Mix Racial and Cultural Groups Are Growing in the United States Essay Example for Free

Mix Racial and Cultural Groups Are Growing in the United States Essay Mixed Racial and Cultural Groups is increased by a marginal number in the United States. The growth of these multiracial groups started to surface through migration of different ethnics and raised most of their families in the United States even through marriage. These are some of the issues that have been raised by individual people of having an entity separation of mixed race and cultural or to considered them as Americans without a hyphen. Thinking about this issue myself, and thinking of my two children who married to a different ethnic rather than Samoans. These questions come to mind about this issue: How, Why, and what the three words that needs a big explanation about this matter. According to multiracial Americans, Americans whose identity as two or more races identifies with just one group culturally and socially. From statistics that I got from online, stated that about 2.9% of the population in the year 2010 are self-identified as multiracial. The identity or the classification of the people’s identification is generally according to the culture they were raised in. Social segregation in many areas of the country is forming interracial unions or cultural group. The diversity of social conditions through migrations brought new groups of people to the United States. Through these migrations, mixed races started to rise when interracial marriage were born and started to increase in the United States. The movement of multiracial identity by more than one ethnicity has taken place and strong. Statistics from the year 2010 census in the United States shows that the largest multiracial groups were white and black which is 1.8 million. The other 1.7 millions are white and some other race, white and Asian is 1.6, white and American Indian and Alaskan Native is 1.4 million. I have learned that the largest growing group in multiracial is white and black which is about 134%. That is more than 1 million people. MIX RACIAL AND CULTURAL GROUP According to Susan Saulny of the New York Times, title Race Remixed, said that â€Å"sea of change is how we think about race, ethnicity and its place in society†. I believe that a challenge to trend towards multiracial from a sociological perspective is a leap that we should take. The understanding of racial and ethnic categories of their boundaries can be a problem to other multiracial groups. I think that ancestry is the biggest influence in identities through a number of generations through migrations. I also believe that each multi mix or racial group should be treated the same regardless of their identity. If they are legally citizens of the United States, they have the right to be treated equally. I believe that they have contributed to the wellbeing and welfare of the United States through their services in employment within the government, military or private companies. Regardless of the race and ethnicity, they should be treated and considered Americans. President Obama is good example of what I mean about treating them the same no matter what color of their skin or where they are from. I know that some of these mix race entities are trying to separate themselves with-in the United States but when they travel to other countries of the world, they considered be call Americans. As a citizen of New Zealand, I am proud to call myself to be an American and I respect the land that my children were born. What can the United States or these multiracial groups gain from wanting to be separated from their identity. Through my search online, I came across Mrs. Karissa Sulliva’s draft and she said that ancestry influences identities. She said that socialization is the crucible of racial and ethnic identity formation. Farley in 2002, construct racial and ethnic classifications which was adopted by the government for each race or reconsidered themselves to either refuse to identify their own race and ethnic category. MIX RACIAL AND CULTURAL GROUP I believe that mix racial and cultural groups are increasing daily by the number throughout the United States. However, research shows that children with an original multiracial identity grow up to be happier than those of single-race identity. Some of the statistics shows that another addition to the growth of mix race is through adoption of children from countries outside of the United States. According to Fact’s for Families 2010, parents are coping with these pressures in having open communications with the families about their culture and race. Encouragement and support in every multicultural group for families to be familiar with their language, traditions and customs within their families. They have to support and try to establish a good relationship by creating a network for their children, parents, family member, relatives and the community. In conclusion, the separation and classifications between mix racial and multicultural groups is not an easy task or thing to do. Two of my children are married to different ethnic. My oldest daughter is married to an African American and my son is married to a girl who is beautiful and white but has about four or five mix blood in her. I believe in democracy and the United States is nowhere in having a separation of any mix race and cultural group who are living in the United States. God Bless America, God bless the people of the United States. References: Perez, Anthony Daniel, Hirschman, Charles. The Changing Racial and Ethnic. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2882688/ The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (March-2011). Facts for Families, no.71 Multiracial Children. http://www.aacap.org/galleries/FactsForFamilies/71_multiracial_children.pdf Dr. Nicole Martinez and Mrs. Karissa Sullivan. May 6, 2013 .docx.

