Analysis of Arthur Young’s Travels in France

DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT, HISTORY AND JUSTICE CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF ARTHUR YOUNG’S TRAVELS IN FRANCE BY DANIELLE KING Submitted to Professor Ocana in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Western Civilization 112 November 3, 2010 Arthur Young was born on September 11, 1741 in Bradfield, a village in Suffolk, England. After he dropped out of school and acquired a job in a mercantile house, for which he was not suited for, Young began his writing career at the age of seventeen. He was much more inclined to write than work in a more commercial capacity as he later became a great English agriculture writer.Although Young was such a fantastic agriculture writer he is most known for his social and political writings. Young was not very successful with the land from the start; however, after inheriting the land around his home after the death of his mother and through a series of failed farming attempts elsewhere in England, he began to learn quite a lot about agricul ture. From this point Young began to write several books and journals about agriculture in and around England and his popularity grew tremendously. After having made quite a name for himself in the world of agriculture, Young began to travel outside of England.Young first went to Ireland in 1776 and published his findings there four years later with Tour in Ireland. Young’s most popular excursion was to France, which he first visited in 1787. Young explored the country in great detail learning a good deal from the people and the land. Young meticulously documented the condition of the soil and other agricultural data as well as his opinions as to the political and social reasons for Frances’ agricultural failure. This information was published in 1792 split into two volumes titled Travels in France.The reason this work was so important then and still important today is because Young gives a remarkable account of the social, economic, and political problems and struggle s leading up to and just after the beginning of the French Revolution. During the section of Travels in France that discussed his thoughts on the French Revolution, Young was enraged by much of what he saw. The issues that seemed to frustrate Young the most were unequal taxes, harsh penal codes, and a lack of justice in the court system. The first major dilemma Young discusses is a system of unequal taxes.He begins by giving the reader an understanding of how the kingdom was organized. Young says that the kingdom was broken into generalities with an intendant appointed to govern them. The generalities were broken down further into elections which were governed by â€Å"sub-de-legue†; this position was appointed by the intendant. Needless to say, the intendant held a vast amount of power particularly with regards to taxation. According to Young these intendants could â€Å"exempt, change, add, or diminish† taxes on a whim. (Young) With this type of control it is easy to see why befriending the intendant might be advantageous.It was known that the friends and family, even very distant relatives could benefit financially from a connection to the intendant. Naturally people without this connection were very upset as, since taxes still had to be paid to the kingdom, they were the ones to shoulder this financial burden. There were exemptions allowed for the intendants, sub-de-legues, nobility, clergy, and the friends and family of these people. The poor of the kingdom felt as though the people with the most economic resources were exempted from paying taxes because they were fortunate enough to have those resources.The second issue Young uncovers while traveling in Frances is the kingdoms’ unequal and unfairly harsh penal code. Young uses, as an example, the laws for salt smugglers. Taken from his Travels in France were eight extremely strict regulations covering the offenders accused of smuggling salt. The first law mentioned says that if five or more armed salt smugglers are gathered together in Provence they will be fined and spend nine years in jail. If these same people were anywhere else in the kingdom they would be put to death.The next law says that if less than five but more than one armed smugglers are gathered together they get a second chance. The first time they are caught meeting, they will be fined and sentenced to three years in jail. The second time they will be killed. The third rule discusses unarmed smugglers that have some sort of transportation to move the salt. This could be in the way of animals and or carts while traveling on land or a boat if the smuggler is on the water. At this point the punishments become slightly less severe with the first offence being only the fine of the previous law without the time in jail.However, if that fine is not paid then the same three years time will be served. With this law as well, the smuggler would have a second chance although the second offence carried a muc h stiffer penalty. In most of the kingdom a heaver fine was required as well as nine years jail time. In Provence, a smuggler could expect to go to jail for five years without the fine. In Dauphine, however, the second offence would take away a smuggler’s freedom for the rest of his life. The next law covers unarmed smugglers without transportation.This is the least severe of the punishments for males having only a small fine for the first offence. If the smuggler does not have the money to pay the fine they are flogged and branded. The second time they are caught is not much worse with a fine and six years jail time. The fifth law sets the punishments for women; it is very interesting that are given three chances and not given jail time for either offence. The first time they are sentenced with a very small fine and the second time a slightly larger fine. The husband is responsible for the fine. The third time they are flogged and permanently put out of the kingdom.The next law says that the child smugglers are treated the same as the women with both parents held liable for the fine. After the common people of the kingdom, the nobles are mentioned. If nobles are caught, their titles and estates are taken away from them. No fine or jail time is necessary for the same crime that common people could be put to death for. The last law in this excerpt discusses what Young thinks is the salt or revenue employee that smuggles on the side. This person would be sentenced to death. If this employee steals or transports the stolen salt they would be hung.This is the only law listed that describes a particular kind of death showing how important they felt this crime was. The final major issue Arthur Young found with the French during his journey through the kingdom was with the lack of justice in the court system. In his words the justice that was administered was â€Å"partial†, â€Å"venal†, and â€Å"infamous†. (Young) He goes on to say that after conversing with numerous men in several different areas around France all of them felt as if the legal system needed serious reform, as equal justice under the law was completely impossible due to widespread corruption.Young found that as two parties stood before the judge the winner of the dispute would be whichever party could bribe the judge more. Shockingly, this bribe did not always have to be monetary; it could also be the â€Å"beauty of a handsome wife† (Young) The only way justice would be served was if two conditions were both meet; neither party could have any connection to the judge (or anyone else in power) and neither party could have something of value to offer the judge, be it money, land, or women.If either of these conditions was not met, the party that knew the judge or had the available resources would be victorious. Furthermore, the judges had the authority to originate decrees. Not surprisingly, they did this without the permission of the King. As it turns out, these â€Å"parliaments† had configured a judicial system where they made the laws and then turned around and punished people for breaking these laws. Young had uncovered what he described as â€Å"a horrible system of tyranny†.Young’s main points of unbalanced taxes, unforgiving penal codes, and the deceitful legal system help to bring into focus his feelings of why the French were doomed for a revolution. He does a wonderful job of really capturing the feeling of the typical Frenchmen at the time. Although he arrived in the kingdom to evaluate the conditions of the soil and other aspects of the farming environment, he seemed to leave with a thorough understanding of French society in the late 1780’s. The only bias shown in the piece might be in that Young only makes note of the thoughts, fears, and complaints of the working class citizens.From the reading, it is difficult to get a sense of how the people in power felt about day-to-day lif e. Because of this one-sided account, any reader would automatically find themselves cheering for the â€Å"little people† and suppressing a growing detestation for persons of authority. The principle value of Arthur Young’s Travels in France is that the people of this day and age studying the French Revolution have an excellent report of some of the events leading up to it. Young goes deeper into the major concerns of the day than the average textbook can.The reader truly gets the opportunity to feel the pain of the local townspeople. Textbooks try to hit the highlights of history, which sticks mainly to important kings and key politicians, where in pieces like Young’s, readers get to understand the plight of the average Joe. Bibliography Stead, David. Arthur Young. EH. Net Encyclopedia 2003. http://eh. net /encyclopedia/article/stead. young Young, Arthur. Arthur Young’s Travels in France During the Years 1787, 1788, 1789. London: George Bell and Sons, 1 909.

