Thursday, October 24, 2019

Job Satisfaction Essay -- Job Mastery, Job Control

This research was conducted to assess the relationship between selected demographics, job mastery, and job satisfaction. A total 6,902 participants were gathered from the telephone and Internet provider BellSouth. A significant relationship was found between age and job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was also significantly correlated with years spent with the company. Significant differences were found between gender and job satisfaction, as well as level of education and job satisfaction. These findings suggest that as age and years spent with the company increase job satisfaction also increases and job satisfaction may depend upon the level of education of the employee. The Relationship between Specific Demographic Variables, Job Mastery, and Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction serves as important factor in improving not only the general happiness of employees, but also enhancing the work performance. For these reasons, psychologists and employers alike have studied the factors that may effect overall job satisfaction among employees. For example, previous research has found a negative significant relationship between social stressors and job satisfaction (Harris, Harvey, & Kacmar, 2009). This research signified that as the social stressors of employment decreased the job satisfaction of the employee increased. Although this research was beneficial in the implication of increasing job satisfaction of employees, previous research in evaluating other factors effecting job satisfaction has not been as successful. Previous research evaluating the relationship between specific demographic factors and job satisfaction has been inconclusive (Scott, Swortzel, & Taylor, 2005). However, Harris et al. (2009) ... ... week, so that all employees would have a chance to complete the survey and the data could not be linked to the shift that the employee worked. Results Frequencies were preformed on call waiting, caller id, Internet, and multiple lines. Results indicated that 58.40% of employees did not own multiple telephone lines and 41.60% of employees did own multiple lines. Similar results were found for caller id and call waiting. Frequencies revealed that 48.40% of employees did not own caller id’s and 51.6% of employees did own caller id’s. Frequencies also indicated that 49.10% of employees did not have call waiting and 50.90% did have call waiting. The most surprising information provided by frequencies was the lack of employees who had Internet. Results indicated that only 26.10% of BellSouth employees had Internet, while 70.00% of employees did not have Internet.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

California Pizza Kitchen Case Study Essay

California Pizza Kitchen was first created in 1985 in Beverly Hills, California. By 2007 there were 213 locations throughout 28 states and 6 countries. Although 41% of the stores were based in California, keeping with the restaurants theme, the dining model flourished throughout the United States. For the second quarter of 2007, although they were faced with industry challenges such as raised commodity, labor and energy costs, they were still expected to break quarterly records with over $6 million in profits. Although they experienced good performance, the share price had declined 10% to a current value of $22.10. Susan Collyns, CFO, and her team were faced with the decision of a share repurchase program. They had little money in excess cash though, so a repurchase agreement would mean debt financing. A share repurchase would send a positive signal to the market, with future values expected to be high. The financial team also needs to decide on the appropriate capital structure. Because of the low interest rates, CPK can issue the debt needed for a repurchase agreement at a low cost. Also because they have no previous debt, this would not be a large risk and it will in fact increase the value of CPK due to decreased taxes, which comes from the tax shield. The leverage from exhibit 9 has different effects for return on equity and cost of capital. For return on equity, as you increase leverage, the ROE increases as well. At 10% debt/capital, ROE is 9.52%, 20% debt/capital, ROE is 10.19%, and 30% debt/capital, ROE is 11.05%. Using the beta equation to find the effect on cost of equity, you can see that it increases as well when the leverage increases. For 10% debt/capital, the beta of equity is .87 and cost of equity is 14.34%, 20% debt/capital, beta equity is .89 and cost of equity is 14.56%, lastly 30% debt/capital, beta equity is .915 and cost of equity is 14.84%. These increases also mean an increase in risk of the company because of the additional debt taken on. When taking into consideration the WACC equation, there will be an overall decrease in cost of equity to the firm because of the low cost of debt and the additional tax shield. When finding share prices, it is evident they will increase with each debt/capital percent. At 10% debt/capital, the price of stock will go up to $22.35, which is a 1.13% increase in price, and allows the buy back of 1.01 million shares. At 20% debt/capital structure, the price will move up to $22.60, a 2.26% increase  and can buy back 1.99 million shares. Lastly, a 30% debt/capital, the price will move to $22.86, a 2.99% increase and allow the buy back of 2.97 million shares. Again, the added value to the firm can be attributed to the present value of the tax shield that debt allows them to capture. So this allows for the buy back of shares at the new price. In my opinion, I think Susan Collyns should choose the 20% debt/capital structure. Under this structure, they should partake in a share repurchase program and buy back around 1.99 million shares. This will allow for an increase in share price that would please shareholders. There is not a huge level of risk involved in the 20% structure, it leaves room for future expansion but moderates how much debt taken on.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

