Risk Factors for Deliberate Self

Introduction Deliberate self-harm is one of the fields in research that have received little attention from scholars and academicians in general. This is despite the fact that this behavior is becoming more evident among youths and especially college going students.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Risk Factors for Deliberate Self-Harm among College Students: Article Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are several factors that have been identified by the few studies that have been conducted in this field as being the major causes of this kind of behavior. It is against this backdrop that three scholars from the University of Massachusetts at Boston carried out a self-report study that sought to identify and analyze the risk factors behind deliberate self-harm among college students in the United States of America. This is a review of the article that the three scholars (Gratz, Conrad Roemer, 2002) wrot e to report on the findings of their study. This review will specifically address three aspects of the article and the study that is reported therein. The first will be the construct of the investigation, where the operationalization of the construct will be addressed. The second will be the methods used in the study, with specific analysis of the research design, the independent and dependent variables. The last will be the results of the study, where an outline of the statistical methods that the three scholars used will be analyzed. Construct of the Investigation In a study, a construct can be viewed as the concept that the study revolves around, or the concept that is addressed by the study. The researcher conceptualizes the construct by refining it and rendering it a conceptual and theoretical definition (Atkinson, 2008). After conceptualization, the researcher then goes ahead and conducts operationalization of the construct. Here, the investigator makes the conceptual definiti on of the construct more specific by creating a link between it and an indicator (Atkinson, 2008).Advertising Looking for report on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In Gratz, Conrad Roemer (2002), the construct of their study is â€Å"deliberate self-harm† among college students. This is the concept that is addressed by this study. They conceptualize this construct as the â€Å"deliberate, direct destruction or alteration of body tissue† (Gratz et al, 2002: p128) where the individual harbors no conscious intent to commit suicide. This action on the part of the individual leads to injuries that may be so severe as to cause tissue damage. Gratz et al (2002) operationalize their construct by linking it to several indicators that they refer to as the risk factors to deliberate self-harm. The investigators operationalize deliberate self-harm by making the assertion that it is the kind of outcome that is li kely to be brought about by four risk factors in the life of the individual. These are childhood separation and loss, physical and sexual abuse in childhood, quality of attachment to caregivers and dissociation (Gratz et al, 2002: p130). Methods used in the Study Gratz et al (2002) used a self-report design to carry out their study. This is whereby the respondents were given questionnaires to complete on their own. The questionnaires contained questions designed to make the respondents report on their opinions, views and status regarding several attributes that the researchers were interested in (Atkinson, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Risk Factors for Deliberate Self-Harm among College Students: Article Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As far as the research design of the study is concerned, the three scholars used a sample of 133 students drawn from undergraduate psychology courses in the univ ersity (Gratz et al, 2002). The participants were given a questionnaire with several measures to complete. These included the deliberate self-harm inventory measure, the abuse and perpetration inventory, the disruptions in attachment survey, the parental bonding index among others (Gratz et al, 2002). The study also had both independent and dependent variables. The independent variable in the study is â€Å"deliberate self-harm† among the respondents. The independent variable in this case is attribute in nature. This is given the fact that the researchers did not manipulate it during the study (Atkinson, 2008). The study has four dependent variables or criterion measures. These are the risk factors that the researchers identify as the ones leading to deliberate self-harm. These are childhood physical and sexual abuse, childhood separation and loss, perceived quality of attachment to caregivers and finally, dissociation (Gratz et al, 2002: p130). Results of the Study One of th e significant findings of this study is the prevalence of self-harm among the respondents. 38 percent of the students reported that they had a history of self-harm (Gratz et al, 2002: p132). Several statistical methods were used by the three investigators in this study. This included correlational analysis to determine the link between deliberate self-harm frequency and each of the four risk factors that had been identified. Most of the risk factors that had been identified were found to be significantly correlated with the frequency of deliberate self-harm (Gratz et al, 2002).Advertising Looking for report on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The scholars also carried out a multiple regression analysis to determine the unique predictive value of each of the identified risk factors. Other variables within this model were controlled. The risk factors were found to be significantly related to deliberate self-harm among the respondents. Conclusion This review focused on the article reporting the findings of a self-report study carried out by three scholars from the University of Massachusetts at Boston. The scholars were interested in the analysis of risk factors for deliberate self-harm among college students in the United States of America, taking the university as their sample group. The scholars identified four risk factors and designed a study aimed at finding out the relationship between them and deliberate self-harm. These were childhood abuse, dissociation, childhood separation and loss, and attachment to caregivers such as parents. References Atkinson, R. L. (2008). Essentials of social research. 2nd ed. New York: F ree Press. Gratz, K. L., Conrad, S. D., Roemer, L. (2002). Risk factors for deliberate self-harm among college student. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 72(1), 128-140. This report on Risk Factors for Deliberate Self-Harm among College Students: Article Review was written and submitted by user Scarlett N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Essay on Stereotyping and Prejudice against Older People