Full Strategic Analysis Of Caribou Coffee Company Inc Marketing Essay

Full Strategic Analysis Of Caribou Coffee Company Inc Marketing Essay Caribou coffee Incl commonly known as CBOU.O is a company specializing in retail of teas, coffee bakery goods and other related products. Since it inception in 1992, the firm operates in various reportable divisions which include: commercial, retail and franchise businesses. Retail segment comprise of about 400 of the total coffee establishment and focuses on the local market. These key stores are based in Minnesota and over 20 other store in major states where CBOU.O operates. Commercial segment focuses on mass merchandisers while the franchise business which comprises of about 19% of the total coffee houses targets the international market. Caribou Incl operates in international and local markets as well with a bout 510 coffeehouses (Perry 2003, p. 46). Additionally, the firm supplies its products to diverse clientele groups such as grocery stores, hotels, airlines, mass merchandisers, entertainment venues, offices and colleges among other clients. Caribou management main goal is d irected towards providing high quality coffee blends and other related products to its clients. Key to their attractive strategy, CBOU.O has well designed outlets which resemble ski lodges and even Alaskan cabins, which offer the firms a range of coffee blends, or even specialty teas, coffee drinks and baked goods. In order to expand on its distribution chain CBOU.O sells both brewing supplies and whole bean coffee (Hall 2005, p. 76). In addition the firm has over 100 franchised outlets which are mostly founded in the greater Middle East part as well as South Korea. As per 2008 fiscal report, 60% of the Caribou Coffee firm is owned by Arcapita, a Bahrain-based investment faction. CBOU.O has recorded positive growth in history of gourmet coffee industry amid competition from Kraft Foods Inc., Starbucks Corporation, Proctor Gamble and Nestle Inc. 1.10 Company Analysis CBOU.O is not immune to industry macro as well as micro factors influencing business performance levels. The wider business environment has created both opportunity and challenges to CBOU.Os performance in coffee industry. The volume of coffeehouse chains has increased in the recent past with the new entrants in the renowned specialty product category. For instance, the external environment in the industry has been hit by high competition with greater impacts felt the period between fiscal 1998 and 2003 (Hoskisson Hitt 2008, p. 96). The industry has also presented a new wave of demographics shift where young adults easily indentify with coffee products. With greater cultural influence in the foreign markets, decaffeinated coffee has easily being marketed in defined global market niche. Similarly, in coffee industry market trends have also forced leading firms to leverage their brand names into various categories in an attempt to grow greater sales. 1.11 PESTEL Analysis Social factors Social trends has impacted CBOU.Os marketing, RD activities, rebranding procedure, market entry strategies, employees motivation and the firms business units performances. CBOU.O has been influenced by various factors including changing demographics, family changes, consumer expectations and various cultural changes (Perry 2003, p. 89). The firm has witnessed a shift in consumer habits in various markets where brand switching has been popularized by the existence of a variety of specialty products offered by similar players in the market. Due to the perceived change in consumer expectations CBOU.O has been constantly extending their product-line to include various coffee versions in the market. For instance, decaffeinated coffee has been an entrant in various market niches as a deliberate effort to avert brand switch to other alternative beverages. This has been mainly instigated by cultural preferences. Similarly, the changing demographics in both global as well as local market have influenced CBOU.O business activities. For example, between fiscal 2003 and 2006, adults aged between 18 and 24 who took coffee daily doubled in percentage and crossed over 30 % mark as per the NCAs (i.e. National Coffee Association) data (Perry 2003, p. 193). The young adult drinking behavior/habits has and will continue influencing Caribou Coffee consumption since this age bracket constitute the long-life coffee drinkers as they enter early adulthood. The youngsters demographics are vital to CBOU.O since they are likely to favor coffee to other familiar soft drinks in future. Political forces Government policy in terms of degree of economic intervention has greatly influenced CBOU.O in the greater Minnesota region. Various stakeholders such as regulators and politicians impacts any industry in terms of workforce safety issues, firms subsidies, quality infrastructure and business supports. For example, Caribou has been continually influenced by various policies linked to NCA. Like other firms, Caribou has enjoyed government intervention during various difficulty economic seasons as well as on labor issue intervention. Trade barriers, among other government policies has influenced entry procedures across the 20 states stores. For instance, favorable trade policies have assisted the firm to expand and perhaps source for quality coffee (Grant 2005, p. 94). Economic factors Inflation, economic growth issues, interest rates and taxation changes has affected Caribou Coffee Company in terms of product performance, business profitability, production costs and firms overheads. For instance, in fiscal 2007/2008 the firm reported increase in production costs brought about by increase in related costs such as higher wage demands due to