disorders essays

disorders essays Causes, Symptoms, Complications and Treatments for the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa. Eating disorders are devastating behavioral maladies brought on by a complex interplay of factors, which may include emotional and personality disorder, family pressure, a possible genetic or biological susceptibility and a culture in which there is an over abundance of food and an obsession with thinness. Eating disorders are generally characterized as bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and eating disorders not other wise specified. According to the World of Psychology anorexia is defined as " an eating disorder characterized by an overwhelming, irrational fear of being fat, compulsive dieting to the point of self starvation and excessive weight loss."(World of Psychology Page 317). There are some causes, symptoms, complications and treatment of anorexia nervosa. There is no single cause for the eating disorder anorexia but a number of factors including emotional disorders and cultural influences. Researchers have shown that emotional disorders such as depression collaborate in causing anorexia nervosa. This is because most anorexic patients have been found to have abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters particularly serotonin, that are associated with depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. According to a research conducted by Dr. John .E. Godine of Harvard Medical School " studies are finding that low blood levels of amino acid tryptophan, a component in food that is essential to the production of serotonin, can produce depression and may also contribute to anorexia nervosa" (Psychology Today Page 17, May 97). Researches have also shown that changes in seasons affects both depression and eating disorders and also that onset of anorexia appears to peak in May, which is also a peak month for suicide. Anxiety disorde rs are also very common with anorexia. Phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) usu...

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Writers Voice in Literature and Rhetoric

