ([2002] EWHC 2612), the Court of Appeal asserted that at all levels of sport a referee owed a duty to take reasonable care for the safety of players. Legal commentators have suggested that these cases by analogy point towards potential liability of coaches for failing to take reasonable care for the safety of their players. However, the liability of coaches remains ambiguous as it has been untested, however in light the Smoldon decision, the categories of potential defendants has clearly widened in sports injury claims. It is also important to mention that the relevant organisation putting on the game could also be liable for the player's injuries. For example, in the case of Watson v British Boxing Board of Control [2001]2 WLR 1256, it was held that the Board owed Watson a duty of care to provide appropriate resuscitation equipment and a person or persons qualified to use such equipment at the ringside. The Court made it clear that it was the duty of the Board and of those advising it on medical matters to be proactive in accounting for foreseeable risks and to seek competent advice as to how a recognised danger could be combated. Firstly, in the case of Condon v Basi ([1985]) the Court of Appe