Essay on Stereotyping and Prejudice against Older People Essay on Stereotyping and Prejudice against Older People Essay on Stereotyping and Prejudice against Older PeopleRelations between people in any society, in any time period and country are not easy, rather versatile and sophisticated process, unfortunately not deprived of different stereotypes and types of discrimination. In the year 1969 Robert Neil Butler used the term â€Å"ageism† in relation with discrimination against senior people. According to him ageism presented a combination of three constituent elements: â€Å"prejudicial attitudes towards older people, old age, and the aging process; discriminatory practices against older people; and institutional practices and policies that perpetuate stereotypes about older people† (Iversen, Larsen and Solem 4). Further in this paper the notion of ageism will be discussed in detail, taking into consideration its concept, ageist attitudes and finally possible negative impacts, it might have upon elderly people.In order to have clearer understanding of the key concept, it is nece ssary to provide a concrete definition to the notion of ageism, thus commonly â€Å"ageism is defined as negative or positive stereotypes, prejudice and/or discrimination against (or to the advantage of) elderly people on the basis of their chronological age or on the basis of a perception of them as being old or elderly† (Iversen, Larsen and Solem 20). However there are cases, when this term is used in relation to younger children or adolescents, meaning, that their ideas are not rational because of their young age and their behavior is not correct, because they are too young.Such notion as ageist stereotyping is usually described as categorization into some groups and giving certain characteristics to these groups of people. Unfortunately most stereotypes are lacking evidences and are too generalized, like for example the statement, that all people, who are getting older, have poor health.   The prejudice, that older people are not able to take part in some activities or sports is closely related to the first example about bad health state.  Another example of stereotyping or ageist prejudices is the so –called benevolent prejudice, which means, that elderly people are seen as incompetent and constantly needing patronage. On the one hand, people try to be friendly towards aging people, on the other hand, they a kind of suppress them, but their constant, sometimes unnecessary help.Most employees are looking for experienced workers, not to teach them all the peculiarities of the work; at the same time, most of them want to have only young and energetic employees and thus often reject new workers, who are older, only based on the prejudice, that they would perform their worker slower and be less flexible.One of the worst prejudices is probably related to the health care sphere, as there are unfortunately a lot of examples, when physicians don’t pay proper attention to their patients, only based on their age.This is evident, that ageism has serious negative effects upon elderly people. Hearing all the above mentioned stereotypes every day, from most people around, unfortunately, older people really start to feel themselves not competent, not clearly thinking, depending, useful members of the society. â€Å"Studies have also specifically shown that when older and younger people hear these stereotypes about their supposed incompetence and uselessness, they perform worse on measures of competence and memory† (Nelson 13). Certainly some strong personalities are able to overcome those stereotypes and live the way they, want to and do the things, they like to do, without paying much attention to others’ opinions.Overall, we have studied the notion of ageism, its definition, ageism- related stereotypes and the negative impact, which these stereotypes and prejudices have upon elderly people in any society.