The Writers Voice in Literature and Rhetoric In rhetoric and literary studies, voice is the distinctive style or manner of expression of an author or narrator.  As discussed below, voice is one of the most elusive yet important qualities in a piece of writing.   Voice is usually the key element in effective writing, says teacher and journalist Donald Murray. It is  what attracts the reader and communicates  to the reader. It is that element that gives the illusion of speech.  Murray continues: Voice carries the writers intensity and glues together the information that the reader needs to know. It is the music in writing that makes the meaning clear (Expecting the Unexpected: Teaching Myselfand Othersto Read and Write, 1989). EtymologyFrom the Latin, call The Music of a Writers Voice Voice is the sum of all strategies used by the author to create the illusion that the writer is speaking directly to the reader from the page. (Don Fry, quoted by Roy P. Clark, Writing Tools. Little, Brown, 2006) Voice is the most popular metaphor for writing style, but an equally suggestive one may be delivery or presentation, as it includes body language, facial expression, stance, and other qualities that set speakers apart from one another. (Ben Yagoda, The Sound on the Page. HarperCollins, 2004) If one means by style the voice, the irreducible and always recognizable and alive thing, then of course style is really everything. (Mary McCarthy, Writers at Work: The Paris Review Interviews, Second Series. 1977) Voice and Speech I think voice is one of the main forces that draws us into texts. We often give other explanations for what we like (clarity, style, energy, sublimity, reach, even truth), but I think its often one sort of voice or another. One way of saying this is that voice seems to overcome writing or textuality. That is, speech seems to come to us as listener; the speaker seems to do the work of getting the meaning into our heads. In the case of writing, on the other hand, its as though we as reader have [to] go to the text and do the work of extracting the meaning. And speech seems to give us more sense of contact with the author. (Peter Elbow, Everyone Can Write: Essays Toward a Hopeful Theory of Writing and Teaching. Oxford University Press, 2000) Multiple Voices The personality I am expressing in this written sentence is not the same as the one I orally express to my three-year-old who at this moment is bent on climbing onto my typewriter. For each of these two situations, I choose a different voice, a different mask, in order to accomplish what I want accomplished. (Walker Gibson, The Limits of Language. Hill and Wang, 1966) Just as you dress differently on different occasions, as a writer you assume different voices in different situations. If youre writing an essay about a personal experience, you may work hard to create a strong personal voice in your essay. . . . If youre writing a report or essay exam, you will adopt a more formal, public tone. Whatever the situation, the choice you make as you write and revise . . . will determine how readers interpret and respond to your presence. (Lisa Ede, Work in Progress: A Guide to Writing and Revising. St. Martins Press, 1989) Tone and Voice If voice is the writers personality that a reader hears in a text, then tone might be described as the writers attitude in a text. The tone of a text might be emotional (angry, enthusiastic, melancholy), measured (such as in an essay in which the author wants to seem reasonable on a controversial topic), or objective or neutral (as in a scientific report). . . . In writing, tone is created through word choice, sentence structure, imagery, and similar devices that convey to a reader the writers attitude. Voice, in writing, by contrast, is like the sound of your spoken voice: deep, high-pitched, nasal. It is the quality that makes your voice distinctly your own, no matter what tone you might take. In some ways, tone and voice overlap, but voice is a more fundamental characteristic of a writer, whereas tone changes upon the subject and the writers feelings about it. (Robert P. Yagelski,  Writing: Ten Core Concepts. Cengage, 2015) Grammar and Voice ​If, as we believe, grammar is linked to voice, students need to be thinking about grammar far earlier in the writing process. We cannot teach grammar in lasting ways if we teach it as a way to fix students writing, especially writing they view as already complete. Students need to construct knowledge of grammar by practicing it as part of what it means to write, particularly in how it helps create a voice that engages the reader on the page. (Mary Ehrenworth and Vicki Vinton, The Power of Grammar: Unconventional Approaches to the Conventions of Language. Heinemann, 2005) The Elusive Entity of Voice One of the most mysterious of writing’s immaterial properties is what people call voice. . . . Prose can show many virtues, including originality, without having a voice. It may avoid clichà ©, radiate conviction, be grammatically so clean that your grandmother could eat off it. But none of this has anything to do with this elusive entity the voice. There are probably all kinds of literary sins that prevent a piece of writing from having a voice, but there seems to be no guaranteed technique for creating one. Grammatical correctness doesn’t insure it. Calculated incorrectness doesn’t, either. Ingenuity, wit, sarcasm, euphony, frequent outbreaks of the first-person singular- any of these can enliven prose without giving it a voice. (Louis Menand, Bad Comma. The New Yorker, June 28, 2004)

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Intolerable Acts (1774) in the American Revolution

