Analysis Of Edward I Of England - 840 Words

Danny Ilyenko Mr. Coker World History A 1 October 2017 Edward I of England Edward was born on June 17 of 1239 at the Westminster Palace. He was the firstborn of Henry III who was his father, and Eleanor of Province was his mother. He was named after his father’s favorite saint. â€Å"Edward was a delicate child and suffered from a life threatening illness in 1246, which his devoted mother, Eleanor of Province, nursed him through at Beaulieu Abbey† (Edward I). One of Edwards childhood best friends was his cousin Henry of Almain, who was the son of his father’s brother Richard. They were such good friends that even as adults they stuck. Edward was a tall man whose height was 6 feet and 2 inches, he also had long arms and legs, this is where he†¦show more content†¦Edward had defeated Montfort’s forces in the battle, this he thought. And he made a huge mistake of following his enemies after they fled, because when he came back the rest of his army had been captured and defeated. Edward and his cousin Hen ry of Almain were given as prisoners to the rebel barons by an agreement called the Mise of Lewes. On May 28, 1265 Edward managed to escape his enemy and joined the Earl of Gloucester, who had just become Henry III’s ally. He later took over Worcester and Gloucester, and Montfort had moved east to join his son Simon. Edward had a surprise attack at Kenilworth Castle, right before he cut off Montfort. The opposite side met him and they fought at the battle of Evesham on the August 4, 1265. Well in the end Montfort was killed and defeated, his body was buried secretly near Evesham Abbey, while his head was sent over to Wigmore Castle. Later in December, Edward had made peace with his younger cousin, Simon de Montfort at the Isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire. He led a successful assault on the Cinque Ports on March 1266. The remaining rebels were hiding out at the Kenilworth Castle and didn’t want to surrender until Dictum of Kenilworth was taken over. Eleanor of Castile di ed in 1290 when she was 49. â€Å"Eleanor had been accompanying Edward on a journey to Lincoln, when she began to exhibit symptoms of a feverish illness she had previously suffered from in 1287†(Edward I).She was forced to go back home,Show MoreRelatedThe Sons Of August By Nicholas Klein875 Words   |  4 Pagesseeking an alliance with England, but England was more focused on an alliance with France. With the death of King Edward the VII of England, royals from all of Europe come to attend his funeral. Included in the group was the new king of England, King George the V. Next to him is William the II of Germany. He is related to the British royal family because his mother had been an English princess. All are mourning his death except for William. William feels that now that Edward is gone, William can finallyRead MoreAnalysis of the Great Awakening and Revolutionary Thought1655 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of the Great Awakening and Revolutionary Thought In the 1730s and the 1740s, religious revival swept through the New England and Middle Colonies. 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The first academic was born in 1703, studied theology at Yale, served as a reverendRead More Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay940 Words   |  4 Pagescentury New England religious leader is rooted in his expansive knowledge of the Bible and human nature, as well as a genuine desire to awaken and save as many souls as possible. This sermon, delivered in 1741, exhibits Edwardss skillful use of these tools to persuade his congregation to join him in his Christian beliefs. As many religious leaders before and after him, Edwardss source of inspiration and guidance is the Bible. His understanding of this cornerstone of New England society enablesRead MoreThe Great Awakening Of The 1730s1630 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween rich landowners in relation to poor and indebted frontier farmers. I interpret the revival as an intellectual severance from the old order, or the Old Light’s doctrine’s of salvation. Jonathan Edwards, the revival’s prominent contributor, launched an attack against the rationalism and conservatism of the old religious order and emphasized a New Birth, characterized by passional and experiential conversion. My analysis of the Great Awakening brings forth evidence that the New Lights espousedRead MoreInterpretation and Analysis: â€Å"Mr. Edwards and the Spider†1658 Words   |  7 Pagesobjector during World War II and was sentenced to a year in prison. While teaching at Harvard from 1963 until his sudden death at the age of 60 in 1977, he was active in the antiwar movement against the Vietnam War (â€Å"Poets†). The poem â€Å"Mr. Edwards and the Spider,† a found poem, was first published in the Lowell’s Pulitzer Prize winning Lord Wearys Castle (1946). Although a footnote in the fifth edition of the Norton Anthology of Poetry explains that Lowell used text from famous 18th centuryRead MoreQueen Mary and Queen Elizabeth of England1626 Words   |  7 PagesQueen Mary and Queen Elizabeth of England Sixteenth century England experienced a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the Age of Queens. The decisive power of the country was placed in women’s hands and their reigns were watched with a reasonable doubt. There is contrast of rule in terms of reigns between Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth of England, both of whom were engaged in a protracted struggle for the English throne. Beside the legitimacy of their claims, there are more significant considerationsRead MoreSummary Of Edward I, Arthurian Enthusiast1741 Words   |  7 PagesRoger Sherman Loomis writes ‘Edward I, Arthurian Enthusiast’ in regards to Edward I and his personal interest in the rule of Arthur; centuries before. Both rulers of England, conquers and warrior kings, their rules run a similar path, yet as stated by Loomis, it was Edward who took inspiration from Arthur. Ultimately, the thesis of this article by Loomis is whether Edward’s status as an ‘Arthurian enthusiast’ is hi storically viable. The author explores this debate by analysing Edward’s interest inRead MoreEdmund Burkes Reflections on the Revolution in France and John Stuart Mills On Liberty1277 Words   |  6 PagesIn this paper I will compare the theories and ideas from both Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France and John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. In comparing these two philosophers, I will be paralleling their ideas and my own ideas I will be attributing them towards the modern day whistleblower, Edward Snowden. Political figures, government representatives and philosophy advocates have carefully studied Burke’s and Mill’s writings over hundreds of years to better understand their theoriesRead MoreCloud 91343 Words   |  6 Pagesas a piece on sexual politics (Cousin 38). Cloud 9 is an unconventional play of two acts; the first act is set in Victorian Africa, the height of colonial settlement, while act two is set near a century later in what would have been modern day England. This jump in time is a theatrical tool used by Churchill to keep the audience aware that it is a political statement, this is what is called the â€Å"estrangement effect† known now as a Brechtian technique (Cloud cover 264) This play also uses gender-bending

Ethics Of The Staff At Fractal Entertainment - 3896 Words

Introduction Fractal Entertainment has requested the creation of this project in order to keep their employees informed and up to date on professional bodies relevant to them, current legislations, code of conducts and the current issue of ethics in computing. In this project I am to provide in depth insight to the topics mentioned, and to provide accurate information for the benefit of the staff at Fractal Entertainment. Professional Bodies What is a Professional Body? A professional body is an organisation made up of primarily professionals, who provide many functions and benefits to these professionals in their professions. Some professions explicitly need their professionals to be part of a professional body, as they require their professionals to be registered or have a licence to practice their profession. This helps professions to ensure that their professionals are conducting their jobs correctly. Professional Bodies have a lot of functions: †¢ Providing professional exams to members †¢ Having their own professional journals/magazines †¢ Giving professionals ways to meet and discuss their particular profession through means such as forums †¢ Having a set code of conduct for their members †¢ Dealing with complaints and discipline against professionals †¢ Providing wider access for everyone to get into professions that interest them †¢ Aids students and current workers for better careers Professional bodies usually require either a one off payment or a yearly