Animal Testing Research Paper

Abstract With animal testing, the killing and harming innocent animals, being around for centuries with little change, will exploiting the facts that the public does not know about, help put an end to all the product and medication testing on animals? Introduction Animal testing has been around for centuries, when it really should be one of those â€Å"cruel memories† of things we have done in the past, but will not let in happen again in the future. Rats, Mice, Rabbits, and a whole slew of other animals are forced to endure massive quantities of testing substances or endure pain by having harmful chemicals applied to their bodies, even though the testing may have nothing to do with anything relatable for human use. My purpose for this subject is to let people think twice about buying a product, or hopefully helping put this inhuman testing to an end. When did animal testing originate? The history of animal testing goes back to the writings of the Greeks in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Aristotle (384-322 BC) and Erasistratus (304-250 BC) were among the first group of people to perform experiments on living animals. A physician in 2nd-century Rome, dissected pigs and goats and is known as the â€Å"father of vivisection†, when his real name is Galen. Avenzoar, whom is also a physician but of Arabic, also practiced dissection in 12th-century Moorish Spain, and introduced animal testing as an acceptable experimental method of testing surgical procedures before applying them to human patients. (Cohen Loew, 2013) What is animal testing? Animal testing, a phrase that most people unsure of exactly what is involved but have heard it before. There are many names, animal testing, animal experimentation or animal research, it all refers to the experimentation carried out on animals. Its main purpose in why it is used, is to assess the safety and effectiveness of everything from medication to cosmetics. We also use it to help find a better understanding of how the human body works. Supporters believe it is a necessary practice and obliteration to animals for our bettering and the deaths of the animals are well worth the cause. Then there are those opposed to animal testing because they believe it involves the torture and suffering of innocent animals (Ian Murnaghan BSc (hons), 2011) Who does animal testing affect? Animal testing affects everyone in the modern world today. It is primarily used to help save lives. The testing is performed so that there is a better understanding of what reactions drugs may have, so that we can figure out which drugs help which diseases, as well as observe how certain drugs affect conditions such as pregnancy and other side effects they may cause like cancer. Another part of animal testing is to help promote a product or to understand the effects of those products and the percentile of which those effects may cause. This might include testing makeup, lotions, or food products. Animal testing main support is from those people that believe the animals in our world today, are a close link to humans, and therefore allow them to be tested to see what effects drugs, products, or foods have on our society. A second opinion humans have, is that animal testing is a cruel and inhumane, torturous act, and should not be done to anyone or anything, no matter what the benefit might be to the human species (Contributor, 2012). Animal Testing Funds The United States government spends up to the sum of $14. 5 billion in a year in any research involving experimentation on animals. These experiments will often lead to death or unwarranted consequences for the animals involved. Some projects are funded for decades by the siphoning of the US taxpayers dollars and resulting in cruel treatment and deaths of an unfathomable number of animals. About 47% of research grants have an animal research-based component according to NIH, National Institutes of Health, and documents. The number has been very consistent over the last decade (Newcomer, 2013). Where do companies get money for testing? Many companies today get their funding for research from the NIH. Other companies also receiving money from the NIH are numerous colleges around the U. S. A. whom are primarily receiving grants to experiment on animals. The NIH is a biomedical research facility located in Bethesda, Maryland. They are part of the United States department of Health and Human Services. These agencies are primarily used to do biomedical and health-related research. NIH uses the Intramural Research Program to conducts scientific research through. 80% of the NIH funding, is used as research grants to outside researchers. They give approximately 500,000 grants to an approximate 325,000 researchers that consists of more than 3000 institutions. In 2010 alone, NIH spent around $10. 7 billion on just clinical research. On top of that, they also spent $7. 4 billion on genetics-related research, $6. 0 billion on prevention research, $5. 8 billion on cancer research, and $5. 7 billion on biotechnology research which almost all include the torture of other species on Earth (Health, 2013). How much does it cost? Each year in the United States, there are approximately 100 million animals that are tormented and killed in experiments conducted to better humans. Much of this cruelty is highly supported by the National Institutes of Health, and the United State government, since the NIH is a department of the government. The NIH allocates a minimum of 40% of its annual research budget just towards animal experimentation. Based on the NIH’s 2010 budget, this accounts for more the $16 billion in US taxpayer money alone (PETA, 2013). Substitutes for Animal Testing There are nearly 50 different alternative methods and testing strategies that have been developed, validated and/or accepted by international regulatory authorities. These non-animal methods usually take less time to complete then using the crude, archaic methods animal testing that they meant to replace. In addition, these methods cost only a fraction of what animal experiments burn through, cash wise, and are not affected by a species differences from humans that make applying test results to humans difficult or impossible (PETA, Alternatives to Animal Testin, 2013). Corrositex Testing Corrositex is a non-animal alternative toxicology test. Although this is not a classical â€Å"in vitro† style test, Corrositex uses a synthetic membrane-based detection system to determine the UN packing group classification of chemicals, consumer products, or other hazardous materials. The results, expressed as a break-through time, correlate well with rabbit dermal corrosively tests. In the Corrositex testing system, a glass vial filled with a chemical detection fluid and is capped by a proprietary bio-barrier membrane. This membrane is designed to mimic the effect of corrosives on living skin. Corrositex measures the time required for a test article to pass through a hydrated collagen matrix and supporting filter membrane (Corrositex, 2010). Technological Advancements The NIH has recognized that animal models do not always accurately predict a drug efficacy in people, and they