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also known as the goddess of wilderness, thus given with such fact, it may be taken to assumption that women are capable of extracting and involving in ‘intimate’ relationships and thus have beliefs which are taken consideration initially before they are to dwell upon it (Te Paske, 1982).Sexual SolipcismFreud’s belief in the art of ‘sexual solipcism’ which never fails to mystify the society of today, is a proof that the level of rationality of human beings today, compared to that of the past decades had evolved in a rather more open echelon on ‘openness’ (Bell, 1997).   Freud established this so-called numerological fantasy connected to menstrual cycle of the female species by which on the hard line feminist critique of psychoanalysis is conceived as the predictable reaction to numerous psychologically based primacy of the internal organ of the male (Bell, 1997) and in the larger and rather explicit scale of s uch portrays the fact that all men are rapists and oppressors and women are the victims pious in their innocence (Te Paske, 1982).   The issue is deliberatively raised on the worst and animus shadow of the whole gist of what seemed to be a fact among the perception on men, thus creating a dim image of the men’s purity in mind and deed (Te Paske, 1982).Life Changing EventPerceivably, the only problem established by myths is its capability to change gradually the behavior and the personality of an individual who was able to acquire it.   21st  Century analogy and basis blatantly argues that myths create a negative impact on the society and thus must be given focus on to by behavioral analysts so as to fully eradicate the perception that myths are effectual ‘guiding stars’ (Wolin, 1995) and must be followed and given consideration on to by an individual.Numerous interpretations in the arena of mythological succession had been crucially studied and determined b y socio-political analysts.   With the objective to save the victims of false beliefs, they emerged in a form of research which indulges in transcendence and immanence to take a claim of the juxtaposition of modern and traditional conviction.Power of MythThe power of myth, according to mythologist Joseph Campbell and world renowned journalist Bill Moyers, myth is a sociological and at the same time a behavioral dynamic of individuality whereas enthusiasm of such somehow serve as a steer in decision making.   However, in his documentary show, he also stressed the negative effects of myths which denotes that the fallacious beliefs, taken from the word ‘fallacy’ itself is in a ratio of 10:90 adequate in helping people know and understand their inner self (Nicholson, 1999).Abandoning Mythological SkepticismMoreover, the argument on myths had been prudently expounded the EM Risse, in his article, Shape the Future.   In his article, he contended that the problem of the society on why development is dawdling in motion is because of the citizen’s counterfeit confidence on traditional notions.   Advising the community to jump out of the skin of life’s conventionalities and start exploring the rather challenging schemes of the highly regarded components of human settlement patterns (Bell, 1997).RelicWhat I have cited as an instance where the myth had been believed to be true to fact, is the dispute of a suspect in a rape case, wherein the bark of defenses of the offender laid a table of mythological explanations, which of course, had not been accepted by the court.   A perfect representation and actuality that modern world justice system and form of regulation on justifications of individuals are well studied and are not in point of fact based on that which is falling on the stream of false beliefs and other traditional saga eaten by criminals to escape from the bars of justice.The mere fact that there were still individuals who beli eve in the power of myth, it had been cited that the aforementioned kind take the risk of following the potent nature of myths and thus believe that their salvation or their scheme in life is already written in a book and thus cannot be changed (Nicholson, 1999).Reality versus IdealismFurthermore, I would barely like to support the argument on such statement.   Basing the idea on ‘reality’ versus ‘idealism’ will unfold the life living in myths as well as the twists and turns one may divulge in it (Wolin, 1995).Perhaps it may not be as sufficient as that if the scientific explanations rendered by critical research and studies, but for people who were not able to experience the privilege of knowledge and of literacy do not have any other outlet and sense of support to dwell on. Rather, what myths tend to offer already gives air to their living and thus making the people able to perform what is expected by the community or the culture that they inhabit, rega rdless the quintessence of universality or societal acceptance.ConclusionIn the light, what used to be the ‘bible’ of the medieval individuals’ daily basis has transformed in a rather conceptual and modernized state that such myths instilled by our forefathers had been locked in the jar of the times of yore.   The advent of mythological representations was noted to be either that of which is invented, or which had freely flown into place due to gossip (Bell, 1997; Wolin, 1995).   For the reason that humans are prone to interacting with the like is quite inevitable to take to assumption that the sufficiency and factuality of myths are deliberately hanging thoughts or perspectives.Every person has a certain point of enthusiasm in mythology in them (Wolin, 1995).   It may not be as obvious as one may seem to show the society or the people he or she is involved to, but the inevitability of the ‘vain thoughts’ within oneself is already a subconsciou s mythical ocean (Bell, 1997).   If one tends to believe that death will take him tomorrow, or that one will see his ‘loved one’ after an hour because a red Volkswagen passed by, those are already proofs that the existence of myth and its influence to people has not yet abandoned the modern limelight.   In conclusion, the never ending debates on how true or how sufficient myths are in explaining the phenomena occurring in this earthly place shall always be a part of every human’s query in life.   How people think and act today, may be a manifestation of what one has been before; and how they are today may affect the myth of their future (Nicholson, 1999).ReferencesBell, M. (1997). Literature, Modernism and Myth: Belief and Responsibility in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge, Great Britain: New York Cambridge University Press.Nicholson, P. Y. (1999). Who Do We Think We Are?: Race and Nation in the Modern World. Armonk: N.Y. ME Sharpe, Inc.Te Paske, B. A. (198 2). Rape and Ritual: A Psychological Study. Toronto: Canada Inner City BooksWolin, R. (1995). Labyrinths: Explorations in the Critical History of Ideas. Amherst: Mass. University of Massachusetts Press.