The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 22 Free Essays

string(83) " reached to touch it with her fingers it was the same temperature as her own skin\." SHE RODE IN A DAZE of misery, unconscious of the yerig and folstza who pressed closely around Talat’s legs and looked anxiously up into her face; and she stopped, numbly, at nightfall. She might have gone on till she dropped in her tracks, were she on foot; but she was not, and so at nightfall she stopped, and stripped her horse, and rubbed him down with a dry cloth. Talat was a little sore; that sudden gallop to begin a long day had done his weak leg no good, and so she unwrapped some ointment that would warm the stiffness, and massaged it in vigorously, and even smiled a little at the usual grimaces of pleasure Talat made. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 22 or any similar topic only for you Order Now When she lay down by the fire she sprang up again almost at once, and paced back and forth. She was dizzy with exhaustion and stupid with unhappiness, and she was riding to the gods knew what at the City; and as she remembered that, she remembered also flashes of what she had seen, deep in the Lake of Dreams. But that brought her back to Luthe again, and the tears ran down her face, and, standing before the campfire, she bowed her face in her hands and sobbed. This would not do. She had the Crown, and she carried an enchanted sword; she was coming home a warrior victorious – and a first sol worthy of respect. She felt like dead leaves, dry and brown and brittle, although leaves were probably not miserable; they were just quietly buried by snow and burned by sun and harried by rain till they peacefully disintegrated into the earth †¦. She found herself staring at the earth under her feet. She had to get some sleep. She turned despairingly back to her blanket and found two furry bodies already there. The dog queen smiled at her and moved her feathery tail an inch at least; the cat king flattened his ears and half-lidded his eyes. Neither paid the least attention to the other. She laughed, a cracked laugh, half a choke. â€Å"Thank you,† she said. â€Å"Perhaps I shall sleep after all,† She pillowed her head on a cat flank, and a dog head lay in the curve between her ribs and pelvis, and a dog tail curled over her feet. She slept at once, and heavily; and she woke in the morning hugging the queen’s neck with her face buried in her ruff, and the big yerig had a look of great patience and forbearance on her face that no doubt she wore when bearing with a new litter of puppies. Aerin also woke with a sense of urgency; urgency so great that it broke through the numbness. â€Å"Soon,† she said aloud to Talat, and he cocked his ear at her and grunted only a little at the indignity of having his girth tightened. â€Å"They need us soon.† He was stiff this morning as well, but Aerin paid attention and was careful, and he worked out of it. Before the darkness came upon them a second time they had nearly passed the Airdthmar on their right hand; and by the third evening Aerin could see the fault in the top line of the Hills that was the pass to the forested plain before the City, for her way home was short when she knew where she was going. Tomorrow, perhaps, they would stand in that pass. Her friends slept with her again that night, but they had a less peaceful time of it, for her dreams were bad, full of battle and shouting, and the groans of the wounded, and the fell ghastly sound of the language of the folk of the North. She woke often and sweating, her fist clenched and her nerves jumping. In the last dream she had before dawn she heard Arlbeth’s voice, weary and hopeless: â€Å"If only we had the Crown. We might yet †¦ â€Å" â€Å"If we had had the Crown,† another voice, higher pitched: Perlith. â€Å"If we had had the Crown, we would not be so badly off in the first place.† â€Å"At least,† said Galanna in a voice so low that Arlbeth would not hear her, â€Å"we do not have our little bad-luck token with us. Thank the gods for that much.† Thank the gods †¦ thank the gods she’s not here †¦ not here †¦ the Crown, please the gods, we need the Crown, it is not here †¦. She woke up. Dawn was just creeping above the mountains’ crests. She did not want to be awake yet, for today she would come in sight of her City, and she was afraid of what she would find; afraid that she came too late; afraid that even the Crown was not enough. Afraid that they would not accept the Crown from her hands. Afraid that they would read in her face whom she had wrested the Crown from. Afraid that they would read in her face that she knew, now, that she did not belong to Damar. She would love it all her life, and that life was likely to be a long one; and she had a duty to it that she might fulfill some part of, if she tried as hard as she could. She told herself that she did not think of Luthe. Her army flowed up on her either flank; a sea of furry backs, black and grey and brindled, golden and ruddy; there was no playfulness in them today. Their ears pointed in the direction they were going, and their tails were low. She had unwrapped the Crown, and at first she carried it before her balanced on the pommel, and then she thought of stowing it away again, but she wanted it close, where she could touch it and it touch her. She slung it at last up over her arm to her shoulder, and it warmed, riding there, till when she reached to touch it with her fingers it was the same temperature as her own skin. You read "The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 22" in category "Essay examples" As they rode into the morning the wind sang in her ears, but it carried strange sounds within it, and she smelled strange odors. It was Talat’s restlessness, at last, that told her what was happening; for these were the sounds and smells of battle. They wound their way up the smooth broad track that led between Vasth and Kar to the low forested hills before the City. As they reached the top of the pass Talat snorted and shied away, and Aerin clung to the saddle, not believing the glimpse she had had of the scene below them. Grimly she kneed Talat around, and reluctantly he obeyed her, but still he tried to sidle sideways, to turn and bolt. Even Maur had not been so bad as what lay before them. The trees were gone; even, it seemed, the gentle hills were flattened, and where there had been the greens and browns and deep blue shadows of leaves and trees there was the grisly heave and thrust of battle. The Northerners were there, between her and her City. She could see small human bands, the largest near the City gates, fighting desperately; but they were outnumbered, and they fought defensively, because their honor demanded it, and because fear of being captured alive by the Northerners drove them on; not because they had any hope left. And the Northerners knew this. Aerin stared numbly at the ragged scarred landscape, and listened to the terrible cries and the heavy sound of blows, and the fumes of the fighting choked her, and made her eyes water. It was as though the forest she had daily seen from the highest towers of her father’s castle had never been; it was as if, when Luthe dragged her back to her own time, he had miscalculated and she was some other Aerin on some other world. She waited for panic to take her. Talat quieted and stood, ears forward, tense, but awaiting her orders; and her army surrounded her, and made a huge pool behind her that splashed like surf up the rock sides of the pass. â€Å"Well,† she said aloud, and the calmness of her own voice frightened her. â€Å"Maybe not being quite mortal any more is going to count for less than I thought.† She settled the Crown more firmly on her shoulder, and drew Gonturan, who gleamed blue along her edge; the blue rippled up, over the hilt and grip, and flowed over Aerin’s hand. There was an odd subtle tingle at the touch of the blue shimmer, but it was not unpleasant; Aerin put it down to the twitching of her own nerves. â€Å"I hope, my friends, that you will help me now: escort me – there,† she said, and pointed with her sword; and from Gonturan’s tip a blue spark jumped, and fell sizzling to the ground, and the cat king paced gravely over to examine the spot where it had fallen. Then Aerin thought that perhaps it wasn’t her nerves after all. She shook the sword, and the blue light brightened till it lit the air around her, and the pit below her shimmered with it, and the cat king’s eyes glinted with it as he looked up at her; and the light made it easier, somehow, to see, for just beyond where Gonturan’s tip pointed she saw Kethtaz quite clearly, and Arlbeth on his back; and the blue light seemed to settle around him too, across the eerie ground so far away. It outlined Tor as well, not far from his king; and she wondered where the standard-bearer was, for it was this lack that had made her unsure that she had seen her father aright; but she had no time to think about it now. â€Å"Listen,† she said, and many pairs of bright eyes turned to her. â€Å"The Crown must fall only into the hands of Arlbeth or Tor. No one else. I will give it to one of them if I can† – she swallowed – â€Å"and if I fail, then you must; or if neither should leave this battle alive, then you must carry it far from here – far from here, far from Damar; as far as your feet can bear you.