economic difficulties experienced globally. More positive in the trend in economic growth witnessed in early 2000 that saw CBOU.O report increase in demand for various coffee products. In addition, in fiscal 2006 Lower interest made more viable for investors such as Arcapita to invest in about 60% CBOU.O since the costs associated with borrowing was too low. Finally, economic difficulties witnessed in late 2000 saw CBOU.O resulting into franchise arrangement for synergy reasons. Technological factors Technology has helped CBOU.O to remain ahead in business communication, production and innovation. For example, technology has boosted the firms move in online marketing and related business activities in CBOU.Os official website. Computer aided systems has assisted the firm in quality control and production regulations as a deliberate move in reducing related production costs. Online marketing as well as trading information supported by the firms website has put CBOU.O ahead of competition. Legal Forces CBOU.O has been influenced by the various consumer laws protecting clients against unfair pricing practices and any misleading beverage description. Under the Caribou management practices, employment laws have affected the business approach in areas such as redundancy, minimum wage, working hours and dismissal issues. Environmental factors Factors such as national weather and the perceived global climate change influence consumer patterns (Porter 1998, p.72). Changes in temperature, especially during winters increase the likelihood of coffee consumption and high profitability during this spell. CBOU.O has in the past recorded greater sales during winters than the case with summer performance. Currently, the global environmental issues as well as the growing desire on corporate responsibility on the nature have influenced business opportunities in the new markets. Such environmental trends have influenced Caribous demand patterns and the global opportunities (Perry 2003, p. 103). 1.12 Porters Five Forces Rivalry Rivalry intensity has been greatly increased by low switching costs where consumers can easily switch from particular specialty coffee product, thus making it hard to capture greater market proportion. The ever growing number of specialty coffee products has intensified rivalry. Recent development in terms of consumer habits in coffee industry has resulted into struggle for available market share. Similarly, industry shakeout influences rivalry witnessed in various industries (Porter 1998, p. 43). High level of products differentiation has resulted into greater rivalry forcing CBOU.O to extend its product-line. The firm currently offers whole bean coffee and specialty teas, as a differentiated approach in competing in the market. Threats of substitutes Coffee products offered by other players such as Proctor Gamble or even Starbucks Corporation at a competing price offer a threat to CBOU.O specialty coffee products, thus making it hard for the firm to raise prices for profitability reasons. Health concerns have influenced the consumption levels of specialty coffee as a substitute to other highly priced soft beverages. For example, Starbucks Power Frappuccino has been a big threat to Caribous due to its price espresso-based beverages. Buyer Power The firms buyers have contributed to the Caribous performance by determining the firms profitability levels. The buyers have the ability to influence the business performance by affecting the business ability in offering quality specialty coffee. Similarly, the buyers power has influenced Caribous business strategy where the management has been concentrating in offering all-time coffee products to the consumers in anticipation. Supplier power Coffee suppliers has been very influential on Caribous production ability where shortfall in coffee supplies to the coffeehouses is closely associated with declined ability of the firm to acquire the supplies as per the price offered. The suppliers are potentially able to exert influence on the firm since much of the raw materials as well as related supplies are sourced at a price which directly affects the resulting business profitability (Porter 1998, p. 116). Barriers to entry The possibility that the number of new entrants in the industry may increase poses a threat to Caribous competitiveness .Caribous has been constantly employing strategies such as franchise arrangement as a key measure to avert possible entry in the market. In possible situations Caribous has been employing entry-deterring pricing as a key strategy in preventing possible entrants in the industry. As a strategy to remain more competitive, Caribou enjoys the benefits associated with their production capacity (i.e. proprietary knowledge) in manufacture of various specialty coffee products (Daniel Lamb 2008, p. 125). Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) CBOU.O considers LCA in order to indentify areas area for vital improvements in environment, marketing as well as in support of how the coffeehouses products are environmental friendly. All coffee products have some noticeable impacts on our environmental and therefore CBOU.O uses LCA to manage issues such as pollution, in order to reduce environmental harm. In CBOU.O the LCA starts with raw material sourcing where quality coffee as the prime raw materials are bought from indentified suppliers. In the Manufacturing phase, CBOU.O ensures clear procedures are used in order to minimize unnecessary pollution from. The packaging phase in the LCA is highly considered in order to reflect the marketing philosophy of Caribou firm by including the business logo or even the company brand name. The firm marketing is extensively done and thus places Caribou ahead of