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Effective teachers Essay I. The Power of an Effective Teacher and Why We Should Assess It This is the value of the teacher, who looks at a face and says theres something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that colour, behind that language, behind that tradition, behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me. The transformative power of an effective teacher is something almost all of us have experienced and understand on a personal level. If we were particularly fortunate, we had numerous exceptional teachers who made school an exciting and interesting place. Those teachers possessed a passion for the subjects that they taught and genuine care for the students with whom they worked. They inspired us to play with ideas, think deeply about the subject matter, take on more challenging work, and even pursue careers in a particular field of study. Some exceptional teachers achieve celebrity status, such as Jaime Escalante, the math teacher who inspired the film Stand and Deliver, but thousands of unsung heroes go unrecognized in their remarkable work with students on a daily basis. ? II. Qualities of an Effective teacher Think back to when you were in school. Who was your favourite teacher? Who was the teacher you dreaded having? Almost everyone will instantly be able to answer these two questions. We’ve all had terrific teachers and, unfortunately, most of us have had teachers that were not effective. So what qualities does an effective teacher have that an ineffective teacher does not? The answer is that it takes a perfect blend of several qualities to create a truly effective teacher who can have a lasting impact on virtually every student. In this article, we examine ten qualities that virtually every effective teacher will possess. a)An effective teacher loves to teach. The single most important quality that every teacher should possess is a love and passion for teaching young people. Unfortunately, there are teachers who do not love what they do. This  single factor can destroy a teacher’s effectiveness quicker than anything else. Teachers who do not enjoy their job cannot possibly be effective day in and day out. There are too many discouraging factors associated with teaching that is difficult enough on a teacher who absolutely loves what they do, much less on one who doesn’t have the drive, passion, or enthusiasm for it. On top of that, kids are smarter than what we give them credit for. They will spot a phony quicker than anyone and thus destroy any credibility that the teacher may have. b)An effective teacher demonstrates a caring attitude. Even teachers who love their job can struggle in this area, not because they don’t care, but because they get caught up so much in the day to day routine of teaching that they can forget that their students have lives outside of school. Taking the time to get to know a student on a personal level takes a lot of time and dedication. There is also a line that no teacher wants to cross where their relationship becomes too personal. Elite teachers know how to balance this without crossing that line and once a student believes the teacher truly cares for them, then there is no limit to what that student can achieve. c)An effective teacher can relate to his or her students. The best teachers work hard to figure out how to relate to each of their students. Common interest can be hard to find, but exceptional teachers will find a way to connect with their students even if they have to fake it. For instance, you may have a student who is a Lego fanatic. You can relate to that student if you do something as simple as ordering a Lego catalogue and then going through it and discussing it with that student. Even if you have no actual interest in Lego’s, the student will think you do and thus naturally create a connection. d)An effective teacher is willing to think outside the box. There is no one set cookie cutter way to teach. A cookie cutter approach would likely be boring for both teachers and students. What makes teaching so exciting is that kids learn differently, and we have to find and utilize different strategies and differentiated learning to reach every student. What works for one student, will not work for every student. Teachers have to be willing to be creative and adaptive in their lessons, thinking outside the box on a continual basis. If you try to teach every concept in the same manner, there will be students who miss out on key factors because they aren’t wired to learn that way. e)An effective teacher is an excellent communicator. To be the best possible teacher you must be an effective communicator. However, in this area you are not just limited to being a skilled communicator to your students although that is a must. You must also be a strong communicator with parents of your students as well as your faculty/staff team within in your building. If you have a difficulty communicating with any of these three groups, then you limit your overall effectiveness as a teacher. f)An effective teacher is proactive rather than reactive. This can be one of most difficult aspects for a teacher to conquer. Intense planning and organization can ultimately make your job all the more less difficult. Teachers who plan ahead, looking for aspects that they might have issues with, and proactively looking for solutions to solve those problems will have less stress on them, than those teachers who wait until a problem arises and then tries to address it. Being proactive does not replace being adaptive. No matter how well you plan, there will be surprises. However, being proactive can cut down on these surprises tremendously, thus making you more effective overall. g)An effective teacher strives to be better. A teacher who has grown complacent in what they do is the most ineffective kind of teacher. Any teacher who is not looking for new and better teaching strategies isn’t being an effective teacher. No matter how long you have taught, you should always want to grow as a teacher. Every year there is new research, new technology, and new educational tools that could make you a better teacher. Seek out professional development opportunities and try to apply something new to your class every year. h)An effective teacher uses a variety of media in their lessons. Like it or not we are in the 21st century, and this generation of students was born in the digital age. These students have been bombarded by technological advances unlike any other generation. They have embraced it, and if we as teachers do not, then we are falling behind. This is not to say that we should eliminate textbooks and worksheets completely, but effective teachers are not afraid to implement other forms of media within their lessons. i)An effective teacher challenges their students. The most effective teachers, are often the ones that many students think are the most difficult. This is because they challenge their students and push them harder than the average teacher does. These are the teachers who are often students’ least favourite teachers at the time, but then later on in life they are the ones that we all remember and want to thank, because of how well they prepared us for life after our time with them. Being an effective teacher does not mean you are easy. It means that you challenge every one of your students and maximize your time with them so that they learn more than they ever thought they could learn. j)An effective teacher understands the content that they teach and knows how to explain that content in a manner that their students understand. There are teachers who do not know the content well enough to effectively teach it. There are teachers who are truly experts on the content, but struggle to effectively explain it to their students. The highly effective teacher both understands the content and explains it on level. This can be a difficult skill to accomplish, but the teachers who can, maximize their effectiveness as a teacher. III. Effective teaching strategies Six keys to classroom Excel a) Interest and explanation – â€Å"When our interest is aroused in something, whether it is an academic subject or a hobby, we enjoy working hard at it. We come to feel that we can in some way own it and use it to make sense of the world around us. † (p. 98). Coupled with the need to establish the relevance of content, instructors need to craft explanations that enable students to understand the material. This involves knowing what students understand and then forging connections between what is known and what is new. b) Concern and respect for students and student learning – Rams den starts with the negative about which he is assertive and unequivocal. â€Å"Truly awful teaching in higher education is most often revealed by a sheer lack of interest in and compassion for students and student learning. It repeatedly displays the classic symptom of making a subject seem more demanding than it actually is. Some people may get pleasure from this kind of masquerade. They are teaching very badly if they do. Good teaching is nothing to do with making things hard. It is nothing to do with frightening students. It is everything to do with benevolence and humility; it always tries to help students feel that a subject can be mastered; it encourages them to try things out for themselves and succeed at something quickly. † (p. 98) c) Appropriate assessment and feedback – This principle involves using a variety of assessment techniques and allowing students to demonstrate their mastery of the material in different ways. It avoids those assessment methods that encourage students to memorize and regurgitate. It recognizes the power of feedback to motivate more effort to learn. d)Clear goals and intellectual challenge – Effective teachers set high standards for students. They also articulate clear goals. Students should know up front what they will learn and what they will be expected to do with what they know. e)Independence, control and active engagement – â€Å"Good teaching fosters [a] sense of student control over learning and interest in the subject matter. † (p. 100). Good teachers create learning tasks appropriate to the student’s level of understanding. They also recognize the uniqueness of individual learners and avoid the temptation to impose â€Å"mass production† standards that treat all learners as if they were exactly the same. â€Å"It is worth stressing that we know that students who experience teaching of the kind that permits control by the learner not only learn better, but that they enjoy learning more. † (p. 102. ) f)Learning from students – â€Å"Effective teaching refuses to take its effect on students for granted. It sees the relation between teaching and learning as problematic, uncertain and relative. Good teaching is open to change: it involves constantly trying to find out what the effects of instruction are on learning, and modifying the instruction in the light of the evidence collected. † ?