† Her voice echoed oddly, as if the blue light reflected it or focused it, or held it together; and she had no doubt, suddenly, of her army, and a great sense of relief came to her, and almost a sort of joy. â€Å"Come on, then,† she said. â€Å"I’d really best prefer to deliver it myself.† She raised Gonturan, and Talat leaped forward, and the yerig and folstza fanned out around her; and the first Northerner to feel the teeth of Aerin’s army fell beneath the dog queen, and the second was beheaded by Gonturan, and the third was pulled down by the tall black cat. The Northerners had no scouts looking back over the mountains, for they had no reason to think a watch was necessary; they had the best strength of Damar bottled up in the City before them, and what few folk there were stilt scattered in small towns and mountain villages had been sufficiently terrorized by marauding bands of Northerners that they could be relied on to stay shivering at home. Furthermore, the Northern leaders could hear their enemies from afar, and could tell from whence they came, just as Perlith could turn a handful of nothing into a bouquet of flowers at a court ball. Or so they had been able to do. They had had no foreknowledge of Aerin’s approach, and the Northerners, while no cowards, knew much of magic and perhaps more of kelar than the Damarians did; and the unexpectedness of this feat frightened them far more than the simple fact of Aerin’s presence. And so they did not rally at once, as they should have, for, had they done so, they might have cut her down and won the day for themselves, and won Damar forever. But they did not. They wheeled their riding beasts, some of them nearly horses but most of them nothing like horses at all, and tried more to get out of her way than to engage her and test her strength. The common soldiery of the North was more frightened yet. They saw that their leaders did not like this blue flame that dazzled their eyes and, if it came too near, parted their queerly jointed limbs from their thick bodies; and so they scrambled to be free of the thing, whatever it was; and the blue light only rippled farther and farther out from its center, and spread all around them. Frequently it felt like teeth at their throats, and their brown-and-purple blood soon tinged the ethereal blue a darker shade; and sometimes it fell from above them, like the lashing hoofs of a war-horse; and their own dying cries were in their ears, and a high singing note as well that they had never heard before, although in it were also the sharp snarls of the wild mountain cats, and the dangerous baying of a yerig pack, and the shrill screams of a fighting stallion. The blue dazzled Aerin’s eyes too, but it was a useful sort of dazzlement because it seemed to break the Northerners’ clumsy movements into arcs whose sweep she could judge so precisely that as they tried to escape her she knew just where to let Gonturan fall across them. She did not think of how many she killed or maimed; she thought of them only as obstacles that must be overcome that she might rejoin her own people. Merely to let them part before Talat’s trampling hoofs, as they showed a great willingness to do, was not enough, for they might then close in again behind her; and so Gonturan fell, and rose and fell again, and Aerin’s blue-brightened eyes watched and followed, and looked ahead to where the Damarians were making their last stand. She had one landmark to guide her, one of the tall standing stones that marked the last uphill stretch of the king’s way into the City; the one of the four stones that did still stand. But she could no longe r see Tor or Arlbeth. Nor did she often dare raise her eyes to look; for there were those who stood to oppose her, who as they tried to step out of her way still showed the glint of metal, to disembowel Talat if they could, or hurl a poisoned throwing knife at her from behind; she could not spare her vigilance. Her army kept pace with her; a swathe they were cutting through the Northerners; occasionally she saw, from the corners of her eyes, a cat body, or a lean dog shape, fling itself on the twisted helm or misshapen body of a Northerner; but then at once she had to aim Gonturan for another blow. There was a high-pitched hum in her ears, though she could still hear the hoarse shouts of the Northerners, and the harsh ugly sound of the words of their language in those shouts. And across the battlefield, near the City, the beleaguered Damarians looked up to see what was suddenly causing such consternation in the ranks of their enemies. Looked up: and strained their eyes, for what they saw was a blue sea rushing toward them, a white crest at its peak where it reared to break. But the blue surface rippled more like furry backs than like water, and the rearing white crest was a war-horse, and a sword blazed blue in his rider’s hand; he carried no shield and wore no armor, but he seemed not to need it, for the Northerners fled before him, and only his sword’s quickness stayed their flight, and slew them as they sought to escape. The white horse neighed with war fury, and the yerig bayed, and the folstza cried their harsh hunting cries, and nearer and nearer the rushing blue army came; and the Damarians, some of them, found themselves fearing this unlooked-for succor, and wondered what the white rider planned for them when he had cut his way so far; for there was no doubt that he drew near them, as if their City’s gates were his destination; nor was there any doubt that he would succeed in arriving there. But there was a muffled exclamation from Tor. â€Å"To me! Quickly!† He urged his tired Dgeth forward, and his excitement gave her new strength. â€Å"Follow me! It’s Aerin!† Only a few followed him; but whether this was for weariness or deafness, or fear of the blue thing, or fear that the blue thing was or was not Aerin-sol, it was impossible to say; but one of those who followed close on Dgeth’s heels was the messenger who had once brought news of Maur’s terrible waking to the king. Aerin knew her arm was tired, but it did not seem to matter; Gonturan found the necks and vitals of the Northerners with her own keen edge and merely drew Aerin’s arm with her. Then Aerin heard her name called, and she shook her head, for she was imagining things; but she heard it again. It occurred to her that it sounded like Tor’s voice, and that perhaps she was not imagining things, and she looked up, and there was Tor indeed. Heavy ranks of Northerners separated them yet, and even as their eyes met, a riding beast, mottled yellow and with forked hoofs and the ears of a cat, reared up between them, and Aerin saw the one-eyed queen hanging from its throat, and two of her followers leaping for purchase at its flanks. Hamstrung, it fell kicking, and the queen pulled the rider down, and Aerin watched no further; and then Talat kicked and leaped sideways, and there was work for Gonturan again; and for a moment she lost Tor. She called his name, this time, and at last she heard him answer; he was to one side of her now, but when she turned Talat that way the battle seemed only to drag him farther away. Then the Crown, which had clung to her shoulder all this time as if by its own volition, shook loose and ran down her arm, and struck Gonturan’s hilt with a clang. â€Å"Tor!† she cried again; and as his face turned to her, she tossed the Crown over the hilt, to the tip of the sword, swept the blade upright, and – flung the Hero’s Crown across the evil sea that churned between them. Gonturan blazed up like a falling star as the Crown ran her length, and as it wheeled into the air it in its turn burst into flame, red as the sun at noon, red as a mage’s hair; and Tor, dumbly, raised his own sword as if in salute, and the Crown caught its edge, swung, hissing, round the tip, and fell to circle his wrist. Any Northerner might have killed him then, for he dropped his shield, and his sword arm was stretched out immobile as he stared at the glowing red thing hanging from his arm. But the Northerners were afraid of it too; they had seen enough of strange Lights, and the blue one they already knew to be fatal. And the white rider had thrown this thing from the wicked Blue Sword. Aerin shrieked: â€Å"It’s the Crown, can’t you see? PUT IT ON!† Tor looked up again; Aerin was quite near now, and then she was beside him, banging her calf painfully against his stirrup as Talat pranced and pretended to be taller. She yanked his arm down, pried his fingers loose from his sword hilt, shook the Crown free; pulled his head down toward her and jammed the Crown over his temples. How to cite The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 22, Essay examples

