Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Double Science Coursework Essay Example

Double Science Coursework Essay Example Double Science Coursework Essay Double Science Coursework Essay The aim of this investigation is to identify any pattern that may exist in the way water moves in and out of plant cells.Variables:Dependant Variables : Mass of potato piecesIndependent variables: Concentration Of SolutionsControlled Variables: Solution VolumeSurface AreaDuration Of ExperimentTemperatureWeighing scales.Background Research:Plasmolysis:This is the contraction of cells within plants due to water loss through the process of osmosis. This happens when there is a higher concentration of water inside the cell than outside the cell, and thus water is drawn through the selective membrane from the area of high water concentration to the area with low water concentration.Hypotonic Solution:This is a solution with a lower concentration of solute, and thus a higher concentration of water than the cytoplasm of the cell. Therefore water moves into the cell, causing the cell to swell up.Hypertonic Solution:This is a solution with a higher concentration of solute, and thus a lower co ncentration of water than that within the cytoplasm of the cell. Therefore water moves out of the cell, causing it to contract.Isotonic Solution:This is a solution which has the same concentration of solute as that within the cell. Therefore there would be no movement of water through osmosis.Turgor Pressure:This is the positive internal pressure in the cell resulting from osmotic pressure i.e. it is the pressure of the cell contents pressing against the cell wall.Osmotic Pressure:In a hypotonic solution, water moves into the cell, and as the water moves into the cell, osmotic pressure increases. The reason why plant cells do not burst due to this pressure is that they have a strong cell wall made of cellulose that holds the cell together.Functions of Cell Wall in Plants:* They provide rigidity to the cells, maintaining their shape.* They protect against pathogens.* They prevent the cell from bursting when enough water enters the cell.* They are a store of carbohydrates for the plan t as they are made of the carbohydrate polymer called cellulose.Factors That Can Affect The Experiment:* Temperature As the temperature increases, the particles will gain energy, and thus move about more causing the rate of osmosis to increase.* Surface Area If the potato pieces were smaller, together they would have a larger surface area, assuming the total mass stayed the same, and thus the area for osmosis to take place would increase, and therefore the rate of osmosis would increase as well.Preliminary Results:Components of solutionMass of solute (g)Volume Of Water (cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½)Mass at start (g)Mass at end (g)Mass change (g)Water01522.4+0.4Water + sugar11522.1+0.1Water + sugar21522.2+0.2Water + salt11521.6-0.4Water + salt21521.8-0.2For our preliminaries, we chose two solutions of sugar and salt each, with different concentrations of solute. We also conducted one test with just a solution of plain water. Although we found a general trend that mass increases for sugar, and de creases for salt, I believe that these results were not very accurate, as we did not control the surface are of the potato pieces, and instead concentrated on the mass. However, this experiment gave us an idea of what to expect for our main experiment, and we were able to make a prediction. Moreover, from our preliminaries, we were able to make the decision to use salt in our main experiment. We decided this as we found that it was a lot easier to weigh and handle the salt, rather than sugar, thus it would give us a better chance to obtain reliable and consistent results.Prediction:My prediction is that for the lower concentrations, the mass of the potato will increase as the conc. inside the cell will be greater, however, I believe that as we increase the concentrations of the solute, the mass of the potatoes will decrease.List Of Apparatus:* 18 test tubes* Potatoes* Core borer* Salt* Sugar (for preliminaries)* Distilled water* Weighing scales* Scalpel* Spatula* Measuring cylinders * Beakers* Ruler* Weighing boats* Test tube holders* Stirring RodMethod:* First we prepared the potato pieces by using a core borer to produce pieces of the same circumference.* Then using a ruler and a scalpel, we cut the pieces to the same length so as to ensure the same surface area.* We then placed the pieces in weighing boats and measured their mass on weighing scales.* Next we prepared the solutions by inserting the right amount of solute into 100cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of distilled water in a measuring cylinder.* We then stirred it using a stirring rod in a beaker.* After that we measured out 25cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½of the solutions using a measuring cylinder.* Then we poured 25cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of the solutions into the test tubes.* Next we placed the potato pieces in the test tubes containing the solutions.* We placed the test tubes in holders, and left them for 6 hours.* Then we extracted the potato pieces, dried them and measured their mass.* Lastly, we recorded the results on a table, and c alculated the average mass change for each concentration.Reliability:* We used the same weighing scale for all measurements so as to ensure that there was no discrepancy in the recordings.* We used the same core borer to make sure that the pieces had the same circumference.* We properly dried the potato pieces to ensure that any water on the surface of the potatoes would not affect the results.* We used the same type of test tubes so as to make sure that the surface area in contact remained the same.* We also made sure that the setup of the apparatus was the same for every test so that it did not affect the results.Safety:* Roll up sleeves and any loose clothing.* Be careful when using the scalpel.* Keep the desk clear of bags, books and other items.* Wear goggles.OBTAINING EVIDENCE% Concentration Of Salt per 100ml of water.Length Of Potato Pieces (cm)Mass At Start (g)Mass At End (g)Mass Change (g)Average Mass Change (g)010.800.98+0.18010.720.85+0.13+0.15010.660.80+0.140.410.730.82+ 0.090.410.790.89+0.10+0.09660.410.710.81+0.100.810.790.85+0.060.810.740.80+0.06+0.05660.810.810.86+0.051.210.740.71-0.031.210.760.74-0.02-0.031.210.720.68-0.041.610.740.69-0.051.610.810.76-0.05-0.04661.610.670.63-0.042.010.750.60-0.152.010.730.58-0.15-0.152.010.820.67-0.15Through this experiment, I have found out that the point where the solution is isotonic is between 0.8% and 1.2% concentration of salt; I will be able to predict the exact point by drawing a graph of the results. The results show that as we go below this point, the mass of the potatoes increases, due to water being taken in, and when we go above this point, the mass of the potatoes start to decrease as water is being lost.Graph:The graph that I have drawn of Average Mass Change against % Concentration Of Salt clearly shows the effect concentration has on the mass of the potato pieces. The linear relationship between the variables is quite strong, the potato pieces in the solution of plain water show the greatest in crease, and after that, as the concentration increases, the mass change of the potatoes decrease, until around 1.0% where the solution is said to be isotonic. As we increase the concentrations past 1%, the potato pieces lose more and more mass. The graph has a strong negative correlation. For the data, I used averages of the results for each concentration, and the graph shows that the value for 1.6% may be anomalous. I will evaluate whether this is the case, and if so what caused it in my evaluation.Conclusion:After studying the results, I was able to ascertain that my prediction was indeed right, because it was evident that the experiment followed the pattern I predicted. The mass of the potatoes did go up for the lower concentrations that were below the point where the solution would be isotonic, as the concentration of water was higher in the solution and water entered the plant cells. The mass of the potatoes did decrease for the higher concentrations, where water left the cell due to the concentration of water being higher inside the cell.EvaluationI believe that my results are fairly reliable, as I have done them to the best of my ability with the equipment available to me, controlled the variables carefully, and double checked all measurements and also made sure that the apparatus was properly set up every time. Through my graph, I could identify two results that might possibly be anomalous, as it did not completely conform with my line of best fit.The results for 1.6% showed a mass decrease of 0.0466 g, when it shouldve been around 0.09g, and the results for 0.8% showed a mass increase of 0.0566g, when it shouldve been around 0.03g I believe that this could have come about due to us not drying the beaker and the test tubes properly, and thus causing the solution to become more diluted, meaning that the diffusion gradient would be decreased, and less water would be lost by the plant. Therefore, if I were to repeat the experiment, I would take greater ca re in drying the apparatus, or maybe even use fresh beakers and test tubes for each test.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Why Do We Celebrate Presidents Day