are starting to support the generation of more reliable and predictive models. The use of different human cell types, in series of combinations, will help generate micro-sized physiological systems which can â€Å"talk to each other† and better address the biological complexities of whole living organisms. This â€Å"human body chip† technology would start to allow scientists to look for specific profiles in cells and would help identify human safe compounds to allow testing on people. This technology represents significant advantages over animal models because it relies on human cells which is more like what they are going to be applied to then the use of a completely different species, and is more likely to be predictive of what happens in people in the product or drugs current form (Society, n. d. ). What happens during testing? The government describes an animal experiment as a â€Å"procedure† that is ‘likely to cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. ’ Many experiments cause extreme suffering, often to the point of the animal’s death. Even when they are not being experimented on, animals suffer stress in laboratories where they are typically kept in barren containers or kennels, often in solitary confinement. After the animals have been used in experiments, they are usually killed to prevent being released and causing an evolutionary process in the wild that was created in the lab (Aid, 2013). Killings Injuries According the U. S. Department of Agriculture, in 2006 there were about 670,000 animals that were used in procedures which did not include more than a momentary pain or distress. About 420,000 were used in procedures in which pain or distress was relieved by anesthesia, while there were 84,000 which were used in studies that would cause pain or distress that would not be relieved. In the UK, research projects are classified as mild, moderate, and substantial which is measured in terms of the suffering that they, the researchers conducting the study, say they may cause. There is also a fourth category of â€Å"unclassified†, which means the animal was anesthetized and killed without recovering consciousness, according to researchers (Ryder, 2013). Subjected to horrible unsafe procedures Research reveals that only 5% to 25% of the animal tests and human results are agreeable! Most of the drugs passed by animal tests are discarded due to the fact that they are useless to humans. The conditions under which the animals are subjected to these human experimentations, have caused tumors in rodents, while the animal test results were declared to be of little relevance for humans! The only explanation being offered for this declaration, is the mere fact that there are anatomical and physiological differences between animals and humans. It is important to note that even though animals are almost always used in cancer research, they never get the human form of cancer which also affects membranes like the lungs. With all that research being done that only yield maybe 5% success, almost 9% of the anesthetized animals in the laboratory die. These animals have a better chance of dying then actually helping us develop something successful. Most medical experts agree that data from animal test cannot be extrapolated safely to human patients without any altercations to the drugs (Buzzle, 2013). Companies using and not using animal testing There are a lot of companies that test on animals that we buy from every day. Some of these companies are 3M, Air Wick, Almay, Band-Aid, Blue Buffalo, Febreze, and the list goes on. There are some companies though that do not test on animals such as Abercrombie Fitch, Absolute Green, Aloe Vera of America, and more. It seems like all the companies we know and buy from use some form of animal testing for their product, and yet there are others companies that we have not have hardly heard of, don’t test on animals. Companies use the warning labels saying â€Å"animal tested† Animal testing by manufacturers seeking to market new products may be used to establish product safety. In some cases, after considering available alternatives, companies determine that animal testing is necessary to assure the safety of their product or ingredient. FDA supports and adheres the provisions of applicable laws regulations, and policies the governing animal testing. FDA supports the developments and uses of alternatives to whole-animal testing, as well as adherence to the most humane methods available with the limits of scientific capabilities when animals are used for testing the safety of cosmetic products (FDA, 2006). Types of animals being tested on, and what is tested on them Researchers use many different types of animals, mice, rabbits, dogs, ferrets, and fish to name a few. The type of animal selected for study often depends solely depends on a combination of factors; previous research involving that animal type, scientific relevance, accessibility, and practical aspects of implementation of the product or item being tested. Government agencies also require that any drugs used in humans needs to be tested in at least two different types of animals, one of which is not able to be a rodent. The reason is that a drug can have very different effects on different species of animals (Nordin, 2009). All the animals used in testing/studies Right now, millions of mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are locked inside cold, barren cages in an unfathomable number of laboratories across the country and even the world. Exact numbers are not available because mice, rats, birds, and cold-blooded animals- who make up over 95% of creatures used in experiments, are not covered by even the minimal protections of the Animal Welfare Act and therefore go uncounted (PETA, Animal Testing 101, 2013). Types of products used on animals during testing Mice and rats are forced to inhale toxic fumes, dogs are force-fed pesticides, and rabbits have corrosive chemicals rubbed onto their skin and eyes. Many of these tests are not even required by law, and have often produced inaccurate or misleading results that were pointless towards the end affect when the results had to be tossed and started over for being inaccurate towards the desired end result. Even if a product harms animals, it can still be marketed to consumers. Cruel and deadly toxicity tests are also conducted as a part of the massive regulatory testing programs that often funded by USA taxpayers’ money without them even knowing (PETA, Animal Testing 101, 2013). Conclusion Animal testing should not be something that is taken lightly, where as innocent animals are being tested with harmful products, and it is not fair to them. With our advancements in technologies every day, why are we still using innocent animals to test our products on which in turn may not even give us the results needed or give us false results which makes the tests of those animals useless and obsolete? With people knowing what many of these animals go through, would they sign their own pets up to go through that? Having a heart on this issue is what will end it, animals have lives, should be able to live it in their nature desired ways that is unaffected by humans.