other players in product communication in all the three business units. In the use, maintenance and reuse phase, Caribou considers c lear policies on Coffee mugs or related packaging are used in order to reduce unnecessary costs associated with environmental impacts. Finally, in the recycle phase, Caribou uses clear policies that ensure that various packages are reused for intended purposes (Grant 2005, p. 278). SWOT: Opportunities and Threats Some of the opportunities in the Caribou operations that give the firm segment a competitive advantage includes venture into international market and developing business arrangement such as franchise. The franchise arrangement has helped most Caribou to maintain a competitive edge despite the unfavorable market forces brought about by hard-economic environment (Grimm 2006, p 233). Developing of Decaffeinated coffee has been one of the strongest opportunities well utilized by CBOU.O in the recent past. Similarly, CBOU.O faces greater threat from stiff competition witnessed from major competitors. Similarly, upcoming considerations by governments to tax the coffee industry poses as a key threat for most firms. Phase II Generic strategies Caribou firm has developed various generic strategies in order counteract the analyzed Porters forces at business unit level, corporate level as well as functional level. For competitive advantage reasons, Caribou has indentified various products namely; focus, differentiated product and the cost leadership coffee products at business unit level. The firms business units which entails the retail chains, commercial segment and the franchise segment has placed products such as whole bean coffee and the specialty tea on the costs leadership level. Additionally, Caribou has been constantly included differentiated products such as espresso-based beverages in order to counteract the rivalry evidenced in early 2000s. Caribou has used the commercial segment as the sole focus in selling various products to hotels, entertainment venues, grocery stores, airlines or even to the offices in the major regional chains (Perry 2003, p. 136). Market segmentation Initially, adults were associated with Coffee drinking until the recent witnessed shifts in the consumer behaviors brought about by the Generation X and Y. The changes associated with this generations has forced to Caribou to redesign its product line in order to attract the growing number of young adults who have indicated interest in the firms coffee products. For example, Caribou resulted in single-serving system in mid 2000 in order to ensure that target consumer are able to access superior coffee at designated pods in hotels, entertainment venues or even in major stores in Minnesota (Perry 2003, p. 113). Baby boomers who normally switch to healthier coffee products forced Caribou to introduce decaffeinated coffee in the stores. This transition was enabled by the firms aided technological processes which usually improves decaffeinated coffee flavors to suit the various generations considerations. Core competencies and Generic Value Chain Core competencies help Caribou in retaining its competitive nature by ensuring that the bond between various units is strengthened thus offering coherent portfolio. Caribou core competency level is premised on the provision to access variety of product in either retail markets or even at franchise level (Hoskisson Hitt 2008, p. 97). Caribou has been using procedures as well as practices in manufacturing which are basically hard to imitate in production of products such as specialty teas or even other branded merchandise. The firm has also exhibited strong capacity in RD where deliberate efforts has been made in strengthening the firms ability to understand and cater for upping interest in Coffee industry markets. As a core competency strategy, CBOU.O has ensured shared costs in business units in order to remain ever profitable. For instance, the firm increases the franchised business units under shared costs between the retail stores and the commercial business segment. CBOU.O value chain entails inbound logistics, outbound logistics, operations, marketing and sales processes, and the operations activities. For example, CBOU.O ensures that inbound activities such as Coffee sourcing, warehousing and division logistics are clearly conducted. Caribou operation activities are normally aligned to the defined production formulas and processes during product preparation. The marketing and sales undertaking in the firm has been enhanced by greater innovations in meeting the ever changing demographic needs. Finally, the outbound activities has bee made possibly by the wider distribution scope done under retail stores, franchise segment or commercial units. Ansolffs Matrix and Porters Diamond Caribou market penetration procedures are used in securing market dominance, in restructuring markets, increase Coffee usage among consumers and in raising market share of core products in various chains. Caribou has enhanced its market development procedures by ensuring that the business able to effectively locate new geographical location for new stores, or new distribution channels or pricing strategies in order to enhance market growth on products such as baked goods. Product diversification has been used to modify various branded merchandise offered by the firm (Grant 2005, p. 423). Caribou has been diversifying its products in various segments by use of rebranding procedures. Porters diamond model has been employed by CBUO.O to enhance competitiveness by strengthening firms strategy, structure and effectively handling rivalry issues. The firms culture, lean structure and operation motivation boosts the firms competitive advantage. When