Why Do We Celebrate President's Day Presidents Day was established in 1832 to celebrate George Washingtons centennial. The annual holiday, which now falls on the third Monday of February, later evolved into a celebration of Abraham Lincolns birthday as well, and eventually turned into a day to mark the birthdays and lives of all American presidents- although the holidays name was never officially changed to Presidents Day. Did You Know? George Washingtons birthday got changed from February 11, 1731, to February 22, 1732, when the Gregorian calendar was adopted. An act of Congress made the date a federal holiday.Thanks to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Washingtons Birthday- which is often called Presidents Day- is always celebrated on the third Monday in February.Retailers love Presidents Day, and use it as a time to put big-ticket items on sale- because thats when people start getting their income tax refunds back. The First Presidents Day The origins of Presidents Day date back to the early nineteenth century, and it all started with George Washington. The first American president was born on February 11, 1731. As the centennial anniversary of his birth approached, Congress announced that festivities in Washingtons honor would be held on February 22, 1832. Why the change in dates? The answer lies in the history of the modern calendar. Washingtons birth took place before 1752, which was the year that Britain and all of its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar. Thus, Washingtons birthday now fell on February 22, 1732, which meant that a century later, in 1832- instead of 1831- it was time to celebrate. Festivities took place all over the country, including the early adjournment of the Congressional session, followed by the reading of Washingtons 1796 Farewell Address, which has become an annual tradition. In 1879, Congress passed a bill declaring that February 22, long celebrated as Washingtons birthday, would be designated a federal holiday. At that time, Congress added February 22 to the list of official holidays observed by federal employees in the District of Columbia. This presented a problem initially, though- some government employees were paid for the day off, but others werent. In 1885, Congress solved that issue by declaring that all federal employees, including those employed outside of Washington D.C., were to be paid for all federal holidays. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays. This change was adopted so that workers would have several three-day weekends throughout each year, but there was opposition from people who felt that holidays should be observed on the days they actually celebrate. According to historian C.L. Arbelbide, the  Congressional Record  highlighted three primary benefits of this change, aimed specifically at families: Three-day holidays offer greater opportunities for families- especially those whose members may be widely separated- to get together. . . .The three-day span of leisure time . . . would allow our citizens greater participation in their hobbies as well as in educational and cultural activities.Monday holidays would improve commercial and industrial production by minimizing midweek holiday interruptions of production schedules and reducing employee absenteeism before and after midweek holidays. The Uniform Holiday Act went into effect in January, 1971, and declared Washingtons Birthday, the third Monday in February, as a legal public holiday. During discussion about the new act, it was suggested that Washington’s Birthday should be renamed Presidents Day in order to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12, 1809.  However, Congress rejected the name alteration and it was never officially changed. So, why do people still call it Presidents Day? The Meaning of Presidents Day Today You can thank your friendly neighborhood retailer for the use of the term Presidents Day. Its become one of the most popular times of year for sales. While this might seem like an odd season to decide you need to run out and buy a new mattress or a dresser, theres actually a reason behind the tradition of Presidents Day sales on big-ticket items: its when people are starting to get their income tax refunds. Although there have been attempts over the years to formally start calling Washingtons Birthday by its more common name of Presidents Day, its never happened. In addition, states have the power to call it Presidents Day if they wish- the use of the name Washingtons Birthday is found at a federal level. No matter what you choose to call it, if youre a federal government employee, youll get the third Monday in February off each year. Sources Arbelbide, C L. â€Å"By George, IT IS Washingtons Birthday!†Ã‚  National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/winter/gw-birthday-1.html.â€Å"George Washingtons Birthday.†Ã‚  National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, www.archives.gov/legislative/features/washington.Hornick, Ed. â€Å"What You May Not Know about Presidents Day.†Ã‚  CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Feb. 2019, www.cnn.com/2016/02/15/politics/presidents-day-history-washington-birthday/index.html.â€Å"Public Law 90-363 .†Ã‚  US Government Publishing Office, 27 Jan. 1968, www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-82/pdf/STATUTE-82-Pg250-3.pdf.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Islam - Essay Example to a religious and cultural challenge since the two parts were constantly challenging each other giving rise to a conflict laden relationship between the two religious groups. There were different courses that were taken by each group and with the European taking a different approach they considered the Muslims as â€Å"others† who were not to be regarded in the same light as the Europeans did. It is therefore important to understand the patterns that came out in the middle-ages and the different discourses that had been established in order to understand the different beliefs and assertions by the European Christians towards Islam. This paper looks at the anti-Islam discourse of Medieval Europe that fueled the crusades to 19th century Orientalism that generated European colonialism. In 1798 the French led by Napoleon Bonaparte took over Egypt a fete that had not been managed before in the medieval age since they had taken one of the Islam controlled regions that drew a lot of power from the Islamic religion and beliefs. The French troops that took the city believed that they were liberating the people from the rule and taking and helping them gain enlightenment. The Europeans were in the era of enlightenment and although some of the philosophers took the beliefs of Islam and conceptualized their meanings in accordance to what is true others used the religion beliefs to prove their distaste with Christianity and the European beliefs (Harlow Barbara and Mia 58). There was also the paradigm of the superiority of European Civilization that became dominant among the academicians and Europeans. The rise of Europe seemed inevitable and Europe became the most dominant model due to its changes and rise of academic superiority over the other models thereby labeling Islam as â€Å"others†. The Muslims that were in this case being labeled as the Orient were associated with stagnation and immobility meaning that the Europeans considered Christianity and the European culture to