Arabic learning tools. Kingdom of Education web based platform Essay

Arabic learning tools. Kingdom of Education web based platform development. Project evaluation - Essay Example Keeping in mind the increasing importance of the Internet for education I have decided to develop a web site which allows beginners to learn basic Arabic language skills. The name of this web site is â€Å"Kingdom of Education† that is aimed at â€Å"providing an easy way to learn Arabic language and for everyone around the entire world†. Thus, keeping this objective in my mind I have started working on the development of a new technology based solution to offer a great deal of support for learning basic Arabic language skills. In view of the fact that the Internet has expanded so much, and presently there exist a wide variety of similar services and applications on the Web. In addition, a wide variety of technology based solutions are presently operational and offering superior services in all areas of life. In this scenario, the idea of web based learning portal is not a new one. However, I have tried to bring some innovation to this idea. In this regard I have develo ped an online system that offers very quick, simple and excellent approach to learn Arabic. This online learning system will be very effective and useful for people all through the world. This new technology based system will offer a capability to learn and speak the Arabic language quickly. This report presents a detailed analysis of my project. In this report, I will discuss some of the important aspects that are associated with my project. This report will analyze the basic idea and need behind the development of this web site, its objectives, development, research methodology and application aspects. This report will deeply assess the major contributions that this web based platform has made to the Arabic language learning. Research In order to better determine the requirements... After this research and analysis I have analyzed the Arabic learning tools and methods. Presently we have a wide variety of tools and methods around the world that are more complex, paper based and hard to reach. Hence, this manual nature and process of learning Arabic has become very difficult to manage in new technology based age where people have less time to learn and listen. In this situation there is a need for some innovative solutions. For this purpose I have researched the web and found a large number of websites which provide services and support for online Arabic learning. However, these websites have rigid material and traditional ways of learning. By seeing all these situations I have developed an idea which requires building up an online platform that offers an excellent support for learning and teaching Arabic online. For this purpose I have decided to build up an online web based portal that can be easily accessed and managed. These all aspects lead us to offer a grea t deal of support and capability to enhance the overall performance of the system development and application. For the implementation of this online Arabic learning system I have researched for the learning material. Here we need some innovation for new learning material. For this purpose, I have tried to develop more interactive and superior learning material. For this sake I have concentrated on the more interactive books and notes.

Showing the customer who's Boss Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Showing the customer who's Boss - Case Study Example The launching of "Boss," which targeted young professionals with a full line of more casual clothes as well as sporting accessories, allowed the company access to a much wider range of clientele than it had previously enjoyed. It is this segmentation of the Hugo Boss brand helped the company immensely with its growth and profitablility. According to Diamond and Pintel (1980) "there is generally a limit to the amount of sales that a given article can produce, company growth may depend on the introduction of new products for an increase in sales" (p.166). Which is exactly the idea that Hugo Boss had as they expanded their product lines and thereby expanded their client base. The next foray into new territory brought them into the world of women's apparel. Since Hugo Boss was not well known in this market, they had to work hard to extend the popularity and the image of their brand. They already had a great advantage because their name has always been associated with quality clothing, this strong brand name and store image played a very important role in their new product lines. "Store image is a very important factor for effective retail marketing because it can exert a major influence on consumer patronage patterns" (Rosenbloom 1981 p. 127). A strong store image can help not only attain new patronage but also ensures retaining the clientele they already have. However, Hugo Boss needed to ensure that their popularity would be transferable to the women's market. Hugo Boss faced a challenge in marketing the women's line "unlike most types of goods, merchandise with fashion orientation requires anlysis that is often different" (Diamond and Pintel 1980 p.192). Hugo Boss needed to generate ideas quickly and analyse their information and designs in a different manner when dealing with women's fashions. "Fashion, with its rapid changes, dictates the need for the continuous introduction of new styles" (Diamond and Pintel 1980 p.192). Hugo Boss also employed various ways to communicate with their audience, such as media outlets, fashion shows, and major layouts within popular fashion magazines. Hugo Boss' goal was to have their popular brand name become associated with high quality women's clothing. The obstacles were difficult to overcome, the costs for advertising were high and fashion is risky, the clientele's needs and wants are in constant flux. According to Diamond and Pintel (1980) "an error would be enormously costly, since wrong styles have almost no value," (p.193) yet are still costly to produce and promote. Hugo Boss experienced difficulties with their new women's line early on, as is seen in the net losses they sustained when it was first launched. Extending an existing brand into a new, but related market, is challenging for several reasons. First, the audience needs to accept the change, and secondly, they need to believe that the brand will retain its integrity and quality when producing new products outside their original market. The danger is that the brand name will be diluted by being over eager and attempting to go into markets beyond their core competency. Yet, by 2002, Hugo Boss had figured out how to leverage their name across new markets and had finally become