The Intolerable Acts (1774) in the American Revolution The Intolerable Acts were passed in spring 1774, and helped cause the American Revolution (1775-1783). Background In the years after the French and Indian War, Parliament attempted to levy taxes, such as the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts, on the colonies to aid in covering the cost of maintaining the empire. On May 10, 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act with the goal of aiding the struggling British East India Company. Prior to the passage of the law, the company had been required to sell its tea through London where it was taxed and duties assessed. Under the new legislation, the company would be permitted to sell tea directly to the colonies without the additional cost. As a result, tea prices in America would be reduced, with only the Townshend tea duty assessed. During this period, the colonies, angered by the taxes levied by the Townshend Acts, had been systematically boycotting British goods and claiming taxation without representation. Aware that the Tea Act was an attempt by Parliament to break the boycott, groups such as the Sons of Liberty, spoke out against it. Across the colonies, British tea was boycotted and attempts were made to produce tea locally. In Boston, the situation climaxed in late November 1773, when three ships carrying East India Company tea arrived in the port. Rallying the populace, the members of the Sons of Liberty dressed as Native Americans and boarded the ships on the night of December 16. Carefully avoiding damaging other property, the raiders tossed 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. A direct affront to British authority, the Boston Tea Party forced Parliament to take action against the colonies. In retribution for this affront to royal authority, the Prime Minister, Lord North, began passing a series of five laws, dubbed the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, the following spring to punish the Americans. The Boston Port Act Passed on March 30, 1774, the Boston Port Act was a direct action against the city for the previous Novembers tea party. The legislation dictated that the port of Boston was closed to all shipping until full restitution was made to the East India Company and the King for the lost tea and taxes. Also included in the act was the stipulation that the colonys seat of government should be moved to Salem and Marblehead made a port of entry. Loudly protesting, many Bostonians, including Loyalists, argued that the act punished the entire city rather than the few who were responsible for the tea party. As supplies in the city dwindled, other colonies began sending relief to the blockaded city. Massachusetts Government Act Enacted on May 20, 1774, the Massachusetts Government Act was designed to increase royal control over the colonys administration. Abrogating the colonys charter, the act stipulated that its executive council would no longer be democratically elected and its members would instead be appointed by the king. Also, many colonial offices that were previously elected officials would henceforth be appointed by the royal governor. Across the colony, only one town meeting was permitted a year unless approved by the governor. Following General Thomas Gages use of the act to dissolve the provincial assembly in October 1774, Patriots in the colony formed the Massachusetts Provincial Congress which effectively controlled all of Massachusetts outside of Boston. Administration of Justice Act Passed the same day as the previous act, the Administration of Justice Act stated that royal officials could request a change of venue to another colony or Great Britain if charged with criminal acts in fulfilling their duties. While the act allowed travel expenses to be paid to witnesses, few colonists could afford to leave work to testify at a trial. Many in the colonies felt it was unnecessary as British soldiers had received a fair trial after the Boston Massacre. Dubbed the Murder Act by some, it was felt that it allowed royal officials to act with impunity and then escape justice. Quartering Act A revision of the 1765 Quartering Act, which was largely ignored by colonial assemblies, the 1774 Quartering Act expanded the types of buildings in which soldiers could be billeted and removed the requirement that they be provided with provisions. Contrary to popular belief, it did not permit the housing of soldiers in private homes. Typically, soldiers were first to be placed in existing barracks and public houses, but thereafter could be housed in inns, victualing houses, empty building, barns, and other unoccupied structures. Quebec Act Though it did not have a direct effect on the thirteen colonies, the Quebec Act was considered part of the Intolerable Acts by the American colonists. Intended to ensure the loyalty of the kings Canadian subjects, the act greatly enlarged Quebecs borders and allowed the free practice of the Catholic faith. Among the land transferred to Quebec was much of the Ohio Country, which had been promised to several colonies through their charters and to which many had already laid claim. In addition to angering land speculators, others were fearful about the spread of Catholicism in American. Intolerable Acts - Colonial Reaction In passing the acts, Lord North had hoped to detach and isolate the radical element in Massachusetts from the rest of the colonies while also asserting the power of Parliament over the colonial assemblies. The harshness of the acts worked to prevent this outcome as many in the colonies rallied to Massachusetts’s aid. Seeing their charters and rights under threat, colonial leaders formed committees of correspondence to discuss the repercussions of the Intolerable Acts. These led to the convening of the First Continental Congress at Philadelphia on September 5. Meeting at Carpenters Hall, delegates debated various courses for bringing pressure against Parliament as well as whether they should draft a statement of rights and liberties for the colonies. Creating the Continental Association, the congress called for a boycott of all British goods. If the Intolerable Acts were not repealed within a year, the colonies agreed to halt exports to Britain as well as support Massachusetts if it was attacked. Rather than exact punishment, Norths legislation worked to pull the colonies together and pushed them down the road towards war.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Halewood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Halewood - Essay Example Halewood must be cognizant of the fact that it is very difficult to introduce a new product in the market and this is even worsen if there are alternative product that has been in the market for a long time that will be posing a challenge. It thus needs several strategy measures to ensure that the expectedniche is occupied in the market, among other things that will affect their marketing strategy in this case includes; Competition from Alternative Products In designing their marketing and service delivery strategy, the company should look at the issue of alternative products in terms of prices, availability, and the customer’s loyalty associated with them. This is very important in coming up with a marketing strategy that will counter strong sense of establishment in the market from other products. Prices of the alternative products will play a significant role in affecting Halewood marketing strategy because for them to make a break through, they have to retail at a cost low er than those of the established product. The cost of the alternative products will thus be very critical for Halewood to make informed choice on how best they should sell their products in the market in order to have a competitive edge. The availability of the product is equally important for Halewood to evaluate the strategy that should be used to make the product have sufficient inroads in most of the prospective market zones. In most cases, one will find that products availability are skewed to one zone than others, with this realization, Halewood are able to have different strategies in the different areas based on the intensity of other products in the different areas. In an area with more competitive products, there will be intense marketing than those areas that do not experience business rivalry on the same product. Product’s Strength in the Market Halewood will have to consider their product’s strength that the competitive products are not giving, Like in the case of the new product being introduced, the company came up with this taste to provide a solution for those who want an alternative product to consume other than Alcohol or caffeine. This is the strength of the product the company has come up with that probably most business competitors are not providing; most of the probable competitors provide purely alcohol or soft drinks. In this case, Halewood will be providing an intermediary product that will cater for the needs of those who do not want alcohol and caffeine in the afternoon. In their marketing, this should be boldly captured so that the prospective customers can know the unique taste that is provided by the new product (Lawley, 2007, p.83). The fact that the new product is designed in a way to bring in a new taste in the market should be categorically captured in the marketing strategy so that the customers will develop the urge to have its taste and make choice out of it. Understanding Competition Introduction of every ne w product in the market meets an existing competition, to effectively compete with those companies that are already established or introduce customers to new products, a lot has to be done in relation to understanding strategies used by other companies. This will involves researching on the marketing strategies of the competitive companies so that a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses are known. This will help Halewood to devise a marketing strategy that will counter those that are played by the competitors, it is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors in deciding which option to consider (Lawley, 2007, p.88). Having known the weakness and the strengths of the competitor