Superannuation Contributions and Benefit Plan †Free Samples

Questions: 1.What are the important factors that should be considered by tertiary sector employees when they are deciding whether to place their superannuation contributions in the Defined Benefit Plan or the Investment Choice Plan? 2.If the efficient-market hypothesis is true, the pension fund manager might as well select a portfolio with a pin. Explain why this is not the case? Answers: 1. There are varieties of factors that the staff of the tertiary sector must consider and taken care of at the decision-making period related to the individual superannuation contribution. The decision is done on whether the individual superannuation contribution must be placed with the choice of the investment plans. There is a wide range of difficulties and issues having an association with the concept of the time value of money. The concept of time value additionally supports the process of decision-making. Superannuation fund concept has been made to help people save money and uphold the same for their upcoming years of retirement. The Government of Australia is proactive towards obtaining a minimum amount of contribution towards the funds of retirement or superannuation on the behalf of the employees backed up by the employers. There was an increase of approximately 9% of total contributions. Further, there was a decline in the level of contributions of the employers that was ab out 3% of total salaries of staff members (Blake et al. 2014). The employees have been motivated for saving a proportion of their income for further investment in the superannuation funds. The motive of taking on the initiatives related to the policies of the superannuation and retirement funds. The force is towards the decline in the burden of the security of the individuals towards the payments of the pension and other provisions to act as a saviour at the time of retirement. As per the laws related to superannuation there has been an increase in the consciousness and awareness among the individuals. The individuals have become more aware about the benefits that can be derived in the future times. As per the current scenario, there are superannuation contributions of about a billion dollars. All the financial institutions apply the scenario and the procedure of contribution. Furthermore, the role considers the investment of the contributions in a profitable manner for offering with appropriate profits in the direction of supporting all the aspects of non-workers. Additionally, the largest investors are deemed to invest in the mutual funds other than the superannuation funds. For example, one of the principal individual and industry specific superannuation funds providers is UniSuper Ltd. The company offers services and has dealing with the superannuation of employees surrounded by the tertiary industry of education in the country Australia. The company consider the higher education institutions, several TAFE colleges and universities. A variety of revolutions has occurred within the administration of the superannuation funds and currently carrying on the provisioning of the services. The revolutions have led to an assurance of the growth and augmentation in the superannuation funds and other products that has a relation with the alternatives and choices of a variety of plans related to investment and retirement. There is thus maintenance of growth in the flexibleness among the members that takes place at the time of investment in the superannuation funds and such type of investments and funding. There are two types of superannuation funds among a wide range of funds that has been considered by the company UniSuper Ltd. The funds have increased the selection of the investments and the two categories include the plans of explained benefit and investment choice. The Explained Benefit Plan, as the name indicates is one among the many plans that offers many benefits to be offered at the time of retirement for the employees. The Plan is elucidated and clarified with the employment of a formula that comprise of a variety of factors like age along with number of years of the employees and the final average remuneration of employees. Additionally, the Plan takes into account the calculation and computation of the benefits provided to the employees In case of the tertiary education sector, the employees that adopt the above Explained Benefit Plan is taken into account by the trustees of the company i.e. UniSuper Ltd. The account takes into account the collection of the contributions made towards the superannuation funds and the trustees take the asset group under the determination process. The payout that is considered at the time of final payment is calculated by the formula given and the performance of the portfolio of the asset is considered of an irreverent nature as it do not have any impact on the overall payout at the time of retirement. The company on giving up the overall payout at the time of retirement includes the risk of investment that is faced by UniSuper Ltd. The above analysis presents an indication that there might not be any benefits from the portfolio of assets and that is excessive of the minimal amount of requirements in addressing the advantages of a define nature and character. The trustees of the Plan have obtained caution and judgment in terms of paying away the advantages of accumulation on an adjusted basis yearly. On the other hand, it does not show any amount of certainty and guarantee and there might be a development of a smaller fraction or proportion of the superannuation rewards (Walden 2014). The employees that consider the selection of the Plan of Investment Selection collect an account of individual investments. The plan takes into account the superannuation of personal nature and the ones sponsored by the employees. It also considers the annual allotment of proceeds assembled in the devoted contributions that has led to a decline in the charges of the management and administration. The value of time value is of significant nature, as the investors have to consider the value of a dollar in the upcoming years for the dollar that remains in the hand of investors. The amount of the dollar in the present year can be utilised towards investing for earning the capital gains and interest earned. Due to the inflationary fluctuations, the dollar in the recent years will be of a decreased value that has been promised for the forthcoming years. The time value of money is thus an efficient part of the investment decisions and other plans related to the investments. The money can be utilised in a productive and profitable manner and thus there might be distinctiveness in the value that has a reliance on the period at which it is collected or paid. Particularly, the worth and the actual value of the amount of wealth selected are considered valuable in comparison to the upcoming values. There might be considerations made by the investors regarding the time value that the money has due to a variety of reasons and factors. The reasons take into account consumption, inflation, risk and uncertainty and the opportunities related to the investment. The investors can also give a thought related with the risky nature and uncertainty in the outflows of the cash in the upcoming future years. Further, there is uncertainty in the inflows of the cash in future as they have a reliance on the creditors and the financial institutions like banks (Turner 2014). The employees have an option of selecting a number of types of assets or portfolios and can undertake the selection of the strategies that are described as under: Shares fund: The savings has a reliance on the shares of both domestic and international nature. Secure fund: The cash and securities of fixed-asset nature in Australia Stable fund: The amount of fixed interests and securities of bonds and reduced disclosure to the property and shares of both local and international concerns Trustees selection fund: Property assets and the investments of private equity and infrastructure, Balanced fund of the shares of both local and international concerns The overall payout at the time of retirement for the employees considering the selection of the funds of investment selection has a reliance on the returns collected. The returns are gathered by the means of the investment strategy chosen and they have a dealing related to the risk of related investments. The company UniSuper Ltd offers their employees a wide variety of products for investment at the time of retirement. The offers include the investment selection plan and the Explained Benefit Plan for providing them with a number of advantages at the time of retirement. The offers take in the options of investment and the plans of pension that include the following: Individual life indexed pensions: These pension plans are not provided at the time of the death of individuals. Instead, they are provided an amount of income that will be higher than the regular income. The amount is paid in consideration to the benchmark set with the indexed pension, discussed below. Indexed pensions: These pensions provide an ordinary amount of income that is indexed in relation to the price increases. These pensions are well thought-out to be due for the period of the lives of individuals. The pensions are then relocated to the spouse of person and have a reliance on the demise of the individuals. Rollover options: These pensions provide the person to select the shifting intended for rolling over the retirement fund of the individual. Allocated pensions: These pensions provide income of regular nature at the selection stage. It also offers accessibility to the individuals towards their capital along with four separate strategies of investments that helps the capital to be invested by people. The balance remaining in the account of pension after the death of the individual is dispersed to the dependents of the individual. Part-cash distributions: In such cases, the individuals are offered with the options of collecting a percentage desired by the retirement fund of an individual. The distributions are subjected to tax and other approvals and regulations as the amount distributed is utilised and consumed for the investment and individual purposes. The individual participating in the same can also go with the selection of combing a number of options that are important to use the income for meeting up the requirements of the lifestyle. Some important factors are to be considered by the individuals in the decision making process that has a relation with the risk of investments and profiles off returns. The important factors include the aspects that have relation with the inflation and time value of money (Lekander 2015). 2. Efficient market hypothesis is a theory that takes into account the assumption about the fact that the current prices of stocks have a major focus on the information obtainable about the value of the company. It is also known as the Random Walk Theory and it suggests that there is no other way to attain profits rather than getting access to the data of the company. The theory has dealing with the major concerns related to finance and goes into the search of the reason of the changes in the prices that occurs in the markets and securities. The changes are marked and the same are determined for knowing the cause behind the same. A number of investors attempt to disclose a particular amount of securities that are rated too low and have been under the prediction of getting their value enhanced in upcoming years. The investors in majority consider the selection of the securities and stock that could outperform the entire market and the investors include the manager of the pension funds. For the above reasons, there is a tendency of utilising the numerous tools and techniques related to the forecasting and valuation. The same can help in the facilitation of taking efficient decisions related to the investments. In addition, the processed edges formed by a manager of pension funds can be altered into considerable and significant amount of profits. The investors take into account the considerations that an efficient market is to be thought of along with the indications of the high and low prices (Martinsuo 2013). There is a conception that even a manager of the pension funds can chose a portfolio easily in the occasion of the efficient market hypothesis being accurate. On the other hand, it is contrasted, as is it not necessary that the diversified portfolio will have a similar structure and correlation with the stocks in an increasing manner. Thus, the funds constitute higher and exceptional amount of risks that may not fall under the rewarding criteria. For a wide range of people, the portfolio derived as a result is taken to be excessive in terms of systematic risks. The issue is removed on grounds in which the individuals are capable of investing more wealth than their capacity. The investment is to be done in the particular range of assets that are risk free in nature. There might be situations where there might be an increase in the beta of the portfolio along with the preferences of risk of the individuals (Klingebiel and Rammer 2014). The existence of taxes and such other impositions are to be considered well in the world, which is imperfect. They are considered the most vital part for the investors and as per the process of equilibrium, due to the liability increase, there can be a collection of huge surpluses. References Blake, D., Sarno, L. and Zinna, G., 2014. The market for lemmings: is the investment behaviour of pension funds stabilizing or destabilizing?.Bank of England mimeo. Diane Parker, P., Diane Parker, P., Swanson, N.J., Swanson, N.J., Dugan, M.T. and Dugan, M.T., 2016. Management of pension discount rate and financial health.Journal of Financial Economic Policy,8(2), pp.142-162. Gomez, J.A. and Agudo, L.F., 2016. Are pension funds determinants of financial market stability? A dynamic analysis of OECD countries. Hamdani, A., Kandel, E., Mugerman, Y. and Yafeh, Y., 2016.Incentive Fees and Competition in Pension Funds: Evidence from a Regulatory Experiment(No. w22634). National Bureau of Economic Research. Klingebiel, R. and Rammer, C., 2014. Resource allocation strategy for innovation portfolio management.Strategic Management Journal,35(2), pp.246-268. Lekander, J.R., 2015. Real estate portfolio construction for a multi-asset portfolio.Journal of Property Investment Finance,33(6), pp.548-573. Martinsuo, M., 2013. Project portfolio management in practice and in context.International Journal of Project Management,31(6), pp.794-803. Soon, S.V., Baharumshah, A.Z. and Chan, T.H., 2015. Efficiency Market Hypothesis in an Emerging Market: Does It Really Hold for Malaysia?.Jurnal PAigurusan,42, pp.31-42. Turner, J.R., 2014.The handbook of project-based management(Vol. 92). New York, NY: McGraw-hill. Walden, M.L., 2015. Active Versus Passive Investment Management Of State Pension Plans: Implications For Personal Finance.Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning,26(2), pp.160-171.