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Sociology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sociology - Term Paper Example Social events vary in a wide range, due to the variations in human tendency and behavior. Analyzing the reason behind social events requires a psychological study of human behavior, as that strongly holds the ethics of religious, cultural and community values as its background. Matthew Desmond in his book analyzed the subjective facts of individual psychology of temptation and risk bearing factors. Fighting against the forest fire is a life taking job but the country boys, in their every efforts, tries to prove their braveness by accomplishing the challenging job. Every forest fires are followed by death, injuries and bone breaks; but they never give up fighting against it (Desmond). Hence, the factor behind the human guts must be very personal; the responsibility they feel about rescuing forest from fire, to maintain their identity as a firefighter and also the inability to do the same would be a question to their masculinity. All the mentioned factors seem to have their connection with the psychological prospects of an individual with his ethical values. Psychological factors are equally responsible for the involvement of individual in any social events. On this contrary Randall Collins, emphasizing on micro-sociological theory, gives stress on social violence as a result of the big shape of emotions in an individual, connected to several past and present happening in his/her life. For example: poverty, race, and origins in divorce or single parent families etc. Human psychological condition of fear, insecurity and inferiority leads to the violence of different kinds. For example: mass murder, serial killing, revenge taking, sexual abuse and suicide. He insists on the use of the modern technology to give authentication to the findings. As per Collins, police normally uses the available data to confine the cause of the happening. But such empirical data are not liable to give psychological justification to the case. The use of micro analysis theory becomes a n ecessity, in such cases, as that can draw out the emotional involvement of the individual in a particular social event (Collins). As these two frameworks, seem to have the similarities with the Comte’s social theory of positivism and anti-positivism. Where, Collins views inclines more towards anti-positivists whereas Desmond towards positivists. Giving stress to positivism, Durkheim maintained that the social sciences are a logical continuation of the natural ones into the realm of human activity, and insisted that they should retain the same objectivity, rationalism, and approach to causality. This approach eschews epistemological and metaphysical concerns such as the nature of social facts, in favor of methodological debates concerning clarity, reliability and validity (Wacquant ). Supporting anti-positivism, sociologist Max Weber argued that sociology may be loosely described as a science as it is able to identify causal relationships of human "social action", especially a mong "ideal types", or hypothetical simplifications of complex social phenomena. Karl Marx's methodology is borrowed from Hegelian dialecticism but also a rejection of positivism in favor of critical analysis, seeking to supplement the empirical acquisition of "facts" with the elimination of illusions. He maintained that appearances need to be critiqued rather than simply documented

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Honesty - the Best Policy Essay Example for Free