Healthcare Information Management

Healthcare Information Management HEALTHCARE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Healthcare Management of Information Systems Availability of information about the patient is of utmost importance in the medical profession. In order for a doctor to provide the patient with the best possible care, it is of utmost importance that, all the information past as well as present, about the patient is available to him. The American college of surgeons recognized the importance of record keeping back in 1928, when the Association of Recode Librarians of North America was established to maintain the high standards of medical records in hospital and other related institutions (AHIMA History, 2008). From then onwards, the quality record keeping and its security has turned into a proper science. Healthcare management of information systems is defined as follows. It â€Å"is the study of the principles and practices of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care.† (What is health information management, 200). Healthcare information management (HIM) professionals are people who have an increasingly critical role to play in the health care system. As the age of information progresses, HIM professionals play important roles as sort of a bridge between the clinical and the administrative departments. It is the role of the HIM professionals to put a network or a system in place which allows organization of administrative as well as patient related information in a manner which allows quick access to accurate patient related data in ensured. The expertise of HIM professionals is not just used by the hospitals. â€Å"Ambulatory care facilities, managed care facilities, Private clinics, pharmaceutical industry, insurance companies, even universities† use the organizational expertise of HIM professionals. (Partner in the Delivery of Quality Healthcare, 2008) Association of healthcare management systems and its professions not only have the job of ensuring quality record keeping, but looking the future, the association is pushing the initiative of ensuring fully electronic storage of information. Electronic storage will not only streamline storage, but it also enables an easy access of information as required. Security is paramount. The HIM professionals job is to ensure that the information channels are safe and secure and the setup they provide secure and safe. In order to ensure that the professionals remain up to far with the rapidly changing technologies and meet the high standards demanded by consumers, the AHIMA certifies HIM professionals in their field of expertise. These include â€Å"Coding specialists, Registered Health information Administrator, Registered health information technician, and certified personal in health care privacy and security† (Experts in Health Information Management, 2008). H.I.M aims to interlink comprehensive patient information across the country and to ensure its accessibility in real-time to accomplish on time health care delivery. System interoperability and data interchange is the need of our times. It is the task of HIM professionals to ensure the creation of data organization, storage and extraction systems in health and related institutions with the view of providing services across the country(Advocate for Health Policy, 2008). The regulatory body of HIM, the AHIMA has undertaken the task to â€Å"advance the role of HIM in informing clinical practice, develop standards to improve data quality and facilitate information exchange, and help healthcare organizations migrate to the electronic health record (EHR).† (Advocate for Health Policy, 2008). The HIM profession is heavily dependent on information technology or IT. The professionals in some departments have to be computer networking experts as well. These professionals not only have sound knowledge about the ins and outs of the health care system, but also are learned in their fields of specialty, like administration, networking, coding expert etc. The field of HIM is a rapidly changing and dynamic field. The professionals have to keep up with the dynamics of health care environment and keep updating themselves in terms of knowledge and skills. The professionals have to take refresher courses, annual certifications and keep themselves at the edge by using textbooks, journals, and industry dynamics and updates. The AHIMA provides online communities and libraries for the professionals to network, interact and assist each other in many ways. An interesting thing one discovers at the AMIHA website is its history. We find out that the concept of health care information management is not new. In 1928 the American college of Surgeons place the ground work for the HIM by organizing a record keeping establishment to ensure that the patient records were complete and of high quality. This establishment has had a few transformations. It changed its names quite a few times. In 1938, the establishment was referred to as the American association of medical record librarians (AAMRL). In this year, it created rules and certain standards for record keeping. In the 70s its name changed to American Medical record association and the professionals were notably more involved in the hospitals, health care facilities, and long term care institutions. Later called In the American healthcare information management association (AHIMA) went through restructuring process. The new roles of the association are to manage data not only from hospitals but health information and clinical data comprising the whole spectrum of health care. (AHIMA History, 2008) An interesting thing to note about the site for AHIMA is that, apart from demonstrating that it is a regulatory body for HIM professionals, it also provides information educational Associate and Baccalaureate HIM programs. This is a good means for interested professionals to explore their options and think about the opportunities in the future. The site also provides information about scholarships and grants. (Faculty and Dean Resources, 2008). The site has separate sections on career opportunities in the HIM profession. Along with guidance and direction on how certify ones self in HIM programs, it provides the opportunity for professionals to post resume, look at available jobs in the field, or search for jobs of their choice (Career Assist, 2008). It also provides reviews and statistics of the HIM work force data, like salaries, and other demographics of the jobs available. An interested professional can study the information before making a choice of profession. (Career opportunities in health information management, 2008) Certification is an important pillar in the healthcare profession. For HIM professionals to be valued properly, they must be certified. The AHIMA website allows a direct link to the commission on Accreditation for health informatics and information Management Education. This is an independent body that certifies institutions for degree granting programs in health informatics and information management. Knowing which institutions are accredited ensures that interested professionals only approach certified institutions for their future education. (Welcome to CAHIIM, 2008) An interesting thing to note was the AHIMA diversity management program. According to the mission statement, â€Å"The AHIMA Diversity Task Force will facilitate the Associations members ability to celebrate and promote diversity within the Association through education, mentoring, recognition, leadership and other programs.† DIVERSITY TASK FORCE. This task force ensures differences and diversity in points of view. The promotion of diversity enables maximum effectiveness and success of the institution. REFERENCES: AHIMA History, (2008). AHIMA. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.ahima.org/about/history.asp What is health information management (2007). Health information careers.com. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://himcareers.ahima.org/whatishim1.html Partner in the Delivery of Quality Healthcare (2008). AHIMA. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.ahima.org/about/about.asp Experts in Health Information Management ( 2008). AHIMA. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.ahima.org/about/about.asp Advocate for Health Policy (2008). AHIMA. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.ahima.org/about/about.asp Career opportunities in health information management (2008). AHIMA. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.ahima.org/careers/career_counseling.asp Career Assist (2008). AHIMA. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://careerassist.ahima.org/home/index.cfm?site_id=681 Welcome to CAHIIM (2008). CAHIIM. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.cahiim.org/ Faculty and Dean Resources, (2008). AHIMA. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.ahima.org/academics/

Adolescent Observation Report Essay -- Adolescence Development Observat

Confidential Material The names used in this Adolescent Observation Report are fictitious. This is absolutely necessary to protect the privacy of the adolescent being observed. Person observed: Mary Age: 18 Gender: Female General description: about 5’2†, black hair, brown eyes, about 100 lbs. Place of observation: at my work, World of Tile Company Others present: Other co-workers Cultural group: Chinese Physical Development Mary has reached her body height at 5’2†. Although, when she was younger she had to take growth hormones because she was not growing when the rest of her peers were. She was a very late developer and did not start puberty until she was 17. Mary is very active in school activities such as clubs and softball and tennis. She is very coordinated in her sports and also very fast. Mary was just offered a full scholarship to play tennis at State University. Nutrition and health habits consist of eating a healthy, well balanced diet. She rarely eats fast food, and never eats sweets. She generally tries to maintain a nutritious diet because she wants to succeed in tennis. Cognitive Development In school, Mary is a B average student. She is a Senior in High School and is going to State University in the fall, 2015. Her family moved to the United States when she was very young, so she has been in American schools since pre-school. Her reading and writing skills are pretty average, but she exceeds in math. Mary is very attentive...

Kate Chopin :: essays research papers fc

Kate Chopin gives a great deal of thought in her literature to issues that she views as important. She was encouraged not to become a "useless" wife; she was also involved in the idea of becoming an independent woman (LeBlanc 1). Kate Chopin is a well-known American writer. Kate Chopin was born on February 8, 1851, in St. Louis, Missouri. At the age of 53, on August 22, 1904, she died due to cerebral hemorrhage (Hoffman 1-2). Kate is the daughter of Eliza Faris O’Flaherty and Thomas O’Flaherty. Her father was a well-established merchant, who took part in many business investments. He is one of the founders of the Pacific Railroad, and was on the train when it crashed into the Gasconade River, in 1885. Her mother Eliza, was a member of a very elite social group, in their French-Creole community. After Kate’s father passed away, her mother became much more religious, and develops a closer relationship with Kate. Kate also has an older half-brother, George O’Flaherty. He was a Confederate solider in the Civil War, and in 1863 was captured by the Union forces, and dies of typhoid fever while in prison. Kate spent her childhood in St. Louis Missouri (Hoffman 1). Kate Chopin was only married once, and it was to Oscar Chopin, a prosperous cotton farmer. The two were married one June 9, 1870, after a yearlong courtship. Kate and Oscar had six children, five boys and one girl. Jean was born in 1871, Oscar Jr. in 1873, George in 1874, Frederick in 1876, Felix in 1878 and Lelia in 1879(Hoffman 1-2). When his cotton business failed they moved to Cloutierville, a small town in Louisiana. They were married for 12 Â ½ years. In 1882 Oscar died of Malaria, and Kate raised the children on her own. Two years after Oscar died Kate and her children moved in with her mother. Less than a year later her mother died and she was on her own again. Kate received a formal education at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Louis. She enjoys music, re ading, writing, French and German. She became fluent in both languages. Later in her life she continues her education by studying biology and anthropology. Kate Chopin is known to be an extremely smart woman. (Toth 116) In addition to writing the only other career Kate Chopin has, is being a housewife.