Answers to Practice Questions before the Midterm ( Essays - Economy

Answers to Practice Questions before the Midterm ( Essays - Economy Answers to Practice Questions before the Midterm (MBAC 512) Prof. Silke Forbes Spring 2017 Multiple-Choice Questions 1 . The law of demand states that, holding all else constant: A. as price falls, demand will fall also. B. as price rises, demand will also rise. C. price has no effect on quantity demanded. D. as price falls, quantity demanded rises. 2 . An increase in the price of steak will probably lead to: A. an increase in demand for chicken. B. an increase in demand for steak. C. no change in the demand for steak or chicken. D. an increase in the supply of chicken. 3 . If A and B are complements, an increase in the price of good A would: A. have no effect on the quantity demanded of B. B. lead to an increase in demand for B. C. lead to a decrease in demand for B. D. none of the statements associated with this question are correct. 4 . Suppose both supply and demand decrease. What effect will this have on the market price? A. It will fall. B. It will rise. C. It may rise or fall. D. It will remain the same. 5 . Assume that the price elasticity of demand is -2 for a certain firm's product. If the firm raises price, the firm's manage rs can expect total revenue to: A. decrease. B. increase. C. remain constant. D. either increase or remain constant, depending upon the size of the price increase. 6 . One of the conditions under which market-based (third-degree) price discrimination is profitable is: A. ability to identify consumer types. B. inability to resell the good. C. differences in demand elasticities. D. All of the statements associated with this question are correct. 7. The own price elasticity of demand for apples is -1.2. If the price of apples falls by 5 percent, what will happen to the quantity of apples demanded? It will increase 5 percent. It will fall 4.3 percent. It will increase 4.2 percent. It will increase 6 percent. 8. If apples have an own price elasticity of -1.2 we know the demand is: unitary. indeterminate. elastic. inelastic. 9 . A consumer values a car at $525,000 and a producer values the same car at $485,000. If the transaction is completed at $510,000, the transaction will generate: No surplus. $25,000 worth of producer surplus and unknown amount of consumer surplus. $15,000 worth of consumer surplus and $25,000 of producer surplus. $25,000 worth of consumer surplus and unknown amount of producer surplus. 1 0 . The opportunity cost of an action: is equal to the marginal cost of an action. is equal to explicit cost. is equal to the value of next best alternative . is the total cost of an action 1 1 . If Average Variable Costs are equal to $5 and Average Fixed Costs are equal to $15, then the Average Total Costs are equal to: $10 $5 $15 $20 1 2 . Sarah's Machinery Company is deciding to dump their current technology A for a new technology B with small fixed costs but big marginal costs. The current technology has fixed costs of $500 and marginal costs of $50 whereas the new technology has fixed costs of $250 and marginal costs of $100. At what quantity is Sarah Machinery indifferent between two technologies? 5 6 7 8 1 3 . In 2011, Netflix raised prices on its DVDs and internet streaming plan. This decision could have been based on the following rationale: Netflix had become an industry leader thereby making the demand curve inelastic. Netflix had become an industry leader thereby making the demand curve elastic. Internet service, a complement to a Netflix subscription, had become more expensive. There are many substitutes to Netflix products. 1 4 . It costs a firm $80 per unit to produce product A and $50 per unit to produce product B individually. If the firm can produce both products together at $120 per unit of product A and B, this exhibits signs of Economies of scale. Economies of Scope. Diseconomies of Scale. Diseconomies of Scope. 15 . When there are economies of scale, per-unit costs increase as output increases. per-unit costs