handling demand conditions, Caribous RD ensures that local demand needs/capacity is satisfied by quality specialty coffee products prior to meeting other states demand. This gives local stores competitive advantage. Caribou create its factor conditions by having skilled workforce and improved technology in order to remain competitive. Similarly, factor combination during manufacturing has boosted Caribous performance as well. Under supporting and related industry considerations, Caribou operates in global chains under commercial and retail stores in order to support the franchise unit. Caribou uses the business units to organize and supplement innovation in the structure value. Financial Analysis Current ratio for CBOU.O eagle Incl is noted to be decreasing from a figure of 0.88in fiscal 2007 to lows of 0.72in 2008.This trend is alarming as it indicates decrease in ability of CBOU.O to cover its short-term debts using the available current assets. Gross-profit is increasing from lows of 47.0% in 2007 to 51.36 in 2008. The trend is positive as it indicates CBUO.O move in earnings increase. Return-on-assets ratio shows Caribous earnings in relation to all the economic resources owned by the company (Peterson Fabozzi, p. 146). Return-on equity is decreasing from fiscal 2007 ratio calculations. The trend is negative. The trend on Return-on-equity portrayed from 2007 to fiscal 2008 is negative indicating a decrease in returns for the ordinary and /or common stock-holders. Phase III: Recommendations CBOU.O should consider seeking global opportunities in order to counteract stiff competition and perhaps increase in profitability. In situations where Franchise fails in foreign market, CBOU.O should result into Mergers or acquisitions in order to enjoy currency benefits associated with global market thus averting economic effects on performance. To avert rivalry, CBOU.O ought to continuously improve on existing product chains and enhance brand extension procedures. CBOU.O ought to increase their investment in current assets to boost the companys financial position. A company should cover its short-term obligations at least twice from their investment in current assets. CBOU.O should increase the efficiency in the use of economic resources at their disposal to enhance the firm long-term profitability. Similarly, CBOU.O should also increase efficiency in the use of assets. Finally, more investment should be carried out in total assets to effectively cover the firms debts. Appendices A: Caribou Coffee Company Important Trend Analysis Ratios Ratio type 2008 2007 Current Ratio=(Current assets/current liabilities 28,450,000/32,260,000 = 0.88 26,620,000/36,820,000= 0.72 Gross-profit ratio=(Gross -profit/sale)*100 (119,460,000/253,900,000)* 100= 47.0% (131,910,000/256,830,000)* 100=51.36% Return-on- assets=(net-profit before interest/total assets)*100 (15,460,000/89,570,000)* 100= (17.26)% (30,400,000/111,840,000)*100= (27.18)% Return-on-equity=(Net income/equity)*100 (16,280,000/43,940,000)= (37.0)% (30,500,00/59,290,000)* 100=(51.44)%

Cultural Bias In Assessment Essays -- Persuasive Testing Education Ess

Cultural Bias In Assessment In the society of today, there are various educators who believe in assessment as proper method to measure the performance of a child in school as well as the overall achievement of a specific school system. The assessment may be presented in the form of verbal, written, or multiple choice, and it usually pertains to certain academic subjects in the school curriculum. Recently, many educators began to issue standardized tests to measure the intelligence of a common student body. (Rudner, 1989) These standardized tests were initially created to reveal the success in institutional school programs, and exhibit the abilities of students today. The standardized tests can reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a student as well as the admission into certain programs. The test results also assist various schools in determining the proper curriculum, evaluate a specific school system, or a particular school related program. There are numerous types of standardized tests in which educators choose to measure the academic level of students. The first common standardized test, the standardized achievement test, are used to measure how much knowledge students have retained from a particular subject. The results generally assist teachers in designing achievement programs in each subject area, such as reading, math language skills, spelling, or science. (Samuda, 1990) The second common standardized test is known as the Standardized aptitude tests. Instead of focusing on a particular academic subject, the aptitude tests measure a broad range of skills that would ensure success during the school career. The skills include daily activities such as verbal ability, mechanical ability, creativity, cleric... ...hoice questions on the SAT up to date. Women are able to do better on exams which do not require a specific time limit. The Talent Indentification Program, proved that women "performed significantly better under untimed conditions than under timed. In fact the young women performed as well as males or even better under untimed conditions." Although the tests have still been proven to be bias against women, the large amount of mulitiple choice questions as well as the timed tests still remain in todays society. Although standardized testing has been proven to be ineffective, the creators of the tests are still humans of different races. As a creator of the tests much be created to represent all races and ethnic backrounds. When considering the contents of the tests, people should be looked at as an individual and not placed uder a category with their race.