Destin Brass Products Co. Essay Example for Free

Destin Brass Products Co. Essay The estimated costs calculated using the activity-based costing method is very different from the existing standard unit costs and the revised unit costs. Exhibit 3 uses the traditional cost allocation system, which allocates all costs based on measures of volume. In the standard unit costs, Destin Brass uses direct labor as the only cost driver, which rarely meets the cause-effect standard wanted in cost allocation. Exhibit 4 is similar to exhibit 3, but instead, 4 uses materials and machine hours as the cost driver instead of just direct labor. The new costs are calculated by using the ABC system, which allocates costs that are caused by non-volume-based cost drivers. After recognizing the overhead activities, costs of overhead resources used for the activities are allocated to the activities using cost drivers. Then pooled costs of each activity are allocated to products, using the cost drivers. It takes one large overhead cost pool and breaks it down into several pools, which for this company are: receiving and materials handling, machine usage and maintenance, packing and shipping, and engineering. These have a cause-effect relationship with activities and resources that are used. So unlike exhibit 3 and 4, the new system breaks down the overhead costs a lot more. The new estimated costs are more accurate because the amount allocated to each of the overhead activities for each product is more detailed. It shows the percentage of how much each activity is performed on each product. All 3 products unit costs in the new system are different from exhibit 3 and 4. Unit price for valves has a slight change compare to the standard unit price, but for pumps and flow controllers, there is a dramatic change. Destin Brass are well under their 35% gross margin goal for pumps, and wondering how other companies can sell their pumps for such a low price. They thought the unit costs for pumps is $63.12, when in fact, the more accurate system shows that its only $48.81, $14.31 less than the standard unit cost. This inaccuracy is the reason why Destin Brass is having trouble staying competitive with their price on pumps while other companies are able to sell it for a lower price. The flow controllers have never been a problem for Destin Brass. It seemed to them that they had no competition in that market. Even after raising the prices by 12.5%, demand did not decrease. This is because the more accurate unit cost for flow controllers is actually $100.48, and not $56.50, $43.98 more than what they thought. They have been selling their flow controller at $97.07 each, which is below the unit cost, and that is why no other companies are able to compete in that market. I think Destin Brass should definitely adjust their selling price for all 3 products. For valves, $58.16 should be their new target-selling price if they want to keep the 35% GM goal, but I think they should make the actual selling price to be a little lower than that. That way they can stay/be more competitive in the valves market while having a GM% that is slightly lower, but still close to the goal. Selling price for pumps will have to be lowered for them to become competitive in the pumps market, unlike before. $75.09 would be the price they want to sell it at if they want the 35% GM, but the selling could still be slightly lower then that, allowing them to be competitive while still very close to their goal. Flow controller prices will have to be higher if they want to make a profit from this product. Right now they are making a loss of 4% for each flow controller they sell. If they want to reach the 35% GM mark, they will have to up their cost from $97.07 to $154.58. Just like pumps and valves, price could be a little lower than that, and of course for the same reasons. Yes, this means they will go from having no competition to many competitions in the flow controller market now, but at least they wont be making a loss every time they sell a flow controller. In the following month, assuming quantities produced and sold, activities, and costs were all at standard, the profit reported under the new system would be $540,260.00, and under the present system would be $539,180.00. There is only a difference of $1,080. Destin Brass will not see any major difference in profit in the short run; in this case its over a period of one month. But in the long run, they will definitely see major changes in their profits.

Explore the theme of loneliness or loss and discuss how the writer has

Explore the theme of loneliness or loss and discuss how the writer has conveyed this to the reader through their use of language and style.The stories, The Orphaned Swimming Pool by John Updike, Stone Trees, and The First Adam by Jane Gardam, Short Story Anthology Choose three stories that you feel explore the theme of loneliness or loss and discuss how the writer has conveyed this to the reader through their use of language and style. The stories, The Orphaned Swimming Pool by John Updike, Stone Trees, and The First Adam by Jane Gardam, all explore the theme of loneliness through the authors' use of language and their style. Although all three stories explore the theme of loneliness or loss, all three stories have different kinds of loss or loneliness. In The Orphaned Swimming Pool, loneliness and loss both occur when the marriage of Ted and Linda breaks down and the pool is left in a neglected state. The First Adam shows the main character (Bull) feeling desperately lonely because his wife doesn't understand him. Loss is shown in Stone Trees because the narrator's husband has recently died and she is trying to come to terms with his death. In The First Adam, the character Bull is a contractor and is working abroad. He describes his work as "my mistress". This personification shows that he is deeply involved with his work and is perhaps using it as a substitute for the lack of a good relationship with his wife Moira. Gardam constantly juxtaposes Bulls situation in Drab with Moira back at home in England. She uses only cold and harsh words to describe Moira waking up in the morning, "Moira's is waking to a cold dawn on the winter side of our mattress. Alone". This choice of lexis shows the r... ...ir marriage. Linda eventually sells the house to get away from the pool "Thank God no one had drowned in it. Except her." due to the bad memories it stirred in her. All three stories use juxtaposition to a great effect to show how characters in the stories have experienced loss or loneliness. They also use an implied style of writing to convey the themes of loss and/or loneliness. The implicit styles encourage the reader to work out the story without things being explicitly stated. The two stories by Jane Gardam use first person narrative and the story by John Updike uses third person narrative. The different narrative positions allow the reader to see the stories differently. The first person narratives allow the reader to see the story from the narrator's point of view and the third person narrative allows the reader to see the story more objectively.