Honesty the Best Policy Essay Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthful and with fairness, as best one is able. It is related to truth as a value. This includes listening, reasoning and any action in the human repertoire — as well as speaking. Superficially, honesty means simply, stating facts and views as best one truly believes them to be. It includes both honesty to others, and to oneself (see: self-deception) and about ones own motives and inner reality. Western views on honesty  Since the quality of honesty applies to all behaviors, one cannot refuse to consider factual information, for example, in an unbiased manner and still claim that ones knowledge, belief or position is an attempt to be truthful. Such a belief is clearly a product of ones desires and simply has nothing to do with the human ability to know. Basing ones positions on what one wants — rather than unbiased evidence gathering — is dishonest even when good intentions can be cited — after all even Hitler could cite good intentions and intended glory for a select group of people. Clearly then, an unbiased approach to the truth is a requirement of honesty. Because intentions are closely related to fairness and certainly affect the degree of honesty/dishonesty, there is a wide spread confusion about honestyand a general belief that being dishonest means that one always  correctly understands if their behavior is either honest or dishonest. Self-perception of our morality is non-static and volatile. Its often at the moment we refuse to consider other perspectives that there is a clear indication we are not pursuing the truth, rather than simply and exclusively at the moment we can muster up evidence that we are right. Socrates had much to say about truth, honesty and morality, and explained that if people really understood that their behavior was wrong — then they simply wouldnt do it — by definition. Unfortunately, honesty in the western tradition has been marginalized to specific instances — perhaps because a thorough understanding of honesty collides with ideologies of all types. Ideologies and idealism often exaggerate and suppress evidence in order to support their perspectives — at the expense of the truth. This process erodes the ractice and understanding of honesty. To an ideologist the truth quite often becomes insignificant, what matters most are their ideals and what ever supports their desires to enjoy and spread those ideals. Human beings are inherently biased about what they believe to be good due to individual tastes backgrounds, but once one understands that a decidedly biased approach to what is true — is inherently dishonest, one can also understand how idealism and ideology have poorly served the quest for an honest, moral society. Both honesty and morality require that we base our opinions about what is good — upon unbiased ideas of what is TRUE — rather than vice versa (determining what is true based on what we feel is good) — the way all ideologies would have us believe. The studies of Confucius about honesty Confucius recognized several levels of honesty, fundamental to his ethics: His shallowest concept of honesty was implied in his notion of Li: all actions committed by a person to build the ideal society aiming at meeting their surface desires of a person either immediately (bad) or longer term (good). To admit that one sought immediate gratification could however make a bad act better, and to hide ones long term goals could cloud a good act. A key principle was that a gentleman must strive to convey his feelings honestly on his face, so that these could help each other coordinate for long term gain for all. So there was a visible relation between time horizon, etiquette and ones image of oneself even in the mirror. This generates self-honesty and keeps such activities as business calm, unsurprising, and aboveboard. In this conception, one is honest because it suits ones own self-interest only. Deeper than Li was Yi or righteousness. Rather than pursuing your own interests you should do what is right and moral based on reciprocity. Here too time is central, but as a time span: since your parents spent your first three years raising you, you spent three mourning them after they die. At this level one is honest about ones obligations and duty. Even with no one else to keep you honest or to relate to directly, a deeply honest person ould relate to ancestors as if they were alive and would not act in ways that would make them ashamed. This was part of the moral code that included ancestor worship, but Confucius had made it rigorous. The deepest level of honesty was Ren, out of which flowed Yi and thus Li. Confucius morality was based upon empathy and understanding others, which required understanding ones own moral core first, rather than on divinely ordained rules, which could simply be obeyed. The Confucian version of the Golden Rule was to treat your inferiors as you would want your superiors to treat you. Virtue under Confucius is based upon harmony with others and a recognition of the honest reality that eventually (say in old age) one will come under the power of others (say ones children). So this level of honesty is to actually put oneself in context of ones whole life and future generations and choose to do or say nothing that would not reflect ones familys honour and reputation for honesty and acceptance of truth, such as eventual death. Partially because of incomplete understanding of these deeper notions of honesty among Westerners, in Asian countries it is common to refer to those who do not have them as barbarians. While sometimes Asian cultures sanction an almost intolerable degree of delay and ambiguity for Western tastes, it is very often to avoid lying, or giving a positive impression where doubt exists. These would be thought dishonest by Asians. Thus pressing for a decision on a matter where it is not yet possible to give an honest commitment or answer is seen as extremely rude in effect, forcing someone to choose to be either rude or dishonest. Both being unthinkable in traditional culture, one thus delays. A Buddhist teaching on honesty Thanissaro Bhikkhu taught: â€Å"Real honesty is being honest about what your possibilities are, what your potentials are. Thats where true honesty lies. It stretches us. It’s not simply admitting where we are that’s a beginning step, it’s not the end step. So be honest about where you are but also be honest about what your possibilities are. That keeps the challenge of the path always before us. †

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Alexander Graham Bell :: essays research papers

Alexander Graham bell was a very important man, not only to Canada but to the whole world as well, and it was not an easy road to success. His contributions to the world of communication were unmatched by any one. This essay will be arguing the facts about Bell that have been stated through 3 main topics, which are, Bell’s contribution to deaf people. Graham Bell made a contribution to the communication world. Finally he ran into many problems while in innovations were occurring. Alexander made an extremely large contribution to the deaf people by doing many things. Before he was born Alec’s father was trying to develop a method of speech for deaf people while this experimenting was going on he had a son who little did he know would rock the world with the invention of the phone. During his early years Bell and his father perfected this method of visible speech for the deaf. Alexander invented a glove whit visible speech letters printed on different parts of the glove so when touched by different fingers spelled different words. He and his family toured around the country showing this item off and soon gained much respect. After bell moved to Canada he decided that this glove was not enough. Soon he opened schools meant specifically for the deaf people to learn and there are still some schools to this day that have been founded by Bell just for deaf people. During one of his many visits to one of his school he met a young student by the name of Mabel Hu bbard “I have discovered that my interest in my dear pupil… has ripened into a far deeper feeling'; (always inventing, 28) this caused some controversy between the two families because of the significant age difference and the fact the she was deaf, also they didn’t want them to have kids for there was a possibly of deafness being hereditary (Alexander Graham Bell An Inventive Life, 16). Also people in the community were talking about how Bell was going to marry a deaf girl, but despite this wishes of the families the got married and had children who turned out fine. Mabel describes her first meeting wit Bell “I did not like him. He was tall, with jet black hair and eyes but dressed badly and carelessly in an old fashion suit… he seemed hardly a gentleman'; (Alexander Graham Bell An inventive life, 16).