Comparing Two Charity Advertisements Essay

In this essay I will be comparing the advertising leaflet for Christian Aid with the leaflet produced by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). This essay will be analysing how the different charities try to persuade us, the audience to change our views, make the people want to do something to help them and the difficulties these charities face. I will be examining and commenting on the effectiveness of these adverts. The RSPCA are a charity organization set up to help animals in Britain and Christian Aid helps out people and children Worldwide. We need these charities because they help people in need and they also support communities. We need charities to help people who cannot support themselves because everyone deserves to have a life of their own which they can enjoy. We give to charities for many reasons, but the main reason we give to charities is because we feel guilty. We feel guilty because we are so well off and we take our houses, Television and having food and water for granted. However, people in third world countries can not even afford to have a roof above their head and in some extreme cases of poverty they can not afford food and clean water. Some people give for compassion. This is when they sympathise with these people and animals and they feel sorry for them so they give money because they want to help them. However, some people give because of their religious belief. Muslims give to charities because of Zakat, one of the pillars of Islam. It reminds Muslims of the fact that whatever wealth they may possess is due to the blessings of Allah and it should be spent according to the His commands. Some people give to charity because they believe it is their moral duty to give to charity. In addition some people give to charities because they want people to think they are generous and they want to be recognized as that and get praise for it. There are hundreds of different charities which help out in different ways. These different charities include charities that support animal rights, environmental agencies and pressure groups, humanitarian charities, medical charities and child protection. The spectrum of human emotion can be manipulated visually and imaginatively. Pictures can be formed mentally from descriptive words or even statistics. Charities use this to their advantage, this works extremely well. It is their greatest technique for persuasion. Charities constantly need to advertise due to competition. There are hundreds of charities which help different causes and this is why there are so many different charities to give to which shows there is so much competition. On top of this there is the National Lottery. Since the national lottery there has been a decrease in the number of people giving to charity. The National Lottery is a huge profit making organisation and out of this they profit they do give to charity. However they only give a small proportion of their money to charity and recently there has been some controversy on which charities they give to. Most charities also do not get government funding which means they rely on the public to donate money to keep their charity running. Charities advertise in various ways. These include the broadcast media which could be television or Radio, Print Media which consists of billboards, posters, newspaper (tabloids and broadsheets) and magazines; we can also include advertising on the internet. Advertising is very important in our culture and is always around us. Everything is advertised varying from houses to the clothes we wear and films we watch. Advertisements are a way to persuade people to do what you want them to do, whether it is to donate to tour charity or to buy your product. Advertisements have been around for centuries, one of the first advertisements was in a newspaper in 1704. This shows how long they have been around and how long people have had to learn how to manipulate them to their advantage. Charities mainly use the print media option because it cheaper than television and radio advertisement. Also print media is more easily accessible to everybody unlike radio and television. This may also be advantageous because instead of having to write out a cheque the print media will probably have a tear off slip which can be more convenient to send off. This has been used in the RSPCA leaflet. Charities target people who are financially stable and socially and globally aware of the problems people face in the world. This is because these sorts of people are more likely to give because they are likely to feel guiltier than others and if they know about global issues then are also likely to empathise with these people. Charities can target their audience by advertising in certain newspapers such as broadsheets for example ‘The Guardian’ or’ The Telegraph.’ The type of people who read these sort of papers are more likely to give than people who read ‘The Sun’ or ‘The Daily Sport’ because they are probably more likely to be globally aware and they are probably better educated, so they have better jobs and would therefore would have a more disposable income to give to charities. The main purpose of the RSPCA is to prevent cruelty to animals. We know this because it says ‘The aims of the RSPCA are to prevent cruelty and promote kindness to animals.’ The main purpose of Christian Aid is to help people, regardless of their race or religion, to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice. We know because the information inside the leaflet shows us that they are trying to help people like ‘Valliamma and Shashore have a life before Death.’ From the name ‘Christian’ Aid people tend to believe that this charity only helps people who are Christian but this is not true, this name was made centuries back when this was not a multi-cultural society, as it is today, but it had to the name because they were to well known to change it. The Christian Aid leaflet uses an image of a canned drink on the front cover. This is a red colour, with the title ‘Fresh Air’. The words ‘Fresh air’ are very strong as their slogan and also very emotive, as it makes us think of those people in undeveloped countries, who do not have anything but air. This image of a can is very effective because it reminds people of ‘Coca Cola’ and western culture and capitalism. It shows how our culture has dominated the world, and how unfortunate some people are. The colour red is very effective because it has negative connotations of blood and death which reminds us of what is happening out in the world and makes us want to donate money. On the back of the can there is a box titled ‘Nutritional Information’ which is written in a large font to show that is the title, then the writing inside is a smaller font size. When we first open the poster our eyes are immediately led to the picture on the lef t. This is because we read from left to right so the left hand side is the primary optical area for us. The writing above the picture is in bold and in red. This is more eye-catching and we are more likely to read this before we read any of the other text because the bright red and the dominance in the size of text will probably strike our attention before the other text would. There is a caption below the picture which is in a smaller font than the one which is used for the rest of the writing. This has been deliberately made small because this information is not as important as the other text. On the right hand side, there is another photo and below it there is a caption and in an even smaller font than this there are the Christian Aid contact details. This has been put at the bottom of the page because it is the last thing that has been out on the page so it memorable. The biggest writing on this page is at the top of the page on the right. This is used to make sure that everyone reads this, even if they do not read the other text because this is the most important text. It also is the centre page of the three flaps, so it is also been put there as a big centre point. The right hand flap can then be pulled open to show more writing in the middle and on the right there are two small pictures surrounded by writing. The writing is broken into paragraphs so it seems easier to digest instead having big chunks of text which some people may find off putting. The text is split in the middle with alternating bold red text then normal text. On the right hand side each paragraph starts off in bold with the words ‘Just à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½24’ or ‘à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½36’. This is used to emphasise the amount of money, which for us is not a lot but for people in Africa is enough to build a life on. At the bottom again we have big, red, bold text, to stand out against the rest of the text as it is asking us to give us money and the CA do not want us to miss this. At the bottom we have the Christian Aid logo and below the slogan ‘We Believe in Life before Death’. This has been put here because this is the terminal optical area as it is the last thing we read on the right-hand side when we read from left to right so we will remember this. The RSPCA leaflet shows a cat on the cover, sitting on a doorstep and staring at us. This scene seems absolutely normal. The heading is in a bold white font which gives positive connotations as it makes us think of peace. At the bottom of the page on the right, we have the RSPCA logo in the terminal optical area which is effective because it makes it more identifiable and memorable. Then if we lift out the flap underneath, we see an image of what seems to be a normal house. There is a cat sitting on top of the sofa. The title on the top is written in a big black bold colour. This black colour gives negative connotations compared to the white heading on the first image because it is shows darkness. Below there is white writing which is smaller but is still in bold. It is now that we see the next picture which instantly gives very negative connotations from just looking at it. There are faeces on the