Frustration: Primary Education and Great Increase Essay

Frustration: it is a feeling of agitation and helplessness at not being able to do something. I felt frustrated once and it happened just not long ago†¦ Rising from primary to secondary school, it has been a big jump. I always thought that secondary school was no big deal and it would be easy. But I was wrong. In fact, for the first few months of my secondary school life, it was torturous and was equivalent to living in hell. When I first started secondary school, I did not get to know many people although there were ice-breaking activities as I was the shy and reserved type. But after a few days, I got to know this girl, Jane. Jane and I became really good friends and we shared almost everything together.But, Jane made friends with another girl, A, and A was friends with this girl, B. So, the 4 of us became inseparable and we formed a group. However, I realized that my quiet nature was no match for their â€Å"outgoingness† as they were too chatty. I was too shy to talk to them and was always excluded while they were talking. I felt left out so I left the group, alone and lonely. I was really upset and frustrated, and cried my tears out that night. I was unsure and afraid of making new friends and I was really sad. I became lonely and had no one to talk to. After a few days of loneliness, I finally plucked up my courage to make new friends. Friendship problems aside; another â€Å"factor† that has been making me agitated till now was–homework. When I first saw the timetable,I almost freaked out. There was a great increase in the number of subjects and subjects like geography and physics were totally stranger to me. Since there was a great increase in subjects, well, as a matter of fact, there would be a great increase in homework too. There was homework piling up day after day and I had difficulty catching up with several subjects. I was stressed out and almost wished that I had remained in primary school. After a few months, I managed to settle in and for subjects that I had difficulty catching u, I consulted my parents and teachers for help.Hopefully, the remaining years of my secondary school life would be easier and not that stressful. But, still, frustration is only for the time being. If you have the determination to overcome it, life would not be hell for you.

House and Apartment: Similarities and Differences Essay

A home is a place that makes us feel secure and comfortable. So, it should be a place that is the most suitable place for us to rest after did many activities at the day. However, as the time goes by, there has been built an apartment which is has the same function as a house, that is a place to live in. Unlike a house, an apartment usually located at the center of city which is give an extra benefit for business utility. â€Å"Your apartment is your home, and you should be able to enjoy it to the fullest† (Ron Leshnower, 2010). Nonetheless, some people think that living in house would give the maximum comfortibility. There are 2 similarities between a house and an apartment. First of all, both of them would make you spend the same living cost. When you decide to live with luxurious life style, wherever you live, you would stay to live with that kind of habit. Second of all, whether it is a house or an apartment, it has a big role as a place to live in. In the other hand, there are 3 differences between living in a house and apartment. Firstly, living in a house would spend more money rather than an apartment. If you think that someday you would buy a house, first thing that you need to purchase is a land. A land is primary requirement to build a house. Thus, it should be really expensive especially if it is close by the city. And next, you need to buy the raw materials and hire someone to build a house. However, if you decide to buy an apartment, all you need to do is be ready for the money. â€Å"It is cheaper then living in a traditional house and paying different kinds of fees I am not familiar with.† (IELTS Essay Task 2: Apartment Or House, paragraph 2, http://www.goodatesl.com/ielts/writing-ielts/ielts-writing-task-2/ielts-essay-task-2-apartment-or-house.html, 2010). Secondly, living in apartment would give you feel secure and that is real. â€Å"Most apartment buildings offer 24 hour security and security cameras throughout the facility to ensure that tenants do not have to worry about their persons or property being victims of terrorism or theft† (Apartment Living in Jakarta, paragraph 7, http://www.expat.or.id/info/apartmentlivinginjakarta.html). Compare with a house, you need to make sure you lock all doors and windows before you go to sleep and check everything before you go to somewhere. Thirdly, living in a house would never give you a full satisfaction. For example, if you want more, you need to spend more.