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Banking and Finance Essay

Introduction The automated teller machine (ATM) is a machine that acts as a teller in an institution by receiving and issuing money to and from the ATM account holder or user. The growth and evolution of at ATMs was not only due to, but rather as a result of general global concentration in the technological revolution. This came due to challenges of multiple bulk of daily complex information that arise from existing difficulties like; increase in competition, increase in customer’s demand for both services provision as well as efficiency , expansion due to increase in demand and all the likes just to name a few. The ATM system used by micro financial institutions today is an inherited system from banking system therefore brought in efficiency in different micro financial institutions in terms of speed, data processing and storage. Thus, it brought in enormous improvement in queuing in institutions in use of the ATMs. Despite all the merits of ATMs, customers still bring up complains on the demerits of the system such as; breakdown of ATMs, long queues at the ATM service point, retention of customers cards. In this light, this research entails to find out why all these cries after all the goods incurred in the system. 1.1 Background of the study. 1.1.1 Historical background. The history of micro financial institutions can be trace as far back as the 1880s when the theorist Lysander Spooner was writing over the benefits of from small credits to entrepreneurs and farmers as a way of getting people out of poverty. Today, the use of the expression ‘’micro financing’’ has its root in the 1970s when organisatons were sarting and shaping the modern industry.At that time,many microfinance ini tiatives introduced many new innovations into the sector.Many entreprises began experimenting with loaning to the under served people. The main reason why micro financing is been traced back to the 1970s is that, the programme could show that people can be relied on to pay their loans and that it’s possible to provide financing services to poor people through market based enterprises without subsidies.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Laura Ashley Holdings Plc Essay