floor, it looks like a very neglected area and there are tins of cat food as well. Using black and white to contrast between negative and positive features is a very clever way to easily give the effect you want. The RSPCA advert has very little text compared to the CA advert and big pictures. They have also printed their advert in black and white whereas on the other hand the CA advert has been printed in colour. This was probably printed in black and white because it is cheaper so more leaflets can be printed within their budget, informing more people of their charity. Nowadays, charities are using more and more shocking images in their adverts in order to make the audience empathise and feel sorry for these people. For example, a recent Barnardos advert showed a baby with a cockroach and a syringe in its mouth and this was banned because it was thought to be too shocking for the British public. This however is very effective, and if people were to believe that this kind of thing was happening then they would be more likely to give. However, this could have been made very shocking purposefully, to grab attention and to get publicity. When we first see the RSPCA advert we are confronted by a rhetorical question asking us whether this cat is happily watching the world go by. This makes us start to think whether something is going on and leads us to read on to see if there is anything going on. Then, when we open up the leaflet this question is answered, but in the form of another rhetorical question and in the background there is an image of a room. Then below this tile is writing. This writing is telling us what actually happened in this room. It talks about the cat ‘Boots’ being ‘soiled with faeces’. They have used the name ‘Boots’ to make it seem more personal to us. The ‘faeces’ could have been replaced with ‘excretion’ or ‘pooh’ but ‘faeces’ is used to make it sound more technical and scientific. This helps to make it more shocking and give the text more of an impact. Short sentence structure is used to make the reader remember, short sentences are also more effective than long sentences, which helps the reader remember what is said. Then on the back we have a zoom in on what has happened. It has information of an advice line and national cruelty helpline places next to a phone. At the end the text ‘This was just one’ is placed in the terminal optical area which makes the sentence stay in the persons mind. Moving back to the middle section there is a photograph of three kittens staring at us. It seems as if they are asking for help when they look at us. This is called the ‘look to camera’ technique. The title uses an opinion which is made to look like a fact when it is not necessarily true that ‘Boots ahs found a loving new family’. Below the picture there is a black box which is used to draw our attention. The writing inside this box uses triadic structure and repetition of ‘à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3 a month’ in bold then what this can do to help being listed three times. At the end it says ‘Please help.’ This is a polite request. This is used because it is harder to decline a polite request than it is a normal request. Again in the last section we have the cat using the look to camera technique which seems as if the cat is asking us ‘Please be my friend?’ The title uses emotional blackmail when it says â€Å"I’ll be a friend for life to defenceless animals suffering from cruelty.† This is effective because it makes us want to be their friend, and protect them from cruelty. This advert uses many examples of rhetorical questions, because they are thought evoking and make us want to read on, until we reach the end, where we meet the sponsor form. ‘Dying for a drink? Imagine if this was all you had to drink today.’ This opening question is a rhetorical question and has alliteration. It persuades you to imagine, a natural reaction is to do so. It gives a vibrant picture and feeling, making you sympathize with these people. There is a lot of detail given in the first sentence, which is a very good way to draw in the reader to move forth into the leaflet. On the back of the can there is a box titled ‘Nutritional Information’. Inside this box are facts. These facts are shocking but interesting and lead us to read on inside the leaflet. This is the purpose of the front cover of the Christian aid’s leaflet. As we open the leaflet at the top we are given the title ‘How one well helped save a community from extinction’. The word extinction seems very powerful and this title amazes us to know that ‘just’ one well could make such a difference. Below the picture we see more facts about how they helped so many other people in Mali by building ‘500 concrete wells’. The first paragraph tells us what is happening in Mali and the problems. In the second paragraph we are told about what they did about it. The chief of tonsogou, Abdoulaye Togo, is described as ‘dynamic’ and ‘determined’. This is used to make people think that he is a good person and that we should send money to help him. Also, using the persons name makes it seem more personal. The third paragraph tells us the effects of them helping this village. The word ‘flourished’ is used because it gives off very positive connotations. There is a quote from one of the villagers saying that now they have more time to spin cotton. This is also very positive because it shows now that they have clean water and they can work, and sell their products so they will get more money. The next flap uses a quote right at the beginning. This quote is very emotive and moving, and makes us think again, of the image we thought of from the first rhetorical question. This gets us thinking again and we empathize with these people. This next paragraph uses the word ‘Imagine’ at the beginning of each sentence. This is used to involve us and to again make us empathize with these people. It uses statistics such as ‘1.1 billion people’ and ‘one- sixth of the worlds population’ to shock us. The flap is then opened up and we see the centre page which is carried on talking about people like Yalaya and how they have helped the village become more ‘self-sufficient’. This makes us realize that by us helping them, we are helping them help themselves. The next part talks about how after building the well ‘the people of tinsogou got together with 14 other villages and between them built their own health centre’. This is very impressive to us and it makes us think that it is worth helping these people because they can help other people by making a health centre. It also says that they have made a school. This is good because then the future generations can be educated and may not have to struggle in life as that village once did. The next paragraph consists of the quote ‘†When we realized what we could achieve we didn’t want to stop at the well. We wanted to go on and make other things happen for the village.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ This quote shows that CA is a charity that is very determined to help people out in every way they can. The rest of the flap says that so much was achieved by just one gift of water, and that today we can be part of these achievements by donating. This makes us want to be part of these achievements and helping other people out. It says ‘the battle against poverty’. This is a very powerful, effective sentence, full of strong words such as ‘battle’, and ‘poverty’ to persuade us to give money, so that we do win the ‘battle against poverty’. It also talks about this being a difference we can make and it says please do. This is a polite request because it asks us nicely but in a way it is also telling us to do it. The last flap informs us that ‘Just à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½24’ buys eight bags of cement, to help a ‘community like Valiamma’s in Sri Lanka’. It makes it very personal now when it almost introduces her by saying she has seven children and that she ‘only’ earns twenty pence a day selling rice flour. It is very emotive because she uses twenty pence to feed seven children and herself and we spend twenty pounds going out to a restaurant, eating what we want. The use of the word just is also very effective because for in a commercialized, developed country like ours twenty four pounds is not a lot of money. The same thing is repeated in the next paragraph but this time it is thirty six pounds for Shashore in Ethiopia to give money so that she can grow her own trees, because the food that she grows only lasts for five months. This also makes us think how lucky we are that we can have as much food as we like, and more whenever like as we are constantly surrounded by shops and restaurants. The last paragraph asks us to help ‘Valliamma and Sahashore have a life before death.’ This is a clever way to use their slogan ‘A life before death’. This slogan is very effective because religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, believe in re-incarnation and even Christianity believes in heaven and hell which is life after death, but CA wants people to have a life before they die. Both adverts are very effective. However, I believe that the RSPCA leaflet is more effective because they have used more persuasive devices and emotive language where as the Christian Aid leaflet mainly states facts and when it uses persuasive devices it is very blatant so it is not as effective. An example of this from Christian Aid is ‘Please give whatever you can today and help more people like Valliamma and Shashore have a life before death.’ The images used in the RSPCA advert is very emotive when it has the animal looking at you, especially in the last image, because it seems as if the cat is asking for help. I believe that the RSPCA would get more support from the public because of the fact that Britain is well known for caring about animals. For example we only have a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children but we have a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Therefore I believe that more people would give to the RSPCA than to Christian Aid.