Bilingual Education Essay -- Education, Languages, communication, fore

Bilingual education is any school program which utilizes two languages. An example of legal rationale in regarding bilingual education is English being the only language approach that is taught to English language learners in the United States in school districts according to No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB). However, historical rationale concerning bilingual education is the history of events that occurred due to bilingual education not being taught in a school district. An example is Meyer V: Nebraska (1923). This case briefly was in regards to prohibiting anyone from teaching any subject in any other language except for English. Therefore, in this essay three articles will be summarized regarding the legal and historical rationale of bilingual education. Also providing an example of the connection of today’s educational practice in regards to ELL students in today’s classroom environment for each legal and historical event discussed in this essay. In the first article discusses Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas (Brown v. Board of Education. 1954). The case took place due to a Black female student who had to walk several miles to get to her school through unfavorable conditions that was dangerous for her safety. However, the White school that was in her neighborhood or in walking distance from her home she was not allowed to attend due to her race. The reason for this historical court case was regarding that state-supported and state mandated laws in the United States favored segregation. Therefore, the Supreme Court decision ruled that all public schools throughout the United States will be desegregated. This means that Black students were able to attend White public schools throughout all of the ... ...n is still occurring regarding bilingual education. Second article explained Lau vs. Nichols court case and what the outcome of this court case confirmed today in bilingual education. Also suggestions were given to teachers teaching in today’s classroom on how to understand ELL students whose first language is not English. Third article discussed Proposition 227 which was created in San Francisco, California in the year of 1998. This Proposition brought about changes that banned bilingual education to ELL students. Also as a result of this change in California’s constitution banning bilingual education; ELL students today lag behind English speaking students. Therefore, these legal and historical rationale in bilingual education discussed in this essay has not resolved the issues of ELL students being successful learners in today’s classroom environment.

Bombshells Benefit Calendar Business Plan :: Business Management Studies

Bombshells Benefit Calendar Business Plan Executive Summary SSSAMM Inc. plans to create a benefit calendar called, BondÂ’s Bombshells. The calendar will contain photographs of female Bond University students who have been selected to be the Bombshells from Bond Uni. The calendar will include advertisements from local vendors that appeal to the target population along with information on upcoming events on campus. The calendar will not only be functional, to keep up on action on campus, provide coupons and deals with local businesses but the photos of the Bombshells will also be enjoyable to customersÂ’ visual desires. The calendar will be created for the target audience of male students that attend Bond University. This group includes men ranging the age of 16 to 25. Another segment of the population at Bond University that could be potential customers but are not included in the target audience is male faculty and staff. Although their patronage is welcome it is not counted on. No special advertising such as posters or commercials will be used to reach customers. SSSAMM Inc. merely plans that through word of mouth and visual sales will attract customers. Sales will take place at the busiest hours of the weekday in the busiest area of campus, under the arch. SSSAMM Inc. has strong confidence that their product will be very successful. Through market research, a market for the product was established and continuous verbal advertisement was followed up with assurance by the population of success with the product. Introduction Imagine a beautiful girl dressed in brightly coloured swimwear posed with a tennis racket and a ball. This is the image that SSSAMM Inc. plans to use to sell its BondÂ’s Bombshells benefit calendar. This calendar will have the look of a professional production and the cost will only be $15. All the profits made from this product will be donated to Plan Australia, a charity whose purpose is to help end the poverty across the world. All production costs will be covered by the sale of advertisements to local businesses. The businesses will place advertisements and coupons throughout the calendar adding to the value of the product. The best kind of marketing for a product like this is word of mouth. As customers are satisfied with their purchase they will spread word to others that could be interested in the calendar. A demand has been established in the market, which was discovered through marketing research. From a poll of male students on campus a majority of them said they would buy the calendar and others suggested that there is a high percentage of others that would also buy BondÂ’s Bombshells benefit calendar.