1) How have changes relating to management and organisational structural affected a global organisation of your choice, over the last 75 years. Relate your findings to growth, distribution, and various external influences and strategies. 2) Undertake a SWOT analysis and explain its relevance in relation to your company and/or its sector Word Count 1250. Harvard Style Referencing. Bibliography Required. Global organisation Laura Ashley Holdings Plc has suffered differing fortunes since Bernard and Laura Ashley founded it in the 1950s. It has been involved in the designing, manufacturing, distribution and selling of garments, accessories, perfume, gift items, fabric, wall coverings, bedding, lighting, and furniture. Famed for its floral prints, the chain was highly successful during the early and mid 1980s but things changed in the early 1990s when various management and structural problems as well as those relating to growth, distribution, and various external influences such as global recession surfaced Laura Ashley herself died in 1985. There is a notable difference in the organisation up to and after this year. Up to 1985, it was a simply structured, steadily expanding organisation operating in a non-complex environment (complexity arises when there are numerous complicated environmental influences [Johnson and Scholes, 1989]). In the months and years after, many changes took place. Laura Ashley went public in flotation, acquired other companies involved in areas such as knitwear and perfume, made heavier investments in manufacturing and information technology (IT), moved towards segmentation with Mother and Child shops, exclusively home furnishing shops and unit shops (franchise operations). The organisation moved gradually away from vertical integration (it had always manufactured and delivered all goods itself) – The Guardian reported that Laura Ashley was withdrawing from manufacturing by the end of the year in 1998. In order to facilitate growth, there was a shift from the simple functional organisational structure to a more complex divisional structure (which was  re-organised with every change of leadership). The most notable chief executives of Laura Ashley who were in place whilst and after problems developed were Jim Maxmin (1991-1994) and Ann Iverson (1995-1997). Each of these people were responsible for major overhauls within the organisation. Vora (1998) states, â€Å"Laura Ashley has undergone various restructuring strategies and umpteen management upheavals, all to no avail, and all of which have decimated shareholder value and abused the brand name†. As highlighted above, the major problems of Laura Ashley began to manifest in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The first fall of profits were reported in the year to January 1989. It is important, then, to look at its success before this – from its beginnings in the 1950s to 1985. One area to naturally consider is the key success factors of the organisation for this period i.e. what specifically can its success is attributed to. Key success factors are what an organisation must do well in order to be successful, be an effective competitor and satisfy stakeholder requirements (Thompson, 1997). Bearing this in mind, the key success factors of Laura Ashley up to 1985 are identified as high quality production, innovative designs, good brand management (the ‘Laura Ashley’ name was and is strong), well placing of stores, creation of good atmospheres in stores, general design and creative competencies, staff training, creation of a vertically integrated structure and oper ation within a simplistic organisational structure in general. Also, the Group’s IT capabilities factored into the success as it was a source of competitive advantage e.g. they were an early adopter of electronic point of sale (Heath, 1996 as cited by Johnson and Scholes, 1999). These factors may also be interpreted as strategic excellence positions (SEP’s), which can be described as the capabilities, which allow an organisation to produce better than average results in comparison with competitors (PUmpin, 1987). Thompson (1997) presents a particularly useful model that can be helpful in explaining the success of Laura Ashley up to 1985. The EVR congruence model, by Thompson, considers if an organisation is being managed effectively with regards to strategy. It represents the matching of an organisation’s resources (for Laura Ashley these would include plants, vehicles, IT systems  and locations) to the key success factors dictated by the environment (external factors such as opportunities and threats, stakeholders, competition etc). A determinant in matching these is the values of the organisation (again, in the case of Laura Ashley, these would include the lifestyle they promote/project, shop designs and atmospheres, product designs, the brand, staff training policy and the ‘family’ culture). If the congruence (fit) between these three areas is great, then this indicates effective management of resources (Hamel and Prahalad [1993] comment that it is important for organ isations to manage resources well in order to achieve objectives), strategy formulation and all-round success. It can be argued that the success of Laura Ashley up to 1985 can be attributed to greater EVR congruence. That is such things as the number of shops and plants, distribution systems, stakeholders, threats (including competition), products, level of vertical integration and so on fit together well in relation to the size, structure, culture and speed of growth of the organisation then. The key success factors are also indicative of this congruence. So that they can be developed to help ensure both present and future success, it is important key success factors are recognised and understood. One particular way Laura Ashley could do this is through a SWOT analysis. This reviews an organisation’s internal strengths and weaknesses and opportunities and threats in the external environment (Cole, 1996). This may be done for a particular moment in time or as an overview encompassing the past and present. As made clear, Laura Ashley has faced much change during its existence. Opportunities and threats come about as a result of constant change and the SWOT analysis can help to identify these and internal strengths and weaknesses relevant when dealing with change (Johnson and Scholes, 1989). This SWOT analysis can be used in relation to analysing the problems faced by Laura Ashley in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. They can be greatly attributed to the weaknesses and threats identified. For example, fluctuations in the economy had a knock-on effect on the sale of property and hence on the sale of household furnishings. Also, high borrowing, wastage and forced discounting meant that, despite sales increases, shops were making a loss. The reorganisations in 1988, 1991 and twice in 1995 had their effect too – they were costly and highlighted inefficiency. Chandler (1977) states that structures are not adapted until pressure of inefficiency forces the change and that this change process is usually a painful one – often carried out by a different chief executive each time. Upon and after his appointment in 1991, Jim Maxmin found that the organisation lacked a core identity, clear strategies, empowered staff, thorough market research, efficient logistics , and many problems in the US such as limited growth, poor management and delivery problems. He responded with his ‘Simplify, Focus and Act’ programme. This included reorganisation, institution of a Global Operations Executive (GOE) and Global Collection Development (GCD) which aided globalisation and marketing, encouragement to empower staff, an alliance with Federal Express Business Logistics to improve delivery and distribution systems, sourcing half of the organisations manufacturing to  the Far East (rather than in-house in Britain) and management replacement in the US. Before leaving Laura Ashley in 1994, Jim Maxmin commented that â€Å"throughout the entire organisation, people has embraced the principles of the Simplify, Focus and Act programme and set about sorting out the operational problems which have plagued Laura Ashley† (Maxmin, 1993 as cited by Warnaby, 1994). Ann Iverson was appointed chief executive of Laura Ashley in 1995. She was to spearhead the rush into the US and revamp the product range (Teather, 1999). Her observations found various problems – all of which can again be attributed to identified weaknesses. It was found that the product range was too broad, there was no ‘unified’ look to match globalisation, the supply chain was inefficient and