Platos Crito Guide and Synopsis

Plato's 'Crito' Guide and Synopsis Platos dialogue Crito is a composition originating in 360 B.C.E. that depicts a conversation between Socrates and his rich friend Crito in a prison cell in Athens in the year 399 B.C.E. The dialogue covers the topic of justice, injustice and the appropriate response to both. By setting forth an argument appealing to rational reflection rather than emotional response, the character of Socrates explains the ramifications and justifications of a prison escape for the two friends. Plot Synopsis The setting for Platos dialog Crito  is Socrates prison cell in Athens in 399 B.C.E. A few weeks earlier Socrates had been found guilty of corrupting the youth with irreligion and sentenced to death.  He received the sentence with his usual equanimity, but his friends are desperate to save him. Socrates has been spared so far because Athens does not carry out executions while the annual mission it sends to Delos to commemorate Theseus legendary victory over the minotaur is still away. However, the mission is expected back in the next day or so. Knowing this, Crito has come to urge Socrates to escape while there is still time. To Socrates, escape is certainly a viable option. Crito is rich; the guards can be bribed; and if Socrates were to escape and flee to another city, his prosecutors wouldnt mind.  In effect, he would have gone into exile, and that would probably be good enough for them. Crito lays out several reasons for why he should escape including that their enemies would think his friends were too cheap or timid to arrange for him to escape, that he would be giving his enemies what they want by dying and that he has a responsibility to his children to not leave them fatherless. Socrates responds by saying, first of all, that how one acts should be decided by rational reflection, not by appeals to emotion. This has always been his approach, and he is not going to abandon it just because his circumstances have changed. He dismisses out of hand Critos anxiety about what other people will think. Moral questions should not be referred to the opinion of the majority; the only opinions that matter are the opinions of those who possess moral wisdom and really understand the nature of virtue and justice. In the same way, he pushes aside such considerations as how much escaping would cost, or how likely it is that the plan would succeed. Such questions are all utterly irrelevant.  The only question that matters is: would trying to escape be morally right or morally wrong? Argument For Morality Socrates, therefore, constructs an argument for the morality of escaping by saying that first, one is never justified in doing what is morally wrong, even in self-defense or in retaliation for an injury or injustice suffered. Further, it is always wrong to break an agreement one has made. In this, Socrates posits that he has made an implicit agreement with Athens and its laws because he has enjoyed seventy years of all the good things they provide including security, social stability, education, and culture.  Before his arrest, he further posits he never found fault with any of the laws or tried to change them, nor has he left the city to go and live somewhere else. Instead, he has chosen to spend his whole life living in Athens and enjoying the protection of its laws. Escaping would, therefore, be a breach of his agreement to the laws of Athens and it would, in fact, be worse: it would be an act that threatens to destroy the authority of the laws. Therefore, Socrates states that to try to avoid his sentence by escaping from prison would be morally wrong. Respect for the Law The crux of the argument is made memorable by being put into the mouth of the Laws of Athens who Socrates imagines personified and coming to question him about the idea of escaping. Furthermore, subsidiary arguments are embedded in the main arguments outlined above. For instance, the Laws claim that citizens owe them the same sort of obedience and respect that children owe their parents. They also paint a picture of how things would appear if Socrates, the great moral philosopher who has spent his life talking so earnestly about virtue, to don a ridiculous disguise and run away to another city just to secure a few more years of life. The argument that those who benefit from the state and its laws have a duty to respect those laws even when doing so seems against their immediate self-interest is cogent, easy to grasp and is probably still accepted by most people today. The idea that the citizens of a state, by living there, make an implicit covenant with the state, has also been tremendously influential and is a central tenet of social contract theory as well as popular immigration policies with respect to freedom of religion. Running through the whole dialog, though, one hears the same argument that Socrates gave to the jurors at his trial. He is who he is: a philosopher engaged in the pursuit of truth and the cultivation of virtue. He is not going to change, regardless of what other people think of him or threaten to do to him. His whole life exhibits a distinctive integrity, and he is determined that it will stay that way to the very end, even if it means staying in prison until his death

Cluster headache case study pathophysioloy class

Cluster headache pathophysioloy class - Case Study Example Individuals who suffer from this type of headache experience recurrent severe, one-sided (unilateral) headache pain. These attacks occur at intervals with spontaneous remissions that stop the continuous progress of pain though a smaller percentage of individuals do not experience this interrupt. Cluster headaches are mostly incurable, but prevention can be put in place. Acute attacks can be treated through giving the patient plenty supply of oxygen or triptan which is fast acting. Verapamil uses a prevention mechanism has been widely acceptable and is commonly used as a prophylactic therapy. The use of verapamil sometimes calls for use of steroids before it starts to take effect (Friedman BW, 2009). Cluster headache proportionally affects a 0.2% of the general population with men being affected most. The ratio of men to women who suffer from cluster headache ranges from 2.5:1 to 3.5:1. P.T has a three years history of cluster headache, and he is 35 years of age. He has gone to a neurological clinic for follow-up and revealed that he experienced any headache for a period of one year until they started six weeks ago. He has been involved in a divorce and also lost her mother who succumbed to cancer recently. He shifted to a new job a few weeks ago. He states that his headaches starts from nowhere and reaches its highest level of pain within 10 minutes. An intense and extreme headache pain is experienced, and it is unilateral only affecting one side of the head typically above the eye. The pain runs from above the eye to the temple and reaches the left cheek. During a headache, the eye starts to water profusely and also a runny nose is on the go. The headaches have been episodic, lasting for approximately two and a half hours and occurring between 9am to 9pm daily during the last five days. Drugs such as ibuprofen nor acetaminophen have been ineffective in relieving pain during headaches. There are no photophobic instances associated

ETMA 01 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ETMA 01 - Essay Example The type of conviction for breaking these rules is called a summary conviction (Sunbeds Regulation Act section 2 (6)(7), 2010). It is possible that the person can make a defense against a person in their employ that breaks this law if they can show that they made a reasonable effort to prevent this law from being broken. Question #2 A tanning bed is exempt from the regulations in section 2 if it is used for medical treatment. There are some specific guidelines that apply to this regulation. The tanning bed must be dedicated for use in medical treatment. It can not be used for rental for cosmetic purposes part of the time and used for medical purposes for the remainder. Another stipulation requires the actual tanning bed to be located in a registered medical facility. Depending on whether it is in England or Wales, the medical facility must meet certain standards. It may be a clinic or a hospital. Either way, the statute is very clear in showing that tanning beds that are going to be used for medical treatment must not be used for any other purpose and they must be located in a hospital or clinic (Sunbeds Regulation Act section 3). This exemption has some very real consequences for tanning parlors. For example, a 16 year-old person might receive medical treatment in accordance with Section 3 of the Sunbeds Regulation Act. Let’s say they were at a clinic. They enjoyed the experience so much that they wanted to visit a commercial establishment in their neighborhood. The owner of the shop might simply ask this under-age patron if they had used a tanning bed before. The patron may honestly answer in the affirmative, but the shop owner would actually be breaking the law. This shows the need for all tanning salon patrons to show proper identification to avoid breaking the law. Question #3 The location of the tanning beds and the age of the customer or potential customer are the major factors that determine if Shula broke any laws or not. Shula is not in any tro uble for providing services to Nikki. She is 18 years old and the statute is aimed at protecting individuals under the age of 18. Nikki’s age makes Shula’s actions well within the law. Her actions relating to Mandy are not against the law, either. The statute concerning tanning beds does not apply to use within a private residence. It clearly states in Section 2, subsection (2b) that these rules only apply to non-residential uses of tanning beds. Even though Shula lives above the tanning salon, the second floor is her private premises. She can allow the 16 year-old Mandy to use this tanning bed because she is a friend of Mandy’s mother. Shula will be in trouble, however, for the actions of her assistant David. Grant, who was attending the salon with his sister, is under 18. The statute says that no offer can be made by or on behalf of the owner/manager of the establishment that entices underage individuals to use the tanning salon. This means that Shula could be responsible for David’s actions. Shula could possibly offer the defense that she had trained David to avoid this situation by requiring identification before offering any offers for tanning. If Shula could show that she had given due diligence through training, then she will not be held accountable. Tina does not need to worry about her use of a tanning bed. She is exempt because the