Free Essays on Managing Absenteeism At Work

Managing Absenteeism at Work With each new employee that is hired, they bring a totally new set of expectations, needs and problems. It takes more time and skill to manage today’s workforce. Bad managers are the biggest cause of high turnover, low attendance and low morale. Absenteeism and lateness are two of the most costly and disruptive employee problems faced daily by all business operations. Flexibility may be the best strategy. A better attendance strategy may simply include flexi-time for people who have children or parental responsibilities. Be aware that workers who have child care responsibilities find it difficult, if not impossible, to have a perfect attendance record. However, before we begin, a definition of "absence" must be established. For the purpose of this report, an absence refers to any time an employee is not on the job during scheduled working hours, except for granted leave of absence or holiday time. Scientifically speaking, absenteeism as a disease that appears whenever a company fails to inoculate itself with sound management practices. To cure excessive absenteeism, one has to know the exact causes and then examine the available, workable and proven solutions to apply against those causes. Remember that a window of opportunity won't open itself. Establishing The Facts To embark upon a successful reduction of absenteeism, you need to make sure you have some basic information and facts about absenteeism in your company. Consider the following questions, and as you begin to dig for the answers, you likely will become aware of many ways to address your problems. Getting to the Root of the Problem Your responses to the following questions should give you food for thought and direction for combating absenteeism. If you have not yet made it a policy to keep track of absenteeism, your first step now should be clearly mapped out for you. As a next step, consider the following four questions, which s... Free Essays on Managing Absenteeism At Work Free Essays on Managing Absenteeism At Work Managing Absenteeism at Work With each new employee that is hired, they bring a totally new set of expectations, needs and problems. It takes more time and skill to manage today’s workforce. Bad managers are the biggest cause of high turnover, low attendance and low morale. Absenteeism and lateness are two of the most costly and disruptive employee problems faced daily by all business operations. Flexibility may be the best strategy. A better attendance strategy may simply include flexi-time for people who have children or parental responsibilities. Be aware that workers who have child care responsibilities find it difficult, if not impossible, to have a perfect attendance record. However, before we begin, a definition of "absence" must be established. For the purpose of this report, an absence refers to any time an employee is not on the job during scheduled working hours, except for granted leave of absence or holiday time. Scientifically speaking, absenteeism as a disease that appears whenever a company fails to inoculate itself with sound management practices. To cure excessive absenteeism, one has to know the exact causes and then examine the available, workable and proven solutions to apply against those causes. Remember that a window of opportunity won't open itself. Establishing The Facts To embark upon a successful reduction of absenteeism, you need to make sure you have some basic information and facts about absenteeism in your company. Consider the following questions, and as you begin to dig for the answers, you likely will become aware of many ways to address your problems. Getting to the Root of the Problem Your responses to the following questions should give you food for thought and direction for combating absenteeism. If you have not yet made it a policy to keep track of absenteeism, your first step now should be clearly mapped out for you. As a next step, consider the following four questions, which s...

Who you are what defines who you are Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Who you are what defines who you are - Essay Example I was born and grown up in South Korea where I lived until I was 17 years old. I have come to the U.S to pursue my studies and higher goals in my life and to get more experience about the larger world. Currently, I’m planning to transfer to UCLA because my girlfriend is studying here. I’m a Christian in religion and an aspirant of economics in career (I did my Major in economics). Three essential factors that determine or define who I am today are money (I believe in the power of money in today’s world), my girlfriend (she has changed my life entirely), and my self-consciousness (I’ve always been self-conscious – so I bought an expensive car, fancy stuff, nice house, etc.). The most essential factor that defines who I am is money and I am very honest and frank in admitting that money is everything in my life. From my personal experience, I have realized that money is so powerful in contemporary world that it can resolve even the hard-hitting issues of daily life. Whenever I got into a trouble, money was powerful enough to solve it and get me relieved from the issue. Therefore, I believe in the power of money which can make real life for human beings. My education has been connected with my faith in the power of money and I have acquired my major in economics. All my education and career orientation have been directed towards the goal of achieving money in life. Economics can help me understand the various aspects of money and offer a means to earn the same. Secondly, I believe, it is the relationship with my girlfriend which has tremendously influenced my definition of what I am today. It is my girlfriend who has changed my life drastically and has influenced me in formulating my life. She has been the essential source of inspiration and courage in my life for the last several years. I am fortunate to enjoy her love and care all through the last several years and she has given me the real meaning of my life. Today, as I reflect on who I

Porters Five of ASDA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Porters Five of ASDA - Essay Example Nevertheless Porter claims that competitive rivalry is one of the most important issues, which should be considered by the businesses. In the face of the threat of new entrants, every company is subjected to the external risks. There is a need for huge financial investments to develop a successful chain store. There are many challenges in retail market and a new entrant demands something more, radically new which will attract the customers. Key retailers depend on their brand names and are highly concerned about their reputation. Very often retailers depend on the market shares and it is appropriate for them to decide whether they use appropriate measures or not. Morever, retailers are concerned about possible methods, such as litigation, for example. It is very important to compensate market share knowledge and very often foreign investors are a certain barrier to new entrants. It is impossible to substitute food and clothes. Therefore, the threat of substitutes is relatively low. It should be mentioned that the main threat should be expected from the main brand names of chain stores, Sainsbury, Tesco and Morrison. These chain stores provide less affordable alternatives and the threat of substitutes is relatively high. Tesco is the main rival to the company and Asda demands lower prices and intensifies price war. Asda demands lower prices and creates a certain trap for the suppliers thus triggering price war. The challenges of price competitors make suppliers decrease prices. Asda reduces prices and it attracts customers by affordable prices. More than 3000 products are very intriguing and appealing in the modern market. It is relevant of this chain stores to implement strategies of online advertising, products promotion, emails and letters. There are many customers which can communicate online with respect to some products.