problems continued in the US. Ann Iverson’s response included strengthening the alliance with Federal Express Business Logistics, opening larger stores in the US and reviewing marketing and sales. These changes were considered to be good as Laura Ashley restored dividend payments in 1996 for the first time since 1989. Ann Iverson was dismissed in 1997, however, mainly due to continuing problems in the US and the organisation’s image (Keynotes, 1997). Each of the changes mentioned came about from the organisation’s particular strengths (as identified) at the time. For example, whilst such things as restructuring and shop closures were happening, the strong name of Laura Ashley and strong customer loyalty were greatly relied upon. Bowman and Asch (1987) comment that the strengths of an organisation are a if not the determinant in how it handles weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Opportunities open to the organisation in dealing with its various problems can be identified as the opportunities in the SWOT analysis. Opportunities change and differ over time. For example, the alliance with Federal Express Business Logistics resulted from available opportunities at the time. A possible opportunity in the early 1990s would have been a speedier move away from vertical integration for example. Laura Ashley became totally vertically integrated in the 1970s and continued  to be so though gradually moved away from this in the 1990s – completely in 1998. Vertical integration can be backwards e.g. manufacturer purchasing/owning supplier and forwards e.g. manufacturer purchasing/owning retailer – Laura Ashley was both backwardly and forwardly vertically integrated – everything from the supplying of materials and manufacturing to distribution and retail. The main benefits of this throughout the organisation’s development included greater control, greater ability to differentiate, the opportunity to achieve economies of scale (higher margins), assurance of supply and greater synergy. Despite this, there were numerous disadvantages particularly that it was costly and greatly increased operational leverage as well as the need to keep up with technological change. This tied up capital having long-term affects. It meant that there was not full concentration of key strengths (design and retail) on which key success factors are dependent (Thompson, 1997). Furthermore, vertical integration was inflexible (cheaper manufacturers could not be sourced) and sensitivity to decreases in sales increased. It was the cost aspect that had the greatest impact – particularly in the face of costly expansion (especially in the US). Warnaby (1994) comments that vertical integration was responsible for financial problems in the early 1990s. The costs of vertical integration had an impact on the organisation’s ability to successfully expand internationally. Perhaps with the exception of a distinctive product look and the adoption of a divisional structure, Laura Ashley did not expand internationally applying Treadgold’s keys/strategies – each was applied/introduced incrementally as problems arose to highlight the need e.g. it was not until 1995 when Ann Iverson felt the need for a unified product look. This is indicative that the organisation was not particularly capable of embarking on such ambitious international expansion as it did. This is highlighted by the numerous problems faced by the organisation e.g. poor marketing/marketing strategy, inefficient logistics and lack of direction and clear strategy. Additionally, the paternalistic management style was not suited to rapid expansion and this coupled with high finance demands from vertical integration, reorganisation and early acquisitions further indicate poor planning in terms of development Laura Ashley has faced so many problems throughout its existence. Problems owing to management, organisational structure, logistics and rapid international expansion continuously came and went. In 1998 bankruptcy looked imminent but an injection of ?44 million in equity capital by Malaysian businessman Dr Kay Peng Khoo (giving his MUI property company 47.5% share ownership whilst the Ashley family retained just 9% [Gibbs, 1999]). He installed Ng Kwan Cheong as chief executive who made changes including the disposal of the problematic North American franchise (retail operations were sold to a management buyout team for $1 at the end of July, 1999 [Gibbs, 1999]), targeting of younger markets and investment in e-commerce (Abdullah, 2000). However, all of these changes looked to have no major impact in the Group’s success with sales steadily decreasing from 1998. Whether or not Laura Ashley manages to achieve the sort of success it enjoyed in the early 1980s under its new management remains to be seen – as does its survival. Chief Executive Ng Kwan Cheong refrained from placing false hopes, commenting in March of 2000 – â€Å"We have a lot of things to do. All I can say is we are moving in the right direction and things are changing† (Cheong, 2000 as cited by Abdullah, 2000). REFERENCES Texts  · Bowman, C. and Asch, C. (1987). ‘Strategic Management’. Macmillan Education.  · Chandler, A.D. (1997). ‘The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution in American Business’. Harvard University Press.  · Cole, G.A. (1996). ‘Management Theory and Practice’ (5th Edition). Letts Educational.  · Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (1989). ‘Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases’. Prentice Hall.  · Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (1999). ‘Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases’ (5th Edition). Prentice Hall.  · PUmpin, C. (1987). ‘The Essence of Corporate Strategy’. Gower.  · Thompson, J.L. (1997). ‘Strategic Management: Awareness and Change’. International Thomson Business Press. Journals and Publications  · Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C.K. (1993). â€Å"Strategy as stretch and leverage†. Harvard Business Review, 71, March-April, pp75-84.  · Keynotes (1997), ‘Keynote Market Report – Clothing Retailing’, 1997 Reports, p23.  · Treadgold, A. (1991) ‘Dixons and Laura Ashley: Different Routes to International Growth’. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. Vol. 19(4), pp13-19.  · Warnaby, G. (1994). â€Å"Laura Ashley – An International Retail Brand†. Management Decision, Volume 32 (3). Other  · Abdullah, S.A. â€Å"Turning around Laura Ashley†. http://adtimes.nstp.com.my/archive/mar3.htm (09 December 2000).  · Gibbs, G. (1999) â€Å"Laura Ashley bids farewell† The Guardian Unlimited Archive. http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3904775,00.html (18 December 2000).  · Teather, D. (1999) â€Å"Banks push Laura Ashley to quit US† The Guardian Unlimited Archive. http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3855892,00.html (18 December 2000).  · Vora, K. (1998) â€Å"Lessons from Laura Ashley†. The Motley Fool: The Daily Fool, Evening Fool – Tuesday, 03 March 1998, (online) (cited 04 January 2001). http://www.fool.co.uk/DailyFool/1998/DailyFool980303.htm . BIBLIOGRAPHY Texts  · Cole, G.A. (1997). ‘Strategic Management’ (2nd Edition). Continuum.  · De Wit, B. and Meyer, R. (1994) ‘Strategy Process, Content, Context: An International Perspective’. West Publishing.  · Hatch, M.J. (1997). ‘Organization Theory’. Oxford.  · Palmer, A. and Hartley, B. (1996). ‘The Business and Marketing Environment’ (2nd Edition). McGraw-Hill.  · Palmer, A. (2000). ‘Principles of Marketing’. Oxford.  · Porter, M.E. (1980) ‘Competitive Strategy – Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competition’. The Free Press.  · Porter, M.E. (1985) ‘Competitive Advantage – Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance’. The Free Press.  · Wild, R. (1994) ‘How to Manage’ (2nd Edition). BCA. Other  · Framed-Art Wholesale. â€Å"Laura Ashley – The History† http://www.framedartwholesale.com/aboutLA.htm (20 December 2000).  · Herzog, J. (1997) â€Å"Laura Ashley closure a strategic decision†. Daily Yale News Online – Friday, 12 September 1997, (online) (cited 20 December 2000). http://www.yale.edu/ydn/paper/9.12.97/I-1lauraashley.html .  · Hoover’s Online. â€Å"Laura Ashley Holdings Plc Company Capsule† Companies and Industries http://www.hoovers.co.uk/uk?capsule/5/0,3042,90245,00.html?referer= (20 December 2000).  · Wetfeet. â€Å"Laura Ashley Holdings Plc† Company Profiles. http://www.wetfeet.com/asp/companyprofiles.asp (18 December 2000).  · Wright Investor’s Service. â€Å"Research Report: Laura Ashley Holdings Plc† Corporate Information http://profiles.wisi.com/profiles/scripts/corpinfo2.asp?cusip=C826EG930 (18 December 2000).