Marketing Audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Audit - Essay Example This paper will look at three components of the marketing audit namely marketing environment, marketing strategy and SWOT analysis. The marketing environment of a business organization can be classified into the macroenvironment and task environment. While the macroenvironment deals with the larger external environment of the company, the task environment looks at the direct stakeholders. The company's macroenvironment is comprised of the demographic, economic, environmental, technological, political, and cultural factors which directly affects its operation. Business organizations need to know the major demographic trends and developments which pose threats and opportunities to them as well as their specific response to these factors. The effects of economic variables such as price, income, savings and credit in the operation of business organizations should also be ascertained. ... Lastly, cultural factors like lifestyle and values must be evaluated to create products and services which are more preferred by customers (Kotler 2003). The task environment is comprised of the companies' stakeholders like suppliers, distribution channels, customers, competitors, customers, facilitators and marketing firms, markets, and publics. An evaluation of the task environment gives the business organization an idea of its position in the market (Kotler 2003). Marketing Strategy The evaluation of the company's marketing strategy start with the identification of the broader business mission and marketing objectives and goals. The main focus of this analysis is to determine whether the strategy is in line with where the company wants to be and what it wants to achieve. In evaluating the company's business mission, managers ascertain whether their stated mission is market-oriented. Market orientation is now imperative due to the evolving hypercompetitive marketing environment which gives higher buying leverage to customers. Next, the company also needs to verify that the company's stated business mission is feasible, that is, the company has the adequate and appropriate resources to achieve this position (Kotler 2003). Next, the company reviews its specific marketing objectives and goals making sure that they are smart-specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Managers also ensure that the marketing objectives are appropriate given the company's position, resources, and opportunities. Lastly, the company turns to its marketing strategy taking note if it is really effective in achieving the stated goals and objectives. The company's marketing strategy is often relayed through its marketing

Understanding and analysing how Next Retail Ltd (Next) delivers its logistics

Understanding and analysing how Next Retail Ltd (Next) delivers its logistics 1.1 Introduction This report is based on understanding and analysing how Next Retail Ltd (Next) conceives, supports and delivers its logistics and the supply of its products. Next is an international company based in the UK that offers quality fashion clothes and accessories for men, women and children and home ware. It is a subsidiary of Next Plc which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Next Plcs total revenue was  £3.4b in 2010 and profit before tax was  £505 million (Appendix 1). While Next Retail is present in over 500 stores in the UK and Eire, it manufactures its products outside Europe. For international companies like this, logistics and supply chain management is an important factor in the success of their businesses. This report will describe and analyse Nexts logistics and supply chain strategies. It will also attempt to understand the rationale behind these strategies and whether they have been successful. Based on the report findings, recommendations will be made. The sources of information for this report will be mostly secondary; they will include the company website, company reports, economic reports, journals and textbooks. It is expected that a thorough analysis of this information will be sufficient to produce a high quality report. 1.2 The nature of logistics. There are several definitions of logistics depending on the nature of the organisation (Rushton et al 2006). For some, it is the management of all activities which facilitates movement and the co-ordination of supply and demand in the creation of time and place utility (Hesket et al 1973 cited in Rushton et al). Rushton himself defined it as the efficient transfer of goods from the source of supply through the place of manufacture to the point of consumption in a cost effective way whilst providing an acceptable service to the customer (Rushton et al 2006). It can be broken down into two major components materials management and physical distribution (figure 1.1). The two components can be further broken down into transport, warehousing, inventory, packaging and information of goods and services. The way that each company makes its decisions on the various aspects of logistics management is a function of many things such as the nature of products or services it offers, the countries in which it sources its materials and sells its products, the international and local laws and regulations, the type of customers it targets, resources available etc. Figure 1.1. A comprehensive diagram of logistics (Rushton et al 2006). 2.1 Supply chain strategies Supply chain strategies are different from supply management. They define how the supply chain should operate in order to be competitive. It is a process that has to be repeated in order to measure the cost benefits of the operational components (UPS 2005). Supply chain management, on the other hand, is the management of upstream and downstream relationships with suppliers and customers to deliver superior customer value at less cost to the supply chain as a whole (Christopher 2004). Supply chain strategies depend on the companys corporate strategies which are the blue print for what the company wants to achieve (Mangan et al 2008). The figure below shows how the logistic and supply management strategies depend indirectly on the corporate strategy and directly on the business unit strategy. Figure 2.1 The link between SCM Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Mangan et al 2008). According to Mangan et al (2008), there are two major types of supply chain strategies; the lean and the agile strategies. With lean strategies, the emphasis is on reducing and if possible eliminating waste the in the production of the goods and services e.g. there is no time lag in the factory and the products are ready just in time for use. This strategy depends on having all the resources and information necessary for production and distribution; it also depends on being able to predict customer demands so that there is no waste of products. The agile strategy pioneered by Christopher (2003) is borne of the fact that when there is high volatility in the demand and production process, it is not always possible to have accurate resources and predict customer demands. The agile strategy helps the business to be able to cope with any demands made on it by embarking on mass production and differentiation. Both lean and agile strategies are not mutually exclusive and businesses can choose to use both of them for products with different lead times, product cycles and customer demands. Nexts supply chain strategies Nexts primary objective is to deliver sustainable long term growth in earnings per share and its business strategies to achieve these include: Improve its product ranges Increase the number of its customers and their average spend. Improve product sourcing, reduce cost and manage stock levels efficiently (Next 2011). The dominant buying behaviour of Nexts customers is not always predictable because the fashion market is characterised by high volatility, low predictability and high impulse purchasing (Christopher et al 2004). Fashion stores used to change their stock only twice a year, with up to eight fashion seasons in a year, the stores have to constantly change their stock. In fact, fashion trends have been observed to last for only six to eight weeks (Collins 2003). This leads to complications in the supply chain for most fashion companies. The consequent volatility requires an agile supply strategy. Mass customisation is one key technique in the agile strategy. This involves mass production of the business products but configuring them slightly so that there are some variations in the products. The customers then have different products to choose from even though the products are essentially the same. Next adopts this strategy by offering mass produced clothes in variety of colours, sizes and styles to accommodate the differences in its customers tastes (Next 2011). On the other hand, as seen from its business strategies, there is a strong desire to reduce cost and manage stock levels efficiently. This corresponds to the lean supply strategy which eliminates wastes and increases efficiency. Next handles its inventory management accurately with the use of sound IT systems (NEXT Annual Report 2010). This ensures that there is a good balance between having additional products at hand and the risk of not having them when the customers need them (Gourdin 2000). Its warehousing and distribution operations are constantly reviewed to maintain efficiency and reduce risks such as physical property damage, reduce fabric waste, warehouse breakdowns, capacity shortages etc. Care is also taken to make sure that the products are transported to the retail stores on time (Next 2010 Annual Report). As a result of this, in 2010, the company was able to increase gross profit margin by 0.5% through reduction in warehousing and distribution costs (Figure 2.2). Figure 2.2. Next Plcs profit margins in 2010. Logistic Service providers (LSPs) LSPs are companies who handle other companies transport and distribution networks. Recognising the cost-effective prospects in international transport and logistics entails dedication and resources (Rushton et al 2008). Thus, many businesses outsource the transportation of raw materials and finished products to LSPs and focus on their own core competences to save resources and increase profits (Mangan et al 2008). Some companies, on the other hand, provide its own transportation and distribution services. While some others come together as agencies to organise their logistics needs, thereby getting the services at cheaper rates (Mangan et al 2008). Some LSPs also provide integrated logistics services and act as a one stop shop for companies. They are called third-party logistics companies (3PLs) or even fourth-party logistics companies (4PLs). They provide transportation, warehousing and packaging and distribution for other businesses. Examples of such companies are DHL, Kuehne and Nagel Logistics. Choosing the right LSP depends on several factors including the services provided, the geographical location, costs, speed, services needed, LSPs history etc (Mangan et al 2008). Next Plc falls under the categories of company who provides its own logistics services. It boasts of over 20 years of transporting, warehousing and distribution and has invested over  £66 million on its network over the past few years (Stanton 2007). Next Plc considers itself so experienced in these functions that it is now offers 3PL services to other retail businesses with 100 to 150 stores under the umbrella of Ventura Network Distribution (Stanton 2007). The company has two major networks; primary retail and two man network (Ventura 2009). Primary Retail: which comprises of 8 sites, 800 staff, depot space of about 1 million feet, warehousing space of about 5 million feet and over 200 vehicles. Two Man Network: this comprises of 11 sites, 220 staff and about 150 vehicles. In addition, it also offers the mail order fulfilment services (Ventura 2009). Ventura is doing well with a profit of  £6m in 2010; an increase of  £1m from the previous year (Next 2010 Annual Report). More growth is expected in the coming year. 3. Procurement and Outsourcing Procurement is the process of buying and acquiring the materials and services needed for a business. The materials and services procured by businesses will vary according to each business needs. A business like Next that sells clothing and accessories will need to buy fabric, sewing equipment, labour skilled in sewing and manufacturing clothes while a business who sells processed foods will need the food ingredients, the cooking equipment and skilled cooks. The art of procurement is increasingly more complex because of the differences in the cost and quality of materials and services across the world. In order to remain competitive, companies have to buy their materials from areas with greatest value for money and so save on costs of production. International regulations on buying and selling across the world also mean that businesses need to factor in laws, custom and excise duties when choosing where to buy their materials. The identification of right source of supply, purchasing right quantity, right quality, at the right time and at the right prices are important elements of procurement functions (Saxena 2009). Procurement can be direct and indirect. Direct procurement is applicable to manufacturing companies since they need to buy raw materials and equipment for their goods. Indirect procurement is applicable to all companies since it focus on the purchases of company facilities that are necessary to run the company such as labour, marketing, buildings/offices, office supplies etc. As with many other non-core business functions, some companies decide to outsource the procurement function to specialised companies that deal with this. For instance, they might engage recruitment agencies to fill a vacant position within their companies instead of spending time sifting through many CV and conducting interviews. Next Plc has several subsidiaries, one of which is called Next Sourcing Limited (NSL). NSL handles its procurement and sourcing operations. It is present in China, India, Hong Kong, Romania, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the UK. Its function is to design its fashion clothes, source the necessary materials, buy these materials and maintain the quality of the companys products (Next 2011). This subsidiary is doing well and last year recorded a profit of  £35.7m. However, with increasing competition from external suppliers, it is expected that profits will drop to about  £30m in the present year (Next 2010 Annual Report). For its indirect procurement, Next uses its subsidiary Ventura to handle all its customer service requirements and it offers this service to business who engage its service. This service is very important because increasing customer satisfaction is the output of good logistics (Gourdin 2000). At the moment, Next has 6 call centres in the UK, another one in India and employs over 7,000 employees (Next 2011). In addition, the company also recruits its own staff through its websites and advertisements on job sites like Indeed.co.uk which lead the applicants back to the Next website. 4.1 Conclusion Logistics is especially important to international companies. It involves how the company sources its products, manufactures, transports and stores them. The strategies embarked on by the company are a function of its business objectives and strategies. Next is determined to be profitable by increasing the demand of its products and reducing costs. Therefore, it uses a combination of both the lean and agile supply strategies to manage its logistics and supply chain. Next has created subsidiary companies to manage the different components of its logistics and supply chain. It is evident that the company wants to have total control over its business. In addition, it has commercialised these subsidiary companies and offers their services to other businesses, thereby increasing its revenue. Next has been quite profitable including the subsidiary companies that manage its logistics and supply chain. However, according to its 2010 annual report, the profits from Next Sourcing Ltd is likely to see a decline in the following year as a result of competition from external suppliers. 4.2 Recommendations Based on the findings of this report, the following recommendations have been made: It might be necessary for Next to outsource some of its logistics functions to independent companies so that it can focus on its core competencies which are to provide quality fashion clothing and software. At the moment, in trying to do so many things, the company might be losing the expertise and focus they need to build their brand and make even more profit. For instance, because of the large number of employees needed for the company and its subsidiaries, Next can outsource its recruitment functions to recruitment agencies. If the profits from NSL start to fall as predicted, it can also consider outsourcing this function. It is necessary for the company to realise that outsourcing procurement does not necessarily mean that it loses total control of its sourcing and buying processes. It could still have a department in charge of this function but work with third parties to ensure that it uses the expertise necessary for competitive advantage. The department can monitor the procurement process so that Next can be assured of its quality. 5. References and Bibliography Christopher M., (2003). Creating Agile Supply Chains. In: J. Gattorna, ed. 2003. Gower Handbook of Supply Chain Management. 5th edition; Gower Publishing Ltd. 283 291. Christopher M. (2004) Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Creating Value Adding Networks. 3rd ed; Financial Times/ Prentice Hall. Christopher M, Lowson R. Peck H. (2004). Creating agile supply chains in the fashion industry. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. Vol 32(8) 367 376 Collins J.L. (2003). Threads: Gender, Labor and Power in the Global Apparel Industry. 2nd ed; University of Chicago Press. Frazelle E. (2001). Supply Chain Strategy: The Logistics of Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill Professional. Gourdin K. (2000). Global Logistics Management: A Competitive Advantage for the New Millennium. Wiley-Blackwell. Mahadevan B. (2009). Operation Management: Theory and Practice. Prentice Hall College Div Mangan J, Lalwani C Butcher T. (2008). Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management. John Wiley Sons Next (2010). Annual Report. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nextplc.co.uk/nextplc/financialinfo/reportsresults/2009/jan10/jan10-c.pdf Accessed 02 March 2011. Next (2011). Next About us. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nextplc.co.uk/nextplc/aboutnext Accessed 02 March 2011. Saxena J. (2009). Production and Operations Management. McGraw Hill Education Stanton J. (2007) Next Goes into Third Party Logistics. [Online]. Available at: http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2007/10/31/128885/Next-goes-into-third-party-logistics.htm . Accessed 12 March 2011. Ventura (2009). Ventura Distribution Network [Online]. Available at: http://www.venturadistribution.co.uk/default.asp. Accessed 10 March 2011.