A Touchdown on Friendship

It was my uncle who made me realize that love could be shared to anyone or anything. Love could be shared with friends, it could be expressed through one’s passion, and it could even be shared with a favorite pet.   Through my uncle’s pet, I learned the true meaning of friendship and the true meaning of love.My uncle asked me to temporarily adopt his dog one summer since he would be moving out of the country due to work related issues.   I had no idea why he chose me to take care of his dog when he knew that I was quite irresponsible at the age of twelve.Maybe, it was the exact reason why he gave me the responsibility. The Dog’s name was Touchdown, a black Labrador who was already a year old. The first few days were torture for me.My room was located near the backyard where I initially placed Touchdown and he would howl his way to sleep. I assumed that he was missing my uncle and ignored his cries. However, three days of sleepless nights forced me to give him a check. The minute I opened the backdoor of the house, he pushed his way in and walked right to my bedroom.Right then and there, it was declared that my room was also his room. I normally woke up late since there was no school to worry about. My mother would often rap at my door to make sure that I woke up early and help with the chores. When Touchdown became my roommate, he also became my alarm clock. He would bark continuously to wake me so I could let him out to do his thing.While Touchdown has become a permanent fixture in my bedroom, he still seemed wary around me. There were times that he would still bark at me when I come home or he would ignore the commands I asked him.I complained this to my uncle during one of his phone calls. He told me that I have to gain Touchdown’s trust and show him my authority so that he would follow my commands.One dog lover friend told me that I have to spend more time with Touchdown to attain these. My bond with Touchdown grew as the wee ks passed by. He became my regular buddy and became a part of my peer group as well. I could consider the bond that we had as a genuine friendship between a child and a dog. I would have to say that Touchdown taught me what unconditional love meant.No matter how I scolded him and no matter how I neglected him when I was busy with other things he still remained loyal, affectionate, and trusting. Although he never talked to me, he had communicated his unconditional love to me with more than words. His actions told me that he was always there whenever I needed him. His love was unselfish and limitless.Touchdown changed my life that summer. When the summer ended, my uncle came back and took Touchdown with him. I was sad that Touchdown was leaving but was happy when I saw my uncle’s face and Touchdown’s reaction when they finally reunited. They looked so happy to see each other again. As much as I would have liked Touchdown to stay, I knew that he would be happier with my u ncle.I know my uncle wanted me to learn new things by giving me the responsibility of taking care of his dog. I am not sure, however, if he knew how deep the impact was. I am grateful that my uncle entrusted me his beloved dog one summer.Through Touchdown, I have learned the true meaning of friendship and love. Loving a friend means giving unconditional love, trust, and support. Learning that from a dog that could not even talk only proves that action speaks louder than words.

Adventures Assignment 1

The American University in Cairo School of Business Department of Management MOIS 508 DR. Sami Akabawy Spring 2012 Assignment #1 (Chap. 1,2 &3) Hadil Kamel 900-04-0195 Chapter 1: * Why would Carl Williams ask a non-technical manager to assume the CIO position? * For a CIO to be successful, especially at times when IT presents a problem area, he or she has to have more than just solid IT background. The CIO needs to have good management skills; they need to be a fixer.Jim Barton has the required management skills, he is considered as a great manager at IVK; he also had a lot of ideas regarding how IT should be run, and he used to critic Davies, the former CIO, on how to do his job. Therefore, he was a good candidate for this position because the company actually needed a good manager not a good technical. * If you were Jim Barton, would you take the job? * Yes, I would take the job. It is definitely a great challenge for someone with no IT background to become the CIO; however, a good manager should be able to run the business without having the deep knowledge of the matter.I would get the required background through research and learning. * What do the IVK Corporation exhibits tell you about the current state of the company? Given this information, what does IVK need from a new management team under CEO Carl Williams? * IVK statements show that the company has grown recently; however, it was not well planned and that is showing in the huge increase in the operating expenses. This growth was not done efficiently which lead to the decrease in net income despite the increase in total service revenue. The new management team should focus on making proper planning as well as new strategies that focus on managing the operations and resources efficiently and effectively in order to decrease the operating expense and increase the net income. Chapter 2: * How do you interpret the kid’s advice, â€Å"You’ve got to know what you don’t know†? * I think what the phrase means is that in order to become a good leader, you have to know your capabilities and your deficiencies and to be honest with yourself, especially when embarking on a new job you have to position yourself correctly and to give good impression to your employees.You have to know what is it that you lack and either try to learn about it or search for ways that your team could cover for the capabilities that you lack. The kid mainly meant that you can’t over-estimate yourself and like some managers do assume that you know everything about the matter, but rather admit your lack of knowledge in some areas and work on it. * How do you think Davies got fired? How likely it is that Barton will be fired within the year? * I think Davies didn’t have a strong connection with the CEO and his business peers, which lead to a communication problem between the management team and the IT department.I think he may also lack the business skills and competencies. * I think as a successful manager, Barton will be able to handle his job well. With his good managerial capabilities he will be able to develop good collaboration between the technologists and the management team; as well as enhancing and maintaining relationships with other business leaders. * What kind of questions should Barton be asking of CIOs, analysts, investors, customers and other IT movers and