Hunger Games Comparison

Hunger Games vs. Our society A. intro 1. Alter bodies for fashion/looks 2. 13 colonies theory 3. Average American/ Average Capitolean B. Body Altering 1. Body coloration a. tatooes b. tanning beds c. piercings/colored hair 2. Conclusion C. 13 Colonies Theory 1. 13 states/districts a. try to prevent a â€Å"war† b. King George III /President Snow taking over cruely c. Lower class/ Upper class 2. Upper Class = large and moder city = Capitol 3. â€Å"While there is no such thing as an ordinaryy American, it is not the case that most Americans are balkanized in enclaves where they know little of what life is like for most other Americans. The American Mainstream' may be hard to specify in detail, but it exists† -Charles Murray D. Average American/ Those in the Capitol 1. We all have an idea of what the average american looks like, But the most common answer was: obese, piercing, tatooes, dyed hair. How does this compare to the Hunger Games? Well in the â€Å"Hunger Gamesâ € , the Capitol people had colored hair and skin, glitter, unusual hair, and did many other unusual things to themselves to portray themselves as beautiful and the new â€Å"it† thing.If you looked at our society, you would see how just about everyone is trying to be the average American and follow all the new trends. Susanna Collins took this theory and made it her own creating a society that portays exactly how ours is. E. Conclusion 1. Body Alteration 2. 13 colonies theory 3. Average Hunger Games vs. Our Society â€Å"Hunger Games† by Susanna Collins, has many similarities to our modern day society. The people living in the â€Å"Hunger Games† Capitol do many things to their body that our society does to theirs.The thirteen districts in â€Å"Hunger Games† had many parallelisms to our thirteen original colonies. The average person living in the capitol has many similarities to our societies average person. â€Å"Hunger Games† society has many of the cultural influences that we have in our modern day society. In â€Å"Hunger Games†, Susanna Collins has many unusual cultural expectancies just as our modern day society does. Many citizens of our modern day society use tatooes, unusual colorings of the hair, piercings, and skin coloring (tanning beds) as a way to express themselves and their beauty.The citizens of the Capitol has these same things. They do very unusual things to their skin, face, and hair. Susanna Collins uses our societys unusual behaviors and adapted them to fit the role of the Capitol. The thirteen districts in â€Å"Hunger Games† have a lot to compare to our nations original thirteen colonies. In our original thirteen colonies, they were trying to avoid war within their new nation while those in the thirteen districts were also trying to avoid a â€Å"war†. The Capitol is ran by a horrible and power abusing President Snow.When our thirteen colonies were still new and trying to becom e a new nation, King George III of Great Britain was still trying to abuse his power over them. Both of these leaders were ruthless when trying to â€Å"rule† over their people. The thirteen districts and colonies also have the similarity of a upper class and a lower class. Before our thirteen colonies became a nation, they were considered lower class while King George III and his subjects were upper class. The most common definition of upper class is a large and modern city/ place.This definition fits exactly to the Capitol described in â€Å"Hunger Games†. Our original thirteen colonies and â€Å"Hunger Games† Capitol have many similarities and similar ideas. We all have an idea of what the average american looks like, But our most common answer is: obese, piercing, tatooes, dyed hair. How does this compare to the Hunger Games? Well in the â€Å"Hunger Games†, the Capitol people had colored hair and skin, glitter, unusual hair, and did many other unusua l things to themselves to portray themselves as beautiful and the new â€Å"it† thing.If you took a look at our society, you would see how just about everyone is trying to be the average American and follow all the new trends. Susanna Collins took this theory and made it her own creating a society that portays exactly how ours is. â€Å"While there is no such thing as an ordinary American, it is not the case that most Americans are balkanized in enclaves where they know little of what life is like for most other Americans. ‘The American Mainstream' may be hard to specify in detail, but it exists† -Charles Murray. Susanne Collins took many ideas of history and our society to write her book â€Å"Hunger Games†.She took the idea of how our modern society alter their bodies to fit the image that our media creates for us. She also took the history of the original thirteen colonies or states and adapted it to fit the role of the districts in â€Å"Hunger Gamesà ¢â‚¬ . In addition to those, she took how the idea of the â€Å"average American† and changed it and made it the characteristics of the people living in the capitol. Susanne Collins, author of the novel â€Å"Hunger Games† took many of our modern day ideas and our country's history and fit it to make â€Å"Hunger Games† the ultimate comparison to our modern day society.

Sales and Markup

Student Name: __________________________________________ID ___________ Worksheet: Metric 5 Mark-up & Margin 1) A computer software retailer uses a markup rate of 40%. If the retailer pays $25 each for computer games sold in its stores, how much do the games sell for? Answer: The markup is 40% of the $25 cost, so the markup is: (0. 40) * ($25) = $10 Then the selling price, being the cost plus markup, is: $25 + $10 = $35 Therefore the games sell for $35. 2) A golf pro shop pays its wholesaler $40 for a certain club, and then sells that club to golfers for $75.What is the retail markup rate? Answer: The gross profit in dollars is calculated as sales price less cost: $75 – $40 = $35 The markup rate is then calculated: Markup (%) = Gross Profit / Cost *100 = $35 / $40 *100 = 87. 5% 3) A shoe store uses a 40% markup on cost. Find the cost of a pair of shoes that sells for $63. Answer: The cost of the shoes is calculated as follows: Selling Price = Cost + Markup ($) = Cost + (Markup (%) * Cost) $63 = Cost + (40% * Cost) $63 = Cost + (0. 4 * Cost) $63 = (1 + 0. 4) * Cost $63 = 1. 4 * Cost Cost = $63 / 1. 4 = $45 ) In 2009, Donna Manufacturing sold 100,000 widgets for $5 each, with a cost of goods sold of $2. What is the company’s margin %? Identify a way that Donna Manufacturing can increase its profit margin? Answer: First we have to calculate the gross profit: Gross Profit = Selling Price – Cost of Goods Sold = $5 – $2 = $3 Now we can calculate the margin: Margin (%) = Gross Profit / Sales * 100 = $3 / $5 * 100 = 60% Ways to increase the profit margin: – Decrease cost of material – Decrease cost of manufacturing – Increase sales price per unit – Decrease COGS ) If a product costs $100 and is sold with a 25% markup at a retail store, what would be the retailer’s margin on the product? What should be the markup and selling price if the retailer desires a 25% margin? Why might the retailer be seeking to incr ease their margin? Answer: a) To calculate the margin, we first have to determine the sales price: Markup ($) = Markup (%) * Cost = 25% * $100 = $25 Selling Price = Cost + Markup ($) = $100 + $25 = $125 Margin (%) = Markup / Price * 100 = $25 / $125 * 100 = 20% Therefore the retailer’s margin would be 20% when the product is sold at a 25% markup. ) To calculate the markup and selling price at a 25% margin: Selling Price = Cost / (1 – Margin (%)) = $100 / (1 – 25%) = $100 / (1 – 0. 25) = $133. 33 Markup ($) = Selling Price – Cost = $133. 33 – $100 = $33. 33 Markup (%) = Markup ($) / Cost * 100 = $33. 33 / $100 * 100 = 33. 33% Therefore to obtain 25% margins, the product would have to be sold at $133. 33 with a markup of 33. 33%. c) Reasons for increase include: – Increase in fixed costs (rent, tax, commission, wages, etc. ) – Increase in demand and/or decrease in supply Other competitors/retailers charge more for the product and the higher margin is a result of increasing sales price to match 6) The following is a Distribution Chain for a Pair of designer Jeans: The manufacturer in China produces the Jeans for $5. 00 a pair and sell them to the importer for $7. 00. The importer sell them to the brand distributor for $10. 00 a pair The Retail store buys them for $50. 00 from the brand distributor. The Retail Store markups them up 150%. What is the Retail Price? What is the Margin % and Markup % for each of the Channel partners in the Distribution Chain? |Retail Price = $125. 0 | | | | | | | | | |Manufacturer | |Importer | |Distributor | |Retail | | | |Mark-up % | | | |40. 00% | |42. 86% | |400. 00% | |150. 0% | | | |Margin % | | | |28. 57% | |30. 00% | |80. 00% | |60. 00% | | | |Selling Price | |$ 5. 00 | |$ 7. 0 | |$ 10. 00 | |$ 50. 00 | |$ 125. 00 | | | |Channel Margin | | | |$ 2. 00 | |$ 3. 0 | |$ 40. 00 | |$ 75. 00 | | | |Channel Markup | | | |$ 2. 00 | |$ 3. 0 | |$ 40. 00 | |$ 75. 00 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Wal-Mart Strategic Audit