The Struggles Of A Leader :: essays research papers

In 1965 Malcolm X, one of the greatest black leaders in America, published his autobiography with the help of Alex Haley, a former writer for the Washington Post. In this autobiography Malcolm tells of the many struggles he had to endure in his lifetime. Things such as hate crimes, drugs, and prison. The autobiography begins with an incident his mother (Louise Little) told him about that occurred while she was still pregnant with him. What happened was that a group of hooded Klan’s-men galloped to his parents house in search of his father (Reverend Earl Little). They circled around the house with their loaded rifles shouting threats and saying that â€Å"the good Christian white people† were not going to stand for his father’s â€Å"spreading trouble† among the â€Å"good† Negroes of Omaha with the â€Å"back to Africa† preachings of Marcus Garvey. They then circle ride around the house and smash in the windows with the butts of their guns. Malcolm was born shortly after on May 15, 1925. Then the book goes through his whole life from the time he was a mere boy to when he was an irresponsible teenager to the time when he was a civil rights leader as an adult. So in other words the book follows his life in chronological order. I find that t his made the book more enjoyable to read and easier to understand. This is because books in which they jump around in a person’s life it gets very confusing and then you don’t know what happened. So I feel this book was very well organized in that it helps you understand what’s going on by telling the events in order. I feel that the purpose of Malcolm X’s autobiography is to give people a vivid description of the life and times of the most controversial leader of the Civil Rights Movement in America, it also gives a ringside view of the events that occurred in and outside America.