shakers? How should he prioritize and organize these meetings? For the CIOs: His questions should be focusing on the nature of the job, the key roles of CIO and the depth of technical knowledge required. * For the analysts: His questions should be on the IT impact on a company’s development. * For the investors and customers: His questions should be about their views on the service the company provides and how to improve it. * I think he should first meet with the CIOs to be able to understand his role and responsibilities, then with the analysts, then the investors and custome rs. Chapter 3: Do you think IT management is different from management of other functions? * Yes I think IT management differs from other functions because in It technology moves fast, and you can’t keep up with the fast growing technology that everyday something new is coming up and you always have to be up to dated. Although IT managers were experts in their fields and knew the details about it, new technology comes along and the technical workers are the one who know the details about it and become experts in it to a level that their managers can’t reach.On the other hand, in other functions, the manager can do the job of anyone in his department as well as any of his employees. * What did Barton learn from his trip to the bookstore and late night of studying? * After his trip to the bookstore and late night of studying, Barton realized he can’t get to know in depth everything; it is too much to grasp. * What depth of IT understanding must a CIO leader have t o be effective? * The CIO must have enough IT understanding that would give a general background on the matter to be able to assign who knows and does what in his team. Adventures Assignment 1 The American University in Cairo School of Business Department of Management MOIS 508 DR. Sami Akabawy Spring 2012 Assignment #1 (Chap. 1,2 &3) Hadil Kamel 900-04-0195 Chapter 1: * Why would Carl Williams ask a non-technical manager to assume the CIO position? * For a CIO to be successful, especially at times when IT presents a problem area, he or she has to have more than just solid IT background. The CIO needs to have good management skills; they need to be a fixer.Jim Barton has the required management skills, he is considered as a great manager at IVK; he also had a lot of ideas regarding how IT should be run, and he used to critic Davies, the former CIO, on how to do his job. Therefore, he was a good candidate for this position because the company actually needed a good manager not a good technical. * If you were Jim Barton, would you take the job? * Yes, I would take the job. It is definitely a great challenge for someone with no IT background to become the CIO; however, a good manager should be able to run the business without having the deep knowledge of the matter.I would get the required background through research and learning. * What do the IVK Corporation exhibits tell you about the current state of the company? Given this information, what does IVK need from a new management team under CEO Carl Williams? * IVK statements show that the company has grown recently; however, it was not well planned and that is showing in the huge increase in the operating expenses. This growth was not done efficiently which lead to the decrease in net income despite the increase in total service revenue. The new management team should focus on making proper planning as well as new strategies that focus on managing the operations and resources efficiently and effectively in order to decrease the operating expense and increase the net income. Chapter 2: * How do you interpret the kid’s advice, â€Å"You’ve got to know what you don’t know†? * I think what the phrase means is that in order to become a good leader, you have to know your capabilities and your deficiencies and to be honest with yourself, especially when embarking on a new job you have to position yourself correctly and to give good impression to your employees.You have to know what is it that you lack and either try to learn about it or search for ways that your team could cover for the capabilities that you lack. The kid mainly meant that you can’t over-estimate yourself and like some managers do assume that you know everything about the matter, but rather admit your lack of knowledge in some areas and work on it. * How do you think Davies got fired? How likely it is that Barton will be fired within the year? * I think Davies didn’t have a strong connection with the CEO and his business peers, which lead to a communication problem between the management team and the IT department.I think he may also lack the business skills and competencies. * I think as a successful manager, Barton will be able to handle his job well. With his good managerial capabilities he will be able to develop good collaboration between the technologists and the management team; as well as enhancing and maintaining relationships with other business leaders. * What kind of questions should Barton be asking of CIOs, analysts, investors, customers and other IT movers and shakers? How should he prioritize and organize these meetings? For the CIOs: His questions should be focusing on the nature of the job, the key roles of CIO and the depth of technical knowledge required. * For the analysts: His questions should be on the IT impact on a company’s development. * For the investors and customers: His questions should be about their views on the service the company provides and how to improve it. * I think he should first meet with the CIOs to be able to understand his role and responsibilities, then with the analysts, then the investors and custome rs. Chapter 3: Do you think IT management is different from management of other functions? * Yes I think IT management differs from other functions because in It technology moves fast, and you can’t keep up with the fast growing technology that everyday something new is coming up and you always have to be up to dated. Although IT managers were experts in their fields and knew the details about it, new technology comes along and the technical workers are the one who know the details about it and become experts in it to a level that their managers can’t reach.On the other hand, in other functions, the manager can do the job of anyone in his department as well as any of his employees. * What did Barton learn from his trip to the bookstore and late night of studying? * After his trip to the bookstore and late night of studying, Barton realized he can’t get to know in depth everything; it is too much to grasp. * What depth of IT understanding must a CIO leader have t o be effective? * The CIO must have enough IT understanding that would give a general background on the matter to be able to assign who knows and does what in his team.