Friday, October 18, 2019

Differences Between Institutionalism and Rational Choice Theory Essay

Differences Between Institutionalism and Rational Choice Theory - Essay Example The American political scientists James March and Mancur Olsen initiated 'The New institutionalism' in 1984 in reaction to behaviorism and the mounting power of rational choice theory which emphasizes on the manner in which institutions represent principles and relationships of authority (Hall and Taylor 1996; Lowndes 1996; Lowndes, 2001). New Institutionalism defines institutions themselves as an essential variable in political outcomes (March and Olsen 1984) and focuses on the comparative independence of political institutions. Institutions do not symbolize society or individual strategies, unlike the rational choice theory. Institutionalism merely offers sense to communications and supplies the background, within which these communications take place. The rational choice theory asserts that institutions are simply bestowed with powers by individuals themselves. The rational choice theory is essential in comprehending by first understanding the personal interactions. The rational choice theory involves a reasonable preference which is not the case in institutionalism. Normative or sociological institutionalism implies the codes of suitable conduct that permeate the individuals in the organizations. Community officials operate on the basis of their opinion of what they envision is the correct code of behavior and they tend to oppose alterations which are deviated from their traditional views of 'appropriate behavior' particularly when this is associated to the implementation of a precise location or organization.Individuals or actors within the organizations are tied by universal morals, which explicates not only their tendency to aggravate amends but also the capability for institutions to replicate themselves. Normative institutionalism consequently structures the institutions with regard to the belief systems of individuals or actors who are deemed as associates of an occupation, organization, position, instead of efficacy augmenting individuals.Its fundamental supposition is that individuals within organizations are conventional, apprehensive of transformations and unyielding in the protection of their wellbeing. In the Institutional approach, the tradition is recognized as the chief self-governing variable (Rose, Collier 1991). Rose (1991) debates powerfully that policy selections are restricted by historical choices. Present administration can not, therefore, disregard precedent assurances. In a parallel debate, Weaver states the 'automatic government' and fears the ability of governments to execute amends.According to the concept of path dependency in historical institutionalism, preliminary judgments are decisive since they bind in potential verdicts.Rational Choice theory endeavors to bind the methodological individualism and institutional design (Ostrom) by emphasizing on procedural individuality, rather than communal.