Offering products at everyday low prices is one of Wal-Mart’s many strategies. The company value chain helps identify activities associated with how Wal-Mart achieves their many strategies. First, Wal-Mart’s supply chain management is extremely cost effective. For example, Wal-Mart has been known to imitate competition’s successful merchandising concepts. Another cost-effective method in Wal-Mart’s supply chain management is their ability to track the movement of products through the entire value chain. Whether the product is in shipment, in distribution center inventory, in-store inventory or on the shelf, or at the cash register, Wal-Mart can track it in real time. Their capability in streamlining supplies among stores and suppliers has helped them maintain appropriate inventory and track what sells and what doesn’t. Operations and distribution strategies have also helped Wal-Mart achieve low prices. Wal-Mart’s strategy has been to plot stores outside of large cities and within 200 miles of existing stores. Clustering stores together in small areas, Wal-Mart relies on word-of-mouth advertising to win over consumers in larger cities. Because stores are close together, distribution costs are below average. Furthermore, Wal-Mart seeks to meet different customers’ needs with four distinct retail options; these include discount stores, supercenters, Sam’s Clubs, and neighborhood markets. Each store concept has a specific range of store size, total employment, and estimated sales. One of Wal-Mart’s foremost strategies is to provide superior service to customers. Every store has a â€Å"greeter† near the entrance to welcome customers, offer them a shopping cart, and direct them toward where their items are located. Rule number eight in Sam Walton’s 10 Rules for Building a Business is to â€Å"Exceed our customers’ expectations. If you do, they’ll come back over and over. † Alternative Strategies Wal-mart Stores Inc. is known to most as the low price leader but Wal-mart also has a controversial image. Being a multibillion dollar business does not excuse one from problems. Over the years Wal-Mart has been one of the most scrutinized businesses in America. Wal-Mart has had to deal with employee disputes over health benefits, wages, hours, and labor. They have faced opposition from the communities, banks, elected leaders, and unions in many of the small towns they have expanded to. Many argue that Wal-Mart stores can have a negative effect on the community, because Wal-Mart has driven out other local competition by driving the prices down. Some have even gone to great lengths to stop Wal-mart stores from entering their cities. Wal-Mart’s goal is to treat their customers like family while providing them with quality goods at lower prices but Wal-Mart’s image is deflating. Why? What can be done? The challenge facing Wal-Mart, especially in this trying time of economic hardship, is to boost its perceived value to the customer by improving the quality of their goods while keeping themselves differentiated from their competitors. There are several options that Wal-Mart can utilize in order to change their image. There are three significantly different options to follow that Wal-Mart should analyze and take action. One option is Wal-mart needs to target the higher margin, discretionary sales. Different products need to be the center of the marketing efforts, for example more fashionable merchandise. To entice the style conscious advertising should also be shifted to towards the higher margin sales. The second option is unionization. By unionizing a company such as Wal-Mart, the costs would be immense in initial start up while they may balance out future legal costs. If Wal-Mart allowed for unionization, their perceived image will change dramatically. A third option is creating a strategic alliance or a joint venture with local farmers. By creating a new image through marketing or through unionization we now can create a new enticing atmosphere drawing in a diverse consumer. Strategic Evaluation of Alternatives Higher Margin Target Market Wal-Mart has always had a smaller margin 30%, compared with Target at 45%, on discretionary items, like furniture, electronics, sporting goods, entertainment and apparel. Wal-Mart can attract the style conscious consumer a few different ways. One way is by offering high-quality clothing items. This can be done by scouting out up and coming high-end designers at fashion/art schools and working with them to design clothing lines that would appeal to not only the Wal-Mart shoppers but also the urban market consumers to bring in more upscale customers and wider profit margins. Styles and variations can be done by target marketing, by age, income, lifestyles. Then pricing structures and marketing methods can be set up for each dominant market. The pros for this strategy are simple, profit and a diversity among the consumers; attracting a different kind of customer. By attracting this target market you open the door to more crowded stores, possible price increases, and thereby you may find the original Wal-mart consumer shopping elsewhere. Unionization By using a functional strategy to implement unionization, Wal-Mart’s perceived image would change dramatically. They would be viewed publicly as a caring employer that wants to offer the best benefits to its associates, attracting better workers thus creating better customer service and longevity of their associates. Due to the negative publicity that Wal-Mart has encounter about its workers pay and benefits, this would be seen as a positive action. Wal-Mart has had to work hard to clear their name from bad press relating from their business practices, from low pay and stingy health benefits, to ligation issues. Wal-Mart is a multi-billion dollar company where their top executives are some of the richest in the country, however, their employees are barely making minimum wage at the highest, and are facing the harsh reality of being unable to support their families. As a multi-billion dollar company, providing benefits would be a great opportunity for Wal-Mart to help employees and the economy but it will also help revive the company’s current image into something much more positive. A union would help establish and maintain the program plus it would also create team unity which in turn would create a more positive work environment. Not only would it bring more customers to the store, it will cut down on its lawsuits. The introduction of a union may even cut costs because the company would then be held to more strict guidelines, resulting in less legal issues. However, the cost of implementing a union would be great. Employees may also be leery of paying union dues. Strategic Alliance or Joint Venture with local farmers Wal-Mart could expand its business to include partnerships with local farmers utilizing a cooperative strategy, by creating a strategic alliance or a joint venture with local farmers. These local farmers will benefit from the large scale business that Wal-Mart would offer. Wal-Mart by buying locally are reducing their environmental stamp, giving back to the community and enabling their consumers to purchase fresh produce thus creating an image of helping communities. The local farmers could grow produce, including organic, that could be stocked in local locations, advertising this within store with locally grown signs above each product, depicting the location and photo of the farm/farmer would make consumers aware that purchasing these products will benefit their local community. Moving into organic foods will create new challenges for Wal-Mart's well-known supply-chain system. The wholesale organic foods market is made up of many small suppliers selling perishable goods that require complicated handling. Recommended Strategy; Strategic Alliance or Joint Venture with local farmers Wal-mart has managed to develop a brand name synonymous with low cost products but not necessarily quality products. This image has attracted a core lower-income consumer which organic products may not appeal to. However, Organic products represent a new, growing category of demand for all retailers. Many consumers today are actively buying American made and grown products with an increase of interest in organic products. Wal-mart has the opportunity now to diversify its target market to include the heath conscious consumer. Having a Joint venture or strategic alliance with local farmers will create an image of helping local communities, increase sales, reduce costs, and create a loyal customer base by using the local farmers Implementation A. Wal-Mart can increase profits by using local markets. Buying locally from the farmers will reduce transportation cost and increase product freshness. B. Wal-Mart will lead the food markets by using local farmers exclusively. C. Research and Development will be implemented at the local store manager level. The supply and expected demand will also be determined at the local level. Strategic Manager: Julie Communication: Online Meetings Accountability: Upd ate, determine needs for local markets Frequency: Quarterly Evaluation and Control. Wal-Mart’s evaluation and control of the implementation of a strategic alliance or joint venture with local farmers process starts with setting performance standards. Wal-Mart will set performance standards that will allow guidelines to be set that will define the differences between actual and desired results. These standards will help to ensure that Wal-Mart is able to catch any issues related to the implementation and implement new procedures if needed. Wal-Mart can begin by analyzing the overall market they would operate in using a benchmarking process. The benchmarking process would enable Wal-Mart to better understand the services, products and competitors that it would be going up against in this market segment. By utilizing this process Wal-Mart will have a better understanding of their competitors, the process they use and possibly the ability to do it better. Once Wal-Mart has analyzed its competitors, the monitoring of the implementation begins. In the evaluation and control process Wal-Mart needs to begin to set up a control system that would enable Wal-Mart to monitor departments within each store. These systems would then enable them to maintain quality standards, monitor pricing, follow current trends and have the ability to implement any necessary changes to the system within each store immediately. There should be multiple control systems to ensure that management is able to provide feedback within each corporate level, enabling them to be able to resolve any issues prior to the completion of the implementation. Wal-Mart is known for â€Å"everyday low prices† and maintaining their edge as the low cost leader is important during this process.