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Induction essays

Induction essays Induction is reasoning from a small set of examples to a general conclusion about all similar examples. For instance, we believe that the sun will rise tomorrow based on countless days of experience. Of particular importance to us is drawing conclusions about the future on the basis of past or present experience. Hume says that all such reasoning works only if things go on as they have before. Only if past experience is a reliable guide to future experience. Without this assumption, the reasoning is unjustified. So, how do we know the future will be like the past. Deduction wont work because it is not a contradiction to assume that the future will change. Hume says that just because the future has resembled the past in the past, it doesnt follow that it will resemble the past from now on. If one assumes this, they are arguing in a circle. Induction may be justified by saying that the past or present cause the future. If we know the cause, which is the past or present , then we know the effect, which is the future. However, Hume says that you only have the idea of causation because, in the past, you have seen things go together all the time. Therefore, the concept of causation is based on past experience. To assume that causation will continue as it has is to assume the future will be like the past. This is circular reasoning. According to Hume the attempts to answer the problem of induction cannot succeed. Contemporary science is very successful. Its success is based on discovering exception less laws of nature. So, we are justified in concluding that nature follows exception less laws. However, Hume believes that this is still circular reasoning because laws have been exception less up until now so how do we know that will continue. The more we notice a uniformity, that is we see two things together, the more probable that they will appear together next time. The problem with this, according to H...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

What Is Your ACT ID Where Can You Find It

What Is Your ACT ID Where Can You Find It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you take the ACT, you should be aware of your ACT ID number. Knowing this number will ensure that you and the colleges of your choosing have access to your scores. In this article, I’ll let you know how to find your ACT ID number, and I’ll detail why it’s important to know your ACT ID. What Is the ACT ID Number? When you first register for the ACT, an ID is assigned to your record. This identification number begins with a dash and is followed by eight digits. You’ll find your ACT ID on the bottom of your admission ticket and at the top of your Student Report. The ACT ID is used to match you with your ACT scores. The ACT no longer collects Social Security Numbers, so all students enter their ACT ID from their admission ticket on their answer document when they take the test. Make a note of your ACT ID. Save it on your phone or your computer. Why Do You Need an ACT ID? Your ACT ID number can help you or a college locate your ACT scores. In the event that a college doesn’t receive your scores, contact the admissions office at the college and provide the school with your name and ACT ID. Keep in mind colleges get score reports at different times. Some choose to download score reports as infrequently as every two weeks. If you choose to send your ACT scores to a college when you register, allow at least eight weeks after the test date for the college to confirm receipt of your scores. If you test outside of the US or Canada, allow 9-10 weeks. Additionally, if you accidentally entered the wrong college code, you can contact the admissions office with your name and ACT ID to ensure that the college receives your scores. The college codes you listed when you registered are shown on your score report, and you can look up college codes on the ACT website to see if they match the codes on your report. Furthermore, if you ever need your scores in the future, you can use your ACT ID to get them. If you didn’t register online, you can set up an ACT web account and get your scores online if you tested after the fall of 2007, but you’ll need to enter your ACT ID number to retrieve your scores. If you did register online, your scores will be automatically connected to your account; you won’t need to enter your ACT ID. Finally, you can request score reports online, or you can order score reports by mail or phone. Regular score reports cost $12 and $34 for archived reports. A report is archived if you tested before September 1, 2014. ACT ID Number FAQ Here are some answers to frequently asked questions related to the ACT ID. Do I Need an ACT ID to Send Scores From a Test I’ve Taken? No. Just log into your ACT web account, click â€Å"send scores,† and select the test date of the scores you want to send. Do I Need an ACT ID to Find My Scores Online If I Don’t Have an ACT Web Account? You can create a web account after you’ve taken the ACT, but your previous information and scores will only be included in your web account if you provide your ACT ID. However, you can still make an online request that previous scores be sent. How Can I Find My ACT ID If I Don’t Know It? If you don’t know your ACT ID, you can try to retrieve it by calling the ACT at 319-337-1270. The ACT agent may ask you for other identifying information like your address when you took the test and your test date. What’s Next? Are you about to sign up for the ACT? Get our tips and tricks for ACT registration. Check out this guide to learn more about how to send your ACT scores to colleges. Do you have any other questions about the ACT? Get our expert answers to frequently asked ACT questions. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

UK parliamentary system or USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

UK parliamentary system or USA - Essay Example The fact that he is not subjected to the legislature in the selection means that he can choose wise men and women with extensive experience (Pushparaj web). In Parliamentary systems, leaders lack the ability to provide effective leadership. Parliamentary leaders often depend on others to perform their duties because they lack the knowledge of the changing world. Presidential systems of government have experienced leaders who perform their duties properly. In addition, parliamentary systems conflict with presidential systems in that secession is common in parliamentary systems. Defection results in nepotism, corruption, and political instability because of the short-lived coalitions. A minister has the discretion and mandates to do that which he deems fit and nobody can exert pressure on him. Presidential system is more democratic than Parliamentary systems. In addition, it is easier to get laws in the USA than in the UK because in USA ministers have a higher level of discretion and mandate to operate than ministers in the UK. However, the British system of government benefits include equal representation of all constituencies both urban and rural, decisions on issues has the say of the majority, and the selection of the prime minister is on the will of majority of members of parliament. Additionally, criticism by the opposition is welcome to the leading government. Pushparaj A. â€Å"What is the difference between Presidential and parliamentary form of Government?† Publish your articles. 2011. Web, 31 May 2012.